The best part of the All-Star festivities every year takes place on Sunday with the Major League Baseball Futures Game.
It gives the world a serious look at all of the best prospects the game has to offer. Some of these players won’t make an impact in the big leagues for a few years, while others are not that far away from making their presence felt very soon.
To prepare you for Sunday’s Futures Game, here is a look at the best prospects who are this close to making an impact at the big league level.
(Note: The list only includes players who will play in the game, not players who were on the roster when they were first released. Arizona’s Trevor Bauer, who was originally on the U.S. roster, is already in the big leagues. Toronto’s Travis d’Arnaud is hurt and will not play.)
Tyler Skaggs, LHP, Arizona Diamondbacks
Taking the spot of his now former teammate Trevor Bauer, Skaggs is not that far behind. He does not have the big velocity of Bauer, but coming from the left side with plus command and one of the best breaking balls in the minors, Skaggs is on the verge of the big leagues right now.
Fortunately for fans, they will get another look at Skaggs in the Futures Game after he started last year’s contest. He has only made one start in Triple-A with 12 hits and five runs in seven innings. The fact that the Pacific Coast League is a hitter’s haven, not to mention the abnormally small sample, give you no reason to worry about his future.
Skaggs does need some time in Triple-A before he makes the jump, but the ability to throw in the low 90s with a plus curveball and feel for all his pitches makes him arguably the most big league ready starter in this game.
ETA: September 2012
Billy Hamilton, SS, Cincinnati Reds
Don’t be completely fooled by Hamilton’s .323/.413/.439 line with high Class A Bakersfield. He is benefiting more from playing in a good hitter’s environment than some big mechanical adjustment that makes him more dangerous with the bat.
Hamilton doesn’t have any power whatsoever, so his value is tied in his ability to turn singles into doubles, doubles into triples, etc.
However, the speed is, as I am sure you are well aware by now, off the charts. He has stolen 104 bases through 82 games this season after swiping 103 last year.
Hamilton is still not a great defender at shortstop. His arm is not strong enough for the position, but he could be moved to center field and be a plus defender by virtue of his speed.
Even if Hamilton isn’t ready to be an everyday big leaguer with the bat right now, his ability to come off the bench and steal bases has to be intriguing to the Reds. I doubt they will give him a call-up this year, though it wouldn’t surprise me if they try in September when the minor league season is over and they can expand their roster.
ETA: 2013
Danny Hultzen, LHP, Seattle Mariners
Entering the 2011 Draft, there was some thought that Hultzen could go straight to the big leagues because he was so polished.
The Mariners opted to start him in Double-A this season and Hultzen rewarded them by posting a 1.19 ERA and 79 strikeouts in 75.1 innings.
He earned a promotion to Triple-A Tacoma at the end of June. Despite flashes of success, Hultzen has struggled to find his stuff and delivery. He has struck out 15 and walked 12 in 12 innings of work.
Still, Hulzen is smart enough and has shown good command of his fastball and plus changeup to overcome his struggles soon enough. The Mariners could be inclined to give him a look this September with designs on making him a member of the rotation starting in 2013.
Wil Myers, OF, Kansas City Royals
As soon as I got to Kansas City, I had a Royals fan tell me that the people are screaming for Myers to be called up.
I tried to tell him that Jeff Francoeur isn’t that bad, but I couldn’t finish the sentence without throwing up in my mouth.
The only explanation, I won’t go so far as to call it logical, is with the Futures Game in Kansas City, the Royals want to build the day around him—and the game’s two starting pitchers, Jake Odorizzi (U.S.) and Yordano Ventura (World)—with the goal of calling him up after the All-Star break. That’s my own personal opinion, anyway.
Myers has proven he is more than ready for Kansas City, hitting .327/.403/.606 with 27 home runs and 52 extra-base hits in 83 games split between Double-A and Triple-A.
Any worries about Myers after an injury-plagued 2011 season are completely gone. He has developed even faster than most people thought, and his approach at the plate is going to allow him to hit for average right away.
Kansas City needs to dump Francoeur—or at least relegate him to backup duty—because Myers is ready right now and would provide a significant upgrade in right field the second he steps in Kaufmann Stadium.
ETA: 2012
Jake Odorizzi, RHP, Kansas City Royals
One of the pieces the Royals got back from Milwaukee in the Zack Greinke trade, Odorizzi does not have the highest ceiling in the world thanks to his tendency to give up a lot of flyballs, but he commands all of his pitches and will throw them in any count.
In nine starts since being moved up to Triple-A Omaha, Odorizzi has punched out 45 hitters in 47.2 innings pitched.
Odorizzi is able to pitch off his low to mid-90s fastball, which will help him succeed at the next level. He may not be more than a No. 3 starter, but right now that would make him the best starting pitcher on the Royals staff.
ETA: 2012
Jurickson Profar, SS, Texas Rangers
There are two big reasons that Profar isn’t going to make it to the big leagues this season, and not one of them has to do with his performance or readiness despite being just 19 years old.
The first is the Rangers have a good shortstop in Elvis Andrus who is arguably the best defensive shortstop in the American League. He is also getting on base at a .372 clip this season.
The other reason is that the Rangers are winning right now. If they were struggling they could try to find a spot to plug Profar in because he is that good.
Despite the hurdle he faces with Andrus, Profar is going to make his impact felt in the big leagues sooner rather than later. I would be shocked to see it happen this year, but a 19-year-old hitting .292/.370/.476 in Double-A is not something you see everyday.
He is a superstar in the making, all he needs is a chance. Given his age and the lack of need for the big league team there is no rush. But when he gets the call he will be there to stay.
ETA: 2013
Dylan Bundy, RHP, Baltimore Orioles
It is very rare when one of the most highly-touted prospects enters his first full season of pro ball with a ridiculous amount of hype and manages to exceed all those expectations, yet somehow Bundy has done just that.
Bundy earned rave reviews prior to the 2011 Draft for having incredible stuff, including a mid-90s fastball, power curveball and outstanding cutter, but he also had the polish of a college player. He could move his pitches in and out, up and down with ease.
Then Bundy took the field this season and everything changed. Bundy was still showing the stuff and command that everyone raved about, and was also dominating the minors in a way that almost seemed unfair.
In eight starts with low Class A Delmarva Bundy allowed five hits, no earned runs, two walks and had 40 strikeouts in 30 innings before getting called up.
To be fair, Bundy was too advanced for the Sally League. His move up to high Class A Frederick hasn’t looked as good, though it is still very impressive given his age and the fact he is one of the youngest players in the Carolina League.
The Orioles aren’t going to be serious contenders in the next two years, so there is no need for them to rush him. His performance might force their hand sooner than expected.
ETA: Late 2013
Zack Wheeler, RHP, New York Mets
The Mets practically stole Wheeler from the Giants, only giving up two months of Carlos Beltran to get him. Something tells me Brian Sabean will regret that deal for a long time as Wheeler looks more and more like the pitcher he was going to be coming out of high school.
Wheeler is showing much better feel for all his pitches. He has said that he made some mechanical adjustments to give his fastball more life and is commanding everything much better now.
One scenario I think would benefit the Mets greatly is trying Wheeler out in the bullpen late this year. If they are able to stay in the race they have to make serious upgrades to the pen.
Rather than go out and pay someone while giving up a prospect or two on the trade market, they should look in-house with Wheeler and Matt Harvey.
ETA: 2013
Next On The List: Gerrit Cole (PIT), Oscar Taveras (STL), Mike Olt (TEX), Kolten Wong (STL)
For a full look at the rosters for the Futures Game, click here.
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