Guys That Could Be Called Up Soon

By Guest
Updated: June 13, 2012

Anthony Rizzo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

By Ross Parcel
Jun 11, 2012
Mr. Fantasy Freak

Every season, many young minor league players earn their way to The Bigs by putting up impressive numbers in Triple-A. Others are forced to come up because of an injury. There are numerous reasons why prospects get the call, but one thing is certain: these guys want to stick with the big league club.
Before I go any further in this article, I want to point out something. All of this is just speculation on my part. I don’t have any connections whispering into my ear here. I’m solely looking at each individual situation for what it is. Maybe a player on the big league club is hurt or unperforming. Or maybe the prospect has passed over the veteran in the management’s eyes. Either way, you could see these guys on your favorite team soon.

Trevor Bauer, RHP, Arizona:
The Diamondbacks took him with their first pick in the 2011 draft out of UCLA. He was Gerit Cole’s second banana in college, but appears to be far ahead of his teammate on the path to the big leagues. He is pitching lights out. Bauer started the seaosn in Double-A, where he posted a 7-1 record with a 1.68 ERA. His only knock was the 26 walks in just 48.1 innings pitched. Still, management moved him up to Triple-A, where he picked up where he left off. His 3-0 record, with 1.97 ERA is sparkling to say the least. He has 102 strikeouts in 80 innings pitched! Well, he also has 40 walks in that same time span. If he can cut down on his walks, that Diamondbacks rotation is a top 5 in the game, in my opinion.

Anthony Rizzo, 1B, Chicago Cubs:
Rizzo seems like a household name, even though he hasn’t done much at the major league level yet. Still just 22, however, Rizzo has a spectacular batting average this season in Triple-A Iowa (.363). His 20 home runs are also a sight for sour eyes in Wrigley. His power will play there easily. With Bryan LaHair seemingly coming back to earth after his great April, Rizzo might get his shot. And who knows what Theo Epstein will bring in if/when they trade Matt Garza? This team is looking to get young quick, and Rizzo could be the first of many moves for what appears to be a selling Cubs team.

Kevin Chapman, LHP, Houston:
Acquired in a deal with Kansas City for catcher Humberto Quintero an outfielder Jason Bourgeois, Chapman has done very well at Double-A Corpus Christi. The 24-year-old reliever has great stuff, helping him to a 3-2 record and 2.30 ERA out of the pen. He has closer stuff, and very well may get the chance soon. This is especially true if the Astros decide to trade veteran closer Brett Myers. The Astros have a decent core lead by second baseman Jose Altuve, Bud Norris, and Jed Lowrie. Look for Chapman to be next in line for the closer’s role in the next few years.

Derek Norris, C, Oakland:
The upside with Norris is his power. He has twice reached the 20-home-run plateau in a season. He has 8 so far this year, and is batting .283 as of Monday. With Kurt Suzuki struggling this season (.219 AVG, O HR), and the A’s offense continuing to be complacent, maybe it’s time to see what the 23-year-old Norris can do.

Wil Myers, OF, Kansas City:
Royals fan are ready to see this 21-year-old make Kaufman Stadium his permanent home. And why not? His combined .342 AVG, 21 HR, and 56 RBI’s between Double-A and Triple-A make all Royals fans salivate. Add in his .404 OBP and 1.128 OPS, and it seems outrageous to not give this kid a chance. Drafted as a catcher, but then moved to the outfield to get his bat to the Majors faster, Myers has been dabbling in centerfield recently. With Royals centerfielder Jarrod doing next to nothing, an injured Lorenzo Cain, acquired from Milwaukee in the Zack Greinke deal, always hurt, it makes no sense not to bring up Myers and let him play at the highest level.

There are the only ones that I felt necessary to post. Other players from other teams can definitely bring impact guys up, as well. I just picked teams that more than likely won’t be contending this year, and picked a player I thought could help now and in the long run. Questions? Opinions? Am I an idiot? Let me know by leaving a comment.