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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6 days agoOakland Athletics infield prospect
Cooper Bowman went 1-for-4 on Tuesday for Double-A Midland, extending his hit streak to 17 games. The 24-year-old hit just .152 over his first 21 games with three extra-base hits (two HR), but during the 17-game hit streak he is slashing .357/.451/.629 with 11 extra-base hits (four HR). What has been a constant is his speed, having swiped eight bags during the initial slump and 11 during the breakout, for a total of 19 already on the season. Last season, the former fourth-round draft pick stole 35 bags at Double-A and 47 at High-A the season before. MLB.com's prospects list has an ETA of 2024 for Bowman, but he'll probably make a stop at Triple-A first. Zach Gelof has been unable to recreate the success he had in 2023, so there's certainly an opportunity for someone to fill the offensive void. It might be
Nick Allen at first, but later in the year it could be Bowman.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
6 days agoAtlanta Braves starting pitcher
Max Fried threw his second complete game of the season in Wednesday's victory on the road over the Chicago Cubs, allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits with a season-high nine strikeouts en route to his fourth win of the year. Fried needed 105 pitches to go the distance in Wednesday's masterful performance, carrying a bid for a perfect game into the sixth inning before
Ian Happ's leadoff double broke it up. Even though it's been an up-and-down campaign for the 30-year-old star left-hander, he owns a strong 3.38 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, and 48:20 K:BB with a career-best .197 average against through 10 starts overall (58 2/3 frames) for the Braves in 2024. Monday's series opener at home against the division-rival Washington Nationals marks Fried's next projected start. He gave up two runs over 9 1/3 innings (two starts) with a 9:1 K:BB against Washington in 2023.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoTampa Bay Rays starting pitcher
Shane Baz (elbow) looked sharp during his fourth minor-league rehab start with Triple-A Durham on Wednesday, giving up one run on three hits and three walks with four strikeouts over four innings. This was Baz's fourth start in the minors as he works his way back from Tommy John surgery, so there's an outside chance that his next appearance will come in the major-league rotation after tossing 76 pitches on Wednesday. In all likelihood, however, Baz will throw in one more rehab game before likely rejoining the Rays in early June. For his big-league career, the 24-year-old former top prospect sports an encouraging 4.02 ERA and 1.12 WHIP while punching out 48 and walking 12 through 40 1/3 frames (nine starts) for Tampa Bay. Baz is worth stashing in the majority of competitive fantasy leagues with his return on the horizon.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Durham Bulls on X
6 days agoMilwaukee Brewers outfielder
Garrett Mitchell (finger) will begin taking swings off a tee ahead of Friday's series opener against the Boston Red Sox. The next major steps would be for Mitchell to first log at-bats in the Arizona Complex League and then head out on a minor-league rehab assignment as he progresses from a fractured left index finger. Mitchell's goal is to return to the Brewers during a series against the Los Angeles Angels that begins on June 17. The speedy 25-year-old was in line to be Milwaukee's starting center fielder and leadoff hitter in 2024, and he could still slot into those roles upon his activation from the 60-day injured list. In 47 career major-league games, Mitchell is slashing a formidable .278/.343/.452 with five home runs, five doubles, 16 RBI, and nine stolen bases over 126 ABs. He's a decent stash in NL-only fantasy leagues with most of the club's outfielders struggling besides
Christian Yelich.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Todd Rosiak - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
6 days agoChicago Cubs relief pitcher
Adbert Alzolay (forearm) will be shut down from throwing for at least two weeks, manager Craig Counsell said on Wednesday. No surprise here, as Alzolay has gone for a second opinion on his strained right flexor. The Cubs will follow a conservative treatment plan for the 29-year-old right-hander, and while surgery is not off the table, they'll know more after his down time. After posting a poor 4.67 ERA with 13 strikeouts, six walks, and six home runs allowed in 18 games over 17 1/3 innings out of Chicago's bullpen this year and getting removed from the closer's role, Alzolay looks like a drop in shallow fantasy leagues and a weak stash in deeper formats.
Hector Neris owns a 2.50 ERA with six saves across 18 frames and is the current favorite for ninth-inning work in the Windy City.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Andy Martinez - Marquee Sports Network
6 days agoNew York Mets catcher
Francisco Alvarez (thumb) is scheduled to take batting practice when the club opens a homestand that begins on Friday, and he has been catching pitches with a splint inside his mitt. Alvarez is progressing well and perhaps ahead of schedule as he recuperates from ligament surgery in his left thumb, and he's still on course for a mid-to-late June return to the Mets. The 22-year-old slugging backstop was hitting just .236 (13-for-55) with one home run as New York's primary catcher before heading to the sidelines, but he did have four doubles and one stolen base over 16 games and is worth stashing in all fantasy leagues for his power upside at the catcher position. As long as Alvarez remains on the shelf, veterans
Omar Narvaez and
Tomas Nido will continue sharing work in a platoon for at-bats behind the dish.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Mike Puma - New York Post
6 days agoPhiladelphia Phillies shortstop
Trea Turner (hamstring) was taking grounders ahead of Wednesday's game versus the visiting Texas Rangers. Turner has been taking batting practice and also ran arcs in the outfield on Wednesday, which typically preludes running the bases, but he'll get a "pullback day" on Thursday before resuming his ramp-up during the club's weekend series against the Colorado Rockies. Although there's no timeline yet for Turner's return from a strained left hamstring, he could potentially begin a minor-league rehab assignment before the end of May and rejoin Philly's lineup as early as June 8 for the start of the Phillies' two-game series against the division-rival New York Mets in London.
Edmundo Sosa is worth a look in deep mixed or NL-only leagues in the interim, slashing .296/.406/.481 with one home run, eight RBI, 13 runs scored, and two stolen bases over 65 plate appearances this year.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: John Clark - NBC Sports Philadelphia
6 days agoKansas City Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia went 2-for-5 with two runs scored on Wednesday as the red-hot Royals won their sixth straight game at home to finish their sweep of the Tigers 8-3. After a monster game Tuesday night (4-for-5, three Runs), Garcia kept the good times rolling during the finale, extending his hitting streak to 10 games and chipping in a stolen base for good measure. Hitting over .300 for May, Garcia, a late-round sleeper in most drafts before the season, is making anyone who took a flier on him look pretty smart right about now. The young speedster is pacing towards a 15 HR/40 SB campaign, but with Bobby Witt Jr. and Salvador Perez batting behind him, don't be shocked if he finishes the year in the triple digits in runs scored.--Jay Skadooley - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
6 days agoMinnesota Twins outfielder Max Kepler significantly impacted the Twins' 3-2 win over the Nationals on Wednesday. The lefty went 2-4 with a solo homer in the second inning to put the Twins in front early. Kepler doubled in the ninth and came around to score again on a single from Ryan Jeffers, who proved to be the difference maker in this one. While the .311 batting average he's currently sporting doesn't seem sustainable over the long haul, Kepler will be a valuable source of HRs & RBI for fantasy managers as long as he can stay healthy.--Jay Skadooley - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
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