BABS reviews the September call-ups

by Doug Gruber

As the calendar flips to September, MLB rosters can expand from their current 25-man limit to as many as the entire 40-man roster. Lots of new faces for sure. Let’s look at several call-ups and get BABS’ perspective as to whether these newcomers have the skills (based on BABS 2018 minor league ratings) to potentially help our teams over these remaining weeks of the season.

Fantasy players have been waiting all season for Kyle Tucker (OF, Astros) to arrive in Houston. BABS placed Tucker (pictured) in one of the highest rated asset classes (p,s,AV), in the proximity of other uber-prospects such as Fernando Tatis Jr., Vlad Guerrero Jr., Cavan Biggio, Bo Bichette and Eloy Jimenez. Great company indeed! Despite outstanding skills and exceptional numbers at Round Rock this season (34 HRs, 30 SBs, .909 OPS), the Astros don’t have a starting spot for him yet, although he may get the call depending on the severity of George Springer’s recent injury.

BABS also rated Mauricio Dubon (SS, Giants) in the same triple-asset class (p,s,AV), albeit based on a smaller sample. Dubon came to the Giants from the Brewers in a deadline swap for Drew Pomeranz. It appears that SF wants to give Dubon an extended look, given the recent departures of both Scooter Gennett and Joe Panik. BABS loves the skill set, and with five consecutive starts, Dubon should get full time at-bats. His first major league HR off the Cardinal’s Giovanny Gallegos certainly helped his case.

BABS rated top prospect Gavin Lux (SS, Dodgers) as having significant batting skills (AV) in 2018, and Lux certainly delivered between Double- and Triple-A this year. How about these numbers…a .347 BA, a 1.028 OPS, 26 HRs and 10 steals? And he is only 21 years old! Lux went 2-for-5 in his debut on Monday and is positioned to play regularly in September at 2B in the very potent LAD lineup.

Oakland added Sean Murphy (C, A’s) to its MLB roster, a highly rated catching prospect who BABS rated as (p,s). Murphy had an injury-plagued season in 2019 but recovered to hit .308 with 10 home runs in 31 games at Las Vegas. In his major league debut on Wednesday versus the Angels, Murphy connected for an opposite-field home run in his 2nd big league at bat. BABS says the skill set is valuable for a catcher, but with Oakland fighting for a wild card spot, and with two other catchers available (Josh Phegley, Chris Herrmann), Murphy may not get the ABs necessary to help fantasy teams this month.

Outfielder Sam Hilliard (OF, Rockies) was recalled after he delivered 35 home runs and 22 at AAA Albuquerque this season. BABS recognizes the speed asset (s) for Hilliard, however, a below average contact rate (67% in 2019) could suppress his power and batting skills. Hilliard started with a bang for the Rockies, with home runs in two of his first three games, but he has not yet attempted a stolen base. His challenge this month will be regular playing time, as Raimel Tapia has now returned from his injury, and David Dahl is creeping closer.

BABS also recognized the speed skills of Detroit’s Tigers Willi Castro (SS, Tigers), rating him as (SB) for 2018. Castro hit .301 with 17 SBs at Toledo prior to his call up. The good news? Castro has started every game at SS since his promotion. The not-so-good news? His .186 BA, .217 OBP and a 40% K-rate certainly won’t allow him to utilize his speed asset.

Houston’s Abraham Toro (3B, Astros) is an interesting example of a young player who seems to have taken his game to a new level this season in the minors. For 2018, BABS only saw batting liabilities, bestowing Toro with the dreaded (-AV) rating, based on his .230 BA and .688 OPS at AA. Something clicked for Toro in 2019, as his OBP jumped well above.400 between AA and AAA, which earned him a promotion when Carlos Correa hit the IL prior to roster expansions. Toro has started eight consecutive games for the Astros and has performed admirably, with two HRs, a steal and a BB:K ratio of 5:7.

On the pitching side, there are very few call-ups who logged enough innings at the high-minor league levels last year to earn a BABS rating. A.J. Puk (LHP, A’s) missed all of 2018 due to Tommy John surgery, but prior to his injury BABS recognized Puk’s strikeout assets (k). Puk earned a ticket to the A’s bullpen based on a DOM rate over 13.0 in 20 innings of relief. He has made three appearances for Oakland to date, but not often enough to provide fantasy value this year.

Based on his 130 innings pitched in 2018, Lewis Thorpe (LHP, Twins) earned a BABS rating of (k), as a result of his 157 punch outs. This year, 19 AAA starts with a similar 11 K/9 rate earned Thorpe a promotion to Minnesota, while Kyle Gibson’s injury has provided an opportunity in the Twins rotation. This week, Thorpe earned a win at Fenway when he was the primary pitcher following the opener, although he did struggle his second time through the tough Red Sox lineup. Thorpe could earn more rotation chances down the stretch.

Ronald Bolanos (RHP, Padres) went from Double-A Amarillo to the Padres starting rotation on Tuesday. BABS did not have a 2018 rating for Bolanos, as he spent last season at the high-A level. But his 2019 minor league numbers certainly will get BABS’ attention…142 Ks in 128 IPs, a 48% GB rate, and a HR/9 rate of 0.75. Bolanos pitched six solid innings in his debut at Arizona.

These skilled minor league players are striving to be a factor for their respective MLB ball clubs. BABS says they have the assets to possibly contribute to your fantasy teams as well.