Gary Sanchez – Yankees C DOB: 12/02/92
Sanchez got off to a slow start but is starting to turn his season around. In his past 10 games he is hitting .424/.472/.667. He has struggled to make contact this year, striking out more than 30% of the time. During his hot streak that hasn't changed as he has struck out 13 times while walking twice. Sanchez has above average power for a catcher but until he solves his strikeout problems he will struggle to hit for an average higher than .270 in the majors.
Delino DeShields – Astros 2B DOB: 08/16/92
The eighth overall pick in the 2010 draft is having an awful season. Through 61 games he is batting .194 and has only 3 hits in his past 44 at bats. Out of his 47 hits 19 have gone for extra bases so he does have the potential to have an impact bat to go with his above average speed. He has 12 steals but has been caught 8 times and will need to improve his reads on pitchers.
Jacob Petricka – White Sox DOB: 06/05/88
The flamethrower got off to a superb start before going down with an injury. In 8 starts he had a 2.81 ERA with 48 strikeouts and 13 walks in 41.2 innings. He is on a rehab assignment in the Appalachian League but should be back in the Sally if he doesn't hit any road-blocks in his recovery.
Bryce Harper - Nationals RF DOB: 10/16/92
Harper's bat has slowed a bit over the past 10 games but he still has stellar numbers. He is hitting .328 with 14 home runs and 13 stolen bases. Considering how hard he swings he has a very good 37/55 BB/K ratio. Many expect him to be promoted soon and he could jump a level into AA. It will be very interesting to see how he handles AA pitching. If he continues to mash there I would expect to see him make his MLB debut sometime in 2012, possibly as early as opening day.
Mark Canha – Marlins 1B DOB: 02/15/89
Canha is a bit behind on the development curve as a 21 year old in Low-A, but he is doing his best to catch up by hitting well. In 44 games he has a triple slash of .319/.393/.594. His strike zone judgment has been pretty good as he has 17/33 BB/K.
Miles Head - Red Sox 1B DOB: 05/02/91
Head has come out of nowhere to become one of the better hitters in the South Atlantic League. A 26th round pick who had a .669 OPS last year, Head has mashed and has a triple slash of .344/.418/.612. After hitting one home run in 65 games last year he has 14 in 63 this year while facing tougher pitching. On one hand I think you have to be cautious with a player who has made such a leap, but as Jose Bautista has shown us, it's possible for a player to make changes that result in dramatic improvements.
Robbie Ray – Nationals SP DOB: 10/01/91
Washington's pitching prospects have been great in 2011 and Ray is no different. In 8 starts he has pitched 40 innings, allowing 24 hits, 12 walks and striking out 37 for a 1.13 ERA. Ray has solid upside and already owns a strong changeup. I'm a fan of young pitchers who have above average secondary pitches at a young age so I expect big things from Ray.
Jameson Taillon - Pirates SP DOB: 11/18/91
If you remove two bad starts against Lexington his ERA would be 2.13. He allowed 7 earned runs in 9 innings in those two starts and his ERA including them is 3.16. In 42.2 innings he has struck out 38 and walked 4. Considering his plus velocity it's a really good sign to see such low walk totals.