MiLB Prospects on Playoff Teams Who Will Be Future Game-Changers
It sure has been a rapid rise for Corey Seager, the rookie phenom of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The 21-year-old shortstop isn't the only top MiLB prospect who arrived in the majors just last month and is already making his mark on the big league stage.
What follows is a look around the league at five September call-ups who have the potential to become future game-changers and are playing for teams that are in the postseason.
While Seager lands on this list because he's already piled up some impressive numbers in Los Angeles, others made the cut thanks to praise that they've received from major league execs and managers.
Admittedly, not all five of the prospects are ready to be game-changers just yet—for some, that time won't arrive until 2016. But for Seager, that time is now.
Dalton Pompey, CF, Toronto Blue Jays
1 of 5
Age: 22
2014 Minor League Stats: .307 AVG, .383 OBP, .421 SLG, .804 OPS, 7 HR, 23 SB
The Season in Review
It's been a crazy season for Dalton Pompey.
The 22-year-old began the year as the Toronto Blue Jays' starting center fielder, but after hitting .193 in his first 23 games, the club sent him down to Triple-A. Ultimately, Pompey would be demoted all the way to Double-A before finally getting himself back on track.
Pompey hit .351 in a 31-game stint with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, which earned him a trip back to Triple-A and then later back to Toronto as a September call-up. With the American League East winners, Pompey chipped in primarily as a defensive replacement and as a lightning-fast pinch runner.
The Future
Pompey's wheels are the main reason why the future looks so bright for this prospect. The Blue Jays are set in center field with Kevin Pillar, but Pompey boosts the kind of skill set that would interest an array of big league clubs.
Pompey has a proven track record of getting on base (.371 OBP in parts of six minor league seasons) and causing all sorts of problems when he gets on board. In 96 games in the minors, Pompey totaled 23 steals.
The Blue Jays could put that speed to use as early as the AL Division Series. According to Stephen Whyno of the Waterloo Region Record, Pompey is a "good bet" to snag a bench spot as a pinch-running specialist.
Javier Baez, 2B/3B/SS, Chicago Cubs
2 of 5
Age: 22
2014 Minor League Stats: .328 AVG, .391 OBP, .526 SLG, .917 OPS, 13 HR, 18 SB
The Season in Review
Javier Baez endured a rough start to 2015.
The 22-year-old didn't make the big league squad out of spring training and began the minor league season on the bereavement list following the death of his sister. Then in the first week of June, Baez broke his finger sliding into second base and spent almost seven weeks on the Triple-A disabled list.
Even with that turbulent start to the season, Baez managed to produce some impressive numbers over the course of the minor league campaign. The right-handed hitter put up a .328 average and a .526 slugging percentage in 74 contests on his way to earning a promotion to Wrigley Field on Sept. 1.
And the infielder didn't stop raking when he finally made it back to the bigs. Following his call-up, Baez hit .289 and logged time at all four infield positions as the Cubs locked up the second wild-card spot.
The Future
With Addison Russell and Starlin Castro starting at shortstop and second base, respectively, Baez is no lock to crack the Cubs' NL Wild Card Game roster. But the prospect's chances are greatly improved by the impressive defensive versatility he demonstrated in September.
Manager Joe Maddon is a big fan of players who can play multiple positions, and the skipper is also a big fan of Baez's glove work.
“He falls out of bed, and he can play defense,” Maddon told Patrick Mooney of CSN Chicago back in September. “It’s incredible to watch how smooth he is and how comfortable he is with all these different positions."
Baez could be a game-changer for the Cubs as soon as Wednesday, when the team takes on the Pittsburgh Pirates. But even if he has to wait until next spring for his opportunity, the future is once again looking extremely promising for Baez.
Miguel Almonte, SP, Kansas City Royals
3 of 5
Age: 22
2014 Minor League Stats: 6-6, 4.51 ERA, 28 G, 23 GS, 103.2 IP, 98 H, 96 K, 42 BB
The Season in Review
Admittedly, Miguel Almonte's minor league numbers don't exactly jump off the page.
