Julio Teheran

Starting Pitcher, Gwinnett Braves (AAA Atlanta Braves affiliate)

Signed out of Colombia at the age of 17 in 2007, Julio Teheran has developed quickly in the Atlanta Braves’ minor league system into a potential number one starting pitcher.  He had an impressive full season in the minor leagues at the AAA level last year where he went 15-3 with a 2.55 ERA.  Going into the 2012 season, Teheran is the Braves’ best prospect and we can expect to see him playing at the Major League level this season.  He turns 21 next week.

Brett Lawrie

Brett Lawrie is the highest drafted Canadian position player ever, being drafted as the 16th overall pick by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2008.  He represented Canada in the 2009 World Baseball Classic and represented the World Team in the 2009 Futures Game.  During last year’s Winter Meetings, Lawrie was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for Shaun Marcum. 2011 turned out to be his breakout season, when he hit .353 in AAA Las Vegas before being called up to the Blue Jays in August where he hit .293 in his MLB debut season.

Brett Lawrie is my top prospect pick of 2011, meaning I think he has a big chance of making the MLB All-Star team in the near future.  Barring any off-field douchy behavior getting him in trouble, I think the Blue Jays have themselves a star player.

Ryan Lavarnway

Catcher, Boston Red Sox

Coming out of Yale University, Ryan Lavarnway is one of the greatest baseball players to ever play in the Ivy Leagues.  He set several Ivy League hitting records before being drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 6th round of the 2008 draft.  In 2009, Lavarnway hit a team-record 21 home runs for the class-A Greenville Drive.  He split the 2010 season between class-A+ and class-AA, hitting 22 home runs and winning Player of the Week honors at both levels, as well as making the Carolina League All-Star team.  After batting .290 with 32 home runs split between class-AA and class-AAA in 2011, Lavarnway was called up to the Boston Red Sox in August.  In 39 At-bats for the Red Sox, he hit 2 home runs, 2 doubles, and 5 singles for a .231 batting average.

Ryan Lavarnway will likely be competing with Jarrod Saltalamacchia for the the primary catcher position for the Boston Red Sox in 2012.

2010 Topps #335

Jordan Norberto

P – Oakland Athletics

This one is going to sound like a long-shot, but I think Jordan Norberto might just turn out to be an excellent relief pitcher someday.  His 94-mph fastball has been cutting down minor league hitters for years.  He’s a left-handed Dominican reliever with some great potential that hopefully the A’s will take advantage of next season.

Norberto was acquired by Oakland along with Brandon Allen in a July 2011 trade that sent Brad Ziegler to the D-backs.  He then pitched 6.2 innings in 6 games for Oakland this season, racking up an unimpressive 8.10 ERA.  However, the final numbers don’t do him justice.  In his first five games, he pitched 6.0 innings and earned only 2 runs for a respectable 3.00 ERA.  It was that nasty final outing of the season in which the Yankees pummeled the A’s 22-9 by hitting a record 3 grand slams that did him in.  Norberto pitched 0.2 innings in that final game, walking 5 and picking up 4 earned runs to drive up his ERA.

I think with some good coaching and Major League experience, Jordan Norberto could make a real impact in the Oakland bullpen next season.

Anthony Rendon

3B — Washington Nationals organization

Sure, he hasn’t played a professional baseball game yet, but there’s just something about winning the Dick Howser Trophy and then getting selected early in the first round of the MLB Draft that gives a player good odds of succeeding.  Anthony Rendon joins the likes of Buster Posey, Alex Gordon, Rickie Weeks, and Mark Teixeira as recent winners of the Dick Howser Trophy who were later selected within the first 6 picks of the draft.

Rendon batted .394 with 26 homers in 63 games for Rice University in 2010.  He was then taken in the first round, 6th overall, by the Washington Nationals in the 2011 MLB Draft.  He had been widely touted as the best college hitter in America.

Rendon is currently playing in the Nationals’ instructional league and will move on to the Arizona Fall League in October, where it will be fun to watch how well him and Bryce Harper play together in the same lineup.

Bryce Harper

OF – Harrisburg Senators (AA)

Bryce Harper doesn’t need much introduction here.  He’s probably the most famous minor-leaguer in baseball today.  At just 18 years old, he has already been promoted to the AA level and even played with the big leaguers at Spring Training camp.

He hit an impressive .297 with 17 homers in single-A Hagerstown before being promoted to double-A Harrisburg.  He hit a less-than-stellar .256 with 3 home runs in Harrisburg before pulling his hamstring and probably ending his season, but hey, he’s only 18.  We just hope he’s mature enough to handle all the money and stardom at such an early age.

Harper will probably start the 2012 season with Harrisburg and depending on how well he does, may make a Major League debut by the end of next season.

Mike Trout

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim – CF

It’s always exciting to see teenagers playing in the big leagues.  Mike Trout has been touted as one of the best prospects out there, and he turns 20 this weekend.  While his .163 Major League batting average is not all that impressive, he has shown his great potential in the minor leagues, consistently hitting well over .300 over 3 seasons in A and AA ball.  Once he adjusts to Major League pitching, Mike Trout has the potential to win a few batting titles.

Eric Hosmer

1B – Kansas City Royals

Hosmer was selected in the first round (3rd overall) in the 2008 MLB Draft.  Since then, he has worked his way quickly up the Royals’ farm system.  He hit .313 in AA ball in 2010 and an astounding .439 in AAA ball earlier this season.

Since making his Major League debut May 6, 2011, Hosmer has hit .262 with 5 homers, making him one of the best rookie hitters in the American League this season.