The Fringe Five is a weekly exercise (introduced in April) wherein the author utilizes regressed stats, scouting reports, and also his own heart to identify and/or continue monitoring the most compelling fringe prospects in all of baseball.

Central to this exercise, of course, is a working definition of fringe. Currently, for the purposes of this column, it’s any prospect who was absent from all of three notable preseason top-100 prospect lists. (A slightly more robust meditation on the idea of fringe can be found here.)

Three players retain their place this week among the Five: young Philadelphia third-base prospect Maikel Franco, Cardinals Double-A outfielder Mike O’Neill, and promising Washington left-hander Robbie Ray.

Departing from the Five proper are left-handed Miami prospect Brian Flynn (for mostly no reason other than the author’s own vagaries) and luminous mystery/San Diego right-hander Burch Smith (because he spent the majority of the week in the majors). Replacing the pair are Mets right-hander Rafael Montero (who’s appeared among the Five previously) and also, making his first appearance, Cubs shortstop prospect Arismendy Alcantara.

All those points having been made, here are this week’s Fringe Five.

Arismendy Alcantara, SS, Chicago NL (Profile)
Both White Sox middle-infield prospect Marcus Semien and also Cubs second-base prospect Ronald Torreyes have made multiple appearances within this weekly feature — either among the Fringe Five proper, or at least the Next Five (found below). All three play at Double-A, but Alcantara is a year younger than the former and more likely to play a premium position (shortstop, as opposed to second base) than the latter. As just a 21-year-old in the Southern League, he’s recorded nine home runs and a 26:53 walk-to-strikeout ratio in 261 plate appearances, while also stealing 15 bases on 17 attempts.

Here, for the benefit of the readership, is mostly helpful footage of Alcantara hitting a home run earlier this season just inside the Buffalo Wild Wings foul pole:

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Table of Contents
Here’s the table of contents for today’s edition of the Daily Notes.

1. Meeting of the Corey Kluber Society Tonight
2. Today’s Notable Games
3. Today’s Complete Schedule

Meeting of the Corey Kluber Society Tonight
The Purpose of This Post
The purpose of this post is to announce a meeting tonight, at 8:05pm ET, of the Corey Kluber Society.

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Episode 346
Dave Cameron is both (a) the managing editor of FanGraphs and (b) the guest on this particular edition of FanGraphs Audio — during which edition he analyzes 100% of Yasiel Puig, for example.

Don’t hesitate to direct pod-related correspondence to @cistulli on Twitter.

You can subscribe to the podcast via iTunes or other feeder things.

Audio after the jump. (Approximately 39 min play time.)

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Table of Contents
Here’s the table of contents for today’s edition of the Daily Notes.

1. A Brief Review of Jose Alvarez’s Sunday Start
2. Today’s MLB.TV Free Game
3. Today’s Complete Schedule

A Brief Review of Jose Alvarez’s Sunday Start
Introduction
Left-hander Jose Alvarez, signed by Detroit this past November to a minor-league contract, made his major-league debut on Sunday afternoon after recording the second-highest strikeout rate (25.8%) and highest strikeout-walk differential (20.7%) among qualified starters in the Triple-A International League. What follows is a very brief review of his first career start.

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Table of Contents
Here’s the table of contents for today’s edition of the Daily Notes.

1. Featured Game: Cleveland at Detroit, 13:08 ET
2. Today’s MLB.TV Free Game
3. Today’s Complete Schedule

Featured Game: Cleveland at Detroit, 13:08 ET
Two Facts Regarding the Detroit Tigers
One fact regarding the Detroit Tigers is that they’ve used only five starting pitchers over the season’s first two-plus months. A second, entirely related, fact is that those same Detroit starters this season have recorded a league-best strikeout rate (26.5%), park-adjusted xFIP (71 xFIP-), and WAR (12.5).

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Table of Contents
Here’s the table of contents for today’s edition of the Daily Notes.

1. Public Service Announcement Regarding Rick Porcello
2. Today’s MLB.TV Free Game
3. Today’s Complete Schedule

Public Service Announcement Regarding Rick Porcello
The Purpose of This PSA, Generally
The purpose of this public service announcement, like most public service announcements, is to raise awareness about an important issue in today’s society.

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Table of Contents
Here’s the table of contents for today’s edition of the Daily Notes.

1. Featured Game: Miami at New York NL, 19:10 ET
2. Today’s MLB.TV Free Game
3. Today’s Complete Schedule

Featured Game: Miami at New York NL, 19:10 ET
Introduction
It is very much the case that the Miami Marlins, as an organization, are prone to damnable fiscal maneuvers and deserve censure on those grounds. It is also very much the case that, while an equally hopeless club (in terms of available present talent) like the Houston Astros entered the season with rather an obvious commitment to youth, that the Marlins gave contracts and starting spots to Casey Kotchman and Juan Pierre and Placido Polanco.

Indeed, while that aged triumvirate remains employed by the club, one is compelled, in the interest of fairness, to note that there are other pieces who’ve gotten regular playing time of late and who are interesting for one or the other reason. Below are three of those players, none of whom began the season on the major-league roster.

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Table of Contents
Here’s the table of contents for today’s edition of the Daily Notes.

1. Most Basic Possible Guide to the Draft
2. Today’s MLB.TV Free Game
3. Today’s Complete Schedule

Most Basic Possible Guide to the Draft
Introduction
Baseball’s amateur draft begins today and extends through Saturday. Below is a collection of the most basic possible information — like, totally elementary — concerning it.

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Episode 345
In April, Diamondbacks beat reporter Nick Piecoro appeared on an edition of FanGraphs Audio taped in the press-box cafeteria of Milwaukee’s Miller Park. About two months later, he appears on this edition of FanGraphs Audio, taped in the press-box cafeteria of Chicago’s Wrigley Field.

Don’t hesitate to direct pod-related correspondence to @cistulli on Twitter.

You can subscribe to the podcast via iTunes or other feeder things.

Audio after the jump. (Approximately 29 min play time.)

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Table of Contents
Here’s the table of contents for today’s edition of the Daily Notes.

1. Featured Game: Cleveland at New York AL, 13:05 ET
2. Today’s MLB.TV Free Game
3. Today’s Complete Schedule

Featured Game: Cleveland at New York AL, 13:05 ET
Regarding This Post, Its Purpose
The purpose of this internet post is to alert the public to how right-hander Corey Kluber, a top-10 pitcher in May by strikeout rate and park-adjusted xFIP and SIERA, starts today for Cleveland against the New York Americans.

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