1. Hanley Ramirez; SS Bos - Just as Hanley moves up the minor league ladder, the Red Sox go out and lock up Renteria for 4 years. This probably shows that Boston plans to use Ramirez at 2B at the major league level due to his lack of a real strong arm. One problem that people close to him have said is that he has a attitude problem and a terrible work ethic. These problems will need to be addressed if he wants to make it as a major league baseball player. With a good spring, he'll be in AAA Pawtucket and will be ready for the majors in 2006. Whether that be with the Red Sox or another team is still a question though.
2. Adam Miller; SP Cle - Adam has consitently been mentioned as one of the top ten or so pitching prospects in the game. He was a supplemental first round pick and hit 101mph during a game and will only be 20 years old this season. His fastball is his bread and butter and he stays with 92-95 most of the time. He has a major league slider, and is still working on his changeup which helped him put up the stats he did last season. He's still young and needs to grow in the minors for a few more years before being brought to the show, but if he puts up stats like he did in 2004, it could be hard to keep him down for much longer.
3. Conor Jackson; OF Ari - Conor comes out of Cal and was moved to the OF last season. Has a great eye, and is a pure hitter. Started out in 2004 in single A before being promoted to AA where he didnt miss a beat, hitting .301 with 6 HRs in 226 ABs. With a good spring, he will start out in AAA and be ready for the show sometime in 2006. With Conor Jackson and Carlos Quentin, Arizona's OF looks to be in good shape in the near future.
4. JJ Hardy; SS Mil - Hardy missed almost the entire 2004 champaign after having to undergo season ending shoulder surgery on his non throwing arm. Before the injury, he looked to be on corse to be the Brewers starting SS after the allstar break. He has a short, compact swing and has very quick hands. The Brewers worked with him on plate discipline and pitch recognition the past season and it paid off as he doesnt stikeout too often. Posting a 58/54 BB/K ratio. Look for him to start the season in AAA, with a chance to be quickly called up if he plays well.
5. Eric Duncan; 3B NYY- In his first full season of pro ball, he showed that he has a ton of pop for a young kid. He striked out a lot last year but proved that he isn't an all or nothing type of player hitting for 46 extra base hits. The Yankees have worked hard with his defense and he's becoming a pretty good defensive 3B. He will start the season out in AA, and looks to be in the majors sometime in 2006. Eric is a player with a very high ceiling.
6. Zach Duke; SP Pit - Zach has very average stuff, but he does very well with what he has. He has great poise, and controls every pitch with pin point accuracy. Although he doesnt have the stuff that other top prospects has, he does what he needs to do to get hitters out. In A ball, he went 10-5 with a 1.39 ERA and a 106/20 K/BB ratio. Once promoted to AA, he posted a 5-1 record with a 1.58 ERA and a 36/10 K/BB ratio. He'll start the season out in AAA, and he could make it to the show if he keeps putting up these kind of numbers.
7. Dioner Navarro; C Ari - Dioner was another piece of the trade that sent Randy to the Yankees. He is among the top catching prospects in the minor leagues. Hes only 5'10, but poses a great throwing arm, one that is strong and very accurate. Dioner doesnt have HR power and doesnt project to hit a lot of HRs in any given year. His swing is short and level which allows for him to hit for a lot of doubles, he also isnt afraid of taking a walk. He walked 46 times last season, and only striking out 61 times between AA and AAA.
8. John Danks; SP Tex - Was selected 9th overall in teh 2003 amateur draft. He has a 90 mph fastball and mixs in a very nice breaking curve ball. He got burt out last season after being promoted to AA which could be because it was his first full season of pro ball. He isnt going to be an ace for Texas, but he can be a top of the rotation guy.
9. Brandon League; SP Tor - Brandon hit 102 on the radar gun during the Eastern All Star game this past season but usually works within 94-95 mph. His fastball dives down in the strikezone which makes Brandon your protypical ground ball pitcher. He also mixs in a slider but he needs to work on becoming more accurate with it. League needs to work on his command if he wants to stay a starter. With a good spring, Brandon will probably make the Blue Jay roster as a relief pitcher.
10. Billy Butler; 3B KC - A first round selection out of high school in 2004, many thought this was a money driven pick by the Royals and a bad selection. He made it clear he wanted to sign and not attend college which could be the reason behind him being selected as early as he was. He is a plus power player who showed some critics wrong in '04, hitting .373 with 10 HRs in 260 ABs in the Pioneer League. Many are comparing him to Mike Sweeney, which up to this point, look to be very accurate.
Ross Keyser is an independant minor league analyst. His opinions do not necessarily reflect those of rotochamps.com.