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The Washington Nationals will reportedly promote outfield prospect James Wood to the majors on Monday, paving the way for the crown jewel of the Juan Soto trade to make his big-league debut at home against the New York Mets. Wood is the latest in a line of top prospects to reach the majors this season, joining the likes of Jackson Holliday, Wyatt Langford, Jackson Chourio, and Paul Skenes -- and those are just the debuting players who were ranked in the top 10 this spring by CBS Sports.

With Wood en route to The Show, we thought it would be a pertinent time to ask and answer the following question: who's next? Or, more specifically, which top prospect is the next to debut in the majors? (You may recall that we correctly identified Wood as the next in line following Skenes' arrival.) Below, we've offered the four candidates who we think have the best shots at becoming the answers to that inquiry.

Before we get to the exercise, let's be clear about something: we're not concerning ourselves with Jackson Holliday, Junior Caminero, or any other player with MLB experience; this space is only for true debutants, not those waiting to establish a foothold on a permanent gig. Do also note that the players are listed in their expected order of arrival and that this is more of an art than a science.

Now, let's get to the good stuff.

1. Brooks Lee, 3B/SS, Twins (Preseason: No. 15)

It's likely that Lee would have already debuted this spring were it not for a herniated disc in his back that delayed his season. He returned to Minnesota's Triple-A lineup in early June, where he's since hit .361/.432/.667 in 17 games. Lee is a polished switch-hitter who has experience at shortstop, second, and third base. Where he fits into the Twins' big-league lineup is to be determined. Both Willi Castro and Jose Miranda have performed better in 2024 than could have been reasonably anticipated, and he's certainly not going to put Carlos Correa or Royce Lewis out of a spot. Still, crowded depth chart or not, Lee is a strained oblique (or, um, hurt wrist) from reaching The Show.

2. Coby Mayo, 3B/1B, Orioles (Preseason: No. 22)

Just what the Orioles need, right? Yet another talented young infielder nearing the majors. Mayo is a slugging corner infielder who has hit .314/.382/.652 with 17 home runs in Triple-A. He does strike out a fair amount (around 25% this season) and there are questions about his defensive viability on the infield. More pressingly, we're not entirely sure how the Orioles will fit him into their plans -- they have All Stars abound in their infield, their corner-outfield slots are also occupied, meaning the answer isn't as simple as "put him on grass." We do think he's earned a crack at big-league pitching sooner than later, and as with Lee, he might be only an injury away from realizing it.

3. Colson Montgomery, SS, White Sox (Preseason: No. 11)

Montgomery appeared likely to debut last season before having his year ravaged by injury. He's spent this campaign in Triple-A, where his play has underwhelmed. Montgomery entered Friday hitting .221/.339/.395 and striking out far more often than expected (nearly 30% for someone who previously kept his K rate at or below 20%). The White Sox seem certain to trade rental shortstop Paul DeJong ahead of the July 30 deadline, at which point they'll ostensibly hand the reins to Montgomery. Perhaps he can go on a tear before then so it doesn't feel like it's by default.

4. Dylan Crews, OF, Nationals (Preseason: No. 5)

You can't do this piece without including Wood's former and future outfield mate. Crews, the No. 2 pick in last summer's draft, has been a little slower to rise than some of his peers. He was, nevertheless, recently promoted to Triple-A, where he's hit .256/.275/.462 with two home runs in his first nine games. Crews is hitting the ball hard (he already has three batted balls over 105 mph in Triple-A), but he's experienced some odd platoon issues all year: he has an .832 OPS against righties, and a .553 mark versus lefties. We're not sure what to make of that (or, if there is anything to make of it). All the same, we think Crews remains on schedule to debut later this summer.