The Dynasty Digest: May 12, 2023

Chris Clegg breaks down everything you need to know from Thursday's action for dynasty leagues.

This is probably my favorite Dynasty Digest I have written. Nearly 2,500 words on 13 players to know for dynasty. I discuss an 18-year-old prospect no one is talking about, who the next Matt Mervis is, and much much more!

Let’s get to the names.

Colton Cowser, OF, BAL, 23, AAA

Everyone knows Colton Cowser, but you may want to know him for redraft. A three-hit/two home run performance on Thursday saw him have batted ball events of 110.3 mph, 109.6 mph, and 106.7 mph. Cowser is now hitting .317/.456/.561 with seven home runs and four stolen bases. The former fifth overall pick out of Sam Houston State is more than ready for the Majors.

Cowser’s underlying data also backs his performance. He has shown elite plate discipline, chasing just 21.4 percent of pitches out of the zone. His zone-contact of 78.2 percent is nothing to write home, but the quality of contact is what is impressive.

Cowser has an average exit velocity of 91.3 mph which is well above MLB average. He has a 9.8 percent barrel rate which would be 85th percentile among all MLB hitters. His 107.1 mph 90th percentile exit velocity is in line with Max Muncy and Fernando Tatis Jr. Yes, his bat is legit, and he could be up with the Orioles soon.

Jack Leiter, RHP, TEX, 23, AA

After a rough start to the season, Jack Leiter has seemed to have figured something out in his last two starts. Through five starts, Leiter had a 6.75 ERA, a 1.85 WHIP, and a 16.1 percent walk rate. The strikeouts were there, but the command was not.

Over his last two starts, Leiter has fired 11 scoreless innings with 15 strikeouts and four walks. That walk rate is just 9.5 percent to a 35.7 percent strikeout rate.

Leiter will likely always be a type that has higher walk rates. It is who he has been throughout his career. But we can live with it being under 10 percent. Leiter was elite at Vanderbilt and could be a great dynasty buy low.

Casey Schmitt, 3B, SF, 24, MLB

We highlighted Casey Schmitt all offseason here, and I had him as a borderline top-100 prospect for fantasy. Schmitt has an elite glove and made the transition from third to shortstop when Marco Luciano was hurt last year. He was so good at short that he stuck there. Schmitt is the Giants’ shortstop of the future. Not to mention his bat is pretty dang good too.

Maybe you wonder why Schmitt only hit one home run in Triple-A while playing in the PCL? I genuinely think it was from him focusing on contact. Schmitt posted a 104 mph 90th percentile exit velocity which is above MLB average. The power is there as you have seen since he joined the Giants.

Schmitt also has an aggressive approach and attacks pitches in the zone. He has a 73.3 percent zone swing percentage and makes contact on 87 percent of those pitches.

Schmitt has an impressive start to his MLB career, having eight hits in his first 12 plate appearances. He has mashed two home runs and has a 92.6 mpg average exit velocity and a 55 percent hard-hit rate. Schmitt is a legit bat and should be rostered everywhere.

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