MLB: Selecting the AL Central's All-Prospect Team

Prospects are important in Major League Baseball. Without a strong farm system, teams will not have the depth needed to compete for a playoff spot. That leads to a downward spiral, and suddenly you've become the Pittsburgh Pirates or Kansas City Royals.

The need for prospects is more important in the American League Central, where a majority of the teams in the division choose to build from within instead of going crazy in free-agent spending.

Between the Minnesota Twins, Cleveland Indians, Chicago White Sox, Detroit Tigers and the aforementioned Royals, there are 15 prospects listed in Baseball America's Top 100.

That means that the future will be coming soon for the AL Central, and here's a look at what it could look like with an all-prospect team.

Catcher: Kevan Smith

Organization: White Sox

Age: 24

Current Level: High-A

Baseball America Ranking: Not Ranked

Stats:

Year	Team	AVG	OBP	SLG	HR	RBI
2011	Great Falls, Bristol (Rookie)	.355	.448	.626	9	48
2012	Kannapolis (Low-A), Winston-Salem (High-A)	.281	.338	.434	10	83
2013	Winston-Salem	.265	.351	.397	2	11

A seventh-round pick in the 2011 MLB Amateur Draft, Kevan Smith is beginning to emerge as a solid backstop for the White Sox.

Smith is being pushed through the minors at a rapid pace due to his age, but he's putting up respectable offensive numbers at every stop. After destroying two rookie leagues in 2011, his numbers fell back to earth in 2012, but the Sox are excited about his defensive abilities.

As a two-time first team All-Big East selection at Pittsburgh, Smith has the tools to become a dependable backstop.

1st Baseman: Keon Barnum

Organization: White Sox

Age: 20

Current Level: Rookie League

Baseball America Ranking: Not Ranked

Stats:

Year	Team	Avg	OBP	SLG	HR	RBI	XBH	K
2012	Bristol (Rookie League)	.279	.347	.512	3	8	4	13

The 42nd overall pick in the 2012 Amateur Draft, Keon Barnum has potential to be the next great power-hitting first baseman for the White Sox.

A native of Tampa Bay, Barnum has been known for putting on epic displays of power during batting practice. Of course, the downside is that he'll strike out a ton as evidenced by whiffing 13 times in 43 professional at-bats.

Barnum will play in another short-season rookie league in 2013, but as with any prospect with his power, he'll get to the majors and start launching balls out of US Cellular Field.

2nd Baseman: Eddie Rosario

Organization: Twins

Age: 21

Current Level: High-A

Baseball America Ranking: Not Ranked

Stats

Year	Team	AVG	OBP	SLG	HR	RBI	SB
2011	Elizabethton (Rookie)	.337	.397	.670	21	60	17/23
2012	Beloit (Low-A)	.296	.345	.390	12	70	11/22
2013	Fort Myers (High-A)	.344	.370	.505	2	17	1/2

Rosario began his career in the outfield, but the Twins are having him transition to second base.

The move has worked out so far for the fourth-round pick in the 2010 MLB Amateur Draft, as he has fielded well in the lower levels of the Twins' system while putting up monster numbers at the plate.

Rosario's hitting will be what gets him to the majors sooner than later, but he has the ability to be a solid defensive player and the answer to what has been a decade long question at second base for the Twins.

3rd Baseman: Miguel Sano

Organization: Twins

Age: 19

Current Level: High-A

Baseball America Ranking: 9th

Stats:

Year	Team	AVG	OBP	SLG	HR	RBI	XBH
2011	Elizabethton (Rookie)	.292	.352	.637	20	59	45
2012	Beloit (Low-A)	.258	.373	.521	28	100	60
2013	Fort Myers (High-A)	.357	.430	.738	9	23	14

Twins fans partied in the streets when they signed the power-hitting 16-year-old Dominican late in the 2009 season, and he's proving why with his dominating performance at the plate.

Sano has bashed his way to High-A Fort Myers shortly before his 20th birthday, and he's showing no signs of slowing down. There was concern that the Florida State League (which traditionally favors pitchers) would present a challenge, but that hasn't happened with Sano bashing nine home runs in his first 22 games.

Showing the signs of a young Miguel Cabrera, Sano has the ability to become a superstar at the major league level when he's called up late in 2014 or during the 2015 season.

Shortstop: Francisco Lindor

Organization: Indians

Age: 19

Current Level: High-A

Baseball America Ranking: 28th 

Stats:

Year	Team	AVG	OBP	SLG	HR	RBI	SB
2012	Lake County (Low-A)	.257	.352	.355	6	42	27/39
2013	Carolina (High-A)	.317	.385	.419	0	6	7/9

During the height of the Indians' success in the 90s, they relied heavily on a slick fielding shortstop by the name of Omar Vizquel. After drafting Francisco Lindor seventh overall in 2011, Cleveland has a similar prospect on their hands.

