If there’s one thing that’s always being planned in the MLB, it’s the future. Minor League Baseball prospects are continually being analyzed, traded and scouted. The few who stand out from the rest are close to the big show.
Shohei Ohtani, generally regarded as the baseball’s No. 1 Minor League Baseball prospect, has taken the major leagues by storm in his first taste of the majors.
He doesn’t necessarily fit the “typical” mold of a No. 1 prospect. Most of the time, baseball’s top prospects are revered for their dominance of minor league ball.
We don’t know what they can accomplish in the majors, but we usually have an idea.
Ohtani is an exception, but behind him exists a wealth of elite minor leaguers.
Most of these players have already shown flashes of superstardom at the next level.
The Atlanta Braves, San Diego Padres, Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees are owners of some of the game’s deepest pools of talent.
The Philadelphia Phillies, Cincinnati Reds and Oakland A’s are all systems that have seen a spike in their talent with recent trades and smart drafting.
Some of the game’s premier prospects won’t see the majors just yet, though.
Vladimir Guerrero, Jr., for example, won’t reach the majors until 2019 at the earliest.
Of the five selected prospects who will be analyzed, two are pitchers. The rest are outfielders and infielders. More importantly, these players look to become household names sooner than later.