Prospect Pipeline

The 2008 First-Year Player Draft is remembered for one of two reasons: It was the year that the Giants selected their future MVP, Buster Posey (12.1 WAR); or, it was the year that the Tampa Bay (Devil) Rays drafted prep infielder Tim Beckham with the first-overall pick.

With less than two weeks remaining until pitchers and catchers report to spring training, some organizations still haven’t announced all of their non-roster invitees. Typically, an assortment of veteran players and top prospects who aren’t on the 40-man roster are extended invitations to big league camp.

Even though the college and high school baseball seasons don’t begin until next month, excitement and speculation regarding the 2013 First-Year Player Draft is already in full swing.

However, preseason speculation about a prospect’s ability and potential can only go so far. What truly matters is how they perform between now and early June. Therefore, it’s guaranteed that the overall draft board will feature endless fluctuation and movement—as always.

With only 17 days until pitchers and catchers report to spring training, each organization is busy determining how to best fill out its roster at every minor league level.

Some teams, such as the Los Angeles Angels, have already announced all of their non-roster invitations to big-league spring training—a mix of prospects and former major leaguers.

Due to the amount of trades this offseason involving consensus top prospects, the overall farm system ranking was in need of a major overhaul.

After dealing star-caliber major leaguers for high-end prospects, organizations such as the Miami Marlins, New York Mets and Tampa Bay Rays have seen a jump in the rankings. Meanwhile, the teams on the opposite end of those trades, namely the Toronto Blue Jays and Kansas City Royals, have plummeted.

Provisional rosters for teams participating in the 2013 World Baseball Classic were released on Thursday. Although they are exactly that, provisional, and therefore likely to change prior to the opening round of pool play on March 2, they do offer a general idea about the quality of each squad.

No player has been mentioned in more trade rumors this offseason than Justin Upton—and with good reason.

The Los Angeles Angels announced that they have invited 21 non-roster players to spring training this season. The organization’s pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report on Feb.

As I mentioned last week regarding the Boston Red Sox’s farm system, there’s arguably no such thing as an "underrated" prospect. If the player has a pulse, then it’s likely he’ll become over-hyped while ascending the organizational ladder.

Upon Bryce Harper’s graduation from the minor to major leagues, the prospect realm lost its most promising power hitter. While there’s no other player who showcases as much raw power or the capacity for a similar power frequency at such a young age, there are several prospects that currently boast 70-to-80-grade power. Each of these players projects to hit at least 30-plus home runs annually in their prime.