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It's Week 20 of the MLB season, and at this point in the season, any manager with an outside shot at making the fantasy playoffs is adding hot bats and dropping the cold ones, repositioning themselves in hopes of making a deep run to the championship. In order to get an edge, you're constantly monitoring the information out there in order to make that season-changing move before your league-mate does.
Prospects are somewhat of an untapped resource when it comes to fantasy. Unless you are Jasson Dominguez or Junior Caminero, these guys usually don't warrant a bench spot on your roster until they are finally in the majors. I wanted to highlight three fantasy baseball prospects here who could make notable impacts for their teams (and your fantasy teams) either right now in the case of two of them, or when the other finally makes it back to the majors.
I outline why these players warrant your attention and I also included the availability of each player in Yahoo leagues with each breakdown. Let's take a look at some of the hottest names in the minor leagues!
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David Festa - SP, Minnesota Twins
Current Level: MLB
Availability: 9% rostered
2024 AAA stats: 15 GS, 60 1/3 IP, 3-3, 4.03 ERA, 3.95 FIP, 34.9% K%, 10.2% BB%
2024 MLB stats: 4 GS, 24 1/3 IP, 2-2, 5.55 ERA, 4.77 FIP, 28.8% K%, 5.8% BB%
The Twins selected David Festa in the 13th round in the 2021 MLB Draft, but ever since then, he has outperformed expectations, quickly ascending the ranks of the minor leagues until he ultimately made his big league debut earlier this season. Over the course of his minor league career, Festa has racked up the strikeouts to the tune of a 29.9% K%, even topping that number this year at Triple-A with a whopping 34.9% K%.
So why isn't he rostered in all leagues now that he's in the majors? Well, first of all, it hasn't been as easy in the 24 1/3 IP so far with Minnesota, of course. The K% has still been great, but the long ball has done him in. The 24-year-old has allowed six home runs already in just five appearances with a 20.7% HR/FB%. It's something that has plagued him at Triple-A as well, allowing nine homers (24.3% HR/FB%) in 15 starts despite the big swing-and-miss stuff.
The walks had been a tad above average as well this season at Triple-A, posting a 10.2% BB%. Once the Seton Hall product irons the home runs and the walks out, look out, he'll be ready to start for your fantasy teams. Notably, for the Twins, the walks haven't been a problem (5.8% BB%) and based on his latest start, it appears as though the time to add him is now after the righty tossed five innings of scoreless ball, allowing just two hits and two walks while striking out nine Cubs batters en route to earning his second MLB win.
David Festa racks up a career-high nine strikeouts 🔥
MLB's No. 87 prospect (@Twins) scatters two hits and two walks across five scoreless innings. pic.twitter.com/AhhauXye8N
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) August 6, 2024
Pedro Leon - OF, Houston Astros
Current Level: MLB
Availability: 1% rostered
2024 AAA stats: 93 G, .297/.377/.519, 19 HR, 74 RBI, 62 R, 23 SB
2024 MLB stats: 3 G, .111/.200/.111, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 R, 1 SB
The Houston Astros signed Cuban outfielder Pedro Leon in 2021 as part of the international free agent signing class. They gave him a $4 million signing bonus, tops in the class, and it was expected he'd be in the majors in no time as the starting center fielder. Things took a bit longer than expected, as he's already 26 years old, but the 'Stros finally called him up this month for his big league debut.
Pedro León records his first hit as a big leaguer.#Relentless pic.twitter.com/USxJB6kAjR
— Lorenzo (@lorenzodelgad0) August 4, 2024
With Kyle Tucker's absence, the Astros are looking for some offense, as Jake Myers and Chas McCormick have combined to hit .222 with 15 home runs between the two of them. Leon blasted 19 home runs in 93 Triple-A games prior to his call-up and is finally hitting for average (.297) after batting just .233 over his first three pro seasons. Strikeouts seemed to have held him back in the past as well, striking out at a 29.0% clip over that same timeframe, but he reduced it to 26.2% in 2024.
This one might have actually flown to space 🚀@astros' No. 27 prospect Pedro León crushes a home run 479 ft for the @SLSpaceCowboys! pic.twitter.com/add30zSRnp
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) April 28, 2024
With 23 steals at Sugar Land, the Cuban has some speed to offer as well. With only three games under his belt for Houston, he's already swiped one bag there. He's started the last three games in right field and if he can get regular at-bats, the potential is there to be a power-speed contributor for fantasy. Managers should consider picking up the right-handed hitter before it's too late, and especially if he shows signs of getting hot.
Jordan Lawlar - SS, Arizona Diamondbacks
Level: Triple-A Reno (IL)
Availability: 8% rostered
2024 AAA stats: 4 G, .400/.429/.750, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 4 R, 0 SB
Jordan Lawlar was drafted sixth overall in 2021 and ascended to the majors by the end of 2023, even logging a pair of postseason plate appearances. However, injuries have marred his 2024 campaign, limiting him to just four games at Triple-A. The 22-year-old's latest setback with his hamstring strain is expected to sideline him until September. At that point, he'll require a rehab stint, perhaps picking up where he last left off with the Arizona Complex affiliate, so the majors might not be in the cards this season.
🚨 JORDAN LAWLAR GAME-TYING TRIPLE 🚨 pic.twitter.com/znY2sDU3gx
— Reno Aces (@Aces) June 16, 2024
Whenever he does return, MLB's eighth-ranked prospect offers 20/20 potential. The Texas native hit 20 homers and stole 36 bases in 105 games across two levels in 2023. If it seems the right-handed hitter is nearing a return to the big leagues later this season, he'd certainly be a stash candidate in all leagues, so keep an eye out for any updates.
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