Delmon Young called up

August 29, 2006 @ 16:00:00

By Bryce McRae
Edited by Ryan Dodson

The Tampa Bay Devil Rays finally made the move that many had been hoping for and called up outfielder Delmon Young from Triple-A Durham Monday, Aug. 28. Young was the top pick in the 2003 amateur draft, and many consider him to be among the best, if not the best, prospect in baseball.

A coveted five-tool player, Young can do it all. This season with Durham, Young was hitting .318, with eight home runs and 57 RBI. Also factor into those numbers the 50 games Young missed due to suspension, and he would be having a monster season. He only returned to Durham in the month of June. In 84 games with Double-A Montgomery last season, Young knocked in 71 runs and had 20 home runs. He also stole 25 bases and hit .336. The other 52 games of his 2005 season he played for Durham and hit .285, with 28 RBI and six home runs. He also stole seven bases. He was voted Baseball America's Player of the Year in 2005.

Young does not come without some caution however. His suspension this season stemmed from a much-publicized bat-throwing incident in which he responded angrily to being called out on strikes by throwing his bat at the umpire. In his past, he has also been suspended three games for bumping an umpire at Montgomery, and he has been very outspoken about his thoughts on the Devil Rays organization and how they treated him during his minor league career.

What does this mean for your fantasy team? Well, Young should be picked up immediately. The team also placed outfielder Jonny Gomes (shoulder) on the disabled list Monday, and Young is slated to start in Gomes' spot Tuesday, Aug. 29. His older brother, Detroit Tigers DH Dmitri Young, also plays in the majors, and with all the time Young has spent around his brother and in MLB clubhouses, don't expect him to be blinded too much by the big lights.

With his talent, and his desire to prove the Devil Rays wrong for keeping him in the minors for so long, Young could be just the acquisition you are looking for to help close out the season with a championship.

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Bryce McRae
Bryce McRae is a Managing Editor with KFFL and has been involved in fantasy sports since 1999. He joined KFFL as a volunteer writer in March 2005 before becoming a Hot off the Wire Analyst in March 2006. He began working in his current capacity in September 2008. His work has appeared on fantasy sports sites such as Yahoo! and CBS Sportsline as well as in print. He graduated from the University of British Columbia in 2008 with a B.A. in History and U.S. Studies.

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