Getting the Call: Moving Up to the Majors

Every kid who has ever played catch in their backyard has had the dream of hearing their name being played through the PA system. For many young baseball talents, that day may not be far away as baseball is the only professional sport from the big four in America that allows players to be drafted out of high school. This has allowed for talents such as Mike Trout and Bryce Harper to make their debuts at the ripe ages of twenty and nineteen, respectively. Bringing up Trout and Harper at young ages has not effected them in the slightest, as they are both All-Stars, and are the faces of their respective franchises. Here are some young players who have a shot to get the "call of their life" this year, and possibly turn their team's season around:

1. Jon Singleton (Houston Astros) - Singleton is a big first baseman, 6'2" and 255 lbs., who the Astros received as part of a package of prospects from the Phillies in 2011 for now San Francisco Giant outfielder Hunter Pence. After being suspended 50 games last season for failing a drug test, Singleton is tearing it up in Triple-A Oklahoma City, batting .292 with 11 homers and and 32 RBIs, numbers that would put him near the top of the American League lead. The Astros are in the basement of the AL West again, and are in a full blown rebuilding mode. They have already called up star prospect outfielder George Springer, and without much depth at first base at the Major League level, Singleton's call may be sooner rather than later. 
2. Gregory Polanco (Pittsburgh Pirates) - The Pirates may have gotten a little spoiled after last year's run into the playoffs, as they remained fairly quiet when it came to making roster moves. Starting in right field for the Pirates this year is Jose Tabata, who has had inconsistent numbers over the past four years, while never playing more than a 110 games in a season. Polanco is also making a case for his call up, batting a whopping .368, knocking in 28 RBIs, along with stealing eight bases at the Triple-A level. An outfield of Starling Marte, Andrew McCutchen, and Gregory Polanco from left to right is in the near future, and NL Central teams better be aware of what's to come. 
3. Noah Syndergaard (New York Mets) - Part of the mega-prospect package the Toronto Blue Jays sent to the Mets for former Cy Young Award winner R.A. Dickey, Syndergaard has been proving his worth to the Mets in the minors. After making the Futures Game team last year while playing in Double-A, his success in Triple-A has outshines that. Syndergaard is pitching to the tune of a 4-2 record, with a 1.44 WHIP and 46 strikeouts in 43 innings. With the Mets losing All-Star Matt Harvey to Tommy John surgery for all of this season, and a pitching staff that is underachieving, Syndergaard may soon be taking the mound in Queens. 
4. Joc Pederson (Los Angeles Dodgers) - Pederson may be in the toughest position as any prospect in baseball. The Dodgers have Yasiel Puig, Carl Crawford, Matt Kemp, and Andre Either to play the three outfield positions now, so to make room for Pederson, two of them would have to be dealt. This, however, may be in the Dodger best interest, as Pederson has been phenomenal at Triple-A Albuquerque, batting .373 with 11 home runs and 9 stolen bases, all numbers you would think describe Mike Trout. With the Dodgers loving what young outfielder Puig has done, there is a chance Pederson will bump someone out of the field. But with Dodger GM Ned Colletti clearly not scared to make any trade, it would not be a surprise to see Pederson suit up for a different team come July 31st.    

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Bennett Schiff is a freshman in the Drexel Sport Management program, and one of the few members of the major from the powerful state of Rhode Island. He has volunteered for the U.S. Open of Squash held at Drexel as well as becoming a member of the Alpha Epsilon Pi Fraternity. Prior to arriving on Drexel's campus, Schiff was very active in his local community with his synagogue.