RoboScout Top MLB Prospects At Every Level On July 14, 2024
It’s All-Star Weekend and we just saw the Futures Game riddled with RoboScout stars taking the field, covered on our live blog.
Even though it’s the “break”, it’s traditional to spend some time with one’s teams and take an honest accounting of where it is in the standings and whether it has a chance to actually win, place or show. I also took advantage of the time to take a look at the RoboScout hitting model to see if some additional optimizing could take place. As a result, we’ve made a tweak to the statcast engine where the predictive nature of xwOBAcon was added to more accurately project wRC+. As a result, some of the rankings have changed slightly – though not too significantly.
Let’s see who RoboScout finds interesting right now…
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 position or ability). 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 30 PA)
Rank | Name | Team | Robo | RoboCast |
1 | Jesus Made | MIL | 100 | 100 |
2 | Eduardo Beltre | MIN | 88 | 92 |
3 | Jose Anderson | MIL | 97 | 90 |
4 | Juneiker Caceres | CLE | 94 | 89 |
5 | Elvin Garcia | BAL | 86 | 88 |
6 | Yolfran Castillo | TEX | 83 | 87 |
7 | Juan Ortuno | MIL | 85 | 85 |
8 | Gabriel Rodriguez | CLE | 81 | 85 |
9 | Jirvin Morillo | CIN | 76 | 84 |
10 | Luis Pena | MIL | 85 | 83 |
11 | Edward Florentino | PIT | 81 | 83 |
12 | Jhonayker Ugarte | KCR | 76 | 82 |
13 | Jaset Martinez | CIN | 75 | 82 |
14 | Emil Morales | LAD | 83 | 81 |
15 | Adriander Mejia | BAL | 69 | 79 |
16 | Estivel Morillo | CLE | 84 | 78 |
17 | Diorland Zambrano | CIN | 67 | 78 |
18 | Claudiel Lantigua | TEX | 80 | 77 |
19 | Randy Soto | TOR | 71 | 77 |
20 | Yeiferth Castillo | CLE | 68 | 77 |
Although we’re seeing less volatility in the rankings, we are still seeing fewer new entrants into the top tier of hitters. Coming it at No. 7 is yet another Brewer, the right handed hitting Juan Ortuno, who has played mostly first base and left field this year – with a little bit of second and third base sprinkled in. With his plus contact rate, plus chase rate, and plus xwOBAcon, Ortuno hit a home run and stole a base this past week and finds himself at No. 7 on the DSL ranks. Because of the lower defensive value, he’s probably not a target yet – but if the bat continues to shine, he may force that issue.
Just outside of the Top 10 – one slot behind popular FAAB target, speedster Luis Pena (Brewers) – is Edward Florentino (Pirates), a massive outfielder from the Dominican Republic who just missed Ben Badler’s list of 30 buzzworthy DSL names . Signed for $400,000 for his plus-to-double-plus power, he has validated the reports with three home runs and a 90th percentile exit velocity of over 104 mph – but it’s the surprising contact rate and swing decisions that has turned RoboScout’s eye.
I’ve been asked if there are any DSL Pitchers who are catching RoboScout’s eye. As I’ve mentioned before, typically RoboScout doesn’t look at DSL pitchers – mostly because the success rate of pitchers is so low in general, notwithstanding even trying to identify who they would be. However, in the past, Jordy Vargas (Rockies), Luis Serna (Yankees) and Jeter Martinez (Mariners) have ranked highly when running the DSL pitching results in previous years through the ThrowboScout model. This year, the two pitchers who are far and away the leaders of the DSL pitchers in 2024 are Anderson Brito (Astros) and Keeler Morfe (Orioles).
Both pitchers have strikeout rates over 45% and walk rates under 8%, and for those who like the ratio stats, WHIPs under 0.90 and ERAs under 0.60. Yes, ERAs under zero point six. Under the hood, Brito – a Venezuelan righthander – throws a 96 mph fastball with 19 inches of IVB and a -4.3 VAA, an 81-83 mph slider with over a foot of horizontal break, and a changeup that has either inches of velocity and vertical break separation from the fastball. Two caveats are that he is 20 years old as of a week ago, and, mechanically, he throws his changeup from a release height that is three inches lower than his fastball – something that he will need to work on converging.
