RADIO
Winning in a fantasy baseball redraft league requires a nice blend of high-floor players and upside shots. While prospects do present more risk in a one-year setting like a redraft league, if they hit, they pay big dividends. The reward could be huge if these players get adequate playing time and perform.
Throughout the season, there will be plenty of prospects who will get promoted and make an impact on their respective MLB teams and fantasy teams. Getting ahead of the curve on these players can play huge dividends when it comes to FAAB bids. You can save money and have your league mates question how you are already in on that player so far in advance.
This bi-weekly article will dive deep into three players who could make an impact sooner rather than later. In our first edition, we discussed Jack Leiter, Heston Kjerstad, and Joey Loperfido. All three have gotten the call. The most recent edition discussed James Wood, Paul Skenes, and Cade Povich. I would not be surprised if Skenes is up over the next several days. But who else? Who do you need to know and stash? Let's break them down.
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Kyle Manzardo, 1B, Cleveland Guardians
Manzardo continues to torture baseballs and feels like he could be on the verge of a call-up. After getting off to a semi-slow start, some felt justified as to why Manzardo did not break camp with the Guardians, but he has been on an absolute heater the last several weeks.
A three-hit day on Wednesday, including a home run, pushed his home run total to eight in 26 games, including seven of those in the last 10 games. The slash sits at an impressive .323/.400/.667 with nearly as many walks as strikeouts.
The underlying data looks the part as well, as Manzardo has his average exit velocity up to 91.1 mph and his barrel rate near 20 percent at an impressive 19.7 percent rate. The contact rates look really strong with an overall contact rate of 81.5 percent and an in-zone rate north of 90 percent. The chase rate of 25 percent demonstrates his strong plate discipline.
At this point, Manzardo has little left to prove in the minors, and a call to Cleveland seems imminent. The question has been, where does he play? Upon his promotion, Manzardo likely splits time with Josh Naylor at first base while also spending time as a designated hitter. Naylor will not lose playing time, as he has been one of the best hitters in baseball.
Unreal! #Guardians 23yr old (1B) prospect Kyle Manzardo with a solo HR in the 6th inning for Columbus 400 feet with a 104.3 exit velocity. It's his 3rd XBH of the game and he has 7 HR's in his last 10 games. 🤯#ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/arWT4kOlRh
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) May 2, 2024
Orelvis Martinez, SS, Toronto Blue Jays
Despite the call-up of Addison Barger in Toronto, there is still plenty of room for Martinez to find a spot as well. Barger has actually played mostly outfield, while Cavan Biggio and Isiah Kiner-Falefa still roam the infield. Like Manzardo, Martinez has been one of Triple-A's hottest hitters, having eight home runs and doubles a piece while slashing .310/.367/.630. The plate discipline skills and contact is not quite Manzardo-esque, but Martinez has steadily made improvements over the years.
While it feels like Martinez has been a top prospect forever, he will be 22 years old the entire season. Checking in with an average exit velocity of 91.2 mph and a barrel rate north of 13 percent, it is no surprise that Martinez is getting as many extra-base hits as he is.
While the contact skills still give a little pause, Martinez has an overall contact rate of 68 percent and an in-zone rate of 80 percent. The chase rate of 31.6 percent is a touch high, but still pretty close to MLB average.
While there are more question marks in Martinez's profile than a hitter like Manzardo, the Blue Jays could use his bat as a boost for their lineup. A promotion may not be happening this weekend, but it could be sooner than later.
112.6 mph exit velocity on this dinger from Orelvis Martinez.
That's 8 homers in the past 14 games for the @BlueJays' No. 2 prospect. pic.twitter.com/opqiXf89Ef
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) May 1, 2024
Junior Caminero, 3B, Tampa Bay Rays
We all know the kind of upside that Caminero has. Mashing 31 home runs in 2023 across 117 games, Caminero posted elite exit velocities, reaching 111 mph on his 90th percentile exit velocity, which would rank in the top five among all hitters in baseball. The power is evident to all fields, and he can hit opposite-field home runs with the flick of his wrist. You could argue for a 70 grade on his power, and I would not be upset.
The contact skills are average, as Caminero posted a contact rate north of 73 percent and a zone contact rate north of 80 percent. He is not going to be a .324 hitter like we saw in the minors in 2023, but he is capable of being a .270+ hitter consistently. The bat speed and barrel control allow Caminero to make adjustments on the fly in his swing and cover the zone well without expanding it too often.
The quad injury set Caminero back a bit, but he has not missed a beat after a two-week absence in April. In 14 games, Caminero has six home runs and a slash line of .333/.390/.759. His average exit velocity sits at an insane 95.3 mph with a barrel rate of 22 percent, which, for reference, only trails Shohei Ohtani among MLB hitters.
The contact rate is 70 percent, but this could be a matter of getting his timing back after missing several weeks with injury. The in-zone contact rate is improved from last year in the early going, sitting at 83 percent, which is close to MLB average. The chase rate is a low 23.6 percent.
Caminero is more than ready to be back in the majors mashing home runs, and it could happen as soon as this weekend.
Here's a 114.5 mph double off the bat of Junior Caminero vs. fellow Top 100 prospect AJ Smith-Shawver.
It's the highest Triple-A EV measured for Caminero this season. His previous best: 110.5 mph pic.twitter.com/MVYvxkbgvH
— Sam Dykstra (@SamDykstraMiLB) May 1, 2024
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