All grades are subject to change.You can find a full listing of the Top 50 Prospects of 2011 Archive Page.

QUICK PRIMER ON GRADE MEANINGS:

Grade A prospects are the elite. They have a good chance of becoming stars or superstars. Almost all Grade A prospects develop into major league regulars, if injuries or other problems don’t intervene. Note that is a major “if” in some cases.

Grade B prospects have a good chance to enjoy successful careers. Some will develop into stars, some will not. Most end up spending several years in the majors, at the very least in a marginal role.

Grade C prospects are the most common type. These are guys who have something positive going for them, but who may have a question mark or three, or who are just too far away from the majors to get an accurate feel for. A few Grade C guys, especially at the lower levels, do develop into stars. Many end up as role players or bench guys. Some don’t make it at all.
-John Sickels

Am I a little low on Stinson in these rankings? Maybe. It is only because I am not that confident in his ability to remain in the rotation. While his ERA and K numbers look much better in AAA than in AA his FIP actually increased in Buffalo (4.94) compared to Binghamton (4.49). If he makes it as a starter he is a number five at best, which is not bad, still he could be a very good reliever.

I’m still not a huge fan of Pena’s, but he is still young and has potential so he gets a mulligan and remains in the top 50 prospects. Missed almost all of 2010 because of injuries. He spent a lot of time in extended spring training and did perform fairly well during the limited action he did see. If he doesn’t show significant progress this year I’ll have no problem leaving him off the list.

Alvarez is a terrific reliever who should be ready to contribute as soon as this year. Really showed no holes in his game and pitched well at every level now it just remains to be seen if he can duplicate his success.

SLEEPER ALERT. Peavey is the complete package as a pitcher. He is not an overpowering player with filthy stuff, but he is able to use his 90-93 mph fastball effectively and mix in a slider, change-up, and curve ball. His excellent mechanics and maturity as a pitcher and person give me bright hopes for him. Could make big moves in 2011.

A stat geeks favorite and a scout’s worst nightmare. Fuller has decent stuff, but his less than ideal pitcher’s build and no plus pitches make scouts wonder if he will ever be able to live at the higher levels and be able to withstand the rigors of a full season. Should make a good future LOOGY.

Highly regarded before the 2010 season until scouts found major holes in his swing. The Mets took him in the 3rd round based off great numbers during his sophomore season where he was very close to Yasmani Grandal for being the best catcher in the class. Early numbers show the holes may be too big to overcome, but the potential of being a power hitting catcher is still there.

Only because of his injury issues and being a ridiculously tall pitcher do I cut him some slack as taller pitches tend to take longer to develop because of the inconsistent mechanics. Another one who needs to take a big leap this year or will find himself on the outside looking in.

The command issues are a shame because he is such a great arm. It seems like he has been around forever despite the fact he is still 24-years-old, but at this stage in his development I am beginning to wonder if he will ever iron out the control issues.

A personal favorite from the 2010 draft. I think he is much better than the results show as the numbers are a bit skewed by a rought two start streak. Has good enough stuff to make a little bit of noise. You just never know with the small school pitchers and this one sticks out to me.

Going completely off the board for Mr. Irrelevant. I would almost never rank a DSL guy, but Javier has a great combination of strikeouts, ground balls, and perfectibility. He could amount to nothing, but something tells me I needed to get his name out there.