Beating the Bushes is counting down to the start of the 2010 baseball season, which kicks off April 4 at Fenway Park when the Yankees take on the Red Sox.

In the first part of our season preview, we’ll examine Baseball America’s annual Top 10 prospect lists for the Mets and Yankees from 2000-2009. Today, we’ll look at the 2002 lists.

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The Mets’ Top 10 lists in 2002 begins to show some of the names that will come to form the foundation of the team in the years to come. While there still are some duds on the list, three names should stand out among the rest.

10. Neal Musser, LHP – A second round pick by the Mets in 1999, the left-hander never made an appearance with the Amazin’s. After six seasons in the minor leagues, Musser became a free agent after the 2005 season and signed with the Diamondbacks. He was released by them in May 2006, and then signed with the Royals. He made his major league debut with the Royals that year, and made some more appearances in 2007. He spent last year in the Astros’ system.

9. Jaime Cerda, LHP – Cerda spent the 2002 and 2003 seasons in the Mets’ bullpen, making a combined 59 appearances. But after the 2003 season, Cerda was dealt to the Royals for an utterly forgettable right-hander, Shawn Sedlacek, whom the Mets released by May of that year. He went on to spend two more years in the Royals’ bullpen, before bouncing from the Rockies to the Mariners in 2006 and 2007, when he was released by Seattle.

8. Grant Roberts, RHP – For more information on Roberts, check out the 2000 list.

7. David Wright, 3B – Wright has clearly been a monster success with the Mets, almost from the moment he arrived. A supplemental first round pick out of high school by the Amazin’s in 2001, he rocketed through the system, making his debut July 21, 2004. He had over 25 home runs and 100 RBI in each of his first four full major league seasons, has made four All Star Games, won two Gold Gloves and won two Silver Sluggers. While he isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, Mets fans will hope Wright has a better season this year after watching his power numbers slump to 10 homers and 72 RBI in the Amazin’s first year in Citi Field.

6. Jae Seo, RHP – Bobby Valentine was the leading man behind the signing of Seo, a right-hander from South Korea in 1997. Seo threw one inning in 2002, before spending the next three seasons as a contributing member of the Mets’ starting rotation, including going 8-2 with a 2.59 ERA in 14 starts in 2005. But after the 2005 season, Seo was dealt to the Dodgers as part of the trade that brought Duaner Sanchez to New York. Seo was later dealt to Tampa Bay, along with Dioner Navarro, but he struggled mightily with the Rays and was out of baseball after the 2007 season.

5. Billy Traber, LHP – For more information on Traber, check out the 2001 list.

4. Pat Strange, RHP – For more information on Strange, check out the 2000 list.

3. Jose Reyes, SS – Like Wright, Reyes has had success basically from the moment he pulled on a Mets uniform on June 11 – the day before his 20th birthday – in 2003. Since then, the speed demon has made two All-Star teams, won a Silver Slugger, and has led the league in stolen bases three times. Also like Wright, the Mets are hoping Reyes will revert to his old form after a rough 2009 season in which he played 36 games due to hamstring injuries.

2. Alex Escobar, OF – For more information on Escobar, check out the 2000 list.

1. Aaron Heilman, RHP – A first-round pick by the Mets out of Notre Dame in 2001, Heilman was drafted as, and projected by most observers, to be a starter. However, after Heilman struggled mightily in brief stints as a starter in the big leagues in 2003 and 2004, the Mets slid him into the bullpen in 2005, and he soon became one of the most reliable set-up men in baseball. But after serving up the Cardinals’ Yadier Molina’s go-ahead home run in the top of the ninth inning in Game Seven of the National League Championship Series in 2006, things went south quickly for Heilman in Queens. He became the target of a lot of animosity from fans, and after a rough 2008, when he posted an ERA over 5.00, he was sent to Seattle as part of the J.J. Putz trade in the offseason. Before the 2009 season began, Heilman had been traded again, this time to the Cubs for Ronny Cedeno and Garrett Olson. Heilman had a 4.11 ERA in 70 appearances out of the Chicago pen last year, and should be a stalwart for the Lou Pinella’s team again this year.

tbontemps@nypost.com