Another MLB draft has come and gone. There were many intriguing draft selections this year for dynasty league owners. I could ramble on for days about the draftees, but I’ll limit it to a few pitching prospects this week and go over a few hitting prospects in next week’s report. In addition, we have a couple intriguing prospect promotions this week and the return/season debut of an outfield prospect I ranked as a top-10 dynasty prospect before the season. You’re going to want to grab some popcorn for this one.
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MLB Draft Pitching Notables
Casey Mize (RHP – DET)
The Tigers used their No. 1 overall pick to select right-handed starter, Casey Mize, out of the University of Auburn. This was a no-brainer selection as Mize is by far the top pitching prospect in this year’s draft class. Mize’s combination of size, stuff, and pitchability should land him atop Detroit’s rotation within the next few years. He mixes a mid-90s fastball with a plus slider and downright filthy high-80s splitter that is basically unhittable when he’s throwing it well (which is very often).
Brady Singer (RHP – KC)
The Royals got an absolute steal when Singer fell into their laps at pick 18. The 6’5 right-hander features a mid-90s heater with life, a plus slider with two-plane break, and a developing change-up that has flashed plus at times. Singer fell to pick 18 due to concerns about him overthrowing his pitches, which leads to them flattening out and getting hit hard. If he can fine-tune his approach in the minors, Singer has the upside of a No. 1 or No. 2 starter in the Major Leagues.
Carter Stewart (RHP – ATL)
Do yourself a favor and watch some video of Carter Stewart throwing a curveball. It’s a thing of beauty. Stewart is my favorite prep arm in this year’s draft class. His nasty curveball offsets a mid-90s heater, and he also has a decent feel for his change-up. It’s going to be a few years before we see Stewart in the major, but he has the potential to be a fantasy ace.
Minor League Notes
Drew Waters on the Rise
Whatever the Atlanta Braves scouts are making per year, it needs to go up. The amount of quality talent in this system on both sides of the ball is just ridiculous. Everyone knows about the pitching prospects and Austin Riley, but a hitting prospect in the lower minors is beginning to make a lot of noise. That man is Drew Waters. Currently with Single-A Rome in the South Atlantic League, Waters has 14 doubles, four triples, six home runs, and eight steals in 155 at-bats while slashing a robust .303/.361/.561/.922.
There’s so much talent in this system that Waters barely cracked MLB’s top-20 Braves prospects (No. 18) back in the spring. He checks off all the boxes that us fantasy owners love, especially his 60-grade speed and raw power. More of a gap hitter now, Waters should begin to tap into his plus raw power once he develops and adds some strength and loft to his swing. Now is a great time to invest in Waters in dynasty leagues.
Luis Robert Back in Action
Here is the top-10 dynasty prospect I was referencing. Is that ranking aggressive? Absolutely. But I firmly stand by it. Robert has a great blend of power, speed, and plate approach that will see him skyrocketing up towards Chicago next season. Wouldn’t it be great if Yoan Moncada had more plate discipline? Well, Robert is Moncada with the better discipline. Tantalizing, isn’t it? After a hitless debut, Robert went 2-for-5 with a double and a steal yesterday for Single-A Kannapolis. Once he gets his footing, Robert should begin his quick ascension up through the White Sox farm system. Getting some dynasty stock now is highly advised as his price will be much higher come this time next season.
Prospect Power Rankings
Prospects currently in the minors that can make the biggest 2018 impact.
Hitters
1. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (3B – TOR)
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is currently in a slump. Never thought you’d read those words, did you? Well, it’s true. Vladdy is hitting .238 with no home runs and two RBIs over his last six games. At least there have been reports out of Toronto that they’re discussing promoting him to Triple-A. Ha! “Discussing.” I’ll believe it when I see it. But at least it’s looking like some sort of a promoting should happen by the end of the month.
2. Nick Senzel (2B/3B – CIN)
Since returning a week ago, Nick Senzel hasn’t exactly been setting the world on fire, hitting just .241 with no home runs. However, he does have three doubles and a 5/6 BB/K ratio in that stretch, so there are some positives. Don’t expect the Reds to call him up until he has a hot streak.
3. Austin Riley (3B – ATL)
That rising strikeout rate I referenced last week hasn’t gone away. In fact, it’s gotten much worse. Over the last 10 days, Riley has an absurd 40.3 K% and six of his last 10 games have ended with him recording 2+ strikeouts. On top of that, Riley is in a substantial power drought with only one home run in his last 19 games.
4. Kyle Tucker (OF – HOU)
After starting the season hitting near .300 with minimal power, Tucker decided it would be a good idea to reverse that. More power has come, but the average is heading south. At least strikeouts aren’t a cause for the batting average dip, which would cause more reason for concern.
