RoboScout Top MLB Prospects At Every Level On Aug. 11, 2024

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It is trade deadline day in some of my Dynasty Leagues and I expect a lot of players – and prospects – to be involved in some deals today. We are also starting to accumulate a body of work for some draftees, with some hitters reaching 20 plate appearances or more – though still a bit low for the below lists – but they have all been overshadowed by Christian Moore (Angels) and his dream-like start to his professional career. RoboScout tries to stay dispassionate but even they can’t contain their excitement at Moore’s start and their CPU fan has been whirring for days.

The lists below are for games through Friday, August 9.

As always, RoboScout has been watching it all for you.

Note that the Complex League hitter and pitcher lists are no longer being shown since their seasons are over. To see the final rankings for the Complex League, click here.

As a reminder, the RoboScore is the value (0 to 100) assigned per level by RoboScout based on 2024 statistical performance and projecting fantasy value (without considering defensive ability or position). The RoboCast number is the RoboScore but with Statcast blended in and then transformed to the 0 to 100 scale.

Dominican Summer League Hitters (min 20 PA)

RankNameTeamRoboRoboCast
1Emil MoralesLAD100100
2Rainiel RodriguezSTL9395
3Eduardo BeltreMIN8792
4Jesus MadeMIL8087
5Juneiker CaceresCLE8687
6Stiven MartinezBAL7682
7Luis PenaMIL7781
8Jose AndersonMIL7680
9Edward FlorentinoPIT6979
10Yolfran CastilloTEX7079
11Juan OrtunoMIL7077
12Santiago CamachoSFG7176
13Sebastian BaqueraTEX6776
14Elvin GarciaBAL6676
15Jirvin MorilloCIN6875
16Arnaldo LantiguaLAD6275
17Ching-Hsien KoLAD5974
18Justin GonzalesBOS6574
19Adriander MejiaBAL6173
20Iverson AllenPIT6173

 The top three hitters each hit a home run – with Eduardo Beltre (Twins) hitting two – as the top five continue to separate from the rest of the DSL hitting pack as their own tier.

Santiago Camacho (Giants) and Sebastian Baquera (Rangers), two catchers who appear adjacent to each other on the rankings, both show above-average receiving ability in addition to their hitting ability. This is something that RoboScout doesn’t know when calculating their RoboScore.

The most interesting new name – who appears after having now accrued 20 plate appearances – is Taiwanese international signee Ching-Hsien Ko (Dodgers), a 6-foot-3-inch outfielder. After signing in June, reportedly for around $700,000, Ko has already smashed a home run and shows a knack for barreling the ball. Although the sample size is extremely small, the center fielder has shown a very patient approach with a chase rate in the single digits, though his contact rate and his exit velocities are so far only average. RoboScout will be keeping a keen eye on him and his high ceiling.

Low-A Hitters (min 35 PA)

RankNameTeamRoboRoboCast
1Leodalis De VriesSDP100100
2Eric BitontiMIL9197
3Franklin AriasBOS9295
4Colt EmersonSEA8792
5Michael ArroyoSEA8690
6Blake MitchellKCR8387
7Kevin McGonigleDET8286
8Aidan SmithTBR8285
9Zyhir HopeLAD7783
10Eduardo TaitPHI9183
11Jaison ChourioCLE7982
12Demetrio CrisantesARI7582
13Jonny FarmeloSEA7781
14Starlyn CabaPHI7981
15Lazaro MontesSEA9081
16Arjun NimmalaTOR8280
17Walker JenkinsMIN7680
18Josue De PaulaLAD7480
19Axiel PlazPIT8779
20Jhonny SeverinoPIT7678
21Jeral PerezLAD7376
22Ralphy VelazquezCLE7575
23Alfredo DunoCIN7575
24Jesus BaezNYM7674
25Bryce EldridgeSFG7073

Eric Bitonti (Brewers) has been on fire since being promoted to Low-A Carolina with five home runs in his first 40 plate appearances. Although that power explosion has also come with a 30% strikeout rate, the 18-year old third baseman shows good swing decisions as evidenced by his 19% walk rate at the Complex. That translates to a floor of a three true outcomes hitter – with the high-end potential for 25 to 30 home run power in the major leagues, with a batting average around .250 and an on base percentage around .340 to .350.

