Javier Baez was carted off the field Tuesday with what looks to be a long-term injury. So ... is it Max Clark o'clock?
I'll admit my mind went there, too, but then I saw the 21-year-old trending on X for a far less hopeful reason:
Columbus ties Toledo when Max Clark drops a seemingly routine fly ball with the bases loaded. pic.twitter.com/JZKnGNs2Lw
Absent all other context, I could write off the misplay as just an embarrassing moment that could happen to any player. But I have the context of manager A.J. Hinch's comment the last time the Tigers lost an outfielder to serious injury, specifically Parker Meadows two weeks ago.
"We've been very consistent that he needs more time to continue his development," Hinch said, referring to Clark.
Would he stress how consistent he's been on a matter only to abandon that matter two weeks later, even when the established criterion (continued development) isn't in evidence? Clark is 4 for 30 (.133) in his past 8 games. He's dropping easy fly balls. He's not ready!
Well ... he might be ready. He's slashing .303/.377 /.444 at the highest level with nearly as many walks (13) as strikeouts (15). He's lacking in home runs but has solid exit velocities, is an opportunistic baserunner, and is generally regarded as a good defender, despite Tuesday's blunder. I'm personally not commenting on Clark's readiness but simply pointing out that if the Tigers thought he wasn't ready two weeks ago -- insisted on it, even -- nothing that he's done since should have changed their mind.
They have other options. I'm guessing they'll go with them. So for now, I'm leaving Clark out of my ...
(Here are the prospects most worth stashing in redraft leagues.)
2025 majors: .263 BA (339 AB), 14 HR, 10 SB, .748 OPS, 16 BB, 85 K 2026 majors: .138 BA (29 AB), 0 HR, 1 SB, .331 OPS, 2 BB, 10 K 2026 minors: .467 BA (45 AB), 2 HR, 7 SB, 1.231 OPS, 5 BB, 8 K
OK, so I know Noelvi Marte isn't a prospect. He hasn't been for a couple years, actually. But he's a former prospect back in the minors at age 24, which suggests that his best days are still ahead of him. And he's absolutely killing it right now. You see the numbers above. He's batting nearly .500 in nearly 50 at-bats. His average exit velocity is over 92 mph. He's 7 for 7 on stolen base attempts. He's also shaved about 20 points off his chase rate, as compared to the majors. He's clearly too good for Triple-A.
Of course, the former third baseman was sent down in part because he was struggling at the plate, but it was no secret that the Reds weren't thrilled with his play in right field. Notably, he's been getting reps in center field at Triple-A, which some have theorized makes for an easier transition for infielders than right field because the angles off the bat aren't as tricky. The Reds have struggled to fill their third outfield spot without Marte, so we could see him back in the majors in short order. No actual prospect projects for the sort of immediate impact he could have if he gets another shot.
2025 minors: .260 BA (384 AB), 25 HR, .843 OPS, 42 BB, 127 K 2025 majors: .107 BA (28 AB), 2 2B, .476 OPS, 7 BB, 13 K 2026 minors: .303 BA (99 AB), 3 HR, 6 2B, .860 OPS, 14 BB, 36 K
Nothing much has changed here in the past week. Bryce Eldridge continues to strike out too much at Triple-A and hasn't been homering at a rate that would allow the front office to look past it. Casey Schmitt's surprising production hasn't helped matters, but I think the Giants would be happy to shift him to a super utility role if Eldridge were forcing the issue. A sustained hot streak would probably be enough to earn him the call.
2025 minors: .289 BA (484 AB), 18 HR, 29 SB, .892 OPS, 96 BB, 106 K 2026 minors: .303 BA (109 AB), 3 HR, 4 SB, .905 OPS, 15 BB, 33 K
I can't say I've heard actual rumblings about a Ryan Waldschmidt promotion, but it's doubtful the Diamondbacks would have had him begin the year at Triple-A if they intended to slow-play him. He's immediately taken to the minor leagues' highest level, collecting 13 extra-base hits in just 28 games while reaching base at a .400 clip. His comically low chase rate (13.6 percent) reveals a true mastery of the strike zone, and his exit velocities suggest that his power production is legit. I don't know what more the Diamondbacks could possibly need to see from Alek Thomas, who plays the same position, so I'm hopeful that a change is forthcoming.
2025 minors: 9-7, 2.51 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 136 IP, 39 BB, 166 K 2026 minors: 2-1, 2.25 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 24 IP, 14 BB, 35 K
Robby Snelling followed up his best start of the season with possibly his worst Friday. Sure, he allowed just two runs on two hits, but he also walked five, giving him 5.3 BB/9 for the season. That's a pretty terrible ratio, but it's not even the worst one I could point to. Snelling had just five whiffs in Friday's contest to give him a swinging-strike rate of 9.4 percent. For comparison, it was 13.6 percent last year. How do I reconcile such poor swing-and-miss numbers with his 13.1 K/9? Look, strikeouts are good no matter how they come about, but the question of legitimacy is worth raising. Ultimately, I still think Snelling is the top minor league pitcher to stash, but I'm not saying it with great gusto.
2025 minors: .268 BA (365 AB), 14 HR, .820 OPS, 52 BB, 112 K 2026 minors: .269 BA (78 AB), 4 HR, 3 SB, .872 OPS, 17 BB, 19 K
Charlie Condon's batting average has taken a hit over the past week, but his Prospect Savant page is still lit up in red, with all the major indicators rating in the 75th percentile or better. In particular, he's impacting the ball like a genuine slugger and spitting on pitches outside the zone. The biggest reason he's still sneaking into my Five on the Verge, though, is that three of the players blocking him in the Rockies lineup have tenuous grasps on their roles. TJ Rumfield, Troy Johnston and Edouard Julien are all more like reclamation (vanity?) projects than foundational building blocks, and while they've managed to hold their own so far, any slippage would make them easily discardable for Condon.