Kuzul

We’ve now reached the halfway point of the college baseball season, meaning the build-up to the 2011 MLB draft has officially begun.

The usual suspects are still out in the forefront.

Guys like Gerrit Cole, Anthony Rendon and Sonny Gray are still top-five picks, while there’s been some incredible movement by players like Taylor Jungmann and Danny Hultzen, who have catapulted themselves into top-10 or even top-five consideration.

In case you hadn’t noticed, high school ball is also heating up. 

Pitchers Archie Bradley, Dylan Bundy and Taylor Guerrieri are securing their statuses with fine season seasons, while Bubba Starling and Tyler Beede are just kicking off their seasons.

Regardless of what you think of the MLB draft, whether you love it or hate it (stupid compensation picks), the one thing that everyone wants to know is when their favorite team’s top pick will make an impact on the big-league roster.

If you’re a Giants or Reds fan, you probably care more about this than most, since you’ve benefited from the additions of Buster Posey and Mike Leake, two players who sped through the minors, or in Leake’s case, never even set foot on a minor league field, arriving in the majors just in time to make a huge impact on a team destined for the playoffs.

No matter who you root for, check it out, and when your favorite team selects Matt Barnes from UConn, you’ll know when to expect him to join your team’s big-league rotation.

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The Orioles affiliates finally got some runs on the board on Sunday, but it still wasn’t enough for Norfolk or Bowie, who both went home losers.

Frederick split games of a double-header, while Delmarva exploded for nine runs en route to a 9-1 victory. Let’s get to the recaps and see what can be gleaned from yesterday’s slate.

Charlotte 2, Norfolk 1 (game one)

Norfolk actually lost both games of their double-header, both by the same exact score. And in both contests, the team could only manage to scrape together four hits.

In the day-game, the Tides got their sole run on a Josh Bell RBI single that scored Matt Angle. Angle, Bell, Nolan Reimold and catcher Craig Tatum were the only ones to notch base-hits. 

On the mound for the Tides was 27-year old veteran Michael Ballard. Ballard pitched only three innings and gave up two runs on four hits. He walked two and struck out two and needed 81 pitches to make it through three innings.

Lefty Alberto Castillo pitched the remaining three innings, allowing only two base-runners. One reached on a walk and the other after being hit by a pitch.

Charlotte 2, Norfolk 1 (game two)

Norfolk couldn’t must a better performance in the night-cap, scoring only one run and being held to only four hits. Those came off the bats of Brendan Harris, Josh Bell, Rhyne Hughes and Ryan Adams. 

Bell provided the team’s only run with a solo HR in the top of the seventh-inning, his first of the season.

On the mound, the Tides threw veteran Chris George at the Knights, and the lefty only lasted two innings, allowing four hits and one run. Armando Gabino came on in relief and pitched the next three innings, giving up the other Knight’s run. 

Key notes

– After a very weak offensive start to the season, the only Tides hitter to have an average over .300 is Tyler Henson (.333)

– Tides lead-off hitter Matt Angle is 1-for-14 on the season with six strikeouts

– The team has only scored five runs in four games

Harrisburg 4, Bowie 3

The Baysox endured their first heart-breaking loss of the 2011 season, allowing two runs in the bottom of the ninth-inning to send Harrisburg off to a 4-3 victory.

Bowie led 2-0 for seven innings, but Zach Clark got into some trouble in the eighth-inning, allowing back-to-back run-scoring singles that tied the game at two. And after getting an RBI ground-out from Billy Rowell, the club brought in Jose Diaz, who saved the game on Saturday night. Diaz couldn’t close it out, however, and he committed back-to-back errors after Brandon Waring committed one of his own, loading the bases for Adam Fox who hit an RBI single to tie the game at 3-3.

Nats outfielder Archie Gilbert won it with an RBI single that scored Devin Ivany.

Despite the bullpen meltdown, the Baysox were pretty good at the plate, racking up seven hits, three of which went for extra bases. Their run-scoring came via a Jeff Fiorentino sac-fly in the first, a Rowell RBI single in the second, and his RBI groundout in the ninth.

