2011 Topps Pro Debut: Story Being Written

What stood out in Johnson's mind, was Hicks' ease of operation on the field, Johnson told reporters in June 2008, after the Twins selected Hicks 14th overall.
"He plays the game so effortlessly," Johnson told reporters. "For me, he’s one of the best if not the best base stealer in the draft. Very skilled, very instinctual player."
The 18-year-old Hicks played that year in the rookie Gulf Coast League, hitting .318, with four home runs and 12 steals.
But in the three seasons since, Hicks has struggled to live up to the lofty expectations of his first round status, playing 2011 at high-A Fort Myers. There, he hit just .242, with five home runs and 17 steals.
The good thing for the now-22-year-old Hicks, and the other players in 2011 Topps Pro Debut, his story is still being written.
I picked up a pack of Topps Pro Debut recently on a trip to the mall, along with a bunch of dollar vintage cards. (In a weird connection, one of the dollar vintage cards I picked up was Deron Johnson the former major leaguer, though the two Johnsons are not related.)
The cool thing about these cards is the similarities to the CMC set. These are minor league players on their way up. Though the Debut set is obviously more geared toward prospects, than the CMC set was.
But, to the average baseball fan, these players are as unknown as those in the CMC set were 21 years ago. Their futures, whether they will make the majors or stay in the minors, is also unknown.




Drew Poulk, signed by the Reds as a free agent in 2010, made single-A Dayton for 19 games in a 2011 season that saw him limited to just 43 total games.
- Yahoo Sports, Ticker, June 13, 2008: Twins sign first-round pick Hicks