2018 Sleepers, Midseason Callups and Breakouts... (3 Viewers)

[Doctor Detroit]

Mondesi was a top #100 prospect as a 19 year old.  Four years later, he's scuffling on the worst team in baseball.

Every time he gets on base I expect him to steal. He now has 15 steals in 38 games and could realistically finish top 5 in the AL in steals. 

.750 OPS, 180 ISO, 2% BB%. If he could even bump that BB% to 6%, he could be lethal. A 20 homer, 50 steal season seems within reason as soon as next year. I mean Dee Gordon never walked much and has zero power, and he’s a 5th rounder every year.  

 

[Eephus]

Taylor Ward got the call and started tonight at 3B for the Angels. He’s doubled and walked in his first two at bats. 

Former first round catcher who has only played 3B this year at AA and AAA. He has extra base power, will steal bases (18 in 102 games this year), and most importantly...is catcher eligible this year. 

Probably a good pickup in keepers and dynasty to watch while filling in as a off day C through this year. Beyond that, we’ll see. 

In redrafts if you’re in a deep league, or in any 2 catcher league, he’s probably a must add based on the dearth of production from the C position. 

He has value as long as he can keep C eligibility. 

 

[General Malaise]

Acuna!!!!!!

 

[Northern Voice]

Every time he gets on base I expect him to steal. He now has 15 steals in 38 games and could realistically finish top 5 in the AL in steals. 

.750 OPS, 180 ISO, 2% BB%. If he could even bump that BB% to 6%, he could be lethal. A 20 homer, 50 steal season seems within reason as soon as next year. I mean Dee Gordon never walked much and has zero power, and he’s a 5th rounder every year.  

He should lead the league in SBs going away next season if he runs at anywhere near the pace he has so far. 

 

[General Malaise]

Acuna plunked by a spare Marlin pitcher on purpose.  Neat.... 

Hope Urena gets a pitch to his ballsack.  Cowardly piece of ####. 

 

[Angry Beavers]

Not sure if anyone here plays any deep dynasty leagues and not sure where else to put this but...

Wander Franco SS TB - next phenom

Josh Norris@jnorris427

Two 17-year-olds in the Appy League:

Vlad Jr. (2016): .271/.359/.449, 8 HRs, 46 RBIs, 33 BBs, 45 Ks
Wander Franco (2018): .366/.429/.610, 9 HRs, 52 RBIs, 23 BBs, 14 Ks*

And the season isn't over.

9:14 AM - Aug 20, 2018

 

[Spartans Rule]

Not sure if anyone here plays any deep dynasty leagues and not sure where else to put this but...

Wander Franco SS TB - next phenom

Josh Norris@jnorris427

Two 17-year-olds in the Appy League:

Vlad Jr. (2016): .271/.359/.449, 8 HRs, 46 RBIs, 33 BBs, 45 Ks
Wander Franco (2018): .366/.429/.610, 9 HRs, 52 RBIs, 23 BBs, 14 Ks*

And the season isn't over.

9:14 AM - Aug 20, 2018

Wander should be rostered in pretty much any dynasty league, not just deep ones. Fangraphs already has him up to #17 on their prospect board. If he continues to hit anywhere near this well he'll be a consensus top 5 guy by midseason next year.

 

[General Malaise]

Wander should be rostered in pretty much any dynasty league, not just deep ones. Fangraphs already has him up to #17 on their prospect board. If he continues to hit anywhere near this well he'll be a consensus top 5 guy by midseason next year.

Just make sure the league you're in has the RIGHT Wander Franco.  There's two of them. One is 21 and plays for the Giants.  He's meh.  Only Wander Franco in Yahoo, I learned the hard way.

 

[Spartans Rule]

Just make sure the league you're in has the RIGHT Wander Franco.  There's two of them. One is 21 and plays for the Giants.  He's meh.  Only Wander Franco in Yahoo, I learned the hard way.

There’s actually 3, and they’re all brothers, and their father is named (drumroll)... Wander Franco. The other two are both in the Giants system and both fantasy irrelevant.

 

[Epic Problem]

There’s actually 3, and they’re all brothers, and their father is named (drumroll)... Wander Franco. The other two are both in the Giants system and both fantasy irrelevant.

Foreman has 12 children, five sons and seven daughters. His five sons are George Jr., George III ("Monk"), George IV ("Big Wheel"), George V ("Red"), and George VI ("Little Joey"). 

