2010 Top 20 Pre-Season Washington Nationals Prospects in Review

Date: Thu, Aug 12, 2010

More photos » Greg Fiume - Getty Images

Drew Storen of the Washington Nationals (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)

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2010 Washington Nationals Top 20 Prospects in Review

Here is a review of the 2010 Nationals prospect list, originally published November 18, 2009. THIS IS A REVIEW OF THE OLD LIST AND PRE-SEASON GRADES. THIS IS NOT A NEW LIST. The 2011 list and new grades won't be ready until the season is over and I start writing the book.

1) Stephen Strasburg, RHP, Grade A: 1.30 ERA, 65/13 K/BB in 55 Double-A and Triple-A innings. 3.07 ERA in 59 major league innings, 79/17 K/BB, 49 hits. He's awesome. He just needs to stay healthy.

2) Derek Norris, C, Grade B+: .226/.409/.385 in 71 games for High-A Potomac. Still drawing tons of walks, has thrown out 52% of runners. I still believe.

3) Drew Storen, RHP, Grade B+: 1.08 ERA with 15/3 K/BB in 17 Double-A/Triple-A innings, 2.75 ERA with 29/16 K/BB in 36 major league innings. No problems here.

4) Danny Espinosa, SS, Grade B: .264/.334/.472 with 20 homers, 21 steals between Double-A and Triple-A. Not going to win batting titles, but does a lot of things well.

5) Chris Marrero, 1B, Grade B-: .291/.354/.446 for Double-A Harrisburg, 14 homers. Home run production not that hot for a first baseman, but at age 21 he has time.

6) Jeff Kobernus, 2B, Grade B-: I changed this to a Grade C+ and lowered him down to number 10 before the book went to press. Hitting .279/.316/.346 for Low-A Hagerstown, so the downgrade was the right move.

7) Michael Burgess, OF, Grade B-: .267/.349/.439 with 12 homers, 44 walks, 85 strikeouts in 97 games for High-A Potomac. Has cut his strikeout rate, still just 21. Breakout next year?

8) Justin Maxwell, OF, Grade C+: .287/.390/.439 with 16 steals in 66 games for Triple-A Syracuse, but just 6-for-47 (.128) with 19 strikeouts (and 16 walks!) for the Nationals. He's 26 now. Power/speed potential is still enormous. . .could he have an age 27 or 28 surge?

9) Ian Desmond, SS, Grade C+: .260/.295/.393 in 107 games for the Nationals, 12 steals. On-base skills are weak. WAR is 0.7. I think he can improve.

10) Bradley Meyers, RHP, Grade C+: 1.47 ERA with 35/7 K/BB in 31 innings for Harrisburg, pitching great, but went on the DL in May with foot injury.

11) Destin Hood, OF, Grade C+: .286/.330/.389 in 111 games for Hagerstown. Not exactly a good season, plate discipline is spotty and power hasn't developed, but he still has a chance to develop.

12) A.J. Morris, RHP, Grade C+: 3.21 ERA, 63/23 K/BB in 76 innings between Potomac and 14 GCL rehab innings following injury, 1.86 GO/AO. Pretty good year.

13) Eury Perez, OF, Grade C+ : .269/.320/.347 with 43 steals for Hagerstown. Love the speed, but needs to improve on-base skills to be a leadoff man at higher levels.

14) Aaron Thompson, LHP, Grade C+: 5.67 ERA, 81/43 K/BB in 121 innings, 144 hits in 23 starts between Double-A and Triple-A. Not developing.

15) Juan Jaime, RHP, Grade C: Out all year with elbow problems.

16) J.P. Ramirez, Of, Grade C: .293/.342/.479 for Hagerstown. Walk rate is low, but there's some offensive potential here.

17) J.R. Higley, OF, Grade C: .233/.303/.353 in 35 games for Hagerstown. On restricted list, suspended for PED use, taking Ritalin. It sure wasn't helping his numbers.

18) Paul Demny, RHP, Grade C: 3.93 ERA, 90/40 K/BB in 110 innings for Hagerstown, 104 hits. Not terrible, not terrific.

19) Marco Estrada, RHP, Grade C: 3.15 ERA in 40 innings for Triple-A Nashville in the Brewers system after Milwaukee claimed him on waivers, 33/11 K/BB. 13/6 K/BB in 11 major league innings, but with 14 hits and 13 runs. Has missed much of season with a sore shoulder. Not really a prospect at age 27, but for some reason I thought he could be interesting.

20) Jeff Mandel, RHP, Grade C: 4.36 ERA, 82/44 K/BB in 126 innings, 144 hits between Double-A and Triple-A. Can eat innings, but that's about it.

Strasburg and Storen make this a successful year. Desmond has shown flashes, and I still think Norris is going to be a very, very good player, although with catchers there is always the risk of stagnation. I like Espinosa a lot too. The rest of the list is pretty blah.

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2010 Top 20 Pre-Season Boston Red Sox Prospects in Review

Date: Thu, Aug 12, 2010

More photos » Winslow Townson - AP

Boston Red Sox outfielder Ryan Kalish (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)

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2010 Boston Red Sox Top 20 Prospects in Review

Here is a review of the 2010 Red Sox prospect list, originally published December 14, 2009. THIS IS A REVIEW OF THE OLD LIST AND PRE-SEASON GRADES. THIS IS NOT A NEW LIST. The 2011 list and new grades won't be ready until the season is over and I start writing the book.

1) Ryan Westmoreland, OF, Grade B+: Missed entire year following brain surgery. He's hit off a tee, but at this point just living a normal non-baseball life will be a blessing. This is the kind of thing that puts it all back in perspective. Baseball is a game...a fun game, and a living for a lot of people on and off the field. But it is still just a game.

2) Casey Kelly, RHP, Grade B+: 5.31 ERA, 83/35 K/BB in 95 innings for Double-A Portland, 118 hits. Throws strikes and young for the level at 20, but this is not a good season.

3) Ryan Kalish, OF, Grade B: .294/.382/.502 with 25 steals between Portland and Triple-A Pawtucket, 11-for-30 (.367) in the majors so far. I love the power/speed/walks combination.

4) Josh Reddick, OF, Grade B: .246/.286/.429 with 11 homers for Pawtucket, 4-for-25 with six strikeouts in the majors. Poor strike zone judgment the issue here.

5) Michael Bowden, RHP, Grade B: Bad in April but effective since then for Pawtucket, 3.65 ERA, 74/33 K/BB in 101 innings, 81 hits. Moved to bullpen in July and very good so far, 15/4 K/BB in 15 innings, 3.00 ERA.

6) Junichi Tazawa, RHP, Grade B-: Tommy John surgery.

7) Anthony Rizzo, 1B, Grade B-: .265/.326/.481, 19 homers, 41 walks, 104 strikeouts in 441 at-bats between High-A Salem and Double-A. 38 doubles as well. More power this year.

8) Lars Anderson, 1B, Grade B-: Fast start at Portland (.355/.408/.667 in 17 games), but sagged after moving to Triple-A (.244/.334/.400). Can't hit lefties at all. I have been pro-Lars but that is changing.

9) Reymond Fuentes, OF, Grade B-: .275/.332/.399 with 31 steals for Low-A Greenville. Bad plate discipline, but speed and athleticism are excellent.

