I personally use PLIVE+ multiple times a week and I've decided we need more filters. You might look at the page and say "wait there are already a crap ton of filters" and you'd be right. But sometimes need to be able to hone in on specific metrics to narrow our focus. So prior to hitting publish on this post I've uploaded a new version of PLIVE+ with the new filters.
Smada
Now that we've got these new filters at our disposal, lets have a little fun with them.
High OBP, high SB, above avg wRC+ guys (20+ SB, .335+ OBP, wRC+ >100)
There are 10 players in this group and half are near the top of prospect lists. Jasson Dominguez, Jett Williams, Jordan Lawlar and Adael Amador most prominently. Only one has low ownership:
Dylan O'Rae is just 2% owned and has the highest projected OBP at .361 in this group of players. He was also JUST promoted to AA after posting a 120 wRC+ with a .405 OBP and stealing 33 bags in 284 PA. I highlighted O'Rae Aug 20th of last year as a PLIVE+ standout:
Dylan O'Rae (MIL, A) is a 19 yr old second baseman that was taken in the 3rd round of the 2022 draft. He jumped 18 points to 111 PLIVE+ after a promotion to A ball. Profile is zero-power, but an on-base & SB machine (~20% BB, 99 sb/600 PA pace). He's not on our current iteration of the 500 and should be considered a deep league spec.
In our current iteration (hopefully out Friday!) of the Top 500 he'll definitely be included. 20 yr olds at AA should not be ignored, especially with his skillset. Just be warned, 19 XBH over 607 PA ... that is truly zero-power (hat-tip to Taylor for the stat).
Decent power, low K guys (.180+ ISO, <20% K)
Only 6 guys in this group and five are very well known. That leaves one player and he's just 2% rostered as well:
Leandro Arias is a 19 yr old SS in the BAL system. As a 2022 IFA signee he struggled in the DSL but had a much stronger season, although not a standout one, at the CPX level in 2023. He went back to CPX (it appears to rehab an injury) to start the year, hit very well in a 7 game stint and has been strong at A-ball since then. Instead of paraphrasing Rhys White's report on him, you can read it here:
The Orioles have done relatively well since they started dipping into the IFA market. Arias is a fast and loose athlete whose value will largely be tied to his glove and speed. He can make every play you want from a shortstop, and then some of the harder ones. He’s loose in the field and able to get to balls well to his left and right. He has an average arm, which could improve as he ages and adds more strength to his frame. That strength would significantly help Arias because he currently projects to have below-average power. He doesn’t hit the ball very hard yet due to his lack of strength. However, he makes good swing decisions, like most O’s prospects do, and has a good understanding of the strike zone. As he matures, he could become a 55 hitter by refining his approach from both sides of the plate. Arias needs a lot of projection to go right for him, but his baseline of having a good hit tool and being a good defensive shortstop prospect gives him a high floor as a utility piece. - Rhys White
Peak projections are much more bullish on the power and that's because along with his 7 stateside HR, he's had 19 doubles and 3 triples over his 302 PA. As Rhys says here, strength would significantly help him, but he's only 19 and we can dream a bit can't we? What excites me the most here is that unlike a couple guys on this list, he's got a solidified position and will be useful defensively. I'd happily add him in leagues with 400+ players rostered.
Big power, 20 yrs old or young (28+ HR)
Once again we have 6 players and 5 of them have very high ownership. That leaves the 1% owned:
Aneudis Mordan is, shockingly, another BAL hitter that's standing out. There's certainly a bit of swing and miss but the K% hasn't been out of hand and sits at 22.6% through 208 A-ball PA. Stateside, he's hit 18 HR over 361 PA and he definitely looks like he got the raw juice. This year he's played about 2/3rd of his games at C and the other 1/3 at 1B. He's another 400+ prospects owned add and I'd probably favor adding Arias over Mordan at present given he's got a higher floor, but wouldn't argue with you going the other direction.
Alright moving onto one last pitcher board, we've got filters there now too! Additionally, we've changed TBF/G to IP/G as it's a bit more intuitive.
SP going deep into games, with good K% (5+ IP/G, 18%+ K%)
We've got quite the group here. The Mat(t)hews breakout brothers, a couple recent COL draftees, a couple recent MLB debut guys and some well known up & commers in Sproat and Dana. There is one wildcard entry to the group (pun VERY MUCH intended):
Owen Wild at just 1% owned was a 7th round pick for TB this past year out of Gonzaga. He's been on fire in his last 4 starts at high-A, posting an 11.9 K/9 and 1.9 BB/9 with a 2.25 ERA. Wild's performance was especially punctuated by his recent 6 IP, 4 H, 1BB, 12 K outing last week. Tyler Paddor had a report on him that sums him up nicely:
The last of an impressive class of Gonzaga pitchers in the early 2020s, Wild and his bulky build offer intriguing upside. Aided by a big lower half, Wild gets very deep into his legs and explodes down the hill, throwing from a high 3-4 slot. By no means a wild or powerful pitcher, Wild typically sits 90 or below on his fastball. However, Wild makes up for that with carry on his fastball. Pair the carry with above average extension and the pitch can play much better than its pure velocity. If Wild can add a tick on his fastball to sit 91-93, it could become an above-average pitch. Wild’s second pitch is a slider with depth that he locates to the lower glove-side corner of the zone with ease. It lacks the movement profile currently to be an average pitch but his ability to command it makes it a quality offering. The current x-factor with Wild is a budding changeup served up with deceptive arm speed and heavy drop plus some run. It has been his most effective pitch and keeps hopes for starting alive. Wild also has a curveball with near 12-6 shape that can be an effective change of pace offering. Wild repeats his mechanics well and loads up the strike zone. At times because of the lack of power, he’s forced to nibble but his control is above-average. Without any true standout traits, Wild’s upside is capped but he also appears quite likely to appear in the big leagues. A transition to the bullpen where Wild could increase his arm effort to sit in the low-90s could be the boost he needs to become a contributor at the highest level. - Tyler Paddor
I watched the the highlights of his 12 K outing and can confirm the THICK lower half, FB extension and nice change. Only 21 yrs old, if we can get him to add some velo I think we've got a sneaky riser here. Love that he's on the Rays where they'll maximize his mix and help develop further. This year's Drew Thorpe? Let's keep monitoring in shallow leagues and add in deep ones.
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