5 days agoChicago Cubs outfield prospect
Owen Caissie extended his hitting streak to four games with a base hit on Friday evening. In May, Caissie has a .258/.452/.452 line with a strong 10:8 BB:K ratio. Through his first 36 games at Triple-A this season, the 21-year-old has an impressive .281/.428/.438 line with three long balls and four swiped bags. The former second-round selection is making his case to see time in the major leagues later this summer. However, he is in a bit of a logjam with
Cody Bellinger and
Seiya Suzuki returning from injuries,
Ian Happ having an everyday role in left field, and the recent promotion of top prospect
Pete Crow-Armstrong. Nonetheless, the third-ranked prospect in the Cubs system should be rostered in all dynasty leagues and is becoming a worthy stash candidate in deeper redraft formats.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
5 days agoSeattle Mariners shortstop
Dylan Moore went 3-for-4 with a two-run home run and five RBI in Friday's 8-1 win over the Athletics. It was a bright spot in an otherwise rough season so far for Moore. Through Monday's game, the 31-year-old was hitting .192 with two home runs and six RBI, but over his last three games while filling in for the injured
J.P. Crawford at shortstop, the right-handed hitter is 5-for-11 (.455) with one home run and six RBI. Hopefully he can keep it up over the next week or so until Crawford returns. Moore will get RHP
Joey Estes (7.20 ERA, 1.40 WHIP in two career starts) and LHP
Alex Wood (5.30 ERA, 1.74 WHIP) this weekend against the A's.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
5 days agoPittsburgh Pirates outfield prospect
Esmerlyn Valdez has been performing very well at Single-A this season and is making a case to be promoted to the next level of the minor leagues. In 27 games this season with Single-A Bradenton, he has a .273/.389/.477 line with four long balls, one stolen base, and 17 RBI. Valdez performed well in his small eight-game taste of Single-A last season and has carried that into this year. In addition, the 20-year-old has launched home runs in consecutive games and has a strong 5:8 BB:K ratio through May. Valdez is still several seasons away from a major league debut but is making quite the case to be promoted to High-A. He may be worth monitoring in dynasty formats if he can continue this domination throughout the summer.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
5 days agoHouston Astros outfield prospect
Jacob Melton began the season in a bit of a cold stretch with a poor .217/.290/.327 line with just one home run through the opening 15 games of the season at Double-A. Since then, the 23-year-old has an impressive .326/.375/.698 line with four long balls and 13 RBI. Melton launched his fifth home run of the campaign on Friday evening. MLB Pipeline considers Melton to be the top prospect in the Houston system. He is projected to reach the major leagues in 2025 but should see time in Triple-A later this summer, making him an interesting stash candidate in dynasty leagues.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
5 days agoMiami Marlins outfield prospect
Jakob Marsee hit his first home run in the Miami system on Friday evening. Marsee was included in the package that sent
Luis Arraez to San Diego on May 3. Across 28 games at Double-A this season, with both the San Diego and Miami affiliates, he has a .177/.360/.333 line with three home runs and a strong 26:27 BB:K ratio. However, the 22-year-old has been showcasing his power potential in May with two long balls and a .529 SLG. Marsee is ranked as the tenth overall prospect in the Miami system and could see time in the Triple-A later this summer, which opens the door for a potential 2025 major league debut.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
5 days agoLos Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher
Tyler Glasnow turned in another dominant performance in Friday's 2-1 loss to the Padres but was unable to factor into the decision. Over seven frames, the righty allowed just one hit, a solo home run off the bat of
Luis Campusano, and walked two while striking out 10 batters. It was the fourth time he's struck out 10 or more batters this season, and now has a sterling 2.53 ERA (2.52 FIP), 0.86 WHIP, and an elite 26.7% K-BB%. The 30-year-old's six wins are good for second-best in the majors and he's looking like a true Cy Young contender. The former fifth-round MLB draft pick will face the Giants on the road in his next outing, whom he faced earlier this season, going six innings allowing four hits, two walks, and three earned runs while striking out seven.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
5 days agoBoston Red Sox outfield prospect Natanael Yuten hit an inside-the-park-home run on Friday to continue his 2024 power surge. In 26 games at Single-A this season, Yuten has posted a .240/.327/.406 line with three round-trippers, eight total extra-base hits, and two swiped bags. Last season, the 19-year-old only tallied two total extra-base hits (one double and one triple) in 18 games at Single-A. It is promising to see the young prospect begin to showcase his elite power and speed after having a disappointing debut in Single-A last season. Yuten is still several seasons away from his major league debut but could become a name to monitor in the Boston system as he progresses through the minor leagues.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
5 days agoArizona Diamondbacks second base prospect
Jean Walters is currently riding a three-game hitting streak thanks to knocking his first triple of the season on Friday evening. This triple in the bottom of the tenth brought in the winning run. On the season, the 22-year-old has a .250/.289/.333 line through ten games at High-A this season. He has only gone hitless in three games. Walters got a small taste of High-A ball last season after moving up from the Rookie League. The switch-hitter should see time in the Double-A later this summer and could become a name to monitor in deeper dynasty leagues if he can continue to stay hot at the plate.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
5 days agoSan Diego Padres starting pitcher
Michael King threw seven scoreless innings in Friday's 2-1 victory over the Dodgers, striking out 11 but did not factor into the decision. King allowed just two hits and also walked three in the outing. It's the righty's second consecutive start where he did not allow a run, pitching six scoreless against the Diamondbacks his last time out. This is more what fantasy managers were looking for when they drafted the pitcher after posting a low ERA, low WHIP, and a strong K-BB% last season for the Yankees. Over his first seven starts in 2024, the 28-year-old posted a 5.00 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, 11.7% K-BB%, and 2.50 HR/9, including two outings in which he allowed a total of seven home runs and one outing where he walked seven batters. Hopefully these last two have got him back on track, and he'll look to keep rolling his next time out at home against a struggling Rockies team who strike out third-most in the majors.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
5 days agoTampa Bay Rays second baseman
Brandon Lowe (oblique) exited Friday's game for Triple-A Durham after one at-bat. The team says the move was precautionary, but there was no indication as to why he was removed from the game. Lowe is working his way back from an oblique injury suffered earlier in the regular season. The 29-year-old began the rehab assignment on Tuesday and had collected two hits (a double and a grand slam) in five at-bats. The left-handed hitter had also collected three walks. Lowe was expected to rejoin the big-league club within the next week or so, but it's unclear whether or not this latest issue will delay his return.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoArizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte hit his third home run in his last six games, a 400-foot boomer to right center field in the third inning of Friday's 4-2 loss against the Baltimore Orioles. Marte's homer, his eighth of the season, cut the deficit 2-1 and proved to be his only hit of the night in five at-bats. He continues to be a more effective hitter when playing under the lights as Marte, who started as the team's designated hitter on Friday, is hitting .321/.370/.519 (.889 OPS) at night compared to hitting just .244 during the day, albeit with a stellar .556 slugging percentage and an OPS of .859. DFS players should consider adding Marte to their lineups when he gets the chance to play after dark. Overall, Marte is off to a great start this season, slashing .295/.345/.538 with eight home runs, 19 RBI, 28 runs, and a stolen base over 174 plate appearances.--Brandon Williams - RotoBallerSource: ESPN.com
5 days agoPhiladelphia Phillies outfielder
Nick Castellanos hit his third homer of the season to help Philadelphia to an 8-2 win over the Miami Marlins on Friday. Since April 20, Castellanos has hit .275/.333/.478 to help boost his batting average to .207, a 54-point jump in batting average since he ended the April 19 loss to the White Sox batting .153. All three of his homers have come in that span as the Phillies, who have won eight of their last 10, are banking that Castellanos can continue to keep his bat perking up. Castellanos is slashing .207/.268/.571 with three home runs, 13 RBI, 16 runs, and a stolen base over 157 plate appearances in 2024.
--Brandon Williams - RotoBallerSource: Ben Silver, Main Line Today
6 days agoCincinnati Reds second baseman
Matt McLain (shoulder) has been cleared to resume throwing and running. McLain might be able to start swinging a bat in six weeks, which he said would help determine a clearer timeline for his rehab. Both McLain and manager David Bell have also reaffirmed that the goal is for the infielder to return this season. The 24-year-old former top prospect is recuperating from left shoulder surgery and isn't expected to be available until August at the earliest, and whether or not he's worth stashing in redraft fantasy leagues probably hinges on where you're sitting in the standings as we near the quarter mark of the campaign. Keep an eye on
Jonathan India, Cincy's everyday second baseman in McLain's absence, but the former National League Rookie of the Year is slashing a weak .210/.321/.303 with two home runs, 11 RBI, 12 runs scored, and three stolen bases over 140 trips to the plate (33 games) this season.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoSan Francisco Giants designated hitter
Jorge Soler (shoulder) began a hitting progression on Friday. Soler said that he was feeling "extremely well" and had no pain in his strained right shoulder on Wednesday. The fact that Soler didn't face a shutdown from baseball activities and is already hitting means he has a great chance of being activated from the 10-day injured list on May 15, when he's first eligible for reinstatement. Although the 32-year-old slugger was slashing a disappointing .202/.294/.361 with five home runs, four doubles, and eight RBI across 136 plate appearances (34 games) as San Fran's everyday DH before going down, he's worth stashing for fantasy managers in need of power stats. With Soler sidelined, veteran Wilmer Flores should continue operating the Giants' primary DH.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoWashington Nationals outfielder
Lane Thomas (knee) took batting practice on the field prior to Friday's game against the Boston Red Sox after doing so for the first time in his rehab on Tuesday at Nationals Park. Thomas has continued to run and throw as well, so the next step for him is to run the bases. Working his way back from a left MCL sprain that put him on the injured list on April 24, the 28-year-old outfielder still has a chance to return before the end of the month if he can begin a minor-league rehab assignment sometime in late May. Thomas is slashing a lackluster .184/.250/.253 with two home runs and 10 RBI over 87 at-bats (22 games) as Washington's primary right fielder this season, but his 11 stolen bases make him a must-stash asset in the majority of fantasy leagues.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Bobby Blanco - MASN Sports
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