James Wood – Page 3 – Imaginary Brick Wall

Posted on August 1, 2022August 1, 2022 by Michael Halpern

Monday Morning Dynasty Baseball Rundown (8/1/22)

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 (8/1/22):

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR TONS OF EXCLUSIVE CONTENT, INCLUDING:
-MID-SEASON TOP 314 2022 DYNASTY PROSPECTS RANKINGS
-TOP 437 JULY 2022 DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKINGS
-TOP 10 TRADE NEGOTIATION TACTICS (one of my favorite things I’ve ever written)
-TOP 10 MID-SEASON TRADE TARGETS
-MID-SEASON OBP TOP 447 DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKINGS
-MID-SEASON POINTS/6+CATS/OPS “UNIVERSAL” TOP 430 DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKINGS
-TOP 40 2023 FYPD RANKINGS

Jarred Kelenic SEA, OF, 22.11 – 0 for 3 with 2 K’s vs. HOU. It’s like he never left

Alex Ramirez NYM, OF, 19.6 – The hype has been far too quiet on Ramirez for years now, but it’s not going to stay that way for much longer as he demolished 2 homers at High-A yesterday, the first one out to dead center, and the 2nd one he smashed so hard even he had to stop and stare. He’s now destroying High-A with 5 homers and a .935 OPS in 20 games. I’ve tried to carry the torch for him on my own since he was signed, ranking him all the way up at 161st overall on my 2020 Prospects Rankings, and he’s now reached Top 50 status for me.

Pedro Leon HOU, OF/SS, 24.2 – Leon walloped a homer where the ball jumped off the bat so fast you don’t even need to know the EV to know it was hit out with the quickness … but I checked anyway and it was measured at 107.6 MPH. My eye had it at least 109.2 MPH though. I trust the eye test 🙂 He’s leveled up over the past 25 games, slashing .282/.430/.541 with 5 homers, 12 steals, and most importantly a 17/18 K/BB. Seeing the K’s come down is huge.

Nick Lodolo CIN, LHP, 24.4 – 6 IP, 4 hits, 1 ER, 7/2 K/BB vs. Baltimore. Lodolo had all 3 pitches working (sinker, curve, change), leading to a 33% whiff% and 87.3 MPH EV against on the day. I hope my Patreon members already went out and acquired Lodolo, because I named him one of my Top 10 Mid-Season Trade Targets back in late June, and ranked him 147th overall on the Updated Top 437 Dynasty Rankings that dropped last week. There could still be a buy window here, but it’s closing fast.

Reid Detmers LAA, LHP, 23.0 – 7 IP, 3 hits, 1 ER, 12/3 K/BB vs. TEX. He dominated with the fastball, slider and curve that all put up over a 40% whiff%. The fastball is up to 93.8 MPH, which is great to see after it was sitting 92+ MPH earlier in the year. He’s been a man possessed since getting called back up with a 1.13 ERA and 31/9 K/BB in 24 IP. I ranked him 239th in the Updated Dynasty Rankings, and that’s already looking pretty light.

David Peterson NYM, LHP, 26.10 – Peterson was sent down to Triple-A due to the Mets jammed packed rotation and went 4.1 IP with 4 hits, 1 ER, and a 7/2 K/BB. I see this as a blessing in disguise if you don’t own him because this creates a buying opportunity that you should jump all over. His fastball is up 0.7 MPH to 93.7 MPH, and his slider jumped 2 MPH to 84.1 MPH, turning it into an elite pitch with a 47.8% whiff%. If he gets dropped in a shallowish league, or if a contender is willing to trade him in a win now deal, I would pounce.

Matt Chapman TOR, 3B, 29.2 – Don’t look now but Chapman has his OPS up over .800 (.808) after going 2 for 3 with a 108.7 MPH homer yesterday. The K% is holding at a manageable 26% and his EV is back up to 93 MPH (Top 2% of the league). His .353 xwOBA is the 2nd best mark of his career. I ranked him 144th overall on my Top 1,000 Rankings this off-season and wrote, “Chapman seems like one of the easiest bounce back calls in baseball for 2022. One of those picks that will look obvious in hindsight. He underwent surgery to repair a hip labrum that brought his rehab right up to the start of the 2021 season. Even with the down year he still jacked 27 homers, put up a career best 12.9% BB%, and had an above average .320 xwOBA. With a normal off-season and being further removed from that serious surgery there is almost no doubt he will perform much closer to his career numbers.”

