Scout.com Top 100 2008 Draft Prospects

The 2008 MLB Draft is coming up this Thursday and Friday, and we at Scout.com have our updated Top 100 prospects to keep an eye on. Find out more about the top players in the 2008 draft crop.

	Player
1.	Tim Beckham, SS, Griffin HS	Without a doubt the toolsiest player in the draft, Beckham is also the best pure talent even if he doesn't go first overall.
2.	Pedro Alvarez, 3B, Vanderbilt	Despite an injury and some inconsistent results, there's little doubt of how prolific a hitter Alvarez can be at the next level.
3.	Buster Posey, C, Florida State	Posey has gone from first round hopeful to near top five lock with a monstrous spring.  As far as catchers go, there's nothing not to like about his total package.
4.	Brian Matusz, LHP, San Diego	He's been so good over his college career, he almost seems to fly under the radar.  Matusz will give his lucky new team a power armed, dynamic lefty that can rocket through any system.
5.	Justin Smoak, 1B, South Carolina	In a class that has Pedro Alvarez in it, it's hard to challenge for the title of best hitter, but Smoak comes close.  With another huge spring campaign, Smoak is sitting pretty as a top ten pick.
6.	Eric Hosmer, 1B, American Heritage HS	Hosmer has yet to even hit a bump in the road as a prospect and his destructive bat figures to be among the absolute elite.
7.	Aaron Crow, RHP, Missouri	Crow will fit the bill of any team looking for a power arm with a good college track record.
8.	Kyle Skipworth, C, Patriot HS	High upside catchers are and always will be a commodity, and Kyle Skipworth really brings the total package to the table.
9.	Shooter Hunt, RHP, Tulane	One of the best pure arms in the class, the only thing that holds back Hunt is his sometimes spotty command.  Otherwise, he has frontline potential.
10.	Brett Wallace, 3B, Arizona State	The only way to define Wallace is as a masher.  He won't impress too many on the other side of the ball but whoever lands him is sure to get a big-time bat.
11.	Casey Kelly, SS, Sarasota HS	A shortstop or a pitcher?  That is the question with Kelly.  Odds are he plays professionally as a shortstop given his skillset and instincts that have drawn comparisons to Derek Jeter, but his arm is very intriguing.
12.	Andrew Cashner, RHP, Texas Christian	Cashner has emerged late in the game, but his power arm, projectable frame, and sparkling spring performance make him the top college reliever in the class.
13.	Gordon Beckham, SS, Georgia	Georgia's shortstop has done nothing but perform and perform big on the biggest stages, and even as doubts loom about his swing, he continues to answer his doubters.
14.	Yonder Alonso, 1B, Miami	Alonso has done nothing but put up gaudy numbers throughout his collegiate career and his sure-bet bat will be enticing too many teams.
15.	Christian Friedrich, LHP, E. Kentucky	He doesn't come out of a big program but the curveball artist has dominated as he should and put himself firmly in position to go in the top half of the first round.
16.	Zach Collier, OF, Chino Hills HS	The hit tool is what comes to a scout's mind when asked about Zach Collier.  He's a new face on the prospect scene but is already drawing some comparisons to Jay Bruce.
17.	Gerrit Cole, RHP, Orange Lutheran HS	Makeup and attitude issues have knocked Cole down the draft board but his upper-90's fastball will be too much too ignore for him to fall out of the first round.
18.	Aaron Hicks, RHP/OF, Wilson HS	The only question about Hicks is whether he profiles better on the mound or as a position player.
19.	Josh Fields, RHP, Georgia	After a rough junior campaign, Fields has bounced back nicely and continues to dominate college opposition with his devastating two-pitch mix.
20.	Conor Gillaspie, 3B, Wichita State	A rather polarizing prospect, Gillaspie has many scouts convinced that his pure bat will translate into a consistent .300 hitter at the big league level.
21.	Tim Melville, RHP, Holt HS	Melville hasn't ascended to the elite levels that most expected, but he's still been impressive enough in a weak class to be a first rounder.
22.	Ethan Martin, RHP/3B, Stephens County HS	Martin's stock on the mound has been gaining momentum as of late but many teams still like him as a position player.
23.	Brett Lawrie, C, Brookswood HS	The Canadian catcher has more helium than anyone in the draft, but make no mistake, despite his great raw ability, he is a high risk selection.
