He'll never top Gilbert Arenas, but Curt Schilling has joined the player-turned-blogger craze. After starting against Johan Santana and the Twins yesterday afternoon, Schilling wrote an interesting entry that included the following tidbits:

Any game Joe Mauer plays in can't be labled a "B" game on any planet. ... Mauer gets a curve ball for strike one, then I throw a split, plate wise it's in a great spot, height wise it isn't. He proves, once again, why he's so damn good. The balls too high, coming in around his thighs, and instead of making the mistake most big league hitters make and trying to pull that pitch, he stays back and punches it into left center, just missing a double.

[...]

Santana does his thing in the first, punching out two. He looks like he's primed for another great season. What's not to love about this kid? Dominating fastball, hard breaking slider to go with the games best power change. He's a joy to watch, unless it happens to be a game your team is playing.

Santana and the Twins beat Schilling and the Red Sox 1-0.

My favorite article of the week: GQ's profile of Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, Ernie Johnson, and TNT's Inside the NBA. The show has been consistently fantastic for years, Barkley is one of the most engaging sports personalities of all time, and the article even includes a cameo by Kevin Garnett.

Funny, Dave St. Peter only paid me $500.

Earlier this week I received a package in the mail from England, which would have seemed even more mysterious than it already was had I not recognized the return address as a long-time reader. I opened it up, in front of my curious mother, and discovered a multi-issue "Keeley Goes Pop!" spread from Zoo Weekly, which features Official Fantasy Girl of AG.com candidate Keeley Hazell reenacting famous pictures of "pop babes" like Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and Madonna.

Oh, and she's at least half-naked in every picture, because ... well, that's what Keeley does. The moral of the story is that "opening porn I receive from other continents without my mother being in the same room" can now be added to the ever-growing list of reasons why I need to buy my own place (more on this in a moment). Most importantly, I'd like to thank Richard G. (I'd print his full name, but this probably isn't the type of thing he wants to be Googled about) for sending me the Hazell collection.

I get a lot of free stuff in the mail because of this blog--from books and movies to video games and music--but completely unsolicited British porn is tough to top.

Speaking of OFGoAG.com candidates, Jenna Fischer photo sets sadly aren't nearly as plentiful (or lacking in clothing) as Hazell photo sets, but she definitely makes them count.

Have you ever wanted to read an incredibly lengthy roundtable discussion about the Kansas City Royals that involves Yours Truly and the Official Twins Beat Writer of AG.com, LaVelle E. Neal III? Yes? Seriously? OK ... well, here's your chance.

As you might expect, Patrick Reusse of the Minneapolis Star Tribune hating blogs has put him in some wonderful company. One of the worst columnists in Seattle, Steve Kelley of the Seattle Times, feels largely the same way. Over at his new Star Tribune blog, LEN3 introduced a solid nickname for Reusse: "The Blog Basher."

Providing his weekly reminder of why I've always been such a huge fan, Bill Simmons reportedly said the following earlier this week when asked about potentially working for Sports Illustrated when his contract with ESPN.com is up:

I would never work for SI. They've slipped so much that they couldn't even throw a party for the Swimsuit Issue without giving everybody Hepatitis A.

Spoken like a man who has plenty of "f*** you money."

Speaking of Simmons, his running diary of a Celtics-Rockets game included this amusing note:

8:33 -- Funny replay of Gomes (who just twisted his foot) getting feedback on the injury from Wally Szczerbiak, who's really become the league's premier authority on knee, foot and ankle sprains over the years. That was like watching video of a young actress asking Paris Hilton why it hurts every time she pees.

It's pretty difficult to make me laugh at a Paris Hilton joke at this point (see all of Jim Souhan's columns in the Star Tribune for evidence), but that one's more like a Wally Szczerbiak joke, which is definitely an untapped comedic resource.

On a somewhat-related note (you'll see, just wait), consider the following quote and think about who might have written it:

Last year, the Twins started the season with Tony Batista at third and Juan Castro at short and turned their season around when they went to Jason Bartlett and Nick Punto. This spring, the Twins could face a similar choice--limited veterans or unproven kids? If the rotation flounders in April, they better not wait until June to go young.

That could very well have been written by me, in any of several offseason entries about the Twins' rotation, but that's not my doing. Believe it or not, that's actually Souhan prose. Seriously. Now that I know he's in agreement with me on the issue, I'm considering changing my stance on the whole thing.

My latest call-in segment on NBCSports.com's "Fantasy Fix" show is available for viewing. This week's topics: Mark Prior and Kerry Wood. We're doing position-by-position season previews throughout next week, so there'll be plenty of opportunity to hear and see me on video for those of you who are into such things (hi mom!).

This should be taken with massive grains of salt given that it's coming from Sid Hartman's column, but it sounds like Justin Morneau is more interested in signing a long-term deal with the Twins than was initially reported last month. On the other hand, Morneau said he was never offered a similar deal to the one Joe Mauer signed, while it was widely reported that he had turned one down.

Much like many of the stunts pulled by the guys in Jackass, Tom Brady has reportedly managed to do something that's simultaneously incredibly stupid and oddly impressive. If nothing else, the guy is damn potent.

I'm all for ripping apart ridiculous articles, but sometimes it's easy to see that something is simply so absurd that it's not even worth commenting on. With that said, I did like this response, from an anonymous Timberwolves player: "No. 1 best or No. 1 worst?" Exactly.

There was a time not so long ago when a "Rivas staking claim on infield spot" headline would have upset me, but now that the Twins aren't involved it just makes me smile.

When I first read this note in the Star Tribune it struck me as amusing, but things quickly fell apart once I thought about what Ron Gardenhire actually said:

First baseman Ken Harvey, coming back from a strained chest muscle, can do everything but hit. Infielder Alejandro Machado, out because of a weak shoulder, can do everything but throw. "Put them together and you have a heck of a ballplayer," Gardenhire said.

Since injuries are keeping Ken Harvey from hitting and Alejandro Machado from fielding, putting them together would give you a lumbering designated hitter with non-existent power. Sign him up!

Speaking of lumbering designated hitters, judging from Kelly Thesier's profile of him on MLB.com, it sounds like everyone involved with the Twins would love to have Matthew LeCroy back on the team.

I'm typically not much of a Stacy Ferguson fan, but I'll gladly give credit where credit is due.

The Quintessential American Sportswriter, Bob Ryan, recently penned a feature article about the Twins in the Boston Globe.

A couple new blogs to check out (because they asked for plugs and I'm a nice guy): Sam's Sports Thoughts and Bugs & Cranks.

I've talked quite a bit recently about my ear problems and adventures in real estate, so let's finish the week with an update on both topics (in other words, those of you who don't care about either thing can save some time by leaving now). First, I'm undergoing ear surgery this afternoon. My hope is that there won't be a whole lot of ear-related stuff to talk about in this space next week, because that would more or less mean that the whole surgery went smoothly. No news is definitely good news.

I'm slowly but surely progressing to the point of buying my first home. After looking at 11 places last week, I narrowed it down to three homes that I really liked and visited them for a second time yesterday. I haven't been able to decide which is the No. 1 choice yet and I might look at a few more places that have come on the market, but it's nice to know that there are several options I'd feel comfortable buying right now. If the surgery is as painless as the home-buying process has been thus far, I'll be thrilled.

And on that note, I'll see you (and hopefully hear you) Monday ...

Previous Top 50 Prospects of 2007: 31-40, 41-50.

Below you'll find the third installment of my fifth annual ranking of the top 50 prospects in baseball, which is not to be confused with the team-specific "Top 40 Twins Prospects of 2007" series that I completed last month. I began publishing my prospect rankings back in 2003 at the Baseball Primer site that has since become Baseball Think Factory, and the 2004, 2005, and 2006 versions can all be found at The Hardball Times.

These rankings reflect my feeling about each player's long-term chances for (and degree of) success in the major leagues and are by no means authoritative, because I'm no more an expert on prospects than anyone else who follows them closely. You'll likely find that my rankings lean more heavily towards older, established prospects than many other rankings, and a further explanation of what I base the rankings on can be found in the introduction to last year's series.

30. Hunter Pence | Houston Astros | RF | Age: 24 | Bats: Right
 
YEAR     LV      AB      AVG      OBP      SLG     HR    XBH     BB     SO
2004     RK     199     .296     .369     .518      8     27     23     30
2005     A-     302     .338     .413     .652     25     42     38     53
         A+     151     .305     .374     .490      6     15     18     37
2006     AA     523     .283     .357     .533     28     67     60    109

Hunter Pence dropped into the second round of the 2004 draft because of an unorthodox style at the plate, but he's since proven that his gaudy college numbers were no fluke. After tearing apart two levels of Single-A in 2005, Pence made the jump to Double-A last season and hit .283/.357/.533 in 136 games. Pence's overall value would rise if he's able to handle center-field duties, but most feel he's better suited for right field over the long haul. He should get a chance in Houston by midseason.