10) Stolmy Pimentel, RHP, Grade B-: 4.37 ERA, 81/29 K/BB in 105 innings, 104 hits for Salem. Like the strike-throwing and he's young at 20.

11) Jose Iglesias, SS, Grade C+: Hit .306/.340/.408 in 40 games in Double-A, now on rehab assignment in the New York-Penn League due to finger injury. Hits for average, walk rate low, power marginal, glove reviews strong although statistical range factor is poor, granted minor league defensive numbers can be funky. Young enough at 20 to develop in many directions.

12) Derrik Gibson, INF, Grade C+: .245/.319/.322 for Greenville, 30 steals. Not a lot of pop in the bat, speed and athleticism are good.

13) Luis Exposito, C, Grade C+: .270/.348/.412 for Portland, 35% of runners caught, but a high passed ball and error rate. Blah season.

14) David Renfroe, SS-3B, Grade C+: .207/.284/.286 in the New York-Penn League for Lowell. Weak.

15) Alex Wilson, RHP, Grade C+: 3.40 ERA with 50/15 K/BB in 56 innings for Salem, 43 hits, 1.53 GO/AO. But then a 6.97 ERA with a 32/19 K/BB in 50 innings for Portland, 63 hits, 0.79 GO/AO, 11 homers. On the disabled list with a tired arm. Hard to know what to think here; he was solid in A-Ball but awful after moving up.

16) Roman Mendez, RHP, Grade C+: Horrible for Greenville early in the year. Mediocre in the NY-P after being demoted, then traded to the Texas Rangers. Raw arm still figuring things out.

17) Pete Hissey, OF, Grade C+: .238/.310/.316 for Salem, 39 walks, 118 strikeouts in 408 at-bats. 24 steals and has good tools, but lack of refinement at the plate is a huge problem.

18) Yamaico Navarro, SS, Grade C+: .277/.360/.429 between Portland and Pawtucket, 17 steals, nine homers. Not an awesome season, but not bad either. Command of zone has improved.

19) Madison Younginer, RHP, Grade C+: 5.36 ERA, 24/21 K/BB in 44 innings for Lowell, 42 hits. Undistinguished performance, but at 19 he has time to improve.

20) Stephen Fife, RHP, Grade C+: 5.01 ERA, 71/37 K/BB in 111 innings for Portland, 123 hits. I liked him a lot as a sleeper pre-season, but he took too much ambien and is still sleeping.

21) Kyle Weiland, RHP, Grade C+: 4.40 ERA, 100/39 K/BB in 104 innings for Portland, 89 hits. ERA could easily be lower with these components, FIP is 3.79.

22) Che-Hsuan Lin, OF, Grade C+: .274/.384/.343 for Portland, 61 walks, 19 steals, 57 strikeouts in 394 at-bats. Still not showing much power, but he has a good approach at the plate and an excellent glove.

Ryan Kalish looks great, and I still believe Michael Bowden will be a good major league pitcher. But my faith in Lars is slipping, and several others that I thought could break through (Fife, Younginer, Hissey, Gibson, Pimentel) are stagnant or getting worse. It is too bad Iglesias' injury precludes a larger sample size, and I'm still uncertain about exactly how good he can be.

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Top 20 2010 Milwaukee Brewers Pre-Season Prospects in Review

Date: Wed, Aug 11, 2010

More photos » Ed Andrieski - AP

5 months ago: Milwaukee Brewers Brett Lawrie watches the ball after hitting a triple against the Colorado Rockies in a Cactus League spring baseball game in Tucson, Ariz., on Saturday, March 6, 2010. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski)

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2010 Milwaukee Brewers Top 20 Prospects in Review

Here is a review of the 2010 Brewers prospect list, originally published January 4, 2010. THIS IS A REVIEW OF THE OLD LIST AND PRE-SEASON GRADES. THIS IS NOT A NEW LIST. The 2011 list and new grades won't be ready until the season is over and I start writing the book.

1) Brett Lawrie, 2B, Grade B+: .291/.352/.470 for Double-A Huntsville, 28 steals in 40 attempts. He has some flaws, but also has a broad range of skills and is young for the level at 20. Defense improving. One of my favorites.

2) Alcides Escobar, SS, Grade B+: .253/.306/.345 in 105 games for the Brewers, -.3 WAR with average defense according to UZR. I'd be interested in the impressions of Milwaukee fans who get to see his glove every day.

3) Eric Arnett, RHP, Grade B: 6.85 ERA, 75/40 K/BB in 93 innings, 112 hits between Low-A Wisconsin and a "fix the mechanics" trip to the Arizona Rookie League. He's still getting killed. I wonder if there is an underlying physical problem here. Stock obviously way down.

4) Jonathan Lucroy, C, Grade B: .311/.349/.418 between Double-A and Triple-A Nashville, .265/.301/.348 in 41 major league games with weak plate discipline. I think he is capable of better.

5) Mat Gamel, 3B, Grade B-: .305/.387/.478 combined between Triple-A Nashville (65 games) and 14 games on rehab in High-A and Double-A. The guy can hit, but where does he play?

6) Kentrail Davis, OF, Grade B-: Slow start at High-A Brevard County, .244/.380/.341 in 33 games. Currently hitting .345/.430/.531 in 39 games for Low-A Wisconsin.The latter numbers are closer to what the Brewers expected, and plate discipline has been excellent at the lower level...will try again in High-A next year.

7) Jake Odorizzi, RHP, Grade B-: 3.21 ERA, 117/35 K/BB in 104 innings for Wisconsin, 85 hits. I love this guy, strong numbers, scouting reports are very positive.

8) Wily Peralta, RHP, Grade B-: 3.86 ERA for Brevard County, 75/40 K/BB in 105 innings, 102 hits. Just promoted to Double-A, 2.20 ERA so far with 10/8 K/BB in 16 innings will need to sharpen command. 1.55 GO/AO combined. I like him too although not as much as Odorizzi.

9) Cody Scarpetta, RHP, Grade B-: 3.58 ERA, 124/58 K/BB in 106 innings, 94 hits for Brevard County. A very solid campaign.

10) Kyle Heckathorn, RHP, Grade B-: 2.91 ERA combined between Wisconsin and Brevard County, 75/30 K/BB in 105 innings, 100 hits, 1.90 GO/AO. I'd like a somewhat higher strikeout rate, but the grounders are nice and he's thrown strikes.

11) Zach Braddock, LHP, Grade C+: 3.57 ERA in 23 major league innings, 26/11 K/BB, 23 hits. He's done decently in limited action, has had some shoulder trouble.

12) Josh Butler, RHP, Grade C+: 4.56 ERA in 53 innings for Huntsville, 36/26 K/BB, 56 hits. Promoted to Triple-A recently, has given up 30 hits and 16 runs in 22 innings, 15/10 K/BB. Not a good year.

13) Lorenzo Cain, OF, Grade C+: .317/.402/.432 with 26 steals in 29 attempts in Double-A and Triple-A, 9-for-19 (.474) in the majors. The tools have always been here, but he's healthy this year and has picked up some plate discipline.

14) Angel Salome, C, Grade C+: .278/.326/.418 in 42 games for Brevard County. Mostly DH and says he wants to learn the outfield. He's had personal problems this year; status very unclear right now.

