10 Farmhands Who Must Be Called Up to Save Struggling MLB Teams

There are several struggling MLB teams that could use a boost to get over the hump, and that boost could very well come from within their own organizations.

Many teams have high-quality prospects performing well in the minors, but have yet to bring them up to contribute to the big club. Some players are being held down to gain more experience, while others are being held down for no particular reason at all.

Regardless of the reason, struggling teams would be wise to bring up some young talent to improve for the second half of the season.

While some teams aren't currently constructed to make a run at the playoffs, the promotion of a prospect could be exactly the spark those teams need.

Kansas City Royals, Wil Myers

Wil Myers is the top home run hitter in all of professional baseball. That's right—all of professional baseball.

He hit his 27th home run of the season on July 1 and is poised to crack the Kansas City Royals outfield at some point this season.

The team would be wise to give him the call sooner rather than later, as they still have somewhat of a fighting chance in the underachieving AL Central.

At 36-42, the Royals are just 5.5 games behind the Chicago White Sox for first place.

Adding Myers to the young lineup could potentially be the boost they need to make a run for the top spot in the division.

Toronto Blue Jays, Anthony Gose

Colby Rasmus may be enjoying a solid season as the center fielder for the 40-40 Toronto Blue Jays, but adding top prospect Anthony Gose into the mix could help the team make a playoff push.

Rajai Davis is currently the team's left fielder, and there's no doubt that sliding Gose over to play left would be a vast improvement on offense and defense.

This season, Gose owns a line of .293/.375/.422 with three home runs, 36 RBI and 29 stolen bases. He also has nine triples and 72 runs scored.

Gose is a pure athlete and has top-of-the-lineup potential. The Jays have lacked a true leadoff guy since the days of Shannon Stewart, so adding Gose to the big club could fill a much-needed role.

Detroit Tigers, Jacob Turner

The Detroit Tigers have been a mystery this season. They have the reigning Cy Young award and AL MVP award winner in Justin Verlander, as well as a potent lineup anchored by the likes of Prince Fielder and Miguel Cabrera.

Even with all that talent, the Tigers sit at 39-41 entering play on Monday night and are 3.5 games out of first place in the AL Central.

Jacob Turner is a guy that has the potential to help right the ship in Detroit.

After receiving one start with the big club in Drew Smyly's absence, Turner has since been sent down to the minors.

Turner is one of the top pitching prospects in baseball. There is no reason for him to be in the minors at this point.

Sure, he's a little wild at times—most young pitchers are. The best way for him to improve is to pitch in the majors.

Even with the walks, he'll still be a tremendous addition to the team.

Milwaukee Brewers, Tyler Thornburg

Similarly to Jacob Turner, Tyler Thornburg of the Milwaukee Brewers received a spot start earlier this month in place of Shaun Marcum.

After the start, he was sent back down to Triple-A.

Thornburg has earned the right to be a part of the major league team in some capacity. In 75 Triple-A innings, he owns an 8-1 record and 3.00 ERA. Opponents are hitting just .212 against him.

The Brewers are struggling at 37-42, though there is still plenty of time to close the 6.5 game gap between themselves and the Cincinnati Reds.

With Thornburg getting the ball every fifth day, there's a good chance that the Brewers could continue to pick up some ground on the division-leading Reds.

San Diego Padres, Jedd Gyorko

The San Diego Padres may be experiencing a lost season at this point, but their pitiful offense could most definitely be helped by Jedd Gyorko.

Gyorko, a third baseman, would likely find his way to the big league roster if Chase Headley is moved at the deadline. Even if the Padres don't deal Headley, Gyorko deserves a call up to possibly play second base.

On the season, he is hitting a robust .313/.375/.525 with 16 home runs and 58 RBI. He has collected 100 hits.

The Padres are 31-50. Even before the All-Star break, it's time to give up on any playoffs hopes they may have had entering 2012. 

Giving Gyorko a chance to adjust to the majors this season could help the Padres down the line, as they won't have to worry about him adjusting while they are in the thick of a playoff hunt.

Then again, that could be a few years in the future.

