24. Baltimore Orioles

Big Leagues- The Baltimore Orioles are one of the most unlucky teams in Major League Baseball. They have a nice youthful exuberance protruding from their roster, but there is just no way that this team can win games when they have to play the Yankees, Red Sox and Rays 19 times each over the course of a season. The team has the monetary support necessary to compete in every other division in the MLB, but the AL East is always going to be a toss up between the three giants that reside there. The Orioles have definitely improved over the last several seasons and they will win some games this year, but I don't see them moving any higher than fourth place in the toughest division in sports. Here is their opening day roster for 2011:

Catcher-Matt Wieters

1st Base-Luke Scott
2nd Base- Brian Roberts
Shortstop- J.J. Hardy
3rd Base- Mark Reynolds
Left Field- Felix Pie
Center Field- Adam Jones
Right Field- Nick Markakis
DH-  Luke Scott/ Jake Fox

Pitching- Jeremy Guthrie, Brian Matusz, Jake Arrieta, Brian Bergeron, Chris Tillman

As far as fantasy baseball goes, there are some guys on this roster that could really help your team. Matt Wieters is on his way to becoming an elite catcher in the majors and could be the first catcher taken in a year or two. Catcher is always a valuable position to a fantasy team, because catchers with above average offensive production are normally hard to come by. Wieters could turn into a keeper player in keeper leagues and his game will steadily improve for the foreseeable future. Other considerations on this team include Adam Jones, Nick Markakis, Brian Roberts and possibly J.J. Hardy. Their pitching staff is really where the team starts to fade, but look for Brian Matusz to start making some noise as big league pitcher and potentially putting up big numbers. Again it's hard for a pitcher to be successful when at least 7 of their starts come against the Yanks, Sox and Rays.Top 5 Prospects

SS Manny Machado- The number three overall in the 2010 draft would have been the top positional player taken, if it wasn't "The Bryce Harper Draft".  The Floridan shortstop has drawn comparisons to former Alex Rodriguez, but we think that is pushing it.  Machado certainly is a five tool prospect, but we don't think he'll ever be a 40 home run a year kind of guy.   That era of shortstop's hitting 40 plus home runs is over but Machado is a straight stud.

LHP Zach Britton- After pushing through most of their pitching prospects, the Orioles farm system is lacking in that department compared to other years.  The 23 year old Britton had a good season at Triple A, but he lacks the stuff to be a top notch prospect.  Britton is not overpowering, he only struck out 124 batters in 153 innings.  The Orioles rotation looks to be full to start the season, but Britton will get the call with the first injury. 

RHP Dan Klein- The Orioles got a steal with the 85th pick in last year's draft.  Klein is a solid right hander that had a 2.13 era in his last season as a reliever at UCLA.  He was a redshirt sophomore last year, after missing his 2009 season with an injury.  He was looked at as a fringe 1st round pick last draft but teams did not know if they were able to sign the right hander.  Klein could be fast tracked to the majors in a relief role if his shoulder health holds up.

2B L.J. Hoes- Hoes is the Orioles long term replacement for Brian Roberts at 2nd base.  He was planning on going to UNC but instead signed with the Orioles after getting drafted in the 3rd round of 2008.  Last year the 20 year old played for 3 different teams and hit .290 but only hit 24 doubles and 4 homers.  The lack of Hoes production, and his high ranking shows how bad their farm system falls off after Machado and Britton. 

OF Xavier Avery-  The speedy outfielder was a 2nd round pick in 2008.  He ended last year at Double A and hit .271 and had 38 stolen bases in 136 games.  Avery is nothing but a mid level prospect with fringe starter or 4th outfielder potential.  We probably won't hear much from him the next couple years.

Payroll and DirectionLast season the Orioles paid out just over 91 million dollars. Their highest paid player remains Brian Roberts, making 10 million a year, but they're getting a great value on Wieters at 400,000 dollars a year in his pre-arbitration years. The Orioles could potentially make a run to become a top team in the AL East in the future. Remember the way the Rays went from cellar dweller to powerhouse in a short time span. It will take good prospect development and maybe a major free agent signing, but look for the Orioles to eventually build a program that can compete with monsters they are forced to contend with.

