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

Checking In: Top MLB Prospects to Make Fantasy Impacts

It's hard to believe that the Major League Baseball season is almost a month old. And while it's still very early, and sample sizes are still extremely small, certain trends are starting to develop. In addition, minor leaguers are starting to establish themselves as players worthy​ of call-ups.

Last season, I regularly took a look at minor leaguers that were having noteworthy seasons. A lot of them wound up making contributions at the big league level last season.

In this season's first installment, I look at a quartet of players that will likely be making the jump from minor league buses to big league luxury this season.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and resources:

 

Impact Prospects for Fantasy Baseball

Lewis Brinson, OF, Milwaukee Brewers

Lewis Brinson's major league debut cannot and will not be delayed a whole lot longer. The outfielder was the key piece in the trade that sent Jonathan Lucroy to the Texas Rangers, and the Brewers believe they have a franchise cornerstone in center field.

After coming over from the Rangers last year, the Brewers promoted him to Triple-A immediately, despite some early-season struggles in Double-A. He hit .382/.387/.628 for Colorado Springs in the (hitter friendly) PCL, and that's where he's currently doing his damage. Through 46 at-bats, Brinson is hitting .370/.400/.652. While he needs to improve his strikezone command a bit, Brinson has all the makings of a 20/20 player at the big league level.

Keon Broxton and (to a lesser extent) Domingo Santana don't appear to be long-term everyday options in Milwaukee, and Brinson should get an opportunity soon to prove that he is in fact an option. Expect Brinson to display his five-tool talent as soon as this season.

 

Jeimer Candelario, 3B, Chicago Cubs

Jeimer Candelario's bat earned him a call up last year with the Cubs, but he went just 1-for-11. In the minors, Candelario has done nothing but hit recently. Last year, he hit .333/.417/.542 in Triple-A and he's started 2017 hitting .317/.432/.700 through 60 at-bats at that level.

The big issue for Jeimer is that Kris Bryant currently occupies his natural position of third base. The Cubs have also tried him in the outfield, and he's played first base a couple of times recently. Regardless of where the defending champs move him around, he's going to be hard-pressed to find at-bats on the current Chicago roster. The Cubs could use him as trade bait, and if they do, the 23-year-old could wind up in a situation that will allow him to make a big contribution this year.

If he does get that opportunity, the switch-hitter is a legitimate .300 type hitter, and could even contribute double-digit home runs at the big league level.

 

German Marquez, RHP, Colorado Rockies

It's tough to rely on Colorado pitchers for fantasy production, but pre-injury Jon Gray and rookie Antonio Senzatela have helped calm some of the worries about this new era of young Rockies hurlers. Another one of those potential arms comes in the form of German Marquez.

Marquez entered spring camp with a legitimate shot at earning a rotation spot, but the Rockies opted to go with Senzatela. That wasn't a slight on Marquez, but rather a recognition of how Senzatela performed in spring training. Instead of pouting because of his demotion, Marquez has gone down to Triple-A and blown away hitters. The Rockies have been limiting Marquez' pitch counts and are slowly building him up; they even brought him out of the pen in his first outing. Through 10 IP, the hard-throwing righty has allowed just eight hits and three runs. Oh, and he has an 18/0 K/BB ratio.

The 22-year-old has a middle of the rotation ceiling, and at the worst, he could wind up being a high-leverage reliever. Regardless of where he ends up, he should have an opportunity as a starter first, and will likely wind up in the bullpen if he pitches his way out of that role. Look for him to get that chance at the midway point this season.

 

Yoan Moncada, 2B, Chicago White Sox

Yoan Moncada is the best prospect currently in the minors, and his production in 2017 has matched that. Through 60 at-bats in Triple-A, Moncada is hitting .300/.382/.517. He's chipped in with four home runs while playing all his games at second base.

There isn't a single player the White Sox currently have that will block the soon-to-be 22-year-old from the majors, so expect him to be called up soon and hitting right at the top of the Chicago lineup.

While the outlook and the potential is great, the strikeouts seem to be a legitimate concern. He struck out in 12 of his 19 big league at-bats last year, and his 30.9% K-rate this year also jumps off the page. In order for Moncada to realize his full potential, he'll have to get a better handle of the strike zone. Big league pitchers will be better suited to take advantage of any big holes and weaknesses, as was displayed last year. Moncada has 20-20 potential, but again, the strikeouts must be toned down.

 

More Top MLB Prospects & Rookies




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

Scottie Scheffler

The Untouchable Favorite At CJ Cup
Tom Kim

A Popular Name To Avoid At TPC Craig Ranch
Austin Eckroat

Looking To Find Success Again At TPC Craig Ranch
Ben Kohles

Finishes Tied For 59 At Corales Puntacana Championship
Joel Dahmen

Finishes Tied For Second At Corales Puntacana Championship
Beau Hossler

Finishes Tied For 60 At Valero Texas Open
Doug Ghim

Finishes Tied For 18 At the Valero Texas Open
Jordan Spieth

Finishes Tied For 18 At RBC Heritage
Kurt Kitayama

Misses The Cut At Valero Texas Open
Si Woo Kim

Finishes Tied For Eighth At RBC Heritage
George Kirby

"Feeling Great", Could Throw Again On Sunday
Tyler Fitzgerald

Returning To Starting Nine
Josh Lowe

Progressing Well, Could Play In Rehab Games On Saturday
Shane McClanahan

Begins "Throwing-Like" Activities
Patrik Laine

Remains Day-To-Day
Gabriel Vilardi

On Track To Return Wednesday
Brandon Hagel

Ruled Out For Game 5
Marcus Johansson

Returns To Action Tuesday
Cole Ragans

Won't Start On Wednesday
Dylan Moore

Placed On 10-Day Injured List With Hip Inflammation
Jonas Siegenthaler

Considered A Game-Time Decision Tuesday
Brett Pesce

A Game-Time Call Tuesday
Yordan Alvarez

Back In Tuesday's Lineup
Frederik Andersen

Unavailable Tuesday
Aaron Nesmith

Upgraded To Available
Las Vegas Raiders

Jack Bech A Strong Candidate To Be An Immediate Starter
Las Vegas Raiders

Zamir White Competing For Depth Role
New York Jets

Mason Taylor To Immediately Be Atop Jets Tight End Depth Chart
Bennedict Mathurin

Cleared For Game 5
Buffalo Bills

Dalton Kincaid Setting Up As Post-Hype Sleeper In 2025?
Denver Broncos

Dre Greenlaw Expected To Be Ready For Training Camp
Seattle Seahawks

Sam Darnold To Take Over 90% Of The Snaps
Tennessee Titans

Titans In No Rush To Trade Will Levis
Daulton Varsho

Reinstated From Injured List And Starting On Tuesday
Minnesota Vikings

J.J. McCarthy Says He Knows He's Ready To Start For Vikings
Cincinnati Bengals

Bengals Picking Up Fifth-Year Option On Dax Hill
Los Angeles Chargers

Chargers Apply Unrestricted Free-Agent Tender To J.K. Dobbins
Seattle Seahawks

Jaren Hall Cut Loose By Seahawks
Kansas City Chiefs

Chiefs Compare Josh Simmons To Christian Darrisaw, Rashawn Slater
Denver Broncos

Pat Bryant Compared To Michael Thomas
Denver Broncos

RJ Harvey Could Do It All For Broncos
Carolina Panthers

Tetairoa McMillan Likely To Man The X Spot For Panthers
Green Bay Packers

Packers, Jaire Alexander Continue To Discuss Potential Reunion
Dallas Cowboys

Cowboys Discussed George Pickens With Steelers
Kansas City Chiefs

Chiefs To Pick Up Fifth-Year Option On Trent McDuffie, George Karlaftis
Washington Commanders

Matt Gays Signs One-Year Deal With Commanders
San Francisco 49ers

George Kittle Signs Four-Year Extension With 49ers
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Records Third Consecutive Double-Double
Brandin Podziemski

Hits Six Treys During 26-Point Performance
Jimmy Butler III

Leads Warriors In Scoring Monday Night
Jarrett Allen

Has Double-Double, Six Steals In Blowout Win
Brandon Boston Jr.

Recovering From Ankle Surgery
Kelly Olynyk

Undergoes Heel Procedure
Aaron Nesmith

Probable For Tuesday's Action
Nathan MacKinnon

Has Two Points In Losing Effort
Martin Necas

Records Two Assists In Game 5 Loss
Mikko Rantanen

Tallies Three Points In Monday's Win
Wyatt Johnston

Leads Stars To Game 5 Victory
Sergei Bobrovsky

Returns To Winning Ways
Anton Lundell

Earns Two Points Monday
Ryan Gerard

Going For A Texas Trifecta Of Sorts
Brandon Hagel

Departs Loss Early
Joe Highsmith

Hoping To Make More Putts In Texas
Eric Cole

Expecting Big Things In Texas
Brian Campbell

May Go Under The Radar At CJ Cup
Riley Greene

Homers Twice On Monday
Yordan Alvarez

Exits Monday's Win Early
Los Angeles Chargers

Tre Harris Expected To Fill X Role For Chargers
Jimmy Butler III

Officially Active For Game 4
Isaiah Stewart

Uncertain For Game 5
Michael Porter Jr.

Expected To Play In Game 5
Brandon Nimmo

Has Career Game
Russell Westbrook

Questionable For Tuesday Night
Tyler Glasnow

Going On The Injured List
Jaylen Brown

Back On The Injury Report
Jrue Holiday

Out Again On Tuesday Night
Bennedict Mathurin

Questionable For Game 5
Damian Lillard

May Not Play Next Season
Luis Arraez

Expected To Return On Tuesday
Johnathan Kovacevic

To Remain Out Tuesday
Brenden Dillon

Unavailable Tuesday
Luke Hughes

Not Ready To Return For Game 5
Darius Garland

Remains Out On Monday
Ross Colton

Remains Out On Monday
Oskar Bäck

Oskar Back Returns To Stars Lineup Monday
Miro Heiskanen

To Miss Game 5
Jordan Westburg

Placed On Injured List
Anthony Cirelli

Good To Go For Game 4
William Byron

Ends With A Strong Top-Five Finish At Talladega
Ryan Blaney

Bad Luck Continues With Talladega Crash
Kyle Larson

Has A Career-Best Performance At Talladega
Ian Machado Garry

Gets Back On Track With UFC Kansas City Win
Brad Keselowski

Talladega Run Ends Early After Crashing
Carlos Prates

Suffers His First UFC Loss
Zhang Mingyang

Still Undefeated In The UFC
Anthony Smith

Retires After UFC Kansas City Loss
Giga Chikadze

Takes Unanimous Decision Loss
Giga Chikadze

Takes Unanimous-Decision Loss
David Onama

Extends Win Streak At UFC Kansas City
Michel Pereira

Drops Decision At UFC Kansas City
Abus Magomedov

Extends His Win Streak
Nicolas Dalby

Gets Finished For The First Time
Randy Brown

Gets Back In The Win Column
Ikram Aliskerov

Gets First-Round TKO Finish At UFC Kansas City
Andre Muniz

Gets TKO'd At UFC Kansas City
Chase Elliott

Recovers from Speeding Penalty to Finish Fifth
Joey Logano

Finishes Last at Talladega After Disqualification for Missing Spoiler Brace
Ryan Preece

Loses Talladega Race First in Photo Finish Then in Post-Race Inspection
NASCAR

Poor Toyota Strategy Arguably Cost Bubba Wallace Winning Chances at Talladega
Christopher Bell

Unhurt After Hard Contact with Inside Retaining Wall
Joe Ryan

Posts Stellar Outing
Jaylen Brown

Available For Game 4
Nick Lodolo

Throws Seven Scoreless Innings
Tyler Glasnow

Removed Early On Sunday
Darius Garland

Questionable For Game 4
Jaden Ivey

Making Progress
Tarik Skubal

Racks Up 11 Strikeouts
Luke Weaver

In Line To Get The Bulk Of Save Opportunities Moving Forward
Devin Williams

Removed From Closer Role
Chase Elliott

Is One OF The Top Overall DFS Picks Of The Week
Joey Logano

Could Joey Logano Finish A Race With A Top Finish At Talladega?
NASCAR

DFS Players Should Like Bubba Wallace For Talladega This Week
Christopher Bell

Should DFS Players Roster Christopher Bell At Talladega?
Austin Cindric

Is Austin Cindric Worth Rostering For Talladega DFS Lineups?
Shane Van Gisbergen

Is A Solid, Safe, DFS Choice For Talladega Lineups
Austin Dillon

Is Austin Dillon A Viable DFS Play At Talladega This Week?
Josh Berry

Qualifies Too High At Talladega To Be Worth Rostering In DFS
Michael McDowell

Should DFS Players Take A Shot On Michael McDowell At Talladega?
Noah Gragson

Could Be A Sneaky DFS Play For Talladega
Denny Hamlin

Probably Qualified Too Well for DFS Consideration
Kyle Larson

Increasingly Undervalued Due to His Crashing, but Still a Great DFS Option
Austin Hays

Smacks Two Homers On Saturday
Carlos Prates

Looks To Remain Undefeated In The UFC
Ian Machado Garry

Set For UFC Kansas City Main Event
Zhang Mingyang

Scheduled For Co-Main Event
Anthony Smith

Set For His Final UFC Bout
David Onama

Set For Featherweight Bout
Giga Chikadze

Looks To Bounce Back
Abus Magomedov

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Michel Pereira

Returns To Action At UFC Kansas City
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF