By Chris Hadorn
Edited by Tim Heaney
Your fantasy baseball rankings look a little stale. KFFL.com's Fantasy Baseball Player Prospecting series highlights the exploits of minor league baseball players, including top MLB prospects. Find out who'll make an impact, whether it's in your rotisserie or head-to-head baseball game next week or in your fantasy baseball keeper league two years from now.
Today's first wave of September call-ups are headlined by two first tier catchers, Jesus Montero of the New York Yankees and Devin Mesoraco of the Cincinnati Reds.
Mesoraco made quite an impression on Reds manager Dusty Baker during spring training, but he had to spend the duration of the minor league regular season at Triple-A Louisville because of the major league presence of Ryan Hanigan and Ramon Hernandez.
Mesoraco hit .289 with 15 home runs, 36 doubles, 71 RBIs, 60 runs scored and an .855 OPS in 436 at-bats with Louisville. However, it's important to keep in mind that Mesoraco had a pedestrian second half of the season, hitting just .261 with six home runs and a .785 OPS in 142 at-bats.
The 23-year-old was taken in the first round of the 2007 draft, but he didn't emerge as a serious prospect until 2010, when he combined to hit .302 with 26 home runs and a .964 OPS between three levels.
Mesoraco's best fantasy trait is his power. Blessed with an uppercut swing tailored for the long ball, Mesoraco projects as a catcher capable of clubbing 20 to 25 home runs in his prime. With only a .269 career batting average in the minors, the Pennsylvania native won't win batting titles in the majors, but he should hit for a middle-of-the-road average based on the adjustments he has made in pitch selection over the last two seasons.
With Hanigan and Hernandez also in the fold, it's hard to invest too much in Mesoraco as a fantasy contributor in 2011. He's pretty much a play for NL-only formats and in keeper leagues.
In 2012, Mesoraco has a 50-50 chance to be the Reds' opening day catcher with the likelihood that Hernandez will walk as a free agent during the winter.
Rookie catchers have a higher bust rate than most positions, but Mesoraco is worth a serious look because he has the ceiling of an All-Star backstop.
***
Chicago White Sox right-handed pitcher Addison Reed has arguably had the finest season of any relief pitcher in the minors. In 78 1/3 innings between four levels, Reed has combined to go 2-1, with a 1.26 ERA, five saves and an eye-popping 114:11 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Reed has compiled a sub-2.00 ERA at every stop along the way from low Single-A to Triple-A. Since arriving with Triple-A Charlotte, Reed hasn't skipped a beat, posting a 1.27 ERA and a 28:3 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 21 1/3 innings.
Selected by the White Sox in the third round of the 2010 draft, Reed was an exceptional talent coming out of San Diego State, but he had mixed success as a starter during his junior year.
Lacking a reliable third pitch, Reed was moved back to the bullpen in the professional ranks where he has thrived. The 6-foot-4, 215-pound righty attacks hitters with a mid- to high-90s fastball and a wicked slider that he utilizes as an out pitch.
Unfortunately, Reed is now knocking on the door of a club that is already loaded with backend bullpen options in Sergio Santos, Chris Sale and Matt Thornton.
If Reed's 2011 minor league performance translates to The Show, Santos better watch out. Reed has the talent, poise and command to put up gaudy strikeout and ERA numbers similar to Atlanta Braves rookie sensation Craig Kimbrel.
There have been rumblings that Reed could arrive in the majors this month, but the White Sox have yet to make an announcement regarding his status.
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Kyle Gibson, considered by many to be the Minnesota Twins' top pitching prospect, is set to have Tommy John surgery on his right elbow. The former University of Missouri star initially tried to rehab his injury but opted to have surgery after the first phase of the rehab program didn't go well.
This development will likely keep Gibson out for the entire 2012 campaign.
Gibson, Minny's first-round pick from the 2009 draft, went 3-8, with a 4.81 ERA and 91 strikeouts in 95 1/3 innings with Triple-A Rochester this season. Considered a top-10 talent by many, Gibson dropped to the No. 22 overall pick in 2009 due to decreased velocity as the draft approached, which was attributed to a stress fracture in his forearm at the time.
***
With Justin Turner, Ruben Tejada, and Reese Havens, the New York Mets are loaded with young middle infielder options if they decide to let Jose Reyes walk this offseason.
Today the Mets are calling up an overlooked second base prospect, 26-year-old Josh Satin, who could work his way into that mix. Satin hit a combined .323 with 12 home runs, 43 doubles, 76 RBIs, 77 runs, 71 walks and a .906 OPS in 483 at-bats between Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A Buffalo this season.
The former University of California star doesn't draw much praise from scouts, but he has hit throughout his professional life, posting a career .307 average. While he doesn't have standout home run power that will translate at Citi Field, Satin has made waves in the extra-base hit department, averaging 40.66 doubles a season from 2009-11.
Satin has shown the ability to hit for average, get on base (.397 career OBP) and hit for a respectable slugging percentage.
The big question is whether Satin can satisfy the Mets defensively as the 6-foot-2, 200-pound infielder lacks ideal range for the keystone. As a result, in the minors Satin has also played his share of third and first base, where his bat doesn't profile very well.
Most likely, Satin profiles as a bench player, but his minor league performance speaks volumes and he could surprise if given a chance.
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