Click a Player to read their story. To find out how the rankings work, see the top of the story.
| Class AAA | Class AA | Class A |
| California League | Carolina League | Eastern League | International League | Midwest League |
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Pacific Coast League | Southern League | Texas League |
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The Triple-A (Class AAA) boasts
33 of the FAB50 picks. It's what you'd expect: Many of the top talents in the minors are passing through the highest tier on their last lap before the big leagues. The International League edges out the Pacific Coast League in overall count. PCL fans can take comfort though: You have the no. 1 pick, Felix Hernandez, and some of the best prospects in the game. What is more unusual this year is the number of Triple-A players finding themselves at the lower levels of our rankings. This is due, largely to speedbumps in careers that have caused some career 'parking' at the Triple-A, but not enough to warrant them being moved to our Ones2Watch™ list.
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The International League leads all leagues with 17 of the top prospects in baseball this year, and also the Triple-A club of the MLN FAB50 Farm of the Year 2005, the Boston Red Sox. While the No. 1 pick goes to the PCL, the no. 2 and no. 3 picks come from the IL's Durham Bulls.
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Delmon Young is the best fielding player in minor baseball. BJ Upton, who was no. 1 in the FAB50 2004, falls to No. 3. Can Young handle the trip to Tampa? Will BJ Upton's D deteriorate?
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Pawtucket Red Sox (4) - Ones2Watch (2)
The top rung of the ladder of the best farm system in baseball is the Pawtucket Red Sox club. It's raining great players in Pawtucket, from Jonathan (Don't call me Jon) Papelbon to the easy-going Hanley Ramirez, Dustin Pedroia, and Abe Alvarez. The cap isn't a style, by the way. The ink isn't done drying on Craig Hansen's contract or his college diploma, but he may be Boston bound.
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Norfolk Tides
Bannister looks a bit like Seaver. Some say he pitches a bit like him too. Yusmeiro Petit was so good he should have been in the majors by now. Slightly cracked crystal ball. Is he the next Maddux?
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Louisville Bats
Edwin E is smiling. If you had his track on the run to Cincinnati, you'd be grinning big too.
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Buffalo Bisons
Ryan Garko is a biig bat. Scouts and touts ding his D. Has he improved?
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Toledo Mud Hens
Joel Zumaya is a hailstorm hurler. Does he go the distance, or is he on a Rolaids ride to the pen?
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Charlotte Knights
Mr. Anderson is on his way to Chi. Will Charlotte be a short changeover or a long layover? |
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Indianapolis Indians
J.J. Furmaniak joins the I-Tribe from the Padres organization. Will he be a role player or a utility guy in Pittsburgh?
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Richmond Braves
Can Chuck James break the Berlin Wall of the Braves starting rotation, or will he be bullpen bound? |
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Columbus Clippers
Mr. Jones has a sweet swing. Can he turn it on offensively and land a major league job?
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Rochester RedWings
Liriano is moving to the majors nicely. Boof is boffo in Rochester. Will he have MAJOR ATTITUDE, or be major attitude after his trade from San Francisco?
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The Pacific Coast League (PCL) has sixteen (16) nods from the FAB50, and holds the No. 1 pick in the MLN FAB50 for 2005, pitcher Felix Hernandez of the Tacoma Rainiers. Ian Kinsler comes in at No. 4. Perhaps a sign of the times: The once-mighty Dodgers and Padres farm systems only serve up a pair of FAB50 picks in the 2005 edition from the Triple-A. The Cubs and Cardinals pulled the AAA goose-egg this year, which is highly uncommon for their farm systems.
Tucson SideWinders
You can almost see the BOB from Tucson. Jackson and Quentin want to shed Sidewinders unis for a pair of Diamondback duds. Will they do it now, or in 2006?
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Class AA baseball had eleven (11) FAB50 picks this year. The Eastern League leads with five (5) nods.
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The Eastern League, which is home to five (5) of our FAB50 picks, should be delighted that it's not the old pre-affiliation days of developing players and selling contracts. Justin Verlander's saary alone would be enough to pay for most of the non-signing bonus players in the rest of the league. The EL also is home to Lastings Milledge, one of the Mets best prospects in years, and Anibal Sanchez (Anibal the Cannibal), who keeps devouring batters and moving through the ranks of the Red Sox farm.
Erie SeaWolves
Does the D stand for Detroit or Deal? Will the Tigers' tithe turn up a power pitcher, or should they be getting an Erie feeling about their prospect?
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Reading Phillies
Is Chris cocky, or is he smiling because he knows he really is that good? Answering the Phillies' prayers may raise Roberson's rankings.
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Binghamton Mets (B-Mets)
The Masterful Milledge and the Splendid Splinter have something in common.
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New Britain Rock Cats
Don't let the boyish face fool you: It does a fine job of fooling batters. Will Glen Perkins may be a fast fave in Minnesota soon?
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Portland Sea Dogs
Can Anibal the Canibal devour enough batters to make Pawtucket before the season sets? Hanley Ramirez is finishing final orbit in Portland with Pawtucket well in sight.
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We serve up a trio of top Texas talent that won't be staying long. Daric Barton proves why you don't mess with Texas, while Tulsa and Arkansas serve up a promising pitcher and a baaad baseman.
Midland RockHounds
Daric Barton will
move through Midland this season. Is Sactown the next stop, or the Big O?
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Tulsa Drillers
Tulsa top talent Ubaldo unnerves tough Texas batters. Will he have to learn to pitch the high fastball in the high altitude of Colorado Springs, or will he be back in the oil patch?
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Arkansas Travelers
Howie Kendrick climbed from the Kernals to the Travs in 2005. Will he get his halo in 2006?
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We get a helping of Double-A Southern hospitality with three (3) players who are making their breakouts to the fast track.
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Minor League Baseball's Class A serves up a half-dozen players that won't be household names in a major league town this year, or possibly next, but look like fast-trackers to the 2007 season, the outer edge of our two-year time window to make the FAB50.
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The Cal has gone positively seizmic, the ground shaking with the thunder of explosive bats. This year we feature three (3) that we feel have a potential to move more quickly through the farm system.
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
The RC Quakes rock with Brandon Wood. Should he stay in High A? Could he? Would he?
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High Desert Mavericks
Chris Lubanski's taking a cut at the competition in the High-A. Can he start singing 'Kansas City, here I come?' or is he taking the Super Chief to Omaha next season?
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Modesto Nuts
There's nothing crazy about picking Ian Stewart for the FAB50 at No. 42. The trip to Colorado is on the way, they say, but will it be any day?
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The Carolina League (1) picks up Hunter Pence from the South Atlantic League. He's new to fans in the CL, but he's the pride of the SAL, whom we heard from loud and clear about their pride and joy.
Salem Avalanche
Hunter Pence may look like a goofy kid. He may choke up the bat like a guy half his size. His bat is a wrecking ball. Will he go up again this year?
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From the Midwest League come a pair of top talents. Matt Tuiasosopo may be the black sheep of his brood: He plays baseball in a football family. Eduardo Morlan is a rising-radar pitcher from the Twins organization. Don't look to be seeing either of these guys much longer in the MWL. Matt T. goes higher in the FAB50 because he's worth that much to the Mariners.
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
The big bat of Matt T. has the Wisconsin fans all shook up. Will baseball be a wise career move for a kid from a family of NFL stars?
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Beloit Snappers
Eduardo Morlan has a few snappy pitches. Are they enough to earn him a job as a Twins starter in 2006? |
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