Fantasy baseball: 5 prospects to watch for promotions

Every fantasy baseball season, there are prospects that get called up from the minors and contribute right away. Let’s take a look at some hitters that I expect to do just that in 2023.

5 prospects to watch in 2023 from a fantasy baseball perspective

• Brett Baty got a brief call-up by the Mets in 2022. He hit .325 with a home run and a pair of steals this spring but they feel he needs a little more seasoning after only playing six games at the Triple-A level. Eduardo Escobar is the only player currently blocking him, and his best days are behind him so it shouldn’t be long before we see Baty in New York.
• Bo Naylor is the catcher of the future for the Guardians. He’s only 22 years old and hit 21 home runs in the minors last season. He also added 20 stolen bases, which are fantastic to get out of a catcher. Mike Zunino is the current catcher that is getting the majority of the starts. He’s known for his defense but consistently struggles to hit .200. That could push Cleveland to promote Bo to join his brother Josh Naylor on the MLB roster.
• Sal Frelick is one of the top prospects for the Brewers. He may be the most ready than any of these five names. He hit .331 with 11 homers and 24 steals in 2022. He also rarely strikes out, which is a good sign that he’s close to being ready. Frelick is probably one injury away to one of the Brewers outfielders from getting the call.
• Elly De La Cruz suffered a hamstring injury this spring and will need to get healthy first to make an impact, but he has the tools to be the best prospect on this list. Cruz would be my selection if I was starting a dynasty. In the minors last season, he hit 28 homers and added 47 stolen bases. He’s electric and is a must-add when he gets the call. I expect him to be the last one of these five called up but he should force the Reds into promoting him around the All-Star break.
• Francisco Alvarez is the top prospect for the Mets, and he has a ton of power as shown last season with his 28 homers in the minors. Omar Narvaez is serviceable, but the Mets won’t let him stand in the way of a call-up when they feel that he is ready. Alvarez has the potential to be a top-10 fantasy catcher down the stretch.

All of these prospects are worth a stash and should be productive upon getting the call. Some leagues make it difficult to hold onto them early on, but I would suggest having them on your watch list and adding them if there is any news of them being close to getting called up. This will be an added bonus to get you through an injury or bust replacement that you selected in your draft. It won’t be long before we see these five are contributing to MLB in 2023.