For part 1 (Prospects #1-10) click here.

11. Aaron Bates (1B, 23) - Aaron may have been a year or two old for the hitter-friendly California League, but there is no way I can totally discount what he did there: finishing among the league leaders in nearly every offensive category. Bates had some trouble making contact in a brief late-season AA trial, but will get another shot in AA, hitting in the middle of what should be a power-packed Portland lineup.

12. Will Middlebrooks (IF, 19) - Will was one of those “double-threat” players in the draft; projecting as either a MLB pitcher or position player, and naturally is a very gifted athlete.  Nearly committed to becoming a punter for the Texas A&M football team until Theo & Co showed him the money. The right-handed power hitter will probably become a 3B in the longterm due to his size.

13. Ryan Kalish (CF, 19) - The speedy outfielder was lighting Lowell afire (.368/.471/.540 with 18 steals in 21 attempts) before breaking his hamate bone to end his 2007 campaign.   The hamate bone is the big thing keeping him out of my Top 10, as a broken wrist might be considered a red flag on a young hitter’s profile.

14. Craig Hansen (RP, 24) - A lot of people have given up on the 24 year old, but are we planning the reliever’s funeral a bit prematurely? In 51+ innings for the Pawsox, Hansen had a K/9 of 8.42 and an ERA of 3.86, a season that gradually improved over the course of the summer.  His walk totals are still high, but he seemed to regain some of the bite on his slider.  2008 will be a critical season in determining what he will become.

15. Dustin Richardson (SP, 23) - The tall left-hander has maintained a K/9 at or above 9 for his brief minor league career, including a short but very impressive stint in Lancaster last season.  Has been under the radar, probably due to the other high-profile pitchers in the system.

16. George Kottaras (C, 24) - Another guy I like more than most fans.  His prospect status has taken a bit of a dive since the Sox acquired him from San Diego for David Wells.  At first glance, his 2007 season only looks mediocre offensively, but George actually hit .309/.400/.500 on the road, compared to .177/.228/.323 at McCoy Stadium.  Typically, road stats are a solid indicator of a hitter’s true abilities, and although this wasn’t the biggest sample, the .900 OPS is closer to the numbers he put up in the San Diego system in prior years.

17. Che-Hsuan Lin (OF, 19) - Was impressive in his American debut in the GCL league before struggling in a brief promotion to Lowell.  An extremely gifted athlete; great speed and a strong arm, covers a lot of ground in the outfield.

18. Mark Wagner (C, 23) - Like Kottaras, he’s a catcher who can handle the stick fairly well.  Unlike Kottaras, he’s actually an excellent defensive backstop.  Still, he was old for his league in each of the past couple of years where he hit for impressive numbers.  AA will be a true test, as it is quite a leap from Lancaster for hitters.

19. Chih-Hsien Chiang (2B, 19) - “The Lebron of Taiwan” has held his own offensively in the first three levels of the American minor leagues.  May have been slightly overmatched at Greenville (81 Ks in 377 plate appearances), but is still young for the Sally League.  He needs work defensively, but if he can stick at 2B and improve his plate discipline, he will have a bright career ahead of him.

20. Michael Almanzar (?, 17) - The $1,500,000 bonus baby was signed as a SS, but seeing as he is 6′5″ and growing, that probably won’t be in his future.  Very raw, but extremely athletic, and might become a fearsome power hitter if he develops properly.

Some others (in no particular order):

Dan Bard: Gifted arm, but serious control issues.  15 BBs and 15 Ks in the Hawaiian Winter League, but otherwise was impressive.
Ryan Dent: 1st round infielder is very raw, lacks the ceiling of some of the other guys in the system.
Kris Johnson: I was never very high on him, he seemed like an overly “safe” draft pick.  Maybe he will prove me wrong in AA.
Jason Place: Heavily overmatched in both the Sally and Hawaiian leagues, astronomical K rates.  Still young, however.