Prospect News: She Says She Talks To Luisangel

Mets SS Luisangel Acuña (22) got the big call on Saturday to provide some versatility off the bench. To say he’s had a tough season would be underselling the reality of his 69 wRC+ and .299 on base percentage across 131 Triple-A games. He has struck out just 16.4 percent of the time, but that has brought with it a career low walk rate of 5.5 percent. If he can put some kind of approach back together, he probably has the hands to hang around as a utility bat. He’s stolen 40 bases (54 attempts) in those 131 games and can play a little all over the field, but he’ll likely open next season back in the minors to get the everyday at bats he needs. 

Giants 1B Bryce Eldridge (19, AAA) retains his recurring spot on the prospect news feed thanks to graduating Double-A after just nine games. I thought it might be fake news when I first saw it because Eldridge was slashing .270/.325/.459 with a 20 percent strikeout rate, which is incredibly good for a 19-year-old against much older players but isn’t the sort of dominant stretch that demands a promotion. I realize it’s only a few games at the end of the year. Maybe they just want to get him in front of that coaching staff, but it’s fascinating and a little confusing and has to go in the Win column for anyone counting on Eldridge to succeed. 

Diamondbacks SS Jordan Lawlar (22, AAA) is back in action, hoping to make the most of a season mostly lost to injury. He’s traveled a bumpy road to this point in his career but reminds me a little of Royce Lewis in the sense that he retains the talent to make an impact even if he might have some ups and downs early in his career given how many minor league reps he’s missed out on. 

In his last seven starts, Athletics RHP Jack Perkins (24, AA) has pitched 44 innings and recorded 54 strikeouts. That’s about 6.1 innings per start, if you’re counting at home. Over that stretch, he’s also cooked up a 0.91 WHIP and 1.43 ERA. A fifth-round pick out of Indiana in 2022, Perkins is repeating the level but has almost doubled his strikeout rate to 31.7 percent after posting a 17.5 in 54 Double-A innings last season. Whether he gets a Triple-A look next week or not, he’ll be part of the team in spring training with a chance at an early call-up.  

Once a dynasty darling going by the name of Maximo, Rangers SS Max Acosta (21, AA) missed a chunk of time due to Thoracic Outlet Syndrome but has come on strong in the second half this year. In his last 42 games, he’s slashing .343/.405/.530 with five home runs, 11 steals and a 12.6 percent strikeout rate. Hard to see how he fits into the lineup with Texas, but that’s a common refrain around the game right now as the good organizations continue to grind out interesting players. 

A sixth-round pick out of Cal State Northridge in 2023, Braves RHP Lucas Braun (23, AA) has been muscling up this year, burying his slider and commanding his changeup to the tune of a 2.38 ERA and 1.07 ERA in 79.1 Double-A innings. I’m sure it’s a shock to us all that Atlanta has drafted and developed another viable pitching prospect for very little cost in a very short time. 

Cut Me, Mick! (Guys I’m dropping in dynasty leagues) 

I did not want to cut Giants OF Luis Matos, but I’m in third place and need the MLB spot to cycle players through. The organization itself seems slightly rudderless in general, toggling positions around late in the developmental season and creating dysfunction on the infield and in the dugout as a result. Outfielder Mike Yastrzemski is looking at something like ten million dollars through arbitration, and you can ask JD Davis how that’s likely to play out. OF Michael Conforto is a free agent. Jung-Ho Lee and Heliot Ramos have claims on two outfield spots, so next season’s crew has just one opening, and Jerar Encarnacion is playing well enough to be an option on the cheap. Matos isn’t done by any stretch, but his path is complicated. I might try to pick him back up on the last faab run of the season. 

Thanks for reading!