Smada here! Data is updated for the last week.
No one is asking for it, but wanted to share a bit about my favorite memory with my dad who passed away in 2013. I didn't really get into baseball until 10 yrs old, mostly because my dad loved watching football and hockey. So before I was playing catch, I was roller blading with a hockey stick & tennis ball in the driveway. We had a hockey net that I'd shoot into and I got into it so much that my dad got a goalie stick, used goalie mask and throw on catchers chest protector and soccer shin guards. He'd stand in there taking slap shots from like 6 feet away for what seemed like hours, or until it got dark after dinner. I grew up in California so my dreams of being a hockey player were dashed early. But those times were some of the most fun I've had and I'm thankful for him taking the time to stand in there, even after taking tennis balls to non-padded areas. A reminder to myself and other dads out there that simply participating in something that might seem insignificant can make some of the most lasting memories in your kid's life. Happy Father's Day to the fathers out there!
Smada
Here are players that are standing out this week!
Lazaro Montes
Lazaro Montes overtook Junior Caminero for the PLIVE+ top spot and peak projections officially have him projected for the most HR of any prospect. Yes we all want to see his long overdue promotion to high-A before doing any crowning, but the K% reduction over 281 PA to 18% is huge for the 19 yr old. He's a top 10 overall guy at this point.
Here is what I wrote August 20th last year:
Lazaro Montes (SEA, A) had what might be the most insane PLIVE+ weekly leap of the season. He gained 18 points to break into the top 10 and is now sandwiched between James Wood and Pete Crow-Armstrong. PLIVE+ was slightly skeptical while he was on the complex due to 25% K rate despite the power and walks. But after his call up he flipped a switch. In the last week alone he had 5 HR, 5 BB and only 5 Ks. Whether or not you give credence to the nickname "baby Yordan", it will only fuel the hype. Test the waters on a 1-1 deal or look to him as a "toss in" where he's actually the main target. The performance is adding up to what will be a crazy rise in rankings across all sites, especially after further evaluations in the offseason. Junior Caminero was in a near identical spot this time last year.
Michael Arroyo
Michael Arroyo has definitely been overshadowed by others on that incredibly loaded Nuts team, which is understandable when you share the lineup with Montes and Colt Emerson. But it's time to give Arroyo some deserved love. He's gone nuclear over the last 9 games, hitting 4 HR and stealing 3 bases while overall posting 195 wRC+, lifting it to 133 wRC+ on the year. He is now the 3rd ranked hitter by PLIVE+ at A-ball behind his teammates Montes and Emerson and 20th across all levels. He's still just 8% owned in Fantrax and that number needs to rise, as does our Top 500 rank at 184 (update coming very soon).
Lisbel Diaz
Lisbel Diaz is your CPX hitter highlight of the week. He gathered enough PA to show up on the default page and is the 8th ranked CPX hitter by PLIVE+. Got a message about Diaz and a couple other from Eddy Almaguer (we miss him) and told him I'd help spread the news. Over 70 PA the Giants OF has hit 4 HR with a 10% BB and 17% K. Speed does not appear in this profile as the almost 18 yr old is already listed at 6'2" 201 lbs. SwStr% is a bit high, so the K% may rise, but I'd get him on your radar as a potential power bat breakout. Here's a great view of his swing from Prospects World Wide's twitter: https://x.com/ProspectsWorldW/status/1800713781879968144
Spencer Horwitz
We don't often look at MLB guys, but Spencer Horwitz has always projected well by PLIVE+ and he's getting another opportunity at the big league level after a successful 15 game stint last year. He's started 6 of the last 7 games and is showing great bat-to-ball traits in the tiny PA sample. Horwitz has dominated AAA for two years now with 144 wRC+ and 158 wRC+ over a total of 743 PA. He goes well under the radar because he's 26 yrs old and peak projections only have him for 9 HR and 8 SB. He reminds me a lot of Jeff McNeil who when he came up was also 26 yrs old on the back of dominating AAA without much overall power & speed. If that kind of profile appeals in your league, I'd be looking to acquire.
Christopher Suero
Christopher Suero had a big rise over the last week moving up to 19th among high-A hitters. The 20 yr old is a catcher who has also played his fair share of 1B and LF. The peak projections are very fantasy friendly with 108 wRC+ with 21 HR and 15 SB. At first glace, he's hit everywhere, but with a bit lower average, so he's more of an OBP than AVG league buy. Looking at his actual profile I might swap those HR and SB projections as Fangraphs reports a 60 grade speed and the actual ISO numbers are potentially bolstered by small sample HR volume in the early going. Regardless, he's a player that's currently 0% rostered on Fantrax and that should change.
K.C. Hunt
So it looks like you only got a 1 week head start on K.C. Hunt because a large account found out about him and his ownership has started began to rise from universally un-rostered. Funny how that works... but on top of that, in his 2nd career start he went 6 IP scoreless with 1 H, 1 BB and 8 K. For the year he's up to 40 IP with just 6 BB and 62 K. He's a priority add in leagues with 300+ prospects and a spec add at 200+. The command and stuff looks legit, even with a 93 mph FB. PLIVE+ has him firmly in the group of breakout arms with Grant Taylor (8% owned), Jaden Hamm (10%) and Quinn Mathews (12%).
Shane Smith
Keeping with the Brewers, there is another. Shane Smith is a reliever turned starter putting up a great K-BB%. This is deep league hunting (0% owned), but he's another one to keep on the radar given he's at AA. On the year he's moved himself into the 26th spot overall for PLIVE+ with a line of 38.2 IP, 33.8% K and 6.4% BB and 3.49 ER with only 1 HR given up. He was the Brewers MiLB pitcher of the month in May and just put together another very solid outing 5 IP outing. Another positive, he's topping out at 96 mph. Don't worry, won't tweet about him, learned my lesson last time.
River Ryan
ICYMI River Ryan is back. He had two very clean 2IP outings at CPX & A-ball and then lasted just 2/3rds of an inning in his first AAA outing. Thankfully though, we had statcast and he sat 98 mph on the FB which graded out very well via TJ Stats. This isn't so much a PLIVE+ update as it a reminder that once he's stretched out we could see him up quickly.
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