The Home of Fantasy Sports Analysis

Fantasy BaseballDynasty Fantasy BaseballMLB Prospects

Arizona Fall League Preview- Peoria Javelinas Prospects To Watch

By Richard Haake
Arizona Fall League Preview Peoria Javelinas

Welcome back again for another Arizona Fall League team breakdowns with some of the key prospects to keep your eye on. This time I am diving into the Peoria Javelinas, a team comprised of prospects from the Guardians, Marlins, Padres, Mariners, and Rays.

The strength of this team is coming in the bats and to this point in our breakdowns, this might be the scariest lineup to face. Let’s dive into some of the top prospects to watch for the Javelinas.

Note: This team is stacked with talent! Some prospects might not have been highlighted in this article but deserve to be looked at and considered for your dynasty leagues.

If you aren’t playing your dynasty leagues on Fantrax, you’re missing out on the deepest player pool and most customization around. Just starting out in a dynasty league? Then check out Rick Haake’s Top-400 Overall Fantasy Prospects and Tyler Bowen’s Top-500 Dynasty League Rankings.

Arizona Fall League Preview: Peoria Javelinas

(CLE, MIA, SDP, SEA, TBR)

Pitching Prospects To Watch

Ryan Webb, LHP CLE

(19 GS, 86.2 IP, 87 K, 3.22 ERA)

Cleveland drafted Ryan Webb in the fourth round of the 2021 MLB draft out of the University of Georgia. This season has been solid for the 24-year-old lefty as he started in 17 games at High-A striking out 83 batters across 82 innings pitched, good for a solid 9.11 K/9, while having a .219 average against and finishing the season with a 3.29 ERA. Webb profiles as a backend starter long-term and this assignment appears to be getting a better look at how he handles advanced batters. With a strong showing, it could be possible for Webb to start the 2024 campaign in Double-A and make a push for a debut in the rotation if the need arises or as a long reliever.

Hitting Prospects To Watch

Harry Ford, C SEA

(118 GP, .257/.410/.430, 15 HR, 89 R, 67 RBI, 24 SB)

Harry Ford, one of the most exciting catching prospects in the game, just capped off a strong season at High-A. The 20-year-old Ford slashed .257/.410/.430 with 15 home runs, 89 runs scored, and swiped 24 bags across 118 games played. What has impressed me has been the advanced plate discipline for Ford as he had an 18.3% walk percentage and a low 19.4% strikeout rate across 563 plate appearances. In his first three seasons, Ford has not had an OBP below .400. This will be a solid opportunity to see how he performs against older competition and give the Mariners more incentive to send him to Double-A to start the 2024 season.

Jacob Berry, 1B/3B MIA

(107 GP, .233/.284/.388, 9 HR, 59 RBI, 10 SB)

This season might not have gone the way Jacob Berry or the Marlins hoped it would be for the sixth overall pick in the 2022 MLB draft. Regardless Berry started to get into a rhythm once he was promoted to Double-A. In 28 games, Berry slashed .248/.301/.442 with five home runs, 22 RBI, and five stolen bases. Berry’s discipline at the plate was noticeably better in Double-A as he walked 7.3% of the time and struck out only 21.1% in 123 plate appearances. This encouraging performance towards the later part of the season might be one of the reasons for the Marlins sending Berry to the Arizona Fall League. For dynasty purposes, this is an encouraging sign as this could help Berry’s confidence as he should start the 2024 season back in Double-A.

Ryan Bliss, SS SEA

(128 GP, .304/.378/.524, 23 HR, 86 RBI, 55 SB)

What a year for Ryan Bliss! The former Auburn Tiger started the season with the Arizona Diamondbacks and was traded to the Seattle Mariners. Bliss was on fire in Double-A, playing in 68 games and slashing .358/.414/.594 with 12 home runs, 67 runs scored, and 30 stolen bases.

