6 days agoSt. Louis Cardinals pitching prospect
Quinn Mathews is a former fourth-round pick just one month removed from his pro debut. The southpaw has a low-90s fastball and rounds out his repertoire with a curveball, slider, and changeup. Of those secondary options, the changeup is the best, though all three can be effective. Mathews flashed decent control in college and has racked up strikeouts so far this year. He also struggled with walks in his pro debut but has seemed to harness his control since then. Last week, Mathews delivered six scoreless innings, allowing three hits and striking out 13 batters along the way. He's averaging more than two strikeouts per inning this season, and he also hasn't allowed an earned run since his pro debut back on April 5 (two runs, one earned). Keep an eye on Mathews, who could push to make his MLB debut sometime next year.
--Andersen Pickard - RotoBallerSource: FanGraphs
6 days agoArizona Diamondbacks third base prospect
Deyvison De Los Santos was snatched by the Guardians in December's Rule 5 draft but returned to Arizona this spring. He has seen his prospect stock drop lately (he was MLB Pipeline's No. 5 Diamondbacks prospect
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6 days agoCleveland Guardians pitching prospect Matt Wilkinson's total minor-league appearances can be counted on one hand, but that doesn't detract from his excellence ever since the club selected him in the 10th round of last year's draft. He gets plenty of spin on his fastball, which he commands quite well. He can also locate his slider and changeup, both of which are effective secondary offerings. Wilkinson's big run in the minors technically started with a scoreless relief appearance last season when he struck out all three batters he faced. However, he's already seen much more action in 2024, remaining nearly unhittable through four phenomenal starts. In his latest outing last week, Wilkinson tossed six hitless innings, surrendering just one walk while striking out 15 batters. The 270-pound southpaw nicknamed "Tugboat" might ride the wave to High-A sooner rather than later.
--Andersen Pickard - RotoBallerSource: FanGraphs
6 days agoLos Angeles Dodgers outfield prospect
Ryan Ward is a power-first player whose claim to fame is that he hits a lot of home runs. The former eight-round pick went yard 76 times from 2021 through 2023 and is hitting homers at an even
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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 gets 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 10 batters and allowing just one hit over seven scoreless innings. He has looked brilliant at the High-A level this year, never allowing more than two runs in a single outing. If he continues to pitch well, he could earn a promotion to Double-A by the end of May.
--Andersen Pickard - RotoBallerSource: FanGraphs
6 days agoArizona Diamondbacks first baseman
Christian Walker played hero for the club in Tuesday's victory against the division rival Los Angeles Dodgers. The slugger went 3-for-5 with two homers, including a walk-off, two-run homer off
Nabil Crismatt in the bottom of the 10th inning. Walker is now hitting .283 with seven homers and 22 RBI over his first 113 at-bats. Even at age 33, Walker continues to remain an underrated player with his ability to hit for plenty of power without sinking ones batting average. He should be rostered in most formats and will look to keep it going on Wednesday when the Diamondbacks finish their series against the Dodgers and ace
Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
--Daniel Burdeen - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoSeattle Mariners closer
Andres Munoz recorded his fifth save of the season versus the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday evening. Munoz was summoned to get the final five outs of the ballgame and he did so with three strikeouts. He also allowed a hit and a walk. Munoz has a fantastic swing-and-miss arsenal and now has a 2.25 ERA to go along with 12 K/9. If there has been one blemish for Munoz, it has been that he has walked seven batters in 12 innings of work, but his ability to rack up strikeouts has helped him get out of any jams. He should be rostered in all formats moving as one of the better closers in the league.
--Daniel Burdeen - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoReturning from the 15-day injured list on Tuesday, San Diego Padres starting pitcher
Yu Darvish did not miss a beat. Darvish tossed five innings and allowed three hits with no runs or walks and three strikeouts against the Cincinnati Reds. It was Darvish's first start since April 14 as he dealt with neck stiffness. Darvish had a bit of a down season in 2023, but he has bounced back so far in 2023 with a 3.45 ERA over his first 28 2/3 innings. His strikeouts are down at the moment versus his career numbers, but there is still plenty of time for that to improve. Darvish is worth rostering in all formats and will face the Chicago Cubs early next week.
