2011 Eastern League All-Star Game: Top 10 Prospects

1. LHP Manny Banuelos (Trenton Thunder/New York Yankees)

Banuelos, a 20-year-old left-hander from Mexico, is the New York Yankees' top pitching prospect. His name was thrown around during spring training as a possible rotation candidate. However, the Yankees have remained patient with his development, and it's paying off.

He was as dominant during his inning in the All-Star Game as he was back in spring training. Banuelos struck out the side with little effort, showing just how high his upside is going forward.

2. RHP Jacob Turner (Erie SeaWolves/Detroit Tigers)

Turner didn't have the best performance in the game, as he walked a pair of hitters and unleashed a wild pitch, but that won't affect his prospect status. Starting pitchers often struggle coming out of the bullpen, but Turner dominates when he is in his familiar role.

His 3.49 ERA, .233 batting average against and 79 strikeouts in just more than 100 innings pitched don't jump off the page at you, but when you consider that Turner is pitching in Double-A at just 20 years old, the sky appears to be the limit for this young hurler.

3. C Travis d'Arnaud (New Hampshire Fisher Cats/Toronto Blue Jays)

The Blue Jays have been locked in on d'Arnaud for a long time. They narrowly missed a chance to draft him as he was selected by the Phillies with the 37th overall pick in the 2007 draft. Toronto held the very next pick. Having finally landed d'Arnaud in the Roy Halladay trade, he is living up to his prospect hype this season.

After a dismal April, d'Arnaud has been tearing the cover off the ball. His .315/.388/.552 line and 12 home runs have him shooting up prospect boards, leaving the Blue Jays with a nice problem on their hands. What will they do with both d'Arnaud and J.P. Arencibia when Travis is ready for the show?

4. RHP Dellin Betances (Trenton Thunder/New York Yankees)

Betances isn't far off Manny Banuelos, and he has even had the better statistical season thus far. His 2.62 ERA is fourth in the Eastern League, and his 86 strikeouts rank sixth. With 18 career Double-A starts under his belt, Betances could soon be a candidate to join the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre rotation.

Like Banuelos, he started the season red hot but has cooled off the last two months, so achieving consistent production over the course of the year will be a goal for Betances as he continues his development.

5. LHP Casey Crosby (Erie SeaWolves/Detroit Tigers)

The knock on Crosby has always been that he hasn't been able to remain healthy. Scouts always liked his stuff, and this year Crosby has been able to stay on the mound, allowing him to put up some impressive numbers. He was rewarded for his strong first half by being named the starting pitcher for the West Division.

His BB/K ratio shows that there is still room for improvement, but he has a quality arm that will play out of the bullpen if he is unable to refine his control enough to succeed as a starter.

6. RHP Austin Hyatt (Reading Phillies/Philadelphia Phillies)

At 25 years old, Hyatt is considered old for the Double-A level but his outstanding strikeout rates show the command he has of all his pitches. He wont blow hitters away but he can mix a nasty changeup and a slider with his low-90s fastball to keep hitters off balance.

Drafted as a college senior, Hyatt doesn't have a lot of pro innings under his belt, but if he keeps piling up the strikeouts he could be in Philadelphia before long.

7. SS Adeiny Hechavarria (New Hampshire Fisher Cats/Toronto Blue Jays)

The Blue Jays signed the Cuban shortstop away from potential suitors like the Yankees with a four-year, $10 million Major League contract. So far his defense has been as advertised, but the bat still lags behind. He made his 2010 debut in Class-A Advanced, but was promoted despite batting less than .200 for Dunedin.

He hasn't produced a whole lot more for New Hampshire this year, but he has launched six home runs and stolen 16 bases. His defense is his bread and butter though, and most scouts agree that he is Major League-ready with the glove.

8. RHP Liam Hendriks (New Britain Rock Cats/Minnesota Twins)

The 22-year-old Australian was signed by the Twins as a non-drafted free agent in 2007 and is among Eastern League leaders with an 8-2 record and a 2.70 ERA. His ERA has declined each month through June and, despite allowing a career-high 18 walks thus far, Hendriks has always shown outstanding control of his pitches.

He's not an imposing figure or a pure power pitcher, but his ability to pitch ahead in the count and force hitters to put the ball in play makes him the prototypical Twins' pitching prospect.

9. RHP Jeurys Familia (Binghamton Mets/New York Mets)

Familia has been a breakout performer for the Mets this season. With top pitching prospect Jenrry Mejia lost for the season with Tommy John surgery, Familia and 2010 first-round pick Matt Harvey have stepped up to fill the void.

Some scouts still think Familia is best suited for the bullpen, but with a power arm that produces a high-90s fastball and a strong breaking ball the Mets will take their time and see if they can develop Familia as a starter. However, if that doesn't pan out, a relief role could put Familia on the fast track.

10. OF Moises Sierra (New Hampshire Fisher Cats/Toronto Blue Jays)

Sierra was originally on the outside of the top 10 looking in, but his performance in the 2011 Eastern League All-Star Game—and more importantly the 2011 Eastern League Home Run Derby—bumped 3B Francisco Martinez from this spot. Sierra and fellow Blue Jays' farmhand Mike McDade made it to the final round.

They went blast for blast as they took three extra rounds to break the tie, with McDade eventually coming out on top. Sierra, however, was the only player to hit more than one in the first round, blasting four.

He also displayed his plus throwing arm, nearly throwing out runners at home and first. Yes, that's right, first base. His arm is that live. He also hit what looked to be an absolute no doubter late in the game, but it hooked foul and cleared the stadium completely.

After missing nearly all of the 2010 season due to injury, Sierra is firmly back on the map as one of Toronto's best hitting prospects.

Others: C Austin Romine (NYY), OF Xavier Avery (BAL), 1B Mike McDade (TOR), IF Charlie Culberson (SF), 3B Francisco Martinez (DET)