Looking at Baseball America's Top 10 Dodgers' prospects from 1992-2000

This is how Baseball America ranked the Dodgers’ Top 10 prospects from 1992-2000. There are tons of familiar names on this list because this was a large part of my formative years.

Slightly off-topic, but Baseball America Executive Editor Jim Callis is leaving the publication and taking a job with MLB.com, beginning in September. Best of luck to him as he's truly one of the best in the business.

1992

1. Pedro Martinez RHP

2. Raul Mondesi OF

3. Carlos Hernandez C

4. Jamie McAndrew RHP

5. Billy Ashley OF

6. Pedro Astacio RHP

7. Eric Karros 1B

8. Henry Rodriguez OF/1B

9. Greg Hansell RHP

10. Mike Piazza C

- This could be the most star-studded list with two future hall of famers in Martinez and Piazza. Karros and Mondesi were Rookies of the Year while Astacio and Rodriguez had decent careers. Ashley might have been the most powerful Dodger prospect ever. All of these guys played in the majors.

1993

1. Mike Piazza C

2. Raul Mondesi OF

3. Roger Cedeno OF

4. Greg Hansell RHP

5. Pedro Martinez RHP

6. Todd Williams RHP

7. Billy Ashley OF

8. Omar Daal LHP

9. Todd Hollandsworth OF

10. Rick Gorecki RHP

- Every player on this Top 10 played in the majors, and all did so as Dodgers at one time. Martinez dropped to five presumably because BA (and Tommy Lasorda) thought he was a reliever. Daal made his first appearance on the list, as did future ROY Hollandsworth (that was a down year).

1994

1. Darren Dreifort RHP

2. Todd Hollandsworth OF

3. Roger Cedeno OF

4. Rick Gorecki RHP

5. Raul Mondesi OF

6. Jose Parra RHP

7. Todd Williams RHP

8. Kym Ashworth LHP

9. Dwight Maness OF

10. Michael Moore OF

- Dreifort was the No. 2 pick in the 1993 MLB Draft, so his topping this list is no surprise. He went onto have a nice career. The only other impact player was Mondesi.

1995

1. Todd Hollandsworth OF

2. Antonio Osuna RHP

3. Chan Ho Park RHP

4. Roger Cedeno OF

5. Paul Konerko C

6. Karim Garcia OF

7. Rick Gorecki RHP

8. Greg Hansell RHP

9. Felix Rodriguez RHP

10. Kym Ashworth LHP

- The Dodgers’ international infusion was apparent in this Top 10, with Osuna, Park, Garcia and Rodriguez were all amateur free agents. Konerko was the Dodgers’ No. 1 pick in 1994. Hideo Nomo made his debut this season, but he wasn’t signed before BA released its Top 10. If he was, he would have topped this list.

1996

1. Karim Garcia OF

2. Chan Ho Park RHP

3. Todd Hollandsworth OF

4. Paul Konerko 1B

5. Wilton Guerrero SS

6. Roger Cedeno OF

7. David Yocum LHP

8. Onan Masaoka LHP

9. Felix Rodriguez RHP

10. Adam Riggs 2B

- After jumping from High-A to Triple-A as a 19-year-old, Garcia, rightfully so, topped this list. Too bad it never translated to Major League production. Guerrero made his debut after being signed on the international market. Funny thing is, the Dodgers chose to sign him instead of his brother Vladimir Guerrero. And Wilton also corked his bat, earning the moniker, "Corky."

1997

1. Paul Konerko 3B/1B

2. Karim Garcia OF

3. Wilton Guerrero 2B

4. Adrian Beltre 3B

5. Damian Rolls 3B

6. Onan Masaoka LHP

7. Ted Lilly LHP

8. Alex Cora SS

9. Adam Riggs 2B

10. Omar Moreno, Jr. OF

- Konerko, the best player on the lists from 1995-98, finally tops the list. He was looking like the heir apparent to Karros, who posted back-to-back sub-.800 OPS seasons (despite hitting 34 and 31 home runs). Beltre was signed as a 16-year-old, despite it coming out a few years later he signed before he was 16. Lilly and Cora made their first appearances.

1998

1. Paul Konerko 1B

2. Adrian Beltre 3B

3. Mike Judd RHP

4. Dennis Reyes LHP

5. Ted Lilly LHP

6. Onan Masaoka LHP

7. Adam Riggs 2B

8. Kevin Gibbs OF

9. Alex Cora SS/2B

10. Jeff Kubenka LHP

- If not for Konerko, Beltre would have topped this list. Reyes was another international signee and was dubbed the next Fernando Valenzuela (lazy comp). Konerko would be traded for Jeff Shaw and Lilly was part of the package that landed Mark Grudzielanek and Carlos Perez from the Montreal Expos.

1999

1. Angel Pena C

2. Chin-Feng Chen OF

3. Mike Judd RHP

4. Steve Colyer LHP

5. Luke Allen OF

6. Luke Prokopec RHP

7. Glenn Davis 1B/OF

8. Jorge Piedra OF

9. Onan Masaoka LHP

10. Adam Riggs 2B

- The fact Pena topped this list should tell you all you need to know. Chen was the Dodgers’ big signing out of Taiwan while Prokopec had some brief success. I’ll remember the game in 1999 when he shut down the Astros for 8 2/3 innings before Davey Johnson lifted because Prokopec couldn’t get the final out he needed (kind of like Zack Greinke last night). The Dodgers still won.

2000

1. Chin-Feng Chen OF

2. Eric Gagne RHP

3. Hong-Chih Kuo LHP

4. Jason Repko SS

5. Hiram Bocachica 2B

6. Mike Judd RHP

7. Luke Allen 3B

8. Brennan King 3B

9. Steve Colyer LHP

10. Kris Foster RHP

- Despite Chen never panning out, Gagne and Kuo gave the Dodgers some great seasons as relievers. Repko, when he wasn’t busy injuring Rafael Furcal, spent significant time on Major League rosters. Colyer pitched a little bit with the Dodgers while Foster went to Baltimore with Geronimo Gil for Mike Trombley.

