Rays 1B Bob Seymour (26, AAA) might not be a big piece of the plan in Tampa, but he’s peeking over some shoulders while they ponder the blueprints. A 13th round pick out of Wake Forest in 2021, he has smashed his way through every level despite a modest defensive ceiling and a bit of a strikeout problem, although that might going the way of the dodo. Over his last 26 games, he’s slashing .343/.397/.676 with a 19.8 percent strikeout rate and a 172 wRC+. I’m not saying this is who he’ll be at the highest level, but I think players are closer to clay than cement, and Seymour is worth a look in just about every league if he gets a chance in the big leagues.
Guardians OF Chase DeLauter (23, AAA) is just waiting for a green light at this point, walking more (17.7%) than he’s striking out (11.5%) over his last 22 games while slashing .295/.417/.513 with four home runs. He’s probably part of Cleveland’s playoff plans, so I’d expect a promotion within the next month or so.
Things haven’t always been smooth and easy, but Astros SS Brice Matthews (23, AAA) is on the brink of a big league debut and looking great as he waits, slashing .396/.484/.698 with three home runs over his last 13 games. Now that Cam Smith and Jose Altuve are outfielders, Matthews might have an infield spot ready for him whenever he’s ready for it.
Speaking of a human’s innate potential for growth across time, Yankees OF Spencer Jones (24, AA) is either on an 11-game heater or turning a little corner in his approach. He’s striking out 20.8 percent of the time, which doesn’t sound like the craziest breakthrough on the surface, but he was at 36.8 percent last season, and the increased contact has netted an incredible couple weeks and a slash line of .436/.542/.872 with five home runs and two stolen bases. He should be in Triple-A pretty soon, although they might want to take the approach of ain’t broke don’t fix it to this situation and let him dominate that level for a while. Pretty sure that’s what I’d suggest. Kinda pretend you don’t need him this year at all while keeping in the back of your mind that might be a monster down the stretch if he continues to progress.
Mariners OF Lazaro Montes and SS Michael Arroyo are on their way to Double-A. I don’t have anything new to say about either guy except that it’s worth noting if you’re in a league where they might be available. Grab ’em up. Wait and see even in shallow leagues where you could use a minor-league upgrade.
Mets SS Colin Houck (20, A+) hasn’t quite reached the “Grab ’em up” stage of his dynasty career, but he’s got that potential, and he graduated Low-A on a hot streak, slashing .329/.429/.618 with four homers and five steals over his final 20 games at the level. The 23rd overall pick in the 2023 draft, Houck is a 6’2” 190 lb righty with the frame to add power across time with relative ease.
Cardinals 3B Deniel Ortiz (20, A) is on a hot streak in Low-A right now, slashing .352/.454/.538 with three home runs and seven stolen bases over his last 25 games. He’s a big kid at 6’1” 230 lbs, so the steals are interesting. He’s swiped 16 bags in 19 attempts, and with the rules the way they are now, the willingness to run and learn is almost as important as having actual speed. The margins shrink all the way up, of course, but I’ll be watching this guy closely because he was dominant as an 18-year-old in the Appalachian League and is gaining steam with exposure to professional pitching.
The season-long numbers aren’t going to jump off the page at you, but Phillies first-round pick OF Dante Nori (20, A) is having a solid first professional season as a high school hitter sent straight to Low-A. He posted a 120 wRC+ in 14 games after being selected 27th overall in 2024, and while he’s at 95 wRC+ so far this season, he’s been improving week-to-week and is back up to 114 wRC+ over his last 26 games and 167 wRC+ over his last 13 games. He’s slashing .380/.467/.480 with ten strikeouts, eight walks and five stolen bases during that stretch. A plus runner and plus defender in center field, he’s stolen 18 bases in 21 attempts on the season.
I know you don’t want to roster another Rockies prospect for a half-decade only to see him demoted after two weeks of part-time at bats, but I do feel compelled to put a good word in for Rockies OF Cristian Arguelles (17, DSL). He’s slashing .475/.547/.754 with ten walks and six strikeouts through 16 DSL games. He’s also on the list of players I would’ve expected to see stateside this season before, well, whatever the hell is going on in our country now.
Thanks for reading!
Hi Itch – what are your thoughts on the breakout season Joshua Baez with the Cardinals is finally having. Do you see him becoming a top prospect ? Thank you
Hi Itch Thanks for the intel! I grabbed Deniel Ortiz in my 20 team 8×8 Dynasty league.
So do you think Brice Matthews will be called up soon or September?
So any chance we see Colt Emerson make it to AA this year?
Hi Itch, apologies if you’ve already mentioned him somewhere but what do you think of Didier Fuentes? Thanks!
I now see he was right in the title of your last post…oops, sorry. I suppose I’ll ask if you think he can stick now?
Hey Itch,
I’d like to see Bob Seymour get a shot ASAP in TB. Very accomplished hitter/career at Wake Forest…and has very impressive numbers in the minors…31HR / 125RBI 162-game avg., with an 880 OPS. I seem to recall a Phillies 6’4″ 250-pound left-handed 1B/slugger whose MLB debut was stalled a bit (blocked by Thome) some years back and really didn’t get his full-time shot until he was close to 26. His next 5 years were majestic.
PS – I left my draft owning Nick Kurtz and Bryce Eldridge…then had to drop them due to massive injury problems in my active roster. They’re both now gone in my keeper league…who could be the next ‘consolation prize’ slugging 1B worth grabbing for ROS and beyond? The above-mentioned Seymour? Elko? Another? Thanks, Itch…and keep up the great work!