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.