8 MLB Prospects Who Could Impact Pennant Races in Second Half
The MLB season is almost to the halfway point, meaning that it's time to start looking at some prospects who could make an impact on the pennant races.
We have already seen the first wave of prospects get promoted, as teams start to fortify their rosters in an attempt to make a run at the World Series. One of the more memorable and impacting call-ups of this generation had to be in 1996, when the Atlanta Braves brought up a young Andruw Jones.
Jones was promoted in August of 1996 at 19 years old. In Game 1 of the 1996 World Series, Jones homered in his first two at-bats, becoming the first player to ever accomplish that feat. Jones was also the youngest player to ever hit a home run in a World Series game.
The rest was history.
Is there a prospect in the mix that could be this year's Andruw Jones? Let's take a look at eight prospects who could have that kind of impact this season.
Gerrit Cole, Pittsburgh Pirates
1 of 8Don't look now, but the Pittsburgh Pirates find themselves right in the thick of things in the NL Central.
Since Gerrit Cole has joined the big league club, he hasn't done anything except win games. Cole has started in three games, and has been the victor in all three.
One of the more impressive stats from Cole's three starts has been that he has only walked one batter in 18.1 innings pitched. For a guy who has shown command issues in the past, this is a breath of fresh air for the Pirates.
Look for Cole and his 98 mph fastball to have a serious impact as the Pirates push towards a playoff berth in the second half of 2013.
2013 Stats
| 2013 | 22 | PIT | 3 | 0 | 1.000 | 3.44 | 3 | 3 | 18.1 | 18 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 1.036 | 8.8 | 3.9 |
| 1 Yr | 3 | 0 | 1.000 | 3.44 | 3 | 3 | 18.1 | 18 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 1.036 | 8.8 | 3.9 | ||
| 162 Game Avg. | 34 | 0 | 1.000 | 3.44 | 34 | 34 | 207 | 204 | 79 | 79 | 11 | 11 | 91 | 1.036 | 8.8 | 3.9 | ||
Wil Myers, Tampa Bay Rays
2 of 8The Tampa Bay Rays find themselves in the cellar of the AL East, but are a hot streak away from getting back into the race.
One player who may be able to help them get back into the swing of things is power-hitting outfield prospect Wil Myers.
Myers was recently called up by the Rays, and is already making his presence felt. He smacked his first major league home run over the weekend, a grand slam, off New York Yankees ace pitcher CC Sabathia.
Myers may be exactly what the doctor ordered for the Rays, and he should be able to give their offense a jolt moving forward.
2013 Stats
| 2013 | 22 | TBR | 6 | 25 | 25 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 4 | .280 | .280 | .440 | .720 |
| 162 Game Avg. | 162 | 675 | 675 | 54 | 189 | 27 | 27 | 162 | 108 | .280 | .280 | .440 | .720 | ||
Yasiel Puig, Los Angeles Dodgers
3 of 8The Los Angeles Dodgers find themselves in the basement of the NL West, but could Yasiel Puig be the savior in Dodgertown?
If you thought Mike Trout's rookie season was awesome, Puig is on pace to do even more. He has completely captivated the baseball world, and for the time being, Mike Trout and Bryce Harper are taking a backseat to the 22-year-old Cuban defector.
This kid has played so great, that after 19 games, some are calling for Puig to be a 2013 All-Star. All-Star or not, Dodgers fans are hoping that Puig can help spark a serious playoff run in the second half of the season.
2013 Stats
| 2013 | LAD | 19 | 78 | 73 | 13 | 31 | 3 | 6 | 12 | .425 | .462 | .712 | 1.174 |
| 1 Yr | 19 | 78 | 73 | 13 | 31 | 3 | 6 | 12 | .425 | .462 | .712 | 1.174 | |
| 162 Game Avg. | 162 | 665 | 622 | 111 | 264 | 26 | 51 | 102 | .425 | .462 | .712 | 1.174 | |
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Tony Cingrani, Cincinnati Reds
4 of 8Tony Cingrani is doing whatever is asked of him in order to help the Cincinnati Reds win the pennant. He was brought up to fill in for the injured Johnny Cueto, and did so admirably, posting a sub-3.00 ERA and striking out 52 batters in 42.1 innings pitched.
When Cueto was healthy enough to come back, the general thinking was that Cingrani would return to Triple-A where he would continue his development.
Not so fast.
