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Eric Samulski identifies MLB prospects and impact players to be called up. His fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups and rookies to watch for Week 6.
Oh, boy, these call-ups are coming in bunches. Between last Thursday and today, seven of the eight priority pick-ups I mentioned last week are already in the Majors and one of the guys on the Watch List (Ryan Mountcastle) also got the call.
With more teams vying for the expanded playoff spots, call-ups seem to be happening at a rapid rate. Hopefully, together we can lock into a few more guys before people have to shell out crazy FAAB dollars to roster them.
Below I'll discuss players on a team's Taxi Squad or Alternate Site Camp who are worth keeping an eye on or stashing in hopes of reaping fantasy goodness. I'll list league sizes where the player could be relevant and give you information on the situation so that you can make the most educated decision possible.
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Overview
As a point of clarification: Taxi Squad and Alternate Site Camp are two different things. When teams go on the road, they are able to bring three players who are not on the active roster, in case of an emergency. This is the Taxi Squad. These players cannot appear in games unless there is a corresponding transaction but are clearly those that are the closest to being "called-up," so it's important to keep an eye on those.
The Alternate Site Camp is where all other players in the 60-man pool are and could be seen as this year's "Minor Leagues." They will scrimmage each other and get instruction, but only some of them are potential call-ups this year while others are top prospects who are simply there to get work in. Teams can also add players to their 60-man pool or release them from it, so these will also be fluid.
Now that we've covered that, let's look at some guys who should be on your Pick-Up and Watch List radars. Remember that these are players who are NOT on the active roster, so there will be few pick-ups each week since it's rare you would want to grab a lot of guys who aren't active in a season where every game played counts.
Priority Pickups
These are players I believe you should put in claims for now (depending on your league size) based on their proximity to playing time.
Gavin Lux, 2B, Los Angeles Dodgers
10-teams with deep benches or 12-team leagues
By now, I'm sure everybody has seen the videos and heard the news that Lux hit two home runs off of Tony Gonsolin in an intrasquad scrimmage this week. After battling COVID at the beginning of the restart, Lux was sent to Alternate Site to recover and iron out some minor kinks in his game. It was a luxury the Dodgers could afford because they are a deep and loaded team. The addition of the DH allowed the Dodgers to get all four of their outfielders (Cody Bellinger, Mookie Betts, AJ Pollock, and Joc Pederson) in the lineup against right-handed pitching.
With Max Muncy slotting in at 1B, that meant the Dodgers could send Lux down and feel confident in what they could get out of veterans Kike Hernandez and Chris Taylor. It's worked so far as Taylor, Hernandez, and Pollock have all been solid; however, the Padres are closing in on the Dodgers, and the team could use the jolt that Lux would provide. His floor is basically what Taylor and Hernandez are giving right now, so it seems likely that the team would see what he can do. If he comes out swinging a hot bat as he did in AAA, then he could be the difference that carries them across the finish line.
MacKenzie Gore, SP, San Diego Padres
12-teams with deep benches or 15-team leagues
Another week, and another time that I'm suggesting you stash MacKenzie Gore. I remain convinced that we will see Gore soon. Adrian Morejon had an impressive, but short, first start but was roughed up a bit by the Astros his next time out. That rotation spot is absolutely Gore's long-term, especially with the team currently two games up in the Wild Card hunt.
The 21-year-old Gore, struggled slightly in 21.2 innings of AA last year but still had a 10.38 K/9 on the back of plus command and great spin rates on his secondary pitches. Expectations should be tempered at his age in his first taste of the big leagues, but you'll definitely want a piece of him.
Matt Manning, SP Detroit Tigers
12-teams with deep benches or 15-team leagues
Casey Mize and Tarik Skubal made headlines when they were promoted last week, but here's the thing: Manning may actually be better than both of them. Mize has the big name, but Manning was the superior arm in AA last year, registering a 2.56 ERA, 28.1 K%, and 20.9% K-BB% across 24 starts. He's been the healthier pitcher between the two in his career and pairs a mid-90s fastball with a dynamic curve that he can throw on the corners for strikes or in the dirt as a strikeout pitch.
His changeup is average right now, which could cap his ultimate upside, but if he gets that working, he's a legitimate ace. If the Tigers are going for it this year, calling up Manning to take Michael Fulmer's spot in the rotation would make sense. Gore is likely the only rookie SP I'd spend more FAAB on then Manning, so if you have a deep bench, stash him now to save yourself the cash.
Logan Gilbert, SP, Seattle Mariners
15-team leagues
Mariners are likely to be active sellers during the trade deadline, and one of the names that keeps coming up in trade rumors is Taijuan Walker. If the Mariners were to deal from their current rotation, look for Gilbert to get a call up to the big show. The Mariners' top pitching prospect only has 50 innings at AA, but he's a former college arm with a wealth of experience and a strong understanding of his approach.
He has a mid-90s fastball which is supported with an array of secondary pitches that have flashed plus but could use more consistency. The curve may be the best one, but all of them benefit from his overall strong command and ability to mix and match and keep hitters off balance. His K% has decreased as he's gone up levels and he's likely never going to put up massive strikeouts, but he should keep ratios in check and be a solid SP4 for your fantasy teams for this year with the potential for more.
Bobby Dalbec, 1B/3B, Boston Red Sox
12-team OPS leagues or 15-team leagues
The Red Sox are another team that appears to be sellers at the trade deadline, and it would not surprise me if Mitch Moreland is one of the guys to go. The veteran has a .350/.458/.817 triple-slash and is signed to a one-year deal. He could be a great platoon bat for a contending team, and it would open up some reps at first base for the Red Sox to see what they have in Dalbec, who is the Red Sox's number three prospect and the closest to a Major League call-up.
He has tremendous power, clubbing 27 HRs across two levels last year, but he also has inflated strikeouts to go along with it. He's displayed good patience throughout his minor league career, and the Red Sox giving him work at 1B shows that they want to find ways to get his bat in the lineup.
Watch List
These are players who I don't believe warrant an immediate add but are guys who should be on your radar for a call-up in the near future. If you're in a really deep league, perhaps some of these guys could act as a bench stash, depending on the size of your roster and health of your team.
Connor Seabold, SP, Boston Red Sox
Continuing with the Red Sox, their rotation got a potential bump last week when the team traded Brandon Workman and Heath Hembree for Seabold and Nick Pivetta. I still think Pivetta is a long-term fit in the bullpen, but Seabold has a chance to be a quality 4th or 5th starter on an MLB team. Seabold has thrown almost 100 combined innings at AA between 2018 and 2019, which should be enough to warrant a cup of coffee to see how he can handle MLB talent.
He doesn't have an overpowering fastball but features a solid curveball and change-up and knows how to mix pitches to keep hitters off-balance. That development of his change-up has been crucial to establishing him as a potential fit in the rotation instead of a bullpen arm. He's never going to rack up massive strikeout totals, but he should keep the walks to a minimum, induce soft contact, and get some wins with a solid offense behind him. That would be worth taking a flyer on in deep leagues.
Yairo Munoz, INF/OF, Boston Red Sox
As mentioned above, the Red Sox seem to be a likely seller during the trade deadline. With any of Moreland, Jackie Bradley Jr., Kevin Pillar, and Andrew Benintendi potentially being moved, it would open up lots of at-bats, but the Red Sox don't have a ton of MLB-ready bats to slot into the outfield. Munoz is one that intrigues me for deeper leagues.
He has played all over the diamond, which could make him a uniquely talented asset in 15-team leagues. In 2018 and 2019, Munoz showed solid overall skills in his time with the Cardinals, hitting .276 with 8 HR and 5 SB in 108 games 2018 and .267 with 2 HR and 8 SB in 88 games in 2019. His ability to play anywhere and chip in some sneaky steals could make him useful in deeper leagues, especially with so few guys actually running this year.
