Top MLB Prospect Call-Up Radar, Week 14

With the All-Star break less than a week away, it's time to take a look at some prospects who could potentially make a difference in the second half of the MLB season.

In the past month, we've seen some of the top young players in the minor leagues earn promotions to The Show. Which current prospects will follow in the footsteps of Steven Matz, Miguel Sano, Byron Buxton and Andrew Heaney? 

Instead of predicting exact dates, we've established a radar system to simplify the process:

• Red: 2016 call-up
• Orange: September call-up
• Yellow: Call-up after the trade deadline
• Green: Call-up is imminent

Over the next few slides, we'll project the fates of Luis Severino, Jon Gray, Aaron Nola, Jose Berrios and a handful of other prospects. Make sure to let your voice be heard in the comment section below. 

Let's get started!

Kyle Crick, San Francisco Giants

Associated Press

Kyle Crick won't reach his full potential without improving his command.

2015 Stats (AA): 1-3, 45.1 IP, 2.98 ERA, 48 BB, 46 K 

The San Francisco Giants could use a rotation upgrade, but top prospect Kyle Crick has proven he's not ready to assume that role. 

The right-hander has posted a respectable 2.98 ERA in Double-A this season, but his inability to consistently throw strikes has hindered him from any type of promotion. Crick has walked over 20 percent of the batters he's faced this season. Sure, the strikeouts are there, but walking the ballpark just won't cut it. 

Crick's command has gotten so bad that the Giants have moved him to the bullpen. Mike Axisa of CBS Sports recently said that he believes Crick's stock is plummeting.

"

In terms of sheer stuff, the 22-year-old Crick is one of the best pitching prospects in the minors. He has a mid-90s heater that touches triple digits, and he backs up it up with a hard upper-80s cutter/slider hybrid. The problem? Throwing strikes. Crick has a career 6.1 BB/9, and things got so bad this season (9.1 BB/9) that San Francisco moved him to the bullpen.

"

Radar: Red

Crick has the rest of 2015 to iron out his command issues in Double-A. Without significant improvement, he'll be relegated to a bullpen role for good. 

Orlando Arcia, Milwaukee Brewers

Associated Press

Orlando Arcia has shot up prospect lists, but we probably won't see him until 2016.

2015 Stats (AA): .306/.347/.448, 50 R, 4 HR, 43 RBI, 10 SB

No prospect in baseball has improved his stock more in 2015 than Milwaukee's Orlando Arcia.

According to Baseball America, the 20-year-old shortstop ranked as the 94th-best prospect in baseball before the season. After just three months, Arcia is now considered the No. 8 prospect in the minor leagues. 

Looking at Arcia's 2015 numbers, it's easy to understand the buzz. He's hit over .300, kept his strikeouts down, flashed some pop and wreaked havoc on the bases. Baseball America called him the "best player in the Southern League," which is impressive for a player of such youth. 

Arcia was already an elite defender. His strong arm, instincts and range make it a foregone conclusion that he'll remain at short for the majority of his career.  

Radar: Red

Despite his breakout season, Arcia won't sniff the big leagues in 2015. But the talented youngster is way ahead of the curve, making a 2016 debut much more realistic than it was at the beginning of the year. 

Michael Conforto, New York Mets

Brad Barr-USA TODAY Sports

If Michael Conforto continues to hit, he could earn a September call-up.

2015 Stats (A+/AA): .293/.367/.470, 42 R, 10 HR, 47 RBI, 57 K, 35 BB

New York Mets outfielder Michael Conforto has also improved his prospect ranking over the past few months, rising to No. 14 on Baseball America's midseason rankings. 

Conforto has been an offensive force in both High-A and Double-A this season. The outfielder is hitting close to .300 with a .367 on-base percentage. Conforto has saved his best for Double-A pitching, increasing his average, OBP and slugging percentage against better competition. 

Due to his impressive production, Conforto's name has come up as a possible solution to the Mets' offensive woes.

"I don't want everybody to go out and write that Michael Conforto is coming up in the next week," general manager Sandy Alderson told Mike Vorkunov of NJ.com. "You asked me a question of whether it's being discussed and I said it in the spirit of hey, let's put everything on the table and see what's going on here. He wouldn't be the only one we've talked about."

Radar: Orange

Conforto's promotion isn't likely, but crazier things have happened. If he continues to rake in Double-A, a September call-up to an offensively challenged Mets team isn't out of the question. 

Jose Berrios, Minnesota Twins

Associated Press

If the Twins remain in the playoff hunt, Jose Berrios can help down the stretch.

