Every year young players make their mark in the big leagues.  In 2013 one of the biggest young players to make their mark was Cuban sensation Jose Fernandez.  He wasn’t the only young starting pitcher to make his mark, though, as former first round pick Sonny Gray made his debut and showed true ace potential.  These two are examples of young pitchers who broke out onto the scene in 2013, and there are sure to be two who do the same thing in 2014.  Here is a look at five who have the potential to make that mark.

5. Tanner Scheppers - Texas Rangers

This is based on a hunch because of the recent injury news of Texas mainstay in the starting rotation, Derek Holland.  Scheppers is entering his third full season at the major league level and he has two opportunities when he comes into camp this year.  One is an opportunity he has proven he deserves, a shot at being the new closer after Joe Nathan left via free agency.  The other one, though, is what lands Scheppers in this article as he will get a shot at making the starting rotation because of the Holland injury.  After two seasons in the bigs he holds a career ERA of 2.64 in 109 career innings.  That is a small sample size as it compares to only about a half of a season as a starting pitcher, but if he can translate that into the rotation he may be a diamond in the rough for Texas.  Some people may argue that this isn’t a bright move to move a talented bullpen arm to the rotation, but it’s a move the Rangers haven’t been afraid to make in the past with some success, and if Scheppers can be the next C.J. Wilson it’ll be a move they make again in the future.

4. Dylan Bundy - Baltimore Orioles

Baltimore has done what it could to remedy their starting pitching issues in the past few years, and have finally found some stability in the rotation, but they still need that big arm at the top of the rotation.  If Bundy can bounce back from Tommy John surgery he may just be the answer that they have been looking for.  Charles Tillman and Bud Norris are good young arms in the rotation, but after then the rotation doesn’t have a lot of stability, and while both are solid pitchers, Bundy has the potential to be a true ace as he has the ability to throw three different fastballs and two off-speed pitches.  The only problem is there is a big question mark around how he will recover from the surgery.  It is more and more common that players bounce back and are better than ever, but there is always that one who cannot return to the form they had before their injury.

3. Lucas Giolito - Washington Nationals

Giolito is just another arm the Nationals could throw out there to dominate opposing hitters.  He’s got the same issue as Bundy, though, as he is recovering from Tommy John surgery.  He has a better shot than Bundy to make a splash in 2014 because he has already been throwing and he looks just as good as he ever has.  Giolito does have an issue of being blocked at the major league level by pitchers who could be considered the best starting five in the league.  Luck, or bad luck of those ahead of him, will be needed in order for him to make his splash, but if he gets his chance look for him to surprise the world at the ripe old age of 19.

2. Archie Bradley - Arizona Diamondbacks

Bradley was dazzling during his 2013 minor league season, and that should lead to a promotion to the AAA level and a shot at a spot in the rotation when one of their starting pitchers inevitably goes down.  Bradley may not get a great shot this season to be the breakout star if everyone stays healthy, but when he gets his shot he will make his mark.  He has a fastball that tops out at 97 miles-per-hour and throws a nasty knuckle curve that sits in low 80’s.  Those two pitches could be a dangerous combination when used together properly.  His numbers in the minors prove he knows how to use the pitchers as he holds a career 2.76 ERA and 318 strikeouts in 290 career innings.  If he can bring those kind of numbers to the big leagues he won’t just make an impact, he’ll win awards.

1. Taijuan Walker - Seattle Mariners

There have been a lot of rumors around Walker and where he will be playing in 2014, but the fact of the matter is that wherever he is playing he is going to get a chance to prove himself.  He isn’t overpowering, but his fastball does sit in the mid 90’s and he has an array of pitches that will help him confuse batters at any level.  He will probably never strike out 200 batters like some of the other guys on this list, but he has the best shot at starting the season in the rotation of anyone on it.  He is listed right now as the fifth starter, and barring any last minute moves like the signing of Masahiro Tanaka, he is almost assured one of the last two spots in the starting rotation.  In 15 career innings last season with the M’s, he had a decent 3.60 ERA with 12 strikeouts, and if he can keep that up that is just the kind of consistency the team needs behind two bonafide aces in their rotation.