Posted By:Luke Taylor on March 25, 2013

Dynasty Sports Empire’s prospect Expert Luke Taylor check in once again to bring you the top rookie pitchers that you should keep an eye on for the 2013 season. In preparation for this task, we asked Luke to look past long-term upside and tell us which players to watch that will have an immediate impact at the major league level. Read on to find the top pitching prospects for redraft leagues in 2013.
>> Luke’s top redraft prospects for 2013: Infield | Outfield

Starting Pitchers

Dylan Bundy – Baltimore Orioles

Electric arm. Has a developing, 4 pitch, bat-missing arsenal that should be on full display come mid season. Expect the O’s to manage his workload, but he should be a terrific source for K’s. Might be best to stream him, at least to start, while he navigates the lineups of the AL Beast.

Keep an eye on Gerrit Cole this summer
Boomer-44 – Flickr

Gerrit Cole – Pittsburgh Pirates

Similar to Bundy in that he has lights out stuff. He will need some refinement in AAA, but he should be pitching in spacious PNC park sometime before the All Star break. Might be more successful than Bundy–at least early on–due to the easier division.

Zach Wheeler – New York Mets

Expect a similar schedule to what teammate, Matt Harvey, was on last season, which means Wheeler should be up in July sometime. Most scouts agree that Wheeler is the better of the two, so similar numbers could expected.

Danny Hultzen – Seattle Mariners

May not have the flash of some of his other fellow, top pitching prospects, but makes up for it with terrific command/control. Made it to AAA last year and is very close to a call up. Could post decent strikeout numbers to go along with a decent ERA and low WHIP.

Trevor Bauer – Cleveland Indians

His struggles last year and subsequent falling out with Arizona have been well documented, but a change of scenery should be good for the young fireballer. He still has great stuff and despite the better hitters he’ll face, he should post great strikeout rates. His control may still be an issue however, so be prepared for some rough outings. He’ll head to AAA to start the year, but should be up with the big league club before too long.

Posted By:Luke Taylor on March 23, 2013

Dynasty Sports Empire’s prospect Expert Luke Taylor check in once again to bring you the top rookie outfielders that you should keep an eye on for the 2013 season. In preparation for this task, we asked Luke to look past long-term upside and tell us which players to watch that will have an immediate impact at the major league level. Read on to find the top outfield prospects for redraft leagues in 2013.
>> Luke’s top infield prospects for 2013

Outfield

Oscar Taveras – St. Louis Cardinals

Taveras will start the year out in AAA, but will likely be too good to keep down there for long. His violent, but controlled swing allows him to make hard contact on nearly everything that comes close to the strike zone. I could envision him hitting .275+ with double digit HR’s and 5-10 steals.

Wil Myers – Tampa Bay Rays

The Rays have never shied away from letting their young talent come up and contribute if they were the best option in helping the team win. Enter: Wil Myers. It may not be till June or July but he will impact that team in 2013, and he can impact your fantasy team as well. Myers could hit .265-.275 with double digit HR’s.

Adam Eaton – Arizona Diamondbacks

In line to be the starting center fielder for the D Backs and he comes with an enticing skill set. He has decent pop, makes consistent contact, and has terrific speed. The average might be a tad low, but he could bring 10-12 HR’s and 20+ steals. His playing time is perhaps his most attractive asset for 2013. (Editors Note: After Luke submitted this piece, Easton suffered a sprained UCL in his left elbow and is expected to miss 6-8 weeks).

Aaron Hicks – Minnesota Twins

With the departure of Ben Revere and Denard Span, Hicks, like Eaton, is in line to start in center field for his team. He is an absolute toolshed with a very good batting eye. He knows how to take a walk which means his speed will be on base…a lot. He has enough pop to potentially hit double digit HR’s this year, along with all the steals and runs he’ll get from getting on base at a good clip.

Posted By:Luke Taylor on March 22, 2013

After the amazing performances of  Mike Trout and Bryce Harper last year (not to mention Yu Darvish, Yoenis Cespedes, Wade Miley, and Todd Frazier), fantasy owners will be scouring the minor league and international ranks for the next fantasy breakout. We tapped Dynasty Sports Empire’s prospect expert Luke Taylor to give us his top rookies at each position for re-draft owners.  Of course, you can always find Luke’s take on these young studs over at DynastySportsEmpire.com where he provide prospect rankings, profiles and previews with any eye on dynasty fantasy baseball leagues. Let’s take a trip around the infield today with Luke’s list of top infield prospects for re-draft owners.

Follow Luke on Twitter @DSEmpire_Luke

Catcher

Travis d’Arnaud – New York Mets

Good raw power. Approach is a little aggressive, but bat speed allows him to make hard contact on everything. Will open the year in AAA, but it shouldn’t be too long before he’s called up. He could hit .260-.270 with double digit HR’s

Mike Zunino – Seattle Mariners

Lots of pop for a backstop. Swing is conducive for generating back spin and driving the ball out of the park. Will likely spend the first few months of 2013 in AAA, but he should be up by mid season. Could hit anywhere from .250-.270 with 8-10 bombs.

1st Base

Jonathan Singleton – Houston Astros

Has big raw power and a very good approach at the plate. The 1B position for the Astros is anything but locked down, so Singleton could be looking at some significant playing time. After his 50 game suspension, it shouldn’t be too long before the Stros give him a shot. He could hit .275+ with 10-12 HR’s

Second Base

Jedd Gyorko – San Diego Padres

Would you reach a round for Gyorko?
Lake Elsinore Storm – Flickr

Gyorko will have every opportunity to make the big league club out of spring training. His power is more gap power than over the fence, but that should give him plenty of doubles in spacious Petco Park. He should also hit for a solid average; perhaps .280+

Kotlen Wong – St. Louis

Wong will likely begin the year in AAA, but should get his call come June or July due to the lack of a present or future answer at the keystone for the Cards. He won’t be a star, but he should be able to do a little bit of everything. He could very well hit .275+, hit 5-8 HR’s and get double digit steals.

Nick Franklin – Seattle

Franklin may also qualify for the short stop position, but his future home–at least for the M’s–is likely at 2nd base. And that’s good because the current occupant of that position at the big league level is not that good. Teammate Dustin Ackley really hasn’t been the player the M’s thought they were getting when they drafted him 2nd overall a few years back. Franklin could easily take over at some point early on in 2013. His upside is minimal, but his floor is high. He could hit .270+ with 5-6 HR’s and a lot of doubles.

3rd Base

Nolan Arenado – Colorado Rockies

Has little standing in his way at the major league level. Line drive stroke and ability to hit to all fields will be perfect for Coor’s field. Will likely spend the first few months in AAA, but there is still a chance he breaks camp with the club. He could potentially hit anywhere from .260-.280 with a lot of doubles and 10+ HR’s.

Mike Olt – Texas Rangers

Won’t play much 3rd base as long as Adrain Beltre is upright, but his natural position is 3rd which is why he makes the list. The Ragers likely won’t give him at bats until he’s ready for a full time role, which could come very early in the year. He has big time raw power and could easily provide double digit HR’s if given enough playing time. However, that will probably be accompanied by a low batting average.

Short Stop

Jurickson Profar – Texas Rangers

Will probably only play 2nd base this year, but natural position is short stop. Rangers have said they intend for him to open 2013 in AAA, but don’t be surprised if they go back on their word in spring training. The best prospect in fantasy could hit .270-.280 with 8-10 HR’s and double digit steals.