2012 RotoRob MLB Draft Kit: Top 55 Prospects, Part III

Well, he continued to play the majority of his games at short, but still saw plenty of action at second last year, just in case. A lot of experts are not listing him this high, and if he can’t stick at short, you definitely have to bump him up a few slots. Still, Franklin’s ability to play multiple positions will guarantee him of playing time once he reaches the majors. He struggled with the bat this spring and was recently farmed out, but this kid will hit big league pitching in time. Franklin missed time with injuries last year, but he flashed decent pop at High-A before heading to Double-A, where his batting eye regressed (although his bottom line numbers were excellent). One of the top prospects in a Mariner system that’s now brimming with impact talent, Franklin just turned 21, and while the power he flashed in 2010 evaporated, we’re willing to cut him some slack because of his health. A solid AFL showing suggests he’s back on track, and if Franklin can regain his power stroke at Double-A this year, he’ll be knocking on the door of Em City real soon.

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2012 RotoRob MLB Draft Kit: Starting Pitcher Rankings

Two-time Cy Young winner Halladay enjoyed an even better season in his second campaign as a Phillie last year, massively reducing his home run rate while setting a new career best in strikeouts. His walks were up a tad, but not enough to worry about, and he remains among the best control pitchers in the game. To top things off, Halladay enjoyed his lowest ERA ever and he continues to head a rotation that’s the envy of every other big league squad. He’ll be hard pressed to continue to average 20 wins per season as he’s done since getting dealt to Philadelphia, but thanks to his deadly splitter, Halladay remains the best starting pitcher option in Fantasy baseball for 2012.

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2012 RotoRob MLB Draft Kit: Top 55 Prospects, Part II

Choice spanked 30 homers in just 118 games at High-A (plus another six in 17 games at Rookie ball) to soar up the A’s prospect chart heading into 2012. As a reward, Oakland brought him to camp briefly this spring as a non-roster invitee and he didn’t look out of place, going 2-for-7 with a couple ribbies. Choice will need to trim his strikeout rate if he’s going to hit for a decent average in the bigs, but that power – especially at such a young age – has to have the A’s brass salivating. At 21, his 36 homers ranked fourth in the minors last season, yet he was the youngster player among the top 10 in that department. Choice’s swing mechanics could use some refinement, but he’s far enough away from the majors that this issue has time to be addressed. Given his major power potential, he’ll get plenty of rope.

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2012 RotoRob MLB Draft Kit: Top 10 Sleepers

One of the rites of spring is scouring the player depth charts in search of that next diamond in the rough. When you’re looking for sleepers, two factors should enter into the equation – playing time opportunities and potential upside. On draft day, in the latter rounds all bets should be off. It’s time to throw caution to the wind and gamble on those players that have the potential to return hefty dividends. Realistically, the worst that can occur is you’ve now made a date with the waiver wire. With that in mind, let’s give some of our top 2012 sleepers the proverbial once over.

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2012 RotoRob MLB Draft Kit: Top 55 Prospects, Part I

Several experts aren’t as bullish on May as we are, but after he broke through with a double-digit win effort at Class-A, he’s cracked our list this season. His strikeout rates are very exciting, and he also made big strides in improving his control last year. May’s been extremely stingy with the gopher ball and this 21-year-old righty has a perfect pitcher’s build at 6’5”, 215. He brings three pitches to the table, the best of which is his Uncle Charlie, which is an above-average offering.

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2012 RotoRob MLB Draft Kit: Designated Hitter Rankings

The Hutch Award winner for his work on and off the field, Butler is relegated to a DH only slot this year after qualifying at first base in 2011. Last season was Butler’s most productive campaign in the bigs, but his strikeouts rose back up, bringing his percentages down. More flyballs translated into a few more homers, but we’re still waiting for Butler to have a serious power breakout, and that may yet be coming. If he can get his batting eye back to its 2010 levels and continue his upward power surge, we could be looking at .310-25-100 RBI man here. And as the Royals’ overall lineup improves, opponents won’t be able to intentionally walk him 15 times like they did last year, which could mean more RBI opportunities. We’re expecting Butler to hike his isolated power numbers up substantially over the next two-to-three seasons, so keeper league owners in particular should be holding him or targeting him.

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