2008 Draft Slot: 28th overall
Top Pick: Gerrit Cole, RHP, California high school
Best Pick: Brett Marshall, RHP, Texas high school (sixth round)
Keep an Eye On: Corban Joseph, 2B, Tennessee high school (fourth round)
Notes: There is really no way to sugar coat the fact that the Yankees organization had a terrible draft in 2008, which was not helped by the fact that it failed to sign its first pick, as Gerrit Cole opted for college, as well as its second-round pick Scott Bittle, who had injury concerns. Brett Marshall was given an above-slot deal ($800,000) to forgo college after sliding in the draft due to signability concerns.

2007 Draft Slot: 30th overall
Top Pick: Andrew Brackman, RHP, North Carolina State U.
Best Pick: Austin Romine, C, California high school (second round)
Worst Pick: Adam Olbrychowski, RHP, Pepperdine University (fifth round)
Notes: Andrew Brackman was a huge draft talent with a huge question mark as pretty much everyone knew he needed Tommy John surgery, which he underwent before the ink was dry on his first pro contract. Now 23, Brackman is back pitching but in low A-ball. Austin Romine has performed better than expected with the bat so far in his pro career, which will help soften the blow when Jesus Montero has to be moved out from behind the dish.

2006 Draft Slot: 21st overall
Top Pick: Ian Kennedy, RHP, University of Southern California
Best Pick: Joba Chamberlain, RHP, University of Nebraska (supplemental 1st round)
Worst Pick: Colin Curtis, OF, Arizona State University (fourth round)
Notes: In terms of pitching, this is one of the best drafts in recent memory for any team. The club found Ian Kennedy, Joba Chamberlain, Zach McAllister, George Kontos, Dellin Betances, Mark Melancon, Daniel McCutchen (traded to PIT), and David Robertson.

2009 Draft Slot: 29th overall
Draft Preference (2006-08): Best available talent
MLB Club Need: Relievers, Outfielder, Catcher
Organizational Need: Infielders, Outfielders, Left-handed pitchers
Organizational Strength: Right-handed pitchers, catchers
Notes: The organization will no doubt play its cards close to the chest with the rival Boston Red Sox picking at No. 28. Money should again be no object, and the organization might want to make up for a poor 2008 draft.

2008 Draft Slot: Fourth overall
Top Pick: Brian Matusz, LHP, University of San Diego
Best Pick: Brian Matusz
Keep an Eye On: Bobby Bundy, RHP, Oklahoma high school (8th round)
Notes: A knee injury slowed Bobby Bundy during his senior year of high school and scared off clubs. He was given an above-slot deal to forgo a college career at the University of Arkansas. Bundy will spend another season in short-season ball in 2009. Two more prep players – OF Xavier Avery and 2B L.J. Hoes – have the chance to make noise in the system. Avery has the more impressive set of tools, but Hoes is a more advanced hitter.

2007 Draft Slot: Fifth overall
Top Pick: Matt Wieters, C, Georgia Tech
Best Pick: Matt Wieters
Worst Pick: None
Notes: It’s hard to criticize the Orioles’ selections when the club lacked second and third round draft picks. Fourth-round pick Tim Bascom has had a modest start to his career and posted a 5.24 FIP in High-A last season. In a do-over, Pittsburgh (4th overall) and Chicago (third) – possibly even Kansas City (second) – would probably grab Matt Wieters. Despite lacking the second and third round picks, Baltimore secured a second-round talent with the selection of Jake Arrieta in the fifth round.

2006 Draft Slot: Ninth overall
Top Pick: Billy Rowell, 3B, New Jersey high school
Best Pick: Zach Britton, LHP, Texas high school (3rd round)
Worst Pick: Billy Rowell
Notes: There were questions about Billy Rowell’s maturity and makeup entering the draft and he has done little to quiet those concerns in pro ball. He’s showing a little life with a .282 average in High-A ball this season but his raw power has still not translated to in-game power (one homer in 71 at-bats). Supplemental first round pick Pedro Beato has also been a disappointment. Zach Britton has pitched well so far in his career and he’s holding his own in High-A ball this season, although he’s struggling a bit with his control (12 walks in 19.2 innings).

