Top 50 players in the draft my butt !

In truth this MLB Top 50 list was posted on December 10. Times change. Baseball has been played and ,of course, you are the last word.

Who is penciled in on the other top 50 lists ?

Who did they miss? Who has charged into consideration ?

Wee.... !

Well, hold your horses, and I will tell you !

The White Sox are the proud owners of three of these picks, maybe for the first time ever,

What I am offering is ,players for consideration at #26- #49 and maybe #86.

I wrote a fan Post about third basemen in January. Six of those players were not on the top #50 list.

Stephan Alemais, Bo Bichette, Joe Rizzo , Cole Stobbe , Nickolas Quintana, David Hamilton. to learn more about these player, look to that Fan Post.

I will break this down into three groups. Pitchers , Position Players and late risers.

Pitchers

Corbin Burnes -RHP -HS his fastball sits on 93-95 MPH that can even reach 96 MPH that's a plus velocity pitch and a slider that can be a swing and miss pitch on him in the mid-80s that's when he's on top of it, got sharp tilt.He turned heads in the Cape Cod League over the summer, touching 97 mph and sitting in the low 90s with a good sinking fastball. He adds a solid slider and curve and a developing change up. Burnes needs to work on his command, but he’s one of the top pitchers in the draft class.

Matt Manning - RHP

Manning is a 6’7" pitcher who is the small guy in his family, at least when compared to his father, Rick Manning, who is 6’11" and played two years in the NBA.He uses that height to get great downward movement on his sinking fastball, which sits in the low 90's and has hit 95.

Anthony Kay LHP- Col He’s a relatively high-floor future big league starter who can throw four pitches for strikes but lacks that one true put-away offering. Maybe continued refinement of his low-80s changeup or his 78-84 slider gets him there. his stock is on the rise given the recent uptick in velocity. If he can establish his breaking ball and improve his stamina ....

Forest Whitley RHP Whitley is a sturdy 6'6, has been into the mid-90's, flashes a plus slider and has starter traits. A most physically imposing player in the at 6-foot-7 and 230 pounds, Whitley pounded the bottom of the zone with his 94-96 mph fastball and showed promising bite on an 82-85 mph breaker.

Matt Crohan LHS -Col

A 6-foot-4, 215-pound left-hander, Crohan has impressive stuff that is headlined by a mid-90s fastball. His change up and slider continue to be a work in progress, but are already respectable offerings.athletic, can touch 97 mph, you are going to get a lot of attention in your draft-eligible year. Crohan also shows solid secondary stuff and command as he posted 87 K/29 BB over 76.2 innings this spring. He won’t be facing elite bats next spring but the stuff is great and his numbers could look good.

Position Players

Alex Kirloff 1st Base /OF HS, bats Left /Throws Left.. The first round has produced successful prep first basemen in recent years, from Adrian Gonzalez (2000) to Prince Fielder and James Loney (both 2002) to Eric Hosmer (2008). A Liberty commit, Kirilloff isn’t the typical first baseman in that he’s an above-average runner with a plus arm. Kirilloff also received votes as an outfielder.

Wil Craig- 1st base - Col Bats R /Throws R -That incredible command of the strike zone and outstanding plate coverage come along with well above-average power, as he's capable of crushing baseballs anytime a pitcher wanders into his preferred zone. At different times of the season, led the nation in RBIs, home runs, slugging and total bases .

475 batting average. But Craig isn't sacrificing any power for the sake of average; he leads the NCAA with a .950 slugging percentage. His SLG% alone is higher than any N.C. State player's OPS! The big donkey's driven in 41 runs in 24 games (he missed seven due to injury). He's got a .573 OB% and, despite being a power guy, has walked more times (15) than he's struck out (12).

Cooper Johson Catcher- HS Cooper Johnson, C,Bats Right / Throws Right, Carmel Catholic HS, Mundelein, Ill. Mature physically and off the field as well, Johnson is a showcase vet. His glove is ahead of his bat at this stage. Johnson has soft hands, plus receiving skills and a potentially elite throwing arm. His pitch recognition and contact skills lag behind, but he has some bat speed that gives him offensive potential. The Mississippi commit stands out in a catcher class heavy on bat-first players

(note Sox cap)

Gavin Lux - Short Stop - HS - athletic frame. Body projects to add more strength especially in the upper half. Lux, a slick-fielding shortstop who verbally committed to Arizona State in June. At 6-foot-2, 170 pounds, he’s more of a line-drive hitter at this point, though his left handed bat has the potential for power as he grows into his frame. His style at shortstop, though, has been compared to that of Latin American middle infielders.

Late Risers

Anfernee Grier OF- Col bats R /Throws R

Blessed with 6.63 speed, real arm strength for his size and deceptive power, Grier has the look of a defensive back and glides like one on the field .he currently holds a .424/.537/.697 slash line, 14/9 BB/K and 11 stolen bases in 13 attempts (another career high). Simply put, Grier is one of the hottest hitters in the nation

Joey Wentz LHP -HS With his hulking 6’5″ 220 frame, Wentz looks the part of a workhorse starter. Committed to Virginia, Wentz showed easy velocity sitting at 91-92 mph with his fastball. His change up was an inconsistent offering at 79-82 mph.

Logan Ice -Catcher - C /Col -Bats -Switch/ Throws R - is rocketing up draft boards on the strength of his growth at the plate. The switch hitting catcher had a ton of scouts eyes on him. Ice has been known for his defense, which is solid. This year, he has put it together offensively. He has been an incredibly hard guy to strike out-- four times this year-- and has gone from part-time player to cleanup hitter for Oregon State.

(note Sox cap)

Braden Webb-RHP-C Despite a near two-year layoff due to Tommy John surgery, and the inexperience of being a true freshman. Webb has emerged as a pillar of South Carolina’s weekend rotation.

"The velocity on his fastball is elite. His breaking ball is one of the best we’ve had here in a long time. He’s got a good change up. He has the whole arsenal to be an All-American type. Webb ranks fourth in the SEC with a 1.70 earned run average, and is tied for second in wins with a 6-1 record. Striking out 25 over his last two starts.

So, thirteen fresh names. When MLB changes their list to 100 prospects, some of these players will have moved into top #50 ,and all should be on that list.

On Day #2 the White have the tenth pick and this should be a handy guide of the best players still on the board. As well as the team is playing, this golden opportunity won't present it self again soon.

The draft is in 8 weeks as of yesterday !