Top Fantasy Baseball Prospects & MLB Report - Week 11: Injury Callups
With a new rash of MLB injuries this week, we got a new round of MLB prospects called up. That means some new shiny additions for our fantasy baseball lineups! Some of these prospects will have longer term value than others, but they’re all worth a look at some level.
Fantasy Baseball Prospects 2024: MLB Prospect Risers & Recent Callups
Whether it’s Tyler Locklear, Adael Amador, Drew Thorpe or Carlos Rodriguez getting promoted, Jace Jung and Jordan Lawlar pushing the door on getting promoted or a future hype-worthy prospect from Japan in Rintaro Sasaki. They’re all newsworthy for fantasy baseball this week.
Tyler Locklear — 1B Seattle Mariners
The injury to Ty France, a key part of the Mariners’ lineup, could be a lengthy one. That’s given a lot of runway to Locklear being called up and getting playing time. The third-baseman-turned-first-baseman has the requisite skills to go with playing corner infield, at least offensively.
Over 167 minor league games since being drafted in 2022, Locklear has slashed .289/.398/.508 with 29 HR, 116 RBI, 105 R and 16 steals. Don’t expect the steals to stick in the majors though as he’s a below-average runner. The Hit tool and Power tool are legit though ranking 55-grade each. He should get the gig at first base while France is out, unless he majorly struggles. So, if you're in need of a power-upside bat at first, Locklear is worth a look.
Adael Amador — SS/2B Colorado Rockies
The Rockies called up their top prospect this week in Amador to counteract Brendan Rodgers landing on the 10-day IL. It was a bit surprising given that Amador was at Double-A Hartford at the time of the call-up. In 46 games for the Yard Goats, he’d posted a .194/.337/.329 slash line over 209 PA with 7 HR, 31 R, 24 RBI and 22 SB.
The counting stats are great, as is the 15.8% BB rate and an OBP 143 points higher than his AVG. The jump is a bit shocking still though. Amador will get some run while Rodgers is out but it’s hard to see him sticking long term at this point. The 21-year-old middle infielder is going to be a very effective fantasy asset starting next year with his plus-Hit tool and above-average Speed trait but he definitely still needs a tad more seasoning.
Drew Thorpe — RHP Chicago White Sox
One of the pieces in the Juan Soto deal, he was then flipped as part of the Dylan Cease trade shortly after. Thorpe has since been dominating Double-A at Birmingham over 11 starts and 60 innings. It’s quite clear at this point that his stuff is too good for the Double-A level as he not only put up a 1.35 ERA (3.01 FIP) this year but last year he managed a 1.48 ERA (2.15 FIP) in 30.1 innings last year for the Yankees.
His three pitch mix plays up thanks to his double-plus command and his baseball IQ for mixing pitches. The fastball isn’t the most elite sitting in the low-to-mid-90s but the late life and command help it avoid bats. The changeup is the gem of the arsenal as a double-plus pitch and is a true out pitch. When the slider is at its best it’s a fringe-plus pitch too. That combo makes him a mid-rotation option who can strike out nearly a batter per inning.
We’ve seen pitchers make the jump from being elite at Double-A to sticking in the majors before Thorpe may just be one of those arms given the openings in the White Sox rotation, injuries and a lack of other promising arms closer to the majors. If you need a streaming option Thorpe is a hard one to pass up.
Carlos Rodriguez — RHP Milwaukee Brewers
The 12th different starting pitcher for the Brewers already this year. Rodriguez got the call up earlier this week. The promotion was more to do with fitting the rotation schedule rather than dominating at Triple-A. Over 62.2 innings at Triple-A Nashville, Rodriguez has posted a 5.17 ERA (4.68 FIP) with a 4.16 BB/9 and 9.48 K/9.
The strikeouts are nice but the walks aren’t helpful, nor are the eight homers already given up. He has a five-pitch mix that he uses in a kitchen sink type approach on the bump. None of the pitches are plus but they’re all between a tick below-average to a tick above-average and play up a bit thanks to mixing the pitches.
The control is an issue, and he pitches more to contact than using pure stuff to strikeout batters. He may be in the rotation for a couple of starts and then get shipped back to Nashville. Rodriguez isn’t anything more than a streaming option at this point.
Jace Jung — 2B Detroit Tigers
The Tigers’ offense has been struggling some of late, especially at third base and at the keystone. Jung is making a case that he’s banging on the door for a call-up. Over 57 games for the Toledo Mud Hens this year he’s slashing .285/.399/.536 with 11 HR, 40 RBI, 32 R, 1 SB and 17 2B.
This comes on the heels of putting up a 28-homer campaign with 82 RBI and 74 R in 128 games in 2023. The younger brother of Josh Jung, the power isn’t quite to that level but the Hit tool is there. We could see Jung coming up sooner rather than later to try and make a push for a Tigers’ team playing better than most thought would be the case to this point in the season.
Jordan Lawlar — SS Arizona Diamondbacks
One of the top-10 prospects in baseball is back on a baseball field. Lawlar had been recovering from an injury this offseason and is now back at Triple-A Reno starting at shortstop. In 2023, he got his first foray in MLB with a 14-game late-season stint that didn’t go great, but prior to that he was lighting things up.
A 20-36 season while slashing .278/.378/.496 over 105 games across two MiLB levels. The skills are there for Lawlar to be a five-category contributor for fantasy baseball teams, the question is just when. The Diamondbacks right now are strong up the middle with Ketel Marie at second base and Geraldo Perdomo back healthy at shortstop with Kevin Newman and Blaze Alexander as backups.
Lawlar is the most talented of that bunch by a large margin but he likely isn’t coming up for another few months yet. If you’re in a keeper league and you want a prospect stash, Lawlar is an interesting candidate.
Rintaro Sasaki — 1B Stanford University
For the dynasty crowd, Sasaki is playing in the MLB Draft League for the Trenton Thunder. He’s making his U.S. debut before playing for Stanford University the next two seasons. The Japanese power-hitter is a unique case as he’s skipping the NPB Draft and posting process and is instead playing college ball stateside to get his education as well.
The slugger had a great debut with a home run and a total stat line of 2-5 with a walk, three RBI and two runs. He was playing against current MiLB players as well. For those of us in dynasty leagues he’s one of the more exciting bats coming down the pipeline but we’ll have to wait until July of 2026 for him to be drafted.
His game should translate well to the states after setting the Japan High School record with 140 HR while also showing great bat-to-ball skills. Think of him as the next high-average, big-power first baseman prospect.
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Daulton Varsho picked up three hits, three RBI and a homer in a win over the Angels on Thursday.
Varsho has only played in seven games this year, but they’ve been seven good ones. He’s homered three times already, and his slugging percentage is a remarkable — and entirely unsustainable — .727 over 22 at-bats. Varsho has been a mediocre offensive player in his two seasons with the Blue Jays, but it’s possible at the age of 28 he’s having a breakout campaign. Far from a guarantee, but possible.
Taylor Ward hit a two-run homer in a loss to the Blue Jays on Thursday.
Ward, 31, gave the Angels a 2-0 lead with a two-run homer off Chris Bassitt in the first inning. He’s now gone deep in two of his last three games, and it ‘improves’ his slash to .181/.224/.391. Ward has been one of the most hot/cold players players in the sport over the last few years, so fantasy managers who can afford to make some roster moves may want to look at Ward while the going is good.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. picked up three hits and scored twice in an 8-5 win over the Angels on Thursday.
Guerrero also drew a walk. It gives the first baseman multiple hits in back-to-back games, and it’s the third time in May that he’s reached that mark. That’s helped raise his average from .268 to .295, and the only thing fantasy managers can be disappointed with is his .432 slugging percentage. That number should continue to climb as the season unfolds, but Vladdy Jr. has had some inconsistent seasons when it comes to power production.
Chad Green picked up his first save of 2025 with a scoreless ninth against the Angels on Thursday.
Green got the save after Jeff Hoffman worked in back-to-back games — and struggled — in the first two contests against the Angels. He struck out two and looked the part while needing just nine pitches to get through the inning. Hoffman should remain the closer, but Green is on his tail if the struggles were to continue.
Chris Bassitt allowed five runs — four earned — while working six-plus innings against the Angels on Thursday while picking up a win.
Bassitt allowed three runs over the first two innings on a pair of homers, but settled down over his next four frames. He came out to work the seventh, but ended up being charged for two more runs after leaving the contest. The 36-year-old veteran has forged a 3.35 ERA and outstanding 49/8 K/BB ratio over the first quarter of the season, but this wasn’t him at his best. He’ll get the Rays next week if the rotation order stays the same for Toronto.
José Soriano allowed three runs over five innings while not factoring in the decision Thursday against the Blue Jays.
Soriano left with a 4-3 lead, but it was erased quickly after his departure. The 26-year-old was not exactly dominant in his outing with eight hits allowed and four free passes, but he did strike out six to help balance things out a smidgen. Soriano takes an even ERA of 4.00 into a scheduled start against the Padres in San Diego on Tuesday. There should be better options for that one.