If there was ever a team that couldn't use a hybrid infielder-outfielder with a first-round pedigree and emerging power stroke, it's these Cubs.
Which could make 2017 a frustrating year for Ian Happ.
The 22-year-old stuck around longer than he had any right to this spring, seeing as he never had a chance of winning a roster spot. The Cubs have more hitters than they can fit into a lineup as it is, and they already have their versatile hybrid in Ben Zobrist, who bounces between the outfield and infield depending on whether manager Joe Maddon wants to start Jon Jay or Javier Baez that day.
But stuck around Happ did, forcing the issue by hitting .383 (23 for 60) with five home runs, seven doubles and two stolen bases. And it didn't really start until the third week of spring, after some of the bottom feeders had already been optioned to the minors. If nothing else, he gave the Cubs something to think about.
"The bat plays," Maddon told the Chicago Sun-Times late in spring training. "And if the bat's playing and he's ready, and you don't have a need at his position, what do you do?"
It's a question the Cubs may face sooner than later. Already the ninth overall pick in the 2015 draft is forcing the issue at Triple-A Iowa, homering in the second, third and fourth games of the season. He followed the first two opposite-field blasts with this monster shot to center field Sunday:
The opposite-field power and the patient approach both speak to his maturity, and his versatility only improves his odds of breaking into the majors this year. Still, he won't have a chance to make a real Fantasy impact without some sort of injury -- or possibly two -- which is why he's not among the five on the verge even though stock is quite obviously on the rise.
Five on the verge
(These are the prospects most worth stashing in redraft leagues.)
Julio Urias, SP, Dodgers
2016 majors: 5-2, 3.39 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 77 IP, 31 BB, 84 K
2017 minors: 3 2/3 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 5 K
Every inning Urias throws in the minors is one less he'll be able to throw in the majors, so you can live with the early hook. But if his goal right now is to convince the Dodgers those innings would be best served at the major-league level, he failed in that regard Monday. Some of the scouts on hand thought he was getting squeezed, though, and it's not like the Dodgers don't know what he can do by this point. Manager Dave Roberts told The Orange County Register that they should have a more concrete plan for the left-hander by the end of the month, adding that when he does arrive, they want it to be for good.
Yoan Moncada, 3B, White Sox
2016 minors: .294 BA (405 AB), 15 HR, 45 SB, .918 OPS, 72 BB, 124 K
2017 minors: .370 BA (27 AB), 2 HR, 2 SB, 1.044 OPS, 4 BB, 10 K
Moncada already has a three-hit and a four-hit game to his credit, picking up where he left off in spring training. The prize of the Chris Sale deal rebounded from a slow start to hit .317 (13 for 41) with three home runs and a 1.074 OPS during the exhibition season. He struck out too much, which hasn't changed so far at Triple-A, so it's fair to say the 21-year-old still has some strides to make before getting the call. With his talent, though, it's only a matter of time, and the White Sox have already freed up second base so that nothing stands in his way when that time comes.
Bradley Zimmer, OF, Indians
2016 minors: .250 BA (468 AB), 15 HR, 38 SB, .790 OPS, 77 BB, 171 K
2017 minors: .273 BA (22 AB), 2 3B, 2 2B, 2 SB, .850 OPS, 1 BB, 4 K
No home runs yet after a sizzling spring that might be chiefly responsible for his place on this list, but the low strikeout total is worth pointing out given that it was his biggest problem last year. Zimmer spent most of the season overhauling his swing, in part to cut down on those strikeouts, and spring training -- when he hit .358 (19 for 53) with three homers, four steals and a 1.084 OPS -- is when it first began to pay dividends. The Indians currently have Carlos Santana manning right field with Lonnie Chisenhall (shoulder) sidelined, so it's not like they're overrun with outfielders.
Cody Bellinger, 1B, Dodgers
2016 minors: .271 BA (410 AB), 26 HR, .872 OPS, 60 BB, 94 K
2017 minors: .417 BA (24 AB), 1 HR, 3 2B, 1.107 OPS, 1 BB, 8 K
Bellinger got a lot of attention this spring and wound up hitting .207, so his hot start to the minor-league season is a sight for sore eyes even if it comes with an alarming strikeout rate. Making regular contact hasn't been a recurring issue for him, though, so you can expect it to sort itself out in time. The 21-year-old basically controls his timetable at this point. If he tears up Triple-A for weeks on end, he'll have a place to play even if 34-year-old Adrian Gonzalez is of sound body. His recent exposure to the outfield ensures it.
Franklin Barreto, SS, Athletics
2016 minors: .281 BA (462 AB), 10 HR, 30 SB, .753 OPS, 36 BB, 90 K
2017 spring: .455 BA (22 AB), 2 HR, 1 3B, 1 2B, 1.382 OPS, 2 BB 6 K
After a discouraging 2016 that dropped him from about 25th to about 50th in most of the prospect rankings, Barreto got no shortage of favorable press this spring, in part because he hit .481 (13 for 27) for the couple weeks the Athletics had him around. He has kept it up so far at Triple-A and has gotten some exposure to the position (second base) where the Athletics could most easily work him into the lineup. At 21, his power isn't fully developed yet, but as we've seen with Mike Trout and Francisco Lindor in the past, an extended look against major-league strike-throwers should help with that.
Five on the periphery
(These are some other prospects doing something of note.)
Raimel Tapia, OF, Rockies
2016 minors: .328 BA (528 AB), 8 HR, 23 SB, .819 OPS, 27 BB, 61 K
2017 minors: .444 BA (27 AB), 6 2B, 1 SB, 1.167 OPS, 3 BB, 5 K
Tapia continues to grow as a contact hitter, aided by his unusual two-strike approach. He'll drop into a deep crouch, shrinking the zone and reducing the chances of having that third strike called against him. It may limit his power a bit, but if he's wearing out the gaps and making regular contact at Coors Field, he'll be an extra-base machine and perennial batting title contender. Of course, the Rockies will have to find a spot for David Dahl before Tapia enters the discussion.
Austin Meadows, OF, Pirates
2016 minors: .266 BA (308 AB), 12 HR, 17 SB, .869 OPS, 33 BB, 67 K
2017 minors: 1 for 21, 1 2B, 3 BB, 9 K
Meadows, who would have had the inside track on a starting job if the Pirates had traded Andrew McCutchen in the offseason, is off to a miserable start, this after already underwhelming with a .214 batting average in his first taste of Triple-A (126 at-bats) late last season. The contact issues are foreign to him, which would seem to support the idea that he's in over his head and needs a little more time to adjust at age 21. A little more evidence of his long-speculated power would be welcome, too.
Lucas Giolito, SP, White Sox
2016 minors: 6-5, 2.97 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 115 1/3 IP, 44 BB, 116 K
2017 minors: 4.1 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
Though the more highly regarded of the two, Giolito seemed to fall behind Reynaldo Lopez in the pecking order this spring and didn't do anything to reverse that in his first start for Triple-A Charlotte. Granted, Lopez has struggled as well, so what direction the White Sox decide to go whenever James Shields, Derek Holland or Miguel Gonzalez inevitably loses his job remains to be seen. Giolito seemed to fall out of favor with the Nationals last season despite his top prospect standing, but he ultimately redeemed his numbers after a bumpy start to the year.
Christin Stewart, OF, Tigers
2016 minors: .255 BA (443 AB), 30 HR, .903 OPS, 86 BB, 131 K
2017 minors: .294 BA (17 AB), 3 HR, 1.478 OPS, 6 BB, 3 K
Stewart's combination of power and patience is uncommon in the minor-league ranks, so even though his contact skills leave something to be desired, the foundation is promising enough to make him a genuine asset in long-term keeper leagues. His next big test will be validating last year's breakthrough in the upper levels of the minors. Hitting a combined three homers between his second and third games at Double-A is a promising first step.
Michael Soroka, SP, Braves
2016 minors: 9-9, 3.02 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 143 IP, 32 BB, 125 K
2017 minors: 5 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K
Soroka is often forgotten in the Braves' embarrassment of pitching riches because he wasn't a top-10 draft pick or part of some blockbuster trade. But the prospect hounds certainly aren't selling him short, with most every major publication ranking him second or third among those riches even though he's only 19 years old. He certainly didn't look 19 in his Double-A debut Monday, and his stellar control and varied arsenal should allow him to move quickly.
