BBSBL Top 75 Value (75-51)

Just Missed Out:

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SP Mike J Grace - Grace has been outstanding, winning 20 games in two of his last four seasons. A rough start to this season, but a solid ERA and WHIP points to the fault not being entirely his own. Age lands him just outside the Top 75.

SP Marc Valdes -Valdes has been under the radar. Still posting one of the best ERAs and WHIPs the past two seasons, Valdes finds himself outside the Top 75 for lack of utilization, age, and contract.

SP Brian Stephenson - Should likely be on the list, only thing keeping him from it really is just too many pitchers with slightly more value. Stephenson hasn't been doing it long enough to land in the Top 75, but could very well deserve a spot.

SP Dennis Stark - Much like Stephenson, except hasn't taken a crack at the bigs yet. A top pitching prospect who is likely now major ready, Stark could be Top 75 in a few years.

SP Justin Duchscherer - Will likely be Top 75 soon, just too much competition pitching-wise.

SP Mike Kusiewicz -Once again, not enough space on the list. Very good young pitcher, but E Duration and inconsistent.

SP Francisco Cordova -Probably going to be controversial, but comes down to me struggling to find someone in the Top 75 I'd trade for Cordova. Nasty stuff, but E Duration, 27, going to need a contract soon, and just so many pitchers. Probably could be on the list, but just too many fresher faces I'd rather have.

SP Jeremy Blevins -Attack of the E Duration! Inconsistent and suffers in the clutch, Blevins is nice, but there are just many more options right now.

LF Carlos Delgado -Having a big year, but just barely misses out on the Top 75. I'm sure his BA will regress as the year goes on, but can't deny he's been spectacular so far.

The List:

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75. SS Jimmy Rollins
We start off with the young SS in Toronto, Jimmy Rollins. Rollins is a nice switch-hitting SS who is only 20 years old. Has talent ratings of G/G/B/A/A/G which looks very nice. Now the only question mark around Rollins is how much developing he can continue to do in the minors. This is his fourth season down in the minors and a lot of his ratings are still pretty raw. He isn't a wow defender, but he does have good speed. I feel like there will be a few more growing pain years for Rollins and he should likely be called up soon, but he should be a pretty good SS for years to come.


74. SP Jinshirou Kensaku
Kensaku had a few awesome PDs that have really boosted his stock. He is incredibly raw, but with talent ratings of G/G/G/B/G I think you'll give him a chance. He's a lefty with average intangibles, but he has a long way to go before he'll be in the Majors. Biggest downside is he is 22 and still raw, but with the continued amazing development he's had, he may be a very good starter some day.


73. SP Grant Balfour
Balfour's duration is terrible, but his talent is B/G/B/G/G and his ratings are through the roof. He is a closer playing a starter's role after the recent position switch in Spring Training, but Balfour still has a long way to go in terms of being a premier value pitcher. We all saw what Cordova commanded on the trade market, teams need more than 5 IP from their starter, especially one that should be considered an ace. Balfour gets the nod this high because he's still on his MLC, so perhaps with a TIB and some attention to his duration, he could be a top pitcher in this league.


72. 3B Alex Cora
Cora is probably close to being Major ready. It doesn't look like he's benefiting from being in the Minors anymore. He has good talent ratings, but he needs to up his HRs to truly live up to his potential. He'll be a good hitter at least and is pretty versatile around the infield. Plus he has great intangibles.


71. SP Jason Standridge
Standridge is a solid young SP prospect. Great duration and groundball percentage, with Good consistency. Has all the important talent ratings and is only 20 years old. Probably a few years away from making an impact. Should still be an integral part of Anaheim's rotation for years to come.


70. SS Jose Reyes
Either too high or a little low, depending on how you look at it. On one hand, he has great range, speed, and stealing, along with Good consistency. On the other hand, he is super raw. Looks like another Reyes in the making (in terms of time spent developing). Could really use a TIA to his Walks, but given the fact that the Twins GM isn't likely to do that, he'll probably stay where he's at in development. Reyes has a long way to go which is a little nerve-racking given the shakiness of OOTP prospects, but if everything works out, Reyes will be an awesome SS in 4 years or so.


69. SP Manny Suazo
All Suazo needs to do is get his Hits up. As soon as those start jumping up, his Runs will shoot up given his excellent HRs and Walks development. He is Loyal and has Good consistency. Probably needs a TIC to his Clutch, but other than that Suazo is a very good pitching prospect. His age hurts his position a bit, but his value would skyrocket if he can get his Hits up.


68. SP Jim Pittsley
I struggled a bit deciding where Pittsley should go. Obviously he has the E Duration which hurts, but he has filthy stuff and has already broken out into the Majors with some pretty good outings. He'll need some work to get that Duration up, but he is shaping up to be a younger Cordova as of now, which is pretty nice.


67. LF Adam Dunn
Dunn looks like a future slugging beast. He'll definitely a be a guy teams will pitch around, those Brilliants in HRs/Walks are disgusting, but his Hits could really use some attention. Not sure why CLE doesn't invest in him, since he has plenty of cash, but hey what do I know? The Big Donkey is going to suffer from a lot of whiffs, and is a so-so defender, so a future as a DH is highly likely. Still only 19, Dunn has a long way to go before he'll be Major ready, but when he is, he'll likely be challenging for HR crowns.


66. SP Hideki Irabu
Fat Toad is probably one of my favorite pitchers out there. Dude just sims awesome. Pretty good intangibles, nice groundball percentage, and a proven player having won 20 games his rookie season. Only thing against him is time, already 30 years old, he probably has 3-4 very good years left in him.


