Like a sports car that's sat around the garage all winter, Howie Kendrick is having a hard time getting going this spring.

Of the seven Spring Training games the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have played, their second baseman has only participated in the first three.

Kendrick went just 1-for-8 at the plate in those games, though his one hit resulted in an RBI double.

However, given his professional history, there is every indication he will start swinging with authority, and soon.

This spring aside, Kendrick is a dynamic force at the plate. At all professional levels, he's made a living finding gaps and driving balls the opposite way. 

In the minors, he never hit below .360. In the majors, he's amassed a .302 career average. When he was sent to the minors last season to work on his inexplicably ailing swing, he responded by hitting at a near .375 clip the rest of the way.

Lesson learned.

No, Kendrick's bat is, by no means, a major concern just yet. His defense, however, is.

In those three Spring Training games he played this year, Kendrick was credited with three errors, the most of any Angel in camp.

Only two other Opening Day starters have errors, one apiece, while minor league second baseman Ryan Mount has two.

What's worse, Kendrick could easily have more.

Several times this spring, he's let grounders roll by him or fired the ball over his first baseman's head only to have the batter be awarded a hit. 

If the scoring were different, Kendrick's errors could double his games played, somewhat of a surprise considering he made just four errors in 95 regular season games last year.

But, before these figures are dismissed as anomalies that will quickly disappear like waning winter frost, keep in mind one simple fact: Kendrick's worth will always rest with his bat, not his glove.

As a rising star in 2006, he was touted as the next great thing to happen to the Angels' infield (before Kendry Morales slammed that book closed). 

Many baseball pundits picked Kendrick to win not just one, but multiple batting titles with his uncanny ability to zero in on pitches and drive them the other way.

No one ever said he'd be a Gold Glover.

And in four professional seasons, he's been anything but.

Kendrick is average at best in the field. Sure, he's shown some range and has yet to hit double figures in errors for a season. But he's also been less than impressive.

Just like his first three games this spring, Kendrick often fumbles seemingly routine plays, letting balls slip under his glove or out of his throwing hand. And just like this spring, those gaffs occasionally come back as hits in the box score.

Early as it may be, it is disturbing to see Kendrick, now entering his fifth big league season, fail to progress on defense. He might not be Alfonso Soriano out there, but he's far from Maicer Izturis or Erick Aybar.

And if his struggles in the field continue on into the regular season, don't think for a second that manager Mike Scioscia will put up with it.

He's already demoted the established Kendrick once for poor performance, and with steady defenders like Izturis and Freddy Sandoval waiting in the wings, Scioscia is sure to keep an eye on his glove.

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After being one of the most disappointing teams in baseball in 2009, the Mets and their fans hoped to ring in 2010 with a fast and furious start to the Grapefruit League. It hasn't happened, however, as the Mets have had to deal with many of the same issues this year that plagued the team last season.

Injuries, a problem that many believe was the main culprit behind New York's miserable 2009 campaign, have begun to rear their ugly heads again this spring. While injuries are indeed a part of the game, once again some of the Mets' biggest stars are missing time, a sight that has to scare any Mets fan.

It gets worse, however, as the human train wreck that was Oliver Perez in 2009 has seemingly picked up this spring exactly where he left off before injuries and ineffectiveness ended his season early.

Perez was arguably the worst starting pitcher in baseball last year. He struggled with his control and his confidence, and actually allowed almost two baserunners per inning that he pitched (131 baserunners allowed in 66 innings pitched in 2009).

So perhaps no Mets player needed to get off to a fast start during spring training more than Perez, but after his first start against the Nationals on Mar. 7, in which Perez allowed five runs on seven hits in three innings pitched, it was proof that this may be what Mets fans should expect from the southpaw hurler.

If this is indeed a glimpse of things to come for Oliver Perez in 2010, the Mets' season is in big trouble...and so may be Omar Minaya's job.

Perez was given a three-year, $36 million contract prior to last season with the hopes that he would be the No. 2 starter, or at worst the No. 3, not the worst pitcher on the Amazin's staff.

With John Maine a constant injury concern, Mike Pelfrey taking a step back last year, and the Mets front office unable to bring in any pitching help during the offseason, the Mets need to count on Perez more than ever if they have even the slightest chance of being successful in the tough NL East. Simply put, if Perez doesn't bounce back, the Mets will try to contend with one reliable starting pitcher in Johan Santana, and oh yeah, he's coming off of season-ending elbow surgery.

