I’ll be running down everything that caught my eye in the Dynasty Baseball world on most Mondays throughout the season. Here is the Monday Morning Dynasty Baseball Rundown (8/2/21):

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR:
-Updated Top 300 2021 Dynasty Baseball Prospects Rankings
-Top 450 July 2021 OBP/OPS/PTS “Universal” Dynasty Baseball Rankings
-10 Dynasty Baseball Players to Target
-Dynasty Baseball Trade Strategies at the Halfway Point (Contending, Mid Pack, Rebuilding)
-2021/22 Top 50 First Year Player Draft Dynasty Baseball Rankings

Kumar Rocker No Man’s Land, RHP, 21.8 – Unsigned and will now have to re-enter the draft in 2022. Only in baseball can the most popular amateur player in the game get fucked like this. And of course, leave it to the Mets trusted medical team to lead the way. Can’t wait for this off-season to hear what new cockamamie, convoluted rules MLB owners can think up and shove down the Players Union throat while pretending the players are the greedy ones who are ruining the game.

Jud Fabian SEC, OF, 20.10 – Fabian also failed to sign, but this one makes more sense as he wasn’t a first round pick and is one of the youngest players in the college class. He’ll try to cut down on his strikeouts and re-enter the 2022 MLB Draft at a still age appropriate 21 years old.

Fernando Tatis Jr. SD, SS, 22.7 – The baseball gods were not satisfied with taking Ronald Acuna from us, they came back and ripped Fernando Tatis Jr. away too. Mike Trout has been out for months. deGrom has been shutdown again. I feel like there is some Final Destination shit going on with our baseball superstars. Soto and Ohtani better watch their back. Or on second thought, maybe Ohtani is secretly an evil supervillain, sucking up everyone’s talent to become a single unstoppable force.

Wander Franco TB, SS, 20.5 – Finally some good news. Wander had his third straight 2 hit game and now has a respectable 99 wRC+ in 30 games. He may not be lighting the world on fire, but if he can hold his own in his age 20 season, I’ll take it.

 Jhailyn Ortiz PHI, OF, 22.9 – Ortiz is a formerly hyped, high priced international prospect who everybody forgot about after he struggled in 2018-2019. He’s put himself back on the map this season as he crushed High-A with 19 homers in 74 games, and is now making his presence felt at Double-A with his first homer at the level yesterday. It was a pull side bomb off a relatively legit, well located breaking ball. He clocked in at #263 on my Updated Top 300 Dynasty Baseball Prospects Rankings that dropped on my Patreon last week.

Reid Detmers LAA, LHP, 22.1 – 4.1 IP, 6 hits, 6 ER, 2/2 K/BB in his MLB debut vs. Oakland. He fastball sat 92.9 MPH and it got destroyed with a .541 xwOBA. The curveball was as advertised though and dominated with a 30% whiff%, 77.2 MPH EV against, and a .219 xwOBA. There are better days ahead.

Daulton Jefferies OAK, RHP, 26.0 – Jefferies went against Detmers in his first MLB start of the season and faired better, going 5 IP with 3 hits, 3 runs, and a 3/3 K/BB. He threw a 5 pitch mix featuring a 93.5 MPH sinker that he used 40% of the time. He notched a 27% whiff% overall on the back of his change and curve which both put up a 60% whiff%. He can be a solid back end fantasy starter with mid-rotation upside.

Shane McClanahan TB, LHP, 24.3 – 6 IP, 4 hits, 1 ER, 7/2 K/BB vs. Boston. His fastball sat 95.4 MPH and he put up a 30% whiff% overall. His velocity has been down 1-2 MPH recently on all of his pitches but he had the velocity to spare and it hasn’t hurt him much, if at all. I just love this guy and can tell you already I’ll be going after him everywhere he is available in 2022 drafts even if I have to “reach.”

Brandon Lowe TB, OF/2B, 27.1 – Lowe’s been slowly improving every month of the season (April-.665 OPS/May-.692 OPS/June-.879 OPS/July-1.032 OPS) and has now kicked off August with a bang as he cranked a 105.4 MPH dinger off Nick Pivetta. He has a 15.3% barrel% which is in the top 9% of the league.

Gabriel Arias CLE, SS, 21.5 – 3 for 4 with 2 doubles. Arias has quietly put together a very strong season at Triple-A with a 115 wRC+, and has been red hot in his last 43 games, slashing .325/.376/.548 with 7 homers, 2 steals, and a 39/12 K/BB. His plate approach is much improved with a 22.9%/9.8% K%/BB%, he’s a plus infield defender and he’s young for the level at 21 years old.

Jo Adell LAA, OF, 22.4 – Adell crushed his 23rd homer of the year 454 feet out to dead center. He has a 29.2% K% on the year, but has been better of late with a 23.7% mark in his last 26 games, and in those 26 games he’s mashed 7 homers with a 1.033 OPS. I think he’s ready for a 2nd chance in the bigs.

