RADIO
When I write this column, I always try to make sure I talk about a different group of guys each week. I mean, what good is it going to do for you all if I kept writing every week about guys like Jarren Duran or Wander Franco? I'd just be repeating myself at that point about how good they were doing in the minors before being called up.
And so I was scanning through the past week's columns when I realized that lately I've been focusing heavily on guys in the upper levels of the minors. Granted, the focus of this column has typically been on guys that are potentially close to getting called up so it makes sense to focus on Double-A and Triple-A. However at the same time doing that overlooks a lot of great performances at the lower levels. So for this week, I decided to go one step further down the ladder and spotlight four guys at High-A. These guys are likely at least a year to a year and a half away from making an impact in fantasy, but this also means now is a good time to scoop them up while their value is on the lower side.
So let's keep an eye to the future and check out this week's hot prospects to watch.
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Ryan Ward - OF, Los Angeles Dodgers
Level: High-A
2021 stats: 80 G, .292/.366/.545, 20 HR, 8 SB, 64 RBI, 71 R
In just his second season in the minors, Ward has been destroying the baseball all season long with 20 homers while raising his slugging percentage from .415 in 2019 to .545 this year. That increase in power output has come with an increase in strikeouts as he's raised his strikeout rate to 21.1 percent, but he's also walking slightly more as he's gone from a 9.1 percent walk rate in 2019 to a 10 percent walk rate this season. And while he's had a good year overall, he's been particularly hot in the month of August, where over 11 games he's slashing .356/.408/.822 with six homers, 11 RBI and 16 runs scored.
He's done a great job so far of showing that he hasn't been slowed down from the missed year of development in 2020. And while this is only his first year of full-season ball, he's definitely made a splash and shown he has the potential to be at least a 15-homer, 10-steals threat. He's likely two years away from reaching the majors, but he should be stashed in dynasty leagues right now as he looks like he could develop into an impact bat in fantasy.
Ben Gross - SP, Minnesota Twins
Level: High-A
2021 stats: 15 G, 14 GS, 5-1, 3.25 ERA, 1.208 WHIP, 30.2 K%, 72 IP
Another guy in his second year of pro ball, Gross has taken a major step forward from his 2019 debut season. He's dropped his ERA a full run from 4.30 to 3.25, and his strikeout rate has skyrocketed from 21.7 percent to 30.2 percent. Gross has also managed to do this while maintaining a 6.6 percent walk rate, which is nearly identical to his 6.2 percent rate from 2019. His last time out on the mound was his most dominant performance of the season, allowing two runs on six hits and one walk while striking out 13 over six innings against the Peoria Chiefs — and this came on the heels of his worst start of the season in which he allowed seven runs over 4 1/3 innings against Quad Cities.
Gross is a promising pitcher on the rise, and if he pitches well to start off 2022 there's a chance we could see him get a mid-season call-up to Minnesota. At the very least, he should be able to compete for a spot on the Opening Day roster in 2023 if he has another dominant performance next season. The biggest key that managers will need to keep an eye on is the strikeout rate next year, and if he can continue to strike out batters at a high clip, he's a very intriguing pitching prospect to stash.
Daniel Espino - SP, Cleveland Indians
Level: High-A
2021 stats: 15 GS, 1-6, 4.11 ERA, 1.279 WHIP, 39.6 K%, 65.2 IP
A 20-year-old right-hander, Espino has made the jump from Single-A to High-A this season, and in his first five starts at High-A he's gone 0-4 with a 5.48 ERA, 1.174 WHIP and 46.9 percent strikeout rate. The ERA has been high in his first stint at this level, but the strikeouts have also been high as he's posted double-digit strikeout performances in each of his last three starts. In his latest start, he looked great on the mound as he allowed just one run on one hit and one walk while striking out 11 over five innings of work against West Michigan. He had already shown great strikeout potential in his first year in the minors in 2019 where he posted a 34.7 percent strikeout rate over 23 2/3 innings between Rookie and Low-A ball, but he's really managed to step it up this season.
The biggest concern to Espino's future value is his walk rate. After posting a 10.2 percent walk rate in 2019, it's now risen to 11.5 percent this year. On one hand Espino is just 20 years old and is just over three years younger than the average weighted age at High-A, so there's still room for improvement in his game. On the other hand though, if he can't cut back on the walks, it's possible that his future may end up in the bullpen instead of the rotation, which would affect his potential value. Either way, he's a pitcher worth keeping an eye on to see if he can make some significant strides forward in 2022.
Sebastian Espino - IF/OF, Toronto Blue Jays
Level: High-A
2021 stats: 57 G, .310/.368/.526, 7 HR, 3 SB, 43 RBI, 36 R
And last but not least we end with another Espino (no relation to Daniel). After spending his first three seasons in the Mets' system, Espino was taken by Toronto in the Rule-5 Draft last winter, and in his first year in the Blue Jays' organization he's putting up the best numbers of his career. His triple-slash line numbers across the board this year are new career-highs, with his .526 slugging percentage nearly 100 points higher than his previous career-best of .432 from 2017. He's been on fire at the plate over his last 10 games where he's slashing .432/.533/.892, and in his last game on Sunday he clobbered three homers in an 11-3 win over the Everett AquaSox.
Espino could be a very useful player once he reaches the majors, as he has some positional flexibility from playing at second base, shortstop, third base and outfield throughout four years in the minors. This season he's split time fairly evenly between left field and third base. Managers shouldn't rush out to stash him just yet, and he's at least a year away from the majors if not two. But he'll be a guy worth keeping an eye on next season to see if he can take another step forward at the plate. He looks like a guy that could be a double-digit homer and steals threat, but we'll need to see what he can do in 2022.
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