MLB Power Rankings: Every Team's Top A-Ball Prospect
Throughout spring training fans have been able to see the future of many organizations. With just over a week left until Opening Day, many of the game's top young prospects have been sent down to minor league camp.
Many of the high-profile prospects will begin the year at either Double-A or Triple-A. However, there are also some great young players who will begin the year in Single-A.
For the purpose of this list, any player who will start the season in A-ball (including short-season, Single-A and High-A) and will play there for a significant period of time or who will be promoted to A-ball and will spend significant time at that level later in the season is included. Thus, players such as Mike Trout and Wil Myers who are only expect to be in Single-A for about a month or so are not included.
30. Ryan (Scooter) Gennett, 3B, MIL
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After trading for Zack Grienke, the Brewers' weak farm system got even worse. Gennett was the team's 16th-round pick in 2009. He had a very impressive debut at Single-A last season. He hit .309 with nine home runs and 14 stolen bases in 118 games.
Gennett will likely start the year in Brevard County with the team's High-A affiliate. Gennett could end up at AA by midseason if he repeats his numbers from last year.
29. Matt Szczur, OF, CHC
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The Cubs system was another one that was weakened by a big trade. The Cubs brought in Matt Garza and sent many of their top prospects out. That left Matt Szczur, the team's fifth-round pick in 2010 as the team's best prospect in A-ball. In addition to playing baseball for Villanova, Szczur also was on the school's football team.
Baseball America recently ranked Szczur as the team's seventh-best prospect. He played in 25 games for the Cubs last season and will start the year in Single-A.
28. Reymond Fuentes, OF, SDP
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The Padres acquired Fuentes as a part of the Adrian Gonzalez deal. The 19-year-old showed that he could hold his own at A-ball last season. He hit .270 with five home runs and 42 stolen bases in 104 games. Speed is clearly a key part of Fuentes' game and he could be a solid leadoff hitter in the future.
It is likely that Fuentes will begin the season at A-ball. It would not be surprising if he moves up to High-A after a few months.
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27. Christian Yelich, OF, FLA
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The Marlins selected Yelich with the 23rd overall pick in the 2010 draft. Yelich signed early enough that he was able to play 12 games of professional baseball in 2010. While this is a very small sample size, Yelich did manage to hit .362 between Rookie League and Single-A.
Yelich will begin the year at Single-A. He could eventually move up to High-A ball this season based on his performance.
26. Max Stassi, C, OAK
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It appears that Stassi is the A's catcher of the future. In A-ball he hit .229 with 13 home runs. While the power numbers are great for a catcher, Stassi will need to hit for a better average. He also will need to cut down on the 141 strikeouts that he had last year.
Stassi will likely repeat Single-A this year so that he can work out some of his problems. If he can resolve his strikeout issue, Stassi may be on a fast track to the majors.
25. Fabio Martinez Mesa, SP, LAA
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One of the first things that people notice about Mesa is his ability to strike out hitters. Mesa had a strikeout rate of 12.3 K/9 last year at Single-A. The problem was that Mesa's walk rate was 6.6 BB/9. Even with his walk issues, Mesa managed to post a 3.92 ERA last year.
It is likely that Mesa will repeat A-ball in hopes that he can resolve his control issues. He has a career 5.7 BB/9 rate so this issue may take a while to fix.
24. Taijun Walker, SP, SEA
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Mariners fans were able to catch a slight glimpse of Walker last season as he pitched seven innings in rookie ball after he signed. Walker showed his potential and the reason that the Mariners selected him with a supplemental first-round draft pick.
Walker will likely begin the year at rookie ball but should spend a majority of the season at either Low-A or Single-A.
23. Jared Mitchell, OF, CHW
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Mitchell showed a lot of potential during the 34 games he played in the 2009 season. Baseball America ranked him as the game's 55th-best prospect prior to the 2010 season. Unfortunately he didn't play any games in 2010 after he tore a tendon in his left ankle during spring training. The injury required surgery and Mitchell missed the rest of the season.
Now over a year removed from professional baseball, Mitchell will spend most of his time in Single-A this season. The White Sox can only hope that he can return to the form he showed in 2009.
22. Jonathan Villar, SS, HOU
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After being traded from Philadelphia to Houston in the Roy Oswalt deal, Villar went from Single-A to High-A. Villar is just 19 and has begun to develop power to go along with his speed. He managed to steal 45 bases last season. His speed is part of the reason why Baseball America considers him to be the 94th-best prospect in baseball.
