Prospect Insider - Viewing the Top 30

Viewing the Top 30

By Jason A. Churchill

By 03-05-2010

This is the Top 30 for the Handbook that I will start sending out as soon as possible -- probably in couple days -- sorry for the tardiness, happens every year, but I can't help it for whatever reason.

They are not in order, as you will notice, but you should be able to figure out the missing names -- which I also cover in the handbook, explaining why they were left out.

I'm sure most of you can guess that the Top 10 includes Dustin Ackley and Michael Saunders, et al, but where it gets most interest for me is between 9 and 15, where I literally would have felt okay swapping it around backwards.

In other words, there's not a big difference, if any, between No. 9 and No. 15.

There will be some surprises, I am sure, as I was very aggressive in moving guys around.

This is the best group of rankings yet from Prospect Insider, and I had a couple of scouts crosscheck the rankings for me this morning. They disagreed here and there, but I was looking for glaring misses, and neither found any.

And Mike (one of those scouts), I'm not changing my opinion on the guy you wanted me to.

viewing-the-top-30

Comments
The following 6 comment(s) for this article are shown below:

1. By: katal on 03-06-2010 10:10:46
Looking forward to reading this. Thanks, Jason.

2. By: Rudolf on 03-06-2010 10:38:42
Hey Jason, I've got a question I failed to get off at the chat: In your opinion, is the core of Ichiro, Gutierrez, Figgins, Ackley, Felix, and the bullpen strength enough to build a WS champion? If not, how many major pieces are we missing, and what pieces would you prefer, (positional, not necessarily specific names)?

To me, it looks like the M's realistically need a shopping spree in free agency, or to drain the farm system, to build upon what they've got going this year. That could get expensive either way. With the above mentioned names, we've got a four year window with their current contracts.

3. By: Jason A. Churchill on 03-06-2010 23:20:34
Rudolf,

No. Ichiro is getting worse, not better, Figgins is done developing and closer to the end of his prime than the beginning, Gutierrez isn't a core player and Ackley's timetable probably coincides within a year or two of the of Ichiro's career altogether.

The M's have ONE core SP that is currently in the system, perhaps two if Pineda can stay healthy. The SS of the future is 3-5 years away and there is no power in the organization.

4. By: pitchman on 03-07-2010 10:33:04
wow talk about your Debbie downer. ichiro getting worse?

5. By: Rudolf on 03-08-2010 09:34:41
I agree with your assessment, Jason, and Jack Z surely sees this, too. With shrewd free-agent signings and a few trades, the big-league club can continue to compete for the AL West over the next few years.

However, aside from pulling outrageous unforeseen deals, I would anticipate a down time where the club goes into deeper rebuilding mode to upgrade the farm system and synchronize the development of their prospects to establish a firmer foundation to build upon, ala Tampa Bay Rays.

We just don't have the budget of the AL East powerhouses to buy our way into competitiveness annually, and if we trade our way there, we'll napalm the farm to the ground, and then what will we be left with?

If we sign Lee longterm, or someone like him, and buy a first baseman with thump in the next year or two, we can consider ourselves competitive through 2013... but is it enough?

Here's to hope! And Here's to some great drafts!

6. By: grandpa_ess on 03-09-2010 03:36:57
I also agree. We definitely need more power.

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