Last week was about speculating which players might be getting the call this September and providing any kind of fantasy value in redraft leagues. With September now a week old, we have the names of the players who have indeed been added to rosters. With all of these call-ups, it’s important to remember that playing time could be sparse and their impact in a 12-team standard mixed league may be minimal. However, those of us who are playing in deeper leagues or keepers may have been rostering some of these players already. In that case their call-ups are more meaningful. They can add depth to the fantasy roster and sometimes it’s just fun to get a look at someone you’ve been hoarding in your NA spot or on your farm. Additionally, just because September 1st has come and gone doesn’t mean more players can’t be added as the month progresses and the MiLB playoffs come to an end. We’ll take a look at the pitchers next time, but for now let’s dive into some of the bats that got the call to the majors this past week…
Outfielders
Joc Pederson, OF | LAD
Pederson’s playing time was a big question mark, but he has already started three games. If he hits at all there is no reason why the Dodgers won’t play him a 3-4 times a week, especially with Puig struggling and three other outfielders that were already sharing playing time. It makes for a very expensive bench, but the 22-year-old earned his looks with a 30/30 season in the minors. Deep mixed option.
Dalton Pompey, OF | TOR
Pompey has rocketed through the ranks of the Blue Jays’ farm system this season. He spent time in High-A, Double-A, Triple-A, and is now with the big club for a cup of coffee. Across those three minor league levels the 21-year-old switch-hitting outfielder stole 43 bases and hit .317/.392/.469. Toronto may give him a few looks this month and his speed could bring some immediate fantasy value. AL-only option.
Steven Moya, OF | DET
Moya isn’t quite the extreme case of a player like Javier Baez, but he is similar in that he possesses both raw power and some swing-and-miss. The 23-year-old hit 35 homers in the minors this season but also struck out 161 times. He’s mostly been used as a bench bat/pinch hitter to this point and that will likely be the case moving forward as long as the Tigers continue to fight for their playoff lives. AL-only option.
Aaron Hicks, OF | MIN
The name should look familiar as Hicks lost his rookie eligibility last season, but he’s still technically a September call-up for our purposes. Hicks struggled last season hitting .192/.259/.338 but apparently handled the June demotion as an opportunity to make some adjustments. Hicks hit .291/.387/.441 between Double and Triple-A this year and at just 24 years old still has plenty of time to develop. Hicks was seeing some starts in center field, allowing the Twins to give Danny Santana some more looks at shortstop. The back injury to Santana last night should only help Hicks’s playing time situation in center. Deep mixed option.
Billy Burns, OF | OAK
Burns joins Craig Gentry and Sam Fuld as another SAGNOF type on the Athletics’ roster. I’d imagine pinch-running will be his primary role down the stretch, but Burns is a burner. He stole 54 bags this season in the minors after swiping 74 last season. AL-only option.
Infielders
Alex Guerrero, MI | LAD
Guerrero has had a couple of pinch-hit appearances already, but could see a start or two down the stretch if the Dodgers decide to spell regulars like Hanley Ramirez, Juan Uribe, or Dee Gordon. Hanley especially may yield playing time given his apparent affinity for minor injuries. The 27-year-old hit .333 with 17 homers in the minors this season, so he’ll get a chance to play regularly even if it’s not until 2015. NL-only option.
Cory Spangenberg, MI/CI | SD
Hi, you’ve reached the Cory hotline. This is Cory. Here are some words that rhyme with Cory – story, gory, allegory…Montessori. Spangenberg is a 23-year-old infielder who hit .317/.353/.455 across three levels of the minors prior to his call-up last week. So far he has seen action in all but one of the Padres’ games this September. He started two games at third, one game at second, and played the pinch-hit hero with a home run on Tuesday. Deep mixed option.
Maikel Franco, CI | PHI
As a Phillies fan it’s frustrating to see Franco get the call and not get more starts than this. The 22-year-old third baseman is presumably the corner infielder of the future for the Phils, yet he has only started two games (with an RBI in each). If the Phillies were playing for something meaningful, I could see putting Franco in a straight platoon with Cody Asche and only giving him the nod against left-handed pitching. But the Phils aren’t playing for anything. So why not just give Franco some more looks? These types of thoughts/questions are probably why I blog about baseball in my sweatpants instead of running the Phillies’ front office. NL-only option.
Andrew Wilkins, CI | CWS
At 25 years old, Wilkins isn’t the same type of call-up as some of the others on this list. He has always had decent minor league numbers, but it’s a matter of putting the tools to use in the big leagues now. This could be an auditon of sorts for Wilkins. After hitting 30 home runs in Triple-A this season – a mark that led the International League – he will get a shot to fill the hole left by the departure of Adam Dunn. There’s some pop in the bat for sure, but he’s off to a bad start (0-for-8 with four strikeouts). AL-only option.
Mike Olt, CI | CHC
Anthony Rizzo is nursing a back injury which has opened up an opportunity for Mike Olt. While he’s not one of the sexy Cubs prospects in the news right now, he has raw power and could run into a homer or two for fantasy teams down the stretch. The 26-year-old could see starts at both first and third base. He had 12 home runs with the Cubs earlier this season. Deep mixed option.
Extra Credit: Jesus Aguilar, CI | Terrance Gore, OF | Steven Souza, OF | Jonathan Villar, MI | Christian Bethancourt, C
On Their Way?: Francisco Lindor, MI | Domingo Santana, OF | Rusney Castillo, OF