2009 Draft Slot: 5th overall
Draft Preference (2006-08): Best available talent
MLB Club Need: Pitching, Pitching, and more Pitching, Third base, Shortstop
Organizational Need: Outfielders, Shortstop, Third base, First base, Left-handed pitching
Organizational Strength: Catcher, Second base, Right-handed pitching
Notes: The club will no doubt look to take the best available player, as seen by its decision to select Matt Wieters despite his huge price tag. However, the club is probably hoping for a good bat to be available with the pick since the future pitching rotation is looking pretty good with Chris Tillman, Jake Arrieta, Brian Matusz and Brandon Erbe (and even David Hernandez) on the way. But you can never, ever have too much pitching so the club should be a winner either way with the fifth pick.

2008 Draft Slot: 30th overall
Top Pick: Casey Kelly, RHP/SS, Florida high school
Best Pick: Casey Kelly
Keep an Eye On: Derrick Gibson, SS, Delaware high school
Notes: Based on pure potential and athleticism, the Red Sox had a massively-successful draft. With that said, most of the players are young and extremely raw, like Derrick Gibson, Casey Kelly, Pete Hissey, and Ryan Westmoreland. The club did a nice job of balancing that out with college picks like Bryan Price.

2007 Draft Slot: 55th overall (supplemental first round)
Top Pick: Nick Hagadone, LHP, Washington U
Best Pick: Nick Hagadone
Worst Pick: Chris Province, RHP, Southeastern Louisiana (4th round)
Notes: It’s a little crazy that Nick Hagadone is still the top pick from the draft considering the time he missed due to Tommy John surgery. The other players drafted, though, have been slow to develop. Don’t be surprised if the best player from this draft ends up being first baseman Anthony Rizzo. This draft would have been even stronger at the time if the organization had been able to sway top prep players like catcher Yasmani Grandal and pitcher Nick Tepesch to sign, both of whom were considered second-round talents but were drafted after the 25th round due to signability concerns.

2006 Draft Slot: 27th overall
Top Pick: Jason Place, OF, South Carolina high school
Best Pick: Justin Masterson, RHP, San Diego State (2nd round)
Worst Pick: Kris Johnson, LHP, Wichita State (supplemental 1st round)
Notes: Kris Johnson’s stuff has not been the same in pro ball thanks to injuries. Justin Masterson has definitely been the best player so far, but Daniel Bard could have something to say about that before too long. Some kid named Matt LaPorta failed to come to terms after being selected in the 14th round.

2009 Draft Slot: 28th overall
Draft Preference (2006-08): Best available player
MLB Club Need: Catching, third base, shortstop
Organizational Need: Left-handed pitching, Second base, Left field
Organizational Strength: Shortstop, Right-handed pitching, First base
Notes: With a history of picking at the end of the draft, Boston will no doubt take the best player available, which could very well be a Top 10-15 player, in terms of talent, who slid due to signability concerns. The club can also have the satisfaction of choosing one pick before the rival New York Yankees. Unlike in recent years, Boston does not have a bunch of supplementary picks so it will have to make the most of its selections, which is not a concern for the well-run, smart organization.

Welcome to the first edition of the Amateur Draft Reviews. This series will review the past three drafts for each organization for interesting facts and trends. It also serves as a preview for the upcoming MLB Amateur Draft, which takes place on June 9 and 10.

2008 Draft Slot: 1st overall
Top Pick: Tim Beckham, SS, Georgia high school
Best Pick: Tim Beckham
Keep an Eye On: Jake Jefferies, C, UC Davis (3rd round)
Notes: Jake Jefferies, a left-handed hitting catcher, has hit well in pro ball and has a good approach. Defensively, the only real question mark is his average arm. He is currently playing in A-ball. Tim Beckham’s older brother Jeremy Beckham was drafted in the 17th round and they are playing together in 2009 at A-ball.

2007 Draft Slot: 1st overall
Top Pick: David Price, LHP, Vanderbilt University
Best Pick: David Price
Worst Pick: Will Kline, RHP, University of Mississippi (2nd round)
Notes: You can’t fault Will Kline for being listed as the worst pick; he had shoulder surgery almost immediately after signing. His last pitch was thrown in 2007 and he was winless in nine starts. The team scored big by finding prep pitchers Nick Barnese (California high school) in the third round and Matthew Moore (New Mexico high school) in the eighth round.

