2002 Top 100 Prospects Revisited

[daske17]

I thought this was interesting on Rotoworld. A look back at the 2002 Top 100 prospects.

 

Proving that predicting future success of prospects is such a crapshoot, Juan Cruz, Hee Sop Choi, Bobby Hill and Drew Henson were all listed higher than Zambrano (who the author felt would be more effective as a reliever than a starter).

 

Just some food for discussion. . .

[goonys evil twin]

Zambrano (who the author felt would be more effective as a reliever than a starter).

 

To be fair, when the team starts to put a guy into a bullpen role in the minors, it would be hard for an outsider not to think of that as a sign that he was destined for the bullpen.

[AllStarMe]

That's a pretty depressing list for the Cubs. Z is the only whose results I can say I'm happy about.

 

Oh if only Hendry could get ahold of a flux capacitor, go back to 02 and do a Juan Cruz for Grady Sizemore swap...

[illiniguy]

That's a pretty depressing list for the Cubs. Z is the only whose results I can say I'm happy about.

 

Oh if only Hendry could get ahold of a flux capacitor, go back to 02 and do a Juan Cruz for Grady Sizemore swap...

I like Aramis Ramirez and Derrek Lee's production. They are a direct result of Bobby Hill and Hee Seop Choi so I wdon't find it depressing at all. The only bothersome part would be Don Baylor's choice to keep Jason Bere in the rotation over Juan Cruz.

[daske17]

That's a pretty depressing list for the Cubs. Z is the only whose results I can say I'm happy about.

 

Oh if only Hendry could get ahold of a flux capacitor, go back to 02 and do a Juan Cruz for Grady Sizemore swap...

I like Aramis Ramirez and Derrek Lee's production. They are a direct result of Bobby Hill and Hee Seop Choi so I wdon't find it depressing at all. The only bothersome part would be Don Baylor's choice to keep Jason Bere in the rotation over Juan Cruz.

 

Wow, Jason Bere. Now there's a name you shouldn't bring up in mixed company. . . or at all for that matter.

[illiniguy]

That's a pretty depressing list for the Cubs. Z is the only whose results I can say I'm happy about.

 

Oh if only Hendry could get ahold of a flux capacitor, go back to 02 and do a Juan Cruz for Grady Sizemore swap...

I like Aramis Ramirez and Derrek Lee's production. They are a direct result of Bobby Hill and Hee Seop Choi so I wdon't find it depressing at all. The only bothersome part would be Don Baylor's choice to keep Jason Bere in the rotation over Juan Cruz.

 

Wow, Jason Bere. Now there's a name you shouldn't bring up in mixed company. . . or at all for that matter.

Ha, I actually thought I would get hammered more for bringing up Don Baylor. Luckily Dusty made most of us forget about the damage Don did.

[CuseCubFan69]

That's a pretty depressing list for the Cubs. Z is the only whose results I can say I'm happy about.

 

Oh if only Hendry could get ahold of a flux capacitor, go back to 02 and do a Juan Cruz for Grady Sizemore swap...

I like Aramis Ramirez and Derrek Lee's production. They are a direct result of Bobby Hill and Hee Seop Choi so I wdon't find it depressing at all. The only bothersome part would be Don Baylor's choice to keep Jason Bere in the rotation over Juan Cruz.

 

Wow, Jason Bere. Now there's a name you shouldn't bring up in mixed company. . . or at all for that matter.

Ha, I actually thought I would get hammered more for bringing up Don Baylor. Luckily Dusty made most of us forget about the damage Don did.

 

Just to prove....yes, it can always get worse.

[UMFan83]

I had no idea that Michael Restovich as on this list. I never knew he was considered a "top" prospect

 

66. Michael Restovich - OF Twins - Age 22 - Preseason NR - Midseason NR - ETA: April 2003

.269, 23 HR, 84 RBI, 125/54 K/BB, 15 SB in 501 AB for Double-A New Britain

.289, 6 HR, 28 RBI, 35/16 K/BB, 5 SB in 114 AB for Grand Canyon of the AFL

 

After hitting just eight homers in 2000, Restovich rebounded nicely last season. He could be a 30-homer guy in the majors, but I'm not sure he'll be anything more than a .260-.270 hitter. Since he'll sport a solid walk rate, he could be an asset even without the high average.

[Prior4CyYoung]

that list is kinda sad really. You look at the top 10 and none of them really lived up to there hype. Beckett is the closest but he still hasnt really lived up to what he was thought to be. In the top 20 Joe Mauer is really the only producing what was expected of him.

[TB_11]

Quoted when the spoke of Zambrano, bolds added in:

 

Kyle Farnsworth is probably the heir to Tom Gordon's closer's job, so it doesn't look like Zambrano is going to have much fantasy value anytime soon. Still, he could help the Cubs out of the bullpen this year.

 

Oh man........

[UK1679666180]

If it was a science, it wouldn't be as much fun.

