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A look at the top prospects who impressed during Week 12 of the 2023 season in the minor leagues and may become strong fantasy baseball waiver wire stashes or pickups.
Welcome back, RotoBallers! The regular season is in full gear. We're heading into Week 12 of the fantasy baseball season, and while there has already been plenty of action in the majors, we can't ignore some of the top prospect performances that took place in the minor leagues during Week 11.
It's imperative to monitor the top fantasy baseball prospects who have turned heads thus far. The players listed here are not only coming off dominant weeks but have also impressed over the entire season. Don't be surprised when these exact names are painting corners, mashing homers, and swiping bags at the big-league level soon.
Fantasy managers should certainly keep an eye on these players over the long haul as they may prove to be excellent adds in no time.
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Luke Ritter - 2B, New York Mets
Level: Double-A
2023 stats: 52 G, .222/.375/.520, 15 HR, 33 RBI, 38 R, 4 SB, 16.6 BB%, 31.3 K%, .256 BABIP
Ritter is a former seventh-round pick who boasts plenty of power and the ability to drive in runs. He was regarded as a phenomenal hitter at Wichita State, and although his offensive production hasn't quite been the same since a 2021 hamate injury, he has still shown flashes of potential from time to time.
The biggest concern with Ritter? His strikeouts. The infielder has a .256 BABIP with 68 strikeouts this season, and last year, he struck out 165 times in just 126 games. He needs to clean up his approach at the plate if he has any shot at advancing to the majors. Sure, the homers are wonderful, but Ritter's stat line would look way nicer if he could improve his strikeout rate.
This past week, Ritter continued to put his power on display, going 9-for-24 with five homers, 12 RBI, three walks, and 13 strikeouts. The performance was enough to bump him back up to Triple-A Syracuse. It's a welcome return for the 26-year-old after he opened the year in Triple-A but was demoted to Double-A on May 2.
Connor Phillips - SP, Cincinnati Reds
Level: Double-A
2023 stats: 12 G, 12 GS, 1-2, 58.0 IP, 3.57 ERA, 2.84 xFIP, .385 BABIP, 15.67 K/9, 3.57 BB/9, 39.5 GB%
Phillips continues to have a strong start to the 2023 season in Double-A. A former second-round pick of the Mariners, Phillips was flipped to the Reds in 2022 and has wasted no time establishing himself as one of the organization's most promising pitching prospects.
Phillips' best pitch is undoubtedly an upper-90s fastball that he is able to command quite well. He complements his heater with a low-80s slider, low-80s curve, and mid-to-upper-80s changeup. His breaking balls possess solid break, but what makes these three alternate pitches truly special is the way they play off the fastball and how impressive Phillips' command is.
This past week featured another big outing for Phillips, who delivered seven shutout frames on June 7. His final line included one hit, one walk, 10 strikeouts, and the win. It was the right-hander's first shutout since April and fourth double-digit strikeout game of the season.
Yosy Galan - OF, Texas Rangers
Level: Single-A
2023 stats: 46 G, .232/.326/.488, 11 HR, 31 RBI, 31 R, 6 SB, 10.5 BB%, 31.1 K%, 128 wRC+, .380 wOBA, .281 BABIP
Galan, now 22, signed with the Rangers out of the Dominican Republic in 2020.
There is concern about his hit tool given the fact that he is hitting just .232 with 59 strikeouts through 46 games at the Single-A level this season. His walk rate is average at best, and he doesn't put the ball in play a whole lot. In fact, Galan's best tool is his power as he averages one homer in every 4.8 games. Still, there's an argument to be made that the home runs don't really matter when you strike out roughly one-third of the time.
As unprojectable as Galan is, he put his name on the radar with a string of strong productions this past week. The outfielder ultimately went 7-for-23 with four homers, 14 RBI, five walks, and nine strikeouts. He also stole two bases. Galan's power continues to shine through, and perhaps it'll be enough to bump him up to High-A in the coming weeks.
Tommy Mace - SP, Cleveland Guardians
Level: Double-A
2023 stats: 10 G, 8 GS, 2-1, 54.0 IP, 3.67 ERA, 3.61 FIP, 8.67 K/9, 3.00 BB/9, .297 BABIP, 39.3 GB%
The Guardians selected Mace with the 69th overall pick in 2021. He has spent his entire pro career at High-A, though he could be due for a promotion after delivering several strong outings since the start of April.
Mace has lost some velocity on his fastball over the last two years, currently throwing his heater in the low-90s. As of now, the pitch lacks life and is far less effective late in the counts. Mace's changeup is also less effective because there isn't as big of a change in velocity between it and the heater. With that said, Mace's breaking balls have continued to look great. He has great command of his slider, using it to miss bats late in the count, and has also improved his curveball.
On June 8, Mace delivered eight gorgeous, shutout innings. He allowed just two hits and one walk while striking out 11 batters. Unsurprisingly, he earned the win. The outing represented Mace's first shutout, first double-digit strikeout game, and longest appearance of 2023.
Jamari Baylor - SS, Colorado Rockies
Level: Single-A
2023 stats: 32 G, .306/.470/.531, 3 HR, 14 RBI, 14 R, 3 SB, 21.2 BB%, 34.8 K%, .500 BABIP
The Phillies selected Baylor in the third round of the 2019 MLB Draft but traded him to Colorado last month. The 22-year-old is a relatively well-rounded athlete, and although Philadelphia seemed to lose patience in his development, he is already making strides in the Rockies' farm system.
Baylor has impressive speed, a strong arm, and decent glovework, suggesting that he should have no trouble sticking at shortstop long-term. He is poised at the plate with good bat speed, and he has shown an ability to use all parts of the field when hitting. Unfortunately, Baylor does lack power and strikes out far too much, which will likely be one of the biggest obstacles in his quest for a promotion.
Even though Baylor's scouting report is relatively unprojectable, he has continued to show signs of promise in the minors. In fact, this past week, he went 8-for-14 with three homers, 12 RBI, six walks, and just five strikeouts. During that span, he logged a hit and a walk in every game. As it stands, he currently owns an eight-game hitting streak dating back to June 5.
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