6 days agoNew York Yankees outfielder
Aaron Judge racked up a season-high eight total bases in Wednesday's 9-4 win over the visiting Houston Astros, homering and doubling with three RBI. Judge clobbered his eighth home run of the campaign in the third inning, later lining a two-run double in the sixth frame. Although the 32-year-old former American League MVP endured a sluggish start to the year, he's batting a stratospheric .385 with four bombs, four two-baggers, 11 RBI, and nine runs scored in his last 11 games since April 27. Judge looks to keep his foot on the gas during a three-game set against the division-rival Tampa Bay Rays beginning on Friday, but in 13 games against the Rays since 2023, he's hitting just .146 with two blasts and five RBI.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoTampa Bay Rays outfield prospect
Chandler Simpson went 4-for-5 with two runs scored and two more stolen bases on Tuesday for High-A Bowling Green. That brings his stolen base total to 25 on the year through just 23 games, good for most in all of the minor leagues. After stealing 94 last season, the 23-year-old is showing he can hit too, batting .359 on the year. The left-handed hitter has also shown a keen eye at the plate, collecting 13 walks with 13 strikeouts. We likely won't be seeing Simpson in Tampa until sometime in 2025, but with speed like that he should certainly be on dynasty managers' radar.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
6 days agoNew York Yankees outfielder
Juan Soto collected a season-high five RBI in Wednesday's 9-4 win over the visiting Houston Astros, going 3-for-5 with a home run in the victory. Soto clubbed his ninth homer of the season off Astros right-hander
Spencer Arrighetti in the first inning for two runs, later driving in three more amidst the rout. The 25-year-old perennial Silver Slugger hasn't stopped raking since joining the Yankees, including spring training, now slashing a tremendous .338/.437/.586 with nine long balls, seven doubles, 33 RBI, and four stolen bases over 174 trips to the plate (38 games) in the 2024 regular season as New York's everyday right fielder. The Tampa Bay Rays are up next for Soto during a three-game series starting on Friday. In six games against the Rays since 2023, Soto is hitting just .150 (3-for-20) with one big fly, one double, and four RBI.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoWashington Nationals outfield prospect
James Wood smacked two home runs on Wednesday for Triple-A Rochester, extending his hit streak to five games. The home runs were his third and fourth of the season and first since a two-homer game back on April 11. The 21-year-old is making a push for a call-up to the big league club after a sensational spring training and is now slashing .339/.444/.529 at Triple-A with eight stolen bases. Expect to see baseball's 12th-ranked prospect in D.C. by the end of June, but possibly sooner, and not only should he already be on dynasty squads, managers that have an open bench spot could start thinking about stashing him in season-long formats.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
6 days agoAfter
Jorge Soler was placed on the 10-Day IL, the San Francisco Giants recalled outfielder
Heliot Ramos from Triple-A Sacramento on Wednesday. Ramos was immediately slotted into the lineup for the Giants and went 1-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored batting out of the seventh spot in the order. The 24-year-old has seen a limited amount of action with the Giants before in parts of 2022 and 2023, but this is his first action of 2024. He hadn't done much of anything with his prior 82 plate appearances in the majors, but was hitting well for Sacramento so far this season before the call-up, slashing .296/.388/.565 with eight home runs, 21 RBI, 23 runs scored, and a pair of stolen bases in 30 games played. Hopefully he can get things going while Soler is out and perhaps make a push to stick around this time. The right-handed hitter should remain on the waiver wire for now.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
6 days agoThe Cincinnati Reds promoted pitching prospect
Rhett Lowder to Double-A Chattanooga on Wednesday. Lowder was the Reds' first-round draft pick from 2023 and has quickly become a highly-ranked prospect. The righty is the Reds' highest-rated pitching prospect and is ranked 30th overall by MLB.com. Lowder was having a great season so far at High-A, going 2-0 with a 2.49 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, and a 22.5% K-BB% over five starts. With his type of stuff there's a chance the 22-year-old sees the big leagues this season, albeit much later in the season, so he should certainly be on dynasty managers' radar.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
6 days agoThe St. Louis Cardinals have recalled catcher
Pedro Pages from Triple-A Memphis to work as the backup to
Ivan Herrera after
Willson Contreras was placed on the IL. Pages was penciled into the eighth spot in the lineup Wednesday night before the game was postponed due to rain. The game will be made up August 5, so we'll see who gets the start Thursday against the Brewers and RHP
Tobias Myers. Pages offers little fantasy relevance at this point, although he's got some power as he hit 16 home runs in 2023 over 117 games at Double-A, and he posts solid BB% numbers which provide a solid OBP. The 25-year-old does have four major league plate appearances, however, whenever he does draw a start it will be his first in the big leagues.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: St. Louis Cardinals on X
6 days agoSeattle Mariners outfielder
Lazaro Montes was once a highly regarded international prospect who ultimately signed with the club in 2022. He possesses solid discipline and awareness at the plate, but he really makes his mark in the power department, slugging homers left and right. On the other hand, his defense is holding him back and will likely require him to play left field, first base, or designated hitter long-term. Montes went on a tear last week, hitting 10-for-22 (.454) with three homers, 14 RBI, four walks, and three strikeouts. These statistics are amazing, and even if Montes can't quite replicate them again going forward, he has certainly shown the Mariners organization that he could be a superstar hitter someday. For now, don't be surprised if Montes earns a promotion to Double-A.
