Analyzing the best MLB rookies to target in your 2020 fantasy baseball draft.
Fantasy baseball season is quickly approaching and we at SportsbookWire have you covered. We have looked at top sleepers and some value pitchers to target. Below, we’ll look at five MLB rookies who are poised to make major impacts on the 60-game 2020 fantasy season.
Fantasy baseball rookies to target
Luis Robert, OF, Chicago White Sox
Robert, 22, totaled 32 home runs and 36 stolen bases across three different levels of the minor leagues in 2019. He had been expected to start the 2020 season patrolling center field for a much-improved White Sox team even before the season was shortened and the minor-league season was canceled.
He slashed .297/.341/.634 over 47 games in Triple-A last season, but needs to cut down on strikeouts and draw more walks in order to have success at the majors. He’ll be given a long leash.
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Jesus Luzardo, SP, Oakland Athletics
Luzardo tossed 12 innings across six games last season and recorded two saves while striking out 16 batters with just three walks and two earned runs allowed. The former top prospect is currently slated as the No. 4 starter in the Athletics rotation.
Gavin Lux, 2B, Los Angeles Dodgers
Lux hit two homers and stole two bases while slashing .240/.305/.400 across 82 plate appearances in 23 MLB games last season. He’s expected to be the everyday second baseman in 2020, and though he’ll likely bat ninth in the order, he’ll be followed by OF Mookie Betts, 1B Max Muncy and 3B Justin Turner as the lineup turns over.
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Nate Pearson, SP, Toronto Blue Jays
The Blue Jays’ top pitching prospect, Pearson will likely be the first name called upon in the event of an injury to another starter. He’ll probably open the season on the taxi squad, but will still have a direct path into the rotation and can still make an early impact. He pitched to a 2.59 ERA across 62 2/3 innings in Double-A last season.
Carter Kieboom, SS, Washington Nationals
Kieboom will open 2020 as the replacement to Anthony Rendon at third base for the Nationals. He trailed only OF Victor Robles in the Nats’ prospect rankings last season, as he slashed .303/.409/.493 with 16 homers over 109 games in Triple-A. He hit two homers, but struck out in 37.2% of his plate appearances over 11 MLB games after his call-up. He gained some experience ahead of what’s expected to be a full 60-game season at the hot corner.
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Previewing the fantasy baseball landscape and highlighting the top 5 rookies to draft for the 2020 MLB season.
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Every year, a few rookies step up and unexpectedly become difference-makers in the world of Fantasy Baseball. Here, we take a look at a few possibilities for 2020, beyond the most obvious breakout rookies, such as Los Angeles Dodgers 2B Gavin Lux and Chicago White Sox OF Luis Robert.
Kieboom struggled in his first taste of the big leagues, as he collected just five hits in 39 at-bats for a .128 batting average in 2019. He punished Class AAA pitching all season, posting a .303/.409/.493 line with 16 home runs across 494 plate appearances.
Kieboom, who has been a middle infielder for the vast majority of his minor league career, has been anointed the starting third baseman for the Nationals heading into the season. He doesn’t offer a ton of immediate upside but should fare much better this time around, providing a decent average and some pop in a strong Washington lineup.
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Chicago White Sox 2B Nick Madrigal
Madrigal had a solid year in 2019, as he put up a .311/.377/.414 line across three levels of the minors. Two things stand out in his profile: He brings plenty of speed to the table, as shown by the 35 bags he swiped a season ago, and he also puts the ball in play at an extremely high rate. He struck out in just 16 of his 532 plate appearances (3.0% K%).
It appears there is a strong chance Madrigal won’t start the season on the active roster. If he does, he may be behind Leury Garcia in the pecking order at second base, but it probably won’t be long before he becomes a regular, and while the power is lacking, he should help in the batting average and stolen base categories.
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St. Louis Cardinals OF Dylan Carlson
Carlson spent most of the 2019 season terrorizing Class AA pitching. When he finally got a chance in Class AAA, he hit the ground running, as he recorded an absurd .361/.418/.681 line in 79 plate appearances.
Carlson can’t be expected to produce at that level in the majors, and there’s a chance he doesn’t open the season on the active roster, so the team can gain an extra year of control. It won’t be long before he gets a shot, and he should put up respectable numbers across all categories.
Oakland Athletics C Sean Murphy
Murphy missed much of the 2019 season due to injuries, but he mashed whenever he was on the field. He hit .308 with 10 homers in 140 plate appearances at Class AAA. He made a splash once called up to the majors in September, hitting .245 with four home runs in 60 plate appearances.
Murphy is set to get the majority of playing time behind the plate for Oakland in 2020. Look for him to continue to provide plus power, along with a batting average that won’t kill you.
Los Angeles Dodgers SP Dustin May
May showed he was ready for the majors when he got an opportunity in 2019. In 14 appearances (four starts), he put up a 3.63 ERA across 34 2/3 innings, with 32 strikeouts against just five walks.
May’s role for 2020 is unclear at this point. The Dodgers still have rotation depth, despite the recent losses of David Price and Jimmy Nelson, and even if May does start, the outings may be short at the beginning of the season. Even so, the skills are strong, and the pitcher-friendly park and offense behind him help make May a pitcher worth targeting in the middle rounds.
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Analyzing the best fantasy golf picks for the 2020 Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands.
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The 2020 Travelers Championship is set to tee off Thursday at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut. The third event on the PGA Tour’s revamped 2020 schedule is the first to be played on its regularly scheduled dates and features another star-studded field. Below, we look at the top-30 fantasy golf power rankings for the 2020 Travelers Championship.
Thirteen of the top 15 players in the Golfweek/Sagarin world rankings will be in attendance, including reigning RBC Heritage champ Webb Simpson. Daniel Berger, who has risen all the way to No. 5 in the Golfweek rankings, withdrew from the event Sunday night.
TPC River Highlands is a par-70 measuring just 6,841 yards and featuring Bentgrass greens.
Here are my top-30 fantasy golf rankings for the 2020 Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands.
30. Ryan Moore
Moore has never won here, but has gained an average of 1.75 strokes per round on the field across 44 career rounds at TPC River Highlands, according to Data Golf.
29. Matthew Fitzpatrick
A regular contender on the European Tour, Fitzpatrick is still looking for his first win on the PGA Tour after a T-14 result last week at a favorite course of his.
28. Corey Conners
Conners again lost strokes putting last week and still managed a T-21 finish. His ball-striking should shine through at this short venue.
27. Joel Dahmen
Dahmen has quietly climbed into 31st in the Golfweek rankings with a top-50 finish in each of the last three events. He was in contention last week until a Sunday 75 dropped him to T-48.
26. Ian Poulter
The veteran Poulter has taken up residency on the PGA Tour with the European Tour still on pause. He tied for 14th last week after grabbing a share of the first-round lead.
(Photo Credit: Brian Spurlock – USA TODAY Sports)
25. Jason Day
Still one of the best Bentgrass putters on Tour, Day has a good history here with a T-8 in 2019 and T-12 in 2018.
24. Scottie Scheffler
Potentially a sneaky play after last week’s Tuesday morning withdrawal. Scheffler scores well on par 4s from 400-450 yards and gains scoring opportunities on these shorter courses.
23. Patrick Reed
Missed the cut last week at a short, but tight course following a T-7 finish at Colonial Country Club. Reed is a much better putter on Bentgrass than last week’s Bermuda greens.
22. Jordan Spieth
The rollercoaster continues, but there’s denying Spieth is a strong choice in any fantasy format that rewards birdies more strongly than it punishes bogeys.
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21. Sergio Garcia
A T-5 finish last week was his best result since a T-4 at the 2019 Wells Fargo Championship. Led the field in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green and ranked second in SG: Approach last week.
20. Sungjae Im
A rare missed cut was entirely the fault of losing 2.20 strokes per round putting on the Bermuda greens at Harbour Town Golf Links. He ranks 41st in this week’s field on Bentgrass greens, according to Fantasy National.
19. Joaquin Niemann
A first-time winner at A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier in the first event of the 2019-20 season, Niemann resurfaced with last week’s T-5 result in a considerably stronger field. He excelled from tee to green and on approach.
18. Jon Rahm
Still ranked second in the Golfweek rankings, Rahm is one of the few players from among the world’s elite without a top-20 finish in two events back from the midseason pause.
17. Xander Schauffele
Lost strokes in all key areas except for SG: Off the Tee last week after narrowly missing out on a playoff at the Charles Schwab Challenge. Missed the cut in 2018 after a T-14 in 2017.
(Photo Credit: Brian Spurlock – USA TODAY Sports)
16. Viktor Hovland
His first victory at the Puerto Rico Open in February was on a much longer course, but he’s an expert ball-striker who can create scoring opportunities.
15. Tony Finau
A disappointing restart to the season with a T-23 and T-33 finish. Missed the cut last year, but tied for 17th in 2017.
14. Dustin Johnson
Johnson gained an impressive 1.35 strokes off the tee and 0.79 strokes on approach last week. The T-17 finish was his best result since a T-10 at The Genesis Invitational.
13. Gary Woodland
Stumbled to a T-62 last week following a ninth-place finish at the Charles Schwab Challenge. Playing here for the first time since 2016.
12. Collin Morikawa
Last year’s T-36 finish in his debut last season now pales in comparison to what he has accomplished since. Still hasn’t missed a cut as a professional.
11. Patrick Cantlay
Back-to-back T-15 finishes here in the last two years. Returns to play for the first time after sitting out the last two events following the midseason suspension.
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10. Justin Rose
Another veteran with good history here, but no appearances since a 13th-place showing in 2013. Back-to-back top 15s out of the break.
9. Bubba Watson
A three-time champion here looks to tie Billy Casper’s 47-year-old record four titles. Has been quietly playing well and salvaged a T-52 finish with a Sunday 65 last week.
8. Bryson DeChambeau
All that added power may be for naught at such a short venue. Struggles on Bentgrass greens compared to Bermuda or Poa Annua, as well.
7. Rory McIlroy
Has excelled on shorter courses in his career, including a victory at 22-under par at last year’s RBC Canadian Open. Has gained 1.84 strokes per round in two appearances here.
6. Marc Leishman
A champion in 2012, Leishman has averaged 1.13 strokes gained per round on the field at TPC River Highlands. Leads this field in SG: Ball Striking and Par Efficiency: 400-450 Yards on courses shorter than 7,200 yards and featuring Bentgrass greens.
(Photo Credit: Brian Spurlock – USA TODAY Sports)
5. Webb Simpson
Now a two-time winner in 2020, Simpson rebounded nicely from a missed cut at the Charles Schwab Challenge to win last week. He’s been largely unimpressive here and last missed the cut in 2018.
4. Abraham Ancer
Came oh-so-close to his first career PGA Tour win last week in Hilton Head, S.C. Led the field with 2.96 SG: Approach and ranked second in SG: T2G.
3. Justin Thomas
Two top 10s since returning to play, but has struggled at this venue since tying for third in 2016.
2. Brooks Koepka
Flashed his old form in a seventh-place finish last week, while gaining 1.73 strokes per round off the tee. Also gained 0.94 strokes putting on the Bermuda greens, including some clutch long attempts on Sunday.
1. Paul Casey
The would-be course history darling if it weren’t for Watson. Casey has finished either T-5 or as a runner-up in four of his five appearances here. Leads the field in Opportunities Gained in what should be another shootout in the Tour’s return to play.
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