Each MLB Team's Player with the Most Superstar Upside
A new Major League Baseball season is in full swing. Do you know where your team's biggest potential star is?
No? Good. That means you might learn something here.
Our goal is to go team-by-team and focus on 30 players who have more superstar upside for 2018 than anyone else in their respective organizations. There are only a few ground rules:
- No Current Superstars: Anyone who's made an All-Star team or won a major award doesn't need to keep proving his star potential. We get it. They're good.
- Prospects Are Allowed: But they have to be really good and really close to making a difference in the majors in 2018.
- Standards Vary: Because some teams aren't as blessed with talent as others are.
At any rate, let's take it away.
Arizona Diamondbacks: Taijuan Walker
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Taijuan Walker was one of baseball's top pitching prospects once. Now he's just another guy trying to find his way in the majors.
Most guys don't have his arm, however.
Walker, formerly of the Seattle Mariners, is coming off a breakthrough year with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2017. He put up a 3.49 ERA across 157.1 innings, in large part thanks to a 93.8 mph average fastball and a new slider that allowed him to give right-handed batters a different look.
All Walker needs now is a below average contact rate befitting of his arsenal. That could be a simple matter of unlocking a changeup that has traditionally been his go-to off-speed offering but which has thus far disappointed as a bat-misser.
If the 25-year-old can manage that, there's no reason he can't build on his 2017 breakout to become one of the National League's top starters.
Atlanta Braves: Ronald Acuna Jr.
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The Atlanta Braves have enough talented youngsters to form several boy bands, but it's no secret that the Justin Timberlake of the bunch is Ronald Acuna Jr.
Take a look at any prospect list, and you'll see Acuna at either No. 1 or No. 2. That's what talent that earns comparisons to Mike Trout will get you. And this is one of those cases where said talent isn't just apparent in the abstract.
Acuna played the 2017 season as a mere 19-year-old, yet he still hit his way to Triple-A and then promptly dominated the Arizona Fall League. More recently, he stole the spotlight in spring training with a 1.247 OPS, four home runs and four stolen bases.
Why isn't Acuna a Brave yet? Because the service time game is a you-know-what. But don't worry. He'll be along soon and could be an All-Star as soon as this July.
Baltimore Orioles: Austin Hays
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Dylan Bundy is a pitcher with a big arm and an idea for how to use it. He could easily pass as the biggest potential star that the Baltimore Orioles have in-house.
But since Bundy is a fly-ball pitcher who has to pitch his home games at an extremely power-friendly ballpark, let's shift the focus to Austin Hays.
Although Hays, 22, isn't the most famous prospect in the minor leagues, he's closer than most to breaking into the majors and living a charmed life thereafter. Last year was just his second professional season, yet he made it to Double-A and tallied a .958 OPS and 32 homers.
Hays swings from the right side of the plate and prefers to do his power business to his pull side. That'll play well at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, where the fans in the left field bleachers are easily high-fiveable.
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Boston Red Sox: Andrew Benintendi
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In the person of Rafael Devers, the Boston Red Sox have a sweet-swinging third baseman who's already slain a 103 mph fastball on his path to superstardom.
He's no Andrew Benintendi, though.
It says a lot about Benintendi's skillset that he could have a rookie year in 2017 with a .776 OPS, 20 homers and 20 steals that somehow felt like a disappointment. Between his advanced feel for hitting, his power and his speed, he's certainly capable of much more on offense.
And whereas Devers is a work in progress on defense, Benintendi might already be an elite left fielder. He finished 2017 with nine defensive runs saved, tying him with five-time Gold Glover Alex Gordon.
In all, good stuff for a 22-year-old. It follows that Benintendi's 23-year-old self will only be better in 2018.
Chicago Cubs: Willson Contreras
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In fairness, Kyle Schwarber is really good at hitting, and Ian Happ is really good at, well, everything. Both could be first-time All-Stars this season.
But in this space, they're up against a potential MVP: Willson Contreras.
Offensively, even the .851 OPS that the 25-year-old backstop compiled across 2016 and 2017 doesn't fully encapsulate his potential. As evidenced by the 1.000 OPS he put up in his final 60 games of 2017, he has the power and patience to do much better.
Defensively, Contreras occasionally tries to do too much. But he has the goods to emerge as a Gold Glover, including an arm strong enough to put even Anthony Rizzo on edge.
All Contreras has to do is stay healthy. If he can do that, it'll take something much stronger than Chicago winds to keep him down.
Chicago White Sox: Yoan Moncada
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Before long, the Chicago White Sox will call on Eloy Jimenez, who hits really hard, and Michael Kopech, who throws really hard.
In the meantime, they can enjoy the power-and-speed stylings of Yoan Moncada.
The 22-year-old has already shown off his power this season, as he blasted a ball into orbit for his first homer on Saturday. Rest assured, his speed will attract the spotlight soon enough. He sprinted faster than all but one other second baseman in 2017.
Another thing that Moncada, who was arguably baseball's No. 1 prospect at the start of the year, did in 2017 was settle on a steady approach. He had an .806 OPS in his final 41 games, in which strikeouts started to come less frequently.
This is the stuff of a budding All-Star, if not something even better.
Cincinnati Reds: Luis Castillo
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At some point in 2018, Nick Senzel is going to arrive in Cincinnati and lend the Reds a bat that has upside out the wazoo.
In the meantime, the filth coming out of Luis Castillo's right hand will own the spotlight.
True, the 25-year-old did get lit up for six runs in his 2018 debut against the Washington Nationals. But rather than focus on that, it's better to focus on the proof of his potential buried within his 2017 season.
It goes beyond just the 3.12 ERA that he put up in 15 starts. Equally exciting was a 97.5 mph fastball that challenged Luis Severino's heater for the fastest thrown by any starter. Then there was Castillo's changeup, which is made to be turned into GIFs.
So, patience is advised with the young right-hander. He's off to a slow start, but he has the kind of stuff that even established All-Stars would love to have.
Cleveland Indians: Bradley Zimmer
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Cutting right to the chase: Bradley Zimmer could go either way.
His downside has to do with his tendency to swing and miss. He struck out in 30 percent of his plate appearances in 2017 and is teasing an even worse rate (44 percent) so far in 2018. He'll be lucky to stick in the majors if that keeps up, much less find stardom.
Zimmer's upside, on the other hand, has everything to do with his athleticism.
Between his blazing speed, rocket arm and penchant for exit velocity, the 25-year-old is an ideal player for the Statcast age. If he can at least keep the strikeouts to a minimum, he can will his way to excellence in all other facets of the game.
Again, this is a "maybe." It's one hell of an exciting maybe, though.
Colorado Rockies: Jon Gray
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A Colorado Rockies pitcher? With superstar potential?
Yes, we're really going there. Because Jon Gray is worth it.
To be more accurate, he's been worth it. The 26-year-old began turning a corner in 2016 and kept right on going in 2017. He had a 3.67 ERA with a career-best 3.7 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
The catch, of course, is that Gray made only 20 starts due to injury. But if he can avoid further trouble with the injury bug, he has just the arsenal for conquering Coors Field. It starts with an elite fastball and continues with a nasty slider and a curveball that's gaining more and more of his trust.
For the record, the last Rockies starter to make the All-Star team was Ubaldo Jimenez in 2010. Gray's inevitable selection will be eight years in the making.
Detroit Tigers: Nicholas Castellanos
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The Detroit Tigers may be short on talent, rooting interests and hope, but at least they have Nicholas Castellanos.
The artist formerly known as "Nick Castellanos" struggled to find his footing in his first three major league seasons, but he's quietly found his footing since 2016. He compiled an .817 OPS across 2016 and 2017, the latter of which featured 72 extra-base hits.
At work in Castellanos' rise to offensive relevance is a knack for hard contact that's getting better every year. Between that and his below average ground-ball rate, he's beginning to resemble former teammate J.D. Martinez at the plate.
At 26 years of age, Castellanos has the kind of youth the Tigers can build around. At least until they let him go as a free agent after 2019 or trade him before then.
Houston Astros: Alex Bregman
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Alex Bregman has established himself as the kind of guy who wants to silence the doubters even after there are no doubters left to silence.
He started his pro career as the Houston Astros' No. 2 pick in 2015 and has been riding an upward trajectory pretty much ever since. He hit his way to the majors in 2016 and promptly acquitted himself well in his new surroundings. He then got better in 2017, which ended in a coming-out party in October.
What's next for the 24-year-old in 2018? The possibilities include improving on the .827 OPS he posted in 2017. Or the 19 homers he hit. Or the 17 bases he stole. Or all three, with good defense at third base on the side.
As a general rule of thumb, Bregman just shouldn't be underestimated.
Kansas City Royals: Whit Merrifield
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That's right. The best thing the Kansas City Royals have going for them is a 29-year-old who never even sniffed a top prospect list before debuting in the majors in 2016.
In fairness, Whit Merrifield is one of the most impressive late-bloomers in recent memory.
He showed some promise in 2016 and more than fulfilled it in 2017. He led the American League with 34 stolen bases and also pitched in a .784 OPS, 19 homers and even played a good second base to boot.
And so it went for Merrifield in spring training. With a 1.432 OPS, four homers and four steals, he was to former non-prospects what Acuna was to current uberprospects.
So, Merrifield's mission for 2018 is to keep doing what he's been doing. If he can do that, he should represent the Royals at the All-Star Game.
Los Angeles Angels: Shohei Ohtani
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Hey, have you heard that the Los Angeles Angels have a youngster who fancies himself as both an ace and a slugger?
Shohei Ohtani is ambitious like that.
The 23-year-old certainly looked the part of a two-way phenom in Japan, where he had a 2.52 ERA and an .859 OPS in five seasons with the Nippon Ham Fighters. He subsequently looked out of his depth in spring training, but he's already making up for that.
Although Ohtani wasn't flawless in his pitching debut, he opened plenty of eyes (and missed plenty of bats) with his high-90s fastball and disappearing split-finger fastball. He followed that up with his first career home run in his first at-bat at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on Tuesday.
It's early yet, but suddenly Ohtani's Babe Ruthy aspirations don't seem so outlandish.
Los Angeles Dodgers: Walker Buehler
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Thanks to Corey Seager and Cody Bellinger, the Los Angeles Dodgers are riding a string of consecutive NL Rookie of the Year winners.
In 2018, Walker Buehler is their best hope of making it three in a row.
The right-hander underwent Tommy John surgery shortly after the Dodgers drafted him out of Vanderbilt in 2015. Lo and behold, he's come out of that operation throwing harder than he did before.
Walker's sizzling stuff allowed him to rise from High-A all the way to the majors last year. He was humbled a bit in his eight appearances with the Dodgers, yet it's hard to complain about the 98.1 mph fastball or the knee-buckling curveball that he featured.
How the Dodgers will use Buehler in 2018 remains to be seen. But given that the 23-year-old is arguably the best pitching prospect in the sport at the moment, it's a given that he will indeed be used.
Miami Marlins: Lewis Brinson
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The Miami Marlins have a ways to go with their rebuild. But in Lewis Brinson, they have one cornerstone they can build on.
The 23-year-old was the biggest prize acquired by the Marlins in their offseason purge of Giancarlo Stanton, Christian Yelich, Marcell Ozuna and Dee Gordon. He began his pro career as a first-round draft pick of the Texas Rangers in 2012. By 2016, he'd worked his way to the top of the major prospect lists.
Brinson has battled inconsistency here and there, yet his all-around potential has never been anything other than tantalizing. He's the kind of player who'll make a great catch one minute and hit a long homer the next.
As long as Brinson can stay on top of the finer points of the game, he could find himself representing the Marlins at the All-Star Game and battling for the NL Rookie of the Year.
Milwaukee Brewers: Christian Yelich
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Christian Yelich has been baseball hipsters' big breakout candidate for something like five years running.
Well, we really mean it this time.
Yelich, 26, has been a Gold Glover and a Silver Slugger but never an All-Star or a major award contender. Hitting for average and showing off his athleticism have never been problems for him. His issue has been hitting for power consistently.
It's not for lack of raw pop, however. Yelich can put exit velocity on fly balls and line drives with the best of 'em. Simply escaping Miami for the Milwaukee Brewers should help unlock that ability. He only ever hit 18 homers at Marlins Park, which has much less forgiving dimensions than Miller Park.
So, 2018 should be the year that Yelich truly, finally breaks out. We swear.
Minnesota Twins: Byron Buxton
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The spotlight here arguably belongs to Jose Berrios. He put himself on a track toward acehood in 2017, and he opened 2018 by making a statement with his first career shutout.
What Byron Buxton might become, however, is simply too great.
The 24-year-old is coming off a year in which he put up 5.2 wins above replacement despite only hitting .253 with a .728 OPS. That's a testament to athleticism that made him a nightmare on the basepaths and a Gold Glover in center field.
And Buxton's bat was coming around by the end of 2017. He hit .314 with a .912 OPS over his final 62 games. This was, if nothing else, a hint at how dangerous his bat can be if he can maintain consistency.
Should he finally achieve that in 2018, the AL MVP voters will have a strong case to consider.
New York Mets: Amed Rosario
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The New York Mets lineup mostly consists of sluggers whose gloves are very much secondary to their bats.
And then there's Amed Rosario.
The 22-year-old has the range, the actions and the arm strength to be an elite defensive shortstop. He can also run a bit, which will make him a pest when he gets on base.
The tricky part for Rosario is getting on in the first place. His modest power is an invite for pitchers to challenge him, and it's up to him to avoid helping them out by expanding the strike zone.
