Fantasy Baseball Today - Top Prospects to Stash! Walker Jenkins Destroying Triple-A! (08/27 Fantasy Baseball Podcast)
Episode Date: August 27, 2026Could Bo Davidson get a look with the Giants? There's another Baez to know in the Cardinals' organization. Who is Yostin Peña and what is he doing? Could the Mariners promote Lazaro Montes? Ralphy Ve...lazquez is blasting a ton of homers in the minors right now. Lastly, it sure feels like Walker Jenkins is ready for the Twins.Subscribe to our YouTube channel: youtube.com/FantasyBaseballTodaySign up for the newsletter at https://www.cbssports.com/newsletters
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We have the latest prospect report up next on Fantasy Baseball Today Express.
Welcome to FBT Express on Thursday, August 27th.
I am Frank Stamble joined by Scott White and the five prospects on the periphery.
We have Bo Davidson of the Giants, Jesus Baez of the Cardinals,
Brian Rincon of the Phillies, Bryce Meyer of the Astros,
and Yostin Pena of the Yankees.
Scott, what do you have on these five?
Bo Davidson could have been on 5 on the verge.
That's how good he's been at AAA lately.
We talked about him in this section.
I think it was, when it was?
It was early July, I think, and he was killing it at AA.
He got moved up to AAA soon after that, struggled for a few weeks,
and now he's killing it a AAA.
Last 13 games, Bo Davidson's betting 463,
six home runs at OPS around
5, around 1,500.
He had a 451 foot home run the other day.
Everything in the profile looks great
in terms of quality of contact, plate discipline.
It's really just the polar rate that could stand to be better.
But he's obviously producing with what he has,
and the Giants don't have much in their lineup right now.
He's already 24.
I could see him getting the call.
It would just be kind of a rush job.
given that he hasn't even played 40 games of AAA yet,
but they might decide to do it.
It's not outside their own possibility,
and I think Bo Davidson's underrated right now.
Jesus, not to be confused with Joshua Baez.
This bias is also in the Cardinals organization,
and he now has hit more minor league home runs this year
than Joshua Baez did.
He had his 35th here on Wednesday.
and he's only a double A,
Hesu's bias, he's a short stop,
but not really a short stop.
He's not good enough to stay there defensively,
probably going to wind up at third base.
He has the arm for it.
So that has suppressed his prospect stock.
Also, doesn't have much on base ability to speak of,
but man, he makes loud contact.
And if you find video online
of what some of these home runs for Hesu's bias,
look like. They are absolute screamers to his pull side. Pull rate is very high and they get out of
the park so fast. I think the power's legitimate for Jesus Bayes, obviously, some flaws in the
profile here, but he deserves to be mentioned among the top prospects now that he's introduced
himself as a slugger. Brian Rinkone, another shortstop prospect for the Phillies. He entered this year
almost 800 minor league of bats
entered a career
206 hitter.
Really just stood out for his defense.
That was it.
But he has blown up this year.
The plate discipline has been the most impressive part
of Brian Rinkone's profile.
It was reached at a 405 clip.
But he's also a 2020 man now.
There's been power.
There's been speed.
And he still has that terrific defense.
So I think he might be the most
underappreciated prospect
in the game right now.
People who know a lot about minor league baseball
might see that, okay, he's playing
at AA Redding, which is
a very hitter-friendly
affiliate, but
you look at his homeway splits, they're about dead even.
So I don't think that's responsible
for Rincones' breakout. I think he's just out of
breakout. And short stops
who get on pace a lot and play good defense,
they're going to go places.
I think Brian Rincon is going places.
Bryce Meyer,
who's
makes me think of the old crossfire board game
and the very elaborate commercial
that went along with that for any child of the 90s,
I'm sure remembers it.
Bryce Meyer for the Astros has just reached AAA.
He's been really impressive over his last eight starts,
a 183 ERA, 0.86 width, 11.4K per 9,
got a 16% swings, strike rate,
178 batting average against during that eight-start stretch.
and what the key here for Bryce Meyer is the sweeper
that has a ton of sweep to it.
It's like a plus plus offering.
And he also throws, he's got like a low release point
that seems to go well with the sweeper
and helps to make his fastball better.
Bryce Meyer doesn't have like the big velocity
we expect from top pitching prospects these days.
He gets 93, 94 that kind of range.
but with that low release point and great extension
combined with his awesome sweeper,
Bryce Meyer looks like he could be really effective.
One of those Astros prospects who seems to pop up out of nowhere.
24 years old, now he's at AAA.
So we can expect to see Bryce Meyer,
I think probably early next year.
And then finally, Osteampania of the Yankees,
18 years old spent most of the year
in the Dominican Summer League.
and I try not to invest
too much time in prospects at that level
just because they're so far away.
It's such weak competition.
It's just hard to draw any reliable conclusions.
But Yostin Pena's recently moved up
to full-season ball, low-A-Tampa,
already has four home runs
and 16 games there.
His exit velocities
are earning him 70 power grades
as an 18-year-old.
If he
makes quick work of A-ball,
again at low A now, if he advances to high A quickly,
ends up reaching AA before his 19th birthday,
which seems possible.