Villar still has a bit to work on defensively as well as with the bat. His best skill at the moment is his speed. He will spend a majority of the season at High-A to continue to develop.
21. Arodys Vizcaino, SP, ATL
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Vizcaino is often overlooked in the Braves system because of the presence of Julio Teheran, Mike Minor and Randall Delgado. However, Vizcaino is a good pitcher in his own right. He managed to post a 2.74 ERA in 17 starts last year. One of the most impressive things about Vizcaino is his control. He has a career 2.1 BB/9 rate.
After making three starts at High-A ball it appears that Vizcaino will start the year there. If the Braves treat him the way they have treated their other pitchers, Vizcaino should see some starts at Double-A this year.
20. Deck McGuire, SP, TOR
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The Blue Jays selected McGuire with the 11th overall pick in the 2010 draft. The former Georgia Tech pitcher had been fairly dominant in college and the Jays are expecting a lot from him.
McGuire will start the year in A-ball but he could progress quickly if he repeats the success he had in college.
19. Josh Sale, OF, TBR
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Sale is yet another pick from the 2010 draft to make this list. He is the 88th-best prospect in baseball according to Baseball Reference but he isn't even ranked as a top-five prospect for the Rays because their system is so deep.
It is likely that Sale will begin the year in Single-A. He might move up to High-A if he can show the power that the Rays expect him to posses.
18. Tyler Skaggs, SP, ARI
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Skaggs was a major piece of the Dan Haren deal this past season. The young lefty was able to distinguish himself at Single-A despite the fact that he was just 18 years old. He showed the ability to strike batters out while pitching with control.
After his success in Single-A, Skaggs should see significant time at High-A this season. There is also an outside chance that he could get some starts at Double-A depending on how his season goes.
17. Jurickson Profar, SS, TEX
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As a 17-year-old Profar was the youngest player in the Northwestern League last season. The shortstop has shown good plate discipline and great power for someone his age. Baseball America took note and ranked Profar as the 74th-best player in the minors.
The Rangers have been aggressive with their young prospects in the past and they should take the same course of action with Profar. Most of his year will likely be spent at Single-A, but he could see some at-bats at High-A before the season ends.
16. Zach Lee, SP, LAD
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The only reason that Lee fell to the 28th spot of the 2010 draft was because of the fact that he had a scholarship offer to play both football and baseball at LSU. The Dodgers took a risk in selecting Lee and managed to sign him.
Lee should improve significantly this year as he is now only focusing on baseball. He should spend the whole year between the different levels of A-ball.
15. Nolan Arenado, 3B, COL
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The big third baseman turned some heads with his performance last season. Arenado hit .308 with 12 home runs in just 92 games last year at Single-A. Scouts took notice as Baseball America ranked Arenado as the 80th-best prospect in the game.
Arenado should start the year at High-A. However, it would not be surprising if he moves up to Double-A before the All-Star break.
14. Anthony Ranaudo, SP, BOS
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Coming into his junior year at LSU, Ranaudo was considered one of the top two pitchers in his draft class. Unfortunately he ran into elbow issues during the year and he dropped to the Red Sox at the 39th overall pick. This could turn out to be a steal for the team as Ranaudo has shown the potential to be a top-of-the-rotation pitcher.
It is likely that Ranaudo will start the year in rookie ball since he struggled during his junior year of college. If Ranaudo returns to form he should be up to at least Low-A ball in no time.
13. Nick Castellanos, 3B, DET
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Castellanos is another pick from the 2010 draft to appear on this list. The 44th overall pick has been saddled with some big expectations after Baseball America selected him as the 65th-best prospect in baseball. Castellanos is expected to develop into a big power threat for the Tigers.
After appearing in seven games in rookie ball for the Tigers last year, Castellanos may already be prepared to play in A-ball. If not, he will be in just a few months.
12. Drew Pomeranz, SP, CLE
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The Indians selected Pomeranz with the fifth overall pick in the 2010 draft. He has yet to throw any professional innings. Along with the Indians, Baseball America also expects big things from Pomeranz. They consider him to be the 61st-best prospect in baseball.
Pomeranz threw three innings in spring training this year and was impressive. He struck out five batters and only allowed a walk. He will start the year at Single-A or High-A.
11. Christian Colon, SS, KCR
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After being selected with the fourth overall pick in the 2010 draft, Colon signed early enough to play in 60 games for the Royals' High-A affiliate. Colon put up respectable numbers during this time period. He hit .278 with three home runs. According to Baseball America he is the 51st-best prospect in the game.
