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

Hot Prospects to Watch in Week 4: Noda, Lowther, Wong, Mercado

Rookies and minor league players to watch in 2018. Michael Grennell lists the top fantasy baseball prospects that owners should be following in Week 4.

With most teams now approaching 20 games played, fantasy owners can now begin to get a better idea of which hot or cold starts in the minors might be real and which ones aren't. Many of the top prospects have showed exactly why they are considered so highly with great starts to the 2018 season. But there are also some prospects that might fly under the radar in most fantasy circles that are having just as good, if not better, starts than some of the big name players everyone knows.

This week's list features some particularly fast players owners should keep an eye on, especially with how few elite stolen bases options there are at the major league level now. There is a crop of young, fast talent quickly rising through the minors that will be making an impact within a year or two at the major-league level and won't kill your batting average (coughcough Billy Hamilton cough). Some of these players even have the potential to make an impact in fantasy later this season.

For now though, these players should keep up their hot starts in the minors, and fantasy owners need to keep an eye on these guys for this upcoming week.

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

 

There's Noda-nying his talent

OF Oscar Mercado - Memphis Redbirds (Triple-A: St. Louis Cardinals)

Upcoming games: vs Round Rock 4/25-29, vs Oklahoma City 4/30-5/3

The Cardinals' second-round pick in the 2013 Draft, Mercado is inching his way closer to making his Major League debut after the hot start to the season he has had at Triple-A. Having averaged over 40 stolen bases over the last three seasons, Mercado has already swiped nine bags through 17 games — the most in the Pacific Coast League. Along with his speed on the basepaths, Mercado is also showing signs that his power surge last year might not have been a fluke by launching three home runs in his first 73 plate appearances. The Cardinals already have a loaded outfield at the major league level, and recently called up outfield prospect Tyler O'Neill, but Mercado is a very interesting and relatively unknown prospect that could potentially have an impact in fantasy later this year.

SP Fernando Romero - Rochester Red Wings (Triple-A: Minnesota Twins)

Projected starts: at Syracuse 4/27, at Pawtucket 5/2

After not recording a double-digit strikeout performance all last season, it took only three starts for Romero to rack up 10 strikeouts over 6 2/3 innings against the Columbus Clippers on Sunday. Sunday's performance improved his numbers to a career-high 9.56 K/9, a 26.6 strikeout percentage and a 1.69 ERA and 2.86 FIP. Romero has established himself as the top right-handed pitching prospect in the Twins' system, and by starting the year in Triple-A he is likely the first option that Minnesota will turn to for a spot-start or if an injury strikes their rotation. For now though, Romero has a good match-up approaching against Pawtucket, which is sixth in the International League with 139 team strikeouts and has the fifth-worst batting average at .237.

2B Garrett Hampson - Hartford Yard Goats (Double-A: Colorado Rockies)

Upcoming games: vs Portland 4/24-25, at Richmond 4/27-29

The Rockies have a potential two-category fantasy stud in the making with 23-year-old Garrett Hampson. Over his first two seasons of pro-ball, Hampson hit .318 while averaging over 43 steals a year. This year it's been more of the same, as he is hitting .323 with 12 stolen bases — including seven over his last seven games. While he hasn't displayed much power — eight home runs over 603 plate appearances last season — his speed and consistently high average make him an intriguing option in fantasy at second base. Hampson should spend the year in the minors with the potential for a September call-up, but with current Rockies second baseman DJ LeMahieu only signed through 2018, Hampson could potentially be competing for a spot on the Opening Day roster in 2019.

OF Ryan Noda - Lansing Lugnuts (Single-A: Toronto Blue Jays)

Upcoming games: vs Dayton 4/24-26, at West Michigan 4/27-29

After leading the Appalachian League with a .378 average and 1.120 OPS on his way to being named the league's Player of the Year, Noda has not shown signs of slowing down so far in his second year of pro-ball. Noda's biggest strength so far is his plate discipline, as he has drawn 81 walks to 70 strikeouts over his first 336 career plate appearances. This year with Lansing Noda has drawn 22 walks to 10 strikeouts over 60 plate appearances for a 36.7 percent walk rate — the highest rate in the Midwest League and more than seven percent higher than the next player. Another thing fantasy owners should keep an eye on Noda for this year is to see just how much running he does on the basepaths. Just 13 games into the season Noda already has seven steals, which matches his season total from 2017 in 53 fewer games. Noda is still several years away from reaching the majors, but if he can keep up his walk rate and ramp up his steals he could be one of the top fantasy prospects in OBP-leagues.

C Connor Wong - Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (Single-A Advanced: Los Angeles Dodgers)

Upcoming games: vs Stockton 4/24-26, at Lancaster 4/27-29

The Dodgers added to the catching depth in their farm system by drafting Wong in the third round of last year's draft, and just 12 games into this year he is already posting better numbers than he had in 2017. Wong is currently hitting .396 over 54 plate appearances, with a California League-leading eight home runs and 17 RBI. He has been especially hot over his past seven games, hitting .464 with six home runs — one more than he hit over 28 games last year. While this hot streak will inevitably die down as he is unable to maintain the 61.5 percent HR/FB rate he currently has, he looks like he could have a significant amount of power that could translate to the major league level. While it remains to be seen if he will stay behind the plate long-term, fantasy owners should continue to keep an eye on Wong to see just how much of his performance he'll be able to sustain.

SP Zac Lowther - Delmarva Shorebirds (Single-A: Baltimore Orioles)

Projected starts: at Hickory 4/27, vs Greenville 5/3

Zac Lowther is probably one of the more underrated pitching prospects in baseball now. The 21-year-old lefty posted a 1.66 ERA and 12.4 K/9 over 12 appearances and 11 starts last season, and through his first three starts of 2018 Lowther has a 0.56 ERA and 0.15 FIP with a 17.4 K/9. While he doesn't throw very hard — his scouting report on MLB.com has him with a fastball that sits at 87-90 mph and tops out at 93 — Lowther does a good job at getting strikes, with only 23 percent of his pitches so far this season being called as a ball. Inevitably though, Lowther's 56.4 percent strikeout rate and 1.10 xFIP will come down back to earth as the season continues. That being said, while he only has 70 1/3 career innings so far, there is a lot to like in what he has done so far and there is no reason he shouldn't continue to post high strikeout totals as he progresses through the Orioles' system.

 

More Rookies and Prospects Analysis




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

Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suarez Back in Action to Begin Second Half
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
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