Fantasy Baseball Today - FBT Express - Top 5 Prospects to Stash! Bubba Chandler Coming Soon? (5/8 Fantasy Baseball podcast)

Starting point is 00:00:00 When might we see Bubba Chandler up with the Pirates? Let's discuss on Fantasy Baseball Today Express. Welcome in to FPT Express on Thursday, May 8th. I am Frank Stamford, joined by Scott White, the top prospects to stash right now. Bubba Chandler, Roman Anthony, Jordan Lawler, Logan Henderson, and Dalton rushing. Scott, it feels like we are getting close on Bubba Chandler.

Starting point is 00:00:26 Yeah, this is my bold prediction. I think this is the last time we'll be talking about Bubba Chandler in the Prospects report. I'm not saying he won't get another start in the minors, but he will get another start in the miners. And that'll probably be the last one. So by the time we're recording this, we'll already know he's coming up. And the reason I think this is true is because, A, he continues to dominate down there. But more importantly, B, 71 pitches in his last start. it was a second straight five-inning start.

Starting point is 00:00:59 So the ramp up is going strong here. The most, to use the same analog we've been using all along, Paul Skeens, the most pitches he threw in a minor league start before getting called up last year. Remember, it was on May 11th he made his major league debut. So just by the calendar, we're getting there for Chandler. But pitch count was, 75 was the most skeins through. And Chandler's at 71 now.

Starting point is 00:01:23 So right. I think it's happening very, very soon. All right. I did notice Dalton rushing also on this list, and the Dodgers had an injury recently to Teoska Hernandez. They opted to go with James Outman, but man, we're trying to find a way, Scott, to get Dalton rushing up with the Dodgers.

Starting point is 00:01:46 Yeah, and it kind of feels like the ship has already sailed. So, I don't know. There hasn't been a clear cut number five on this five on the verge. Did you read off all five, by the way? No, you did. Okay. All right, so I'll get into some of the others here. But we'll start with rushing.

Starting point is 00:02:02 So the Teosker Hernandez injury, the day before it happened, Dalton rushing got his first start and left field this season. Remember, he got a lot of starts there at the end of last season. I think they weren't sure what they were going to get from Tommy Edmund at that point, so they wanted a backup plan. So Dalton rushing is already acclimated to that position. But it's funny that just the day before Hernandez got hurt, he finally started there this year.

Starting point is 00:02:26 And, you know, obviously they called up James Outman instead. It sounds like it's only going to be a two-week absence for Hernandez. So it might not be the ideal time to bring up rushing anyway. But 24 years old, he's overdue for this. He's reached base at a 435 clip at AAA, just hit his fourth home run on Wednesday. And obviously, as a catcher eligible player, two catcher leagues, it'd be a must. Maybe even one catcher leagues, if you've been hurting there, the upside is. certainly exists for

Starting point is 00:02:58 Dawn rushing to make an impact. So it's got to happen at some point. I don't think now is the time, but one less obstacle in his way with Teosker Hernandez getting hurt. Obviously, more obstacles have been introduced for Jordan Lawler. He's still on the list because his minor league numbers

Starting point is 00:03:14 are ridiculous. And he's overdue for a debut, I would say, or not debut, but, you know, a final arrival in the majors. With Cattel Marte coming back, I noticed they've shifted Lawler over to third base primarily at AAA. And Eugenio Suarez, apart from that four-homer game, has done next to nothing, certainly since the calendar flipped to April and now we're in May. So it's been a long stretch of nothing with that isolated event of the four-homer game for Aeohannio Suarez in the final year of control for the Diamondbacks.

Starting point is 00:03:51 That might be Loller's path of least resistance at this point. I still think an injury is probably what's going to happen to get him up. But keep an eye on how things are going for Suarez because that is one possibility. Roman Anthony is still on this list because he's arguably the top prospect in baseball. And some people might think, okay, Tristan Kossis injury, the path is clear for him. But he's an outfielder, Anthony, not a first baseman. and they've pretty much ruled out the idea of playing him there at first base. They haven't totally ruled out the idea of Raphael Devers playing first base.

Starting point is 00:04:33 Manager Alex Cora basically shot it down, but GM Craig Breslo seemed more open to it. And certainly that seems like just the most logical solution to the first base problem they're in is having Devers do that, because that might be as eventual destination anyway unless they just want them to DH forever, which seems like a waste. So we'll see how that shakes out.

Starting point is 00:04:57 That would sort of open a path for Anthony because it would free up DH spot and they could rotate four outfielders through that DH spot. And again, Anthony's bat in the line it that way. So it's something to keep an eye on there. Anthony's been okay lately at AAA. It's kind of been banged up,

Starting point is 00:05:15 but obviously huge upside there. Logan Henderson, the other one here, the fifth name. Unfortunately, right at the moment, Quinn Priester seems to have cost himself the job in the rotation. Brandon Woodruff's on the verge of coming back. Now, I don't think it's going to go well for Woodruff. His velocity's down like three miles per hour, a torn shoulder capsule.

