2009 Top 10 Fantasy Prospects: #4 Matt LaPorta

CC Sabathia’s journey from Cleveland to Milwaukee to New York has been well documented over the last five months.  Behind that story was the story of Matt LaPorta, the prize of the Sabathia trade.  Through his first 302 AB’s of 2008 at AA in the Brewers system, LaPorta was hitting .288 with 20 HR’s and 23 2B’s.  That’s one home run every 15.1 AB’s.  Translated over 550 AB’s it comes out to about 36 HR’s.  After the trade to Cleveland LaPorta had a quick 60 AB’s in the Indians system then joined the USA Olympic Team. 

2009 Expectations

LaPorta is a natural born power hitter.  Give him the AB’s and watch the balls fly out of the yard.  His strikeouts come as a direct result of his powerful swing, but it would be nitpicking to say it was a huge weakness.  If the Indians play LaPorta full time 20-30 HR’s will follow, but the AVG may suffer as he adjusts to big league pitching. 

Keeper Incentive

LaPorta will be an all-star caliber major league hitter and the realization of that may not be so far off.   Think of his potential as being a carbon copy of Travis Hafner in his prime from the right side of the plate.  A line of .260/25/80 could boost him to the upper-mid rounds  of 2010 drafts.