A week ago, I dug deep into the minor leagues and put a spotlight on several hitters at the Single-A level. Today, we are going to head back to the A-level—specifically High-A—and pinpoint some arms that need to be observed with a watchful eye. With the vast majority of prospects in Single-A still a few years away from the major leagues, you need to keep in mind that these players aren’t going to be useful in re-draft leagues. Instead these names have more of a dynasty and deep keeper focus.
Andrew Suarez, San Jose Giants (San Francisco)
The San Francisco Giants drafted Suarez last season, though this was after he was also selected in 2011 and again in 2014. He is a Miami boy and chose to play four years of college at The U before going pro. After being drafted and signing with the Giants in June, Suarez made his debut in the Arizona League and appeared in three games, all of which were relief appearances. Suarez was promoted quickly to Single-A and then again to High-A where he made eight combined starts and posted a 1.84 ERA with 31 strikeouts in 34.1 innings pitched.
San Francisco chose to have Suarez start at the same level this season and his numbers (2.78 ERA, 11.9 K/9, 1.2 BB/9) are once again stellar. It won’t be long before he’s promoted to Double-A with an outside shot to reach Triple-A by season’s end. Because Suarez spent four years in college, he’s definitely advanced for the Single-A level and it’s also the reason he is fast tracking through the minors. He is worth a stash in dynasty league right now because of the fact he should be able to reach the majors in mid-to-late 2017.
Erick Fedde, Potomac Nationals (Washington)
Behind top prospect Lucas Giolito, the Nationals have another arm with star potential in Fedde. Much like Suarez, Fedde was drafted out of high school before ultimately going to college for four years. Fedde underwent Tommy John surgery in 2014 prior to being drafted and didn’t make his debut until the 2015 season. He made 14 starts over two levels (Short-Season A and Low-A) and posted a 3.38 average and 8.3 K/9. This season the strikeouts are up (11.5 K/9) and so are the home runs. Fedde gave up two homers in 14 starts last season but has already been taken deep four times in four starts at Potomac. The Nationals are unlikely to rush him through their system, but Fedde has the makeup of a solid number three starter and that type of potential is always worth a stash. Just beware that Fedde may not make his major league debut until 2018.
Brent Honeywell, Charlotte Stone Crabs (Tampa Bay)
The Rays have long been known for their ability to develop pitchers and it appears as though Honeywell is going to be another success story. He possesses a very good fastball that will hit the mid-90s consistently and also a 65-grade screwball—a pitch that is extremely rare these days. Honeywell is terrorizing the Florida State League with a miniscule 0.89 ERA, 0.79 WHIP, and a fantastic BB/K ratio of 7.75. It’s only a matter of time before the Rays decide to promote him to Double-A. Depending on how Honeywell performs when he’s called up, he could reach Triple-A by the end of the year and that would put him on track to make his major league debut in the second half of next year. Honeywell needs to be owned in all dynasty leagues given his high floor and moderately high ceiling.
Brandon Waddell, Bradenton Marauders (Pittsburgh)
Much like Tampa Bay, the Pirates have a great track record when it comes to developing pitchers. It appears that Waddell could be another success story, though he’s nowhere close to the majors. After posting a 5.75 ERA and an ugly 2.57 K/BB ratio at Low-A West Virginia last year, Waddell has turned a corner at Bradenton by going 4-0 with a 0.93 ERA, 0.52 WHIP, and a K/BB ratio of 26-to-2. His fast start has already earned him a promotion to Double-A Altoona. There will likely be plenty of growing pains as the jump to Double-A is one of the hardest to make. Waddell doesn’t really have top prospect status at this point, but there’s no reason he cannot develop into one. Keep an eye on him in dynasty leagues.
Recent Call-ups
Mac Williamson, Giants
Williamson isn’t in a great situation as his role is likely unknown, but he has the chance to be on the weak side of a platoon in the coming weeks and that gives him value in NL-Only leagues. He has hit .355 with four homers and 18 RBI at Triple-A Sacramento this season.
Tim Adelman, Reds
It’s usually telling when a player is 28 years old and is finally making his major league debut. That’s what we have with Adelman, who made his first career start against the Pirates on Sunday. He actually fared quite well, pitching six innings with six strikeouts while giving up just two earned runs. While Adelman is nothing more than a warm body, he does have some value in NL-Only leagues, as he will start again this Friday against Milwaukee.
Zac Curtis, Diamondbacks
It’s rare to see a player jump from Single-A to the majors, but that’s exactly what Curtis did. He owned a 5.23 ERA at High-A Visalia before getting the call, but also an eye-popping 19.2 K/9. It’s anyone’s guess as to how long Curtis will be in the majors, but his strikeout ability is outstanding. Since he’s a reliever, he can be left on the waiver wire, but be sure to follow his progression as he could be a possible closer down the line.