Youngsters on the rise
Gavin Lux, Dustin May: Along with their treasure trove of established talent, the Dodgers boast two of baseball’s best prospects in Lux and May, rated No. 2 and No. 32 in MLB Pipeline, respectively. Lux, an infielder, tapped into his raw power last season, slugging 28 combined home runs in Double-a and Triple-a before being called up. May started a couple games for Los Angeles, but mainly came out of the bullpen, totaling a 3.63 ERA in 34-2/3 innings.
Bo Bichette, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Cavan Biggio: The future is now in Toronto. The Blue Jays boast not one, not two, but three sons of former players in their infield. That bloodline is plenty apparent as all three have the potential to morph into offensive stars. Last season, Biggio totaled 16 home runs and 14 steals in 100 games while Guerrero Jr. hit .272 and smacked 15 homers in 123 games. The most impressive of the trio, however, was Bichette. In 46 games, he slashed .311/.358/.930 with 11 home runs and 21 RBIS.
Fernando Tatis Jr.: If last season was a glimpse of what’s to come, the future of baseball is in good hands. The Padres’ Tatis Jr. electrified audiences with his daring baserunning, catching infielders sleeping to take an extra base or scoring from third on sacrifice flies. He was also a menace with the bat, slashing .317/.379/.590 with 22 home runs in 84 games. Entering his age-21 season, Tatis Jr. projects to be one of the game’s best shortstops for the next decade.
Jesús Luzardo: Luzardo stepped on the mound to face the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL Wild Card game relatively unknown to a national audience. After three scoreless innings, Luzardo departed with an aura as the A’s ace of the future. With a fastball that can touch triple digits combined with a nasty slider and changeup, Luzardo has the tools to headline Oakland’s starting rotation for years to come.
Luis Robert: Before Robert played a single game at the major league level, the Chicago White Sox inked him to a six-year, $50 million contract extension with two club options this offseason. After dealing with injuries in 2017 and 2018, Robert was fully healthy last season, slashing .328/.376/.624 with 32 home runs and 36 steals. The White Sox could make him their starting center fielder come Opening Day.
Brendan Mckay: The Tampa Bay Rays boast the league’s most progressive front office, so it’s only appropriate they have a prospect who embodies the versatility-centric future of baseball. Mckay is one of many two-way players who have sprouted up in recent seasons. His pitching is far more advanced than his hitting — he had a 1.10 ERA compared to a .200 batting average last year in the minors — and he will primarily pitch this season.
Jo Adell: The Angels already provided Mike Trout with a complementary star by signing Anthony Rendon this offseason, but another in-house option is waiting in the wings. Adell, MLB Pipeline’s No. 6 overall prospect, might be joining Trout in the outfield soon enough. In 43 games with the Double-a Mobile Baybears, Adell slashed .308/.390/.553 with eight home runs.