25. Kansas City Royals

Big Leagues- To be honest, there is not much to say about this big league squad.  Former top prospect Alex Gordon is still not producing, and Yankee castoff Melky Cabrera is now a Royal.  Billy Butler and Alcides Escobar could be the only bright spots in this lineup but they don't produce much game changing abilities right now.  The Royals had hope that Billy Butler would turn into a 30 home run guy, but that is becoming more of a fantasy.  I'm hoping 3rd base prospect Mike Moustakas makes the big league team, and gives me a reason to be excited to watch the Royals.  

Catcher- Jason Kendall

1st Base- Kila Ka'aihue

2nd Base- Chris Getz

Shortstop- Alcides Escobar

3rd Base- Mike Aviles

Left Field- Alex Gordon

Center Field- Melky Cabrera/ Lorenzo Cain

Right Field- Jeff Francoeur.

DH- Billy Butler

Pitching- Luke Hochevar, Kyle Davies, Vin Mazzaro, Sean O'Sullivan

Relief- Joakim Soria, Dusty Hughes

Top 5 Prospects

3B Mike Moustakas- The reason the Royals are not last on our list, is because of their farm system highlighted by Moustakas. After missing the first 2 weeks of last season, the 2nd overall pick in 2007 exploded the rest of the season.  He batted a combined .322 with 36 home runs between Double A and Triple A last season and only struck out 67 times.  Moustakas is a top 5 prospect in all of baseball and he could win the 3rd base job in Kansas City.  If he does he should be on everyone's radar to begin the season.

LHP  John Lamb- Lamb was a 5th round pick in the 2008 draft and wasn't on too many Royals top prospects list before his breakout season in 2010.  Lamb made 28 starts through 3 levels last year and had a 2.38 ERA.   He struck out 159 batters in 147 innings and got all the scouts watching him as a 19 year old.  He may still be too young to reach the big leagues next year,  but look for another monster performance out of the young lefty in 2011.  

 1B Eric Hosmer- Hosmer was the 3rd overall pick in the 2008 draft and another great prospect in the Royals system.  In high Class A and Double A last season the 20 year old hit .338 with 20 home runs and 14 stolen bases.  Hosmer smashed 43 doubles and as he gets older those doubles could turn into home runs.  Hosmer projects as a 30 to 35 home run first basemen, and Royals fans should be excited.  

 C Wil Myers- Here's another young position player who had a monster season as a 19 year old in the Royals farm system.  Last season in Single A Myers hit .315 with a .429 on base percentage.  Myers had 37 doubles to go along with 14 home runs and showed some pop for a young catcher.  He also threw out 33 out 71 base runners trying to steal.  The sky's the limit for this young catcher.  

LHP  Mike Montgomery- The former first round pick in 2008 had a great season in 2010.  The 6'5 lefty posted a 2.61 ERA over 20 starts in 3 different levels.  The lefty has good control and works the fastball changeup combination better than most 20 year old pitchers.  Once he refines his curveball, he will be a dominate force for the Royals.   

Payroll and Direction

The Royals had quite the payroll of 74 million for a team that didn't produce.  They still have the bad contract of Gil Meche on the books, but they aren't going to be contenders until the prospects come up anyways.  The Greinke trade gave the Royals some time to wait for their prospects.  Alcides Escobar and Lorenzo Cain are position players and combine them with Moustakas, Hosmer, and Myers they Royals could become contenders.  The big league team is nothing to get excited about, but with the best farm system scouts can put together look for them in the future.

26. Cleveland Indians

Big Leagues-  Cleveland Indians fans have a lot to look forward to if the organization can start to put the pieces together.  They have super catcher Carlos Santana and former top prospect Matt Laporta holding down the infield.  Asdrubal Cabrera is as solid as they come and Jason Donald was the main piece in the Cliff Lee trade a couple years ago.  If Grady Sizemore can stay healthy, and Shin-Soo Choo stays hot, this team could be a contender in a few years.  They have nice young pitchers in Carlos Carrasco and Jeanmar Gomez holding down the end of the rotation, and a solid end of the bullpen with Chris Perez and Tony Sipp.  If their top prospects come through they could fill the "weak" links at 2nd and 3rd base.

Catcher-Carlos Santana

1st Base- Matt Laporta

2nd Base- Jason Donald

Shortstop- Asdrubal Cabrera

3rd Base- Jayson Nix/Luis Valbuena

Left Field- Michael Brantley

Center Field- Grady Sizemore

Right Field- Shin-Soo Choo

Dh- Travis Hafner/ Austin Kearns

Pitching- Fausto Carmona, Justin Masterson, Carlos Carrasco, Mitch Talbot, Jeanmar Gomez

Relief- Chris Perez, Rafael Perez, Tony Sipp

Top 5 Prospects

2B Jason Kipnis- The Indians have always been known for their deep talented farm system and this year is not an exception.  Kipnis, their 2nd round 2009 pick leads the way after a monster 2010 season.  He was drafted out of Arizona State and as a 23 year old last year hit a combined .307 in Single A and Double A.  Kipnis had some pop for a 2nd baseman also, with 16 home runs and 32 doubles.  He doesn't struggle in any aspect of the game, and he compares well to another former Sun Devil, Dustin Pedroia. 

3B Lonnie Chisenhall- As a 21 year old in Double A last year Chisenhall hit .278 with 17 home runs in only 117 games.  It was kind of a marginal year for the Indians future 3rd basemen.  A positive from last season was Chisenhall's plate discipline.  He only had 77 strikeouts last season, which is impressive for a 21 year old playing in a minor league level which usually runs out top prospects or 25 and 26 year old players.  Like Kipnis he is a big part of the Indians future in the infield.  

LHP Drew Pomeranz- The big lefty was the 5th overall pick in the 2010 draft out Ole Miss.  He is not just a pitcher, but an athlete, also playing football and basketball in high school and comes in at 6'5 230 pounds.  Pomeranz has a solid fastball and above average off speed pitches.  Pomeranz should be rushed through the minors after succeeding in college.  We could be hearing his name within the next couple years.  

RHP  Alex White-  White is another 1st round pitcher drafted by the Indians 15th overall in the 2009 draft out of North Carolina.  White had a great first full season in the minor leagues combining for a 2.45 ERA in 25 starts in Single A and Double A.  White is not overpowering only striking out 117 batters in 150 innings.  Instead he works his locations well and keeps batters off balance. Look for this former Tarheel to be pushed right through the Indians system.

 OF LeVon Washington- Washington was the Indians 2nd round pick in the 2010 draft pick out of Chipola Junior College.  Washington is a high risk high reward prospect, as he did not sign a contract the year before when he was drafted in the first round.  Another problem was when he committed to University of Florida, he could not get in academically.  This does not speak about his raw tools, which justifies the 2nd round pick.  If he stays straightened out in the Indians farm system he could become the best prospect in this list.

Payroll and Direction- The Indians have a great direction with their young talent, but the financial support always seems to lack in Cleveland.  Last year they paid out 60 million to their roster. Since the Manny Ramirez, Albert Belle, and Jim Thome days they seem to produce great players, and have to trade them away when they go looking for monster money.  They tried to lock up a great player in Travis Hafner, but since he signed a big contract, he's been injured every year.  If the Indians can find the money and go out and sign some free agents to go with the young talent, they could be contenders within the next couple years.

27. Arizona Diamondbacks

Big League-  The Diamondbacks have a abundance of young talent but they still have not been able to put together wins.  With Montero, Drew, Young and Upton they have a very solid core, but their youth is also their problem because their consistency lacks.  This offseason they also traded away Mark Reynolds to the Orioles, a player who added 40 home run power to the middle of the lineup.  They replaced him with Melvin Mora but that is quite the drop off.  The Diamondbacks have the beginnings of a team who can turn it around but it has yet to be seen.

Catcher-Miguel Montero

1st Base- Juan Miranda/ Brandon Allen

2nd Base- Kelly Johnson

Shortstop- Stephen Drew

3rd Base- Melvin Mora

Left Field- Xavier Nady/ Gerardo Parra

Center Field- Chris Young

Right Field- Justin Upton

Pitchers- Joe Saunders, Daniel Hudson, Ian Kennedy, Barry Enright, Zach Duke

Relief- J.J. Putz

Brandon Webb's injury last year really hurt this ball club, and now he is onto the Rangers.  This pitching staff is loaded with potential though, with Daniel Hudson and Ian Kennedy anchoring the middle of the rotation.  Hudson came over from the White Sox in the Edwin Jackson trade, and Kennedy is the Yankees former top prospect.  At times last year both looked dominate and other times they struggled.  Zach Duke could be the real sleeper in the rotation finally getting out of Pittsburgh.  Also look at the addition of J.J. Putz to strengthen their bullpen greatly. 

Top 5 Prospects

RHP Jarrod Parker-  The Diamondbacks top prospect was looking to reach the big leagues last year, before injuring an elbow and spending the entire season recovering from Tommy John surgery.   He has a popping fastball, hard slider, and an above average changeup.  He has regained his velocity after surgery, but the off speed pitches will need time.  The Diamondbacks will most likely start Parker in Double A or Triple A and he could be a late season call up.  

 LHP Tyler Skaggs- Skaggs was the 40th overall pick by the Angels in the 2009 draft and he had a very successful year as a 18 year old in Single A last year.  He was a major piece in the Dan Haren trade, and he didn't disappoint the Diamondbacks last season.  After the Haren trade, he started 4 games for the Diamondbacks farm system and had a 1.69 ERA and a 5 to 1 strikeout to walk ratio.  The lefty will begin next year at Double A with hopefully a Triple A promotion midway through.

SS Chris Owings-  Owings was the 41th overall pick in the 2009 draft, one pick after the Angels took Skaggs.  The young shortstop showed a slick glove at Single A last year with a fielding percentage of .962%.  He batted .298 but had limited pop and only drew 9 walks compared to 50 strikeouts.  The former South Carolina commit will have at least a couple years in the minors before we hear his name in the big leagues.  

 3B Bobby Borchering-  Borchering is another high draft pick in the 2009 draft.  This time the Diamondbacks chose the third basemen 16th overall.  Borchering already has a major league ready frame coming in at 6'3 and 200 pounds.  He hit 15 home runs and had 31 doubles in 135 games last year as a 19 year old in Single A.  He is another prospect that we won't see for a few years, but the 3rd base path is clear with the Diamondbacks trading away Mark Reynolds this offseason.

 OF Marc Krauss-  The Diamondbacks selected the Ohio University Bobcat in the 2nd round of the 2009 draft, and he showed his power in the 2010 season.  In high A ball last year the outfielder hit .302 with 25 home runs and 87 RBI's.  He is more mature than most of the Diamondbacks other prospects and if he keeps up his hitting he could be fast tracked to the majors, but we still don't see his ETA to be before 2012.  

Payroll and Direction

The Diamondbacks have a solid direction ahead of them, but with only an average farm system, they are going to need to succeed with their young big league talent and free agents.  It was surprising to see them shopping Justin Upton at the winter meetings because he is the cornerstone of this team.  Last year the Diamondbacks paid players almost 80 million dollars, and didn’t have much to show for it.  They were still stuck into paying Eric Byrnes the 11 million in his contract after his career fizzled.  Look for this Dback team to have potential, but not be consistent enough to make a playoff push.

28. Seattle Mariners

Big League Team- The Seattle Mariners play in the AFC West of Major League Baseball. The American League West is my least favorite division in baseball, and the Mariners are at the bottom of it. Any of the four teams in the division could win in any given year, but the Mariners don't look poised to do it any time soon. Their two bright spots remained Felix Hernandez and Ichiro Suzuki last season, but Ichiro is aging and we expect him to steadily decline over the next couple years. Ichiro again had 200 hits last year and Hernandez won the Cy Young, and if that isn't enough to propel a team out of the last spot in a division with Oakland and the Angels then I don't know what is. They just let Ryan Rowland- Smith slip away and Chone Figgins might have a better year this season, but don't expect this team to be too far from where they finished last year. Sorry Mariners fans.

Here is their 2011 opening day lineup:

Catcher- Adam Moore

First Base- Justin Smoak

Second Base- Chone Figgins

Third Base- Josh Wilson

Shortstop- Jack Wilson/Brendan Ryan

Left Field- Michael Saunders

Center Field- Franklin Gutierrez

Right Field- Ichiro Suzuki

Designated Hitter- Jack Cust/Milton Bradley

Pitching Staff-

Felix Hernandez, Jason Vargas, Doug Fister, Erik Bedard, and Michael Pineda.

