Why He's Here: I know what you're thinking. You're thinking: Josh, why is Dellin Betances, one of the Yankees' biggest and brightest prospects, ranked so low? Well, I'll tell you. It's because, despite his dynamite stuff and sky-high ceiling, his time with the Thunder this year was very inconsistent.

At 6-foot-8, command problems are pretty much an inevitability, and Betances is no exception. He issued four or more walks in nine of his 21 starts, and issued 55 free passes in 105.1 innings before being bumped to Scranton toward the end of the year.

Overall, Betances' season was fractured into two distinct halves. See for yourself.

From April 10 until June 4, he was 3-1 with a 1.99 ERA (the best in all of Double-A), a 1.17 WHIP and allowed just 31 hits over 45.1 innings. He struck out 50 against 22 walks. Over those nine starts, the Thunder were 8-1.

After that, things quickly went south.

From June 9 until August 12, his final start with Trenton, Betances went 1-5 with a 4.50 ERA and a 1.47 WHIP. He fanned 65 during that stretch and walked 33. The team was a shocking 1-11 in those 12 starts.

I said all that to say this: Yes, he's a fantastic prospect, and yes, he'll probably have more major league impact than a lot of guys you'll find on the rest of this list, but his impact with the Thunder in 2011 wasn't all positive. At least, it wasn't as positive as the players at the top of my list.

Most Memorable Moment: On the field, Betances' finest start was probably his outing on May 25 against Reading. He lasted six innings, fanned 10 against one walks and allowed just two runs. Both scores came on his only mistake of the day, which Derrick Mitchell put over the fence at FirstEnergy Stadium.

Runner-up was probably July 7 at Richmond, when he went six innings again, allowed one run and struck out nine against two walks. He also hit 99 miles per hour that afternoon.

Off the field, the best Dellin Betances moment was easily on the morning of July 31, MLB's non-waiver trading deadline, while his name was being bandied about in all sorts of rumors. One would have excused him if he were nervous and a little on edge that morning.

Not so.

While waiting to go in and talk to the manager before the game, Betances was in the weight room across the hall from the clubhouse, riding the elliptical machine and listening to some very loud Spanish music. During every chorus, you could hear Betances clapping and singing, all while wearing a huge smile.

So much for nerves, eh?

Outlook for 2012: With a great spring, he might just earn himself a spot in the big club's bullpen out of camp. More likely, however, he'll probably get a great tour of the Northeast part of the U.S. in the rotation of team formerly known as the Scranton Yankees, who will play the 2012 season without a home park while PNC Field undergoes a yearlong renovation.

Since the World Series ended, the Yankees have done three things: Extended CC Sabathia, re-upped with Freddy Garcia, and won the bid on Japanese infielder Hiroyumi Nakajima. As far as traditional Yankees offseasons go, it's been a snoozer.

With that in mind, it seems like the perfect time to begin the second year of my Thunder Top 10 lists. Starting Monday, I'll roll out of five lists of the top ten best things involved with the Thunder's season last year and their campaign in 2012, which, by the way, begins in just 110 days.

Here's what the schedule will look like:

Monday - Top 10 Players from 2011: From superstar prospects like Manny Banuelos and Dellin Betances to role players Addison Maruszak and Jose Gil, here's where we'll count down those most important to Trenton's success and failure last year.

Tuesday - Top 10 Players for 2012: As it looks right now, this year's roster will, for the most part, lack that true A-list player as it's had in years part. Even so, there will be plenty of players who have the chance to make the jump into elite status.

Wednesday - Top 10 Opposing Players for 2012: As any one who's met me or followed me on Twitter (@jnorris427) knows, I love prospect watching. Last year's season featured such luminaries as Travis d'Arnaud, Anthony Gose, Bryce Harper, Eric Surkamp and Matt Harvey. There will be plenty more where that came from in 2012, and I'll run down my favorites for the next 10 Wednesdays.

Thursday - Top 10 Words from the 2011 season: Last year we did the top 10 numbers, so this year I thought we'd switch it up and list the 10 most representative words. Last season had plenty of ups and downs -- and Derek Jeter -- so there will plenty of potential for this list.

Friday - Ten Lost Interviews from the 2011 season: Sometimes during the course of a busy year, you do an interview with someone, but never get around to transcribing it. I have quite a few of those from the 2011 season, and I'll share one each week in this space.

Even the Thunder won't play another game until April 7, and won't play a home game until eight days after that, there's no reason why this blog has to stay silent until then -- and it won't. Starting today, I'm unrolling a series of five Top 10 lists, one for every day of the work week, that will take us through the middle of January, when the minor league scenario should be a lot clearer. Here's the rundown of what will happen.

Monday: Top 10 Games of the Year

Tuesday: Top 10 Players of the Year

Wednesday: Top 10 Players for 2011

Thursday: Top 10 Opposing Players to Watch in 2011

Friday: Top 10 Numbers from 2010

So if you like lists, like minor league baseball and like this blog, you have plenty to look for over the coming 10 weeks. And I'm sure this goes without saying, but if somebody gets traded or somebody signs, it will be on the blog. Enjoy.