SPECULATOR: Paths to prospect stardom
Jun 9 2021
The "A-Rod 10-Step Path to Stardom" has been a longtime staple in the Baseball Forecaster (page 53 in the 2021 version). It's our annual reminder that even the best prospects rarely hit the ground running. A more common path to stardom is filled with highs and lows; from a poor initial MLB cameo to a minor league demotion, to another crack in the majors; rinse and repeat.
We all know the Mike Trout example—he slashed .220/.281/.390 in his 2011 debut before becoming Mike Trout—but there are plenty of others (Lucas Giolito, and more recently Kyle Lewis, Carson Kelly, Tyler O'Neill, etc.) who needed a couple of tries before it started to click. The Acuñas, Tatis's, and Sotos of the world are the exceptions, not the rule.
So this week,...
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