Drafted out of high school as a shortstop, more likely a big league third baseman or maybe a corner outfielder. In 2008, at age 19, he hit 22 homers. At 6' and about 195, he's pretty stocky and is a line drive hitting lefty.

He struggled in April, and hit only .228 in the first half of the season, with 9 home runs. He turned it on in the second half, batting .321 while slugging .557 with a .392 OBP. He finished the year with respectible numbers, totalling 496 AB, 25 doubles, 22 homers, and an .805 OPS.

He has a very quick bat and raw power to go along with a very strong arm which will serve him well at third or either corner outfield spot.

Heading into the 2009 season at age 20, it will probably be 2010 or 2011 before he makes the big league team, but this kid can flat out hit, and should force his way up quickly, along the lines of Billy Butler.

Fantasy Baseball Spin: If you are in a dynasty and can carry prospects, he's one to grab. You should reap the rewards if you're patient and don't mind waiting a couple of years to slot him into your lineup.

Atlanta drafted Heyward in the first round of the 2007 draft. Only 19, the left handed batter has spent a couple of years in the minors developing his plate discipline and working on his power, which should translate to 30 homers per year when he reaches the big leagues.

At age 17, he saw limited time in the Rookie League, playing only 12 games, but he hit the ball well and posted an OPS of .842. He followed up in 2008 by logging the majority of his time in A Ball, before moving to High A to finish out the year (where he struggled, but in only 22 at bats). His time in A Ball was impressive: he hit .323 with an .871 OPS in 449 at bats. Heyward hit 27 doubles and 11 home runs, and also added 15 stolen bases.

With Francouer likely being in Atlanta patrolling right field for the forseeable future, Heyward will look to make the team as a left fielder or possibly transition to first base in the next year or so. Atlanta will do what they can to get his bat into the lineup as soon as possible. He's a big time power threat, and as he showed in 2008, can run a little too (although I'm not sure that will translate to the big league level). Look for him in late 2010/early 2011 - maybe a bit earlier if the Braves are desperate and feel he's ready.

Fantasy Baseball Spin: Like Moustakas (#10 on the countdown) this is another player to draft and stash if in a dynasty league of some kind. He's probably two years away, but it can't hurt to get the jump on your competition. If you play in redraft leagues, just monitor his progress and keep an eye on this kid, you'll want to pluck him off the waiver wire first chance you get.

8. Madison Bumgarner LHP SF Giants

Next on the countdown is southpaw phenom Madison Bumgarner. This kid is pretty amazing. At only 19 years old, he may be the best pitching prospect out there just based on raw talent. There are a couple of pitchers I have ranked ahead of him right now, but the sky is the limit for Bumgarner.

He's a flamethrower and right now relies heavily on the fastball to dominate minor league batters. A big kid, but still growing, he should develop enough physically to reach damn near 100 MPH at times by the time he's done maturing. Right now, he probably sits around the 93/94 MPH range, and tops out around 96 MPH. He also has great control of the heater, which makes it that much more deadly.

He has a changeup that he throws in the low 80's, and throws it well, with a little less accuracy than the fastball...but he's getting there. He also has at least one breaking pitch, but according to everything I've read, scouts are having trouble telling what it is he's throwing - sometimes even confusing a breaking ball with his change. He's going to have to work on these pitches to make them a bit more effective.

He is currently about 6'4, 215 lbs, and growing...so his frame will be solid enough to handle the load of a big league starter. Look for him to hit the bigs in 2011 and add another good young arm to the Giants' staff.

Fantasy Baseball Spin: This kid could wind up being one of the more dominating pitchers in the NL, so keep an eye on him. For now, it's another case of "ignore him in a redraft, pick him up in a dynasty if you have the space." Two years from now, you'll want to have him on your squad - one of the best bets to become a major league ace.

7. Colby Rasmus OF St Louis Cardinals

Colby Rasmus - OF - St. Louis Cardinals

Rasmus was much higher on the list I made last season, coming in at number two if I remember correctly. His lower ranking has absolutely no reflection on what I think of his potential, just some stiffer competition this year. He’s still one of the best out there, and broke camp this year with the big league club.

Rasmus is still one of the more polished hitters among all the up and comers. He also posseses a natural ability for the game…one of those players that comes along every so often that just seems to excel at every aspect of the game, from hitting to baserunning to playing the field. Many thought he’d be patrolling the outfield for St. Louis last season, but he instead went back to the minors – and he struggled, never forcing the Cardinals to make a move.

I’m not sure how much he’ll play this year, but in his one game so far, he went 2 for 4 and drew a walk. Pretty solid debut. They may bring him along slowly, giving him more time as the season progresses. Eventually, Rasmus should push his way into the lineup as an everyday player, and could contend for NL Rookie of the Year in 2009.

Fantasy Baseball Spin: A good blend of power and speed who hits the ball hard. Rasmus should come up with a lot of extra base hits. He still strikes out a bit too much, but when he hits the ball, it’s solid contact. I could see him eventually becoming a guy who can hit .280 with 35 doubles, 15 homers, and swipe up to 20 bases on average. Pretty good production. Stash him on your bench in both redraft and dynasty leagues and wait for the payoff.

6. Brett Anderson LHP Oakland A's

5. Trevor Cahill RHP Oakland A's

Ok... I fell behind a bit on this list, so I am lumping the next two guys together as they are on the same team and in breaking into the rotation together out in Oakland.

Anderson is a 21 year old lefty and made the big league club out of camp this year. He made the team after posting great minor league numbers in 2008; going 11-5 with a 3.39 ERA in time split between High A and AA. Pretty damn good numbers for a 20 year old kid. He's pretty much on the same level as David Price as far as lefties go, although Price is the "sexier" name.

He's got a great fastball (not a lot of velocity, topping out in the low 90's), which he controls extremely well. His control also translates over to his curve (which is VERY nasty). A good example of his excellent control is his K to BB ratio, which was a little over 5-to-1 last year in AA.

Cahill is another 21 year old stud in the Oakland rotation this year. Probably the best young pitcher in the Oakland system (just barely above Anderson), he was a first round pick in 2006.

Cahill has a two seam and four seam fastball...the two seamer is in the mid to upper 80's range, while the four seamer tops out in the low to mid 90's (I think the fastest I've heard of him topping out is around 93-94). He gets tricky with the four seamer though, tossing it at several varying speeds. He also has a changeup, slider, and curve - all of which he throws pretty well. he needs to work on the curve big time in order to throw it more often, but overall it's probably his nastiest pitch and he goes to it when he needs a K.

Right now, Cahill will rely on his fastballs and fall back on the change/slider often. The curve will come here and there, and if he can harness it, it could become one of the nastiest in the game - and it could propel him to being a #1 or 2 guy in the rotation.

Fantasy Baseball Spin: Well these guys both made the rotation out of Spring Training and both have looked fairly good so far. I would say if you're in a redraft league, definitely grab Cahill now (he's looked better to this point) and in a dynasty...consider grabbing both if you have the roster space. These guys are both set to have decent years in 2009 and could be great for the next several years.