Bobby Bradley, 1B (CLE)- 2019 hasn’t gone exactly how the Indians hoped it would, so they promoted the minor league home run leader to hopefully provide a spark to a lineup that sorely needs it. The Indians drafted Bradley in the third round of the 2014 draft out of Harrison Central High in Gulfport, Mississippi and signed him for $912,500.
Bradley has hit for power every season since entering the Indians organization and has hit 23 or more homers in every full season, including his minor league leading 24 in 2019 in only 67 games. This season he mashed at Triple-A Columbus, hitting .292/.359/.638 with those previously mentioned 24 big flies. The power is the only above average tool here, so at least it’s a loud one with plus-plus grades. It’s a long swing though and despite the above average bat speed he’s posted strikeout rates above 32 percent at both Triple-A stints.
With strikeout totals that high you have to worry about potentially hurting your batting averages chasing the homers here. The lefty-righty splits here show that he’s far from helpless against lefties so he has a chance to stick in the lineup in those spots, and they’ve faced one lefty starter since he came up and he was in the lineup that day, which is encouraging. Like most power hitters he hits most of them to his pull side, but as the graph below shows he has power to all fields. In short, you have to decide if the double-plus power tool is enough to overcome all of his shortcomings. I’d take a shot in all 15-team leagues right now if you need power and can afford the potential batting average hit. Bradley checked in at number 21 on the Indians top 30 list.
Michael Brosseau, 3B (TB)- Stories like this are part of what makes baseball so great. The Rays signed the now 25-year-old Brosseau to a minor league deal in June 2016 after he went undrafted out of Oakland University. He’s hit his way through the Rays system, owning a career .299/.380/.478 line and an even better .313/.406/.579 line through 66 games for Triple-A Durham this year. The right-handed hitter has strong plate skills and contact rates and has played all over the infield in his pro career but he profiles best at third base due to his strong arm. He’s also had very strong campaigns in Australia while playing for the Australian Baseball League over the winter months. He feasts on southpaws, and has a career .367/.432/.598 line against them in his minor league career and unsurprisingly he’s drawn both of his career starts against southpaws. He makes for an interesting DFS play or a shrewd pickup in daily leagues, but a crowded depth chart in front of him makes it unlikely that he carves out an everyday role. Don’t sleep on him though, he can hit. Very nice depth to have around.
Domingo Leyba, MI (ARI)- Despite being only 23 years old, it feels as if we’ve been talking about Leyba forever. He was signed as part of the Tigers 2012 J2 class and found his way to the Diamondbacks as part of the three-team deal involving Didi Gregorius and Robbie Ray. The switch-hitting Leyba has always had a knack for putting the bat on the ball, but below average power and only average speed make his plus hit tool less interesting.
He has an average glove at second base, and can play shortstop and third base also. There are some question marks about his long-term viability on the left side of the infield because of his 2017 shoulder surgery, but he’s not quick enough to be a regular at the six, and doesn’t carry a heavy enough bat to profile long term at the hot corner. A second-division starter at second base or a utility profile fit Leyba nicely. He’s posted line drive rates above 20 percent from both sides of the plate over his minor league career, and will use all fields. He’s bounced back from a down year last year with a .289/.343/.515 line at Triple-A Reno so far in 2019. He was our 27th ranked prospect in the Arizona farm system this winter. He can be left on the wire in all formats.