RADIO
With March Madness in full swing, and the regular season still two weeks away, the temptation to take a break from the monotony of spring training is there for most fantasy owners right now. Heck, David Ortiz doesn't even care about these games, (though if you ask the Red Sox, he's just dehydrated).
But now is the time to get a leg up on the competition by stealing away those valuable assets that are on the precipice of winning an everyday job, or by dealing away a guy who is trending in the wrong direction for a piece you can actually use.
Before heading out to your local Buffalo Wild Wings to indulge in the magic that is March Madness (or burn your bracket), take a moment to check out these three hitters who are trending up and three who are looking like they may not live up to lofty expectations.
Three Up
Joc Pederson, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers
Has a prospect this talented ever generated less buzz or excitement? Pederson's spectacular spring training has been overshadowed-- and rightly so-- by the meteoric rise of Kris Bryant, who seems to homer every time he comes to the plate. Some guy named Mike Trout may be leading the league in batting average this spring, but Pederson is right there on his heels, going 12-for-28 (.429) with a pair of home runs and three doubles.
For a guy who recorded the first 30-homer, 30-steal season in 80 years of the Pacific Coast League last summer-- someone who will be the Opening Day centerfielder on arguably the best team in baseball-- he sure isn't getting any love in drafts right now. Pederson is going outside the top 50 outfielders (53rd) according to FantasyPros average draft position (ADP) data. You can have Yasmany Tomas, I'll take Pederson everyday and twice on Sunday.
Jose Ramirez, SS, Cleveland Indians
The general consensus among the fantasy community is that Ramirez is merely a stopgap until uber-prospect Francisco Lindor rides in on a unicorn to save Cleveland's season. Everyone seems to be forgetting that Ramirez is still only 22 years old himself, and he played extremely well down the stretch last season, hitting .262/.300/.346 with a pair of home runs and 10 stolen bases in 266 plate appearances. An excellent contact hitter who rarely strikes out, Ramirez is hitting .345 (10-for-29) this spring, and he has locked up the starting shortstop position in Cleveland. Trust me: Lindor is coming, but Ramirez isn't a pushover by any means; he deserves to be on your radar as a cheap speed option in deeper leagues.
Marcus Semien, SS, Oakland Athletics
I dare you to find another young hitter who is having a better spring than Semien, hitting to a .333 average (11-for-33) with a home run and nine RBI. We all wondered what the A's were doing this offseason when they jettisoned the veteran core of a squad that won 88 games and made the playoffs. Semien wouldn't have been mentioned in the first paragraph of an offseason recap, but he may end up having the biggest impact of any of the assets that Oakland acquired this offseason if he sticks as the team's starting shortstop. Seriously, don't trade with Billy Beane, haven't all the other GMs learned that lesson by now?
Savvy stat-head prospect-seekers have been all over Semien for years, and with good reason. He batted .267/.380/.502 with 15 home runs in 366 plate appearances in Triple-A last season. Check out that on-base percentage, fueled by an incredible 14.5% walk rate. Semien flopped in his big-league debut, hitting just .234 in 255 plate appearances with the White Sox, but it looks so far this spring like a change of scenery might have been just what young Marcus needed to get his career back on track.
Three Down
Yasmany Tomas, 3B/OF, Arizona Diamondbacks
Reports out of Arizona have been less than glowing on his lack of defensive ability at the hot corner. If Tomas can't stick on the infield, it's a crushing blow to his long-term fantasy value. It also likely squeezes David Peralta, who is better than you think, out of the starting lineup a few times a week. Depending on how you feel about Jake Lamb, it isn't good for the Diamondbacks that their biggest offseason acquisition may not have a home defensively, and he's hitting a paltry .212 (7-for-33) with seven whiffs at the plate this spring. The power is legitimate, but if Tomas brings almost nothing else to the table and doesn't make enough contact to stay in the lineup everyday, this could get ugly fast.
Jung Ho Kang, SS, Pittsburgh Pirates
You won't find a bigger long-term believer in Kang's power potential than me, but you have to acknowledge that the transition so far has not been a smooth one. Kang is batting .176 (3-for-17) this spring, and his only home run came off Marco Estrada, who hands them out like he's working one of those mall kiosks. It's not like the path to playing time is going to be easy for Kang. Jordy Mercer, Neil Walker and Josh Harrison are legitimate everyday players. The upside is still there long-term, but Kang may be a bigger work in progress than we all envisioned a month ago.
Dalton Pompey, OF, Toronto Blue Jays
No team in baseball has had a stranger spring than the Blue Jays-- most of it is injury-related, unfortunately. Pompey is all but locked-in as their starting centerfielder, but he hasn't exactly torn the cover off the ball in camp. He's batting just .267 (8-for-30) with seven strikeouts and just one walk in 10 games. It's a small sample size, but I haven't been blown away with what I've seen. Pompey is just 22 years old this season and has a bright future ahead of him, but I just don't think he's going to do enough in one category to have a major fantasy impact this season. He's worth the investment in dynasty formats, but there are better lottery tickets in re-draft leagues.
