5 Sleeper Rookies Who Could Make Impact in 2015 MLB Season

Hope. Everyone enters spring training full of it, including—and perhaps especially—rookies looking to make an impression.

You know about the big names, blue chips like the Chicago Cubs' Kris Bryant who trail the weighty "can't miss" label.

Every year, though, at least a few lesser-known youngsters emerge to help the big club. Maybe not right away, but at some point during the 162-game grind.

What follows is by no means an exhaustive list; by definition sleeper prospects are tough to identify and tougher to predict.

But here are five rookie-eligible players to watch out for, under-the-radar talents with the ability and opportunity to make an MLB impact in 2015.

Alex "Chi Chi" Gonzalez, Texas Rangers

Drafted 23rd overall out of Oral Roberts University in 2013, Gonzalez posted a 2.67 ERA in 138 innings between High-A and Double-A last year.

The 23-year-old right-hander boasts a big league-caliber cutter that he dubs "God-given," per ESPN Dallas' Todd Wills, and has displayed plus command, posting 2.8 BB/9 in 180.2 minor league innings.

Gonzalez probably won't  make the Rangers' rotation out of spring, but if the injury bug bites in Arlington (sound familiar?) he should be first in line, per Gerry Fraley of The Dallas Morning News.

And it sounds like he'll be given a legitimate chance to stick.

"In a perfect world, he gets more development time," Texas general manager Jon Daniels told Fraley. “When he comes up, he’s not just ready to get his feet wet. He’s ready to contribute."

Nick Kingham, Pittsburgh Pirates

Like Gonzalez, Kingham is a long shot to crack the Bucs' starting five out of spring.

In fact, while he made Baseball America's list of the top 10 Pirates prospects, he's rated No. 6, lower than two other right-handed starting pitchers, Tyler Glasnow and Jameson Taillon, who rank No. 1 and No. 2, respectively.

Glasnow, however, is still at least a year away. And Taillon is recovering from Tommy John surgery, though his rehab is progressing, per CBS Pittsburgh's Dan Zangrilli. 

That could open the door for Kingham, who posted a 3.34 ERA and 1.214 WHIP in 159 innings between Double-A and Triple-A last year.

If and when rotation reinforcements are needed in Pittsburgh, look for the 23-year-old right-hander to get the call.

Dilson Herrera, New York Mets

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The New York Mets enter 2015 with Daniel Murphy firmly ensconced at second base. But Murphy is also set to hit the open market after the season, making him a prime candidate for a deadline deal.

Enter Herrera, who got a cup of coffee in the majors in 2014 after hitting .323 with 13 home runs, 71 RBI and 23 stolen bases between High-A and Double-A.

Here's how an unnamed NL executive assessed the soon-to-be 21-year-old, per ESPN's Joe Kaiser:

"

He's a good athlete and solid average runner. His plus bat speed helps generate average power and plenty of hard contact. He's come a long way with his approach and overall game in the last year, and projects as a solid regular player at 2B.

"

Whether he'll get that chance this year depends on how the Mets' season plays out, and more specifically whether they're sellers or buyers come July.

Micah Johnson, Chicago White Sox

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The White Sox have spent the offseason bolstering the roster with veterans—Adam LaRoche, Jeff Samardzija, David Robertson, Melky Cabrera—but at least one position battle will likely come down to a pair of rookies.

That'd be second base, where Chicago appears poised to pick between Johnson and fellow prospect Carlos Sanchez, though veterans Gordon Beckham and Emilio Bonifacio are also in the mix.

Sanchez, noted for his glove work, might have a slight edge because of LaRoche and reigning American League Rookie of the Year Jose Abreu's defensive limitations at first base, as MiLB.com's Jake Seiner notes.

Johnson, meanwhile, was shelved with a hamstring injury last September and missed a chance to make his MLB debut.

A disappointment, no doubt, for the speedy 24-year-old, who posted a .294/.351/.403 slash line with 22 stolen bases between Double-A and Triple-A in 2014.

In hindsight, Johnson told CSN Chicago's Dan Hayes, it was the right move.

"If I would have come up [in September], I might have lost a job because I wouldn’t have performed well," Johnson said. "Now I’m 100 percent ready, healthy and stronger."

Strong enough to win the starting gig at the keystone sack for the revamped White Sox? Spring will tell.

D.J. Peterson, Seattle Mariners

Ted S. Warren/Associated Press

Of all the prospects mentioned here, Peterson ranked the highest on Keith Law of ESPN's influential top 100 list, clocking in at No. 61.

Here's what Law had to say about the 23-year-old, who posted a .912 OPS with 31 home runs between High-A and Double-A last season: "He can be a high-average, 15-20-homer hitter or a lower average, 20-25-homer hitter. The latter would make him more of an average regular, but the former gives him a chance to be a full grade higher."

If he becomes a regular in Seattle, it'll almost surely be at first base.

Peterson has logged more innings at third, but that position belongs to All-Star Kyle Seager, whom the M's inked to a seven-year, $100 million extension in November.

First base, meanwhile, is held down by Logan Morrison, who hasn't played in 100 games since 2011 and managed just 11 home runs and 38 RBI in 2014.

It'd take a torrid spring for Peterson to win a starting job, but count general manager Jack Zduriencik among the believers.

"He's got a gift to hit the baseball," Zduriencik told CBS Sports' R.J. White, "and that will play for us at some point."