Finding a rookie who will have a significant and immediate impact on your fantasy squad can be a very daunting task.  Even the rookies discussed in Part 1…sure, they’ve got a job, but big time success is certainly far from guaranteed.  Go back and look at some of last year’s fantasy baseball magazines, check their prospects section and see for yourself just how many of them made such an impact that you couldn’t have won your championship without them.  Matt Wieters certainly did not.  Neither did Travis Snider or Cameron Maybin or Matt LaPorta.  Nope.  For every Tommy Hanson and Andrew McCutchen out there, you have dozens of Mat Gamels and Justin Smoaks.  Judging the rookies can be tough.

     So how do you do it?  How do you see who’s going to break through this year and who isn’t?  Who is the best lock for a mid-season, or at worst, September call-up?  Obviously it’s always good to start with rookies who either have a gig or the distinct advantage in obtaining one this spring.  Duh.  That’s what Part 1 of this article was all about.  So the next step that I look for is opportunity.  It’s pretty easy to ascertain that a player has some significant talent if he’s listed in the prospects section in the fantasy magazines or fantasy websites.  They don’t list the bad ones.  If he’s listed on an MLB team page as a top prospect, he’s probably pretty capable.  They too, do not lists busts within the organization.  So if all of these guys have talent, yes, some more than others, who’s got the best chance of needing to be called up?  That’s where I’m looking.  After that, it’s then all about talent, because if the big club doesn’t need to bring him up, he needs to show them that they do. 

     So with that in mind, for the other half of the Rookie Report, I’ll give you a selection of rookies that I think you could actually use this season.  They may not throw you the most bad-ass stats in the world, but their contributions should be worthwhile.

2010 Fantasy Baseball Rookies

Spring Job Stealers and Probable Call-ups     

Jason Heyward, OF  ATL –  As I stated in my Fantasy Baseball Sleepers article, Heyward not only has the talent, but the endorsements from both Bobby Cox and Chipper Jones.  With a strong spring, he could break camp with the big club and push either Melky Cabrera or Matt Diaz for at bats.  With a strong spring and a strong first month, he could steal a job and hold it for the season.

Stephen Strasburg, SP  WAS –  So much hype that I find it incredibly hard to believe that we won’t see him at some point this year.  I did a profile on him a month or so ago that you can check out, but if he’s dominating in the minors, he’ll move up the ladder quickly and could end up in the rotation by mid-season.  At worst he’ll be up in September when the Nats are out of it, just so they can get a look at him against big league pitching.

Neftali Feliz, P  TEX –  For this kid, the hype matches the talent.  His 30+ inning, 1.74 ERA, 0.68 WHIP and 39 K debut last year was fantastic and it looks like he’ll be given a chance to compete for a rotation spot this year.  With a strong spring he could end up as the 4th or 5th man in the rotation and will be a great source of strikeouts.  Personally I think he would dominate as a closer, and would better serve them there, but the Rangers think he can maintain that strength and intensity for more than just a single inning.  As for inning limitations and pitch counts as a rookie, it’ll be interesting to see what Nolan Ryan’s influence is like at the managerial level.

Buster Posey, C  SF — He was so close to getting the starting job this year, but wisely, the Giants re-signed Bengie Molina, to push Posey’s starting catcher days off another year.  They say he’s going to get some infield work this spring, but they have a few guys there already that can sit on the bench until they’re needed.  Posey needs to play regularly still, so it’s likely that Eli Whiteside remains the primary back-up while Posey goes to Triple-A for atleast the first half of the season.  Depending on trades, injuries and what not, we could see him around mid-season, but I’m guessing we won’t see him until September again unless one of those trades or injuries involves Molina.

Desmond Jennings, OF  TB –  Another speedster in the Rays farm system, Jennings will most likely start the season in the minors.  With Carl Crawford and B.J. Upton out there, the only hope for Jennings is that the platoon of Matt Joyce and Gabe Kapler is a complete and utter failure.  Even then, they could still use Ben Zobrist in the outfield and make some middle infield adjustments.  Now sure, there’s a chance that Upton keeps his stats in the crapper which gives Jennings hope, but I’m not banking on that this year.  The Rays need added power, not speed, so we still may see Jennings this year;  juts not until September.

Mat Gamel, 3B  MIL –  Well, so here’s the first guy I listed in the opening paragraph and believe me, it wasn’t to pan Gamel in any way.  I happen to like him and think that defensively, he’s superior to Casey McGehee.  But his power potential isn’t as strong and therefore the Brewers will likely not give him the starting job.  There’s a chance that he’ll stay with the club as a back-up, but I like for him to start in the minors and wait for his call-up.  A huge bonus for him is that Rickie Weeks is the starting second baseman.  Weeks always spends time on the DL and if it’s for a length of time greater than the standard two weeks, I could see the Brewers moving McGehee to second and bring up Gamel for third.  Much better than another year of Craig Counsell.

