Tuesday Rockpile: Rockies place two prospects on Baseball America's Top 20 Northwest League

Baseball America continues its run through the minor leagues, yesterday presenting the Northwest League's Top 20. The Rangers top the list with five of the top 20, four pitchers and one position player. In the NL West, the Padres have four prospects, but only one in the top 10, the Giants have the #5 prospect (3B Conor Gillaspie), and the D'Backs check in at hte very bottom of the list with OF Collin Cowgill.

Two of the Rockies' 2008 draft picks made the top 10, and they are whom you'd expect: 1st round pick Christian Friedrich (#3) and 2nd round pick Charlie Blackmon (#10). Martin Perez is the only pitcher ahead of Friedrich on this list. Perez, a Texas prospect, is a 17-year-old lefty in his first state-side season (signed in 2007) who can reach 94 MPH on his fastball, has a good curveball, and is working on his changeup. Had Perez not made his debut this season, it's a good bet Freidrich would have been the top pitching  prospect in the NWL. Charlie Blackmon is the top OF prospect in the NWL. Blackmon was second in the league for BA (.338), eighth in OPS (.855), second in hits (98), and tied for third in doubles (21).

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We all know that Garrett Atkins's future with the Rockies is up in the air this off season, but what about Clint Barmes's? The Denver Post implies the Rockies should look into acquiring Florida's Dan Uggla and Oakland's Mark Ellis. Given a choice of Barmes, Uggla, and Ellis at second, who would you want their on Opening Day 2009?

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Squeaky and I went to the Mets game yesterday, and we both saw a team that wasn't really trying. Sure, the Mets showed something late in the game, but it was just too late. I mean, Jason Marquis had a grand slam? Another September collapse for the Mets.