1. Felix Hernandez (24) – Coming off a 19 win season in 2009 where he finished second in the AL Cy Young voting. Already an elite pitcher with his best years to come. The clear cut No. 1 pitcher on this list.

2. Tommy Hanson (23) -The top pitching prospect in all of baseball failed to disappoint last season after receiving the call to the big leagues in June. He finished with 11 wins and a 2.89 ERA in 21 games and is off to a good start this year. An ace-in-the-making who should contend for the NL Cy Young in the near future.

3. Yovani Gallardo (24) – The ace of the Brewers staff posted the second best K/9 in the NL last year at 9.89 to go along with 13 wins and a sub-4.00 ERA. Off to a 3-2, 3.00 ERA, 10.00 K/9 start in 36 IP this season. Needs to cut down on his career 3.92 BB/9 ratio to become an elite pitcher.

4. Clayton Kershaw (22) – Despite winning only 8 games last season on a first-place team, Kershaw has all the makings of a future ace. He finished in the Top 5 in ERA (2.79) , K/9 (9.74), and H/9 (6.3) last season, while leading the league in opponents AVG (.200). While his control needs to improve as his career 4.82 BB/9 suggests, he has the ability to overpower hitters and dominant on any given night.

5. Jair Jurrjens (24) – Had the 5th-lowest ERA in baseball last year (2.60) and held hitters to a .274 AVG on balls hit in play. Knows how to change speeds and mix his pitches effectively to get batters out. In line to be a top of the rotation starter for many years despite his early ineffectiveness this season, mostly due to injury.

6. David Price (24) – The No. 1 overall pick in the 2007 draft took the league by storm with a great showing in the Rays’ 2008 postseason run to the World Series. Price possesses overpowering stuff with a mid-90s fastball and a hard breaking slider that can lead to plenty of strikeouts. Like many young pitchers, he has had command issues but also isn’t afraid to challenge hitters. Off to a great start this season and looks to be coming into his own as a pitcher.

7. Phil Hughes (23) – After struggling with injuries his first 2 seasons, Hughes pitched mostly out of the bullpen in 2009 and finished with a 1.40 ERA along with showing good command (5:1 K/BB ratio). After winning the 5th spot in the Yankees rotation this spring, he has proven to be one of the teams best starters as he has gone 3-0 with a 1.44 ERA in 4 starts, including a near no-hitter. Hughes looks to be realizing his immense potential under the bright lights of New York.

8. Rick Porcello (21) – The youngest player in the big leagues last season had a successful rookie campaign for the Tigers. The former 1st round pick went 14-9 with a 3.96 ERA and finished 3rd in the AL Rookie of the Year voting last season. He has good control and a sinker that is conducive for plenty of groundball outs. While he may not be a big strikeout pitcher, his control and quality stuff will make him a tough pitcher to face every time he takes the mound.

9. Brian Matusz (23) – The 4th overall pick in 2008 impressed many in his brief stint in the majors last season with the Orioles by displaying a good command and presence on the mound. His strikeout and walk totals in his 13 career big league starts show his top-of-the-rotation potential. The future is bright for this southpaw and his outlook for 2010 and beyond is sure to catch the eye of plenty of baseball fans.

10. Brett Anderson (22) – Acquired in the trade that sent Dan Haren from Oakland to Arizona, the A’s are ecstatic from what they see in Anderson so far in his brief career. Baseball America’s No. 7 prospect entering the 2009 season posted solid numbers in his rookie season. He finished with a team-leading 11 wins and 150 strikeouts to go along with a respectable 4.06 ERA (3.48 ERA after the All-Star break). Anderson started 2010 on a good note by posting a 2.35 ERA in 4 starts before going on the DL with a forearm strain. Despite this injury, Anderson should be a good starter for many years with his command and ability to strike batters out.

11. Neftali Feliz (21) – Perhaps no one on this list possesses more overpowering stuff than Feliz. Currently serving as the Rangers closer, Feliz has shown the ability to dominant opposing hitters with his upper 90s fastball that has reached triple digits at times. He pitched out of the bullpen after his call-up to the big league club in August and finished with a 1.74 ERA in 31 IP along with 39 K and impressive 0.68 WHIP. The Rangers have bounced around the idea of moving Feliz to the rotation, but feel he is best serve as their closer right now. Whatever role he is in, Feliz is sure to make opposing hitters cringe at the sight of facing him.

