It’s easy to pay attention to what is going on at Triple-A and even Double-A to an extent, but the lower levels of the minor leagues are also important for fantasy owners—especially in dynasty leagues. There is a certain satisfaction that comes from watching a guy rise through the minor league ranks to ultimately getting the call to the majors. We’ve seen superstars like Kris Bryant reach the majors in less than two years, while other players in his draft class, such as Austin Meadows and Clint Frazier, have only reached Double-A up to this point.

Dynasty leagues are all about the journey and of course, building an actual dynasty. These leagues are usually the deepest kind in fantasy baseball and players in the low levels of the minor leagues need to be looked at and studied as they could produce in the majors within a couple of years. We’ll put the spotlight on bats today while looking at starting pitchers at a later date.

Nick Gordon, SS, Fort Myers Miracle (Minnesota)

When it comes to minor league players with great genes, few are on the level of Twins prospect Nick Gordon. He is the son of former pitcher Tom Gordon and the brother of Marlins speedster Dee Gordon. The older Gordon brother, Dee, is well known for his contact ability, but more so his game changing speed. Nick Gordon is also fast, but is highly unlikely to be a 50-steal guy in the majors. What’s more likely is something along the line of a .290 average with a handful of home runs and 25 steals with a spot at the top of the order. Gordon is currently batting .343 for High-A Fort Myers, though he’s only drawn one walk in his first 69 plate appearances. He should get the call to Double-A near the end of the season.

Jorge Mateo, SS, Tampa Yankees (New York Yankees)

Keeping with the speed theme, you would be hard pressed to find a faster player in the minors than Mateo. He swiped 82 bags over two minor league levels last season, putting him near the top of the category. While Mateo’s speed isn’t in question, his ability to consistently hit for average is. So far this season, he is slashing a respectable .300/.377/.450 with seven steals in 11 attempts. He should make the jump to Double-A by the end of the season and can be added in deeper dynasty leagues if you have an available roster spot. Keep in mind—Mateo won’t reach the majors until 2018 so this would be a pure stash.

Ian Happ, OF, Myrtle Beach Pelicans (Chicago Cubs)

If you’ve heard of the name Happ before it’s probably because he was the Cubs’ most recent first-round pick. Chicago chose to have Happ start at Class A Short-Season and he faired quite well posting a .283 average and four home runs over his first 130 plate appearances. The Cubs liked what the saw and elevated Happ to Single-A South Bend to close out the season. Happ earned another promotion to start the 2016 season and he’s settled in quite well for High-A Myrtle Beach. Over his first 17 games, Happ is batting .317 with three homers and 14 RBI. His plate discipline has also been stellar as he’s drawn 12 walks to just 18 strikeouts. Given Happ’s rapid progression through the Cubs system, there is a real chance he could reach the Double-A level by season’s end. If that happens to be the case, a late 2017 call to the majors is not out of the question. He’s a nice stash in dynasty leagues.

Yoan Moncada, Salem Red Sox (Boston)

Moncada is probably the top prospect at the entire Single-A level and he’s showing exactly why over his first 73 plate appearances for Salem. Everything about Moncada’s hitting approach so far this season shows why he has the potential to be an elite superstar. He is slashing .357/ .486/.500, his plate discipline (14 BB/14 K) has been excellent, he has shown fantastic speed (13 SB), and he’s scored 14 runs. The only thing missing so far is power, but that will come as he continues to fill out his 20-year-old frame. Moncada is a player that isn’t going to last very long in the minors. He’s proving already that he could probably handle Double-A, though the Red Sox have made any mention of a promotion yet. There are few prospects with a higher ceiling than Moncada. He the exact type of player to target in trades if you’re in full rebuild mode and looking to the future.

Injuries

Alex Bregman, Corpus Christi (Astros) – Bregman was killing the game at Double-A Corpus Christi before suffering a mild hamstring strain. It’s unlikely to keep him out of action long, but the Astros organization decided to play it safe and place him on the minor league disabled list. Bregman was batting .340 with five home runs and two steals over his first 13 games.

Jorge Alfaro, Reading (Phillies) – Alfaro suffered an oblique injury on April 19—this coming after a white-hot start to the season where he hit .500 with 10 RBI. The Phillies have stated that Alfaro’s injury isn’t as bad as initially thought and he could be back on the field on Monday. Oblique injuries generally take time to heal, so Philadelphia will likely be cautious. Alfaro is a long shot to reach the majors this season.

Recent Call-ups

Matt Boyd, Tigers – The Tigers placed Francisco Rodriguez on the family medical emergency list and recalled Boyd from Triple-A Toledo. Boyd has made three starts for Toledo and has a 2.25 ERA with 16 strikeouts in 16 innings. He will likely pitch in a mop-up role as K-Rod is expected back within a few days. Leave Boyd on the wire in AL-Only leagues for the time being.

Aaron Blair, Braves – Blair was a secondary piece in the Shelby Miller deal that netted the Braves Dansby Swanson. Blair made his debut for the Braves on Sunday and pitched 5 1/3 innings while giving up six hits, two walks, three earned runs, and just one strikeout. He is going to be in the rotation for the foreseeable future and has SP3 potential. Blair should be added in all NL-Only leagues. Keep a watchful eye on Blair as a potential mixed league addition.

Zach Lee, Dodgers – The Dodgers called Lee up to the big league roster to replace the injured Yimi Garcia and he will work primarily out of the bullpen. Lee is 3-0 at Triple-A Oklahoma City with a 1.56 ERA though he has given up 22 hits in his first 17.2 innings pitched. If you can add Lee for $0-1 FAAB in NL-Only leagues, go ahead and do so as he’ll probably receive a few starts down the line.