These prospects will make the biggest impact in 2018
Not every rookie will leave his mark on baseball like Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger did a year ago, but each club has a prospect or prospects who should crack its big league roster in 2018. Below are MLB Pipeline's choices for the rookies who will make the biggest impact
Not every rookie will leave his mark on baseball like
• Impact prospects by division: NL East | NL Central | NL West | AL East | AL Central | AL West
AL EAST
Baltimore:
Opening Day 2018: Triple-A Norfolk
Hays became the first hitter from the 2016 Draft class to reach the Major Leagues last September after he tore through two Minor League levels while hitting .329 with 32 home runs. More »
Boston:
Opening Day 2018: Triple-A Pawtucket
Boston may not have an open spot in its lineup for Travis, but he is the best pure hitter in its farm system and has challenged for the big league lead in Spring Training home runs. More »
New York:
Opening Day 2018: Triple-A Scranton/W-B
The jewel of the
Tampa Bay:
Opening Day 2018: Triple-A Durham
Acquired from the Giants in the offseason
Toronto:
Opening Day 2018: Disabled list
Alford was poised to carve out a role in Toronto's outfield last May before landing on the disabled list with a broken hamate bone. More »
NL EAST
Atlanta: Ronald Acuna, OF (No. 1 on Braves' Top 30; No. 2 on Top 100)
Opening Day 2018: Triple-A Gwinnett
Right now, there is a lot of focus on the fact Acuna didn't make the Opening Day roster. By the end of the year, no one is going to care, kind of like what happened with
Miami:
Opening Day 2018: Marlins
Acquired along with three other prospects in the offseason blockbuster trade for
New York:
Opening Day 2018: Triple-A Las Vegas
Flexen was rushed to the big leagues from Double-A last year out of need and struggled, posting a 7.88 ERA in 48 innings. More »
Philadelphia:
Opening Day 2018: Phillies
Crawford shook off a rough start to the first half of 2017 in Triple-A to turn things around and earn his first big league callup, playing numerous positions over the season's final month. More »
Washington:
Opening Day 2018: Triple-A Syracuse
Robles made the jump from Double-A to the Major Leagues at age 20 last September en route to a spot on the Nationals' postseason roster. More »
AL CENTRAL
Cleveland:
Opening Day 2018: Triple-A Columbus
There is no question about Mejia's hitting ability, as scouts widely view him as one of the Minors' best pure hitters. More »
Chicago:
Opening Day 2018: Triple-A Charlotte
In
Detroit:
Opening Day 2018: Triple-A Toledo
Gerber has some power, some speed and can hit, although he's not plus in any one category. But he can do a little bit of everything, plus play all three outfield positions. More »
Kansas City:
Opening Day 2018: Triple-A Omaha
A surprise pick at No. 8 overall in the 2013 Draft, Dozier would have gotten at-bats with the Royals last year had he not been waylaid by hamate and oblique injuries. More »
Minnesota:
Opening Day 2018: Double-A Chattanooga
All Romero did this spring was throw eight hitless innings, walking one and striking out eight. But it was never in the plans for him to break camp with the Twins. More »
NL CENTRAL
Chicago:
Opening Day 2018: Cubs
The Cubs' stacked young lineup is ready for a run at another World Series championship, which won't leave many at-bats for Caratini. Nevertheless, he beat out veteran Chris Gimenez to win the backup catching job. More »
Cincinnati:
Opening Day 2018: Reds
Winker has hit pretty much everywhere he's been, including his 121 at-bat big league debut last year. So it should come as no surprise that he's hit .348/.415/.522 during Spring Training as he prepares for his first full season in the bigs. More »
Milwaukee:
Opening Day 2018: Brewers
A hamstring injury delayed Woodruff's big league debut until August, and he pitched to a 4.81 ERA in eight starts once finally healthy. More »
Pittsburgh:
Opening Day 2018: Pirates
Part of the
St. Louis:
Opening Day 2018: Cardinals
Flaherty, who was set to head to the Minors before an injury to
AL WEST
Houston:
Opening Day 2018: Astros
Davis won't wrest the hot-corner job away from
Los Angeles:
Opening Day 2018: Angels
Yes, Ohtani has struggled in acclimating to the game here this spring, especially at the plate. But the stuff on the mound is legit, so even if the bat doesn't get going, he's going to impact the Angels' rotation. More »
Oakland:
Opening Day 2018: Triple-A DL
Puk looked like a dark-horse candidate to crack the A's Opening Day rotation up until he recently was shut down with biceps tendinitis. More »
Seattle:
Opening Day 2018: Mariners
Vogelbach has struggled to find consistency over parts of two seasons in the big leagues with the Mariners, hitting just .175 in 40 at-bats and 24 games. But a monstrous spring has the big first baseman's stock pointing up ahead of the 2018 season. More »
Texas:
Opening Day 2018: Triple-A Round Rock
The best of the three prospects the Rangers acquired from the Dodgers in exchange for
NL WEST
Arizona: Taylor Clarke, RHP (No. 7 on D-backs' Top 30)
Opening Day 2018: Triple-A Reno
The D-backs might get help in the bullpen from arms like
Colorado:
Opening Day 2018: Rockies
While the Rockies' decision to re-sign
Los Angeles:
Opening Day 2018: Triple-A Oklahoma City
Fully recovered from Tommy John last season, Buehler rocketed from high Class A in April to Los Angeles in September, showing better stuff than he had before his elbow was reconstructed. More »
San Diego:
Opening Day 2018: Disabled list (groin injury)
That Cordero led the Minors with 18 triples while also tallying 17 home runs and 21 doubles last season speaks to his athleticism and tools as well as his overall capacity to make things happen at the plate. More »
San Francisco:
Opening Day 2018: TBD, S.F. or Triple-A Sacramento
Club officials acknowledge that Duggar is their center fielder of the future, and that future could come as early as Opening Day because he has outperformed his veteran competition during Cactus League play. More »