MLB Players Suddenly Facing Skyrocketed Expectations in 2015
Nobody needs to be told that guys like Mike Trout, Clayton Kershaw and Andrew McCutchen are facing high expectations heading into 2015. For players like them, high expectations come with the territory.
What's more interesting are the players who are facing higher expectations by the day. Quite a few of those pop up every year during spring training, and lo and behold, this spring is proving to be no different.
We're going to look at 10 guys who, due to their performances and other circumstances, are seeing their stocks skyrocket this spring. They're just 10 among many, of course, but what makes them stand out is that they're neither established stars nor old retreads whose hot spring numbers are easily ignored (see Brennan Boesch).
We'll go in order of how much hype each player is generating. Step into the box whenever you're ready.
10. Marco Gonzales, SP, St. Louis Cardinals
1 of 10
At the start of spring training, the hype surrounding Marco Gonzales had more to do with his standing in prospect rankings than his place in the St. Louis Cardinals depth chart.
According to Baseball America, Gonzales entered spring training as the No. 50 prospect in baseball. Baseball Prospectus had him just a tad lower at No. 52. But for the Cardinals, he appeared to be a clear Plan B to fireballing right-hander Carlos Martinez for the fifth spot in the club's rotation.
Until now, that is.
In three spring starts, the 23-year-old left-hander owns an 0.84 ERA across 10.2 innings. Entering Thursday's action, that gave him easily the lowest spring ERA among pitchers with 10 or more innings. Coming on the heels of a 2.43 ERA across three minor league levels in 2014, it's a darn good look.
Not surprisingly, heads are turning. Cardinals skipper Mike Matheny told Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that Gonzales looks like a "completely different pitcher" than he was a year ago. For his part, Miklasz thinks the Cardinals "may have something special" for the fifth spot in their rotation.
No, Gonzales hasn't won the position yet. But with Martinez owning a 6.75 ERA this spring, Gonzales is in decent position to make good on the hype he's generated.
9. Anthony Gose, CF, Detroit Tigers
2 of 10
There was a time when Anthony Gose was one of baseball's best prospects. But when the Detroit Tigers acquired him over the winter, he came with a .633 OPS in parts of three seasons.
At least one pundit had Gose pegged as a breakout player, though. Richard Justice of MLB.com had Gose third overall among 10 breakout candidates back in January.
Justice looks like a smart man now. The 24-year-old center fielder is tearing up spring training to the tune of a .371 average and a 1.064 OPS in a dozen games, also tacking on four stolen bases.
Gose is making good on Detroit's confidence in him, as Chris McCosky of The Detroit News writes that the Tigers believed he was a better player than what he showed in Toronto. For his part, Gose credits the Tigers for getting him squared away.
"I think the organization figured it out," Gose said. "I'm just trying to stay with my swing and repeat my swing."
Thanks to Gose's hot spring, the Tigers' center field situation no longer looks like a major weak point. If he's able to carry his hot hitting over to the regular season while playing characteristically strong defense, center field will instead be one of Detroit's primary strengths.
8. Trevor Bauer, SP, Cleveland Indians
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Trevor Bauer had "future ace" written all over him when the Arizona Diamondbacks drafted him third overall in 2011, but that has yet to pan out. In parts of three seasons, he's only managed a 4.44 ERA and walked over four batters per nine innings.
But the 24-year-old right-hander did take a step forward with a 4.18 ERA and much-improved 3.5 BB/9 across 153.0 innings in 2014. That had some eyeing him for a possible breakout season in 2015 before spring training even began.
Now a big breakout looks even more possible. Bauer has pitched to a 3.00 ERA in 12 innings this spring, with his only real blemish being three consecutive dingers off the bats of three young Chicago Cubs. And in the strike-throwing department, ESPN.com's Keith Law writes that everything looks good:
"He's faced 51 batters this spring and walked none of them, which is notable because two years ago he couldn't drink a cup of coffee without walking two batters, and reports I've gotten from scouts and execs are uniformly positive.
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Cleveland Indians manager Terry Francona also likes what he's seeing, telling Jordan Bastian of MLB.com that what Bauer has been doing is "pretty impressive."
Bauer's hot spring obviously has to be taken with a grain of salt, but it should strike a chord for anyone who's a fan of good pitching. He already had ace-level stuff, and now he appears to have ace-level command. That's a scary thought.
