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MLB Rumors: 10 prospects who should start the season in the big leagues

By Joshua Sadlock

TAMPA, FL - MARCH 02: Atlanta Braves center fielder Ronald Acuna (82) at bat during the MLB Spring training game between the Atlanta Braves and New York Yankees on March 02, 2018 at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, FL. (Photo by /Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
TAMPA, FL - MARCH 02: Atlanta Braves center fielder Ronald Acuna (82) at bat during the MLB Spring training game between the Atlanta Braves and New York Yankees on March 02, 2018 at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, FL. (Photo by /Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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SCOTTSDALE, AZ – MARCH 12: Ryan McMahon #24 of the Colorado Rockies follows through on a swing during the second inning of a spring training game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on March 12, 2018 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images)
SCOTTSDALE, AZ – MARCH 12: Ryan McMahon #24 of the Colorado Rockies follows through on a swing during the second inning of a spring training game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on March 12, 2018 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images) /

7. Ryan McMahon

The Colorado Rockies have created a strange roster hell for themselves with too many outfielders and not enough first baseman. For some reason, the front office felt compelled to bring back Carlos Gonzalez despite already having Gerardo Parra, Ian Desmond and a healthy David Dahl on the roster. Desmond was signed for $70 million last winter under the guise that he would learn to play first base, but he flopped in his first season in Denver.

Desmond’s struggles last year seemed to pave the way for top prospect Ryan McMahon to take over at first base this year with the veteran sliding into some sort of platoon role in the outfield. With CarGo back now, it’s anyone’s best guess where Desmond will play. This may force Desmond back to first base.

Ryan McMahon is going to have to seize a job with the Rockies before the end of Spring Training, and he has been raking in the Cactus League so far. The 23-year-old has feasted against the minor-league fodder shuffling across the mound in the early weeks of the preseason slate, and will have to keep it up when the full-timers start really ramping it up in the final two weeks before Opening Day.

McMahon is a polished hitter who batted .374/.411/.612 in 70 games at Triple-A last year. His strikeouts have trended down, while his walks are going up. Unfortunately for this top prospect, the Rockies have sunk a lot of money into Ian Desmond and will continue trying to make it work with him even if it means starting McMahon in the minor leagues this year.

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