Fantasy Baseball: Under the radar NL West prospects
By Gavin Tramps
We all know the names of the high-profile prospects, but in this series of articles, we take a look at a few of the less well-known minor league players that could impact fantasy baseball in 2017.
Due to their proximity to the majors, all of these prospects should already be owned in deep dynasty leagues. In shallower leagues, you may want to wait until they have started to produce at the highest level before picking them up.
Do not expect to see Lucas Giolito or Yoan Moncada on any of these slides. They are too high-profile, and there has been plenty written about them in other articles. Also, don’t look out for youngsters Kevin Maitan or Victor Robles. This is no place for highly rated teenagers.
Think you don’t need to know about these lower profile prospects? Well, think again. Aledmys Diaz was a fading prospect who the Cardinals outrighted to make room for veteran Dan Johnson midway through 2015. Ryan Schimpf did not even appear in the Padres’ top-30 prospects before last season, and the Athletics’ Ryon Healy was an uninspiring minor leaguer from an uninspiring farm system.
All three were unheralded prospects yet between them they hit 60 home runs in the majors last year. That’s more than the combined total hit by Bryce Harper, Carlos Correa and Francisco Lindor.
There is an expectation that all of the players featured will contribute in the majors this season. Their value to you will be partly dependent upon the size of your league and whether it is a single season campaign or a keeper/dynasty format.
Colorado Rockies: Jordan Patterson
Taken in the fourth round of the 2013 draft, outfielder/first baseman Jordan Patterson is the No.20 ranked prospect within the Rockies’ organization. The 25-year-old slashed .293/.376/.480 in Triple-A last season before a brief 10-game stint in the majors. He only started three games but impressively went 9-for-20.
Scouting report courtesy of MLB Pipeline:
"Patterson has worked diligently to shorten his left-handed swing since turning pro. He has succeeded, though his line-drive stroke means he doesn’t take full advantage of his bat speed and strength. His approach may not yield enough power for him to play every day as a corner outfielder in the Majors."
The Rockies had a good look at Patterson in Spring Training. He played 28 games, going 16-for-59 (0.271 AVG) with 13 runs, two home runs, and eight doubles. If he ever translates his doubles power (he led the minors in 2105 with 45 doubles) into home runs, then watch out in the thin Colorado air.
With Ian Desmond and David Dahl both starting the season on the DL, it looked likely that Patterson would be given the opportunity to break camp but instead, the Rockies went with Gerardo Parra and non-roster invitee Mark Reynolds. It proved a wise decision as Reynolds slashed .330/.402/.684 with 12 home runs over the first 33 games.
ETA: 2017
Fantasy impact: The Rockies have six players (Carlos Gonzalez, Charlie Blackmon, Gerardo Parra, Ian Desmond, David Dahl and Mark Reynolds) to fit into first base and three outfield spots. Patterson will need a trade or even more injuries to open up playing time. Given his contact skills, gap power and the obvious benefit from hitting in Coors Field, he could be a useful addition to your fantasy roster when he is called up to the majors.
San Diego Padres: Dinelson Lamet
Right-handed starting pitcher Dinelson Lamet signed with the Padres out of the Dominican Republic in 2014. At 22-years-old, he was significantly older than the majority of international signees and shot through the minor leagues, finishing last season in Triple-A.
He is a dominant starter with eye-watering strikeout numbers. In 284 innings in the minors, Lamet struck out 316 batters. That’s over 10.00 SO/9.
Scouting report courtesy of MLB Pipeline:
"Lamet’s mid-90s fastball stands out for its late movement as much as its sheer velocity, and he’s able to maintain it deep in games. His power slider is a true out pitch, thrown in the upper 80s with late diving action, and he showed capable of handling right-handed hitters last season with an improved changeup."
It is unlikely that Lamet could have suffered a worse experience in Spring Training than walking five and giving up four earned runs in his solitary one inning of work. Proving that Spring Training numbers mean very little, he took the 36.00 ERA into Triple-A and almost immediately set a new franchise record with a 13-strikeout start.
In his first six starts for the El Paso Chihuahuas this year, the Padres’ No.10 prospect is 2-1 with a 2.48 ERA and 38 strikeouts in 29 innings.
Despite pitching half of their games at Petco Park, the Padres rotation of Jhoulys Chacin, Clayton Richard, Trevor Cahill, Jered Weaver and Luis Perdomo offers very little value to fantasy owners. The addition of Lamet would dramatically increase interest.
ETA: 2017
Fantasy impact: Although Lamet does not feature highly on any prospects lists, his strikeout potential gives him immediate fantasy value. The Padres are unlikely to offer much offensive support, but he will be working in the pitcher-friendly environs of Petco Park, with the elite defensive skills of Manuel Margot and Travis Jankowski behind him.
San Francisco Giants: Jae-gyun Hwang
After ten years in the KBO, the 29-year-old signed a Minor League deal with the Giants. He played all infield positions in Korea but is most at home at shortstop and third base.
In his final year in Korea, he hit .335 with 27 home runs, 26 doubles and 25 stolen bases for the Lotte Giants, the same team that featured the Tigers’ Jim Aducci.
