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Doing a midseason prospect list is an exercise in managing hype and dealing with insufficient information. Half-seasons mean small sample sizes, and while I'm speaking to scouts on a daily basis, I'm often dealing with two or three looks instead of four or six. And then there is the information we don't have. So many of these players have earned midseason promotions, and that half-season at a new level will provide valuable information that for now we just have to do without. So, with the understanding that several changes between now and the official Top 101 in the offseason will take place, here's a snapshot of the Top 50 prospects in baseball. For eligibility purposes, players needed to still be in the minors as of July 1. Draftees from 2012 are not included.

Have a Kindle? Additional commentary on Kevin's Midseason Top 50 is available in The Call-Up 2012, our just-published midseason update to Baseball Prospectus 2012.

1. Jurickson Profar, SS, Rangers (Preseason #4)

2. Wil Myers, OF, Royals (Preseason #19)

3. Dylan Bundy, RHP, Orioles (Preseason #6)

4. Oscar Taveras, OF, Cardinals (Preseason #23)

5. Manny Machado, SS, Orioles (Preseason #8)

6. Taijuan Walker, RHP, Mariners (Preseason #14)

7. Francisco Lindor, SS, Indians (Preseason #17)

8. Travis d'Arnaud, C, Blue Jays (Preseason #16)

9. Nick Castellanos, 3B, Tigers (Preseason #71)

10. Billy Hamilton, SS, Reds (Preseason #22)

11. Mike Olt, 3B, Rangers (Preseason #45)

12. Gerrit Cole, RHP, Pirates (Preseason #9)

13. Jose Fernandez, RHP, Marlins (Preseason #80)

14. Zack Wheeler, RHP, Mets (Preseason #30)

15. Javier Baez, SS, Cubs (Preseason #66)

16. Julio Teheran, RHP, Braves (Preseason #5)

17. Miguel Sano, 3B, Twins (Preseason #12)

18. Archie Bradley, RHP, Diamondbacks (Preseason #37)

19. Tyler Skaggs, LHP, Diamondbacks (Preseason #21)

20. Jake Odorizzi, RHP, Royals (Preseason #47)

21. Bubba Starling, OF, Royals (Preseason #27)

22. Christian Yelich, OF, Marlins (Preseason #33)

23. Gary Sanchez, C, Yankees (Preseason #40)

24. Jorge Soler, OF, Cubs

25. Matt Harvey, RHP, Mets (Preseason #25)

26. Aaron Sanchez, RHP, Blue Jays

27. Danny Hultzen, LHP, Mariners (Preseason #35)

28. Jackie Bradley, OF, Red Sox

29. Shelby Miller, RHP, Cardinals (Preseason #10)

30. Jorge Bonifacio, OF, Royals

31. Austin Hedges, C, Padres (Preseason #94)

32. Jameson Taillon, RHP, Pirates (Preseason #13)

33. Matt Barnes, RHP, Red Sox

34. Kaleb Cowart, 3B, Angels

35. Jacob Turner, RHP, Marlins (Preseason #15)

36. Mason Williams, OF, Yankees (Preseason #99)

37. Luis Heredia, RHP, Pirates (Preseason #42)

38. Nolan Arenado, 3B, Rockies (Preseason #20)

39. Carlos Martinez, RHP, Cardinals (Preseason #31)

40. Jonathan Singleton, 1B, Astros (Preseason #73)

41. Daniel Norris, LHP, Blue Jays (Preseason #54)

42. Anthony Gose, OF, Blue Jays (Preseason #68)

43. Matt Adams, 1B, Cardinals (Preseason #69)

44. Rymer Liriano, OF, Padres (Preseason #52)

45. Anthony Rendon, 3B, Nationals (Preseason #26)

46. Trevor May, RHP, Phillies (Preseason #51)

47. Zach Lee, RHP, Dodgers (Preseason #70)

48. Chris Owings, SS, Diamondbacks

49. Matt Davidson, 3B, Diamondbacks

50. Dan Straily, RHP, Athletics 

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jalee121
8/01
In before people act like paying 4 bucks is the biggest travesty in their life.
redguy12588
8/01
I disagree with Taillons ranking. He's been inconsistent, but he's still got a 3:1 K:BB ratio and it looks like hes finally on a roll.
kgoldstein
8/01
I'm not sure how a 3.86 ERA in July with 17 Ks in 30.1 innings = on a roll. I'm not being snarky, but we were told that this is the year that the reigns come off and he dominates and he just hasn't done that.
eighteen
8/01
Reins.
Nater1177
8/01
Thanks for the in process look at the list, though I am curious what Xander Bogaerts did to drop out of the top 50. You had him at 32 in preseason and from I had heard/read he had more than held his own in High A as 19 year old (.287/.364/.485).
ccapiau
8/01
was thinking this exact thing too
kgoldstein
8/01
He's the guy who generates the most questions, which is funny, because I swear to you all that he was 51. My biggest concern is that he's not only not a SS, but maybe not even a 3B. He could still move up if he keep it up in the second half.
mhmosher
8/01
KG