2006 Draft Slot: 3rd overall
Top Pick: Evan Longoria, 3B, Long Beach State
Best Pick: Evan Longoria
Worst Pick: Josh Butler, RHP, University of San Diego (2nd round)
Notes: Perhaps overworked while leading the staff (which included Brian Matusz) at San Diego, Josh Butler has struggled to stay healthy and consistent in pro ball. He was traded to Milwaukee for Gabe Gross (a former 1st round pick of the Jays) in 2008. OF Desmond Jennings (Mississippi CC) looks like a steal in the 10th round. RHP Heath Rollins (Winthrop U) was a nice find – especially value-wise – in the 11th round.

2009 Draft Slot: 30th
Draft Preference (2006-08): None, the club does not favor college or prep players
MLB Club Need: Relievers, catcher
Organizational Need: First, second and third basemen, Left-handed pitching
Organizational Strength: Outfielders, Shortstops, Right-handed pitching
Notes: It will be interesting to see how Tampa Bay does with one of the last picks of the first round after being at the top of the draft for the life of the franchise. The club has always had a knack for finding solid pitching in the later rounds so that’s a good sign. You can point to TB’s high draft slot as a reason for drafting so well in the first round (David Price, Evan Longoria) but a lot of club’s have buckled under the pressure of owning a top-five pick.

Hitting prospects love to play in the Double-A Texas League. The league is a hitter’s haven and a number of the cities boast some of the best parks in all of minor league baseball for hitting; it also doesn’t hurt that most clubs don’t have to worry about cold weather in April. Right now, 29 batters in the Texas League are hitting .300 or higher. Seventeen of those hitters are at .340 or more.

The Texas League can turn suspects into prospects (for a brief time). We are also still dealing with small sample sizes this early in the season, so we cannot get too ahead of ourselves. Let’s pull out a few names from the 29 hot-hitting players in the Texas League and have a closer look at some of the prospects that came into the 2009 season with a scouting report that matches (or at least hinted to) their current offensive output.

Marcus Lemon has the most obscure profile of the five players we’re looking at, although he is no stranger to the game as the son of former Tigers outfielder Chet Lemon. The younger, fresher Lemon is a shortstop who is enjoying his time in Frisco with a line of .409/.458/.545. That puts him fourth in the league in batting average. In 44 at-bats, he’s struck out just four times (also with four walks). Last season, Lemon hit .295/.374/.434 with 30 doubles and 12 stolen bases in High-A ball. With all the talent in the Texas system, and all eyes on fellow prospect Elvis Andrus, it’s easy for a promising (but not-so-flashy) player like Lemon, one of the youngest players in Double-A at 20, to get lost in the crowd. He could be a very solid shortstop in the Majors or a top-flight utility player. He’s not going to be manning shortstop in Texas anytime soon, though.

Catcher Mitch Canham was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the supplemental first round of the 2007 draft because of his offensive reputation. He certainly has not disappointed; it took him just two years to make it to Double-A, where he is currently hitting .324/.439/.412. Last season in High-A ball (at another good hitter’s park), Canham, 24, hit .285/.382/.434 with solid rates of 13.7 BB% and 17.5 K%. His current success is likely no fluke and he could earn a mid-season promotion to Triple-A if he shows enough improvement on the defensive side of his game. The current platoon in San Diego of Nick Hundley and Henry Blanco does not provide much of a roadblock.

Daryl Jones broke out in a big way in 2008. The St. Louis Cardinals’ outfield prospect was drafted because of his athletic ability but no one knew exactly when (or if) he would translate those skills to the baseball diamond. Well, it happened in High-A ball last season and it’s continuing on into Double-A early in 2009. The 21-year-old prospect is currently hitting .303/.415/.455 in 33 at-bats. So far, he’s making a little more contact at the plate with his strikeout rate dropping from 24.2 K% in 2008 to 15.2 K% in 2009. Jones has a nice mix of speed and developing power, which could debut in St. Louis in 2010 if he continues to build upon the success he’s shown in the past year.

