Domingo Santana will make the most of his new opportunity in Milwaukee

Yesterday I broke down the American League rookie hitters that may help your team win a fantasy baseball championship in 2016.  Today you can read about the relevant National League rookie hitters.  This is part two of a three-part series on MLB’s top rookies this coming season.  To understand the strategy and historical trends of undervalued rookies, read my primer to the series from yesterday.

This NL crop of rookie hitters has several more impact batters than the AL group and one young phenom that surpasses every name on yesterday’s list.  Only a handful of these players are worthy of a draft pick in standard fantasy leagues, but many of them will prove useful at some point in 2016.  It is to your advantage to study these kids so that when the time comes you have the upper hand on your opponents.

Mock Draft in minutes with our free Draft Simulator

Rookie of the Year Candidates

Domingo Santana (OF – Milwaukee Brewers) – I am likely the only prognosticator predicting Santana to be the best rookie hitter.  This is not for sensationalism, rather it is to give FantasyPro’s readers a head start.  The lumbering 6’5” right-fielder has only recently been considered a top-100 prospect but has had a long line of success in the minors.  Since his debut as a 16-year-old, he has mashed 284 extra-base hits in 699 games.  Now here is the kicker: Santana was traded to Milwaukee in the Michael Fiers deal.  Miller Park just so happens to be a hitter’s haven for right-handed power hitters.  I believe Santana will hit .260 with 25 homers and 70 RBI in 2016.

Trevor Story (SS/2B – Colorado Rockies) – Troy Tulowitzki may be gone, but Jose Reyes is still blocking Story in Colorado.  That only means that D.J. LeMahieu is about to lose his job, and Story will become 2B eligible.  The rule goes, “Start any hitter playing in Coors.”, but I would argue Story could help your fantasy team if he were playing in the old Polo Grounds.  This shortstop prospect had 70 extra-base hits last season and a 22:3 SB:CS ratio.  Don’t worry about him being only 22 years-old, he will be just fine at Coors Field when he gets the call.

Corey Seager (SS/3B – Los Angeles Dodgers) – As the aforementioned phenom, the Dodgers refused to trade Seager, despite names like Jose Fernandez being potentially available to them.  The kid is considered one of the top two prospects in the game, and had a spectacular MLB debut, hitting .337/.425/.561 in 98 at-bats.  I like Seager, so don’t hear me wrong, but I do not think he should be so highly regarded, nor do I believe he will be especially successful as a 22-year-old rookie.  The Dodgers’ farm system is filled with bandboxes for ballparks.  Rancho Cucamonga, Chatanooga, and Tulsa boosted Seager’s numbers, propelling him into the elite prospect discussion.  Last year when he batted just .278/.332/.451 in a more neutral Triple-A ballpark no one seemed to notice.  I don’t see him putting up better numbers this season than last year’s Triple-A figures, and he certainly isn’t going to steal bases, so I would let another zealous owner overreach for him on draft day this year.

Trea Turner (SS – Washington Nationals) – The player to be named in one of A.J. Preller’s failed three-way trades blossomed into a top-10 prospect over-night.  The Nationals moved Rendon to third base, allowing Espinosa to backup both middle-infield positions to recently signed, Daniel Murphy and this 22-year-old kid.  Turner had a rough MLB debut in September but batted .322 with 29 steals across three leagues last season in the minors.  If he hits .280 with 20 SB and 70 runs for Washington this year, you will have yourself a told 5 fantasy shortstop.

Second Half Heroes

David Dahl (OF – Colorado Rockies) – When he was drafted out of high school in Alabama, there was a debate as to whether he or current No. 1 prospect, Byron Buxton, had better tools.  Dahl hit the ground running, but faced several injuries including a ruptured spleen that requires him to where a metal plate in his chest the rest of his career.  None-the-less, the center-fielder can really hit.  Don’t mind the rough numbers from last season, he will get back on track, and when he is promoted to Coors Field he will wreak havoc.

Peter O’Brien (C/OF – Arizona Diamondbacks) – Tony La Russa loves defensive catchers, so O’Brien will likely end up in the outfield, but he is still catcher-eligible for you this summer.  The 25-year-old was never considered much of a prospect, but he has hit 70 homers and 181 RBI in his last 889 at-bats.  A catcher-eligible player with power like that is difficult to come by.

Mallex Smith (OF – Atlanta Braves) – Remember when Billy Hamilton was called up and had all this hype surrounding him?  Well, Mallex is twice the hitter, and likely already the best bunter in all of baseball.  He batted .308 with a .390 OBP over his last two seasons and is also insanely fast.  Granted, Hamilton is still younger than Mallex and once stole 155 bases in a minor league season, but Mallex will be an even better fantasy player.  Smith stole 88 bases two seasons ago and is due to swipe plenty more when he arrives at the big leagues and gets on-base substantially more than Hamilton has managed.  There is no lack of opportunity available with the Braves so a late May call-up is entirely possible.

Nick Williams (OF – Philadelphia Phillies) – The sweet-swinging lefty drew comparisons to a young Ken Griffey Jr. when he was a high-school junior, but those appear to have been unwarranted.  Still, he has terrific talent and a smooth power stroke.  Williams was blocked in the deep Rangers’ outfield system for a few years but was dealt to Philadelphia in the Cole Hamels trade.  He has steadily progressed towards his potential since being drafted.  Last season he batted .303 with 49 extra-base hits in 475 Double-A at-bats.  Williams should be called up mid-season and I expect him to hit from the get-go.

Josh Bell (OF/1B – Pittsburgh Pirates) – His organization has a loaded outfield, but only John Jaso and Michael Morse blocking first-base.  Bell is a polished minor league hitter with power potential but has yet to turn that into game power.  The right-handed hitter batted .325 and .317 the past two season.  What is especially impressive is that he finished the season hitting .347 in the two months after he was called up to Triple-A.  If he gets his chance in the Summer you might have a useful bat on your hands.

Brett Phillips (OF – Milwaukee Brewers) – If he hadn’t been dealt to Milwaukee in the Michael Fiers deal, Phillips would be down on the longshot contributors list.  Fortunately for Phillips, he is now in a system with question marks throughout their lineup.  His triple-slash lines over the past two seasons were an absurdly consistent .310/.375/.529 and .309/.374/.527.  Translation: That boy can hit!  Granted, he only has 214 at-bats at Double-A, but the Brewers organization moves prospects quickly so Phillips could see time late this season.

Other Useful Pieces

Dilson Herrera (2B – New York Mets) – I imagine you were wondering why the Mets, with all of their big-market money, didn’t even try to re-sign playoff super-hero, Daniel Murphy.  Some might say, “Well they filled the hole with Neil Walker,” but I say it is merely a stop-gap solution.  You see, there was a 5’9″, 150-pound second basemen that tore up the minor leagues in 2006.  He was hardly regarded as a prospect because of his size, but he sure knew how to hit.  One year later he won Rookie of the Year, and the following year he won Most Valuable Player as a 24-year-old.  Am I actually saying that 5’9″, 150-pound Herrera is Dustin Pedroia 2.0?  Decide for yourself:

Player A is Dilson Herrera.  If Walker lands on the disabled list or regresses, this guy will be right there to take his job and never look back.

Jose Peraza (SS/2B/OF – Cincinnati Reds) – The top-40 prospect has a lot of hype with his name, but I’m not buying it.  He batted .339 with 60 stolen bases in 2014, but showed no eye at the plate, no power, then regressed significantly last season.  When the Reds call him up he will have value because of the stolen base ability and shortstop eligibility, but I am not recommending him in keeper leagues.

Dae-Ho Lee (1B – Free Agent) – Could it be that the least known Asian-import rookie will have the best impact?  Lee is listed at 6’4″, 286-pounds and has a history of production, winning and durability.  He tore up the KBO, hitting .361 with 71 homers in his final 260 games played.  Then, he took the next challenge, moving to Japan where he has consistently been a top-5 hitter in the league, batting .290 with 98 homers over four seasons.  He recently won the Japan Series MVP and has said he wants to come to America to win a championship at the biggest stage.  Being a Cardinals fan, I can only assume he must be intending on signing with St. Louis.

