A’s Farm’s Consensus Top 10 Prospect List for 2012

It seems like there’s a new top prospect list popping up from someone everyday for A’s fans to chew over and debate. There are usually certain similarities amongst them that you can count on, like Jarrod Parker and Michael Choice being somewhere in the top tier. Each of them usually has its own particular peculiarities though, like slotting someone in the top 10 whom no one else even bothers to mention.

So it occurred to me to take a look at a sampling of credible top prospect lists and construct a consensus top ten prospect list for the A’s. I’ve chosen to include half a dozen lists from sources that seem credible to me, including Jonathan Mayo/MLB.com, Baseball America, Oakland Clubhouse/Scout.com, John Sickels, Baseball Prospectus, and Top Prospect Alert. All of them have been updated in the last month to include all the prospects acquired in the deals with the Diamondbacks, Nationals and Red Sox.

For the purposes of this list, I’ve looked at the top ten picks from each list and assigned points to each player as follows: 10 points for each first place finish, 9 points for second, 8 for third, all the way on down to 1 point for each tenth place finish.

You’ll notice that half of the consensus top ten prospects are pitchers, including four of the top five prospects. Half the list is also made up of new players acquired in the deals with the Diamondbacks, Nationals and Red Sox, showing just how much these deals served to rejuvenate the A’s minor league system.

Interestingly enough, all four of the prospects acquired in the Gio Gonzalez deal with the Nationals made the consensus top ten, showing that no matter how reluctant some A’s fans were to accept life without Gio, his trade could really end up forming the basis of a highly effective A’s starting rotation for many years to come.

Since some of these players also appeared in a recent “new prospects” roundup on this blog earlier in the week, some of these player profiles might seem a little familiar to you. But hey, you might as well start getting familiar with these guys ‘cause, with any luck, you’ll be looking at them for a long time to come! So without any further ado, let’s take a look at the A’s consensus top ten prospect list…

 

#1 JARROD PARKER

(58 points / 6 lists)

Right-handed Starting Pitcher

Age On Opening Day: 23

Drafted 2007 – 1^st Round

Arizona’s first-round draft pick in 2007, Parker missed all of the 2010 season due to Tommy John surgery, but came back in 2011 to post a 3.79 ERA with 112 strikeouts in 130 2/3 innings at Double-A Mobile. Acquired in the Trevor Cahill trade, the 23-year-old clearly has the stuff to eventually end up as a top-of-the-rotation starter for the A’s, but he could still benefit from a little more seasoning. There’s no need for the team to rush him, but it’d be a surprise if Parker didn’t lay claim to his spot in the A’s rotation by 2013.

Likely To Start 2012 With: Sacramento Rivercats

 

#2 MICHAEL CHOICE

(46 points / 6 lists)

Right-handed Hitting Outfielder

Age On Opening Day: 22

Drafted 2010 – 1^st Round

The A’s first-round draft pick in 2010, Choice has done little to disappoint since his signing. The 22-year-old hit 30 homers and posted a .285/.376/.542 slash line while playing center field for Class-A Stockton last year. His 134 strikeouts provide the only potential cause for concern. But he’s worked to shorten his swing and, as the best pure power hitter in the organization, the slugging outfielder should be able to quickly move up through an A’s system that’s not currently clogged with power-hitting outfielders.

Likely To Start 2012 With: Midland Rockhounds

 

#3 BRAD PEACOCK

(45 points / 6 lists)

Right-handed Starting Pitcher

Age On Opening Day: 24

Drafted 2006 – 41^st Round

The lowest draft pick on the A’s consensus top ten prospect list, Peacock was selected straight out of high school by the Nationals in the 41^st round in 2006. But he’s definitely found a way to turn heads, posting a stellar 2.39 ERA and striking out 177 in 146 2/3 innings between Triple-A Syracuse and Double-A Harrisburg in 2011. Any pitcher who manages to go from the 41^st round to the top three prospects of any organization obviously has a pretty good idea what he’s doing out there on the mound, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Peacock in the A’s rotation before the 2012 season is through.

Likely To Start 2012 With: Sacramento Rivercats

 

#4 A.J. COLE

(42 points / 6 lists)

Right-handed Starting Pitcher

Age On Opening Day: 20

Drafted 2010 – 4^th Round

Another high-school draft pick, the lanky, 6’4” Cole appears to be all arms and legs. But his right arm seems to have the power mesmerize mortal men, striking out batters at a rate of 10.9 per 9 innings over his short minor league career. Acquired from the Nationals in the Gio Gonzalez trade, the Florida native could turn out to be the gem of the deal. Like most 20-year-old pitching prospects, Cole still has a few things to work on. But at his young age, he’s got plenty of upside and plenty of time to maximize it.

Likely To Start 2012 With: Stockton Ports

 

#5 SONNY GRAY

(37 points / 5 lists)

Right-handed Pitcher

Age On Opening Day: 22

Drafted 2011 – 1^st Round

The A’s first-round draft pick in 2011, Gray has already managed to log 5 starts at Double-A Midland, giving up just 1 run in 20 innings while striking out 18. The 5’11” right-hander has been compared to Tim Hudson in that while he’s not all that physically impressive, his confident, gritty and fearless attitude sets him apart from the competition. With a good fastball and curve, it shouldn’t take long for the tough 22-year-old to fight his way into the A’s starting rotation.

Likely To Start 2012 With: Midland Rockhounds

 

#6 GRANT GREEN

(34 points / 6 lists)

Right-handed Hitting Outfielder

Age On Opening Day: 24

Drafted 2009 – 1^st Round

The fourth first-round draft pick on the A’s consensus top ten prospect list, Green was selected by the A’s in 2009 as a shortstop but has since been moved to the outfield. Midway through the 2011 season, Green took over in center field for Double-A Midland, where he turned in a .291/.343/.408 slash line. But his home run numbers dipped from 20 at Class-A Stockton in the 2010 season down to just 9 last year. His plate discipline has been an issue too, as he’s struck out three times as often as he’s walked in his minor league career. Still, he hits the ball hard and Green could earn a shot in the A’s outfield before long.

Likely To Start 2012 With: Sacramento Rivercats

 

#7 DEREK NORRIS

(27 points / 6 lists)

Right-handed Hitting Catcher

Age On Opening Day: 23

Drafted 2007 – 4^th Round

The only hitter the A’s picked up in the Gio Gonzalez deal with the Nationals, Norris certainly fits the A’s mold in that he’s a power hitter who has a propensity for drawing walks. His career minor league OBP of .403 no doubt got the A’s attention. But while he slugged 20 home runs at Double-A Harrisburg last season, he managed to hit only .210. If he can just keep his average above the Mendoza line, Norris could serve to bridge the gap between Kurt Suzuki and young catching prospect Max Stassi.

Likely To Start 2012 With: Midland Rockhounds

 

#8 CHRIS CARTER

(16 points / 5 lists)

Right-handed Hitting First Baseman

Age On Opening Day: 25

Drafted 2005 – 15^th Round

Acquired in the Dan Haren deal with the Diamondbacks, it was originally hoped that the slugging first baseman would be anchoring the heart of the A’s lineup by now. He’s put up big power numbers in the minors, clubbing 31 home runs at Triple-A Sacramento in 2010 and posting a career minor league slugging percentage of .540. Carter could finally have a legitimate shot at showing what he can do in the majors at either first base or designated hitter for the A’s in 2012.

Likely To Start 2012 With: Oakland A’s

 

#9 TOM MILONE

(6 points / 3 lists)

Left-handed Starting Pitcher

Age On Opening Day: 25

Drafted 2008 – 10^th Round

The oldest and most experienced pitcher on the A’s consensus top ten prospect list, Milone is probably the most ready to step into the A’s major league rotation in 2012. The left-hander was acquired in the Gio Gonzalez deal with the Nationals after he posted a 3.22 ERA in 148 1/3 innings while walking a paltry 16 batters at Triple-A Syracuse last season. Milone won’t blow anyone away with his stuff, but he’s a smart lefty who knows how to make the most of what he’s got, and he should get a shot to show the A’s what he can do in 2012.

Likely To Start 2012 With: Oakland A’s

 

#10 MICHAEL TAYLOR

(4 points / 2 lists)

Right-handed Hitting Outfielder

Age On Opening Day: 26

Drafted 2007 – 5^th Round

Along with Carter, Taylor had lots of expectations thrust upon him as soon as the A’s managed to pry him away from Philadelphia. And while the 6’5” outfielder put up stellar numbers in the Phillies system, his progress has stagnated a bit since coming to the A’s. But Taylor does still have a .296/.371/.476 career minor league slash line along with some good tools. At 26 though, 2012 may be his last real opportunity to show the A’s just what’s he’s capable of.

Likely To Start 2012 With: Sacramento Rivercats

 

Honorable Mentions: Collin Cowgill (OF) 3 pts. / Jermaine Mitchell (OF) 3 pts. / Yordy Cabrera (SS) 3 pts. / Aaron Shipman (OF) 2 pts. / Renato Nunez (3B) 1 pt. / Ian Krol (SP) 1 pt. / Raul Alcantara (SP) 1 pt. / B.A. Vollmuth (3B) 1 pt.

 

Looking at this list, if the A’s are able to move into a new stadium in 2015, the team could be looking at an extremely talented starting rotation consisting of Jarrod Parker, Brad Peacock, Tom Milone, Sonny Gray and A.J. Cole, along with a promising outfield made up of Grant Green in left, Michael Choice in right and either Josh Reddick or Collin Cowgill in center. And if things go according to plan, that seems like a pretty good plan to me!

 

A’S CONSENSUS TOP 10 PROSPECT LIST

#1 – Jarrod Parker (SP) – 58 points / 6 lists

#2 – Michael Choice (OF) – 46 points / 6 lists

#3 – Brad Peacock (SP) – 45 points / 6 lists

#4 – A.J. Cole (SP) – 42 points / 6 lists

#5 – Sonny Gray (SP) – 37 points / 5 lists

#6 – Grant Green (OF) – 34 points / 6 lists

#7 – Derek Norris (C) – 27 points / 6 lists

#8 – Chris Carter (1B) – 16 points / 5 lists

#9 – Tom Milone (SP) – 6 points / 3 lists

#10 – Michael Taylor (OF) – 4 points / 2 lists

 

Jonathan Mayo’s Top A’s Prospects

Baseball America’s Top A’s Prospects

Oakland Clubhouse’s Top A’s Prospects

John Sickels’ Top A’s Prospects

Baseball Prospectus’ Top A’s Prospects

Top Prospect Alert’s Top A’s Prospects