Bryan Ramos CHW, 3B/2B, 20.5 – Ramos lifted off for 2 homers at High-A to give him 17 homers in 83 games. It also comes with an excellent 16.9%/9.1% K%/BB%. He hasn’t stolen a single base, which caps his fantasy upside, but he’s quietly chugging along as one of the best hit/power combo prospects in the game.

Triston Casas BOS, 1B, 22.4 – Casas missed almost two months with a sprained ankle, but he’s back to raking at Triple-A as he cranked out his 2nd homer in 3 games. He hasn’t exploded at the level with a 107 wRC+ in 45 games, but it doesn’t really change his profile much as a high OBP, slugging first baseman who should maintain a solid BA too.

Jordan Walker STL, 3B, 20.3 – Walker is snapping out of a power slump with his 4th and 5th homer in his last 9 games at Double-A. He hit 1 in his previous 28 games, but you only have to watch his first homer of the day to see why the power slump wasn’t an issue at all. He hit the ball 439 feet on a very easy and controlled swing. He’s also been in a stolen base slump with 1 steal in his last 29 games, and that one I am a little concerned about considering his size. He’ll chip in with a handful, but I wouldn’t expect him to a major contributor in that category

Francisco Alvarez NYM, C, 20.7 – Talk about no doubt power, Alvarez smashed his 3rd homer in 16 games at Triple-A out to right center. It was a pitch on the outside corner that he hit off the end of his bat. He’s only hitting .173, but that’s mostly due to a .194 BABIP, and he’s an OBP machine with a 21.1% BB%.

James Wood SDP, OF, 19.9 – Possibly my favorite prospect in the game, Wood had yet another huge day at the dish, going 4 for 5 with a homer that he crushed out to centerfield on a pretty short and quick swing. That short and quick swing gives him a chance to hit for a pretty decent average despite being 6’7”. He has 10 dingers with a 17.8%/15.8% K%/BB% in 50 games at Single-A. Please believe this man is an elite prospect. He ranked 9th overall on my Top 314 July Prospects Rankings (Patreon).

Roansy Contreras PIT, RHP, 22.8 – Pitt has head scratchingly used Contreras an up and down arm this year, and he went 3 IP with 4 hits, 1 ER, and a 5/0 K/BB at Triple-A yesterday. They shut him down after his best outing of the year on July 7th and are now building him back up, so I guess there is some method to the madness, but I’ve never really seen any other good team use a development strategy like this. It’s odd at the very least.

Chase Petty CIN, RHP, 19.0 – Petty got called up to High-A and got hit up, going 3 IP with 7 hits, 6 ER, and a 1/3 K/BB. His numbers at Single-A were solid (3.18 ERA), but the stuff has been a little underwhelming relative to where it was in his draft year, and a 22.7%/8.7% K%/BB% is not that exciting. I assumed he was the type to either have a 14.7% BB% with a 1.51 WHIP, or skyrocket to top pitching prospect in the game status, but he’s surprisingly ending up kinda boring. Not to say that next year he can’t take it to another level.

Mason Montgomery TB, LHP, 22.0 – 5 IP, 6 hits, 1 ER, 5/2 K/BB at Double-A. Montgomery got called up to Double-A for his last 3 starts and the higher level definitely put him in check with a 26.4%/16.4% K%/BB% in 13 IP, but he’s still managed to hold his own with a 2.08 ERA. The stuff isn’t big, but he uses a deceptive lefty delivery to get the job done and is in a great organization to maximize his talent. I like him as a late round target in off-season prospect drafts.

Bryan Mata BOS, RHP, 23.3 – 6 IP, 5 hits, 3 ER, 7/1 K/BB at Double-A. Mata got a late start to his season coming off April 2021 Tommy John surgery and he’s just now getting up to full speed, throwing 88 pitches in this one which is a season high. He has major control problems that gives his bullpen risk, but the stuff is nasty with an upper 90’s fastball and 4 pitch mix. Even if he ends up in the pen he has the potential to go Jhoan Duran on us.