Whatever Perez does in 2010 will undoubtebly directly affect the Mets' on-field performance, but if Perez falters once again, it may have a far greater reach throughout the entire New York Mets organization.

In other words, if Perez puts up another stinker this season, it will probably be the final nail in the coffin of GM Omar Minaya's Mets career.

Prior to 2009, the Mets had a choice between re-signing the enigmatic yet talented Perez for approximately $12 million per season and signing the aging yet reliable Derek Lowe for roughly $2 million more per year. By most accounts, there was a divide within the Mets' front office on which pitcher to bring to Queens, with Minaya being one of the bigger Perez supporters. Minaya got his way, ultimately signing Perez while letting Lowe sign with division rival Atlanta.

Perez went 3-4 with a 6.82 ERA, while Lowe won 15 games and pitched 194 innings (almost 130 more than Perez). After only one season, the move to pick Perez over Lowe was beginning to look like not only one of the worst moves in Minaya's GM career, but one that ranked up there with the trading of Tom Seaver and the acquisition of Victor Zambrano in exchange for Scott Kazmir.

Sure, it's only one season, but another bad year by Perez could force the Mets to pull the plug on this experiment, especially if by some miracle, the Mets are in contention. The Wilpons will not be happy if they are forced to eat the remainder of Perez's contract, or if they have to pay him while he under-performs at Triple-A Buffalo.

So, on the eve of Oliver Perez's second spring start, Mets fans eagerly await to see if the lefty will give them any positive signs that whatever plagued him a season ago is nothing but history.

No pressure Ollie, it's not like your team's season or your GM's job is resting on your arm.

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The pitching continues to be a big focus, as Joba Chamberlain has struggled in his two appearances so far. Nick Johnson has come back from a brief injury and is performing well— as is Curtis Granderson. See their battle and the others at Double G Sports.

1. Fifth starter battle: Chamberlain struggling big time, Hughes has been OK, but Aceves performing the best so far.
2. No. 2 hitter battle: Johnson and Granderson battling it out.
3. Bullpen: Robertson struggled a bit and Albaladejo has been nothing short of terrible.

See all the position battles and latest stat updates at Double G Sports .

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I stayed away from any 2010 ranking because I didn't want it to cloud my judgement. I have completed the Nationals , Twins , A's , Diamondbacks , Angels , Blue Jays , and Astro's.

After doing the research on the Indians organization I found out just how deep it is. Most of the players on my list were acquired within the last two years, so kudos to Indians GM Mark Shapiro for refilling the organization. I now present to you the Cleveland Indians' 2010 top 10 prospects.

1) Carlos Santana-C (Will Be 24 in April)

No shocker here, as Carlos Santana is the Indians' No. 1 prospect. He is used to being in this spot as he was voted as Baseball America's No. 1 prospect for the 2009 season.

The slugging catcher was the Eastern League MVP last season, playing for Double-A Akron where he was in the top tier of most offensive categories. So let’s take a look at why he is so valued and thought of as the future backstop of the Tribe.

2009 STATS: .290 BA, 30 2B, 2 3B, 23 HR, 97 RBI, 91 R. In 428 AB he had 83 SO, 90 BB, and had a .943 OPS.

His 23 home runs were best among Indians minor leaguers and ranked second in the entire Eastern League. The 97 RBI he had were good for second in the Indians organization, and in the Eastern League, he was also second in the RBI count. His .530 slugging percentage was third best among Indians minor leaguers but led all of the Eastern League. He also led the Eastern League in OPS with a .943 mark.

Obviously you’re starting to see why he’s so highly valued. He was the most consistent batter in the Eastern League last season and plays one of the most demanding positions on the field. He is everything you would want in a catcher when it comes to the bat. He can hit for average and can hit the long ball.

If it wasn’t for Lou Marson, he would probably be the opening day catcher, and still has a shot at the role. I think a more-likely situation is Santana will be sent to Columbus and if Marson falters at any point, they would bring him up. He could also platoon with Marson or serve as a backup. Whatever his role is come opening day, it’s only a matter of time before he’s behind the dish for the Tribe full-time.