Colon will likely start the year at High-A. After a few months, he could get called up to Double-A. With the strength of the Royals farm system, it is surprising that they did not have a better shortstop than Colon before last year's draft. Colon does have the potential to move up in the Royals system very quickly.
10. Zach Wheeler, SP, SFG
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Wheeler made 13 starts and eight relief appearances in Single-A last season. He has a powerful arm and has been able to strike out hitters at a high rate. The problem is that he has control issues. He had a walk rate of 5.8 BB/9 in his first minor league season. Still, Baseball America likes what they have seen and believes that Wheeler is the 55th-best prospect in baseball.
It is clear that Wheeler has some control issues to work out. As a result, he should spend the season between Single-A and High-A.
9. Billy Hamilton, SS, CIN
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Hamilton struggled in 2009, but in 2010, the speedster tore up rookie ball. Hamilton hit .318 and stole 48 bases in 57 attempts. He could eventually become the Reds leadoff man. Baseball America loves Hamilton's speed and thinks he is the 50th-best prospect in baseball.
There is nothing left for Hamilton to prove in rookie ball. The next step for him should be Single-A. If he continues to get on base and steal bases, he may even see time at Double-A after the All-Star break.
8. Manny Machado, SS, BAL
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Machado was selected with the third overall pick in the 2010 draft by the Orioles. Baseball America thinks he is the 14th-best prospect in baseball. The scouts are impressed by Machado's bat.
After getting some game action last year, Machado will likely begin this season at Low-A. He should eventually work himself up to at least Single-A.
7. Wilmer Flores, SS, NYM
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The Mets may eventually need a replacement for Jose Reyes and it appears they may have the answer in Wilmer Flores. Last season Flores split time between Single-A and High-A. He was the youngest player in the Florida State League. He is rated as the 59th-best prospect by Baseball America due to concerns about what position he will eventually play.
Flores will start the year at High-A. There is a strong possibility that he will move up to Double-A after a month or two. He showed that he could hit for power and average last year and the same should be expected of him this year.
6. Aaron Hicks, OF, MIN
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Hicks has spent each of the past two seasons in Single-A. He showed progress from 2009 to 2010, but he has still not achieved everything that was expected of him. Hicks is supposed to develop into a potential 20-20 threat, but the power has not fully developed for him at this point. He is viewed as baseball's 45th-best prospect according to Baseball America.
It appears that it is time for Hicks to move up a level. He should begin the year in High-A and will spend most, if not all of the season there.
5. Jonathan Singleton, 1B, PHI
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Singleton put up impressive numbers for the Phillies last season in Single-A. He hit .290 with 14 home runs and nine stolen bases in just 104 games. Baseball America recognized his accomplishments and ranked him as baseball's 39th-best prospect.
It appears that Singleton will start the year at High-A. If he repeats what he was able to do last season, he might be able to get a late-season call up to Double-A.
4. Gary Sanchez, C, NYY
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It is difficult to believe that Sanchez is not the best catcher in the Yankees farm system. He was ranked the 30th-best prospect in baseball by Baseball America. He would be the best catching prospect on any team other than his own but he is currently overshadowed by Jesus Montero. Sanchez managed to hit .329 as a 17-year-old between rookie ball and Low-A.
Sanchez should begin the season in Low-A. He could eventually reach High-A this season depending on his play.
3. Shelby Miller, SP, STL
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One of the most impressive numbers from Shelby Miller's 2010 campaign is his 12.1 K/9 ratio in 24 starts. Miller was also able to limit the number of walks he allowed. His walk rate was just 2.8 BB/9. This allowed Miller to go 7-5 with a 3.62 in Single-A.
Baseball America's 13th-best prospect should begin the season in High-A. Even though he is just 20, he could be in Double-A by the middle of the season.
2. Jameson Tallion, SP, PIT
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Taillon comes just ahead of Miller on Baseball America's prospect list as he comes in at No. 11. He has a massive 6'7" frame and has the ability to throw heat. His fastball has been clocked as high as 99 mph. Taillon has the makings of a top-of-the-rotation starter.
The Pirates may choose to be cautious with Taillon and start him at rookie ball. Even if that is the case, he should spend most of the season between the different levels of A-ball.
1. Bryce Harper, OF, WSH
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All that Bryce Harper has ever done has impressed both scouts and fans. He was named the top prospect in baseball by Baseball America. During his time in spring training, Harper continued to impress. He went 7-for-18 with three doubles and five RBI.
Harper has been assigned to Single-A Hagerstown. The biggest question right now is how long he will stay there.
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