Jackson Holliday is not on this list. One of the few rules I’ve implemented here is that once you’re a big leaguer in the current season, you’re off the list. Holliday cashed those major league game checks, so he won’t be represented here. Neither will Tyler Black even though I’m writing this part on a Friday and thinking about his namesake Rebecca.
1. Yankees OF Jasson Dominguez | 21 | AAA
Has torn through the minors on his rehab stint, and the timing might be just right now that Juan Soto is battling forearm soreness.
2. Nationals OF James Wood | 21 | IL
Lost time to a hamstring injury but is reportedly ramping up baseball activities, such as spitting sunflower seeds and adjusting his cup.
3. Tigers 3B Jace Jung | 23 | AAA
Pretty big drop from the two spot to the three here, but Jung is slashing .302/.409/.552 with five home runs since May 1, which is right in line with his season-long numbers. Justyn-Henry Malloy beat Jung to the bigs and has gotten off to a hot start there, but Detroit has room to add another bat or two.
4. Rays 3B Junior Caminero | 20 | IL
Strained his quad in late May and will miss four-to-six weeks. I’ll take the over. Tampa Bay is 31-and-32 right now and has no pressing needs on the infield.
5. Yankees C/1B Ben Rice | 25 | AAA
Rice has played just three games in Triple-A and already has three homers and a steal. He had 12 homers and eight steals in 49 Double-A games, good for a full-season pace of roughly 45 home runs and 27 stolen bases. He’s listed as a catcher everywhere and will be an especially intriguing fantasy piece if he can crack the lineup while he retains that eligibility. He’s still playing behind the plate in the minors but is hitting like an everyday first baseman in an organization where such a player doesn’t currently exist. Current first baseman Anthony Rizzo turns 35 in August and has an 86 wRC+ this season after posting a 100 wRC+ last year. That’s just not good enough to be a contender’s everyday first baseman.
6. Orioles 3B Coby Mayo | 22 | IL
Fractured a rib in mid May and is expected to miss “several weeks.” I’ll take the over. Baltimore is 40-and-22 and has no pressing need on the infield.
7. Tigers RHP Jackson Jobe | 21 | AA IL
Injured his hamstring on May 1 and should be back on the mound before long.
8. Dodgers SS Trey Sweeney | 24 | AAA
Sweeney’s season long line is not ideal, but he’s been his league’s hottest hitter over the past few weeks, smashing eight home runs over his past 12 games while slashing .375/.426/.979. A 6’3” left handed bat the club got from the Yankees in exchange for 2B Jorbit Vivas and LHP Victor Gonzalez, Sweeney’s gotta be looking like a demon barber to 2B Gavin Lux and his 57 wRC+ about now.
9. Blue Jays 3B Orelvis Martinez | 22 | AAA
Hit his 15th home run on Friday night, which tied him for the International League lead with Cardinals 1B Luken Baker. The month of May was unkind to Martinez, but he still hit six home runs despite batting .205 with 28 strikeouts. He’s hitting just .136 so far in June, but his Friday night homer gave him bombs in back-to-back games and might signal the start of a fun summer. Toronto is 30-and-33 as of Saturday morning and just three games out of a wild card spot despite their slow start. I know nobody pushes for wild card spots these days, but Martinez isn’t the kind of player who’s timeline needs to be tinkered with either. I mean, he’s a good prospect, but you probably aren’t saving 30 million dollars down the line by artificially inflating his timeline.
10. Guardians 1B Jhonkensy Noel | 22 | AAA
Over the last month, Noel is slashing .345/.424/.664 with an 18.4 percent strikeout rate and nine home runs in 28 games. The club just brought up OF Jonathan Rodriguez for a week and sent him back down, and he hit three home runs in Friday night’s game. The path isn’t exactly wide open for Noel, but he could make an impact for our game if he gets his chance while he’s in rhythm.
Thanks for reading!
