2011 Top 10 Prospects :: How they've Fared

Baseball America released their top 100 prospects before the 2011 started. Here is a review of how the top 10 have fared:

1. Bryce Harper:  (WAS) This is Harper's first season after being drafted #1 overall in 2010. He impressed with very good numbers at A-ball but has been a mere mortal at AA Harrisburg, batting .255 with 2 homers in 106 at bats. I think he'll need another full year in the minors before stepping into the Majors. Harper is still only 19.

2. Mike Trout: (LAA) #25 overall pick in 2009, Trout batted .325 with 32 steals, 13 triples and 9 homers at AA Arkansas. The Angels gave him 43 at bats in July and he batted .163 with an OPS of 492 and so the Angels deicded that their prized prospect was not yet ready and they sent him back to AA.

3. Jesus Montero: (NYY) A hard-hitting catcher currently at AAA, Montero will likely get the opportunity to be the Yankees starter in 2012 at the ripe old age of 22. He's batting .285 with an OPS of 784 and 12 homers in 361 at bats. If he weren't a catcher, we'd say these are decent numbers but he's fast tracked since he's behind the plate and after Russell Martin, the Yanks are thin.

4. Domonic Brown: (PHI) 20th round pick in 2006, Brown has been the Phillies #1 prospect for the last 3 seasons but has yet to make the full-time jump the Majors. He's amassed 245 mlb at bats in which he's hit 7 homers, stolen 5 bases and batted .237. He's turning 24 soon and he's been a pretty good minor league hitter but it isn't apparent as to whether he'll be able to be a staple in the show.

5. Julio Teheran: (ATL) Though Teheran got his first taste of the big leagues in May of this year, he's spent most of the season at AAA Gwinnett where he was been fantastic. 12-2 with an era of 2.16. 104 strikeouts in 116 innings. He's been tough to hit, only allowed 4 homers and has had (generally) good control. Teheran is only 20 years old and has already been a prospect for 4 seasons. He'll get his shot in 2012.

6. Jeremy Hellickson:  (TB) Hellickson has been in the Rays starting rotation all season and is now a Major Leaguer at the age of 24. Hellickson has gone 10-7 with a 3.05 era in Tampa and is a rookie of the year candidate. He's still allowing too many homers (1 per 9 innings) and walking a bit too many but he's a rookie and the Rays minor league development pedigree continues.

7. Aroldis Chapman:  (CIN) The Cuban burst on the scene in 2010 with a 105mph fastball and is being groomed into a closer. So far in 2011, Chapman has struck out 53 batters in 34 innings but he's been a tad Bobby Wittish by walking 27 batters in those 34 innings. The most fascinating stat is not that his ERA is 3.41 despite all those walks or that he is only allowed 2 homers. Its that he has only allowed 11 hits. 11 hits in 34.1 innings. Seriously, who's that unhittable?

8. Eric Hosmer: (KC)  The Royals had no choice but to bring up their prized prospect this season as Hosmer was batting .439 at AAA Omaha with an OPS of 1107. Since his recall, he's batted .280, been named AL Rookie of the Month for July and hit 10 homers with 48 rbis in 336 at bats. And the best part Royals fans, is that he's only 21. I don't know exactly how he projects but I see him with 20 home run power and he'll always be around the .300 mark as a hitter.

9. Mike Moustakas:  (KC) The #2 pick from the 2007 draft, Moustakas is the Royals great Power hope.  He has hit 84 homers in his last 4 minor league seasons, including 36 in 2010. The Royals recalled Moustakas on June 10th and he has been their 3b ever since despite the fact that he's batting only .193 and has only hit 1 homer in 171 at bats. Though he doesn't strike out as much as most power hittters (27x) he's clearly not ready for the role as starter in the Major Leagues though this will go a long way towards getting him ready for 2012.

10. Will Myers:  (KC) Yet another Royals prospect, this time, playing the part of the Catcher, will be Will Myers. A 3rd round pick from 2009, Myers best asset is his strike zone knowledge and he's amassed an OBP of .401 in his 3 minor league seasons. He's currently at AA where he's struggling, batting only .245 with 5 homers and 16 doubles.  There is some question as to whether he is indeed the catcher of the future and whether he might find a new position in Kansas City but he'll have to hit a lot better than he has shown if this will be the case.