Welcome to September Prospect Watch, where we look at prospect types who could see big league playing time after rosters expand.
Cleveland Indians
RP Chen Lee
Lee isn’t a future closer for the Indians — that title goes to Cody Allen — but the right-hander has the ability to dominate same-handed batters with his deceptive delivery and sinker/slider combination. Lee should see action in September, and he should be able to rack up some Ks if used correctly.
One of the most common South Atlantic League prospects mentioned as a big sleeper this year was (now-former) West Virginia second baseman Dilson Herrera. The 19-year-old middle infielder combined a wide variety of skills and was producing well across the board in his first full minor league season.
This week, Herrera entered a more generalized baseball consciousness, as he was the key piece sent from the Pirates to the Mets in the John Buck/Marlon Byrd deal. There’s been some debate since the trade regarding exactly where Herrera stands as a prospect–some really like him, while others are more hesitant to fully get on board the hype train. I’m probably more in the former camp.
One of the biggest concerns at this time of year is whether or not your guy is going to play the same amount in September as he did during the previous five months of the season. Young pitchers deal with innings caps which cuts down on the number of starts while veterans on non-playoff teams run the risk of losing at-bats to the September call-ups. Given the fact that squatting behind the plate is the most physically taxing position, your catchers are no different. After five months of work behind the dish, some are, much to the chagrin of fantasy owners, in need of some time off whether they’re playoff-bound or not. Here are a few backstops who could see fewer at-bats in September… Read the rest of this entry »
Over the weekend, I made the mistake of mentioning the wind at Minute Maid Park on a day when the Astros would be closing the roof at the stadium (and that had been the case for several home games in a row). Honest mistake in my mind, and it actually wouldn’t have changed my recommendation on that day, but let’s have a look at what kind of impact the roof’s presence or lack thereof has on offense in Houston.
As always with these exercises, I pulled B-Ref data from 2010 to the present and placed them in buckets based on wind and temperature.
Read the rest of this entry »
Brooklyn, New York — On a balmy August night, in the midst of a playoffs push, in a sixteen inning game in Coney Island, Tri-City Valley Cats Conrad Gregor’s multiple skills were on display.
Facing the rival Brooklyn Cyclones, with Tri City leading the Stedler Division by three games, and Brooklyn trailing in McNamara by a half game, there was plenty of opportunity for Gregor to show what he’s capable of. (Tri City would win the game 5-3.)
Welcome to September Prospect Watch, where we look at prospect types who could see big league playing time after rosters expand.
Milwaukee Brewers
The Brewers don’t have a whole lot in the way of MLB ready talent, and they’ve already called up Khristopher Davis and given him ample playing time in the majors. Another option for September would be starter Jimmy Nelson, but he’s neither a big time prospect nor a starter who’s going to perform well out of the gates.
It has been quite the Major League debut for Astros starting pitcher Jarred Cosart. Through 8 starts, he has allowed just 9 earned runs over 51 innings for a minuscule 1.59 ERA. The 23-year-old rookie is no doubt making waves as one of the better young pitchers in the game. And while that may well be true, it certainly isn’t because of how he has performed thus far.
Today’s Roto Riteup is what is it, and wishes you wouldn’t try to change it.
On today’s agenda:
1. Phil Hughes could be done as a Yankees’ starter
2. Brett Anderson gets activated
3. Dan Uggla returns
4. Fun with arbitrary endpoints
• Jason Grilli seems to be on the road to recovery. The Pirates closer threw a simulated inning on Wednesday afternoon as he works his way back from a forearm strain. Assuming he doesn’t wake up with a swollen elbow, Grilli seems destined to head out on a rehab assignment this weekend or early next week. Assuming he’ll get 2-3 outings in, we may see him back in Pittsburgh next weekend. The 36-year-old still needs to avoid setbacks, but those who stashed him on their DLs may be handsomely rewarded in the saves department for the last few months weeks of the season. Mark Melancon would be relegated to a setup role, but with 1.89 SIERA, you’re still using him to help clean up those ERA/WHIP rates anyway.
Welcome to September Prospect Watch, where we look at prospect types who could see big league playing time after rosters expand.
Los Angeles Angels
3B Luis Jimenez
Jimenez isn’t a stud, but he may be the future at third for the Angels. Jimenez has had trouble staying healthy this year, otherwise he’d probably already be in the bigs. Jimenez is a contact specialist of sorts, but he has some power and could provide double-digit homers over a full season.