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The Itch

Author: The Itch

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The Itch

Washington Nationals Top 10 Prospects For 2024 Fantasy Baseball

November 5, 2023 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects, Featured | 1 Comment

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Format = Position Player | Age on 4/1/2024 | Highest Level Played | Estimated Time of Arrival 

1. OF James Wood | 21 | AA | 2024

At 6’6” 240 lbs from the left side, Wood is always just a bit of contact away from a double and a barrel away from a bomb. Last winter, he was mostly untouchable in all my leagues. This time around, that shiny new bloom seems to be off the rose. I kinda get it. He slashed .248/.334/.492 in 87 Double-A games, but he also had 40 extra base hits (18 HR) and ten steals in about half a season as a 20-year-old in Double-A. I think I’m more impressed with him now than I was then.

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The Itch

Philadelphia Phillies Top 10 Prospects For 2024 Fantasy Baseball

November 1, 2023 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects, Featured | 8 Comments

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Format = Position Player | Age on 4/1/2024 | Highest Level Played | Estimated Time of Arrival 

1. RHP Andrew Painter | 20 | AA | 2025

Underwent Tommy John surgery in late July, so 2024 is mostly washed out. Can’t really put a clock on the value of elite pitching, so if he comes back at full strength, we’ll chart this blip up as a positive in the sense that it buys him a little safety window on the ticking time bomb that is a high-velocity elbow.

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The Itch

New York Mets Top 10 Prospects For 2024 Fantasy Baseball

October 29, 2023 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects, Featured | 9 Comments

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1. SS Jett Williams | 19 | AA | 2024

Williams was fantastic for 36 games in High-A, slashing .299/.451/.567 with seven home runs, 12 steals, 32 strikeouts and 33 walks. He’d earned a midseason promotion by posting a .422 on base percentage in Low-A while improving throughout the season. If he hits in Double-A to open the year, the 5’6” 175 lb spark plug will be a top ten prospect in baseball by May. 

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The Itch

Miami Marlins Top 10 Prospects For 2024 Fantasy Baseball

October 25, 2023 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects, Featured | 14 Comments

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1. RHP Max Meyer | 25 | MLB | 2022

Meyer’s an interesting sleeper pick for redraft leagues heading into 2024. The third overall pick in 2020, Meyer’s arrival in 2022 was cut short by Tommy John surgery. If he can come back with his dynamite slider and plus changeup, he might make an improbable run at rookie of the year. Feels like the kind of guy who’ll be an afterthought at the draft table until he pops up in the preseason and sends people scrambling to move him up their boards.

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The Itch

Atlanta Braves Top 10 Prospects For 2024 Fantasy Baseball

October 22, 2023 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects, Featured | 13 Comments

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Format = Position Player | Age on 4/1/2024 | Highest Level Played | Estimated Time of Arrival 

1. RHP Hurston Waldrep | 22 | AAA | 2024

With the name of a 19th century oil barren and the arsenal of a high-end big league pitcher, Hurston Waldrep represented a nice windfall for Atlanta with the 24th overall pick in this summer’s draft. His delivery borders on relievery, but a double-plus fastball/split-change combo helped him carve his way to Triple-A in half a minor league season. Atlanta has been rushing its young arms for a while as they try to supplement their world-beating offense, so Waldrep should be on the shortlist for an early promotion. Might even have a shot to make the team in spring training. He signed for a few hundred thousand under his draft slot value, and you know this team loves that.

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The Itch

Prospect News: Arizona Fall League Launches

October 18, 2023 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects, Featured | 7 Comments

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Like Jackie Daytona in Tucson, Arizoña, Fall baseball is timeless. The playoffs are great, for sure, especially whenever it looks Houston is on the outs, but it’s not just the biggest stars on the brightest stage that make this season special. The Arizona Fall League provides a chance for youngsters from all levels to get another few cracks at the bat before winter, another few sweepers and spiked curveballs in their efforts to become blood-thirsty creatures of the night, baseball-wise. 

Padres OF Jakob Marsee got hotter and hotter throughout the regular season and is enjoying the chance to keep cooking under the desert sun, slashing .475/.569/.825 with ten strikeouts, eight walks, seven steals and two home runs. San Diego’s outfield picture is a little cloudy right now, but we should be able to (mar)see it much more clearly closer to spring. 

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The Itch

Prospect News: Langford Leads The Class or Joe Boyle Rules

September 27, 2023 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects, Featured | 8 Comments

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I’ve been thinking about the pitch clock a lot this week. Went from a huge, over-the-line-smoky deal to oh-yeah-the-pitch-clock in record time. Been wondering if the clock could take center stage again for a moment or two during the playoffs. Also been thinking about what other rule changes could follow that path. The extra inning runner should move to first base, particularly in the new steals-happy paradigm. Fans remember big postseason steals because they’re fun. Dave Roberts spun a whole managing career out of knowing how to snag that key bag. Even if we wind up with a couple more 14-inning slumber parties, the game would feel more just, which I think fans would appreciate over the long haul. I don’t mind the idea of a shootout type scenario and understand how we got to the ghost runner, but people might prefer a home run derby if we’re doing that, which feels pretty far from quote-unquote real baseball. 

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The Itch

Prospect News: Rushing To The End or Minor League Playoff Update

September 24, 2023 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects, Featured | 6 Comments

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I was surprised to see the Rays promote top prospect 3B Junior Caminero. Could be they’ve got a loophole through which they can add him to the playoff roster. Could be they plan to have him break camp with the club next season and want him to get acclimated for a week or so and then feel like a big leaguer all winter long. That’s the takeaway that matters most to our game. After the news of Wander’s lust(s) echoed across the internet, people speculated the fallout could speed up Caminero’s timeline. I didn’t think so because Tampa’s always loaded with functional major league options across the infield, but today I think that’s more or less what happened. Not that we’re likely to ever find out. 

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The Itch

Prospect News: Dynasty Sell Squad, 2023 Postseason Edition

September 20, 2023 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects, Featured | 8 Comments

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I reference mlb.com throughout this piece because it’s not a pay-walled site, and they update the rankings regularly. Makes it a nice shorthand for perceived value in the real-baseball sphere. 

Padres C Ethan Salas is a sell for me as a top ten prospect (No. 5 on mlb.com). It’s amazing that he made it to Double-A as a 17-year-old, but also, should he be in Double-A as a 17-year-old? I mean, what’s the point? He didn’t hit in High-A (.229 slugging percentage in nine games), and then he didn’t hit in Double-A (.214 SLG in nine games). I guess the defense can push the profile, but at some point, he’ll have to wait for the bat. And then we run into a high-minors, stall-out situation. We’re just now reaching the other side of that with Luis Campusano. It stands to reason that Salas might receive a red carpet that never got rolled out for Campusano, but that’s still years away, and the return you could earn for shopping Salas this winter or next spring probably beats waiting for me. 

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The Itch

Prospect News: 2023 Dynasty Crush Team or Grab An Ale, Man

September 17, 2023 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects, Featured | 12 Comments

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Baseball TwitterX was peppered with Prospect Crush lineups last week, and while I’m not sure I could articulate the definition of “crush” in this context, I thought the idea was interesting enough to build an article around as we near the tail end of the minor league season. I mean I almost dropped my own squad into Elon Musk’s private hype site before I realized I was pouring a lot of time into generating content for everyone’s favorite space invader. 

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