2010 Fantasy Baseball Prospects To Watch

This list will focus on rookie prospects that are not expected to be on their team’s respective rosters on opening day, but are expected to be called up during the season and make an impact on fantasy rosters. For example, Jason Heyward and Austin Jackson are rookies, but they will both be starters out of Spring Training. Therefore, they don’t qualify for this list. Also, I won’t list players that are being drafted in the majority of leagues (e.g. Strasburg).

Chris Carter, 1B – Oakland Athletics

Carter has proven to be a statistical machine over the past few seasons in the A’s organization. He played the majority of 2009 in AA, getting called up to AAA late in the season. His line, combined between the two leagues, reads 115-28-115-13-.329. He also added 43 doubles and led the minors in hits and total bases. MLB.com named Carter their Minor League Hitter of the Year for 2009, only serving as a headline to other prestigious awards he has received in recent years. Daric Barton will start the season as the A’s 1st baseman, but Chris Carter should be permanently called up by no later than June. Carter might struggle slightly with his average, but he will undoubtedly be a useful source of power.

Desmond Jennings, OF – Tampa Bay Rays

Jennings missed most of Spring Training with a sprained left wrist, derailing any chance he had of making it to the majors out of camp. This unfortunate development should only be a minor setback, though. Jennings possesses all of the tools required of a star outfielder. Many scouts have compared his speed to Carl Crawford’s, and rightfully so. Jennings stole 52 bases in 132 games in 2009 between AA and AAA. In addition, Jennings’ BB/K ratio was exactly 1.0 last year, showing that he is a surprisingly patient hitter for someone that has yet to step foot in the majors. There is no definite timetable for his arrival in St. Petersburg, but if the platoon in right field isn’t successful initially, look for Jennings to get his opportunity sooner rather than later.

Pedro Alvarez, 3B – Pittsburgh Pirates

As the second overall pick in the 2008 draft, Alvarez is expected to make a rapid ascension to the big show. He is expected to supply considerable power from the left side of the plate to a Pirates lineup that lacks it. However, Alvarez has two issues attached to his potential performance, only one of which could affect his fantasy value. His questionable lack of range at third base shouldn’t be too much of a problem, as their have been talks of a possible move to first if things don’t work out, but his inability to hit lefties in Single-A could very well deteriorate his average in the majors. Nonetheless, when called up, Alvarez should take advantage of PNC Park’s short right porch that will help him become a 20 home run candidate in 2010.

Brett Wallace, 3B/1B – Toronto Blue Jays

Brett Wallace is being converted to first base from third base, and the Blue Jays would like to get their 23-year-old top prospect some seasoning this year in the majors. Wallace is a serious power threat who should have no trouble adapting to major league pitching. He does possess a high strikeout rate, but his career minor league average of .305 shows that he is a consistent and balanced hitter that will bring value to most fantasy rosters that pursue him. Lyle Overbay might become an obstacle that sets back Wallace’s call-up, but Overbay will probably headline trade rumors during the season and will likely surrender playing time regardless if he is dealt or not.

Mike Stanton, OF – Florida Marlins

Stanton has placed third on MLB.com’s top 50 prospects list, trailing only Jason Heyward and Stephen Strasburg. It was recently announced that he will begin the season in the minors, but it won’t take too long for him to make the leap considering Cameron Maybin and Cody Ross comprise two-thirds of the Marlin’s outfield. He has hit a stellar 67 home runs in the past two minor league seasons combined before the age of 20. His average dipped to .255 last year, but this won’t deter the Marlins from bringing up Stanton this summer considering that he will add value to one of the poorest attended franchises in all of sports.