Everybody loves hotshot rookies, and fantasy baseball owners are no exception. The following five players could take the majors by storm this season and should be targeted on draft day.
Average draft positions are from FantasyPros as of March 2.
All stats for 2020 projections are from FanGraphs.
Luis Robert, White Sox - OF (ADP 98)
| AVG | R | HR | RBI | SB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| .273 | 75 | 25 | 81 | 23 |
Robert's teammate, Eloy Jimenez, believes the 22-year-old outfielder is the next Mike Trout. Although nobody is expecting the rookie to put up comparable numbers, Robert can mash, and the White Sox appear set to have him on their Opening Day roster after investing over $100 million in the young Cuban. Across three minor-league levels last season, he finished with 32 home runs and 36 stolen bases while posting a 1.001 OPS. Chicago's 2020 lineup also looks deep after a productive offseason, giving Robert protection wherever he hits in the batting order.
Jesus Luzardo, Athletics - SP (ADP 136)
| IP | W | ERA | WHIP | K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 149 | 10 | 3.93 | 1.25 | 153 |
The 22-year-old lefty has top-of-the-rotation potential thanks to a nasty arsenal that includes three above-average pitches. He's projected to start the season in the Athletics' rotation after making six appearances out of the bullpen in 2019. Luzardo struck out 16 while posting a 1.50 ERA across 12 innings for Oakland. The Peruvian-born pitcher also accrued an 11.9 K/9 rate with a 1.02 WHIP across three levels in the minors last season. He's got the potential to put up big strikeout numbers and collect wins for a contending club.
Gavin Lux, Dodgers - 2B/SS (ADP 151)
| AVG | R | HR | RBI | SB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| .267 | 62 | 17 | 65 | 9 |
The No. 2-ranked prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline, is projected to begin the 2020 campaign as the Dodgers' starting second baseman. Lux, 22, collected two homers in 23 major-league contests last season. However, he's got all of the offensive tools, as he slashed .347/.421/.607 with 26 round-trippers and 76 RBIs across Double-A and Triple-A in 2019.
Brendan McKay, Rays - SP (ADP 327)
| IP | W | ERA | WHIP | K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 92 | 6 | 3.89 | 1.41 | 102 |
The 24-year-old southpaw was one inning away from losing his rookie eligibility for 2020 after logging 49 innings pitched in 2019. McKay has big-time potential to rack up strikeouts thanks to a 10.3 K/9 in the majors and a career 11.8 K/9 in the minors. The only knock against him coming out of camp is that he might not start the campaign in the Rays' starting rotation. Fantasy owners should draft and stash McKay, as his talent is undeniable.
Yoshitomo Tsutsugo, Rays - IF/OF (ADP 294)
| AVG | R | HR | RBI | SB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| .251 | 60 | 22 | 60 | 1 |
The Japanese slugger could be a major steal if he comes close to replicating the numbers he put up for the Yokohama DeNA BayStars. The 28-year-old clubbed 139 homers over the last four seasons, including 44 in 2016 and 38 in 2018. The Rays have a knack for getting the best out of their players, and Tsutsugo could be the latest example in a long list of success stories in Tampa.