29. Chris Iannetta | Colorado Rockies | C | Age: 24 | Bats: Right
  
YEAR     LV      AB      AVG      OBP      SLG     HR    XBH     BB     SO
2004     A-     121     .314     .454     .496      5     11     27     29
2005     A+     261     .276     .381     .490     11     31     45     61
         AA      60     .233     .329     .417      2      6      8     15
2006     AA     156     .321     .418     .622     11     23     24     26
        AAA     151     .351     .447     .510      3     16     24     29
        MLB      77     .260     .370     .390      2      6     13     17

Taken out of North Carolina in the fourth round of the 2004 draft, Chris Iannetta has a .303/.410/.517 hitting line in 220 minor-league games, including .336/.433/.567 between Double-A and Triple-A last year. That earned him a late-season promotion to Colorado, where he hit .260/.370/.390 in 21 games. Considered a solid defender behind the plate, Iannetta has the potential be an elite offensive player at the position and is the favorite to claim the Rockies' starting job this spring.

28. Daric Barton | Oakland A's | 1B | Age: 21 | Bats: Left
  
YEAR     LV      AB      AVG      OBP      SLG     HR    XBH     BB     SO
2004     A-     313     .313     .445     .511     13     36     69     44
2005     A+     292     .318     .438     .469      8     26     62     49
         AA     212     .316     .410     .491      5     26     35     30
2006    AAA     147     .259     .389     .395      2     12     32     26

Originally taken by St. Louis in the first round of the 2003 draft, Daric Barton was sent to Oakland in the deal for Mark Mulder in the winter of 2004. He had a fantastic year split between high Single-A and Double-A in 2005, but slumped early at Triple-A last season before suffering a broken elbow that shut him down in May. Barton has yet to show much power, but controls the strike zone extremely well and boasts a .425 career on-base percentage, including a .389 OBP as a 20-year-old at Triple-A.

27. Justin Upton | Arizona Diamondbacks | CF | Age: 19 | Bats: Right
  
YEAR     LV      AB      AVG      OBP      SLG     HR    XBH     BB     SO
2006     A-     438     .263     .343     .413     12     41     52     96

Selected with the No. 1 overall pick three years after his brother, B.J. Upton, was taken No. 2 overall in 2002, Justin Upton's pro debut was viewed by many as disappointing. However, while his numbers weren't eye-popping, Upton showed a broad base of skills for an 18-year-old with 41 extra-base hits, 52 walks, and 15 steals in 113 games at low Single-A. Considered raw but promising in center field after playing shortstop in high school, Upton looks capable of thriving in every phase of the game.

26. Joey Votto | Cincinnati Reds | 1B | Age: 23 | Bats: Left
  
YEAR     LV      AB      AVG      OBP      SLG     HR    XBH     BB     SO
2004     A-     391     .302     .419     .486     14     42     79    110
         A+      84     .298     .385     .560      5     12     11     21
2005     A+     464     .256     .330     .425     17     42     52    122
2006     AA     508     .319     .408     .547     22     70     78    109

In an extremely weak year for first-base prospects--particularly of the power-hitting variety--Joey Votto narrowly stands out from the rest of the pack after hitting .319/.408/.547 with 70 extra-base hits in 136 games at Double-A last season to win the Southern League MVP. Votto struggled at high Single-A in 2005, but the former 2002 second-round pick has an otherwise solid track record and should have a clear path to a starting job in Cincinnati by 2008.

25. Adam Lind | Toronto Blue Jays | LF | Age: 23 | Bats: Left
  
YEAR     LV      AB      AVG      OBP      SLG     HR    XBH     BB     SO
2004     A-     266     .312     .371     .477      7     30     24     36
2005     A+     495     .313     .375     .487     12     58     49     77
2006     AA     348     .310     .357     .543     19     43     25     87
        AAA     109     .394     .496     .596      5     12     23     18
        MLB      60     .367     .415     .600      2     10      5     12

An eighth-round pick by the Twins out of high school, Adam Lind opted for college, hit .372 in two years at South Alabama, and was the Blue Jays' third-round pick in 2004. Lind batted .312, .313, and .310 in his first three pro stops, showing increased power from his college days, and then hit .394 in 34 games at Triple-A. That earned him a September promotion to Toronto, where Lind hit .367 in 60 at-bats. Frank Thomas' arrival blocks him for now, but Lind's bat will find its way into the lineup very soon.

24. Cameron Maybin | Detroit Tigers | CF | Age: 20 | Bats: Right
  
YEAR     LV      AB      AVG      OBP      SLG     HR    XBH     BB     SO
2006     A-     385     .304     .387     .457      9     35     50    116

Selected 10th overall in the 2005 draft out of a North Carolina high school, Cameron Maybin made his pro debut last season and hit .304/.387/.457 in 101 games at low Single-A. Maybin's 116 strikeouts are a concern, but he showed a strong bat and good plate discipline for a teenager while swiping 27 bases and drawing rave reviews defensively in center field. Curtis Granderson's presence in Detroit means the Tigers don't have to rush Maybin, but he could move quickly through the minors anyway.

23. Fernando Martinez | New York Mets | CF | Age: 18 | Bats: Left
  
YEAR     LV      AB      AVG      OBP      SLG     HR    XBH     BB     SO
2006     A-     192     .333     .389     .505      5     21     15     36
         A+     119     .193     .254     .387      5     11      6     24

Signed out of the Dominican Republic for a $1.4 million bonus as a 16-year-old in 2005, Fernando Martinez is the youngest player in these rankings and has one of the highest ceilings. Beginning last season as a 17-year-old at low Single-A, Martinez hit .333 with good power before batting just .193 (albeit with good power) following a promotion to high Single-A. At this stage those numbers take a backseat to tools, youth, and projectability, which are what Martinez's status is largely based on.

22. Nick Adenhart | Los Angeles Angels | SP | Age: 20 | Throws: Right
 
YEAR     LV      G     GS      ERA        IP       H     HR      SO     BB
2005     RK     13     12     3.68      44.0      39      0      52     24
2006     A-     16     16     1.95     106.0      84      2      99     26
         A+      9      9     3.78      52.1      51      1      46     16

Considered an elite talent who dropped to the 14th round in 2004 following Tommy John surgery, Nick Adenhart has quickly regained that status with a 2.72 ERA and 204-to-66 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 208.1 pro innings. He overpowered hitters at low Single-A and continued to pitch well after a promotion to high Single-A last season, all before his 20th birthday. An overlooked aspect of Adenhart's prospect stock is that he's an extreme ground-ball pitcher who's served up a grand total of three career homers.

21. Felix Pie | Chicago Cubs | CF | Age: 22 | Bats: Left
  
YEAR     LV      AB      AVG      OBP      SLG     HR    XBH     BB     SO
2004     A+     415     .301     .364     .448      8     35     39    113
2005     AA     240     .304     .349     .554     11     33     16     53
2006    AAA     559     .283     .341     .451     15     56     46    126

Signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2001, Felix Pie has seemingly been a top prospect forever. Last season saw him reach Triple-A for the first time and Pie hit .283/.341/.451 as a 21-year-old. Pie is a career .294 hitter with an impressive power-speed combination and is considered a quality defender in center field, but has work to do on plate discipline and strike-zone judgment before he can put all the tools to good use. The Cubs have talked of calling Pie up for the past two years and may finally give in.

Previous Top 50 Prospects of 2007: 41-50.

Below you'll find the second installment of my fifth annual ranking of the top 50 prospects in baseball, which is not to be confused with the team-specific "Top 40 Twins Prospects of 2007" series that I completed last month. I began publishing my prospect rankings back in 2003 at the Baseball Primer site that has since become Baseball Think Factory, and the 2004, 2005, and 2006 versions can all be found at The Hardball Times.

These rankings reflect my feeling about each player's long-term chances for (and degree of) success in the major leagues and are by no means authoritative, because I'm no more an expert on prospects than anyone else who follows them closely. You'll likely find that my rankings lean more heavily towards older, established prospects than many other rankings, and a further explanation of what I base the rankings on can be found in the introduction to last year's series.

