Baseball America has a feature on prospectsthat touch triple digits on the radar gun and what that means for their future as major leaguers.

Pitchers with premium velocity have an advantage because their heat gives themselves a bit more margin for error. A quicker fastball has a better chance of missing bats, keeping the ball out of play and leading to more strikeouts. The faster the pitch, the less time the hitter has to react, and being off by a fraction of a second can be the difference between a hit and weak contact or a strikeout.

The harder a pitcher throws, the more likely he is to have a lower ERA, and that effect might be even more pronounced in the postseason.

The article first examines the 2002 class of prospects that could hit 100. Not surprisingly several of the names are well known fireballers — Bobby Jenks, Brad Lidge, Carlos Zambrano, and Francisco Rodriguez.

A couple surprises as well. Several names you probably haven’t heard of, but also Seth McClung, and Aaron Cook, who makes Chien-Ming Wang look like Nolan Ryan, having struck out 61 batters in 166 innings last year.

The article goes on to list the 2008 prospects throwing 100 MPH. You might know a few of these guys already — Joba Chamberlain, Franklin Morales, and Clayton Kershaw (pictured above).

(Found via MLBTR)