MiLB Top 10 Prospects Flashback: 2010 California League
Hall of Famers Roberto Alomar (1986), Ken Griffey Jr. (1988) and Pedro Martinez (1991) starred in the high Class A California League on their way to the big leagues.
So too did future Hall of Famer Adrian Beltre (1996), future MVPs Miguel Tejada (1996) and Buster Posey (2009) and prodigious sluggers Mark McGwire (1985) and Gary Sheffield (1987).
Yet another future Hall of Famer played in the Cal League in 2010, when Mike Trout (No. 1) spent the second half of his full-season debut with Rancho Cucamonga. He hit .306/.388/.434 with 27 walks and 33 strikeouts in 50 games as a 19-year-old and “was the youngest and most talented player on the field.”
2010 California League Top 10 Prospects
| No | Player | Pos | Team | Org | PA/IP | WAR |
| 1 | Mike Trout | OF | Rancho Cucamonga | Angels | 5,510 | 75.9 |
| 2 | Brandon Belt | 1B | San Jose | Giants | 4,382 | 21.9 |
| 3 | Grant Green | SS | Stockton | Athletics | 353 | -1.1 |
| 4 | Tyler Chatwood | RHP | Rancho Cucamonga | Angels | 847 | 10.9 |
| 5 | Engel Beltre | OF | Bakersfield | Rangers | 42 | -0.1 |
| 6 | Jonathan Villar | SS | Lancaster | Astros | 3,192 | 7.9 |
| 7 | Jaff Decker | OF | Lake Elsinore | Padres | 191 | -1.3 |
| 8 | Aaron Miller | RHP | Inland Empire | Dodgers | — | — |
| 9 | Juan Nicasio | RHP | Modesto | Rockies | 720 | 3.1 |
| 10 | Patrick Corbin | LHP | Visalia | D-backs | 1,206 | 20.5 |
Making his pro debut in the Cal League, first baseman Brandon Belt (No. 2) hit .383 with 10 homers in 77 games in a season he finished at Triple-A. He altered his swing after turning pro to “now stands more upright and doesn’t cut off his swing.” Belt showed in 2010 that “most of his current power goes to the opposite field,” and he continued to use all fields when he reached San Francisco.
Shortstop Jonathan Villar (No. 6) had “quick hands but a long swing” and would be “better off working to get on base and using his plus speed to create havoc.”
The Cal League’s reputation as a hitter’s league tended to work against pitching prospects, both in terms of performance and assignment, though Martinez and Felix Hernandez (2004) were notable exceptions.
California League All-Time BA No. 1 Prospects
Players listed with career major league plate appearances/innings and FanGraphs WAR. Stats for active players current through mid August.
| Year | Player | Pos | Team | Org | PA/IP | WAR |
| 1981 | George Hinshaw | OF | Reno | Padres | 35 | 0.2 |
| 1982 | Kevin McReynolds | OF | Reno | Padres | 6,039 | 27.6 |
| 1983 | Bill Wegman | RHP | Stockton | Brewers | 1,483 | 17.0 |
| 1984 | Glenn Braggs | OF | Stockton | Brewers | 2,609 | 6.3 |
| 1985 | Jeff Parrett | RHP | Stockton | Brewers | 725 | 4.1 |
| 1986 | Todd Stottlemyre | RHP | Ventura | Blue Jays | 2,192 | 26.9 |
| 1987 | Gary Sheffield | SS | Stockton | Brewers | 10,947 | 62.1 |
| 1988 | Ken Griffey Jr. | OF | San Bernardino | Mariners | 11,304 | 77.7 |
| 1989 | Jose Offerman | SS | Bakersfield | Dodgers | 6,582 | 13.9 |
| Year | Player | Pos | Team | Org | PA/IP | WAR |
| 1990 | Rich Garces | RHP | Visalia | Twins | 341 | 4.0 |
| 1991 | Pedro Martinez | RHP | Bakersfield | Dodgers | 2,827 | 90.0 |
| 1992 | Ray McDavid | OF | High Desert | Padres | 48 | -0.3 |
| 1993 | John Burke | RHP | Central Valley | Rockies | 75 | -0.3 |
| 1994 | Jose Herrera | OF | Modesto | Athletics | 423 | -1.2 |
| 1995 | Darin Erstad | OF | Lake Elsinore | Angels | 6,628 | 28.6 |
| 1996 | Miguel Tejada | SS | Modesto | Athletics | 9,205 | 39.7 |
| 1997 | Travis Lee | 1B | High Desert | D-backs | 4,233 | 7.0 |
| 1998 | Brad Penny | RHP | High Desert | D-backs | 1,925 | 22.2 |
| 1999 | Chin-Feng Chen | OF | San Bernardino | Dodgers | 25 | -0.1 |
| Year | Player | Pos | Team | Org | PA/IP | WAR |
| 2000 | Antonio Perez | SS | Lancaster | Mariners | 557 | 0.3 |
| 2001 | Dennis Tankersley | RHP | Lake Elsinore | Padres | 86 | -2.0 |
| 2002 | Rocco Baldelli | OF | Bakersfield | Rays | 2,065 | 8.0 |
| 2003 | Casey Kotchman | 1B | Rancho Cucamonga | Angels | 3,412 | 1.9 |
| 2004 | Felix Hernandez | RHP | Inland Empire | Mariners | 2,730 | 56.9 |
| 2005 | Brandon Wood | SS | Rancho Cucamonga | Angels | 751 | -3.0 |
| 2006 | Reid Brignac | SS | Visalia | Rays | 951 | -0.8 |
| 2007 | Justin Upton | OF | Visalia | D-backs | 7,135 | 36.0 |
| 2008 | Trevor Cahill | RHP | Stockton | Athletics | 1,451 | 14.6 |
| 2009 | Buster Posey | C | San Jose | Giants | 5,153 | 52.7 |
| Year | Player | Pos | Team | Org | PA/IP | WAR |
| 2010 | Mike Trout | OF | Rancho Cucamonga | Angels | 5,372 | 74.4 |
| 2011 | Tyler Skaggs | LHP | Visalia | D-backs | 521 | 4.5 |
| 2012 | Billy Hamilton | SS | Bakersfield | Reds | 3,111 | 10.1 |
| 2013 | Addison Russell | SS | Stockton | Athletics | 2,212 | 9.4 |
| 2014 | Carlos Correa | SS | Lancaster | Astros | 2,463 | 19.4 |
| 2015 | Sean Newcomb | LHP | Inland Empire | Angels | 346 | 4.5 |
| 2016 | Ryan Castellani | RHP | Modesto | Rockies | 14 | 0.4 |
| 2017 | Brendan Rodgers | SS | Lancaster | Rockies | 88 | -0.7 |
| 2018 | Jo Adell | OF | Inland Empire | Angels | 41 | -0.6 |
| 2019 | MacKenzie Gore | LHP | Lake Elsinore | Padres | — | — |
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