2015 Stats (AA/AAA): 8-3, 101.1 IP, 3.55 ERA, 104 K, 28 BB

Minnesota Twins right-hander Jose Berrios has continued to prove he's one of the safest pitchers in the minor leagues in 2015. 

Baseball America ranked Berrios as its 19th-best prospect in its midseason rankings. BA believes the right-hander is "nearly ready to be a solid mid-rotation starter."

Berrios advanced to Triple-A this season after posting a 3.08 ERA in 15 Double-A starts. The 21-year-old struck out over 25 percent of the batters he faced while holding opponents to a .228 average. 

The right-hander has multiple plus offerings he's comfortable throwing in any count. He combines his strikeout stuff with impressive command, walking just 28 batters in over 100 innings this season. 

Radar: Orange

Succeeding in Double-A is often the final frontier for young pitchers. Berrios doesn't have much left to prove at the minor league level and could be a difference-making weapon for the Twins come September. 

Luis Severino, New York Yankees

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Could the Yankees turn to Luis Severino in 2015?

2015 Stats (AA/AAA): 6-2, 83.1 IP, 2.59 ERA, 80 K, 24 BB

Despite his small stature (6'0", 195 lbs), New York Yankees right-hander Luis Severino has proven his stuff is as good as anybody in the minors. 

Severino was promoted to Triple-A after striking out over 30 percent of the batters he faced in Double-A. The 21-year-old has been even more impressive since his promotion, posting a sub-2.00 ERA and holding opponents to a .196 average. 

Instead of blowing up the farm system to acquire a starter, B/R's own Anthony Witrado thinks the Yankees should turn to Severino to fix the hole at the back end of the rotation. 

"The Yankees don't need to raid the system to find outside help; Severino is primed to bring the help himself," said Witrado. "He has a history of being a good-control, high-strikeout starter in the minors. Through nearly 300 innings over four seasons, Severino has nothing left to prove outside the big leagues."

Radar: Yellow 

With every start, Luis Severino proves he's ready to tussle with major league hitters. If the right-hander can make a few more quality starts before the deadline, it could convince the Yankees to improve their starting pitching from within. 

Aaron Nola, Philadelphia Phillies

Associated Press/Associated Press

Aaron Nola is as sure of a thing as their is in the minor leagues.

2015 Stats (AA/AAA): 10-3, 100.1 IP, 1.97 ERA, 83 K, 14 BB

The Philadelphia Phillies have a gem in right-hander Aaron Nola. 

The 22-year-old has gotten everybody out in 2015. Nola posted a 1.88 ERA in 12 Double-A starts and has a sub-2.00 ERA since his promotion. The right-hander has also increased his strikeout percentage from 20.5 to 25 percent. 

Nola's control has been even more impressive. In over 100 innings, he's walked just 14 batters. A pitcher must have excellent stuff if he's consistently around the plate and still missing bats. 

By dominating his opponents, Nola has made general manager Ruben Amaro Jr.'s decision for him. 

"We're going to do it when it's time for him to be ready," Amaro told Jake Kaplan of the Philadelphia Inquirer. "We have a plan in place. We'll let people know when, and Aaron will let us know when it's time for Aaron to be here. But we have a good thought about when he's going to be pitching for us."
 

Radar: Green 

Nola won't be in the minor leagues much longer. The Phillies, well, stink, but the development of their top pitching prospect is huge for 2016 and beyond. 

Jon Gray, Colorado Rockies

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

After a horrific start to 2015, Jon Gray has significantly improved.

2015 Stats (AAA): 4-5, 96.1 IP, 4.58 ERA, 84 K, 33 BB

Jon Gray's disastrous start to 2015 is all but a distant memory.

The Colorado Rockies right-hander has dramatically improved over the last few months. After giving up 21 runs in his first four outings, Gray allowed three runs or less in 11 of his next 12 starts. The 23-year-old has also regained his strikeout stuff, punching out eight hitters or more in four of his last five outings. 

The Rockies have one of the worst rotations in baseball. After his recent resurgence, Gray could get his long-awaited opportunity to stick in the big leagues.

"He's shown the ability to dominate, and we feel like he's that type of guy," manager Walt Weiss told Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post. "There were some mechanical things that he got ironed out—his fastball command and the action on his slider. He's looking good."

Radar: Green

Gray's ability has never been questioned, and he's proven to be mentally tough after overcoming his early-season woes. Except Colorado to promote its top prospect in the coming weeks and let him finish out 2015 in The Show.

Advanced stats courtesy of FanGraphs and MiLB.com and accurate as of 7/9.