Today we begin a series that looks at the potential top rookie producers at each position around the baseball diamond. This series should be valuable for anyone participating in a fantasy league that allows keepers. It will also help anyone playing in more traditional formats who may need to fill holes throughout the season or may be in need of an unexpected spark.

Top Targets:

Willson Contreras, Cubs: Chicago has a solid veteran tandem for 2016 but it’s pretty clear that sophomore Kyle Schwarber’s future is no longer behind the dish. His bat is just too advanced to waste more time in the minors polishing his defensive skills so left field is likely his permanent home. That leaves the catcher-of-the-future tag for Contreras, who had a breakout year in Double-A in 2015. Now there is definitely risk that his one-year outburst was an outlier but scouts took a real shine to him. An injury to starter Miguel Montero could open up an opportunity for Contreras in 2016.

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Welcome to the annual series: ‘A Minor (League) Review of 2015.” This series is a great way to receive a quick recap of the ’15 minor league season for your favorite club(s), while also receiving a brief look toward the 2016 season and beyond. It can also be a handy feature for fantasy baseball players in keeper and Dynasty leagues.

The Graduate: Francisco Lindor, SS: A member of one of the best rookie classes in recent memory, Lindor could end up being one of the best all-around players due to his defensive acumen, speed and hitting ability. Promoted to the Majors as a 21-year-old, Lindor immediately improved the club’s infield defence and hit much better than expected — both in terms of average and of power. The biggest knock on Lindor is that he doesn’t walk much, but he also keeps the strike outs down. He should be a star for the Indians for many years to come.

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Hard to believe, but it’s almost February.  Almost all the top free agents have signed.  It’s almost prospect season, and it’s almost time for pitchers and catchers to report.  All these things add up to a baseball season that is almost here.

Patience.

But patience is a luxury we don’t have these days in fantasy leagues like Ottoneu that have a keeper deadline (January 31st) fast approaching.  Auction formats make player valuation even more complex, and now that it’s crunch time, tough decisions need to be made.  How comfortable are you hanging onto that $20 Corey Dickerson while the risk of a possible trade out of COL remains a real possibility in February or March? Despite the power and the incoming fences, how does Giancarlo Stanton’s unavoidable injury history influence your decision to keep at $56? How much value, if any, has Zack Greinke really lost moving to Arizona? Is he a $35 starting pitcher? Everybody loves Kyle Schwarber as the next best thing (C and OF!), but where’s the line? $20? $25? $30?

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Welcome to the annual series: ‘A Minor (League) Review of 2015.” This series is a great way to receive a quick recap of the ’15 minor league season for your favorite club(s), while also receiving a brief look toward the 2016 season and beyond. It can also be a handy feature for fantasy baseball players in keeper and Dynasty leagues.

The Graduate: Paulo Orlando, OF: The Royals didn’t rely on rookies very heavily in 2015 but Orlando had some defensive value to the team in 2015. The 30-year-old outfielder isn’t a typical rookie or prospect because of the time spent honing his skills in the minors as a raw athlete signed out of Brazil. He showed some pop in his bat during his MLB debut but his plate discipline leaves a lot to be desired (five walks in 86 games) and he’ll be limited to a fourth outfielder role.

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Welcome to the annual series: ‘A Minor (League) Review of 2015.” This series is a great way to receive a quick recap of the ’15 minor league season for your favorite club(s), while also receiving a brief look toward the 2016 season and beyond. It can also be a handy feature for fantasy baseball players in keeper and Dynasty leagues.

The Graduate: Randal Grichuk, OF: The Cardinals received a lot of value from rookie outfielders in 2015 between Stephen Piscotty, Tommy Pham, and Grichuk. All told, they compiled 5.7 WAR with Grichuk leading the way at 3.1. He played all three outfield positions and was surprisingly good in center field. At the plate, he started tapping into his raw power more consistently (.272 ISO) and went deep 17 times in 103 games, while adding 30 more extra base hits. He remained extremely aggressive at the plate — which limits his effectiveness at times — with a strikeout rate of more than 30% and a BB-K rate of 22-110.

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Welcome to the annual series: ‘A Minor (League) Review of 2015.” This series is a great way to receive a quick recap of the ’15 minor league season for your favorite club(s), while also receiving a brief look toward the 2016 season and beyond. It can also be a handy feature for fantasy baseball players in keeper and Dynasty leagues.

The Graduate: Anthony DeSclafani, RHP: The 2015 season saw some impressive pitching prospects make their debut — such as Noah Syndergaard, Lance McCullers and Carlos Rodon — but it was the Reds prospect that led the pack in innings pitched at 184.2 and WAR at 3.2. A college reliever, DeSclafani has taken well to starting and has a chance to be a solid, innings-eating, mid-rotation starter for the Reds.

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Welcome to the annual series: ‘A Minor (League) Review of 2015.” This series is a great way to receive a quick recap of the ’15 minor league season for your favorite club(s), while also receiving a brief look toward the 2016 season and beyond. It can also be a handy feature for fantasy baseball players in keeper and Dynasty leagues.

The Graduate: Jung-ho Kang, 3B/SS: Kang’s freshman season came to an unceremonious end with a knee injury suffered in a nasty collision in the infield. The infielder preformed much better than expected after coming over from the pro leagues in South Korea. A big power hitter in his home country, he showed solid pop in the Majors with 15 homers in 126 games. He’s not a flash fielder but he’s steady and has added fantasy value because he qualifies in most (of not all leagues) at both shortstop and third base. Kang is expected to be ready for the start of 2016 but it remains to be seen if the injury will be a long-term concern.

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Welcome to the annual series: ‘A Minor (League) Review of 2015.” This series is a great way to receive a quick recap of the ’15 minor league season for your favorite club(s), while also receiving a brief look toward the 2016 season and beyond. It can also be a handy feature for fantasy baseball players in keeper and Dynasty leagues.

The Graduate: Miguel Sano, 3B/DH: Everyone knew Sano had power but the young slugger took the Majors by storm in 2015 and had teams pitching around him by the end of the year (He had 53 walks in 80 games). Just 22, he slugged 18 home runs in 279 at-bats, and is already a middle-of-the-order threat. The two biggest strikes against Sano are his lack of foot speed and his inability to competently play a defensive position (something that is more or less irrelevant in fantasy, although his dabbling at third base and the outfield helps his value). With Joe Mauer at first base and newly-acquired Byung-Ho Park earmarked for designated hitter, Sano should see time in left field.

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Welcome to the annual series: ‘A Minor (League) Review of 2015.” This series is a great way to receive a quick recap of the ’15 minor league season for your favorite club(s), while also receiving a brief look toward the 2016 season and beyond. It can also be a handy feature for fantasy baseball players in keeper and Dynasty leagues.

The Graduate: James McCann, C: McCann shouldered a lot of pressure as a young catcher on a veteran team with fans that repeatedly expect to see the club in the playoffs. This young player did not look overwhelmed and he showed excellent leadership with the pitchers and on the field. The 25-year-old’s offensive contributions are nothing special, mainly because he’s too aggressive at the plate (16-90 BB-K in 114 games).

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So, what is Ottoneu?

Ottoneu is a smarter, better brand of fantasy baseball.  By design, it’s a fantasy platform engineered for the hardcore baseball fan that doesn’t enjoy the term “off season”.  Ottoneu is the perfect fit for FanGraphs readers looking to join a competitive fantasy baseball league with a lot of cool features, a sabermetric-economy, and a massive community of raving fans.

You can read first-year feedback from Ottoneu players here.  You can also learn a lot more about the game from the FAQ, but here are the top 10 reasons you should consider joining or moving your fantasy baseball league to Ottoneu this year:

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