Lindor's offensive potential has yet to be tapped. Looking at the current stats lead you to believe that he's nothing more than a light-hitting infielder, but his instincts defensively and on the basepaths will be what gets him to the major leagues.

By that time, his offense should come around and the Indians will have a solid shortstop for years to come.

Outfielder: Byron Buxton

Current Organization: Twins

Age: 19

Current Level: Low-A 

Baseball America Ranking: 10th

Stats:

Year	Team	AVG	OBP	SLG	HR	RBI	SB
2012	Elizabethton (Rookie)	.286	.368	.429	1	6	7/7
2013	Cedar Rapids (Low-A)	.391	.511	.692	3	18	8/12

Out of all the prospects in the AL Central, Byron Buxton has the best chance to become a superstar.

The second overall pick in the 2012 draft has five-tool potential. While he's more of a line-drive hitter at the moment, Buxton will eventually fill out his frame and start raking in a fashion similar to Andrew McCutchen or Justin Upton.

It will be a while until the man known as "Buck" makes his major league debut, but it's going to be worth the wait once he steps on the turf at Target Field.

Outfielder: Nick Castellanos

Organization: Tigers

Age: 21

Current Level: Triple-A

Baseball America Ranking: 21st

Stats:

Year	Team	AVG	OBP	SLG	HR	RBI	XBH
2011	West Michigan (Low-A)	.312	.367	.436	7	76	43
2012	Lakeland (High-A), Erie (Double-A)	.320	.365	.451	10	51	46
2013	Toledo (Triple-A)	.263	.321	.453	3	10	11

The Tigers have Miguel Cabrera, but there's a solid third baseman coming up through their system named Nick Castellanos that will be begging for playing time soon.

Selected with the 44th overall pick in the 2010 MLB Amateur Draft, Castellanos was deemed the Tigers' third baseman of the future upon his arrival. Then, Prince Fielder forced Cabrera to move from first base to third base.

To find a position for Castellanos, the Tigers are placing him in the outfield. It's a plan that will work due to the Tigers' lack of depth at the position, and it's a way to get a solid, everyday hitter into their lineup.

Castellanos is off to a slow start at Toledo, but could make his MLB debut later this summer.

Outfielder: Bubba Starling

Organization: Royals

Age: 20

Current Level: Low-A Lexington

Baseball America Ranking: 35th

Stats

Year	Team	AVG	OBP	SLG	HR	RBI	XBH	SB
2011	Burlington (Rookie)	.275	.371	.485	10	33	20	10/11
2012	Lexington (Low-A)	.175	.233	.300	2	9	6	1/1

A year ago, Mike Trout took MLB by storm with a rookie season that had never been seen before. I feel that Bubba Starling can have a similar effect when he debuts for the Royals.

That time is a long ways away for the former Nebraska quarterback recruit, but he has the ability to be a fantasy baseball owner's dream. He can hit across the board and gets it done defensively as well, which softens the blow of trading Wil Myers to the Tampa Bay Rays last offseason.

A slow start in Low-A Lexington is concerning, but Starling will find a way to get on track and climb up the prospect rankings over the next couple seasons.

Starting Pitcher No. 1: Trevor Bauer

Organization: Indians

Age: 22

Current Level: Triple-A

Baseball America Rank: 14th

Stats:

Year	Team	W-L	ERA	WHIP	IP	K	BB
2012	Mobile (Double-A), Reno (Triple-A)	12-2	2.42	1.28	130.1	157	61
2012	Arizona (MLB)	1-2	6.06	1.65	16.1	17	13
2013	Columbus (Triple-A)	1-0	2.50	1.16	18.0	24	6
2013	Cleveland (MLB	0-1	5.40	1.80	5.0	2	7

The UCLA product was overshadowed by Gerrit Cole in the 2011 Amateur Draft, but he made a major impact in his first year in the Arizona Diamondbacks' system.

For whatever reason, the Diamondbacks didn't like what they saw in Bauer's four starts at the major league level and decided to ship him to the Indians in the Shin Soo-Choo trade. That makes Arizona's loss Cleveland's gain.

Bauer's pitches can be summed up as a bag of magic tricks. He can hit 100 miles per hour (but usually tones it down to 94 MPH during starts) with his fastball and has varying movement on all of them.

Bauer's control needs some work as he walked seven batters in his lone MLB start on April 6, but he has the ability to become the Indians' ace and outshine Cole in the process.

Starting Pitcher No. 2: Kyle Zimmer

Organization: Royals

Age: 21

Current Level: High-A

Baseball America Ranking: 24th

Stats:

Year	Team	W-L	ERA	WHIP	IP	K	BB
2012	AZL Royals (Rookie) & Kane County (Low-A)	3-3	2.04	1.18	39.2	42	8
2013	Wilmington (High-A)	0-1	3.38	1.07	18.2	29	7

Zimmer was the fifth overall pick in the 2012 June Amateur Draft, and looks to be the ace that the Royals have been searching for over the past couple decades.

The University of San Francisco product is armed with a 98 MPH fastball and several plus pitches including a curveball, slider and changeup. He also has excellent control of all of them thanks to a consistent arm angle and great mechanics.

A polished product, Zimmer should be on the fast track to the major leagues.

Starting Pitcher No. 3: Alex Meyer

Organization: Twins

Age: 23

Current Level: Double-A

Baseball America Ranking: 59th

Stats

Year	Team	W-L	ERA	WHIP	IP	K	BB
2012	Hagerstown (Low-A) & Potomac (High-A)	10-6	2.86	1.10	129	139	45
2013	New Britain (Double-A)	2-0	1.64	1.31	22	26	8

Heading into last winter, the Twins needed to overhaul their starting rotation. Instead of going for retreads like Joe Blanton and Brandon McCarthy, general manager Terry Ryan targeted younger pitchers in other organizations.

That's why when Ryan cashed in his best available trade chip, Denard Span, he received only one prospect in the 6'10" 230-pound Alex Meyer.

Due to his height, Meyer has an incredible downward plane on his pitches. It makes his high-90s fastball even more intimidating to go along with a devastating slider.

The 23rd overall pick in the 2011 MLB Amateur Draft will go a long way toward rebuilding what was one of the most consistent rotations in baseball.

Starting Pitcher No. 4: Kyle Gibson

Organization: Twins

Age: 25

Current Level: Triple-A

Baseball America Ranking: 68th

Stats:

Year	Team	W-L	ERA	WHIP	IP	K	BB
2010	Fort Myers (High-A), New Britain (Double-A), Rochester (Triple-A)	11-6	2.96	1.15	152	126	39
2011	Rochester	3-8	4.81	1.42	95.1	91	27
2012	Rochester	0-2	9.45	1.80	6.2	10	1
2013	Rochester	1-3	3.33	1.11	27	26	9

Kyle Gibson was one of the Twins' most promising pitching prospects after he was drafted 22nd overall in the 2009 MLB June Amateur Draft. The Missouri product was on the fast track to the majors after a dominating 2010 season, but elbow issues surfaced the following year and led to Tommy John surgery.

Since then, Gibson's results have been mixed. However, he's beginning to get his stuff back, which includes a low to mid-90s fastball, a slider and a changeup.

It's a safe bet that Gibson will get his call to the majors sometime this summer, and when he does he'll show why he's one of baseball's best pitching prospects.

Starting Pitcher No. 5: Yordano Ventura

Organization: Royals

Age: 21

Current Level: Double-A

Baseball America Ranking: 85th

Stats:

Year	Team	W-L	ERA	WHIP	IP	K	BB
2010	AZL Royals (Rookie)	4-2	3.25	1.25	52.2	58	17
2011	Kane County (Low-A)	4-6	4.27	1.25	84.1	88	24
2012	Wilmington (High-A) & Northwest Arkansas (Double-A)	4-7	3.95	1.23	105.2	123	41
2013	Northwest Arkansas	1-0	2.95	1.20	18.1	23	6

Yordano Ventura's numbers aren't eye popping, but it's his stuff that makes him one of the elite pitching prospects in the AL Central.

Ventura has a plus fastball that is complimented with a nice curveball and changeup that seems to be improving every time he takes the mound. According to Scouting Book, he also compares favorably to one of the greatest Domincan pitchers of all time in Pedro Martinez.

Currently in Double-A, Ventura will have to show some consistency before getting called up to the major league level.

Closer: Bruce Rondon

Organization: Tigers

Age: 22

Current Level: MLB

Baseball America Ranking: 95th

Stats:

Year	Team	W-L	ERA	WHIP	IP	K	BB	SV
2009	GCL Tigers (Rookie)	0-1	4.76	1.76	11.1	15	8	0
2010	GCL Tigers, Lakeland (High-A)	0-0	0.84	0.89	32.1	33	16	17
2011	West Michigan (Low-A)	2-2	2.02	1.40	40.0	61	34	19
2012	Lakeland, Erie (Double-A), Toledo (Triple-A)	2-1	1.53	1.09	53.0	66	26	29
2013	Toledo	0-0	0.00	0.91	7.2	9	2	3
2013	Detroit (MLB)	0-0	4.50	1.50	2.0	1	0	0

The Tigers just signed Jose Valverde to resume his duties as closer, but make no mistake that the future door-slammer for the franchise is Bruce Rondon.

Rondon can dial his fastball up to 100 miles per hour, but usually hovers around 96 when he comes into games. He's been groomed as a closer in the Tigers' system for several years and has enough on his pitches to finish teams off.

His control needs work, but Rondon will be finishing games no later than the beginning of the 2014 season.