X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Fantasy Baseball Prospects Analysis: Week 11 Primer

Welcome to the weekly Fantasy Baseball Prospect Primer.  In this space, we will inform you about prospects that have recently been called up or who might become fantasy contributors in the near future. Especially good for Keeper leagues, you'll want to check in weekly to get the latest news and advice for the coming week about prospects of fantasy relevance. Whether you need a great future keeper or you’re just tired of starting Tommy Hanson in that last SP slot, or if you're just looking for the next big thing in fantasy baseball, this is the article for you!

 

THE CALL-UPS

Gerrit Cole 2010Gerrit Cole (SP, PIT) Meet Gerrit Cole, the no. 1 pick from the 2011 MLB Draft out of UCLA.  Cole is being called up by the Pirates to make his major league debut Tuesday against the San Francisco Giants, and he'll be in line for one of those heralded two-start weeks for weekly head-to-head match-ups. As I write this, Cole is available in 66% of leagues and he is certainly worth a flier for all fantasy leagues and especially in keeper formats.

Cole has been on the fast track to the majors since he was drafted in 2011. In 2012, he sprinted through Single-A and Double-A leagues with a sterling ERA at 2.78 and a K/9 right around 9.0. Some scouts and front office people expected him to get the call during the roster expansions at the end of the 2012 season, but the call never came, as the Pirates faded in the brutal NL Central. Cole started 2013 in Indianapolis at Pittsburgh’s Triple-A affiliate where he made 12 starts, pitching to a 2.91 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP. I’m a big fan of those numbers but what alarms me is the strikeout rate has decreased from 9+ to 6.2. This tells me that the more advanced hitters in Triple-A are seeing his pitches better and they aren't fooled. I certainly don’t expect to see any improvement at the major league level, especially since some of the best and most patient hitters in baseball reside in the NL Central.

But enough of the Debbie Downer-- there is a ton of potential here. Cole was chosen #1 for a reason; he's definitely a workhorse and should be an innings-eater at the major league level. He has a plus fastball that will sit around 95/96 mph, and he complements it with an excellent slider that has some of the best bite in the minors. His changeup is average right now, but it is a developing pitch for him and can be really good if he has it going.

My prognosis the rest of the way for about 15 starts would be a solid line of 90 IP with a 3.80 ERA, a respectable WHIP of 1.25, and a K/9 at around 7.0. Most called up pitchers start to overpower and press for more strikeouts so I wouldn't be surprised to see a small increase there. Pick up at your discretion, but in keeper leagues you cannot ignore the upside-- he can grow into a certifiable ace sooner rather than later.

2012 07 11 EL 122 Zack WheelerZack Wheeler (SP, NYM) What a lucky week we all have when not one but two high-upside pitchers get called into action. Now, this one comes with a disclaimer, as Wheeler was set to be called up for Friday’s game against the Chicago Cubs (which would have been a nice matchup) but he struggled in his latest Triple-A outing and it’s now looking like his debut will be postponed until next week, sometime around June 19th. Still, the time is now to pick this guy up if you have the room. He’s owned in only 23% of leagues as of this writing, and I expect that to rise to around 50-60% upon official news of a call-up.

Raise your hand if you like Matt Harvey. Well, many scouts had Harvey as the second-best pitcher in the Mets' organization behind Wheeler. High praise no doubt, but all the makings are there. He has four pitches:  a fastball that he can raise at will, a hammer curveball that is already a plus pitch, and then he mixes in a changeup and a cutter. He will primarily work with the fastball (94-95 mph) and that very nice curve, while the change-up and cutter are works-in-progress that he can effectively use to keep hitters off balance around 10-15% of the time.

Currently, Wheeler sits at Triple-A with a 4.14 ERA and 9.4 K/9. Some of you might balk at a 4.14 ERA in the minor leagues, but Wheeler has been pitching in the very hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League in Las Vegas, so you should pay no heed to the ERA numbers.  For those of you that don’t know, the entire PCL is a hitter’s paradise and frankly, a 4.14 ERA really isn’t bad at all. For reference, look at all those Mariners hitting prospects that hit well in Triple-A and then struggle when called up. That’s because the fields are short and the air is hot league-wide. I'd expect Wheeler to be just fine at Citi Field and that ERA will probably be better than Cole’s because of competition against the weaker NL East. I expect fewer starts from Wheeler than Cole so I’ll go with 12-14 starts (he’s going to be on an innings limit); let's estimate 80-85 innings of 3.45 ERA with around 8.0 K/9. The only red flag here is the 1.39 WHIP at Triple-A, and while some of that is the Pacific Coast League, some of it is wildness and walks, so be advised.

 

OTHER NOTES AND BITS

Jose Alvarez (SP, DET) It’s not everyday an unknown prospect is called up for the Tigers and he pitches a gem. This guy is nowhere to be found on top prospects lists but he had 72 K to only 15 BB this year in the minors. He’s worth putting on your watch-list to see what happens, but nobody expects him to stay in the majors. Besides, Drew Smyly should be getting the next full-time rotation spot opportunity if it ever happens.

Wil Myers (OF, TB) A lot of chatter right now about one of the top hitters in the minors being called-up up “within the next ten days.” Well, I still don't see a concrete roster spot for Myers. Unless the Rays decide to sit or cut ties with DH Luke Scott, there is no justification for sitting Kelly Johnson, Desmond Jennings or Matt Joyce at the moment. That said, Myers has big-time power and is tearing it up in the minors, so watch this one closely in the coming week.

Nick Castellanos (3B/OF, DET) The 3B-turned-OF has been hearing some rumors lately about a call-up. I've heard nothing concrete, and I'm not sure it would be the savviest move by Detroit's front office. Castellanos is just now adjusted to Triple-A and hitting .295 with 10 HR, so calling him up might put him back in the student-of-the-game mode. In my opinion, it would be better to spend a little more time in the minors working on his plate discipline. And don't forget: Austin Jackson isn’t far from returning from injury. I’d keep Castellanos on the watch-list for now.

Tyler Skaggs (SP, ARI) Skaggs has been sent back down to Triple-A which means he’s under my watch again. He could definitely use some more location polish, but Skaggs's stuff is big-league ready. Rest assured, we will see him again in the near future.

==========

If you want this article and other high-end fantasy baseball analysis delivered to you on a daily basis, sign up for our daily newsletter.  And to stay on top of all the waiver wire news including prospect call-ups and DL news, be sure to check out the RotoBaller Waiver Wire Watch List daily updates for in-depth analysis on gems that you may be able to find sitting on your waiver wire.  It’s one of the best fantasy baseball features currently on web!

 




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Bryan Shaw25 mins ago

Optioned To Triple-A
Mookie Betts33 mins ago

Could Miss Tokyo Series
Quinton Byfield40 mins ago

Scores In Sixth-Straight Contest
Chase Elliott51 mins ago

May Be A Sneaky DFS Option For Las Vegas Lineups
Artemi Panarin53 mins ago

Extends Point Streak To Eight Games
Pyotr Kochetkov59 mins ago

Shuts The Door On Saturday
William Byron1 hour ago

Expect William Byron To Compete For The Win At Las Vegas
Tyler Reddick1 hour ago

Is One Of The Top DFS Options For Las Vegas
Anthony Cirelli1 hour ago

Strikes Twice On Saturday
Denny Hamlin1 hour ago

Could Denny Hamlin Be A Quality Driver For DFS At Las Vegas?
Alex Ovechkin1 hour ago

Scores Goal, Adds Assist In Victory
Connor Dewar1 hour ago

Scores Twice On Saturday
NASCAR1 hour ago

Bubba Wallace Could Be A Solid DFS Option For Las Vegas
Brad Keselowski2 hours ago

Qualifies Deep In The Field For Las Vegas
Erik Jones2 hours ago

Is Erik Jones Worth Rostering At Las Vegas This Week?
Daniel Suarez2 hours ago

Should Fantasy Players Roster Daniel Suarez At Las Vegas?
Carson Hocevar2 hours ago

Showcases Speed And Can Be Worth Rostering At Las Vegas
Ryan Preece2 hours ago

Is Ryan Preece A DFS Fade For Las Vegas Lineups?
Joey Logano3 hours ago

Likely to Lead at Las Vegas, but Will He Lead Enough for DFS Consideration?
Michael McDowell3 hours ago

Wins Spire Motorsports's First Pole at Las Vegas
Austin Cindric3 hours ago

Qualified Third, but Almost Guaranteed to Lose Spots
Chase Briscoe3 hours ago

Las Vegas Performance Hard to Predict
Ty Gibbs3 hours ago

a Solid DFS Option in Theory, but Disastrous Recent Performance Likely Overrides That
Shane Van Gisbergen3 hours ago

Too Inexperienced at Las Vegas for DFS Consideration Despite Trackhouse Speed
Noah Gragson3 hours ago

Finished Well at Las Vegas Last Year, but Ran Worse
Austin Dillon3 hours ago

Decent at Las Vegas, but Not Worthy of DFS Play
Josh Berry3 hours ago

Poor Intermediate Record Likely to Override Strong Qualifying Result
Justin Haley3 hours ago

