After a short break to help cover the trade deadline, we’re back taking a look at the pre-season Top 10 lists for all the MLB organizations. Previously, we looked at the National League. The American League is up now and the review begins with the West Division.

Texas Rangers
1. Jurickson Profar, SS
2. Martin Perez, LHP
3. Tanner Scheppers,
4. Robbie Erlin, LHP
5. Michael Kirkman, LHP
6. Mike Olt, 3B
7. Robbie Ross, LHP
8. Jake Skole, OF
9. Luis Sardinas, SS
10. Neil Ramirez, RHP

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Potential aces don’t grow on trees. So it came as quite a shock that the New York Mets acquired the San Francisco Giants’ top pitching prospect, Zack Wheeler, for free-agent-to-be Carlos Beltran.

Despite an ill-conceived article* on USA Today’s website, which suggests that the organization’s pitching prospects cannot be trusted, this was a shrewd move by the Mets organization and a very questionable decision by the Giants. Even as an amateur, Wheeler was a highly sought after talent and went to San Francisco sixth overall in the 2009 draft. Prior to the 2011 season during the Top 10 prospect lists, I ranked him as the Giants’ second best prospect in the system behind 1B/OF Brandon Belt.

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Rumors are swirling that the Philadelphia Phillies are zeroing in on Houston Astros outfielder Hunter Pence. What I don’t understand, though, is why the Phillies don’t already have him. The rumored offering for the 28-year-old outfielder is top prospects Jarred Cosart and Jonathan Singleton, along with a third unnamed prospect. While Pence is a very nice baseball player, he is not a difference-maker all on his own. Nor is he a star player.

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This is part three of a six-part series looking back at the pre-season Top 10 prospect lists for each organization, which were published at FanGraphs between November and January. Previously, we’ve reflected back on the National League West and Central lists. Let’s see now the East has fared.

Atlanta Braves
1. Julio Teheran, RHP
2. Freddie Freeman, 1B
3. Mike Minor, LHP
4. Randall Delgado, RHP
5. Craig Kimbrel, RHP
6. Arodys Vizcaino, RHP
7. Carlos Perez, LHP
8. Matt Lipka, SS
9. Edward Salcedo, 3B
10. Christian Bethancourt, C

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It’s accountability time. This is part two of a six-part series looking back at the 2011 Top 10 prospect lists. After looking at the National League West last week we’re now analyzing the Central division.

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This post represents the beginning of a six-part series that will take a look back at the annual pre-season Top 10 lists for all 30 organizations. It’s a great time to review as the full-season leagues are starting their second halves, while the short-season teams are just getting started. As you can probably already guess, we’re starting off with the National League West.

Arizona Diamondbacks
1. Jarrod Parker, RHP
2. Matt Davidson, 3B
3. Tyler Skaggs, LHP
4. Chris Owings, SS
5. Marc Krauss, OF
6. Bobby Borchering, 3B/1B
7. Pat Corbin, LHP
8. Wade Miley, LHP
9. Mike Belfiore, LHP
10. Keon Broxton, OF

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Here is my one and only attempt at a FanGraphs Mock Draft. Starting at 7 p.m. eastern time, we’ll find out just how right (or wrong) I am. Starting at about 6 p.m. I’ll be taking draft and prospect questions in a live chat, with hopefully a few friends dropping by to help out. We’ll also be live blogging through the first round of the draft – and possibly the supplemental round depending on how quickly things move along. Along with hanging out with us, be sure to check out our friends at Baseball America, who always have the best darn draft coverage in town.

1. PIT – Gerrit Cole, RHP (UCLA)
The man with the 100 mph fastball, which is all well and good, but he also has command issues and hasn’t dominated for long stretches. Still, his overall package is very attractive and he’ll be off the board within the first five draft picks. Cole is a big, strong pitcher but his delivery does have some effort to it. He throws his mid-90s fastball, along with a plus slider and OK changeup. He was the 28th overall pick of the New York Yankees out of high school in 2008.

2. SEA – Anthony Rendon, 3B (Rice U)
Perhaps the famous Rice University injury curse is spreading from the pitchers to the hitters. Rendon has been the consensus first overall pick for the 2011 draft since his eye-opening freshman year of college. However, injury concerns – most recently his shoulder, and previously his ankle – have clouded his draft status. Seattle is known to be very interested but he could end up sliding a bit with reports of so-so medical reports that team doctors are no doubt pouring over until the very last minute. If all goes as hoped, Rendon has the chance to be a Gold Glove fielder with 20+ home run potential and a solid batting average.

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Three teams are set to dominate the first day of the 2011 amateur draft. The Tampa Bay Rays, San Diego Padres, and Toronto Blue Jays will all make multiple picks during the first and supplemental round during the evening of Monday, June 6.

The picks, which will feature 60 names called in total on Day 1, will break down like this for the three clubs:
TB – 24, 31, 32, 38, 41, 42, 52, 56, 59, 60
SD – 10, 25, 48, 54, 58
TOR – 21, 35, 46, 53, 57

The supplemental first round will consist of 27 picks. Tampa Bay, San Diego, and Toronto will account for more than half of that total with 14 selections combined. The end of the day will be pretty boring for the other 27 clubs; eight of the final nine picks will be made by the Rays, the Padres, or the Jays – (picks 52-60 with Minnesota being the only other club to get in on the fun).

All three organizations clearly have an excellent opportunity to infuse talent into their ranks – assuming the organizations don’t cheap out on some of their picks. However, history will tell us that a bountiful draft does not always mean you’re in for future riches. The 2007 draft is an excellent lesson in not counting your chickens before they’re hatched. Four clubs had multiple picks in the first and supplemental round, including Texas, San Francisco, as well as our good friends in San Diego and Toronto.

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I had an opportunity to watch Tampa Bay Rays pitching prospect Alexander Torres make a start against the prospect-laden Louisville Bats (Cincinnati Reds). At first glance, Torres needs to tighten up his conditioning; he’s a little soft around the middle. He’s also too soft in his approach on the mound. When he gets into to trouble he pitches away from contact and needs to trust his stuff more to be successful at triple-A.

In this game, Torres featured four pitches: a fastball that sat around 91 (touching 94 mph), curveball, slider and changeup. His strikeout pitch is the breaking ball. I’m not sure how well his curveball is going to work at the MLB level because it’s loopy. He also shows a tighter breaking ball (slider) that shows some potential.

I also liked his changeup, but he rarely used it. I’m not sure if Robinson Chirinos or the manager was calling the game but the pitches were poorly mixed. Torres threw far too many breaking balls and needs to work off the fastball – especially when he’s struggling – if he’s going to succeed at the Major League level and strike batters out with his best pitch (curveball).

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For years now, the Houston Astros organization has been a constant cellar dweller in terms of player development. But now things are on the upside in Houston. The club boasts one of the most prospect laden teams in minor league baseball with the low-A Lexington Legends. The club boasts five players from the organization’s Top 10 Prospects list, as well as a sleeper prospect found behind the dish.

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