Luke

Keaschall

The home run was a 380-foot shot that left the bat at 99.4 mph. He also added a 99 mph double earlier in the day. Keaschall doesn’t have a track record of much power in the minors and is probably capped at around 15 home runs at the big league level. However, he is an elite contact hitter with good speed who should provide you with a solid batting average, albeit in a fairly mediocre lineup for counting stats. All of that does make him a solid pick since he has recently fallen outside of the top 100 picks in ADP.

Keaschall finished 1-for-3 and is already up to four doubles, while batting .371 across 11 Grapefruit League contests this spring. The 23-year-old top prospect was putting together an impressive breakthrough fantasy campaign last year before suffering a fractured forearm that kept him on the shelf for over three months. He’s an outstanding pure hitter who projects as a strong batting average source with the ability to reach double-digit homers and eclipse 20 stolen bases, making him a potential upper-echelon fantasy option at second base.

Keaschall’s nice game today came in his second start as a left fielder. We’ve been assuming he’s pretty well locked in at second base for the Twins, but maybe they’re considering playing Kody Clemens there are a fair amount against righties. Either way, Keaschall should get all of the playing time he can handle. Victor Caratini presumably would start less often if the Twins decide to go with Keaschall in left and Trevor Larnach at DH with much frequency.

The game was called after seven innings, which was surely fine with the Yankees. Keaschall is 7-for-21 with only two strikeouts this spring. He has a chance to be a top-five fantasy second baseman if he can stay healthy this year.

Keaschall has been a full participant this spring without any limitations after undergoing thumb surgery last October that prematurely ended his impressive rookie campaign. The 23-year-old former top prospect offers an appealing fantasy blend of bat-to-ball skills, emerging over-the-fence power, and speed, and he’s in line to open the year as Minnesota’s everyday option at the keystone. He’ll be a popular mid-round pick in all fantasy drafts this spring.

It’s unfortunately fitting that Keaschall will end the season on the IL because injuries played such a big role in his season. When he was on the field, he was tremendous, slashing .302/.382/.445 with four home runs, 28 RBI, and 14 steals in 49 games. Provided that he comes into spring training healthy, he should be the favorite to be the starting second baseman in Minnesota next year.

Keaschall will undergo an MRI to confirm the initial diagnosis and figures to hit the injured list at some point before the regular season wraps up this weekend. He’s slated to visit a hand specialist next week to determine whether he’ll require offseason surgery. The 23-year-old top prospect suffered the injury during Tuesday’s contest when jammed his left thumb on a head-first into second base. He finishes the season with a stellar .302/.382/.445 slash line with four homers, 28 RBI and 14 steals in 49 games. He’ll be an extremely popular sleeper candidate in all fantasy drafts next spring.

Keaschall will undergo additional evaluation and testing after seeming to jam his left hand while attempting to steal second base in the early stages of the contest. He was 0-for-1 with a walk and his 14th theft of the season prior to leaving the game. The 23-year-old rookie has had a phenomenal season and looks like a potential impact power/speed combo source for years to come. There should be an update on his status following the contest.

Keaschall heads to the bench with Austin Martin taking over at second base following six straight starts at the keystone for the Twins. The 23-year-old rookie sensation is slashing a robust .310/.405/.496 with four home runs, 19 RBI and eight steals across 131 plate appearances in 31 games. He looks like a future fantasy force at a relatively weak second base position group heading into next season and beyond.

Keaschall bounced back after an 0-for-8 stretch over two games Friday and Saturday. The 23-year-old was on-base twice and scored twice in the win over the Astros. Keaschall has certainly impressed in his rookie campaign. He’s hitting .315 with a .922 OPS and 19 RBI this year.