15) Amaury Rivas, RHP, Grade C+: 3.21 ERA in 21 starts for Huntsville, 95/41 K/BB in 121 innings, 109 hits, 1.55 GO/AO. Looks like a fine year to me.

16) Eric Farris, 2B, Grade C+: .289/.325/.373 in 37 games for Nashville, eight steals. Missed most of the season with undisclosed injury. Hard to know what to make of this.

17) Caleb Gindl, OF, Grade C+: .269/.347/.393 for Huntsville, 48 walks, 59 Ks in 402 at-bats, 10 steals. Kind of a blah season.

18) Evan Anundsen, ,RHP, Grade C+: Pitched three innings for Brevard County on June 14^th, has otherwise missed entire season with shoulder problems.

19) Mark Rogers, RHP, Grade C+: 3.86 ERA, 90/62 K/BB in 96 innings for Huntsville, 66 hits. Love the K/IP and H/IP, and he gets grounders too (1.66 GO/AO), but he's got to get the walks down.

20) Logan Schafer, OF, Grade C+: 4-for-23 (.174) in seven games for Brevard County, missed time early with groin injury then broke his foot.

21) Scooter Gennett, SS, Grade C+: .321/.367/.481, 28 walks, 75 strikeouts, 13 steals in 418 at-bats for Wisconsin. 37 doubles. Nice season.


Jeremy Jeffress wasn't on the list due to the drug problem but would be now. There are some disappointments here, especially Arnett, and some injury attrition. But the continued development of Lawrie, Odorizzi, Peralta, Scarpetta, Heckathorn, Cain, and Rivas is good to see.

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Upcoming Reviews

Date: Wed, Aug 11, 2010

Upcoming Top 20 Reviews: Brewers, Red Sox, Nationals, Angels, Marlins, Indians, Pirates.

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Top 20 Pre-Season 2010 Texas Rangers Prospects in Review

Date: Wed, Aug 11, 2010

Lynne Sladky - AP

Texas Rangers pitcher Neftali Feliz (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

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2010 Texas Rangers Top 20 Prospects in Review

Here is a review of the 2010 Rangers prospect list, originally published January 6, 2010. THIS IS A REVIEW OF THE OLD LIST AND PRE-SEASON GRADES. THIS IS NOT A NEW LIST. The 2011 list and new grades won't be ready until the season is over and I start writing the book.

1) Neftali Feliz, RHP, Grade A: 29 saves, 3.50 ERA, 50/13 K/BB in 46 major league innings. Quite good, only question now is does he start or relieve in the long run?

2) Justin Smoak, 1B, Grade A-: .198/.288/.336 in 298 major league at-bats, traded to the Mariners. That's pretty ugly. I have been high on Smoak since his days at South Carolina, and while I have not given up on him yet, he really can't afford another season like this.

3) Martin Perez, LHP, Grade A-: 5.87 ERA, 88/44 K/BB in 87 innings for Double-A Frisco, 100 hits. Reports I have from Texas League sources say he just looks overmatched and has no real business at this level. Just 19 years old. Now on DL with a strained back.

4) Tanner Scheppers, RHP, Grade B+: 4.12 ERA in 55 innings for Triple-A Oklahoma City, 57/21 K/BB, 57 hits. Sharp splits in role: 2.70 ERA in 30 relief innings, 38/13 K/BB. 5.84 ERA in 25 starting innings, 19/8 K/BB. I'm not surprised by these splits.

5) Wilmer Font, RHP, Grade B: 4.35 ERA in 79 innings combined between Low-A Hickory and High-A Bakersfield, 85/45 K/BB, 73 hits. On disabled list with elbow problems. Strong K/IP ratios point to his plus stuff, but command and now health are issues.

6) Michael Main, RHP, Grade B: 3.45 ERA in 91 innings for Bakersfield, 72/21 K/BB, 87 hits. Traded to the Giants, has been murdered in Double-A, 13.83 ERA, 21 hits in 13.2 innings, awful 7/14 K/BB.

7) Mitch Moreland, 1B-OF, Grade B-: .289/.371/.484 for OKC, 47/63 BB/K in 353 at-bats. 7-for-25 in the majors so far. While he doesn't have the pure homer power of a classic corner player, his bat is polished and I think he will surprise people.

8) Kasey Kiker, LHP, Grade B-: 7.65 ERA, 42/46 K/BB in 40 innings for Frisco. Complete collapse in his command ratios is highly suspicious, and he's been on the disabled list twice this year with both elbow and shoulder problems. I thought he was underrated coming into the season, but he's really messed up right now.

9) Robbie Ross, LHP, Grade B-: 2.59 ERA, 62/20 K/BB in 94 innings for Low-A Hickory, 4.28 ERA, 25/9 K/BB in 27 innings for Bakersfield. 2.78 combined GO/AO ratio. I like him.

10) Danny Gutierrez, RHP, Grade C+: Just 22.1 innings of work between Hickory and Bakersfield, 4.43 ERA, 11/9 K/BB, 32 hits. Lost much of the season due to drug suspension because he didn't bother getting a waiver for his Adderall prescription.

11) Engel Beltre, OF, Grade C+: .331/.376/.460 for Bakersfield, .290/.346/.419 for Frisco. 13 steals on the year in 22 attempts, 17/39 BB/K in 356 at-bats. Still has remarkable tools, and has made some progress with his skills this year. Strikeout rate is low, but walk rate is even lower. His stock has risen with me but I'm not 100% sold yet.

12) Guillermo Moscoso, RHP, Grade C+: 5.46 ERA, 81/44 K/BB in 97 innings for OKC, 118 hits. He was much more effective at the same level in 2009. I think he would fit better as a reliever.

13) Max Ramirez, C, Grade C+: .268/.340/.331 in 36 games for OKC, .217/.341/.348 in 28 games in the majors. His power has completely vanished. If it doesn't come back, his status as a prospect is finished.

14) Miguel Velazquez, OF, Grade C+: .283/.350/.443 with 13 steals, 14 homers between Hickory and Bakersfield. Adapting well to full-season ball, tools are impressive but patience is a concern.

15) Omar Poveda, RHP, Grade C+: Tommy John surgery. Traded to Marlins.

16) Blake Beavan, RHP, Grade C+: 2.78 ERA in 110 innings for Frisco, 68/12 K/BB. Traded to Seattle, has pitched 29 innings between Double-A and Triple-A, with a 13/5 K/BB but 35 hits and 22 runs allowed. I love the control, but the low strikeout rate is very worrisome for me.

17) Carlos Pimentel, RHP, Grade C+: 4.82 ERA, 97/56 K/BB in 121 innings, 134 hits allowed for Bakersfield. Young at age 20. Sharp platoon splits, and much more effective on the road than at home. I think he can improve next year.

18) Robbie Erlin, LHP, Grade C+: 2.06 ERA, 100/15 K/BB in 96 innings for Hickory, 71 hits. I love this guy.

19) Tommy Mendonca, 3B, Grade C+: .233/.315/.348 in 97 games for Bakersfield. Unable to replicate college power production, fanned 105 times.

20) Vince DiFazio, C, Grade C+: Has been limited to 47 games by injury, split between AZL rehab, four games for Bakersfield, and 38 for Hickory. But they have been a good 47 games: .280/.391/.530. He's 24 but I still see him as an intriguing sleeper.

