Baseball America Prospect Handbook: The Comprehensive Guide to Rising Stars from the Definitive Source on Prospects

by The Editors of Baseball America

Book Overview

The Baseball America 2006 Prospect Handbook is the leading annual reference guide to the next generation of rising stars. The Prospect Handbook profiles in-depth analysis and statistics of 900... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 193239110X
• ISBN13: 9781932391107
• Release Date: February 2006
• Publisher: Baseball America
• Length: 510 Pages
• Weight: 1.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.3" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

Baseball America Prospect Handbook 2006

Baseball America 2006 Prospect Handbook breaks down the top 30 minor league players for each of the 30 Major League Baseball teams. The handbook takes testimony from scouts, front office personel as well as minor league coaches. Problems do seem to arise with biased opinions about players. Sometimes you will see players get unfairly compared to great players. For instance the book refers to Justin Upton as the next Ken Griffey Jr. At the time that this book was written upton was not yet 19, had not signed a contract, and had never played a single game above the high school level. The staff writers do try to temper expectations but even their eyes can be clouded with unrealistic espectations of certain players. Another issue that can't be ignored is the fact that Baseball America does ignore a lot of the statistical analysis that has been made over the last 20 or so years. A great example how underrated players like Travis Hafner have been in past handbooks. With all of its faults I must say that it is still the premeire source on baseball prospects that is available. The handbook gives insightful and indepth analysis on 900 players. There is usually useful information on injuries, work ethic, bat speed, pitch speed, pitch movement, glove skills, and athleticism. This information comes from watching many games and speaking with the people closest to these players. As well as giving a minor league depth chart, the handbook also tantilizes readers with a projected 2009 future lineup(excluding the possibilities of trades or free agency). Another strength of the handbook is that there are 13 writers and each cover different teams so each time you read a new team you are given an interesting and fresh perspective. Wether you are trying to get ahead in your fantasy league, looking to the future of your favorite team, or just love baseball; this book is for you.

Could be more helpful to the casual fans (and serious)

I have been a fan of Baseball America for awhile now; I consider myself knowledgeable about baseball, more thanks to John Sickels and Bill James than Baseball America. Baseball America takes you where you don't normally hear about, or follow as in depth, such as college, high school baseball and international baseball. I truly enjoy their work in this "guide book". However, I wish they would explain how they rank their players in the Top 30 category more clearly. For instance. The Brewers' minor league system number one prospect of 2006 was Prince Fielder (a firstbaseman, now major leaguer). By reading the stats, I can see why. RHP Mark Rogers was ranked number 2. I failed to see why. The stats don't reveal the truth behind his "skills" and "talent". [these are in quotes, because baseball skill and talent are two different things...] In the preface, Baseball America explains the Scouts scales. Perhaps this could be used more in the book itself when explaining how prospects are rated. How is, for instance, Mark Rogers better than Yovani Gallardo? (a fellow Brewers' RHP ranked 4th despite having better stats. Yes, I am well aware that baseball isn't all about stats. But, Baseball America could do a better job of explaining the ranks. Other than that minor gripe, I am very pleased with their efforts.

A Must for the Serious Fantasy Baseball Owner

This marks the fifth year in a row that I've purchased this book. It has become my bible for evaluating minor league talent. Its scouting reports are clear, well-written, and for the most part, on target. Whether you're a fantasy baseball owner or just a fan of the game, you'll enjoy this book.

The bible for baseball prospects and the minor leagues.

Baseball America is, without a doubt, the most comprehensive, intelligent, and insightful source on the minors leagues, MLB teams' farm systems, and prospects. It also provides a lot of great insight and coverage of the best of college and high school teams and players, as well as some coverage from international prospects which could some day be in the majors. Simply put, Baseball America is an invaluable source of the more-than-casual baseball fan. So it's no surprise that Baseball America's Prospect Handbook is *the* source of information on prospects. It gives you the top 30 prospects of every MLB team, as well as scouting reports on all of them. This is invaluable for the hardcore baseball fan - anyone can spout off any team's top 10 prospects. Most fans know of the big names in 2005 - Jeremy Hermida, Delmon Young, Brandon Wood, Justin Verlander, Chad Billingsley, Carlos Quentin, Joel Guzman, etc. But when you want to go beyond the Top 10, when you want to do more than scratch the surface on the collection of talent (or lack thereof, in the case of teams like the Nationals and Reds) then this book is a necessity. I'd go so far as to say that if you're reading these reviews, this book is probably for you. Considering the information and well-designed format and attractive design, it isn't very expensive at all, and if you can find a used copy for those of you who are looking for information, not a museum copy, all the better, you can usually find one for around $15. Not bad. So, do you want to know who's rated higher in the Indians organization, Bear Bay or Nick Pesco? Who has the higher ceiling in the Cubs' organization, Billy Petrick or Sean Gallagher? Do you have any question about any minor league player? This is the book to go to. Recommended for hardcore fans and those who enjoy keeping up with the younger talent on the horizon.

For anyone interested in their team's future

If you have any interest in following baseball beyond each team's 25-man roster, then this is an essential publication. Covering 30 prospects for each major league team (for a total of 900), this is about as comprehensive a look you're going to find at prospects. Baseball America has a well-earned reputation as the best place to find minor league, college, and high school baseball information, and that expertise is evident in the book. Each team has their prospects graded, and a look at each team's most recent amateur draft is included. The list of the top 100 prospects is also enjoyable - or not, depending on how many players from your team are included on that list. Unless you're a team that can afford to sign several high-priced free agents each year, player development is critical to future success. And if you're a fan who has a serious interest in your team, then it's an area to which you likely pay a great deal of attention. But while other publications touch occasionally or briefly on team's top minor-league prospects, no other mainstream publication does as good a job of giving a serious and deep look at your organization's prospects. I'd recommend buying this one every year, as it's one of the best general looks at an organization's prospects. Along with John Sickels' prospects book (available on his website), this is a necessary purchase for serious fans.