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Welcome back, RotoBallers to our weekly article about hot MLB prospects to watch for fantasy baseball, as we head into Week 17 of the 2024 fantasy baseball season. Today we'll be looking at MLB prospects Brayan Buelvas, Jace Kaminska, Jack Brannigan, JR Ritchie and Sean McLain. The minor league baseball season continues to provide 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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Brayan Buelvas - OF, Oakland Athletics
Level: High-A
2024 stats: 80 G, .272/.368/.443, 7 HR, 51 RBI, 54 R, 22 SB, 12.7% BB%, 22.2% K%, .342 BABIP, .376 wOBA, 131 wRC+
The Athletics landed Buelvas out of Columbia, giving him $100,000 back in 2018. He has blossomed into an intriguing name within the Oakland farm system, making a strong first impression during his first pro campaign in 2019 and never looking back. Fast forward to 2024, and Buelvas has continued to refine his approach at the plate. He's drawing more walks and fewer strikeouts, working deeper into counts, and has tapped into a rare blend of power and speed. He's nearly as polished in the field, possessing just enough range and arm strength that the Athletics can feel comfortable playing him in left, right, or center.
Last week was highly successful for Buelvas as he went 10-for-26 with one homer, three doubles, and six RBI. He also drew four walks, struck out four times, and went 5-for-5 stealing bases. The outfielder's development into an advanced hitter was on display last week, and it's very likely that we see him shipped back up to Double-A by season's end.
Down by a run in the ninth, runners at the corners, and a 3-2 pitch due...
Brayan Buelvas delivers. pic.twitter.com/GrjpabmtWq
— Lansing Lugnuts (@LansingLugnuts) July 13, 2024
Jace Kaminska - SP, Colorado Rockies
Level: Single-A
2024 stats: 15 G, 14 GS, 5-4, 81.0 IP, 2.89 ERA, 3.19 xFIP, 10.56 K/9, 1.33 BB/9, 0.67 HR/9, .327 BABIP, 45.4% GB%
Kaminska was the Rockies' 10th-round selection in the 2023 MLB Draft. While we couldn't gain much insight into his profile after he tossed just one inning in pro ball last year, he has burst onto the scene as an intriguing young prospect in 2024. He throws a solid low-to-mid-90s fastball and counters his heater with a low-80s slider, which has proven to be a very effective secondary offering. So far, he's also demonstrated terrific control, tallying nearly eight times as many strikeouts as walks.
Last week's outing certainly helped Kaminska's K/BB ratio, plus his season stats as a whole. The right-hander spun seven shutout innings on Sunday, allowing just three hits and zero walks along the way. Most impressive were his 10 strikeouts, which tied the highest mark of his young career.
The “0s and 1s” Lunch Recap - A+/A
Co 🌟of the night 📽️
Jace Kaminska 7IP, 3H, 10K ☄️ #Rockies
71% NH% 12% SwStr, Dominant Game, 10Ks ties a season high from 6/28. 3 straight QSs. His last 6 - 1/42 BB:KAndy Perez 2-4, 2B, HR, K 💣 #Rockies
5 multi hit games in his last 8 L8… pic.twitter.com/dSQe90y2dW— Dukeswasmyguy (@Dukeswasmyguy) July 15, 2024
Jack Brannigan - SS/3B, Pittsburgh Pirates
Level: High-A
2024 stats: 68 G, .224/.343/.457, 15 HR, 45 RBI, 55 R, 11 SB, 12.8% BB%, 25.7% K%, .258 BABIP, .364 wOBA, 123 wRC+
Brannigan has blossomed into one of the Pirates' better prospects ever since being selected in the third round of the 2022 MLB Draft. Capable of playing either spot on the left side of the infield, Brannigan's glovework is average, but he has great range and athleticism, and his arm strength is teetering on the "elite" level. At the plate, Brannigan is capable of mashing baseballs, though he's shown glimpses of struggling to hit high-velocity pitches. Once a contact hitter, Brannigan may become more of a power-oriented bat as he climbs through the levels of affiliated ball.
This past week, Brannigan extended his on-base streak to a whopping 18 games. He ultimately went 8-for-23 with four homers and eight RBI. His walk-to-strikeout ratio continued to falter, though, as he drew just two free passes while striking out eight times. He also swiped one bag along the way.
Jack Brannigan unloads for his 15th long ball of the year for Greensboro. 7 in his last 13 games pic.twitter.com/5k8GtOH73Z
— Jason Shetler (@Jason_Shetler) July 14, 2024
JR Ritchie - SP, Atlanta Braves
Level: Single-A
2024 stats: 4 G, 4 GS, 1-1, 12.1 IP, 3.65 ERA, 4.07 FIP, 10.95 K/9, 4.38 BB/9, 0.73 HR/9, .200 BABIP
The Braves spent the 35th pick on Ritchie back in 2022, giving him $2.4 million to sign out of high school. He's a highly-regarded right-hander, but an elbow injury has restricted him to just four games this season and 13 games over his three-year career. Prior to his injury, he threw an impressive fastball in the mid-90s, and it's possible he has even gained some velocity during his recovery. He also throws a great changeup and curveball, both of which can be lethal secondary offerings.
Ritchie wasted very little time getting back to his old self as he tossed five shutout, no-hit frames last week. He walked one batter along the way while tallying seven strikeouts. It was his first game back in Single-A since 2023, and the results certainly delivered plenty of optimism to those within the Braves organization.
Welcome back, JR Ritchie!
The @Braves' No. 4 prospect tallies seven strikeouts over five no-hit innings in his first start of the year for the Single-A @GreenJackets. pic.twitter.com/Ru8MJSdqZV
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) July 13, 2024
Sean McLain - INF, Los Angeles Dodgers
Level: Single-A
2024 stats: 52 G, .211/.338/.319, 3 HR, 23 RBI, 35 R, 4 SB, 10.7% BB%, 23.6% K%, .273 BABIP, .328 wOBA, 86 wRC+
McLain, 23, is a former fifth-round pick who hadn't made much noise in the minors until this past week. Not a reliable contributor on offense this season and an unlikely threat to hit home runs or swipe bases, McLain may need to depend on his glovework to ascend the levels of affiliated ball. Fortunately, he has a versatile skill set in the field, registering 10-plus appearances at first base, second base, and shortstop in 2024.
Defensive skills aside, McLain did finally start to get things clicking at the plate last week. He pulled himself away from the Mendoza line by going 14-for-26 with two homers, seven RBI, four walks, and six strikeouts. He also swiped two bags along the way. It's far too early to view McLain as a top prospect, but at the very least, last week showed that he's capable of producing at the plate.
Sean McLain is Havin' a Week!
3 hits last night, including his 3rd HR, 3 RBIs & 2 runs scored. He has hits in 5 games in a row (Every game this series) has back-to-back 3 hit games (6-10) & is 13 for his last 21. Not surprised, he's been showin' signs for a while now. #dodgers pic.twitter.com/gf3WJpbwtx— Dodgers Daily (@dodger_daily) July 12, 2024
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