Minor League Baseball Weekend Recap: Top 15 Dominant Performances (Week 18)

At the beginning of each week, I will provide a comprehensive breakdown of everything that happened across the landscape of Minor League Baseball. It might be a little overkill as I wrote far too much on the players that stood out on the weekend, but I hope it helps you better understand why a player performed as they did.

This report, each Monday, will feature the top 15-20 standouts beyond just the box score. I will dive into non-public pitch data and hitters’ statcast data as well. The goal is to help you find prospects that are breaking out early that you should be getting in on in your dynasty leagues.

Minor League Baseball Weekend Recap(Week 18)

Dylan Beavers, OF, Baltimore Orioles, 24, AAA

While the flurry of Orioles players traded did not lead to Beavers being called up immediately, his time is coming. Beavers has strung together an impressive season with Triple-A Norfolk and is now on the cusp of his MLB debut. After a bumpy 2024 season saw him slash .242/.342/.408, Beavers have taken a massive leap forward in 2025 and appear to be a different hitter. With some subtle changes in the swing, Beavers puts himself in a good spot to hit every swing.

One slight change from last season is a slightly smaller leg kick. Beavers is getting his foot down much earlier and is timing things up well. His hands are also in a slightly high position at the start of his swing. Last year, Beavers tipped the barrel a bit and had his hands slightly below his shoulders before the start of his swing. This year, his hands are a little above his shoulders before dropping the swing into the slot.

Two home runs and three hits on Sunday has Beavers up to 15 home runs in 374 trips to the plate, and Beavers has already passed his career-high 15 that he had last year in 531 plate appearances. The contact numbers have taken a leap, and Beavers has seen his strikeout rate fall from 23.5 percent to 17 percent in 2025.

Under the hood, Beavers won't knock your socks off, but he does have respectable numbers. His average exit velocity of 88 mph is average, but the 105.4 90th percentile exit velocity is solid. Being a selective hitter, Beavers picks his spots well and has great launch angles.

The improvements are notable, and Beavers looks ready to play in an Orioles uniform. Expect a call-up to happen in the next two weeks.

Bryce Eldridge, 1B, San Francisco Giants, 20, AAA

Few prospects had the meteoric rise that Eldridge made in 2024. The talent level has long been known since he was selected 16th overall in the 2023 MLB Draft. Selected as a two-way prospect, Eldridge gave up pitching immediately and then shifted from outfield solely to first base in 2024.

Moving from Single-A to Triple-A by season's end, Eldridge even went to the Arizona Fall League, where he dominated for ten more games. Between all stops, he mashed 23 home runs and added 27 doubles and two triples. The slash of .292/.374/.516 stands out for a 19-year-old, and Eldridge only made improvements all year.

There is no denying the kind of power Eldridge brings to the table, as his 90th percentile exit velocity near 109 mph is a high-end mark for a 19-year-old. Not only does he hit the ball hard, but Eldridge also puts batted balls at ideal angles and has a barrel rate of 16 percent.

Eldridge is aggressive on pitches in the zone, especially over the heart of the plate. The approach and contact skills are around average, but when you have 70-grade power, the profile can work.

The swing is relatively smooth, and the power comes naturally. Eldridge uses a toe-tap on all counts and starts with his hands high pre-swing before dropping them down into a slot to begin his swing. The bat's speed is electric, and Eldridge has strong wrists to help generate power. Considering how long his arms are, the swing is relatively short, and he has a direct path to the ball.

Owen Murphy, RHP, Atlanta Braves, 21, A+

Murphy is back! His start to the 2024 season was trending toward Murphy becoming one of the better pitching prospects in the game. Unfortunately, the start I was at in Asheville was his final of the year before Murphy blew out his arm, needing Tommy John. The sad thing is that the start was the best of his career, tossing 6.1 scoreless innings with 11 strikeouts and no walks. 

Murphy made just seven starts in 2024, having a 1.54 ERA with 60 strikeouts across 41 innings pitched. The strike rate was an impressive 69 percent, to pair with a 32 percent CSW. He posted a 15 percent swinging strike rate, as well. Having eight strikeouts in 3.1 scoreless innings in his return to Rome makes it seem like Murphy is fully back.

Murphy’s fastball velocity is up a tick, sitting 92-93 mph, but the outlier traits on it help to make it a successful offering. It features high IVB numbers, but it is the release point and how well he hides it that makes it a pitch that misses bats, on top of the fact that he locates it well up in the zone. Murphy gets plenty of swings under the pitch.

He also features a slider and curveball, both being distinct pitches. The slider sits in the mid-80s with depth and solid sweeping action. The curveball gets plenty of downward action, but also has a two-plane break, sitting near 80 mph. Murphy does flash a changeup on occasion, and it is a solid pitch, but he mostly uses it against lefties. I would love to see Murphy continue to develop the changeup, which he did throw in yesterday’s start.

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