Baseball's Top Prospects for 2010
Remember: This list evolves and changes daily.
LHP, CIN
Travis Wood is a rising lefty in the Reds system. He won the Southern League's Most Outstanding Pitcher award in 2009 by dominating AA hitters to the tune of a 9-3, 1.21 ERA and a 0.98 WHIP, he was moved up to AAA Louisville to finish the summer. He held his own at the highest level, and looks ready to take a shot at the Reds rotation sometime in 2010.
More Scouting Book Info on Travis Wood >
221
RHP, NYY
Newly a Yankee, look for Sanchez to work in the bullpen, at least initially. Long-term, the big man might be better as an innings-eating starter, as his fastball control and work ethic make him a viable 200 inning guy in short order. Worth a flier, at the very least.
More Scouting Book Info on Humberto Sanchez >
222
3B, CLE
One of the best hitting prospects in the 2007 Amateur Draft, Beau Mills went to the Indians, who conveniently enough have no long-term 3B solution in their system. This means he'll likely be pushed hard to enter the Bigs early, which is great news for impaient fantasy owners.
More Scouting Book Info on Beau Mills >
223
RHP, TEX
Acquired from the Royals at the tail end of the 2009 season, pitcher Danny Gutierrez jumped onto the prospect boards in 2008 as a 96mph monster in the Midwest League. Since then, his curve and change have developed to complement the fastball, and he looks like a promising future starter in MLB. He posted a 1.65 ERA in 27.3 High-A innings in 2009. Gutierrez works with his fastball closer to 94mph most of the time, along with a slow curveball and an impressive low-80's change. His mechanics and release point are sound and fairly consistent, with an easy, repeatable motion that leaves hitters guessing.
More Scouting Book Info on Danny Gutierrez >
224
OF, TB
A mature prospect who recently defected from Cuba, Leslie Anderson (Stephens) is a plus-contact hitter with a high level of patience and discipline that's uncharacteristic of most Latin American exports. In Cuba, he has been experienced at both infield and outfield corners, and he even subbed in at centerfield for the power-laden Cuban National team in 2008. A natural lefthander in the field and at the plate, he projects as an MLB corner with better defense and less power than most, and since he turns 28 in 2010, he doesn't have much room left to develop: his ceiling is probably that of an idealized Kosuke Fukudome.
More Scouting Book Info on Leslie Anderson >
225
RHP, FA
The winner of the 2009 best righthanded pitcher award in the Cuban League, Yuniesky Maya defected the following year, becoming an MLB-qualified free agent at age 27. Yuni is a smart pitcher with a well-rounded repertoire: his 92mph fastball won't blow many away, but the deft way in which he mixes in a shifty two-seamer, a quality change, a solid curve and even a strikeout slider means he doesn't need to break bats: he can miss them instead.
More Scouting Book Info on Yunieksy Maya >
226
OF, TEX
Stolen from the Red Sox when the Rangers shipped Eric Gagne, Beltre is now one of the Rangers' best power prospects, though not one without holes in his game. Beltre is a lithe ballplayer with a strong arm, good speed, and projectable power but only average range, making him a natural corner fielder. At the plate, he has a smooth swing that's still a bit long, which means at higher levels, he becomes vulnerable to tight fastballs or offspeed pitches away: note his drop from .283/.308/.403 at low-A Clinton in 2008 to just .227/.281/.317 at high-A Bakersfield last year. But Beltre is still a potent mix of power and wheels, and he has the right kind of attitude to keep learning and adjusting as he grows. He's still a long way from a finished product, but he remains a nice longshot slugger or deep keeper.
More Scouting Book Info on Engel Beltre >
227
RHP, HOU
A slight Dominican righthander with good pitching sense and one of the nastiest sliders in the system, young Sammy Gervacio is one of the few bright spots in a dark Houston minor league system. With a 3.11 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP across four and a half minor league seasons and the proud owner of a strikeout to walk ratio near four, he earned a shot in the Astro bullpen in 2009. He performed well enough, giving up only five runs in 29 bullpen appearances, to earn consideration for a full-time role in 2010. A lifetime reliever, he has closer potential if the Astros have the guts to let someone with an 88mph fastball into the ninth inning.
More Scouting Book Info on Sammy Gervacio >
228
LHP, SF
A ninth-round pick back in 2007, pitcher Dan Runzler has zipped right up the Giants' prospect chart on the strength of his 97mph buzzer. Starting 2009 in low-A Augusta and making four stops before landing in San Francisco, the lefty reliever's worst ERA came with the giants, when he posted a 1.04 mark in 11 appearances. Used mainly as a LOOGY but capable of multiple-inning work, Runzler is a favorite to land a spot in a depleted 2010 Giants bullpen.
More Scouting Book Info on Dan Runzler >
229
LHP, PHI
Drafted by the Phillies in the first round of the 2007 Draft and signed with a $1.4M gift basket, Savery made 24 starts for high-A Clearwater in 2008. His line wasn't impressive (9-10, 4.13 ERA) but he did strike out 122 in 150 innings. His control was iffy (he walked 60) just as it was during his college career, but his composure and command were good. Assuming he avoids serious injury and refines his control a bit, he could join the pitching-thin Phillies rotation as early as 2010.
More Scouting Book Info on Joe Savery >
230
221. Travis Wood
222. Humberto Sanchez
223. Beau Mills
224. Danny Gutierrez
225. Leslie Anderson
226. Yunieksy Maya
228. Sammy Gervacio
229. Dan Runzler
230. Joe Savery
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