Welcome to this week’s Big Movers in the weekly update of the RotoProspects Top 500.
The No. 1 riser is Graham Pauley, a 22-year-old Double-A third baseman of the Padres who has already torched two levels to reach San Antonio this season, posting a combined .302/.391/.527 triple-slash with 20 homers and 20 steals. The 6-foot-1, 200-pounder started by putting up .887 OPS with the same number of walks as strikeouts to go with 4 homers and 12 steals in 45 games in Low-A. Pauley powered up in High-A with a .987 OPS and 16 dingers with 8 bags. He is just 3-for-14 over his first 3 games in Double-A, but his strikeout rate is just 14.3%. Pauley was almost an afterthought coming out of Duke in 2022, going in the 13th round of the draft at No. 390 overall. He immediately gave a taste of what he could do in his pro debut by walking more than he struck out and posting a .403 OBP with 4 homers and 6 steals in 32 games over 2 levels. Pauley is looking more like he can reach the majors next year as a utility man who can play second base and the outfield as well with a chance to make himself into a regular. With a plus hit tool to go with burgeoning power and enough speed to steal some bases, Pauley blasts up our rankings 212 spots to No. 207.
Next up is Brainer Bonaci, a 21-year-old Double-A shortstop of the Red Sox who is holding his own over his first 13 games for Portland with a .742 OPS on the heals of putting up a .301/.353/.473 triple-slash with 9 homers and 6 steals in 63 games in High-A. The 5-foot-10, 164-pounder signed with Boston out of Venezuela on his 16th birthday in 2018. After finishing second in the Low-A Carolina League in walks and OBP last year, Bonaci has come out more aggressive this year and added power, going from a .385 SLG for Salem to a combined .458 SLG for Greenville and Portland. A switch-hitter with plus defensive skills, if Bonaci keeps his power gains as he rises levels then he can be a solid everyday player. Bonaci skyrockets up 121 spots to No. 233.
Wilyer Abreu, a 24-year-old Red Sox outfielder who has burst out of the gates for Boston by going 6-for-12 with a homer over his first 3 games after posting a .274/.391/.538 triple-slash with 22 homers and 8 steals in Triple-A, leading to a 103-spot jump to No. 193.
Robert Calaz, a 17-year-old Dominican Summer League outfielder of the Rockies who has shined in his pro debut by putting up a .325/.423/.561 triple-slash with 7 homers and 6 steals, so he shoots up at least 82 spots to debut in the rankings at No. 419.
Nathan Martorella, a 22-year-old Double-A first baseman of the Padres who is off to a 5-for-11 start for San Antonio after posting a .259/.371/.450 triple-slash with 16 homers in High-A, and he jumps up 77 spots to No. 254.
Luis Guanipa, a 17-year-old Dominican Summer League outfielder of the Braves who has 4 homers, 20 steals and a .361 OBP in 46 games, so he shoots up at least 76 spots to debut in the rankings at No. 425.
Elias Medina, a 17-year-old Dominican Summer League shortstop of the Dodgers who has a .313/.381/.553 triple-slash with 7 homers and 16 steals in 44 games, so he jumps up at least 75 spots to debut in the rankings at No. 426.
Luke Adams, an 19-year-old Low-A third baseman of the Brewers who has 11 dingers and 28 steals to go with a .411 OBP, so he vaults up 69 spots to No. 354.
Colt Emerson, an 18-year-old Low-A shortstop of the Mariners who had a double and 2 walks in his debut with Modesto on Thursday after putting up an insane .536/.629/.786 triple-slash with a homer and 4 steals in 8 games in the Arizona Complex League after going No. 22 overall in the MLB draft, leading to a 64-spot jump to No. 133.
Austin Martin, a 24-year-old Triple-A second baseman/outfielder of the Twins who has a 1.097 OPS with 4 homers and 7 steals in August after missing most of the first half with a foot injury, and he shoots up 63 spots to No. 288.
The biggest faller of the week is Yiddi Cappe, a 20-year-old High-A shortstop of the Marlins who is struggling with a paltry .256 OBP and .579 OPS for Beloit, and he plummets 78 spots to No. 385.
The biggest risers inside the Top 100 are Lazaro Montes, a 18-year-old Low-A-A outfielder of the Mariners who has a 1.122 OPS with 6 homers in 18 games for Modesto to jump 88 spots to No. 66, and Sterlin Thompson, a 22-year-old Double-A outfielder of the Rockies who has a .955 OPS with 5 homers and 3 steals in 15 games for Hartford to vault up 87 spots to No. 91.
The biggest faller of the week inside the Top 100 is Tyler Soderstrom, a 21-year-old Triple-A catcher/first baseman of the Athletics who struggled to a tiny .484 OPS in 27 games for Oakland before getting demoted to Las Vegas – he dropped 16 spots to No. 68.
Check back next week to see who the biggest movers are when our next update for the Top 500 Prospects comes out.