40. James Loney | Los Angeles Dodgers | 1B | Age: 23 | Bats: Left
 
YEAR     LV      AB      AVG      OBP      SLG     HR    XBH     BB     SO
2004     AA     395     .238     .314     .327      4     25     42     75
2005     AA     504     .284     .357     .419     11     44     59     87
2006    AAA     366     .380     .426     .546      8     43     32     34
        MLB     102     .284     .342     .559      4     15      8     10

Scouting-based assessments have loved James Loney since the Dodgers made him a first-round pick in 2002, keeping the faith through a string of injuries and poor years. Loney finally came through with a big season, leading the minors by hitting .380 at Triple-A before slugging .559 in 48 games with the Dodgers. Despite Loney's power showing in Los Angeles, he projects more as a slick-fielding, high-average doubles hitter, although he may have to break into the lineup as an outfielder.

39. Scott Elbert | Los Angeles Dodgers | SP | Age: 22 | Throws: Left
 
YEAR     LV      G     GS      ERA        IP       H     HR      SO     BB
2004     RK     12     12     5.26      49.2      47      5      45     30
2005     A-     25     24     2.66     115.0      83      8     128     57
2006     A+     17     15     2.37      83.2      57      4      97     41
         AA     11     11     3.61      62.1      40     11      76     44

Few pitching prospects have been more overpowering than Scott Elbert over the past two years, as he struck out 301 batters in 261 innings and held opponents to a sub-.200 batting average. What could keep him from becoming an ace-caliber starter is throwing strikes and keeping the ball in the ballpark, because over those same 261 frames he walked 141 batters and served up 23 homers. The control is likely to improve with experience, but Elbert's fly-ball tendencies mean the long-ball problems may not.

38. Jose Tabata | New York Yankees | RF | Age: 18 | Bats: Right
  
YEAR     LV      AB      AVG      OBP      SLG     HR    XBH     BB     SO
2005     RK     156     .314     .382     .417      3      9     15     14
2006     A-     319     .298     .377     .420      5     28     30     66

Signed by the Yankees for a half-million dollars out of Venezuela in 2005, Jose Tabata doesn't turn 19 years old until August, making him the second-youngest player in these rankings. Tabata hit .314 in rookie-ball after signing and then batted .298/.377/.420 in 86 games at low Single-A before a thumb injury cut last season short. It's often silly to get overly excited about a teenager in the low minors, but both scouting- and numbers-based assessments agree that Tabata has the potential to be special.

37. Ian Stewart | Colorado Rockies | 3B | Age: 22 | Bats: Left
  
YEAR     LV      AB      AVG      OBP      SLG     HR    XBH     BB     SO
2004     A-     505     .319     .398     .594     30     70     66    112
2005     A+     435     .274     .353     .497     17     56     52    113
2006     AA     462     .268     .351     .452     10     58     50    103

The 10th overall pick in the 2003 draft who tore up the low minors early in his pro career, Ian Stewart's prospect stock has dropped in consecutive years and he could be looking at a move to the outfield with Garrett Atkins seemingly entrenched at third base in Colorado. With that said, at the end of the day a .268/.351/.452 hitting line from a 21-year-old at Double-A is still plenty good and Stewart's bat has enough potential to make him an impact player regardless of position.

36. Jarrod Saltalamacchia | Atlanta Braves | C | Age: 22 | Bats: Switch
  
YEAR     LV      AB      AVG      OBP      SLG     HR    XBH     BB     SO
2004     A-     323     .272     .348     .437     10     31     34     83
2005     A+     459     .314     .394     .519     19     55     57     99
2006     AA     313     .230     .353     .380      9     28     55     71

One of the breakout prospects of 2005 after hitting .314/.394/.519 at Single-A, Jarrod Saltalamacchia fell all the way to .230/.353/.380 at Double-A last year. However, trying to play through a wrist injury means his stock hasn't dipped as much as it seems, and he thrived after returning from the disabled list. I remain confident that Saltalamacchia will develop into an impact hitter, but so-so scouting reports on his defense and the presence of Brian McCann in Atlanta means it may not come as a catcher.

35. Kevin Kouzmanoff | San Diego Padres | 3B | Age: 25 | Bats: Right
  
YEAR     LV      AB      AVG      OBP      SLG     HR    XBH     BB     SO
2004     A-     473     .330     .394     .526     16     56     44     75
2005     A+     254     .339     .401     .591     12     36     24     51
2006     AA     244     .389     .449     .660     15     35     23     34
        AAA     102     .353     .409     .647      7     16     10     12
        MLB      56     .214     .279     .411      3      5      5     12

Injuries and a lack of raw physical tools have set back Kevin Kouzmanoff's timetable, which is why he's still eligible for these rankings as a 25-year-old despite tearing the cover off the ball everywhere he's gone. A career .332/.395/.556 hitter in 349 minor-league games, including .379/.437/.656 between Double-A and Triple-A last year, Kouzmanoff now has a clear path to the Padres' starting job at third base after being shipped from Cleveland to San Diego for Josh Barfield this offseason.

