Who’s next? It is a question that perpetuates throughout every sport, profession, and walk of life. We are never satisfied with what we currently have at our disposal. We need the next great player, invention, or idea. The Major Leagues are no different.
Through a month and change in the 2015 season, we’ve seen some debuts in the Bigs that will alter the game’s landscape for the foreseeable future. Kris Bryant and Addison Russell have become staples in the lineup for the Cubs. Joc Pederson is showing that he is worthy of both the hype surrounding him and potentially the center field spot for the NL in the All-Star Game. Young arms Noah Syndergaard, Carlos Rodon, and Archie Bradley have all graced the Majors with varying brands of nastiness on the mound.
Nevertheless, all this talent coming from the farm isn’t enough for the baseball fan. We always crave more. Well, look no further for the next crop of spike clad saviors to make an impact for your favorite team.
Carlos Correa, SS (Houston Astros)
The number one overall pick in the 2012 First Year Player Draft should be the first player you familiarize yourself with. The Astros’ surprise early run to the summit of the AL West is probably the only reason the 20 year old phenom isn’t in the Majors already. Correa has dominated every level of the Minors in his short professional career and was slashing a ridiculous .385/.459/.726 at Double-A before his recent call-up to Triple-A. He has shown remarkable maturity for a player fresh out of high school. He is an above average glove, and is both patient and potent with the bat. He also stole 15 bases at Double-A without being caught. If Jed Lowrie proves to be as fragile as he’s been through the first month, expect to see Correa picking it at short by summer time. He’ll be worth the wait in the mean time.
Corey Seager, SS (Los Angeles Dodgers)
Another shortstop may be the next man to make it to The Show. Jimmy Rollins is struggling for consistency at shortstop for the first place Dodgers. The Dodgers lineup has just one hole in it currently, and that is the former NL MVP. Like Houston, the Dodgers are in a good enough position right now that they can be patient with their prospects. It may just be a matter of time before Rollins’ sagging performance forces their hand. Corey Seager was the 18th pick in the 2012 draft and was handed a hefty $2.35 million signing bonus. It isn’t quite the chunk of change that his brother Kyle got from Seattle recently but that type of investment in a mid-first round pick showed what value Los Angeles put in the younger Corey. He’s had his struggles in the Minors. But when he is on, he is an extra base machine. Similarly to Correa, Seager was torching Double-A to the tune of .375/.407/.675 before being promoted to Triple-A. He is on a similar wait and see time table, but may press the issue if he heats up and Rollins continues to struggle.
Joey Gallo, 3B (Texas Rangers)
There are very few players, never mind prospects, with the raw power that Joey Gallo possesses. From high school to every single level in the Minor Leagues, Gallo has laid the lumber. He hit a Arizona League record 18 home runs in just 43 games in his debut in 2012. He followed that up with a Minor League leading 40 across two levels in 2013. He upped that to 42 combined dingers to finish second overall in 2014. With Adrian Beltre showing signs of being human while getting longer in the tooth, the Rangers may need to see what the 21 year old Gallo can do sooner rather than later. He’s currently in Double-A right now, but that doesn’t mean he is not a phone call away from Arlington. The Rangers are just starting to slip into the “bad team zone” so their farm system is still very thin. If Beltre slumps further or is dealt to a contender, it should easily be Gallo’s job to lose at third base.
Francisco Lindor, SS (Cleveland Indians)
As you can see, shortstop is a pretty stacked position in the Minor Leagues. Lindor is the crown jewel of Cleveland’s Minor League system and of the players listed thus far he’s probably the closest to a call-up. The Indians are bad right now, but they have the talent available and the knack for making big second half runs. However, the one place that they have a severe deficiency at is where Lindor would fit in perfectly. Jose Ramirez and a banged up Mike Aviles will just not cut it at shortstop. Lindor could provide a Kris Bryant-esque spark to a sputtering Tribe lineup. He would at the least improve one of the American League’s worst defenses almost immediately. He’s never shown to be a huge average hitter in the Minors but exudes patience (17/22 K/BB ratio). Detroit’s Jose Iglesias had the same scouting report on him coming up and he’s hit .300 so far with sparkling defense. Francisco Lindor is twice the player that Jose Iglesias is. Cleveland may belong to LeBron James and the Cavs right now, but this summer should be the property of Francisco Lindor.
Steven Matz, LHP (New York MetsThes)
I’d be remiss if I went this entire article without mentioning one pitcher. The thing is, most of the top pitching prospects are already up in the Majors or are enduring quite the battering in 2015. The one exception I could readily find was the Mets’ Steven Matz. The Mets already have the Dark Knight in Matt Harvey which by Batman standards makes the recently called up Noah Sydergaard quite the overqualified Robin. I’d love to continue the Batman allegory here by calling Matz the Mets’ Nightwing, but instead I’ll just give you some statistics. Matz is 4-1 with a 1.70 ERA in the hitter friendly Triple-A Pacific Coast League. In fact, over the course of his three and a half year Minor League career, his worst ERA was 2.62. He has a low 90’s sinking fastball with the added premium of it coming from the left side. With the Mets offense beginning to sputter, the boys at Citi Field need all the run prevention they can get. Matz to the Mets makes it happen.