Aaron Gleemanのトップ50プロスペクト

http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/top-50-prospects-july-checkup-part-one/
http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/top-50-prospects-july-checkup-part-two/
この50人の中に、ジャイアンツ傘下の選手は残念ながら一人もいない。
プロスペクトの評価基準については春の段階で詳述されている。
http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/top50prospects_2004_parttwo/
1) Age and level of competition

Quite simply, a 21-year-old hitting .330 at Double-A is just more impressive than a 24-year-old doing the same. That's not to say every young player is a good prospect or every older player is a non-prospect, but it is a significant consideration for all players.

2) Plate discipline/control of the strike zone

Despite what the old cliche might tell you, a walk is usually not as good as a hit. However, for a player in the minor leagues to show some semblance of discipline at the plate is a very important factor in their development, and is thus a very important factor in these rankings. This is certainly not a must for every single prospect, but it is very important.

3) Defense and future position

Accurately judging a player's defensive abilities at the major league level is a difficult task at best and tedious at worst. Doing the same for minor league players is like trying to come up with the perfect simile, it's almost impossible.
In the minors, shortstops routinely make 40 errors in a season, many players are learning new positions on the job, and it isn't as if there's a place to find defensive Win Shares for center fielders in the Florida State League. That said, defense is a huge part of a player's value and it is just as big a factor in how good a prospect is.
Another important aspect of defense for prospects is trying to determine which position the player will end up playing in the majors. Many players find themselves shifting down the defensive spectrum as they advance up through the minor leagues and a player's overall status as a prospect must at least attempt to take into account their eventual position(s). A minor league shortstop who is a great hitter is a wonderful thing, but less so if the player is unlikely to stick at shortstop in the majors.

4) Statistical performance and the factors involved

The performance part is pretty self-explanatory: At some point, a "prospect" has to play like a prospect, because being a first round pick or a highly touted foreign signing isn't going to help him hit or pitch in the major leagues.
In addition to that, there are many things in a player's performance beyond the obvious, which is to say that not all .300 batting averages and 3.00 ERAs are equal. Just like in the major leagues, there are many different types of "park factors" throughout minor league baseball. There are parks that favor pitching and parks that favor hitting, and there are entire leagues that do the same.

5) Strikeouts and walks for pitchers

For pitchers, the first thing I look at is the strikeout rate. The more strikeouts the better, it's as simple as that. Okay, maybe it's not quite that simple. In general, the higher a pitcher's strikeout rate is, the better chance for long-term success he has. There are definitely tons of exceptions, but it is a good general rule.
In addition to strikeouts, a pitcher's control is also key. Striking out 10 batters a game doesn't do much good if you're walking just as many and, at the same time, a pitcher can be very successful with an unexceptional strike out rate if he doesn't walk many batters. There is a balance between the two that needs to exist at some point, although it is very tough to pin down in minor league pitchers.