Tuesday, September 4th, 2012

Peter Stein (Fantasy Baseball Analyst): Follow @PeterWStein

In what many have dubbed the “Year of the Rookie”, can we really expect any more impact youngsters in the crop of September call-ups?  This is the time of the year that we generally have to wait to the teenagers and early twenty-something’s. However, competing teams, particularly in the NL West, have showed increased willingness, or perhaps found it a necessity, to expedite the developmental process of their minor league talent and give them a taste of the big leagues. For many, they have had more than just a taste and proved ready to produce at the big league level. As a result, after Trout and Harper led the way, there has been an implosion of young talent in the big leagues.

From a fantasy perspective; however, this does not mean that the talent well has run dry in the core of players called up when the rosters expanded this past Saturday. And, if you find yourself out of the playoff race in your league, now is the time to scout talent for next year and try to locate the bargains of the 2013 draft. A prime example of such a player in 2011 was Addison Reed, who pitched brilliantly last September and a year later is the closer of the Al Central leading White Sox. Let’s take a look at the September call-ups who have potential to provide value down the stretch as well as in the 2013 season:

Jurickson Profar is by far the player with the highest upside and is regarded as one of the top position player prospects in all of baseball. Making his major league debut on Sunday, Profar hit a home run in his first major league at-bat. Only 19 years old, the young shortstop will have trouble finding meaningful playing time behind Kinsler, Andrus, and Beltre, as well as fellow top infield prospect Mike Olt, who was called up in August. Monitor his at-bats and he is certainly worth a speculative add, but the fact that he is up now means that the Rangers want him to open the 2013 season on the major league roster. It will be very interesting to see what the Rangers do in the offseason to get Olt and Profar regular playing time with such an already crowded, yet productive infield.

The Cubs recalled Tony Campana after he was sent down in early August. If you are desperate for steals, this is your man. I expect the Cubs to have Campana more regular at bats this go around, and he has already stolen 26 bases in less than a half season’s worth of games. He could be a sneaky source for steals, as well as runs depending his spot in the lineup, as the Cubs are likely to give him an extended audition for 2013.

Javy Guerra received a surprise demotion in late August, but is now back with the Dodgers. This is the guy who started the season as the closer for the Dodgers and also sports a 2.60 ERA and 8 total saves. With Kenley Jansen still a question mark due to an irregular heartbeat, it is not out of the question for Guerra to see saves down the road. His recent demotion, however, indicates he will start in middle relief and people ahead of him will most likely need to falter. If you are desperate for saves, Guerra is definitely add at this point given the circumstances with the Dodgers bullpen.

Shelby Miller, a top pitching prospect in the Cardinals organization, was finally added to the big league roster. The Cardinals are competing for a wildcard spot and have an established starting staff, so the young gun will most likely pitch in long relief with the potential for a spot start. He has high strikeout potential, exhibited by his 10.54 K/9 rate in AAA, but his 4.74 ERA (4.48 FIP) is worrisome after his 2.70 clip in AA in 2011. Although his numbers aren’t all that impressive, he has a 57/4 K/BB ratio (walks have been an issue) over his last eight starts and seems to really be in a groove. He has a bright future ahead of him, and has potential value down the stretch depending on how the Cardinals use the 22 year-old right-hander.

Wil Myers has yet to be promoted by the Kansas City Royals. Yes, the outfield is crowded, but he needs to be in the big leagues playing every day considering the Royals position in the standings. He has proved his worth at AAA (.304/24/79 in just 99 games), but perhaps the Royals don’t rush the 21 year-old, and see him follow a Hosmer-like trend. Regardless, I expect Myers to start in right field in 2013 and still hope to see him in 2012.

Mark Rogers, not a September call-up, but similar to these other players, is a name you must keep on your draft radar in 2013. The Brewers recalled Rogers after the traded Greinke and the former top pick has pitched like the guy that the team drafted 4th overall in 2004. As a frame of reference, the Brewers selected Yovani Gallardo in the second round of this draft. He has proceeded to start 143 games for the Brewers (67-42, 3.66 ERA and 9.23 K/9).  Rogers, once considered to be one of the best high school pitching prospects since Doc Gooden, had appeared in just 7 games before the 2012 season. He has undergone two surgeries on his right arm and has had issues with carpel tunnel syndrome, which is why the Brewers shut him down after a total of 134 innings between AAA and the big leagues. Although the 2012 minor league numbers were ugly, the major league numbers were down right impressive: a 3-1 record, 3.92 ERA, and a 9.46 K/9 ratio in 39 innings. He struggled with control in the minors, but not in the majors, which is most likely attributed to working back from the most recent injury. Expect Rogers to start the 2013 season in the rotation and is worth a late round pick due to his high strikeout potential.

(*** The views and opinions expressed in this report are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of mlbreports.com ***)

***Today’s feature was prepared by our Fantasy Baseball Analyst, Peter Stein.  We highly encourage you to leave your comments and feedback at the bottom of the page and share in the discussion with our readers.  You can also follow Peter on Twitter (@peterWstein)***

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