From NorCal to BA Top 10 Prospect

Baseball America is releasing it’s top 10 prospect lists for each organization & some former NorCal players are included (updated 12/15/09).

Jason Castro, Houston Astros, #1 ranked prospect – Castro, a catcher and former NorCal player, played his high school ball at Castro Valley HS and played collegiately at Stanford.  He was the #10 overall pick in the 2008 draft and is shooting through the Astros system, finishing last season at the AA level.

David Cooper, Toronto Blue Jays, #4 ranked prospect – Cooper, a 1st baseman and former NorCal player, played high school ball at Tokay HS in Lodi and then played collegiately at both Cal State Fullerton and Cal.  He was a 1st round pick in the 2008 draft and finished the 2009 season at the AA level.

James Darnell, San Diego Padres, #3 ranked prospect – Darnell, a 3rd baseman and another former NorCal player, starred at San Ramon Valley HS before moving on to the University of South Carolina where he was part of one of the most prolific offenses in recent college baseball memory.  He was drafted in the 2nd round of the 2008 draft and finished last year at the Hi A level.

Brett Jackson, Chicago Cubs, #2 ranked prospect - Jackson, a former shortstop from Miramonte HS in Orinda, attended Cal and developed into an oustanding centerfielder with 5-tool potential (overused term but it does apply to him).  Jackson was selected in the 1st round of the 2009 draft and finished his first professional season in Lo A ball.

Jeff Kobernus, Washington Nationals, #7 ranked prospect – A teammate of Jackson’s at Cal after a standout high school career at Bishop O’Dowd HS, Kobernus was the the first pick of the 2nd round of the 2009 draft, Kobernus played his entire first professional season at the Short Season level as he continued to settle into the 2nd base position that he played for the first time at Cal as a junior.