Kids Are Alright will examine some hot minor league prospects and their potential to be fantasy relevant towards both seasonal and keeper leagues.Brandon Wood, who was called up by the Angels Monday night, is the epitome of potential/upside/etc. He was once heralded, in certain circles, as the next Alex Rodriguez. This is based on the perception that he could hit 45 home runs from the shortstop position. A few things derailed that silly notion though. First, his fielding was inadequate for the position. And second -- also more importantly -- he has almost zero patience at the plate.
Witness his 2007 season, which saw him strikeout an absolutely ridiculous 120 times in 111 minor league games. He walked a whopping 45 times and posted a pedestrian .338 OBP. But, man, can he crush the ball. He had 23 homers in 2007, and that has to be considered pretty mediocre as well.
Are things different this year, as we turn a fantasy eye towards the newest prospect to hit the major league scene? Well, a little. He has a ridiculous Pacific Coast League leading eight home runs. And he has six doubles as well, so the power potential is there. But he also has an embarrassing 29:5 K:BB ratio. That's just not good for anyone. And his average is at .273, which isn't entirely shocking, given his past production in that area.
But, Wood's power potential, all of those strikeouts and failures to get on base aside, makes fantasy owners drool. It's a lot less appealing from third than short, sure, but it's still enticing. Which is why Wood is a nice pickup as long as you are not using him for starting purposes. If he comes out hot, you deal him. No questions asked. Don't be suckered, just hope the hype builds and then bank off of it. His second look around the league is going to be a lot uglier, and if you end up starting him for too long, you'll have to eat the average hit he's gonna give you.
Major League Mongering
