The 2015 MLB fantasy baseball season flew by, and although it might be tough to admit, some of you are out of the playoff race and already back to the drawing board. If you're in a keeper league there are a number of young players you can pick up and stash for next year, including Corey Seager, Daniel Norris and Trea Turner.
Keeper leagues are all about preparing for subsequent seasons, especially if your club has fallen behind to the point where there are an insurmountable amount of games to make up for. There's no shame in waving the white flag and selling some of your best players to get draft picks or other players you might need, but if you're not interested in that be sure to check out some young talented prospects on free agents.
We're not ranking the following players in any particular order, but they are the five best we feel are available for most of you to pick up. They're all likely to make impacts next season so you can use them as one of your keepers and save your draft pick for someone else.
Corey Seager, SS, Los Angeles Dodgers
Seager is the consensus No. 1 overall prospect in the MLB, according to ESPN Insider Keith Law and Baseball America. In all likelihood the 21-year-old will begin the 2016 season as the Los Angeles Dodgers' starting shortstop and he could be promoted to the MLB when the rosters expand in September. He's batting .278/.335/.447 with 44 runs scored, 9 home runs and 41 RBIs in 77 games with Triple-A Oklahoma City and he's not owned by many managers on Yahoo! (12%) or ESPN (15.7%).
Daniel Norris, SP, Detroit Tigers
Norris was acquired in the deal that sent David Price to the Toronto Blue Jays and he was the organization's No. 1 overall prospect before the trade. The Tigers already inserted him into their starting rotation and he shut down the Baltimore Orioles over the weekend (7.1 IP, 1ER). Due to Detroit's awful farm system and even more disappointing pitching staff, the 22-year-old will likely play an integral role with the team for years to come. He's only owned by 21% of Yahoo! managers and 20.6% of ESPN managers.
Trea Turner, SS, Washington Nationals
The Nats, in case you forgot, clearly won that three-team trade with the Tampa Bay Rays and San Diego Padres in the offseason. One of the players they got in return was Turner, who is viewed as Ian Desmond's successor after the season when the veteran likely departs in free agency. Turner, 22, is batting .322/.372/.468 with 61 runs scored, 8 home runs, 53 RBIs and 25 stolen bases in 105 minor league games this season. He's currently playing at Triple-A Syracuse. He's owned by 0% of ESPN managers and he has yet to be listed on Yahoo! free agents, but if he gets the call in September then he'll probably be available.
Aaron Nola, SP, Philadelphia Phillies
No, he's not the Phillies No. 1 overall prospect J.P. Crawford, but he is the organization's best pitching prospect. Nola, the team's 2014 first-round draft choice, got the call a couple of weeks ago and is currently 2-1 with a 3.38 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and 15 strikeouts in three starts (18 2/3 innings) against the Tampa Bay Rays, Chicago Cubs and Atlanta Braves. He's an integral piece of the Phillies' rebuilding project and will be one of the team's top starters in 2016. He's owned by 27% of Yahoo! managers and 43.3% of ESPN managers. Get him while you can.
Michael Conforto, OF, New York Mets
He's gotten his feet wet at the MLB level and has yet to be sent back down to the minors. Conforto was the Mets' 2014 first-round draft selection and he's already making an offensive impacted during the Mets' surge after the trade deadline. He's batting .231/.344/.423 with 8 runs scored, 1 home run and 7 RBIs in eight games (26 at-bats) with the Mets and will probably be a big part of the 2016 club, especially if they can't find a way to bring back Yoenis Cespedes. The 22-year-old is owned by just seven percent of Yahoo! managers and 16% of ESPN managers.
*Be sure your keeper fantasy league as "NA" spots available for everyone's roster because that's the best way to pick up someone who you don't plan to use immediately but can keep on your team without wasting a roster spots.
