10 elite prospects poised to be difference-makers this summer 1k746

With the debut of Roman Anthony, regarded by many as the top prospect in baseball, it's truly become the year of the prospect. 31v2d

Among those on Baseball America's preseason top-100 list, five of the top eight have appeared in the majors this season: Roki Sasaki (No. 1), Anthony (No. 2), Jackson Jobe (No. 3), Kristian Campbell (No. 4), and Chase Dollander (No. 8).

Another 17 prospects from the top 100 have arrived since the start of the season, which doesn't include players such as Ronny Mauricio, Jordan Lawlar, Dylan Crews, Jasson Dominguez, and Coby Mayo who retained prospect status but had already debuted at the major-league level.

Even more are expected to be on their way, including elite pitching prospects Bubba Chandler, Andrew Painter, and perhaps Chase Burns.

Of course, it's never been more difficult to make the jump to the major leagues. Most prospects do not succeed in their exposure to the majors. So who among those preseason prospects will make the biggest impact the rest of the season? Let's explore …

10. Kristian Campbell 5t4k4m

Age: 22, INF/OF, Red Sox
Baseball America preseason ranking: No. 4
June ranking update: No. 3

He's gone through a slump after a strong April, and he's not optimizing his on balls in play. But he's a five-tool player who's best baseball is in front of him. Fellow top prospect Marcelo Mayer did not even make the list because of playing time uncertainty, but it tells us how promising the future is for the Red Sox.

9. Ronny Mauricio 2n3l1s

Age: 24, 2B/3B, Mets
Preseason: Not ranked

Few players own tools as loud as Mauricio, who just returned from a lengthy rehab for an ACL repair. He parked a home run into the third deck of Coors Field last week with a fluid, effortless swing. He has some swing-and-miss and near-term playing time questions, but he's an extreme five-tool talent who could be a difference-maker as the Mets try to maintain their lead in the National League East.

8. Addison Barger 42162k

Age: 25, 3B/OF, Blue Jays
Preseason: Not ranked

Only 13 MLB batters have bat speed superior to Barger's 75.7 mph, and almost no one else can throw harder among position players (99th percentile arm strength). He's cut his strikeout rate by three percentage points from his debut last year.

A sixth-round pick in 2018, he’s one of the Jays’ top player development stories in recent years. Barger is tied with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. as the club’s best hitter over the past month (148 wRC+)

7. Nick Kurtz 7c43

Age: 22, 1B, Athletics
Preseason: No. 34
June update: No. 18

The golden age of first basemen ended with the retirements of Albert Pujols, Joey Votto, and Miguel Cabrera, but a new one might be beginning with rookies Kurtz, Jac Caglianone, and Bryce Eldridge.

Kurtz owns such elite bat speed and swings with such force that his helmet often falls off during his swing. He was just getting into a power groove before a hip injury sent him to the injured list in late May. But he's back, and some compare him to Jim Thome for good reason.

6. Bubba Chandler nmd

Age: 22, SP, Pirates
Preseason: No. 7
June update: No. 4

The Pirates' suppression of his service time is egregious. Chandler's electric arm - he's touched 102 mph this season in Triple-A - made him one of their best five starting options in March. He was named the International League pitcher for the month for April and owns a 2.49 ERA this season. Dating back to last year, he's tallied 124 strikeouts in 90 Triple-A innings. He's more than ready to make an impact.

5. Roman Anthony 6h263i

Age: 21, OF, Red Sox
Preseason: No. 2
June update: No. 1

The only real question regarding Anthony is his youth (he just turned 21 in May) and lack of time at the upper levels of the minors (429 Triple-A plate appearances). His loud and well-rounded skillset are indisputable. In of trade value, he ranks No. 1 on this list.

4. Andrew Painter 6t3i62

Age: 22, SP, Phillies
Preseason: No. 8
June update: No. 14

He has yet to debut, but that's intentional. The Phillies created a special plan - call it a Reverse Strasburg - to manage Painter's innings in his return from Tommy John surgery. They want to make sure he's available later in the season when games take on greater meaning. He combines above-average velocity, a deep arsenal of pitches, and pristine command.

Although he hasn't been as dominant as he was before Tommy John surgery, he's still been very good and has advanced to Triple-A while knocking off the rust. With Aaron Nola out indefinitely, Jesus Luzardo shaky in recent outings, and rookie Mick Abel hardly a sure thing in the rotation, the Phillies are going to need innings from Painter and might not be able to wait much longer to call upon him.

No. 3 Jacob Wilson 1u224w

Age: 23, SS, Athletics
Preseason: No. 38
June update: Graduated from prospect status

Jacob Wilson is perhaps the front-runner for AL Rookie of the Year. Why is he not leading this list? Projections have him hitting only .290-.320 the rest of the way versus his .366 mark.

It's tough to be the top impact position player on the list without even average power, but he owns the highest floor. He's Luis Arráez, if Arráez played shortstop, and that’s an incredible building block for the A's.

2. Roki Sasaki 6oj6j

Age: 23, SP, Dodgers
Preseason: No. 1
June update: No. 2

Yes, Sasaki's early starts were uneven, and he hardly looked like the ready-made ace he was d to be. He was not 100% early this season, but he could be when he returns from a shoulder injury that has sidelined him for a month. The Dodgers are hoping he'll be the pitcher he was in Japan with elite velocity and good command over three above-average pitches, including an 80-grade splitter that darts unpredictably. No other player on the list has that upside this summer. If not for health question marks, he’d rank No. 1.

1. Jac Caglianone 163s1x

Age: 22, OF/1B, Royals
Preseason: No. 63
June update: No. 34

There was no question about Caglianone's power coming out of the draft last year. Only a handful of major leaguers can match his elite bat speed and raw power, including fellow University of Florida product Pete Alonso.

And Caglianone might just have a chance at Alonso-like rookie impact despite not being a consensus top-50 prospect to begin the season. He's made major strides with improved swing decisions. He whiffs less often than Kurtz and has similar raw power. He struck out just four times in his first 29 MLB plate appearances. His arrow is pointing way up.

The Royals desperately need offensive help, particularly in the outfield. Caglianone is the best bet to provide an All-Star-like impact from the get-go for a team that needs it to stay competitive in the AL wild-card race.

Travis Sawchik is theScore's senior baseball writer.