By Bill Mitchell
January 21, 2013


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.

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TOP TEN PROSPECTS

1. Tyler Skaggs, lhp 2. Archie Bradley, rhp 3. Adam Eaton, of 4. Matt Davidson, 3b 5. Didi Gregorius, ss 6. David Holmberg, lhp 7. Chris Owings, ss 8. Stryker Trahan, c 9. Andrew Chafin, lhp 10. A.J. Pollock, of

BEST TOOLS

Best Hitter for Average Adam Eaton Best Power Hitter Matt Davidson Best Strike Zone Discipline Mike Freeman Fastest Baserunner Adam Eaton Best Athlete Keon Broxton Best Fastball Archie Bradley Best Curveball Tyler Skaggs Best Slider Andrew Chafin Best Changeup Chase Anderson Best Control David Holmberg Best Defensive Catcher Michael Perez Best Defensive Infielder Didi Gregorius Best Infield Arm Jake Lamb Best Defensive OF A.J. Pollock Best Outfield Arm Adam Eaton

PROJECTED 2016 LINEUP

Catcher Miguel Montero First Base Paul Goldschmidt Second Base Aaron Hill Third Base Matt Davidson Shortstop Didi Gregorius Left Field Gerardo Parra Center Field Adam Eaton Right Field Justin Upton No. 1 Starter Tyler Skaggs No. 2 Starter Archie Bradley No. 3 Starter Ian Kennedy No. 4 Starter Wade Miley No. 5 Starter Trevor Cahill Closer David Hernandez

TOP PROSPECTS OF THE DECADE

Year Player, Pos 2012 Org 2003 Scott Hairston, 2b Mets 2004 Scott Hairston, 2b Mets 2005 Carlos Quentin, of Padres 2006 Stephen Drew, ss Athletics 2007 Justin Upton, of Diamondbacks 2008 Carlos Gonzalez, of Rockies 2009 Jarrod Parker, rhp Athletics 2010 Jarrod Parker, rhp Athletics 2011 Jarrod Parker, rhp Athletics 2012 Trevor Bauer, rhp Diamondbacks

TOP DRAFT PICKS OF THE DECADE

Year Player, Pos 2012 Org 2003 Conor Jackson, 3B White Sox 2004 Stephen Drew, SS Athletics 2005 Justin Upton, SS Diamondbacks 2006 Max Scherzer, RHP Tigers 2007 Jarrod Parker, RHP Athletics 2008 Daniel Schlereth, LHP Tigers 2009 Bobby Borchering, 3B Astros 2010 *Barret Loux, RHP Rangers 2011 Trevor Bauer, RHP Diamondbacks 2012 Stryker Trahan, C/OF Diamondbacks

LARGEST BONUSES IN CLUB HISTORY

Travis Lee, 1996 $10,000,000 Justin Upton, 2005 $6,100,000 John Patterson, 1996 $6,075,000 Archie Bradley, 2011 $5,000,000 Stephen Drew, 2004 $4,000,000

DIAMONDBACKS LINKS

Diamondbacks Team Page Diamondbacks Top 10 Scouting Reports  Last Year's Diamondbacks Top 10 Prospects 2012 Draft: Diamondbacks 2012 Draft Report Cards: Arizona Diamondbacks Complete Index of Top 10 Prospects Pre-Order the 2013 Prospect Handbook

Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers hasn't been shy about overhauling his roster.

He made changes after taking the job at the end of the 2010 season, most notably to the bullpen, and Arizona improved by 29 victories and won the National League West in 2011.

The Diamondbacks geared up for another run at the postseason in 2012 by signing free agent Jason Kubel and trading prospects Jarrod Parker, Ryan Cook and Collin Cowgill to the Athletics for Trevor Cahill and Craig Breslow. But injuries and the inability to duplicate the 48 come-from-behind victories of 2011 contributed to 13 fewer wins, a .500 record and a third-place finish.

Towers started remaking the 2013 roster before last season ended. When former franchise cornerstone Stephen Drew never got his bat going after he came back from ankle surgery, Towers shipped him to Oakland for fringe shortstop prospect Sean Jamieson.

He swung another deal with the A's in October, a three-team transaction with the Marlins that brought Heath Bell and Cliff Pennington to Arizona in exchange for Chris Young, who wasn't the same after injuring his shoulder crashing into an outfield wall in April. Towers added more bullpen help by swapping third-base prospect Ryan Wheeler to the Rockies for Matt Reynolds, and signed veteran free agents Brandon McCarthy and Cody Ross.

Towers made his biggest deal in mid-December when he gave up the third overall pick in the 2011 draft (Trevor Bauer) in a three-team deal to get shortstop Didi Gregorius as a replacement for Drew. And rumors continued to swirl that the Diamondbacks' best player, Justin Upton, was on the block.

While the team's 2012 performance was a disappointment, a steady stream of rookies provided some hope for the future and more fodder with which Towers could remake his club. Wade Miley won 16 games, made the All-Star Game and finished second in NL rookie of the year voting.

Top prospects Tyler Skaggs and Bauer also joined the rotation, though neither was particularly effective. Bauer was demoted after four midseason starts, while Skaggs was shut down after six starts with a tired arm in mid-September. They were outperformed by Patrick Corbin, who provided six wins.

Adam Eaton, a 19th-round pick as senior sign from Miami (Ohio) in 2010, made Young expendable as he continued his meteoric rise through the farm system. Arizona's minor league player of the year, Eaton led the minors in batting (.375), hits (198) and doubles (47) and won the Triple-A Pacific Coast League MVP award. He drilled his first two major league homers in September and will start in center field in 2013.

Eaton was just part of the good news down on the farm. Reno won both the PCL playoffs and the Triple-A National Championship, Mobile grabbed its second straight Double-A Southern League title and Missoula earned the Rookie-level Pioneer League crown.

After Towers arrived in 2010 and senior vice president of scouting and player development Jerry DiPoto left to become Angels GM following the 2011 season, the front office was relatively stable in 2012. The only significant change came in November, when international scouting director Carlos Gomez followed DiPoto to the Angels in the same role. Arizona hired former Red Sox international director Craig Shipley as an assistant to Towers a week later.

Scouting reports for the Top 10 Prospects  (How to subscribe)

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