Oakland WAUthletics Top 20 Prospects

Next up in the AL West prospect reviews is Oakland, a farm that has recently produced Wade Davis, Ike Davis, Brad Lincoln, and Jeremy Hellickson. Let's see if the Athletics have been able to maintain an above average farm. Grades and commentary are after the jump.

Oakland Athletics Top 20 Prospects
Grade: A
1.) Dustin Ackley, 2B, SEA

Grade: B+
2.) Jonathan Singleton, 1B, PHI

Grade: B
3.) Kaleb Cowart, 3B, LAA

Grade: B-
4.) Ian Krol, LHP, OAK
5.) Jacob Thompson, RHP, TAM

Grade: C+
6.) Nick Kingman, RHP, PIT
7.) Addison Reed, RHP, CWS
8.) Matthew Thomson, RHP, OAK
9.) Brett DeVall, LHP, ATL
10.) Ryan Ortiz, C, OAK
11.) Aaron Altherr, OF, PHI

Grade: C
12.) Kendal Volz, RHP, BOS
13.) Connor Hoehn, RHP, OAK
14.) Angelo Songco, OF, LAD
15.) Colton Cain, LHP, PIT
16.) Conner Crumbliss, 2B, OAK
17.) Rashun Dixon, OF, OAK
18.) Tyler Vail, RHP, OAK
19.) Michael Ynoa, RHP, OAK
20.) Jaime Pedroza, 2B, LAD

System Commentary:
Despite a somewhat thin farm, Oakland's system could be a lot worse. Dustin Ackley is one of my favorite prospects in the game, though he is the only truly elite player left in the A's minors. I'm extremely high on Kaleb Cowart as well, and think he'll end up being one of the better bats in the 2010 draft. The system is currently heavily reliant on the last two AMAT draft classes, and more specifically, real-life Oakland auto-assigns. I am admittedly high on Ryan Ortiz and Conner Crumbliss, but most of the other names here are high-risk gambles (Altherr, Ynoa, Dixon, Cain). If they pan out, though, the Athletics should have a really solid system over the next couple of years.  If not, they'll need to continue to draft well and hope for some better auto-assigns.