The Next Wave: Top 12 Fantasy Prospects in the 2010 MLB Draft

By Ben Carsley, Staff Writer, MLB Fantasy Prospects

With the draft still two months away, and if I were forced to re-rank these players in two weeks, I would likely produce a vastly different list. That being said, based on my own impressions, and after tireless analysis of scouting reports, mock drafts, and video, here’s a succinct list of the Top 12 Fantasy Prospects for the 2010 Draft. MLBFP will be covering the upcoming draft right up until draft day – this should be your first stop for the fantasy slant on the new crop of prospects.

1) Bryce Harper, C, Community College of Southern Nevada

There’s not much to write about Harper that hasn’t already been written. Since Tom Verducci’s article pronounced him as "Baseball’s LeBron," Harper has dealt with even more hype than Stephen Strasburg. Armed with a Vladimir Guerrero-esque arm, Hanley Ramirez-esque bat speed, and more raw power than Ryan Howard, Harper has all the raw tools to become a perennial All Star. Playing as a 17-year-old in Junior College, Harper has batted .420-8-27, with a .514 OBP and 6 SBs, in 27 games. Harper unquestionably has the highest upside of any player in the 2010 draft, and one could argue the highest upside of any prep player since Justin Upton, or maybe even Alex Rodriguez. He’s still only 17, and even the most optimistic projection can’t have him seeing significant time until 2012 at the earliest. Despite his youth and inexperience, any player who could potentially provide Ryan Braun-type numbers at the catcher position needs to be monitored by all fantasy players. Harper is the current favorite to go first in the 2010 draft.

Visit MLB Fantasy Prospects for the rest of our Top 12 Fantasy Prospects in the 2010 MLB Draft