He's going to soar a prospect rank list.
Obviously, that's asking a lot to go right,
but the tools are in place here for Yostin Pena,
Yostin Pena to make that kind of surge.
All right, let's take a quick break,
and we'll be back right after this.
Welcome back, FBT Express,
and we move on to the five prospect.
on the verge of getting called up.
And number five on this list is Lazaro Montes of the Mariners.
Scott, what is the latest on Montes?
The latest is he has really taken to AAA,
just to quickly there having a huge August,
289, 389, 379, 6.679-home runs.
The strikeout rate is still north of 30%,
but I don't think that's ever going to change for Montes.
that's just who he is.
The average exit velocity, meanwhile, 94.3.
The max is 116.3.
Those are numbers very similar to what Munataka Murakami has done in the majors this year.
And Murakami's made it work with an even worse strikeout rate than what Montez is running up there.
The Mariners sinking further back in the AL-West standings.
Now, it's kind of aggressive to promote 21-year-old Montez,
who, you know, maybe they'd like to see the strikeout rate improve,
but they're in a desperate enough spot that I think they could do it.
They'd have to make room for them,
but I don't know that platooning Taylor Ward and Dominic Canzon
is the worst idea to get another big bat in the lineup.
Number four on this list is James Tibbs of the Dodgers.
Scott, is there any way to get him in the lineup?
I think so.
Obviously, the injury to Andy Paz wasn't it.
because Tibbs can't play centerfield,
so they had to go with Alec Thomas instead.
But now they're starting Alec Thomas in center field,
who doesn't bring much with the bat.
Meanwhile, Mookie Betts has been underwhelming.
Kyle Tucker's been underwhelming.
Teosker Hernandez has been overwhelming.
The Dodgers lineup is not looking quite so strong
heading into the stretch run here.
And that may cause them to explore the possibility.
I think what would make the most sense is bringing Tibbs up to spell Teoscar Hernandez,
maybe make it a lefty, righty, platoon even.
Tibbs has been great all year.
He got first mentioned in the Five on the Verge way back on April 8th,
but he's continued to perform well since then.
Last 20 games at AAA, 347 batting average and six home runs.
He's definitely ready for an opportunity.
It's just finding that opportunity.
and the current state of the Dodgers lineup, they may make a way for him.
Number three on this list is Seaver King of the Nationals,
who I believe has been getting some reps at third base.
So that does give him some optionality of where he can play.
Yeah, I don't even think it needs to be third base, though.
Obviously, they're planning.
They still haven't done it yet, but C.J. Abrams coming back from an ankle issue,
I believe it is.
I think the expectation is once he's ready to play,
the field again. It'll be at second base.
And theoretically, that's to give Nassim Nunez a look at shortstop, but
Nassim Nunez is a sub-600 OPS.
They have to know he's not the answer there long term, especially with his middle
infield prospects they have coming up.
I think Sever King is going to force the issue here.
There was that report a couple weeks ago that it's unlikely to be called up, but within
that report it was unless he forces the issue.
issue. And last 15 games for Siver King at AAA 431 batting average 8-owned runs five stalled basis.
If that's not forcing the issue, I don't know what is.
Plate discipline is suspect, but exit velocities, expected stats, they're in the 80th to 90th
percentile. So King might just be doing it. Number two on this list is Ralphie Velasquez of the
Guardians. I know he's been blasting a ton of home runs and the Guardians could always use more power.
14 home runs in August, 16 in his past 23 games.
He has the exit velocities to back it up.
He has a very good pull air rate.
He is a power hitter.
Ralphie Velasquez through and through.
Only 21 hasn't spent long at AAA.
The chase rate is a little unappealing.
But yeah, the guardians could definitely use some offense.
They don't have a dedicated DH.
They just acquire Nathaniel low at the trade deadline
and presumably want to keep giving him at bats.
It's gone okay so far, I guess.
But they don't have a dedicated D.H.
They've mostly been using that as a way for Anhele Hano to get at bats by spelling different players and shifting them over to D.H.
But I don't know that all three of Hinal, Travis Bazzana, and Brian Rokio need to be starting every day.
I think that would be a good way to get Velascus's bat in the lineup, and they might consider it as they try to hold on to that third wild card spot and chase down the white socks.
And the number one prospect on the verge right now is Walker Jenkins from the Twins who is on fire at AAA and Byron Buxton is dealing with an injury.
So, oh no.
Yeah, this is the one of the five on the verge Walker Jenkins that I think is a near certainty because it is the perfect combination of them having a need in the standings, trying to stay in the playoff race after there were buyers at the deadline, having a need.
having a need in the lineup with Byron Buxton
dealing with that hip issue
and Jenkins himself
just peeking at the right time as a prospect.
He's always had good hitter instincts
and plate discipline
and good exit velocities
but it hadn't translated to big power numbers.
It has here in August for the month
Walker Jenkins batting 4-11
with eight home runs in August,
also seven steals
and getting on base a ton
He's ready, and the twins could use them.
All right, for more extensive fantasy baseball coverage,
listen to our full lane podcast, Fantasy Baseball today,
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Thanks for listening to Fantasy Baseball Today Express,
and we will be back again this weekend.
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