I’ll be running down everything that caught my eye in the Dynasty Baseball world on most Mondays (Tuesday in this case) throughout the season here on the Brick Wall. The rest of the week you can catch my Rundowns on the Patreon. Here is the Tuesday Monday Morning Dynasty Baseball Rundown (5/28/24):

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR TONS OF EXCLUSIVE CONTENT ALL SEASON, INCLUDING:
-MAY TOP 414 DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKS (5/24/24)
-MAY TOP 301 PROSPECTS RANKS (5/10/23)
-HALP’S DYNASTY BASEBALL PODCAST: MAY MAILBAG! (coming this week)
-TONS OF DYNASTY RUNDOWNS
-SPREADSHEETS

Ronald Acuna Jr. ATL, OF, 26.5 – Acuna tore his ACL and will be out for the season. He was a shell of his former self before going down with the injury. The team who owned Acuna in my 12 team league ran the league last year, dominating from start to finish in demoralizing fashion. He was the heavy favorite going into 2024, and now his team is at the bottom of the standings with little hope. I’ve gotten so many questions from dynasty owners who say they have Acuna, Julio, Carroll etc …, thought they were going to high step to a championship, and are now struggling and don’t know what to do. It reminds me of one of my tenets of Dynasty Baseball Strategy which I wrote up in my 10 (More) Dynasty Baseball Rules to Live By back in 2021: “Play with blinders on. When rebuilding, the teams on top can seem unbeatable and discourage you from ramping up. Don’t let fear and intimidation beat you before you even try. Focus on your own roster and trust that cracks in the armor will emerge from the top dogs.” Let this be a reminder to pound that point home in your head. Don’t let the team that looks unbeatable in the off-season discourage you from going for it. Anything can happen year to year. As for the Acuna owners, there is nothing you can do but set your sights on 2025. You probably weren’t off to a great start this year anyway. Panic selling low doesn’t make sense as he’s still just 26 years old, and I guess it’s better that it’s not the same knee. It seems plausible he can return from this injury just like he did the last one and still put up huge seasons. This is still a Top 20 dynasty asset for me, or at least close to it.

Maikel Garcia KCR, 3B, 24.3 – It was only a matter of time before the hits starting dropping for Garcia, and after going 2 for 5 yesterday, he’s now brought his BA up from .226 on May 1st to .270 on May 28th. He’s already surpassed his homer total from 2023 in less than half the games (5 homers), and he’s a perfect 13 for 13 on the basepaths. When I put a “if Ketel Marte liked to run” comp on him this off-season, this is exactly what I envisioned, and hopefully like Ketel, those homer totals will continue to rise he gets older. He just took his rightful place in the Top 100 overall dynasty assets, ranking 96th overall on the Updated May Top 415 Dynasty Baseball Rankings that dropped on the Patreon last week.

Brandon Sproat NYM, RHP, 23.8 – 7 IP, 4 hits, 1 ER, 5/2 K/BB at Double-A. Sproat is quickly becoming one of my favorite pitching prospect targets with huge stuff, Double-A production, and showing the seeds of improved control. He has a 1.89 ERA with a 28.2%/7..0% K%/BB% in 19 IP at Double-A. This coming off his destruction of High-A (1.07 ERA with a 32.4%/15.7% K%/BB% in 25.1 IP). He had some control issues in college, and as you can see from the High-A numbers, they aren’t completely behind him, but this is the type of profile that can blow up if it does take a meaningful step forward. He throws mid 90’s heat with two legit secondaries in his changeup and slider. I drafted him in the 3rd round of my 30 team FYPD Draft this off-season, and he looks on a beeline for Top 100 status.

Bo Bichette TOR, SS, 26.3 – We finally have signs of life from Bichette. He cracked a 105.7 MPH, 419 foot homer off Nick Nastrini (who I’ve soured on and recently rage dropped in my 18 team league), and he now has 3 homers, 3 steals, and a .358 BA in his last 17 games. The contact/hard hit ability is still there with a 14.4% K% and 89.8 MPH EV. It still doesn’t feel like he’ll ever truly hit that peak with a low launch (7.7 degree launch) and mediocre speed (27.4 ft/sec sprint), so I wouldn’t let this heater fully pull you back in, but he desperately needed this to show us he isn’t going full Andrew Benintendi on us with a slow fade into irrelevance.

Nick Nastrini CHW, RHP, 24.3 – As I mentioned, Nastrini absolutely blew me up in my 18 team points league in his outing before this one, and I went full rage drop on him. He wasn’t likely going to be a keeper for me with our keeper rules, but I haven’t done a good rage drop in awhile, and it felt warranted here. He wasn’t as bad in this outing, going 5 IP with 3 hits, 3 ER, and a 5/4 K/BB, but he wasn’t good either. He now has a 9.92 ERA with a 15.3%/20% K%/BB% in 16.1 IP, and he’s been bad at Triple-A too with a 5.83 ERA in 29.1 IP. The stuff isn’t all that notable with a 93.7 MPH fastball and the control is below average. He’s better than he’s shown, but I’m still mostly out on Nastrini.

Nick Lodolo CIN, LHP, 26.4 – Lodolo returned quickly from the IL with a groin strain, which is great to see because he’s had lower body injuries linger before, and he looked great, going 5.1 IP with 5 hits, 1 ER, and a 3/0 K/BB vs. STL. The fastball sat 94.8 MPH, the curve put up a 56% whiff%, and he induced weak contact with a 85 MPH EV against. He now has a 3.12 ERA with a 28.6%/5.6% K%/BB% in 40.1 IP. I’ve loved Lodolo for years now, and there was almost no doubt he would breakout if he stayed healthy. He ranked 139th overall on the Updated May Top 415 Dynasty Rankings (Patreon), and that was with him on the IL. Now that he’s back, he might be a Top 100 overall dynasty pitcher for me.

Robert Gasser MIL, LHP, 25.0 – Gasser had his most impressive outing yet in the majors, going 6 IP with 3 hits, 0 ER, and a 7/0 K/BB vs. MIL. The fastball sat 94.1 MPH, which is impressive for him, and he used a legit 5 pitch mix to notch a 28% whiff% and 84 MPH EV against. It was all encompassing dominance. He now has a 1.96 ERA with a 14.1%/1.1% K%/BB% in 23 IP, so seeing him capable of missing bats like he did yesterday was big to see. He checked in at #85 overall on the May Top 301 Prospects Rankings (Patreon), and even that might be looking a bit light right now.

Jazz Chisholm MIA, OF, 26.4 – I feel like I’m the only person who truly kept the faith on Jazz being a nearly elite dynasty asset this off-season, ranking him 34th overall on the Top 1,000, and he’s rewarding that faith after going 2 for 4 with a double and 107.7 MPH, 416 foot bomb off Michael King for his 8th homer in 54 games. He also stole his 10th bag in this game. The plate approach is taking a step forward with career bests in both K% and BB% (24.8%/8.8% K%/BB%), he’s crushing the ball as always with a 13.5% Barrel% and 90.2 MPH EV, and he’s faster than ever with a career best 4.08 Home Plate to 1B time. It could all go away tomorrow if the injury bug strikes him again, which is why many here hesitant to believe in him this off-season, but let’s not borrow trouble. Just enjoy the booty (as in pirate’s booty, not booty, booty) if you bought low and stole him this off-season.

