With MLB Opening Day past us, the long, cold, in some places recent, winter weather is behind us and now we get baseball. We saw a ton of great performances from prospects in spring training across the Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues. Unfortunately, not all of those great stat lines led to making MLB Opening Day rosters or lineups. 

In this first edition of the Fantasy Baseball Prospect Report for 2024, we’ll touch on some of the best, and perhaps unheralded, prospect showings in spring training. To see how these prospects rank overall, check out my latest Top 400 MLB Prospect Rankings. 

Clearly a ton was made about the elite prospects like Wyatt Langford, James Wood, and Jackson Holliday during their breakout springs. However, we’ll be focused on the lesser talked about prospects in this week’s prospect report.

 

 

 

MLB Prospects: Report For First Week Of Games

Victor Scott II — OF St. Louis Cardinals

The buzzy prospect add this week has been Scott and his skillset. What is that skillset? SPEED. Yes all caps. Scott posted 94 stolen bases in 132 games, equally split between High-A and Double-A. 

It’s not just speed though as he also posted a better than .300 AVG in 600+ at-bats along with a .369 OBP and .425 SLG. In his 14 games played in spring training he hit .317 with 10 R, one triple, and four steals. That line was good enough for the 23-year-old to make the roster and he’ll now start Opening Day. Keep in mind that Scott is fully skipping Triple-A with this move after a half-season in Double-A a year ago. 

Will the speed carry to MLB? Sure, but the question of how much of a chance he’ll get to use it remain. The hit tool is above-average but there’ll be a period of adjustment that comes for Scott, much like we saw with Elly De La Cruz a year ago. He’s worth an add but don’t expect wild steal numbers just yet.

Thomas Saggese — 2B St. Louis Cardinals

Sticking with the Cardinals, Saggese put on a show of his own in spring training, his first in St. Louis. A key piece in the trade return for Jordan Montgomery the 22-year-old infielder brings some quality skills with him from Texas. After hitting .300 in 23 games with a homer, 11 RBI, and six runs he fell just short of making the Opening Day roster. That follows a 26 HR, 12 SB season across two levels and two organizations in 2023. 

Saggese will move to Triple-A Memphis to start the year and continue to put very good slash lines with an average near .300 and a shot at 25-15 for HR-SB. The problem Saggese has is that he needs a couple of injuries to happen for him to get room in the infield with Brendan Donovan, Nolan Gorman, Tommy Edman, and Masyn Wynn ahead of him already.

 

 

 

Matt Shaw — 2B Chicago Cubs

The first-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft made it to Double-A after being drafted. Then he raised eyebrows in spring training and nearly forced his way on to the Cubs Opening Day roster. Sure, the average was so-so at .214, but the wOBA of .325 was nice as was the .500 SLG over the 16-game sample. 

He hit two homers, had nine RBI, and scored seven runs and walked at a decent clip at 8.5-precent. Shaw can play at second, short, and third if needed and will get time to work on those as he starts at Double-A Tennessee. He should be up some point in the first half though to give some versatility and a punch to the Cubs’ lineup.

Jacob Young — OF Washington Nationals

Lost in the fanfare surrounding, and rightfully so, the duo of James Wood and Dylan Crews, Young had a standout spring training as well. In the 20 games he played he slashed .304/.347/.326 with five RBI, three runs, and four steals. Everyone loves power nowadays but Young brings a different skill — speed. 

He was called up late in the year to D.C. and swiped 13 bags in 121 PA. The stint in MLB was Young’s fourth level in 2023 with High-A, Double-A, and Triple-A all played at while accumulating 52 total steals across 145 games combined. If the Nationals are looking for outfield help at some point without calling up either Wood or Crews, Young could be the call-up to add some more speed on the roster.

Trey Lipscomb — INF Washington Nationals

Sticking in D.C., Lipscomb was the last player sent to the minor league roster from spring training. In his 55 PA in 21 games, Lipscomb slashed .400/.455/.540 with a homer, two doubles, a triple, seven RBI, six runs, and a steal. Luis Garcia Jr. has been questionable offensively and defensively for the better part of a year and with Lipscomb playing every infield position, the pressure is now on Garcia to hold his spot. 

