Baseball's Top Prospects for 2010
Remember: This list evolves and changes daily.
RHP, TEX
A two-way player and 2004 Little League star who some prefer as an infielder, righthander Jurickson Profar was signed as an international free agent in 2009. Blessed with a 94mph heater and a slider that could mature into a real plus pitch, the teenager is an ideal late reliever right now, but could go in any direction in the years to come. If he moves to the field, he has the hands and arm strength to work at shortstop, though his hitting ability isn't looking quite as promising just yet. A deep talent in the Rangers system, Jurickson is one to watch in the years to come.
More Scouting Book Info on Jurickson Profar >
221
C, STL
A converted pitcher, Robert Stock is getting a chance behind the plate for the Cardinals in order to mainstream his plus batting eye and lefthanded power bat, so that's how we'll treat him for now.
More Scouting Book Info on Robert Stock >
222
LHP, SD
Pick number 63 in the 2007 Draft, Cory Luebke went 11-4 with a 2.78 ERA and a shimmering 1.10 WHIP at two levels of play in 2009. His 112-32 strikeout to walk ratio is another number worth some yellow highlighter. A tall, lanky pitcher who lives in the low 90s with great two-seam movement, he leans on a reasonable change and a real plus slider as his strikeout pitch. He also shows off one of the best pickoff moves to first base seen in the minors since the days Andy Pettitte pitched at Columbus. He lacks some of the explosive upside of other Padre starters, but his mix of quality pitches and overall polish probably put him closer to the Bigs. He'll open 2010 in AA ball but could see at least a look-see start in San Diego before the end of the year.
More Scouting Book Info on Cory Luebke >
223
SS, SEA
A big, strong middle infielder with soft hands and an offensive mindset, Gabriel Noriega came to Seattle by way of his native Venezuela and childhood Mexico. In his first taste of pro ball, he slashed .311/.360/.456 in 206 Rookie League at-bats. Scouts have been impressed by his exceptional hand-eye coordination, and most expect him to hit for a high average even if he never develops real power. His defensive chops have already arrived, though, and his combination of soft hands, quick feet and a strong arm suggest that he can stick at shortstop. He'll need to learn to take a walk sooner or later, but once he sees a few more years of pro pitching, he'll be ready to make in impact in the bigs.
More Scouting Book Info on Gabriel Noriega >
224
RHP, CLE
Where does Tampa find these kids? Over a statistically significant 500 innings pitched, Talbot's strikeout ratio is over 4, his WHIP is under 1.3, and his potential to break into a major league rotation is very very high, especially for such a young pitcher. His recent trade to Cleveland only accelerates his likely arrival, though the less-magical coaching and development staff could hinder his potential.
More Scouting Book Info on Mitch Talbot >
225
C, ATL
Signed as a sixteen year old out of Panama back in 2008, catcher Christian Bethencourt is a toolsy ballplayer dripping with all-around talent. Competing with much older players in 2009, the 17-year old posted an OPS of .819 at Rookie Level Danville, showing flashes of power and above-average speed to complement his advanced bat control skills. Since he's a catcher with the entire universe of game calling and defense to master, he's many years away, but he's such a shining star that he's a near-lock to rise through the prospect ranks every year for the next four or five before taking over in Atlanta. He's just that talented.
More Scouting Book Info on Christian Bethancourt >
226
SS, TOR
The Red Sox's Cuban shortstop prospect Jose Iglesias gets a lot of ink, but 2009 defectee Hechevarria (pronounced and sometimes spelled Echevarria) is probably the superior player. In MLB terms, Hechevarria is an 'offensive-minded' shortstop in the Cal Ripken mode: a high-average hitter with above-average power. At the plate, his spray chart looks a little more like Ichiro Suzuki: he has a knack for finding infield holes and hitting behind runners. He'll command a high signing bonus and start in the minor leagues, with 2012 or 2013 looking like a possible MLB arrival date.
More Scouting Book Info on Adeiny Hechevarria >
227
RHP, NYM
The seventh overall pick in the 2010 draft, Matt Harvey is a tall righthander from Mystic, Connecticut who pitched his college ball at UNC, where a few tweaks to his high-school delivery paid off with extra cheese on his fastball. He can dial that smooth, easy heat up to 98mph and has a propensity for throwing ground balls. His command is spotty, but nothing out of the norm for such a young, high-upside arm. He should move quickly through a pitching-poor Mets system.
More Scouting Book Info on Matt Harvey >
228
2B, OAK
Baseball America's High School Player of the Year for 2006 is still a bit raw, but his development has been very strong. As a 20 year old in 2008, Cardenas blew through three levels of the minors, hitting .278, .308, .279 in Stockton, Clearwater and Midland. He's hitting an even .300 across his two full minor league seasons, and has maintained great discipline with a career 108 walks against only 174 strikeouts.
More Scouting Book Info on Adrian Cardenas >
229
RHP, Japan
He's six foot five with a 94mph fastball and he's... Japanese? Well, half-Japanese, at least. Darvish, the Japanese/Iranian wunderkind who's half baseball star and half sex symbol, is Japan's best young pitcher. Playing for the Nippon Ham Fighters, Darvish posted a 1.82 ERA over 26 starts while striking out 210. Again, that's 210 strikeouts in only twenty-six starts. at least as high as Daisuke Matsuzaka's, it's more than possible that the financially-strapped Carp will consider how much they could improve their team with, oh, an extra $100 million dollars or so. Despite the flirtatious comments he's made to the media about moving to America, he's committed to Japan for the next couple of years. But he remains a very big question mark for 2012, 2013, 2014...
More Scouting Book Info on Yu Darvish >
230
221. Jurickson Profar
222. Robert Stock
223. Cory Luebke
224. Gabriel Noriega
225. Mitch Talbot
226. Christian Bethancourt
227. Adeiny Hechevarria
228. Matt Harvey
229. Adrian Cardenas
230. Yu Darvish
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