Activation Tracker: Stacks Extend RDBL Lead with Four Former Draftees Added

With 30 new activations for the 2023 Season, a fresh update of the Roger Dorn Baseball League Activation Tracker is live with the Alamo Short Stacks extending their lead to 22 with the St. Joseph Jokers closely behind at 20.

The Stacks had four former draftees activated for this season with Corbin Carroll, Miguel Vargas and Luis Campusano joining their Active Roster while infielder Luis Garcia was promoted by the Burlingame Blue Ducks.

The Jokers have continued to fly under the radar with one of the league's top Reserve Scouting approaches. GM Rick Steen added three homegrown prospects to their Active Roster this year with MJ Melendez, Gabriel Moreno and Kyle Wright who joined the likes of former Joker draftees Xander Bogaerts, Byron Buxton and Walker Buehler.

Keeper Rosters By The Numbers + News and Notes on a Busy Deadline Day

Keeper Roster are set after a flurry of Keeper Deadline deals took place that kept the Commissioner's Office quite busy on Monday.

Here's a rundown of how the deadline played out, including some fun with numbers as well as news and notes across RDBL Front Offices as we close in on the 2023 Draft.

5: The number of trades on Monday's RDBL Keeper Deadline.

$19.67: The Spokane Fightin' Fish enter the Draft with the highest "spending power", with $19.67 available per opening left to fill on their roster, with the Aristocrats closely behind at $19.10 available per open roster spot.

24: The number of catchers retained on Active Rosters by RDBL Franchises. That is a RDBL Record and speaks to the flow of young talent taking over at the position as well as the fear from Front Offices entering the Auction without an answer at the position. Every RDBL club has at least one catcher under contract, leaving only the Taters, Fringe, Goutfish, Clovers, Maulers and Devils to fill their second spot.

30: The number of RDBL Activations this season which we ranked from 1-30 on this week's Lou Brown Blog.

$43: The largest Keeper pitching contract in the RDBL held by Burlingame Blue Ducks right-hander Aaron Nola. Nola is joined by Brandon Woodruff ($38) and Zack Wheeler ($25) as the only keeper pitcher contracts at or above $25.

$49: The highest Keeper contract for a hitter goes to St. Joseph Jokers shortstop Trea Turner, followed by Jose Ramirez ($47), Matt Olson ($46), Xander Bogaerts ($44) and Manny Machado ($43).

65: The number of RDBL Reserve Draft picks that changed hands through trades between Opening Day of 2022 and Monday's RDBL Keeper Deadline.

$78: The lowest cap space number in the RDBL, held by the Meinert Hops.

$88: The new RDBL Record for a Keeper Contract held by Hops superstar Shohei Ohtani.

149: The number of open positions to be filled in Auction, eight more than the 2022 Draft.

$214: The highest cap number in the RDBL, owned by GM Ryan Atkinson and the Lake Merced Goutfish.

918.5: Shohei Ohtani's combined projected points on the mound and at the plate, the highest projected point total by an RDBL Player in League History.

$2,145: The total cap space available across the RDBL with teams having an average of $14.40/open position.

Around the RDBL

The Idaho Taters shocked the RDBL with the release of Shane Bieber, tossing another big name into an already elite Free Agent Class. Bieber was owed $58 and would have been the largest Keeper contract in the RDBL, $15 more than the next highest pitcher (Aaron Nola, $43). While the move to release him certainly makes sense based on what is available, it perplexed other Front Offices given that the Taters viewed him highly enough five weeks ago to surrender a 1st Round Pick to obtain him from the Fightin’ Fish.

- While news of Bieber's release quickly ran through RDBL circles, the more surprising news seemed to be the Taters release of Matt Manning who was viewed as a potential activation candidate. With 35 starting pitcher openings on RDBL Rosters, Manning ranks 35th among the available Free Agents and could go from being cut from a Minor League deal to going in Auction just a week later.