65. RF Nelson Cruz
Staying in Philly, we move on to Nelson Cruz, a very nice RF prospect. 19 years old with good talent ratings, Cruz could be ready for the Majors next season if not in two years. The Fair in Ks is tough, but once his HRs develop more, he'll be a very good player for Philly. Still a lot of potential for him. Can bump his speed/Walks and he's looking real nice, but even without that, still a very valuable RF prospect.


63. 3B Adrian Beltre
In his first year in the Majors, Beltre is struggling to say the least. He's very inconsistent, and putting up some awful numbers so far, but he's only 20 years old is a great defender. Definitely have to live the growing pains here, and I'd imagine Beltre has a breakout year next season.


62. SP Carlos Zambrano
Zambrano finally got the TIA in Walks that he needed, and he looks pretty sick ratings-wise. Will probably be ready for the Majors next season. He's Loyal, Consistent, and will be a workhorse SP for Oakland. It's unfortunate he never got the hitting talent/ratings he deserved, but he'll still be a top value pitcher for years to come.


64. SP Jake Peavy
Peavy could be higher, but he has a long way to go before he's ready for the show. Groundball percetange is lower than ideal, but he's still very young with awesome talent ratings. He's struggling a bit in the minors right now, but he'll likely be a very good pitcher in 2-3 years.


61. SP Josh Beckett
I still favor Beckett with his Duration and Groundball percentage over Peavy (Marlins homer aside). I think Beckett has a great future in the league and he may not be very far from the Majors. His Walks and Hits are already at a good place for his first year in the league, and if he can get his HRs to jump up, we could be seeing Beckett soon. He's great in the clutch, but he is also injury prone. Still, 19 years old with awesome talent.


60. SP John Lackey
I'm very high on John Lackey. Loved the pick then and still love it now. Good across the board with awesome ratings. The Cubs already have a stacked pitching staff, but couple that with Lackey possibly being ready next season? Sounds unfair if you ask me. Wouldn't be surprised if Lackey is in the argument for best pitcher from the 1999 Draft. Pretty crazy to think the best two pitchers from that draft might end up not being named Peavy and Beckett.


59. SS Miguel Tejada
Tejada has flown under the radar due to the fact he plays for the Dodgers, a team in the shadow of its division rivals. Tejada is one of the better SSs in the league and he is only 25. His Fair in Walks hurts, but can't argue with his production. Biggest slight against him is his defense. He commits a little more errors than you'd like from your SS.


58. CF Josh Hamilton
Hamilton has a long way to go before he'll be making an impact in the league. As long as this blue chipper can stay away from the drugs, he'll be an awesome hitter in the league. But he's probably 3-4 years away from that. Very raw. He is a versatile OF prospect. Texas has a sick OF pair in Hamilton and Holliday.


57. SP Dicky Gonzalez
Big Dicky Gonzalez finds himself up here on the list due to his talent and age, plus his intangibles and readiness. He's probably ready for the Majors next season, can go deep into the game as a Starter, help in relief, and is loyal to his squad. Once those HRs bump up, he'll likely be a very good starter amongst the Mets nasty young lineup.


56. SP Ben Sheets
Sheets is a top pitching prospect with great talent ratings, including a Brilliant in Walks, and awesome intangibles. Only downside is he is injury prone. Great duration with a pretty good groundball percentage, Sheets will be an integral Starter for the Florida Marlins in a few seasons.


55. CF Carlos Beltran
Beltran has been a little slow to develop, but he's almost there. Talent ratings of G/G/A/G/A/F and awesome defensive ratings give this switch-hitting CF a spot in the top 75. Only question is how much more developing he can do in the Minors. Fourth year in the Minors and he still has a 3/4 in Hitting is a bit concerning. Also, with the Royals commitment to Jones and Damon, that leaves Beltran in his weakest position, or at least one of three in a weaker defensive role. It'll be interesting to see how Beltran continues to develop.


54. SP Wil Ledezma
The Yankee stud Wil Ledezma recently blew up before the season started and now has amazing talent ratings. G/A/B/B/B is just filthy. He is a left-handed 18 year old, a bit raw, but a bright future. Holding him back is his Duration, but a TIB gets him to a much nicer looking C. Also a good defender. Probably going to be 2-3 years before he's ready, but when he is, there's a good chance he is the Yankee's ace.


53. SP Mike Gonzalez
Basically who Ledezma hopes to become one day. Gonzalez could be higher on this list, but his Duration holds him back slightly. He is Loyal and he's tearing up the Minors. I'd imagine if the Astros weren't in a tight division race, he'd be in the Majors right now. Give him that TIB and he's a stud next season.


52. RF Magglio Ordonez
I wanted to put Ordonez higher on the list, but struggled doing so. He had a stellar rookie year last season, but hasn't really improved on it this year. That's not to say he isn't still an amazing player, but I wonder how much development he has left. Won a Gold Glove his rookie year, and may be on pace to win another. Very good young player.


51. SP Andy Pettitte
After two back to back great seasons, Pettitte is struggling a little bit just as the Yankees are, but his game is still legit. He is locked up pretty cheap, and already a proven player. In his prime, he's in an interesting position right now on the Yankees. If it were any other team, he probably would've been moved in the rebuild, but since it's the Yankees, who are never down long, keeping a prime Pettitte to compete in a year or two makes sense.