Baseball's Top Prospects for 2010
Remember: This list evolves and changes daily.
SS, OAK
One of the best position players available in the 2009 Amateur Draft, USC shortstop Grant Green had a chance to be the #1 overall pick until Stephen Strasburg's moment carried him into the top ranking. Green has an above average arm and plus range, which means he should be able to stick at shortstop, where he could become a premium player in the Majors one day. He reminds scouts of White Sox prospect Gordon Beckham: a big but agile fielder with leadership skills, superior plate discipline and the makings of real power.
More Scouting Book Info on Grant Green >
61
LHP, TB
How many scary-good pitching prospects does any franchise need? If you're Tampa Bay, the answer appears to be 'all of them', and lefty Matt Moore fits right in with that master plan. After blowing through rookie ball while learning how to shave, he finally found enough competition to provide some traction last year, when he went 8-5 with a 3.15 ERA in the Sally League. Of course, he also struck out 176 opponents in only 123 innings, so maybe he hasn't found his level just yet. Moore works with easy 93mph heat that has been clocked as high as 96, but it's the plus curve that makes hitters look foolish. Even his third and least mature pitch, a fading change, is much better developed than any changeup A-level hitters are accustomed to dealing with. The Rays don't usually push their prospects very hard, but until someone manages to figure out Mr. Moore, they're going to be forced to promote him further. Look for him to spend at least a large chunk of 2010 as one of the youngest players in AA.
More Scouting Book Info on Matt Moore >
62
RHP, PIT
With Lincecum and Cain already toeing the rubber every fifth day, the title of best Giants pitching prospect was Alderson's until he was unceremoniously shipped East at 2009's trade deadline. The 6-7 righthander from Phoenix has a plus-plus curveball and terrific control for such a young player. In his junior and senior high school year combined, he struck out 173 batters while walking only nine.
More Scouting Book Info on Tim Alderson >
63
C, KC
Nobody noticed in all the hubbub about Aaron Crow, but KC's third round pick in 2009 was another steal: the high-potential catcher William (Will) Myers. 'Wumbly' is a hard-nosed grinder who some call a throwback to a dirtier era, a ballplayer's ballplayer who can perform well at almost any position. He's being treated as a catcher so far, and he certainly has the smarts for it, but it's possible he moves to a position of greater need for a future Royals manager. If the projectability of his 6-3, 190lb body is worth anything, we can predict that he won't steal many bases, but he will launch a few moonshots in the years to come.
More Scouting Book Info on Wil Myers >
64
OF, DET
The 2009's Eastern League home run champ, Tiger outfielder 'Hollywood' Brennan Boesch has always split scouts with his tantalizing mix of raw power and an an awkward swing. Some see 40 homer seasons, other see a swing full of holes that can be exploited, especially inside. Boesch figures to contribute to a farm-poor Tigers team soon, but whether it's as a role-player, platoon partner or everyday contributor is still up in the air.
More Scouting Book Info on Brennan Boesch >
65
OF, MIN
When the Twins let Torii Hunter go, maybe they knew something.
More Scouting Book Info on Ben Revere >
66
RHP, DET
One of the top high school arms in the country, Jacob Turner was drafted in the first round (9th overall) by the Detroit Tigers in 2009. More a potential pitcher than a pitcher just yet, Turner has a big, strong, projectable body and a low-90's fastball, but not much else... which means that he'll need to be molded into something greater before he can have an impact on professionals.
More Scouting Book Info on Jacob Turner >
67
SS, MIN
The biggest Latin American signing of 2009 (sorry, Aroldis Chapman fans), 17-year old Miguel Angel Sano Jean, heretofore known as simply Miguel Sano, was a coup of sorts for the small market Minnesota Twins. Sano was a coveted athlete pursued by all the usual big-market teams, but it was Minnesota's relentless (one might say piranha-like) tenacity that finally landed the youngster. He's got the glove and arm to stick at shortstop, but as a teenager who's already 6 foot 3, he might outgrow the position, making a move to third base or the outfield necessary. He hasn't shown much power yet, but that's not exactly a red mark: for such a young player, what matters is raw talent and work ethic, and Sano seems to have both of those in spades. He'll be on the back burner for a few years, but he should be a good one once he's properly stewed.
More Scouting Book Info on Miguel Sano >
68
SS, CLE
Originally drafted out of high school by the Pirates, Chisenhall was chosen again three years later, this time by the Indians. While questions of character are going to dog Lonnie for years to come thanks to a college misunderstanding about a missing big-screen TV and Playstation 3, at least we know he's got game. He's also got bat: Chisenhall is a plus hitter with a short and sweet stroke and solid power to all fields. His position is up in the air, but wherever the Indians put him he's likely to produce. A bit of a sleeper to watch.
More Scouting Book Info on Lonnie Chisenhall >
69
C, HOU
Three catchers were in the top ten picks of the 2008 draft, and Castro was one of them. An ex-teammate of fellow prospect Buster Posey, Castro is a more well-rounded athlete who also played his share of the outfield in college. He showed that he's not much of a shadow-seeker by hitting .300/.380/.446 at A and AA in his first year of pro ball, and he's jumped up the depth chart quickly enough that it looks like the J.R. Towles era might be over before it even begins in Houston. Even if both youngsters develop, Castro's a good enough ballplayer to find another place to play if necessary.
More Scouting Book Info on Jason Castro >
70
61. Grant Green
62. Matt Moore
63. Tim Alderson
64. Wil Myers
65. Brennan Boesch
66. Ben Revere
69. Lonnie Chisenhall
70. Jason Castro
61 to 70 of 484