12. Wade Davis (24) – Davis joined an impressive young Rays rotation at the end of 2009 and posted good numbers in 6 starts. In those starts, Davis went 2-2 with a 3.72 ERA to go along with 36 strikeouts and a 1.27 WHIP in 36.1 IP. He has picked up where he left off in ’09 to start 3-1 with a 2.79 ERA in 5 starts this season. Despite pitching in a tough AL East, Davis looks to be a good option to post a sub-4.00 ERA with good strikeout numbers this season.

13. Mat Latos (22) -Latos started his rookie campaign in 2009 by allowing no more than 2 earned runs in his first 5 starts. Despite struggling in his last 5 starts, Latos has shown good upside especially pitching in a pitcher friendly PETCO Park. The Padres thought enough of Latos to promote him straight from Double-A and bypass Triple-A altogether. Overall in his minor league career, Latos went 12-8, 2.49 ERA, with a 216:47 K/BB ratio in 185 IP, allowing only 149 hits. If he can translate those impressive numbers to the big leagues, the Padres have a future ace on their hands.

14. Johnny Cueto (24) – Cueto has been plagued my inconsistency since entering the big leagues in 2008. He has shown to be a very good pitcher in the first half of the season, as his 7-4 record with a 2.86 ERA through June in ’09 would suggest. However, Cueto has worn down in the second half and posted an 8.00 ERA in July and August of last season before a DL stint for shoulder inflammation. He possesses a live arm despite his small frame and still has too much upside to be deemed a failure at this point in his career. If Cueto can find some consistency he is arguably one of the best pitchers on this list.

15. Jaime Garcia (23) – After originally making his debut in relief during the 2008 season for the Cardinals, Garcia had to undergo Tommy John surgery in the offseason and miss most of the 2009 season. After winning the 5th spot in rotation this spring, Garcia has been a pleasant surprise for the Cardinals so far this season. In 4 starts, he has been dominating opposing hitters with a 1.04 ERA and a 0.96 WHIP in 26 IP. With a career 9.8 K/9 in the minors and the tutelage of pitching coach Dave Duncan, look for Garcia to maintain his success in the big leagues.

16. Joba Chamberlain (24) – After a great year in 2008 where he appeared in 42 games (12 starts) where he posted an impressive 2.60 ERA and 10.58 K/9, the future looked extremely promising for Joba. However, last year wasn’t as friendly as his first 2 years in the big leagues as his ERA and WHIP numbers increased as a full-time starter. This year, Joba was beat out by Phil Hughes for the 5th spot in the Yankees rotation and is back to the bullpen where his career as a starter is now in question again. Despite this role uncertainty, he is still a quality pitcher and should still provide good value in the bullpen.

17. Mike Leake (22) – The 8th pick in the 2009 draft is the first player since Xavier Nady in 2000 to go straight from the draft to the major leagues. Despite some control issues, Leake has been solid in his first 4 big league starts as he has gone 2-0 with a 3.25 ERA in 27.2 IP. While Leake is sure to run into some rookie struggles this year due to not pitching in the minor leagues, he has shown so far that his more than capable of being an effective big league pitcher.

18. Daniel Bard (24) – The man nicknamed “The Heat” consistently throws a fastball in the 98-99 range and even reached 101 MPH on the radar gun last July against the A’s. The 2006 1st round pick has all the makings of a dominant big league closer as his 11.5 K/9 and 3:1 K/BB ratio with the Red Sox last season would attest. Look for Bard to become a closer somewhere in the near future.

19. Chris Perez – Perez is another hard-throwing right hander who possesses an upper 90s fastball. Perez was acquired by the Indians last season in the trade of Mark DeRosa to the Cardinals and is currently serving as the teams’ closer for the injured Kerry Wood. He was originally selected in the 1st round by the Cardinals in 2006 and served as a closer throughout his minor league career. Look for Perez to stay the Indians closer in the coming years and produce high strikeout totals.

20. Jhoulys Chacin (22) – MLB.com’s No. 44 prospect for 2010 is a current hot topic in baseball discussion after his impressive first start of the 2010 season yesterday. In that start, Chacin only gave up one hit in 7 scoreless IP along with 7 K. While Chacin has moved from starting to the bullpen, his best value is seen in the rotation where he has the potential to be a very good starter. The Rockies are hoping for more outings like yesterday’s from Chacin.

