Baseball's Top Prospects for 2010
Remember: This list evolves and changes daily.
RHP, ATL
A fireplug righty in the Jon Broxton fashion, Kimbrel is the Braves' number one closer prospect. His heavy fastball touches 96, and when he mixes in his plus slider, he's near-unhittable. Kimbrel zipped through four levels of minor league ball in 2009, racking up 18 saves in 19 opportunities and striking out 103 in only 60 innings on his way to winning the Braves Minor League Pitcher of the Year award. Expect him to pay a visit to the Braves bullpen in 2010, with an eye on taking over the closing job in 2011 or 2012.
More Scouting Book Info on Craig Kimbrel >
151
SS, KC
A textbook shortstop from Puerto Rico, Christian Colon is a plus contact hitter with good speed, excellent baseball instincts and soft hands. He won't hit 40 home runs in any league any time soon, but CC should be a good enough contributor at all other aspects of the game to bless the Royals rosters in the next couple of years.
More Scouting Book Info on Christian Colon >
152
LHP, SD
A late first round pick in 2007 out of the University of San Francisco, Padres lefty Aaron Poreda is a favorite of ours here at Scouting Book. The big, 240-pound hurler boasts one of the best fastballs in the minors (up to 97mph and sinking) with an improving slider that may grow to be his best pitch if he can learn to control it more effectively.
More Scouting Book Info on Aaron Poreda >
153
RHP, TOR
Already blessed with the best fastball in the Blue Jays system, ex-Red Zach Stewart is a compact righthander who's being fast-tracked to future closing duties in Toronto. That is, it looks an awful lot like that's how the Blue Jays want him to arrive. Should they change their minds, Stewart's high heat and nasty, nasty slider could also do some damage in a starting role.
More Scouting Book Info on Zach Stewart >
154
SS, CLE
A mature prospect who will be angling for playing time in Cleveland soon, shortstop Jason Donald is an all-around quality player who's nearly ready for a shot at the Bigs. While he's likely destined for third base, most of his time has been spent at shortstop so far, including three standout college seasons at Arizona.
More Scouting Book Info on Jason Donald >
155
3B, SD
The top third base prospect in the Padres system, James (JD) Darnell hit 20 home runs in 126 games at two A-level stops in 2009, slashing .311/.424/.536 between Fort Wayne and Lake Elsinor. Perhaps more impressively, he struck out only 38 times in 269 plate appearances. A well-rounded hitter who's more than just corner pop, Darnell has doubles speed and good baserunning skills. His fielding is a work in progress for now, and it's possible that his training may be cut short with a move across the diamond to first base in the future, but for now he looks like a good long-term value for the Padres, and his work in AA will continue to focus on fielding drills and defense.
More Scouting Book Info on James Darnell >
156
C, CIN
A switch-hitting Cuban catcher with a powerful right arm, Miami's Yasmani Grandal was the top actual-catcher of the 2010 draft class. While his receiving and game-calling need a lot of work, his bat is already looking like a premium contact weapon, and with his body type, overall athleticism and team-leader personality, he looks likely to remain behind the plate. His power isn't there, but he could grow into that, and with the need for catchers in the Reds system he could move quickly/
More Scouting Book Info on Yasmani Grandal >
157
C, MLW
The Brewer's top catching prospect, Jon Lucroy is a well-rounded player with MLB-level skills on offense and defense. In addition to hitting .267/.380/.418 in his first taste of AA, he also threw out an impossible 40% of would-be base-stealers while posting a .991 fielding percentage.
More Scouting Book Info on Jonathan Lucroy >
158
RHP, PHI
The depleted Phillies farm system has provided an opportunity for a few mid-level prospects who can now break into the top levels. Pitcher Trevor May is one of those who will be getting a lot more attention in the near future. May brings three good pitches to the plate every time out, and he's already had some pretty stunning success at low levels of minor league ball, most recently striking out 95 hitters in only 77 innings of work at A-level Lakewood. May's fastball is a standard 92-94 offering with heavy sink, and his secondary pitches (a hammer curve and a straight change) are almost ready for more advanced hitters. He's a pitcher to watch in 2010, though any big-league effectiveness is still a couple of years away.
More Scouting Book Info on Trevor May >
159
LF , STL
The Cardinals' minor league player of the year in 2008 when he hit .383 across two levels of play, ex-football standout Jones is a rising star in St. Louis. The best speed threat in the system, Jones has begun to turn on his batting eye, raising his average by almost 200 points while learning to be more selective and choose which balls to drive into the gaps.
More Scouting Book Info on Daryl Jones >
160
151. Craig Kimbrel
152. Christian Colon
153. Aaron Poreda
154. Zach Stewart
155. Jason Donald
157. Yasmani Grandal
158. Jonathan Lucroy
159. Trevor May
160. Daryl Jones
151 to 160 of 484
