3 Up, 3 Down: Franco a Shining Star Early for Devils

While it's impossible to draw any conclusions from four days of action, several players impressed enough over the opening weekend enough to open eyes about their potential in 2023. That group is headlined by a pair of players returning to full health as Wander Franco and Dustin May were just two of several players to stand out over the season's first four days.

Here's our latest 3 Up, 3 Down as Period 2 kicks off.

SS Wander Franco (2R/$3), Mt. Diablo Devils

2022 robbed us of a full season of Wander Franco, but the star shortstop is already showing us what we missed last year with a breakout Period 1. Franco went 7-for-11 with three doubles, a pair of walks, a steal and a home run in the opening series against the Detroit Tigers and is a key cog in a Devils offense that enters Period 2 tied for the lead in scoring. With Bo Bichette, Jose Ramirez, Mookie Betts and Christian Yelich behind him, expect the Devils to continue to mash all summer with Franco potentially leading the talented crew.

RHP Graham Ashcraft (1D/$5), Spokane Fightin' Fish

Ashcraft showed some interesting skills as a rookie, generating a bunch of weak contact on the ground, but his 15.3 strikeout rate rendered him largely ineffective. He spent the offseason working to add another breaking ball to generate more whiffs, and went out in the first outing and struck out six in seven innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Fish have 10 strong starting options when Justin Verlander returns, but just one start in and Ashcraft has earned the trust on GM Mike Tirabassi.

RHP Dustin May (2/$1), Cloverdale Clovers

With Tyler Glasnow on the shelf and a lack of pitching depth on the roster, the pressure on the Cloverdale Clovers starters is quite high to start the season. GM Chris Shelley couldn't be more pleased with how Dustin May responded in his first start of the year, dominating seven shutout innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks while allowing just three hits for 34.0 points. May was acquired alongside Marco Luciano, Andrew Painter and Jarred Kelenic in last season's blockbuster deal with the Alamo Short Stacks, currently holding the most league value of the players in the trade.

Eduardo Escobar (FA)

While Escobar's 1-for-16 as a RDBL Free Agent isn't overly notable, it is for the Meinert Hops who have Brett Baty, RDBL's Prospect of the Week, waiting in the wings at Triple-A. Baty already has three home runs in three games after a standout Spring Training while Escobar is on the bench Monday in favor of Luis Guillorme. If Baty is recalled, it will be interesting to see if GM Garrett Shelley aggressively activates him within the "Fernando Tatis, Jr. rule" which gives clubs a 24-hour window to promote them to the Active Roster or force them to wait until the Period 9 deadline. The Hops passed on the chance to activate outfield prospect Joey Wiemer who joined the Brewers over the weekend and enter Period 2 slashing .203/.293/.297 as a team.

Heads Aces

The Honolulu Hammerheads got off to a hot start on Thursday but are looking for far more from their top two starting pitchers as Chris Sale and Jacob deGrom combined for -37.0 points in their 2023 debuts. Pablo Lopez and Sonny Gray picked up the slack, combining for 44.0 points in their starts while Ryne Nelson is set to make his debut Monday in San Diego.

Ducks Activations

The Ducks were able to secure some cap space flexibility with the activations of Alek Thomas and Luis Garcia. While neither are being counted on as major contributors, the duo combined to go 1-for-20 without a walk in Period 2 with Garcia yet to appear in the Active Roster lineup.

Early Overreactions from Period 1: Maulers Division Favorites?

Opening Weekend of the 2023 MLB season is in the books and the hot takes on rosters and early performances are already flying around in RDBL circles. It's far too early to make any conclusions about the 2023 season from four games of data, but that didn't stop us from trying.

Here are six Period One overreactions across the league:

The Stacks are the Best Team in the RDBL

The Alamo Short Stacks had an ideal first four days of the season, leading the RDBL his hitting, average, steals and on-base percentage while all six starters produced 19 or more points in their debut. Period 1 featured a pair of starts against the Oakland Athletics and one start against the Chicago Cubs, two offenses expected to rank among the worst in the league this season. The starting rotation should get a stiffer test in Period 2 with a pair of starts against the Toronto Blue Jays and one against the St. Louis Cardinals who possess two of the best lineups in baseball.

