ESPN's Keith Law is busy checking out all the hottest prospects before Spring Training gets into full swing, and created his top 20 impact prospects list, which just so happened to contain the Arizona Diamondbacks' ace-in-waiting Trevor Bauer.
Here is LAw's take on Bauer's progress and current status with the club:
11. Trevor Bauer, RHP | Top 100 rank -- 21: Bauer could be in the top few spots on this list if he had a spot in Arizona's rotation, but he'll start the season in the minors barring an injury. That said, Joe Saunders isn't as good as Bauer, andJosh Collmenter is a novelty act whose deception won't cover his lack of stuff for much longer, and I think Bauer's ability to miss bats with multiple pitches will get him to the majors sooner rather than later. Teammate Tyler Skaggs also could be in line for a call-up, as the D-backs will be better off with Bauer and Skaggs in the No. 4-5 spots for the second half of the season than they would be with Collmenter and Saunders.
Like Madison Bumgarner up in San Francisco, Bauer isn't long for minor league work, owning the tools, mentality, and durability to join the club much sooner than later. Make sure to watch his progress down on the farm, he may be shooting up to the Show if he performs well the first part of the season.
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