Spring training offers fans and teams alike a chance to get a glimpse into the future, with some of baseball’s top prospects putting their skills on display for all to see. We’ve heard the hype; now we finally get to see what it’s all about.
Not all top prospects are created equal, of course. Some look like they’re ready for prime time, while others leave little doubt that, while talented, there’s still lots of development left before they can be considered major league-ready.
When it comes to some of the more impressive position-player prospects, it’s important to remember that, this early in spring training, pitchers are more concerned with building up arm strength than results, so they feed batters a healthy dose of fastballs, resulting in some impressive—but misleading—offensive numbers.
That’s not to say these prospects aren’t talented—they are. So it’d be futile to sit here and buy or sell on a player’s skill level. Instead, we’ll look at the most impressive top prospects and buy or sell their chances of having an early impact in the big leagues, whether it be on Opening Day or early in the regular season.