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The minor league season rages on. Now that fantasy baseball teams have been drafted and the season is underway, it's imperative to monitor the top fantasy baseball prospects who have turned heads thus far.
At this point in the season, excellent prospect performances shouldn't be taken too seriously. Sure, there's no denying that short sample sizes can correspond to long-term success, but we'll need to see a bit more out of the players listed below before we go into a deep dive.
Regardless, keep an eye on these names over the long haul as they may prove to be excellent waiver wire adds soon.
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Will Brennan - OF, Cleveland Guardians
Level: Triple-A
2022 stats: 16 G, .379/.447/.470, 9 R, 14 RBI, 4 SB, .472 BABIP, .414 wOBA, 152 wRC+, 10.5 BB%, 18.4 K%
The Guardians have to be impressed by what they've seen from Brennan, an eighth-round pick out of Kansas State in 2019. Ranked 30th on MLB Pipeline's list of Cleveland prospects, Brennan is a talented left-handed hitter who boasts great vision at the plate. Not only does he locate strikes and ignore balls, but he's able to essentially watch the ball right into the zone where it connects with his bat. He's not a huge power hitter or base-stealer, but he'll find success in both categories from time to time throughout his career. Defensively, Brennan has enough range to put him in any position in the outfield. The fact that his arm is serviceable but not elite only adds to the uncertainty about which position he'll patrol long-term.
Brennan earned the call to Triple-A in late May and continues to rake. Through six games over the last week, the outfielder went 16-for-25 with seven RBI, five walks, five strikeouts, and four stolen bases. The Guardians won't rush to get him in the majors; after all, he made his Triple-A debut just a few weeks ago. However, at this rate, it seems very likely that Brennan appears in an MLB game by the end of the 2022 season.
Trey Hair - 3B, Texas Rangers
Level: Double-A
2022 stats: 27 G, .243/.301/.536, 11 HR, 22 R, 35 RBI, .240 BABIP, .354 wOBA, 102 wRC+, 7.1 BB/9, 22.1 K/9
Hair was originally drafted by the Rays in the 34th round of the 2017 draft but released one season later. It then took three years for the third baseman to generate interest again, though the Rangers did eventually ink him to a minor league deal. He spent last season in High-A before opening 2022 in Double-A. The 27-year-old's best trait is his power, without a doubt. He doesn't offer blazing speed, and he also has a tendency to sacrifice discipline in order to achieve power. However, Hair does know how to launch baseballs out of the ballpark.
Hair has gone 7-for-22 with four homers and 10 RBI over the course of his last six games. With that said, it's hard to imagine he'll ever do much at the MLB level or have much of a fantasy impact. Sure, he'll swat plenty of homers, but he doesn't have the speed or discipline to complement his powerful bat.
Juan Carela - SP, New York Yankees
Level: Single-A
2022 stats: 9 GS, 3-1, 44.1 IP, 2.23 ERA, 3.34 xFIP, .265 BABIP, 70.0 LOB%, 54.6 GB%, 11.98 K/9, 3.45 BB/9
Carela is a talented 20-year-old right-hander who does not currently rank inside MLB Pipeline's top-30 Yankees prospects. Signed out of the Dominican Republic for $335,000 in 2018, Carela has a solid fastball that pairs nicely with his lethal breaking ball. The latter can be quite effective when he attempts to shut down batters who face a two-strike count. There are legitimate concerns about his command (7.79 BB/9 in 2021), but for now, his upside outweighs any skepticism.
Carela had another great outing this past week. During his start on June 9, he allowed just one hit and two walks over six scoreless innings of work. He also struck out nine batters in the process. A potential MLB debut is several years down the road, but Carela is at least a name to keep an eye on going forward. He could be a very effective option in the majors someday, especially if he makes his expected move to the bullpen and is able to keep his walks allowed to a minimum.
Davis Schneider - 2B, Toronto Blue Jays
Level: High-A
2022 stats: 39 G, .240/.342/.460, 6 HR, 18 R, 19 RBI, 5 SB, .363 wOBA, .280 BABIP, 132 wRC+, 13.4 BB%, 26.2 K%
The Blue Jays selected Schneider in the 28th round of the 2017 draft. He has made a slow progression through the minors since then, thus far topping out at High-A in 2021 and 2022. Schneider boasts solid discipline at the plate with a knack for drawing walks, and he also has above-average speed on the basepaths. Power-wise, Schneider projects as someone who will hit 10 to 15 homers every year. His bat certainly doesn't have the greatest pop, but he's strong enough to launch some baseballs out of the park from time to time. Meanwhile, defensively, it appears he has already found his long-term home at second base.
After a relatively slow start to his season, Schneider came on strong this past week. Over his last six games, he went 11-for-23 (.478) with five doubles, two homers, six RBI, one walk, one strikeout, and two stolen bases. This impressive span was headlined by his performance on June 7 when he went 4-for-5 with a homer, three doubles, and four RBI.
Ruben Ibarra - 1B, Cincinnati Reds
Level: Single-A
2022 stats: 21 G, .328/.446/.520, 6 HR, 15 R, 20 RBI, 4 SB, .434 wOBA, .376 BABIP, 162 wRC+, 12.8 BB/9, 17.4 K/9
The Reds made Ibarra their fourth-round pick in last year's draft, choosing him based on his impressive power and solid fielding at first base. Since then, he has shown an ability to put baseballs in play, launch home runs, and drive in runs. He's also surprisingly athletic for someone who checks in at 6-foot-5 and 290 pounds. Ibarra led San Diego State in fielding percentage during his final collegiate season, suggesting that he might be able to stick at first-base long-term even though the universal DH role has been adopted by the National League.
Ibarra has spent 69 games in Single-A over the last two seasons, but his performance over the past week might be enough to garner a promotion to the next level. Over his last five games, he has gone 12-for-20 (.600) with three doubles, three homers, 10 RBI, and five strikeouts. It's far too early to project when he might make his MLB debut, but it's impossible to deny that his powerful bat could spark a mad dash to the fantasy baseball waiver wire in a few years.
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