Lots of names covered from the complex leagues to MLB. Today Smada is on MLB, Nate Rasmussen at Triple-A, Matt Thompson on Double-A, Grant Carver at Single-A and Rhys White double dipping on High-A and Complex.
Major League Baseball
Covered by Smada
‼️ Chris Sale, LHP CWS (MLB)
6.2 IP, 5 H, 2 BB, 10 K
Looks like Chris Sale is back. That’s back to back starts with double digit Ks and working into or through the 7th inning. He’s been unlucky to this point and trust the estimators that say around 3.15 than the ERA at 4.07.
Andrew Abbott, LHP CIN (MLB)
5 IP, 4 H, 8 K
So something is different with Andrew Abbott this season right? It looks like it’s command driven with an arm slot tweak going a bit more over the top which is getting slightly different movement on his pitches, in particular the changeup which he’s worked with more this season. The velo had actually been down a tick prior to this start but he was back at 2024 levels yesterday. The fastball shined in this start earning him multiple swinging Ks and a ton of called strikes. I’m not sure if the elevated Ks are sustainable but the command sticking would be incredible and at this point we’ve got to take notice of Abbott again.
👟 Matt McLain, 2B CIN (MLB)
1-for-3, BB, K, 2 SB
The slash looks rough but at least McLain is putting up some fantasy stats and showing a plus walk rate that he didn’t give us in 2023. He’s hit 4 HR and got 8 SB across 122 PA while batting second. The BA should come back up with the BABIP and I’d still expect a 20/20 season given health with some extra room in that SB category.
Jung Hoo Lee, CF SF (MLB)
3-for-6, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI, K
Jung Hoo Lee continues to be a machine at the plate. The slash sits at .312/.364/.507 and this was his 4 HR on the season. It’s clear that Lee has made some adjustments to his approach and it’s definitely working.
Paul Skenes, RHP PIT (MLB)
6 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 6 K
There was some nervousness on social media about a velo drop in the previous start, but it was back to normal here. Should we be nervous over two straight 4 BB performances? Or the fact that the K% is down significantly compared to last season? I’d say it’s annoying, but I’m not all that nervous about it.
‼️ Matthew Liberatore, LHP STL (MLB)
7 IP, 3 H, ER, 3 BB, 8 K
This is Liberatore’s 5th quality start in 7 turns and his first time finishing the 7th inning this season. It’s hard to see how he’s all that different outside of better locations. The HR are bound to regress some and if that happens at the same time as the walks we’ll see a big pull back.
👟 Zach Neto, SS LAA (MLB)
1-for-3, 2 R, BB, K, 2 SB
Ron Washington is pushing Neto on the basepaths, especially out of the leadoff spot now. It’s crazy that even with the slow start a 25/40 season is a possibility.
Matt Brash, RHP SEA (MLB)
0.2 IP, H, BB
Just wanted to add Brash in here in case you missed that he’d returned to big league action for the first time since 2023. The velo is down a bit and he hasn’t showcased the slider yet so we’ll have to wait and see if he'll come back as the same guy.
James Wood, DH/LF WSN (MLB)
Game 1: 1-for-4, HR, R, 2 RBI, BB, K
Game 2: 1-for-4, 2 K
Just another 114 EV shot for #10 on the season. A 40/20 sophomore season is possible and the ceiling is top fantasy player in the game.
🍔🍟 Nolan Jones, RF CLE (MLB)
Game 1: 2-for-4, HR, R, RBI, SB
Game 2: 0-for-3, R, BB
Nice little combo-meal in game one but unfortunately Nolan Jones is repeating his 2024 performance thus far. Combined 2024/25 is 395 PA with 5 HR, 8 SB. Compared to the 424 PA in 2023 with 20 HR and 20 SB. The xStats do find him a bit unlucky this season, but he’s also not in Coors. That breakout season is getting further and further in rearview mirror
Triple-A
Covered by Nate Rasmussen
Justin Crawford, CF PHI (Triple-A)
2-for-5, R, RBI, K, SB
Justin Crawford has been incredibly consistent in his minor league career. Death, taxes, and Justin Crawford hitting .300. I might make a social media graphic out of that. The point of all of this, though, is that Justin Crawford is really close to being a contributor on a playoff team. If Brandon Marsh can’t turn it around, how long until they give Crawford the call? I would rather see that than Max Kepler in center field.
Andrew Pintar, CF MIA (Triple-A)
4-for-4, R, RBI, BB, SB
If Andrew Pintar went to Wendy’s with $10, he’d have $6 left after selecting a menu item. Andrew Pintar is a curious case; he saw a lot of success last year at High-A, but hasn’t done much at any other level despite being promoted up to Triple-A. Don’t let the .315 average fool you, he’s running a .500 BABIP, and his K rate has increased from 20% last year to 35% this year. Pintar still has a lot of developing to do against good pitching before he can be considered for the big league squad.
Ryan Ritter, SS COL (Triple-A)
2-for-5, HR, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI
Ryan Ritter has impressed me this year. 6 homers on the year while drastically increasing his walks and maintaining his strikeouts. The batting average isn’t great, but probably never will be for Ritter, who doesn’t post great exit velocities. I think the logical fit for him would be second base on the Rockies, where he’ll have some competition for the job. Long term, Ritter will probably be the first guy off the bench of a platoon starter in the infield.
CJ Kayfus, 1B CLE (Triple-A)
1-for-2, HR, BB, K
On the debut episode of the On Deck podcast by Prospects Live, we had a segment discussing CJ Kayfus and his new upside. Go check it out on YouTube or your favorite podcast site to hear what we had to say!
‼️ Chase Petty, RHP CIN (Triple-A)
6 IP, 3 BB, 8 K
After a rough MLB debut last week, Chase Petty picked up right back where he left off in Triple-A. Petty carried a no hitter through 6 innings before being pulled. Chase got a good amount of Whiffs in his debut, but was spraying all of his pitches all over the place. If he can refine his fastball locations, he should see more success in the MLB. I look at his debut as an outlier performance, Chase will be plenty good and will round out an exciting Reds rotation.
🔜 Matt Vierling, DH DET (Triple-A)
1-for-2, HR, 2 BB, K
Matt Vierling is back on rehab assignment for the Detroit Tigers, going yard and walking twice. The Tigers are already in the driver's seat for the AL Central, and Vierling coming back will be a nice boost to their lineup. Watch out for those Tigers…
🍔🍟 Thomas Saggese, SS STL (Triple-A)
1-for-3, HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB, K, SB
I’m still shocked that the Cardinals sent Saggese back to Triple-A after posting a 142 wRC+ in the majors this year. That decision reeks unserious organization, along with the handling of McGreevy, I would hate to be a Cardinals fan right now.
💣💣🍔🍟 Carson McCusker, RF MIN (Triple-A)
3-for-4, 2 HR, 3 RBI, K, SB
I’ve written about Carson McCusker multiple times this year, which is something I didn’t think I’d ever say. The 6’8 righty has plenty of raw power, as you could imagine, but also strikes out a bunch, as you could imagine. His average EVs have jumped about 5 mph this year, showing he’s making more consistent contact. His launch angle has also increased, making me think we’re in for a big power year for McCusker. He doesn’t really fit on the Twins currently, but he could get the call in the second half as a bench power bat or short-side platoon guy.
🔜 Jake Cronenworth, 2B SD (Triple-A)
1-for-2, HR, 3 R, 2 RBI, 3 BB, K
He’s baaaaaaaaack.
‼️David Festa, RHP MIN (Triple-A)
5.2 IP, 3 H, ER, 7 K
Minnesota really has riches in Triple-A. David Festa should be in the big leagues, yet Chris Paddack continues to get rolled out for starts. Don’t even get me started on Zebby. I can’t believe I thought the Twins were going to be good this year. Don’t pull up my receipts, please.
💣💣Colby Thomas, RF ATH (Triple-A)
3-for-6, 2 HR, 2B, 3 R, 2 K
Colby Thomas is absolutely dying to play in Sacramento. After hitting 31 homers last year, Thomas is on pace for a similar number, while staying as pretty much the same player he’s been in the past. Some call this consistently, but I would call it disappointment. I was really hoping for a discipline improvement from Thomas this year. I hope he’s the next in Triple-A to get the call to join a fun big league club.
Max Muncy, 2B ATH (Triple-A)
3-for-5, 2 2B, 3 R, 2 RBI, BB
Speaking of fun A’s, I’d love to see Muncy in the MLB too. I have this innate desire to see the A’s roll out an all-young-guy team plus Rooker, which would result in one of the most fun teams to watch in baseball. Sure, the upside with Muncy isn’t huge, but I would rather see him get run than Luis Urias. I understand the A’s are in the playoff hunt, but they should be hunting the development of their young guys instead.
💣💣 Blake Sabol, C BOS (Triple-A)
2-for-5, 2 HR, 5 RBI, K
I don’t have much to say about Blake Sabol, but I think every double-dong performance should make the daily sheet.
Double-A
Covered by Matt Thompson
💣💣 Jac Caglianone, 1B KC (Double-A)
3-for-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 4 RBI, K
