Andrew Lambo

Lambo did all he could to put himself back on the map in 2013. The 25-year-old hit .278/.345/.563 with 33 homers and 101 RBI, split fairly evenly between Double-A and Triple-A, and with a cup of coffee in Pittsburgh. The left-handed hitter even held his own against southpaws, hitting .252 with nine homers and an .810 OPS in 144 plate appearances. Lambo's stock fell so far that the Bucs left him unprotected for the 2012 Rule 5 draft and the rest of the league collectively passed. The Pirates need power and Lambo could be a fit in the outfield, first base or off the bench. His inconsistent history makes him a risky pick in drafts as anything other than a late-round dart. Still, few players possess the power potential Lambo offers. He'll new a few breaks to solidify his standing at the major-league level, but the short right-field porch at PNC Park could pay dividends for Lambo and his fantasy owners.

In 2010, Lambo hit .275/.353/.352 in 91 at-bats for Double-A Altoona after coming over to Pittsburgh from the Dodgers in a deadline deal involving Octavio Dotel. The 22-year-old outfielder then helped the Curve to its first Eastern League championship with a pair of postseason homers and seven RBI, batting primarily out of the cleanup spot. He rounded out his on-field performance with a league-high 23 RBI in the Arizona Fall League, though his .787 OPS in 106 at-bats wasn't nearly as impressive. Lambo also faced his share of off-field troubles. He was suspended for 50 games while with Los Angeles after testing positive for a "drug of abuse," which was likely a recreational drug and not a performance enhancer such as HGH or steroids. He'll likely start the 2011 season again at Double-A with a potential bump up to Triple-A Indianapolis based upon his maturity and improvement. Lambo could compete for a spot in Pittsburgh as soon as 2012.

Lambo had a largely disappointing season in 2009, batting .256/.311/.407 for Double-A Chattanooga with 39 doubles and 11 home runs. On the plus side, he's still just 21, so he was young for his level, and Lambo rebounded to bat .330 in the Arizona Fall League. He has the upside of a starting first baseman or left fielder, and the Dodgers will remain patient, perhaps starting him at Double-A again in 2010. Encouragingly, the left-handed hitting Lambo batted .291 against southpaws, and we'd expect some of those doubles to start turning into home runs soon.

With the Dodgers graduating quite a bit of young talent to the big league club the last couple years, Lambo may very well be the team's No. 1 prospect now. A steal in the fourth round in 2007 due to perceived character issues, Lambo had a breakout year, 295/.351/.482 in 131 games between Low-A and Double-A. Think of his upside as Andre Ethier, with the fact that the organization had him bypass High-A being very telling as to what the club thinks of his potential.

Lambo fell to the Dodgers in the fourth round of the 2007 draft due to some character concerns, but he's already one of their top-10 prospects after hitting .343/.440/.519 in 54 games in the Gulf Coast League in his pro debut. Lambo's swing has earned comparisons to current Dodgers first baseman James Loney and he probably profiles better as a first baseman than an outfielder. He's just 19 and several seasons from the big leagues, but as a sleeper prospect, Lambo bears watching.