Baseball's Top Prospects for 2010
Remember: This list evolves and changes daily.
LHP, DET
The son of offensive lineman and ESPN commentator Mark Schlereth, Daniel is a power lefty with a strikeout curve who most see as a relief specialist. Acquired by the Tigers during 2009's Winter meetings, he could be converted to starting duty. Either way, he's a young power arm with a bright future.
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121
RHP, ATL
The Yankees top international signee back in 2007, righthander Arodys Vizcaino was one of the team's top prospects when he moved to Atlanta as part of the trade that sent Javier Vazquez back to the Bronx. His fastball hovers in the low 90s, but should get harder as he matures. He complements that with an already-superb curve and a developing change. His development over the next year in Atlanta's pitching labs will determine whether he's starter or bullpen material, but he's already proven he can pitch rather than just throw: in 2009, he posted a 1.16 WHIP and a 2.13 ERA in 42 innings of work at short-season Staten Island.
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122
C, DET
Plucked from the University of Alabama in the fifth round of 2008's Amateur Draft, catcher Alex Avila has been rocketing up the system so quickly that he's likely to open 2010 on the Tigers' 25-man roster, and he'll do so with some MLB experience already under his belt: after hitting .305 and .264 in A and AA ball, he ended 2009 on the Detroit bench, seeing action in 29 games and getting a taste of the big club's pitching staff. He received rave reviews from that staff as well as the Detroit management, which means he's a near-lock to spend most of 2010 in the Bigs. Avila is a contact hitter with a grounded approach to hitting, combining the ability to hit for high average with an occasional jolt of power. He won't be an everyday player for a few more years, but as even as a backup, he stands to be a very valuable roster piece.
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123
RHP, SD
A huge, daunting figure who can touch 99mph with his heater, Padres righthander Simon Castro is one of the most promising pitchers in a system that's focused on developing big strong arms for the next decade. (For another example, see Pelzer, Wynn) As a 21 year old at A-level Fort Wayne in 2009, Castro went 10-6 with a 3.33 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP, but most eye-poppingly, he struck out 157 opponents in only 140 innings of work while walking a meagre 37. His slider is probably his best pitch, and when he's locating the fastball at the same time, he's nearly unhittable. Some scouts see a closer in Castro, but for now the Padres will keep pushing him as a rotation member, and since he's got the frame necessary to carry 200 innings, they're probably wise to do so.
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124
SS, COL
A fast runner from the City of Shortstops (San Pedro de Macoris, DR), Rockies prospect Hector Gomez is gifted with better than average base-stealing ability, and a plus arm that makes him a solid defneder. Gomez remains held back only by his lack of plate discipline. If he can learn to tone down the strikeouts and stop trying to pull every pitch deep, he'll be a solid contributor somewhere down the line. With Tulo anchoring shortstop in Colorado for now, though, Gomez may need to move to 2B... or to another franchise... before he gets a real shot.
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125
OF, COL
An all-around outfielder with no one standout skill, Tim Wheeler was universally regarded as one of the safest 'college hitters' available in the 2009 draft. With plus speed and a good set of instincts for the outfield, he looks like a solid defender, while his high-contact, high-smarts approach to hitting looks like it could fit right into the top of the Rockies order soon enough.
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126
RHP, CLE
An alum of Marlins lefty Andrew Miller and Red Sox fireballer Daniel Bard, Alex White figures to be the next UNC ace to earn an MLB gig. A mid-90's fastball is his workaday pitch, but his slider is a real plus offering, and even his change is well-developed for such a young pitcher.
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127
OF, CHW
The White Sox first round pick out of LSU, outfielder Jared Mitchell is a fully-equipped toolbox on high-performance legs. A plus-plus runner with great instincts on the basepaths, he's also a developing bat with the type of body that could grow into significant power. There's some question about his polish in the outfield, but he'll have a couple of years to develop the skills necessary to patrol the South Side lawn.
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128
3B, STL
A onetime Padre asset, current Cardinal prospect David Freese is a mature infielder with a compelling blend of speed, power and strike-zone discipline. He's not an all-star anything, but he's competent enough at every aspect of the game that he won't hurt you no matter where he plays on the field. A super-utility candidate.
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129
1B, WAS
Marrero was Washington's top pick in the 2006 draft, and rated a perfect 80 on the scouting power scale, which is tremendous in someone so young. He has a knack for missing some breaking balls by a mile, but he's still very young, so give him some time to learn a little discipline. To make up for his lack of speed, the Nats have converted the onetime OF to full time first-base status, which should also let him concentrate on hitting.
More Scouting Book Info on Chris Marrero >
130
121. Daniel Schlereth
122. Arodys Vizcaino
124. Simon Castro
125. Hector Gomez
127. Alex White
128. Jared Mitchell
129. David Freese
130. Chris Marrero
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