Top MLB Prospects Who Could Force Way onto 25-Man Rosters in Spring Camp
It's finally February! And while I'm sure you're all extremely excited for Groundhog Day, Valentine's Day and the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and George Washington, the real reason we all look forward to the second month of the year is simple: spring training.
Yeah, I know. Spring training is great, but it only means we're still more than a month away from meaningful games. But just like other preseasons, a handful of highly touted prospects will likely use the next few months to prove they belong on the Opening Day roster.
The following slides will highlight some of those youngsters who could potentially force their way onto the first 25-man roster of the 2015 season.
I am by no means saying the following prospects will 100 percent make the team out of camp. But strong showings before we get to April would make it difficult for their respective clubs to send them back to the minors.
Naturally, there are more than a few pitchers on this list. Daniel Norris and Carlos Rodon headline the hurlers who could expedite their journeys to The Show, while the much-hyped Kris Bryant will also have an opportunity to start the season in the big leagues.
Let's dive in.
Daniel Norris, LHP, Toronto Blue Jays
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MLB.com's 2015 Top 100 Prospect Ranking
Bio
Daniel Norris is one of the better left-handed pitching prospects in baseball after being selected in the second round of the 2011 draft.
The southpaw began the 2014 season in High-A ball before advancing all the way up to Triple-A. Norris went 12-2 with a 2.53 ERA last season, fanning opposing hitters at astronomical heights. He struck out over 12 batters per nine innings at Double-A and more than 15 per nine at Triple-A. He also appeared in five games for the Blue Jays to end the season.
At 6'2", 180 pounds, Norris can toss up a plethora of plus pitches. MLB.com describes his arsenal as a "deep, dynamic repertoire" that includes a low to mid-90s fastball, a slider, a changeup and a curve.
The 21-year-old's biggest bugaboo has been a lack of command, but he's beginning to repeat the same delivery over and over, which has helped his control.
How He Can Make the Team
Toronto will enter the 2015 season with a solid pitching staff mixed with both young and old faces. R.A. Dickey, Mark Buehrle, Marcus Stroman and Drew Hutchison are locks to make the rotation barring injury, leaving the fifth and final spot up for grabs.
Norris will likely be competing with fellow top prospect Aaron Sanchez and the recently acquired Marco Estrada to round out the rotation. This probably goes without saying, but Norris will need to beat out those two in order to win the job.
Sanchez has come through the minor leagues as a starter, but he enjoyed impressive success last season in a bullpen role. Toronto may want to leave the right-hander in the pen for late-inning situations again for the season ahead.
Norris will be given a hard look this spring, and you can bet many eyes will be focused on his command. If he can show he's more comfortable with his delivery, his stuff will be more than enough to get him onto the roster.
Carlos Rodon, LHP, Chicago White Sox
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MLB.com's 2015 Top 100 Prospect Ranking
Bio
Another left-handed pitcher with great promise, Carlos Rodon may be ready to make the jump to the major leagues after just 21 innings in the minor leagues.
Rodon was selected third overall in the 2014 draft and signed the highest-ever signing bonus for a left-handed hurler. Despite a relatively small sample size of minor league innings to work with, the White Sox nearly promoted him at the end of the season after he struck out over 13 batters per nine at Triple-A.
The southpaw throws his heater in the low to mid-90s, but he can rear back and reach the upper 90s when he needs. His best pitch is his slider, which MLB.com believes could get major league hitters out right now.
ESPN's Keith Law views Rodon as a future front-line starter, capable of "striking out 200-plus batters a year."
How He Can Make the Team
Rodon may benefit from a combination of immense talent, White Sox expectations and the club's questionable back end of the rotation.
Chicago's top three starters of Chris Sale, Jeff Samardzija and Jose Quintana can go toe-to-toe with any other threesome in the big leagues, but John Danks and Hector Noesi don't exactly have White Sox fans thrilled.
Danks has posted an ERA over 4.00 as he tries to return to his pre-injury form, while Noesi "boasts" a career ERA of 5.16.
The White Sox could use Rodon in the bullpen a la Chris Sale, but if the 22-year-old showcases his premier stuff in spring training, don't be surprised to see Rodon on a big league roster capable of winning the AL Central.
Kris Bryant, 3B, Chicago Cubs
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MLB.com's 2015 Top 100 Prospect Ranking
Bio
There's not a prospect in minor league baseball with more hype than Kris Bryant.
The No. 2 pick in the 2013 draft, Bryant has continued to crush minor league pitching in the same way he did collegiate pitching. He led the minors in homers, extra-base hits and slugging percentage a season ago.
ESPN's Keith Law claims Bryant is a "true middle-of-the-order bat who should be in the Cubs' Opening Day lineup for the next six-plus seasons." At 6'5", 215 pounds, Bryant's power will be his calling card in the big leagues.
With that power will come his share of K's, but he's shown a tendency to draw enough walks and hit for a high enough average that the strikeouts may not matter.
How He Can Make the Team
Again, Bryant's chances of inclusion on the Opening Day roster may be enhanced by the Cubs' increased expectations.
The club traded away Luis Valbuena in the Dexter Fowler deal, which indicates that it won't be long before Bryant is ready for the third base job.
Mike Olt looks to be Bryant's only roadblock at the position, but I use that term loosely. Although Olt is a former top pick in his own right, he hit only .160 for the Cubbies last season with a 38.8 percent strikeout rate.
The Cubs may stick to the more conservative plan of keeping Bryant in the minors to start the year in order to keep that extra year of team control. But for a team with a sudden shift in talent and expectations, Bryant could wind up in the Windy City with an impressive spring.
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Alex Meyer, RHP, Minnesota Twins
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MLB.com's 2015 Top 100 Prospect Ranking
Bio
Alex Meyer was taken in the first round of the 2011 draft, and the 25-year-old is on the verge of becoming a full-time major league starter.
Meyer is a massive man. At 6'7", 220 pounds, the right-hander has the frame to support 200-plus innings in the big leagues.
As you would expect, Meyer can bring it. His fastball sits in the mid-90s with the ability to reach triple digits. His height allows him to get on top of the baseball, creating natural sink that leads to ground balls.
His slider helps with his strikeout totals, while his changeup has improved during his rise through the developmental ranks.
How He Can Make the Team
Meyer logged 130 innings in Triple-A last season, where he fanned over 10 per nine and posted a 3.52 ERA. At 25, Meyer should be given every opportunity to land in the Minnesota rotation.
That rotation includes Phil Hughes and Ervin Santana at the top, but it rounds out with Kyle Gibson, Ricky Nolasco, Tommy Milone and Mike Pelfrey as potential options to start ballgames. No offense to those hurlers, but Meyer's tremendous upside could see him win a spot on the staff.
Meyer could also make the team as a bullpen arm, something he's completely OK with, according to Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Kiley McDaniel at FanGraphs believes that many scouts view Meyer as a future shutdown closer anyway.
Mike Foltynewicz, RHP, Atlanta Braves
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MLB.com's 2015 Top 100 Prospect Ranking
Bio
Mike Foltynewicz may not be as highly ranked as some of the other hurlers on this list, but the flame-throwing right-hander has the upside of a No. 1 starter.
The 23-year-old consistently throws in the upper 90s with electric two-seam and four-seam fastballs. His lack of a consistent off-speed pitch has slowed his ascent somewhat, but his curve has the potential to be a top-tier pitch.
Keith Law at ESPN believes Foltynewicz alone is a "more valuable asset" than Evan Gattis, whom the Braves dealt to the Astros for the righty. Law is quite high on the former first-round pick but notes he needs to throw more strikes and develop a third pitch to remain in the rotation.
How He Can Make the Team
John Hart's renovation project of the Atlanta Braves has been well-documented, but the club's rotation should remain young and productive in the 2015 season.
Julio Teheran, Alex Wood, Shelby Miller and Mike Minor will make up the core of the rotation, but the last spot on the staff will be up for grabs.
Foltynewicz headlines the names of potential hurlers who could end up claiming that spot, which includes Manny Banuelos, Chien-Ming Wang and Eric Stults.
With his explosive array of pitches, Foltynewicz should start the season as a starter in Atlanta. The continued improvement of his command and off-speed offerings will prove to the Braves that he's ready for a big league rotation.
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