For the day Rowell 1-for-3 with two RBI and a stolen base, his first of the season.

Outfielders Ronnie Welty and Xavier Avery, as well as Brandon Waring and Robbie Widlansky provided the other hits for the Sox.

The bullpen meltdown also nullified a great start from Rich Zagone, who threw five-innings of two-hit ball. Zagone struck out two batters and allowed only two base-runners all night. He was aided by seven groundballs 

Key notes

– SS Pedro Florimon leads the team with a .429 average through three games. He entered Sunday’s contest as a pinch-runner and scored the go-ahead run in the ninth.

– The Baysox starters haven’t allowed a run in their last nine-innings.

– Despite giving up two runs, Jose Diaz still has an ERA of 0.00, thanks to three errors in the bottom of the ninth-inning.

Frederick 7, Salem 2

The Keys jumped on the Red Sox early and often, scoring three runs a piece in the second and third innings, cruising to a 7-2 victory to salvage a split in the team’s double-header on Sunday.

Tyler Townsend, making his 2011 debut, provided most of the offense for the Keys, hitting three doubles, and driving in one run. He finished the day 3-for-4.

Tyler Kolodny also had a huge day for Frederick, crushing his first homer of the year, a three-run shot in the third inning.

Lead-off hitter Kyle Hudson also got in on the action, going 2-for-3 with a run, and RBI and walk and two steals.

The Keys other hits came off the bats of Dale Mollenhauer and Garabez Rosa.

The Keys took advantage of a rare off-night for Sox starter Drake Britton (no relation to our Zach), who only lasted 2.1 innings after giving up six earned runs on seven hits.

On the mound for the Keys, Ryan O’Shea pitched three innings of one-run ball, racking up four strikeouts, while Nathan Moreau pitched a scoreless inning in relief to earn the victory. 

2010 third-round pick Daniel Klein made his 2011 debut, pitching two innings, giving up two hits and one run, a Daniel Butler solo HR. But don’t feel too bad Dan, as nobody could get Butler out on Sunday. He went 3-for-3.

Salem 5, Frederick 4 (game two)

Salem also used some late magic to sneak past Frederick in the second game of a double-header, scoring three runs in the bottom of the ninth-inning.

For the Keys, it was Josh Dowdy who threw away the game, giving up back-to-back doubles that tied the game, and then an RBI single from Vladimir Frias that sent the Red Sox home a winner.

The Keys got very little from the top of their lineup in game two, as Kyle Hudson and Stephen Bumbry combined to go 0-for-7 with three strikeouts.

L.J. Hoes had a big day for the Keys, without even notching a hit. He walked three times, scored a run and stole two bases, his first for the season.

Tyler Townsend went 0-for-3 in his second game of the season, to drop his average to .429, but he did score two runs.

Other highlights included Buck Britton’s season debut, in which he went 2-for-4 with three RBI. Michael Rooney, the team’s 30th-round pick in last year’s draft also made his debut, going 1-for-2 and adding a stolen base.

Key notes

– The Keys return home for their season-opener at Harry Grove Stadium for a three game set with Myrtle Beach.

Delmarva 9, Greensboro 1

The Shorebirds broke out the bats in a 9-1 victory over the Greensboro Grasshoppers, a game in which Delmarva racked up 14 hits, six of which went for extra-bases.

Kipp Schutz led the way for Delmarva, hitting a two-run double in the third, a three-run HR in the fourth, and adding an RBI single in the fifth. He finished the game 4-for-5 with six RBI and two runs scored.

Kieron Pope also had a great day for the Baby Birds, hitting a solo HR to lead off the second-inning. He also rapped an RBI double in the third and was hit by a pitch. He finished 3-for-4 with two doubles and two runs and is now hitting .444.

First-round pick Manny Machado also got in on the action, rapping a double, scoring twice and walking once.

International sign Jonathan Schoop rounded out the scoring with a 2-for-5 effort that also saw him score three runs. He hit the team’s fourth triple of the season.

