Don’t look now, but GMs around the league are nearing the unwritten rule of the June 1st prospect call up. Vast majority of GMs, to save a few million if the prospects pans out, wait for the arbitration service time clock to strike midnight before calling their best names up. Speaking of which, Grey’s Buy/Sell article on Friday targets several top prospects and their recent fantasy baseball prospectus. Other names to note, and maybe a few repeated too:
Andy Oliver | DET | LHP (SP): Love his mid 90s fastball and repertoire, but drew the short straw facing the Red Sox in his spot start. I’m still riding his prospect-wagon.
Yonder Alonso | CIN | 1B/LF: Requested by frequent commentator, Racehorse, and justifiably so, Alonso is slashing .297/.359/.483 in 172 at-bats with 21 XBH (5 Hr) and a 25:18 K:BB ratio at Triple-A. His smooth swing, ability to hit to all fields, strong grasp of strike zone, and has started a transition to left field since Joey Votto isn’t going anywhere. Currently in a oh-fer 19 slump, if or when the Reds tire of Johnny Gomes’ streaky tendencies, they’ll justify calling up Alonso.
Brett Lawrie | TOR | 2B/3B: What is there to say at this point? Oh, go grab him!
Brandon Belt | SF | 1B/LF: Since Grey went over him, Bochy announced that Belt would be a bench bat.
Anthony Rizzo | SD | 1B: Petco will limit his power and the Padres limit his ability to alleviate their Quad-A lineup status.
Mike Moustakas | KC | 3B: Continues to tug and tease on our nerdy hearts. Ever step forward is met with another setback. His excellent swing and power potential just isn’t making enough solid contact (.264 average in 174 at-bats and 35 strikeouts) to translate production. Still fully expect him to be given the opportunity, it is, after all, the Royals.
Desmond Jennings | TB | CF: Sam Fuld’s .230 average in leftfield should be on the bench come June 1st. Jennings has been the expected hitting call up for the Rays over the last 18 months.
Dustin Ackley | SEA | 2B: Defensively needs to improve at second, but what are the Mariners waiting for? Ken Griffey, Jr. Jr.?
Jesus Montero | NYY | C: Monitoring the Yankees ability to call up the Montero is awfully difficult. Unless the Posada struggle becomes more petty, Montero will need an injury to be promoted. His power has been lacking (.419 slugging) and his plate discipline has slipped too (39:9 in 160 at-bats). At catcher, with Posey going down, there are few solid options. Here’s to hoping.
Kyle Gibson | MIN | RHP (SP): My coworkers, who don’t even follow baseball, know the Twins entire roster has been inept. No time like the present, and his 49:10 K:BB in 47 1/3 innings with a 1.56 GO/AO sure beat what the Twins are throwing out each night.
Dee Gordon | LAD | SS: Continues to hit (.333/.390/.417 in last ten game and .311/.349/.378 in 164 at-bats) and steal bases (18 on the year). His early career potential is another Elvis Andrus. Now we just wait for Furcal to re-injure himself.
Mike Trout | LAA | CF: Has simply been nothing short of brilliant living up to one of the top hitting prospects in the game. Hitting .301/.410/.523 in 153 at-bats with a 30:26 K:BB ratio at Double-A, this young 19 year old could see the majors shortly after his 20th birthday (i.e. September).
Shelby Miller | St.L | RHP (SP): Currently annihilating High-A hitters with his 81 strikeouts in 53 innings. Sports a 4:1 K:BB ratio and has limited batters to a .204 average. Miller should be promoted to Double-A soon.
Jason Kipnis | CLE | 2B: Offensively doing everything he can to be called up. He’s hitting .333/.375/.667 in his last 10 games and .292/.368/.500 on the year. Kipnis most likely won’t be called up unless there’s an injury to Orlando Cabrera.
Devin Mesoraco | CIN | C: There isn’t much room for another hitting backstop in Cincinnati, however, Mesoraco has been making his case. His 18 XBH (5 Hr) and .296/.383/.489 slash line in 152 at-bats and 33:20 K:BB ratio are enticing to many deep league managers who are currently spotting Wilson Ramos too many at-bats. Maybe that is just me.
Jordan Lyles | HOU | RHP (SP): He’s not going to strikeout many batters in the majors and most likely will be a low-tier fantasy option for 12 team leagues. His value, especially this year, is limited due to his home park and strikeout potential. Long term, his ability locate his pitches (fastball, plus changeup, slider and cutter), mature pitching approach and his durability project as a solid middle rotation pitcher you can count on.
In my 20 teamer I’ve carried Chisenhall all year. Should I hold him or cut bait?
say what?
“His (Moustakas) excellent swing and power potential just isn’t making enough solid contact (.264 average in 174 at-bats and 35 strikeouts) to translate production.”
