MLB Prospects: 5 Prospects in Need of a Strong 2012 Season

With a high ceiling comes the potential for failure. For every one prospect who makes a splash in the Major Leagues, there are countless others who seemingly never pan out. While there are many players throughout the minor leagues who are in desperate need of a rebound season to keep their development on track, there are a select few once highly-touted prospects who are in danger of fading from their organization’s long-term agenda.  

Now, I'm not saying that these five players will for sure fizzle out, and believe me, I hope they don't. Rather, they are headed down a slippery slope and have plenty to prove in 2012.

Here is a look at five prospects in need of a strong season. 

Pittsburgh Pirates: Stetson Allie (RHP)

Selected in the second round of the 2010 draft, Allie has a legitimate power arm that produces double-plus fastballs. However, the right-hander has repeatedly struggled to show a feel for the strike zone, which has many scouts believing he’ll be relegated to a bullpen career.

Logging 26 innings in 2011, Allie issues 29 free passes, hit nine batters and uncorked seven wild pitches, though he did record 28 strikeouts. This season it’s already been more of the same, as the 21-year-old has already walked eight and threw three wild pitches in only two thirds of an inning.

To be a successful reliever at the back of a major league bullpen, he’ll have to show a hint of command.

Toronto Blue Jays: Anthony Gose (OF)

Although Gose may be one of the most athletic and toolsy players in all of the minor leagues, his baseball skills still lag behind. He received an aggressive promotion to Triple-A to begin this season with the hope of jump-starting his bat, however, early results have been less than favorable.

Gose’s hit tool is the only thing preventing him from becoming a dynamic outfielder in the major leagues. He’s produced a .256/.332/.380 slash line over 1,894 plate appearances, and has struck out 441 times compared to only 156 walks. 

The left-handed hitter has gotten off to an especially slow start this season, as he’s batting .219/.311/.286 through his first 120 plate appearances. Unlike last season in which he cracked 16 home runs and stole 70 bases at Double-A, Gose has yet to jump the yard, and his inability to get on base at a healthy clip has resulted in only eight stolen bases.

Oakland Athletics: Grant Green (OF)

As with Brett Jackson, Grant Green is a former 2009 first-rounder who has struggled to live up to his potential. His best season came as a 22-year-old in Double-A when he batted .318/.363/.520 with 65 extra-base hits and 87 RBI while playing shortstop for High-A Stockton in 2010. Yet, despite his production, Green fanned 117 times while coaxing only 38 walks.

He followed up his breakout season with a disappointing 2011 campaign at Double-A Midland, as he batted .291/.343/.408 with 43 extra-base hits (nine home runs) and 62 RBI while striking out 119 times. He also moved from shortstop to the outfield, where his bat naturally became less of a premium, especially with such lackluster production.

This season, Green is off to another slow start, batting .266/.304/.394 with six extra-base hits and 17 strikeouts through his first 23 games at Triple-A.  Obviously, there’s still plenty of time left in the season to turn in around, but Green will have to make significant strides at the plate to avoid dropping even further down the organization’s depth chart.

Miami Marlins: Matt Dominguez (3B)

Dominguez has been ready to contribute defensively in the major leagues for several years; however, his bat has never quite caught up. The Marlins’ first-round draft pick in 2007 has posted a .255/.323/.417 line through 2,051 minor league plate appearances—not exactly the foundation for a big league career.

Dominguez reached the major leagues last season as a September call-up, but obviously didn’t show enough pop at the plate to be considered an option at third base headed into this season. He remains blocked with Hanley Ramirez holding down the hot corner.

In my opinion, he’s a player who may benefit from a change of scenery in the coming year, as he’s seemingly plateaued as a minor league third baseman in the Marlins’ system. 

Chicago Cubs: Brett Jackson (OF)

Brett Jackson’s strikeout rates have always been a concerning aspect of his game. Sure, he’s a great athlete capable of defensively sticking in center field, but it’s always been questioned whether his propensity to swing-and-miss will impede his development.

Now 23 years old, Jackson is in the midst of his first full season at Triple-A after posting a 138-strikeout season last year between Double-A Tennessee and Triple-A Iowa. In the previous year, the left-handed hitter fanned 126 times between High-A and Double-A.

As much potential as Jackson has to be a 20/20 outfielder in the Major Leagues, he may never pan out if he doesn’t cut down on the strikeouts and employ a more advanced plate discipline.