The Real Opening Day is this week, and that means it’s time to drop the mother of all lists on the Brick Wall. The Top 146 2025 First Year Player Draft Rankings and Top 500 2025 Dynasty Baseball Prospects Rankings dropped last week, and now it’s time to release the 2025 Top 1,000 Dynasty Baseball Rankings, which has been on the Patreon since early February. Without further ado, here is the Top 1,000 2025 Dynasty Baseball Rankings:

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1) Shohei Ohtani – LAD, RHP/DH, 30.9 – Ohtani was the no brainer #1 overall dynasty asset in the game before he tore his non pitching shoulder in the World Series. Now it’s not so easy. He’s expected to be ready to DH by Opening Day, but it will push his pitching debut into May at the earliest. Shoulder surgery which takes your rehab right up to the start of the season is also not a great recipe for success in general. Considering he’s 30 years old, it has me teetering on whether he deserves this top spot, but he’s just so far out ahead of the pack assuming full health, that I can’t move off him. He just went .310/54/59 as a hitter only, finishing as the #1 fantasy player in the game by a country mile (shouldn’t the expression be a city mile? Try driving a mile in New York City, it will take you about 30 minutes. In the country? 50 seconds). And now in 2025, the throwing elbow is expected to be fully healthy after undergoing an internal brace procedure, or whatever super secret elbow surgery he underwent. His elbow was healthy enough to even hear murmurs he could have pitched this post-season. And when healthy, he is a true ace with a 3.01 ERA and 31.2/8.9 K%/BB% in 481.2 career IP. It’s his 2nd major elbow surgery in 5 years, but I’m not betting against a super human talent like Ohtani, and the same goes for the shoulder surgery. I just can’t bring myself to bet against the true GOAT. Health is clearly a risk, but even factoring in that extra risk, he is so far and away the best fantasy player in the game that he still lands at #1. – 2025 Projection: 105/40/101/.283/.371/.562/25 // 9/3.41/1.19/142 in 120 IP

2) Bobby Witt Jr. – KCR, SS, 24.10 – In leagues where Ohtani can’t be used as both a pitcher and hitter (weekly leagues or leagues where Ohtani is split into two players), age does start to become more of a factor, so in those leagues, Bobby Witt Jr. would be crowned the #1 dynasty player in the game. Coming off his rookie season in 2022, he improved in almost every facet of the game in 2023, and then he once again improved in every facet of the game in 2024. Someone tell Bobby that development isn’t linear, because his development is a straight line. He put up career bests in Barrel% (14.3%), EV (92.7 MPH), Max EV (116.9 MPH), xwOBA (.413), K% (15%), and BB% (8.0%). His 74.7 MPH bat speed is elite, which makes his contact rates even more impressive, because that bat speed/contact combo is in even more rarified air. He’s also the fastest man in baseball by a good margin with a 30.5 ft/sec sprint. It all resulted in a .332/32/31 season, and seeing how he’s only gotten better every single season, there might just be another level in here. 40/40 here we come. – 2025 Projection: 118/35/104/.315/.379/.555/39

3) Elly De La Cruz – CIN, SS, 23.3 – Risk? What risk? I laugh in the face risk, ranking Elly 9th overall last off-season, and finishing his blurb by writing, “I always say, ‘if you can’t take risks in fantasy, where can you take risks,’ and I’m not even sure Elly is as risky as people think. I’m all in.” That not so risky risk paid off in a huge way in 2024 with Elly going .259/25/67. Those 67 steals led the league by a large margin, lapping most of the field. He’s one of, if not the most electric player in the game at 6’5” with an elite 75.2 MPH swing (his lefty swing is super elite, while his righty swing is more near elite) and 30.0/sec sprint speed. He crushes the ball with a 91.8 MPH EV, he brought his launch up as expected to a respectable 9.7 degrees, he brought his chase down to an above average 26.9%, and he kept his strikeout rate in a reasonable enough range (31.3%) to let the insane talent shine. And this is just the beginning. If he can continue to improve his plate skills and raise that launch, which I wouldn’t see why that isn’t the expectation at just 23 years old, I shutter to think about what kind of numbers are possible. – 2025 Projection: 110/31/89/.267/.348/.515/59

