Baseball's Top Prospects for 2010
Remember: This list evolves and changes daily.
SS, TB
A classic 'tools' player, BA's 2007 Youth Player of the Year Tim Beckham was a safe pick for Tampa Bay as the #1 overall pick of the 2008 draft. While he's a couple of years from breaking into the big leagues, there should be no place for him to break in quicker than Tampa Bay. He shows the hands and footwork needed to stick at short, too, unless he physically outgrows the position. If that happens, though, his bat will carry him anyway: Beckham has very quick wrists and an effortless-looking swing that should translate to 'easy power' down the road.
More Scouting Book Info on Tim Beckham >
31
1B, FLA
One of the last draft-and follow picks in baseball, hulking Logan Morrison is a graduate of Albert Pujol's old community college in Missouri. With a quick inside-out swing and plus power. He destroyed high-A Jupiter in 2008 but stumbled a bit when faced with better pitching at AA Jacksonville in 2009 (.277/.411/.442). He's got reasonable speed, but his lack of glovely finesse and some limited mobility have him locked at first base for now. That's a shame since he has a cannon arm that will go to waste there: we'd prefer seeing him in right field. Either way, though, expect Florida's own Weapon X to get a long, long look in the bigs as early as 2010.
More Scouting Book Info on Logan Morrison >
32
RHP, PHI
The rising wave of Canadian pitchers continued when Seattle chose Quebec native Philipe Aumont with their first-round pick in 2007. A 6-7 righthander with a 92-95 MPH sinking fastball, Aumont has an imposing mound presence that endears him to scouts and coaches alike. While he's barely 21, he's already raising eyebrows with a precocious ability to pound the lower part of the zone and work both sides of the plate. While he has a slider and changeup, neither is a plus pitch, which means he'll rise or fall on his sinker. He was traded to the Phillies in the winter 2009 blockbuster that moved Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee. Now that he's in the NL East, there's some talk of making him a reliever, but it's most likely that the Phils will give him a full season starting in the minors in 2010 to see what they've really gotten a hold of, here.
More Scouting Book Info on Phillippe Aumont >
33
RHP, TOR
The Son of Drabek has sky high expectations but needs a year or two of seasoning before being thrown into the fire. A part of the Roy Halladay compensation bundle, he's now staring down the AL East as his future, which is a lot scarier than the NL version. Still, he has the talent, the pedigree and the work ethic. He will be ready sooner or later, and when he is he will be a good one.
More Scouting Book Info on Kyle Drabek >
34
1B, CIN
In addition to having the best name in the 2008 draft class, Yonder Alonso is also one of the strongest power hitters of his generation, probably the premium 1B slugger in the minors right now. After he signed too late to play more than a few pro games in 2008, Alonso fans had to wait for Hawaiian winter ball to see his stuff. Alonso finished in the top ten in most offensive categories on the islands, and followed that up with a 2009 season that saw him reach as high as AA Carolina (an acceptable .295/.372/.457 in 29 games).
More Scouting Book Info on Yonder Alonso >
35
OF, NYM
A toolsy outfielder with a power stroke, F-Mart has been a top prospect for a few years, though his slow development and frequent injuries have cooled some of the early expectations. He still projects as an everyday centerfielder, though, and since he's only 20, he has room to grow. A premature outing with the MLB club in 2009 didn't go so well, but the youngster did manage to steal a few bases, hit his first home run, and generally show that he could play in a major league stadium when called upon to do so. While he still struggles with lefthanded pitching somewhat, he's also still got the great bat speed that got him noticed in the first place, not to mention a developing eye that should allow him to hit near .300 in the long-term. If he can keep on the field and off the DL, he'll still be a very high-ceiling option in New York come 2011 or so.
More Scouting Book Info on Fernando Martinez >
36
OF, SD
Widely seen as the best high school athlete available in the 2009 draft, outfielder Donavan Tate draws comparisons to Tim Beckham for his tools-to-the-wall talent and approach. He's raw, of course, and very young, but he has a big, strong build and a swing that looks suited to major league power. It's a shame that San Diego's ballpark will hide that.
More Scouting Book Info on Donavan Tate >
37
OF, PIT
Tabata is a polished fielder who's almost major-league ready, despite his young age. A natural right fielder with excellent patience, Tabata has vanished from the national radar since leaving the bright lights of New York for Pittsburgh, but he's just as solid a prospect now as he was in the Bronx. He could probably benefit from another minor-league season to sharpen his ancillary tools and focus, but other than that, there's not much holding him back. There aren't many good reasons to keep him off tomorrow's MLB roster in Pittsburgh.
More Scouting Book Info on Jose Tabata >
38
RHP, BAL
A late 2007 signee who raised eyebrows around baseball with his Olympic performance in 2008, Arrieta put up some impressive Carolina numbers last year too, leading the league in ERA and finishing 4th in strikeouts. Like many raw talents, he's succeeded so far on the strength of an overpowering fastball, a 97mph darter, so he'll need to add and refine his secondary pitches before he's ready for anything more than a relief role in MLB. Since his closest thing right now is a slider, some are angling to move him into a bullpen role. If he can handle 150+ innings and his curve comes along to be passable, he'll be one of the team's best pitching prospects entering 2010.
More Scouting Book Info on Jake Arrieta >
39
OF, BOS
An intriguing Red Sox prospect whose season came to a shocking end thanks to injury in 2008, Ryan Westmoreland was a high school pitcher who the Sox were busy turning into a full-time outfielder before he was shut down. He spent most of 2009 recovering, but did suit up long enough to show some flashes of his potential, with a .296/.401/.484 line in 60 games at A-level Lowell. He only played eight games in the field, but before the brakes were applied, Westmoreland was looking the Red Sox most-promising outfield prospect, a lanky and athletic fielder with a powerful combination of plus power and outstanding plate discipline. He'll come back slowly in 2010, but the Red Sox won't be able to keep the hype under control much longer. He could be a top ten prospect by the end of 2010.
More Scouting Book Info on Ryan Westmoreland >
40
31. Tim Beckham
32. Logan Morrison
33. Phillippe Aumont
34. Kyle Drabek
35. Yonder Alonso
36. Fernando Martinez
37. Donavan Tate
38. Jose Tabata
39. Jake Arrieta
40. Ryan Westmoreland
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