2) Jason Knapp-RHP (Will Be 20 in August)

In my mind, Jason Knapp was the key piece in the deal that sent Cliff Lee to Philadelphia. Knapp was an 18-year-old for the Single-A Lakewood Blueclaws, leading the entire minor leagues in strikeouts. Around June, he started to experience discomfort in his arm and it resulted in bad starts, which sent his ERA from the high twos to mid fours.

When the Indians pulled the trigger on the Lee deal, Knapp was actually injured at the time, but they didn’t even care. The teenager spent the entire 2009 season in Single-A Lakewood/Lake County last season and had some success there

2009 STATS: 2-7 record with a 4.18 ERA. In 21 games and 97 IP, he let up three HRs while compiling 123 SO, 47 BB. He held his opponents to a .212 BA.

The good thing about Knapp is his ability to keep the ball in the park. In 97 innings pitched he only allowed three home runs, which is a great asset. His strikeout numbers are good, but I would like to see him lower his walks. You can see by his opponents’ batting average that he has good stuff, as he held them to a .212 average, but the ERA was still in the low fours (4.18).

You may look at Knapp's numbers and not be impressed but I'll leave you with these thoughts: The first is that Knapp is still a teenager and won’t turn 20 until August. The second is that, in this day and age of teams being so cautionary with the talent they either sign or receive in trades, what does it say about Knapp's ability that the Indians didn’t even care that he was injured at the time of the trade? He should start the season out in Lake County.

3) Michael Brantley-LF (Will Be 23 in May)

Michael Brantley is only 22-years-old but could very well be the Indians starting left fielder come opening day. This former seventh-round pick in the 2005 draft was the player to be named later in the deal that sent Carsten Charles Sabathia to the Brewers in 2008.

Brantley has gone through the minor leagues, experiencing no real growing pains that you would expect for anyone who is drafted out of high school. He is coming off a very successful 2009 campaign which saw him end it in Progressive Field.

2009 COMBINED STATS: .276 BA, 25 2B, 2 3B, 6 HR, 48 RBI, 90 R. In 569 AB, he had 67 SO, 67 BB and a .709 OPS. He also had 50 SB, 9 CS.

Obviously, his bread and butter is his ability to steal bases. He had more success at Triple-A Columbus where he swiped 46 bags and only got thrown out five times as opposed to his four steals and four caught stealings he had in the majors, but I wouldn’t be too worried about it. He needs to learn the major league catchers, but before too long he will have them figured out.

He doesn’t bring much with the power department, only hitting six home runs, but when you’re getting that speed on the basepaths, it cancels the other out. If he could improve his BA I would say he could be a top-of-the-lineup guy, but his average was too low in my book to warrant the second spot in a lineup. He could start out in the seventh hole, but if he is able to improve the average he will be a top-of-the-lineup guy.

4) Lou Marson-C (Will Be 24 in June)

Lou Marson was one of the brightest prospects the Phillies had last season. He's coming off of a 2008 season where he was selected to the 2008 Futures Games, represented Team USA in the Beijing Olympics, and ended his season hitting his first career HR in the major leagues on the last day of the regular season.

With fans being suspect of Carlos Ruiz' bat, they saw Marson who hit .314/5/46 for Double-A Redding and wanted that offense. When spring training came around, one of the big stories in Phillies camp was whether Marson would be Carlos Ruiz' backup or sent down to Triple-A Leigh High Valley. The Phillies decided it would benefit their young catching prospect more to get the at bats in Triple-A than get very few ABs in the majors serving as a backup. So, Marson started the season out as an Iron Pig but ended it as an Indian as he was yet another piece the Indians got in the Cliff Lee deal from Philadelphia.

2009 STATS: .272 BA, 25 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 37 RBI, 51 R. In 375 AB, he had 80 SO, 50 BB, and a .715 OPS.

While his Triple-A/MLB numbers aren’t anything that jump off the page at you, I assure you Lou Marson can swing the stick. He isn’t going to be a Carlos Santana guy when it comes to power, but he’s a smart hitter who had 15 hits in the majors this season with seven of them being doubles.

There’s a good chance Marson is going to be the Indians' opening day catcher while Carlos Santana gets more seasoning in the minors, but he’s going to have to really work hard to keep Santana from taking his job. I'm a huge fan of Marson and had him listed as the Phillies' seventh-best prospect going into the 2008 season, and I moved him up to third for the 2009 season. The former 2004 fourth-round pick out of Coronado High School won the Paul Owens Award in 2008 which is given to the best Phillies minor league hitter in the organization. He’s got great strike-zone discipline and I hope he gets a good shot with Santana lurking.

