Who’s going to be up next by organization

Predicting which player is next-in-line for a major league call-up involves looking at readiness to contribute, the timing of young prospects in relationship to their Super-2 status, and finally, where the need might be on the major league team.

Let’s review the case of Gregory Polanco vs. George Springer to see just how difficult this task can be.

• The Pittsburgh Pirates will likely call top prospect Gregory Polanco in mid-June once the Super-2 date is firmly in the rear-view mirror.  While he looks to be ready, the Pirates are not in dire need of his services as they are winning and getting servicable production from their right field platoon.  However, if they sign him to a long-term deal, he could be up the next day.  How likely is that?  It’s possible as it’s happening throughout the major leagues.
• The Astros on the other hand are terrible and needed a shot in the arm.  Since the date for an extra year of control had passed, the Astros decided to worry about the potential extra cost that the Super-2 status will mean later and promoted George Springer.  He was ready and the Astros were…well, desperate to bring some excitement to a fan base in desperate need of a shot in the arm.

At least once a month, we will be updating our team profiles on who we believe are next in line in the infield, outfield, starting pitching, and relief pitching.  For each player we provide an indicator as to their fantasy relevance (High, Medium, or Low) as well as a brief write-up of the more significant players.  The target audience is primarily fantasy players.  For instance, if you own Pablo Sandoval and he gets injured or just continues to play poorly, is there anybody who can help?  We hope we can answer those questions and many more.

Liked it? Take a second to support Rich Wilson on Patreon!