On the plus side, Rosario has shown an ability to make contact in the past. According to Mike Puma of the New York Post, he's also beginning 2018 with confidence that "my approach is better than last year."
If all goes well, Rosario can match his slick defense with consistent offense. That's a star-caliber shortstop.
New York Yankees: Gleyber Torres
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It's a shame about Greg Bird's ongoing tussle with the injury bug. Otherwise, he'd be yet another fearsome slugger in the New York Yankees batting order.
On the bright side, the Yankees have a ton of talented prospects who could make a difference in 2018. None more so than Gleyber Torres.
Torres' recent past includes a rough showing in spring training and an extended absence due to Tommy John surgery. Before these events, however, he was arguably the best prospect in baseball.
On the one hand, he's talented enough to stick at shortstop or to make a nice home for himself at third base or second base. On the other, he's an excellent pure hitter who also projects to hit for some power.
It shouldn't be long before Torres hops from Triple-A to the majors. Once that's done, he'll have the AL Rookie of the Year in his sights.
Oakland Athletics: Matt Chapman
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The Oakland Athletics have two exciting Matts to choose from: Olson and Chapman.
The point here goes to the Matt who is so much more than just a good hitter.
Although he's played in just 90 major league games, Chapman might already be baseball's best defensive third baseman. He's a live wire at the hot corner, and there's not a throw he can't make. For evidence, see here, here and here.
Meanwhile, Chapman is also a fast runner and a powerful hitter. He hit 14 homers in 84 games in 2017, and he already has two early in 2018. One was a long blast off Ohtani.
At the least, Chapman is a candidate to start at third base for this year's American League All-Star team. With enough support from his teammates, he might also emerge as an MVP contender.
Philadelphia Phillies: Aaron Nola
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The Philadelphia Phillies aren't short on young stars on whom to pin their hopes. Aaron Nola is simply the best of the bunch.
The right-hander made his major league debut about a year after the Phillies drafted him in 2014. What followed between then and the end of 2016 was a series of ups and downs.
Then in 2017, Nola turned a corner with a 3.54 ERA in 27 starts. It helped to have a curveball comparable to that of Adam Wainwright. What also helped was an uptick in Nola's fastball velocity.
Health permitting, the 24-year-old is perfectly capable of building on last year's breakout and establishing himself as one of the top starters in the National League.
That is, of course, assuming new manager Gabe Kapler isn't going to keep Nola on a strict 68-pitch limit for the entire season.
Pittsburgh Pirates: Jameson Taillon
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The Pittsburgh Pirates made one of the savvier additions of the winter when they plucked Colin Moran from the Houston Astros. That paid off right away when he hit a grand slam in the club's home opener.
But enough about him. Let's talk about Jameson Taillon.
The fates haven't made it easy for the right-hander to achieve stardom. Since the Pirates drafted him at No. 2 overall in 2010, Taillon's career has been beset by everything from Tommy John surgery to cancer.
And yet, his talent hasn't vanished. Watch him pitch, and you'll see a guy with a mid-90s fastball, a good curveball and an idea for how to throw strikes. He put up a 3.36 ERA in his first 24 major league starts with these talents, and he's now back on track following his strong 2018 debut.
And he's still only 26 years old.
San Diego Padres: Manuel Margot
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Manuel Margot has a tough time standing out amid the San Diego Padres' collection of fun and exciting young players, but his potential is not to be underestimated.
The 23-year-old is already one of the better defensive center fielders in baseball. He finished with eight defensive runs saved in 2017, which was one less than Billy Hamilton.
The question has been whether Margot's bat will ever be up to par. He took a step toward providing a suitable answer with a .721 OPS in 2017. He was especially good in the second half, which he credits to wising up with his approach.
"A lot of it was swinging at better pitches," Margot told David Laurila of FanGraphs.
The track that Margot put himself on last year can take him to more consistency and better power. Add that to what he can do with his glove, and you get a budding star.
San Francisco Giants: Steven Duggar
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Goodness, who among all these mostly old and obscenely decorated San Francisco Giants can be considered a rising star?
[Runs search.]
...Steven Duggar?
Sure, why not?
Duggar, 24, may not be the best prospect the Giants have (hi, Heliot Ramos) but he's the best bet to break through and make a difference in 2018. His glove is up to the task of handling AT&T Park's huge center field. And while he's not known for his bat, he took steps toward changing that with an .813 OPS in spring training.
If anyone's having trouble being convinced by this, please refer to the "Standards Vary" clause of this article.
Seattle Mariners: Mitch Haniger
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In a sense, Mitch Haniger is the Whit Merrifield of right field.
