Top 10 Baseball Rookies to Watch for 2010

2010 baseball is just around the corner! There are a great deal of rookies who are looking to impress during spring training and into the regular season. Here are the top 10 you should keep yours eyes on, possibly put on your fantasy team, and maybe buy a couple baseball cards of.

10. Colby Rasmus (Outfield)- He starts slow but when he finds his swing, everyone better look out! Has good power and plays his position on defense perfectly. He did have injuries in 2008, so that might be a future problem. I do not think he will get in heavy rotation at the beginning of the season but I can see him working his way in towards the middle and really making an impact in the end.

9. Matt LaPorta (Outfield, First Base)- LaPorta has a ton of power! It's hard to mention LaPorta without saying anything about his strength behind the plate. He is very much an offensive threat to any team he plays against. He is defensively good enough to be in outfield even though he is not the best runner and he can shine at first base too. He still has some work to do to be a well-rounded player but his raw strength is still amazing to watch.

8. Buster Posey (Catcher)- As MLB.com says in their top 50 prospects, "Very athletic catcher who used to be a shortstop. Has an advanced hitting approach, good strike zone knowledge, and should hit for average with some power. Ability to use all fields for extra-base pop." Buster has had a fair amount of hype the last couple years, I expect to see him be pretty active this year and possibly take over a starting role if his batting average stays up.

7. Tommy Hanson (Pitcher)- With all of the hype surrounding Stephen Strasburg, there are some really good rookie pitchers that have been overlooked. Tommy is one of those overlooked pitchers even though he made MLB.com's top 50 prospects to watch. Hanson gets better and more consistent no matter what league or team he goes to. Look for him to make a couple appearances this year and if he keeps his ERA down he might be in regular rotation.

6. Alcides Escobar (Shortstop)- Escobar did show up a little bit in 2009 for the Milwaukee Brewers but didn't bat enough to break his newbie status, so he would still be considered a rookie for 2010. Escobar is a very skilled defensive player in his shortstop position but is more of a threat on offense. MLB.com had this to say about his offense: "His 179 hits not only led the Southern League, but all Double-A hitters, while his .328 average put him sixth on the Double-A list (third in the SL). His 34 stolen bases were tied for second in the league and seventh in Double-A."

5. Neftali Feliz (Pitcher)- This is another pitcher who has been getting some press but has been overlooked a little bit in the past couple months. His fastball has been reaching triple digits! He still has some work to do on his curve and his change-up but once he gets those a tad bit more developed, he will definitely be an ace. If he can get his curveball working a little better, you can be sure to see him hit the mound in the MLB this year.

4. Brian Matusz (Pitcher)- Not many have heard of this pitcher unless they were looking at top draft picks from 2008. On MLB.com his stats show that he has only pitched 7 games for the Orioles in 2009 and none in 2008. That is surprising since he was the top-rated pitcher prospect from 2008 according to MLB.com. He has only pitched one game in spring training so far (which was a loss) but look for him to improve during spring training and make more appearances than 7 in the regular season.

3. Matt Wieters (Catcher)- Wieters is a very strong switch hitter. He is incredibly strong at both sides of the plate and could bring some seriously needed offensive help for the Orioles this year. Although he did get regular playing time kast year for the O's, I am looking for him to take on more leadership this year and really get the team stoked.

2. Stephen Strasburg (Pitcher)- Yeah, ok, so it might be doubtful that Strasburg is really going to hit the pros this year... But it's possible! With all of the media hype and what batters are saying, this kid already has the stuff to dominate in the bigs. He might burn out if they throw him into the rotation too early or too much but I think he might make a few appearances this year to get a feel for the bigger game. If he does well in those few appearances and the coaches think he can handle it, he might go into a fairly regular rotation with the Nationals but it is a little early to tell if he can handle the pressure.

1. Jason Heyward (Outfield)- Heyward has been making a huge splash so far in spring training. His hitting has been outstanding so far and he has defended his position well. Heyward has a strong, athletic build that lets him power through his swings. He is fast becoming a fan favorite and if his bat keeps working this well, he is sure to earn a starting position with the Braves.

Thanks for reading and good luck with your fantasy teams!

All information, facts, and stats were found at MLB.com.