Welcome to September! Now that Arizona Diamondbacks OF Corbin Carroll and Baltimore Orioles IF Gunnar Henderson have graduated from the minor leagues to the majors -- a good move by both of those teams -- the collective interest of many a fantasy baseball manager has been piqued. It's certainly time to focus on other prospects who have yet to debut. As the 2022 season enters its final weeks, here are 10 other prospects that are still waiting patiently to debut in the majors, but surely will in 2023 if they don't get the call in the next few weeks. I certainly look forward to seeing them perform!
Josh Jung, 3B, Texas Rangers: As my colleague Tristan H. Cockcroft notes, Jung may debut this month, since the Rangers lack a viable option at third base and Jung, even in limited minor-league plate appearances this season, has proven himself ready for better pitching. For now, though, we anxiously await his arrival! I can see a scenario in which I am so excited about Jung, who projects to hit for both power and batting average, that I end up ranking him in the top 100 for roto drafts.
Elly De La Cruz, SS, Cincinnati Reds: He's only 20 years old and still has yet to reach Triple-A, but this intriguing switch-hitter has 28 home runs and 36 stolen bases over two minor-league levels. Yeah, he's striking out quite a bit so perhaps he doesn't sniff a .300 batting average in the majors, but De La Cruz is a major talent and, you may have heard that fantasy managers really heart players who both hit for power and steal bases. The Reds feature quite a few shortstop prospects, including recently promoted Spencer Steer, so some of them will move to other spots.
Jordan Walker, IF/OF, St. Louis Cardinals: Walker has yet to bat at the Triple-A level, so he may not debut right when next season starts, but he's hitting .304 with 17 home runs and 17 stolen bases at Double-A Springfield. Plus, the organization is preparing the third baseman for a corner outfield role, since Nolan Arenado is entrenched at his position. Walker has also shown strong plate discipline this season.
Anthony Volpe, SS, New York Yankees: Volpe certainly hasn't been overwhelmed at Double-A Somerset. He's hitting .255 with many walks, 18 home runs and 43 stolen bases. The Yankees have enjoyed a solid defensive season from newcomer Isiah Kiner-Falefa, but he provides little offense. Volpe may not hit for a high average right away, but he's an obvious offensive upgrade and we dearly desire the potential for many stolen bases in roto formats.
Triston Casas, 1B, Boston Red Sox: Casas is having a strong but perhaps understated season at the plate, as he missed time with a sprained ankle and has only 10 home runs. Still, he draws walks, has 20 doubles and he's neither Bobby Dalbec (he had his chance) nor Eric Hosmer. Casas really should start next season as Boston's first baseman, although this offense may undergo quite a few offseason changes.
Ezequiel Tovar, SS, Colorado Rockies: Well, Coors Field is a factor, of course. Tovar produced a .925 OPS with 13 home runs and 17 stolen bases at Double-A Hartford. He should move to Triple-A this month. We thank Jose Iglesias for his hollow batting average, but when Tovar is ready early in 2023, he gets the job.
Bo Naylor, C, Cleveland Guardians: It's a bit surprising we haven't already seen Naylor, since Guardians catchers have hit so atrociously this season. Naylor has 14 home runs, 19 stolen bases -- yes, he's a catcher! -- and 75 walks across two minor-league levels in 2022. He should appeal to fantasy managers in both roto and points formats. There are other catchers of note who should debut next season, including Francisco Alvarez of the New York Mets, but a catcher who has both power and speed excites us all!
Grayson Rodriguez, SP, Baltimore Orioles: We may still see him in a big-league bullpen role this season because the Orioles are contending for a wild card spot. Rodriguez boasts the skills of an ace, but since he's missed several months of this season with a strained lat, the organization may express more patience. This list is heavier with hitters because they are safer, but Rodriguez has enough upside to force us to draft him next spring.
Gavin Stone, SP, Los Angeles Dodgers: Stone has made only one start at Triple-A, but he didn't allow a hit in that outing, and for the season he boasts a ridiculous 1.50 ERA, with 139 strikeouts and only two home runs against him over 102 1/3 innings. The Dodgers know what they're doing. Stone seems like an ace in the making.
Taj Bradley, SP, Tampa Bay Rays: Bradley dominated at Double-A Montgomery (1.70 ERA, 0.92 WHIP) and has since had to battle in his six weeks at Triple-A Durham (4.80 ERA, 1.50 WHIP), but the Rays don't seem particularly worried. Bradley already has a big-league slider and flashes four relevant pitches. Other right-handers to watch include Philadelphia's Andrew Painter, Miami's Eury Perez and Cleveland's Daniel Espino, while the intriguing left-handers include the likes of San Francisco's Kyle Harrison and Toronto's Ricky Tiedemann.