Blake Mitchell (Royals) hit three home runs this past week and climbs up to sixth on the Low-A list. With Carter Jensen, the Royals have solid RoboScout-approved catchers in the system.

The three 2024 draftees who have a minimum of 20 plate appearances at Low-A and who RoboScout has been watching early, despite the extremely small sample sizes, are Kyle DeBarge (Twins), JJ Wetherholt (Cardinals) and Carson DeMartini (Phillies). DeBarge, the 33rd overall pick who signed with the Twins overslot for $2.4 million and DeMartini, a fourth rounder, are showing similar high-contact, average power, and low chase rate profiles thus far in their professional debuts. That tracks for DeBarge who was drafted with the reputation of a contact-oriented hitter, but DeMartini was drafted for power from the hot corner and only had a 70% contact rate over his collegiate career with a particularly eyebrow-raising 28% strikeout rate in his draft year. At Low-A Clearwater though, DeMartini has only struck out 15% of the time with a contact rate of 86%. Whether this is an approach change remains to be seen, but with a home run, three stolen bases and a 253 wRC+ in his first 21 plate appearances, he already has RoboScout’s attention.

Wetherholt, the seventh overall draft pick of 2024 hit his first professional home run this week, has a 90% exit velocity of over 105 mph, has been showing great swing decisions with only a 10% chase rate, and has a walk-to-strikeout ratio of five to two. So far, he’s been delivering everything the Cardinals could have hoped.

Low-A Pitchers (min 12 IP)

RankNameTeamRoboRoboCast
1Matt WilkinsonCLE100100
2Jonah TongNYM9196
3Quinn MathewsSTL8695
4Travis SykoraWSN9195
5Jarlin SusanaWSN8193
6Alejandro RosarioTEX8593
7Didier FuentesATL8392
8Santiago SuarezTBR8092
9George KlassenLAA8192
10Grant TaylorCHW7790
11Trevor HarrisonTBR8290
12Yujanyer HerreraMIL8485
13Eliazar DishmeyMIA7183
14Thomas WhiteMIA7282
15Jace KaminskaCOL7782
16Kohl DrakeTEX8281
17Sean LinanLAD8181
18Welinton HerreraCOL7080
19Adam SerwinowskiCIN6880
20Gary Gill HillTBR7980
21Jose GonzalezTEX7380
22Mavis GravesPHI8579
23Jackson NezuhHOU6878
24Bishop LetsonMIL6778
25Noble MeyerMIA6878

Travis Sykora (Nationals) continues to climb, now with the fourth highest RoboCast score for the level, up from seventh last week and passing org-mate Jarlin Susana. There is no hotter pitcher at Low-A, as Sykora has fanned an incredible 48% of batters he’s faced over his last six starts with a microscopic 0.61 WHIP. Last week he was a top 125 fantasy prospect. This week, he is probably a top 100 fantasy prospect.

An interesting deep-league name has emerged in the Dodger organization: Roque Gutierrez, a 21-year old Mexican right hander. On the season, his 77.2 innings for Low-A Rancho Cucamonga with a 1.40 WHIP and 5.33 ERA do not look particularly compelling. However, since June 28 – when he had a 1.69 WHIP and 6.43 ERA – he has made seven starts, averaging 5 innings in each, and has struck out 38% of batters, walked only 8%, for a 1.08 WHIP and 4.04 ERA. Gutierrez has a 93 mph fastball, a mid-80s slider, a mid-80s cutter, and a splitter – while also occasionally mixing in a curveball. If his recent success is indicative of his true talent, it’s a potential back of the rotation profile.

