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Fantasy Baseball Prospects Report: Jasson Dominguez a tough fit, Brandon Sproat, Roman Anthony making waves
By Scott White,
9 hours ago
Here's the bad news: The Yankees just lost Jazz Chisholm to ligament damage in his elbow.
Here's the good news: They have arguably the most major-league-ready bat lurking in the minors.
Here's the complication: He plays a different position.
Well, so what? We're in the age of versatility. Teams can always find a way to make room for their most talented players. Why would it be any different for Jasson Dominguez?
Because look at the other names involved. None of Aaron Judge , Juan Soto , and Alex Verdugo has ever played the infield before, and the Yankees' full-time DH, Giancarlo Stanton , is an outfielder as well. They're so overloaded there that they had to move Chisholm to a position he had never played before, third base, immediately upon acquiring him.
At least Chisholm had come up as an infielder. The same can't be said for Dominguez.
FIVE ON THE VERGE
(Here are the prospects most worth stashing in redraft leagues.)
2023 minors: .265 BA (456 AB), 15 HR, 40 SB, .802 OPS, 83 BB, 133 K 2023 majors: .258 BA (31 AB), 4 HR, 1 SB, .980 OPS, 2 BB, 8 K 2024 minors: .286 BA (140 AB), 7 HR, 6 SB, .830 OPS, 13 BB, 35 K
Notice I'm still calling Dominguez the top minor-leaguer to stash. An injury to any of the four aforementioned Yankees would clear a path for him, and Judge and Stanton especially are no strangers to injuries. There's also a chance the Yankees call up Dominguez just as a depth piece once we're inside 36 remaining days in the season (i.e., Aug. 25). He spent nine days on the active roster last season, but as long as the combined number doesn't exceed 45, he'll retain his rookie eligibility next year. There's also an at-bats threshold the Yankees would have to monitor (no more than 130 between this year and last), but it shouldn't be an issue if he's playing part-time.
Understand, though, I'm not the only one saying the path for Dominguez doesn't exist right now. Here's what GM Brian Cashman had to say about it over the weekend: "There's currently no lane for us to bring him. It's nice to know he's there. He's just knocking rust off and waiting for his opportunity if it comes."
Interesting how he brought up rust as a factor. The Yankees might feel more urgency if Dominguez was tearing the cover off the ball at Triple-A. But in 14 games since returning from a strained oblique, he's batting just .170 (9 for 53) with one home run.
2023 minors: .292 BA (137 AB), 5 HR, 4 SB, .844 OPS, 14 BB, 38 K 2024 minors: .268 BA (366 AB), 12 HR, 22 SB, .796 OPS, 32 BB, 83 K
Crews' lackluster production between Double- and Triple-A this year has made me skeptical of a late-season call-up, but enough people on the Nationals beat have floated it as a possibility that I'm obliged to take it seriously. And suddenly, it's a little easier to take seriously because he's batting .333 (11 for 33) with three homers and two steals in his past eight games. Sure, it's a tiny sample, but the underlying data always pointed to an eventual course correction. His exit velocity readings are impressive. His plate discipline is solid. He makes contact at a high rate and has no glaring chase or launch angle issues. The glowing scouting reports were easy to understand. It's the lackluster production that wasn't.
At the big-league level, yes, Alex Call is hot, but even if he turns out to be the real deal and earns the right to stay in the lineup the rest of the way (an unlikely scenario, I'd say), Jacob Young is also occupying a lineup spot and has been close to an automatic out during the time of year when offense is surging across the league. Suffice it to say that if the Nationals decide Crews is ready, nothing will stand in his way.
2023 minors: .254 BA (452 AB), 20 HR, .728 OPS, 25 BB, 125 K 2024 minors: .318 BA (403 AB), 33 HR, .993 OPS, 29 BB, 103 K
De Los Santos' .279/.353/.541 slash line in 15 games at Triple-A Jacksonville is nearly the same as his .289/.338/.588 slash in 49 games at Triple-A Reno, which more or less confirms that he wasn't just a product of a hitter-friendly environment. But really, his superlative exit velocity readings already told us that much. What remains to be seen is if his high chase rate and low zone-contact rate present more of a problem in the majors than the minors. Christian Encarnacion-Strand was in a similar spot at this time last year, having obliterated minor-league pitching despite struggling with the finer points of hitting, and while we think of him as a disappointment because his 2024 was derailed by injuries, he made a strong first impression with the Reds late last year.
Of course, Encarnacion-Strand was 23 then while De Los Santos is only 21 now. The Marlins have nothing to play for and would be justified in keeping the young slugger on ice. It seems to me, though, that neither side can learn anything more from doing so. A promotion would help the team gauge how close De Los Santos is to major-league-ready and help the player zero in on what he needs to improve.
Clearly, there's no guarantee De Los Santos would be of use in Fantasy were he to get the call, but if you're light on power in a Rotisserie league, I could see stashing him.
2023 minors: .240 BA (538 AB), 35 HR, 20 SB, .771 OPS, 42 BB, 178 K 2024 minors: .293 BA (413 AB), 25 HR, 26 SB, .908 OPS, 53 BB, 95 K
Barring an injury to Jeremy Pena , Whitcomb obviously isn't going to break through at his natural shortstop position. But one of the good things about a natural shortstop is he can play just about anywhere, and it just so happens Whitcomb has played a fair amount of outfield at Triple-A Sugar Land this year. That's notable because the Astros don't have a great option in either left or right field right now. Eventually, Kyle Tucker will come back to claim the right field job, but surely the Astros have seen enough of Mauricio Dubon's .645 OPS and Chas McCormick's .553 OPS in left.
