👉 TAP TO SAVE 50% WITH CODE SPRING
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

#1 Expert Projections
Save 50% Now
Import Your Leagues
Props Tool
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
24x7 News and Alerts

Checking In: Top MLB Prospects to Make Fantasy Impacts

It's hard to believe that the Major League Baseball season is almost a month old. And while it's still very early, and sample sizes are still extremely small, certain trends are starting to develop. In addition, minor leaguers are starting to establish themselves as players worthy​ of call-ups.

Last season, I regularly took a look at minor leaguers that were having noteworthy seasons. A lot of them wound up making contributions at the big league level last season.

In this season's first installment, I look at a quartet of players that will likely be making the jump from minor league buses to big league luxury this season.

Featured Promo: Save 50% the regular price with discount code SPRING, for a limited time. Exclusive access to our Team Sync platform, DFS cheat sheets, Lineup Optimizers, betting/prop picks, and exclusive content from Nick Mariano and Eric Cross! GAIN ACCESS NOW

 

Impact Prospects for Fantasy Baseball

Lewis Brinson, OF, Milwaukee Brewers

Lewis Brinson's major league debut cannot and will not be delayed a whole lot longer. The outfielder was the key piece in the trade that sent Jonathan Lucroy to the Texas Rangers, and the Brewers believe they have a franchise cornerstone in center field.

After coming over from the Rangers last year, the Brewers promoted him to Triple-A immediately, despite some early-season struggles in Double-A. He hit .382/.387/.628 for Colorado Springs in the (hitter friendly) PCL, and that's where he's currently doing his damage. Through 46 at-bats, Brinson is hitting .370/.400/.652. While he needs to improve his strikezone command a bit, Brinson has all the makings of a 20/20 player at the big league level.

Keon Broxton and (to a lesser extent) Domingo Santana don't appear to be long-term everyday options in Milwaukee, and Brinson should get an opportunity soon to prove that he is in fact an option. Expect Brinson to display his five-tool talent as soon as this season.

 

Jeimer Candelario, 3B, Chicago Cubs

Jeimer Candelario's bat earned him a call up last year with the Cubs, but he went just 1-for-11. In the minors, Candelario has done nothing but hit recently. Last year, he hit .333/.417/.542 in Triple-A and he's started 2017 hitting .317/.432/.700 through 60 at-bats at that level.

The big issue for Jeimer is that Kris Bryant currently occupies his natural position of third base. The Cubs have also tried him in the outfield, and he's played first base a couple of times recently. Regardless of where the defending champs move him around, he's going to be hard-pressed to find at-bats on the current Chicago roster. The Cubs could use him as trade bait, and if they do, the 23-year-old could wind up in a situation that will allow him to make a big contribution this year.

If he does get that opportunity, the switch-hitter is a legitimate .300 type hitter, and could even contribute double-digit home runs at the big league level.

 

German Marquez, RHP, Colorado Rockies

It's tough to rely on Colorado pitchers for fantasy production, but pre-injury Jon Gray and rookie Antonio Senzatela have helped calm some of the worries about this new era of young Rockies hurlers. Another one of those potential arms comes in the form of German Marquez.

Marquez entered spring camp with a legitimate shot at earning a rotation spot, but the Rockies opted to go with Senzatela. That wasn't a slight on Marquez, but rather a recognition of how Senzatela performed in spring training. Instead of pouting because of his demotion, Marquez has gone down to Triple-A and blown away hitters. The Rockies have been limiting Marquez' pitch counts and are slowly building him up; they even brought him out of the pen in his first outing. Through 10 IP, the hard-throwing righty has allowed just eight hits and three runs. Oh, and he has an 18/0 K/BB ratio.

The 22-year-old has a middle of the rotation ceiling, and at the worst, he could wind up being a high-leverage reliever. Regardless of where he ends up, he should have an opportunity as a starter first, and will likely wind up in the bullpen if he pitches his way out of that role. Look for him to get that chance at the midway point this season.

 

Yoan Moncada, 2B, Chicago White Sox

Yoan Moncada is the best prospect currently in the minors, and his production in 2017 has matched that. Through 60 at-bats in Triple-A, Moncada is hitting .300/.382/.517. He's chipped in with four home runs while playing all his games at second base.

There isn't a single player the White Sox currently have that will block the soon-to-be 22-year-old from the majors, so expect him to be called up soon and hitting right at the top of the Chicago lineup.

