TOP TEN PROSPECTS 1. Jameson Taillon, rhp 2. Tony Sanchez, c 3. Stetson Allie, rhp 4. Starling Marte, of 5. Luis Heredia, rhp 6. Bryan Morris, rhp 7. Rudy Owens, lhp 8. Jeff Locke, lhp 9. Zack Von Rosenberg, rhp 10. Chase d'Arnaud, ss/2b BEST TOOLS Best Hitter for Average Tony Sanchez Best Power Hitter Quincy Lattimore Best Strike-Zone Discipline Matt Hague Fastest Baserunner Justin Bencsko Best Athlete Starling Marte Best Fastball Jameson Taillon Best Curveball Jameson Taillon Best Slider Stetson Allie Best Changeup Jeff Locke Best Control Rudy Owens Best Defensive Catcher Tony Sanchez Best Defensive Infielder Argenis Diaz Best Infield Arm Jordy Mercer Best Defensive Outfielder Gorkys Hernandez Best Outfield Arm Starling Marte PROJECTED 2014 LINEUP Catcher Tony Sanchez First Base Andrew Lambo Second Base Neil Walker Third Base Pedro Alvarez Shortstop Chase d'Arnaud Left Field Andrew McCutchen Center Field Starling Marte Right Field Jose Tabata No. 1 Starter Jameson Taillon No. 2 Starter James McDonald No. 3 Starter Luis Heredia No. 4 Starter Bryan Morris No. 5 Starter Rudy Owens Closer Stetson Allie The Pirates' management team is aiming for a "flood" of talent in the system, to borrow general manager Neal Huntington's oft-used term. The organization currently has a wave of hitting that has just crested over the top, a wave of pitching coming from the bottom and a whole lot of question marks in between. Pittsburgh went 57-105 in 2010, the third-highest loss total in the franchise's 124 years and one described by team president Frank Coonelly as an "embarrassment to the city." Few who witnessed the franchise's 18th straight losing season would argue, given that the Pirates ranked last or next-to-last in the majors in scoring, runs allowed and defensive efficiency. Manager John Russell was fired despite having another year left on his contract—he was replaced by Clint Hurdle—while Huntington was allowed to stay for the same term. Coonelly explained retaining Huntington by saying that while there have been misses among the team's many veteran-for-prospect trades, he remained supportive of his broader work in building up the system. In Pittsburgh last year, those efforts were reflected in the promising rookie showings of third baseman Pedro Alvarez (No. 2 overall pick in 2008), outfielder Jose Tabata (trade acquisition) and second baseman Neil Walker (first-round pick in 2004). With Andrew McCutchen continuing to shine after a strong rookie performance in 2009, the Pirates have the most promising top four in their lineup in a generation. All four players are 25 or younger. While Pittsburgh's 2010 Opening Day payroll of $35 million was the lowest in the majors, the club once again spent significant money at the amateur level. Coonelly helped enforce the informal slotting system when he worked for MLB, but in his three years as president, the Pirates have led all of baseball by spending $30.7 million on draft bonuses. That includes $11.9 million in 2010, a franchise record and just $27,000 shy of the all-time draft mark the Nationals set last summer. Pittsburgh gave No. 2 overall pick Jameson Taillon $6.5 million, the second-largest bonus in draft history, and paid second-rounder Stetson Allie $2.25 million, nearly as much as it gave No. 4 overall choice Tony Sanchez a year earlier. The Pirates also signed Mexican righthander Luis Heredia for $2.6 million, shattering the team's previous international record of $400,000 given to Venezuelan outfielder Exicardo Cayonez in 2008. Those three pitchers offer Pittsburgh its best hope for a legitimate ace since Doug Drabek in the early 1990s, adding top-end quality to an already-encouraging quantity of pitching in the system. Double-A Altoona won the Eastern League championship largely because of a prospect-filled rotation of Bryan Morris, Rudy Owens, Jeff Locke and Justin Wilson, and Pirates minor league starters ranked 10th in baseball with a collective 4.18 ERA. However, scouts outside the organization aren't nearly as excited about the collection of arms as those on the inside. Some say it isn't as talented as the group that brought Zach Duke, Tom Gorzelanny and Paul Maholm to Pittsburgh a few years ago. Of greater concern was a spate of injuries in 2010. The top position prospects in the system, catcher Tony Sanchez and center fielder Starling Marte, missed two months each. Several other players missed long stretches, including center fielder Gorkys Hernandez and pitchers Victor Black, Colton Cain and Quinton Miller. http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/rankings/organization-top-10-prospects/2011/2611137.html --

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