Top prospects who made Opening Day rosters

Seager, Buxton among dozens on team Top 30 lists to start season in bigs

April 4th, 2016

The decisions have been made, and the Opening Day rosters have been set. Many of each team's top prospects have made 25-man rosters as the 2016 season gets underway, while others will begin the year back in the Minors trying to work their way up.
The following is a rundown of prospects from the team Top 30 lists who got the good news they are big leaguers.
Arizona:Brandon Drury, 3B/2B/OF (ARI, No. 3); Socrates Brito, OF (No. 4); Jake Barrett, RHP (No. 20); Silvino Bracho, RHP (No. 30) - With A.J. Pollock hurt, Brito will get most of the playing time in center field. Pollock's injury, along with Drury's huge spring, opened a spot for Drury as a utility guy. Roster | Top 30 Prospects
Atlanta:John Gant, RHP (No. 22); Daniel Winkler, RHP (No. 30) - Gant, the right-hander who came to the Braves in the Juan Uribe trade, parlayed a strong spring into a bullpen spot. Winkler is also on his first Opening Day roster after being taken as a Rule 5 pick a year ago as he rehabbed from Tommy John surgery. Roster | Top 30 Prospects
Baltimore:Dylan Bundy, RHP (No. 2); Mychal Givens, RHP (No. 4); Mike Wright, RHP (No. 10); Joey Rickard, OF (No. 17); Tyler Wilson, RHP (No. 18) - Out of options, Bundy was going to make the team, but how well he pitched was one of the most pleasant surprises this spring. Rickard is one of a handful of Rule 5 picks to make Opening Day rosters. With pitchers Givens, Wright and Wilson also making the team, Baltimore has an MLB-high five members of its Top 30 list on its Opening Day roster. Roster | Top 30 Prospects
Cincinnati: Robert Stephenson, RHP (No. 2; No. 35 on Top 100), Scott Schebler, OF (No. 16) - The Reds officially put Homer Bailey on the DL on Monday, giving their No. 2 prospect, Robert Stephenson, the final roster spot. Schebler, who was part of the return in the Todd Frazier deal, should platoon in left field with Adam Duvall.  Roster | Top 30 Prospects
Cleveland:Tyler Naquin, OF (No. 9) - Hitting .397 with four homers in Spring Training allowed the outfielder to surprise many and make the 25-man roster. He'll get a lot of time in center field. Roster | Top 30 Prospects
Colorado:Trevor Story, SS (No. 11); Miguel Castro, RHP (No. 15); Cristhian Adames, SS (No. 28) - Jon Gray is starting the year a bit behind schedule because of an abdominal issue, but he should join the rotation soon. Story's huge spring led to him being named the Opening Day shortstop. Castro will be in the Rockies' bullpen, where he was at the end of the 2015 season after being acquired in the Troy Tulowitzki trade. The switch-hitting Adames serves as middle-infield backup for the Rockies. Roster | Top 30 Prospects
Detroit:Drew VerHagen, RHP (No. 13) - VerHagen will pitch out of the Tigers' bullpen, where he had some success in the big leagues last year. Roster | Top 30 Prospects
Houston: Michael Feliz, RHP (No. 10); Tyler White 1B/3B (No. 13) - Feliz earned a spot in the Astros' bullpen. White was a nice surprise this spring and was chosen over Jon Singleton and A.J. Reed. He'll see a lot of time at first base. Roster | Top 30 Prospects
Kansas City:Reymond Fuentes, OF (No. 19) - It's Fuentes' first Opening Day roster, and with injuries in the Royals' outfield, he could get a lot of time in right field at the start of the season. Roster | Top 30 Prospects
Los Angeles Dodgers:Corey Seager, SS (No. 1; No. 1 on Top 100); Austin Barnes, C (No. 12); Trayce Thompson, OF (No.15), Ross Stripling, RHP (No. 16) - It's looking like Seager will be just fine for Opening Day after a minor knee issue. Yasmani Grandal's injury helped Barnes make the team, but Barnes' positional flexibility could allow him to stick around. Similarly, Andre Ethier's injury insured a spot for Thompson, who can play all three outfield positions. Stripling surprisingly emerged to win the Dodgers' fifth-starter spot, despite having never pitched above Double-A. Roster | Top 30 Prospects
Milwaukee: Yadiel Rivera, SS (No. 23) - Rivera can play multiple infield positions. A solid spring led to the spot, and he's a capable backup at shortstop, second and third. Roster | Top 30 Prospects
Minnesota:Byron Buxton, OF (No. 1; No. 2 on Top 100) - Buxton graduates off of prospect lists after just two at-bats. It's time for the multi-tooled center fielder to show what he can do in the big leagues on a long-term basis. Roster | Top 30 Prospects
New York Mets:Steven Matz, LHP (No. 1; No. 15 on Top 100) - After being terrific in six regular-season starts and then making three more in the postseason, including one in the World Series, the lefty is penciled in as the Mets' No. 4 starter, as expected. Roster | Top 30 Prospects
Oakland:Ryan Dull, RHP (No. 22) - Dull made his big league debut last year. Now the undersized right-hander gets to show what he can do from the start of the season. Roster | Top 30 Prospects
Philadelphia:Tyler Goeddel, OF (No. 18) - Another Rule 5 pick to make a club, Goeddel has the chance to get decent playing time with Aaron Altherr on the shelf. Roster | Top 30 Prospects
San Diego:Colin Rea, RHP (No. 6); Travis Jankowski, OF (No. 7); Luis Perdomo, RHP (No. 12); Jabari Blash, OF (No. 16) - The Padres are carrying two Rule 5 picks, in Perdomo and Blash. Jankowski and Blash will come off the bench, while Perdomo will fill a bullpen role. Rea was awarded the Padres' final rotation spot despite a rocky spring, in which he allowed 25 hits and 13 walks in 22 innings. - Roster | Top 30 Prospects
San Francisco:Josh Osich, LHP (No. 8) - Osich gives the Giants a solid lefty option out of the 'pen. Roster | Top 30 Prospects
Seattle:Tony Zych, RHP (No. 17) - Zych had a terrific Major League debut last year and he's kept impressing, making the big league bullpen after a solid spring. Roster | Top 30 Prospects
St. Louis:Matt Bowman, RHP (No. 21); Greg Garcia, 2B/SS (No. 23) - Perhaps one of the bigger surprises among Rule 5 picks who stuck, as a former starter, Bowman gives the Cardinals a multi-inning option out of the pen. Garcia is the type of heady role player winning teams always seem to have on their bench. Roster | Top 30 Prospects
Texas:Andrew Faulkner, LHP (No. 18) - Faulker acquitted himself well in a September callup last year and -- with the exception of his final appearance -- pitched extremely well during Spring Training to earn a spot in the Rangers' bullpen. Roster | Top 30 Prospects