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Dec
02

'09 Draft Prep: Top NL-only prospects

Eric Mack

We outlined the Top 25 rookies to target on Draft Day and Fantasy Baseball's Top 100 prospects, so now we split them off with the Top NL prospects for those in NL-only leagues.

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These prospects might not necessarily make the team out of camp, but they will be some of the most-hyped minor leaguers throughout the season. They are ranked for their potential long-term rewards in Fantasy leagues.

There are hundreds of others that can get call-ups and help Fantasy owners in the near future, too, so go through our Organizational Prospect Reports we did last fall to get an even deeper view of all the teams' top farmhands.

RK Overall Player TM Age POS 2008 high Destination
1 3 Madison Bumgarner SF 19 LHP Low Class A High Class A
Pitching this young is very difficult to project, but he won't be a teenager come Aug. 1; can he arrive then?
2 5 Cameron Maybin FLA 21 OF Majors Majors
His steals will be what he should be drafted for this year, but he figures to be able do everything long term.
3 8 Thomas Hanson ATL 22 RHP Double-A Triple-A
Arizona Fall League is a hitter's league and it couldn't touch him. What an amazing talent on the verge.
4 9 Jeff Samardzija CHC 24 RHP Majors Majors
If he wins the No. 5 spot in the Cubs rotation in spring, he might prove the most valuable on this list.
5 10 Colby Rasmus STL 22 OF Triple-A Triple-A
He had a poor season, but he is a five-tool talent with tremendous swagger. He could really rebound this season.
6 12 Pedro Alvarez PIT 22 3B DNP, signed late Double-A
No. 2 overall pick in last June's draft can really mash and should be able to move quickly with rebuilding Pirates.
7 16 Michael Stanton FLA 19 OF Low Class A High Class A
The Florida State League will give us a much better sense of how much monster power this guy really has.
8 17 Timothy Alderson SF 20 RHP Low Class A High Class A
Bumgarner has trumped him in the Giants' system, but Alderson can make his case as a future ace in his own right.
9 18 Jason Heyward ATL 19 OF Low Class A High Class A
Some see him as a top-5 or top-10 prospect, but it is really too early to tell because some others have bigger numbers.
10 20 Jarrod Parker ARI 20 RHP Low Class A High Class A
The D-Backs crown jewel must now help them forget they traded away the likes of the A's Anderson and others.
11 24 Mat Gamel MIL 23 3B Majors Triple-A
His D is bad and his numbers were a lot better when LaPorta was protecting him in Double-A. His bat will play, though.
12 26 Alcides Escobar MIL 22 SS Double-A Double-A
His power should develop, but the Brewers have to be satisfied with J.J. Hardy at SS. Perhaps Escobar moves to 2B?
13 27 Andrew McCutchen PIT 22 OF Triple-A Triple-A
Five-tool talent can make an immediate impact in all Rotisserie leagues once he arrives; watch closely this spring.
14 29 Logan Morrison FLA 21 1B High Class A Double-A
His power numbers weren't quite there, but the FSL does have a lot of big ballparks that suppress homer totals.
15 30 Buster Posey SF 22 C Low Class A High Class A
Early '08 first-round pick doesn't have a whole lot of a track record as a pro, but he could be the next Matt Wieters.
16 32 Carlos Carrasco PHI 22 RHP Triple-A Triple-A
The Phillies might bring their prized pitching prospect along slowly this spring, but look out once he arrives.
17 33 Fernando Martinez NYM 20 OF Double-A Triple-A
He is extremely raw and somewhat injury prone, but his bat is quick and his power should develop like the Mets hope.
18 40 Kyle Blanks SD 22 1B Double-A Double-A
Monster slugger could be an impact call-up this season, but that only happens if the Padres move Adrian Gonzalez.
19 41 Yonder Alonso CIN 21 1B High Class A High Class A
Miami product's power is legit and Baseball America thinks he can move Joey Votto to LF by next season.
20 43 Josh Vitters CHC 19 3B Low Class A Low Class A
A little behind Moustakas now after being drafted on the same level, but he played catch up nicely last season.
