5 days agoBaltimore Orioles prospect Heston Kjerstad went 1-for-5 with a double for the Norfolk Tides against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Sunday. Kjerstad is hitting .233 with a home run and six RBI in June. After a brief stint with the Orioles in which he was 2-for-14 in limited playing time, Kjerstad is back in Triple-A, refining his game. Despite a slight dip in June, the 25-year-old has been very consistent at Triple-A this season with a .310 batting average and a 1.033 OPS. His 14 homers and 50 RBI show he can hit for power when given the opportunity. The Orioles have shown a willingness to promote young prospects this season, as seen with Jackson Holliday, Connor Norby, and Kjerstad himself. Kjerstad's power potential and a potential spot in the potent Orioles' lineup make him one of the top minor league stashes for fantasy managers.--Brian BuckeySource: MILB.com
5 days agoSeattle Mariners first base prospect
Tyler Locklear went 1-for-4 with a double and RBI in his big-league debut versus the Kansas City Royals on Sunday. Locklear was promoted to the big-leagues on Sunday with first baseman
Ty France (heel) landing on the 10-day injured list. Manager Scott Servais alluded to the fact that the club brought Locklear up to play and that is encouraging to fantasy managers that roster the teams No. 8 prospect. Locklear has been consistent throughout his minor league career and between Double-A and Triple-A this season has hit .293 with nine homer and 33 RBI. The opportunity appears to be there for Locklear and he is a worth a flier in deeper mixed leagues and dynasty platforms.
--Daniel Burdeen - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoChicago White Sox catcher prospect
Edgar Quero went 2-for-2 with a pair of walks and a solo home run on Sunday for Double-A Birmingham. The home run would be his second in as many games. Quero, the No.4 prospect for the White Sox has been putting big numbers in Birmingham with a .273 batting average to go along with 10 homers and 42 RBI. Quero was acquired from the Angels last trade deadline for
Lucas Giolito, in what already looks like a very promising deal on the White Sox end. The Cuban backstop has now appeared in 153 games in Double-A and with his success, a promotion to Triple-A Charlotte before the end of the season seems in play. The 22-year-old is a consensus Top-10 prospect behind the dish and managers in dynasty leagues should start to take notice.
--Daniel Burdeen - RotoBallerSource: Milb.com
5 days agoPhiladelphia Phillies outfield prospect
Justin Crawford has been on fire for High-A Jersey Shore. Over his last four games, Crawford has gone 10-for-20 with one home run, seven RBI and a stolen base with Sunday marking his fourth straight game with multiple hits. The Phillies No. 4 prospect per MLB Pipeline is now hitting .293 with 10 doubles, four homers, 24 RBI and 20 stolen bases. Crawford is the son of
Carl Crawford and lately has been putting up numbers like he his dad did for years in the big leagues. He has also changed his approach at the plate this season and has seen more success on flyballs, leading to less groundballs. Crawford seems to be clicking on all cylinders this season and has become a name that dynasty managers should start scouting more as he is projected to be in the big leagues by 2026.
--Daniel Burdeen - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoAfter an impressive start to professional career this season at Single-A Clearwater, the Philadelphia Phillies have rewarded pitching prospect
George Klassen with a promotion to High-A Jersey Shore. Klassen, 22, is looking like a steal as a sixth-round pick in 2023 early in his career and has pitched to a miniscule 0.71 ERA with 57 strikeouts and 12 walks in 38 innings over his first nine starts. Klassen underwent Tommy John in 2021 and missing so much time could be a reason that the Phillies were able to get him so late in the draft, but so far, the right-hander has looked like an excellent pick. Klassen has a fast delivery and can hit triple-digits on the mound. He also throws a changeup, curveball and slider. Klassen is a couple years away from a potential debut and a name for dynasty league managers to start keeping an eye on.
--Daniel Burdeen - RotoBallerSource: Chase Ford
5 days agoThe Pittsburgh Pirates will promote pitching prospect
Braxton Ashcraft from Double-A Altoona to Triple-A Indianapolis. The 2018, second-round pick has pitched well for Altoona this season and has been on a roll lately with a 1.89 ERA over his last six starts. On the season, Ashcraft is 2-2 with a 3.69 ERA in 11 games (10 starts). The former second-round pick in 2018 has certainly earned his promotion to Indianapolis. Ashcraft is on the Pirates 40-man roster and that gives him an increased chance of making it to the big-leagues at some point in 2024. For now, Ashcraft is only a name for dynasty managers to monitor as he takes the next step in his career.
