Introducing the Next Wave of Future MLB Superstars Currently in MiLB
Major League Baseball isn't hurting for young stars these days. It has enough. More than enough, even.
But since more are on the way, you might as well get to know them ahead of time.
After 2015 gave MLB one of its best rookie classes ever, notables like Corey Seager, Byron Buxton, Steven Matz and Nomar Mazara are already in position to keep the good times rolling in 2016. And looking ahead, there are at least eight more future superstars who could make the leap from the minors to the majors before the end of the year.
Since they've already debuted in the majors, slugging Texas Rangers prospect Joey Gallo and speedy Washington Nationals prospect Trea Turner are not included on this list. As for the players who are included, they stand out because they're solid bets to become great players, rather than great bets to become solid players. We're prioritizing high upside as highlighted by scouting reports and minor league production.
Step into the box whenever you're ready.
Yoan Moncada, 2B, Boston Red Sox
1 of 8
How much is the perfect prospect worth? According to the Boston Red Sox, roughly $63 million.
That's how much they have invested in Yoan Moncada, as MLB's bonus pool restrictions doubled the $31.5 million signing bonus they gave him in 2015. That's a record expenditure for an amateur free agent by miles light-years, but it's not nuts to think Moncada will be worth it.
The 20-year-old Cuba native is a switch-hitter with enough range and arm strength to play anywhere on the field. And though his best physical attribute is his speed, he has the build of an action hero.
"He looks like he should be playing in the Super Bowl," one scout told B/R's Danny Knobler this winter. "It's a 26-27-year-old body. He was a man among boys in the South Atlantic League."
Knowing that, it's disappointing that Moncada hit only eight home runs for Single-A Greenville last season. But in ranking him as the game's No. 6 prospect, MLB.com posits that Moncada could develop into a hitter with 20-25-homer power. And even if his power doesn't come along, he teased with an .817 OPS and 49 stolen bases last year that he doesn't need it to be a great offensive player.
The tricky part is where and when Moncada fits into Boston's plans. He's only at High-A Salem now, and his status as a second baseman means he's staring up at Dustin Pedroia. But since Moncada has the look of a fast riser, the Red Sox could be all too happy to find a spot for him by the end of the year.
Alex Reyes, SP, St. Louis Cardinals
2 of 8Think Carlos Martinez is the nastiest starter the St. Louis Cardinals could possibly dig up? Wait till you get a load of Alex Reyes.
Granted, he won't be arriving soon. Reyes' path to the majors—which began when he circumvented the 2012 draft by moving from New Jersey to the Dominican Republic—hit a snag over the winter. Due to a positive test for marijuana, he's suspended for the first 50 games of 2016.
When the 21-year-old right-hander does arrive, though, he'll be packing an arsenal that has placed him among baseball's top 10 prospects as ranked by Baseball Prospectus, Baseball America and ESPN.com. His fastball sits 94-96 mph and can go as high as 100. He also has a curveball and changeup that could both be above average.
With these weapons, Reyes has posted a 3.15 ERA and struck out 11.9 batters per nine innings in a minor league career that's taken him as far as Double-A Springfield. Add it all up, and he sure has the look of a guy who grew up idolizing Pedro Martinez.
"He’s probably the best pitcher I’ve ever seen on TV," Reyes told Mark Saxon of ESPN.com in March. "He’s a Dominican legend, and that’s something I always loved. I was a Yankee fan, but just watching him pitch was something special back in the day."
For now, Reyes' big weakness is a spotty command that's led to 4.6 walks per nine innings. But with his stuff, it's possible the Cardinals will integrate him in 2016 the same way they first integrated Carlos Martinez in 2013: as a power reliever to help with a playoff push.
Jose Berrios, SP, Minnesota Twins
3 of 8
With Byron Buxton and Miguel Sano already in their lineup, all the Minnesota Twins need now is a young pitcher to lead their starting rotation. Soon enough, Jose Berrios will be the guy.
The Twins landed Berrios 30 picks after they selected Buxton at No. 2 in the 2012 draft, and he's since torn through the minor leagues. The 21-year-old Puerto Rico native has made it as far as Triple-A Rochester, racking up a 2.97 ERA and striking out 9.6 batters per nine innings along the way.
Berrios' big shortcoming is that he's not very big, as he's listed at 6'0" and 185 pounds. But MLB.com and Baseball Prospectus both put Berrios within their top 20s despite that, with the latter remarking that his "arsenal is complete as it gets." The right-hander's fastball sits 92-94 mph with life, and he also boasts an above-average curveball and changeup.
What further separates Berrios from other pitching prospects is his control. He can throw all three of his pitches for strikes and has done so while walking only 2.5 batters per nine innings in the minors.
"Every time he goes out there and pitches, you can see the difference," Twins veteran Ervin Santana told Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com this spring. "He has a lot of life on his fastball and has good offspeed. He can throw them for a strike, and that's what you're looking for at the big league level."
Berrios hasn't arrived yet, but he should soon. Once the season is past the Super Two deadline, the Twins will be out of excuses for holding him back.
.png?w=256)
Tyler Glasnow, SP, Pittsburgh Pirates
4 of 8
Finding two aces in one draft is a hard feat to pull off, but it could be the story of the Pittsburgh Pirates' 2011 draft haul. Gerrit Cole is already an ace, and Tyler Glasnow is headed in that direction.
Glasnow was not on the same level as Cole in 2011. When the Pirates drafted Cole at No. 1, they were drafting a well-rounded dynamo who had honed his craft at UCLA. When they drafted Glasnow in the fifth round, they were drafting a high schooler with a lot of development ahead of him.
But develop Glasnow has. The 22-year-old from Santa Clarita, California, has advanced as far as Triple-A Indianapolis, and he's dominated in posting a 2.06 ERA and striking out 11.8 batters per nine innings.
ESPN.com is highest on Glasnow, ranking him No. 6 overall. Keith Law writes that Glasnow has two plus-plus pitches in his fastball and curveball. The former comes in as fast as 97 miles per hour, and the latter is a "hammer of a curveball." And at 6'8" and 225 pounds, Glasnow definitely strikes an imposing figure.
The downside of that size, however, is that it makes it tough for Glasnow to repeat his delivery. He's averaged 4.2 batters per nine innings. And since he isn't about to get any shorter, correcting his issues with control won't be easy.
But if anyone can do it, it's Pirates pitching coach Ray Searage. And with Glasnow already knocking on the door to the majors, Searage should get a chance to work his magic after the Super Two deadline.
Orlando Arcia, SS, Milwaukee Brewers
5 of 8
Why did the Milwaukee Brewers trade Jean Segura? At least partially so they could make room at shortstop for Orlando Arcia.
The younger brother of Minnesota Twins outfielder Oswaldo Arcia signed with the Brewers out of Venezuela in 2010. Since then, he's primarily been known for his defense. At ESPN.com, Keith Law wrote that Arcia is an above-average defender who runs the whole infield "like a point guard." That ability comes from a feel for the game that would seem to stem from his intangibles.
"His personality and his makeup, that enhances his tools," Brewers manager Craig Counsell told Tom Haudricourt and Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "He loves the game. That's what stands out on the back fields of spring training, from watching him play. He plays the game from his heart."
What's put Arcia on the map, however, is the development of his offense. The 21-year-old broke out at Double-A Biloxi last season, hitting .307 with an .800 OPS and 25 stolen bases. Christopher Crawford of Baseball Prospectus chalks this up to a stronger lower half that allowed him to make better contact.
And that's coming from a publication that only rates Arcia as the No. 12 prospect in baseball. Baseball America and ESPN.com put him in the top 10, and MLB.com puts him in the top five.
Brewers fans who are champing at the bit to see Arcia up close should get their wish in the near future. He's opened the season with Triple-A Colorado Springs and will probably get the call to the majors sometime after the Super Two deadline.
J.P. Crawford, SS, Philadelphia Phillies
6 of 8
Philadelphia Phillies fans, meet the heir to Jimmy Rollins.
Rollins was still with the Phillies when they drafted J.P. Crawford out of high school with the No. 16 pick in the 2013 draft. He's since rapidly advanced through their system, and MLB.com, Baseball Prospectus and ESPN.com are now in agreement that he's the best position-player prospect left in the minors.
The 21-year-old from Lakewood, California, is a .291 hitter with a .789 OPS in a minor league career that's gotten as far as Double-A Reading. MLB.com remarked that he has a "very advanced approach that belies his age." And with a 6'2" frame to grow into, what's only gap power now should grow into something more.
Fortunately, Crawford's defense isn't likely to suffer much if he does become more powerful. Law wrote that his "actions at short can border on the comical because of how simple he makes challenging plays." That is, he's not a shortstop who relies entirely on athleticism.
Crawford is also noted as a player who handles himself well. That may be because he idolized Rollins and Derek Jeter growing up, telling Gabe Lacques of USA Today: “My dad always said, look at the way they carry themselves, on and off the field. Ask anybody—nobody has anything bad to say about them.'"
Crawford has begun the 2016 season in Double-A, but he's unlikely to stay down for much longer. With only Freddy Galvis blocking him at the major league level, the Phillies may not wait until after the Super Two deadline to call on their shortstop of the future.
Julio Urias, SP, Los Angeles Dodgers
7 of 8
Go to Google and punch in "Julio Urias and Fernando Valenzuela," and you'll get the gist of what the expectations are for the Los Angeles Dodgers' young left-hander.
Actually, check that. Their very young left-hander. Though he's been in the Dodgers organization since 2012, Urias is still only 19. Combine that with the fact he's a Mexico native who's now rated as the top left-handed pitching prospect by MLB.com, Baseball Prospectus, Baseball America and ESPN.com, and you get the Valenzuela connection.
"I'm proud of that because a lot of people make that comparison," Urias told Kevin Baxter of the Los Angeles Times in 2014. "But his career is already done. He’s pitched. He’s done it. I still have to pitch. I still have to build my career. Whether I’ll be as good, only God knows."
Urias sure looks like he could be as good. Though his workload has been limited, he's put up a 2.85 ERA and struck out 10.8 batters per nine innings in three-plus minor league seasons. He's done so with a fastball-curveball-changeup combination that MLB.com rates as "plus or better across the board."
To boot, Keith Law wrote that Urias has a "great delivery" that allows him to throw the ball with minimal effort. As such, his career rate of 3.0 walks per nine innings likely undersells his potential as a control artist.
Though the Dodgers don't seem interested in rushing Urias, he's already advanced as far as Triple-A and now looms as a possible boon to a rotation that's been ravaged by injuries. His debut could happen sooner rather than later.
Lucas Giolito, SP, Washington Nationals
8 of 8
Lucas Giolito comes from a family of entertainers. His mother and grandfather are actors. His father is a producer. He has two uncles who are writers.
And now, Giolito is about ready to take his family's affinity for entertainment in a new direction. Rated as the top pitching prospect in baseball by MLB.com, Baseball Prospectus and ESPN.com, the Los Angeles product likely isn't far off from being ready to pursue his career as a major league ace.
The 21-year-old's pro career started on a sour note, as he underwent Tommy John surgery shortly after the Washington Nationals drafted him at No. 16 overall out of high school in 2012. But he now owns a 2.63 ERA in the minors, striking out 10.0 and walking only 2.8 batters per nine innings.
As Keith Law put it: "If you wanted to build the perfect pitching prospect, he'd look a lot like Giolito." He has ace size at 6'6" and 255 pounds and boasts an 80-grade fastball that sits in the mid-to-upper 90s. He also has a hammer of a curveball that former general manager Steve Phillips described as "bowel-locking." Throw in a clean delivery that allows for good control, and the total package is complete.
With Giolito having advanced as far as Double-A Harrisburg, they're already clamoring for his arrival in Washington. And they should soon get their wish.
"If he's not up by June, something would have to go wrong," one scout told Jayson Stark of ESPN.com. "You know what Syndergaard and Matz did for the Mets when they came up? This guy is in that same category."
Until then, well, the clamoring shall continue.
Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs unless otherwise noted/linked.
.png?w=480)