Alek Thomas ARI, OF, 21.2 – Smacked his 7th homer in what has been a solid but unspectacular season at Double-A, slashing .265/.363/.469 with 7 homers, 7 steals, and a 20.1%/12.0% K%/BB%. With the mediocre power/speed numbers, he might be shaping up to be a better real life player than fantasy player.

Anthony Volpe NYY, SS, 20.3 – The power breakout is so sincere (yes, I’m listening to Jay-Z right now) as Volpe lifted off for his 17th homer of the year and his 5th in 17 games at High-A. Volpe has a real shot at being a monster.

Jared Jones PIT, RHP, 20.0 – Jones had his best start as a pro, going 6 IP with 6 hits, 1 earned and a 8/1 K/BB. The fastball hits the upper 90’s and the slider is plus. Control is still an issue but this is what it could look like if it all comes together.

Liover Peguero PIT, SS, 20.7 – Peguero has been white hot as he bagged himself a couple homers yesterday and now has 5 homers in his last 4 games at High-A. The power/speed combo is starting to look real sweet with 11 homers and 17 steals (in 20 attempts) in 58 games.

Nick Loftin KC, SS, 22.6 – The 32nd overall pick of the 2020 draft had his best game as a pro, going 5 for 6 with 2 doubles, 1 triple, and a homer. He has a solid 114 wRC+ at High-A, but it doesn’t look like he is going to have difference making power or speed (7 homers and 7 steals in 61 games).

Hunter Brown HOU, RHP, 22.11 – 6 IP, 3 hits, 1 ER, 7/1 K/BB in his Triple-A debut. Brown has majorly struggled with his control all year at Double-A with a 13.4% BB%, but he is also a strikeout machine with a 35% K%. He’s got great stuff with mid 90’s heat and two power breaking balls, but the risk is high. Even with the risk, I have been way too low on him.

Luis Frias ARI, RHP, 23.2 – Frias threw a complete game, 7 inning no hitter, going 7 IP with 0 hits, 0 ER, and a 6/1 K/BB. He’s struggled at Double-A with a 5.27 ERA and has lost some the shine he was getting early in the season, but maybe this is the beginning of a strong 2nd half.

AJ Puk OAK, LHP, 26.3 – Puk was given his first start of the season and went 3 IP with 3 hits, 1 ER, and a 5/1 K/BB. The fastball/slider combo is still nasty and the start gives some hope that Oakland hasn’t completely given up on him as a starter. He does have a 6.16 ERA on the season, so we aren’t out of the woods quite yet.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR:
-Updated Top 300 2021 Dynasty Baseball Prospects Rankings
-Top 450 July 2021 OBP/OPS/PTS “Universal” Dynasty Baseball Rankings
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-2021/22 Top 50 First Year Player Draft Dynasty Baseball Rankings

By Michael Halpern (@MichaelCHalpern)
Email: michaelhalpern@imaginarybrickwall.com
Twitter: Imaginary Brick Wall (@DynastyHalp)

I’ll be running down everything that caught my eye in the Dynasty Baseball world on most Mondays throughout the season. Here is the Monday Morning Dynasty Baseball Rundown (7/19/21):

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR:
-Top 450 July 2021 OBP/OPS/PTS “Universal” Dynasty Baseball Rankings
-10 Dynasty Baseball Players to Target
-Dynasty Baseball Trade Strategies at the Halfway Point (Contending, Mid Pack, Rebuilding)
-Top 300 June 2021 Dynasty Baseball Prospects Rankings
-2021/22 Top 50 First Year Player Draft Dynasty Baseball Rankings

Wander Franco TB, SS, 20.4 – Demolished a 418 foot, 104 MPH homer off Drew Smyly for his 3rd of the year in 18 games. The 3 homers are nice, but the underlying numbers on his MLB debut aren’t great with a .275 xwOBA and a below average 25.2% whiff%. I still think he is going to be a beast, but damn would it have been nice for him to just come out and rake. I’m sick of having patience with top prospects …

Jarred Kelenic SEA, OF, 21.11 – Jarred “have patience” Kelenic has returned to the majors and it is not going much better in his first 3 games, going 3 for 13 with 3 singles and a 6/0 K/BB. Sometimes in fantasy you just gotta dust off that ole’ Zen Buddhism skillset and remind yourself to not sell low no matter how frustrating it can be.

Jasson Dominguez NYY, OF, 18.5 – Dominguez is living up to the hype as he’s ripping the ball all over the park at Single-A as an 18 year old, slashing .400/.429/.700 with 1 double, 1 triple, 1 homer, and a 3/1 K/BB in 5 games. For all of the people that took that leap of faith on his insane upside, this has to make you feel good. He ain’t no Kevin Maitan.

Orelvis Martinez TOR, SS, 19.10 – Martinez is going absolutely gangbusters with 7 homers in his last 6 games to bring his season wRC+ to 152 at Single-A. He doesn’t get the hype that some of the other 19 year old phenom mashers are getting, but he’s right up there with them.