34. Philip Humber | New York Mets | SP | Age: 24 | Throws: Right
 
YEAR     LV      G     GS      ERA        IP       H     HR      SO     BB
2005     A+     14     14     4.99      70.1      74      6      65     18
2006     A+      7      7     2.37      38.0      24      4      36      9
         AA      6      6     2.88      34.1      25      4      36     10

Rice's rotation provided three of the first eight picks in the 2004 draft, but Philip Humber, Wade Townsend, and No. 42 prospect Jeff Niemann have each been sidetracked by arm injuries since. In Humber's case it was Tommy John surgery midway through his first pro season, but he returned without missing a beat last year, posting a 2.83 ERA in 76.1 innings while holding opponents to a .199 batting average between Single-A and Double-A, with a late-season promotion to New York thrown in.

33. Jacoby Ellsbury | Boston Red Sox | CF | Age: 23 | Bats: Left
  
YEAR     LV      AB      AVG      OBP      SLG     HR    XBH     BB     SO
2005     A-     139     .317     .418     .432      1      9     24     20
2006     A+     244     .299     .379     .418      4     16     25     28
         AA     198     .308     .387     .434      3     16     24     25

Jacoby Ellsbury hit .365 in three seasons at Oregon State before the Red Sox selected him with the 23rd overall pick in the 2005 draft and has since batted .306 as a pro. He hasn't shown much power, but boasts an outstanding 73-to-73 strikeout-to-walk and .391 on-base percentage, which sets him up to do damage with his exceptional speed. Along with 60 steals in 146 minor-league games, Ellsbury is considered a very good defensive center fielder and profiles as a similar player to Johnny Damon.

32. Jay Bruce | Cincinnati Reds | RF | Age: 20 | Bats: Left
  
YEAR     LV      AB      AVG      OBP      SLG     HR    XBH     BB     SO
2005     RK      70     .257     .358     .457      4      6     11     22
2006     A-     444     .291     .355     .516     16     63     44    106

Taken out of a Texas high school with the 12th overall pick in the 2005 draft, Jay Bruce has produced a .283/.351/.506 hitting line in 171 pro games, including .291/.355/.516 with a Midwest League-leading 63 extra-base hits on the way to winning the MVP at low Single-A last season. Bruce could stand to improve his plate discipline and strike-zone judgment, but that's the case for most 20-year-olds and he projects as a middle-of-the-order bat who could move through the Reds' system quickly.

31. Carlos Gonzalez | Arizona Diamondbacks | RF | Age: 21 | Bats: Left
  
YEAR     LV      AB      AVG      OBP      SLG     HR    XBH     BB     SO
2004     RK     300     .273     .327     .427      9     26     22     70
         A-      51     .275     .288     .412      1      5      1     13
2005     A-     515     .307     .371     .489     18     52     48     86
2006     A+     403     .300     .356     .563     21     60     30    104
         AA      61     .213     .294     .410      2      8      7     12

Signed out of Venezuela in 2002, Carlos Gonzalez followed up winning MVP honors at low Single-A in 2005 by hitting .300/.356/.563 with 21 homers and 60 total extra-base hits in 104 games at high Single-A last season. Even in a very friendly environment for hitting, those numbers are impressive from a 20-year-old. I'd like to see Gonzalez cut down on his strikeouts while increasing his walks before I hop onto the bandwagon fully, but neither are at alarmingly low levels and he still has plenty of time.

Below you'll find the first installment of my fifth annual ranking of the top 50 prospects in baseball, which is not to be confused with the team-specific "Top 40 Twins Prospects of 2007" series that I completed last month. I began publishing my prospect rankings back in 2003 at the Baseball Primer site that has since become Baseball Think Factory, and the 2004, 2005, and 2006 versions can all be found at The Hardball Times.

These rankings reflect my feeling about each player's long-term chances for (and degree of) success in the major leagues and are by no means authoritative, because I'm no more an expert on prospects than anyone else who follows them closely. You'll likely find that my rankings lean more heavily towards older, established prospects than many other rankings, and a further explanation of what I base the rankings on can be found in the introduction to last year's series.

50. Kurt Suzuki | Oakland A's | C | Age: 23 | Bats: Right
 
YEAR     LV      AB      AVG      OBP      SLG     HR    XBH     BB     SO
2004     A-     175     .297     .394     .440      3     16     18     26
2005     A+     441     .277     .378     .440     12     43     63     61
2006     AA     376     .285     .392     .415      7     34     58     50

A second-round pick out of Cal-State Fullerton in 2004, Kurt Suzuki has steadily moved through the A's system and could be ready to replace pending free agent Jason Kendall in 2008. Suzuki lacks power, but has a ton of plate discipline and does an excellent job controlling the strike zone, posting a 137-to-139 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 259 career games. One of baseball's most underrated prospects, he also gunned down nearly half of the stolen-base attempts against him at Double-A last year.

49. Alberto Callaspo | Arizona Diamondbacks | 2B | Age: 24 | Bats: Switch
  
YEAR     LV      AB      AVG      OBP      SLG     HR    XBH     BB     SO
2004     AA     550     .284     .338     .376      6     37     47     25
2005     AA     350     .297     .346     .406     10     18     28     17
        AAA     212     .316     .345     .448      1     24     10     13
2006    AAA     490     .337     .404     .478      7     43     56     27
        MLB      42     .238     .298     .310      0      2      4      6

Dealt away last winter because of the Angels' abundance of middle-infield prospects, Alberto Callaspo hit .337 in 114 games at Triple-A and moved up to Arizona in August. A versatile defender who'll likely end up at second base, Callaspo has more power potential than a typical slap hitter and controls the strike zone as well as anyone in baseball. He struck out just 33 times in 601 total plate appearances last year and has made contact in over 95 percent of his career trips to the plate while hitting .314.

48. Josh Fields | Chicago White Sox | 3B | Age: 24 | Bats: Right
 
YEAR     LV      AB      AVG      OBP      SLG     HR    XBH     BB     SO
2004     A+     256     .285     .333     .445      7     23     18     74
2005     AA     477     .252     .341     .409     16     43     55    142
2006    AAA     462     .305     .379     .515     19     55     54    136

A disappointment in his first two seasons after being a first-round pick out of Oklahoma State in 2004, Josh Fields broke out at Triple-A last year by hitting .335 with 13 homers through June. He slumped after that, hitting just .265 with six homers from July 1 on, and continued to strike out a ton. That makes it unlikely that he'll hit .300 consistently, but Fields has enough power potential to make up for it. Fields will end up at third base if the White Sox part with Joe Crede and likely move to left field if they don't.

47. Travis Buck | Oakland A's | LF | Age: 23 | Bats: Left
 
YEAR     LV      AB      AVG      OBP      SLG     HR    XBH     BB     SO
2005     A-     123     .341     .427     .472      1     14     19     19
2006     A+     126     .349     .400     .603      3     23     14     18
         AA     212     .302     .376     .472      4     27     22     39

A 2005 first-round pick after batting .362 in three years at Arizona State, Travis Buck has continued to post huge batting averages in the minors, hitting .328 in 125 games. Not a home-run threat at ASU, Buck has gone deep just 10 times in 497 pro at-bats, but did smack an impressive 53 doubles. Because he's unable to cover center field defensively, Buck's lack of big-time power keeps him from being a truly elite prospect, but he projects as a very solid player who's close to being ready.

46. Miguel Montero | Arizona Diamondbacks | C | Age: 23 | Bats: Left
 
YEAR     LV      AB      AVG      OBP      SLG     HR    XBH     BB     SO
2004     A-     403     .263     .330     .409     11     35     36     74
2005     A+     355     .349     .403     .625     24     49     26     52
         AA     108     .250     .311     .352      2      5      7     26
2006     AA     289     .270     .362     .436     10     28     39     44
        AAA     134     .321     .396     .515      7     12     14     21

A career .291/.360/.468 hitter in 499 minor-league games since being signed out of Venezuela in 2001, Miguel Montero is ready to take over as Arizona's catcher with Johnny Estrada traded to Milwaukee. His track record is inconsistent, but Montero has shown the ability to post big batting averages while making good contact, has plenty of power, and is considered a solid defender behind the plate. Given a chance to a platoon with Chris Snyder, he could be a darkhorse Rookie of the Year candidate.

