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Brown again leads Baseball America’s list of top Phillies prospects

Baseball America released its list of top 10 Phillies prospects Monday, and for the second straight year outfielder Domonic Brown was at the top of the list.

Baseball America released its list of top 10 Phillies prospects Monday, and for the second straight year outfielder Domonic Brown was at the top of the list.

Brown, 23, finished last season in the big leagues and is expected to compete for the job as the starting rightfielder in spring training in 2011 after the departure of free agent Jayson Werth.

He was followed on the list by Jonathan Singleton, who had a breakout season with single-A Lakewood in 2010. Singleton, an eighth-round draft pick in 2009, moved from first base to left field during the Florida Instructional League and likely will play there next season with single-A Clearwater.

The remaining names on Baseball America's top 10 with their 2010 teams were as follows: 3. Brody Colvin, P, Lakewood; 4. Jarred Cosart, P, Lakewood; 5. Trevor May, P, Clearwater and Lakewood; 6. Sebastian Valle, C, Lakewood; 7. Jiwan James, OF, Lakewood; 8. Jesse Biddle, P, Gulf Coast League and Williamsport; 9. Domingo Santana, OF, Lakewood and Williamsport; 10. Aaron Altherr, OF, Gulf Coast League and Williamsport.

Baseball America also gave a flattering review of the Phillies' farm system. One scout was quoted as saying that no organization in baseball has more talent than the Phillies at the single-A level, and an anonymous scouting director said it's possible the Phillies could be in the midst of a "Braves-like run of division titles." The Phillies have won four straight NL East titles but have a long way to go to match the 14 straight championships that Atlanta won from 1991 through 2005.

Seven of the 10 players on Baseball America's list of top prospects were the same as the top 10 list published by The Inquirer in Sunday's edition.

The three differences in the Baseball America list were James, Santana and Altherr, three outfielders who played in the low minors last season. The Inquirer list included pitchers Vance Worley and Justin DeFratus and first baseman Matt Rizzotti.

James, a 22d-round pick in 2007, is a converted pitcher with tremendous speed. The 21-year-old hit .270 with 26 doubles, six triples, five home runs, 64 RBIs, and 33 stolen bases last season at Lakewood. Santana, 18, opened last season at Lakewood but hit just .182 and was sent to short-season Williamsport, where he hit .237 with nine doubles, five home runs, and 20 RBIs.

Altherr, a ninth-round pick in 2009, hit a combined .297 between the Gulf Coast League and Williamsport. He'll turn 20 next month.

Absent from the Baseball America and The Inquirer top 10 were Phillippe Aumont, Tyson Gillies, and J.C. Ramirez, the three players the Phillies acquired in the Cliff Lee trade with Seattle last December. All three players struggled during their first season in the Phillies' organization.