Top 10 Uncarded Prospects Omitted From 2016 Draft

By Matt Eddy

The 2016 MMDA draft promises to echo through the ages with one of the deepest crops of first-round talent ever. Astros shortstop Carlos Correa, Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant and Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor will figure prominently at the top of the draft, while a second wave of talent—Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager, Mets righthander Noah Syndergaard, Twins third baseman Miguel Sano and Cubs left fielder Kyle Schwarber—would be in the conversation for No. 1 overall in most years.

The depth of this year's major league rookie crop is semmingly boundless, such that even a list of rookies who did not play enough to receive a Strat-O-Matic card is more robust than usual. Just think how much better this year's rookie class would look with some of the following players eligible for selection. But alas, no card means no go as far as the MMDA draft is concerned.

To repeat: The following players made their big league debuts in 2015 but are not eligible for the MMDA draft in February.

Max Kepler hit .322/.416/.531 with 54 XBH, 18 SB and 67 BB
in 112 games at Double-A in 2015

1. Max Kepler, rf/1b, Twins. The German-born Kepler scored the largest bonus ever by a European amateur when he signed with the Twins in 2009. Given that he was 16 years old at the time, his baseball development only seems like it's unfolded at a glacial pace.

Still just 22 in 2015, Kepler broke through in a big way at Double-A Chattanooga, winning the Southern League MVP award after leading the circuit in on-base percentage (.416) and slugging (.531). The Twins called him up in mid-September after the Lookouts won the SL title, and while Kepler went 1-for-7 in his cameo, he owns skills worth chasing, including strike-zone awareness, some power, some speed and a strong glove in the outfield.