A lot of talk over the last week has revolved around the top pitchers in the bigs going down with injuries. So now is as good of time as any to talk about the future pitchers you will want on your fantasy teams for the next few years. Again these pitchers may not be called up this year, but potentially only for September call-ups.

Tell me if this sounds familiar. A Vanderbilt pitcher is rising through the ranks of a major league team. Walker Buehler (AA Dodgers) fits that description to a T. The 22-year-old righty was a first round pick of L.A. in 2015 but had his pro debut delayed due to Tommy John Surgery. Since then he has amassed just 21 1/3 innings pitched from July 2016 till now with 16 1/3 of those coming this season at Class A-advanced Rancho Cucamonga. Buehler’s recent promotion came after he posted a 1.10 ERA and 0.80 WHIP with 27 Ks to just five walks at R.C. He runs it up there at 99 occasionally but mostly sits 90-96 while offering a curve, slider, and changeup as secondary pitches. L.A. has said that his progression is the reason they felt comfortable dealing Jose De Leon this offseason, which should tell you something.

In 2016, the White Sox drafted a reliever out of Louisville in the first round of the draft named Zack Burdi (AAA White Sox). The 22-year-old righty was a fast mover, going through four levels all after being drafted in June. Chicago envisions him as the future closer and has him saving games for Triple-A Charlotte again this season. He has a repertoire featuring a 95-100 mph fastball that has touched 102 to go along with a low 90s slider and a very good changeup. In the 43 2/3 innings pitched from Double-A and up Burdi has posted a 2.88 ERA and 1.10 WHIP and a 2.78 FIP with 65 strikeouts. While his K/9 rate has been well into the double-digits, the BB/9 has been higher than it should be for a closer at 5.06, 6.19, 3.09 at his last three stops including this season. He stands the best chance of being called up this season in this group, but won’t close unless David Robertson is traded and Nate Jones is injured.

Originally an Angels’ farm hand, Sean Newcomb (AAA Braves) is now in the Braves system following the Andrelton Simmons trade in 2016. Newcomb was a first round pick out of Hartford and rolled through three levels of L.A.’s system in 2015, making it to Double-A. He has started 27 games each of the last two full seasons while pitching 135 innings in 2015 and 140 in 2016 and posting very good ERA and WHIP numbers at 2.38 and 1.27 in 2015. The 23-year-old southpaw commands a 93-97 mph heater that can touch 100 every once in a while as well as a plus-curveball and a good enough changeup, which all lead to strikeouts; 379 in 321 total innings pitched in the minors with a combined .219 BAA. Newcomb has the chance to be a number two starter but likely a solid innings eating number three is in his future, likely next season.

Tampa Bay took a relative unknown in the second round of the 2014 draft in Brent Honeywell (AAA Rays) out of a Georgia community college. Since then however his catalogue of five pitches have been baffling Minor League hitters. Unlike other top-pitching prospects the Rays have had, which is quite a few, he has progressed faster to the top levels than the others, going through two levels a season to this point. Honeywell has a low- to mid-90s fastball along with a screwball, curveball, changeup, and a cutter to boot and everyone that has seen him or faced him talks about his ability to mix the pitches and keep batters off balance. In the last 93 innings at Double-A or higher, from mid-2016 till now, he has a 2.71 ERA, 3.18 FIP, and a 1.01 WHIP with 95 strikeouts and a solid 2.22 BB/9 rate. Being in Tampa’s system means he will do at least a full season at Triple-A Durham before getting the call to the majors to join an already good rotation. Early in 2018 looks to be the target ETA for the screwballer to join his Major League comrades at Tropicana Field.

The second prospect from the 2016 draft class on this list, A.J. Puk (A+ Athletics) also has the most questions about him as well. Puk was a stud in his 2015 season at Florida before regressing in his junior campaign. There isn’t much to go off of for the 6’7” lefty but in 32 2/3 innings at low-A in 2016 he posted a 3.03 ERA, 1.93 FIP, and 2.41 xFIP with 40 strikeouts across 10 starts. Now in 2017 his ERA has jumped to 4.26 but a 2.17 FIP and 2.63 xFIP tell a different story as does the 0.98 WHIP he carries in 25 1/3 frames. His strikeout rate has also jumped from 11.02/9 last year to 14.92/9 currently. The issues with Puk revolve around his command and control and whether he can get the walk rate down from a combined 3.1/9 in pro ball. He has a couple of seasons in the minors ahead of him but he could be a frontline starter down the road with a 97+ mph fastball, a vicious 90 mph slider, and a change for a third pitch.

Follow-ups

  • Chih-Wei Hu and Chase De Jong have each seen time in the Majors since the last write up on pitchers, though Hu is in a relief role in Tampa Bay.
  • Reynaldo Lopez and Lucas Giolito have continued to go in opposite directions. Giolito had his worst start of the year on Sunday while Lopez is consistently lowering his ERA.
  • Josh Hader continues to have issue keeping the ball in the park in Colorado and his numbers remain just as confusing as previously.