Prospect tracker: Who got a roster spot?
Jim Callis
@JimCallisMLB
Jonathan Mayo
@JonathanMayoThe start of any Major League season is typically filled with hope and potential. While Opening Day 2020 is coming much later than usual, it still comes wrapped with those sentiments, especially when it comes to seeing the game¡¯s top prospects get a chance to show what they can do at the highest level.
All 30 teams announced their 30-man rosters on Thursday, and nearly all of them had Top 30 prospects on them. None are ranked higher than White Sox outfielder Luis Robert, the No. 3 overall prospect in the game and the front-runner to be the American League Rookie of the Year. He and A¡¯s lefty Jes¨²s Luzardo (No. 12) are the only two players ranked in the top 20 to make Opening Day rosters this season.
Other Top 100 prospects to make the cut are Nationals third baseman Carter Kieboom (No. 21), Dodgers right-hander Dustin May (No. 23), A¡¯s catcher Sean Murphy (No. 33), Pirates right-hander Mitch Keller (No. 39), Cubs infielder Nico Hoerner (No. 51), Braves right-hander Kyle Wright (No. 52), Mariners first baseman Evan White (No. 56), Dodgers righty Brusdar Graterol (No. 83) and Mets shortstop Andr¨¦s Gim¨¦nez (No. 84). In addition, A's left-hander A.J. Puk (No. 60) is on the Injured List. In total, 80 top prospects cracked Opening Day rosters.
Below is a team-by-team look at which Top 30 prospects are starting the 2020 season on a Major League roster.
ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS (Roster | Top 30 Prospects) -- Kevin Cron, 1B (No. 26), Kevin Ginkel, RHP (No. 27)
Cron adds some serious pop to the D-backs bench and/or DH options; he led the Minors with 39 homers in 2019. Ginkel¡¯s fastball-slider combination allowed him to make his big league debut last August (1.48 ERA) and he provides good bullpen depth.
Others in player pool: Alek Thomas, OF (No. 2/MLB No. 49), Daulton Varsho, C (No. 3/MLB No. 76), Geraldo Perdomo, SS (No. 4/MLB No. 82), Corbin Carroll, OF (No. 5/MLB No. 89), Blake Walston, LHP (No. 6), Corbin Martin, RHP (No. 7), Luis Frias, RHP (No. 8), Levi Kelly, RHP (No. 9), J.B. Bukauskas, RHP (No. 10), Seth Beer, 1B/OF (No. 12), Jon Duplantier, RHP (No. 13), Andy Young, INF (No. 15), Josh Green, RHP (No. 16), Tommy Henry, LHP (No. 19), Dominic Fletcher, OF (No. 20), Pavin Smith, 1B/OF (No. 24)
ATLANTA BRAVES (Roster | Top 30 Prospects) -- Kyle Wright, RHP (No. 4/MLB No. 52), William Contreras, C (No. 9), Alex Jackson, C (No. 22)
Wright had an opportunity to make it with the Braves looking to use a piggyback system at the back end of their rotation. Cole Hamels¡¯ tendinitis just further cemented it, so perhaps the former No. 5 overall pick (2017) will get a longer opportunity to show what he can do. Contreras and Jackson were last-minute additions to the 30-man roster (Jackson was on the taxi squad) when both big league catchers, Travis d¡¯Arnaud and Tyler Flowers, were showing symptoms and were not well enough to fly to New York. Jackson was penciled in to start behind the plate on Friday.
Others in player pool: Cristian Pache, OF (No. 1), Drew Waters, OF (No. 2), Ian Anderson, RHP (No. 3), Shea Langeliers, C (No. 5), Bryse Wilson, RHP (No. 6), Braden Shewmake, SS (No. 7), Kyle Muller, LHP (No. 8) Tucker Davidson, LHP (No. 10), Huascar Ynoa, RHP (No. 11), Jasseel De La Cruz, RHP (No. 12), Patrick Weigel, RHP (No. 16), Bryce Ball, 1B (No. 21), Philip Pfeifer, LHP (No. 28), Logan Brown, C (No. 30), Jared Shuster, LHP (first-round pick)
BALTIMORE ORIOLES (Roster | Top 30 Prospects) -- Austin Hays, OF (No. 5)
It¡¯s been a bit of a roller-coaster for Hays, who was the first member of the 2016 Draft class to make it to the big leagues in 2017, then struggled in 2018 before righting the ship and playing very well for the O¡¯s in 2019. He¡¯s ready to start in center field and could end up being the team¡¯s leadoff hitter.
