Fantasy Baseball Prospect Tracker: Jennings, Gordon, and Myers

Eric Stashin

Aug 6, 2010

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:

Desmond Jennings - Tampa Bay Rays - Outfielder
Triple-A: .279 (86-308), 3 HR, 31 RBI, 64 R, 27 SB

He has been exceptionally efficient on the basepaths, stealing 27 of 29 bases. Surprisingly, the right-handed hitter has struggled against southpaws, hitting .231 in 65 AB. The last time we looked at him about a month ago he was hitting .301, so he has endured a rough stretch.

In his last 10 games he’s hit .243, but he’s still managed to score 10 runs in that span (and 21 since our last update). He’s a dynamic player and we all know it, so a cold stretch should not be concerning. All it does is make it less likely that he makes his presence felt in 2010 (though, it wouldn’t be a complete surprise to see him recalled before September so he’s eligible for the postseason as a bench option). Come 2011, however, he’s going to be a must own option, especially with Carl Crawford potentially heading out of town.

Dee Gordon - Los Angeles Dodgers - Shortstop
Double-A: .279 (117-420), 2 HR, 31 RBI, 63 R, 40 SB

With Rafael Furcal hurting, could the Dodgers give the 22-year old a look sooner then expected? He has little power at this point, with just 15 doubles and eight triples to go along with his pair of home runs. He has been struggling of late, hitting just .175 over his last 10 games without a multi-hit game (along with just 2 SBs while getting caught three times). He has been awful against lefties all year long, hitting .211 (vs. .310 against righties).

He does do a good job of making contact (66 Ks), though he doesn’t draw enough walks (25 BBs) for a leadoff hitter. He has a lot of work to do to improve his game. Even if Furcal misses significant time (though that’s not expected), I wouldn’t look for Gordon to get much of a chance. If he does, at this point he’ll have value for speed and nothing else. Long-term, however, he’s likely to make an impact.

Will Myers - Kansas City Royals - Catcher
Single-A: .381 (37-97), 0 HR, 17 RBI, 11 R, 0 SB

He was great at Low-A Ball, hitting .289 with 10 HR and 10 SB in 242 AB before being promoted to High-A. The average has been great, but he has not yet shown the power or speed he had previously displayed. Of course, he does have nine doubles, so it’s not like he hasn’t been driving the ball. He’s only 19-years old, so you have to give him time for that power to come around, as it is expected to do. As a catcher he’s going to be a must-use, but chances are he moves out from behind the plate before he reaches the Major Leagues. He’s certainly worth watching, but he’s a long ways away from making an impact.

What are your thoughts on these three? Who is going to make an impact in 2010? Who has the best long-term potential?

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