Prospect Alert
Fantasy Baseball Sleepers

Young Guns

Welcome to “Prospect Alert,” the informative new column with information regarding all aspects of the minor leagues. Throughout the course of this season, we will focus on minor leagues with the goal of informing fantasy players about the minor leagues. From player scouting to specific player breakdowns, this is the place to visit for top-notch minor league information.

As Opening Day grows near, many prospects are fighting for a spot on the major league roster. Some of the top prospects are nearly guaranteed roster spots due to their talent, while others need to post solid numbers in order to be noticed. It is always a risk to select a prospect in any fantasy league, but those in deeper leagues need to notice those prospects who have played well throughout spring training.

Here is a look at some of the top pitching performances turned in by prospects over the spring. Sorting through the real deals and frauds can be confusing, so here is some help:

SP Jason Davis, Cleveland Indians

IP: 14
K/IP: 10/14
K/BB: 10/1
WHIP: 0.86
ERA: 1.93

Davis is a bit of an unknown, and he will attempt to make the jump directly from A-ball to the majors. Davis has plenty of potential, and could be a mainstay in the Cleveland rotation, even with their plethora of young pitching. As for this year, Davis will not be a very useful fantasy option. He will have his hot streaks, but the struggles will outweigh the positive production. Davis warrants a look in AL-only leagues, and perhaps as a speculation pick in deep mixed leagues, but is not useful in normal fantasy leagues.

SP Ricardo Rodriguez, Cleveland Indians

IP: 19
K/IP: 13/19
K/BB: 13/8
WHIP: 1.16
ERA: 2.84

Rodriguez is worth a look in all fantasy leagues, and could be one of the few bright spots on the Indians’ roster. He has the ability to control games, and will post solid statistics in multiple fantasy categories. Once considered to be the top prospect in the Dodgers’ organization, there is plenty to like about Rodriguez. Keep an eye on him, as he is likely available in many leagues.

SP Jeremy Bonderman, Detroit Tigers

IP: 18
K/IP: 14/18
K/BB: 14/3
WHIP: 1.33
ERA: 6.00

There is no question that Bonderman will have starts during which he will be absolutely dominating, but in terms of overall production, he will be very inconsistent. It would be best for Bonderman, who has never pitched above A-ball, to receive extra seasoning in the minors. However, with the lack of depth in the Tigers’ organization, it will be difficult for the front office to hold him back. An excellent long-term option, Bonderman is not useful for most single-season fantasy leagues.

SP Horacio Ramirez, Atlanta Braves

IP: 18
K/IP: 12/18
K/BB: 12/3
WHIP: 1.23
ERA: 1.45

Ramirez is another bright young starter, and is currently slated as the number two starters in the Atlanta rotation due to injuries. While he will move back to the end of the rotation as the other starters return, it speaks volumes of the organization’s confidence in Ramirez to allow such an inexperienced prospect to fill such an important role. Look for Ramirez to post solid statistics no matter where he pitches, and he will be one of the few useful pitching prospects to fantasy leaguers this year.

SP Jung Bong, Atlanta Braves

IP: 10
K/IP: 4/10
K/BB: 4/3
WHIP: 1.10
ERA: 2.25

Bong was mentioned in trade rumors over the past season, but the Braves will be happy that they held onto him. Armed with a solid arm in need of improved control, Bong could develop quickly under the guidance of Leo Mazzone. He will not be a fantasy option this year, but is a decent option in keeper leagues. Expect a string of solid seasons for Bong in the future, although he will likely never be an All-Star caliber pitcher.

SP Jeroime Robertson, Houston Astros

IP: 13
K/IP: 9/13
K/BB: 9/1
WHIP: 0.92
ERA: 2.08

Robertson looked as though he could have a solid year, but was rocked in his first outing of the regular season. A bit old to be considered a true prospect, Robertson’s age should aid in his ability to recover from a rough start or two. There is plenty of depth in the Houston organization, so Robertson could find himself out of the rotation if this type of production continues. He is worth a look in AL-only leagues, but not in any regular leagues.

