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Mike Trout - Angels CF DOB: 08/07/91
Trout is on an 8 game hit streak, batting .340/.462/.595 over that span. The top prospect in AA, and perhaps all of baseball, is hitting .332/.428/.555 with 26/8 SB/CS. He is above average in every offensive element as a 19 year old in AA. Such dominance at this level suggests Trout may be able to hold his own on the big league stage. Only two games behind the Rangers, you have to think the Angels will consider calling on Trout should there be an opening in LA's outfield.
Jaff Decker - Padres LF DOB: 02/23/90
Decker has had a good couple of weeks. In the past 9 games he is hitting .349 with 12 walks to 6 strikeouts. When Decker gets on hot streaks he causes a lot of damage. If he can avoid another month long cold streak (.170/.333/.260 in May) he should be able to creep back near the top of the league leaderboards.
Casey Kelly - Padres SP DOB: 10/04/89
Kelly has had a couple of rough starts and has allowed 11 earned runs in 9 innings bringing his season ERA to 4.48. He will be happy to welcome July as he had a 6.12 ERA in 5 June starts. His command remains solid and he is inducing plenty of groundballs so it's not yet time to throw in the towel on Kelly. Hopefully moving forward we will see better consistency from the young Padres arm.
Shelby Miller - Cardinals SP DOB: 10/10/90
Miller has yet to have a poor outing since joining the Texas League. In 6 starts he has a 1.89 ERA and 38 Ks to 8 walks. If you're looking to build for future seasons you might want to try and acquire Miller as one of your building blocks. He should be a rock within your rotation in 3-5 years.
Jacob Odorizzi - Royals SP DOB: 03/27/90
The Texas League welcomes another top prospect with the arrival of Odorizzi. In 15 Carolina League starts he has a 2.87 ERA, 78.1 IP, 22 BB, 103 K. In the homer happy Texas League Odorizzi will want to get his GB% back to where it used to be and induce more groundballs than flies. The Royals are hoping he can handle the bump to the upper minors since they would like to use his services come 2013.
James Darnell - Padres 3B DOB: 01/19/87
Darnell has earned a Futures Game selection and it's hard to argue it considering his numbers. In 74 games he is batting .333 with 24 doubles, 16 home runs and 50 walks to 45 strikeouts. He is 24 years old so the Padres might want to move his development along. Chase Headley stands in his path but Darnell could send Headley to the trading block with the way he is hitting.
Wil Myers - Royals RF DOB: 12/10/90
Another Futures Game selection, Myers is playing well just in time. He is hitting .353/.511/.471 over the last 10 games. The 10/6 BB/K ratio is a good sign but it would be nice to see more power out of him. He has just 3 home runs and 15 extra base hits in 46 games.
Robbie Erlin - Rangers SP DOB: 10/08/90
Erlin has been tagged for a home run in all but 1 of his 6 AA appearances. He was downright un-hittable in the Carolina League with a .132 AVG against but has seen that number rise to .271 in the Texas League. His command and strikeout rate remain solid so he will just have to work on limiting the damage made when hitters make contact.
Jose Altuve - Astros 2B DOB: 05/06/90
Altuve has been a hitting machine this season and has thrown his name into the conversation of best young second baseman in baseball. After batting .408 in 52 games at High-A he has hit .365 in 28 AA games. He is hitting for the same amount of power at the higher level but has not been as active on the bases. He stole 19 in 28 tries at High-A but only 5 steals in 8 tries at AA. Altuve could be a .300 hitter in the majors while hitting 15 home runs and stealing 15-20 bases during his prime. With Jordan Lyles in the majors it is now Altuve at the front of the Astros prospect crop.
Matthew Adams - Cardinals 1B DOB: 08/31/88
If Adams' path to the majors weren't blocked by a power hitting cyborg he might be getting more press considering the season he is having. His .351/.393/.667 triple slash is one of the best in the minors and he has shown these kind of numbers in the past. The power has taken a big leap for Adams this season which is no surprise considering the league. The Cardinals may want to try Adams at AAA in case Pujols decides to take his robot skills elsewhere. Since he has yet to hit below .300 in his pro career he should be able to succeed if pushed.
Leonys Martin – Rangers CF DOB: 03/08/88
Martin made his return from a 3 week stint on the DL and has kicked things off with a 2 game hit streak. He has a double and 3 RBI in his 2 games back and will hopefully continue the skilled play we was showing before the injury. In 24 games with Frisco he is hitting .348 with 12 extra base hits. His 9/8 SB/CS needs to be fixed if Martin hopes to be the 5 category stud he has the tools to be.
Vincent Belnome – Padres 2B DOB: 03/11/88
Belnome has increased his prospect stock by excelling in his first crack at AA. After walking 102 times last year with 48 extra base hits he has 43 walks and 33 extra base hits in just under half the games. He is looking like he may end up an above average power threat at second base even while playing in Petco.
Christian Friedrich - Rockies SP DOB: 07/08/87
Friedrich has been one of the best pitchers in the league over the past 2 months and I won't be surprised to see him promoted before the year is finished. Injuries derailed him and he will be devalued as a result but he looks to be back on track and he could be a steal in a trade.
Xavier Cedeno – Astros SP DOB: 08/26/86
Cedeno is creeping up prospect charts and is looking like he may be a late bloomer. At 25 years old he is no spring chicken by prospect standards but he has shown flashes of brilliance that make me think he may have a major league future. In his most recent start he struck out 14 without walking anyone and allowed just one hit in 6.2 innings. He has drastically improved his K rate this season and is drawing a lot of groundballs. The Astros may want to trade away some of their older starting pitchers and begin their rebuilding process. Cedeno looks like a candidate for a spot in the Astros rotation should there be an opening.
J.D. Martinez - Astros LF DOB: 08/21/87
The Astros left field prospect is hitting .326 with a .157 ISO. He has hit .348 and .341 the previous two seasons so he should be a good source of AVG once given an MLB job. He doesn't have the power to be an above average fantasy oufielder but he has a good shot at earning playing time with the Astros in the near future as they focus on rebuilding.