Although the Houston Astros knew Yordan Alvarez was a promising player, the youngster had only recently started to unlock his power before the 2019 MLB season.
Yet by September, he had effectively wrapped up the 2019 AL Rookie of the Year. The slugger took full advantage of his call-up in June, mashing 27 home runs with 78 RBI in just 87 games and eventually helping the Astros reach the World Series.
While it's disingenuous to call Alvarez's surge an out-of-nowhere rise, he wasn't considered a can't-miss prospect early in 2019.
So, as a nod to Alvarez's spot in the preseason (No.