Baseball's Top Prospects for 2010
Remember: This list evolves and changes daily.
OF, MLW
A compact and powerful outfielder with great raw athleticism, Kentrall Davis is a member of a rich prospect stable on the Milwaukee farm. He makes up for his fireplug frame with superior raw power and above average speed. While he's currently viewed as a corner outfielder, a move to third or second base is possible in the future.
More Scouting Book Info on Kentrail Davis >
261
RHP, MLW
A big, strong righthander from Illinois, Brewer pitcher Cody Scarpetta is one of a half-dozen cogs grinding away in the minors while working his way higher in the prospect machine. He doesn't look much like his wiry teammate Wily Peralta, but his results at A-level Wisconsin were near identical: a 3.43 ERA, a 1.31 WHIP, and 116 strikeouts versus 55 walks in 105 innings.
More Scouting Book Info on Cody Scarpetta >
262
OF, MIN
He might have a name from the generic baseball player naming machine, but Twins outfielder Angel Morales isn't your typical prospect. After hitting .266/.329/.455 last year in the Midwest League, the teenager will move to high A-ball in 2010, and expectations couldn't be much higher. He's small but still growing, fast and getting faster, a plus fielder who's sharpening his skills every game, and did we mention the bat? He's only 19, and he'll lurk in the shadows of Revere and Hicks for a bit longer, but his 40 extra-base hits homers in 376 at-bats last year are already opening eyes. With a shot at being a truly elite five-tool player, he's one of the highest-ceiling speed-power threats in the Twins' stable. But keep your horses in check: with all the talent ahead of him, he probably won't see Minnesota before 2013.
More Scouting Book Info on Angel Morales >
263
RHP, TOR
A righthanded power arm from The Citadel (South Carolina), Asher Wojciechowski is a strong, solid pitcher whose 94mph fastball comes with some nice natural sink. His secondary pitches need work, of course, but he's already impressing scouts with his overall gamesmanship and baseball skills. A hard worker with plus smarts, Wojo's been getting a lot of hard second looks from scouts. He'll need minor league seasoning, but if his command continues to improve as it has recently, he could slot in as an innings-eating workhorse for the Blue Jays as early as 2012.
More Scouting Book Info on Asher Wojciechowski >
264
OF, CHW
Jordan (yes, John's brother) is a prospective centerfielder of the future in Chicago. Drafted by the White Sox in the 7th round of the 2008 MLB Draft. Danks projects as a quality defender in center, with plus speed and a solid arm. At the plate, he has a quick bat and what the White Sox hope is developing power. He popped eyes at Winston-Salem in 2009, raking to a .322/.409/.525 clip, but stumbled a bit when promoted to AA Birmingham. He'll probably get a shot to play everyday there again in 2010. He's still a year or two away from joining his brother, if he can keep on developing and refine his strike-zone discipline.
More Scouting Book Info on Jordan Danks >
265
SS, MLW
The best overall athlete in the Milwaukee system, Brent Brewer turned down a football scholarship (wide receiver) for baseball when he was drafted by the Brewers in 2006's second round. He must have considered it fate.
More Scouting Book Info on Brent Brewer >
266
RHP, ARZ
A flameout as a starter due to recurring elbow issues, R-Rod has ascended to top reliever status in the Angels' minor league system. The strikeout artist should open the season in the bullpen for the club's AAA franchise in Salt Lake, and will probably end it as their closer. He's one of a half-dozen arms vying to be the long-term answer to Francisco Rodriguez's departure, and one of the most interesting from a risk/reward standpoint.
More Scouting Book Info on Rafael Rodriguez >
267
RHP, Japan
Righthander Naoyuki Shimizu is a starting pitcher from NPB, where he played 10 seasons with the Chiba Lotte Marines before signing last winter with the Yokohama BayStars on a one-year deal. He also played with Japan in the 2006 World Baseball Classic. Naoyuki's fastball can touch 94mph, but he works most of the time in the 86-90mph range, relying on deceptive delivery and late motion to befuddle hitters. He works both sides of the plate and mixes in a change in the low to mid-70's to keep hitters perpetually off-balance. While he's only got a few more peak years left, he could be a good fit on any number of MLB ballclubs.
More Scouting Book Info on Naoyuki Shimizu >
268
RHP, SD
Adis (or sometimes, inexplicably, Adys) Portillo is a hard-throwing right-hander who shows more polish than most Venezuelan prospects. Portillo exhibits a dominating mound presence and great composure, featuring a moving fastball that tops out at about 94mph. It's the raw stuff he wields with three possible plus pitches, though, that puts him into the upper ranks of pitching prodigies.
More Scouting Book Info on Adis Portillo >
269
OF, ARZ
A lumbering slugger, 1B/OF Marc Krauss is one of many corner bats simmering in the Arizona farm system. Krauss hit .304 at A-level South Bend in 2009, posting an .855 OPS in his first exposure to pro ball, but he'll need to light up more scoreboards to get past some of the team's brighter prospects.
More Scouting Book Info on Marc Krauss >
270
RHP, STL
A tall, lanky Canadian righthander who was the Cardinals top-rated prospect as far back as 2004, Blake Hawksworth is now a mature prospect on the cusp of landing a full-time job in major league baseball. After posting a 5-4 record (3.58 / 1.11 WHIP) for the AAA Memphis in 2009, Hawksworth got a taste of MLB, going 4-0 in 40 innings of mop-up duty. His 2.03 ERA while handling that low-leverage trial demonstrated enough ability to gain the righthander consideration for bullpen or spot-starting duty in 2010. He won't be a Cy Young winner, not even with Dave Duncan around, but he could be a capable and effective major league pitcher for most of the next decade, given the opportunity.
