Jordan Walker, Gunnar Henderson, Corbin Carroll, and more top prospects who could make Opening Day rosters

Spring coaching is just right for more than suntans and unchecked optimism. It’s the time of the yr when prospect listing ratings and Opening Day roster projections are printed on a gradual foundation. At some level, the ones ideas should converge — more ceaselessly than now not this spring, that time has been after St. Louis Cardinals outfielder and No. 6 prospect Jordan Walker punishes a pitch.

Walker entered the week hitting .429/.429/1.000 with 3 house runs and 3 doubles in his first 21 at-bats. Baseball Reference tracks each and every participant’s high quality of festival throughout the exhibition season in response to the place they performed closing season. Per their calculations, Walker’s common opponent confronted has been nearer to Triple-A-quality than big-league-quality, but that hasn’t muted expanding requires Walker to crack St. Louis’ Opening Day roster. The Cardinals appear open to the chance in response to their feedback so far.

‘We’re a handful of video games in and there is nonetheless a large number of camp left,” manager Oli Marmol told Katie Woo of The Athletic. “But if it is a subject of if he is appearing effectively and appearing that he can dangle his personal on the massive league degree at the present time? Yeah, he is appearing that he is succesful.”

Walker isn’t the only top prospect fighting for a roster spot. Below, CBS Sports has highlighted 10 other players who are at least in consideration. You might wonder what makes someone a top prospect — for the purposes of this article, the definition is “any person who made CBS Sports’ top 50 listing.” Easy sufficient.

Now, let’s get to it. (Do word that the gamers are offered so as in their prospect rank.)

The participant: Henderson batted .259/.348/.440 (123 OPS+), fielded at 3 infield positions closing season throughout a 34-game stint and ranked as my top prospect over the wintry weather as a result of his affect possible on all sides of the ball. He pairs well-above-average uncooked energy with a just right method, and he has the considered necessary footwork and arm power to play the left facet of the infield. The largest knock on him at this time is his lackluster efficiency as opposed to lefties.

The state of affairs: Henderson is bound to make the Opening Day roster, even though how Brandon Hyde divides Baltimore’s infield assignments is to be observed. It’s most probably honest to think Henderson would be the shortstop maximum days, with Ramón Urías getting the nod on the sizzling nook. Free-agent signing Adam Frazier and closing yr’s shortstop Jorge Mateo could shape a platoon, with Frazier seeing motion in opposition to right-handed pitching. The trail of least resistance would have Mateo slotting in at 2d, leaving Henderson undisturbed. It’s imaginable the Orioles would favor to have Mateo play brief on the ones days, with Henderson sliding somewhere else to make room. Whatever the case, Henderson will input the yr with favorable odds of changing into the second one consecutive Oriole to complete extremely within the AL Rookie of the Year Award voting.

The participant: Carroll too reached the majors overdue closing season, batting .260/.330/.500 (133 OPS+) with 4 house runs and two steals in 32 video games. Carroll possesses top-of-the-scale velocity, empowering him to be a top quality defensive outfielder. He each hits for more energy and swings-and-misses more than his small, slight body suggests he will have to. Nevertheless, Carroll has All-Star possible because of his big choice of equipment. 

The state of affairs: Carroll’s outlook is very similar to Henderson’s: he’ll make the lower, however it is not transparent the place he’s going to be used defensively. Torey Lovullo liked Daulton Varsho and Alek Thomas in heart closing season; Varsho is now with the Blue Jays, and Thomas nonetheless has to turn out he is big-league-ready. It’s possible that Carroll ping-pongs between heart and left, with the precise breakdown being made up our minds by means of how the remainder of Arizona’s outfield develops.

3. Grayson Rodriguez, RHP, Baltimore Orioles (No. 7)

The participant: Rodriguez would have debuted closing season had he now not suffered a correct lat pressure that burnt up maximum of his 2d part. He has a large, sturdy body and his repertoire contains 3 high-grade choices in his fastball, slider, and changeup. He struck out 37 % of the batters he confronted closing season, suggesting he is waiting to sq. off in opposition to big-league festival.

The state of affairs: General supervisor Mike Elias has stated that he expects Rodriguez to crack Baltimore’s Opening Day rotation. The Orioles do have a number of different pitchers competing for spots: offseason acquisitions Kyle Gibson and Cole Irvin would appear to be locks, leaving 3 spots to be earned by means of some aggregate of Rodriguez, Kyle Bradish, Dean Kremer, Austin Voth, Spenser Watkins, and Tyler Wells. We will word that if the Orioles need to prohibit Rodriguez’s workload (he is by no means thrown more than 103 innings in a season), it would make sense for them to start out him off in Triple-A, the place his outings will also be micromanaged with out fear for the sport’s end result. Otherwise, Baltimore could have to deploy a place starter every now and then during the yr.

The participant: Tovar won a cup of espresso overdue closing season, doping up in 9 video games with out making a lot noise on the plate. He hit .319/.387/.540 around the higher minors closing season, alternatively, and scouts have projected him to hit for common and some energy at maturation. Tovar has a large berth on the plate as a result of his glove: he is a smooth-fielding shortstop with a robust arm.

