Here we are yet again in 2010. Another sport, another draft, and another highly anticipated draft class that has to meet those overbearingly high expectations of the scouts and GM’s around Major League Baseball. While I love the sport of baseball inwards and out, I also love the memorabilia that keeps the history alive for years to come. Some of these young men will sign soon and be sent off to start their career. And the others; they will wait and wait and wait until their agent gives them the go ahead to grab a pen. Look a little closer around the internet and you may notice that they have already done that very thing. Here are the top 10 Draft Picks of the 2010 MLB Draft along with links to their memorabilia already hitting the market.

1. Bryce Harper - Washington Nationals - College of Southern Nevada - MLB.com Draft Report - The Bryce Harper story is well-documented at this point. Just 17 and in junior college, he’s gotten as much hype as any Draft prospect not named Strasburg. For the most part, he’s lived up to it in his first college season, showing incredible hitting and power skills. He’s moved around on the field and has plus arm strength from anywhere, though most would like to see him catch. The only questions that seem to remain with Harper is if he’ll go No. 1 overall and then, if he’ll sign.

2. Jameson Taillon - Pittsburgh Pirates - The Woodlands HS (TX) - MLB.com Draft Report - Taillon is the complete package in a high school pitcher, with tremendous size, stuff and a feel for pitching. He has three plus pitches in his fastball, slider and curve. Even his changeup, while not used that much, is solid. He uses his size to his advantage and has tremendous mound presence. As impressive as his stuff is, his makeup might be even better. A commitment to Rice might sound intriguing, but if he goes at the top of the first round, and everything points to that happening, it likely won’t be an issue.

3. Manny Machado - Baltimore Orioles - Brito Miami Private School (FL) - MLB.com Draft Report - Machado entered the season as the top high school position player and has done nothing to diminish that evaluation. Big and athletic, he can do just about everything on the baseball field, with the ability to hit for plenty of average and some power as he matures. He has more than enough arm to play shortstop and is fine there for now, though there is some concern he’ll outgrow the position. Even if he does, he’d be just fine at third, both in terms of handling the position defensively and providing the kind of offense teams look for at the hot corner. Regardless of his position, Machado is primed to be one of the earliest names taken off the board in June.

4. Christian Colon - Kansas City Royals - Cal State - Fullerton - MLB.com Draft Report - A big prospect since high school, there’s a lot to like about Colon’s game. He has a solid approach and setup at the plate and he makes the plays in the field. His individual tools don’t grade out well, and some think he’ll need to move to second as a pro. He was the captain of Team USA last summer and put up big numbers as well. He hadn’t done that in the early going of his junior season and this is a performance-based industry, so that could hurt his draft stock a little. Even if he doesn’t pick it up, his past performance, makeup and baseball acumen should help ensure he doesn’t wait too long to hear his name called.

5. Drew Pomeranz - Cleveland Indians - Ole Miss - MLB.com Draft Report - Pomeranz has established himself as the top lefty arm in a Draft class that hasn’t got a deep the southpaw pool. Big, strong and durable, he has the makings of an above-average three-pitch mix. He commands his fastball and breaking ball very well, and, while the changeup is a bit behind, it’s improving quickly. There’s little not to like about Pomeranz — most criticisms are on the nit-picky side — and it seems likely that he’ll hear his name called very early on Draft Day.

6. Barret Loux - Arizona Diamond Backs - Texas A&M - MLB.com Draft Report - With his performances this spring, Loux is quickly moving up draft charts. The big right-hander has four pitches he uses, though it’s his fastball and plus changeup that really stand out. His breaking stuff needs some tightening, but with his command, mound presence and easy delivery, there’s reason to believe he can improve that part of his game as well. Before the season began, most Texas college pitching buzz went to Brandon Workman, but Loux has forced his way to the top of that conversation and likely into the first couple of rounds.

7. Matt Harvey - New York Mets - North Carolina - MLB.com Draft Report - Once a top high school prospect, Harvey has reclaimed his status as a first-round candidate with a resurgent junior season. The delivery problems that had him so off his game as a sophomore have largely been corrected, though there are still some issues there that can effect his command and ability to throw his breaking ball. Still, Harvey was showing an above-average to plus fastball and maintaining his velocity, to go along with glimpses of good breaking stuff and a feel for a change. He’s come a long way this season, and he likely won’t have to wait too long to be redrafted.

