Projecting prospects is as much a baseball pastime as hot dogs, brush-back heaters and PEDs.
Debates ensue, disappointment is ever present and the occasional can’t-miss gem actually doesn’t miss. So is the way of the prospect world, one filled with teenagers and young 20-somethings full of unpredictability in a game that relies heavily on seeing the future.
That is the gamble every team takes, and that is the fun of it. For every Alex Rodriguez or David Price, there is a Bryan Bullington or Matt Bush to shine a humbling light on the entire process. Yet we will always predict, always hope and always throw a little caution out the clubhouse doors.
Looking ahead at the crop of prospects closest to the majors, some of them expected to make their debuts as soon as April, there are a handful that will not only be good, they will be All-Stars. By their fourth season in the big leagues, assuming good health, expect these top prospects to excel into the MidSummer Classic by 2017.