Fantasy Baseball Prospects Report: Zebby Matthews handed over for now; Bubba Chandler makes presence recognized

Among the many prospects who genuinely had an opportunity of profitable a job this spring, the 2 nearest misses, most Fantasy Baseballers would agree, have been Zac Veen and Zebby Matthews.

It took lower than two weeks for the Rockies to proper the flawed with Veen. They known as him up Tuesday and have given him back-to-back begins in proper subject. What would it not take for the Twins to do the identical with Matthews?

We might have already got our reply. They simply positioned ace Pablo Lopez on the IL with a strained hamstring, and whereas it is anticipated to be a short-term absence, he’ll should miss a few turns. Matthews certainly traces up for the primary of these turns, however apparently, the Twins are calling David Festa up a pair days early to offer the remainder of the rotation additional relaxation. Feels like Matthews may quickly observe, although, as per Minnesota Star Tribune author Bobby Nightengale:

However how a lot ought to we care, actually? Matthews’ 9 begins within the majors final yr amounted to only a 6.69 ERA, in any case. Ah, however there is a motive why his close to miss this spring was such a letdown for Fantasy, and that motive appears to have carried over to his two begins at Triple-A.

FIVE ON THE VERGE

(Listed below are the prospects most value stashing in redraft leagues.)

2024 minors: 6-3, 2.60 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, 97 IP, 7 BB, 114 Ok
2024 majors: 1-4, 6.69 ERA, 1.65 WHIP, 37 2/3 IP, 11 BB, 43 Ok
2025 minors: 10 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 13 Ok

Sure, now that Matthews’ path is seen (if not fully clear), I am prepared to name him the highest-priority stash. That is how hopeful I’m in him making good on his return to the majors. I believed the profile was loads robust sufficient even for as poorly because it went final time. He was a strike-thrower of the very best order, issuing 0.6 BB/9 throughout his time within the minors final yr, and generated whiffs at a ok price with a full complement of secondary pitches.

However then he confirmed as much as spring coaching this yr with one other 2 mph on his fastball, and there isn’t any telling how excessive the upside is that if he holds onto that. He struck out 12 whereas strolling only one in 9 1/3 shutout innings this spring, then allowed only one hit over 5 innings in his season debut at Triple-A. His second begin noticed him strike out 9 over 5 innings, and between the 2 begins, he is issued only one stroll.

In different phrases, the speed increase does not appear to have price him something when it comes to management, and if I am a betting man, I am betting on him sticking round past Lopez’s return from the IL, bumping Chris Paddack or Simeon Woods Richardson from the Twins rotation as a substitute. I might even be rostering him over a boring innings-eater sort like Luis Severino or Michael Wacha.

2024 minors: .368 BA (38 AB), 4 HR, 3 2B, 1.283 OPS, 12 BB, 10 Ok
2025 minors: .386 BA (44 AB), 6 HR, 5 2B, 1.335 OPS, 3 BB, 12 Ok

One other week, one other three homers for Nick Kurtz to offer him 10 in 22 minor-league video games between this yr and final. He is precisely midway to the variety of video games Wyatt Langford spent within the minors earlier than the Rangers have been pressured to confess that he merely had nothing extra to study there. How shut are the Athletics to doing the identical with Kurtz? Nicely, contemplating they’ve but to attempt him or designated hitter Brent Rooker within the outfield, I might say to offer it a bit of extra time. An damage may transfer up the timetable, in fact, and first baseman Tyler Soderstrom did go away Tuesday’s recreation with a proper calf contusion. He was proper again within the lineup Wednesday, although, and does not look like he’ll want an IL stint. He is off to almost as scorching of a begin for the massive membership as Kurtz is for the Triple-A membership, in order that’s one much less path Kurtz may take to the majors.

