Prospect spotlight: Who’s on the radar to move up quickly
Man on Second Baseball is shining the spotlight on a group of prospects who have a chance to move up quickly. Check out the MO2 list.
By Joe Frisaro @ManOn2nd
Scan the landscape of Spring Training in Florida and Arizona, and there is no shortage of highly-rated prospects who have a chance to make an impact in the Major Leagues in the near future.
Fans who have been able to attend Grapefruit and Cactus League games have a chance to see some of the stars of tomorrow playing on main fields today.
Man On Second Baseball (MO2) is expanding its net to cover as many of these prospects as possible.
Here’s our Man On Second Baseball “Spotlight Prospect” List.
(FYI, all rankings are from MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 list. MO2 is not ranking this list by order, just spotlighting prospects MO2 is closely tracking.)
Bobby Witt Jr., SS, Kansas City Royals: Arguably the talk of all prospects in Spring Training. Now, there is talk that Witt Jr. could make the Opening Day roster! The son of former MLB pitcher, Bobby Witt Sr., Witt Jr. is a natural shortstop who may break in this year at second base. He has the makings to be a superstar and one of MLB’s best overall players.
The 20-year-old was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2019 Draft, and now is gaining plenty of national attention. He had a 12-pitch plate appearance the other day against the Dodgers that ended up in a walk. He flashed his blazing speed by scoring from second on a ball that was deflected in the infield. Witt blasted a 484-foot home run earlier in a Spring Training game. When he arrives, watch out!
CJ Abrams, SS, San Diego Padres: As if the Padres don’t have enough high-end talent. Abrams may be next in line. The No. 8 overall prospect, he’s a left-handed hitter with an advanced hitting approach. Super fast, Abrams projects as a pure hitter with some power. He doesn’t project to be a perennial 20-homer player, but he should be double-digits, and be a table setter. A shortstop right now, the 20-year-old Abrams obviously is blocked by Fernando Tatis Jr., which makes a shift to second base entirely possible.
Dylan Carlson, OF, St. Louis Cardinals: Carlson has a chance to make the Cardinals as a starting outfielder. A switch-hitter, he’s the No. 13 overall prospect. A first-rounder in 2016, Carlson is a switch-hitter who has the ability to hit for average and power. He’s receiving plenty of playing time in Spring Training and is fun to watch.
Alex Kirilloff, OF, Minnesota Twins: The 23-year-old left-handed hitter, plays outfield and first base. He’s a potential All-Star who can flat out hit, and has the skillset to hit for power. Kirilloff has a chance to be a legitimate impact player. He’s ranked 26th overall.
Daniel Lynch, LHP, Kansas City Royals: A 6-foot-6 left-hander, Lynch has three plus pitches, as well as command. His fastball has touched 97 mph already in Spring Training, and sits about 94-95 mph. The No. 29 prospect, Lynch is a potential middle to top of the rotation-caliber starter.
Grayson Rodriguez, RHP, Baltimore Orioles: Selected in the first round in 2018, Rodriguez has the makings of a future ace. The 21-year-old right-hander offers plenty of promise with his four-pitch mix, and elite fastball and slider. Rodriguez is the No. 27 prospect on the Top 100 list.
DL Hall, LHP, Baltimore Orioles: The Orioles selected Hall in the first round in 2017, and the lefty projects to pair up with Rodriguez at the top of Baltimore’s rotation in the not too distant future. The question with him is whether he can harness his stuff to become an elite rotation piece. Hall is the No. 70 overall prospect.