A cinder block might do Jeff Clement as well as that glove will, but he sure can hit.

The present can be exciting, but what gets everyone’s juices really flowing is the future. We want to know what is next, and, more importantly, we want to be able to say that we knew before everyone else did.

That is what I am here for – to show you the future.

What we have here are the top prospects by position. Since we are doing these by position, not all the players will have equal value – the top catcher is not equal to the top pitcher per se, for example. It will give you an idea of what to target though based on what your fantasy team’s needs might be – if you have plenty of pitching for the next few years, but know you will need a catcher next year, why should you weed through all the pitchers to get to the one player you really need?

Without further ado, the top prospects, by position:

Catcher

Matt Wieters, Baltimore Orioles – the Orioles’ top draft pick in the 2007 draft, Wieters went out to Hawaii during the offseason and quickly impressed in the Hawaii Winter League. He tailed off as the season went on, but he showed more than enough to impress, and he should move quickly through the Orioles’ ranks. A polished college hitter, it would not be a surprise to see Wieters in at least High-A to start the season, and a September cup of coffee would not shock. Wieters should be challenging for a starting job by 2009, and he will be a fantasy force by 2010.

Jeff Clement, Seattle Mariners – there are two gloves blocking Clement right now in Seattle. One of those belongs to Kenji Johjima; the other belongs to Clement himself. Defensively, Clement is a great backstop, if one literally means the wall where the field ends. His bat is not in question at all though; he has shown when he plays that he can rake. If the Mariners are willing to part with Johjima after this season, Clement will get his chance to shine, warts and all.

Geovany Soto, Chicago Cubs – the Cubs are going to give Soto the chance behind the plate this season after he excelled for them in a short time in the majors, hitting .389 with 3 homers and 8 RBI in 54 at-bats. A career .279 hitter in the minors, Soto does have some pop, although the 26 homers he hit last year in Triple-A are unlikely to see a repeat. Still, he is a significant improvement over what the Cubs were getting out of their catchers in 2007 and he should quickly establish himself as one of the top catchers in the National League.

Hank Conger, Los Angeles Angels – the Angels’ 2006 first round pick had a fine season in 2007 in the Midwest League, hitting .290 with 11 home runs, 48 RBI, and 33 runs scored. He teased more power to come too by popping out 20 doubles. The Angels will not rush Conger, but he might force them to move him along quicker than originally planned, and he could be on the radar as soon as 2010.