We are proud to announce The San Diego Padres Top 30 Prospects for 2012. Peter Friberg has been studying minor league and amateur baseball players for nearly 10 years and has been writing about Padres minor leaguers for approximately eight. Peter has compiled his top 30 prospects in the Padres system for 2012, we are now into the top 10, continuing with #3 Anthony Rizzo. It should be noted that this list was complied before the trade of Mat Latos.  An updated list will be posted next week, with the additions of players acquired by the Padres.

View 11-15 here

View 16-20 here

View 21-25 here

View 26-30 here

2011 San Diego Padres Top 30 Prospects

3.  Anthony Rizzo, 1B, 6’3” 220, Born: Aug. 8, 1989

Good: Anthony Rizzo possesses all the tools you look for in big league first baseman. He is strong. He is agile. He can hit for power and average. He can play elite defense at first. There isn’t anything to dislike. While Rizzo struggled in his first go-round in the big leagues, so did Adrian. It means nothing. Rizzo can hit.

Bad: Anthony is routinely compared to Adrian Gonzalez for his sweet swing, good defense, and above-average power. The problem is Adrian never struck out as much as Anthony does. Likewise, Adrian hit for a much higher average (other than Anthony’s Tucson-inflated statistics). One last concern (and this is completely outside of Anthony’s control), PETCO swallows left-handed power. As a lefty-hitter, Anthony might not be the best choice for the Padres because of his handedness and the Padres’ park. Until the Padres move the RF fences in, lefty power-hitters will struggle in San Diego.

Outlook: Rizzo will either begin his 2012 campaign back in Tucson to get full-time at-bats or as part of 3-way rotation between 1B and LF with Kyle Blanks and Jesus Guzman. If we were looking at Rizzo in any other home park, his profile is that of someone who will contend for All Star games regularly but will probably not be discussed in the first tier of MLB first basemen.