On the mound, Jacob Pettit didn’t have to do too much, and he cruised through 5.2 innings, allowing only four hits and one run. He did walk three batters, but he also struck out four. Non-drafted free agent Aaron Swenson pitched 3.1 scoreless innings in relief and picked up the save.

Key notes

– The Shorebirds are 3-1 through their first four games.

– Kipp Schutz leads the team in just about every offensive stat through the first four games, pacing the team in hits, doubles, RBI and total bases.

– Machado is hitting .364 with three RBI, three runs and six walks in four games.  

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Double-headers abounded today for the Orioles organization.

Not only was the big-league squad involved, but the team’s Low-A affiliate Delmarva played twice.

Unfortunately for O’s prospect-watchers and minor league fans, they were subjected to two more rain-outs, this time affecting Triple-A Norfolk and High-A Frederick.

Let’s get to the recaps from the night.

Bowie 2, Harrisburg 0

The Baysox took it to the Senators, getting a huge game from second baseman Greg Miclat, who went 3-for-4 with a triple and a run scored. Miclat was a terror on the basepaths for the Sox, swiping two bags. Joe Mahoney, Brandon Waring and Pedro Florimon provided the other hits for Bowie, who improved to 1-1 on the season

The pitching effort was real strong, starting with Steve Johnson, who tossed four one-hit innings. He battled his control a little, walking four batters, but he was aided by five strikeouts. The Baysox relievers did the rest, combining for four more scoreless innings.

Key notes:

– Eddie Gamboa made his first appearance of the year after finishing the 2010 season in Double-A. Gamboa tossed a perfect inning after Johnson left the game and picked up the win.

– The Baysox took advantage of Derek Norris for the second straight night, stealing five bases off of the Nationals catcher. Miclat had two, while Xavier Avery (2), Ronnie Welty (1) and Jeff Fiorentino (1) each had one a piece.

– The team continued to struggle driving in runs, going 1-for-13 with RISP.

– Billy Rowell continued to rack up the strikeouts, notching three in four at-bats. He’s now struck out in five of his seven at-bats this season and has gone down swinging (or looking) in a ridiculous 31 percent of his at-bats as a pro. But hey, at least he’s not playing at Frederick anymore.

– The rotund Jose Diaz picked up his first save of the season. The 6’4″, 255-pound right-hander is one save away from 50 for his career, after saving four games last season for the Baysox and another 12 for the Frederick Keys.

Delmarva 5, Greensboro 2

The Shorebirds took the first game of the double-header, riding the arm of Tim Adelman and the bat of Trent Mummey to victory.

Adleman, who pitched at Georgetown and was a pleasant surprise for Aberdeen last season, pitched five strong innings, striking out eight batters, allowing only one run on four hits and walking no one. Jarret Martin pitched one inning in relief, and David Walters of Marriottsville, MD picked up his second save in as many games.

Mummey provided a good chunk of the offense, racking up two triples, scoring a run and knocking in two runs. He upped his average to .250 for the season. 

First-round pick Manny Machado continued his solid start, hitting an RBI single in the first inning and then stealing second on the next pitch. He leads the Keys with three RBI on the season. 

Key notes:

– Mychal Givens and Brian Conley were the only Shorebirds to not record a hit in the victory. Givens did, however, score a run. He also committed his first error of the season.

The Shorebirds second game of the double-header went into extra innings and was not completed before my bedtime. Feel free to check back later for an edit with all related information.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Orioles rookie Zach Britton made his second start this afternoon and earned rave reviews for his performance, shutting down the high-octane Texas Rangers offense that exploded for 13 runs in the night-cap of the double-header.

Britton, who admittedly didn’t have his best stuff in his MLB debut, was firing on all cylinders Saturday afternoon. His sinker, which was rated as the best pitch in the minors by Baseball America, was in fine form. He utilized the pitch for 13 ground-ball outs, and was as dominating as a pitcher who only recorded two strikeouts could be.

He did issue three walks but was aided by three double-plays on ground balls.

In case you didn’t feel like checking the leaderboard, Britton now leads all American League starting pitchers, who have more than one start this season, with a 0.66 ERA. He’s second in MLB to Tim Lincecum’s 0.64. He’s only allowed seven hits in 13.2 innings and has a WHIP of 0.95.

