MLB

2010 Top 50 Twins Prospects

No. 50: D.J. Romero
Position: Third Base
Bats/Throws: Right/Right
Born: September 24, 1986 (Perdernales, Dominican Republic)
School: N/A
Height: 6'1''
Weight: 200 lbs.

2009 was a disappointing year, once full of promise, but ended with drear.

Despite three consecutive seasons of winning ball, the Cubs once again failed to win it all.

Still we come out to Wrigley in record numbers, the fans cheering loudly while management slumbers.

Sweet Lou lived up to his name, that he seems so burned out is definitely a shame.

Randy Wells came out of nowhere to surprise, you could see the desire in his eyes.

Once washed up DLee was a sight for sore eyes, despite all the misguided Hoffpauir cries.

It seems hard to believe, but we are almost to the year 2010. And with any impending new decade, it seems only fair to look back on the best of the previous 10 years.

So with that, I present my Top 10 picks from each position between the years 2000-2009: Shortstops.

As with any ranking, there will always be snubs. I welcome any comments suggesting players that may have been left off this list.

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According to reports by FoxSports.com’s John Paul Morosi, the Twins are still looking for a middle infielder, which is hardly surprising considering just one member of Game 163 ’s infield (Michael Cuddyer, Nick Punto, Orlando Cabrera, and Matt Tolbert) is likely to be in the starting infield next season.

Sure, their projected 2010 infield (Justin Morneau, Alexi Casilla, J.J. Hardy, and Punto) is better in some places, but it’s weaker in others and not much better overall as a result.

As the old decade ends and a new one begins, let’s take a look back at the Red Sox “All-Decade Team” from 2000-09…in all cases, the choice was really pretty obvious.

Catcher: Jason Varitek
10 Seasons: .257 BA (1045 hits in 4060 AB); 148 HR; 596 RBI; 513 R
Best Season —2003: .273, 25 HR, 85 RBI, 63 R (.351 OBP, .863 OPS)

Boston sports started off the decade in a bit of a rut. None of the Big Four teams had won a championship since 1987, and only the Patriots reaching a championship game in that time. Ten years and six championships and later, it's safe to say being a Boston sports fan this decade has been pret-tay, pret-tay, pret-tay good.

But with such success also came heartbreak.

The 2000s, at least first half of them, were a good decade for the Atlanta Braves.

With superstars plentiful throughout, making this list was difficult.

But, I was finally able to assemble a catcher, first baseman, second baseman, short stop, third baseman, three outfielders, five starters, a reliever, and a closer (with the year that each had their immaculate performance).

With eight players coming from just two seasons, it may look like I became lazy while making this.

But, I assure you, this article took a lot of time and I feel that these fifteen players had the best indiviual seasons

In the days before the arrival of Stephen Strasburg, there was already a pitching prospect considered good enough to be the team’s future No. 1 starter.

His name was Jordan Zimmermann.

The San Francisco Giants have had one of the strongest traditions of pitching in all of baseball throughout their franchise history. They have had countless Hall of Famers, league leaders and two Cy Young award winners.
When they were the New York Giants, they boasted such names as Carl Hubbell, Christy Mathewson, Red Ames, Joe McGinnity, and Rube Marquard. Since the Giants relocated to San Francisco in 1958, Juan Marichal, Vida Blue, Gaylord Perry, Rod Beck, and Mike Krukow have all taken the mound.

With Juan Uribe on the verge of getting a new contract from the San Francisco Giants, the pressure is on for one current Giants player.

Edgar Renteria.