10 mins agoThe long-awaited arrival of
Forrest Whitley was short-lived. Houston's 2016 first-round draft pick and former top pitching prospect has battled injuries over the years but finally got the call, only to face five batters in Tuesday's 6-2 loss to the Braves before being sent back down to Triple-A. The righty allowed a double, a walk, and hit a batter, but was able to record two outs in the inning. Even when healthy, Whitley hasn't been very effective, so we'll see where he goes from here. He's still just 26 years old, so perhaps a change of scenery would serve him well. For fantasy, however, he remains irrelevant.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Chandler Rome
29 mins agoArizona Diamondbacks designated hitter
Joc Pederson homered for the second straight game in Wednesday's 5-3 loss to the Cubs. Pederson came on to pinch hit in the sixth for
Blaze Alexander, lining out to first in his initial at-bat before homering in the next at-bat in the bottom of the ninth off of lefty
Drew Smyly. Pederson is off to a solid start this season, hitting .333 (11-for-33) with two doubles, two home runs, five RBI, and seven runs scored. Last season, Pederson saw an increase in his BB% by 3.7% over the prior year, up to 13.4%, and it appears he's brought the keen eye into 2024, having walked nine times while striking out just once. The result is a superb .467 OBP thus far.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
3 hours agoChicago Cubs outfield prospect
Kevin Alcantara went 2-for-4 with a home run on Wednesday for Double-A Tennessee. The home run would be the first of the year for the 21-year-old. Alcantara has been off to a very slow start this year, hitting just .086 with a stolen base and hopefully Wednesday round-tripper will get him going. It is only nine games in, so there is no concern for the talented outfielder. Alcantara offers loads of potential and the power should continue to blossom as his body fills out, but he needs to become more disciplined at the dish to reach his full potential. The Cubs have plenty of outfield depth throughout their system, but Alcantara has arguably the most upside. If he can improve his vision at the plate, Alcantara could be a star at the next level. Dynasty managers should consider Alcantara moving forward.
--Daniel Burdeen - RotoBallerSource: Milb.com
3 hours agoChicago Cubs shortstop prospect
Matt Shaw is a name for dynasty managers to take note of, as he has been on fire to open the season for Double-A Tennessee. The Cubs first-round pick of 2023 had a great Spring Training with the club
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3 hours agoDetroit Tigers outfield prospect
Max Clark went 3-for-5 with four RBI for Single-A Lakeland on Wednesday. Clark now has 10 RBI on the season, but is still searching for his first home run. The 19-year-old was the third overall pick in the 2023 draft and is a consensus Top-15 prospect. Clark possesses the ability to hit for contact, swipe bases and play great defense, but he still needs to improve his power. As his body fills out and he ascends through the Tigers system, the power could start developing. Although he is a few years away from helping redraft managers, he is a name that should be strongly considered in dynasty leagues.
--Daniel Burdeen - RotoBallerSource: Milb.com
4 hours agoChicago White Sox pitching prospect
Jonathan Cannon earned a no-decision in his big-league debut on Wednesday versus the Kansas City Royals. Cannon, 23, was the first pitcher in the 2022 draft to make his way to the show and he put together a solid performance. Over five innings, Cannon allowed three hits, one run, one walk and struck out three. The 6'6, right-hander held his own on Wednesday and with the White Sox rostering one of the worst rosters in professional sports, it would make sense for the club to keep Cannon on the roster to develop. For now, Cannon is only a name for the watch-list. He is tentatively lined up to face the Minnesota Twins next week and best suited remaining on the waiver wire.
--Daniel Burdeen - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
4 hours agoArizona Diamondbacks shortstop prospect
Tommy Troy went 1-for-4 on Wednesday for High-A Hillsboro. His lone hit would be his first home run of the season. Although he is hitting .188 to start the season, it is nice to see him improving after recovering from a fractured foot this summer. The 12th overall pick in the 2023 draft, Troy offers good bat-to-ball skills to go along with good plate discipline. Troy also plays variety infield positions which should help him ascend throughout the minor league system. For now, the consensus Top-100 prospect is a name for dynasty managers to keep tabs on, but he is a few years away from making an impact in redraft leagues.
