We proudly present our annual list of the best young players in the game, the culmination of our offseason prospect rankings.



But this year we bring you the list with a twist. While we'd like to think that every player here will go on to big league success, even these players--the best of the best--could flop. Even the players at the very top of the list could fall victim to injuries, off-field trouble or poor performance.



The key is to spot these problems as early as possible. Years of prospect watching have led us to look for common flaws in players that can be red flags. These flaws can show in performance and be borne out by statistics--such as a high number of walks for a pitcher--or in a tools profile, such as position players who will "develop power."

As you read through the top 100 list you'll see some of these risk factors, highlighted in a current player on the list, just click on the button to see that player's risk factor. We'll also flash back to top 100 alumni who had similar risk factors, giving a best and worst case for the current player. (For those players, we also list their peak position in the top 100).



The top 100 list was hammered out by Editors in Chief Will Lingo and John Manuel, Executive Editor Jim Callis and National Writer Chris Kline. Callis wrote the capsules on each player.