All-American Top Prospects

For the first time ever, Perfect Game decided to expand its focus to minor league baseball, using its extensive knowledge of players and contacts within the industry to compile a list with corresponding reports of the top 10 prospects of each of the 30 big league teams. In these features we also provided an overview of each team's organization as a whole and how their efforts from the 2011 draft look so far.

Not surprisingly, we found that quite a few of the top prospects were former Perfect Game All-Americans.

Eight of the No. 1 overall prospects for their respective teams had previously played in the Classic: Dylan Bundy (Orioles, 2010), Yasmani Grandal (Padres, 2006), Bryce Harper (Nationals, 2009), Matt Harvey (Mets, 2006), Francisco Lindor (Indians, 2010), Jonathan Singleton (Astros, 2008), Jameson Taillon (Pirates, 2009) and Jacob Turner (Tigers, 2008).

Each of the 30 teams either had a player ranked among or was considered for their top 10 prospect list that had previously attended the Perfect Game All-American Classic.  79 players in total were listed in these extensive reports (full list below), including at least one player from every year of the Classic since its inaugural year in 2003.

The Washington Nationals had the most All-Americans listed among their top 10 list with five, which doesn't include the two others that were listed among those considered. The Pirates had four listed in the top 10, while the Athletics, Cubs, Indians and Mets each had three.

The Nationals also had the most players that had attended any Perfect Game event in the past, as all 10 of their top 10 prospects, as well as all six of the prospects that were also considered, are PG alums.  All 10 of the Giants top prospects listed also had previously attended a Perfect Game event, while the Athletics, Diamondbacks, Rays, Red Sox and Rockies each had nine former PG players among their top 10.

In total, 210 of the 300 prospects listed (70-percent) had previously attended a Perfect Game event.  Add in the 162 of 225 players that were also considered, and you have 372 of 525 prospects that are PG alums, 71-percent of all of the players listed.

To give an example of how these lists are expected to grow in the years to come, eight former All-Americans were recently named to Perfect Game's college preseason All-American teams: Kris Bryant (San Diego, 2009), Kevin Gausman (Louisiana State, 2009), Michael Lorenzen (Cal State Fullerton, 2009), Austin Maddox (Florida, 2008), Richie Shaffer (Clemson, 2008), Karsten Whitson (Florida, 2009), Austin Wilson (Stanford, 2009) and Mike Zunino (Florida, 2008).

To view all of the team-by-team top prospect reports, please visit the Perfect Game Minor League page.

O = players not ranked in the top 10 but mentioned as others in consideration