Imaginary Brick Wall

I’ll be running down everything that caught my eye in the Dynasty Baseball world on most Mondays throughout the season. Here is the Monday Morning Dynasty Baseball Rundown (6/28/21):

Click here to join my Patreon for the Top 300 June 2021 Dynasty Baseball Prospects Rankings (2021/22 FYPD guys included) that dropped last week. Updated OBP/OPS/PTS “Universal” Dynasty Rankings are coming mid July. Join up for those rankings and much more, including Dynasty Rundowns, Strategy Articles, and Top 50 FYPD Rankings! Thank you!

Wander Franco TB, SS, 20.4 – This hitting Major League pitching thing turns out to be pretty hard even in the post Spider Tack era, as Wander recorded his first hit since kicking the door down in his first game. The .614 OPS isn’t great, but the underlying numbers are a bit better with an above average .327 xwOBA. 16.2 degree launch is great to see, his plate approach numbers are excellent with a 5/5 K/BB in 6 games, and a 28.2 ft/sec sprint speed is nothing to sneeze at. I don’t think Wander is going to go the way of Kelenic and will get it going before it gets much worse.

Jarred Kelenic SEA, OF, 21.11 – Speaking of Kelenic, he had himself a great week at Triple-A with a 2 homer game on Thursday and then followed that up with a 4 hit game on Friday. He has a .911 OPS in 16 games since being sent down, and I’m betting on him doing much better his 2nd time around in the majors.

Gerrit Cole NYY, RHP, 30.10 – Speaking of Spider Tack, Cole got shelled by Boston, giving up 5 earned with 3 homers in 5 IP. Panic selling makes no sense, but it’s hard deny that Cole might have trouble being super elite without that sticky icky.

Shane Baz TB, RHP, 22.0 – Baz is showing why I ranked him as my 2nd overall pitching prospect and #17 overall on the Top 300 Dynasty Prospects Rankings I dropped last week on my Patreon, going 5 IP with 2 hits, 0 earned, and a 10/0 K/BB at Triple-A. The stuff is nasty and his improved control is remarkable with a 69/5 K/BB in 46.2 IP.

Kyle Muller ATL, LHP, 23.9 – Dominated in his 2nd MLB start vs Cincy, going 5 IP with 1 hit, 0 earned and a 9/2 K/BB. His fastball averaged 94.1 MPH and his secondaries were missing bats with a 50% whiff% on his slider and 56% whiff% on his curve. I’m still worried his below average control will rear it’s ugly head (19 BB in 31.1 IP at Triple-A), but he’s proving his stuff is easily MLB quality.

Jose Miranda MIN, 3B/2B, 23.0 – One of the top hitting prospect breakouts in 2021, Miranda went 2 for 4 with his 13th homer in 47 games in the 2nd game of a doubleheader. His power is breaking out while maintaining an elite 11.5% K%.

Angel Martinez CLE, SS, 19.5 – Martinez was knocking on the door of my Top 100 and he showed why yesterday, going 4 for 5 with a double, homer and steal. He’s been doing a little bit of everything at Single-A all year with a 145 wRC+ in 37 games.

Alexander Ramirez NYM, OF, 18.6 – Ramirez was one of my favorite international prospects to target in his FYPD class and he has been holding his own in full season ball as an 18 year old with a 105 wRC+. He cranked a 103 MPH bomb for his 2nd of the year in 20 games to go along with 8 stolen bases. 33% K% is high, but relative to Puason’s 45.5% K% he might as well be Nick Madrigal.

Jordan Walker STL, 3B, 19.1 – 3 for 4 with a 0/1 K/BB. Walker now owns a ridiculously good for his age 17.2%/14.8% K%/BB% and 202 wRC+ in full season ball as a barely 19 year old. Walker is showing Puason and Ramirez how it’s really done.

Tarik Skubal DET, LHP, 24.7 – Impressed against one of the best lineups in baseball, going 7 IP with 1 hit, 1 earned and a 9/3 K/BB vs Houston. The most notable thing was how much he leaned on pitches other than his 4-seamer which he threw only 35% of the time (48.2% on the season). It led to a 48% whiff% on the day. I don’t think he’s ascended to ace status or anything, but it’s been fun watching his development this season. He’s establishing himself as a high K, high WHIP mid-rotation guy with upside still left in the tank.

Marco Luciano SF, SS, 19.10 – Completely smoked a pull side homer for his 10th in 44 games at Single-A. His slow start is a distant memory.

Nick Gonzales PIT, 2B/SS, 22.0 – Gonzales homered in his 2nd straight game since returning from a broken pinky that kept him out for over a month. Hand injuries can sometimes sap power, but if you had to pick one finger to break, I guess it would be the pinky. Gonzales has lit up High-A pitching with a 165 wRC+, but a 28.4% K% is a bit high for a college bat whose hit tool was supposed to be his carrying tool. Maybe he will be more of a low average, high power guy than we expected.