High-A Hitters (min 25 PA)

RankNameTeamRoboRoboCast
1Michael ArroyoSEA100100
2Luke AdamsMIL9597
3Luke KeaschallMIN9194
4Kevin McGonigleDET9394
5Sebastian WalcottTEX9993
6Sal StewartCIN8488
7Lazaro MontesSEA9688
8Xavier IsaacTBR8988
9Walker JenkinsMIN8487
10Carter JensenKCR8586
11Josue De PaulaLAD8186
12Bryce EldridgeSFG8084
13Jhostynxon GarciaBOS7883
14Alex FreelandLAD7683
15Max ClarkDET8582
16Cooper PrattMIL7981
17Cam CollierCIN7979
18Mike BoeveMIL7179
19Angel GenaoCLE7578
20Samuel ZavalaCHW7878
21William BergollaPHI7878
22Henry BolteOAK7578
23Cooper IngleCLE7178
24Tre’ MorganTBR7578
25Allan CastroBOS7077

Bryce Eldridge (Giants) started off slowly in 2024 after getting tremendous buzz heading into the year. Focusing solely on hitting, Eldridge has put up plus to plus-plus exit velocities but at the expense of fringe-average contact. That trade-off is typically worth it, but in 2024 the results hadn’t really caught up to the underlying metrics. Last week though, Eldridge hit a home run and stole a base, raising his High-A wRC+ from 125 to 151. The power is in the 25 to 30 home run range – the question is whether he can manage his contact rate as he rises through the levels.

Jesus Baez (Mets) started off extremely strongly in Low-A list but has gradually tapered off as the season has worn on, ultimately finishing the level at 123 wRC+ with 10 home runs and eight stolen bases over 284 plate appearances as a 19-year old before being promoted to High-A Brooklyn. Under the hood, Baez was showing a better 90th percentile exit velocity than fellow 19-year olds Lazaro Montes (Mariners) and Walker Jenkins (Twins) while also posting a higher barrel rate and xwOBAcon than both of them. After 32 plate appearances in High-A – where he did manage to hit a home run and steal a base – Baez’s season is now done after undergoing knee surgery. On the whole, RoboScout sees him as a league average bat with 25 home run potential. Splitting his defensive time pretty much equally between third base and shortstop – with a little bit of second base thrown in – it’s more than likely that Baez will end up at the hot corner with his plus arm. One to watch in 2025.

High-A Pitchers (min 12 IP)

RankNameTeamRoboRoboCast
1Noah SchultzCHW92100
2Jarlin SusanaWSN93100
3Alejandro RosarioTEX9699
4Quinn MathewsSTL9599
5Luis PeralesBOS9098
6Owen MurphyATL9298
7Chase DollanderCOL9097
8Matt WilkinsonCLE10095
9Zebby MatthewsMIN8592
10George KlassenPHI8591
11K.C. HuntMIL9289
12Jonah TongNYM8888
13Kohl DrakeTEX9488
14Thomas WhiteMIA8388
15Alessandro ErcolaniPIT7887
16Brett WichrowskiMIL8286
17Sean SullivanCOL9586
18Winston SantosTEX7784
19Jaden HammDET8783
20Owen WildTBR8082
21Brandyn GarciaSEA7381
22Jedixson PaezBOS9280
23Austin PetersonCLE8180
24Luis MoralesOAK7180
25Ethan PeckoHOU8180

Jarlin Susana (Nationals) climbs his way into a tie for highest pitcher at the level with another excellent week. If you want to read more, see last weeks’ article.

Yoniel Curet (Rays) is just outside the Top 25 but he has been pitching extremely well over the last six weeks. On the season he has a 29% strikeout rate and a gaudy 12% walk rate leading to a 1.25 WHIP and 3.45 ERA in almost 90 innings. Over his last six starts, he has a 36% strikeout rate, a 9% walk rate, and a 1.07 WHIP and 0.99 ERA over 27 innings. He is 29th in the Rays Top 30 where we graded him out as having a plus-plus fastball and plus slider but only a 40 grade on his control. If he can maintain the improvements that he has made over the last six weeks, he will cut down his reliever risk considerably.