More importantly, he’s 2-0.

Now that it looks like Britton is going to stick around for a while, let’s delve into the long-term ramifications of his presence on this club.

With two victories and a minuscule ERA, he has to be the front-runner for the American League Rookie of the Year award. Other rookies such as Jeremy Hellickson and Michael Pineda have gotten off to fine starts, but neither can match the dominance that the Orioles left-hander has displayed through two starts.

Britton has also become a stabilizing force for a rotation that had a pitcher (Jake Arrieta) rocked for eight runs in 3.1 innings tonight, and a saving grace for a bullpen that was depleted in the sandwich games for his start.

Best of all, he’s provided a spark for the O’s, and hope that in competing, and succeeding against the best teams in the American League, he can help the team continue to contend in the A.L. East.

Britton has passed his first two tests, and his next one should be considerably easier, facing the Indians late next week. 

Long term, Britton is likely going to stick on the big-league club. Not only has be proven he deserves to be a part of this rotation, but he’s also a very needed man right now. Brian Matusz should be able to return later this week from the DL, but with Brad Bergesen being optioned to Triple-A, the O’s are going to have to dip back into the minors for a starter for Sunday’s game.

And then there’s no telling what’s ailing Arrieta.

Britton looks like he’s in Baltimore for good.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The Orioles minor league affiliates (three of them, anyways) kicked off the 2011 season on Thursday night, and while Low-A Delmarva was the only team to emerge from the opening day slate, that’s not to say that there weren’t plenty of positive signs for the most surprising big-league squads’ minor league system.

Delmarva 2, Greensboro 1

First, (and can we really start anywhere else?) we travel back to Delmarva, where 2010 first-round pick Manny Machado made his full-season debut. And boy was it a beauty.

The highly-touted shortstop picked up two hits in three at-bats, and drove in two runs, which provided the cushion in the Shorebirds 2-1 victory.

Machado batted third in the lineup, played shortstop and had a part in a double-play.

Other tidbits from the contest with the Marlins Low-A affiliate included:

– 2009 second-round pick Mychal Givens making only his seventh professional start at second base. With Machado on board, the team has to find a spot for Givens, who was drafted as the shortstop of the future a year before Machado fell to them. It looks like that full-time home will be at second. Givens hit second, and notched one hit, scored a run on Machado’s triple and struck out once.

– Jonathan Schoop, the team’s 10th ranked prospect according to Baseball America, made his second-ever start at third base. The Shorebirds have a crowded infield, with true shortstops playing at second and third base. Schoop is getting his first extended taste of full-season ball, coming off a season in which he hit .290 with 18 doubles, five homers, 35 RBI and a 20:25 BB-to-K ratio in 62 games.

– Michael Ohlman, the team’s 11th-round pick in 2009, continued to struggle, striking out in all three of his plate appearances. The team is high on Ohlman, especially at the plate, where they expected him to contribute right away. Instead, he has floundered to a .205 average in 89 pro contests, with 92 strikeouts in 316 at-bats.

– Right-hander Luis Noel made the start for Delmarva, tossing four innings of four-hit ball, allowing one run, one walk and striking out four batters. This is Noel’s third go-around in Low-A, although he did lose some development time last season, missing the first three months due to a problem with his visa.

– Other pitchers who made appearances for the Baby Birds include: Chris Petrini, a free-agent signing who pitched lights-out last year, posting a 1.93 ERA in 21 games, splitting time between the O’s GCL squad and Aberdeen. Petrini tossed three-innings of one-hit ball and picked up the victory.

Harrisburg 5, Bowie 0

The Baysox were shutout, thanks to a stellar pitching performance by Nats farmhand Brad Meyers, who racked up nine strikeouts in only five innings. Meyers scattered four hits and didn’t issue a walk. This strikeout-prone Baysox squad struck out a total of 15 times, including three from Greg Miclat and two a piece from Xavier Avery, Joe Mahoney, Robbie Widlansky, Billy Rowell, and Ronnie Welty.