Prior to Opening Day, Lipscomb was called up to replace the injured Nick Senzel on the roster. He’s coming off a two-level season that saw him produce a solid average along with 14 HR and 10 SB with 72 RBI and 59 R. He should get some run for the Nationals off and on in 2024.

 

 

 

Blaze Alexander — INF Arizona Diamondbacks

Another injury call-up prior to Opening Day, Alexander cracked the Diamondbacks roster to fill-in for the injured Jordan Lawlar. That’s not to say Alexander didn’t earn his way on in a tough battle. The 25-year-old infielder slashed .400/.431/.655 in 58 PA in spring training with two homers, eight runs, eight RBI, and five steals. Alexander has been in the Arizona system since 2018 after they drafted him out of high school. 

The long burn on Alexander might finally be paying off. After putting up 17 HR and 10 steals while hitting .306 in a partial season at Double-A in 2022, Alexander returned from injury to hit eight homers and steal two bags and hit .296 in 73 games at Triple-A. He may feature as the platoon counter to Joc Peterson at DH but until he shows what he can do, he’s a wait-and-see prospect.

Jordan Wicks — LHP Chicago Cubs

The fast riser through the Cubs’ system solidified his spot in the rotation this spring with his showing. Over 21.1 innings in the Cactus League, the southpaw posted a 2.53 ERA and 1.08 WHIP while limiting walks and homers. He did get 34.2 IP on the north side of Chicago last year and put up a 4.07 xERA and a solid WHIP. 

He isn’t going to light up the stat categories as he’s more in the mold of a Kyle Henricks than say Jake Arrieta to stick with Cubs comps. He should be in the rotation to stay for the Cubs as a 3rd or 4th option and offer that innings-eating mid-rotation arm for fantasy baseball.

Jonathan Cannon — RHP Chicago White Sox

Drafted in the 2022 MLB Draft out of the University of Georgia, the righty made it to Double-A last year in his first full season in pro ball. This spring he showed up with a mission to show what he could do in camp and did just that over 11 innings. Posting a 2.45 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and impressive 19.6-percent K-BB% it was certainly a showing. 

Cannon has highest floor of any White Sox’ pitching prospect as a fourth starter at worst, but his ceiling is that of a high-value number-three starter in an MLB rotation. Cannon has a five-pitch mix that should get him around a K/IP and control that should keep walks and home runs to a minimum. There is no rush for the White Sox to push him to the majors this year before August, but he’s one to watch for keeper leagues for next year.

Ben Brown — RHP Chicago Cubs

Brown is perhaps the most interesting arm that gets the highlight from spring training. He posted a 0.64 ERA and 1.07 WHIP over 14 innings. However, he also posted a 3.21 BB/9 and 7.71 K/9. So, what gives? In the minors so far, Brown has been a huge K-rate arm with K/9 rates well over 12.0 in each of his last four stops. 

The problem for Brown though has been a major lack of control. In those same stops he’s posted BB/9 rates between 2.7 and 6.35 with that 6.35 coming in 72.2 innings. If his control doesn’t improve, Brown will be a filthy late-inning reliever for the Cubs, if he gets the walks under control, he’s a number-two starter in the making. This year will be pivotal for that determination.

Clayton Beeter — RHP New York Yankees

A similar arm to Brown above, Beeter had a bit of a breakout spring over 17 innings with a 3.18 ERA and 9.0 K/9. However, the WHIP wasn’t as good at a 1.24 mark. Also, like Brown, but for the Yankees, Beeter has two paths to the majors with this year being a pivotal determinator. The strikeout upside is immense having posted at least 11.27 K/9 in every stop in the minors since 2021. 

The walk rates are abysmal though having at least 3.62 BB/9 at each stop. At this point it’s unlikely he sorts out his control enough to be a starter option for the Yankees, but his stuff is tailor-made for a back-end reliever role and potential closer in the making. He’s cracked the Opening Day roster for New York and if you want a speculative closer add for next year Beeter could be it.