Here are 10 potential callups for contenders

August 14th, 2020

The Phillies and the Cardinals are the latest teams with postseason hopes to look to the Top 100 Prospects for help. Philadelphia called up third baseman Alec Bohm on Thursday after promoting right-hander Spencer Howard on Sunday, while the Cards also announced Thursday that they are promoting their top prospect, Dylan Carlson.

In the last two weeks, the White Sox (second baseman Nick Madrigal), Angels (outfielder Jo Adell) and Padres (righty Luis Patiño) also have summoned elite prospects.

Who could be next? Roughly a third of the way into the shortened 60-game season, 26 of the 30 teams began the day within two games of a spot in the expanded playoffs. Here are 10 more Top 100 Prospects who could help their teams reach October and make a difference in the postseason:

Gavin Lux, SS/2B, Dodgers: No. 2 on Top 100
The preseason favorite to win the National League Rookie of the Year Award, Lux had a delayed arrival to Summer Camp and wasn't ready to crack the Opening Day roster. Corey Seager hasn't played in six games after injuring his back, and the Dodgers aren't getting much out of their other left-handed hitters, so Lux's advanced bat could get a look in the near future.

MacKenzie Gore, LHP, Padres: No. 5
Good friend Patiño beat Gore to San Diego in a bullpen role, in part because the latter battled his control and command during Summer Camp. But the Padres still need a No. 5 starter, Gore has looked better at their alternate training site and he's still the best pitching prospect in baseball.

Casey Mize, RHP, Tigers: No. 8
After losing 114 games last year, the Tigers are off to a 9-7 start, which makes them contenders in 2020. They have just one pitcher who has made multiple starts while logging an ERA better than 5.74, but they also have Mize, the No. 1 overall Draft pick in 2018 who might possess the best combination of stuff and polish among all pitching prospects.

Cristian Pache, OF, Braves: No. 14
Pache has fully recovered from a sprained ankle sustained in Summer Camp, but Ender Inciarte's bat is still ailing. The consensus best defender in the Minors, Pache isn't a finished product but would be a definite upgrade at the plate and in center field.

Joey Bart, C, Giants: No. 15
Buster Posey's decision not to play this summer left San Francisco with a Tyler Heineman/Chadwick Tromp tandem behind the plate. Giants players and fans are clamoring for Bart, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 Draft who elicits praise from the big league pitching staff and offers impressive power as well.

Matt Manning, RHP, Tigers: No. 25
The Tigers are loaded with pitching prospects, so why stop with just one? Like Mize, Manning as well as lefty Tarik Skubal (No. 50) and Alex Faedo (not on the Top 100) all had success in Double-A last year and had little left to prove in the Minors.

Brendan Rodgers, 2B/SS, Rockies: No. 30
Though they surprisingly lead the NL West, the Rockies aren't getting much out of their second basemen, with Ryan McMahon slumping and Chris Owings nursing a hamstring injury. They could continue to use Garrett Hampson to shore up their outfield and give a shot at second to Rodgers, who has a higher offensive ceiling than any of those three.

Alex Kirilloff, OF, Twins: No. 34
The Twins sport the best record in the American League Central and are among the highest-scoring offenses in the Junior Circuit, but the sweet-swinging Kirilloff has been raking at their alternate training site. While there's no starting job available with Eddie Rosario, Byron Buxton and Max Kepler in the outfield and Nelson Cruz at DH, Kirilloff could provide a useful bat off the bench.

Ian Anderson, RHP, Braves: No. 42
Mike Soroka's torn Achilles left Max Fried as the Braves' lone dependable starter and increased the chances that Anderson will make his big league debut this summer. He still needs to refine his control, but he misses plenty of bats with a solid three-pitch repertoire.

Clarke Schmidt, RHP, Yankees: No. 97
Schmidt pitched the best ball of his pro career down the stretch in Double-A last year, then continued to shine during Spring Training and Summer Camp. J.A. Happ allowed as many homers as he had strikeouts (three) in his first two starts, and Schmidt would be an obvious improvement.