Other tidbits include:

– Rowell made his first-ever start above High-A ball, after spending the past three seasons with Frederick.

– Orioles’ 2010 strikeout king Brandon Waring only went down swinging once, and notched one of the team’s five base-hits. Widlansky, Welty, Avery and Pedro Florimon Jr. collected the other four. Florimon was the only member of the lineup to not record a strikeout.

– Avery picked up his first stolen base of the season, off of top prospect Derek Norris. Avery swiped 38 bags last season and has refined his methods on the basepaths. Look for at least that many steals this year.

– Chorye Spoone got the ball for the Baysox on opening-night and pitched three innings of highly erratic ball. He threw 34 strikes and 33 balls, walked five batters and hit another. He was saddled with the loss.

– Ryohei Tanaka, Tim Bascom and Wynn Pelzer rounded out the staff for the night. The three relievers combined to allow one hit and one run in five innings of work. Bascom was expected to pitch out of the number-four spot in the rotation this season, but was forced into duty when Spoone failed to make it out of the fourth-inning.

Charlotte 4, Norfolk 3

The Knights downed the Tides in each team’s opener, behind a strong pitching performance from Lucas Harrell and a three-hit night from Alejandro De Aza. Minor league vet Gookie Dawkins also hit a solo HR for the White Sox Triple-A affiliate. 

For the Tides, their production came in the form of a solo HR from Nolan Reimold, a sac fly from Matt Angle, and an RBI double from newcomer Brendan Harris.

Other notes from the game:

– Ryan Drese, a dark-horse candidate for the final rotation spot in spring-training, got the opening-night start and pitched well. Pitching two days after his 35th birthday, Drese scattered seven hits over six innings, allowing two runs and striking out three. The right-hander made his first pro appearance since 2008.

– Big-league vet Mark Hendrickson pitched the final two innings, allowing two runs on four hits, including Hawkins’ homer.

– Tyler Henson had a solid Triple-A debut, going 2-for-3 with two doubles, a walk and a strikeout. The 23-year old has quietly risen up through the system, showing good pop and great speed.

– As a team, the Tides were 0-for-7 with runners-in-scoring position.

– Matt Angle had a solid game, despite not recording a hit in four five plate appearances. He walked once, struck out twice, drove in a run on a sac-fly and nailed Eduardo Escobar at third base, picking up his first outfield assist of the season. Angle has six OFA last year and 13 the year before. He is consistently ranked as having the strongest outfield arm in the system by Baseball America.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

A little less than five months ago, I posted a list of the top 50 available prospects for the 2011 MLB Draft. In case you missed it, you can find it here.

In it, I detailed the draft standing, a mini scouting report and the future prospects of a fairly large pool of talented high-schoolers and collegians, including potential No. 1 overall pick Anthony Rendon as well as top-10 candidates Bubba Starling, Daniel Norris, Taylor Jungmann, Danny Hultzen and Sonny Gray.

Since it’s been five months, I though it would be a good time to look back on that top 50 and see how the players on the list are performing: Who’s doing well, who’s doing terribly and who’s dropped off the face of most team’s draft boards?

The college season is close to halfway through, and the high school season is just starting to heat up, so we have a much better picture of how each prospect is looking as well as gauging the improvement from November, when the first list was published.

In order to get a better, more recent update, I’m going to profile the top 50 in segments of 25, then hopefully recycle them and give more detailed updates of them all as the season wears on.

Enjoy the update. 

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Thanks to the departures of Carl Crawford, Rafael Soriano, Grant Balfour, Joaquin Benoit, Randy Choate, Brad Hawpe and Chad Qualls, Tampa Bay has a ridiculous 12 picks in the first two rounds of the 2011 MLB draft. That’s a record.

They also have three picks from 24-32, meaning they stand to pick up more talent than just about any team in recent draft memory.

Unfortunately, that means they also stand to shell out more money than most teams would in an entire draft, all in two rounds.

Still, the position they are in is an enviable one for multiple reasons. Not only are they going to add enough talent to their farm system to likely leap-frog the Royals back into the No. 1 spot, but they’re also going to benefit from one of the deepest drafts in major league history.

