Top Prospects

It's not hard to see why many baseball experts see the San Francisco Giants in the World Series again next season. The Giants return their dominant pitching staff from last year's title team, and haven't changed too many names for the 2011 season roster (refer to previous post). To add to the overall strength of the already elite team, the Giants also boast a strong minor league system. This minor system has produced recent stars such as Buster Posey and Madison Bumgarner, and look to continue this trend in the next few seasons. The rest of this post will be dedicated to breaking down the top five prospects currently coming up in the Giants organization.

1. Brandon Belt- 1B

Belt was drafted in the fifth round out of the University of Texas by the Giants in 2009. His minor league career batting average of .352 was just one of his jaw dropping stats in 2010. He received several awards while going up the minor league ladder in 2010, and is rumored to be the next first basemen in line for the Giants. If he doesn't join the Giants out of Spring Training, then he is scheduled to break in around the middle of the 2011 season.

2. Zack Wheeler- RHP

Wheeler was the 6th overall pick by the Giants in the 2009 MLB Draft. This big righty showed promise for a quick climb to the bigs with his 94-97 mph fastball. However, his first year in the minors was limited due to a cracked fingernail. He is currently in Class A, but is predicted to move up quickly when completely healthy again.

3. Francisco Peguero- OF

Peguero has been in the minor league system for the Giants since 2006. This Dominican outfielder was initially a free agent, but in the last two years has played his way into the Giants spotlight. His numbers have only gotten better since beginning his minor league career and now looks to bring his talents to the big league club as soon as possible.

4. Ehire Adrianza- SS

The Venezuelan player originally signed signed with the Giants as a free agent in 2002. He made it up to the 40 man roster in 2006, however was brought back down to the minors in 2007 due to an injury. Since then, he has been creating solid numbers for whatever level he has played for. His recent production just might bring him back on the 40 man roster before too long.

5. Brandon Crawford- SS

Brandon was selected in the fourth round by the Giants in 2008. He put together some pretty impressive power numbers last season for the AA team as well as having above average speed. His strike out to walk ratio could use some work, but has displayed quality hitting in every level he has played in so far. Giants look to keep moving him up through the system fairly quickly.

The top five prospects could be argued for other players in the Giants organization, but that is just evidence of how strong San Francisco's minor league system is in comparison to other MLB teams. That being said, the Giants have a lot to look forward to for 2011 and many more years to come.

For more information about other Giants prospects visit here

Coming up Next: Team News Before and During Spring Training