Many of the best players in Major League Baseball hail from Latin American countries and there are still a great deal of prospects from there that could be in the big leagues for good in the near future.

Out of the hundreds of minor leaguers taking a shot at baseball's professional realm in the United States, only a small number of them get anything more than a "cup of coffee," let alone a lasting big league career.

To help filter through all of the players, we will take a look at some of the top-ranked stars from Latin America. Granted, a number of undrafted and seemingly irrelevant players sometimes surpass expectations and enjoy lengthy baseball careers, but at this time we will focus on the ones who have built up a following among scouts, experts, and fans alike.

1. Jurickson Profar

Team: Rangers

Position: SS

Born: Feb. 20, 1993, Willemstad, Curacao

In 2010 Profar emerged onto the scene as a young, 17-year-old middle infielder who was talented both offensively and defensively. Routinely ranked as the best prospect in almost every league he has played in, Profar swiftly climbed through the ranks from single-A Spokane all the way to the Major League Rangers team in 2012, just his third season. After getting a taste of the big leagues for 9 games, he was shipped back to Triple-A Round Rock before going back to the majors for 85 games last season.

At age 21, Profar is at a perfect age and all eyes are on the star. He was ranked the number 1 prospect in Baseball America's list of top 100 prospects. 

2.  Oscar Taveras

Team: Cardinals

Position: Outfielder

Born: June 19, 1992, Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic

Although the Dominican star has yet to play a game in the big leagues, he has posted incredibly impressive statistics offensively. Taveras hit .321 in 124 games in 2012 and .306 in 46 games with triple-A Memphis in 2013. He is not very well known for his glove and the organization very much prioritizes his hitting abilities.

While Taveras was high on the list of prospects in the St. Louis Cardinals organization upon his arrival in 2009 at the age of 17, he became the top-ranked prospect in the organization by 2012.

We can expect Taveras to see some time in the Major Leagues this season after posting such great numbers last year.  When do you think he will finally get the call up?

3.  Miguel Sano

Team: Minnesota Twins

Position: Third Base

Born: May 11, 1993, San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic

After tearing up the FSL with a .330 average in 56 games in 2013, Sano was promoted to Double-A New Britain. However, this proved to be a challenge for the young infielder and he only managed to hit .236 in 67 games to close out the year.

Still, it shouldn't be much to worry about considering how high the Twins have prioritized Sano. He was the number 1 ranked prospect in the entire organization for two straight years from 2011-2012.

With a large 6'4", 235 pound frame, he is sure to get a great deal of attention as a hitter. MLB.com ranked him the third best prospect in the league.

The Twins are hoping to see some solid production from Sano in the upcoming year considering the massive contract he signed in 2009. He ended up signing for more than $3 million in a huge contract for a player that hadn't even gotten his feet wet in the baseball world.

Rumor has it, however, that the Twins are electing to take it slow with Sano due to the fact that he tends to strike out. Instead of rushing him through and messing up his swing, the team is hoping the longer wait will pay off in the end. He is invited to Spring Training this year.

4.  Javier Baez

Team: Chicago Cubs

Position: shortstop

Born: Dec. 1, 1992, Toa Baja, Puerto Rico

Baez has dealt with the pressure of being a top prospect quite nicely considering the fact that he has bounced around from one level to the next throughout parts of the last three seasons.

Baez, who was born in Puerto Rico but went to high school in Florida, started his professional career by playing in 3 games in the Arizona Fall League and 2 games in the Northwest League.

The Cubs selected Baez ninth overall in the first round of the 2011 draft and signed him to a $2.6 million contract.

Although Baez is still very young, he will be entering his prime before we know it. The infielder will be 21 in the upcoming season and he most recently left off with a 54-game stint in double-A in 2013. Needless to say, he is a big part of the future plans for the Cubs. After hitting .294 at the highest level of the minors, it is without question that we will be seeing Baez in a Chicago Cubs uniform in 2014 -- barring any setbacks, of course.

5.  Carlos Martinez

Team: St. Louis Cardinals

Position: Pitcher (RHP)

Born: Sept. 21, 1991, Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic

Back in 2010, an 18-year-old Martinez made a splash as soon as he took the field as a professional baseball player. After posting a .76 ERA in 12 starts in Rookie League, getting promoted to another level each season until he found himself in a St. Louis Cardinals uniform in 2013. In his first season in the big leagues, Martinez struggled en route to a 5.08 ERA in 21 games. However, he is extremely young and it is not quite clear whether the team plans to take things slower with him in 2014 when he will be 22 years old.

At any rate, he is in the top ten among prospect in the Cardinals system and was ranked the #3 prospect in the organization after the 2012 season.

With a nasty curveball, he has the potential to tally up the strikeouts in a hurry as he keeps hitters off balance. Although it should be noted that his strikeout rate has gone down with each subsequent level he has gotten promoted to, it is most likely just part of the adjustment to the next level. He has been able to maintain a low ERA - except for his stint in the big leagues -- and he remains a viable option for the Cards in the near future.

How do you think the team will handle him in the upcoming season? Will they see how he fares in Spring Training or should they think about holding him back in triple-A or double-A to allow him to develop a bit more? Let us know in the comments section below.

Concluding Notes: 

There are hundreds of Latin American stars that could emerge onto the scene this year but these are just some of the most anticipated players. While some have big league experience, the aforementioned players are still young, and considering the poor job security in professional sports, almost anything could happen with their careers in the next year or so.

Only time will tell, but what do you think of these future stars? Will they live up to the expectations or will some other players surpass them in the ranks? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.