Someone going by the name "aweb" left the following comment here the other day:

What's the point of keeping the personal blog going if you aren't going to link to stuff you have on other sites? I know some have complained about that, but I hereby complain that you don't link to articles you have written for other spots enough. As long as you keep producing stuff here, I think you should be more free with links to yourself.

The "point of keeping the personal blog going" is that I write thousands of words here every week that don't appear anywhere else--most of them about the Twins, non-sports topics, or my personal life--but I understand the basic point he's trying to make and have heard plenty of similar comments in the past when I haven't linked to something I've done elsewhere. Of course, when I do link to stuff I've done at other places, I get complaints about self-promotion.

For the most part, I avoid linking to my work at Rotoworld.com and NBCSports.com, because I assume that the majority of the people reading AG.com are aware that I appear on those sites--whether in writing or on video--on a regular basis. In fact, during the baseball and football seasons I essentially write for those sites every day. On the other hand, it does bother me that people who enjoy my work might not see all of it because I'm not doing a thorough enough job telling them where to find it.

So, at the risk of boring and angering many of you, here are some links to recent, non-AG.com work I've done:

I wrote the Minnesota Twins installment of the ongoing, team-by-team season preview over at the world-famous Deadspin, which is one of the few sites that I make sure to check multiple times per day. Deadspin has about a billion daily readers and Will Leitch was kind enough to write an article for The Hardball Times Baseball Annual 2007, so I was happy to oblige when he asked if I'd pen the Twins preview.

If you decide to read it, keep in mind that it was written for a non-Minnesota audience that isn't nearly as obsessed with the Twins (or baseball in general) as the people who read AG.com on a regular basis, so the information is pretty basic and there's not a whole lot of analysis. I did touch on a couple things that I haven't written about here much in the past (while admittedly lapsing into a Jim Souhan-like shtick at times) and I'm especially proud of the article's conclusion, which wraps everything up nicely.

I managed to get Jason Kubel pictured prominently on the front page of Rotoworld for most of the day yesterday, because he's featured in my new fantasy draft strategy column. In addition to Kubel, the column also includes Jason Bartlett, Matt Garza, Rondell White, Alexi Casilla, and Glen Perkins, so it's worth reading for Twins fans even if you're not into fantasy baseball and have absolutely zero use for a list of "AL-only sleepers."

Part of the reason you're not reading a more substantial blog entry right now is that I've spent much of this week taping "Fantasy Fix" episodes for NBCSports.com. With Opening Day fast approaching, the show is doing position-by-position fantasy previews. So far they've posted the videos for starting pitchers and relief pitchers, and the remaining positions should be available for consumption within the next few days.

The show is hosted out of New York by the capable and charming duo of Tiffany Simons and Gregg Rosenthal, and my segments are strictly of the call-in variety, so you won't be able to catch a glimpse of my post-surgery ear. However, you can hear my never-ending quest to spread the word about Johan Santana's greatness while staring at a goofy headshot of me. Or you can just look at Tiffany (or Gregg, if that's what you're into). Either way.

Finally, Will Young and John Bonnes are planning to meet up at Joe Senser's in Bloomington at around 3:15 this afternoon to watch the first-round NCAA tournament games. I'm hoping to attend as well, although I'm making no promises because it depends upon how smoothly this morning's video shoots go and how much work I can get done before then. And yes, I realize this is awfully short notice for those of you who work "real" jobs.

I'm not 100 percent certain that I'll be able to show up, but if I am able to make it I'll a) bring my gross-looking right ear along for everyone to gawk at, and b) gladly buy a beer for any AG.com reader who stops by. Plus, watching the tournament with an obsessed George Washington alum and the Twins Geek probably beats hanging out with me anyway, free beer or not. So yeah ... hopefully I'll see a few of you there this afternoon. (If you're planning to show up, drop me a note in the comments section.)

UPDATE: The good news is that I'm dangerously close to buying a house. The bad news is that I probably won't be able to make it to Senser's today. But like I said, go hang out with Will and John anyway. Feel free to say bad things about me to them behind my back, since my ear is already bleeding anyway.

Previous Top 50 Prospects of 2007: 21-30, 31-40, 41-50.

Below you'll find the fourth 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.

20. Adam Jones | Seattle Mariners | CF | Age: 21 | Bats: Right
 
YEAR     LV      AB      AVG      OBP      SLG     HR    XBH     BB     SO
2004     A-     510     .267     .314     .404     11     41     33    124
2005     A+     271     .295     .374     .494      8     33     29     64
         AA     228     .298     .365     .461      7     20     22     48
2006    AAA     380     .287     .345     .484     16     39     28     78
        MLB      74     .216     .237     .311      1      5      2     22

The 37th overall pick in the 2003 draft, Adam Jones began his pro career as a shortstop before shifting to center field last season. Though still rough around the edges, he's reportedly made great strides and has the skills to be a Gold Glover. Jones also has the potential to be an impact bat, although his numbers thus far have been merely good thanks in large part to the Mariners pushing their prospects more aggressively than other organizations, including calling an unprepared Jones up at the age of 20.

19. Troy Tulowitzki | Colorado Rockies | SS | Age: 22 | Bats: Right
 
YEAR     LV      AB      AVG      OBP      SLG     HR    XBH     BB     SO
2005     A+      94     .266     .343     .457      4     10      9     18
2006     AA     423     .291     .370     .473     13     49     46     71
        MLB      96     .240     .318     .292      1      3     10     25

After three years as Long Beach State's starting shortstop, the Rockies grabbed Troy Tulowitzki with the No. 7 pick in the 2005 draft and moved him quickly through the system. Tulowitzki began his first full season at Double-A, hitting .291/.370/.473 in 104 games before getting the call up to Colorado in August. He struggled in 25 games there and is battling Clint Barmes for the starting job this spring, but is without question the Rockies' long-term answer at shortstop. He should be solid, but unspectacular.

18. Luke Hochevar | Kansas City Royals | SP | Age: 23 | Throws: Right
 
YEAR     LV      G     GS      ERA        IP       H     HR      SO     BB
2006     A-      4      4     1.17      15.1       8      2      16      2

After going 15-3 with a 2.26 ERA in his final season at Tennessee, Luke Hochevar fell to the Dodgers with the 40th pick in the 2005 draft because his signability was in question. He failed to reach an agreement and re-entered the draft last June after playing in an independent league, going No. 1 overall to the Royals. The whole thing cost Hochevar some development time, but he gained about $2 million, blew away Single-A hitters after signing, and should be in the majors by midseason anyway.

17. Brandon Wood | Los Angeles Angels | 3B | Age: 22 | Bats: Right
 
YEAR     LV      AB      AVG      OBP      SLG     HR    XBH     BB     SO
2004     A-     478     .251     .322     .404     11     46     46    117
2005     A+     536     .321     .383     .672     43     98     48    128
2006     AA     453     .276     .355     .552     25     71     54    149

The recent move from shortstop to third base lessens Brandon Wood's long-term stock, but offense remains his primary asset. After busting out with a record-breaking season at high Single-A in 2005, Wood followed it up by hitting .276/.355/.552 in 118 games at Double-A last year. His huge strikeout totals are a major concern and may keep him from posting good batting averages, but slugging third basemen with mediocre on-base percentages still have plenty of value.

16. Andrew Miller | Detroit Tigers | SP | Age: 22 | Throws: Left
 
YEAR     LV      G     GS      ERA        IP       H     HR      SO     BB
2006     A+      3      0     0.00       5.0       2      0       9      1
        MLB      8      0     6.10      10.1       8      0       6     10

Considered by many to be the top player in last June's draft coming out of North Carolina, Andrew Miller dropped to the Tigers with the No. 6 pick due to his bonus demands. He eventually received over $5 million in guaranteed money and was called up in August as part of the deal. A 6-foot-6 left-hander with a mid-90s fastball, Miller struggled to find the plate out of the Tigers' bullpen, but his long-term home is at the top of the rotation. He'll begin this year in the minors, but should see Detroit by August.

15. Evan Longoria | Tampa Bay Devil Rays | 3B | Age: 21 | Bats: Right
 
YEAR     LV      AB      AVG      OBP      SLG     HR    XBH     BB     SO
2006     A-      33     .424     .487     .879      4      6      5      5
         A+     110     .327     .402     .618      8     16     13     19
         AA     105     .267     .266     .486      6     11      1     20

Considered one of the few top-notch hitters in last June's draft after batting .353/.468/.602 at Long Beach State, Evan Longoria went third overall and blitzed through the minors, hitting .315/.360/.597 in 62 games between low Single-A, high Single-A, and Double-A. Drawing just one walk while striking out 20 times at Double-A is concerning, but Longoria had a strong strikeout-to-walk ratio in college and at both levels of Single-A. He looks likely to reach Tampa Bay by midseason, probably at third base.

14. Reid Brignac | Tampa Bay Devil Rays | SS | Age: 21 | Bats: Left
 
YEAR     LV      AB      AVG      OBP      SLG     HR    XBH     BB     SO
2004     RK      97     .361     .413     .474      1      7      9     10
2005     A-     512     .264     .319     .416     15     46     40    131
2006     A+     411     .326     .382     .557     21     50     35     82
         AA     110     .300     .355     .473      3     11      7     31

A second-round pick in 2004, Reid Brignac hit .361 in rookie-ball, struggled at low Single-A in 2005, and broke out with a huge season between Single-A and Double-A last year. He won the California League MVP before hitting .300 after a late-season promotion, combining to bat .321/.376/.539 with 24 homers in 128 games as a 20-year-old. There's some question about whether he can remain at shortstop long term, but Brignac's glove has reportedly improved and his bat fits anywhere.

13. Mike Pelfrey | New York Mets | SP | Age: 23 | Throws: Right
 
YEAR     LV      G     GS      ERA        IP       H     HR      SO     BB
2006     A+      4      4     1.64      22.0      17      1      26      2
         AA     12     12     2.71      66.1      60      2      77     26
        AAA      2      2     2.25       8.0       4      1       6      5
        MLB      4      4     5.48      21.1      25      1      13     12

Mike Pelfrey finished his amazing three-year run at Wichita State by going 12-3 with a 1.93 ERA in 2005, but high bonus demands allowed the Mets to snatch him up with No. 9 pick. Pelfrey has since shown why he was widely considered the top pitching talent available, making his big-league debut midway through his first pro season. He struggled with the Mets, but posted a 2.43 ERA and 109-to-33 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 96 minor-league innings, and should be in New York for good by midseason.

12. Andrew McCutchen | Pittsburgh Pirates | CF | Age: 20 | Bats: Right
 
YEAR     LV      AB      AVG      OBP      SLG     HR    XBH     BB     SO
2005     RK     158     .297     .411     .430      2     14     29     24
         RK      52     .346     .443     .442      0      4      8      6
2006     A-     453     .291     .356     .446     14     38     42     91
         AA      78     .308     .379     .474      3      7      8     20

Justin Upton, Fernando Martinez, and Cameron Maybin get far more attention among 20-and-under center-field prospects, but Andrew McCutchen is one step ahead of them while offering a similar set of impressive all-around skills. Not only has McCutchen done well in the low minors--hitting .297 with 16 homers, 56 total extra-base hits, 39 steals, and 79 walks in 172 games between rookie-ball and low Single-A--he also hit .308/.379/.474 in 20 games at Double-A as a 19-year-old.

11. Billy Butler | Kansas City Royals | LF | Age: 21 | Bats: Right
 
YEAR     LV      AB      AVG      OBP      SLG     HR    XBH     BB     SO
2004     RK     260     .373     .488     .596     10     35     57     63
2005     A+     379     .348     .419     .636     25     57     42     80
         AA     112     .313     .353     .527      5     14      7     18
2006     AA     477     .331     .388     .499     15     49     41     67

Based on hitting alone Billy Butler is one of the elite prospects in baseball, but his complete lack of defensive value drops him in these rankings. Originally a third baseman when the Royals made him the 14th overall pick in the 2004 draft, Butler is currently a left fielder and will likely end up at designated hitter. A .344 hitter in 314 pro games who turns 21 years old next month, Butler combines huge power potential with good strike-zone control and has a chance to become an all-around offensive monster.

I ranked Glen Perkins as the Twins' No. 3 prospect, so I obviously think very highly of him, but his one major flaw is being an extreme fly-ball pitcher. As Perkins himself put it when speaking to Kelly Thesier of MLB.com yesterday, "I think I led all of organized baseball last year in fly-ball outs." That's not quite the case, but Perkins is definitely one of the most extreme fly-ball pitchers in an organization that's overflowing with them. All of which is why it's good to hear that he's working on changing that:

The solution for Perkins was to develop a sinker. It's a pitch that he used in his first start of the spring on Sunday in the Twins' 8-5 win over the Blue Jays. Though Perkins had thrown the pitch during his first two appearances in relief, he said it's taken some time and work with pitching coach Rick Anderson on his grip to really get comfortable with the pitch. But after his results Sunday, he feels like progress is being made.

[...]

Besides the sinker, Perkins said he has also tried getting ground balls by throwing inside more often. It worked on Sunday, as he got some ground balls by jamming a few of the hitters in what was a loaded Blue Jays lineup.

It seems somewhat risky to start tinkering with a pitcher's fundamental approach. In Perkins' case, being an extreme fly-ball pitcher might be what's allowed him to be this good in the first place, rather than what's keeping him from being better. With that said, if Rick Anderson can get him to maintain a similar level of overall effectiveness while converting a fraction of his fly balls into ground balls, it will make a big difference long term. As with most "changes" in spring training though, I'm skeptical.

Lew Ford is scheduled to undergo arthroscopic knee surgery today, which will knock him out of action for a month or so. If the Twins had somehow known that Ford would be sidelined into the season, my guess is that they would have cut him loose this winter and looked elsewhere for a fourth outfielder. Instead, they're on the hook for $985,000 and Jason Tyner is basically guaranteed a spot on the Opening Day roster (if he wasn't already). The outfield depth has gone from bad to horrible.

