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Welcome to this year's iteration of RotoBaller’s Recently Promoted Prospects series for fantasy baseball! Here I discuss some recently promoted MLB prospects and rookies, making note of what I think their upside could be for fantasy baseball managers, and whether they are potential risers or fallers.
We have seen several high-impact rookies make their MLB debut already in 2022. This week, I'll look at three rookies that might work their way into fantasy relevance. I will use industry scouting reports, analytics, and RotoBaller’s premium projections to predict what each recently called-up player could do if given a continued opportunity in 2022.
Here are your recently promoted fantasy baseball prospects for Week 4 of the fantasy baseball season.
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Brock Burke, Texas Rangers
2% Rostered on Yahoo
Situation: Though the bar isn’t set high, Brock Burke may already be the best arm in the 2022 Texas Rangers bullpen. This is Burke’s second taste of the majors. He was previously called up in 2019 when he was used as a starting pitcher. He was ineffective, posting a 7.43 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, and 14:11 K:BB ratio over six starts and 26 2/3 innings pitched. A top Rangers prospect and starter in the minors, Burke suffered a shoulder injury prior to the 2020 season. Surgery to fix a partial tear of his left labrum shut him down in 2020 and he remained in Triple-A all of last season.
This season, Burke won an MLB roster spot out of spring training and he has only been used in the bullpen so far. The Rangers are presumably looking to stretch him out as a starter, but it appears his strength may be as a reliever. In six 2022 appearances, Burke has looked dominant posting a 1.86 ERA, a 1.03 WHIP, with 16 strikeouts over 9 2/3 IP. Burke has been utilized in the middle innings, so he has not yet recorded a hold or save. Given the underwhelming closer situation in Texas with Joe Barlow now ahead of Matt Bush, it is not out of the question that Texas may start using Burke in high-leverage situations as the season moves forward.
Skill: Burke is a 6’4” tall lefty who was drafted in the third round of the MLB Draft back in 2014. He was the seventh-ranked Rangers prospect by MLB Pipeline in 2019 prior to his shoulder injury. He relies heavily on a four-seam fastball that averages 94.6 mph with his secondary pitch being a slider. Though it is a small sample size, his fastball has generated an xBA of .124 and a whiff rate of 20.5% in 2022. The average exit velocity on all of his offerings has been an elite 82.3 mph which is in the top-3% of MLB. Given the heavy dependence on his fastball and slider and a ground ball rate that is only 35%, well below the MLB average of 45%, he projects as a much more effective reliever who could excel facing a minimal number of batters each time out.
Projection: Burke could serve to be fantasy relevant relief pitcher in short order if the Rangers bullpen, which already has three blown saves out of four opportunities, continues to struggle late in games. At this point, Burke should be rostered in deeper formats that reward holds since he may very well start to see higher leverage situations as the season progresses. Of course, if the Rangers go the other route and opt to stretch him out and add him to the rotation, his fantasy value takes a hit. Steamer projects that Burke will remain in the bullpen and post a 3.40 ERA over 46 IP, with a 10.37 K/9. Managers in redraft formats in need of saves should keep an eye on Burke should Barlow struggle in his closing duties.
Andres Munoz, Seattle Mariners
13% Rostered on Yahoo
Situation: 23-year-old right-handed Seattle Mariners relief pitcher Andres Munoz began the 2022 campaign in the majors. So far in 2022, he has been excellent posting a 2.57 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 14:3 K:BB ratio, and one save over seven innings pitched (in seven appearances). Before 2022, Munoz has dealt with a number of injuries. He underwent Tommy John surgery in March of 2020 and suffered a setback in his rehab in early 2021. As a result, he has only thrown 4 1/3 IP between the majors and minors since 2019. Initially called up in 2019 when he was still with the Padres organization, he has thrown a total of 23 2/3 MLB innings before the 2022 campaign. Now finally healthy and back in the bigs, he is part of a muddled closer committee in Seattle which includes Paul Sewald, Drew Steckenrider, and Diego Castillo.
Skill: Munoz is a two-pitch reliever who relies on a 100mph fastball and a slider which has generated a whiff rate of over 55% so far in 2022. Over his minor league career, spent at varying levels, Munoz was utilized primarily as a reliever. There is no question that he projects as a future closer with that excellent fastball and slider combination. Over 109 2/3 IP for his career in the minors he amassed 157 strikeouts and a 3.20 ERA. The knock-on him? Lack of control. 66 walks over that same period has resulted in a career minor league WHIP of 1.24 despite allowing only 70 hits.
Projection: Provided he can remain healthy, Munoz is a lock to be a big part of the Mariners’ late-inning relief corps. He will primarily see high-leverage innings on a team that looks ready to contend for the A.L. West title. He should put up big strikeout totals to go with a decent number of holds and some saves. There is still much work to be done in the control department which may limit his ceiling. Of course, if there is any team that has the capability to help a reliever achieve his full potential, it is the Mariners. Managers in redraft formats, and certainly in dynasty formats, should have Munoz firmly on their radars if he is not already rostered. If Munoz can get the walks under control, watch out.
Luis Campusano, San Diego Padres
1% Rostered on Yahoo
Situation: With San Diego Padres first baseman/designated hitter Luke Voit (biceps) having been placed on the 10-day injured list, the Padres recalled top-catching prospect Luis Campusano to take his place on April 24. Campusano previously made his MLB debut in 2020, appearing in just one game. In 2021 he was recalled and struggled over a small period of 11 games batting just .088/.184/.088 in 34 at-bats, striking out 11 times. In 2022, Campusano was off to a hot start at Triple-A slashing .359/.375/.487 over nine games (39 at-bats). Since being recalled, Campusano has appeared in only three games and is batting just .111 (1-for-9).
Skill: Campusano has been consistently ranked as one of the top catching prospects in all of baseball. He is currently the third-ranked prospect in the Padres organization, 43rd ranked prospect in all of baseball, and sixth-ranked MLB catching prospect by MLB Pipeline. He is a solid defender, a career .301 minor league hitter coming into 2022, and possesses 15-20 HR power. He projects as a starting catcher, so once he is called up permanently, Campusano should stick with the Padres and be a consistent fixture in the lineup.
Projection: Right now, Campusano sits behind Austin Nola and Jorge Alfaro on the Padres' depth chart at catcher. It is likely that Campusano will only be up in San Diego for a brief stint while Voit remains on the IL. In the two games he has started, Campusano has served as the Padres designated hitter. For fantasy purposes, Campusano is best left on waiver wires in redraft formats until he is called up for good and leapfrogs over the underwhelming Nola and Alfaro. When (not if) that happens, managers should be quick to grab him.
In a full season, Campusano could put up 15-20 HR, with a .280-.300 average, and a .330-to-.340 on-base percentage. For those of you also from the '80s, he is reminiscent of a slower Benito Santiago, with the potential for a higher batting average. A hot streak could force the issue to keep him in San Diego after Voit returns – but in his short three-game trial so far in 2022 – .111 isn’t going to get it done.
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