Regan's Rumblings: Exploring Additional Prospects

Chances are, that if you're in any sort of keeper league, particularly with minor league roster slots, that you've heard of the likes of Yoan Moncada, Cody Bellinger, and Eloy Jimenez. These potential future stars all rank within the top 10 of James Anderson's RotoWire Top 400 prospects list. Often though, I get asked about some lesser known/sleeper prospects that could be drafted late and contribute either this year, or in future years for keeper/dynasty owners. That will be the focus this week, as I'll present 10 guys not in the Top 100 that will help in 2017 and another 10 to keep an eye on for 2018 and beyond.

2017 contributors

Yohander Mendez (SP-TEX)

Mendez shot to the big leagues last season as a 21-year-old after allowing just two runs in 31.1 Triple-A innings, so we know the Rangers are high on him. As a caveat, Mendez was a bit lucky in those innings, allowing zero home runs and posting a middling 22:16 K:BB. Overall across three levels, Mendez posted a 2.19 ERA in 111 innings with a 114:41 K:BB. The 6-foot-5 lefty throws in the low-90s for now, but imagining the 22-year-old adding mass and velocity in the coming years isn't difficult. He will open this year in Triple-A, but if the command and control improve quickly, the Rangers will bring him back.

Andrew Toles (OF-LAD)

Off-the-field issues allowed team president Andrew Friedman to poach Toles from his former team for nothing, and it's looking like a shrewd move. Toles rocketed through Double-A and Triple-A last season for the Dodgers, ultimately making his big league debut on July 8 and finishing with an impressive .314/.365/.505 slash line that included three homers and a steal in 105 at-bats. Toles was probably in line for semi-regular at-bats in left field even before the Andre Ethier back injury, but now the path looks clear. Toles will likely give way to Franklin Gutierrez against LHP, but if he can find his way to the top of the lineup on a regular basis, Toles has the speed to swipe 20+ bases.

Tyler Beede (SP-SF)

Beede regained some of his prospect luster in 2016, posting a 2.81 ERA and 135:53 K:BB in 147.1 Double-A innings. His 3.2 BB/9 was a marked improvement over the 4.4 mark he posted at the same level in 2015, and it helped put him in the fifth starter mix this spring. Beede ended up getting sent to minor league camp this week after allowing just one run in 9.1 innings with a so-so 5:4 K:BB, but he could be the first man up this year should the Giants need another starter.

Zack Burdi (RP-CHW)

Burdi is that rare prospect that is already working as a reliever with an eye on a big league closer role. The team's first-round pick (#26 overall) in 2016, Burdi had an uneven pro debut spread across four levels, including Triple-A. In 38 combined innings, Burdi held hitters to a .174 batting average while posting a 12.1 K/9 and at times, looking every bit the future closer. On the flip side, his 4.7 BB/9 indicates that controlling his upper-90s fastball and upper-80s slider has been a challenge. He will open the season in Triple-A, but with David Robertson continuing to be the subject of trade rumors, Burdi could find himself closing ahead of schedule should Chicago elect to leave Nate Jones in a setup role.

Charlie Tilson (OF-CHW)

Tilson is going to miss the first part of April with a foot injury, but it's very possible he'll be the team's starting center fielder at some point next month. Tilson emerged in 2015 with a .295/.351/.388 season in Double-A that included 46 stolen bases, and though he dipped to 15 steals last year, he still profiles as a 30+ guy in the big leagues. Tilson profiles as a potential leadoff hitter, though we're not sure how his so-so 8.4% Triple-A BB% will translate at the big league level. Those steals though should be worth chasing in deeper leagues.

Yandy Diaz (3B-CLE)

Diaz fared well upon his early-season promotion to Triple-A in 2016, batting .325/.399/.461 with a strong 11.3% BB% and excellent 16.8% K%. He did total just nine homers and 11 stolen bases, so his fantasy value is a bit limited, and at 25, we're not sure he has a lot of power growth coming in the near or even distant future. Diaz, though, is known as an excellent defender with a great arm, and while that doesn't show up in 5 X 5 roto stats, it does give him a little rope should he slump at the plate. Diaz has no real path to a starting job given the 2016 emergence of Jose Ramirez, though with Jason Kipnis (shoulder) set to miss the first half or so of April, Diaz could open the season as the starting third baseman with Ramirez shifting to second base. Another very real scenario is that Michael Brantley gets hurt again and Ramirez plays left field.

