Prospects await call:
Get on top of the next wave about to reach the majors, including Keston Hiura, Austin Riley and Dylan Cease.
With the recent promotion of Toronto Blue Jays prodigy Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Cincinnati Reds outfielder Nick Senzel, two consensus top-10 prospects are now in the major leagues. But as the calendar has turned to May and early service time manipulation concerns are over, there is another level of potential talent about to surface (or resurface) for MLB clubs.
While most new names won’t have the same elite long-term upside as Guerrero, Senzel, or opening-day starters Eloy Jimenez of the Chicago White Sox or Fernando Tatis Jr. of the San Diego Padres, getting a jump on the next wave of promotions and playing time opportunities can yield fantasy dividends.
As Juan Soto showed in 2018 when he successfully jumped to the bigs last May after just 32 atbats at Class AA, minor league experience isn’t the factor it once was. May is a time when both contenders and rebuilders begin to examine what’s working, what isn’t and figure out their next moves.
Here are some of our favorite promotion speculations, the reasons behind our thinking and, in some cases, names for you to consider adding to your roster now if your rules allow.
Hitters
Milwaukee Brewers second baseman Keston Hiura was effectively blocked when the team opted to re-sign Mike Moustakas and move him from third base to second base. But despite an over-aggressive plate approach (seven walks, 32 strikeouts through 105 at-bats), Hiura is tearing it up in Class AAA, posting a .343/.386/.762 line with 10 home runs and 3 stolen bases, along with 23 of his 36 hits going for extra bases.
Meanwhile, Milwaukee third sacker Travis Shaw has hit a paltry .177 through 113 at-bats and is showing few signs of emerging from his extended funk. As a veteran, Shaw will get plenty of rope. But with Moustakas in tow and his ability to move back to third base, Hiura’s promotion could soon be an easier call than some might think — and his upside is worth a fantasy roster spot.
A similar situation exists in Atlanta, where the thinking that third baseman Austin Riley, 22, could use more development time in Class AAA prompted the offseason signing of Josh Donaldson to a one-year deal. But like Hiura, Riley is torching minor league pitching to a 1.014 OPS with 10 home runs through his first 108 at-bats while at the same time showing improved plate skills along with his plusplus power. Donaldson’s .866 OPS through 108 at-bats doesn’t hint that a change is imminent, but his ability to stay on the field is always in question, so an injury seems like Riley’s only near-term path to playing time.
Easily the AL West’s best club, the Houston Astros also have the division’s best MLBready prospects. They might not feel the urgency to act this month, but 1B-LF Yordan Alvarez — 12 home runs, 16 walks, 1.395 on-base plus slugging percentage through 95 at-bats — isn’t making this easy for them.
Still without a home run as the week began, primary DH Tyler White had just two RBI through May 5, and his glove is a liability. Houston could wait a month or two to debut Alvarez, who is currently not on the 40man roster. Or, they could even choose to bring back suddenly red-hot outfielder Kyle Tucker
(six home runs in his most recent 10 games) even sooner.
It’s not just the contenders that will make moves. The rebuilding Baltimore Orioles own one of the AL’s worst records, and none of the current catchers will be on their next winning club. Despite a fine spring at the plate, top catching prospect
Chance Sisco was sent to Class AAA Norfolk to work on his receiving skills. At the plate, Sisco has rebounded ferociously from a slow start — 15-for-his-last-28 with five homers and five walks through Sunday — and now owns a .903 OPS. Offensively he looks ready for another MLB shot, which should come well before the All-Star break.
Likewise, Sisco’s Norfolk teammate Ryan Mountcastle is a bat-first prospect who has shifted from third base to first base due to defensive deficiencies. But no matter where he ends up, Mountcastle’s bat will be ready for an audition shortly, as indicated by his .916 OPS through 119 at-bats. Playing in a hitter-friendly park but among the bottom-feeders in AL scoring, the Orioles will find a spot in their lineup for Mountcastle at some point this season.
Pitchers
With left-hander Carlos Rodon going down with an elbow injury and no one in the Chicago White Sox rotation with an ERA below 5.00, Dylan Cease looks primed for a call-up soon. Cease seems well past his Tommy John surgery, logging 124 innings between Advanced Class A and Class AA for the White Sox, while racking up 160 whiffs along with a 2.40 ERA in 2018.
So far so good at Class AAA Charlotte, where he’s posted a 30/7 strikeout-to-walk ratio (K/ BB) and a 3.33 ERA through 24 innings in his first five starts. Cease is a work-in-progress control-wise and unlikely to get great support from his offense. But his premium velocity will miss bats, making him a nice stash for fantasy owners in need of strikeouts.
At the time he was sidelined with a strained rotator cuff, Jesus Luzardo had allowed just one run while posting a 15/4 K/ BB in 10 spring training innings — and was already being called the Oakland Athletics’ best starting pitcher. Recent reports indicate Luzardo’s throwing sessions have gone without a hiccup, and he could be pitching in the minors again this month.
As a 20-year-old, Luzardo advanced from Advanced Class A to Class AAA in 2018, posting a 2.88 ERA and 129 K’s over 109 innings. If healthy, he’ll move fast. Luzardo’s elite upside and Oakland’s rotation woes make him a worthy flier for pitching-desperate owners.
Some of the most interesting candidates are still under the radar. Miami Marlins control specialist Zac Gallen wasn’t even listed among the club’s top 10 prospects at the beginning of spring training. But he’s added a few ticks to his velocity, and Gallen now owns a 48/5 K/BB and a 1.12 WHIP through his first six 2019 starts (40 IP) at Class AAA New Orleans. On an MLB club that has used just five starters over the first month-plus, Gallen is just an injury or a timeout away from an MLB debut that seems likely to come sooner than later.