24.	Mike Montgomery, LHP, Hart HS	In a year that seems wide open, guys like Mike Montgomery can really step up, and step up he has this spring.  Lefties who can run up a 94 MPH fastball don't come along often.
25.	Reese Havens, SS, South Carolina	It took Havens a couple seasons in college to find his groove, but coming off a nice Cape Cod campaign and now a big junior season, the South Carolina standout is projected as a plus-hitting future second baseman.
26.	Brett DeVall, LHP, Niceville HS	DeVall fits the profile of the plus pitchability high school left-hander and could thrive in such a shallow draft class.
27.	Jemile Weeks, 2B, Miami	He may not have the power that his brother has, but his speed and defense could outweigh that.
28.	Tanner Scheppers, RHP, Fresno State	Scheppers was a lock to go in the first ten picks earlier this spring, but a somewhat unique shoulder injury will certainly make teams hesitate to pick him early.
29.	Ike Davis, OF, Arizona State	Scouts were waiting for Davis to finally have a big breakout season he's finally done so at the right time.
30.	Jake Odorizzi, RHP, Highland HS	A tall, projectable righty, Odorizzi is taking advantage of the lack of high school pitching depth and impressing scouts more and more as the draft approaches.
31.	Brad Holt, RHP, UNC Wilmington.	Holt continues to fly under the radar because he doesn't pitch for a big program, but his big arm likely will fit nicely as a supplemental round pick.
32.	Jason Castro, C, Stanford	Catchers tend to get overvalued, especially when there are very few good ones in a class.  Castro still has some proving to do with his bat despite a solid spring.
33.	Ryan Perry, RHP, Arizona	The story continues to be the same for Perry; if he could harness his electric stuff he could be near unhittable.
34.	David Cooper, 1B, California	Cooper is another in the seemingly endless line of big college bats, but likely only profiles as a first baseman or a DH.
35.	Ross Seaton, RHP, Second Baptist HS	A classic, long, lean projectable prep righty, Seaton has a fastball that already bumps 95 MPH to go along with a plus slider.
36.	Anthony Hewitt, SS Salisbury Prep	Hewitt will be a very high-risk pick given that he's a northeast shortstop who has emerged late and has questions looming about his bat.  But, many scouts have fallen in love with his tools.
38.	Lance Lynn, RHP, Mississippi	Until recently, Lynn had had a disappointing spring, but he is now coming on at the right time.  His velocity has returned to him in recent outings, touching 95 MPH.
39.	Allan Dykstra, INF, Wake Forest	Outstanding plate discipline and big time power make Dykstra an intriguing prospect, but his inconsistency at the plate continues to frustrate scouts.
40.	Dennis Raben, RF, Miami	Injuries have slowed Raben this spring and have hurt his status of a near first round lock.  Considering he'll still likely be available in supplemental round, he could be a great value pick.
41.	Tyson Ross, RHP, California	Ross looked like a likely first rounder entering the spring, and still may be, but some early season struggles have pushed his stock down.
42.	Alex Meyer, RHP, Greensburg, HS	His agent and his inconsistent pitching schedule this spring leaves a lot of questions in the minds of scouts.  With that in mind, it's unlikely he'll go in the first 30 picks.
44.	Robbie Ross, LHP, Lexington Christian Acad.	Ross is a smallish lefty with a high effort delivery so that is always a bit worrisome.  What's not worrisome though is his power fastball.
45.	Bryan Price, RHP, Rice	This polished Rice reliever continues to move up the charts, flashing his power fastball and putting up big results against top competition.
46.	Destin Hood, OF, St. Paul's Episcopal HS	Hood is a truly gifted athlete and could have succeeded in football as well.  His massive raw power makes him all the more fascinating.
47.	Robbie Grossman, OF, Cypress-Fairbanks HS	In a weak prep class, Grossman brings to the table one of the best all around sets of tools.
48.	Tyler Ladendorf, SS, Howard JC	A big, physically impressive shortstop, Ladendorf has average or plus tools across the board and could do much better than this ranking indicates if teams believe he can remain at shortstop.
49.	Adrian Nieto, C, American Heritage HS	A fast rising prep catcher, Nieto has drawn great interest as early as the top half of the supplemental first round.
50.	Isaac Galloway, OF, Los Osos HS	Galloway is tools galore but definitely a high risk type of pick.  If he reaches his ceiling there is star potential.