Matt Chapman (3B-OAK)

Chapman is the A's version of Joey Gallo, though Gallo for whatever reason has received a lot more love in prospect circles. Between Double-A and Triple-A last year, Chapman blasted 36 home runs, but his .237/.328/.519 slash also was reflective of a 29.4% K%. At a minimum, the 2014 first-round pick could see the short side of a 3B/DH platoon, as he has destroyed left-handed pitching at the upper levels of the minors. Whether he makes strides this year against RHP and plugs some of the holes in his swing will determine his professional fate. Chapman has looked good this spring (.286/.394/.539, 30.3% K%), and he'll hope to continue that momentum in Triple-A. He could push Ryon Healy and Trevor Plouffe for playing time by June.

Kyle Zimmer (P-KC)

In the five years since being drafted fifth overall, Zimmer has managed just 222.1 innings due to a myriad of arm injuries, primarily to his pitching shoulder. Zimmer had the popular Thoracic Outlet Syndrome surgery in July, so maybe that will end up fixing his health issues. He'll open the season in Double-A and build up his innings, so if all goes well, he could be of help this summer. It seems like a long shot, but top-five picks with a 10.9 career K/9 still hold my interest.

Josh Staumont (P-KC)

Staumont was the 64th pick in the draft just two years ago, but he's already on the cusp of the big leagues. Best thing he has going for him is an elite fastball that can reach 100 mph and a plus curve. On the flip side, his other offerings are erratic at best, and well, his whole game is erratic given that he walked a whopping 104 batters and struck out 167 in just 123.1 minor league innings last season for a 12.2 K/9 and 7.6 BB/9. Depending on how his secondary stuff develops, his upside could either be a top-10 closer or #2 starter, but clearly the control must improve first.

Frankie Montas (P-OAK)

Montas' future role is cloudy, but at least he's healthy this spring, tossing six innings of one-run ball with five strikeouts. As I write this, it's his 24th birthday and he's already been traded three times. Montas will apparently start the year in the minors working out of the bullpen, but per GM Billy Beane, he's still viewed as a future starter. Seems though that after throwing jus 16 innings last year due to a serious oblique injury, but he certainly has the look of a workhorse starter, checking in at 6-foot-2 and a Bartolo Colon-like 255 pounds (though Colon only wishes he were that slim). Given that he's hit the upper-90s this spring, Montas is worth monitoring as a future #2 starter or even a potential closer.

Dylan Cozens (OF-PHI)

Similar to Matt Chapman above, Cozens is a feast-or-famine type of guy, having batted a healthy .276/.350/.591 for Double-A Reading last year, a line that included 40 home runs and a whopping 186 strikeouts. In fact, 81 of Cozens' 144 hits went for extra bases for a very impressive 56% XBH%. Cozens saw his K% spike from 2015's reasonable 19.7% rate to 31.7% last year. He also hit just .197 versus southpaws, so there's plenty of flaws in his game. Oh but that power. To top things off, Cozens even stole 21 bases a year ago, but unless he can get that strikeout rate down in Triple-A, his ability to hit more than .230 in the big leagues will remain an open question. Still, the power/speed combo should be very intriguing to fantasy owners.

2018 and beyond…

A.J. Puk (SP-OAK)

The 22-year-old Puk was the sixth overall pick out of college last year, making for an abbreviated debut season in which he tossed 32.2 innings of 3.03 ERA ball with a 40:12 K:BB in Low-A. This year should see him progress as high as Double-A with an eye on a 2018 debut. Puk is a 6-foot-7 lefty with mid-90s heat, and now that he's in his first full season of pro ball, he could rocket up these charts. Watch the walk rate, as that was the one knock on him coming out of college.

Marcos Diplan (SP-MIL)

After blowing through Low-A to the tune of a 1.80 ERA in 70 innings, Diplan struggled in a few starts at the High-A level, posting a 4.98 mark in 43.1 innings, so he's probably a couple of years off. The main source of Diplan's struggles was a 3.9 BB/9, but the stuff is excellent and considering 2017 is his age-20 season, Diplan will continue to be one of the league's younger pitchers, likely heading back to High-A, but possibly finishing 2017 in Double-A.