As we said about Quinn Mathews (Cardinals) earlier this year with respect to him being an older pitcher than most of the hitters he was facing, the focus should rather be on the “stuff” to determine if indeed it is a case of an older pitcher wily exploiting under-experienced hitters. With Brito, a flat 96 mph four-seam fastball in a vacuum would play in the upper levels and in fact grades out surprisingly similarly to the fastball of Bubba Chandler (Pirates) though 1 mph slower with four to five inches less extension. With the success of the Astros pitching development machine, he’s definitely worth a flier in leagues where 400 prospects are rostered.
For Morfe, it is a similar situation where the raw stuff transcends age or level – and the development machine can refine the clay. Morfe, an 18-year old righthander also from Venezuela, has a 98 mph fastball that is even flatter than Brito’s while also running arm-side nearly 17 inches, an 83 mph slider that has nearly a foot of sweep, and a changeup. Just as with Brito, the inconsistency in the release heights from pitch-to-pitch needs to be addressed. But, again, as with Brito, he is in the right organization to help achieve this, and too is probably a speculative pick-up in leagues of up to 400 prospects just based on the raw material and situation.
Complex League Hitters (min 60 PA)
Rank | Name | Team | Robo | RoboCast |
1 | Yeremi Cabrera | TEX | 100 | 100 |
2 | Robert Calaz | COL | 97 | 98 |
3 | Eduardo Tait | PHI | 100 | 94 |
4 | Eric Bitonti | MIL | 89 | 93 |
5 | Eduardo Quintero | LAD | 82 | 89 |
6 | Franklin Arias | BOS | 85 | 88 |
7 | Starlyn Caba | PHI | 82 | 88 |
8 | Yoeilin Cespedes | BOS | 83 | 87 |
9 | Pablo Guerrero | TEX | 87 | 85 |
10 | Edgleen Perez | NYY | 76 | 85 |
11 | Javier Mogollon | CHW | 88 | 84 |
12 | Brailer Guerrero | TBR | 75 | 81 |
13 | Jhonny Severino | PIT | 74 | 81 |
14 | Felnin Celesten | SEA | 74 | 80 |
15 | Dameury Pena | MIN | 77 | 80 |
16 | Braylin Morel | TEX | 84 | 78 |
17 | Aroon Escobar | PHI | 69 | 78 |
18 | Jeremy Rodriguez | NYM | 84 | 76 |
19 | Miguel Rodriguez | BAL | 72 | 76 |
20 | Carlos Tavares | WSN | 67 | 75 |
21 | Yasser Mercedes | MIN | 68 | 75 |
22 | Andruw Musett | BOS | 66 | 74 |
23 | Joshua Liranzo | BAL | 73 | 74 |
24 | Franyerber Montilla | DET | 66 | 74 |
25 | Demetrio Crisantes | ARI | 62 | 74 |
Last year, Javier Mogollon (White Sox) was the top DSL name for RoboScout on account of his big power. Stateside in 2024, Mogollon has started off slow showing a large hole in his bat with a 55% contact rate. The power is still real when he does make contact though, with six home runs over his last 100 plate appearances, and the second highest xwOBAcon at the complex. It goes without saying that he will need to work on significantly lowering his 40% strikeout rate if he is to catch RoboScout’s eye moving forward.
First baseman/left fielder Carlos Tavares (Nationals) has been on the list for the last few weeks but enters the top 20 this week as he has a 137 wRC+ over 92 plate appearances as an 18-year old. The statcast data is what gives him the boost – as his swing decisions and bat-to-ball skills are above average or better – and although he doesn’t have big exit velocities, he does hit them at good angles leading to a higher xwOBAcon than higher profile 18-year olds like Felnin Celesten (Mariners) and Brailer Guerrero (Rays). The results haven’t followed yet – but the underlying metrics portend a future 20 home run bat. Watchlist name for now.
Complex League Pitchers (min 12 IP)
Rank | Name | Team | Robo | RoboCast |
1 | Yordy Herrera | STL | 100 | 100 |
2 | Trevor Harrison | TBR | 91 | 97 |
3 | Samuel Sanchez | LAD | 92 | 92 |
4 | Christian Zazueta | LAD | 86 | 91 |
5 | Sean Linan | LAD | 89 | 90 |
6 | Ovis Portes | BOS | 83 | 89 |
7 | Hayden Robinson | MIL | 91 | 89 |
8 | Jacob Bresnahan | CLE | 93 | 89 |
9 | Joseph Yabbour | NYM | 81 | 89 |
10 | Rafael Gonzalez | HOU | 83 | 88 |
11 | Keyner Benitez | MIA | 96 | 88 |
12 | Alix Hernandez | SFG | 83 | 86 |
13 | Adrian Herrera | CIN | 81 | 86 |
14 | Jogly Garcia | CLE | 81 | 86 |
15 | Nelfy Ynfante | STL | 90 | 86 |
16 | Adam Bates | BOS | 78 | 85 |
17 | Jesus Carrera | HOU | 81 | 84 |
18 | Luis Morellis | CIN | 86 | 83 |
19 | Sandy Ozuna | COL | 87 | 83 |
20 | Juan Nunez | HOU | 74 | 82 |
21 | Jordarlin Mendoza | NYY | 75 | 82 |
22 | Zander Mueth | PIT | 74 | 82 |
23 | Yeferson Vargas | BOS | 74 | 82 |
24 | Adrian Bohorquez | MIN | 79 | 81 |
25 | Luis Gonzalez | PHI | 85 | 80 |
The new top-ranked pitcher at the Complex, Yordy Herrera (Cardinals) is interesting in that he is a teenage southpaw reliever. Herrera throws a 93 mph fastball which has a lot of horizontal run – even though it’s thrown from a very high release point – and a tight bullet slider that currently sits 81 mph. It looks like a reliever profile but with his average of nearly two innings per outing – longer than seen with most relievers – RoboScout projects his 47% strikeout rate as a starting pitcher, sending him to the top of the table. Despite the high ranking here, he should be ranked below the other top eight names.
Low-A Hitters (min 60 PA)
Rank | Name | Team | Robo | RoboCast |
1 | Axiel Plaz | PIT | 100 | 100 |
2 | Michael Arroyo | SEA | 94 | 98 |
3 | Lazaro Montes | SEA | 100 | 97 |
4 | Colt Emerson | SEA | 90 | 96 |
5 | Leodalis De Vries | SDP | 98 | 96 |
6 | Blake Mitchell | KCR | 87 | 95 |
7 | Kevin McGonigle | DET | 87 | 93 |
8 | Aidan Smith | SEA | 88 | 93 |
9 | Jonny Farmelo | SEA | 79 | 89 |
10 | Demetrio Crisantes | ARI | 75 | 88 |
11 | Jeral Perez | LAD | 77 | 87 |
12 | Josue De Paula | LAD | 74 | 86 |
13 | Ralphy Velazquez | CLE | 78 | 85 |
14 | Jaison Chourio | CLE | 75 | 83 |
15 | Walker Jenkins | MIN | 70 | 83 |
16 | Jesus Baez | NYM | 77 | 82 |
17 | Zyhir Hope | LAD | 68 | 82 |
18 | Alfredo Duno | CIN | 76 | 82 |
19 | George Wolkow | CHW | 81 | 81 |
20 | Bryce Eldridge | SFG | 67 | 78 |
21 | Logan Wagner | LAD | 64 | 78 |
22 | Arjun Nimmala | TOR | 75 | 77 |
23 | Alexander Albertus | LAD | 63 | 77 |
24 | Cristofer Torin | ARI | 66 | 77 |
25 | Angel Genao | CLE | 66 | 77 |
Do you know who has hit the most home runs in Low-A since May 27? Would it surprise you that it’s 18-year old catcher, Axiel Plaz (Pirates) with 10 over his last 117 plate appearances? RoboScout isn’t surprised – as Plaz was ranked in the top 50 in the RoboScout Top 100 that came out on July 1 on account of the incredible 30+ home run power, made all the more impressive by the fact that he is a catcher. Oh, and of course, he is also the new No. 1 ranked hitter at Low-A.
