Beck's Minor League Threecap: 4/14/24

Hello all and welcome to the Threecap at night. We’ve got slow jams and smooth jazz for you all evening long. I’m writing to you late because I spent the day at the ballpark catching the St. Paul Saints and Iowa Cubs, which is objectively the best way to spend a Sunday. Anyway, let’s talk shop!

This is my Roman Empire.

Roman Anthony (BOS) wasn’t going to stay off of the home run leaderboard for long. He launched his first two of the year in Saturday’s doubleheader. He doesn’t turn 20 until May 13th and is returning to Double-A where he spent 10 games to close out last season. Through 16 total games at the level (between 2023 and 2024), Anthony has belted three homers, added another seven extra base hits, and struck out just 14 times in 70 plate appearances (20%). I think about him often.

There are heaters and then there’s whatever Agustin Ramirez (NYY) is doing. At this point you can just hang an earned run on the box score when he’s in the lineup because he’s gone yard in three straight and has six homers in seven games to open the year. He has fantastic swing decisions and power that could project for 30 home runs annually at peak. Still a lot for him to figure out and a bit of a logjam at the position in New York, but he should be added everywhere.

Speaking of home run streaks, Emmanuel Rodriguez (MIN) has been putting them out in spurts. He has four home runs over his last five games. He’s still struck out 11 times in 36 plate appearances so far, so some things to iron out after a year in which he struck out 29.5% of the time, but he looks like a top-10 prospect.

Joey Loperfido (HOU) just doesn’t stop. It’s getting comical. Ramirez, Rodriguez, and Loperfido have been eating up a lot of column space over the last week. What would you have me do? Leave them off? No way. He’s up to 10 home runs and a ridiculous .907 slugging percentage. I had some good conversations on Twitter/X about his profile this weekend and ultimately think he belongs in the Edouard Julien/Jack Suwinski bucket of swing decision profiles where he gets himself into trouble by sticking around in the count too often and occasionally getting fooled.

The first guy on the rundown without a home run in Saturday’s games is Andy Pages (LAD), but it’s for good reason. He filled up the box score with three hits in four at-bats (two singles and a double), three RBIs, and a run scored. He’s running a 1.029 OPS for Oklahoma City through 14 games coming directly off of a strong Spring Training in which he clobbered four extra base hits in 21 plate appearances and drove in nine RBIs. I would not be surprised to see him contribute for the big league club in the first half of the year.

Cade Rules Everything Around Me (C.R.E.A.M).

I think it’s pretty clear at this point that Cade Povich (BAL) has pulled ahead as the obvious next man up for Baltimore. He’s strung together three brilliant starts, the latest (and greatest) of which came on Saturday against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (NYY). He tossed 5.1 innings of one-run ball while striking out 10. His only blemish was a solo home run. Command and control of the pitch count will be instrumental for him – he can be a nibbler at times akin to Blake Snell.

Jonah Tong (NYM) is striking the world out right now. He’s made two appearances totaling 8.1 innings and sent 21 batsmen down on strikes in that time, good for a 61.7% strikeout rate. It’s too early to tell what he’ll really turn into as he’s 21 in Low-A with a very short track record, but I find his delivery very convincing. He’s exceptional at hiding the ball as he’s striding down the mound and comes directly over the top, which requires batters to wait to see the baseball until the very last moment. His fastball is his best pitch due to outlier shape (he regularly runs 20 inches of IVB), but he also has a promising pair of breaking balls in the cutter and curveball.

Paul Skenes is all the rage and deserves to be a big leaguer, but Quinn Priester (PIT) is doing his best to force a promotion, too. He’s logged three starts totalling 13.2 innings and has fanned 20 batters in that time at a rate far higher than any other point in his professional career. I’m not necessarily a believer long-term – I don’t think the three starts he’s made this year constitute a real change in skill or ceiling – but you have to tip your cap to a guy going out and throwing the ball well.

Paul Skenes and Quinn Priester are all the rage, but Bubba Chandler (PIT) shouldn’t be forgotten either. He had a perfectly cromulent 2024 debut against Akron last week, but bounced back with a stellar outing on Saturday by going four nearly perfect frames while striking out six. He didn’t allow a hit but walked two batters. Command/control haven’t been Chandler’s strongest suits historically, so I’d like to see him rein it in a bit, but his results have been solid. I’m a fan.

This is Owen Murphy (ATL)’s second appearance on the Threecap, which is pretty good because he’s only appeared in two games thus far. Atlanta has him stretched all the way out as a starter and are letting him go five to six innings each time out which is really nice to see. He went 5.1 on Saturday with eight strikeouts and one earned run on four hits and three walks. I’m watching him closely as a potential riser.

Getting Your Priorities in Order.

Here’s where I’d be putting in bids in dynasty based on the young season so far, in rough order of preference:

• Jefferson Rojas (CHC)

• Zyhir Hope (LAD)

• Cade Povich (BAL)

• Adam Mazur (SDP)

• Santiago Suarez (TBR)

• Agustin Ramirez (NYY)

• Josue Briceno (DET)

• Jonny Farmelo (SEA)

• George Klassen (PHI)

• Landen Maroudis (TOR)

• Jonah Tong (NYM)

• Quinn Mathews (STL)