We are just a month away from meaningful baseball and I don’t know about you but I am ecstatic. Spring Training always ushers in an air of renewed expectations, whether those be good or bad. One begins to comb their team’s 40 man roster looking for that next contributor from the farm system. They do the same to their transactions list to see what holes the front office filled in the winter. Last but certainly not least, fans will try to identify a “breakout” star for their club, the one guy who will finally live up to expectations or take that leap to become the player he was projected to be. Here are candidates for every team to be that man in 2016. First up, the American League.
BALTIMORE ORIOLES- Jonathan Schoop, 2B
Jonathan Schoop (pronounced scope not shoop) was a top prospect coming up through the Baltimore farm system as a double play combo with Manny Machado. While Machado has shifted to third and become an All-Star, the O’s are still waiting for Schoop to completely fulfill his potential. During his first full season in 2014, he displayed some impressive pop for a second sacker (16 homers). However, the rest of his game was underwhelming as he hit just .209, slugged .354, and struck out 122 times. His 2015 was a better indicator of his capabilities (.279 BA, 15 HR, .482 SLG) but he was limited to just half a season due to a knee injury. He showed resiliency in coming back during the year, but his defense wasn’t as crisp as it was pre-injury. If completely healthy, Schoop could sneakily add 25-30 home runs to an already potent Orioles offense in 2016. That clean bill of health will surely improve his glovework at second as well.
BOSTON RED SOX- Eduardo Rodriguez, SP
The Red Sox have spent big on their pitching this offseason with the signing of David Price and the trade for Craig Kimbrel. Those two acquisitions makes the statement that winning now is the objective at Fenway Park. But just like a huge financial overlay to the hitting didn’t stop John Farrell from utilizing his youth last season, the same will hold true with the pitching this year. Eduardo Rodriguez was the prized prospect that was swapped straight up for reliever Andrew Miller at the 2014 trade deadline. He impressed in his first Major League action last year, posting a 10-6 record with a 3.85 ERA and 1.29 WHIP in 121.2 innings. He possesses a lethal fastball/changeup combination that he can throw to both lefties and righties. What Rodriguez struggled with was consistency. When he was on, he was untouchable. In his ten wins his ERA was 1.36 with a 0.98 WHIP. When he was off, he was glorified batting practice. In his six losses his ERA skyrocketed to 10.87 and his WHIP ballooned to 1.94. If Rodriguez can find that middle ground, he has the potential to be Boston’s #2 starter by 2016’s end.
CHICAGO WHITE SOX- Avisail Garcia, RF
During the earliest parts of his MLB career, the knock on Avisail Garcia was his medical record. He missed over 200 games between 2013 and 2014 with serious heel and shoulder injuries. While missing that much time can be detrimental to one’s development, Garcia’s ailments came from freak scenarios and not general fragility. So when he played 148 games for the White Sox last year, he gave South Side fans a taste of what they could expect from the youngster. Garcia was an exceptional right fielder, especially at home, and showed late in the year that he could hit a bit as well. That didn’t stop the organization from trying to find a replacement for him this offseason from Justin Upton to Alex Gordon. Those men play for Garcia’s division rivals now, and will be the measuring stick for him entering his early prime years. He’ll have a chip on his shoulder knowing GM Rick Hahn diligently searched for his successor, but that chip may just be what pushes him into the All-Star picture in the American League in 2016.
CLEVELAND INDIANS- Trevor Bauer, SP
Last year was supposed to be the year that Trevor Bauer took the next step as a top flight pitcher. He started off tremendously but was ultimately doomed by his league leading 79 walks. Bauer’s inconsistency in the strike zone has been a reoccurring saga in his professional career, but it is still a career of a pitcher who just turned 25. All the other parts of his pitching repertoire are there. Bauer, like the rest of his Indians staff brethren, strikes out batters in bulk. Bauer’s 8.7 K/9 last year was seventh in the American League, fourth on his own team. He throws a sextet of pitches and throws them in all counts. His confidence is both his biggest strength and his greatest weakness. If 2016 is to finally be the year that Bauer reverts back to his dominant self that made him the #3 overall pick in 2011, he’ll need to finally accept some tweaking of his style. Pitching coach Mickey Callaway has made a Cy Young winner out of Corey Kluber and efficiency machines out of Danny Salazar and Carlos Carrasco. I’d like to think he adds Bauer to that list this year.
DETROIT TIGERS- Nick Castellanos, 3B
The Tigers splurged on Justin Upton this offseason, but Detroit has done well in integrating their youth into their lineups over the past few years. Jose Iglesias and J.D. Martinez have been tremendous for Detroit during that time, and the man who was pegged to be next in that series was third baseman Nick Castellanos. After Miguel Cabrera made the permanent move from third to first, the Tigers saw their 2010 supplemental first round pick as the future at the position. Castellanos was in the Majors by 2013, but wasn’t given the everyday first baseman’s gig until the following year. The 24 year old has been fairly good in his two years at third (averages of 151 GP, 13 HR, 69 RBI), but there is still many that believe the best is yet to come from him. With even more stress taken off him with Upton’s addition, a 25 home run, 100 RBI season isn’t out of the realm of possibility for Castellanos in 2016.
HOUSTON ASTROS- Marwin Gonzalez, 1B
The Astros were one of the stories of 2015. Their rise from the cellar of the American League to the playoffs was done on the backs of many a solid draft and shrewd trades. One of those trades was an under the radar deal in 2011 for then 21 year old Marwin Gonzalez. The utility man was on the big club a year later, and has been a staple of the Astros bench ever since. This year though Gonzalez will be presented with the opportunity to compete for a starting job with the ‘Stros. Chris Carter is in Milwaukee, Jon Singleton hasn’t passed the Mendoza Line yet, and Luis Valbuena is home run or bust. First base is primed for the taking for the switch hitting Gonzalez, whose splits were nearly identical from either side of the plate and home and away. Guaranteed every day at-bats could lead to 2016 being the second consecutive year of the Venezuelan doubling his home run output.
KANSAS CITY ROYALS- Christian Colon, 2B
Lofty expectations were placed upon Christian Colon when the Royals passed up multiple starting pitching prospects, including Matt Harvey and Chris Sale, to take the Cal-State Fullerton product 4th overall in 2010. It hasn’t been a bed of roses for the shortstop since, with injuries curtailing several call-ups, but when called upon last postseason in two big pinch hit spots, Colon showed his true mettle to the fans of the eventual World Series champions. Now Colon is a shortstop by trade, but has dabbled at third as well. With Alcides Escobar and Mike Moustakas entrenched at those positions though, Colon has had to find another way to nose into the Royals’ plans. Second base is the lone weak link in the Royals infield. Replacing the aging Omar Infante with Colon in 2016 could provide a boost towards their repeat hopes.
LOS ANGELES ANGELS- Andrew Heaney, SP
The Angels delivered below what both fans and the organization hoped for in 2015. They were woefully erratic in both the defense and pitching departments. They traded for Andrelton Simmons to sure up the defense. New GM Billy Eppler didn’t delve into the free agent pitching market though as the hope is that one of the team’s young arms can become a bonafide MLB starter in 2016. The man at the top of that list is Andrew Heaney. Heaney was dealt twice on the same day in 2014, going from the Marlins to the Dodgers only to head across the freeway to the Angels later. Along with Tyler Skaggs, who missed all of last year following Tommy John surgery, the Angels are hoping they traded for the future of their rotation as their current front end ages rapidly. Now Heaney doesn’t blow you away with his stuff, but he’s a fairly polished pitcher at 24 who throws four pitches for strikes. He isn’t a big strikeout guy (78 in 105.2 innings) but he developed a punishing sinker last season that makes him a rare commodity as a southpaw. If he can further fine tune his arsenal, and possibly up his velocity for a third straight year, the Angels won’t rue missing out on this winter’s FA’s at all.
MINNESOTA TWINS- Byron Buxton, CF
Minnesota was projected by most, including yours truly, to be on the lower end of the standings in the American League last season. Instead, the Twinkies used their home field advantage at Target Field (46-35 at home, 6th best in AL) to sneak into the Wild Card race before losing out to the equally as surprising Astros. The Twins did this despite not getting significant contributions from their top two prospects, two of the best in the sport as well, in Miguel Sano and Byron Buxton. Buxton has been the nearly consensus #1 prospect in baseball entering the last two seasons. While his cameo last year was quite disenchanting given his tremendous hype, injuries were very much to blame for that. Buxton’s minor league resume speaks for itself as the former #2 overall pick has progressed with each promotion. Now with Aaron Hicks in New York and Danny Santana trying to make the tough transition to outfield, Buxton is being given the golden opportunity to seize center field in Minnesota. He’s just too talented of a player to squander such a chance, barring injuries. If the Twins are going to repeat 2015’s success in 2016, it’ll be in part due to Byron Buxton breaking out.
NEW YORK YANKEES- Robert Refsnyder, 2B
The Derek Jeter era is over in New York. On a much lesser, and happier, note, so is the Stephen Drew one. But there still isn’t a clear path for Rob Refsnyder to get everyday playing time at the Major League level. The trade for Starlin Castro and the presence of Didi Gregorius still provides a distinct roadblock between one of the Yankees’ top prospects and the lineup. But, with Castro more comfortable at short and Gregorius unable to hit himself out of the proverbial paper bag, the Yankees may not wait long to make a switch to the dynamic South Korean. The Yankees saw enough from Refsnyder’s September call-up last year (16 GP, .302 BA, 2 HR, 3 2B0 to put him on their postseason roster. They even started him at second base in their Wild Card game loss to the Astros. With Greg Bird out for the year and Aaron Judge the odd man out thus far in a crowded Yankees outfield, the Bronx Bombers need a new young face for their fans to latch on to. Why can’t that be Robert Refsnyder in 2016?