Spire Speed Suggests Justin Haley Is a Strong DFS Option
Cole Custer3 hours ago

Could be Valuable If Haas Has Intermediate Speed
Mitch Garver9 hours ago

Goes Hitless In Return To Cactus League Action
Austin Riley9 hours ago

Doubles In Return To Lineup On Saturday
Jordan Mason9 hours ago

Vikings Acquire Jordan Mason From 49ers, Sign Him To Two-Year Deal
RJ Barrett11 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Sunday
Immanuel Quickley11 hours ago

Won't Play On Sunday
Jerami Grant11 hours ago

Unlikely To Play On Sunday
Marcus Smart11 hours ago

Downgraded To Out
Anfernee Simons11 hours ago

Tagged As Questionable For Sunday
Christian Braun11 hours ago

Available On Saturday
Aaron Gordon12 hours ago

Unavailable On Saturday
Jamal Murray12 hours ago

Will Play On Saturday Night
Nikola Jokić12 hours ago

Nikola Jokic Cleared To Suit Up Versus The Wizards
Colby Thomas13 hours ago

Sustains Injury On Saturday
Dee Eskridge13 hours ago

Sticking With Dolphins
Josh Giddey13 hours ago

Officially Out On Saturday Night
Ja Morant13 hours ago

Ruled Out On Saturday Night
JuJu Smith-Schuster13 hours ago

Returning To Chiefs
Josh Rojas13 hours ago

Exits Early On Saturday
Tennessee Titans13 hours ago

Chidobe Awuzie Released By Titans
Thairo Estrada13 hours ago

Removed From Saturday's Contest
Damian Lillard13 hours ago

Available Versus Indiana
Parris Campbell13 hours ago

Headed To Dallas
Nick Kurtz13 hours ago

Exits After Hit-By-Pitch
Giannis Antetokounmpo13 hours ago

Good To Go On Saturday
Jamal Murray13 hours ago

Added To Saturday's Injury Report
Jiri Kulich13 hours ago

Sustains An Upper-Body Injury Saturday
Tobias Myers13 hours ago

Exits Early On Saturday
Brice Turang13 hours ago

Dealing With Shoulder Fatigue
Tyler Myers13 hours ago

Set To Return Against Blackhawks
Nikita Kucherov14 hours ago

Good To Go Against Bruins
Yegor Chinakhov14 hours ago

Rejoins Blue Jackets Lineup Saturday
Cole Anthony14 hours ago

Back On The Injury Report
Joel Armia14 hours ago

Expected To Return On Saturday
Brady Tkachuk14 hours ago

Available Saturday
Donovan Mitchell14 hours ago

Questionable Against Orlando
Adam Fox14 hours ago

Ready To Rejoin Rangers Lineup
Andre Drummond14 hours ago

Out Against Dallas
Ja Morant14 hours ago

Questionable On Saturday Night
P.J. Washington15 hours ago

Returning On Sunday
Philadelphia Eagles17 hours ago

Patrick Johnson Rejoins Philadelphia
Dante Exum17 hours ago

Diagnosed With A Fractured Left Hand
Los Angeles Rams18 hours ago

Larrell Murchison Back With The Rams
Amed Rosario18 hours ago

Returning On Saturday
Cam Thomas18 hours ago

Expected To Miss Rest Of The Season
Jose Trevino18 hours ago

Going For CT Scan
Kirk Cousins18 hours ago

Set To Receive Roster Bonus
Bryce Eldridge18 hours ago

Will Not Play On Saturday
Aaron Rodgers18 hours ago

Wants To Play In Minnesota
Blake Perkins18 hours ago

Cleared For Light Baseball Activities
Doug Nikhazy18 hours ago

Optioned To Triple-A
Jung Hoo Lee18 hours ago

Scratched On Saturday With Back Tightness
Cody Bradford18 hours ago

Won't Throw For At Least Four Weeks
Colorado Rockies19 hours ago

Charlie Condon Out At Least Six Weeks With Broken Wrist
Bryce Miller19 hours ago

Ironing Out The Kinks In Spring Training
Logan Gilbert19 hours ago

Named Opening Day Starter
Mookie Betts19 hours ago

Missing Tokyo Exhibition Games Due To Illness
Washington Commanders19 hours ago

Clelin Ferrell Returning To Washington
New York Jets20 hours ago

Kris Boyd Signs With The Jets
Los Angeles Chargers20 hours ago

Mekhi Becton Inks Deal With Chargers
Tyler Johnson20 hours ago

Links Up With Jets
Kyle Juszczyk21 hours ago

Returns To 49ers
Eeli Tolvanen1 day ago

Scores Twice In Victory
WPG1 day ago

Kyle Connor Strikes Twice On Friday
Jack Roslovic1 day ago

Tallies Goal, Assist In Friday's Victory
Leon Draisaitl1 day ago

Leads Edmonton To Victory
Liam O'Brien1 day ago

Exits With Undisclosed Injury
Josh Manson1 day ago

Exits On Friday
Atlanta Falcons1 day ago

Falcons Agree To Terms With Morgan Fox
Indianapolis Colts1 day ago

Colts Sign Corey Ballentine To One-Year Deal On Friday
Pittsburgh Steelers1 day ago