7. Wilmer Flores, SS, New York Mets
4 of 10
Many words were written about the New York Mets' shortstop situation this winter, and few of them were positive. Nobody could believe the team was willing to trust the position to Wilmer Flores.
Those concerns were justified, as the 23-year-old stood out neither as a good offensive (.631 career OPS) nor a good defensive shortstop. On a roster that was otherwise solid, he looked like the obvious weak link.
Take a look at Flores now, though, and you'll see a guy hitting .406 with a 1.131 OPS in 10 spring games. Those are big numbers for a guy with his modest track record, but Mets hitting coach Kevin Long seems willing to believe in them.
"And Wilmer Flores, he just doesn’t miss," Long told Dan Martin of the New York Post. "If you throw a strike, he’s going to do damage."
And Flores is doing more than opening eyes on offense. Mets skipper Terry Collins told Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News that he's liked what he's seen from Flores on defense as well, and there's video evidence to support that stance.
To be sure, Flores' stats reek of a performance that will go the way of Brad Miller's hot spring last year. But for now, the Mets' shortstop problem doesn't look at all like a problem anymore.
6. Taijuan Walker, SP, Seattle Mariners
5 of 10
At the start of 2012, Taijuan Walker was arguably the game's best pitching prospect. And after breaking into the majors in 2013, he looked primed to make a difference.
That didn't happen. The 22-year-old right-hander battled problems with his shoulder and struggled when he got on the mound. He entered 2015 looking to prove himself.
So far this spring, it's been mission accomplished and then some for Walker. He has yet to allow a run in four starts and has struck out 13, walked three and allowed only four hits in 12 innings. Compared to 2014, he's looked like a whole new pitcher.
Maybe that's because he is a whole new pitcher. As Keith Law noted, Walker has stopped relying so much on his cutter, instead mixing things up by complementing his mid-90s heat with a curveball, slider and changeup. And as far as the Mariners are concerned, Walker's approach has also changed.
“He showed a lot of poise when he made a mistake there and put him behind the 8-ball,” manager Lloyd McClendon told Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times. “He kept pitching, pounded the zone and did a nice job. I think he’s come a long way from September of last year. He’s grown quite a bit.”
It may only be spring training, but Walker's hot pitching definitely hasn't been for naught. He should have a spot in Seattle's rotation all locked up, and he once again looks like an ace in the making.
5. Drew Hutchison, SP, Toronto Blue Jays
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Drew Hutchison didn't look like much at the end of 2014. Though he pitched a respectable 184.2 innings, he only managed a 4.48 ERA.
Slowly but surely, however, the 24-year-old right-hander started drawing attention as a breakout candidate. Two articles at FanGraphs spoke highly of him as an underrated talent, and Grantland's Jonah Keri was among those who raved about Hutchison's quietly excellent second-half performance in 2014.
Nowadays, Hutchison is making good on the hype in spring training. He's posted a 1.80 ERA in three appearances and has allowed only six hits in 10 innings.
Such a performance is especially welcome to the Blue Jays in light of Marcus Stroman's year-ending knee injury. With him no longer available to take charge in 2014, it's up to Hutchison to fill Stroman's shoes.
“He did a great job for us last year, but he can be much, much better,” manager John Gibbons told Brendan Kennedy of the Toronto Star.
The Blue Jays had better hope so. Stroman's injury looks like enough of a killer blow in its own right. If it's followed by Hutchison failing to live up to his hype, the Blue Jays will be in trouble.
4. Nathan Eovaldi, SP, New York Yankees
7 of 10
When the New York Yankees traded Martin Prado to get Nathan Eovaldi, there were some who didn't get it. Sure, he came one out shy of 200 innings in 2014, but he only managed a 4.37 ERA and gave up a league-leading 223 hits, despite his high-90s fastball.
But at the least, there was a case to be made for Eovaldi as a smart upside play. And so far this spring, trading for him is looking like an even smarter upside play.
In three appearances, the 25-year-old right-hander has allowed only one run in nine innings. He's also struck out nine, walked nobody and allowed only seven hits.
Basically, he's looked like the kind of pitcher his power arm says he should be. And in doing so, he has begun to build up some buzz.
They've sung his praises as a rising power at the New York Daily News, Sporting News and right here at Bleacher Report. More specifically, most everyone is excited over Eovaldi's new split-finger fastball. It definitely looks like a plus pitch and has earned an analytic approval from Jeff Sullivan of FanGraphs.
So in case it crossed your mind, Eovaldi isn't generating hype simply because he's a Yankee. He's always had the stuff to be a front-of-the-rotation starter, and now he's starting to look the part.
3. Joc Pederson, CF, Los Angeles Dodgers
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Joc Pederson demanded the Los Angeles Dodgers' full attention when he earned an OPS of 1.017 with 33 homers and 30 stolen bases at Triple-A in 2014, and he got it again when they traded Matt Kemp to the San Diego Padres.
That trade effectively put the "perform or else" spotlight on Pederson, as there would be a lot of second-guessing if he didn't prove he was worthy of the Dodgers' confidence. The Dodgers proceeded to put even more pressure on Pederson, saying he would have to outplay Andre Ethier to earn the job.
Pederson has had no trouble answering that challenge. The 22-year-old is hitting .433 with a 1.235 OPS in 13 games this spring, while Ethier is hitting .250 with a .621 OPS. Though the battle hasn't been won yet, the Dodgers have made it clear who they're leaning toward.
"We're still in camp and we're still competing," said manager Don Mattingly this week, via Ken Gurnick of MLB.com. "But obviously we like what we've seen from Joc."
They're not the only ones. Baseball America has Pederson No. 3 in its rankings of impact prospects for 2015, and MLB.com's Bernie Pleskoff sees a guy who's ready to make a difference.
Like that, Pederson has gone from being a potential star performer to on the cusp of being a star performer. In Los Angeles. For the Dodgers.
Cue the old "No pressure, man" line.
2. Mookie Betts, OF, Boston Red Sox
9 of 10
There was no stopping Mookie Betts in 2014. He began the year by mashing at Double-A, continued mashing in Triple-A and ultimately debuted to a .291 average and .812 OPS in the big leagues.
Suffice it to say that performance alone generated plenty of hype, and rightfully so. To put himself in a position to make good on it in 2015, all he had to do was lock down a job in the Red Sox's crowded outfield.
He's definitely done that, as he's hitting .448 with a 1.207 OPS in nine games this spring. Those numbers and Rusney Castillo's oblique injury seemingly make him a lock to be Boston's starting center fielder, and expectations are rising accordingly.
"You see a guy who believes in himself a little bit more through the experiences of a year ago," Red Sox skipper John Farrell told Ian Browne of MLB.com. "He's a confident kid, and at the same time, he asks such good questions. He's always trying to learn the game in different situations, particularly going to center field. He's impressive."
One scout told Alex Speier of The Boston Globe that the 22-year-old Betts could not only be an All-Star in 2015, but Boston's best player as well. The Red Sox seem to be buying in, as Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports that they've already discussed signing Betts to a long-term contract extension.
In all, a guy who was only just appearing on prospect radars last spring is doing pretty well.
1. Kris Bryant, 3B, Chicago Cubs
10 of 10
Kris Bryant was in the same boat as Joc Pederson at the start of the spring. Here was one of baseball's elite prospects, and he figured to be knocking on the door of an attainable job during spring training.
But rather than knock, Bryant has been pounding on the door of the Chicago Cubs' third base job. On the heels of a 1.098 OPS and 43 homers in the minors last year, he's racked up a 1.804 OPS and a league-high six home runs this spring. To boot, they've all been loud home runs.
The tragedy of Bryant's scorching spring is that it's highly unlikely it will put him on the Cubs' Opening Day roster. Scott Boras can rant and rave all he wants, but the Cubs have too much incentive to start Bryant off in the minor leagues.
Nonetheless, there's no question that what were already sky-high expectations for Bryant's debut season in 2015 have managed to get even higher.
From Jon Heyman and Dayn Perry of CBSSports.com to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports to Doug Miller of MLB.com, everyone is speaking about Bryant in glowing terms. In general, it's doubtful that any player has been talked about as much as him this spring, and he might now be the one player fans most want to watch in 2015.
And though all of this likely won't add up to a job for Bryant on Opening Day, it does mean he'll have a hell of an act to follow once he finally does arrive.
Note: Spring stats courtesy of MLB.com, and are current through Thursday, March 19. All other stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted/linked.
