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Welcome back RotoBallers. We're heading into Week 12 of the fantasy baseball season, and the minor league season rages on.
It's imperative to monitor the top fantasy baseball prospects who have turned heads thus far. The players listed here are not only coming off dominant weeks but have also impressed over the entire season. Don't be surprised when these exact names are painting corners, mashing homers, and swiping bags at the big-league level soon.
Fantasy managers should certainly keep an eye on these players over the long haul as they may prove to be excellent waiver wire adds in no time.
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Ethan Small - SP, Milwaukee Brewers
Level: Triple-A
2022 stats: 12 GS, 56.2 IP, 4-3, 3.18 ERA, 3.62 FIP, .257 BABIP, 10.80 K/9, 5.08 BB/9
The Brewers have been impressed by Small ever since they selected him in the first round of the 2019 draft. The 25-year-old currently ranks eighth among the team's prospects, according to MLB Pipeline. His heater doesn't have overwhelming velocity, but it has enough spin and action in the upper region of the zone to baffle hitters. He also has a great changeup that might be his best pitch. Beyond these two offerings, Small deploys a pair of breaking balls, but neither has proven to be effective just yet. Small likely needs to harness these third and fourth offerings before we can confidently project him as a worthwhile MLB starter. He has just one big-league game under his belt: a two-run, 2.2-inning affair back in May.
Although Small still needs to work on his repertoire, the southpaw has looked great in the minors this season. During his start on Saturday, he lasted seven innings, allowing just one run, three hits, and one walk. Most impressive was the fact that he struck out 10 batters in the process, boosting his strikeout metrics to an impressive 10.80 K/9 in 2022.
Carter Williams - OF, San Francisco Giants
Level: Single-A
2022 stats: 30 G, .360/.425/.660, 7 HR, 31 RBI, .414 BABIP, 10.8 BB%, 23.3 K%
An undrafted amateur signing in June 2020, Williams has made a name for himself with an impressive first couple of seasons in professional baseball. He is known for putting the ball in play, and although he doesn't have the loudest bat by any means, he has produced enough power to make him a home run threat. Williams's discipline has also improved, as evidenced by a walk rate that has more than doubled between 2021 and 2022. Strikeouts remain a concern, but the Giants have to love how much he has reached base via hits and walks this season.
It's always special when a player is batting .360 with a .425 OBP, but Williams's last week of action has been particularly strong. Over his last six games, the outfielder is hitting an impressive 15-for-23 (.652) with two homers, 10 RBI, five walks, and four strikeouts. It's worth noting that Williams did get demoted from High-A to Single-A earlier in June, but perhaps this highly successful streak will get him back up to Eugene soon.
Robinson Pina - SP/RP, Los Angeles Angels
Level: High-A
2022 stats: 13 G, 8 GS, 4-3, 55.0 IP, 1 SV, 2.78 ERA, 2.58 FIP, .313 BABIP, 13.25 K/9, 2.62 BB/9
Signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2017, Pina is a talented right-hander with impressive swing-and-miss stuff. His heater has developed drastically since he inked his contract, touching the mid-90s at times. He also has a sharp curveball that complements his fastball nicely and can be trusted in two-strike situations. Pina's splitter gives him an additional offering that isn't anything special but can work as a good offspeed pitch in his mix. Pina projects as a reliever long-term, but if he has any hope of surviving as a starter, feeling comfortable with a third offering like his splitter is absolutely imperative.
Pina absolutely dazzled during his start last Thursday, allowing just two hits and two walks over seven shutout innings. Most notably, his hittability was at an all-time low. Pina induced a whopping 13 strikeouts, which equates to nearly two per frame. That's rare, and it bodes well for someone looking to crack his MLB club's bullpen shortly. For what it's worth, MLB Pipeline, which ranks Pina as the Angels' No. 29 prospect, estimates he'll be ready to make his big-league debut as soon as 2023.
Blaze Jordan - 3B, Boston Red Sox
Level: Single-A
2022 stats: 63 G, .311/.364/.502, 8 HR, 39 R, 42 RBI, .396 wOBA, .348 BABIP, 139 wRC+, 6.9 BB%, 16.0 K%
Blaze Jordan turning heads? Say it isn't so. The powerful corner infielder is no stranger to the spotlight, whether it be mashing mammoth homers as a young teenager or signing for well above slot with Boston. Now, he's mashing in Single-A, giving the Red Sox no choice but to consider a promotion to Portland. Boston's No. 6 prospect, Jordan uses his elite bat speed to produce otherworldly exit velocities. Not only does he hit the ball hard and far, but he has shown a rare ability to work all parts of the field. His solid blend of power and contact have translated nicely to pro ball, quelling one of the biggest concerns that plagued his value ahead of the 2020 draft. Going forward, the biggest question will be whether or not Jordan can handle the next level of competition. For now, he seems to be calm, collected, and mighty powerful.
One week after teammate and fellow corner infielder Niko Kavadas graced this exact article series, the 19-year-old Jordan is getting his own (well-deserved) recognition. Over his last six games, Jordan is hitting 12-for-24 (.500) with two homers, five RBI, three walks, and just one strikeout. He has shown great discipline as a whole this season, posting a career-low strikeout rate while also increasing his walk rate from 2021.
Wander Guante - SP/RP, Oakland Athletics
Level: Rookie
2022 stats: 4 G, 3 GS, 2-1, 14.2 IP, 6.75 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, .328 OBA, .370 BABIP, 7.36 K/9, 0.61 BB/9
Signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2017, Guane hasn't made much of a progression through affiliated ball since turning pro. He reached Single-A in 2021 and opened this season in Double-A, but he's now back down to rookie ball and, quite frankly, doesn't have the greatest numbers. If there are any metrics to praise, they would be Guante's zero walks allowed through 13.1 innings in the Arizona Complex League, as well as his impressive 51.4 percent ground-ball rate at the same level. However, he struggled mightily in Double-A and has only made four outings in all of 2022.
Ignoring Guante's small sample size and poor stats, we must talk about his performance this past week. He tossed five scoreless innings on Thursday, allowing just one hit and zero walks. He also struck out a whopping eight batters in the process. This outing isn't enough to singlehandedly earn him a promotion, but Guante is proving that he deserves another shot in the lower levels of affiliated ball.
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