Luis Matos SF, OF, 19.5 – Speaking of prospects not getting the hype they deserve, Matos has been heating up in his last 10 games with 4 doubles, 2 homers, 1 triple and a .405 BA. I ranked him 10th overall in my latest Top 300 Dynasty Prospects Rankings on Patreon because of his exceptional contact ability (14.4% K%), speed (16 steals in 19 attempts) and emerging power (6 homers in 59 games with a 42% FB%). 5.3% BB% is really the only negative to his game right now.

Grayson Rodriguez BAL, RHP, 21.8 – Considering I think Grayson has the stuff to dominate MLB hitters right now, it’s not too surprising to see him obliterate Double-A as he went 5 IP with 2 hits, 0 earned, and a 12/1 K/BB. He has a 2.04 ERA with a 57/8 K/BB in 39.2 IP at the level.

Brennen Davis CHC, OF, 21.8 – Davis cracked the top 100 overall (#94) in my latest OBP/OPS/PTS “Universal” Top 450 Dynasty Baseball Rankings on Patreon, and for good reason as he smashed a homer in back to back games at Double-A and now has a 151 wRC+ in 37 games at the level. I told you in last week’s Monday Morning Rundown to treat him like an elite asset, and he is living up to the billing.

Logan Gilbert SEA, RHP, 24.2 – 5.1 IP, 4 hits, 2 ER, 9/2 K/BB. It was his most strikeouts in a start all season as his secondaries are proving to be elite swing and miss pitches. His slider has a 40.5% whiff% on the season and his changeup has a 73.1% whiff% on the season. 73.1%!!! He only throws the change 7.9% of the time, but he threw it 17% of the time yesterday, and I have a sneaking suspicion we are going to see more of it

Brandon Marsh LAA, OF, 23.7 – Marsh made his MLB debut and went 0 for 4 with 2 K’s. He is a great athlete with a plus power/speed combo, but his groundball rates have been high throughout his career and his strikeout rates have been on the high side too. There is upside here, but there is also potential for struggles.

Shohei Ohtani LAA, RHP/DH, 27.0 – Ohtani went 2 for 3 with 2 walks and a homer. One of those hits was an infield single to first base where he beat the first baseman to the bag. There is nothing this guy can’t do. I’m half expecting him to drill a 3 in Game 6 of the NBA Finals tomorrow. He’s my newly minted #1 overall player in Dynasty Leagues.

Nolan Gorman STL, 3B/2B, 21.2 – Gorman is starting to find his groove at Triple-A as he walloped 2 homers yesterday and now has 3 homers in his last 2 games. His overall numbers at the level are mediocre with a .733 OPS in 15 games, but that is bound to keep rising.

Zac Veen COL, OF, 19.7 – The power has arrived in full force as Veen’s crushed 5 homers in his last 5 games to give him 9 on the season in 61 games. He’s shown a mature plate approach with a 24.6%/14.6% K%/BB% and is running like wild with 27 steals in 38 attempts. He’s shaping up to be an all category beast.

Heriberto Hernandez TB, 1B/OF, 21.7 – Heriberto has been in a deep power slump since his hot start with only 1 homer in his last 49 games prior to last night, but he broke out of it yesterday with 2 bombs, one an opposite field shot and one to his pull side. He was still walking a ton over that 49 game time period with a .354 OBP, and with a 47.5% FB%, the homeruns were bound to come back around

Miguel Vargas LAD, 3B, 21.8 – Vargas is one of my favorite still under the radar/underhyped prospects in the minors, and he keeps handling his business at Double-A with an opposite field bomb for his 7th homer in 28 games at the level (14 homers in 65 games on the season). He makes good contact (20.6% K%) and hits the ball in the air (50% FB%). He’ll eventually start getting the respect he deserves and you’ll hope you bought in before that.

Michael Conforto NYM, OF, 28.4 – Crushed a 418 foot homer off Richard Rodriguez yesterday and went 2 for 4 with 2 doubles the day before. I told my Patreon members to target Conforto weeks ago as he’s bound to have a big second half with a .356 xwOBA and a career high 14.6% BB%.

JD Davis NYM, 3B, 28.2 – JD Davis is another Met who is looking set up for a big 2nd half. He cracked two dingers on Saturday and has a career high 93.9 MPH exit velocity and 15 degree launch angle in 17 games, although his whiff% has exploded into the danger zone (41.3%).

Heliot Ramos SF, OF, 21.10 – Ramos went opposite field for his 10th homer of the year in 62 games at Double-A in an otherwise underwhelming season. He has a 27.4% K% and a 106 wRC+. He is only 21 and is putting up a 10.2% BB%, so you can look at it glass half full, but if you are looking to use him as trade bait I’m not sure he is going to get the other owner real excited (and I know because I’ve tried).

 Jairo Pomares SF, OF, 20.11 – Pomares has been quietly ripping up Single-A with a full power breakout, drilling his 9th homer of the season yesterday in 27 games. He’s not exactly young for the level and his 26.9%/6.7% K%/BB% isn’t great, so there are some reasons for caution.

Dillon Dingler DET, C, 22.9 – Dingler hit a brick wall at Double-A (.604 OPS in 25 games) after destroying High-A (.925 OPS in 32 games), but he did slice an opposite field shot for his 10th homer of the season. He’s bound to get hot again.

Jordyn Adams LAA, OF, 21.8 – Adams was getting a lot of 2020 hype as a potential breakout prospect, but it has yet to materialize with him struggling hard at High-A with a 37.4% K% in 28 games. He did rip his 3rd homer of the year and 2nd in 2 games, so maybe this is the beginning of a hot streak, but that K% scares me. He’s dropping down my rankings.

Graham Ashcraft MIL, RHP, 23.5 – Double-A hasn’t slowed Ashcraft’s roll at all, as he went 6 IP with 4 hits, 0 ER, and 5/1 K/BB yesterday. He has a pitching line of 2.33/0.93/27/11 in 27 IP at the level. With his mid 90’s heat and a plus, high spin rate breaking ball, he is one of my favorite pop up prospects this year.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR:
-Top 450 July 2021 OBP/OPS/PTS “Universal” Dynasty Baseball Rankings
-10 Dynasty Baseball Players to Target
-Dynasty Baseball Trade Strategies at the Halfway Point (Contending, Mid Pack, Rebuilding)
-Top 300 June 2021 Dynasty Baseball Prospects Rankings
-2021/22 Top 50 First Year Player Draft Dynasty Baseball Rankings

By Michael Halpern (@MichaelCHalpern)
Email: michaelhalpern@imaginarybrickwall.com
Twitter: Imaginary Brick Wall (@DynastyHalp)

I’ll be running down everything that caught my eye in the Dynasty Baseball world on most Mondays throughout the season. Here is the Monday Morning Dynasty Baseball Rundown (7/12/21):

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR:
-July 2021 OBP/OPS/PTS “Universal” Dynasty Baseball Rankings
-10 Dynasty Baseball Players to Target
-Dynasty Baseball Trade Strategies at the Halfway Point (Contending, Mid Pack, Rebuilding)
-Top 300 June 2021 Dynasty Baseball Prospects Rankings
-2021/22 Top 50 First Year Player Draft Dynasty Baseball Rankings

Ronald Acuna ATL, OF, 23.6 – The baseball world wept as Acuna went down with a torn ACL. Even if you are contending, I think you just gotta suck it up and hold no matter how much it sucks. Acuna is too good of a long term piece to give up even if it does get a you championship this year. I just ranked him #2 overall in my ongoing Updated Dynasty Rankings over on my Patreon, and this injury will knock him down to 5th overall.

Brennen Davis CHC, OF, 21.8 – Davis was the star of the Futures Game as he blasted off for 2 dingers, one of which was a 428 foot bomb. He was heating up at Double-A too, slashing .338/.416/.618 with 4 homers, 3 steals, and a 21/7 K/BB in his last 19 games. He is quickly ascending into elite prospect territory. Do not deal him off unless you are getting an elite win now return.

Jose Barrero CIN, SS, 23.0 – Barrero also went deep in the Futures Game on a pull side, 426 foot missile. He’s struggled a bit since his promotion to Triple-A with a .171 BA, but is still showing power with 2 homers in 10 games

Henry Davis PIT, C, 21.10 – The newly minted #1 overall pick of the 2021 MLB Draft is my 5th ranked prospect in my Top 50 FYPD Rankings. You have to remember the MLB Draft doesn’t pick purely based on talent (not to say Davis wasn’t deserving), but signing bonus demands also come into play. Davis was the best college hitter in the class and with everyone expecting robo umps in the near future, seems very likely to stick behind the plate. Offensive catcher production will almost certainly see a huge boost with robo umps as pitch framing becomes worthless. Arm and bat will now rule the day, and Davis has those two areas covered.

Marcelo Mayer BOS, SS, 18.7 – Mayer fell right into Boston’s lap at #4 overall, and he is my #1 overall FYPD pick in non 5×5 leagues. He also had all the guys on MLB Network gushing over his good looks, how he has the “it” factor, and how he looked great in that Red Sox cap, which actually has me worried a bit. A big part of “Moneyball” was Billy Beane recognizing how easily scouts can be fooled by a guy that looks great in a uniform. I also always go back to Joey Harrington in the NFL who got similar praise for being good looking and playing a mean guitar. I love Mayer, and I’m just joshing around a bit, but these thoughts are in the back of my mind.

Jordan Lawlar ARI, SS, 19.0 – Lawlar went 6th overall to Arizona, and he is my #1 overall FYPD pick in 5×5 leagues. His stolen base potential gives him the edge over Mayer in leagues where speed matters a lot.

Kahlil Watson MIA, SS, 18.3 – Watson fell to #16 overall which creates a buying opportunity in more casual dynasty leagues where draft order carries a ton of weight. I have him ranked #3 overall. It is actually the exact same thing that happened with Corbin Carroll, who I also had as my #3 overall player before falling to #16 in the draft.

