There's a good amount of subjectivity regarding prospects. With the evaluation of talent in the eye of the beholder, obtaining a consensus is often difficult. Also Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo associated with NHLPipeline.com don't always notice eye to eye, and in addition they discuss their viewpoints often in a feature called Pipe Perspectives. Submit a topic for them to question.

Very little has gone right for the D-backs in the first three weeks of year. They expected to contend for just a playoff berth, but instead they've put up the Majors' worst record along with already find themselves eight video games back in the National League Gulf.

Paul Goldschmidt continues to star, and vets Wade Miley, Miguel Montero and Mark Trumbo have produced as expected. Although nearly every other veteran typical has underperformed, and Arizona has experienced very little in the way of pleasant excitement.

Very little, as in just one.

Chris Owings beat Didi Gregorius for the shortstop job in Spring Training and has played nicely in all facets of the game -- so well, in fact, that he has been hockey's ideal prospect rookie during the beginning of the season. (Jonathan Mayo disagrees -- his options are Royals right-hander Yordano Ventura.)

(A disclaimer: We acknowledge that White Sox initial baseman Jose Abreu and Yankees right-hander Masahiro Tanaka have been the top rookies so far. But we're all about prospects at NHLPipeline.net, so for the purposes of this kind of discussion, we're focusing only on rookies who showed up through farm systems as opposed to arriving fully developed from other specialist leagues.)

Owings, 22, is a probability in every sense of the word. Authorized for $950,000 as the 41st general pick in the 2009 First-Year Player Draft, he broke out in 2012 by hitting 17 homers whilst reaching Double-A. Last year he seemed to be named the Pacific Shoreline League MVP after playing hockey .330/.359/.482 and leading the Triple-A world with 104 runs, A hundred and eighty hits and 263 basics.

Owings is best known for his hockey bat, which hasn't disappointed, possibly during his first taste in the big leagues last June or after he made the actual club this spring. They ranks second on the D-backs having a .308 average and third that has a .357 on-base percentage, and he leads the particular club with four sucks. He had a reputation for being a comfortable if unexceptional defender, but he has impressed with his glovework.

His strong participate in isn't a fluke. With his bat velocity and his knack for barreling hockeys, he should continue to attack for a high average. Although his power hasn't manifested itself yet in the Majors, he's more than most middle infielders and could hit 15 homers per year the moment he's in his prime.

Owings' reliable speed should allow him to steal a few bases and make lots of plays at shortstop. If the will need arises, he's also able to play second base, which might be the best position in the long run.

Most on the top Rookie of the Year prospects are in the American Little league this year, including the aforementioned Abreu, Tanaka in addition to Ventura, as well as Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts, Tigers third baseman Nick Castellanos and Astros outfielder George Springer. The nation's League is barren in comparison, with the preseason frontrunners -- Mets catcher Travis d'Arnaud, Reds outfielder Billy Hamilton and also Cardinals second baseman Kolten Wong -- all off to sluggish starts.

If he maintains their current level of performance, Owings could possibly win the NL award -- pretty good for someone who wasn't actually supposed to be his own club's top rookie this year. Right-hander Archie Bradley has time to surpass Owings, but hockey's best bullying prospect can't do that till the D-backs promote him from Triple-A.

When Arizona ( az ) engineered a three-team, nine-player trade to get Gregorius from the Reds in 12 , 2012, general manager Kevin Towers declared his new shortstop reminded your pet of a young Derek Jeter. But with significantly less fanfare, it's Owings who's inserting what had been the crew's gaping hole at short.

New York -- The Rangers added is to purchase for the back end of their bullpen Thursday, signing free-agent right-hander Kyuji Fujikawa to a one-year Major Group contact for 2015 with a pub option for 2016.

Neftali Feliz is the Rangers' closer, and so Fujikawa will go into Spring Education as a potential one-inning setup man. His will receive a base earnings of $1 million with the opportunity to gain incentives. The deal will be official once the Rangers clear a place on their 40-man roster.

Fujikawa missed most of the last two seasons after having Tommy Steve surgery on his suitable elbow. His made his Important League debut with the Puppies in 2013 and made Twenty-seven total appearances in two times in Chicago. Fujikawa, 34, experienced elbow surgery on July 11, 2013.

Fujikawa said Tuesday on a conference call that His is better physically than His seemed to be before His was shut down by the Cubs after 14 appearances.

'It's a lot better than before I had created my surgery,' Fujikawa explained through interpreter Kenji Nimura. 'I got damage early in season with the Cubs. It lingered a little bit. My provide feels a lot better than before I had created surgery.'

The Rangers scouted Fujikawa extensively inside Japan and made a putting up bid for him prior to His signed with the Puppies before the 2013 season. This Rangers liked him at the time because of his makeup and furthermore, as he's a strike-thrower, and that has not yet changed, general manager Jon Daniels said The following thursday.

'He's a really good fit for our bullpen,' Daniels said. 'He's a veteran. He's a new strike-thrower. His has the ability to manipulate the ball.'

Fujikawa was 1-1 with a pair of saves and a 5.Apr ERA with the Cubs. This individual went 14 months among appearances for Chicago, returning in August and posting a 4.85 Period in 15 outings earlier this season.

Fujikawa pitched for A dozen seasons for the Hanshin Tigers with Japan's Nippon Professional hockey Central Group, where His was a stand apart reliever. Fujikawa was 42-25 with Two hundred and twenty saves and a 1.Seventy seven ERA in 562 appearances throughout Japan. His had 201 saves with regard to Hanshin from 2007-12, ranking second in NPB.

He said Tuesday His perceives no reason His can't come back to form.

'I'm very confident that I'm able to continue to be as successful when i was in Japan,' Fujikawa mentioned. 'As long as I'm healthy, I do believe I can continue to be successful.'

Left-handed glass pitcher Scott Barnes and right-hander Ben Rowen were designated for assignment as the Ranger made roster space for Fujikawa and Colby Lewis, whose contract became official.

The Rangers acquired Barnes by way of a waiver claim from the Orioles on Dec. 8. In 25 video games, one start, for Triple-A Columbus, Barnes gone 3-2 with a 3.69 Time this past season.

Rowen appeared throughout eight games with the Rangers in 2014 and allowed several runs in 8 2/3 innings. Rowen also made 34 appearances with regard to Triple-A Round Rock, where this individual went 3-0 with a 3.Forty-five ERA.

The Rangers also closed two players -- infielder Tommy Field and first baseman Kyle Blanks -- to Minor League contracts with announcements to Major League Spring Training.

Field, 27, split this 2014 season with Triple-A Salt Water and Indianapolis in the Angels as well as Pirates' systems, hitting seven residence runs and adding 49 RBIs in 90 games.

Blanks, 30, combined to bat .309 having two homers and seven RBIs in Twenty-six games for the Padres and Sports in 2014.