by Jason Martinez
The 'Knocking Down the Door' feature is coming to an end for 2012. Be sure to check out the archive, where you'll see the list of 55 players that made the list, and the 33 that have been promoted to the big leagues. I'll wrap it up here by featuring five position players - you've probably heard of these guys - who could not only get the call sometime between now and the end of the minor league season in early September, they could have an impact on the pennant race - real and fantasy.
Due to inning caps and pitch limits, starting pitchers are much less likely to jump from the minors to make a huge impact this late in the season. A few relievers could help in middle relief or possibly a setup role, including Bruce Rondon of the Tigers and Christian Garcia of the Nationals.
Players on the verge of a big league call-up, in my opinion, are considered to be 'Knocking Down the Door'.
Jedd Gyorko, 2B - San Diego Padres: We already know that Gyorko won't be the Padres' third baseman of the immediate future. Trade talks for Chase Headley could heat up again in the off-season, but he'll be the team's third baseman through at least the end of the season. But this is why Gyorko has been playing a lot of second base. Headley might not go anywhere for a long time and the 23 year-old Gyorko shouldn't be in the minors much longer. Patience with Gyorko has allowed the Padres to evaluate Alexi Amarista and Logan Forsythe and decide if they are future starters or utilitymen. Both have been impressive but lack the offensive potential of Gyorko (.312-23-82 between AAA/AA), who should be the starting second baseman at some point in the next few weeks.
Billy Hamilton, SS - Cincinnati Reds: If not for the Reds being in the heat of a pennant race, there would be no reason to bring up the 21 year-old shortstop. That's because Hamilton isn't big league ready in any facet of his game. But his speed is second to none at any level and his base running ability is good enough where he could be a weapon in late-inning games for the last few weeks of the season. In fact, that speed could be a factor coming off the bench in the playoffs. With Hamilton closing in on the minor league single-season stolen base record, the first place Reds could choose to purchase his contract before September 1st so he'll be eligible for the playoff roster.
Billy Hamilton, SS - Cincinnati Reds: If not for the Reds being in the heat of a pennant race, there would be no reason to bring up the 21 year-old shortstop. That's because Hamilton isn't big league ready in any facet of his game. But his speed is second to none at any level and his base running ability is good enough where he could be a weapon in late-inning games for the last few weeks of the season. In fact, that speed could be a factor coming off the bench in the playoffs. With Hamilton closing in on the minor league single-season stolen base record, the first place Reds could choose to purchase his contract before September 1st so he'll be eligible for the playoff roster.
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| Profar could reach Texas at age 19 Picture courtesy of US Presswire |
Oscar Taveras, OF - St. Louis Cardinals: Like Profar, Taveras' big league ETA is likely much different now than it was before the season. It's not that Taveras came out of nowhere, as was the case with A's pitcher Dan Straily. Kevin Goldstein ranked the left-handed hitting outfielder 23rd on his pre-season Top 101 prospect list over at Baseball Prospectus. But at just 20 years old, and with Matt Holliday, Jon Jay, and Carlos Beltran each under contract for 2013, there was no reason to think we'd hear much about him until 2014. The fact that he could get the call in late 2012 to come off the bench and start occasionally tells you just how good he has been.
Click HERE to see the 'Knocking Down the Door' archive for 2012.
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