April 2, 2010 at 8:15 AM
Rankings Report: Season-Start, 2010
There were some changes in the SoxProspects rankings over the past two weeks, some due to updated scouting information gathered during the staff trip to minor league spring training, others due to the results of the SoxProspects community voting that ended on March 21, and still others due to impressive performances by players in major league camp. Here are some of the quick and dirty details:
Josh Reddick jumped ahead of Ryan Kalish for the #2 spot in the rankings after the two ran neck-and-neck over the off-season. The change is largely attributable to Reddick’s performance in big league camp this spring. Jose Iglesias moved up two spots after we confirmed first-hand what everybody else already knew – that he’s the real deal with the glove. Junichi Tazawa dropped seven spots following the news that he will have Tommy John Surgery on Tuesday that will cause him to miss all of the 2010 season. Michael Bowden fell to #12 after some subpar performances in both major league and minor league camp. Dustin Richardson didn't get much love in the community rankings (voted #27) and thus dropped in the SoxProspects rankings from 18th to 22nd. Roman Mendez and Drake Britton each jumped a few spots after demonstrating excellent tools in minor league spring training. Jorge Jimenez returned to the list at #31 after his Rule 5 sabbatical to Houston. He was last ranked at #29 in December after topping out at #24 in August. Other players that received bumps due to impressive MLST showings: Yamaico Navarro, Mark Wagner, Stephen Fife, Ryan Dent, Pete Hissey, Jeremy Hazelbaker, Alex Hassan, and Ken Roque.
Over the off-season, the biggest risers in the top forty were Derrik Gibson (up to #15 from #29), Wagner (up to #16 from #26), and Dent (up to #27 from #34). The major jumps are largely attributable to updated scouting data, particularly on defense.