Before the season started, ESPN analyst Keith Law released his list of the top 100 prospects in baseball (subscription required). Two Orioles made that list: LHP Zach Britton at #11 and SS Manny Machado at #26. This morning, Law released an update on the top twenty-five prospects. Britton is no longer there, having graduated to the majors, but the Delmarva Shorbirds' shortstop jumped fifteen spots to #10. Law says of Machado:
10. Manny Machado, SS, Baltimore: The first major jump here as Machado, currently out with a knee injury, looked better than expected at shortstop and far more comfortable at the plate than expected, adjusting to better off-speed stuff and taking great at-bats in low-A. He won't turn 19 until July, and is just three months older than Harper.
Law now ranks Machado ahead of Dustin Ackley, Wil Myers, and Aaron Hicks, all of whom were in the top ten in Law's initial ranking in February.
Machado's ascension up the list is good to see, and hopefully he'll be back on the field very soon. Law also mentioned that he's keeping an eye on Jonathan Schoop for his next update, which is good news indeed.