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Welcome back, RotoBallers! We're heading into Week 13 of the fantasy baseball season, and while there has already been plenty of action in the majors, we can't ignore some of the top prospect performances that took place in the minor leagues during Week 12.
It's imperative to monitor the top fantasy baseball prospects who have turned heads thus far. The players listed here are not only coming off dominant weeks but have also impressed over the entire season. Don't be surprised when these exact names are painting corners, mashing homers, and swiping bags at the big-league level soon.
Fantasy managers should certainly keep an eye on these players over the long haul as they may prove to be excellent adds in no time.
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Chris Williams - C/1B, Minnesota Twins
Level: Triple-A
2023 stats: 44 G, .281/.385/.595, 13 HR, 41 RBI, 31 R, One SB, 13.9 BB%, 33.3 K%, .375 BABIP, .418 wOBA, 139 wRC+
Williams isn't a consensus top prospect in the Twins' system, which is truly a shame considering just how much power he has displayed during his time with the organization. A bat-first player, Williams pairs his phenomenal power with a decent walk rate. With that said, strikeouts have plagued the Clemson product throughout his entire career in the minors. It's hard to imagine that'll change anytime soon. Sometimes, you have to sacrifice plate discipline for power, and that appears to be the case with Williams.
There is a clear need for Williams' tremendous bat in the Twins' big-league lineup but less clarity about where he would fit defensively. Originally drafted as a catcher, Williams has shifted primarily to first base, especially this season. So while he could play catcher or left field in a pinch, he really projects as a first baseman or designated hitter long-term.
This past week, Williams took his performance to a whole new level, going 7-for-19 with a whopping six homers and 14 RBI. He also registered five walks and seven strikeouts. It would come as no surprise to see the Twins promote Williams to the majors as soon as they need to add a bat to their roster.
Cade Povich - SP, Baltimore Orioles
Level: Double-A
2023 stats: 12 G, 12 GS, 5-5, 54.0 IP, 4.83 ERA, 2.79 xFIP, .367 BABIP, 13.67 K/9, 4.00 BB/9, 45.2 GB%
Povich is a talented southpaw who was selected in the third round of the 2021 draft by the Twins before being flipped at the trade deadline. While he may not have been viewed as the absolute centerpiece of that trade at the time, he has quickly emerged as a rising star in the Orioles' system.
A mid-90s fastball headlines Povich's well-rounded, five-pitch repertoire. In addition to the heater, he boasts a changeup, slider, curveball, and cutter. The breaking balls both have dramatic breaks on them and should develop into effective putaway pitches.
Povich remained brilliant this past week, striking out a whopping 13 batters over seven innings of work during Thursday's win against Richmond. To cap things off, he allowed just one hit and zero walks along the way. Everything seems to be going right for Povich, who has now been featured in RotoBaller's "Hot MLB Prospects To Know" series three times in 2023. His promotion to Triple-A should come sooner rather than later.
Rece Hinds - OF, Cincinnati Reds
Level: Double-A
2023 stats: 59 G, .239/.288/.491, 12 HR, 43 RBI, 27 R, Nine SB, 5.3 BB%, 38.7 K%, 101 wRC+, .337 wOBA, .342 BABIP
Hinds was selected in the second round of the 2019 MLB Draft. While he's not viewed among the upper echelon of Reds prospects, that's far more of a testament to Cincinnati's elite pipeline than Hinds' skill set. In reality, the 22-year-old is a talented athlete who figures to be a central part of the Reds' youth movement in no time.
A shift from third base to the outfield in 2022 produced positive results for Hinds, whose arm is plenty strong enough to stick in right field long-term. Offensively, he has impressive power and can hit the ball to all parts of the field. His above-average speed is capable of producing extra-base hits or swiping bags.
With that said, the glaring hole in Hinds' makeup is his plate discipline. He has demonstrated utterly pathetic K/BB rates throughout parts of four seasons, which could serve as an obstacle in his quest to climb through the upper levels of the minors.
Perhaps this past week indicated true progress for Hinds as he went 8-for-21 with a whopping six home runs and 11 RBI. Equally promising was the fact that he drew four walks and six strikeouts, a noticeable improvement over his season-long 5.3% BB% and 38.7% K%.
Jerming Rosario - SP, Los Angeles Dodgers
Level: High-A
2023 stats: 12 G, Eight GS, 2-3, 40.0 IP, 5.40 ERA, 11.70 K/9, 4.73 BB/9, .369 BABIP
Rosario is a 21-year-old starter whom the Dodgers signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2018. He spent part of 2021, all of 2022, and the beginning of 2023 in Single-A before being bumped up to High-A on May 10.
Rosario throws a low-to-mid-90s fastball that has shown some promise if he can locate it, especially up in the zone. In terms of secondary offerings, he has a curveball that boasts plenty of break, as well as a changeup with deceptive fade. Rosario has struggled with command throughout his career, which has led to his breaker being relatively ineffective.
His changeup, on the other hand, has shown some promise, offering a change of pace from his fastball and missing bats out of the zone even if he isn't able to locate it perfectly. The main takeaway from evaluating Rosario is that he certainly has promise but won't get too far if he keeps walking batters and can't improve his control or command.
The good news is that Rosario did show progress in the control department during his last outing on June 15. He delivered five scoreless innings, allowing zero hits and just one walk. He struck out eight batters along the way and earned his first win since May 3 when he was still in Single-A.
Tirso Ornelas - OF, San Diego Padres
Level: Double-A
2023 stats: 62 G, .271/.377/.449, Eight HR, 42 RBI, 30 R, Four SB, 14.9 BB%, 20.9 K%, 120 wRC+, .376 wOBA, .323 BABIP
Ornelas is a Mexican-born outfielder who signed with the Padres in 2017. He has developed nicely in San Diego's farm system, reaching Triple-A for three games in 2022 before ultimately returning to Double-A this season.
The left-handed hitter made impressive progress last season by dropping his strikeout rate to a solid 17.2 percent. That number has snuck back into the twenties this year, which could be why the Padres haven't called him back up to Triple-A quite yet. Elsewhere offensively, Ornelas hits for average and drives in runs but hasn't shown a whole lot of power. He's also average at best on the basepaths. Defensively, Ornelas has a mediocre glove and arm, likely limiting him to left field and accentuating the need for his bat to improve.
Fortunately, Ornelas' bat did just that this past week. He showed promise in all parts of his offensive production, going 13-for-25 (.520) with four homers and 14 RBI. He also tallied five walks and six strikeouts along the way. If Ornelas can keep up this trend of putting the ball in play, drawing walks, and limiting strikeouts, he could be due for a promotion to Triple-A before the All-Star Break.
Dalton Rogers - SP, Boston Red Sox
Level: High-A
2023 stats: 10 G, Eight GS, 2-1, 54.0 IP, 3.67 ERA, 3.61 FIP, 8.67 K/9, 3.00 BB/9, .297 BABIP, 39.3 GB%
Rogers was a third-round pick in 2022, selected at No. 99 overall. He excelled as a reliever while pitching for Southern Mississippi, and Boston signed him for well under slot value with the intention of shifting him to a rotation role.
The left-hander's best pitch is undoubtedly his fastball, which features impressive run and registers on radar guns in the mid-90s. He also has a low-80s slider and changeup. Although both play well off his dominant fastball, neither are very effective offerings at the moment.
If he has any chance of remaining a starter for several years to come, he'll need to develop either his slider or changeup (or both) into a reliable secondary pitch. Otherwise, he'll likely have to shift back to the bullpen, which is a fine option for Boston long-term but doesn't give him much relevance from a fantasy baseball point of view.
This past week was certainly memorable for Rogers, who tossed a gem against Greensboro. During his outing last Wednesday, he delivered six shutout innings, allowing zero hits and just one walk. Most notably, he missed bats and baffled opposing batters, finishing the day with a whopping 11 strikeouts.
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