SP Tim Redding, Houston Astros

IP: 16
K/IP: 7/16
K/BB: 7/9
WHIP: 1.16
ERA: 3.31

Redding has had more major-league experience than most of the other players on this list, yet he is often overlooked. His stuff has been compared to that of Oswalt, and many scouts believe that he could be nearly as good. This could be the year that he puts it all together, and he should be on a roster in NL-only leagues. Owners in mixed leagues can afford to wait a bit longer, but he will become a hot commodity if he continues to produce in the regular season. Watch him carefully.

SP Zach Day, Montreal Expos

IP: 22
K/IP: 13/22
K/BB: 13/3
WHIP: 0.86
ERA: 1.23

Day, a former Indians farmhand, has not received the recognition he deserves in the Expos’ organization. He has already received one start this year, and performed well. His spring performance is encouraging, and all the indicators point to a solid season. Be sure to watch his progress during his next start or two, as those performances should be a good indicator of whether or not he will continue at his current rate of production. However, watch the recovery of Orlando Hernandez closely, as El Duque could quickly bump Day from the rotation.

SP Kurt Ainsworth, San Francisco Giants

IP: 17
K/IP: 13/7
K/BB: 13/7
WHIP: 1.41
ERA: 4.24

Ainsworth is one of the better pitching prospects in baseball, and will open the season in the Giants’ rotation. While the spring performance may not look that great, his potential is enormous. Ainsworth will rack up the strikeouts, and should produce solid supplementary statistics. With a productive offense behind him, there is plenty to like about Ainsworth. He is yet another prospect whose near-future performance bears watching.

SP Jesse Foppert, San Francisco Giants

IP: 11
K/IP: 11/11
K/BB: 11/5
WHIP: 1.18
ERA: 4.91

Foppert is the best pitching prospect in the game, and his spring statistics were hurt by one poor performance. His strikeout potential is incredible, and he could easily start for the Giants right now. Foppert will start the season in Triple-A, but is the likely first option in the event of an injury to one of the current starters. Having drawn comparisons to Mark Prior, Foppert is one of the most exciting pitching prospects to watch in recent memory.

RP Francisco Rodriguez, Anaheim Angels

IP: 12
K/IP: 16/12
K/BB: 16/3
WHIP: 0.75
ERA: 2.25

Rodriguez made headlines during the playoffs, yet has continued his incredible production into this season. He should receive a decent number of wins and saves, despite not having a definitive role to provide consistent production in either category. If there is one middle reliever worth having on fantasy rosters, it is Rodriguez. There is no evidence to suggest that he will break down, and one can’t help but like Rodriguez.

RP Franklin German, Detroit Tigers

IP: 9
K/IP: 16/9
K/BB: 16/4
WHIP: 0.83
ERA: 2.31

German is a flamethrower, and could overthrow Matt Anderson for the closer’s job soon. Until then, expect German to hold minimal fantasy value as a high-strikeout setup man. He could quickly develop into one of the game’s better closers if given the opportunity, but that won’t happen until at least later this season. A solid pickup in keeper leagues, German will be a better fantasy option in future years.

RP Mike MacDougal, Kansas City Royals

IP: 9
K/IP: 9/9
K/BB: 9/9
WHIP: 2.00
ERA: 1.93

MacDougal is perhaps the biggest surprise of this young season, and the Royals’ early success has contributed to his early production. It remains to be seen if his control will hold up, but there is a good chance that it won’t. The best advice would be to sell-high, as it is hard to picture MacDougal sustaining this production for an entire season.

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Remember, these are only spring training statistics. They are often not a realistic indicator of future regular-season performance, but are undoubtedly worth watching. Any topic encompassing two articles holds quite a bit of weight, but be careful not to put too much emphasis on spring performance.

With adequate feedback, next week’s column will be devoted to any questions that readers might have. Feel free to use the specified thread on the message board or the “comment” feature at the bottom of this thread for the best chance to have your question answered. Simply include your question, and leave your name if you’d like it to be mentioned. All questions will be answered, and they can cover any prospect-related topics.

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