Recent Call-Ups
Luis Campusano C SD - Campusano is a catcher that has been on my radar for a couple of years now, dating back to him being drafted in 2017 in the second round. He’s rising to the challenges the Padres have given him to this point as last year he was promoted to High-A after just 38 games in Class-A in 2018 and Campusano rewarded them with Co-MVP honors with a .325/.396/.509 slash line in 110 games with 15 homers, 31 doubles, 81 RBI, and 63 runs. The young backstop also walked nearly as many times (52) as he struck out (57) in that 2019 campaign. Now, at just 21 years old, the stocky, 5’11” and 232 pound, catcher is up with the big club to help out the already impressive offense. He comes in with four above-average tools with Run being the only one that’s not great. The plate approach is advanced and his ability to keep the barrel in the hitting zone for a long time means he can spray the ball to all fields well with his line-drive stroke. He’s learning to turn the line-drives into over-the-fence pop but he should be an above-average power hitter at that position shortly. The average and power are certainly worth noting in an offensively challenged position for fantasy but the defense still needs work and the fact that he only threw out 27.7-percent of would-be base-stealers last year is concerning. There’s plenty of time to round into form and ultimately he’s a future everyday regular who can be an impact player on both sides of the plate.
Dean Kremer RHP BAL - Kremer was part of the return for sending Manny Machado to the Dodgers a couple of seasons ago. He has been very good in the Orioles system since arriving mid-season in 2017 after being a 14th round pick in the 2016 June draft and now he’s turned that into his MLB debut. He features a plus-curveball and above-average fastball that sits mid-90s with late arm-side run to it. The curveball can be thrown in any count and gets swings and misses whether it’s in the zone or not. The changeup is an average pitch and works best against lefties to keep them from zeroing in on one of the other two pitches. Kremer also has a slider, though it’s behind the other three pitches and needs better command and more consistent break. In his one MLB start this week he went six innings with seven Ks of one-hit ball and got a win. He likely stays in the O’s rotation the rest of the way given their need to see what’s coming in the farm system and down the road he is a fourth or fifth starter type..
Keegan Akin LHP BAL - Akin is another O’s pitcher getting his first taste of the bigs in 2020 with a recent call-up after pitching 376 innings in the minors since being drafted in 2016. The lefty has made four appearances, two starts, for 13 innings for the Birds so far and has been very good with a 15:7 K:BB ratio and .174 BAA in that short span. The anchor of the arsenal is a high-spin rate, mid-90s fastball that is tough to barrel up due to the tight movement on it. The slurvy-slider is his favorite secondary pitch and the third offering is a changeup that draws plenty of soft contact from right-handed hitters. Akin pitched 250 innings the last two years between Double-A and Triple-A and racked up 275 strikeouts and it would’ve been more had he not been so focused on developing the offspeed pitches last year, like the O’s instructed him to. The lefty should slot into the middle of the Baltimore rotation as early as next year but there are some that think he could transition to the pen to help his stuff play up, I for one am in the rotation camp.
Clarke Schmidt RHP NYY - Schmidt was one the best pitchers in the 2017 draft even if he did undergo Tommy John surgery a month before the draft. The Yankees took him in the first round and that has paid off for them as they now have a very good pitching prospect they are tapping for rotation help. The righty has three plus-pitches in his repertoire, though it could be as many as five. He throws two fastballs (counts as one for grading as both are plus) that range from 92-97 and the two-seamer is a heavy sinking variety while the four-seamer is more of a cutter. The curveball is a low-80s breaker that has good depth and misses bats well while the changeup is similar to a circle change in movement as it bottoms out at the plate. The fifth pitch comes in with his slider that was a plus offering until he started throwing the curveball instead. The only thing holding him back is the fact that he’s 6’1” and 200 pounds and doesn’t have the cleanest delivery which gives cause for concern about injuries, not only did he have Tommy John but he also missed a month in 2019 with elbow inflammation. Schmidt fits the mold of a middle-of-the-rotation starter and has nice strikeout upside.
Who’s Been Hot
Randy Arozarena OF TB - There was some concern with Arozarena getting traded from St. Louis to Tampa as the Rays had a glut of outfielders. However, he’s gotten playing time this year and recently he’s been hot, going 7-for-14 with a 1.143 SLG in the last five games. He’s been hitting in the middle of the lineup for Tampa as well and as they surge to the top of the AL East, expect him to keep getting playing time as long as he’s hot as his bat has always been the selling point with him even when he was coming up in the Cardinals system.
Devin Williams RHP MIL - The Brewers have been scuffling for the most part this year, but a huge bright spot has been Williams in the pen for Milwaukee. He’s pitched 17 frames this year and in that span the righty has allowed just one run on four hits with a .070 BAA. His 35:6 K:BB ratio is phenomenal and powering that has been his changeup which has held opposing hitters hitless to a 0-for-39 clip with 26 strikeouts. If you are in a keeper league, get Williams now and he should be in line to be the closer for the Brewers next year as both Knebel and Hader are up in the air for that role.
Andrés Giménez SS/2B NYM - The shortstop by nature has seen time at three positions for the Mets this year but that hasn’t slowed down the bat for him as he’s hitting .282 with a homer and seven steals in seven attempts. The hit tool and speed aren’t a shock as they are both plus-tools for the 22-year-old middle infielder and his defensive versatility isn’t either as he was constantly on the list of best defensive shortstops in the minors. With a frame that is 5’11” and 161 pounds, power will never be a big part of his game but a high-average and 25-plus steals should be no matter if he settles at shortstop or second base for the long term.
Tony Gonsolin RHP LAD - Gonsolin was a bit of a surprising send down a couple of weeks ago but now the righty is back with the Dodgers and picked up where he left off. In five starts for the NL West leading Dodgers, he’s posted a 0.76 ERA and 0.72 WHIP while being very tough on opposing hitters with a .150 BAA. He’s consistently been overlooked in the deep Dodgers system but he’s got the making of a number-three starter when all is said and done given the depth L.A. still has in their system.