I’ve been watching top prospect lists all winter and am ready to reveal the Top 10 Prospects by Team. I’ve looked at other rankings and have arranged guys by those score and my own feelings on them. I’m releasing these by division; each team will have a top 10 with a quick note about the system and a sleeper. After all the division lists have been released, I’ll rank the organizations and give my top 100 prospects.
First up, the…
NL East
Braves
1. Jason Heyward
2. Tommy Hanson
3. Jordan Schafer
4. Freddie Freeman
5. Gorkys Hernandez
6. Cole Rohrbough
7. Julio Teheran
8. Jeff Locke
9. Kris Medlin
10. Randall Delgado
The Braves system is strong as always. They have a lot of projectable pitchers. I think they could have pulled off a deal for Jake Peavy and not killed the depth in the system. I’d say the top 5 guys right now will be regulars in the majors. My sleeper here is Gorkys Hernandez; he’s not as big named as Heyward or Schafer, but he’ll probably be the best bet to stick at centerfield.
Marlins
1. Cameron Maybin
2. Logan Morrison
3. Michael Stanton
4. Matt Dominguez
5. Kyle Skipworth
6. Sean West
7. Ryan Tucker
8. Jose Ceda
9. Chris Coghlan
10. John Raynor
The Marlins are another deep system; instead of just using the draft (like the Braves), the Marlins also have made some good trades. A few of these guys will be up soon – Maybin could be starting on opening day. My sleeper here is Jose Ceda; he could be closing by the end of 2010.
Mets
1. Fernando Martinez
2. Wilmer Flores
3. Jon Niese
4. Dan Murphy
5. Brad Holt
6. Jefry Marte
7. Reese Havens
8. Jenrry Mejia
9. Bobby Parnell
10. Nick Evans
The Mets system has 2 strong players at the top, then a lot of interchangable ones. Martinez will be a regular before the end of the season, while Flores will take a little more time. My sleeper pick here is Jon Niese; he’ll be a solid back end starter that could be a regular this season if there is an injury.
Nationals
1. Jordan Zimmerman
2. Ross Detwiler
3. Michael Burgess
4. Chris Marrero
5. Graham Hicks
6. Jack McGeary
7. Stephen King
8. Derek Norris
9. Esmailyn Gonzalez
10. Danny Espinosa
This system is pretty barren, but getting better than it was. Zimmerman is probably the only lock to be a regular; the next few guys are on the fence and could end up bench/bullpen guys if they can’t player everyday or start. Esmailyn Gonzalez takes a hit by being a few years older than he was saying. My sleeper here is Ross Detwiler – he’s probably going to be in the bullpen, but he’ll be a quality arm there.
Phillies
1. Carlos Carrasco
2. Jason Donald
3. Michael Taylor
4. Dominic Brown
5. Lou Marson
6. Travis D’Arnaud
7. Kyle Drabek
8. JA Happ
9. Zach Collier
10. Joe Savery
I really like the guys the Phillies have. Carrasco is a top of the rotation starter, if healthy. I’d expect to see him get a few starts this season. The rest of the top 10 can be anything from bench players to every day guys, with an All Star or 2 mixed in. The sleeper here is Kyle Drabek. He’s going to be in his first full season since Tommy John surgery; if he can prove he’s healthy, he could be the #2 guy next year.
Second in line is the…
AL East
Blue Jays
1. Travis Snider
2. Brett Cecil
3. JP Arencibia
4. David Cooper
5. Justin Jackson
6. Brad Mills
7. Kevin Ahrens
8. Ricky Romero
9. Mark Rzepczynski
10. Brad Emaus
I think the top 3 guys of the system have the potential to be All Stars. Snider has already pushed Adam Lind out of the way and will be starting opening day. The next 5 guys have the potential to be major league regulars. I think this system is underrated. My sleeper is Ricky Romero. He’s a healthy season away from a major jump in these rankings.
Orioles
1. Matt Wieters
2. Chris Tillman
3. Brian Matusz
4. Jake Arrieta
5. Nolan Reimold
6. Brandon Erbe
7. Brandon Snyder
8. Billy Rowell
9. Chorye Spoone
10. David Hernandez
If Baltimore could sign the right free agents, they’ll be the next Rays. They have a very strong system right now. Wieters is one of the 2 best prospects in baseball. The next three could be in the rotation in that order in 2010. My sleeper is Billy Rowell. The former first round pick has fallen flat so far, but my gut is telling me he’ll have a good season.
