Earlier this week, I took a look at Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com top 10 prospects for 2010. Today, I want to highlight Keith Law of ESPN.com and his list of top 10 prospects and how it compares to Mayo’s list. While most of the prospects find their names on both top 10 lists, there are a few that find their names on this list only. Let’s get to Law’s list with the prospects ranking on Mayo’s list in parentheses.
ESPN.com’s 2010 Top 10 Prospects
1. Jason Heyward (OF) Atlanta Braves (1) – The consensus overall No.1 prospect on both lists. Braves fans should be excited for the arrival of this 5 tool talent in the near future.
2. Stephen Strasburg (RHP) Washington Nationals (2) – The consensus top pitching prospect on both lists. The Nationals hope Strasburg lives up to all the hype and brings home a Cy Young Award in the future.
3. Carlos Santana (C) Cleveland Indians (11) – Santana just missed cracking the top 10 on Mayo’s list, but safely finds his name on this list. Santana is a switch-hitting catcher who has left scouts raving about his ability to change the game with both his arm and bat. He has drawn comparisons to the player he is expecting to replace in Cleveland, Victor Martinez. The Indians are expected to give Santana one more year of seasoning in the minors before making him their everyday backstop in 2011.
4. Buster Posey (C) San Francisco Giants (4) – The battle for the title of the top catching prospect in the game between Santana and Posey was won by Santana on this list. However, Posey safely finds his name at No. 4 on both lists and is looking like a potential cornerstone behind the plate for many years.
5. Mike Stanton (OF) Florida Marlins (3) – Stanton takes a little step back on this list, but finds his name in the top 5 on both lists. Many scouts are in unison of their praise of Stanton and his ability to drive in runs and hit the long ball better than anyone in the minors. Marlins fans should see him patrolling right field very soon.
6. Desmond Jennings (OF) Tampa Bay Rays (6) – Jennings anchors the 6th spot on both lists. The question in Tampa is can they make an outfield with Carl Crawford in LF, Jennings in CF, and B.J. Upton in RF happen. Crawford is a free agent after the season and is questionable to return. However unlikely the possibility of all three players in the outfield together, Rays fans can dream of such a scenario which would be the fastest and most exciting outfield in all of baseball.
7. Martin Perez (LHP) Texas Rangers (18) – The Rangers find another pitching prospect in the top 10 in Perez. The 19-year old lefty has drawn comparisons to fellow lefty Johan Santana with his size and stuff. The Rangers will be cautious with Perez as he is still extremely young. He isn’t expected to reach the majors until 2012 at the earliest, but Perez’s progress could speed up the process sooner. The Rangers organization is ecstatic about their young arms and Perez could be the best.
8. Dustin Ackley (2B) Seattle Mariners (15) – The 2nd overall pick of the 2009 draft is making the switch from CF to 2B this season. How well Ackley adjusts to the position change will determine how fast he reaches the majors. He was considered the most advanced hitter in last year’s draft as he provides a high average with a great knack for getting on base. The only knock on Ackley is that his power has yet to develop and is still a work in progress. Currently, the Mariners have him penciled him for a trip to the majors at some point in 2011, but could be be later than that due to the position change.
9. Justin Smoak (1B) Texas Rangers (9) – Another name to find his name on both lists and at the same spot as well. Smoak would be penciled into most starting lineups this season, however, the Rangers don’t have room for his services this season with Chris Davis at first and Vladimir Guerrero as the primary DH. As mentioned before, Smoak has drawn comparisons to Mark Teixeira and should be a big-time run producer in the majors.
10. Jesus Montero (C) New York Yankees (19) – Another catching prospect cracks the top 10 as the Yankees hope they have find their successor to Jorge Posada behind the plate. Montero’s defense has been questioned, but he was reported to make progress behind the plate last season. There is no question about Montero’s ability to swing the bat as he has immense power and plate discipline. The Yankees have kept Montero’s name out of trade discussions and that says a lot. The team should have no problem behind the plate after Posada departs.
It is interesting to see the different top prospects list that come out every year. You often hear the term “can’t-miss prospect” loosely in baseball, which is true sometimes. The developmental process in baseball is crucial for sustained success in the league. The Braves of the 90s and the Twins are two organizations that seemingly always have a knack for producing quality home-grown talent. The Rays are a team that I see starting to follow that mold as they are starting to produce some exciting young arms and hitters. For a complete list of Law’s rankings please visit the link above.
