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 5)

So much for a slow start for the rookies. For the first few weeks, it felt as though there was very little to write about in the rookie department but recently the youngsters have taken the league by storm. Particularly in this past week, guys like Ronald Acuna, Nick Kingham, Mike Soroka, and Fernando Romero all showed everyone that the prospect hype was deserved.

The best part of all of this is that some of the biggest names in the high minors still have yet to be recalled. Willie Calhoun is still playing for the Round Rock Express (and struggling, his triple slash was a measly .240/.315/.370 prior to Wednesday's game in which he went 0-2 after entering as a pinch hitter), Nick Senzel is still toiling away for the Reds Triple-A affiliate in Louisville, Orioles' OF Austin Hays has not made his 2018 MLB debut, and fireballer Michael Kopech is also awaiting the call-up. If the rookies we are seeing now are not even the top of the line, we're going to be in for a very fun summer.

Players on the list last week but not this week include Tyler Austin, Christian Villanueva, Jack Flaherty, and A.J. Minter.

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

 

Recent Call-Ups and Rookie Performances

Ronald Acuna (OF, ATL)

"Acuna's debut was relatively uninspiring considering all the fanfare it received." That was the opening sentence of my Acuna blurb last week. Man, did he make me look silly.

The 20-year-old outfielder blasted an absolute moonshot for his first career homer in his second career game, and after starting out 1-5 in his debut has his season line all the way up to .345/.406/.621 with a homer, a steal, five doubles, four runs, and four RBI. And he's only been in the big leagues for a week! This is a special talent that we are getting to witness, so sit back, relax, and enjoying watching Acuna if you have him on your team.

If you don't...good luck. You'll need it.

Miguel Andujar (3B, NYY)

Andujar has continued to rake over the past week. The 23-year-old is tied for second in the big leagues with 12 doubles and over the past week he has gone 6/23 with three doubles and a run scored. Just some more of the same for the young Yankee third baseman.

Walker Buehler (SP, LAD)

Buehler threw yet another studly game in his second start of the year: 94 pitches thrown, 5 innings, 1 BB, 6 SO, 6 H, 2 ER. His season ERA is currently at 1.80 though he has yet to pitch into the sixth inning of a start in the bigs. Buehler is penciled in as the Friday starter in Monterrey, Mexico against the Padres. The good news for Buehler is that the game in Mexico is not in Mexico City, so he has nothing to be worried about on that front. The bad news is that it still does not seem as though there is a rotation spot locked up for the young lefty. If he keeps pitching how he's pitching, though, the Dodgers will make space. You should make space in your rotation too, if he's somehow still available in your league.

Josh Hader (RP, MIL)

Until Hader is owned in every league, I'm going to start all my write-ups of him the same way: Hader is a name that needs to be owned in every league. He's up over 80% ownership now which means he's trending in the right direction, but that mark is still not reflective of just how great Hader has been. And if 80% is not reflective of how good a guy has been, that's saying a lot.

Since the last rookie report, Hader set an MLB record by being the first pitcher to pitch fewer than three innings and record eight strikeouts. On Monday, Craig Counsell handed Hader the ball with one out in the seventh inning. Hader then went on to strike out each of the eight hitters he faced en route to a 2.2 inning save. Eight up, eight rung up. Hader is not human.

Gleyber Torres (3B/2B, NYY)

Torres has yet to prove that he can hit for extra bases, but he's producing at the bottom of the Yankees lineup. On the season, the 21-year-old is triple-slashing .316/.366/.395 with 3 doubles, 2 RBI, and 4 runs in 11 games. Not stellar, but not too shabby either. I don't think that a Torres breakout is necessarily coming this year, but he should be a good depth piece in 10 and 12-team leagues for the remainder of the season.

Jesse Winker (OF, CIN)

I featured Winker on this list last week and, unsurprisingly, he's here again. Winker has just flat-out hit (and get on base!) since coming to the big leagues. It appears that he is learning from the best of the best (Joey Votto) at getting on base, because his OBP now sits at .413 and he sports a .302 batting average. The power has yet to come in (Winker has just 7 XBH in 28 games this season) but in OBP leagues Winker is more than worthy of starting lineup consideration, even without the power.

