10 Former Top Prospects Making Waves in 2015 Spring Training
Top prospects around the league are often the focus of many conversations during spring training, and understandably so, as it's a chance to see what a young player is capable of against established competition.
However, it is also a time when young big leaguers who are still trying to establish themselves have a chance to open some eyes and take the first steps towards carving out an everyday gig in the majors.
When a top prospect uses up his rookie eligibility but is still trying to secure his place on the big league roster, he can often wind up flying under the radar. Those are the guys we will focus on here.
So who exactly fits the bill for this conversation?
They must fulfill the following three criteria:
- At least one previous appearance on the Baseball America preseason Top 100 prospect list.
- No longer rookie eligible (130 AB, 50 IP or 45-plus days on the roster prior to Sept. 1).
- Must not yet be firmly established as a regular contributor at the big league level.
Those loose guidelines include a number of players around the league, so the focus here is on ones that are excelling so far this spring and are worth talking about, either based on their projected role with the team or their background story.
Others Making Noise (Position Players)
1 of 12
IF Reid Brignac, MIA: (8 G, 7-for-14, 1 3B, 6 RBI, 3 R, 1 SB)
No. 17 prospect in 2007
No. 39 prospect in 2008
No. 78 prospect in 2009
No. 54 prospect in 2010
3B Nick Castellanos, DET: (10 G, 6-for-24, 2 2B, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 4 R)
No. 65 prospect in 2011
No. 45 prospect in 2012
No. 21 prospect in 2013
No. 25 prospect in 2014
RF Avisail Garcia, CWS: (8 G, 9-for-22, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 3 R, 1 SB)
No. 74 prospect in 2013
IF/OF Grant Green, LAA: (10 G, 7-for-21, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 2 R)
No. 52 prospect in 2010
No. 63 prospect in 2011
CF Aaron Hicks, MIN: (6 G, 5-for-14, 1 3B, 2 RBI, 2 R, 2 SB)
No. 39 prospect in 2009
No. 19 prospect in 2010
No. 45 prospect in 2011
No. 72 prospect in 2013
C Kyle Skipworth, CIN: (9 G, 5-for-14, 1 2B, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 3 R)
No. 85 prospect in 2009
RF Travis Snider, BAL: (8 G, 7-for-22)
No. 53 prospect in 2007
No. 11 prospect in 2008
No. 6 prospect in 2009
CF Matt Szczur, CHC: (11 G, 8-for-23, 1 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 4 RBI, 5 R, 2 SB)
No. 64 prospect in 2012
Others Making Noise (Pitchers)
2 of 12
SP/RP Randall Delgado, ARI: (3 G, 1 GS, 8.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 9 K)
No. 35 prospect in 2011
No. 46 prospect in 2012
RP J.R. Graham, MIN: (3 G, 4.1 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K)
No. 93 prospect in 2013
RP Nick Hagadone, CLE: (4 G, 4.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K)
No. 44 prospect in 2010
SP Nathan Eovaldi, New York Yankees
3 of 12
Spring Stats
3 G, 2 GS, 9.0 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 9 K
Top Prospect History
No. 96 prospect in 2012
Player Overview
It was a relatively quiet offseason for the New York Yankees, but one pickup that could make a huge impact in 2015 and beyond is hard-throwing right-hander Nathan Eovaldi.
Acquired from the Miami Marlins along with Garrett Jones and Domingo German in exchange for Martin Prado and David Phelps, the Yankees are counting on Eovaldi to step up in a questionable rotation.
The 25-year-old went 6-14 with a 4.37 ERA (3.37 FIP) over a career-high 199.2 innings last season, but in the process he gave up an NL-high 223 hits and had a 1.332 WHIP.
An 11th round pick of the Los Angeles Dodgers' back in 2008, Eovaldi was first traded to the Marlins in the deal that shipped Hanley Ramirez to LA.
The stuff has always been there; it's just a matter of him making the transition from thrower to pitcher. He's looked very sharp so far this spring.
"You can't expect much more," manager Joe Girardi told reporters of Eovaldi after he threw four shutout innings his last time out, via Adam Berry of MLB.com. "We're really excited to have him in camp with us as one of our starters. We think he can do a really good job for us."
