The Dynasty Digest: May 7, 2024

Chris Clegg runs down the early top performers from the Florida and Arizona Complex Leagues.

We are just two games into complex level ball, but with no other minor league levels playing on Monday, it now gives us something to talk about and we can gush over the small sample size performances.

Given it is just two games, a lot of the top performers are players we expected to hit the ground running and that is a good thing. Let’s break down some of the hitters popping off.

Complex Level Standouts.. Through 2 Games

Josi Novas, SS, KC, 19, ACL

I honestly had not paid close enough attention to Novas, even after a solid stint at the complex last season in which he slashed .324/.437/.450 with three home runs and eight stolen bases in 35 games. He spent two summers in the Dominican Summer League and never put up numbers that overly impressed.

Now, repeating the complex level at 19 years old, Novas has made some tweaks and added weight to his 6’4” frame, and the results are there. A two home run performance on Monday had him up to five hits through two games which also includes two doubles. Novas has struck out just once in 10 plate appearances and is hitting the ball very hard.

I am watching Novas very closely moving forward.

Branny De Oleo, SS, NYM, 18, FCL

De Oleo seems like a player I did not spend enough time evaluating this offseason as I had other Mets’ complex level prospects well ahead of him in rankings. But, after reviewing the data and film, I think there is something here. Spending the 2023 season in the DSL, De Oleo slashed .303/.403/.476 with three home runs, 12 doubles, and three stolen bases.

While he has not put up gaudy numbers by any means in two games he does have a home run on the record and has shown a good feel for contact. De Oleo is a player I am going to be keeping my eye on closely.

Enjoy a video from the FCL Mets of him blasting a home run in extended Spring Training.

Robert Calaz, OF, COL, 18, ACL

You know we have loved Calaz here at the dugout for some time due to the tantalizing power upside and a solid feel to hit. The power has already shown up in the first two games in the complex as he has a home run and two doubles. Here was the offseason report on him:

After making his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League in 2023, Calaz slashed .325/.423/.561 with seven home runs and 21 extra-base hits in 43 games. Calaz generates easy bat speed with a strong lower half, letting the power come to him.

The exit velocities were insanely high for someone who was 17 years old for most of the season. With the frame, you could easily see Calaz being a 25 home run bat for much of his career. Despite the powerful frame, Calaz also ran well, posts above-average clock times, and was successful on six out of six stolen base attempts in 2023.

The fantasy upside is highly appealing here, and Calaz is a player I want to bet on continuing to rocket up rankings in 2024 and beyond.

I would invest in Calaz before it is too late.

Ramon Ramirez, C, KC, 18, ACL

It shouldn’t be much of a surprise that a lot of the top DSL hitters are the ones off to good starts at the complex, but here we are. In our ACL prospects that could breakout I wrote this:

Signing for just $57 thousand in the 2023 international signing class, Ramirez appears to have been a fantastic find by the Royals after his tremendous Dominican Summer Leageu stint in which he mashed eight home runs and added nine doubles in 150 plate appearances while slashing .344/.440/.615. Ramirez walked more than he struck out, which is not all that uncommon for disciplined hitters in the DSL, but in Ramirez's case, the underlying data backs it.

Making contact on 90 percent of pitches in the zone, exhibits great swing decisions, leading to low chase rates. While it is a good idea not to put too much stock into DSL data, it is hard to ignore the kind of data that Ramirez posted, given that he was 17 years old and already has an impressive frame.

The power comes easily from a strong frame, quick hands, and a barrel that stays in the zone for a long time. Ramirez has even shown power with a flick of his wrist on a pitch down and away, sending it to the opposite field. He hits where pitches are thrown and doesn’t try to do too much when he doesn’t get a chance to get to his pull-side power.

The maturity at the plate is impressive for someone 17, but we need to see more than the DSL sample. But if the success continues at the Complex and Single-A in 2024 and the data carries over, his stock is going to soar.

Ramirez now has a home run and two doubles in his first eight plate appearances of 2024 while having just one strikeout.

Yeremi Cabrera, OF, TEX, 18, ACL

Cabrera has begun to blossom and could be on the verge of really taking off. In his debut season in the DSL in 2022, Cabrera struggled initially, posting a .179/.328/.286 slash line, but he was just 16 years old at the time. He came into 2023 looking like a different hitter, though, as he walked more than he struck out while slashing .329/.445/.559. Cabrera looked bigger, and it translated to power as he hit seven home runs and added six doubles and triples a piece, giving him 19 extra-base hits in 46 games.

While being a bit undersized, Cabrera has quick hands and keeps the barrel in the zone for a long time. He can get to pitches all over the zone and does not often chase out of the zone. He is a strong athlete who runs well, efficiently on the base paths. 

I mean, just look at this hand speed in the video below from Rangers Player Development. He now has three home runs in two games, which he has paired with two stolen bases. It is early, but Cabrera’s stock may soar.

Alexander Albertus, SS, LAD, 19, ACL

Albertus might be best known for a mammoth home run off Clayton Kershaw last year at the complex, but he has all the skills to be a successful hitter and another Dodgers development success. After his success last year at the complex level, I actually would not be surprised if he is in Single-A over the next couple of weeks.

In 2023, Albertus spent time in the DSL and at the Complex as an 18-year-old, slashing .310/.471/.468 with five home runs across 170 plate appearances. He also swiped nine bags but was caught six times.

The swing from Albertus is reminiscent of Mookie Betts, with a big leg kick that generates a ton of coil, leading to big bat speed. With the little bit of film and data on Albertus, he shows excellent strike zone awareness and high-end contact skills.

He is off to the races so far in two games, having a home run, two doubles, and a single in four games.

Sammy Stafura, SS, CIN, 19, ACL

Stafura was one of the harder players for me to evaluate coming out of the draft. With questions surrounding the hit tool coming into the draft, Stafura has always had the tools. Being a plus or better running, Stafura has good instincts on the base and can steal with ease. He is a natural athlete with loft in his swing which gives hope that he can get to power.

He has five hits in two games so far at the complex and while a small sample, he is showing the a good feel for contact and honestly may not be at the complex long. If all clicks here there could be a 20 home run/20 stolen base type bat.