Prospect Projections: AL Central rookies

We at MiLB.com are counting down the days until Minor League Opening Day (73 days from today). Dozens of prospects will be heading to Florida and Arizona in a few weeks with an eye on landing big league jobs, so, as we edge closer to Spring Training, it's a good time to take a look at rookie-eligible players who could make an impact in the Majors.

Here's the third of a six-part, division-by-division look at top prospects who could exhaust their rookie status in 2015, continuing with the American League Central. Below, you'll find analysis regarding who could make an impact as well as Steamer projections (taken with gratitude from Fangraphs) for those players. For those who don't know, Steamer is a projection system that uses statistics, age, level and other factors to predict player performance. The system makes for a fun point of reference in trying to gauge which prospects could play the biggest short-term roles.

 Chicago White Sox

Chicago recently traded away infielder Marcus Semien, who had emerged from the system as the likely long-term solution at second base. That leaves the door open for Micah Johnson or Carlos Sanchez to assume big league duties at the keystone, and the White Sox should be happy to let them battle it out. Johnson has more offensive upside with a career .297 Minor League average and 125 steals in 302 games. But Sanchez is a sharper defender and finally showed some production at Triple-A last year. Steamer gives Johnson the edge for now, but Sanchez seems likely to contribute more than -0.9 runs defensively and will probably get first cracks, thanks to experience. So right now, it's his position to lose.

Elsewhere around the diamond, Matt Davidson will probably head back to Triple-A, looking to put a disastrous 2014 season behind him. The third baseman claims to have grown from those struggles, having rebuilt his confidence from the ground floor. It's possible some extra confidence would help the 23-year-old regain his prospect stock, though a little more contact would go even further. In the outfield, Trayce Thompson doesn't figure to ever hit for much average, but he can do everything else and holds immense fantasy upside -- albeit with more risk than your average Double-A prospect. Tim Anderson is included more for posterity's sake. A September callup is possible, but more likely Anderson could play his way to a mid-2016 ETA with a solid performance this season.

Notably absent from this list is 2014 first-rounder (No. 3 overall) Carlos Rodon. The left-hander was omitted because Steamer does not have a projection for him, but the 22-year-old seems likely to reach the Majors this season after pitching in Triple-A late last year. The North Carolina State product produced a 2.92 ERA in nine Minor League appearances, striking out 38 over 24 2/3 innings. A mid-2015 promotion seems well within reason, especially given Chicago's aggressive history of moving up starting pitchers.

Francellis Montas was added to the 40-man roster in the offseason but is probably still a year or two away from the Majors if Chicago intends to keep him as a starter. If Montas were to be fast-tracked as a reliever, Steamer thinks he's already capable of striking out big league hitters, but his walk rate would probably preclude him from having a notable impact short term. The same can be said of reliever Onelki Garcia, whom the Sox claimed off waivers from the Dodgers in November.

Biggest impactor: Neither Adam LaRoche nor Jose Abreu are particularly rangy at first base, meaning defense at the keystone could be crucial. That puts Sanchez in a position to leverage his skill set into regular playing time. Expectations for his offensive output should be curbed -- his breakout last year was aided by Triple-A Charlotte's hitter-friendly new park -- but he should hit enough for the bottom third of the order.

Fantasy special: It's unclear just how quickly Chicago will push Rodon, but when he establishes himself in the Majors, his slider should immediately become one of the game's better strikeout pitches. The 22-year-old has the frame to take on a heavy workload and should do so with decent strikeout, ERA and WHIP numbers, making him a fantasy asset for the short and long term. Johnson also could prove valuable for his ability to steal bases.

 Cleveland Indians

Perhaps no team featured in this series so far has a greater depth of position prospects ready to take on Major League roles. Francisco Lindor is obviously the most exciting of that group. After spending most of 2014 at Double-A, the shortstop likely will get at least half a season in Triple-A before jumping to Cleveland. Steamer projects below-average offensive production from Lindor in the short term, but the WAR calculation listed supposes average defense. If one believes most scouting reports provided on the web, average defensive production would be a disappointment for Lindor, so a projection of 1.5-2 WAR over 600 plate appearances might be more realistic.

Lindor isn't the only quality defender likely sold short by Steamer's projections. It's not unreasonable to expect Giovany Urshela, Tyler Naquin and Erik Gonzalez to save runs better than average players at their respective positions. Urshela in particular has a chance to impact the club as a defensive replacement for Lonnie Chisenhall.

The cavalry isn't as strong on the pitching side. Cody Anderson is the system's closest thing to an MLB-ready rookie starter, but Steamer is not bullish on the right-hander's short-term prospects. In the bullpen, C.C. Lee, Austin Adams and Shawn Armstrong provide some depth, with Lee and Adams pitching in the Majors last season.

Biggest impactor: Lindor's ceiling is the highest on this list. The only thing standing between him and a starting job is Jose Ramirez, a 22-year-old who impressed last season but hasn't cemented his place as a long-term solution just yet. The Indians are in win-now mode, so if injuries or performance create a situation where Cleveland is best poised with Lindor at short, the infielder could get promoted this season. His glove will make an immediate impact, at least.

Fantasy special: The offensive bar is low at shortstop, so if Lindor can take a step forward with the bat, he's probably the most valuable asset listed above. That said, none of the Indians' MLB-ready prospects is likely to be an impact fantasy asset.

 Detroit Tigers

Alex Avila and Bryan Holaday are likely to break camp as the Tigers' catchers, but James McCann is probably ready for at least backup duties after posting a .770 OPS at Triple-A last season and getting a September cup of coffee in Detroit. The backstop has a limited offensive ceiling, but coaches and teammates have raved about his leadership and game-calling skills and he should become a solid defender. McCann should be an asset defensively, meaning there isn't much he'll have to provide offensively to at least be worth a roster spot.

Steven Moya broke out with 35 homers at Double-A Erie in 2014 and earned a brief look in Detroit at year's end. A season in Triple-A likely awaits, but if the 23-year-old can make a little more contact, a midseason callup is possible. Steamer thinks the power will translate immediately, but 20-plus homers wouldn't make up for a lackluster .265 on-base percentage. More likely to make an impact in 2015 are Hernan Perez and Tyler Collins, both of whom profile as excellent bench options. Dixon Machado is a long shot to reach Detroit before September, but as perhaps the system's best defensive shortstop, he could provide value, especially if he can replicate his .832 Double-A OPS at Triple-A to start the season.

Ten of Detroit's Top 20 prospects played at Double-A or higher in 2014, including five of the pitchers listed above. Unfortunately for the Tigers, none are projected for even replacement-level production by Steamer. Buck Farmer will be an interesting prospect to watch in 2015. The 2013 fifth-rounder catapulted from Class A West Michigan to the Majors to make four surprising appearances in August and September. The 23-year-old will probably head to Triple-A and could be first in line if injuries hit Detroit's rotation. Other candidates include Drew VerHagen, Kyle Lobstein and Kyle Ryan.

In the bullpen, Chad Smith likely will compete for a Major League bullpen spot in Spring Training. Behind him, Jose Valdez, Melvin Mercedes and Angel Nesbitt are similar pitchers featuring big fastballs and lackluster control. Valdez and Mercedes are ahead of Nesbitt at this point.

Biggest impactor: None of the above are likely to be contributors for the Tigers' 2015 run at an elusive World Series title. The most likely to see regular action in the Majors are McCann and Perez, though, since both are perhaps one injury from sliding into starting roles.

Fantasy special: Moya is about as boom-or-bust as an upper-level position prospect can be, but the potential rewards are huge if the hit tool can develop. Moya could slug 30-plus homers and reach double digits in stolen bases if everything comes together -- something only Mike Trout and Giancarlo Stanton did in 2014 -- but again, the risk factor is huge and the most likely outcome is far, far short of the ceiling.

 Kansas City Royals

Steamer projects three players to produce fringe-average production if given regular playing time in Reymond Fuentes, Christian Colon and Francisco Pena. None of the three figures to get that playing time unless the Royals are hit by injuries, however. Colon spent time on the big league roster last year and figures to be a backup middle infielder. Fuentes was acquired from San Diego in the offseason and fits the Royals' M.O. as a speedy outfielder with strong defensive abilities -- Steamer is likely selling him short in the latter category. If Fuentes can put together a .674 OPS, as Steamer projects above, he would profile as an excellent fourth outfielder. Pena, meawhile, broke out with 27 homers at Triple-A Omaha in 2014. His power production would be an asset behind the plate, but he's also older than incumbent Salvador Perez and has to compete with Erik Kratz for Major League time.

Behind those three, Kansas City has a mix of Top 20 prospects and solid upper-level performers who could fill roles if spots open. Outfielders Lane Adams, Paulo Orlando and Brett Eibner all fall into the latter class, particularly Adams and Orlando. The more prospect-y names above (Hunter Dozier, Cheslor Cuthbert, Jorge Bonifacio) probably won't see much time, if any, in Kansas City this season. Steamer would agree that, while each has notable offensive upside, none is likely ready to hit big league pitching.

Kyle Zimmer has only 152 2/3 professional innings under his belt since being selected fifth overall in the 2012 Draft, so expecting 200 innings in 2015 is unrealistic. That said, he's posted gaudy numbers when he has pitched, so expecting Zimmer to succeed if he does reach the Majors in 2015 is decidedly more realistic. Health, of course, will play a deciding factor in whether that happens, as shoulder and elbow issues have slowed the right-hander as a pro.

The Royals have some quality depth in the pitching department. The Triple-A rotation will feature some combination of Brian Flynn, John Lamb, Aaron Brooks, Yohan Pino, Brandon Finnegan, Chris Dwyer, Christian Binford, Andy Ferguson and Sam Selman, most of whom either have Major League experience or Major League futures. After making 48 starts for Triple-A New Orleans the past two seasons, Flynn -- acquired from Miami in November for Aaron Crow -- could be the first man up from Omaha if there's an injury. Finnegan also is likely to see Kansas City in 2015. The 2014 first-rounder (17th overall) was fast-tracked to the Majors last year as a reliever but should return to starting at Triple-A to begin 2015. If Finnegan remains a reliever, Steamer projects solid, if unspectacular, production this year.

Biggest impactor: Finnegan was a key bullpen contributor when Kansas City played its way to the World Series last season and should play a big role in 2015, as well. That role is to be determined, as he could return to the bullpen in the second half if the team has a need and his results as a starter are underwhelming. There's also a good chance Finnegan shines in Triple-A and joins the Royals' rotation to stay at some point.

Fantasy special: If Finnegan sticks as a starter, he could be a strikeout machine. Control was a question when he was drafted, and at 5-foot-11, he doesn't have a frame that screams "innings eater." Despite those question marks, he's a prospect worth monitoring for fantasy owners.

Minnesota Twins

In a different, less cruel world, 2014 would've been the season both Miguel Sano and Byron Buxton ascended to Minnesota and began their Major League careers. Instead, both had their seasons undone by injuries. Now, 2015 looks to be the year the Twins' prized 1-2 prospect punch makes its way to Target Field -- so says Twins general manager Terry Ryan -- and Steamer is still high on both. Sano's elite power should translate quickly, making him an immediate asset at the hot corner. Buxton, meanwhile, has more to prove to Steamer on both sides of the ball. The projection system wants to see more offense at higher levels before predicting even average offensive production, while scouting reports suggest Steamer is underselling Buxton's defense by projecting exactly average results.

Jorge Polanco is less heralded but still notable among Minnesota's Top 20 prospects after making his Major League debut last June. Polanco made some strides defensively in 2014, impressing evaluators in the Florida State League who think his average defensive tools can play up, with one rival manager saying, "I think he can play shortstop, no problem." His bat projects well at short, though Steamer is still skeptical, considering the 21-year-old has only 152 at-bats above Class A Advanced. Eddie Rosario is another middle infielder with a contact-oriented approach, although he's limited to second base and center field defensively. After a mediocre regular season, he helped his stock with a .330 average and .755 OPS in 24 Arizona Fall League games.

The Twins signed Ervin Santana to a four-year, $55 million contract in December, and Steamer projects him to contribute 2 WAR per 200 innings pitched. If Minnesota had held onto that money, Steamer thinks it might not have lost a lot of production by giving Alex Meyer a rotation spot. The 25-year-old posted a 3.52 ERA and struck out 10.6 batters per nine innings at Triple-A last season. The 6-foot-9 right-hander still struggles with control, though, which is reflected in Steamer's projected 4.5 walks per nine innings.

Along with Meyer, Jose Berrios and Trevor May are Top 20 Twins prospects who are ready or nearly ready to contribute in the Majors after strong 2014 showings. Joining that group is Rule 5 pick J.R. Graham, who once looked like a surefire starter (if any starting pitching prospect can be described as "surefire"). Injuries have slowed his progress, but the 25-year-old could still find a role as a back-end starter or reliever on a big league team. The Twins also have a handful of decent, rookie-eligible relief options, led by right-hander Lester Oliveros. Also notable but missing from Steamer's projections is 2014 second-rounder Nick Burdi, who has a chance to fast-track as a hard-throwing reliever.

Biggest impactor: Sano and Buxton clearly could make the biggest impacts, although both could spend the bulk of the season in the Minor Leagues making up for lost time. I'll wager the best bet for regular playing time -- and thus the player most likely to make an impact -- is Meyer, who should crack the rotation at some point in 2015.

Fantasy special: If you're looking for a short-term boost, Meyer has some good upside and should probably be the top target. If you're in a dynasty league, though, Sano and Buxton are clearly the duo to watch. Both should be huge fantasy assets to owners as soon as they crack the Major League roster, with Sano contributing in the power categories and Buxton providing at least average numbers across the board, with steals and batting average likely to be big pluses.