Feliz has been everything that could have reasonably been expected. I love Erlin, Beltre and Ross have made substantial progress, Moreland has been solid, and Scheppers has been excellent at times. But there are some serious disappointments here, too, and I don't like the pitching injuries. I'll be honest here and say I don't think the Rangers are really going to miss Beavan and Main all that much, but trades and injuries have thinned the system and some recharging is needed.

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Top 20 San Francisco Giants 2010 Pre-Season Prospects in Review

Date: Tue, Aug 10, 2010

More photos » Ben Margot - AP

San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

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2010 San Francisco Top 20 Prospects in Review

Here is a review of the 2010 Giants prospect list, originally published November 30, 2009. THIS IS A REVIEW OF THE OLD LIST AND PRE-SEASON GRADES. THIS IS NOT A NEW LIST. The 2011 list and new grades won't be ready until the season is over and I start writing the book.

1) Buster Posey, C, Grade A: .349/.442/.552 in Triple-A, .342/.389/.518 in the majors. I would say this qualifies as a successful debut.

2) Madison Bumgarner, LHP, Grade A-: 3.16 ERA, 59/22 K/BB in 83 innings, 88 hits in Triple-A. 3.20 ERA, 39/13 K/BB in 51 innings in the majors, 50 hits. Concerns about strikeouts/velocity have eased.

3) Thomas Neal, OF, Grade B: Warming up after a cold start, now hitting .295/.364/.439 for Double-A Richmond. Home park cuts into home run production.

4) Zack Wheeler, RHP, Grade B: 4.42 ERA, 45/25 K/BB, 2.59 GO/AO in 37 innings for Low-A Augusta. Needs to get the walks down and stay healthy, but K/IP and grounders are a strong combo.

5) Roger Kieschnick, OF, Grade B-: .251/.305/.368 for Richmond, on DL with back problems. Didn't show power on the road or at home. Plate discipline an issue.

6) Tommy Joseph, C, Grade B-: .233/.290/.403 for Augusta, 14 homers, 22 walks, 93 strikeouts in 352 at-bats. Power is interesting, needs to add polish, just 19.

7) Dan Runzler, LHP, Grade B-: 3.30 ERA, 32/19 K/BB in 30 innings, 27 hits for the Giants, 1.80 GO/AO. Needs to get the walks down but otherwise useful.

8) Waldis Joaquin, RHP, Grade B-: 3.04 ERA, 29/10 K/BB in 24 innings between Triple-A Fresno and AZL injury rehab. Hit hard in 4.2 major league innings. Will get more chances.

9) Jason Stoffel, RHP, Grade B-: 5.01 ERA, 55/16 K/BB in 41 innings for High-A San Jose, 43 hits, 1.48 GO/AO, 21 saves. I think he has the potential to improve a lot next year.

10) Francisco Peguero, OF, Grade B-: .314/.347/.477 for San Jose, 12 doubles, 14 triples, 37 steals, 16 walks, 70 strikeouts in 392 at-bats. Interesting mix of strengths and weaknesses.

11) Rafael Rodriguez, OF, Grade C+: .225/.276/.324 combined between Salem-Keizer and AZL Giants. Extremely raw tools guy, just 18.

12) Jose Casilla, RHP, Grade C+: 1.01 ERA, 35/14 K/BB in 45 innings for Augusta, 33 hits, 3.08 GO/AO. I love this profile.

13) Nick Noonan, 2B, Grade C+: .272/.316/.355 for Richmond, but this includes .322/.351/.411 mark in second half as bats on this team finally get going. Overall I'm not that impressed though; I think he ends up as a utility guy not a regular.

14) Aaron King, LHP, Grade C+: Got killed at San Jose, 7.57 ERA in 27 innings, 30/16 K/BB. Now at Salem-Keizer, pitching in relief, more control problems with 17 walks in 10 innings.

15) Henry Sosa, RHP, Grade C+: 3.84 ERA, 55/41 K/BB in 82 innings for Fresno, 71 hits but 13 homers allowed. Stock dropping, don't like the way his components are going.

16) Darren Ford, OF, Grade C+: .254/.318/.363 for Richmond, 31 steals, power limited. Hitting .337/.406/.453 in second half.

17) Clayton Tanner, LHP, Grade C+: 3.42 ERA, 64/48 K/BB in 124 innings for Richmond, 120 hits. 1.73 GO/AO, but I don't like the low strikeout rate.

18) Ehire Adrianza, SS, Grade C: .251/.329/.317 for San Jose, 26 steals. Not much of a bat, but defensive reviews are strong.

19) Conor Gillaspie, 3B, Grade C: Now up to .292/.341/.425 after a slow start for Richmond, includes .310/.356/.450 on the road. Shows more pop this year and defense has improved somewhat.

20) Brandon Crawford, SS, Grade C: .241/.337/.375 for Richmond, on DL with broken hand. Good defensive reviews.

21) Edwin Concepcion, RHP, Grade C: Egads, 7.42 ERA for Salem-Keizer, 40/32 K/BB in 44 innings, 45 hits. Serious control problems.


Giants fans have a lot to be happy about; Posey and Bumgarner have been great, and the bats at Richmond appear to be heating up. I'm not wild about the 2010 draft class though.

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2010 New York Yankees Top 20 Pre-Season Prospects in Review

Date: Tue, Aug 10, 2010

More photos » Jeff Gross - Getty Images

U.S. Futures All-Star Austin Romine #4 of the New York Yankees looks on during the 2010 XM All-Star Futures Game at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on July 11 2010 in Anaheim California. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

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2010 New York Yankees Top 20 Prospects in Review

Here is a review of the 2010 Yankees prospect list, originally published December 31, 2009. THIS IS A REVIEW OF THE OLD LIST AND PRE-SEASON GRADES. THIS IS NOT A NEW LIST. The 2011 list and new grades won't be ready until the season is over and I start writing the book.

1) Jesus Montero, C, Grade A: .277/.353/.472 overall in Triple-A, including .375/.446/.694 in his last 21 games. Still an elite bat. Defense remains rough, 14 passed balls in 84 games, thrown out 24%.

2) Austin Romine, C, Grade B: .270/.338/.401 in Double-A, fairly stout platoon splits at .880 OPS vs. lefties, .694 against right-handers. Defense needs help, has thrown out just 18% of runners.

3) Manny Banuelos, LHP, Grade B-: Pitching time limited but results impressive: 1.88 ERA, 55/15 K/BB in 38 innings, 30 hits allowed between 10 starts for High-A Tampa and two rehab outings in the GCL.

4) Zach McAllister, RHP, Grade B-: 4.81 ERA, 76/35 K/BB in 122 innings for Triple-A Scranton, 148 hits. Hitters seem to have finally caught up with his control artist.

5) Slade Heathcott, OF, Grade B-: .264/.361/.325 for Charleston in the Sally League, 11 steals. Tools type strikes out too much (61 in 50 games), but draws some walks. No power yet.

6) Mark Melancon, RHP, Grade B-: 3.41 ERA, 60/32 K/BB in 61 Triple-A innings, 68 hits, 2.67
GO/AO. Traded to Astros, I expect he will settle in as a solid reliever assuming his command improves a bit more.

7) Gary Sanchez, C, Grade C+: Tearing up the GCL, .357/.425/.602 so far in 26 games. Striking out in 26% of at-bats but his potential is obvious.

8) John "J.R." Murphy, C, Grade C+: .253/.307/.358 in 69 games for Charleston. Not showing much with bat yet. Defense needs work, has thrown out 24% of runners but made 11 errors and eight passed balls in 38 games behind the plate.

9) Kelvin De Leon, OF, Grade C+: .250/.304/.387 in 42 games for the Staten Island Yankees. Unimpressive, plate discipline is shaky, good tools.

10) D.J. Mitchell, RHP, Grade C+: 4.33 ERA for Trenton, 84/53 K/BB in 121 innings, 120 hits, 2.05 GO/AO. Not horrible, not good either, still has some potential to improve.

11) Wilkin De La Rosa, LHP, Grade C+: 5.52 ERA, 44/33 K/BB in 60 innings, 70 hits, 0.57 GO/AO. Everything has gone backwards this year.

12) David Adams, 2B, Grade C+: Great start at Trenton, .309/.393/.507 in 39 games, out with severe ankle/foot injury.

13) Corban Joseph, 2B-3B, Grade C+: .302/.378/.436 for Tampa. Just promoted to Trenton, is 6-for-24 so far. Solid year.

14) Adam Warren, RHP, Grade C+: 2.22 ERA with 67/17 K/BB in 81 innings for Tampa, 3.76 ERA with 24/9 K/BB in 26 innings for Trenton. Nothing to complain about there, a very nice season.

15) Neil Medchill, Of, Grade C+: .178/.260/.267 in 51 games for Tampa, .262/.354/.440 in 40 games for Charleston. Strikeouts a big problem, 112 in 321 at-bats.

16) David Phelps, RHP, Grade C+: 2.42 ERA, 117/30 K/BB in 127 innings between Trenton and Scranton, 109 hits allowed. Breakthrough campaign.

17) Andrew Brackman, RHP, Grade C: 5.10 ERA with 56/9 K/BB in 60 innings for Tampa, 4.53 ERA with 47/23 K/BB in 48 innings for Trenton. Has made progress with his command this year.

18) Jose Ramirez, RHP, Grade C: 3.12 ERA, 96/37 K/BB in 107 innings for Charleston, 91 hits. An impressive full-season debut.

19) Jeremy Bleich, LHP, Grade C. Torn labrum.

20) Bryan Mitchell, RHP, Grade C: 4.05 ERA, 27/18 K/BB in 33 innings for GCL Yankees, 24 hits. Unimpressive so far.


Although not everyone at the top of the old list has done well, guys like Phelps, Warren, and Ramirez look highly intriguing, and Brackman has made some progress. Watch out for Graham Stoneburner next year. Awesome name for a pitcher, good arm, great numbers this year. Montero remains the crown jewel in the system.

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Upcoming Review Schedule

Date: Tue, Aug 10, 2010

Upcoming Top 20 reviews.....Yankees, Giants, Rangers, Brewers, Red Sox

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Top 20 St. Louis Cardinals 2010 Pre-Season Prospects in Review

Date: Mon, Aug 9, 2010

More photos » Jeff Roberson - AP

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Jaime Garcia (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

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2010 St. Louis Cardinals Top 20 Prospects in Review

Here is a review of the 2010 Cardinals prospect list, originally published December 12, 2009. THIS IS A REVIEW OF THE OLD LIST AND PRE-SEASON GRADES. THIS IS NOT A NEW LIST. The 2011 list and new grades won't be ready until the season is over and I start writing the book.

1) Shelby Miller, RHP, Grade B: 3.86 ERA, 103/25 K/BB in 79 innings for Low-A Quad Cities, 79 hits allowed. Strict pitch counts keep his innings down, but you have to love the K/BB and K/IP. He's doing well.

2) Jaime Garcia, LHP, Grade B-: 2.53 ERA, 97/46 K/BB in 121 innings for the Cardinals, 113 hits. Excellent rookie season.

3) Lance Lynn, RHP, Grade B-: 5.34 ERA, 107/49 K/BB in 128 innings for Memphis, 135 hits, 17 homers. Pitched well in May and July, mediocre in April, horrible in June.

4) Robert Stock, C, Grade B- .213/.301/.269 in 249 at-bats for Quad Cities. Rookie league performance last year looks like an illusion, although he's still drawing a few walks. I wouldn't give up on him as a catcher just yet, but pitching is always an option if he can't get the bat going again.

5) Daryl Jones, OF, Grade B-: .246/.341/.359 for Double-A Springfield, 13 steals. His skills just aren't evolving in the way I had hoped.

6) Eduardo Sanchez, RHP, Grade B-: 3.10 ERA, 43/17 K/BB in 41 innings, 32 hits combined between Springfield and Memphis. Not bad at all, looks like he can be a good reliever, gets lots of grounders.

7) Allen Craig, OF, Grade B-: .322/.389/.558 in Triple-A, .205/.265/.318 in 17 major league games. He'll hit if he gets the playing time.

8) David Freese, 3B, Grade C+: .296/.361/.404 in 70 major league games. I think the power will increase in time, if he can stay healthy.

9) Jon Jay, OF, Grade C+: .321/.394/.491 in Triple-A, .371/.417/.553 in 54 major league games. He's not really that good, but he should be a solid player for a long time.

10) Joe Kelly, RHP, Grade C+ 3.38 ERA, 78/38 K/BB in 93 innings for Quad Cities, 83 hits, 3.07 GO/AO. Love the grounders, need to see him at higher levels.

11) Dan Descalso, 2B, Grade C+: .272/.349/.413 for Memphis. Blah.

12) Tyler Henley, OF, Grade C+: Started off .205/.255/.295 in 26 games for Memphis, then .367/.397/.600 in 16 games for Springfield. Now out with Tommy John surgery.

13) Blake Hawksworth, RHP, Grade C: 5.37 ERA, 45/32 K/BB in 70 major league innings, 96 hits. Obviously that's not very good.

14) Tyler Greene, SS, Grade C: .291/.362/.465 for Memphis, .265/.359/.412 in 28 major league games. Greene is quite interesting...he has very good tools but it has taken him a long time to develop skills, and he'll always strike out a lot. This is the kind of player who could have a stunningly good year at some point (say 2011 at the age of 27) then struggle to repeat it.

15) Steven Hill, C-1B, Grade C: .280/.353/.538 with 21 homers, 38 walks, 89 strikeouts for Springfield. Opinion hasn't changed; he's got a lot of pop but his plate discipline would be troublesome in the majors.

16) Pete Kozma, SS, Grade C: .237/.313/.354 in 396 at-bats for Springfield. Blah.

17) Francisco Samuel, RHP, Grade C: 3.18 ERA, 35/24 K/BB in 28 innings between Florida State, Texas, and PCL, 20 hits allowed, seven saves. Good K/IP and H/IP marks, needs to lower walks.

18) Scott Bittle, RHP, Grade C: His arm was slagged in college.

19) Mark Hamilton, 1B, Grade C: Has been limited to 57 games (48 Triple-A, nine GCL rehab) by injury but has hit well, .284/.380/.518. 26 years old now, could have a Garrett Jones-like breakthrough next year if he finds a different position or a new team.

