Fantasy Baseball Today - Prospect Report: Stash Alex Kirilloff & Scout Brandon Pfaadt (6/11 Fantasy Baseball Podcast)

Episode Date: June 12, 2022

Download and follow Fantasy Baseball Today in 5! You can find FBT in 5 on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever else podcasts are found. Alex Kirilloff and Jarred Kelenic are both heating up at Triple-A. What's the latest on Vinnie Pasquantino and Jarren Duran? Who is Brandon Pfaadt and could we see him this year? Elly De La Cruz is soaring up prospect lists. 'Fantasy Baseball Today in 5' is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Castbox and wherever else you listen to podcasts.  Get 20% off Fantasy Baseball Today merch: https://store.cbssports.com/collections/fantasy-baseball-today?utm_source=podcast-apple-com&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=buy-our-merch&utm_content=fantasy-baseball-collection Follow our FBT team on Twitter: @FBTPod, @CTowersCBS, @CBSScottWhite, @Roto_Frank Join our Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/fantasybaseballtoday Sign up for the FBT Newsletter at https://www.cbssports.com/newsletters/fantasy-baseball-today/ For more fantasy baseball coverage from CBS Sports, visit https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/ To hear more from the CBS Sports Podcast Network, visit https://www.cbssports.com/podcasts/ You can listen to Fantasy Baseball Today in 5 on your smart speakers! Simply say "Alexa, play the latest episode of the Fantasy Baseball Today in 5 podcast" or "Hey Google, play the latest episode of the Fantasy Baseball Today in 5 podcast." To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We have a few prospects heating back up. Let's break them down next on fantasy baseball today in five. Welcome into FBT and 5. As always, make sure to follow and stream us on Spotify. Today is Saturday, June 11th. I am Frank Stanful, joined by Scott White. And who are those prospects heating back up? Alex Kirillov with the Minnesota Twins

and Jared Kellanick with the Seattle Mariners. Scott, what are those guys up to? They are doing some big things, especially Kiroloff. He's the one I'm more. excited about because I've liked him all along and he hasn't been the same since hurting his wrist early in his rookie season tried

playing through it eventually had to have surgery we thought he was past it but then he showed up this year and was still having problems with the wrist spent some time on the IL went back to AAA was hitting just singles at first but suddenly the power has just exploded

for him he had a span where he hit four home runs and three days and the numbers of AAA look awesome. Not only that, but he's walking a ton, which is something we've never seen from Kierloff at any level. So I think he's back to being, you know, as much as anybody, any minor league or is stashable in your league. I think Kiroloff is near the top of that list for me again, and hopefully we'll see him

soon for the twins. Kalnick's been hot too. The plate discipline's been pretty bad, though. but the Mariners after, you know, obviously McChanniger's already on the IL, Kyle Lewis recently got put on the IL, and it sounds like he's going to be a while. So it seems like the Mariners could use Kellnick

if he's able to keep this going. All right, let's get into the five prospects on the verge. Finney Pass Guantino with the Royals, Riley Green with the Tigers, O'Neill Cruz with the Pirates, Miguel Vargas with the Dodgers, and Darren Duran with the Red Sox. And Enrique Hernandez recently went on the IL Scott for the Red Sox,

so maybe Duran gets another shot. Yeah, hopefully. I mean, he probably deserved the shot over Enrique Hernandez anyway. And I thought it was telling that when the Red Sox called up Duran, Jaron Duran last week, for just two days because Jackie Bradley was on paternity leave, they batted him leadoff. They batted him leadoff. both of those days.

Like, unless you're Tony Larusa, in the year of our Lord 2022, you're not, you're not batting a bad batter leadoff, you know? Like, they must believe in Duran's bat and believe he would upgrade the lineup. So there are several places he could fit, and hopefully next time he'll stick around for good. I don't think it's a crazy high ceiling for Duran. You know, he tried tapping into his power more last year. It didn't really work out, so he's gone back to being more of a line. drive batting average guy who steals a lot of bases.

But there's value in that, especially if he's going to bat lead off for the Red Sox. So I think he's among the stashables here. The other four, not much has changed since we last convened. Vinnie Pasquantino has cooled off a bit while Carlos Santana has heated up in the majors. But I still think we'll see Pasquantino before the end of the month. And the same goes for Riley Green. not as sure for O'Neill Cruz and Miguel Vargas, but Cruz has been performing better of late.

And Vargas, you know, obviously Edwin Rios is out for the Dodgers, so there isn't as much cushion if Max Muncie continues to struggle. Muncie just came off the IL though and had a great game. So that might complicate Miguel Vargas's path. All right, some prospects on the periphery, five of them. These are some prospects who are doing something as of late. And Brandon Fatt, the starting pitcher with the Diamondbacks. Gavin Williams, starting pitcher with the Guardians. Ellie de la Cruz, third baseman with the Reds,

Gavin Stone, a starting pitcher with the Dodgers, and Immanuel Valdez, a second baseman with the Astros. What's going on with these got? Brandon Fatt, I'll point out, is fat with a P. Yeah. They're not a pH, a PF, and two A's, and a D and a T. in case you were confused about that. Anyway, he looks like the Diamondbacks best pitching prospect. He's kind of pulled away from Blake Walston and Ryan Nelson and Drey Jameson.

He has an incredible strikeout to walk rate. The ERA is kind of high at AA, but it's AA El Paso. It's a tough place for pitchers. So you give him a pass for that. I think we could see Brandon Fatt before the end of the year. Gavin Williams, And Elie de la Cruz are two prospects surging up the rank. He's probably going to be top 50 next year, if not even higher.

Williams especially is a pitcher for the Guardians, throws 100 miles per hour, 6 foot 6, so he's got a big reach that makes it look even faster. And he has just been untouchable 140 ERA, recently got promoted to AA, looking like another stud pitching prospect for the Guardians. Elie de la Cruz is it's a volatile profile, bad plate discipline, but a lot of power, a lot of speed. He could be like a new O'Neill Cruz if he's able to put it together.

And so far at high A, he's done just that. Gavin Stone and Manuel Valdez, both very interesting. They might have the best numbers of any pitcher and hitter in the minor leagues this year. Stone for the Dodgers just the strikeout to walk ratio is incredible and in Manuel Valdez of the Astros he's been getting on base a ton

hitting for power he's 5 foot 9 and he also doesn't fit anywhere defensively he's kind of like Jose Miranda and we think maybe that's why he got overlooked with the big production in the miners last year Valdez feels like he could be another example of that all right for more extensive fantasy baseball coverage listen to the fantasy baseball today podcast on spotify apple

podcast stitcher your smart speakers or anywhere else podcasts are found and thanks for listening to fantasy baseball today in five we'll be back again on monday morning bye bye