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4 Top Hitting Prospects To Target In Double-A

By Richard Haake
Pitching Prospects in Double-A

Last week I looked into the top hitting prospects in Triple-A. Now I am going to turn our attention toward top double-A hitting prospects to see who will be getting the promotion to Triple-A next. Let us dive into one or two of the top performers from each league in Double-A and find some gems to stash in our dynasty leagues.

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Hitting Prospects Excelling in Double-A

Southern League

Tyler Black, 2B/3B MIL

Currently tearing the cover off the ball in Double-A with the Biloxi Shuckers is infield prospect, Tyler Black. Black was drafted as a second baseman in the competitive balance round with overall pick 33 of the 2021 MLB draft out of Wright State University. Black has moved quickly in the Brewers organization. This year he doesn’t seem to be content staying in Biloxi because in 26 games, Black is slashing .274/.466/.524 with six home runs, 21 runs scored, 18 RBIs, and 17 stolen bases.

Black showed us in 2022 that he could keep his walk rate high and the strikeouts low. So far this season he has continued that trend walking at an astounding 22.4% rate and only striking out at a 19% clip. In Biloxi, it seems Black has learned to drive the ball with more authority as his fly ball rate has increased by 14.2%. It would be surprising to see Tyler Black stick around in Double-A Biloxi much longer as he looks to be overmatching the competition and could use a challenge in Triple-A Nashville.

Texas League

Jose Ramos, OF LAD

What is in the water down in Tulsa? Seems like the who’s who of Dodgers prospects are playing for the Tulsa Drillers. Of the big names on the team, Jose Ramos stands out to me. I’ve been watching Jose Ramos for years now and have been impressed with the strides he has made. This season he has taken his game to a whole new level, hitting for more power and most importantly lowering his strikeout rate. In 29 games in Tulsa, Ramos is slashing .279/.367/.548 with eight home runs, 19 runs scored, 16 RBIs, and four stolen bases.

As mentioned before, the 22-year-old Ramos has brought the strikeout rate that sat at 32.7% at high-A in 2022 down to a 25% strikeout rate against advanced pitchers in 2023. What has seemed to change in Jose’s game is the 9.4% jump in his home run to fly ball rate and an increase in his pull percentage and opposite field percentage. This tells me Ramos is hitting the ball to all fields and is lifting the ball so far this season. Jose Ramos is yet another Dodgers prospect to keep your eyes on in 2023.

Ryan Bliss, SS ARI

My apologies, I just had to give you two Texas League players that have been destroying the ball. Trust me, you will want to take a deeper look at Arizona shortstop Ryan Bliss, who was taken in the second round with the 42nd overall pick out of Auburn University. Bliss was known for his excellent bat-to-ball skills paired with above-average to plus defensive skills. It seems Ryan Bliss has hit his stride in 2023, as the Diamondbacks started the 23-year-old shortstop out at Double-A Amarillo. During his 26 games in Amarillo, Bliss is slashing .407/.426/.661 with five home runs, 25 runs scored, 21 RBIs, and nine stolen bases.

These are big gains over the 2022 season in high-A for Bliss who lowered his strikeout rate to 19.7% so far in 2023. If you look back at Ryan’s numbers you will probably get excited about the 31 bases he stole in 2022, so far he has nine but he has been caught four times in 13 attempts. All this says is that he is aggressive on the basepaths but can attempt a steal when he probably shouldn’t. Currently, Ryan Bliss is playing with an extremely high BABIP that surely indicates regression at some point but you can not overlook the hot start Bliss has gotten off to in Texas.

Eastern League

Hunter Goodman, C/1B COL

If there was one word to describe Hunter Goodman, it would be versatile. The Colorado Rockies drafted Hunter Goodman out of Memphis in the fourth round of the 2021 draft. If you look at his college numbers you might be surprised Goodman did not go sooner. Goodman slashed .323/.388/.638 with 42 home runs, 149 RBIs, and 22 stolen bases during his time at Memphis and was utilized as a catcher and utility player due to his versatility. So far the 23-year-old Goodman is continuing to crush the ball in Double-A Hartford slashing .277/.352/.652 with an Eastern League leading 10 home runs and 34 RBIs in 29 games played.

With an increased walk rate of 9.6% this year and his career norm 24.8% strikeout rate Goodman has proved to be a well-balanced batter. This season Goodman has increased his line drive rate as well as his home run to fly ball rate all while lowering his ground ball rate by almost 10%. These changes in his game can start to explain the surge in power so far this season for Goodman. This could be a great target in 20-team dynasty leagues and up as he is only 7% owned in Fantrax leagues.

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