Adrian Cardenas is the first of two offensive-minded Oakland prospects that we’re going to look at today, which is good news for the A’s, given that the club is one of the worst offensive teams in all of Major League Baseball right now. Cardenas, a second baseman who might play third or short in the Majors, received a 26-game taste of Double-A last season and enjoyed it. He also hit .307/.371/.441 in 261 High-A at-bats. This season, Cardenas, 21, is hitting .364/.417/.600 in 55 at-bats. He’s slugged eight doubles in 13 games and is showing a willingness to take a walk (with five). But he’s also struck out 10 times. If he keeps hitting like this, Oakland will likely be tempted to promote him aggressively.

Chris Carter is lucky to be on the list of players hitting .300, with a triple-slash line of .315/.385/.500. He might be a .300 hitter in a good park/league in the minors, but with a career strikeout rate of around 30 percent, he’s not going to do that in the Majors. The 22-year-old first baseman is currently riding a hot steak as he is 12-for-27 (.444) with 13 RBI in his last seven games. His home run output is down with one homer in 50 at-bats, but that’s OK. We know the power is there, especially after he slugged 39 homers last year. What Carter needs to work on is making more consistent contact after hitting .259 last year with 156 Ks. By getting fellow prospect Sean Doolittle (in Triple-A) playing time in the outfield, it signifies that the organization believes in Carter, because Doolittle is a superior fielder to the former White Sox draft pick who is less versatile.

Yesterday, we took a look at the hottest team in Minor League Baseball: The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees. So let’s flip things around and take a peak at the team with the worst record in the minors: The Stockton Ports. The club is an affiliate of the Oakland Athletics and plays in the High-A California League. It’s a little surprising that a minor league club of the A’s would be struggling so much given the emphasis that the organization puts on developing minor league talent. Let’s see what’s going wrong for The Ports club, which is 1-12 (.077) on the season.

The Pitching
Collectively, the Stockton pitchers have a 4.58 ERA, which is tied for the third highest in the 10-team league. The staff has also allowed the third most hits and walks. The team is middle-of-the-road with 105 strikeouts in 112 innings pitched.

Likely the most recognizable name on the pitching staff is Craig Italiano. The right-hander entered the season with some promise, but he has not pitched well in the California League. Last season, Italiano, 22, had a 2.94 FIP in 70 low A-ball innings before moving up to Stockton where his FIP jumped to 6.73 in 30 innings. This season, through three starts, Italiano has a FIP right around the same level, mainly due to poor control (11 walks in 12.1 innings). On the positive side, he has not allowed a home run.

Tyson Ross was the club’s second round draft pick in 2008 out of the University of California. He’s finding the early going a little bit easier than Italiano – at least on the surface. Ross, who turns 22 today, has been helped by his defense a bit and has a 4.40 ERA… but the FIP is 6.48. He’s allowed 18 hits in 14.1 innings of work, along with six walks and eight strikeouts. Ross has also been touched up for three home runs in as many games.

The top starting pitcher right now is Carlos Hernandez, who has a 3.45 FIP in three starts. The 22-year-old southpaw has allowed 16 hits in 16 innings, but he’s commanding the ball well. Another left-hander, Derrick Gordon, 25, is having the most success out of the bullpen. He has not allowed an earned run or walk in nine innings. He has given up just three hits with 11 strikeouts.

The Hitting
The California League has some pretty good hitter’s parks, but the club in Stockton is collectively hitting a horrible .185/.241/.257. The team is last in all three categories. The next lowest batting average by club is Modesto (a former A’s affiliate) at .228. Stockton is second last in homers with just five and tied for last in stolen bases. It’s no wonder the club has scored just 28 runs in 13 games. On the plus side, the club has the second fewest strikeouts with 88.

Truth be told, there are no big names amongst the hitters in Stockton. The biggest “prospect” would be outfielder Jermaine Mitchell, who is third on the club with a .244 average and has yet to collect an extra base hit. The 24-year-old outfielder has a lot of tools, but he has never been able to translate those consistently to the diamond. It’s Mitchell’s second season in Stockton and he hit .244/.338/.377 in 422 at-bats in 2008.

The top hitter on the Stockton club is outfielder Todd Johnson, who’s hitting .271. The best slugging percentage goes to catcher Matt Smith at .423. Both Smith and Johnson are tied for the highest on-base percentage at .321. Outfielder Matt Spencer, obtained last year from the Phillies with Adrian Cardenas in the Joe Blanton deal, is leading the team in homers (3) and RBI (9). Unfortunately, that comes with a .163 average.

