2023 Hitting Prospect of the Year: Jackson Holliday, Aristocrats

In a stacked year for hitting prospects across baseball, Las Vegas Aristocrats infielder Jackson Holliday stood above the rest earning the 2023 RDBL Hitting Prospect of the Year Award on Tuesday.

Holliday was acquired in a mid-season deal with the Idaho Taters for Juan Soto and Adolis Garcia in a move that also dealt away Pitching Prospect of the Year candidate Gavin Williams. While the move was critical to the Taters reaching the Playoffs for the first time in Franchise History, it's certain to give GM Mike Friedrich some heartache in the future.

Holliday torched the Minor Leagues in 2023, spanning four levels while slashing .326/.444/.504 while reaching Triple-A last week at just 19 years of age. Starting the year at Class A, Holliday proved to be far too talented for the level, slashing .396/.522/.660 before a quick promotion. Two additional promotions followed with Holliday likely to break into the big leagues early next season at just 20 years old.

No hitting prospect under a Minor League contract is more valued in the RDBL while only Eury Perez would rank ahead of the Orioles phenom overall according to those close to RDBL Prospect Rankers.

Holliday becomes the first Aristocrat to win the Hitting Prospect of the Year Award with Michael Harris, Bobby Witt, Jr. and Yordan Alvarez winning the last three seasons.

Triston Casas (Falcons), Jasson Dominguez (Maulers) and Junior Caminero (Stacks) ranked next best among prospects considered.

Honorable Mention: Triston Casas (Falcons), Jordan Walker (Grapes), Dylan Crews (Ducks), Jordan Lawlar (Grapes), Junior Caminero (Stacks), Jasson Dominguez (Maulers)

On The Lookout: Catching Up on 2023 Playoff Race

We are 10 days into the 2023 RDBL Playoffs and while no team has won the Title yet, a pair of clubs are struggling so badly on the mound that they might have lost it. The story of the Playoffs thus far is the disastrous stretch of pitching from the Lunatic Fringe and Mt. Diablo Devils who own a 6.62 and 6.51 ERA respectively while sitting in 5th and 6th entering play Thursday.

Here's a quick look at the current standings as well as who is hot

Standings and Projected Thursday Starters

1. Lake Merced Goutfish 561.5 (Fried vs. STL)

2. Spokane Fightin' Fish 526.5 (Assad vs. ARZ)

3. Idaho Taters 523.5 (N/A)

4. Mission Viejo Maulers 436.5 (Castillo @ TB)

5. Lunatic Fringe 333.5 (N/A)

6. Mt. Diablo Devils 272.0 (Rodriguez @ NYY)

Who's Hot, Who's Not

Lake Merced Goutfish:

Yordan Alvarez: 14-for-33, 4 HR, .424/.578/.849, 57.5 Points

Blake Snell: 13.0 IP, 0 ER, 5 Hits, 59.0 Points

Brandon Woodruff: 13.0 IP, 2 ER, 57.0 Points

Tim Anderson: 5-for-32, 4.5 Points

Lars Nootbaar: 2-for-21, 8.5 Points

Daulton Varsho: 5-for-28, 9.0 Points

Spokane Fightin' Fish:

Teoscar Hernandez: 13-for-35, 3 HR, 36.5 Points

Ke'Bryan Hayes: 11-for-32, five extra base hits, 35.0 Points

Zack Wheeler: 12.0 IP, 2.25 ERA, 46.0 Points

Aaron Nola: 4.2 IP, 13.50 ERA, -19.0 Points

Tyler O'Neill: 2-for-15, 5.0 Points

Idaho Taters:

Justin Steele: 14.0 IP, 0.00 ERA, 0.79 WHIP, 65.0 Points

Trea Turner: .406/.441/1.156, 52.0 Points

Brandon Nimmo: .364/.417/.818, 39.0 Points

Spencer Strider: 8 2/3 IP, 10.38 ERA, 1.73 WHIP, -13.0 Points

Adolis Garcia: 5-32, .156/.250/.406, 13.0 Points

Mission Viejo Maulers:

Alex Bregman: 16-for-39, .410/.477/.564, 42.0 Points

Gleybar Torres: 10-for-25, .400/.500/1.000, 40.5 Points

Tarik Skubal: 13.0 IP, 2.77 ERA, 39.0 Points

Ryan Jeffers: 3-for-21, 3.0 Points

Luis Castillo: 5 IP, 9.00 ERA, -9.0 Points

Kevin Gausman: 9.0 IP, 6.00 ERA, -2.0 Points

Lunatic Fringe

Marcell Ozuna: 13-for-34, 4 HR, 4 2B, 45.5 Points

Ronald Acuña: 14-for-42, 4 HR, 43.5 Points

Grayson Rodriguez: 12.0 IP, 1.50 ERA, 45.0 Points

Lucas Giolito: 3.0 IP, 27.00 ERA, -35.0 Points

Josiah Gray: 6.0 IP, 10.50 ERA, -17.0 Points

Kenta Maeda: 9.0 IP, 9.00 ERA, -17.0 Points

Mt. Diablo Devils

Mookie Betts: 9-for-31, .290/.421/.581, 31.0 Points

Emmanuel Clase: 5.0 IP, 1.80 ERA, 36.0 Points

Will Smith: 4 2/3 IP, 0.00 ERA, 25.0 Points

Lance Lynn: 9.0 IP, 15.00 ERA, -40.0 Points

James Paxton: 1.1 IP, 40.50 ERA, -28.0 Points

Nathan Eovaldi: 1.1 IP, 27.00 ERA, -19.0 Points

Pitching Prospect of the Year: Eury Perez, Falcons

The Maltese Falcons missed finishing in the money for just the third time in Franchise History this season, but the stockpile of talent their Front Office has accrued and developed this season leave little doubt that they will return to the winner's circle quickly. No greater talent is ready to lead the rebound more than right-hander Eury Perez who dominated his way to the 2023 Roger Dorn Baseball League Pitching Prospect of the Year Award.

Selected in the 1st Round of the 2022 RDBL Reserve Draft (15th overall), Perez proved to be far too much for Minor Leaguers to handle, posting a 0.93 WHIP in Double-A to earn a May promotion to the big leagues while skipping over Triple-A.

Through 16 big league starts at just 20 years old, Perez owns a 2.86 ERA and 1.08 WHIP, punching out 95 in 78 2/3 innings. Eight of his 16 starts have gone for 20 or more points with the Miami Marlins keeping a completely reasonable pitch limit on the prized right-hander who didn't eclipse six innings in any start.

Perez becomes the second Maltese Falcons pitching prospect to win the award, joining Tyler Glasnow who received the nod in 2014.

Perez leads an impressive group of young players ready to lead the Falcons into 2024, joining potential activations Triston Casas, Royce Lewis, Sal Frelick, Coby Mayo, Luis Matos, Edouard Julien and Austin Wells.

Honorable Mention: Gavin Williams (Aristocrats), Paul Skenes (Ducks), Yoshinobo Yamamoto (Goutfish), Bobby Miller (Goutfish), Josiah Gray (Fringe)