MLB Top Prospect Update
by: Noah Gaines
Rookies have dazzled this year in baseball. With the number of prospects that are debuting with their respective teams, it is truly an exciting time in baseball right now. The top 5 prospects in baseball preseason rankings are up in the majors and look to be the real deal for their teams going forward.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr., son of hall of fame outfield Vladimir Guerrero, is playing up to the hype as the number one overall prospect in baseball. He was projected as an elite hitter prior to his debut in a Toronto Bluejay uniform. Vlad Jr. is hitting around .250 and sticking it with the glove as well. The top prospect is on the heavier side, but elite bat-to-ball skills and an elite arm in terms of strength has shown his uber elite potential that MLB execs salivate for.
The number two prospect and current Padre Fernando Tatis Jr. is playing out of his mind during this first month of the season. Batting leadoff for the Friars, the rookie sensation is hitting in the high .200’s while leading the Padres in steals and playing elite defense in the meantime. Unfortunately, Tatis pulled a hamstring while trying to catch a ball at second base last week against the Nationals. He was placed on the Injured List (IL) and should be ready by the time the squad plays the uptown Dodgers next Tuesday.
The fellow prospects have fared well but not as well as the top 2. The third prospect in baseball Eloy Jimenez is on the IL and has played rather mediocre for what was expected by the “Babe Ruth of our generation” according to his teammates and the public media. The fourth of the top is Victor Robles, who has done well out of the gate. Playing an elite center field, he has an important task of replacing former MVP Bryce Harper, who left in free agency to the rival Phillies. Robles has outperformed Harper in the early going, but then again it is early and players have their ups and downs through a season.
This year in baseball is an intriguing one, one filled with young talent and the abundance of it is unprecedented in baseball up to this point in the sport.