The following is an excerpt from the 2015 Fantasy Alarm Fantasy Baseball Draft Guide which is on sale now:
Rookie Review
By Howard Bender
Ah, the rookies. Fantasy baseball fanatics just love their rookies. You don’t even have to be in a keeper league to fall in love with them, as the majority of those who play the game get so hung up on discovering the next Mike Trout or the next Corey Kluber that they almost seem blind to some of the proven talent that already exists in the player pool. Is that the wrong way to go? No. Well, not always. We have to remember that this is still a game and if it’s fun for you to go mining through the minors, well then, so be it. You’ll hit it with some and miss with others, but if you avoid extremes and carefully blend them into the rest of your team, you could end up with a formidable squad filled with solid veterans and a sprinkle of some talented youth.
The following list is the Top-32 rookies for the 2015 fantasy baseball season. Why 32? Because I just couldn’t settle on a nice round number. Maybe consider it a Top-30 list with a pair of bonus picks, if you need some order in your life. The two extra aren’t hurting anyone and I just couldn’t bear to make a pair of final cuts.
Now keep in mind that you’ll likely see some different names on a variety of lists, but just because someone is a hot prospect in one team’s farm system, doesn’t mean that they’re going to be helpful for the 2015 fantasy season. A player in High-A ball may be the next phenom that everyone is buzzing about, but his path to the majors may either be blocked or the organization just wants to ease him through the system and develop further. These are the guys, in ascending order, who could have an impact now as opposed to the ones who may not arrive for some time.
32. Lucas Giolito, RHP WAS – So much is going to depend on how the Nationals handle him. They are deep enough with starters to keep things slow, but potential injuries could easily fast-track Giolito to the majors at some point this season. The youngster had Tommy John surgery back in 2012 but came back in late 2013 with a consistent mid-to-upper 90s fastball and a plus-curve that hitters had immense difficulty picking up. He dominated in Low-A ball last year, posting a 10.10 K/9 and a 3.93 K/BB over 98 innings and should ascend through the system until the team caps his innings. That ascension, though, could finish at the major league level late in the year.
31. J.P. Crawford, SS PHI – Given that he’s only 19 years old and hasn’t played above High-A, Crawford is a major long shot to have any sort of 2015 impact. However, with the Phillies rebuilding and only the likes of Freddy Galvis and Andres Blanco standing in his way, Crawford could, if he opens the year in Double-A and plays well, find himself with a late-season call-up. He’s already shown outstanding plate discipline, strong on-base skills and some speed, as well as what scouts believe to be strong, developing gap power. He still has a lot to prove in the minors but should definitely be on your radar.
30. Mark Appel, RHP HOU – While the former No. 1 overall pick in the 2013 Draft has a strong arsenal that features both a two-and four-seam fastball, a fantastic slider and a solid changeup, the Astros aren’t inclined to fast-track him at all and he should open the 2015 season in Double-A. His strikeout potential could end up close to a batter per inning and his command seems to be steadily improving. The backend of the Astros rotation isn’t exactly ironclad, so with a strong start to the season, Appel could end up in the Show at some point in the second half.
29. Carlos Correa, SS HOU – He’d be much higher on this list (or lower, should we say, for the sake of the format) had the Astros not signed Jed Lowrie, but Carlos still deserves a spot in the top 32 because of his expected development and Lowrie’s injury history. The two could meet halfway this season if Correa can maintain his strong plate discipline, prove to be an efficient base-stealer and dazzle the minors with his defensive prowess. He has the talent to leapfrog a number of middle infielders in the organization, so a late 2015 appearance could yield some nice cheap speed.
28. Addison Russell, SS CHC – Similarly to Correa, Russell has the skill set to be a top-five player on this list. His overall talent and current projections show that he’s capable of playing at the highest level, but the Cubs are so loaded with strong middle infielders that his path is currently blocked. He’s shown strong, developing power that fantasy owners love in a middle infielder and he’s flashed some good speed as well. Once the path clears for him, he’s going to be a highly-coveted asset.
27. Eddie Butler, RHP COL – Shoulder and back issues put a damper on Butler’s season last year and were likely the cause for his reduced strikeout rate and troublesome command. Still, he has three solid pitches, including a high-90s fastball and a very deceptive changeup. If he can prove to be more durable and can maintain his command at the higher levels, then Butler’s heat could be on display in the bigs at some point during the season.
26 more rookie profiles are available in the 2015 Fantasy Alarm Fantasy Baseball Draft Guide
To read more of this article and 179+ more pages of Fantasy Baseball Bliss, get the 2015 Fantasy Alarm Fantasy Baseball Draft Guide now. Best of all is that you can get the Draft Guide AND the 2015 MLB Assistant G.M. FREE with a $10 deposit to Fantasy Aces.