Keibert Ruiz LAD, C, 22.11 – The power breakout continues as Ruiz smashed his 9th homer in 30 games at Triple-A. He completely flipped his hitting profile with a 53.3% FB%, up from 35.1% in 2019 and his K% remains elite at 12.1%.

Mark Vientos NYM, 3B, 21.7 – Vientos always had huge raw power and it is now transferring into game power in a big way. He crushed his 12th homer in 37 games at Double-A. Over his last 12 games he is slashing .347/.429/.939 with 9 homers and a 14/5 K/BB. 30.2% K% will have to improve to take the next step.

Andy Pages LAD, OF, 20.7 – Pages skills are most certainly translating to full season ball as he launched one to Mars yesterday for his 15th homer in 48 games at High-A. 57.4% FB% might actually be a little too extreme, but he’s firmly within my Top 100 prospects.

Asa Lacy KC, LHP, 22.1 – Lacy had one of his best starts as a pro, going 4 IP with 1 hit, 1 earned, and a 9/3 K/BB. He continues to be a walk-fest with a 17.7% BB%, but at least the strikeouts are there too with a 36.7% K%.

Jared Jones PIT, RHP, 19.11 – Jones had his best outing as a pro by far, going 4 IP with 2 hits, 0 earned and a 11/1 K/BB. His fastball sits in the mid 90’s and he throws a 4 pitch mix. If he can show improved control over an extended period of time his stock will soar.

Nolan Jones CLE, 3B, 23.1 – Jones lifted off for just his 4th homer in 46 games at Triple-A, but he’s been much better of late, slashing .300/.425/.617 with 3 homers, 3 steals and a 15/10 K/BB in his last 18 games. He is much more appealing for me in an OBP league as he continues to walk at an elite rate with a 14.5% BB%.

Zac Veen COL, OF, 19.6 – 3 for 4 with a double and 2 more stolen bases. It would be nice to see more homerun power as he has only 1 homer in 44 games, but he’s getting on base with a 15.3% BB% and is running like wild with 24 stolen bases in 31 attempts.

Luisangel Acuna TEX, SS, 19.4 – 3 for 4 with a double, stolen base, and 0 K’s. He’ll never be his brother but he’s been strong in his full season debut with a 115 wRC+ and showing all around production. I also wouldn’t rule out a power breakout in his mid 20’s, which could take him to the next level.

Click here to join my Patreon for the Top 300 June 2021 Dynasty Baseball Prospects Rankings (2021/22 FYPD guys included) that dropped last week. Updated OBP/OPS/PTS “Universal” Dynasty Rankings are coming mid July. Join up for those rankings and much more, including Dynasty Rundowns, Strategy Articles, and Top 50 FYPD Rankings! Thank you!

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 is the Monday Morning Dynasty Baseball Rundown (6/7/21):

UPDATED DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKINGS ARE UP ON MY PATREON. UPDATED AND EXPANDED FYPD RANKINGS AND A DEEP PROSPECTS ONLY RANKING ARE COMING LATER THIS MONTH. JOIN UP FOR THOSE RANKINGS AND A TON OF OTHER ALMOST DAILY CONTENT!

Diego Cartaya LAD, C, 19.9 – Cartaya has been a man on fire in his full season debut, crushing two more bombs yesterday to give him 5 homers in 8 games. Francisco Alvarez all of a sudden has some competition for the most hyped teenage catcher prospect in the lower minors.

Francisco Alvarez NYM, C, 19.6 – Not to be outdone, Alvarez had himself a day as well, going 3 for 4 with 2 doubles and a walk at High-A. He hasn’t been able to dominate this level as much as he did Single-A, but a 133 wRC+ ain’t too bad.

Adley Rutschman BAL, C, 23.4 – The elder statesman of the top catcher prospects group told those damn teens to get off his lawn, going 2 for 3 with his 8th homer and 5th double of the year at Double-A. He now has more walks than strikeouts with an 18.6%/20.2% K%/BB% in 28 games.

Luis Severino NYY, RHP, 27.3 – Severino was one of my favorite targets in dynasty leagues this off-season, and he took another huge step in his rehab from Tommy John surgery, going 2.2 IP with 2 hits, 1 ER, and a 3/1 K/BB at Single-A. His fastball was back into the upper 90’s. It might be too late to buy at a reduced price, but if you followed my rankings, you already own him.

Logan Gilbert SEA, RHP, 24.1 – Gilbert had his most impressive start in the majors, going 5 IP with 2 hits, 1 earned, and a 7/4 K/BB. His fastball sat 95.2 MPH and his slider put up a 45% whiff%. He had a 36% whiff% overall which is great to see as his season total sits at a slightly below average 23.9%.

Luis Garcia HOU, RHP, 24.6 – Garcia shot up to #206 overall on my latest Updated Dynasty Baseball Rankings over on my Patreon, and it might not have been high enough as he has kept on dominating. He went 6 IP with 3 hits, 1 earned and a 8/2 K/BB against the feared Toronto lineup. He put up a 41% whiff% on the day and his secondaries continue to befuddle hitters with utterly dominant xwOBA’s on all four of them.

Bobby Bradley CLE, 1B, 25.0 – Called up the majors and dominated in his first start, going 3 for 4 with a 103 MPH homer and a 114.2 MPH double. He hit only .196 with a 32.1%/6.4% K%/BB% at Triple-A, so I would keep your expectations in check, but he also hit 9 homers, so there is certainly thunder in his bat.

Brett Baty NYM, 3B, 21.7 – Baty is quickly becoming one of my favorite prospects with his advanced beyond his years plate approach, and when I ranked him 91st overall in my Patreon Mid May Top 100 Prospect Update, I knew the homer power would come. And boy has it come with him scorching his 4th homer in his last 6 games to go along with a 22.3%/16.5% K%/BB% in 24 games at High-A.

 Austin Martin TOR, OF, 22.2 – Speaking of power coming around, Martin drilled an opposite field shot for his 2nd homer in 4 games. He’s handled the aggressive assignment to Double-A well with a .396 OBP and 131 wRC+.

Cade Cavalli WASH, RHP, 22.9 – One of the fastest rising pitching prospects in the minors was at it again, going 6 IP with 5 hits, 3 earned, and a 11/2 K/BB at High-A. He’s now rocking an elite 41.8%/7.5% K%/BB% with the premium stuff to back it up. He’s in the conversation for the top pitching prospect in the game.

Edward Cabrera MIA, RHP, 23.2 – Cabrera made his season debut after being sidelined by a right biceps injury, and it didn’t take long to re-establish himself as a beast, going 3 IP with 2 hits, 0 ER and a 3/0 K/BB at Single-A with the fastball reaching 97 MPH. Any buy low window has been slammed shut and it might not be all that long before he is called up to the majors.

Jake Eder MIA, LHP, 22.8 – Possibly the top pop up pitching prospect of 2021 continued to rise to the occasion, pitching a new age perfect game, going 5 IP with 0 hits, 0 earned and an 8/0 K/BB at Double-A. The days of letting pitchers go until their arms fall off during no hitters/perfect games are over, and rightfully so. He now has a silly pitching line of 0.61/0.81/50/12 in 29.2 IP

Brayan Bello BOS, RHP, 22.1 – Bello resents me giving Eder the top pop up pitching prospect crown, as he dominated yesterday as well, going 5.1 IP with 4 hits, 1 ER, and a 9/0 K/BB at High-A. His fastball can reach the upper 90’s and he can control it too with a 5.7% BB%.

Kyle Bradish BAL, RHP, 24.9 – Bradish would like to have a word with me as well, as his spectacular season continued, going 5 IP with 4 hits, 0 earned and a 8/4 K/BB at Triple-A. He throws a legitimate 4 pitch mix and has a sparkling 1.00 ERA in 27 IP, but his 13.6% BB% is a bit on the high side.

Evan Carter TEX, OF, 18.9 – Smoked his 2nd homer of the year at Single-A, and while his .213/.403/.360 triple-slash isn’t super impressive, he’s 18 years old in full season ball with a 21.8%/.21.8% K%/BB% and a 126 wRC+. He’s only going to grow into more power at 6’4”, 190 pounds and he has 12 steals on the year. Carter has a chance to be an absolute monster.

Miguel Vargas LAD, 3B, 21.7 – Vargas was one single away from the cycle yesterday as he went 3 for 5 with his 11th double, 1st triple, and 5th homer in 30 games at High-A. His 18.8% K% with a 27.8% GB% is a recipe for success. I liked him coming into the year and his stock keeps rising. Now is the time to make a move on him if he is still available in your league.

Gavin Sheets CHW, 1B, 25.1 – After a brief call up to the majors that resulted in 0 at-bats, Sheets got right back to raking at Triple-A with him launching his 5th homer in 25 games yesterday. He’s had strong contact numbers his entire career going back to college (18.9% K% in 2021), and his game power is now breaking out as he had hit only 26 homers in 301 minor league games prior to this season.

Ethan Small MIL, LHP, 24.4 – Small has yet to strikeout less than 6 batters in any of his 6 starts this season, and yesterday was no exception with him going 5.2 IP with 2 hits, 0 ER and a 8/2 K/BB at Double-A. He doesn’t have huge stuff and his 16.5% BB% is a little concerning, but the man knows how to miss bats.

Carmen Mlodzinski PIT, RHP, 22.3 – Mlodzinski’s pro debut is going swimmingly as he’s been lights out in all 4 of his outings. He went 5 IP with 4 hits, 0 ER, and a 7/1 K/BB at High-A yesterday. The 39.7% K% is great to see after he put up a 7.8 K/9 in 25.1 IP in the SEC during the shortened 2020 season.

