Kyle Drabek, Freddie Freeman and 10 Other Prospects on Opening-Day Rosters
The start of spring training is almost here, so lately there has been a lot of buzz about which prospects got invites to attend spring training with the major league club and, of those prospects, who will make the team.
Let's take a look at 12 prospects MLB fans can expect to see make their team's major league squad right out of spring training.
Wilson Ramos
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Wilson Ramos was acquired by the Washington Nationals in a trade with the Minnesota Twins during the 2010 season.
Ramos is universally recognized as one of the best catching prospects in baseball; he is an excellent defender with a strong arm and a lot of natural power at the plate (although he tends to hit line drives into the outfield gaps rather than swing for the fences).
His biggest issue is contact—although he has shown the ability to hit for average, he has also shown issues with consistency.
While there has been no official word that Ramos will make the major league roster (he'll be competing with Jesus Flores and Ivan Rodriguez for the job), his talents, both on the offensive and defensive sides of the game, make him a very appealing option.
Most likely he will make the team out of spring training and split time behind the plate with Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez. It wouldn't surprise me to see Ivan get most of the playing time in the first half of the season while Ramos gets most of the time in the second.
Kyle Drabek
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It seems that one of the last two spots in the Toronto Blue Jays' rotation is Kyle Drabek's to lose. Although he will have to perform in spring training, the Blue Jays seem poised to add Drabek to their starting rotation right from the start.
Drabek features a buckling 12-6 curveball and a low 90s fastball; most scouts believe he will not be overpowering to major league hitters, but his knowledge of how to pitch will make him very effective in "the show." Expect to see him pitching in Toronto come April.
Mike Moustakas
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Mike Moustakas, the highly touted third base prospect for the Kansas City Royals, has been the source of some quarrel this offseason—and no, not for any bad reasons. Among the baseball writing community, columnists cannot agree on whether Moustakas will be on the Royals' Opening Day roster or not.
I am on the side that he will be. With Alex Gordon moving to the outfield, there has become a vacancy for Moustakas to fill, and his numbers from last year (.322/.369/.630 with 36 HRs) would suggest he can definitely contribute at the major league level.
At only 22 years of age, Moustakas seems to have a very bright future ahead of him; if the Royals can find a way to lock him up long-term, they may have a franchise corner infielder. Of course, he should probably start small and make the major league team come this spring.
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Desmond Jennings
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Desmond Jennings is the heir to the Carl Crawford throne in the Tampa Bay organization. Frequently compared to Crawford, he stole 37 bases in 41 attempts last year. Jennings' speed could be a spark plug that any team would be lucky to have.
Although it is not clear if he will make the roster out of spring training, I think the temptation to have his speed will be too great for the Rays to ignore. With that said, he did not produce the best 2010 season he could have (.278/.362/.393 with three HRs); he also missed time with injuries to both his shoulder and wrist.
Nonetheless, we will see Jennings make the Opening Day roster, but it will be up to him if he stays there for the entire season. It wouldn't surprise me to see Jennings sent down midseason if he continues to struggle at the plate.
Mike Minor
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Mike Minor exploded into MLB with a fantastic 2010 season, becoming a solid fixture in the Atlanta Braves bullpen.
An easy call, Minor will make the team. Furthermore, unless he struggles, Minor probably won't be spending much more time in the minors for the rest of his career.
Craig Kimbrel
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Much like Mike Minor, Craig Kimbrel is another Atlanta Brave prospect who burst into MLB in 2010 in dominant fashion. Sporting a upper 90s fastball with a devastating slider, seeing Kimbrel overpowering hitters is not a rarity.
Kimbrel, like Minor, is a lock to make the Braves roster out of spring training and is almost as much of a lock to be the team's closer in 2011.
With the retirement of Billy Wagner, it will be fun to see how this young, extremely talented kid handles the closer role for the Braves. He certainly has the stuff for the role, but does he have the mental capabilities?
Danny Espinosa
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Danny Espinosa seems set to be the Washington Nationals' Opening Day second baseman for the 2011 season. A rare combination of speed and power, Espinosa is a young, bright prospect who could have a big impact on the Nationals' offense this year.
With that said, however, the downsides to Espinosa are threefold: He had hand surgery during the offseason, he is learning how to transition from shortstop to second base at the major league level and, finally, he doesn't hit for average, and most scouts believe he never will.
Even still, 20-plus HRs and SBs are hard to ignore. He'll be in the Opening Day lineup.
Eric Hosmer
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Eric Hosmer is the other corner infield prospect for the Kansas City Royals. With Mike Moustakas seeming to be the future third baseman, Eric Hosmer is set to be the future first baseman for the Royals.
As good as Moustakas is, Hosmer seems to be even better. His 2010 line was .338/.406/.571 with 23 HRs, 59 BBs and only 66 Ks. In addition to being an offensive force, Hosmer also shows signs of speed and defensive stability.
With Zack Greinke gone, the Royals will look to young players like Hosmer and Moustakas to excite the fans of Kansas City; expect to see Hosmer on the Opening Day roster.
Brandon Belt
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Brandon Belt is probably the biggest "stretch" on my list to make his team's Opening Day roster. Belt, a first baseman/corner outfielder, may have a tough time making the San Francisco Giants team out of spring training, but it is not completely unlikely.
Taking the first base job from Aubrey Huff will be a tough task, but winning the starting left field position is certainly possible.
Belt has to be considered the biggest surprise in the minor leagues in 2010, as he posted a statistical line of .352/.455/.620 with 23 HRs and 22 SBs.
The Giants will probably be reluctant to give Belt a spot on the roster unless he is starting. Winning a starting spot may be hard, but in 2010 he certainly showed he has the talent to do it.
Freddie Freeman
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The third Atlanta Brave to grace my list, Freddie Freeman is another Atlanta prospect that will be on the Opening Day roster come April.
Freeman showed off his talents in the second half of 2010 when he hit 18 HRs with a .318 batting average. He also has shown above-average defensive skills at first base with quick bat speed and a solid contact rate.
He will definitely help the Braves in the 2011 season.
Domonic Brown
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Recent news suggests that Ben Francisco will be the starting right fielder for the Phillies and that Domonic Brown will start the 2011 season in AAA. However, with a strong spring training, Brown may force the Phillies to add him to their roster for Opening Day.
Remember, Brown is the reason the Phillies let Jayson Werth sign elsewhere; he's an extremely talented and multidimensional player who, I think, will make the roster out of spring training.
Jeremy Hellickson
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Jeremy Hellickson is one of the main reasons the Tampa Bay Rays traded away Matt Garza. By moving Garza, the Rays now opened up a rotation spot for their stud right-handed starting pitcher.
Hellickson is considered one of the more "polished" pitching prospects in the American League. When given a chance during last season, Hellickson posted very solid numbers: 3.47 ERA, eight BBs, 33 Ks and a .232 OBA.
Personally, I am really excited to see what Hellickson can do given a starting rotation spot and an entire season in the major leagues. We'll find out because in 2011 he will get the chance.
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