Our new top 100 prospects list will be revealed on
Friday at 7 p.m. Eastern via one hour show on
MLB Network mlb.com. So let's take a look back
at the top of the list from 5, 10
and 20 years ago. I'm Jim Cmlv Pipeline and
this is the Beat report LV dot com's first preseason
top prospects list came out 20 years ago in 2004
headlined by a player who may become a first ballot
Hall of Famer tomorrow. Quins catcher Joe Mauer was
the number one prospect in LV dot com's first rankings
and remains the most athletic backstop I've seen in 30
plus years on the prospect fee. He won an
MVP award, three batting titles and three gold gloves
big league seasons. Number two on our 2004 list
raised outfielder DJ Upton was a stunning all around athlete
who never fully lived up to expectations but still slammed
164 homers and stole 300 bases in the majors.
Dodgers left hander, Greg Miller ranked number three in
2004 whole distinction being our highest rated prospect to ever
appear in the big league after he was way way
by shoulder issues. 10 years later, another queen
topped the 2014 preseason top 100 outfielder Byron Buck.
Right. Number one in five straight, top 100
for mid 2013 in mid 2015, he is one
of the best five tool prospects in the last two
decades. But persistent injuries have prevented him from becoming
a superstar shortstop. Xander Bogaerts was fresh off helping
the Red Sox win the World Series when he ranked
number two in 2014. He was part of another
title in 2018 while making four all star teams in
10 years in Boston. Number three on that list
was outfielder Oscar Tavares who was considered the best prospect
to come through the Cardinals system since Alberts. But
his life was tragically cut short when he died in
a car accident that October our 2019 preseason top 100
keeping three straight international players at the top Blue Jays
third base and Vladimir Guro Junior was number one after
leading the minors with a 381 batting average and a
36 sledding percentage. These are an all star honors
in each of his three full big league seasons right
behind him. At number two was Potter Texas Junior
where a 54 shortstop that since he moved to right
field, the teams impacted game in all phases.
White Sox outfielder Eloy Jimenez came in at number three
and made comparisons to G and Carl Stanton with better
fitting ability. And he has hinted that upside when
he hasn't been battling injuries in Chicago for more prospect
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