Los Angeles Dodgers, Chris Reed

The Los Angeles Dodgers have fallen from atop the NL West, and their downward spiral doesn't look as if it is going to end any time soon.

They are 2-8 in their last 10 games. Much of their demise can be attributed to Matt Kemp's absence, but the bullpen has not performed up to its usual standards either.

Enter left-hander Chris Reed, a 2012 Futures Game selection from Double-A Chattanooga. 

Sure, making the jump from Double-A to the majors can be difficult. Nathan Eovaldi, another pitcher on the team, did that earlier this season though.

With the Chattanooga Lookouts, Reed sports a 1.20 ERA with 13 strikeouts in 15 innings. Opponents are hitting just .157 against him.

He could be a nice short-term option until the likes of Javy Guerra, Matt Guerrier and Blake Hawksworth return from their stays on the disabled list. 

Houston Astros, Jonathan Singleton

Jonathan Singleton is the crown jewel of the Houston Astros farm system.

Acquired from the Philadelphia Phillies in the Hunter Pence trade, Singleton is widely regarded as one of the top first base prospects in the game.

If Carlos Lee gets shipped out at the deadline, Singleton will get his promotion. Even if he doesn't, Singleton deserves to be called up to add some much-needed firepower to the bench.

On the season, Singleton sports a line of .269/.389/.481 with 12 home runs, 45 RBI and 16 doubles. He has tremendous power and the Astros are in desperate need of a bat like his.

He may only be playing for Double-A right now, but there's no denying his abilities at the plate. The Astros don't have much to play for this season. They'd be wise to give Singleton some time in the majors.

Heck, the Astros will probably even play better with him on the roster.

Arizona Diamondbacks, Adam Eaton

The Arizona Diamondbacks may already have a crowded outfield with the likes of Jason Kubel, Gerardo Parra, Chris Young and Justin Upton, but there's a decent chance that one of Kubel or Parra will be dealt at the deadline.

Should that happen, Triple-A center fielder Adam Eaton should be the first player given a shot at the team. He is hitting exceptionally well in the minors, sporting a line of .357/.451/.504 with 29 doubles, four triples and 29 steals through 81 games.

The Diamondbacks have struggled in 2012. After last season's surprising rise to the top of the NL West, they have sputtered a bit and sit at 39-41 through 80 games. Even though they are under .500, Arizona is just 5.5 games out of first place.

Adding a true leadoff hitter into the mix could do wonders for their lineup. Eaton is exactly the type of player that they need to get back into the playoff picture.

Philadelphia Phillies, Phillippe Aumont

The Philadelphia Phillies bullpen could use a boost, and right-handed closer Phillippe Aumont could give them exactly what they want.

In Triple-A Reading, he owns a bloated 4.32 ERA. That being said, opponents are hitting just .196 against him.

Racking up the strikeouts are his specialty. Through 25 innings, he has recorded 37 strikeouts. Unfortunately, racking up the bases on balls is also a special talent of his. He has walked 21 batters. Hence, the 4.32 ERA.

While Jonathan Papelbon will be under contract for the next several seasons, many view Aumont as a potential closer candidate in the future. Getting him some experience now would be great for his career, and it would also help to save the Phillies' season. 

At 36-45, they are 11 games out of first place and sit in last place in the very competitive NL East.

Cincinnati Reds, Billy Hamilton

Okay, so Billy Hamilton will not be making the jump from Single-A to the majors any time soon. And okay, so the Cincinnati Reds aren't exactly struggling.

But Hamilton has the potential to save a long-dying skill in the majors—base stealing.

On Monday night, Hamilton stole his 100th base of the season. Yes, 100.

The shortstop owns a .421 on-base percentage, so there's no doubting his ability to get on base and make something happen.

The Reds would be wise to progress him through their system quickly. Stealing bases is something that can be done at any level, and it's clear that Hamilton's unique ability to steal bases is something we haven't seen in several years.

He's realistically on pace for about 175 stolen bases this season, which would be more than the single-season major league record of 130 held by Ricky Henderson.

While Hamilton won't save the Reds this season, he has the potential to resurrect one of the game's most exciting, under-utilized strategies.