1. Buster Posey, C – Posey doesn’t have anything left to prove in the minors, but it appears that he could end up there again. There are people saying that he’ll split time with Bengie Molina, which means he’ll sit too much; the other rumor is that he’ll spend some time at other positions, which again isn’t good for him. Posey will hit in the Majors, once he is given the chance.
2. Madison Bumgarner, P –Bumgarner has lost a little of his prospect luster since he’s struggled a little bit as he’s been promoted. His ERA hasn’t shown this, but his secondary stats have. His K-Rate is down to 5.80 per 9 innings. He’s also lost some velocity since he’s been drafted. He could be the 5th starter this year for the Giants, but I think he needs a little time at Triple A.
3. Zach Wheeler, P – Wheeler has a lot of potential. He’s got a low-90s fastball with movement that could add a couple MPHs as he develops. His curveball is already a plus pitch. He’s working on a slider that could push him to a front of the rotation starter. There are some issues with his delivery; the Giants have had recent success with pitchers, so I don’t see that changing here.
4. Thomas Neal, OF – Neal has progressed well with each promotion. He’s very patient and has reduced his strikeouts, although it’s still a little high. His power is well suited for a corner outfielder. He’s a capable defensive corner outfielder and had the arm to play right. He could get a look in September; he could be up earlier if the major league corners are not playing well and Neal is killing the ball in Triple A.
5. Roger Kieschnick, OF – Kieschnick have only one pro season under his belt, but it was a promising one. He doesn’t walk much and strikes out too much, but he’s got time to improve that. He’s got average speed, but uses it well. He’s also got great power. He fields very well and has the arm for right field.
6. Tommy Joseph, C – Joseph has raw potential to be a great player. It’s the rest of his game that raises questions. He’s got holes in his swing and can be very inconsistent. He needs to work on his plate discipline. He’s also a questionable receiver; his catching needs a lot of work and it looks like a move to first base could be in his future.
7. Francisco Peguero, OF – Peguero is a promising prospect, but he’s got a lot of work to do. He goes all out, which means he doesn’t walk much (2.0 BB%) and has questionable plate discipline. He did hit in his major league debut. He’s also got great speed and could steal 45 bases in the majors. He’s got the potential to be a MLB center fielder, but really needs to work at the plate.
8. Nick Noonan, 2B – Noonan isn’t a prospect that will wow you, but he’s got good skills across the board. His 2009 was down, but he finished the season well. He had more walks than strikeouts as we worked on his plate discipline. He’s very good defensively and there is no question that he’ll be a second baseman if he can make it to the big leagues.
9. Rafael Rodriguez, OF – Rodriguez has a strong US debut, showing good discipline and raw tools. He’ll join a full season league this year and we’ll see how he handles the longer season. He can make good contact and his power should be developing soon. The jury is still out on his defense though.
10. Waldis Joaquin, P – Joaquin has a great arm, but it’s projected as an arm out of the bullpen. His fastball sits in the mid-90s and tops out at 96. He’s got a good slider, but needs to work on the command of it. It’s very promising that lefties can hit him, but he needs to work on his walks if he wants to be a late inning guy.