The relevant fantasy players in this lineup are clear. Ichiro will provide hits and average and maybe the occasional stolen base, but don't count on too much from the aging outfielder. Jack Cust might not be a bad bench player to sub in on days when other teams are not playing. He will provide an occasional power surge and hopefully you hit him on the right day. Felix Hernandez is always good for a fantasy lineup, but don't overpay for him, the Mariners don't. Chone Figgins has speed and will steal some bases, but he was also in the top 5 in the league in the caught stealing category last year. There isn't much to be said about the rest of their lineup, particularly the pitching staff. We say stay away from their other pitchers because even if they put up mediocre numbers in ERA or Strikeouts, none of them will win more than 10 games. In my opinion, there is not a first round pick on this team. Don't overpay for mediocrity.

Top 5 Prospects:

RHP Michael Pineda-  The 21 year old from the Dominican had a great season in the minor leagues even after missing most of the 2009 season with arm problems.  He has top of the line stuff if he can develop an adequate change up as he tore up Double A with a 2.22 ERA without one.  The Mariners will give him every chance to win a spot in the rotation to begin 2011, but they may send him back to the minors for more seasoning.

2B Dustin Ackley-  The Mariners thought they had the next Chase Utley when they signed the former North Carolina Tarheel to a $6 million dollar signing bonus in 2009.  But, the young 2^nd baseball failed to overly impress by only hitting 7 home runs and having a .267 batting average in his first full season in the minor leagues.  The Mariners now hope he can shake off the first season jitters and succeed in Triple A in 2011.

2B/SS Nick Franklin- The 27th overall pick in the 2009 draft had a great first season in single A and double A.  The 19 year old batted .283 with 23 home runs and 25 stolen bases.  Franklin split time between shortstop and 2nd base, but projects long term as a shortstop because of Dustin Ackley at second base.  Franklin should start the year in Double A with a projected ETA in the big leagues of 2013. 

OF Guillermo Pimente- The Mariners signed the 17 year old Dominican outfielder to a 2 million dollar signing bonus and shipped him to rookie ball immediately.  There he showed his youth and and potential in 51 games.  The youngster only hit .250 but had 7 doubles 6 triples and 6 homeruns showing his long term power potential.  Pimente will need to show more plate discipline as he only drew 5 walks and struck out 58 times.  He'll begin next season in Single A.

LHP Mauricio Robles- The Mariners acquired Robles from the Tigers in a mid season deal for Jarrod Washburn and he now has become one of their top prospects.  The left hander spent his 2010 season between AA and AAA and impressed having  a combined ERA of 3.99 over 27 starts.  Robles has dynamic stuff striking out 154 batters over 142 innings, but he needs to cut down on the walks before he becomes a reliable major leaguer.  Robles walked 1 batter every two innings in his 142 innings last year.  The 22 year old should begin the season at Triple A but we wouldn't be surprised to see him be called up this year. 

Payroll and Direction- Last season the Mariners paid out close 93 million dollars. Their highest paid player was Ichiro Suzuki at 18 million dollars. Their best value player was pitcher Felix Hernandez who made just 7.2 million dollars last year. That may not sound like a value, but in today's market Felix is  underpaid. The Seattle Mariners are heading down the wrong road and it will take a lot of time to rebuild this program. Their talent is steadily aging and their prospects are quickly becoming big leaguers. It's all happening very fast and it could be detrimental to the talent they do have in their minor league system. We don't expect them to climb out the cellar for at least the next two years and maybe more depending on how they handle the imminent adversity.

29. Pittsburgh Pirates

Big League Team- Every baseball season fans from every team have the hopes of the new season, for the Pirates the hopes get dashed a little quicker than most teams.  This is a team who never goes out on the free agent market to make the big splash.  They have started to push their top prospects to the majors with Andrew McCutchen, Pedro Alvarez, and Jose Tabata, but we still have the Pirates as one of the worst team in baseball.  The projected lineup for the Pirates looks like this:

Catcher- Chris Snyder/Ryan Doumit
1st Base- Lyle Overbay
2nd Base- Neil Walker
Shortstop-  Ronny Cedeno
3rd Base- Pedro Alvarez
Left Field- Jose Tabata
Center Field- Andrew McCutchen

Right Field- Garrett Jones

The Pirates have a very solid lineup, and a very fantasy relevant outfield.  With Tabata, McCutchen, Jones, and Alvarez the Pirates have a nice core, but with the lack of money in free agency they should continue to be found at the bottom of the league. 