--Daniel Burdeen - RotoBallerSource: Alex Stumpf
5 days agoChicago Cubs closer
Hector Neris slammed the door on the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday, pitching a perfect ninth inning to pick up his ninth save. Neris struck out a pair of Reds and didn't allow a baserunner in this one. Although he's given up his share of baserunners, the 34-year-old has been able to avoid damage for most of the season and has earned saves in 9 of his 11 opportunities. He has also picked up six wins, which may not be sustainable but is nonetheless a huge boon for his fantasy owners. He should maintain his role as the Cubs closer for the foreseeable future.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoNew York Mets reliever
Drew Smith came in for the final two outs of Sunday's game in London against the Philadelphia Phillies and earned himself a save in a 6-5 win. Smith came in with two runners on and promptly put himself in a difficult position by allowing a hit and a walk to let a run in and load the bases. The 30-year-old then got
Nick Castellanos to hit a weak tapper in front of the plate that catcher
Luis Torrens was able to make a terrific play on and turn a double play, ending the game. The Mets bullpen is a mess right now, and with
Edwin Diaz coming back next week it isn't worth picking up anyone in it.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoLos Angeles Angels catcher Logan O'Hoppe had a monster game Sunday, leading the Angels to a 9-7 win over the Houston Astros. O'Hoppe went 4-for-5 with three runs, two RBI, a stolen base, and a walk-off two-run homer off
Josh Hader in the ninth. The 24-year-old has maintained a solid pace throughout this season, slashing .269/.322/.446 with 27 runs, eight homers, 28 RBI, and a stolen base. It's not a huge stat line, but for a catcher it's certainly better than average. He is a low-end option in one-catcher leagues but has the upside to become more.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoChicago Cubs outfielder
Ian Happ came up big on Sunday, going 1-for-3 with two walks, three RBI, and two steals in a 4-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds. Happ also threw out the would-be tying run at second base in the seventh inning to kill a Reds rally. The 29-year-old has been mostly disappointing after a strong 2023, but maybe a big game like this can point him in the right direction. He has just a .222 AVG with 31 runs, six homers, 30 RBI, and five steals on the season, and has become a points-league specialist at this point.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoBoston Red Sox outfielder
Jarren Duran filled up the stat sheet on Sunday, going 1-for-4 with a walk, three runs scored, and a stolen base in a 6-4 win over the Chicago White Sox. Duran's hit was a triple, giving him a league-leading 11 on the season. With four swipes in his last three games, Duran has finally provided some much-needed speed to his fantasy owners after going 14 games without a steal. The 27-year-old speedster needs to continue stealing bases to provide good value in category leagues since he isn't much of a power threat. Still, he should be a valuable contributor in runs, stolen bases, and possibly average for the rest of the season.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoDetroit Tigers left-handed pitcher
Tarik Skubal continued his dominant season on Sunday, earning his eighth win in a 10-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers. Skubal went 6 ⅔ innings in this one, allowing just one run on five hits and two walks. His 10 strikeouts mark the second time he's hit double digits this season, and he is now up to 96 K's in 79 ⅔ IP. On top of the elite swing-and-miss stuff, Skubal has a 1.92 ERA and 0.89 WHIP, making him the clear A.L. Cy Young favorite and a fantasy MVP at this point in the season.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoBaltimore Orioles catcher
Adley Rutschman continued his hot June on Sunday, going 3-for-5 with a run, a homer, and six RBI. His grand slam in the eighth ended any hopes Tampa had at a comeback, and the O's ended up winning 9-2. Rutschman is now hitting .359 with six runs, three homers, and 12 RBI in nine June games. For the season, the 26-year-old has a .306 AVG with 35 runs, 13 homers, 49 RBI, and a stolen base. He has lived up to his high ADP thus far and should remain a top-tier catcher for the rest of the season, especially in points leagues.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoKansas City Royals starting pitcher
Cole Ragans dominated the Seattle Mariners on Sunday, striking out nine over six innings of one-run ball in a 6-5 extra-innings loss. Ragans did all he could to get a win in this one, allowing just three hits and a walk, but the bullpen let him down. Outside of a couple blow-up starts, the 2023 breakout has lived up to expectations and then some this season. He now owns a 3.08 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, and 98 strikeouts in 79 IP. He should be treated as a fantasy ace at this point.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoToronto Blue Jays utility player
Isiah Kiner-Falefa went 2-for-3 with a double and five RBI on Sunday, leading the Jays to a 6-4 extra-innings win over the Oakland Athletics. Kiner-Falefa drove in a pair with a single in the second inning and then cleared the bases with a double in the tenth to put the Jays in front for good. IKF has carved out an everyday role with the Jays, starting 21 straight games and hitting safely in 16 of his last 18 games. Still, he doesn't have much fantasy value outside of the deepest leagues.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
RADIO
