X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

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
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

5 Fantasy Baseball Prospects from 2013 Who Will Make an Immediate Impact in 2014

Hardcore MLB fans are always on the lookout for the next Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, or Stephen Strasburg. Whether it is for their own team's benefit late in the season during a fantasy baseball playoff push, or to get a glimpse of what the future may hold for a struggling franchise hoping to be on the brink of better days, late season prospect call-ups always bring buzz. 2013 proved no differently, with a bevy of youngsters making their major league debuts. Some MLB prospects start off gangbusters, immediately impacting their teams, or at a minimum giving front offices and fans hope. Other rookies getting that first cup of coffee struggle to adjust to the Major League level, and use it as a measuring stick for the upcoming MLB season. Here are five 2013 prospects call ups that should make immediate impacts for their teams in the 2014 season.

 

5 Fantasy Baseball Prospects from 2013

 

Sonny Gray - SP, Oakland Athletics

By Terry Dobbins from Rockville, USA (Sonny Gray) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia CommonsThe A's think very highly of Sonny Gray. In fact, they trusted their young pitcher so much, that he was given the starting nod in the deciding fifth game of the American League Division Series against Detroit. While he was out-dueled by the incomparable Justin Verlander, Gray's late season performance (5-3, 2.67 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 67 strikeouts in only 64 innings) left a lot to look forward to in Oakland. With expectations justifiably high after that kind of line, look for Gray to be a top of the rotation guy for what has become a perennially not just competitive, but contending, Oakland A's squad.

 

Billy Hamilton - OF, Cincinnati Reds

The Cincinnati Reds were a long shot to re-sign recent leadoff man extraordinaire, Shin-Soo Choo. They simply couldn't compete with what big spenders like Texas and Detroit were willing to shell out. But Reds GM Walt Jocketty has a proven track record of finding talent within the organization, and has a contingency plan to attempt to fill the void atop the Reds order, and in center field. That plan is Billy Hamilton. Hamilton has already built up a bit of legend at the minor league level, stealing 395 bases in five minor league seasons, including breaking Vince Coleman's single season record in 2012 with 155 swipes. The Reds are already considered a formidable major league offense. They trust Hamilton's defense, and his speed is unquestionable. If he can continue to get on base at a rate close to his minor league numbers, Joey Votto, Brandon Phillips, Jay Bruce, and Todd Frazier should have no problem bringing Hamilton across home plate, especially when he will likely be causing havoc on the base paths and giving opposing pitchers fits.

 

Kevin Gausman - SP, Baltimore Orioles

While the 2013 season didn't lead to the Baltimore Orioles' second consecutive playoff appearance, it did prove that the young and hungry O's are there to stay in the always competitive AL East. Their formidable core of phenom Manny Machado, slugger Chris Davis, powerful backstop Matt Wieters, and face of the franchise Adam Jones leave no doubt the offense will put up runs. The big question for Baltimore is whether or not they'll be able to hold the other powerful AL East offenses down enough with their pitching. With a ton of question marks surrounding the not quite filled potential of recently acquired Bud Norris, the over-achievement of Chris Tillman, and the up and down play of Wei-Yin Chen, the Orioles will be counting on a pair of heralded young prospects in Kevin Gausman and Dylan Bundy. With only a handful of spot starts early in the season, the O's now number one prospect Gausman got his proper call up late in the season to help shore up an ailing Baltimore bullpen. Results were mixed. Perhaps it was an adjustment to Major League hitting. Perhaps it was taking on an unfamiliar bullpen role. Either way, he has MLB experience under his belt now, and is looking to shore up a spot in the Baltimore rotation this spring. His size, plus fastball, and continually improving changeup will prove to make him a young arm to watch in 2014, and help the Orioles attempt to push their way to the playoff promised land again.

 

Kolten Wong - 2B, St. Louis Cardinals

The Cardinals have the best farm system in baseball. Their major league squad is stacked with home grown talent. For that reason, it allowed the Cardinals to do the unthinkable this off season, and trade hometown World Series hero, David Freese. Matt Carpenter took over 2nd base for the Redbirds in 2013 - a position he'd never played before, and dazzled. Carpenter excelled in the leadoff spot, became an All Star, and finished fourth in National League MVP race. Here's where the Cardinals "problem" lies. They are stocked with so much major league ready talent in their system, without major league spots available. One team's problem is another team's flexibility. The ability to move Freese to Anaheim allows the Cardinals to keep Carpenter's bat at his natural position of 3B. In turn, the Cardinals are able to move the number two prospect in the organization, Kolten Wong, in to the starting 2B spot. Wong got his call to the big club in early October. While his Major League performance was more than underwhelming in his short stint, the assurance of a starting gig, playoff experience, very translatable BA and OBP, and serviceable pop for a middle infielder, should lead to an early season payoff for the Cardinals and their fans in a lineup that is sure to put up runs and create opportunities for Wong.

