Beyond the questionable timing involved with the Saturday publication of a lascivious series of photographs portraying Josh Hamilton in a less than favorable light, there is one more outstanding issue that, in my mind, still merits attention -- the Johnny Narron angle. Less than 24 hours before the story erupted onto the national media scene and the Rangers hastily organized an early-afternoon press conference, Narron, the Texas Rangers' second-year special assignment coach and aptly described "baseball mentor, personal confidant and chaperone" to Hamilton, dismissed the photographs' validity while telling Deadspin.com that he "[didn't] put a lot of credence in someone saying they have photographs of Josh in a bar" and indicating that Hamilton had not, to his knowledge, suffered any sort of lapse in his sobriety: "I'm sure, in the depths of his drug addiction, he was in a lot of bars," Narron goes on, suggesting that the photos predate Hamilton's recovery or perhaps were doctored. "He was in and out of bars, crackhouses, everything. There are probably photographs of him in all kinds of places."

In my opinion, the Rangers system is made up of several tiers. The first tier houses prospects like Justin Smoak and Martin Perez, guys that usually find their way onto most Top 100 lists. The second tier is usually for guys who don't quite have first tier ceilings, but still possess immense skill sets and are often mentioned as having major league futures.

The third tier is a long queue of interchangeable prospects that could swap spots depending on a hot streak, promotion, or just gut feeling. These players could evolve into a higher echelon of prospect or they could eventually fade into the attritional fog. Fourth tier players usually have major question marks surrounding their prospect status, either as a result of a limited professional record, age (young/old), and/or skill set translations. 

A few samples:

 1. 1B Justin Smoak

Justin Smoak is clearly one of the best position prospects in all of baseball. His combination of patience and power potential could make him a devastating hitter in the middle of a major league line-up. His defense has been a bit of a disappointment so far, but given his work ethic, he should eventually be an above-average defensive first-baseman at the highest level.

6. RHP Wilmer Font

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Q: In your opinion, who are the most overrated and underrated prospects in the Rangers' system? Why?

Keith Law: I don't know that there's anyone who's overrated in the Rangers' system; I suppose you could say [Taylor] Teagarden, who didn't hit at all this past year and whose arm problems might be a permanent issue. By my count, he only caught on back-to-back days 31 times all season, across all three levels.

Underrated ... [Michael] Main, certainly. [Kasey] Kiker. [Robbie] Ross. All three are dinged because they're not tall, but Main's a great athlete with huge stuff, and all three are excellent competitiors with Kiker and Ross showing good feel for pitching.

Q:You rank Martin Perez as the number 13 pitching prospect in all of baseball. The buzz on Perez among Rangers fans is heavy, but you're the first to key on him to that extent nationally. You suggested he has a chance to "shoot up the system" -- at age 17, what sort of track would you put him on if you were calling the shots?

Keith Law: It really depends on his performance -- I doubt anyone suggested last winter that [Neftali] Feliz should finish 2008 in AA, but his performance clearly merited it. Perez should start 2009 in Low-A [Hickory], and if he's dominating, there's merit in skipping him over the [High-A] California League, especially if he's showing great command.

 

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Kasey Kiker on throwing off the mound at RBIA:

Let me try to explain this. It was a great feeling. My spikes really dug in the dirt. It was weird because I would throw all of my pitches and I would look down and there wouldn't be a hole. I'm not used to that. I'm used to something being wrong. I'm usually looking for something to be wrong like a rock or a huge hole. I looked down and it was like I had just started. It was perfect.

Michael Main on new Rangers pitching coach Mike Maddux:

 I thought he was a great guy. He was really funny and he told a lot of jokes. Very personable guy. I know that I'm a young guy and not really close to the big leagues, but I felt like I could talk to him about things. He is a really good fit for the organization.

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Q: What was it like playing in the Unites States, separated from everything that was familiar to you? 

Perez: Its not easy if you don't know the language. If you come from Venezuela, like me, you have to get used to how difficult it can be here in the States. You are alone and bored, but that's what you have to do if you are going to be here for years without family, without friends, without anyone. It is hard, but it's worth it.

Q: How do you deal with that isolation at such a young age?

Perez: I left my house at the age of fifteen and I am the youngest of my family, so I felt really alone. Little by little you realize that without your family around you, you have to develop another kind of attitude. You have to focus on other things. But it's something you have to work at little by little, to get used to being alone.

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Q: What was it like playing in the Unites States, separated from everything that was familiar to you? 

Perez: Its not easy if you don't know the language. If you come from Venezuela, like me, you have to get used to how difficult it can be here in the States. You are alone and bored, but that's what you have to do if you are going to be here for years without family, without friends, without anyone. It is hard, but it's worth it.

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Over the past nine days I profiled the prospects that I believe have a chance to take a big step forward in 2009. Some on the list will no doubt blossom into top prospects in our system, while others will inevitably take a step back in their development.

The beautiful thing about following prospects is that it allows for the opportunity to witness the emergence of hope. Last season that hope came in the form of the meteoric rises of Derek Holland and Neftali Feliz, but also the less-heralded climbs of prospects such as Mitch Moreland and Tim Murphy. 

My Nine in '09:

• Matt West
• Miguel De Los Santos
• Clark Murphy
• Geuris Grullon
• Matt Thompson 
• Kennil Gomez 
• Jacob Brigham
• Cristian Santana
• Evan Reed