If you're like me, you don't consider it real fantasy baseball unless Jason Neighborgall is owned by someone in your league. Well, given Neighborgall's recent retirement announcement, that may be going too far. But I'm talking about 16-20 team, 30-40 man roster Dynasty leagues where getting the first jump on a young, up-and-coming prospect could potentially boost your team to championships galore.
I hope that the players mentioned below will catch the eye of some of you fellow dynasty players and proceed to blossom into top prospects of the future. All of the prospects listed here will start the 2008 season between Low-A and Double-A. You won't find them on any top 100 list currently published. Most of these players are high-risk, high-reward and could easily fizzle out without ever approaching elite prospect status. However, they may have untapped upside and could be ready to explode. Unfortunately, I couldn't list everyone's favorite sleeper prospect, only a select group who I believe most worthy to make a list like this. Without further adieu, here are a dozen deep dynasty prospects to keep a tab on:
Jhoulys Chacin, RHP - 1/7/1988, Low-A, Colorado Rockies: The Rockies have always been a big investor in international arms, and in Chacin they continue the trend. Chacin hangs in the low 90's and can touch 94 -- his other two offerings are a curve and change. Chacin pitched well in the Pioneer league last season, and now makes the jump to Asheville. While he is a tad bit old for Low-A, he is also pitching in a notorious hitter's park, so he'll still be challenged. A strong first half from Chacin could help him move up quickly to the next level. If Chacin can command all his pitches effectively, he will become a less obscure prospect, as his numbers will jump at you. While he doesn't have the blazing fastball of Ubaldo Jimenez or Franklin Morales, his stuff is good enough to make him a middle-of-the-rotation starter or better.
Yohermyn Chavez, OF - 1/26/1989, Low-A, Toronto Blue Jays: Signed as a 17-year-old out of Venezuela, Chavez has a relatively large ceiling. A big, strong outfielder at 6-foot-3 220 pounds, Chavez will rely on his offense if he wants to reach the majors in a few years time. His size will likely only allow him to play a corner outfield spot at the MLB level. His bat has lightning in it, as evidenced by his 2007 season in the Gulf Coast League (.301/.389/.494), and Chavez has the chance to really build his resume in 2008. Chavez has a great opportunity to fly through the minors and up the prospect charts if he can continue where he left off, and is a very good bet to do just that. With great power (.193 IsoP in '07) and solid discipline (9.9%), this youngster may arrive in Toronto before long.
Koby Clemens, C - 12/4/1986, High-A, Houston Astros: Son of one of the greatest pitchers of all time, albeit one who may never make it to Cooperstown, Koby Clemens is a catcher who has gotten more publicity because of his name than his skills on the baseball diamond. Koby was drafted in the 8th round in 2005 as a 3rd baseman, but has since moved behind the dish. Clemens has shown the ability to hit in Rookie ball, but had a much tougher time in his two seasons at Low-A Lexington. His 2007 season, however, was a great improvement from his first year in A-ball, as he raised his OPS by .100, while exhibiting great patience at the plate and increasing his slugging. Clemens will likely never be more than an average Major League catcher, but he still has the potential to make it to the bigs and contribute in the future.
Ivan De Jesus, SS - 5/1/1987, Double-A, Los Angeles Dodgers: Son of former major leaguer Ivan De Jesus, Ivan Jr. has been known as a decent prospect for a couple years but has never taken that next leap. De Jesus is a toolsy shortstop with potential to be a very good major leaguer. Often overlooked because of Chin-lung Hu, De Jesus Jr. has a similar skill set as the elder Hu. Widely known as a superb defensive player, De Jesus has shown improvements with the stick from year to year. His craftiness at the plate can be seen by his 57-63 BB/K ratio last year. De Jesus has hardly any power at this point, and with his frame (5'11'', 182), I don't expect him to ever develop much of it. With above-average speed, De Jesus could swipe 20 bags a year at the big league level, while playing good defense and hitting enough to start for a contender. If you need a young SS to add to your roster in a very deep league, look no further then this Dodger farmhand.
Reid Engel, OF - 5/7/1987, High-A, Boston Red Sox: While Ryan Kalish, and Josh Reddick may be the sexier names among dynasty team owners, don't sleep on this other talented outfielder in the Boston system. Taken in the 5th round of the 2005 draft out of high school, Engel struggled in his first two seasons in the minors between the GCL and New York-Penn league. In 2007, however, Engel put his name on the map by producing respectable numbers in Low-A Greenville (.291/.358/.433). Engel may never wow you with his upside, but he does have a decent amount of it if he can continue to progress in the way he did last year. If Kalish and Reddick have any setbacks, Engel has the chance to jump over them on the Red Sox rankings and man a corner outfield spot in the future for the 2007 World Champion Red Sox.
Brandon Erbe, RHP - 12/25/1987, High-A, Baltimore Orioles: Remember Brandon Erbe? The 93rd pick of the 2005 draft was once a highly touted prospect, but has since had his fair share of ups and downs. Erbe had a colossal season in 2006 for Low-A Delmarva, striking out 133 in 114.2 innings. Erbe's stock really fell last year after he posted a 6.34 ERA in High-A Fredrick. Although to the eye this looks like a poor season, His FIP was 4.77, which was better than new teammate Chris Tillman's at the same level last season. While Tillman and Erbe are similar in many statistical areas, the prospect rankings is one where they aren't, as Tillman cracks most top 100 lists, and Erbe is a memory past. Keep an eye out for Erbe this season as he could explode once again, as he starts in High-A for the second consecutive season.
