This article is part of our Regan's Rumblings series.
Perhaps this happens every year, but it sure seems as if we've seen a historical influx of young talent this year. Last season of course saw the arrivals of Juan Soto and Ronald Acuna Jr. among others. This year the list just seems to be miles long: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Yordan Alvarez, Fernando Tatis Jr., Eloy Jimenez, Austin Riley, Chris Paddack, Mike Soroka, etc. Still though, there are many more guys on the cusp who can and will help fantasy teams sooner rather than later.
Kyle Tucker, OF, HOU
In most other organizations, Tucker would be starting in the big leagues right now, but after already making room for Yordan Alvarez, the Astros aren't ready to do that for Tucker just yet. He's hitting .274/.348/.606 in Triple-A, including very nice counting stats – 24 home runs, 19 stolen bases. The rather low batting average raises eyebrows after he hit .332 at the same level a year ago, and at least so far, he's traded some contact for more power, His .332 ISO is up 74 points over last year while he's striking out at a 24.1 percent clip compared to 2018's AAA mark of 18.1 percent. The lefty-swinger shouldn't require a platoon partner, as he has an .894 OPS versus southpaws this year and a .968 mark a year ago (AAA). Tucker scuffled in his first big league test last year, putting up a .141/.236/.203 line in 72 PA, but he
Perhaps this happens every year, but it sure seems as if we've seen a historical influx of young talent this year. Last season of course saw the arrivals of Juan Soto and Ronald Acuna Jr. among others. This year the list just seems to be miles long: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Yordan Alvarez, Fernando Tatis Jr., Eloy Jimenez, Austin Riley, Chris Paddack, Mike Soroka, etc. Still though, there are many more guys on the cusp who can and will help fantasy teams sooner rather than later.
Kyle Tucker, OF, HOU
In most other organizations, Tucker would be starting in the big leagues right now, but after already making room for Yordan Alvarez, the Astros aren't ready to do that for Tucker just yet. He's hitting .274/.348/.606 in Triple-A, including very nice counting stats – 24 home runs, 19 stolen bases. The rather low batting average raises eyebrows after he hit .332 at the same level a year ago, and at least so far, he's traded some contact for more power, His .332 ISO is up 74 points over last year while he's striking out at a 24.1 percent clip compared to 2018's AAA mark of 18.1 percent. The lefty-swinger shouldn't require a platoon partner, as he has an .894 OPS versus southpaws this year and a .968 mark a year ago (AAA). Tucker scuffled in his first big league test last year, putting up a .141/.236/.203 line in 72 PA, but he was also just 21 at the time, so I'd expect things to turn out different this time. He's probably my top minor league stash for this year. One way the Astros could free up playing time is by moving Yuli Gurriel to a utility role or even to another organization, but either way, I'd expect Tucker in Houston shortly after the break.
Bo Bichette, SS, TOR
Bichette is looking to be third second-generation big leaguer called up by the Blue Jays this year, and he shouldn't have to wait much longer. After missing six-plus weeks with a hand injury, Bichette returned on June 7, and in 20 games, he's hit a sizzling .365/.460/.554 with two homers and eight stolen bases. Bichette projects to be a 20/20 guy eventually with a plus hit tool, though for now, he'll be more of a target for his speed than his power. Overall, Dante's kid has hit .315/.401/.488 while striking out just under 20 percent of the time and walking at a 12.2 percent clip. Bichette probably needs something to happen with current SS Freddy Galvis, who is batting .257 with 12 homers while providing excellent defense. Of course, Galvis isn't going to be part of the team's next contending club, so I'd expect he will get traded at some point this month, or perhaps, they'll simply move him to a utility role. Either way, Bichette should be up by the end of this month if not sooner.
Luis Urias, 2B, SD
Urias has yet to prove himself at the big league level, batting just .167 in 81 PA across two previous stints, but a return trip to Triple-A has cemented his status as one of the top 15 to 20 prospects in the game. For El Paso, Urias has hit .322/.406/.616. His 17 home runs are already seven more than he hit all of last year, and he's cut his K percentage to 18.8 while drawing walks at a solid 11.1 percent clip and even chipping in seven steals (three total in 2018). It was always assumed that he'd hit for average, but it's the power and speed he's showed his year that have propelled him to elite prospect status. The Padres are going to have an impressive double-play combination for a lot of years. The only roadblock for Urias is 37-year-old Ian Kinsler, who is hitting just .225/.280/.387. Kinsler has been better lately, but he's also been losing time to Greg Garcia, so the likelihood that Urias is down much longer seems remote.
Carter Kieboom, SS, WAS
Kieboom had his chance earlier this year, but after batting just .128/.209/.282 in 43 PA, Kieboom was returned to Triple-A. He should be in for another chance, however, as he's hit .322/.436/.595 with 13 homers in 63 Triple-A games. Kieboom has also posted a 1.242 OPS in his last 11 games, so perhaps he's inching closer to a return. The 21-year-old doesn't steal a ton of bases, which limits his fantasy upside, but he has shown the ability to hit over .300 with 25-plus home runs, making him a valuable fantasy commodity as a middle infielder. Encouragingly, Kieboom has shown a plus ability to get on base recently, posting a 16.1 BB percentage at the Triple-A level, making him a candidate to hit near the top of a strong Nationals lineup eventually. Right now, Kieboom's clearest path to the big leagues looks to be second base, where veteran Brian Dozier is hitting .230. Dozier though could also be replaced by Howie Kendrick, leaving Kieboom with perhaps a pair of hurdles to regular playing time. Kieboom should be a fixture by 2020, though it seems he'll need an injury to another player to clear the path this year.
Gavin Lux, SS, LAD
Lux had a strong 2018, but he's seen his prospect status skyrocket in 2019, resulting in a promotion this week from Double-A to Triple-A. At the lower level, Lux hit a nice .313/.375/.521 with 13 homers and seven steals, and Triple-A pitching hasn't slowed him down in the least. In just three games, Lux has gone 8-for-15 with five XBH, and it would now be surprising if he didn't debut in the next month or two. A former first-round pick, Lux is still just 21, so his power stroke is still developing, but in his prime, it's not out of the question that he's be able to hit 25-plus homers while stealing 15-plus bases and hitting .300. The main questions with Lux are "when?" and "where?" The Dodgers have the deepest roster in baseball, so once Corey Seager returns from the IL, they will have multiple options up the middle. The Dodgers have been loath to deal elite prospects under Andrew Friedman, so while Lux would certainly net the relieve the Dodgers desperately need, I don't see him being dealt. He's the team's second baseman of the future. One scenario could be seeing Joc Pederson being dealt to open up playing time or even (less likely) Alex Verdugo. Either way, expect Lux to make his MLB debut this summer.
Dustin May, SP, LAD
Along with Gavin Lux, May was recently promoted to Triple-A, putting him on the cusp of a big league callup. May is just 21 and an unfinished product, but when I saw him in Arizona this spring, he stood out for two important things: his big league caliber stuff and his flowing red hair. All kidding aside, May profiles as a No. 3 starter on a contending team, and though a 3.74 ERA is merely average, May's 89:22 K:BB in 84.1 innings speaks to his upside. At 6'6" and just 180 pounds, May looks like a guy who has room to add 20 pounds of muscle and increase his fastball from the mid-90s to the upper-90s at some point in the next couple seasons. He'll likely make his MLB debut later this year and has the upside to be a strong fantasy performer for several seasons.
Jorge Mateo, SS, OAK
After seeing his status take a massive hit last year when he hit just .230/.280/.353 at Triple-A, Mateo has really turned things around this year, batting .310/.434/.535 with 12 homers and 17 steals in 77 games. He's been slumping a bit lately though, and his 4.5 BB percentage is a bit of a red flag that could prevent him from becoming a future leadoff hitter. In 269 games at the upper levels (AA/AAA) of the minors, Mateo's BB percentage sits at just 5.9 with a 24.9 K percentage, so plate discipline has certainly been an issue against advanced competition. The A's seem to have accumulated a bunch of "interesting," but ultimately, semiproductive at best middle infielders, so I'd expect Mateo to at least get a look soon. The lack of plate discipline scares me somewhat, but he's always been an interesting talent, and the counting stats are impressive.
Jo Adell, OF, LAA
Adell is just 20 with a mere 698 professional at-bats, but we're not talking about a "normal" prospect here. Adell profiles is the Angels' version of Juan Soto, but with more speed and perhaps, slightly less plate discipline. Adell debuted late (May 24) this year due to hamstring and ankle injuries, but when he's been on the field, he's easily been the best player on either side. Since progressing from his High-A rehab assignment to Double-A, Adell has hit .392/.458/.635 with three homers and four steals in 20 games. He struggled a bit last year at the same level, hitting .238/.324/.429 I n17 games, but he's clearly made the necessary adjustments. Going back to Soto, he began 2018 at the Low-A level and ultimately played 116 MLB games. He's obviously a special case, but with Adell already at Double-A, if he keeps destroying minor league pitching, an August (?) callup does seem possible.
Jesus Luzardo, SP, OAK
Luzardo has a strong case to be baseball's best pitching prospect, and it seems his time could be coming soon. It was supposed to have happened already, but Luzardo came down with shoulder soreness this spring, thus delaying his arrival. He's back competing in minor league games now, and in 15.1 innings, the lefty has allowed a 2.93 ERA with a strong 20:2 K:BB while hitting the mid-to-upper 90s with his fastball. Luzardo rose quickly last year, competing at three levels and pitching to a 2.88 ERA and 129:30 K:BB in 109.1 innings, ultimately finishing in Triple-A. Luzardo has a 2016 Tommy John surgery on his resume, so that combined with the shoulder issue this spring make him a bit of a risk, but the raw stuff, command and control all rate as ace-level. Because he's getting off to such a late start, fantasy owners probably won't have to worry too much about his starts being limited. He should be in the A's rotation following the break.
Monte Harrison, OF, MIA
I'm probably not burning a roster spot on him in shallower leagues, but if you're in need of steals, Harrison should get an MLB look in the second half. He's hitting a solid .284/.372/.479 with nine homers and 20 steals in 50 games at the Triple-A level. After striking out 215 times in 581 Double-A PA (36.9 K percentage) last year, Harrison has cut his K percentage to a still-high 30.3 percent this year while bumping his BB percentage from 7.5 to 11 percent. He'll be a BA risk in the big leagues for probably his entire career, but if he can manage to get on at a 35 percent clip at the big league level, Harrison would be a real threat to steal 40 bases with double-digit power. If you're still thinking that his strikeout rate will keep him down in Triple-A all year, consider for a moment the current Miami starting outfield: Harold Ramirez, JT Riddle, Garrett Cooper. He and current teammate Isan Diaz (2B with 18 HR) should be starting sometime in July.
