Thank you for sticking with me all season. This is my first time writing and publishing anything, so I appreciate your patience as I grow and learn as a writer and deal with the full-season grind for the first time. I hope you found this series valuable, and I will work hard this offseason to brainstorm ways to make it far better in year two. This will be my final recommendations article, but I will return next week with a special recap similar to what I did for the All-Star break. 

If you are still curious about my playoffs, the heartbreak came this week as I lost four playoff matchups, including both of my finals. The blow was softened somewhat by making the finals in four new leagues, bringing my final total to eight finals (out of 13 total leagues) made with the opportunity still for six championships. I’ve already profited this year, so everything else is gravy. It’s been a fun playoff season for me, and I hope you are all having a great one, too!

*Note: all stats current through Tuesday, 9/17/24

MiLB Players I’ve added recently (210-450 prospects rostered) 

  • Grant Taylor
  • Eiberson Castellano
  • Trevor Harrison
  • Connor Prielipp
  • Spencer Nivens

* player is highlighted below

Lucas Braun 23/SP/ATL/AA

Height/weight: 6’0”/185 lbs

Throws: R

Fantrax Rostership: 2%

Top 500 Prospect Ranking (June 24): Unranked

My Top 300 Rank: (June 24): Unranked

Tools (2024): Fastball: 50, Slider: 50, Changeup: 50, Command: 45

PLive- (2024): 86

2023 stats (A/A+): 27.0 IP, 2.67 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 30.2% K, 4.7% BB

2024 stats (A+/AA): 113.2 IP, 3.26 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 27.7% K, 7.2% BB;

Why to pick up: A 6th-round pick in the 2023 draft, Braun has done nothing but shove since. This year has been especially impressive lately, with Braun posting a 1.69 ERA and 0.84 WHIP with a 37.8% strikeout rate in five starts since August 20th. In 3 of those five starts, he’s racked up ten strikeouts. He’s also pitched deep into games routinely this season, reaching 7 innings a staggering five times. In fact, his 143.2 innings pitched are tied for 14th in all of the minors this season, and his 162 strikeouts rank 6th. The arsenal is varied with a low 90s fastball that has touched 96 this season, a low 80s sweeper that appears to have taken a step forward this year and is potentially a plus pitch now, and a solid changeup.

Why to think twice: It’s more of a back-end starter profile, albeit one that appears to be improving with the advancement of that sweeper.

Final Thoughts: Braun is an underrated arm in a system that always seems flush with underrated arms. I’m intrigued, and you should be too. He’s a pickup for me in medium-sized leagues.

Where to pick up: Leagues with 350+ prospects rostered

FAAB bid: Minimal (0-5%)

Tim Tawa 25/1B,2B,3B,SS,OF/ARI/AAA

Height/weight: 6’0”/196

Bats: R

Fantrax Rostership: 0%

Top 500 Prospect Ranking (June 24): 501

My Top 300 Rank: (June 24): Unranked

Tools (2024): Unranked

PLive+ (2024): 100

2023 stats (AA): 497 PA .256/.338/.461, 22 HR, 11 SB, 11.1% BB, 24.3% K

2024 stats (AA/AAA): 600 PA .280/.348/.525, 31 HR, 13 SB, 8.4% BB, 20.7% K

Why to pick up: Tim Tawa, an 11th-round pick in the 2021 draft, may have just had the quietest 30-home run season in the minors this year. Still, zero percent rostered, he has finished his season as one of the better hitters in the minors, slashing .318/.386/.636 (a 162 wRC+), with 17 home runs, four stolen bases, an 8.7% walk rate, and an 18.3% strikeout rate in 54 games since July 10th. Twenty-four of those games have come after a promotion to Triple-A, showing some excellent quality of contact data to back up the counting stats. Tawa has posted above-average to elite marks in average exit velocity (95th percentile), 90th EV (81st percentile), hard-hit rate (97th percentile), barrel rate (82nd percentile), and sweet spot percentage (74th percentile). None of this matters if Tawa can’t make contact, but he posts above-average contact at the 65th percentile in the zone and 56th percentile outside. He has played all over the diamond, including all three outfield spots, which should help him get opportunities. He’s also chipped in double-digit steals the last couple of seasons.