Taylor Walls TB, SS, 24.11 – Walls smacked 2 doubles en route to a 3 for 5 day with 0 K’s. His underlying numbers have been very strong in the early going with a 90.9 MPH exit velocity, 17.3 degree launch angle, 18.8% whiff%, 16% BB%, 28.5 ft/sec sprint speed and a .371 xwOBA. He’s never going to put up huge power/speed numbers, but he looks like a legit top of the order hitter and there definitely might be some more juice in his bat as he enters his mid 20’s.

UPDATED DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKINGS ARE UP ON MY PATREON. UPDATED AND EXPANDED FYPD RANKINGS AND A DEEP PROSPECTS ONLY RANKING ARE COMING LATER THIS MONTH. JOIN UP FOR THOSE RANKINGS AND A TON OF OTHER ALMOST DAILY CONTENT!

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 is the Monday Morning Dynasty Baseball Rundown (5/24/21):

UPDATED TOP 100 PROSPECTS RANKINGS ARE UP ON MY PATREON. UPDATED DYNASTY RANKINGS ARE COMING THIS WEEK. JOIN UP FOR THOSE RANKINGS AND A TON OF OTHER CONTENT INCLUDING DYNASTY RUNDOWNS, FYPD RANKINGS AND MORE!

Adley Rutschman BAL, C, 23.3 – The top catching prospect in baseball launched a clutch 445 foot homer to tie the game in the 9th, going 3 for 4 with a 0/1 K/BB on the day. He now has a .432 OBP with 4 homers in 17 games at Double-A.

Francisco Alvarez NYM, C, 19.5 – The soon to be top catching prospect in baseball connected for his 2nd homer and is now slashing a ridiculous .417/.567/.646 with 2 homers and an elite 10.4%/22.4% K%/BB% in 15 games at Single-A. It’s not crazy to say he may end up an even better hitter than Rutschman.

Triston Casas BOS, 1B, 21.4 – A newly minted Top 10 Prospect in my Updated Top 100 Prospect Rankings over on my Patreon, Casas kept raking with his 4th dinger at Double-A. He now has a 162 wRC+ at the level with a very reasonable 24% K%.

Gage Workman DET, 3B, 21.7 – The 102nd overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft, Workman’s been hitting the ball hard all year at Single-A, and he blew up yesterday with 1 homer, 1 triple, 1 double, and 1 single. That’s what we call hitting for the cycle round these parts (and round every other parts in the baseball world too). He’s handled his business with a 143 wRC+ in 17 games.

Brennen Davis CHC, OF, 21.7 – Made noise in his 2nd game of the season after getting hit in the head with a pitch in MiLB spring training, drilling a homer with 3 walks and a stolen base in 4 PA at Double-A. His power/speed combo is obvious, so his plate approach is the number one thing to watch. So far, so good.

Bobby Witt Jr. KC, SS, 20.11 – Heating up at Double-A with a 450 foot bomb and a double in 5 AB yesterday. He’s on a 5 game hitting streak with 2-hit games in his last 3.

Cade Cavalli WASH, RHP, 22.7 – Cavalli hasn’t pitched a bad game yet in 4 outings, going 6 IP with 3 hits, 1 ER and a 7/2 K/BB yesterday. He has a 2.05 ERA with a 34/8 K/BB in 22 IP at High-A with the premium stuff to back up the numbers. His stock keeps rising.

DL Hall BAL, LHP, 22.7 – 4 IP, 2 hits, 0 ER, 8/2 K/BB at Double-A. We are not quite out of the woods yet with his control issues (11.9% BB%), but his stuff is filthy and his K% is blowing up (46.3%). He is one of the top early season pitching risers.

Jo Adell LAA, OF, 22.1 – Smoked 2 homers yesterday for his 8th and 9th of the season in 16 games at Triple-A, but his 34.2%/7.9% K%/BB% is more concerning than the power surge is encouraging. He’s still only 22, so there is plenty of time to figure it out, but the strikeout issues against minor league pitching has his stock dropping a bit for me.

Orelvis Martinez TOR, SS, 19.8 – Got ahold of his 3rd homer at Single-A and has been rock solid in his full season debut, slashing .269/.347/.478 with 3 homers, 2 steals and a 24%/9.3% K%/BB% in 16 games at Single-A. I still don’t think his hype matches his talent, making him a great target in trades for rebuilding teams.

Ke’Bryan Hayes PIT, 3B, 24.4 – Don’t forget about Hayes, as all this guy does is rake. He cranked a homer on his rehab assignment at Triple-A and is now 3 for 6 in 2 games.

Jordan Westburg BAL, SS, 22.1/Hudson Haskin BAL, OF, 22.5 – The 30th and 39th overall pick in the 2020 draft, respectively, both went deep yesterday. Westburg has tallied 2 hits in 8 straight games and is destroying Single-A with a 218 wRC+, 3 homers and 4 steals in 15 games. Haskin hasn’t been bad himself with a 169 wRC+, 2 homers and 8 steals in 15 games.

