Over the course of a fantasy baseball season, there are really only two ways to upgrade your team. One is trading. As a fantasy player, you should be an active trader. This doesn’t necessarily mean you need to lead your league in trades, but it means you need to frequently be discussing potential moves with your league mates.
The other way to upgrade your team is the waiver wire. This is where you can get spot starters, closers in waiting, veterans with a hot bat, and prospects. I’m here to talk to you about that last option. Prospects should be viewed as a potential goldmine for fantasy players.
There are always a few who wind up being “league winners.” Last year the big one was Cody Bellinger. Here was a top prospect who came up at the end of April and made an immediate impact. Below are some prospects that I’m currently keeping an eye on in the minors, and you should too. Additionally, you should familiarize yourself with as many of Baseball America’s Top 100 prospects as you can. When one of these guys gets called up it’s a mad rush to the waiver wire. You want to know who these names are so you can make a quick decision on who to drop for them.
This article is for prospects only and will be written every other week. Any rookies already in the majors will be covered in the weeks where I don’t do a prospect report.
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Ronald Acuna (OF – ATL)
There probably isn’t much you can do to acquire Acuna at this moment. He was drafted in every league and is now a week closer to getting to the bigs. Perhaps you can see if an owner is in need of someone putting up numbers right away, but anyone who drafted Acuna knew what the deal was coming in.
We still need to talk about him. In 139 minor league games last season, Acuna hit .325 with 21 homers and 44 stolen bases. The 21-year-old has the potential to be a five-category fantasy contributor from the moment he gets called up. It shouldn’t be much longer. The most common trading strategy in fantasy sports is buying low and selling high. When it comes to Acuna don’t be afraid to buy high. He’s that good.
Status: Needs to be owned in all leagues
Gleyber Torres (SS – NYY)
Torres was a dark horse to make the Yankees out of Spring Training, but he struggled at the plate. It’s understandable when you consider it was his first game action since Tommy John surgery ended his 2017 campaign. Still, prospect lovers wanted to see him rake right away. The 21-year-old talented infielder should find success in the minors early on, and at that point, it’ll be about finding a position for him in New York.
The Yankees protected themselves this winter by bringing in Brandon Drury and Neil Walker. When injuries piled up last week they called up another prospect, Miguel Andujar. This puts Torres’ spot on the depth chart in question. His two paths to big league playing time are an injury to one of these guys, or if he hits so well the Yankees have no choice but to call him up.
Status: Stash or add immediately when called up
Nick Senzel (2B – CIN)
Senzel is beginning the year in Triple-A Louisville and is considered close to big-league ready. He’s a line drive hitter who can spray doubles to every corner of a ballpark. In 2017, Senzel hit .321 with 14 homers and 14 steals in 119 games. His advanced approach at the plate means he has the potential to hit for average as soon as he gets to Cincinnati.
It shouldn’t take long either. The former number two pick came up as a third baseman, but with Eugenio Suarez playing well the Reds are moving Senzel to second. It might not be a permanent move, but it will help him get to the big leagues quicker. Senzel’s ability to get on base and steal make him a candidate to hit atop the Reds lineup at some point this year. Expect to see him in Cincinnati by Memorial Day if all goes right.
Status: Stash or add immediately when called up
Willie Calhoun (OF – TEX)
Calhoun isn’t as high on the prospect ranking lists as Acuna, Torres, and Senzel. That’s because the 23-year-old doesn’t really have a position. His defense is a huge question mark. Luckily for fantasy players, we only care about his offensive stats, and Calhoun can hit. In 128 games last year he hit .300/.355/.572 with 32 homers.
The Rangers acquired him last summer in the Yu Darvish deal, and their mission right now is finding out where he can play. It might be left field or it could be DH. Either way, you want him on your fantasy team. Calhoun is short and compact, but he has immense power and doesn’t strike out that often. He’s a good bet to help you in batting average and home runs once he gets to the show. It could be soon considering his service time date is in early May.
Status: Think about adding in the next few weeks
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Brendan Tuma is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from Brendan, check out his archive and follow him @toomuchtuma.
