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The minor league season rages on. Now that fantasy baseball teams have been drafted and the season is underway, it's imperative to monitor the top prospects who have turned heads thus far.
At this point in the season, excellent prospect performances shouldn't be taken too seriously. Sure, there's no denying that short sample sizes can correspond to long-term success, but we'll need to see a bit more out of the players listed below before we go into a deep dive.
Regardless, keep an eye on these names over the long haul as they may prove to be excellent waiver wire adds soon.
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Alex Ramirez - OF, New York Mets
Level: Single-A
2022 stats: 24 G, .385/.423/.606, 2 HR, 15 RBI, .463 BABIP, 196 wRC+
Ramirez signed with the Mets for more than $2 million back in 2019. Currently playing in just his second pro season, the outfielder has impressed against a strong group of competition. He has above-average speed and should stick in center field, but if he can't, he'll have no trouble succeeding in right field thanks to his strong arm. Ramirez has also demonstrated an above-average hit tool, and he's a streak of homers away from being a legitimate five-tool player.
Born in 2003, Ramirez excelled at the Single-A level this past week. He went 15-for-28 with five extra-base hits and five RBI. Although there is still quite a long time before he reaches the majors, Ramirez's well-roundedness makes him a potential fantasy star someday. He's currently listed sixth among MLB Pipeline's Mets prospects. Don't forget the name.
Chadwick Tromp - C, Atlanta Braves
Level: Triple-A
2022 stats: 15 G, .364/.390/.727, 5 HR, 16 RBI, .366 BABIP, 189 wRC+
Outside of 51 games with the Giants between 2020 and 2021, Tromp hasn't played in the majors. However, he is making his presence felt at the Triple-A level so far this season. The 27-year-old is seeing the ball well and hitting with power in the Atlanta pipeline.
Tromp continues to hit; he now owns a 10-game hitting streak. During the month of May alone, he is 10-for-21 with four homers, 13 RBI, two walks, and just two strikeouts. Although he has been on a tear and could reach the majors soon, any promotion would merely put him in a backup role. Thus, he's not on the fantasy radar at this point in his career.
Kyle Hart - SP/RP, Boston Red Sox
Level: Triple-A
2022 stats: 7 G, 2 GS, 26.0 IP, 5.83 FIP, 5.88 ERA, .245 OBA, 1.54 WHIP, 9.00 K/9
Hart, 29, has yet to truly find his groove at the Triple-A level. The southpaw earned his call to the majors in 2020 but allowed 19 earned runs over 11 innings. He has been stuck in the minors ever since, spending time with Triple-A Worcester. Hart throws his fastball in the low-90s and depends on contact in order to record outs. His best secondary pitch is an effective, low-80s slider, but he also boasts a cutter, changeup, and curveball.
Hart is off to a poor start this season, as evidenced by his stat line. However, his outing on Saturday was impressive. The 6-foot-5 hurler threw six hitless innings, surrendering three walks while striking out eight batters. One would imagine that he'll find his way to the majors due to the atrocious state of Boston's bullpen. Yet, even if he is called up to the show, he can be left on waivers in all fantasy leagues.
Grant Witherspoon - OF, Tampa Bay Rays
Level: Double-A
2022 stats: 23 G, .372/.419/.628, 5 HR, 20 RBI, 6 SB, 6.5 BB%, 23.7 K%, 180 wRC+
Witherspoon is a 25-year-old outfielder who was drafted in the fourth round of the 2018 MLB Draft. He has been mediocre when hitting the ball in seasons past, but that appears to have changed now that he has reached Double-A. Witherspoon has hit for power, reached base at a high clip, and even swiped a half-dozen bags.
Witherspoon owns an eight-game hitting streak and went 14-for-24 with one homer, six RBI, three walks, and three stolen bases this past week. In case it wasn't clear, those numbers are absolutely insane. Although it'll still be at least a year before he reaches the majors, the Tulane product is already showing signs of what the future holds.
John Carver - SP, Arizona Diamondbacks
Level: High-A
2022 stats: 4 GS, 21.1 IP, 4.01 FIP, 2.11 ERA, .200 BABIP, 88.5 LOB%, 9.70 K/9, .160 OBA, 1.03 WHIP
Carver is a talented, young right-hander who was selected with Arizona's 20th-round pick in 2021. After a mediocre debut to his pro career last season, the 22-year-old took a major step forward by posting much better metrics in April and early May. It appears he'll get a chance to prove himself as a starter, though he can always revert to the bullpen (eight relief outings in 2021) if things get rough.
This past week was one for the memory books for Carver. He drew the start on May 6, allowing zero runs, zero hits, and just two walks over five innings of work. Furthermore, he mowed down batters with ease. When all was said and done, he finished the day with a whopping 10 strikeouts. It was his first double-digit strikeout game as a professional pitcher and nearly matched his strikeout total from the entire month of April.
Vaun Brown - OF, San Francisco Giants
Level: Single-A
2022 stats: 25 G, .317/.384/.535, 6 HR, 12 RBI, 9 SB, .388 BABIP, 145 wRC+
The Giants snagged Brown in the 10th round of last year's draft. He had just finished up his senior year at Florida Southern, where he enjoyed a phenomenal power surge but still struggled to limit strikeouts and draw walks. This has continued to be a glaring concern for the right-hander through his first two seasons in affiliated ball. To this point, he has totaled 16 walks and 57 strikeouts.
Despite his high K/BB rate, Brown enjoyed this past week of baseball. Over the last five games, he has gone 11-for-23 with four homers, five RBI, and three stolen bases. There's no denying that Brown's blend of power and baserunning prowess could translate to something special if he finds his way to the majors. However, he needs to refine his approach in order to put fewer strikeouts and more walks on the stat sheet.
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