SPECULATOR: Paths to prospect stardom

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,...

Almost!

You’re just a few clicks away from accessing this feature and hundreds more throughout the year that have a singular goal in mind: Winning your league. Subscribe to BaseballHQ.com here!

Already a subscriber? Sign in here

More From Speculator

We follow up on some early (and mid) season speculations to find out what went right, what went wrong, and what actually happened.
Sep 10 2024 3:03am
Our annual exercise of giving out second chances to those who, frankly, stunk up the joint in 2024.
Sep 4 2024 3:04am
Things get weird in September. We look through some fantasy-relevant playing time experiments, with tidbits from the remaining schedule.
Aug 28 2024 3:07am
We play a game of before and after, looking at key skills rising and falling since June.
Aug 21 2024 3:10am
We continue last week's exercise looking at this year's rookie returns, and speculating on revised outlooks.
Aug 14 2024 3:04am

Tools