--Daniel Burdeen - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoCincinnati Reds corner infielder
Jeimer Candelario went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Tuesday's loss against the San Diego Padres. The round tripper was the third of the season for the offseason acquisition. Candelario has struggled early on with his new club to the tune of a .189 batting average and nine RBI. Candelario has been a good source of pop in the past, but he has not been hitting the ball hard this season and the results have shown. It is still early enough in the season to be patient, but managers in smaller leagues can think about swapping him out for a player swinging a hot bat or one with more upside at this point.
--Daniel Burdeen - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoSan Diego Padres closer
Robert Suarez worked a perfect 1-2-3 inning to secure his 10th save of the season on Tuesday versus the Cincinnati Reds. Suarez recorded one strikeout and lowered his ERA to a pristine 0.71 on the season. Suarez has been dominant out of the bullpen for the Padres and hasn't made the club miss former closer
Josh Hader, who left to sign with the Houston Astros this offseason. Suarez hasn't struck out many batters this season with 11 in 12 2/3 innings, but he continues to get the job done and should be rostered in all formats.
--Daniel Burdeen - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoMinnesota Twins catcher
Ryan Jeffers went 1-for-3 on Tuesday versus the Chicago White Sox. Jeffers lone hit was a single, but he has quietly been putting together a strong campaign behind the dish. The 26-year-old is hitting .295 and has five homers with 17 RBI. Managers couldn't ask for more from behind the dish and Jeffers is delivering it at a much lower price than other top tier catchers. The backstop hasn't been hitting the ball hard and his average exit velocity is a weak 83.9, so managers should expect a regression in the future. Despite that, Jeffers makes good contact with nice pop in his bat, so he should continue to be valuable throughout the season. Jeffers should remain rostered in most 10-team leagues moving forward.
--Daniel Burdeen - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoOakland Athletics closer
Mason Miller continued to flash his electric stuff in Tuesday's 5-2 win over the Pirates, picking up his eighth save of the season. Miller entered to pitch the top of the ninth inning up by three and struck out the side to end the game. The 25-year-old has been stellar to this point, converting all of his save opportunities with a 1.35 ERA and an 18.90 K/9 rate. His strikeout upside alone provides fantasy value, and he should continue to be a solid fantasy contributor if the A's keep playing relatively well.
--Connelly Doan - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoHouston Astros closer
Josh Hader put the work in to earn his first win of the season in Tuesday's 8-9 extra-innings win over the Guardians. Hader came in to pitch the top of the ninth inning with the game tied. He allowed a leadoff walk but got the next three hitters out. He allowed the automatic runner to score in the 10th inning off a double but escaped otherwise. The Astros walked it off in the bottom half of the inning, making Hader the pitcher of record. His final stat line was one unearned run in two innings of work on one hit and one walk with four strikeouts. Hader has been inconsistent to this point and is now 1-2 with two saves, a 6.39 ERA, a 14.92 K/9 rate, and a 4.26 BB/9 rate in 12 2.3 IP.
--Connelly Doan - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoHouston Astros catcher
Victor Caratini played the hero in Tuesday's 9-8 extra-innings win over the Guardians. Caratini came into the game to pinch-hit in the bottom of the 10th inning with the game tied, two outs, and a runner on third. He lined a fastball just over the right-center wall to end the game. The 30-year-old has hit well in limited playing time, slashing .314/.368/.571 with two HR and eight RBI in 38 plate appearances. He will likely need to get more frequent at-bats before he can provide meaningful fantasy value in deeper two-catcher leagues.
--Connelly Doan - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoToronto Blue Jays starting pitcher
Jose Berrios pitched well but took the loss in Tuesday's 4-1 game against the Royals. Berrios pitched seven innings, allowing two runs on five hits (including a two-run home run) and a walk with three strikeouts. He also hit a batter. The 29-year-old has been excellent overall this season, going 4-2 with a 1.44 ERA in seven starts and 43 2/3 IP. He will look to keep things going in his next start, which will likely be at the Phillies.
--Connelly Doan - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
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