Alex Bregman, SS, Corpus Christi Hooks (Astros)

Enough already! It’s time for the Astros to call up Bregman. Yes, I know he’s only reached Double-A. Yes, I know he only has 394 at-bats in the minors. All of that is noted information, but that doesn’t hide the fact that at 22 years old Bregman is one of the most polished players in the minor leagues. This is usually what happens when an elite talent plays at the college level for four years.

Looking over Bregman’s numbers, we see a player that is clearly comfortable at the plate. While he never hit more than nine home runs in a season during his three-year stint at LSU, Bregman was only playing roughly 65 games per year. At Double-A Corpus Christi, Bregman already has 12 home runs in 33 games. It seems evident that Double-A pitching is no match for Bregman—he’s just a very advanced hitter.

Another eye-popping number for Bregman is hit walk rate. He’s posted a solid BB% of 12.1 percent. Combine that with the fact that his K% is only 8.1 percent and you are looking at a bat that can contribute at the major league level right now. Two more advanced numbers to look at with Bregman is his ISO (.349) and his BABIP (.294). His ISO is quite high; in fact, that is a Hall-of-Fame type number and it will certainly come down as he continues to progress through the minors and ultimately the major leagues. Bregman’s BABIP, though, is right around league average and that is quite telling. His overall plate discipline is fantastic.

I suspect that he’ll be in Triple-A very soon and possibly in the majors sometime after the All-Star break. With Jose Altuve at second base and Carlos Correa at shortstop, the most logical place on the diamond for Bregman will be at third base, shifting Luis Valbuena to the bench.

Big Debut

The time has finally come. On Friday night, Dodgers top prospect Julio Urias will make his major league debut against the Mets. It goes without saying that Urias should be added in every league on the planet. His pedigree and talent level is superior to mostly every other starter in the minor leagues. As you probably already know, Urias is only 19 years old. It’s extremely rare to see a player under 20 be on a 25-man roster.

Urias has dominated Triple-A to a point where it was becoming a joke this year. He hasn’t given up an earned run since April 22, just think about that for a second. In that same time period he’s thrown 26 innings and racked up 24 strikeouts. Overall, he is 4-1 with a 1.10 ERA, 0.78 WHIP, a 29.7 K%, a 9.7 K/9, and a 5.5 K/BB ratio—NASTY. Things are going to get much tougher for Urias, but barring a Jose Berrios-type implosion, he will be up for the long haul.

Quick Notes

Alex Dickerson is batting .487 for Triple-A El Paso thanks in large part to his 24-game hitting streak that he extended on Thursday afternoon. He has appeared in eight games for the Padres this season and will likely be back up soon given his performance in the minors.

Byron Buxton now has three straight games with a homer for Triple-A Rochester. He needs to regain his confidence before rejoining the Twins and appears to be doing exactly that.

After struggling through his first five starts in the Eastern League, Nationals top prospect, Lucas Giolito, broke through in a big way on Wednesday night. Giolito gave up one run on four hits in seven innings pitched. He also added six strikeouts. Given his early season struggles, Giolito will likely spend more time in the minors than originally thought, but there is still a chance he could help the Nationals late in the season.

A’s OF prospect Matt Chapman took the home run lead in the California League on Wednesday after belting two homers. He now has 13 on the season. We should see Chapman in the majors in 2017.

Recent Call-ups

Cheslor Cuthbert, Royals

Breaking news on Thursday afternoon as it was announced that Mike Moustakas would miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL. Recalled earlier this week due to Alex Gordon’s wrist injury, Cuthbert will now take over as the everyday third baseman for Kansas City. He should be added in AL-Only and deeper mixed leagues as he can provide some pop and speed.

Jurickson Profar, Rangers

Remember this guy? A former top prospect, Profar is finally healthy and getting the call while Rougned Odor serves his suspension. It’s amazing that Profar is only 23 years old. He has plenty of time to work everything out and become an above average regular. He is batting .284 with five home runs and 26 RBIs at Triple-A Round Rock and is worthy of consideration in AL-Only leagues.

Joey Gallo, Rangers

Power baby! Gallo is very likely owned in many leagues already, but his power alone warrants consideration in 12-team mixed leagues and deeper. Just beware that over the long haul, his average will be terrible.