If you've arrived at Kevin Gausman's player page wondering if you should pick up the Orioles pitching prospect with the news he'll make his major-league debut Thursday, the answer, as Al Melchior and I discussed on Fantasy Baseball Today, is an emphatic YES.
He was the fourth overall pick in last year's draft, so you know his talent is off the charts, and unlike Trevor Bauer, whose quick ascension to the majors last year was marred by terrible control, Gausman knows how to locate his high-90s fastball, issuing 1.0 walks per nine innings in his eight starts at Double-A Bowie this year.
Most likely, it's not just a one-and-done scenario either. The Orioles have struggled to fill the fifth spot in their rotation since Wei-Yin Chen went on the DL with an oblique injury, and even after Chen returns, Gausman will likely stick over Freddy Garcia, provided he meets his end of the bargain.
No one can say for sure if Gausman will live up to his potential right away, but the chances of him emerging as an out-of-nowhere ace make him well worth the gamble in all leagues. He now ranks 62nd at starting pitcher for me (and 44th for Al).