Baseball's Top Prospects for 2010
Remember: This list evolves and changes daily.
RHP, MIN
With stuff enough to be the ace of any college staff, Kyle Gibson was hidden behind Aaron Crow in Missouri. While he's still not a Crow-type talent, the big righthander is a workhorse with a high-command fastball and the determination to grind through opposing batters inning after inning. His fastball can reach 94-95mph, but he works mainly in the 91-92 range, relying on his plus slider and above-average change to beguile batters.
More Scouting Book Info on Kyle Gibson >
41
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 >
42
2B, MLW
It's a bit cheap comparing Canadian slugger Brett Lawrie to fellow Canucks Larry Walker and Justin Morneau, but in this case the comparison is about more than nationality: Lawrie can flat-out rake, though he does it from the right side of the plate and hasn't shown the power potential of those two other lumberjacks. An all-around baseball talent with no ceiling in sight, the fact that he's played both shortstop and catcher well enough to make it onto both position lists tells you something about the special youngster. With both of those positions pretty locked down in Milwaukee, he's also been asked to learn second base, which might be his quickest path to the majors right now.
More Scouting Book Info on Brett Lawrie >
43
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 >
44
3B, BAL
A high-school shortstop who impressed Dodgers by flying from Florida and talking his way into a pre-draft workout in 2005, Bell was picked up in the 6th round of the draft and converted to third base immediately. His developing power and sweet both-ways swing have scouts talking about Chipper Jones. As a very young player, he was moved slowly up the system, but he's shown power and patience at each stop. He was slugging .497 at AA Chattanooga when he was traded to the Dodgers as part of a two-player deal for closer George Sherrill.
More Scouting Book Info on Josh Bell >
45
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 >
46
LHP, KC
A fifth-round pick by the Royals back in 2008, lefty John Lamb has scrambled up the ladder quickly, and today ranks as one of the best pitchers in the system. After blowing away 72 rookie-league hitters in 68 innings in 2009, Lamb swept through A-ball in 2010 (posting 32 consecutive scoreless innings along the way) and ascended all the way to AA. He firmed up his spot in the Royals' future by ranking among the minor league leaders in ERA and strikeouts, where he maintained a ratio near 4:1.
More Scouting Book Info on John Lamb >
47
LHP, KC
A flamethrowing lefthander, Montgomery was grabbed early by the Royals in the 2008 draft. So far, he's looking pretty legitimate, as he's assembled a 2.19 ERA and a 0.85 WHIP in 30 minor league starts, with a 48:132 ratio of walks to strikeouts. He's only 20 years old as 2010 begins, and he's a long way away from the Bigs, but any lefthander who throws 96mph is worth keeping tabs on.
More Scouting Book Info on Mike Montgomery >
48
LHP, COL
The kind of big, strong lefthander that scouts fall in love with, the six-foot-six Matzek not only brings overpowering heat from the left side but flusters hitters with three different offspeed pitches to boot. A king-sized almost-ace in the making, Matzek could be the anchor of many Major League teams in the future. In Colorado, his ceiling is somewhere between Ubaldo Jimenez and Jeff Francis... but not quite yet.
More Scouting Book Info on Tyler Matzek >
49
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 >
50
41. Kyle Gibson
42. Jake Arrieta
43. Brett Lawrie
44. Tim Beckham
46. Donavan Tate
47. John Lamb
49. Tyler Matzek
50. Fernando Martinez
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