Cubs LHP Jordan Wicks got himself into great shape heading into this season because he was up for a role in the John Wick spinoff series, and while he didn’t get the part, the extra strength paid off in his big league debut, when he earned a win with nine strikeouts in five, one-run innings. I’ve become a broken record about this, but wins are tough to find right now. Wicks makes an interesting option in even the shallowest leagues.
Giants LHP Kyle Harrison went deeper into his second big league start than he’d pitched in any start this season, throwing 6.1 shutout innings and striking out 11 Reds in the process. His control has been surprisingly consistent in his two MLB starts, but he’s still a sell for me in dynasty leagues, especially if you can really ring the register coming off this dominant outing.
Red Sox OF Ceddanne Rafaela hit 20 home runs and stole 36 bases in 108 games across the top two minor league levels this season. If that doesn’t excite your inner ninja like a New York slice, you might want to consult your physician. He got caught stealing 13 times and needs to take a few more walks, but those are blemishes we can ignore now given the immediacy and topside.
The Red Sox also recalled SS David Hamilton, and I was pretty thrilled to discover that I hadn’t cut him in the 20-team Highlander Dynasty Invitational despite having hovered over the little red subtraction sign about a hundred times over the last month or so. I’m not confident that he’ll play a whole lot, but at least he’ll be in the right city come game time.
Rays 2B Vidal Brujan is up with the club again and looks a little different this time, taking aggressive hacks at pitches he can drive. He was finding his power stroke in Triple-A, slugging .491 with ten homers in 55 games. I think he might finally stick this time. Although oof, he just got drilled in the foot by a Sandy Alcantara fastball as I was typing that sentence. I have put the hex on Brujan before and should probably just stop typing about him altogether. He just scored easily from first base on a double off the left field wall, though he was grimacing all along. Don’t think he was just celebrating the McDonald’s anniversary, either.
Twins OF Austin Martin has powered up over his last month as well, slashing .362/.460/.574 with five home runs, 17 strikeouts (14.9%) and 15 walks (13.2%) over his last 28 games. He’s also swiped 11 bases in that span. Martin’s traveled a circuitous route, but he looks every bit the elite hitting prospect he profiled to be coming out of Vanderbilt. Take a look for him in your leagues. He was available in most of mine.
Royals RHP John McMillon has Carlos Hernandez to contend with for future saves in Kansas City, but that’s pretty much their whole list of ninth-inning hopefuls. McMillon would be dangerous to even an established closer, but he feels like a relative lock to join this late-game group as early as this week. His 0.25 WHIP and eight strikeouts through four innings are just the tip of the iceberg.
Guardians RHP Franco Aleman faces a totally different situation whenever he reaches Cleveland’s bullpen but deserves our attention all the same. He’s been the definition of dominance since being promoted to Double-A on July 2, striking out 29 hitters and walking just three in 19 shutout innings, and he looks incredible to the eye test, assuming that’s not the ale talking.
Marlins RHP Anthony Maldonado (25, AAA) probably isn’t the answer to the Marlins short-term closer troubles, but they ought to give him a look in the bullpen anyway. He’s a little too slider heavy for sustained brilliance at the moment, but his double-plus slider and 40.6 percent strikeout rate could give them a much-needed spark.
Royals RHP Mason Barnett has allowed four home runs in 101 innings across High-A and Double-A. His strikeouts have gone up throughout the year, and his walk totals have come down. In four starts at Double-A, he’s allowed four runs across 19 innings. In a pitcher’s park with opportunity aplenty, Barnett’s worth a watch.
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