Not one baseball player’s story is exactly the same. Sure, players can share a home state or that one experience down in the minors. Sure, there are familiar traits and shared archetypes – franchises have their “types,” like the Kansas City Royals and their run of soft-hitting, glove-first middle infielders and center fielders – but nobody is truly copy-and-paste. But no matter where a player’s path starts or ends, they were once a prospect.
Merriam-Webster defines “prospect” as “something that is awaited or expected,” and that feels tailor-made for a player yet to make their MLB debut.
Even the most casual fans get swept up in prospect hype – refreshing box scores for a recent first-rounder, or daydreaming about a corner outfielder becoming the franchise's savior.