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

Evaluating MLB Rookie Performances - Week 6

Rookies and prospects who have recently been called up to the Major Leagues. Andrew Ericksen evaluates the most relevant rookies for Week 6 of the 2020 fantasy baseball season.

It’s been a dream week for prospect watchers and dynasty owners who have been holding onto some of the recently called-up rookies for the past few years. Essentially every day this past week, we got news of a Top-100 prospect getting the call, something you’ll never see in a normal 162-game season.

For those of you with your frustrations and grievances against this year’s shortened campaign (yours truly, included), hopefully the past week’s excitement has helped you come around on the bizarre 2020 season a bit.

The Detroit Tigers were the clear center of attention in this week’s prospect bonanza, with their three call-ups, primarily star pitching prospect Casey Mize. I covered their debuts in an article earlier this week focused exclusively on the Tigers’ trio of prospects, so for this week’s edition of the recent call-up overview, I’ll be featuring the non-Tiger prospects who warrant your attention.

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

 

Dylan Carlson (OF, STL)

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Dylan Carlson, the organization’s top prospect, has gotten off to a rough start to his MLB career. Through his first nine games, Carlson had just one extra-base hit, a double, and was 4-for-31 overall with no RBI. He’s been primarily hitting in the bottom-third of the lineup, but has earned a few shots in the two-spot. He’s certainly going to need to come around quickly in order to warrant more starts near the top.

The 21-year-old Carlson did a little bit of everything in his minor league career, which is what led to his high prospect ranking. Last year, over 126 games split between Double-A and Triple-A, Carlson slashed .292/.372/.542 with 26 home runs, 95 runs and 20 stolen bases.

He has the makings of a future elite leadoff hitter, someone who could be a 30-30 threat for a number of seasons throughout his twenties.

However, this year, his outlook is more of a question. The Cardinals are built to compete this season and if Carlson doesn’t turn things around quickly, he’s either going to remain at the bottom of the lineup - which of course greatly lowers his fantasy upside - or he’s going to be sent back to the team’s alternate site.

He’s someone worth taking a shot on in deep redraft leagues if you have an open bench spot and are looking for someone with high upside. In more shallow redraft leagues, he can remain on waivers.

Dynasty owners, don’t fret over the slow start. If the Carlson owner in your league is hitting the panic button, go and get him.

 

Joey Bart (C, SF)

With San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey opting out of the 2020 season, it paved a more open path to playing time for one of the organization’s top prospects and he has finally made his highly-anticipated arrival.

Joey Bart was the second overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft. That same year, he went on to win the Johnny Bench Award, given to the top catcher in college baseball, after a standout season at Georgia Tech.

Bart has shown fantastic contact-hitting abilities as well as elite power potential over the past few years in the minors. He hit .278 with 16 home runs and 48 RBI in just 79 games at High-A and Double-A last year.

In his MLB debut on Thursday, Bart hit sixth in the order and went 1-for-4 with a double. He should be in line to start regularly for the team going forward. Chadwick Tromp and Tyler Heineman had been splitting catcher duties for the team prior to Bart’s call-up, but both have hit under .200 this year and Heineman was optioned to the team’s alternate site when Bart got the call.

Bart should be added in all deep leagues and is worthy of consideration in shallow leagues as well for owners in need of catcher help.

 

Luis Garcia (SS, WAS)

With Starlin Castro (wrist) likely out for the rest of the regular season with a broken wrist, the Washington Nationals called up 20-year-old shortstop Luis Garcia a lot quicker than many of us thought.

Garcia made a lot of headlines for being the first player born in the 2000s to hit a home run in the major leagues.


 

Overall, his first week in the big leagues has been a resounding success. Through his first four games, he went 6-for-17 with four RBI and three runs. He started at second base and hit sixth in the order in each of his first four games.

Garcia struggled a decent amount last season at Double-A, which wasn’t too big of a surprise given the fact that he was just 19 years old at the time. He hit only four home runs and had an OPS of just .617 over 129 games in 2019. Those uninspiring numbers made his recent call-up all the more surprising.