BOSTON RED SOX (Roster | Top 30 Prospects) -- Jonathan Arauz, INF (No. 30)
Arauz¡¯s bat isn¡¯t ready and he has played just 28 games above high Class A, but he¡¯s a Rule 5 pick who can¡¯t be sent to the Minors without clearing waivers and being offered back to the Astros for half of his $100,000 Draft price.
CHICAGO CUBS (Roster | Top 30 Prospects) -- Nico Hoerner, SS/2B/OF (No. 1/MLB No. 51), James Norwood, RHP (No. 23)
After batting .282 with three homers in 20 games as an emergency callup last September, Hoerner will compete with Jason Kipnis for at-bats at second base and serve as the primary backup to Javy Baez at shortstop. Norwood struggled in the Cactus League but looked better in Summer Camp, making himself useful as a live-armed reliever capable of working multiple innings.
Others in player pool: Brailyn Marquez, LHP (No. 2/MLB No. 68), Brennen Davis, OF (No. 3/MLB No. 78), Miguel Amaya, C (No. 4/MLB No. 95), Adbert Alzolay, RHP (No. 6), Christopher Morel, 3B (No. 10), Justin Steele, LHP (No. 21), Keegan Thompson, RHP (No. 26), Jack Patterson, LHP (No. 28), Burl Carraway, LHP (second-round pick)
CHICAGO WHITE SOX (Roster | Top 30 Prospects) -- Luis Robert, OF (No. 1/MLB No. 3), Zack Collins, C/1B (No. 10), Jimmy Lambert, RHP (No. 16), Danny Mendick, INF (No. 19), Codi Heuer, RHP (No. 27)
Coming off a 30-30 season in which he led the Minors with 314 total bases, Robert is one of the best prospects in baseball and the leading candidate for American League Rookie of the Year. The slugging Collins and versatile Mendick will play bench roles, while Lambert (who had Tommy John surgery 13 months ago) and Heuer are bullpen fodder.
Others in player pool: Andrew Vaughn, 1B (No. 2/MLB No. 16), Nick Madrigal, 2B (No. 4/MLB No. 40), Jonathan Steiver, RHP (No. 5), Dane Dunning, RHP (No. 6), Micker Adolfo, OF (No. 8), Luis Alexander Basabe, OF (No. 9), Luis Gonzalez, OF (No. 13), Blake Rutherford, OF (No. 14), Zack Burdi, RHP (No. 17), Ian Hamilton, RHP (No. 18), Bernardo Flores, LHP (No. 20), Yermin Mercedes, C (No. 25), Seby Zavala, C/1B (No. 26), Matt Foster, RHP (No. 28), Tyler Johnson, RHP (No. 29), Garrett Crochet, LHP (first-round pick)
CINCINNATI REDS (Roster | Top 30 Prospects) ¨C None.
Others in player pool: Nick Lodolo, LHP (No. 1/MLB No. 48), Hunter Greene, RHP (No. 2/MLB No. 53), Tyler Stephenson, C (No. 3), Jonathan India, 3B (No. 4), Jose Garcia, SS (No. 5), Tony Santillan, RHP (No. 9), Stuart Fairchild, OF (No. 10), Alfredo Rodriguez, SS (No. 17), Tejay Antone, RHP (No. 20), Ryan Hendrix, RHP (No. 21), Joel Kuhnel, RHP (No. 22)
CLEVELAND INDIANS (Roster | Top 30 Prospects) -- Daniel Johnson, OF (No. 13), James Karinchak, RHP (No. 14), Yu Chang, INF (No. 21)
Karinchak established a modern Minor League record by averaging 22.0 whiffs per nine innings last year and could be a key member of the bullpen if he delivers another strikes. Chang homered five times in six days during Summer Camp, helping him nail down a utility job. Johnson was the last player added to the Opening Day roster and is one of eight active outfielders but has the tools to take advantage of an expanded role if he gets it.?
Others in player pool: Nolan Jones, 3B (No. 1/MLB No. 42), Tyler Freeman, SS (No. 2/MLB No. 96), Bo Naylor, C (No. 3), George Valera, OF (No. 4), Daniel Espino, RHP (No. 5), Aaron Bracho, 2B (No. 7), Ethan Hankins, RHP (No. 8), Triston McKenzie, RHP (No. 9), Logan Allen, LHP (No. 11), Bobby Bradley, 1B (No. 12), Scott Moss, LHP (No. 18), Sam Hentges, LHP (No. 22), Nick Sandlin, RHP (No. 24), Jean Carlos Mejia, RHP (No. 26), Ernie Clement, SS (No. 28)
COLORADO ROCKIES (Roster | Top 30 Prospects) -- Sam Hilliard, OF (No. 9), Josh Fuentes, 3B/1B (No. 18), Ashton Goudeau, RHP (No. 26)
Ian Desmond¡¯s decision to not play in 2020 opened the door a bit and Hilliard stepped through it, bringing his power-speed combination back to Colorado after hitting seven homers in 77 at-bats during his big league debut in 2019 (and a Triple-A season in which he hit 35 home runs and stole 22 bases). Fuentes provides depth on the bench, with the ability to back up both at first and third. Goudeau is a late bloomer who threw very well in the Arizona Fall League, showing he has the ability to both start and relieve.
Taxi squad: Ryan Castellani, RHP (No. 15)
Burrows and Funkhouser, once highly regarded premium Draft picks who have been surpassed by other pitching prospects in the system, could factor into the back of an unsettled rotation and also provide multi-inning relief depth. Bryan Garcia, a power-armed reliever, stuck after making his big league debut last September. The Tigers also found room to keep Rony Garcia, a Rule 5 pick from the Yankees who has a No. 4-starter ceiling.
Others in player pool: Casey Mize, RHP (No. 1/MLB No. 7), Matt Manning, RHP (No. 2/MLB No. 24), Riley Greene, OF (No. 3/MLB No. 31), Tarik Skubal, LHP (No. 4/MLB No. 46), Isaac Paredes, 3B/SS (No. 5), Willi Castro, SS (No. 6), Daz Cameron, OF (No. 7), Alex Faedo, RHP (No. 9), Jake Rogers, C (No. 10), Franklin Perez, RHP (No. 12), , Anthony Castro, RHP (No. 16), Zack Hess, RHP (No. 29), Derek Hill, OF (No. 30), Spencer Torkelson, 3B/1B (first-round pick), Dillon Dingler, C (second-round pick)
After homering to win Justin Verlander¡¯s no-hitter last September, Toro is back as a switch-hitter with plate discipline and some pop who can play anywhere in the infield but shortstop. Abreu, Javier, Paredes and Taylor all will fill bullpen roles. Abreu¡¯s wipeout curveball (backed up by a plus fastball and slider) make him a potential high-leverage weapon if he throws more strikes. Javier stands out more with his deception than his pure stuff but led the Minors in ERA (1.74), strikeout rate (13.5 per nine innings) and opponents' average (.130) last year. Quicker and more athletic than most catchers, Stubbs can serve as a third backstop while also filling in at second base and the outfield corners.
Injured list: Jose Urquidy, RHP (No. 2)
KANSAS CITY ROYALS (Roster | Top 30 Prospects) -- Ronald Bola?os, RHP (No. 16), Tyler Zuber, RHP (No. 29), Josh Staumont, RHP (No. 30)
Bola?os (acquired in last week¡¯s Tim Hill trade with the Padres), Staumont and Zuber all made the Royals¡¯ initial bullpen. Staumont has the potential to make the biggest impact with a power fastball/curveball combo, but he¡¯ll have to prove he can provide consistent strikes.
