Topps Top 100: Which Top Prospect Is Likely To Make The Biggest 2020 Impact?

In the past two weeks, we have discussed where Wander Franco ranks among recent No. 1 prospects and our picks to be the No. 1 prospect in 2021. This week, we dive deeper into the Top 5 Prospects.

Three of our top four prospects (Luis Robert, Jo Adell and Gavin Lux) have Triple-A time. Which of this trio do you expect to have the biggest MLB impact in 2020?

Ben Badler: Gavin Lux. He has a great combination of huge upside from a relatively safer profile. He has a chance to be a plus to plus-plus hitter, with good barrel control, pitch recognition and adjustability to his swing. His plate discipline should help ease his transition to the big leagues and gives him a chance to be a high OBP player in the middle of the diamond, along with the bat speed and power to hit 25-plus homers.

JJ Cooper: Luis Robert. When the season is over, I think that Lux will likely have a better slash line than Robert, while Robert will have better counting stats. Lux is joining a team that has a lot of players to fit into eight lineup spots. Several of them can play second base, where Lux is likely to get the majority of his playing time. For the White Sox, Adam Engel and Leury Garcia are not going to stand in Robert’s way. He’ll likely have some struggles at times, but Robert’s speed, power and overall athleticism gives him a shot to be an impact player in 2020 for a White Sox team that needs him to make an impact

Josh Norris: I’ll take Lux. The Dodgers’ history of getting the most out of their young, talented hitters is too loud to ignore. Beyond ready-made stars like Corey Seager, the Dodgers have turned castoffs like Justin Turner and Max Muncy into bankable big league hitters. That list also should include Joc Pederson and the since-traded Alex Verdugo. Lux gave fans a taste of his talent last fall. Now, he seems poised to dish out the main course starting on Opening Day.

Matt Eddy: If Gavin Lux has the highest floor of the trio for 2020, and Luis Robert has the highest ceiling, then Jo Adell might balance the two extremes. Adell hits the ball hard to all fields with the elite exit velocity to hit for impact average and power. He missed most of spring training and the first six-plus weeks of the 2019 season with dual lower-body injuries, but Adell recovered quickly to smoke Southern League pitchers in his first taste of Double-A. He struggled initially after being promoted to Triple-A Salt Lake on Aug. 1—and didn’t homer in 27 games—but he began to catch up to the speed of the Pacific Coast League in his final 15 games, hitting .314/.351/.443. 

Kyle Glaser: Lux got his first taste of the majors last year and now knows what to expect, an edge over Robert and Adell as talented as they are. After his first week in the majors last season, Lux began to adjust and hit .273/.322/.473 the rest of the season before starting three of the Dodgers’ five playoff games. That experience should serve Lux well and allow him to hit the ground running in 2020, while Robert and Adell still have to go through their adjustment periods and the ups and downs that come with it. All three are immensely talented, but in 2020, Lux is best positioned to have the biggest impact of them all.