MLB's Next 10 Stars to Know Before Their 2019 Breakouts
When "what's now?" meets "what's next?", you get the next generation of MLB stars. Who will fill that role in 2019?
Let's take a look.
To qualify, a player must possess the hype, opportunity, experience and skill set to break out in the near term while retaining his rookie status entering the season.
Nothing is guaranteed, but all 10 of these guys have a legitimate shot to become game-changers in the months ahead.
Jesus Luzardo, LHP, Oakland Athletics
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Jesus Luzardo was on track to crack the Oakland Athletics' starting rotation before a shoulder injury derailed his MLB debut.
Luzardo allowed one earned run with 15 strikeouts in 9.2 spring innings and looked the part of a burgeoning ace.
"It's too bad, coming into form like he did under some pressure and certainly the microscope," A's skipper Bob Melvin said, per Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. "We found out a lot about him and unfortunately that will be cut short right now. I don't know that anyone performed better for us this spring."
Luzardo could return by June, per Slusser, which would afford the 21-year-old enough time to make his MLB mark, assuming he leaves the health woes behind him.
Carter Kieboom, INF, Washington Nationals
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Carter Kieboom hit .308, swatted two home runs (both against Justin Verlander in a single game) and posted a 1.078 OPS this spring for the Washington Nationals.
Yet, the 21-year-old was sent to the minors for more seasoning.
He could force his way onto the Nats roster if he keeps raking, especially after current Washington second baseman Brian Dozier went 0-for-10 with three strikeouts to begin the regular season.
It's a small sample, sure, and the $9 million the Nationals are paying Dozier means they'll give him every opportunity to contribute.
At some point soon, however, Kieboom will come knocking. The Nationals won't be able to keep the door closed for long.
Kyle Wright, RHP, Atlanta Braves
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The fifth overall pick in the 2017 amateur draft, Kyle Wright rose from Double-A to the big leagues in 2018 and broke camp with the Atlanta Braves this season.
His first start of 2019 was bumpy. The 23-year-old coughed up three earned runs and five walks in 4.1 frames on Sunday against the Philadelphia Phillies, though he also struck out four.
Overall, he has a fastball that touches the upper-90s and a plus slider and changeup befitting a top-of-the-rotation arm.
The up-and-coming Braves should afford him every opportunity to mature into an ace as they chase a second straight National League East title.
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Nick Senzel, INF/OF, Cincinnati Reds
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Nick Senzel hit .310 with an .887 OPS at Triple-A last season, then hit .308 with six doubles in 12 games in big league camp this spring.
Still, the Reds sent him back to the minors. His agent, Joel Wolfe, took umbrage.
"I don't believe I've ever made public statements on this issue in my career, but I feel compelled to do so in this case where it feels like a simply egregious case of service-time manipulation," Wolfe told ESPN.com's Jeff Passan.
Soon enough, the versatile Senzel should be a part of the Reds' everyday lineup and quite possibly patrolling center field.
Playing his home games in a hitter-friendly yard, the 23-year-old could make a big splash...service-time shenanigans be damned.
Francisco Mejia, C, San Diego Padres
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Francisco Mejia made the San Diego Padres' 25-man roster after hitting .354 with a 1.005 OPS this spring. He's the backup catcher behind Austin Hedges...for now.
That could change if Hedges, a career .213 hitter in 931 MLB plate appearances, falters.
Mejia, meanwhile, hit .293 with a .799 OPS in his minor league career and appears poised for an MLB bust-out.
Would Hedges graciously step aside?
"He's proven it in the [minors], and he's proven it [in spring training]," Hedges said of his fellow receiver, per AJ Cassavell of MLB.com. "Whatever helps us win ballgames, I'm in."
Alex Verdugo, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers
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Alex Verdugo raked at Triple-A last season to the tune of a .329 average before getting a big league call-up. This spring, he won a spot on the Los Angeles Dodgers roster.
It's fair to question his power after the 22-year-old hit only 41 home runs in 512 minor league games. But he's a well-rounded athlete and has the confidence of manager Dave Roberts.
"I think that the first moment I put eyes on Alex, he felt he was [an MLB] player," Roberts said, per Rowan Kavner of Dodger Insider. "That was three springs ago. The good thing about him, he's got that chip on his shoulder. He's got that fight in him."
Now, Verdugo needs to prove his skipper right as the Dodgers try to avenge two consecutive World Series defeats.
Eloy Jimenez, OF, Chicago White Sox
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Eloy Jimenez did not enjoy a terrific spring with the Chicago White Sox. The touted prospect went 9-for-37 with 11 strikeouts.
He's on the big club, however, and notched his first hit Saturday against the Kansas City Royals. In fact, he collected two of them.
Both were singles, and neither teased the new-breed slugger tendencies that make the 22-year-old a potential superstar.
Then again, they broke him into the MLB fraternity and may have jumpstarted his confidence.
"Everyone was pretty pumped for him," White Sox manager Rick Renteria said, per Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune. "Obviously it's a big day. For us, hopefully the first of many to come."
Victor Robles, OF, Washington Nationals
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Despite some early struggles on the basepaths and in center field, Victor Robles is a future star.
The 21-year-old saw MLB action as far back as 2017 and even dipped his toes into the postseason waters that season with the Washington Nationals.
He also hit .300 with an .849 OPS in 384 MiLB contests and possesses five-tool potential. Along with fellow Nats outfielder and 2018 NL Rookie of the Year runner-up Juan Soto, he could soon make D.C. fans forget about a fellow by the name of Bryce Harper (or at least make them quit weeping over his departure).
Oh, and lest we forget, Robles launched a home run and three doubles in his first three regular-season games of 2019, as the Nationals' official Twitter feed highlighted.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 3B, Toronto Blue Jays
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An oblique injury delayed his MLB debut, but Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will be in The Show sooner than later. Bank on it.
The 20-year-old hit .381 with a 1.073 OPS across four minor league levels last season and entered this spring with a real shot to make the rebuilding Toronto Blue Jays' 25-man roster, service-time considerations aside.
Health issues set him back, but probably not for long.
"We've said all along he's on an expedited timeframe," Jays executive Mark Shapiro told Sportsnet TV (via MLB.com). "He's a younger age than every player in all of Triple-A this year—so we are not holding him back. We're speeding him up. We just want to make sure he's got the best foundation possible when he gets here, which will be on an accelerated timeframe."
Translation: Prepare for the son of Vlad to commence his second-generation mashing posthaste.
Fernando Tatis Jr., SS, San Diego Padres
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Speaking of second-generation mashers, one of them is already here.
Fernando Tatis Jr. forced his way onto the San Diego Padres Opening Day roster with six extra-base hits in 21 spring games. He may have also gotten an assist from veteran teammates Manny Machado and Eric Hosmer, who lobbied Padres owner Ron Fowler over dinner on Tatis' behalf, per ESPN.com's Jeff Passan.
However it happened, Tatis looks like he's here to stay. Through his first four games, the 20-year-old has three hits, including a double.
He could join Machado, the Friars' big-ticket offseason acquisition, to form one of the best left-side-of-the-infield tandems for years to come.
All statistics current entering Monday and courtesy of Baseball-Reference and MLB.com.
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