Sometimes the key to a successful fantasy season is stashing a player who starts the season riding buses in the minor leagues. It just has to be the right minor leaguer. A lot of times, impact fantasy players begin the season in the minors for a variety of reasons. Don’t waste your last bench spot on a veteran journeyman with zero upside when you can stash a future difference maker.
In 2007, Ryan Braun made his debut on May 25. All he did was hit .324 with 34 homers and 15 stolen bases over the final 113 games. Similarly, Ryan Howard made his debut on May 3 of his 2005 Rookie of the Year campaign and it took Mike Trout a few weeks in the minors before finally getting the call on April 28 back in 2012.
Fantasy owners in deep keeper leagues, AL or NL-only formats and dynasty leagues already know about future stars such as George Springer, Gregory Polanco and Javier Baez. However, standard mixed-league owners don’t typically have a grasp on the up-and-coming prospects. This is where we come in…
In the coming weeks, Sports World News will highlight players who won’t start the year in the majors but have a chance to impact fantasy standings before the season ends. Sometimes injuries open up playing time for a younger player. Sometimes the big-league club is simply too cheap to let a top prospect’s arbitration clock kick in.
Our inaugural “Player to Stash” is Colorado Rockies 1B/OF Kyle Parker.
Parker is the Rockies No. 4 overall prospected, according Baseball America, but that doesn’t mean he won’t help fantasy owners in 2014. The former Clemson QB hit .288 with 23 homers, 74 RBI and a .345 on base percentage last season at Double-A Tulsa. Parker should be ready to help fantasy teams as soon as he gets the opportunity.
The often-injured Justin Morneau is currently blocking his path to a starting 1B job, but savvy fantasy owners shouldn’t expect Morneau to stay healthy all season. Parker is also capable of playing the corner outfield spots, and Corey Dickerson and Drew Stubbs should be the first players to lose their jobs if the Rockies need mid-season offensive boost. Parker should be a trendy fantasy sleeper entering 2015, but his time could come before that if things fall into place. Parker isn’t a bad guy to stash if your bench is deep enough, or if you play in an NL-only league.
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