With 10 of the first 60 picks, the Rays could stand to add numerous high-upside outfielders (Josh Bell, Brandon Nimmo, Derek Fisher, etc), some potential front-of-the-rotation pitchers (Jose Fernandez, Robert Stephenson, Adam McCreery, etc), and even some middle-of-the-lineup bats (Ricky Oropesa, Jason Esposito, Alex Dickerson, etc).

The Rays will also have their pick of some of the most talented athletes in recent memory. They’ll most certainly have their eye on Shawon Dunston Jr., one of the fastest runners in the draft, and an exciting player in the mold of Delino DeShields Jr., a top-10 pick last year.

And they’ll certainly keep an eye on the wide array of toolsy shortstops that includes Tyler Greene, Phil Evans, Christian Lopes and Javier Baez. The Rays love toolsy infielders, as their misguided selection of 2008 No. 1 overall pick Tim Beckham proved.

With the draft still three months away, it’s easy to select the Rays as one of the event’s big winners.

I’ve already posted five versions of my mock draft (the most recent can be found here), and with the college and high school seasons heating up, it’s time for a new version, starting with an old familiar pick at No. 1.

In addition, each active link will take you to my scouting report of each player over at ProDraftCentral.com.

1) PIT- Anthony Rendon, 3B, Rice
2) SEA- Gerrit Cole, RHP, UCLA
3) ARI- Danny Hultzen, LHP, Virginia
4) BAL- Sonny Gray, RHP, Vanderbilt
5) KC- Bubba Starling, OF, Gardner-Edgerton HS (CA)
6) WAS- Taylor Jungmann, RHP, Texas
7) ARI- George Springer, OF, Connecticut
8) CLE- Jackie Bradley Jr., OF, South Carolina
9) CHC- Matt Purke, LHP, Texas Christian
10) SD- Andrew Susac, C, Oregon State (compensation for Karsten Whitson)
11) HOU- Archie Bradley, RHP, Broken Arrow HS (OK)
12) MIL- Daniel Norris, RHP, Science Hill HS (TN)
13) NYM- Francisco Lindor, SS, Montverde Academy (FL)
14) FLA- Henry Owens, LHP, Edison HS (CA)
15) MIL- Matt Barnes, RHP, Connecticut (compensation for Dylan Covey)
16) LAD- Dillon Howard, RHP, Searcy HS (AR)
17) LAA- Dillon Maples, RHP, Pinecrest HS (NC)
18) OAK- Josh Bell, OF, Jesuit College Prep (TX)
19) BOS- Alex Meyer, RHP, Kentucky
20) COL- Dylan Bundy, RHP, Owasso HS (OK)
21) TOR- Jed Bradley, LHP, Georgia Tech
22) STL- John Stilson, RHP, Texas A&M
23) WAS- Preston Tucker, 1B, Florida (compensation for Adam Dunn)
24) TB- Taylor Guerrieri, RHP, Spring Valley HS (SC) (compensation for Carl Crawford)
25) SD- Mikie Mahtook, OF, Lousiana State
26) BOS- Nicky Delmonico, C, Farragut HS (TN) (compensation for Adrian Beltre)
27) CIN- Charlie Tilson, OF, New Trier HS (IL)
28) ATL- Dante Bichette Jr., 3B, Orangewood Christian HS (CA)
29) SF- Trevor Bauer, RHP, UCLA
30) MIN- Kyle Winkler, RHP, Texas Christian
31) TB- Jose Fernandez, RHP, Alonso HS (FL) (compensation for Rafael Soriano)
32) TB- Javier Baez, 3B/SS, Arlington Country Day HS (FL)
33) TEX- C.J. Cron, C, Utah (compensation for Cliff Lee)

