Gerrit Cole No. 8, while rising prospects Hanson, Polanco make top-55 in Keith Law's Top-100 prospects list for 2013

5 PIRATES MAKE TOP-100

2011 first overall pick Gerrit Cole (2012 ranked 10th), cracked the top-10 on Keith Law's newly released top 100 prospects list for the second year in a row. Cole came in at No. 8 on Law's 2013 list and is the second rated pitcher on his board, behind Baltimore's Dylan Bundy who is No. 3 overall and regarded in baseball circles as the best young pitcher in the game.

Law calls Cole a "future No. 1" pitcher but despite Cole hitting 102 mph with his four seamer, Law claims Cole's biggest issue is fastball command, not just "physically but mentally." The knock on Cole from Law is that his fastball is way too flat and that's a key pitch he has to become more effective at. Cole is expected to spend at least the first half of the 2013 season in Triple-A and could emerge as a candidate for big league time this season.

Also making the list was four other Pirates, Jameson Taillon (2012 ranked 16th) at No. 20, rising shortstop prospect Alen Hanson (2012 NR) at No. 34, CF Gregory Polanco (2012 NR) another very intriguing prospect at No. 55, and RHP Luis Heredia (2012 NR) is No. 84.