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:: Hot Rookies ::

2004 Jed Lowrie

2005 Beau Mills

2004 Garrett Olson

2001 David Wright

1993 Derek Jeter

1988 Curt Schilling

2002 Hanley Ramirez

2004 Jered Weaver

2003 Mike Pelfrey

2001 Justin Morneau

1997 Hideki Matsui

1999 Josh Hamilton

1988 Randy Johnson

2001 Chase Utley

1990 Jim Thome

2002 Prince Fielder

Draft 2008

Cardboard of Top Draft Picks Sizzle Prior to 2008 Draft

Major League Baseball's First-Year Player Draft resembled a goold old fashioned frat party; with twenty of the first thirty picks coming from the college ranks.

Like recent draft studs Joba Chamberlain and Jacoby Ellsbury, all of the following top picks developed their skills at one time in a college summer league. That's how we discovered them. Here are the ones we've been following. You should follow them, too:

Arguably the top prospect in the draft, Justin Smoak (South Carolina) slipped all the way to the 11th pick, where the Rangers snapped him up. Blessed with power and plate discipline, Smoak was named the top pro prospect in the 2006 Cape Cod League by Baseball America.

Jason Castro (Stanford) was one of the fastest risers in the draft and went to Houston at #10.

One of the country's most dangerous hitters, Brett Wallace, was selected by the Cards at #13 .

Thanks to a slight change in his batting stance, Reese Havens (South Carolina) was the 22nd overall pick by the Mets.

Josh Fields (Georgia) was taken in the second round in '07, but he did not sign. This time he went #20 to Seattle.

The Dodgers took Kyle Russell (Texas), who led the nation in home runs in 2007, in the third round.
And let's not forget about Allen Dykstra (Wake Forest), who went to the Padres at #23.
Want another power arm? Josh Lindblom (Purdue) was chosen by the Dodgers in round #2.
The prospect with the highest ceiling? Jordan Danks (Texas) has it all; and the White Sox grabbed him in the seventh round.
Multi-tooled Logan Schafer (Cal Poly) was picked in the third round by Milwaukee.
Greg Miclat (Virginia) was tabbed by Baltimore in the fifth round.

Discover What's Next...Now

With extremely low print runs and ultra-talented prospects, these summer league cards are one of the best investments in the hobby. They're also recognized by major grading companies like BGS and PSA. Imagine what a Roger Clemens summer league issue would be worth today? Buy it now >>

FEATURED PRODUCTS:

Cuban Phenom Kendry Morales

The switch-hitting Morales is due for a breakout season for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

MinorLeagueNetwork.com has Kendry's first rookie card ever: 2004 Estrellas de Oriente - authorized by his Dominican Winter League club and produced by Choice. Buy it now >>

Joba Chamberlain

2005 Beatrice Bruins Rookie Card

Buy now >>

'05 JAMESTOWN JAMMERS UPDATE

Ryan Tucker #1 pick

Aaron Thompson #1 pick

Sean West #1 pick

FIRST CARDS EVER!

Kendry Morales

2006 Anchorage Bucs team set Catching Fire

The 2006 Anchorage Bucs may have finished second in the Alaska Baseball League, but this team is rising to the top when it comes to pro talent.

In addition to Ike Davis and Jason Castro (see above), this issue features the first-ever cards of numerous high-round draft choices this June: Tyson Ross (Mariners) a projected first-rounder who slipped to #58 overall; RHP Andrew Liebel (Blue Jays) and 1B Shane Peterson (Cardinals), both from Long Beach State; and fire-balling reliever Matt Gorgen (Devil Rays); as well as a card of Rice's Adam Zornes (Padres).

The team set also includes first-ever card of Taiwanese pitcher Po-Yu Lin (White Sox) and a card of five-tool talent Bryan Petersen (Marlins/UC Irvine). Buy it now >>

PLUS: Turbo Track

Ex-Summer Studs Moving Quickly

Numerous former college summer league stars are not only expecting big things in 2008 - but also planning a trip to the big leagues.

After baffling hitters in the Hawaii Winter Baseball League, RHP Blake Wood ranked fourth on the Kansas City Royals prospect list compiled by Baseball America.

Wood, according to BA, has the chance to be a "frontline starter" with his 94-95 mph fastball.

Blake's first card ever appears in the 2004 Anchorage Bucs set. Buy it now >>

This Week's Poll

After a terrific '07 season, shortstop Jed Lowrie was named Boston's minor league offensive player of year. After scorching AA pitching for Portland (ME), Lowrie hit .300 with five HRs at Triple-A Pawtucket. A first round (supplemental) pick in '05, his first-ever card is the 2004 Mat-Su Miners issue. Buy it now >>

Michael Taylor is quickly establishing himself as one of the best outfield prospects in baseball. Taylor, chosen in the fifth round in '07, shined for Philadelphia's Lakewood (A) farm team before being promoted to Clearwater. The Stanford product's first-ever card is included in the 2005 Mat-Su Miners team set. Buy it now >>

RHP Chris Mason led the Southern League in wins, pitching for Tampa Bay's Montgomery affiliate (AA). The former UNC Greensboro star's first card pictures him with 2004 Mat-Su Miners. Buy it now >>

John Raynor (Marlins) was named the "Most Exciting" player in a Baseball America mid-season survey of South Atlantic League managers. Raynor hit for power and is also one of the best base stealers in the minors. The former UNC Wilmington star's first card pictures him with 2005 Wilmington Sharks. Buy it now >>

Can't Find a Minor League Card of Your Favorite Player?

MinorLeagueNetwork.com has located cards for former players; family members of current and former players; and of course, collectors from around the world. Our inventory is one of the largest in North America. We have more than 35,000 singles from 1980 to present!

First, use our search engine for star players and semi-stars:

Still can't find it?

We probably have it. It's just not listed in our on-line database. Simply send a player request to MinorLeagueNetwork.com by clicking here. We'll typically reply within 12 hours.

A sample of recent searches:

8/16 Mel Roberts (in-stock - contact us!)

8/18 Eddie Delzer (in-stock - contact us!)

Sending a player request is the best and most accurate way to find your favorite minor league player!

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