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

Rookie Report: Recent MLB Prospect Call-Ups (Week 22)

ronald acuna fantasy baseball rankings MLB Injury news DFS lineup picks

Rookies and prospects who have recently been called up to the Major Leagues. Michael Grennell evaluates the most relevant rookies for Week 22 of the 2018 fantasy baseball season.

Same report, new management this week, as I will take over the Rookie Report for Max for the remainder of the season. I've been writing about the hot prospects dynasty owners should be keeping an eye on this year, and now I'll also be diving into the best rookies for fantasy owners to pay attention to right now.

Until we see Eloy Jimenez or Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (finally) called up, Michael Kopech will remain the biggest "new" rookie in fantasy baseball. Kopech has electric stuff and his fantasy potential is the highest of just about any pitching prospect out there. That being said, that doesn't mean there aren't other top-tier prospects out there who are making their way to the majors. Top second base prospect Luis Urias made his major league debut this week for the San Diego Padres after putting up some eye-popping numbers in the minors over the last month.

Urias is one of two new additions this week, as he and Ryan Burr join the report. To make room for them, Bryse Wilson and Willie Calhoun have both been bumped from the list after they were both optioned back to the minors. So without further ado, let's go over this week's report.

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

 

Prospect Call-Ups and Rookie Performances

Michael Kopech (SP, CWS)

After rain short-circuited his debut, Kopech bounced back to earn his first career win on Sunday. Over six innings, he allowed one run on seven hits while striking out four against the Tigers in a 7-2 White Sox win. As a die-hard White Sox fan for almost half my life now, seeing Kopech's 22.2 percent strikeout rate and 10.9 percent swinging strike rate has me excited about both his future fantasy and real-world potential. The one big concern that all fantasy owners need to monitor with Kopech is whether or not his wild streak will reappear. Over eight innings of work, Kopech has not allowed a walk yet, but he has hit three batters. Growing pains are to be expected with any rookie pitcher, but Kopech's history with control issues does give some pause to the growing hype around his fantasy impact this season. Going forward through the rest of this year, Kopech should be owned and started in almost all leagues, but it wouldn't hurt for fantasy owners to be a little more selective of when they start him based on the matchups.

Luis Urias (2B, SDP)

After going 0-for-3 with a walk in his major league debut, Urias rebounded with a 3-for-5 performance in his next game with a double and a run scored. This comes after he put together a 15-game hitting streak in Triple-A, during which he hit seven doubles and three triples with six RBI and 15 runs scored. Looking at Urias' career numbers, he doesn't have one single category that he will make a difference in fantasy, but he will put together solid numbers in all categories across the board, especially for a second baseman. Owners looking for a boost during the fantasy playoffs should definitely consider Urias as a good middle infield option in 12-team leagues and a starting second baseman in 14-team and deeper leagues.

Ryan Burr (RP, CWS)

Out of the players in this week's report, Burr likely has the most limited fantasy value for the rest of this year. That being said, he can still provide a boost in some leagues as a high-strikeout middle reliever. Over four years in the minors, Burr has posted a 10.8 K/9, and in his major league debut this week he struck out two while allowing no hits and no walks over 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Burr is only ownable in 16-team leagues or leagues that count K/9, but in those leagues, he should provide a solid boost to your rate numbers.

 

Quick Hits

Jeff McNeil (2B/3B, NYM)

This last week has been a little slower for McNeil at the plate, but he is still putting up good numbers overall. He has hit just .261 over his last 26 plate appearances with one triple, three walks, and two stolen bases. He's still a solid fantasy rookie, and his positional flexibility should help provide a boost to teams making a fantasy playoff run.

Danny Jansen (C, TOR)

Over four games this last week, Jansen has gone 3-for-10 with two doubles, two runs scored and a 2:1 K:BB ratio. While there is value and some good potential for Jansen in the future, he's not looking right now like he will have much of an impact in fantasy playoffs this year because of his limited playing time. In 14-team or deeper leagues he's worth owning, but for all other redraft leagues, he should be dropped until his playing time ticks up.

Taylor Ward (3B, LAA)

After a good start to his career, the bat has fallen almost completely silent for Ward. He has just two hits over his last 28 plate appearances, with 11 strikeouts and two walks during that span. Like Jansen, Ward has good potential value for the future, but for right now he shouldn't be owned in any redraft leagues.

Ronald Acuna (OF, ATL)

Now is the time to panic on Acuna, as he is hitting only .280 with only one home run over his last six games. Obviously, we were all wrong on Acuna, and he should be dropped in all leagues, especially ones I'm in. Please?

Juan Soto (OF, WAS)

Yet another rookie who is struggling and should be dropped in all leagues that I am in. Over 30 plate appearances this past week, Soto is hitting just .296 with one home run and five RBI. Truly such a disappointing week for Soto.