Is it safe to assume defense is a significant factor in your ratings?
bornyank1
8/01
Defense is a significant factor in anyone's ratings, no? Anyone who rates players without considering defensive skills and positional scarcity isn't doing it right.
mhmosher
8/01
I agree. But KG's ratings are different than say, BA. I just wonder how much emphasis he places on defense. It seems like players that aren't good defenders or don't have a true position get downgraded.
SaberTJ
8/01
Why wouldn't they get downgraded? A position player's value is based upon his offensive production relative to position. If Bogarts can't play SS he's going to need to hit even more to remain an elite prospect. The offensive level needed goes up even higher if he can't stay at 3b.

Therefore, if Bogarts was a SS his projected offensive skills would make him a considerable talent. But the further down the defensive spectrum he gets, the more he has to hit like Oscar Taveras to remain elite. So, this must mean that Bogarts' bat doesn't project as likely to become a first-division starter anymore if he can't play an elite defensive position.
markpadden
8/02
Name another 19-year-old with a .840 OPS at any position in the Carolina League... It's only happened once in the last 10 years (Wil Myers 2010). Either Bogaerts is much older than his listed age or he is an underrated prospect.
kgoldstein
8/01
Position plays a role in everyone's rankings.
McCaffery
8/04
Turned out Ryan Braun couldn't stick at 3B either. Wonder what became of that guy?

(Just kidding, really. One counter-example does not an argument make, and Bogaerts doesn't have Braun's speed, for one thing. But you never know.)
ogden10
8/01
Was also curious about Bogaerts
Entheos
8/01
I heard Kevin saying that he won't stick at short...Probably why he soured on him...however to drop him out the top 50 is borderline insanity
kuma32478
8/01
Javier Baez - has the possibility of him staying at SS long term increased?
kgoldstein
8/01
Not for me. I think he's a 3B in the end.
hardyvan123
8/01
curious about Gary Brown, had a slow start but is coming on but a bit old maybe to show up on the top 50?
kgoldstein
8/01
Just outside the 50. I'm still a big fan.
nikitos1979
8/01
Surprised to see Trevor May on the list after his recent struggles.

jivas21
8/01
I'm surprised as well.

However, it appears that 2012 draftees weren't eligible for the list. Add those players in, and May falls off.

Also, if I recall (from the podcast), I believe KG finalized this list a few weeks ago. It could be that the list became just a tiny bit stale as BP held on to it while finalizing the remainder of it's Call-Up product.
kgoldstein
8/01
No question that the list would be different today, and different a month from now.
JPinPhilly
8/02
Trevor May on the list and Jesse Biddle off of it surprised me.
MattWinks
8/01
Kevin for context when was this list compiled just to know what information was available when you made the ranking?
kgoldstein
8/01
Early July.
JuanBobo
8/01
I assume Trevor Bauer is not eligible for this list, but out of curiosity, do you think his stock has fallen due to his rough MLB starts?
kgoldstein
8/01
I don't. Pitch efficiency was always a concern, and it still is. His approach to pitching frankly kind of annoys me. He tries to hard to be cute and clever when he could just blow guys away.
JuanBobo
8/01
Agreed, if you watched his starts the stuff was clearly there, but he just insisted on nibbling. He'd inevitably fail to get a few borderline pitches and it seems like things would start to snowball - walks galore, wild pitches, home runs, etc
mhmosher
8/01
Surprised Wilmer Flores didnt crack the mid-40s, especially when guys like May did.
kgoldstein
8/01
He wouldn't be in my Top 100.
mhmosher
8/01
Wow...ok then
rouse72
8/01
No Bogaerts is a huge oversight.
DeathSpeculum
8/01
Oskar taveras can PITCH too!?!?
sam19041
8/01
LOL
bradleyankrom
8/01
fixed, thanks.
morillos
8/01
Right. Taveras is a center fielder.
Scott44
8/01
Without giving away rankings, how many '12s would fit into your top 25 and who would you rate the highest?
meloyellow15
8/01
I'd be interested in Kevin's answer to this also. Would guys like Almora even be in consideration for the top 50?
kgoldstein
8/01
Not sure on the number, but Correa was my top draft prospect, so he'd be the highest ranking on here.
Scott44
8/01
Very bullish on Walker as #2 ranked SP prospect. What sets him apart?
kgoldstein
8/01
Age and stuff. Think about all the pitching prospects exciting people at the lower levels, or even rookie ball who are older than Walker. He's a special talent.
earpbartman
8/01
Better prospect -- 19-yr old Walker in AA now, or 19-yr old Teheran in AA two years ago? Same strikeout rate, other numbers better for Teheran, edge to Walker for breaking ball, edge to Teheran for changeup
jackweiland
8/01
I don't understand how Baez can be #15 when all the twitter trolls complain that KG has an anti-Cubs bias.

