Youngsters making an impact in baseball is nothing new. They step into key roles on a yearly basis and make a significant impact for their respective teams and a name for themselves. But not all youngsters are created equal.
For every highly touted prospect, like Carlos Correa and Noah Syndergaard last year, there’s a Randal Grichuk and Kyle Hendricks—less lauded young talent that takes the next step in development and solidifies a place on a team’s roster.
And there’s no reason to believe that 2016 will be any different.
What follows is a look at 10 players, all 26 years old or younger, who are on the verge of following in the footsteps of prospects like Trevor Story, Steven Matz and Corey Seager, who have all become integral parts of their respective club’s core.
Some of these players have already gotten a taste of life in the big leagues, while others are drawing closer to making their major league debuts. None of them have made a major impact at the game’s highest level—at least not yet—but their times are quickly approaching.
How quickly? It wouldn’t be at all surprising to see many—if not all—of these players in the big leagues over the next few weeks.