The minor league season is underway, though there is limited data to work with at this point. Today we will take a look at a few of the hot starters at the Triple-A level and whether or not they will be fantasy relevant any time soon.

International League

Richie Shaffer, Durham Bulls (Tampa Bay)

Shaffer has never been a top prospect in the Rays system, but the power in his bat has made him intriguing for the last several years. Over his first two games at Triple-A this season, Shaffer is 5-for-8 with six RBIs. Clearly, this is a great start by the 25-year-old, but it likely won’t matter much. Unless there is an injury at one of the corner spots in Tampa’s infield, Shaffer will continue to log at-bats in the minor leagues.

Trea Turner, Syracuse Chiefs (Washington)

It appears that the Farm Report is a big fan of Trea Turner—and rightfully so. Over his first two games with the Chiefs, Turner is 1-for-3 with three walks, three runs, and two stolen bases. He is ready for the big leagues right now, but Dusty Baker and Co. are trotting Danny Espinosa out to shortstop everyday as long as they possibly can. Turner is clearly Washington’s shortstop of the future and should be added in all NL-Only leagues and deeper mixed leagues immediately.

Drew Hutchison, Buffalo Bisons (Toronto)

Hutchison was unable to secure a spot in the Blue Jays’ rotation out of spring training, so he will bide his time at Triple-A and wait for an injury or underperformance. He’s literally the definition of a boom or bust starter as he has the ability to pitch eight shutout innings or completely implode in the second inning. He’s worth a stash in AL-Only leagues as it’s almost a guarantee he’ll be the first call-up if there is a shuffling in the Jays rotation. Just be wary of the fact that he’ll murder your ERA and WHIP.

Jhoulys Chacin, Gwinnett Braves (Atlanta)

Remember this guy? It feels like he’s been around forever, but he’s only 28 years old. The long time Rockie has reappeared with the Braves and is due for a call-up in the coming days and that makes him worth adding in NL-Only leagues. Chacin has a career 3.76 ERA and 4.16 FIP at the major league level and should be able to find success once again. Keep a watchful eye on his first couple of starts as he could potentially be an add in mixed leagues down the line.

Pacific Coast League

Micah Johnson, Oklahoma City Dodgers (Los Angeles)

Johnson only appeared in two games for Oklahoma City before getting the call to Los Angeles on Saturday night. In a surprise to no one, Carl Crawford hit the disabled list prior to Saturday’s game against the Giants. With Andre Ethier and Howie Kendrick and three other position players already on the shelf, the Dodgers have a couple of holes to plug. It’s worth noting that Johnson made his first career start in left field on Friday night, but it’s unknown at this point whether the Dodgers will attempt to train him in the spot during meaningful regular season games. At this point, he does warrant a speculative add in NL-Only leagues based on the fact that he will steal bags if he can get on base. Hold off in mixed leagues for now.

Nomar Mazara, Round Rock Express (Texas)

Mazara is just 20 years old and has vaulted rapidly through the Rangers’ minor league system. Over his first three games at Triple-A this year, he is batting .538 over 13-plate appearances. He is likely to spend the majority of the season at Round Rock, though an injury at the big league level can change things in an instant. Mazara has solid power, but his plate discipline and contact rate is suspect. He can be left on waiver wires in redraft leagues, but a call-up could be imminent (and very likely) due to Shin-Soo Choo's calf injury. He should be picked up in 12-team mixed leagues and deeper leagues.

Archie Bradley, Reno Aces (Arizona)

After beginning the 2015 season as part of the Diamondbacks rotation, Bradley made his first start in 2016 at Triple-A Reno. He still has plenty of talent and massive upside, but Arizona felt as though he needed to begin the season in the minors after missing an extended amount of time after taking a line drive to the face in April of last year. Now fully healthy, Bradley will look to impress and work his way into a rotation spot. If his first start at Nashville is any evidence as to what we should expect, it won’t be long before he’s in the major. Bradley pitched six scoreless innings on Friday and struck out seven while walking three. He should be added in NL-Only leagues immediately and will likely be a mixed league add when he gets the call to Arizona.

Jesse Hahn, Nashville Sounds (Oakland)

It was expected that Hahn would begin the season in Oakland’s rotation, but that deal fell through. Instead, the A’s turned to Felix Doubront—who got injured—which lead to spot starter Eric Surkamp. Hahn performed well in his first start at Triple-A Nashville, throwing six scoreless innings while striking out five. He will probably make at least two or three more starts for Nashville before getting the call to Oakland. Naturally, he’s worth rostering in AL-Only leagues right now. His strikeout ability limits his upside in mixed leagues, but he’s a player to keep on the back burner as he provides solid ratios.

This coming Thursday, the focus will be on the Double-A level. In the meantime, if you have questions please feel free to comment or contact me on Twitter @askROTObaseball.