The 2022 fantasy baseball season is nearing its end. We’re still a couple weeks out from the playoffs, but with fantasy football draft season upon us, that usually signals the end of baseball. But never fret, we still have rosters to set for the playoffs and we’re in the midst of late-season prospect calls with future stars making their debuts. Shea Langeliers is a player that fits the mold. Langeliers was a first-round draft pick of the Atlanta Braves just three years ago who was a key trade piece in the trade that sent Matt Olson from Oakland to Atlanta prior to the 2022 season. Early last week, Langeliers got the call to the big leagues and he did not disappoint in his debut. 

 

Believe it or not, Langeliers is not the first nor the second Oakland catcher I’ve previewed in 2022. Those honors went to Sean Murphy and Christian Bethancourt. But I digress. This is an organization that carries much intrigue as a team that gets the most out of their talent. Has that been the case in 2022? Hardly. Oakland has the worst record in the American League and the second-worst record in all of Major League Baseball.

Whether the call for Langeliers is a need to sell tickets, or an effort to get him some big-league reps, it’s a significant call for MLB.com’s 36th-ranked prospect. Langeliers wasted no time making an impact. In each of his first three games he collected an extra base hit, including his first career home run in just his second start.

And appropriately enough, the very next day he flashed what he can do defensively behind the dish…

Halfway through Sunday’s rubber match against Seattle, Langeliers was two-for-two with a double and a run scored in his second start at catcher (Update: he finished with three hits, including Oakland's first triple in 81 games, which is the longest triple-less streak in MLB history). Now we ask ourselves, “is he worth adding in fantasy baseball?” If I have to boil down the answer, yes he can be added in deeper leagues. But I'm skepitcal of such a desperate move in shallower leagues, yet not opposed to it. I won’t label him as a league winner because he still plays for a terrible team and for the most part he’s hitting in the bottom half of Oakland’s lineup. But the prospect pedigree is real. He’s not a threat on the base path, but he possesses enough raw power to gain the attention of fantasy baseball managers. After all, five extra base hits in as many games deserves a little attention.

That was Langeliers’ first hit on Sunday, his fourth extra base hit before he finally decided to collect his first career single in his second plate appearance on Sunday. The previously-mentioned triple came later in the eighth inning to get Oakland a 5-3 lead. Exhibiting that kind of power in short order against one of the prized pitchers of the MLB Trade Deadline is impressive. If there was a smaller outfield or a little extra carry with the wind, maybe that’s a home run in other ballparks.

Langeliers is available in over 80% of leagues, likely over 90% on most site providers. Following the debut and a multi-hit performance on Sunday, that rostership likely spikes early in the week as fantasy managers try to capitalize on a hot bat at a position without a ton of depth.

The rest of season outlook is a little tough to gauge for the Athletics. For starters, the AL West doesn’t feature the most explosive ballparks for offensive production according to most ballpark factor reports. However, they do have some interesting pitching matchups coming up. They have seven home games coming up against the Marlins and the struggling Yankees, then six games the following scoring period on the road against the Orioles and the Nationals. How well he performs at home over the next week is a good litmus test for the rest of the season. Oakland’s ballpark is one of the worst in baseball for offense, but he’s made the most of it this weekend.

Every fantasy baseball manager wants to land the surprise prospect that emerges late and helps take down a fantasy championship. Does Langeliers have that narrative on his side? Yes, but we’re just a handful of games into his career. We’ve seen plenty of prospects make noise in their debut only to cool off a week or two later. In deeper leagues, he’s worth a pickup as he’s arguably a top 20 option at the position. In shallower leagues, if you think he can continue to produce over the final six-to-seven weeks of the season then go get your guy. If the A's can find room for him closer to the top of the order then his value increases. The nice thing is that Oakland is utilizing him at DH which means they're doing what they can to at least get him in the lineup. But keep in mind, while he does have five XBH's in 19 at bats, he's already struck out nine times as well. Plate discipline could come in time, but take the good with the bad. I'm never opposed to striking while the iron is hot and if he cools off you can cut him and it costs you nothing. It's a position that sets the bar relatively low for fantasy baseball so the juice might be worth the squeeze.

 

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