Graduated From Stash List #4: Lara At The Top Of His Craft: Edwin Arroyo, Cole Carrigg, Braden Montgomery
1. Rockies 1B/OF Charlie Condon (23, AAA)
With seven home runs in his last 15 games, Condon is angling for a big league lineup spot despite a season-long batting average of .251. His strikeout rate over this hot streak is 19.7 percent against a 16.9 percent walk rate. Edouard Julien has played 58 games with a 69 wRC+ alongside negative defensive value. The organization picked up some found money over the off-season by trawling the depths of other clubs, but whatever they’ve found in Julien is messing with their invested wealth.
2. Twins SS Kaelen Culpepper (23, AAA)
Tristan Gray is starting a lot at shortstop these days, and he’s done okay considering he’s a 30-year-old utility player, but he’s got a 30.7 percent strikeout rate and is almost certainly not a key piece of this team’s next contender. It’s hard to figure what they’re waiting for regarding Culpepper, a first-round pick in 2024 with a 121 wRC+ and great plate skills (12.8% BB v. 17.4% K) through 59 Triple-A games. He’s also hit 14 home runs and stolen 14 bases. I’m glad they’re not letting a big league need dictate his timeline, but I think we’ve reached the moment where player development matches team needs.
3. Dodgers RHP River Ryan (27, AAA)
In 32 Triple-A innings across seven starts in the Pacific Coast League, River Ryan has allowed zero home runs. That’s crazy talk. He’s also recorded 40 strikeouts against seven walks, but the home run suppression leaps off the page in a league where pitching at elevation is the norm.
4. Mariners LHP Kade Anderson (21, AA)
Seattle is two games up in a weak American League West division and haven’t needed any of Anderson’s 49 innings to make that happen. In the meantime, it’s gotten pretty silly in Double-A, where he’s got a 0.69 WHIP, 1.29 ERA and 39.2 percent strikeout-minus-walk rate. I don’t think I’ve seen Double-A numbers like this since Tarik Skubal was striking out every other batter.
5. Brewers OF Luis Lara (21, AAA)
I shared some thoughts on Lara’s new contract and impending promotion the other day in Prospect News: Montgomery Burns The Braves or Last Call On Lara.
6. Angels 2B Christian Moore (23, AAA)
Moore has been playing some left field as well as third base and second base as the club looks for a place to put his bat. They recalled Denzer Guzman a couple days ago to give him a look at third, so I doubt that’s available to Moore for at least the next few weeks. Oswald Peraza looks good at second, and Wade Meckler is earning his keep in left field, but Donovan Walton and Trey Mancini are playing some designated hitter, while Moore has cut his strikeout rate to 22.1 percent while slashing .309/.451/.514 through 46 games.
7. Cardinals OF Joshua Baez (22, AAA)
After a cold start, Baez has heated up with the weather, slashing .318/.375/.729 with 11 home runs and six stolen bases in 26 games over the last month. St. Louis is looking like a playoff team at 37 and 30, and that’s reflected in their outfield depth. With Lars Nootbar and Ryan Church back in action and Nelson Velazquez and Bryan Torres slugging off the bench, there’s nowhere to put Baez at the moment.
8. Rangers 2B SS OF Cameron Cauley (23, AAA)
Another slow starter, Cauley clicked with three hits on May 16 and hasn’t stopped hitting since, slashing .344/.431/.538 with two home runs, 12 stolen bases and a 15.5 percent strikeout rate in 22 games spread among shortstop, second base and center field. The next time Texas needs help at any of those spots, I think they’ll be calling Cauley.
9. Twins OF Hendry Mendez (22, AAA)
In 28 Triple-A games, Mendez has 21 walks (16.2%) against 18 strikeouts (13.8%) with four home runs, three stolen bases and a slash line of .330/.438/.477. He’s young enough that there’s no real rush on this one, but it makes sense to me that they’d invite him up to the majors while he’s locked in and see if he can’t do better than Trevor Larnach or Austin Martin. Would be nice to show the fans some quick returns from the Jhoan Duran trade.
10. Nationals 3B Yohandy Morales (23, AAA)
Slashing .339/.415/.596 with 15 home runs and a 23.8 percent strikeout rate, there’s not much left for Morales to do but stay healthy and keep hitting in hopes that something major opens up.
Thanks for reading!
Blaze Jordan or Cooper Pratt in a weekly roto?
Jordan
Hey Itch! Finding prospects that project to be 3B in the majors seems nearly impossible. Do you have any you can recommend? Any chance Culpepper plays enough 3B in Minny?
You ain’t kiddin. My next article is meant to be position by position breakdown of possible trade targets for rebuilding teams, and third base was the toughest spot by far. I think I’d just try to pry Blaze Jordan away because he’s probably found money for the team that added him and he’s playing third base right now.
And yeah there’s a chance Culpepper breaks in playing some third, but I think he’s a shortstop long term.
Morning Itch Thanks for the write up!
Hoping Moore gets the call sooner as opposed to later but his K rate 28.4%. Might be a few more weeks.
With Kirk coming back How much PT does Valenzuela get?
Valenzuela has been ELITE as a pitch framer and excellent as a hitter for a catcher. Have to imagine he’s earned his fair share of that job. It’d be 50/50 for me going forward.
Hi Itch,
Which side would you choose for a 16 team dynasty that only counts runs, rbis, sb, BA, OBP and SLG:
Yordan Alvarez or Vlad Jr.
Yordan. Feels a little weird to say it, but I have Vlad in several leagues, and it is not much fun.
Hi Itch, I have White and Snelling, and Espino and Jobe are available. Assuming they all recover from injuries, how would you rank them as long term keepers?
Snelling, White, Espino.
Great insight as always Itch. Manual Pena. Thoughts? Not much out there on him and he’s up to 26 Hr’s. Is his swing and miss the major red flag to keep him off prospect lists?
Thanks!
I’m a little concerned/confused that they haven’t sent him along to Triple-A. He’s now played 166 games at Double-A and has 40 home runs to show for it.
That said, I do feel like he’s being ignored for reasons I can’t quite understand. He signed for $1.2 million, has always played up in age, and is dominating older pitchers. I think he’s a legit prospect.
Milbrandt with another dominant performance last night. Any chance the fish get aggressive and promote him soon?
Yes. He could easily have made this list and should for teams hunting pitching.
Thanks Itch! Do you have any really deep pop up type of prospects that are showing growth this year? I’m in a 39 teamer with 25 man milb rosters and in season pickups so a majority of the guys you’ve touched on are gone. Hopefully, I would be able to get a jump on a few!
Franklin Primera?
I imagine Alexander Frias and Johan De Los Santos are gone.
Yes, those two are. Good targets though, a team owns primera too. I’ll see if I can find any k% to bb% standouts .
Maybe these guys are all rostered, too, but they’re the ones in the queue to do a little more digging.
Blue Jays 3B Sean Keys (23, AAA)
Marlins C Garret Forrester (24, AAA)
Cubs C Owen Ayers (25, AA)
White Sox 1B Anthony DePino (23, AA)
Red Sox C Ronny Hernandez (21, A+)
Mets RHP Jose Chirinos (21, A+)
Astros RHP Javier Perez (22, A)
Mets RHP Emilio Obispo (19, A)
Mariners LHP Mason Peters (22, A)
Phillies 1B Alirio Ferrebus (20, A)
But I suppose if the Yilver De Paula and Wilberson De Pena types are rostered already, so are these dudes.
Hey Itch, what do you think of Hagen Smith? Rumor has it he’ll be called up soon, but he doesn’t seem too efficient atm
I believe the Sox are waiting to see if Hagen can walk himself to Chicago. 94 walks in 135 minor league innings! That’s over 7bb per nine.
Wow didn’t realize it was that bad! Lol
I think he’s most likely to help as a swingman or opener/follower type.