Julio Urias
Including Julio Urias on this list is a bit of a gamble. Still only 19 years old, he’ll start the year in the minors and isn’t guaranteed to receive a call-up at any point. Nevertheless, considering his immense talent and the Dodgers’ potential rotation problems outside of Clayton Kershaw, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that he could be fast-tracked to the big leagues.
Urias surged through four minor league levels last year. His longest stay was at Double-A Tulsa, where he posted a 2.77 ERA, 0.995 WHIP and 9.7 K/9 in 13 starts (68.1 IP). MLB.com currently has him pegged as the fourth best prospect in all of baseball, and some even argue whether that’s too low.
MLB.com praises the lefty for “plus or better stuff across the board.” His fastball reaches 97 and he mixes in a “big-breaking” curveball and changeup as well. He’ll need to prove he can be successful at Triple-A first, but when he reaches the majors he has all the makings of an ace.
Next: Trea Turner