Marty Knows Prospect: Version Five Scott Martin, Fantasy Baseball Staff Writer Apr 5, 2012 | More

San Francisco Giants-Andrew Susac, C.   A little deeper here to start today’s chat.   Susac was a 2^nd round draft pick last year, but possesses great power, and likely would have been a higher 1^st round pick if it   were not for a wrist injury that affected him for most of the year.   He has significant raw power, and I have a feeling that it will play well in the big leagues.   Defensively, he has no real gaps either, and he could be an impact backstop for some time.   The problem for Susac is, he has a Buster Posey problem in front of him, along with a Hector Sanchez problem, and a Tommy Joseph problem.   All catchers in front of him have big upsides as well. I think Susac will be a starting option in the big leagues, but it may not be with the Giants.

Seattle Mariners-Taijuan Walker, RHP. This is another one that may not be a secret, but nonetheless people who do not follow the prospect world may not know this name.   Walker, along with James Paxton and Danny Hultzen, make up a triumvirate of tremendous pitching prospects.   Some may have questioned the M’s trade of Michael Pineda, but it makes perfect sense here.   All three are going to be impact players, but I think Walker is going to be something special.   Plus offerings at fastball and curveball make him very difficult for lower-level hitters to adjust to, and that was evident in 2011.   As he goes up the ranks, I think he may struggle, as sometimes he just trusts his raw stuff instead of focusing on mechanics and repetition.   Still, if he can harness this, you’re talking about a guy with #1 stuff.   Since they already have a guy with #1 stuff in King Felix, Walker could fit right in as a #2.   I truly believe that Paxton also has #1 upside, and Hultzen has #2 stuff.   If all comes together, and frankly it looks like it may, the Mariners do have a bright future here.

Tampa Bay Rays-Mikie Mahtook, OF.   There are a few other players that stand out to me in the Rays system, but I’ll wait just a bit before highlighting them. Mahtook is intriguing to me because he has all 5 tools as above average, but nothing really sticks out as tremendous.   He plays hard, and has a knack for putting himself in positions to win the game for his team.   In that way, I see Mahtook out of the Hunter Pence mold.   Pence doesn’t do much pretty, but wows you with his effort and tenacity.   Mahtook might look more like a player, but his swing is a bit unorthodox as well.   Still, the Rays could do a lot worse with their OF prospects, and I definitely think Mahtook can start in LF for them in the future.

Texas Rangers-Ronald Guzman, 1B/OF.   Ok, he’s only 16.   And he’s light years away.   However, As a 16 year old, he possesses tremendous batspeed and power, and projects as a middle of the order bat.   The Rangers did not invest $3.45 million dollars on him because they thought he’d be an average player.   They’re banking on superstar potential.   There are a few video clips out there on Guzman, all of him taking batting practice, and his approach is very solid.   He’s very big for his age, and there’s a reason to worry about just how big he’s going to get.   However, it is very easy to get excited about what he can do-and I know Rangers fans should be very intrigued by this prospect. He’s miles and miles away from contributing, and likely will play in the DSL this year, but monitor his progress.

Toronto Blue Jays-Jake Marisnick, OF. Big strong, and lean, he’s one of those 5-tool players that make scouts very excited.   I truly believe Marisnick projects as a near 30/30 player, but have some doubts about his power.   I do not have those doubts about his speed.   In my opinion, he should be a .285/20/30 player in his prime, and that is VERY appealing for all of us fantasy players.   He is still likely a full year or two away from making a contribution at the big league level, but look for him to supplant the Thames/Snider/Davis combo they have in LF.   In fact, I think Marisnick takes over for Rasmus in CF by the end of 2012.   I love the makeup of this kid, and definitely the prospect of him in my fantasy lineup.

Washington Nationals-Tyler Moore, 1B.   In 2010, Moore hit 31 HR. In 2011, Moore hit 31 HR.   That’s a lot of power for someone that you likely haven’t heard of, and is generating no attention on the prospect front.   Why?   To be perfectly honest, there is reason for a lot of optimism here. Along with the HR numbers, he hit 43 and 35 2B respectively.   The biggest reason he’s not on most prospect lists are the strikeouts.   111 in low-A in 2009.   125 in high-A in 2010.   139 in AA in 2011.   He’s not going to be a batting champion, but I can see him contributing to fantasy teams a la Carlos Pena at some point.   I’m very intrigued by him, and will be watching closely in 2012.   You should too.