 

[General Malaise]

There’s actually 3, and they’re all brothers, and their father is named (drumroll)... Wander Franco. The other two are both in the Giants system and both fantasy irrelevant.

I see Chemical X fell for it too.

@Chemical X

 

[Chemical X]

I see Chemical X fell for it too.

@Chemical X

Wander-ing Jew I guess........

 

[Eephus]

The Padres are calling up Luis Urias today.  He only has 2B eligibility in Yahoo but figures to see action at both MIF spots.  He looks like a guy who'll be more valuable in real-life than in fantasy because he hasn't shown much power or speed in the minors.

 

[Eephus]

The Giants are calling up Chris Shaw to take McCutchen's spot.  He has some power but is going to strike out a lot. 

He has two seasons at AAA and will be 25 in October so they might as well see what he can do against big league pitching.

 

[Spartans Rule]

The Wander Francos may have some competition in the name department.

Today MLB declared top Cuban prospect Victor Victor Mesa and his brother Victor Mesa Jr. free agents.

 

[Doctor Detroit]

Mondesi got the call. He still has issues with plate discipline but he’s basically another Tim Anderson. So there is some value if he’s getting playing time, and with Alcedes Escobar having a cool .506 OPS, there is really no reason not to play him. 

Kind of funny because yesterday I was gonna post something about him because it makes no sense not to have him up. He’s a better version of peak Escobar, and although he has some work to do, he’s got power, speed, and he is excellent at SS. 

Mondesi through 62 games: 

800 OPS

291 BA

9 homers

25 steals 

He just doesn’t walk but the high BABIP is sustainable and the fly ball ratio (37%) and hard hit rate (42%) are encouraging. 

We know he can run but the profile suggests power and a hit tool with extra base bonanza! 

Probably will be streaky but the stolen bases and the fielding skill will keep him as a daily start. 

 

[MAC_32]

If I hang onto this lead in Pie I owe quite the debt of gratitude to Mondesi - 26/7/19/18/346 in just 42 games.

 

[Northern Voice]

Mondesi through 62 games: 

800 OPS

291 BA

9 homers

25 steals 

He just doesn’t walk but the high BABIP is sustainable and the fly ball ratio (37%) and hard hit rate (42%) are encouraging. 

We know he can run but the profile suggests power and a hit tool with extra base bonanza! 

Probably will be streaky but the stolen bases and the fielding skill will keep him as a daily start. 

@jazayerli

How rare is Adalberto Mondesi's combination of speed and power? Here's a list of every player who has ever: - Had 200+ PA - Slugged over .455 - Had at least one SB for every 3 times they reached base

1) Eric Davis, 1986

2) Rickey Henderson, 1986

3) ADALBERTO MONDESI, 2018

 

[MAC_32]

@jazayerli

How rare is Adalberto Mondesi's combination of speed and power? Here's a list of every player who has ever: - Had 200+ PA - Slugged over .455 - Had at least one SB for every 3 times they reached base

1) Eric Davis, 1986

2) Rickey Henderson, 1986

3) ADALBERTO MONDESI, 2018

And that's despite a 200/222/371 first month.  26/7/19/21/304/333/503 over the last 2 months and he wasn't even FT not hitting out of the bottom 3rd of the order until the last couple-few weeks...I'm just enjoying this ride because there's no way I get him again in March.

 

[Doctor Detroit]

13 homers and 30 steals in 72 games for Mondesi. That’s a 30/65 pace. 

He went from late round flier to probably a top 50 pick next year. His dynasty value is through the roof. 

 

[MAC_32]

13 homers and 30 steals in 72 games for Mondesi. That’s a 30/65 pace. 

He went from late round flier to probably a top 50 pick next year. His dynasty value is through the roof. 

It's going to cost a lot more than that, which is why I won't end up with him.

 

[Eephus]

13 homers and 30 steals in 72 games for Mondesi. That’s a 30/65 pace. 

He went from late round flier to probably a top 50 pick next year. His dynasty value is through the roof. 

It's going to cost a lot more than that, which is why I won't end up with him.

The speed is real but I don't know if I buy the power.  13.8% HR/FB will regress to the mean. 

He's 23 and further power development is possible but projecting 25+ HRs in full time duty seems optimistic.

 

[Doctor Detroit]

The speed is real but I don't know if I buy the power.  13.8% HR/FB will regress to the mean. 

