2015 Grades and 2016 Outlook for MLB's Top 10 September Call-Ups
This year's crop of September call-ups has brought a number of significant contributors and top prospects to the big leagues for the stretch run.
Javier Baez and Corey Seager in particular have stepped into significant roles on contending teams, and they figure to continue contributing on into October.
Success in September does not always mean a breakout season the following year, though, as the makeup of a team can change a lot between the final month of one season and Opening Day the next.
So with that in mind, here is a quick look at 10 notable September call-ups with a grade for their 2015 performance and an outlook at what their role with the team could be in 2016.
Both minor league and major league numbers factored into a player's 2015 performance grade, though the main focus was on the impact they have made since reaching the majors.
2B Javier Baez, Chicago Cubs
1 of 10
2015 Performance
It's been a trying season for Javier Baez, as he mourned the loss of his sister at the beginning of the season and then suffered a fractured finger in June when he was on the cusp of being promoted to the big leagues.
The Chicago Cubs waited until September to finally give Baez another shot at the big leagues, after he hit .324/.385/.527 with 14 doubles, 13 home runs and 61 RBI in 70 games for Triple-A Iowa.
Since being called up on Sept. 1, Baez has started 15 of 29 games while seeing time at second, shortstop and third base.
He's hitting .297/.333/.419 with six doubles and one home run for a 0.6 WAR, and more importantly he's trimmed his strikeout rate to a respectable 28.2 percent clip after fanning a whopping 41.5 percent of the time in his call-up last year.
Grade: A
2016 Outlook
The Cubs still have some decisions to make about the future alignment of their infield before it's clear what role Baez will fill in 2016 and beyond.
One option would be to permanently move Kris Bryant to left field and put Baez at the hot corner, but that would mean Kyle Schwarber has to move back behind the plate and Miguel Montero is still signed through 2017.
The other option would be to shop Starlin Castro this offseason, and with a .426/.452/.750 line in September his stock is on the rise. That would open up second base for Baez and could bring more starting pitching help in return.
It remains to be seen how all of this will play out, but Baez has shown enough to warrant regular playing time one way or another next season.
RP Miguel Castro, Colorado Rockies
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2015 Performance
After going 8-3 with a 2.69 ERA and 0.996 WHIP in 80.1 innings of work between three different Single-A levels in 2014, Miguel Castro made the leap straight to the majors when he won a spot in the Toronto Blue Jays bullpen on Opening Day.
He converted 4-of-6 save chances over 13 appearances to open the season, but pitched to a 4.38 ERA and was returned to the minors on May 3.
The 20-year-old remained in the minors before being shipped to the Colorado Rockies in the six-player blockbuster that sent Troy Tulowitzki to Toronto.
He's been hit hard in two of his five appearances since being promoted in September, as his season ERA has climbed to 6.11, but the future still looks bright for the right-hander.
Grade: D
2016 Outlook
Expect Castro to return to the minors next season to be stretched out as a starter, as the Rockies' need for front-line starting pitching persists and Castro has the potential to be a good one.
However, there's also a chance he could get a look as the team's closer after filling that role for the Blue Jays at the start of this season.
John Axford is probably the front-runner for that job at this point, but Castro would be more of a long-term answer and he definitely has the stuff to succeed in the late innings.
SP Zach Davies, Milwaukee Brewers
3 of 10
2015 Performance
A 26th-round pick in 2011, Zach Davies moved quickly through the Baltimore Orioles farm system before being traded to the Milwaukee Brewers at the deadline in exchange for outfielder Gerardo Parra.
The undersized right-hander does not have overpowering stuff, but has a solid three-pitch mix highlighted by a changeup that MLB.com called "one of the best in the minor leagues" in their preseason prospect report on Davies.
Davies has made six starts with the Brewers since being promoted in September, going 3-2 with a 3.71 ERA, 1.206 WHIP and 24 strikeouts in 34 innings.
If you remove one disastrous start on Sept. 12 where he allowed six earned runs in 3.2 innings of work, he has a 2.37 ERA in his other five outings. He's thrown 13 scoreless innings and allowed just seven hits in his last two starts.
Grade: A-
2016 Outlook
Davies will no doubt be in the mix for a rotation spot in 2016, as the 22-year-old has impressed down the stretch and the Brewers figure to be rebuilding, but he'll have to earn his spot.
Wily Peralta, Taylor Jungmann and Jimmy Nelson are probably locks for the rotation, but the other two spots will be up for grabs with no shortage of pitchers in the mix.
Aside from Davies, the team also figures to take a look at fellow young guns Ariel Pena, Tyler Cravy, Tyler Wagner and Jorge Lopez in the spring.
Veteran Matt Garza is also still around, and he has $25 million left on his contract over the next two years. The team will likely want to showcase him as a trade candidate in hopes that he can rebuild some value after posting a 5.63 ERA in 148.2 innings this season.
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3B/OF Joey Gallo
4 of 10
2015 Performance
It was easy to ignore the high strikeout rate from Joey Gallo last season when he posted a 1.009 OPS and launched 42 home runs between High-A and Double-A.
That was enough for him to open this season as the No. 6 prospect in the league, according to Baseball America, but his stock has undoubtedly dropped as the strikeouts have become an issue.
Gallo struck out a staggering 37.1 percent of the time in 374 plate appearances between Double-A and Triple-A this season, as his OPS dropped to .862 as a result.
After making a splash upon arriving in the majors back in June, the strikeouts have come at an even more dizzying rate as he's fanned 56 times in 122 plate appearances for a 45.9 percent strikeout rate.
The 21-year-old still has huge raw power and time to figure things out, but the 2015 season has been a big step backward for Gallo.
Grade: D
2016 Outlook
With Adrian Beltre under contract for one more year at $18 million next season, Gallo still has some time to develop before the Rangers are counting on him to step in as the everyday third baseman.
Expect him to be back in Triple-A until he shows signs of getting his strikeout issues under control, and that could mean a full season in the minors in 2016 before another late-season promotion.
SP/RP Frankie Montas
5 of 10
2015 Performance
Despite a breakout 2014 season that saw him post a 1.44 ERA and 0.914 WHIP with 80 strikeouts in 81 innings, Frankie Montas was still ranked outside the Top 100 prospects in the league by Baseball America at the start of the season.
He should have no problem making the grade next year, as the hard-throwing right-hander has continued to dominate minor league hitters with a 2.97 ERA, 1.223 WHIP and 108 strikeouts in 112 innings for Double-A Birmingham this season.
Acquired in the three-team trade that sent Jake Peavy to the Boston Red Sox and also netted the White Sox Avisail Garcia, Montas has a chance to be a front-line starter or a lights-out closer down the line.
He had a 1.13 ERA and 11.3 K/9 in five relief appearances after being promoted, before struggling in his first career start on Sept. 20, when he allowed six hits and six runs over three innings against the Detroit Tigers.
Grade: B
2016 Outlook
The White Sox have a clear need for a right-handed starter with Jeff Samardzija set to depart in free agency and lefties Chris Sale, Jose Quintana, Carlos Rodon and John Danks making up the rest of the rotation.
If the White Sox don't sign anyone, Montas could get a crack at a rotation spot to start next season, but the more likely outcome will be that he starts the season in the bullpen.
Sale and Rodon both began their careers as relievers before being moved up to the rotation, and the White Sox could take a similar approach with the 22-year-old Montas.
C Tom Murphy, Colorado Rockies
6 of 10
2015 Performance
Tom Murphy checked in as the No. 15 catcher in my MLB 20 in '20 series earlier this season, and he's made some noise here in September after receiving an unexpected promotion following injuries to Nick Hundley and Michael McKenry.
Murphy posted a .948 OPS with 31 doubles and 22 home runs in 2013 while reaching Double-A in his first full season, but a shoulder issue limited him to just 27 games last season.
He bounced back strong this year, though, putting up an .804 OPS with 26 doubles and 20 home runs between Double-A and Triple-A.
As a result, he's seen semi-regular playing time down the stretch in Colorado, going 9-for-34 with three home runs and nine RBI.
Grade: B+
2016 Outlook
Nick Hundley had a terrific first season in Colorado, hitting .301/.339/.467 with 21 doubles and 10 home runs after signing a two-year, $6.25 million deal in the offseason.
He'll be back as the primary catcher next season, but Murphy could break camp as his backup and see a couple starts a week, similar to what the San Francisco Giants have done with Andrew Susac this season.
After that the everyday job will likely be his, and on top of his offensive prowess, Murphy has a chance to be a plus defender.
"Behind the plate, he has a strong arm and does a good job receiving and working with pitchers. He has the natural leadership skills teams want from a catcher," wrote MLB.com's Prospect Watch.
3B Hector Olivera, Atlanta Braves
7 of 10
2015 Performance
Signed to a six-year, $62.5 million deal by the Los Angeles Dodgers in March, Cuban defector Hector Olivera never played a game for the Dodgers before being dealt to the Atlanta Braves in a 13-player deal at the trade deadline.
He's not a traditional prospect at 30 years old, but he has a chance to be a big part of the Atlanta Braves' immediate future as the team starts to rebuild around their young core.
Olivera has been the everyday third baseman since making his big league debut on Sept. 1, and he's hit .250/.310/.395 with three doubles, two home runs and 11 RBI in 76 at-bats.
At 6'2" and 220 pounds he has some solid pop, and he had five double-digit home run seasons during his time in the Cuban National Series.