According to NBC Sports.com, Dusty Baker will opt to keep Cingrani around a little longer, and have him pitch out of the bullpen with Sean Marshall and Jonathan Bronxton both on the disabled list.
Cingrani was drafted as a reliever and then became a starter, so this is not new territory for the lefty. He will help bolster the bullpen and also provide insurance for the Reds should any other starters succumb to injury in the coming months.
2013 Stats
| 2013 | CIN | 3 | 0 | 1.000 | 2.98 | 10 | 7 | 42.1 | 30 | 14 | 14 | 8 | 11 | 52 | 0.969 | 11.1 |
| 2 Yrs | 3 | 0 | 1.000 | 2.85 | 13 | 7 | 47.1 | 34 | 15 | 15 | 9 | 13 | 61 | 0.993 | 11.6 | |
| 162 Game Avg. | 10 | 0 | 1.000 | 2.85 | 44 | 24 | 161 | 116 | 51 | 51 | 31 | 44 | 207 | 0.993 | 11.6 | |
Jurickson Profar, Texas Rangers
5 of 8The AL West is shaping up to be a two-horse race between the Oakland Athletics and the Texas Rangers. Jurickson Profar, the consensus MLB No. 1 prospect, has already spent some time with the Rangers this season.
In his 27 games, Profar has a respectable .266 batting average, but is still sitting behind Ian Kinsler and Elvis Andrus on the Rangers' depth chart. Profar has spent the majority of his time this season at second base, although he has also made some appearances at shortstop and third base.
Profar gives the Rangers a solid insurance policy if either Kinsler or Andrus were to go down with an injury, as well as keep those two guys fresh for the dog days of summer by giving them some much needed days off.
As we move closer to the trade deadline, teams will definitely be inquiring about Profar's services, and it will be interesting to see if the Rangers bite on any of the offers. Either way, Profar will definitely make an impact on the Rangers' playoff run in 2013.
2013 Stats
| 2013 | 20 | TEX | 27 | 106 | 94 | 7 | 25 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 20 | .266 | .320 | .372 | .693 |
| 2 Yrs | 36 | 123 | 111 | 9 | 28 | 6 | 3 | 9 | 6 | 24 | .252 | .300 | .387 | .687 | ||
| 162 Game Avg. | 162 | 554 | 500 | 41 | 126 | 27 | 14 | 41 | 27 | 108 | .252 | .300 | .387 | .687 | ||
Dylan Bundy, Baltimore Orioles
6 of 8The top pitching prospect in baseball, Dylan Bundy is ready to help the Baltimore Orioles chase down the AL East crown in 2013.
Bundy hasn't pitched in a game yet this year as he recovers from stiffness in his throwing arm. He began throwing earlier this month and all signs are pointing to him being ready to go by August, when he should be ready to fill a spot in the Orioles' rotation.
Not many teams will be able to add a pitcher that brings 98 mph heat to their rotation without making a trade, but the Orioles can.
Oscar Taveras, St. Louis Cardinals
7 of 8The only thing standing in the way of Oscar Taveras being called up and nailing down a starting job this season is St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Jon Jay.
However, Jay has been struggling so far this season and is leaving the door wide open for the Cardinals' top prospect to come in and steal his job.
Taveras is down in Triple-A putting together a very impressive season. The Cards won't be able to keep him down on the farm much longer, and Taveras could be the offensive spark plug they need to hold off the Pirates and Reds in the race for the NL Central.
2013 Stats
Ziolo Almonte, New York Yankees
8 of 8Zack Wheeler isn't the only prospect storming into New York these days. The Yankees may have found a diamond in the rough with outfielder Ziolo Almonte.
He's been with the big boys for just over a week and has been raking the ball from the minute he put on the pinstripes. He's a very aggressive hitter, but if he can be patient at the plate, he can be very dangerous.
The short porch in right field of Yankee Stadium could add to his aggressiveness and allow the Yankees to cash in on his power.
Whether or not he tempers his aggressiveness will determine whether he sticks with the big league club or not, but he's off to a great start.
2013 Stats
| 2013 | 24 | NYY | 5 | 14 | 12 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | .583 | .643 | 1.000 | 1.643 |
| 1 Yr | 5 | 14 | 12 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | .583 | .643 | 1.000 | 1.643 | ||
| 162 Game Avg. | 162 | 454 | 389 | 65 | 227 | 65 | 32 | 130 | .583 | .643 | 1.000 | 1.643 | ||
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