2012 MLB Predictions: Prospects Who Will Be Called Up Before All-Star Break

It's still very early on in the season, but it's already apparent that some clubs around Major League Baseball are going to have to call for the cavalry before long.

Luckily, some clubs have some pretty good cavalry to call on. There are some pretty good prospects out there, and a few of them are going to get the call sooner rather than later.

There are numerous prospects who could get called up in the near future, but there are four prospects in particular that I think will be called up.

Expect to see these four guys in the big leagues before the All-Star break rolls around.

Jose Iglesias, SS, Boston Red Sox

Before the start of the season, it was reported by The Boston Globe that Sox manager Bobby Valentine was of the mind that Jose Iglesias was ready for the big leagues.

He was ultimately overruled. Iglesias was sent to Triple-A Pawtucket and the Sox opened the season with Mike Aviles at short.

Well, Aviles is already dealing with a bum ankle (see MLB.com), and he only had three hits in 15 at-bats before he got hurt. Worse, he was off to a pretty rough start in the field.

If Aviles doesn't start to hit after he returns to the lineup, it's going to be way too easy for the Sox to call up Iglesias. Aviles is in the lineup because of his bat, not his glove. So if that bat's not working, Aviles basically doesn't bring anything to the table.

Iglesias does not swing a good bat, but he's an elite defensive shortstop. The Sox will lose some offense if they call him up and insert him into the lineup, but the return of Carl Crawford in a few weeks will (hopefully) make up for it.

The other thing Iglesias will provide is a spark. Judging from what we've seen, the Red Sox are going to need one of those before long. Expect to see Iglesias in early May.

Danny Hultzen, LHP, Seattle Mariners

The Mariners are set at the top of their rotation with Felix Hernandez and Jason Vargas. 

The rest of it...not so much.

Disaster hasn't struck yet, but the Mariners are going to need to give the back end of their rotation a boost. When they decide to give it said boost, Danny Hultzen will be the first guy on their call list.

The Mariners chose Hultzen with the second overall pick in the 2011 draft, but he's more major league ready than most minor league prospects after starring at the University of Virginia for several seasons. His stuff is polished, his command is solid and he has the ability to provide over 150 innings for the Mariners if need be.

I don't think we're going to see Hultzen in the majors next week, mind you. He's only made one start at the Double-A level so far this season. He's going to need a few more to get up to speed.

The Hultzen Watch will start in May. Rest assured, a spot will open up for him at some point.

Trevor Bauer, RHP, Arizona Diamondbacks

When Josh Collmenter gave up five earned runs in three innings in his first start against the San Francisco Giants, everyone started thinking the same thing.

How much longer before Trevor Bauer gets the call?

It won't be long. Collmenter is not a guy who inspires confidence. Neither is Joe Saunders. One (or both) of them is likely to pitch his way out of the rotation before long.

When that happens, Bauer will get the call. And then we can all get excited together.

Bauer's stuff is outstanding. He throws his fastball in the mid 90s with good command, and he keeps hitters off-balance with an above-average changeup and an array of breaking balls. Given the heavy workload he handled at UCLA, Bauer is a lot like Hultzen in that he's not going to need much time in the minors.

And so far, Bauer is off to a guard start. He pitched five shutout innings in his first start of the season, punching out seven. In his second start on Tuesday night, he pitched 5.2 scoreless innings with 11 strikeouts. 

Yup.

Collmenter and Saunders will get some more time to prove themselves, but they'll be on a short leash. I won't be surprised if Bauer gets the call in early May.

Mike Trout, OF, Los Angeles Angels

Mike Trout is the best prospect in the minors. Hands down.

There's nothing left for Trout to prove at the minor league level. He tore up Double-A in 2011, and he's tearing up Triple-A so far in 2012. He got some time in the big leagues last season, and he played well enough to inspire confidence about his future.

There's just one problem: The Angels have a couple of old stiffs blocking Trout's path to the majors. The Angels have stashed Vernon Wells and his fat contract in left field, Peter Bourjos is in center and Torii Hunter and his fat contract are in right.

Wells is the one player most likely to be replaced by Trout. He's no longer an elite defensive player, and he's a liability in the batter's box. He hit .218 last year, and he has two hits in 14 at-bats so far this year.

As soon as the Angels get an excuse to take Wells out of the lineup, we'll see Trout in left field. Once he arrives, he'll be here to stay.

Expect to see Trout no later than June.