I’ve heard some fantasy baseball people suggesting Diamondbacks SS Jordan Lawlar was called up to be the short side of a DH platoon, but I think it’s pretty safe to ignore that noise. Some players are too important to get wrong, and very few organizations (cough cough Colorado) play fast and loose with the development of those guys, sacrificing their progression to fill a big league bench role.
I would think Cubs C Moises Ballesteros goes in the same bucket, but it’s harder to find room for a catcher on a team that already has two of them playing well. The Cubs are scoring plenty of runs as well, but Ballesteros has nothing left to prove with the bat and should step in at designated hitter with Seiya Suzuki covering for the injured Ian Happ in the outfield. Not sure how they make it all fit when the team’s at full strength, but that’s a tomorrow problem.
Twins OF Carson McCusker (26, AAA) almost made my last stash list because he’s slashing .344/.407/.664 with ten home runs in 34 games. At 6’8” 250 lbs from the right side, McCusker would be the tallest everyday player since Richie Sexson, who hit 45 homers twice and topped 30 bombs five times in an 11-year career. McCusker is striking out 29.4 percent of the time, which seems high at a glance until you look over at Matt Wallner striking out 36.4 percent of the time in 75 games last season and still entering 2025 as the leadoff man or at Byron Buxton (33 percent) dominating despite the swing-and-miss issues. Minnesota has patience for some whiffs, is the takeaway there, and the Twinkies are getting very little from its musical chairs at the designated hitter spot. A right-handed hitter, McCusker would fit right in as a platoon partner for the firm of Wallner and Larnach, lefties at law.
Nationals 3B Yohandy Morales (23, AA) slugged just .384 in 69 Double-A games last season, so it’s encouraging to see him at .525 through 25 games this time around. A right-handed hitter at 6’3” 225 lbs, Morales was the 40th overall pick in the 2023 draft as a polished college bat. He’s been fine throughout this professional career, though perhaps not as consistently impactful on offense as the team might’ve expected until the last month or so. 3B Brady House (21, AAA) is also hitting well (.280/.342/.455) a level above Morales, so Yohandy might have to try his . . . glove at first base sooner than later, which shouldn’t be a problem considering he’s played it before. Might even get a look this season if Josh Bell continues to look wrung out.
Speaking of tall dudes figuring out their frames, Dodgers OF Josue De Paula (20, A+) is enjoying his long-predicted power breakout, slashing .301/.419/.528 with six home runs and seven stolen bases in 33 games. The trademark plate skills are locked in as well: 16.2% BB and 16.9% K rates. I was a little surprised to see him head back to High-A after posting a 138 wRC+ at the level in 52 games last year, but he slugged just .356 to get to that patience-powered number. No surprise to see this front office make the right call, sending De Paula back for round two with the idea that he would be comfortable enough to hunt for power. Sky’s kind of the limit now.
I think the Giants have a pop-up prospect on their hands in 20-year-old outfielder Carlos Gutierrez, who has drawn 15 walks against 20 strikeouts in 28 games, slashing .345/.422/.445 with one home run and 13 stolen bases in 14 attempts. Another component of the up-arrow here: Gutierrez has a shot to cover centerfield all the way up the chain. This time of year, I tend to toggle my roster spots quite a lot, especially at the bottom. I like to trade away named guys for contending pieces and replenish the minors with speedy Gutierrez types who I can track and swap out if they stop hitting. I realize this is kind of the whole game all the time, but it’s especially true now as guys after making themselves known and have a whole lot of season left to keep doing so.
St. Louis is putting together quite a catching factory, and C Rainiel Rodriguez (18, CPX) might wind up the best player of the bunch, non-Herrera division. And hell, he really might wind up better than Herrera, but that’s pretty rich for the moment. He’s just a teenager after all, but man can this teen hit. It’s only been seven games on the complex, but he’s got three home runs, more walks than strikeouts and a slash line of .381/.533/.857. Miles and miles to go, of course, particularly for a catcher, but that’s just fine if you’ve got the time.
Thanks for reading!
