Player Poll: Hultzen the southpaw king

This season, we surveyed hundreds of Minor Leaguers on a variety of questions, from favorite players and post-game snacks to video games and dream teammates. Check back as we reveal what prospects really think.

We surveyed 382 Minor Leaguers with the question, "Who is the best left-handed pitching prospect right now in the Minors?"

We provided some suggestions entering the 2012 season, including the Yankees' Manny Banuelos, the Mariners' Danny Hultzen, the D-backs' Tyler Skaggs and the Rangers' Martin Perez. Players could also write in their own choice.

The results? Most Minor Leaguers agreed that Hultzen, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2011 Draft, was the best.

And, though Hultzen is a worthy choice -- he went 9-7 with a 3.05 ERA and 136 strikeouts in 25 starts at two levels this season -- the vote goes to show how well-respected the lefty was entering 2012. Hultzen, who debuted professionally in the Arizona Fall League in 2011, never played in the Minors last season. He began this spring with Double-A Jackson and finished the year at Triple-A Tacoma with an eye on making Seattle's rotation next season.

Another well-respected southpaw was Cincinnati's Tony Cingrani's, who's contention also speaks about his talent as a write-in candidate. We generally noticed that players tended to vote for others in their organization, so Cingrani can thank his fellow Reds teammates for the love. He probably had a better year than Hultzen, too, going 10-4 with a 1.73 ERA at two levels before making his Major League debut.

Here's the full voting results: