Kris Bryant and Addison Russell aren’t the only big name prospects capable of making a splash in the Major Leagues in 2015. Here are ten players ready to contribute in the big leagues right now.
The 2015 Major League Baseball season has already given us an exciting influx of young talent from the Minor Leagues. We had to wait two weeks for the Kris Bryant era to begin in Chicago, and waited 20 more games for the slugging third baseman to hit his first big league home run, but he and fellow mega prospects Addison Russell and Jorge Soler have played key roles in the strong start for the Cubs.
Through June 1, the Cubs were 27-22, five games behind the St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Central and just a game and a half out of the second Wild Card spot. Their young roster of position players, fueled by the best crop of prospects in baseball today, has been pivotal. And they are not alone.
We’ve also seen Joc Pederson, a pre-season top ten prospect according to Baseball America and MLB.com, emerge as the starting center fielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers. With 15 homers in 51 games, Pederson is Bryant’s biggest competition (and the current leader) in the NL Rookie of the Year race.
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Furthermore, top pitching prospects Noah Syndergaard, Carlos Rodon and Archie Bradley all made their big league debuts in 2015, for the Mets, White Sox and Diamondbacks, respectively. Each has flashed top of the rotation potential that has excited their respective fan bases.
It’s an exciting time to be a baseball fan, but the fun is just getting started. The Minor Leagues are still stocked with future stars, and several Top 50 prospects are knocking on the door of the big leagues as we speak.
Of course, it’s important to note that it’s not always necessary to play at Triple-A to prove you’re ready for The Show. For example, Jose Fernandez hadn’t even pitched in Double-A before he made the All-Star team, won the NL Rookie of the Year Award and finished third in the Cy Young race in 2013.
Fernandez is a rare creature, but he’s an example that proves that just because a few players on our list haven’t yet been promoted to the highest rung of the Minor League ladder, that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be in the Majors tomorrow. A star is a star, and once a top prospect is ready for the bright lights of the big leagues, it’s time to give him that chance.
Here are ten MLB prospects that are ready to make an impact at the big league level today.
Note: Stats referenced are accurate through June 1, 2015
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