Arjun Nimmala – Imaginary Brick Wall

Posted on June 10, 2025June 13, 2025 by Michael Halpern

Top 302 June 2025 Dynasty Baseball Prospects Rankings (Patreon)

This list is for non debuted prospects only. I want all fresh faces, and I want everyone being evaluated on an even playing field with no MLB sample tainting the analysis. As usual, I go over 300 deep with blurbs for every player. Top 25 free here on the Brick Wall. Previous Rankings (Off-season and May) are in parenthesis. Here is the Top 302 June 2025 Dynasty Baseball Prospects Rankings:

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR THE REST OF THESE RANKS & TONS OF EXCLUSIVE CONTENT ALL SEASON, INCLUDING:
–MAY 2025 TOP 443 DYNASTY RANKS (5/30/25)
–JUNE 2025 TOP 302 PROSPECTS RANKS
-HALP’S DYNASTY BASEBALL PODCAST: MAY MAILBAG!
-TONS OF DYNASTY RUNDOWNS
-PREDICTING THE TOP 50 2026 PROSPECTS RANKS
–SPREADSHEETS

1) (21) (35) Konnor Griffin – PIT, OF, 19.1 – Roman Anthony finally got the call, and how fun is it to finally crown a new #1 non debuted prospect in baseball. And there is no funner (yes, I know that isn’t a word) prospect than Konnor Griffin. There is also no prospect with higher upside than Griffin. I was high on Griffin this off-season, but the Baseball Gods were telling me I wasn’t even high enough, writing in his FYPD Tier One Target blurb, “If one player in this group kinda pings my gut and heart every time I pass his name in the rankings, it’s Griffin. It’s like I’m getting a signal that he is the guy to truly go after. All of the college bats are good, but not great, and Griffin has the potential to be great. If you have the guts that I didn’t have in these rankings, maybe it’s Griffin that is the true top pick after Sasaki. Especially in a shallow league, it could be fun to roll the dice on him.” … and that dice roll is coming up 7’s if you took him first (I was able to nab him 11th overall in my 18 teamer). He conquered Single-A with 9 homers, 26 steals and a 156 wRC+ in 50 games, and his only weakness, plate skills, was improving massively by the end of his stint there with a 12.5/12.5 K%/BB% in his last 16 games. It earned him the challenge of High-A, and it’s gonna be fun seeing what he can do. He’s my #1 non debuted prospect in baseball.

2) (4) (15) Sebastian Walcott – TEX, SS, 19.3 – The game power is coming with 8 homers in 53 games at Double-A, and the plate skills are actually improving at the tougher level with a 21.2/12.4 K%/BB%. He’s not dominating, but he’s doing everything you wanted to see him do this year. I wouldn’t argue with you if you wanted to put Walcott first.

3) (7) (18) Josue De Paula – LAD, OF, 20.0 – I’ve been all in on Josue since he was a complete unknown in the DSL, and I’m not slowing down now, especially with the last piece of the puzzle coming together, and that is the game power. He has 8 homers in 56 games at High-A, the plate approach is still elite, and he keeps on racking up steals with 16 in 19 attempts. He is the complete offensive package, and even though he’s bad on defense, this is the type of bat to not care too much about that for fantasy.

4) (41) (252) Luis Pena – MIL, SS/3B/SS, 18.6 – I named Pena a Target this off-season in a DSL tier with Joswa Lugo, Yolfran Castillo, Yairo Padilla, Elvin Garcia and Jhonny Level, writing in his blurb, “Pena was a hit/speed breakout whose swing looks damn dangerous to me, and he’s not super small or anything at 5’11”. This could be the group where we find the next blow up. Take a lotto ticket or two here.” … and we did find the next blowup in this group, and that man’s name is Luis Pena. That explosive swing I couldn’t get out of my head has led to a power explosion with 5 homers in 35 games, and it comes with elite contact (11.5%) and speed (24 steals). He hits the ball hard, he doesn’t have any groundball issues, he pulls it … he’s the total package.

5) (6) (20) Bubba Chandler – PIT, RHP, 22.9 – The fact that Chandler hasn’t been called up already is just robbing baseball fans. Slow playing hitters is one thing, but pitchers with upper 90’s gas get hurt all the time. We don’t know how many bullets are in the tank. To let this man rot at Triple-A is baseball malpractice.

6) (10) (23) Chase Burns – CIN, RHP, 22.5 – Double-A was a complete joke for Burns with a 1.29 ERA and 36.4/2.6 K%/BB% in 42 IP, and while Triple-A has been slowing down tons of pitchers these days, I think Burns is ready for the challenge. We could see him in the majors by the 2nd half of the season. Chandler and Burns are in a tier of their own right now.

7) (3) (8) Leodalis De Vries – SDP, SS, 18.8 – He cooled off majorly with a .571 OPS in his last 26 games at High-A, but keep in mind that the Midwest League is a very tough league for hitters. His home park is one of the best places to hit in the league, and he has a .972 OPS there. On the road in tougher parks he has a .613 OPS. I’m not budging off Leo … well, I guess I am budging, but I’m not budging too far

8) (5) (9) Walker Jenkins – MIN, OF, 20.3 – Ain’t no way I can let an ankle injury impact Jenkins’ ranking. He just returned from the injury and after looking good in the lower minors, he’s back at Double-A for the last 2 games

9) (8) (32) Jesus Made – MIL, SS, 18.1 – I mean, he’s no Luis Pena 😉 … The .280/.389/.423 isn’t exactly a dominating triple-slash, but keep in mind he was still 17 years old for the first month of the season, and everything we loved about him in the DSL is transferring

10) (13) (13) Samuel Basallo – BAL, C/1B, 20.9 – 93.4 MPH EV with a 33.7% whiff% in 39 games at Triple-A really says it all. There is huge power, but don’t completely discount the hit tool risk. Having said that, he’s 20 years old, so I would bet on that improving as he gains more experience

11) (11) (10) Andrew Painter – PHI, RHP, 22.2 – I’ve hinted more than a few times that Painter doesn’t really look all the way back to where he was pre-injury, and with what we’ve seen from tons of Tommy John/internal brace returnees, that is really par for the course. The 3.86 ERA with a 26.9/11.8 K%/BB% in 21 IP at Triple-A is just not the bulletproof, basically perfect pitching prospect he was before the injury. The control hasn’t been as crisp and he’s not missing as many bats. I’m betting on him continuing to improve, but there is no guarantee

12) (17) (17) JJ Wetherholt – STL, 2B, 22.9 – Everything is transferring to Double-A. He’s exactly who we thought he was

13) (16) (16) Travis Bazzana – CLE, 2B, 22.9 – He’s almost exactly who we thought he was. That 26.2% K% in 33 games at Double-A is a tad higher than hoped. But he’s lifting and pulling and he’s running, so it’s a fantasy friendly profile. He’s currently out with an oblique strain since May 15th that is expected to keep him out for 8-10 weeks

14) (22) (19) Max Clark – DET, OF, 20.5 – The only thing missing from his great start to the season was the power/speed combo, so he added that back in with 3 homers and 7 steals in his last 25 games.

15) (40) (54) Kevin McGonigle – DET, SS/2B, 20.9 – Here is what I wrote about McGonigle in the latest Dynasty Rundown and my thoughts remain the same now, “I’ve underestimated McGonigle his entire career, and I’m ashamed of myself. Hit tool first high school prospects are not my favorite bucket to shop in FYPD’s, so he wasn’t an FYPD target for me, and that was a mistake. He doesn’t jump off the screen at 5’10”, 187 pounds, and that led me to underrated him after his excellent pro performance too. The little man discount took me out, and I pride myself on the little man discount. But all the underrating from me stops now, as he cracked a true power hitter’s bomb into the parking lot for his 2nd homer in 11 games at High-A. The plate skills are silly elite with a 7.7/21.2 K%/BB%, he hits the ball hard, he can lift and pull, and while he’s yet to steal a base this year, we know he has that too with 22 steals in 24 attempts in 74 games in 2024. He’s awesome and I’ve never given him the respect he deserves.”

16) (20) (43) Zyhir Hope – LAD, OF, 20.4 – He’s 1 for 3 on the bases in his last 50 games. That is just 1 steal since April 10th. That could be a bit of an upside capper for fantasy, especially with some hit tool risk here too

17) (23) (104) Bryce Rainer – DET, SS, 19.11 – I’ve been talking about it for most of the season, but shoulder surgery doesn’t seem to be that big of a deal for hitters anymore. Neto, Ohtani and Varsho all returned this season ripping dingers, arguably stronger than they’ve ever looked before. So I’m not fading Rainer at all due to the shoulder surgery. I closed out Rainer’s Top 1,000 blurb by writing, “Riley Greene might actually be the perfect comp here, and Detroit has done a great job developing Greene. Detroit got their SS version of Greene” … and he basically performed right to that comp. He’s a buy low off the surgery if you can

18) (49) (31) Aidan Miller – PHI, SS, 21.0 – The hit tool is getting a bit exposed at Double-A with a 27.2% K% and .234 BA, but he just turned 21, and he’s been better of late with a .264 BA in his last 28 games. The 6 homers and 22 steals are also damn exciting for fantasy

19) (107) (103) Eduardo Quintero – LAD, OF, 19.9 – Utterly obliterating Single-A with true across the board destruction, and the only nitpick from early in the year, the high K%, has been coming down of late too with a 19.6% K% in his last 21 games. He has zero groundball issues. Kid is a stud

20) (66) (181) Caleb Bonemer – CHW, SS, 19.8 – The high school talent in the 2025 FYPD class is popping all over the place, and Bonemer is leading the 2nd round charge, slashing .278/.419/.473 with 5 homers, 17 steals, and a 22.5/18.5 K%/BB% in 49 games at Single-A. He has the talent and power/speed combo to back up the numbers, He’s lifting and pulling. I’m all in on Bonemer

21) (135) (106) Theo Gillen – TBR, SS, 19.9 – Dominating Single-A, slashing .283/.438/.453 with 4 homers, 17 steals, and a 23.7/19.4 K%/BB% in 31 games. He was one of my favorite targets after the consensus top tier was off the board, so he most certainly has the talent to back up the numbers. There still might be a buy window here before his value explodes

22) (50) (71) Josue Briceno – DET, C/1B, 20.8 – Going bonkos at High-A with 8 homers in his last 14 games. That gives him 13 homers with a 173 wRC+ and 19.0/7.9 K%/BB% in 40 games on the season. This is the elite, middle of the order blowup that I warned you about this off-season when I named him a major target. And I’ve been naming him a target from before he got even a whisper of hype. I love this dude.

23) (32) (93) Arjun Nimmala – TOR, SS, 19.8 – One of the most visually dangerous righty swings in the game, and he’s backing it up with 9 homers and a 19.9/11.0 K%/BB% in 51 games at High-A. Age to level production, power, athleticism … there is nothing not to like

24) (43) (70) Jacob Misiorowski – MIL, RHP, 23.2 – We aren’t quite out of the woods yet with his control problems with 11 walks in his last 11 IP, which is definitely a bit scary, but a 12.3% BB% is still a career best, and I just can’t bring myself to fade his monster stuff with elite bat missing ability. Plus he’s in a great organization

25) (37) (24) Bryce Eldridge – SFG, 1B, 20.7 – 8 homers with a 27.2/10.5 K%/BB% in 39 games in the upper minors. We know who Eldridge is, and while the power is good enough to conquer San Francisco, I do think it shaves some upside off the top

