Our Top 20 is comprised from a transcript from the March 29, 2011 LuchTime HaloTalk radio show held every Tuesday Live and linked here at Halos Heaven. Our Top 20 is tabulated exclusively by our minor league expert analyst Ryan Ghan.
Rev Halofan: Ryan, who is Angels' prospect lucky number 13?
Ryan Ghan: I've got Alexi Amarista there. We've already seen a lot of him recently in spring training. He made a couple of phenomenal defensive plays at second base. He hit a homerun, opposite field, I think it was two games ago. You know, half the power guys in the majors struggle to do that, to hit homeruns to the opposite field. I think with him, it's probably a long-term question of just how good his defense is; he'll hit line drives, he'll always be able to make contact, and he'll even hit the ball harder than you'd expect a lot of the time.
But to differentiate himself from the Angels' current options in the middle of the infield, he's going to have to keep playing a very, very sweet second base. I think he's up to it. You know, he's got the aptitude. He's smart. He knows how to position himself. The thing that most stands out for me is his body control, his quickness. He's got the fastest hands I think I've ever seen. I saw him in Cedar Rapids and Rancho a few times, and the thing that stood out for me is that the guy makes plays in this blinding flash. His hands move so fast, and with such precision, it gives him outstanding play-making ability. The quick, strong hands also come through in his swing. He's able to come around on hard, inside stuff very, very quickly. He's got a very quick bat. That sort of athleticism just might carry him.
Rev Halofan: Do you think with quick hands like that he'd be able to do some Van Halen guitar solos given the proper instructions?
Ryan Ghan: I think that, given this guy's physical toolset, I wouldn't bet against him to do anything. Think about all of the bigger, stronger, faster guys who he beat out to get where he is. I would not bet against this guy. I'm sure that he's going to see major league time in the next couple of years.
In 23 games in AAA Salt Lake this season, Amarista has 102 Plate Appearances and an .860 OPS with 45 total bases. He turned 22 in April.