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Week 18 of the fantasy baseball season is here and there is a wealth of youngsters still ready to make an impact in the big leagues whether they have had a taste of The Show or not.
This week, we are going to highlight a trio of young players who undoubtedly sport the ability not only to make an impact for their respective big-league clubs but also bear the upside to make a significant fantasy impact in the season's second half.
Let's dive in and see which prospects, who should certainly already be stashed in just about any fantasy format, are ready to make an impact possibly in Week 18 and well beyond.
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Coby Mayo - 3B, Baltimore Orioles
Current Level: Triple-A Norfolk
Availability: 16% rostered
2024 stats: 68 G, .297/.376/.591, 19 HRs, 57 RBI, 51 R, 3 SB
It's been said many times before and it bears repeating: Coby Mayo would have been a big leaguer a long time ago in just about every other organization in baseball. Of course, the "problem" in Baltimore is the substantial logjam of young players and former top prospects already in the big leagues, not to mention elite prospects who continue to wait in the wings, including Mayo.
The 22-year-old continues to put the boots to minor-league arms, posting a .967 OPS in his first full Triple-A campaign after posting a .973 mark across the Double-A and Triple-A levels a season ago. His raw power continues to be arguably the best in all of minor-league baseball, even if it doesn't come with the speed many top prospects boast in their offensive profile.
Another day. Another ball sent into orbit off the bat of Coby Mayo… my goodness. pic.twitter.com/oCza6S2HDY
— Zach Bollinger (@zachbollinger18) July 2, 2024
It's been a frustrating go for fantasy managers who continue to watch Mayo lay siege to minor-league pitching with an unclear timeline on when he will receive his long overdue call to the big leagues. Nonetheless, this is a can't-miss bat who has the potential to do serious damage for fantasy managers with championship aspirations in the 2024 season.
Max Meyer - SP, Miami Marlins
Current Level: Triple-A Jacksonville
Availability: 32% rostered
2024 MLB stats: 3 GS, 2-0, 17 IP, 2.12 ERA, 3.74 FIP, 21.5% K%, 4.6% BB%, 49.5% GB%, .200 BABIP
2024 AAA stats: 15 GS, 1-3, 58 IP, 4.43 ERA, 4.42 FIP, 27.1% K%, 9.4% BB%, 46.8% GB%, .349 BABIP
Like with Mayo, fantasy managers have to be frustrated by the Marlins' lack of use with right-hander Max Meyer.
The 2020 third-overall pick, Meyer returned from Tommy John surgery to toss a 2.12 ERA alongside a stealth 4.6% BB% in a trio of early-season starts for The Fish but was demoted to the minors where he has toiled since. His Triple-A results have been as encouraging but continue to improve alongside overdue BABIP-related positive regression.
Max Meyer held his own today against one of the best lineups in baseball.
6 IP 6 H 1 R 0 BB 7 K
Induced 23 whiffs🔥 and 36 CSW%Former top Marlins prospect should be owned everywhere!
pic.twitter.com/ptPazKzMmq— Andrew DeCeglie (@Andrew_FBB) April 13, 2024
The owner of a 3.17 ERA with 268 strikeouts across 230 innings in the minors, it's hair-pulling as to why Meyer hasn't been recalled to join an injury-ravaged Marlins rotation that sits 29th with a 5.08 ERA on the season. It doesn't appear the 25-year-old has a whole lot left to prove in the minors and should absolutely be in the majors right now, even if the Marlins have nothing to play for at this point in the season.
Of course, perhaps there are ulterior motives at play...
The Marlins have had zero rotation for months, meanwhile Max Meyer has remained in AAA
Today, they have successfully gained an extra year of club control (now through 2029)
Service time manipulation, perfectly executed
He will be traded before 2029 anyway. pic.twitter.com/RqpAu00X9d
— Peter Pratt 🍷 (@MiamiMarlins_UK) July 22, 2024
With just two earned runs against over his last four Triple-A starts -- and two earned or fewer in eight straight outings -- the time is now for Meyer to be recalled. That said, if/when he is brought back to the bigs, fantasy managers will want to be wary of an innings limit as Meyer has gone less than five innings in in 13 of his 15 Triple-A starts this season.
Jackson Jobe - SP, Detroit Tigers
Level: Double-A Erie
Availability: 9% rostered
2024 AA stats: 8 GS, 2-1, 32.2 IP, 1.38 ERA, 2.21 FIP, 36% K%, 12.8% BB%, 41% GB%, .190 BABIP
With the Pirates' Paul Skenes graduating from prospect status while dominating big-league hitters, Tigers right-hander Jackson Jobe stands above all others as the top pitching prospect in baseball, as per MLB Pipeline. The No. 11-ranked overall prospect has dealt with some injuries in his young professional career but has largely been stellar when healthy.
The 21-year-old is breezing through Double-A hitters with a 0.56 ERA and 21 strikeouts in 16 innings over three starts since returning from a hamstring injury on July 5. Armed with historical spin rates and a fastball that gets up to 98 mph, Jobe is showing why he was worthy of a risk-filled shot with the No. 3 overall pick of the 2021 MLB Draft.
While he has made all of nine starts above High-A ball, it would be surprising if Jobe didn't make his big league debut within the next month. Consider the current state of the Tigers' rotation. Casey Mize and Reese Olson are on the injured list, Kenta Maeda was recently demoted to the bullpen, and the surging Jack Flaherty could be the hottest commodity on the starting pitching market prior to the July 30 MLB trade deadline.
Jackson Jobe spearheads a no-hitter at Double-A!
MLB's top pitching prospect (@tigers) sports a 1.38 ERA, .112 BAA and 12.4 K/9 for the @erie_seawolves after fanning five batters across six scoreless innings. pic.twitter.com/DzgdZAlZcq
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) July 21, 2024
As a result, there appears to be plenty of room in the Tigers' rotation. It's an organization that has long hesitated to "rush" top prospects but Jobe appears to be a different beast in need of a new challenge. Perhaps the Tigers can take a page out of the Pirates' book and promote a dominating top prospect with seemingly nothing fazing him in the minor leagues.
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