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SoMnFan -> RE: Players and prospects III (8/4/2014 11:37:34 PM)
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Crawfords top-ten fantasy prospects from ESPN INSIDER
When you go to watch minor league teams take batting practice, it can be somewhat to extremely difficult to identify players. They are often wearing uniforms without numbers, so you are often forced to hypothesize based on the player's height and build and the side of the plate he's batting from.
At 6-foot-5, 275 pounds, that is not the case for new Minnesota Twins first baseman Kennys Vargas, who received a call-up on Thursday after Minnesota traded away Sam Fuld to the Oakland Athletics for starting pitcher Tommy Milone.
Vargas, out of Puerto Rico, was signed at age 19 in the winter of 2009, and the Twins took things slowly with him; the switch-hitting first baseman played in short-season leagues before he made his full-season debut in 2012. He's hit for average and power at every level, and he ranked among the leaders in the Eastern League in homers, runs batted in and total bases before his promotion to the Twins.
"I think there's a tendency to look at guys his size and assume they are all-or-nothing guys," an area scout said. "But that's not the case with [Vargas]. He has good balance in his swing from both sides of the plate, and he has a nice idea of what he wants to do at the plate as well. And of course, the power is real too. He's stronger from the left side of the plate, but if you throw him a fastball middle-in, it doesn't matter what side he's batting from, he can hit it a long way."
There's no denying that Vargas has offensive talent, but there are some defensive questions. He's a 20 runner on the 20-80 scouting scale, and because he's built more like an offensive tackle than an infielder, scouts wonder just how long he'll be able to stick at first base -- if he'll be able to stick there at all.
"[Vargas' size] is a concern for me," an AL West scout said. "His footwork and hands aren't bad, but he's not a good athlete, and I don't think there are many first basemen in baseball right now with less range than he has. I'm sure Minnesota will give him every chance to play at first because he's so much more valuable there, but I think long term you're looking at a guy who needs to play [designated hitter] 100 to 120 games a year."
And while defense is no concern for 99 percent of fantasy leagues, it is a factor in determining just how valuable Vargas is. For the remainder of the year, I'd consider Vargas a solid bench option; one who could hit double-digit homers but likely won't have many RBI opportunities. Assuming he can play enough first base to qualify there and not as a player who will have to take up your utility slot, Vargas could be a very solid pickup in dynasty leagues as a first baseman who can put up at least average numbers in terms of batting average, and can also help you win homer categories with 25 to 30 -- and maybe more -- home run seasons.
There's just one month left until the regular season ends in standard leagues, and until rosters expand. Let's take a look at this week's top 10 fantasy prospects for 2014.
1. Javier Baez, SS, Chicago Cubs (Last week: 10)
2014 stats: .260/.323/.510, 23 HRs, 80 RBIs, 16 SBs at Triple-A Iowa
Progress report: This is the first week in several when there isn't an obvious choice for No. 1 fantasy prospect, so Baez takes the top spot, not because of his likelihood of receiving a call-up, but because he has the sweetest reward potential if he does. He finished July with a .999 OPS with 10 homers, and only Kris Bryant and Joey Gallo have put up comparable numbers, and those guys aren't doing it while playing shortstop. The Cubs have no reason to rush Baez to the big leagues because they're closer to having the worst record in baseball than a playoff spot. (Editor's note: The Cubs called up Baez on Monday afternoon, a few hours after this piece originally posted.)
2. Andrew Heaney, LHP, Miami Marlins (Last week: 4)
2014 stats: 4-2, 2.35 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 13 BBs, 52 K's in 53 2/3 innings (eight starts) at Double-A Jacksonville; 4-3, 4.34 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 9 BBs, 53 K's in 45 2/3 innings (nine starts) at Triple-New Orleans; 0-3, 6.53, 1.45 WHIP, 6 BBs, 13 K's in 20 2/3 innings (four starts) at Miami
Progress report : It was a tale of two starts for Heaney last week. He struck out nine over six innings on July 27 against Omaha but couldn't make it into the fourth inning on Friday, giving up two long homers and four runs against Iowa. Still, there's been more good than bad for Heaney over the past few weeks, and he should see a return to the Marlins' rotation before the end of 2014. It might take Miami's falling out of playoff contention before it happens, however.
3. Trevor May, RHP, Minnesota Twins (Last week: NR)
2014 stats: 8-5, 2.72 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 33 BBs, 89 K's in 89 1/3 innings (16 starts) at Triple-A Rochester
Progress report: Once again, May was outstanding on Wednesday, pitching 6 2/3 shutout innings while allowing five hits and striking out five against Lehigh Valley. While his Red Wings teammate Alex Meyer has better pure stuff, May is more likely to reach the big leagues this year because of his superior command. He's scheduled to start Monday in Louisville, and while it's far from a guarantee, it wouldn't be a huge surprise if this was his last start at the Triple-A level in 2014.
