Baseball is in full swing like some of these top hitting prospects mentioned below. A few of these players are already in the Major Leagues while others are waiting for their call to the Show. In either case, there is a lot of fantasy value here for you owners to take note of.

For those players still in the Minor Leagues, it is hard to predict when they will make their debuts because it will all depend on the club’s situation. An injury could take place and the call gets made; or lack of production from an incumbent ahead on the depth chart, or a team could be way out of the playoff picture and decide that the young prospects are going to get a chance to shine.

Billy Hamilton, Cin OF

This speedster is the Reds’ leadoff man to start the 2014 season and the 23-year-old got off to a slow start. Hamilton went 0-for-16 out the chute, but has swung the bat better as of late and stole his first two bags on Wednesday.

Fantasy owners who drafted him will be rewarded with lots of steals and a sizable amount of runs as a result of his blazing speed. Over the past three seasons in the Minors, Hamilton stole an average of 111 bases per campaign with 75 coming in Triple-A last year. We are looking at the game’s best base stealer since Ricky Henderson and that is saying a ton.

Nick Castellanos, Det 3B/OF

The trade that sent Prince Fielder to the Rangers this past season opened up third base for Castellanos with Miguel Cabrera being moved to first. The Tigers have high hopes for their top prospect after he progressed very well through all the Minor League levels after being a first-round pick back in 2010.

Nick Castellanos when he was on the Lakeland Flying Tigers

Castellanos, age 22, bats from the right side of the plate with pretty good pop. He hit his first career long ball in the third inning off of the Dodgers’ Josh Beckett and there will be more where that came from. Fantasy owners may get 20 bombs from him this season and that would be awesome considering he was a late-round flyer in most drafts.

Xander Bogaerts, Bos 3B/SS

The youngster from Aruba contributed to Boston’s World Series run last season in the last 50 regular season games and throughout the playoffs. Bogaerts played well enough to earn the starting shortstop job while Stephen Drew was not resigned and is still a free agent.

This 21-year-old kid has a lot more Big League experience then the rest of the players on this list and he will be a solid hitter for years to come. An eventual move to third base will likely happen years down the road similar to what Alex Rodriguez did. Look for him to also get more power as he gets older and develops more strength to his wiry frame.

George Springer, Hou OF

The former Connecticut Husky had a chance to make the big club out of spring training, but found himself back in Oklahoma City where he hit .311 with 18 big flies in 62 games last year. Springer had a coming out party in 2013 as he hit a combined 37 home runs and drove in 108 runs between both Double and Triple-A.

The 24-year-old outfielder is ready to play everyday in the Big Leagues and will get his chance real soon. He ranks higher then other guys on this list because with skill level being very comparable, Springer’s debut will likely come sooner then others to start producing for, or against your team.

Oscar Taveras, StL OF

An ankle injury caused St. Louis’ top prospect to miss most of 2013 while managing a .306 batting average in 186 plate appearances in Triple-A. Taveras has started the season in Triple-A to mature his skills some more before his eventual call up in the coming months. He was drafted in some leagues with the hope he would be making an impact with the Red Birds before too long.

The tools are all there for this 21-year-old Dominican who has the ability to hit for average and power. Taveras would fit in very nicely in what is already a potent Cardinals’ lineup. He is a must-add the moment he reaches the Show and he will be mainstay in fantasy baseball leagues for years to come.

Gregory Polanco, Pit OF

The Pirates already have Starling Marte and Andrew McCutchen locked into long-term deals playing in both left and center field, respectively. Adding Polanco to the mix will give them arguably the best outfield in all of baseball in just a season or two.

The left-handed right fielder hit .285 with 12 jacks, 71 RBIs and 38 stolen bases combined in 127 games across all three Minor League levels last season. Polanco would slide in perfectly behind Marte in the No. 2 hole and in front of McCutchen in the Pittsburgh lineup. He is worth stashing on your bench if you can afford it, because he would already be in the Show if it didn’t speed up his MLB service time clock and potentially make him a free agent a year sooner.

Javier Baez, ChC SS

The obvious problem when looking at when Baez will get called up is where he will play with Starlin Castro currently the starting shortstop. Castro struggled last season and a trade is certainly a possibility or one of the players could attempt a position change. Regardless of what ends up happening in that regard, Baez is coming to a stadium near you before the summer is over.

The 21-year-old from Puerto Rico is a special talent as evidenced by his 37 home runs and 111 RBIs in 130 games between High-A and Double-A. This kid can mash the ball and it will take time for him to adjust to Big League pitching. Owners should expect some struggles as well as some flashes of power and raw hitting ability.

Kolten Wong, StL 2B

The 23-year-old Hawaiian broke camp with the big club as expected and has produced pretty well so far with a .280 average (7-for-25) through eight games. Wong won’t hit for much power, but can handle the bat well enough to be valuable in deeper leagues this season.

Travis d’Arnaud, NYM C

The prized piece in the trade that sent R.A. Dickey to Toronto is now playing everyday as the Mets’ backstop. The 25-year-old is off to a slow start going 0-for-15 to start the season. Fantasy owners should see d’Arnaud turn it around soon. He has some power, but needs to hit for a better average. Travis d’Arnaud is useful in two-catcher leagues and deep leagues at this point.

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