Can Yonder Alonso make an Impact

With Yonder Alonso getting his first big-league start in left field for the Reds Monday night, I started wondering about his fantasy prospects.
Is he worth the add?

I was impressed with how he snagged three hits in his first four at bats (spread through four games), but was unimpressed with how he went 0-4 against as seemingly Triple-A Astros’ club.

Fortunately for big leaguers and fantasy owners, one game does not make a career.

We could look at his short stint with the club last season for indicators of success, but I don’t think it holds much merit. Last season was for getting his feet wet, and that’s what Alonso did in 2010, striking out 10 times in 29 at bats.

So Alonso’s minor league history is pretty much all we have to use to gauge his potential success. From looking the numbers, you have to be impressed with his Triple-A stats.

He was around .300 and had 12 home runs with 56 RBIs. His slugging percentage was .486, the highest it’s been since he posted a .497 percentage playing A-ball for Sarasota in 2008.

So would I add him?

Only if you’re desperate. Rookie position players, especially those that are called up midseason, usually don’t make much of an impact.
And his playing time is not necessarily guaranteed, although it wouldn’t make sense for the Reds to call him up so he could ride the pine.


(cincinnati.com)