Sleeper prospects to watch in 2011

While interest in baseball's draft has grown exponentially over the past few years, the overwhelming majority of that attention is given to the first round or, in the case of last year's television coverage, the first day of picks, which included a total of 50 selections including the supplemental round. There were 1,475 selections after that, and here are 10 who will be known a lot better 12 months from now.

Cody Buckel, RHP, Texas Rangers

While the Rangers' system has weakened significantly of late, it's still rich in young shortstops and young pitchers. And though many teams stay away from undersized pitchers, the Rangers have a history of seeing them as an undervalued commodity, and that's the case with Buckel, their second-round pick in June. Just 6-foot, the highly athletic Buckel nonetheless has an impressive arsenal with a low-90s fastball that consistently gets up to 93 mph as well as secondary pitches and command that are highly advanced for a teenager. He whiffed nine of the 17 batters he faced during a very brief pro debut in rookie ball, and is expected to strike out far more during his full-season debut.

For Kevin Goldstein's full breakdown of sleeper prospects to watch in 2011, you need to be an ESPN Insider.

• Recommend0
• Tweet0
• Email
• Subscribe