PERFECT GAME CROSSCHECKER'S TOP TEN LIST
WEEK 34: 9/1/08 - 9/7/08
Green, Ackley Top Cape List
Friday September 5, 2008
Now that the 2008 summer college league season and high school showcase circuit are pretty much done and almost every future potential draft pick is back in school, we’ve begun unveiling our exhaustive rankings of the top college and high school prospects in the 2009 and 2010 draft classes.

We’ve ranked the top prospects in more than 20 of the nation’s summer college leagues, and we’ll be adding scouting reports on all those players over the next couple of weeks.

We’re also close to unveiling a number of other prospect lists, notably a revised list of the top 1,000 high school prospects in the 2009 class, along with an updated state-by-state follow list of more than 2,500 prospects at all levels. Those lists are the most comprehensive available anywhere, and will require a Premium-level subscription to access. They’ll be updated on a regular basis over the course of the next several months leading up to the 2009 draft, and we’ll supplement them with numerous other lists and comprehensive scouting reports.

The bulk of the top college prospects in the 2009 and 2010 draft classes spent their summer playing in various summer college leagues around the country, and we’ve highlighted the best prospects in each. The greatest concentration of talent was found in the Cape Cod League, and we’ve provided a sneak preview of the top 10 prospects in that league below.

A year after the 2007 Cape season produced 10 of the first 25 picks in this year’s draft, high-end talent was less in evidence this summer. Chatham shortstop Grant Green (Southern California) and Harwich outfielder Dustin Ackley (North Carolina) are considered the only sure-fire first-round picks in 2009—though a number of others could ascend to that rarified area with strong performances next spring. A number of other 2007 Cape performers spent the summer season with USA Baseball’s undefeated college national team and should also be first-round picks next June.

Here are the top 10 prospects from this summer in the Cape Cod League, as we saw them. Thefull top 100 Cape Cod League list requires an Insider-level subscription.

  PLAYER POS. TEAM B-T HT WT YR 2009 SCHOOL
1. Grant Green SS Chatham A’s R-R 6-0 180 Jr. Southern California
2. Dustin Ackley OF Harwich Mariners L-R 6-1 180 Jr. North Carolina
3. *Matt Harvey RHP Chatham A’s R-R 6-4 200 So. North Carolina
4. Chris Dominguez 3B Hyannis Mets R-R 6-5 235 Jr. Louisville
5. *Brandon Workman RHP Wareham Gatemen R-R 6-5 225 So. Texas
6. A.J. Pollock OF Falmouth Commodores R-R 6-1 200 Jr. Notre Dame
7. Ben Tootle RHP Falmouth Commodores R-R 6-0 170 Jr. Jacksonville State
8. Brad Boxberger RHP Chatham A’s R-R 6-2 195 Jr. Southern California
9. Ben Paulsen 1B Hyannis Mets L-L 6-4 205 Jr. Clemson
10. Matt Thomson RHP Orleans Cardinals R-R 6-4 200 Jr. San Diego

*Not eligible for 2009 draft
--ALLAN SIMPSON
Howard On Fast HR Track
Wednesday Septebmer 3, 2008
Since Barry Bonds produced his major league record 73 home runs in 2001, the game’s undisputed home run king has been Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard.

Not only does the 6-foot-4, 255-pound Howard lead the majors with 37 homers this season, but his 58 homers in 2006 are the most in the majors since Bonds’ record total. Moreover, Howard also has produced the most homers in a minor league season—46 in 2004, split between Double-A Reading (37) and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre (9)—over the same period.

Third baseman Dallas McPherson, who was called up by the Marlins from Triple-A Albuquerque after this year’s Sept. 1 roster deadline, topped the minors this season with 42 homers. It marked the second time that McPherson had hit at least 40 homers in a minor league season. He also reached 40 in 2004 while a rising prospect in the Angels system, a total that was second that year only to Howard’s 46.

McPherson’s career with the Angels (18 homers in 117 games from 2004-06) never took off as predicted, mainly because of a back injury, but it may be back on course again after he missed all of the 2007 season while undergoing back surgery.

The accompanying list identifies the 10 best single-season home run totals in the minor leagues since baseball’s infamous 2001 season. Howard is the only player on the list whose power has translated to the big leagues, while the re-emerging McPherson, 28, is the only player to appear twice on the list.

Rank Player Pos. HR Year Club/League (Class) Where Now
1. Ryan Howard 1B 46 2004 Reading/Eastern (AA)—37 Phillies (Majors)
  Scranton/International (AAA)—9
  Has hit most single-season homers in majors (58 in 2006) and minors (46 in 2004) since 2001, leads majors ‘08
2. Phil Hiatt 3B 44 2001 Las Vegas/Pacific Coast (AAA) Out of Baseball
  Slugged 314 minor league homers in 15-year career that ended in 2005, but only 13 in 170 big league games.
3. Brandon Wood 3B 43 2005 Rancho Cuca./California (Hi A) Angels (Majors)
  Has had difficult time matching breakout .321-43-115 ’05 season in High A; only one HR, 61 big league ABs.
4. Dallas McPherson 3B 42 2008 Albuquerque/Pacific Coast (AAA) Marlins (Majors)
  Back surgery sidelined him in 2007, but had big bounce-back year in Triple-A, leading minors in home runs.
5. Brandon Berger OF 40 2001 Wichita/Texas (AA) Out of Baseball
  Big power season in AA pushed him to four-year career with Royals, but had only eight homers in 81 games.
6. Dallas McPherson 3B 40 2004 Arkansas/Texas (AA)—20 Marlins (Majors)
  Salt Lake/Pacific Coast (AAA)—20
  Produced 18 HRs in 117 games for Angels in 2004-06; finally resurfaced with Marlins as September call-up.
7. Joe Dillon 3B 39 2004 Carolina/Southern (AA)—9 Brewers (Majors)
  Albuquerque/Pacific Coast (AAA)—30
  Came out of retirement to smack 39 homers in minors in 2004; has slugged two in 179 big league at-bats since.
8. *Brian Dopirak 1B 39 2004 Lansing/Midwest (Lo A) Blue Jays (AA)
  Released by Cubs in spring training, Dopirak slugged 27 homers in high A for Jays, and two more in Double-A.
9. *Mitch Jones OF 39 2004 Trenton/Eastern (AA) Dodgers (AAA)
  A career minor leaguer, Jones has hit 200 homers in a nine-year career, including 16 this season in Triple-A.
10. *Chris Carter 1B 39 2008 Stockton/California (Hi A) Athletics (A)
  Traded by White Sox to D’backs straight-up for Carlos Quentin, Carter moved on again in A’s-D’backs trade.
11. *Mike Stanton OF 39 2008 Greensboro/South Atlantic (Lo A) Marlins (A)
  Marlins ‘07 second-rounder homered once in 56 AB in pro debut, but bust out with big season in first full year.

*Has never played in major leagues
--ALLAN SIMPSON