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Andy's fantasy baseball prospect sleepers and risers to know for Week 18 (2024). He analyzes MLB prospects in the minor leagues and their recent performances.
The All-Star break is now behind us, and several top prospects have gotten off to a hot start in the minor leagues. Some of these prospects are able to carry this success into the big leagues and can become a viable fantasy baseball contributor.
However, the question is do these minor league performances truly matter for this season? How easy will it be for these prospects to reach the big leagues, and are they worth stashing on your redraft roster?
Knowing which prospects to watch can put you ahead of your league mates and in the driver’s seat during the second half of the season. Adding the right prospect can fill the missing piece on your roster and power you to a fantasy baseball championship. This fantasy baseball prospects biweekly series will examine a few key players in the minor leagues and assess whether they have a path to fantasy stardom in 2024.
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Zebby Matthews, SP, Minnesota Twins
Minnesota No. 19, Overall N/A
When looking at the budding aces with the best command in the minor leagues, look no further than Minnesota Twins young arm, Zebby Matthews.
Matthews was taken in the eighth round of the 2022 MLB Draft and has cruised through the minor leagues without many setbacks. In 2023, he began the campaign at Single-A and needed only 38 frames to reach High-A, where he spent most of the second half of the summer. However, he held a worse 4.59 ERA and 1.13 WHIP there.
This season, the right-hander opened the campaign at High-A and posted a much-improved 1.59 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, and perfect 0:28 BB:K ratio across 22 innings. Besides not allowing a walk, Matthews also raised his K% from the 21.5% he held at High-A in 2023 to a much-improved 33.3% he held this summer. In addition, he lowered his FIP from 4.76 to a stellar 1.58.
When he moved up to Double-A Wichita, he logged 55 ⅓ innings with a 1.95 ERA, 0.76 WHIP, and a 6:63 BB:K ratio. At Double-A, he held a similar 30.1% K rate and a 2.07 FIP, which is a great sign. More importantly, he posted an excellent 4.4% HR/FB rate, which was his best mark since his time at Single-A.
Matthews was promoted to Triple-A St. Paul last week, making a 2024 major league debut possible. The right-hander showcased his strong command in his Triple-A debut as he allowed two runs across five innings with six strikeouts.
Zebby Matthews, making his first career start at Triple-A, retired 13 of the last 15 batters he faced in the @StPaulSaints win🌟
5 IP / 4 H / 2 R / 0 BB / 6 K
On the season, he has 97 strikeouts to 6 walks…which is the best K/BB ratio in @MLB and @MiLB (min. 35 IP)‼️#MNTwins pic.twitter.com/hLZcoPQfHH
— Twins Player Development (@TwinsPlayerDev) July 21, 2024
Fantasy managers should monitor his first handful of starts at Triple-A very carefully, as he may force his way to the major leagues very soon. Even though the Twins rotation is currently full, all it takes is one injury, and Matthews could be in The Show soon.
Verdict: Stash in standard redraft leagues
Deyvison De Los Santos, 1B/3B, Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona No. 14, Overall N/A
The current minor league leader in home runs has yet to slow down this summer and is making a solid case to reach the major leagues this summer.
He opened the campaign by getting his third look at Double-A and posted a resounding .372/.426/.696 line with 14 home runs and 37 RBI. This is a stark contrast to the .231 and .254 AVG he held over the past two summers at Double-A.
In addition, he posted a career-best (at the Double-A level) .324 ISO, which was significantly higher than the .177 he held in 2023. He also lowered his ground-ball rate from 52.8% in 2023 to 45.0%, which is now a career high.
This earned him a promotion to the top level of the minor leagues on May 21. De Los Santos has not missed a beat since joining Triple-A Reno and posted an excellent .296/.339/.620 slash line with 14 home runs and 46 RBI. He raised his fly-ball rate at Triple-A to 32.8%, the highest since his 2022 total at High-A.
Also, at the top level of the minors, he maintained an almost identical K and BB rate, which is a great sign and showed that the 21-year-old continued his strong play and could easily adjust to the top pitching in the minor leagues.
𝑨𝑹𝑬 𝒀𝑶𝑼 𝑲𝑰𝑫𝑫𝑰𝑵𝑮 𝑴𝑬 😮
Deyvison De Los Santos launches a 4️⃣9️⃣2️⃣ foot home run pic.twitter.com/c3LDWxCpz2
— Reno Aces (@Aces) June 15, 2024
Looking at the major league roster, the Diamondbacks have had underwhelming production at the hot corner, which could open the door for De Los Santos. Veteran Eugenio Suarez has recently begun to bump up his production at the plate with a strong .313 AVG and .646 SLG in July, but it still sits at an overall .215/.300/.362 line, which will not cut it for a team that is looking to compete in October.
De Los Santos could be the answer to this, providing a potential boost to the team's power production. If he continues to mash at Triple-A, it will be tricky for Arizona to keep him in Reno.
Verdict: Stash in deeper redraft leagues
Jace Jung, 2B/3B, Detroit Tigers
Detroit No. 3, Overall 40
Rounding out this list is another infield prospect who has looked quite comfortable since moving up to Triple-A.
Jung is a bit different from De Los Santos, as he opened the season directly at the top level of the minors after splitting last summer between High-A and Double-A. Last season, the former 12th overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft had a solid .270/.398/.510 line with 14 home runs, 50 RBI, and a 50:72 BB:K ratio across both levels.
This summer at Triple-A, the 23-year-old has posted a .269/.394/.502 slash line with 13 home runs, 47 RBI, and a 53:70 BB:K ratio across 70 games.
Jace Jung hasn’t had issues with AAA pitching. Another HR pic.twitter.com/OPXioS5rLN
— Clay Snowden (@clay_snowden2) June 11, 2024
A look under the hood shows that the young infielder has taken even more strides forward this season and could be closing in on a major league debut. At Triple-A, Jung has a 16.9% walk rate and a 22.4% K rate, which are better totals than what he held at High-A and Double-A last summer. In addition, at Triple-A, Jung currently sits with a 56 wRC and .395 wOBA, which are right in line with his career averages.
Colt Keith has done very well at second base in the big leagues in his first major league season, but the Tigers have not had consistent production at the hot corner. Matt Vierling often shifts to the outfield, leaving third base open for Zach McKinstry, who has held a poor .189 AVG.
Jung could be poised for an August debut if the Tigers sell some of their veterans at the deadline.
Verdict: Continue to monitor
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