Spring Training Predictions for This Year's Top 25 MLB Prospects

Three days!

We're now just three days from the start of spring training, as most players will have reported to their respective camps in Arizona and Florida by this time next week.

The excitement is real, folks!

Spring training stats and on-field performance don't mean much in the grand scheme of things, as it's more about shaking off the rust for the upcoming season and deciding on a few fringe roster spots.

However, the performance of top prospects against MLB-level competition always carries some added intrigue.

Even if these up-and-comers don't have a realistic chance of breaking camp with an Opening Day roster spot, it's a chance for fans to see the young players they've perhaps only read about in action.

Ahead we've taken a closer look at the league's top 25 prospects, via MLB.com, and made a prediction for each player this spring. 

25. RHP Anderson Espinoza, San Diego Padres

Prediction: Pedro Martinez himself will make the Pedro comparison.

"Anderson Espinoza Evokes Memories of a Young Pedro Martinez"

It's the type of headline that immediately grabs your attention and raises your eyebrow, and that's what Alex Speier of the Boston Globe offered up back in September of 2015.

Goose Gregson, the Red Sox Latin American pitching coach, expanded on the comparison:

"

I don’t like to compare a pitcher to a pitcher. I think you simply draw from experience if you’re reminded of someone. I simply would say that I draw similarities in makeup, the ability to spin a breaking ball, the ability to throw strikes. I don’t ever want to say, ‘Hey, we’ve got the next Pedro Martinez.’ It draws an unfair expectation on the kid you’re working with today. [But] I was with Pedro at this age, and now with this kid at this age. It clearly draws my memory back to when I spent time with Pedro as a young kid. They’re two of the best [at that age] I’ve ever seen.

"

Now that Pedro is part of the MLB Network studio team, might we hear the comparison come from the man himself?

It's certainly possible.

For the sake of the rebuilding San Diego Padres, Espinoza developing into anything even remotely resembling one of the best pitchers the game has ever seen would be huge.

24. CF Clint Frazier, New York Yankees

Brace Hemmelgarn/Getty Images

Prediction: A red-headed slugger will lead the Yankees in home runs this spring.

Aaron Judge will be the prospect to watch for the New York Yankees this spring, as he looks to prove he's ready to take over as the everyday right fielder.

Clint Frazier is going to steal the show, though.

Few, if any, players at the minor league level possess the type of raw power that Frazier has, and the Yankees were happy to grab him in the deadline deal that sent relief ace Andrew Miller to the Cleveland Indians.

Bleacher Report's Danny Knobler took a closer look at which outfield prospect—Judge or Frazier—could make the bigger impact during the upcoming season, and it's definitely worth a read.

"Judge early, Frazier late," one AL scout offered up to Knobler. "They'll [eventually] like Frazier slightly better."

The 22-year-old struggled after joining the Yankees last summer, and MLB.com was probably right in pointing to "some self-imposed pressure" as the root of those struggles.

The lights shine a bit brighter when you're one of the up-and-coming potential stars for an organization like the Yankees.

Still, there's no reason to think Frazier can't live up to that hype, and we'll say six spring long balls gives him the team lead and a new level of hype heading into the 2017 season.

23. CF Manuel Margot, San Diego Padres

Andy Hayt/Getty Images

Prediction: The Gold Glove campaign will start this spring.

Manuel Margot is expected to hit at or near the top of the San Diego Padres lineup this coming season, where his good contact skills and plus speed give him a chance to be a dynamic table-setter.

His offensive skills were on full display in Triple-A last season when he hit .304/.351/.426 with 39 extra-base hits and 30 stolen bases to help lead El Paso to a Pacific Coast League title.

It's his glove that will turn heads this spring, though.

According to MLB.com, he's "viewed by scouts as one of the top defensive players in the minors," as they gave him a 60-grade arm and a 70-grade for overall defense.

St. Louis Cardinals catching prospect Carson Kelly can attest to his defensive skills.

Margot robbed him of a home run in last year's Futures Game, and he did it in front of the home fans in San Diego.

Patrolling center field at Petco Park is no small task.

If Margot can string together a few highlight reel catches this spring, the Gold Glove campaign could already be in full swing by the time Opening Day arrives.

22. CF Bradley Zimmer, Cleveland Indians

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Prediction: A cautious approach with Michael Brantley will open the door.