- One of the more eye-opening decisions was the Lunatic Fringe's decision to retain reliever Josh Hader (2/$20) who enters Draft Day as the most expensive reliever by $14 and the fifth most expensive pitcher overall.

- Roki Sasaki eye-opening performance on Monday has seemed to seal the deal for Jokers GM Rick Steen who intends on making the prized right-hander the top overall pick on Monday according to sources. That will shift the attention to the Las Vegas Aristocrats who appear to be focused on either James Wood or Jackson Chourio with the 2nd overall pick.

- The Braves surprising move to start infielder Vaughn Grissom in Triple-A doesn’t appear to damper RDBL Front Office’s enthusiasm about his future. While Grissom is relegated to the Reserve Draft on only a 1D/$5 deal after exhausting his Rookie eligibility in 2022, there’s a growing expectation that the future shortstop might not make it out of the 1st Round. One team to watch is the Mission Viejo Maulers who have their eyes on a quick rebuild and hold four 1st Round selections (3rd, 6th, 12th and 13th).

- The Aristocrats surprised some by holding back catcher Shea Langeliers, further squashing an already weak Free Agent catcher class by instead electing to hold Eric Haase (2/$1). With just $2 committed to the catcher postion between Haase and activation William Contreras as well as the league’s third most cap space available ($191), look for the ‘Crats three-headed Front Office to be more aggressive than usual at the top of the Free Agent market.

- Plenty of position battles remain that could slightly alter RDBL Keeper Rosters before Draft Day. The biggest prospect name to monitor will be Anthony Volpe, last season’s top overall Reserve Draft selection, who remains in contention for the starting shortstop role in New York. Volpe has been exceptional this Spring, hitting .308 with a 1.028 OPS. It remains to be seen if GM Chris Shelley would be aggressive with an activation, but it certainly would be enticing.

- The Honolulu Hammerheads remain focused on the battle between Dray Jameson and Ryne Nelson for the fifth starter spot in Arizona. While Nelson is currently activated, that will flip to Jameson if he wins out this week. Additionally, the Heads are hopeful Jarren Duran can secure an Opening Day roster spot in Boston while Alex Kirilloff continues to try and work his way back from continued wrist issues that could land him on the IL to start the year. If news is grim on both Duran and Kirilloff this week, they will both be pulled off the Keeper Roster.

- The Maltese Falcons went down to the wire on the potential activation of Triston Casas, but ultimately chose to hold off and monitor his first eight periods before potentially making a mid-season move. If the Falcons are firmly in the Playoff mix, the Front Office would love to exercise patience with Casas and hold him back for a Playoff activation in the same mold as their current corner infielder Jose Miranda.

- The Cloverdale Clovers and Mt. Diablo Devils will enter Draft Day without the ability to bid on a starting pitcher as they have a full six man rotation under contract. One name to watch in the Free Agent Class will be Matthew Boyd who carries a lofty 461.0 point projection by CBS, but only appeared as a reliever in 2022. That means Boyd will only be eligible to be drafted as a RP, allowing a club to essentially land a 7th starter in Auction.

Per league rules, Boyd, or any other player will be unable to make an in-season start from the RP slot once the season has started.

Ranking the RDBL's Activations for the 2023 Season

RDBL Front Offices continue to improve their approach and scouting of prospects for the Reserve Drafts as evidence by 30 Activations for the 2023 Season. This comes after 25 Activations in 2022 as waves of young players continue to push their way into important roles on big league clubs.

With only the 2023 Season in mind, we ranked all 30 Activations on RDBL Keeper Rosters led by young star Julio Rodriguez of the Spokane Fightin' Fish.

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1. OF Julio Rodriguez, Spokane Fightin' Fish

The American League Rookie of the Year already looks like best draft selection in RDBL History after GM Michael Tirabassi landed him in the 12th Round of the 2019 Reserve Draft. J-Rod has 500+ point potential on an annual basis and enters the year as the odds on favorite for the RDBL Activation of the Year Award as the Fish look to chase their third RDBL Title.

