Baseball America Releases Yankees Top 10 Prospects

Annual Prospect Rankings See Three Ex-SI Yankees

By: Robert Pimpsner

December 28, 2007 – Baseball America has been well underway in publishing their annual prospect rankings for each organization.  This season the Yankees top 10 prospect list includes three players that once called the Richmond County Bank Ballpark their home field.

                Joba Chamberlain took over the top spot from Philip Hughes and is followed by outfielders Austin Jackson and Jose Tabata.  In the fourth spot is Ian Kennedy, who in 2007 became the fastest rising ex-Staten Island Yankee going from his professional debut on September 6, 2006 against Tri-City in Staten Island to his Major League debut on September 1, 2007 against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays at Yankees Stadium.

                Alan Horne was fifth and the young slugging catcher Jesus Montero came in at number six.  Jeff Marquez returned to the Yankees Top 10 after falling off it in 2006.  The young right-hander was a member of the 2004 Staten Island Yankees where he was 2-4 with a 3.02 ERA.  In 2007 Marquez helped lead the Thunder to their first Eastern League championship where he was 15-9 with a 3.65 ERA.

                Following Marquez on the list is the speedy outfielder Brett Gardner.  Gardner who was the centerfielder on the 2005 NY-Penn League Championship team made his second trip to the Arizona Fall League this year.  After finishing the 2007 season with the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees it looks as if the speed demon will be knocking on the door of the big league club in 2008.  Rounding out the Top 10 list is Ross Ohlendorf and 2007 first round pick Andrew Brackman.

1. Joba Chamberlain
2. Austin Jackson
3. Jose Tabata
4. Ian Kennedy
5. Alan Horne
6. Jesus Montero
7. Jeff Marquez
8. Brett Gardner
9. Ross Ohlendorf
10. Andrew Brackman