Five years from now, this could be looked at as one of the best trades of the offseason.
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SS Wilmer Flores, New York Mets
4 of 12
Spring Stats
8 G, 12-for-26, 4 2B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 5 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Top Prospect History
No. 47 prospect in 2009
No. 88 prospect in 2010
No. 59 prospect in 2011
Player Overview
The shortstop position has been a hole for the New York Mets since Jose Reyes departed in free agency after the 2011 season.
Ruben Tejada has seen the bulk of the playing time over the past three seasons, and the position has put up the following lines since Reyes left.
- 2012: .272/.328/.345, 36 2B, 3 HR, 37 RBI, 78 R
- 2013: .215/.285/.276, 23 2B, 3 HR, 40 RBI, 49 R
- 2014: .236/.317/.312, 19 2B, 8 HR, 57 RBI, 49 R
The team opted against pursuing an external option this offseason, as they will instead turn things over to Wilmer Flores. The 23-year-old posted a .664 OPS with 13 doubles, six home runs and 29 RBI in 259 at-bats in the majors last season.
That's after he hit .323/.367/.568 with 13 home runs in 220 at-bats in Triple-A, so there is plenty of upside offensively.
The big question is his glove. He's made three errors so far this spring, but if he can just turn into an average fielder he has the bat to make an impact.
SS Nick Franklin, Tampa Bay Rays
5 of 12
Spring Stats
8 G, 7-for-23, 1 2B, 3 RBI, 3 R, 0 BB, 8 K, 2 SB
Top Prospect History
No. 53 prospect in 2011
No. 79 prospect in 2013
Player Overview
A first-round pick of the Seattle Mariners' in 2009, Nick Franklin announced himself as a top prospect the following season.
He hit .283/.354/.486 with 23 home runs and 25 stolen bases and reached Double-A as a 19-year-old, and he looked to be on the fast track to the majors. Injuries derailed him the following season, though, and it was not until 2013 that he finally debuted.
A .686 OPS with 20 doubles and 12 home runs in 369 at-bats was decent first-year production, but it wasn't enough to keep him from losing his job to Brad Miller this past season, and Franklin found himself relegated to the minors.
However, the Tampa Bay Rays acquired Franklin at the trade deadline as part of their haul for David Price, and he now has a clear path to an everyday job.
The Tampa Bay offense is notably lacking in firepower outside of Evan Longoria, but Franklin is someone who could emerge as a significant contributor now that he'll be seeing regular playing time.
The 24-year-old is a career .284/.361/.450 hitter in parts of six minor league seasons, so the offensive potential is certainly there.
CF Anthony Gose, Detroit Tigers
6 of 12
Spring Stats
10 G, 13-for-28, 3 2B, 3 3B, 6 RBI, 9 R, 4 BB, 7 K, 4 SB
Top Prospect History
No. 39 prospect in 2012
Player Overview
Originally a Philadelphia Phillies farmhand, Anthony Gose was traded to the Houston Astros in the Roy Oswalt deal back in 2010 and then immediately flipped to the Toronto Blue Jays for first baseman Brett Wallace.
The 2011 season was his coming out party as a top prospect, as he hit .253/.349/.415 with 20 doubles, 16 home runs and 70 stolen bases in a full season in Double-A.
The speedster has spent parts of the past three seasons in Toronto, but he's rarely been afforded everyday at-bats, and the result is a .234/.301/.332 line over a total of 552 at-bats.
"We think he's a better hitter than he's shown," general manager Dave Dombrowski said, via Chris McCosky of The Detroit News, after acquiring him this offseason. "(Hitting coach) Wally Joyner has looked at video and thinks he has a chance to be a much better hitter."
His impressive range in center field alone makes him an asset regardless of what he's doing with the bat, but his offensive potential was the reason the team was willing to part with second base prospect Devon Travis to acquire him.
Rajai Davis, a .304/.358/.446 career hitter against left-handed pitching, will still start against southpaws, but Gose is making a strong case to be the primary center fielder for the upcoming season.
"He's very athletic, very talented," Joyner told reporters. "He looks good up there. He likes what he's doing. He feels good."
