2017 Fantasy Baseball Week 12 Rookie Report: Father Knows Best

Hello, Fantasy Baseball fans! Welcome to the 2017 Fantasy Baseball Week 12 Rookie Report!

Happy Father's Day to all of the Fathers who took the time to read this article! The father-son relationship that is built via baseball and the life lessons that are taught in the process of learning how to play the game go far deeper than being just a game.

Baseball and kids were destined to be together. And fathers are who brought them together. There was learning to spit sunflower seeds at baseball games as a kid. Going to games while riding on your father's shoulders so you can see over the crowd.  Finally, of course, enjoying a hot dog with your dad, who doesn't eat a hot dog while you are at the ballpark?  Baseball and hot dogs go together like peanut butter and jelly.

Lessons learned thru Baseball

1. How to handle failure: Baseball is the only sport where if you fail 7 out of 10 times you are considered successful. You have to learn how to get up from defeat. The difference between success and failure is how you persist in the face of adversity. Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you respond.
2. You can only control two things, your attitude and your effort — In baseball like in life you attract what you think. Be positive and never think you’re better than your competition because that is when you lose. You can’t always control the outcome. You can always keep innovating and improving your skill sets and make yourself better.
3. Do the small things well — Baseball is a game of inches, and life is about how well you execute the daily small tasks.

Take a look at the lessons learned regarding the current rookies and future prospects in the Week 12 Rookie Report.

2017 Fantasy Baseball Week 12 Rookie Report

In "The Show"

Derek Fisher, OF, Houston Astros

The Astros called up outfielder Derek Fisher, their No.4 prospect as ranked by MLBPipeline.com after placing Josh Reddick (concussion) on the disabled list. Derek Fisher made a successful debut as he went 2-for-3 with a homer, two RBI and two walks against the Rangers.

Fisher was hitting .335/.401/.608 with 16 home runs, 45 RBIs and 13 stolen bases in 60 games at Triple-A Fresno. He also hit safely in 16 of his past 17 games, and he led the Grizzlies with 25 multi-hit games. To top it all off Fisher supplied a 1.009 OPS over 275 plate appearances with Fresno this season.

Despite being sent back down, Derek Fisher is definitely worth a flier in most Fantasy leagues since he will likely be called back up very soon. In standard redraft formats, I can see waiting, but he is definitely worth a look in AL-Only leagues and in deeper mixed formats.

Francis Martes, P, Houston Astros

The Houston Astros are currently running away with the American League West. No one would believe that by looking at their four starters on the disabled list. In a somewhat curious move, they promoted their top prospect Francis Martes to help them while waiting for their starters to get healthy.

Francis Martes hasn't pitched well this season at Triple-A Fresno. He was 0-2 with a 5.29 ERA in eight starts. In 32.1 innings, he allowed 40 hits, 28 walks, five homers and struck out 39 batters. He has a 2.10 WHIP and batters are hitting .299 against him.

They were forced to lean on Francis Martes to make his major league debut as the youngest American League pitcher to appear in a game this season

He was touched up for four runs over 3 2/3 innings during his debut outing in relief on June 9. He struck out two, walked two and allowed four hits while lasting through 78 pitches.

In contrast, Martes (1-0) allowed just a single run on three hits over five innings in his inaugural major-league start against Texas. He struck out seven, walked two, hit a batter and threw a wild pitch. While he was inefficient and uneven at times, this still rates as a major positive for Martes and the Astros.

His Triple-A numbers suggest that he is not ready to be a consistent major league starter. He does have a fantastic arm and has excellent raw stuff. He does hold some short-term fantasy value if he remains in the rotation.

Francis Martes is a terrific prospect but he will not be a long-term starter in the majors. He could prove to be a great weapon in relief during the Astros' playoff run.

I do not see much fantasy value here.

Franchy Cordero, OF, San Diego Padres

The former shortstop turned outfielder prospect has come out of nowhere to be on the fantasy map.

