Baseball's Top Prospects for 2010
Remember: This list evolves and changes daily.
RHP, TEX
The only closer the young Golden Eagles have ever had, Fukimori is an unusual closer, but a very successful one. Working with high control rather than overpowering heat, Fukumori's fastball won't break 90 often, but he mixes in an array of breaking pitches (forkball, knuckle-curve, shuuto) and keeps batters off balance.
More Scouting Book Info on Kazuo Fukumori >
401
LHP, WAS
One of the top high-school pitchers available, Smoker was an unexpected first round supplemental pick by the Nationals in 2007. His long arm and easy, slinging action let him throw a low to mid-90's fastball with the same apparent motion as his slider, splitter and change. The net result of all that? Filthy.
More Scouting Book Info on Josh Smoker >
402
LHP, PIT
Not yet recovered from labrum sugery and showing no signs of the curve that once made scouts rave. Add in the fact that he's a one-pitch flame-thrower who did most of his development under the 'care' of the Cubs trainers, and you have a recipe for a very fantastic, and very short, major league career.
More Scouting Book Info on Donald Veal >
403
RHP, FLA
A big, strong, flamethrowing star of the future signed as an international free agent in 2006, righthander Jose Ceda was probably Chicago's best remaining pitching prospect (depending on how you view the enigma of Jeff Samardzija) when he was shipped to Florida for the more established Kevin Gregg in 2008's offseason. A burly closer cast from Jonathan Broxton-sized iron, Ceda is a power pitcher with strikeout stuff who could ascend to closing duties for the Marlins within the next few years. Problems with his mechanics remain, though (he struggles to repeat his delivery, leading to spurts of wildness) and there is some concern about the ability of his legs and back to hold up to a season of work. If he continues to mow down hitters in the minors, though, Florida will find room for him soon enough, and he can polish his skills in Miami.
More Scouting Book Info on Jose Ceda >
404
RHP, BAL
Jason Berken is a strikeout artist in the Baltimore Orioles system who vanished from the prospect radar for awhile after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2005. The Green Bay native and Clemson alum came back, though, and went 12-4 with a 3.58 ERA at AA Bowie last year, showing off an impressive 125:38 ratio of strikeouts to walks. He leans hard on a fastball-slider combination, which makes him look a lot like a reliever, but his change and curve are too good to abandon. A squat workhorse, he seems to have the grit to grind out a long season. Baltimore has other pitching prospects with much higher upsides, but Berken's close enough to MLB ready that he might get a chance sooner than any of them.
More Scouting Book Info on Jason Berken >
405
LHP, TEX
Drafted in the supplemental first round of the 2005 draft, the Braves considered Jones to be the best prep left-hander in the country. He was acquired by the Rangers as part of the package of prospects that netted the Braves Mark Teixeira in 2007.
More Scouting Book Info on Beau Jones >
406
SS, Japan
The Pacific League rookie of the year in 1996, shortstop Makoto Kaneko is a premium infielder who could fit onto many MLB rosters tomorrow. The winner of two golden glove awards and a part of Japan's bronze medal winning 2004 Olympic team, he's a plus defender, and that's where his strength lies: while a talented overall athlete, his career hitting line in Japan is a pedestrian .256/.309/.345.
More Scouting Book Info on Makoto Kaneko >
407
2B, ARZ
A college shortstop who looks more like the Diamondbacks second-baseman of the future, Hallberg has enough grit and determination to make up for his limited power ceiling. The scrappy army brat smashed .362 as a Fantasy Islander in 2008, landing him the Hawaiian League MVP award and making him look like a viable starter in Arizona -- or at least a super-bench player -- very, very soon.
More Scouting Book Info on Mark Hallberg >
408
OF, ATL
Another Dominican graduate of a Tiger system brimming with Latin American talent, corner bat Wilkin Ramirez is a late-blooming hitter with plus wheels: he slugged 17 homers at AAA Toledo in 2009, while also swiping 33 bases. Once a third baseman, he's now seen as a corner outfielder, but it doesn't matter much: he has enough pop and hustle to work his way into the lineup somewhere or other. He's not really the kind of .364/.385/.818 hitter he looked like in a brief stint in Detroit last year, but he could be a legit .275/.325/.425 hitter in another year or three.
More Scouting Book Info on Wilkin Ramirez >
409
SS, SF
A big, lefty-hitting shortstop from UCLA, Giants' prospect Brandon Crawford had an illustrious career with the Bruins, starting each and every of the 179 games the team played during his tenure. He hit over .300 each year, helping to lead the Bruins to the NCAA Tournament each season. As a Giant progeny, he didn't have much trouble at high-A in 2009 (.371/.445/.600), but found his floor at AA Connecticut later in the year, where he slashed .258/.294/.365. He might not stick at short, but he projects to be a solid MLB regular come 2012 or so.
More Scouting Book Info on Brandon Crawford >
410
401. Kazuo Fukumori
402. Josh Smoker
403. Donald Veal
404. Jose Ceda
405. Jason Berken
407. Makoto Kaneko
408. Mark Hallberg
409. Wilkin Ramirez
410. Brandon Crawford
401 to 410 of 484