If Garcia doesn’t have second base eligibility in your league, he will soon. And that’s where you’re most likely to get value out of him due to the depth of high-end hitters at shortstop.

He’s worth adding in all deep redraft leagues and NL-only leagues, but if he starts to struggle don’t be too attached to him.

For owners of Garcia in dynasty leagues, it’s certainly inspiring to see the youngster contribute in the majors already and this recent stretch surely increases his value, putting to rest any concerns of his disappointing 2019 output.

 

Dane Dunning (SP, CWS)

On the other end of Casey Mize’s MLB debut this past week was another top pitching prospect, Chicago White Sox pitcher Dane Dunning. While Mize certainly had the bulk of the attention in the game, Dunning definitely held his own in the battle of MLB debuts.

Dunning went 4 1/3 innings this past Wednesday, allowing five hits, one walk and three earned runs, while striking out seven. He had two extremely dominant pitches in the game. His four-seamer, which he led with and threw 41.1% of the time, induced a whiff rate of 50%, while his slider, thrown 28.8% of the time, had a whiff rate of 53.8% and a put-away percentage of 55.6%. He also mixed in an effective sinker as well as a curveball and a changeup.

Dunning missed the entirety of the 2019 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, which makes it all the more surprising he was able to step in for his MLB debut given the bizarre course of the 2020 season. In his last competitive action, pitching in Double-A and High-A in 2018, Dunning made 15 starts and had a 2.71 ERA and 1.19 WHIP and averaged 10.4 K/9.

Dunning was sent back to the team’s alternate site the day after his debut, but fantasy owners shouldn’t be alarmed by this. The team has two days off next week and they are slated to go with a four-man rotation until Dunning is needed to step in again, likely the following week.

Dynasty owners should be jumping on Dunning right away if he’s available. In redraft leagues, it’s a bit more complicated. For deep, daily lock leagues, he’s someone worth adding once we get an announcement regarding his next start. He has fantastic strikeout potential and with the way the White Sox are hitting lately, he should have decent win potential as well.

 

Brendan Rodgers (SS, COL)

Colorado Rockies shortstop Brendan Rodgers, the third overall pick in the 2015 MLB Draft, was called up this past week for his second trip to the majors. Rodgers played in 25 games last season before undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery. He struggled over those 25 games, slashing just .224/.272/.250 with only two extra-base hits (both doubles) and 27 strikeouts.

Rodgers became one of the top prospects in all of baseball after a standout 2017 campaign when he slashed .336/.373/.567 and hit 18 home runs over just 89 games split between High-A and Double-A. He was just 20 years old at the time.

Now, fresh off his 24th birthday earlier this month, Rodgers is certainly under a good amount of pressure to start delivering in the big leagues. In his first start of the year this past Thursday, Rodgers played second base and hit seventh in the lineup, going 0-for-5 with two strikeouts in the game.

Playing time is certainly a big question for Rodgers. With David Dahl (back) placed on the Injured List, Garrett Hampson should see more time in the outfield, opening up opportunities at second base. However, the team also has Ryan McMahon getting starts at second as well as Chris Owings.

Rodgers needs to start producing quickly in order to attain regular playing time. If he does, then he’s someone worth adding in all deep redraft leagues as his best case scenario is an extremely productive hitter in the league’s best hitting environment. For now, however, he can remain on the waiver wire.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy baseball app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, sleepers, prospects & more. All free!



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

Alex Bowman

Delivers Bravura Performance After Michigan Injury
Tyler Reddick

Inexplicably Mediocre on His Once-Best Track Type
John Hunter Nemechek

Canny Strategy Gives John Hunter Nemechek Best Career Road Course Finish
Cole Custer

