Baseball's Top Prospects for 2010
Remember: This list evolves and changes daily.
OF, CHW
John Shelby III has been sneaking up the Chicagoland prospect ranks after slashing .301/.352/.508 with 16 homers on SAL Kannapolis in 2007. In 2008, he followed up with a carbon copy .295/.331/.510, 15-homer performance but increased his stolen bases from 19 to 33 while playing in 8 fewer games. While he did slide back a bit in 2009 (.243/.323/.402 in his first taste of AA) he remains on track to become a real 30-30 threat in center for the White Sox come 2012 or so. He'll be back in Birmingham for 2010, but don't forget about him.
More Scouting Book Info on John Shelby >
420
2B, OAK
A sixth round pick by the Rockies, switch-hitting Corey Wimberly slashed an impressive .291/.370/.345 in his second year at AA Tulsa in 2008. He also led the league with 59 steals last season. A player who reminds coaches of Chone Figgins, his speed could play well in the majors, but he lacks the defensive versatility to be a real plus bench asset, and his bat isn't really up to starter level. He'll need to add power or start hitting .350 to have a real shot at the bigs.
More Scouting Book Info on Corey Wimberly >
421
CF, HOU
A raw high-school outfield prospect who looked good in low-A ball but is still a few years away from becoming a known quantity, 2008 second-rounder Joseph 'Jay' Austin is part of Houston's long-term plan to consolidate good Texas puns on their roster. Trades for Huston Street and Dallas Braden are probably in the works, too.
More Scouting Book Info on Jay Austin >
422
3B, NYY
An All-American at second base, the switch-hitting Suttle's skills play well at almost any infield position, though he's growing fast enough that he may end up limited to first or third. In his first pro season at A-level Charleston, Bradley put up a respectable line of .271/.348/.456 while playing mainly third based. A quality overall ballplayer without a standout tool, he'll need to develop more power if he wants to break out of a future utlity role.
More Scouting Book Info on Bradley Suttle >
423
3B, BOS
Signed as an international free agent by the Red Sox in 2007, Michael Almanzar is a lanky shortstop who's athletic enough to also play center field. Thin, raw, and eager to play baseball 24/7, he reminds Latin scouts of a younger Alexei Ramirez, though his fidgety habits in the batter's box look more like Alfonso Soriano to us. Either way, he's a raw prospect with a very high ceiling, and the Red Sox will tear him down to his core tools before building him back up again as a polished ballplayer. He won't see MLB until 2013 or later, but he could be an all around threat when he does arrive.
More Scouting Book Info on Michael Almanzar >
424
2B, TOR
A polished infield prospect via Tulane, Brad Emaus projects as a solid major league second baseman in the near future. His .302 average and 12 homers in 463 at-bats at high-A Dunedin helped propel him to the top of the Blue Jays' prospect chart. If his line-drive swing can keep up with more advanced pitching, he could get a look in Toronto at the end of the year.
More Scouting Book Info on Brad Emaus >
425
LHP, KC
Hughes, a lefthander who was once ranked very highly, before requiring midseason Tommy John surgery in 2006. He's still well-regarded, if a bit behind schedule. Depending who you listen to, The Kid from Tupelo is either the next Tom Glavine, or destined for sixth-starter status. His performance as he works back from his injury will say a lot, and his cup of coffee in 2009 didn't show much of anything pro or con. He'll need another year to find his effectiveness.
More Scouting Book Info on Dusty Hughes >
426
LF, PHI
A strong, fast high school outfielder who's drawn Jay Bruce comparisons, Collier is one of the rising young stars of the rapidly-expanding Phillies farm system. He's a very raw talent who's shown five tool potential. Now we'll see if he can hit a breaking ball.
More Scouting Book Info on Zachary Collier >
427
C, CHC
Already considered the best defensive catcher in the Cubs' system, Castillo has recently jumped into prospect spotlight thanks to his developing bat. While he might be idling awhile as Geovany Soto settles into his full-time job in Wrigley, Castillo has enough raw talent to push his way onto the roster anyway, even if it's in a part-time role.
More Scouting Book Info on Wellington Castillo >
428
LHP, TB
A soft-tossing lefty with plus control, the aptly-named Lobstein is a nice complement to the usual flame-throwing Rays prospects. His most likely route to the majors is as a reliever, but he could play his way into a starting role if he keeps up the superior results.
More Scouting Book Info on Kyle Lobstein >
429
RHP, CHW
A 13th-round pick way back in the 2004 draft, Egbert has made a slow but steady climb through the Sox system. While he's never been a white-hot prospect, he does project as a solid back-of-rotation pitcher in the next few years.
More Scouting Book Info on Jack Egbert >
430
RHP, Japan
A lifetime Nippon Ham Fighter, Tateyama has been one of the franchise's best relievers for most of the last decade. He could a useful piece in an MLB bullpen, as his deceptive delivery and workmanlike attitude are good fits for American-style baseball.
More Scouting Book Info on Tateyama Yoshinori >
431
LHP, FLA
The Gatorade Minnesota Player of the Year for 2008, lefty Brad Hand is a smallish pitcher with a big strikeout punch. He'll be brought along slowly in the very good Florida system.
More Scouting Book Info on Brad Hand >
432
2B, SD
Antonelli is a little-known but quality athlete who could have a bright future at almost any fielding position in San Diego.
More Scouting Book Info on Matt Antonelli >
433
RHP, WAS
Perez, a sometime-reliever and sometime-starter in the minors, is running out of chances to break into the Nationals' bullpen or rotation, though he's had chances at both. The relief corps still seems a bit thin this year, so it's possible that Perez could get one more shot at the back-end duty.
