Baseball's Top Prospects for 2010
Remember: This list evolves and changes daily.
OF, LAA
Drafted and signed right along with fellow Angel outfield prospect Mike Trout, Randall Grichuk is a slightly different kind of player, one probably better suited to a higher-power corner outfield spot than the athletic Trout. He's also a bit further away developmentally, but there's no reason to think that Grichuk, along with Trout and speedster Peter Bourjos, won't soon form one of the most talented young outfields in the majors.
More Scouting Book Info on Randal Grichuk >
241
LHP, KC
The next phenom, or another phizzle from the KC draft department? One thing is for sure, the very talented Daniel Duffy certainly gets people's attention when he takes the mound.
More Scouting Book Info on Danny Duffy >
242
RHP, TB
Barnese's fastball is a lively 92mph offering, and he mixes in a late-breaking slurve that's almost (but not quite) a hammer curve. Like most young pitchers, his changeup isn't really ready for the bright lights yet, but his confidence, poise and aggressive intelligence make it seem like only a matter of time before he's ready to toe the rubber in Tampa. He pitched the 2009 season at Bowling Green alongside fellow top Rays prospect Matt Moore, and while he couldn't match the lefty's gaudy strikeout numbers, he actually delivered a better season overall, with a 2.53 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP testifying to his unshakeable command.
More Scouting Book Info on Nick Barnese >
243
3B, TB
Acquired from the infield-deep Angels in the Scott Kazmir trade of 2009, left-handed slugger Matt Sweeney has a pretty good looking future ahead of him in Tampa, thanks to the organization's need for corner power. While coming back from a season-ending injury last year, Sweeney still produced at a .289/.377/.475 clip, half of it with the Angels' high-A team at Rancho Cucamonga, and half with Tampa's similarly-leveled team in Charlotte. Sweeney hit 9 homers in 230 at bats, but more power will come around soon enough.
More Scouting Book Info on Matt Sweeney >
244
SS, ARZ
A slight shortstop with plus instincts, Arizona prospect Chris Owings could see a move to second base in the near future. Signed out of high school in South Carolina after being selected 41st overall in the 2009 draft, Owings is a gap-to-gap hitter with a bit of pop. He's solid defensively, and shows above average speed on the bases.
More Scouting Book Info on Chris Owings >
245
OF, STL
A powerful third baseman when he was drafted out of college, Craig showed a plus bat with solid corner power at each stop in his career. Questions about his ability to stick at third base (a move to first isn't exactly an option in St. Louis) led the Cardinals to recast him as an outfielder, at least temporarily, but he did make Brett Wallace expendable, which shows you how much the team's brass thinks of his bat If the infield experiment is truly shut down for good, he might still have a chance to crack right field in St. Louis, but he'd have an even better chance on another roster somewhere. Either way, he's a year or two away from making an impact, and his defense will let us know when he's ready to make the leap.
More Scouting Book Info on Allen Craig >
246
LHP, NYY
With a nickname that sounds like something out of Radical Feminist Manifesto, Manny Banuelos is a young and tiny lefthander signed out of Mexico who's already being heralded as a shining success story for the Yankee's international scouting team. Man-Ban's fastball is an easy 92mph, while his changeup already looks like a plus pitch, remarkable in such a young player. He's been working on adding a curve and/or slider to his mix, but even his existing two-pitch arsenal has been effective so far: as an 18 year old in the Sally League in 2009, Buenolos more than held his own, going 9-5 with a 2.67 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP, not to mention 104 strikeouts in 108 innings of work. He'll be brought along slowly, as the ever-conservative Yankees have no need to rush him, but if his next year is as good as his last, he'll have to be considered one of the top young arms in the minor leagues.
More Scouting Book Info on Manny Banuelos >
247
C , MLW
A compact, powerful catcher with an explosive short swing, Brewer prospect Angel Salome could be the team's long-term answer behind the plate if he can sharpen his game-calling skills. He's already adept at blocking the plate and has a very strong throwing arm, and his bat keeps working at every level he touches. Most recently, he posted a .286/.334/.413 line in 82 games for AAA Nashville. Jon Lucroy is probably still the long-term answer, but thanks to his advanced skills, there's not much keeping Salome from putting on a Brewer-blue chest protector right now.
More Scouting Book Info on Angel Salome >
248
SS, PIT
A quality shortstop prospect in a weak Pittsburgh system, California native Chase D'Arnaud hit .295/.402/.481 at high-A Lynchburg in 2009, contributing 14 steals and 4 dingers in 54 games as a Hillcat. Despite that performance, there are still questions about his plate discipline and batting eye that he'll need to address in order to make the leap to the next level of play.
More Scouting Book Info on Chase D'Arnaud >
249
OF, PHI
A big, strong Stanford graduate, John Mayberry Jr is the son of ex-Royal/Blue Jay John Mayberry Sr. He came to the Phillies in Nov 2008 when they traded away former #1 prospect Greg Golson to the Rangers.
More Scouting Book Info on John Mayberry >
250
241. Randal Grichuk
242. Danny Duffy
243. Nick Barnese
245. Chris Owings
246. Allen Craig
247. Manny Banuelos
248. Angel Salome
249. Chase D'Arnaud
250. John Mayberry
241 to 250 of 484
