With clubs set to infuse more talent into their systems next week, and with two months of minor league data to analyze, it’s a great time to take a quick look at how the Top 10 prospects are doing in each system. Today, we’ll take a look at the National League East.

*The Top 10 lists originally appeared in FanGraphs’ Second Opinion fantasy guide published in March.

The organization hasn’t had a ton of prospects take a huge step forward this season, outside of Brown. The outfielder continues to show improved power, which increases his value significantly. He could be ready for the Majors by mid-2010… there’s just no where to play him. Aumont, back in the starting rotation, has definitely been a disappointment and he’s walked 26 batters in 23.0 May innings. It looks like Gillies, another player obtained in the Cliff Lee trade, had his ’09 numbers skewed by the California League.

I think it’s safe to say that Heyward’s impact at the MLB level has been well documented. He’s not the only impressive player from this list, though, that has seen his value increase dramatically. The club has seen a number of starting pitchers up their games, including Teheran, Vizcaino, Delgado, and Minor. Once known for drafting and developing prep pitching, not one of those pitchers was taken out of high school, but that does display the club’s diversity (two players acquired via international free agency, one drafted out of college, one nabbed via trade). Minor, who is second in the minors in strikeouts, may have taken the biggest leap forward, followed by Teheran.

The overall depth on the Top 10 list is not that great, but the Top 4 is pretty impressive… even with Norris taking a couple of trips to the disabled list. Strasburg should be joining Storen and Desmond in the Majors within the next week or two. The club will have to draft really well next week or the 2011 Top 10 list could look pretty sad, as there are not a ton of players taking big steps forward in the system beyond the aforementioned prospects.

The MLB club has already received a pretty hefty impact from Davis and Mejia, even if the club is rubbing Mejia’s value (and future) in the mud. Niese was also having a respectable season before hitting the disabled list. Flores has taken a big leap forward with a strong start to his year and he currently has an .842 OPS while repeating low-A ball. Nieuwenhuis is quietly having a nice season.

Although I don’t completely agree with it, Stanton should be up some time in June, as he’s been tearing the cover off the ball in double-A and currently has 18 homers and 39 walks in 45 games. He also has 47 strikeouts and is just 20 years old. Morrison would probably get a positive grade if it weren’t for all the injuries he’s endured over the last 12 months. He could soon create a log jam at first base if Sanchez continues to hit well in the Majors. Both Tucker (.324 average allowed vs right-handed hitters) and Dominguez (.705 OPS) are having rough – but not completely hopeless – seasons.

Up Next: The AL Central

With clubs set to infuse more talent into their systems next week, and with being two months into the minor league season, it’s a great time to take a quick look at how the Top 10 prospects are doing in each system. Today, we’ll take a look at the American League East.

*The Top 10 lists originally appeared in FanGraphs’ Second Opinion fantasy guide published in March.

Top prospect Jennings has been slowed by injuries but he appears to be healthy now but he’s struggled with the bat. The same can be said for Beckham, who hit just .145 in April but is hitting .366 in his last 10 games. While the hitters have struggled so far this year, most of the Top 10 pitchers have seen their values increase, including Hellickson, Davis, Barnese, and Colome. Moore, a lefty, has struggled mightily against left-handed hitters (.348 average). Overall, the top prospects in the system are having a successful 2010 season.

Top prospect Montero has struggled in triple-A but no one is really worried given the level of competition and his age (20). The emergence of fellow catching prospect Romine one level below Montero has also helped to ease any concerns. If the top prospect does have to move away from catching, a continued strong showing from Romine will make the move more palatable. Heathcott, Sanchez, and De Leon have yet to start their seasons. Murphy was just recently assigned to low-A ball after opening the year in extended spring training.

The club’s Top 10 list was dealt a big blow with the serious health concerns with both Westmoreland and Tazawa. Kelly has done OK in double-A but he’s still very young in terms of pitching. Anderson has regained much of his prospect status this season after a lousy ’09. A couple of outfielders – Kalish and Fuentes – are quickly improving their value with strong starts to the year.

The system is certainly benefiting from the addition of Wallace, Drabek, and d’Arnaud. All three were acquired during last off-season’s trade of Roy ‘Mr. Perfect’ Halladay. d’Arnaud has battled back problems but he’s impressed people within the organization with both his offense and his leadership on the field. Two players have yet to begin their 2010 seasons: Sierra (leg stress fracture) and Marisnick (extended spring).

Matusz has struggled a bit in the Majors this season but he’s also shown some flashes of brilliance. Erbe, Snyder, and Mickolio have disappointed but Arrieta and Britton are certainly headed in the right direction. Bell had a slow start at triple-A but he seems to be pulling himself out of the hole.

Up Next: The NL East

The three-year deal given to Raul Ibanez prior to the 2009 season was puzzling at the time given the length of contract weighted against the veteran’s age (He’s about to turn 38 at the mid-point of the contract). Ibanez, though, laid those concerns to rest with an outstanding ’09 season in which he posted a 3.9 WAR and slugged 34 homers.

This season has been a different story. He’s currently hitting .253/.356/.404 in 177 plate appearances. Ibanez’ wOBA has slipped from .379 last season to .325 in ’10. He’s currently being paid $11.5 million and will receive the same amount in 2011. He also has a full no-trade clause in his contract.

The good news for Phillies fans is that the veteran is currently hitting much better in May than he did in April; his wOBA has increased from .308 to .341. However, Ibanez has a .640 OPS against left-handed pitching. His OPS, in comparison, is .805 against righties. Like many left-handed hitters, Ibanez has hit right-handers much better over the course of his career.

At this point, it might make sense for the club to consider platooning the former Mariner. With turning 38 soon, Ibanez’ body would probably benefit from the added rest. Unfortunately, neither back-up outfielder – Ben Francisco nor Ross Gload – has been overly effective this season. Francisco is currently hitting .219/.265/.281, while Gload is batting .241/.241/.448 in an almost strictly pinch-hitting role.

The best solution can found down in triple-A in the form of former No. 1 draft pick John Mayberry Jr. who, at the age of 26, has never been given a fair shot to stick on a MLB roster. The 6’6” 235 lbs outfielder is currently hitting .288/.354/.494 in 160 at-bats. Against left-handers, though, he’s hitting .333/.383/.500. The Stanford alum also has a track record of success against left-handed pitching, as seen by his career line of .283/.355/.495. Mayberry could also potentially spell Ryan Howard from time-to-time, as the big first baseman has also been struggling against southpaws (.696 vs .880 OPS).

At the cost of just Francisco or Gload, it’s really not a big risk for the organization to give Mayberry a chance. Adding his prowess against left-handers could help the club when facing some of the tougher left-handers in the league. With the Phillies club in first place in the National League East, the instinct may be to leave things well enough alone. However, it’s a long season and the club’s hold on first place is anything but secure. This move has the potential to make the team stronger with little downside.

Quick quiz: What 2007 No. 1 draft pick has a career .331 average, but is never, ever talked about as a serious prospect?

The answer is Minnesota’s Ben Revere, an outfielder who was taken 28th overall out of a Kentucky high school. He entered 2010 with a triple-slash line of .331/.396/.430 in 997 at-bats. The speedy outfielder, now 22, has moved slowly up the system’s ladder, one step at a time through rookie ball, low-A, high-A and now double-A.

This season, he’s been unfazed by the more advanced pitching in double-A and is hitting .313/.387/.380 in 163 at-bats. Revere is not a power hitter, as witnessed by his .067 ISO rate. And he’ll never be a power hitter. Luckily, he seems to realize what his strengths are, and he plays to those attributes.

Revere stole 40+ bases in both ’08 and ’09. So far this season, he’s nabbed 17 bags in 21 tries. He doesn’t have a huge walk rate because he makes good, consistent contact, but he has also struck out just four more times than he’s walked in his career. In ’10, he has 17 walks and 16 strikeouts. A left-handed hitter, Revere is not a player you have to worry about platooning. His career OPS versus southpaws is .866 (.363 batting average) and it’s .800 (.324 average) against right-handed pitchers.

Although he’s never been promoted in-season by the Twins, this could be the year that the organization decides to change things up. Revere is close to being MLB-ready and is hitting .415/.489/.537 with six steals in his last 10 games. The organization lacks depth in the outfield at triple-A and if the MLB club needs an injury replacement for the second half of the season, Revere might be the type of player that can provide a playoff-seeking club a real boost.

Revere also provides an element that the big league club could benefit from: speed. Aside from fellow outfielder Denard Span, who has 13 steals, no other Twin has more than four (Orlando Hudson). Neither Delmon Young (.324 wOBA) nor Jason Kubel (.304) has really pulled his weight this season. If placed in the ninth spot in the lineup, Revere should be able to get on base at a clip of .350-.370, leaving him in a good position to be driven in by Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, and/or Michael Cuddyer. Mr. Young could take his .315 on-base percentage to the bench.