He's 27 years old, and in his past is a minor league track record that failed to generate much hype. For the most part, he looked like a solid piece of organizational depth.
That started to change in 2016, when Haniger hit his way onto the Arizona Diamondbacks with the help of a 1.098 OPS and Triple-A. He then found himself with the Seattle Mariners for 2017, wherein he put up an .843 OPS with 16 homers despite being limited to 96 games by injuries.
Now in 2018, Haniger is already off and running with six hits (including two homers) in his first 13 at-bats. He's also not to be missed on defense, where he put up eight defensive runs saved in right field last year.
All told, All-Star candidates don't get much sneakier than this.
St. Louis Cardinals: Paul DeJong
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Following his hot start (three homers in five games) to 2018, there's no time like the present to hop aboard the Paul DeJong bandwagon.
But, really, everyone should have been on this thing last year.
Although he ultimately got lost in Cody Bellinger's shadow, DeJong had a heck of a rookie year in his own right for the St. Louis Cardinals in 2017. He played in 108 games and put up an .857 OPS with 25 homers.
That's good stuff by any standard, and great stuff by shortstop standards. According to Baseball Reference, DeJong became one of only five rookie shortstops to ever hit as many as 25 homers.
When he's not blasting dingers, the 24-year-old is playing capable defense. His talents have already earned him a long-term contract. Up next should be his share of All-Star votes.
Tampa Bay Rays: Blake Snell
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You might remember Blake Snell as one of baseball's top pitching prospects from a few years ago.
Now get to know him as a budding ace.
The 25-year-old didn't have much trouble flashing his talent in the early stages of his major league career, but it wasn't until the second half of 2017 that he started to get serious. He finished the year with a 3.49 ERA in his final 14 starts, in which his strikeout and walk rates trended in opposite directions.
Snell didn't quite have everything working in his 2018 debut, but he did flash a 95 mph fastball and filthy breaking stuff. A very good Red Sox lineup didn't have countermeasures for these weapons.
The AL Cy Young race is probably too tough of a nut for Snell to crack in 2018. The All-Star Game? Less so.
Texas Rangers: Joey Gallo
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The Texas Rangers have two formerly elite hitting prospects who still have All-Star upside: Joey Gallo and Nomar Mazara.
Between the two, Gallo inspires a tad more confidence.
For one thing, he's humanity's best hope of ever finding out if a ball batted on earth is capable of leaving the solar system. His 6'5", 235-pound frame and violent swing are the perfect mixture for exit velocity. Only Aaron Judge and Nelson Cruz did better than Gallo's average of 93.1 mph in 2017.
Gallo's swing produced nine more homers (41) than singles (32). That plus his 75 walks more than made up for the 196 strikeouts that he racked up in only 532 plate appearances.
The 24-year-old isn't about to get less powerful. What he can get is smarter with his approach and more comfortable at first base. Should that happen, he's at least an All-Star candidate.
Toronto Blue Jays: Marcus Stroman
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This feels like cheating, but...hey, nowhere in Marcus Stroman's many accomplishments is an All-Star nod or a major award.
It's not for lack of ability. Stroman may be undersized at 5'8", 180 pounds, but he's always had great stuff and one of the sharpest competitive edges you're going to find on any player. On occasion, these things have made him look like one of baseball's best pitchers.
He finally sustained the appearance for a full season in 2017. The 26-year-old simplified his pitch selection to focus around his sinker and slider and, as a result, finished the year stronger than he started it. Altogether, he authored a 3.09 ERA in 201 innings.
Stroman may not have made the AL All-Star team along the way, but he did finish eighth in the Cy Young voting. If nothing else, he can improve on that in 2018.
Washington Nationals: Anthony Rendon
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In Victor Robles, the Washington Nationals are sitting on one of baseball's very best prospects. In the meantime, they have three quality regulars (Anthony Rendon, Trea Turner and Adam Eaton) who haven't gotten their due as All-Stars or major award winners.
Eeny, meeny, miny...Rendon.
Rendon has spent much of his career flying under the national radar. Perhaps it's because he doesn't have the in-your-face personality of a Bryce Harper. Or, maybe it's because he's a jack of all trades and a master of none.
In any event, Rendon took his biggest step yet toward superstardom in 2017. He compiled an eyebrow-raising .301/.403/.533 slash line with 25 homers. As per usual, he also played a slick third base.
If the 27-year-old improves on all this in 2018, he should finally get the attention he's long deserved.
Spring stats courtesy of MLB.com. Other stats courtesy of Baseball Reference, FanGraphs, Brooks Baseball and Baseball Savant.
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