The best news for Stockton at this point is that it’s not even the end of April. The club – as well as the individual players – has plenty of time to turn things around.

The New York Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre is currently 11-0 on the young season thanks to some strong pitching (unlike the big league team) and timely hitting.

The Scranton club has a rotation that might give the Washington Nationals club a run for its money. Included in the rotation are five pitchers with MLB experience: Phil Hughes, Ian Kennedy, Kei Igawa, Jason Johnson and Alfredo Aceves. Johnson is the old man of the group at the age of 35 and he has more than 1,300 MLB innings to his credit (as well as a 4.83 career FIP). He has a tidy ERA in three starts in 2009 but he’s also allowed 19 hits and six walks in 16 innings of work.

The enigma that is Igawa has made two minor league starts and has allowed just seven hits in 12 innings, but opponents have gone yard against him four times. Aceves, perhaps the biggest surprise contributor to the Yankees last season, is having the toughest time of any starter on the Triple-A squad with a 7.20 FIP (10.00 ERA) with 11 hits and three homers allowed in nine innings of work.

The two big names knocking on the door in New York (or perhaps it’s more appropriate to say, “Showcasing themselves for other teams”) are obviously Kennedy and Hughes. Kennedy will be only 24 years old for the duration of the 2009 season, so he’s still young. A trade to the National League might be the best thing for his career, as there are a lot of No. 3 starters in that league having success with worst stuff and much less pitchability. Kennedy has allowed just nine hits and two walks (with 16 Ks) in 12 innings.

Hughes is still not as polished as his teammate, but his stuff can be dominating when he’s on – and the right-hander is still just 22 years of age. He’s shown improved command and control so far on the young season with just two walks in 11.2 innings of work. The most important thing for Hughes at this point, though, is to prove he’s healthy.

In the bullpen, three relievers have yet to allow earned runs on the year: veteran Brett Tomko, Mark Melancon, and David Robertson (who was called up briefly to the Majors and provided two shutout innings for the big club). Combined, those three relievers have provided 22.2 innings of scoreless relief with just nine hits, four walks and 34 strikeouts. Of the four other relievers, no one has an ERA above 3.38 – and that’s Anthony Claggett, whom New York fans will not forget anytime soon.

On the offensive side of things, the now-injured Austin Jackson (day-to-day with a bruised elbow) is leading the regulars with a .480 average. He has just one extra base hit, but he’s stolen three bases and is showing improved patience at the plate with five walks in seven games, which bodes well for his future as a lead-off hitter.

Three hitters on the team have been hitting for power, with Shelley Duncan leading the way with four dingers and is second in RBI with 13 in 37 at-bats. Other players providing home runs and driving in runs include Juan Miranda (3 HR/15 RBI), Todd Linden (3/12), and Angel Berroa (2/11).

Of the lesser-known players on the roster, second baseman Kevin Russo is having the most impressive overall start to the season. The former Baylor University infielder is hitting .382/.417/.471 with 13 hits and three stolen bases in seven games. The 24-year-old New York native hit .307/.363/.416 for Double-A in 2008 and may yet carve out a MLB career as a utility player. One neat (small-sample-size) stat has Russo hitting .714 against southpaws (5-for-7) in the early going.

If things don’t improve in New York in a hurry, management might be tempted to swap the entire Triple-A roster for the Major League roster. OK, maybe not… but you know the Steinbrenners were not happy after (or during) that 22-run loss in new Yankee stadium.

The San Diego Padres’ low A-ball affiliate in Fort Wayne earns runner-up honors as the second hottest team in the minors with a 10-0 record. Eight pitchers in Fort Wayne have an ERA below 1.00. Eight. And the highest ERA on the team is 4.50 from starter Rob Musgrave. Yes, it’s early but it’s still a neat feat. Key names on the team include pitchers Nick Schmidt, and Simon Castro, as well as hitters Andrew Cumberland, James Darnell, and Allan Dykstra.

There are a few negative things that could be said about the Pittsburgh Pirates organization. However, perhaps surprisingly to some, there are also some good things happening for the club. The organization has improved its minor league system recently and is showing signs of life. One of the strongest areas in the organization is infield depth.

