RADIO
Welcome back to the Dynasty Review. The purpose of this column is to advise you on up-and-comers in dynasty leagues. Last week was Phillies themed. This time the Astros take center stage.
I have to admit, when I profiled Tommy Joseph last week, I thought I was getting waaaay out ahead of the news. Turns out I was just in time. I doubt any of this week's recommendations will be so immediately actionable. Well, the one quite obviously is, but it doesn't take any foresight to target an already activated prospect.
Editors Note: Check out all of RotoBaller's MLB prospects analysis here. You can also head over to the prospect rankings dashboard. Our Rankings Assistant is a handy free tool where you can find team-specific prospect breakdowns, tiered positional rankings, 500+ player outlooks, dynasty ranks and more - all in one easy place.
Dynasty Advice for Week 7
Alex Bregman - Houston Astros
Bregman is the talk of the fantasy community these last couple days. The Astros are trying him out at third base in an effort to make room for his bat. With Carlos Correa and Jose Altuve manning the middle infield, Bregman will need to learn a new trade.
Personally, I thought the plan was for Bregman to oust Correa from shortstop. Correa really isn't a major league shortstop, and the franchise is only making more problems for themselves down the road. While Bregman doesn't rate as an above average shortstop defensively, everything I have says he's better than Correa.
Fantasy owners shouldn't be too concerned where he winds up as long as it's in the infield. The second overall pick in the 2015 draft, Bregman has an impressive .310/.420/.631 line in 101 Double-A plate appearances. He has 16 walks compared to nine strikeouts to go with seven home runs and two stolen bases.
The power output is somewhat unexpected. Scouts believed he would hit for a high average with strong plate discipline. The power looked like he would top out around 10 home runs annually. It might be time to revise expectations up to around 15 home runs. He should also nab at least 10 stolen bases over a full season.
Overall, the 22-year-old profiles as a top-of-the-order fantasy monster. While his power potential is still up for debate, we can be reasonably confident he'll produce something across all five categories. And now, so long as Colin Moran doesn't get in his way, he's on pace for a promotion sometime midseason.
Tony Kemp - Houston Astros
Speaking of promotions, Kemp was called upon yesterday to take the place of Preston Tucker. Technically, Erik Kratz got the axe off the 40-man roster to make room for Kemp. With Carlos Gomez and Jake Marisnick both struggling, Kemp's opportunities will come in center field.
If you're in need of steals, Kemp may be worth a flier. Although it's unclear if he'll play regularly, he has well above average contact skills and strong discipline. He's built similarly to Jose Altuve - a guy who's always juxtaposed with "diminutive." The Astros' primary need is at third base, but Kemp's arm isn't sufficient to field the position.
In his second Triple-A stint, he batted .298/.410/.405 with a home run, two doubles, and four triples. Speed is his top asset, although he's isn't a pure Billy Hamilton-type burner. He stole 35 bases across two levels last season, but only has three swipes this year - about a 15 to 18 steal pace.
His 14.3 percent walk rate will be challenged at the major league level. Standing at 5'7," Kemp has one of the smallest strike zones in professional baseball. Still, due to a general lack of power, major league pitchers will throw cookies before they hand over a free pass.
When hitters of Kemp's type fail, it's because they don't adjust their plate approach to major league pitching. A focus on turning early count, center-plate fastballs into line drives will yield a high average. If he takes those pitches while trying to work the count, he'll find himself buried in too many hopeless holes.
Rapid Fire
Jameson Taillon - Pittsburgh Pirates
Despite missing the entire 2014 and 2015 seasons, Taillon is pitching like a finished product. He has a 2.08 ERA, 8.93 K/9, and 1.04 BB/9 through 43.1 innings. Prospect watchers are beginning to wonder if he'll beat Tyler Glasnow to the majors. Taillon is coming off a six inning, three run, 11 strikeout performance. We'll likely see him in mid-June. Expect an innings cap.
Danny Worth - Houston Astros
This is a weird one. I don't have a scouting report saying this 30-year-old is doing anything differently. It's possible Worth is simply having the luckiest 125 plate appearances of his career. He's hitting .362/.448/.619 with five home runs and as many walks as strikeouts. It's not just home runs - he has 10 doubles and a triple. Breakouts from an over-30 player rarely inspire much excitement, but they can still lead to free fantasy production.
Robbie Grossman - Free Agent
Grossman opted out of his contract with the Indians yesterday. He was hitting .256/.370/.453 with six home runs, a 15.1 percent walk rate, and a 18 percent strikeout rate in 139 plate appearances. Grossman has frequently posted similar numbers in Triple-A only to look overmatched in the majors. Perhaps a move to the senior circuit (the Phillies are a perfect fit) could kick start his career.
Stefen Romero - Seattle Mariners
The Mariners major league roster doesn't have a place for Romero. He's yet another former prospect who has seemingly conquered Triple-A without any major league success. He's hitting .375/.419/.634 on the season with a 6.5 percent walk rate, 8.9 percent strikeout rate, and six home runs in 124 plate appearances. Last season in Triple-A, he had 17 home runs and 10 stolen bases.
Chad Green - New York Yankees
As of this writing, Green is just a few hours shy of making his major league debut with the Yankees. Things look bleak in New York, but they've had success over the years with little known pitching prospects. Green, originally acquired from the Tigers, has a 1.22 ERA, 8.76 K/9, and 2.92 BB/9 in 37 Triple-A innings. He's posted similar production over the last two years - albeit with a roughly 3.00 ERA.
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