Fantasy Baseball Prospect Tracker: Lawrie, Ackley, and Hellickson

It’s time to check in on three more prospects from around the minor leagues.  Are any of them primed to make an impact in the not too distant future? 

Let’s take a look.

Brett Lawrie - Milwaukee Brewers - Second Baseman

Double-A: .300 (92-307), 6 HR, 40 RBI, 48 R, 17 SB

He is one of the premier second base prospects in the game, and it likely won’t be long before he forms a dynamic pairing with Alcides Escobar up the middle.

That’s not to say that he doesn’t have things to work on, however.  While the stolen base total is impressive, he’s actually been caught eight times this season.  Last year at Single-A, he was 19-for-30.  Having the wheels is nice, but being effective is more important. 

The 2008 first round pick has been an extra base machine, with 21 doubles and 10 triples to go along with the home runs.  That is tremendous production and leads you to believe that the 20-year old could add some power as he continues to mature (he hit 13 HR in 372 AB last season at Single-A).  He appears to have the potential to be, at a minimum, a 20/20 player, with 30/30 possible as well. 

He’s not likely to get a look in 2010, but it wouldn’t be a stretch to see him reach the big leagues at some point in 2011.  We’ll be keeping a close eye on his progress the rest of the year.

Dustin Ackley - Seattle Mariners - First Baseman

Double-A: .250 (60-240), 2 HR, 24 RBI, 39 R, 8 SB

He’s picked things up a bit, hitting .314 (32-103) since we last checked in on him in late May.  However, the power still has not gotten going, with one HR and three SB over that span, and he’s actually fallen into a slump once again. In his last 10 games, he’s hit just .243 (9-37). 

For someone that people had hoped would rise quickly and potentially reach the majors in 2010, he has fallen quite flat.  The potential is there and he should settle down, but this is his first taste of professional baseball (he was the second overall selection in the 2009 draft), so the struggles should not be a huge surprise. 

The lefty hasn’t been able to hit southpaws well (.205 average), which is something he’s going to have to improve.  He’s going to have to get going in the second half or the doubts are going to continue to grow.

Jeremy Hellickson - Tampa Bay Rays - Pitcher

Triple-A: 2.19 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 97 K, 22 BB, 10 W

He would be on a major league roster if he pitched for almost any other organization.  For now, he just has to continue to produce at Triple-A and wait for an opportunity to present itself. 

His success has not been entirely luck based, with a BABIP of .313.  He has allowed just three HR, which may be a bit of an aberration, as he has not been generating significant groundballs (36.2 percent).  With a fly ball rate of 38.5 percent, you could look for a regression there, but that’s about it. 

The strikeouts (minor league career K/9 of 9.9) and walks (minor league career BB/9 of 2.0) are for real. 

His most impressive statistic, however? 

The right-hander has held lefties to a .194 average.  Just keep him stashed, his time is going to come sooner or later in 2010.

What are your thoughts on these three? 

Who is going to make an impact in 2010? 

Who has the best long-term potential?

Make sure to check out our new Prospect Tracker, for links to the latest updates on all the top prospects in baseball, by clicking here .

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