What if we got excited about the wrong outfield prospect callups? Amid all the hype around Joey Loperfido, Jordan Beck, and some others, it's been Rays outfielder Jonny DeLuca who has been making the biggest impact of late.
DeLuca made his debut over the weekend, though I guess if you want to be technical about it, he wasn't "called up" – he would have made the Opening Day roster if not for a fractured hand suffered at the end of Spring Training – and he's been an impact player so far. After homering for the first time Monday against the White Sox, DeLuca is now 5 for 15 with 10 RBI in his first four games, with just two strikeouts to his name.
And, what might be even more promising than his production is the fact that DeLuca has actually started the first four games of his career for the Rays, including with Josh Lowe also returning from the IL Monday. I don't know if that necessarily means he's going to remain an everyday player moving forward – this is the Rays, after all – but it's a very promising sign so far.
DeLuca hasn't been a fixture on top prospects lists in his climb up the minor-league ladder, mostly because he's been pretty old for his levels throughout his career. However, he was a significant part of the return for Tyler Glasnow this offseason, and has been very productive in his minor-league career, sporting an OPS above .960 with 26 homers and 18 steals in just 104 games at Double-A and Triple-A overall.That he's been 24 and 25 for the majority of those games explains why there has been some skepticism around him from prospect folks, but it looks like a Fantasy-friendly skill set, and he's hit the ground running, so I don't see why he shouldn't be added in at least five-outfielder leagues. Just in case.
Tuesday's top waiver targets
Bryse Wilson, RP, Brewers (9%) – Most of the time, the "failed starter to lights-out reliever" pipeline doesn't run in reverse, but Wilson is trying to make it work. His move to the Brewers rotation a few weeks ago flew under the radar, but with consecutive quality starts under his belt, maybe that ought to change. Wilson went six shutout, one-hit innings against the Royals Monday, striking out six and walking three, and he now has three earned runs allowed with 15 strikeouts and six walks over 16.1 innings in his past three starts. I don't think he's likely to sustain this level of success, but he does have a starter's arsenal that generated a decent 11 whiffs Monday. Wilson might be just a guy; he's carrying his success from the bullpen into his first few starts, and that's interesting enough for deeper leagues, especially with his RP eligibility.
Max Kepler, OF, Twins (47%) – I liked Kepler as a sleeper coming into the season after he posted by far the best quality of contact metrics of his career in 2023, so I'm obviously happy to see him hitting well right now. But I've gotta be honest, I'm not quite sure I buy him as a must-start outfielder, or anything, even though I want to. He had two doubles Monday, and they came off the bat at 69.9 and 76.9 mph – there's hittin' 'em where they ain't, and then there's whatever that is, and whatever that is isn't sustainable. Overall, his quality of contact has actually taken a big step backward – he had a .428 expected wOBA on contact in 2023, compared to just a .301 mark right now – though his improved strikeout rate has helped make up for that. I'm willing to ride the hot hand with Kepler, who now has multiple hits in three straight games – but it'd be nice if he started hitting the ball harder at some point.
Simeon Woods Richardson, SP, Twins (23%) – Here's another one where I'm not quite sure how much of an impact you're likely to get, but I'm fine riding the hot hand if you don't have anything better to do with the roster spot. Woods Richardson struck out a career-high eight in six innings against the Mariners, with at least three whiffs on his four-seamer, slider, and changeup, the best start of his MLB career. In fact, it was just his second start with more strikeouts than innings while throwing at least five, and now gives him 21 in 20.2 innings, to go along with five walks. He was a decent prospect before struggling in the high-minors, but maybe he's starting to figure something out. Again, my expectations aren't that high, but if you're in a deeper league, maybe add him and see if he can build on this.
Zach Neto, SS, Angels (22%) – It's been a quiet start to the season for Neto, who is hitting just .239/.288/.385 even after Monday's homer against the Pirates, the team's lone run off Mitch Keller. But there have been signs of life from him, as Neto now has three homers while hitting .356 over the past 13 days, with a 91.2 mph average exit velocity, a good sign after he started the season ice cold. I'm a believer in Neto's upside, and now we're starting to see some signs of it. As a MI option, he's not the most exciting, but there's 15-15 upside here if he keeps this up.
