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A season chock full of exciting young pitching prospects making their MLB debuts is about to get another one, as the Seattle Mariners are reportedly set to call up Bryce Miller to start Tuesday’s game against the Oakland Athletics:
Bryce Miller is indeed en route to Oakland and will make his MLB debut tomorrow night, according to a source. The Mariners have a 40-man roster spot available after outrighting Diego Castillo just now.
— Daniel Kramer (@DKramer_) May 1, 2023
Miller had a huge spring and is @MLBPipeline’s No. 90 overall prospect.
Seattle not only lost Robbie Ray to season-ending surgery last week but then lost Ray’s replacement, Easton McGee, to the IL over the weekend. With Chris Flexen struggling mightily, the Mariners’ rotation was in desperate need of a shot in the arm, and Miller — the No. 89 overall prospect in baseball, per MLB Pipeline — should provide just that. But the question remains: Just how will Miller do in the Majors, and is he worth a spot on your fantasy baseball team?
Bryce Miller fantasy impact
This is an unlikely capper on what’s been a meteoric rise for the righty, who’s gone from college reliever to top prospect in the span of about two years. A Texas A&M product, Miller didn’t make his first start for the Aggies until his third year on campus, and it wasn’t hard to see why: His command was all over the place. The righty walked 37 batters and hit 13 more in just 56.2 innings as a junior, and while his stuff was still good enough to be taken in the fourth round of the 2021 MLB Draft, there were real questions about whether his future lay in the bullpen.
But Seattle identified some mechanical tweaks, and once they clicked, Miller took off — posting a 3.16 ERA with 163 strikeouts in 133.2 innings across three levels of the Minors, all while keeping his walk rate around half of what it was in college. If he’s throws strikes, his arsenal can be overwhelming, with a big mid-90s fastball that he can throw by just about anyone:
The @Mariners' Bryce Miller fans 5, allows 1 run on 1 hit and 1 BB over 5 frames for @ARTravs.
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) April 25, 2023
Watch this game FREE: https://t.co/aKtGFgWBY3 pic.twitter.com/oWWvxVf4Zq
Miller pairs that heater with a 12-6 curve and a tight slider, plus the untapped potential that comes with a pitcher still figuring out his mechanics. With a cushy first matchup against the Oakland Athletics, he’s worth an add in any 12-team league or deeper, as his strikeout upside could explode if he holds his command gains and his stuff takes another step forward. Just be prepared for a pretty low floor as he gets his feet wet.