Fantasy Baseball Today - FBT Express - Top 5 Prospects to Stash! Roman Anthony, Zac Veen & More! (4/5 Fantasy Baseball podcast)

Starting point is 00:00:00 It's never too early to talk about prospects. Let's do exactly that on Fantasy Baseball Today Express. Welcome in to FBT Express on Saturday, April 5th. I am Frank Sample, joined by Scott White, and let's start with the five prospects you should be stashing right now. Roman Anthony of the Red Sox, Zach Veen of the Rockies, Zevia Matthews of the Twins, Dalton rushing with the Dodgers,

Starting point is 00:00:25 and Nick Kurtz with the athletics. Yeah, I mean, I don't know that you should be stashing them, just to clarify, because I don't know that outside of Roman Anthony, there's any prospect that's must stash. But if you want a stash prospect, these would be the best to do. I see he's stroking your mustache there. Yeah, Roman Anthony is off to a fine start. I don't really think he has much left to prove in the miners in his time at AAA last year. He hit 344 with his many walks.

Starting point is 00:01:00 as strikeouts. That was in 35 games. And it's just a question of how soon can a spot open for him. Willier O'Brayu's hot start, I think eliminates the easiest path for Roman Anthony getting to the majors. But there's so much versatility in that Red Sox lineup that I think anyone, just about anyone, could go down and clear a spot for him. Trevor Story, you know, he said he's been healthy. he's been hurt a lot more than he's healthy in recent years. And if he gets her, maybe say Don Rafael and moves back to the infield, opening a spot for Anthony.

Starting point is 00:01:35 So best prospect in baseball, who doesn't have a job in the majors yet. And I think the top prospect to stash, Zach Vien off to a good start at AAA, picked up where he left off this spring where I think most of us felt like he earned a job in the Rockies outfield. And they went with Nick Martini, a 34-year-old journeyman over him. So I think there's that's clearly a short-term arrangement. And if Vien stays healthy, which has long been an issue for him and continues doing what he's doing, we'll see him pretty soon. Zebby Matthews, same thing. Look good this spring, but the twins prioritized pitchers who had a little bit more Major League experience, even if the upside wasn't quite the same.

Starting point is 00:02:23 Zeb Matthews still boasting an extra couple miles per hour on his fastball and his AAA debut for this year. It has elite control. Time in the miners last year, Zebby Matthews, seven walks in 97 innings. So that extra velocity, you know, there's a lot to like even before that. Dalton Rushing, I mentioned this on the full-length podcast Friday, that he's gotten some time at first base. already this year.

Starting point is 00:02:55 And the Dodgers look like they might need some help at first base. Freddie Freeman currently on the aisle with ankle flare up, I don't think it's going to be a long stay for him, but the ankle injury is carrying over from last year, and it looks like he may need some maintenance from time to time. If rushing could carve out a role as a Freeman fill-in and a backup catcher and maybe an occasional outfielder, that might be enough to earn him a spot.

Starting point is 00:03:23 It's been an OPS hog in the miners and really doesn't have much left to proof there offensively. And finally, Nick Kurtz already as of this recording, I don't know, maybe it's more now, already three home runs in his first five games at AAA. This was after he got 12 games in the miners period last year, fourth pick in the draft, 12 games in the minors, already a AAA and already killing it. It seems like another White-Langford situation for Nick Kurtz where he's already so developed as a hitting prospect that there's just no holding them back. The problem is there's not a clear place to play him,

Starting point is 00:04:12 especially since the athletics have yet to try Brent Rooker in the outfield this year. They said they would, but it's been all DH for him. Tyler Soderstrom off to a good start at first base. There was some talk this spring that Kurtz himself could get a look in the outfield, but so far that hasn't happened. I think until we see Rooker play some outfield or Kurtz play some outfield to AAA, we can presume the promotion isn't imminent. But I don't think it's going to be long with the way Kurtz started out.

Starting point is 00:04:41 All right. Let's take a quick break. We'll be back right after this. Welcome back in the FBT Express. We just broke down five prospects. that you could stash if you want to. What about five other prospects who are making noise early on in the season?

Starting point is 00:04:57 Kyle Teal with the White Sox, Jacob Mizirowski with the Brewers, Colston Montgomery, excuse me, with the White Sox, Luinder Avilla of the Royals and Tim Tawa of the D-BACS. Scott, what's going on with this group? Well, three of those names you've probably heard of

Starting point is 00:05:16 and then two, maybe not. I will note that all of these, are players at AAA because by the time you're listening to this, the other levels will have just started playing. So there was no data available for them yet. Kyle Teal, homered in the first two games in the white, his first two games in the white socks system. And he's the sort of catcher prospect who's just made it look easy ever since he was drafted.

Starting point is 00:05:41 Of course, came over from the Red Sox in the, in the Garrett Crochet trade this off season. and I don't think he's going to be long, and the miners just, he's already good at everything. And maybe he doesn't have the highest ceiling ever, but the competence, I think, is going to earn him a spot on the White Sox very soon. Jacob Izorowski has always had control problems,

Starting point is 00:06:07 but great stuff. There's been some talk that maybe he's worn out as welcome as a starter, but have you looked at the Brewer's rotation in the majors? It is in dire straits. I don't think they can afford to move Mizorowski to the bullpen. And in his first start of the season, he threw 66% of his pitches for strikes. Just one start, but that is the direction Mizorowski needs to trend with the control, so we'll keep an eye on that.

Starting point is 00:06:31 Colson Montgomery, terrible last year. The strikeout rate spiked. He got a lot of the benefit of the doubt because of a strong finish, still ranked on all the top 100 lists. through his first 20 at Bats at AAA this year. Coulson Montgomery had 15 strikeouts. Yeah.

Starting point is 00:06:52 So I don't know how much longer he can do that and still get the benefit of the doubt. Definitely not the start we wanted to see from Coulson Montgomery. Louis and Dera Vila for the Royals. Not a particularly high end prospect, but he had 11 strikeouts in his first start, and he did that by spamming his curveball.

Starting point is 00:07:09 Best pitch 40% of the time. Sometimes one weird trick, that one weird trick, is enough to get, to take kind of a nothing pitching prospect and turn him into something that ends up succeeding in the majors. So we'll see if Lewinder Avila can keep that going for more than just one start. And finally, Tim Tawa, a guy who can play every position but catcher and pitcher, 26 years old, but hit 31 homers, had 14 steals in the minors. last year. It's doing much of the same so far at AAA this year. Not a lot of raw power, but good at elevating to his pull side and maximizing his power out. But that way, I don't

Starting point is 00:07:50 think Tim Toll was going to be a big deal in fantasy, but because he's so versatile, I could see him getting a chance and may be surprising at some point this season. All right. For more extensive fantasy baseball coverage, listen to our full-lane podcast Fantasy Baseball today on Spotify, Apple podcast or anywhere else podcasts are found. for listening to Fantasy Baseball Today Express, and we will be back again next week. Bye-bye.

Fantasy Baseball Today - FBT Express - Top 5 Prospects to Stash! Roman Anthony, Zac Veen & More! (4/5 Fantasy Baseball podcast)

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