[Coach C]

92. Angel Berroa - SS Royals

 

What's not to like about a .300-hitting shortstop with decent power? The big negative is that his plate discipline is awful. He's erratic at shortstop, but he should improve and be able to stay at the position. Berroa will make Neifi Perez expendable after this season.

 

Unfortunately for the Royals, they got another version of Neifi, a younger one at that.

[Milli1306]

2002 may be above and beyond other years in that so many of its "top prospects" fizzled out, but it's no secret that many players who are "can't miss" do in fact, miss. Todd Van Poppel, Brien Taylor (injury contributed i know), Jason Isringhausen (yes he has enjoyed some success as a closer, but everyone had him penciled in as a Mets ace), and Paul Wilson are a few that come to mind

[AllStarMe]

That's a pretty depressing list for the Cubs. Z is the only whose results I can say I'm happy about.

 

Oh if only Hendry could get ahold of a flux capacitor, go back to 02 and do a Juan Cruz for Grady Sizemore swap...

I like Aramis Ramirez and Derrek Lee's production. They are a direct result of Bobby Hill and Hee Seop Choi so I wdon't find it depressing at all. The only bothersome part would be Don Baylor's choice to keep Jason Bere in the rotation over Juan Cruz.

I honestly wasn't thinking about it in that sense. Of course I'm glad those trades were made before Choi and Hill fizzled and lost their value. I was mainly just thinking about Cruz and Prior, how we had two in the top 10 that are now worth nothing and next to nothing, respectively.

[Prior4CyYoung]

That's a pretty depressing list for the Cubs. Z is the only whose results I can say I'm happy about.

 

Oh if only Hendry could get ahold of a flux capacitor, go back to 02 and do a Juan Cruz for Grady Sizemore swap...

I like Aramis Ramirez and Derrek Lee's production. They are a direct result of Bobby Hill and Hee Seop Choi so I wdon't find it depressing at all. The only bothersome part would be Don Baylor's choice to keep Jason Bere in the rotation over Juan Cruz.

I honestly wasn't thinking about it in that sense. Of course I'm glad those trades were made before Choi and Hill fizzled and lost their value. I was mainly just thinking about Cruz and Prior, how we had two in the top 10 that are now worth nothing and next to nothing, respectively.

 

Im still holding out hope for Prior but boy did Juan Cruz turn into a big bust

[wolf stansson]

You guys must have been pumped back then.

[Prior4CyYoung]

You guys must have been pumped back then.

 

I know I was boy how things can change very fast.

[FergieJ31]

Im still holding out hope for Prior but boy did Juan Cruz turn into a big bust

 

Yes indeed - anyone remember Juan's debut? He took a tough loss but it was a thing of beauty.

 

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/B08210CHN2001.htm

 

I remember Cruz being favorably compared to Pedro after this game by the Brewers manager :shock: (then again, he could afford to be magnanimous after watching freakin' Reuben Quevedo own the Cubs)

[UMFan83]

I remember when Cruz got traded for Pratt and Lewis and thinking what the hell. We were proposing crazy trades for big name players with that guy.

 

(Gee, kinda like we do with Rich Hill and Felix Pie today..)

[pitchcs]

Im still holding out hope for Prior but boy did Juan Cruz turn into a big bust

 

Yes indeed - anyone remember Juan's debut? He took a tough loss but it was a thing of beauty.

 

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/B08210CHN2001.htm

 

I remember Cruz being favorably compared to Pedro after this game by the Brewers manager :shock: (then again, he could afford to be magnanimous after watching freakin' Reuben Quevedo own the Cubs)

 

Ruben Quevedo is a physical specimen.

[erik316wttn]

Cruz had the stuff, but not the control, which made him just like hundreds of other prospects who didn't pan out.

 

Every team has guys in their system with good stuff. Few have guys with good stuff and the control to make that stuff effective.

[goonys evil twin]

Cruz had the stuff, but not the control, which made him just like hundreds of other prospects who didn't pan out.

 

Every team has guys in their system with good stuff. Few have guys with good stuff and the control to make that stuff effective.

 

Well, Cruz has made a couple million dollars playing major league baseball for 6 seasons, and he's only 28. I wouldn't say he's just like the hundreds of other prospects who didn't pan out, he's one of the few that actually did something good in the majors. He didn't reach his peak, but an extremely low number ever do.

[Bull]

Cruz had the stuff, but not the control, which made him just like hundreds of other prospects who didn't pan out.

 

Every team has guys in their system with good stuff. Few have guys with good stuff and the control to make that stuff effective.

 

Well, Cruz has made a couple million dollars playing major league baseball for 6 seasons, and he's only 28. I wouldn't say he's just like the hundreds of other prospects who didn't pan out, he's one of the few that actually did something good in the majors. He didn't reach his peak, but an extremely low number ever do.

 

Or 25. Or 30. Perhaps 35. No more than 40. Honest.