Injured list: Kelvin Gutierrez, 3B (No. 22)
Others in player pool: Bobby Witt Jr., SS (No. 1/MLB No. 10), Brady Singer, RHP (No. 2/MLB No. 59), Daniel Lynch, LHP (No. 3/MLB No. 61), Jackson Kowar, RHP (No. 4), Kris Bubic, LHP (No. 6), Kyle Isbel, OF (No. 7), Khalil Lee, OF (No. 8), Austin Cox, LHP (No. 11), Nick Pratto, 1B (No. 12), M.J. Melendez, C (No. 13), Seuly Matias, OF (No. 14), Jeison Guzman, SS (No. 18), Daniel Tillo, LHP (No. 20), Nick Heath, OF (No. 27)
LOS ANGELES ANGELS (Roster | Top 30 Prospects) -- Patrick Sandoval, LHP (No. 6), Jared Walsh, 1B/LHP (No. 23)
Though a positive text for COVID-19 delayed Sandoval¡¯s arrival at Summer Camp and he¡¯s not fully stretched out as a result, the plan is for the lefty to pitch at the back of the Angels¡¯ six-man rotation this season. Not only does Walsh provide some power off the bench and some depth at first base, he also can help out as a left-handed reliever.
Others in player pool: Jo Adell, OF (No. 1/MLB No. 6), Brandon Marsh, OF (No. 2/MLB No. 79), Jordyn Adams, OF (No. 3), Chris Rodriguez, RHP (No. 7), Jahmai Jones, 2B (No. 8), Hector Yan, LHP (No. 12), Garrett Stallings, RHP (No. 20), Reid Detmers, LHP (first-round pick), Adam Seminaris, LHP (fifth-round pick)
LOS ANGELES DODGERS (Roster | Top 30 Prospects) -- Dustin May, RHP (No. 2/MLB No. 23),?Brusdar Graterol, RHP (No. 5/MLB No. 83), Dennis Santana, RHP (No. 16), Edwin Rios, 3B/1B/OF (No. 18)
The Dodgers left May and his electric stuff off the first draft of their Opening Day roster, then gave him the ball for their opener against the Giants after placing Clayton Kershaw on the injured list with back stiffness. May is a legitimate Rookie of the Year candidate if he stays in the rotation all season long, and he has the stuff to do so. Acquired from the Twins in an offshoot of the Mookie Betts trade in February, Graterol hit 102 mph during his big league debut last summer and will deliver heat out of the bullpen. Santana is another potential bullpen weapon with a big arm. The universal DH rule for 2020 is perfect for Rios, who has well above-average power to all fields and homered 35 times in 440 at-bats last year (including four in 47 at-bats with Los Angeles).
Others in player pool: Gavin Lux, SS/2B (No. 1/MLB No. 2), Dustin May, RHP (No. 2/MLB No. 23), Josiah Gray, RHP (No. 3/MLB No. 67), Keibert Ruiz, C (No. 4/MLB No. 73), Tony Gonsolin, RHP (No. 6), Kody Hoese, 3B (No. 7), Michael Busch, 2B (No. 8), Diego Cartaya, C (No. 9), Mitchell White, RHP (No. 11), DJ Peters, OF (No. 13), Gerardo Carrillo, RHP (No. 17), Michael Grove, RHP (No. 19), Zach McKinstry, INF/OF (No. 20), Victor Gonzalez, LHP (No. 21), Omar Estevez, 2B/SS (No. 24), Edwin Uceta, RHP (No. 25), Ryan Pepiot, RHP (No. 28), Brett de Geus, RHP (No. 29), Andre Jackson, RHP (No. 30), Bobby Miller (first-round pick), Landon Knack (second-round pick), Clayton Beeter, RHP (supplemental second-round pick), Jake Vogel, OF (third-round pick), Carson Taylor (fourth-round pick)
Neidert, Vesia and Sharp all starred in the Arizona Fall League during the offseason and will make their big league debuts as part of Miami¡¯s bullpen, as will Holloway. Neidert and Dugger are strike-throwers who could crack the rotation at some point.
