Three Rattlers make the Baseball America Top 20 list for the MWL

Complete list is here.

The Rattlers on the list are:

4. Brett Lawrie
9. Cody Scarpetta
14. Wily Peralta

Down in the comments below I had guessed that Lawrie and Peralta would make it, but Scarpetta would miss the Top 20. Glad I'm wrong on that.

The main bits about each of the Rattlers as written by Jim Callis:

Lawrie:

Most of Lawrie's value comes from his offense. He has strong hands and exceptional bat speed, and while his swing is a bit long, his bat stays in the zone for a long time. Using an open stance and diving into pitches, he drives the ball to all fields. He's a more disciplined hitter than most teenagers, and he has average speed and some instincts on the bases.

There is also something in there about if he works at his defense, he could be a second baseman "in the style of Dan Uggla".

Scarpetta:

In addition to his hard downer curve, Scarpetta also maintains the velocity on his heavy 90-94 mph fastball into the late innings and has unveiled a vastly improved changeup. His pitches all need more consistency and command, but they all could develop into plus offerings.

Scarpetta's biggest need is to tone up his soft body...

That isn't just Scarpetta's biggest need. There is a radio announcer/blogger I'm thinking of who could stand to do this, too.

Peralta:

Working at 92-94 mph and peaking at 96, Peralta had one of the best fastballs in the MWL, and it also features some cutting and tailing action. His low-80s slider has good tilt, though he gets under it at times but doesn't always throw it for strikes.

To remain a starter as he advances, Peralta will have to improve his changeup and his command. He's thick-bodied and must watch his conditioning.

Is Jim getting into the personal training business, too?

Also in the comment, I had predicted that Dee Gordon of the Great Lakes Looooons would be the #1 prospect in the MWL based on...you know, the managers of the MWL selecting him as the Top Prospect in the MWL.

But, BA goes with Aaron Hicks of Beloit. Gordon was placed second and Josh Vitters of Peoria was third on the list.

The chat with Jim for BA subscribers on the MWL list is at 2:00pm CDT today. Follow the link from the front page.