By Michael Halpern (@MichaelCHalpern)
Email: michaelhalpern@imaginarybrickwall.com
Twitter: Imaginary Brick Wall (@DynastyHalp)
Blue Sky: Dynasty Halp (@ImaginaryBrickWall)

Posted on July 22, 2024July 27, 2024 by Michael Halpern

Monday Morning Dynasty Baseball Rundown (7/22/24)

I’ll be running down everything that caught my eye in the Dynasty Baseball world on most Mondays throughout the season here on the Brick Wall. The rest of the week you can catch my Rundowns on the Patreon. Here is the Monday Morning Dynasty Baseball Rundown (7/22/24):

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR TONS OF EXCLUSIVE CONTENT ALL SEASON, INCLUDING:
-TOP 11 MID-SEASON DYNASTY TARGETS (6/25/24)
-MID-SEASON TOP 422 DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKS (7/12/24)
-JUNE TOP 305 PROSPECTS RANKS (6/14/24) (new update coming soon)
-TOP 57 2025 FYPD RANKS (7/19/24)
-HALP’S DYNASTY BASEBALL PODCAST: JUNE MAILBAG! (6/28/24) (new Mailbag coming soon)
-TONS OF DYNASTY RUNDOWNS
-SPREADSHEETS

Max Clark DET, OF, 19.7 – The stupendous 2023 MLB Draft class is casting such a long shadow that all anyone can talk about is how crappy the 2024 Draft class is in comparison, and while I would argue they are being too harsh, especially for fantasy, (check out the 2025 Top 57 FYPD Rankings that just dropped on Patreon last week), the 2023 class is out here teaching the 2024 class how it’s done in pro ball. Clark just homered his way into a promotion to High-A, going 3 for 4 with a laser shot into the License to Chill Lounge. He tacked on a double and stolen base in his final game at Single-A. He earned that promotion with 7 homers, 26 steals, a 133 wRC+, and 17.4%/14.4% K%/BB% in 73 games. That is fully living up to his hype, and the final step to superstardom will be naturally gaining strength and raising his launch (48.6% GB%), although he has the type of profile that can thrive with a low launch. He isn’t even one of the truly most hyped names in the class …

Dylan Crews WAS, OF, 22.5 – Speaking of one of the most hyped names in the class, arguably too hyped, Crews is out here working to put some shine back on his name, utterly destroying a 409 foot, 103.3 MPH bomb for his 4th in 23 games at the level. The 97 wRC+ might not be super impressive, but 4 homers with 5 steals, a 16.8%/9.7% K%/BB% and 89.2 MPH EV looks pretty damn good to me. With all the hand wringing over Crews and ball washing over Langford, it would be pretty funny if Crews took MLB by storm when he got his chance and passed Langford again. Langford has been coming on of late, but his season line is still quite beatable.

Walker Jenkins MIN, OF, 19.5 – The mega hyped Jenkins had a hammy delay his full take off, but he’s been healthy and in a groove for a little while now, going 2 for 4 with 2 walks and a steal yesterday. He now has a 140 wRC+ on the back of a 12.5%/19.5% K%/BB% in 28 games at Single-A. It’s great to see how advanced of a hitter he is, but we have enough elite plate approach weaklings to go around, we need him to start doing some real damage. Only 2 homers with a 87.3 MPH EV is lackluster. We know he has the raw power in the tank at 6’3”, 210 pounds, so I don’t doubt it’s coming, but it would be nice to see some more of it.

Brice Matthews HOU, SS, 22.4 – Matthews didn’t get the hype of the aforementioned names, unless you read my work this off-season which named Matthews as one of my favorite FYPD targets, and he’s more than delivered. He went 2 for 4 with 2 steals and an absolute NUC out to deep centerfield that hit off the cotton press. Why they have a cotton press in centerfield is anyone’s guess, but the announcer was hyped that he hit it. He’s homered in back to back games at Double-A, and now has 4 homers, 6 steals, and a 125 wRC+ in 25 games at the level. The 34.1% K% is definitely too high and adds a healthy does of risk, but he’s proving his upside is no joke, and you have to be happy with this performance compared to his very reasonable FYPD price.

