Until more games are played and things start to take shape in the minor league systems, I’m going to focus this column on prospects with a chance in the major leagues this season. There’s a bunch of new faces around the league destined to become household names by season’s end. Names like Papelbon, Markakis and Johjima could have steady roles on your fantasy squad sometime throughout the year. Today we will highlight several of the top rooks around the league and go further into what kind of role they should have with their clubs.
Prince Fielder – Fielder put together the dreaded golden sombrero in his season debut Monday, going 0-for-4 with four strikeouts. He K’d twice against Oliver Perez and once each vs. Matt D. Capps and Salomon Torres in the opening day start. The Brew Crew shipped off Lyle Overbay to Toronto this offseason to clear some space at first base for the modern day version of the Prince of Pop. The rookie batted fifth in the lineup between Carlos Lee and Rickie Weeks. Milwaukee has a stacked lineup this year so expect decent run production from the kid this season. With an everyday spot, he’ll make some noise. Expect about 25 home runs and 80 RBI from Fielder with the everyday job.
Chris Duffy – Duffy batted leadoff for the Pirates in the season opener, while manning the center field job. The kid has a ton of speed and has been very steady in his climb through the minor league ranks. In five seasons, he hit over .300 in four of them and stole an average of 26.6 stolen bases in each season. He’s got a little bit of pop, but is more of a gap hitter than a home run swinger. He’s worth using in your outfield in NL-only formats and deeper mixed leagues at this time because of his ability to hit for average and steal.
Jeremy Hermida – The Marlins everyday right fielder went 1-for-3 with a walk in his season debut Monday as the Fish got blanked on five hits. Manager Joe Girardi batted Hermida second in the lineup between leadoff hitter Hanley Ramirez and No. 3 hitter Miguel Cabrera. Florida is going to get blanked a lot this season and will probably end up being the National League’s version of the Kansas City Royals. Hermida, along with a slew of other rookies, has value right away with the everyday roles, at least in NL-only formats. Ramirez, Mike Jacobs, Josh Willingham, Dan Uggla, Eric Reed and Chris Aguila went a combined 3-for-16 in the season opener. Jacobs and Hermida have the biggest upside with their power. With their upside, they are each worth rolling the dice on in mixed formats.
Kenji Johjima – Johjima will be the first Japanese catcher in the big leagues this season playing for the Mariners. He smacked a home run of Bartolo Colon in his first game in the majors. The 29 year-old, who is earning $16.5 million the next three seasons, has middle level power and could finish with a high end of 20 home runs and 70 RBI for the M’s. Everyday catchers with his all-around talent are a premium in fantasy. Last season in Japan, he hit .309 with 24 home runs and 57 RBI and looks like he belongs at this level. In spring training, he turned heads by doubling in the ninth inning of a tie game, then stealing third base on his own. The catcher, as well as both managers, was caught off guard and threw the ball into left field allowing Johjima to score the game-winning run all on his own.
Nick Markakis – After an impressive audition in the spring, manager Sam Perlozzo decided to keep Markakis as an extra outfielder to kick off the 2006 season. He finished the preseason hitting .358 with a .443 on base percentage. The 22 year-old wasn’t in the starting lineup on opening day, but is expected to be a regular in the O’s outfield. With Kevin Millar, Jeff Conine, Corey Patterson, Luis Matos and Jay Gibbons already on the roster, he was expected to make the club in April. But he’s proved his worth, replacing David Newhan on the club’s 24-man unit. He’s a blue-collar-hustle player that has a long track sheet of hitting for average. With the club’s veteran depth in the outfield, don’t expect much from the kid - he’s an AL-only lineup filler at this time, though.
Scott Baker – The Twins have developed a formula for winning the past few seasons and it starts with the unbelievable control from their pitching staff. Minnesota featured a starting rotation consisting of Brad Radke (117 K, 23 BB), Johan Santana (238 K, 45 BB) and Carlos Silva (71 K, 9 BB). A combined 416 K-77 BB ratio is absolutely unheard of nowadays. Well, Baker fits that mold to a tee. In Triple-A Rochester last season, he posted a 107-26 K-BB ratio. He was rather impressive in his first six starts this March, posing a 3.52 ERA but was shelled for 10 earned runs in his last start on Sunday. He’ll open the season as the team’s No. 5 starter, beating out Francisco Liriano - Minor League Spotlight’s choice for AL Rookie of the Year honors. The 6’4”, 220 pound right hander will make his season debut on Saturday, April 8 @ Cleveland, matching up with Jason M. Johnson.
Conor Jackson – The D-Backs have big plans for Jackson this season. He’ll get the majority of at-bats at first base this season and could put up some decent numbers batting in the No. 5 hole in Arizona. He went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a walk in the season opener, and has value immediately in NL-only leagues and most mixed formats. He’s batting between veteran outfielders Luis L. Gonzalez and Shawn Green in the lineup. In three seasons in the junior ranks, Jackson hit a combined .327 with 29 more walks than strikeouts. He also drove in 224 runs in just 288 games in that span (that computes to 124 RBI per season in a 162-game stretch).
Jonathan Papelbon – With the Red Sox proven depth in the starting rotation, manager Terry Francona decided to use Papelbon in the late innings, at least initially. Keith Foulke will retain his role as the team’s closer, but expect Papelbon to be the contingency plan if Foulke falters or has injury problems again. He came on in big fashion last season, going 3-1 with a 2.65 ERA and 34 strikeouts in 34 innings, including three starts. The 25 year-old is worthy of a bench role in competitive mixed leagues, and is a viable AL-only reliever right away. Francona also has the option of using the kid as a spot starter as well. He’ll play an important piece in whatever role the skipper decides.