--Andersen Pickard - RotoBallerSource: FanGraphs
6 days agoSeattle Mariners starting pitcher Will Schomberg signed with the club as a non-drafted free agent out of Davidson in 2022 and is already making waves as an impactful prospect in the depths of the farm system. The right-handed hurler has flashed decent velocity with his fastball and gets good movement on his slider. One of his biggest weaknesses is allowing fly balls and other loud contact. In fact, he owns a measly 29.4 percent walk rate so far this season. This past week, Schomberg was quite effective. He tossed six full innings, allowing zero runs, zero hits, and just one walk. He also found the zone quite often, finishing his day with double-digit strikeouts. If Schomberg can continue to grow his K/BB rate while keeping his ERA in check, he'll earn a promotion very quickly.
--Andersen Pickard - RotoBallerSource: FanGraphs
6 days agoAtlanta Braves infield prospect
E.J. Exposito is a former 16th-round pick who played college ball at Long Island University. He has decent contact and power skills, continuing to spray the ball to all parts of the field and showing legitimate pop. Defensively, he offers the Braves versatility in the infield. While he'll likely play second base long-term, he's already seen plenty of action at first base, third base, and shortstop, too. Last week was huge for Exposito as he ultimately hit 11-for-23 (.478) with three home runs and five RBI. He also contributed plenty of value on the basepaths by stealing five bases on five attempts last week. The 23-year-old's biggest weakness is his tendency to strike out (3.0 K/BB last week), which he'll need to address before any potential promotion.
--Andersen Pickard - RotoBallerSource: FanGraphs
6 days agoBaltimore Orioles pitching prospect
Chayce McDermott, dealt from Houston to Baltimore in the
Trey Mancini trade, is a former fourth-round pick who gets good velocity behind his fastball, slider, and curveball. The jury is still out on whether McDermott will be a starter or reliever in Baltimore, but he can help his case by developing a fourth offering (changeup) and drastically improving his control. Pitching last Friday, McDermott went 6.2 innings, allowing zero runs, zero hits, and just two walks. He also attacked the strike zone, finishing his outing with a whopping 11 strikeouts, good for an average of 1.65 per inning.
--Andersen Pickard - RotoBallerSource: FanGraphs
6 days agoWashington Nationals outfielder
Robert Hassell III is a former first-round pick who was flipped to Washington during the trade that made
Juan Soto a Padre. The talented left-hander gets good speed behind each of his swings while
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6 days agoLos Angeles Angels closer
Carlos Estevez nailed down his sixth save of the season in Wednesday's 5-4 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates, slamming the door with two strikeouts in a clean ninth inning. Working on back-to-back days, Estevez continued his encouraging start to the month of May with another scoreless appearance after yielding seven runs with two blown saves across 7 2/3 innings during a rough April. The 31-year-old right-hander owns a dodgy 5.06 ERA through 10 2/3 frames on the season as a whole, but he's remarkably walked zero while striking out 13 over 11 appearances. Estevez is an unrestricted free agent next year, so the 14-23 Halos could opt to move the veteran reliever at the trade deadline later this summer. He'll be an obvious sell-high candidate in fantasy as we get closer to July.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoChicago White Sox closer
Michael Kopech locked down Wednesday's 4-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays, firing a scoreless ninth inning to secure the victory. Kopech got
Randy Arozarena to fly out before giving up a single to
Harold Ramirez, but the hurler managed to induce a game-ending double play out of
Isaac Paredes. It's been a mixed bag from the hard-throwing 28-year-old right-hander as a reliever for the last-place ChiSox this season, but he does have three saves as well as a serviceable 3.93 ERA and 1.25 WHIP while fanning 25 and walking 10 over 18 1/3 frames as Chicago's preferred ninth-inning weapon. Rookie righty
Jordan Leasure and veteran
John Brebbia are also in the mix for save opportunities on the South Side, making Kopech a fringe hold in fantasy leagues for saves desperados.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoToronto Blue Jays starting pitcher
Chris Bassitt delivered an outstanding performance in Wednesday's 5-3 victory on the road over the Philadelphia Phillies, striking out six and allowing just two runs on three hits and two walks for his third win of the season. That's back-to-back quality starts now for Bassitt, who was hammered for seven runs at the hands of the Los Angeles Dodgers in his prior appearance on April 26. The 35-year-old veteran right-hander still has work to do to enhance his 5.06 ERA, 1.55 WHIP, and 40:20 K:BB through 42 2/3 frames (eight starts) for the Jays this season, but he's certainly trending in the right direction. Tuesday's scheduled start against the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards unfortunately looks like a nightmarish spot for Bassitt, who went 0-2 and gave up 12 runs across nine innings (two starts) against Baltimore a year ago.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
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