While the outlook and the potential is great, the strikeouts seem to be a legitimate concern. He struck out in 12 of his 19 big league at-bats last year, and his 30.9% K-rate this year also jumps off the page. In order for Moncada to realize his full potential, he'll have to get a better handle of the strike zone. Big league pitchers will be better suited to take advantage of any big holes and weaknesses, as was displayed last year. Moncada has 20-20 potential, but again, the strikeouts must be toned down.

 

More Top MLB Prospects & Rookies




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

#1 Expert Projections
Save 50% Now
Import Your Leagues
Props Tool
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Marvin Harrison Jr.

Does Marvin Harrison Jr. Still Carry High-End Dynasty Upside?
Marquise Brown

Sliding Down Eagles' Depth Chart Following 2026 Draft
Darnell Mooney

Carries Deep-League Buy-Low Upside into 2026
Christian Kirk

Role in San Francisco in Question Following NFL Draft?
CFB

Texas Tech Quarterback Brendan Sorsby Enters Rehab
Youssef Zalal

Suffers Unanimous-Decision Loss
Brashard Smith

Facing an Uphill Battle for Playing Time in Kansas City
Aljamain Sterling

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Rashee Rice

Can Rashee Rice Put Together a Full Season of Production in 2026?
Norma Dumont

Drops Decision At UFC Vegas 116
Joselyne Edwards

Scores Upset Win
Alexander Hernandez

Gets Dominated
Alexander Hernandez

Rafa Garcia Dominates Alexander Hernandez
Adrian Luna Martinetti

Unsuccessful In His UFC Debut
Davey Grant

Gets Back In The Win Column
Manny Machado

Clubs Two Homers, Starting to Turn Things Around?
Kyren Williams

Becoming a Better Dynasty Value by the Day
Ben Sinnott

Is it Time to Move on From Ben Sinnott?
Sam Darnold

Still a Reliable Dynasty Hold
Brandon Hagel

Pops Up With Two Goals in Sunday's Win
Justin Fields

Could Dynasty Managers See One More Sell Window for Justin Fields?
Nathan MacKinnon

Records Three Points in Series-Clincher
Dallas Goedert

a Dynasty Bargain After Flurry of Eagles' Moves
Bowen Byram

Extends Goal Streak to Three Games
John Carlson

Delivers Two Assists in Game 4 Victory
Connor McDavid

Bags Pair of Power-Play Assists in 100th Playoff Game
Jason Zucker

Makes Early Exit in Blowout Win
De'Aaron Fox

Notches Game-High 28 Points Sunday
Joel Embiid

Returns With Double-Double
Jayson Tatum

Logs 30-Point Double-Double in Sunday's Win
LeBron James

Quiet in Game 4 Loss to Rockets
Julius Randle

Handed $35K Fine for His Part in Game 4 Altercation
Nikola Jokić

Nikola Jokic Fined $50K for Game 4 Incident
Collin Murray-Boyles

Continues to Shine for Raptors
Deni Avdija

Returns to Form Sunday
Victor Wembanyama

Stuffs Stat Sheet in His Return
Austin Reaves

Won't Suit Up Sunday
Jonathan Isaac

Likely to Remain Out Monday
Isaiah Joe

Available for Game 4 Monday
Aaron Gordon

Uncertain for Monday
Jordan Goodwin

Considered Questionable for Monday's Elimination Game
Joel Embiid

Ready to Return Sunday
Mark Williams

to Remain Out Monday
Kevin Huerter

Listed as Questionable for Monday
Kelly Oubre Jr.

Cleared to Play Sunday
Anthony Edwards

Faces Multi-Week Absence
Kevin Durant

Remains Out Sunday
Emil Andrae

Expected to Rejoin Flyers Lineup Monday
Matvei Michkov

Set to Be Scratched for Game 5
Radko Gudas

Remains Sidelined Sunday
Jason Dickinson

a Game-Time Decision Sunday
Maxwell Crozier

to Replace Declan Carlile Sunday
Alexander Nikishin

Diagnosed With Concussion
Viktor Arvidsson

Exits Early Sunday
Theo Johnson

a Dynasty Faller After Busy Giants Offseason
Kyle Monangai

Remains a Dynasty Hold
Amon-Ra St. Brown

Remains a Locked-in Dynasty Stud
Jonah Coleman

Could Have Immediate Impact as Broncos' Short-Yardage Back
Jerry Jeudy

Browns Say Jerry Jeudy Will Not Be Impacted by Rookies
Logan O'Hoppe

Placed on 10-Day Injured List Due to Left-Wrist Fracture
Denny Hamlin

Is Denny Hamlin Worth Rostering for Talladega?
Xavier Worthy

a Buy-Low Candidate for Dynasty Managers Following NFL Draft?
NASCAR

Is Bubba Wallace Playable in Talladega DFS Lineups?
Skyler Bell

Earning Comparisons to Elite NFL Wideout Following NFL Draft
Jayden Daniels

' Supporting Cast in Washington Remains Similar Following NFL Draft
Joe Burrow

Dynasty Value Remains Impacted by Injury Concerns
Josh Naylor

Absent on Sunday With Quad Tightness
Andrei Iosivas

Facing New Competition for Bengals' WR3 Role After NFL Draft
Ryan Helsley

Returns From Bereavement List on Sunday
Steven Kwan

Back in Sunday's Lineup
Brent Rooker

Activated and Starting on Sunday Against Rangers
Roman Anthony

Returns as DH on Sunday
Tyler Reddick

Stay Away From Tyler Reddick at Talladega
Ryan Blaney

Can Ryan Blaney Shake Off The Bad Luck at Talladega?
Austin Cindric

Could Contend For Another Talladega Win
Kyle Busch

an Easy DFS Pick at Talladega
Ricky Stenhouse Jr

. a High-Risk, High-Reward Pick at Talladega
Todd Gilliland

a Sleeper to Watch at Talladega
Brad Keselowski

Is Brad Keselowski Worth Rostering for Talladega Lineups?
Chase Briscoe

Could Chase Briscoe be A Sneaky Tournament Play for Talladega Lineups?
Christopher Bell

Should DFS Managers Trust Christopher Bell at Talladega?
Ty Gibbs

Is A DFS Risk for Talladega Lineups
Arturs Silovs

Steps in and Saves Pittsburgh on Saturday
Sidney Crosby

Helps Lead Pittsburgh to Road Win Over Philadelphia
Brock Faber

a Huge Factor in Minnesota's Overtime Victory
Matt Boldy

Evens Series Between Minnesota and Dallas in Big Way
Frederik Andersen

a Game-Changer as Carolina Closes Out Ottawa
Logan Stankoven

Scores Yet Again as Carolina Sweeps Ottawa
Desmond Bane

Nails Seven Triples En Route to 25 Points
Boston Red Sox

Red Sox Fire Manager Alex Cora and Other Coaches
Josh Manson

Not Expected to Play Sunday
Mason Lohrei

Set to Miss Game 4 as Healthy Scratch
Steven Kwan

Scratched With Neck Stiffness
Trey Yesavage

Returning From Injured List on Tuesday
Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suarez Heading to the Injured List With Oblique Strain
MLB

Saturday's Mets-Rockies Game Postponed Due to Weather
Giancarlo Stanton

Exits With Leg Tightness on Friday
Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suarez Scratched on Friday With Mid-Back Pain
Jackson Holliday

Receives Positive Test Results, Will be Shut Down for a Week
Jeff Hoffman

Out as Blue Jays Closer
Youssef Zalal

Set For UFC Vegas 116 Main Event
Aljamain Sterling

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 116
Joselyne Edwards

Set For UFC Vegas 116 Co-Main Event
Norma Dumont

Looks To Extend Her Win Streak
Alexander Hernandez

A Favorite At UFC Vegas 116
Rafa Garcia

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Adrian Luna Martinetti

Set For His UFC Debut
Davey Grant

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Francisco Lindor

Expected to Miss "Significant Time"
Francisco Lindor

Mets Officially Place Francisco Lindor on Injured List With Calf Strain
Michael Harris II

Removed Early With Quad Tightness
Francisco Lindor

Likely Headed to the Injured List
Michael Harris II

Continues to Heat Up With Two-Homer Game on Wednesday
CFB

Beau Pribula Leading Virginia Quarterback Competition
Marco Penge

Trending Down Entering Zurich Classic
Sahith Theegala

Eyes Another Strong Week at Zurich Classic
Brooks Koepka

Shane Lowry Teams Up with Brooks Koepka at Zurich Classic
Si Woo Kim

Adds Another Strong Finish at RBC Heritage
Luke Clanton

Hoping to Find Form in New Orleans
Scottie Scheffler

is Starting to Hit His Stride
Brooks Koepka

Looking for Progress in PGA Return With Partner at Zurich Classic
Matt Fitzpatrick

Looks to Share Recent Form at Zurich Classic
CFB

Ashton Daniels Named Florida State's Starting Quarterback
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF