Baseball Prospect Watchers

With Pujols and Fielder leaving for the AL and a lot of unproven youth there is a massive void of power hitting 1B that almost needs to be filled by someone. This year we could see a lot of new faces at 1B looking to be the future stars of the league. Yonder Alonso is basically cemented at 1B for the Padres and although I typically run from Padres players like they can give me an STD just looking at their stats online for some reason I am not as scared for Yonder. I like his plate approach a lot and I think he can hit .300 there with some pop to boot. Will he be a classic 30 or 40HR guy at 1B? Well definitely not 40 but there is a chance for 30 it just wont be until around 2014. That part is big but it is also mental if he can focus on driving the ball he will find the gaps and take some deep. Mat Gamel is another former prospect now getting a chance to shine. He has mashed AAA and now gets a shot to play at 1B with Fielder gone. He too could be a surprise to fill the 1B power gap. He doesn't nearly have the plate discipline like Alonso but he has a smaller park with an ability to go big. Anthony Rizzo is another candidate to make a difference at 1B soon. He may start 2012 in AAA but I can't see them keeping him down there for too long. He is a great combination of power and defense. Rizzo will take advantage of his new house that is practically built for his plate approach. Paul Goldschmidt is another guy that could make us forget all the power the NL has lost. Goldschmidt is a classic low-end prospect that moved up the ranks by simply crushing the ball at will. He has a massive power load and he might have the best odds of the young guys to hit 40HR in a season. He may do it with a .240 avg but he could do it. Brandon Belt was hyped to the gils last season with HBO and his giant rise through the prospect sheets. He had a rough rookie season. I think the expectations and attention were a bit too much but this kid can still be special. He seems to project more like a Mark Grace type than a true power beast but that can be very valuable in fantasy too. I think he was overdrafted in a lot of leagues last year. He will be almost off the radar for 2012. He could be a solid late rounder in all league formats. Finally Matt Adams is another guy that may get a peek. True Berkman will be holding the fort for 2012 but Adams could make an impression. He wont make anyone forget Pujols but there is some serious pop there. Adams hit 32HR's last season in AA and could show up sometime in 2012 to spell Berkman who is up there in age. Adams is not projected to be the next elite hitter at 1B but he is opening eyes with his bat and moving up the prospect ranks in a similar fashion to Goldschmidt.

Category: Fantasy Baseball