Cleveland Indians: Oscar Mercado, CF
The Indians seemingly have a good shot at winning the AL Central for yet another season going into 2019, and likely won’t have to rely on any rookies to help much. The Indians don’t have many top prospects that are ready to play in the MLB in the spring. Those that may be ready aren’t next-level talents and don’t have any spot in a lineup, such as Yu Chang and Bobby Bradley. On the other hand, Oscar Mercado, a prospect they acquired in a small deal last summer, does have a shot at getting playing time over the course of the whole season, especially considering there is not much outfield competition in Cleveland.
Mercado has never been an offensive-minded player profile. Before reaching AA in 2017, he had never posted a wRC+ above 86. Although he had re-worked his swing to add a significant amount of power, Mercado still does not represent a scary bat at the plate. His defensive skill set is what really provides his value. Mercado is considered a plus defender in the mold of other Indians’ outfielders Greg Allen and Leonys Martin.
Although Mercado isn’t commonly thought of as a future star, he is already on the 40-man roster and is not blocked by MLB talent. If Mercado is given a chance and can continue on his improved swing and power output, he could potentially become a starter by the end of the season. Even as a bench player, Mercado has a decent shot at making an impact, which is exactly what the Indians wanted when making this trade last season.
Detroit Tigers: Christin Stewart, DH
The Tigers will likely play a lot of developing players once again, and Stewart stands out among the bunch. Stewart is expected to be the starting designated hitter after playing 17 games in late 2018. Although his inability to play a defensive position led Stewart to only posting -0.1 WAR in this timeframe, his offensive output was impressive for what was a prospect showcase.
Stewart had walked a staggering 14% of the time, struck out less than 20% of the time, and hit 4 extra-base hits over 60 at-bats. The strikeout totals were particularly promising given that his ability to make contact was the biggest question mark concerning his bat coming into his career. Although that question mark isn’t necessarily answered, if Stewart can avoid the whiffs in 2019, his bat could match the 120 wRC+ that he had in September.
His performance certainly showed off his potential. Stewart had a nearly league average exit velocity at 86.7 mph, which is impressive for a player’s first 2 weeks in the bigs. Additionally, his xwOBA matched his wOBA quite well. Stewart sprayed the ball around the field in the minors, laying some more questions to rest. The Tigers also reportedly love Stewart’s work ethic and think there’s an outside chance that he can stick in the outfield. Whether he makes major improvements on defense or not, Stewart should be able to big a staple in Detroit’s lineup this upcoming season.
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