Supplemental First-Round

34) WAS- Tyler Beede, RHP, Lawrence Academy (MA)
35) TOR- Christian Lopes, SS, Edison HS (CA)
36) BOS- Jack Armstrong Jr., RHP, Vanderbilt
37) TEX- Jason Esposito, 3B, Vanderbilt
38) TB- Shawon Dunston Jr., OF, Valley Christian HS (CA)
39) PHI- Tyler Greene, SS, West Boca HS (FL)
40) BOS- Tony Zych, RHP, Louisville
41) TB- Brandon Nimmo, OF, East HS (WY)
42) TB- Kolten Wong, 2B, Hawaii
43) ARI- Peter O’Brien, C, Bethune-Cookman
44) NYM- Robert Stephenson, RHP, Alhambra HS (CA)
45) COL- Dixon Anderson, RHP, California
46) TOR- Michael Kelly, RHP, West Boca HS (FL)
47) CHW- Anthony Meo, RHP, Coastal Carolina
48) SD- Blake Swihart, C, Cleveland HS (NM)
49) SF- Joe Panik, SS, St. John’s
50) MIN- Phil Evans, SS, LaCosta Canyon HS (CA)
51) NYY- Austin Wood, RHP, Southern California
52) TB- Jake Cave, OF, Kecoughtan HS (VA)
53) TOR- Derek Fisher, OF, Cedar Crest HS (PA)
54) SD- Bryan Brickhouse, RHP, The Woodlands HS (TX)
55) MIN- Sam Gaviglio, RHP, Oregon State
56) TB- Zach Cone, OF, Georgia
57) TOR- Tyler Anderson, LHP, Oregon
58) SD- Levi Michael, SS, North Carolina
59) TB- Adam McCreery, LHP, Bonita HS (CA)
60) TB- Ricky Oropesa, 1B, Southern California

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

We’re now two weeks into the college baseball season, which means scouts and organizations have had two whole weeks to evaluate some of the top talent available in the 2011 draft pool.

And while some players have struggled mightily to keep their draft stock high (Matt Purke), there have been several bright spots (Taylor Jungmann), as well as a few players who have burst onto the scene in a big way (Mikie Mahtook), earning some serious draft consideration as the month of February comes to a close.

The draft is only a little more than three months away, and because there’s no MLB Draft combine like the NFL has, the only thing that matters for these collegiate players are the games that they play.

So, let’s check out who’s boosting their stock for the 2011 MLB Draft, and who’s slipping down the boards.

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Who’s the best hitter in all of the minor leagues?

Quite the loaded question. If you’re talking about pure hitting for average skill, then you couldn’t go wrong by saying Los Angeles’ Mike Trout, Minnesota’s Ben Revere or Atlanta’s Freddie Freeman.

If you’re looking for power, then pick a name out of the hat that includes Kansas City’s Mike Moustakas, Washington’s Bryce Harper, and Oakland’s Chris Carter.

And if you’re thinking about including plate discipline and selectivity, then you’ll have to include Kansas City’s Eric Hosmer, Seattle’s Dustin Ackley and Washington’s Derek Norris in the discussion.

It’s too tough of a decision to come to, so instead, let’s take a look at each team and rank their top three hitters, and I’ll let you decide for yourself who the best hitter, or hitters, in the minors are. 

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If you’re a Major League Baseball prospect in today’s game, you’re best bet is to start as young as you can and move as quick as possible once a team drafts you.

The 2010 rookie landscape was littered with former prospects who played very little in the minors. Atlanta’s Jason Heyward needed only 238 games of seasoning to prepare for his breakout campaign, despite being drafted out of high school. San Francisco’s sensation, Buster Posey, was a three-year starter for FSU, but still required only 172 games in the minor leagues. Heyward’s late-season teammate, Mike Minor, needed only 25 starts to prove he was ready to take on big-league hitters.

And then there was the uberprospect of them all, Stephen Strasburg. “Stras” probably could have started his pro career in the Majors, but the Nationals took the cautious approach with him…aka 11 starts in the minors.

Despite the big names, there really isn’t any rhyme or reason to who moves through the minors quicker. Sometimes it’s elite high schoolers like Heyward and sometimes it’s seasoned college vets like Strasburg and Matt Wieters.

Either way, your favorite team will most likely employ the services of one of these types of players, the fast-riser and the quick-mover.

Here are the best bets (for each team) for that honor in 2011.

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