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The Itch

Author: The Itch

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The Itch

Prospect News: Stash List: Our New Number One

June 11, 2023 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects, Featured | 34 Comments

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Graduated from Prospect News: Stash List Volume: All-Inclusive Cruz: Elly De La Cruz, Royce Lewis, Andrew Abbott, Bryan Woo

1. Guardians RHP Gavin Williams | 23 | AAA 

Another week = another handful of wasted frames from baseball’s best minor league pitcher, but this time he actually got hit around a bit, allowing three runs in four innings against the Elly-free Triple-A Reds.

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The Itch

Prospect News: What The Elly’s Going On In Cincinnati?

June 7, 2023 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects, Featured | 29 Comments

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When was your last sitcom-style spit-take? 

I’m not sure I’ve ever done the full expulsion. It’s more like gagging on the liquid as I try to keep it in, which is what happened last night when Tony Gonsolin tried to throw a fastball higher-than-high against Reds SS Elly De La Cruz, who simply smoked a 112 mph line drive into right center on a pitch about ten inches above the strike zone. I’ve seen him do stuff like that before, but the reason it surprised me here was the previous pitch. Gonsolin features one of the game’s best splitters, and he made Elly look bad on it in this at bat. De La Cruz had every right to be flummoxed by the ultra-high heater, but it didn’t bother him at all. Even way up out of the strike zone, it was the only real pitch to hit he saw all night from a Dodgers staff that wanted absolutely nothing to do with him. 

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The Itch

Prospect News: Woo Child Things Are Gonna Get Easier

June 4, 2023 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects, Featured | 34 Comments

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Mariners RHP Bryan Woo made his debut Saturday in Texas against one of baseball’s best teams, and it did not go well. A lot of rookie pitchers struggle in their first start, so we should avoid Tom Smykowski’s Jump to Conclusions Mat here, especially on the road against a good offense. 

SS Royce Lewis looks like a mid-lineup mainstay in Minnesota. Don’t say that five times fast. 2B Edouard Julien is the odd man out for now but appears to be settling into his skill set at the highest level, even if he’ll spend the foreseeable future a level below that. 

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The Itch

Prospect News: Play Time For Young Tigers

May 31, 2023 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects, Featured | 28 Comments

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Despite the Internet’s best efforts, Reds SS Elly De La Cruz did not make his major league debut Tuesday night. He did, however, hit another long home run in Triple-A while the Reds won their fourth straight game. The NL Central is there for the taking. Cincinnati has a legitimate case for having the most talented roster. TJ Friedl might be headed right back to the injured list after leaving last night’s game with a tight hamstring. Friedl’s fate isn’t directly tied to Elly’s timeline by any means, but every window can be a door, right? If you’re sprightly enough? Would have to be a huge window for a guy his size. Anyway, might be today, might be tomorrow, but soon, and for a very long time, Elly De La Cruz and his cohort will make the Reds appointment viewing. 

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The Itch

Prospect News: Stash List Volume 4: All-Inclusive Cruz

May 28, 2023 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects, Featured | 41 Comments

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Graduated from Prospect News: Stash List Volume 3: Red Letter Days: Matt McLain

Just a refresher or if it’s your first season with us: Players like Jordan Walker are ineligible for the stash list because anyone who has already been promoted in-season is ineligible. Guys like Royce Lewis are a bit of a gray-area. 

1. Reds SS Elly De La Cruz | 21 | AAA 

Unless half this list gets promoted and I write a new one next Sunday, this should be Elly’s last stash. The Reds are on the verge of dancing around a weak division, and they’ve been dragging their feet on it long enough. They’re five games out of first but tied with the Cardinals, half a game behind the Cubs. De La Cruz is slashing .341/.452/.765 with a 20.2 percent strikeout rate in 21 May games along with nine home runs and seven stolen bases.

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The Itch

Prospect News: Dynasty Breakthrough Team, Early 2023 Edition

May 24, 2023 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects, Featured | 32 Comments

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The guidelines that built this team are pretty fluid, but in a general sense, a player must have significantly enhanced his dynasty profile to qualify. 

Catcher

Orioles C Samuel Basallo has slowed down some since a steamy start but is still slashing .299/.340/.489 with four home runs and two steals as an 18-year-old in Low-A. He looks solid behind the plate, too, especially for a 6’3” teenager. 

Honorable Mentions: Dodgers C Thayron Liranzo. One way to identify a player like this is the ratio of relevance to league-size is changing in a hurry on the fly. Though I’ve added him elsewhere, I’ve mostly ignored Liranzo in my 15-teamer with 20 milb spots per team. This week, I saw his name in some tweets. On May 21, he hit his 10th and 11th home runs on the season. He’s slashing .310/.444/.690 in the month of May with 14 walks and 18 strikeouts in 16 games. Still just a catching prospect in Low-A, but he’ll be off the board in most leagues before long. 

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The Itch

Prospect News: If You’re Gladney And You Know It

May 21, 2023 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects, Featured | 39 Comments

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With Jorge Polanco going to the injured list, Twins SS Royce Lewis has a window to step into the limelight. He won’t get the first chance with 2B Edouard Julien slashing .333/.471/.537 with two home runs in 16 May games at Triple-A. Doesn’t much matter if Lewis gets the first chance or not; he’s a must-add in just about every sized league while we wait for the Polanco fallout. Wouldn’t hurt to make room for Julien either if you have the chance, especially in OBP leagues. 

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The Itch

Prospect News: Case Of Vientos v. Vogelbach, Mr. Met Presiding

May 17, 2023 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects, Featured | 26 Comments

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Mets 1B Mark Vientos was recalled this morning, and while it’s not easy to see where he’ll play, Vientos has real reason to be in the minors. He’s hitting .333 with 13 homers and has cut his K-rate by 8.8 percent between last year and this one. He slashed .280/.358/.519 with 24 home runs in 101 Triple-A games last year even with the 29.3 percent strikeout rate. Strong-side designated hitter Dan Vogelbach hasn’t been a power threat this year, but his 119 wRC+ and .376 on base percentage might make him difficult for the rookie to displace. 

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The Itch

Prospect News: Stash List Volume 3: Red Letter Days

May 14, 2023 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects, Featured | 37 Comments

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Graduated from Stash List Volume 2: The First Strand: Matt Mervis, Brandon Pfaadt, Gavin Stone, Christopher Morel. Just a refresher or if it’s your first season with us: Players like Jordan Walker and Taj Bradley are ineligible for the stash list because anyone who has already been promoted in-season is ineligible. Guys like Christophper Morel […]

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The Itch

Prospect News: Morel Hazards, Pfaadt Pfizzles, Schmitt Happens 

May 10, 2023 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects, Featured | 31 Comments

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Athletics 2B Jordan Diaz homered three times on Tuesday. Something’s in the water out there. Don’t turn your nose up at any Oakland players finding daylight, is all I’m saying. The jokes at this organization’s expense are all warranted, but the people piloting that ship have been so good at this game for so long, somebody should write a book about it. 

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The Itch

Prospect News: The Struggles On The Bus Go Round And Round

May 7, 2023 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects, Featured | 43 Comments

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We all have bad days. 

Weeks.

Months.

Years.

It happens. 

Nothing to do but peel yourself off the pillow next morning and try again. 

Just this week, my last day of classes for the year was a total shitshow. We had to squeeze in the last few speeches from the last few stragglers and foot-draggers. Didn’t even have time to say goodbye. Just four life-draining speeches then welp, that’s our time, see you around, maybe. So it goes. I’ll try to do something to prevent that next year. Live and learn. Then get Luvs. In case you keep shitting yourself in the clutch the way today’s featured players have been so far in 2023. 

Sitting next to me on the struggle bus is Giants LHP Kyle Harrison owns a 1.98 WHIP through six Triple-A starts. He’s walked 21 batters in 15.2 innings. Get this man some Dramamine. He seems dizzy from motion sickness. 

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The Itch

Prospect News: Everybody Must Get Stone

May 3, 2023 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects, Featured | 30 Comments

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Royals SS Maikel Garcia leads off for us today and could eventually claim the same role in Kansas City. He’ll probably start at the bottom if he starts at all, of course, but he’s an ideal fit at the top given his high-contact, solid-OBP profile. The team’s build lacks anyone else who fits the table-setting profile. He wasn’t clicking in Triple-A like he was this winter or spring, but I’ve long thought he’s the kind of player who answers whenever opportunity knocks. 

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