OAKLAND ATHLETICS- Kendall Graveman, SP
Kendall Graveman was tipped for big things last spring after he dominated the Cactus League. He went 3-1 with a 0.36 ERA and a .141 BAA in 25.1 spring innings. That performance propelled the former Blue Jay prospect all the way into the rotation come Opening Day. That is where the fun stopped unfortunately for the right hander. He was routinely roughed up in the early part of the season and went over a month between his first and second wins of the season with an ERA approaching 10.00. Graveman was humbled by his midseason demotion to Triple-A, and came back from a four game stint in Nashville with a renewed confidence and a better grip on his secondary pitches. The pressure won’t be heaped on Graveman’s shoulders again in 2016, even if he once again sparkles in Spring Training. But with Oakland’s lack of depth he will be called upon to be at least their third starter. If he throws more like he did in the second half than he did in the first half of 2015, Oakland could be well on their way to go from worst to first in the AL West.
SEATTLE MARINERS- Taijuan Walker, SP
Similarly to his AL West foe Graveman, the Mariners had grand plans for Taijuan Walker in 2015. Paired with James Paxton, Seattle was supposed to have an up and coming pitching duo behind the more established pair of Felix Hernandez and Hisashi Iwakuma. Injuries did in Paxton once again, while the long ball was Walker’s Achilles heel. His 25 home runs allowed were tied for 4th worst in the American League, made that much worse by the fact that 14 of those came at the home run black hole known as Safeco Field. Despite watching plenty of balls leave the yard, Walker still displayed tremendous stuff at just 22 years of age. Unless Mariners’ fans have short memories, they’ll remember that even King Felix had trouble with the long ball early in his career as well. Hell, even he gave up 23 last season. This isn’t to say that Walker could be on the King’s level, but if he gets his fastball under control and some of those fly balls stay in the yard, he will slot right behind Hernandez in the rotation by the conclusion of 2016.
TAMPA BAY RAYS- Blake Snell, SP
Tampa found themselves in baseball limbo last year. They were too good of a team to tank for a high draft pick, yet didn’t have that extra edge to propel themselves into the Wild Card picture. Coming into 2016, they seem to be facing a similar issue. They signed Steven Pearce and traded for Corey Dickerson, but still don’t have a lineup constructed to score lots of runs. Their starting pitching more than makes up for that insufficiency on offense, but the rotation is starting to get rather crowded with a bevy of arms returning from a variety of injury woes. One man that may be on the outside looking in come Opening Day, but shouldn’t be for much longer than that, is left hander Blake Snell. The southpaw laid waste to every level that he pitched at in 2015. Across Single-A Advanced, Double-A, and Triple-A, Blake sported a 1.41 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, and had a K/BB ratio of 163/53 over 134 innings. He was kept in the minors last year as Tampa faded, but he should not start there in 2016. Even if it is out of the pen to start, something he did in the Futures Game, Snell must be a part of the Rays’ plans. If given the chance, he will shine.
TEXAS RANGERS- Joey Gallo, LF
Will 2016 finally be the year that Joey Gallo can stop striking out? Probably not, but Gallo is still the most intriguing player coming up for the Rangers. He has legitimate 40-50 home run power in his bat and can hit the ball a country mile to all fields. After being recalled last year, he didn’t embarrass himself as an outfielder either after showing very little leather at third base. In an age where the strikeout isn’t nearly as maligned as it used to be, Gallo still is finding it difficult to find everyday at-bats because he K’s so damn much. An early season ankle injury didn’t help matters, as it made him compensate for it in his stance. After an offseason of intense conditioning, Gallo is looking to put his disastrous 2015 behind him and become a Rangers regular. Texas’ outfield is fairly set at the moment, but Josh Hamilton and Shin Soo-Choo are no guarantees to stay healthy for a full season and newly signed Ian Desmond is unproven in the outfield. Gallo may start the year in Triple-A, but he will end it with at least 20 home runs for the reigning AL West champions.
TORONTO BLUE JAYS- Junior Lake, LF
Remember a time not so long ago when Junior Lake was the next big thing in Chicago? The Dominican started of his Cubs career by hitting in the mid-.300’s for the majority of his first season at Wrigley before tapering off in the final weeks. He was the living embodiment of the phrase “sophomore slump” in his second season as nothing he did at the plate or in the field worked. Fast forward to 2015 and the introductions of Kris Bryant, Kyle Schwarber, Addison Russell, Javier Baez, and Jorge Soler made Lake surplus to requirements. He was traded to Baltimore at the deadline last year and played in just eight games for the O’s. But this winter he was claimed off waivers by the Blue Jays and looks to get a fresh start. Toronto is hoping they have another Jose Bautista on their hands, as Joey Bats was too an afterthought in Pittsburgh before becoming a perennial All-Star with the Jays. Lake is coming to the organization at just 25 years old (he’ll turn 26 before Opening Day) which gives him even more time to blossom than Bautista had. His bat should vastly improve in Toronto’s Rogers Centre and he’ll have little pressure placed on him in the league’s most potent lineup. If given the at-bats, Lake will prove to be just as worthwhile an investment to Toronto as Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion were when they left the NL Central.