Hey friends, welcome back to another edition of Under the Radar, a monthly series that I like to put out after our updated Top 500 is released. We’ve gotten a lot of movement in the ranks with the FYPD guys added and the DSL league in the books. I’m looking at these three guys as an investment in deeper dynasty leagues, think 350+ prospects rostered. My process for this is fairly simple, I use the great PLive tool of ours, search out the top of the leaderboards and find interesting guys who are popping in the model. Then I will do a deep dive into them looking at organization, defense, scouting reports to get a fuller picture of the player.

I encourage you all to use the PLive+ tool in this manner to uncover some under the radar players or let me be your guide and sommelier and pick out the perfect players for your team.

As always, at the end I will give an update on my past suggestions in this series to maintain accountability.

Aron Estrada, 19, 2B, Orioles

(403, PLive+ 137)

Aron is next in line in the seemingly endless Orioles batting prospects pipeline. Standing only 5’8” but with notable strength in his frame he is way above the listed 148 lbs that most outlets have him as. Signed as an IFA in 2022, every stop that Estrada has played at, his strikeout rate has never exceeded 16% even though he’s a bit of a free swinger.

Estrada makes slightly above average contact in the zone at 79% and has a tendency to expand the zone often, with a 37% chase rate. In the video that I’ve been able to watch of Estrada, he handles velocity well and shows quick hands through the zone but does have trouble with breaking balls, especially in the at-bats I’ve watched since he’s been promoted to High-A.

He’s played the majority of his games at second base but has spent time on the left side of the infield as well. The defense is reportedly just ok, lending to thought that he will eventually just be a utility guy and that the bat will have to carry him to the majors.

Estrada has plus speed, stealing 31 bags in Single-A this year and he’s able to stretch singles into doubles with 19 on the year to go along with his 9 homeruns.

He’s worth a speculative add in leagues that roster at least 350 prospects, as a potential low-teens homerun guy that will give you 20-plus steals with an acceptable batting average that won’t kill you in OBP either.

Payton Eeles, 24, 2B, Twins

(522, PLive+ 129)

I wanted to include Eeles in here because he’s a complete wild card to me, he spent his college years at Cedarville University and Coastal Carolina University and then went undrafted in ’23. He spent time in Indy ball last year and the beginning of this season before being picked up by the Twins in May. They stuck him in Single-A for a little over a month where he raked, was quickly promoted to High-A…where he raked, and decided he was ready for Triple-A at the beginning of July.

Dear reader, he’s still raking, currently hitting .306 with a 12% walk rate and 12% strikeout rate. He does a good job not chasing (21%) and almost never whiffs at pitches in the zone with an 87% z-contact rate.

The bad news is there is very little power in the profile, with a 102mph 90th percentile exit velocity and his max is 106mph. Smaller than Jose Altuve at 5’5” I don’t see much power left to project either. But that’s ok! He does a great job working a walk and putting the ball in play and using his speed. Through all three levels this year he has amassed 30 steals.

He’s a sure handed second baseman and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him up with the Twins next year getting a crack at the starting job for them as he only has to pass Edouard Julien, who struggles on defense and hasn’t had the same pop as last year.

I would roster him with prospects up to 400 prospects as he is one of the better bets to see time in the majors with a good chance to stick as either an everyday player or a utility piece.

Jojo Ingrassia, 20, LHP, Red Sox

(Unranked, PLive- 69)

Ingrassia is a…forgive me for the old trope, a craft lefty. He’s on the smaller side at 6’1” and is a little lanky in the frame so there might be some more projection left in him as he hopefully adds some more strength. He hides the ball well in his delivery and utilizes a cross-body throwing motion out of a low arm slot, letting his sweeper play up as well as his mid-90’s fastball. Ingrassia also throws a changeup that has the potential to be a plus pitch as well.

This is his age-21 season and he’s been in Single-A the whole year, slightly old for the level but the results have been fantastic so far with a strikeout-minus-walk rate of 32.4%. I’m betting on the Red Sox development team to get the most out of Ingrassia.

I went ahead and added him in leagues that roster at least 500 prospects and I think you should too, taking a shot on him replicating his success as he climbs the rungs of the ladder in the organization that is quickly becoming a pitching hotspot. He’s not going to cost you anything more than a roster spot.

Updates on Past Pick

Let’s check in with my past picks to see how they’re doing.

Charles McAdoo – after being traded to the Toronto at the deadline he did struggle a bit but has recently found his footing. A big up arrow for him still

Alex Mooney – Ok, he’s struggling in his last twenty or so games with a .066 batting average, he’s probably ok to cut, but there’s still speed there.

Michael Forret – he’s pitched relatively well, has ran into some control problems with a 14% walk rate over his last four starts. He’s a hold for now.

Anuedis Mordan – cut, .193 average in his last 34 games with two homeruns.

Caleb Durbin – Coming off of an injury, he’s hitting .231 since being back. He’s a hold for me though as I think he’s just shaking the cobwebs off.

Lonnie White Jr. – I was hoping with a season full of plate appearances he would begin to figure out High-A pitching but that hasn’t come to fruition, and he only has three homeruns in the last 22 games. You can cut him.

Luke Keaschall – The crown jewel of the Under the Radar series, he recently underwent Tommy John after playing in the Futures Game. He should be back in time for Spring Training and fighting for a spot on the Twins shortly. We’re reportedly besties now.

Matt Etzel – Still a hold for me, value is the same going to the Rays.

Quinn McDaniel – The cold weather bat is still a hold for me, he’s been getting to his power a little bit more and hasn’t been caught on the base paths in his last 12 attempts.

C.J. Kayfus – Has ran into some contact issues at Double-A, still a believer in the profile.