Indianapolis (AAA)
The big name in the Indianapolis infield is Neil Walker, the club’s former No. 1 draft pick from 2004. However, his ceiling light is dimming after hitting just .242/.280/.414 in Triple-A last season. He has begun 2009 at the same level by hitting just .214/.250/.429 in 10 games. Walker lost a lot of value when he relocated from behind the dish to the hot corner. Shortstop Brian Bixler’s name will sound familiar after the infielder appeared in 50 games for the big-league Pirates last season, but he hit just .157/.229/.194. So far this year, Bixler is hitting .325/.400/.525 in 10 games. He’s also tearing the cover off the ball against southpaws with a .444 average in 18 at-bats. Second baseman Shelby Ford is struggling with a line of .143/.200/.357 in just five games as he did not start his minor-league season until April 14.

Altoona (AA)
Shortstop Brian Friday is perhaps one of the fastest risers in the Pirates system, after being selected out of Rice University in the third round of the 2007 draft. Already in Double-A, the right-handed hitter is batting .500/.607/.864 in six games. He also has six walks and just three strikeouts so far, as well as a .588 batting average against right-handed pitchers. Second-baseman-turned-third-baseman Jim Negrych continues to produce with the bat after hitting .359 combined at two levels in 2008. The left-handed hitter is batting .289/.400/.421 in 10 games but he continues to show below-average power for a third baseman with no homers and an ISO below .100.

Lynchburg (A+)
The club’s 2008 third-round draft pick, Jordy Mercer has settled into High-A ball for his first full season and is hitting .256/.313/.419 in 11 games. He has at least one hit in his last six games. It can’t be the most comfortable feeling, as a third baseman, to look over your shoulder and see Pedro Alvarez walk into the clubhouse. But that’s what happened to Matt Hague, the club’s ninth round draft pick from 2008 as a senior from Oklahoma State University. Luckily, the Pirates simply shifted him across the diamond to first base (He was already considered a poor fielding third baseman). The move has not affected Hague, who is hitting .333/.370/.359 with 11 games, although he has just one extra base hit. Alvarez, meanwhile, is off to a slow start with a line of .250/.375/.528 with three homers in 11 games. He’s six for his last 15.

West Virginia (A)
Infielder Chase D’Arnaud, the older brother of Phillies’ catching prospect Travis, is off to a nice start by batting .407/.419/.519 with two stolen bases in eight games. He’s nine for his last 18 but oddly has yet to score a run this season. After injuring his knee last year in high school, which hurt his promising draft status, shortstop Jarek Cunningham, 19, will miss the season after undergoing surgery for a torn ACL.

Our six part Top 10 Prospects series ends today with the American League East division, which is loaded with some intriguing names. Even with the recent improvements to the big league team, the Rays organization has solid pitching depth in the minors – especially with top prospect David Price still in the minors. The club will also have to find room in the starting rotation for Wade Davis.

The Baltimore Orioles organization has enviable names amongst its Top 4 prospects. I am also a big fan of David Hernandez, who is an underrated pitcher. Boston has an interesting system, although a lot of its prospects are still quite raw. Pitcher Junichi Tazawa could turn out to be a valuable addition to the system.

The Yankees system is definitely less impressive than it has been in recent years – due mostly to lackluster drafts, as well as some trades – but there are still interesting names to be found. In Toronto’s system, many of the prospects appear to be one step away from a breakout… or, depending on how you look at it, ready to take one step back to being a disappointment. Rookie outfielder Travis Snider, though, looks really, really impressive.

The Tampa Bay Rays:
1. David Price, LHP, Durham (AAA)
2. Tim Beckham, SS, Bowling Green (A)
3. Wade Davis, RHP, Durham (AAA)
4. Jeff Niemann, RHP, Tampa Bay
5. Jacob McGee, LHP, Durham (AAA)
6. Reid Brignac, SS, Durham (AAA)
7. Nick Barnese, RHP, Extended Spring Training
8. Desmond Jennings, OF, Montgomery (AA)
9. Jeremy Hellickson, RHP, Montgomery (AA)
10. Matt Moore, LHP, Bowling Green (A)

Other Prospects of Note: Aneury Rodriguez, Eduardo Morlan, Kyle Lobstein, Albert Suarez, Mitch Talbot, Jake Jefferies, John Jaso, Mike Sheridan, Ty Morrison

