Prospect Alert
Fantasy Baseball Sleepers

Promotions and Demotions

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.

Recent Promotions

The most recent feature added to Prospect Alert, the “Recent Promotions” section of this report will inform fantasy owners of minor leaguers who were recently promoted to the big leagues. This includes any notable promotion, with a special emphasis put on those minor leaguers who were promoted for their first action in the big leagues. Each prospect will be rated using a five-star system, which will combine a prospect’s present (first rating) and future (second rating) potential. A one-star rating represents the lowest possible rank, while a five-star rating is the greatest. Obviously, these ratings should be compared only to other prospects, as it’s unfair to make comparisons to current major leaguers.

1B Travis Hafner, Cleveland Indians ****/*****
OF Laynce Nix, Texas Rangers ***/****
OF Chin-Feng Chen, Los Angeles Dodgers ***/***
OF Jack Cust, Baltimore Orioles ***/***
RP Kevin Correia, San Francisco Giants */**
OF Luis Terrero, Arizona Diamondbacks */**
RP Rafael Betancourt, Cleveland Indians */*

1B Travis Hafner was recalled to take the place of injured OF Matt Lawton. He was excellent in his return, providing key production since his promotion. A great prospect for the future, Hafner could make a serious impact over the remainder of this year. If he hits, he will get the playing time.

OF Laynce Nix will get a chance to prove himself in the Rangers’ outfield, but he joins an already crowded lineup. He isn’t quite ready for the majors, and jumped straight from Double-A to the majors, so it’s doubtful that he will make a legitimate impact for this season. He will be a solid long-term option in the Rangers’ outfield, but his true impact likely won’t come until at least 2005.

OF Chin-Feng Chen was once considered one of the top prospects in all of baseball, but weight concerns and plate discipline problems have hurt his production. He was excellent in spring training, and has looked impressive in Triple-A, earning a promotion to the majors. He should serve primarily as a reserve outfielder for the Dodgers, so his fantasy value will be minimal, unless he earns a starting job.

OF Jack Cust is in a similar situation to Chen. He’ll serve in a backup role, so his fantasy value is minimal. Although his power potential is great, Cust’s power numbers were limited this season in the minors.

Recent Demotions

Similar to the “Recent Promotions” section of this report, the “Recent Demotions” section will inform fantasy owners of major leaguers who were recently demoted to the big leagues. Only players recently considered “prospects” will be considered for this section, as older players don’t belong in this column. Each prospect will be rated using a five-star system, which will combine a prospect’s present (first rating) and future (second rating) potential. A one-star rating represents the lowest possible rank, while a five-star rating is the greatest. Obviously, these ratings should be compared only to other prospects, as it’s unfair to make comparisons to current major leaguers

2B Brandon Phillips, Cleveland Indians ***/*****
SP Jesse Foppert, San Francisco Giants ***/*****
SP John Patterson, Arizona Diamondbacks ***/***

All three of these guys are quality prospects, so it’s a shame to see them back in the minors. However, the move should help all of them over the long-haul, and the future of each remains bright. Foppert could be back sooner than one might expect, and will get some extra work in during the All-Star break to stay fresh. Phillips should stick around the minors for a while, but will be back up before the season ends. Patterson is a bit overrated, and isn’t much of a fantasy factor.

Prospect Alert’s Advice for the Week:

Before forming premature judgments on prospects, it is important to go back and look at the credentials and past performance of those prospects that are under consideration. A few weeks, or even months, in the majors is not an accurate time to judge a player, and you’ll be making a big mistake by judging a prospect solely on his performance during that time period. By that token, Bo Hart would appear to be a top-notch prospect, while Jesse Foppert would appear to be a major flop, and future bullpen material.

More accurately, look at the physical tools and past production of a prospect. Check out the first two issues of this column to get a glimpse into forming judgments on a prospect. There is much more to a prospect than his first splash in the majors, and misinformed fantasy owners greatly hinder their future success by making judgments solely on first impressions. Evaluating prospects can be tricky, but if done correctly, it will pay major dividends in the long run, especially in fantasy leagues.

Productive Prospects

The “Stock Rising” list is back. In this feature, I’ll list the hottest prospects in the game today. This is a new feature that will be tried out a little differently this week, and is similar to the ones featured in many team reports. One list will be created, and these lists will be based on performance over the season as a whole, with the emphasis on the past few weeks. Since performance usually has a great impact on a prospect’s “stock,” we’ll focus on those prospects who have experienced a recent rise in their net worth. This, of course, will represent each prospect’s total overall value to his organization, and how that value has changed due to recent performance. Hopefully these lists will help fantasy owners looking for a gem in keeper leagues, but be sure to check each prospect’s actual statistics after checking this list. These will be a nice guideline, but be sure each player fits your needs before making a quick acquisition.
It is important to note that this list is based primarily on overall performance this season, with the emphasis on the past few weeks.

1. RHP Zack Greinke, Kansas City Royals
2. 1B Prince Fielder, Milwaukee Brewers
3. OF Jeremy Reed, Chicago White Sox
4. RHP Ervin Santana, Anaheim Angels
5. OF Gabe Gross, Toronto Blue Jays
6. OF Grady Sizemore, Cleveland Indians
7. SS Khalil Greene, San Diego Padres
8. SS Joel Guzman, Los Angeles Dodgers
9. C Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins
10. 3B Kevin Youkilis, Boston Red Sox

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.

Please leave any comments/suggestions/questions using the “comment” feature at the bottom of this page, or feel free to leave a message on the Fantasy Info Central message board. The more feedback provided, the better this column can be devised. In the coming weeks, look for an in-depth look at the league’s top prospects.

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