Posted by Michael Street on Wednesday, March 31, 2010 at 2:53 am

As some Asian players at the major-league level have established themselves and others have dealt with premature breakdowns, most teams have turned their attention to bringing Eastern talent over at a young age and developing them here in the States.

I began this list last year, and of the top ten players, four of them reached the big leagues, though some of them will return to the minors in 2010, making them still technically prospects. How do they stack up in 2010? Let’s take a look (Last year’s ranking in parentheses).

1. Junichi Tazawa SP (1) Boston Red Sox

Last year’s top spot belongs to the pitcher who started such a tumult when he bypassed the Japanese draft, then exceeded the loftiest expectations by rising from Double-A to Triple-A and all the way to MLB in a single season. He did well in three of his first four starts, got beat up in his next two, then Boston shut him down early with a strained groin. After a tough spring when he was nonetheless expected to return to the minors, he complained of elbow pain. A visit to The Dreaded Dr. Andrews revealed a strained elbow ligament, which means rehab or TJS is on the horizon for him. Still, the talent is real, and he’s proven that he can pitch at the big-league level.

2. Chia-Jen Lo SP (3) Houston Astros

This Taiwanese righty was in the States for the World Baseball Classic and could have pitched for Team Taiwan—given how that’s affected some pitchers, the Astros seem to be glad he didn’t. Instead, he made it all the way to Double-A in his first season, accumulating 3 saves to go with a 2.10 ERA and 1.14 WHIP across two levels. He fanned more than a batter per inning, but also walked 4.6 per 9IP, something he’ll have to get under control before he can advance. He should get to the Triple-A level this season, and could be a late-season callup as a high-leverage reliever.

3. Hak-Ju Lee SS (5) Chicago Cubs

Like many South Korean players, a punishing workload led to early TJS for Lee, who had to go under the knife before making his pro debut last year—and notice that Lee’s a shortstop, not a pitcher. Tall, skinny, and barely 19 years old, he made it to the low-A Boise Hawks last year, hitting .330/.399/.420, swiping 25 bags out of 33 attempts to lead the league. The power needs work, and he’s still growing into his body, as he led the league in errors last year, but was still ranked as the Northwest League’s #1 shortstop by Baseball America, who also speculate that he could eventually push Starlin Castro to second. He’s one to watch.

4. Dae-Eun Rhee SP (6) Chicago Cubs

Rhee was ranked lower in 2009’s list because he’d just undergone TJS, but had already shown enough to impress. He started his rehab this season and didn’t put up impressive numbers (9.35 ERA, 2.08 WHIP), but that was over just 8.2 IP when they were focusing more on mechanics than results. And his mechanics reportedly look great, and his stuff is returning—and what stuff it is. He starts with a fastball in the low to mid-nineties, alternating it with a great splitter that’s very hard to pick up, and a curve that still needs some work. He’s trying to add a slider, but his health is what’s most important right now; if that looks good, he could be excellent. He should be in high-A this year.

5. Che-Hsuan Lin CF (2) Boston Red Sox

Lin slips a few spots in this year’s ranking because of his slow development. He’s still only in high-A ball despite being in his third year of pro ball—that’s not awful, but he ought to be moving along faster than this. After going from the Sally League to the Carolina League, he only managed to boost his OPS from .701 to .720. His K% dropped a bit from 17% to 16% and lifted his walk rate from 11% to 14%, both very nice numbers. And he’s a clear four-tooler, with an amazing arm and excellent speed and defensive coverage, but his power is underwhelming (.365 SLG this year, .359 in 2008), which he needs to stand out more in an organization that’s already crammed with outfield talent. Look for him in Double-A this season, where he will have to take a big step forward to keep from slipping further down the list.

6. Chen-Chang Lee RP (NR) Cleveland Indians

Lee’s international experience (Gold Medalist, ‘08 Olympics and Silver Medal, ‘09 WBC) allowed Lee to start his pro career in high-A, with the Kinston Indians. Lee didn’t bat an eye, pitching 83 IP with a 3.35 ERA and 1.14 WHIP, striking out 10.5 batters per 9 IP, and maintaining a stingy 3.0 BB/9 walk rate. He’s got a smoking fastball that hits the upper nineties, a nice slider and a splitter that needs work. Best of all for Cleveland—as they’re learning with Shin-Soo Choo—Lee has already served his mandatory stint in the military, so he’s free and clear. He’ll be in double-A this year and should continue to rise in their organization (and these rankings) quickly.

7. Kyeon Kang LF (9) Tampa Bay Rays

South Korean Kang, who’s listed as “K.D. Kang” in some guides, is ranked as the top left fielder in the Rays’ organization by Baseball America, and continued to develop nicely in single-A Bowling Green in 2009. He boosted his walk rate from 7% to 11%, dropped his strikeout rate from 24% to 20%, and posted career highs in RF/G in both RF and LF. He’s offers a well-balanced skill set, and should continue to grow in double-A in 2010.

8. Naoya Washiya CF (NR) Washington Nationals

Japan doesn’t have the college sports mania of Americans, but they have the same fascination with high-school sports, particularly the annual baseball tournament at Koshien Stadium. Washiya’s team won that tournament in 2005, and the Nats drafted him in the 14th round of last year’s draft. Washiya played college ball at the College of the Desert, and his coach raves about his skills, particularly his speed. That showed in rookie ball, where he swiped 12 bags without getting caught—this after reaching base just 42 times, meaning he stole nearly 29% of the time he got on. A 10% walk rate and a 19% strikeout rate portend good things for this kid, though you won’t see him in the bigs for a few years yet.

9. Kuo Hui Lo LF (NR) Seattle Mariners

Baseball America ranks Lo as Seattle’s fourth-best prospect in left field, though he repeated a level at High Desert in 2009. Still, the Taiwanese prospect progressed very nicely, improving his contact skills and flashing both power and speed—he improved his SLG over 80 points, thanks to a ride from 8 HR to 14, and an incredible rise from 5 triples to 12, tying him for third in the league. He doesn’t show that speed as much in his steals, as he swiped just 13 bags in 22 attempts. Further improvement should help him move up in an organization that could use more power, but he offers a wide range of skills. Look for him to show his stuff in double-A West Tenn.

10. Ryohei Tanaka RP (NR) Baltimore Orioles

Following the signing of Koji Uehara, Baltimore signed Tanaka, a Japanese minor-leaguer, which is a bit of an oddity—Japanese players usually make it as amateurs or after they’ve proven themselves in the majors, but Tanaka is neither. He makes this list because of his development, which allowed him to being at double-A in 2009. The 26-year-old righty started and relieved for the Bowie Baysox, pitching 75.0 IP and logging a 3.00 ERA and 1.32 WHIP, while striking out only 53 and walking 25. He gets by with a wide repertoire of pitches, since his fastball hits only the high 80s. It will be interesting to follow Tanaka, who could reach Triple-A in 2010, and could reach MLB by 2011.

Falling off last year’s list are Fu-Te Ni, Matt Tuiasasopo, and Chin-Lung Hu. Ni is in the bigs to stay, and if Tui and Hu don’t stick after Spring Training, they will soon. Also, I included Tui because Samoans are so rare, but I’m trying to stick to Asian-born players, and he doesn’t fit that profile.

Keep Reading Pacific Perspectives throughout the season to see how these prospects perform!