Astros 1B Joey Loperfido (24, AAA) already has 9 residence runs in 12 video games this season whereas the key league membership is getting minimal manufacturing from Jose Abreu and Jonathan Singleton. Abreu is making $19.5 million this 12 months and 19.5 once more in 2025. He has a wRC+ of unfavourable 32 in his 12 video games this season. Right here’s what I wrote about Loperfido after I ranked him my primary in my Houston Astros Top 10 Prospects for 2024 Fantasy Baseball:
“A seventh-round choose in 2021, Loperfido produced higher than common traces at every step alongside the way in which till a troublesome 32-game stint in Triple-A to shut out the 2023 season. Within the field, he’s a 6’3” 230 lb lefty with energy. Within the discipline, he’s a right-handed thrower with sufficient athleticism that he’s an actual choice in middle discipline. In 84 video games at Double-A, he slashed .296/.392/.548 with 19 residence runs and 20 stolen bases. I’m fairly bullish on his possibilities to carve out a task for himself in middle or a nook outfield spot or at first base.”
Should you’ve been round some time, you already know I’m not a giant horn tooter. Years in the past, I caught some flak within the feedback as a result of I used to be approach larger on Jeremy Pena than consensus. This 12 months, when my Astros listing dropped, my very own brother messaged me to say he would’ve ranked anyone else atop that listing. Is smart. Houston’s org is nigh indecipherable. Which is why I actually dig in there 12 months over 12 months. Loperfido continues to be putting out 35 p.c of the time in Triple-A, so it’s untimely for a victory lap, however I’m feeling a slight bounce in these previous calf muscle tissues.
Blue Jays OF Will Robertson (26, AAA) is slashing .435/.536/1.130 with 4 homers in seven video games. Small pattern dimension, who cares proper? Nicely if we monitor again to July 3 of 2023, Robertson’s line reads .332/.392/.678 with 15 residence runs in 54 video games. He has additionally struck out 30.2 p.c of the time in these video games, however hey we’re fishing in deep water on this one, and Toronto wants a spark on offense.
Yankees C Agustin Ramirez (22, AA) is feeling fantastic to start out the season. He’s already bought 5 residence runs in six video games and appears strong behind the dish. He struggled for 31 video games in Double-A final season (.212/.273/.313) after tearing by means of Excessive-A in simply 27 video games, slashing .384/.430/.714 with 9 residence runs. With energy, protection and a strikeout charge beneath 20 p.c all through his profession, Ramirez seems like a high-probability massive league backstop and has the all-fields energy to reap the benefits of his residence atmosphere if he stays a Yankee.
He doesn’t carry the two-way topside of Ramirez, however Diamondbacks C Adrian Del Castillo (24, AAA) belongs in an identical bucket as a near-ready backstop who can restrict his strikeouts and supply energy. The snakes are fairly set with Gabriel Moreno behind the plate, and he’s backed up by 33-year-old Tucker Barnhart in the mean time, however maybe Del Castillo may change that if he retains hitting for common (.400) and energy (4 HR in 8 video games).
I’ve preferred Cardinals 2B Jose Fermin (25, AAA) for a very long time, however he by no means appeared prone to get a lot of an opportunity with Cleveland, and his state of affairs in St. Louis appears related at a look, however Fermin could be altering that destiny with a quick begin in 2024, slashing .379/.471/.724 with two strikeouts, 4 walks, two homers and three steals in ten video games. Teammate Thomas Saggese is slashing .229/.300/.343 with a 32.5 p.c strikeout charge, so there’s an opportunity Fermin will discover an early alternative this 12 months if anybody on the infield will get harm.
Alternative is knocking for Rays 2B Curtis Mead, who has performed 9 video games on the keystone in 2024, together with his Saturday begin in opposition to Logan Webb. The crew recalled Niko Goodrum, so there’s all the time an opportunity Mead loses these sorts of begins in opposition to robust righties, however I believe the gig is kind of his till confirmed in any other case. He’s not getting nice outcomes simply but, however he has struck out simply 5 occasions in ten video games (34 PA).
Pirates OF Lonnie White Jr. (21, A+) is putting out lots (35.5 p.c), however he’s making loads of affect when he does join, slashing .321/.387/.893 with 4 residence runs and a steal in seven video games. The strikeouts are straightforward to forgive for the second as a result of White is a 99th percentile athlete for whom the principles will apply a little bit extra loosely than they do for the common dude.
The White Sox are horrible proper now, and it may’t get significantly better whereas they’re beginning Kevin Pillar within the cleanup spot. C Korey Lee has began at DH in two of the final 4 video games and is slashing .318/.348/.500 with a 17.4 p.c strikeout charge by means of 23 plate appearances. I’m not particularly optimistic about Lee as a hitter, however I do assume he’s going to play lots in Chicago this season and may very well be beneficial to us in deep leagues.
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