With the NBA and Stanley Cup finals wrapping up, the boys of summer are primed to take center stage for the next few months. Your fantasy team is also about to enter the true grind of the season as well. Another factor of note over the summer is to remember that MLB teams are starting to declare if they will be buyers and “go for it,” or sellers that start to give the kids an extended look in the majors.
(Related tip: if you play in AL-Only or NL-Only leagues, don’t forget about the potential of someone on your roster being traded to the other league and what your settings say that means for their inclusion in the player universe. It might also be time to anticipate and sell for cents on the dollar just in case! Take it from a guy who was burned by this when Manny Machado was traded from Baltimore to LA, and when CC Sabathia was traded from Cleveland to Milwaukee.)
When these considerations overlap, there’s an opportunity to find prospects who have the potential to get promoted to the majors and contribute to a fantasy team this summer. At the very least they should be on your radar in dynasty leagues moving forward. Here are some minor league power bats to keep an eye on who fit this approach for teams who are out of contention and could certainly use the extra muscle.
Junior Caminero, INF, TB
The Rays are in the AL East basement with rumors swirling around Randy Arozerena, and others, as Tampa decides what to do leading up to the trade deadline. Their .122 ISO is second lowest in the majors, and they rank in the bottom-five in HRs, Runs, and slugging. Quite frankly, I’m surprised they haven’t already called up their stud prospect, and so are the managers in 29% of Yahoo leagues where Caminero is already rostered. Caminero got a shot last year and impressed enough to be a part of the playoff roster. He has continued to mash at Triple-A Durham this season with 24 RBIs in 34 games to go along with an .811 OPS and 8 home runs. He will be part of the big club at some point this summer and will likely find himself in the heart of the Rays order. Get him now before that 29% rate rises significantly higher!
Early today, Junior Caminero doubled on the hardest hit ball in AAA this season.
Tonight, he’s hit 2 HRs. He’s my #1 overall prospect. pic.twitter.com/AA0Gz7XkJm
— BigBobsCards (@BigBobsCards) May 2, 2024
James Wood, OF, WAS
I have included Wood in every prospect piece so far this season, and there’s no reason to stop now. Wood is coming back from a hamstring injury, but the delay in joining the Nationals may just give you another chance to grab the 21-year-old, who is already on rosters in 23% of Yahoo leagues. He’s absolutely crushing for the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings, slashing .355/.465/.596 through 45 games this season — his 99 total bases and 9 home runs aren’t too shabby either. Contrast that with the Washington offense that is 27th in the majors with 58 total home runs, 26th in slugging at .362, and 28th with a .126 ISO, and the need for power in Washington makes this an obvious move for the Nats this summer.
James Wood.
6’7″ and crushes baseballs 💪
(via @MLB)pic.twitter.com/ieeSF6Q5Ds
— FanDuel Sportsbook (@FDSportsbook) February 25, 2024
Colson Montgomery, SS, CHW
The White Sox are truly threatening to be the worst MLB team we’ve seen in years. They have a run differential of -155 through 73 games (almost 40 runs worse than anybody else), sport a league-worst .281 team OBP, and are bottom-five in HRs, ISO, slugging, and more. Names like Luis Robert Jr., Garrett Crochet, and Michael Kopech are already out there as trade candidates, and no team could use a reset more than Chicago, who just endured a stretch in which they won just three of 25 games between Mid-May and Mid-June. That’s right, 3-22 over a 25-game stretch! Montgomery is the top prospect in the White Sox system and has 9 HRs for the Triple-A Charlotte Knights in 61 games. He should finish the season with the big club and give fans a reason to keep watching.Â
Colson Montgomery goes yard for the 9th time this season in Triple-A🔥 pic.twitter.com/QWc9Pjo9mD
— The Call Up | An MLB Prospect Podcast (@The_CallUpPod) June 17, 2024
Jace Jung, 2B/3B, DET
The Tigers are only a few games below .500, but their offense is struggling with the fourth-lowest OBP (.299) and one of the highest strikeout rates in the league. Tarik Skubal and Jack Flaherty can’t hit for them, but help may be on the way in the form of top prospect Jace Jung. The No. 12 overall draft pick in 2022 had a productive 2023 with 28 HRs and 82 RBIs in 128 minor league games split between Single- and Double-A. He’s kept it up this year with a .903 OPS, 40 RBIs, and 29 extra-base hits through 62 games for Triple-A Toledo. He’s been splitting time between 2B and 3B this season and could soon join Colt Keith in the Tigers infield for years to come.
🎶 Toniiiiiight, We Are Jung 🎶@tigers prospect Jace Jung rockets two roundtrippers, marking his first multihomer game of the season for the @MudHens. pic.twitter.com/gMS0ZpyQRz
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) June 12, 2024
Orelvis Martinez, INF, TOR
This iteration of the Blue Jays had some buzz the past few years, but it hasn’t quite come together and Toronto is now below .500, sitting at fourth place in the AL East. The team has dismissed the idea of trading some of their stud bats like Vladimir Guererro Jr. and others, but the current lineup isn’t scaring anybody. They are tied for third worst with a 2.2% HR rate, and their tepid .133 ISO is seventh worst in the majors. Luckily, they have Orelvis Martinez supplying a ton of power on the farm. Martinez has logged 28+ home runs in each of his past three minor league seasons, all before turning 22 years old! His strikeout rate has dropped while his OBP improved to .340, showing the exact kind of development you want to see from a young hitter. This year, Martinez has continued to impress with 16 HRs and 46 RBIs through 63 games for the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons. It’s only a matter of time before he heads north to Toronto.
No. 16 on the year for Orelvis Martinez!
The slugging @BlueJays prospect belts his 3rd homer in the past 10 games with the @BuffaloBisons. pic.twitter.com/5sjswVvZJ6
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) June 16, 2024
8 homers in his past 14 games!!!
Orelvis Martinez hit this one 112.6 mph🤯pic.twitter.com/zWfhNW7ZX5
— The Call Up | An MLB Prospect Podcast (@The_CallUpPod) May 1, 2024
Kemp Alderman, OF, MIA
The Marlins have already traded Luis Arráez to San Diego, and are fielding calls about Jesús Luzardo and others. Their -116 run differential is the worst in the National League and their .115 ISO is the lowest in all of MLB. Enter Alderman, last year’s second-round pick. He hit .376/.440/.709 with 19 home runs and 61 RBI in 54 games at Ole’ Miss last season, and he has a plus power profile. He’s working his way back from a hand injury but is back with the Jupiter Hammerheads (Single-A), is the highest rated non-pitching prospect for Miami, and should eventually help the Marlins’ 2.1% HR Rate that is currently tied for the lowest in the majors. Expect the move even quicker if the Marlins’ fire sale picks up over the next month.
(Top photo by Junior Caminero: Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports)
