Red Sox LHP Connelly Early recorded a 2.60 ERA and 1.11 WHIP in 100.1 innings pitched across two levels of minor league play this year to earn his Tuesday night debut. His 31.9 percent strikeout rate and 22.2 strikeout-minus-walk rates were right in line with career norms for the 2023 fifth round pick out of Virginia. His debut was a thing of beauty: five shutout innings with 11 strikeouts. He’s probably not that good, but Boston has been on fire for a while now when it comes to player development, and I’m in no hurry to bet against them.
The Cubs recalled C Moises Ballesteros and put OF Kyle Tucker on the injured list with a left calf strain, an injury that seems to have become increasingly common these past few years. Tends to linger. Not much a guy can do to speed up his recovery aside from try to rest it. Probably should’ve put Tucker on the IL a while back, but that’s easy to say in hindsight. I’m a Pacers’ fan, by the way. Calf strains will forever frighten me. Anywho, back to Ballesteros, who has played 182 games at Triple-A. The Cubs haven’t been the smoothest operators at breaking guys like Ballesteros into the major leagues, so here’s hoping they let him play a lot. He slashed .316/.385/.473 with 13 stolen bases and five stolen bases in 114 games, good for a 120 wRC+ when combined with his stellar plate skills (9.6% walk rate: 13.2% strikeout rate).
Guardians 2B Travis Bazzana (23, AAA) has a 151 wRC+ through 23 games in Triple-A with much of that production coming within the last four games. He’s popped four home runs and batted .533. He has more walks than strikeouts in his 23 games at the level. Bazzana’s path hasn’t always been smooth, but I think it would make a lot of sense for the organization to get him into the big league club house before the season ends.
Blue Jays OF Joey Loperfido was recalled to take the roster spot of Bo Bichette, who’s headed to the injured list after colliding with Austin Wells at home plate–not a recommended health regimen. Loperfido cut ten-and-a-half points from 2024 major league strikeout rate during his 30 game stretch this season. His .473 BABIP suggests he’s not going to settle in as the .358 hitter he’s been so far in 2025, but there’s real progress here, and Loperfido has the strength to make plenty of impact on contact.
I’m working on a reshuffle of my overall prospect rankings, but I can save you some suspense on the top spot. Pretty sure I’ve tipped my hand already at some point, but it’s going to be Brewers SS Jesus Made (18, AA), a decision I’d made long before he got promoted to Double-A this week as an 18-year-old after just 27 games in High-A. No offense to Konnor Griffin, but he’s a right-handed pull hitter headed to Pittsburgh, and Made is the kind of prospect who feels too perfect to fail. It could happen, of course, but he gives me sort of an Acuna feeling. Or at least that’s the last time I’ve felt this confident in a prospect’s prospects before he reached the Double-A level.
Cardinals C Rainiel Rodriguez (18, A+) is on a similarly fast track, making his High-A debut this week after just 60 games in Low-A and 20 games on the complex. I’m not sure why they’re in such a hurry. Reminds me of Rust Cohle in True Detective: “At least I’m not racing toward a red light.” But so it goes these days. Rodriguez did post a 145 wRC+ in Low-A and a 237 on the complex, so I understand the thinking that the bat is pushing for new challenges; it’s just . . . this is the organization that has JJ Wetherholt in Triple-A for reasons only people in the building could possibly comprehend.
Acquired from the Mariners in the unforgettable JT Chargois trade of 2024, Marlins RHP Will Schomberg (24, AA) stands just 5’10” at 190 lbs but has great feel for spin and plus command of his off-speed arsenal. He was promoted to Double-A last month and recorded ten strikeouts across seven shutout innings in his latest start on September 5th. Over his last 48 innings across two levels, Schomberg has recorded 59 strikeouts, allowed 15 walks and posted a 2.25 ERA and 0.96 WHIP. He has something going for him that I’ve come to value at an accelerating rate throughout my time doing this gig: he’s been with two smart pitching organizations, which means he’s worked with a lot of smart, dedicated professionals along the way. It’s easy to say the Marlins discovered something and helped Schomberg turn the corner, but the truth is probably a little more nuanced than that. Every voice matters, kind of thing.
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Love the aggressive Made promotion. I wonder if they fast-track him to the bigs like they did Chourio.