Fantasy Baseball Draft Guide

Top prospects in fantasy baseball

March 6, 2009 @ 01:00:00

By Chris Hadorn
Edited by Tim Heaney

Also see: Notable fantasy baseball rookies

Catchers

Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants - The fifth overall pick from 2008 is a good contact hitter who hit .338 in the Hawaii Winter League during the offseason. He clubbed 26 homers in college last year, but there's concern that much of his power won't carry over to the professional ranks since he doesn't have much of a track record with it.

Carlos Santana, Cleveland Indians - The switch-hitter hits for average, has superb pop and controls the strike zone well. Despite being an exceptional hitter, Santana is still learning the catching game, and his path to Cleveland is blocked by Victor Martinez and Kelly Shoppach for now.

J.P. Arencibia, Toronto Blue Jays - He's a backstop with good raw power, swatting 27 home runs and 36 doubles in the minors during the 2008 season. Arencibia's strike zone discipline needs work, though, and without improvement he may struggle to hit for average in the majors. Look for him to hit the majors in 2010.

Lou Marson, Philadelphia Phillies - The 22-year-old registered an outstanding .433 on-base percentage with Double-A Reading in 2008. Limited to just 24 extra-base hits last year, Marson does not have much power upside.

Tyler Flowers, Chicago White Sox - The 6-foot-4 catcher improved his pitch selection at the plate last year, which led to a breakthrough season. Although he's not much of a contact hitter, Flowers is a thumper capable of swatting 25 to 30 homers down the road.

Corner infielders

Lars Anderson, Boston Red Sox - The 6-foot-4, 210-pound Anderson is an extremely selective hitter with the power to drive the ball to all fields; he has a career average of .304 in 932 minor league at-bats. Blocked by Kevin Youkilis and David Ortiz, the 21-year-old is still budding as a hitter and will be able to fine tune his craft with another year in the minors.

Logan Morrison, Florida Marlins - He has the potential to be a .300-30-100 type thanks to improving discipline. He may challenge Gaby Sanchez later this year if he doesn't move to the outfield.

Justin Smoak, Texas Rangers - The former South Carolina star is a polished hitter who should move fast through the Rangers' farm system after signing late last season. The switch-hitter has a great eye to go along with titanic pop that could yield 30 homers or more in the future.

Yonder Alonso, Cincinnati Reds - Alonzo is a seasoned hitter right out of college capable of hitting .290 with 30 round-trippers or more. Alonso is an uncanny slugger who walked 41 more times than he struck out last season in college.

Kyle Blanks, San Diego Padres - Standing at 6-foot-6, 280 pounds, Blanks is an intimidating presence at the plate. He's adept at working the count and getting quality at-bats, but he's still learning how to use his size to the drive the ball more often. He's blocked by first baseman Adrian Gonzalez in San Diego.

Pedro Alvarez, Pittsburgh Pirates - Blessed with quick hands and lightning-fast bat speed, Alvarez was the first collegiate player taken in a class filled with prominent hitters. He's a big boy (6-foot-3, 235 pounds) who profiles as a .290-30-100 star in his prime. A 2010 debut is realistic.

Mat Gamel, Milwaukee Brewers - The 23-year-old is nearly ready with the bat, hitting .329 with 19 homers and 96 RBIs at Double-A Huntsville in 2008. Gamel's third base defense is a mess, though if Bill Hall (calf) is hindered any further by his calf tear, we could see him this year. A position switch is still possible, but he'd have a difficult time doing that with outfielder Ryan Braun, first baseman Prince Fielder and outfielder Corey Hart entrenched at the corner spots.

Mike Moustakas, Kansas City Royals - A blue-chip prospect, Moustakas held his own in his first full professional season, hitting .272 with 22 homers and 71 RBIs in the pitcher-friendly Midwest League. Only 20, Moustakas has strong power but needs improvement on his pitch selection. The Royals moved him to third base halfway through the 2008 season.

Brett Wallace, St. Louis Cardinals - Wallace made a seamless transition to pro ball in 2008, hitting .337 with eight homers and 36 RBIs over a span of 202 at-bats. While he's constantly berated for his chunky frame (6-foot-1, 245 pounds), there's little doubt he can rake. The injury to Troy Glaus (shoulder) could linger, and we may see Wallace leapfrog David Freese (Achilles') and Joe Mather, though that may be a long shot.

Dayan Viciedo, Chicago White Sox - Signed during the winter, the 20-year-old Cuban defector is a high-ceiling hitter praised for his raw power and quick bat. There are concerns about his conditioning and overly aggressive nature at the plate.

Middle infielders

Alcides Escobar, Milwaukee Brewers - Escobar's primary fantasy impact will be on the basepaths, where he is capable of stealing 25 to 30 bases. He's a Gold Glove-caliber shortstop whose hitting value will depend heavily on his runs scored and batting average, which could fluctuate at anywhere from .260 and .310.

Gordon Beckham, Chicago White Sox - Drafted eighth overall in 2008, the 22-year-old is a seasoned hitter in the mold of Stephen Drew. The former University of Georgia Bulldog projects as a .290-20-80 hitter at either shortstop or second base.

Todd Frazier, Cincinnati Reds - Frazier is a big-bodied shortstop who combined to bat .291 with 19 home runs between two Single-A levels last season. Much of his fantasy value will depend on whether or not over the long term he sticks at shortstop, where some question his range.

Reid Brignac, Tampa Bay Rays - The 23-year-old has regressed with the bat since earning California League MVP honors in 2006. Brignac boasts good pop for a shortstop, but he won't be a quality fantasy contributor unless he makes strides in his strike zone discipline. Jason Bartlett and prospect Tim Beckham are making it harder for him to hit the majors.