21 45 Todd Frazier CIN 23 SS High Class A Double-A
It should be a great rivalry in the Reds system between Frazier and the Reds SS prospect that follows him on this list.
22 46 Chris Valaika CIN 23 SS Double-A Triple-A
A level ahead of Frazier now, but our guess is Frazier proves more powerful; the better one is the one that stays at SS.
23 47 Brett Wallace STL 22 3B Double-A Double-A
He likely won't be a candidate to start out of spring training this year, but next year he very well could be ready.
24 49 Dexter Fowler COL 22 RHP Double-A Triple-A
The Matt Holliday trade opens up a chance for him, but the question is how much speed and power will he display?
25 57 Jordan Zimmermann WAS 22 RHP Double-A Triple-A
Nationals top pitching prospect figures to get a chance before the year is out, but can he win with that supporting cast?
26 58 Jhoulys Chacin COL 21 RHP High Class A Double-A
There's something about him that just reminds us of Ubaldo Jimenez; he very well could help Fantasy owners this year.
27 60 Angel Salome MIL 23 C Majors Triple-A
We see him hitting his way into at-bats this season, especially if Jason Kendall breaks down or the Brewers go young.
28 63 Matt Antonelli SD 23 2B Majors Triple-A
He is still better than Chase Headley in our eyes and a potential starter at second base for the Padres.
29 65 James McDonald LAD 24 RHP Majors Triple-A
He is a candidate for the No. 5 spot in the rotation this spring, but we're not sure he is an elite arm long term.
30 66 Gaby Sanchez FLA 25 1B Majors Majors
Sanchez will compete with Dallas McPherson and Jorge Cantu for a starting job this spring; pop gives him a chance to star.
31 70 Jonathon Niese NYM 22 LHP Majors Triple-A
He is a candidate for the No. 5 spot in the rotation this spring, but he really could use some time back in Triple-A.
32 72 Jordan Schafer ATL 22 OF Double-A Triple-A
Substance suspension taints his prospects at little, but he still stands to help the outfield-needy Braves this season.
33 75 Angel Villalona SF 18 1B Low Class A High Class A
His age-level ratio is outstanding as is his power potential, but we are really yet to be impressed by him for some reason.
34 77 Gerardo Parra ARI 21 OF Double-A Double-A
Speed is ahead of his power, but a huge winter is helping him enter the conservation for an impact in 2009.
35 80 Matt Dominguez FLA 19 3B Low Class A High Class A
Not quite in the class of Moustakas and Vitters among California 3B prospects, but his power came around last year.
36 81 David Freese STL 25 3B Triple-A Majors
With Troy Glaus' shoulder surgery, his 26 Triple-A homers could make him a sleeper to start on opening day.
37 83 Neil Walker PIT 25 3B Triple-A Triple-A
He might need a new position now that Adam LaRoche is in Pittsburgh and Alvarez is pushing him from lower in the system.
38 84 Jesse Todd STL 22 RHP Triple-A Triple-A
The Cardinals don't have a rotation that figures to hold him back much when he is deemed ready by midseason.
39 86 Jason Castro HOU 21 C Low Class A Low Class A
Stanford prospect is just getting started as a pro, but his offensive potential at the position makes him a must-stash.
40 88 Dominic Brown PHI 21 OF Low Class A High Class A
Baseball America draws some Darryl Strawberry comparisons here, but the power really isn't there yet.
41 95 Daniel McCutchen PIT 26 RHP Triple-A Triple-A
A key piece in the Xavier Nady deal, McCutchen should push his way into the rotation this season, if not out of spring.
42 97 Jason Motte STL 26 RHP Majors Majors
The Cardinals could give him a look as closer, but we see a setup man. If he closes, he will be top 10 here.
43 98 Kenshin Kawakami ATL 33 RHP Japan Majors
Smallish right-handed import is old for a rookie, but he could have a Hiroki Kuroda -like impact.

You can e-mail us your Fantasy Baseball questions to DMFantasyBaseball@cbs.com. Be sure to put Top NL-only prospects in the subject field. Please include your full name, hometown and state. Be aware, due to the large volume of submissions received, we cannot guarantee personal responses to all questions.

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