Prior to the start of this year’s regular season in the MLB, one of the biggest storylines was Chicago Cubs top prospect Kris Bryant and his fantastic spring training statistics. Bryant was not on the team’s Opening Day roster, but he was eventually called up from the minors a few weeks later and has fit in nicely with the big league club so far. This started a snowball effect in which many prospects were called up to their respective major league clubs. With so many young players being promoted from the minors, it seems as if 2015 is going to be a landmark season for prospects. This article will profile some of these players and give some insight into how productive each of these players can be.
As noted in the paragraph above, Kris Bryant was the most talked about prospect going into this season. The third baseman did not fare well in his major league debut in the middle of April, as he struck out three times. However, he has impressed many with his hitting, as he currently has eight home runs and 39 RBI on the season. The Cubs also brought up second baseman Addison Russell in mid-April to bring some offense to the team. He has not been as productive as Bryant, but has showed some signs of talent and seems to be a solid player.
Along with the Cubs, the Houston Astros have also called up a few of their top prospects this season. Just a few weeks ago, the team promoted shortstop Carlos Correa. The 20-year-old was the Astros’ number one prospect heading into this season and in the 12 games that he has played in so far, it shows why. Correa already has three home runs and seven runs batted in, along with four stolen bases. The first-place Astros also called up outfielder Preston Tucker, who has hit the ball well. The 24-year-old has four home runs and 15 RBI since being called up in the beginning of May.
The number one prospect in all of baseball was also recently brought up to the majors. The Minnesota Twins finally called up 21-year-old Byron Buxton, the highly talented outfielder, who has been in the Twins minor league system for the past few years. He has only played in seven games so far and has only two hits in those games. But the young prospect should adjust to big league pitching soon and start producing at the plate.
Also called up within the past week was the Cleveland Indians’ number one prospect, shortstop Francisco Lindor. He was ranked third behind Buxton and Correa going into this season in terms of the top prospects, so he has a lot to live up to. Lindor has racked up six hits in only six games, so he is already proving his worth. He should fit in well with the Indians infield, which includes Jason Kipnis and Carlos Santana, who will help show him the ropes.
Then there’s young Joey Gallo of the Texas Rangers, who hit a homer and drove in four runs in his first major league game back on June 4. Gallo has five home runs so far and has provided some offense for the Rangers while third baseman Adrian Beltre has been on the disabled list with a thumb injury.
Even the hometown Philadelphia Phillies have a few talented prospects in their organization. The team called up third baseman Maikel Franco in mid-May and he has definitely shown signs of talent. The team also has shortstop J.P. Crawford and pitcher Aaron Nola moving up in their minor league system, so there may actually be some hope for the Phillies after all.
So, it’s official: 2015 is the year of the prospect. So many young players are being called up this season, that it’s starting to get hard to keep track of them all. Players like Bryant and Correa seem to be the most talented out of the bunch, but the other young guys can emerge and play just as well after some time in the majors. With so many young players entering the majors, we could be looking at the future of baseball. If this is true, the future of Major League Baseball seems to surely be going in the right direction.
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