The crew goes over everything that happened from yesterday's action, as the Thompson boys (Will on Major League Baseball and Matt on Double-A) are joined by Rhys White on Triple-A, Grant Carver on High-A, Nate Rasmussen on Single-A, and Alex Jensen on the complexes.

Major League Baseball

Covered by Will Thompson

Drake Baldwin, C ATL (MLB)

3-for-4, RBI

I think even the most optimistic of Drake Baldwin believers couldn’t have seen this kind of start in the big leagues coming. The 24-year-old has been terrific at the plate, hitting .360/.407/.573 with four homers in 27 games and has formed a strong duo with Sean Murphy at the catcher position. The .397 BABIP won’t sustain and a lot of his expected stats show regression on the way, but he’s given the Braves lineup a massive boost to keep them afloat after their brutal start. 

‼️AJ Smith-Shawver, RHP ATL (MLB)

6.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R (0 ER), 2 BB, 6 K

Another great start for the 22-year-old who is making sure that he’s going to stick around in this rotation when Spencer Strider returns soon. It seems like it’s going to come down to Grant Holmes or Bryce Elder to see who the odd man out is because I don’t think you can move Smith-Shawver at this point he’s thrown too well. The righty has a 2.33 ERA through seven starts and while his peripherals suggest some regression, he’s definitely taken a massive step forward this season and this will be the time he sticks in the rotation. 

‼️Chris Paddack, RHP MIN (MLB)

7.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K

The Minnesota Twins are on fire and winners of 11 straight games after a brutal start to the season where they looked deader than dead. Someone else that applies to? Chris Paddack, who tossed seven shutout innings for his second straight excellent start, both of which went seven innings or more. I’m not a big fan of Paddack’s profile though, he still doesn’t miss bats at all and the home run problems have returned this season even though he’s been better his last couple times out. 

Matt McLain, 2B CIN (MLB)

2-for-3, HR, 2B, 2 R, RBI, BB

McLain really needed a game like this because it’s overall been a struggle for him this season. Maybe this performance can get him going some. After missing all of 2024, the strikeouts have plagued McLain yet again as he’s punching out at a 30% clip. There is some poor batted ball luck to factor in here, but the strikeouts are still a major issue and the Reds lineup needs the 25-year-old to start hitting better consistently. 

‼️Nick Martinez, RHP CIN (MLB)

7.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K

Martinez turned in another excellent outing and while he doesn’t miss many bats, he does a great job mixing speeds and throwing strikes. The righty has six pitches and uses them all and keeps hitters off-balance throwing the kitchen sink at them. He took the qualifying offer to stay with the Reds this season so he’s likely setting himself up for a multi-year deal from someone this winter. Martinez is a really underrated arm. 

Luis Mey, RHP CIN (MLB)

1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

Man if Luis Mey can throw strikes consistently like he has in the big leagues so far, this is the Reds future closer. So far, he’s allowed just two hits in 7.1 innings with three walks and 11 strikeouts. Our own Nate Rasmussen is all over Mey and touched on him in his Dynasty Closer Hierarchy Update. 

“Mey looks like the next big guy to know, similar to Zach Agnos, as he has now debuted in the MLB and has seen instant success. The Reds current leverage relievers are not very strong, leaving plenty of runway for Luis Mey to take over that job at some point in the next year or two.” 

💣💣Brandon Lowe, 2B TB (MLB)

3-for-5, 2 HR, 2 R, 4 RBI, K

Josh Lowe, DH TB (MLB)

3-for-5, HR, 3 R, RBI

Everyone’s favorite “non-related but same last name yet pronounced differently” duo had a monster day for the Rays in their win against the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. Brandon Lowe had a double dong day and he’s a guy that always seems to get off to slow starts, but maybe this will get him going. Despite the poor results so far, his xwOBA is .337 which is in line with what he’s done the previous two seasons where he put up 116 and 123 wRC+ seasons so I’m betting things start to turn soon. As for Josh, this was just his second game back this season and he’s looked fantastic, going 4-for-7 with a home run. 

Braydon Fisher, RHP TOR (MLB)

2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K

The 24-year-old rookie dominated out of the bullpen for Toronto in his best career outing to date. Fisher can dial it up into the upper 90s but pitches backwards, throwing a ton of sliders and curveballs and using his fastball as his “off-speed” pitch. He was excellent in Triple-A to start the season and MLB hitters have had a tough time with him so far as well. This would be a real nice development for the Blue Jays bullpen if he can sustain this and perhaps can work his way into some high leverage opportunities soon. 

Jake Burger, 1B TEX (MLB)

2-for-3, HR, R, RBI

It turns out that maybe a week for Burger to reset with Triple-A Round Rock was exactly what he needed because he’s looked significantly better since returning. He was responsible for the only run in this game with a solo homer off Astros ace Hunter Brown and is 5-for-12 with a double and home run since returning from Triple-A. 

‼️Jacob deGrom, RHP TEX (MLB)

8.0 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 K

Now THIS is the Jacob deGrom outing that we’ve been waiting for. Total dominance from the former Cy Young, who generated 15 whiffs in this start, including 10 on his slider. You’re always crossing your fingers for deGrom to stay healthy, but the Rangers have gotten everything they could have asked for so far this season from the 36-year-old. He has a 2.29 ERA through nine starts and while the strikeout numbers are down from his prime obviously, he’s still been very effective and looks like an ace. Love to see him show out with a vintage performance in a rivalry game as well. 

‼️Hunter Brown, RHP HOU (MLB)

8.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 9 K, HR allowed

What a pitching duel we had in Arlington between one of the best aces of this generation and perhaps one of the best aces of the next generation. Brown was phenomenal and took the hard luck loss in this outing, but he’s been dominant in the early going. Through nine starts, the righty has a 1.43 ERA and 1.93 FIP while cutting his walk rate down significantly from career norms. Brown is so much fun to watch and is establishing himself as one of the few true aces in the game. Hopefully we get to see more of these Brown deGrom battles because this one was a lot of fun. 

💣💣Shohei Ohtani, DH LAD (MLB)

2-for-5, 2 HR, 2 R, 6 RBI, 2 K

The Dodgers offense put up 19 runs last night in their rout of the A’s at Dodger Stadium so of course Shohei Ohtani had to be in the middle of it. A double dong day led LA’s offense, but he did strike out against backup catcher Jhonny Pereda late in the game so has Ohtani finally met his match? He now has 15 homers for the season and looks like he’s heading for another 50 home run season. 

🆕Dalton Rushing, C LAD (MLB)

2-for-4, 3 R, BB, K

Rushing had a great day in his MLB debut, reaching base three times and ripping a single up the middle in the third inning for his first big league hit. Parting with a guy like Austin Barnes was tough for the Dodgers I’m sure, but it’s for good reason because Rushing is a stud. He had nothing left to prove at the Triple-A level and has the approach to be able to stick around and have success. This game was a taste of that and it’ll be interesting to see how the Dodgers use him with Will Smith having a career year so far as well. LA is unfair at most positions, but this catching duo is straight up absurd. 

Hyeseong Kim, 2B LAD (MLB)

3-for-3, 2B, 4 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB

I absolutely LOVE Hyeseong Kim and he continued his hot start with a monster day at the plate last night. So far through 12 big league games, he’s hitting .429/.467/.571 with a home run, double, and three stolen bases. Kim isn’t going to be a star, but he is a perfect fit at the bottom of this Dodgers lineup and compliments the other power hitters in the lineup. Perhaps most encouraging is that the strikeout problems we saw in Triple-A (24.4% K rate) hasn’t materialized at the big league level at all yet. Really fun player who is going to stick as the second baseman for a while given that Tommy Edman’s recovery from an ankle injury is happening slower than expected. No need to rush him back with the way Kim is playing though. 

Triple-A Baseball

Covered by Rhys White

🚑 Hunter Barco, LHP PIT (Triple-A)

0.1 IP, H, 2 R (2 ER), 3 BB, K 

Barco left this game, and someone who was watching said it was not pretty. We shall see what the diagnosis is. This is not what the Pirates faithful want to see.

Thomas Saggesse, 2B STL (Triple-A)

2-for-4, HR, R, RBI 

I wish there was a way for him to get consistent playing time, but alas, the Cardinals are kind of stocked where Saggese can play, and there would need to be a trade or an injury for him to get an extended run. Which is unfortunate because we could all use another perfectly cromulent big league bat in this lineup. The Cardinals are in a weird spot because they are supposed to be rebuilding, but they are currently second in the NL Central with a record of 24-20.

Deyvison De Los Santos, 3B MIA (Triple-A)

1-for-5, HR, R, 2 RBI 

It would be nice to see DDLS up with Miami; it's not like they have anything in the way if they really wanted to give him a chance. We are never going to figure out if he can hit major league pitching if we don’t see him face major league pitching, especially when you consider the Marlins are rolling out Eric Wagaman and Matt Mervis at the first base and designated hitter spots, and they are not cromulent major leaguers.

Nolan McLean, RHP NYM (Triple-A)

5 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 6 BB, 4 K, 2 HR Allowed

McLean’s stuff looked good, if that is any sort of consolation for Mets fans out there. I really think McLean moves to the bullpen because the command is untenable at points. But the fastball, cutter, slider combination could absolutely be effective out of the bullpen, where he could be a nasty high-leverage piece for the Mets.

Andrew Painter, RHP PHI (Triple-A)

5 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, HR Allowed

This highly anticipated pitching matchup was underwhelming. But both of these pitchers looked sharp, so at least we have that, right? Painter should be called up whenever a need arises in the Phillies rotation, allowing them to have six deep with the best rotation in the sport. Painter’s fastball was sharp in this outing. At the very least, the Phillies could use Painter in a bullpen or opener role to keep his arm fresh all season.

🍔🍟 Justin Crawford, CF PHI (Triple-A)

2-for-5, HR, R, RBI, SB 

Your eyes do not deceive you; Justin Crawford just hit a homer and collected a stolen base. Pigs are flying, hell has frozen over—whatever your saying of choice for this situation, it applies here. But, in all seriousness, if he can even hit one out every once in a while, that raises his fantasy ceiling so much.

CJ Kayfus, RF CLE (Triple-A)

4-for-6, 3B, R, 2 RBI

What do we need to get this guy promoted? It's not like Will Brennan or some of the other non-Kwan corner outfielders should really stop Kayfus at this point. CJ would provide some serious power as well as another bat to help lengthen this lineup. He could be an above-average contact hitter with above-average power, which is something this Guardians lineup could really use.

Alejandro Osuna, CF TEX (Triple-A)

2-for-4, 2B, R 

I am not an Osuna fan because I don’t think there is really a standout tool, and with him having a tweener profile, I don’t think he is anything more than a lesser version of Andrew Benintendi.

Alex Freeland, SS LAD(Triple-A)

2-for-4, 2 2B, R

Freeland must be looking at Rushing and Kim doing well in Major League Baseball and feeling like Squidward in that meme. Freeland’s time will come, as the Dodgers could use a real shortstop, and the fact they are papering over their roster without one is impressive in itself. He could also be moved as the Dodgers look to get a pitcher, as all of theirs are dropping like flies, like they always do.

Cole Young, SS SEA (Triple-A)

2-for-4, HR, 2 R, RBI 

Seeing Cole Young hit for power is not something I am ever prepared for. But hey, we will take it. He is a better real-life player because I don’t think the power ceiling is all that high, nor is the stolen-base ceiling. But he can play a middle infield spot and be fine, even if you would rather it not be shortstop all that much.

Double-A Baseball

Covered by Matt Thompson

Kervin Pichardo, 3B PIT (Double-A)

3-for-3, HR, 3 R, 4 RBI, BB

Pichardo originally signed with the Phillies as a minor league free agent back in 2019 and was traded to the Padres and then eventually traded again to the Pirates. He’s having his best professional season so far, slashing .283/.321/.522 over 15 games. He started the season on the IL and missed the first week. He’s played third and short this year but has played all over the diamond over his career to this point. He looks like a nice org guy that is likely to get a cup of coffee at some point. No need to roster in fantasy though!

Cooper Ingle, C CLE (Double-A)

3-for-5, 2 2B, R, 2 RBI, BB, K

Kahlil Watson, OF CLE (Double-A)

3-for-6, HR, R, 3 RBI, K

The top two bats in the Akron Lineup with Bazzana sidelined. Ingle is a unicorn, a catcher with a true leadoff hitter profile and he has a .327 average and .486 OBP over his last 16 games. There’s legit power to the pull side, and he sprays the ball all over the diamond. Power and defense are the main question marks here but I do think he will be good enough defensively to play everyday. Kahlil Watson is having his best season yet and its his 40-man platform season so he’s auditioning for everyone if the Guardians don’t add him to the 40-man. He’s been playing centerfield mostly and can also fill in on the infield. He’s worth adding in deeper leagues.

‼️ Tommy Mace, RHP CLE (Double-A)

5.2 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 7 K

A pitcher performing better after leaving the University of Florida? You don’t say. The Guardians are doing something the Gators couldn’t and are getting the most out of Mace who looks like that mid-rotation arm we all thought he could becomes. It’s a lively fastball with a cuttery/slider and a curveball and change. The delivery looks clean, he’s throwing strikes. He could be up in the big leagues this year. He needs to be added to the 40-man following the season.

