Why hello there. This article will look at the position battles in each division. Today’s topic, for the rare reader that ignores the title, is the NL East. By the way, I’m all in on non-Marlins pitchers in the NL East. Do any of those lineups look devastating? Not really. And you’ll probably get a win each time they face the Marlins. Anyway, here’s some of the position battles to keep an eye on in the NL East:
Please, blog, may I have some more?Jake Marisnick
A quick primer to begin: This is not a list of my top overall prospects — Shelby Miller would not lead that list. No, this list exists only to serve those of us in fantasyland. The names that follow are, at this moment, the prospects who have the best chance at offering positive contributions for fantasy owners in 2013. My method here was quite simple: each player was assigned a grade for both potential fantasy impact, and for current opportunity. Those variables were weighed equally, totals were then tallied, and finally, I sorted out the ties and adjusted here and there as I saw fit. Opportunity grades are always tough. At this point in the year, circumstances can shift overnight and a prospect’s ETA can change dramatically (see Miller). My plan is to revisit this list before opening day, and also to keep a running Top Ten Fantasy Prospects throughout the year in order to keep us posted at any given moment as to which fantasy-relevant prospects are next to arrive in the bigs. In any case, this list should suffice for those of us drafting early.
Please, blog, may I have some more?Transparency isn’t a strong suit of Major League front offices, nor should it be. Nowhere is this fact more glaring than in the case of the Kansas City Royals and the immediate future of top hitting prospect Wil Myers. The Royals have insisted that they’ll practice patience with Myers and let him marinate in Omaha for the duration of the season. Meanwhile, in Jeff Francoeur, KC holds an outstanding trade chip — an experienced bat who’ll undoubtedly be pursued by contenders across the bigs. The Royals have been pretty wishy-washy regarding Francouer’s availability, but with guys like Kevin Youkilis and Carlos Lee off the market already, one would imagine that buyers will look aggressively toward the veteran outfielder. Kansas City will be hearing offers for Frenchy, indeed, and I’m thinking there’s a good possibility he’ll be shipped out. And if this scenario plays out, the path will be cleared for Myers, who continues to post monstrous numbers at Triple-A. There’s still plenty of uncertainty surrounding this situation — a trade of this sort might not even be necessary for a Myers call-up. Nonetheless, it’ll be worth keeping an eye on the KC rumor mill during the coming weeks.
Please, blog, may I have some more?By the numbers, Manny Machado struggled through his first two months of Double-A baseball. It seemed like most nights I looked at Bowie’s box, Machado’s line was 0-fer. But then I’d read something from the O’s about how his current production was of no concern, that he was tweaking his approach, that scouts are still encouraged. Still, it’s hard not to be a little worried when the guy I ranked No.
Please, blog, may I have some more?Toronto Blue Jays 2011 Minor League Review
Organizational Talent Rankings via Baseball America:
2012 (5) | 2011 (4) | 2010 (19) | 2009 (19) | 2008 (25) | 2007 (26)
2011 Affiliate Records
MLB: [81-81] AL East
AAA: [71-73] Pacific Coast League – Las Vegas
AA: [77-65] Eastern League – New Hampshire
A+: [79-61] Florida State League – Dundin
A: [77-60] Midwest League – Lansing
A(ss): [39-37] Northwest League – Vancouver
The Run Down
The Toronto system is talented and deep and surely among the best in baseball. Most of the fantasy payoff is a year or more away from materializing, though. Huge upside guys like Travis D’Arnaud and Anthony Gose seem primed to arrive in 2013, while Jake Marisnick and a slew of nice arms follow. Clearly there’s reason for excitement here, but nothing immediate, so avoid these guys outside of deep keepers or dynasty leagues. Do, however, be jealous of Blue Jays fans, as their prospects are likely much better than yours. And this is after graduating guys like Lawrie, Drabek and Arencibia. Jeez.
Please, blog, may I have some more?