Andrew Lambo, OF/1B - 8/11/1988, Low-A, Los Angelos Dodgers: After slipping to the 4th round of last years draft because of "character issues", Lambo's professional debut made 29 teams regret passing him over after he put up a beastly .343/.440/.519 in the GCL. At 6-foot-3 190 pounds, this lefty has a ton of power potential. Showing superb discipline in his debut, Lambo has all the offensive tools to continue building on his monstrous season of a year ago, as he rises through the system. As long as Lambo can control his attitude -- which I believe is usually blown out of proportion in these situations -- he could be one of the highest climbers on this list. Lambo has a great opportunity to eventually crack most top 100 lists. A real sleeper indeed, if you can get your hands on this kid now in any dynasty league, he's definitely worth taking a shot on.
Logan Morrison, 1B, 8/25/1987, High-A, Florida Marlins: If your looking to add someone with serious power potential, Morrison is one you should keep your eye on. Signing as a draft-and-follow after being selected in the 22nd round in 2005 out of high school, Morrison is taking a little while to mature. Playing his first full season, Morrison put up a respectable .267/.343/.483 line with 24 HR in Greensboro -- one of the most home-run friendly parks in the minors -- of the South Atlantic League. Morrison has a lot of power but he will need to improve greatly on his contact and also somewhat to his plate discipline if he ever wants to become a starting first baseman at the major league level. Speed is also non-existent from this 215 pound mack-truck. Morrison may not be athletic enough to play anywhere other than first base, but he definitely should be able to hit well enough to produce at the position. He will start 2008 in Jupiter, widely known as being a favorable pitcher's park. If Morrison gets off to a hot start there, expect him to rise to Double-A Carolina, where he could continue to produce.
Dae-Eun Rhee, RHP, 3/23/1989, Low-A, Chicago Cubs: Fukudome wasn't the only Asian import that the Cubs signed this off season. Dae-Eun Rhee is an 18 year-old who signed out of Korea, and has a good deal of upside himself. The young right hander has a sturdy frame at 6-foot-2 190 pounds, and hangs around 87-93 with his fastball -- also offers a curve and changeup. How much he improves his off-speed pitches will determine whether Rhee flames out or becomes a household name in a few year's time. I expect Rhee to also add a few ticks to his fastball considering his age and body type. Being relatively young for his level, if Rhee has success in the first half of the 2008 season, expect him to really soar up the charts as his name spreads around the prospect community. The odds are more than likely against Rhee, but he has a chance to become the next sensation of our Asia.
Carlos Rivero, SS, 5/20/1988, High-A, Cleveland Indians: A Venezuelan signee, Rivero's signed a contract with the Indians as a 16-year-old in 2005. Rivero is a big shortstop at 6-foot-3 200 pounds -- that's Troy Tulowitzki big. While the numbers haven't been there yet for Rivero, his youth lends to potential growth. His .261/.332/.369 line in Low-A last year won't wow anyone, but he was very young for the league, being only about four months older than Bill Rowell. Similarly to Rowell, injuries hampered Rivero for a large part of the season. Rivero is still growing, and may eventually grow out of shortstop, but his bat could potentially play at third-base in the bigs. Rivero will have to cut down on his strikeout percentage (17.1% in 2007) while increasing his power, two things I believe he can do in time. This season could prove to be a make or break year for Rivero's prospect status, but I think he has a great chance to take-off from here. Continue to watch Rivero as he could be a fast riser, and eventually give Jhonny Peralta a run for his money in Cleveland.
Cristian Santana, C/OF, 6/18/1989, Low-A, Texas Rangers: Teammate of the much more hyped Engel Beltre, Santana has a chance to be just as good of a pure hitter. A catcher by trade, Santana is mature for his age and still has a lot of room to grow. Santana also has spent some time in the outfield, showing how athletic he is. Out of everything that Santana brings to the table, the thing that will carry him to the big leagues is his bat. Santana dominated both the AZL and Northwest leagues last year, respectively. His .306/.413/.529 combined line shows his plus discipline and power potential. If Santana can stick behind the plate, he has a good shot at becoming an above average offensive catcher, although he is a long ways away. Watch Santana closely in very deep dynasty leagues as he continues to gain steam playing his first full season in pro ball.
Michael Stanton, OF, 11/8/1989, Low-A, Florida Marlins: Stanton is a 6-foot-1 soft tossing lefty reliever. He has good command and is very tough against left-handed hitters. Wait a minute, wrong Mike Stanton. This Mike Stanton is an 6-foot-5 multi-sport talent who was taken 76th overall in the 2007 draft out of high school. Stanton is a very athletic player with big power potential -- and can currently handle center-field. He struggled mightily in his pro debut, but his raw potential is far too great to just look at that 56 AB sample size. Stanton will start the 2008 season in Low-A Greenboro, where he will be the 4th youngest player in the level. He certainly has a chance to struggle again in his first full season, however if he puts up numbers from the start and continues to produce, there is no doubt that he has the highest ceiling of any player listed here. Stanton is the type of player who could eventually be a top 10 prospect if all goes right and he lives up to his steep potential. Definitely watch this one.
Brett Sullivan can be reached at sullivan10x@yahoo.com.