Recent Promotions: Paul & Miranda

With June right around the corner, we’re going to start seeing more and more top prospects summoned to the big leagues now that their arbitration and free agent years have effectively been pushed back. Soon enough we’ll see guys like Mike Stanton (.456 wOBA at AA), Carlos Santana (.414 wOBA at AAA), and Stephen Strasburg (statistically unmeasurable awesomeness) arrive in the show, but for now we’ve got to rely on some lesser prospects for a fantasy boost.

Here’s two such players that will remain in the lineup for the foreseeable future…

Xavier Paul | Dodgers | OF

With Andre Ethier on the DL, Manny Ramirez dealing with a nagging foot problem, and Garret Anderson’s general ineptitude, Paul has been able to step in and get some regular playing time. He’s started five of the team’s last six games in RF, and in 52 total plate appearances this season he’s put up a .386 wOBA with three steals. Aside from a slight dip in his walk rate (5.8%), Paul’s strikeout (19.6%) and power (.152 ISO) output is right in line with what he’s done in over 700 AAA plate appearances over the last three seasons, though his .326 AVG is propped up by a .405 BABIP.

Even as his balls in play luck starts to go away (.358 BABIP in his minor league career), Paul will provide a decent average and steal enough bases to make him worth a roster spot in an NL-only or deep mixed league.

Juan Miranda | Yankees | 1B

It took 28 team games, but Nick Johnson has finally made his annual trip to the disabled list. He’ll be out until July at the very earliest after having third wrist surgery, but I’ll take the over. Miranda has been summoned from Triple-A purgatory to serve as the lefty half of a DH platoon in Johnson’s stead (Marcus Thames gets the at-bats vs. LHP), and has already managed to whack a pair of homers in a week’s worth of playing time. He’s proved all he can in the minors (.360 wOBA, .194 ISO, 1,500+ PA) and this will be his first extended opportunity in the bigs.

His lefty swing is a good fit for the latest version of Yankee Stadium, and even with some of the regulars playing below their career norms. that lineup offers plenty of RBI opportunities. Joe Girardi has a bit of a fetish with using the DH spot to give his regulars what he calls a “half-day off,” so you’re going to have to pay attention to the lineup each day to make sure Miranda’s actually in there. Like Paul, he’s a decent option in a deep mixed league.