The Insider On Pittsburgh Sports - Pittsburgh Pirates

Pittsburgh Pirates - Top 10 Prospects

	1. Pedro Alvarez – Age 23 Born: 02/06/1987 - New York, NY Height: 6-3 Weight: 225 lbs Position: 3B Bats: L Throws: R This Season: Class AAA Indianapolis Last Season: Hit a combined .288 with 27 home runs and 95 RBIs in 126 games with high Class A Lynchburg and Class AA Altoona. Latest Buzz: Scouting Report: The Pirates’ first-round draft pick and second overall selection in 2008 from Vanderbilt is a complete hitter with the ability to center the ball on the barrel of his bat and good strike-zone judgment. His swing has a slight uppercut and is always balanced. He lacks speed or first-step quickness but possesses the arm strength and soft hands needed to play third base. He needs to watch his conditioning but has the potential to hit 40 home runs in the major leagues. – John Perrotto Pittsburgh projects Alvarez to be a third baseman in the majors but he has the frame to eventually move to 1st base in the future. Estimated Arrival: 2010 Potential: All-Star/Franchise Caliber Player
	2. Jose Tabata - Age 21 08/12/1988 Height: 5-11 Weight: 215 lbs Position: OF Bats: R Throws: R This season: Class AAA Indianapolis Last Season: Hit a combined .293 with five home runs, 35 RBIs and 11 stolen bases in 93 games with Altoona and Indianapolis. Latest Buzz: Scouting Report: Acquired from the New York Yankees in a 2008 trade, Tabata is a strong and muscular hitter with good bat speed and the leverage to start hitting for power. He mashes left-handed pitching but struggles against breaking pitches and rarely walks. He is an aggressive base runner with average speed. He possesses good arm strength and average range. The Pirates were happy with the new-found maturity he showed during spring training. - John Perrotto Estimated Arrival 2010:
	3. Brad Lincoln – Age 24 05/25/1985 Height: 6-4 Weight: 209 lbs Position: Pitcher Throws: R This Season: Class AAA Indianapolis Last Season: Went a combined 7-7 with a 3.37 ERA in 25 starts with Altoona and Indianapolis. Latest Buzz: Scouting Report: The Pirates’ first-round draft pick in 2006 from Houston has a strong frame and has managed to stay healthy since undergoing Tommy John reconstructive elbow surgery in 2007. He began showing the ability to miss bats last season while also featuring improved off-speed pitches. He is a hard thrower and has good movement on his fastball, and his curveball has a chance to be an above-average pitch. He needs to repeat his delivery more often to help his changeup and overall command.- John Perrotto Estimated Arrival: 2010
	4. Tony Sanchez - Age 21 05/20/1988 Height: 6-0 Weight: 220 lbs Position: Catcher: Throws: R This Season: High Class A Bradenton Last Season: Hit a combined .309 with seven home runs and 48 RBIs in 48 games with short-season Class A State College, low Class A West Virginia and Lynchburg. Latest Buzz: Scouting Report: He was the top college catcher in last year’s draft with his strong and athletic build, and the Pirates selected him with fourth overall pick in the first round from Boston College. He uses the whole field with his hitting approach and squares the ball up well. He has average power now but that could increase once he learns how to better handle breaking pitches. He is an excellent defensive catcher with a strong arm that can shut down a running game. He frames pitches well and receives and blocks balls effectively. - John Perrotto Estimated arrival: September 2011.
	5. Tim Alderson- Age 21 11/03/1988 Height: 6-6 Weight: 217 lbs Position: P Throws: R This Season: Indianapolis Last Season: Went a combined 10-3 with a 3.93 ERA in 25 starts with San Francisco’s high Class A San Jose and Class AA Connecticut farm clubs and Altoona. Latest Buzz: Scouting Report: Acquired from the Giants in a July trade last year, Alderson is a tall and projectable pitcher with a lot of polish. He pitches on a downward plane and gets swings and misses with both his fastball and curveball. He has outstanding command and gets movement on his pitches because of his quick arm action. He needs to work on his changeup and smooth out his three-quarters delivery. His drop in velocity once he got to Altoona last season is a concern but he is still very young and has considerable potential. - John Perrotto Estimated Arrival 2011:
	6. Chase d’Arnaud, - Age 23 1/21/1987 Height: 6-1 Weight: 175 lbs Position: SS Bats: R Throws: R This Season: Class AA Altoona Last Season: Hit a combined 293 with seven home runs, 57 RBIs and 31 stolen bases in 116 games with West Virginia and Lynchburg. Latest Buzz: Scouting Report: - The Pirates’ fourth-round draft pick in 2008 from Pepperdine was a solid shortstop/third base prospect in college. He has a good approach at the plate and should develop at least moderate gap power as his body fills out. He doesn’t have great range for a shortstop but he does have good quickness and instincts that also help him on the bases. He put up good numbers last season despite missing time with a sprained thumb. - John Perrotto Estimated Arrival 2012
	8. Gorkys Hernandez - Age 21 09/07/1987 Height: 6-0 Weight: 170 lbs Position: OF Bats: R Throws: R Class AA Altoona 09 Stats: 48 GP – .262avg- 2HR – 16RBI’s – 48H - 19R - 5SB - 10BB – 38SO Latest Buzz: 7/27/09: Hernandez went 0-for-4 with an RBI. Scouting Report: Acquired from the Braves in a trade last June, he is a leadoff-type hitter with above average speed and good contact ability. His power is below average but he can reach the gaps for the occasional double and should develop a little more pop as his body matures. He tends to swing at anything and needs to develop better plate discipline. He has the range and arm strength to be a good center fielder but needs to learn to get better jumps and take more direct routes to fly balls. - John Perrotto Estimated Arrival 2010: