Prospect Projections: AL West rookies

We at MiLB.com are counting down the days until Minor League Opening Day (59 days from today). Dozens of prospects are heading to Florida and Arizona 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 fifth of a six-part, division-by-division look at top prospects who could exhaust their rookie status in 2015, continuing with the American League West. 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.

 Houston Astros

A disproportionate number of Houston's top prospects split last year between Class A Advanced and Double-A, including Carlos Correa, Teoscar Hernandez and Tony Kemp. Few of those players are likely to make an impact in the Majors in 2015, but it's possible one or two might. That said, Steamer has tempered expectations for most of that group -- Kemp excepted -- so excited fans may want to do the same.

That doesn't mean we can't/shouldn't talk a bit about Correa. The shortstop was outstanding in the California League last year before a fractured fibula ended his season in June. He was due for a midseason promotion to Double-A prior to the injury but will probably play for Corpus Christi to start the 2015 campaign. The 20-year-old has a chance to move fast. He's dominated the lower levels of the Minor Leagues, wowing coaches with his makeup along the way -- he and Hernandez were de facto captains for Lancaster last year at 19 and 21 years old, respectively. Correa has the makings of an exceptional MLB hitter, especially for a shortstop, and the Astros have faith in his defensive chops, too. Realistically, Correa won't get to the Majors until September or 2016, though.

Among the players already established at Double-A or higher, Colin Moran is the most touted by prospect evaluators. Houston acquired the 2013 first-rounder (sixth overall) from Miami last summer and sent him to Double-A to close out the season, where he hit .304 with a .760 OPS. Moran should return for half a season at Corpus Christi but could bop his way to Triple-A or the Majors this year. He showed solid plate discipline in 2014 but hit only seven home runs. Steamer thinks the North Carolina product can tap into a little more power this season, and Moran will have to put more balls over the fence if he's going to produce enough offense to match his fellow third baseman.

Steamer is not all that excited about Houston's pitching, but there is a fair amount of upside hiding among all those negative WAR projections. The system is most bullish on Asher Wojciechowski, a right-hander acquired from Toronto in 2012. He's spent most of the last two seasons at Triple-A, where he's pitched well but hasn't dominated. The 26-year-old gave up 10 homers over 76 innings last year, struggling to keep the ball in the park for the first time in his career. Steamer thinks the long ball would plague Wojciechowski in the Majors, too, and also expects the right-hander would fail to strike out many big league hitters.

Mark Appel had a fascinating 2014 campaign in which reviews of his stuff varied wildly while he posted miserable results with Lancaster. Despite those struggles, Houston promoted him to Double-A, where he pitched much better. Then Appel dominated advanced hitters in seven Arizona Fall League starts. The 2013 first-rounder should return to Double-A to start the season but is a callup candidate. Steamer is very skeptical that Appel can turn things around so quickly after a disastrous 2014, but if the improvements he made in the AFL are for real, expect him to reach Houston this season and outperform those projections.

The Astros have a number of less-heralded pitching prospects who could get to Minute Maid Park in 2015, including Jake Buchanan, Kevin Chapman, Darin Downs and Jordan Jankowski. Also listed are youngsters Vincent Velasquez and Michael Feliz, who were added to the 40-man roster in the offseason but likely need at least another year of seasoning in the Minor Leagues.

Biggest impactor: He may not get a ton of at-bats in the Majors, but Correa could have a massive impact in the second half if the Astros are in contention. They acquired Jed Lowrie to hold down shortstop until Correa is ready, but Lowrie just turned 30 and has played more than 100 games only twice in his big league career, albeit both in the past two seasons. Houston is probably going to need another shortstop to get through the season. The Astros plan to contend and the next-best option after Lowrie is Correa. That means Correa has a chance to fast track from Double-A to the Majors if he returns to health.

Fantasy special: Correa should be an excellent fantasy player at shortstop, although it'd be a gamble for owners to expect playing time in 2015. If Jose Altuve suffers an injury, Kemp could provide some value as a speedy second baseman, too.

 Los Angeles Angels

The Angels don't have many top prospects working through the upper levels of the Minors, but they do appear to have players ready to contribute in bench or platoon roles. Among them are catchers Jett Bandy and Carlos Perez, whom Steamer thinks would succeed in backup roles. Second base is another position of depth, as Alex Yarbrough and Rule 5 acquisition Taylor Featherston could fill in for starter Josh Rutledge and provide better-than-replacement value.

Not included above is Cuban signee Roberto Baldoquin, though the middle infielder could reach Los Angeles in 2015. He's likely headed to Double-A Arkansas to begin the season but could play his way to the Majors, potentially leaping Yarbrough, Featherston and Rutledge for everyday duties in the second half.

The Angels downgraded at second base from Howie Kendrick to Rutledge in an effort to deepen their rotation, flipping Kendrick to the Dodgers for Andrew Heaney. The left-hander immediately became the team's top prospect. The 23-year-old was excellent in Double-A and Triple-A with Miami last season, though he struggled to keep the ball in the park during a seven-game stint in the Majors. Heaney is expected to compete for a rotation spot in Los Angeles, and Steamer is projecting decent production for a No. 5 starter. The southpaw has upside to do better than a 4.16 ERA, especially if he can keep the ball in the park.

Steamer also sees two viable relief options in Cam Bedrosian and Drew Rucinski. Bedrosian isn't a surprise. The 2010 first-rounder (29th overall) converted from starting to relieving in 2013, then took off last year, striking out 15.9 batters per nine innings at Double-A. Bedrosian struggled with control in 19 1/3 MLB innings last year, but Steamer thinks he'll cut down on the walks enough to handle a middle relief role. Rucinski is lesser known, having signed with the Angels out of the independent Frontier League in 2013. The right-hander dominated Double-A as a starter, then threw 7 1/3 excellent relief innings in Los Angeles last year. Steamer is all aboard, projecting solid bullpen numbers for Rucinski.

Biggest impactor: The Angels acquired Heaney to help the rotation this year and in the future, so opportunity is clearly there. To take advantage, he'll need to improve his platoon splits. Right-handers dominated Heaney in the Majors last year, hitting .301 with a .954 OPS. If he improves, he should become a solid mid-rotation starter in short order.

Fantasy special: Nobody stands out, but Heaney has a chance to be useful, particularly in deeper leagues. Baldoquin could provide value at the keystone at some point, too.

 Oakland Athletics

Oakland swung a series of offseason deals that left it with more young depth in the upper Minors and Majors, including the first two players above: Rangel Ravelo and Joey Wendle. Ravelo is projected for 1.4 Wins Above Replacement at third base, which would make him a below-average starter. That said, Steamer is giving him credit for average defense. He's more likely a first baseman long-term, lacking the athleticism for the hot corner. At first base, his bat falls short of the threshold for average production but could get there with time. Wendle, meanwhile, is a line-drive hitter whose average dipped to .253 at Double-A last season. Steamer thinks the bat will translate well enough to provide adequate production at the keystone in 2015.

Billy Burns struggled to make an impact with his bat at Double-A last year. Despite that, he earned a September callup to Oakland, thanks to outstanding baserunning and quality outfield defense. Steamer remains skeptical of Burns' bat but thinks he could approach 40 stolen bases (with only 14 times caught) and provide excellent defense in center. Meanwhile, Rule 5 pick Mark Canha can play first base and left field, and Steamer predicts average offense, making him a valuable bench or platoon option for an A's team that values versatility.

Renato Nunez, Chad Pinder and Matt Olson all spent 2014 with Class A Advanced Stockton and should start this year at Double-A. That proximity means all three could earn September callups, but Steamer is very skeptical that any of the trio is ready for a Major League cameo. Of the three, Nunez might be the most likely to speed to the Majors after earning a 40-man roster spot in the offseason.

Sometimes, projection systems like Steamer spit out results that can catch even the most hardcore baseball fans by surprise. Enter Ryan Verdugo. The left-hander turns 28 in April and has only 1 2/3 big league innings to his name. Last year, he reportedly made mechanical tweaks that helped him strike out 82 batters over 75 1/3 Triple-A innings. Steamer thinks he can miss bats, control the zone and limit the long ball enough to warrant spot starter duty in Oakland.

Steamer also thinks the A's could get useable innings from Arnold Leon, R.J. Alvarez and Rudy Owens. Further down the list are Kendall Graveman and Sean Nolin, acquired from Toronto in the Josh Donaldson trade. Both are Major League-ready with high floors but limited ceilings. Don't be surprised to see one or both work into Oakland's rotation in the next few seasons.

Biggest impactor: He won't be the sexiest pick in this series, but Canha was an interesting Rule 5 get and should prove valuable to manager Bob Melvin. He could log innings at first base, left field and as a designated hitter and should provide offensive punch.

Fantasy special: Burns is probably the most attractive piece here because of his outstanding baserunning, but he's unlikely to get regular at-bats. Alvarez could pitch his way into a closer role one day, but he's unlikely to pick up many saves this season. He wouldn't be a bad backup for Tyler Clippard of Sean Doolittle.

 Seattle Mariners

D.J. Peterson and Patrick Kivlehan spent much of last season playing third base and are among the top 10 prospects in Seattle's farm system. Steamer projects better-than-replacement production for both but does so predicting average defense at the hot corner. That seems unlikely. Both players are considered subpar at third base, with rumblings that they will move across the diamond to first base long-term. In the Minors, both have shown the power to profile at first, but Steamer doesn't believe the bats are quite ready to translate to the Majors.

If innings open at first base, Steamer has more faith in Ji-Man Choi, who batted .283 with five homers in 70 Triple-A games last year. Choi has hit for more power in the past, clubbing 18 homers in 2013. The 23-year-old's strength is plate discipline, though, and that's why Steamer is projecting above-average offense in 2015. Choi also served a 50-game suspension for PED use last season

Ketel Marte probably should've gotten more publicity for a breakout season in 2014, a year in which he posted a .302 average as a 20-year-old aggressively pushed to Double-A. Steamer isn't a believer, though. The system has Marte down for a .235 average, limited mostly by a .271 batting average on balls in play (BABIP). Marte's Double-A average was fueled by a .346 BABIP. Personally, I'd wager the shortstop would do better converting contact into hits based on his speed and his batted-ball profile, which includes a lot of grounders and line drives.

Shoulder injuries have derailed Danny Hultzen's fast-track journey to the Major Leagues and prevented the left-hander from pitching at all in 2014. That hasn't dissuaded Steamer, though. The projection system thinks he'l strike out nearly a batter per inning and post a solid 3.90 ERA in the Majors this year. Realistically, though, fans should be wary. Hultzen is expected to be ready for Spring Training, but after so many injuries and so much missed time, it's foolish to try predicting his effectiveness before seeing him throw. The real takeaway from the Steamer projection is that if Hultzen's stuff returns to 2013 form this spring, that should be good enough to retire big league hitters.

Other than Hultzen, the most likely contributor on the list above is reliever Carson Smith. He debuted in the Majors with 8 1/3 scoreless innings in 2014 after pitching well in the PCL with a 2.93 ERA. The 6-foot-6 right-hander can push his sidearm fastball into the mid-90s and pairs it with a good slider. Expect Smith to be a notable piece in Seattle's bullpen this season.

Biggest impactor: Seattle is pretty deep at the Major League level, so the only player above who might really get a chance to make an impact is Smith. He could work his way into a setup role this season and should be up to the task.

Fantasy special: There isn't a whole lot here for the short-term, but if you're building for 2016, Peterson is an attractive pickup. Few in the Minors can exceed his power potential -- he's not quite Joey Gallo, but he's not far behind. Safeco Field isn't exactly a hitters' paradise, but Peterson should be good for 20-plus homers a year as a pro once he gets established.

 Texas Rangers

Steamer thinks that, were every Major Leaguer to get 600 at-bats, Joey Gallo would tie for second with 35 homers. It also thinks he'd strike out 210 times and post a sub-.300 on-base percentage. The total package, though, is an above-average regular at third base -- assuming Gallo can match Steamer's league-average defensive projection. Gallo split last year between Class A Advanced and Double-A and could start 2015 at Triple-A. He'll likely see the Majors at some point this season, possibly at first base if Prince Fielder's health fails him again.

Steamer doesn't see any other truly impactful players here for 2015. Jorge Alfaro is unlikely to reach the Majors this year but has a shot at a September promotion if he can mature on both sides of the ball. Ryan Rua is projected as an outfielder but also could help at third base, second base and first base, making him a utility option off the bench. Rule 5 selection Delino DeShields profiles well as a pinch-running specialist, but after hitting .236 in Double-A last season, the 22-year-old appears unlikely to contribute much at the plate in the near future.

The list above includes four of the top 10 prospects in the Rangers' farm system, but none project better than No. 14 prospect Alec Asher. A 2012 fourth-round pick, he posted a 3.80 ERA in 28 starts with Double-A Frisco last season. He doesn't miss a ton of bats, and that's reflected in his Steamer projection, but he did control the strike zone and keep the ball in the park last season. MLB.com touts Asher's upside as that of a No. 3 or No. 4 starter. For 2015, Steamer is projecting more spot starter or swingman production.

Ranked ahead of Asher on Texas' top prospect list are Luke Jackson, Alex Gonzalez, Jake Thompson and Anthony Ranaudo. Steamer doesn't project any to reach even replacement level with Texas this year, though. Jackson is the closest, but the Rangers' No. 3 prospect struggled with control at Triple-A last season. Gonzalez, a 2013 first-rounder, pitched half a season at Double-A last year and could return to Frisco to start 2015, so a second-half callup is probably a best-case scenario. The same goes for Thompson. Ranaudo pitched in the Majors last year and could break camp with the Rangers.

Biggest impactor: Gallo will start the year in the Minors. There, he will be asked to continue improving his strike-zone judgment and defense. Fielder and Adrian Beltre aren't getting younger, though, and figure to lose some at-bats to injury at some point. If playing time opens at either corner in the second half, Gallo should be on the short list of potential replacements. If he gets to the Majors, his power should immediately impact Texas' lineup.

Fantasy special: Gallo again. Power is at a premium in the modern game, and he should provide it in bunches. He's never going to hit for a high average, but his pitch recognition skills are on a positive trajectory. If that keeps up, expect Gallo to provide a small bump for fantasy owners in the second half of 2015 and a big one in the years ahead.