Kumar Rocker Texas Ranger or Walcott At One

Rangers RHP Kumar Rocker is all set to make his debut Thursday against the Mariners. Arms don’t always come back from reconstructive elbow surgeries, but Rocker has returned looking like the best version of what we dreamed he could be, wiping hitters away with superb command of an 80-grade slider that mixes well with his fastball and changeup. It’s a tip-of-the-iceberg type feeling at the moment as it stands to reason that there’s more in the tank for Rocker both this year and in the near future considering he’s just 26.2 innings into this healthy phase of career. In two Triple-A starts, he struck out 51.4 percent of the hitters he faced, walking 2.9 percent. That’s pretty good over any sample size.  

I’m working on a rankings update, and the number one spot is up for grabs. Rangers SS Sebastian Walcott is the frontrunner in my eyes. The Red Sox have two candidates in Roman Anthony and Kristian Campbell. Can’t really ignore Orioles C Samuel Basallo either. That’s the group right now for me. Walcott was promoted to Double-A this week, and if he hits there as an 18-year-old, he’ll lock down the top spot on my winter list. 

Guardians 2B Juan Brito (22, AAA) is slashing .306/.404/.612 with four home runs, three steals, nine strikeouts and eight walks in his last 12 games. A switch-hitter with good plate skills from both sides, Brito came over from Colorado in the Nolan Jones trade and has hit well for Cleveland at every level. It’s not easy to see how he’ll fit into the infield, but that’s par for the course on this team. 

The 28th overall pick last year out of Nebraska, Astros SS Brice Matthews was promoted to Triple-A after just 102 professional games. He struck out 33.7 percent of the time in his 42 Double-A games but produced a 146 wRC+ nonetheless thanks to the impact he generates on contact, which was good for 18 extra base hits in those 181 plate appearances. On the season, Matthews has 15 home runs and 29 stolen bases in 67 games across three levels. He should be a pretty easy Top 100 prospect this winter, but a lot of sites have something of a Houston blindspot in that process, so maybe he’ll still be a nice value heading into next season, in dynasty and deep redraft leagues both.    

Atlanta RHP Reynaldo Lopez left his start Tuesday night with an injury, and while the extent of the issue isn’t known at the moment, it sure looked like an IL-stay waiting to happen. Atlanta RHP AJ Smith-Shawver (21, AAA) makes an interesting candidate for any available starts. He’s had an up-and-down season but has covered at least five innings in each of his last four starts, recording a 3.42 ERA with 25 strikeouts and a 1.06 WHIP, capped off by an 11-strikeout performance his last time out. 

The Cardinals received SS Thomas Saggese (22) from Texas in the return for LHP Jordan Montgomery last year and want to get a look at him in St. Louis over the final few weeks. He started at the six and went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts but hit 20 home runs with nine steals in 125 Triple-A games and has demonstrated solid bat-to-ball skills throughout his career that warrant our consideration. 

As a 5’10” right-handed first baseman, Rangers 1B Blaine Crim, Independent (27, AAA) faces an uphill battle to establish himself in the majors, but he’s fighting the good fight, slashing .280/.375/.474 with 19 homers and a 17.5 percent strikeout rate. That’s basically a carbon copy of the line he produced in 124 Triple-A games last season. He might need a change of scenery to get a chance, but he’s a bat to follow if he lands on a less competitive roster. 

A first-round pick this summer, Cubs 3B Cam Smith (21, AA) cruised through the A-levels in just 27 games and tripled in his Double-A debut. This year’s First-Year-Player class isn’t lined up in a clear sequence, and Smith could push toward the top with a strong couple weeks. 

Thanks for reading!