5) Eric Berger-LHP (Will Turn 24 in April)

All Eric Berger has done since being selected in the eighth round of the 2008 draft is dominate. It seems like, no matter where the Indians front office decide to put him, he puts up eye-popping numbers, and such was the case in his second professional season. The 2009 season saw Berger make it to Double-A Akron but he originally started the season out in High Single-A Kinston. At both levels, he pitched great, compiling a 2.45 ERA in Kinston and a 2.67 in Akron.

2009 COMBINED STATS: 10-9 record with a 2.50 ERA. In 27 starts and 144 IP, he had 133 SO, 61 BB. He let up five HRs and held his opponents to a .233 BA.

Berger's 2.50 ERA was the third-best ERA among Indians minor leaguers. His 10 wins were ranked fifth in the organization, and his 133 strikeouts were the second-best in the Indians' farm system.

Don’t be shocked if you see him in the majors this season. I would expect him to start the season out in Double-A because he only started six games last year, but in his six games he showed a lot. If he continues his success from last year he could be a September call-up when the time comes.

6) Lonnie Chisenhall-3B (Will Be 21 For the 2010 Season)

Chisenhall was the Indians' first-round pick back in the 2008 season. He was chosen 29th overall under a cloud of controversy. Chisenhall was kicked off his University of South Carolina team after he was arrested for burglary and grand larceny. This ended his career as a Gamecock. The Indians either thought he had put that in the past or just didn’t care and wanted his talent, and they certainly got it last season.

Chisenhall played most of last season in High Single-A Kinston and at the tail end of the season received a call up to Double-A Akron. He played much better at Single-A Kinston than he did Double-A Akron, but when he was able to put the ball in play at Akron, he made it meaningful.

2009 COMBINED STATS: .258 BA, 31 2B, 3 3B, 22 HR, 92 RBI, 72 R. He had 96 SO with 44 BB. He also had a .797 OPS.

Don’t let the batting average fool you; he can hit. In High Single-A Kinston he hit .276, but his Double-A Akron batting average of .183 brought his season total down. The 22 home runs he hit were good for second among Indians minor league hitters, only one behind No. 1 prospect Carlos Santana. His 92 RBI ranked third in the organization.

He had a taste of Double-A this season and will start the season in Double-A Akron next season. Some scouts didn’t know how he would project power-wise. He’s a line drive hitter who has obviously proven he can hit the long ball. He’s got great plate presence but no speed to speak of whatsoever. He’s also suspect defensively and will probably have to switch positions to one of the corner outfield spots.

7) Scott Barnes-LHP (Will Be 23 in September)

Barnes was the key piece in the deal that sent Ryan Garko to the San Francisco Giants. Barnes was originally an eighth-round draft pick in the 2008 draft by the Giants out of St. John's University but joined the Indians organization and pitched for High Single-A Kinston and Double-A Akron after starting his season pitching for the High Single-A San Jose Giants.

Barnes pitched great in Single-A, posting a 2.85 ERA for San Jose and a 2.13 ERA for Kinston. In six games at Akron, he struggled, posting a 5.68 ERA, but the jump from Single-A to Double-A can be a shock to some pitchers. The batters are more experienced and patient at the plate and it can take some getting used to.

COMBINED 2009 STATS: 14-5 record with a 3.41 ERA. In 27 games and 142.1 IP, he had 138 SO, 49 BB. He did let up 15 HRs and opponents hit .247 off of him.

He lets up way too many home runs and needs to learn how to keep them in the park. Other than that, his stats speak for themselves. However, I would expect him to be in Double-A Akron to start the season.

8) Alex White-RHP (Will Be 22 in August)

White was the first overall pick for the Indians in last June’s draft. He was taken with the fifteenth pick out of the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. He signed in mid-August thanks to the negotiating skills of Scott Boras, who got him an above-slot contract, but since he signed so late he was unable to compete in the minors in 2009. So let’s take a look at his 2009 numbers at UNC.

