Welcome to the first edition of the Top 12 for '12, a carry-over from Jason Grey's Top 11 for '11 prospects update last year. Every Friday you'll get an update on the top 12 fantasy prospects (players currently in the minor leagues) for 2012.
These rankings are a bit different than other prospect rankings lists you'll see, as these are strictly for 2012 fantasy purposes only. So not only does talent and recent performance play a role in the rankings, potential paths to the big leagues also factor in. In addition, all young players in the minors are eligible, including those in "prospect purgatory," those who have exceeded rookie status but are still young and unproven commodities.