Alec Bohm PHI, 3B, 26.0 – 4 for 5 with a 109.6 MPH double, 105 MPH single, and 102 MPH homer. Bohm’s launch angle is all the way up to 11 degrees (5.6 degrees in 2021), which is extremely encouraging for his future power potential, although a 92.6 MPH FB/LD EV has kept it in check this year with only 7 homers in 94 games. Regardless, his .346 xwOBA is much better than his .323 wOBA, and he’s starting to lock himself in as a reliable MLB hitter. He has only one steal with a below average 27.1 ft/sec sprint speed, and his 4.7% BB% is in the bottom 7% of the league, so there are still some issues, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see his power really pop down the stretch here.

Eloy Jimenez CHW, OF, 25.7 – 1 for 3 with a 109.8 MPH homer. Eloy is back to his power and nothing else thing, but boy oh boy does he have power with a 94.1 MPH EV (4th best in baseball with a minimum of 50 BBE) and 99 MPH FB/LD EV (2nd best). It’s his 8.7 degree launch and 25.5%/4.1% K%/BB% that keeps me from ranking him any higher than 110th on the Updated Top 437 Dynasty Rankings, but that insane exit velocity could make that ranking look silly very quickly.

Brandon Lowe TB, OF/2B, 27.11 – 2 for 3 with 2 doubles and a 0/1 K/BB. The perpetually underrated Lowe returned from a lower back injury a couple weeks ago and immediately gots to raking, slashing .340/.392/.553 with an 90.4 MPH EV. His 23.4% K% is a career low.

Jose Miranda MIN, 3B/2B, 24.0 – Miranda pummeled his 10th homer in 64 games off Sean Manaea and now has a 214 wRC+ with a 91.1 MPH EV in his last 16 games. The underlying numbers are still a little underwhelming overall with a .301 xwOBA (.343 wOBA) and 5% BB%, so I’m a little hesitant to go all in, but his plus hit/power combo is definitely starting to come around in the majors.

James Outman LAD, OF, 25.2 – Outman made his MLB debut with a bang, going 3 for 4 with a 109.4 MPH single, 104.3 MPH double, and a 404 foot homer. He’s likely a bench bat, but he’s interesting in a deep league with a plus power/speed combo and a high OBP. The K rate has been high his entire career (29% K% in 68 games at Double-A), and he only had a 99 wRC+ in his 22 games at Triple-A, so I would keep expectations in check, but he has fantasy friendly upside in OBP league especially if he works his way into more playing time.

George Valera CLE, OF, 21.7 – Valera murdered a ball off a lefty for his 15th homer in 84 games and 2nd homer off a lefty at Double-A. It was a no doubter that would have likely been a 2nd deck shot had there been a 2nd deck

Robert Hassell SDP, OF, 20.11 – Hassell slapped one the other way for his 10th homer in 75 games at High-A. His power has been underwhelming since hitting 5 homers in April, and he’s also 1 for 4 on the bases in his last 21 games. As much as I love him, it wouldn’t be surprising if ended up a mid teens power and speed guy.

Deyvison De Los Santos ARI, 3B, 19.1 – De Los Santas got called up to High-A and he just can’t stop hitting bombs, drilling his 4th in 9 games. It comes with a 9/0 K/BB, and the plate approach hasn’t been great all year, but considering his elite power and age, I wouldn’t get too hung up on that.

Matt Mervis CHC, 1B, 24.3 – I’m late to the Marvelous Mr. Mervis party, but he recently got the call to Triple-A and has continued to dominate, going 2 for 4 with a double yesterday and now has a 136 wRC+ with 2 homers and a 17.5%/5% K%/BB% in 9 games. He’s 6’4”, 225 pounds with a vicious lefty swing, and while he hits righties much better than lefties, he’s not hopeless against lefties with a .796 OPS in 114 PA. He’s a good pick up in any size league, even relatively shallow ones.

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

Posted on July 13, 2022July 15, 2022 by Michael Halpern

Patreon Post: Top 314 Mid-Season 2022 Dynasty Baseball Prospects Rankings

I went back to being very strict with my definition of a prospect in this one. June and May Rankings are in parenthesis, in that order. Here is the Top 314 Mid-Season 2022 Dynasty Baseball Prospects Rankings:

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR THE REST OF THESE RANKINGS AND TONS OF EXCLUSIVE CONTENT, INCLUDING:
-TOP 10 TRADE NEGOTIATION TACTICS (one of my favorite things I’ve ever written)
-TOP 10 MID-SEASON TRADE TARGETS
-MID-SEASON OBP TOP 447 DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKINGS
-MID-SEASON POINTS/6+CATS/OPS “UNIVERSAL” TOP 430 DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKINGS
-JUNE 2022 TOP 445 DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKINGS
-TOP 16 2023 FYPD RANKINGS (UPDATED AND EXPANDED EARLY NEXT WEEK)

1) (2) (5) Corbin Carroll ARI, OF, 21.11 – Hit a dinger and made a highlight reel diving catch in his first game at Triple-A. He’s electric … boogie woogie woogie

2) (8) (12) Gunnar Henderson BAL, SS, 21.0 – I must have sent that “Gunnar Henderson is elite” memo by Pony Express because it took a few months for everyone else to catch up

3) (9) (13) Jordan Walker STL, 3B, 20.2 – Homer power is the only thing that isn’t thriving with 7 homers in 69 games, but that’s really the last thing we have to worry about with Walker because of his size and excellent EV numbers.

4) (16) (6) Anthony Volpe NYY, SS, 21.2 – The low BABIP has regressed in a good way, slashing .317/.405/.564 with 5 homers, 15 steals, and a 14/13 K/BB in his last 26 games. He has 35 steals in 74 games at Double-A

5) (17) (11) Robert Hassell SDP, OF, 20.11 – With Veen’s K% all the way down, I could go either way on Hassell vs. Veen

6) (18) (18) Zac Veen COL, OF, 20.6 – K% is all the way down to 21.1% and not only has his stolen bases not regressed from last year but he’s actually on a better pace with a much, much better success rate (35 for 37 in 75 games at High-A)

7) (54) (92) Elly De La Cruz CIN, SS/3B, 20.5 – The guy has 20 homers and 28 steals in 72 games at High-A. I mean, what the fuck? 30.5% K% is the only thing keeping him ranked even this low

8) (99) (158) Jackson Chourio MIL, OF, 18.3 – Chourio had already moved all the way up to this area in all of the Mid-Season Updated Dynasty Rankings. Both the stats and eye test is off the charts. 28.2% K% is the only quibble.

9) (43) (42) James Wood SDP, OF, 19.10 – Returned from a sore wrist and has been even better than before hitting the IL, slashing .333/.422/.563 with 3 homers, 7 steals, and a 17/12 K/BB in 21 games. I always call him Oneil Cruz 2.0, but he actually might end up better than Cruz because the hit tool is better

10) (20) (38) Jordan Lawlar ARI, SS, 20.0 – Called up to High-A and has struggled in 6 games with a .095 BA

11) (14) (21) Eury Perez MIA, RHP, 19.2 – I love these next 3 pitchers, but when push comes to shove, I just can’t take them over the potentially elite, all category hitters even if they are closer. Perez has a 1.88 ERA with a 31/5 K/BB in 24 IP since the last update. He’s healthy, so he gets the nod over Grayson and Espino

12) (5) (2) Grayson Rodriguez BAL, RHP, 22.6 – Right lat strain could end his season. He did begin light rehab activities after a “good” MRI, so there is some good news. If you want to downgrade him more because of the injury I have no issue with that

13) (13) (9) Daniel Espino CLE, RHP, 21.5 – Still out with that knee tendinitis they claimed wasn’t that serious

14) (1) (7) Royce Lewis MIN, SS, 23.0 – It feels like Kyle Lewis all over again with knee injury after knee injury, but like Lewis, Lewis’ talent is too good to give up on. Maybe it’s just a Lewis thing.