An insight of the Korean import courtesy of Sun Ming Kim:
"Hwang has raw power, a big arm and an average runner — all solid MLB tools you look for in complete players. Compared to guys like Hyun-Soo Kim and Jung Ho Kang, Hwang is a more of a high-risk/reward project"
Although Hwang failed to break camp, he was very impressive in Spring Training with five home runs and 15 RBI, while hitting .333 in 27 games. He started 2017 hitting .308 for the Sacramento River Cats in Triple-A.
It looked like Hwang would get a call to the big leagues when shortstop Brandon Crawford hit the DL but instead, the Giants promoted their No.2 prospect Christian Arroyo. The 21-year-old hit three home runs in his first 50 at-bats, justifying the decision.
ETA: 2017
Fantasy impact: If Eric Thames’ exploits in the first month of the season have taught us anything, it is not to underestimate KBO production. Hwang offers intriguing fantasy potential of a power/speed combo from third base or shortstop.
Arizona Diamondbacks: Jimmie Sherfy
The 25-year-old right-handed pitcher was taken with the 300th pick in the 2013 draft. He pitched across three levels in 2016 and has started this season with Triple-A Reno Aces.
The Diamondbacks’ No. 13 prospect has the “closer of the future” tag, partly helped by finishing as a top-5 closer in the minors last season with 30 saves. He tossed 55.1 innings in 2016 with an impressive strikeout rate of 12.8 SO/9. Sherfy posted a WHIP below 1.00 and was taken deep just six times, equating to 1.0 HR/9.
The MLB Pipeline scouting report details his arsenal:
"He does it with a fastball that sits in the mid-to-upper 90s with a ton of life and an above-average slider that is unhittable at times. His changeup is clearly his third pitch, and he’s started using it more, throwing it with splitter action. He can miss bats with all three and has shown he can throw multiple innings without losing any of his stuff."
The Diamondbacks did not get much of a look at Sherfy in Spring Training, allowing him to only pitch three innings. He showed his dominance with three strikeouts and converted both of the two save opportunities.
40-year-old Fernando Rodney is the Diamondbacks’ closer and should he fail, the bullpen includes the live-arm of Archie Bradley, plus two pitchers with previous closing experience in J.J. Hoover and Tom Wilhelmsen.
There is a trio of potential closers within the Diamondbacks’ Minor League system, with Sherfy, Silvino Bracho and Enrique Burgos.
ETA: 2017
Fantasy impact: The ninth-inning role is the most volatile in the game. Fantasy leagues can be won by picking the right reliever after the closer has imploded. Sherfy is in line to make a fantasy impact in 2017.
Los Angeles Dodgers: Brock Stewart
The 25-year-old right-handed starting pitcher was picked in the sixth round of the 2014 draft by the Dodgers and made his MLB debut vs. Brewers in June 2016. He is the Dodgers’ No.8 prospect according to Baseball America and MLB Pipeline, although he fails to make Baseball Prospectus’ Top.10.
Stewart sped through three levels of the minors in 2016, posting 1.79 ERA over 21 starts with more than a strikeout per inning and a WHIP below 0.90.
His promotion to the big leagues was not as successful. He gave up 14 earned runs on 18 hits in his first two starts, giving him a 14.00 ERA when he took the mound for his third start.
He made five more appearances, two in relief and three as a starter. It is the three as a starter that are of most interest as Stewart went 3-0 and posted 1.80 ERA with 15 strikeouts in 15 innings.
Scouting report courtesy of MLB Pipeline:
"Stewart works at 92-95 mph, topping out at 97 with his fastball. He throws a two-seamer with sink and a four-seamer with riding life, commanding both of them very well. The rest of his arsenal has improved significantly as he has gained more pitching experience, with his tumbling changeup showing flashes of becoming a plus offering and his mid-80s slider/cutter serving as an effective third pitch."
Stewart had two outings in Spring Training but was shut down with shoulder tendinitis. He has not pitched since but according to Bill Plunkett:
"Stewart is in the long-toss phase of his throwing program and is scheduled to start throwing off a mound next week. Stewart said he has been told May 20 is the target for him to be pitching in games for one of the Dodgers’ minor-league teams."
When everyone is healthy, the Dodgers are not short of pitching options. Currently, Rich Hill, Scott Kazmir and Hyun-jin Ryu are also on the DL. Ross Stripling is in the bullpen, and their Triple-A ranks include former big leaguers Jair Jurrjens and Justin Masterson.
ETA: 2017
Fantasy impact: If Brock Stewart recovers fully from the shoulder tendinitis and he can recapture the form that made him one of the best pitchers in the minors last season, then he will have immediate fantasy value as soon as he is promoted to the big leagues. When/if that happens will be down to the health and form of the seven or eight starters ahead of him.
Fantasy Baseball is littered with highly ranked prospects that have failed to meet expectations and unheralded minor leaguers that refuse to stop hitting when they reach the majors. For each Jurickson Profar, there is an Adam Eaton.
Keep a look out for the rest of the articles in this series.