NL West: Prospect Watch
By: Ryan Leach
When it comes to a prospect watch in the National League West the spotlight shines brightest on Max Scherzer. The righty has skyrocketed through the D-Backs system after being drafted 11th in the first round in the 2006 draft. He has made 3 stars this season and has performed well for one of the top pitching staffs in the majors. The only problem I see in Mighty Max is that he has Cy Young candidate Brandon Webb, First ballot hall of famer and Big Unit Randy Johnson, and Roy Hobbsesque Micha Owings in front of him. I think the rattlers descision to move him to the bullpen was not a good idea. The guy has starter in his DNA and they tried to create a cloned sheep by putting him in the pen. My only source of proof is his 5 earned runs in 2.1 innings in his first Tripple A start after the demotion.
Max should be snatched up in medium to high level leagues with deep rosters as well as most NL only leagues. I strongly believe this kid will carry Arizona to another division title. If hes available grab him. If not i’d say throughout a flyer like that 4th or 5th outfielder you have festering on your bench to get him. He will be a terror in September around playoff time in H2H and around the final weeks in roto league.
After Scherzer there are 4 other prospects that I see as potential helpers for your team in the second half of the season:
Clayton Kershaw SP (Dodgers)- A lot of people favor 3B Andy Laroche as the Dodgers top impact prospect for 2008, I disagree. Kershaw who is 0-1 with 4 no descisions in his first 5 major league starts has improved in his last 4 starts and would have had his first major league win if it wasn’t for an hour and a half rain delay that forced Joe Torre to keep him of the mound when play resumed. Chan Ho Park preceeded to blow the game for the Dodgers. Kershaw who wanted to go back in was polite in saying he was willing to do whatever “Mr. Torre” asked of him. Once he gets that first MLB W I expect him to settle in to the Dodgers rotation and help fantasy owners in NL only and deeper mixed leagues.
Ian Stewart 3B/2B (Rockies)- So far it has been a dissapointing year for Stewart who has bounced between the Rockies and their tripple A affiliate. He is blocked in his natural position by Garrett Atkins but many (myself included) see Stewart as the 3rd baseman of the future in the Mile High City. For now he’s playing at second and has struggled a bit at the plate since his last call up. He is hitting only .204 but has a career .304 average in the minors so expect that average to raise as he sees more MLB pitching. With his 2B eligibility he is someone to take a good look at for the 2nd half and the stretch run especially when the injured Rockies start to return from the DL.
Chase Headley 3B/OF (Padres)- The Padres who have once again struggled this year with offensive production especially in the PETCO Pitcher’s Paradise are hoping Headley is the Roy Hobbs talent they will need to climb back into the NL West or Wildcard race. As a Pads fan I am also hoping Chase gives them a spark but know that owners should look a little harder at him. He won’t be playing his natural position which is occupied by last year’s prospect de jour Kevin Kouzmanoff. He now will be in the outfield when hes on the field usually and a prospect is less valuable playing the outfield grass than settling into the dirt of the hot corner. He had good power in AAA but also had 65 K’s in 65 games. I’d say wait for him to show consistant production before picking him up or trading for him especially if your in a league where K’s by a batter are a catigory.
Nate Schierholtz/Brian Horwitz OF (Giants)- Yes, Schierholtz & Horwitz sounds like a personal injury law firm but one of them could help your team in August and Spetember. I don’t know which one of these players will become the main OF insert for Bruce Bochey yet and judging by his call up uncertainty neither does he. Horowitz got the call over Schierholtz and homered in his second game. One of these guys will be an everday player when the Giants ship Randy Winn off for prospects before the trade deadline which is expected. I think Schierholtz would be more consistant. He strikes out less and hits for a higher average. Horwitz rose through the system faster that Schierholtz which I think will come back to bite him when he has to face major league pitching. I wouldn’t sell any part of the farm to get either of these guys yet, but keep an eye on them and if you are injured on the job feel free to give them a call to get the settlement you desreve.
This entry was posted on Friday, June 20th, 2008 at 4:16 pm and is filed under Fantasy Baseball. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
