X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Join the Best Live Fantasy Chat Community!

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

MLB Prospects Update: NL Rookies to Get Called Up

Credit: MiLB.com/Ken Weisenberger

Performing the art of adding MLB prospects to your fantasy baseball roster mid-season can take a delicate touch. If you have a league with plenty of bench or N/A spots (as Yahoo! leagues now offer), it doesn’t hurt to stash away some future stars and sleepers off the waiver wire. You have plenty of other guys to stream from your bench to fill your positions. But in no-bench leagues, or leagues with just a few bench spots, carrying a minor league player and waiting for a call-up can do more harm than good. It is rarely worth it. Those “zero stats” guys can be a drain on your numbers and put you in a hole early in the season.

Credit: MiLB.com/Ken Weisenberger

The prospect question most heard is "When will so-and-so be called up?” Without intimate knowledge of front-office decisions, that question is impossible to answer. We can only speculate based upon major league need, service time concerns and that player’s development.

The Astros gave George Springer the call-up on Wednesday after a month of speculation that they would wait until the Super Two deadline. The D-Backs announced that despite their desperate need for a starting pitcher, Archie Bradley will be staying in the minors for now, even though he’s better than their options at the major league level. This uncertainty requires fantasy owners to stay on top of team rumors, the transaction wire and the injury reports.

As usual, the most diligent fantasy owners will gain the biggest advantage over the course of the season. That said, this week I profile a few guys in the National League who may have a chance to help this season– or at least a few guys who are the “so-and-so’s” that fantasy owners are asking about.

 

Eye On The Minors - NL Prospect Updates

 

Oscar Taveras, OF - STL

Taveras would have been in the big leagues last season if not for a nagging ankle injury, so his long-awaited debut has been pushed back to 2014. The timetable for Taveras is “when he’s healthy and ready.” I know that Matt Adams and Allen Craig are fantasy darlings, but those guys will not block Taveras’ path to the majors. With Taveras, we have a potential NL batting champ with perhaps 30-HR pop who can sprinkle in a few steals as well. A fantasy beast and future first-round pick. He has hit to the tune of .289/.347/.489 in Double-A Memphis and has little more to prove in the minor leagues. By the end of the season, he could be the best hitter on the Cardinals.

 

Joc Pederson, OF - LAD

Poor Joc Pederson. Baseball America ranks him as the top prospect in the Dodgers' system, but he has nowhere to play at the big-league level. Pederson can hit. He is absolutely killing it at Triple-A Albuquerque with a .442/.564/.884 triple-slash line, five homers and four steals in his first twelve games. For many other teams, he’d be contributing at the big league level right now, but the Dodgers have enough trouble finding playing time with Andre Ethier, Yasiel Puig, Matt Kemp and Carl Crawford healthy and earning big contracts in their outfield. Pederson won’t get a chance this year unless the injury bug revisits L.A. or the Dodgers deal him away.

 

Tommy La Stella, 2B - ATL

Perhaps now is the wrong time to talk about a Braves second base prospect, with Dan Uggla coming off a two-homer game (including a grand slam) the other day. But as any fantasy owner knows, Uggla is prone to streaky hitting and monumental slumps. In the past few years alone, he has been benched for long stretches and was left off the NLDS playoff roster just last season. La Stella is the Braves best option on the farm to take over at second base if (when) Uggla struggles again. He was considered a candidate for the starting job out of Spring Training, but lost out to Uggla and was sent to Triple-A Gwinnett. La Stella doesn’t have power or great speed, but he can hit and get on base. I’ve seen generous comparisons to the Cardinals' Matt Carpenter. If he eventually gets the call, the young Brave could contribute in runs and batting average at a very shallow position.

 

Notes From the Minors

After finally finding his stroke following an 0-for-9 start, the Cubs’ Javier Baez was placed on the disabled list after rolling his ankle last Friday during fielding practice; he won’t be hitting, fielding or throwing for the next week or so, which will certainly delay his big-league debut... I mentioned the Pirates’ Gregory Polanco last week-- he currently leads the International League with a .485 average... Marlins’ lefty Andrew Heaney threw six shutout innings Tuesday night and may be ready for a call-up soon; the Marlins are certainly not shy about promoting young players.

 




