We’re leading off this week’s column with a couple of callups possessing the potential to help in steals.
Luke Keaschall (2B Twins) – Rostered in 3% of Yahoo leagues
It certainly wasn’t the plan for Keaschall to join the Twins this early. Coming off Tommy John surgery in August, he only DH’d while going 5-for-21 with a homer this spring. In Triple-A thus far, he’s split time evenly between second base and DH, starting back-to-back games in the field only once. He also hasn’t really gotten hot yet, having hit .261/.379/.348 with one homer in 58 plate appearances. Nevertheless, the banged-up Twins have chosen to promote him in time for Friday’s game.
Whether he’s truly ready now or not, Keaschall is one of the game’s most well rounded offensive prospects. Since being drafted in the second round out of Arizona State in 2023, he’s batted .297/.415/.470 with 19 homers, 38 steals and a 17.5% strikeout rate in 148 games and 662 plate appearances. His approach is excellent, and while he might not show enough power to be a contender for All-Star teams, he seems destined to enjoy a lengthy career somewhere on the diamond.
As for his position, that’s still to be determined. Keachall played center and first in addition to second base in Double-A last year. The Twins don’t want him trying to make throws from the outfield with his surgically repaired elbow at the moment, but the outfield is probably where he belongs. He has the speed required to play center if his routes come along. The Twins figure to mostly give him starts at DH and second base for now.
Odds are that Keaschall isn’t up to stay at this point, but those with an open roster spot could do worse than taking a chance on him. He won’t be overwhelmed at the plate, and if he does manage to get off to a hot start here and establish himself, he might contribute 10 homers and 20 steals with a solid average over the rest of the season. If not, mixed-league value will probably wait until 2026.
Caleb Durbin (INF Brewers) – Rostered in 5% of Yahoo leagues
The Brewers decided that Durbin wasn’t the answer at third base this spring, but then the guys they pick started out hitting .150/.188/.233 through 19 games. As a result, Oliver Dunn was demoted, and Durbin is set to make his major league debut Friday.
A 14th-round pick of the Braves in 2021, Durbin was traded to the Yankees for Lucas Luetge after the 2022 season and then to the Brewers in the Devin Williams deal last winter. He’s boasted strong minor league numbers the last two years, but where he really gained attention was in the Arizona Fall League last October and November. Not only did he hit .312/.427/.548 in the offense-heavy league, but he stole a whopping 29 bases in 30 attempts over 24 games. He opened up this year hitting .278/.316/.481 with three steals in five attempts over 13 games for Triple-A Nashville.
Considering that Durbin had OBPs over .390 each of the last two years, his start in Triple-A this year has been interesting. He’s pretty clearly gone in search of more power. Last year, his average exit velocity in Triple-A was 83.8 mph, which would put him very close to the bottom among major leaguers. This year, he was at 88.6 mph, which is merely below average and perfectly fine for someone who makes as much contact as he does; he’s struck out just five times in 58 plate appearances.
It remains to be seen if the 5-foot-7 Durbin can really hit for power in the major leagues. He’s also not truly as fast as the steal numbers suggest, and his defense can be kind of rough. There’s a good chance he’ll be a bench guy for the long haul. Still, there shouldn’t be any harm in Milwaukee giving him a try as a regular now. He’s probably a better bet than Keachall to offer mixed-league value over the rest of 2025.
Ranger Suárez (SP Phillies) – Rostered in 36% of Yahoo leagues
Having recovered from the back stiffness that put him on the shelf late in spring training, Suárez has made two rehab starts with low-A Clearwater, allowing a total of one run and striking out 11 in seven innings. He’s probably one more outing away from displacing Taijuan Walker in the Phillies rotation, yet he’s still available in nearly two-thirds of Yahoo leagues at the moment.
A National League All-Star a year ago, Suárez is coming off a poor second half, also seemingly fueled by back woes that caused his velocity to drop. He was looking better this spring, though. When he’s going good, he combines a league-average strikeout rate with strong groundball numbers. Of the 60 pitchers to throw 400 innings since 2022, Suárez has the fifth-highest groundball rate and seventh-lowest hard-hit rate.
Suárez isn’t likely to go on another surge like the one that saw him open 9-0 with a 1.36 ERA last season, but he’s pretty clearly mixed-league worthy while healthy. He should be in line for strong run and bullpen support, even if the Phillies have been a little lacking in both areas to date, and while Citizens Bank Park isn’t ideal for pitchers, Suárez’s groundball tendencies make it less of an issue for him.
Waiver Wire Quick Hits
– Clayton Kershaw won’t be ready nearly as quickly as Suárez, but are we really leaving him unrostered in 82% of Yahoo leagues? Coming off knee and toe surgeries, he’s on the 60-day IL and won’t be eligible to return until late May. However, he’s already on the rehab trail, having thrown three scoreless innings for Triple-A Oklahoma City on Wednesday.
– Not including the Rays’ Kameron Misner in this week’s update to the Top 300 was a mistake I’ll need to correct Monday. He’s available in 81% of Yahoo leagues, and he’ll be getting regular time against righties for the foreseeable future. The 15% strikeout rate is likely to reveal itself as a fluke eventually, but he’s pummeling the ball right now with his 49% hard-hit rate and .733 slugging percentage.
