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Welcome back, RotoBallers! We're heading into Week 11 of the fantasy baseball season. The minor league baseball season is off to a hot start, providing us with plenty of big plays and impressive prospect performances.
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.
Savvy fantasy managers looking for an edge in their leagues 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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Trey Sweeney - SS, Los Angeles Dodgers
Level: Triple-A
2024 stats: 53 G, .252/.349/.450, 9 HR, 36 RBI, 42 R, 9 SB, 12.7 BB%, 27.4 K%, .326 BABIP, .353 wOBA, 97 wRC+
Sweeney is a 24-year-old infielder whom the Dodgers acquired from the Yankees last winter in an attempt to create 40-man roster space while bolstering their farm system. The former first-round pick is a reliable defender with a strong glove and a decent arm. However, he might not be rangy or athletic enough to play shortstop long-term, suggesting that a move to second or third base will be necessary. At the plate, he has great awareness, using his baseball IQ to draw walks and get the bat on the ball. He isn't viewed as a power hitter, but he gets on base.
Although Sweeney isn't a major power threat, he certainly mashed the ball last week. In turn, this generated plenty of buzz about his future, including a promotion to the big league club sooner rather than later. Over his last six games, he went 11-for-28 with six homers, 14 RBI, two walks, and eight strikeouts. He also stole a base.
Trey Sweeney, my goodness!!!
The #Dodgers SS prospect hit his sixth home run of the series in Albuquerque. This is Sweeney’s second homer of the day and he is UNSTOPPABLE right now pic.twitter.com/xuZU1RwMnt
— Bruce Kuntz (@Bnicklaus7) June 3, 2024
Quinn Mathews - SP, St. Louis Cardinals
Level: High-A
2024 stats: 9 G, 9 GS, 3-2, 49.2 IP, 1.99 ERA, 2.38 FIP, 13.77 K/9, 2.54 BB/9, 0.54 HR/9, 78.8 LOB%, .226 BABIP
Mathews was a fourth-round pick in 2023. Although he didn't make his pro debut until this April, he's already appeared in this Hot Prospects to Watch series three times, which is the highest mark among any player this season. The southpaw has a low-90s fastball and rounds out his repertoire with a curveball, slider, and changeup. Of those secondary options, the changeup is the best, though all three can be effective. Mathews flashed decent control in college and has racked up strikeouts so far this year, all while keeping his walk rate relatively low.
Mathews' latest outing thrust him right back into the spotlight. He struck out six batters over six shutout innings, surrendering just two hits and plunking one batter. He's been one of the most overachieving pitching prospects this season and is destined for a promotion to Double-A sooner rather than later.
Look at the swing that Quinn Mathews gets on this high heat for a strikeout pic.twitter.com/GOjnSIVnH8
— Kyle Reis, 58% Neanderthal (@kyler416) May 31, 2024
Kyle Teel - C, Boston Red Sox
Level: Double-A
2024 stats: 41 G, .302/.403/.484, 6 HR, 35 RBI, 34 R, 3 SB, 12.9 BB%, 22.6 K%, .378 BABIP, .407 wOBA, 153 wRC+
Teel was the best-catching prospect in the 2023 draft and ultimately landed with the Red Sox at No. 14 overall. He's already lived up to the hype throughout his first year of pro baseball, demonstrating impressive plate discipline, great bat-to-ball ability, decent power, and terrific skills behind the dish. Specifically, he frames pitches quite well and also has a strong arm. He has the potential to be an All-Star and would presumably give Boston the best catching tandem in baseball between himself and Connor Wong.
Teel has spent all of 2024 at Double-A, but he's coming off a big week that will surely push him closer to Triple-A. Over his last six games, he went 10-for-24 with three homers, 11 RBI, three walks, and five strikeouts. He also stole two bases. There's never a "sure thing" when talking about baseball prospects, but Teel is just about as close as you'll get.
KYLE TEEL WON’T STOP!
ANOTHER HOMER IN THE 9TH! THIS TIME A GO-AHEAD GRAND SLAM!
Someone is ready for Worcester…
— Tyler Milliken ⚾️ (@tylermilliken_) June 2, 2024
Alejandro Rosario - SP, Texas Rangers
Level: Single-A
2024 stats: 7 G, 7 GS, 2-2, 31.1 IP, 1.44 ERA, 1.65 xFIP, 14.07 K/9, 1.44 BB/9, 0.57 HR/9, 56.9 GB%, .308 BABIP
Rosario was a fifth-round pick out of Miami in 2023. He slid down draft boards due to concerns about his control, but that has not been an issue since he was drafted. In fact, he has an astounding 9.77 K/BB ratio and one of the lowest walk rates in the minors. The right-hander sits in the mid-90s with his fastball, and he complements his heater with an effective changeup that he commands well.
Rosario, who hasn't allowed a run over his last 11 innings, put together a gem last Saturday. He went six innings in the win, allowing one hit, one hit batter, and zero runs. Best of all, he struck out a whopping 11 batters. As it stands, Rosario is one of the most exciting young arms in the minors. Still in Single-A, Rosario could be years away from his MLB debut, but there's no denying the upside.
6 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 11 K last night for Alejandro Rosario in the @GoWoodDucks shutout win. 🔥
The 22-year-old now has a 1.44 ERA with 49 strikeouts across 31.1 IP this season. pic.twitter.com/JEd6Zrd9aS
— Rangers Player Development (@TEXPlayerDev) June 2, 2024
Jordan Viars - OF, Philadelphia Phillies
Level: Single-A
2024 stats: 35 G, .284/.391/.543, 7 HR, 25 RBI, 23 R, 2 SB, 15.2 BB%, 29.0 K%, .371 BABIP, .434 wOBA, 164 wRC+
The Phillies spent a third-round pick and $750,000 to land Viars out of high school in 2021. He doesn't have the greatest bat skills, but he gets good strength behind his swings and can hit the ball hard. FanGraphs appropriately described Viars' impact on the ball as "thump" rather than "power." Regardless of what you call it, there's reason to be excited about his seven homers and .934 OPS in 2024. He's also an above-average defender who will get a chance to play right field long-term.
Viars put on a show over the course of five games last week, going 9-for-18 with four homers, 11 RBI, one walk, and five strikeouts. This one-week outburst is a small sample size, but there's at least some optimism that Viars has found his groove and can be an impact hitter in the Phillies' system.
Stay hot, Jordan Viars … The former third round pick scorches his seventh homer of the year, hitting this 96 mph fastball on a frozen rope. It went just 358 feet, but had an exit velocity of 114 mph pic.twitter.com/nAV5qQqcEI
— Mitch Rupert (@Mitch_Rupert) June 2, 2024
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