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Welcome back, RotoBallers, to my Week 22 fantasy baseball news, notes, and buys/sells for dynasty leagues. Let's rock and roll with new dynasty news and notes!
Today's article will look at recent prospect call-ups like Trey Sweeney, Jace Jung, and Shay Whitcomb, along with several other dynasty-related news. This weekly series will take a look at various prospects and dynasty news and discuss fantasy implications. If you enjoy dynasty baseball, you know it is a fast-paced game. Keeping up with the Joneses per se keeps you in the game and at the top of the standings. At the end of the day, we all want to build a dynasty team that sustains and lasts for the long haul. I am here to help you do so.
Keeping up with all the current happenings can help you stay ahead of your league mates. Call-ups, trends, and buying and selling players are all just small pieces to help you stay ahead. So, that's what we will do in this article each week, break down everything you need to know to be successful in a dynasty. Let's get to it. What do you need to know for dynasty leagues in Week 22 of the 2024 season?
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Recent MLB Prospect Call-Ups
The Tigers decided to call up two former first-rounders, one of which they acquired at the trade deadline for Jack Flaherty. Now on his third team in the last nine months, Trey Sweeney is up in the majors with the Detroit Tigers. In Triple-A, Sweeney posted a .255/.334/.427 slash line with 13 home runs and 38 extra-base hits in 107 games.
Under the hood, things look quite good for Sweeney, who has a 106 mph, 90th percentile exit velocity, exhibiting a plus power grade. The average exit velocity is in a similar range at 91 mph. Sweeney was known for having a contact-oriented profile in college, but his 72 percent contact and 81 percent in-zone contact are closer to average.
Since being called up to the majors, Sweeney has started just two of four games. He should start the majority of games against right-handed pitchers.
The Tigers also called up Jace Jung, who has started every game since he was promoted to the big league squad. Spending the year in Triple-A, Jung slashed .258/.380/.461 with 15 home runs and 40 extra-base hits in 95 games.
The contact skills have been a concern at times but they have improved throughout the year. He finished Triple-A with a 73 percent overall and 79 percent in-zone mark, but the results have been there. He has cut the strikeout rate from last year by over four percentage points and is doing it at a higher level. It is no surprise that Jung walks as much as he does thanks to a low 21 percent chase rate.
The exit velocities are around average at 103 mph, 90th percentile, and an average exit velocity slightly below average, checking in at 87.5 mph. The launch angles help the power play up when he does reach those ideal angles.
Shay Whitcomb got the call to join the Astros and has started the last five games at third base with Alex Bregman out. With his return, will Whitcomb lose his spot? The bat should help the lineup regardless of where Whitcomb plays in the field.
In Triple-A, Whitcomb mashed 25 home runs and stole 26 bases to follow up a 2023 season in which he hit 35 home runs and stole 20 bases. He hits the ball hard, having a 106 mph, 90th percentile exit velocity, which shows potential plus power.
The contact skills have been questionable at times, but Whitcomb did make notable improvements this year in Triple-A. His 85 percent zone-contact rate was better than both Sweeney and Jung, who we previously discussed.
From a pure fantasy upside, Whitcomb might be the most intriguing of these three.
Shay Whitcomb whistles his first MLB hit, a double, 393 feet -- which would have been a homer in 14 big league parks!
The @astros prospect is the only player to compile 25 homers and 25 steals in the Minors this year. pic.twitter.com/o9u8YzO2yB
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) August 18, 2024
Fantasy Baseball Dynasty Trends: Innings Limit Concerns
Every year, we have pitchers that make major jumps in innings. Some can handle it, others will be either shut down or limited pretty severely. Let's take a look at some arms that have the potential to be shut down or limited in the final month of the season.
| Player Name | 2024 IP | 2023 IP |
| Garrett Crochet | 124.2 | 25 |
| Paul Skenes | 125.1 | 128.4 |
| Cole Ragans | 152.1 | 96 |
| Michael King | 141.1 | 104.2 |
| Tanner Houck | 152.2 | 106 |
| Reynaldo Lopez | 109.2 | 66 |
| Nick Lodolo | 110.2 | 41.2 |
| Frankie Montas | 114.1 | 4.1 |
| Trevor Rogers | 124.1 | 27 |
| Ronel Blanco | 137.2 | 52 |
| Nestor Cortes | 141.1 | 63.1 |
| Jose Soriano | 113 | 65.1 |
| Carlos Rodon | 134.2 | 64.1 |
| Jose Quintana | 134 | 75.2 |
| Luis Severino | 142.2 | 89.1 |
| Cristopher Sanchez | 140.1 | 99.1 |
| Zack Littell | 129.2 | 90 |
| Chris Sale | 140.2 | 102.2 |
| Ben Lively | 120 | 88.2 |
Fantasy Baseball Dynasty Buys and Sells
Most trade deadlines have come and gone at this point. Buys and sells don't necessarily work at this point, but we can talk about some players to add and potentially stash for the 2025 season.
Gavin Lux is somehow only rostered in 69 percent of Fantrax leagues and 53 percent of Yahoo. Since the All-Star break, Lux has been one of the best hitters in baseball, mashing seven home runs and adding 10 doubles. In the process, Lux has slashed .361/.427/.680.
The underlying data looks quite good, too, as Lux has a 50 percent hard-hit rate and a 10 percent barrel rate. His average exit velocity over this stretch is up significantly as well, sitting near 90 mph.
The seven home runs in his last 110 plate appearances are more than Lux had in the entire 2023 season. He seems to be coming into his own. I am buying in, and I think Lux makes a great addition to the end of the 2024 season, but he is also a stash for the 2025 season.
Gavin Lux, last 29 games...
107 PA, .372/.439/.702, 10 2B, 7 HR#LetsGoDodgers pic.twitter.com/pk4BkQJGTb
— Eric Cross (@EricCross04) August 21, 2024
Porter Hodge might be the current and future closer of the Chicago Cubs. After the Cubs DFA'd Hector Neris, Hodge stepped in the ninth inning and recorded his second career save.
The stuff is quite good with Hodge, starting with a mid-90s fastball. The sweeper is by far his most devastating pitch, averaging 17 inches of sweep and good depth, sitting in the low-80s. The sweeper has a 49 percent whiff rate on it this year against MLB hitting.
Being just 23 years old, Hodge has a bright future ahead of him. The fact the Cubs are already trusting him to get saves speaks volumes about the quality of pitcher he is. Hodge should be added immediately in all leagues.
Porter Hodge: closer
— CHGO Cubs (@CHGO_Cubs) August 21, 2024
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