Keep an Eye On

Tom Murphy (C – Colorado Rockies) – Everyone hits at Coors Field.  Toss a catcher with serious pop and you get plenty of fireworks.  Murphy has hit 84 extra-base hits in his past 751 at-bats.  He strikes out a lot, but that rarely matters in fantasy baseball.  He is best-fit to DH, so don’t be surprised if he doesn’t win the job out of Spring Training, but I think the job will be his by the end of the season.

Garin Cecchini (3B/OF – Milwaukee Brewers) – The former top-60 prospect was never going to get his opportunity in Boston, but Milwaukee has third-base open for competition now that Aramis Ramirez retired.  Cecchini was abysmal last year in Triple-A with a .213 BA and just a .296 SLG%, but he clearly has talent and is capable of blossoming into a rare third-basemen than can steal bases and swat 30 doubles in a season.

Jesse Winker (OF – Cincinnati Reds) – There is much about this big lefty that is reminiscent of Jay Bruce.  He has plenty of pop in his bat and walks almost as much as he strikes out, which is arguably the most important quality for a young power hitter to prove he will become a worthwhile MLB slugger.  Over his first four minor-league seasons he carries a .868 OPS despite playing against far older competition at each level.  He only has a month of experience at Double-A, but could still see time in the majors late next season.

Aaron Altherr (OF – Philadelphia Phillies) – I am not suggesting that this non-prospect will blossom into a quality MLB player, but he is listed at the top of the Phillies depth chart in left field.  You never know who the next no-name player will be that turns into J.D. Martinez overnight, so keep an eye on this rookie starting outfielder that had a fine start to his career last September.

Hector Olivera (2B/OF – Atlanta Braves) – This 30-year-old rookie moved from Cuba so he could play for the world-famous Dodgers, but was then traded to the Braves.  You may think he got the shaft, but now he is finally a starter in the world’s top league.  The Braves intend on using him to be their left fielder, and he is an especially interesting case.  Olivera was a superstar in Cuba from 2007-2011, but then fled the island and has only played 100 games anywhere since then.  He could return to his old form, or perhaps never regain his production levels again.

Alfredo Rodriguez (SS – Free Agent) – The Cuban-import is only 21 years old, and has no power or much of a bat to speak of at all.  His glove, on-the-other-hand is something special.  Most poor hitting 21 year old rookies wouldn’t be sniffing Double-A, but Rodriguez could start 50 games in the big leagues this season thanks to his glove.  The only reason he is potentially fantasy relevant is because he has decent speed on the basepaths.

Longshot Contributors

Orlando Arcia (SS – Milwaukee Brewers) – The 20-year-old exploded up the charts last season, moving from a top-90 prospect to a top-20 prospect.  His gap power (37 doubles, 7 triples) is impressive, but the home run muscle has yet to arrive.  I find it unlikely that Arcia will be able to steal the job from Jean Segura, but if he does by the end of the year, you will have to consider grabbing him.  He can steal 30 bases per season at the big league level and looks like an eventual .290 hitter at a tough offensive position.

Andrew Knapp (C/OF – Philadelphia Phillies) – You may be noticing that there is a common type of catcher prospect that hits for power, but probably isn’t defensively suitable to stick at the position.  the thing about these players is that their defense will hurt a big league club, but won’t make any difference to your fantasy team.  He will almost certainly move to the outfield for good, but should still qualify at catcher for you.  Knapp knocked 53 extra-base hits in 458 at-bats last season between High-A and Double-A.

Socrates Brito (OF – Arizona Diamondbacks) – Here is another player that has never been much of a prospect, but could produce in the fantasy world as a rookie.  Brito batted .300 last season with 15 triples and 20 stolen bases, so he clearly has speed to spare.  If you need to pick up BA, runs, and SB late in the season, he may be a solution.

Darrell Ceciliani (OF – New York Mets) – The 25-year-old is by no means a prospect, and has never really produced until last year in Triple-A where he batted .345/.398/.581.  The Mets triple-A affiliate, Las Vegas, has a tiny ballpark crafted for hitters to balloon their stats, but only half of a batter’s games are played in the home stadium.  Any time a player puts up that triple-slash line in any league you should pay attention just in case it wasn’t a fluke.

Draft Wizard: Complete a free draft simulation in minutes