After the trade to Seatle, Bliss started to get a hold of Triple-A pitching as he slashed .251/.356/.466 with 10 home runs, 37 runs scored, and 20 stolen bases across 47 games played. Patience at the plate was key for Bliss as he improved his walk rate to 12.8% while the strikeout rate jumped to 23%. This might be the curtain call for Ryan Bliss this fall before he makes a push to be in consideration for an Opening Day spot.

 

Tyler Locklear, 1B SEA

(85 GP, .288/.405/.502, 13 HR, 52 RBI, 12 SB)

One of the most impressive bats this season that has largely flown under the radar has been Tyler Locklear. The 22-year-old first basemen showed advanced bat-to-ball skills at High-A this season. In 61 games, Locklear slashed .305/.422/.549 with 12 home runs, 44 RBI, and 10 stolen bases. Locklear displayed excellent plate discipline walking 13.1% while only striking out 21.8% of the time. After the promotion, Locklear continued to show solid improvement making this assignment a continued opportunity to show what he can do and push for a big league call-up in 2024.

 

Kyle Manzardo, 1B CLE

(97 GP, .237/.337/.464, 17 HR, 55 RBI, 1 SB)

It seemed to be a bit of a head-scratching year for Kyle Manzardo who struggled while he was in the Rays organization slashing .238/.342/.442. This was a far cry from the .300 hitter we were used to seeing the season prior. This led to a surprising trade between the Rays and Guardians that gave Manzardo a new lease on his season. After the trade to Cleveland, the numbers improved to a .256/.348/.590 with 11 home runs, and 38 RBIs. Manzardo continued to walk at  13% after the trade but got back to a 15.2% strikeout rate (down from 20.8% in Tampa Bay). This will be a great opportunity to boost Manzardo’s confidence leading into spring training as he makes the final push to win a spot on the opening day roster in 2024.

Carson Williams, SS TBR

(115 GP, .258/.356/.497, 23 HR, 81 RBI, 20 SB)

This has been a solid season for the 20-year-old Carson Williams as he played most of the season in High-A before getting the promotion to Double-A Montgomery and Triple-A Durham to finish out the year. In the 105 games played in High-A Williams slashed .254/.351/.506 with 23 home runs, 77 RBIs, and 17 stolen bases. Williams has been great at drawing the walk in his brief minor league career and this continued to be the case in High-A as he walked 11.5% of the time. One of the major sticking points for Williams is that he needs to cut down on the strikeouts.

In 462 plate appearances this season Williams struck out 31.8% of the time, the year prior at Low-A he struck out 32.1% in 523 plate appearances. This looks like an opportunity for the Rays to have one of their young prospects on the rise get more reps and hopefully make some adjustments to bring into 2024.

Chase DeLauter, OF CLE

(57 GP, .355/.417/.528, 5 HR, 39 RBI, 6 SB)

It was a while before we were able to see the Guardian’s first overall pick in 2022 because of a fracture on the toe of Chase DeLauter. Once he was healthy and back in the lineup DeLauter got right back to hitting. DeLauter played at High-A and Double-A in 2023 with the majority of the games coming at High-A Lake County. In 42 games played DeLauter slashed .366/.403/.549 with four home runs, 31 RBI, and three stolen base. The strikeout rate was extremely low for DeLauter at 12.5% while the walk rate was a bit of a concern at 5.7%. DeLauter was one of the most well-rounded players coming into the 2022 MLB draft out of James Madison University and it should come as no surprise that the Guardians are sending one of their top prospects to continue getting reps in the fall league after an injury-plagued season.

Fantrax was one of the fastest-growing fantasy sites over the last few years, and we’re not stopping now. We are the most customizable, easy-to-use, and feature-rich platform in the industry, offering the greatest fantasy experience for your dynasty, keeper, redraft, and best ball leagues. Fantasy sports doesn’t sleep, and neither does Fantrax, with seasons running 365 days a year. Take your fantasy leagues to the next level now at Fantrax.com!
More fantasy goodness More from author
Leave A Reply

Your email address will not be published.