Arjun Nimmala TOR, SS, 18.9 – Nimmala was down on the mat to start the year, simply not looking ready for pro ball, but that was understandable considering how young he was for the class, and now that he’s found a groove, it’s been a homer fest. He drilled his 3rd homer in 6 games at Single-A, and since getting recalled to the level, he’s put up a 1.042 OPS with 4 homers in 16 games. The 32.8% K% over that time period still shows the rawness in his game, but a 110 wRC+ in 45 games on the season is quite impressive for a legit 18 year old. The power is very real, and with more refinement, a true explosion could be coming in 2025.

Hayden Birdsong SFG, RHP, 22.11 – The only thing thinner than Colorado’s air is their lineup, and Birdsong came into Coors and sliced his way through both the air and the lineup, going 6 IP with 2 hits, 2 ER, and a 12/2 K/BB. The breaking pitches were working just fine in that air with a 63% whiff% on the curve and 59% whiff% on the slider. The non breaking pitches were working just fine too with a 57% whiff% on the 95.8 MPH fastball and 50% whiff% on the changeup. He dominated in every facet of the game, and his MLB debut is looking pretty good now with a 3.55 ERA and 28.3%/11.3% K%/BB% in 25.1 IP. His 33.7% whiff% is in the elite range. Birdsong has been underrated for a while now, but a start like this will start to turn people’s head. The below average control certainly adds risk, but he has the type of stuff and swing and miss to overcome that. I’ve been relatively high on Birdsong for over a year now, and I love what I see with his MLB debut. I’m still buying.

Spencer Schwellenbach ATL, RHP, 24.2 – Schwellenbach is officially one of the most exciting young starters in the game, and is a major target if you can buy off his inflated 4.62 ERA (3.74 xERA). He had another impressive outing yesterday, going 6 IP with 7 hits, 4 ER, and a 8/0 K/BB vs. STL. The fastball sat 95.7 MPH and put up a 29% whiff%. The splitter was devastating with a 64% whiff%. And he used a 6 pitch mix to notch a 34% whiff% overall. He got hit hard in this one with a 93.3 MPH EV, but he hasn’t been hit hard this season with a 4.7% Barrel% against. He just rose to #212 overall on the Mid-Season Top 422 Dynasty Baseball Rankings (Patreon), finishing his blurb by writing, “He looks damn good. I would buy off the high ERA if you can.” He has the big velocity, he has the big pitch mix, he has plus control, he induces weak contact, he has above average whiffs, and he has three plus secondaries. #212 might not even be high enough, he might be worthy of knocking on the door of the Top 100 area right now. He’s starting to look like a young near ace.

Drew Thorpe CHW, RHP, 23.10 – 6 IP, 3 hits, 0 ER, 5/2 K/BB vs. KC. The filthy changeup is just impossible to pick up with a 43% whiff%. It really acts more like knuckleball. It can really end up anywhere with multiple different movement profiles. It’s pretty wild and it’s befuddled MLB hitters with a .246 xwOBA and 38.8% whiff% on the season. It’s led to a 3.03 ERA with a 15.4%/10.9% K%/BB% and 86 MPH EV against in 38.2 IP. There is little doubt at this point the changeup will play against the best hitters in the world. It wasn’t only the changeup in this game though, the slider also dominated with a 64% whiff%, and that pitch has also been good with a .293 xwOBA (.176 wOBA) and 30% whiff%. I struggle to fully buy in with such a mediocre K/BB rate, but this is essentially a knuckleballer+ profile, and knuckleballer’s can definitely get the job done without great K/BB rates. I’m buying in more and more, but I still see limited upside in the long run.

Brandon Pfaadt ARI, RHP, 25.9 – 7 IP, 1 hit, 0 ER, 7/1 K/BB vs. CHC. He did what he does best which is double plus control of a good fastball, to go along with two good secondaries in his sweeper and changeup. I named him a major target in my Top 11 Mid-Season Dynasty Baseball Targets article (Patreon), and since then he has a 0.77 ERA with a 25/3 K/BB in 23.1 IP. Not bad. I hope you bought when the price was reasonable.

James Wood WAS, OF, 21.10 – Wood cooled off a bit from his blazing start in the majors, but he was back at it yesterday, going 2 for 4 with a 105.9 MPH homer off lefty Justin Wilson. That wasn’t even his hardest hit ball of the day, it was his 3rd hardest hit ball with a 109 MPH lineout and 107.2 MPH single off lefty Andrew Abbott. He now has a 12.2% Barrel% and 93.5 MPH EV in 17 games. The 33.3% K% and negative 7.6 degree launch is definitely showing off some rawness, and he’s not a finished product, but nothing is dissuading me from thinking Wood is a future superstar. He crushes the ball too hard, and he’s shown in the minors he can improve his hit tool. The explosion might not be coming this year, but it’s coming.

Jackson Chourio MIL, OF, 20.4 – I’m not going to say Chourio has fully arrived, because there is another level in here he hasn’t even started to scratch yet, but he’s certainly getting closer after going 2 for 4 with a 108.6 MPH double off Joe Ryan and 107.7 MPH, 443 foot homer off Jorge Alcala. He’s now slashing .314/.368/.512 with 5 homers, 5 steals, and a 17.3%/8.3% K%/BB% in his last 36 games. Everything in his underlying numbers is setting a super strong foundation for him to build on in future years. He’s right on track, just give him another year or so.

Leodalis De Vries SDP, SS, 17.9 – It’s not just the 2023 Draft class that was impressive, the international class was special too, and De Vries has been exploding into elite prospect status right before our eyes. He cracked his 7th homer in 54 games at Single-A with that beautiful and powerful swing that straight up looks MLB ready. He now has a .976 OPS with 7 homers, 6 steals, and a 20/13 K/BB in his last 19 games. He ranked 199th overall on those Updated Dynasty Rankings, and that number will just keep climbing.

Zebby Matthews MIN, RHP, 24.2 – Matthews got the call to Triple-A, and he unsurprisingly had no issues in his first start at the level, going 5 IP with 4 hits, 2 ER, and a 6/0 K/BB. The fastball sat 95.3 MPH with a respectable 20% whiff%, the cutter induced weak contact with a 86.8 MPH EV, and the breaking balls missed bats with a 67% whiff% on the curve and 33% whiff% on the slider. I’ve been all over Matthews all season, putting him in the Top 50 on the latest Top 305 Prospects Rankings (new update coming soon on Patreon). He’s walked 6 guys all season in 83 IP, which is dumb. He combines the truly elite control with big velocity, over 30% K rates at each level, and a diverse pitch mix. He’s an elite pitching prospect.

Hunter Barco PIT, LHP, 23.7 – Barco made his first outing at a new level as well, making the big jump to the upper minors at Double-A, and he delivered, going 3 IP with 1 hit, 0 ER, and a 5/0 K/BB. I love me a funky lefty, and while Barco’s stuff isn’t huge, he proved it will play just fine in the upper minors. Before Double-A he put up some big numbers at High-A with a 3.34 ERA and 30.4%/8.7% K%/BB% in 62 IP. Pitt has yet another really really good arm in the stable. I would value Barco as at least a Top 200 prospect, and he might be sneaking into the Top 150 area now.