Outfielders

Dexter Fowler, Colorado Rockies - Fowler's game is tailor-made for Coors Field. The toolsy center fielder hits for average, gets on base at a high rate, drives balls into the gaps and runs well. The 23-year-old worked in the offseason on adding muscle to his lanky 6-foot-4, 175-pound frame. He hit 31 doubles and nine triples in 2008, which opens the door for growth in the home run department. Right now, he projects as an electric 15-home run, 20-steals guy.

Fernando Martinez, New York Mets - The Dominican has held his own in the minors as a teenager, but his numbers have been fairly pedestrian. Only 20, Martinez is still a highly regarded prospect because of his tools and youth.

Andrew McCutchen, Pittsburgh Pirates - The Pirates will likely send McCutchen back to Triple-A this season because they want to see more consistency from him. A breathtaking five-tool player, McCutchen has improved his pitch selection, but he has struggled with driving the ball and his success rate has been subpar on stolen base attempts.

Austin Jackson, New York Yankees - A gifted athlete, Jackson hit .285 with nine homers, 69 RBIs and 19 stolen bases at a difficult park for hitters at Double-A Trenton in 2008. The 22-year-old has moderate power in the 12 to 15-home run range.

Michael Saunders, Seattle Mariners - An impressive physical specimen, Saunders is still learning how to hone his tools into skills. The Canadian cracked only 11 homers last year between Double-A and Triple-A, but he possesses the raw power to slug 20 to 25 round-trippers. If he puts it together, Saunders could be a poor man's Grady Sizemore.

Pitchers

Brett Anderson, Oakland Athletics - The 6-foot-4, 215-pound southpaw has a great feel for pitching. He has four above-average pitches that he throws for strikes. Anderson will start the year in Triple-A, but he figures in the Athletics' plans this season.

Neftali Feliz, Texas Rangers - Feliz is a flame-throwing Dominican who recorded a 2.69 ERA and fanned 153 batters in 127 1/3 minor league innings in 2008. The 20-year-old Dominican needs to touch up his command a tad, but he has all the makings of an ace.

Trevor Cahill, Oakland Athletics - Like Brett Anderson, Cahill is nearly ready for "The Show." The right-hander throws a filthy sinkerball and complements it nicely with two good breaking balls: a slider and curveball. Although he's not a power pitcher, Cahill averaged 9.84 strikeouts per nine innings last season.

Rick Porcello, Detroit Tigers - In his first professional action out of high school, Porcello didn't disappoint, leading the Florida State League with a 2.66 ERA. To protect his arm, the Tigers had the right-hander ditch his strikeout pitch (slider) and work on pitching to contact with a curveball, a sinking fastball and a changeup. Although he didn't generate sexy strikeout numbers, Porcello induced a lot of groundball outs.

Chris Tillman, Baltimore Orioles - At Double-A Bowie last year, the 6-foot-5, 195-pound right-hander went 11-4 with a 3.18 ERA and struck out 154 batters in 135 2/3 innings. Tillman needs work on his command (65 walks last year), but he has the stuff and temperament to be a front-line starter.

Brian Matusz, Baltimore Orioles - The fourth overall pick in last year's draft, Matusz has exceptional secondary pitches (curveball, changeup) and good control. The 6-foot-5 southpaw profiles as a second or third starter at the big league level.

Derek Holland, Texas Rangers - The 6-foot-2, 185-pound southpaw surfaced as a prospect last season after recording a 13-1 record with a 2.27 ERA and 157 strikeouts in 150 2/3 innings. Holland attacks hitters with a blazing fastball that sits in the high-90s.

Wade Davis, Tampa Bay Rays - Davis is a talented starter who will have a tough time cracking the Tampa Bay rotation due to their depth. The 6-foot-5 right-hander is a power pitcher with a mid-90s fastball and an outstanding curveball. He needs to cut down on his walks. Davis projects as a second or third starter.

Nick Adenhart, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim - Adenhart is competing for the fifth spot in the Angels' rotation this spring. After a hot start at Triple-A Salt Lake, the 22-year-old was shelled in the big leagues and after being sent back down last season, which shattered his confidence. He still boasts a good sinking fastball and the stuff to be a solid third starter. He may earn some time as the team's No. 5 arm this year.

Michael Bowden, Boston Red Sox - The 22-year-old is a polished pitcher with good command, posting a 133-to-30 strikeout-to-walk ratio last year. Bowden is not a frontline starter, but he will be an effective third or fourth starter that won't kill a fantasy team's WHIP. There's a logjam of arms in front of him, though, so 2010 is a more realistic window for him.

Sean West, Florida Marlins - West, who missed all of 2007 due to a torn labrum, showed no ill effects last year by recording a 2.41 ERA and fanning 92 batters in 100 2/3 innings at high Single-A Jupiter. His fastball topped out in the mid-90s. Due to his 6-foot-8 frame, West has trouble repeating delivery, leading to control problems (60 free passes last year).

Jeremy Jeffress, Milwaukee Brewers - The 21-year-old right-hander is your classic wild fireballer with overpowering stuff who has trouble locating it. Utilizing a high-90s fastball and a knee buckling curve, Jeffress fanned 115 batters in 94 innings last year but also shot himself in the foot by issuing 52 walks.

Also see: Notable fantasy baseball rookies

Author Bio

Chris Hadorn
Chris Hadorn has covered minor league and amateur prospects for more than a decade. He writes for San Diego's North County Times and has been a KFFL fantasy baseball contributor since 2006.