Signing Edwin Encarnacion gives the Cleveland Indians a game-changing bat in the middle of the lineup.

However, it also means they won't be able to ease Michael Brantley back into the lineup by giving him some at-bats at designated hitter, since Encarnacion and Carlos Santana are both first base/DH-only players.

Brantley didn't play after May 9 last season while nursing shoulder issues that eventually required surgery.

The former All-Star will likely be treated with kid gloves this spring, which should open the door for top prospect Bradley Zimmer to see significant time in the outfield.

He's eyeing more than just experience this spring, per Bobby DeMuro of FanRag Sports:

"

You watch [the Indians] on TV, and you see those big moments, and you say, 'man, I want to be that guy, the guy getting the base hit, taking the hit away, taking the extra base.'

It really gives me that much more motivation to come out here and go balls to the wall, and go to every length to put myself in a position where that opportunity will be available to me next year.

"

Even if Brantley is a full go for the start of the season, Zimmer could push Tyler Naquin for playing time in center field with a strong spring.

Naquin was a pleasant surprise as a rookie with a .296/.372/.514 line that included 18 doubles, 14 home runs and 43 RBI for a third-place finish in AL Rookie of the Year voting.

However, his .411 BABIP was the highest mark among players with at least 300 plate appearances, so regression is coming.

21. SS Willy Adames, Tampa Bay Rays

Harry How/Getty Images

Prediction: Matt Duffy will be taking ground balls at second base this spring.

We don't always know who won a blockbuster trade until years later.

Take the Tampa Bay Rays deal that sent David Price to the Detroit Tigers for example.

At the time, a return of Drew Smyly, Nick Franklin and low-minors prospect Willy Adames looked like a fairly light return for one of the game's elite starting pitchers who still had a year of team control remaining.

Two and a half years later, Adames has emerged as one of the game's most exciting young prospects, and he's close to arriving in Tampa.

The 21-year-old spent all of last season in Double-A, where he hit .274/.372/.430 and added some pop with 31 doubles, six triples and 11 home runs.

His glove has continued to develop as well.

"Adames compensates for his average speed with excellent instincts and quick feet at shortstop, where he profiles as an above-average defender with soft hands, smooth footwork and plus arm strength," wrote MLB.com's Prospect Watch.

So what does that mean for the Rays' infield outlook?

At this point, it looks like Nick Franklin will open the year as the starting second baseman, while deadline pickup Matt Duffy will man shortstop.

Adames will push one of them to the bench once he's ready, though, and giving Duffy some time at second base this spring could make for a smoother transition once the time comes.

20. RHP Francis Martes, Houston Astros

Prediction: The Astros will have that front-line starter they were looking for by midseason.

One of the biggest storylines of the offseason has been the Houston Astros search for a front-line starter.

After adding the likes of Brian McCann, Carlos Beltran and Josh Reddick to an already talented core, adding a quality starting pitcher looks like the one missing piece for a team with the potential to make a serious postseason run.

They've balked at the high asking price being placed on quality arms, though.

According to MLB writer Peter Gammons, the Chicago White Sox asked for Francis Martes, Kyle Tucker and Joe Musgrove in exchange for Jose Quintana earlier this winter.

There's a good chance Martes was the sticking point.

The 21-year-old has been one of the game's fastest-rising pitching prospects, and after reaching Double-A last season, he's knocking on the door.

With a fastball that touches 98, a plus-plus curveball and a passable slider-changeup combination all from a sturdy 6'1", 225-pound frame and with smooth mechanics, the pieces are there for him to ascend to the top of an MLB rotation.

Astros fans will have a chance to see him in action this spring, and a dominant performance could ease some concerns over whether the team has enough pitching.

By midseason, he could be this year's Michael Fulmer.

19. CF Mickey Moniak, Philadelphia Phillies

Prediction: The "best shape of my life" narrative will take on new meaning.

Nothing says spring training like sunny skies, newfound excitement for the season ahead and guys claiming to be "in the best shape of my life" heading into spring training.

That sentiment is generally reserved for established MLB players looking to take the next step or veterans looking to bounce-back from a disappointing or injury-plagued season.

Philadelphia Phillies prospect Mickey Moniak is giving it some new meaning.