The Baltimore Orioles
1. Matt Wieters, C, Norfolk (AAA)
2. Brian Matusz, LHP, Frederick (A+)
3. Chris Tillman, RHP, Norfolk (AAA)
4. Jake Arrieta, RHP, Bowie (AA)
5. Brandon Erbe, RHP, Bowie (AA)
6. Nolan Reimold, OF, Norfolk (AAA)
7. Billy Rowell, 3B, Frederick (A+)
8. Zach Britton, LHP, Frederick (A+)
9. L.J. Hoes, 2B, Delmarva (A)
10. David Hernandez, RHP, Norfolk (AAA)

Other Prospects of Note: Troy Patton, Kam Mikolio, Bobby Bundy, Brad Bergesen, Matt Angle, Tyler Henson, Xavier Avery, Brandon Snyder

The Boston Red Sox
1. Lars Anderson, 1B, Portland (AA)
2. Daniel Bard, RHP, Pawtucket (AAA)
3. Michael Bowden, RHP, Pawtucket (AAA)
4. Junichi Tazawa, RHP, Portland (AA)
5. Casey Kelly, RHP/SS, Greeneville (A)
6. Nick Hagadone, LHP, Injured
7. Josh Reddick, OF, Portland (AA)
8. Michael Almanzar, 3B, Greeneville (A)
9. Yamaico Navarro, SS, Salem (A+)
10. Stolmy Pimentel, RHP, Greeneville (A)

Other Prospects of Note: Kris Johnson, Kyle Weiland, Bryan Price, Ryan Westmoreland, Oscar Tejeda, Ryan Kalish, Argenis Diaz, Pete Hissey, Will Middlebrooks, Derrik Gibson

The New York Yankees
1. Jesus Montero, C, Tampa (A+)
2. Austin Jackson, OF, Scranton (AAA)
3. Dellin Betances, RHP, Tampa (A+)
4. Mark Melancon, RHP, Scranton (AAA)
5. Austin Romine, C, Tampa (A+)
6. Andrew Brackman, RHP, Charleston (A)
7. Zach McAllister, RHP, Trenton (AA)
8. Phil Coke, LHP, New York
9. Arodys Vizcaino, RHP, Extended Spring Training
10. Jeremy Bleich, LHP, Tampa (A+)

Other Prospects of Note:Alfredo Aceves, Jairo Heredia, Manny Banuelos, David Robertson, Mike Dunn, Ramiro Pena, Brad Suttle, Brett Gardner, Francisco Cervelli

The Toronto Blue Jays
1. Travis Snider, OF, Toronto
2. J.P. Arencibia, C, Las Vegas (AAA)
3. Brett Cecil, LHP, Las Vegas (AAA)
4. David Cooper, 1B, New Hampshire (AA)
5. Brad Emaus, 2B, New Hampshire (AA)
6. Justin Jackson, SS, Dunedin (A+)
7. Brad Mills, LHP, Las Vegas (AAA)
8. Kevin Ahrens, 3B, Dunedin (A+)
9. Ricky Romero, LHP, Toronto
10. Scott Campbell, 3B/2B, Las Vegas (AAA)

Other Prospects of Note: Marc Rzepczynski, Alan Farina, Robert Ray, Luis Perez, Henderson Alvarez, Tim Collins, Brian Jeroloman, John Tolisano, Eric Eiland, Tyler Pastornicky, Balbino Fuenmayor, Moises Sierra

The Other Links:
National League West
National League Central
National League East
American League West
American League Central

You can view our previous Top 10 Prospects columns: NL West | NL Central | NL East | AL West

The Chicago White Sox organization improved its minor league depth this past off-season with the trade of Javier Vazquez to Atlanta, as well as through the signing of Dayan Viciedo. The Cleveland Indians’ top prospects came from a combination of the amateur drafts, international signings, and trades. The club absolutely robbed the Dodgers for catcher Carlos Santana in a trade last season for Casey Blake. The Minnesota Twins organization has created incredible depth through the good ol’ fashion way: Draft and Development.

