easy says:

I get the feeling that the hyperventilation is at a pretty low peak re: the farm prospects. Just my hunch but I have a premonition that we’ll be as pleasantly surprised this year as we were puzzled and disappointed last year. I also have the feeling that the good vibes will come from some previously disappointing sources e.g. Ottavino, Kozma, Reifer et al. Just a hunch but I suspect we’ll be way happier come July than we are right now.

Forsch31 says:

I put together a personal list of “guys to watch” based on the current rosters listed at MiLB.com (some oddities: Palm Beach has only 3 outfielders but also have 4 third basemen; Memphis lists no centerfielders, so I’m not sure how accurate they are), and I noticed a couple of things:

1. Thanks to the 2009 draft, one of the most interesting rosters is Quad Cities, with Shelby Miller, Robert Stock, Joe Kelley, and Ryan Jackson, as well as some later round picks like Scott Schneider, Matt Adams, and Daniel Calhoun. How those players do probably will affect how people feel about the system.

2. Springfield seems to have more pitchers of interest than position players, with Kozma, Chambers, and Jones really being the only ones of concern. To me, that indicates a system that’s in a period of transition, with some younger position prospects hopefully ready to make the jump and progress.

3. While Memphis’ rotation seems crowded (especially if Trey Hearne lands there), its bullpen has some room and the outfield seems fluid outside of Jay and Henley. Along with Springfield, there just feels like there’s some room for promotions from the Single A level if some players either rebound or continue to progress.

The keys to a successful prospect season are rebounds from some regarded guys like Kozma, Jones, Reifer et. al., and the development of the 2009 class, which seems to have some interesting players and would go a long way toward replenishing the system.