Others in player pool: Sixto Sanchez, RHP (No. 1), JJ Bleday, OF (No. 2/MLB No. 28), Jazz Chisholm, SS (No. 3/MLB No. 66), Jesus Sanchez, OF (No. 4/MLB No. 80), Edward Cabrera, RHP (No. 5/MLB No. 85), Braxton Garrett, LHP (No. 6), Lewin Diaz, 1B (No. 7), Trevor Rogers, LHP (No. 8), Monte Harrison, OF (No. 9), Nick Neidert, RHP (No. 10), Jose Devers, SS (No. 11), Jerar Encarnacion, OF (No. 15), Jorge Guzman, RHP (No. 19), Humberto Mejia, RHP (No. 23), Will Banfield, C (No. 25), Max Meyer, RHP (first-round pick)
MILWAUKEE BREWERS (Roster | Top 30 Prospects) -- Devin Williams, RHP (No. 13)
It¡¯s been a long, winding road for Williams, who missed close to two years because of injuries (including Tommy John surgery). His stuff ticked up when he moved to the bullpen, allowing him to reach the big leagues for the first time, where his plus fastball played well.
Others in player pool: Brice Turang, SS (No. 1), Ethan Small, LHP (No. 2), Mario Feliciano, C (No. 3), Tristen Lutz, OF (No. 4), Antoine Kelly, LHP (No. 6), Drew Rasmussen, RHP (No. 9), Corey Ray, OF (No. 10), Zack Brown, RHP (No. 14), Trey Supak, RHP (No. 15), Tyrone Taylor, OF (No. 21), Thomas Dillard, C/OF (No. 22), Dylan File, RHP (No. 24), Clayton Andrews, LHP (No. 27)
MINNESOTA TWINS (Roster | Top 30 Prospects) -- Lewis Thorpe, LHP (No. 10)
Thorpe made his big league debut in 2019, making two starts and 10 relief appearances. He had been competing for the No. 5 spot in the rotation before the shutdown and will likely serve as a long relief/swingman type.
Taxi squad: Jorge Alcala, RHP (No. 25)
Others in player pool: Royce Lewis, SS (No. 1/MLB No. 9), Alex Kirilloff, OF (No. 2/MLB No. 32), Trevor Larnach, OF (No. 3/MLB No. 81), Jhoan Duran, RHP (No. 5), Ryan Jeffers, C (No. 6), Brent Rooker, OF (No. 12), Gilberto Celestino, OF (No. 15), Edwar Colina, RHP (No. 16), Nick Gordon, INF (No. 17), Travis Blankenhorn, INF (No. 18), Dakota Chalmers, RHP (No. 23)
NEW YORK METS (Roster | Top 30 Prospects) -- Andres Gimenez, SS (No. 3/MLB No. 84)
Not only can Gimenez flat out defend and there¡¯s no question he can handle both middle infield positions with aplomb, but he¡¯s made strides with the bat and in adding strength (He won the Arizona Fall League batting title in 2019).
Injured list: Walker Lockett, RHP (No. 25)
NEW YORK YANKEES (Roster | Top 30 Prospects) -- Michael King, RHP (No. 25)
Bouncing back from a stress reaction in his elbow that shortened his 2019 season, King has impressed with his pitchability and could serve in a swingman role.
Others in player pool: Clarke Schmidt, RHP (No. 2/MLB No. 88), Deivi Garcia, RHP (No. 3/MLB No. 92), Luis Gil, RHP (No. 5), Estevan Florial, OF (No. 6), Alexander Vizcaino, RHP (No. 7), Luis Medina, RHP (No. 10), Albert Abreu, RHP (No. 11), Miguel Yajure, RHP (No. 14), Nick Nelson, RHP (No. 16)
OAKLAND A'S (Roster | Top 30 Prospects) -- Jesus Luzardo, LHP (No. 1/MLB No. 12), Sean Murphy, C (No. 2/MLB No. 33)
Luzardo got a late start to Summer Camp, but was deemed ready enough to add to the roster. He¡¯ll start the season coming out of the bullpen, but should get stretched out enough to join the rotation. He¡¯ll often get the chance to throw to Murphy, who started last year¡¯s Wild Card Game and should be Oakland's primary backstop, with Austin Allen as his backup.
