Highlighting top Padres prospects for '10

We break down the top five prospects for each organization for 2010, taking into consideration: games, at-bats, innings and major-league service time. We expect these players to have rookie status remaining heading into next year.

According to MLB rules: "A player shall be considered a rookie unless, during a previous season or seasons, he has (a) exceeded 130 at-bats or 50 innings pitched in the major leagues; or (b) accumulated more than 45 days on the active roster of a major league club or clubs during the period of 25-player limit (excluding time in the military service and time on the disabled list)."

Note: Statistics are those at each stop in the minors this season and age represents how old they will be on opening day 2010.

San Diego Padres

The Padres put their rebuilding program into full go last season, dealing off Jake Peavy and a slew of serviceable relievers. They have a solid farm system with some high-ceiling guys long term, but it won't be enough to make them anything more than deep, deep sleepers in an improving NL West. After ushering a large haul of rookies to the major leagues in 2009, the Padres figure to allow their lower-level prospects far more time to grow -- with the possible exception of the pitchers.

1. Jaff Decker, OF, 20

One of the best high school bats of the 2008 draft did not disappoint in his first pro season in low Class A, hitting .299 with 16 homers, 84 RBI, 78 runs, 10 steals, a .442 on-base percentage and .514 slugging percentage. His pure hitting talent makes him a must-watch prospect in 2010, but the fact he is still so young and raw likely will keep him down on the farm for a full season. It should be fun to track his numbers in the notoriously hitter-friendly California League, though.

2. Donavan Tate, OF, 19

In many other years, Tate would have been a candidate to go No. 1 overall in last June's First-Year Player Draft. Instead, he played third fiddle to Stephen Strasburg and Dustin Ackley. Tate is a long-term project as a high school draftee, but he could eventually be a big-time Fantasy star. You just will have to wait years before he is a real candidate to be considered in non-keeper leagues.

3. Aaron Poreda, SP, 23

The White Sox didn't quite give up on Poreda, dealing him in a blockbuster package for Jake Peavy, but they weren't impressed with him enough to give him a chance last year as a starter. His 2.38 ERA and .206 batting-average against in 11 Double-A starts likely should have earned him a better look. They likely knew something about his command, or lackthereof. When he became a Padres farmhand, Poreda took a walk on the wild side, issuing 37 free passes in 32 2/3 Triple-A innings. That led to his 7.16 ERA and kept him from getting a start down the stretch for the pitching-needy Padres. Poreda will get a chance to earn a rotation spot out of spring training, but like so many left-handers, he might be a bit erratic in his first go-around as a big league starter. The talk of him becoming a late-inning reliever likely dies with the deal to San Diego, where pitching in a big ballpark should help him develop better than with the White Sox. Consider him a late-round sleeper in deeper leagues on Draft Day.

4. James Darnell, 3B, 23

The South Carolina product showed in his first full pro season he should not have lasted until the second round of the 2008 draft. He combined to go .311-20-81-80-8 (.424-.536) in 457 at-bats between low and high Class A. He also added an eye-popping 35 doubles. Darnell likely should open the 2010 season in Double-A, but we wouldn't be surprised to see him finish the year in the major leagues. Perhaps the only thing holding him back from being an elite long-term keeper prospect is the pitcher's park he would have to grow in with the Padres in Petco.

5. Logan Forsythe, 3B, 23

It will be interested to see what direction the Padres go on the hot corner in the future, having Kevin Kouzmanoff there now, Chase Headley available at third or left and Darnell and Forsythe working their way to the majors in 2010. While Darnell was picked behind him in 2008, we don't like Forsythe's power projection as much. He went .300-11-61-83-11 (.429-.440) in 480 at-bats between high Class A and Double-A last season and could be a Mark Teahen-like hitter, one that might struggle to produce 20 homers annually. Forsythe is far more patient than Teahen, though, drawing 102 walks. Consider him a keeper prospect worth stashing, but Darnell is a better way to go if you want a higher ceiling.

Best of the rest: Wynn Pelzer, SP; Cory Luebke, SP; Chad Huffman, OF; Cesar Carrillo, SP; Will Inman, SP; Kellen Kulbacki, OF; Matt Antonelli, 2B; Cedric Hunter, OF; Craig Italiano, SP; Corey Kluber, SP; Ryan Webb, RP; Eulogio De La Cruz, RP; Andrew Bovich, RP; Eric Sogard, DH; Lance Zawadzki, SS; Jeremy Hefner, SP; Dexter Carter, SP; Edinson Rincon, 3B; Jerry Sullivan, SP; Nick Schmidt, SP; Everett Williams, OF; Keyvius Sampson, SP; Jason Hagerty, C; Rymer Liriano, OF; Adys Portillo, SP; Jonathan Galves, SS; Allan Dykstra, 1B; Luis Durango, OF; Cole Figueroa, SS; Blake Tekotte, OF; Beamer Weems, SS; Simon Castro, SP; Ernesto Frieri, RP; Steve Garrison, SP; Drew Cumberland, SS; Drew Miller, SP; Ivan Nova, SP; and Mitch Canham, C.

2009 rookies to exhaust eligibility: Matt Latos, SP; Kyle Blanks, 1B; Will Venable, OF; Everth Cabrera, SS; Clayton Richard, SP; Wade LeBlanc, SD; Josh Geer, SP; Luke Gregerson, SD; Greg Burke, RP; Luis Perdomo, RP; Adam Russell, RP; and Drew Macias, OF.

Last year's top five here: Antonelli, 2B; Blanks, 1B; Pelzer, SP; Inman, SP; and Venable, OF.

You can e-mail Emack your prospect questions to DMFantasyBaseball@cbs.com. Be sure to put Prospects in the subject field. Please include your full name, hometown and state. Be aware, due to the large volume of submissions received, we cannot guarantee personal responses to all questions.