More Scouting Book Info on Beltran Perez >
434
RHP, SD
A screwball specialist, Guevara had strong success in the Reds system before being left unprotected in the 2007 Rule Five Draft. While he doesn't show much in terms of endurance, his raw stuff and effort promise a decent future in middle relief.
More Scouting Book Info on Carlos Guevara >
435
2B, KC
A small but scrappy infielder who was a fan favorite at the University of New Orleans, Johnny Giavotella won his Royals blue uniform with a .354 batting average that led the Privateers to the 2007 NCAA Tournament. He can play any infield position, but his lack of plus range or power makes him most suited to second base. In a 2009 season at Wilmington, he hit .304/.366/.440 with 19 steals. His upside is as a three-hold hitter, though he might not reach that for another couple of seasons. Even if his development stalls, he's looking like a heck of a utility player.
More Scouting Book Info on Johnny Giavotella >
436
LHP, SD
Another of the endless parade of Padres pitching prospects, Steve Garrison came to San Diego in the same deal that landed Will Inman and Joe Thatcher. In some ways he's a notch above either of those pitchers right now thanks to his superior command of deceptive breaking stuff. He handles the entire strike zone with ease, and uses his plus curve and change with confidence and intelligence. A veteran mind inside a rookie body, Garrison could be a part of the Padres rotation as early as mid-2010, though he's looking up at a few hotter arms in the mean time.
More Scouting Book Info on Steve Garrison >
437
RHP, SD
Once one of the hottest arms in the White Sox organization, the polydactylic Perez had 'future closer' written all over him until the Sox tried passing him through waivers. He bounced through the Indian and Yankee systems in late 2008 before being picked up by San Diego before the 2009 season.
More Scouting Book Info on Oneli Perez >
438
RHP, MLW
Before he got banged up, Rogers looked like he was starting to figure out how to pitch (not just throw). His raw stuff is still majestic, but he needs to show a lot more polish and smarts to make it onto a big league roster.
More Scouting Book Info on Mark Rogers >
439
RHP, CHW
A smallish righthander who once threw a perfect game at Floosmoore (FL) High School, John Ely is a professional pitcher with significant upside. Ranked second among U Miami career strikeout artists (284 in only three years), the young pitcher already has major league guile, and has shown the ability to perform in big-game situations. While he's primarily a fastball-change pitcher, using his 94mph heater to set up a real plus change, his curve is solid enough to be a viable third pitch. There are concerns about his mechanics and small stature, but if the White Sox resist the urge to tinker and stick to him as a starter, he could make the White Sox roster as early as 2011, while a couple of years more could make him a viable middle-rotation starter.
More Scouting Book Info on John Ely >
440
1B, SD
Another of the rich 2008 draft class of slugging first basemen, Dykstra (no relation to Lenny and Cutter) is a textbook lefty power bat with no obvious position in San Diego, but he's bubbling over in hitting talent. He'll need a year or two in the minors to develop his secondary skills, and the Padres will need to deal with the question of his fielding position, but he projects as a solid 25-30 homer type a few years from now.
More Scouting Book Info on Allan Dykstra >
441
LHP, SF
A sixth-round pick for Milwaukee out of Long Beach State in 2005, Steve Hammond posted an ERA under three in every stop he made in the Brewers farm system until he took a nosedive in 2007 (4.69 at AA Hunstville). He looks to be running out of chances, but he could still have value as a lefty setup specialist.
More Scouting Book Info on Steve Hammond >
442
RHP, CIN
A thirteenth-round pick back in 2004, Chad Reineke is a bulldog righthander who uses his strength to pound the strike zone with low-90's fastballs and tilting sliders. Last time we checked in, he was working on a changeup in AAA Round Rock. His success with that off-speed project will determine whether he'll find success as a starter. Without a good change, though, he's destined for middle relief. He saw the majors with the Padres in 2008, and he should be back in 2010... unless he's traded again first.
More Scouting Book Info on Chad Reineke >
443
P, Japan
Another Chiba Lotte Marine with visions of MLB dancing in his head (an infection known as Bobby Valentinism), right hander Shingo Ono is one of Japan's top pitchers. While he's been one of the top ten starters in the nation for a few years running, his 2009 was a disappointment, as his 8-7 record and 3.81 were among his worst results. Unless he returns to his peak form quickly, he may need to wait a year or two to find a suitor in the USA.
More Scouting Book Info on Shingo Ono >
444
3B, SF
It's amazing how much of an effect one teeny little murder charge has on one's prospect status. Until he was arrested in the Dominican Republic at the tail end of 2009, Giants slugger Angel Villalona was the Giants unquestioned number one prospect: a serious, middle of the order power threat with 30-30 potential. While the civil suit against him has been dropped, he's still facing criminal prosecution with a maximum 25-year sentence... unless the Giants' Latin American operations prove comprehensive enough to include substantial bribes and/or lawyering.
More Scouting Book Info on Angel Villalona >
445
420. John Shelby
421. Corey Wimberly
422. Jay Austin
423. Bradley Suttle
424. Michael Almanzar
425. Brad Emaus
426. Dusty Hughes
427. Zachary Collier
428. Wellington Castillo
429. Kyle Lobstein
431. Tateyama Yoshinori
432. Brad Hand
433. Matt Antonelli
434. Beltran Perez
439. Mark Rogers
442. Steve Hammond
443. Chad Reineke
420 to 445 of 445