Taken No. 1 overall last June as a lanky 6'2", 170-pound outfielder out of La Costa Canyon High School in California, Moniak has reportedly been hitting the weights pretty hard this offseason.

How hard?

According to a report from Jim Salisbury of CSN Philly during the winter meetings, he'd already added 20 pounds of muscle and that was two months ago.

Here's what Moniak had to say while talking with Salisbury:

"

It’s something the Phillies wanted me to do and I knew I definitely needed it, too. I really enjoyed my first year. I got a taste of what it was like to play baseball for a job and it was a good time. 

There were a lot of positives that came out of the first year. I felt like I jumped in there and really competed. I hit well in July. In August, I started to fatigue and I wasn’t prepared for that, being my first season. But it was a good learning experience. I needed to get stronger.

"

The 18-year-old hit .284/.340/.409 with 11 doubles and one home run in 194 plate appearances in rookie ball after signing last spring.

Expect to see a few more of those doubles make it over the fence thanks to his offseason work.

18. CF Lewis Brinson, Milwaukee Brewers

Prediction: Keon Broxton will start taking fly balls in right field this spring.

Lewis Brinson sounded like a man on a mission during a recent team event.

"I’m shooting for it. All offseason I’ve been working my butt off to make my dreams come true this year and get up there and help the Brewers win, and help them win for a long time with all these young guys and the guys we have up here," Brinson told Kyle Lobner of Milwaukee Record. "I’ve been working hard trying to get up there this year. So I think this is going to be the year for me."

The 22-year-old was the prize of the deadline deal that sent All-Star catcher Jonathan Lucroy to the Texas Rangers, and he crushed Triple-A pitching to the tune of a .382/.387/.618 line in 23 games after joining the Brewers organization.

He doesn't exactly have a clear path to the starting center field job, though.

Keon Broxton struggled early last season but returned from a minor league demotion to hit .294/.399/.538 with 18 extra-base hits and 16 stolen bases over his final 46 games.

While that should be enough for the 26-year-old to get first dibs at manning the position in 2017, Brinson figures to get the call at some point regardless, forcing Broxton to shift over to right field.

It's probably best he starts taking fly balls there now, since a big spring could have Brinson poised to debut before the All-Star break.

17. 3B Rafael Devers, Boston Red Sox

Brace Hemmelgarn/Getty Images

Prediction: There will be zero question who the best third baseman in Red Sox camp is.

The next chapter in the great Pablo Sandoval odyssey is set to begin this spring.

After trading away Travis Shaw and Yoan Moncada this offseason and without any notable additions at the position, third base will be all his.

"One of the keys for us is going to be Panda," Boston manager John Farrell told ESPN.com news services. "That's not to put it all on him, but here's a left-handed bat who is a proven guy and has every opportunity to make a major impact on our team this year."

We're now two years into the five-year, $95 million deal that Sandoval signed as a free agent and so far he has one season where he posted a negative-0.9 WAR and one season where he played a grand total of three games to his credit.

Somehow the annual report of him being in "the best shape of his life" isn't getting it done this time around.

Rafael Devers might not be ready to push him for the starting job as a 20-year-old who has yet to play above the High-A level, but he can light a fire under him with a productive spring.

Devers hit .282/.335/.443 with 32 doubles, 11 home runs and 71 RBI last season, and after Andrew Benintendi exhausts his prospect status early in the 2017 season, he'll take over as the No. 1 prospect in the Boston system.

A strong spring will provide some added excitement for the future and could be the motivation Sandoval needs to, you know, attempt to earn his $17 million salary.

16. RHP Michael Kopech, Chicago White Sox

Prediction: The velocity will be as advertised and at least one MLB star will get blown away.

Lucas Giolito might be the highest-rated pitching prospect among Chicago White Sox newcomers, but Michael Kopech will be the guy everyone is talking about this spring.

A fastball that can touch 105 mph will do that.

"Your eye is not trained to see 105. You’ve never seen it before unless it’s off some sort of machine,” Salem manager Joe Oliver told J.J. Cooper of Baseball America.

The 20-year-old is more than just a flame-thrower. He's legitimately one of the best starting pitching prospects in the game, and if everything breaks right, he'll be better than Giolito or Carson Fulmer or Reynaldo Lopez or any other pitcher in the White Sox system.

And you just know he'll be looking to impress this spring.

He probably won't see a ton of work in MLB camp, but he was among the team's non-roster invitees, so expect him to make at least a couple appearance against MLB hitters.

The easy prediction is that he'll light up the radar gun.

Blowing a fastball past an established MLB star and hearing his take on the young hurler would only make it that much more fun.

15. SS/2B Brendan Rodgers, Colorado Rockies

Prediction: Scouts will be lurking everywhere in anticipation of a midseason blockbuster.

The Colorado Rockies have been a popular pick this offseason to emerge as dark-horse contenders during the upcoming season.

So what happens if they're in the thick of things in the NL West when the trade deadline rolls around and they think they're one quality starting pitcher away from making some serious noise?

Top prospect Brendan Rodgers could become trade chip Brendan Rodgers.

Think about it.

Trevor Story has him blocked at shortstop after a stellar rookie season, reigning NL batting champ DJ LeMahieu is under team control through 2018 at second, and third baseman Nolan Arenado is not going anywhere.

If the Rockies see a window to contend opening up there's a good chance Rodgers won't factor into those plans, even if he's ready to contribute.

The 20-year-old has big offensive upside and handled the jump to full-season ball well with a .281/.342/.480 line in Single-A that included 31 doubles, 19 home runs and 73 RBI.

Offense has never been the issue in Colorado, though, and if moving him means picking up a quality veteran arm to join Jon Gray atop the rotation, it's a move that will need to be seriously considered.

14. RF Eloy Jimenez, Chicago Cubs

Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images

Prediction: The hype train will keep rolling for the Cubs' next offensive star.

Eloy Jimenez was the second-youngest player at the annual Futures Game last summer.

That didn't stop him from shining.

Jimenez finished 2-for-3 with a double and a towering third-deck home run, driving in four total runs to help lead the World Team to an 11-3 victory.

He also made a terrific defensive play in right field and all before his 20th birthday.

That impressive showcase performance was part of a bigger coming-out party that included a .329/.369/.532 line in a full season in Single-A and a MiLB Breakout Player of the Year honors.

Single-A manager Jimmy Gonzalez sung his praises to Sam Dykstra of MiLB.com:

"

Big guys like him, you normally see a lot of strikeouts. Now, he had his fair share of strikeouts, but he struck out less than you'd expect. He knew he had power, but he still had a good two-strike approach. The way he was able to take the ball to right field when they pitched him like that, you don't see a lot of that at this level, and he maintained it all year. Then because of his power, sometimes those hits out to right would go for doubles or even homers. Once he had the approach down, everything took care of itself.

"

Jimenez will be in MLB camp as a non-roster invitee this spring.

He doesn't have any real chance of winning a roster spot, but a home run or two off big league pitching will keep the hype train rolling.

13. 1B/OF Cody Bellinger, Los Angeles Dodgers

Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images

Prediction: A slow spring from Andrew Toles will open the door in left field, but the Dodgers decide to wait.

Cody Bellinger has long been viewed as the heir to Adrian Gonzalez at first base.

However, there's a good chance he'll be ready to make an MLB impact long before Gonzalez's contract is up at the end of the 2018 season.

Luckily, he's shown enough athleticism that he should be able to bide his time as a corner outfielder, and those two spots are anything but set in stone for the Los Angeles Dodgers heading into camp.

Yasiel Puig and Andrew Toles look like the presumptive starters at this point, with Andre Ethier, Trayce Thompson and Scott Van Slyke also in the mix.

Toles remains something of an enigma, though.

The 24-year-old didn't even rank among the Dodgers' top 30 prospects at the start of last season but wound up hitting .314/.365/.505 over 115 plate appearances to earn starting duties in left field during the postseason.

However, those numbers were propped up by a .385 BABIP, and there's a good chance significant regression is coming.

So what happens if Bellinger lights it up this spring and Toles goes back to looking more like organizational depth?

Tempting as it may be to hand the 21-year-old a starting gig, the more likely answer is a platoon of Ethier and Thompson/Van Slyke, at least to open the year.

One way or another, though, expect to see Bellinger in the majors in 2017.

12. RHP Lucas Giolito, Chicago White Sox

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Prediction: He'll be worthy of the No. 3 spot in the rotation but still head to Triple-A.

There's no question Lucas Giolito would benefit from a bit more time in the minors.