51.	Lonnie Chisenhall, 3B, Pitt CC	Serious off field issues from his past aside, there's no denying what a pure and impressive line drive hitting machine Chisenhall continues to be.
52.	Daniel Webb, RHP, Heath HS	Webb is the definition of raw high school pitcher at this point in his career.  He has a big mid-90's fastball but the rest of his game lags behind.
53.	Bobby Lanigan, LHP, Adelphi	A righty with helium out of an unlikely program at Adelphi, Lanigan's plus fastball and breaking ball have him rocketing up the charts.
54.	Aaron Weatherford, RHP, Mississippi State	For teams looking for college relievers with power arms, Weatherford fits neatly in that second tier following guys like Cashner.
55.	Austin Dicharry, RHP, Klein Collins HS	Dicharry has drawn comparisons to Clay Buchholz and that in itself explains why he is highly regarded.
56.	Zach Stewart, RHP, Texas Tech	Another college reliever that fits in that next tier, Stewart's less than dazzling numbers are not a true indication of how well he's pitched after a rough start.
57.	Kyle Lobstein, LHP, Coconino HS	Lobstein will not blow anyone away with power stuff but his pitchability and command make him a safe bet as far as high school hurlers go.
58.	Wade Miley, LHP, Southeastern Louisiana	Miley is among the nation's leaders in strikeouts and despite not having a true power fastball, his plus breaking ball figures to make him a swing and miss arm at any level.
59.	Zach Putnam, RHP, Michigan	Putnam's two way potential have always made him interesting but his performance on the mound this spring and heavy low-90s heat will probably keep him on the hill for good.
60.	Roger Kieschnick, OF, Texas Tech	While he hasn't performed as well as his raw skill would indicate, Kieschnick's potential at the plate is too great to last too long in the draft.
61.	Brett Hunter, RHP, Pepperdine	Injuries have slowed this once sure fire first rounder, and that, along with his max effort delivery, has scared teams off.  It's still unlikely that he'll make it out of the second round.
62.	Eric Thames, OF, Pepperdine	Despite a late season injury, Thames is still sitting pretty in a year severely lacking in college outfielders.
63.	Brett Jacobson, RHP, Vanderbilt	While the results haven't been up to his potential, the power fastball and ideal frame is enough to overshadow his inconsistency.
64.	Scott Gorgen, RHP, UC Irvine	Gorgen continues to just pile up the gaudy numbers, but doesn't get much attention because his stuff doesn't stack up with the elite.
65.	Zeke Spruill, RHP, Kell HS	Spruill will give someone an outstanding projection pick, and that team will have a lot to work with given his current low to mid-90's heat.
66.	Tyler Stovall, LHP, Hokes Bluff HS	Stovall and his lefty arm have been on the rise of late as he continues to dominate his Alabama competition.
67.	Daniel Schlereth, LHP, Arizona	He's had some possible first round buzz of late, and given that he has a power lefty arm with a college track record, it certainly isn't surprising.
68.	Scott Bittle, RHP, Mississippi	Bittle has been the most prolific strikeout pitcher in the nation this spring, and has done so without a plus fastball.  What he does have is a filthy, plus slider.
69.	Chris Carpenter, RHP, Kent State	Carpenter continues to show off an explosive fastball but the results have once again been up and down.  He'll get his big money this year, however, and his new team will try to mold him.
70.	Niko Vasquez, SS, Durango HS	A shortstop with tools to spare figures to do well in draft lacking many impact high school bats, and Vasquez brings and impressive total package to the table.
71.	Sonny Gray, RHP, Smyrna HS	Once thought to be a first rounder, Gray is believed to be near un-signable and headed to college, following an injury shortened senior season.
72.	Brett Mooneyham, LHP, Buhach Colony HS	A prep lefty with a power fastball and big time projection, Mooneyham may be getting a bit underrated here but he's a somewhat new face on the prospect scene.
73.	Scott Green, RHP, Kentucky	Green hit a very rough patch near the middle of his spring season, but his power sinking fastball seems to be back on target as of late.
74.	Xavier Avery, OF, Cedar Grove HS	One of the fastest, if not the fastest, players in the draft, Avery has some work to do at the plate but has a box full of tools.
75.	Aaron Shafer, RHP, Wichita State	Pitchability is the name of the game for Shafer, but scouts have been pleased that his stuff seems to be returning to him.
