MiLB Top 10 Prospects Flashback: 2000 Midwest League
Through the years the low Class A Midwest League has been the starting point in full-season ball for the likes of Greg Maddux and Rafael Palmeiro (1985), Larry Walker (1986), Alex Rodriguez and Billy Wagner (1994), Miguel Cabrera (2001), Clayton Kershaw (2007) and Mike Trout (2010).
The MWL class of 2017 is shaping up to be historic, too, headed by Fernando Tatis Jr., Bo Bichette, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Yordan Alvarez.
But in 2000 the Midwest League was headlined by two future greats—No. 5 prospect Albert Pujols and No. 7 Jake Peavy—whose greatness snuck up on people because they were late-round draft picks.
2000 Midwest League Top 10 Prospects
| No. | Player | Pos | Team | Org | PA/IP | WAR |
| 1 | Josh Beckett | RHP | Kane County | Marlins | 2,051 | 37.2 |
| 2 | Juan Cruz | RHP | Lansing | Cubs | 655 | 4.4 |
| 3 | Chris Snelling | OF | Wisconsin | Mariners | 273 | 0.3 |
| 4 | Austin Kearns | OF | Dayton | Reds | 4,179 | 16.7 |
| 5 | Albert Pujols | 3B | Peoria | Cardinals | 12,385 | 87.8 |
| 6 | Ramon Santiago | SS | West Michigan | Tigers | 2,794 | 5.5 |
| 7 | Jake Peavy | RHP | Fort Wayne | Padres | 2,377 | 43.7 |
| 8 | Adam Dunn | OF | Dayton | Reds | 8,328 | 25.6 |
| 9 | Gerik Baxter | RHP | Fort Wayne | Padres | — | — |
| 10 | Mike Nannini | RHP | Michigan | Astros | — | — |
Pujols was drafted in the 13th round in 1999 but signed late and made his pro debut in the 2000 MWL. He hit .324 with 17 homers to win league MVP honors and finished the year with Memphis in the Triple-A World Series. “He has power, he can hit and he’s a really good third baseman,” one manager said. “He has a chance to get to the big leagues quickly.”
Josh Beckett (No. 1) was the second overall pick in 1999 but pitched just 59 innings in the MWL between bouts of shoulder tendinitis. When healthy he threw a “consistent 95-96 mph” and his “hard curveball was an out pitch.”
Peavy came out firing a “fastball in the mid 90s to go with a good breaking ball.” He tied for the MWL lead with 164 strikeouts on his way to a Cy Young Award future in the big leagues.
Dayton teammates Adam Dunn (No. 8) and Austin Kearns (No. 4) were 1998 draft picks who rose through the Reds’ system together. Kearns led the MWL with 27 homers and offered “all five tools,” while Dunn had “prodigious power and a discriminating eye” and would go on to mash 462 big league homers.
Midwest 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 | Edwin Nunez | RHP | Wausau | Mariners | 652 | 1.2 |
| 1982 | Mark Grant | RHP | Clinton | Giants | 639 | 1.0 |
| 1983 | Shawon Dunston | SS | Quad Cities | Cubs | 6,276 | 7.4 |
| 1984 | Kurt Stillwell | SS | Cedar Rapids | Reds | 3,478 | 1.2 |
| 1985 | B.J. Surhoff | C | Beloit | Brewers | 9,106 | 31.4 |
| 1986 | Steve Gasser | RHP | Kenosha | Twins | — | — |
| 1987 | Derek Parks | C | Kenosha | Twins | 125 | -0.5 |
| 1988 | Tom Gordon | RHP | Appleton | Royals | 2,108 | 32.8 |
| 1989 | Tom Redington | 3B | Burlington | Braves | — | — |
| Year | Player | Pos | Team | Org | PA/IP | WAR |
| 1990 | Reggie Sanders | OF | Cedar Rapids | Reds | 7,043 | 39.7 |
| 1991 | Salomon Torres | RHP | Clinton | Giants | 847 | 6.4 |
| 1992 | Dmitri Young | 3B | Springfield | Cardinals | 5,253 | 12.5 |
| 1993 | Charles Johnson | C | Kane County | Marlins | 4,386 | 25.7 |
| 1994 | Alex Rodriguez | SS | Appleton | Mariners | 12,207 | 113.7 |
| 1995 | Javier Valentin | C | Fort Wayne | Twins | 1,663 | 2.9 |
| 1996 | Valerio de los Santos | LHP | Beloit | Brewers | 256 | 0.3 |
| 1997 | Francisco Cordero | RHP | West Michigan | Tigers | 825 | 16.3 |
| 1998 | Pablo Ozuna | SS | Peoria | Cardinals | 728 | -1.4 |
| 1999 | Corey Patterson | OF | Lansing | Cubs | 4,499 | 10.9 |
| Year | Player | Pos | Team | Org | PA/IP | WAR |
| 2000 | Josh Beckett | RHP | Kane County | Marlins | 2,051 | 37.2 |
| 2001 | Adrian Gonzalez | 1B | Kane County | Marlins | 8,046 | 36.4 |
| 2002 | Joe Mauer | C | Quad City | Twins | 7,960 | 52.5 |
| 2003 | Prince Fielder | 1B | Beloit | Brewers | 6,853 | 27.5 |
| 2004 | Brian Dopirak | 1B | Lansing | Cubs | — | — |
| 2005 | Carlos Gonzalez | OF | South Bend | D-backs | 5,551 | 25.6 |
| 2006 | Jay Bruce | OF | Dayton | Reds | 6,555 | 20.5 |
| 2007 | Clayton Kershaw | LHP | Great Lakes | Dodgers | 2,299 | 73.6 |
| 2008 | Mike Moustakas | 3B/SS | Burlington | Royals | 4,571 | 16.3 |
| 2009 | Aaron Hicks | OF | Beloit | Twins | 2,570 | 12.2 |
| Year | Player | Pos | Team | Org | PA/IP | WAR |
| 2010 | Mike Trout | OF | Cedar Rapids | Angels | 5,372 | 74.4 |
| 2011 | Taijuan Walker | RHP | Clinton | Mariners | 555 | 5.9 |
| 2012 | Javier Baez | SS | Peoria | Cubs | 2,570 | 14.1 |
| 2013 | Byron Buxton | OF | Cedar Rapids | Twins | 1,440 | 7.9 |
| 2014 | Alex Reyes | RHP | Peoria | Cardinals | 56 | 2.1 |
| 2015 | Gleyber Torres | SS | South Bend | Cubs | 1,179 | 5.5 |
| 2016 | Nick Senzel | 3B | Dayton | Reds | 467 | 1.0 |
| 2017 | Vladimir Guerrero Jr. | 3B | Lansing | Blue Jays | 611 | 0.2 |
| 2018 | Royce Lewis | SS | Cedar Rapids | Twins | — | — |
| 2019 | Wander Franco | SS | Bowling Green | Rays | — | — |
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