Rays
1. David Price
2. Tim Beckham
3. Wade Davis
4. Reid Brignac
5. Desmond Jennings
6. Jeff Niemann
7. Jeremy Hellickson
8. Nick Barnese
9. Matt Moore
10. Jacob McGee
The Rays are almost a model organization now. They’ve been successful at finding talent in the draft, and they continue to do so. They’ll be able to continue to move players for other needs (see Edwin Jackson) because they have players at all positions developing. My sleeper here is Reid Brignac; he’s slipped on the prospect charts, but he’ll force his way into the Majors in the second half.
Red Sox
1. Lars Anderson
2. Michael Bowden
3. Daniel Bard
4. Josh Reddick
5. Junichi Tazawa
6. Nick Hagadone
7. Ryan Westmoreland
8. Michael Almanzar
9. Casey Kelly
10. Ryan Kalish
Pretty much everything I’ve said about Baltimore and Tampa Bay applies here. Good depth – check. Strong system – check. Pitching – check. Sleeper here is Junichi Tazawa; he was expected to be the first pick in the Japanese draft, but he told the teams he didn’t want to play in Japan. I’m thinking he’ll be a middle of the rotation starter in a few years.
Yankees
1. Jesus Montero
2. Austin Jackson
3. Dellin Betances
4. Andrew Brackman
5. Zach McAllister
6. Austin Romine
7. Mark Melancon
8. Phil Coke
9. Alfredo Aceves
10. Humberto Sanchez
While the system is better than it was 3 years ago, I still think it’s overrated. Montero and Jackson have a lot of potential, but it falls off quick. Betances could be great, but he’s still young. Most of the pitchers won’t make it past the bullpen. My sleeper is Humberto Sanchez. He was the main prospect in the deal that sent Gary Sheffield to Detroit. Sanchez is coming back from Tommy John surgery, so if the velocity is back, he’s got the potential to be the closer when Mariano retires.
On to the…
NL Central
Astros
1. Jason Castro
2. Brian Bogusevic
3. Bud Norris
4. Jordan Lyles
5. Ross Seaton
6. Chris Johnson
7. Felipe Paulino
8. Drew Sutton
9. Samuel Gervacio
10. Chia-Jen Lo
Hands down, the weakest system in baseball. When your second best prospect is attempting a Rick Ankiel impersonation, it shows that there isn’t much there. It’s hard to pick a sleeper here, so I’ll go with Felipe Paulino. He’s got limited MLB experience, so if he can build on that, he’s a solid #5 starter.
Brewers
1. Alcides Escobar
2. Mat Gamels
3. Brett Lawrie
4. Jeremy Jeffress
5. Angel Salome
6. Lorenzo Cain
7. Jake Odorizzi
8. Jon Lucroy
9. Cutter Dykstra
10. Cole Gillespie
Even after trading Matt LaPorta for the CC Sabathia rental (and second round pick), the Brewers still have a few elite prospects. The top 5 can all be great contributors, while the next 3 have a good shot to be regulars. My sleeper pick is Jake Odorizzi; he’s young, but has middle of the rotation potential. I’d expect him up in 2012.
Cardinals
1. Colby Rasmus
2. Brett Wallace
3. Chris Perez
4. Daryl Jones
5. Bryan Anderson
6. Jason Motte
7. Jess Todd
8. Jaime Garcia
9. David Freese
10. Jon Jay
This is the system I know best in baseball; I probably could have done a top 50. They’ve come a long way since Jeff Luhnow took over the drafts. Rasmus is a star in the making, and Wallace could be too if he can stick at third. My sleeper is Jon Jay; he’s a pure centerfielder. He’ll stick at a corner though with the Cardinals since Colby’s bat profiles more as a corner outfielder.
Cubs
1. Josh Vitters
2. Jeff Samardzija
3. Andrew Cashner
4. Ryan Flaherty
5. Jay Jackson
6. Hak-Ju Lee
7. Dae-Eun Rhee
8. Starlin Castro
9. Wellington Castillo
10. Tyler Colvin
The Cubs are in the bottom 3rd of systems. Vitters and Samardzija will be stars and Cashner will be a regular, but I don’t like what they have after that. Flaherty and Jackson could be alright players, but after that there really isn’t a whole lot (at this time). My sleeper is Tyler Colvin; he’s got the potential to jump up the list.