21. Jenrry Mejia (20) – The youngest player on this list has been solid in his first 11 IP out of the Mets bullpen this season by posting a 1.64 ERA. The Mets top pitching prospect sports a fastball with good velocity and movement along with a slider that tends to sweep across the plate. The key for Mejia is find command of his pitches due to his great movement. The jury is out on how good he can be since he is so young, however, he has managed to adjust to the big leagues fairly well so far.

22. Chris Volstad (23) – After an impressive rookie campaign in 2008, Volstad followed it up with the dreaded sophomore slump last season. He finished his sophomore campaign with a 9-13 record and a 5.21 ERA in 159 IP. He also struggled with the long ball as he had an alarming 1.64 HR/9 ratio. The Marlins are hoping the former 1st rounder, who has drawn comparisons to Roy Halladay, recaptures the promise he showed in his rookie season to provide a solid 1-2 punch with Josh Johnson in the future.

23. Homer Bailey (23) – The former highly-touted pitching prospect has had his share of struggles in his big league career. Bailey hasn’t fooled too many hitters as they have hit .287 against him in his career. He has also been plagued by walks (4.43 BB/9) and home runs (1.09 HR/9) in his brief career which has been the main reason for his career 5.52 ERA. However, Bailey showed glimpses of his potential as he allowed 3 runs or less in his last 9 starts last season. The Reds are hoping Bailey can figure things out and live up to his success in the minors.

24. Ryan Perry (23) – Similar to Daniel Bard, Perry projects as a future closer, but currently serves as a middle reliever for the Tigers. While Perry struggled with his command last season, he did strike out 60 batters in 61.2 IP in his rookie season. The 2008 1st round pick should be a good closer in the future, but needs to harness his wildness before becoming a true option to close out games.

25. Franklin Morales (24) – The hard-throwing lefty made his debut with the Rockies back in 2007, where he made 8 starts. After a disappointing 2008 season between the majors and minors, Morales pitched 38 games in relief for the Rockies last season and showed some promise. He currently is filling in for injured closer Huston Street and is 3 for 5 in save chances. While Morales has had his share of struggles in the big leagues, he still possesses decent upside as a back-of-the-rotation starter or lefty specialist out of the bullpen.

• Brandon Webb (RHP) Arizona Diamondbacks – The former 2006 NL Cy Young winner made only one appearance last season after experiencing shoulder pain during his Opening Day start. After a few months of rest and rehab, Webb finally decided to undergo arthroscopic right shoulder surgery last August, which ended his season. In his last full season in 2008, Webb almost added his second NL Cy Young Award as he finished the season with a 22-7 record to go along with a 3.30 ERA in 226.2 IP. Webb is currently working his way back into form in camp and is feeling better with every throwing session as he expects to be ready for the start of the season. Fantasy owners should monitor his progress in camp and watch out for possible setbacks. However, in his career Webb has been a workhorse as he has logged at least 208 IP in 5 of his 7 seasons and has not had an ERA higher than 3.59. If  healthy, expect Webb to bounceback in a big way and form a potent 1-2 punch with Dan Haren at the top of the DBacks rotation. Fantasy owners could find an ace in the middle rounds with Webb this upcoming season.

Bill James Projection: 13-7, 3.40 ERA, 180 IP, 143 K (7.15 K/9), 1.24 WHIP

MLB.com Projection: 15-6, 190 IP, 153 K (7.25 K/9), 1.27 WHIP

• Carlos Zambrano (RHP) Chicago Cubs – The colorful, enigmatic pitcher had his most disappointing season in the big leagues in 2009. Zambrano won only 9 games as the supposed ace of the Cubs staff and had some nagging injuries, mostly due to being in poor physical shape. Zambrano also had his yearly tantrum and outbursts that included a run-in with an umpire that led to a suspension last season. Zambrano spent his off season in Chicago where he dedicated himself to a new workout regime at the advice of the Cubs organization. Zambrano reported to Cubs camp 15 pounds lighter and has vowed to put his disappointing 2009 season behind him. He is also said to be ditching the cut fastball from his repertoire of pitches due to a lack of command of the pitch and is focused on keeping his composure on the mound, which often leads to a disappointing performance on the mound. Despite his poor win totals, Zambrano lowered his ERA in 2009 and had a rebound in his strikeout and home run totals. If this is truly a new and improved Carlos Zambrano, fantasy owners could have a real bargain on their hands in the middle of their rotation.

