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Welcome back, RotoBallers, to my Week 9 fantasy baseball news, notes, and buys/sells for dynasty leagues. This weekly series will take a look at various prospects, dynasty news, and discuss fantasy implications.
If you enjoy dynasty baseball, you know it is a fast-paced game. Keeping up with the Joneses per se keeps you in the game and at the top of the standings. At the end of the day, we all want to build a dynasty team that sustains and lasts for the long haul. I am here to help you do so.
Keeping up with all the current happenings can help you stay ahead of your league mates. Call-ups, trends, and buying and selling players are all just small pieces to help you stay ahead. So, that's what we will do in this article each week. Break down everything you need to know to be successful in dynasty. Let's get to it, what do you need to know for dynasty leagues in Week 9 of the 2024 season?
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Recent MLB Prospect Call-Ups
The last few weeks of minor league promotions have been much more fun, but more big names like Junior Caminero should be on the way soon. This week, we will discuss two lesser-known prospects who may be able to contribute to your fantasy teams in various ways.
Johnathan Rodriguez got the call for the Cleveland Guardians, and while he is not a super flashy name in prospect circles, he has been quite the solid hitter. The 24-year-old had a strong season in Triple-A in 2023, posting a .286/.368/.529 slash with 29 home runs and 59 extra-base hits. He flew under the radar, likely due to being 23 years old, and this year seems like more of the same. Rodriguez now has a slash line of .276/.389/.449 with seven home runs, six doubles, and four stolen bases in Triple-A this year.
The 107.9 mph 90th percentile exit velocity ranks near the top of Triple-A, and his average exit velocity of 91.6 mph is the 90th percentile among hitters. The contact rates are average or better for the league, checking in at 75 percent overall and 83 percent in-zone, but Rodriguez picks his spots well, chasing at just a 21.7 percent rate.
Rodriguez has a chance to step into Cleveland's lineup and make an impact right away, especially in the power department. He is someone I would look to roster in 15-team formats.
Johnathan Rodríguez has been one of Puerto Rico’s best minor league bats over the last few seasons. 🇵🇷
He has an .890 OPS with 92 hits and 18 HR through 90 career Triple-A games, and 76 HR across all levels.pic.twitter.com/foeXqEo2uQ https://t.co/sKBWU9zfCT
— Shawn Spradling (@Shawn_Spradling) May 20, 2024
Jacob Hurtubise might be a name you have not heard of before, and that would make sense. The 26-year-old prospect just got the call to make his MLB debut with the Reds after a strong season in 2023. Between Double-A and Triple-A last year, he slashed .330/.479/.482 with seven home runs and 45 stolen bases.
I saw Hurtubise in the Arizona Fall League and his speed and contact ability impressed me. He began the year on the injured list with a shoulder issue, but after just nine minor league games, he is now up with the Reds.
He is someone to keep an eye on for the speed, but don't expect a ton of power in the profile.
There it is! First big league hit for Jacob Hurtubise! pic.twitter.com/KucrOxdcPV
— Bally Sports Cincinnati (@BallySportsCIN) May 19, 2024
Fantasy Baseball Dynasty Trends to Watch
Everyone loves velocity, right? Well, maybe not so much now that all the high-velocity arms are getting hurt. But, results show that faster fastballs typically produce better results. Here is a table that shows results against velocity at each interval, starting at 90 mph.
| Fastball Velo | xSLG | xwOBA | Whiff% |
| 90 | 0.487 | 0.373 | 17.2 |
| 91 | 0.487 | 0.368 | 17 |
| 92 | 0.472 | 0.367 | 17.4 |
| 93 | 0.456 | 0.357 | 20.2 |
| 94 | 0.44 | 0.351 | 19.7 |
| 95 | 0.421 | 0.335 | 21.8 |
| 96 | 0.386 | 0.314 | 22.2 |
| 97 | 0.341 | 0.295 | 23.6 |
| 98 | 0.344 | 0.284 | 25.9 |
| 99 | 0.277 | 0.255 | 27.7 |
| 100 | 0.196 | 0.192 | 34.1 |
Largest Fastball Risers
| Name | 2023 FB | 2024 FB | Delta |
| Kyle Freeland | 88.7 | 91.8 | 3.1 |
| Michael Kopech | 95.2 | 98 | 2.8 |
| Cristopher Sanchez | 92.1 | 94.1 | 2 |
| Michael Wacha | 90.8 | 92.4 | 1.6 |
| MacKenzie Gore | 95 | 96.6 | 1.6 |
| Jack Flaherty | 92.3 | 93.7 | 1.4 |
| Joe Ryan | 92.3 | 93.7 | 1.4 |
| Ryne Nelson | 92.6 | 93.9 | 1.3 |
Largest Fastball Fallers
| Name | 2023 FB | 2024 FB | Delta |
| Jordan Hicks | 100.1 | 95.1 | -5 |
| Garrett Whitlock | 94 | 90.3 | -3.7 |
| Reynaldo Lopez | 98.2 | 95.2 | -3 |
| Zack Thompson | 93.6 | 90.7 | -2.9 |
| A.J. Puk | 95.8 | 93.5 | -2.3 |
| Patrick Corbin | 92 | 89.7 | -2.3 |
| Taijuan Walker | 91 | 88.9 | -2.1 |
| Sean Manaea | 93.6 | 91.6 | -2 |
On the fallers, I would not be overly worried. Most of the fallers were relief pitchers last year who converted to starters this season, explaining why the velocity may be down on their fastballs.
Fantasy Baseball Dynasty Buys and Sells
Does Kerry Carpenter have an argument to be a top-100 dynasty asset? On the surface, things look fine, but don't jump off the page. He currently has a .276/.322/.545 slash with six home runs and zero stolen bases on the year. Okay, solid production, but he looks like an average player.
In the month of May, Carpenter has a .295/.340/.705 slash line with three of those home runs and a 25.7 percent barrel rate! Overall, on the season, Carpenter's 17 percent barrel rate is in the 95th percentile among all hitters.
The contact skills have also been steadily improving for Carpenter. For the year, Carpenter has a 75 percent contact rate and an 86 percent in-zone mark. In the month of May, Carpenter has seen that number rise to 80 percent overall and 87.3 percent in-zone.
Given the fact that Carpenter put up solid numbers last season by slashing .278/.340/.471 with 20 home runs in 459 plate appearances and the underlying data has all improved this year, Carpenter is an easy dynasty buy.
Kerry Carpenter blasts his fourth home run of the season and it's 7-0 Tigers!#RepDetroit pic.twitter.com/ISep55CDBv
— Bally Sports Detroit (@BallySportsDET) May 11, 2024
It seems that it would be time to get off Cedric Mullins before it is too late. Through his first 92 plate appearances, Mullins was slashing .232/.283/.476 with six home runs and five stolen bases. So, while he was hurting you in batting average, he was at least getting counting stats. The barrel rate was a modest 8 percent, and the contact rate was 78 percent.
Since then, Mullins has amassed just 58 plate appearances due to sitting more often and is slashing just .127/.172/.145 with zero home runs, a 2.6 percent barrel rate, and way too many ground balls.
If Mullins is not hitting, Baltimore has plenty of options waiting in the wings to get a shot in the outfield. With Anthony Santander, Colton Cowser, Austin Hays, and Kyle Stowers on the MLB roster, the Orioles have options. They also have Heston Kjerstad and Dylan Beavers waiting in the winds while rumors of Jackson Holliday potentially working in center field are looming.
Things could get interesting pretty quickly. I don't think you will get a ton for Mullins at this point, but he is a sell.
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