Gerrit Cole NYY, RHP, 30.10 – We might have been a little premature on pouring dirt over Cole’s grave, as he pitched angry on Saturday, going 9 IP with 3 hits, 0 earned and a 12/3 K/BB. His spin was still down and he put up only a 24% whiff%, so I’m not sure we are completely out of the woods quite yet, but this start inspires confidence he will be damn good regardless

Alec Burleson STL, OF, 22.7 – Burleson has caught fire again at Double-A, going 2 for 4 with his 15th homer of the year yesterday, and now has 4 homers in his last 4 games. His contact numbers have actually improved at Double-A too with a 23.4%/7.2% K%/BB%. He continues to be one of the most underrated prospects in the minors.

Jose Rodriguez CHW, SS, 20.2 – Rodriguez had a monster day yesterday, going 3 for 5 with a homer and 2 steals. He’s now slashing .284/.325/.470 with 8 homers, 18 steals and a 17.4%/5.1% K%/BB% in 55 games at Single-A. He’s now homered in back to back games and is easily worthy of a pick up in medium size leagues and deeper.

Benny Montgomery COL, OF, 18.9 – It’s hard not to get excited when Colorado drafts a hitter even with their poor track record of development and willingness to play young hitters. Montgomery was drafted 8th overall by the Rockies and is possibly the highest upside bat in the draft, putting up a 103 MPH exit velocity and a 6.32 60 yard dash time. That puts him at the top of the class in power and speed. Hit tool is still raw and he has to refine his swing, but this is the type of bat you target in fantasy. Colorado did dynasty players a solid on this one.

Edward Cabrera MIA, RHP, 23.3 – 5.2 IP, 5 hits, 4 earned, 7/1 K/BB at Double-A. This was Cabrera’s worst start since returning from injury and I mean that in the best possible way as it wasn’t all that bad and the K/BB was on point. His stuff is nasty and he is quickly re-establishing himself as one of the most exciting pitching prospects in the game.

Shane Baz TB, RHP, 22.1 – Baz was electric in his one inning at the Futures Game, striking out 2 with no hits or walks. He flung 99 MPH heat and showed off his newfound control by painting the black. There is a reason I have him as the #2 overall pitching prospect in baseball behind Grayson Rodriguez.

Cade Cavalli WASH, RHP, 22.10 – Cavalli impressed in his one inning as well, taking out Jasson Dominguez on a 100 MPH fastball. He struck out 2 and walked 2.

Spencer Strider ATL, RHP, 22.8 – 0.2 IP, 0 hits, 5 ER, 0/5 K/BB at Double-A. I still like Strider a lot but it is a reminder to not get too carried away with pop up pitching prospects in leagues where you can pick up prospects during the year. It’s easy to fall in love with every prospect who is dealing in the minors, I’ve definitely been guilty of it, but that is how you end up with a farm system with over 50% pitching prospects, which is a recipe for disaster. You have to pick your spots and take a chance on a few of them, but you can’t grab them all.

Hunter Greene CIN, RHP, 21.11 – Greene did his best Shohei Ohtani impression yesterday, going 5 IP with 6 hits, 1 earned and a 2/2 K/BB on the mound and went 1 for 2 with a RBI at the dish. He has the talent to truly be able to do both, but he won’t be given the opportunity.

Gilberto Jimenez BOS, OF, 21.0 – Jimenez went 3 for 6 with 2 doubles and a steal yesterday at Single-A, and he’s been heating up over his last 9 games, slashing .361/.400/.556 with 1 homer, 3 steals, and a 10/0 K/BB. He’s a dropper overall on the season though with a poor 21.1%/2.2% K%/BB% and only 2 homers in 51 games.

Kyle Harrison SF, LHP, 19.11 – Harrison had his longest outing of his career, going 7 IP with 6 hits, 2 earned, and a 7/0 K/BB at Single-A. Harrison’s stock took a big jump this season, but he still needs to work on his control/command (4.9 BB/9).

Joe Ryan TB, RHP, 25.1 – Ryan had the best pitching outing of the day yesterday, going 7 IP with 1 hit, 0 ER, and a 9/1 K/BB. He has utterly dominated every minor league level and now has a 34.8%/5% K%/BB% at Triple-A. There is no guarantee he ends up a starter, especially in Tampa, but I’m betting on him being effective in any role he pitches in.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR:
-July 2021 OBP/OPS/PTS “Universal” Dynasty Baseball Rankings
-10 Dynasty Baseball Players to Target
-Dynasty Baseball Trade Strategies at the Halfway Point (Contending, Mid Pack, Rebuilding)
-Top 300 June 2021 Dynasty Baseball Prospects Rankings
-2021/22 Top 50 First Year Player Draft Dynasty Baseball Rankings

By Michael Halpern (@MichaelCHalpern)
Email: michaelhalpern@imaginarybrickwall.com
Twitter: Imaginary Brick Wall (@DynastyHalp)

I’ll be running down everything that caught my eye in the Dynasty Baseball world on most Mondays throughout the season. Here is the Monday Morning Dynasty Baseball Rundown (6/28/21):

Click here to join my Patreon for the Top 300 June 2021 Dynasty Baseball Prospects Rankings (2021/22 FYPD guys included) that dropped last week. Updated OBP/OPS/PTS “Universal” Dynasty Rankings are coming mid July. Join up for those rankings and much more, including Dynasty Rundowns, Strategy Articles, and Top 50 FYPD Rankings! Thank you!

Wander Franco TB, SS, 20.4 – This hitting Major League pitching thing turns out to be pretty hard even in the post Spider Tack era, as Wander recorded his first hit since kicking the door down in his first game. The .614 OPS isn’t great, but the underlying numbers are a bit better with an above average .327 xwOBA. 16.2 degree launch is great to see, his plate approach numbers are excellent with a 5/5 K/BB in 6 games, and a 28.2 ft/sec sprint speed is nothing to sneeze at. I don’t think Wander is going to go the way of Kelenic and will get it going before it gets much worse.

Jarred Kelenic SEA, OF, 21.11 – Speaking of Kelenic, he had himself a great week at Triple-A with a 2 homer game on Thursday and then followed that up with a 4 hit game on Friday. He has a .911 OPS in 16 games since being sent down, and I’m betting on him doing much better his 2nd time around in the majors.

Gerrit Cole NYY, RHP, 30.10 – Speaking of Spider Tack, Cole got shelled by Boston, giving up 5 earned with 3 homers in 5 IP. Panic selling makes no sense, but it’s hard deny that Cole might have trouble being super elite without that sticky icky.

Shane Baz TB, RHP, 22.0 – Baz is showing why I ranked him as my 2nd overall pitching prospect and #17 overall on the Top 300 Dynasty Prospects Rankings I dropped last week on my Patreon, going 5 IP with 2 hits, 0 earned, and a 10/0 K/BB at Triple-A. The stuff is nasty and his improved control is remarkable with a 69/5 K/BB in 46.2 IP.

Kyle Muller ATL, LHP, 23.9 – Dominated in his 2nd MLB start vs Cincy, going 5 IP with 1 hit, 0 earned and a 9/2 K/BB. His fastball averaged 94.1 MPH and his secondaries were missing bats with a 50% whiff% on his slider and 56% whiff% on his curve. I’m still worried his below average control will rear it’s ugly head (19 BB in 31.1 IP at Triple-A), but he’s proving his stuff is easily MLB quality.

Jose Miranda MIN, 3B/2B, 23.0 – One of the top hitting prospect breakouts in 2021, Miranda went 2 for 4 with his 13th homer in 47 games in the 2nd game of a doubleheader. His power is breaking out while maintaining an elite 11.5% K%.

Angel Martinez CLE, SS, 19.5 – Martinez was knocking on the door of my Top 100 and he showed why yesterday, going 4 for 5 with a double, homer and steal. He’s been doing a little bit of everything at Single-A all year with a 145 wRC+ in 37 games.

Alexander Ramirez NYM, OF, 18.6 – Ramirez was one of my favorite international prospects to target in his FYPD class and he has been holding his own in full season ball as an 18 year old with a 105 wRC+. He cranked a 103 MPH bomb for his 2nd of the year in 20 games to go along with 8 stolen bases. 33% K% is high, but relative to Puason’s 45.5% K% he might as well be Nick Madrigal.

Jordan Walker STL, 3B, 19.1 – 3 for 4 with a 0/1 K/BB. Walker now owns a ridiculously good for his age 17.2%/14.8% K%/BB% and 202 wRC+ in full season ball as a barely 19 year old. Walker is showing Puason and Ramirez how it’s really done.

Tarik Skubal DET, LHP, 24.7 – Impressed against one of the best lineups in baseball, going 7 IP with 1 hit, 1 earned and a 9/3 K/BB vs Houston. The most notable thing was how much he leaned on pitches other than his 4-seamer which he threw only 35% of the time (48.2% on the season). It led to a 48% whiff% on the day. I don’t think he’s ascended to ace status or anything, but it’s been fun watching his development this season. He’s establishing himself as a high K, high WHIP mid-rotation guy with upside still left in the tank.

Marco Luciano SF, SS, 19.10 – Completely smoked a pull side homer for his 10th in 44 games at Single-A. His slow start is a distant memory.

Nick Gonzales PIT, 2B/SS, 22.0 – Gonzales homered in his 2nd straight game since returning from a broken pinky that kept him out for over a month. Hand injuries can sometimes sap power, but if you had to pick one finger to break, I guess it would be the pinky. Gonzales has lit up High-A pitching with a 165 wRC+, but a 28.4% K% is a bit high for a college bat whose hit tool was supposed to be his carrying tool. Maybe he will be more of a low average, high power guy than we expected.

Keibert Ruiz LAD, C, 22.11 – The power breakout continues as Ruiz smashed his 9th homer in 30 games at Triple-A. He completely flipped his hitting profile with a 53.3% FB%, up from 35.1% in 2019 and his K% remains elite at 12.1%.

Mark Vientos NYM, 3B, 21.7 – Vientos always had huge raw power and it is now transferring into game power in a big way. He crushed his 12th homer in 37 games at Double-A. Over his last 12 games he is slashing .347/.429/.939 with 9 homers and a 14/5 K/BB. 30.2% K% will have to improve to take the next step.

Andy Pages LAD, OF, 20.7 – Pages skills are most certainly translating to full season ball as he launched one to Mars yesterday for his 15th homer in 48 games at High-A. 57.4% FB% might actually be a little too extreme, but he’s firmly within my Top 100 prospects.

Asa Lacy KC, LHP, 22.1 – Lacy had one of his best starts as a pro, going 4 IP with 1 hit, 1 earned, and a 9/3 K/BB. He continues to be a walk-fest with a 17.7% BB%, but at least the strikeouts are there too with a 36.7% K%.

Jared Jones PIT, RHP, 19.11 – Jones had his best outing as a pro by far, going 4 IP with 2 hits, 0 earned and a 11/1 K/BB. His fastball sits in the mid 90’s and he throws a 4 pitch mix. If he can show improved control over an extended period of time his stock will soar.

Nolan Jones CLE, 3B, 23.1 – Jones lifted off for just his 4th homer in 46 games at Triple-A, but he’s been much better of late, slashing .300/.425/.617 with 3 homers, 3 steals and a 15/10 K/BB in his last 18 games. He is much more appealing for me in an OBP league as he continues to walk at an elite rate with a 14.5% BB%.

Zac Veen COL, OF, 19.6 – 3 for 4 with a double and 2 more stolen bases. It would be nice to see more homerun power as he has only 1 homer in 44 games, but he’s getting on base with a 15.3% BB% and is running like wild with 24 stolen bases in 31 attempts.

Luisangel Acuna TEX, SS, 19.4 – 3 for 4 with a double, stolen base, and 0 K’s. He’ll never be his brother but he’s been strong in his full season debut with a 115 wRC+ and showing all around production. I also wouldn’t rule out a power breakout in his mid 20’s, which could take him to the next level.

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By Michael Halpern (@MichaelCHalpern)
Email: michaelhalpern@imaginarybrickwall.com
Twitter: Imaginary Brick Wall (@DynastyHalp)

I’ll be running down everything that caught my eye in the Dynasty Baseball world on most Mondays throughout the season. Here is the Monday Morning Dynasty Baseball Rundown (6/7/21):

UPDATED DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKINGS ARE UP ON MY PATREON. UPDATED AND EXPANDED FYPD RANKINGS AND A DEEP PROSPECTS ONLY RANKING ARE COMING LATER THIS MONTH. JOIN UP FOR THOSE RANKINGS AND A TON OF OTHER ALMOST DAILY CONTENT!

Diego Cartaya LAD, C, 19.9 – Cartaya has been a man on fire in his full season debut, crushing two more bombs yesterday to give him 5 homers in 8 games. Francisco Alvarez all of a sudden has some competition for the most hyped teenage catcher prospect in the lower minors.

Francisco Alvarez NYM, C, 19.6 – Not to be outdone, Alvarez had himself a day as well, going 3 for 4 with 2 doubles and a walk at High-A. He hasn’t been able to dominate this level as much as he did Single-A, but a 133 wRC+ ain’t too bad.

Adley Rutschman BAL, C, 23.4 – The elder statesman of the top catcher prospects group told those damn teens to get off his lawn, going 2 for 3 with his 8th homer and 5th double of the year at Double-A. He now has more walks than strikeouts with an 18.6%/20.2% K%/BB% in 28 games.

Luis Severino NYY, RHP, 27.3 – Severino was one of my favorite targets in dynasty leagues this off-season, and he took another huge step in his rehab from Tommy John surgery, going 2.2 IP with 2 hits, 1 ER, and a 3/1 K/BB at Single-A. His fastball was back into the upper 90’s. It might be too late to buy at a reduced price, but if you followed my rankings, you already own him.

Logan Gilbert SEA, RHP, 24.1 – Gilbert had his most impressive start in the majors, going 5 IP with 2 hits, 1 earned, and a 7/4 K/BB. His fastball sat 95.2 MPH and his slider put up a 45% whiff%. He had a 36% whiff% overall which is great to see as his season total sits at a slightly below average 23.9%.

Luis Garcia HOU, RHP, 24.6 – Garcia shot up to #206 overall on my latest Updated Dynasty Baseball Rankings over on my Patreon, and it might not have been high enough as he has kept on dominating. He went 6 IP with 3 hits, 1 earned and a 8/2 K/BB against the feared Toronto lineup. He put up a 41% whiff% on the day and his secondaries continue to befuddle hitters with utterly dominant xwOBA’s on all four of them.

Bobby Bradley CLE, 1B, 25.0 – Called up the majors and dominated in his first start, going 3 for 4 with a 103 MPH homer and a 114.2 MPH double. He hit only .196 with a 32.1%/6.4% K%/BB% at Triple-A, so I would keep your expectations in check, but he also hit 9 homers, so there is certainly thunder in his bat.

Brett Baty NYM, 3B, 21.7 – Baty is quickly becoming one of my favorite prospects with his advanced beyond his years plate approach, and when I ranked him 91st overall in my Patreon Mid May Top 100 Prospect Update, I knew the homer power would come. And boy has it come with him scorching his 4th homer in his last 6 games to go along with a 22.3%/16.5% K%/BB% in 24 games at High-A.

 Austin Martin TOR, OF, 22.2 – Speaking of power coming around, Martin drilled an opposite field shot for his 2nd homer in 4 games. He’s handled the aggressive assignment to Double-A well with a .396 OBP and 131 wRC+.

Cade Cavalli WASH, RHP, 22.9 – One of the fastest rising pitching prospects in the minors was at it again, going 6 IP with 5 hits, 3 earned, and a 11/2 K/BB at High-A. He’s now rocking an elite 41.8%/7.5% K%/BB% with the premium stuff to back it up. He’s in the conversation for the top pitching prospect in the game.

Edward Cabrera MIA, RHP, 23.2 – Cabrera made his season debut after being sidelined by a right biceps injury, and it didn’t take long to re-establish himself as a beast, going 3 IP with 2 hits, 0 ER and a 3/0 K/BB at Single-A with the fastball reaching 97 MPH. Any buy low window has been slammed shut and it might not be all that long before he is called up to the majors.

Jake Eder MIA, LHP, 22.8 – Possibly the top pop up pitching prospect of 2021 continued to rise to the occasion, pitching a new age perfect game, going 5 IP with 0 hits, 0 earned and an 8/0 K/BB at Double-A. The days of letting pitchers go until their arms fall off during no hitters/perfect games are over, and rightfully so. He now has a silly pitching line of 0.61/0.81/50/12 in 29.2 IP

Brayan Bello BOS, RHP, 22.1 – Bello resents me giving Eder the top pop up pitching prospect crown, as he dominated yesterday as well, going 5.1 IP with 4 hits, 1 ER, and a 9/0 K/BB at High-A. His fastball can reach the upper 90’s and he can control it too with a 5.7% BB%.

Kyle Bradish BAL, RHP, 24.9 – Bradish would like to have a word with me as well, as his spectacular season continued, going 5 IP with 4 hits, 0 earned and a 8/4 K/BB at Triple-A. He throws a legitimate 4 pitch mix and has a sparkling 1.00 ERA in 27 IP, but his 13.6% BB% is a bit on the high side.

Evan Carter TEX, OF, 18.9 – Smoked his 2nd homer of the year at Single-A, and while his .213/.403/.360 triple-slash isn’t super impressive, he’s 18 years old in full season ball with a 21.8%/.21.8% K%/BB% and a 126 wRC+. He’s only going to grow into more power at 6’4”, 190 pounds and he has 12 steals on the year. Carter has a chance to be an absolute monster.

Miguel Vargas LAD, 3B, 21.7 – Vargas was one single away from the cycle yesterday as he went 3 for 5 with his 11th double, 1st triple, and 5th homer in 30 games at High-A. His 18.8% K% with a 27.8% GB% is a recipe for success. I liked him coming into the year and his stock keeps rising. Now is the time to make a move on him if he is still available in your league.

Gavin Sheets CHW, 1B, 25.1 – After a brief call up to the majors that resulted in 0 at-bats, Sheets got right back to raking at Triple-A with him launching his 5th homer in 25 games yesterday. He’s had strong contact numbers his entire career going back to college (18.9% K% in 2021), and his game power is now breaking out as he had hit only 26 homers in 301 minor league games prior to this season.

Ethan Small MIL, LHP, 24.4 – Small has yet to strikeout less than 6 batters in any of his 6 starts this season, and yesterday was no exception with him going 5.2 IP with 2 hits, 0 ER and a 8/2 K/BB at Double-A. He doesn’t have huge stuff and his 16.5% BB% is a little concerning, but the man knows how to miss bats.

Carmen Mlodzinski PIT, RHP, 22.3 – Mlodzinski’s pro debut is going swimmingly as he’s been lights out in all 4 of his outings. He went 5 IP with 4 hits, 0 ER, and a 7/1 K/BB at High-A yesterday. The 39.7% K% is great to see after he put up a 7.8 K/9 in 25.1 IP in the SEC during the shortened 2020 season.

Taylor Walls TB, SS, 24.11 – Walls smacked 2 doubles en route to a 3 for 5 day with 0 K’s. His underlying numbers have been very strong in the early going with a 90.9 MPH exit velocity, 17.3 degree launch angle, 18.8% whiff%, 16% BB%, 28.5 ft/sec sprint speed and a .371 xwOBA. He’s never going to put up huge power/speed numbers, but he looks like a legit top of the order hitter and there definitely might be some more juice in his bat as he enters his mid 20’s.

UPDATED DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKINGS ARE UP ON MY PATREON. UPDATED AND EXPANDED FYPD RANKINGS AND A DEEP PROSPECTS ONLY RANKING ARE COMING LATER THIS MONTH. JOIN UP FOR THOSE RANKINGS AND A TON OF OTHER ALMOST DAILY CONTENT!

By Michael Halpern (@MichaelCHalpern)
Email: michaelhalpern@imaginarybrickwall.com
Twitter: Imaginary Brick Wall (@DynastyHalp)