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Joey Loperfido, 1B/OF, Astros: Loperfido is headed to the big leagues. The Astros are expected to call up Loperfido ahead of Tuesday’s game against Cleveland. The 2021 seventh-round pick out of Duke has been the best slugger in the minors so far this season. His 13 home runs (which included one on Sunday in his final MiLB game) is three more than anyone else in the minors. Loperfido has been helped the schedule. Eight of his 13 home runs have come on the road at Albuquerque and Reno, which are two of the best hitters’ parks in baseball. Loperfido has plus speed. He stole his fifth bag of the year in five attempts on Sunday. Loperfido has bounced back and forth between center field and first base this year and also has time in left field.

Jay Allen, OF, Reds: Allen saw his 2023 season ruined by a thumb injury. This year, Allen has already spent two weeks on the injured list this year with a sore knee. But when he’s been on the field this year for High-A Dayton, he’s been hitting. Allen went 5-for-6 on Sunday, tying the mark for most hits in a single game this season in the minors. Allen is hitting .378/.465/.649 this year with three home runs and three stolen bases.

Deyvison De Los Santos, 1B, D-backs: De Los Santos spent spring training trying to make the Guardians’ roster as a Rule 5 pick. He didn’t stick, and was returned to the D-backs, who sent him back to Double-A Amarillo. Sometimes returned Rule 5 picks need a little time to adjust mentally to returning to the minor league lifestyle, but De Los Santos has had one of the best months of his pro career in his first month back. De Los Santos hit his sixth and seventh home runs of the season as part of a 4-for-5 game that also included a double. De Los Santos is hitting .391/.449/.716 with a 23.5% strikeout rate.

Tyler Black, 1B, Brewers: Black has always hit for average, but he’s also piling up home runs this year. Black homered twice for Triple-A Nashville against Louisville on Sunday, giving him five this season. Black’s stat line has an interesting quirk, he has five home runs, two triples and only one double so far. He’s hitting .303/.393/.525. If there is one concern about Black’s development, it’s been the steady reduction in the number of positions he plays. In 2022, he started regularly at second and third base and center field. In 2023, he was primarily a third baseman who also played first base. This year, he’s been almost exclusively a first baseman who has started one game at third base.

Junior Caminero, 3B, Rays: Caminero left Thursday’s game with Triple-A Durham when he slightly aggravated the quad injury that had cost him two weeks on the injured list earlier this month. Thankfully, he’s OK, as he demonstratively demonstrated on Sunday. Caminero went 4-for-5 with two home runs and a double. Caminero raised his OPS by over 200 points with the big day. He’s now hitting .313/.377/.646. The Rays have had Caminero exclusively play third base so far this year, after he bounced between second base, shortstop and third base last year.

We updated the Prospect Wire all weekend. Check out big performances from Lazaro Montes, Ariel Amonte, Quinn Mathews and others. 

10 Statcast Standouts (April 29)

Each Monday, we’re taking a look at 10 standouts with impressive data from the previous week of action. This week, Cubs prospect Owen Caissie and Mets RHP Jonah Tong headline our list. See why Caissie’s underlying data puts him in rare company and why Tong could be primed to rocket up prospect rankings if he can sustain his early gains, plus eight more prospects of note.

Want to get ahead? Each day we’ll surface one prospect from recent Baseball America coverage who could be on the rise.

Baseball America Helium Pick Of The Day

Quinn Mathews, LHP, Cardinals: Eagle-eyed Baseball America subscribers have seen Mathews’ name plenty in April. The Cardinals lefty pops up again this week in RoboScout’s top prospects from April. He has proven to be nearly unhittable so far in Low-A. Of course, take a 23-year-old college pitcher succeeding against younger hitters with a grain of salt, but his stuff gains are worth keeping an eye on, as Dylan White explains this morning.

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