Zack Granite

Granite parlayed a hot start at Triple-A (.360/.412/.492 with 15 stolen bases in his first 59 games) into a steady bench role with the Twins in the second half. He doesn't have a strong pedigree (2013 14th-round draft pick) but is a legitimate burner (120-for-164 on MiLB stolen-base attempts). Granite profiles as a plus defender in center field with a strong command of the strike zone. He struggled in his first taste of the majors with just a .611 OPS in 40 games but may have been somewhat unlucky with a .250 BABIP. A primary complaint from evaluators, however, is that he doesn’t make enough hard contact to play every day, so low BABIPs may follow him throughout his career. He is the Twins’ best defensive option for the fourth outfielder role, but his bat could hold him back. His speed would make him viable in deeper leagues, even in a Jarrod Dyson-esque role.

Granite was Minnesota's 2016 Minor League Player of the Year after hitting .295/.347/.382 at Double-A Chattanooga. He also stole 56 bases on 70 attempts in 127 games, profiles as a plus defender in center field and had a strong command of the strike zone with a 43:42 K:BB. The 2013 14th-round draft pick really hadn't shown much in the minors before last season. Other than a 19-game stretch in Low-A in 2015, he'd never had an OPS above .705 in the minors. At 23, he was a year younger than the average player in the Southern League, but that is still bit older than the typical legitimate hitting prospect at that level. Still, he could be a late bloomer and his speed on the basepaths could result in significant fantasy value, but he will need to keep hitting in order to earn consistent playing time. We should know more about the ultimate utility of his hit tool after seeing how he handles Triple-A pitching.