Ultimately, Revere is probably not a difference-making player all on his own, despite his lofty draft status. However, he’s proven over the past four seasons that he has skills to be an important cog in a playoff-worthy club.

June is just around the corner and Super-2 arbitration eligibility is going to expire shortly for a number of top prospects. As a result, you could see a few big names in the Majors within the first two weeks of the month. Let’s see how they’re currently doing in the minors.

Stephen Strasburg | RHP | Washington: You know you’re good when people start off a sentence with: “Strasburg actually allowed a run in triple-A…” In nine starts this season split between double-A and triple-A, the right-hander has allowed 22 hits and 10 walks in 45.1 innings of work. He has a 10.42 K/9 rate, as well as a 69% ground-ball rate, which gives a pretty good idea of why he’s been so dominant. The club could definitely use his help, as its best starter (Scott Olsen) is on the DL and Livan Hernandez is not going to keep pitching with a golden horseshoe shoved up his…

Jeremy Hellickson | RHP | Tampa Bay: Brian Joura is looking at the Hellickson situation in a little more depth over at RotoGraphs today. The 23-year-old right-hander has been dealing in triple-A all season long. He’s given up 53 hits and just 12 walks in 58.0 innings. He also has a strikeout rate of 9.64 K/9. A fly-ball pitcher with a 31.5% ground-ball rate, Hellickson has done a nice job avoiding the home-run ball (Just two have left the yard all season). The problem for Hellickson – which is great news for Rays fans – is that there is nowhere to pitch him. The starting rotation is probably the deepest and most talented in Major League Baseball.

Buster Posey | C | San Francisco: The Giants organization and General Manager Brian Sabean clearly don’t think a catcher can improve his defense while playing in the Major Leagues. Either that or it really is about Super-2. This line of thought just might cost the club a playoff berth. Posey’s defense definitely still needs some work behind the plate but he’s not useless back there and he’s hitting .344/.435/.525 with a in 160 at-bats. He’s also creaming lefties to the tune of a 1.222 OPS. Veteran MLB catcher Bengie Molina currently has a wOBA of .332 on the year, which is 14th in the Majors amongst catchers with 100 or more plate appearances (Or in other words, he’s been OK but not great). Why not let Molina catch 60% of the games with Posey handling the other 40%, while also seeing time at first base and/or third base?

Carlos Santana | C | Cleveland: Santana continues to challenge Posey for the title of Best Offensive Catcher in the minors. The Indians prospect is currently hitting .306/.440/.551 with nine homers and five steals in 147 at-bats. He also has 34 walks compared to 28 strikeouts. The switch-hitter swings well from the left side and has a .324 average against right-handed pitching. Santana has also been excellent with runners in scoring position, as his OPS jumps from .875 with the bases empty to 1.269 with men on second and/or third base. Current MLB catcher (and fellow rookie) Lou Marson has a wOBA of .255. Enough said.

Pedro Alvarez | 3B | Pittsburgh: The third baseman caught everyone’s attention early in the season with a power burst but he’s been pretty quiet since that time. Overall, he’s hitting just .248/.333/.497 with 10 homers in 165 at-bats. The left-handed hitter has struggled against southpaws with a .205 average (compared to .264 versus RHPs). Currently third baseman Andy LaRoche hasn’t exactly been an offensive juggernaut. His wOBA is just .311 through 35 games, which is one of the worst rates in the Majors at his position. However, Alvarez’ struggles could keep him in the minors until September.

It’s no secret that pitching has been a big problem for the Arizona Diamondbacks this season. The MLB club is last in the Majors in ERA (5.75), FIP (5.14), and has allowed the most hits in the Majors (455).

Of the pitchers currently in the starting rotation, Dan Haren, Edwin Jackson, and Ian Kennedy have future value to the organization as starters. Cesar Valdez, Billy Buckner, Kris Benson and Rodrigo Lopez likely do not. The future of former ace Brandon Webb is up in the air due to his recent injury problems.

That leaves one or two starting rotation slots in flux. The organization does not have a lot of money to plug the hole(s) via free agency; the best thing is to look within. Unfortunately, the depth in the upper levels of the system is not good. With that said, there are a few arms in the system that could provide value to the big league club.

Wes Roemer: The right-hander was a supplemental first round pick out of Cal State Fullerton in 2007. He’s moved fairly slowly through the system given his pedigree but Roemer was recently promoted to triple-A after a strong start in double-A. The 23-year-old pitcher made 22 starts in double-A in ’09 and posted a 4.16 FIP with a modest strikeout rate of 6.5 K/9. This season at double-A, he allowed 52 hits in 52.2 innings with 11 walks and 43 strikeouts. Roemer has a modest repertoire (87-91 mph fastball, slider, change-up) but solid control (career 2.4 BB/9) and must keep the ball down to be successful, especially in Phoenix.

Barry Enright: Enright was selected shortly after Roemer in the ’07 draft and is a similar pitcher. The right-hander was selected in the second round out of Pepperdine University. Enright, 24, spent all of ’09 in double-A and posted a 4.00 FIP. In 156.0 innings, the durable starter showed excellent control with a walk rate of 2.13 BB/9 but he put a lot of balls in play with a strikeout rate of just 5.94 K/9. Back in double-A for 2010, Enright currently has a 3.40 FIP and has given up just 44 hits and 10 walks in 51.2 innings. He has struck out 40 batters. Like Roemer, he has a modest fastball (87-91 mph fastball) and needs to keep the ball down to be successful. His four-pitch mix also includes a slider, curveball and change-up.

Josh Collmenter: Another ’07 draft pick, the 24-year-old Collmenter has proven to be a solid value as a 15th round pick out of Central Michigan University. Not known as a big-time strikeout pitcher, the right-hander posted a K-rate of 9.41 K/9 in ’09 in high-A ball mainly due to his ability to mix all his pitches. Collmenter also posted a 3.12 FIP. He’s also done a nice job of keeping the ball in the park despite a modest ground-ball rate. This season, Collmenter has pitched at three levels (high-A, double-A, and triple-A). Combined, he’s allowed 36 hits and 15 walks with 44 strikeouts in 45.0 innings of work. His FIP sits at 3.66. His repertoire includes an 86-90 mph fastball with cutting action, curveball, and change-up.

The Texas Rangers’ ’09 draft took a huge hit when the organization failed to sign its first pick in Texas high school pitcher Matt Purke. The 14th overall pick spurned the club’s advances and headed off to Texas Christian University. He’ll be a draft-eligible sophomore and will be back in the 2011 draft.

The club redeemed itself with a couple of astute selections with the 44th overall pick (Tanner Scheppers) and 93rd overall selection (Robert Erlin), both pitchers. Today, we’re going to focus on the third round pick. Erlin caught the attention of scouts as a southpaw starter at a high school in Scotts Valley, California, despite his less than ideal pitcher’s stature of 5’11”, 175 lbs.

As Baseball American noted in its ’09 pre-draft coverage:

“…several scouts have said the same thing about him: ‘If he were two inches taller, you’d be talking about him as a first-rounder.'”

Despite his commitment to Cal Poly, Erlin signed with Texas and got in three relief appearances before the ’09 minor league season ended. This season, the 19-year-old hurler has been playing at low-A Hickory. Given durability concerns and his inexperience, Erlin was eased into the season and his first eight appearances came out of the bullpen. During that stretch, he allowed 11 hits and four walks in 20.1 innings of work.

On May 18, the southpaw made his first pro start and did not allow a hit or a walk over five innings of work. He struck out nine batters. Overall on the season, Erlin has allowed just one run – a solo homer – and has absolutely dominated hitters. He holding right-handed batters to a .098 batting average.

And this is not simply a strike-throwing soft-tosser overmatching the young, aggressive hitters in the South Atlantic League. We head back to Baseball America:

Despite the small frame, he has life on his fastball, pitching at 89-92 mph. He commands the pitch to both sides of the plate and has an above-average curveball–a hammer he can throw for strikes in any count.

Erlin doesn’t have the electric repertoire of a Martin Perez, Neftali Feliz or Scheppers, but he’s got an above-average repertoire, as well as a good feel for pitching – especially given his age. The organization has already shown a willingness to handle Erlin carefully, despite the obvious impulse to let him loose on the unsuspecting batters in the low minors. Don’t be surprised if you see his name littered amongst Top 10 post-season prospect lists.

It was a fairly minor note in the MLB transaction wire yesterday, but it irked me.

Toronto Blue Jays released 1B Randy Ruiz

Ruiz has left the Blue Jays to explore an opportunity to play overseas in Japan. And frankly, I don’t blame him. The 32-year-old first baseman – with just 198 career at-bats entering the 2010 season – made the Toronto Blue Jays’ opening day 25-man roster but he accumulated a total of 40 at-bats in the Jays’ first 41 games. Much like Toronto’s other bench players – John McDonald, Mike McCoy, and Jose Molina – Ruiz barely received playing time, even in late-game situations as a defensive replacement or as a pinch hitter. He hit just .150/.150/.275, but you can hardly fault his lack of offense given the number of appearances and at-bats. It was clear every time that he came to the plate that he was pressing and trying to jack the ball out of the park.

Realistically, Ruiz was never going to be anything more than a bench player… or possibly a part of a platoon situation. He posted some solid minor league numbers (winning the Pacific Coast League MVP last season) and hit very well for Toronto in a small opportunity in ’09 (.313/.385/.635 in 130 at-bats). The issue with Ruiz is a symptom of a bigger problem with the club.

In a very small sample size (17 at-bats), Ruiz – despite his struggles with the bat – out-hit regular first baseman Lyle Overbay against southpaws (.414 vs .351 OPS). In other words, giving Ruiz a shot at the platoon would not have been the worse idea in the world. This is supposed to be a rebuilding time in Toronto… as in a time when you give players a shot to see what they have to offer.

And this is not a new trend for the incumbent first baseman, who is in the last year of a multi-year contract. Overbay’s career OPS versus left-handers is .696 and against right-handers it’s .842. During his resurgent 2009 season, the club all but platooned Overbay and his OPS split was .534 vs LHPs, .905 vs RHPs. To be frank, he’s killed his fair share of rallies this season by hitting out of the five hole. At the very least, he should be hitting eighth or ninth in the lineup when manager Cito Gaston insists on having him face left-handers (which is all but inevitable at this point).

Ruiz, though, may have been the smart one. He might actually get a chance to play in Japan.

I worry that the Jays’ regulars will be gassed by the second half of the season with little to no rest. When we look at the other bench players, McDonald has just 40 at-bats himself, and that’s taking into consideration the time that fellow infielders Aaron Hill and Edwin Encarnacion missed while on the disabled list. McDonald has made just three appearances in May, which is inexcusable and a poor use of the roster. McCoy, who can play both the infield and outfield, has 42 at-bats on the year, but he’s made a whopping six appearances in May (five at-bats). He, like McDonald, has value as a defensive replacement, as well as a pinch runner. Molina has had 41 at-bats and could certainly take a little pressure off of No. 1 catcher John Buck, who has appeared in 34 games and has caught the ninth most innings in the Majors. All four players have been on the roster all season long and healthy.

I realize that the Jays have a number of hot hitters, like Vernon Wells, Alex Gonzalez, and Jose Bautista, but the situation is bordering on ridiculous. Cito’s commitment to his regulars is going to come back to bite the club in the butt.

Apparently the manager, who is due to retire at the end of 2010, doesn’t realize that he’s supposed to stop managing on Oct. 3.

He’s clearly gotten an early start on his retirement.

With the 2010 amateur draft less than a month away, it’s a perfect time for reflection. The ’09 draft featured some “over-drafts” in the first 10 picks that caused a little bit of controversy.

The first over-draft came with the fourth overall pick when the Pittsburgh Pirates nabbed Boston College catcher Tony Sanchez. The Baltimore Orioles then followed up with the fifth pick by taking California prep right-hander Matt Hobgood, leaving the likes of Zack Wheeler, Jacob Turner, Tyler Matzek, and Shelby Miller on the table. All four prep pitchers were considered to be more talented. The third shock of the Top 10 came with Atlanta’s selection of Vanderbilt lefty Mike Minor, an advanced arm with limited upside.

Just over 11 months have passed since the ’09 draft, so let’s have a look and see how the gambles are paying off.

Sanchez was the only catcher taken in the first round. The next backstop was taken by Seattle with the first pick of the supplemental first round (33rd overall) in Florida high schooler Steve Baron. With a brutal big league pitching staff in Pittsburgh in ’10, names like Mike Leake, Drew Storen, and Kyle Gibson are looking pretty good right now. Truth be told, though, there are few – if any – ’09 first round hitters performing better than Sanchez right now. The catcher has a triple-slash line of .310/.423/.491 in 116 at-bats in high-A ball. The (soon-to-be) 22-year-old Sanchez has been creaming right-handed pitching with a .338 average. He’s slowed in May after a scorching April, though, and has seen his OPS go from 1.082 to .692 this month. Defensively on the year, he’s thrown out just five runners in 35 attempts (14%).

