Top Ten 2012 Fantasy Baseball Pitching Prospects (6-10)

Published: 29^th Jan 12 9:33 pm

by Adam McGill
adammcgill

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By Adam McGill

In fantasy baseball one of the most important parts to building a competitive team year in and year out, is getting quality prospects. Every year there are guys who are supposed to be the next Johan Santana then fizzle out after a couple poor performances, but then there are guys like Clayton Kershaw who come in strong and never look back. Below are my top ten pitching prospects to grab before the season starts and more importantly to grab before your competition realizes who they are:

6. Gerrit Cole, PIT – Cole was the first player taken in the 2011 MLB draft and got all the hype that goes along with it. Cole has perfect size, at 6’4″ 220 pounds, drawing comparisons from scouts to major league fire-baller, C.C. Sabathia. He has looked much more polished then former first round pick, James Taillon, as Cole projects to be the future ace of the rotation.

7. Dellin Betances, NYY – The former 8^th round draft pick has shot up prospect rankings in the last two years. His size at 6’4” has the Yankees’ salivating at the notion of him stepping onto the mound, which could end up being sooner rather than later for the 24-year old. Betances’ has an intimidating fastball and the righty loves to work the outside of the strike-zone against opposing hitters. The Yankees’ will be cautious with their prospect, but expect him to see action at some point in 2012. He may not make the starting rotation in spring, but he will definitely be called up if the team makes another illustrious title run.

8. Manuel Banuelos, NYY – “Manny B” is the more intriguing of the two New York Yankee prospects, which is ironic considering he is 3 years younger than the aforementioned Betances. Banuelos will debut later due to the fact that he is only 21 years old, but he is the better long-term option. The Mexico native struggled early in Triple-A ball with a 2-2 record and an ERA over 4 (4.19). However, he only started four games, so scouts anticipate him to settle down after more than a handful of starts. He also must increase his 155 pound frame, because throwing fastballs can tend to take a toll on pitchers with smaller frames. He is still a year away from having any fantasy impact at all, but he is a young arm to build a team around in dynasty leagues.

9. Jarrod Parker, OAK – Parker was the main cog that sent current starter, Trevor Cahill to Arizona this winter. Parker is only 23 years old and will now be the new ace atop the A’s farm system. He was 11-8 last season in Double-A Mobile, Alabama with a more impressive W.H.I.P. of 1.26. Parker is currently slated for a back-end rotation spot and will be one of the only players on this list guaranteed to reach 100 innings in 2012.

10. Taijuan Walker, SEA – Of the young arms in the Seattle farm system, Walker continues to out produce them all. The 19-year old is extremely long and lanky at 6’4″ and is still not finished growing. When he dials it up, he tops out at 98 MPH on his fastball, also mixing in a fantastic 12-to-6 curve ball to leave batters swinging in the dirt. Walker maintained a sparkling 2.89 ERA throughout Lo-A ball last year and will be promoted to Double-A almost immediately after the season pickups up. He will not likely make his major league debut until next season, but remains one of the best young arms in the game.

Just missed: Tyler Skaggs (ARI), James Taillon (PIT), Danny Hultzen (SEA), Zach Lee (LAD), Zach Wheeler (NYM)

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