MiLB Top 10 Prospects Flashback: 1987 Southern League
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The Double-A Southern League has a rich prospect tradition, none better than the class of 1987 headlined by Hall of Famers Randy Johnson (No. 2) and Larry Walker (No. 3), both Jacksonville teammates as Expos farmhands, and 1996 National League MVP Ken Caminiti (No. 1).
Other contenders for best prospect class in Southern League history include 1990 with Frank Thomas and Chuck Knoblauch, 2006 with Joey Votto and Ryan Braun, 2008 with Clayton Kershaw and David Price and 2009 with Giancarlo Stanton and Freddie Freeman.
1987 Southern League Top 10 Prospects
| No | Player | Pos | Team | Org | PA/IP | WAR |
| 1 | Ken Caminiti | 3B | Columbus | Astros | 7,127 | 36.0 |
| 2 | Randy Johnson | LHP | Jacksonville | Expos | 4,135 | 105.2 |
| 3 | Larry Walker | OF | Jacksonville | Expos | 8,030 | 68.7 |
| 4 | Erik Hanson | RHP | Chattanooga | Mariners | 1,555 | 23.6 |
| 5 | Geronimo Berroa | OF | Knoxville | Blue Jays | 2,825 | 6.0 |
| 6 | Steve Gasser | RHP | Orlando | Twins | — | — |
| 7 | Walt Weiss | SS | Huntsville | Athletics | 5,516 | 14.8 |
| 8 | Brian Holman | RHP | Jacksonville | Expos | 677 | 10.3 |
| 9 | Tommy Greene | RHP | Greenville | Braves | 628 | 6.7 |
| 10 | Rob Mallicoat | LHP | Columbus | Astros | 54 | -1.1 |
Johnson won five Cy Young Awards but didn’t receive his first vote until he was 29 because of untamed wildness stretching back to his amateur days. In the Southern League he walked 128 in 140 innings while leading the league with 163 strikeouts thanks to his “93 mph-plus fastball.” One manager regarded Johnson as having “more potential than any pitcher in the league.”
Walker shot to Double-A at age 20 and had a big year in the Southern League, hitting .287 with 26 homers thanks to a “smooth swing.” One manager accurately forecasted that Walker “can do all five things well.”
“Everything he does is a plus,” one Southern League manager gushed about Caminiti, who reached Houston in the second half of 1987. While he was repeating the SL, Caminiti hit .325 with 15 homers and drew praise for his “outstanding arm, good hands and range at third.”
Walt Weiss (No. 7) carved out a 14-year big league career as a smooth-fielding but light-hitting shortstop. “His defense is at major league standards now,” one manager said.
Southern League All-Time BA No. 1 Prospects
Players listed with career major league plate appearances/innings and FanGraphs WAR. Stats for active players current through mid August.
| Year | Player | Pos | Team | Org | PA/IP | WAR |
| 1981 | Tim Laudner | C | Orlando | Twins | 2,268 | 4.0 |
| 1982 | Stefan Wever | RHP | Nashville | Yankees | 3 | -0.4 |
| 1983 | John Morris | OF | Jacksonville | Royals | 665 | -0.1 |
| 1984 | Mickey Brantley | OF | Chattanooga | Mariners | 1,222 | 0.9 |
| 1985 | Jose Canseco | OF | Huntsville | Athletics | 8,129 | 42.1 |
| 1986 | Bo Jackson | OF | Memphis | Royals | 2,626 | 7.7 |
| 1987 | Ken Caminiti | 3B | Columbus | Astros | 7,127 | 36.0 |
| 1988 | Pete Harnisch | RHP | Charlotte | Orioles | 1,959 | 28.0 |
| 1989 | Eric Anthony | OF | Columbus | Astros | 2,244 | 0.3 |
| Year | Player | Pos | Team | Org | PA/IP | WAR |
| 1990 | Frank Thomas | 1B | Birmingham | White Sox | 10,075 | 72.1 |
| 1991 | Mark Wohlers | RHP | Greenville | Braves | 553 | 4.3 |
| 1992 | Chipper Jones | SS | Greenville | Braves | 10,614 | 84.6 |
| 1993 | Alex S. Gonzalez | SS | Knoxville | Blue Jays | 6,248 | 9.2 |
| 1994 | Trey Beamon | OF | Carolina | Pirates | 172 | -0.7 |
| 1995 | Jason Kendall | C | Carolina | Pirates | 8,702 | 37.1 |
| 1996 | Andruw Jones | OF | Greenville | Braves | 8,664 | 67.0 |
| 1997 | Miguel Tejada | SS | Huntsville | Athletics | 9,205 | 39.7 |
| 1998 | Eric Chavez | 3B | Huntsville | Athletics | 6,228 | 35.7 |
| 1999 | Vernon Wells | OF | Knoxville | Blue Jays | 7,212 | 25.1 |
| Year | Player | Pos | Team | Org | PA/IP | WAR |
| 2000 | Corey Patterson | OF | West Tenn | Cubs | 4,499 | 10.9 |
| 2001 | Adam Dunn | OF | Chattanooga | Reds | 8,328 | 25.6 |
| 2002 | Jake Peavy | RHP | Mobile | Padres | 2,377 | 43.7 |
| 2003 | Miguel Cabrera | 3B | Carolina | Marlins | 10,331 | 70.5 |
| 2004 | Andy Marte | 3B | Greenville | Braves | 940 | -2.0 |
| 2005 | Delmon Young | OF | Montgomery | Rays | 4,371 | -1.3 |
| 2006 | Homer Bailey | RHP | Chattanooga | Reds | 1,399 | 10.2 |
| 2007 | Justin Upton | OF | Mobile | D-backs | 7,135 | 36.0 |
| 2008 | Clayton Kershaw | LHP | Jacksonville | Dodgers | 2,299 | 73.6 |
| 2009 | Jason Heyward | OF | Mississippi | Braves | 5,649 | 31.5 |
| Year | Player | Pos | Team | Org | PA/IP | WAR |
| 2010 | Giancarlo Stanton | OF | Jacksonville | Mariners | 4,951 | 39.7 |
| 2011 | Matt Moore | LHP | Montgomery | Rays | 895 | 6.4 |
| 2012 | Trevor Bauer | RHP | Mobile | D-backs | 1,143 | 19.5 |
| 2013 | Yasiel Puig | OF | Chattanooga | Dodgers | 3,376 | 18.0 |
| 2014 | Kris Bryant | 3B | Tennessee | Cubs | 3,175 | 27.9 |
| 2015 | Miguel Sano | 3B | Chattanooga | Twins | 2,132 | 8.7 |
| 2016 | Dansby Swanson | SS | Mississippi | Braves | 1,879 | 4.6 |
| 2017 | Ronald Acuna Jr. | OF | Mississippi | Braves | 1,280 | 9.9 |
| 2018 | Eloy Jimenez | OF | Birmingham | White Sox | 600 | 2.4 |
| 2019 | Jo Adell | OF | Mobile | Angels | 41 | -0.6 |
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