Davis Schneider TOR, 2B/OF, 25.4 – Schneider obviously was never going to be as good as his insane 2023 MLB debut, but he’s locking in that he’s no fluke after drilling his 6th homer in 46 games. He now has a 131 wRC+ with the underlying numbers to back it up. He has a 15.6% Barrel%, 90.7 MPH EV, 22.3 degree launch, and a 26.4%/12.9% K%/BB%. The 28.7% whiff% isn’t even close to the danger zone, and he runs a bit too with 3 steals. That is a very exciting profile for OBP leagues especially. He’s legit.

Kyle Stowers BAL, OF, 26.5 – Baltimore begrudgingly put Grandpa Stowers into the lineup, and lo and behold, he raked, going 3 for 4 with a 104.3 MPH double, 103.8 MPH single, and 98.9 MPH double. He drove in 4 runs. He now has a fun 38.5% Barrel% in 13 batted balls to go along with a .916 OPS and 23.5% K% in 17 PA. The 37.8% whiff% is still high and I don’t trust Baltimore at all to really give him a real shot if history is any indication, but I stand by my opinion that he can be a legit MLB slugger if given the chance. He slugged 11 homers with a 91.2 MPH EV in 36 games at Triple-A. At the least, he’s worth keeping an eye on.

Dalton Rushing LAD, C/1B, 23.3 – I feel like people are already getting prospect fatigue with Rushing just anticipating his impossible path to playing time. It’s like Precog prospect fatigue. But while we all bemoan his lack of path, he just keeps on raking at Double-A, jacking out his 7th homer in 35 games with a grand salami. He now has a 142 wRC+ with a 18.5%/13% K%/BB%. He’s DH’d almost as much as he’s caught, so worrying about playing time is legit, but the bat also looks legit. I don’t know where or when or what team he will play for, but I’m still betting on the bat and hoping the rest works itself out.

Walker Martin SFG, SS, 20.3 – The highly touted Martin finally made his pro debut on May 20th, and while it’s been a strikeout fest in rookie ball with a 62.5% K% in 5 games, he got comfortable yesterday with 2 bombs. The dude most certainly looks the part already at 6’2” and with a neck that is bigger than his head. Give him some time to shake the rust off and get comfortable in pro ball before making any determinations, because there is big talent in here befitting of the $3 million singing bonus SF handed him last year.

Blake Mitchell KCR, C, 19.4 – KC taking Mitchell 8th overall was a bit of a surprise, but he continues to prove he was worth it, going the opposite way for his 6th homer in 39 games. He now has a 144 wRC+ with 10 homers and a 32.6%/17.1% K%/BB% at Single-A, and he’s also finally showing some contact improvement of late with a 12.9% K% in his last 7 games. His value continues to rise.

Yoeilin Cespedes BOS, SS, 18.9 – The DSL breakout is completely transferring stateside for Cespedes after he jacked out his 2nd homer in 12 games yesterday. He now has a 142 wRC+, which almost matches his 145 wRC+ from last year. I compared his swing to a miniature version of Vlad Guerrero Sr. in the 2024 Top 1,000 Rankings, so while he’s not a huge guy, the huge swing most certainly packs a punch. He’s not a threat on the bases with 0 steals, it will be important to watch the hit tool and plate approach at higher levels (19.6%/9.8% K%/BB%), and his size may cap the raw power a bit, so I would still have some caution when going after him, but he’s a no doubt riser right now.

Eduardo Quintero LAD, OF, 18.9 – Speaking of DSL breakouts, Quintero had another big day stateside, going 3 for 5 with 2 walks. He’s fully backing up the huge DSL numbers, slashing .310/437/.483 with 3 homers, 1 steal, and a 22.5%/15.5% K%/BB% in 17 games. He’s stolen only 1 bag and he’s starting to look pretty thick, but he’s still an excellent athlete and the power is coming in nicely. His hype is already steadily rising, and he’s a candidate to explode when he gets into full season ball.

Joendry Vargas LAD, SS, 18.7 – The Dodgers pipeline never ends as Vargas had his first huge day stateside, going 4 for 6 with 2 doubles and a triple. He’s yet to hit a homer in 10 games, but everything else looks good with a 118 wRC+, 4 steals, and a 17%/8.5% K%/BB%. If the power starts to come, and it should for the projectable 6’4” Vargas, the hype will hit hard and fast.

Hurston Waldrep ATL, RHP, 22.3 – 5 IP, 6 hits, 2 ER, 7/2 K/BB at Double-A. Waldrep got off to a rocky start to the season with 10 earned in his first 2 outings, but he’s yet to give up more that 2 ER or go less than 5 IP in any of his 7 outings since then. He now has a 2.92 ERA with a 22.4%/7.9% K%/BB% in 49.1 IP. Seeing the solid control is big, and while the strikeout rate isn’t as high as we would like it, the nasty stuff is still there, and we know there is more in the tank. This is his first full year of pro ball and he’s performing well in the upper minors. His value at least holds steady from the rightful hype he got this off-season.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR TONS OF EXCLUSIVE CONTENT ALL SEASON, INCLUDING:
-MAY TOP 414 DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKS (5/24/24)
-MAY TOP 301 PROSPECTS RANKS (5/10/23)
-HALP’S DYNASTY BASEBALL PODCAST: MAY MAILBAG! (coming this week)
-TONS OF DYNASTY RUNDOWNS
-SPREADSHEETS

By Michael Halpern (@MichaelCHalpern)
Email: michaelhalpern@imaginarybrickwall.com
Twitter: Imaginary Brick Wall (@DynastyHalp)

I’ll be running down everything that caught my eye in the Dynasty Baseball world on most Mondays throughout the season here on the Brick Wall. The rest of the week you can catch my Rundowns on the Patreon. Here is the Monday Morning Dynasty Baseball Rundown (5/13/24):

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR TONS OF EXCLUSIVE CONTENT ALL SEASON, INCLUDING:
-APRIL TOP 427 DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKS (4/19/24)
-MAY TOP 301 PROSPECTS RANKS (5/10/23)
-HALP’S DYNASTY BASEBALL PODCAST: APRIL MAILBAG! (4/24/24)
-TONS OF DYNASTY RUNDOWNS
-TOP 42 PROSPECTS TO STACH FOR 2024 ONLY (May Update coming soon)
-MAY DYNASTY TARGETS COMING SOON
-SPREADSHEETS

Chase Jaworksy HOU, SS, 19.9 – Jaws has been one of my low key prospect sleepers since he was drafted 164th overall by Houston, and he stole the show on Mother’s Day, blasting two dingers. Doesn’t he know his mom is supposed to be the star on Mother’s Day? So selfish. He now has 3 homers, 13 steals, a 20%/14.5% K%/BB% and 136 wRC+ in 26 games at Single-A. He’s a legit great athlete with plus speed, plenty of power potential at 6’1”, 170, and an excellent plate approach. He’s extremely exciting and is silly underrated. He just checked in at #279 on the May Top 301 Prospects Rankings update that dropped on the Patreon last week, and a day like yesterday will have him continuing to rise. It’s time to grab him if he’s still out there in your league.

Brady House WAS, 3B, 20.11 – House has been so quietly destroying Double-A as a 20 year old, and that continued on the Day of Mothers, obliterating his 7th bomb in 30 games. He now has a 146 wRC+ with a 21.7%/11.6% K%/BB%. He’s finally living fully up to the hype from his draft year, slotting in at #22 on those Updated Prospect Rankings. Like a good mother, he’s turning this House into a Home, because he’s becoming that core dynasty piece that you settle down in and don’t flip. The kids are starting to grow up in Washington (Wood, House, Gore, Abrams, Garcia etc). The future is bright.

MacKenzie Gore WAS, LHP, 25.2 – Speaking of the kids blossoming in Washington, Gore threw another gem yesterday, going 6 IP with 6 hits, 2 ER, and a 9/3 vs. BOS. He now has a 3.38 ERA with a 29%/7.4% K%/BB% in 40 IP. The control is improved, the velocity is up, he’s inducing more weak contact, and he’s missing more bats. It’s a total across the board leveling up. Gore was my “pitching development isn’t linear” target this off-season, and this sure looks like the breakout we have been waiting for. He ranked 127th overall on the Updated Top Top 427 Dynasty Baseball Rankings (Patreon).

Justin Wrobleski LAD, LHP, 23.8 – Let’s stick with flame throwing lefties and talk about Wrobleski. It’s probably too late to jump on the Gore bandwagon, but there is still plenty of time to jump on the underrated Wrobleski train. He went 5 IP with 5 hits, 3 ER, and a 6/0 K/BB at Double-A, which has been the story of his season with a 4.86 ERA and 25.4%/2.9% K%/BB% in 33.1 IP. But be happy that ERA is elevated, because it just keeps his buy window wide open with a 3.13 xFIP, legitimately nasty stuff from the left side, much improved control, and a great organization. This is the type of pitcher that should be approaching elite pitching prospect status, and he really doesn’t have much hype at all. He should be owned in all league sizes.

Matt Wilkenson CLE, LHP, 21.5 – From lefty flamethrowers to lefty Tugboats, Wilkenson dominated again, going 5 IP with 5 hits, 1 ER, and a 8/0 K/BB at Single-A. He’s been insanely good on the season with a 1.02 ERA and 48.5%/6.9% K%/BB%, but he has to prove it against more advanced competition before really going all in on him, as the fastball only sits upper 80’s/low 90’s. I can’t help but be reminded so much of David Wells when watching him pitch, and there is no doubt he’s so easy to root for, but it still feels like more of a back end profile on the major league level. I like him, but I am going to continue to have some caution until I see him do this against more advanced hitters.

 Jonny DeLuca TBR, OF, 25.9 – DeLuca finally made his Tampa debut in May after fracturing his hand in spring, and he’s showing why he was a named target for me this off-season. He’s off to a scorching start after going 1 for 3 with a double and walk yesterday, and now has a .930 OPS in 33 PA. The plate approach has been elite with a 9.1%/15.2% K%/BB%, he’s lifting the ball more with a 16.9 degree launch, and the speed is almost double plus with a 28.9 ft/sec spring and 2 steals. The 85.7 MPH EV is low, but if any team knows how to get the most out of low EV players, it’s the Rays (see Isaac Paredes). DeLuca is becoming the next Paredes, except with more speed. He’s now becoming a major target for me. Get him everywhere you can.

Xavier Isaac TBR, 1B, 20.4 – Isaac has officially shook off his bit of a rocky start with an absolute missile yesterday for his 6th homer in 28 games at High-A. And most importantly, the uncharacteristically poor hit tool has been much better of late with a .315 BA and 18.8%/15.6% K%/BB% in his last 16 games. He now has a 142 wRC+ at the level. He’s on a beeline for elite prospect status if he isn’t there already, and once he gets to the upper minors, it’s very possible he can rise to #1 overall fantasy prospect status in the near future.

Orelvis Martinez TOR, 2B/3B/SS, 22.5 – With Toronto slowly falling out of the race at 18-22, and Addison Barger getting off to slow start, it’s only a matter of time before they start calling up their big guns, and Orelvis is the biggest gun they got right now. He smoked his 10th homer yesterday with an athletic and powerful righty swing that looks just about ready for the majors. He now has a 136 wRC+ with a 20.8%/9.4% K%/BB% in 35 games at Triple-A. Toronto has scored the 3rd least amount of runs in the game, and they desperately need a shot in the arm. Orelvis could be that shot. He’s a great stash.

Damiano Palmegiani TOR, 3B/1B, 24.3 – If Orelvis doesn’t give them that shot, Damiano will, as his bat is so sincere after cracking his 7th homer in 37 games at Triple-A. He hasn’t been destroying the level with a 97 wRC+, but his high K, high BB slugging profile is fully intact with a 91.4 MPH EV and 29.6%/12.5% K%/BB%. Considering their ages, it’s possible Toronto goes to Damiano first, but Orelvis has the much better glove and is the much better prospect in general. Regardless, Damiano is a very good prospect in his own right and is worth a stash in medium to deeper leagues.

Tyler Locklear SEA, 1B, 23.4 – While we’re on the topic of hitting stashes, Locklear should firmly be on your radar. France continues to slump with another 0-fer day, and Locklear’s footsteps keep getting louder and louder. He’s been destroying Double-A, slashing .295/.419/.500 with 4 homers, 3 steals, and a 22.6%/14.6% K%/BB% in 30 games. He’s done nothing but rip up pro ball at every stop, and while he’s not at Triple-A yet, I don’t think Seattle will make him spend much time there, if any, when they feel they are ready to make the switch. France isn’t a particularly good defensive player and he isn’t the type of bat you want at 1B. Locklear is that type of bat, and he’s coming for that 1B job of the present and the future.

Zac Veen COL, OF, 22.4 – I did all my mea culpas for ranking Veen so highly last year, but I knew I wasn’t going crazy thinking that this guy should be really good, and with a healthy hand, he’s back with a vengeance in 2024. He’s been straight unconscious, going 2 for 5 with a steal yesterday, and is now slashing .341/.434/.593 with 5 homers, 9 steals, and a 23.6%/12.3% K%/BB% in 26 games at Double-A. That’s good for a 191 wRC+. This is everything I thought he was capable of in 2023, but the hand injury clearly prevented the breakout. Today, we spell redemption, H-A-L-P … let’s not talk about Parker Meadows which now swaps with Veen as my worst call

Christopher Morel CHC, OF, 24.11 – Talking about former favorites of mine, Morel is starting to lock in a true leveling up, going 2 for 4 with a 397 foot homer off Bailey Falter for his 9th in 40 games. Most importantly, he didn’t strike out once, and his 21.8%/10.9% K%/BB% is looking oh so sweet combined with his hard hit ability (91.3 MPH EV), lift (14 degree launch), and athleticism (4 steals). The reasonable 29.8% whiff% mostly backs up the strikeout rate gains. His .384 xwOBA is in the top 8% of the league, and Chicago looks committed to getting his bat in the lineup despite continued poor defense. The surface stats haven’t completely caught up with the underlying numbers quite yet, so there could still be a buy window here if you are looking to buy offense that won’t cost you an arm and a leg.

Oneil Cruz PIT, SS, 25.6 – In my last Monday Morning Rundown, I implored you to not sell low on Cruz, and he’s exploded since then, crushing a 112.7 MPH bomb off Kyle Hendricks yesterday. He’s now slashing .344/385/.623 with 4 homers and a 14/4 K/BB in 18 games since that Rundown. The dude is a beast with a 94.2 MPH EV and a declining K rate (21.5% over those last 18 games). Any buy low window has been shut.

 Jazz Chisholm MIA, OF, 26.2 – I called Jazz a buy low in that same Rundown, and he’s also hit very well since then, going 2 for 3 with a double, triple, and 0/1 K/BB yesterday. He now has 3 homers, 4 steals, a 21% K% and .836 OPS in 19 games since that writeup. The dude is a gimme for 20/20, and 30/30 is so easily within reach too if he can just stay healthy. So far, he’s healthy. Corbin Carroll and Jordan Walker were my two other buy low calls from that Rundown, and while they haven’t broken out yet, I still implore you to hold on to both, especially Carroll. My faith is Walker is maybe cracking a bit more after he got sent down, but long term, I still think he ends up really really good.

Jesus Baez NYM, SS, 19.1 – Baez is quickly becoming one of the most exciting Single-A breakouts, going 2 for 6 with a homer, and now has 4 homers, 5 steals, a 10.1% K%, and 131 wRC+ in 31 games. He hits the ball hard with a vicious righty swing and the K rate is in the elite range. He’s not a perfect prospect as he’s not a burner and the 5.8% BB% is low, but the hit/power combo is looking legit right now.

Alek Manoah TOR, RHP, 26.3 – We finally have a pulse. Manoah went 7 IP with 4 hits, 0 ER, and a 6/1 K/BB vs. MIN. The fastball sat 93.8 MPH and all 4 of his pitches missed bats for a 33% whiff% overall. You obviously still can’t fully trust him, but just seeing him capable of putting together a good start is great to see after his complete implosion and poor 1st outing. Tread carefully here, but this is as close to the old Manoah we’ve seen since it all went wrong.

Ethan Salas SDP, C, 17.10/Leodalis De Vries SDP, SS, 17.6 – Let’s check in on San Diego’s experiment of being stupid aggressive with their assignments. Salas has a 67 wRC+ with 0 homers in 28 games at High-A. De Vries has a 65 wRC+ with a 30.3% K% in 7 games at Single-A and hasn’t played since May 1st. I hated the old way of being so conservative to the point of stunting prospects development and robbing baseball fans of seeing the best young players in the game at the highest levels, but San Diego has taken it to cartoonish levels, and it’s starting to come back to bite them.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR TONS OF EXCLUSIVE CONTENT ALL SEASON, INCLUDING:
-APRIL TOP 427 DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKS (4/19/24)
-MAY TOP 301 PROSPECTS RANKS (5/10/23)
-HALP’S DYNASTY BASEBALL PODCAST: APRIL MAILBAG! (4/24/24)
-TONS OF DYNASTY RUNDOWNS
-TOP 42 PROSPECTS TO STACH FOR 2024 ONLY (May Update coming soon)
-MAY DYNASTY TARGETS COMING SOON
-SPREADSHEETS

By Michael Halpern (@MichaelCHalpern)
Email: michaelhalpern@imaginarybrickwall.com
Twitter: Imaginary Brick Wall (@DynastyHalp)

I’ll be running down everything that caught my eye in the Dynasty Baseball world on most Mondays throughout the season here on the Brick Wall. The rest of the week you can catch my Rundowns on the Patreon. Here is the Monday Morning Dynasty Baseball Rundown (4/8/24):

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR TONS OF EXCLUSIVE CONTENT ALL SEASON, INCLUDING:
-DYNASTY RUNDOWNS AND MONTHLY DYNASTY & PROSPECTS RANKINGS UPDATES
-TOP 42 PROSPECTS TO STACH FOR 2024 ONLY (4/3/24)
-PREDICTING THE TOP 50 2025 PROSPECT RANKS
-HALP’S DYNASTY BASEBALL PODCAST: MAILBAG!
-POSITION BY POSTION TARGET ARTICLES
-OBP TOP 450 DYNASTY RANKS
-6+CATS/PTS/OPS “UNIVERSAL TOP 450 DYNASTY RANKS
-ALL-IN-ONE RANKINGS SPREADSHEET

Dylan Crews WAS, OF, 22.1 – 1 for 5 with 3 K’s yesterday and is now 1 for 13 with 7 K’s at Double-A on the season. This coming off a spring where he hit .156 with a 31.6% K% in 38 PA. Which came off a pro debut in 2023 where he put up 73 wRC+ in 85 PA at Double-A. I hate horror movies, and this is getting scarier than any horror movie I have ever seen (I still get nightmares from Event Horizon). Granted, the competition has been tough. Here he is getting completely dominated by a 99 MPH Jackson Jobe fastball yesterday. And he faced Ty Madden in his 2nd game who is an MLB ready mid-rotation starter. Not sure what his excuse is for Lael Lockhart in game 1, although again to be fair, Lockhart dominated everyone in that game with 0 ER and 9 K’s in 4.1 IP. Lockhart was also dominant in the upper minors last year … wait, who the hell is this Lockhart guy? (he actually looks interesting for my 30 teamers out there) … but let’s not get off track. Crews has every one of his dynasty owners in a full Patrick Ewing sweat right now, and I’m not sure I can be the guy to talk you down from the ledge. Regardless, there is nothing you can do but hold, because there is no sense in selling low. I would still be pretty shocked if he can’t even get it going against minor league pitching.

Zack Gelof OAK, 2B, 24.5 – And this is why losing our minds after a week and a half of games can get silly. Gelof came into Sunday with a .508 OPS in 9 games and he left it with a .781 OPS in 10 games. One game turned his season from “should I drop him” trash into having a pretty damn good start. Granted, it was a great day, going 4 for 5 with a 108.3 MPH homer to show off the power, and a 81.6 MPH triple to show off the legs. He came into the game with 2 steals. If you think this is good, just wait until Oakland moves to that PCL bandbox in Sacramento for the next 3 years. Aaron Judge won’t be the only player hitting bombs there.

Noah Schultz CHW, LHP, 20.8 – Schultz is healthy and once again putting jaws on the floor with a level of dominance that is not normal. He went 4 IP with 2 hits, 0 ER and a 10/0 K/BB at High-A on Saturday. There was no broadcast of the game, but he was reportedly sitting mid to upper 90’s and the slider was filthy. This coming off his insane 2023 with a 1.33 ERA and 36.5%/5.8% K%/BB%. He was my top pitching target from his FYPD class, so hopefully you already own him, because he’s going to be the #1 pitching prospect in baseball one day, and that day is probably like 3-4 months away. The only thing that could stop him is something I don’t even want to bring up. We’ve been hit with enough bad news in the last few days (Bieber, Strider, Eury etc …)

Dylan Lesko SDP, RHP, 20.7 – Lesko might have something to say about that claim that Schultz will take over as the top pitching prospect in the game, throwing a “no hitter” yesterday, going 4 IP with 0 hits, 0 ER, and a 1/3 K/BB at High-A. The control was scattershot, which isn’t great because all we’ve seen of Lesko in pro ball has been scattershot control (15.2% BB% in 33 IP in 2023), but the plus to double plus stuff was on full display. The fastball was in the mid 90’s, he befuddled lefties with the double plus change and dominated righties with the slider. I don’t think there was a single ball hit hard all day. He needs to show improved control before he can really fly up rankings, and I’m betting on him figuring that out at some point.

Ryan Pepiot TBR, RHP, 26.0 – 6 IP, 3 hits, 0 ER, 11/0 K/BB vs. COL at Coors. That improved control from last year showed back up, which is what made me call him a major target in my September 2023 Early Off-Season Target article. The fastball sat 94.1 MPH and put up a 50% whiff%. The slider and changeup were effective too, inducing weak contract and getting whiffs. It all led to a 86.5 MPH EV with a 41% whiff%. He’s in good hands with Tampa, and maybe add a star because he doesn’t throw 100 MPH? I’m ready to welcome in our new age of soft tossers who stay healthy … 94 MPH seems like a perfect compromise.

Garrett Crochet CHW, LHP, 23.9 – Crochet cements his status as a young ace with every outing. He impressed for the 3rd time in a row yesterday, going 5 IP with 5 hits, 2 ER, and a 5/0 K/BB vs. KCR. The fastball sat 96.6 MPH and the slider notched a 64% whiff%. Most importantly, the control was once again pristine (1 walk in 18 IP on the season) and the third pitch, the cutter, performed well again with a 44% whiff%, 57% CSW%, and 78.7 MPH EV against. He’ll be entering at least my Top 150 overall when I update the Dynasty Rankings this month on the Patreon.