3B Will Middlebrooks, San Diego Padres
7 of 12
Spring Stats
7 G, 8-for-21, 2 2B, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 6 R, 1 BB, 6 K
Top Prospect History
No. 51 prospect in 2012
Player Overview
Will Middlebrooks looked to be on his way to stardom when he took over for an injured Kevin Youkilis in 2012 and posted an .835 OPS with 15 home runs and 54 RBI in 267 at-bats.
He's spun his tires the past two seasons, though, with a .213/.265/.364 line. He was demoted to the minors both seasons after breaking camp as the starting third baseman.
With the signing of Pablo Sandoval this winter, Middlebrooks became an expendable piece in Boston. The Red Sox shipped him to the San Diego Padres in exchange for veteran catcher Ryan Hanigan.
Given his struggles the past two seasons, he was not going to simply be handed the everyday third base job over incumbent Yangervis Solarte, but he is off to a great start in his push to win the position battle.
To his credit, Solarte is not making things easy, as he's gone 9-for-25 (.360 BA) with a pair of doubles.
Just 26 years old, Middlebrooks still has the big-time power that he displayed as a rookie, and he still time to put it all together.
He has been nowhere near the most talked about piece the Padres have picked up this offseason, but that trade could wind up being an absolute steal and one of the better buy-low moves in recent memory if he rebounds.
3B Mike Olt, Chicago Cubs
8 of 12
Spring Stats
9 G, 6-for-21, 1 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 6 R, 5 BB, 8 K
Top Prospect History
No. 43 prospect in 2012
No. 22 prospect in 2013
Player Overview
The No. 49 pick out of UConn in the 2010 draft, Mike Olt quickly established himself as one of the game's top power-hitting prospects.
Playing for the Texas Rangers' Double-A affiliate in 2012, Olt hit .288/.398/.579 with 28 home runs, 82 RBI and a solid 61/101 BB/K ratio.
Expected to make a run at the everyday DH spot in 2013, he instead took a huge step backward, hitting just .201/.303/.381 with 15 home runs and a 55/132 BB/K ratio. He was traded to the Chicago Cubs at the deadline as part of the four-player package to acquire Matt Garza.
It was later revealed that Olt was battling some significant vision problems at the beginning of 2013, and while the issue was later resolved, he was playing catch-up the rest of the season, and it wound up being more or less a lost year.
With a fresh start in Chicago and a clean bill of health, he saw his first extended big league action last season. The results were a mixed bag.
He launched 12 home runs in 225 at-bats, but he also struck out 100 times and posted a .160/.248/.356 line in the process.
Uber-prospect Kris Bryant is knocking on the door to be the team's everyday third baseman by the time May rolls around, but a dialed-in Olt could leave the team with a good problem.
Even if he does not have a long-term role on the North Side, right-handed power is in short supply, and he could quickly become an attractive trade chip.
C Tony Sanchez, Pittsburgh Pirates
9 of 12
Spring Stats
7 G, 8-for-15, 2 2B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 3 R, 1 BB, 3 K
Top Prospect History
No. 79 prospect in 2010
No. 46 prospect in 2011
Player Overview
The No. 4 overall pick in the 2009 draft out of Boston College, catcher Tony Sanchez hit .346/.443/.614 with 19 doubles, 14 home runs and 51 RBI in his final college season.
Expected to move quickly on his way to taking over as the Pittsburgh Pirates' everyday catcher, Sanchez instead struggled adjusting to life in the higher levels of the minors, and he has yet to get a real shot at regular big league playing time.
In limited action over the past two years, the 26-year-old has hit .252/.295/.378 with five doubles, four home runs and 18 RBI in 135 total at-bats.
The departure of Russell Martin in free agency briefly opened up the catching job in Pittsburgh, but the team instead opted to trade for Francisco Cervelli in a deal that sent reliever Justin Wilson to the New York Yankees.
With last year's primary backup, Chris Stewart, also returning, Sanchez entered camp this year once again battling for a spot on the Opening Day roster.
Cervelli is expected to be the primary option to begin the season, but with Stewart limited to just five at-bats so far this spring with a tweaked hamstring, Sanchez looks to have a real shot at breaking camp as the backup.
From there, it's not inconceivable to think he could play his way into a more significant role if he can keep hitting the ball like he has so far this spring.
1B Jon Singleton, Houston Astros
10 of 12
Spring Stats
9 G, 8-for-24, 5 2B, 4 RBI, 2 R, 3 BB, 7 K
Top Prospect History
No. 39 prospect in 2011
No. 34 prospect in 2012
No. 27 prospect in 2013
No. 82 prospect in 2014
Player Overview
The Houston Astros had lofty enough expectations for first baseman Jon Singleton that they signed him to a five-year, $10 million extension immediately after calling him up to the big leagues for the first time last June.
His first taste of the majors yielded 13 doubles and 13 home runs in 310 at-bats, but it also saw him strike out a whopping 134 times on his way to a troubling .168/.285/.335 line.
That led to some talk this offseason that the 23-year-old could be ticketed for the minors to begin the 2015 season, with Evan Gattis moving in to play first base or DH and Jake Marisnick or Robbie Grossman starting in the outfield.
Singleton has refused to make it an easy decision, though, and he credits an improved work ethic for his success so far this spring.
"I take things a little more seriously. I get up, and I work with a purpose, and I'm much more focused when I do my work compared to just going through the motions," he told Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle.
This is a guy with legitimate middle-of-the-order qualities, and now he appears to be playing with a chip on his shoulder to prove he's still the player everyone thought he was last season.
Look out for Jon Singleton in 2015.
RP Chin-hui Tsao, Los Angeles Dodgers
11 of 12
Spring Stats
2 G, 4.1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K
Top Prospect History
No. 15 prospect in 2001
No. 61 prospect in 2002
No. 93 prospect in 2003
No. 24 prospect in 2004
Player Overview
One of the better stories of 2015 spring training is Taiwanese right-hander Chin-hui Tsao, who is battling for a spot in the Los Angeles Dodgers bullpen.
Once a flame-throwing prospect in the Colorado Rockies' system, Tsao has taken a strange path back to major league spring training. Ken Gurnick of MLB.com broke it down.
"The Taiwanese pitcher, 33, played for the Rockies in 29 games from 2003-05, appeared in 21 games for the Dodgers in 2007, was involved in a game-fixing scandal back in his native Taiwan in 2009, ran a barbecue restaurant and, suddenly, was signed to a Minor League contract by the Dodgers before Spring Training with no invitation to Major League camp.
"
Tsao was a useful arm out of the bullpen for the Dodgers back in 2007, when he posted a 4.38 ERA and 1.054 WHIP in 24.2 innings over 21 appearances.
The Los Angeles Times went into more detail on the game-fixing scandal, but the nuts and bolts of it are that Major League Baseball launched its own investigation of him a few years back, found no evidence he ever fixed games and cleared him for a return to the big leagues.
He's a long shot at best to break camp with the team, but his story is an interesting one nonetheless, and there is certainly a chance he is stashed in Triple-A and finds his way to Los Angeles at some point in 2015.
SP Taijuan Walker, Seattle Mariners
12 of 12
Spring Stats
3 GS, 8.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 K
Top Prospect History
No. 20 prospect in 2012
No. 18 prospect in 2013
No. 11 prospect in 2014
Player Overview
The No. 43 pick in the 2010 draft, Taijuan Walker was more of a basketball player than a baseball player coming out of high school, but his raw abilities on a pitcher's mound were impossible to ignore.
He made his debut in full-season ball in 2011 as an 18-year-old and posted a 2.89 ERA, 1.117 WHIP and 113 strikeouts in 96.2 innings, announcing himself as one of the game's elite pitching prospects.
A strong three-start showing in Seattle to close out the 2013 season had him poised to break camp with a rotation spot last spring, but instead he began the season on the disabled list with shoulder inflammation.
When the 2014 season came to a close, he had only thrown 38 innings at the big league level in five starts and three relief appearances, albeit with a solid 2.61 ERA.
The Mariners were adamant in not including him in trade talks this offseason—and understandably so given his incredibly high ceiling—and he's now once again positioned to break camp as part of the rotation.
He may have used up his rookie eligibility last season, but the 22-year-old Walker is still very much in the conversation for the title of best young pitcher in the game, and he has been terrific so far this spring.
All stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference and accurate through Monday, March 17.
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