Major League Baseball’s Opening Day is just around the corner, which means it’s time again for a poignant annual tradition: coaches telling young, up-and-coming prospects who made the roster of the big league for the first time.
Of all the players who received the promising news for the first time before the start of the 2023 MLB season on Thursday, perhaps none had a better reaction caught on camera than Oscar Colas of the White Sox. Coles shook hands and hugged several teammates before calling his mother at Luis Robert’s insistence.
Videos of those players receiving the news have begun to appear on social media, led by Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe and top Cardinals prospect Jordan Walker.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone delivered the news to Volpe as general manager Brian Cashman looked on, telling Volpe that while the 21-year-old shortstop has some development to do, he believes the development he should make it to the big leagues.
“Welcome to New York,” Boone said. “Congratulations bro, you’ve earned it.”
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Meanwhile, Cardinals manager Oli Marmol praised Walker for how the 20-year-old outfielder has responded to adversity so far in his young professional baseball career.
“You deserve to be with us on opening day,” Marmol said as Walker was excited.
Brewers Craig Counsell also gave similar news to two of his organization’s top prospects, infielder Brice Turang and pitcher Gus Varland.
“It doesn’t feel real,” Turang, the Brewers’ No. 5 prospect per MLB.com, told reporters after his meeting with Counsell.
Walker and Volpe are Nos. 4 and 5, respectively, in MLB.com’s most recent rankings of the top 100 prospects in baseball. No. 1 prospect Gunnar Henderson made his big league debut last year with the Orioles, while No. 3 prospect Francisco Álvarez was optioned to Triple-A by the Mets so he could gain more experience as a starting catcher.
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