Matt LaPorta owners were no doubt disappointed when the club chose to activate Dave Dellucci in place of the injured Travis Hafner, but that disappointment didn't last long, as LaPorta was also summoned to the big leagues one day later.
Manager Eric Wedge stated that LaPorta would initially be used as the right-handed complement to the lefty Dellucci at the DH spot, and seeing time against southpaws, it is entirely possible that LaPorta starts grabbing more and more at-bats as the season rolls on. Dellucci could turn out not have much left in the tank (although he did get four hits in his season debut), and Ben Francisco could continue to struggle, meaning LaPorta could start seeing more time at a corner outfield spot.
The Brewers drafted the 23-year-old LaPorta in the first round in 2007 because they thought they were going to get a player with both power and patience, and the fact that the Indians acquired him as the centerpiece of the CC Sabathia trade shows they pretty much agreed with that assessment. LaPorta may hit in the .270 range, but he has the potential to hit 35 to 40 homers and post a good on-base percentage.
He hit .279 with 22 homers, a .386 on-base percentage and a .529 slugging percentage in 101 games last year, when he was split between two Double-A clubs. He followed that up by hitting .361 and slugging .611 in spring training, and actually showing some improvement defensively at the corner outfield spots. His eventual defensive position had been a question mark since he was drafted, but he should be acceptable in the outfield given his bat. He carried his spring momentum to Triple-A at the start of the season, where he hit .333 with five homers and 11 extra-base hits in 21 games.
LaPorta blends a good eye with good pitch recognition. He sets up with a wide base, gets a good load and shifts his weight well during his swing to generate a lot of juice in his bat, and can elevate balls lower in the strike zone and take balls out of the park to any field, with the proverbial "light tower" power. Obviously, since he's a rookie with just 75 at-bats above Double-A, there is risk involved for fantasy players in the short term as LaPorta adapts to big league pitching, but there is no denying his potential.
Obviously, AL-only leagues need to be all over LaPorta if he is somehow available, but will the playing time be there for mixed leaguers?
"We're going to take it day by day," Wedge told the team Web site. "But he's coming up here for a reason. He's been swinging the bat well down there."
That's hopefully a sign that LaPorta may not sit too much, which is what we're looking for in order to deploy him in mixed leagues, in which you generally need to have a player who's playing every day at each position if you're going to be competitive. If nothing else, take a chance: Grab him and stash him on your reserve list if your team is in need of a power infusion, because he's one of the best power-hitting prospects we're going to see this season.