4) Gunnar Henderson – BAL, SS, 23.9 – Henderson massively improved on basically the only three weaknesses of his game in 2024, which easily propelled him into a Top 5 dynasty asset. He put up a .829 OPS vs. lefties in 2024 after a notching a lowly .618 OPS in 2023. I never let Gunnar’s struggles vs. lefties hold his ranking back, even when it was a major point of contention in is his prospect years, and I think it’s something to keep in mind when evaluating lefty hitting prospects. You often don’t get that many reps against lefties, so you often see that skill develop over time when they get into the majors. Don’t let it scare you off. He also improved his base stealing, nabbing 21 bags in 25 attempts after stealing only 10 bags in 2023. Granted this one was more a fantasy skill than a real life skill, as he was an excellent base runner overall in both years. And finally, he improved his hit tool, putting up a 22.1% K%, 24.4% whiff%, and a .281 BA. He combined all of those improvements while continuing to smash the ball with a 92.8 MPH EV, leading to 37 homers. He still doesn’t steal quite enough to pop him over Witt or Elly, but he is right there with those guys, and if steals are devalued in your league, like in points or 6+ hitting category leagues, Gunnar would slid in ahead of Elly. – 2025 Projection: 116/35/99/.280/.370/.535/18

5) Juan Soto – NYM, OF, 26.5 – Soto didn’t give the Yanks even the slightest bit of deference, going to the highest bidder in the New York Mets, signing for 15 years and $765 million (the Yanks reportedly offered 16 years for $760 million). He’s just a subway ride away from his new digs … or more accurately, just a chauffeured ride away … or probably even more accurately, just a helicopter ride away. For a super elite hitter like Soto, ballpark doesn’t really matter, but the most interesting part of this move is how much he changed his hitting profile for Yankee Stadium’s short porch.  He put up a career high by far 45.1% Pull% (38.9% in 2023), and it led to a career high 41 homers. The Yanks were the 3rd best park for lefty homers last year, while the Mets were 10th worst. Will Soto continue to pull the ball that much? Or will he decide to go back to his career norms? My guess is that he keeps on pulling it, because he actually hit one more homer on the road than he did at home. It seems Yankee Stadium gave him the push to unlock more homer power regardless of ballpark, and I don’t see why he would want to go back. His 19.7% Barrel%, 94.2 MPH EV, and 57% Hard Hit% were all career highs. His Statcast expected homer totals were 46 for Yankee Stadium and the exact same 46 for Citi Field, again underscoring that he is ballpark proof. The only thing he doesn’t do is steal bases with only 7 steals, and that is what keeps him just a smidge behind Witt, Elly and Gunnar. 2025 Projection: 118/35/105/.289/.418/.539/9

Shadow5) Shohei Ohtani – LAD, DH only/Weekly Leagues, 30.9 – This is where I would rank Ohtani in weekly lineup leagues or as a hitter only. Without the pitching to put him over the top, the age does come into play here a bit. And it’s hard not to have that shoulder surgery in the back of your mind too. – 2025 Projection: 2025 Projection: 105/40/101/.283/.371/.562/25

6) Corbin Carroll – ARI, OF, 24.7 – Back when Carroll was in the throes of his awful start, I made a decree by Fantasy Law to not sell low in one of my Dynasty Baseball Rundowns, writing, “‘The captain goes down with the ship.’ That’s just Maritime Law. Now, I’m no sailor, but as the world’s foremost expert on Fantasy Law, there are some players that you are required to go down with the ship for, and Corbin Carroll is most certainly one of those players. I’ve seen a ton of panic and sell low offers for Carroll, but all of the warning signs could be flashing red, the sirens could be blaring, and you are still legally obligated to not sell low on an established elite dynasty asset like Carroll.” He continued to struggle for a bit after writing that, but before long, he did indeed turn that ship around, slashing .258/.351/.577 with 20 homers, 20 steals, and a 10.6/11.3 K%/BB% in his final 71 games. He smashed the ball with a 91.3 MPH EV and 14.6 degree launch over that time. I would say any lingering concern over his shoulder injury can be put to rest, cementing Carroll as a truly elite dynasty asset with standout contact, approach, power, and speed. He’s the total package. Don’t be scared off by the poor first half. – 2025 Projection: 119/28/84/.270/.357/.519/42