While splitting the season between the Kansas City Royals' Double-A and Triple-A affiliates, the right-hander ran up a 4.51 ERA and struggled with his command, dishing out 42 free passes and hitting 11 batters in 103.2 frames.
But as Royals vice president for international operations Rene Francisco explained back in the spring, the club has some big-time expectations for the Dominican.
"This guy is farther along than [Yordano] Ventura at the same stage—throwing the curveball, throwing the changeup, knowing how to pitch," Francisco told Vahe Gregorian of the Kansas City Star. "This guy is way more advanced [at the same point] than Ventura. To me."
That's some awfully high praise for Almonte, as Ventura was a Rookie of the Year contender in 2014 and the Royals' most consistent starter down the stretch in 2015.
The Future
Almonte endured some growing pains in his first month in the bigs, as the righty posted a 6.23 ERA and served up four homers in nine outings. At the same time, he also demonstrated swing-and-miss stuff, racking up 10 strikeouts in 8.2 innings of work.
Make no mistake about it—the 22-year-old remains a work in progress. But with a four-seam fastball that averaged nearly 97 mph, Almonte could be ready to make his mark with the Royals as early as next spring.
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Gary Sanchez, C, New York Yankees
4 of 5
Age: 22
2014 Minor League Stats: .274 AVG, .330 OBP, .485 SLG, .815 OPS, 18 HR, 7 SB
The Season in Review
Gary Sanchez is a rare farmhand. Simply put, there aren't a lot of catching prospects who can hit like the 22-year-old backstop can.
"You look at his numbers in 375 at-bats that he had, you start talking about 18 home runs. That's pretty significant," New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi said, per Brendan Kuty of NJ.com.
While spending the season with the Yankees' Double-A and Triple-A squads, the powerful right-handed hitter posted a .485 slugging percentage and a .815 OPS. What's especially impressive about Sanchez's campaign is that he actually had a higher OPS (.849) while playing in Triple-A than he did while playing in Double-A (.795).
During Sanchez's end-of-year stint in the Bronx, it was more about watching and learning rather than contributing. The catcher made his big league debut but was hitless in his two at-bats with the Yanks.
The Future
Sanchez's future in New York is murky.
Brian McCann still has three seasons left on his contract, and he has a team option in 2019. With Sanchez's path to regular playing time behind the dish blocked, the Yankees could look into having the prospect switch positions or even explore the idea of sending him out of town in a trade.
Corey Seager, SS, Los Angeles Dodgers
5 of 5
Age: 21
2014 Minor League Stats: .293 AVG, .344 OBP, .487 SLG, .831 OPS, 18 HR, 4 SB
The Season in Review
Corey Seager left the Los Angeles Dodgers with no choice but to call him up at the beginning of September.
After excelling at Double-A and Triple-A (18 homers and a .831 OPS), Seager was a hit from the day he arrived at Chavez Ravine.
On Sept. 3, the night of his debut, the rookie went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI. Seager ended up hitting .337 with a .986 OPS and four jacks in 27 games for the NL West champs. In the process, the club's shortstop of the future ended up becoming the shortstop of the present.
The Future
It was Jimmy Rollins—the man whom Seager replaced—who announced that the prodigy was taking over.
"They're going to play him," Rollins said, per Steve Dilbeck of the Los Angeles Times. "We had a conversation, and that's the way it was said: 'We're going to go with the kid. That's the lineup we feel is best.'"
It's difficult to fault the Dodgers for making that move based on the way that Seager has played since debuting with the squad.
Still, leaning on a 21-year-old to play one of the most defensively demanding positions at the most important time of the year is a big ask. But manager Don Mattingly doesn't have any qualms about handing Seager that responsibility.
“You never know, but I’m not really concerned about Corey,” Mattingly told Mark Saxon of ESPN.
The sample size is small so far, but the early results indicate that Mattingly's confidence in Seager is well placed.
Note: All stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and MLB.com.
If you want to talk baseball, find me on Twitter @KarlBuscheck.
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