MINOR LEAGUE/PROSPECTS Thread

nz, as always, in midseason form

 

Five prospects who could get the call to the majors next
by Chris Cwik | Big League Stew — June 8, 2015

The Houston Astros made the move everyone was waiting for Sunday, promoting 20-year-old shortstop Carlos Correa to the majors. With the promotion, Correa becomes the latest ultra-hyped prospect to make his debut this season.

Before Correa, fans waited for Kris Bryant and Carlos Rodon to get the call. This season, we've also seen the ascension of Joey Gallo and Noah Syndergaard.

Coming into the season, all five players seemed like strong bets to receive a promotion if they continued to produce. With all of them now in the majors, let's take a look at the next batch of prospects who could get the call.

COREY SEAGER, SS, LOS ANGELES DODGERS



There are already plenty of fans clamoring for Seager to make his major-league debut. The 21-year-old is hitting a strong .297/.353/.457 over 150 plate appearances in Triple-A, and doesn't have much more to prove at the plate. Given how poorly Jimmy Rollins has played, there are some who believe Seager could be an upgrade at short right now.

That doesn't seem likely considering Rollins is a big name. At six-foot-four, Seager is big for a shortstop, and some scouts believe he could wind up at third. If the Dodgers didn't already have roughly 7,000 candidates at the position (this is possibly an exaggeration), Seager might already be in the majors.

While the Dodgers will need to make some difficult decisions in order to make the move, it seems all but inevitable that Seager will make his major-league debut this year. He's already one of the top prospects in the game, and he's got little to prove in the minors. That's the perfect recipe for a call-up.

STEVEN MATZ, SP, NEW YORK METS

There's a case to be made that Matz belongs in the majors right now. He might not be an immediate upgrade over Jon Niese or Dillon Gee, but he has way more upside than either player. The Mets seem to realize this, but don't want to give up on their veterans just yet. Until that happens, or a trade forces their hand, Matz could be stuck in the minors for the time being.

That probably won't last long, though. There have already been reports about the team wanting to bring Matz up prior to the All-Star break. It's hard to argue with that decision when you look at his numbers. Through 11 starts at Triple-A, Matz owns a 1.94 ERA. He's struck out 75 batters in 74 1/3 innings.

At 31-27, the Mets currently lead the National League East. If the club wants to remain in contention, promoting Matz is the right move. He might be one of the five best starters in the entire organization right now.

FRANCISCO LINDOR, SS, CLEVELAND INDIANS

For second there, it looked like this was about to happen. Instead, the Indians called up Zach Walters to replace Jose Ramirez on the active roster. Though we'll have to wait on Lindor's promotion a bit longer, it seems like he'll get the call soon.

The 21-year-old has ranked as one of the best prospects in the game for quite some time now. Baseball Prospectus has put him in their top-10 since 2013. He ranked fourth of their list coming into this season. Lindor is hitting just .271/.342/.396 over 237 plate appearances in Triple-A, but it's believed eventually develop into a strong hitter.

For now, the move would be about defense. Cleveland rates as one of the worst defensive clubs in the majors, and Lindor is highly regarded for his ability at short. He probably won't be expected to hit right away, and that's probably for the best.

KYLE SCHWARBER, C, CHICAGO CUBS

As the Cubs have shown this season, they are willing to promote players who perform well in the minors. Bryant's promotion may have taken longer than it should have, but few expected Addison Russell to get the call just a few weeks later.

Both of those promotions were based on those players completely dominating the minors. When viewed in that light, it's almost a shock the club hasn't promoted Schwarber already. In two seasons in the minors, the 22-year-old has hit .336/.435/.612, with 30 home runs. He doesn't have experience above Double-A, but his bat has always been a huge weapon.

His position, however, remains a question. Schwarber is currently listed as a catcher, but few believe he'll stick at the position. His bat would profile in the outfield, and that seems like the most likely landing spot for the lefty. If the Cubs are comfortable giving up on the catching experiment, Schwarber could be up this summer. If not, one of their better bats might remain in the minors for most of the season.

BYRON BUXTON, OF, MINNESOTA TWINS/MIGUEL SANO, 3B, MINNESOTA TWINS

This is where it gets tough. Both Buxton and Sano are regarded as elite prospects, but neither has experience above Double-A. While both have been excellent, they haven't put up ridiculous numbers at the plate like Schwarber. Neither player is going to force the Twins' hand, basically.

There's also the issue of injuries. Both Sano and Buxton missed significant time last year due to health issues. Both look to be back on track early, but that lost development is significant.

At the same time, it's tough to pass up their upside. Despite the injuries, Buxton came into the year still ranked as the consensus No. 1 prospect by MLB.com and Baseball Prospectus. He ranked second on Baseball America's list. Sano missed all of 2014 after undergoing Tommy John surgery, but still ranked in the top-15 according to BA and BP.

Promoting either player this season would probably be viewed as premature, but franchises do crazy things when they are in contention. The Twins are currently 10 games above .500, and could make a bold move if they are in a similar position in a month or so. Is it unlikely? Yes. Have surprise contenders turned to crazier alternatives in the past? Also, yes!