8. Delino Deshields Jr - Houston Astros - Woodward Academy (GA) - MLB.com Draft Report - DeShields has two things really working in his favor: his plus speed and his bloodlines. His dad of the same name spent many years in the big leagues, and the hope is that the younger DeShields could be a similar type of player. He does have the potential to be a very good hitter and puts his speed to use on the basepaths. He has more than enough range to handle center field and the hands to play second if a team wanted to give that a look. Scouts have had a hard time getting a consistent read on DeShields. He’s toolsy and seems like he’ll fall right into the old risk vs. reward debate. It seems likely a team will be willing to take the plunge at some point not too deep into the Draft.

9. Karsten Whitson - San Diego Padres - Chipley HS (FL) - MLB.com Draft Report - It’s looking like a pretty strong year for high school arms, and Whitson should be near the top in any discussion about them. He’s already big, strong and durable and he has plenty of projection, meaning he might throw harder than his already mid-90s fastball. Add in a plus breaking ball and good changeup and he has a very intriguring three-pitch mix already. Some tweaks to his delivery could make him even more dangerous. There might be a right-hander or two ahead of Whitson on the high school depth chart, but he should figure into high Draft pick conversations come June.

10. Michael Choice - Oakland Athletics - University of Texas - Arlington - MLB.com Draft Report - In a year that lacks a ton of big-name college hitters, players from smaller programs like Choice have a chance to shine, and he is taking advantage. Though he’ll need work on his swing mechanics, he has big-time raw power to all fields. He runs well and plays a strong outfield to boot. He may not be the elite hitter clubs seek, but since there aren’t many of those this year, teams may look hard at Choice in the early going.

          This has been a fairly busy winter for the Arizona Diamondbacks. And with the way they performed on the field this season, it should be. The Diamondbacks organization should be disgraced by the way they went from finishing a close second in 2008 to dropping all the way to dead last in 2009. If it had not already happened early in the season, there would definitely have been a change at manager. But after taking over in May, A.J. Hinch has shown signs that he has the potential to become a good manager. Joining Hinch on the coaching staff in 2010 will be long time Major Leaguer, and Diamondbacks legend, Matt Williams. Along with Kirk Gibson, a hold over from the previous staff, Williams should help provide some much needed guidance for the young players that dominate the roster.

After the coaching changes there was bound to be many on field changes as well, and there have been many so far. Some of the changes were not too surprising, like the releasing of sub-par first baseman Chad Tracy. Other moves were very surprising, such as trading away up and coming starting pitcher Max Scherzer and pitching prospect Daniel Schlereth to Detroit for starting pitcher Edwin Jackson, as well as starting pitcher Ian Kennedy from the Yankees as part of a three team deal. Despite what the Diamondbacks may have giving up in the trade, it seems that they may have actually gotten the better deal. Jackson finished 2009 with a 13-9 record and 3.62 ERA while Scherzer was 9-11 with a 4.12 ERA. Jackson also pitched in forty-four more innings than Scherzer. Another thing to consider is Scherzer’s health. Although he has only had one full season in the Majors, he has already experienced problems with his throwing shoulder.

Hinch has made it very clear that there will be plenty of competition for jobs heading into 2010. On top of all the young talent on the roster at the end of the season, the Diamondbacks have added even more high quality prospects to their current 40-man roster. Both Pedro Ciriaco and Cole Gillespie preformed well in the Arizona Fall League and should provide a good push on the returning veterans. Another great improvement will be the healthy returns of pitching ace Brandon Webb and outfielder Conor Jackson. Both men were sorely missed last season. Having both back in 2010 will only make the team better on both offense and defense. With just over a month and a half before the first players begin reporting to Spring Training there is likely to be much more activity from the Diamondbacks as they attempt to fine tune their roster and possibly make a run at returning to the top of the National League West. Only time will tell.

          To most people, the only professional baseball being played right now are the Major League playoffs. But here in Arizona, there is another option. Sixteen years ago, Major League Baseball created a new winter league for top prospects to gain more exposure. They called the league the Arizona Fall League. It has become a great place to see the stars of tomorrow, and has already produced some of today’s superstars. For Arizona Diamondbacks fans, the Fall League offers a chance to get a better look at first baseman Brandon Allen. Along with Allen, there are six other top prospects from the Diamondbacks’ farm system, including outfielder Cole Gillespie and second baseman Pedro Ciriaco. Allen has already been named the Diamondbacks’ first baseman of the future and spent most of the time starting at the position after being called up from AAA Reno on August 22^nd. Gillespie and Ciriaco will have a much more difficult time making it to the Major League, at least with the Diamondbacks anyway, as both play positions that are currently over crowded.

