The Dynasty Digest: August 7, 2024

Chris breaks down all the action from the DSL to the Majors.

Happy Wednesday! There was a full slate of Minors League action, plus a near no-hitter in the majors! Plenty to talk about today as we get you ready for another full day of action.

MLB Standouts

Framber Valdez, LHP, HOU

Valdez took a no-hitter into the ninth inning and was one out away from completing it, which would have been the third no-hitter in the last two weeks. Quite gassed by the ninth inning, Valdez walked Robbie Grossman to lead off the ninth before getting Ezequiel Duran to ground into a double play. He walked the next batter, Josh Smith, before allowing a 411-foot bomb to Corey Seager.

Finishing. the day with a line of 8.2 innings with one hit allowed, three walks, and two earned runs is still quite solid, but I am sure Valdez wishes he could have finished it off. Not only would it have been the third in the MLB in recent weeks, but it would have been Valdez’ second no-hitter nearly one year after his first.

Since allowing eight earned runs to the Angels on May 20, Valdez has a 3.02 ERA in 83.1 innings with 79 strikeouts.

Willy Adames, SS, MIL

The Brewers poured it on the Braves on Tuesday, and Adames was a big part of that, collecting four hits, which included two home runs. The home runs left the bat at 102.3 and 102.4 mph and traveled 415 and 426 feet, respectively. He added two more singles to give him three multi-hit games in his last seven.

Adames has quietly had another strong season and is in position to hit 24 home runs for the fourth straight year, a feat that Corey Seager would be the only other shortstop to do. In the process, Adames has seen his average take a step forward as well as his OBP. Not talked about among the elites, Adames has been one of the better hitting shortstops in the game since 2021.

Colin Rea, RHP, MIL

Rea blanked the Braves offense with seven scoreless innings and nine strikeouts. It was a season high strikeout total for him, as he allowed just one walk and five hits. The Braves did hit him hard as they collected nine hard-hit balls, but were not able to capitalize on any of them.

Having been a pleasant surprise for a depleted Brewers rotation, the 34-year-old Rea has posted a 3.38 ERA across 122 innings, a mark that ranks near the top of qualified starting pitchers this year. Rea throws six pitch types, keeping hitters on their toes.

The success is not likely sustainable beyond this year, as many of the ERA indicators are much higher, but it has been an impressive run, none the less.

James Wood, OF, WSH

Wood is nearing prospect graduation, having 115 MLB at-bats at this point, and the performance has been strong for a young 21-year-old. While he has struck out in a third of his plate appearances, Wood has still managed a .270/.364/.426 slash and blasted his third career home run on Tuesday while also stealing two bases and scoring four times. The home run left the bat with a 108.3 mph exit velocity and his triple at 102.2 mph.

The power is immense; all the hard-hit numbers from the minors carried right over into the Majors, and Wood has a 94.1 mph average exit velocity and 55 percent hard-hit rate, both of which rank at the top of the Majors. Sure, strikeouts are likely to be part of his game, but the power/speed upside is fun to dream on.

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