With
June's Super 2 deadline approaching, MLB teams will be looking to move their
impact prospects to the major leagues. Here's a look at 5 Minor League
players that will impact your favorite teams and fantasy baseball leagues this
summer.
1.
Andrew Heaney - LHP Florida Marlins
Regarded by many as the best LHP in
minor league baseball, Heaney has dominated the competition this season.
Between stops at AA and AAA, Heaney has made 11 appearances so far posting an
ERA of 2.09 in 64 2/3 innings and a strikeout to walk ratio of 66/13.
The combination of his performance,
the injury to staff ace Jose Fernandez, and that the Marlins are sitting in
second place in the NL East all but guarantee a call up early in June to
bolster the staff.
2.
Gregory Polanco - RF Pittsburgh Pirates
A year after clinching their first
playoff berth in 21 years, the Pirates have struggled offensively and sit 5
games under .500 as of June 1st. Their failure to get runners on
base in front of reigning NL MVP Andrew McCutchen has allowed teams to pitch
around him consistently and has been one of the driving forces behind the
Pirates currently sitting 26 out of 30 teams in runs scored this season.
Gregory Polanco is batting .349 with
6 HRs and 46 RBIs through 54 games this season at AAA
Indianapolis. In anticipation of his arrival, the Pirates have moved
Polanco into the leadoff spot to allow him to see pitches in the spot
in the batting order he will occupy in the majors.
3.
Joc Pederson - CF Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers find
themselves in an eerily similar position to where they were entering June
last season. The Dodgers once again face a surplus of outfielders
with a top prospect scorching hot in the minors knocking on the door.
Last season saw a June 2 call
up of Yasiel Puig and the Dodgers may be contemplating a similar move with Joc
Pederson this year. Through 52 games at AAA Albuquerque, Pederson is
hitting .337 with 15 HRs and 13 SBs.
The recent move of Matt Kemp
from CF to LF is the first move towards bringing Pederson to the
majors. The Dodgers will look to move either Carl Crawford or
Andre Either to another team before the July deadline thus delaying
Pederson's arrival ever so slightly.
4.
Jonathan Singleton - 1B Houston Astros
After the sale of the team in 2011,
the Houston Astros switch into rebuilding mode. This season we're seeing
the first wave of prospects that are part of that process make their way to the
majors led by George Springer and soon will be followed by power hitting first
baseman Jonathan Singleton.
Singleton has shown improvements
in both power and contact at AAA Oklahoma City this season after
struggling in the same spot last season. The Astros received Singleton
from the Philadelphia Phillies in the trade for Hunter Pence during the 2011
season and it finally starting to show the promise the Astros
anticipated.
5.
Taijuan Walker - RHP Seattle Mariners
If not for injury Taijuan Walker
would have started the season in the Major Leagues. After a brief cup of
coffee in the majors last season, Walker was penciled in to the third spot in
the Mariners rotation during spring training before being put on the DL with a
minor shoulder injury.
Walker is currently on a rehab
assignment at AAA Tacoma and should find himself back in the majors after
a few more outings.
Here are five other players whose arrival will be
slightly delayed to the Major Leagues but you'll see them make an impact
at the big league level before the end of the season.
- Noah Syndergaard - RHP New York Mets
- Javier Baez - SS Chicago Cubs
- Archie Bradley - RHP Arizona Diamondbacks
- Francisco Lindor - SS Cleveland Indians
- Ken Giles - RHP Philadelphia Phillies
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