76.	Anthony Gose, LHP/OF, Bellflower HS	Makeup concerns and injuries seem to be the only thing that can hold Gose and his electric lefty arm back.
77.	Xavier Scruggs, 1B, UNLV	Scruggs has slugged his way into top three round contention as the UNLV standout continues to post huge offensive numbers.
78.	Jordy Mercer, SS/RHP, Oklahoma State	Mercer is another two way standout that seems to be pulling away now as a hitter, but his powerful right arm could intrigue a couple teams as well.
79.	James Darnell, 3B, South Carolina	The rest of Darnell's game may not be on par with his plus power but the power is game usable enough to make him a strong third base prospect.
80.	Petey Paramore, C, Arizona State	Paramore has been a consistently solid performer in college and most likely will continue that trend as pro.  Perhaps not a star in the making, but a very solid backstop.
81.	Zack Cox, 3B, Pleasure Ridge Park HS	A high school third baseman with a very advanced approach at the plate, the only real holes in Cox' game is his defense.
82.	Mike Bianucci, OF, Auburn	A toolsy college player who has yet to truly bust out as scouts expected but could be a major value pick if he reaches his maximum potential.
83.	Shane Peterson, OF, Long Beach	He may not have the biggest upside of players in this class, but what he brings an organization is a very solid bet that he'll continue to perform.
84.	Bryce Stowell, RHP, UC Irvine	Stowell continues to fly under the radar even though he compiles solid results.  Many scouts will remember his strong Cape campaign.
85.	Ricky Oropesa, 1b, Etiwanda HS	An impressive physical specimen with big time raw power, this prep slugger has piqued the interest of many teams around the second round.
86.	Chris Dominguez, 3B, Louisville	Dominguez has gargantuan raw power, some of the best you'll ever see, but the question looms of how well it will translate into professional success, especially after a poor showing in the Cape.
87.	Mark Sobolewski, INF, Miami	An outstanding pure hitter in the making, Sobolewski is a bit of wildcard.  Being a sophomore, he will hold all the leverage but his bat and skillset to match could make a team go over slot.
88.	Jaff Decker, 1B, Sunrise Mountain HS	Decker has an interesting and diverse set of tools.  Armed with a fastball that reaches 93 MPH and a powerful lefty stroke, it will be intriguing to see where Decker ends up.
89.	Kyle Weiland, RHP, Notre Dame	Weiland's power arm out of the pen continues to be intriguing but at some point the results to match will have to show up.
90.	Kyle Long, LHP/1B, St. Anne's-Belfield HS	He's huge, he throws gas from the left side, and can hit titanic home runs.  The only catch is that he's very raw.
91.	Sawyer Carroll, 1B, Kentucky	Seniors tend to get overlooked but it is hard to look past this slugger's monstrous spring at the plate.
92.	Tim Murphy, LHP, UCLA	Murphy is gifted with a vicious breaking ball and an average fastball from the left side, but an up and down spring keeps him out of first round contention.
93.	Ryan Flaherty, SS, Vanderbilt	A college shortstop with a long track record of high level of success, Flaherty is likely not an impact player in the making but a very safe bet.
94.	Tyler Sample, RHP, Mullen HS	Sample is raw and from an atypical baseball area but his 6' 7" frame and huge upside make him quite a fascinating commodity.
95.	Cody Satterwhite, RHP, Mississippi	Tall, strong, projectable, with a power arm, Satterwhite's lack of results this spring has scouts scratching their heads.
96.	Nick Maronde, LHP, Lexington Catholic	Maronde has a power lefty arm, and despite some high effort in his arm action, his bulldog mentality is very attractive.
97.	Stephen Fife, RHP, Utah	He's a new face on the prospect scene and still fairly raw for a college product, but whoever lands him could end up with a steal given his upside.
98.	Nate Freiman, 1B/C, Duke	Freiman continues to hit, yet flies under the radar.  This tall, unorthodox Duke standout could land in the second or third round.
99.	Bryan Shaw, RHP, Long Beach	Yet another closer with a track record, Shaw cemented himself among the elite in Cape Cod but tends to be overlooked as a result of this year's closer depth.
100.	Luke Burnett, RHP, Louisiana Tech	A towering, power armed righty, Burnett has suffered through a nightmare spring as a starter, but could thrive again in the bullpen.