And if it's not them that Whitcomb replaces, it could be Zach Dezenzo , provided he doesn't gain a foothold at first base, where it just so happens Whitcomb has spent most of his time lately. Of course, that may be to groom him for his most likely long-term role, super utility player, and that's perhaps what the Astros could use most of all. Whitcomb's return to Triple-A this year has been a fruitful one in that it's seen him cut his strikeout rate from 31.1 percent to 19.5 percent while still contributing big power and speed, and at 25, he's earned the right to move up. He's not the sort of prospect who shows up high on all the rank lists, which of course invites all sorts of skepticism, but were he to get the call, he has the sort of skill set that could matter.
It's not likely Sproat climbs all the way to the majors in his first full professional season, but after his latest move up to Triple-A, Mets media is at least asking the question.
"Do I think he can pitch in the big leagues right now? Yeah, he probably can right now," Mets pitching coach Jeremy Hefner told MLB.com . "Would he benefit from another couple months in Triple-A and refining his stuff? Probably. So I think either outcome puts us in a really good spot."
That's the take from someone with pitching insight. Now, let's hear from the guy who would actually make the call.
"First and foremost, with any player who's just getting to Triple-A, let's allow them to settle in and perform at Triple-A and get comfortable about opposition that's much more advanced than what they've been seeing previously," president of baseball operations David Stearns said. "And then if that happens, then sure, there can be a discussion for any player about whether there is a role at the major-league level."
That's fair enough and perhaps a welcome reality check with Sproat having struggled through his first two appearances at Triple-A, allowing seven runs in 7 2/3 innings with five walks and six strikeouts. Of course, we've come to expect more from the right-hander, who has risen to the top of the Mets prospect rankings ( according to MLB Pipeline , anyway) with his deep arsenal of swing-and-miss pitches, highlighted by a fastball that peaks at 101 mph. It's a long shot he's called up, particularly in a role that would make him of use in Fantasy, but the impact could be considerable if he is.
FIVE ON THE PERIPHERY
(Here are some other prospects doing something of note.)
2023 minors: .272 BA (397 AB), 14 HR, 16 SB, .869 OPS, 86 BB, 119 K 2024 minors: .272 BA (331 AB), 15 HR, 16 SB, .856 OPS, 48 BB, 96 K
A second-half surge has propelled Anthony to Triple-A -- with him, Marcelo Mayer , and Kyle Teel all moving up at the same time -- and the 20-year-old made an immediate impression in his first game there Tuesday, going 3 for 4 with a double. In all, he's batting .361 (32 for 86) with five homers and eight steals since the All-Star break, when he put on a show during the Future Skills Showcase with a series of gargantuan home runs . Having reached such a high level at such a young age, his swing decisions and contact quality standing out at every step along the way, Anthony belongs in the best-prospect-in-baseball conversation.
The Mets have a penchant for identifying college relievers who could thrive as starters, with Christian Scott being the clearest example, and looked to have a similar success story in Stuart. But the 6-foot-9 right-hander took a step back with his move up to Double-A this year and was the casualty in the trade that brought Jesse Winker to New York.
Already, Stuart seems revitalized with the Nationals, though. In his last two starts for Double-A Harrisburg, he has allowed no earned runs on nine hits with two walks to 22 strikeouts in just 11 2/3 innings. In fact, if you look at his past seven starts, including four from before he was traded, he has a 1.82 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, and 11.6 K/9, throwing 67 percent of his pitches for strikes with a 17 percent swinging-strike rate. The big righty makes heavy use of his slider and has surprising control considering. If the Nationals help him to find better consistency, they may wind up with a steal.
2023 minors: .396 BA (48 AB), 1 HR, 4 SB, 1.024 OPS, 8 BB, 3 K 2024 minors: .356 BA (289 AB), 8 HR, 19 SB, .958 OPS, 34 BB, 31 K
The Rays have a much higher-profile first base prospect in Xavier Isaac , but if Morgan keeps hitting like he has in his first two years of pro ball, Isaac might have to settle in at DH. That's because Morgan is the rare sort of first base prospect who stands out most for his defense, able to range far off the position while showing excellent reflexes. The question is whether he'll provide enough with the bat, and while he doesn't profile as a prototypical slugger, he's earning high marks for everything else right now, having walked more than he's struck out while even contributing a little something as a base-stealer. He's only upped his play with his move up to High-A, slashing .376/.450/.571 in 50 games there. If you want to play the comp game, perhaps the most fitting is, well, Yandy Diaz .
A late convert to pitching, Zobac is a relative newcomer to the prospect scene, but like Spencer Schwellenbach with the Braves , he has made huge strides in his second year of professional ball. The big jump has come with his move up to Double-A, where he got throttled in his first start but has a 0.68 ERA, 0.53 WHIP, 13.7 K/9, and 19 percent swinging-strike rate in five appearances since. His stuff plays up because of his command, but the stuff is pretty good in its own right, namely a fastball that hitters have a tendency to swing through.
Lara's stat line may not impress you -- he took some lumps early during his time at High-A Rome -- but he's put it all together in his past four starts, delivering a 1.19 ERA, 0.71 WHIP, and 13.5 K/9 to earn a promotion to Double-A Mississippi. It's not just the surface-level numbers that stand out. In those four starts, he threw 65 percent of his pitches for strikes, up from 58 percent previously, and had an absurd 20 percent swinging-strike rate. He's able to crank his fastball up to 99 mph, but the key to his success is a slider that sits in the low 90s with such tight movement that it's a nightmare for hitters. Given the Braves' track record for developing pitchers, Lara's is a profile to bet on.
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