4. Troy Tulowitzki
It’s awful to see a promising career get derailed by injuries, which is one reason that so many people will be rooting for Troy Tulowitzki during 2019 MLB season.
From 2010 to 2014, Tulo seemed like the future of baseball, and though he no longer can reclaim that title at this point in his career he still can prove that he’s a solid player worthy of a starting spot. After missing most of 2017 and all of 2018 with various lower body problems Tulowitzki has been given a second chance by the Yankees, and it’s a chance he isn’t taking for granted.
At this point it looks like Tulo will likely be the team’s opening day shortstop, filling in at that position until Didi Gregorius returns from Tommy John surgery.
Once Gregorious is back Tulowitzki is going to see his playing time go down drastically, so if he wants to show potential teams that he’s worth signing for 2020 and beyond he’ll need to make an impression early. There are a lot of rumors swirling around that the Yankees are looking to extend Didi, so it’d be surprising if Tulo stuck around longer than this season.
Facing the open market this offseason will be daunting for Tulowitzki.
Locking down a solid spot as a 34-year-old shortstop is tough enough without a history of injuries, and if he wants a shot at regular playtime with a decent paycheck he’ll need to showcase his offensive skillset against some tough pitching in the AL East.