And the rebuilding Chicago White Sox have absolutely no reason to rush one of their new prized prospects to the majors this spring.

That being said, there's a good chance he'll outperform several veterans projected to break camp with a rotation spot.

Jose Quintana and Carlos Rodon give the team a solid one-two punch atop the staff, but the trio of Miguel Gonzalez, James Shields and Derek Holland are clearly nothing more than placeholders as the team begins building for the future.

Gonalez was a nice scrapheap find a year ago, while Shields was a disaster after being acquired in an ill-advised June trade, and Holland was a buy-low flier on the free-agent market.

White Sox fans will need to trust the process when Giolito lights it up this spring and then gets handed a Triple-A assignment.

He'll be up for good soon enough.

11. 2B Ozzie Albies, Atlanta Braves

Stacy Revere/Getty Images

Prediction: The Albies-Swanson double play combination will be starting on Opening Day.

The Atlanta Braves resisted the urge to aggressively promote Ozzie Albies last spring.

Can they do it again?

The 20-year-old was the talk of Braves' camp in 2016, hitting .371 with a double and a home run in what was simply supposed to be an opportunity to get his feet wet against higher-level competition.

Albies had yet to play above the Single-A level at this time a year ago, but now he has a strong showing in the upper minors to his credit.

Splitting last season between Double-A and Triple-A, he hit .292/.358/.420 with 49 extra-base hits and 30 stolen bases while continuing to make a smooth transition from shortstop to second base.

Will a similarly impressive spring be enough to force his way onto the roster this time around?

The Braves have Jace Peterson returning as the incumbent starter, as well as veteran utility man Sean Rodriguez and former White Sox top prospect Micah Johnson as options at the position.

Albies is the future, though, and the more time he spends working up the middle with eventual double play partner Dansby Swanson, the better.

Here's making the bold prediction that those two are penciled into the starting lineup for what will be the first of many Opening Day starts together.

10. CF Austin Meadows, Pittsburgh Pirates

Prediction: The Pirates will wish they'd found a way to move Andrew McCutchen.

It was a tale of two seasons for Austin Meadows in 2016.

The 21-year-old got off to a fantastic start in Double-A with a .311/.365/.611 line that included 30 extra-base hits and nine stolen bases in 190 plate appearances.

That earned him a promotion to Triple-A in June and had him looking like a potential September call-up.

Instead, he hit .214/.297/.460 with 16 extra-base hits over 145 plate appearances the rest of the way.

Considering his age relative to the level of competition, it's not surprising that he'd hit a bump in the road at some point, and injuries have also played a role as an oblique issue caused him to skip the Arizona Fall League.

At any rate, the Pirates seemed comfortable enough with his ability to make an impact in the near future that they were aggressively shopping star center fielder Andrew McCutchen during the winter meetings.

McCutchen has since been shifted to right field in favor of Starling Marte, and there's a good chance Marte will be stationed there for the long haul.

That hasn't changed Meadows' outlook as the clear heir to McCutchen, and an impressive performance this spring coupled with the usual slow start from McCutchen will leave fans wishing a trade had in fact been made.

9. RHP Tyler Glasnow, Pittsburgh Pirates

Justin K. Aller/Getty Images

Prediction: Effectively wild will lead to good numbers and a Triple-A assignment.

In terms of pure stuff, Tyler Glasnow is as good as any pitching prospect in the game.

Opposing hitters simply haven't had an answer for the big 6'8" righty at the minor league level, as he's pitched to a 2.03 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and racked up 645 strikeouts in 500 innings of work.

However, that impressive stuff has often covered up a lack of command and inconsistent mechanics.

Even last season when he posted a 1.93 ERA while striking out 144 in 116.2 innings between Double-A and Triple-A, he paired that with an unsightly 68 walks for a 5.4 BB/9 rate.

Those issues were exposed in his first taste of MLB action.

"There were times in the big leagues where it appeared that Glasnow was trying to be too fine and didn't trust his stuff. There will always be walks to contend with, but if he can go after Major League hitters like he did with opponents in the Minors, he should find more consistent success at the highest level," wrote MLB.com's Prospect Watch.

He wound up going 0-2 with a 4.24 ERA, 1.50 WHIP and a 24-to-14 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 23.1 innings.

The Pirates won't be looking at his ERA or strikeout rate this spring as they try to determine whether he can fill one of the rotation spots behind Gerrit Cole, Ivan Nova and Jameson Taillon.

They'll be watching his mechanics and his walk rate.

8. CF Victor Robles, Washington Nationals

Prediction: The talk of Nationals' camp will be playing on the back fields.

As a 19-year-old who has yet to play above the High-A level, Victor Robles likely won't be in big league camp this spring.

That doesn't mean he can't make his mark.

"The Nationals love Robles' makeup and work ethic, and it's already made him a clubhouse leader early in his career. He has the athleticism, physical tools and baseball savvy to continue to pass every challenge the organization throws his way. He's a few years away from the Majors, but Robles is well on his way towards becoming a franchise player," wrote MLB.com's Prospect Watch.

This is the kind of player who people will trek to the back fields and minor league camp for a chance to see in action.

Even if he doesn't spend any time with the big club this preseason, reporters and fellow Nationals players alike will be talking about Robles this spring.

7. SS J.P. Crawford, Philadelphia Phillies

Justin K. Aller/Getty Images

Prediction: The mediocre 2016 numbers will be a distant memory by mid-March.

No one looked to have a more tenuous hold on their everyday job last spring than Freddy Galvis.

While he was a safe bet to break camp as the Philadelphia Phillies starting shortstop, no one expected him to hold off top prospect J.P. Crawford until the All-Star break, let alone for the entire season.

Crawford was a prospect on the rise after hitting .288/.380/.414 with 35 extra-base hits while spending the bulk of the previous season in Double-A. All signs pointed to him being the next key piece of the rebuild to arrive.

An early arrival in Philadelphia still appeared to be in the works after a May promotion from Double-A to Triple-A, but he stalled out from there.

The 22-year-old went on to hit .244/.328/.318 with just 16 extra-base hits in 385 plate appearances following the promotion, and he was eventually passed over for a September call-up.

General manager Matt Klentak still spoke highly of Crawford last summer amid his struggles.

"I've talked about this a lot with J.P. Crawford: Even when he was hitting .200 or under .200, he was still controlling the strike zone. His ability to recognize pitches was still really good. That's a really important skill set and especially to be as young as he is at advanced levels like he is, to be able to continue to show that is a very important thing," Klentak told Corey Seidman of CSN Philly.

That advanced approach at the plate and his impressive all-around tools should allow Crawford to get back on track, and a big spring could make those 2016 struggles a distant memory.

6. RHP Alex Reyes, St. Louis Cardinals

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Prediction: The NL version of Andrew Miller?

It's a problem 29 other teams would love to have.

There's simply no room for Alex Reyes in the St. Louis Cardinals' starting rotation.

Even after trading Jaime Garcia to the Atlanta Braves, the team still has Carlos Martinez, Adam Wainwright, Lance Lynn, Mike Leake and Michael Wacha all penciled into rotation spots.

So does that mean Reyes opens the year in Triple-A?

Not necessarily.

Reyes proved to be a dangerous weapon out of the bullpen when he was first promoted last season, posting a 0.52 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 23 strikeouts in 17.1 innings over seven appearances while earning a pair of wins and a save.

There's little doubt his durable frame and dynamic three-pitch repertoire will find a home atop the rotation eventually.

But for now, he could prove to be an ultra-valuable reliever in a role similar to the one Andrew Miller filled for the Cleveland Indians last season, putting out fires before the ninth inning rolls around and working multiple innings as needed.

The Cardinals took a similar approach to easing Carlos Martinez into the MLB fold.

5. SS Amed Rosario, New York Mets

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Prediction: Asdrubal Cabrera's chair will catch fire.

It's a "hot seat" joke.

His chair probably isn't going to actually catch on fire this spring.

Cabrera was signed to a two-year deal last offseason that includes an option for 2018 with the hopes he could bridge the gap to top prospect Amed Rosario.

Not only does that 2018 option now seem unlikely to be necessary, it's not out of the question to think Rosario could be pushing him for the starting gig before the All-Star break.

Those are the kind of expectations that come with a breakout season.

Always a standout defender at shortstop, Rosario's bat had lagged behind, due in part to the team's aggressive developmental track.

Then everything came together last season when he hit .324/.374/.459 between High-A and Double-A and raised his OPS over 200 points from .631 to .833.

