While the season is winding down for nine RDBL Franchises who won't advance to the 2022 Playoffs, there's plenty of baseball remaining and critical innings to pitch and at-bats to be evaluated by Front Offices planning for 2023.
Here are players to watch for each and every Roger Dorn Baseball League Front Office down the stretch as the fight for Keeper spots in 2023 is well underway.
Alamo Short Stacks
3B Miguel Vargas (Minors), OF Corbin Carroll (Minors)
Vargas, the 28th ranked prospect overall according to Baseball America, earned his first big league promotion Tuesday and is likely to get a shot to hold down consistent playing time down the stretch across multiple positions. A bat-first prospect, Vargas is a career .310 hitter with good pop and has an opportunity to solidify an Opening Day job with Max Muncy, Trea Turner and Justin Turner all potentially facing Free Agency entering 2023.
The Stacks are hoping the get Corbin Carroll's feet wet as well in Arizona. Named the top prospect in baseball by Keith Law on Monday, Carroll has a 1.071 OPS this season and career 1.032 OPS in 456 Minor League at-bats.
Asti Grape Stompers
2B Ezequiel Duran (1FA/$5), RHP Hunter Greene (Minors)
The Grapes are currently staring at a shallow group of potential Keepers with hopes that Duran can take advantage of his opportunities over the final two months in Texas, giving GM Terry Shelley additional infield depth and upside.
Meanwhile, Greene might be the hardest player in baseball to currently value as he has flashed signs of dominance mixed with longer stretches of rough results. Carrying some consistency down the stretch and into Spring Training next season could earn the former top overall Reserve Draft pick an Opening Day spot on the Grapes for 2023.
Burlingame Blue Ducks
LHP Andrew Heaney (1D/$5), 3B Nolan Jones (Minors), RHP Jack Flaherty (1/$1)
The Ducks were the most active team in the week leading up to the Trade Deadline, overturning much of their roster in pursuit of a Wild Card spot this season. One key addition in the rotation was Andrew Heaney who holds two additional seasons of control but has managed just 23 1/3 inning, though it comes with a 0.99 ERA and 0.77 WHIP.
Long-time Ducks prospect Nolan Jones should earn his fair share of starts down the stretch for the Indians, hoping to play himself into a 2023 Opening Day activation.
The Ducks got just eight innings and 5.62 ERA out of their $1 investment in Jack Flaherty, but the right-hander is working his way back with hopes of finding himself back on a big league mound in September. That would be a major win for the Ducks who could then give Flaherty the chance to return with a healthy 2023 Spring Training.
Cloverdale Clovers
OF Jarred Kelenic (1R/$1), LHP Jesus Luzardo (2R/$3), SS Oneil Cruz (Minors), 1B Nick Pratto (Minors)
Kelenic was a late addition to a blockbuster deal between the Alamo Short Stacks and Cloverdale Clovers in early July with a lottery ticket feel for GM Chris Shelley. At some point, it becomes time to come to grips with the numbers staring you at the face and they are certainly ugly to date. In 430 career big league at-bats, Kelenic is a .170/.252/.333 hitter while hitting an even more paltry .129/.204/.269 this season. He's back in the big leagues after a strong run in Triple-A, mainly due to injuries to Julio Rodriguez and Mitch Haniger, but is 0-for-9 with four strikeouts this week. A rough final two months could shockingly land him in the 2023 Free Agent Class in March.
Jesus Luzardo looked poised for a breakout in Spring Training, earning him a spot back on the Clovers for 2022. An early season injury has limited him to just seven starts, but he returned to the mound on Monday with solid results. He will be given every opportunity to earn a spot again in 2023, his final one under contract.
Oneil Cruz and Nick Pratto are both set for steady big league at-bats for the remainder of the season with the Clovers hoping to push both into activations to start 2023.
Honolulu Hammerheads
RHP Ian Anderson (2R/$3), RHP Paul Blackburn (1FA/$5)
The 2023 rotation is an open audition behind Chris Sale and Pablo Lopez, with both Ian Anderson and Paul Blackburn getting their opportunity to earn GM Ross Horiuchi's trust down the stretch. After a strong 2021, Anderson has been a significant disappointment with a 4.99 ERA and 1.50 WHIP. The low contract could make him a potential trade candidate for a club looking to slot in the right-hander as a backend starter with hopes the he can return to his 2021 form when he posted a 3.58 ERA.