Miguel Andujar (3B, NYY)

Andujar has been on a bit of a hot streak over his last six games, hitting .367 with two home runs, eight RBI and four strikeouts to one walk. He has been one of the better third basemen in fantasy this season, and he is continuing to put together what would normally be a very strong Rookie of the Year case. But with the guy in Anaheim, Andujar faces an uphill battle in that race.

Shohei Ohtani (SP/DH, LAA) 

OK, yeah, I completely whiffed on Ohtani this year. I thought he would be alright, but would not live up to all the hype he got during the offseason. While he's still working his way back to potentially pitching again this season, Ohtani is hitting .417 with two home runs and five RBI over his last six games - only two of which he started. The only slight concern is that he has a 10:1 K:BB ratio over his last 28 plate appearances, but there are no signs yet that he's going to just stop hitting.

Seranthony Dominguez (RP, PHI)

Strikeout numbers are still looking good for Dominguez with five over his last 2 2/3 innings this past week. Allowing three runs on two hits and a walk isn't quite as good though. Now over 10 appearances in August, Dominguez has an 8.00 ERA with 13 strikeouts over nine innings.

Gleyber Torres (2B/SS, NYY)

Hitting .409 with two home runs over the last week, Torres' bat is heating back up after starting off August hitting .122 over 13 games. What's also good to see is his 5:7 K:BB ratio over 29 plate appearances. If he's available in your league, grab him now for a good boost in the fantasy playoffs.

Jake Bauers (1B, TB)

Bauers continues to look lost at the plate this week, hitting .125 with no extra-base hits and a 7:2 K:BB ratio over 20 plate appearances. There's no reason to be hanging on to Bauers in any redraft league at this point.

 

More MLB 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

Pete Crow-Armstrong

Homers Twice, Drives in Three
Brice Matthews

Joining Astros
MLB

White Sox-Guardians Postponed on Thursday
Brandon Aiyuk

Likely to Begin Season on PUP List, but Not Ruled Out for Week 1
Jameson Williams

Not in the Team's Long-Term Plans?
Tallison Teixeira

Set For His First UFC Main Event
Micah Parsons

Plans to be Present for Start of Training Camp
Derrick Lewis

Set To Headline UFC Nashville
Ikem Ekwonu

Next Up for Extension in Carolina?
Jalen Thompson

Heading into Last Year With Cardinals?
Gabriel Bonfim

Looks For His Third UFC Win
Najee Harris

Suffers Eye Injury in Fireworks Mishap
Stephen Thompson

Returns At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Calvin Kattar

In Dire Need Of Victory
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere A Favorite At UFC Nashville
Nate Landwehr

Aims To Bounce Back
MMA

Austen Lane Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Vitor Petrino

Set For His Heavyweight Debut
Tuco Tokkos

Set To Open Up UFC Nashville Main Card
Junior Tafa

Set For Light-Heavyweight Bout
Alex Bregman

Will Return to Red Sox This Weekend
Chris Sale

Braves Won't Consider Trading Chris Sale
Clarke Schmidt

to Undergo Season-Ending Elbow Surgery on Friday
Nick Nash

Unlikely to Make Falcons Active Roster
Lane Johnson

in No Rush To Retire
Jalen Williams

Signs Contract Extension With Thunder
Blake Corum

has "Gotten His Speed Back"
Jarquez Hunter

Picking Up Rams Offense Quickly
Alijah Martin

Agrees to Two-Way Deal With Raptors
Tristan Vukcevic

Set to Return to Washington
Kirk Cousins

Feels Misled by Falcons
Bijan Robinson

Says Falcons Have "Outlandish Goals" for the Running Game
Luther Burden III

Bears Expect Luther Burden III to be Ready for Training Camp
Cole Kmet

an Unlikely Trade Piece
Tony Pollard

Titans Hope to Balance Rushing Attack With Tony Pollard, Tyjae Spears
Byron Buxton

Sitting Thursday
Quentin Johnston

Not Assured of Starting Role
Cordarrelle Patterson

on the Roster Bubble in Pittsburgh?
Shedeur Sanders

Not Assured of Roster Spot in Cleveland?
Wan'Dale Robinson

Hoping For More Downfield Opportunities
Anfernee Simons

Celtics Are "Actively Trying to Trade" Anfernee Simons
NBA

Alex Ducas Heading to Australia
Dominick Barlow

Inks Two-Way Deal With 76ers
Jordan McLaughlin

Spurs Re-Sign Jordan McLaughlin to One-Year Deal
Dylan Harper

Out Thursday, Expected to Play Saturday
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Homers Twice on Wednesday
Mike Trout

Homers Twice in Win Over Rangers
Jazz Chisholm Jr.

Leads Yankees to Victory
Salvador Perez

Crushes Two Homers in Win
Cleveland Browns

Greg Newsome on the Trade Block?
VJ Edgecombe

Diagnosed with a Sprained Thumb
Zach Tom

An Extension Candidate in Green Bay
Devin Booker

Agrees to Extension with Phoenix
Trevor Williams

to Undergo Season-Ending Elbow Surgery
Byron Buxton

Exits After Hit-by-Pitch, X-Rays Negative
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Playing on Wednesday
Alex Bregman

has "Really Good Chance" to Return Before All-Star Break
Teoscar Hernández

Teoscar Hernandez Expected to Return on Friday
Walter Clayton Jr.

Leads Jazz to Summer League Win
Carter Bryant

Struggles in Summer League Loss
Kyle Filipowski

Drops a Double-Double in Summer League Action on Tuesday
Oklahoma City Thunder

Malevy Leons Logs Impressive Summer League Outing on Tuesday
Dalton Knecht

Collects 25 Points in Lakers Summer League Win
Los Angeles Lakers

Darius Bazley Drops 27 Points in Summer League on Tuesday
Gary Woodland

Looking to Find Rhythm at Scottish Open
Aaron Rai

Brings Consistent Play to Scottish Open
Maverick McNealy

a Solid Value Play at Scottish Open
Aldrich Potgieter

Making Scottish Open Debut
Tom Kim

Looks to Rebound at Scottish Open
Brian Harman

a Safe Option at Scottish Open
Luke Clanton

a Sneaky Value Play at Scottish Open
Sam Burns

Looking to Stay Hot at Scottish Open
Chet Holmgren

Agrees to Rookie Max Extension
Alex Bregman

Not Returning Wednesday
Jhoan Duran

Unavailable Due to Illness
Shane McClanahan

Tosses Clean Frame in First Rehab Appearance
Jacob Wilson

Day-to-Day After HBP
Nicolai Hojgaard

May Feel More at Home in Europe
Harry Hall

Showing Fine Form Heading to Scotland
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. to be Reassessed Wednesday
Ryan Fox

Playing Well Since Early Spring Struggles
Malaki Branham

Traded to Washington
Max Greyserman

has Solid History at the Genesis Scottish Open
Blake Wesley

Moves to Washington
Harris English

Aims High for Scotland Next
Corey Conners

Primed for the Genesis Scottish Open
Kelly Olynyk

on the Move Again
Daniel Brown

Attempts the Scottish Swing Again
Anthony Davis

Recovering From Eye Surgery
Jacob Bridgeman

Needs Putter to Work at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Headlines Field at Genesis Scottish Open
Rory McIlroy

a Smart Play for Scottish Open
Adam Scott

Looking to Build on History at The Renaissance Club
NASCAR

Sepp Straka Not Likely to Find Momentum at Scottish Open
Justin Rose

Hopes Month Hiatus Helps Him Bounce Back at Scottish Open
NHL

Tyler Johnson Retires After 13 NHL Seasons
Jack McBain

Inks New Five-Year Deal with Mammoth
Cam York

Re-Signs with Flyers for Five Years
Jake Knapp

Fits the Mold for Success at The Renaissance Club
Ty Gibbs

Finishes Second at Chicago and Advances in In-Season Challenge
Alex Bowman

Defeats Bubba Wallace in In-Season Challenge, but Not Without Controversy
Alex Bowman

Bubba Wallace Wrecked by Alex Bowman Again, Putting Playoffs in Doubt
Michael McDowell

Throttle Failure Ends Michael McDowell's Chances to Win at Chicago
Austin Hill

Earns First NASCAR Cup Series Top Ten at Chicago
Tyler Reddick

Scores a Strong Third-Place Run at Chicago
Kyle Busch

Matches his Best Career Finish At Chicago on Sunday
Denny Hamlin

Fights his Way to a Top-5 Finish at Chicago
William Byron

has his Worst Weekend of the Season at Chicago
Sonny Milano

on Track to Be Ready for Training Camp
Jakub Dobes

Signs Two-Year Deal with Canadiens
NHL

Hendrix Lapierre Signs One-Year Deal with Capitals
Carson Hocevar

Should DFS Players Consider Carson Hocevar for Chicago Lineups?
Tye Kartye

Kraken Re-Sign Tye Kartye for Two Years
Ross Chastain

May be A Decent DFS Option for Chicago Lineups
Dmitri Voronkov

Signs Two-Year, $8.35 Million Extension with Blue Jackets
Ryan Preece

Should DFS Players Roster Ryan Preece at Chicago?
Austin Dillon

Is Too Great of A Risk to Add to Chicago Lineups
Zane Smith

Is A Value Play Worth Rostering At Chicago
Austin Hill

is A Favorable Value Option for Chicago DFS Lineups
Ty Dillon

Is Ty Dillon A Decent Driver to Add For NASCAR DFS At Chicago?
William Byron

Qualifying Crash Makes William Byron a Likely DFS Must-Have
Alex Bowman

Should Finish Well, but Probably Costs Too Much for Serious DFS Consideration
Joey Logano

Has Been Relatively Mediocre on Road Courses Lately
Ryan Blaney

Doesn't Really Fit Neatly into Optimal DFS Lineups
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF