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Rookies and prospects who have recently been called up to the Major Leagues. Max Brill evaluates the most relevant rookies for Week 19 of the 2018 fantasy baseball season.
This week was a particularly slow week in the world of prospects; just eight rookies have debuted since the publishing of last week's column. With that being said, there are still a handful of newcomers worth highlighting and a bunch of returners still cooking with gas.
As we come up on the end of the season, it's worth looking into guys worth stashing for next season, so I'll be highlighting a handful of those guys each week in the opening paragraphs of my article. I think Eloy Jimenez and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. are the no-brainer top two guys to stash for next season, so if you are in a keeper league of any sort where they are available (which, I doubt they are if you're in a keeper league), go scoop them now.
Kolby Allard, Ryan O'Hearn, Kyle Tucker, and Jesse Winker leave the list today. Jeff McNeil will be rejoining and Brandon Lowe, Chance Adams, and Trey Wingenter will be making their debuts. Without further ado, this week's rookie report.
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Prospect Call-Ups and Rookie Performances
Jeff McNeil (2B, NYM)
McNeil is back on the list this week because he's been pretty solid during his time in the big leagues and I think he's worth an add in 10-team mixed leagues as a bench bat. He's currently triple-slashing .333/.442/.556 through 13 games which, yes, is a small sample size. Still, though, McNeil has flat-out hit at every level this season and I'm willing to forgive the fact that he's a 26-year-old rookie because he has dealt with injuries throughout his career and got a late start playing professional baseball. McNeil will hit near the top of a bad Mets lineup so, at the very least, he will get more opportunities than anyone else on the Mets. If you need a bench bat in a mixed 10-teamer, McNeil is a good guy to target.
Brandon Lowe (2B/SS/OF)
Lowe, after triple-slashing .297/.391/.558 over 100 games across two minor league levels this year, finally made his major league debut on August 5th. It did not go spectacularly (he went 0/4 with a walk) and in two games played, the young lefty still has yet to register a hit. A lot of rookies start off slow, though, so there's no reason to panic on Lowe. ESPN has the utility man listed as a shortstop (which doesn't make any sense as he played 2B and LF in his debut), so once he gains eligibility at the other two positions, he should be a solid asset that can play three positions. Not too shabby.
Chance Adams (SP, NYY)
Adams made his long-awaited debut with a start against the Red Sox on Saturday and the best way to describe his first game in the bigs is "adequate." Adams gave the Yankees five innings of three-run ball, which is not spectacular but could be a lot worse for a rookie facing the Red Sox lineup. The home run ball is what did him in; two of the three hits he allowed left the yard. The good news is that he walked one batter only in his debut and the bad news is that he struck out just two. Adams was used as a fill-in for the injured J.A. Happ, so don't expect to see him in the rotation again this season (Happ is taking his spot in the rotation back on Thursday).
Trey Wingenter (RP, SD)
Trey Wingenter will not be fantasy-relevant this year, I just wanted to toot my own horn that I shouted him out in my relief prospects article earlier this season. He'll be solid out of the Padres bullpen but Kirby Yates has a firm hold on the closer gig out there in San Diego, so no need to rush to the wire to get Wingenter. He's a guy to keep an eye on for next season, as he will likely be in the mix for saves (along with Phil Maton and Matt Strahm) should Yates be dealt.
Jake Bauers (1B, TB)
Bauers has gotten just two hits in his last 21 PA over his last six games. The good news about that is that he has walked six times in that timeframe (.429 OBP) which means that, despite lowering his average, his OBP is now up to .352 on the season. Bauers remains a source of cheap power and sneaky speed from a corner infield slot that gets a boost in OBP leagues due to his excellent walk rate.
Shane Bieber (SP, CLE)
In Bieber's most recent outing, for the third time in 10 starts this season, Bieber was one out short of a quality start. He still posted a respectable line: 5.2 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 7 SO, but finishing with 5.2 innings pitched is a spirit-crusher for those of you in QS leagues. The good news is that he got the win, so he improved his record to 6-2 on the season, and remains a solid middle-of-the-pack option for the remainder of the season.
Juan Soto (OF, WAS)
Soto was actually ejected for the first time in Wednesday's contest against the Braves for arguing balls and strikes. He didn't get tossed immediately after the at-bat; he was rung up, though. In his subsequent plate appearance, he said something to the umpire about how he thought the pitch from the previous at-bat was inside, and the umpire (Greg Gibson, who is not well-liked by most MLB fans familiar with him) tossed Soto. Was it necessary? Absolutely not. Is Soto still an absolute monster who is going to win Rookie of the Year? You bet.
Garrett Hampson (2B, COL)
Hampson was optioned to Triple-A when DJ LeMahieu was activated from the disabled list. He likely will not return to the bigs until September and is now a safe drop in any non-keeper league where you need the roster space.
Quick Hits
Ronald Acuna (OF, ATL)
Acuna struggled a bit this past week, with a .625 OPS since the last column was published. He's still an everyday starter in all leagues.
Seranthony Dominguez (RP, PHI)
Dominguez has struggled a bit of late because his manager, Gabe Kapler, has yet to understand that he cannot be deployed on back-to-back days. The flamethrower is has a 9.82 ERA and an 11:8 K:BB ratio when pitching in back-to-back games. When he has at least one day of rest, he has a 0.81 ERA and 41:5 K:BB ratio. This makes sense as he was converted to a relief pitcher this year so he is still shaky pitching on back-to-back days. This trend will correct itself with more experience, but for now, just hope Kapler doesn't deploy Dominguez two days in a row.
Gleyber Torres (2B/SS, NYY)
Torres registered just a .563 OPS over the past week. Worry not, Torres should right the ship soon based on the Yankees future schedule.
Willie Calhoun (OF, TEX)
Calhoun has heated up over the past week with a .292/.333/.500 and, more importantly, just two strikeouts in 27 PA. This has the makings of a productive outfielder, especially if he can continue to limit the strikeouts. He still has just one HR on the season, but that's not the end of the world if he's hitting for extra bases either way.
Josh Hader Update
Hader looked human this past week: 2.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R (both earned), 2 BB, 2 SO.