The Mets have no reason to rush the 21-year-old after Cabrera posted an .810 OPS with 30 doubles and 23 home runs last season.

A strong spring could be the first step in forcing their hand, though.

4. SS Dansby Swanson, Atlanta Braves

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Prediction: Dansby Swanson will come out on top in a Vanderbilt showdown with David Price.

As of last season, there were 47 active Vanderbilt alums playing some level of professional baseball.

With all due respect to Sonny Gray, the two most compelling names on that list are Boston Red Sox ace David Price and Atlanta Braves young shortstop Dansby Swanson.

Price is looking for a bounce-back performance after a somewhat disappointing debut on the heels of signing a massive seven-year, $217 million deal last winter.

Meanwhile, Swanson is set to settle in for his first full MLB season after an impressive two-month showing in the majors last year, and he looks like the early favorite for NL Rookie of the Year honors.

Potential spring training matchups don't generally generate much buzz, but there's a chance those two could face off as the Braves and Red Sox are set to meet twice this spring.

There's no guarantee that they'll face each other even with their respective teams meeting up, but where's the fun in that logic?

We'll say they meet up in the first inning of one of the games, and Swanson wins the day, doubling into the right-center gap.

3. SS Gleyber Torres, New York Yankees

Prediction: Derek Jeter will praise the Yankees' shortstop of the future.

New York Yankees legend Derek Jeter hasn't had much to say about his former team since hanging it up at the conclusion of the 2014 season.

A potential superstar in the making at his old position could break that silence.

Gleyber Torres went from solid prospect to elite status after a stellar run in the Arizona Fall League, where he hit .403/.513/.645 with eight extra-base hits as one of the youngest players in the league en route to MVP honors.

The praise was all-encompassing this fall, with Randy Miller of NJ.com providing the feedback.

"He's going to be a superstar," said fellow prospect Tyler Wade.

"He's the man," said first baseman Greg Bird.

"Wow," said AFL manager Tom Goodwin. "I look forward to seeing this cat somewhere down the road."

A seal of approval from The Captain himself would be the cherry on top.

It's an opinion that will inevitably be sought out at some point in the near future as he pushes closer to arriving in the majors.

2. 2B Yoan Moncada, Chicago White Sox

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Prediction: Look out Bryzzo, there's a new baseball bromance coming to Chicago.

So what are Chicago White Sox fans going to call Cuban-born buddies Jose Abreu and Yoan Moncada?

Abrecada? That's not great.

Although I can hear the bros now: "Do you even Abrecada, brah?"

It's almost magical.

Get it? Like abracadabra? Yea, you get it.

Potential nicknames and subsequent merchandise sales aside, expect plenty of love between those two this spring.

In fact, it's already started.

"To get the opportunity to play with him right now in the United States, it's an honor for me," Moncada told reporters shortly after being traded this offseason. "I'm thrilled with that."

Abreu responded in kind.

"I feel blessed to have the opportunity to play with him," he told Bruce Levine of CBS Chicago. "I think it’s an honor to be a mentor to him or any of our new young players. That is something I like. I am looking forward to helping them to learn and get better here. The goal is still to win a championship with this team."

Contention may be several years away on the South Side, but those two should make it a fun spring. It won't be long before they're sharing the right side of the infield together.

1. LF Andrew Benintendi, Boston Red Sox

Mark Cunningham/Getty Images

Prediction: Small sample size Ted Williams anyone?

Hitting .400 over a full MLB season is one of the more hallowed achievements in the sport.

Doing it in spring training isn't quite as impressive, with a small sample size of 60-70 plate appearances making up the extent of most player's spring action.

In fact, 10 qualified players topped the .400 mark last preseason, with notoriously lethal hitters like Cliff Pennington and Nick Ahmed among that group.

Heck, Nolan Arenado hit .542.

Still, it's hard not to be impressed by a rookie who can waltz into big league camp and not only hold his own but rank among the most productive hitters of the spring.

Andrew Benintendi already has a firm grasp on the starting left field job after a strong 34-game showing at the MLB level last season.

He still has plenty to prove, though, as the consensus top prospect in baseball and AL Rookie of the Year front-runner.

A big spring with an average north of .400 will only further the hype.

All stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs, unless otherwise noted.