THE UNIVERSE MAKES NO SENSE.
tfierst
8/01
Was there any thought to adding Hicks? This year has to be his best year thus far, right? Does it get him close?
kgoldstein
8/01
He's back into Top 100 consideration certainly.
jivas21
8/01
Thanks for the list, KG.

For the record, I have no problem with the $4 supplementary product (other than frustration over it only being accessible on the Kindle platform). However, Joe Hamrahi (link below) promised that the list would be available here "as soon as we can publish it after the ebook is available."

Were this the case, the list would have been published on Monday. It seems to me, however, that the BP pageviews were kept high on Monday and Tuesday with the trading deadline content, so the decision was made to hold off on publishing this list so as to drive fresh traffic to the site. And while that is a perfectly reasonable business decision, it wasn't what had been promised. I recommend being a little more careful in what you promise.

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?type=2&articleid=17651#118176
sandriola
8/02
How do you know that the list could have been posted on the site on Monday? Nothing in Joe's comment says the list would be posted as soon as the ebook is available. He said they'd post the list as soon as they could after the ebook was available. Maybe the ebook publisher demanded a 48 hour wait time to post content from the ebook. Maybe you're right and they made a business decision to hold off and thereby go back on Joe's word. We just don't know what the terms of the contract are, so to call out Joe over a comment he made seems a tad harsh, especially when he didn't promise a Monday release in that comment.

For the record, I'm playing devil's advocate. I don't care either way.
jivas21
8/02
Good point! Obviously hadn't thought of that.

However, I'm not sure I'm responsible for considering every possible alternative to ensure 100% certainty. If I was wrong, I'd be happy for someone at BP to clarify, and I'll gladly apologize and retract my comment.
delatopia
8/02
J'accuse! Who cares what the truth may be?
MatternK
8/01
Thanks Kevin! I really can't believe that Davidson and Owings is ahead of Xander Bogaerts. Wow.

bheikoop
8/01
Surprised to see two things:
1. Olt some 30 spots ahead of Adams. Same age, one level down, vastly worse strikeout numbers.
2. Where's Eddie Rosario? His power is down, however he seems to be getting positive reviews at second, and has improved his strikeout/walk rate.

Are there extended reports within the book?
bradleyankrom
8/01
There are comments for each player in the book, yes.
mrenick
8/01
Regarding Olt, I'd assume that his ability to play good defense at 3rd warrants a substantially higher rating than below average defense at first.
kgoldstein
8/01
Adams is a bad 1B, Olt is a wonderful 3B. HUGE different. Massive. I like Rosario, but not that much, and yes, there is a paragraph for each guy in the book.
bheikoop
8/01
Thanks for the reply.
maxjusttyped
8/01
I'm surprised KG has Owings ranked in the Top 50. Seems to me his approach issues (3.5% BB% to 24.3% K% in AA) will hold him back from being a productive offensive player.
kgoldstein
8/01
Approach is a big issue, but athletic shortstop with power is a bigger one.
Peter7899
8/01
Here's the thing folks, if your guy is on the list. HE'S GOOD. Don't think he's getting slighted for being #34 instead of #14. Not a big enough difference to matter.
timber
8/01
I realize I can get a free Kindle reader and install it on my computer, but I would really like to see this in some other format as well. Even a .pdf would be great.
kgoldstein
8/01
I understand, but understand where the publisher comes from too. Yes, there is hacking with Kindle products, but just a plain PDF invites piracy.
jivas21
8/01
Also conspicuous by his absence, at least at the tail end of this list: Jedd Gyorko. KG has been pretty vocal about his belief in Gyorko's ability to hit. I'd bet $1 he's on the "just missed" list.
beeker99
8/01
Not quite what you asked for, but I too would like the see the "just missed" list of the next 5 guys or so.
kgoldstein
8/01
I'll buy that for a dollar.
pobothecat
8/01
How much does the "just missed" list cost?
TravisReitsma
8/01
Hey Kevin did you sour a bit on Jake Marisnick?
kgoldstein
8/01
A bit. I haven't killed him, just not top 50 for me.
dloomer
8/01
Bonifacio is one guy you rank a lot higher than most other lists. He's on my radar - what excites you about him?
kgoldstein
8/01
The advanced hit tool and that age. He barrels everything.
Kreylix
8/01
I see you're not hot on Dan Straily, despite his great performance in the PCL. Are you seeing flaws?
spsalsbery
8/01
I'd say putting Straily in the top 50 is decent evidence that Kevin is, in fact, hot on him.
mattcommins
8/02
Seems like Straily is ready for the big leagues right now. Maybe he has a low ceiling and KG only projects to be a #3-4 (which isn't bad at all)? Danny Hultzen, who has a low floor and ceiling. projects to be a solid #3 is rated #27. Don't know if there's a strike against Straily?