--Daniel Burdeen - RotoBallerSource: Milb.com
10 hours agoPhiladelphia Phillies shortstop
Trea Turner extended his hitting streak to seven games as his team held on for a 7-6 win over the Colorado Rockies, going 3-for-5 with a solo home run and two runs scored. Turner went back-to-back with teammate
Kyle Schwarber with a long ball as the Phils ambushed Rockies right-hander
Ryan Feltner for four runs in the first inning, later doubling to lead off the fifth and scoring a run during the frame. The 32-year-old fantasy superstar is off to a much better start than that of his Philly debut season in 2023, now slashing a potent .329/.386/.487 with two big flies, six RBI, 12 runs scored, and seven stolen bases through 19 outings in 2024 following Wednesday's three-hit attack. Turner looks to stay hot during an upcoming weekend series at home versus the Chicago White Sox. In six games against Chicago since 2022, Turner is hitting .292 with two homers, four RBI, and three thefts across 22 at-bats.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: ESPN.com
10 hours agoLos Angeles Angels outfielder
Mike Trout continued his strong start to the 2024 campaign with a solo home run in Wednesday's 5-4 win over the Tampa Bay Rays, also drawing an intentional walk in the ninth inning. Trout homered to deep right center in the first inning to get the Halos into the scoring column, which was already his eighth round-tripper of the young season. The 32-year-old perennial All-Star has been excellent so far this year, slashing .282/.363/.690 with an American League-high eight homers, 11 RBI, 12 runs scored, and three stolen bases while returning early-round numbers in all fantasy settings. His RBI upside will likely be held back by Anaheim's underwhelming lineup all season long, but the swipes are a welcome sight after the oft-injured Trout stole only three bags across 201 games from 2022 to 2023. After Thursday's series finale against the Rays, Trout gets a three-game series at the hitter-friendly Great American Ball Park.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: ESPN.com
10 hours agoBoston Red Sox starting pitcher
Tanner Houck spun a complete-game shutout in Wednesday's 2-0 victory over the visiting Cleveland Guardians, going the distance on just 94 pitches while giving up only three singles. This one wrapped up in just one hour and 49 minutes, which should give you an idea as to just how efficient Houck was on Wednesday. He threw 69 pitches for strikes and fanned nine on his way to posting his third win of the 2024 season. The 27-year-old right-hander is thriving in a starting role for the BoSox thus far, boasting a 1.35 ERA and 0.90 WHIP with a sparkling 28:2 K:BB covering 26 2/3 frames (four starts) to this point. Houck will square off with these same Guardians at Progressive Field sometime next week. In 14 innings against Cleveland since 2022, he now has a strong 1.93 ERA with 13 punchouts.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: ESPN.com
10 hours agoPhiladelphia Phillies starting pitcher
Cristopher Sanchez fanned 10 Colorado Rockies en route to his first win of the 2024 campaign on Wednesday, firing six scoreless innings on five hits and one walk in the 7-6 victory. Spotted to an early four-run lead, Sanchez mostly cruised through Colorado's lineup on Wednesday.
Brenton Doyle reached on
Alec Bohm's fielding error in the opening frame, so
Ezequiel Tovar's score went down as an unearned run. The 27-year-old southpaw will take a strong 2.53 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, and 25:8 K:BB across 21 1/3 frames (four starts) into his next appearance that's slated for Tuesday at the Great American Ball Park against the Cincinnati Reds, which is a tough matchup for fantasy purposes.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: ESPN.com
10 hours agoSeattle Mariners starting pitcher
Bryce Miller shut down the Cincinnati Reds while tallying a win in Wednesday's 5-1 victory, tossing six innings of one-run ball on one hit with seven strikeouts. Reds star
Elly De La Cruz may have taken Miller deep in the second inning, but the hurler was perfect for his other five frames otherwise. Following the 25-year-old former top prospect's brilliant day on the mound, he sports a shiny 1.85 ERA, 0.82 WHIP, and 24:7 K:BB over 24 1/3 frames (four starts). Miller's next start lines up for next Wednesday on the road against the defending-champion Texas Rangers, who torched him for 13 runs in seven innings last season. Fantasy managers in season-long leagues will have a difficult decision to make for that one, but Miller might be throwing too well to sit right now.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: ESPN.com
10 hours agoMinnesota Twins outfield prospect
Gabriel Gonzalez went 3-for-3 on Wednesday for High-A Cedar Rapids. Two of the hits were doubles, he walked once, drove in two, scored twice, and stole two bases. Despite the big day at the plate, his batting average stands at .250 on the young season, but hopefully this breakout game is a sign of things to come for MLB's 72nd overall prospect. The Twins' fourth-ranked prospect hit .348 in Single-A over 73 games in 2023, but just .215 in 43 games at High-A. On the plus side he hit nine home runs at each stop, totaling 18, and he's still only 20 years old so there's time to grow into more power.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
10 hours agoChicago White Sox starting pitcher
Erick Fedde recorded the win in the second game of Wednesday's twin bill against the division-rival Kansas City Royals, striking out five over 5 2/3 scoreless innings in the 2-1 victory. Fedde gave up three hits and three walks, and the ChiSox scratched a run during the fourth inning to help get Fedde his first win of the 2024 season. The 31-year-old right-hander has a solid 3.10 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, and 19:5 K:BB across 20 1/3 innings (four starts) so far this year. Fedde's next start is scheduled to come at Target Field on Tuesday against ace
Pablo Lopez and the Minnesota Twins, when he'll be worthy of streaming consideration in fantasy baseball versus an injury-riddled offense that's scored the third-fewest runs (58) in baseball through 17 games.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: ESPN.com
10 hours agoPhiladelphia Phillies designated hitter
Kyle Schwarber bashed two home runs to help complete a series sweep of the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday, gathering three RBI in the 7-6 win. In a four-run first inning against Rockies right-hander
Ryan Feltner, Schwarber homered to deep right before greeting
Peter Lambert in the sixth frame with a two-run blast to make a 7-1 ballgame. Fantasy managers who drafted the 31-year-old three-true-outcomes slugger probably know the deal already; Schwarber is hitting just .230 (17-for-44) but is making up for it with five homers, nine RBI, 13 runs scored and 10 walks in his first 19 games of the season. A big weekend could be in store for Schwarber, as he'll get a three-game series at home against a Chicago White Sox club that holds the seventh-worst ERA (4.46) and sixth-worst WHIP (1.40) in the major leagues this year. He did go hitless in 10 at-bats against Chicago last year, though.
--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Yahoo Sports
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