Top Prospects

Update: A reader pointed out a GLARING omission - Prince Fielder. I added him and B. Nikola Anderson.

MiLB's Around the Minors is soliciting Top Ten prospect lists to compare against their expert, Jonathan Mayo. (No quibbling on the defintion of "expert" when it comes to forecasting the future - a still unperfected talent.)

My criteria is the player must be ready to help a Rotisserie team this season or next. I will leave off such giddiness-inducing Justin Upton because I don't forsee him contributing by then.

Here is mine (total time between seeing the request on MiLB and this post - about an hour.)

1. Jeremy Hermida: assured of a full-time job and will be batting in the heart of the Marlins batting order. 117 walks between AA and Florida says he will be OK. Stealing 25 of 27 says he'll be OKer!
2. Matt Cain: will be heading the Giants rotation in 2007 after Jason Schmidt's contract runs out this season. Leading the PCL in strikeouts as a 20-year-old while holding batters to a miniscule AVG says he'll be a good one.
3. Francisco Liriano: 204 minor league K's last season and a cost-conscious team makes me think he'll be OK and have every chance to succeed. Worst case he goes to the bullpen and dominates. Oh yeah. He struck out 33 more in 23 major league innings.
3a. Prince Fielder: Big time power and Milwaukee dealt an established inexpensive firstbaseman to open a spot for him.
4. Ryan Zimmerman: Dude hit .397 with the Nationals three months after college.
4a.Brian Nikola Anderson: White Sox dealt established CF Aaron Rowand and top prospect Chris Young to give him the job.
5. Ian Kinsler: Hit fairly well (23 HR 94 RBI and 19 SB) in AAA while learning a new position. No established player in his way
6 Delmon Young: he stole 32 between AA and AAA and speed isn't his game. Highly dependent on a trade to play in 2006.
7. Jason Kubel: If not for a blown knee in the 2004 AFL, he'd already be starting in RF. Given the time off, he may take half a season to get in shape.
8. Alex Gordon: 12 BB in the AFL after signing late. Only the limp-hitting Mark Teahan in his way. Gordon would go right into the 5-hole.
9. Brandon Wood: as dependent as Delmon Young on playing time in 2006. If not for this, he'd be #5. Gordon was sweet in 50 ABs. Wood hit 14 HRs in AFL after hitting 43 during the normal minor league season. 57 HRs for a 20-year-old!
10 JD Drew: Craig Counsell at SS for the DBacks. Drew #3 will be the "6" in the 6-4-3 double play by the dog days of August.