Giants (Finally) Call On Posey

Everyone wanted it to happen except for the Giants, or at least it seemed that way. San Francisco finally called on top prospect Buster Posey today, and will start him at first base against the Diamondbacks tonight. He’s best known as a catcher and he’d provide the most value to the team from behind the plate, but for fantasy purposes, the more first base Posey plays, the better.

It’s Fantasy 101: he has catcher eligibility but will play at least part of the time at a less demanding position, which translates not only more at-bats in general, but (theoretically) better offensive production given the decreased wear and tear. It’s a win-win.

The Florida State product simply annihilated the minors during his season-plus stint there, racking up a .333/.427/.552 batting line in 750 plate appearances, almost all of them while squatting behind the plate. Baseball America ranked Posey as the 7th best prospect in the game coming into the season, calling him “a pure hitter with terrific strike-zone awareness, and his clean, unfettered swing allows him to drive pitches from pole to pole,” though they acknowledge that power isn’t his game. It’s not hyperbole to say he has the best plate approach of anyone in the organization, big leagues included.

CHONE projects a .329 wOBA in 2010, while ZiPS pegs him for .333. Both of those obliterate the .309 wOBA starting catcher Bengie Molina has put in 40 games this year, nevermind the .308 wOBA he fashioned last season. His homerun power might be minimal at the outset considering his home park and some of the parks in the NL West, but Posey should contribute solid AVG and OBP (if your league counts that) while surely chipping in a few RBI as well.

Posey is owned in just 15% of Yahoo! leagues, and right now he’s only eligible at catcher. He’ll pick up 1B eligibility in a week or so, and while it’s not terribly important, a little flexibility never hurt anyone. If your struggling to find production from the catcher’s spot – perhaps you’re stuck with an injury fill in like Francisco Cervelli – then there’s probably no better option on the waiver wire right now.