MLB's Top 10 Can't-Miss Hitting Prospects for 2015
Major League Baseball always is in need of good, young hitters, especially considering how much the sport has been controlled by pitching in recent years.
Judging by the flood of elite young arms who are on the verge of reaching The Show, the gap could widen, but these 10 position player prospects might have something to say about that.
Having already run through the 10 "can't-miss" pitching prospects for 2015—as if such an animal actually exists—this is where we spread some love to the other side.
To clarify, that means these youngsters should be making a major impact in the upcoming year.
Thus, you won't see elite bats like Carlos Correa of the Houston Astros or J.P. Crawford of the Philadelphia Phillies, both of whom are a bit too far away to take the majors by storm this year. Same goes for 19-year-old Cuban phenom Yoan Moncada, who still hasn't been given the A-OK to sign with a team.
And, as always, to qualify as a prospect, these players cannot have exceeded 130 at-bats in the majors or spent more than 45 days on the active roster.
That eliminates, say, Mookie Betts of the Boston Red Sox, who surpassed that total by merely 59 at-bats in 2014, as well as Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Gregory Polanco (277 ABs) or Chicago Cubs infielder Javier Baez (213).
What we're looking for are elite young hitters who have the right mix of talent (i.e., highly regarded prospects) and opportunity (i.e., proximity to the majors) to do something big in 2015.
Given that this list is about this coming campaign, there's slightly more emphasis on the latter of those two criteria so that it's more likely these players actually will, you know, play in the big leagues—and make their presence felt—over the next several months.
Let the can't-miss countdown begin.
Honorable Mentions
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Next in Line to Reach the Majors
Maikel Franco, 1B/3B, Philadelphia Phillies
Jake Lamb, 3B, Arizona Diamondbacks
Stephen Piscotty, OF, St. Louis Cardinals
Rymer Liriano, OF, San Diego Padres
Jose Peraza, 2B, Atlanta Braves
Micah Johnson, 2B, Chicago White Sox
Devon Travis, 2B, Toronto Blue Jays
Kevin Plawecki, C, New York Mets
Steven Moya, OF, Detroit Tigers
Blake Swihart, C, Boston Red Sox
Likely Too Far Away for 2015
D.J. Peterson, 1B/3B, Seattle Mariners
Miguel Sano, 1B/3B, Minnesota Twins
Byron Buxton, OF, Minnesota Twins
Addison Russell, SS, Chicago Cubs
Corey Seager, SS, Los Angeles Dodgers
Joey Gallo, 3B, Texas Rangers
Dilson Herrera, 2B, New York Mets
Gary Sanchez, C, New York Yankees
Jorge Alfaro, C, Texas Rangers
Josh Bell, 1B/OF, Pittsburgh Pirates
No. 10: Jung-Ho Kang, INF, Pittsburgh Pirates
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As the first-ever position player to make the leap from the Korean Baseball Organization to MLB, Jung-ho Kang is anything but can't-miss in the sense that he could prove to be a total bust right away.
Except the small-budget Pittsburgh Pirates are spending about $16 million in total on Kang (including his $5 million positing fee) to be a contributor in 2015, so they're going to find a way to get something out of him.
Plus Kang, who turns 28 this April and is smack in his prime, put up a .356/.459/.739 line with 40 homers in his final season overseas. Even in the hitter-friendly KBO, those are some monstrous numbers.
For what it's worth, Kang talks a big game, too, expressing immediately after inking that he thinks he can be better than incumbent shortstop Jordy Mercer. "If I get an opportunity to play consistently, I think I can play better [than Mercer]," Kang said via the Yonhap News Agency, per Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “I think I’ll have to talk to the team about my position, but I’d like to play shortstop."
The risk factor here is very high, but as long as he doesn't flame out in the first month or two, Kang should spend the season in the majors, which will give him plenty of opportunity. And hey, that counts for something.
No. 9: Christian Bethancourt, C, Atlanta Braves
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Christian Bethancourt's path has been cleared, so it's his time to show he can shine in The Show.
The Atlanta Braves traded away starting backstop Evan Gattis and inked A.J. Pierzynski, who is 38 and strictly a backup at this stage of his career. That means Bethancourt, 23, is in position to put his elite defensive skills and weapon of an arm on display as the club's primary catcher.
The offense will leave a lot to be desired, but Bethancourt could become something like the equivalent of teammate Andrelton Simmons behind the plate, which would make him an impact player regardless.
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No. 8: Francisco Lindor, SS, Cleveland Indians
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It might take a month or two before the Cleveland Indians decide to call up Francisco Lindor for his debut, but once he's deemed ready, he could settle in as the franchise's shortstop for the next decade.
Only 21, Lindor pushed his way to Triple-A just three years after being selected eighth overall in 2011, so it's understandable the Indians might not want to rush him to the highest level just yet.
"We need to let him develop," Indians manager Terry Francona said, according to Paul Hoynes of the The Plain Dealer (Cleveland, Ohio). "Getting a guy here too quick isn't developing, that's getting him beat up. When Lindor gets here, we want him to impact our team offensively, defensively and on the bases. That takes time."
Then again, defense—Lindor's forte—also happened to be Cleveland's biggest problem, as they finished dead last in errors last year.
Lindor, who also has good contact-making ability and the speed and savvy to steal 20-plus bases on offense, will help clean things up soon enough. Look for Lindor around midseason, leaving him plenty of time to make his presence known.
No. 7: Steven Souza, OF, Tampa Bay Rays
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For the Tampa Bay Rays' sake, Steven Souza isn't a can't-miss prospect so much as he's a better-not-miss one. After all, Souza was the primary get in this offseason's blockbuster three-team deal that sent former Rookie of the Year Wil Myers to the San Diego Padres.
If the Rays are wrong on Souza, who is closing on 26 years old this April and has all of 21 games in the majors compared to the 24-year-old Myers, who has played 175, then that decision could haunt the franchise for years.
To his credit, Souza has a nice all-around profile and did hit .325/.427/.577 with 18 homers and 28 stolen bases at Triple-A in 2014. There's something here, and Souza almost has to be on the Opening Day roster, but boy, do the Rays need him to pan out.
No. 6: Dalton Pompey, OF, Toronto Blue Jays
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Few position player prospects had a more upwardly mobile 2014 than Dalton Pompey.
The 22-year-old started the season at High-A before stops at Double-A and then Triple-A and then ultimately earned himself a 17-game September cameo with the Toronto Blue Jays.
Heading into this season, the athletic, speedy, sinewy strong Pompey is lined up to start in center field for a Toronto team that has its eye on winning a wide-open AL East and returning to the postseason for the first time since (gasp) 1993.
There's a lot on Pompey's shoulders, but he has the tools to be up to the task and make a name for himself.
No. 5: Yasmany Tomas, 3B/OF, Arizona Diamondbacks
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Much in the way the Rays need Steven Souza to perform well to prevent them from looking silly, the Arizona Diamondbacks are hoping for the same from Yasmany Tomas, the slugger formerly of Cuba's Serie Nacional who landed a $68.5 million contract in November.
That's a lot to invest, and the Diamondbacks need it to pay off, especially after finishing with the worst record in baseball a year ago. Tomas, whose primary tool is his big-time power, isn't going to save Arizona by himself, but he can help the team turn things around if he hits.
As for the other side of the ball, Tomas' position remains up in the air. Many see him as a corner outfielder, but he has experience at third base and has been getting work in there already.
Given the run of successful former Cuban position player stars to come to the majors—from Yoenis Cespedes to Yasiel Puig to Jose Abreu—it's not hard to see Tomas as the next one.
No. 4: Rusney Castillo, OF, Boston Red Sox
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That whole bit about Cuban stars making the transition to MLB? Well, that also applies to Rusney Castillo, whose $72.5 million deal with the Boston Red Sox last August remains the largest ever handed out to a Cuban international free agent.
Although he hails from the same island nation as Tomas, Castillo's profile is rather different. For one, he is older, already 27 and in his prime. For another, he's much more athletic and faster, meaning Castillo should be able to handle center field, a premium up-the-middle spot that puts him more in the spotlight.
"He's a complete player," former Red Sox Alex Cora, who managed Castillo during winter ball, said via Joon Lee of Over the Monster. "He's got a pretty good idea about the game. His baseball IQ is solid. He understands it and we were very impressed with the way that he plays the game, he's been taught the game. He thinks the game. He's a good player."
In his 10 games with the Red Sox last September, Castillo performed well both defensively and offensively, going 12-for-36 (.333) with a pair of homers and three stolen bases. That—along with the $72.5 mil—makes Castillo the center fielder of the present and future in Boston.
No. 3: Joc Pederson, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers
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Speaking of center fielders of the present and future, here's introducing Joc Pederson.
The Los Angeles Dodgers' new decision-makers, president Andrew Friedman and general manager Farhan Zaidi, liked the 22-year-old enough after he posted a 30-30 campaign at Triple-A that they went ahead and opened an outfield spot by trading Matt Kemp before Pederson really even got his feet wet in the bigs.
A lefty swinger, Pederson has had his issues with hitting southpaws, and he didn't show much over 18 games, going just 4-for-28 (.143). But he's the Dodgers best (only?) legitimate option in center and possesses an exciting blend of power and speed.
Provided a little adjustment time in Los Angeles, Pederson will put his all-around skill set to use.
No. 2: Jorge Soler, OF, Chicago Cubs
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After finally getting healthy midway through 2014, Jorge Soler flew through the minors and made his Chicago Cubs debut on August 27. The 22-year-old made an immediate impact, too, smacking a long homer to center field in his very first trip to the dish.
Over the course of his month in the majors, the Cuba native triple-slashed .292/.330/.573 with 14 extra-base hits, including five home runs.
The tools here are very loud, from Soler's power to his big right arm. And while he's going to have a transitional period, Soler will be the Cubs' Opening Day right fielder, meaning he'll have a full season to put his skills on display.
Funny enough, as exciting and impactful as Soler projects to be, he's not even the No. 1 prospect for 2015 on his own team...
No. 1: Kris Bryant, 3B, Chicago Cubs
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Although Kris Bryant very likely won't come north with the Cubs after spring training, he's just about ready for the big leagues and very well could be up before the end of April.
The 23-year-old, who went second overall in 2013, has blazed through the minors, leaving a trail of destruction in his wake. Bryant sports a career .327/.428/.666 slash line as a pro, and he led all of the minors and majors with 43 home runs in 2014 while splitting his time evenly at Double- and Triple-A.
Whether Bryant is the consensus top overall prospect is up for debate—Byron Buxton of the Minnesota Twins also has a case—but the Cubs slugging third baseman enters 2015 as the front-runner for NL Rookie of the Year and looks like a potential All-Star and MVP candidate in the making.
Statistics are accurate through the 2014 season and courtesy of MLB.com, Baseball-Reference and FanGraphs unless otherwise noted.
To talk baseball or fantasy baseball, check in with me on Twitter: @JayCat11.
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