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Despite the sharp downturn the system took after 1998, there was some really good talent in this 9-year stretch. From 1999 through about 2003, the system was near the bottom. Logan White’s first season was 2002 and was tasked with turning the farm system around. It’s safe to say, he did.

Photo credit: SD Dirk, Flickr

Looking at Baseball America's Top 10 Dodgers' prospects from 1983-1991

Baseball America released its archived Top 10 prospect lists from 1983 to 2000. I’m going to break down all of the Dodger prospects in those years. This is 1983 through 1991. The remaining years will be in another post (likely tomorrow).

1983

1. Greg Brock 1B

2. Dave Anderson SS

3. Sid Fernandez LHP

4. Cecil Espy OF

5. Gil Reyes C

6. Franklin Stubbs 1B

7. Mark Bradley OF

8. Ed Amelung OF

9. Candy Maldonado OF

10. Ricky Wright LHP

- I was all of 1 year old when this list was produced, but there are some recognizable names. Brock was the Dodgers’ top prospect in his age-26 season -- something that’s unheard of these days. He had a 10-year career. Fernandez is the most successful prospect from this list, but Stubbs and Maldonado enjoyed decent major league careers. Anderson was part of the 1988 World Series-winning team.

1984

1. Gil Reyes C

2. Jose Gonzalez OF

3. Sid Fernandez LHP

4. Dave Anderson SS

5. Franklin Stubbs 1B

6. Vance Lovelace LHP

7. R.J. Reynolds OF

8. Cecil Espy OF

9. Lemmie Miller OF

10. Mariano Duncan 2B/OF

- Reyes debuted at age 19, playing 19 games. He played 20 games total until 1991, when he played 83 with the Montreal Expos. He was a bust. Lovelace works in the Dodgers’ front office as the vice president of player personnel. Duncan went onto become a serviceable major leaguer.

1985

1. Gil Reyes C

2. Mariano Duncan 2B

3. Franklin Stubbs 1B

4. Ralph Bryant OF

5. Dennis Powell LHP

6. Shawn Hillegas RHP

7. Jose Gonzalez OF

8. Mike Ramsey OF

9. Greg Mayberry RHP

10. Vance Lovelace LHP

- Duncan and Stubbs are really the only players of note here. Hillegas pitched 515 1/3 innings in his 7-year career.

1986

1. Jose Gonzalez OF

2. Greg Mayberry RHP

3. Jeff Hamilton 3B

4. Franklin Stubbs 1B

5. Shawn Hillegas RHP

6. Chris Gwynn OF

7. Ralph Bryant OF

8. Mike Watters 2B

9. Dennis Livingston LHP

10. Scott May RHP

- Hamilton was one of the first Dodgers I remember seeing, but he didn’t do much in his career. Gwynn was a part-timer and retired after his age-31 season.

1987

1. Jose Gonzalez OF

2. Jeff Hamilton 3B

3. Shawn Hillegas RHP

4. Greg Mayberry RHP

5. Mike Devereaux OF

6. Chris Gwynn OF

7. Mike Watters 2B

8. Ramon Martinez RHP

9. Ralph Bryant OF

10. Manny Francois 2B

- Devereaux and Martinez are the best players on this list. Martinez went onto be one of the best Dodger pitchers of the late-1980s and early-90s.

1988

1. Ramon Martinez RHP

2. Dan Opperman RHP

3. Tim Belcher RHP

4. Shawn Hillegas RHP

5. Mike Devereaux OF

6. Jose Tapia RHP

7. Juan Bell SS

8. Chris Gwynn OF

9. Chris Nitchting RHP

10. Jose Offerman SS

- The world champs got a ton of help from Belcher, who threw nearly 180 quality innings as a 26-year-old. Offerman makes his first of four appearances in the Dodgers’ top 10.

1989

1. Ramon Martinez RHP

2. Jose Offerman SS

3. Dan Opperman RHP

4. Braulio Castillo OF

5. Bill Bene RHP

6. Chris Nichting RHP

7. Dave Hansen 3B

8. John Wettland RHP

9. Eric Karros 1B

10. Mike James RHP

- Hansen carved out a niche as a pinch-hitter, Wettland would be let go too early and Karros would win the National League Rookie of the Year three years later. Probably the best top 10 of this 9-year stretch.

1990

1. Kiki Jones RHP

2. Jose Offerman SS

3. Tom Goodwin OF

4. Braulio Castillo OF

5. Eric Karros 1B

6. Carlos Hernandez C

7. Jose Vizcaino 2B

8. Dave Hansen 3B

9. Dan Opperman RHP

10. Raul Mondesi OF

- Goodwin was a slappy, speedy guy. Vizcaino was a utility infielder and Mondesi ended up being the second- or third-best prospect on these lists.

1991

1. Jose Offerman SS

2. Raul Mondesi OF

3. Jamie McAndrew RHP

4. Henry Rodriguez 1B/OF

5. Tom Goodwin OF

6. Kiki Jones RHP

7. Dan Opperman RHP

8. Pedro Martinez RHP

9. Eric Karros 1B

10. Dave Hansen 3B

- Rodriguez went to Montreal and had a 40-home run season while we all know about that Pedro guy.

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The Dodgers had some decent talent in this 9-year period: a hall of famer, some multiple-time all-stars and two rookies of the year. Considering the volatility of prospects, I’d call this stretch a win and it predates some of the great prospects to come.

Photo credit: bryce_edwards, Flickr