More Scouting Book Info on Blake Hawksworth >
271
RHP, SEA
Another late inning specialist, Fields has no real place in the Mariners of today or the near future, so we can only guess that they're going to attempt some sort of bizarro-world Brandon Morrow trick here, and turn this sure-thing reliever into a maybe-starter. He chose not to sign with Atlanta last year, so it's no sure thing that he'll prefer Seattle this time around. Even if he does sign, he might end up being a trade piece in the near future. Fields is a terrific ball of potential, and it'd be a shame to see him wither in a Mariners system that has no place for him.
More Scouting Book Info on Joshua Fields >
272
SS, LAD
The Dodgers Minor League Player of the Year for 2008, DeJesus doesn't have much left to prove in the minors. Apparently inspired by Baseball America's description of him as a 'below average' hitter, DeJesus took the Southern League to task in 2008, when he swatted an eye-opening .324/.419/.423 at AA Jacksonville. The young infielder led the entire Southern League with a .419 OBP in his first AA season, testimony to his disciplined plate approach. When he makes contact, he's a hitter in the Howie Kendrick style: gap to gap line drives with excellent bat control. In the field, he has soft hands and excellent (inherited?) baseball instincts.
More Scouting Book Info on Ivan DeJesus >
273
RHP, COL
How many closers do the Rockies need, exactly? Vanderbilt's elite fireman (31 saves, 0.93 WHIP) was originally drafted by the Tigers in 2006, but after re-entry was snapped up by Colorado in 2007.
More Scouting Book Info on Casey Weathers >
274
LHP, ARZ
A big lefty from Boston College, Arizona's Mike Belfiore was selected 45th overall by the Diamondbacks in 2009. A closer and first baseman in college, he combines easy heat with a plus slider: the perfect combination for a closer. While his big body and strong bat could play in the field, the Diamondbacks are looking at Belfiore as a starting pitcher first: he went 2-2 over 11 starts for Rookie Missoula in 2009, striking out 55 while walking 13.
More Scouting Book Info on Mike Belfiore >
275
RHP, MLW
Wily Peralta is an intriguing young righthander in the Brewer system. Currently a two-pitch pitcher who flashes an occasionally plus curve, Peralta looked pretty good in A ball in 2009. Used as a sometime-starter and sometime-reliever in Wisconsin, Peralta produced a composite 1.32 WHIP and 3.47 ERA. He struck out an impressive 118 batters in only 103 innings, but it was the Midwest League, after all. His walk rate was a bit too high, and his propensity for getting deep into counts prevented him from getting deep into games too often, but he's still young, and worth keeping an eye on.
More Scouting Book Info on Wily Peralta >
276
LHP, LAD
A big, strong lefty, Aaron Miller was a power-hitting outfielder as well as an overpowering pitcher during his time at Baylor, but the Dodgers are thinking of him as a pitcher and nothing else, according to the exec who selected him, Dodger scouting AGM Logan White. He looked awfully good in 30 innings of A-level ball, but he'll need a lot more than that before he's ready to join his old high school buddy Clayton Kershaw as a front-line Dodger starter.
More Scouting Book Info on Aaron Miller >
277
LHP, TOR
The Blue Jays didn't give up when 22nd round pick Brad Mills failed to sign in 2006. Instead, the drafted him again in 2007's fourth round, and this time the lanky pitcher signed on the dotted line, becoming one of Toronto's best lefty prospects overnight. He moved all the way to AA in his first full season of pro ball, striking out 159 batters with a confusing array of curves, changes, and 90mph fastballs all coming from the same awkward-looking delivery. While he slipped a bit in 2009, he still has solid #4 starter potential.
More Scouting Book Info on Brad Mills >
278
OF, LAD
A toolsy outfielder in the rich Dodger system, Xavier Paul is one of the better farm bats that LA could call upon in 2010. While he didn't exactly set the world on fire while filling in for Manny in 2009, he did look awfully good in 31 games at AAA Albequerque, where he slashed .328/.378/.500. Still a young, gifted athlete in a system that could use a little more outfield depth, Paul will get another shot at the Bigs soon.
More Scouting Book Info on Xavier Paul >
279
2B, CHC
A small-framed midwestern shortstop drafted in the 21st round back in 2008, Vincent Logan Watkins has pulled himself up to the top tier of Cubs prospects on the strength of his steady bat. After blowing off rookie ball in 2008, he posted a .326/.389/.391 line at A-level Boise and peppered it with 14 doubles and 14 steals. Obviously, the Cubs would like to see a little more pop, but if he can add just a little power to his already-impressive eye and sweet batting stroke, he has all the makings of an MLB regular-in-waiting.
More Scouting Book Info on Logan Watkins >
280
261. Kentrail Davis
263. Angel Morales
264. Asher Wojciechowski
265. Jordan Danks
267. Rafael Rodriguez
268. Naoyuki Shimizu
269. Adis Portillo
271. Blake Hawksworth
272. Joshua Fields
273. Ivan DeJesus
274. Casey Weathers
280. Logan Watkins
261 to 280 of 481
