BA has their list of the top 20 prospects in the AFL this year, and incredibly, John Mayberry, Jr., cracked the top 20, coming in at #19. Taylor Teagarden, at #10, was the only other Ranger prospect to crack the top 20.
I can understand Matt Harrison not making the list...he's a finesse lefty, and those guys don't wow the scouts.
But Mayberry ranking ahead of Elvis Andrus? Ranking the about-to-turn-24-year-old outfielder with questions about his bat, who put up a 711 OPS in the AFL (after a mediocre showing this past year in high-A and AA) ahead of the 19 year old shortstop who gets raves for his defense (and who posted an OPS almost 150 points higher in the AFL)?
In his chat, Chris Kline tries to justify the ranking by saying that Mayberry might not ever hit for a high average, but he's got power potential. Here's the problem, though...what good is a guy with power potential who doesn't hit for average and doesn't walk? Yeah, he plays good defense in right field...but if he's not going to be able to give you even a .325 OBP, what difference does that make?
This is ridiculous.