The most dangerous words to use when scouting and evaluating talent are ceiling and upside. Major League Baseball teams are loaded with players, both in the big leagues and throughout the minors, with plenty of both that have been unable to reach it.
When you use those words—and when fans read them—they think that is the final word on what a player will be.
Upside and ceiling are the best possible outcomes for a player. The number of players who actually reach that level is miniscule. There are more than 4,000 players scattered throughout the minor leagues, a vast majority of whom have the ceiling of an average or better big leaguer.
But what makes baseball such a great game—and one of the hardest to evaluate—is watching how players make adjustments as they move up the minor league ladder.
All that being said, here are the position players in each organization with the greatest upside. We are just looking at the potential as a hitter, so defense is not being factored into this particular discussion.
Note: All stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted