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Around the Minors: Raimel Tapia, Dan Vogelbach, Yoan Moncada

Around the Minors: Raimel Tapia, Dan Vogelbach, Yoan Moncada

Every week Fantasy Pros MLB will take a look at the upper minor leagues for players with a potential fantasy impact in 2017. This week we’ll take a look at sluggers across the Triple-A ranks off to a quick start – some who might be playing themselves into lineups in the coming months.

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Raimel Tapia (OF – COL)
Tapia moved quickly through the Rockies’ farm system before a cup of coffee with the big club in 2016. At just 23 years old, Tapia still has some time to develop, but he’s already off to a torrid start with the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes. In five games Tapia is batting .500/.773/1.333 with six of his 11 hits falling for doubles, a stolen base, five RBIs and seven runs scored. If there’s any flaw in Tapia’s production for far this April, it’s his four strikeouts – but he’s balanced that adequately by walking three times.

Rowdy Tellez (1B – TOR)
Just days after hitting his first home run in a non-spring training stadium (he homered in an exhibition game at Stade Olympique last weekend), Tellez took his talents to Buffalo, New York, the home of Toronto’s Triple-A affiliate Buffalo Bisons. He’s already homered twice over just four games, driving in four runs in 15 at-bats. Unfortunately, he’s also struck out five times and walked just once. With Justin Smoak playing well to start the season, Tellez’s arrival in Toronto may be delayed until later this summer.

Dan Vogelbach (1B/DH – SEA)
After a surprising demotion at the end of spring training and the appointment of Danny Valencia at a non-platooned first base in Seattle, Vogelbach was sent to the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers to get additional work in before returning to the bigs. The lumbering 24-year old first baseman has four hits in 13 at-bats, but only one has gone for extra bases (a double), and he’s only driven in one run. Fortunately, he’s struck out only twice while walking twice, so the contact is there – he just needs to start finding the gaps more.

Ben Paulsen (1B – MIN)
Paulsen got off to a quick start this week with the Twins’ affiliate Rochester Red Wings, slugging three home runs to place him atop the league leaders in that category. Through three games Paulsen is 4-for-9 with eight runs batted in and just two strikeouts. While he’s not a true prospect at 29 years old and already has some MLB experience with the Rockies, Paulsen shouldn’t have to do too much to crack the Twins’ roster at some point if he keeps showing this much power potential.

Yoan Moncada (2B/3B – CWS)
As expected, the White Sox’s top prospect is off to a red-hot start with the Triple-A Charlotte Knights. Through five games Moncada is 9-for-23 with two home runs, three RBI and a pair of stolen bases. He has, however, struck out eight times, so maybe it’s best that he’s in Triple-A to work on his plate approach. The current White Sox infield should be very easy to crack, but with Super Two status the biggest deterrent in calling up a top prospect, expect Moncada to hang around Charlotte a bit longer than he probably should. Once he arrives, he’ll be a must-own player, especially in keeper league formats.

Have a player you’re curious about? Leave a comment below!


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Roy Widrig is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from Roy, check out his archive and follow him @rolewiii. 

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