MLB prospects have made their presence felt in past postseasons, so who will be the next budding star to make a name for themselves?
Last postseason, the Texas Rangers had decided to add a 20-year-old prospect by the name of Evan Carter to their postseason roster. Carter was the 26th-ranked prospect heading into the 2023 season according to Baseball America. He would finish as a top 5 prospect in all of baseball. Carter would shine in October, having 18 hits in 17 games with a slash line of .300/.417/.500/.917. Every year, there is almost always a young player who establishes themselves through postseason baseball. Here are a few candidates that are destined to contribute.
MLB Prospects Who Could Impact Their Postseason Series
Kyle Manzardo, 1B, Cleveland Guardians
A former top 100 prospect according to both Baseball America and MLB.com, Kyle Manzardo was acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays for Aaron Civale. He was able to play in just 53 games after his call-up in May, accumulating 156 plate appearances.
Manzardo struggled in the first half of those 53 games, posting an OPS of .571 in his first 30 games. However, in his last chunk of the season, the slugger had an OPS over .850 with seven extra-base hits. Being a slugger from the left side has proven to be a key piece for teams to go on deep playoff runs. The Rangers had Carter and Corey Seager, the Houston Astros had Yordan Alvarez, the 2016 Chicago Cubs had Kyle Schwarber. Having a slugger from the left side can be vital in close games and Manzardo’s pop compliments the rest of the lineup.
Jackson Jobe, RHP, Detroit Tigers
This season for the Tigers has been shocking. They sold at the deadline, had a less than 1% chance to make the playoffs, yet somehow finished the last month and a half as the hottest team in baseball. Now, it seems with their selection of Jackson Jobe to the playoff roster, they wanted to throw as much talent at the Astros (and now the Guardians) as they could.
Jobe made headlines after a flashy and dominant spring training. It was so impressive that he shot up the prospect rankings, going from a top 30 prospect according to MLB.com, to the number six ranked prospect in all of baseball. It comes from his eye-catching fastball that topped out at 101 MPH. However, his slider is by far his best pitch. Having a right-hander, assumingly appearing out of the bullpen, who can average 98-99 MPH with a nasty slider-changeup combo could be vital for Detroit late in games.
Jackson Jobe, Painted 87mph Changeup. 🖌️🎨 pic.twitter.com/qQTpjtsRxl
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 28, 2024
José Buttó, RHP, New York Mets
Ah yes! Well-known prospect and 26-year-old José Buttó! Do not sleep on this right-hander. He was the 14th-ranked prospect in the Mets organization at the end of 2023 according to MLB.com, and has shown off his abilities in 74 innings this year. In those appearances, Buttó has accumulated a 2.2 bWAR with an ERA+ of 155. His biggest weakness is walks, which are deadly in the postseason. However, in his final seven appearances, he gave up just two walks, which came in one outing alone. He also struck out 10 batters, and opponents were hitting under .200 during that span. In his first appearance this postseason, he had two scoreless innings, striking out three batters, and did not allow a walk.
His value in the postseason comes with his dynamic pitch arsenal and the type of pitcher he has been this season. His slider-sweeper combo has been his bread and butter. These pitches combine for a 40% strikeout rate for Buttó this season. His fastball averages just 94.2 MPH, but it can generate swings and misses with extremely weak contact. He will be needed in tight situations, coming in to shut down momentum.
Jasson Domínguez, OF, New York Yankees
There has been talk about this kid for years. Jasson Domínguez has had hype go up and down similar to how the Yankees have treated him with his roster spot. He burst onto the scene last season, playing in eight games but hammering four home runs. His short stint gave fans hope that we would be ready to fill in a full-time roster spot for New York. This was not the case. He got called up late in the year, playing in just 18 games. In that handful of appearances, Domínguez struggled. However, he did walk at a higher clip, hopefully showing promise as a more patient hitter.
What can he bring to a Yankees team filled with veteran outfielders? The answer: life. Back in 2014, there was a well-known prospect outfielder who played for the St. Louis Cardinals named Oscar Taveras. He was in a similar situation as The Martian. They were both under 23, both power-hitting outfield prospects, and both had limited MLB experience, yet they made the postseason roster. Tavares would go on to hit a pinch-hit two-run bomb to tie the game late, leading to a Kolten Wong walk-off shortly after. Domínguez can give life and depth to a team that relies heavily on two hitters. If someone struggles, he is an easy fit. Expect him to make the most of his opportunities.
Photo Credit: © Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