Grade: C+
2016 Outlook
Olivera did not make nearly the impact he was expected to this season as he was slowed by a minor UCL tear and a hamstring injury.
However, he's shown enough down the stretch that he should open the 2016 season as the everyday third baseman in the big leagues and perhaps the cleanup hitter behind Freddie Freeman in the Braves lineup.
With his rookie eligibility still intact and a significant role ahead, expect him to open the year as one of the NL Rookie of the Year favorites alongside Corey Seager.
RF Jarrett Parker, San Francisco Giants
8 of 10
2015 Performance
With Hunter Pence, Nori Aoki and Gregor Blanco all sidelined, Jarrett Parker has gotten a chance at regular playing time for the San Francisco Giants down the stretch and he's made the most of the opportunity.
The 26-year-old has hit .341/.413/.805 with six home runs and 13 RBI in 41 at-bats, with a good portion of that damage coming on Sept. 26 when he went 3-for-5 with three home runs and seven RBI.
A second-round pick in 2010, Parker entered the season ranked outside of the top 30 prospects in the Giants system, according to the Baseball America Prospect Handbook, so suffice to say his huge debut has been a pleasant surprise.
That said, it wasn't completely out of nowhere, as he did hit .283/.375/.514 with 25 doubles and 23 home runs for Triple-A Sacramento before getting the call.
Grade: A
2016 Outlook
Parker has worked his way into the team's 2016 plans, but manager Bruce Bochy will have his work cut out for him finding a way to get him regular playing time.
"When we go into meetings this winter, we’ll be talking about him,” Bochy told John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle.
Hunter Pence and Angel Pagan are both under contract for next season, while Nori Aoki ($5.5 million) and Marlon Byrd ($8 million) both have reasonable team options.
According to Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News, the Giants have interest in a potential Aoki/Byrd platoon in left field next season, so both players could be back.
Add fellow prospect Mac Williamson to the mix, and the Giants outfield situation is crowded to say the least. Still, if Parker keeps hitting, he'll find his way into the lineup next season one way or another.
CF Dalton Pompey, Toronto Blue Jays
9 of 10
2015 Performance
After receiving a cup of coffee in 2014 and with Colby Rasmus departing in free agency, Dalton Pompey had a clear path to the everyday center field job with the Toronto Blue Jays this season and he broke camp in that role.
However, he hit just .193/.264/.337 through his first 23 games before being demoted back to the minors on May 1, where he spent the remainder of the season before rosters expanded.
The 22-year-old hit .307/.383/.421 with 23 stolen bases in 387 at-bats between Double-A and Triple-A after returning to the minors, and his future still looks bright as a potential everyday center field and leadoff hitter.
He's served primarily as a pinch runner down the stretch, though he was 3-for-4 with a double in his second start since being called back up on Thursday.
Grade: C-
2016 Outlook
Deadline pickup Ben Revere has a similar skill set to Pompey, and he's under team control through the 2017 season.
That addition, coupled with the emergence of Kevin Pillar as an elite defensive outfielder, has left Pompey without a clear path to playing time going forward.
He could wind up in a similar situation to Anthony Gose, who came through the system with a ton of promise but never really got an extended crack at everyday playing time before being traded.
Then again, that could all change with an injury or an offseason trade, so for now Pompey still ranks as one of the Blue Jays' top young talents.
SS Corey Seager, Los Angeles Dodgers
10 of 10
2015 Performance
The Los Angeles Dodgers resisted the urge to promote Corey Seager prior to rosters expanding in September, despite a big season from the prospect and a rough year from veteran Jimmy Rollins ahead of him.
He's proven to be well worth the wait, though, as he's already been a 1.6 WAR player after debuting on Sept. 3. By comparison, Rollins has contributed a 0.0 WAR for the entire season, as he's been the definition of a replacement-level player.
Seager was not expected to take over as the everyday shortstop when promoted, despite hitting .293/.344/.487 with 37 doubles and 18 home runs in the minors.
However, a jammed finger suffered by Rollins opened the door for Seager, and he hasn't looked back.
The 21-year-old has hit .315/.400/.522 with eight doubles, three home runs and 15 RBI in 92 at-bats, and with Rollins now back healthy he's remained in the starting lineup.
Grade: A+
2016 Outlook
Rollins is set to hit free agency at the end of the season, so Seager will be the Dodgers' everyday shortstop next season.
Carlos Correa, Francisco Lindor, Addison Russell and Ketel Marte have all turned in terrific rookie seasons at the shortstop position this year, and Seager could lead the next wave of impressive shortstop talent next season.
He'll be the favorite for NL Rookie of the Year honors and could immediately become one of the best shortstops in the National League in 2016.
All stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com, unless otherwise noted.
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