Jarlin Susana WASH, RHP, 20.4 – Susuna has the Hunter Greene starter pack with an upper 90’s fastball and plus slider, and while that pack has been sitting in the plastic for awhile, he’s been starting to put it together of late. He made his 2nd outing at High-A and looked good, going 5 IP with 4 hits, 3 ER, and a 7/1 K/BB. That walk rate is the most important thing to watch, and he now has a 29.3%/7.3% K%/BB% in 10 IP at the level. Over his last 40 IP at Single-A and High-A, he’s put up a 1.58 ERA and 40.1%/9.2% K%/BB%. That is exactly the type of breakout we have been waiting for. There is still control/bullpen risk, but I don’t see how this type of talent isn’t a Top 100 prospect with what he’s been doing of late. He needs to be owned in every league.

Justyn-Henry Malloy DET, 3B/OF, 24.1 – Malloy went 1 for 3 with a walk and walloped a 104 MPH homer off Kevin Gausman for his 6th in 35 games. He’s been extra hot of late with a 1.060 OPS, 4 homers, and a 13/7 K/BB in his last 14 games. He’s showing the power will play in the majors with a 11.1% Barrel%, but I don’t quite trust that the BA will be good enough to sustain a full time job long term. The 20.2 degree launch is extreme and so is the 35.5% whiff%. The .187 xBA is scary. It’s hard not to say that the MLB debut has been a success, but I would still have some caution before buying too high here.

Lawrence Butler OAK, OF, 24.0 – The underlying numbers were screaming that a breakout was coming Butler’s first time around in the majors, and after a reset at Triple-A, the breakout is here. He’s been a hit machine since returning to the majors, going 2 for 3 with a double and 2 walks yesterday, and is now slashing .385/.439/.885 with 7 homers, 2 steals, and a 13/5 K/BB in his last 15 games. He has a 92.2 MPH EV, 11.7% Barrel%, and a .340 xwOBA. The 28.5%/9.7% K%/BB% ain’t that bad. I’ve loved Butler for awhile now, and stayed patient through his surface stats struggles. It’s paying off in a big way now. I’m buying.

Michael King SDP, RHP, 29.2 – King’s slow start to the season dug a deep hole for his hype that he’s been trying to climb out of all season, but I think it’s high time to acknowledge that the dominant run he went on to close the 2023 season was no fluke. Dude has been performing like a true ace for almost 3 months now. He once again put on a dominant performance vs. CLE, going 7 IP with 2 hits, 1 ER, and a 6/1 K/BB. He led with the changeup up in this one with a 41% usage, and it was unhittable with a 55% whiff% and 70.4 MPH EV against. The 4 seamer and sweeper were spotless as well with a 36% whiff% and 60% whiff%, respectively. It led to a 75.8% MPH EV against and 45% whiff% on the day. the jumped to 130th overall on those Updated Top 422 Dynasty Rankings (Patreon), and I don’t think a placement inside the Top 100 is unwarranted at this point. He’s starting to cement near ace status.

Drue Hackenburg ATL, RHP, 22.4 – I’ve been talking a lot of shit about the Hackenburg family lately after what Christian Hackenburg did to me as a Jets and Nittany Lions fan, but Drue went out and put some respect back on his family name yesterday, going 7 IP with 3 hits, 1 ER, and a 16/0 K/BB at Double-A. I mean, wow, what a performance. Here are the highlights of the dominance. He now has a 3.43 ERA with a 35.9%/12% K%/BB% in 21 IP at the level. It’s still not good enough to convince me to go after him though. For me, it’s personal, it’s not business 😉

Shane Baz TBR, RHP, 25.0 – 3.1 IP, 4 hits, 0 ER, 1/5 K/BB vs. NYY. The slider didn’t induce a single whiff and he put up a lowly 12% whiff% on the day. He now has a 6.78 xERA with a 19%/11.1% K%/BB% in 13.2 IP. Clearly, something isn’t right. This is why you have to factor in some added risk for pitchers coming off Tommy John. And it’s often their 2nd year back that they return to form, rather than their first year back. This isn’t going to be a smooth ride back to full health, and I think it’s fair to start worrying, but in the long run, I would try to stay patient.

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