15) (23) (36) Ezequiel Tovar COL, SS, 20.11 – In the midst of his first slump, but even his slumps look good with a .311 BA in his last 18 games. It comes with only 1 homer and 1 steal though

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

Posted on January 17, 2022January 18, 2022 by Michael Halpern

San Diego Padres 2022 Dynasty Baseball Report (Top 10 Prospects/Interesting MLB guys/Strategy Talk)

Along with a Top 10 Dynasty Baseball Prospects Ranking, I wanted to highlight some interesting MLB guys and talk some team specific strategy for every team to give a more complete Dynasty Team Report. Like during the regular season, I’m still going to be posting a few articles a month for free on my website. This is one of those articles. Here is the San Diego Padres 2022 Dynasty Baseball Report (Top 10 Prospects/Interesting MLB guys/Strategy Talk):

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR TONS OF CONTENT ALL OFF-SEASON, INCLUDING:
–A Top 413 Sneak Peek of my 2022 Top 1,000 Dynasty Baseball Rankings with more early releases coming all off-season
–Positional Dynasty Baseball Rankings (Top 256 OF/Top 122 SS/Top 88 3B/Top 90 2B/Top 78 1B/Top 56 C)
–Top 50 First Year Player Draft Rankings (full Top 100 coming out with the Top 1,000 Rankings)
-Dynasty Team Reports for every team (Top 10 Prospects/Interesting MLB guys/Strategy Talk)

Previous Teams on Patreon
Arizona Diamondbacks–Baltimore Orioles-Boston Red Sox (free)–Chicago Cubs (free)–Chicago White Sox–Cincinnati Reds–Cleveland Indians–Colorado Rockies–Detroit Tigers–Houston Astros–Kansas City Royals–Los Angeles Dodgers (free)–Miami Marlins–Milwaukee Brewers–Minnesota Twins–New York Mets (free)–New York Yankees–Oakland Athletics–Philadelphia Phillies–Pittsburgh Pirates–Seattle Mariners–San Francisco Giants–St. Louis Cardinals (free)–Tampa Bay Rays (free)–Texas Rangers–Toronto Blue Jays–Washington Nationals

Hitters

Manny Machado SD, 3B, 29.9 – Machado’s underlying power numbers exploded this year, shattering career highs in exit velocity (93.1 MPH), Max EV (119.6 MPH) and HardHit% (52.2%). The gains didn’t really show up in his surface stats with 28 homers and a .836 OPS, but at the very least it is reminder of how elite Machado can be. He’s been a bit inconsistent in his career, going back and forth between great years and solid years since 2017, so if the trend holds, he is in for one hell of a 2022. He doesn’t seem to be getting the respect he deserves in early dynasty drafts, and if you can buy low based on the mediocre surface stats, I would jump on it. 2022 Projection: 94/34/103/.283/.354/.522/10

Trent Grisham SD, OF, 25.5 – Grisham couldn’t maintain his 2020 power breakout with his HardHit% dropping 5 percentage points to 36.8%, his Max EV dropping 2.5 MPH to 109.4 MPH and his launch angle dropping 1.2 degrees to 12.3 degrees. He’s still showing a plus plate approach with plus speed, so if the power ticks back up as he enters his mid 20’s, he can be an above average all category contributor. I’m buying low if I can. 2022 Projection: 84/22/81/.257/.354/.445/15

Ha-Seong Kim SD, SS/3B/2B, 26.5 – Kim was put in position to fail. He is a young player who needs full time at-bats to be given the chance to adjust to MLB pitching. He never really got that shot and he struggled all season with a .622 OPS. The underlying numbers aren’t hopeless though with a solid 23.8%/7.4% K%/BB%, plus runtimes (28.4 ft/s sprint speed), and the ability to lift the ball (13 degree launch angle). He’ll need to hit the ball harder in 2022 (86.8/91 MPH AVG/FB EV) to convince San Diego he deserves a full time job. 2022 Projection: 43/12/47/.241/.310/.412/10

Starting Pitchers

Blake Snell SD, LHP, 29.4 – It took Snell until August to find his groove, but it was a sight to behold when he did with a 1.83 ERA and 65/14 K/BB in 44.1 IP. A left adductor strain (groin), ended his season in mid September, but that shouldn’t be a concern moving forward. He got lit up with a 5.44 ERA in 84.1 IP before that because he completely lost his control with 55 walks. Robbie Ray is a good reminder to never give up on strikeout machines with control problems, especially in fantasy. I’ll take any discount I can get on Snell. He ranked 83rd overall on my Top 413 Sneak Peek of the 2022 Top 1,000 Dynasty Baseball Rankings. 2022 Projection: 11/3.58/1.26/204 in 160 IP

Chris Paddack SDP, RHP, 26.3 – Paddack wasn’t able to bounce back from a down 2020, notching a 5.07 ERA in 108.1 IP. His K% dropped to a career low 21.6% and batters hit him hard with a 90.5 MPH EV against. Even his changeup regressed this year with a slightly below average .315 xwOBA. Along with performance issues, his rotation spot is far from guaranteed. I’m avoiding him in 2022. 2022 Projection: 7/4.23/1.25/116 in 120 IP

Adrian Morejon SDP, LHP, 23.1 – Underwent Tommy John surgery in late April 2021 and will likely be out until mid-season 2022. Morejon was one of my favorite targets last off-season with a 96.3 MPH fastball and 3 potentially plus, swing and miss secondaries in his changeup, curve and slider. He added a sinker to the mix this year and the extremely small sample results were positive with a 30.8% whiff% and negative 3 degree launch angle. He seems mostly forgotten about, but he has the kind of premium stuff that is worth waiting on. He is an easy flier that you can probably get for close to nothing at this point. 2022 Projection: 3/4.12/1.31/62 in 60 IP Prime Projection: 11/3.79/1.24/177 in 162 IP

Bullpen

Dinelson Lamet SDP, RHP, 29.8 – Lamet can’t shake the injury bug as elbow/forerm problems limited him to 47 IP and he was moved to the bullpen in September. The fastball/slider combo wasn’t as elite as it was in 2020, but it was still good with a 95.5 MPH fastball and a slider that put up a .204 xwOBA. His role for 2022 is undetermined, and it is possible he ends up as San Diego’s closer. While I don’t mind taking a flier, his name value could push his value higher than I’m willing to pay. 2022 Projection: 5/3.71/1.23/105 in 85 IP

San Diego Padres Top 10 Dynasty Baseball Prospects

1) CJ Abrams SDP, SS, 21.6 – A fractured tibia and sprained MCL ended Abrams season after just 42 games. He proved his plus hit tool and speed will transfer against advanced competition at Double-A, slashing .296/.363/.420 with 2 homers, 13 steals (in 15 attempts), and a 19.7%/8.2% K%/BB% at Double-A. His power isn’t there yet, and there is a chance it will never be a major part of his game, but he still looks pretty skinny to me at 6’2”, 185 pounds and don’t think those man muscles have come in yet. The power will tick up in time. ETA: 2023 Prime Projection: 95/18/75/.288/.342/.437/27

2) Robert Hassell SDP, OF, 20.7 – Hassell dominated Single-A (139 wRC+) with a plus plate approach (17.2%/13.3% K%/BB%) and speed (31 steals), but he only hit 7 homers in 92 games with a 52.1% GB%. He then went to High-A for 18 games and proved he has the ability to make adjustments to get to his power, jacking 2 homers with a 32.7% GB%. The K% rose with the power to 28.7%, but it’s still a good sign he will eventually be able to put it all together. He’s 6’2’’, 195 pounds, so while he is expected to be a hit tool, speed guy, I wouldn’t rule out a power explosion. ETA: 2024 Prime Projection: 93/18/74/.277/.358/.446/23

3) James Wood SDP, OF, 19.7 – Selected 62nd overall in the 2021 MLB Draft, Wood is a big and athletic lefty at 6’7”, 240 pounds with plus power and above average run times. He dominated rookie ball in his pro debut, slashing .372/.465/.535 with 3 homers, 10 steals and a 31.7%/12.9% K%/BB% in 26 games. Like any player this tall, he has some hit tool concerns, and his GB% was a bit high at 49%. This is basically the Oneil Cruz starter kit. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 73/24/81/.247/.326/.458/9