The Stacks also feature a pair of Angels starters in Tyler Anderson and Patrick Sandoval who make up two parts of their six-man rotation, limiting both to just one start per week. While both pitched well in Period 1, their upside on a weekly basis is limited over the course of the season with the extra day of rest which GM Greg Shelley will have to work around.

Verdict: It's way too early to declare the Stacks the best team in the RDBL, but the overall roster looks stronger than it did a season ago as they remain the favorites in the East Bay Division.

The Maulers are the Favorites in the Masters Division

GM Chris Ferraro was expected to dive all-in on a roster full of injured stars but instead forked over $120 to aces Gerrit Cole and Luis Castillo, making 2023 a very interesting year to follow. The club raced out to the Masters Division lead and entering Period 2 in 2nd place overall while pacing the RDBL in pitcher scoring with a 0.97 ERA and 0.78 WHIP in 37.0 innings, allowing just 17 hits over that span.

Their 232.5 total points comes with a 0-for-29 from Alex Bregman, Anthony Rendon and Nelson Cruz (who was released Sunday night). leaving more room for growth on offense.

Verdict: The Maulers will ultimately be passed by the Spokane Fightin' Fish, but that doesn't mean they can't stay in the hunt. Expect Ferraro to be extremely aggressive with 2-start opportunities and ride the hot hand at the back of their rotation, allowing the club to stay in the hunt this summer provided their offense can perform at a league-average level.

The Devils Are All Hit, No Pitch

The Devils enter Period 2 sharing the league-lead in hitting points with 139.5 after slashing .314/.385/.474 with Wander Franco looking the part of a potential MVP candidate while Yoan Moncada has rediscovered his hitting stroke. While the offense was expected to be elite, their pitching group has produced a 4.86 ERA and 1.56 WHIP through 33 1/3 appearances and six starts.

As we noted in their Glass Half Empty outlook, the pitching group will need to keep pace with this elite offense if the Devils are going to return to the Playoffs for the first time since 2017.

Verdict: Overreaction, but the early results have the Devils Front Office on alert for Waiver additions on the pitching front.

The Hops and Ducks Offenses Stink

The Meinert Hops and Burlingame Blue Ducks have managed just 56.5 and 59.0 points at the plate so far while hitting a league-low .203. Each hit their first home runs of the season on Sunday but still sit as the only clubs with slugging percentages below .300.

The Hops are awaiting the return of Jorge Polanco from the IL with Jake Cronenworth, Kyle Farmer, CJ Abrams, Gavin Sheets, Luis Rengifo and Estuery Ruiz combining to go 3-for-46 in Period 1.

The Ducks lost Auction addition Luis Urias for two months following a hamstring injury while Brandon Drury, Javier Baez, Kolten Wong, Alek Thomas, Kyle Schwarber and Dan Vogelbach combined to go 3-for-46 in the opening week.

Verdict: Without a return set for Polanco and the injury to Urias, both offenses look less than stable and will need to lean on their pitching staffs to stay in the hunt while being active on the Waiver Wire for help.

The Grapes Pitching Staff is Cooked

The Grapes suffered through every Front Office's worst nightmare as they posted a 8.35 ERA an 2.29 WHIP over 18 1/3 innings, entering Period 2 with -29.0 points. The group has been depleted with both Luis Severino (lat) and Daniel Bard (anxiety) hitting the IL while James Karinchak and $1 Auction grab Spencer Turnbull combined for -44.0 points.

With Brady Singer and Jon Gray set to debut Monday and Turnbull unlikely to see the mound any time soon, the Grapes are hopeful for a steadier Period 2 as they look to move into positive ground and keep pace with an offense that currently ranks sixth in the RDBL.

Verdict: The Severino injury really knocked the club's depth, but the savvy addition of Hayden Wesneski in the Reserve Draft should give them another arm to count on starting in Period 2. The rotation is a big concern overall, but expect a turnaround this week as well as some lockdown work from closer Ryan Helsley.

The Falcons Need More Arms

The Maltese Falcons took a calculated risk, leveraging $40 in cap space on Carlos Rodon who held an early-May timeframe to return from a forearm injury that was barking late in camp. Given the strength of the rotation entering the year, the move was logical, but Robbie Ray's left flexor strain could place him on the shelf for a significant time putting more pressure on the remaining group to come through. That wasn't the case in Period 1 as the staff produced a 7.66 ERA and 1.88 WHIP for -14.0 total points, despite five scoreless innings and 25.0 points from Period 1 Waiver Claim Jhony Brito.

Shintaro Fujinami got the first shot at replacing Rodon and rewarded the Falcons with a -31.0 point start, allowing eight earned in 2 1/3 innings. That will force two more Waiver Claims into the spotlight as Seth Lugo and Tylor Megill get their crack in Period 2 to earn stable rotation spots until Rodon and Ray return.

Verdict: With two injured arms on the starting staff, GM Gary Falzon and Assistant GM Erik Nielsen will be forced to be creative, but don't expect more stinkers from Zack Wheeler while Seranthony Dominguez's -24.0 debacle was largely responsible for the poor overall numbers. Nestor Cortes and Freddy Peralta should right the ship starting Monday as they make their 2023 debuts. While arms will continue to be a waiver priority, expect the Falcons pitching staff to improve and help an offense that ranks 4th in scoring with a .289/.362/.434 line in Period 1.

On The Lookout, Monday, 4/3: Grapes Pitching Depth Tested Early

Another full slate of games is on tap for Monday as Period 2 kicks off with the Alamo Short Stacks, Mission Viejo Maulers and Lake Merced Goutfish leading their respective Divisions.

Here's what we are on the lookout for on Monday:

Young Guns Showdown in Seattle

The Lunatic Fringe and Lake Merced Goutfish will have their eyes on a showdown of two emerging stars on the mound as Reid Detmers and George Kirby face off with the Angels visiting the Mariners. Detmers was pushed into a Draft Day activation following Triston McKenzie's arm injury while Kirby was called into service in the middle of last season by GM Ryan Atkinson who pushed all of their chips in as they tried to chase down the final Playoff spot. While Kirby has enjoyed more big league success, Detmers has a no-hitter under his belt from last year as well as a significant increase in velocity that he has sustained this Spring.

Grapes Look for Positive Pitching Points

Through four starts and 18 1/3 innings of overall work, the Grapes hold a 8.35 ERA and 2.29 WHIP, resulting in a league-low -29.0 pitching points entering Period 2. They will look to turn things around starting on Monday as they send Jon Gray (vs. BAL) and Brady Singer (vs. TOR) to the mound. After a shaky first outing in the WBC, Singer was not called on to throw again, totaling just 2.0 innings over a 16-day span putting him behind for a full workload to start the season. He's likely to be capped around 80 pitches on Monday.

Walker Paid, but Passed on in Auction

You would think a fresh 4-year, $72M deal for a starting pitcher would draw the interest of every RDBL Front Office in Auction. That was not the case for Taijuan Walker who was passed over by every club, lasting until the 2nd Round of the Reserve Draft when the Burlingame Blue Ducks selected him with the 22nd pick. Walker will make his 2023 debut in New York as he opposes the Yankees after pitching for Team Mexico in the WBC.

Pressure on Morton for Taters

The Idaho Taters cashed in their 1st and 3rd Round Picks this off-season for Charlie Morton and Shane Bieber, only to make a last minute call on the Keeper Deadline to release Bieber from his $58 deal. That leaves Morton as the lone return from the Spokane Fightin' Fish putting the pressure on the veteran right-hander to cash in on some of that outgoing cost this season. Morton will make his 2023 debut Monday, facing off against a very strong Cardinals lineup.

Hunter Brown Debut

The Taters will also send Draft Day purchase Hunter Brown to the mound. Viewed as one of the top pitching prospects in baseball, Brown was claimed by the Alamo Short Stacks after last season's Keeper Deadline pushing him back into Free Agency. He had a strong market, landing with the Taters for $8. He will oppose the Detroit Tigers on Monday who are fresh off a three game sweep by the Tampa Bay Rays.

Devils Looking for Pitching to Keep Pace

The Mt. Diablo Devils are off to a hot start at the plate, sharing the lead in hitting points with 139.5 while slashing .314/.385/.474. GM Jason Watson is hopeful their pitching staff can keep pace after posting a 4.86 ERA and 1.56 WHIP through their first six starts. With Adam Duvall now in the fold after Sunday night's FAAB run, the Devils hold three of the top four hitters after Period 1 with Wander Franco and Yoan Moncada's standout weeks but don't have a starting pitcher that has scored more than 12 points thus far. Activation James Kaprielian will look to improve those numbers on Monday as the A's host the Cleveland Indians.