Injured list: A.J. Puk, LHP (No. 3/MLB No. 60)
Others in player pool: Robert Puason, SS (No. 4), Nick Allen, SS/2B (No. 5), Sheldon Neuse, 3B/SS (No. 6), Logan Davidson, SS (No. 7), Luis Barrera, OF (No. 9), Jonah Heim, C (No. 10), James Kaprielian, RHP (No. 11), Greg Deichman, OF, (No. 13), Brayan Buelvas, OF (No. 14), Skye Bolt, OF (No. 16), Tyler Baum, RHP (No. 19), Kyle McCann, C (No. 23), Buddy Reed, OF (No. 24), Brian Howard, RHP (No. 25), Parker Dunshee, RHP (No. 27), Tyler Soderstrom, C (first-round pick)
PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES (Roster | Top 30 Prospects) -- Cole Irvin, LHP (No. 22)
Irvin had made a case last year when he pitched well out of the bullpen down the stretch. He¡¯s likely to fill a similar role this season.
Others in player pool: Alec Bohm, 3B/1B (No. 1/MLB No. 30), Spencer Howard, RHP (No. 2/MLB No. 34), Enyel De Los Santos, RHP (No. 8), Jojo Romero, LHP (No. 13), Damon Jones, LHP (No. 14), Mauricio Llovera, RHP (No. 15), Connor Seabold, RHP (No. 21), Deivy Grullon, C (No. 24)
PITTSBURGH PIRATES (Roster | Top 30 Prospects) -- Mitch Keller, RHP (No. 1/MLB No. 39)
Keller¡¯s debut in 2019 was a little bit uneven, though he finished well, striking out 14 over 10 innings in his final two starts. He¡¯s slated to be a mainstay in the Pirates rotation and will make his first start of 2020 on Sunday.
Others in player pool: Ke'Bryan Hayes, 3B (No. 2/MLB No. 41), Cruz, SS (No. 3/MLB No. 64), Liover Peguero, SS (No. 5),Travis Swaggerty, OF (No. 6), Jared Oliva, OF (No. 9), Cody Bolton, RHP (No. 10), Ji-Hwan Bae, 2B/SS (No. 11), Mason Martin, 1B (No. 15), Kevin Kramer, INF/OF (No. 18), Will Craig, 1B (No. 19), Max Kranick, RHP (No. 21), Rodolfo Castro, INF (No. 23), Aaron Shortridge, RHP (No. 27), Blake Cederlind, RHP (No. 28), Nick Gonzales, SS (first-round pick)
Cronenworth¡¯s versatility as an infielder and reliever gives the Padres options at the start of the season. Olivares had continued to perform, following a big year in Double-A last year with a strong showing in Spring Training and Summer Camp. Guerra and Bednar give the Padres more right-handed options out of the bullpen.
Injured list: Jorge Mateo, SS/2B (No. 13)
Others in player pool: MacKenzie Gore, LHP (No. 1/MLB No. 5), CJ Abrams, SS (No. 2/MLB No. 25), Luis Pati?o, RHP (No. 3/MLB No. 27), Luis Campusano, C (No. 4/ MLB No. 50), Taylor Trammell, OF (No. 5/No. 57), Adrian Morejon, LHP (No. 6), Michel Baez, RHP (No. 7), Ryan Weathers, LHP (No. 9), Joey Cantillo, LHP (No. 10), Owen Miller, SS/2B (No. 11), Tucupita Marcano, INF (No. 12), Jorge Mateo, SS/2B (No. 13), Hudson Head, OF (No. 14), Robert Hassell III, OF (first-round pick), Cole Wilcox, RHP (third-round pick)
Dubon posted a .754 OPS as a Giants regular down the stretch and should get plenty of at-bats as either a starter at second base or in a super-utility role. Webb ended 2019 with back-to-back quality starts for San Francisco and his stuff is as good as any of the club¡¯s rotation candidates. Davis has some of the best raw power on the big league roster but will need to show he can make consistent contact to garner regular at-bats. A Rule 5 pick from the Blue Jays in December, Jimenez held his own in Cactus League and Summer Camp action.