2. C Adley Rutschman, Cloverdale Clovers

The Clovers are hoping that Rutschman will re-open the window of contention after earning just one Playoff berth with Juan Soto, Mookie Betts and Rafael Devers under contract. Rutschman took some time to get adjusted to the big leagues, but finished the season on a tear and is firmly in the mix to be the top performing catcher in baseball as soon as this season.

3. RHP Triston McKenzie, Lunatic Fringe

The Fringe are finally flipping the switch on for Triston McKenzie who captured the 2022 RDBL Pitching Prospect of the Year Award after posting a 2.96 ERA and 0.95 WHIP in 191 1/3 innings last season. All told, McKenzie had 571.0 points, a legendary season for any arm, let alone one still under a Minor League contract. While the Fringe might have missed his peak year numbers-wise, McKenzie is a solid bet for 400+ point seasons through his rookie deal.

4. OF Michael Harris, Meinert Hops

Michael Harris did not come out of nowhere, but no one expected him to reach the majors so soon, let alone win NL Rookie of the Year. He was slashing .305/.372/.506 with Double-A Mississippi when he received the call in late May. Harris started out slow, but the Braves' patience paid off. His 24.3 percent strikeout rate and 4.8 percent walk rate suggest Harris still has work to do, but a 75th percentile hard hit rate paired with 95th percentile spring speed and a 95.2 fly ball average exit velocity is the blueprint for a five-category cornerstone.

5. OF Corbin Carroll, Alamo Short Stacks

Carroll was the Stacks main target in the 2021 Reserve Draft and he's exceeded all lofty expectations the Front Office had. The outfielder already secured an 8-year, $111M deal from the Diamondbacks and is torching the Cactus League with a .371/.500/1.129 line through 35 at-bats.

6. IF Gunnar Henderson, St. Joseph Jokers

Gunnar Henderson was shot out of a cannon last season, putting up a .312/.452/.573 slash line and 176 wRC+ with more walks (19.7 BB%) than strikeouts (18.3 K%) as a 20-year-old at Double-A. He subsequently got the bump to Triple-A, and while his production predictably dipped slightly, he still established himself as one of the game's elite prospects and got rewarded with a taste of the majors. He's still just 21, so some early lumps are too be expected, but Henderson should quickly vault himself into one of RDBL's premiere values.

7. 1B Vinnie Pasquantino, Spokane Fightin' Fish

Frustration still remains from other Front Offices that the Mission Viejo Maulers elected to acquire George Valera instead of Pasquantino in the Justin Verlander/Aaron Judge deal this off-season, as the Fish have built a powerhouse of a roster heading into Draft Day. Despite posting a .391/.440/.739 line in the spring, Vinnie Pasquantino opened the season with Triple-A Omaha, but a .932 OPS with 40 walks to just 39 strikeouts in 73 games earned him a late June promotion. Pasquantino began just 4-for-30 with six walks, but the Royals patience was rewarded as Pasquantino hit .316/.392/.478 the rest of the way, with a two-week interruption for shoulder discomfort. Pasquantino's discipline translated to the majors as he walked 35 times with just 34 strikeouts in 298 plate appearances, a great sign for his alignment with RDBL scoring.

8. RHP Hunter Greene, Asti Grape Stompers

It was a rollercoaster Rookie season for Greene, but it ended on an absolute tear has he registered a 1.02 ERA with a 51:7 K:BB over his final six starts dating back to July 26. He will look to carry that performance over to start 2023 as he seeks for some consistency on the mound from start to start.

