A Look At June's Hidden Gems
Candy Digital’s June Gems drop has not only a plethora of eye-catching moments, but also a roster full of elite players who may not be household names yet. Collecting one of their highlight moments could be well worth it seasons from now.
Candy Digital’s June Gems drop has not only a plethora of eye-catching moments, but also a roster full of elite players who may not be household names yet. Collecting one of their highlight moments could be well worth it seasons from now.
Here’s a cheat-sheet on who some of those names are and why their Gems should be chased now!
Nick Kurtz, Athletics (Age 22, 1B)
Kurtz has become a social media sensation this year, with his numerous walk off home runs and most recently, his six hit, four homer game against Houston. But he’s more than just a clutch sensation, he has established himself as one of the best pure hitters in the game at just 22.
Among hitters with at least 250 plate appearances (adjusting for his time in the minor leagues), Kurtz is second in wRC+ (178) in all of baseball, behind only Aaron Judge. His offensive approach is clear, hit the ball hard and sacrifice some contact. He ranks in the top 5% of the league in average exit velocity, Barrel% and HardHit%.
A truly elite power hitter is able to combine those exit velocity numbers with a high rate of fly balls, turning singles into home runs. Take Vladimir Guerrero Jr, for example. Similarly to Kurtz, he has elite quality of contact numbers. However, his fly ball rate is only 19%, compared to the MLB average of 23.9%. This deficiency prevents his raw power from reaching its potential in game. Kurtz is on the opposite end of the spectrum, as he is running a FB% of 37%.
This is a sustainable approach as long as Kurtz keeps that fly ball rate up, and if he starts pulling them more often he could put up a ridiculous home run tally.
Collect his walk-off Gem against Houston and join the Kurtz fan club before it’s too late.
Jake Meyers, Houston Astros (Age 29, OF)
Meyers has grown into prominence within the Astros lineup ever since George Springer’s departure following the shortened 2020 season. His first year as a starter came in 2023, where he posted a 1.1 fWAR and an 87 wRC+ across 112 games.
Meyers’ calling card has always been his glove as he ranks 3rd among all qualified outfielders in Out Above Average since 2023, tallying an impressive 30 OAA. This year, the bat has come along for Meyers, as he’s having the best offensive season of his career. He’s running a 119 wRC+ with improved walk and strikeout rates which, when paired with his always elite defense, gives him a 2.5 fWAR across 89 games, putting him top 25 across all qualified major league outfielders.
His offensive approach is contact focused, with an 81st percentile Chase% (22.7) and a 72nd percentile Whiff% (20.6).
With Myers locking down center field for the Astros for the foreseeable future, look for continued consistent production. Get in on his diving catch Gem ASAP.
Ceddanne Rafaela, Boston Red Sox (Age 24, OF)
Rafaela is part of a young Red Sox core looking to bring the storied franchise back to the top of the American League after years of relative mediocrity following their 2018 World Series win. He debuted in 2023 for a quick stint but his first full season came last year in 2024 where he struggled, posting an 80 wRC+ and a flat 1.0 fWAR across 152 games.
This year, Rafaela has seen a sophomore surge, accumulating 3.1 fWAR through 104 games. His full time move to center field has done wonders for his value, as he has established himself as one of the game’s premier defenders in that position. Among all qualified outfielders this year, Rafaela ranks second in OAA with 16, behind only Pete Crow-Armstrong. He also ranks in the top 10% of the MLB in average sprint speed (29.0 mph) and arm strength (93.7 mph).
Offensively, Rafaela is carrying a 102 wRC+ so far, much improved over his 2024 mark. This has been a product of increased contact rates across the board, cutting his strikeout rate by roughly 8%, and his whiff rate by almost 7%. Most importantly, this improvement has been emphasized in the heart of the zone, where most hitters do their damage. His middle-middle whiff rate has been reduced by 9%.
His quality of contact has also been improved, with his average exit velocity improving by ~ 4mph, and his Barrel rate seeing a significant increase as well. This is likely driven by his attempt to do more damage, seen by his fast swing rate jumping from 6.8% to 12.7%. A “fast swing” is considered one that is 75mph or faster, and has shown direct correlation to improved offensive output.
Rafaela, signed through 2032 with Boston due to a contract extension, is one of the game’s most exciting young players due to his freakish athletic abilities in the outfield and his increased damage at the plate. Get in on his diving catch Gem, which is tracking to be one of many fantastic plays in his career.
Chase Burns, Cincinnati Reds (Age 22, SP)
Burns, the sport’s second best prospect according to MLB Pipeline, joined the big league club on June 24, making his debut against the New York Yankees. Since that date, Burns has made five more starts to the tune of a 6.26 season ERA. While this level of run prevention has objectively been disappointing for a pitcher of Burns’ caliber, it isn’t even close to an accurate representation of his abilities.
His 2024 campaign at Wake Forest was characterized by ridiculous strikeout totals, and that trend has continued at the Major League level. He’s tallied 45 strikeouts in 27.1 IP, good for a K rate of 35.7%, which is 13.5% better than league average.
As most power pitchers do, he has struggled to limit hard contact and keeping the ball on the ground. This is largely the reason for his underwhelming ERA this year. That, and what seems to be a dreadful amount of bad luck.
In such a small sample, most numbers are to be taken with a grain of salt, especially those that serve as more predictive metrics. However, they collectively tell a similar story in the case of Burns. His 54.9% left on base percentage is well below the league average which hovers around 71%, meaning he’s struggling to strand runners. Over a large sample, most pitchers tend to shift towards the average, and Burns is no exception. Once that rate stabilizes, his ERA will look much better. Similarly, he’s suffering a HR/FB% of 15.4% which when compared to the league average of just under 10%, suggests that balls in the air are leaving at a higher rate than they typically do. It doesn’t help that his home ballpark in Cincinnati grades out as one of the league’s best for home run hitting.
Lastly, his Batting Average on Balls In Play, or BABIP, sits at .400 for the year. This statistic excludes home runs, meaning it is purely about balls in the field of play, and is oftentimes dependent on good luck and the quality of defense behind the pitcher. League average is .300, meaning Burns has seen an unfortunate amount of balls find grass rather than a glove.
A pitcher with Burns’ stuff doesn’t come around too often. His four seam fastball is averaging 98.3 mph and carries an Induced Vertical Break of 18.2 inches with 99th percentile spin rate. This gives the pitch a rising appearance and makes it incredibly difficult for hitters to get on top of it.
He’s a surefire ace in this league, snag his debut Gem now!
2025 MLB Gems | June are on sale now, but not for much longer!
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