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    Walker Jenkins hits game-tying homer in ninth

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    Walker Jenkins went 3-for-4 and hit a game-tying two-run homer off Ben Joyce in the ninth inning Thursday against the Angels.

    Of course, velocity data doesn’t go back all that far. Still, we’re guessing Jenkins set some sort of record for greatest velocity difference on pitches hit for a player’s first two major league homers. Jenkins’ first came off a 37.4-mph “other” from Tigers infielder Zach McKinstry in an Aug. 31 blowout. Tonight’s, however, saw him turn around a 100.9-mph fastball from one of the game’s hardest throwers. The three-hit game made Jenkins 7-for-49 as a big leaguer.
Smoltz: NLCS will be 'unbelievably' close series
John Smoltz joints the Dan Patrick Show to weigh in on this year's NLCS matchup, how the Brewers can dethrone the Dodgers and former generations of pitchers compared to today's pitchers.

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  • MIN Center Fielder
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    One of the top prospects in baseball, Jenkins hit just .226/.293/.393 with four homers, 10 RBI and one steal in 93 plate appearances over 26 games after receiving a late-season promotion to Minnesota. The 21-year-old former top-five pick should be a full-go at the start of spring training given the nature of the procedure, but fantasy managers should monitor his status throughout the offseason to ensure that he’s on track for the outset of the regular season.
  • MIN Center Fielder
    Jenkins gave the Twins an insurance run in the seventh inning, leading off the frame with a solo homer off Duncan Davitt. The 21-year-old outfielder is up to four homers and one steal while hitting .214/.295/.414 across 79 plate appearances.
  • MIN Center Fielder #21
    It’s the highest spot that Rodriguez has batted since being called up back on September 12. The 23-year-old top prospect launched a solo homer during Monday’s series opener at Oracle Park, but is hitting just .194 (7-for-36) with 13 strikeouts and one walk through 10 games at the outset of his big-league career. He’s hitting directly behind fellow top prospect Walker Jenkins with Luke Keaschall back in the leadoff spot in this one.
  • MIN Center Fielder
    Jenkins draws his second consecutive opportunity atop Minnesota’s lineup after hitting .529 (9-for-17) with two homers over his last five games. The 21-year-old phenom has managed to turn things around after a rocky start to his big-league career and is finally starting to look like the hitter that fantasy managers saw at the Triple-A level for the last few months. He should be rostered in deeper fantasy leagues, especially with a six-game week to close out the season.
  • MIN Center Fielder
    Jenkins’ homer off Grayson Rodriguez was a 357-footer off the foul pole in right. He has six hits in two games after collecting a total of four through 16 games and 46 at-bats.
  • MIN Center Fielder
    Jenkins is just 4-for-41 as a major leaguer. He did make good contact the one time he put a ball into play today, hitting a ball 100.4 mph to center, but it was still an easy play for Steven Kwan. Now that Byron Buxton has been ruled out, Jenkins figures to finish out the season as the Twins’ center fielder. However, in light of his struggles, he probably will do some sitting against left-handers.
  • MIN Center Fielder
    Jenkins takes a seat with Emmanuel Rodriguez making his big-league debut in center field. The 21-year-old top prospect is hitting .108 (4-for-37) with one homer, five RBI and one steal in 13 games since arriving in the majors last month. It’s not uncommon for an elite prospect to experience an adjustment period as they acclimate to everyday life at the highest level. Jenkins is the type of talent that fantasy managers shouldn’t be concerned about long-term, even if he struggles down the home stretch.
  • MIN Center Fielder
    It’s unclear if Jenkins is sitting just because the Twins are facing a left-hander, or if they just wanted to give the 21-year-old outfielder a breather after starting in seven straight games. He has struggled at the dish thus far, slashing .130/.286/.304 with one homer, three RBI, one stolen base and a 6/5 K/BB ratio over 28 plate appearances to begin his MLB career.
  • MIN Center Fielder
    Jenkins is hitting .188 (3-for-16) with one homer, three RBI and one steal in five games since being promoted from Triple-A last week. It’s worth noting that the homer came off position player Zach McKinstry in garbage time during a blowout. The 21-year-old top prospect checks every conceivable box from a physical projection and raw talent standpoint, which makes him worth rostering in all fantasy formats. It’s not uncommon for hitters to struggle with the leap to the majors and it could take Jenkins a little while to find his footing. He’s the type of talent that is worth stashing even when things aren’t going his way.
  • MIN Center Fielder
    Jenkins remains at the bottom of Minnesota’s lineup after going 2-for-9 with one RBI and a stolen base in three games since being called up from Triple-A last week. The 21-year-old top prospect projects as an extremely impactful fantasy contributor based on his talent and minor league production. The early results haven’t quite been there, but he’s put together some quality at-bats and hasn’t looked overmatched at all so far.

Rotoworld

  • CWS Center Fielder #7
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    Brenton Doyle will hit ninth and play center field in Game 5 of the ALDS on Saturday against the Guardians.

    Doyle gets the nod over Braden Montgomery, who has gone just 1-for-19 thus far in his playoff at-bats. The full lineup as the White Sox try not to blow a 2-0 lead and advance to the ALCS against the Rays: 1. Sam Antonacci LF, 2. Kyle Teel C, 3. Miguel Vargas 3B, 4. Munetaka Murakami 1B, 5. Andrew Benintendi DH, 6. Tristan Peters RF, 7. Chase Meidroth 2B, 8. Colson Montgomery SS and Doyle in center behind Sean Burke on the mound.
    - Christopher Crawford
  • CLE Center Fielder #0
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    Petey Halpin is hitting eighth and playing center field against the White Sox on Saturday in Game 5 of the ALDS.

