Hot MLB Prospects on the Cusp of MLB Breakthroughs
At the rate they're being called up, it may not be long before the minor leagues are out of top prospects.
It has indeed been a busy year for call-ups. Notables like Kris Bryant, Carlos Rodon and Addison Russell were called up shortly after the season began. Then came Blake Swihart, Noah Syndergaard and Joey Gallo. More recently, Carlos Correa, Byron Buxton and Francisco Lindor have gotten the call.
With all this going on, you can't help but wonder: Who's next?
Oh, we have a few ideas.
Ahead is a list of 10 hot prospects who may find themselves getting called up to the big leagues before long, be it based strictly on their play in the minors, a need at the major league level or a combination of both.
We'll proceed in order of who seems to be closest to breaking through. Step into the box whenever you're ready.
10. Jake Thompson, RHP, Texas Rangers
1 of 10Jake Thompson doesn't loom large on the prospect radar, but he's not off of it, either. The 21-year-old right-hander came into 2015 as a top-100 prospect, and he's only climbing higher with every start.
At first glance, there's nothing special about the 3.82 ERA that the Rangers farmhand has posted in 12 starts with Double-A Frisco. But next to that is a 66-16 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 66 innings. And in his last five starts, Thompson has posted a 1.59 ERA with 34 strikeouts and six walks in 34 innings.
That Thompson is racking up strikeouts is nothing new, as those come easy thanks to his hard fastball and plus-plus slider. But the command he's showing represents a big leap forward, as he came into 2015 walking over three batters per nine innings for his career.
Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News wrote in January that a 2015 debut for Thompson was "not out of the question," provided he used his time in the minors to refine his craft. It's safe to say he's done that.
And knowing that Texas had no problem promoting Joey Gallo straight from Double-A, it could well do the same if Thompson's help is needed in the rotation.
9. Nomar Mazara, OF, Texas Rangers
2 of 10Jake Thompson isn't the only Rangers farmhand who could follow Joey Gallo to the big leagues. Nomar Mazara is another guy to keep an eye on.
Like Thompson, Mazara came into the year as a top-100 prospect. Also like Thompson, the 20-year-old right fielder is having a good season that's only getting better. He's hitting .296 with an .836 OPS with Double-A Frisco, and is hitting .294 with a 1.029 OPS and five of his seven home runs in his last 14 games.
"I think right now he could go up and give a quality at-bat in the big leagues," Frisco manager Joe Mikulik recently said, per Alex Kraft of MiLB.com. "I have no doubt in my mind."
That Mazara only has a 5-15 BB/K rate during his hot streak suggests that Mikulik may be getting ahead of himself. The degree to which he's been punishing the ball, however, does paint him as a good fit for a Rangers lineup that's been doing a lot of damage lately.
Of course, the Rangers don't have a spot for Mazara right now. But knowing the rate at which they've been racking up injuries in the last two seasons, that could change at a moment's notice.
8. Robert Stephenson, RHP, Cincinnati Reds
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Here's a guy who certainly does loom large on the prospect radar. Robert Stephenson came into the year ranked as a top-25 prospect by MLB.com, Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus.
Initially, the 22-year-old right-hander wasn't living up to that kind of billing. Through his first four starts, Stephenson was sitting on an 8.31 ERA and 22 strikeouts and 11 walks in just 17.1 innings. But in eight starts since then, he's racked up a 2.25 ERA with 54 strikeouts and only 26 hits allowed in 48 innings.
That sounds about right, as MLB.com says his arsenal includes both a 70-grade fastball and 70-grade curveball that are easily capable of overwhelming hitters. The catch is that his command is still iffy, as his recent hot stretch has also come with 27 walks. And overall, he's walking 5.4 batters per nine innings.
Even despite that, we could soon see Stephenson in the majors for some on-the-job training. The back of the Reds rotation has been a revolving door all season, and there will be even more openings if the team does the wise thing and trades Johnny Cueto and Mike Leake before the July 31 deadline.
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7. Aaron Nola, RHP, Philadelphia Phillies
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When the Phillies drafted Aaron Nola No. 7 overall out of LSU last summer, the consensus was that his deep repertoire and advanced command would allow him to make a quick jump to the majors.
Here we are a year later, and everyone who said as much can give themselves a pat on the back.
The Phillies promoted the 22-year-old right-hander from Double-A to Triple-A on Sunday, and they were right to do so. Nola had posted a 1.88 ERA and 59-9 K/BB ratio in 12 starts at Double-A, and he wasn't slowing down. In his last five starts, he had posted a 2.03 ERA with 27 strikeouts and four walks in 31 innings.
It'll be tough to carry that level of dominance over to the Triple-A level, but it's a good guess that Nola won't be there for long either way. The Phillies rotation is hardly uncrackable after Cole Hamels and Aaron Harang, and it will be even more wide open if those two are traded within the next month-and-a-half.
With the Phillies still in need of young talent to hurry their rebuild along, that's probably going to happen.
6. Stephen Piscotty, OF, St. Louis Cardinals
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Stephen Piscotty seemed to be on a fast track to the majors as soon as the Cardinals drafted him 36th overall back in 2012. And in light of what's going on now, that track may soon reach its end.
After hitting .288 with a .761 OPS with Triple-A Memphis in 2014, the 24-year-old outfielder got off to an inconsistent start in 2015. But he's put that behind him in his last 20 games, hitting .308 with an .841 OPS. To boot, he's struck out only 10 times while drawing eight walks.
So, that sound you hear is Piscotty banging on the door to the majors. And it may not be long before it opens.
The Cardinals recently lost star left fielder Matt Holliday to the disabled list with a quad strain, which could keep him out of action for a while.
For now, the Cards are handling Holliday's absence mainly with Randal Grichuk. But if he happens to be overcome by his swing-and-miss habit, calling up a more advanced hitter like Piscotty may begin to sound more and more appealing.
5. Brian Johnson, LHP, Boston Red Sox
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In Eduardo Rodriguez, the Red Sox have already graduated one talented left-hander to the majors. The way he's pitching, Brian Johnson could be the next.
Johnson looked like a third wheel next to Rodriguez and Henry Owens at the start of the season, but he still made the grade as a top-100 prospect in Baseball America's eyes. Nowadays, he finds himself outperforming Owens with a 2.51 ERA and 66-20 K/BB ratio in 12 starts with Triple-A Pawtucket.
The 24-year-old out of Florida has looked even better lately, posting a 2.03 ERA and striking out 39 with only six walks in 44.1 innings over his last seven starts. In the middle of all this was a start on May 29 in which he retired all 18 hitters he faced in six innings, dazzling with a season-high nine strikeouts.
There's no indication that Johnson's call-up is imminent, but it very well could be. The Red Sox are running out of time to make a run, and there could soon be an opening in their rotation if Joe Kelly continues to be a magnet for punishment. If he can't get himself together, Johnson's phone could start ringing.
4. Miguel Sano, 3B, Minnesota Twins
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In Byron Buxton, the Twins have already called up one of the two top prospects that they're counting on to be a big part of their future. Before long, the other top prospect may also get the call.
That would be Miguel Sano, who came into 2015 as a consensus top-15 prospect despite missing 2014 recovering from Tommy John surgery. He's making good on the hype with an .863 OPS and 12 homers in 56 games with Double-A Chattanooga.
Sano is only getting hotter, too. In his last 19 games, the 22-year-old slugging third baseman has hit .324 with a 1.001 OPS and four home runs. He's struck out only 16 times and drawn 10 walks.
According to Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, Sano has caught the Twins' attention. And with Buxton having already made the leap from Double-A to the majors, Sano could do the same.
"Sure, it's possible," Twins manager Paul Molitor said Tuesday. "Every day that goes by he's closer to getting here, whether it's in a couple weeks or September."
Right now, Sano is blocked by Trevor Plouffe at third base. But if he proves incapable of pulling out of his June slump, the prospect of adding Sano's bat may be too enticing for the Twins to pass up.
3. Jon Gray, RHP, Colorado Rockies
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The Rockies drafted Jon Gray with the No. 3 overall pick back in 2013. And given the club's longstanding struggle to find good pitching, suffice it to say they have high hopes for him.
The way he's pitching, Gray is teasing that he might actually live up to these high hopes. The flame-throwing 23-year-old may only have a 4.62 ERA in 12 starts for Triple-A Albuquerque, but he's gotten better as the season has moved along with a 2.63 ERA in his last eight outings.
According to the man himself, his improvement traces back to a psychological adjustment.
"I'm trying to make sure of the pitch I was throwing before I threw it, that, 'I'm going to execute that pitch, and this pitch is going to get the hitter out,'" Gray recently told Thomas Harding of MLB.com. "I visualize it before I throw it. That way, there are no negative thoughts that can get in the way."
The Rockies once again rank dead-last in the National League in ERA, so they could certainly use any pitching help they can find. In Gray, they could soon find a lot of it.
2. Steven Matz, LHP, New York Mets
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The Mets already have three young, hard-throwing right-handers in Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard. A young, hard-throwing left-hander would add a bit of variety.
In Steven Matz, they have just the guy for the job.
Though he was lost in Syndergaard's shadow, Matz also came into the year as a consensus top-100 prospect. That looks more than justified now, as the 24-year-old New York native owns a 2.30 ERA and 81 strikeouts in 78.1 innings with Triple-A Las Vegas.
One catch is that Matz has also walked 30 in his 78.1 innings. Another is that he has a modest 20-10 K/BB ratio in 22 innings over his last four starts. He hasn't cooled down, recording a 2.45 ERA in that span, but he hasn't heated up, either.
But that may be academic. According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Mets are planning on calling up Matz "around July 1." Assuming he can avoid injury and/or disaster, his call to the big leagues will come very soon.
1. Corey Seager, SS, Los Angeles Dodgers
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There's not much to say here other than "Duh and/or hello," but we'll go further anyway.
Corey Seager came into 2015 generally regarded as a top-five prospect. And with Carlos Correa and others having already been promoted, he stands out as the best prospect left in the minors, according to Cliff Corcoran of Sports Illustrated and ESPN.com's Keith Law.
Rightfully so. The 21-year-old shortstop earned a promotion to Triple-A by hitting .375 with a 1.082 OPS at Double-A, and has really gotten going after a harsh introduction to Triple-A. In his last 18 games, he's hitting .357 with a 1.068 OPS and four home runs.
Despite Seager's incredible hotness, ESPN.com's Mark Saxon has reported that his promotion isn't imminent. But with veteran shortstop Jimmy Rollins batting just .198 with a sub-.600 OPS, there's not much blocking Seager's entry to the big league level.
It's going to happen at some point this season, and the smart money is on sooner rather than later.
Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and MiLB.com, and are current through Tuesday, June 16.
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