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On Wednesday night, MLB.com released Jonathan Mayo's top 100 MLB prospects going into the 2012 season, and it has its fair share of surprises, as one would expect. But most fans don't delve into these lists just to look for rankings that look a tad wonky; most fans are simply trying to figure out where their favorite team's prospects are ranked.
Considering that, we thought that it might be helpful to break these lists down on a team-by-team basis to give you guys a look. Here's a breakdown of MLB.com's Top 100 prospect list for the NL East.
New York Mets
No. 28, RHP Zach Wheeler: Acquired from the San Francisco Giants last year in the Carlos Beltran deal, Wheeler has a huge arm. Already flashing two plus pitches in his fastball and curve, most scouts see him as a potential No. 2 starter.
No. 38, RHP Matt Harvey: Some evaluators tend to swap Wheeler and Harvey, both of whom are very good prospects. Harvey's arm isn't quite as electric as Wheeler's, but he's a bit further along assuming that his command issues don't crop up again.
No. 90, RHP Jeurys Familia: Nobody ever questioned Familia's fastball, it was everything else that worried scouts. His command and breaking offerings have finally shown some improvement, though, leaving evaluators drooling at what he could potentially look like with a few more improvements.
Atlanta Braves
No. 4, RHP Julio Teheran: Considered one of the best prospects in baseball for over a year now, Teheran comes in as the second-best pitching prospect in the game here. He's got three pitches that rate from above-average to plus and he's nearly MLB-ready.
No. 37, RHP Arodys Vizcaino: He's got a big-time arm with the only questions marks coming from his ultimate role. Some still see him as a starter, but he spent some time in the bullpen late last season and could potentially move there permanently at some point.
No. 42, RHP Randall Delgado: Not as explosive as Vizcaino, which tends to equate with a less impressive ceiling. He's still got pretty good raw stuff on his own, though, and should be ready to contribute somewhat soon.
No. 65, SS Andrelton Simmons: Some evaluators don't buy into the bat at all, but Mayo clearly isn't one of them. Simmons gets nearly universal praise for his defensive skills at shortstop, but you might to squint to see a legit MLB hitter. Mayo likes the bat speed and sees some real hitting ability. Could end up dropping off like Jose Iglesias, though.
No. 91, C Christian Bethancourt: He's an impressive athlete behind the plate that flashes raw power, which is a pretty standard profile for a top catching prospect. He also still needs to refine his work behind the plate and make some serious progress with his understanding of the strike zone.
Miami Marlins
No. 35, OF Christian Yelich: Miami's first-round pick in 2010, Yelich was impressive in his full-season debut. A natural hitter with a sweet swing, he's also a developing power hitter that's proven to have some pretty good base-running skills (32 steals in 2011).
No. 87, 3B Matt Dominguez: The book on Dominguez is pretty much written at this point. He's a plus defender at third base that could potentially be an elite asset there, but he also hasn't made nearly enough progress as a hitter over the past two years. He's still just 23, though.
Philadelphia Phillies
No. 54, RHP Trevor May: After trading numerous top prospects over the past few years, May slides in as Philadelphia's top prospect going into 2012. He's got impressive stuff and shown progress in his command over the past few years.
No. 78, LHP Jesse Biddle: Philadelphia's first-round pick in 2010, Biddle has impressive stuff for a lefty. He's still pretty far away from the majors as his secondary pitches need work, but scouts like his build and see a potential innings-eater.
No. 80, RHP Brody Colvin: He's coming off a disappointing 2011 season where his stock dropped for many evaluators, but Mayo still digs Colvin's combination of raw stuff and build. His command has often been shaky and a move to the bullpen might be necessary eventually, but the bullish scouts still see a high-quality starter.
Washington Nationals
No. 2, OF Bryce Harper: It's actually somewhat shocking that Harper isn't rated as the top prospect in the game, which says something about how essentially the entire industry views this player. He doesn't just have star potential, he has "best-player-in-the-sport" upside.
No. 27, 3B Anthony Rendon: Washington's first-round pick in 2011, many viewed him as a potential No. 1 overall pick before injuries hit during his senior season. When healthy, he can be a plus hitter with plus power, an above-average glove at third base and a plus arm. That's a potentially elite player on the hot corner.
No. 83, RHP Alex Meyer: He's a huge guy with a huge arm. And by huge, I mean literally, as Washington's other 2011 first-round pick stands at 6-foot-9. That height gives him an impressive plane to pitch with, and his fastball/slider combination is utterly dominating. That size also tends to mess with his mechanics, though, so he needs to prove that he can repeat his delivery and maintain his command.
No. 86, RHP Sammy Solis: Drafted in the second round of the 2010 draft by Washington, Solis was expected to be a fast-moving pitcher out of college. He's shown that he can meet those expectations after thriving in advanced Single-A during his first full-season. He needs to get more consistent with his stuff and stay away from injuries that cropped up in 2011.