5. Tyler O’Neil (OF – STL)
Even though O’Neill couldn’t seize a golden opportunity to run away with a starting outfield role, he still remains one the biggest impact prospect bats for later this season. Since being sent back down to Triple-A, O’Neil has recorded hits in four of five games and has almost as many walks (4) as strikeouts (5). He’s yet to hit a home run since the demotion, but we all know power is never lacking when it comes to O’Neill. Expect him back up with the Cardinals at some point soon this summer.
Pitchers
1. Michael Kopech (SP – CHW)
Unfortunately, Kopech has continued his wild ways lately and got rocked in his last start on Saturday. In just two innings of work, Kopech allowed seven runs on five hits and four walks while striking out two. This marks the fourth time in six starts that he’s walked four batters. He’ll look to get back on track tomorrow night against Lehigh Valley. This string of wildness is delaying his arrival in Chicago.
2. Shane Bieber (SP – CLE)
Stop the presses, hold the phone, and hold the mayo, Shane Bieber walked two batters last night. This was his 47th career minor league start and only the third time he’s walked two batters in an outing. This was Bieber’s first start back in Triple-A after getting a spot start with Cleveland (5.2 IP, 8 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 6 K) last week and he’s likely to be back up with the Indians the next time they need a starter. His line from that start with Cleveland is a tad misleading as he was cruising through four innings before allowing two runs in both the fifth and sixth innings.
3. Kolby Allard (SP – ATL)
Allard recorded his seventh straight quality start last Friday, but once again, only had two strikeouts in the outing. His already low strikeout rate is dipping to new lows over the last several weeks. You ready for this? In Allard’s last three starts, his strikeout rate has dipped to 3.4 and is down to 5.7 on the season. He’s one of the safer pitching prospects out there, but don’t expect a major fantasy impact this season due to the lower strikeout upside.
4. Jalen Beeks (SP – BOS)
See below.
5. Enyel De Los Santos (SP – PHI)
After walking five the outing before, De Los Santos didn’t issue a free pass in his last outing over seven innings of three-run ball. His ERA did rise some with the three runs allowed but still sits at a strong 1.70 for the season. The ‘problem’ is that everyone in the Phillies’ rotation is pitching too well to lose their spot right now.
Call-Up City
Fantasy-relevant prospects that have recently gotten the call or a call-up is imminent.
Jalen Beeks (SP – BOS)
With Drew Pomeranz going on the disabled list and the Red Sox wanting their rotation to have an extra day of rest, Jalen Beeks will be handed the ball today against the Detroit Tigers. There’s some immediate fantasy appeal here with how well Beeks has been throwing the ball this season. In 10 starts, the 24-year-old southpaw has a 2.56 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, and leads all Triple-A pitchers with 80 strikeouts in 56.1 innings pitched.
Beeks has come a long way over the last two seasons, from a relative unknown to a hot name skyrocketing up prospect lists. Two big reasons for his success have been a cleaner delivery and the addition of a cutter to his arsenal. The twitch he had in his arm motion is gone and the much cleaner delivery has really helped him maximize his arsenal, including that cutter. Beeks is a solid streamer today, but remember, he’s likely to be sent back down.
Jake Bauers (OF – TB)
Bauers might not be a stud offensive prospect, but there’s still some fantasy appeal here. He’s one of those prospects that doesn’t excel in any one particular area but is solid across the board. In 197 Triple-A at-bats this season, Bauers slashed .279/.357/.426/.784 with five home runs, 14 doubles, and 10 stolen bases in 16 attempts. This coming off back-to-back seasons with both double-digit home runs and steals.
Plate approach and pitch selection are two areas where Bauers excels. His walk rate has been above 10% every season while his career OBP sits at a strong .361. The power and speed grade out as average, but he could approach some 20/20 seasons in the future. Bauers is a solid speculative add in 12+ team standard leagues and a strong add in AL-Only formats. He should see regular time, mostly in left, but also at first and DH.
Caleb Ferguson (SP – LAD)
And the starting pitcher carousel in Hollywood continues. Due to all the injuries lately, the Dodgers have had to dip into their farm system a few times over the last month. The latest promotion was given to 21-year-old southpaw, Caleb Ferguson. In his debut, Ferguson only lasted 1 2/3 innings, allowing three earned runs on two hits and three walks while striking out three. Ferguson features two above-average pitches (fastball and curveball) and has a solid feel for his change-up as well. None of those pitches grade out as plus, but Ferguson mixes and locates his pitches well enough that he was able to record a solid 1.53 ERA and 1.15 WHIP in 10 starts before his call-up. The upside here isn’t overly high, but if you need a starter in deeper mixed leagues or NL-Only formats, Ferguson is worth a look.
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Eric Cross is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Eric, check out his archive and follow him on Twitter @EricCross04.