Several of you have emailed to ask whether Andy Marte will be our Indians No.
1 prospect, topping an organization for the third time this offseason. He
ranked as the best player in the Braves system, then was traded to the Red
Sox for Edgar Renteria in December.

The Coco Crisp trade has been put on hold because of Cleveland's concerns
about Guillermo Mota's health, so Marte won't join the Tribe in time to
headline our Indians rankings. The AL Central Top 10s have gone off to the
printer, and righthander Adam Miller gets top billing in Cleveland. But if
Marte had been dealt, he would have been No. 1 and achieved a triple that's
believed to be unprecedented in BA annals.



         I was curious how you would compare the Mets' David Wright versus
         the Nationals' Ryan Zimmerman. Obviously, Wright is already up and
         established, and in my opinion he'll be a certain all-star for years.
         But it certainly seems like Zimmerman could give him a run for his
         money. Who has a higher ceiling? If you could only have one on your
         team, which would you choose?

         Chris Birckhead
         Hoboken, N.J.


This is a good question, but the answer is an easy one for me. Given my
choice, I'd take Wright over Zimmerman.

Zimmerman gets the edge defensively, as any scout who discusses him calls him
a future Gold Glover and there's even some possibility he could play
shortstop. But Wright is also a good defender and I think he'll be better at
the plate in the long run. While both players project as .300 hitters, Wright
has more power. I see him as a 35-homer hitter, and Zimmerman as more of a
20-25 homer guy. Wright also will draw more walks.

Zimmerman should be at least an above-average regular and likely a perennial
all-star. But Wright has a chance to be one of the game's elite players, and
he could make that leap this season.





         As a Brewers fan, I've been in some discussions about the struggles
         of Dave Krynzel. One of the things I've done is look at the 2000
         first-round draft class and discover that Krynzel, even with his
         troubles, might still be one of the better first-round picks. Chase
         Utley is obviously the class of the first round, but no one else
         has made much of an impact. Does the 2000 draft have the worst group
         of first-rounders ever? If not, which draft does?

         Robert Reineke
         Wauwatosa, Wis.



For years, 1975 has had the reputation of the worst draft ever, and things
started to go bad right away in the first round. Danny Goodwin (Angels) went
No. 1 overall for the second time in four years, and had only a brief major
league career. The best first-rounder, by far, was Rick Cerone (Indians),
followed by Dale Berra (Pirates) and Clint Hurdle (Royals). The best pitchers
turned out to be Chris Knapp (White Sox) and Bo McLaughlin (Astros).

Just 12 of the 24 first-rounders reached the big leagues, and none of them
ever played in an all-star game. The Nos. 2 through 5 picks all fell short of
the majors: Mike Lentz (Padres), Les Filkins (Tigers), Brian Rosinski (Cubs)
and Rich O'Keefe (Brewers). There was some talent found in later rounds, led
by Andre Dawson (Expos, 11th round), Lee Smith (Cubs, second) and Lou
Whitaker (Tigers, fifth).

It's too early to know for sure, but as bad as 2000's first round looks, it
should be able to surpass 1975's. Utley (Phillies) and Rocco Baldelli (Devil
Rays) look like they'll have at least solid careers as big league regulars.
No. 1 overall pick Adrian Gonzalez (Marlins, since traded to Rangers and
Padres) could as well. After that, it drops off, with the next-best position
players being extra outfielders Joe Borchard (White Sox), who got a
then-record $5.3 million bonus, and Krynzel. Sean Burnett (Pirates) and Adam
Wainwright (Braves, since traded to the Cardinals) are the best pitchers,
though Burnett has had Tommy John and labrum surgery in the last year, while
Wainwright has yet to prove much above Double-A.

To date, 12 of the 30 first-rounders from 2000 have reached the majors. A few
more have a shot in the next couple of years. So while Krynzel has been a
disappointment, the Brewers actually made out pretty well compared to other
clubs.






         Do the Dodgers receive compensation if they don't sign supplemental
         first-rounder Luke Hochevar? Also, where do Delwyn Young and Kenley
         Jansen fit in your Dodgers prospect rankings?

         J.V. Siegel
         Sherman Oaks, Calif.



The Dodgers still can sign Hochevar, the 40th overall pick last June, up
until a week before the 2006 draft, but I doubt that's going to happen at
this point. He switched agents on Labor Day weekend and agreed to a $2.98
million bonus (more than Zimmerman got as the No. 4 overall choice), then
switched back, reneged on the deal and accused the Dodgers of trying to rip
him off.

Hochevar is the highest unsigned selection from the 2005 draft, but Los
Angeles won't get a compensation pick if he doesn't come to terms. Only
first-round choices merit a pick at the end of the sandwich round, and he's a
supplemental first-rounder.

As for Young and Jansen, Young checked in at No. 15 on our Dodgers Top 30 in
the 2006 Prospect Handbook, while Jansen didn't make the cut. Young is a
line-drive machine with good pop, and he'd be a better prospect if he showed
more aptitude at second base. But he's pretty rough at that position and
looks like he's headed for left field.

Don't read too much into Jansen being left off the Top 30. He does have some
promise, but the Dodgers have the best farm system in baseball and not every
prospect could make it. Signed out of Curacao in November 2004, Jansen offers
intriguing power potential at 6-foot-5 and 245 pounds. Staying behind the
plate would enhance his prospect status, but his bat is far and away his best
tool and he may have to move to first base.