Chicago White Sox: The Youth Movement
To put it gently, the White Sox probably aren’t going to contend this season. With minimal expiring assets, though, they aren’t an intriguing trade deadline seller, either. But at some point, there’s going to be a game where both Andrew Benintendi and Austin Hays get the night off, and Chicago may have an entire starting nine that was born after Y2K. Can the likes of Kyle Teel, Edgar Quero, Chase Meidroth, and Colson Montgomery at least give this team a lineup that stokes excitement for the future?
Cleveland Guardians: 2B Travis Bazzana
The Guardians are expected to start rookies Chase DeLauter and George Valera in the outfield on Opening Day, but could 2024 No. 1 overall pick Travis Bazzana join the party, too? He missed a big chunk of last season with an oblique injury, or else he might have already made his MLB debut. Even if he doesn’t break camp with the Guards, after a 2025 campaign in which they got roughly a .650 OPS out of their middle infield, it might not be long before he gets the call.
Detroit Tigers: SS Kevin McGonigle
Speaking of top prospects, when does this one arrive? McGonigle’s rise through the minors has also been stunted by injury. He suffered a broken hamate in late 2024, and an ankle injury in his 2025 season opener knocked him out of commission for more than a month. Yet, he is one of the top prospects in all of baseball, and Detroit doesn’t exactly have a sure thing locked in at shortstop, especially with Trey Sweeney already sidelined by a shoulder injury. For a team that is clearly all-in on winning in 2026, could McGonigle make the roster out of spring training?
Kansas City Royals: RF Jac Caglianone
Kansas City called up its 2024 first-round pick in early June, hoping he could provide a spark to a hapless offense. But in 62 games played, Caglianone posted a .532 OPS that ranked darn near dead last in the majors among players with at least 200 plate appearances. Even if he’s just OK this season, that’s a plus for the Royals. But if he blossoms into the slugger who had a 1.025 OPS in 66 minor-league games played last season—While Cole Ragans stays healthy, too?—The Royals could make a serious leap and win the AL Central for just the second time in more than three decades.
Minnesota Twins: 3B Royce Lewis
For years after being taken No. 1 overall in 2017, Lewis was an X-factor because he couldn’t stay healthy. But while the frequent injuries remain a major variable, Lewis hasn’t been anything special when healthy over the past two seasons, posting a .235/.288/.416 triple-slash in 188 games played. Can he play more than half a season? And can he do so with anything close to the .921 OPS he had in 2023? If not, another summer fire sale is all but inevitable.