Idaho Taters
RHP Matt Manning (Minors), OF Jo Adell (1R/$1), RHP Matt Manning (Minors), LHP Matthew Liberatore (Minors)
You can't blame the Idaho Taters for being a little gun-shy with activations entering the 2023 season after flop seasons from Jo Adell, Spencer Torkelson and Casey Mize. But GM Mike Friedrich will face some difficult choices on their young players entering 2023 with Matt Manning one of a handful of prospects who could impress down the stretch to lock down a spot on the Active Roster. Manning looked sharp in his return from a shoulder injury on Tuesday, allowing three runs in five innings. He will be closely monitored by Friedrich down the stretch along with fellow pitching prospect Matthew Liberatore.
It has been a disastrous year for Adell at the plate and in the field, but with Brandon Marsh out the door and Mike Trout sidelined, playing time will be plentiful down the stretch to see if the former top prospect can regain the form that once made him one of the top assets in the RDBL.
Lake Merced Goutfish
OF Christopher Morel (1FA/$5), RHP Bobby Miller (Minors), RHP Roansy Contreras (Minors)
The Lake Merced Goutfish stripped down a good chunk of their Farm System in pursuit of the Playoffs this season which will put some pressure on the remaining group to help provide cap space flexibility entering next season. That group includes a pair of young starters in Bobby Miller and Roansy Contreras who both project to see some big league starts down the stretch.
The Goutfish might have found a building block for 2023 in Christopher Morel who has performed well on a per game basis since his mid-season arrival in Chicago.
Maltese Falcons
OF Mitch Haniger (2/$11), 2B/OF Ian Happ (2/$13)
The Falcons are set for a busy off-season of decisions as the club faces a crowded group of Keeper options, particularly in the starting rotation. Keeping as many as five starting pitchers could trim down their offensive group which could force difficult decisions on Ian Happ and Mitch Haniger. Happ has played at an All-Star level this season and could fetch a good return in the Winter provided he finishes strong while Haniger has been limited to just 35 at-bats this season but is due back in the lineup as soon as this weekend.
Meinert Hops
SS CJ Abrams (Minors), 3B Brett Baty (Minors)
When you have $88 invested in Shohei Ohtani, filling in your roster with activations can become a crucial part of building a competitor. That makes August and September critical for a pair of highly regarded infielders in CJ Abrams and Brett Baty. With Abrams on the move to the Nationals in the Juan Soto deal, playing time doesn't figure to be an issue despite being sent to Triple-A following the deal Tuesday.
Mission Viejo Maulers
IF Nico Hoerner (Minors), OF Josh Lowe (Minors)
Mission Viejo Maulers GM Chris Ferraro has generally take the position of being extremely patient with activations, but the 2023 Free Agent Class might change that as cap flexibility will be a critical weapon for clubs on Draft Day. Both Josh Lowe and Nico Hoerner will have their feet under them at the big league level after substantial at-bats for their respective clubs this season.
Mt. Diablo Devils
IF Ramon Urias (1FA/$5), IF Michael Busch (Minors)
Urias has been excellent over the last month, slashing .293/.346/.533 with five home runs over the last 28 days, putting him in contention for the Keeper Roster in 2023. Continued performance at the plate will be needed though as his season line still stands at .248/.294/.424.
The Dodgers promoted Miguel Vargas this week, and Michael Busch would likely not be far behind. With turnover likely in the Dodgers infield, some at-bats for Busch to end 2022 at the big league level would go a long way towards earning consistent playing time entering next season.
Spokane Fightin' Fish
C Cal Raleigh (1FA/$5), OF Tyler O'Neill (2R/$3)
There's a low bar for qualifying as a potential Keeper at catcher and Raleigh has likely met that with his .485 slugging percentage over the last month. With continued playing time down the stretch, Raleigh could cement that place for GM Michael Tirabassi.
In his second year of a Rookie deal, it's been an uphill battle for outfielder Tyler O'Neill who is slashing .233/.298/.351 entering play on Wednesday. Limited by injuries to just 55 games so far, O'Neill will have to show some improvement at the plate to earn back a Keeper spot on next year's club.
St. Joseph Jokers
C Joey Bart (Minors), SS Tyler Freeman (Minors)
With Curt Casali out the door in San Francisco, Bart, a deadline acquisition from the Burlingame Blue Ducks, is expected to take the lead role for the remainder of 2022 as he looks to shake off a rough start to the season that landed him back in Triple-A in June. He has looked more comfortable at the plate since his return, smashing his eight home run Tuesday night. It's clear he will never hit for average, but in order to survive at the big league level and be a strong contributor for the Jokers, the power will need to continue to be a part of his game while trying to curb his alarming strikeout rates.
Bart will face plenty of internal competition behind the plate as the Jokers boast MJ Melendez and Gabriel Moreno, both potential 2023 activations with more advanced bats leaving him as a potential off-season trade candidate.
Additionally, shortstop Tyler Freeman was promoted to the big leagues on Wednesday and could be in line for enough playing time down the stretch to put himself in a position for an Opening Day activation in 2023.
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