We know what you’re thinking: Here comes another prospects piece that’s going to rehash the same old stuff about the same old prospects that we’ve been hearing about for way too long. In some regards, you’re right—Julio Urias is absolutely going to make an appearance here.
But the criteria we’ve come up with for inclusion on this list opens the door for some lesser-known prospects to have a light shined on them for once.
Aside from the obvious—performance—there are only two boxes a prospect had to check off in order to be considered: That they’ve not yet reached the big leagues and that they appear on MLB.com’s top 100 prospects list.
That first part disqualifies players like Byron Buxton and Joey Gallo, but really, what could we possibly say about them that hasn’t already been said? Both have had success in the minors but struggled mightily in the majors. Nothing aside from sustained big league success is going to change anyone’s opinion of them.
Two things you’re apt to notice on the pages that follow: There’s a whole lot of talent working its way toward the big leagues besides the Buxtons and Gallos of the world—and the Carolina League (High-A) is absolutely stacked with much of that talent.
As far as the actual rankings go, a number of factors were taken into consideration, including but not limited to a player’s performance and the level at which they’re currently playing. But ultimately, these are completely subjective. What stands out for us may not do the same for you.
That said, let’s take a look at the most impressive prospects thus far in 2016.