Vegas's own Bryce Harper was (surprise) the number one pick of the 2010 Draft.

Top Draft Picks Promise Quick Returns

First Players Taken Expected to Make an Impact Soon

In recent years, and in a reaction counter to the high-flying free agency trend, baseball has gotten a lot more financially savvy. More and more, teams are focusing their personnel efforts on finding, securing and locking up the most talented young players before they become too expensive. As such, MLB's annual first-year player draft has become more of a game of identifying which young talents will be able to provide a return on investment soonest, rather than those who might have the highest upside at a later date.

The top picks made in this year's draft certainly bear this out, as there's a strong, strong emphasis on What Can You Do For Us Soon?

Most of the players selected in the first round were already being tracked here at Scouting Book, so a link to the appropriate prospect page is provided wherever possible.

1. Bryce Harper, C/OF
There's not much more to say about Bryce Harper that hasn't already been reprinted hundreds of times. The young phenom is... (More)

2. Jameson Taillon, RHP
A monster power arm from Texas via Quebec, young Jameson Taillon is a very high-ceiling righthander who has already... (More)

3. Manny Machado, SS
A graduate of Team USA's championship squad, Miami's Manny Machado is a powerful well-rounded player who was recognized...(More)

4. Christian Colon, SS
A textbook shortstop from Puerto Rico, Christian Colon is a plus contact hitter with good speed, excellent baseball... (More)

5. Drew Pomeranz, LHP
The latest junior ace from Ole Miss, lefty Thomas (Andrew) Pomeranz is probably the best lefty of the 2010 draft class... (More)

6. Barret Loux, LHP
Texas A&M's ace in 2009 and 2010 and a Big Twelve All-Star, righthander Barret Loux...(More)

7. Matt Harvey, RHP
Matt Harvey is a tall righthander from Mystic, Connecticut who pitched his college ball at UNC, where a few tweaks to his... (More)

8. Delino DeShields, 2B
The junior Delino is a shorter, stronger, faster and very righthanded version of his father. Which is to say...(More)

9. Karsten Whitson, RHP
Karsten Whitson is a teenage pitching prospect who might have the highest ceiling of any of the 2010 draft class part... (More)

10. Michael Choice, OF
A thickly-built, wide-framed power bat from Texas who moves pretty well for his size, Mike Choice is a player destined... (More)

11. Deck McGuire, RHP
Blessed with a name that would be right at home in a Steve McQueen movie, Georgia Tech's Deck McGuire is a bulldog... (More)

12. Yasmani Grandal, C
A switch-hitting Cuban catcher with a powerful right arm, Miami's Yasmani Grandal looks to be the premium catcher of the 2010... (More)

13. Chris Sale, LHP
Thanks to his very tall stature, Florida's Chris Sale can throw a 94mph fastball on a downward plane despite beginning... (More)

14. Dylan Covey, RHP
Righthander Dylan Covey is a polished pitcher with a fastball that can touch 96mph with good motion and natural sink...(More)

15. Jake Skole, RHP
A talented outfielder who committed to Georgia Tech in both football (safety) and baseball before being drafted by the Texas Rangers...(More)

16. Hayden Simpson, RHP
Hayden Simpson is a prototypical college ace from a lesser-known Division II school. He works with a 92-94mph fastball...(More)

17. Josh Sale, OF
Josh Sale (pronounced 'Sully', more or less) is a powerful Samoan motherslugger from Seattle who just keeps getting bigger... (More)

18. Kaleb Cowart, RHP
The 2009-10 Gatorade National Baseball Player of the Year, Kaleb Cowart is a switch-hitting two-way player that the Angels seem... (More)

As always, as scouting reports and first-hand accounts of these players flood in, you're likely to see them zipping all over our always-changing Prospect Rankings.

Blowin' in the Wind

Today's Park Factors Change with the Weather

Pitchers, like kites, perform best when the wind is blowing right at them, but if the wind blows straight away, they can quickly go for a very fast and frightening ride. The wind conditions in some of today's cozy new ballparks can wreak havoc on the performance of hitters and pitchers alike. Thanks to a new tool here at Scouting Book, you can keep tabs on the wind and all of the other factors that vary from park to park around baseball.   More...

