The Daily Dugout Report - April 9, 2026

All feels right in the world, having a ton of Minor League baseball action every day. Sure, there are a million names to track, but that’s the fun of it. Who is breaking out, and which performances are legit? It is still too early to tell, but we can watch and look at the data to figure out which performances might be legit and we will do our best to break down everything you need to know about the prospects who are standing out.

Let’s dive into the top performers from yesterday’s action.

Exit Velocity Leaders(Prospects Only)

Whiff Leaders(Prospects Only)

The Prospect Report

🚀 Standout of The Day

Noah Schultz, LHP, Chicago White Sox

Stats: 5 IP/2 H/1 ER/1 BB/9 K

Notable Data: 41% Whiff Rate, 44% CSW, 96 mph FB Velo

Why The Performance Matters:

Schultz's start to the 2026 season has been nothing short of spectacular, but Wednesday’s start was by far his best. Tossing five innings for the second straight start, Schultz allowed just two hits and did not issue a walk while striking out nine batters. Three starts and 14 innings into the 2026 season for Schultz and he has allowed just four total hits and two total earned runs. Probably more impressively, he has walked just two total batters.

Wednesday’s outing saw Schultz generate 14 whiffs, which was good for a 41 percent whiff rate, and he added in 18 more called strikes for a 44 percent CSW. Schultz landed 71 percent of his pitches for strikes and ran a 42 percent chase rate.

Schultz’s fastball lived in the 94-96 range last season, but he is averaging closer to 96 mph this year. Topping out at 99 mph, Schultz is actually getting good arm-side run on the fastball and really playing into the sinker shape. He often lands it for strikes and works both sides of the plate well. Throwing from a 5’6” release height, Schultz gets just 6’3” of extension despite the long frame. There is low effort throughout his entire arsenal, so it gives good confidence that Schultz could hold the increased velocity throughout starts.

The slider ranges from 79 to 83 mph and has nice sweeping action. Schultz was comfortable front- and back-dooring hitters with it and sequenced it well. It averaged 18 inches of sweep last night.

The changeup now sits north of 90 mph with heavy fading action and good late depth. Schultz has even worked in a 90 mph cutter with good carry and around five inches of horizontal movement. The arsenal is working well together and Schultz looks like a high-end arm again.

Fantasy Spin:

Emerging as one of the top pitching prospects in baseball in 2024, Schultz struggled in 2025, posting a 4.68 ERA across 73 innings. The bigger issue is that Schultz has not pitched more than 88 innings in a season. Durability goes a long way, and if Schultz can bust past the 100-inning mark this year with sustained stuff and velocity, he is going to make a solid impact.

Given that Schultz spent time in Triple-A last year as well, he may not be in Charlotte long. The stadium and league is a hitters ’ paradise and can kill the confidence of any arm. Schultz seems like a late May call-up, but an earlier one would not be surprising. -CC

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