Did you see that home run Kris Bryant hit?! That was a bomb! Any time a ball travels 495 feet, you know it was absolutely crushed. With the recent struggles of Pederson, it looks like Bryant is the most likely candidate to win Rookie of the Year. Noah Syndergaard and Randal Grichuk could make a legitimate case for the award, but name value plus the legitimate force that he has been for the Cubs this year just about seals it for him.
Editors Note: Check out all of RotoBaller's MLB prospects analysis here.
Top MLB Prospects to Pick Up off the Waiver Wire Right Now
1. Corey Seager (SS, LAD)
Baller Move:Own in All Leagues
Owned In: 10% of Fleaflicker Leagues
Do you currently own Corey Seager? Is he available in your league? Do you need production from shortstop? If you answered no, yes, yes, then I don’t know why you are waiting to add Seager. This guy is going to see the majority of the playing time at shortstop for the Dodgers for the remainder of the season and he has already proven that he is incredibly talented and more than capable of being an incredible fantasy producer for owners in their playoff run.
2. Javier Baez (2B/SS, CHC)
Baller Move: Own in All Leagues
Owned In: 26% of Fleaflicker Leagues
If the answer to those questions in the Corey Seager order went no, no, yes, then I have some good news for you. The consolation prize is that Javier Baez is another tremendous offensive producer who qualifies at the shortstop position. Baez won’t provide as many consistent hits for your team, but he hits in the middle of the Cubs lineup and is basically Joey Gallo for power at the middle infield positions.
3. Hector Olivera (3B, ATL)
Baller Move: Own in All Leagues
Owned In: 4% of Fleaflicker Leagues
Hector Olivera has shown a few struggles which has given fantasy owners waiting to add Olivera more reason to believe that it is a wise idea to hold off on adding him. But Olivera is currently in his prime in terms of age and scouts believe that it shouldn’t be long that Olivera starts to turn it around. He has hit so far all around in the lineup having seen some time hitting second, fifth, sixth, and seventh. You can bet though that he will start to see most of his time either in front of or behind Freddie Freeman which should help boost his fantasy stats.
4. Zach Davies (SP, MIL)
Baller Move:Own in 12+ Team Leagues/NL-only Leagues
Owned In: 1% of Fleaflicker Leagues
Zach Davies has done exactly in his two starts what fantasy owners should come to expect: overall success, but with inconsistent results. He has the peak of a bottom of the rotation guy, but he faces some weak opponents for the remainder of the 2015 season so he should see more success than failure for the rest of the season. He is not worth drafting at next year’s draft, but he could be worth an own for fantasy owners in need of pitching for their playoff run.
5. Joey Gallo (3B, TEX)
Baller Move: Own in All Leagues
Owned In: 7% of Fleaflicker Leagues
Joey Gallo is the left-handed corner infield version of Javier Baez who strikes out even more than Baez (if that’s even possible). Gallo is the biggest example of a risk/reward player. Gallo could just as easily hit three home runs in one day as he could strike out four times in one day. For fantasy owners in desperate need of power from third base, Gallo is worth owning just because of the power potential, but he is definitely a risk to own because of how much he will drain in the batting average category.
6. Rob Refsnyder (2B, NYY)
Baller Move: Own in 10+ Team Leagues
Owned In: 3% of Fleaflicker Leagues
Rob Refsnyder has yet to play since being recalled from Triple-A, but it shouldn’t be too long before he sees more consistent playing time. Stephen Drew is actually hitting above .200 now, but that level of production should not be in the lineup for a team hoping to top a loaded Blue Jays squad for the division. Refsnyder doesn’t have the power that Drew has, but he will provide average production at every position. Fantasy owners should wait to add him though until he actually sees starting time.
7. Adam Duvall (1B, CIN)
Baller Move: Own in Deep/NL-only leagues
Owned In: 1% of Fleaflicker Leagues
Adam Duvall, unlike Refsnyder, has seen a lot of playing time so far in his brief tenure with the Reds. He has started three of the Reds’ last four games in left field and has provided solid production so far. He had two home runs in his first nine plate appearances though that is a very limited sample size. He left Tuesday’s game after being hit by a pitch on his left knee and should definitely be approached with caution by fantasy owners.
8. Dalton Pompey (OF, TOR)
Baller Move: Own in Deep/AL-only leagues
Owned In: 4% of Fleaflicker Leagues
Dalton Pompey hasn’t played since the last edition of this article series and that is the cost of being a fourth outfielder. Pompey will not see consistent playing time in that crowded outfield, but will occasionally be used as a pinch runner to steal bases. If you are not in a deep league, don’t bother owning Pompey because there are far better options available.
9. Peter O’Brien (OF, ARI)
Baller Move: Own in Deep/NL-only Leagues
Owned In: 0% of Fleaflicker Leagues
Peter O’Brien was just recently called up and will likely be used in a similar role as Pompey though he will see more consistent playing time. Where Pompey contributes only stolen bases, O’Brien provides only power. O’Brien may see occasional platoon starts in the outfield and he is very likely to provide great pop for fantasy owners, but like Pompey he doesn’t have much value in mixed leagues.
10. Miguel Castro (RP, COL)
Baller Move: Own in Deep Leagues/NL-only leagues
Owned In: 1% of Fleaflicker Leagues
Miguel Castro has not been very good this year and is likely not going to be the answer to the Rockies bullpen woes. Castro has all of the stuff to be a successful relief pitcher and profiles as an eventual closer. But this year is not the year. His first outing with Colorado was really bad, but his most recent time out showed more promise. He could be a very good relief pitcher for Colorado, but the lack of saves leaves him with very limited value in 2015.
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