Top 1B: Best First Base Prospects for 2010

Big Corner Bats are Coming, and Coming Soon!

If you're a coach, manager or player development staffer, what do you do with a huge, strong baseball player who isn't very fast, isn't very good with the glove, doesn't have a strong arm... but can hit baseballs five hundred feet? Why, you make him a first baseman, of course. With the simplest job on the field, a first baseman doesn't need to be very mobile, and he doesn't have to 'waste' much time learning the finer points of defense. He can, instead, focus on doing what he knows best: hitting baseballs. It should be no surprise, then, that some of the best batting prospects in the game are corner infielders. Here are a few of our favorites that you'll be seeing soon, most of them this very season.   More...

Top SS: Best Shortstop Prospects for 2010

Fast, Slick-Fielding Youngsters Invigorating Position

Since the 1970's, shortstop has been a position dominated by Latin American players, especially those imported from the Dominican Republic. The DR owns a sizeable chunk of the next wave of players, too, but this decade, they'll be joined by shortstops from Cuba, Venezuela, Korea and even the good old U.S.A. Here's a quick look at the most-promising shortstops of 2010 and the future.   More...

Top C: Best Catching Prospects for 2010

A Once-Shallow Position is Getting Deep Fast

In recent years, catcher has been the Major League position with fewest stars, and more journeyman than any other. The rise of big bats like Joe Mauer and Victor Martinez started to change that, and youngsters like Kurt Suzuki and Chris Iannetta helped show that catching didn't have to be an all-defense proposition. Now the next wave of offensive-minded catchers is coming, and it's a big one.   More...

Top OF: Best Outfield Prospects for 2010

Big Bats, Hot Wheels and Plenty of Future Tools

Outfield is traditionally a place to park your teams biggest bats, and based on the rich list of outfielders who will be arriving in MLB shortly, there won't be a shortage of excitement in baseball's future, no matter what kind of player you are looking for.

For all-around baseball ability, players like Jason Heyward and Dustin Ackley will be fan favorites at the plate and in the field very soon. For game-changing speed, there's Desmond Jennings and Aaron Hicks. And for pure offense, look no further than Florida's Mike Stanton and Oakland Mike Taylor.    More...

Oakland Athletics: Top 2010 Prospects

Are the Bats Ready to Match the Arms?

Oakland has been an AL version of the Atlanta Braves for many years now: a team that can spin superstar pitching out of thin air, while being wholly unable to develop the bats to go along with them. At times the team has even seemed cursed: a month after their top outfield prospect wins the AFL MVP award, he quits the team in order to sign with a higher power. But like the Braves, this year's Athletics franchise might have finally turned the corner, by fortune or design: they're now sitting on a half-dozen top-tier hitting prospects who are almost ready to sample the Big Show.    More...

Boston Red Sox: Top 2010 Prospects

Every Year, the Red Sox Get a Little More Local

Theo Epstein's reinvention of the Red Sox isn't news anymore, but it's still impressive to see how deeply his approach has changed the once-sluggish franchise. The team moves quickly to sign big free agents while keeping a Steve Jobsian veil of secrecy over its negotiations. They sign the most exciting international players, often before other teams have even figured out what's happening. And they continue to draft with serious smarts, keeping the farm pipeline fresh and flowing. From Youkilis to Pedroia to Ellsbury to Lester to Bard to Iglesias, there's never an interruption in the talent supply. As has become usual, today's Red Sox farm is a veritable who's who of top-level baseball prospects.   More...

Disaster in Minnesota?

Five Backups to Nathan, Plus One Sleeper Candidate

On Tuesday, the worst possible news for Twins fans of all ages came down the pipe: superstar closer Joe Nathan has a torn elbow ligament, and will miss significant time. As a 35 year old with few years remaining in pro ball, he may try to pitch with the tear rather than lose 18 months on Tommy John surgery to replace and reattach the ligament, but whatever route he chooses, the Twins bullpen situation just got a lot less stable. If Nathan is out for a month or a year, who are the candidates to replace him, and which is the best bet?
   More...