Justus Sheffield (SP-NYY)

He's not related to Gary Sheffield, though his brother Jordan is a prospect in the Dodgers' organization. Justus profiles as a #3 starter and in his age-20 season last year, the former Indians prospect (see the Andrew Miller trade) rocketed all the way to Double-A where he made one start at the end of the season. Sheffield, overall, recorded a 3.09 ERA in 25 starts with a 129:53 K:BB in 125.1 innings. His 3.8 BB/9 will be a focus this year, and while he has four potential average (or better) pitches, the control and command still need development.

DJ Peters (OF-LAD)

One of my favorite under-the-radar guys, Peters was picked 131st overall in the 2016 draft, and so far, it looks like a steal given he batted a healthy .351/.437/.615 with 13 home runs in 262 at-bats, though he was a bit old for the Rookie-level Pioneer League. The Dodgers will probably start him in Low-A, but given his age, he could progress quickly in 2017, perhaps to Double-A or even higher. Peters has the ability to be a top-100 prospect at this time next year, but how he fares against upper-level pitching will make that determination.

Eric Jenkins (OF-TEX)

Jenkins was a second round pick out of High School in 2015, so he has a ways to go to get to the big leagues, particularly after batting .221/.279/.330 in 126 games for Low-A Hickory last season. The reason he's getting a paragraph here? 51 stolen bases. Jenkins can fly, and after not homering in his 56-game debut in 2015, he managed to go deep eight times last year while knocking nine triples. Of course striking out in more than 27% of his plate appearances isn't going to cut it at the upper levels, so whether he's ever more than a speedy fourth outfielder depends on how his hit tool develops. For those steals alone, keeper leaguers should monitor his 2017 progress.

Max Pentecost (C-TOR)

Pentecost is interesting enough because he's a catcher and is a #11 overall pick (2014). Shoulder issues have slowed his development, but he was healthy long enough last year to hit .314/.375/.490 for Low-A Lansing before hurting his shoulder again in High-A. Considering he's 24 now and is a former top pick, the Blue Jays could push him to Double-A to start the season. If all goes well, he could even get a chance to compete for backup catcher duties in 2018. With Russell Martin signed through the 2019 season, Pentecost's path to the starting catcher job in Toronto is cloudy at best, though Martin (age 34) is getting a bit up there in years, especially for a catcher.

Luis Ortiz (SP-MIL)

Listed at 6-foot-3 and 230 pounds, Ortiz has the look of a mid-rotation workhorse. He's logged just 161 innings since being drafted in 2014, having dealt with some arm injuries and strict pitch counts, but he has a career 2.52 ERA, 8.0 K/9, and 2.1 BB/9. The strikeout rate is relatively low for a top-of-the-rotation guy, but keep in mind that Ortiz reached Double-A as a 20-year-old and showing this level of control at that age is very impressive. The stuff is very much there for Ortiz to take a big step forward this year and start to miss even more bats. He could be a top-20 prospect at this time next year.

Justin Dunn (SP-NYM)

Dunn (2016 19th overall pick) looks to be yet another potential top-shelf starter for the Mets. Coming off a long college season, Dunn tossed just 30 innings in the Rookie-level New York-Penn league last year, but they were good innings — 1.50 ERA, 10.5 K/9, 3.0 BB/9. He should start out in Low-A this year, but could move quickly as he builds innings and adds bulk to his frame (6-foot-2, 170 pounds). With the way the Mets have identified young pitching the last few years, investing a dynasty league spot in Dunn probably isn't a bad idea.

Forrest Wall (2B-COL)

Obviously the Rockies have DJ LeMahieu seemingly locked into second base, but lots could change between now and 2019, the projected year for Wall's MLB debut. He hit a modest .264/.329/.355 last season for High-A Modesto, but Wall has also swiped 20+ bases in each of the last two campaigns, and there's no reason he can't eventually hit 15 home runs, particularly in Colorado. Wall strikes out less than 20% of the time and as a #35 overall draft pick (2014), there's some history of success. A big season in Double-A could put him in the Top-100 prospects range, and could move the Rockies to try him at other positions, such as the outfield. Perhaps that will hasten his path to the big leagues.