MLB Pipeline: One prospect each MLB team should call up

DUNEDIN, FLORIDA - MARCH 06: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. #27 of the Toronto Blue Jays in action against the Philadelphia Phillies during the Grapefruit League spring training game at Dunedin Stadium on March 06, 2019 in Dunedin, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /

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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – APRIL 14: Tim Anderson #7 of the Chicago White Sox in action against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on April 14, 2019 in the Bronx borough of New York City. The White Sox defeated the Yankees 5-2. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /

This is one of the few calls on this list that was relatively easy to make. The White Sox have a 4.92 team ERA for their bullpen. They also have a slew of underperforming relief pitchers, and multiple starting pitchers with an ERA north of 6.00. Those numbers are not good.

But, they also have MLB’s 20th-ranked prospect, who is also No. 3 in their system and No. 5 amongst all right-handed pitching prospects in baseball. His name is Dylan Cease, a 23-year-old who was originally drafted in the sixth round of the 2014 draft by the Cubs. This season, for the AAA Charlotte Knights, Cease has posted 1.84 ERA in 14.2 IP and a .82 WHIP.

The Georgia native has incredible command overall, highly effective fastballs that top out in the high 90s, and a curveball that batters struggle to catch up to. Sprinkle in an effective slider and changeup, and Cease has all the makings of a future front-of-the-rotation pitcher. For now, his effectiveness with his fastball and curveball make him an ideal bullpen arm.

There are several candidates in the pitching staff that he could replace, but the most likely candidates are probably relief pitcher Jace Fry and his 9.45 ERA in 5.2 innings (though at only 25, he’s pretty young to give up on), relief pitcher Jose Ruiz, another youngster at 24 who has posted an 11.57 ERA so far this year, and could use some more development time in the minors, or starting pitcher Reynaldo Lopez, who has posted a dismal 7.46 ERA in five starts this season.

The team could also decide to keep getting younger and move on from veterans 36-year-old Ervin Santana, or 33-year-old Nate Jones.

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