🍔🍟 Yohendrick Pinango, OF TOR (Double-A)

3-for-4, HR, R, RBI, 2 BB, K, SB

Pinango might be the best minor league hitter in the Blue Jays system. He certainly will be included in the top 20 update for them. He came over from the Cubs in the Nate Pearson trade and is hitting .355/.458/.600 in New Hampshire. He needs to get bumped to Triple-A and seems likely to reach the big leagues this season. He’s also a guy that needs to be added to the 40-man this winter, and he’s making the decision easy for the Blue Jays. Add him in fantasy where you can.

Paul McIntosh, C PHI (Double-A)

3-for-4, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB

The secondary piece sent with Jesus Luzardo in the trade with the Marlins, McIntosh had the start of his season delayed due to injury. The ceiling here is that of a backup catcher but he might be their best option in the upper minors if they need a backstop.

‼️ Ian Mejia, RHP ATL (Double-A)

7 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K

Mejia has tossed 36 ⅔ innings this year and has a sparkling 0.98 ERA. Why is he still in Double-A? The 25 year old doesn’t rack up a ton of strikeouts but his lack of walks makes it easier to deal with. Yeah, he’s likely nothing more than a backend starter but lets get him to Triple-A to see what we have here. 

👟 Kemp Alderman, OF MIA (Double-A)

3-for-5, 2B, R, RBI, 2 SB

Alderman has already stolen a career high ten stolen bases on the season, adding another element to his game. The power upside here is massive, but he’s still hitting the ball on the ground far too much. 56% groundballs is alarming. He still has four homers despite that incredible rate, and if he can get that down to 45% or so he’s an easy 20-25 homer dude.

👟 Bryan Lavastida, C HOU (Double-A)

3-for-3, 2 R, BB, 3 SB

Lavastida was a former top 30 prospect with the Guardians who signed with the Astros as a minor league free agent this past January. I still think he looks good enough to be a big league backup, but him being assigned to Double-A likely means he’s further away than I think he is. I’m still a fan.

Mike Boeve, DH MIL (Double-A)

2-for-4, HR, 2 R, 4 RBI, 2 K

Fitting on the day Matt Carpenter retires we get a solid game from Mike Boeve, a guy who has always reminded me of a young Matt Carpenter. Boeve is having a tough season so far, but I still believe in him as a prospect. He might get buried in this organization who might have the most infield depth of any organization. Boeve seems likely to debut sometime in 2026.

Sal Stewart, 3B CIN (Double-A)

4-for-5, SB

Four singles for Stewart, one of the biggest risers in my personal top 500 for fantasy. He can hit, and I think the hit tool was underrated by me for too long. He’s hitting .311/.377/.439 on the season. The homerun power is a little low, but he’s a gap to gap guy and will rack up 30 doubles. The speed here is underrated and adds a new element to his game. The Reds leadoff hitter of the future?

‼️ Jake Palisch, LHP CWS (Double-A)

5 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 K

One of the biggest out of nowhere breakouts of the 2025 season, Palsich has made two starts this year, going five innings in each. He was perfect in his first start and in this one he gives up two hits and walks two. He made 8 appearances out of the bullpen this year prior to those two starts and has a 0.75 ERA and 0.83 WHIP. He looks like a backend type but these numbers are tough to ignore.

Cody Roberts, C SD (Double-A)

3-for-5, HR, 3B, 4 RBI

A nice game for the 28 year old catcher in Double-A. 

Henry Bolte, DH ATH (Double-A)

3-for-3, 3B, R, RBI, 2 BB

I’m completely fascinated by Henry Bolte and his skillset. Will it work in the big leagues? I don’t even know. Speed and defense are huge plusses. Swing decisions and contact have improved. Power is trending up. I’m in.

Jac Caglianone, 1B KC (Double-A)

2-for-4, 2B, 3 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB

What’s up with Vinnie Pasquantino this year? Perhaps he was never as good as people believe he is? Cags is the better offensive player right now and yes, he will strikeout but the Royals need a boost on offense. Just do the thing!

💣💣 Damon Keith, OF LAD (Double-A)

3-for-5, 2 HR, 3B, 3 R, 7 RBI

Dude is red hot right now. He might play his way up to Triple-A here soon. One of the better org soldiers in the minors currently.