    Halpin will get his first start of the postseason as the Guardians look to complete the 2-0 comeback. Angel Martinez will begin Saturday’s win-or-go-home contest on the bench, but seems likely to be involved at some point. The full lineup against Sean Burke in Game 5: 1. LF Steven Kwan 2. 3B José Ramírez 3. RF Chase DeLauter 4. DH Jo Adell 5. 1B Nathaniel Lowe 6. 2B Travis Bazzana 7. C Patrick Bailey 8. CF Halpin and Brayan Rocchio at shortstop with Gavin Williams on the mound.
    - Christopher Crawford
  • MIL Starting Pitcher #32
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    Jacob Misiorowski will start Game 1 of the NLCS against the Dodgers on Sunday.

    Misiorowski will square off against Dodgers trade deadline acquisition Tarik Skubal, who was reportedly pursued by the Brewers prior to the deal with Los Angeles, to kick off the best-of-seven opener in Milwaukee. Logan Henderson will start Game 2, and the plan is for Robert Gasser to get the nod in Game 3. There are plenty of narratives here, but the most compelling to monitor is whether Misiorowski can go shut down Los Angeles’ star-studded lineup multiple times to help lead the Brewers to the Fall Classic for the first time since 1982. The hard-throwing 24-year-old allowed two runs over four innings during his playoff debut against the Padres last weekend.
  • PHI Front Office #23
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    ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports former Phillies general manager Sam Fuld has declined an offer to become the Athletics next president of baseball operations.

    Fuld, who is currently Philadelphia’s president of business operations, has withdrawn his name from consideration. The 44-year-old former big leaguer, who wound up finishing his playing career with the Athletics in 2015, was viewed as one of the front-runners for the vacancy. Passan adds that Red Sox assistant general manager Taylor Smith is one of the top candidates for the role.
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    Vladimir Guerrero Jr. underwent laser eye surgery earlier this week.

    The Laser Eye Center of Miami shared the news on Instagram that Guerrero underwent successful laser eye surgery to correct his vision. It’s notable that Guerrero’s offseason procedure comes on the heels of a disastrous campaign where he batted .260/.332/.356 with 72 runs scored, nine home runs, 57 RBI and seven steals in 609 plate appearances over 144 games. He swung at more pitches outside of the strike zone and walked much less often than previous years. The 27-year-old first baseman represents a logical rebound candidate for fantasy purposes heading into next season based on the fact that he remains in his physical prime and boasts an extensive track record of elite offensive production. He’s going to be a borderline top-100 pick in most fantasy drafts next spring.
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    Rangers SS prospect Sebastian Walcott went 2-for-4 with an RBI in Arizona Fall League action on Friday.

    The biggest name in the entire fall showcase circuit, Walcott finished last season with a cup of coffee at Triple-A Round Rock after slashing .322/.398/.586 with nine homers and 11 steals in 171 plate appearances for Double-A Frisco. The 20-year-old prodigy added some additional muscle while recovering from elbow surgery back in the spring and has looked like one of the top prospects in baseball again. He’s a long shot to break camp in the majors next spring, but he figures to arrive as Texas’ shortstop of the future by midseason.
  • PHI Shortstop #87
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    Phillies INF prospect Aidan Miller went 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI in Arizona Fall League action on Friday.

    Miller is making up for lost time by getting some work in at third base in the fall’s prospect finishing school. He’s hitting .500 (6-for-12) with one steal through four games this fall. The 22-year-old former first-round pick missed most of this past season due to a lingering back issue that prevented him from making his Double-A debut until early September. He’s one of the more challenging prospects to forecast from a fantasy perspective after missing nearly an entire year to injury. He possesses an extremely intriguing power and speed blend that should make him an impactful fantasy contributor in the near future.
  • DET Left Fielder #93
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    Tigers OF prospect Zyhir Hope went 2-for-4 with an RBI in Arizona Fall League action on Friday.

    The centerpiece of the Tarik Skubal blockbuster with the Dodgers at the trade deadline, Hope blasted 29 round-trippers and also stole 26 bases in 564 plate appearances at the Double-A level this past season. The 21-year-old figures to ascend to Detroit’s outfield mix alongside Riley Greene and Max Clark at some point next season. It wouldn’t be shocking if he were in contention for a corner outfield spot in spring training given the present state of their depth chart.
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    Royals OF prospect Angeibel Gomez went 2-for-4 with a run scored in Arizona Fall League action on Friday.

    Gomez, the second-youngest player in AFL history at just 17 years old, is still several hyperspace jumps away from reaching Kansas City. However, his fantasy stock has soared following a sublime DSL campaign in which he hit .361/.467/.653 with nine homers and 15 steals across 180 plate appearances. One of the premier prospects in the 2026 international signing class, Gomez received $2.9 million from the Royals and advanced to the fall circuit before even making his stateside debut. He’s an exceptionally fast runner who projects to develop into an above-average power producer as he matures physically. It’s not hyperbolic to suggest that his present trajectory puts him on track to become one of the top prospects in baseball by the conclusion of next season.
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    Diamondbacks 2B prospect Demetrio Crisantes went 4-for-5 with three RBI and a stolen base in Arizona Fall League action on Friday.

    All four of his hits carried exit velocities over 98 mph. That’ll work. Crisantes, the top prospect in Arizona’s system, is making up for lost time on the fall circuit after missing the first two months of this past season with a hamstring strain. He missed most of the previous year recovering from shoulder surgery. The 22-year-old showcased his impressive hitting ability by slashing .319/.413/.548 with five homers in 160 plate appearances at the Double-A level before finishing the year hitting .278/.343/.412 with three homers in 209 plate appearances at Triple-A Reno. He’s a prospect that fantasy managers need to know entering next season.