45. Elijah Dukes | Tampa Bay Devil Rays | RF | Age: 23 | Bats: Switch
 
YEAR     LV      AB      AVG      OBP      SLG     HR    XBH     BB     SO
2004     A-     163     .288     .368     .423      2     16     18     47
         A+     211     .332     .416     .540      8     26     26     50
2005     AA     446     .287     .355     .478     18     44     45     83
2006    AAA     283     .293     .401     .488     10     20     44     47

A top-20 talent who has a long history of problems with almost everyone he comes into contact with, Elijah Dukes had the best season of his career in 2006. Unfortunately, he was limited to just 80 games at Triple-A because of multiple suspensions, including a 30-game sentence to end the year. Dukes has made impressive strides with his power development while becoming a patient hitter who controls the strike zone, but learning to control himself has proven elusive.

44. Dustin Pedroia | Boston Red Sox | 2B | Age: 23 | Bats: Right
 
YEAR     LV      AB      AVG      OBP      SLG     HR    XBH     BB     SO
2004     A-      50     .400     .474     .560      1      6      6      3
         A+     107     .336     .417     .523      2     13     13      4
2005     AA     256     .324     .409     .508      8     29     34     26
        AAA     204     .255     .356     .382      5     15     24     17
2006    AAA     423     .305     .384     .426      5     38     48     27
        MLB      89     .191     .258     .303      2      6      7      7

High on-base percentages and a lack of respect from scouting-based assessments have made Dustin Pedroia a stat-head favorite. In this case at least I fall somewhere in the middle, viewing him as an MLB-ready second baseman who should be solidly above average offensively and defensively without having much potential for stardom. A second-round pick out of Arizona State in 2004, Pedroia's control of the strike zone rivals Callaspo's and he should enter the season as Boston's starter.

43. Colby Rasmus | St. Louis Cardinals | CF | Age: 20 | Bats: Left
 
YEAR     LV      AB      AVG      OBP      SLG     HR    XBH     BB     SO
2005     RK     216     .296     .362     .514      7     28     21     73
2006     A-     303     .310     .373     .512     11     36     29     55
         A+     193     .254     .351     .404      5     14     27     35

Drafted 28th overall out of an Alabama high school in 2005, Colby Rasmus has hit .291/.364/.483 with 23 homers, 78 total extra-base hits, 77 walks, and 41 steals in 193 pro games. His blend of plate discipline, power, and speed is very impressive for a 20-year-old and Rasmus is considered a good defensive center fielder who might stick at the position long term, but his strikeouts are of some concern and he ended last season on a relatively sour note following a promotion to high Single-A.

42. Jeff Niemann | Tampa Bay Devil Rays | SP | Age: 24 | Throws: Right
 
YEAR     LV      G     GS      ERA        IP       H     HR      SO     BB
2005     A+      5      5     3.98      20.1      12      3      28     10
         AA      6      3     4.35      10.1       7      0      14      5
2006     AA     14     14     2.68      77.1      56      6      84     29

Considered by some to be the top player in the 2004 draft, Jeff Niemann dropped to Tampa Bay fourth overall because of concerns following elbow surgery. As a pro Niemann has shown that he's indeed an elite talent, striking out 10.5 batters per nine innings while holding opponents to a .194 batting average, but has also thrown just 108 career innings because of an assortment of maladies. A 6-foot-9 flamethrower, Niemann has legitimate No. 1 starter potential if he can simply stay healthy.

41. Ryan Braun | Milwaukee Brewers | 3B | Age: 23 | Bats: Right
 
YEAR     LV      AB      AVG      OBP      SLG     HR    XBH     BB     SO
2005     A-     152     .355     .396     .645      8     26      9     34
2006     A+     226     .274     .346     .438      7     21     23     54
         AA     231     .303     .367     .589     15     35     21     46

The fifth overall pick in the 2005 draft after hitting .388/.471/.726 during his final season at the University of Miami, Ryan Braun has hit .308/.367/.549 with 32 homers and 30 steals in 165 pro games, and could be on the verge of securing a job with the Brewers. However, reviews of his defense at third base are mixed at best, suggesting a possible move down the defensive spectrum, and the strikeouts will make maintaining a high batting average difficult. He looks sort of like a souped-up version of Fields.