Pirates’ top prospect Oneil Cruz can be long-term fantasy baseball help

At one point or another in your life, you’ve likely heard the words, “It’s never too early to start planning for the future. ” It may have been a financial adviser, a friend, your parents or your grandparents (after handing you a crisp $1 bill or $5 worth of savings bonds), but you’ve heard the advice … a lot. Planning ahead in fantasy baseball is no different, especially when you have gobs of talented players ready to make an impact after getting their call to The Show.

Some may arrive sooner than others (i. e. the Tigers’ top prospect Riley Greene was called up Friday), but they’re all worthy of attention.

The Pirates’ top prospect, shortstop Oneil Cruz, is one who should be arriving any moment now. Cruz played two games in the majors last year, going 3-for-9 (. 333) with a homer, three RBIs, two runs and a 1.

000 OPS. Though it was the smallest of small sample sizes, his 118. 2 mph maximum exit velocity would have ranked seventh in the majors — one spot behind Mets slugger Pete Alonso (118.

4). (He also had a ball clocked at 122 mph in the minors this year, so he clearly hits the ball hard. ) Cruz didn’t start the season with the Pirates, likely because of service-time manipulation, and the 23-year-old didn’t help his cause by hitting .

176 with a . 566 OPS while striking out in 32. 9 percent of his at-bats in April.

His turnaround, however, came pretty quick. After going 0-for-8 in his first two games in May, he went 23-for-82 (. 281) with six homers, 19 RBIs, 20 runs, three stolen bases and .

941 OPS in his next 20 games. He struck out in 19. 6 percent of his at-bats while drawing a walk 13.

4 percent of the time. Sign up for Starting Lineup for the biggest stories. Please provide a valid email address.

By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy . Thanks for signing up Never miss a story. Though he hit just .

236 and struck out 23. 2 percent of the time in his first 52 games for Triple-A Indianapolis, Cruz had at least one hit in 25 of his past 31 games while hitting . 289 with eight homers, 25 RBIs, 30 runs, four stolen bases and a .

945 OPS in that span. Despite his 24. 7 percent strikeout rate in the minors, he has hit .

275 with 58 homers, 240 RBIs, 291 runs, 71 stolen bases and . 802 OPS in six seasons. Between Triple-A and Double-A last year, he hit .

310 with 17 homers, 47 RBIs, 62 runs, 19 stolen bases and a . 970 OPS in just 69 games. If you’re looking for a player with a powerful bat, solid speed and a whole lot of upside, this is your guy.

And the time to add him is, well, now. He entered the weekend owned in just 7. 7 percent of ESPN leagues, and that number is going rise as soon as he lands in Pittsburgh.

Here’s a look at two other prospects who should be on your radar: In two five-game stints in the majors this season, the Twins’ Alex Kirilloff hit . 172 with a 37. 5 percent strikeout rate.

In 28 Triple-A games since his demotion, Kirilloff is 42-for-109 (. 385) with 10 homers, 31 RBIs, 32 runs and a 1. 201 OPS.

He has struck out in just 15. 6 percent of his at-bats while drawing a free pass 12. 5 percent of the time.

Opportunity is the problem here, though a path back to the majors may open up if Trevor Larnach continues to struggle. The Royals are a terrible team, and Carlos Santana, who entered the weekend hittting . 191, isn’t doing much to make it better.

Meanwhile, Vinnie Pasquantino is hitting . 278 with 17 homers, 58 RBIs, 45 runs and a . 973 OPS in 60 games at Triple-A (and that’s despite hitting .

188 with a . 619 OPS in his first 13 games this month). He has nothing left to prove in the minors, as he’s hit .

293 with 55 homers, 195 RBIs and a . 962 OPS over three seasons. Jon Berti 2B/3B, Marlins Not only did he hit .

308 with six RBIs and nine runs in his first 14 games this month, but also he stole 10 bases. He has 12 stolen bases since May 27. Tyler Mahle SP, Reds Hasn’t won since May 13, but had a 1.

30 ERA with a 36:7 strikeout-walk rate and . 155 opponents’ average over his past four starts. Rhys Hoskins 1B, Phillies His average rose from .

215 on May 29 to . 253 entering the weekend after he went 23-for-64 (. 359) with six homers, 13 RBIs, 13 runs and a 1.

188 OPS over his next 16 games. Tony Gonsolin SP, Dodgers Picked up a win in seven of his past eight starts while maintaining a 1. 36 ERA with 47 strikeouts and an insane .

129 opponents’ average. Alex Bregman 3B, Astros Entered Friday having not homered since May 23, going 13-for-71 (. 183) with four RBIs, eight runs and a .

532 OPS in 19 games since. Trevor Rogers SP, Marlins Allowed 19 earned runs over his past 21 ¹/₃ innings (8. 02 ERA) while going 1-1 with a 17:15 strikeout-walk rate, six homers allowed and a healthy .

311 opponents’ average. Trevor Larnach OF, Twins Just five hits in his first 44 at-bats (. 114) this month with 18 strikeouts and .

460 OPS. Hit . 299 with a .

891 OPS in his first 32 games. Yusei Kikuchi SP, Blue Jays Last win came on May 16, and he’s 0-2 with a 7. 23, 23:12 strikeout-walk rate and .

321 opponents’ average in his past five starts. Marte McFly Submitted by Scott Fontana.