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Rookies and minor league players to watch in 2018. Michael Grennell lists the top fantasy baseball prospects that owners should be following in Week 14.
It's been a month since the 2018 First Year Player Draft, and with the short-season leagues in full swing there's been plenty of time for this year's draft picks to show off some of their potential.
With this week's list, we're going to look at some of the 2018 draft picks who have gotten off to a hot start to their professional careers. Understandably, there will be more hitters than pitchers on this week's list simply because of volume of playing time. That being said, there is one pitcher drafted in the fifth round who has had a couple solid starts to begin his professional career that is worth taking a look at. We'll also take a look at a pair of 15th round picks, as well as one first round pick who is absolutely crushing the ball at Single-A.
Anything can happen with these players: some might make it to the major leagues, some may not. Let's assume for the moment all four of these players will make it, and let's take a look at what value they will have in dynasty leagues.
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I'm Cuckoo for Coco Montes!
SP Jonathan Stiever — Round 5
Great Falls Voyagers (Advanced Rookie: Chicago White Sox)
Projected starts: vs Missoula 7/5, vs Orem 7/11
A right-hander out of Indiana University, Stiever started off his professional career with a pair of scoreless three-inning, six strikeout performances before allowing four runs over three innings in his start on Saturday. While his ERA now sits at 4.00 after his latest outing, Stiever currently boasts a 17.0 K/9 and of the five pitchers in the Pioneer League with 17 strikeouts this season he is the only one to do so in fewer than 10 innings. Stiever is showing some promise in the hitter-friendly Pioneer League, but he has also faced two of the worst offenses in the league over his three starts. He'll be worth keeping an eye on throughout the rest of this season as he faces some of the better teams in the league, and he's worth picking up in dynasty leagues right now based on his strikeout potential.
OF Seth Beer — Round 1
Quad Cities River Bandits (Single-A: Houston Astros)
Upcoming games: vs Beloit 7/4-5, vs Burlington 7/6-9
At one point there was speculation that Beer could end up the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, but instead he was selected with the 28th overall pick by the Houston Astros. Since signing, Beer has been putting up big power numbers in a short time frame — hitting five doubles and four home runs over 16 games between Single-A Short-Season Tri-City and Single A Quad Cities. Beer is also currently hitting .323 with a 1.021 OPS and a 13:7 K:BB ratio. Beer is without a doubt a must-own in dynasty leagues, but what owners should keep an eye on is his position eligibility. While he was drafted as an outfielder, there are some reports that his long-term outlook has him moving over to first base instead. Beer should be able to perform at a high-level once he reaches the majors, but his value will be slightly downgraded as a first baseman instead of an outfielder.
OF Jonah Davis — Round 15
Bristol Pirates (Advanced Rookie: Pittsburgh Pirates)
Upcoming games: vs Johnson City 7/4-6, vs Princeton 7/7-9
Davis started his pro career by going 2-for-8 with four strikeouts over his first two games. Since last Monday though, Davis has recorded multiple hits in six consecutive games including six doubles, a triple and three home runs. Now on an eight-game hitting streak, Davis is hitting .459 with a 1.406 OPS and is tied for second on the team with 10 runs scored. Playing at California prior to being drafted, Davis hit a career-high 14 home runs while also stealing six bases over 54 games in his final season of college ball. Davis could end up as a potential 15-15 or better outfielder if he makes it to the majors, and while this early season surge won't last he is definitely taking a step in the right direction to becoming a good fantasy outfielder.
SS Coco Montes — Round 15
Grand Junction Rockies (Advanced Rookie: Colorado Rockies)
Upcoming games: vs Ogden 7/4-8, at Billings 7/10-13
The Rockies added another good middle-infield prospect with a power-speed combo in this year's draft with Montes. Over 16 games with Grand Junction, Montes is tied for the team-lead with three steals and is tied for second with three home runs. Montes also leads the Rockies with a .455 average, and his 1.204 OPS is second on the team behind fellow 2018 draft pick Grant Lavigne. In his last season at University of South Florida, Montes hit four home runs with seven steals while batting .331 over 57 games. There's plenty of room to grow, and of the players on this list Montes is one of the riskier adds in dynasty leagues, but he could become a decent fantasy middle infielder in the future. This season should give dynasty owners an idea of what to expect out of him, but owners should also keep in mind that his numbers might be slightly inflated playing in the hitter-friendly Pioneer League.
