The MLB season is coming to an end quickly with just a week and a half left in the regular season but even with the short time frame left, teams are still giving prospects a shot to show what they can do in the majors. Both injuries and poor performances by other on the roster have led to these call-ups but it’s a perfect time to look at some players that might have a role going forward into next year with their teams.

Sam Huff C TEX - An injury to Jose Trevino opened the door for the slugging backstop to come up and get a run with the Rangers. Huff was taken in the seventh-round selection in the 2016 draft and in that spot teams are typically looking for guys with one trait that really stick out and for Huff that is his absurd raw power. It grades as a 70 on the 20-80 scale, so in the Joey Gallo range, and going along with that is his strong throwing arm as well. He’s struggled in his progression in the minors until last year when he hit .278/.335/.509 with 28 homers and 72 RBI and 71 runs in 127 games between A-ball and High-A. There’s also been a handful of steals each of the last two years as well. His big issue has been the swing-and-miss in his game with 294 Ks in the last 245 games played in the lower minors. The power is real but the question is will the rest of his plate approach allow him to tap into it. The other issue for Huff is that he likely doesn’t stick at catcher long-term as he’s huge for the position at 6’5” and 240 and only five guys have caught more than 300 games in the majors at that size. He’s got the defensive chops to be average back there with a strong arm but he likely moves to first or DH where the bat plays really well.

Jorge Ona OF/DH SD - It was a short stay for Luis Patino as he got sent back to the alternative site and the Padres elected for even more offense with the call-up of Ona. Ranked by MLB Pipeline at 23rd in the deep Padres system, the 23-year-old outfielder was signed in 2016 and since then it’s been a mixed bag of injuries and performance. In 2017 in 107 games at Class-A he slashed .277/.351/.405 with 11 homers and eight steals but then those dropped to .239/.312/.380 with eight homers and zero steals in 100 games at High-A in 2018. A shoulder surgery limited him to just 25 games last year at Double-A Amarillo but it was impressive with a .348/.417/.539 and five home runs and two steals. He’s now getting a taste of the majors where he’s expected to fill a platoon role at DH with Mitch Moreland and try and tap into his above-average raw power. His defense overall is a bit below-average and he needs to work on his approach at the plate to really tap into his offensive upside long-term but he likely fills a DH role going forward for San Diego, assuming the DH stays in the NL past 2020.

Daulton Jefferies RHP OAK - Jefferies has not really been paid attention to in the A’s system as guys like Jesus Luzardo and A.J. Puk stole all of the thunder over the last couple of years, but Jefferies should have been in that conversation too. He was taken as the 37th overall pick in 2016 but was then kept off the mound for nearly two years coming off a Tommy John surgery but returned in great form in 2019. He pitched 79 innings and put up a remarkable 93:9 K:BB ratio on his way to Double-A. Now the righty will take a spot in the A’s rotation and try and keep that advanced feel for pitching going. He uses a low-90s fastball with excellent command as the staple of the repertoire and the second pitch is a plus-changeup that plays up from the arm action and command and fade on the pitch. His third pitch is still evolving as to exactly what it will be. He’s toyed with a slider but kept changing grips and it’s never really been consistent. If he can develop that third pitch to be at least average he can be a high strikeout number four starter in the form of Kyle Hendricks.

Tanner Houck RHP BOS - Houck is a former first round pick in 2017 and he rose fairly quickly through the system as he reached Triple-A just two years after being drafted. The big, 6’5” 230-pound, righty uses a big sweeping low arm slot to add deception to his arsenal as the velocity isn’t huge but the action and movement on all of the pitches are. He bases everything off of his sinker and slider which are both plus pitches. The sinker sits in the low-to-mid-90s with big time fall off and it bears in on hitters. The slider sits in the low-80s and is a big sweeping type as opposed to the tight ones we’re seeing more of. Houck’s changeup is the third pitch in the arsenal and he uses more of a circle change grip rather than a straight change and while it’s actually faster than the slider, the movement is completely different than either of the other two pitches and that helps it be a bit better than his average grade on the pitch. The righty put up nearly a strikeout per nine in the minors and should fit as a middle of the rotation option going forward for the Red Sox.

Ryan Jeffers C MIN - Jeffers has been under-the-radar so long he wasn’t thought to be a top-200 draft prospect in the 2018 draft before the Twins took him in the second round. Since then though, the big backstop has been proving that faith in him to be accurate, making it to Double-A in his first full season. Jeffers led his college team, UNC-Wilmington, in homers and has hit 21 in his time in the minors over 167 games but the power is thought to be due more to his size and strength than pure bat speed as he’s 6’4” and 230 pounds. His advanced approach at the plate also helps as in those same 167 games Jeffers posted 127 strikeouts and 71 walks. Jeffers though, stands out for his receiving and framing ability. In fact, in his time in the majors, since August 20, he has converted 51.2-percent of non-swung on pitches into strikes and his best mark comes on pitches just inside to righties and just away from lefties where it sits at 78.5-percent of pitches. That framing ability will keep him behind the plate a very long time and the offense can continue to develop, though he’s hitting in the .280s with a homer. Catcher is a shallow position and he should remain as a late round flier option for you next year.

Pavin Smith 1B ARI - Smith was taken seventh overall in the 2017 draft as the best hitter in the college ranks having hit more homers than strikeouts in college and walking more than striking out as well. Since turning pro though, the bat hasn’t been as stand out as people may have thought it would be with 23 homers in 294 games and 69 doubles though he is hitting .281 in that span with 143 walks and 150 Ks. The Diamondbacks have moved him between first base and corner outfield at Double-A trying to up his versatility but in the meantime, the above-average raw power he possesses has had a hard time breaking through. The bat skills are plus as is his approach at the plate and he doesn’t get caught swinging and pitches outside the zone often and he drives the ball well to all fields. The defense is good enough to be an everyday player but if the power doesn’t show up, there’s not much to his game aside from a high average.

Braxton Garrett LHP MIA - Garrett was the seventh overall pick in the 2016 draft and then lost basically all of his 2017 and 2018 seasons due to Tommy John surgery and rehab. Since then though, he made a solid return to the mound in 2019 as he posted a 3.54 ERA and 119:40 K:BB ratio over 106.2 innings between High-A and Double-A. In those starts he did get his plus-curveball back that works well against both handedness of hitter with good depth while sitting in the low-80s. The fastball is in the low-to-mid-90s and plays up due to the downhill angle he gets on the pitch and that downhill plane also helps the changeup play up to be at least an average offering. The southpaw has an advanced feel for pitching and how to mix pitches and speeds that make him a high-floor number three type starter going forward for Miami and he should pick up a bit more velocity as the next year or so goes on and the innings build up.