One prospect who could make an impact for each MLB team in 2020

The arrival of Carson Kelly a year ago interrupted Varsho’s direct path toward the majors, but it far from derailed his plans in full. Instead, the top 100 prospect pulled a Craig Biggio and headed into center field during the Double-A playoffs, showcasing a level of versatility that could accelerate his path to the big leagues. In 2019, he hit .301 with 18 home runs and 21 stolen bases, the type of showing that if he repeats will force his way onto the D-Back roster by midsummer.

It seems impossible that the Atlanta system is preparing to graduate yet another five-tool everyday talent of this caliber soon after producing Ronald Acuna, but here comes Pache. The 21-year-old has been regarded as the best defensive outfielder in the game since he was 19 and has begun to mature at the plate as well. It is just a matter of months before he takes over between Acuna and Marcell Ozuna.

Considering how bad they have been of late, the O’s have been able to keep the top developing talents in the oven for as long as needed. However, after hitting .312 with 25 home runs and an .871 OPS at Triple-A Norfolk, there’s little left for him to prove away from Baltimore. Despite that the biggest obstacle blocking him is Chris Davis’ salary, Mountcastle’s ability to head to the outfield virtually guarantees he’ll find a way to break through to MLB this year.

With the departures of Rick Porcello and David Price, along with the uncertain availability of Chris Sale, opportunity is wide-open in the Red Sox rotation. With that being the case, Houck certainly could have the type of arm that distinguishes himself this year. The club’s 2017 first-round pick was added to the 40-man roster before the year after averaging a strikeout per inning and an 8-6 showing between the top two levels of the Boston system in 2019.

During a 78 at-bat cup of coffee a year ago, Hoerner showed well, hitting .282 while driving in 17 and scoring 13 runs. While he spent much of his time at shortstop during Javy Baez’ wrist injury, his greater upside in 2020 is as a utility man who can float between the middle infield and center/left field. Add in his power/speed (22 extra base hits, eight stolen bases at Double-A Tennessee) and he has value in a floating role on the North Side.

In an organization full of must-see young stars throughout its major and minor league ranks, Robert is the biggest of them all. With three above-average tools in his power, speed and arm, Robert hit .298 with 32 home runs, 36 stolen bases, 31 doubles and 11 triples and hit .298, while rising through three levels of minor leagues. Between his signing bonus in 2017 and six-year extension over the offseason, Robert is already a $76 million investment for the White Sox, so they will not hesitate to hand the 22-year-old the opening day center field role if he shows well in the spring.

A combination of Tucker Barnhart, Curt Casali and Kyle Farmer will open the year handling catching duties for the Reds, but Stephenson is in a great position to be in the picture as well. The 11 ^th overall pick in 2015, he reached Double-A Chattanooga a year ago, producing a .285/.372/.410 split while throwing out 27 percent of would-be base stealers. He followed this up with a strong showing in the Arizona Fall League (.347 avg with 7 doubles in 13 games), which further put him in shouting range of Cincinnati.

As a 20- and 21-year-old over the past two seasons, Jones has proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that his power stroke is legit. However he faces the substantial issue of franchise cornerstone Jose Ramirez inhabiting his natural position in Cleveland. As an alternative to this, it could be wise to begin to get him reps at a corner outfield position, where his limitations defensively at the hot corner and strong throwing arm could be erased and speed up his road to an Indians outfield that struggled offensively last season.

It feels as if Rodgers has been the "coming soon" attraction for the Rockies for a decade now. He did finally make his debut in 2019, but his rookie season was hampered and ultimately ended early by shoulder issues that led to surgery. He has rehabbed well over the winter and will return to camp but will be in a fight for playing time with Ryan McMahon at second base and All-Star Trevor Story recently reaching an extension to remain at Rodgers’ natural shortstop spot.

The top overall pick in the 2018 draft did not disappoint in his first full season, affixing himself as the top pitching prospect in the game. He has a complete four-pitch arsenal that is ready for major league opponents now, although the organization is being understandably cautious with his workload after a recurrence of an old shoulder injury ended his 2019 early. While he likely will return to the minors for a bit more seasoning (and contract manipulation), there is no question that his arrival is the top date on the calendar for the Tiger faithful this season.

At his best, Whitley has been one of the most electric prospects in the game over the past few seasons. The problem a year ago was that his talent didn’t match his results, as he was hammered to the tone of a 12.21 ERA at Triple-A Round Rock, with opponents hitting .347 against him. With the departures of Gerrit Cole and Wade Miley, along with the uncertainty of the return of Lance McCullers Jr. from Tommy John surgery, the Astros need Whitley to get back to his former self, which struck out 177 over 118.2 innings.

A gift dropped in the Royals lap when Singer, who was in the discussion for top overall pick, fell to 18^th overall due to signability concerns. Over a 26-start season in 2019, the 23-year-old went 12-5 with 138 strikeouts and 1.18 WHIP. The polished college arm is already one of the top three talents in the entire Kansas City organization and is in line to take the express lane along interstate 29 from Triple-A Omaha to Kauffman Stadium by the All-Star break, at the latest.

When Adell joins Mike Trout in the Anaheim outfield, the Angels will instantly possess one of the most skilled, athletic duos in the sport. Adell, with a skill set du jour, is a true five-tool performer who had 215 total bases over 99 games in 2018. While he struggled in his Triple-A debut a year ago — failing to homer in 131 at-bats and hitting .264 — while dealing with nagging injuries, all expectations still point toward him taking over the right field job next to Trout this season.

With a spot in the much-hallowed Dodger starting lineup locked in, Lux is the favorite for NL Rookie of the Year honors headed into the 2020 season. The hype comes for good reason, as the 22-year-old hit .335 between 2018-2019 in the Dodger system, including 41 homers and 23 stolen bases. He made the L.A. postseason roster following his call-up last year and was handed the keys to the starting second base job for the NL favorites headed into this season.

The top return in the J.T. Realmuto trade, Sanchez has the raw stuff to become the ace who leads the way for the Marlins rebuild. He lives in the strike zone and often overpowers opponents with a fastball that lives in the mid-to-upper 90s, holding Double-A opponents to a .225 average against last season. He is still young enough (21) that the Marlins could opt to take their time with him, but if his results carry over to the Triple-A level this year, he’ll force his way into being a contributor at the major league level soon.

Having gone under the knife for Tommy John surgeries twice in his young career, Rasmussen’s ascent through the Milwaukee system has been a delayed one. However, he made the most of his first pro season in 2019, averaging 11.6 strikeouts per nine innings and holding opponents to a .216 average over 76.1 innings. With the Brewers leaning heavily on creative usage of their pitching staff, he could make an impact as either an opener or middle reliever on Craig Counsell’s staff this season.

The top pick in the 2017 draft, Lewis struggled at the plate throughout much of his third pro season, hitting just .236 over 127 games. However, he showed the ability to learn from his mistakes and adjust on the run during the Arizona Fall League, where he produced a .353 average and .975 OPS in route to winning AFL MVP. Lewis spent much of the past year moving around the diamond to increase his versatility. This could play well due to the locked Twins MLB roster, as he could find a way to be a regular contributor in one capacity or another as soon as this year, before ultimately inheriting shortstop full time.

While he produced only a 3-6 record with a 4.19 ERA, Peterson took a leap ahead in 2019, as he increased his strikeout-per-nine rate by nearly a full K (8.4 in 2018 to 9.4). Although the Mets have plenty of pitchers with starting experience in camp, several (such as Steven Matz and Michael Wacha) have considerable injury histories. Peterson looks the part of a hurler who is coming into his own as a 24-year-old and could be the first man up in the Mets system, especially if he thrives in camp and early on at Triple-A.

In the same way that injuries held Schmidt back early in his career, they could be preparing to create opportunity for him. Tommy John surgery and an oblique injury have limited Schmidt to 25 starts over the past two years, but he showed well when he made it to the mound, striking out 102 in 90.2 innings across three levels last season. Now with James Paxton in line to miss up to two months following back surgery and Domingo German suspended for 81 games, Schmidt could be in line to pitch his way into a trip to the Bronx.

Luzardo has potentially elite level stuff, possessing the ability to live in the upper-90s and a potentially elite change up. He is already missing MLB bats as well, holding opponents to a .119 average against while striking out 16 against three walks over 12 outings following a September call-up. The sky is the limit for Luzardo, who will almost certainly be a part of the A’s rotation from Day 1 this year.

As a 22-year-old, Howard appeared for four different teams in the Phillies system and affirmed himself as an important part of the club’s future plans. The future could be now, or at least near, for him in 2020, after producing a 0.95 WHIP and holding opponents to a .180 average against at Double-A Reading. Howard possess a ton of upside and is the type that could make the leap from Double-A immediately to the Phillies rotation to add to a competitive pennant push in the NL East.

Keller entered 2019 regarded as a top 25 prospect in the game due to his complete arsenal and a fastball that can touch the upper 90s. However, it did not carry over well during his MLB debut, as he worked to a cringe-worthy 7.13 ERA and .348 average-against over 11 starts for the Pirates on the year. But early returns aside, Keller remains one of the most talented first-year hurlers in the game and will likely get plenty of chances to prove himself for the rebuilding Pirates in 2020.

After utterly dominating Single-A opponents (7-1, 1.02 ERA over 15 starts) last season, Gore reached Double-A as a 19-year-old. While he is still developing the ability to use his full arsenal, he already possesses three-plus pitches and potentially a fourth as his change-up matures. If Gore’s promise manifests itself in the spring, the temptation for San Diego to unleash its potentially generationally significant lefty in the same fashion Chris Paddock broke through in a year ago could be too great to pass on.

After being acquired from the Brewers at the trade deadline last summer, Dubon quickly became a regular for the Giants. Over 109 at-bats, he produced a solid .754 OPS, with four home runs and three stolen bases mixed in. While he will need to improve on his free-swinging nature ( .319 OBP), Dubon will likely get a chance to see a fair share of starts at second base, along with veteran addition Wilbur Flores.

While the Cardinals have done everything they can to temper expectations for their top prospect, Carlson has a chance to be a difference-maker immediately for the NL Central champs. The departure of Marcell Ozuna has opened up a big hole in the St. Louis lineup, one that Carlson is in position to capitalize on. As a 20-year-old, the switch-hitter finished the season hitting .361 at Triple-A Memphis over 72 at-bats while producing an overall season of 26 home runs, 20 stolen bases, 95 runs scored and a .914 OPS.

With the Mariners in a full-blown youth movement, the opportunities will be plentiful for their growing stash of young talents. Following a strong finish to 2019 (six home runs, .885 OPS over 18 games), Lewis, the club’s longtime top prospect, has a chance to be the main producer at the heart of the team’s lineup in first full season. Although he will need to greatly improve his 3/29 walk-to-strikeout ratio to reach his peak, if he can be consistent, Lewis can be the type of player who eases Seattle’s growing pains.

McKay will without a doubt have the opportunity to make an impact this year, but the biggest question is where? It is a unique situation for the two-way talent, who appeared in 13 games on the mound, working to a 5.14 ERA with 56 strikeouts over 49 MLB innings and also hitting .200 over 10 at-bats —  including a home run. While he has begun his career both on the mound and with the bat, it appears the organization is leaning further into him as a pitcher, where he has the upside to be a No. 2 or No. 3 starter soon.

Solak was acquired from the Rays midway through last season and immediately became one of Texas’ most promising offensive weapons. He hit for a .293/.393/.491 slash during a late season call-up, solidifying that potential. The biggest challenge for him currently is where he will fit in the lineup. His defensive limitations at second base, in addition to the presence of Rougned Odor — has the club trying him in centerfield this spring. However, third base could remain an occasional option as well.

Once upon a time, the Jays had a hard-throwing prospect by the name of Noah Syndergaard whom they dealt away in exchange for then-defending Cy Young Award winner, R.A. Dickey. Fast forward eight years, and the club potentially has the second coming of Thor in Pearson, a 6-foot-6, 250 pounder who hit 103 mph on the gun last fall. Durability has been an issue throughout his career, but he has dazzling strikeout potential that will benefit the retooling Jays in short order.

Kieboom's first trip to the Show last year didn’t go off well, as he hit just .128 (5-for-39), although two of those hits were solo homers. However, he turned in a strong all-around year at Triple-A (.316/.409/.493 with 16 homers) and proved he is ready for a longer shot to contribute for the World Series champs. With the departure of Anthony Rendon, a spot opened up for him to do just that, as the natural shortstop will get every chance to inherit the third base job.