Without further ado, here’s the top 10 prospects that can help you in the 2019 season.
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| Bo Knows Hitting |
1. Bo Bichette, SS, Toronto Blue Jays
2019 stats: 54 G, .310/.373/.510, 7 HR, 15 SB, 21 BB, 42 SO at High-A Dunedin and Triple-A Buffalo.
Welcome to the top spot, Bo. Bichette is actually going
through a bit of a slump over his last four games with a 3-for-18 run,
but obviously, that shouldn't be too concerning. With Luis Urias
(finally) off to the majors, and the Brendan McKay situation -- more on
that in a second -- Bichette is well-deserving of the top spot. There
are rumors he'll be up before the end of the month, and his ability to
hit for average, steal bases and provide some pop from the right side
make him a must-add when he does get the call. It may be too late, so if
you can stash him, by all means.
2. Brendan McKay, LHP/DH, Tampa Bay Rays
2019 stats: 13 G, 1.22 ERA, 66.2 IP, 38 H, 15 BB, 88 SO
at Triple-A Durham; 4 G, 3.72 ERA, 19.1 IP, 19 H, 1 BB, 18 SO at Tampa
Bay.
One of the reasons why Bichette is in the top spot is
because of his ability. In fact, it's the main reason. But let's talk
about McKay, who was in the top spot the last two weeks after pitching
and being sent down twice for the Rays. Yes, the 23-year-old struggled
in his last start by allowing nine hits and six runs in 3 1/3 innings,
but this is more about how the Rays are going to use him the rest of the
year. If he's going to be up-and-down every 10 games, it's tough to say
how much fantasy value he can provide. He'll still be a quality
streamer, but I'll take the (likely) everyday shortstop ahead of that.
For now.
3. Gavin Lux, SS, Los Angeles Dodgers
2019 stats: 82 G, .352/.415/.621, 20 HR, 7 SB, 39 BB, 75 SO at Double-A Tulsa and Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Goodness gracious. Lux continues to destroy Triple-A
pitching, and before a 1-for-8 'slump' against San Antonio, he was
hitting .531 in his 64 at-bats with Oklahoma City. A 2-for-4 day on
Sunday now has his line with the Triple-A Dodgers at .487/.522/.961.
These are the friendliest of friendly confines and the PCL pitching
talent is not good. I care not. Lux is an elite offensive option in the
middle infield, and if the Dodgers give him a chance, you should, too.
He only ranks this low because of the lack of guarantees.
4. Luis Robert, OF, Chicago White Sox
2019 stats: 85 G, .346/.397/.637, 21 HR, 32 SB, 18 BB,
83 SO at High-A Winston-Salem and Double-A Birmingham, and Triple-A
Charlotte.
Robert's week ended on a down note, as he went 1-for-13
with five strikeouts in his three-game series over the weekend against
Pawtucket. Prior to that, he had three-straight multi-hit games, and he
homered three times with three steals over the week. Long story short,
Robert continues to destroy every level of pitching he faces. The White
Sox can't make the "work on his defense" excuse here, and he should get
the chance to finish the year with Chicago. Should and will are often
not the same things.
2019 stats: 92 G, .305/.394/.586, 24 HR, 5 SB, 44 BB, 84 SO at Triple-A New Orleans.
Welcome to the list, Mr. Diaz. The 23-year-old has been
outstanding with the Baby Cakes in 2019 as you can see from those
numbers, and he's been even better as of late; hitting .386 over his
last 10 games with four homers in the PCL. Starlin Castro
is the subject of trade rumors, and as soon as Castro is dealt -- or as
soon as the Marlins come to their senses and realize that Diaz needs to
play right now -- you should undoubtedly pick up Diaz. The ability to
hit for power from this position is an awful nice commodity.
6. Kyle Tucker, OF, Houston Astros
2019 stats: 91 G, .271/.355/.574, 25 HR, 21 SB, 37 BB, 87 SO at Triple-A Round Rock.
After the slow start to July, Tucker is starting to see his
hits fall as of late, and he had a pair of two-hit games while adding
that 25th homer at the end of the week. There have been some trades
talks involving Tucker, and there's no denying that a move would improve
his prospects for this year -- assuming he goes to a team that isn't as
loaded in the outfield as the Astros, anyway. If not, Tucker still has a
chance to make an impact for Houston this year, but it's going to take
an injury or someone struggling or both. Doesn't mean you shouldn't
monitor him, just the reality of the situation. The talent is
exceptional.
7. Jo Adell, OF, Los Angeles Angels
2019 stats: 40 G, .325/.399/.571, 8 HR, 5 SB, 15 BB, 40 SO at High-A Inland Empire and Double-A Mobile.
Adell is having his first tribulations of the season since
his injuries, but I like to think it's just a way to prove that he's not
a robot sent to hit baseballs a long way. In reality it's just a case
of natural regression, because baseball is really hard. Adell is one of
the five best overall prospects in baseball, and even with him playing
in Double-A, he has a chance to be an impact player for the Angels in
2019.
8. Carter Kieboom, INF, Washington Nationals
2019 stats: 77 G, .314/.413/.555, 15 HR, 3 SB, 48 BB,
70 SO at Triple-A Fresno; 11 G, .128/.209/.282, 2 HR, 4 BB, 16 SO at
Washington.
Kieboom has extended his hit streak to nine games, and
while seven of those contests saw him pick up one knock, the other two
were of the three-hit variety. The 21-year-old has been excellent in
2019, and his 'low' placement on this list has more to do with where the
Nationals are than anything he's done; including his struggles in the
two-week sample with Washington earlier this year. No guarantees, of
course, but Kieboom is talented enough to be a strong fantasy option if
he gets the chance to hit for the Nats again this summer.
9. Mitch Keller, RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates
2019 stats: 17 G, 3.10 ERA, 82 IP, 74 H, 31 BB, 96 SO
at Triple-A Indianapolis; 3 G, 10.50 ERA, 12 IP, 21 H, 6 BB, 15 SO at
Pittsburgh.
Keller had another strong start for the Triple-A Indians on
Sunday; firing six innings of one-run baseball with five strikeouts
against Durham. The 23-year-old clearly has the International League
figured out, and there's not much to gain from these starts from a
statistical standpoint. The MLB experiment didn't go well, but the
experiment was too short to take too seriously. When Keller gets another
chance this year, he's worth taking a risk on if you need the pitching
help.
10. Deivi Garcia, RHP, New York Yankees
2019 stats: 16 G, 3.17 ERA, 76.2 IP, 59 H, 38 BB, 124 SO at High-A Tampa and Double-A Trenton.
Garcia made his first two appearances at the Triple-A level
last week, and they went so-so. He allowed three runs with six
strikeouts on Monday against Columbus, and while he allowed just one run
in three innings with four strikeouts against Louisville, he also
walked four. Don't get too high or too low about a two-game sample, but
Garcia has legit swing-and-miss stuff, and while it's possible he makes
his debut in a relief role, it's also feasible he joins the Yankees'
rotation because of that ability to miss bats with a complete arsenal.
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| Deivi Garcia |
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