I'll definitely pickup a copy so I can learn more.
Kreylix
8/02
Ah, this is cool article on Straily today: http://www.milb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120727&content_id=35679412&fext=.jsp&vkey=news_milb&tcid=tw_share
dloomer
8/01
Is Trevor Story close?
aso5018
8/01
How close were Alen Hanson and Greg Polanco? And does Clay Holmes get any consideration for top 100?
kgoldstein
8/01
Hanson and Polanco both very close. I prefer Polanco.
jivas21
8/01
I find it amazing when people jump all over KG (or any of the other prominent prospect raters) when they provide a player ranking substantially different than the consensus. My *favorite* thing about these lists is to see which players are rated substantially different, and why. It's an indication that KG (or KLaw, etc.) has access to information about that player that we don't, and allows to evaluate whether maybe, just maybe, it's time for us to update our prior beliefs about the prospect.
shepleffel
8/01
Kind of surprised not to see Kolten Wong as it seem you're a pretty big fan. Just outside of 50? Either way, thanks for the update!
kgoldstein
8/01
I'm a huge fan of Kolten Wong, but there is some limit to his upside.
mike1213
8/01
my man crush could not be greater on oscar taveras

not ashamed
oakiegu007
8/01
Kevin, do people frequently confuse your rankings for fantasy rankings? I notice people rarely mention defense when they're complaining or commenting on a ranking.
pizzacutter
8/01
How could you not include Stetson Allie? He totally went to the same high school that I did!
Chucko
8/01
Kevin has a long track record of being anti-Stetson. He is in fact a Last Best West fan, but has yet to find a prospect whose parents are stu... awesome enough to name their child any such thing.
timber
8/01
Darn, I wish "reply" worked. Kevin, if a .pdf is no good, then how about issuing it in plain old bound paper format? Call me a dinosaur, but I still prefer dead trees for reading.
Chucko
8/01
Hence "Timber?" Regardless, I second your opinion.
kgoldstein
8/01
I totally understand that opinion. Again, this is an industry thing, and publishers are dipping their toes into unknown territory. To get a printed version of this out would have been a whole other ball of wax.
LynchMob
8/03
Perhaps try HP MagCloud?

http://www.magcloud.com/
delatopia
8/02
Do you really want to wait two more weeks for this information for the privilege of reading it on dead trees?
nils707
8/01
Hey KG, I saw you mention Max Kepler on twitter today. Just curious, what does he profile as? I saw he got some time at 1B recently, what's that all about? Thanks!
kgoldstein
8/01
I wouldn't read into that. Corner OF profile.
gregarakaki
8/01
Profar - What's the anticipated ETA given you have Andrus and Kinsler at the Texas keystone?
kgoldstein
8/01
We'll see. All sorts of scenarios can play out in one's head.
edragovic
8/02
Hey Kevin - What has happened to Julio Teheran? Who is the Braves 2nd best prospect(Bethancourt?)? Were they even close to the Top 50?
faztradamus
8/02
Is there going to be an iPad edition, or Kindle only?
sephrath
8/02
Kindle for iPad is free and works great.
Oleoay
8/02
I'm a little surprised Adams moved up into the Top 50 considering his ML debut wasn't that great.

In other news, I have three of the top 10 (Myers, d'Arnaud, Castellanos) on my AL Scoresheet team. *flexes for Ryan and John*
joseconsuervo
8/02
Obviously not the place but how does Giolito compare to not only the other draft picks but current prospects in upside? Unless you're Strasburg or Harper I can't see someone being put on this list, but does this sort of comparison exist?
mschroeder14
8/02
How close was Segura?
sahmed
8/02
Underappreciated bonus of having the list published here, even if it contains different content than the ebook: Kevin's been answering questions. Lots of value in that.
Drew106
8/02
Has Matt Harvey's relative stock fallen or risen in the preceding 4 months?
Drew106
8/02
I clearly should've used cntl+f prior to posting the comment, lol.