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Welcome back, RotoBallers! The All-Star Break and trade deadline is in the rearview mirror. We're heading into Week 20 of the fantasy baseball season, and the minor league season rages on. It would be foolish to proceed without highlighting the top performances from Week 19.
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 waiver wire adds in no time.
Editor's Note: Our incredible team of writers received five total writing awards and 13 award nominations by the Fantasy Sports Writers Association, tops in the industry! Congrats to all the award winners and nominees including Best MLB Series, NFL Series, NBA Writer, PGA Writer and Player Notes writer of the year. Be sure to follow their analysis, rankings and advice all year long, and win big with RotoBaller! Read More!
Clarke Schmidt - SP/RP, New York Yankees
Level: Triple-A
2022 stats: 7 GS, 28.1 IP, 2-0, 2.86 ERA, 2.03 FIP, .294 BABIP, 12.39 K/9, 2.22 BB/9
The Yankees selected Schmidt with their first-round pick in 2017. He climbed through the ranks of affiliated ball before making his MLB debut in 2020. Although he has appeared at the majors in each of the last three seasons, he currently finds himself in Triple-A due to depth and performance.
Schmidt's best tool is his curveball, though he also offers a plus fastball and solid command. He has induced weak contact at all levels and boasts an ability to strike out batters while limiting walks in the minors.
Schmidt had one of his best outings this past week, tossing six innings of perfect baseball. He struck out a whopping 11 batters in the process. The Yankees have depth in the majors and are thick in the playoff race, but Schmidt could still force the club's hand and play so well that they have to call him up. It's worth noting that 88 percent of his appearances in the majors have come out of the bullpen, so expect him to fill a similar role when he does return to New York.
Johnathan Rodriguez - OF, Cleveland Guardians
Level: Double-A
2022 stats: 79 G, .292/.346/.573, 21 HR, 59 RBI, 48 R, .355 BABIP, .400 wOBA, 147 wRC+, 6.9 BB%, 28.7 K%
The other 2017 draftee on this list, Rodriguez was selected in the third round out of the Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy. After an underwhelming end to his 2021 season at High-A, the Guardians kept him in Midland to open the 2022 season. That's where he played up until yesterday when he was promoted to Double-A.
Rodriguez's promotion comes after a fabulous week in which he went 9-for-21 (.429) with four homers, 11 RBI, three walks, and four strikeouts. He will look to extend his five-game hitting streak when he makes his Double-A debut this week.
The 22-year-old swung a hot bat this past week, but he's actually a glove-first player. Rodriguez is an average to an above-average fielder, but it's the arm tool that really highlights his profile. Although Rodriguez's subpar speed will take him out of center field, his plus arm strength makes him a perfect fit for right field. Meanwhile, offensively, he makes decent contact though his performance at the plate really centers around his power, a trait that should only continue to develop with experience.
Matt Frisbee - SP, San Francisco Giants
Level: Double-A
2022 stats: 20 GS, 103.2 IP, 5-7, 4.95 ERA, 4.82 FIP, .300 BABIP, 8.16 K/9, 2.78 BB/9
Frisbee has put together a solid season at Double-A, perhaps closing in on a return to Triple-A. After all, he finished 2021 just one rung away from the majors and is surely itching to get back, especially at the age of 25.
A 15th-round pick out of UNC Greensboro in 2018, Frisbee has shown flashes of being a high-strikeout, soft-contact pitcher. He even contributed to a combined no-hitter last season. In regards to his tools, he has a mid-90s fastball and a put-away slider with an impressive horizontal break. As of 2021, he also threw a changeup and splitter.
Numbers-wise, 2022 hasn't been amazing for Frisbee. However, he looked fantastic this past week, tossing six scoreless innings while allowing just one hit and two walks in Portland, Maine, on Wednesday. Oh, and to top it all off, 13 of the 18 outs he recorded were strikeouts. 13 strikeouts in six innings certainly isn't too shabby.
Matt Koperniak - OF, St. Louis Cardinals
Level: Double-A
2022 stats: 87 G, .287/.366/.433, 11 HR, 47 RBI, 52 R, .333 BABIP, .356 wOBA, 104 wRC+, 9.6 BB%, 19.2 K%
Koperniak was undrafted out of Trinity College in 2020, so it's certainly impressive that he has already reached Double-A through just one-and-a-half seasons in the Cardinals' organization. He also saw three at-bats with the club's Triple-A affiliate as the calendar turned from July to August. He's back in Springfield now, but after going 2-for-3 with a walk at the Triple-A level, it's hard to imagine he'll be in Springfield for long.
The London native has an impressive hit tool, showing that he can put the ball in play with ease while also displaying great discipline and knowledge of the strike zone. He's not a huge power hitter, but he finds ways to get on base and that's what matters (cue the Billy Beane memes). Defensively, Koperniak has a strong enough glove and arm to play any of the three roles, but his subpar speed will force him into a corner position long-term. We have already seen this take effect as Koperniak has primarily played left field in the minors.
Koperniak put on a show this past week, going 11-for-21 (.524) with three doubles, three homers, and one triple. He racked up 10 RBI, two walks, and just three strikeouts in the process. He continues to make his case for a roster spot in Triple-A, and once he does get that call, it might be hard to keep him down for long. Don't be surprised if Koperniak is making a fantasy impact as early as 2023.
Prelander Berroa - SP, Seattle Mariners
Level: Double-A
2022 stats: 20 GS, 76.0 IP, 3-3, 2.37 ERA, .250 BABIP, 13.86 K/9, 5.80 BB/9
Berroa is a talented right-hander who was originally signed by the Minnesota Twins. The Dominican Republic native inked his first pro deal for $200,000 in July 2016. He initially climbed through the minors uninterrupted but has dealt with some changes over the past few years. Berroa was traded to the Giants in 2019, saw his 2020 season canceled due to COVID-19, and then was dealt to Seattle back in May.
Just 22 years old, Berroa sports an electric mid-to-upper-90s fastball, as well as an average slider and changeup. These two offerings aren't anything special, but they do work off the heater nicely.
Berroa was phenomenal in his latest outing last Friday, tossing five innings of no-hit, shutout baseball. He surrendered just two walks and recorded a fabulous 11 strikeouts. Berroa, of course, earned the win and has now allowed just one run and one hit through 7.1 innings in August.
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