Baseball's Top Prospects for 2010
Remember: This list evolves and changes daily.
RHP, STL
The Cardinals first round pick in 2009, pitcher Shelby Miller is a raw but talented prospect with a wicked-hot fastball that has excellent and natural late movement. The Cards will probably start him out at A-level Quad Cities in 2010, but he could move up a notch or two soon after that, since his raw stuff is probably good enough to overpower lesser hitters. At higher levels, he'll need to lean on his 12-6 curve and the extra sink he can put on his two-seam fastball to succeed. With a projectable body that could probably add muscle in the years to come, he looks like a good workhorse candidate in St. Louis come 2014 or so, though he'll probably get a look-see a bit sooner than that.
More Scouting Book Info on Shelby Miller >
71
OF, BOS
Boston's ninth-round pickup in the 2007 first-year player draft, Ryan Kalish is a toolsy outfielder from New Jersey who projects as a good leadoff or top-of-order hitter once he develops a bit more. If he enters the a Boston lineup that looks like the current one, of course, that'd mean he'd be more likely be hitting seventh or eighth, so his current value is limited without a trade to a team more desperate for OF help.
More Scouting Book Info on Ryan Kalish >
72
LHP, CLE
A big, strong lefthander, Nick Hagadone was the Red Sox first draft pick (a sandwich pick) in 2007. Hagadone's fastball is hard for a lefty: it ticks as high as 96mph and shows good movement. He complements it with a good slider and an above-average straight change. He was Tim Lincecum's closer in college, also making a few spot starts for the Huskies, but the Red Sox were grooming him as a starter as recently as 2008, at least until he was shut down for TJ surgery in June. Now an Indian thanks to the trade that sent Victor Martinez to Boston, he spent most of 2009 on the shelf, but came back at the end of 2009 to start nine games at Class AA Greenville. He posted a solid 2.86 ERA, striking out 30 in 22 innings. He's not yet showing his pre-surgery stuff, but as far as high risks and high ceilings go, Hagadone's name has to be right on top of the actuarial chart.
More Scouting Book Info on Nick Hagadone >
73
OF, SD
A two-way star in high school, Jaff has a beautiful swing from the left side of the plate to go with a 94mph darting fastball... also from the left side. The Padres are viewing him as a centerfielder for now, though, and he has the bat and the range to hold that position down. He's young and still growing, but right now he looks like he might become the player Grady Sizemore was supposed to be.
More Scouting Book Info on Jaff Decker >
74
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 >
75
1B, NYM
Ike is a legitimate threat to hit 40 homers in the big leagues, and the Mets are one of the best places for a young first baseman to be right now. His refined college approach to the strike zone means he should do it without Howardesque strikeout numbers. too. One of the 2008 draft's most polished picks, Davis should be ready for MLB action in 2010.
More Scouting Book Info on Ike Davis >
76
3B, CHW
Dayan Viciedo, one of Cuba's best young ballplayers, defected to the USA last summer and started negotiating and trying out for ballclubs immediately. After some scuffling about whether or not he would be draft-eligible, he was deemed a free agent, and the White Sox moved quickly to bring the young slugger into the fold with the help of very-satisfied South-sider Alexei Ramirez.
More Scouting Book Info on Dayan Viciedo >
77
RHP, BAL
Young and unpolished, the onetime phenom Erbe still shows signs of greatness, even if the shine isn't quite so blinding anymore. He still demonstrates a 98 mph fastball that provides moments of dominance, but he has never really showed that he can hold down a job for a full season: he tends to tire in the summer months and usually stumbles to a poor finish. This all projects 'relief pitcher', if you haven't been paying attention. While still a longshot to contribute much in 2010, he's a possible backup plan as a closer or spot starter, so he shouldn't be completely forgotten about. The tools remain there, even if it's taking a bit longer than hoped to get them into play.
More Scouting Book Info on Brandon Erbe >
78
1B, BOS
His star has faded a bit in Boston, but the facts remain: one of these years, Big Papi will go out for a pack of smokes and never come home to Boston again. When that happens, Lars is the best bet to be the new daddy in Beantown.
More Scouting Book Info on Lars Anderson >
79
OF , BOS
The next big outfield prospect in the Red Sox system now that Jacoby Ellsbury has graduated to full-time starter, Georgia native Josh Reddick could soon move up to the big leagues himself. A strong lefthanded bat with good power to all fields, Reddick also has the best arm in the system, which means should the Sox decide to let JD Drew walk away, Reddick should be ready to step in at any time.
More Scouting Book Info on Josh Reddick >
80
1B, KC
He's a little older, a little wiser, and a little less powerful than Pedro Alvarez (who was, fairly, drafted two spots higher), but Eric Hosmer is probably a more advanced hitter with better fundamentals.
More Scouting Book Info on Eric Hosmer >
81
RHP, SF
A flame-throwing righthander from Georgia, Zack Wheeler mixes his 96mph fastball with a curve ball that's already a plus pitch. He's adding a changeup, and if he can make it even a league-average offering he can be a middle-rotation starter anywhere. Even without one, his fastball-curve combination is good enough for a major league bullpen today. He'll need some seasoning, of course, and scouts would like to see his pitcher-perfect body take on a starter's workload.
More Scouting Book Info on Zack Wheeler >
82
RHP, NYM
An international signee who immediately jumped to the top of the Mets' pitching prospect chart, young Jenrry Meija is one of the few bright spots in a downtrodden farm system. The righthander is the proud owner of easy heat in the form of a mid-90s fastball and a very good, deceptive change. Jenrry's control has been better than expected for such a young player, and despite an 0-5, 4.47 looksee in 2009, he looks ready to tackle a full season of AA ball in 2010.
More Scouting Book Info on Jenrry Mejia >
83
C, WAS
A catching prospect who'll be big-league ready sometime in the next year or two, Wilson Ramos should have a clear opportunity now that he's with an organization who doesn't have an MVP ahead of him on the depth chart. Ramos is a 21-year old who slashed .288/.346/.434 at high-A Fort Myers in 2009, maintaining the same offensive shine he showed at two lower levels of play. Especially promising are his power numbers: his quick, strong line-drive swing produced 13 homers in 452 at-bats last year, a 60% increase over the year before. Since he's still growing into his frame, that number could increase even more in the future. Behind the plate he's already a plus defender, with a strong arm that gunned down 40% of baserunners last season.
More Scouting Book Info on Wilson Ramos >
84
RHP, WAS
A righthander who worked as both a starter and a reliever for Stanford, Drew Storen is a smallish pitcher with a good mix of raw stuff and polished command. As a sophomore draftee, he's a bit rougher than most college pitchers and will likely need more time in the minors than most, but he's a solid all around ballplayer with an excellent future, whether it's in the middle of the rotation or the bullpen. With the recent locking-in of Matt Capps to close in Washington for 2010 and 2011, it looks like Storen's future is a little further away than some had hoped, which might give the Nats time to examine his potential as a starter, too.
More Scouting Book Info on Drew Storen >
85
3B, FLA
An all-conference catcher at the University of Miami, Sanchez was drafted in the fourth round of the 2005 draft by the Marlins. In his first pro season, Sanchez led the New-York Penn League with a .355 average. The next year, Sanchez hit .317 in his first full-season and posted a 55-game OPS of 1.050. He finished with a .288 average, 15 HR and 50 RBIs in 74 games. At high-A Jupiter in 2007, Gaby slammed 9 home runs while maintaining a solid .279 average.
More Scouting Book Info on Gaby Sanchez >
86
SS, WAS
A third-round pick from 2004, infielder Ian Desmond gained a reputation as a slow learner in the minors, but he seems to have arrived in 2009. Now a strong hitter with soft enough hands to play a capable shortstop or second base, Desmond could get a crack at the thin MLB roster in Washington for 2010. He hit .330/.401/.477 with seven homers and 21 steals in a 2009 season split between Double-A Harrisburg and Triple-A Syracuse. and he actually hit better (.354) at the higher level.
More Scouting Book Info on Ian Desmond >
87
RHP, WAS
AJ Cole is a six-foot-five, lanky righthander who can already touch 95mph with his fastball. Cole also mixes in a power curve and passable changeup that could develop into plus pitches with good coaching and support. He's already drawing comparisons to Justin Verlander, who was a similar pitcher at the same age.
More Scouting Book Info on AJ Cole >
88
RHP, COL
A rail-thin flamethrower from Venezuela, Chacin is on the fast track in Colorado, especially as some of the other Rockie options have slid from their earlier grace. His 94mph fastball has good location and late movement, and his curve and change show plus promise, though does have a bad habit of hanging that curve a bit too often. 'Joolie' does seems to have the character and work ethic to be a middle-to-front starter, but he could be adapted to the bullpen as well. Either way, he's a good 2011 option for the Rockies right now, and might even see limited action sooner than that.
More Scouting Book Info on Jhoulys Chacin >
89
LHP, DET
The son of offensive lineman and ESPN commentator Mark Schlereth, Daniel is a power lefty with a strikeout curve who most see as a relief specialist. Acquired by the Tigers during 2009's Winter meetings, he could be converted to starting duty. Either way, he's a young power arm with a bright future.
More Scouting Book Info on Daniel Schlereth >
90
71. Shelby Miller
72. Ryan Kalish
73. Nick Hagadone
74. Jaff Decker
75. Phillippe Aumont
76. Ike Davis
77. Dayan Viciedo
78. Brandon Erbe
81. Eric Hosmer
82. Zack Wheeler
84. Wilson Ramos
86. Gaby Sanchez
89. Jhoulys Chacin
90. Daniel Schlereth
71 to 90 of 486
