If you haven't yet reached your limit on first-year pitchers with outstanding K-rates (who might also detonate your fantasy ratios upon arrival), we have another name for the watch list: Kyle Harrison has struck out 47 batters over his 26.2 innings for Triple-A Sacramento so far this season.
It hasn't necessarily been tidy and efficient at all times with Harrison, who's issued 27 walks so far this year, which is dreadful. But the walk rate has come down in May and opponents are batting only .179 against him. Here's a taste of what the left-hander can do when he's rolling:
San Francisco's rotation isn't exactly burdened by an abundance of talent these days, giving Harrison a relatively clear path to the majors. He has three high-quality pitches and a ridiculous 14.7 career K/9 in the minors. Whenever he arrives, he'll carry the coveted Dalton Del Don seal of approval.
Sheehan dealing in Dodgers system
The Dodgers have no shortage of elite pitching prospects — two of whom are making big league appearances this week — so it's understandable if you haven't been focused on Double-A right-hander Emmet Sheehan. We'll simply note that Sheehan has been nearly un-hittable to this point in the season:
He's punched out 58 batters and walked just 13 in 34.0 innings, delivering a 0.82 WHIP and 1.85 ERA. Last year, he struck out 106 batters over 68.0 minor league frames, so his fantasy upside is legit. His high-90s fastball and devastating change have flummoxed hitters in the Texas League (.127 BAA). It sure seems like he's ready for a new challenge. Also, it's pretty outrageous that he and Kyle Hurt (0.91 WHIP, 17.2 K/9) pitch on back-to-back days.
Ronny Mauricio is raking
Mets infield prospect Ronny Mauricio leads the minors in both hits (65) and total bases (111), plus he's hit seven bombs and swiped nine bags for Triple-A Syracuse. Over the weekend, he became the first player to reach 20 doubles on the season. He's currently hitting an obscene .353/.388/.603. He's an injury away from having serious fantasy relevance.
De La Cruz heating up, hitting bombs
When Elly De La Cruz makes contact, it's generally loud, deep and worth a look:
His seventh homer of the season for Louisville was a 465-foot blast. He has 18 extra-base hits and seven steals over 27 games and he's slashing .281/.374/.588. There's plenty of swing-and-miss in his game (37 Ks), so we probably shouldn't expect him to hit for average in the majors. Still, he's a spectacular power/speed talent who's seen time all over the infield. Whenever he's promoted, his debut will be a must-watch event. He should already be stashed in any league with NA slots available for use.
Reds have pitching help in the pipeline, too
Because the stats are just stupid, here's your Andrew Abbott update: He's up to 73 Ks over 40.2 innings in the high minors. He leads the minors in K% with an absurd 45.3. Louisville has proven more challenging than Double-A, but the strikeouts haven't stopped.
Old friend up to old tricks
Um, hey ... remember Jo Adell? It may feel as if he's a name from the '90s, but actually, Adell is still just 24 years old. He obviously hasn't broken through in the majors to this point, but he currently leads all minor league hitters with 17 bombs on the season while slashing .298/.394/.683. Strikeouts are still very much an issue for Adell (59 in 43 games), but power certainly is not.
Boston has an elite base stealer on the farm
Red Sox infield prospect David Hamilton stole 70 bags at Double-A last season and he's sitting at 23 through his first 39 games at Triple-A this year. He's cleared the fence nine times already, too, leaving him just three home runs short of his 2022 season total. If your fantasy roster is starved for speed, Hamilton is among the best possible stashes.