Others in player pool: Joey Bart, C (No. 1/MLB No. 14), Marco Luciano, SS (No. 2/MLB No. 35), Heliot Ramos, OF (No. 3/MLB No. 65), Alexander Canario, OF (No. 6), Luis Toribio, 3B (No. 7), Will Wilson, SS/2B (No. 10), Camilo Doval, RHP (No. 22), Patrick Bailey (first-round pick)
SEATTLE MARINERS (Roster | Top 30 Prospects) -- Evan White, 1B (No. 4/MLB No. 56), Justin Dunn, RHP (No. 7), Justus Sheffield, LHP (No. 13), Kyle Lewis, OF (No. 10)
The Mariners signed White to a long-term deal believing he¡¯d be ready very soon to take over at first base; soon is now, especially after swinging the bat very well in Summer Camp. Both Dunn and Sheffield will be part of Seattle¡¯s six-man rotation, tentatively taking their turns for the first time on Tuesday and Wednesday. Lewis slammed six homers during his big league debut last year and was raking in Summer Camp, earning him the right field job.
Taxi squad: Taylor Guilbeau, LHP (No. 23)
Others in player pool: Jarred Kelenic, OF (No. 1/MLB No. 11), Julio Rodriguez, OF (No. 2/MLB No. 18), Logan Gilbert, RHP (No. 3/MLB No. 38), George Kirby, RHP (No. 5/MLB No. 100), Noelvi Marte, SS (No. 6), Cal Raleigh, C (No. 8), Jake Fraley, OF (No. 9), Brandon Williamson, LHP (No. 11), Isaiah Campbell, RHP (No. 12), Juan Then, RHP (No. 14), Austin Shenton, 3B (No. 17), Braden Bishop, OF (No. 18), Joey Gerber, RHP (No. 19), Aaron Fletcher, LHP (No. 20), Sam Delaplane, RHP (No. 21), Donovan Walton, 2B (No. 24), Art Warren, RHP (No. 26), Ljay Newsome, RHP (No. 28), Emerson Hancock, RHP (first-round pick), Zach DeLoach, OF (second-round pick), Kaden Polcovich, 2B (third-round pick), Tyler Keenan, 3B (fourth-round pick)
The Cardinals decided to carry three catchers, at least for the start of the season, allowing Knizner to get some time behind Yadier Molina and Matt Wieters. Fernandez has the type of stuff that could profile well late in games and he showed the ability to miss plenty of Major League bats in 2019. Whitley pitched his way from the Florida State League up to Triple-A in 2019, then was lights out in the Arizona Fall League, setting the stage for the reliever to make his big league debut. Sosa has touched the big leagues briefly in each of the past two years with his ability to defend well at three infield spots, providing the Cardinals with some bench versatility.
Others in player pool: Dylan Carlson, OF (No. 1/MLB No. 17), Nolan Gorman, 3B (No. 2/MLB No. 47), Matthew Liberatore, LHP (No. 3/MLB No. 58), Ivan Herrera, C (No. 4), Zack Thompson, LHP (No. 5), Elehuris Montero, 3B (No. 7), G¨¦nesis Cabrera, RHP (No. 9), Johan Oviedo, RHP (No. 11), Jake Woodford, RHP (No. 12), Angel Rondon, RHP (No. 13), Julio Rodriguez, C (No. 15), Malcom Nunez, 3B (No. 16), Justin Williams, OF (No. 17), Trejyn Fletcher, OF (No. 18), Seth Elledge, RHP (No. 24), Roel Ramirez, RHP (No. 25), Ricardo Sanchez, LHP (No. 26), Alvaro Seijas, RHP (No. 30), Jordan Walker, 3B (First-round pick), Masyn Winn, SS/RHP (Second-round pick)
TAMPA BAY RAYS (Roster | Top 30 Prospects) -- Peter Fairbanks, RHP (No. 24)
Fairbanks dominated out of the bullpen at times last summer with an upper-90s fastball and a wipeout slider, and he threw more strikes and unveiled a promising changeup during Summer Camp.
