RADIO
Over the last several weeks, we have touched on a few of the bigger name MLB prospects who have impressed this spring, solidifying their status as some of the games premier up and coming stars, like Mookie Betts, Kris Bryant, and Joc Pederson just to name a few.
As we near the conclusion of spring training, lets take a look at some prospects whose stock is on the rise, and are primed to not only make an Opening Day roster, but also have a legitimate fantasy impact this season.
Five Up - Prospects On The Rise
Taijuan Walker - SP, Seattle Mariners
He’s the biggest name on this list, but deserves mentioning because he is finally healthy after missing extended time last season with shoulder inflammation and has been the talk of Mariners camp this spring. Walker has been downright dominant this spring, tossing 12 scoreless innings, allowing just four hits and three walks along with 13 strikeouts. His fastball is sitting in the mid-90’s and his cutter, splitter and curveball look as sharp as ever.
The 22 year old top prospect is slated to open the season in the Seattle rotation and is a bargain for fantasy owners, currently going outside the top 75 starting pitchers, according to the latest average draft position data. Walker still has some work to do with his command (4.3 BB/9 last season), but is oozing with athleticism and raw talent. Given his propensity for punching out opposing batters, he should make an immediate impact for fantasy owners right out of the gate.
Kendall Graveman - SP, Oakland Athletics
Sometimes you just get a good vibe about a pitcher. If you’ve paid attention to the sound bytes coming out of A’s camp, they are extremely high on Graveman, who they acquired from Toronto in the controversial Josh Donaldson trade this offseason. We heard a lot of similar comments about Sonny Gray when he was first arriving on the scene in Oakland.
After dominating this spring, Graveman seems like a lock to make the Opening Day rotation. He has excellent control, and while he was never a big strikeout guy in the minors, the late-season dominance he displayed at the big-league level late last season has carried over into 2015. You wouldn’t expect him to develop into an ace, but we said that about Gray in the past as well.
Dalton Pompey - OF, Toronto Jays
Pompey’s meteoric rise from High-A to the Majors last season was capped off with a majestic blast off “The King”, Felix Hernandez, in late September. The Ontario native could end up being the biggest thing to hit Toronto since bacon and the Maple Leafs if his unique blend of speed and power translates at the highest level. With all of the injuries befalling the other options in the Blue Jays outfield, Pompey, just 22 years old, should be in the lineup everyday in centerfield.
Pompey’s most valuable fantasy asset will be his speed, capable of stealing 15-to-20 bases over the course of a full season, which will play right away. He may take some time to develop as a hitter, but there is plenty of extra-base pop in his bat and he makes enough contact to potentially hit for a high average. The sky is the limit with him. Trust me you’ll want to be there when Pompey erupts.
Micah Johnson - 2B, Chicago Sox
The hottest prospect in baseball at the moment, Johnson’s sterling spring training (His .455 batting average trails only Mike Trout’s .486 mark. He’s not human so it’s okay.) has him positioned to open the season as the White Sox starting second baseman. The blazing speed (84 stolen bases across three levels in 2013) is real, but questions still remain about Johnson’s abilities as a hitter. He also had trouble staying healthy, missing a chunk of time with a hamstring injury last season.
The potential for monster stolen base totals is there, but it’s hard not to overlook the risks associated with his overall profile. Considering that it costs virtually nothing to acquire him, Johnson is a worthy gamble for fantasy owners who crave the fast and the furious types.
Raisel Iglesias - SP, Cincinnati Reds
This is a bit of a surprise. Iglesias signed a seven-year, $27 million deal last season and will make his stateside debut as a member of the Reds starting rotation in 2015. Iglesias has a funky delivery, but the stuff is nasty. With a four-pitch mix that is diverse enough to enable him to survive as a starter, he could turn into an overnight sensation if the league struggles to get a book on him early on this season. He’s struck out a batter per inning this spring, and in a best-case scenario, could end up being the power rotation arm the Reds always envisioned Aroldis Chapman becoming.
Prospects Who Will Have An Impact In Deep Leagues
Devon Travis - 2B, Toronto Blue Jays
Acquired from Detroit in exchange for Anthony Gose this offseason, Travis arrived north of the border as one of the best contact hitters in the minor leagues, hot off the heels of a stellar campaign in which he batted .298/.358/.460 with 10 home runs and 16 steals in 441 plate appearances in Double-A.
The Ryan Goins era is likely over in Toronto, with the 24-year-old Travis reportedly the front-runner to man the keystone for the Blue Jays out of spring training. What makes Travis so appealing in deeper formats is that he isn’t going to be a batting average liability and is going to be a factor in one of the best lineups in the game. Fantasy owners looking to upgrade their middle infield spots should be all over Travis in the late rounds or off the waiver wire.
Michael Taylor - OF, Washington Nationals
With veteran Denard Span sidelined for the first month of the season, Taylor will get a chance to show if last seasons impressive Double-A campaign, in which he slashed .313/.396/.539 with 22 home runs and 34 stolen bases, carries over into the Majors. If Taylor gets hot in April (like he has this spring), he has a chance to remain in the big leagues for the entire season, but if he struggles like he did in late seasons call-up, in which he batted .205, he could be sent down for some additional seasoning in Triple-A. He’s a must-own in deeper formats and an intriguing prospect fantasy owners should be keeping an eye on. Even if he doesn’t hit for a high average, very few prospects in baseball come close to matching his power/speed tools.
Mark Canha - 1B/OF, Oakland Athletics
A Rule 5 selection this offseason, Canha has struck out 20 times this spring, but is guaranteed a bench spot and will likely platoon at first base with Ike Davis this season. He’s the classic bad body, first-base only slugger that the A’s have had success with in recent years and he’s coming off a season in Triple-A in which he batted .303 with 20 home runs. He’s only worth a look in extremely deep formats, but given the drop off in power across the league, his profile stands out. In leagues that allow daily transactions, cherry-picking matchups to use Canha (like the A’s will do) against homer-prone lefties could be a viable strategy move this year.
Miguel Castro - RP, Toronto Blue Jays
I know right, another Blue Jay? Castro is attempting to make the jump straight from Single-A to the Major League bullpen in 2015 and has the raw stuff to be successful right away. A six-foot-five flamethrower with an electric power arsenal, Castro is just 20 years old, and capable of hitting the upper-90’s with his fastball. He also throws a changeup and slider that have a great deal of potential.
Castro has reportedly earned a spot in the Toronto pen out of camp and is one of the more exciting, young relief prospects in baseball and a name to keep on your radar in very deep formats.
Caleb Joseph - C, Baltimore Orioles
The O’s fascinating ability to turn replacement-level waiver wire flotsam into key contributors is unparalleled. In the wake of Matt Wieters setback with his elbow, coming off Tommy John surgery, Joseph could be ticketed for plenty of time behind the plate this season in Baltimore.
The 29 year old is as good as it gets defensively behind the dish and slugged nine home runs in 275 plate appearance late last season. He’s never going to be an asset in batting average, but most second catcher aren’t. Everyday playing time combined with raw power could make Joseph an absolute steal in leagues that require more than one backstop.
