As baseball fans, we all get excited about prospects. So much tantalizing potential and the hope of baseball's next star player. When a player gets called up, everyone gets excited about what could be on the way and if greatness is arriving.
The Cleveland Indians brought their fans plenty to get excited about on Tuesday with the call up of outfielder Bradley Zimmer. The 24-year-old will make his MLB debut today against the Tampa Bay Rays and is batting ninth with the start in center field.
Now, let's take a look at the young hitter and what makes so many excited about his potential.
Name: Bradley ZimmerPosition: Center FieldTeam: Cleveland IndiansAge: 24
Scouting Report:
Zimmer's tools certainly make him extremely compelling from a fantasy perspective. Players with Zimmer's power-speed combos at the center field position are in short supply.
He's slowly developed his power to greater heights, climbing from a 50-grade to 60-grade power potential. Seeing his strength and ability to drive the ball further adds to the fantasy appeal for high doubles totals and a future of 20-25 home runs.
You see plenty of speed potential as well. 60-grade speed and great instincts on the base paths helped Zimmer steal 44 bases last season between Double-A and Triple-A. Zimmer got caught stealing 14 times, so he certainly carries an aggressive approach with him.
Zimmer has always shown a good ability to put the ball in play and rack up hits when he makes contact, but lack of contact is his greatest weakness. Since 2015, he has carried a strikeout rate above 23 percent and it has gotten worse as he's climbed up the levels.
Last season in his first exposure to Triple-A, Zimmer struck out 56 times in 150 plate appearances. It presents an even larger issue for a major league career with such a dramatic swing-and-miss element to his game.
It's easy to identify the appealing fantasy potential of Zimmer. Multiple 25 home run-25 steal seasons are certainly in his potential and with a solid batting average as a middle-of-the-order hitter, he could be an OF1 in fantasy.
2017 Stats:
Zimmer worked on his swing during the offseason. He worked with the team to make adjustments with his mechanics to smoothen out his swing and by cleaning it up, would improve the bat's path to the ball.
After playing with the team in spring training, Zimmer went back to Triple-A and showed improvements. He cut down his strikeout rate from 37.3 percent to 29.9 percent this season in 33 games.
The cut down on strikeouts and increased contact rate showed tremendous returns for his overall stats, with a 50 point jump in batting average from .242 to .294, his wRC+ rose from 95 to 153 and his OPS improved from .654 to .902.
As a result of the change, Zimmer's power has improved as well. He hit just one home run and five doubles in 150 plate appearances last year in Triple-A, meanwhile he hit five home runs and 11 doubles in 144 Triple-A appearances this season.
With his strong performance in the first six weeks, Zimmer earned a promotion to Cleveland and the opportunity to make his major-league debut.
2017 Fantasy Outlook:
ZImmer's placement at the bottom of the batting order gives some idea that fantasy owners will need to give him time.
This could be a short run for Zimmer, if he struggles and Abraham Almonte returns to health, he could be back in Triple-A within three weeks. But given the lack of production Cleveland has received from its outfield, he very well could stay up in the majors.
The problem becomes the strikeouts. Zimmer's improved swing technique has improved his K% and generated more contact, but a 29.9 K% in Triple-A will likely rise against major league pitching.
His power-speed potential makes him worth an appealing addition in non-keeper leagues. But if it brings a low batting average and a strikeout rate that would put him amongst the top-10 leaders in baseball. He could become a lower end Keon Broxton as a rookie, but that seems like the upside this season.