Welcome to the first episode of this season of the Mining the Minors series where I comb through the minor league leaderboards to see who is hot at the plate and then try to break down whether the performance is for real and if this player is somebody that we should have on our radars in redraft leagues. I ran this series for two seasons over at RotoBaller and decided to bring it back here with the second half of the season looming.
When I began this series, I hoped it would operate like the Fringe Prospects article that Alex Chamberlain used to run, which I always felt was a great way to put unheralded prospects on our radar. When I ran this piece the last two years, we were led to Jack Suwinski, Matt McLain, Corey Julks, Spencer Steer, Stone Garrett, and Luke Raley, among others. While not all of them had sustained success, all of them gave us useful stretches of fantasy goodness over the last two years and sometimes those few weeks can be the difference in winning our leagues.
While I will mainly try to focus on less-heralded prospects, I will sometimes include some guys who are more well-known in prospect circles just in case they are not well known to all readers. That was where guys like Matt McLain and Spencer Steer fell in recent seasons since they were notable if you paid attention to each team’s top 30 prospects, but if you just knew who the best overall prospects in the game were then they may have slipped through your fingers.
Since we are already into July, the search parameters for his article are looking at the last 30 days to find players who have been heating up of late and may be pushing for an MLB call-up. However, I’ve included both those stats and season-long stats so you can understand how the player has been performing all year long and what their “true talent” level might be.
OK, enough preamble, let’s dig in.
Matt Wallner, OF - Minnesota Twins
Last 30: .360./.433/.721, 8 HRs, 21 RBI, 21 Runs, 3 SB in 21 games
Season: .259/.343/.544, 19 HRs, 53 RBI, 45 Runs, 5 SB in 67 games
I know Wallner was already called up last week, but I wanted to start with him because I think he’s a good example of looking at a recent stretch of production in the upper levels of the minors. After failing to deliver at the big league level to start the year and then struggling at Triple-A after his demotion, Wallner had really turned it on of late, thanks in part to some mechanical tweaks with his stance and load. Enough so that the Twins decided it was time to give him another shot. Since being recalled, he has also started three straight games in the outfield and while he’s been hitting near the bottom of the lineup each time, it seems like the team wants to give him a chance to reclaim his strong side platoon role. We saw what Wallner could do with that opportunity last year, so it might be time to take a chance on him and see if he can do it again. Getting any bat in a lineup as hot as the Twins is worth taking a gamble on.
Coby Mayo, 3B - Baltimore Orioles
Last 30: .328./.442/.625, 5 HRs, 16 RBI, 14 Runs in 17 games
Season: .308/.393/.644, 12 HRs, 60 RBI, 49 Runs, 3 SB in 64 games
OK, we’ll sneak one legit top prospect on here because I think there are a lot of interesting things to discuss with Mayo. The Orioles prospect seemed to be next in line for a call-up, but he hurt his ribs crashing into the dugout while trying to make a catch and the chance went to Connor Norby, who failed to take advantage and was sent back to the minors. Since returning from the minor league IL, Mayo has been smashing the ball again and is knocking on the door for a chance in Baltimore.
There seem to be two paths for Mayo to get playing time this year, but I think both involve a trade. Mayo could easily be the Orioles’ starting third baseman now with Jordan Westburg sliding to second base full-time. However, I don’t believe the Orioles want to release Jorge Mateo or Ramon Urias and both of them are out of remaining options. It’s possible that one of those players could be tacked on in a trade for a starting pitcher since they are the perfect type of infield bench bat that a contender might want. That would free up space for Mayo. If the Orioles don’t go that route, they could simply trade Mayo for a starting pitching upgrade as well. I don’t sure which route they’ll go, but I think he’s ready and I think he’ll get a chance by August.
Adrian Del Castillo, C - Arizona Diamondbacks
Last 30: .326./.459/.697, 9 HRs, 16 RBI, 27 Runs in 24 games
Season: .332/.410/.636, 20 HRs, 56 RBI, 74 Runs in 81 games
Del Castillo was put on my radar earlier this week by Chris Clegg in his awesome work at Dynasty Dugout. For just a taste, this is part of what Chris said: “Del Castillo has always shown some pop and good OBP skills but seems to be taking it to the next level this year...His exit velocities are quite strong, with an average exit velocity of 91 mph and a 90th percentile of 105.5 mph. The contact numbers are reflective of his batting average as well, as Del Castillo has a 78.5 percent overall contact rate and an 86 percent in-zone clip. The chase rate is a modest 26 percent, showing quite a well-rounded profile...The profile looks good, and there is a real chance Del Castillo will be in Arizona soon. With the underlying data, performance, and an opportunity for at-bats soon, Del Castillo is an easy buy [in dynasty leagues].”
The at-bats coming soon part connects to Chris’ belief that Castillo may not be a full-time catcher but could easily be the DH for the Diamondbacks in the near future. That could simply mean a short-side platoon role alongside Joc Pederson, but that type of role can always grow into something bigger.
The same could also be said of Andres Chaparro, who is a 25-year-old former Yankees 3B prospect who has been heating up of late, hitting .384/.455/.616 over his last 22 games with five home runs, 23 RBI, and 18 runs scored. Also, Deyvison De Los Santos who is a potential DH candidate on the same Triple-A squad, is hitting .281/.320/.646 over his last 24 games with nine home runs, 29 RBI, and 16 runs scored. One of these three guys could get a shot in Arizona soon.
Jeter Downs, 3B/SS - New York Yankees
Last 30: .322./.425/.610, 4 HRs, 13 RBI, 12 Runs, 8 SB in 18 games
Season: .270/.370/.515, 10 HRs, 36 RBI, 40 Runs, 14 SB in 62 games
Yes, that Jeter Downs. Yes, he was named after that Yankee great. Yes, he’s now also playing for the Yankees. Yes, he’s still just 25 years old. Downs was once a consensus top-100 prospect with the Dodgers and the centerpiece in the Mookie Betts trade, so it’s worth paying attention to the fact that he has seemingly figured out some of the contact issues that plagued him in years past. While he’s still striking out once a game on average, he’s now making more meaningful and authoritative contact when he does make contact, which has helped his batting average.
He has also started taking more reps at third base and has looked good there defensively, which could make him an option for the Yankees since DJ LeMahieu is not the answer at this stage of his career. Now, the Yankees have seemed reluctant to move on from aging veterans like LeMahieu and Anthony Rizzo, but it might be time, and Downs might be working his way into the mix as an option. Much the same argument could be used to highlight Downs’ Triple-A teammate Jorbit Vivas, who came to the Yankees from the Dodgers this offseason. Over the last 30 days, Vivas is hitting .321./.470/.538 with 4 home runs, 15 RBI, 16 Runs, and eight steals in 22 games. It would make sense to see if one of these guys could give the Yankees a spark at 3B that they’re not getting from the veterans.
Shay Whitcomb, 3B/SS/OF? - Houston Astros
Last 30: .333./.420/.573, 6 HRs, 22 RBI, 16 Runs, 12 SB in 24 games
Season: .309/.393/.560, 19 HRs, 71 RBI, 60 Runs, 21 SB in 80 games
While Whitcomb has been mainly an infielder in his career, he has played seven games in left field this season and all of them have come from the middle of June on. That seems to me like a team trying to find at-bats at the MLB level for a hitter who is proving himself worth a shot. In addition to his hot stretch of late, last year Whitcomb co-led all of Minor League Baseball with 35 homers in 133 games between Double-A and Triple-A. The 25-year-old can flat-out hit, and when you add in a potential 20 stolen base upside, you get a fantasy-friendly profile. The Astros will get Kyle Tucker back after the All-Star break, but they haven’t been getting much from Chas McCormick and Mauricio Dubon in left field, so seeing if Whitcomb could win that job might be interesting.
Then again, they haven’t given Joey Loperfido a real shot at that until recently, so maybe they wouldn’t give Whitcomb a real chance either.
Troy Johnston, 1B - Miami Marlins
Last 30: .355./.392/.570, 4 HRs, 15 RBI, 15 Runs, 5 SB in 24 games
Season: .285/.343/.412, 6 HRs, 43 RBI, 44 Runs, 10 SB in 86 games
Johnston was a name on people’s radar in deeper formats in the off-season, but he started off the year pretty slowly. As you can see above, 2/3 of his home runs have come in the last 30 days. However, after hitting 26 homers last year, we know what his power upside is, and he’s a career .288 hitter in the minor leagues, so he has offered a solid batting average as well. With Josh Bell not playing well, the Marlins are likely looking to make a change at 1B. The issue is that Bell’s salary may make it tough to trade him at the deadline, and it’s hard to see the Marlins just eating his salary and releasing him. However, if either of those scenarios comes to pass, Johnston could become a fantasy option, albeit a low-ceiling one in a poor lineup while hitting in a pitcher’s park.
Nacho Alvarez, SS - Atlanta Braves
Last 30: .330./.417/.543, 5 HRs, 19 RBI, 15 Runs, 5 SB in 22 games
Season: .288/.394/.394, 5 HRs, 34 RBI, 33 Runs, 21 SB in 70 games across two minor league levels
Orlando Arcia has been a below-average regular pretty much the entire season, and while I’m not sure the Braves would move on from him, I’m also not sure the Braves can win a title with what he’s giving them a shortstop. Still, Alvarez is just 21 years old and has only been at Triple-A for about a month, so it would be aggressive to promote him into a full-time role at the MLB level. Even so, the Braves’ sixth-ranked prospect is pushing for that opportunity, all of his home runs this season have come in Triple-A and he continues to flash a mild power/speed upside that would pay dividends in Atlanta’s elite lineup. However, I think the expectation is that he’s more of a contact and on-base percentage hitter and not one who will hit for much power at the next level.
Nick Yorke, 2B - Boston Red Sox
Last 30: .321/.4412/.452, 2 HRs, 9 RBI, 18 Runs, 5 SB in 21 games
Season: .281/.363/.417, 8 HRs, 42 RBI, 44 Runs, 14 SB in 71 games across two minor league levels
It feels like Nick Yorke has been in the Red Sox system forever, but he’s just 22 years old and currently getting his first taste of Triple-A baseball where he has been thriving. Since the Red Sox have been slow in moving Yorke up until this point, and they also have Vaughn Grissom as their presumably long-term answer at second base after trading Chris Sale for him, it’s fair to wonder where Yorke fits in. His raw tools are not loud, so he’ll never be super highly rated in prospect circles but he has strong contact ability which he has continued to demonstrate this season against advanced pitching. That gives him the potential to hit for average hit and some power at the next level while playing a passable second base. The Red Sox have also played him in left field this season as they attempt to find a long-term defensive home for him, but there is also the chance they use Yorke as a trade chip at the deadline given the presence of other middle infield prospects at the upper levels of the minors.
With how Yorke is hitting right now, he could be ready to contribute to some MLB team soon. In fact, as I’m writing this on Wednesday, Yorke just hit two more home runs, which are his fifth and sixth home runs in 27 games in Triple-A to go along with a .989 OPS over that span. Yeah, that’s not bad.
Gabriel Cancel, 2B - Toronto Blue Jays
Last 30: .410./.500/.974, 6 HRs, 11 RBI, 10 Runs, 2 SB in 10 games
We’ll end with a fun one. The Jays signed Gabriel Cancel on June 25th after he was on pace for a 50 home run and 90 steal season in Indy Ball. The 27-year-old had been in the Royals’ organization but was out of MLB in 2023. He was never a huge prospect, but he had displayed some 15/15 upside while producing about a .250 batting average. It’s unclear if anything really changed in Indy ball, but when you sign an older prospect like this and he comes out on fire, there’s a strong argument for just calling him up and giving him a shot to see what he can do. The Blue Jays are in the middle of a lost season, and Cancel is certainly not part of their long-term plans, so why not see if you stumbled onto something semi-legit here and if he can emerge as a bench piece for you or a potential asset in a larger trade?