Bill James Projection: 12-8, 3.60 ERA, 180 IP, 151 K (7.55 K/9), 1.31 WHIP

MLB.com Projection: 13-8, 4.17 ERA, 186 IP, 155 K (7.50 K/9), 1.34 WHIP

• Ricky Nolasco (RHP) Florida Marlins – A pick by many last year to be a breakout candidate, Nolasco got off to a horrific start in April and May of last season, which eventually led to a demotion to Triple-A in late May. Tristan Cockcroft of ESPN.com believes a pitchers wins and ERA are not enough to evaluate future performance and that Nolasco might have been the “unluckiest” pitcher in baseball last season. Nolasco helped Cockcroft’s notion by going 11-4 with a 3.82 ERA after his demotion, despite finishing with a 5.06 ERA. Nolasco was a sabermetrics anomaly with great ratios, but unable to get outs. Fantasy owners could find a great buy-low candidate in Nolasco as many fantasy owners will steer clear of Nolasco’s high ERA and negative press. Look for Nolasco to rebound and build off his second half numbers by providing solid win totals along with a good K/9.

Bill James Projections: 13-10, 3.86 ERA, 205 IP, 189 K (8.30 K/9), 1.26 WHIP

MLB.com Projection: 15-8, 3.41 ERA, 209 IP, 212 K (9.13 K/9), 1.18 WHIP

• Corey Hart (OF) Milwaukee Brewers – After posting back-to-back 20 HR-20 SB seasons in 2007 and 2008, Hart was expected to post even bigger numbers last season for fantasy owners. However, Hart had a disappointing season as he finished with a .260 AVG, 12 HR, 48 RBI, and 11 SB in only 115 games due to missing the last two months of the season with appendicitis. Hart reportedly lost 22 pounds this off season and is hoping his weight loss will lead to a healthy season and more steals. Fantasy owners will be alarmed, as they should be, by Hart’s disappointing production when healthy last season. However, Hart is still only 27 years old and should regain close to his 20 HR-20 SB form this season. Hart is another buy-low candidate who should provide fantasy owners solid HR and SB numbers as a 3rd or 4th outfielder. 2010 could be the season fantasy owners were hoping to see from Hart last season and at a much lower cost.

Bill James Projection: .272 AVG, 19 HR, 76 RBI, 78 Runs, 16 SB, .799 OPS

MLB.com Projection: .271 AVG, 20 HR, 80 RBI, 78 Runs, 17 SB, .816 OPS

• David Wright (3B) New York Mets – No one had quite a more peculiar drop off production in power last season than David Wright. Wright saw his HR totals drop from 33 to 10 and his RBI totals drop from 124 to 71 last season. However, Wright still provided fantasy owners with a high AVG (.307) and 27 SB in 2009. Wright reported to camp upbeat and positive about his chances and his team chances to rebound this season after a disappointing season for both parties. One possibility for Wright’s lack of production last season was due to having Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran, and Carlos Delgado hurt for most of the season, where Wright saw fewer good pitches and run producing opportunities. With Jose Reyes return and the signing of Jason Bay, look for Wright to have more opportunities to drive in runs and return to his 4 year averages of 29 HR and 112 RBI. While some fantasy owners might be skeptical of taking Wright in the first round this year, he shouldn’t last much longer as he is still an elite power-speed option. Fantasy owners should be confident in a return to form for Wright this season.

Bill James Projection: .302 AVG, 23 HR, 99 RBI, 100 Runs, 24 SB, .892 OPS

MLB.com Projection: .302 AVG, 21 HR, 98 RBI, 102 Runs, 23 SB, .877 OPS

• Jose Reyes (SS) New York Mets – Another Mets player finds his name on this list as he was a victim of the injury bug last season. Previously on the site, we took a look at Reyes fantasy value for this upcoming season, where the chances for a bounceback season are high. Reyes is reportedly running at full speed in camp after leg and hamstring injuries caused him to miss 126 games last season. No one is more important to the Mets offense than Reyes, as he is the catalyst at the top of the lineup with his speed and ability to get on base. While Reyes might not reach 78 SB again like he did in 2007, he is still only 26 with plenty of potential to become a 40-50 SB threat again. Fantasy owners could get a 1st round talent in the 2nd or 3rd round in fantasy drafts this year as Reyes value has dropped since last season. Monitor Reyes progression in camp, but don’t be afraid to take Reyes high this season as he is still an elite talent.

Bill James Projection: .285 AVG, 14 HR, 67 RBI, 113 Runs, 57 SB, .784 OPS

MLB.com Projection: .302 AVG, 15 HR, 65 RBI, 114 Runs, 52 SB, .830 OPS

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