The pitching staff is where the Pirates get worse.  Right now the projected pitching staff looks like this:
Paul Maholm, Ross Ohlendorf,  James McDonald, Kevin Correia, Charlie Morton.
None of the Pirates five starters would be any better than a fifth starter on any of the top 10 teams in the league.  The rotation isn't the only problem as the Pirates will have Evan Meek and Joel Hanrahan closing out games for the foreseeable future.

Top 5 prospects-
RHP James Taillon-  With Pedro Alvarez entrenched as the Pirates third basemen, the title of Pirates top prospect goes to their number one in the 2010 draft. The Pirates took high school pitcher James Taillon with the second overall pick and signed him to a Pirates record $6.5 million dollar signing bonus.  He has two plus pitches in his fastball that sits from 95 to 97 mph and his hard breaking curve ball.  Like most high school pitchers the 6'7 flame thrower will need to develop a change up before we see him in the big leagues around 2013.

RHP Stetson Allie- Allie is another Pirates draft pick in 2010.  The second round pick has an even higher ceiling than the 2nd overall pick in Taillon due to his velocity that routinely hits 100 mph.  If Allie can ever figure out his location problems, he could be fast tracked to the majors in a relief role.

C Tony Sanchez-  Sanchez is a former number 1 pick out of Boston College, and is as solid as they come behind the plate.  He his limited power potential, but that isn’t uncommon with catchers.  Sanchez is one of the top defensive catchers in the minors and at 22 years of age could see the majors soon.  Unfortunately for 2011, two of the three top paid players for the Pirates in 2011 will be catchers, Chris Snyder and Ryan Doumit.

RHP Luis Heredia-  Heredia was another piece of the Pirates plan to stockpile young pitchers this year.  Heredia was seen as the top international pitcher, and the Pirates signed the 6 foot 6, 16 year old righter to a $2.6 million dollar deal.  At 16 his velocity is already in the 93 mph range and should increase as his body fills out.  But, his youth also makes his hard to project and he could be a stud or a waste of $2.6 million dollars.

LHP Rudy Owens- The 23 year old lefty had a great year in double A, and won the ERA title for the Eastern League.  The lefty has great control and had a 5 to 1 strikeout to walk ratio.  His upside is limited but should be a mainstay at the bottom of the Pirates rotation or in long relief possibly starting this year if he can put together a great spring training.

Payroll and Direction- The early part of free agency was very Pirate like.  Their big free agent signings have been, Kevin Correia and Lyle Overbay.  Granted they will help the team, but it's far from the splash they needed to make to drag themselves out of the cellar.  In 2010, their payroll was around 37 million dollars and it will probably increase to around 40 million this year with the top three paid players making 5.1 to 5.8 million dollars, in Chris Snyder, Paul Maholm, and Ryan Doumit.  Although, we like the direction the Pirates are moving with signing three powerful young arms, they are far from major league ready, and ownership will need to spend some money surround them with solid free agents. It will probably be years until the Pirates put everything together and become a contender, but keep your eye out for them.

30 Days of Baseball

Hello baseball fans, today is the first day of our 30 days of baseball where we will be previewing each teams from 30 down to 1.  We ranked the teams by their big league roster, minor league prospects, and payroll and direction.  So without further ado, here's our number 30, the Houston Astros.

30.  Houston Astros

Big League Team-

A combination of awful contracts, strange draft picks, and average young talent lands the Houston Astros in the worst position in baseball. In 2010, the Astros had a payroll of 94 million dollars and were one of the worst, and least exciting teams in the major leagues. The Astros are probably not the worst team in the majors right now, but after a close examination of their team direction, the future looks pretty grim in Houston. If the season started today their position players would look like this:

Catcher- Jason Castro

1st Base- Brett Wallace

2nd Base- Bill Hall/ Jeff Keppinger

Shortstop- Clint Barmes

3rd Base- Chris Johnson

Left Field- Carlos Lee

Center Field- Michael Bourn

Right Field- Hunter Pence

That lineup is the reason the Astros may be the least exciting team in baseball. Their entire infield is compiled of mid level prospects and Major League's baseball's most boring journeymen. For fantasy purposes the outfield is the only thing to look at. Hunter Pence is an average outfielder, and Carlos Lee is not the same player he was when he was a top fantasy outfielder. We'd say Michael Bourn is the most exciting player on the team strictly for his base stealing ability and outstanding plays in center field.

The Astros pitching staff does have some promise, even without Roy Oswalt. With a rotation of: Wandy Rodriguez, Brett Myers, J.A. Happ, Bud Norris and Ryan Rowland-Smith the Astros have 5 solid starters. But with Wandy Rodriguez struggling to improve and J.A. Happ not having number one pitcher stuff, it will be impossible to replace the starts given a team by a real ace pitcher.

Top 5 Prospects

RHP Jordan Lyles- Another reason why the Astros are last on our list is because their top prospect projects as a number three starter at best, and that is Jordan Lyles. The 19 year old pitcher had success in Double A last year sporting a 3.12 ERA in 21 games before moving to Triple A to end the year. He sits around 90 MPH though, and really does not have top of the line stuff or control. At 20 years old next year he will begin his year in Triple A and could be looking at a September call up.

2B/OF Delino Deshields Jr.- Son of former big leaguer Delino Deshields, he is a very good prospects, but one of the biggest surprises of the 2010 draft. He was looked at as a mid to late first round draft pick before the Astros swooped him up with the eighth overall pick. You do not see many 5'9 190 pound players being taken top ten in the draft, but the Astros decided he was worth the risk. He is a natural outfielder but the Astros will move him to 2nd base to try and develop him. That will stunt Deshields growth at first and we won't see him until at least 2014.

RHP Mike Foltynewicz- He was the 19th overall pick in the 2010 entry draft after the Astros took Deshields. He has great stuff with an A+ fastball and curveball, but his consistency kept him from being a top ten pick. His velocity would vary from start to start from 90 to 97 and it could not be explained. He was solid at rookie ball with a 4 ERA through 12 games last season but we won't see him for a few years.

OF Ariel Ovando- The Astros paid their biggest signing bonus in history of 2.6 million dollars to the Dominican outfielder this summer. He is only 17 years old and it is almost impossible to project international players who have never played in the United States. He could be a five tool stud, or a complete dud.

2B Jimmy Paredes- The Astros picked up Paredes when they traded Lance Berkman and he had a nice breakout season for a mid level prospect. He has always had a nice glove, but he finally started hitting this year and his getting on base more led to 50 stolen bases in 133 games. With the Astros saying they want to move Deshields to 2nd base it has yet to be seen the plans they have for Paredes.

The Astro's prospects are very underwhelming.  Especially for a team who just traded their ace pitcher midway through last season.  It will be quite a while before we see any of their prospects making a big splash in the big leagues.

Direction and Payroll

For a team with a 94 million dollar payroll last year, they should not bring this much disappointment to their fans. They got locked into a long contract with Carlos Lee, and now a slightly above average outfielder is making 19 million dollars a year for them. They don't have any stud prospects coming up throughout the rank so they are going to need to look for bargain deals like Ryan Rowland-Smith to buy them time to get out of
the bad contracts they have stuck themselves with.

Welcome!

Hello and welcome to Five Tool Fantasy Sports! We're here to help you through the grind that is the Major League Baseball fantasy season with player rankings, daily updates, mock drafts, and off season rants. All of us here at Five Tool Fantasy are experienced fantasy players and we can help you gain the success you have always hoped for whether you're a rookie or a veteran to the game. Now, you're probably saying to yourself, "It's December, why do I care about fantasy baseball?". Well ladies and gentleman, fantasy sports is a way life. In the spirit of the 2010 holiday season we are going to kick start this blog by bringing you the 30 Days of Baseball! From Christmas Day until January 24th we will be giving you in depth looks into each of the 30 Major League Baseball franchises. We will be reverse ranking the teams each day starting with number 30 and concluding with our number one team for the 2011 season on 1/24/2011. Get ready folks, Five Tool Fantasy Sports is about to change the way you read about Major League Baseball!