New York Yankees: Top 2010 Prospects

No Mercy: The World Champions Just Keep Getting Better

The 'New' New York Yankees might still spend money like it's on fire, but they've also begun taking scouting and player development very seriously indeed, and that should scare the pants off the rest of the American League. In the unlikely event that YankeeNetsLLC runs out of free agent money in the future, they've got some very good-looking prospects in-house they can use to dominate the AL East.   More...

Washington Nationals: Top 2010 Prospects

Don't Look Now: The Nats Are (Almost) For Real

With so much talent at the top of their farm, a team can only be a laughing stock for so long. By the end of the year, Stephen Strasburg should be ready to take over as the ace of one of the most talented young staffs in baseball, and the Nationals' talent pool doesn't start and end with pitching, either. Add the riches of another good draft to the roster (Bryce Harper, anyone?) and the Nationals could have a young superstar at almost every position on the diamond by the middle of the decade. This is a team that should be moving up in the standings, and soon.   More...

Florida Marlins: Top 2010 Prospects

How to Win Baseball Games Without Spending Money

No franchise was more efficient, in terms of wins per dollar, than the Florida Marlins of the 2000's. The team's management has always been singularly dedicated to maximizing the value of their young players, and this obsession has ensured the Marlins have one of the best talent pipelines in baseball. When a player gets too expensive to keep, no worries: there are two or three others in the minor leagues just itching for a promotion, anyway. The Florida farm of 2010 is stacked in power bats, but there are more than a couple of gifted arms down there, too, which means the team we'll soon be calling Miami won't be hurting for talent anytime soon.   More...

Philadelphia Phillies: Top 2010 Prospects

The NL's Craftiest Franchise Has Many, Many Secret Weapons

The Phillies might be the best-trading franchise in the National League today (for AL honors, marvel at the shiny-headed wizardry being practiced in Seattle). Not only did the defending NL champs manage to pick up ace Cliff Lee in 2009 without giving up any of their best minor leaguers, they turned around in the offseason and did it again by turning Lee into the even-better Roy Halladay... all while keeping their best prospects again. They even received a couple of extra prospects in the bargain, leaving their future in excellent shape while upgrading today's roster.   More...

Atlanta Braves: Top 2010 Prospects

All the Pitching You Know and Love, with Something New: Hitters

The Braves have always had a knack for developing pitching (and for trading away the less-promising prospects for good value), but the most exciting thing about the Atlanta farm might be the bats. It's been awhile since the days of home-grown Chipper and Andruw, but in addition to the usual roster of hot arms, the Braves might have a handful of franchise bats blossoming in Mississippi, Myrtle Beach, Rome and Danville this season.   More...

New York Mets: Top 2010 Prospects

Meet the Mets Farm, Otherwise Known as Midseason Injury Replacements

Another big-spending team that doesn't seem to take their farm system very seriously, the New York Mets seem content to use the minor leagues as a source of backups and bench bodies. There are a few exceptions, of course: the team has a possible catcher and first baseman of the future stretching out for duty, and the team's dedication to Latin America is bound to pay off now and again. The next test of the latter effort will be how quickly Dominican phenom Jennry Mejia advances through the system.   More...

Baseball America Releases 'BA Top 100 Prospects for 2010'

New Data for Scouting Book, and a Deeper Look at Why Rankings Disagree

Baseball America, granddaddy of all ranking systems, has released its new Top 100 Prospects for 2010 list, and as usual, we've added this data to our individual player, list, and grid displays today, so you can compare, contrast and get a much broader sense of opinion than any one list could ever deliver.   More...

Toronto Blue Jays: Top 2010 Prospects

Regroup, Rethink, Retool: The Blue Jays Rebuild

When you need to move a player, and the whole league knows you need to move him, that's what's called a weak bargaining position. But the Blue Jays found a way to make lemonade from their sour situation in winter 2009 when they managed to recoup a passel of quality prospects to replace franchise ace Roy Halladay. It took a couple of player flips, throw-ins and side-deals, but when the dust had settled, Toronto was able to add pitchers Brandon Morrow and Kyle Drabek, along with slugger Brett Wallace and catcher Travis D'Arnaud, and that's one heck of a consolation package. If nothing else, it sure makes Toronto's minor league system look a lot more talent-rich than it did back in October.   More...