Jon Duplantier, SP Arizona Diamondbacks
With Merrill Kelly now out for the season after surgery to remove a blood clot in his shoulder, the Diamondbacks are shuffling up their rotation. Alex Young will remain in and Taylor Clarke will be stretched out from his bullpen role to get the first crack at the fifth spot. The team also has Taylor Widener currently throwing out of the bullpen, but he's a minor league starter who could get a shot if Clarke fails. However, I also think fantasy owners should keep an eye on Duplantier.
He battled shoulder issues at the beginning of the season but has begun ramping up his throwing program and may be ready to contribute in a couple of weeks. The Diamondbacks' number 10 prospect had a solid major league debut last year, registering a 4.42 ERA and 20.9 K% across 36.2 innings. However, he could also come up as a multi-inning bullpen arm, which would likely increase his overall strikeout and ratio value while giving him the chance to earn a few coveted wins in front of Archie Bradley. Just keep an eye out for news on his continued recovery.
Andrew Vaughn, 1B, Chicago White Sox
It may seem crazy that a hitter who was drafted last year could make the major leagues this season but that's how pro-ready Vaughn's bat was. He's not a gifted athlete, but he's a patient, strong, and smart hitter. He makes a tremendous amount of contact and has plus power already. In a season with an expanded playoff format and a few of the AL favorites showing cracks in the armor, the White Sox have every incentive to push to compete this season.
That may mean moving on from Edwin Encarnacion soon. The 37-year-0ld was only signed to a one-year contract and is clearly not part of the team's long-term plans. He's also started the year off ice-cold with a 1.60/.208/.300 triple-slash with 2 HR and 3 RBI in 14 games. Not everybody can age the way Nelson Cruz does, so perhaps he needs to step aside for Vaughn and his beautiful swing.
Jared Oliva, OF, Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pirates are another team that figures to be sellers at the deadline, with Gregory Polanco being one of the names frequently mentioned. If the Pirates are able to offload Polanco or other veteran outfielders, like Jarrod Dyson, that could allow for Oliva to make his debut. Oliva has yet to tap into the power that many scouts believe he has, but he has a solid approach at the plate and stole 35 bases last year.
He plays good enough defense to play regularly and be an asset if he can get on base enough to use his plus wheels and baserunning instincts. Adding Oliva this year may not get you the power that could be lurking under the surface, but he should make consistent enough contact to get on base and use his wheels to cause some damage. Basically, you'd be getting what you get out of Jon Berti but with the potential for more power if the approach has changed any over the last year.
Seth Beer, 1B/DH, Arizona Diamondbacks
I'm likely dreaming on this one a little bit since Beer has never played above AA, but the Diamondbacks are struggling on offense and might be aggressive in trying to remedy that since this was a season they were built to compete. Also, there has never been a more perfect year to call-up Beer since he's a below-average defender who will benefit greatly from the DH position where Jake Lamb is currently slotted in and hitting .063 in seven games.
As a former college player, Beer has a mature approach at the plate. He's yet to register the walk rate in the minors that he displayed in college, but he demonstrates good patience and is not a major strikeout bat. He has always been relatively pull-centric in his approach and has the power to be a consistent force as a middle of the order.
Brandon Marsh, 1B/OF, Los Angeles Angels
Brandon Marsh has begun getting reps at first base, which makes me think that the Angels are experimenting with ways to call him up despite their crowded outfield. With Shohei Ohtani locked in at DH, that means 1B is the only spot for Marsh. It's currently being held down by 40-year-old Albert Pujols, who is off to a .196/.255/.392 start with 3 HR and 8 RBI.
The power output has been nice, and I can't see the Angels immediately going to Marsh; however, he's a talented prospect with a good eye and solid speed. He's often overlooked because he shared an outfield with Jo Adell, but if he seems primed to get a call-up, you're going to want him on your roster.
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