Baseball's Top Prospects for 2010
Remember: This list evolves and changes daily.
RHP, WAS
One of the best college pitchers of any class in memory, righthander Stephen Strasburg mixes a high-90's (and low-100's) fastball with a highly-effective slider/curve for a devastating 1-2 punch. He wasn't a strikeout pitcher early in his college career, instead focusing on pitching to contact, but his K rate has been rising steadily since 2007. A few experts are concerned about his delivery, but it's important to take that with a big grain of salt: there was also a choir united about Mark Prior's 'perfect' mechanics, once, too.
More Scouting Book Info on Stephen Strasburg >
1
OF, ATL
Atlanta fans should finally be able to 'Say Heyward' this year, as their prize prospect looks as close to ready as a player can be for big-league baseball. A real treasure for the Braves as 2007's 14th overall pick, the left-handed Heyward has been lauded for his developing plate discipline and 30-homer power potential for a couple of years now.
More Scouting Book Info on Jason Heyward >
2
OF, FLA
A high-school outfielder drafted 76th overall in 2007, Stanton went on to destroy high A Jupiter in 2009, raking at a .294/.390/.578 clip while adding 12 home runs in 50 games. His average suffered a bit after a promotion to AA Jacksonville, but his power remained (16 more home runs and a .455 slugging average.) A talented overall player with the tools to fit in at almost any position, he's being worked in right field at present, but could be moved almost anywhere else in the future. His plus power from the right side is aided by studious preparation and discipline beyond his young age. In the field, he has a plus arm, great range and a winning attitude. A rising star in Florida, don't be surprised to see him patrolling center or right for the Marlins as soon as late 2010.
More Scouting Book Info on Mike Stanton >
3
RHP, TEX
An eighteen year old Dominican whose fastball has been clocked at 98mph, Feliz was a sleeper deep in the Atlanta system, scooped by Texas as part of the prospect package that sent Mark Teixeira to the Braves. He's still raw, but when he's wild he's effectively wild.
More Scouting Book Info on Neftali Feliz >
4
OF, TB
'Carl Crawford with better plate discipline.' That's what some scouts are saying about Tampa's top outfield prospect, who should arrive in MLB in 2010.
More Scouting Book Info on Desmond Jennings >
5
C, SF
Not much power but a team leader with a lot of batting smarts. That's the book on Gerald 'Buster' Posey. He's got baseball grit and hustle out the yin-yang, though, so in a draft class that was rich with good catchers, he was both the first off the board and one of the most likely to see early MLB action.
More Scouting Book Info on Buster Posey >
6
LHP, BAL
One of the best left-handers available in the 2008 draft, Matusz is an experienced and clever strongman with four quality pitches. His fastball isn't overpowering, though, and his numbers showed some decline last season, so he won't be having a big impact on Baltimore's rotation anytime soon. It'll be fun watching his use his guile along with his stuff to go after better pro hitters, though. As a polished college candidate, his secondary pitches are very advanced for a prospect, and he should be one of the next Baltimore pitchers to break into MLB, probably this season.
More Scouting Book Info on Brian Matusz >
7
LHP, TEX
An undrafted free agent signing from Venezuela, teenage lefty Martin Perez might be one of the Rangers' best-kept secrets. He's not close to MLB yet, but Perez is already a shining star worth following. Making 15 short starts (only 62 innings) at Rookie-level Spokane, Martin went 1-2 with a 3.65 ERA and a 53:28 ratio of strikeouts to walks. The skinny 17 year old, who's breaking down doors with a plus 92mph fastball and a polished curve, turns into a wiry 18 year old this spring, and he should graduate from dazzling rookie league hitters to stumping A-ball hitters in Hickory. He's someone to keep a special eye on over the next few years.
More Scouting Book Info on Martin Perez >
8
OF, SEA
A scout's wet dream, Dustin Ackley was one of the best college hitters of the 2009 class, if not the absolute best available bat. After destroying ACC pitching as a freshman, he was taken second overall by the Seattle Mariners. While his speed and toolset might bump him up to the outfield, he's also competent at third as well as first base, a position he played in college while recovering from surgery for a full season, and the Mariners have recently experimented with playing him at second base in order to balance out their outfield-heavy farm. His defense won't make much difference, though, as it's his combination of plus contact and patience that's worth drooling about. He could replace Ichiro as Seattle's on-base machine in a few years.
More Scouting Book Info on Dustin Ackley >
9
1B, TEX
Smoak is part of a big class of mashing corner infielders (along with Alonso, LaPorta and Alvarez) pushing to break into the majors in the next year or two.
More Scouting Book Info on Justin Smoak >
10
3B, PIT
A left-handed power hitting third baseman, Alvarez has a very very high ceiling and is almost big-league ready. He could be a big part of a devastating future Pittsburgh lineup. He's now fully-recovered from a hamate bone he broke in 2007; all reports are positive.
More Scouting Book Info on Pedro Alvarez >
11
SS, MLW
The Brewer's top everyday prospect, shortstop Alcides Escobar shows plus speed and range, and has demonstrated a very strong throwing arm. His bat has always been iffy, but that's been improving, and he looks to have a future as a leadoff with plus speed. With JJ Hardy out of the way, in fact, it looks like he'll have to stumble hard in order to miss the 2010 everyday roster.
More Scouting Book Info on Alcides Escobar >
12
LHP, SF
Such a name. Such a talent. A tall, strong lefthander, Bumgarner is the Giant pitcher most ready to follow Cain and Lincecum to glory by the Bay.
More Scouting Book Info on Madison Bumgarner >
13
C, NYY
The Yankees are committed to Jorge Posada for another couple of years, but after that they're hoping that a fast-growing rookie can take over their young pitching staff... assuming he doesn't outgrow the position altogether. Universally regarded as the best available international free agent, Jesus Montero was signed in the summer of 2006, instantly becoming New York's best catching prospect. While some want to see him move to first base or a corner outfield spot, the Yankees are so far committed to continuing his development as a catcher and are continuing to develop his receiving and game-calling ability with that in mind.
More Scouting Book Info on Jesus Montero >
14
RHP, BOS
Boston decided to push their phenom reliever hard last year, promoting him all the way to AA in his second pro season. Bard responded to the higher level play by striking out 64 hitters in 49 innings. His K/9 across the year was twelve and a half.
More Scouting Book Info on Daniel Bard >
15
OF, MIN
A legitimate 5-tool prospect who the Twins should have the patience to develop, this is an Adam Jones / Carlos Gomez type prospect who's just a year or two behind that curve. Still very young, he needs seasoning, as his skills haven't yet caught up to his raw ability. Of course, the great Twins development machinery should take care of that, and we know they're not afraid to play the youngsters. While he's not a household name just yet, he could very well be making headlines as the new hot thing in Minnesota come 2010 or 2011, and he could be the best player on the Twins roster (yes, we mean that) by 2012.
More Scouting Book Info on Aaron Hicks >
16
RHP, TB
Jacob McGee's old rotation partner in the Midwest League, righthander Wade Davis might end up the more successful MLB player. And since Tampa runs its team on young pitchers, good luck and gasoline fumes, he's bound to get a shot sometime in 2010, though probably only in a limited way. We like him as a starter, but some may prefer the fastball in the pen, especially after how effective David Price was in a limited relief role last year before 'graduating' to the rotation the following season. Right now, Davis might have the highest upside of any pitcher not named Strasburg.
More Scouting Book Info on Wade Davis >
17
C, CLE
When he was shipped to Cleveland as a piece in the Casey Blake trade of 2008, catcher Carlos Santana immediately became the Indians' top catching prospect, and the heir apparent to the Victor Martinez / Kelly Shoppach tandem. Well-regarded as a catch-and-throw man in the Dodger system, he busted out offensively last year, hitting .330 in a season split between the Dodgers' and Indians' high-A teams, and swatting 20 home runs in the process. The switch-hitting catcher with the musical name will open 2010 back in AA, where he'll likely be asked to keep sharpening his receiving and game-calling skills before he gets a shot at the Jake. He might get a late-season look in 2010 as a fill-in DH, though.
More Scouting Book Info on Carlos Santana >
18
RHP, TB
He was overshadowed by the more polished David Price in Tampa's minor league system, but the Rays' second best pitching prospect would be a clear number one in most organizations. A power righthander with three-pitch command from a deceptive 3/4 delivery, he has been a strikeout pitcher at all stops, most recently racking up 162 of them in 148 innings last year. A real sleeper in deep leagues, Hellickson is the sort of pitcher who can set a league on fire, especially his first time through. His workload last year is a bit of a worry, however, as it was more than double his previous best effort. If Tampa can show patience with Hellickson, he could be a top-flight pitcher, but the risk of a setback is high in a system famous for pushing its young arms very hard.
More Scouting Book Info on Jeremy Hellickson >
19
3B, TOR
One of the most-traded young bats in the minors, Brett Wallace is a power hitter who's already been the third baseman of the future for the Cardinals and Athletics. Now he's a Blue Jay, and one good thing about that is that he's likely to get a shot sooner in Toronto. A nominal third baseman with slow feet, most scouts seem to think he'll need to be moved to first base sooner rather than later, but the A's certainly wouldn't mind a slugger at that corner, either. Some saw Wallace's bat better than any other hitter in the 2008 draft. The way he sliced through the Midwest and Texas leagues last year, he won't be idling in the minors much longer. With little left in his way, his big lumber should be an everyday fixture in Toronto before the end of 2010.
More Scouting Book Info on Brett Wallace >
20
1. Stephen Strasburg
2. Jason Heyward
3. Mike Stanton
4. Neftali Feliz
5. Desmond Jennings
6. Buster Posey
7. Brian Matusz
9. Dustin Ackley
11. Pedro Alvarez
12. Alcides Escobar
14. Jesus Montero
15. Daniel Bard
16. Aaron Hicks
18. Carlos Santana
20. Brett Wallace
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