Fantasy Baseball Prospect Tracker: Moustakas, Trout, and Scheppers
Itโs time to check in on three more prospects from around the minor leagues.ย Are any of them primed to make an impact in the not too distant future?ย Letโs take a look: Mike Moustakas โKansas City Royals โThird Baseman Double-A: .352 (90-256), 21 HR, 76 RBI, 57 R, 0 SB Since we last checked in on him (June 18th) heโs actually gotten hotter, hitting .385 with six HR and 21 RBI.ย The guy continues to rake, currently on an eight game hitting streak (15-34 with three HR, 10 RBI and eight R).ย He hardly strikes out (41 Ks), though he could stand to take a few more walks (25 BBs).ย Still, is that really enough to dissuade us?ย If there was a chance of him making an impact in 2010 heโd be worth owning in all formats, but the Royals have said that they plan to progress slowly with him (and given the slow maturation in the Major Leagues of some of their other prospects, that shouldnโt be a surprise).ย Still, he has the potential to be a must use option in all formats as soon as 2011, so keep a close eye on him in all formats. Mike Trout โLos Angeles Angels โOutfielder Single-A: .362 (113-312), six HR, 39 RBI, 76 R, 45 SB The kid knows how to get on base and can flat out fly. Thatโs certainly enough for fantasy owners, isnโt it?ย As Iโve said before, we have some time before Trout reaches the Majors, but when he does, he should have the same type of value as a Jacoby Ellsbury does.ย He currently has 52 Ks vs. 46 BBs, so that isnโt a problem.ย Heโs also showing the ability to hit for extra bases (19 doubles and seven triples) and is efficient on the base paths (heโs been caught just nine times).ย At 19-years old, he clearly needs to prove he can maintain this type of production against tougher competition, but by this time in 2011, he could be a must use option for SBs. Tanner Scheppers โTexas Rangers โPitcher Triple-A: 39.0 IP, 3.46 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 45 K, one W, one SV He had been putting up video game like numbers out of the bullpen, but has struggled since the Rangers began transitioning him to the rotation (11 ER over 20 IP).ย You have to think that with the acquisition of Cliff Lee to go along with the returns of Rich Harden & Derek Holland from the DL, his 2010 future is a power arm coming out of the bullpen.ย With his strikeout potential he may have value, but itโs more likely that he can be ignored in formats that do not value middle relievers. What are your thoughts on these three?ย Who is going to make an impact in 2010?ย 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 clickingย here . Make sure to check out some of our Prospect Reports:
