RoboScout Top MLB Prospects At Every Level On June 30, 2024

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With July tomorrow (Canada Day for those of north of the border) we’re now halfway through dynasty seasons and only a couple weeks away from the draft.

We got some more movement in the DSL list as the underlying metrics are starting to stabilize, volatility is subsiding, and some new names are starting to rise. It’s RoboScout’s favorite time of year.

Let’s dig in.

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 25 PA)

RankNameTeamRoboRoboCast
1Juneiker CaceresCLE100100
2Yolfran CastilloTEX8893
3Luis PenaMIL9392
4Jesus MadeMIL8491
5Jaset MartinezCIN8290
6Eduardo BeltreMIN8290
7Elvin GarciaBAL8087
8Justin GonzalesBOS7686
9Jose AndersonMIL8785
10Adriander MejiaBAL7384
11Jhonayker UgarteKCR8084
12Gabriel RodriguezCLE7983
13Cesar LugoCHC7082
14Queni PinedaNYY7282
15Yeiferth CastilloCLE6882
16Emil MoralesLAD8981
17Saul GomezBAL7581
18Wilder DalisCOL7880
19Stiven MartinezBAL7380
20Edward FlorentinoPIT6880

Guardians 16-year-old outfielder Juneiker Caceres is the new No. 1 on the DSL list. The lefthanded-hitting Venezuelan pairs solid swing decisions with impressive exit velocities, especially for one of the youngest hitters in the league. HIs combination of hit tool and underlying power is above league average. Add in that he doesn’t turn 17 for another six weeks, and that puts him at the top of RoboScout’s DSL list. That doesn’t even consider that Caceres has been preventing runs at a better-than-minor-league average rate.

Twins outfielder Eduardo Beltre is an exciting blend of power speed. The Dominican outfielder signed for $1.5 million and slugged two homers in his first 26 plate appearances. The underlying thump is quite good, too. He has the sixth-highest 90th percentile exit velocity among all DSL hitters with at least 20 plate appearances. That’s extremely exciting because his contact rate and his swing decisions are plus compared to the league average. Not quite a concern, but most of his damage has only been against fastballs and he has not really done any damage against secondaries. Nothing to be alarmed about yet, but something that you can be sure that RoboScout will track.

You may wonder why RoboScout has not identified Emil Morales (Dodgers) or Joswa Lugo (Angels) as more desired targets in the DSL despite their loud social media buzz. For Lugo, who signed for $2.3 million, the current wart is that the 17-year old shortstop is a bit too much of a free-swinger with a chase rate that is nearly 40%. The thump in the bat, and the ability to make contact has allowed the surface stats to play up, but RoboScout is exercising caution.

With Morales, the robot is wary of the below league-average contact rate. His performance is still in the top 20, but perhaps not nearly as high as you would expect considering he has four home runs and three stolen bases with a 170 wRC+. Of course, these two have some of the highest ceilings amongst DSL hitters–so RoboScout is taking a cautious approach.

 

Complex League Hitters (min 55 PA)

RankNameTeamRoboRoboCast
1Eduardo TaitPHI98100
2Eric BitontiMIL93100
3Robert CalazCOL9698
4Eduardo QuinteroLAD8795
5Franklin AriasBOS8494
6Yoeilin CespedesBOS8894
7Dameury PenaMIN8794
8Yeremi CabreraTEX10090
9Starlyn CabaPHI7889
10Brailer GuerreroTBR7888
11Edgleen PerezNYY7588
12Miguel RodriguezBAL7787
13Luis ParababireATL7486
14Felnin CelestenSEA7886
15Abrahan RamirezNYY7384
16Pablo GuerreroTEX8983
17Welbyn FranciscaCLE7183
18Aroon EscobarPHI7182
19Franyerber MontillaDET7082
20Julio ZayasNYM7182
21Carlos TavaresWSN7382
22Alexander AlbertusLAD6781
23Jhonny SeverinoPIT7481
24Andruw MusettBOS6580
25Demetrio CrisantesARI6479

The Orioles have an impressive array of catchers throughout their minor league system. We talked about Adriander Mejia in the DSL last week. We are all familiar with Samuel Basallo. Last year, Creed Willems and Aneudis Mordan were on the radar. Add Miguel Rodriguez to this list. He’s a righthanded-hitting catcher with a 146 wRC+, three home runs, and even two stolen bases over 107 plate appearances. With above-average swing decisions and above-average bat-to-ball ability, the 18-year old has really heated up recently. He has the sixth-highest wRC+ in the Florida Complex League over the last five weeks.

Eric Bitonti climbs in the second spot. The Brewers infielder has shown a knack for the barrel against all pitch types with a 154 wRC+ over the season, six home runs and five stolen bases. There is more swing and miss than we’d like–he has a 27% strikeout rate and 67% contact rate–but he also has a plus 90th percentile exit velocity. With his skill at hitting at ideal launch angles, RoboScout thinks he’s capable of hitting 25-30 home runs. Over his last 100 plate appearances, the lefthanded-hitting third baseman has a 164 wRC+.

Complex League Pitchers (min 12 IP)

RankNameTeamRoboRoboCast
1Trevor HarrisonTBR94100
2Samuel SanchezLAD9798
3Jacob BresnahanCLE9995
4Christian ZazuetaLAD8894
5Sean LinanLAD9293
6Keyner BenitezMIA10092
7Hayden RobinsonMIL9492
8Ovis PortesBOS8592
9Rafael GonzalezHOU8591
10Joseph YabbourNYM8391
11Jesus PalaciosBAL8889
12Alix HernandezSFG8488
13Yeferson VargasBOS8088
14Luis ArestiguetaATL8287
15Nelfy YnfanteSTL8986
16Adrian HerreraCIN7985
17Jesus CarreraHOU8184
18Jordarlin MendozaNYY7684
19Juan NunezHOU7684
20Jeremy PilonTBR8783
21Roberto MedinaTBR8283
22Sandy OzunaCOL8683
23Luis GonzalezPHI8783
24Adrian BohorquezMIN8082
25Zander MuethPIT7482

Mets righty Joseph Yabbour is the biggest climber in the complex league pitcher rankings. The 20-year-old has a 95 mph four seam fastball that has reached 98 mph, which he pairs with a 86-87 mph slider/cutter that gets nearly 60% whiffs. The Venezuelan originally signed with the Twins in 2019, was released in 2022 and signed a one-year minor league deal with the Mariners in 2022. After electing free agency, the Mets signed him this past November. Likely only a bullpen arm, Yabbour does show two above-average pitches that look like they could play at the major league level even now.

Low-A Hitters (min 50 PA)

RankNameTeamRoboRoboCast
1Lazaro MontesSEA100100
2Michael ArroyoSEA9497
3Colt EmersonSEA8996
4Kevin McGonigleDET8395
5Blake MitchellKCR8390
6Jonny FarmeloSEA7889
7Ralphy VelazquezCLE8189
8Jeral PerezLAD7687
9Josue De PaulaLAD7387
10Aidan SmithSEA8386
11Jesus BaezNYM7686
12Jaison ChourioCLE7285
13Zyhir HopeLAD6682
14Demetrio CrisantesARI6581
15Tai PeeteSEA7281
16Angel GenaoCLE6580
17Yophery RodriguezMIL7479
18Josue BricenoDET6479
19Logan WagnerLAD6379
20Max ClarkDET6678
21Thomas SosaBAL6377
22Leandro AriasBAL6077
23Bryce EldridgeSFG6777
24Jordan ViarsPHI6776
25Alfredo DunoCIN7576

All season, Blake Mitchell (Royals) has been hanging around the top 10 of Low-A hitters. He has really turned it on in the last five weeks with seven home runs and a 162 wRC+. Mitchell has some of the highest exit velocities at the level. In fact, he has the fifth-highest 90th percentile exit velocity of any teenager in Low-A with at least 50 plate appearances. RoboScout projects for the catcher/designated hitter to get on base at an above-average clip with 20-25 home runs per year. One other note: although Mitchell has a 31% strikeout rate on the season, his league-average contact rate suggests it should be more in the 26% range. Hopefully, he can bring down that strikeout rate, or Mitchell is at risk of being a three-true-outcomes hitter.

Last month’s RoboScout crush Demetrio Crisantes (Diamondbacks) has a 190 wRC+ in his first 52 plate appearances with one home run and two stolen bases since his promotion to Low-A Visalia.

Low-A Pitchers (min 15 IP)

RankNameTeamRoboRoboCast
1Matt WilkinsonCLE100100
2Jonah TongNYM9195
3Quinn MathewsSTL8594
4Alejandro RosarioTEX8493
5Santiago SuarezTBR8091
6Jarlin SusanaWSN7889
7Grant TaylorCHW7689
8George KlassenPHI7788
9Didier FuentesATL7685
10Yujanyer HerreraMIL8384
11Eliazar DishmeyMIA6982
12Kohl DrakeTEX8181
13Mavis GravesPHI8681
14Thomas WhiteMIA7081
15Travis SykoraWSN7680
16Gary Gill HillTBR7979
17Welinton HerreraCOL6879
18Tyler GoughSEA6377
19Jace KaminskaCOL7177
20Jose GonzalezTEX7077
21Noble MeyerMIA6577
22Alimber SantaHOU6577
23Luis SernaNYY7675
24Adam SerwinowskiCIN6074
25Michael ForretBAL7074

We wrote a week ago to expect the promotion of Kohl Drake (Rangers) and Alejandro Rosario (Rangers) to High-A Hickory “any day now.” They were promptly promoted a day later.

On the season, Jose Gonzalez (Rangers) has struck out 35% of batters and only walked 4% over his 53 innings of work. In his last six starts, spanning over 32 innings, the 22-year-old has really taken a step forward with a 38% strikeout rate and a minuscule 2% walk rate. He also has the fourth-highest swinging strike rate over these last five weeks of any pitcher who has thrown at least 15 innings.

The righthander has a true ‘kitchen sink’ arsenal. He throws two fastballs in the low 90s, a slider, a cutter, a changeup and a splitter. It’s not surprising that a 22-year-old pitcher in Low-A gets whiffs from Low-A hitters with his offspeed and secondaries, and for his fastballs to play up because of the extension he gets. Gonzalez is no exception. The arsenal might be deep, but RoboScout is not convinced it is compelling enough to be more than a back-of-the-rotation starter.

Nationals righty Jarlin Susana is one of the hottest pitchers at the level. He has elicited a 39% strikeout rate and a worm-burning 68% groundball rate over his last six starts. The walk rate has remained elevated in double-digits during this dominant span, but it’s clear that the 99-100 mph fastballs, 88 mph slider, and 90 mph cutter, along with a changeup that gets 50% whiffs, bullies Low-A hitters.  RoboScout still thinks he can make it as a starter. Per the common refrain, it is wholly dependent on his command and control, or he is otherwise destined for a big league bullpen.

High-A Hitters (min 50 PA)

RankNameTeamRoboRoboCast
1Luke KeaschallMIN100100
2Xavier IsaacTBR10097
3Sal StewartCIN9092
4Luke AdamsMIL9090
5Carter JensenKCR8990
6Samuel ZavalaCHW8789
7Alex FreelandLAD8286
8Sebastian WalcottTEX9985
9William BergollaPHI9085
10Cam CollierCIN8885
11Cutter CoffeyBOS9084
12Henry BolteOAK8382
13Yohendrick PinangoCHC7782
14Mike BoeveMIL7782
15Angel GenaoCLE7882
16Jefferson RojasCHC7680
17Charles McAdooPIT7579
18Brayden TaylorTBR8279
19Hector RodriguezCIN7679
20Jesus RodriguezNYY7378
21Ricardo OlivarMIN7377
22Joe MackMIA7777
23C.J. KayfusCLE7577
24Jadher AreinamoMIL8176
25Aidan MillerPHI7476

In his first 100 plate appearances since being promoted to High-A Greenville, Jhostynxon Garcia (Red Sox) has slugged nine home runs with a 177 wRC+, the fifth-highest mark of the last five weeks of anyone at High-A with at least 90 plate appearances. The thump in the bat is real, but the 21-year old outfielder does have a lot of chase in his game despite maintaining an average contact rate. Interestingly, he has yet to successfully steal a base–he has been caught three times–after stealing 13 in 104 plate appearances in Low-A. Garcia’s performance projects for him to be a 20-25 home run bat with 12-15 stolen bases but with OBPs in the .300 range.

After hitting eight home runs, stealing nine bases and putting up a 150 wRC+ over his last 134 plate appearances, Alejandro Osuna (Rangers) earned a promotion to Double-A Frisco. The center fielder has been playing above-average defense but needs to work on improving his swing decisions in order to be a fantasy-relevant bat.

High-A Pitchers (min 15 IP)

RankNameTeamRoboRoboCast
1Matt WilkinsonCLE100100
2Noah SchultzCHW87100
3Quinn MathewsSTL8998
4Luis PeralesBOS8597
5Owen MurphyATL8797
6Chase DollanderCOL8092
7Zebby MatthewsMIN7991
8Jonah TongNYM8387
9Thomas WhiteMIA7786
10K.C. HuntMIL8284
11Jaden HammDET8183
12Winston SantosTEX7383
13Alessandro ErcolaniPIT6982
14Jedixson PaezBOS8782
15Brandyn GarciaSEA6882
16Sean SullivanCOL8481
17Edgar PortesBAL6981
18Ben ShieldsNYY7179
19Luis MoralesOAK6679
20Nolan McLeanNYM6579
21Austin PetersonCLE7578
22Jake BlossHOU6678
23Owen WildTBR7277
24Moises ChaceBAL6377
25Andrew MorrisMIN7577

Phillies lefty Samuel Aldegheri is just inside the top 30. The 22-year-old has a 0.97 WHIP and 2.75 ERA over his 59 innings this season. The 36% strikeout rate is great, but is tarnished by the 10% walk rate. Over his last five starts, however, he only has a 7% walk rate, while striking out a remarkable  42% of batters. That leads to a strikeout minus walk rate that is essentially tied for the highest among pitchers who have thrown at least 20 innings over that span, with last week’s highlighted pitcher Jedixson Paez (Red Sox).

The four-pitch mix isn’t dominant, but his three main secondaries–an 84 mph bullet slider, two-plane 77 mph curveball, and 83 mph changeup that has over a foot of armside run–all get over 42% whiffs, in support of his 92 mph four-seamer. If the season started on May 19, RoboScout would have him, the aforementioned Paez, and Thomas White (Marlins) as the top pitchers at the level. In other words, this might just be a hot streak for Aldegheri, but he’s been scorching hot.

Double-A Hitters (min 55 PA)

RankNameTeamRoboRoboCast
1Emmanuel RodriguezMIN100100
2Agustin RamirezNYY8992
3Moises BallesterosCHC8990
4Luke KeaschallMIN8589
5Roman AnthonyBOS8186
6Cole YoungSEA8585
7Hao-Yu LeeDET8385
8Samuel BasalloBAL8485
9Matthew LugoBOS7983
10Alex FreelandLAD7783
11James TriantosCHC7781
12Edgar QueroCHW7479
13Carson WilliamsTBR8277
14Kristian CampbellBOS7077
15Colby ThomasOAK7176
16C.J. KayfusCLE7274
17Jacob WilsonOAK6873
18Deyvison De Los SantosARI8373
19Harry FordSEA7273
20Tyler LocklearSEA6772
21Ryan CliffordNYM7571
22Dalton RushingLAD6271
23Joe MackMIA7071
24Marcelo MayerBOS6671
25Yohendrick PinangoCHC6069

A catcher has the most home runs in Double-A over the last five weeks, but it’s not Orioles backstop Samuel Basallo. Instead, it’s Marlins catcher Joe Mack, who has hit 11 home runs with a 168 wRC+ since May 19. The No. 51 pick in 2021, Mack has been putting up plus exit velocities and barrel rates all season, with essentially league-average contact and chase rates. The level has seen some great season performances this year from catchers. Basallo, Edgar Quero (White Sox), Dalton Rushing (Dodgers) and Harry Ford (Mariners) along with recent Triple-A graduates Agustin Ramirez (Yankees) and Moises Ballesteros (Cubs) have all impressed. He may not be in the same tier, but from a production standpoint, both on and under the surface, Mack is not too far behind them.

Last year, Kala’i Rosario (Twins) received a lot of RoboScout’s attention. The outfielder had outstanding exit velocities and subsequent home run output. The knocks against the Hawaiian were limited defensive value and below-average contact rates. In 2024, the 21-year old has raised his contact rate by 7% to be essentially league-average, reduced his chase rate, and also added more thump with bat speed essentially on par with the aforementioned Ramirez. Almost more impressively, Rosario has improved his defense, preventing more runs than average. For the season on a whole, he is just outside the top 35 but has performed much better in the last five weeks. If he can reduce his groundball rate, Rosario has a chance to be a league-average corner outfielder.

Double-A Pitchers (min 15 IP)

RankNameTeamRoboRoboCast
1Noah SchultzCHW100100
2Zebby MatthewsMIN9595
3Logan HendersonMIL8885
4Bubba ChandlerPIT7983
5Braxton AshcraftPIT8481
6Tink HenceSTL8981
7Nolan McLeanNYM7578
8Chandler ChamplainKCR8978
9Ben CaspariusLAD7477
10Blade TidwellNYM7276
11Thomas HarringtonPIT7676
12Zach PenrodBOS8073
13Brandon YoungBAL8273
14Jacob MisiorowskiMIL6873
15Miguel UllolaHOU7173
16Jackson JobeDET6873
17Yilber DiazARI7773
18Kyle McGowinCHC7573
19Troy MeltonDET6972
20Justin JarvisNYM7172
21Justin WrobleskiLAD6972
22Caden DanaLAA7572
23Andrew MorrisMIN7872
24Shane SmithMIL7771
25Ty MaddenDET7671

Brewers righty Logan Henderson has only pitched 21 innings for Double-A Biloxi and already ranks as the third-highest pitcher for the level. In fact, of all starting pitchers in Double-A with at least 15 innings pitched, he has the second-highest strikeout minus walk rate, behind only Brandon Young (Orioles) who is now plying his wares for Triple-A Norfolk.

From a stuff perspective, Henderson has an ultra-flat (-3.9 VAA) 93 mph four-seamer that added a tick of velocity from last year. The 22-year-old also has his trademark changeup that has a CSW% of 47%, 13% higher than last year. With an 84 mph bullet slider as his third pitch, I’m not entirely convinced that Henderson has an arsenal that is guaranteed to succeed at the major league level. But RoboScout sees him as a midrotation starter and projects his major league performance to be, albeit without as much fanfare, within the same “ballpark” as Tink Hence (Cardinals) and Young.

Triple-A Hitters (min 50 PA)

RankNameTeamRoboRoboCast
1James WoodWSN100100
2Coby MayoBAL9295
3Jose FerminSTL8792
4Jackson HollidayBAL8889
5Kyle ManzardoCLE8187
6Miguel VargasLAD7883
7Andy PagesLAD7479
8Adrian Del CastilloARI7179
9Javier SanojaMIA7278
10Matthew LugoBOS7177
11Chase MeidrothBOS6876
12Luis MatosSFG6675
13Angel MartinezCLE7175
14Heston KjerstadBAL6974
15Shay WhitcombHOU7873
16Colby ThomasOAK6673
17Brett BatyNYM6372
18Jhonkensy NoelCLE7872
19Heliot RamosSFG6271
20Tyler BlackMIL6571
21Johnathan RodriguezCLE6671
22Junior CamineroTBR6971
23Jordan BeckCOL6471
24Jace JungDET6771
25Spencer HorwitzTOR5971

Since his demotion, Brett Baty (Mets) has hit eight home runs over 81 plate appearances while also playing second base for Syracuse. He has always had groundball rates higher than league average at both Triple-A and the majors. His career groundball rate in Flushing is north of 50%. It’s potentially noteworthy that he has put up a far more palatable 38% rate in his latest minor league stint. Whether this indicates a “launch angle change” or not, RoboScout still believes the 24-year old infielder can hit 20+ home runs per year with a league-average hit tool.

Astros infielder Shay Whitcomb flies into the top 15. The 25-year-old has hit 18 home runs, stolen 18 bases with a 138 wRC+ and excellent infield defense at shortstop, second base, and third base. Since May 19, Whitcomb has the most home runs plus stolen bases with 10 bombs and 13 bags, while putting up a 147 wRC+ in those five weeks. Whitcomb is emblematic of the recent archetype of hitters the Astros target in the draft. Joey Loperfido, Trey Cabbage, Pedro Leon, David Hensley, Zach Cole, Jacob Melton, Luis Baez, Nehomar Ochoa Jr., and Brice Matthews are all players with average or slightly below-average contact rates but with 90th percentile exit velocities well above league average. According to RoboScout, even without considering that he is also an asset with his better-than-average infield defense, Whitcomb is a top 75 prospect in 2024.

Triple-A Pitchers (min 15 IP)

RankNameTeamRoboRoboCast
1Paul SkenesPIT100100
2Christian ScottNYM9192
3David FestaMIN9184
4Jack LeiterTEX7780
5Chayce McDermottBAL8080
6Cade PovichBAL8879
7Braxton AshcraftPIT7877
8Carson SpiersCIN7577
9Tobias MyersMIL7377
10Slade CecconiARI8276
11Elieser HernandezLAD7375
12Louie VarlandMIN7774
13Will WarrenNYY7174
14Chad PatrickMIL7374
15Matt ManningDET7174
16Alek ManoahTOR7573
17Cristian MenaARI8072
18Albert SuarezBAL7571
19Yilber DiazARI7371
20Gerson GarabitoTEX7270
21Brandon YoungBAL7770
22AJ Smith-ShawverATL6970
23Jake WoodfordPIT7269
24Quinn PriesterPIT7968
25Bryce ElderATL8568

Happy bidding!

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