Much has been made of the RDBL-Record 25 Activations for Opening Day, but Hunter Greene's dominant outing over the weekend highlighted a group of prospects remaining under Minor League contracts that are already shining in the big leagues. By our count, that group is currently at 28 and set to grow in the coming weeks.
Greene was quite dominant in his debut against the Braves, hitting triple digits 27 times for the Asti Grape Stompers. Still just 22 years old, Greene feels like he's been around forever after being the 2017 1st Overall Reserve Draft pick. The Reds seem to be letting him go, hitting 92 pitches in his debut while showing a dominant slider on top of the overwhelming fastball.
While Greene's star power is substantial, he's far from along in this group of prospects making a push for a Period 9 activation. Pitchers like Nick Lodolo, Reid Detmers, Luis Patino, Josiah Gray and Triston McKenzie are just some of the names to watch early in 2022 while Julio Rodriguez, Bryson Stott, Josh Lowe and Gavin Lux highlight the top hitters to watch.
Prospects Currently in the Big Leagues (26)
Hunter Greene (Grapes), Matt Manning (Taters), Josh Lowe (Hammerheads), Bryson Stott (Aristocrats), Josiah Gray, Michael Chavis, Brandon Marsh, Clarke Schmidt, Triston McKenzie (Fringe), Gavin Lux (Falcons), William Contreras, Nico Hoerner (Maulers), James Kaprielian, Nick Lodolo, Luis Patino (Devils), Joey Bart, Luis Garcia, Heliot Ramos, Bradley Zimmer, Reid Detmers (Ducks), Kyle Wright, Kolby Allard (Jokers), Julio Rodriguez (Fish), Daniel Lynch, Spencer Howard, C.J. Abrams (Hops), Roansy Contreras, Brusdar Graterol (Goutfish)
Around the RDBL
- Mt. Diablo Devils outfielder Riley Greene looked certain to be in the group above with an Opening Day job all but locked up in Detroit before a foot fracture sidelined him. He was placed on the MiLB IL, giving GM Jason Watson the potential to activate him as soon as he reaches the big leagues.
- The expectation is that Cloverdale Clovers left-hander Blake Snell will hit the IL today with a adductor strain which could open the door for top Stacks pitching prospect MacKenzie Gore. Gore posted five scoreless in his 2022 Triple-A debut and is the current favorite to start on Friday if Snell is indeed placed on the IL.
- The Dodgers depth at starting pitcher doesn't look to be as strong as previous season which could quickly open the door for Lake Merced Goutfish right-hander Bobby Miller, their first selection of the 2022 Draft. Miller started the final Spring game at Dodger Stadium, lighting up the radar gun with several triple digit offerings and could call Los Angeles home early in 2022.
- A reworked pitching staff is doing wonders so far for the St. Joseph Jokers who posted a 2.94 ERA in a league-high 33 2/3 innings in Period 1. Their 96.0 pitching points rank 4th in the RDBL. GM Rick Steen's best season in Franchise History came in 2018 when they led the RDBL in pitching and earned the final Wild Card spot in their only Playoff appearance. Steen's group certainly hopes that will be the case again in 2022.
- The Las Vegas Aristocrats might be one of the teams hitting the trade market early as depth is already becoming an issue on offense. The club posted 124 at-bats through the first 4 days, the lowest in the league and 38 fewer than the leading Lake Merced Goutfish in the category.
- Better times look to be ahead for the Honolulu Hammerheads who received -39.0 points from Ian Anderson and Kris Bubic Sunday while Salvador Perez and Alex Kirilloff combined to go 0-for-24 without a walk in Period 1.
- It's a small sample size, but Christian Yelich's 3-for-8 start with 3 walks is encouraging for the Asti Grape Stompers who look to match a dominant rotation with a strong offense.
- The Ducks held off on the activation of Joey Bart, but have to be encouraged by his early start especially with the 2-for-21 combined start from incumbents Yadier Molina and J.T. Realmuto who are earning $41 combined.
- The Clovers have several big names on offense so it's easy to forget about Alex Verdugo who has done nothing but hit since his activation in 2021. Verdugo is off to a hot start again in 2022 with a 5-for-11 start with a pair of walks.
- When you take Jared Walsh, Alex Bregman and Brandon Nimmo out of the equation, the remainder of the Idaho Taters offense went 7-for-109 in Period 1.
- The Goutfish were thrilled with the early returns from $1 Auction grab Noah Syndergaard who shut down a lethal Astros offense and posted 25.0 points in his 2022 debut for the Angels.
- The Fringe have lost co-aces Lucas Giolito (oblique) and Lance Lynn (knee) so far while depth starter Ryan Yarbrough (groin) hit the IL on Monday. GM Tony Guglielmi is being tested early without the chance to dip into their Farm System quite yet despite Josiah Gray, Triston McKenzie and Clarke Schmidt all currently in the big leagues but not eligible for a call-up under Period 9.
- Maltese Falcons starter Tyler Mahle looks poised for another step forward after a breakout 2021 season. He posted 22.0 point in his debut against a deep Atlanta Braves lineup.
- Steady playing time looks in order for Andrew Vaughn who is primed for a monster season for the Hops. Vaughn is 4-for-10 with a walk and a pair of home runs to start 2022.
- An active late off-season from Mission Viejo Maulers GM Chris Ferraro looks to be paying off early as newcomers Giancarlo Stanton and Nolan Arenado have combined for 37.0 points.
- In a sign all is clicking, the Spokane Fightin' Fish got 17.0 points out of Danny Jansen in Period 1. That's 4.5% of Jansen's career total points in 254 big league games since 2018.
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