Nick Kingham (SP, PIT)

Nick Kingham is going to be the first name on nearly every single waiver wire adds article this week because he made his long-awaited MLB debut on Sunday and absolutely dominated: 98 pitches (14 swinging strikes and 72 total strikes!), 7 IP, 9 strikeouts, 1 hit, and no walks. His swinging strike rate of 14.3 would be 10th in all of baseball if he qualified (which Kingham has obviously not done yet).

Kingham was on Baseball America's Top 100 Prospects prior to the 2014 and 2015 seasons but underwent Tommy John surgery during the 2015 season and has been working his way back since then. Once considered a top prospect, Kingham is now seen as more of a lottery ticket. Despite that, the Pirates hurler has flat-out dominated at AAA and has nothing left to prove in the minor leagues. The Pirates are giving him another turn through the rotation Friday, as he'll take on the Brewers, and if he dazzles again he will likely stick in the rotation for good.

Mike Soroka (SP, ATL)

Soroka, much like Kingham came up to the bigs and dominated in his first start. He didn't nearly throw a perfect game, but his performances was nonetheless impressive: 80 pitches, 6 IP, 6H, 1 ER, 5 SO, 0 BB. The only run he surrendered was a homer to Yoenis Cespedes on a slider that he simply hung. All-in-all, Soroka's outing indicated that the 20-year-old righty has a lot of promise; he featured three different types of fastballs and mixed in good off-speed stuff to keep the Mets hitters off balance all night. He was also very efficient, throwing just eighty pitches, but the Braves did not want to push him in his debut, so they sent him to the showers despite the fact that he likely could have gone one more inning. Soroka is a must-add in all formats.

Fernando Romero (SP, MIN)

Romero got the win in his first MLB start by throwing 5.2 scoreless innings against the Toronto Blue Jays. It took him 97 pitches to get through 23 hitters, which is not terribly efficient but also not bad. The righty fanned five, walked three, and allowed four hits on the afternoon. Romero, unlike the aforementioned Soroka and Kingham, did not feature excellent control or command of his stuff in his debut, though there were clear signs that the 23-year-old has a lot of upside. Romero interspersed stretches of brilliance with bouts of trouble controlling his fastball. Overall, it was a mixed bag from Romero, but given his pedigree and upside, you should probably grab him, too, before it's too late.

 

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

Yordan Alvarez

Suffers Setback
Thriston Lawrence

a Decent Fit For John Deere Classic
Tom Kim

Not Finding Much to be Happy About Ahead of John Deere Classic
Nolan Arenado

Dealing with Finger Sprain
ANA

Mikael Granlund Moves to Anaheim on Three-Year Deal
Jacob Wilson

Scratched With Hamstring Soreness
NJ

Jake Allen Signs Five-Year Extension With Devils
VAN

Brock Boeser Remains in Vancouver on Seven-Year Deal
Conor Garland

Signs New Six-Year Deal with Canucks
Thatcher Demko

Signs Three-Year Extension with Canucks
Brandon Woodruff

Ready for Season Debut
Martin Fehérváry

Martin Fehervary Agrees to Seven-Year Extension with Capitals
Garrett Mitchell

Out for the Rest of the Season
MLB

Brewers-Mets Postponed on Tuesday
MLB

Tigers-Nationals Postponed on Tuesday
Zach Neto

Returns to Tuesday's Lineup
Milwaukee Bucks

Gary Harris Inks Deal With Bucks
MLB

Padres-Phillies Postponed on Tuesday
Charlotte Hornets

Mason Plumlee Heading Back to Charlotte
Si Woo Kim

is a Prohibitive Fade at John Deere Classic
Hunter Goodman

Back Behind the Dish on Tuesday
Jakob Poeltl

Agrees to a Contract Extension With Raptors
Ben Griffin

is the Appropriate Favorite at TPC Deere Run
Jason Day

is a Fine Play With Limited Upside at John Deere Classic
Vasilije Micić

Vasilije Micic Dealt to Bucks on Tuesday
Daniel Suarez

and Trackhouse Racing Parting Ways After 2025 Season
Luke Clanton

Looks to Have Another Strong Week at TPC Deere Run
Pat Connaughton

Traded to Hornets
Atlanta Hawks

Luke Kennard Lands in Atlanta
Breece Hall

Aiming to Prove He is "Still One of the Best in the League"
T.J. Watt

Steelers Not Planning to Trade T.J. Watt
Sacramento Kings

Dennis Schroder Set to Join Sacramento
Bo Bichette

Out Again on Tuesday
Trent Grisham

Likely Heading to Injured List
Boston Celtics

Luke Kornet Agrees to Contract With San Antonio
Jonas Valančiūnas

Nuggets Trade for Center Jonas Valanciunas
Royce Lewis

Twins Activate Royce Lewis
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Signs Massive Extension With Oklahoma City
Corbin Carroll

Eyeing Return Before All-Star Break
New York Knicks

Knicks Pick Up Guerschon Yabusele
Yordan Alvarez

Could Return Early Next Week
NFL

Negotiations on 18-Game Season Not Expected Until Next Year
Indiana Pacers

Myles Turner Leaves Indiana, Signs With Milwaukee
Kerry Carpenter

Shelved with Hamstring Issue
Tyler Boyd

Steelers Have Talked With Tyler Boyd
Milwaukee Bucks

Damian Lillard Waived By Milwaukee
Darren Waller

Coming Out of Retirement to Play for Dolphins
Alexander Romanov

Islanders Retain Alexander Romanov on $50 Million Contract
Andrei Kuzmenko

Signs Up for One More Year with Kings
Morgan Geekie

Signs Long-Term Extension with Bruins
Ivan Provorov

Stays in Columbus on Seven-Year Deal
Alex Pietrangelo

Stepping Away From Golden Knights for Health Reasons
Matias Maccelli

Maple Leafs Bring in Matias Maccelli
Evan Bouchard

Inks $42 Million Contract with Oilers
Vladimir Tarasenko

Wild Acquire Vladimir Tarasenko From Detroit
Patrick Kane

Signs New One-Year Deal with Red Wings
Brad Marchand

Lands Six-Year Extension
Aaron Ekblad

Remains a Panther on Eight-Year Deal
Mitchell Marner

Heads to Vegas
Randy Arozarena

Homers Twice, Plates Four Monday
Shea Langeliers

Hits Three-Run Homer In Return From Injured List Monday
Wilyer Abreu

Belts Grand Slam and Hits Inside-the-Park Home Run
Philadelphia 76ers

Trendon Watford Lands in Philadelphia
New York Knicks

Jordan Clarkson Expected to Sign With Knicks
Zack Wheeler

Tosses Eight Shutout Innings, Punches Out 10
Santi Aldama

Remains with Grizzlies
Atlanta Hawks

Nickeil Alexander-Walker Lands in Atlanta
George Springer

Exits Early Monday With Neck Injury
Jalen Ramsey

Could Move Around in Pittsburgh
Los Angeles Clippers

Brook Lopez Strikes Deal With Clippers
Jonnu Smith

to be Used in Hybrid Role
Terry McLaurin

Commanders, Terry McLaurin Not Close on Contract Extension
Chicago Bulls

Tre Jones Remaining in Chicago
Michael Mayer

Raiders Not Interested in Trading Michael Mayer
Houston Rockets

Dorian Finney-Smith Signing With Rockets
Atlanta Hawks

Caris LeVert Joining Pistons
Aldrich Potgieter

Wins Rocket Mortgage Classic
Thorbjorn Olesen

Finishes Tied for 41st at Rocket Mortgage Classic
Denny McCarthy

Finishes Tied For 12th at Travelers Championship
Chris Kirk

Finishes Tied For Second at Rocket Mortgage Classic
Michael Kim

Finishes Tied for 26th at Rocket Mortgage Classic
Max Homa

Misses Cut at Rocket Mortgage Classic
Lucas Glover

Finishes Tied For Ninth at Travelers Championship
PGA

Nico Echavarria Finishes Tied For Sixth at Rocket Mortgage Classic
Pittsburgh Steelers

Rumors Still Swirling Around Potential T.J. Watt Trade
Ilia Topuria

Becomes The New Lightweight Champion
Charles Oliveira

Knocked Out At UFC 317
Kai Kara-France

Alexandre Pantoja Submits Kai Kara-France
Kai Kara-France

Submitted At UFC 317
Joshua Van

Extends His Win Streak
Tyler Boyd

Interested in Playing for Steelers
Miami Dolphins

Dolphins Now Looking to Acquire a Tight End
Brandon Royval

Drops Decision
L'Jarius Sneed

Says he's Healthy
Renato Moicano

Loses Back-To-Back Fights
Beneil Dariush

Gets Back In The Win Column
Felipe Lima

Suffers His First UFC Loss
Payton Talbott

Bounces Back
Minkah Fitzpatrick

Heading Back to Miami
Jonnu Smith

Shipped to Pittsburgh
Alex Bowman

Competitive Run Ends With Third-Place Finish at Atlanta
Erik Jones

Secures A Top-Five Finish After Adversity In Atlanta
Tyler Reddick

Collects A New Career-Best Finish At Atlanta
Jalen Ramsey

Steelers Acquiring Jalen Ramsey
Jonas Brodin

Expected to Miss Start of Next Season
TB

Conor Sheary Placed on Waivers for Contract Termination
Dante Fabbro

Stays with Blue Jackets on Four-Year Deal
Chase Elliott

Ends Winless Skid With Atlanta Victory
Brad Keselowski

Falls Short of Atlanta Victory
NFL

NFL Won't Hold Supplemental Draft This Year
Damon Arnette

Getting Second Chance With Texans
Deommodore Lenoir

Arrested for Obstruction of Justice
Carson Hocevar

Recovers From Big One to Finish 10th at Atlanta
William Byron

Caught up in Atlanta Big One but Retains Points Lead
Denny Hamlin

Top In-Season Challenge Seed Denny Hamlin Eliminated in Lap 70 Crash
Ty Dillon

Bottom Seed Ty Dillon Upsets Denny Hamlin to Advance in In-Season Challenge
Marvin Harrison Jr.

Expected to Make Second-Year Jump
Jalin Hyatt

Looking to Flip the Script in 2025
Kyle Larson

Don't Expect Kyle Larson to Win First Drafting Track Race on Saturday
Christopher Bell

Unlikely to Complete Atlanta Sweep
Brad Keselowski

Seeks Another Clutch Win for Hail-Mary Playoff Bid
Chris Buescher

Unlikely to Lead Enough to Have Much DFS Value
Alex Bowman

Qualifies Best Among Non-Fords but Unlikely to Contend at Atlanta
Ryan Preece

Will Probably Run Better Than Usual at Atlanta
Austin Dillon

Consistently Mediocre at Atlanta
Ty Gibbs

Slightly Faster Lately but Unlikely to be a Factor at Atlanta
Erik Jones

a Low-Key Strong DFS Option
Noah Gragson

Could Have DFS Value as One of the Lowest-Qualifying Fords
Riley Herbst

Unlikely to Replicate February Atlanta Finish
Charles Oliveira

Can Become A Two-Time Lightweight Champion
Ilia Topuria

A Favorite At UFC 317
Kai Kara-France

Can Become The New Flyweight Champion
Alexandre Pantoja

Set For Fourth Title Defense At UFC 317
Joshua Van

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Brandon Royval

Looks For His Third Win In A Row
Renato Moicano

Returns At UFC 317
Beneil Dariush

An Underdog At UFC 317
Payton Talbott

Looks To Bounce Back
Felipe Lima

Set To Open Up UFC 317 Main Card
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF