Dynasty Baseball Rundown – Page 5

Posted on March 6, 2023March 6, 2023 by Michael Halpern

3/6/23 Spring Dynasty Baseball Rundown

I do these Dynasty Baseball Rundowns all year, mostly on the Patreon, but also a few times a month here on the Brick Wall. Here is the 3/6/23 Spring Dynasty Baseball Rundown:

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR TONS OF EXCLUSIVE & EARLY ACCESS CONTENT ALL SEASON, INCLUDING:
-TOP 1,000 2023 DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKS
-TOP 500 2023 DYNASTY PROSPECTS RANKS
-TOP 109 2023 FYPD RANKINGS w/ Strategy & Target Guide
-OBP TOP 500 2023 DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKS
-PTS/6+CAT/OPS “UNIVERSAL” TOP 500 DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKS
-POSTION BY POSITION TARGET/SLEEPER/UNDERRATED SERIES
-ALL-IN-ONE RANKINGS SPREADSHEET
-PREDICTING THE 2024 DYNASTY BASEBALL PROSPECTS RANKS

Andrew Painter PHI, RHP, 19.5 – The pitching prospect went pitching prospect. Painter felt elbow tenderness following his Wednesday spring debut and we are now awaiting an update. This is like when lion and tiger tamers get attacked by the big cats. You know what you’re getting into when owning a pitching prospect. I grabbed Painter in a Mock First Year Player Draft last off-season for Baseball Prospectus and wrote, “My plan is to sell him when he hits his peak on prospect lists, and before he goes all Forrest Whitley on us at Triple-A.” It brings me no joy to have seen the future. It’s a gift and a curse.

Forrest Whitley HOU, RHP, 25.7 – Speaking of the Ghost of Christmas Future, some of Whitley’s control problems popped back up in his 2nd spring outing, going 2 IP with 1 hit, 0 ER, 1 HB (hit batter) and a 1/1 K/BB. He got hit up for 4 hits and 2 ER in his first 2 inning outing. He still has huge stuff, but after getting crushed at Triple-A in 2022, he has a lot to prove to regain his once elite pitching prospect status. Let’s hope this truly isn’t a window into Painter’s future, and we hear today that it is no big deal.

Mike Moustakas COL, 3B/1B, 34.6 – The Rockies went Rockies. They just can’t help themselves. They signed the washed up vet so he can block three solid prospects in Elehuris Montero, Nolan Jones, and Michael Toglia. You know what you’re getting into when you own non elite Rockies prospects. At least they seem to be rolling out the red carpet for Ezequiel Tovar (.912 OPS in 17 PA).

Kodai Senga NYM, RHP, 30.2 – Senga made his much anticipated debut and went 2 IP with 1 hit, 1 ER, and a 2/2 K/BB. The fastball averaged 97 MPH, but it only put up a 10% whiff% on 10 swings, and got hit up with a 93 MPH EV against. He also struggled to find his control in the first inning. The sweeper, cutter, and forkball were all working, and here is an overlay of the fastball/forkball combo which shows how much of a nightmare it will be to face this guy. Overall, it was an impressive first outing which clearly showed off his upside. The stuff is legit.

Riley Greene DET, OF, 22.6 – Greene’s crushing the ball this spring, going 1 for 3 with a 109.5 MPH lineout off Tyler Mahle and a 106.5 MPH double off Pablo Lopez. He also destroyed a 417 foot opposite field homer on Friday. He now has a 1.077 OPS in 13 PA. All signs are pointing towards a big year 2, especially with Detroit bringing the fences in. He’s a buy coming off his decent but unspectacular rookie season.

Jarred Kelenic SEA, OF, 23.9 – Kelenic hit a truly jaw dropping homer to deeeeeeeeepppppp centerfield off an elite pitcher (Devin Williams). I love the dingers where the outfielders barely even move because it’s so obvious. He went 2 for 3 on the day and now has a 1.529 OPS with 4 homers in 17 PA. The 5/0 K/BB still isn’t great, and we’ve seen him destroy Spring the past 2 years, so it’s hard to really buy back in. But at the same time, giving up on a formerly elite prospect at 23 years old seems too harsh. His speed, or lack thereof with a below average 27.2 ft/sec sprint last year is another reason for the rankings drop. A low BA slugger seems to be a reasonable outcome for him, but the upside we hoped for as a prospect is likely wishful thinking.

Jose Miranda MIN, 3B/1B, 24.9 – Miranda went deep twice off a pair of mediocre at best lefties. We know he can mash lefties, it’s vs. righties that I’m slightly concerned about. He’s not a good defensive player, and Minnesota is building up some enviable infield depth throughout their organization. It wouldn’t be surprising if he sits often vs. righties in the not too distant future. It’s why I can’t go higher than 247th overall on him in my 2023 Top 1,000 Dynasty Baseball Rankings. I would tread a little carefully here.

Trevor Rogers MIA, LHP, 25.3 – Rogers looked sharp again in his 2nd spring outing, going 3 IP with 1 hit, 0 ER, and a 2/0 K/BB. I already warned about completely writing him off, and his strong start to spring makes me even more comfortable about buying a bounce back. I’m buying low coming off the classic Sophomore slump in 2022.

Jasson Dominguez NYY, OF, 20.2 – Dominguez scooped a pitch out of the dirt for his 2nd spring bomb and now has a 1.417 OPS in 14 PA. The level of competition he’s faced is only about Double-A quality, but he only needs to beat up on Double-A quality pitching this year for his stock to soar. You guys already know I’ve been shouting from the rooftops all off-season that he’s getting underrated, and his huge spring just solidifies that stance.

Oswaldo Cabrera NYY, 2B/SS/OF, 24.1 – Cabrera went deep as well, and his came off none other than Charlie Morton on a fastball that caught too much of the plate. It’s his 2nd and he now has a .980 OPS in 18 PA. He’s locking in his super utility role at the very least, and he could easily overtake Hicks for the starting LF job at any point.

Orelvis Martinez TOR, SS, 21.4 – Martinez crushed a 104.6 MPH dinger for his first of the spring, showing off his easy plus power with a beautiful righty swing. While other 20 year olds were beating up on lower minors pitching, he was thrown into the fire at Double-A and drilled 30 homers. The BA was low and the plate approach was rough, but you have to take the advanced level of competition into account. He’s in for a big year his 2nd go around in the upper minors, and you’ll regret selling too low on him this off-season. I’m buying the value dip.

Jacob Melton HOU, OF, 22.7 – Melton continues to quietly produce in his limited opportunities, going 1 for 1 with a walk yesterday and now has a 1.357 OPS with a 3/1 K/BB in 8 PA. He utterly destroyed the Pac 12 in 2021-22, and then he crushed Single-A in his pro debut. Now he’s crushing Spring pitching. He ranked 32nd overall on my 2023 Top 110 FYPD Rankings, and is a great college upside bat to target. The K rates have been on the high side everywhere he’s been, so there is some risk too.

Kris Bryant COL, OF, 31.3 – Bryant is putting any and all injury concerns to rest with a monster spring. He crushed a 109 MPH, 425 foot homer off Drew Smyly for his 3rd of the spring. He has a 1.512 OPS in 14 PA. There is no guarantee he stays healthy all year, which is the where the risk comes in, but if he does, there is a chance he blows up hitting in Coors.

Paul Sewald SEA, Closer Committee, 32.10 – 1 IP, 1 hit, 0 ER, 1/0 K/BB. Sewald looked healthy out there in his first outing coming off some minor heel and elbow surgeries this off-season. He has at least a share of the closer job, and as the incumbent veteran, I lean towards him having the lion’s share of the job.

Nick Lodolo CIN, LHP, 25.2 – Lodolo looked sharp in his 2nd outing, going 3 IP with 2 hits, 0 ER, and a 4/1 K/BB. He was only going about 75% with his velocity down 2.2 MPH to 92.2 MPH, but against Oakland’s embarrassing roster, 75% is all you need.

Taj Bradley TBR, RHP, 22.0 – 1 IP, 1 hit, 0 ER, 1/0 K/BB. Bradley’s outing was on Saturday, but it was too impressive not to mention especially with so many prospect lists starting to fade him. The fastball sat 97.1 MPH, and here is a look at a truly devastating changeup (which Statcast classifies as a sinker). The cutter dominated too. The stuff is filthy and he combines that with plus control. If he’s not an elite pitching prospect, he’s near elite, and I’m not sure why his hype tailed off this off-season. Don’t make that same mistake yourself.

Samad Taylor KCR, 2B/OF, 24.9 – Taylor got ahold of his first homer, and is having a nice spring with a 1.286 OPS and 2 steals in 14 PA. It’s nice to see coming off a terrible AFL performance (.555 OPS in 76 PA). He has a fantasy friendly profile and he can play all over the field. I don’t think he’s first up to get an opportunity in KC, but he will likely get his shot at some point during the season due to injury or underperformance, and he’s well worth a pick up at that point. He’s the type you keep an eye on.

Dominic Smith WAS, 1B, 27.9 – Smith is starting to find his rhythm, ripping his first spring homer on Saturday, and going 2 for 2 with a double and a walk yesterday. He now has a 1.136 OPS with a 1/2 K/BB in 14 PA. He definitely looks a little sleeker and is better shape out there to me. The upside might not be huge in a terrible lineup and with a line drive approach, but it certainly seems a bounce back is coming from his terrible 2021-2022. And even in 2021-22 he underperformed his underlying numbers, so a luck bounce back is due is as well.

Jo Adell LAA, OF, 24.0 – 0 for 3 with 2 K’s and is 0 for 11 with 8 K’s in his last 4 games as he sinks further and further into the abyss …

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

Posted on February 26, 2023 by Michael Halpern

Spring Dynasty Baseball Rundown (2/26/23)

I kicked off the Spring Dynasty Baseball Rundowns yesterday on the Patreon, and now it’s time to kick them off on the Brick Wall. I do these all year, mostly on the Patreon, but also a few times a month here. Here is the Spring Dynasty Baseball Rundown (2/26/23):

Zac Veen COL, OF, 21.4 – You want exit velocity? You got exit velocity. Veen showed up to camp 25 pounds heavier and crushed a 115.3 MPH double and 102.9 MPH homer in his first spring game. I tried to tell y’all the power was coming, ranking him 10th overall in my Top 500 Dynasty Baseball Prospects Rankings, and warning you to be patient for the power to show up. The power has shown up.

Jasson Dominguez NYY, OF, 20.2 – Dominguez cracked a 109.7 MPH, 420 foot dinger on a 92.1 MPH fastball off of … checks notes … Ben Bowden. He of the 5.46 ERA at Triple-A. His first at bat was a 102.7 MPH groundout to first. I wouldn’t draft him 1.1 in a dynasty startup quite yet, but it is a good sign that he’s going to be blowing up Statcast against upper minors pitching. The hype is about to hit all over again. He ranked 11th overall on those aforementioned Top 500 Prospect Rankings.

Garrett Mitchell MIL, OF, 24.7 – The underrated Mitchell (maybe not for long) drilled 2 bombs on a 2 for 3 day with a 0/0 K/BB. I named him one of my top outfielders to target because of how hard he hits the ball and his elite speed. While he has swing and miss issues, I think they are a little overblown with a not terrible 31.5% whiff% and relatively reasonable K rates in the minors. He’s not being valued properly.

Mitch Keller PIT, RHP, 27.0 – The man of many pitches, Keller managed to fire a ridiculous 8 different pitches, going 2 IP with 1 hit, 0 ER, and a 2/0 K/BB. He can throw all the pitches he wants, but it still resulted in a measly 17% whiff%. The stuff is big and varied, but he just doesn’t miss enough bats for me, and he doesn’t have pinpoint control either.

Ryne Nelson ARI, RHP, 25.2 – 1 IP, 4 hits, 4 ER, 1/2 K/BB. The velocity was down on all of his pitches (fastball was down 1.4 MPH to 93.4 MPH). Nelson had a slow start to last season as well where his velocity was also down (actually much further than this), so I wouldn’t worry at all, but it isn’t great if you are counting on him winning that 5th starter job. His velocity didn’t fully return last year until the 2nd half really. Hopefully with the longer ramp up to the season, it ticks up a little quicker than that this year.

MacKenzie Gore WAS, LHP, 24.1 – The leg kick is back, and so is the nasty 4 pitch mix. Gore went 1 IP with 1 hit, 0 ER, and a 1/0 K/BB. The fastball averaged 95.3 MPH and he was throwing his secondaries harder too, especially the slider and changeup. Obviously it’s all about control with Gore, and while one inning is basically meaningless, at least he hasn’t gone all Wild Thing Vaughn on us quite yet.

Jo Adell LAA, OF, 24.0 – Adell went to Driveline this off-season, and it seems to be paying dividends immediately with him cranking a towering 2 run homer with a swing that looks mighty reminiscent of Vlad Guerrero Sr. I haven’t completely given up on him yet, ranking him 425th overall in the Top 1,000 2023 Dynasty Baseball Rankings, but he’ll have to earn it every step of the way with LA.

CJ Abrams WAS, SS, 22.6 – 2 for 3 with a 106.6 MPH double. His other hit was a 62.8 MPH single. I don’t need a spreadsheet to realize that averages out to 84.7 MPH, but let’s just focus on that hard hit double. He doesn’t need to be in prime form in his age 22 year old season, but it would be nice to see an uptick in EV.

Gabriel Moreno ARI, C, 23.1 – Moreno smoked a line drive homer down the left field line. It’s not exactly the typical power hitter’s moonshot, so not sure you look at this type of homer and say the power is coming. The hit tool is legit though, the trade to Arizona opens up a full time job, and the power is only going up from here.

Casey Schmitt SFG, 3B/SS, 23.5 – The Giants 3B of the future flashed both the leather and the wood. He went 1 for 2 with a dinger and also made a gold glove worthy play at third. He already ripped up the upper minors in 2022. It won’t be long before we see him on the MLB level.

Addison Barger TOR, 3B/SS, 23.5 – Barger has one of the most beautiful and beastly lefty swings in the minors, and he used it to go deep off a 95.5 MPH David Bednar fastball. When Belt gets hurt, that DH job could be calling his name, and maybe he can steal some at bats away from Merrifield at 2B at some point this season.

Brett Baty NYM, 3B, 23.5 – Baty showed off his effortless power and mature approach, calmly hitting the pitch where it was thrown and launching it to deep centerfield for his first spring homer. He went 2 for 2 with a walk on the day. It won’t be long before he is the full time 3B.

Parker Meadows DET, OF, 23.5 – Meadows cracked a 110 MPH homer of a 91.6 MPH fastball. The homer isn’t that impressive in and of itself, but it shows the type of legit talent Meadows has which gets slept on. He’s 6’5”, 205 pounds with a plus power/speed combo and is coming off an excellent season at Double-A. He has the baseball bloodlines (his brother went 0 for 2 in this game). He’s definitely a nice cheaply priced upside prospect with proximity.

Justin Dirden HOU, OF, 25.9 – Dirden went 2 for 2 with an opposite field shot that cleared the fence in a hurry. He’s a sneaky good prospect for deeper leagues especially. He’s a big dude at 6’3”, 209 pounds with plus power and above average speed. He can play CF. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s next in line for an OF job, even over Pedro Leon.

Heston Kjerstad BAL, OF, 24.2 – Kjerstad carried over a strong AFL performance into his first game of the spring, going 3 for 3 with 2 homers. He has no joke power but has struggled with strikeouts throughout his career, and hasn’t had the opportunity to get a lot of reps in pro ball. It’s hard not to root for Kjerstad after myocarditis delayed the start of his career. He’ll get his first taste of upper minors pitching this year.

Matt McLain CIN, 2B/SS, 23.8 – 2 for 2 with a walk off dinger. Elly obviously gets the most hype (for good reason), Noelvi gets the 2nd most hype, and even Jose Barrero probably gets talked about more, but little Matty McLain could sneak in there to get the next shot at Cincinnati’s SS job. He’s got plenty of flaws (small, not huge raw power, K issues), but through it all he’s performed well against high level pitching his entire career. Don’t completely sleep on him.

Justin Foscue TEX, 2B/3B, 24.1 – Make it back to back dingers for Foscue as he went deep again yesterday. This time off an up and in fastball on the hands. Damn impressive. He could be Texas’ most underrated prospect.

Nick Loftin KC, SS/2B/OF, 24.6 – There are jobs to won in KC, and Loftin is coming for one of those jobs. He absolutely demolished his first spring homer with a beastly righty swing. His power ticked up in 2022, and maybe there is yet another level to unlock in 2023. The dude plays all over the field, so if he hits, they’ll find a spot for him.

Cade Marlowe SEA, OF, 25.9 – Marlowe is coming for that last OF job in Seattle which Kelenic is currently penciled in for, although let’s be honest, Kelenic is losing that job all by himself. He smashed a homer to dead center, showing off the at least above average power. He also has plus speed and a patient plate approach, but like Kelenic, the below average hit tool can tank the whole profile. It’s fantasy friendly upside that is worth taking a shot on, but there is plenty of risk here too.

Jackson Holliday BAL, SS, 19.4 – Holliday showed off the sweet lefty swing and wheels, cracking a double in his first spring at bat. There is a whole lot more of that coming.

Jhoan Duran MIN, Closer Committee, 24.7 – Pitched a perfect inning with one K. Fastball averaged 101.8 MPH, up 1 MPH from last year. I mean, come on.

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

Posted on September 12, 2022September 12, 2022 by Michael Halpern

Monday Morning Dynasty Baseball Rundown (9/12/22)

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 (9/12/22):

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR TONS OF EXCLUSIVE CONTENT ALL SEASON AND OFF-SEASON, INCLUDING:
-TOP 360 SEPTEMBER 2022 DYNASTY PROSPECTS RANKINGS
-TOP 455 AUGUST 2022 DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKINGS
-TOP 10 TRADE NEGOTIATION TACTICS (one of my favorite things I’ve ever written)
-MID-SEASON OBP TOP 447 DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKINGS
-MID-SEASON POINTS/6+CATS/OPS “UNIVERSAL” TOP 430 DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKINGS
-TOP 40 2023 FYPD RANKINGS
-TONS OF DYNASTY RUNDOWNS
-OFF-SEASON CONTENT: Team Prospect Lists, Positional Dynasty Rankings, and early access to the Top 1,000 Dynasty Baseball Rankings

Corbin Carroll ARI, OF, 22.1 – Don’t you do it. Don’t you dare do it. I know you’re getting that wandering eye. You love baseball, but damn, football is looking so sexy rolling up to the party all fresh faced with nothing but hope and potential. But just you wait. Soon half your roster will be out with a high ankle sprain, your favorite team’s O-Line will be a sieve, and you’ll be spending 75% of your FAAB on some 3rd string running back. Then you’ll be begging to come back. Your old ball and chain, baseball, is even willing to meet you halfway. They’re willing to bring new people into the bedroom! So many of the games top prospects have gotten the call, none more exciting than my #1 fantasy prospect, Corbin Carroll. He went 1 for 4 with a 101.3 MPH single that he hit into the ground at a negative 48 degree launch angle. That’s been the story of his MLB debut as he has a respectable 88.5/93.7 MPH AVG/FB EV, but he hasn’t been lifting the ball with a negative 1.3 degree launch. He’s the fastest man in baseball with a 30.6 ft/sec sprint speed, but he’s 0 for 1 on the bases in 11 games. He has some swing and miss in his game, and while a 29.5% K% is high, the 26% whiff% shows it likely won’t be a major issue. He’s done enough to hang onto the top spot, but he has someone right on his tail …

Gunnar Henderson BAL, SS, 21.2 – The #2 ranked prospect on the Updated Top 360 Dynasty Prospects Rankings that just hit my Patreon last week, Henderson went 0 for 1 with a 1/1 K/BB coming off the bench. The game here is to bench these guys enough for them to maintain their rookie status for 2023. Like Carroll, he’s been solid in his pro debut with nothing setting off alarm bells. He has a 89.9 MPH EV, 9.2 degree launch, and a 20%/8.9% K%/BB%. His speed also might have been undersold as a 28.8 ft/sec sprint speed is damn fast.

Josh Jung TEX, 3B, 24.6 – Jung had to earn this MLB debut, coming back from shoulder surgery, and he blew his load early with a homer in his very first at bat on Friday. It hasn’t been as good since, putting up the golden sombrero yesterday (0 for 4 with 4 K’s). A golden sombrero literally does sound like a quite disgusting sex act (no judgement if that’s your thing). I looked up the origin of golden sombrero, thinking it would be some super cool story (also worried that it might have been a little racist), but turns out there is no story. According to Wikipedia, baseball thought calling 3 goals in hockey a “hat trick” was cool, “and since four is bigger than three, the rationale was that a four-strikeout performance should be referred to by a bigger hat, such as a sombrero.” Pretty uninspiring. Jung has a 83.8 MPH EV with a 44% whiff% in his 3 game debut.

Triston Casas BOS, 1B, 22.8 – Cases went 0 for 3 with a K yesterday, and his MLB debut has been similar to Jung’s with 1 homer and not much else. The 35.7% whiff% in 7 games will be something to keep an eye on as the hope was for Casas to be an excellent all around hitter, not just a low average slugger.

Michael Harris ATL, OF, 21.5 – Atlanta didn’t wait until September to call up their young studs, and Harris rewarded them majorly for their boldness. He homered twice yesterday and the cement is now starting to dry on his status as an elite dynasty asset. He ranked 42nd overall on the August Top 455 Dynasty Rankings (Patreon), and he might be pushing Top 20 status when I update the rankings for September next week.

Julio Rodriguez SEA, OF, 21.8 – Speaking of the cement drying on an elite dynasty asset, Rodriguez’ dried so long ago it even has an imprint of my hand with “Halp was here, April 2022” etched into it for eternity. He went 3 for 4 with 2 bombs yesterday, and if you told me you wanted to take him 1st overall in a new dynasty league this off-season, it would be hard for me to argue against it. Ohtani might still be my top choice, but I think Julio could be a close 2nd.

Luis Patino TBR, RHP, 22.8 – Let’s keep the excitement going with Patino who is getting another crack at the rotation and … yikes. He gave up 9 earned in 1.1 IP and the stuff didn’t look all that good either with a decent 94.6 MPH fastball and relatively low spin rates on all of his pitches. He’s still young, but I’m starting to sour on him a bit.

Grayson Rodriguez BAL, RHP, 22.10 – Rodriguez returned from a lat strain and he definitely has some rust to shake off. He went 2.2 IP with 1 hit, 4 ER and a 7/3 K/BB at Double-A. You can never relax when you are banking on pitching prospects to carry the future of your dynasty team. Just look at the ghost of Forrest Whitley who has a 7.07 ERA in 28 IP at Triple-A this year. Or Daniel Espino disappearing into thin air so completely that it would make David Copperfield jealous.

Spencer Torkelson DET, 3B/1B, 22.11 – Torkelson returned to the majors and he’s trying to make us forget about the struggles that got him sent down in the first place. He went 1 for 3 with a 107 MPH double and now has a 1.030 OPS with a 5/3 K/BB and 97 MPH EV in 8 games since returning. He just might be able to rekindle those new love butterflies we all had earlier in the season if he keeps killing it down the stretch.

Michael Massey KCR, 2B, 24.4 – Massey is someone I am going to be grabbing a ton of this off-season. He went 1 for 3 with a homer and 1/1 K/BB yesterday. The underlying numbers look great to me with a 90.5 MPH EV, 16.8 degree launch angle, 15.5% barrel% and 22.7% K%. He’s not super fast, but he’s proving he has some real stolen base skills (3 for 3 on the bases). He might not be a league winner, but I think he is going to be sneaky good next year.

Jonathan Aranda TBR, 1B/2B/3B, 24.0 – 1 for 3 with a 1/1 K/BB. Aranda is trying to wade his way through Tampa’s deep roster to get playing time, and when he does, he’s proving that he’s just a damn good hitter no matter what the level. He has a 94.4 MPH EV with a 15.4%/11.5% K/BB% in 26 MPH PA. Playing time is going to be an issue and he might not have super high upside, but it’s pretty clear this guy is going to hit.

George Valera CLE, OF, 21.10 – Valera might not join the top prospect brigade in the majors this year, but it probably won’t be too far into 2023 until he does. He drilled his 7th homer in 28 games since getting called up to Triple-A. He has a little Gary Sheffield bat wiggle, and that line drive homer is reminiscent of some of the frozen ropes Sheffield would hit. Valera isn’t as good as Sheffield, but his power and OBP profile is completely transferring to Triple-A.

Joey Wiemer MIL, OF, 23.7 – Wiemer got called up to Triple-A and became a new man. He went 2 for 4 with a dinger and is now slashing .275/.360/.533 with 6 homers, 6 steals, and a 20.9%/12.2% K%/BB%. What strikeout problems?

Adael Amador COL, SS, 19.7 – Amador laughs at strikeout problems as he’s maintained an elite plate approach all season (12.1%/15.7% K%/BB%), and he showed off the power yesterday jacking out his 15th homer in 115 games at Single-A. The power/speed combo may not be huge, but plenty of superstars have bubbled up from these elite plate approach guys even if they aren’t visually jaw dropping athletes.

Kevin Parada NYM, C, 21.11 – Parada got on the board with his first professional homer in 13 games. He’s walking a ton with a .463 OBP and 24.4% BB% at Single-A, but the 29.3% K% is on the high side.

Justyn-Henry Malloy ATL, 3B/OF, 22.7 – Malloy is getting some late season helium as he continued to handle his business since getting called up to Double-A. He cracked his 6th homer in 48 games at the level and is now slashing .291/.416/.459 with 6 homers, 0 steals and a 24.8%/17.3% K%/BB%. He always had very high walk rates throughout his career and he’s shaping up to a great low key target in OBP leagues this off-season.

Oswaldo Cabrera NYY, OF, 23.7 – Cabrera hit his first MLB homer with a 408 foot shot on a 1 for 4 day. He has a 86.7 MPH EV with a 28.8% whiff% and 27.3 ft/sec sprint speed in 88 MLB PA. I think he’s a heavily used utility player long term and isn’t really a target of mine.

Bubba Thompson TEX, OF, 24.3 – The 7th fastest man in baseball racked up 2 more steals to give him 13 steals in 33 games. He has a 2.8% barrel%, so his .298 BA is the result of good luck, but a 87.8 MPH EV and 29% whiff% isn’t hopeless. It’s not a bad MLB debut, and his elite base stealing ability is worth taking on the extra risk.

Brandon Pfaadt ARI, RHP, 23.10 – Pfaadt bounced back from his first bad start at Triple-A with a gem yesterday, going 8 IP with 4 hits, 2 ER, and a 11/0 K/BB. He threw a 5 pitch mix led by his high spin, 94.3 MPH fastball. His K/BB numbers have been elite all year and they barely dropped off at all at Triple-A with a 30.4%/6.3% K%/BB% in 50 IP.

Tanner Bibee CLE, RHP, 23.6 – The hard charging Bibee isn’t slowing down, going 6 IP with 3 hits, 1 ER, and a 5/2 K/BB at Double-A. He rose up all the way to #60 overall on the Updated Top 360 Prospects Rankings and I think his name value will remain subdued enough this off-season to get him at a very reasonable price.

Mitch Keller PIT, RHP, 26.5 – 7 IP, 2 hits, 0 ER, 6/3 K/BB vs. STL. Keller is doing just enough to close out the season to screw us all over again in 2023. He has a 2.51 ERA with a 49/19 K/BB in his last 61 IP. I’m not taking the bait though as the strikeout numbers just haven’t been impressive enough. Don’t get sucked back in.

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

Posted on August 29, 2022August 29, 2022 by Michael Halpern

Monday Morning Dynasty Baseball Rundown (8/29/22)

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 (8/29/22):

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR TONS OF EXCLUSIVE CONTENT, INCLUDING:
-TOP 350 AUGUST 2022 DYNASTY PROSPECTS RANKINGS
-TOP 455 AUGUST 2022 DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKINGS
-TOP 10 TRADE NEGOTIATION TACTICS (one of my favorite things I’ve ever written)
-MID-SEASON OBP TOP 447 DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKINGS
-MID-SEASON POINTS/6+CATS/OPS “UNIVERSAL” TOP 430 DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKINGS
-TOP 40 2023 FYPD RANKINGS
-TONS OF DYNASTY RUNDOWNS

Kyle Manzardo TBR, 1B, 22.0 – Italian Lunch made quick work of the Blue Wahoos, ripping a line drive homer that made a beeline for the Truly Hard Seltzer sign hanging beyond the right field wall. I’m old enough to remember when a man choosing to drink a hard seltzer would be met with endless ridicule, but these days we can drink anything we want without being made fun of! Progress! Since being called up to Double-A he’s dominating with a 1.052 OPS and a 15.9% K%. Not missing a beat in the upper minors takes away any obstacle to flying him up the rankings. He checked in at #188 on the Updated Top 455 Dynasty Rankings that hit my Patreon last week.

Jackson Chourio MIL, OF, 18.6 – Speaking of flying up the rankings, Jackson “flying up the rankings” Chourio cracked his 5th homer in 21 games at High-A (17 homers in 83 games overall) on a 1 for 2 with 0 K day. He now has a 130 wRC+ with a 20.8% K% at the level. I know some people are hesitant to go all in on an 18 year old in the lower minors, but this stage of a superstar’s career is when the biggest mistakes are made in dynasty. Don’t let a savvy manager steal him away from you for a good but not truly great win now piece this off-season.

Oswald Peraza NYY, SS, SS, 22.3 – “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” That quote couldn’t be truer when it comes to prospects. A bad start to the season will have guys tumble down the rankings, and even they play with their hair on fire for the rest of the year, it’s like barely anyone notices. Peraza legitimately decimated a 426 foot homer that left his bat in the blink of an eye. He also tacked on a stolen base and went 4 for 7 in a doubleheader. He’s slashing .293/.361/.507 with 13 homers, 21 steals, and a 61/20 K/BB in his last 58 games at Triple-A.

Nick Lodolo CIN, LHP, 24.5 – 7 IP, 5 hits, 3 ER, 5/1 K/BB vs. Miami. The underlying numbers looked better though with his curve and change putting up a silly 77% whiff% and 50% whiff%, respectively. The Solo Lodolo man is going to have to do it by himself because Cincy has the 3rd worst defense in baseball and the home ballpark is terrible too. It definitely puts a little damper on how good I think he could be in a more neutral pitching environment, but I love him enough to overlook the negatives. He clocked in at #116 overall on the Updated Top 455 Dynasty Rankings. I’m all in on him despite the red flags that are being waved directly in front of my eyes.

Roansy Contreras PIT, RHP, 22.9 – 5 IP, 3 hits, 0 ER, 7/2 K/BB vs. PHI. The underlying numbers were a mixed bag with his velocity down majorly across the board, but it was working for him because he put up a 40% whiff% with a 86.4 EV against. The fastball being down almost 2 MPH to a pedestrian 94.3 MPH isn’t great to see though. I’m honestly not sure what to think here, but I’m leaning more towards the positive side.

Taj Bradley TBR, RHP, 21.7 – Bradley desperately needed a good start at Triple-A after a stretch of rough ones, and he got it yesterday, going 6 IP with 4 hits, 1 ER, and a 5/1 K/BB. His 20.6%/7.4% K%/BB% in 30 IP at the level isn’t great. He might be setting up to be more Drew Rasmussen than Shane McClanahan. I don’t even mean that as too much of a diss as I love Rasmussen.

Max Muncy LAD, 1B/2B, 31.11 – This is just a heads up that Muncy is completely healthy after an elbow injury tanked the first half on his season. He went 3 for 5 yesterday and has a 176 wRC+ with a 92.8 MPH EV in 95 August PA. He’ll probably come at a discounted price this off-season unless he really goes out of his mind the rest of the way, which is possible.

Alex Bregman HOU, 3B, 28.4 – Continuing the “just a heads up that this guy is healthy now” segment of our programming, Bregman lifted off for his 7th homer in his last 17 games. He’s fully healthy after off-season wrist surgery sapped his power earlier in the year.

Mike Trout LAA, OF, 31.0 – Trout ripped his 4th homer in 9 games since returning from that “pretty rare” back injury. Apparently the back injury wasn’t rare enough to stop Trout.

Jake McCarthy ARI, OF, 25.1 – 1 for 4 with a 104.6 MPH double off Kendal Graveman. He stole 2 bags on Saturday. He’s now slashing .291/.352/.432 with 4 homers, 12 steals, and a 20.4%/7.7% K%/BB% in 68 games. I loved taking a flier on McCarthy this off-season. I ranked him 238th on my off-season Top 500 Prospects Rankings and wrote, “McCarthy is going to have to scratch and claw for playing time, but he has a very fantasy friendly profile if he can win some. He put up an elite 30.1 ft/sec sprint speed in his MLB debut and was 29 for 33 on the bases in 85 games split between Double-A and Triple-A. He hits the ball on the ground too much and showed some swing and miss this year, but if you are looking for a close to the majors option with legitimate upside, McCarthy is your guy.”

Lars Nootbaar STL, OF, 24.11 – 1 for 3 with a walk and a 355 foot dinger off Jake Odorizzi for his 9th homer in 75 games. Nootbaar has been smashing the ball with a 91.7 MPH EV and his 20.4%/14.9% K%/BB% is impressive. He’s a line drive hitter and he doesn’t run a ton, so the fantasy upside isn’t huge, but St. Louis develops underrated hitters like him like it’s their job … come to think of it, it is their job.

Matt Mervis CHC, 1B, 24.4 – McCarthy and Nootbaar both ended up being excellent older fringe types to take a shot on last off-season, and Mervis is shaping up to be that guy this off-season. He went 2 for 5 with his 6th homer in 31 games at Triple-A, and it comes with a 13.7%/9.2% K%/BB%. The first base job could be his for the taking next year.

Stone Garrett ARI, OF, 26.9 – Stone Garrett crushed a 105.8 MPH dinger off Dylan Cease for his first MLB homer. He’s been absolutely crushing the ball in his 5 game debut with a 98.8 MPH EV. This is the first time he’s playing in a week, and considering Stone Garrett sounds like the protagonist in a spy novel, I have questions as to what he’s been up to over that missing week. Playing time might be an issue while he takes down international criminals on the side, but the power is for real when he does play. And before you say being a major league baseball player and a spy is unrealistic, you should look into Moe Berg.

Henry Davis PIT, C, 22.9/Endy Rodriguez PIT, C, 22.3 – Davis has been on a rehab assignment at Single-A returning from his 2nd wrist injury and he walloped his first homer in 4 games. Endy Rodriguez has been so dominant in his absence at Double-A (3 for 4 with a double yesterday) that a catcher competition is definitely brewing. The good news is that there is plenty of at bats to go around for everyone in Pitt. Both guys can keep catcher eligibility, stay healthy, and thrive.

Logan O’Hoppe LAA, C, 22.5 – I called O’Hoppe the most underrated catcher in baseball this off-season, and he’s not underrated anymore as he absolutely unloaded on his 22nd homer of the year at Double-A. He has a 184 wRC+ in 16 games since joining LA, and the future catcher job is his for the taking.

Triston Casas BOS, 1B, 22.4 – Casas busted out the whooping stick against a side winding righty, crushing a homer out to left center on a 2 for 4 day. He has a 1.040 OPS in his last 27 games at Triple-A. I think it’s time for Casas to get his feet wet against MLB pitching.

Joey Wiemer MIL, OF, 23.5 – Just when you’re ready to give up, Wiemer pulls you back in, going 2 for 4 with his 5th homer in 22 games at Triple-A. The K% is at a not terrible 23.3% and he’s also stolen 4 bags. I’ve held strong on Wiemer towards the back of the Top 100 because despite the struggles the raw talent is just too good to completely give up on. He’s also knocking on the door of the bigs.

Angel Martinez CLE, SS, 20.7 – Martinez got called up to Double-A and he’s thriving. He went 2 for 3 with a triple and homer yesterday, and he’s now slashing .292/.357/.750 with 2 homers, 1 steal, and a 13.8%/10.3% K%/BB% in 7 games. The power ticked up this year, and he combines that with plus speed and a plus plate approach. He’s setting up to be a solid across the board contributor, and considering he’s only 20, maybe he has another gear in there too.

Mick Abel PHI, RHP, 21.0 – 2.2 IP, 5 hits, 3 ER, 2/3 K/BB at Double-A. I don’t have Abel quite on the same level as Painter (who had another good start at Double-A on Saturday), but I still like Abel a lot despite the clunker yesterday. He might be settling in more in the mid-rotation range though as he didn’t really dominate High-A either with a 4.01 ERA and 27.7%/10.2% K%/BB%.

Chase Silseth LAA, RHP, 22.3 – 6 IP, 2 hits, 2 ER, 11/1 K/BB at Double-A. Silseth has been jerked around a bit as an up and down arm, which I doubt was the best thing for his development, but I do get that sometimes the team comes first. Regardless, he’s ripped up Double-A with a 2.63 ERA and a 33.5%/8.7% K%/BB% in 65 IP. He throws a 5 pitch mix headlined by a 95.4 MPH fastball. Despite getting hit up in the majors, he’s still an exciting pitching prospect.

Will Warren NYY, RHP, 23.2/Taylor Dollard SEA, RHP, 23.6 – Warren went 6 IP with 4 hits, 0 ER, and a 5/2 K/BB at Double-A. Dollard went 6 IP with 4 hits, 1 ER, and a 5/0 K/BB at Double-A. Neither guy has the K rates to get me really excited for fantasy (19.8% and 23%, respectively), but both can definitely be solid real life pitchers. The deeper the league, the more I would like them.

Garrett Mitchell MIL, OF, 24.0 – Mitchell made his MLB debut on Sunday and went 1 for 4 with a K and 2 RBI. The K rate and GB% is what to watch for, and right now the launch angle is sitting at 26.2 degrees and the whiff% is 28.6%. It’s only one game, but it’s better than if he had a 50% whiff% with a negative 2 degree launch angle. One game down, an entire career to go.

Corbin Carroll ARI, OF, 21.11 – The #1 fantasy prospect in baseball will make his MLB debut today after working over upper minors pitching all season. He’s only 5’10” and has played in favorable hitter’s environments. He’s also shown some swing and miss throughout his career. The speed is unquestioned, so the power and strikeouts will be what to watch for in this final month.

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

Posted on August 15, 2022August 16, 2022 by Michael Halpern

Monday Morning Dynasty Baseball Rundown (8/15/22)

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 (8/15/22):

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR TONS OF EXCLUSIVE CONTENT, INCLUDING:
-TOP 350 AUGUST 2022 DYNASTY PROSPECTS RANKINGS
-TOP 437 JULY 2022 DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKINGS
-TOP 10 TRADE NEGOTIATION TACTICS (one of my favorite things I’ve ever written)
-TOP 10 MID-SEASON TRADE TARGETS
-MID-SEASON OBP TOP 447 DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKINGS
-MID-SEASON POINTS/6+CATS/OPS “UNIVERSAL” TOP 430 DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKINGS
-TOP 40 2023 FYPD RANKINGS

Fernando Tatis Jr. SD, SS, 23.7 – Is Tatis an irredeemable fuck up who you should sell immediately in dynasty? Or is he an immature 23 year old kid making bad decisions with the expectations of the world on his shoulders? I like to think I’m a good judge of character, and to me this is a clear case of the latter, which is why I would buy everywhere I could. It’s like when my mom busted me for smoking weed in my room in high school at 1 a.m. in the morning while watching Late Night with Conan O’Brien. No ma, that’s not weed you smell, I’m just super gassy from that Claritin D you gave me! I swear it! Deny, deny, deny. And look at me now, I turned out fine, quitting a career in law to become a fantasy baseball writer. My parents couldn’t be prouder!

Jackson Chourio MIL, OF, 18.5/Gunnar Henderson BAL, SS, 21.0 – My #2 and #3 ranked prospects on my Top 350 August 2022 Dynasty Prospects Rankings both had huge days at the dish. Chourio went 4 for 4 with a homer that absolutely exploded off his bat. Henderson went 3 for 6 with a homer that he crushed so hard I think it landed in the forest behind the ballpark. I could make a strong argument for both of these guys to be the top prospect in the game and are players you really shouldn’t be using in win now deals. These are the type of core offensive pieces who make you a contender for several years. I’m all for win now mode and living in the present, but the word “untouchable” was made for prospects like this.

Vinnie Pasquantino KCR, 1B, 24.7 – 3 for 4 with a homer. Here’s what I wrote about Vinnie in my July Top 437 Dynasty Baseball Rankings, ranking him 109th overall, “.387 xwOBA vs. .293 wOBA. He’s a major buy.” In one of the easiest calls ever, Vinnie got hot since then with 4 homers in his last 6 games.

Michael Harris ATL, OF, 21.4 – 2 for 4 with a double and 111.2 MPH dinger. He’s now rocking a .293 BA with 12 homers and 13 steals in 69 games. Harris is undisputedly a Top 50-ish dynasty asset, the only question is how much higher to go on him. A 30% whiff%, 3.8% BB%, and 4.6 degree launch angle are legitimate concerns, and if he cools off down the stretch you can look at those numbers and say it was inevitable to happen. On the other hand, he’s only 21 years old and skipped right over Triple-A, so it would be insane to expect him to already be a finished product.

Vaughn Grissom ATL, SS, 21.7 – 2 for 3 with a 0/2 K/BB. Calling up a 21 year old straight from Double-A worked once already for Atlanta, and they rolled the dice again with Grissom and it just keeps coming up sevens. He has a 1.228 OPS in 5 games. He already rose all the way up to 33rd overall in my July rankings, and he checked in at #20 on the Updated August Top 350 Prospects Rankings.

Brandon Pfaadt ARI, RHP, 23.9 – 6 IP, 1 hit, 1 ER, 10/2 K/BB at Triple-A. The fastball averaged 93.7 MPH, he threw 6 pitches, and he put up a 49% whiff% led by his fastball, slider and change. Pfaadt is a guy who has just kept growing on me, and I think he is one of the more underrated prospects in the minors. He might not have ace upside, but I do think he has potential to end up in that sneaky 2/3 range and could probably be had for a pretty reasonable price at this point. He checked in at #82 on the Updated Prospects Rankings.

Dustin May LAD, RHP, 24.9 – 5 IP, 4 hits, 1 ER, 10/1 K/BB at Triple-A. The fastball averaged 97 MPH, he threw 5 pitches, and the curve put up a 3297 spin rate. May was breaking out to such an extreme level before going down with Tommy John surgery that I just couldn’t budge his ranking very much. I already had him up to #73 on the July Dynasty Rankings, and now with both the stuff and control back, he very well could be pushed into the top 50 on next week’s Updated Rankings.

Emerson Hancock SEA, RHP, 23.1 – 7 IP, 2 hits, 0 ER, 5/1 K/BB at Double-A. Hancock is a classic case of eye test vs. results. He gets an A+ on the eye test. If you love the art of pitching and watching a guy who commands the mound, you will love Hancock. On the other hand, a 22.6%/7.4% K%/BB% with a 5.28 xFIP (2.19 ERA) is less impressive. “Art of pitching” your way through Double-A is much different than doing it in the majors. He’s a top 100 prospect for me, but if he ends up a back end starter it will look pretty obvious in hindsight.

Zach Neto LAA, SS, 21.6 – Neto looked so impressive in his 7 game pro debut at High-A that he was sent up to Double-A already, and he lifted off for his first homer at the level on a 2 for 4 with 0 K day. He’s now 10 for 23 in 5 games there. The only slight quibble with Neto was that he didn’t play in the strongest conference in college (Big South), but with him ripping up the upper levels of the minors that is really irrelevant now. He already climbed to #6 on my First Year Player Draft Rankings, and the arrow continues to point up.

Brooks Lee MIN, SS, 21.5 – My previous 6th ranked prospect, Lee, isn’t having too shabby of a pro debut himself, showing off the plus hit tool on a 4 for 5 day at High-A. He’s hitting .364 in 8 games split between rookie ball and High-A and is one of the safer bats in this year’s class.

Alexander Canario CHC, OF, 22.4 – It’s impossible to watch Canario jack a homer and not get excited. Here he is smoking his 21st homer in 75 games at Double-A. Go ahead, I dare you to not get excited.

Yanquiel Fernandez COL, OF, 19.7 – 2 for 5 with a double and homer at Single-A. Fernandez is quietly having a very exciting season for a 19 year old at Single-A with 16 homers and a 21.6%/8.4% K%/BB% in 93 games. He’s been red hot in August with a 1.092 OPS in 12 games. He’s 6’2” with some projection left on his frame and he has a vicious lefty swing. He’s severely underrated.

Endy Rodriguez PIT, C, 22.3 – Endy has been a man possessed for a few months now, and he took the show to Double-A last week and is showing no let up, ripping his 2nd homer in 5 games to go along with a 1.093 OPS. He might be passing Henry Davis as Pitt’s presumed catcher of the future, although there are plenty of at bats to go around for both of them with their depleted roster. This is just the beginning for Endy. He should really change his name to Beginy.

Bobby Miller LAD, RHP, 23.4 – Nobody looks as good as Miller when he’s on, and he was on yesterday, going 7.1 IP with 4 hits, 0 ER, and a 9/2 K/BB at Double-A. The fastball gets into the upper 90’s and the secondaries are nasty. Here is a cut of all of his K’s from last night.

Blake Snell SD, LHP, 29.7 – 6 IP, 3 hits, 0 ER, 10/0 K/BB vs. WAS. I almost didn’t include Snell in the Rundown because Washington’s lineup is Triple-A quality, but he’s been ripping it up for awhile now with a 2.08 ERA and 67/17 K/BB in his last 43.1 IP. Here is how I closed the Snell blurb in my off-season Top 1,000 Ranking, “Robbie Ray is a good reminder to never give up on strikeout machines with control problems.”

Brady Singer KC, RHP, 26.0 – 6 IP, 1 hit, 0 ER, 7/3 K/BB vs. LAD. A start like this versus the Dodgers really cements Singer’s come up. He’s done it on the back of improved control with a career best 6% BB%. The 3.83 xERA is still worse than the 3.29 ERA, and the 25% whiff% is only slightly above average, so I don’t think he is a world beater, but he’s clearly taken a step forward.

Emmet Sheehan LAD, RHP, 22.1 – 6 IP, 4 hits, 0 ER, 6/0 K/BB at High-A. It seems like the Dodgers just grow these guys on trees. Sheehan pumps mid to upper 90’s heat with a starter’s 4 pitch mix (change could be his best secondary). He has a 2.80 ERA with a 36.1%/11.5% K%/BB% in 54.2 IP. Control has been an issue for him his entire career, so he may end up in a multi inning pen role especially considering the Dodgers never ending depth, but the upside is legit.

Carson Williams TBR, SS, 19.1 – Williams smacked one down the opposite field line for his 15th homer in 92 games at Single-A. Even better, he didn’t strikeout once. The 32.6% K% is worrisome, and he’s only hitting .210 in his last 59 games since getting off to a hot start, but his upside is worth taking on the extra risk.

Nick Yorke BOS, 2B, 20.4 – Yorke is finally heating up with his 3rd homer in his last 8 games at High-A. The season has been a struggle overall with a 23.5% K% and 78 wRC+ in 62 games. The hit tool just hasn’t been elite enough considering his modest power/speed combo to really keeping ranking Yorke extremely high. I still like him a lot, and he was banged up this year, but I’ve started to lower him in my rankings.

Oscar Colas CHW, OF, 23.9 – Colas continues to be out his mind at Double-A, going 3 for 5 with a dinger yesterday. He’s slashing .353/.439/.694 with 9 homers and a 23.5%/9.2% K%/BB% in 22 games at the level. He moved into my Top 50.

Jose Rodriguez CHW, SS, 21.1 – Rodriguez has gotten a bit forgotten about after a slow start, but he’s been heating up for awhile now. He went 2 for 5 with a double and homer yesterday at Double-A. In his last 39 games he’s slashing .317/.395/.549 with 7 homers, 20 steals, and a 25/20 K/BB. There’s probably still time to jump on the bandwagon as the hype hasn’t caught back up.

Edgar Quero LAA, C, 19.4 – Quero demolished his 14th homer in 90 games at Single-A, and while the video is poor quality, you can see the fielders barely move and the announcer claimed the ball landed on “E Street.” He’s put up over a 1.000 OPS in June, July, and August. He’s quickly becoming one of the most exciting teenage catcher prospects in the game.

Jake McCarthy ARI, OF, 25.1 – 1 for 3 with a walk and 2 steals. I’ve always liked McCarthy as one of my favorites in the fringy close to the majors bucket, and he’s showing why with 3 homers, 9 steals, and a .261 BA in 57 MLB games. He’s lightning fast with a 30 ft/sec spring speed (Top 1% of the league), he’s hitting the ball respectably hard with a 88.1 MPH EV, and he’s making contact with a 23.7% K%. I still have him in that “fringe MLB guy” bucket, but his fantasy friendly skillset makes him a no brainer stash if you have the room.

Gavin Cross KC, OF, 21.5 – Cross cracked his first homer in full season ball at Single-A. I have him ranked 13th on the FYPD rankings, and the reason I couldn’t go higher on him is because the hit tool wasn’t quite as good as the hitters ranked above him. That is playing out in the early going with a 27.8%/5.6% K%/BB% in 4 games at the level. Clearly way too small of a sample to draw any conclusions, but it means his value holds steady for me for now.

Dalton Rushing LAD, C/1B, 21.6 – If you’re looking for an early 2022 Draft pro debut breakout, Rushing could be your guy. He cracked his 2nd homer in 8 games at Single-A and it comes with a 7/8 K/BB and 1.372 OPS. He was drafted 40th overall to one of the best organizations in the game on the back of 23 homers in 64 games in the ACC. He’s quickly rising up my ranks.

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

Posted on August 8, 2022August 8, 2022 by Michael Halpern

Monday Morning Dynasty Baseball Rundown (8/8/22)

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 (8/8/22):

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR TONS OF EXCLUSIVE CONTENT, INCLUDING:
-MID-SEASON TOP 314 2022 DYNASTY PROSPECTS RANKINGS
-TOP 437 JULY 2022 DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKINGS
-TOP 10 TRADE NEGOTIATION TACTICS (one of my favorite things I’ve ever written)
-TOP 10 MID-SEASON TRADE TARGETS
-MID-SEASON OBP TOP 447 DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKINGS
-MID-SEASON POINTS/6+CATS/OPS “UNIVERSAL” TOP 430 DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKINGS
-TOP 40 2023 FYPD RANKINGS

Jacob Berry MIA, OF/3B/1B, 21.2 – The 6th pick in this year’s draft, Berry has done nothing but struggle since entering pro ball. He went 0 for 3 yesterday at Single-A and is now 5 for 35 with 0 extra base hits and a 7/3 K/BB in 9 games split between rookie ball and Single-A. He’s not great on D, so the bat needs to really pop. It’s obviously too small of a sample to draw any conclusions, but I can’t help but have visions of JJ Bleday flash through my mind.

Ivan Melendez ARI, 1B, 22.7 – 0 for 3 with a 1/1 K/BB at Single-A. Talk about needing the bat to carry the day, Melendez is all bat as a 1B only prospect who got drafted as a college senior at 43rd overall. He’s 3 for 19 with 0 extra base hits and a 8/4 K/BB in 7 games split between rookie ball and Single-A. If he doesn’t start tearing apart the lower minors in short order, it will be hard for me to buy into him in off-season first year player drafts.

Peyton Graham DET, SS, 21.6 – One of my favorite targets from the 2022 draft class, ranking 17th overall on my Top 40 2023 First Year Player Draft Rankings (Patreon), Graham is showing off the wheels early in his career, snagging his 2nd bag yesterday in 2 games at Single-A. He’s 2 for 7 with a 2/1 K/BB in the early going. He got drafted 51st overall, so the value should be there in off-season drafts.

Samuel Zavala SDP, OF, 18.0 – It took only 10 games in stateside rookie ball where Zavala put up a 1.033 OPS for him to get the call to Single-A, and he made his mark at the level yesterday with his first homer in 5 games. He’s not overmatched against the advanced competition at all with a .793 OPS and 5/4 K/BB. His value has the potential to absolutely explode down the stretch.

Jacob deGrom NYM, RHP, 33.11 – 5.1 IP, 1 hit, 2 ER, 12/1 K/BB vs. ATL. The fastball averaged 99.1 MPH and the slider put up a 90% whiff%. There is a reason I refused to budge his dynasty ranking even with the injury (36th overall on the Top 437 July Dynasty Baseball Rankings that dropped last week on Patreon), because the level of dominance is just silly. I also don’t take age into account as much for pitchers as I do hitters because pitching is so volatile and risky no matter what the age, and younger pitchers are arguably more risky than older pitchers.

Jesus Luzardo MIA, LHP, 24.8 – 7 IP, 1 hit, 0 ER, 6/1 K/BB vs. CHC. The fastball velocity hasn’t been what it once was with it sitting 95.5 MPH, but I’ll take that tradeoff any day of the week for the improved control he’s shown. An 11/1 K/BB in 12 IP since returning from injury is very encouraging. His stock is on the rise.

Triston McKenzie CLE, RHP, 25.0 – 8 IP, 2 hit, 0 ER, 8/1 K/BB vs. HOU. McKenzie found his control again this season with a sparkling 6.7% BB% (11.7% in 2021). His fastball isn’t good enough (92.4 MPH with a 91.4 MPH EV against) to consistently miss his spots. He’s not as good as his 3.16 ERA indicates (3.89 xERA), but he’s picking up from where he left off in his excellent 2020 rookie season.

Matt Manning DET, RHP, 24.6 – 7 IP, 4 hits, 0 ER, 7/3 K/BB vs. TB. Don’t get suckered in. The fastball sat only 92.2 MPH and the spin rates on his breaking balls were still poor. Stay away.

Alex Kirilloff MIN, 1B/OF, 24.6 – Kirilloff just can’t shake this wrist injury as he’s set to undergo season ending wrist surgery. It’s sadly the last straw if you were on the fence about keeping him or not. In a shallow to medium size league, it could be time to move on if there is something enticing out there on the waiver wire.

Jorge Mateo BAL, OF/2B/SS, 27.0 – 2 for 3 with a cute little 355 foot, 95.5 MPH homer. Mateo is running up his fantasy numbers with 11 homers and 26 steals, but he’s taking advantage of Baltimore’s last season of rebuilding, because a 85 wRC+ is not going to get the job done when they promote all of their top prospect talent next season. I know Baltimore is 4 games over .500, but Mike Elias was smart to not get caught up in the fairy tale season of plucky underdogs. It won’t be long before they are the hated favorites. Be careful trading for Mateo expecting full time playing time beyond this season.

Brett Baty NYM, 3B, 22.8 – The only thing missing was homer power, and it ain’t missing anymore as Baty demolished his 19th homer at Double-A out to deep centerfield off Deivi Garcia. He now has a .950 OPS in 89 games. He still has only a 30.3% FB%, and a 25.2% K% ain’t great, so a 5×5 BA league might not be his bread and butter, but he’s easily a Top 20 prospect in any league that values good real life hitters (Pts, 6+ cats, OBP, OPS etc …). And even in a 5×5 BA league he’s a damn good prospect. It’s time for Triple-A.

Luis Matos SFG, OF, 20.4 – Look who decided to finally show up to the 2022 season. Matos homered for the 2nd time in 3 games and now has a .903 OPS in his last 5 games at High-A. Problem is that it comes with a 6/1 K/BB, which makes it hard for me to really buy back in. He’s still flirting with Top 100 prospect status for me, so I’m not giving up on him, but it’s been a disaster year.

Jordan Lawlar ARI, SS, 19.11 – Lawlar is starting to come alive at High-A, going 4 for 6 with a homer and double yesterday. The overall line at the level is still rough with a .700 OPS and 23/4 K/BB in 19 games, but after putting up a 1.051 OPS at Single-A, it’s likely just a slump that coincided with him getting promoted. He’s a top 10 prospect.

Corbin Carroll ARI, OF, 21.11 – 3 for 5 with a double, homer, and 2 K’s at Triple-A. People were starting to talk some smack about Carroll’s swing and miss, so of course not only did he improve that aspect of his game, but he did it after getting promoted to Triple-A with a 15/15 K/BB in 18 games. He’s the undisputed top prospect in the game, but he’s lucky Chourio went on a mini cold streak (1 for his last 14) because Chourio was charging hard for that top spot.

Tyler Soderstrom OAK, C/1B, 20.8 – Soderstrom got the call to Double-A last week and he now has a .857 OPS in 6 games after going 3 for 5 with a double last night. It comes with a 6/0 K/BB, which is basically exactly what he was doing at High-A with big power and a weak plate approach. He’s played more games at 1B than catcher this year, so at best you’re hoping for enough games behind the plate to qualify, but it’s not something I would bank on when planning the future of my team. I would assume he ends up 1B only and anything extra is icing on the cake.

Vaughn Grissom ATL, SS, 21.6 – Grissom unloaded for his 3rd homer in 21 games at Double-A. He’s had no problems at the level with a 137 wRC+ and 7 steals. He rose all the way to 33rd overall on the July Top 314 Dynasty Prospects Rankings (Patreon), and he will rise even higher on the August Rankings that drop tomorrow.

MJ Melendez KCR, C, 23.6 – 2 for 3 with a 406 foot bomb. Melendez is quietly having an excellent rookie season with a strong plate approach (25.9%/11.4% K%/BB%), a respectable whiff% (28.2%), and no doubt power (90.5 MPH EV). He’s one of the top young catchers in the game.

Tanner Bibee CLE, RHP, 23.4 – 6 IP, 4 hits, 1 ER, 6/0 K/BB at Double-A. Bibee’s value was already rising, and it’s set to take off now that he is dominating Double-A with a 1.71 ERA and 32/3 K/BB in 31.1 IP. The fastball has jumped up into the mid 90’s this year and he’s in one of the best pitching development organizations in the game. He’s a pick up in any size league.

DL Hall BAL, LHP, 23.10 – 5.1 IP, 5 hits, 2 ER, 8/3 K/BB at Triple-A. I hope you like your strikeouts with a side of walks because a 14% BB% is definitely worrisome.

Matthew Liberatore STL, LHP, 22.9 – 6 IP, 2 hits, 1 ER, 10/3 K/BB at Triple-A. Despite the great start, 2022 has been a step back for Liberatore with him struggling in both the majors (5.33 ERA) and the minors (4.77 ERA). He’s still a talented prospect, but if you can get good value for him based on his name value, I would jump on it.

Kerry Carpenter DET, OF, 24.11 – Carpenter hit a laser to the opposite field for his 2nd homer in 2 games and 29th homer in 95 games split between Double-A and Triple-A. His plate approach seriously improved when he hit Triple-A with a 17/17 K/BB in 33 games. Detroit’s entire roster is basically wide open, making Carpenter a good add if you need power down the stretch.

Wenceel Perez DET, 2B, 22.9 – Continuing the take a shot on fringy-ish Detroit prospects theme, Perez ripped his 5th homer in 35 games at Double-A. He’s had strong contact rates his entire career (13.4%/10/1% K%/BB% at Double-A), and his power is ticking up this year with his groundball percentage dropping all the way to 32.1% (51% in 2021). He’s fast, but his stolen base track record in the minors makes me hesitant to project 20+ steals for him (5 for 9 at Double-A). He’s likely a low upside solid across the board type.

Darick Hall PHI, 1B, 27.1 – 2 for 4 with 2 bombs off Cory Abbott. Hall has done nothing but destroy baseballs since getting called up with an elite 92.2/97.5 MPH AVG/FB EV, and it’s led to a .933 OPS in 109 PA. He looks like strictly a platoon bat, and a 27.5%/4.6% K%/BB% is going to make his BA a problem long term, but he’s proving he can mash with the best of them.

Peyton Burdick MIA, OF, 25.4 – 1 for 3 with a 108.6 MPH, 421 foot homer for his first MLB bomb in 3 games. He hit .229 at Triple-A, so he’ll tank your BA, but he has value in an OBP league with high walk rates his entire career. He’s worth a shot in a medium to deep OBP league.

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

Posted on August 1, 2022August 1, 2022 by Michael Halpern

Monday Morning Dynasty Baseball Rundown (8/1/22)

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 (8/1/22):

Jarred Kelenic SEA, OF, 22.11 – 0 for 3 with 2 K’s vs. HOU. It’s like he never left

Alex Ramirez NYM, OF, 19.6 – The hype has been far too quiet on Ramirez for years now, but it’s not going to stay that way for much longer as he demolished 2 homers at High-A yesterday, the first one out to dead center, and the 2nd one he smashed so hard even he had to stop and stare. He’s now destroying High-A with 5 homers and a .935 OPS in 20 games. I’ve tried to carry the torch for him on my own since he was signed, ranking him all the way up at 161st overall on my 2020 Prospects Rankings, and he’s now reached Top 50 status for me.

Pedro Leon HOU, OF/SS, 24.2 – Leon walloped a homer where the ball jumped off the bat so fast you don’t even need to know the EV to know it was hit out with the quickness … but I checked anyway and it was measured at 107.6 MPH. My eye had it at least 109.2 MPH though. I trust the eye test 🙂 He’s leveled up over the past 25 games, slashing .282/.430/.541 with 5 homers, 12 steals, and most importantly a 17/18 K/BB. Seeing the K’s come down is huge.

Nick Lodolo CIN, LHP, 24.4 – 6 IP, 4 hits, 1 ER, 7/2 K/BB vs. Baltimore. Lodolo had all 3 pitches working (sinker, curve, change), leading to a 33% whiff% and 87.3 MPH EV against on the day. I hope my Patreon members already went out and acquired Lodolo, because I named him one of my Top 10 Mid-Season Trade Targets back in late June, and ranked him 147th overall on the Updated Top 437 Dynasty Rankings that dropped last week. There could still be a buy window here, but it’s closing fast.

Reid Detmers LAA, LHP, 23.0 – 7 IP, 3 hits, 1 ER, 12/3 K/BB vs. TEX. He dominated with the fastball, slider and curve that all put up over a 40% whiff%. The fastball is up to 93.8 MPH, which is great to see after it was sitting 92+ MPH earlier in the year. He’s been a man possessed since getting called back up with a 1.13 ERA and 31/9 K/BB in 24 IP. I ranked him 239th in the Updated Dynasty Rankings, and that’s already looking pretty light.

David Peterson NYM, LHP, 26.10 – Peterson was sent down to Triple-A due to the Mets jammed packed rotation and went 4.1 IP with 4 hits, 1 ER, and a 7/2 K/BB. I see this as a blessing in disguise if you don’t own him because this creates a buying opportunity that you should jump all over. His fastball is up 0.7 MPH to 93.7 MPH, and his slider jumped 2 MPH to 84.1 MPH, turning it into an elite pitch with a 47.8% whiff%. If he gets dropped in a shallowish league, or if a contender is willing to trade him in a win now deal, I would pounce.

Matt Chapman TOR, 3B, 29.2 – Don’t look now but Chapman has his OPS up over .800 (.808) after going 2 for 3 with a 108.7 MPH homer yesterday. The K% is holding at a manageable 26% and his EV is back up to 93 MPH (Top 2% of the league). His .353 xwOBA is the 2nd best mark of his career. I ranked him 144th overall on my Top 1,000 Rankings this off-season and wrote, “Chapman seems like one of the easiest bounce back calls in baseball for 2022. One of those picks that will look obvious in hindsight. He underwent surgery to repair a hip labrum that brought his rehab right up to the start of the 2021 season. Even with the down year he still jacked 27 homers, put up a career best 12.9% BB%, and had an above average .320 xwOBA. With a normal off-season and being further removed from that serious surgery there is almost no doubt he will perform much closer to his career numbers.”

Bryan Ramos CHW, 3B/2B, 20.5 – Ramos lifted off for 2 homers at High-A to give him 17 homers in 83 games. It also comes with an excellent 16.9%/9.1% K%/BB%. He hasn’t stolen a single base, which caps his fantasy upside, but he’s quietly chugging along as one of the best hit/power combo prospects in the game.

Triston Casas BOS, 1B, 22.4 – Casas missed almost two months with a sprained ankle, but he’s back to raking at Triple-A as he cranked out his 2nd homer in 3 games. He hasn’t exploded at the level with a 107 wRC+ in 45 games, but it doesn’t really change his profile much as a high OBP, slugging first baseman who should maintain a solid BA too.

Jordan Walker STL, 3B, 20.3 – Walker is snapping out of a power slump with his 4th and 5th homer in his last 9 games at Double-A. He hit 1 in his previous 28 games, but you only have to watch his first homer of the day to see why the power slump wasn’t an issue at all. He hit the ball 439 feet on a very easy and controlled swing. He’s also been in a stolen base slump with 1 steal in his last 29 games, and that one I am a little concerned about considering his size. He’ll chip in with a handful, but I wouldn’t expect him to a major contributor in that category

Francisco Alvarez NYM, C, 20.7 – Talk about no doubt power, Alvarez smashed his 3rd homer in 16 games at Triple-A out to right center. It was a pitch on the outside corner that he hit off the end of his bat. He’s only hitting .173, but that’s mostly due to a .194 BABIP, and he’s an OBP machine with a 21.1% BB%.

James Wood SDP, OF, 19.9 – Possibly my favorite prospect in the game, Wood had yet another huge day at the dish, going 4 for 5 with a homer that he crushed out to centerfield on a pretty short and quick swing. That short and quick swing gives him a chance to hit for a pretty decent average despite being 6’7”. He has 10 dingers with a 17.8%/15.8% K%/BB% in 50 games at Single-A. Please believe this man is an elite prospect. He ranked 9th overall on my Top 314 July Prospects Rankings (Patreon).

Roansy Contreras PIT, RHP, 22.8 – Pitt has head scratchingly used Contreras an up and down arm this year, and he went 3 IP with 4 hits, 1 ER, and a 5/0 K/BB at Triple-A yesterday. They shut him down after his best outing of the year on July 7th and are now building him back up, so I guess there is some method to the madness, but I’ve never really seen any other good team use a development strategy like this. It’s odd at the very least.

Chase Petty CIN, RHP, 19.0 – Petty got called up to High-A and got hit up, going 3 IP with 7 hits, 6 ER, and a 1/3 K/BB. His numbers at Single-A were solid (3.18 ERA), but the stuff has been a little underwhelming relative to where it was in his draft year, and a 22.7%/8.7% K%/BB% is not that exciting. I assumed he was the type to either have a 14.7% BB% with a 1.51 WHIP, or skyrocket to top pitching prospect in the game status, but he’s surprisingly ending up kinda boring. Not to say that next year he can’t take it to another level.

Mason Montgomery TB, LHP, 22.0 – 5 IP, 6 hits, 1 ER, 5/2 K/BB at Double-A. Montgomery got called up to Double-A for his last 3 starts and the higher level definitely put him in check with a 26.4%/16.4% K%/BB% in 13 IP, but he’s still managed to hold his own with a 2.08 ERA. The stuff isn’t big, but he uses a deceptive lefty delivery to get the job done and is in a great organization to maximize his talent. I like him as a late round target in off-season prospect drafts.

Bryan Mata BOS, RHP, 23.3 – 6 IP, 5 hits, 3 ER, 7/1 K/BB at Double-A. Mata got a late start to his season coming off April 2021 Tommy John surgery and he’s just now getting up to full speed, throwing 88 pitches in this one which is a season high. He has major control problems that gives his bullpen risk, but the stuff is nasty with an upper 90’s fastball and 4 pitch mix. Even if he ends up in the pen he has the potential to go Jhoan Duran on us.

Alec Bohm PHI, 3B, 26.0 – 4 for 5 with a 109.6 MPH double, 105 MPH single, and 102 MPH homer. Bohm’s launch angle is all the way up to 11 degrees (5.6 degrees in 2021), which is extremely encouraging for his future power potential, although a 92.6 MPH FB/LD EV has kept it in check this year with only 7 homers in 94 games. Regardless, his .346 xwOBA is much better than his .323 wOBA, and he’s starting to lock himself in as a reliable MLB hitter. He has only one steal with a below average 27.1 ft/sec sprint speed, and his 4.7% BB% is in the bottom 7% of the league, so there are still some issues, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see his power really pop down the stretch here.

Eloy Jimenez CHW, OF, 25.7 – 1 for 3 with a 109.8 MPH homer. Eloy is back to his power and nothing else thing, but boy oh boy does he have power with a 94.1 MPH EV (4th best in baseball with a minimum of 50 BBE) and 99 MPH FB/LD EV (2nd best). It’s his 8.7 degree launch and 25.5%/4.1% K%/BB% that keeps me from ranking him any higher than 110th on the Updated Top 437 Dynasty Rankings, but that insane exit velocity could make that ranking look silly very quickly.

Brandon Lowe TB, OF/2B, 27.11 – 2 for 3 with 2 doubles and a 0/1 K/BB. The perpetually underrated Lowe returned from a lower back injury a couple weeks ago and immediately gots to raking, slashing .340/.392/.553 with an 90.4 MPH EV. His 23.4% K% is a career low.

Jose Miranda MIN, 3B/2B, 24.0 – Miranda pummeled his 10th homer in 64 games off Sean Manaea and now has a 214 wRC+ with a 91.1 MPH EV in his last 16 games. The underlying numbers are still a little underwhelming overall with a .301 xwOBA (.343 wOBA) and 5% BB%, so I’m a little hesitant to go all in, but his plus hit/power combo is definitely starting to come around in the majors.

James Outman LAD, OF, 25.2 – Outman made his MLB debut with a bang, going 3 for 4 with a 109.4 MPH single, 104.3 MPH double, and a 404 foot homer. He’s likely a bench bat, but he’s interesting in a deep league with a plus power/speed combo and a high OBP. The K rate has been high his entire career (29% K% in 68 games at Double-A), and he only had a 99 wRC+ in his 22 games at Triple-A, so I would keep expectations in check, but he has fantasy friendly upside in OBP league especially if he works his way into more playing time.

George Valera CLE, OF, 21.7 – Valera murdered a ball off a lefty for his 15th homer in 84 games and 2nd homer off a lefty at Double-A. It was a no doubter that would have likely been a 2nd deck shot had there been a 2nd deck

Robert Hassell SDP, OF, 20.11 – Hassell slapped one the other way for his 10th homer in 75 games at High-A. His power has been underwhelming since hitting 5 homers in April, and he’s also 1 for 4 on the bases in his last 21 games. As much as I love him, it wouldn’t be surprising if ended up a mid teens power and speed guy.

Deyvison De Los Santos ARI, 3B, 19.1 – De Los Santas got called up to High-A and he just can’t stop hitting bombs, drilling his 4th in 9 games. It comes with a 9/0 K/BB, and the plate approach hasn’t been great all year, but considering his elite power and age, I wouldn’t get too hung up on that.

Matt Mervis CHC, 1B, 24.3 – I’m late to the Marvelous Mr. Mervis party, but he recently got the call to Triple-A and has continued to dominate, going 2 for 4 with a double yesterday and now has a 136 wRC+ with 2 homers and a 17.5%/5% K%/BB% in 9 games. He’s 6’4”, 225 pounds with a vicious lefty swing, and while he hits righties much better than lefties, he’s not hopeless against lefties with a .796 OPS in 114 PA. He’s a good pick up in any size league, even relatively shallow ones.

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

Posted on July 11, 2022July 13, 2022 by Michael Halpern

Monday Morning Dynasty Baseball Rundown (7/11/22)

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 (7/11/22):

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Kyle Manzardo TBR, 1B, 22.0 – If you overslept for Italian Breakfast, Italian Lunch is just around the corner and they’re running a special where you get half a shrimp parm hero, a slice of pizza and Italian Ices for $10. Vinnie P 2.0 went 3 for 4 with his 11th homer in 48 games at High-A, and it comes with a near elite 36/34 K/BB. He was known for his at least plus hit tool, and the power has been better than expected with a 35.1% GB%. It’s all good for a 160 wRC+ at the level. Don’t wait until Manzardo’s crushing it in the upper levels of the minors and the hype makes it impossible to acquire him, enter in your coupon code and get in now.

Vinnie Pasquantino KCR, 1B, 24.9 – Speaking of Vinnie, he went 0 for 4 and his OPS is now down to .556, but the underlying numbers are mouth watering with a 94.4 MPH EV, 12.2%/14.3% K%/BB%, and .396 xwOBA. I would much rather have this start than if he had a 1.000 OPS and the underlying numbers looked like trash. His value is actually up in my mind, and on the off chance this creates a buying opportunity I would be all over it.

Oneil Cruz PIT, SS, 23.9 – 2 for 4 with a 416 foot bomb for his 4th homer in 20 games. Cruz is living up to his scouting report to a T with a 91.6 MPH EV, 30.1 ft/sec sprint speed and 34.2% K%. Even with the risk I’m all in on him, ranking him 36th overall on the Mid-Season OBP Dynasty Rankings over on Patreon. I simply don’t trade these potential core offensive pieces even if I was all in for a championship. Just keep dodging all the trade offers you’re inevitably getting like you’re Joey Gallo trying to hit a baseball.

Corbin Carroll ARI, OF, 21.10 – Carroll is the only prospect still in the minors that I have ranked over Cruz, and he made himself at home real quick with a homer in his first game at Triple-A. He also made a beautiful diving catcher in center. Kid knows how to make an entrance.

Noelvi Marte SEA, SS, 20.8 – Marte has been a man on a mission since the whispers started about his value dropping, going 1 for 3 with a homer yesterday and now has 7 homers with a 1.401 OPS in his last 14 games at High-A. Granted, he is starting to look a little thick, which is where some of the worry has stemmed, but the power isn’t a question.

Pete Crow-Armstrong CHC, OF, 20.3 – 3 for 3 with a steal and an absolute rocket out to center for his 10th homer in 60 games and 3rd homer in 22 games at High-A. He has a .978 OPS with 1 homer, 3 steals and a 13/2 K/BB in his last 11 games at the level. The strikeout to walk rate has taken a step back, but it’s a small sample and everything else looks great. I called him the less hyped version of Robert Hassell this off-season, and he’s lived up to the moniker.

Forrest Whitley HOU, RHP, 24.9 – 1.2 IP, 1 hit, 0 ER, 1/0 K/BB at Triple-A. Whitley returned from Tommy John surgery in mid June and it’s been ugly with a 7.15 ERA in 11.1 IP. It got uglier yesterday as he had to leave the start with shoulder inflammation. Sad to say, but he’s probably droppable in many leagues, and even in deeper leagues I’m not sure he’s a must hold if there are more enticing options out there on the wire. This is just the life of a pitching prospect.

Bobby Miller LAD, RHP, 23.3 – 5 IP, 1 hit, 0 ER, 9/1 K/BB at Double-A. This was Miller’s 2nd straight gem as I guess he got sick of Gavin Stone getting all the hype. Here is an edit of all his strikeouts. You can’t not be excited about this guy, especially considering the organization.

Quinn Priester PIT, RHP, 21.9 – 5 IP, 4 hits, 0 ER, 6/0 K/BB at Double-A. His breaking balls were dominating all day, and he now has a pitching line of 2.81/1.25/18/4 in 16 IP. When you watch him he looks like he has top of the rotation upside, but his numbers indicate more of a mid-rotation guy.

Josh Lowe TBR, OF, 24.5 – Lowe remined us all he still exists, having his best day in the majors, going 2 for 4 with a 418 foot homer and 0 K’s. He still has a rough .557 OPS in 139 PA, but the underlying numbers aren’t hopeless with a not horrific 31.2% whiff% and an above average 88.9 MPH EV. His value has definitely dropped for me, especially considering the 31.2% K% he put up at Triple-A this year too, but it’s far too early to give up on him.

Jonathan India CIN, 3B, 25.6 – I was a little worried about India’s below average 87.6 MPH EV from 2021, and it’s gotten even worse so far this year, dropping all the way down to 83.4 MPH. The new balls aren’t doing any favors to guys who don’t crush the ball. He went 1 for 5 with a homer yesterday, but even the homer wasn’t hit all that hard at 95.8 MPH. Granted it was a nice piece of hitting where he really had to stretch down and away to even get to the pitch. Really no choice but to remain patient and assume he just hasn’t been able to find his rhythm yet this year fighting through a couple injuries.

Taijuan Walker NYM, RHP, 29.11 – 7 IP, 3 hits, 0 ER, 7/1 K/BB vs. MIA. We all blinked and Walker decided to turn into an ace with a 1.85 ERA and 43/8 K/BB in his last 39 IP. He uses a 6 pitch mix with his splitter really standing out this year with a .172 xOBA. Overall, while I think he can be a solid starter, this just looks like a hot streak to me. None of his pitches are whiff machines and his 3.56 xERA is much worse than his 2.63 ERA. I wouldn’t be willing to pay up for him in a trade.

Michael Kopech CHW, RHP, 26.2 – 5.1 IP, 4 hits, 2 ER, 4/3 K/BB vs. DET. Kopech started the year with his velocity down from 2021, and then it’s just kept declining with it hitting rock bottom yesterday at a paltry 92.1 MPH. He already dropped a bit in my latest Mid-Season OBP Dynasty Rankings to #139, and while I don’t want to drop him much further than that, it’s legitimately concerning.

Ke’Bryan Hayes PIT, 3B, 25.5 – Hayes snapped an extended slump with a big day, going 3 for 4 with a double and a homer. The only thing he doesn’t do well is lift the ball with a 6.6 degree launch angle, and he hasn’t shown any indications he is looking to change that throughout his career. He’s good as is, especially in a 5×5 league, but if he’s ever going to take it to another level he will have to make an adjustment to unlock more homer power.

Nelson Velazquez CHC, OF, 23.6 – Velazquez destroyed the most nonchalant 109.1 MPH, 428 foot homer I might have ever seen off David Price. His swing and miss is a major concern with a 41% whiff%, and his K% was 36.2% at Triple-A, so this isn’t an MLB adjustment period thing or anything. He looks like the younger version of Patrick Wisdom.

Deyvison De Los Santos ARI, 3B, 19.1 – 2 for 4 with his 12th homer in 73 games at Single-A. De Los Santos has been unconscious over the last couple months, slashing .370/.399/.574 with 9 homers in his last 41 games at Single-A. The 56.3% GB% and 6% BB% still isn’t great, but his power is so huge he will rip homers even with a high GB%. I wrote in the off-season he could end up with a Franmil Reyes like profile, and that remains accurate.

Warming Bernabel COL, 3B, 20.1 – Bernabel got the call to High-A and has been crushing the level just as easily as he crushed Single-A, jacking out his 2nd homer in 5 games and now has a 1.000 OPS at the level. He’s had elite contact rates with a high FB% his entire career, and his power naturally taking a step forward this year has propelled him to the next level. I think he’s the real deal and is pushing top 100 status if he’s not already there.

Hunter Bishop SFG, OF, 24.0 – Bishop is getting his career back on track, going 2 for 4 with a homer yesterday and now has 12 homers and 17 steals in 70 games. There are still some red flags as he’s only doing it at High-A, and a 34.3% K% is extreme. The power/speed numbers clearly show the talent is still there, so while there is still a long way to go, he’s a late career breakout candidate.

Cristian Mena CHW, RHP, 19.7 – Mena tore through Single-A and he’s now doing the same at High-A, going 5 IP with 1 hit, 0 ER, and a 6/3 K/BB. He has a pitching line of 1.89/1.11/17/8 in 19 IP at the level. He has an athletic delivery with a filthy breaking ball and is one of the more underrated pitching prospects in the minors. Now is the time to grab him if he’s still out there in your league.

Jack Leiter TEX, RHP, 22.2 – 1.1 IP, 6 hits, 6 ER, 2/2 K/BB at Double-A. He missed his last 2 starts before this one with arm fatigue. It just keeps getting worse.

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

Posted on July 4, 2022July 4, 2022 by Michael Halpern

Monday Morning Dynasty Baseball Rundown (7/4/22)

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 (7/4/22):

Edward Olivares KCR, OF, 26.4 – 2 for 4 with a 108 MPH homer and 108.9 MPH single. That has been the story of Olivares’ season as he’s been smoking the ball with a 91.2 MPH EV in 59 AB. While I doubt he can keep hitting the ball this hard, coming into more power in his late 20’s isn’t that hard to buy into. He’s also fast and his strong contact rates have transferred to the majors. I’ve never ranked Oliveras all that high in my dynasty rankings throughout his career, but maybe my hate of olives has subconsciously biased me against him. The high groundball rates might limit his upside, but he can be the fake Gucci bag version of Michael Harris and Alek Thomas.

Michael Harris ATL, OF, 21.4 – Speaking of Harris, he nuked a dinger of his own on a 108.8 MPH, 425 foot bomb. If you’re trying to acquire him at this point, you’re going to have to pay up like it’s one of those stores on 5th Avenue where you have to be buzzed in to even be let in the store.

Spencer Torkelson DET, 1B, 22.10 – 1 for 4 with a frozen rope of a homer for his 5th of the year in 70 games. Tork is struggling with a .587 OPS, but his 23.9% whiff% is above average, his 89 MPH EV is above average, his .319 xwOBA is above average and his 10.4% BB% is above average. Whatever you do, don’t give up on him.

Brandon Woodruff MIL, RHP, 28.5 – 6 IP, 6 hits, 0 ER, 8/0 K/BB vs. PIT. The stuff looks great. My dad has had Reynaud’s Syndrome basically my entire life, and while he would be in full arctic tundra gear when watching some of my baseball games, he would still kick my ass in stickball with a 4 pitch mix and pinpoint control. If Woodruff’s anything like my pops, he’ll figure it out.

Max Meyer MIA, RHP, 22.4 – Meyer hit the IL after two terrible starts in mid May, but he’s back to dominating since returning in mid June. He went 6 IP with 2 hits, 0 ER, and a 5/0 K/BB at Triple-A yesterday and now has a 1.62 ERA with an 18/1 K/BB in his last 16.2 IP. He could get the call at any moment.

Emerson Hancock SEA, RHP, 23.1 – 5.2 IP, 3 hits, 0 ER, 6/2 K/BB at Double-A. Hancock gets forgotten about, but he has plus control (7% BB%) of an MLB quality 4 pitch mix. He also understands the art of pitching. If he can stay healthy, I would be pretty surprised if he doesn’t end up a damn good MLB starter.

Vaughn Grissom ATL, SS, 21.6 – 3 for 4 with a double and a homer that he launched over the Green(ville) Monster. Grissom’s power is taking a big jump this year with 12 homers in 68 games at High-A and it hasn’t impacted his elite contact numbers at all (12% K%). He walks and has speed too. He’s easily entering Top 50 prospect status at the least.

James Triantos CHC, 3B, 19.5 – Triantos homered for the 3rd straight game, and this one left no doubt about his future power potential as he crushed it out to centerfield. It also happened to be some of the best camera work I’ve ever seen on a homer, following the ball perfectly against the backdrop of the clear black sky. The hit tool has been as advertised with a .280 BA and 17.5% K% in 66 games at Single-A, and now he has a decent 5 homers on the year.

Eguy Rosario SDP, 2B/3B, 22.10 – First there was Esports, and now there are Eguys. When will it end? Like Esports, Eguy is taking over, going 3 for 3 with 2 homers and a steal yesterday, and now has 13 homers, 13 steals, and a 21.8%/11.2% K%/BB% in 72 games at Triple-A. He also made one of the best catches I’ve ever seen. Eguys are just built different I guess.

Jordan Lawlar ARI, SS, 19.11 – 3 for 5 with a double and a homer at Single-A. He’s managed to get even better since returning from the IL, slashing .396/.476/.642 with 1 homer, 5 steals, and a 20.6%/12.7% K%/BB% in 14 games. He’s an elite prospect.

Andy Pages LAD, OF, 20.7 – The power explosion was inevitable, and it arrived in full force once the calendar hit June. He went 2 for 4 with a homer yesterday and has now hit 9 homers in his last 27 games at Double-A. His profile is pretty locked in as a low average, high walk slugger.

Shane Baz TBR, RHP, 23.1 – 6 IP, 7 hits, 1 ER, 7/2 K/BB vs. TOR. The fastball averaged 95.9 MPH and put up a 79.7 MPH EV on the pitch, while his slider and curve racked up whiffs with a 45% and 40% whiff%. It’s pretty clear he is healthy and on a beeline to become one of the best pitchers in baseball.

MacKenzie Gore SD, LHP, 22.4 – The walk problems are back as Gore walked 4 batters in 5.2 IP yesterday and has now walked 3 or more in his last 6 starts. It’s well beyond just a couple game blip at this point. You have to expect some growing pains, so I would stay patient, but it’s definitely a little concerning.

Bobby Miller LAD, RHP, 22.3 – Miller had his best start of the year, going 6 IP with 2 hits, 0 ER, and a 10/3 K/BB at Double-A. His season was starting to look pretty mediocre, so he desperately needed a start like this. The stuff is huge and is most certainly MLB quality, so while he might not be an ace, he should be able to get the job done in whatever role LA deploys him in.

Gavin Williams CLE, RHP, 22.11 – 6.2 IP, 4 hits, 0 ER, 6/0 K/BB at Double-A. The upper minors has been no issue for Williams with a pitching line of 1.69/1.13/19/8 in 16 IP. The fastball is his best pitch and it might legitimately be an elite pitch. His secondaries aren’t too shabby either. He’s trending towards being a #2 fantasy starter.

Jeremy Pena HOU, SS, 23.9 – Pena looked a little rusty after coming off the IL with a thumb injury and also after his collision with Alvarez, going 4 for 23 with a 10/0 K/BB in 5 games, but he found his rhythm yesterday going 4 for 5 with 2 homers. The only weakness to his game has been his walk rate with only a 5.1% BB%, and he didn’t walk that much in any league above Single-A, but I still couldn’t rank him any lower 67th overall on my OBP Top 447 Mid-Season Dynasty Baseball Rankings considering how exciting his debut has been.

Julio Rodriguez SEA, OF, 20.6 – 2 for 3 and he obliterated the ball in every at bat with a 112.4 MPH double, 110.6 MPH groundout, and 106.9 MPH homer. I’m almost at the point where it isn’t even worth mentioning him in these rundowns because he’s so locked into elite status.

Cavan Biggio TOR, 2B, 26.0 – Biggio is quietly getting his career back on track, ripping 2 line drive singles in 4 AB at 98.8 MPH and 95.4 MPH. He now has a career high .365 xwOBA and 13% Barrel%. The homer and steal numbers are still subdued with 2 homers and 1 steal in 104 AB, but he’s back to being an OBP beast and is getting near full time at bats in a stacked lineup.

Tyler Wells BAL, RHP, 27.7 – 6 IP, 3 hits, 1 ER, 7/1 K/BB vs. MIN. Wells had no trouble getting whiffs in this one with a 34% whiff% (22.2% on the season). He’s been thriving on weak contact with an 87.6 MPH EV against, but the lack of K’s has made me hesitant to buy in. Doing this against Minnesota’s tough lineup just evaporated a lot of that doubt.

Max Muncy OAK, SS, 19.9 – 1 for 4 with a homer. Muncy swings one of the quickest bats in the minors and it’s resulted in 15 homers in 70 games at Single-A. The 29.7% K% is high, but it’s been better of late with a 24.8%/17.9% K%/BB% in his last 25 games. He’s easily trending towards being a top 100 prospect if he’s not there already.

Jeferson Quero MIL, C, 19.9 – 2 for 4 with a homer at Single-A. Jeferson’s season got off to a slow start with a .665 OPS in April and .587 OPS in May, but he’s exploded in his last 23 games, slashing .333/.426/.556 with 5 homers, 6 steals, and a 12.8%/11.7% K%/BB%. He’s firmly back on track to be one of the top catcher prospects in the game by this time next year.

Endy Rodriguez PIT, C, 22.1 – 2 for 4 with a homer. Rodriguez is putting in Yeoman’s work at High-A with a 122 wRC+. He doesn’t have huge power with 8 homers in 65 games, and his hit tool took a step back against more advanced competition with a career worst 24.2% K%. I think he can be a solid hitting catcher, but I don’t think he is going to be a major fantasy difference maker.

Xavier Edwards TB, 2B/3B, 22.11 – I admittedly have no idea what to think of Edwards. His power is ticking up this year as he drilled his 4th homer in 29 games at Triple-A, and the elite contact rates are still there with a 13.5%/9.5% K%/BB%, but he’s struggled mightily on the bases with 1 steal in 5 attempts. He had 19 steals in 31 attempts last year, so this isn’t a one year blip. I’m personally struggling to buy in, but I get if you’re higher on him than I am.

Bubba Thompson TEX, OF, 24.1 – 2 for 3 with a homer and 0/2 K/BB. Bubba is another one I’m torn on. He was a favorite of mine coming out of his draft year, and his mouth watering talent is self evident with 10 homers and 37 steals in 60 games at Triple-A. The plate approach is rough with a 26.7%/5% K%/BB%, but it’s been better of late with a 23.1%/11.5% K%/BB% in his last 22 games. The improved BB% definitely has me a little excited as he could be setting up to be a late career breakout type.

Jonatan Clase SEA, OF, 20.1/Luis Rodriguez LAD, OF, 19.10 – Clase and Rodriguez both collected 2 hits with a homer yesterday for their 7th homers of the year, and are both prospects I like a lot, but they each have a 31.6% K% which is preventing me from really getting excited for them. I like Clase more between the two because he’s a speedster with 25 steals, so if he can get the K’s in check, his fantasy stock could soar.

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

Posted on June 20, 2022June 25, 2022 by Michael Halpern

Monday Morning Dynasty Baseball Rundown (6/20/22)

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 (6/20/22):

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR TONS OF EXCLUSIVE CONTENT ALL SEASON, INCLUDING:
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-TONS OF DYNASTY RUNDOWNS

Juan Soto WASH, OF, 23.9 – Cranked his 14th homer on a 1 for 5 day but is still “struggling” with only an .807 OPS. This is deja vu from last year where he had a .851 OPS in the first half before going off in the 2nd half. The underlying numbers are elite with a .413 xwOBA, so the bonkos 2nd half is inevitable this year too. If this even opens up the tiniest sliver of a buying opportunity, I would be all over that, but clearly any dynasty owner worth their salt won’t price him any lower. Let me know if anyone sells low on Soto because I will personally show up at their house and collect all of their salt. They don’t deserve it.

Gleyber Torres NYY, SS, 25.8 – 3 for 5 with a double and a homer. Over his last 21 games he’s slashing .321/.369/.718 with 8 homers, 1 steal, and an 18/5 K/BB. I kept the faith on Torres this off-season, finishing his blurb in the Top 1,000 by writing, “Gleyber is starting to hit those man muscle years and the power should only tick up from here. I love him as a trade target this off-season.” I ranked him 78th overall on the Updated Top 445 June Dynasty Baseball Rankings that hit my Patreon last week. 2018-19 Gleyber is back.

Masyn Winn STL, SS/RHP, 20.2 – Power is the final step to go full breakout, and it seems to be happening as Winn destroyed his 4th homer in 23 games at Double-A all the way to the parking lot. He already cracked my Top 50 in the Top 350 June Prospects Rankings, and the arrow continues to point up.

Bryan Ramos CHW, 3B/2B, 20.3 – One of my favorite prospects in the minors, Ramos obliterated his 11th homer of the season so hard that it drew audible oooohhs and aaahhs from the crowd. He’s been red hot with 7 homers, a 10/8 K/BB and a .961 OPS in his last 19 games at High-A.

Quinn Priester PIT, RHP, 21.6 – Priester returned from an oblique injury a couple weeks ago and made his first start at Double-A yesterday, going 3 IP with 1 hit, 0 ER and a 3/0 K/BB. He throws a diverse pitch mix and the fastball has been sitting in the mid 90’s. The eye test has always looked better than the numbers with Priester, and I’ve decided to split the difference between the two when valuing him.

Gavin Williams CLE, RHP, 22.10 – Williams made his 2nd start at Double-A and went 3 IP with 4 hits, 1 ER, and a 6/2 K/BB. The fastball is way too advanced for minor league hitters, and the breaking balls were so refined in this one that he pitched the entire game with his pinky up.

Jack Suwinski PIT, OF, 23.10 – Jack jacked 3 homers yesterday and Jack’s now jacked 11 homers on the year. He has a .339 wOBA with a .339 xwOBA. This guy jacks.

Tyler O’Neill STL, OF, 27.0 – 3 for 4 with a double. O’Neill returned from the IL a new man, slashing .354/.385/.521 with 2 homers, 3 steals, and a 12/3 K/BB in 12 games. Unfortunately he left the game with hamstring tightness, so we are back in wait and see mode.

Nick Pivetta BOS, RHP, 29.6 – 7 IP with 4 hits, 1 ER, and a 10/1 K/BB vs STL. He dominated with the fastball, throwing it 56% of the time with a 36% whiff% and 84.3 MPH EV against. Fantasy managers have been riding the Nick Pivetta rollercoaster for years now, so it’s hard to fully buy in, and the 3.31 ERA is much better than the 4.02 xERA. He’s solid, but I wouldn’t expect him to keep this up.

Juan Yepez STL, 1B/3B/OF, 24.4 – Drilled a pinch hit 114.4 MPH homer. That basically describes Yepez’ value all right there. He can rake, but playing time is an issue as he’s a bad defensive player with a negative 6 defensive value. It’s such a pain trying to figure out the correct ranking of a guy like Yepez, because if he gets the playing time his ranking will look silly low, and if he doesn’t his ranking will look silly high. There is no in between.

Jerar Encarnacion MIA, OF, 24.8 – Encarnacion made his MLB debut and it didn’t take long for him to show off the skills, crushing his first homer with a K on a 1 for 4 day. He hit the ball hard all day and starts his MLB career with a 99.6 MPH EV. The BA is going to be an issue with a 30.2% K% at Triple-A, but at 6’4”, 220 pounds, he’s going to mash.

Michael Harris ATL, OF, 21.2 – Checking in at #112 on the Updated Top 445 Dynasty Rankings, Harris launched his 3rd homer off Kyle Hendricks on a 105.4 MPH shot. Considering he’s 21 years old jumping straight from Double-A, he’s had a damn exciting MLB debut, slashing .321/.346/.538 with 3 homers, 2 steals, and a 18/3 K/BB in 21 games.

Buddy Kennedy ARI, 3B, 23.10 – Kennedy made his MLB debut last week and he got on the board with his first homer yesterday on a 394 foot bomb. He’s looked mature at the plate so far in 3 games with a 18.2%/9.1% K%/BB% and 1.164 OPS. I ranked Kennedy 693rd overall on my off-season Top 1,000 Dynasty Rankings and wrote, “When you watch Kennedy he doesn’t exactly scream upside, but he has baseball bloodlines and it definitely shows because he looks mature beyond his years at the plate. He vaguely reminded me of Jhonny Peralta a little.” He’s sneaky good.

Curtis Mead TBR, 3B, 21.7 – 2 for 4 with 2 homers at Double-A. Mead’s plus hit tool has transferred to the upper minors with a 18.2%/10% K%/BB% and .305 BA in 50 games, and now the power is coming too with 6 homers in his last 15 games. He has an unorthodox, Statue of Liberty like batting stance that you can’t help but love. He has a chance to be really damn good.

Blaze Jordan BOS, 3B, 19.5 – It was only a matter of time before the power started to come, and it came hard yesterday with 2 homers. He has all fields power, with one to the pull side and one going the opposite way. His contact rates have been excellent all year with a 17.3% K% in 57 games at Single-A. He’s laying the foundation to be one of the top power hitting prospects in the game in a year or so.

Andrew Heaney LAD, LHP, 30.10 – Heaney returned from a shoulder injury and he picked the breakout up right where he left off, going 5 IP with 5 hits, 1 ER, and a 7/1 K/BB. The fastball averaged 92.1 MPH, which is up 0.6 MPH from his season average, and he put up a 31% whiff% overall. He now has a 0.59 ERA with a 38.1% whiff% in 15.1 IP on the season. Heaney is yet another player I hit on in my early February Target Series on Patreon, writing, “I liked Heaney a lot going into last year because of above average strikeout and walk rates, but it obviously didn’t materialize. This is a bet on LA’s developmental prowess. If he’s good enough for the Dodgers rotation, he’s good enough for my fantasy squad.” We can’t develop the players as Dynasty owners, so taking the organization into account is a must for us.

Oscar Gonzalez CLE, OF, 24.7 – Gonzalez powered up with the lone run off Heaney, cracking a 395 foot homer off him for his 1st of the year in 22 games. A 1.8 degree launch is why it took this long to get on the board, but a 91.2 MPH EV shows there is more raw power in the tank if he can make adjustments.

Robert Gasser SDP, LHP, 23.2 – 7 IP, 0 hits, 0 ER, 8/1 K/BB at High-A. The 4.10 ERA in 63.2 IP isn’t great, but the 31%/7.8% K%/BB% looks much better. The stuff isn’t huge, making him more of a “crafty lefty” with a back end starter profile.

Gordon Graceffo STL, RHP, 22.3 – 7 IP, 3 hits, 2 ER, 6/0 K/BB at Double-A. The breakout has slowed a little bit a Double-A despite the 2.73 ERA in 29.2 IP. His K% is all the way down to 19.1%. His control has still been otherworldly though with a 1.7% BB%. Here he is painting the black with a 99 MPH fastball.

Everson Pereira NYY, OF, 21.3 – 4 for 7 with 2 doubles. Pereira has been heating up at High-A, slashing .294/.347/.533 with 5 homers, 4 steals, and a 22/8 K/BB in his last 22 games. He had only 1 homer before that, so it’s nice to see him finding his power stroke again after hitting 20 homers in 49 games last year.

Jordan Westburg BAL, SS, 23.3 – Westburg has been excelling since getting the call to Triple-A, going 2 for 3 with a double and steal yesterday, and is now slashing .405/.444/.810 with 3 homers, 2 steals, and a 22.2%/6.7% K%/BB% in 10 games. He’s no Gunnar Henderson, but he can be a solid across the board contributor as a key member of Baltimore’s next winning core.

Jacob Amaya LAD, SS, 23.10 – Amaya was starting to cool off at Double-A, but he must have been getting bored, because he’s exploded after the call to Triple-A. He went 2 for 3 with 2 walks yesterday and now has 2 homers with a 11.1%/11.1% K%/BB% in 6 games. He swings a wickedly dangerous bat, and he continues to grow on me. He hasn’t cracked my Top 100 yet, but that could end up being a mistake.

Oneil Cruz PIT, SS, 23.8 – The savoir of Pittsburgh has finally ascended with Cruz getting the call for tonight’s game vs. Chicago. I hope NL Central pitchers enjoyed their Father’s Day yesterday, because their new daddy has arrived.

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