April 24, 2025
Miami Marlins pitching prospect
Robby Snelling struck out nine batters in a start for the second time this season. On Wednesday, Snelling tossed six shutout innings against Double-A Knoxville. In this outing, he allowed just three hits and held a near-perfect 9:1 K:BB. Through his first 22 1/3 innings of work this season, the southpaw has held an impressive 1.61 ERA with a 0.90 WHIP. Across this hot start, Snelling has struck out 29 batters and served up just three free passes. This is an excellent sign for the 21-year-old as he struggled at the Double-A level last season. Across 109 1/3 innings split between Double-A San Antonio and Pensacola, Snelling held a modest 5.53 ERA with a 1.53 WHIP. Given his impressive start, Snelling should earn an early promotion to Triple-A, which keeps the door open for a late-season MLB debut.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
April 24, 2025
Pittsburgh Pirates infield prospect
Javier Rivas continued to swing a hot bat during his first extended look at High-A. On Wednesday, Rivas went 2-for-4 with two home runs. Over his last nine contests, Rivas has held an impressive .394/.444/.788 slash line with two doubles and four home runs. Through 16 games this season, the 22-year-old has posted a .335/.397/.694 line with three doubles and six round-trippers. During his first taste of High-A ball last season, Rivas held a modest .125/.176/.188 slash line with just one extra-base hit across 10 games. He spent most of the 2024 campaign with Low-A, where he held a .223/.282/.393 line. This is a great sign to see Rivas take the next step against tougher competition. If he continues this steady progress, he could earn a late-season taste of Double-A.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
April 24, 2025
Cincinnati Reds pitching prospect
Chase Petty struck out seven batters across six shutout innings on Wednesday evening. Petty allowed just one hit and two free passes. Since allowing six runs in his season debut, Petty has been very effective with Triple-A Louisville. Over his last 19 2/3 innings (four outings), Petty has posted a strong 1.37 ERA with a 1.12 WHIP. During this stretch, the former 26th overall pick has served up just seven walks and struck out 23 batters. Last season, the No. 6-ranked prospect in the system spent most of his time with Double-A before earning a brief taste of Triple-A. During his first look at the top level of the minor leagues, the right-hander logged 10 innings of two-run ball. Given his current production, Petty should be in the mix to make his MLB debut later this season.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
April 24, 2025
Chicago Cubs pitching prospect
Cade Horton looked strong again in his latest outing on Thursday against Triple-A Louisville. Horton tossed four 2/3 shutout innings. He allowed just two hits and one walk, and struck out five batters. Through his first four outings of the Triple-A campaign, the top pitching prospect on the Northside has held an impressive 1.06 ERA with a 1.06 WHIP. During this stretch, he has held a 23:11 K:BB and allowed just one home run. Last summer, the former seventh overall pick battled numerous injuries and was able to pitch only 34 1/3 innings. While he was effective in his time with Double-A, Horton struggled in his first taste of Triple-A, allowing 15 runs in just 18 innings of work. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor Horton's production as he could be in the mix for a relatively early MLB debut this season, given the season-ending injury to
Justin Steele (elbow).
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
April 24, 2025
Cincinnati Reds catcher
Austin Wynns went 3-for-4 with a home run, a double, and two RBI to help fuel his team's 5-2 win in Miami. In his last appearance before Wednesday's big game, Wynns went 6-for-7 with a homer and six RBI in the Reds' 24-run outburst on Sunday. The 34-year-old backup catcher has played 10 games for Cincinnati this season and has been surprisingly productive at the plate, going 13-for-26 (.500) with three homers and a .606 wOBA. He can be a streaming or DFS option when he's in the lineup while he's this hot, but he is still backing up
Jose Trevino, and his career numbers indicate that this offensive outburst isn't likely to continue long-term.
--Zach Thompson - RotoBallerSource: ESPN.com
April 24, 2025
Cincinnati Reds relief pitcher
Emilio Pagan earned his fifth save of the season with a clean ninth inning against the Marlins. He only needed nine pitches to close out the 5-2 win in Miami, getting three straight fly outs to right field. Pagan has converted five of his six save opportunities with one hold as well. He has nine strikeouts and a 2.38 ERA and has held opponents to a .105 batting average. Pagan should remain the Reds' primary closer and be a good source of saves, although his hard contact rate does indicate there could be some regression if he continues to give up so many hard hits.
--Zach Thompson - RotoBallerSource: ESPN.com
April 24, 2025
Minnesota Twins outfielder
Trevor Larnach continued his recent surge with another home run on Wednesday against the White Sox. Minnesota has been desperately searching for offense, and Larnach has delivered over the last few games. The 28-year-old lefty has hit safely in each of his last five games, going 6-for-17 (.353) with three home runs and a .545 wOBA over that short span. He has six hard-hit balls in those five games, per Statcast, giving him a 40.0% hard-hit rate over that stretch. On the season, Larnach is still hitting only .218 with a .303 wOBA and 99 wRC+; however, this recent surge should earn him some more playing time and keep him anchored as a key contributor in the Twins' batting order against right-handed pitchers. He can be a short-term pickup or DFS streaming option while he's so hot, although he hasn't been able to sustain this kind of production in the past.
--Zach Thompson - RotoBallerSource: ESPN.com
April 24, 2025
Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop/outfielder
Oneil Cruz had both a home run and a stolen base in the Pirates' 3-0 win over the Angels on Wednesday night. His stolen base came in the third inning, and his home run was a solo shot off
Jack Kochanowicz in the fifth inning. Cruz is up to six home runs and 11 stolen bases on the season and is hitting .247 with a .370 wOBA. He has always been a Statcast darling, and he has continued that trend with a 55.6% hard-hit rate and an 18.55 barrel rate. Cruz has looked very comfortable in the leadoff spot for the Pirates and should continue to be an elite fantasy producer with plenty of upside as long as he can stay healthy, especially in home runs and steals. He was part of the 20-20 club last year with 21 homers and 22 stolen bases, but he is on base to finish much better in both categories in 2025.
--Zach Thompson - RotoBallerSource: ESPN.com
April 24, 2025
San Francisco Giants starting pitcher
Logan Webb went 6 1/3 innings on Wednesday against the Brewers and had six strikeouts with six hits allowed. He threw 106 pitches and left with a 4-0 lead. The bullpen didn't allow the two inherited runners to score, but they did give up a couple of runs in the ninth inning to make the final score 4-2. Webb's win boosts him to 3-1 in his six starts this season with an exceptional 1.98 ERA, 1.79 FIP, and 44 strikeouts in 36 1/3 innings. He has been a true ace for the Giants' staff and helped fuel their 16-9 start. His next outing is scheduled for next Tuesday on the road in a tough divisional matchup against the Padres.
--Zach Thompson - RotoBallerSource: ESPN.com
April 24, 2025
Tampa Bay Rays outfielder
Christopher Morel went 2-for-5 with a double, a home run, two runs scored, and an RBI in the Rays' 7-6 extra-inning win over the Diamondbacks. His solo homer came in the second inning off
Eduardo Rodriguez and leveled the score at 1-1 after a
Corbin Carroll homer in the first inning. Morel is hitting .258 in his 22 games this year with two homers, two stolen bases, and a .328 wOBA. He has an alarming 39.7% strikeout rate and will need to get that under control if he wants to stay in the lineup on a regular basis for the Rays. He does have home run and stolen base potential, though, so he remains a fringe roster option in standard mixed leagues. Although if this is the start of a hot streak, he could be worth a look on the waiver wire.
--Zach Thompson - RotoBallerSource: ESPN.com
April 24, 2025
Tampa Bay Rays outfield prospect
Chandler Simpson went 1-for-3 with an RBI and run during their 7-6 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday evening. Simpson would tally his hit in the eighth inning. It was a clutch RBI single that tied the game and eventually forced extra innings, where the Rays would eventually win the game. Over his first four MLB games, Simpson has tallied at least one hit in each and posted one multi-hit game. During these four games, he has already begun to show his elite speed upside as he has swiped two bags. Earlier in the season at Triple-A, the Georgia Tech product held a stellar .301/.325/.329 line with eight stolen bases across 17 games. Given his immense speed upside, Simpson is worth targeting in all category formats.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
April 24, 2025
Houston Astros outfield prospect
Jacob Melton has held a modest .190/.292/.571 slash line across his first six games of the regular season. Melton missed the opening week of the season due to a back injury. The No. 3-ranked prospect in the system enjoyed one impressive game on April 11 when he hit two home runs. However, since that game, Melton has tallied just two hits over his last four and held a 26.7 percent strikeout rate. Last season, the Oregon State enjoyed success during his first look at Triple-A, as he held a .260/.314/.405 line with 10 doubles and five home runs across 47 contests. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his production with Triple-A Sugar Land, as he should push for his MLB debut later this summer if he can turn the corner.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
April 24, 2025
Seattle Mariners outfield prospect
Lazaro Montes went 1-for-4 with a home run during their contest on Wednesday against High-A Vancouver. Montes has enjoyed a strong start to the High-A regular season, posting a .262/.410/.623 slash line with three doubles, two triples, and five home runs across 17 contests. Over his last eight games, the 20-year-old has hit three home runs. Last season, the No. 40-ranked prospect in the Seattle system enjoyed a strong season at the lower levels of the minor leagues. Through 65 games at Low-A, Montes held a .309/.411/.527 line with 13 home runs. Then, during his first taste of High-A, Montes posted a .260/.378/.427 slash line. Given his solid start to the young season, Montes should be in contention to make his Double-A debut in the coming months.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
April 24, 2025
New York Mets right-handed pitching prospect
Joel Diaz continued his impressive start to the High-A campaign. On Wednesday, Diaz tossed four shutout innings against Jersey Shore. In this start, Diaz allowed just two hits and no walks. He struck out five. Over his first 15 2/3 innings of the campaign, the 21-year-old has not allowed a run and held a strong 0.70 WHIP. During this stretch, he has held a near-perfect 18:2 K:BB. Last summer, Diaz made his return to the mound after missing all of the 2023 season due to Tommy John surgery. In 2024, Diaz spent most of his time with Low-A St. Lucie and logged 67 2/3 innings to the tune of a 4.92 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP. Given his impressive start at High-A, Diaz could push for an earlier than expected Double-A debut.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
April 24, 2025
New York Mets first base prospect
Ryan Clifford went 2-for-3 with a home run during their contest on Wednesday evening against Double-A New Hampshire. This outing extended his current hitting streak to four games. During this four-game surge, Clifford has tallied at least two hits in all but one contest. Before this recent surge, the No. 4-ranked prospect in the system held an underwhelming .154/.333/.231 slash line with just two extra-base hits. Clifford spent most of the 2024 campaign with Double-A Binghamton, and fantasy managers should expect Clifford to be in contention to earn a promotion to Triple-A in the coming weeks if he continues this steady production. If he is able to earn an early call to Triple-A this summer, he could push for a second-half MLB debut.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
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