Kansas City has also learned about the value of drafting well, and the organization out-spent every other organization in baseball last year while acquiring talent in the June amateur draft. The Tigers also benefited from the 2008 draft, although it took a number of players with lower overall ceilings. Those players, though, will likely make it to the Majors much quicker, as one draftee – Ryan Perry – is already pitching at the Major League level.

The Minnesota Twins:
1. Aaron Hicks, OF, Extended Spring Training
2. Ben Revere, OF, Fort Myers (A+)
3. Wilson Ramos, C, New Britain (AA)
4. Anthony Swarzak, RHP, Rochester (AAA)
5. Jose Mijares, LHP, Rochester (AAA)
6. Danny Valencia, 3B, New Britain (AA)
7. Shooter Hunt, RHP, Beloit (A)
8. Angel Morales, OF, Beloit (A)
9. Kevin Mulvey, RHP, Rochester (AAA)
10. Tyler Robertson, LHP, Fort Myers (A+)

Other Prospects of Note: Jeff Manship, Carlos Gutierrez, David Bromberg, Deolis Guerra, Brian Duensing, Trevor Plouffe, Chris Parmalee, Joe Benson

Kansas City Royals
1. Eric Hosmer, 1B, Burlington (A)
2. Mike Moustakas, 3B, Wilmington (A+)
3. Tim Melville, RHP, Extended Spring Training
4. Mike Montgomery, LHP, Extended Spring Training
5. Danny Duffy, LHP, Wilmington (A+)
6. Daniel Cortes, RHP, Northwest Arkansas (AA)
7. Kila Ka’aihue, 1B, Omaha (AAA)
8. Daniel Gutierrez, RHP, Injured
9. Blake Wood, RHP, Northwest Arkansas (AA)
10. Johnny Giavotella, 2B, Wilmington (A+)

Other Prospects of Note: Tyler Sample, Carlos Rosa, Kelvin Herrera, Henry Barrera, David Lough, Derrick Robinson, Jose Bonilla, Yowill Espinal

Detroit Tigers
1. Rick Porcello, RHP, Detroit
2. Ryan Perry, RHP, Detroit
3. Casey Crosby, LHP, West Michigan (A)
4. Jeff Larish, 1B, Detroit
5. Wilkin Ramirez, OF, Toledo (AAA)
6. Cale Iorg, OF, Erie (AA)
7. Cody Satterwhite, RHP, Erie (AA)
8. Scott Sizemore, 2B, Erie (AA)
9. Brett Jacobson, RHP, Lakeland (A+)
10. Ryan Strieby, 1B, Erie (AA)

Other Prospects of Note: Casey Fien, Freddy Dolsi, Scott Green, Jonathan Kibler, Dusty Ryan, Casper Wells, Alex Avila, Will Rhymes

Cleveland Indians
1. Carlos Santana, C, Akron (AA)
2. Matt LaPorta, OF, Columbus (AAA)
3. Adam Miller, RHP, Columbus (AAA)
4. Nick Weglarz, OF, Akron (AA)
5. David Huff, LHP, Columbus (AAA)
6. Beau Mills, 1B, Akron (AA)
7. Michael Brantley, OF, Columbus (AAA)
8. Kevin De La Cruz, LHP, Kinston (A+)
9. Lonnie Chisenhall, 3B, Kinston (A+)
10. Hector Rondon, RHP, Akron (AA)

Other Prospects of Note: Tony Sipp, T.J. House, Jonathan Meloan, Luis Valbuena, Carlos Rivero, Wes Hodges, Trevor Crowe, Cord Phelps

Chicago White Sox
1. Gordon Beckham, SS, Birmingham (AA)
2. Dayan Viciedo, 3B, Birmingham (AA)
3. Tyler Flowers, C, Birmingham (AA)
4. Chris Getz, 2B, Chicago
5. Aaron Poreda, LHP, Birmingham (AA)
6. Brandon Allen, 1B, Birmingham (AA)
7. Jordan Danks, OF, Winston-Salem (A+)
8. John Shelby, OF, Birmingham (AA)
9. Clayton Richard, LHP, Chicago
10. John Ely, RHP, Birmingham (AA)

Other Prospects of Note: Clevelan Santeliz, Gregory Infante, Lance Broadway, Brent Lillibridge, Cole Armstrong, Eduardo Escobar, Brent Morel, Jon Gilmore