20) Tyler Norrick, LHP, Grade C: 5.03 ERA, 42/36 K/BB in 39 innings between High-A, Double-A, and Triple-A. Nice strikeout rate, too many walks.

A blah farm system. There are some interesting older prospects who can be useful, even very good major leaguers under the right conditions, but the lack of high ceiling guys on the list beyond Miller was obvious heading into the season and even more obvious now. On the other hand, Garcia has been great, Freese wasn't bad, and the development of Jay made Ryan Ludwick expendable.

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Top 20 2010 Toronto Blue Jays Pre-Season Prospects in Review

Date: Mon, Aug 9, 2010

Nathan Denette - AP

1 day ago: Toronto Blue Jays' J.P. Arencibia hits a double to right field during the third inning of a baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays in Toronto on Saturday, Aug. 7, 2010. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Nathan Denette)

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2010 Toronto Blue Jays Top 20 Prospects in Review

Here is a review of the 2010 Blue Jays prospect list, originally published December 23, 2009. THIS IS A REVIEW OF THE OLD LIST AND PRE-SEASON GRADES. THIS IS NOT A NEW LIST. The 2011 list and new grades won't be ready until the season is over and I start writing the book.

1) Brett Wallace, 1B-3B, Grade B+: .301/.359/.509 for Vegas, 6-for-21 so far since being traded to Houston. His plate discipline has slipped and as first baseman now he really has to hit, but I wonder if there has been a bit of an overreaction with his reputation. But on the other hand, for some reason he's been traded three times now. Seems a bit odd.

2) Zach Stewart, RHP, Grade B+: 3.67 ERA, 92/48 K/BB in 115 innings for Double-A New Hampshire, 108 hits. Much better recently after a slow start. I took a gamble rating him so highly but I don't regret it.

3) Kyle Drabek, RHP, Grade B+: 2.92 ERA, 110/54 K/BB in 142 innings, 110 hits for New Hampshire. I'll rank him slightly ahead of Stewart now.

4) Travis d'Arnaud, C, Grade B: .259/.315/.411 for High-A Dunedin. Has caught 30% of runners, other defensive stats are strong. Would like to see an offensive step forward next year.

5) Chad Jenkins, RHP, Grade B-: 3.63 ERA, 64/13 K/BB in 79 innings, 87 hits for Low-A Lansing, 4.66 ERA, 30/10 K/BB in 46 innings for Dunedin, 55 hits. Great K/BB ratios, but quite hittable. Gets ground balls at least.

6) David Cooper, 1B, Grade B-: .238/.306/.417 for New Hampshire. More homers this year with 15, but at the expense of OBP. Stock is slipping very quickly.

7) Josh Roenicke, RHP, Grade C+: 3.53 ERA, 44/17 K/BB in 43 innings for Las Vegas, 4.97 ERA, 12/11 K/BB in 13 innings in the majors. Has the stuff, but command still a big problem and he's 28 now.

8) Henderson Alvarez, RHP, Grade C+: 4.12 ERA, 74/24 K/BB in 103 innings for Dunedin, 127 hits. Gets grounders, hittable, good command, young at 20. Breakthrough candidate for next year.

9) Carlos Perez, C, Grade C+: .302/.389/.481 for Auburn in the NY-P. I am liking this one a lot, will rank highly on next list.

10) Brad Mills, LHP, Grade C+: 4.20 ERA, 85/39 K/BB in 96 innings for Vegas, 92 hits. Pretty solid numbers considering the environment.

11) Jake Marisnick, OF, Grade C+: .287/.373/.459 in 35 games for GCL Jays, just up to Lansing where he is .233/.258/.367 so far in eight games. 15 steals in 17 attempts combined. Love the tools. Plate discipline a question.

12) Eric Thames, OF, Grade C+: .287/.366/.514, 21 homers, 42 walks, 100 strikeouts in 418 at-bats for New Hampshire. Showed what he can do when he is healthy. Should be strong platoon bat.

13) Brad Emaus, 2B, Grade C+: .287/.403/.472 between New Hampshire and Vegas, 68/57 BB/K in 341 at-bats. Love the bat control and plate discipline, tools decent.

14) Ryan Schimpf, 2B, Grade C+: .234/.329/.414 for Lansing, six homers but 10 triples and 22 doubles. Some gap power, but I thought he could do better than this.

15) Dan Farquhar, RHP, Grade C+: 4.34 ERA, 63/35 K/BB in 58 innings for New Hampshire, 44 hits. Like the Ks and the low Hs, needs to get the walks down.

16) Robert Bell, RHP, Grade C+: 6.24 ERA at New Hampshire, 34/12 K/BB in 49 innings, 63 hits, 11 homers. Now on rehab assignment following injury.

17) J.P. Arencibia, C, Grade C: .303/.360/.639 for Las Vegas, went 4-for-5 with two homers in his first game with the Jays. I was very skeptical about him entering 2010. His numbers last year were quite poor, and when I saw him in person for Vegas last year he looked awful, flailing at everything. He's improved greatly this year without question, although I do wonder what his batting average will look like long-term, though it won't matter much with firepower of this magnitude.

18) Justin Jackson, SS, Grade C: .232/.312/.290 for Lansing in 155 AB, 18 walks, 50ks. No skill growth at all. Despite his tools and the fact that he is still just 21, I no longer see much reason for optimism.

19) Reidier Gonzalez, RHP, Grade C: This didn't go so hot....8.63 ERA, 74/53 K/BB, 200 hits in 122 innings between Vegas and New Hampshire.

20) Tim Collins, LHP, Grade C: Traded to Braves then Royals. 2.10 ERA, 91/22 K/BB in 56 innings, 33 hits combined between New Hampshire, Mississippi, and Omaha. Expect to see him in KC next year and I think he'll do well.

The big news of course is Arencibia, who got some command of the strike zone and unleashed his power. He looked so bad last year at Vegas, in person and on paper, that I was very doubtful he could do this. Carlos Perez is also an interesting young catcher, and the Stewart/Drabek combo should be able to help next year. I like Thames a lot. Too bad about Justin Jackson though.

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2010 San Diego Padres Top 20 Pre-Season Prospects in Review

Date: Sun, Aug 8, 2010

More photos » Lenny Ignelzi - AP

San Diego Padres shortstop Lance Zawadzki (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)

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2010 San Diego Padres Top 20 Prospects in Review

Here is a review of the 2010 Padres prospect list, originally published December 7, 2009. THIS IS A REVIEW OF THE OLD LIST AND PRE-SEASON GRADES. THIS IS NOT A NEW LIST. The 2011 list and new grades won't be ready until the season is over and I start writing the book.

1) Donavan Tate, OF, Grade B+: Hitting .227/.343/.352 in 24 games in rookie ball, 40 strikeouts in 88 at-bats. He's swiped seven bases in eight attempts and has drawn some walks, but his strikeout rate is unacceptably high. The tools are here, but he is very very raw, and the constant injuries haven't helped.

2) Simon Castro, RHP, Grade B+: 3.07 ERA, 87/31 K/BB in 106 innings for Double-A San Antonio, 87 hits. I wish his strikeout rate was a bit higher but overall he's having another good season.

3) James Darnell, 3B, Grade B: .242/.327/.377 in 73 games for San Antonio. Good plate discipline, 31/43 BB/K in 265 at-bats, but injuries and lack of power have hurt his stock.