The Padres recalled Cordero, their No.23 prospect as a replacement for injured rookie outfielder Manuel Margot. In his 42 games at Triple-A El Paso, Cordero was hitting .289 with a .869 OPS and seven homers.

He has made a smooth transition to the majors with a .313/.371/.563 slash line. Cordero has also hit three homers with 9 RBIs and has scored 14 runs. In addition, he has an impressive .934 OPS.  The issue with Cordero is the strikeouts, and he has struck out 41 percent of the time.

There is increasing the potential for Cordero to make his way into a full-time gig even when Manuel Margot returns, considering the Padres' mediocre alternate options in the outfield.

Given his combination of power and speed, he is worth a look in NL-Only formats and speculative add in deep-league formats.

On The Brink

Gleyber Torres, SS/2B/3B, New York Yankees

The 20-year-old, acquired in last summer's Aroldis Chapman trade, is widely regarded as one of the top prospects in all of baseball. Gleyber Torres made quick work of Double-A Trenton, slashing .277/.363/.504 with four homers and 18 RBI in 31 games. He was then subsequently promoted to Triple-A on May 21. He is holding his own at Triple-A, producing .404 OBP and .783 OPS.

His promotion to Triple-A suddenly made for an interesting dynamic from a fantasy perspective when you consider third baseman Chase Headley is hitting just .251 with four homers. There has been a lot of buzz that the Yankees could be grooming Torres to replace Chase Headley this season.

In addition, it appears that the Yankees really want to develop his versatility, which is a great sign for his chances of getting a call this summer. He has logged games at second base, third base, and of course at shortstop so far during his Triple-A games.

Torres has improved at every level each season and has plus offensive potential. He is showing an impressive approach at the plate and is a great contact hitter with good plate discipline.

He is a dynasty league fantasy star in the making.  In addition, it also looks like he is going to get a chance to play in New York this season. If he continues his rapid development, Torres will be playing third base for a playoff team in the hitter-friendly Yankee Stadium. He is a player to stash in AL-Only leagues and someone to speculate on in deeper mixed leagues.  This is all dependent upon your roster construction and current standing.

*Editor's note: This was written two days before his season-ending UCL tear which will require Tommy John surgery.

Yoan Moncada, 2B, Chicago White Sox

Yes, another news blurb about Yoan Moncada. It seems that there is a new story coming out about Yoan Moncada daily. When is he getting called up? What are his current stats?  What are the White Sox waiting for?

I do not know anything for certain about the above answers, but I do know that Moncada is still the best fantasy prospect in baseball.

During fantasy drafts, Moncada was one of the few prospects worth drafting and stashing in fantasy baseball leagues. He is a special fantasy prospect that can contribute in any offensive category.

He was off to a hot start at Triple-A with a .331/.401/.504 slash line with six homers, 15 RBIs and 10 steals through 34 games. Unfortunately, he suffered a minor thumb injury and was placed on the disabled list on May 18.The No.1 prospect has slumped since his return from the thumb injury. He is still hitting a solid  .285/.387/.449 with eight homers and 23 RBIs, 41 runs, and 13 stolen bases although he has also struck out a concerning 71 times.

Chicago can game the service time system and prevent Moncada from reaching Super Two status by leaving him in the minors until the end of June. And that is probably what the rebuilding club will do. He is ready to make a significant contribution to the Major League and Fantasy levels, but he needs to improve his plate discipline and contact rate to reach his fullest potential.

The switch-hitting prospect has 30/30 potential down the road and could still be a major asset down the stretch in fantasy leagues. If an owner became impatient and dropped him, please add him now because once he gets to the bigs, it will be too late.

Chance Adams, SP, New York Yankees

The 22-year-old righty, along with infielder Gleyber Torres, has been the talk of the Yankees' deep farm system lately. Adams steamrolled over Double-A competition in his six starts and was promoted to Triple-A.

He has actually better since his promotion to Triple-A. He's allowed fewer hits (18) and walks (12) in more innings (35.2) with a 2.52 ERA. Chance Adams is ranked the team's No.7 overall prospect by MLB.com. He is the best pitcher in the organization's farm system.

The Yankees were dealt a significant blow to their starting rotation when veteran southpaw CC Sabathia was diagnosed with a Grade 2 hamstring strain and placed on the disabled list. IF Sabathia spends an extended time on the disabled list, Chance Adams may finally get this shot in the bigs.

While the Yankees do have other options including Chad Green who is already on the roster, so he wouldn't require a roster move.  They could also make a trade and utilize Adams as a trade piece as the Yankees try and win the AL East.

If Adams is as good as advertised, the Yankees can preserve their plethora of prospects and add an impact arm for the playoff hunt in August and September. The only move they need to make is a promotion of Chance Adams.

Chance Adams is a very speculative add due to his unknown future with the Yankees or even another franchise. It is difficult to use up a roster space in shallow leagues on a player that may never play this season.  Owners need to keep Adams on their fantasy radar and their watch lists especially as we head toward the trade deadline as the Yankees may go all in and continue their surprising run to the Series.

Three Up

 Cody Bellinger, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers

Cody Bellinger continues to provide middle-of-the-order power and is now heating up again after cooling off from his unbelievable start.

He is now the primary first baseman with Adrian Gonzalez returning to the disabled list with a herniated disc.

He's now got 21 home runs on the year, and in the process Bellinger broke Bob Horner's 39-year-old record to become the fastest player in MLB history with four multi-homer games, achieving the feat in just 45 games. He has also become the fastest player to hit 21 home runs, needing just 51 games to do it.

The lefty slugger is slashing .269/.340/.658 with 21 homers, 47 RBIs, 39 runs scored and has even stolen four bases so far this season.  He might sit occasionally sit against a lefty, even though his last two homers were off two tough lefty relievers in Andrew Miller and Boone Logan. Neither pitcher had given up a homer previously this season.

Cody Bellinger is putting up phenomenal numbers and has emerged as a must-start fantasy option across all formats.

Paul DeJong, 2B, St. Louis Cardinals

DeJong has been fairly productive in his two stints with the big league club. He is slashing .286/.286/.469 with two homers and seven RBI.

His early success at the big-league level is an extension of his success at Triple-A. He projects to see a string of starts while Kolten Wong (elbow) makes his second stint on the disabled list this season.

He doesn't have great plate discipline, but DeJong offers pop and the ability to play across the diamond.  The 23-year-old started nine games at the keystone during Wong's last DL stint, so he seems to be a good bet to accumulate at-bats while Wong is sidelined.

Paul DeJong mentioned that everything was "eye-popping" and he was little overwhelmed during his first stint in the majors this season. After he was demoted and gathered himself, he now believes that he can now get "down to business" and play baseball.

In his first game after being recalled, he logged his first three-hit, three-run and three-RBI effort of his career to help the Cardinals to a recent victory.

Paul DeJong is worth monitoring in deep leagues given his 13 homers over just 190 Triple-A at-bats this season.  He is best suited for NL-Only leagues as an MI option.

Trey Mancini, 1B/OF, Baltimore Orioles

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Troy Mancini is an under the radar power prospect. He beat out Pedro Alvarez for a roster spot in spring training. He is a career .306 minor league hitter with 20 or more homers in each of the last two seasons.

While Mancini showed real offensive potential in the minors, his playing time is limited. Mancini is a first baseman who can't play' first base because of Chris Davis. He can't DH because of Mark Trumbo. He seems fairly solid as a corner outfielder defensively. In addition, he has found a way to make his new position his own and give the team a reason to keep his bat in the lineup. He is a straight up utility man that can actually hit with power.

With first baseman Chris Davis now on the DL due to an oblique injury, Mancini is set to play first base regularly. Regardless of position, Mancini keeps on hitting. He just recently had a nine-game hitting streak and is now batting .333 with five homers in June after delivering a .342 average with two homers in May.

