Top 10 First Base Prospects: Casas Ready to Shine for Falcons

We continue our position by position look at the Top 10 Prospects across the Roger Dorn Baseball League.

In the age of positional flexibility, true first base prospects have become more rare around baseball with half making this Top 10 Prospect List carrying another eligible spot on the diamond heading into the off-season. Despite the shortage of elite prospects playing the position, the RDBL has some elite upside talent that looks set to join Active Rosters in 2024 led by Triston Casas, Nolan Jones and Coby Mayo.

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1. 1B Triston Casas, Maltese Falcons

Acquired: 2021 Reserve Draft, 1st Round | ETA: 2024

After getting off to a difficult start, Casas emerged as one of the most impactful hitters in baseball, especially in the second half. The 23-year-old first baseman batted .263 with 24 home runs, 65 RBI, an .856 OPS, 21 doubles and 70 walks, and in the second half he batted .317 with 15 home runs and a 1.034 OPS over his final 54 games. He’s everything the Falcons hoped he would be when they selected him in the 1st Round of the 2021 Reserve Draft and stands ready to step in as a three-year starter for GM Gary Falzon to start 2024.

2. 1B/OF Nolan Jones, Mission Viejo Maulers

Acquired: 2023 Trade with Burlingame Blue Ducks | ETA: 2024 (‘23 Playoff Activation)

Some eyebrows were raised when the Maulers acquired Nolan Jones and a 3rd Round Pick for prized catcher Daulton Varsho before the 2023 Draft. The move paid off handsomely as Jones was exceptional in 2023, posting an overall line of .297/.389/.542 with 46 extra base hits. Jones' performance pushed GM Chris Ferraro to activate him for the 2023 Playoffs where he went nuclear, posting the fourth most points in RDBL Playoff History. If he maintains production close to what he showed in 2023, this ranking will be far too low.

3. 1B/3B Coby Mayo, Maltese Falcons

Acquired: 2022 Reserve Draft, 9th Round | ETA: 2024

The Falcons look to be set in the infield with Triston Casas, Royce Lewis, Edouard Julien and Coby Mayo, all potentially ready for 2024 Activations. Primarily a third baseman, a logjam in Baltimore figures to push Mayo to first base where he has spent some time through the Minors. His carrying tool is his bat which will play at any position. The 21-year-old led the Orioles organization with 29 home runs with a .974 OPS between Double-A Bowie and Triple-A Norfolk, all while cutting his strikeout rate and increasing his walk rate. He's likely to start 2024 at Triple-A, but will be quickly knocking on the door of the big leagues.

4. 1B Kyle Manzardo, Burlingame Blue Ducks

Acquired: 2023 Reserve Draft, 1st Round | ETA: 2024

Manzardo's value was sky-high entering the 2023 Draft when the Ducks selected the smooth-hitting first baseman 11th overall in the Reserve Draft. After posting an OPS of 1.043 in 2022 across A+ and AA, Manzardo fell back to life with a .801 OPS at Triple-A while being dealt from the Rays to the Guardians. A hot Arizona Fall League has Manzardo's value back up with a 50/50 shot to earn the starting job in Cleveland for Opening Day.

5. 1B/P Jac Caglianone, Mission Viejo Maulers

Acquired: 2023 Reserve Draft, 3rd Round | ETA: 2026

A Golden Spikes award semifinalist after a sensational 2023 season, Caglianone is a tooled up lefthander and slugging first baseman who led the country with 33 home runs and also posted a 4.34 ERA as a weekend starter for the Gators. He has double-plus raw power and averaged 95 mph from the left side, though he needs to refine both his offensive approach and control on the mound. Caglianone is an aggressive hitter who expands the zone frequently, and he was exposed late in the season against a higher concentration of premium arms in the College World Series. He has upside as great as anyone in the 2024 Draft Class, though scouts will want to feel more confidence in his pure hitting chops.

6. C/1B Tyler Soderstrom, Alamo Short Stacks

Acquired: 2023 Trade from Mt. Diablo Devils | ETA: 2024

Playing all of 2023 at age 21, Soderstrom was rushed to the big leagues by the talent-starved Oakland Athletics where he took his lumps while showcasing the major power that has become his calling card. Originally a first round MLB Draft pick with a plus hit tool, Soderstrom has developed more into a low-average, high power bat that sees a big bump in value due to his playing time being split between catcher and first base. With the Stacks likely set at catcher for 2024, Soderstrom is likely to get one additional year of seasoning before a potential activation with much of his value tied up into his catcher eligibility.