Minnesota Twins: Top 2010 Prospects

Target: Perpetual Playoff Contenders

The small-market Twins were one of the big winners in the 2009 offseason when they signed super-prospect Miguel Angel Sano from the Dominican Republic for a record $3.15M. Adding Sano to their already top-notch farm system is like putting frosting on an ice-cream cake: this is one of the richest farm systems in baseball, and as the Twins settle into their new ballpark for 2010, their fans are looking forward to a great decade of baseball.   More...

Tampa Bay Rays: Top 2010 Prospects

They Just Keep Coming: Tampa's Prospect Factory Keeps Producing

The Tampa Bay Rays have had one of baseball's best farm systems almost since their inception, and the 2010 edition is no different. A collection of red-hot arms is complemented by some very well-rounded everyday players, which means the already-young Tampa Bay MLB roster could get even younger in the next couple of years. And if the team continues to draft and trade with such sharp eyes and business acumen, the team should be in great shape for many more years to come.   More...

Milwaukee Brewers: Top 2010 Prospects

As Usual, the Brewers Have More Talent on Tap

One of the NL's best farm systems over the last decade, the Milwaukee talent machine shows no indications of slowing down anytime soon. Even when they empty it to bring in big stars like CC Sabathia in trade, they seem to reload almost instantly. Today's Brewer farm is as deep as always, especially in hitting prowess.    More...

Twins Get a (Bigger) Book

Twinkie Blood Bleeds through Pages of Prospect Guide

The Minnesota Twins franchise, once threatened with contraction, has become a shining beacon of hope for 'small market' teams, as they've proven over and over again that spending effort early works better than spending money late. The Twins boast a star-studded lineup that's built almost entirely from their own farm system, and when they can't find a position internally, they'll deftly pluck the best prospects from someone else's farm system. Once a perennial doormat, the team has risen to become a contender every season.    More...

St Louis Cardinals: Top 2010 Prospects

A Pitching-Rich System is Bad News for the Rest of the League

Pitching, pitching and more pitching. That's been the recipe the Cardinals have followed for the last decade, and it shows in the team's farm system. While there are some promising hitters in the system, it's the pitching that deserves the most attention. At least a few of these names will be nestled to Dave Duncan's breast in the years to come, and in the weak NL Central, they stand a good chance of finding success early.   More...

Chicago Cubs: Top 2010 Prospects

Cubs Faithful May Have a Few Prayers Answered Soon

The Cubs have never been a team big on development. For most of the last 20 years, they've been content to spend money to bring in veterans from other clubs instead. But the Chicago farm has some pretty good talent nonetheless, including a confusingly-named future ace, a slick shortstop and at least two pretty big bats.   More...

Houston Astros: Top 2010 Prospects

It Could Be Worse: There Could Be Astroturf

The Houston Method: take every decent prospect you have, trade them away for mediocre veterans, finish in fourth place. Repeat for five or ten years, see what happens. Hey, maybe you'll get lucky. Truly, after running the farm system into the ground for the last five years, it's almost a miracle that there's any talent at all left in the Astros' minor league network. But there are a few glimmers of gold in that dried-out river bed, and the team is only a couple of good drafts away from restocking completely. That eighth overall pick in 2010 sounds like a good place to start.   More...

Cincinnati Reds: Top 2010 Prospects

The Big Youth Machine Keeps Producing MLB Talent in Cincy

The Reds have consistently turned out quality baseball prospects in the last decade, and have managed to build a cost-controllable team of young talent, largely from their own development system. The next crop looks no less impressive, with a nice mix of big bats and promising arms.    More...

Pittsburgh Pirates: Top 2010 Prospects

A Skinflint Franchise Stumbles Forward

Through drafting and trading, the thrifty Pirates have assembled one of the richer farms in today's MLB. With a nice mix of pitching (Alderson, Lincoln) and hitting (Alvarez, Tabata), the team has done a commendable job of building an affordable future. The team enjoys the second overall draft position in 2010, and though they're unlikely to spend the money necessary to take the best player available (once again), they'll at least have the opportunity to scoop the best value pick (also, once again). It's unclear whether they're building a future in which the team can compete, rather than just a profitable one, but at least they're not standing still.   More...

Cleveland Indians: Top 2010 Prospects

If You Squint, the Outline of a Plan is Almost Visible

When you can no longer afford to keep the best-hitting catcher of the decade, not to mention two different Cy Young winners, you'd better start rethinking your financial plans. That's just what Cleveland's done, and while they might not have received maximum value for those superstars, the team has done a commendable job in at least getting something in return, and that something has made the once-dry Indian farm system a place where prospects can blossom once more. With not one but two legitimate replacements for Victor Martinez, and a half-dozen viable major league starters in waiting, the Indians won't have to suffer through too many losing seasons before they're ready to contend again.    More...

Kansas City Royals: Top 2010 Prospects

Homegrown Pitching is Almost Here

By waiting an extra year, Aaron Crow wound up back in the 2009 Draft, allowing his hometown Kansas City ballclub to select him after all. The big righthander should be a capable number two starter behind ace Zack Greinke by 2011. To complement that tandem, the Royals have a rich pool of hitters and pitchers in their minor league system, making the team a favorite dark horse bet to compete in the weak AL Central in the years to come.   More...

Baltimore Orioles: Top 2010 Prospects

First Washington, now Baltimore? The East's Other Stealth Contender

Don't look now, but that Baltimore Orioles team that used to overspend for has-been veterans has buckled down recently, and they've been building something pretty impressive in their back yard. Slowly, steadily and quietly, the Birds have constructed one of the nastiest collections of young arms in baseball. Add in an offense of 20-something stars (Adam Jones, Felix Pie, Nick Markakis, Matt Weiters) and you have the makings of a franchise that could give the AL East titans a run for their money soon. If you don't believe the O's can line up against Boston and New York, have a look at the talent they've assembled, add another couple of years of seasoning, and think again.   More...

Detroit Tigers: Top 2010 Prospects

Something Old, Something New: The Rebuilt Tigers Farm

Few teams overhauled their young employees more thoroughly than the 2009 Tigers, who sent the very erudite Curtis Granderson to the East Coast while also shipping pitcher Edwin Jackson to Arizona. The Tigers added Daniel Schlereth, Max Scherzer and Austin Jackson in that monster deal: those players make up the richest part of Detroit's young wealth as a result. Home-grown pitchers Jake Turner and Casey Crosby, for their part, seem to be next in line to follow Rick Porcello to the Motor City.   More...

Chicago White Sox: Top 2010 Prospects

Some Promising Youngsters Could Put the Sox Back on Top

Today's White Sox are a lot like yesterday's Orioles: try to compete with proven veterans, and when you have a hole, go out and spend a whole lot of money to fill it. The approach took them to the Series in 2005, but they've fallen flat since as their older players have broken down. The recent injection of home-grown Gordon Beckham is a step in the direction of sustainable success, though, and Tyler Flowers and Dayan Viciedo aren't far behind. Tomorrow's ChiSox should be younger and more resilient than recent models, and that's good news for South Siders.   More...

Colorado Rockies: Top 2010 Prospects

Pitchers, not Sluggers, Dominate the Rockies' Future

The days of the Blake Street Bombers almost seem like ancient history now, as the world's most famous humidor has transformed Colorado's mile-high ballpark into a pitcher's haven, and the Rockies haven't hesitated to take advantage of their new park factor. The Colorado farm system is positively stacked with pitching prospects, including three different lefthanders who could all find a place on the major league roster before 2012. This is a team that's taking its new approach to baseball very, very seriously.   More...

San Diego Padres: Top 2010 Prospects

A Farm in Disrepair Needs More than Rain

It might not have the biggest star power, but the Padres' farm system is certainly deep, with dozens of prospects who could fill major league rosters in the years to come. There are only a couple of possible All Stars here, but there's one benefit to a bottom-of-standings finish: the team will enjoy some very high draft picks in the next couple of years.    More...

San Francisco Giants: Top 2010 Prospects

The Giant Farm Lives Up to The Name

Quietly, the team by the Bay has built a minor league dynasty, with a plethora of near-ready talent at almost every position. The system that drafted Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum never stopped looking for more talent, and in the last few years, San Francisco has added a number of hitting prospects to the stable as well.   More...

Arizona Diamondbacks: Top 2010 Prospects

A Few Diamonds Shine in the Desert

It's a little top-heavy, with only a couple of sure-thing major leaguers, but Arizona's never been afraid to shake things up, which means the Diamondback farm of today will probably look a lot different come 2011, anyway.   More...

L.A. Dodgers: Top 2010 Prospects

The Team is Loaded with Local Talent, with More Ammo on the Way

The Dodger farm system has grown thin in recent years, but that's what happens when your entire MLB lineup is made up of your recent minor leaguers. The Dodgers have always done a great job maximizing the usefulness of their prospects: anyone without a future in L.A. will be traded in a deal that improves the team some other way. This year looks no different, as the best prospects on the farm just happen to play positions that the big league team will soon be looking for.   More...

Los Angeles Angels: Top 2010 Prospects

Is a Home-Grown Outfield the Final Piece of the Puzzle?

Some analysts look at the Los Angeles Angels and see a team in decline: a franchise with an aging core, a dry farm, and a manager who can't possibly keep defying the Pythagorean gods indefinitely. We're not quite as panicky as all that here at Scouting Book. Sure, it's easy to fret about the talent exodus Anaheim's suffered since 2008, but it should also be impossible to ignore the talent that remains in the minor leagues. In Conger, Trout, Bourjos and Grichuk, the Angels have future bats aplenty to add to one of baseball's best young infields, and whlle Walden, Reckling and Skaggs might sound like trio of old-timey blacksmiths, it's actually the next wave of potent Angels pitching.

There might be a few bumps and bruises for Angels fans in the next couple of years, but the future remains as blue as a Montana sky.   More...

ESPN Unveils Their Own Top 100 Prospects

ESPN Hates Aumont, Loves Chisenhall... and 99 More

ESPN's third annual look at their top 100 prospects for 2010 is topped by some familiar names, as ex-Blue Jay front office man Keith Law runs down his favorite youngsters.    More...

MLB.com Boosts Top 50 Prospects for 2010

Usual Suspects, Now with Video

MLB.com revealed its Top 50 Prospects for 2010 in a special half-hour MLB Network broadcast tonight. The list contains all the usual info on the usual suspects, supplemented with brief video blurbs and other big-budget shininess. What kind of list is it?   More...

Texas Rangers: Top 2010 Prospects

Desert Flamethrowers Lead Resurgent Rangers

The reengineering of Nolan Ryan's Rangers has been a sight to behold. Arlington's team has assembled some of the best pitching prospects in the whole sport, added in some truly monster young bats via the draft and international scouting, and done it without weakening the major league team. While the pieces are still a couple of years from meshing completely, it's already obvious that the Rangers will be challenging for more than a few AL West titles in the decade to come.   More...

Seattle Mariners: Top 2010 Prospects

The Emerald City is Sparkling With a Golden Future

Thanks to some clever wheeling and dealing by new GM Jack Zduriencik, the Seattle Mariners team that surprised for half a season last year are looking well-stocked to compete for a lot longer than that. With a selection of top-flight prospects and a lot of organizational depth in the pipeline, fans in MLB's rainiest city have sunny skies ahead.   More...

Baseball's Best Prospects, 2010 Edition

Prospect Machine Creaks to Life, Opens Up One Evil Eye

It might not feel like it in the depths of January, but it's only six weeks until pitchers and catchers start reporting and Major League Spring Training begins. Long before then, you'll probably want to wrap your head around all the new talent bursting on major league rosters, and what better place to keep track of the hottest of the hot than ScoutingBook.com?   More...

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