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Al Horford7 hours ago

Back On The Injury Report
Derrick White7 hours ago

Off The Injury Report
Kris Bryant8 hours ago

In A "Great Place" Physically
Nick Lodolo8 hours ago

Reds Place Nick Lodolo On 15-Day Injured List
TJ Friedl8 hours ago

Hits 10-Day Injured List
Aaron Gordon8 hours ago

Cleared To Face Phoenix
Michael Porter8 hours ago

Jr. Good To Go Wednesday
Nikola Jokic8 hours ago

Playing Against Phoenix
Jackson Chourio8 hours ago

Will Start In Right Field Friday
Jrue Holiday8 hours ago

Might Return On Thursday
Khris Middleton8 hours ago

Expected To Play On Thursday Night
Joel Embiid9 hours ago

To Return Soon?
Jamal Murray9 hours ago

Out Again On Wednesday
Jake Odorizzi10 hours ago

Starting At Triple-A
Rudy Gobert10 hours ago

Ready To Rock Against Pistons
LeBron James10 hours ago

Officially Active Against Memphis
Eduardo Rodriguez10 hours ago

Starts Throwing Program
Anthony Davis10 hours ago

Won't Play Against Grizzlies
Victor Wembanyama10 hours ago

Playing On Wednesday
Anthony Edwards10 hours ago

Will Play Against Detroit
Garrett Mitchell10 hours ago

Will Miss 6-8 Weeks
Aaron Nesmith10 hours ago

Back For Pacers Wednesday
Alek Manoah10 hours ago

Likely To Start On Injured List
Alec Burks10 hours ago

Remains Out On Wednesday
Chad Green10 hours ago

To Lead Closer Committee In Toronto?
Mitchell Robinson10 hours ago

Returns For Knicks Wednesday
Erik Swanson10 hours ago

Jordan Romano, Erik Swanson Officially Heading To Injured List
Kevin Gausman10 hours ago

To Make Season Debut Sunday Or Monday
Dejounte Murray11 hours ago

Upgraded To Available
John Konchar11 hours ago

Downgraded To Out
Vince Williams11 hours ago

Jr. Misses Another Game On Wednesday
Giannis Antetokounmpo11 hours ago

Expected To Face The Pelicans
Noah Song11 hours ago

To Miss 2024 Season
Robert Gasser11 hours ago

Sidelined Indefinitely
Naoyuki Uwasawa12 hours ago

Red Sox Acquire Naoyuki Uwasawa
Gleyber Torres12 hours ago

Will Bat Leadoff On Opening Day
Mark Hubbard12 hours ago

Coming Off A Career Performance
Jonathan Aranda12 hours ago

To Be Placed On Injured List
Davis Thompson12 hours ago

Looking To Pay Off A Stellar Run Of Ball-Striking
Max Scherzer12 hours ago

Making Solid Progress
Akshay Bhatia12 hours ago

Coming Into Houston With Confidence
Thorbjorn Olesen12 hours ago

Still Trying To Find Footing On U.S. Soil
Patrick Rodgers12 hours ago

Fighting Inconsistencies Heading Into Houston
Malik Nabers13 hours ago

Shines At Pro Day
Carolina Panthers13 hours ago

Jadeveon Clowney Signing Two-Year Deal With Panthers
Jordan Lawlar14 hours ago

To Have Thumb Surgery, Out A Couple Months
Wyndham Clark14 hours ago

Battling Back Injury Ahead of Houston Open
San Francisco 49ers15 hours ago

Talanoa Hufanga Expected To Return At Training Camp
MLB15 hours ago

Braves And Phillies Rained Out On Thursday
Jayden Daniels15 hours ago

Raiders To Meet With Jayden Daniels
MLB15 hours ago

Mets And Brewers To Be Postponed Thursday
Tank Bigsby15 hours ago

Jaguars Want Tank Bigsby More Involved
Will Smith15 hours ago

Inks 10-Year Extension With Dodgers
Josh Reynolds15 hours ago

Signs Two-Year Deal With Broncos
Doug Ghim17 hours ago

Looks To Bounce Back At Houston Open
PGA17 hours ago

Cameron Davis Seeking Consistency Ahead Of Houston Open
Thomas Detry17 hours ago

A Gamble At Houston Open
Ryan Fox17 hours ago

Lacks Upside Heading Into Houston Open
Andrew Novak17 hours ago

Will Be Chalk At Houston Open
Josh Doan18 hours ago

Scores Twice In His NHL Debut
Filip Forsberg18 hours ago

Makes History In Big Comeback Win
Jamie Benn19 hours ago

Scores In Fifth Consecutive Game
Sidney Crosby19 hours ago

Collects Three Points Versus Carolina
Artemi Panarin19 hours ago

Continues Scoring Tear With Three Assists
Joey Daccord19 hours ago

Shuts Out Ducks
Sahith Theegala20 hours ago

Showing Consistency This Season
Wyndham Clark20 hours ago

Working Toward Star Status
Scottie Scheffler20 hours ago

Heads To Houston At His Best
Sam Ryder21 hours ago

Putting The Lights Out Of Late
Joel Dahmen21 hours ago

All Systems Go For Joel Dahmen In Houston
Kurt Kitayama21 hours ago

Ready For Houston Debut
Ben Griffin21 hours ago

Finding Form Heading To Houston
Taylor Moore1 day ago

Continues Made-Cut Streak Heading To Houston
Adam Svensson1 day ago

Hoping For Consistency In Houston
Taylor Montgomery1 day ago

Looks To Bounce Back In Houston
Amon-Ra St. Brown1 day ago

Discussing Extension With Lions
Jared Goff1 day ago

Lions Discussing New Deal
J.K. Dobbins1 day ago

Cleared For Football Activities
Los Angeles Rams1 day ago

Tre'Davious White To Join Rams
PIT1 day ago

Sam Poulin Recalled From AHL
Jack Quinn1 day ago

Could Return Wednesday
Scott Mayfield1 day ago

Undergoes Season-Ending Surgery
TOR2 days ago

Mitch Marner Skates On His Own Tuesday
Trevor Zegras2 days ago

To Return Tuesday
Justus Annunen2 days ago

Inks Two-Year Extension
Nick Chubb2 days ago

Expected To Start Load Running Next Month
D'Andre Swift2 days ago

Bears View D'Andre Swift As Receiving Weapon
Cordarrelle Patterson2 days ago

Signing With Steelers
Sam Howell2 days ago

Seahawks Believe Sam Howell Can Be A Full-Time Starter
Tennessee Titans2 days ago

L'Jarius Sneed Agrees On Four-Year Contract With Titans
Dak Prescott2 days ago

No Indication A Deal Is Coming For Dak Prescott
Calvin Ridley2 days ago

To Have Big Role In Tennessee
Josh Jacobs2 days ago

To Be Used More In Passing Game
Brandon Saad2 days ago

Gets Another Goal In Monday's Loss
Logan Thompson2 days ago

Stretches Winning Streak To Three Games
Shea Theodore2 days ago

Maintains Good Scoring Form With An Assist
Brock Boeser2 days ago

Hits Goal No. 37
Cam Talbot2 days ago

Collects Fourth Consecutive Win
Anze Kopitar2 days ago

Records Fourth Straight Multi-Point Game
Oskar Sundqvist2 days ago

Suffers Knee Injury
Elias Lindholm2 days ago

Sits Out Monday
Jonathan Marchessault2 days ago

Bags Overtime Winner Monday
Pittsburgh Steelers2 days ago

Cameron Heyward Expected To Be Healthy For Training Camp
Zach Wilson2 days ago

Jets Could End Up Keeping Zach Wilson
Jarrett Stidham2 days ago

To Compete For Starting Job
Amanda Ribas3 days ago

Takes Decision Loss
Rose Namajunas3 days ago

Snaps Losing Streak
Edmen Shahbazyan3 days ago

Scores Vicious Comeback Knockout
AJ Dobson3 days ago

Knocked Out In The First Round At UFC Vegas 89
Fernando Padilla3 days ago

Gets Back On Track With Submission Win
Luis Pajuelo3 days ago

Submitted In UFC Debut
William Byron3 days ago

Dominates For Victory At COTA
Ty Gibbs3 days ago

Grabs Another Solid Finish At COTA
Chris Buescher3 days ago

Texas Native Chris Buescher Finishes Eighth At COTA
Christopher Bell3 days ago

Kyle Busch Confronts Christopher Bell Following A Top-10 Finish At COTA
Justin Haley3 days ago

Disqualified After Strong COTA Run
Martin Truex Jr3 days ago

. Rounds Out Top Ten At COTA
NASCAR3 days ago

A.J. Allmendinger Worms Way Up To Sixth At COTA
Shane Van Gisbergen3 days ago

Shane van Gisbergen Comes Down to Earth After Mediocre COTA Run
Ross Chastain3 days ago

Ran Well at COTA as Usual Despite Late-Race Fade
Christopher Bell3 days ago

Furious Charge Falls Just Short at COTA
Tyler Reddick3 days ago

Scores Strong Finish of Fifth at COTA
Chase Elliott3 days ago

Finishes 16th at COTA After Lackluster Performance
Billy Quarantillo4 days ago

Suffers Submission Loss At UFC Vegas 89
Youssef Zalal4 days ago

Gets Submission Win In Return To The UFC
Cameron Saaiman4 days ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC Vegas 89
Payton Talbott4 days ago

Scores KO Win At UFC Vegas 89
Justin Tafa4 days ago

Drops To .500 In The UFC
Karl Williams4 days ago

Remains Undefeated In The UFC
Kyle Larson4 days ago

Is One Of The Optimal DFS Options For COTA
Denny Hamlin4 days ago

Should Denny Hamlin Be Rostered For DFS Lineups At COTA?
Kaz Grala4 days ago

Is A Serviceable DFS Play For COTA
Shane Van Gisbergen4 days ago

Will Start 12th In First COTA Cup Start
Todd Gilliland4 days ago

Is A Sneaky DFS Play With Upside For COTA
William Byron4 days ago

Is One Of The Top Favorites To Win At COTA
Christopher Bell4 days ago

Is A Comfortable DFS Play For COTA
Tyler Reddick4 days ago

the Favorite to Win at COTA
Ty Gibbs4 days ago

Looking for First Career Win at COTA
Rose Namajunas6 days ago

Looks To Get Back In Win Column
Amanda Ribas6 days ago

Set For Main-Event Matchup
Edmen Shahbazyan6 days ago

In Dire Need Of Victory
AJ Dobson6 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 89
Fernando Padilla6 days ago

Seeking Victory In Third UFC Appearance
Luis Pajuelo6 days ago

Makes His UFC Debut