2024 minors: 10-7, 3.08 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 119 2/3 IP, 41 BB, 148 Ok
2025 minors: 6 2/3 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 5 BB, 12 Ok

After making only a couple transient appearances in spring coaching and looking out rusty in his first begin at Triple-A Indianapolis, Chandler lastly gave us some size in his second begin Tuesday and seemed the a part of an elite pitching prospect, placing out eight over 4 one-hit innings. He averaged 98.6 mph on his fastball, which peaked at 100.0, and had a 20 p.c swinging-strike price on his 61 pitches.

Once more, that was on Tuesday, which was April 8. It was April 18 when Paul Skenes crossed the 60-pitch threshold for Triple-A Indianapolis final yr en path to a Might 11 debut. So would Might 1 be an affordable estimate for Chandler’s debut? The Pirates would actually have a gap, and I believe it is largely only a matter of constructing him up so long as his previous management points do not resurface. Chandler does not have fairly the upside of Skenes, as a result of no one does, however it’s possible he’d be must-start from the get-go.

2024 minors: .291 BA (454 AB), 18 HR, 21 SB, .894 OPS, 79 BB, 127 Ok
2025 minors: .167 BA (30 AB), 2 HR, 1 3B, 1 SB, 10 BB, 13 Ok

It is true that after homering twice in his second recreation of the season, Anthony has completed subsequent to nothing for Triple-A Worcester. So I suppose he is now not the highest prospect, huh? In fact, he’s, and he is additionally nonetheless a precedence stash although I’ve deemed the possibility for an instantaneous payoff from Zebby Matthews to be a good larger precedence. Anthony is not new to Triple-A. He slashed .344/..463/.519 in his 35 video games there final yr, strolling as many occasions as he struck out (31), so I would not say he has something to show there although he is been chilly out of the gate. We simply want him rolling by the point a gap develops within the Crimson Sox lineup, which does not seem imminent with Wilyer Abreu having bolstered his declare to the correct subject job.

2024 minors: .271 BA (420 AB), 26 HR, .896 OPS, 64 BB, 103 Ok
2025 minors: .278 BA (36 AB), 1 HR, 1 3B, .803 OPS, 5 BB, 15 Ok

The Dodgers have been offered with a chance to deliver up Dashing earlier this week. They misplaced their first baseman, Freddie Freeman, to an ankle damage, and it seems Dashing had already been dabbling at first base. However as a substitute of turning to the 24-year-old, they known as up one other catcher, Hunter Feduccia, who has hardly even performed since then. That is a blow to Dashing’s stashability, clearly, and now that Freeman is on the verge of returning, I would not say Dashing is any nearer to getting the decision.

He is had an uneven efficiency at Triple-A, with a five-strikeout recreation and a four-strikeout recreation skewing his general price. He is made one look in left subject along with his begins at catcher and first base, and a hybrid backup catcher function would seem like his greatest likelihood of breaking into the majors nonetheless until the Dodgers use him as commerce bait. The offensive profile stays attractive, however it’s not unreasonable to suppose another prospect may overtake Dashing for the ultimate spot within the 5 on the Verge per week from now.

FIVE ON THE PERIPHERY

(Listed below are another prospects doing one thing of word.)

2024 minors: .241 BA (116 AB), 2 HR, .690 OPS, 7 BB, 26 Ok
2025 minors: .333 BA (21 AB), 2 HR, 1.074 OPS, 4 BB, 5 Ok

Seeing as he is solely at Double-A, Caglianone would not seem like on the verge of a major-league call-up, however by now, it is abundantly clear that the Royals bought an actual one with the sixth decide in final yr’s draft. His residence runs do not simply clear the fence however the environment, getting into orbit at velocities in extra of 115 mph. 

Caglianone goes to be the type of masher who breaks Statcast data, and in contrast to a number of the others who match that description, he has no actual contact points to talk of. If something, he is a bit of too good at connecting on pitches he should not swing at. Between the best way he is going at Double-A and his eye-opening spring efficiency (9 for 18 with three homers and 5 walks to 4 strikeouts), he’ll possible be pushing for a big-league job in some unspecified time in the future this season. The well being of Vinnie Pasquantino and Salvador Perez may have some say in it.

