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Jarod analyzes three top fantasy baseball prospects - Kyle Manzardo, Zebby Matthews, Trey Sweeney - who could make big impacts this season. These MLB prospects are waiver wire pick-ups.
As we head into the final weeks of the season, some teams are calling up prospects to give them a taste of the big leagues in order to prepare them for next season, while this exercise gives teams a better idea as to whether or not some of these players will be included in their future plans.
Fantasy managers are looking around to see who can help solidify their lineups as we hurtle toward the fantasy playoffs and prospects can offer an untapped offensive resource. While we've seen numerous prospects make their debuts this season, there are still more on the way.
I wanted to highlight three fantasy baseball prospects who could potentially make a case for a spot on your roster. I included the availability of each player in Yahoo leagues with each breakdown, so let's check out who these guys are!
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Kyle Manzardo - OF, Cleveland Guardians
Current Level: Triple-A Columbus
Availability: 3% rostered
2024 MLB stats: 30 G, .207/.241/.329, 0 HR, 7 RBI, 4 R, 0 SB
2024 AAA stats: 71 G, .269/.397/.554, 17 HR, 42 RBI, 55 R, 3 SB
Kyle Manzardo began the season at Triple-A and slashed .303/.375/.642 with nine home runs over 29 games, prompting a promotion to the big league club. The 30-game cameo did not go as hoped, slashing .207/.241/.329 with zero home runs, and resulted in a subsequent demotion.
Since returning to Triple-A, the 24-year-old is hitting just .243, but he's logged more walks than strikeouts (36:31 BB:K), leading to an elite .412 OBP in the 42 games since his return.
The left-handed hitter is putting bat-to-ball better as of late, going 6-for-19 (.316) with a double and two home runs over his last five games. He's now got 17 homers in 71 games, the third consecutive season he's reached that threshold.
#Guardians 24yr old (1B) prospect Kyle Manzardo reached base 3x (2-4 2R HR RBI BB SB) in game one of tonight's doubleheader for Columbus including a mammoth solo HR in the 3rd inning for his 17th long ball of the season.
Manzardo now has 35 XBH with Columbus in just 69 games… pic.twitter.com/v5Tq8euFld
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) August 16, 2024
Josh Naylor currently blocks Manzardo at first base on the big league club and 2024 All-Star David Fry had been blocking him at DH. However, Fry has not had a multi-hit game since July 26, and since that day Fry has gone 9-for-52 (.173).
While the 28-year-old Fry has had four home runs during that stretch, three of them have been the solo variety. If the Guardians want more from their DH as they make a final push for the postseason and potentially the top seed, they may have to turn elsewhere.
Manzardo's keen eye should translate in the majors, although it didn't in his first go-round, walking at just a 3.4% rate. He owns a career 14.4% BB% and 17.4% K% in the minors, both of which are well above average.
Look for an improved approach the next time he gets the call to the Show. When he does, the former second-round draft pick should offer solid on-base skills and decent pop.
Zebby Matthews - SP, Minnesota Twins
Current Level: MLB
Availability: 14% rostered
2024 MLB stats: 1 GS, 1-0, 5 IP, 3.60 ERA, 3.77 FIP, 1.00 WHIP, 25.0% K%, 0.00% BB%
2024 A+/AA/AAA stats: 17 GS, 6-3, 2.60 ERA, 2.31 FIP, 0.87 WHIP, 30.5 K%, 1.9% BB%
As the Twins' eighth-round selection back in 2022 and the 234th pick overall, Zebby Matthews quickly outperformed his draft slot, expeditiously moving through the organization and culminating with his major league debut in August.
The tall righty quickly showed strikeout stuff, pitching to a 28.7% K% during his minor league career, however, he made a name for himself for having impeccable command.
This season, the 24-year-old famously began the season striking out 49 batters before issuing his first walk. Over 37 minor league starts Matthews walked just 2.7% of the batters he faced, posting a ridiculous 22:232 BB:K.
Although he has just one start under his belt for the Twins, Matthews carried the strong command over to the majors and did not walk a batter in his major league debut while striking out five.
Zebby Matthews first career MLB strikeout is Bobby Witt Jr.#MNTwins pic.twitter.com/0bODPUdm84
— Twins Player Development (@TwinsPlayerDev) August 13, 2024
He figures to get a few more starts before the season is out and makes for a worthwhile pickup for those teams looking to make a fantasy playoff push as he has the potential to help with Ks while lowering WHIP and not crushing your ERA along the way.
He looks like a strong fantasy newcomer heading into next season, so hopefully he can end on a high note and ride the momentum into 2025.
Trey Sweeney - SS, Detroit Tigers
Level: MLB
Availability: 1% rostered
2024 AAA stats: 107 G, .267/.345/.450, 15 HR, 71 RBI, 74 R, 20 SB
Trey Sweeney was drafted by the Yankees in 2021 but came to the Tigers by way of the Jack Flaherty trade that sent the pitcher to the Dodgers at the trade deadline. Sweeney spent just 11 games with Triple-A Toledo before the Tigers decided it was time for his big league debut, even collecting a hit in his first game.
We heard Sweeney is trending 📈
Trey Sweeney records his first MLB hit pic.twitter.com/CAWMLk91le
— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) August 17, 2024
The 24-year-old brings a .254 career batting average in the minors with decent power, as he tallied double-digit homers each of the past three seasons, and speed as well with 20-plus steals in three consecutive seasons while averaging 106 games played per season.
Free-swinging Javier Baez is signed through 2027, but the Tigers may want to see what they have in Sweeney, so they'll give him a look here at the end of the season.
The former first-round draft pick walks at a slightly above-average rate, but he'll need to keep hitting for power to make the 26.7% K% he had in Triple-A this season palatable, which one would expect to rise at the major league level.
Sweeney is already taking a seat in his second game with the Tigers, so managers interested in rostering him will likely want to see regular at-bats before adding him, but if he does and he gets on a roll, the left-handed hitter is still available in nearly all Yahoo leagues.
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