Overall, Mancini is batting a stellar .305/.347/.567 with 12 home runs, 38 RBIs, 24 runs and a .913 OPS. With his playing time steadily increasing, he has shown the ability to be a solid run producer with some power.

His power is legit and he makes an intriguing option in AL-Only leagues and deserves more attention in mixed fantasy leagues.

 

Three Down

Jharel Cotton, SP, Oakland A's

Jharel Cotton is currently in the Oakland A's rotation out of necessity. The A's have a number of pitchers on the disabled list creating multiple opportunities for Cotton to prove himself.

Cotton opened this season as the A's third starter. He registered an ugly 5.68 ERA, 1.53 WHIP and 35/16 K/BB ratio in his first seven starts this season. He was the demoted to Triple-A Nashville to try to get things straightened out.

Cotton actually pitched quite well at Triple-A Nashville. He bounced back with a 2.25 ERA and recorded a 13/1 K/BB ratio over 12 innings in his two outings.

Another injury hit the A's rotation when Kendall Graveman went on the disabled list with a right shoulder strain. Jharel Cotton was recalled from Nashville to take Graveman's spot in the rotation.

Unfortunately, Cotton has not fared well in his second chance with the big club. In his four starts since his return, he has a 0-3 record with a 5.24 ERA, 1.38 WHIP and an 18/12 K/BB ratio in 22 innings pitched.

He has served up multiple homers four times in his last six big-league starts.  While also giving up a total of 11 homers so far this season. Also, he is averaging 4.39 BB/9 this season which never leads to positive results.

Once the A's get their rotation healthy again, look for Cotton to be sent back to Triple-A.  If you decided to give Jharel Cotton another chance since his last call-up, I applaud you for being positive and focusing on his potential. Although I think Cotton is now safe to drop in all fantasy leagues.

Greg Bird, 1B, New York Yankees

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Greg Bird was placed on the disabled list on May 2 with a right ankle bruise after just batting.100/.250/.200 over his first 19 games this season.  This came after a dominating performance in Spring Training.

Bird dealt with ankle issues earlier this year and obviously wasn't 100 percent when he came back. The injury actually dates all the way back to spring training.

During his rehab assignment, he was hitting just .143 during his stint at Triple-A. He then suffered a setback after fouling a ball off his leg. He was originally diagnosed with right knee contusion.

Bird (ankle/knee) will see a foot specialist on Tuesday, Erik Boland of Newsday reports. Manager Joe Girardi commented that Bird has seen just about as many doctors as he can, and this seems to be the last effort to figure out what's wrong with the young first baseman now. Bird's rehab program is on hold for the time being, and the next steps should become clear following Tuesday's visit.

The uncertainty of the timetable for his return makes me very concerned. If and when, he is finally recovered from the injuries, it would be hard to believe that the Yankees would rush him back to the bigs.  The Yankees would probably want him to receive extended at-bats in the minors before bringing him back.

If you are still holding out hope as a Greg Bird owner, I think it is safe to say that you should move on and cut your losses.  The Greg Bird that all of us saw dominate Spring Training is a distant memory now.  With this latest injury update, Greg Bird should not be on any fantasy rosters.

Eric Skoglund, SP, Kansas City Royals

The southpaw was recalled from Triple-A to take the place of Danny Duffy (oblique) who was placed on the disabled list.

Eric Skoglund is the Royals' No.3 prospect. He owned a 4.53 ERA over eight starts for Triple-A Omaha before the call-up. He had just a 7.7 career K/9 rate in the Minors.

Skoglund had a dazzling debut as he went 6.1 shutout innings while giving up just two hits in a pitchers duel against the Tigers.

Unfortunately, he has pitched horribly since his first start. He didn't make it past the second inning in each of his last two starts. He has now allowed six runs in 3.1 innings over those two outings.

The Royals have decided that they have seen enough and have moved Skoglund into their bullpen.

The left-hander is generally viewed as more of a back-end starter type. The next start that he makes will be in the Minors. He is safe to move on from in all fantasy formats.

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