He's 23 and further power development is possible but projecting 25+ HRs in full time duty seems optimistic.

Yeah but you are a known Mondesi hater.

He's probably not a 30 homer guy but he's consistently hit about 40% fly balls, has had a 11% or better HR/FB percentage at last four stops, and he hits the ball hard a lot.  20 is a very reasonable projection over the course of a full season and 20/50 is an extremely valuable asset these days. 

 

[MAC_32]

Yeah but you are a known Mondesi hater.

He's probably not a 30 homer guy but he's consistently hit about 40% fly balls, has had a 11% or better HR/FB percentage at last four stops, and he hits the ball hard a lot.  20 is a very reasonable projection over the course of a full season and 20/50 is an extremely valuable asset these days. 

37% FB + 30% K + 4% BB is a very dangerous combination and before this year his high in SB was 26 and HR 14.  If he's priced with that in mind then I think the risk is justified.  If he's priced expecting something near Trea Turner then I don't think it is.

 

[Doctor Detroit]

37% FB + 30% K + 4% BB is a very dangerous combination and before this year his high in SB was 26 and HR 14.  If he's priced with that in mind then I think the risk is justified.  If he's priced expecting something near Trea Turner then I don't think it is.

He had 33 steals across four levels and 400 PAs in 2016.  He had 26 in 400 PAs last year, and 40 SBs in 400 PAs this year.  K rate is 26.6 and 22 this year, if he stays close to 25% and continues to also keep his FB/GB ratio close to one he'll be fine.  A walk rate of 5% is probably what we are looking at though, so he'll have much more value in categories leagues and avg leagues. 

 

[Eephus]

I know it's early but where would you rank Mondesi relative to Albies and Villar in 2019 redrafts?

 

[MAC_32]

He had 33 steals across four levels and 400 PAs in 2016.  He had 26 in 400 PAs last year, and 40 SBs in 400 PAs this year.  K rate is 26.6 and 22 this year, if he stays close to 25% and continues to also keep his FB/GB ratio close to one he'll be fine.  A walk rate of 5% is probably what we are looking at though, so he'll have much more value in categories leagues and avg leagues. 

My bad, eyes went too fast for fangraphs again.  I'm more concerned about the FB/K rate combo anyway.  That can be lethal when it comes to avg, which with his walk rate could send him to the bottom of the order a/o more days on the bench for unknown periods of time.  Something I'm probably willing to deal with if he's in that 40-50 range, but top 20?  No thanks.  And given what he's done these two months and his age I think that's a real possibility.

 

[Doctor Detroit]

I know it's early but where would you rank Mondesi relative to Albies and Villar in 2019 redrafts?

It’s hard to trust Villar as he’s basically had 1.5 good seasons. He’s gonna play everyday without limitations in Baltimore though, so he’s gonna be taken before he should be. Albies doesn’t walk much either but I can see him getting better over the next several seasons. 

I’d rank them Albies>Mondesi>>Villar with Albies being a guy that could be a second round pick in redrafts sooner than later. Mondesi seems like a more powerful Dee Gordon but he has a pretty high upside.

I just remember people saying Javy Baez was never going to be a top 30 player because he never walks, and we know that was an incorrect assumption. 

 

[Dan Lambskin]

German Marquez had a pretty nice season 

 

[Kraft...]

Yelich is scorching!

 

[Doctor Detroit]

Yelich is scorching!

So is David Dahl

 

[MAC_32]

I know it's early but where would you rank Mondesi relative to Albies and Villar in 2019 redrafts?

I don't think the market is going to see Mondesi on the same level as Albies and Villar - https://twitter.com/GregAmbrosius/status/1050102340106113024

 

[Eephus]

I don't think the market is going to see Mondesi on the same level as Albies and Villar - https://twitter.com/GregAmbrosius/status/1050102340106113024

I'll take my chances scuffling for SBs before drafting a one category guy in round 2.

 

[Northern Voice]

I don't think the market is going to see Mondesi on the same level as Albies and Villar - https://twitter.com/GregAmbrosius/status/1050102340106113024

Whoever took Mondesi there also took Acuna 3rd overall in round 1, which also seems high.

 

[Northern Voice]

I'll take my chances scuffling for SBs before drafting a one category guy in round 2.

What was peak Billy Hamilton ADP, round 5 or so, I think?

 

[Eephus]

Nick Senzel hurt again.  He'll have surgery to remove bone chips from his left elbow.