4) Jaff Decker, OF, Grade B: .243/.349/.451 for High-A Lake Elsinore, 37/73 BB/K in 257 at-bats. I don't like the deterioration in his BB/K this year, but he's done better after a slow start, hitting .285/.413/.556 in his last 40 games with a 29/32 BB/K.

5) Wynn Pelzer, RHP, Grade B: 4.20 ERA, 83/56 K/BB in 94 innings for San Antonio, 102 hits. Traded to Orioles, being used in relief at Bowie, 5/1 K/BB in first four innings. I still like him despite some command troubles this year.

6) Everett Williams, OF, Grade B: .226/.324/.334 with 41/110 BB/K in 296 at-bats for Low-A Fort Wayne. Eaten up by strikeouts so far.

7) Logan Forsythe, 3B, Grade B-: .269/.394/.357 in 283 at-bats for San Antonio, 58 walks, 71 strikeouts in 283 at-bats, 12 steals. Steals and high walk rate are good to see, adapting ok to new position at second base, lack of power notable. Still see him as a possible Joe Randa.

8) Edinson Rincon, 3B, Grade B-: .259/.322/.395 for Fort Wayne, 35 walks, 73 strikeouts, nine homers, 27 doubles in 413 at-bats. Just 19 years old, I still think he has considerable potential.

9) Cory Luebke, LHP, Grade C+: 3.06 ERA, 70/22 K/BB in 88 innings between Double-A and Triple-A Portland, 67 hits allowed. Having a solid campaign.

10) Aaron Poreda, LHP, Grade C+: Has walked 58 in 49 innings between Double-A and Triple-A. Unless that improves he'll never live up to his potential.

11) Lance Zawadski, SS, Grade C+: .231/.298/.298 in 61 games in Triple-A, .200/.300/.257 in 20 games in the majors. I still think he could be a very interesting player.

12) Rymer Liriano, OF, Grade C+: Hit .191/.234/.293 in 50 games for Fort Wayne, sent down to Eugene in June and has hit .292/.339/.404. 28 steals overall. Strike zone judgment is weak.

13) Sawyer Carroll, OF, Grade C+: .242/.323/.339 for San Antonio, 45 walks, 99 strikeouts in 384 at-bats. Other than drawing some walks he's not doing much.

14) Drew Cumberland, INF, Grade C+: .365/.404/.542 with 20 steals in 60 games for Lake Elsinore. Hurt his knee shortly after being promoted to San Antonio. Very promising player if he can avoid the doctors.

15) Kellen Kulbacki, OF, Grade C+: .215/.284/.319 in 39 games for San Antonio before hurting his shoulder again. Hasn't been healthy in two years.

16) Adys Portillo, RHP, Grade C+: 6.21 ERA with 36/29 K/BB in 38 innings for Eugene, 38 hits. Good strikeout rate, but command problems have been serious this year.

17) Keyvius Sampson, RHP, Grade C+: 3.10 ERA, 54/15 K/BB in 41 innings for Eugene, 29 hits. I love this guy; his stock is rising strongly with me.

18) Jonathan Galvez, SS, Grade C+: .239/.346/.359 for Fort Wayne, 48 walks, 15 steals. Strikeout rate is too high (97 in 88 games) but I still think he could turn into a good player.

19) Jerry Sullivan, RHP, Grade C+: 4.50 ERA, 78/25 K/BB in 94 innings, 103 hits for Fort Wayne. I thought he could do better than this.

20) Eric Sogard, 2B, Grade C+: Traded to Oakland, hitting .299/.385/.384 with 55/50 BB/K in 401 at-bats in Triple-A. A pretty decent season though he lacks power.

21) Jeremy Hefner, RHP, Grade C+: 2.76 ERA, 84/27 K/BB in 131 innings for San Antonio, 118 hits. A solid season with little to complain about, though I'd like more strikeouts.

The Padres got a lot of praise from traditionalists last year for drafting tools players Tate and Williams. Unfortunately both have been unimpressive this year. Of course, many of the more statheady players haven't had great campaigns, either. I thought this system was hugely underrated heading into the season, but it hasn't been a wonderful year.

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Top 20 Review Upcoming Schedule

Date: Sat, Aug 7, 2010

Upcoming teams....Padres, Blue Jays, Cardinals, Yankees, Giants, Rangers.

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2010 Chicago White Sox Pre-Season Top 20 Prospects in Review

Date: Sat, Aug 7, 2010

More photos » Jonathan Daniel - Getty Images

Dayan Viciedo of the Chicago White Sox (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

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2010 Chicago White Sox Top 20 Prospects in Review

Here is a review of the 2010 White Sox prospect list, originally published December 9, 2009. THIS IS A REVIEW OF THE OLD LIST AND PRE-SEASON GRADES. THIS IS NOT A NEW LIST. The 2011 list and new grades won't be ready until the season is over and I start writing the book.

1) Dan Hudson, RHP, Grade B+: 3.47 ERA, 108/31 K/BB in 93 innings in Triple-A, 81 hits. 2-1, 4.56 with 18/12 K/BB in 24 innings so far in the majors. The White Sox will regret trading him.

2) Jared Mitchell, OF, Grade B: Missed entire season with nasty ankle injury. Rehab reportedly going well.

3) Tyler Flowers, C, Grade B: .220/.326/.447, 16 homers, 106 strikeouts in 83 games for Triple-A Charlotte. Has drawn some walks but strikeouts are eating him up. Stock dropping.

4) Brent Morel, 3B, Grade B-: .313/.354/.439 combined between Double-A and Triple-A. Doesn't hit for much home run power and his walk rate is low this year, but has good contact hitting skills and a strong glove.

5) Jordan Danks, OF, Grade C+: .241/.314/.371 with 14 steals, 34 walks, 117 strikeouts in 340 at-bats for Triple-A Charlotte. Eaten up with contact issues. For some reason I still think he can improve, but that's intuitive not objective.

6) Dayan Viciedo, 3B, Grade C+: .290/.329/.525 in Triple-A, .328/.328/.552 in 23 games in the majors. Completely unable to draw walks but it hasn't hurt him this year.

7) David Holmberg, LHP, Grade C+: 4.57 ERA, 32/11 K/BB in 45 innings in the Pioneer League, 59 hits. Traded to Arizona along with Hudson in the Jackson deal. Just 19, has a chance to improve.

8) C.J. Retherford, 2B, Grade C+: .197/.249/.296 between Charlotte and Birmingham. Horrible year, no way to spin it otherwise. Hit well in Double-A in 2009 so rebound is possible, but at age 24 his window is small.

9) Christian Marrero, 1B-OF, Grade C+: .257/.356/.362 for Birmingham, 59 walks, 67 strikeouts in 378 at-bats. Controls the zone well, but no power this year. Not what you want from a corner player.

10) Santos Rodriguez, LHP, Grade C+: 3.57 ERA, 59/32 K/BB in 40 innings for High-A Winston-Salem, 27 hits. Excellent K/IP and H/IP ratios, but walk rate is much too high.

11) Miguel Gonzalez, C, Grade C+: .205/.250/.275 for Low-A Kannapolis. No power, bad plate discipline, unable to replicate '09 Appy League success. Good glove, has thrown out 51% of runners. Just 19.

