What is the consensus on a 20 year old who is ML ready? If he will 100% start every game (or as many as his stamina allows), will he progress the same at ML level as he would slowly going up through the minors? His first year at 19 he played Rookie ball and did great. He is better than all but 2 players on my ML team and is projected to be the best (high 90's). What does everyone advise? I would like to win as soon as possible but not at the expense of his development.

He's a pretty OK-ish starting ML RF at this time, definitely ML quality but nothing special. If he's your 3rd best player it'll take a lot of free agent work to make this a contending team... consider one more year in the minors so you don't start his clock before you're really ready to win.

But if you get the big free agent haul, it won't stunt his development to put him in the majors.

If you're talking about Gaynor, then unless I was competing this season I would keep him down. And if he's currently better than all buy two guys on your roster then you're likely not competing this season. Right now he's certainly not a special bat. RHB's with 60-60 splits and 74 Power are fair to middling.

I would keep him down for this reason: His Patience is currently only 46 and that means that after his first LT contract he will not be as likely to resign with you as he would with a number in the 80's or 90's (for example).

Very high Patience guys almost always seem to resign. Mid-level guys are coin tosses.

Keep him up and you are guaranteed to have him through his Age 29 Season. It's 50-50 if he walks after that.

I would hire a terrific AA or AAA hitting coach and keep him there. He's going to be a guy worth having into his 30's.

Coaches and games played are the only two factors you can control in a players development. Calling a prospect up to the majors will not hinder development. If anything, it will make it more likely your player develops fully (better coaches), assuming he's playing everyday. If he's going to platoon or spot start in the majors, keep him in the minors to get maximum playing time.

The only reason I keep a stud in the minors is if my team is still a season or two away from contention and I want to line up all my prospects to fire on all cylinders at once.

Just wanted to update everyone on what happened:

I brought him up, won my division with 96 wins...actually got a first round bye...but then got swept in the ALDS. So, made a decent run but clearly didn't have the fire power to go the whole way.

Thanks for all the help!

Playoffs can be a crapshoot.