In the Rangers Top 30, Canadian lefthander Mitch Bratt sits at 24th on the strength of his advanced pitchability with the opportunity to be a back of the rotation starter if he could gain arm strength. In 2023, at High-A his fastball maxed out at 91.8 mph; in 2024, he averages 91.3 mph and has touched 95.5 mph with 10% of his fastballs being faster than 93 mph – leading to an improvement in Stuff+ on our internal model by over half a standard deviation. In his last three starts for High-A Hickory, Bratt threw 16.1 innings, striking out 24 and only walking three batters before earning the promotion to Double-A Frisco. In his two starts at Double-A, he has a strikeout minus walk rate of 19% over 11 innings, and has continued to show great control with a Ball% of 33%. Interestingly enough, Bratt’s major league projection based on his High-A season is actually slightly better than the projection for his teammate Winston Santos – with a better WHIP but slightly fewer strikeouts than Santos. In other words, if you prefer pitchability over “stuff”, RoboScout says it’s ok to lean Bratt.

Double-A Hitters (min 25 PA)

RankNameTeamRoboRoboCast
1Emmanuel RodriguezMIN100100
2Agustin RamirezNYY8990
3Luke KeaschallMIN8588
4Roman AnthonyBOS8687
5Moises BallesterosCHC8887
6Xavier IsaacTBR9187
7Carter JensenKCR8685
8Matthew LugoBOS8084
9Cole YoungSEA8282
10Samuel BasalloBAL8882
11Kristian CampbellBOS7581
12Deyvison De Los SantosARI8280
13Alex FreelandLAD7380
14Carson WilliamsTBR8079
15Edgar QueroCHW7679
16Ryan CliffordNYM7878
17Dalton RushingLAD7178
18Hao-Yu LeeDET7878
19Matt ShawCHC7577
20C.J. KayfusCLE7275
21Colby ThomasOAK7175
22Brayden TaylorTBR7975
23Jacob WilsonOAK6775
24Henry BolteOAK7273
25Tyler LocklearSEA6773

The story of the minor leagues this past week has been the incredible tear that Christian Moore (Angels), the eighth overall draft pick a few weeks ago, has been on – as the second baseman belted six home runs in his first 33 plate appearances in professional baseball. What he has done at Double-A Rocket City alone – five home runs, a 438 wRC+ and a .742 xwOBAcon in 21 plate appearances – is making it more and more likely that the ultra-aggressive Angels call him up to the major leagues before September. The 90th percentile exit velocity is 108.7 mph and he has a maximum of 112.6 mph already – already higher than what Wyatt Langford has been able to register in his professional career. Any skepticism surrounding whether he could hit with wooden bats should be now considered dispelled. It’s extremely early but Moore has to be considered a top 25 fantasy prospect with this fairy tale beginning to his professional career, as he’s showing the potential for 25 to 30 home runs from the keystone.

Now that he qualifies for the list, Xavier Isaac (Rays) debuts in sixth place. Although the swing-and-miss is very real, his body of work from High-A where he hit 15 home runs as a 20 year old, still has RoboScout projecting him to be an above average hitter with the potential for 25+ home runs annually in the big leagues. The concern though is that he becomes at best a three true outcomes hitter, as he has had a higher-than-30% strikeout rate in 2024 with only a 60% contact rate for the season. Again, the quality of the contact so far outweighs the contact rate but as he is now in Double-A, he will face a true test as to whether the smacking can transcend the hacking.

In these pages, we’ve talked a lot about how the Astros adhere to the above philosophy of big power superseding fringe-average contact rates and this being their prospect hitter archetype. Although Zach Cole (Astros) isn’t quite in the top 25 for the level, the 23-year old outfielder definitely is on-brand for the organization, and has been on a bit of a hot streak the past six weeks with six home runs, three stolen bases, and a 203 wRC+ in his last 76 plate appearances.  As you would expect, he has an above average to plus quality of contact, as measured by 90th percentile exit velocity, xwOBAcon and barrel rate – and, as you might expect, has a strikeout rate above 30%, and a corresponding contact rate just shy of 70%. This will lead to streakiness and right now Cole is on a hot one. He is probably a Top 400 fantasy prospect, but be prepared for volatility.