4. Taijuan Walker, RHP, Seattle Mariners (Last week: 3)
2014 stats: 0-0, 2.08 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 1 BB, 7 K's in 4 1/3 innings (one start) at High-A High Desert; 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, 1 BB, 10 K's in 5 innings (one start) at Double-A Jackson; 4-2, 4.14 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 16 BBs, 38 K's in 45 1/3 innings (nine starts) at Triple-A Tacoma; 1-1, 3.60 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, 13 BBs, 14 K's in 15 innings (three starts) at Seattle
Progress report: Walker threw more strikes Tuesday against Salt Lake City and missed bats as seen in his two walks and seven strikeouts. The command once again wasn't up to par, however, and he gave up six hits and four runs over his five innings of work. With James Paxton now back, the Mariners seem to have their rotation set, so Walker will have to pitch exceedingly well with Tacoma if he's going to earn another start in the big leagues. I wouldn't necessarily bet against that, but there just hasn't been much evidence to support that he can do it in 2014.
5. Joc Pederson, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers (Last week: 6)
2014 stats: .307/.435/.572, 24 HRs, 58 RBIs, 25 SBs at Triple-A Albuquerque
Progress report: Whether it was due to pressing or just natural regression, Pederson had a 1-for-16 stretch with no extra base hits and nine strikeouts (although he broke out of it a little with a homer Sunday). Add those struggles to the fact that Matt Kemp has been on fire and Yasiel Puig is Yasiel Puig (though we'll have to see if he heads to the disabled list with that pesky hamstring injury), and there's less and less opportunity for Pederson to make his big league debut in 2014. As long as Andre Eithier and Carl Crawford are struggling this much, however, you have to keep him on your radar. The reward potential is just too sweet if he does get the call.
6. Nick Kingham, RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates (Last week: 7)
2014 stats: 1-7, 3.04 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 25 BBs, 54 K's in 71 innings (12 starts) at Double-A Altoona; 4-2, 3.04 ERA, 0.95 WHIP,11 BBs, 37 K's in 50 1/3 innings (eight starts) at Triple-A Indianapolis
Progress report: Kingham was far from spectacular in his start Wednesday against Buffalo, giving up three runs in six innings while walking two and striking out five. However, it was a stark improvement on his effort the previous week. With Jeff Locke struggling and Gerrit Cole no longer a lock to be coming back any time soon, the Pirates could -- and probably should -- turn to Kingham to see if he can bring a bit of stability to the rotation. With three quality pitches and above-average command, he should be up to the task.
7. Francisco Lindor, SS, Cleveland Indians (Last week: 8)
2014 stats: .278/.352/.389, 6 HRs, 48 RBIs, 25 SBs at Double-A Akron; .245/.315/.388, 2 HRs, 5 RBIs, 2 SBs at Triple-A Columbus
Progress report: After getting off to as hot a start as you can imagine, Lindor has struggled over the past week, getting just two hits in his past 22 at-bats. The Indians have made it clear that the trade of Asdrubal Cabrera to the Washington Nationals won't push up the switch-hitting shortstop's timeline -- and they've been notorious for having their best prospects getting at least a healthy serving of games at the Triple-A level -- so it's not a lock we'll see Lindor play at Progressive Field in 2014. If he does make his debut, however, his ability to hit for average and steal bases could be a very solid addition to a fantasy club near playoff time.
8. Jorge Soler, OF, Chicago Cubs (Last week: NR)
2014 stats: .415/.494/.862, 6 HRs, 22 RBIs, 0 SB at Double-A Tennessee; .265/.359/.647, 3 HRs, 9 RBIs, 0 SB at Triple-A Iowa
Progress report: Several scouts have told me that Soler is the most major league-ready prospect currently in the Cubs' impressive system. As with Baez, it wouldn't make much sense for him to be called up right now with the Cubs so far outside of playoff contention, but because of his improving feel for hitting -- and because there's not exactly a ton of outfielders blocking him -- he has a great chance of seeing the big leagues when rosters expand.
9. Noah Syndergaard, RHP, New York Mets (Last week: NR)
2014 stats: 8-5, 4.85 ERA, 1.51 WHIP, 31 BBs, 107 K's in 102 innings for Triple-A Las Vegas
Progress report: Syndergaard certainly has had his ups and downs this season, though his poor stats have just as much to do with having to pitch in the treacherous confines of Cashman Field. He's been fantastic in his past few outings, though, and after pitching six shutout innings against El Paso on Friday, he's now given up just one run in his past 19 innings. With a fastball that will touch 98 mph and a much-improved curveball and change, Syndergaard has three pitches that can miss bats, with above-average command to boot. Amazingly (pun intended), the Mets are absolutely alive for a playoff spot right now, so If Dillon Gee continues to struggle, New York might not have a choice but to give Syndergaard a chance. Either way, he should be pitching in some sort of role in September.
10. Anthony Ranaudo, RHP, Boston Red Sox (Last week: NR)
2014 Stats: 12-4, 2.41 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 49 BBs, 99 K's in 119 innings (21 starts) at Triple-A Pawtucket; 1-0, 3.00 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 4 BBs, 2 K's in six innings (one start) at Boston
Progress report: Ranaudo's time in Boston was short, but he did an admirable job of battling through a start in which he clearly didn't have his best stuff, and you saw glimpses of why scouts have been so impressed with his improvement this year. The Red Sox sent him down to make room for the newly acquired Joe Kelly, but with Boston waving the white flag, it shouldn't surprise anyone if they decide to call up Ranaudo to find out just what they have in his right arm.
Called up: Mookie Betts, OF, Boston Red Sox; James Paxton, LHP, Seattle Mariners
Also considered: Jon Gray, RHP, Colorado Rockies; Kris Bryant, 3B, Chicago Cubs; Maikel Franco, 3B, Philadelphia Phillies
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