9. LHP Nick Lodolo, Mt. Diablo Devils

The Mt. Diablo Devils are anxious to turn Nick Lodolo loose for 2023 with the left-hander set for his Spring debut Tuesday afternoon. The seventh overall pick in 2019, Lodolo is already paying dividends for Cincinnati. He began the 2022 season as the Reds' No. 5 starter but made just three starts before a back issue cropped up that would ultimately sidelined the lefty well beyond the initial estimated timetable. Once finally back, Lodolo pitched like a star in the making, posting a 2.92 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 21.3 K-BB% in 77 innings after the All-Star break. He has looked the part in Spring with a 1.93 ERA in 14.0 innings, registering 19 strikeouts.

10. OF Riley Greene, Mt. Diablo Devils

The Devils might have dodged a bullet in 2022 when Greene suffered a foot injury that prevented him from making the Opening Day roster and being activated. With 376 big league at-bats under his belt, Greene will be looking to take a big step forward in 2023 after being considered one of the best hitting prospects in the game.

11. RHP Kyle Wright, St. Joseph Jokers

Wright looked like a potential candidate to be released heading into 2022 after posting a 6.56 ERA and 1.69 WHIP over four years of big league outings. After dominating Triple-A in 2021, Wright was given a chance to be Atlanta's fifth starter and he took advantage, starting 30 games and amassing a league-leading 21 wins across 180 innings in a breakthrough campaign with 452.0 points.

12. 1B/3B Jose Miranda, Maltese Falcons

Miranda had an impressive rookie season by hitting 15 home runs with a .751 OPS, showing his late-blooming minor league career was no fluke. Miranda hit .344/.401/.572 with 30 home runs between Double-A and Triple-A in 2021 at age 23, but began 2022 in the minors. He was called up in early May, but hit just .164/.200/.284 in 19 games and was sent back down. Given a second chance when called up at the end of May, he caught fire and hit .287 with a .797 OPS in his final 106 games, splitting time between third base and first base and becoming a regular in the lineup. He's in line for a full slate of at-bats and has the potential to be a near 400 point contributor for the Falcons during his rookie deal.

13. C William Contreras, Las Vegas Aristocrats

Contreras slugged his way into the 6th spot in catcher scoring a season ago and should have more opportunity to earn DH at-bats in Milwaukee than he did in Atlanta.

14. SS Oneil Cruz, Cloverdale Clovers

Cruz shares a lot in common with Jazz Chisholm with loud tools that don't necessarily translate in their early years to success in the RDBL. It's hard to ignore what Cruz can do at the plate but his walk rate and OBP will need to make a big jump in order to fulfill his lofty expectations.

15. C Gabriel Moreno, St. Joseph Jokers

With Carson Kelly expected to miss significant time due to a broken arm, Moreno is the primary catcher in Arizona. While he's not known for his power, Moreno has a potential 65-70 bat with a chance at near .300 averages annually that should make him incredibly valuable behind the plate.

16. C/OF MJ Melendez, St. Joseph Jokers

Melendez has warts as a overall player, but as long as he maintains catcher eligibility, he will be wildly valuable in RDBL circles. As a 23-year-old rookie, he popped 18 home runs and drew 66 walks in 534 plate appearances, putting him roughly league average by wRC+ while his 255.0 points ranked eighth at the position in 2022.

17. IF/OF Miguel Vargas, Alamo Short Stacks

Vargas hasn't hit below .300 at any Minor League stop and looks set as the Dodgers primary second baseman in 2023. Since he's been allowed to swing in Spring Training following a finger injury, Vargas has seven hits in 17 at-bats with three doubles, a home run, four walks, and a hit by pitch, hitting .412/.545/.765 in 22 plate appearances.

18. IF Nico Hoerner, Mission Viejo Maulers

Hoerner is a steady performer that should settle in as a 325-350 point contributor in the RDBL with the ability to rack of steals as his approach continues to improve.

19. 3B Josh Jung, Idaho Taters

Jung is torching the Cactus League, collective three more hits, including a pair of doubles on Monday against the Guardians. He's hitting .342 with three home runs as he looks to shake off an injury label that has followed him as a prospect. He has the tools to make this ranking look quite low later this year.

20. IF CJ Abrams, Meinert Hops

We are just two seasons removed from Abrams being widely regarded as a top-5 prospect in the sport. He enters his age 22 season with a full-time spot at shortstop and new rules that should allow him to wreak havoc on the bases. While the ceiling might have lowered over the last 24 months, Abrams still brings plenty to the table to be a standout for the Hops.

21. OF Alek Thomas, Burlingame Blue Ducks

Thomas could be a strong post-hype sleeper for the Ducks after struggling with the bat at the big league level in 2022. He looked strong for Team Mexico in the WBC and plays Gold Glove caliber defense in center which should keep him in the lineup. At just 22 years of age and with a .936 OPS at Triple-A that forced his way to the big leagues last year, look out for Thomas to turn a corner this year.

22. OF Garrett Mitchell, Las Vegas Aristocrats

The 24-year-old will returned to Spring Training action yesterday after missing a week and a half due to right hamstring tightness. The Brewers are giving him every chance to win the regular center field duties this year after a sparkling 2022 debut when he filled up the stat sheet with two home runs, eight steals and a .311 average.

23. RHP James Kaprielian, Mt. Diablo Devils

Kaprielian took the ball a career-high 27 times last season after being delayed due to shoulder surgery. He had another procedure in the off-season, adding to the long list of injury concerns that have followed him. With just a 17% strikeout rate last season, Kaprielian benefits from the vast Oakland Coliseum but will need to shake off some rough peripherals of 4.63 FIP and 5.04 SIERA to make a push into a 300+ point pitcher.

24. IF Bryson Stott, Las Vegas Aristocrats

Stott is a potential breakout prospect as he makes the move to second base with Trea Turner entrenched at short. A rough start and demotion didn't deter Stott has he returned to the big leagues in June and slashed .258/.318/.403 with a dozen steals the rest of the way.

25. RHP Ryne Nelson, Honolulu Hammerheads

The Heads are in a sticky situation with the D'Backs final rotation spot as RDBL teammates Ryne Nelson and Dray Jameson are battling each other while Brandon Pfaadt looms over both with a potential early season promotion. For now, Nelson appears to have the lead and look to continue his big league success after posting a 1.47 ERA and 0.82 WHIP over 18 1/3 September innings last year.

26. OF Brandon Marsh, Lunatic Fringe

Marsh is an example of a prospect who's defense can be a major factor in their RDBL value as it should keep them close to being an everyday player in Philadelphia. He finished strong with a .288/.319/.455 in 41 games down the stretch in the regular season and will look to build on that in 2023.

27. C Joey Bart, Maltese Falcons

Bart was traded twice this Winter and enters 2023 without lofty expectations from the Falcons, but a hope he can maintain a grasp on the starting role in San Francisco and reach the 200+ point mark on the year. Bart hit well at home (.254/.336/.426) compared to his dreadful numbers on the road (.180/.260/.309) which will be something to watch this season.

28. IF Luis Garcia, Burlingame Blue Ducks

Garcia will bring immediate value with a daily spot in the lineup and strong bat to ball skills, but with just 27 walks in 730 career big league at-bats, he will really need to hit to become a major contributor to the Ducks offense.

29. C Luis Campusano, Alamo Short Stacks

A shallow Free Agent Class and low bar for success at the position led to an aggressive promotion of Campusano by the Stacks. With Austin Nola expected to miss some time with a broken nose, Campusano will be given the opportunity to edge higher in what was projected to be a timeshare in San Diego.

30. OF Jarren Duran, Honolulu Hammerheads

Duran has been away from Red Sox camp with Roster Resource currently having him starting in Triple-A. That could change this week, but it looks to be an uphill climb to early playing time for Duran which could have the Heads pulling him back into the Minors before Draft Day.