2009 STATS: 4-0 record with a 1.57 ERA. In 34 1/3 IP he had 74 K, and only 7 BB.

In his last game ever as a Tar Heel, he faced BYU and dominated. He went seven innings, yielded no runs on two hits, and struck out 15. He can throw six different pitches but has three really good ones. His fastball is in the 92-95 MPH range but has touched 97 before. It’s got decent movement with some sink on it. His changeup is probably his worst pitch but he doesn’t throw it often. His curveball is more of a get-me-over pitch for him. Uses it to get ahead in the count and keep guys off balance. His slider is really good with a hard bite that reaches mid-80s on the gun. His best pitch is his splitter, which is his out pitch.

His numbers from UNC are amazing. What impressed me more than anything is his reluctance to give up the free pass to first. Seven walks with 74 strikeouts is quite an amazing ratio.

He recently pitched a 1-2-3 inning in an intersquad game in spring training and should be headed to High Single-A Kinston come the start of the season. Hopefully he can carry over his success from UNC.

9) Brett Brach-RHP (Will be 22 in March)

Brach was taken in the 10th round of last June’s draft. Another product of the 2009 draft, Brach made the most of his opportunity when the Indians signed him and sent him to Low-A Mahoning. He spent his first pro season in Mahoning but after his success will definitely be in line for a promotion come 2010.

2009 STATS: 5-2 record with a 2.19 ERA. In 78 IP he had 61 SO, 20 BB and only let up one HR. He also held his opponents to a .215 BA.

While he doesn’t have the power numbers, with only 61 strikeouts, he did everything right. Nothing flashy, but he only let up one HR and, as I’ve said before, if you keep it in the park you keep the ERA down—everybody wins. I would like to see him lower his walk total a little but it’s not a pressing issue at the moment. I would expect him in Lake County or possibly High Class-A Kinston.

10) Carlos Carrasco-RHP (Will Be 23 in March)

Carlos Carrasco was the Phillies' No. 1 prospect in 2007 and 2008. He was the Phillies' No. 2 prospect in 2009 behind Domonic Brown. He was one of the brightest pitching prospects the Phillies have had since Cole Hamels, but last season he looked more like a punching bag than a top prospect.

Carrasco, like Marson, had a 2008 which saw him jump to Double-A Redding, start the Futures Game for the World Team and pick up the win, and finish the season in Triple-A Leigh High Valley. His Double-A numbers were just okay, and I will admit I didn’t think he deserved a promotion to Triple-A, but Phillies GM Pat Gillick shockingly didn’t call to ask my opinion on the matter.

In 2009, things started out great for Carrasco. He was invited to Phillies spring training where he competed with Kyle Kendrick, Chan Ho Park, and JA Happ for the Phillies' fifth starter spot. In a shock, Carrasco, the long shot, beat out incumbent Kyle Kendrick, but he was ultimately sent down to Triple-A. Triple-A was rough for Carrasco in 2009, as he got rocked. At one point he was 0-6 for the Iron Pigs and many thought he should be sent down to Double-A, while others thought he was either tired or injured.

In July, he was involved in the Cliff Lee trade, and in his first start for Triple-A Columbus he not only faced his former team, but their new pitcher, former Cy Young winner Pedro Martinez. Carrasco pitched well for the Clippers and received a call up to the majors where he made his major league debut on Sep. 1, 2009. Carrasco was awful in his five starts for the Indians, giving up almost a run an inning.

COMBINED 2009 STATS: 11-14 record with a 6.76 ERA. In 179.1 IP he had 159 SO, 56 BB and let up 23 HR.

These stats were between the Triple-A teams he played for and his short stint with the Indians, but nothing is really good. Carrasco's big problem is he surrenders way to many home rus. No. 1 prospect Carlos Santana hit as many home runs in 2009 as Carlos Carrasco let up. He had a 8.87 ERA in the majors as hitters were rushing to the bat rack to get a piece of the rookie.

Carrasco still has a ton of potential but I do want to say that I think the Phillies might have treated his situation poorly. I always thought, last season and even part of 2008, that he was either worn down or injured.

That’s all speculation on my part, but I emailed Daily News writer Bill Conlin about him last season and he told me, "I think he’s destined for surgery." The Phillies rushed him through the system because of fan pressure, I believe. There was no reason for him to be in Triple-A in 2008 and he should have been sent back down to Double-A last season. If the Indians were smart they would put him down in Columbus for the season and make him earn his promotion.

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