Last week in this column, I told you why you should expect nothing from Wander Franco. Then what happened? Franco went out and promptly went 2-4 with a three-run home run in his debut. Didn't it feel good to have the bar low on Tuesday? Well, hopefully, you kept it there as he was hitless in his next five games until he got back on track with a hit on Sunday. Over his first week of play, Franco is hitting .136 with one homer, a stolen base, and four RBI.     

Are we panicking? Absolutely not. It's time to double down.  

Now is the time to make sure we prioritize prospects with potential. In 2019, we saw players like Bo Bichette, Yordan Alvarez, and Kyle Tucker all come up in the middle of the summer, and I don't need to tell you where they are now. Being speculative and aggressive can pay off big down the line, especially in dynasty leagues. So, let's look at a few players I think currently fit the bill for both dynasty and redraft. 

  1. Jarren Duran - Duran is batting .276 with eight stolen bases and 13 home runs in 36 games at Boston AAA. Six of his home runs have come in the 18 games he has played in June, and he's been walking a respectable 10% of the time during that span. Originally a second baseman, Duran is newer to the outfield, but he has been praised for his strong work ethic. He should be at least an average center-fielder and has the potential to be a 20/20 guy in the bigs. For their part, the Boston Red Sox could use an offensive upgrade at center field as they are currently working with Danny Santana and Kike Hernandez, not exactly superstars at the plate.
  2. Vidal Brujan - Ok, Vidal Brujan isn't exactly tearing it up at AAA, especially lately. During the month of June, the switch-hitter is batting just .160 with two home runs and five stolen bases. On the season, he's hit .241 with nine home runs and fourteen stolen bases while striking out only 16% of the time and walking 11%. Known initially as a speed guy, he's had upwards of 50+ stolen bases in each of his minor league seasons. Brujan has added some power this year. This year's nine home runs in 43 games match his previous season-high of nine in 122 games of A-ball in 2018. Additionally, his BABIP on the season is .246, suggesting that he could easily get back on track at any moment with a little better luck. And here's the rub, the Rays like to mix it up, and Brujan has played six different positions this year at triple-A.
  3. Jarred Kelenic - Yes, Kelenic is still on this list. If someone in your league dropped him, go get him. Across the last 16 games of minor league play, Kelenic has hit .262 with five home runs and four stolen bases. He's slugging .569 across that span while striking out only 15% of the time and walking nearly 11% of the time. That strikeout to walk ratio is more in line with what we expect from Kelenic, who had terrible luck in his short stint in the majors earlier this year, striking out 28% of the time while walking only nine percent alongside a .109 BABIP. Overall, Kelenic is still one of the top prospects in baseball with elite power and contact skills, and I expect he will get back on track and be up again sooner than later.
  4. Bobby Witt, Jr. - Witt, Jr is still at AA ball and technically should move through AAA before entering the bigs, but even if it's a few extra weeks that we need to wait, the payoff could be huge. We saw Witt, Jr. impress during Spring Training this year when the shortstop hit .289/.325/.526 across 40 plate appearances, including launching a monster 484 foot home run. He also reportedly impressed the Royals staff and his teammates with how he carried himself on the field, so many were disappointed that after Mike Matheny said they were keeping an "open mind" about the young Witt, Witt began the season at AA. Well, Witt is out to convince them to open their minds again. Aldaberto Mondesi has just joined the IL for the third time this season, while Witt has been hitting .326 and slugging .618 during June, including five home runs, five doubles, three triples, and six stolen bases. He's only 21, and as non-contenders, the Royals have no real reason to rush him, but with only two more years of an oft-injured Mondesi, it makes sense that Witt should be getting integrated sooner than later. He may take a little longer to come up, but Witt is my favorite stash on this list.
  5. Jo Adell - Without Mike Trout who won't be coming back until at least July 17th, and now Justin Upton on the 10-day IL, is it finally time for Adell to get the 2021 call? His 2020 stint in the bigs was not successful, as it was clear Adell needed more time to work on his plate discipline. Well, unfortunately, that plate discipline has yet to improve. Adell is striking out a whopping 31% of the time and walking a sad five percent this year at Triple-A. However, over the past month, that strikeout number has lowered to 28%, while he's been batting .306 with five home runs, six doubles, and three triples. The Angels may have to give Adell a shot. Even with the sky-high strikeout rate, Adell is slugging .597. If the Angels want to have any chance to compete in the AL West, we could see Adell up sooner than later.