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Fantasy baseball prospects, rookies and minor league players to watch. Keith Hernandez looks at rising MLB prospects that owners should be monitoring in Week 17.
As we get deeper into the second half of the season, there's a greater chance we'll see more and more prospects called up from the minor leagues. That doesn't mean they'll play regularly, however, and not all of them will be fantasy-relevant immediately. But it's certainly an exciting time for those in fantasy leagues looking for a jolt from an unexpected source.
There are many factors that go into whether a young player will flourish right away at the highest level. Prospects on rebuilding teams with not much to play for in the latter part of the season typically have the better avenue to regular playing time. You still have to consider each prospect's pedigree, their skill set and their upside.
Take for instance Luis Urias, who was recalled by the Padres on July 20. San Diego is still in the mix for a wild-card spot in the National League. He figures to see more playing time despite lackluster numbers in the majors in several short stints, but he's baseball's No. 19 overall prospect and has the talent to make an immediate impact on the pennant race in real life and in fantasy.Brew Crew Boast Pair Of Red-Hot Prospects
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Brew Crew Boast Pair Of Red-Hot Prospects
Trey Supak - SP, Milwaukee Brewers
The 23-year-old right-hander has allowed four earned runs in 25 2/3 innings (1.40 ERA) with 24 strikeouts and only four walks in four starts for the Double-A Biloxi Shuckers in the month of July. Opponents are hitting only .154 against him over that span, and he's gone at least six innings in five of his last seven starts dating back to June 14.
The big 6-foot-5, 240-pounder is 11-4 on the season with a 2.20 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, 91 K's and 23 walks in 122 2/3 frames over his 20 starts. Supak's size allows him to reach the mid-90s with his fastball, and he complements it with a decent slider and changeup. His impressive control is what led to his breakout season in 2018, and if he keeps it up, a call to Milwaukee might not be far off.
Supak might not have top-of-the-rotation upside at the next level because of his mediocre minor league strikeout numbers (7.8 career K/9), and he'll also need to keep the ball down to avoid being hurt by the long ball in a hitter-friendly home park. But he's a prospect on the rise and could help the rotation later this year.
Trent Grisham - OF, Milwaukee Brewers
Grisham, the team's No. 30 prospect, is breaking out in 2019. The 22-year-old left-handed hitter is slashing .284/.387/.564 with 23 home runs, 63 RBI, 59 runs scored and 11 stolen bases in 90 games with Double-A Biloxi and Triple-A San Antonio. He's hitting .377/.442/.710 with six homers, 13 RBI and four steals in 18 games with the Shuckers this month.
The former 15th overall pick in 2015 came into the 2019 season needing to prove himself after disappointing in his first three full professional seasons. He's looked much more like a first-round pick this year, delivering on his power/speed potential.
Grisham might need to prove 2019 wasn't a fluke before Milwaukee makes him a part of the big league roster in 2020, but he has intriguing tools with the bat and with his legs. He can play all three outfield positions as well, which will give the Brewers more flexibility down the road. Keep him on your watch list in dynasty setups.
Cal Rallying On The Farm
Cal Raleigh - C, Seattle Mariners
Seattle's No. 13 prospect, who was moved up from High-A Modesto to Double-A Arkansas in the middle of July, is hitting a combined .290/.380/.696 with nine home runs and 21 RBI in 79 plate appearances this month. Raleigh was hitting .261 with 22 long balls and 66 RBI in 82 games for Modesto before his promotion.
The third-round pick out of Florida State last year is a switch-hitting backstop who has solid potential on both sides of the ball. Raleigh, 22, has raw power from both sides of the plate and an advanced approach, but he's struggled from the left side in 2019 (.217 average, 19 strikeouts, six walks and four home runs) compared to from the right side (.264 average, 59 K's, 31 walks and 18 home runs).
His bat should play at the next level because of his power and offensive-minded approach at a shallow position, but he must also improve his arm strength on defense if he's to be a regular in 2021 and beyond for the M's.
Davidson Chopping 'Em Down
Tucker Davidson - SP, Atlanta Braves
Atlanta seems to always have an endless supply of high-end pitching prospects in the minors, and 2019 is no different. While the Braves have a handful of talented arms ahead of Davidson in MLB.com's rankings -- Kyle Wright (No. 2), Ian Anderson (No. 3), Bryse Wilson (No. 5), Kolby Allard (No. 8) -- Davidson is proving he belongs right up there with them.
The 23-year-old southpaw leads the Southern League with a 2.04 ERA and also has a 1.21 WHIP, 104 strikeouts and 39 walks in 92 2/3 innings over 18 starts for Double-A Mississippi this year. He has a 2.25 ERA, 19 K's and three walks in his three starts in the month of July over 16 innings.
Davidson may prove to be a huge steal after the Braves selected him in the 19th round back in 2016. The left-hander started his career as a reliever -- he might wind up there eventually in the bigs, too -- but he's excelled as a starter mainly because of his mid-90s fastball.
There's clearly enough velocity here and plenty of strikeouts, but Davidson must improve his arsenal of a curveball and changeup to keep hitters off the heater. He'll also need to gain strength and stamina to go deeper into games and improve his command if he hopes to beat out the elite competition for the Braves rotation in the coming years.