Why to think twice: Tawa has a fairly aggressive approach, swinging at a 71st percentile rate, and due to this, he chases outside the zone more than you would like. He’s also old for a prospect, and this was his third season playing at Double-A. Tawa has also put the ball on the ground over 40% of the time this year, and you have to wonder how much his hitter-friendly environs of Reno and Amarillo have padded his stats. PLive+ is also not a fan, giving him just an even 100 score.

Final Thoughts: Any time a minor leaguer pops 30 home runs, fantasy owners should take notice, and Tawa has done just that. In a month-long sample of Triple-A, he’s posting excellent quality of contact metrics and making contact at a decent rate. His ability to play all over should give him opportunities, and we should see him in the bigs next year. He’s also a major fantasy football fan, which is fun to see. There’s a lot to like here for deeper leagues, and he’s a sneaky waiver add at the end of the year.

Where to pick up: Leagues with 400+ prospects rostered

FAAB bid: Minimal (0-5%)

Isaac Coffey 24/SP/BOS/AA

Height/weight: 6’1”/205 lbs

Throws: R

Fantrax Rostership: 3%

Top 500 Prospect Ranking (June 24): 488

My Top 300 Rank: (June 24): Unranked

Tools (2024): Unranked

PLive- (2024): 84

2023 stats (A+/AA): 117.2 IP, 3.37 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 31.5% K, 6.7% BB

2024 stats (AA): 113.2 IP, 3.17 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 30.0%K, 10.3%BB;

Why to pick up: A 10th-round pick in the 2022 draft, Coffey has been putting up outstanding numbers all season. I covered Coffey on the podcast last year and remember coming away uninspired when I learned he relies on a sub-90 mph fastball. However, after mostly ignoring him this season, I’ve decided to check in again based on his recent performance. Coffey struggled early on with a 4.64 ERA, 23.3% strikeout rate, and 13% walk rate through his first 8 starts, but since June 11th, he’s been stellar with a 2.28 ERA, 34.2% strikeout rate and 8.6% walk rate. He's been even better since the calendar turned to August, with a 1.42 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, an insane 43.1% strikeout rate, and just a 6.2% walk rate in 6 starts. Coffey has been so dominant that he’s struck out more than nine hitters in four of those six starts despite rarely going over five innings. He was recently announced as the Portland Sea Dogs Pitcher of the Year. As I mentioned, the velocity is underwhelming with a fastball that averages 89 mph. Still, per Baseball America, it comes with a very flat -3.7 VAA and over 20 inches of arm-side run that he pairs with a 74 mph slider with over 18 inches of glove-side run. Coffey also throws an 82 mph cutter. It’s a unique look for hitters and has been particularly effective since Coffey reportedly raised his release height by 4.5 inches at the end of July. 

Why to think twice: As exciting as the recent dominance has been, I still question how well his pitches will work at the MLB level. Coffey must also show that his control issues don’t reappear next season. 

Final Thoughts: Coffey strikes me as the kind of pitcher who could surprise at the big league level. His stuff isn’t huge, but he could miss enough bats to be a decent back-end starter. It's a deep league profile, but I’ll be watching more closely heading into next year despite Coffey not being my usual cup of tea.

Where to pick up: Leagues with 400+ prospects rostered

FAAB bid: Minimal (0-5%)

Gage Workman 24/3B,SS/DET/AA

Height/weight: 6’4”/202

Bats: L

Fantrax Rostership: 2%

Top 500 Prospect Ranking (June 24): 501

My Top 300 Rank: (June 24): Unranked

Tools (2024): Unranked

PLive+ (2024): 105

2023 stats (A+/AA): 412 PA .239/.336/.408, 13 HR, 19 SB, 11.7% BB, 33.7% K

2024 stats (AA): 556 PA .280/.366/.476, 18 HR, 30 SB, 11.7% BB, 27.5% K

Why to pick up: Workman was a 4th round pick in the 2020 draft and got some prospect buzz early on as a toolsy infielder. Unfortunately, the shine has worn off in recent years as Workman has struggled to make contact with the ball, so much so that Fangraphs has given him a 20 hit tool. The overall contact has taken a step in the right direction this year, though, as it has jumped 15 points from last year at Double-A. He’s also dropped his strikeout rate by over 10% from last year. Workman possesses potentially above-average power and speed, and he showed them both off this year with 18 home runs and 30 stolen bases and is ending the season on a roll. In his last 32 games since August 6th, he’s slashed .367/.431/.688 (a ridiculous 210 wRC+) with 10 home runs and 6 stolen bases. Workman is also a good fielder, which should give him big-league opportunities. In his one Double-A playoff game this year, he went 2 for 4 with a home run.

Why to think twice: Despite the contact improvement, it still needs a lot of work, man (sorry, I couldn’t resist). At Double-A this year, Workman has made in-zone contact at just a 32nd percentile rate, chases way too much at a 21st percentile rate, and whiffs at a 32nd percentile rate.

Final Thoughts: Workman is a

high-risk profile with plenty of fantasy upside. It's encouraging that he's made some strides to improve this season, but he still has a long way to go with the hit tool to get too excited. For now, he’s just a deep league add, but it's worth a watchlist elsewhere as we head toward the offseason, particularly if he should happen to get traded to a better development org that could iron out some of his hit tool issues.

Where to pick up: Leagues with 500+ prospects rostered

FAAB bid: Minimal (0-5%)

GJ Hill 23/2B,OF/COL/AA

Height/weight: 5’9”/170

Bats: L

Fantrax Rostership: 0% (under Glenallen Hill Jr., and still shows ARI as a team)

Top 500 Prospect Ranking (June 24): Unranked

My Top 300 Rank: (June 24): Unranked

Tools (2024): Unranked

PLive+ (2024): 86

2023 stats (DNP): N/A

2024 stats (A/A+): 336 PA .267/.358/.528, 20 HR, 16 SB, 10.1% BB, 25.3% K

Why to pick up: GJ Hill (aka Glenallen Hill Jr.) is the son of former big leaguer Glenallen Hill. The Diamondbacks originally drafted him in the 4th round of the 2019 draft. He struggled with contact in his initial stint in rookie ball that year and then lost all of 2020 due to the COVID season. On his return to the field in 2021-2022, he struggled again with contact before ultimately being released by the Diamondbacks on June 15th, 2022. After his release, Hill latched on with the Joliet Slammers of the independent Frontier League, posting a .894 OPS for them in 2023 before getting signed with the Rockies in April of 2024. While the Rockies are the last organization you would expect to fix a player’s contact issues, they might have done just that. There’s no denying that Hill has seen a ton of improvement this season, posting an overall contact rate around 20% higher than in 2022 and 10% higher than his previous career best in 2019 rookie ball. He just received a promotion to Double-A, his third level of the season. And what a season it has been with Hill going 20/16 in just 336 plate appearances while posting a 139 wRC+, an ISO over 100 points higher, and a strikeout rate nearly 10% lower than his previous career bests, also in 2019. Hill avoids chasing at an above-average rate with a 75th percentile chase rate at High-A. He’s also shown off his wheels with 16 stolen bases without getting caught once. Always known for his elite speed, Hill has been caught just 10 times in 69 attempts in his professional career. Finally, while it won’t show up in the statline above, in four High-A playoff games, Hill has slashed .286/.333/571 with a home run and a double.

Why to think twice: While the overall contact has improved significantly this season, there is still a long way to go. Hill posted just a 6th percentile zone contact rate at High-A and a 17th percentile rate at Single-A, although it is trending upward in his last 100 or so swings. Similarly, while his whiff rate has been trending in the right direction, it has been an abysmal 14th percentile at High-A. Hill wasn’t just wrong in his Diamondbacks career; he was horrendous, posting two straight seasons of a strikeout rate over 40% before his release. 

Final Thoughts: What better way to cap off this series than to identify a name so deep that Fantrax doesn’t even have the right team for him? At this point, Hill is a fun story, more than a serious prospect, but there is no denying his improvements this year, and one can hope this will help him build confidence for more to come. For now, he’s just a name for those sicko mode leagues (to steal a term from Drew), but one that has legitimate fantasy upside if he can find a way to make enough contact for it to matter. I’m rooting for him to do so.

Where to pick up: Leagues with 600+ prospects rostered

FAAB bid: Minimal (0-5%)