The state of affairs: The Rockies gave 4 gamers no less than one get started apiece at shortstop closing season, and part of them are not with the group. That leaves Tovar and Alan Trejo on the top of the intensity chart. (Former first-round select Cole Tucker signed a minor-league pact with Colorado.) Barring a disastrous spring, Tovar would seem to be the favourite for the process. Of route, the Rockies ceaselessly march to the beat of their very own drum system, so it is affordable to take a wait-and-see method right here.

The participant: Brown struck out 22 batters in 20 innings closing season throughout a seven-game creation to the majors. He labored basically in reduction, and it is imaginable that is the place he finally ends up for the lengthy haul. Brown has a high-octane fastball and a swing-and-miss breaker, however he must tighten his deal with.

The state of affairs: The Astros had sufficient big-league hands coming into the spring — together with 5 starters with two-plus years of provider time — that it seemed an optimum deployment of Brown would have him running on his command in Triple-A to start out the season. Since then, Lance McCullers Jr.’s harm has all however prepared the ground for Brown to crack Houston’s beginning 5.

The participant: Vargas seemed in 18 big-league video games closing season with out appearing a lot existence on the plate. That’s not going to stay the case heading ahead, as scouts are excessive on his marriage of touch and energy abilities. 

The state of affairs: Every indication is that Vargas goes to open the season because the Dodgers’ beginning 2d baseman. His enjoy on the sizzling nook could come in useful in the future if the Dodgers alternate plans at 2d base, or in the event that they develop uninterested in both his protection on the keystone or Max Muncy’s at 3rd. The one possibility issue this is that Vargas has been coping with a fractured finger that has averted him from swinging thus far this spring. Provided he heals up in time, it should not be a long-term factor.

The participant: The lefty-swinging Casas used to be Boston’s first-round select in 2018. He had an strange first spin within the majors closing season, hitting .197/.358/.408 (113 OPS+) in 95 plate appearances. Casas confirmed just right self-discipline and well-above-average juice throughout that keep, and he made touch at a league-average price, a good indicator because it pertains to his batting common.

The state of affairs: Casas is the favourite to open the season as Boston’s first baseman. The Red Sox do have one different possibility in tow in Bobby Dalbec, however he carried out poorly closing season. If anything else, the mix of Casas and Dalbec could make sense as a part of a platoon state of affairs. Shy of that, Dalbec surfaced in industry rumors throughout the wintry weather, and he could be on his approach out of the group if he struggles to start out his age-28 season.

The participant: Peraza, ceaselessly overshadowed at the New York farm by means of the well-regarded Anthony Volpe, equipped the Yankees lineup with a spark closing season by means of hitting  .306/.404/.429 (139 OPS+) in 18 video games. He made an outstanding quantity of touch throughout the strike zone, and has won excessive marks for his velocity and his glove. Indeed, Peraza’s protection makes him — now not Volpe — the odds-on favourite to function the Yankees’ shortstop of the long run.  

The state of affairs: The factor in regards to the long run is that once in a while it arrives with out announcement. Shy of Peraza laying a goose egg or injuring himself later this spring, he would appear to have the interior lane on Isiah Kiner-Falefa because it relates to the beginning process. (Kiner-Falefa, for the ones who could have forgotten, had a tricky first season in New York.) The Yankees even have Volpe coming in the future and Oswaldo Cabrera already in tow, however he would appear to be higher deployed in a super-utility function. 

The participant: O’Hoppe came to visit from the Phillies closing summer time within the industry that despatched Brandon Marsh to the eventual National League champions. He’s a well-rounded, if now not specifically flashy backstop with a monitor file of acting effectively within the higher minors. He ended closing season within the majors.

The state of affairs: General supervisor Perry Minasian has taken an competitive method with younger gamers throughout his tenure. Giving O’Hoppe first dibs on the beginning catcher process would slot in with Minasian’s better philosophy. It’s now not as even though the Angels have many different choices to throw in the market both. Veteran Max Stassi is best possible deployed in a timeshare, and former first-round select Matt Thaiss most probably is not just right sufficient at the back of the plate to advantage the difficulty. 

The participant: Jung has taken the scenic path since being decided on 8th total within the 2019 draft. He overlooked maximum of closing season as a result of a torn labrum, however he did paintings his approach into The Show for a 26-game stretch overdue within the yr. It did not pass effectively. He posted an 83 OPS+ and struck out 35 more occasions than he walked in 102 plate appearances. Jung has been praised by means of sufficient scouts for his natural hitting talent prior to now to indicate higher days are coming.

The state of affairs: The Rangers blocked off part the infield the wintry weather sooner than closing by means of signing Corey Seager and Marcus Semien to large free-agent offers. Third base stays up for grabs, and Jung will have to get a protracted alternative to take it for his personal this season. It is price noting that he is coming into his age-25 yr, that means that the Rangers may surrender the ghost on him if he falters. In that situation, Texas could fit in former industry acquisition Ezequiel Duran.