Starting point is 00:05:36 That's a difficult injury to come back from. But he's obviously going to get the chance. He's a franchise icon is Woodruff. So what Henderson's going to have to, for that. I would guess he's probably up with the next injury. I think he leaps frogs, leapfrogs prester. I think he definitely has the advantage over

Starting point is 00:05:55 Jacob Mizorowski, who's not on the 40-man roster yet. But we're going to have to wait a little longer for Henderson with Woodruff coming back. All right, let's take a quick break and we'll be back right after this. Welcome back in, FBT Express. Before we get to the prospects on the periphery, Scott, just

Starting point is 00:06:13 want to give you an opportunity to quickly talk about Joe Boyle, who apparently is destroying the miners right now. He is. And he's not technically a prospect. I'm not totally opposed to putting him on the prospect report, even though he's technically not anymore because he's thrown too many innings in the majors.

Starting point is 00:06:30 But for now, anyway, I'm keeping him out of the five on the verge. He might be the most stashable minor league pitcher apart from Bubba Chandler, truth be told, because he is just crushing it at AAA. And of course, we've known Boyle has big strike at potential, big upside. He threw five no-hit innings the one spot start he made in the majors this year and then followed it up with six no-hit innings at AAA. And since then, two more quality starts, including a 10-strike-out no-walk effort on Friday. And the walks, the control is the big key for Boyle here because that's always

Starting point is 00:07:05 been as kryptonite. It's kept that sensational stuff from from mattering. But last four starts, beginning with that, those five no-hit innings in the major, 65% strike rate. for Boyle. There's just dramatic improvement. 20% swinging strike rate during that time, which is comical. The rays are great at fixing problematic players, and they may have done it with Boyle. So definitely, even though he's technically not a prospect, definitely don't want to forget about him here. All right, the prospects on the periphery, these are some names that are just doing something lately doing something good hopefully Jack Caglione of the Royals

Starting point is 00:07:49 Colby Thomas of the athletics Gage Jump also of the athletics Kyle Debarge of the Twins and Felipe de la Cruz the Mets Scott a little rapid fire here but what do you have on this group so Caglione's been playing some outfield recently and that is

Starting point is 00:08:04 an unexpected development it's a way he could potentially arrive before late August when when you know rosters The Royals wouldn't mind him being a part-time player because they're just kind of getting a sneak peek for next year. But Outfield might be a way to fit him in.

Starting point is 00:08:22 He's still just a AA, so I don't think he's on the verge. But something to keep an eye on there. Colby Thomas, huge power hitter for the athletics, had a 471-foot home run Friday. And that's like tape measure home runs where the outfielder just stands and watches it go are kind of the norm for Colby Thomas. but he's bad plate discipline guy.

Starting point is 00:08:50 That's why you don't hear more about him. I think a best case scenario is something like Kris Davis, meaning Chris Davis, but the one with a K who used to star for the athletics. That's kind of what I'm hoping for with Colby Thomas, but bad plate discipline you never know. It could sink the whole thing. Gage Jump was the athletics second round pick last year.

Starting point is 00:09:10 I like to say gauge jump is the most basic thing you're looking to do in a Super Mario Brothers game. But it's also the name of this athletics pitcher who has 20 or 19 inches of induced vertical break on the fastball, low release height from left-handed delivery, two swing and miss breaking balls that play well off each other. And he's put up great numbers at high. It needs to be tested at the upper levels, of course. But kind of reminds me of Shoda Imanaga.

Starting point is 00:09:38 Does gauge jump just watching him pitch? So that's a name to know. Kyle DeBarge was the twins, it's the 33rd overall pick in last year's draft. Very, like I'm already seeing Luke Keishel reminders here. And obviously the twins developed Keishel. I think they were probably looking for something similar in Kyle DeBarge. And what I mean by Luke Keishel, great play discipline, great play discipline.

Starting point is 00:10:07 More walks than strikeouts, but good at both. A lot of stolen bases. The exit velocities are lacking, but really good at pulling the ball, elevating the ball to his pull side, which helps the power play beyond the exit velocity. So he still has a ways to go just in high A himself, is Kyle DeBarge,

Starting point is 00:10:27 but I think it's worth talking about him now. Finally, Felipe de la Cruz for the Mets, had a really strong AAA debut, 23 years old, this big, sweepie breaking wall that nobody can touch. and a fastball that peaks at 97, but really it's just to keep hitters honest on the breaking ball. I'm not sure it'll work in the majors. He may be destined for a relief role,

Starting point is 00:10:48 Felipe de la Cruz, but the numbers are impressive enough this year, and he's already a AAA. I think there's a chance he could be an emergency play for the Mets at some point. All right. For more extensive fantasy baseball coverage, listen to our full-lane podcast, Fantasy Baseball Today,

Starting point is 00:11:01 on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or anywhere else podcasts are found. Thanks for listening to Fantasy Baseball Today Express, and we will be back again tomorrow. Bye-bye.

Fantasy Baseball Today - FBT Express - Top 5 Prospects to Stash! Bubba Chandler Coming Soon? (5/8 Fantasy Baseball podcast)

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