Dodgers RHP Edgardo Henriquez (21, AAA) missed last season due to Tommy John surgery but has regained his light-pitch mix and has gone through four strikeouts this season, recording 70 strikeouts in 41.1 innings along the way. Now he’s one step away from joining an LA bullpen that could use an infusion of youth.
Angels 2B Christian Moore (21, AA) is a hitter looking for his level. He’s won in the SEC, won a national championship, and is now tearing up professional hitting, hitting .550 with five home runs in five Double-A games. I don’t expect him to stay there long.
Cubs 1B Jonathan Long (22, AA) is having a good summer himself. In eight August games, he has three hits and eight walks, slashing .483/.579/.586. He hasn’t been much of a power threat this season with 12 home runs in 304 at-bats, but that’s enough to hold the cornerback as he’s hitting a .389 on-base percentage since being drafted in the 9th round over Long. Beach State last year.
In his last 27 games, Red Sox BY Allan Castro (21, A+) has 10 home runs and a 19.5 percent slugging percentage while slashing .317/.398/.712. A 6’0” 170 lb switch-hitter with new power from both ends, Castro traded contact for impact, and after the first few months of the process, he’s firing on all cylinders now. Another thing that makes Castro happy is that the defense won’t stop him. He is strong in the corners and passes through the middle.
Something clicked Tribe RHP Jarlin Susana (20, A+) on May 31. That day, he threw five shutout innings with nine strikeouts and one walk and followed that up with five shutout innings in five of his next six starts, earning him a promotion to High-A. A mountain of a man at 6’6” 235 lbs, Susana struggled to repeat his delivery early in his professional career and couldn’t control his 100 mph velocity, but he is improving quickly this season. Over his last 55 innings, he has 84 strikeouts and a 1.64 ERA and 0.89 WHIP. In his five High-A starts, Susana has a strikeout-minus-walk rate of 30.4 percent with just four walks in 25 innings. You’ll probably remember the spring when Mike Rizzo took the heat insisting that pitchers should attack because Twitter is full of smart pundits. Well, this is what happens when a guy throws strikes.
Another strike to throw the arm of power in the Washington system, Nation RHP Travis Sykora (20, A) was a third-round pick out of high school in 2023 who looks to be ready for High-A in 2024. In 63.1 innings in 15 starts, Sykora has 96 strikeouts with a 2.42 ERA and 0.85 WHIP. Maybe it’s time to see if he’s available in your leagues so he can continue to dominate at the next level.
Cardinals RHP Jose Davila (21, A) uses a smooth, balanced delivery at 6’3” 177 lbs that has allowed him to find rhythm all season. He’s a fastball/curveball, and while his fastball has solid velocity (92-95) and horizontal movement that allows it to play well in the zone, his curveball has been a true wipeout and double-play weapon, producing a 40 percent whiff. average. His regular season numbers aren’t great due to a rough June (8.05 ERA), but he was successful in July, recording 33 strikeouts in 25 innings while allowing a 0.72 ERA and 0.84 WHIP. He continued the trend on August 8, allowing four baserunners and recording seven strikeouts in six shutout innings.
Thanks for reading!
Source link
