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.
Commentaires