1.Matt Wieters – C  -BAL (6’5″, 230 lbs)

Think Mark Teixeira behind the plate. A switch-hitter with above average bat tools across the board. Excellent power, great plate coverage, excellent bat control. As good behind the dish as he is at the dish. A two way college player, he has the arm and showed it, nabbing 32% of would-be base stealers. He blocks well and his intangibles are off the charts as a quiet leader with a will to learn as well as lead. Even if his body only holds up behind the plate in his 20′s, he will have the bat to take on 1B at an All-Star level. Downside is he only runs well for a catcher. MLE’s of Super NES proportions in 2008. 141 PX, 88 ct% and a 1.42 EYE (bb/k ratio). The EYE isn’t sustainable but considering an EYE of 1.00 is great, we’re talking other worldly. It will come back to earth. Oh, and he takes walks at a 14% clip. Very nice.

ETA: 2009, after a little AAA seasoning. Once he takes the helm as the leader of the Orioles, it will be a long time before he gives up the reigns.

Geo’s Fantasy Spin: For those of you in Baseball Instinct keeper leagues and don’t already have him on your farm roster, that ship has sailed. If you are in a draft league, take a shot in the middle rounds on him. Auction leaguers, Baltimore is going to give him every opportunity to start. They will be rewarded, make sure that you are too. In my opinion a 500 point season is a given, 600+ points seems reasonable, and so does $15 on auction day.

2.David Price – LHP – TB (6’6″, 225 lbs)

Plus-Plus. Always a good term to hear about a prospect. In the case of David Price we’re talking a mid-90s fastball with movement and a nasty slider with hard bite. He showcased both in the 2008 playoffs in case you were living in a cave. Plus-Plus. Nasty. He has the makings of one of the best relievers in baseball. Catch… he also has an above average changeup that will allow him to be a dominant starter and the pedigree to show that’s who he is. The changeup shows excellent fade and as he learns to better utilize the pitch he will move into the Ace slot in Tampa Bay’s rotation, surpassing both James Shields and Scott Kazmir. As a young lefty it may take some time for Price to truly arrive and become an All-Star. But make no mistake about it, as long as he stays healthy, he has the makeup to lead a rotation and he will arrive to blow the doors off a lot AL hitters in the coming years. MLE’s are solid across the board with a 2.88 ERA, 3.0 ctl, 7.4 dom and 2.5 cmd.

ETA: 2009 at the back end of an already very deep Tampa Bay rotation. There is no reason for Tampa to put pressure on Price with long outing and high pitch counts at the back end of the rotation. So what we’ll see in 2009 are flashes of dominance in short bursts. His pitch count will be tight and his innings pitched will be held in check so the kid gloves can come of in September and October if the Rays are once again in the hunt.

Geo’s Fantasy Spin: The Price is right in Tampa Bay, However in Keeper leagues the Price is going to be high, try $17-$22 high…for a rookie. If he continues down the Tim Lincecum path, that’s a damn good bargain. In my opinion he will be over drafted in most leagues, as high as the 4th round when a lot of good bats can be had. Still, though, the kid is filthy, and wont be asked to be an ace….yet.

3.Cameron Maybin – OF – FLA (6’4″, 205 lbs)

Plus Athlete. 5 Tools. He’s 6’4 and 205 with room to grow. His plus-plus speed will diminish, but that may very well leave him with a few 30 SB seasons anyway. So we’re talking about a 30-30 player here. The only thing that will hold him back is that his lightning quick bat and plus raw strength sometimes override his approach at the plate. With his maturity will come more power as he fills out and learns to handle his strength at the plate. He’s worked hard at taking more pitches and working the count, showing a mental maturity not often seen in 5 tool players of Maybin’s age. 5 tool players are a rare breed and finding an intelligence for learning the game is even more rare. As he matures at the plate you can expect his K rate to level off, bb% to rise slightly with his ct% likely to make a jump. Then some of the additional balls put into play will turn into hits and then additional SB’s. He’ll probably never be a true .300 hitter but he will be able to produce across the board. MLE’s .254 AVG, 12 bb%, 72 ct%, 0.49 EYE with PX of 94 and SX of 170. Again as he matures the PX should rise and the SX will regress.

ETA: 2009 as he takes over CF for the Marlins and begins his MLB learning experience.

Geo’s Fantasy Spin: I’m biased as I drafted Maybin in our farm draft years ago, so I love this kid. As Tommie indicated, he’s got great tools. I look for a breakout season and while I don’t expect big power numbers yet, I think he will surprise most with his speed. Look for a decent BA, 80 runs scored and dare I say it…35-40 stolen bases. 500-550 points is very possible, making Maybin a guy you can get for less than $7 and get $15+ performance out of.

4.Travis Snider – OF – TOR (5’11″, 245 lbs)

Snider rakes. At every level, he rakes. The kid can flat out hit. He’s a 5’11″ 245lbs hitting machine. He’s built like a powder keg and his short simple left handed stroke is a fuse that triggers with strength and bat speed to produce excellent plus power using the whole field. He hits it where its pitched. Not something you see from hitters his age, which bodes well for his future. His build is a concern, but his work ethic and good arm mean that he could hold down the job in one of Toronto’s corner outfield spots without a lot of trouble during his youth. His conditioning will always have to be a priority since he’s already physically matured. At 245lbs there isn’t a lot of room for growth on his 5’11″ frame. A 275lbs Snider will have a hard time regardless of his talent. But as his makeup suggests that won’t be a problem. He’s a natural leader and will be a key to the Jays success in the future. As with many young lefthanded hitters he still has work to do against LHP’s. He will need to learn to take more pitches in order to get pitches in the zone against them or they’ll eat him up with off-speed stuff. With experience he shouldn’t have much trouble. Snider’s build makes him a below average runner. That won’t get better with time and will limit his range. As he matures he profiles as an excellent DH but will stick in a corner spot for his early years. MLE’s of .266 AVG, 10 bb%, 73 ct%, 0.41 EYE with a 121 PX. His bb% should rise with maturity with his ct% also rising as he figures out LHP’s. His EYE may never be above average but his power is legit.

ETA is 2009 as he takes a corner outfield spot in Toronto. Most likely LF with Alex Rios entrenched in RF.

Geo’s Fantasy Spin: The last time an outfielder made an impact in Toronto so quickly his name was Shawn Green. Snider should be able to hit in the .270 range with 20 home run power in 2009 as he gets a full season taste of American League pitching. He’s worth a late round draft pick or a $5 chip in auctions, the 400 points he contributes will be worth $10 value, but more importantly if you’re in a keeper league, this kid from Mill Creek, WA will be a Ryan Braun, Nick Markakis, and possibly a Grady Sizemore type point producer in the near future.

5.Madison Bumgarner – LHP – SF (6’4″, 215 lbs)

Bumgarner is a big athletic lefty with a hard mid-90s fastball that he reels off with relative ease. He shows a command of the pitch that he probably shouldn’t haveat his age. That’s special and that’s a good thing, but it is keeping him from needing the secondary offerings he needs to work on in order to continue his climb. The Giants have worked with him on turning a middling curveball into a sharp slider to better suit his hardcore arsenal with the fastball/slider combo. His changeup is a work in progress which under most circumstances would keep a prospect down on the list but his projection and makeup have us thinking he’ll be moving rapidly through the system. He’ll need to learn on the fly and he proved in 2008 that it isn’t a problem, showing improvements in his secondary’s as the season wore on. His 7.8 k/bb ratio is ridiculous. Unsustainable. But even a regression is still going to be an amazing number. He has what an Ace needs and if he can stay healthy and get the IP counts up he could eventually be taking cover photos on SI with Tim Lincecum as dueling Ace’s.

ETA: 2010, although he could force a September call-up this year, it would be in his and Giants best interest to get his IP up to 170 and then give him the winter off before giving him some AAA time to start 2010. Then it’ll be show time. Another plus with that timeline is that he’ll get to work with his future battery mate Buster Posey and build a bond that could last for years.

Geo’s Fantasy Spin: With Lincecum, Cain, Sanchez, Zito, and RJ in the rotation in San Fran there’s no reason to rush Bumgarner. That’s a good thing since San Francisco ruined the careers of Jerome Williams and Jesse Foppert this way. I do think he will get a look in a spot start here and there, and possibly a late season call up….Though I think the inning limitations will be in full effect by then. As Tommie said, watch out for him in 2010.

6.Colby Rasmus – OF – STL (6’2″, 195 lbs)

Chalk 2008 up to a fluke lost year for the young Colby Rasmus. He was in a position to take a big league job and performed well in Spring Training but was sent to AAA to begin the year. Whether it was disappointment or injury that started the tailspin, the fact is that Rasmus got off to a brutally slow start before the injuries piled on and never really let him get into gear. He lost a chance to play for Team USA in Beijing and then decided that he would sit out Winter Ball as well. The Cardinals were disappointed in his decision, but his reasoning was sound. He wanted to take the winter off and get away from baseball. Let himself heal both physically and mentally. Then come into 2009 hitting it on all cylinders. Sources are telling me that Rasmus is in great shape. Rasmus possesses baseball skills to put it as cut and dry as possible. He has excellent plate discipline, drives the ball well and his gap power has grown into some HR thump as he’s matured. His CF glove is plus and he has the arm to play RF which will serve the ranging CF well. Rasmus MLE’s were virtually identical in his monster 2007 campaign and his lost 2008. His bb% was 10% with an 83% ct% and a 0.69 EYE. His PX and SX took a steep decline in 2008 which shows that injury can be attributed to the decline. If Rasmus can overcome the lost season and get back on track with a strong mentality to succeed he should push for a spot in the Cards OF sooner than later. His biggest question mark will be his ability to handle the pressure and avoid slumps from dragging his production down for long periods. He has the tools. His mental makeup will be the biggest question to answer in 2009. So the Cards would be wise to not place any pressure on him and just let him play his game.

ETA: Late 2009 and replacing Rick Ankiel who is a pending free agent in 2010 Opening Day lineup.

Geo’s Fantasy Spin: Tommie – Did we screw up Colby’s 2008 season during spring training chanting his name in the lobby of the Doubletree in West Palm? Better keep that under wraps. I do think he will have a monster start at Memphis prompting a mid season call up. If you can put Rasmus on your farm, or stash him on your bench he may reward you with 300+ points in half a season of work. I also agree that Mr. Ankiel will be finding a new home in 2010, making Colby an excellent keeper.

7.Jason Heyward – OF – ATL (6’4″, 220 lbs)

This is a Man-child. He has tree trunks for legs. The good is that he’s 19 and has the pitch recognition of a much more experienced player. His left handed bat will produce for above average power and he’ll hit for a nice average. He’s projected as a #3 hitter for Atlanta in the future and that’s tough to argue with even if he is still just 19. He still needs to learn what to do with the great pitch recognition he possesses and get better pitches to drive to take advantage of his natural strength. But that’s a nice problem to have. He doesn’t get a lot of loft on the ball yet, but his swing shows that he will as he learns what pitches he should commit to driving. Right now he shows a better propensity to hit for average but that will change as he matures into more of a power hitter and sacrifices some of the gap for longer drives. He hit only 11 HR’s last year but that doesn’t tell the whole story. He totaled 46 XBA’s. In case you’re not sure. That’s impressive for a teenager in full season ball. His speed is average but he gets good reads and ranges his RF position well. His plus arm will play well in RF. He profiles as a prototypical rightfielder although there really isn’t anything typical about this kid. The changing of the old guard in Atlanta is already happening and Heyward is on track to be the new face of the organization. By May this prospect will be the number one prospect in all of baseball. On every list. In every mind.

ETA: 2011 as he spends the next two years refining his game and honing his stroke. He could see a midseason call up in 2010 if the Braves need to accelerate his arrival.

Geo’s Fantasy Spin: Stash and wait. Stash and wait. This time next year he will probably be the #1 prospect in not just our rankings, but everyone’s.

8.Rick Porcello – RHP – DET (6’5″, 200 lbs)

The top prep pitcher in the 2007 draft has shown nothing to suggest that he was any less than just that. He has 2 excellent fastballs, the best being a sinker in the low to mid-90s with hard boring action. He can geddyup a 4-seamer into the high-90s when needed but it hasn’t been a primary pitch to this point in his development. A very intelligent move by the Tigers organization. Porcello could probably have been blowing hitters away in A-ball last year but they had him stick with the sinker and shelve his slider to work on his 12-6 curveball. The curveball is a work in progress but could prove to be a strikeout pitch in the future. Take the sinker and he gets it into the 90s and you get groundballs. A lot of them. He shows a feel for a changeup and it will be a serviceable 3rd pitch. You won’t see a lot of strikeouts from Porcello. Yet. As he matures and learns to work the count he will be able to use the curveball and then work in the 4-seamer to blow hitters away. His size projects an innings eater and his sinker is just the pitch to do that. His GO/AO split is a nice 2.5/1 which is a key for an innings eater. There is talk of Porcello competing for a spot in the D-Town rotation but it wouldn’t be in the best interest of his psyche or his development. He worked 125 innings last year and needs to move that up to 155 this year before being considered in Detroit. While the tools are there and he can be a very special pitcher he still has a lot of development to go through. He needs to learn how to best take advantage the skills he has before he can take advantage of Major League hitters.

ETA: 2010 with a call up this year simply because MLB teams tend to rush a good thing.

Geo’s Fantasy Spin: If Verlander and Bonderman don’t get it turned around quickly, you can expect to see a Porcello push happening. Hopefully for his development this doesn’t happen. He needs 2009 @ Toledo.

9.Trevor Cahill – RHP – OAK (6’3″, 195 lbs)

Part 1 of a 1-2 punch in the Athletics farm system, Cahill is a working man’s Starting Pitcher. He gets the fastball into the low-90s but drives the pitch with a sink that induces a high GO/AO rate.  His 4-seamer gets into the mid-90s, but is not considered a strikeout pitch. His strikeout pitch is a nasty knuckle-curve ala Mike Mussina, and Cahill can rip the cord on it and get it to break down late and hard inducing swing and miss after swing and miss. The key to his development will be the final development of his changeup which is right now serviceable. The way he eventually develops his repertoire and how he mixes his pitches will determine if he has the future of a working man’s Ace. He will be a good pitcher. Probably very good. Possibly the Ace of the organization.

ETA: 2009 after some additional AAA seasoning and development he may come up to bolster the back end of a playoff contending A’s team or to if they fall off he may cut his teeth in the show with the other part of this one-two combo. Brett Anderson. You’ll hear about him soon enough. Keep reading.

Geo’s Fantasy Spin: Trevor Cahill is the youngest of the “MAC Attack” (Mazzaro, Anderson, Cahill), and all 3, along with 5 other young guns are in A’s spring camp. Justin Duchscherer is the only one there over the age of 25. While it’s possible to see Cahill this year, I think some key injuries would have to happen to rush him past the others. He’s another “wait until next year” type of player. Snag him up and keep him on your farm.

10.Tommy Hanson – RHP – ATL (6’6″, 210 lbs)

2008 was a dream year for Hanson. He’s always shown the skill set and he put it together with a great feel for pitching in 2008. Blowing Low-A away and taking his jump to Double-A in stride like he’d been killing hitters in his sleep his whole life. Double-A hitters didn’t stand a chance when he took the mound with his multi-pitch arsenal. Primarily a 2 pitch pitcher this far in his career, his fastball, curveball combo was greeted with a new hard slider in the mid-80s in 2008. So take his low-90s fastball that busts in on righties and away from lefties and add in the hard slider moving in the opposite direction and you have hitters off -balance. Did I mention his 12-6 curveball is a plus-pitch? Oh yeah. It is. So… fastball with movement, hard slider ripping across the plate and a curveball dropping from top to bottom. A serviceable changeup is another weapon he can use to work hitters into submission and makes his slider that much tougher to pick up. He works the zone well up and down and his delivery is easily repeatable with deception. Hanson does need to remain headstrong in his game plan for working a lineup and if he does that the only that can beat him will be himself. He has had trouble at times getting ahead in the count where his arsenal works best since his fastball is not overpowering. But when he gets ahead he’s tough to read and has hitters guessing at his pitch selection.

ETA: 2009, although starting the season in Triple-A will be ideal to work on his command and the Braves have enough depth where Hanson won’t be needed unless injury strikes. But it will be tough to hold him down for long because he is very close to ready and Atlanta has a desire to get back to its winning ways.

Geo’s Fantasy Spin: Unless Hanson forces the Braves hand, I think they will push his arbitration years back and let him pitch a full season at AAA. Derek Lowe, Javier Vazquez, and Kenshin Kawakami make it seem unlikely to make the rotation out of spring, but it’s possible he could pull off what Jair Jurrjens did last season. Bottom line, Hanson is a fine addition to your farm and could pay off as early as this season, though count on him for 2010.

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