By Tracy Ringolsby
January 19, 2011


Baseball America's Top 10 Prospects lists are based on projections of a player's long-term worth after discussions with scouting and player-development personnel. All players who haven't exceeded the major league rookie standards of 130 at-bats or 50 innings pitched (without regard to service time) are eligible. Ages are as of April 1, 2011.

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TOP TEN PROSPECTS

1. Tyler Matzek, lhp 2. Wilin Rosario, c 3. Nolan Arenado, 3b 4. Christian Friedrich, lhp 5. Peter Tago, rhp 6. Kyle Parker, of 7. Rex Brothers, lhp 8. Juan Nicasio, rhp 9. Chad Bettis, rhp 10. Hector Gomez, ss

BEST TOOLS

Best Hitter for Average Nolan Arenado Best Power Hitter Kyle Parker Best Strike-Zone Discipline Jordan Pacheco Fastest Baserunner Russell Wilson Best Athlete Russell Wilson Best Fastball Tyler Matzek Best Curveball Christian Friedrich Best Slider Rex Brothers Best Changeup Edwar Cabrera Best Control Parker Frazier Best Defensive Catcher Wilin Rosario Best Defensive Infielder Thomas Field Best Infield Arm Nolan Arenado Best Defensive Outfielder Eliezer Mesa Best Outfield Arm Tim Wheeler

PROJECTED 2014 LINEUP

Catcher Wilin Rosario First Base Nolan Arenado Second Base Hector Gomez Third Base Ian Stewart Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki Left Field Kyle Parker Center Field Dexter Fowler Right Field Carlos Gonzalez No. 1 Starter Ubaldo Jimenez No. 2 Starter Tyler Matzek No. 3 Starter Jhouyls Chacin No. 4 Starter Peter Tago No. 5 Starter Christian Freidrich Closer Rex Brothers

TOP PROSPECTS OF THE DECADE

Year Player, Position 2010 2001 Chin-Hui Tsao, rhp Out of baseball 2002 Chin-Hui Tsao, rhp Out of baseball 2003 Aaron Cook, rhp Rockies 2004 Chin-Hui Tsao, rhp Out of baseball 2005 Ian Stewart, 3b Rockies 2006 Ian Stewart, 3b Rockies 2007 Troy Tulowitzki, ss Rockies 2008 Franklin Morales, lhp Rockies 2009 Dexter Fowler, of Rockies 2010 Tyler Matzek, lhp Rockies

TOP DRAFT PICKS OF THE DECADE

Year Player, Position 2010 2001 Jayson Nix, 2b (1st round supp.) Indians 2002 Jeff Francis, lhp Rockies 2003 Ian Stewart, 3b Rockies 2004 Chris Nelson, ss Rockies 2005 Troy Tulowitzki, ss Rockies 2006 Greg Reynolds, rhp Rockies 2007 Casey Weathers, rhp Rockies 2008 Christian Friedrich, lhp Rockies 2009 Tyler Matzek, lhp Rockies 2010 Kyle Parker, of Rockies

LARGEST BONUSES IN CLUB HISTORY

Tyler Matzek, 2009 $3,900,000 Greg Reynolds, 2006 $3,250,000 Jason Young, 2000 $2,750,000 Troy Tulowitzki, 2005 $2,300,000 Chin-Hui Tsao, 1999 $2,200,000

ROCKIES LINKS

Rockies' Team Page Rockies Top 10 Scouting Reports  Last Year's Rockies Top 10 Prospects 2010 Draft: Rockies (Basic Database) 2010 Draft: Rockies  (Advanced Database) 2010 Draft Report Cards: Colorado Rockies  Complete Index of Top 10 Prospects Pre-Order the 2011 Prospect Handbook

The Rockies were Baseball America's Organization of the Year and advanced to the World Series in 2007, then returned to the playoffs in 2009. They fell short of the postseason in 2010, but still won 83 games and look positioned to continue contending in the National League West.

The constant in Colorado's recent success has been an emphasis on scouting and player development. The team has homegrown players throughout its roster, from franchise icon Todd Helton to ace Ubaldo Jimenez—who threw the first no-hitter in franchise history last April—to cornerstone Troy Tulowitzki, who signed a $158 million extension in November that will keep him under contract through at least 2020. Six of the eight hitters in the projected 2011 lineup and three of the five starters in the planned rotation were signed and developed by the Rockies.

And yet they weren't satisfied with the quality of players they were getting in recent drafts. So in 2009 they took lefthander Tyler Matzek in the first round, even though he was considered a challenge to sign. After playing the waiting game, they signed him for a club-record $3.9 million.

Last June, the Rockies selected Clemson quarterback/outfielder Kyle Parker in the first round, knowing that he still had three years of football eligibility remaining. They eventually signed him for $1.4 million, agreeing to allow him to play football last fall before focusing on baseball.

Colorado had a reputation for adhering to the bonus guidelines prescribed by the commissioner's office and for not gambling with its early picks. That has changed, as the organization realized it was putting itself at a disadvantage compared to others that routinely ignored MLB's informal slotting system.

"We just got fed up," general manager Dan O'Dowd said. "We just started taking the best player available. We felt we would make the effort to get them signed, and if it got to the point where we had to walk away, we would walk away and take the compensation pick for the next year."

The wakeup call came for the Rockies after they spent three consecutive first-round picks on pitchers Greg Reynolds, Casey Weathers and Christian Friedrich in 2006-08. Reynolds, taken No. 2 overall instead of Evan Longoria because Colorado had selected infielders with its previous three first-rounders, has been healthy enough to make 20 starts just once in four full pro seasons.

Weathers, taken ahead of Jason Heyward, has pitched just 29 innings since having Tommy John surgery following the 2008 season. Friedrich has been limited to 155 innings in three years as a pro because of shoulder ailments.

The residual effect is that the Rockies do have a gap in their farm system. They don't have any top rookie candidates for 2011 or an abundance of prospects in Triple-A, but they have done a good job of restocking their supply prospects and feel comfortable with a coming wave of talent at the Double-A level on down. Matzek and Parker are still a few years away, but catcher Wilin Rosario, lefty reliever Rex Brothers, righty Juan Nicasio and outfielder Charlie Blackmon may be able to make some big league contributions in the near future.

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