Yet Another Top 10 Prospect Makes A Major League Roster

Maybe the new collective bargaining agreement is preventing service time manipulation after all. Yet another of baseball's Top 10 prospects will start the season with the big club, as the San Diego Padres have named CJ Abrams to their Opening Day roster. 

CJ Abrams has made the Padres Opening Day roster.

He is the No. 9 ranked prospect in baseball.

— Danny Vietti (@DannyVietti) April 7, 2022

Abrams is a shortstop with tremendous speed, and could help the Padres survive the first-half of the season absence of superstar Fernando Tatis Jr. MLB.com lists Abrams as the No. 9 prospect in all of baseball, and had this to say about him, among other things:

Abrams’ 80-grade speed allows him to impact the game on both sides of the ball and he’s shown an early ability to use that speed, swiping 28 bags over his first 76 professional games. 

A naturally gifted athlete, Abrams has made big strides defensively since signing. That top-of-the-scale speed gives him plenty of range, and his hands, coupled with his strong arm, give him the tools needed to make all the necessary plays. He has the skills to stick at shortstop and be an impact player long-term, but a position change may ultimately occur if San Diego keeps Fernando Tatis Jr. at shortstop.

Abrams can play short and the outfield 

He could get some play at short for now, and might also fill in in left field where Jurickson Profar and Ha-Seong Kim are currently slated to play. He was, in fact, used in the outfield a lot this spring to get him acclimated. In 39 Cactus League at-bats, he hit .324 with an .873 OPS with two home runs. 

Last year in Double-A, he stole 13 bases in 15 attempts while hitting .296. Unfortunately, he lost a lot of time after breaking his leg and spraining his MCL in June.

Now, he gets to debut in The Show. Just please don't tell him to 'break a leg'.

Photo Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports