Baseball is a wonderful sport because every year we get to see guys, many of whom the casual fan has never even heard of, come out and make a difference for their team.  Sometimes these players can be highly touted prospects that you may have heard of or they are guys that seemingly come out of thin air.  This early list contains more prospects than anyone else, but they are guys who from game one of this season should have a major impact on their team.

1. Luis Severino, Starting Pitcher, New York Yankees

Severino is a dynamic pitcher of the New York Yankees, and he is going to get his first fast of a full season of major league action this year.  In a small sample last season, Severino had no issues adjusting to Major League hitters as evidenced by his 2.89 ERA.  Severino did see an increase in home runs allowed and an increase in his walk rate in the majors, but part of that is likely a result of pitching against the Blue Jays in three of his 11 starts.

There is no doubt that Severino has the stuff to succeed with his electric fastball, and nasty breaking ball.  With a little bit of seasoning already under his belt Severino will be a key piece towards whether or not the the Yankees can make a successful postseason run if they make it back.

2. Stephen Piscotty, Outfield, St. Louis Cardinals

Piscotty started to make a name for himself last year when he played in the final 63 games for the Cardinals.  Piscotty batted a very impressive .305 with seven home runs, 39 RBI, 29 runs, four triples, and 15 doubles.  With numbers like that Piscotty may find himself batting in the middle of an above average lineup, where he should produce nicely for the Cardinals.

Piscotty has a nice all around game, and with the departure of Jason Heyward, and the struggles of Matt Adams play time will not be an issue as he can play both the outfield and first base.  Piscotty did have an issue with strike outs once he got called up to the major’s last year, but that was never an issue with him in the minors.

3. David Peralta, Outfield, Arizona Diamondbacks

Peralta was the fourth man last year in Arizona’s crowded outfield, but now with the trade of Ender Inciarte, Peralta is going to get his shot to see what he can do in a full season.  Last season Peralta batted .312 with 17 home runs, 10 triples, and 78 RBI.  If Peralta is capable of doing that while plating for half of the season it will nice to see what he can do as a full time starter.  

Peralta should be able to hit 20-25 home runs for the Diamondbacks next year, and with his exceptional line drive rate of 31 percent the high batting average is maintainable.  With such good hitter surrounding Peralta he may be able to break the 100 RBI plateau and be a major last towards finally getting the D-Back back into the postseason.  

4. Jose Peraza, Infield, Cincinnati Reds

Pereaza, now a member of the Reds organization, should be able to finally get his shot, especially if the Reds are able to trade Brandon Phillips.  Regardless Peraza has the flexibility to play outfield and is not relegated to only playing second base or shortstop.  

Peraza may not be as fast as Billy Hamilton but he is close enough that it is going to be fun to watch when those two get on base.  However unlike Hamilton, Peraza can actually hit the ball, and get on base enough to use his great speed.  Peraza was a .302 hitter in the minors, and stole 60 bases twice in his minor league career.  As long as Peraza can translate his ability to hit in the minors, to the majors he is fast enough to score 100 or more runs, and not be the just that Hamilton has been thus far in his career.

5. Trevor May, Starting Pitcher, Minnesota Twins

May idd not have as nice of a debut as some of the other young prospects on this list but he still has plenty of potential, and is a strong candidate to break out this year.  May has struggled in both stints in the majors but his stuff is just too good to continue to fail.  He throws a fastball in the upper 90’s, and has actually decreased his BB9 while in the majors.  

Pitching in the monstrous stadium that is Target Field should pay dividends to May once he starts allowing fewer hits.  May has seen his H9 shoot up in the majors, as it has been 10.0 or higher each season.  Once he reigns in those numbers his repertoire is good enough to make him successful.