As overall prospects have grown in popularity over the past few cycles of the fantasy season, the number of post-hype prospects has also deepened from year to year. We quickly turn the page when a player is struggling to make that first big chance, or that second big chance, or that third big chance. Even the most patient players among us have to admit the truth after a while. We need these lists of statistics that they can provide. We can’t just use our parents’ house as a rent-free incubator a la Erlich Bachman.
Angels by Jo Adell (25) enjoys full playing time for Ron Washington, dropping his strikeout rate from 40.3 to 24.4 percent in the first. He has four homers, seven steals and a .243/.302/.468 slash line with a 114 wRC+ on a .278 BABIP. She turned 25 last month, and while she may not be reaching the heights of her lineage, Adell has re-introduced herself to dream relevance.
Twins of Trevor Larnach (27) has worked to improve his pitch selection and angle of attack in the offseason, and results so far suggest his profile has changed shape. His 18.5 percent strikeout rate is significantly lower than his 32.5 percent career rate, so even if the gains aren’t all tangible, he has plenty of reason to contribute. He is slashing .354./407/.521 with two homers and a 166 wRC+. It seems locked into a strong-side spot in the middle of Minnesota’s platoon-heavy roster.
Defense is limited Twins 3B Jose Miranda (25) will always have to hit to play, but hey, who doesn’t? He is hitting .292 with a 15.3 percent batting average and two home runs in 72 plate appearances spread across 22 games. He is even thrown into a stolen domain. Playing third base in Royce Lewis’ absence, Miranda could earn a share of the starting or designated hitter gig and establish himself as the starter next season when Carlos Santana hits free agency. Even if he can return healthy in June, Lewis may warrant fewer starts at designated hitter.
Marlins 2B Vidal Brujan (26) is a regular player for the first time in his career and has very few competitors looking over his shoulder to get their own shot. He could be at the top of the organization’s depth chart at both center field positions, given Tim Anderson’s struggles with a one-year deal.
Athletics BY JJ Bleday (26) has been showing signs of health with his early contact rate, but it’s easy to look the other way when a guy has struggled to get close to .200 in two seasons for two teams. However, he is now on pace for a 3-WAR season as the Athletics’ everyday outfielder, hitting .248/.331/.438 with four home runs. He’s been hot over his last nine games, walking 22.9 percent of the time against a 14.3 percent strikeout average. I dropped him early in the 15-team draft because I had just traded for Nick Castellanos. On Monday, the team that sold Castellanos to me added Bleday for $6 to the $1000 budget. Well played. Castellanos is arguably safer than Bleday, but he’s also 32, and Bleday is a free agent.
Cubs RHP Hayden Wesneski (26) felt like the forgotten man in Chicago until he threw six shutout innings with eight strikeouts against the Brewers. One benefit of having an optimistic mindset throughout the years comes when everyone is trying to add the latest new players, while I’m trying to get ‘old’ players into new opportunities. Development is not straightforward. A little failure can go a long way. I’m not saying Wesneski will keep the 0.54 ERA and 0.72 WHIP he posted in 16.2 innings, but I can say he’s been comfortable for me in three tough major leagues this week and one tough NL Only league.
Brewers RHP Bryce Wilson (26) has leapt since his days of expectation. He debuted as a 20-year-old, played up and down for a while, played in the Pittsburgh hooray, then established himself as a relief arm last season in Milwaukee, posting a 2.58 ERA and 1.07 WHIP in 76.1 innings. It’s a bit of a grind in the kitchen without a lot of strikeouts, but it worked six scoreless innings each against the Rays and Royals in his last two starts, where he allowed one run today and recorded 12 strikeouts.
Cardinals C Ivan Herrera (23) he hasn’t generated a ton of hype because he’s a catcher who’s always been blocked, but he’ll get all the work he can now with C Willson Contreras on the injured list with a broken arm. Hopefully Herrera can somehow crouch over the plate without getting hit. He has three home runs early in the morning and is hitting today.
Pirates 2B Nick Gonzales (24, AAA) isn’t back in the majors yet, but he’s slashing .364/.424/.619 with four home runs and a 17.4% slugging rate through 29 games, a nice drop from the 26.6 percent he posted there last time. the season. The 7th overall pick in the 2020 draft, Gonzales was comfortable with me at the Highlander Dynasty Invitational on Sunday night.
And now for the pre-hype guy on his way out. In 25 games with Low-A Rancho Cucamonga, Dodgers 3B Jeral Perez (19, A) is hitting .312/.440/.538 with four home runs and three stolen bases. A 6’0” 179 lbs right-handed power bat, Perez has drawn 19 walks against 25 strikeouts in 25 games and is quickly rising to one of baseball’s best organizations. Almost a hundred guys before the wave of the draft creates a huge backlash.
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