Allen got off to a very slow start with only one hit in first three games, but has since started to heat up and is now hitting .268 with one home run, three doubles, and eight RBI. In Saturday’s game he went three for three. Despite his slow start at the plate Allen has been outstanding defensively which is a good sign for the Diamondbacks heading into next season.

Gillespie, who hit .304 with five home runs and twenty-seven RBI in forty-two games with AAA Reno, has only seen action in six games so far but is hitting .375 with two doubles and one RBI. He has also stolen two bases. Gillespie will have to make the most of every start he gets throughout the rest of the Fall League as he splits time with Thomas Neal, from the Giants, who has played phenomenal defense and posses one of the best outfield arms in the league.

Ciriaco comes from Mobile Bay, the Diamondbacks’ AA affiliate, where he hit .296 with four home runs and fifty-four RBI. So far in the Fall League he has made appearances in five games as part of a middle infield rotation with five other players. In those five games, he has hit .462 with three doubles and three RBI. Like Gillespie, he has also stolen two bases.

           And so ends the misery of the Diamondbacks 2009 season. This has been a season of ups and downs, mostly downs. At least they were able to end it on a positive note winning two out of three against the Cubs, including the season finale today 5-2. By finishing with a record of 70-92, 2009 is the third worst record in franchise history.

Manager A.J. Hinch has already stated that he will be starting his busy off-season Monday. He will have his hands full with evaluating which players will be returning for the 2010 season, and in an interview earlier this week he alluded to the possibility that many players will not be back. He also said that seasons like this will not be tolerated by the organization. With those two statements, it is very likely that the Diamondbacks will feature many new faces come next Spring.

Obviously some players will be safe from any possible trades or releasing. But plenty of other players should be worried about where they may be playing next year. Guys like Mark Reynolds, Justin Upton, and Stephen Drew are untouchable and should be built around as the core. Guys like Chris Young, Chad Tracy, and Yusmeiro Petit should probably already be packing their bags. Although with the way Young has hit the ball since coming back from AAA Reno he may have earned another look, but most likely he will not be in Arizona next year.

Although Reynolds shattered his strike out record with 220 this year, he still had a .260 batting average and hit forty-four home runs with 102 RBI. With numbers like that, 220 strike outs are excusable. He is also a great defensive asset.

Upton recovered from a horrible slump at the start of the season to finish with a .303 average, twenty-six home runs, and eighty-six RBI. He lead the team in batting average and was second in home runs. The fact that he is only twenty-two years old and is already as good as he is makes him the kind of player that any team would want. He will be around for many years to come and will only get better as time goes on.

Some of the other players with great futures with the Diamondbacks would be outfielder Gerardo Parra, first baseman Brandon Allen, and second baseman Rusty Ryal. All three showed great potential after being called up from the minor leagues this season. Cole Gillespie should be the replacement for Young in center field. In forty-two games with AAA Reno, Gillespie hit .304 with five home runs and twenty-seven RBI. Both Gillespie and Allen will get an extra chance to shine while playing for the Scottsdale Scorpions in the Arizona Fall League.

After such a bad outing in 2009, the Diamondbacks have their work cut out for them in the off-season. This should turn out to be a very active and interesting time for the franchise. Hopefully they will be able to make the right moves in order turn things around in 2010. But, either way you look at it, A.J. Hinch is going to be a very busy man for the next few months.

         This may be starting to sound like a broken record, but this season has been a complete waste for the Arizona Diamondbacks. With the final games upon us the Diamondbacks have managed to go from bad to worse leaving fans begging for it to be over already. It is already hard enough for sports franchises to draw here in Phoenix, unless the team is playing for a championship, finishing dead last in the division only hurts their public image. Last season when it came down to the wire against the Dodgers for the division title, the fans still were not showing up. It is a little scary to imagine what ticket sales will look like next season after this outing.

In all of the National League, only two teams have worse records than the Diamondbacks. The Washington Nationals have the worst record in all of baseball, but even they managed to dominate Arizona this year winning five of six games. Despite what the records may show, that one fact alone makes it hard to say that the Arizona Diamondbacks are not the actual worst team in all of baseball.

