Fantasy baseball: early Arizona Fall League observations
I’ll admit, I was slightly cut off from fantasy football leading up to Week 9 games. First, my New York Yankees won the World Series that Wednesday (let the hate mail start). The next day, my colleague Nicholas Minnix and I flew to Arizona for a rawhide weekend at the Baseball HQ First Pitch Forums.
(If you didn’t know, Nick is a Phillies fan. We somehow remained civil.)
Anyway, much thanks to the folks at HQ and all of the speakers. We were all there for something beyond the industry elbow-rubbing: Arizona Fall League baseball, a proven springboard for young talent.
It’s hard to make a thorough evaluation based on several days of observations (sometimes a few at-bats), but we can still get a feel for how soon a player can make an impact.
Of course, in the case of Stephen Strasburg, a neck strain can rob 100-plus symposium attendees of seeing The Next Big Thing.
I don’t want to jump the gun on our upcoming AFL rundown, due out soon, but I can’t let these observations sit in my head any longer.
Best fantasy bets for 2010
Jason Castro, C, Houston Astros – Imposing lefty stick showed an OK presence as receiver, and the ‘Stros really don’t have many other options. He’ll be priced as a speculative No. 2 catcher on NL draft day.
This guy wasn't the only prospect there....
Drew Storen, RP, Washington Nationals – His funky delivery didn’t help when he gave up a two-run dinger to blow the save in the Rising Stars game, but he recovered nicely after that. His K potential alone makes him a must-watch candidate for the Nats’ closer job.
High Alert
Yonder Alonso, 1B, Cincinnati Reds - The best power prospect I saw. The lefty bat has a hint of left-field pop, as well. Cincy needs to make room for him at third or in left with Joey Votto entrenched, but don’t expect them to wait too long.
Chris Heisey, OF, Cincinnati Reds – Safe to say I was a Reds fan in Phoenix. Poised at the plate, he has scorched the desert diamonds. As with Alonso, there may be a left-field slot calling for Heisey.
Dustin Ackley, OF, Seattle Mariners – Not much power coming from his wood, but his opposite-field prowess stood above and beyond the rest of the talent I observed. This year’s No. 2 overall pick looks like a prototypical two-hole hitter but probably won’t touch the bigs until 2011, at earliest.
Chase D’Arnaud, SS, Pittsburgh Pirates - Smooth in the field, aggressive on the basepaths, and patient and chippy at the dish. A 2010 impact isn’t out of the question, NL players….
Keeper leaguers: Remember this name
Tanner Scheppers, RP, Texas Rangers – High-level heat that could spell trouble for Frank Francisco owners in a few years. Think long-term more so than 2010 and keep him on your inseason watch list.
Carlos Triunfel, SS/3B, Seattle Mariners – I’m impressed by reports of his work ethic, and he hit a bomb in the AFL Rising Stars game that hasn’t landed yet. Oh, and he turns 20 in February. Though it might not happen this season, he’ll soon ease the pain those Yuniesky and Adrian guys caused M’s fans.
Sleepers
Wilin Rosario, C, Colorado Rockies - Hands down the best defensive catcher I laid eyes on – Posey and Castro included. Nick and I are still talking about this 20-year-old, who boasts a compact batting stance and smooth footwork behind the plate (think Carlos Ruiz). He has a long way to go, but don’t lose track of him.
Kenley Jansen, P, Los Angeles Dodgers - This converted catcher showed standout velocity and some electric movement, but control has been an issue. Think center-of-the-Earth NL-only sleeper, probably not even for this season.
Undecided
Grant Desme, OF, Oakland Athletics – His 31-40 season at Class A was nice, but he looked overaggressive in the two contests I observed.
Buster Posey, C, San Francisco Giants - He looked fatigued. He has received a ton of work this season and displayed flatness at the plate and behind the dish. I’d say it’s too soon for San Fran to give him anything more than one-third of the work next year, but expect him to be overvalued in your draft.
Jordan Danks, OF, Chicago White Sox – Has nice speed-power potential, but needs to work on his discipline. He hacked a bit too much at the plate.
Josh Bell, 3B, Baltimore Orioles – Didn’t see enough of him to make a judgment, but intrigued to see if he makes enough progress to start at third in B-more this year.
Not interested
Mike Moustakas, 3B, Kansas City Royals - I used to be high on him, but it doesn’t look like he has done much to improve his plate approach or his diet. Alex Gordon doesn’t have much to worry about.
Remember, our full AFL report is coming soon. Hit us up:
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