Chase Meidroth, SS, White Sox

2024 minors: .293 BA (437 AB), 7 HR, 13 SB, .837 OPS, 105 BB, 71 Ok
2025 minors: .267 BA (30 AB), 3 HR, 2 SB, 1.050 OPS, 8 BB, 5 Ok

Replace: Meidroth might be known as up Friday and will function the staff’s beginning shortstop transferring ahead. He is of fast curiosity in deeper leagues and value monitoring in shallower codecs.

Whereas Meidroth reached base at .437 clip for the Crimson Sox’s Triple-A affiliate final yr, it wasn’t clear that his bat could be impactful sufficient to make him a major-league common. However the White Sox have been intrigued, making him part of the Garrett Crochet deal, and already, they’ve the 23-year-old tapping into extra energy by elevating to his pull aspect. His exit velocity readings final yr weren’t as dangerous as you would possibly suppose (88.6 mph common and 108.1 mph max), giving him sufficient juice to place the ball over the fence with the optimum launch angle. I am picturing one thing like Jake Cronenworth, solely with extra walks.

2024 minors: 7-6, 3.32 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 81 1/3 IP, 15 BB, 104 Ok
2025 minors: 2-1, 3.21 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 14 IP, 10 BB, 14 Ok

I wrote final week about how the Brewers might don’t have any selection however to deliver up Jacob Misiorowski to handle their pitching wants, prepared or not, however then the 23-year-old circled and walked 4 in 3 2/3 innings, confirming why that is simply not possible. So what about Logan Henderson? He does not have the identical prospect clout, however he delivered a formidable strikeout-to-walk ratio between 4 minor-league stops final yr, his fastball enjoying past its pay grade because of its low launch peak. He has a changeup that is genuinely a plus pitch and appears to have crammed out his arsenal with a cutter this yr. After uncharacteristically fighting management in his first two begins for Triple-A Nashville, his newest one noticed him strike out eight over 5 no-hit innings. I am guessing he finally ends up beating Misiorowski to the majors.

2024 minors: 8-4, 5.26 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, 102 2/3 IP, 40 BB, 97 Ok
2024 majors: 1-1, 4.24 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 34 IP, 9 BB, 29 Ok
2025 minors: 11 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 19 Ok

Ginn was unremarkable in his eight appearances with the massive membership final yr and had a ho-hum minor-league season as effectively. However he is come again this yr with an additional mile per hour on each his sinker and slider, and it appears to have made a world of distinction. He struck out eight over 5 one-hit innings in his first begin March 28 and adopted it up with an 11-strikeout effort April 3. The 11 strikeouts have been greater than he had in any begin final yr, and solely twice did he contribute as many as eight. His excessive ground-ball tendencies already gave him some hope, and he hasn’t sacrificed these in pursuit of extra whiffs, boasting a price of 56.3 p.c, which is about as excessive as regular. The fifth spot within the Athletics’ rotation is up within the air proper now, and whereas I am pretty skeptical Ginn’s newfound swing-and-miss interprets to the majors, he is earned a glance.

2024 minors: 9-4, 2.35 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 145 1/3 IP, 41 BB, 162 Ok
2025 minors: 10 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 15 Ok

Will this yr be the yr when Seymour debuts? The 26-year-old has constantly delivered formidable numbers within the minors since he started pitching there in 2021, however he is needed to bide his time, partly due to accidents however partly as a result of he has a better burden of proof than most pitching prospects. Any skepticism could be effectively based provided that he barely throws 91 mph, relying extra on deception for his whiffs. However there are oh so many whiffs, his April 3 begin at Triple-A Durham being simply the newest instance. He not solely registered 10 strikeouts in 5 innings of labor but additionally 20 swinging strikes on simply 85 pitches. He is a curious sufficient case so that you can no less than file the identify away.