6 days agoPhiladelphia Phillies catcher
J.T. Realmuto broke out at the dish in Wednesday's blowout win over the visiting Texas Rangers, belting his first home run in 14 games since April 28 with three RBI in the rout. After smashing a solo homer to left field to give the Phillies a 3-2 lead in the third inning, Realmuto knocked a two-run single to left field to up the lead to 8-2 during the sixth. The 33-year-old perennial All-Star has been regularly batting second in Philly's lineup since
Trea Turner (hamstring) went down, and while he's hitting an excellent .350 (21-for-60) in May, Realmuto only has five RBI and zero stolen bases over 14 games this month. Realmuto will clash with Rangers left-hander
Andrew Heaney in Thursday's series finale, and the veteran backstop is batting .360 (18-for-50) with two long balls, three doubles, and six RBI against left-handed pitching this year.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoMiami Marlins starting pitcher
Jesus Luzardo twirled a gem in Wednesday's victory over the visiting Milwaukee Brewers, striking out four batters and allowing just three hits (all singles) and no walks over a career-high eight scoreless innings for his second win of the season. It was the longest start of Luzardo's career, and he's now posted back-to-back scoreless outings for the Marlins after retiring 17 straight batters at one point on Wednesday. The 26-year-old left-hander has fared far better over his past four starts than he did during his first four starts to begin the campaign, turning in a 1.40 ERA and 25:4 K:BB since April 20. His hot streak will face a tough test when Miami takes on the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on Tuesday, when Luzardo is next scheduled to take the ball, but it's hard to sit the former top prospect in fantasy with the way he's throwing right now.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoSan Diego Padres second baseman
Luis Arraez slapped his first home run of the year in Wednesday's victory on the road against the Cincinnati Reds, flexing some pop while going 4-for-5 with two RBI in the win. Not known for his power, Arraez got the scoring started on Wednesday with a leadoff homer in the first inning off Reds right-hander
Nick Martinez, later adding three singles. The 27-year-old two-time batting champion is now riding a ridiculous seven-game multi-hit streak, hitting .391 (27-for-69) with three doubles, six RBI, eight runs scored, and three stolen bases in 16 games overall since joining San Diego, and he should get more work at second base with
Xander Bogaerts (shoulder) on the injured list. Arraez next gets Cincinnati righty
Frankie Montas during Thursday's series finale. In six plate appearances against Montas in his career, Arraez is 3-for-6 with a double.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoNew York Yankees outfielder
Juan Soto put up his second two-homer game of the season in Wednesday's win over the visiting Seattle Mariners, going 2-for-4 with three RBI in the victory. Soto tagged Mariners pitcher
Bryce Miller for a two-run jack to score
Anthony Volpe in the third inning before going deep once more to make it a 5-0 ballgame in the sixth. On the season as a whole, the 25-year-old perennial Silver Slugger is slashing an elite .313/.409/.569 with 13 home runs, 40 RBI, 37 runs scored, and four stolen bases in 195 at-bats over 51 outings as New York's everyday No. 2 batter. Soto will next face M's right-hander
Luis Castillo in Thursday's series finale. In 13 plate appearances against Castillo in his career, Soto is 2-for-8 with a homer, an RBI, and five walks.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoArizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher
Merrill Kelly (shoulder) is scheduled to undergo an MRI this week to see how his strained right shoulder is progressing. It's possible that he could begin a throwing program relatively soon if everything looks good, manager Torey Lovullo said on Wednesday. Kelly remains without a clear timetable for a return from the injury, and he isn't eligible to be activated from the 60-day injured list until late June. The 35-year-old veteran right-hander carries a 2.19 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, and 21:6 K:BB over 24 2/3 innings (four starts) for the D-backs while sitting on the shelf, and he's still worth a stash for fantasy managers who can afford the roster spot. With Kelly sidelined,
Ryne Nelson and
Logan Allen will help eat innings in Arizona's rotation.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Nick Piecoro - The Arizona Republic
6 days agoCleveland Guardians first base prospect
Jhonkensy Noel blasted three solo home runs for Triple-A Columbus on Wednesday, bringing his season total to 12. The slugger is a career .251 hitter in the minors, but the power is real after he hit 32 long balls between High-A and Double-A as a 20-year-old in 2022 and 27 homers last season at Triple-A as a 21-year-old. It's possible the 22-year-old sees some time in Cleveland this season at some point, and his power should put himself into the season-long conversation once he gets the call. But it could come at the expense of average, as he's currently sporting nearly a 26% strikeout rate in 2024 at Triple-A, and that probably won't get better at the big-league level.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
6 days agoChicago White Sox outfield prospect
Zach DeLoach was called up from Triple-A Charlotte on Wednesday after
Eloy Jimenez was placed on the 10-Day IL. DeLoach started in right field for the White Sox in Wednesday's 9-2 loss to Toronto, going 0-for-3 with a walk in his MLB debut. The 25-year-old was hitting .263 at Triple-A with two home runs and eight stolen bases in 38 games. Last season, the left-handed hitter batted .286 with 23 home runs over 138 games. The former second-round MLB draft pick has had no worse than an 11.2% BB% at any stop in the minors, posting a strong .375 OBP in his minor league career. This is already the second time Jimenez has missed time this season, and based on his injury history, it's probably not the last. With the Sox going nowhere and Jimenez a free agent at the end of the year, DeLoach has a chance to stick around if he can perform.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
6 days agoThe Oakland Athletics made outfielder
Henry Bolte their second-round pick in 2022 and convinced him to sign an over-slot deal rather than attend the University of Texas. Bolte offers a rare blend of power and speed, using the latter trait to swipe plenty of bases and hold down the fort in center field. He also has a strong glove and a decent hit tool, though he definitely needs to cut down on strikeouts. Last week, Bolte went 10-for-22 with two homers and seven RBI. He also drew six walks, slugged four doubles, and stole four times. If the young outfielder can continue to reduce his strikeout total, he could be shuttled through the minors and to the majors by this time next year.
--Andersen Pickard - RotoBallerSource: FanGraphs
6 days agoCleveland Guardians second baseman prospect
Nate Furman went 4-for-5 with his sixth home run of the season for High-A Lake County. The left-handed hitter also scored four times. What's even more remarkable is that it was the 22-year-old's third four-hit game in his last seven games, and seventh multi-hit game in his last 10. On the season, Furman is now slashing a robust .349/.414/.508 with six home runs, 24 RBI, 27 runs scored, and six steals in 30 games. With that type of performance, it seems a promotion to Double-A is in the cards this season, but it may be a couple of years until he sees the MLB. Still, a strong run like this should at least pique the interest of dynasty managers.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
6 days agoAtlanta Braves pitching prospect
Owen Murphy was the club's first-round pick in 2022 and has flashed significant upside ever since making his pro debut. The right-hander has good spin behind his offerings, making up for a lack of velocity likely caused by his relatively undersized 6-foot-1 frame. His fastball registers in the low 90s. He also throws a slider with good break and a slow, loopy curveball that misses enough bats. Finally, he's working on improving his changeup. Murphy was quite effective in his outing last week, striking out a whopping 11 batters over just 6.1 innings of work. Furthermore, he allowed zero runs on just three hits. A promotion to Double-A sounds like it's right around the corner.
--Andersen Pickard - RotoBallerSource: FanGraphs
6 days agoTampa Bay Rays minor league shortstop
Carson Williams is a consensus top prospect both within the Rays' organization and Major League Baseball as a whole. He's been a prominent name in the minors ever since being selected in the first round of the 2021 draft. He displays spectacular skills in the field, where he uses his reliable glove and impeccable arm strength to challenge opposing hitters and runners. He is also a pure hitter, strong runner, and even capable of producing occasional power. Last week, Williams put on a show, going 8-for-18 with three homers, six RBI, five walks, and three strikeouts. Tampa Bay, which has a variety of needs within its infield, could promote Williams to Triple-A or the majors as he continues to swing a hot bat.
--Andersen Pickard - RotoBallerSource: FanGraphs
6 days agoAtlanta Braves pitching prospect
Ian Mejia was a diamond in the rough of sorts, landing with the club as an 11th-round pick back in 2022. He has maintained low walk rates and decent strikeout rates throughout his first few seasons of pro ball but has noticeably allowed too much loud contact, including home runs. In order to climb the ranks and reach the majors, Mejia will need to keep hitters away from doing real damage, much like he has done through a small sample size so far in 2024. Last week, he continued to show promise, tossing a seven-inning no-hitter. He hit one batter and walked two, and he also struck out a whopping 11 batters. Fantasy managers would be wise to keep tabs on Mejia moving forward.
--Andersen Pickard - RotoBallerSource: FanGraphs
6 days agoHouston Astros minor league shortstop
Jesus Bastidas is on the older side for prospects at 25 years old, but he has still shown that he can make an impact throughout all levels of minor-league baseball. The Venezuelan signee has blossomed into a power hitter who can work counts and drive in runs. As the Astros continue to struggle in the majors, perhaps Bastidas could provide reinforcement sooner rather than later. Last week, Bastidas went 13-for-24 with four home runs and 11 RBI. He also registered four doubles, three walks, and a stolen base over just a handful of games. He's showing no signs of slowing down at the dish anytime soon.
--Andersen Pickard - RotoBallerSource: FanGraphs
6 days agoAtlanta Braves pitching prospect
AJ Smith-Shawver will be recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett to make his 2024 debut on Thursday against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. The 21-year-old right-hander is the Braves' top prospect, per MLB Pipeline, and he could have a shot to stick around as Atlanta's No. 5 starter if he impresses in the series finale. He's worth a speculative pickup in redraft fantasy leagues for his upside and high-end prospect pedigree, but he also hasn't looked very good in the minors this year, posting a 6.10 ERA and 1.52 WHIP with 17 walks and 35 strikeouts in 31 innings over eight starts for Gwinnett. Smith-Shawver made six appearances in his MLB debut in 2023 and had a 4.26 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and a 20:11 K:BB in 25 1/3 frames. He has an electric pitch mix but is still a work in progress. The young righty will face a Cubs team that ranks 17th in OPS (.691) that has the ninth-most strikeouts in the league.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - David O'Brien
6 days agoAfter a 2-for-4 night at Triple-A Columbus on Wednesday, Cleveland Guardians infield prospect
Juan Brito has hit safely in 11 of his last 12 games, going 18-for-52 (.346). Not only that, six of the games have been multi-hit efforts, and 10 of his 18
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