It has been quite an exciting time for baseball fans. With the recent promotions of Carlos Correa, Byron Buxton, and Francisco Lindor, the MLB is getting a heavy dose of prospect fever.
And these young stars aren’t just around to sell tickets, they are jump-starting a playoff push for their respective ballclubs. The Astros, Twins and Indians are firmly in the postseason conversation. Houston is holding on to the top spot in the A.L. West, while Minnesota and Cleveland are gaining momentum in a wide open A.L. Central.
The first domino fell in Houston, when Correa, the first overall selection of the 2012 MLB Amateur Draft, received the coveted big league call. He made his debut on June 8th, and has been having a relatively solid start to his MLB career.
Already the Astros everyday shortstop, Correa has batted .263 with four RBI’s. In addition to his bat, the 20-year-old has also shown off his advanced fielding skills during his short MLB tenure.
With Correa already positioned as an everyday player, the Indians and Twins wasted no time in showcasing their young stars to the baseball world. Both Buxton and Lindor received major league callups over the weekend, each bringing something unique to the table.
Buxton has been regarded as a potential five-tool player. The Twins knew this when they drafted the 21-year-old with the second pick of the 2012 MLB Amateur Draft. Minnesota was desperately looking to add punch to a lineup that doesn’t have one true star player on its roster.
The addition of Buxton will give the Twins a much needed boost offensively with his power and speed. Cleveland isn’t in the immediate playoff picture, but the team has come on strong recently. One of the main factors in the Tribes early season struggles was poor defensive play from Opening Day shortstop, Jose Ramirez.
The Indians opted to send Ramirez to AAA and decided to bring Lindor to the main roster a week later. Lindor has been regarded as one of the best defensive shortstop prospects in baseball, and his impact on Cleveland will be felt the moment he steps onto the diamond.
The 2015 MLB season has been full of prospect success. Kris Bryant, Addison Russell, Joc Pederson, Maikel Franco, Joey Gallo, and Carlos Rondon are just some of the young stars that have made an impact on the baseball scene. And the fun may not end there, as players such as Corey Seager and J.P. Crawford could make their way onto major league lineup cards this season.
So, while Correa, Buxton and Lindor settle onto their respective teams, the next set of stars are well on the way to major league ballparks. It really is an exciting time to be a baseball fan.