Fantasy talk: Welcome to the Show Ryan Wheeler

The third base position has been a weakness for the Diamondbacks all season long. There was some speculation on whether Arizona would make a trade for someone like Chase Headley, but that most likely isn't going to happen. The Diamondbacks recently released infielder Geoff Blum, and they added top prospect Ryan Wheeler to their roster. Wheeler has a chance to take the job at the hot corner and run away with it. Wheeler recently made his big league debut, and in our latest Fantasy baseball Welcome to the Show, we will check in on our expectations for Wheeler both short-term and long-term. He might even be a sleeper in next year's draft, but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it.

Ryan Wheeler was drafted in the 5th round (156th overall) in the 2009 draft by the Diamondbacks. He put up great numbers in Single-A ball and earned a promotion to Double-A during his second year in the minors. He hit .254 in 19 games at Double-A that season, which isn't great by any means. The next season, however, was successful. He played the entire year at Double-A level, and finished the season with a .294 batting average with 16 home runs and 89 RBI. That opened some eyes at Arizona's front office. Wheeler began this season in Triple-A, and posted incredible stats while he was there. He hit .351 with 15 home runs and 90 RBI. Arizona was shopping for third basemen, but they realized that they could simply go with Wheeler and see what they have with him. That's exactly what they did, now Wheeler is going to get the everyday gig up in the Majors, and i'm sure he'll make the most of it.

I honestly think if Wheeler performs well, he will be up in the big leagues for the remainder of the season. He is way better than Ryan Roberts (the team's previous third baseman) and has a lot of upside. If he plays everyday, I can see him getting around 8-10 home runs with 30+ RBI during the remainder of this season. A .290 batting average is also a realistic possibility. Honestly, if you need a third baseman, I'd go with Wheeler.

The whole point of this article is really to inform you about Wheeler for next season. If he keeps his job, and gets to play everyday next year, he could be a nice weapon in your lineup. I'm not saying he'll be drafted in the first 5 rounds or so, but he could be a nice sleeper pick.