12) Jhonny Nunez, RHP, Grade C+: Decent as Double-A starter (3.71 ERA,38/17 K/BB in 51 innings) but poor as Triple-A reliever (6.35 ERA, 28/14 K/BB in 28 innings, 32 hits).

13) Josh Phegley, C, Grade C+: Just 16 games at Winston Salem due to injury, hitting .259/.306/.310. Sample too small to mean much.

14) John Ely, RHP, Grade C: Traded to Dodgers after I did this list. 4.63 ERA in 14 starts for the Dodgers, 59/25 K/BB in 80 innings, 80 hits. A non-horrible rookie season.

15) John Shelby, OF, Grade C: .240/.287/.399, 12 steals, 20 walks, 93 strikeouts in 89 games for Birmingham. The skills just aren't developing.

16) Tracye Thompson, OF, Grade C: .236/.296/.458 in 39 games for Kannapolis before going on DL in late May with a thumb injury that required surgery. Good power, bad plate discipline, young enough to improve at age 19.

17) Clevelan Santeliz, RHP, Grade C: 5.30 ERA, 32/22 K/BB in 36 innings for Charlotte, 32 hits. Decent strikeout rate, but command issues hold him back.

18) Lucas Harrell, RHP, Grade C: 4.24 ERA, 73/53 K/BB in 119 innings for Charlotte, 114 hits, 1.65 GO/AO. Typical ground ball guy with low strikeout rate, possible inning-eater.

19) Brandon Hynick, RHP, Grade C: Effective at Birmingham (2.36 ERA in 10 starts) but not so at Charlotte (6.21 ERA in six starts, 36 hits in 29 innings). Lack of plus stuff and low strikeout rate are handicaps despite his good control.

20) Carlos Torres, RHP, Grade C: 3.41ERA, 122/57 K/BB in 129 innings for Charlotte, 103 hits. Older prospect at age 27, but usually effective in the minors. Could still be useful utility pitcher.


Hudson is one of my favorites. Mitchell is too; I just hope the injury doesn't cost him his speed. The Sox system looked thin to me pre-season and struggles from several guys on this list don't help. I don't know what to expect from Viciedo; I just can't see him being consistently successful with so little patience. Could he be a Vlad Guerrero/Kirby Puckett type who can get away with impatience early in their career due to a lightning quick bat?

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Top 20 2010 Pre-Season Chicago Cubs Prospects in Review

Date: Fri, Aug 6, 2010

More photos » John Smierciak - AP

Chicago Cubs shortstop Starlin Castro (AP Photo/John Smierciak)

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2010 Chicago Cubs Top 20 Prospects in Review

Here is a review of the 2010 Cubs prospect list, originally published December 29, 2009. THIS IS A REVIEW OF THE OLD LIST AND PRE-SEASON GRADES. THIS IS NOT A NEW LIST. The 2011 list and new grades won't be ready until the season is over and I start writing the book.

1) Starlin Castro, SS, Grade B+: .318/.364/.458 in the majors. I liked him a lot pre-season, but was worried that he might be a bit overhyped and was being rushed. I was wrong about that; he's been excellent, farbetter than could reasonably have been expected given his age and experience level.

2) Josh Vitters, 3B, Grade B+: .291/.350/.445 in 28 games for Class A Daytona, but just .223/.292/.383 in 63 games for Double-A Tennessee. Young for the level at age 20. I'm not sure what to make of him at this point. On the DL with a broken hand.

3) Brett Jackson, OF, Grade B: .316/.420/.517 for Daytona, .284/.391/.466 for Tennessee, 61 walks total, 23 steals. Love the speed/OBP combination, and his power is coming along. Strikeout rate is high, but that's the only real negative. Stock up with me.

4) Jay Jackson, RHP, Grade B: 4.19 ERA, 86/37 K/BB in 118 innings for Iowa, 105 hits. Has pitched brilliantly at times, but erratic. Looked great in brief relief trial. I still like him.

5) Andrew Cashner, RHP, Grade B: 2.05 ERA, 59/15 K/BB in 57 innings between Double-A and Triple-A. 5.83 ERA, 19/16 K/BB in 29 innings in the majors with command issues. Nothing wrong with the stuff.

6) Hak-Ju Lee, SS, Grade B: .286/.359/.361 for Low-A Peoria, 29 steals. Not a lot of power, but making contact and holding his own at age 19. Defensive reviews from scouts remain good despite rather high error rate.

7) Chris Carpenter, RHP, Grade B-: 3.21 ERA, 82/42 K/BB in 101 innings, 105 hits in Double-A, 1.69 GO/AO. I still think he can/will sneak up on us.

8) Kyler Burke, OF, Grade B-: .227/.297/.361 for Daytona, 36 walks, 105 strikeouts in 410 at-bats. I thought he made real progress last year but it looks like I was wrong about that.

9) Ryan Flaherty, INF, Grade B-: .183/.286/.254 in 23 Double-A games, then .286/.348/.459 in 79 High-A games. Will try again in Double-A next year. See him as more of a solid player than a future star.

10) D.J. LeMahieu, INF, Grade C+: .298/.333/.370 in 106 games for Daytona, 14 steals. Just one homer. College concerns about level swing/lack of home run power with wood look justified.

11) Brooks Raley, LHP, Grade C+: 4.29 ERA, 73/39 K/BB in 105 innings for Daytona, 121 hits. Tale of two seasons, 5.93 ERA with 26 walks in 55 innings pre-All-Star Break, then 2.50 ERA with 12 walks in 50 innings afterward.

12) Logan Watkins, 2B, Grade C+: .253/.337/.321 in 88 games for Peoria, 17 steals, 41 walks in 336 at-bats. No power.

13) Esmailin Caridad, RHP, Grade C+: Has missed almost entire season with elbow injury.

14) Blake Parker, RHP, Grade C+: 4.58 ERA, 46/29 K/BB in 53 innings between Double-A and Triple-A. I thought he was a nice bullpen sleeper, but held back by command problems.

15) John Gaub, LHP, Grade C+: Another guy with command problems in Triple-A, 6.52 ERA with 38/25 K/BB in 29 innings. Lots of strikeouts, too many walks.

16) Matt Spencer, OF, Grade C+: .281/.333/.486 in 92 games between Daytona and Tennessee, 16 homers. Plate discipline is mediocre and he's already 24 but he's got some pop.

17) Dae-Eun Rhee, RHP, Grade C+: 4.25 ERA, 65/33 K/BB in 104 innings, 99 hits for Daytona, 1.58 GO/AO. Not great, but at least he's healthy after recovering from Tommy John. Would like to see higher strikeout rate.

18) Casey Coleman, RHP, Grade C+: 4.07 ERA, 59/35 K/BB in 117 innings for Iowa, 106 hits. Throws strikes, but poor K/IP is not a good sign for his future.

19) Tyler Colvin, OF, Grade C: .258/.319/.535 with 17 homers for the Cubs. I clearly underrated him here, thinking that major league pitchers would carve him up due to impatience.

20) Jeff Beliveau, LHP, Grade C: 2.77 ERA, 78/25 K/BB in 52 innings between Peoria and Daytona. Love the strikeouts. Relief sleeper.

Castro has been awesome, Colvin has been a lot better than I'd thought he'd be, and Brett Jackson has had a great breakout, three things for Cubs fans to be very happy about.

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