Fantasy Baseball: Stash these AL young guns in 2018
The American League Central
Minnesota Twins:
Akil Baddoo, Outfield: Statline in 2017: .323/.436/.527, four home runs, 29 RBI, nine stolen bases.
The Georgia native has raw, untamed power, but beyond that something truly special.
He has enough pop in his bat to hit the occasional long bomb. However, you need to stash him for entirely different reasons.
Speed, high on-base potential, run-scoring ability, and stolen bases.
Categories in Fantasy Baseball that are often overlooked, but could make the difference in making the playoffs or not. Or even, winning the coveted title.
Kansas City Royals: With the boys in blue (likely) in full-out rebuilding mode, many youngsters will have a shot to rise through the rankings quickly in Kansas City in 2018.
None better to rise above the rest like Jake Junis, who in a small sample size last season, displayed his Fantasy Baseball worth — 4.30 ERA/1.28 WHIP/7.3 K/9 — in less than 100 MLB innings.
He’s currently off the scopes as being a top 50 MLB pitcher, but by the time the playoffs roll around, you’ll be glad he’s on your roster, that’s for sure.
Cleveland Indians: With the Indians coming off a 2016 World Series appearance and another stellar campaign in 2017, you would think any players worth stashing are already exposed.
Wrong. Francisco Mejia — no doubt the best catching prospect since Gary Sanchez. In a small dose of playing time in 2018, the future star shined brightly — .297/.346/.490, 14 home runs, 52 RBI, 7 SB.
Even though he’s slightly on the radar of some of your draftee opponents, you may be able to snag Mejia up before any of them do and with great value — even as late as the 7th or 8th round.
Chicago White Sox: Yoan Moncada, a former top prospect in the Sox organization, didn’t perform as such when he first arrived in the Big Leagues.
Hitting below .240 for most of the season, Moncada caught fired and finished September with this more viable stat line — 276/.349/.469 and five home runs.
No doubt you will be able to snag Moncada in the late rounds, and you’ll be thrilled you snagged him up.