Anthony Volpe NYY, SS, 20.1 – Volpe connected on his first homer of the year at Single-A and has been impressing overall with a 15.9%/19.5% K%/BB% and 10 steals in 15 games. He might not have the highest upside, but has a good glove with on base ability and solid all category potential.

Tucker Davidson ATL, LHP, 25.2 – 6 IP, 1 hit, 1 ER, 9/1 K/BB. He’s been lights out all year at Triple-A with a 0.90 ERA, and pitched solid in his one MLB start last week. He’s close to the majors with mid-rotation upside, but without overpowering stuff (92.7 MPH fastball), he’s more attractive to me in deeper leagues.

Aaron Ashby MIL, LHP, 23.0 – Had his best start of the season, going 5 IP with 1 hit, 0 ER and a 6/2 K/BB at Triple-A. He still has a 22.1% BB%, making a bullpen role the most likely destination, but he can be nasty in that role.

Josh Lowe TB, OF, 23.3 – Living in the shadow of Wander and Brujan can’t be easy, but Lowe is making due as he cracked his 6th homer yesterday to give him a 171 wRC+ at Triple-A. The 29.8%/3.5% K%/BB% isn’t quite as impressive.

Gabriel Arias CLE, SS, 21.3 – 2 for 5 with 0 K’s. His plate approach was the biggest concern coming into the year and he is answering those questions with a 21.5%/13.8% K%/BB% in 16 games as a 21 year old at Triple-A. The overall numbers aren’t eye popping (110 wRC+), but the arrow is pointing up on Arias.

Alek Thomas ARI, OF, 21.0 – 2 for 4 with 2 doubles and 0 K’s at Double-A. The power/speed totals are far from blowing up (1 homer and 1 steal), but his mature plate approach is transferring against advanced competition with a 21.4%/15.7% K%/BB% in 15 games. He also has 6 double, 2 triples and a .328 BA.

Taylor Trammell SEA, OF, 23.7 – Continues his assault on Triple-A pitching, going 4 for 4 with a homer and is now 22 for 43 with 5 homers in 10 games. He struggled mightily in his MLB debut, but he’ll get another shot eventually and I’m betting on him performing better the next time around.

Blake Rutherford CHW, OF, 24.1/Jake Burger CHW, 3B, 25.1 – In what feels like a blast from the past, Chicago’s 1st round picks in 2016 and 2017 are both starting to find their groove with both tallying 3 hits at Triple-A. Rutherford has a .317 BA and Burger’s flipped 6 homers. I’m more interested in Burger’s power for fantasy, while I’m not buying into Rutherford with a still mediocre 26.2%/7.7% K%/BB% and limited power.

Gabriel Moreno TOR, C, 21.3 – Making a mockery of Double-A pitching his 3rd homer and is now slashing .404/.483/.654 with a 21.7%/10% K%/BB% in 13 games. He’s not a great defender and Toronto has a bunch of interesting catchers, so his path to playing time isn’t very clear at the moment.

Zach DeLoach SEA, OF, 22.9 – I was relatively high on DeLoach this off-season and he has more than held his own at High-A as he cranked his 3rd homer yesterday. He has a 17.1%/11% K%/BB% at the level with 3 steals.

Kai-Wei Teng SF, RHP, 22.6 – 5 IP, 3 hits, 2 ER, 11/2 K/BB at High-A. His first two starts of the year have been rough, but his last two have been excellent with a combined 18/3 K/BB in 10 IP with 2 ER. He can get his fastball into the mid to upper 90’s and has the potential for 3 quality secondaries. He is a pick up in deeper leagues and a watchlist guy in shallower leagues.

UPDATED TOP 100 PROSPECTS RANKINGS ARE UP ON MY PATREON. UPDATED DYNASTY RANKINGS ARE COMING THIS WEEK. JOIN UP FOR THOSE RANKINGS AND A TON OF OTHER CONTENT INCLUDING DYNASTY RUNDOWNS, FYPD RANKINGS AND MORE!

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

I mixed it up with both MLB and MiLB players on this one and I’m planning on doing it this way more often moving forward. Here is the Monday Morning Dynasty Baseball Rundown (5/10/21):

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR A TON OF WEEKDAY CONTENT THROUGHOUT THE SEASON, INCLUDING UPDATED DYNASTY RANKINGS, FYPD RANKINGS, DYNASTY RUNDOWNS, STRATEGY ARTICLES AND MORE!

Rafael Devers BOS, 3B, 24.6 – 2 for 4 with a 110.7 MPH homer and 106.5 MPH double. His sprint speed is back up to 27.6 ft/sec, his K% is back down to 21.3%, and his BB% is at an all time high 11.8%. I was a little concerned with his low sprint speed and high whiff% early in the season, but Devers not only bounced back from 2020, he took his game to another level. He is an elite dynasty asset.

Gleyber Torres NYY, SS, 24.5 – Welcome to 2021, Gleyber Torres, as he knocked his first dinger of the year off Joe Ross. His 18.2%/12.4% K%/BB% is still strong, and there is no reason to think his 84.9 MPH exit velocity won’t normalize as he we get deeper into the season. He’s no Rafael Devers, but don’t sell too low on him either.

Sandy Alcantara MIA, RHP, 25.8 – Alcantara has been dominating with the changeup all year and that continued yesterday as he went 7 IP with 5 hits, 1 earned and a 6/2 K/BB. He threw his changeup 46% of the time and put up a 31% whiff% overall. He’s inching closer to being a top 50 dynasty asset if he isn’t there already.

Pete-Crow Armstrong NYM, OF, 19.1 – Armstrong was my favorite target in first year player drafts this year, and he is showing why in the early going as he is slashing .450/.593/.550 with 2 doubles, 1 steal (on 3 attempts), and a 5/6 K/BB in 20 AB.

Corbin Carroll ARI, OF, 20.8 – Carrol was my favorite target in his draft year too and he went off yesterday, going 3 for 4 with a triple, homer, and 2 steals at High-A. The homer was an opposite field bomb. He’s now slashing .333/.455/.722 with 1 homer, 3 steals, and 7/4/ K/BB in 18 AB.

CJ Abrams SD, SS, 20.7 – Abrams had himself a day at Double-A, going 3 for 5 with a dinger and 0 K’s. His homer was also an opposite field shot. He’s slashing .320/.412/.560 with 1 homer, 2 steals, and a 9/4 K/BB in 25 AB. Both Abrams and Carroll’s strikeout rates are a bit high, but they have been showing off their explosive tools.

Cedric Mullins BAL, OF, 26.7 – The Cedric Mullins breakout continues with his 6th homer of the year off Nick Pivetta. He’s shown a good feel to hit (17.5% K%) with an above average 89.7 MPH exit velocity and a career best 9.4% BB%.

Harrison Bader STL, OF, 26.11 – 1 for 2 with a 1/2 K/BB. It’s only been 32 AB and he has still not hit great vs righties (.660 OPS), but Bader has his K% down to 13.5%. If he did make real improvements to his contact numbers, his power/speed combo has a real chance to shine through. I’m not giving up assets for him, but he is worth a pick up if he is out there on your wire.

Lewis Brinson MIA, OF, 27.0 – Cracked his 2nd homer on a 107.8 MPH, 412 foot shot, and went 3 for 4 on the day. He’s hitting the ball hard at 91.7 MPH, but he is swinging and missing more than ever (38.2% whiff%) and is barely walking (2% BB%). I’m continuing to stay away.

Yordan Alvarez HOU, OF, 23.10 – 3 for 4 and is now slashing .362/.395/.638 with 6 homers. It’s a very encouraging start considering the knee surgeries, but his .438 BABIP is likely juicing up that line a bit. The only other thing that really sticks out is his 3.5% BB% after walking 14.1% of the time his rookie year. Regardless, his stock is back on the rise.

Dane Dunning TEX, RHP, 26.5 – Dunning was a strikeout machine yesterday, going 5 IP with 6 hits, 2 earned, and a 10/3 K/BB. He put up a 43% whiff% on the back of his slider and changeup. Both pitches have dominated all season long with a .138 and .171 xwOBA, respectively. He’s backing up his strong 2020 MLB debut.

Huascar Ynoa ATL, RHP, 22.11 – 6 IP, 4 hits, 1 ER, 6/1 K/BB. His slider dominated with a 47% whiff% and his fastball hit a high of 99.6 MPH. I wouldn’t be so quick to sell high on him.

Kyle Tucker HOU, OF, 23.5 – It’s about time Tucker started to heat up as he went 2 for 3 with a triple, dinger, and a walk. His underlying numbers are still excellent, so I’m thinking he is about to get hot.

Nate Pearson TOR, RHP, 24.8 – Got knocked around in his MLB season debut, going 2.1 IP with 4 hits, 3 earned and a 0/5 K/BB. He put up a 6% whiff%. His stuff is too good to panic, but damn was this a terrible start.

Tyler Anderson PIT, LHP, 31.4 – 8 IP, 4 hits, 2 ER, 6/1 K/BB. He now has a 3.05 ERA on the year, but I buy more into his 3.83 xERA. He can be a solid starter, but I’m not giving up any assets to acquire him.

Adolis Garcia TEX, OF, 28.2 – 3 for 4 with a 106.1 MPH bomb, 2 hard hit singles, and 0 K’s. His 30.3%/5.5% K%/BB% still makes him high risk, but he is absolutely smoking the ball with a 92.3 MPH exit velocity. The longer he keeps raking, the more you gotta trust him.

Shane McClanahan TB, LHP, 24.0 – 4 IP, 4 hits, 3 ER, 5/2 K/BB. Stuff was still nasty with a 97.5 MPH fastball and a slider that put up a 44% whiff%. He does have a 94.4 MPH exit velocity against, which is in the bottom 1% of the league, and his slider has been his only positive value pitch, so it hasn’t been all roses.

Chris Paddack SD, RHP, 25.4/Ryan Weathers SD, LHP, 21.5 – Paddack and Weathers both pitched 3 shutout innings. Paddack’s fastball was up to 95.2 MPH and it put up a 64% whiff% which was great to see. Weathers had his fastball/slider combo working for him and he gave up a single hit in the outing.

Alexander Mojica PIT, 3B, 18.9 – I was already pretty high on Mojica, and he is showing why as an 18 year old in full season ball, slashing .333/.429/.667 with 2 homers and a 5/1 K/BB in 18 AB. He was one of the best hitters in the Dominican Summer League in 2020 with big raw power, and he is continuing that success in 2021. He is a pick up in deeper leagues, and a watch list guy in shallower leagues.

Sammy Siani PIT, OF, 20.5 – Siani hit his first dinger at Single-A which is a good sign as he is known for his good feel to hit with plus speed. He doesn’t project to have a huge impact on the MLB level, but he can be a well rounded player with all category production.

Luis Garcia PHI, SS, 20.7 – After a terrible year in 2019, Garcia is finally getting the chance to bounce back and he is doing just that, hitting his first homer of the season yesterday and is now slashing .375/.448/.542 with 1 homer, 1 steal and a 6/4 K/BB and Single-A. There were reports of increased power in 2020, and his hot start to 2021 has his stock back on the upswing.

Estevan Florial NYY, OF, 23.7 – Absolutely destroyed his 4th homer of the year at Double-A and has a reasonable 6/3 K/BB in 22 AB. Could this finally be the breakout we have been waiting years for?

Josh Lowe TB, OF, 23.3 – Josh Lowe powered up for his 3rd bomb of the season at Triple-A as he joins Wander Franco and Vidal Brujan as the next wave of Tampa’s seemingly never ending pipeline.

Luis Medina NYY, RHP, 22.0 – Had his 2nd lights out start of the season, going 5 IP with 1 hit, 0 earned and a 7/2 K/BB. His stuff has always been nasty, so seeing the improved control is huge.

Lyon Richardson CIN, RHP, 21.4 – 5 IP, 4 hits, 0 ER, 6/1 K/BB for his 2nd strong outing of the season. His velocity was reportedly up in 2020 and he has a real chance to breakout in 2021.

Evan Carter TEX, OF, 18.8 – Carter snuck onto my Top 1,000 at #1,000, and I’m happy he did as he had a 3 hit day yesterday and is now 7 for 18 with 3 doubles and a 8/7 K/BB as an 18 year old in full season ball. At 6’4”, 190 pounds with a plus power/speed combo, Carter has loads of potential, and now has some production to back it up.

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

There weren’t enough screens in my house to keep up with everyone I wanted to watch last night, but I made due by flipping around like a maniac trying to catch everything I could. Here is the MiLB Opening Day Dynasty Baseball Rundown:

Updated Dynasty Baseball Rankings are up on my Patreon! Click here to join for that article and a ton of other content including Dynasty Rundowns, FYPD Rankings, Strategy articles and more

Austin Martin TOR, OF, 22.1 – Martin kicked things off on the opening pitch of the MiLB season with a Jeter-esque single going the opposite way. If things go right, he could be putting up some Jeter-esque batting lines in the majors for years to come.

Wander Franco TB, SS, 20.2 – Launched a deep triple for his first of 3 hits on the day (3 for 5), and his speed looked in top form to my eye flying around the bases. He also tacked on a stolen base. Launch angle? Check. Speed? Check.

DL Hall BAL, LHP, 22.7 – Hall looked unhittable in his Double-A debut throwing his upper 90’s fastball up in the zone and then landing his breaking ball both in and out of the zone. He went 4.1 IP with 2 hits, 0 earned, and a 10/2 K/BB. He wasn’t necessarily consistently hitting his spots, but he also wasn’t completely out of control. If one start could have your stock on the rise, this one was it.

Grayson Rodriguez BAL, RHP, 21.5 – In the battle for Baltimore’s top pitching prospect, Rodriguez did not want to be outdone as he went 4 IP with 1 hit, 0 earned and a 5/2 K/BB at High-A. With John Means dominating on the MLB level, it could be the dawn of a new era in Baltimore.

Shane McClanahan TB, LHP, 24.0 – McClanahan toed the rubber for the Major League club and he looked masterful with a fastball that sat 98.7 MPH and a slider that put up a 57% whiff%. He went 4 IP with 2 hits, 0 earned, and a 5/2 K/BB. He may never rack up innings in Tampa, but it sure looks like he will dominate in the innings he does pitch.

Keibert Ruiz LAD, C, 22.9 – Smashed a 106.5 MPH homer off Kyle Hendricks in his first MLB at-bat of the season. He also homered in his first MLB at-bat in 2020 as well. The guy knows how to make a first impression.

Colin Barber HOU, OF, 20.5 – David Gonos of The Athletic gave me a playful ribbing for leaving Barber off my Top 1,000 Dynasty Baseball Rankings when he named that ranking one of the top free fantasy baseball resources, and Barber set out to prove Gonos right in the early going as he tallied his first dinger at High-A. Barber has a good feel to hit with speed, so showing off the power is exactly what you want to see.

CJ Abrams SD, SS, 20.7 – Abrams already made a big jump for me into the land of the elite based on his spring performance, and he kept is going at Double-A with 2 doubles, 0 K’s and a walk in 5 at-bats.

Gabriel Arias CLE, SS, 21.2 – Arias was 8 for 13 with 3 K’s in spring training, and yesterday he displayed some power with his first homer at Triple-A (1 for 4 with a K). He’s a plus defensive player whose glove will keep him on the field, and there is offensive upside if he can continue to refine his pitch recognition and plate approach.

Nate Pearson TOR, RHP, 24.7 – 3.2 IP, 4 hits, 1 earned, 8/1 K/BB. His fastball velocity was in prime form and so was his swing and miss slider. He is working on new mechanics to keep himself healthy, and if the early returns mean anything, it is going well.

Gunnar Henderson BAL, SS, 19.11 – Cracked possibly the most impressive homer of the day, hitting a no doubter the other way that left the ballpark. The hype was already starting to percolate based on 2020 reports, and that dinger should put it into overdrive.

Jackson Kowar KC, RHP, 24.7 – Kowar went against a relatively tough lineup in his Triple-A debut and was lights out, going 5.1 IP with 2 hits, 0 earned and a 9/2 K/BB. It shouldn’t be long before he joins Daniel Lynch in the rotation.

Matt Manning DET, RHP, 23.4 – 5 IP, 6 hits, 5 earned, and a 6/1 K/BB. He gave up 3 homers. He didn’t look all that great to me in spring training either (5.00 ERA in 9 IP). He’s not exactly forcing Detroit’s hand to say the least, and while I’m holding strong with his ranking, I’m starting to keep my expectations in check when he does get the call.

Michael Harris ATL, OF, 20.2 – Electric start to the season at High-A as he went 3 for 4 with a double, stolen base, OF assist, and a 1/1 K/BB. I was too low on him in my off-season rankings, even though my blurb and projection for him was glowing. I will rectify that mistake in my next update.

 Francisco Alvarez NYM, C, 19.5 – Got off to a hot start at Single-A, going 4 for 5 with a double and a walk. If he keeps this up he’s on track to become the top catching prospect in the game when Adley Rutschman graduates.

 Travis Swaggerty PIT, OF, 23.10 – There were reports of improved pull side power at that alt site and he showed that off at Triple-A yesterday with his first dinger (3 for 4 with a BB). He has speed and a plus glove in the OF, so the power coming around is big to see.

Ronny Mauricio NYM, SS, 20.1 – Mauricio has become a bit of a divisive prospect with more tools than production, but he got off to a strong start at High-A with 2 doubles and a walk in 4 AB. He’ll have to keep producing this season if he doesn’t want his prospect ranking to dip.

 Liover Peguero PIT, SS, 20.4 – Smacked a homer out to deep CF at High-A for his only hit of the day (1 for 4 with a 2/1 K/BB). He has speed with a potentially plus hit tool and glove, so the power is the final piece.

Michael Toglia COL, 1B, 22.8 – Bombs away as Toglia got a hold of his first homer at High-A. He also struck out twice and is a bit old for the level, but his upside at Coors is exciting if they ever give him the chance to play.

Jesus Sanchez MIA, OF, 23.7/Lewin Diaz MIA, 1B, 24.5 – A pair of Marlins went deep at Triple-A as they push for a MLB roster spot. They will get their shot at some point this summer.

 Luis Medina NYY, RHP, 22.0 – 4 IP, 1 hit, 0 ER, 8/2 K/BB at High-A. He looked great in the Puerto Rico Winer League before struggling in spring training. He has nasty stuff, so continuously showing the ability to harness it will be key this season. So far, so good.

Luis Gil NYY, RHP, 22.11 – Gil is another high risk, high reward Yankees prospects who got off to a good start yesterday. He went 3.2 IP with 2 hits, 0 ER, and a 6/1 K/BB. At the least, these guys can be electric arms out of the pen.

Nick Pratto KC, 1B, 22.6 – After dominating in spring with 4 homers in 29 AB (albeit with 14 K’s), Pratto picked right up at Double-A with his first homer (1 for 5 with a K). His stats bottomed out in 2019 with a .191 BA, and it certainly looks like a resurgence could be upon us.

Jordan Walker STL, 3B, 18.11 – Crushed a weak breaking ball for a pull side homer with a quick, vicious hack. Nobody was questioning his power at 6’5”, 220 pounds, but it doesn’t hurt to see it.

Updated Dynasty Baseball Rankings are up on my Patreon! Click here to join for that article and a ton of other content including Dynasty Rundowns, FYPD Rankings, Strategy articles and more

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