Brandin Echols Signs Two-Year Deal With Steelers
Kenny Yeboah1 day ago

Signs One-Year Deal With Lions
Avery Williams1 day ago

Signs With Eagles
Kene Nwangwu1 day ago

Jets Re-Sign Kene Nwangwu To One-Year Deal
Simi Fehoko2 days ago

Signing With Cardinals
Karel Vejmelka2 days ago

Makes Ninth Consecutive Start Friday
Dustin Wolf2 days ago

Set To Face Avalanche Friday
Roman Dolidze2 days ago

Set For A Rematch
Marvin Vettori2 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Chidi Njokuani2 days ago

Looks For His Third Win In A Row
Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos2 days ago

Looks For His 12th UFC Win
Kurt Holobaugh2 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 104
Alexander Hernandez2 days ago

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Cody Gibson2 days ago

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Da'Mon Blackshear2 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Vegas 104
Brendson Ribeiro2 days ago

Searching For Second UFC Win On Saturday
Diyar Nurgozhay2 days ago

Set To Make His UFC Debut
MMA2 days ago

Seung Woo Choi In Dire Need Of Victory
Kevin Vallejos2 days ago

Makes Debut At UFC Vegas 104
Jacob Bridgeman4 days ago

Use Caution For Jacob Bridgeman At TPC Sawgrass
Nicolai Hojgaard4 days ago

Looks To Stay Consistent Heading Into PLAYERS Championship
Karl Vilips4 days ago

Makes PLAYERS Championship Debut After First PGA Tour Win
Taylor Pendrith4 days ago

A Sneaky Play At TPC Sawgrass
Sahith Theegala4 days ago

Out Of Form Ahead Of The PLAYERS Championship
Matt Fitzpatrick4 days ago

A Shaky Play Heading Into PLAYERS
Scottie Scheffler4 days ago

Eyeing Three-Peat At TPC Sawgrass
Aldrich Potgieter4 days ago

A Risky Play At TPC Sawgrass
Si Woo Kim4 days ago

Looks To Keep Building Momentum At The PLAYERS
Denny McCarthy4 days ago

Looks To Continue Solid Play At TPC Sawgrass
Collin Morikawa4 days ago

Poised For Another Strong Performance At TPC Sawgrass
Robert MacIntyre4 days ago

A Risky Play With Upside At The PLAYERS Championship
Jordan Spieth4 days ago

Looking To Change Fortunes At TPC Sawgrass
Cameron Young4 days ago

Avoid Cameron Young At The PLAYERS Championship
Michael Kim4 days ago

Continues Incredible Form Ahead Of The PLAYERS Championship
Justin Thomas4 days ago

Looking For More Magic At TPC Sawgrass
Xander Schauffele4 days ago

Continues Competitive Return At The Players Championship
Rory McIlroy4 days ago

Looks To Reverse Recent History At TPC Sawgrass
PGA4 days ago

Victor Hovland Looking To Find Form At The PLAYERS Championship
Brian Harman5 days ago

A Sleeper Pick At The PLAYERS Championship
Min Woo Lee5 days ago

A Hard Name To Trust At The Players Championship
Alex Pereira6 days ago

Drops Decision At UFC 313
Magomed Ankalaev6 days ago

Becomes The New UFC Light-Heavyweight Champion
Justin Gaethje6 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Rafael Fiziev6 days ago

Loses Third Fight In A Row
Ignacio Bahamondes6 days ago

Gets Submission Win At UFC 313
Jalin Turner6 days ago

Retires After UFC 313 Loss
Iasmin Lucindo6 days ago

Gets Dominated At UFC 313
Amanda Lemos6 days ago

Dominates At UFC 313
King Green6 days ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC 313
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Albert Haynesworth - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Worst NFL Free Agent Signings Of All Time

With the free agency period for the 2025 NFL season now underway, many big-name players will find new homes as teams compete to sign anyone and everyone they think they need to help their squad. While many signings end up being good moves, or at least help their teams fill holes at certain positions on […]


D'Andre Swift - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injuries

Dynasty Fantasy Football Trade Targets and Avoids: Running Backs to Buy or Sell (2025)

Running back volume and production is highly mercurial in the NFL. It can thus be difficult to know when to trade away and when to trade for tailbacks. There is constant competition for roles in certain backfields, and red-herring situations are abound due to injuries and plain luck. While some RBs are certainly safe in […]


Josh Downs - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News Updates

2025 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Third-Year Breakouts

Patience can be tough, especially in fantasy football. We want instant production from rookies, but these players often take a while to get going. These youngsters need to adjust to the speed of the NFL and learn from their early struggles to break out fully. The third year in the NFL is oftentimes when things […]


Justin Fields - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Florio's Free Agency Fantasy Football Winners and Losers!

Free Agency is the most fun week of the NFL offseason. Even when it is not the strongest class, there is never a shortage of excitement. Players changing teams at a rapid rate. It is a week filled with hope that your favorite team will add stars and that those under-the-radar players you love will […]


Josh Downs - 2025 Dynasty Fantasy Football Outlook

The 2025 NFL Draft is quickly approaching. For the last few months, dynasty fantasy football gamers have been meticulously studying the incoming rookie class to gain any edge they can on their league mates. While we should be anxiously awaiting our rookie drafts, we must also take time and analyze how veteran players are valued […]


Tyron Smith Top Landing Spots: 2025 NFL Free Agency Outlook

New York Jets and former long-time Dallas Cowboys offensive tackle Tyron Smith was one of the best offensive linemen in the NFL for an extended period of time. He's made five All-Pro teams, two with the first team and two with the second team, been selected to eight Pro Bowls, and earned a spot on […]


Bills Defense - Von Miller IDP Rankings, D/ST Streamers, Fantasy Football Team Defense

Von Miller Top Landing Spots: 2025 NFL Free Agency Outlook

Buffalo Bills linebacker Von Miller, one of the greatest pass-rushers in NFL history, was released by his team on March 9, 2025. He had signed a six-year, $120 million deal with the team in 2022, but the soon-to-be 36-year-old wasn't able to make it to the end of that contract, so he's now looking for […]


Aaron Jones - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Staying Put - Impact Players Re-signed: Aaron Jones, Zach Ertz, Jaylen Warren, more

NFL free agency is a frenzy. As football fans, we love to see the movement around the league. It allows us to dream about the possibility of our team signing a fresh player who could make a serious impact. However, one cannot overlook the impact of re-signing significant contributors. While it is not as exciting […]


Tucker Kraft - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Dynasty Fantasy Football Trade Targets: Wide Receivers and Tight Ends To Buy in 2025

My friend Josh used to make me listen to the Bring Me The Horizon song "Diamonds Aren't Forever," which begins with the line "We will never sleep, cause sleep is for the weak." That sentiment rings true in fantasy football dynasty leagues as well. You can't get complacent. You can't stop thinking about how to […]


Zay Flowers - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Dynasty Fantasy Football WR Buy or Sell: Zay Flowers, Rashee Rice, and Jordan Addison (2025)

The 2024 NFL Draft class had seven first-round wide receivers. Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers, and Rome Odunze were selected in the top 10. Meanwhile, Brian Thomas Jr., Xavier Worthy, Ricky Pearsall, and Xavier Legette were Day 1 selections. More importantly, Nabers and Thomas finished their rookie seasons as top-7 wide receivers in half-point PPR […]


Courtland Sutton - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Sleepers, Draft Targets: Early 2025 Analysis

One of the biggest factors in winning fantasy football teams is finding middle-to-late-round sleepers. With wide receivers typically carrying the most drafted players of any position, it makes sense that taking multiple stabs at the position in search of hitting multiple-round values is the way to set yourself apart in drafts. For 2025, the draft […]


Caleb Williams - Fantasy Football Rankings, QB, NFL Rookies, Draft Sleepers

2025 NFL Free Agency Frenzy: Biggest Winners and Disappointments at Every Fantasy Football Position

NFL franchises will have an opportunity to reshape their rosters before the draft. Fantasy managers will have a chance to read the tea leaves and make measured strikes against their fantasy football opposition ahead of rookie drafts. Savvy managers will use this period to try to get the best return on some previous investments, as […]


DK Metcalf - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Free Agency Fantasy Football Analysis: Fallers On New Teams (2025)

With the first wave of NFL free agency coming to an end, several fantasy-relevant players have signed on to new teams. The quarterback carousel still has several dominoes to fall, but Sam Darnold, Geno Smith, and Kenny Pickett have found new homes within the first few days of the new league year. The running back […]