Pirates
1. Pedro Alvarez
2. Andrew McCutchen
3. Jose Tabata
4. Bryan Morris
5. Neil Walker
6. Robbie Grossman
7. Jordy Mercer
8. Jeff Sues
9. Evan Meek
10. Shelby Ford
The Pirates scored big time getting Pedro Alvarez in the draft; it’s a sign that the current management is moving the franchise in the right direction. This system should be full of top prospects (or more young stars in the MLB roster), but most of their picks have been wasted on signability rather than talent. At this point, they are middle of the pack; if they continue to draft and make smart trades, it should jump up. My sleeper is Neil Walker. The former catcher has slid down the rankings the last few years, but I expect him to get a shot if/when Andy LaRoche fails this season.
Reds
1. Yonder Alonso
2. Todd Frazier
3. Drew Stubbs
4. Chris Valaika
5. Neftali Soto
6. Josh Roenicke
7. Zach Stewart
8. Kyle Lotzker
9. Juan Francisco
10. Yorman Rodriguez
I think the Reds system is a little underrated. They’ve produced some good players in the last year, and have more that are moving up the system. Alonso is solid, but may be without a position if Joey Votto continues to improve. My sleeper is Todd Frazier; there are questions about his defense, but I think he’ll either stick at third or move to the outfield.
This week we start with the…
AL Central
Indians
1. Matt LaPorta
2. Carlos Santana
3. Adam Miller
4. Nick Weglarz
5. Beau Mills
6. Hector Rondon
7. David Huff
8. Lonnie Chisenhall
9. Kelvin de la Cruz
10. Carlos Rivero
The system got a lift last season by trading Casey Blake, CC Sabathia, and Paul Byrd – LaPorta and Santana came in those deals. Miller has potential to be an ace if healthy. My sleeper here is Lonnie Chisenhall; he’s made some bad choices in college, but I expect him to make a large leap forward this year.
Royals
1. Mike Moustakas
2. Eric Hosmer
3. Daniel Cortes
4. Kila Ka’aihue
5. Daniel Duffy
6. Tim Melville
7. Dan Gutierrez
8. Michael Montgomery
9. Carlos Rosa
10. Blake Wood
The Royals have really started to draft well; they got 2 first round caliber players last draft with only 1 first round pick. The first 3 have the potential to play every day (or every fifth day for Cortes). Ka’aihue saw some MLB action last year, but is blocked by similar players. The sleeper here is Tim Mehlville; drafted out of high school, he’s got great stuff on his pitches. He was expected to go in the first round, but injuries and bonus demands dropped him to the Royals in the fourth round.
Tigers
1. Rick Porcello
2. Ryan Perry
3. Brett Jacobson
4. Casey Crosby
5. Wilkin Ramirez
6. Jeff Larish
7. Cale Iorg
8. Cody Satterwhite
9. Scott Sizemore
10. Dusty Ryan
This is a weak system; most of the better prospects were used to bring in Miguel Cabrera and Edgar Renteria. Now, after Porcello, they have mostly questions marks. My sleeper for the Tigers is Ryan Perry; I think he’ll end up in the MLB bullpen by the end of the year.
Twins
1. Aaron Hicks
2. Ben Revere
3. Wilson Ramos
4. Danny Valencia
5. Jose Mijares
6. Shooter Hunt
7. Kevin Mulvey
8. Angel Morales
9. Carlos Gutierrez
10. Anthony Swarzak
The Twins system hasn’t seem like it has been bad in 10 years; it’s still that way. Hicks and Revere will be stars. Any of the rest of the list could be regulars. I’m a big fan of Anthony Swarzak as a sleeper; he’s got something to prove after failing a drug test last year. I expect to see him in Minnesota in 2010.
White Sox
1. Gordon Beckham
2. Aaron Poreda
3. Tyler Flowers
4. Brandon Allen
5. Jordan Danks
6. Dayan Viciedo
7. John Shelby Jr
8. Chris Getz
9. Clayton Richard
10. Dexter Carter
Another weak system. Beckham and Poreda look good, and Flowers and Danks have some potential. It’s hard to say how Viciedo will end up; if a few years, he could be the next big Latin American Prospect, or he could be the next has been trying to get back in winter ball. My sleeper is Chris Getz; he’s got a shot to be the starting second baseman this season.
Coming up next, the…
NL West
Diamondbacks
1. Jarrod Parker
2. Daniel Schlereth
3. Gerardo Parra
4. Mark Hallberg
5. Wade Miley
6. Cesar Valdez
7. Kevin Eichhorn
8. Trevor Harden
9. Reynaldo Navarro
10. Collin Cowgill
Outside of Jarrod Parker, I see a lot of question marks; most guys could go either way. It’s not surprising their system is at this point, as they’ve promoted a lot of players the last 3 years. I expect that this system will be towards the top of the rankings this time next year. My sleeper is Daniel Schlereth; the local product will be a quick riser and a force out of the bullpen.
