#19 Buster Posey, C, SF - The 5th overall pick in the 2008 draft, Posey only got 37 at-bats split between rookie league and A-. The 22 year old had an esteemed collegiate career at Florida State, where he hit .463 with 26 homeruns last year. Posey has fantastic makeup and catching skills as well as great plate discipline and the ability to hit for a high average. There are some questions about Posey's power because Florida State's home park is extremely hitter friendly and it was hard to get a good read on hard hard he was really hitting the ball. Whether he can hit for power or not, Posey should be a top-10 catcher once he reaches his prime; he will probably start in A- with the ability to move quickly through the system thanks to his polish, he could be the Giants starting catcher by opening day, 2010.
#18 Andrew McCutchen, OF, PIT - It's beginning to feel like McCutchen has been around forever but he's still only 22. After reaching AA at age 19, he has moved a little slower than expected through the upper levels of the minors. in 2008, McCutchen reached AAA and posted a respectable line of .283/.372/.398 with 9 homeruns and 34 stolen bases. McCutchen's low slugging pct. is minor cause for concern; another question mark is his base-running ability, while he stole 34 bases, he was caught a whopping 19 times, that number will need to drop significantly if he wants to have major league success. McCutchen will probably spend at least the first have of 2009 in AAA to refine his skills, he should be Pittsburgh's starting center fielder by opening day, 2010.
#17 Chris Tillman, P, BAL - The 20 year old had a breakout season at AA; in 136 innings TIllman posted a 3.16 ERA and 154 strikeouts. While he doesn't have electric stuff, usually working off of a low-90's fastball and solid curveball, Tillman succeeds off pitching smarts and location. He should open 2009 in AAA and we could see him in an Orioles uniform by September if all goes well.
#16 Lars Anderson, 1B, BOS - Anderson had a great 2008 season, splitting time between A+ and AA and posting a line of .317/.417/.517 with 18 homeruns and 80 RBI. The 21 year old also showed great plate discipline walking 75 times while striking out 107 times. At 6'4" and 215 pounds, Anderson probably won't get much bigger, but that's okay considering he already has fantastic power. He'll probably split time between AA and AAA in 2009 and has an outside chance of a September call-up; he should be Boston's full-time first baseman by mid-season, 2010 at the latest.
#15 Justin Smoak, 1B, TEX - The former South Carolina Gamecock slid a bit during the 2008 draft, going at #11 when he had the talent of a top-5 player. A lot of people have touted Smoak as "the surest bet to hit 40 homers" and it appears they could be right. There is no question that Smoak has an impact bat and the ability to hit for both power and a high average with solid plate discipline. He will probably start in A+ and could end up being a September call-up at the end of 2009.
#14 Neftali Feliz, P, TEX - A center-piece of the trade that brought Mark Teixeira to Atlanta, Feliz broke out in 2008, splitting time between A- and AA and posting a 2.69 ERA and striking out 153 batters in 127 innings. Feliz has an electric fastball that sits in the mid-90's and has fantastic movement, a plus power-curveball, and a developing changeup. Feliz could probably compete for a Rangers rotation spot in spring training this year, but since he only has pitched 45 innings above A ball, they will probably send him to AAA for the majority of the year, it's more likely that he could win a major league job in 2010.
#13 Brett Anderson, P, OAK - After coming over from Arizona in the Dan Haren trade, Anderson put it all together in 2008, posting a 3.69 ERA and striking out 118 batters in 105 innings. Most notably, the 20 year old lefty only walked 27 batters all season which was good for a K/BB ratio of about 5 to 1, which is elite. Anderson has a legitimate chance to to make the A's rotation out of spring training and at worst should be starting by the end of the season.
#12 Jason Heyward, OF, ATL - Heyward had a strong season as a 19 year old in A- last year, posting a line of .323/.388/.483 with homeruns and 15 stolen bases in 449 at-bats. He also has strong plate discipline walking 49 times while striking out 74 times. In his prime, Heyward should be a middle of the order hitter who can also steal 10+ bases and hit for both average and power. He will probably split 2009 between A+ and AA, but is still about a year away from making any sort of contribution at the big league level.
#11 Cameron Maybin, OF, FLA - In terms of talent, he could make a strong case for #1, but realistically, Maybin strikes out too much to post elite offensive numbers. In 2008, Maybin posted a sort of bittersweet season at AA, posting a line of .277/.375/.456 with 13 homeruns and 21 stolen bases, but striking out a whopping 124 times in only 390 at-bats. Maybin actually took 60 walks last year, and if he can be a little less aggressive, the 21 year old could be a devastating power/speed combination for years to come. He will probably make the team out of spring training or shortly thereafter but a half-season at AAA to develop his plate discipline a little more certainly wouldn't hurt.
#10 - Tommy Hanson, P, ATL - Hanson has four above-average or better pitches, all of which he can throw for strikes. Last year he broke out posting a 2.41 ERA striking out 163 batters in 138 innings split between A+ and AA. The 22 year old has a mid-90's fastball, a 12-6 curve, and a power slider. Hanson should make the Braves rotation out of spring training and should eventually develop into an ace.
Tune in next Saturday, 3/6, for #9-1
Sources
FirstInning.com
Baseball America
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