MJ Melendez KCR, OF, 25.4 – Melendez might be turning into a superstar right before our eyes. Statcast was yelling at us to buy low after he hit only 16 homers last year, because when someone puts up an insane 93.1 MPH EV with a 16.9 degree launch, it should not be taken lightly. And now he’s making up for lost homers after walloping his 3rd homer in just 9 games. And even better, his K% is all the way down to 20.6% (28.2% in 2023). There is no guarantee he can maintain the contact gains, but it’s certainly a good sign, and it is a near guarantee he can maintain the power. Melendez has a chance to be one of the best power hitters in the game for a long time.

Riley Greene DET, OF, 23.6 – A .143 BABIP is the only thing in the way of everyone gushing over Greene, because everything else is screaming he is about to explode this year. He went 2 for 3 with a 102..9 MPH homer off lefty Kyle Muller. He’s still only hitting .188, but the 13.6 degree launch and 21.1%/15.8% K%/BB% says this is the real breakout we have been waiting for.

Colt Emerson SEA, SS, 18.8 – The next wave of hyped up prospects are coming to take their rightful spot at the top of prospect rankings, and that starts with none other than Colt Emerson. He stayed calm and loose in the box before unfurling a swing that reminded me of a big cat striking it’s prey in the jungle. Just a vicious swing that murdered the baseball for his 2nd homer in 3 games at Single-A as an 18 year old. If you want to nitpick, it comes with a 62.5% GB% and 28.6%/7.1% K%/BB%, but it’s only 3 games, so it’s merely something to watch.

Arjun Nimmala TOR, SS, 18.6 – The 18 year old Nimmala faced off against the MLB proven, 26 year old Sawyer Gipson-Long, and Nimmala’s pretty and explosive righty swing came away the victor. He hit a pretty nice looking breaking ball 376 feet at 100 MPH for his first professional homer in 3 games at Single-A. Like Emerson, we still have to watch that GB% (66.7%) and strikeout rate (46.2%), but these are two of the most explosive, and youngest players at Single-A.

Zyhir Hope LAD, OF, 19.2 – Hope didn’t have the 1st round hype of Emerson and Nimmala, drafted 326th overall, but he sure has the talent to be put in the same group as them, and he actually one upped them yesterday. He cranked 2 homers yesterdays to the same spot, and the 2nd one was crushed harder than the first. I already gave him the full hype treatment on the Patreon after he hit his first homer of the year on Friday, so this makes it 3 in 3 games. Even better, the 20%/20% K%/BB% and 33.3% GB% looks great after struggling with both at rookie ball last year. Along with the very legit power, he has double plus speed (1 steal) and legit athleticism. He might be the biggest pure riser in the very early going. When the Dodgers come knocking on the door for your prospects, just say no (he was traded with Jackson Ferris for Michael Busch this off-season, so Chicago came out just fine too-Busch looks legit).

Lazaro Montes SEA, OF, 19.5 – Montes already made his ascension and proved himself at Single-A in 2023, but he’s back for more in 2024 with his first bomb of the season, golfing one out like Tiger Woods. These days, you might as well have one foot in the grave if you’re 19 years olds at Single-A. That is so 2021. But he’s showing off his experience with a 6.7%/13.3% K%/BB% in 3 games. He improved the hit tool in 2023, and if he’s taking another step in 2024, he might be entering Yordan Alvarez ceiling territory, rather than “just” a low BA/high OBP slugger.

Jonny Farmelo SEA, OF, 19.7 – Seattle has an embarrassment of riches at Single-A, and Farmelo joined the party yesterday too with his 2nd homer in 3 games. The guy has yet to a hit a single groundball, but has been swinging and missing plenty with a 40% K%. He’s just pure upside with double plus speed to go along with the power, and like most of these young kids, the hit tool will dictate how good they can become.

Aidan Smith SEA, OF, 19.8 – Emerson, Montes, Farmelo … and now Aidan Smith is joining the fun in Seattle as well, going deep twice. This game seemed more like batting practice than a real game, or maybe this Seattle team is the Single-A version of Baltimore’s Triple-A team. Seattle has an army ready to supplement Julio and that rotation in a couple years. Watch your back, Texas.

Shota Imanaga CHC, LHP, 30.7 – No cake matchup excuse this time, Imanaga went out there and dominated the Dodgers, going 4 IP with 2 hits, 0 ER, and a 3/0 K/BB. The 92.3 MPH fastball notched a 33% whiff% and the splitter was solid with a 43% CSW%. There is zero doubt at this point that Imanaga’s low 90’s stuff will easily transfer to MLB. It sure looks like he might be a legit ace, or near ace, and that isn’t exaggerating. He now has a 0.00 ERA with a 34.3%/0% K%/BB% in 10 IP. I didn’t give him enough respect this off-season.

Max Meyer MIA, RHP, 25.1 – 6 IP, 3 hits, 1 ER, 3/1 vs/ STL. The ballyhooed slider is living up to the billing, dominating with a 49% usage, 45% whiff%, and 81 MPH EV against. The fastball sat 94.6 MPH, and the changeup was solid too with a 84.8 MPH EV against. It’s getting pretty safe to say that Meyer is 100% healthy coming off Tommy John, and he’s establishing that he’s the real deal on the MLB level. He might be approaching Top 200 dynasty asset status.

Ronel Blanco HOU, RHP, 30.7 – Blanco followed up his no hitter with a 1 hitter over 6, going 6 IP with 1 hit, 0 ER, and a 4/4 K/BB vs. TEX. He didn’t get many whiffs with a 14% whiff%, but he induced weak contact with a 83.3 MPH EV, so it’s certainly not pure luck. I’m still not fully buying in, because I’m a K/BB guy at the end of the day, but it’s obvious he’s not a complete mirage either. Solid mid-rotation starter is as high as I can go on him right now.

 Jackson Merrill SDP, SS, 20.11 – There was a reason Merrill made the team as a 20 year old out of camp, and that is because he is clearly ready after going 4 for 4 with a stolen base yesterday. And those hits came off Logan Webb (103.1 MPH, 93 MPH, and 72.3 singles) and Camilo Doval (104.8 MPH single). He’s now slashing .324/.395/.471 with 1 homer, 1 steal, and a 18.4%/10.5% K%/BB% in 12 games. The 92.6 MPH EV and 10.1 degree launch looks great as well. He’s not even 21 yet. He’s going to be a superstar.

Jazz Chisholm MIA, OF, 26.2 – I can’t guarantee that Jazz is going to stay healthy, but I can guarantee that he is healthy right now with how he looks to start 2024. He cracked a 105.4 MPH, 412 foot bomb off Kyle Gipson for his 2nd of the year. He now has a 91.7 MPH EV with a 21.7% Barrel%. The plate approach has also been much improved with a 26.2%/19% K%/BB%. I kept the faith on him, ranking him 34th overall, and let me feel pretty good about that before the other shoe drops (hopefully it doesn’t).

Landen Maroudis TOR, RHP, 19.4 – Talented 2024 FYPD pitching prospect, Landen Maroudis, saw what Barrett Kent did on Friday, and one upped him (just like his signing bonus one upped him-Maroudis signed for $1.5 million and Kent for $1 million), going 4 IP with 0 hits, 0 ER, and a 5/0 K/BB vs. a Single-A Tigers lineup that featured Max Clark and Josue Briceno. The fastball sat 94.5 MPH and the slider and curve notched a 40% and 100% whiff%, respectively. He also mixed in a sinker and changeup. He’s a projectable 6’3” with an athletic and explosive righty delivery. The fastball was crisp and he had the breaking balls on a string. It sure looks like he’s about to blow up.

Lonnie White PIT, OF, 21.3 – White demolished an absolute NUKE that I’m pretty sure hit off the scoreboard for his 2nd homer in just 3 games at High-A. That is the type of raw talent I was talking about when I ranked him 46th overall on my Predicting the 2025 Top 50 Prospects Rankings (Patreon), writing, “White will start the year at the age appropriate High-A and do exactly what he did at Single-A in 2023 to High-A in 2024. The elite level athleticism combined with age to level production will have everyone buying in.” He now has a .953 OPS, but there is one small snafu … okay, one big snafu … it comes with a 7/1 K/BB. The hit tool is the thing that can tank him, and right now, the K’s are just as concerning as the homers are impressive. He’s going to need to make better contact to make due on my Top 50 prediction for him.

Jordan Beck COL, OF, 22.11 – Beck is simply unconscious at Triple-A, popping his 3rd homer in 8 games, and he didn’t strike out in this one either. He could be one of the top impact hitting prospects to get called up in 2024, and he’ll have Coors Field at his back. I gave you the heads up to stash him last Monday, and he’s only continued his dominance.

Samuel Zavala CHW, OF, 19.9 – Zavala had a rough cup of coffee at High-A last year, so it’s nice to see him getting off to a hot start this year after hitting his 1st homer in 3 games. He has a 209 wRC+, but we need to see the 31.3%/6.3% K%/BB% improve before we can get really excited.

Alex Ramirez NYM, OF, 21.3 – Ramirez has been sitting the breakout waiting room for a long time, and this year it’s now or never. He’s choosing now as he sliced an opposite field dinger for his first of the year at Double-A. He’s now hitting .455 with 4 steals and a 30.8%/15.4% K%/BB% in 3 games. I know we all have prospect fatigue with him, but he’s still just 21 years old at Double-A. This could finally be the explosion.

Max Muncy OAK, SS, 21.8 – Muncy is another 21 year old who the prospect community has tired on, but he’s ripping up Triple-A right now, and he’ll play at a Triple-A ballpark until 2027, making him even more enticing. He hit his first homer and finished the day 3 with 4 with 2 doubles and 0 K’s. He now has a 163 wRC+ with 2 steals and a 14.3% K%. He’s always had the talent, drafted 25th overall in 2021, and he just might be coming into his own.

Wilfred Veras CHW, OF, 21.5 – Veras is another super talented 21 year old in the upper minors who is making waves after pimping the shit out of his 2nd homer at Double-A. He now has a 387 wRC+ with an 18.2% K%. Chicago is desperate for some real talent, and Veras certainly has real talent as Fernando Tatis’ cousin. He might also be entering sneaky 2nd half stash appeal.

Tyler O’Neill BOS, OF, 28.10 – Remember Cardinals Devil Magic? Where the Cardinals were able to turn every off the radar hitter into gold. Well, there is a dark side to dancing with the Devil, and that bill has been coming due over the last few years. Now every former Cardinals outfielder turns to gold once they leave St. Louis, and O’Neill is next in line after ripping his 5th homer yesterday. He now has a 1.407 OPS, 92.1 MPH EV, 22.7% Barrel%, and 16.2%/18.9% K%/BB% in 9 games. Don’t question the dark arts. This was inevitable.

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By Michael Halpern (@MichaelCHalpern)
Email: michaelhalpern@imaginarybrickwall.com
Twitter: Imaginary Brick Wall (@DynastyHalp)

I’ll be running down everything that caught my eye in the Dynasty Baseball world on most Mondays throughout the season here on the Brick Wall. The rest of the week you can catch my Rundowns on the Patreon. Here is the Monday Morning Dynasty Baseball Rundown (4/1/24):

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR TONS OF EXCLUSIVE CONTENT ALL SEASON, INCLUDING:
-DYNASTY RUNDOWNS AND MONTHLY DYNASTY & PROSPECTS RANKINGS UPDATES
-TOP 55 PROSPECTS RANKINGS FOR 2024 ONLY
-PREDICTING THE TOP 50 2025 PROSPECT RANKS
-TOP 11+ 2025 FYPD RANKINGS
-HALP’S DYNASTY BASEBALL PODCAST
-POSITION BY POSTION TARGET ARTICLES
-OBP TOP 450 DYNASTY RANKS
-6+CATS/PTS/OPS “UNIVERSAL TOP 450 DYNASTY RANKS
-ALL-IN-ONE RANKINGS SPREADSHEET

Evan Carter TEX, OF, 21.7 – It’s 4 days into the season, there hasn’t even been a single game played in April yet, and if you’re anything like me, you’re ready to throw all of your off-season planning right out the window based on who did and didn’t hit a homer yet. I’m in 4th to last place in my 18 team league, franchise savior Evan Carter is 0 for 8, and now I’m questioning everything. In my 12 teamer and 30 teamer, I’m towards the top of the standings, and am already patting myself on the back for how much of a genius I am. So instead of pretending like I am some emotionless fantasy monk, telling you the reasonable thing, which is that it’s a long season, and that what happens in the first week is not a good indicator for what will happen the entire season, let’s lean into it and overreact. And also, lets see if any of this stuff will have staying power, or at least if we think it will.

Kerry Carpenter DET, OF, 26.7 – Carpenter was as underrated as a core, proven, young dynasty asset could get this off-season, and he’s off to hot start in 2024 after smoking an Erick Fedde hanger 393 feet for his first homer of the year. He tacked on another 102 MPH single on a 2 for 4 day. He’s now 4 for 9 with a double, homer and 0 K’s. He ranked 142nd overall in my Top 1,145 Dynasty Baseball Rankings, and I named him a Target in my positional target articles, writing, “Carpenter has a pretty rare, very hard to find profile that can usually only be found at the top of drafts, but he gets valued like a boring afterthought. He had a 10.2% Barrel%, 90.1/95.1 MPH AVG/FB EV, 13.1 degree launch, 28.1 ft/sec sprint, and 27% whiff%. I promise you, those are not easy numbers to find. And the surface stats fully back it up. Carpenter has a chance to be really really good. Like Top 75 dynasty asset good, and nobody seems to really care.” … people are going to start to care if he keeps this up. He currently has a 92.2 MPH EV with a 25.6 degree launch and a 12.5% whiff%. My verdict, he’s for real.

Maikel Garcia KCR, 3B, 24.1 – The Maikel Garcia coming out party is here, and if you’ve read my work since June of 2023, you are partying right along with him. He jacked out his 2nd homer in just 3 games, after hitting just 4 homers in 123 games last year. That is 50% of the homers in 2.4% of the games, if math is your thing. Or if math isn’t your thing, that is a 108 homer pace if stupid fun prorating is your thing (I lean towards the stupid fun prorating side myself). I already victory lapped him in the Opening Day Rundown over on the Patreon after he hit his first homer, but as long as he keeps hitting homers, I’ll keep going around the track. He’s always hit the ball hard, got the bat on the ball, and had speed. Now he’s lifting it with a 21.4 degree launch. His upside is not to be trifled with. Verdict: for real.

Jordan Beck COL, OF, 22.11 – Jordan Beck isn’t just knocking on the door of the bigs, he’s pounding on it like my freshman year RA after smelling weed coming from my room. He had another huge day at Triple-A, going 3 for 5 with a 104.4 MPH, 396 foot triple, a 103.9 MPH single, and a 102.9 MPH, 439 foot homer. That’s his 2nd homer in 3 games to give him a 1.550 OPS on the season. Colorado had Elehuris Montero, Michael Toglia, and Jake Cave in their staring lineup yesterday, falling to 1-3 on the season. Beck is a prime stash for all league sizes. Beck and Joey Loperfido are probably the biggest Triple-A hitting “risers” to start the season.

Carson Whisenhunt SFG, LHP, 23.6 – Whisenhunt got back on the mound for the first time since an elbow injury ended his season in late July, and he looked electric, going 3 IP with 1 hit, 0 ER, and a 6/0 K/BB at Triple-A. The fastball sat 94 MPH and put up a 42% whiff% on the pitch, while the elite changeup was silly dominant with a 100% whiff%. He just reminded everyone of why we were so excited for him before going down with the injury. If Back and Loperfido are the top hitting risers, Whisenhunt might be the top pitching riser. He’s worth a stash in all league sizes. He just has to stay healthy, which is easier said than done.

 Juan Soto NYY, OF, 25.6 – I was smelling that monster, doesn’t even look like a real statline, career year for Soto. The Baseball Gods owed him that one for the shortened 2020 season where had a 202 wRC+, and it sure looks like it’s happening. He went 3 for 5 yesterday and is now 9 for 17 with 1 double, 1 homer and a 2/3 K/BB. The Yanks are going to have to pay this man one billion dollars to keep him. Or at least that is what Boras will ask for before dragging the negotiations into deep March, and then settling for a 1 year, $100 million deal.

Christopher Morel CHC, OF, 24.10 – It’s clear that Chicago wants Morel’s big bat in the middle of their lineup, whether it’s at 3B or DH, and Morel is doing everything he can to stay in that cleanup spot, jacking out his 1st homer at 107.4 MPH. He now has a 1.071 OPS in 3 games, and most importantly, he’s only struck out once in 14 PA. He had a 32.1% K% in 53 spring PA, so this one is probably more of a small sample thing than something sustainable, but if that swing and miss can just take a small step forward, it would make a big impact with how hard he hits the ball. Can’t say it’s for real quite yet, but it’s a good start.

Trey Lipscomb WAS, 3B, 23.9 – Nick Senzel went down with a fractured thumb fielding grounders, and Lipscomb swooped right in to take his job. He cracked his first MLB homer yesterday and is off to a hot start, going 3 for 8 with a homer and a steal. The underlying numbers aren’t super encouraging with a 85.9 MPH EV, 44.4% whiff% and negative 8 degree launch, so I wouldn’t go too crazy for him at all, but he’s certainly worth a pick up for his potential solid across the board production. As for Senzel, this is why I hid all injuries when I played baseball through high school. Looking back, my UCL was barking basically since 7th grade, and I didn’t tell a soul. You ain’t taking my job. Senzel’s out, Lipscomb is in, but my verdict is that it’s probably not for real.

CJ Abrams WAS, SS, 23.6 – Abrams on the other hand is 100% for real, and he might be ready to level up in 2024. He demolished a Nick Martinez curve 429 feet at 107.1 MPH for his first homer of the year. Naturally getting stronger is just about all he needs to do to explode, and so far he has a 90.7 MPH EV with a 14.3% Barrel% in 7 batted balls. He already lifts it, gets the bat on the ball, and has speed. Before EV took over the world, there was an adage for young players that power was the last thing to come. Now if you don’t have a 93 MPH EV as a 12 year old in little league you are looked over. The man muscles might be coming in for Abrams. He now has a 1.085 OPS with a homer and 3 steals. He’s for real.

Will Benson CIN, OF, 25.9 – EV has never been an issue for the 6’5”, 230 pound Benson, and he’s picking up from where he left off in the 2nd half of 2023, blasting a 411 foot homer to go along with a 103.3 MPH double and 100.8 MPH single. It’s the swing and miss that we have to watch, and unfortunately, that is still there with a 44% whiff% in 13 PA. He’s had big K rates his entire career, so that likely isn’t going anywhere, but when you have a 101.6 MPH EV, we’ll accept that. I was all over Benson pre-2023, and while he has his flaws, I’m buying the huge power/speed combo.

Garrett Whitlock BOS, RHP, 27.10 – 5 IP, 3 hits, 1 ER, 8/0 K/BB vs. SEA. The 19% whiff% wasn’t eye popping, but he induced weak contact with a 78.7 MPH EV against, and as usual, his control was on point. I’m a sucker for Whitlock every time he gets a shot in the rotation, and this year in no different. He’s not this good, but his plus control, above average whiff combo is enticing as long as he stays healthy. I’m in.

Bryce Miller SEA, RHP, 25.7 – 5 IP, 6 hits, 4 ER, 6/2 K/BB vs. BOS. Not the best outing, but I’m just here to check on the new splitter … 60% whiff%. The fastball was great too with a 37% whiff%. He’s going to explode, and if you can sneak in a reasonable trade for him based on this mediocre outing, I would be all over it.

Gavin Stone LAD, RHP, 25.6 – 5 IP, 7 hits, 3 ER, 6/1 K/BB vs. STL. The filthy changeup utterly dominated with a 41% usage, 68 MPH EV against, and 50% whiff%. That is just silly. The fastball was up (along with all of his pitches) 1.4 MPH to 95.4 MPH, and the cutter and curve performed well too. This was a very encouraging start, and it sure looks like Stone is ready to bounce back from his disaster 2023 season. Pitching development isn’t linear, and it just gets proven over and over again.

Brice Turang MIL, 2B/SS, 24.4 – Turang went 2 for 4 yesterday, and stole his league leading 4th bag. He went 26 for 30 with a 29.4 ft/sec sprint in 448 PA in 2023, and if he keeps running at this pace, he has all of the skills to be among the league leaders by the end of the season too. He’s off to a good start in general, going 6 for 11 with a 90.2 MPH EV. He’ll sit vs. most lefties, and Turang started last year hot too before cooling off, so I’m not going completely legit on this one. But there is category winning stolen base skills here.

Francisco Alvarez NYM, C, 22.4 – I had Alvarez as the #2 overall dynasty catcher behind Adley, and I thought Adley had to watch his back as Alvarez was coming for the top spot. And Alvarez is taking his shot at the king early, having another good day at the dish, going 2 for 3 with a 109.9 MPH double. He’s now 5 for 10 with a double,  homer and 100.2 MPH EV. Adley is off to a great start as well, but he doesn’t have the homer power than Alvarez has in the tank, and in fantasy, power is king. Honestly, it’s just great to see some elite level hitting from the catcher position. Brings me back to the days of Pudge Rodriguez and Mike Piazza.

Kyle Isbel KCR, OF, 27.1 – I love patting myself on the back for my targets hitting, but Isbel looks like a miss for me. I was targeting Waters to win that starting CF job, but it was the presumed favorite, Isbel, who took it, and he’s running with it. He ripped a 105.5 MPH homer that cleared the fence in about half a second off Bailey Ober. He’s now 3 for 9 on the season with a homer, 98.4 MPH EV and 11.1% K%. His EV was pretty strong last year too at 89.4 MPH, and he doesn’t have a problem lifting the ball. The defense is plus, the speed is above average, and he gets the bat on the ball. He does a lot of things well, and I just whiffed on him. He has the skills to make a fantasy impact, and if he’s still out there in your league, it’s time to grab him.

Bailey Ober MIN, RHP, 28.2 – Speaking of Ober, he had a straight disaster season debut, going 1.1 IP with 9 hits, 8 ER, and a 3/1 K/BB vs. KCR. Bottom line here is to not panic. Can’t dive too deep into this one. He’ll find his rhythm. Don’t drop him yet.

Luis Campusano SDP, C, 25.6 – Campusano was another non target for me, and while he’s off to a good start, I’m still not buying in quite yet. He went 3 for 5 with a 106 MPH single, 92.4 MPH single, and 96.4 MPH homer that he barely snuck over the fence going the opposite way. He’s now 9 for 23 on the season, but it comes with a lowly 81.1 MPH EV and I just don’t love the batting stance. I think he can be solid, but I’m still questioning the upside. Not a buy for me yet.

Erick Fedde CHW, RHP, 31.1 – Fedde’s first start back in the states after refining his game in Korea was pretty encouraging, going 4.2 IP with 5 hits, 2 ER, and a 7/1 K/BB vs. a solid Detroit lineup. Most importantly, the swing and miss was up with a 28% whiff% on the back of the new splitter, which notched a 50% whiff%. The sinker missed bats too with a 33% whiff%, and the cutter induced weak contact with a 66.4 MPH EV against. It wasn’t a perfect outing, and I don’t think we are talking about a top of the rotation explosion here, but he can certainly enter useful fantasy starter territory.

 Jack Flaherty DET, RHP, 28.6 – Flaherty carried the spring success into the regular season, going 6 IP with 4 hits, 1 ER, and a 7/0 K/BB. Granted it was against Chicago’s weak lineup, but the stuff was still up across the board, and the slider was absolutely dominant with a 46% usage and 43% whiff%. He’s never thrown the slider that much, and that is another good sign that this isn’t the same Flaherty from the last few years. His bounce back looks real.

Brady Singer KC, RHP, 27.8 – 7 IP, 3 hits, 0 ER, 10/1 K/BB vs. MIN. We heard all off-season about Singer’s two new pitches, the 4-seamer and sweeper, so of course he didn’t throw the sweeper at all (and threw the sinker much more than the 4-seamer) and dominated with the old sinker/slider combo in this one. The slider in particular wreaked havoc with a 62% whiff%. I’m not sure what to think of him completing scraping his off-season plan, and then dominating by going back to basics. I guess the only reasonable response is that this isn’t for real, and not to buy in too hard other than taking a flier. But hard not to get excited after such a killer outing.

Davis Schneider TOR, 2B, 25.2 – Schneider got his first start of the season, and he did what he does with a dinger, walk, and 2 K’s in 5 PA. He’s going to have to wait his turn behind Biggio, IKF, and maybe even Ernie Clement (who I like), but it sure seems like the low BA, high OBP slugging profile will play if he gets in the lineup. Be patient with him. He’ll get more playing time one way or the other, and I think he’s for real.

Tyler O’Neill BOS, OF, 28.10 – Like any self respecting cast off Cardinals OF, O’Neill got out of St. Louis and immediately got to raking. He smoked his 2nd homer in 13 PA off Bryce Miller, and now has a 1.538 OPS with 2 homers, 1 steal, a 92.1 MPH EV and 7.7%/23.1% K%/BB%. I cautioned against selling O’Neill too low in my Top 1,000 blurb for him, writing, “I would caution against selling O’Neill too low.” This is why. He looks healthy, and he has the talent to blow up all over again.

Esteury Ruiz OAK, OF, 25.2/Victor Scott STL, OF, 23.2 – The Ruiz vs. Scott debates remind me of those super heated debates in 5th grade over who the fastest kid in school was. Shoutout Aaron Misas (RIP). But in 5th grade, we didn’t have Statcast, and in fantasy, we aren’t only concerned with speed. Ruiz went 2 for 4 yesterday and jacked his first bag of the season. He’s 3 for 7 on the season.  Scott went 2 for 3 with a double for his first 2 hits of the season and is now 2 for 14 with a steal. Ruiz is “crushing” the ball with a 86.6 MPH (82.7 MPH in 2023), while Scott is actually crushing the ball with a 92.2 MPH EV. It’s too early to say anything, and both have their own playing time issues, but it’s just a super fun one to follow.

 Junior Caminero TBR, 3B/SS, 20.9 – It’s so frustrating when we can’t watch one of the best young players in the game on the biggest stage, so we’ll have to settle for watching Caminero’s insanely explosive swing crush homers in Triple-A. It was his first of the year and he’s obviously already destroying the level with a 170 wRC+ in 3 games. I guess Tampa is waiting for that extra year of service time. He should be up already, but it is what it is. And he also hurt his quad in this game, so that makes it easy for Tampa to manipulate his service time now.

Coby Mayo BAL, 1B/3B, 22.4 – Speaking of elite power hitting youngsters who should be up already, Mayo decimated his first homer of the year as well, pulling a 421 foot, 111.3 MPH bomb. He now has a 162 wRC+ in 3 games. Baltimore at least has an excuse, because they are jam packed on the MLB level. This next guy made the roster, but can’t even get any run …

Colton Cowser BAL, OF, 24.0/Austin Hays BAL, OF, 28.9 – Pinch hitter Colton Cowser went 0 for 1 yesterday, and 1 for 1 with a double on Saturday. I’ve never really seen a team turn a legit top prospect into a pinch hitter to start their career, but who am I to question Baltimore? The man standing in Cowser’s way, Austin Hays, went 0 for 3 and now has a .490 OPS in 13 PA. Baltimore is only going to play around for so long, and at some point, the cream will rise to the top. Hays is going to have to start hitting real soon, and hitting real well, to keep that full time job. Cowser is coming for it.

Trey Sweeney LAD, SS, 23.11 – Gavin Lux shouldn’t get too comfortable (4 for 20 with a .400 OPS), because LA has a ready made middle infielder who is putting the pressure on at Triple-A. Sweeney unloaded for his first dinger at 105.2 MPH. LA has vets on the bench that can also take over for Lux, so it’s not like it’s purely Sweeney vs. Lux, but Sweeney is an underrated close to the majors bat to keep an eye on.

Juan Brito CLE, 2B/3B, 22.6 – The smooth swinging, switch hitting Brito went deep as a righty for his first homer at Triple-A. I know that Cleveland has like 900 guys with a similar profile, but don’t sleep on Brito. He hasn’t put up a wRC+ less than 125 at any level, and the swing is just so easy and clean. He might need injuries to hit, but he has the potential to be a rock solid hitter on the MLB level.

Mason Black SFG, RHP, 24.4/Cristian Mena ARI, RHP, 21.3 – Black and Mena both had strong outings at Triple-A. Black went 5 IP with 4 hits, 0 ER and a 5/0 K/BB. Mena went 5 IP with 2 hits, 0 ER, and a 6/1 K/BB. The problem is, neither really has the velocity to get overly excited about. Black sat 91.9 MPH while Mena sat 92.6 MPH. Velo isn’t everything, but I do think it limits their upside. Mena’s breaking balls dominated (slider, curve), and Black’s fastballs dominated (sinker, 4-seamer), so they can be successful without the huge velocity, there is just levels to this. Solid pitching prospects, but not great ones.

Rowdy Tellez PIT, 1B, 29.0 –– I promised you I wasn’t going to mention every Pirates win in the last Rundown, but I might have lied … or at least until they lose one. Tellez rocketed a 106.6 MPH 3 run homer to eventually propel Pitt to victory in the 10th. They are now tied for the best record in baseball at 4-0. I’ve gone full blown Pirates fan this year after touting them all off-season as a team that is going to surprise. In the 20 Dynasty Baseball Strategies/Thoughts for 2024 (#16), I warned you that “The Rise of the Pirates is definitely coming,” and it is here. Hope you got in on that over bet (and I put in a WS bet too).

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