Really? You’re actually not at ALL correct.
A 23 year old in AAA hitting: .270/8/37 with 18:35 BB:K rate is pretty solid. Incidentally, he WAS hitting .210 2 weeks ago. To say that .270 isn’t enough “solid” contact is asinine. His iso is STILL .201. The dude’s hitting, you just can’t see it.
Nice article! Here’s to Rizzo and Lawrie!
If you had to choose one prospect for the rest of this season in a non-keeper would it be Lawrie?
Won’t Jennings’ 17 games played in mlb last year force the Rays to delay his call up for a couple of weeks if they want to prevent him from achieving super-2 status?
im waiting on jennings,love his obp and ability to run and score runs
Chisenhall’s line at AAA this year is: .278/.361/.444. 33/17 SO/W ratio. I hope that would warrant a call up.
Would you drop Fowler or Bernadina in a 16 team 8×8 (BB, SLG, H) to pick up Jennings and hope he gets called up June 1?
@Cheese: i would fowler,bernadina is running anyway
Solid writeup. I believe Shelby Miller was just called up to AA. Nice prediction!
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110528&content_id=19693196¬ebook_id=19694676&vkey=notebook_stl&c_id=stl
yeah,great job once again,are you thinking dee gordon doesnt get a call till september?
Do you think the service time Jennings accrued last year will keep him down past June 1?
@Giant JJ: Keep Chisenhall.
@YourMomsBoyfriend: And His [Moustakas] .256/.302/.308 in his last 39 at-bats isn’t great either. He has improved since April, but has been on a slide to end May. He’s still doing fantastic on a prospect level. He’s not doing great on a fantasy baseball expectations level. I would be hesitant to bank on solid performance from a prospect that has this kind of streaky patterns in the minors.
@TillmanLover: Cheers.
@fitz: Tough question. I think Lawrie would be fair.
@Principal Blackman: Possibly.
@AL KOHOLIC: Concur.
@Howard: Me too.
@Cheese: Fowlers
@Alpine McGregor: If only I wrote these at night on Saturday. I did predict it by 12 hours. Thanks for the link and compliment.
@AL KOHOLIC: Thank you. I do, if all things are constant, that Dee Gordon is a September call up.
@Tom Emanski: It’s entirely plausible.
@Stephen: cool stephen thanks for everything,now,how about 4 or 5 lesser know guys that will get called up in june and could be sleepers offensively
The handling of Belt since his call-up is frustrating. Why stunt a guy’s development like that?
Any word on Charlie Blackmon? Already has 30 xb hits in AAA and had both double digit homers and steals.
Lastly, is Brett Jackson expected back anytime soon? It seemed like he was on his way to the majors this year.
Of all of the prospective call-ups, give me one pitcher and one hitter to roster right now that you believe are imminent and likely to produce, and would you drop Belt for Lawrie or anyone of these guys right now?
great article, grey should let you do a big one for the 1st. Are the K’s killing Trayvon Robinson’s chance of coming up this year?
Lawrie with 2 homers yesterday and has a homer and a triple so far today. Nice.
@AL KOHOLIC: I’ll be working on it.
@Flunkie: Concur.
@brian recca: re:Blackmon: I don’t see Colorado having the space for him in their crowded outfield. re:Jackson: I haven’t seen anything recently. He was on his way before the injury.
@C.O.C: Lawrie/Chisenhall and Mike Minor/Gibson/Teheran/Andy Oliver
@Gravey’s Illegitimate child: Thanks. re:Robinson: They are definitely a factor. As for an article for the 1st of June. Grey usually provides daily notes on the prospects ready to help once they are called up. I’m here to provide extra insight before they are called-up.
@fitz”: Stellar.
thanks stephen,just really currious to your point of view on the lesser knowns,thanks again
@Stephen: are you in the rcl leagues,i was in 2nd or 3rd overall till the last week of poopy pitchinmg
drop Bernadina for EYJ?
Thanks dude.
mike napoli or geovany soto?
also drop s. drew (already have alexei ramirez) for kuo?
@AL KOHOLIC: I am not in any RCLs, didn’t want to overwhelm myself with the other leagues I am in. Plus, I am running the Razzball team in a CBS league.
@L-Boogie: Sure.
@kR Express: Soto, Sure.
eying Tim Wheeler for a GDR league.. thoughts on him?
Another guy that pops up on my radar (but no one elses, apparently) is converted-to-catcher Steve Clevenger. He’s raking and doesn’t strike out much. No word about him anywhere, tho.
@Joel: Tim Wheeler will get a Scouting the Unknown article. Re: Clevenger: a lot has to do with his age.
Who should I stash away in my Minor league spot to give me a boost at OF later this year: Yonder Alonso or Brandon Allen?
@La Russa’s Scabies: Alonso.