4) Victor Acosta SDP, SS, 17.10 – Acosta signed for $1.8 million in last years international class and he impressed right out of the gate in pro ball, slashing .285/.431/.484 with 5 homers, 26 steals, and a 18.8%/15.8% K%/BB% in 56 games in the DSL. He’s a switch hitter who hits well from both sides of the plate, but his lefty swing looks particularly dangerous to me. If his power fully develops, he has superstar upside, and even if it doesn’t his hit tool and speed are enough to make him a truly impact player. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 87/20/78/.274/.352/.445/24

5) MacKenzie Gore SDP, LHP, 23.1 – Gore’s alt site reports in 2020 were mediocre at best, and we saw those problems play out in 2021 with a pitching line of 3.93/1.47/61/28 in 50.1 IP (6.35 ERA with a 8/6 K/BB in 11.1 IP in the AFL). He showed control issues, delivery issues, and inconsistent stuff. At his best he still flashed 4 plus pitches from the left side, so he is far form a lost cause, but he is also far from a finished product. 2022 Projection: 2/4.42/1.37/42 in 45 IP Prime Projection: 10/3.88/1.32/168 in 155 IP

6) Luis Campusano SD, C, 23.6 – Campusano unlocked his power in 2021 with a career best 40.2% GB, leading to 15 homers in 81 games at Triple-A. He had a 52.2% HardHit% on 23 batted balls in his MLB cup of coffee this year. He couldn’t keep up the elite 11.7% K% he put up at High-A in 2019 with a 20.2% K% in 2021 (37.9% whiff% in the majors), so I think his ultimate batting average is more of a question than his power at this point. 2022 Projection: 25/7/28/.248/.308/.424/0 Prime Projection: 69/22/76/.266/.327/.462/0

7) Samuel Zavala SDP, OF, 17.9 – Zavala signed for $1.2 million in last year’s international class and like Acosta he lived up to the signing in his pro debut, slashing .297/.400/.487 with 3 homers, 11 steals (in 18 attempts) and a 15.3%/13.6% K%/BB% in 55 games in the DSL. He has an easy, smooth lefty swing with an advanced plate approach and developing power. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 83/22/78/.274/.348/.462/7

8) Jackson Merrill SDP, SS, 18.11 – Selected 27th overall in the 2021 MLB Draft, Merrill surely looks the part at 6’3”, 195 pounds with a sweet looking lefty swing. He was solid in his pro debut with a 22.5%/8.3% K%/BB% and 5 steals in 31 games, but he hit 0 homers and put up a 92 wRC+. He doesn’t really have a standout offensive skill, but you don’t have to be a super scout to watch him and realize there is definitely potential in the bat. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 73/21/79/.262/.327/.438/7

9) Eddy Beltre SDP, OF, 18.0 – Beltre was a DSL standout, slashing .295/.423/.446 with 3 homers, 24 steals, and a 16.8%/13.9% K%/BB% in 32 games. He has double plus speed with a good feel to hit and developing power. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 78/18/71/.267/.332/.427/23

10) Joshua Mears SDP, OF, 21.1 – Mears is 6’3”, 230 pounds with massive raw power that he has no trouble getting to. He crushed 17 homers with a 51.2% FB% in 71 games at Single-A, but it comes with extreme strikeout issues (39.2%/12.4% K%/BB%). ETA: 2024 Prime Projection: 58/20/66/.223/.313/.453/4

11) Daniel Montesino SDP, 1B/OF, 18.2 – Montesino got a million bucks in last year’s international class. He is a bat first prospect with some defensive concerns, so there is a lot of pressure on his bat, but so far, so good as he slashed .316/.444/.489 with 4 homers, 8 steals, and a 21.8%/17.7% K%/BB% in 56 games in the DSL. He has the potential to hit for both power and average at peak. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 69/24/78/.254/.331/.450/4

Strategy

San Diego has the 6th best pitcher’s park in baseball, making all of their pitchers great targets. It makes me love Morejon even more. Their ballpark is particularly death of left handed hitters, majorly suppressing homers, so it does make me worry a bit about a power breakout for someone like Grisham (he hit 4 homers at home and 11 on the road in 2021) who doesn’t have huge raw power. It could also impact the upside of Cronenworth, and we’ve all basically given up on a Hosmer homer breakout.

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