Mayo's top 10 Astros prospects

[OregonStrosFan]

Read it here!

[OregonStrosFan]

Thought Mayo's predictions were interesting.

Hitter of the Year -- J. D. Martinez
It will be two straight years for the outfielder, as he'll once again top the organization in batting average and make his Major League debut in September.

Pitcher of the Year -- Mike Foltynewicz
That experience last season will come in handy, allow Foltynewicz to avoid too much of a wall and lead the organization in ERA and strikeouts.

[Travis]

I know it's just a prognostication, but...Villar "arriving" in 2013? That would be surprising considering how little he's hit and how erratic he is with the glove despite the tools.

[jbm]

Yeah, if that inning at second base I saw earlier in spring is any indication, he won't be arriving at all.   

I see now where the Folty-to-Lancaster talk comes from.  I didn't realize they divided up into separate rosters in the minor league camp.  Does the Lancaster group play against other high-A squads during the spring? 

Regarding Martinez, I've only seen bits from him.  Even if the bat can continue at higher levels, can he really handle a corner spot defensively?  In that last game that Lyles pitched on mlbtv, Martinez looked really slow in the field.  Slug-like slow.

[moriartp]

BA's writeup on Villar quoted a scout who said that Villar probably made the five best plays he saw all season, but also the five worst. He's the definition of raw. I don't know if pushing him to Corpus (as some have speculated) would be a good idea.

[Duman]

Regarding Martinez, I've only seen bits from him.  Even if the bat can continue at higher levels, can he really handle a corner spot defensively?  In that last game that Lyles pitched on mlbtv, Martinez looked really slow in the field.  Slug-like slow.

Left field is his only outfield option and you are right, his range is very limited.  He might wind up at 1st before it's all over with.

[VirtualBob]

Left field is his only outfield option and you are right, his range is very limited.  He might wind up at 1st before it's all over with.

You have probably seen him play and I have not, but from what I have heard is arm is adequate for RF.  Is that wrong?

[Duman]

You have probably seen him play and I have not, but from what I have heard is arm is adequate for RF.  Is that wrong?

I have always heard average arm.  But I see they used him in RF more than LF last year for the first time.  He played LF & 1B at Gville & TriCities

[VirtualBob]

I have always heard average arm.  But I see they used him in RF more than LF last year for the first time.  He played LF & 1B at Gville & TriCities

Per BR
Greeneville (2009) 8 games in LF; 1 at 1B
Tri City (2009) 22 games in LF; 1 at 1B
Lexington (2010) 65 games all in RF
Corpus Christi (2010) 27 games in RF; 15 in LF

Not much of a case for him at 1B (2 games total) and 92 of 139 career games in RF.  Someone must think he can play there.

[jbm]

They might, but I remember last year reading something about arthritis in his knees (or something similar) and playing first exacerbated it.  Doesn't seem logical, but that is how I remember it.  Anyways, I got the impression this was the main reason he wasn't at first. 

I don't know if he is still in the same situation.

[Duman]

This was Levine's report from last June when he visited Lexington.  He has obviously made improvements since then.  I didn't remember Levine gushing about his arm.

The Astros have him in right field, and he had an adventurous two days there. He seemed to have difficulty reading the ball and twice misplayed balls off the wall into triples as he ran too far back and had to come back toward the infield to chase them. It looked like someone playing a road ballpark for the first time. But he definitely opened my eyes with a classic rightfielder's arm, throwing out a runner at third base trying to stretch a double into a third triple Tuesday, and he made a nice diving catch on the first swing out of the rain delay today....

He's had trouble at first because of chronic tendinitis in his knee, but the Astros haven't given up on eventually moving him there. They tried him out there in the offseason but decided to keep him in the outfield (and DH) for the entire 2010 season. Beyond that is still undecided.

[Reuben]

This was Levine's report from last June when he visited Lexington.  He has obviously made improvements since then.  I didn't remember Levine gushing about his arm.

So, he's like Pence, but slow.