This week it was announced that Luke Keaschall (Twins) would be out for the rest of the season for Tommy John surgery. One of the biggest RoboScout breakouts of the year, Keaschall had a 185 wRC+ with seven home runs and 14 stolen bases in High-A over 197 plate appearances and then proceeded to blast another eight bombs and steal nine more bases in Double-A with a 137 wRC+ over 267 more plate appearances. That performance as a 21-year old projects him to be a .270/.350 bat with 20 home runs and 15 stolen bases in the major leagues. Under the hood, he showed plus swing decisions and plus contact with average bat speed but an above average knack for the barrel. A top 25 fantasy prospect for RoboScout heading into 2025.

Double-A Pitchers (min 12 IP)

RankNameTeamRoboRoboCast
1Zebby MatthewsMIN100100
2Noah SchultzCHW98100
3Logan HendersonMIL9893
4Bubba ChandlerPIT9092
5Chase DollanderCOL8991
6David SandlinBOS9091
7Tink HenceSTL9890
8Braxton AshcraftPIT9088
9Quinn MathewsSTL8987
10Thomas HarringtonPIT9086
11Brandon SproatNYM8885
12Troy MeltonDET8385
13Ben ShieldsNYY8784
14Ben CaspariusLAD8183
15Blade TidwellNYM7983
16Chandler ChamplainKCR9582
17Jacob MisiorowskiMIL7782
18Winston SantosTEX7980
19Spencer SchwellenbachATL8480
20Brandyn GarciaSEA7780
21Caden DanaLAA8480
22Kyle McGowinCHC8279
23Zach PenrodBOS8779
24Yilber DiazARI8378
25Carson PalmquistCOL8378

Now that they both qualify for the Double-A list, Chase Dollander (Rockies) and David Sandlin (Red Sox) enter the Top Six. We’ve talked about Dollander quite a bit this year, as he is seventh on the High-A list after throwing 70 innings with a 28% strikeout minus walk rate and excellent 18% swinging strike rate as a 22-year old for Spokane. In his first three starts for Double-A Hartford, he hasn’t been as effective yet, with a 24% strikeout rate, an 11% walk rate and only an 11% swinging strike rate which is actually below average for the league. In aggregate for the season though, he still projects as a mid-rotation starter.

Sandlin, on the other hand, has started his small sample Double-A stint quite well with a 34% strikeout rate and only a 2% walk rate – though with two home runs over his 12 innings of work across three starts. Slightly off-brand for the Red Sox, Sandlin throws his four seam fastball primarily – but why wouldn’t he when it sits 96 mph and has touched 100 mph? Because of the high-velocity fastball, his tight 85 mph slider and 85 mph sweeper – the second of which has over 16 inches of horizontal break – both play up and grade out very well. He also throws a splitter – as well as a curveball and cutter that each have discrete movement profiles from his slider and from his sweeper. RoboScout sees a back of the rotation starter but with stuff that, if it continues to advance and actualize into expected results, could get him to be a mid-rotation starter. All in all, I think he is underrated on most lists and should be somewhere in the 150 to 175 range for fantasy prospects.

In Double-A this season, Parker Messick (Guardians) has a strikeout minus walk rate of 28% and a swinging strike rate of 17% over his 33 innings of work which are both higher than the marks put up by Zebby Matthews (Twins), Noah Schultz (White Sox) and Bubba Chandler (Pirates) at the same level. However, when combined with the 20% mark that he put up in his 68 innings at High-A Lake County, his aggregated body of work lowers his projection to that of an up-and-down starter. If you look only at his Double-A Akron results though, the 23-year old lefthander – with his low slot release but high extension – profiles more as a back-of-the-rotation starter with a chance for more. Funnily enough, fellow Guardian southpaw Logan Allen had a nearly identical strikeout and walk rate as Messick at the same age in 2022 at Akron. In your dynasty leagues where he is not yet rostered, keep an eye on him: if he has a few more solid starts, considering that he is already in Double-A, there is a very high likelihood that he will play a role for the Guardians in 2025.

A belated congratulations to Logan Henderson (Brewers) – as the third ranked RoboScout Double-A pitcher earned a promotion to Triple-A Nashville!

Triple-A Hitters (min 25 PA)

RankNameTeamRoboRoboCast
1James WoodWSN100100
2Jackson HollidayBAL9392
3Coby MayoBAL8891
4Kyle ManzardoCLE8388
5Adrian Del CastilloARI7986
6Miguel VargasCHW7886
7Jose FerminSTL7584
8Andy PagesLAD7482
9Chase MeidrothBOS7481
10Elehuris MonteroCOL7381
11Jacob WilsonOAK7078
12Dillon DinglerDET6978
13Shay WhitcombHOU7677
14Angel MartinezCLE7576
15Moises BallesterosCHC7476
16Agustin RamirezMIA7376
17Deyvison De Los SantosMIA8276
18Javier SanojaMIA7575
19Matthew LugoLAA6875
20Henry DavisPIT7274
21Joey LoperfidoHOU6573
22Niko KavadasLAA6373
23Jonatan ClaseTOR6973
24Jerar EncarnacionSFG6672
25Edgar QueroCHW6972

Checking in on some prospects that have only recently been promoted to Triple-A, James Triantos and Matt Shaw of the Cubs have both struggled in their first four games with a negative 18 wRC+ and 4 wRC+ respectively. Obviously this is not anything to be concerned about and RoboScout still sees them as league-average hitters with each projected to have around 40 home runs plus stolen bases.

Dalton Rushing (Dodgers) was promoted to Triple-A and has been playing primarily left field, suggesting he may be called up to the major leagues for the playoff push. So far, he hasn’t gotten much going either with no home runs and a 33 wRC+ in his first 20 plate appearances. Again, with one of the most solidly “red” statcast profiles in all of the minor leagues, RoboScout sees the catcher/outfielder as a fairly safe above average bat with 25 to 30 home run potential. Easily a top 50 fantasy prospect irrespective of what position he ultimately plays.

After a less-than-compelling 2024 in Colorado and subsequent demotion, Elehuris Montero (Rockies) has been en fuego at Triple-A Albuquerque with a 203 wRC+ and ten home runs in 132 plate appearances. Those ten home runs are tied for second-most at the level since June 28th, behind only the 11 from Jordan Diaz (Athletics) and tied with Colby Thomas (Athletics) and Adrian Del Castillo (Diamondbacks). It should only be a matter of time before Montero is back up with the parent club.

Triple-A Pitchers (min 12 IP)

RankNameTeamRoboRoboCast
1Paul SkenesPIT100100
2Christian ScottNYM9191
3Zebby MatthewsMIN8788
4David FestaMIN8980
5Will WarrenNYY8080
6Chayce McDermottBAL8179
7Tylor MegillNYM8178
8Jack LeiterTEX7577
9Carson SpiersCIN7677
10Tobias MyersMIL7476
11Chad PatrickMIL7775
12Louie VarlandMIN7975
13Yilber DiazARI7974
14Cade PovichBAL8574
15Elieser HernandezLAD7474
16Braxton AshcraftPIT7674
17Robert GasserMIL7173
18Blake SnellSFG7472
19AJ Smith-ShawverATL7472
20Alek ManoahTOR7672
21Slade CecconiARI7871
22Quinn PriesterPIT8471
23Cristian MenaARI8071
24Reid DetmersLAA8570
25Matt ManningDET6870

Zebby Matthews (Twins) walked a batter in his last start and now has an unsightly 1.2% walk rate over his 19 innings at Triple-A. With Joe Ryan potentially missing the rest of the season, Twins manager Derek Falvey hinted that there was a fairly good chance that Matthews would be called up next week. Preemptive congratulations to RoboScout’s fourth best pitcher of the 2024 minor league season, behind only Paul Skenes (Pirates), Christian Scott (Mets) and Noah Schultz (White Sox) for his major league debut!

On July 31, Noah Cameron (Royals) made his Triple A debut against the Nationals’ Rochester affiliate and struck out 10 without walking any batters over 6 innings. Fast forward to seven days later and the righthander struck out seven Cubs, again without walking any. On the season, RoboScout sees Cameron as a back of the rotation starter as he does not have eye-popping stuff, sitting 92 mph with his four-seam fastball, with a splitter/changeup and a downer curveball from his high release slot – but it has been quite a first two Triple-A games for Cameron.

Happy bidding!

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