The Year of the Prospects
By Bill Pivetz
Jun 4, 2015; Washington, DC, USA; Chicago Cubs third baseman
Kris Bryant(17) hits a single against the Washington Nationals during the fifth inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit:
Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
This year, more than any other, has been the year of the prospects. I can’t even count how many players who were in the minors weeks ago and are now hitting in the big leagues. And the best part, these players have value in most fantasy leagues. On the mound and at the plate, these players have been productive so far this season. With more players ready to get the call, let’s take a look at the current group of rookies.
The Chicago Cubs called up superstar prospect Kris Bryant on April 17 and he’s been a star. He has seven home runs, 35 RBI and a .294 batting average. This week, the Cubs made the call to bring up Kyle Schwarber to serve as the team’s DH during interleague play. In Double-A this season (58 games), he has 13 home runs, 39 RBI and a .320 batting average. Those two sluggers paired with Anthony Rizzo make for a very tough lineup for this week and beyond.
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The Houston Astros have also made a lot of callups this season. Shortstop Carlos Correa, pitchers Lance McCullers and Vincent Velasquez and outfielder Preston Tucker all arrived in Houston this season. McCullers and Velasquez have a combined 1.76 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 45 strikeouts in seven starts.
The Astros have been in last place for far too long. With the young group of players on the roster, they may have enough to break free of that stigma. These prospects are producing at the top-level now, and if they can do it years from now, they will be fantasy cornerstones.
Byron Buxton, Joey Gallo and Francisco Lindor are three more hitters who have recently received a call up. Noah Syndergaard and Archie Bradley were in the league early in the season, but haven’t panned out for their respective teams so far.
Buxton and Lindor haven’t looked great in their short time in the majors, but it’s still early. Gallo benefitted from the injury to Adrian Beltre and took over third base. Now, with the injury to Delino DeShields, Gallo will get some playing time in left field. The dual-eligibility will increase Gallo’s fantasy value. He has four home runs, seven RBI and a .279 average in just 12 games.
Syndergaard is 2-4 with a 3.76 ERA and has been the subject of talks which could move him to the bullpen. Bradley missed some time after being hit by a pitch. He is 2-3 with a 5.80 ERA. The young pitches tend to take a little longer to acclimate to the majors compared to the young hitters, but can become a top-20 pitcher in the following year.
As far as 2015 callups, the list goes on and on. Yasmany Tomas, Jung Ho Kang, Blake Swihart, Micah Johnson, Odubel Herrera, Chi Chi Gonzalez just to name a few. All of these former prospects-current rookies listed have some sort of fantasy value.
Major League Baseball differentiates itself from the other professional leagues by having a great development system. Four minor levels are at the teams’ disposal before calling any prospect up. This gives us fantasy owners plenty of time to form out own opinions on these prospects and decide if they are worth adding to our team when the time is right.
With many other prospects waiting in the wings, the pool of talent to choose from continues to grow year after year. If you play in a keeper or dynasty league, these prospects have been on your radar for years. In a one-and-done season, these players only matter if they get called up. Regardless, players are getting younger and younger and their fantasy value continues to rise.