Fantasy World: The Wieting List

These are the call-ups who could turn into keepers.

Getty Images

He already mashes for Team USA, now Matt LaPorta hopes to crack the Indians lineup.

Every season, usually around May, a few youngsters who start the season down on the farm get that one phone call they're never going to forget—the call-up. And, even more importantly, almost every year one of those phone calls leads to a huge impact in fantasy leagues. Last year it was Evan Longoria. The year before that it was Ryan Braun. And this year, everyone expects that player to be Orioles catcher Matt Wieters.

But since that information doesn't help you at all—the fact that everyone expects it to be Wieters means he isn't falling under anyone's radar—let's take a look at some other youngsters who plan on starting the year in the minors, but could be up in The Show soon enough to make a big impact. We'll call it the Wieting list. But they won't wait forever.

David Price, Rays
Despite being major league-ready now, word around the Tampa Bay spring training facility is that Price will start in Triple-A as a way to keep his innings down and save the franchise a bundle of money in this harsh economic climate. That's certainly the smart move, so expect Price not to see the major league rotation until June, at which point the sky is once again the limit. 10 wins and 125 Ks in limited duty are not out of the question.

Matt LaPorta, Indians
With the Tribe's outfield already spoken for, Cleveland would rather have LaPorta get his reps in at the minor league level to start off the year. But with a .296 average in 12 spring training games so far, he's only an injury—or a cold start from Travis Hafner—away from flashing his 30 HR power at Jacobs Field.

Andrew McCutchen, Pirates
You could tell by the spring training box scores that Pittsburgh isn't sure what they're going to do with McCutchen yet; he has the most at-bats of any Pirate so far. Even so, all signs point towards the 22-year-old picking up where he left off last year with the club's Triple-A team in Indianapolis. But seeing as Pittsburgh will, once again, be out of the running sooner rather than later, they'll give him an audition at some point this year. And when they do, you'll want to snag him for his stolen base potential alone.

Dexter Fowler and Carlos Gonzalez, Rockies
Already sent down to the minors, the 22-year-old and 23-year-old, respectively, will be working on their hitting skills in Triple-A when the calendar turns to April. Fowler is the better prospect of the two, someone who gets scouts excited with all of his "tools." But Carlos Gonzalez already has big league experience, logging 85 games with the A's last year, so he could be the first to get the call. Follow their farm stats closely, as one will no doubt be seeing action in 2009.

Trevor Cahill and Brett Anderson, A's
Kevin Goldstein at Baseball Prospectus named the A's farm system the best in the majors, saying that "their Triple-A rotation … could be better than some in the majors." With these two guys headlining, there's going to be plenty of nights when the action down the road in Sacramento is more exciting than in Oakland. And with question marks in the big league rotation from the front (Justin Duchscherer is already expected to miss Opening Day with a bad elbow) to the back (the fifth spot is still up for grabs), it's only a matter of time before the youth movement begins. The guess here is that Anderson gets the first call and could even be a dark horse candidate for that fifth spot before spring training ends.

Derek Holland, Rangers
There hasn't been a good fantasy option who pitched half his games in Arlington since Kenny Rogers in 2005, but Holland looks like he could be the next. The only question is when. The 22-year-old has only a tad over 200 minor league innings under his belt, so he'll definitely be starting in Triple-A Oklahoma City, despite putting up decent spring training numbers. Keep an ear open for any news, but the probability is that Holland won't reach the majors until 2010.

Alcides Escobar, Brewers
Thought to be in contention for the starting shortstop spot during the offseason, defensive wonder Escobar has a weak .214 average and is slugging only .321 through 16 spring training games. That'll most likely have him starting the year in Triple-A, where he belongs. Common thinking is the Brewers will try to shift J.J. Hardy to third base to make room for Escobar sometime during the season, but look for them to keep him on ice until next year, when Hardy's contract expires.

Other Young'uns To Keep An Eye On:
Michael Bowden, Red Sox
Aaron Cunningham, A's
Gordon Beckham, White Sox
Wade Davis, Rays
Carlos Carrasco, Phillies
David Huff, Indians

Players On My Team of the Week: David Wright, whose ninth-inning, 2-RBI single against Puerto Rico put Team U.S.A in the WBC semifinals. Maybe this will be what he needs to boost last year's horrid .243 batting average with runners in scoring position.

How to Heckle One of My Players of the Week: "Hey, Mark Teixeira, didn't that game-winning pile-on for Team U.S.A. seem like a lot of fun? Hope the 'relationships you're developing with your new team' are worth it."

Teen Scientists of the Week: The class at IES La Bisbal school in Catalonia, who attached a digital camera to a latex balloon, sent it 20 miles into the sky, and got themselves some amazing images from the edge of space.

Buy High: No one being invincible, after Jackass star Steve-O, who has done many, many horrible things to his body over the years, had to bow out of the latest "Dancing with the Stars" after injuring himself during dance practice.

Sell Low: The Sci Fi Channel who, for some strange reason, decided to change their name to SyFy this past week. Unfortunately, as my friend Julia points out, the new moniker means "filthy" or "full of syphilis" in Polish. Who were the ad wizards behind this one?

Print Article . Email Article. Subscribe to The Magazine