 

Nick Castellanos - 3B, Detroit Tigers

The Tigers once again were in contention for an American League Championship. And as is the case in baseball much of the time, the rich keep getting richer. With Prince Fielder being moved to Texas in exchange for Ian Kinsler, the Tigers successfully found a way to slide Miguel Cabrera's less than stellar glove at the hot corner to 1B, and will attempt to make up the for loss of power with Castellanos at 3B, and Kinsler at 2B. Castellanos had his shot the last month of the MLB season in 2013, and performed adequately. He has yet to show what he is really capable of though (.276, 18 HR, 76 RBI at AAA Toledo 2013). Those numbers seem to be just the tip of the iceberg of what Castellanos' potential is. An essentially guaranteed spot in the lineup on a very good offense coming in to 2014 can do wonders for a young players confidence, and he'll look to capitalize out of the gate.

 

POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Yordan Alvarez

Resumes Swinging -- Return Imminent?
Jake Burger

to Miss an Additional 2-3 Weeks
TreVeyon Henderson

Signs Rookie Contract
Christian Watson

Goes on PUP List
Austin Riley

Hopes to be Activated Next Week
Ketel Marte

Lands on Restricted List After Burglary
Ricky Pearsall

Heads to PUP List
Brandon Aiyuk

Placed on PUP List
Luther Burden III

Signs Rookie Deal
Washington Nationals

Eli Willits Expected to Sign Contract on Saturday
Grayson Rodriguez

Being Shut Down Again - Will We See Him Again This Year?
Ezequiel Tovar

Activated and Back in Lineup on Friday
Max Fried

"Hopeful" to Pitch Next Week - Looks Like He'll Avoid IL Stint
Steven Kwan

Receives Injection in Wrist, Considered Day-to-Day
CJ Abrams

Back to Start Second Half
Alec Bohm

Back From Rib Injury on Friday
Trey Hendrickson

Holdout to Spill into Regular Season?
Jalen McMillan

Bucs Offensive Coordinator Not Forgetting About Jalen McMillan
Levi Onwuzurike

to Miss at Least Four Games
Nick Emmanwori

Seahawks, Nick Emmanwori Reach Agreement on Rookie Deal
Max Holloway

Set For Main Event
Brandon Lowe

Back From 10-Day Injured List
Dustin Poirier

Set For His Final UFC Fight
Roman Kopylov

Set For Co-Main Event
Paulo Costa

Returns At UFC 318
Luis L. Ortiz

to Remain on Leave for Another Month - Will he Pitch Again?
Daniel Rodriguez

Looks For Third Win In A Row
Kevin Holland

Set For His Fourth Fight This Year
Dan Ige

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
MMA

Patricio Freire Set For His Second UFC Fight
Daniel Zellhuber

Set To Open Up UFC 318 Main Card
Michael Johnson

Looks For Third Consecutive Win
Elijah Arroyo

Signs Rookie Deal
Jaydon Blue

Described as "Borderline Lazy"
T.J. Sanders

Bills Sign T.J. Sanders to Rookie Deal
Christian Wilkins

Raiders Put Christian Wilkins on PUP List
Jabari Small

Lions Add Jabari Small to Backfield
Quinshon Judkins

Remains Unsigned, Won't Report With Rest of Rookies
Mason Taylor

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Jets
Hendon Hooker

Leading Lions QB2 Battle Entering Training Camp
Ozzy Trapilo

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Bears
Tate Ratledge

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Lions
Jack Bech

Signs Rookie Contract with Raiders
Yegor Chinakhov

Requests Trade
Dakota Joshua

Maple Leafs Acquire Dakota Joshua
Lukas Dostal

Signs Five-Year Extension with Ducks
Shemar Stewart

Not Practicing With College Team
Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suarez Expected Back Friday
Damian Lillard

Returning to Portland
Paul Skenes

Pirates Could Preserve Paul Skenes in Second Half
Brooks Barnhizer

Grabs 19 Points, Nine Boards in Summer League Win
Jeremiah Fears

Scores 22 Points in Summer League Loss to Thunder
Isaiah Collier

Collects 17 Points In Summer League Win
Caleb Houstan

Joins Hawks
AJ Johnson

Erupts for 25 Points in Summer League Loss
Washington Wizards

Leaky Black Logs Double-Double in Loss to Jazz
Connor Norby

Undergoes Surgery, Expected to Miss 6-8 Weeks
Trey Alexander

Tallies 25 Points in Losing Effort
Johni Broome

Records Second Consecutive Double-Double
Jahmir Young

Has Historic Summer League Outing
Rob Dillingham

Plays Big Role in Wednesday's Win
Tyrese Proctor

Erupts for 35 Points Against Kings
Cody Williams

Leads Jazz to Victory Against Wizards
LeBron James

Mavs Not Interested in "Gutting its Roster" For LeBron James
Josh Hart

Undergoes a Procedure on Right Finger
Jake Burger

Goes on 10-Day Injured List With Quad Strain
Sal Frelick

Dealing With Grade 1 Hamstring Strain, TBD for Start of Second Half
Chris Sale

Plays Catch
Los Angeles Clippers

Bradley Beal Heading to Los Angeles to Join Clippers After Contract Buyout
Rayan Rupert

