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Forrest Whitley has been called up by the Astros to the big leagues. Brenton looks at whether the former top prospect is worth adding in fantasy baseball leagues.
BALLER MOVE: Leave on the wire
ROSTERED IN: 0% of Leagues
ANALYSIS: Forrest Whitley has finally received his long-awaited call to the big leagues, being summoned from Triple-A Sugar Land on Tuesday. The 17th overall pick of the 2016 MLB Draft was once the top pitching prospect in baseball but now, at 26, is looking to regain his form at the game's highest level following a myriad of injuries and setbacks.
The right-hander has thrown all of 77 innings since the end of the 2019 season. His lone three outings with Sugar Land so far this season have all been relief and have not gone well with three homers and four earned runs allowed to go along with a pair of walks in his three innings of work. Whitley is being promoted as a fresh arm in a heavily used Astros bullpen, putting a firm cap on his fantasy value, numbers aside. The Astros have used a league-high 21 pitchers prior to Whitley's debut.
Astros reportedly calling up Forrest Whitley, per @Chandler_Rome
Whitley was the No. 5 overall and top pitching prospect in 2019. pic.twitter.com/NXaVjZB1oW
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) April 16, 2024
Regardless of his role, Whitley has struggled mightily while attempting to put his injury woes behind him. He worked to a 5.70 ERA, 6.62 FIP, and a bloated 12.6% BB% across 30 innings at Triple-A in 2023. His 2022 season included a 7.09 ERA and a massive 15.8% BB% across 33 innings with Sugar Land.
He boasts quality strikeout numbers, but he struggles mightily with control. If he can rein in the free passes, perhaps his stuff can play up as a big-league reliever. His lengthy injury history likely forces him out of a starting role moving forward, putting a major damper on any fantasy value remaining in the former top prospect.
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