6) Trevor Bell, 22 - RH SP, AA, AAA, Majors
7 wins, 7 losses. 140 IP, 2.70 ERA, 89 SO/35 BB. +23 runs saved
Bell had a fantastic 2009, resurrecting his prospect status by plowing through two minor league levels and making his MLB debut in August. We all saw him take his knocks with the big league club, of course, but that does not diminish the fact that the 22-year-old was stellar in AA and AAA. Now, the question is, what do we expect from him going forward? Bell's component ratios are eerily similar to Anthony Ortega's last year, Tommy Mendoza's this year, and what we would have expected from Sean O'Sullivan had he spent more time in the minors: a pedestrian K/IP rate, a low BB rate, moderate groundball tendencies, and the ability to consistently go 6+ innings per start. That's the definition of a back-of-the-rotation starter in the MLB, and a major storyline for the Halos in upcoming seasons is which one of those guys is going to claim that role. If I had to guess, I'd say Bell spends a few years bouncing between Salt Lake and Anaheim as a spot starter before settling in as quality reliever with the big league club. He's seen success in that role before, and it might allow his solid fastball/curve combo to play up that much more.
I'll continue posting the top performances through next week. Again, remember that this list is based entirely on statistical performance in 2009, and is not a traditional "best prospects" ranking.