Alejandro Machado's shoulder problems have also left the Twins thin in the infield, because they were counting on Machado backing up Jason Bartlett. The team doesn't feel that Luis Rodriguez can handle shortstop and Ron Gardenhire is oddly stubborn about not wanting Nick Punto to slide over from third base. If Gardenhire was willing to let Punto play shortstop once in a while--with Jeff Cirillo likely filling in at third base--the Twins could go with Rodriguez or even Matthew LeCroy on the bench.

Instead, they'll have to either hope that Machado is healthy enough to begin the season on time (setting aside whether or not the Rule 5 pick is good enough to earn a spot in the first place) or acquire a middle infielder from outside the organization. There's been some talk of No. 6 prospect Alexi Casilla breaking camp on the roster, but that seems incredibly short-sighted given that he could use additional seasoning at Triple-A and would be burning valuable service time while rarely playing.

I expected the Twins' lack of position-player depth to hurt them this season, but I didn't think it would start doing so in March.

The Official Twins Beat Writer of AG.com, LaVelle E. Neal III, penned a nice feature-length article on Jason Kubel, who's reportedly looking healthy and focused this spring. I've remained front and center on the Kubel bandwagon throughout his injuries and struggles over the past two seasons, and fully expect him to be one of the Twins' best hitters this year.

Sidney Ponson finally made his official spring debut Friday after getting his visa problems settled, but he was knocked around by the Dodgers and reportedly didn't look very good:

Ponson did coax some grounders, but the Dodgers drilled some of his pitches, too. Scouts behind home plate clocked his sinking fastball between 86 and 89 miles per hour. In 2003, when he won 17 games, he often hit 94 mph. After having surgery to remove bone chips from his right elbow in October, Ponson said he is still regaining strength. "It's my second start of the spring," he said. "I'm not going to beat myself up over it."

On the other hand, Gardenhire said Ponson's outing "was pretty good" and "if he keeps throwing like that, we're going to be happy." I realize that's more or less a meaningless mid-March quote designed to keep the pressure off Ponson following his first outing of the spring, but just once I'd love to see Gardenhire give someone under the age of 25 that same type of treatment.

Denard Span has show little sign of becoming a quality hitter since the Twins made him the 20th overall pick in the 2002 draft, but at least he's still really fast:

Span ... impressed the entire team bench with the motor he showed as he turned a double into a triple in the ninth inning of Sunday's game. Span ran so fast around the basepaths that his batting helmet flew off, and it earned some chiding from Gardenhire. "We need to get some Velcro for that helmet because it keeps falling off, he runs so fast," Gardenhire said with a chuckle. "Maybe we can put a spoiler on it, something to keep it on and keep the wind down."

I'm a sucker for anecdotes like that and Gardenhire can always be counted on to supply a good quote, but for all that speed Span has never stolen as many as 25 bases in a season and has been thrown out on one-third of his career steal attempts. He's also managed just 36 doubles and 18 triples in 1,452 pro at-bats--not counting the double he apparently "turned into a triple" yesterday--which is why he's the Twins' No. 29 prospect. Oh, and my suggestion would be a chin strap.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
I'm burying what is hopefully my third and final "ear update" here at the bottom of today's entry, because the majority of the people reading this site likely don't really care. Plus, even the small percentage of you who are interested enough in what's happening with my ear to read the previous two updates probably aren't overly excited about seeing an incredibly gross picture of it, post-surgery. So, consider this your warning.

Proceed at your own risk.

Seriously, stop scrolling down unless you want to be grossed out.

Really, don't do it.

Fine, just don't blame me.

See, I told you not to look.

That's what my right ear looked like, about six hours after undergoing auricular pseudocyst surgery. It was pretty gruesome for a while and probably even looked worse than the "before" shot, but thankfully the various fluids stopped leaking out of the area at some point and things have calmed down quite a bit over the past 24 hours. For as awful as that picture looks, it was probably one of the "easiest" surgeries of all time.

I was at the hospital for about five hours, which is far from a great way to spend your Friday afternoon, but the actual surgery lasted all of 25 minutes. I required zero sedation during the slicing and dicing, and was eating dinner with eight other people (and later playing poker) within two hours of the final stitch being sewn up. Actually, I would have gone from surgery table to dinner table within an hour if not for the hospital "misplacing" the bag that contained my clothes for about 45 fun-filled minutes.

Things got a little scary once the area ceased being numb later that night, but I'm proud to say that I've taken just one pain pill--so I could get some sleep Friday night--despite getting a whole bottle full of vicodin. I'm not sure if I have a high tolerance for pain or if the surgery just wasn't that big of a deal, but I was back to work last night and will be working my full schedule this week (beginning this morning), although I did skip my weekly video report on NBCSports.com to avoid freaking the viewers out.

Oddly, I apparently have little problem freaking the people who read this site out. Go figure. Sorry.