Given the lack of fan support, the Diamondbacks may be looking forward to getting this weekend out of the way. Friday kicks off the final three home games of the season with the San Diego Padres coming to town. After that they hit the road for three in San Francisco, who is four games back in the wild card race, and then they wrap the season with three games at Chicago, who always have a great fan turn out.

Come October, the Diamondbacks organization will have a lot of work ahead of them. First they need to evaluate the talent they already have on the team and decide who stay and who goes. From there, they will need to decide if they are going to look to trade for established players from other teams, or look to their farm system for the top prospects that may have the potential to help turn things around in 2010. Either way they go, things can only get better as they move forward. With their new Spring Training home moving to the Phoenix area starting in 2011, they really do need to have a much better 2010 season to help bring the people back to their side. This should be a very interesting off season.

            Although they are still without any hope of making a playoff run this season, things have definitely turned around for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Since resuming play fallowing the All-Star break, the Diamondbacks are playing slightly better than .500 baseball winning fourteen of twenty-six games. Some may be wondering why they could not play like this earlier in the season, but the reason for the recent turn around may be the influx of young talent. With many of Arizona’s star players being injured through out the year, most notably ace pitcher Brandon Webb and outfielder/first basemen Conor Jackson, the Diamondbacks have been forced to call up young players to fill the gaps. For the most part, those young players have made outstanding contributions to the team.

Outfielder Gerardo Parra was first. He has appeared in seventy-seven games so far and is hitting .298 with five home runs, eight triples, twelve doubles, and forty-three RBI. Coming into the season, while playing in AA Mobile Bay, he was considered to be a future star in the Dbacks outfield. Aparently, for Parra, the future is now. It is unlikely he will be anywhere but Arizona.

Next up, was Ryan Roberts. Originally, Roberts was called up to cover third base while Mark Reynolds moved over to first when Chad Tracy got hurt. Roberts was then recalled shortly after the All-Star break when the team traded starting second basemen Felipe Lopez to Milwaukee. Overall, Roberts has appeared in seventy games and is his hitting .279 with five home runs, three of which came last week, thirteen doubles, and fourteen RBI. The nice thing about Roberts is that he can play multiple positions in the field. Although he is now mainly a second basemen, Roberts has also played third base and outfield.

Alex Romero who had been splitting time with Chris Young, until Young was recently sent down to AAA Reno, looks to be the new main man in center field. Romero is hitting .301 in thirty-five games, and has five doubles and two triples to go along with eleven RBI. Romero also appeared in seventy-eight games for the Diamondbacks last season, but he looks much better this year although he has only played in less than half as many games. He may never be a power hitter, but he has the speed to make up for it. So far in his young career he has seventeen extra base hits and six stolen bases on six attempts. With continued improvement like he has already seen, the future looks bright for Romero.

The newest arrival for the Dbacks is outfielder Trent Oeltjen. The youngster from Australia has only played in six Major Leagues so far, but has managed to impress in those six games. He is currently hitting .414 with three home runs, two doubles, a triple, and three RBI. This past Tuesday night against the Mets, Oeltjen went four for four and was a home run short of hitting for the cycle. If this kid can put up these kinds of numbers in just six games, imagine what he might be capable of over the course of a whole season. In his 106 games played in AAA Reno this season he was hitting .358 with ten home runs, twenty-seven doubles, fourteen triples, and sixty-one RBI. Despite these numbers, it is hard to say what will happen with Oeltjen as he is filling in for the injured Justin Upton. It seems like one of the biggest questions facing the Diamondbacks in the upcoming off season will be one of the biggest questions they had to face last off season, how will the find room for all the talent they have in the outfield?

There may be another future star looming on the Dbacks roster. Second basemen Rusty Ryal who was just called up from AAA Reno. He has not yet had an opportunity to show off his potential having only had five at bats in three games, but he has hit safely in three of those five at bats, and two were for doubles. However, based on his numbers while playing for AAA Reno, he could become the Dbacks everyday second basemen before long. In Reno, Ryal was hitting .347 with seventeen home runs, thirty-three doubles, six triples, and seventy RBI. He was the team leader in home runs, doubles and RBI.

Given the way the Diamondbacks have been playing of late, along with the caliber of talent they are developing in their farm system, it is very likely they will be back in the NL West hunt next year. This year is a loss, they are seventeen games behind the division leading Dodgers, and even twelve games out of second place. Right now the best they could hope for is to continue playing good baseball and catch the Giants for third. It is not too late to salvage a little respectability for this season, maybe even finish around .500.