Hobgood was initially perhaps the most perplexing selection. In fairness, though, the Baltimore organization redeemed itself later on by signing a number of promising picks to over-slot deals to sway them away from other commitments. Instead of spending all of its money on one high-risk, high-reward player, the re-building organization hedged its bet and spread the love around. Pitching in low-A in 2010, the 19-year-old Hobgood has allowed 33 hits and 17 walks in 36.2 innings of work. He’s struck out only 23 batters, but he’s given up just one homer and has a ground-ball rate of 54%. It will be a while before we truly know how the club made out with this selection, as we also monitor the development of Wheeler, Turner, Matzek, and Miller… as well as the players that Baltimore paid big money to later in the draft (like Cameron Coffey, Ryan Berry, and Michael Ohlman).

The Braves organization has a reputation for developing pitchers but the club historically takes prep arms. That hasn’t worked out so well in recent years, which could explain part of the rationale for taking Minor, 22. He had a rough start to his ’10 season with nine runs allowed in his first two starts (9.0 innings) but he’s been making the organization look smart lately. The “soft-tosser” is leading the double-A Southern League in strikeouts with 65 in 44.2 innings of work (13.24 K/9). He’s also given up just 32 hits. Minor may find even more success once he can get the ball down a little more consistently and get the ground-ball rate up over that 50% hump. The southpaw has been lights-out with the bases empty (.132 average) but he’s struggled with runners on and in scoring position (.320).

It’s still very early, but all three players are holding their own in professional baseball. There was plenty of second guessing going on at the time (by myself included) but each MLB club spends a lot of time and money to make the best selections possible for themselves. It will be interesting to see who pops up unexpectedly in the Top 10 to 15 picks of the 2010 draft. It will also be fun to revisit the above trio at the end of the ’10 season.

While perusing the Royals’ organizational chart the other day, I realized that it’s been quite some time since I’ve heard anything about Aaron Crow. The right-hander, you’ll recall, was the ninth overall pick by the Washington Nationals during the 2008 draft.

Stepping back into 2008 again, the Top 2 pitchers in the draft that year were Crow and Brian Matusz of the University of San Diego. Here is what Baseball American said about Crow before the ’08 amateur draft:

In three years, Crow has gone from an undrafted high school senior to the best righthander in the 2008 draft, thanks largely to the best fastball package available. Other pitchers may throw harder, but no one can match the combination of Crow’s velocity (92-96 mph with a peak of 98), hard sink, command and ability to maintain his fastball… Some teams wonder if his mechanics and size (generously listed at 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds) might make him more of a closer than a front-line starter. Crow led the Cape Cod League with a 0.67 ERA last summer and was the No. 1 prospect in the league.

And here is a little something on Matusz:

Like David Price, the No. 1 pick last year, Matusz is tall and lanky at 6-foot-5 and 200 pounds, and scouts have history with him. He didn’t sign with the Angels in 2005 as a fourth-round pick out of an Arizona high school, and he starred for Team USA last summer, after ranking second (behind Price) in the nation in strikeouts… Matusz profiles as a middle of the rotation starter at worst, and if he improves his fastball and mechanics, he can become a staff ace.

There was a lot of debate over who was the better pick but it appears that Baltimore made the smart decision to take the more advanced left-hander. While Crow is struggling in double-A, Matusz is holding his own at the MLB level and has 15 MLB starts under his belt with a career xFIP of 4.58.

Unable to come to terms with Washington in ’08, Crow re-entered the draft in ’09 and went 12th overall to the Royals. He didn’t sign until late in the year so the former University of Missouri star officially began his pro career in April, 2010.

In the first start of his career, Crow allowed just one unearned run in 4.2 innings. His subsequent double-A starts have been inconsistent. His best stretch came in two games on April 29 and May 4 when he allowed just five runs on 12 hits in 15.0 innings. He walked three and struck out nine. In his last start against Tulsa (Colorado) on May 9, Crow was touched up for seven runs on seven hits and four walks in 5.0 runs. He did not strike out a batter.

Overall, he’s allowed 43 hits in 41.2 innings. Crow has given up 17 walks with just 21 strikeouts. Despite an excellent ground-ball rate of 70%, Crow has given up six homers (1.20 HR/9). If he keeps up that ground-ball rate, he should have some success, but he’s not going to reach his ceiling of a No. 1 or 2 starter with a sub-5.00 strikeout rate. It’s still early to get too worried, but flashes of Luke Hochevar are dancing in my head; one under-performing former No. 1 draft pick in enough for the Royals organization.