As we draw closer and closer to Spring Training and Opening Day, questions about ‘the next big thing’ only intensify. Therefore, we’re bringing you the top five prospects at each position, so that you can have a leg up on your competition by chasing the upside these guys provide in the later rounds. One quick note, I chose to leave international players who will start 2015 in the majors off this list. That means no Yasmani Tomas, Rusney Castillo, or potentially Hector Olivera. Even though they are technically rookies, I want to focus on players who have spent time in the minor leagues.
In this article, we’ll look at starting pitching prospects headed into 2015. This year’s crop features tremendous upside, but also enormous risk – as is common with prospects. Lucas Giolito and Dylan Bundy have already succumbed to torn UCLs. Carlos Rodon was overworked during his last collegiate season at NC State, which led to a decrease in velocity and injury concerns. Archie Bradley is just a year removed from a flexor mass strain in his pitching elbow, and an all-around ineffective season. That leaves us with Julio Urias, who at nineteen years of age has a clean bill of health, but has yet to surpass 150 professional innings.
Julio Urias – Dodgers
Urias may not be as close to the major leagues as any of the other prospects on this list, but his upside alone justifies his number one ranking. Urias has done nothing but impress during his professional career. He features three pitches – a fastball, curveball, and changeup – all of which profile as plus pitches at the major league level. His electric stuff led to him striking out 109 batters in just 87⅔ innings throughout 2014. You can expect the Dodgers to continue challenging their young phenom in 2015. If 2013 and 2014 are an accurate preview, Urias should continue to flash his brilliance as he continues to climb the minor league ladder.
Lucas Giolito – Nationals
As the Nationals continue to slowly but surely release the reins on Giolito, the rest of the world is starting to see just how special of a talent he really is. After successfully recovering and rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, Giolito has done nothing but impress in the 136⅔ professional innings he has pitched. In 2014, the Nats allowed him to throw 98 innings, in which he responded by striking out 110 batters using his overpowering fastball and curveball combo paired with a rapidly improving changeup. Giolito will likely not reach the majors in 2015, but he should reach Double-A at the very least, positioning himself to be an early addition to the 2016 big league club.
Carlos Rodon – White Sox
After being picked by the White Sox in the 2014 draft, it looked like Rodon might be receiving the ‘Chris Sale’ treatment. He flew through the minor leagues and was seriously considered for a September promotion to pitch out of the White Sox bullpen. Had the White Sox been in the thick of a playoff race, we would likely be talking about how he fared in the majors instead of how he could potentially perform this year. Rodon is equipped with a nasty arsenal, headlined by a slider that shatters the 70 point scale – a pitch would profile as one of the best sliders in the majors today. As the rest of his pitches develop, his walk total – the one blemish on his first professional year – should decrease. Judging by their aggressive off-season, the White Sox are clearly in full on win-now mode. This likely means we will see Rodon pitch on U.S. Cellular Field sooner rather than later.
Dylan Bundy – Orioles
After a dominant 2012, which even featured 1⅔ innings at the major league level from the bullpen, Bundy fell victim to a torn UCL. Tommy John surgery followed, which led to Bundy missing the entire 2013 season. The Orioles eased Bundy back up to speed with 41⅓ innings in 2014. There is no doubt that Bundy possesses some of the best pure stuff in all of the minor leagues. He can touch 100 mph with his fastball, has a plus plus cutter, a filthy curveball (which generates most of his strikeouts), and a quickly developing changeup. This repertoire has led to Bundy posting an absurd minor league stat line: a 2.24 ERA, 9.7 K/9, and 1.03 WHIP. While Bundy may be ready for the majors today, the Orioles will likely err on the side of caution and let him begin 2015 in the minors. However, it shouldn’t be long before Bundy gets the call to pitch from the bullpen in the majors, and the nod to join the starting rotation soon after that.
Archie Bradley – Diamondbacks
After impressing in 2014 Spring Training, many were calling for Bradley to start the season in the Diamondbacks rotation. However, Bradley’s season was all downhill after that. A flexor mass strain and a 4.45 ERA is definitely not what you want to see from your top prospect and potential future ace. Despite the disappointing 2014, Bradley’s raw stuff suggests that seasons with 200+ strikeouts could be in his future. Additionally, this year’s Arizona Fall League showed that Bradley has reclaimed more of his former velocity. With an impressive Spring Training, Bradley could break into 2015 on the big league roster. Even if he doesn’t begin this season in the majors, he should surface soon. Similar to Bundy, Bradley is a special talent that has lost some buzz around his name due to injury. Once baseball resumes in 2015, it shouldn’t take long for people to realize why Bradley was a top 10 pick back in 2011.
Bobby Jacowleff is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from Bobby, check out his archive.