Baseball's Top Prospects for 2010
Remember: This list evolves and changes daily.
RHP, PIT
Thanks to their thrifty nature, the Pittsburgh farm can be a confusing maze of not quite tip-top (but still useful) prospects. Every year they put half a dozen starters on the prospect lists, and every year some of them work out, while some of them don't. Here's one of the latest entries, righthander Brad Lincoln, complete with his 4:1 minor league K to BB ratio. He's performed well at every minor league stop, which means the rest of the world should get a look-see at what he can really do sometime in 2010. It's possible he could even break camp in the major league rotation.
More Scouting Book Info on Brad Lincoln >
181
2B, DET
Since the Tigers emptied the farm for Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis in the winter of 2007, Scott Sizemore has risen to be one of the team's top remaining prospects.
More Scouting Book Info on Scott Sizemore >
182
SS, NYM
A successful shortstop in college whose range is a bit of a question in pro ball, South Carolina graduate David (Reese) Havens could make a heck of a second baseman for a future Mets infield that already includes two All Stars and the player picked just before him in the 2008 Draft, first baseman Ike Davis.
More Scouting Book Info on Reese Havens >
183
OF, CLE
A smart, savvy hitter with strong arms and developing power, Weglarz uses very fast hands to work the bat through the zone quickly, with line-drive power to all fields. Despite his massive build, his swing lacks the loft of a true power-hitter, though that may come soon as he continues to fill out: In 2009 he produced 16 homers in 339 at-bats for AA Akron. A first-baseman in high school, the Indians have been using him in left field, though that experiment may soon end: his glove and arm are not better than average. While he continues to work on his power swing, his advanced plate discipline (78 strikeouts, 75 walks) indicates he's a Future Youkilis Junior Achiever just waiting to happen in Cleveland.
More Scouting Book Info on Nick Weglarz >
184
C, NYM
A squat, strong catcher who looks like a long-term asset in New York, Josh Thole is on the cusp of major league regulardom. He hit .328/.395/.422 at AA Birmingham in 2009, and showed he could handle major league pitching during his September callup. While his power hasn't developed (yet), he's still very young for a catcher, so it could come soon enough. Thole already shows advanced hitting for average, with decent pop from gap to gap. Behind the plate, he's reliable enough that the Mets have to be thinking about handing him the job to open 2010.
More Scouting Book Info on Josh Thole >
185
RHP, TEX
A sleeper candidate who could zoom up the list at any time, Texas righthander Wilmer Font is yet another righthander in a potent Texas system. The big Venezuelan missed most of 2008 while nursing knee and shoulder problems, but neither proved serious and Font bounced back to an 8-3, 3.49 ERA season as a 19-year old at Sally League (A) Hickory. A broad-shouldered (and big-waisted) pitcher who can touch 96mph with his fastball, Font struck out 105 but walked 59, so his control isn't quite ready for the higher leagues just yet. Font mixes in a changeup that could be a plus pitch one day along with a so-so curve. While he could be a surprise bullpen arm soon, his real calling is as a Ranger starter somewhere in 2012 or 2013.
More Scouting Book Info on Wilmer Font >
186
3B, CIN
A powerful, compact switch hitter signed from the Dominican Republic back in 2006, Juan Francisco was the Reds' Minor League Hitter of the Year for 2008. The 21-year old Francisco hit 23 HR and 92 RBI while hitting .277 in 127 games at A-level Sarasota. Francisco has plus power and plus speed, but needs to learn the skills to go with those blessings: he strikes out far too much, and gets caught on the basepaths far too often. He looked good but raw in a September 2009 cup of coffee, so given another year or so, he could be a regular fixture in the Cincinnati lineup.
More Scouting Book Info on Juan Francisco >
187
LHP, DET
The Tigers second round pick in 2009, lefty Andy Oliver fits the pattern of big, intimidating power pitchers so loved by the Detroit brass. In his three years at OSU, he went 18-9 with a 4.02 ERA, striking out 235 hitters while walking 96. Oliver works with a 96mph fastball that blows away lesser hitters, with an above-average change to keep them honest. His breaking pitches aren't quite ready for prime time yet.
More Scouting Book Info on Andy Oliver >
188
C, OAK
A tough, throwback-style catcher, Oakland prospect Max Stassi is one of the best defensive backstops in the minor leagues, with plus catch-and-throw skill and a work ethic that's helped him rise to the top of the prospect class. At the plate he's no slouch, either: his short, quick batting stroke gives him line-drive power to all fields, and his build and core strength are enough to help him reach the bleachers once and awhile, too. With a great knack for game calling and the leadership style to hold a team together, he's got all the makings of a major league captain... and probably a manager someday after that.
More Scouting Book Info on Max Stassi >
189
RHP, NYM
A powerful righthander who slipped to the Mets in the supplemental first round of the 2008 draft, Brad Holt brings a big fastball from a big frame. A college pitcher whose shown good composure, he could factor into the shallow Mets rotation as early as 2010.
More Scouting Book Info on Bradley Holt >
190
181. Brad Lincoln
182. Scott Sizemore
183. Reese Havens
184. Nick Weglarz
186. Wilmer Font
187. Juan Francisco
189. Max Stassi
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