Earns Best Finish Since Cup Series Comeback at Mexico City
Grant Holmes

Punches Out 15 in Loss
Elly De La Cruz

Goes Yard in Fourth Straight Game
Will Vest

Dealing With Finger Injury
Jackson Merrill

Placed on Seven-Day Concussion Injured List
J.J. McCarthy

Looking "a Lot Stronger"
Shohei Ohtani

Will Be Dodgers' Starting Pitcher Monday
Roki Sasaki

Shut Down From Throwing
Garrett Wilson

Receives New Contract Offer
Jordan Hicks

Headed to Boston
Kyle Harrison

Traded to Red Sox
Travis Kelce

Slims Down During the Offseason
Trey Hendrickson

Bengals Restart Contract Discussions
Brady House

Nationals Promoting Brady House to Major Leagues
Rafael Devers

Traded to San Francisco
Logan Gilbert

to Start on Monday
Jayden Higgins

Impresses During Minicamp
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

on the Move to Memphis
Cole Anthony

Dealt to the Grizzlies
Seattle Seahawks

DeMarcus Lawrence Making an Impression With his New Team
Isaiah Simmons

Being Used Exclusively as a Linebacker
Tyler Mahle

Placed on 15-Day Injured List
Travis Etienne Jr.

the Jaguars Lead Back?
Luis Robert Jr.

Scratched with Thumb Soreness
Desmond Bane

Traded to Orlando
Byron Buxton

Scratched from Sunday's Lineup
Daniel Jones

the Favorite in Colts QB Competition?
Brendan Donovan

Returns to the Lineup
Steven Adams

Rockets Agree to Three-Year Contract Extension
Royce Lewis

Hits 10-Day Injured List
Ty Dillon

Is a Respectable Cap Flexiblity-Focused DFS Option For Mexico City
Corey Perry

Produces 10th Postseason Goal
Connor McDavid

Scores First Finals Goal
John Hunter Nemechek

Is John Hunter Nemechek Worth Rostering In Mexico City DFS Lineups?
Shohei Ohtani

Blasts Two Homers in Win
Sam Bennett

Nets Another Road Goal in Game 5 Win
Eetu Luostarinen

Earns Two Points Saturday
Michael King

Not Making Progress
Brad Marchand

Pots Two Goals in Game 5 Victory
Jackson Merrill

Removed Early on Saturday
Sergei Bobrovsky

Ties NHL Record with 10th Road Win
Ross Chastain

Trackhouse Racing's Mexico Focus Makes Ross Chastain a Leading Contender for the Win
Kyle Busch

One of Two Past Mexico City Winners in the Field
Ryan Preece

Earns Surprising Front-Row Start
Austin Cindric

Not as Strong of a Road Racer as People Think
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Stronger on Infield Road Courses Than Purpose-Built Ones
Joey Logano

Seemingly Alternating Between Good and Mediocre Races
Brad Keselowski

One of the Few Drivers with Mexico City Experience
Denny Hamlin

Ryan Truex Makes First Cup Series Start Since 2014
Erik Jones

Mexico City Will Likely be a Struggle for Erik Jones
Noah Gragson

Front Row Motorsports' Speed May Make Noah Gragson a Decent DFS Option
Ricky Stenhouse Jr

Road Courses Are Ricky Stenhouse Jr.'s Worst Track Type
Riley Herbst

Surprisingly Outqualifies 23XI Racing Teammates at Mexico City
Cody Ware

a Very Experienced Road Racer but Still a Long Shot
Shane Van Gisbergen

Shane van Gisbergen the Heavy Favorite to Win in Mexico City
Christopher Bell

the Chalk DFS Play in Mexico City
Giancarlo Stanton

Likely Returning Early Next Week
Spencer Strider

Registers 13 Strikeouts
Emeka Egbuka

"the Talk" of Bucs Minicamp
Evander Kane

Drops to Fourth Line Saturday
Kasperi Kapanen

Won't Play on Saturday
Calvin Pickard

Starts Game 5 for Oilers
Jaxson Dart

Working as No. 2 QB During Offseason Workouts
Xavier Gipson

Roster Spot Could be in Jeopardy
Josh Reynolds

the Front-Runner for WR2 Duties
Garrett Wilson

Stock Up This Offseason
Breece Hall

Motivated Going into 2025 Season
Brandon Aiyuk

Making Good Progress From Knee Injury
Keon Coleman

Inconsistent at Minicamp
Mitchell Trubisky

Not a Lock for Backup Job
Dalton Kincaid

Adds Strength and Bulk
James Cook

a Full Participant in Mandatory Minicamp
Tyrese Haliburton

Struggles in Friday's Loss to OKC
Chet Holmgren

Dominates the Glass in Game 4
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Leads the Way in Game 4
Jalen Williams

Has a Quality Showing on Friday Night
Anthony Richardson

Should be Fine for Training Camp
Russell Westbrook

to Decline Player Option
Kevin Durant

Trade Could Happen in the "Next Few Days"
Joaquin Buckley

Set For Main Event
Kamaru Usman

An Underdog At UFC Atlanta
Miranda Maverick

Set For Co-Main Event
Rose Namajunas

Looks To Bounce Back
Andre Petroski

Looks To Extend His Win Streak To Four
Edmen Shahbazyan

A Favorite At UFC Atlanta
Raoni Barcelos

Set To Take On Former Champion
Cody Garbrandt

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Mansur Abdul-Malik

Looks For His Third UFC Win
Cody Brundage

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Alonzo Menifield

Opens Up UFC Atlanta Main Card
Oumar Sy

Looks To Remain Undefeated
Connor Hellebuyck

Wins Vezina And Hart Trophies
Aleksander Barkov

Records Two Power-Play Assists Thursday
Sam Reinhart

Collects Three Points in Thursday's Loss
Matthew Tkachuk

Notches Three Points in Losing Effort
Calvin Pickard

Joins Exclusive List with Thursday's Win
Mattias Ekholm

Logs Two Assists in Comeback Victory
Leon Draisaitl

Delivers Victory in Overtime Thursday
Myles Turner

Playing Through Illness
Reed Sheppard

Will Play in the NBA Summer League
Kevin Durant

Deal Could Come Sooner Rather Than Later
Dorian Finney-Smith

Undergoes Ankle Surgery
Anze Kopitar

Wins Third Lady Byng Trophy
Sergei Bobrovsky

Heading Out for Win No. 15
John Klingberg

Won't Play in Game 4 Against Panthers
Viktor Arvidsson

Sits Out Game 4 Against Panthers
Stuart Skinner

Remains in Oilers Crease Thursday
Jalen Williams

Leads Thunder in Scoring Wednesday
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Settles for 24 Points in Game 3 Loss
Pascal Siakam

Does Everything for Pacers Wednesday Night
Tyrese Haliburton

Gets Close to Triple-Double in Game 3 Win
Bennedict Mathurin

Leads All Scorers with 27 Points Wednesday
Brandin Podziemski

Has Second Offseason Surgery
Jaylen Brown

Undergoes Successful Knee Procedure
Matt McCarty

Comes Off Season-Best Showing at RBC Canadian Open
Justin Thomas

Desperate to Continue Good 2025 Season
Jon Rahm

Seeks Revenge at U.S. Open
Tom Kim

Aiming for Improvement in U.S. Open
PGA

Sungjae Im Expects Solid Performance at Oakmont
Brian Harman

Aims to Rebound From the Memorial
Tony Finau

has Been Up and Down at U.S. Open
Patrick Cantlay

Hoping This is the Year at Oakmont
Akshay Bhatia

Improving in Time for U.S. Open
Xander Schauffele

Primed for Another Major Championship Run
Cameron Young

May Struggle at U.S. Open
Collin Morikawa

Eyeing Third Major Championship Title
Matt Fitzpatrick

Seeks to Avenge Oakmont Collapse
Jordan Spieth

Can Contend at Oakmont
Shane Lowry

a Strong Value Play at U.S. Open
Brooks Koepka

Seeks Another Major Win at Oakmont
Viktor Hovland

Still Can Improve at U.S. Open
Michael Kim

a Boom-or-Bust Value Play at U.S. Open
Russell Henley

Looking to Play the Weekend at Oakmont
Tyrrell Hatton

a Safe Option at U.S. Open
Bryson DeChambeau

Eyeing Third U.S. Open Title
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF