We're approaching the end of August and you know what that means -- top prospect promotions for flailing teams! In the course of a week, the Yankees went from being the most floundering team in the league to the one with the brightest future. That's what strong play from the likes of Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez will do for you. But the Yanks aren't the only club testing out their young talent. From Arizona to Cincinnati, there are a plethora of rookie debuts to be witnessed over the coming weeks.

Don't forget the old guys in your pursuit of the most desirable prospect. There are a handful of guys recovering from injuries that have, to some degree, flown under the radar. We've got all the bases covered in this week's column.

Week 21 Outfield Targets

Alex Gordon, Kansas City Royals

Owned in 39% of Fleaflicker Leagues

After an abysmal start to the season, a month lost due to injury and a mediocre July, Alex Gordon is back to his previous form. He's been seeing the ball much better in August to the tune of a .294/.377/.603 line with six homers (including a walk off jack against Minnesota the other night) and 16 runs scored. That should be all of the evidence needed for most fantasy owners, as Gordon bolstered himself as an All-Star over the past three seasons.

Of course, much of that acclaim has been garnered by his play in the field, but his batting numbers haven't been too shabby either. From 2013 to 2015, Gordon managed an average of 17 long balls per season with a tasty .348 OBP. Nothing about him will knock your socks off, but when he's near 100% (as he appears to be), Gordon is likely the most reliable option the waiver wire has to offer.

 

Teoscar Hernandez, Houston Astros

Owned in 2% of Fleaflicker Leagues

After a full year of dreadful, regret-inducing play, Carlos Gomez has finally been exiled from the Astros outfield. Meanwhile, Colby Rasmus just had surgery on his ear and there is no clear timetable for his return. That leaves a trio of young players, namely Teoscar Hernandez, Jake Marisnick and Tony Kemp, to fill the final void beside George Springer and Marwin Gonzalez. While Kemp, Marisnick and Gonzalez have rotated for lineup spots over the past week or so, Hernandez has been a mainstay in the outfield and for good reason.

Since being called up, the rookie is sporting a .281/.378/.594 line with three homers, six RBI, and nine runs scored in just 32 plate appearances. The only category he hasn't lit up is steals and that's what makes this kid so exciting. The speed is there. He already has 34 stolen bases across two levels of minor league play this season. The best is yet to come.

 

Mitch Haniger, Arizona Diamondbacks

Owned in 4% of Fleaflicker Leagues

If you haven't heard of this guy yet, you will soon. Mitch Haniger demolished his way through the minors and has been doing much of the same in his first week at the Big League level. That's no overstatement -- in two levels of minor league ball, Haniger posted a monstrous .325/.423/.588 line with 24 dingers, 10 swipes and a whopping 86 RBI. Most of the success even came after the promotion to Triple-A Reno.

In seven games thus far with the Diamondbacks, the 25 year-old has gone 8-for-26 with two doubles, a triple and five RBI. So far, no homers, no steals. But fear not, they surely will come. The only question is whether or not he will receive ample playing time moving forward. The next player on this list is soon to insert himself in a permanent role and Yasmany Tomas isn't going anywhere. The most likely scenario (as well as the hopeful/reasonable one) is that Haniger begins to take on center field, pushing Michael Bourn to a secondary role. If Haniger continues to hit, he will continue to play. It's not like the D-Backs have much to play for this year.

 

A.J. Pollock, Arizona Diamondbacks

Owned in 58% of Fleaflicker Leagues

A.J. Pollock is coming back! Like, really soon! To be specific, Pollock is expected to return to the lineup this Friday and that is exciting news for those who diligently held onto the injured star throughout his lengthy (yet shorter than expected) rehab process from a broken elbow. However, his ownership shows that many owners still haven't gotten the hint. It's natural to avoid anyone with the "DL60" tag in fantasy.

If you are in one of those leagues, listen closely -- pick this guy up! He's been gashing his way through the minors, evidenced by his unreal .433/.541/.733 line in 10 games across three levels. He's also stolen a couple of bases and swatted two home runs. In all likelihood, if you are in a league with remotely savvy owners, Pollock is already long gone from the waiver wire. This is just a friendly reminder to double check and avoid missing out on the deal of the season.

 

More Options: Joc Pederson (56%), Danny Valencia (53%), Brandon Moss (47%), Andrew Benintendi (41%), Rajai Davis (41%), Denard Span (39%), Jayson Werth (35%), Keon Broxton (25%), Randal Grichuk (21%), Chris Owings (13%), Jose Peraza (3%)

 

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