Dodgers
1. James McDonald
2. Ivan DeJesus Jr
3. Andrew Lambo
4. Ethan Martin
5. Scott Elbert
6. Josh Lindbloom
7. Devaris Gordon
8. Ramon Troncoso
9. Austin Gallagher
10. Josh Bell
This system isn’t as deep as it used to be. The top 5 here will be good players; after that, I’m not sure. They always have strong drafts always promote the right player. They’re at a point of restocking, which they will do in the draft. My sleeper is Scott Elbert; he’ll be the first one called up if someone in the bullpen goes down.
Giants
1. Madison Bumgarner
2. Buster Posey
3. Tim Alderson
4. Angel Villalona
5. Pablo Sandoval
6. Conor Gillaspie
7. Henry Sosa
8. Nick Noonan
9. Travis Ishikawa
10. Rafael Rodriguez
This is the top system of their division. Bumgarner is going to fit right in with Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, and Jonathan Sanchez in the future. The others in the top 10 have potential to be MLB regulars. My sleeper is Travis Ishikawa; a strong spring and he could be the starting first baseman.
Padres
1. Kyle Blanks
2. Kellen Kulbacki
3. Mat Latos
4. Jaff Decker
5. Cedric Hunter
6. Allan Dykstra
7. Matt Antonelli
8. Adis Portillo
9. James Darnell
10. Will Inman
The Padres are in the process of rebuilding their system, much like there major league team. They’ve taken a few safe picks in recent draft and are building up depth in their system. They don’t have that future super star, but they have plenty of role players that could mature into more. My sleeper is Mat Latos; he got the potential to jump up to the majors by the end of the season and hold his own.
Rockies
1. Dexter Fowler
2. Jhoulys Chacin
3. Christian Friedrich
4. Wilin Rosario
5. Casey Weathers
6. Hector Gomez
7. Michael McKenry
8. Charles Blackmon
9. Aneury Rodriguez
10. Connor Graham
The Rockies’ system is top heavy with prospects, then falls off a little. Fowler is a top 10 prospect in baseball. Chacin is a fast riser. My sleeper is Casey Weathers; if he’s healthy and Manny Corpas and/or Huston Street fails as the closer, he could be ready to step in.
And finally, the…
AL West
Angels
1. Jordan Walden
2. Nick Adenhart
3. Hank Conger
4. Trevor Reckling
5. Will Smith
6. Peter Pourjos
7. Kevin Jepsen
8. Mark Trumbo
9. Sean O’Sullivan
10. Anthony Ortega
I’m a little torn on this system; they guys at the top are going to be stars. From 5 down, they have tons of potential but I’m worried that the potential won’t develop like everyone hopes. If they do, the Angels will continue to thrive; if not, they’ll just have to buy more players. My sleeper is Hank Conger; injuries have slowed him down, but look for him to take over the catching duties in 2010.
Athletics
1. Brett Anderson
2. Trevor Cahill
3. Michael Inoa
4. Gio Gonzalez
5. Aaron Cunningham
6. Adrian Cardenas
7. Jemile Weeks
8. Sean Doolittle
9. Vin Mazzaro
10. Henry Rodriguez
This system had slipped a little until Billy Beane worked more of his magic; Anderson, Gonzalez, Cunningham, and Cardenas came through trades. The system is full of players who will make it to the majors. My sleeper is Gio Gonzalez; he got a taste of the majors last year, but I’m expecting him to make an impact in the rotation this year.
Mariners
1. Greg Halman
2. Carlos Triunfel
3. Phillipe Aumont
4. Michael Saunders
5. Josh Fields
6. Juan Ramirez
7. Adam Moore
8. Michael Pineda
9. Jharmindy DeJesus
10. Mario Martinez
The Mariner’s top 5 look good, but it gets thin after that. Fields should be a quick mover as a college reliever. My sleeper is Phillipe Aumont; he’s got some time before he makes Seattle’s rotation, but look for a huge step forward this year.
Rangers
1. Neftali Feliz
2. Derek Holland
3. Justin Smoak
4. Elvis Andrus
5. Taylor Teagarden
6. Martin Perez
7. Michael Main
8. Engle Beltre
9. Julio Borbon
10. Max Ramirez
Baseball America’s top ranked Minor League System. A few teams would have their top players be lucky to make it into this top 20. Everyone’s heard of the catching depth, but they also have some great pitchers. My sleeper is Julio Borbon; he’s going to jump up to Triple A this year and could get a whiff of the majors in September.