7. 3B/1B Tommy White, Alamo Short Stacks

Acquired: 2023 Reserve Draft, 10th Round | ETA: 2026

After an historic freshman year at North Carolina State in which White hit .362 with 27 home runs, he opted to enter the transfer portal and would eventually end up at LSU. White did not miss a beat, again turning in a spectacular season. While some were projecting a dip in production against SEC pitching, White somehow improved upon his freshman year numbers and hit .374 with 24 doubles, 24 home runs, and a whopping 105 RBI. He is a physical player with electric hand speed, but what sets White apart is his bat-to-ball skills. He has an in-zone contact rate of 87%, including 92% against sliders, and he pulverizes the baseball to all fields. Although there are some questions where White might end up defensively, which pushed us to rank him as a first baseman, his bat alone warrants a top-10 selection in the 2024 MLB Draft.

8. 1B Matt Mervis, Spokane Fightin' Fish

Acquired: 2023 Reserve Draft, 2nd Round | ETA: 2024

Matt Mervis had a six-week long stint in the majors this year and it did not go well at the plate. In 90 at-bats, Mervis had a .167 batting average with 3 home runs and a .531 OPS. The 25-year-old is a plus defender at first base but needs refinement at the plate. When he was sent back down, Mervis worked on subtle swing adjustments that yielded good results in Triple-A. By the end of the season, Mervis had collected 22 home runs, 23 doubles, and an impressive .932 OPS for the Iowa Cubs. The Cubs off-season plans at first should give us an idea of their faith in Mervis as it remains to be seen whether these adjustments will transfer well to the big leagues.

9. 1B Nick Pratto, Cloverdale Clovers

Acquired: 2022 Reserve Draft, 4th Round | ETA: 2024

Things looked promising for Pratto in the first half as he hit six home runs and posted a .719 OPS in 257 plate appearances before the All-Star Break. After the break though, things have been absolutely brutal for Pratto at the plate, as he has only hit one home run and is posting a .494 OPS in 76 plate appearances. With Vinny Pasquantino expected back in Kansas City, it's unclear if Pratto will have a big league role entering 2024.

10. 1B Ivan Melendez, Las Vegas Aristocrats

Acquired: 2022 Reserve Draft, 13th Round | ETA: 2025

It it wasn't for one single yet massively important part of the profile, Ivan Melendez would be seen as one of the more impactful prospects in the Minors. With elite raw power, Melendez profiles as a potential middle of the order bat with the upside to approach 40 homers over a full season of plate appearances. However, that one issue is the major swing and miss element that Melendez can't seem to shake. While he hit 30 home runs in just 96 games this season, that came with a 34.3% strikeout rate and 18.5% swinging strike rate. Melendez also only walked 7.3% of the time overall and that dropped to 5.9% in Double-A. He's simply too aggressive and doesn't have the contact skills to back it up. If Melendez wants to flourish as a middle of the order thumper, he's going to need to make better swing decisions than he is currently.

LBB: Each Team's Potential 2024 Powder Keg

Going through the exercise of landing on a 2024 Projection for all 189 Projected Keepers in the Roger Dorn Baseball League, certain players made you stop and think about just how high their potential could be for next season. With young players taking the leap from prospect to star earlier and earlier in their career, we wanted to take a look at each club's 2024 Powder Keg player -- an asset that could explode from a solid contributor into a foundational piece for the Franchise.

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Alamo Short Stacks: OF Evan Carter (Minors)

Carter's late season promotion and dominant Playoff run convinced the Stacks that he will be a lock for the 2024 Opening Day roster. Carter set a MLB single-postseason record with nine doubles and reached base in all 17 Postseason games. He'll join a talented outfield with Corbin Carroll, James Outman and Josh Lowe all under contract for $14 combined.

Asti Grape Stompers: Jordan Walker (Minors)

Overall, Jordan hit a respectable .287/.342/.787 slash line for the season with 16 home runs and 51 RBIs. However, as any RDBL club would hope with a 21-year-old big leaguer, Walker showed his promise after his second call-up to the team in June, where he hit a .277/.346/.455 slash line with 14 home runs and 40 RBIs. With strong on-base skills and emerging in-game power, Walker should push for 400+ point seasons for each of the next three seasons making him a pillar for the Grapes and GM Terry Shelley.