Freddie Freeman, 1B  ATL –  Tremendous developing power, but he could still be a little green.  I like his swing and his power shouldn’t develop at the expense of his average.  He got as high as Double-A last season and probably needs a little time and work at the Triple-A level, but with the oft-injured Troy Glaus at first for the Braves this year, we may see Freeman a little sooner than expected.  With a good, solid spring, I think the Braves will turn to him if they need, but he’ll have to show them that it’s more worthwhile to call him up than just use Eric Hinske as the primary back-up.

Carlos Santana, C  CLE –  It’s entirely up to him.  Really, it is.  Funny thing to say, but Santana was the reason the Tribe so easily dealt away Victor Martinez and have settled on rookie Lou Marson to start the year behind the dish.  Everyone knows Marson is just keeping the position warm for him, so it’s just going to be a matter of how well Santana plays this spring and possibly early on in the minors.  A phenomenal spring could push him up real early, but for that we’ll have to wait and see.  In the meantime, I’m sure we”ll have to wait atleast until mid-season to see that power potential. 

Pedro Alvarez, 3B  PIT –  He’s shown great power, a high average and a rock solid OBP and slugging percentage in the minors last year and is apparently just waiting until the Pirates tire of Andy LaRoche over at third.  I really don’t think it’ll take too long and there’s even the possibility that with a big spring, they could turn the job over to him and use LaRoche from the bench.  More likely will be the Pirates making a mid-season deal and dishing off LaRoche to someone else while bringing Alvarez in to play third.  I really don;t think it’s a matter of “if” as much as it is a matter of “when”.  If you can draft him and stash him away without disrupting your plans or your bench, he could be a great corner-infield option very soon.

Chris Carter, 1B/OF  OAK – Another year, another power hitting rookie first base prospect from the A’s.  It does get tiresome, but Carter actually looks a lot better than guys like Dan Johsnon or Daric Barton ever did…atleast at the plate.  The move to first base has everything to do with his poor defense, but his power and ability to hit for a high average might just put him in a position to push for some DH at bats.  The A’s have a sound defense in the outfield so the team probably doesn’t want t move Jack Cust out there, so Carter really just needs to prove he’s a better hitter than the strikeout king and he could be grabbing regular at bats. 

Mike Stanton, OF  FLA –  Everyon eloves this kid’s power and everyone cringes at this kid’s strikeout rate.  Some serious plate discipline is needed here, but with a potentially unhappy Cody Ross after arbitration, another potentially bum season for Cameron Maybin, or a possible trade of Dan Uggla, there could be room early for Stanton.  You won’t be able to rely on a decent batting average, but he should mash with the best of them.  All three aforementioned scenarios are highly likely, so he could be a great late round sleeper.

Domonic Brown, OF  PHI –  I’ve really only got him here because he could be a September call-up, but with what the Phillies have in their outfield right now coupled with who they have on their bench, I don’t see Brown having any kind of an impact until September and that’s only if the Phillies are out of contention.  Jayson Werth is a free agent after this year so a trade of him could be a possibility, and Raul Ibanez is getting older, but with Ben Francisco and John Mayberry already there, it could be tough for Brown to break through.

Michael Taylor, OF  OAK –  Here’s another late season call-up to keep on the radar.  As I said before, there’s really no room for him right now in the Oakland outfield, but if he produces well and the team trades off Coco Crisp, then there’s a chance that he’ll get the nod rather than using Cust out in right field.  Taylor has tremendous skills, but a lot standing in his way right now.

Justin Smoak, 1B  TEX –  There was a time when I thought that Smoak would go the route of Adrian Gonzalez.  Great talent, no chance of taking over the position, traded to blossom elsewhere.  But it may be different if Smoak can stay healthy this season.  A strained oblique hindered him last year, so if he’s good to go, then maybe he’ll get the call-up if Chris Davis shows his enormous penchant for strikeouts and poor plate discipline.  If Smoak has a solid spring then Davis coul dbe on a very short leash this season.  However, if Davis turns around and plays like he did at the end of the year, we might see Smoak in a different uniform.

Kyle Drabek, SP  TOR –  While his 6′ 0″ 185 lb frame won’t make much noise, his name will.  The son of former ace Doug Drabek was an integral piece in the Roy Halladay deal and now that the Jays have him, his rise through the minor leagues could accelerate.  I don’t see him grabbing a job thi sspring, but with the youth and lack of durability the Jays have in their current rotation, there’s more of a chance for him in Toronto than there was in Philadelphia.  Look for him in the second half when the Jays fall out of the AL East race.

Brett Wallace, 3B/1B  TOR –  This was a great steal for the Jays this offseason as they’ll be able to utilize the power that Wallace should be able to offer faster than the A’s would have been able to do.  Between the injury history of Edwin Encarnacion, the age and lack of pop from Lyle Overbay, and the discipline this kid has shown at the plate (not a strikeout prone guy by any means), I think there’s a real good shot we see Wallace up in the bigs by mid-season.  His real home should be at first since his glove at the hot corner ain’t so swift, but again, Overbay is what…73 years old?

Dustin Ackley, 2B/OF  SEA –  While the Mariners didn’t do too much to improve their power this offseason, they sure did enough to atleast block Ackley and keep him in the minors for more seasoning.  He won’t break camp with the big club and it’s very likely that we don’t see him until September.  Sure, a trade here or there could open things up, but right now he’s a batting average guy who might give a little bit of pop.  His use will be completely reliant on whether or not the M’s have a fire sale at the deadline.

Ike Davis, 1B  NYM –  He hit .298 with 20 HR between Single and Double-A last year and could be given a legit shot this spring, given the Mets first base situation.  A potential platoon of Fernando Tatis and the Daniel Murphy doesn’t sound appealing at all and that could be Davis’ window of opportunity right there.  He’s still striking out too much, but still had an OBP of .381 with a .524 slugging percentage.  I doubt the Mets will give hium a crack at Opening Day, but with a strong first half in the minors, we could get a glimpse of Davis by mid-season.

Mike Montgomery, SP  KC –  He’s still very young (just 21 in July 2010), but with his 90 mph fastball, sweet curve and poise on the mound not commonly found in a youngster, we could see him by mid to late season with the state of the Royals rotation.  They’ve got some pretty poor options after Zack Greinke, so if/when they don’t pan out, Montgomery might get a look.

Drew Storen, RP  WAS –  I’m not alone in my prediction that Storen will be closing out games for the Nats by the end of the season.  There are plenty of others that see it too with this kid’s potential.  He’s got a fantastic arm and was brought up in college and the minors with the specific intention of keeping him as a closer.  He looked incredibly sharp in the Arizona Fall League and should work his way up through the ranks pretty quickly. 

Jhoulys Chacin, P  COL –  Amazing breaking stuff and a plus slider for an out-pitch, Chacin could actually break camp as a middle reliever.  If your league counts holds as a category, then Chacin could be a nice selection for you late in the draft.  Personally I like for him to stay in the minors for atleast half the season so that he can work more as a starter, but he should still have some relief pitcher value in some leagues if he stays.

Reid Brignac, SS  TB –  Another guy who would be better served by a trade.  He’s not starting over Jason Bartlett, so unless the team needs to move Zobrist to the outfield, there might not be much room for the once heralded shortstop prospect.  He looked decent enough at the plate last year hitting .278 in 90 AB, so it’s more than likely he starts off as a utility infielder coming out fo the spring.  But regular PT may have to wait until trade or injury.

Fernando Martinez, OF  NYM –  The MVP of the Caribbean World Series, surgery for Carlos Beltran and he still can’t get a full time job yet.  Angel Pagan and Gary Matthews have the back-up roles apparently and Martinez will likely spend the first half of the year down in the minors.  But if he can prove to hit for a decent average and plays sound defense, then I don’t see the Mets keeping him down any further.  Matthews and Pagan are nothing special, and Jeff Francoeur has had troubles at the plate before. 

Brandon Allen, 1B  ARI –  I was actually pretty high on Allen right up until the D-Backs signed Adam LaRoche.  Allen has great power and a mediocre average, but his 20 HR in the minors last year and 4 big league dingers in his late call-up certainly put him at the forefront of a lot of people’s minds.  Maybe his atrocious performance in the Arizona Fall League had something to do with the LaRoche signing, but he could be an interesting option in case of injury.  You may also want to think about him when interleague starts and the D-Backs need a DH.

Chris Heisey, OF  CIN –  Truth be told, the Cincinnati outfield is not really on stable ground.  You’ve got Jay Bruce coming off of a wrist injury, Chris Dickerson who couldn’t command the starting job on his own last year, and Drew Stubbs, a rookie who’s been penciled in as the current starter.  I like his power, he doesn’t strike out as much as a kid hi sage and he looked great in the AFL this year.  I think, at worst, he’ll play his way into a platoon role and could take over the full time job with a strong spring and April.

Honorable Mentions

Jesus Montero, C/1B  NYY — He’ll have trouble breaking through in the Bronx, but if the Yanks are looking to deal, Montero could be first on a lot of people’s lists.

Jake Arrieta, SP  BAL –  Outstanding arm but still dealing with control/command issues.   Definitely has a chance for a mid to late season call-up.

Yonder Alonso, 1B  CIN –  Really needs a trade out of Cincy.  I don’t see the catcher experiment working out for him.

Jason Castro, C  HOU –  When J.R. Towels and Humberto Quintero are all that are standing in your way, why the hell not?

Tim Alderson, SP  PIT –  Lost a little velocity in the second half last year, but that could have to do more with the trade from San Francisco to Pittsburgh.  I know I’d be bummed.  Could be a nice second half call-up.

      Obviously we’ll be tracking all of these names and probably a whole bunch more once Spring Training starts up, so future updates will be available.  But for now, this rookie class should give you plenty to sift through when you’re looking for upside at the end of your draft.

      And remember, for the best in free fantasy baseball advice, 2010 fantasy baseball player rankings, fantasy baseball draft help, and fantasy baseball strategy, stick with The Fantasy Baseball Buzz and I’ll have you at the top of your standings in no time.

     Good luck and I’ll see you all in the money this year!