Few prospects will help fantasy owners in the early going

Every spring there is an abundance of speculation about prospects who have a chance to win a rotation spot or make an opening-day lineup, but in the end few actually do. There is a huge financial and developmental incentive for teams to be conservative about entrusting rookies with starting roles right out of the gate.

This year was no exception, as highly regarded prospects Trea Turner (Washington Nationals), Nomar Mazara (Texas Rangers) and Jose Berrios (Minnesota Twins) were among those failing to make enough of an impact to head north on opening day.

With that in mind, we take a look at the prospects who made the cut and are most likely to make an impact on fantasy teams in the first half of the 2016 season:

Los Angeles Dodgers: National League rookie of the year candidate Corey Seager, bothered in camp by a sore knee, was ready to go for opening day. The shortstop, 21, was impressive in a brief stint in the majors last year, hitting .337 with eight doubles and four home runs in 98 at-bats.

Seager has hit at every level and has a career slash line of .307/.368/.523 (batting average/on-base percentage/slugging percentage). His setback this spring could result in a slow start, but fantasy owners lucky enough to have landed Seager can expect elite-level production.

The Dodgers were unable to re-sign Zack Greinke and also lost out on Johnny Cueto, but they were able to land Japanese star pitcher Kenta Maeda. Concerns about Maeda’s pitching elbow resulted in a club-friendly eight-year, $25 million deal loaded with performance incentives. Maeda was dominant in Japan, going 15-8 with a 2.10 ERA and 175 strikeouts and 41 walks in 206 innings pitched last season. His fastball tops out at 92 mph, but he does an excellent job of keeping hitters off balance with a good four-pitch mix. Maeda was sharp this spring and should settle in as the Dodgers’ No. 3 starter.

Minnesota Twins: Center fielder Byron Buxton enters the season as the top prospect in the American League. Buxton showed his youth in 2015, hitting .209/.250/.326 in 129 big-league at-bats. He has a quick bat and should develop above-average power as he fills out his 6-2, 190 frame.

Buxton’s best asset is his game-changing speed, both on the bases and in center field. He has the tools to eventually hit .300 with 15 home runs and 30-plus stolen bases, but fantasy owners need to be patient in 2016.

The Twins landed first baseman Byung-Ho Park in a four-year, $12 million deal. He has raw power and hit 105 home runs over the past two seasons in South Korea. He can be overly aggressive at the plate but did draw tons of walks and should get on base as a decent clip. Park isn’t likely to challenge for the AL home run crown, but he finished spring training with three. Park will get at-bats at first and at designated hitter and could see action in the outfield.

Atlanta Braves: The Braves are in rebuilding mode and were thrilled to land left fielder Hector Olivera as their part of a three-team, 11-player deal last season. Olivera originally was signed by the Dodgers for $62.5 million; the Braves are on the hook for just $6.5 million a year over the next five years. He showed rust this spring but ended strong with a .393 batting average in 61 at-bats. That was enough to secure his spot as the opening-day left fielder, and Olivera will likely hit in the middle of the lineup.

Colorado Rockies: With Jose Reyes’ status up in the air, Trevor Story heads into the season as the club’s opening-day shortstop. He can be overly aggressive at the plate as he hunts for pitches he can drive. When he’s going well, he can be lights-out, but his swing-and-miss approach results in prolonged slumps. Last season was his most productive in the minors, as he hit .279 with 20 home runs and 22 stolen bases, though he also struck out 141 times. Story was hot in the spring, hitting .353 with six home runs. With Story off to a fast start (two homers on opening day), the Rockies may have a decision to make when Reyes returns.

New York Mets: They have developed the best young pitching staff in baseball, and their most recent addition is left-hander Steven Matz. His pro career got off to a slow start. He had Tommy John elbow surgery after being drafted in 2009 and didn’t make his full-season debut until 2013. Matz has been very effective since returning to action, posting a career minor league ERA of 2.25 and then putting up a 2.27 ERA in 352/3 innings with the Mets in 2015. His fastball tops out at 95 mph and results in weak contact. When healthy, he has succeeded at every level.

Arizona Diamondbacks: Infielder Brandon Drury tends to fly under the prospect radar, but the 23-year-old has significant offensive upside. The recent injury to A.J. Pollock creates the potential for additional playing time if the Diamondbacks use Chris Owings to help cover in the outfield. Drury’s power numbers from 2015 don’t jump off the page — seven home runs between the minors and the majors — but a closer look tells another story. Drury blasted 23 home runs in 2014 and stroked 43 doubles last year. Drury can play second base and third base and has more upside than Jake Lamb and Owings.

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