Deep Pickups: Hitters

Anthony Rendon - 3B, WAS

The sixth overall pick in the 2011 draft, Rendon oozes talent to the degree that he was a consensus top 30 prospect in the game entering this season despite having just 45 pro games under his belt.

Twenty-two years old and less than two years removed from college, Rendon made a strong case for a big-league job this spring, hitting .375/.412/.875 with four doubles, four homers and 13 RBI in 13 games. But with Ryan Zimmerman blocking his way at third base, the meteoric young infielder was optioned to Double-A.

When Zimmerman was placed on the disabled list last week due to a lingering hamstring injury, there was no question who would be getting the nod to replace him.

Rendon was called up on Saturday, and went 0-for-4 in his major-league debut the next day. He picked up his first hit -- a double -- on Monday, and is locked in at the hot corner for the Nats.

For how long? The severity of Zimmerman's hammy strain is unknown, but he could be out several weeks knowing how these things tend to go. In the meantime, his rookie replacement is well worth rostering in deep leagues.

Rendon's top prospect billing comes with little accomplishment in the pro ranks – a testament to his reputation after a tremendous career at Rice University. During his brief time in the minors, he has hit just .249 with eight home runs. But he's done so while ascending to Double-A a year after being drafted, and through it all he's posted a 38-to-37 K/BB ratio.

He's heralded for his advanced plate approach, which is reason to think he may adjust quickly to the major-league ranks. When his game is clicking, Rendon will hit for average and deliver a very high OBP. He's also got some pop, as he launched 52 homers in his college career and has slugged .492 in the minors. Hitting in this lineup, he's got a chance to put up some nice numbers.

Rarely is it a good idea to take a fantasy flier on a player with so little experience, and Rendon has slumped a bit out of the gates, but he's got a pedigree to justify the buzz. He's a high-upside gamble that could prove quite rewarding.

Josh Donaldson - 3B, OAK

The Athletics have been waiting for Donaldson, a former first-round draft pick out of Auburn with an impressive minor-league track record, to entrench himself at the hot corner. In past auditions he hasn't been ready, but now it looks like he may be.

Donaldson certainly has nothing left to prove at Triple-A. A 27-year-old with 539 games of experience in the minors, he decimated the Class-AAA Pacific Coast League last year, batting .335/.402/.598 with 13 homers and 45 RBI in 51 games. He didn't show nearly as much during 75 games in the majors, however, putting up a .687 OPS with poor plate discipline in Oakland.

Those numbers don't tell the entire story. Donaldson was demoted to the minors with a .153 average in June, but returned with renewed confidence in August and hit .290/.356/.489 with eight homers and 26 RBI over his final 47 games. Those are the kind of numbers the A's expect from the third baseman, and now they're hoping that he can produce that way over a full season.

So far, so good. Donaldson is off to a nice start this year in Oakland, hitting .282/.345/.462 with a pair of homers and 11 RBI through 21 games. Whereas his strike zone control was a mess last year, when he whiffed 61 times while drawing only 14 walks, he's now displaying a much better approach with 11 strikeouts against eight walks. That's a positive sign, and as long as he continues to take good at-bats the power will come naturally.

He plays in a tough park and in the same division as a lot of good pitching, but Donaldson's a full-time, middle-of-the-lineup hitter with some power. He will contribute in fantasy categories.