Standing at 6’3 185, the 18-year old (19 in July) possesses unteachable baseball savvy, displaying his class on the Team USA U18 Championship squad in 2009.

Machado has made an outstanding first impression through 25 games in the Class A South Atlantic League, batting .333 with five homers and 21 runs driven in. He’s slugging .611 with an OPS of 1.062, and has drawn five more walks (19) than strikeouts. In fact, he’s accepted a free pass in 17% of his plate appearances.

Offensively, he’s the full package: advanced approach well beyond his years, developing power and speed for his size. It’s widely believed that a move to third base is within the realm of possibility once he fully matures.

Machado is currently on the seven-day DL with a dislocated kneecap, but is expected to return shortly.

Franklin, viewed as a contact bat out of high school (170 pounds), broke a 49-year old team record with 23 long balls. He also drove in 65 runs and swiped 25 bases, showing off the entire tool bag.

Franklin has struggled with the promotion to advanced A early in 2011, hitting .237 with one HR and six RBI through 97 at bats. The switch-hitter has been anemic from the right side, hitting .182 against LHP (22 AB) after finishing at .174 last year. Essentially all of his pop has been flashed from the left side.

To take the positive angle, he’s already drawn a highly encouraging 20 walks against 20 whiffs. Last season he struck out 124 times against 51 BB. He takes a healthy rip leading to real concerns over contact, or lack thereof, but the numbers suggest he’s beginning to find a middle ground.

The 6’1 160 pound switch-hitter tore up the Pioneer League in 2010, hitting .318 with 13 doubles, 10 triples and 48 stolen bases in 69 games. Perhaps more importantly, he showed a knack for getting on base via walk with 28 (56 K).

When he gets on, he’s going to run. It’s pretty much that simple. He has the cockiness that a great base stealer needs to excel. Hamilton has already snagged 23 bags in 29 games in 2011 (Midwest League), this despite only reaching base 35 times and batting .207. More ground balls and line drives, less strikeouts (33 in 111 AB) is the required recipe.

He has the potential to be an electrifying leadoff man, but will he do it for another organization? He could be trade bait as the Reds attempt to land a premiere shortstop for this year i.e. Jose Reyes.

*Hamilton has committed nine errors at short.

After hitting .235 at this level last season, Mier is hitting .288 with a .413 on-base percentage in 28 games. He has nine doubles (31 last year) and has already surpassed last season’s HR total with three bombs.

He’s displayed excellent patience (63 BB in 2010, 22 this year), but pitch recognition and discipline when behind in counts are both very much works in progress. His strikeout tally of 28 is exorbitant.