Others in player pool: Wander Franco, SS (No. 1/MLB No. 1), Brendan McKay, LHP/DH (No. 2/MLB No. 15), Vidal Brujan, 2B/SS (No. 3/MLB No. 45), Shane Baz, RHP (No. 5/MLB No. 90), Shane McClanahan, LHP (No. 7), Joe Ryan, RHP (No. 8), Josh Lowe, OF (No. 9), Ronaldo Hernandez, C (No. 11), Taylor Walls, SS (No. 15), Kevin Padlo, 3B/1B (No. 16), Randy Arozarena, OF (No. 17), Lucius Fox, SS (No. 25), Josh Fleming, LHP (No. 28), Esteban Quiroz, 2B (No. 30)
Solak batted .293/.393/.491 with five homers in 33 games over the final two months of last season and should get regular at-bats while bouncing all over the infield and outfield. He¡¯ll start in left field on Opening Day. Palumbo could be the next man up if Texas needs another starter and also can plug a hole in a bullpen short on healthy southpaws. Taveras may not be ready to make an impact offensively but he¡¯s the best defensive center fielder and one of the fastest players on the Rangers¡¯ 60-man list. Manager Chris Woodward took note of Hernandez¡¯s upper-90s sinker during Summer Camp and it will be useful out of the bullpen.
Injured list: Brock Burke, LHP (No. 26)
Others in player pool: Josh Jung, 3B (No. 1/MLB No. 55), Sam Huff, C (No. 2/MLB No. 74), Anderson Tejada, SS (No. 8), Sherten Apostel, 3B/1B (No. 10), Demarcus Evans, RHP (No. 22), Tyler Phillips, RHP (No. 24)
A former Pirates first-rounder who hit .299/.346/.526 in the final two months of the 2019 season, McGuire will share catching duties with Danny Jansen. Kay, part of the Marcus Stroman trade last July with the Mets, is a polished lefty who could work his way into the rotation. Alford is a former Top 100 Prospect who has struggled in the Majors in each of the past three seasons, but he was out of options and couldn¡¯t be sent out without clearing waivers. Espinal and Hatch are depth players who will break into the Majors in low-leverage situations.
Taxi squad: Nate Pearson, RHP (No. 1/MLB No. 8)
Others in player pool: Jordan Groshans, SS (No. 2/MLB No. 75), Simeon Woods Richardson, RHP (No. 3/MLB No. 98), Alek Manoah, RHP (No. 4), Alejandro Kirk, C (No. 5), Patrick Murphy, RHP (No. 19), Kevin Smith, SS/3B (No. 23), Julian Merryweather, RHP (No. 25), Riley Adams, C (No. 27), Yennsy Diaz, RHP (No. 29), Austin Martin, SS/OF (first-round pick)
WASHINGTON NATIONALS (Roster | Top 30 Prospects) -- Carter Kieboom, INF (No. 1/MLB No. 21)
One of the best hitting prospects in baseball, Kieboom homered in two of his first three big league games last April and will take over for the departed Anthony Rendon at third base.
Others in player pool: Luis Garcia, SS/2B (No. 2/MLB No. 97), Jackson Rutledge, RHP (No. 3), Wil Crowe, RHP (No. 4), Tim Cate, LHP (No. 8), Seth Romero, LHP (No. 9), Matt Cronin, LHP (No. 10), Yasel Antuna, SS/3B (No. 12), Joan Adon, RHP (No. 16), Tres Barrera, C (No. 19), Jake Irvin, RHP (No. 21), Ben Braymer, LHP (No. 22) Steven Fuentes, RHP (No. 24), Raudy Read, C (No. 25), Jakson Reetz, C (No. 28), Cade Cavalli, RHP (first-round pick)