Burlingame Blue Ducks: RHP Paul Skenes (Minors)

With Skenes' track record, additional time in the Minor Leagues is hardly needed for 2023's top overall MLB Draft pick. The right-hander reached Double-A with several short stint starts that allowed him to get his feet wet. A big league Spring Training invite is highly likely, giving Skenes the opportunity to make a big splash and earn an Opening Day role that could make GM Ryan Walsh jump at an activation.

Cloverdale Clovers: RHP Edward Cabrera (Minors)

The Clovers are filled with potential powderkeg options including Elly De La Cruz, Anthony Volpe and Oneil Cruz, but we'll go with the lesser known Edward Cabrera. It's clear his stuff plays at the big league level as he has punched out 221 in 197 1/3 career innings. Command was more than just a minor issue in 2023 as the right-hander surrendered 67 free passes in 101 1/3 innings, a startling number compared to his 79 hits allowed. Despite a 1.44 WHIP, Cabrera was able to keep his ERA in check at 4.14. If he can see a leap in command, Cabrera maintains the upside of an elite starter in the RDBL.

Honolulu Hammerheads: OF Jarren Duran (2R/$3)

Duran started the 2023 season with Triple-A Worcester but was called up to Boston when fellow outfielder Adam Duvall went down with an injury in mid-April. He took full advantage of a second opportunity, collecting career highs across the board, hitting .295/.346/.482 while earning an in-season promotion. He blasted eight home runs and knocked in 40 RBI while collecting a team-leading 24 stolen bases and 34 doubles in 102 games. If he can stay healthy in 2024, Duran is strong bet for a 400+ point season.

Lake Merced Goutfish: RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Minors)

Yamamoto finished up a dazzling final season in Japan, dominating a complete game effort in Game 6 of their league's Championships Series. It's been confirmed that he will be posted this off-season where he stands as one of the best Free Agents of the off-season, standing to make 150M+. He was 16-6 this season with a 1.21 ERA, striking out 169 in 164 innings.

Las Vegas Aristocrats: 1B Spencer Torkelson (3R/$5)

A former top overall pick that was rushed to the big leagues by the Tigers, Torkelson has slowly turned a corner and turned into a major threat at the plate. The Arizona State product hit 19 home runs in the 2nd Half, posting a .498 slugging percentage while seeing a jump in average and on base percentage. If Torkelson can carry over that production in 2024, he could have a big year ahead for the 'Crats who acquired him from the Idaho Taters last season.

Lunatic Fringe: RHP Grayson Rodriguez (1R/$1)

Rodriguez, entering the year as baseball’s highest-ranked pitching prospect, pitched like it in the second half. In his last 12 regular-season starts from July 22 on, he went 5-2 with a 2.26 ERA. He was even better late in the year, posting a 1.80 ERA over his last six starts while earning a post-season start. Rodriguez should have the handcuffs off on 2024 as he’s already set as an Opening Day activation after being added to the Active Roster for the 2023 RDBL Playoffs by GM Tony Guglielmi.

Maltese Falcons: OF Riley Greene (2R/$3)

Much like the Clovers, the Falcons are loaded with potentially explosive assets including Royce Lewis, Vinnie Pasquantino, Edouard Julien and Triston Casas. While each of those assets could explode in 2024, we'll focus our attention on outfield Riley Greene who started to come into his own last season. The young outfielder batted .288/.349/.447 with 11 homers across 416 plate appearances in 2023 and is expected to be ready for Opening Day after Tommy John Surgery on his non-throwing arm in September.

Meinert Hops: OF Michael Harris (2R/$3)

The 2022 Hitting Prospect of the Year got off to a horrific start in 2023, working around an injury while hitting just .163/.234/.244 on May 22nd. He completed the season on a tear, finishing with 349.0 points and a .293/.326/.477 line. Just an average start with some health sprinkled in should easily push Harris beyond 400 points with even more in the tank for 2024.

Mission Viejo Maulers: LHP Tarik Skubal (2/$1)

The hype is already building for left-hander Tarik Skubal who finished 2023 on a tear following his return from an arm injury. Over his last 10 outings, Skubal went 6-2 with a 2.15 ERA, 0.87 WHIP and 75:11 K:BB across 58.2 innings. He'll slot behind Gerrit Cole, Luis Castillo and Zach Eflin in a dominant Maulers rotation for 2024.

Mt. Diablo Devils: C Yainer Diaz (2FA/$5)

We'll go outside of the 400+ qualifier given his position, but the Devils' deadline acquisition of Yainer Diaz looks better and better as time goes on. He launched 23 home runs and produced a line of .282/.308/.538 for a wRC+ of 127. Among catchers with at least 350 plate appearances for the year, only Sean Murphy had a higher wRC+ mark, with his 129 just two points ahead. He could skyrocket into a Top-5 producer at the position in 2024.

San Mateo Oppo Tacos: 3B Josh Jung (2R/$3)

While Corbin Carroll and Evan Carter got most of the publicity as standout Rookies, Josh Jung deserved to be at the front of the conversation following a breakout 2023. Honored as an American League All-Star, Jung posted a .867 OPS in the Playoffs after a strong 23 home run Regular Season. Forced to miss time due to a broken finger mid-season, Jung looks poised for a major leap in 2024 as a foundational piece of the Tacos.

Spokane Fightin' Fish: LHP Braxton Garrett (2FA/$5)

The Fightin' Fish are losing a great deal of depth in their pitching staff to Free Agency, potentially giving left-hander Braxton Garrett a spotlight to shine. Garrett quietly had a strong 2023 campaign, posting a 3.66 ERA and 1.15 WHIP, finishing the year on a tear with a 2.10 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 21 strikeouts in 25.2 innings over his final five starts.

St. Joseph Jokers: IF Gunnar Henderson (2R/$3)

Henderson took his lumps in April and May before turning things on with 23 home runs over the final four months of the Regular Season while slugging .521 in the second half. A 378.5 point season was within the range of expectations for the 22-year-old, but there's plenty of upside heading in 2024 with 450+ points not out of realm of possibility.

Top 10 Catching Prospects: Alvarez Leads the Pack

We are kicking off a new series, ranking RDBL Prospects on a position by position basis before releasing the first RDBL Top 100 since 2020. We are starting the series behind the plate, ranking the Top 10 catchers currently under a Minor League contract.

The position overall has seen a sizable influx of young players over the last two seasons with 11 catchers under a RDBL Rookie contract expected to be Keepers in 2024.

1. C Francisco Alvarez, Asti Grape Stompers

Acquired: 2022 Trade from Lake Merced Goutfish | ETA: 2024

Alvarez provided the elite power that made him a Top-5 prospect in baseball entering last season, mashing 25 home runs, second most among catchers in all of baseball. His hit tool didn’t accompany him to the big leagues though in his first full season, hitting just .208 overall and just .171 after the All-Star Break. Still just 21, Alvarez will only need a slight tick up in average and on-base percentage to be a Top-10 producer at the position and still has the upside to finish inside the Top Five within his three years of control for the Grapes who are expected to activate him for 2024 Opening Day.

2. C Ethan Salas, Asti Grape Stompers

Acquired: 2023 Reserve Draft, 1st Round | ETA: 2026

Salas is wise beyond his years, especially behind the plate, pushing the Padres to aggressively promote the 17-year-old to Double-A to finish the season. Salas was hitting well at Single-A hitting a .267 average with an impressive .837 OPS, especially considering his age. His position might limit his upside and ETA which will be the thing to follow for his value over the next two seasons. Will the Padres be ready to hand over the reigns behind the plate full-time to a 19 year old in 2025, or will the Grapes need to wait until 2026? And will the bat be special enough to earn time at DH when he's not behind the plate? It will be the difference between his "real life", value which looks to be substantial, and fantasy one.

3. C Bo Naylor, Mt. Diablo Devils

Acquired: 2023 Reserve Draft, 4th Round | ETA: 2024

After being named to the Cleveland Guardians’ 2022 AL Wild Card and ALDS rosters and playing a regular season game this year on May 21st, Bo Naylor became Cleveland’s mainstay catcher on June 17th. It took the 23-year-old about two months to find his stride against Major League competition as he sputtered to a .602 through mid-August. However, from August 19th through the end of the regular season, he was one of the premier catchers in MLB. In his final 28 games of the year, Naylor hit .321 with 26 hits, eight doubles, seven home runs, 18 RBI, and a 1.113 OPS. He will enter 2024 as an activation lock for GM Jason Watson, partnering with breakout trade acquisition Yeiner Diaz as a formidable duo behind the plate.

4. C Endy Rodriguez, St. Joseph Jokers

Acquired: 2023 Reserve Draft, 1st Round | ETA: 2024

Entering 2023, Rodriguez emerged as one of the most productive and promising hitters in Pittsburgh's system, clocking an .892 OPS in 2021 and then a .996 OPS in 2022 across multiple levels, including a short stint in Triple-A. That production pushed Rodriguez into the 1st Round of the 2023 Reserve Draft when GM Rick Steen landed him at 9th overall. Posting more solid numbers at Triple-A, Rodriguez earned a promotion to Pittsburgh but hit just .211 with a .600 OPS in 53 big-league games, walking 8.0% of the time and posting a strikeout rate of 24.6%. You can fall back on his Minor League track record to know there is more in the tank with Rodriguez expected to split time with fellow young backstop Henry Davis next season. He's ready for an activation, but will be a player to watch this Winter with MJ Melendez (2R/$3) and Gabriel Moreno (2R/$3) already occupying the Jokers two catcher spots.

5. C Harry Ford, Lunatic Fringe

Acquired: 2022 Reserve Draft, 7th Round | ETA: 2025

Part of the new mold of athletic backstops, Ford continues to rise as one of the best backstops in the Minor Leagues. Ford posted an .840 OPS at High-A with 43 extra base hits and 24 steals. Owning a career .859 OPS in 241 Minor League games, Ford will continue to make his step by step ascent to the big leagues, starting 2024 in Double-A with 2025 standing as a potential activation date for GM Tony Guglielmi.

6. C Dalton Rushing, Cloverdale Clovers

Acquired: 2023 Reserve Draft, 4th Round | ETA: 2025

Rushing's average with the Great Lakes Loons in High-A was dragged down by a serious concussion in early June, but his future remains very bright after posting an .856 OPS in 290 at-bats in 2023. A cold spell unsurprisingly followed a swing to the helmet, leading to a .228 average on the season after hitting .404 in 134 at-bats over two stops in 2022. His eye at the plate wasn't an issue this season with Rushing posting a .404 OBP while finishing with a red-hot September including six home runs in nine games.

7. C Austin Wells, Maltese Falcons

Acquired: 2023 Reserve Draft, 5th Round | ETA: 2024

Wells impressed on both sides of the ball in his first month with the big-league club. The catcher earned heaps of praise from practically every pitcher that he worked with, gaining traction offensively as he grew more comfortable in the box against pitchers he’s never seen before. Wells, 24, hit .229 (16-for-70) over 19 games after being called up on September 1. He started ice cold, but found a rhythm halfway through — the catcher slashed .317/.333/.732 (13-for-41) with four home runs, 10 RBI and seven runs scored over his final 11 games of the season. He's currently projected to share the big league duties in 2024 with Jose Trevino, potentially making him a 2024 activation for GM Gary Falzon.

8. C Diego Cartaya, Mt. Diablo Devils

Acquired: 2019 Reserve Draft, 3rd Round | ETA: 2025

Entering the season as one of baseball's top prospects, Cartaya might have seen the biggest dip in stock in 2023. Cartaya hit .189 with 19 home runs and 117 strikeouts in 93 games for Double-A Tulsa in a very disappointing first season at the level. While there's time to rebound, Cartaya has fallen behind Dalton Rushing in the Dodgers catching prospect pecking order while still staring up at Will Smith in Los Angeles.

9. C/1B Tyler Soderstrom, Alamo Short Stacks

Acquired: 2023 Trade from Mt. Diablo Devils | ETA: 2024

Playing all of 2023 at age 21, Soderstrom was rushed to the big leagues by the talent-starved Oakland Athletics where he took his lumps while showcasing the major power that has become his calling card. Originally a first round MLB Draft pick with a plus hit tool, Soderstrom has developed more into a low-average, high power bat that sees a big bump in value due to his playing time being split between catcher and first base. With the Stacks likely set at catcher for 2024, Soderstrom is likely to get one additional year of seasoning before a potential activation.

10. C Shea Langeliers, Las Vegas Aristocrats

Acquired: 2018 Reserve Draft, 7th Round | ETA: 2024

Langeliers is a prototypical back-end RDBL catching option that can immediately add some value to the Las Vegas Aristocrats given his contract. A career .208 big league hitter, Langeliers does possess big power (22 home runs in 2023) and is strong enough behind the plate to earn the necessary plate appearances to be a safe bet for a Top-20 finish at the position. While there's not a great deal of upside here, the playing time and power make Langeliers a strong bet to join elite catching option William Contreras behind the plate in 2024 for the 'Crats.