Richard Lovelady- This is a reliever you need to know. Lovelady was ranked as the number 16 prospect in our Prospects Live Top 30 Royals Prospect list. This is a future back of the bullpen arm, and that can happen as soon as this year. Lovelady misses bats and gets ground balls, and despite being left-handed has no issues getting right-handed hitters out. He has a three pitch mix with a plus fastball in the mid-90s that has sink, and a two-plane slider that he throws at the back foot of right-handed hitters. He also has a below-average change and above-average command.
Lovelady is also a name to know for fantasy purposes. He’s a future closer, and while investing in relievers is never the greatest strategy, this is an exception to that rule. He attacks hitters from an unfamiliar arm slot and will generate some poor swings at times. He’s absolutely death on lefties, but as I mentioned earlier, still can get righties out. Grab a few shares if you can, especially in holds formats.
Ryan Helsley- Helsley was the Cardinals seventh ranked prospect on our Prospects Live Top 30 Cardinals Prospect list. If you watched the Cardinals this spring you would’ve seen Helsley, as the Cardinals gave him a good amount of early reps in big league camp. He was even mentioned prior to the 2018 season as a potential prospect that can help in the bullpen. It’s easy to see why, just this spring out of the pen Helsley was touching triple digits with the heater. He pairs it with a 12-6 hammer curveball which plays off of his high-octane elevated fastball. He also throws a fringe change and a cutter that he recently added to the mix.
There were some questions surrounding Helsley after he was shut down last June with what was advertised as minor shoulder soreness. As it turned out, that was the last we would see of him in 2018. After a quiet winter regarding his health, it was good to see him this spring throwing the ball well. He has made one start this season with Triple-A Memphis throwing four innings of hitless ball. More importantly he was sitting 96-98 and touching 100, so he appears to be healthy. The Cardinals bullpen has been shaky so far to begin 2019, and Helsley could be here to stay long-term. I think he’s better suited for the bullpen because of his long, unconventional arm action. Our own Lance Brozdowski discussed the concerns in the Cardinals top 30 linked above. He was a tough guy to rank due to the uncertainty surrounding the shoulder, but I think Lance got this one right. He’s a power pitcher through and through. Let him work in short stints and eat.
Erik Swanson- Swanson was our 12th ranked prospect on our Seattle Mariners Top 30 Prospects list. Swanson came over to the Mariners as part of the James Paxton trade. He started his pro career as an 8th round pick out of Iowa Western JC in 2014 by the Rangers. He was part of the trade that sent Carlos Beltran to the Rangers in 2016. He quickly rose through the Yankees system in 2018 as he started the year in High-A and ended it in Triple-A. Swanson has the ideal innings eating frame at six-foot-three, 235 pounds. He throws hard and can get the fastball up to 95-96 consistently. He supplements this with a slider and a changeup. He needs to command his stuff within the zone more consistently if he wants to stick in the rotation, but does have the stuff to make a living in the bullpen if needed. Swanson is a future back-end starter or set-up man.
Helsley and Swanson have similar fantasy values. Both arms need to be rostered in 20+ team dynasty leagues as they may become fixtures on their respective staffs, or just end up as bullpen pieces that rotate on 6-8 teams over the next few years. Both are worth the gamble. If you only have room for one, I’d go Helsley as I think his long-term role, either starter or potential closer, is one that will bear fruit.