Scores 24 Points in Summer League Win
Derik Queen

Collects Third Consecutive Double-Double in Summer League Loss
GG Jackson II

Records 13 Points in Summer League Action on Tuesday
Johni Broome

Logs Double-Double Against Wizards
DaRon Holmes II

Records Double-Double in Summer League Loss to Raptors
Kyle Schwarber

Named All-Star Game MVP
Harris English

Takes Stellar 2025 Performance to The Open Championship
Aldrich Potgieter

Seeks Better Result in Northern Ireland
Cameron Young

Likely to Hang Around at The Open Championship
Cameron Smith

Just Trying to Make the Cut at Royal Portrush
Jordan Spieth

Is Jordan Spieth Still a Natural for Links Style Golf?
Patrick Reed

a Viable Option at The Open Championship
PGA

Sungjae Im Wants to Rebound from Last Experience at Royal Portrush
Xander Schauffele

Looks to Defend His Claret Jug at Royal Portrush
Tony Finau

Trying to Turn Tide at Royal Portrush
Daniel Brown

Seeks a Rebound at The Open Championship
Rory McIlroy

Will be the Most Watched Player This Week at Royal Portrush
Daniel Berger

Trending Poorly as The Open Championship Looms
Clayton Kershaw

Retires Both Batters In ASG Appearance
Robert MacIntyre

Hoping to Bounce Back at Open Championship
Shane Lowry

Hopes to Repeat at Royal Portrush
Brian Harman

Hopes to Rekindle Some Magic at the 153rd Open
UTA

Michael Carcone Returns to Utah on One-Year Contract
Bowen Byram

Signs Two-Year Deal with Sabres
Morgan Barron

Jets Re-Sign Morgan Barron for Two Years
PGA

Chris Gotterup Punches Ticket to Royal Portrush With Win at Scottish Open
Bryson DeChambeau

Hopes to Reverse Links Golf Struggle at the 153rd Open
Keegan Bradley

Needs to Find The Weekend at Royal Portrush for Ryder Cup Hopes
Justin Thomas

Finishes Tied For 22nd at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Finishes Tied For Eighth at Genesis Scottish Open
Jon Rahm

Finishes in Second at LIV Andalucia
Tallison Teixeira

Suffers First-Round TKO
Derrick Lewis

Scores First-Round TKO
Stephen Thompson

Loses Controversial Split Decision
Gabriel Bonfim

Wins Controversial Split Decision
Calvin Kattar

Gets Outclassed At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Extends His Win Streak
Nate Landwehr

Gets Knocked Out
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere Scores Third-Round Knockout
Austen Lane

Suffers Submission Loss
Vitor Petrino

Scores First-Round Submission In Heavyweight Debut
Tuco Tokkos

Earns His First UFC Win
Chase Elliott

Charges to A Finish of Third At Sonoma
Chase Briscoe

Finishes Second With his First Career Road-Course Top-Five at Sonoma
Christopher Bell

Rollercoaster Day Ends With Top-5 Finish at Sonoma
William Byron

Maintains the Regular-Season Points Lead
Kyle Busch

Earns A Hard-Fought Top-10 Finish At Sonoma
Alex Ovechkin

Not Thinking About Retirement
PIT

Penguins Acquire Arturs Silovs
NHL

Nikolai Kovalenko Returns to Russia
Tyler Reddick

Evades Near Upset to Remain Alive in In-Season Challenge
Ty Gibbs

One of Three Tylers to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinals
Kyle Larson

Curiously Mediocre at Sonoma Before Late-Race Crash
NASCAR

John H. Nemechek Edges Out Teammate to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Alex Bowman

Ty Dillon Bumps Alex Bowman to Advance to In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Shane Van Gisbergen

Can Anyone Beat Shane van Gisbergen at Sonoma?
Tyler Reddick

Better at Sonoma Than Record Shows
Chase Elliott

a Prime DFS Option at Sonoma
Michael McDowell

Struggling a Bit at Sonoma
NASCAR

Christopher Bell Has Never Finished Better Than Ninth at Sonoma
Ryan Blaney

Has Top-10 Upside at Sonoma
NASCAR

Sunday at Sonoma Will Likely Be a Long Race for Bubba Wallace
Kyle Larson

Is A Likely Top-Five Contender for Sonoma
Ryan Preece

Points Position Could Affect Race at Sonoma
Todd Gilliland

Struggling to Find Speed at Sonoma
Ty Gibbs

May be an Underrated Favorite to Compete for the Win at Sonoma
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF