LNHM: Week 9

Hey guys we are back!

Last week was my last week for classes and finals so you will be getting consistent articles from here on out, maybe even some new columns so please stay tuned!

Lets get started with some new players that you should keep an eye on

Batters

Byron Buxton OF, MIN: Widely considered the best prospect in baseball, Buxton will be given his first cup of coffee on Sunday afternoon. Typically I would not profile a high end prospect like Buxton without telling you the stereotypical "watch out for growing pains" warning, however Buxton is special. Not only will he be inserted into a thriving lineup that only looks to get better with some other names looming in the mix (Berrios, Meyer and Sano) but Buxton offers a lot to be excited about. Buxton's value from the get-go is going to come from his plus ability to get on base followed by his excellent speed. Buxton has also flashed excellent power in the minor leagues tallying 25 extra base hits out of 76 hits this season so far. Because he is highly touted, by the time this article comes out it could be that he is no longer available in your league but if he is, act now!

Eugenio Suarez SS, CIN: Every time we hear a player go down for the whole season, we always ask, who is behind him? Likely the replacement will be getting an extended look and especially when talking about a replacement in the top of the order on a decent hitting team. Suarez is no where near the same player as Buxton, however he is very similar to the guy he is replacing, Cozart. Cozart will be out this year and it will Suarez who will get the extended look at Shortstop. Suarez doesn't have a great power speed combo but his ability to get on base should lead to a decent amount of at-bats and runs. Expect him to be the starting SS from here on out. Suarez is owned in less than 5% in both leagues.

Hector Olivera, INF, LAD: Not even in the Yahoo system yet, There is a lot to like in Hector Olivera. Recent defector turned Dodger, Olivera has been given the fast track up to AAA and now sits waiting for his chance in the MLB. Olivera is 30 years old (a little old to be called a prospect) and LA has shown that they are not afraid to promote him. New posting fee rules make it ridiculous to pay 35+ million dollars for a minor league player so the front office will likely promote Olivera some time this summer. Keep Olivera on your watch list as he has a great eye and decent defensive skills that can be easily moved around the diamond.

Jake Lamb, 3B, ARI: A lot of people were asking me who was the real winner of the Trumbo trade and while it may have been easy to say Castillo or Trumbo, I believe the real winners were Tomas and Lamb. The Diamondbacks had a log jam on the left side of their field and although Tomas and Lamb are under preforming, this could be because of scattered PT. Now that this log jam has been broken up, these two have effectively locked down their position and now the fun starts. Don't be fooled by there sub-stellar numbers, Lamb was once considered the best ARI had to offer prospect wise and like Olivera, ARI wasn't going to pay those high posting fees to a bench warmer in Tomas. Tomas is owned in about 2/3 of all ESPN and Yahoo leagues but Lamb is owned in less than 15% of leagues. Picking up lamb and waiting for the hits to come in might not be such a bad idea.

Mitch Moreland 1B, TEX: Moreland was one of last weeks most exciting players hitting .360 with 2 homeruns and 9 RBIs. Surprisingly this has not been out of character for Moreland who is hitting a cool .300 with 30 RBIs this season. If your looking for a quick and cheap source of hitting, Moreland is probably your answer. Also I don't believe Texas is this bad, I am expecting their bats to heat up as the summer does, so Moreland hitting .300 may be a lot more valuable come July.

Pitchers

Jose Berrios SP, MIN: It must be an exciting time to be a Minnesotan baseball fan right now. A mere 2 games behind the Royals in the central the Twins have pushed the button for this year by promoting Buxton and the other names mentioned above are not far behind. Berrios and Meyers will be up this year either in the bullpen or as starters but both have the pedigree to be excellent starting pitchers. As Minnesota continues to thrive expect Berrios and Meyers to play big parts.

Vincent Velasquez SP, HOU: Just like Minnesota, Houston has also green lit a couple of their top prospects and Velasquez and Correa are the two to remember. Owned in 25% of ESPN leagues and 15% of Yahoo leagues, Velasquez got his first start last week did well throwing five innings of no run ball allowing 4 walks with 3 hits to go along with 5 Ks. The walks are a little concerning but how many walks did you give up on your first start?? Bothered by injuries for most of his career Velasquez was putting up excellent numbers in AA this year. Throwing 37 Ks with 9 walks. This excellent control plus a 6'3 frame could be the makings of an exciting young arm.

Steven Cishek RP, MIA: Those of you that drafted Cishek may be scoffing at the mere idea of picking him up but you may want to look again. Cishek really never got started this year after blowing up in a non-save scenario on opening day and it didn't get much better from there on. Cishek may have just had a semi case of the yips that was nothing a little time in AA couldn't fix. No one likes getting demoted but Cishek must have known that a strong performance in the minors would mean a quick return to the big club and now he is back. Although A.J. Ramos blew a save last week, the management has said that Ramos is their closer for the foreseeable future. However I see things differently. Cishek has always had excellent stuff and I believe that he will be back in the 9th inning soon. Now that he hopefully has some confidence back, keep Cishek on your radar should you need saves as the season progresses.

Charlie Morton, SP, PIT: On the cusp of a two start week, Morton is a good look for a quick pickup next week. In fours starts so far he has yet to give up more than three runs in each of his starts. That along with a scoreless 7 innings performance in his last outing gives him the hot hand. Moron may be worth owning next week but I would look elsewhere for more lasting value. Morton is owned in less than 20% of ESPN and Yahoo Leagues.

Finem Cogitationum
Final Thoughts

I called it at the beginning of the year and so far it looks like it will come true, Bryce Harper will win NL. MVP

This has been some of the best prospects seasons that I can remember with Buxton, Gallo, Russel, Correa, and Syndergaard. 

Soon to be added to his list will be the very cool Corey Seager!

What was the best prospect season you remember? Are you still waiting for your favorite prospect to get the call?

While the prospects have been fun to watch, this year feels like a special drought for Shortstops. ESPN's Player Rater has Johnny Peralta as the best shortstop followed by Hanley Ramirez who isn't even playing SS anymore.

My dog named Smoke is a fan of Justin Smoak but not Jason Smolinski, interesting....