Fantasy Baseball Insiders

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim pitching prospect Tyler Chatwood has been promoted from Triple-A Salt Lake, and will make his major league debut Monday against the streaking Indians.

Though he’s made just two starts above Double-A, the Angels believe the 21-year-old is MLB ready. In his first start of the season at Triple-A, Chatwood was yanked after just one inning, fueling speculation that he would soon get the call.

Chatwood, a right-hander, was drafted out of high school in the second round of the 2008 draft. His size (6-0, 185 pounds) won’t intimidate hitters, but his stuff will.

Chatwood features a mid-90s four-seam fastball and a mid-70s, knee-buckling curveball. When he’s at his best, he keeps the fastball down in the zone, generating plenty of groundouts. He also added a low-90s two-seamer to his repertoire last season, and has improved his changeup to be an average pitch.

Chatwood has frontline starter potential, but his poor command could eventually relegate him to the bullpen in the long-term. While he has improved his horrific walk rate in his three pro seasons, his strikeout rate has suffered.

• 2008 (Arizona Rookie League): 38 IP, 3.08 ERA, 1.60 WHIP, 11.4 K/9, 8.5 BB/9
• 2009 (Single-A): 116 1/3 IP, 4.02 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 8.2 K/9, 5.1 BB/9
• 2010 (High-A, Double-A, Triple-A): 155 1/3 IP, 2.84 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 6.3 K/9, 3.7 BB/9

Baseball Ameirca ranked Chatwood the 76th best prospect in baseball over the winter, ahead of Brent Morel (No. 85) and Craig Kimbrel (No. 86), both of whom are already contributing at the big league level.

Given Scott Kazmir’s “injury”, Chatwood could stick in the Angels rotation if he proves to be an effective starter. His control issues are likely to send his value on a roller coaster-like ride, however, so he should be avoided in fantasy leagues until he proves his worth. His value is much higher in deep dynasty/keeper leagues.

Image courtesy of: leikenfamily via Flickr

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