Since returning to Low-A, Arjun Nimmala (Blue Jays) has hit two home runs and stolen a base, with a 198 wRC+ over these 50 plate appearances. The contact rate has now crept up to league average after being below-average since the outset of the year. With his young age and thump in the bat, Nimmala projects well on RoboScout considering the extremely slow start – ahead of Angel Genao (Guardians) and behind fellow noteworthy sluggers-with-whiff-concerns Bryce Eldridge (Giants) and George Wolkow (White Sox). In a lost season for the Blue Jays, they are hoping that the rumors of Nimmala’s demise were greatly exaggerated.
Another slow starter where patience was required in retrospect, Leodalis De Vries (Padres) has put up a 123 wRC+ as the youngest hitter at Low-A. After putting up a 38% strikeout rate through April and May, De Vries has only struck out at a 20% rate since then with five home runs and six stolen bases. With a 96th percentile xwOBAcon as a 17 year old, the ceiling is sky high for the young shortstop. He’s a top 25 fantasy prospect.
Low-A Pitchers (min 15 IP)
Rank | Name | Team | Robo | RoboCast |
1 | Matt Wilkinson | CLE | 100 | 100 |
2 | Jonah Tong | NYM | 91 | 95 |
3 | Quinn Mathews | STL | 85 | 94 |
4 | Alejandro Rosario | TEX | 84 | 93 |
5 | Jarlin Susana | WSN | 80 | 91 |
6 | Santiago Suarez | TBR | 79 | 90 |
7 | Didier Fuentes | ATL | 81 | 90 |
8 | Grant Taylor | CHW | 76 | 89 |
9 | George Klassen | PHI | 78 | 89 |
10 | Travis Sykora | WSN | 82 | 86 |
11 | Eliazar Dishmey | MIA | 73 | 86 |
12 | Yujanyer Herrera | MIL | 83 | 84 |
13 | Sean Linan | LAD | 84 | 83 |
14 | Thomas White | MIA | 71 | 82 |
15 | Kohl Drake | TEX | 82 | 82 |
16 | Welinton Herrera | COL | 69 | 80 |
17 | Mavis Graves | PHI | 85 | 80 |
18 | Ovis Portes | BOS | 70 | 80 |
19 | Gary Gill Hill | TBR | 78 | 78 |
20 | Noble Meyer | MIA | 66 | 78 |
21 | Alimber Santa | HOU | 66 | 78 |
22 | Jose Gonzalez | TEX | 70 | 78 |
23 | Isaiah Lowe | SDP | 67 | 77 |
24 | Jace Kaminska | COL | 72 | 77 |
25 | Adam Serwinowski | CIN | 64 | 77 |
Jace Kaminska (Rockies) debuted on the updated Rockies Top 30 list this month on account of his deep arsenal and ability to throw strikes. With a solid 24% strikeout minus walk rate, RoboScout sees the righthander as a back-of-the rotation starter. Of course, as a Rockies pitching prospect, that’s probably not enough to roster in fantasy except in the deepest of leagues.
Although not yet on the Low-A list, Jackson Nezuh (Astros) – a 13th round draft pick from 2023 out of Florida State has pitched well over the last six weeks with a 34% strikeout rate and 6% walk rate over his last eight starts. Although he’s not blessed with an overpowering fastball, the 92 mph four-seamer has nearly 20 inches of IVB and is released with big extension, and supplements his starter’s mix. It is a back-of-the-rotation starter’s profile but if he can continue to pitch as he has since June 1, he has a similar profile and results to Santiago Suarez (Rays) and conceivably has mid-rotation upside.
Another interesting pitcher who hasn’t yet graced the Top 25 is Blake Money (Orioles), a 12th round draft pick in 2023 out of the LSU bullpen. The 6-foot-7 righthander has been pitching in a hybrid role, not starting, but throwing four innings or more in each of his last seven appearances. In those outings, he’s rung up a 31% strikeout rate, yielding free passes at only a 5% rate. With a low 80s slider with over a foot of sweep, and a 93 mph four seamer with over 20 inches of IVB – with a changeup, curveball and cutter to supplement his arsenal – his big extension plays up and should be able to make it as a starter. He’s definitely an interesting underrated pitcher who should be watchlisted.
High-A Hitters (min 60 PA)
Rank | Name | Team | Robo | RoboCast |
1 | Michael Arroyo | SEA | 96 | 100 |
2 | Lazaro Montes | SEA | 100 | 98 |
3 | Luke Keaschall | MIN | 90 | 97 |
4 | Luke Adams | MIL | 89 | 95 |
5 | Xavier Isaac | TBR | 86 | 91 |
6 | Carter Jensen | KCR | 84 | 90 |
7 | Sal Stewart | CIN | 81 | 90 |
8 | Sebastian Walcott | TEX | 88 | 89 |
9 | Alex Freeland | LAD | 75 | 86 |
10 | Samuel Zavala | CHW | 80 | 85 |
11 | Brayden Taylor | TBR | 76 | 82 |
12 | Henry Bolte | OAK | 73 | 81 |
13 | Ricardo Olivar | MIN | 70 | 80 |
14 | Cutter Coffey | BOS | 74 | 80 |
15 | William Bergolla | PHI | 78 | 80 |
16 | Charles McAdoo | PIT | 68 | 79 |
17 | C.J. Kayfus | CLE | 68 | 79 |
18 | Yohendrick Pinango | CHC | 70 | 78 |
19 | Cooper Ingle | CLE | 67 | 77 |
20 | Jhostynxon Garcia | BOS | 68 | 77 |
21 | Kristian Campbell | BOS | 63 | 76 |
22 | Cam Collier | CIN | 73 | 76 |
23 | Nick Cimillo | PIT | 63 | 76 |
24 | RJ Schreck | SEA | 64 | 76 |
25 | Michael Arroyo | SEA | 96 | 100 |
RJ Schreck (Mariners) has been on a recent heater with eight home runs and a 188 wRC+ over the last six weeks. The Vanderbilt slugger has demonstrated plus swing decisions and above average contact while barreling at a near 20% rate all year. Surprisingly, he also has an essentially identical expected-wOBA-on-contact as his teammate, well-documented slugger, Lazaro Montes. Although he is a 23-year old college hitter in High-A and rightfully should be excelling, he has also demonstrated above average defense from corner outfield. Amongst all of the high-profile outfielders swamping the Mariner system, Schreck is arguably the most underrated and RoboScout suspects he could be a major league fourth outfielder.
Another unsung thumper, whose 17 home runs ranks second at the level for the season, is first baseman Nick Cimillo (Pirates). As we did with Charles McAdoo a few weeks ago, we need to caution that Greensboro boosts home runs by 50% compare to league average for righties, but the fact that Cimillo’s 90th percentile exit velocity and barrel rate (and xwOBAcon) surpasses McAdoo’s, we need to acknowledge that the power numbers transcend the park effects. Add in the fact that he has average contact and above average swing decisions, and you have a three true outcomes profile, essentially meaning he is a viable fantasy prospect in OBP leagues.
High-A Pitchers (min 15 IP)
Rank | Name | Team | Robo | RoboCast |
1 | Noah Schultz | CHW | 87 | 100 |
2 | Matt Wilkinson | CLE | 100 | 100 |
3 | Quinn Mathews | STL | 90 | 98 |
4 | Luis Perales | BOS | 85 | 98 |
5 | Chase Dollander | COL | 86 | 97 |
6 | Owen Murphy | ATL | 88 | 97 |
7 | Zebby Matthews | MIN | 80 | 92 |
8 | K.C. Hunt | MIL | 89 | 91 |
9 | Jonah Tong | NYM | 85 | 89 |
10 | George Klassen | PHI | 78 | 88 |
11 | Kohl Drake | TEX | 87 | 86 |
12 | Jedixson Paez | BOS | 92 | 86 |
13 | Thomas White | MIA | 76 | 85 |
14 | Jaden Hamm | DET | 83 | 85 |
15 | Winston Santos | TEX | 73 | 83 |
16 | Alessandro Ercolani | PIT | 69 | 82 |
17 | Brandyn Garcia | SEA | 69 | 82 |
18 | Moises Chace | BAL | 68 | 81 |
19 | Sean Sullivan | COL | 84 | 81 |
20 | Edgar Portes | BAL | 68 | 80 |
21 | Lazaro Estrada | TOR | 66 | 80 |
22 | Luis Vargas | ATL | 67 | 79 |
23 | Ben Shields | NYY | 71 | 79 |
24 | Nolan McLean | NYM | 66 | 79 |
25 | Austin Peterson | CLE | 76 | 78 |
On May 27, Jackson Ferris (Dodgers) – the 20-year old left hander who was acquired from the Cubs for Michael Busch – had a 1.59 WHIP and a 5.59 ERA, and if not for the solid early minor league returns from Zyhir Hope (Dodgers) who also came to Los Angeles in the trade, it initially seemed like the Cubs had come out on top in the deal. Well, since then, Ferris has had a 1.00 WHIP, a 2.88 ERA and a strikeout minus walk rate of 27%, averaging nearly five innings per start. When you consider he is 6-foot-4 with above-average extension and his loud, projectable stuff gets even louder. It’s a short track record of this type of success, but Ferris has gotten back on track to become a mid-rotation starter. He should be considered a Top 150 fantasy prospect.
In his first three starts since arriving at High-A Hickory, Kohl Drake (Rangers) has struck out 32% of hitters he’s faced while only walking 3%. We talked about the 6-foot-5 lefty a few weeks ago, just before he got the call, and he has done nothing to quell the excitement that RoboScout has for the 11th round draft pick from 2023. One thing to notice is that he has a very low 28% groundball rate at the new level which is interesting considering he had a 46% rate at Low-A Down East. If it sticks, this could lead to some home run trouble but for now, the year’s body of work has his peak projection sitting in the same tier as Jaden Hamm (Tigers), Jonah Tong (Mets), and George Klassen (Phillies) tier – despite the “stuff” being a notch below these higher-regarded prospects. If you are a glass half-full dynasty manager, he is a Top 200 prospect based on the RoboScout projections.
Double-A Hitters (min 60 PA)
Rank | Name | Team | Robo | RoboCast |
1 | Emmanuel Rodriguez | MIN | 100 | 100 |
2 | Agustin Ramirez | NYY | 88 | 90 |
3 | Luke Keaschall | MIN | 85 | 88 |
4 | Moises Ballesteros | CHC | 88 | 87 |
5 | Matthew Lugo | BOS | 79 | 83 |
6 | Ryan Clifford | NYM | 83 | 82 |
7 | Carson Williams | TBR | 81 | 82 |
8 | Alex Freeland | LAD | 76 | 82 |
9 | Hao-Yu Lee | DET | 79 | 82 |
10 | Roman Anthony | BOS | 77 | 81 |
11 | Deyvison De Los Santos | ARI | 82 | 80 |
12 | Cole Young | SEA | 80 | 80 |
13 | Kristian Campbell | BOS | 72 | 79 |
14 | C.J. Kayfus | CLE | 74 | 79 |
15 | Edgar Quero | CHW | 75 | 78 |
16 | Charles McAdoo | PIT | 69 | 75 |
17 | Samuel Basallo | BAL | 82 | 75 |
18 | Jacob Wilson | OAK | 67 | 75 |
19 | Colby Thomas | OAK | 70 | 75 |
20 | Harry Ford | SEA | 71 | 73 |
21 | Tyler Locklear | SEA | 66 | 72 |
22 | James Triantos | CHC | 70 | 72 |
23 | Marcelo Mayer | BOS | 66 | 71 |
24 | Zac Veen | COL | 66 | 69 |
25 | Dalton Rushing | LAD | 59 | 69 |
A name just outside the Top 25 is Tucker Flint (Angels) who on the season has 12 home runs and 12 stolen bases with a 149 wRC+ over 325 plate appearances. The 13th round pick of 2022, true to the Angels modus operandi, aggressively assigned the outfielder/first baseman to Double-A Rocket City last year where he put up a pedestrian 107 wRC+. Repeating the level this year, Flint has shown an improved knack to barrel up and has hit more of his hard-hit balls at the optimal launch angles. Looking at similar statcast profiles amongst hitters at Double-A, Flint maps quite closely to C.J. Kayfus (Guardians) and Ben Rice (Yankees). Do with that information what you will.
At High-A Hickory, Alejandro Osuna (Rangers) put up a nice blend of power and speed as a 21-year old, with nine home runs and ten stolen bases over his 196 plate appearances, earning a promotion to Double-A Frisco. In his first 47 plate appearances at the new level, Osuna has hit two bombs and stolen two bases, putting up a scorching 197 wRC+. The statcast data is solid across the board with better than average contact and above average to plus contact quality. Although he does chase more than league average, it has not affected his performance, as he’s projected to be a near 20 HR and 12 to 15 SB power/speed threat albeit with below average OBPs. One thing to note is that he is far better against fastballs than non-fastballs which introduces some wariness. So far, he’s not struggling against the upper level pitching he’s been facing, but RoboScout does preach caution. Watchlist name, but worth taking in leagues with up to 300 prospects, especially when realizing he is playing a solid defensive centerfield.
Double-A Pitchers (min 15 IP)
Rank | Name | Team | Robo | RoboCast |
1 | Noah Schultz | CHW | 100 | 100 |
2 | Zebby Matthews | MIN | 97 | 96 |
3 | Bubba Chandler | PIT | 87 | 89 |
4 | Logan Henderson | MIL | 93 | 89 |
5 | Jackson Jobe | DET | 85 | 88 |
6 | Braxton Ashcraft | PIT | 87 | 84 |
7 | Jacob Misiorowski | MIL | 80 | 84 |
8 | Tink Hence | STL | 92 | 83 |
9 | Thomas Harrington | PIT | 83 | 81 |
10 | Chandler Champlain | KCR | 92 | 80 |
11 | Ben Casparius | LAD | 77 | 79 |
12 | Blade Tidwell | NYM | 75 | 79 |
13 | Carson Palmquist | COL | 79 | 77 |
14 | Troy Melton | DET | 75 | 77 |
15 | Nolan McLean | NYM | 73 | 77 |
16 | Chris Campos | LAD | 74 | 76 |
17 | Emiliano Teodo | TEX | 79 | 76 |
18 | Zach Penrod | BOS | 84 | 76 |
19 | Brandon Young | BAL | 85 | 76 |
20 | Austin Peterson | CLE | 82 | 76 |
21 | Yilber Diaz | ARI | 80 | 75 |
22 | Andrew Morris | MIN | 82 | 75 |
23 | Kyle McGowin | CHC | 78 | 75 |
24 | Justin Jarvis | NYM | 75 | 75 |
25 | Brandon Sproat | NYM | 76 | 74 |
The big performance this past week – enough to catapult him into the Top 10 – belongs to Thomas Harrington (Pirates) with an 11 strikeout performance against Bowie. The righthander has a 93 mph four seamer with two-plane movement and higher-than-average extension, a tight 83 mph slider that has touched 87 mph, an 88 mph cutter that generates weak contact, and an effective splitter. It’s a viable starter’s mix that gives him a high-floor and high certainty of making the major leagues, just don’t expect him to have his own section in the crowd where they flip over “K” cards. It’s not the sexiest fantasy profile, but still sits in the Top 150 for me on account of his floor.
Stop me if you’ve heard this one, the Dodgers have developed a pitcher who was on very few pre-season lists and is now ascending up RoboScout ranks in 2024. This time, it’s Chris Campos (Dodgers), a seventh-round draft pick in 2022 out of St. Mary’s who, as a 23-year old in Double-A, throws from a low release slot with high extension leading to a super flat 93 mph fastball and complements this with a slider, changeup, cutter, and curveball that each have whiff rates better than league average. Campos has been averaging over five innings in his three starts at Tulsa so far with only a 4% walk rate. He should make it as a starter, and RoboScout sees his ceiling as a mid-rotation starter with his modern pitch shapes, especially if he continues going deeper into games for a third time through a batting order.
Triple-A Hitters (min 60 PA)
Rank | Name | Team | Robo | RoboCast |
1 | James Wood | WSN | 100 | 100 |
2 | Coby Mayo | BAL | 90 | 94 |
3 | Kyle Manzardo | CLE | 83 | 89 |
4 | Jackson Holliday | BAL | 89 | 89 |
5 | Jose Fermin | STL | 79 | 87 |
6 | Miguel Vargas | LAD | 78 | 86 |
7 | Adrian Del Castillo | ARI | 75 | 83 |
8 | Agustin Ramirez | NYY | 79 | 83 |
9 | Andy Pages | LAD | 74 | 82 |
10 | Jacob Wilson | OAK | 69 | 78 |
11 | Moises Ballesteros | CHC | 76 | 76 |
12 | Shay Whitcomb | HOU | 74 | 76 |
13 | Angel Martinez | CLE | 75 | 75 |
14 | Luis Matos | SFG | 66 | 75 |
15 | Deyvison De Los Santos | ARI | 79 | 75 |
16 | Matthew Lugo | BOS | 68 | 75 |
17 | Jonatan Clase | SEA | 71 | 75 |
18 | Jordan Beck | COL | 64 | 75 |
19 | Johnathan Rodriguez | CLE | 68 | 74 |
20 | Niko Kavadas | BOS | 62 | 73 |
21 | Tyler Black | MIL | 68 | 73 |
22 | Joey Loperfido | HOU | 64 | 73 |
23 | Chase Meidroth | BOS | 65 | 72 |
24 | Orelvis Martinez | TOR | 70 | 72 |
25 | Jace Jung | DET | 69 | 72 |
Former Yankee and RoboScout target, Andres Chaparro (Diamondbacks) has been on a bit of a tear recently with nine home runs in his last 162 plate appearances. The third baseman/first baseman has always had big power with solid contact and a little bit too much chase, and Chaparro has done exactly the same thing for the third straight year, with a 72 to 75% contact rate, 14 to 18% barrel rate, 104 to 105 mph 90th percentile exit velocity with the 30% chase rate. With Deyvison De Los Santos’s resurgence, Chaparro won’t be the heir apparent to Eugenio Suarez and probably isn’t fantasy relevant unless it’s a deep league
Triple-A Pitchers (min 15 IP)
Rank | Name | Team | Robo | RoboCast |
1 | Paul Skenes | PIT | 100 | 100 |
2 | Christian Scott | NYM | 91 | 92 |
3 | David Festa | MIN | 88 | 81 |
4 | Will Warren | NYY | 78 | 80 |
5 | Jack Leiter | TEX | 76 | 79 |
6 | Chayce McDermott | BAL | 79 | 79 |
7 | Cade Povich | BAL | 88 | 79 |
8 | Tylor Megill | NYM | 79 | 78 |
9 | Carson Spiers | CIN | 75 | 77 |
10 | Tobias Myers | MIL | 73 | 77 |
11 | Slade Cecconi | ARI | 82 | 76 |
12 | Yilber Diaz | ARI | 79 | 76 |
13 | Chad Patrick | MIL | 76 | 76 |
14 | Elieser Hernandez | LAD | 73 | 75 |
15 | Braxton Ashcraft | PIT | 75 | 75 |
16 | Alek Manoah | TOR | 75 | 73 |
17 | Quinn Priester | PIT | 84 | 72 |
18 | Reid Detmers | LAA | 86 | 71 |
19 | Matt Manning | DET | 68 | 71 |
20 | Cristian Mena | ARI | 79 | 71 |
21 | Albert Suarez | BAL | 75 | 71 |
22 | Louie Varland | MIN | 72 | 70 |
23 | AJ Smith-Shawver | ATL | 69 | 69 |
24 | Brandon Young | BAL | 76 | 69 |
25 | Jake Woodford | PIT | 72 | 69 |
For those of you who have been anxiously awaiting the return of Reid Detmers to the big leagues after he was demoted to Triple-A Salt Lake earlier this year, the wait shouldn’t be too long, as the lefty has a 30% strikeout rate and a top ten swinging strike rate since he was sent down. The bad news, is that he has a 1.36 WHIP, a 6.00 ERA and the stuff metrics and shapes have interestingly changed compared to his major league stint. Not sure if it’s something the Angels have initiated, especially since most models have downgraded his new output.
Happy bidding!