7) Kyle Tucker – CHC, OF, 28.2 – A fractured shin knocked Tucker out for half the season, but he put up a 1.041 OPS in 18 games after returning, so there is zero concern about the injury long term. I guess the one area of his game where maybe you can get a little nervous about is stolen bases. He only stole one bag in those 18 games, and he put up a career low 26.0 ft/sec sprint, which is in the bottom 18% of the league. He’s never been fast but he’s always been an excellent base stealer, so I’m not sure I’m extra worried about it, but he does kinda feel like the type of player who may not steal as much as he gets into his 30’s. He’s not there yet at only 28, but it might be something to keep in mind. Steals aside, he does feel like the type of player who will rake deep into his 30’s. He only played in 78 games, but it was the best year of his career with a 180 wRC+ that came on the back of a career high by far 16.5% BB% (11.9% in 2023). He also hit 23 homers with 11 steals, and if you double that over a full season pace, that is 46 homers with 22 steals if my math is correct … carry the 1. He’s been one of the most consistently great players of his generation. Almost too consistent as he semes to get taken for granted. – 2025 Projection: 102/34/109/.285/.378/.533/24

8) Aaron Judge – NYY, OF, 32.11 – In pure win now mode, I can see ranking Judge 2nd overall, but with him turning 33 years old just one month into the 2025 season, age starts to move a little more to the forefront of my mind. 33 years old is generally the number for me when I maybe start to explore sell opportunities if I want to rebuild or retool, so while I’m not saying to sell Judge, it’s the reason why he isn’t ranked even higher coming off his massive season. His 218 wRC+ was the best in baseball by a massive margin. The only players to put up a higher wRC+ in a season are Barry Bonds (3x), Babe Ruth (3x), Ted Williams (2x), and Roger Hornsby (1x). I mean, do I need to say more? No. No I don’t. – 2025 Projection: 112/50/128/.293/.422/.661/10

9) Fernando Tatis Jr. – SDP, OF, 26.3 – Tatis proved without a shadow of a doubt that he is not going to fade into mediocrity after his relatively down 2023 season coming off the PED suspension and multiple surgeries (not that I had much doubt, ranking him 6th overall last off-season). He demolished the ball with a 93.5 MPH EV, 14.5% Barrel%, .393 xwOBA, and a 55.1% Hard Hit% which was in the top 1% of baseball. Not only were his power metrics in prime form, but his 21.9% K% was a career best. He missed over two months with a stress reaction in his leg, which I guess you can add to his “injury risk” pile, but he was fine when he returned in September, and he went nuclear in the playoffs too with 4 homers in 7 games. It all resulted in 25 homers with a .280 BA in 109 games (including the playoffs). That is about a 35 homer pace over a full season. The one area where the injuries did seem to take their toll was on the bases. He only stole 11 bases on 14 attempts and his sprint speed tanked to 28.4 ft/sec (29.3 in 2023). Maybe you can blame the leg injury, but he wasn’t running much before that injury, and I’m not sure how you can blame the wrist/shoulder injuries for him getting slower, especially since he was fine in 2023. How much he’s going to run in the future is the wild card in this profile, and that question, along with some continued injury risk, is enough to nudge him just outside of the of that Top 5-ish area into the Top 10 area. – 2025 Projection: 96/33/89/.283/.348/.529/18

10) Ronald Acuna Jr. – ATL, OF, 27.3 – Acuna tore his right ACL in 2021 and now he’s torn his left ACL in 2024. Since that first torn ACL, he’s been in the process of slowing down with a 29.4 ft/sec sprint in 2021, a 28.5 ft/sec sprint in 2022, a 28.0 ft/sec sprint in 2023 and finally a 27.7 ft/sec sprint in 2024. And now coming off this 2nd ACL tear, I don’t think there is any question at all that Acuna is not going to be the athlete he was in his prime. Even with the lowest sprint speed of his career, he still stole 16 bases in 49 games, which is about a 48 steal pace, so I don’t think he is all of a sudden going to stop running, but let’s see how he looks coming off this 2nd major knee injury. He was also in the midst of the worst season of his career before going down with the injury. He hit only 4 homers with a .716 OPS. He was definitely getting unlucky as he was crushing the ball with a 92.2 MPH EV, but even his .348 xwOBA was a career low by far. He wasn’t able to maintain any of the contact gains from 2023 with his K% jumping back up to 23.9% (11.4% in 2023). After the first ACL tear, Acuna’s first year back wasn’t particularly great with 15 homers and a 115 wRC+ in 119 games in 2022, so keep that in mind for 2025. He had a historic season in 2023 of course, so the hope is that he can do the same eventually after this one, but this one will be his 2nd, and it’s hard for me to completely ignore it. He’s also expected to miss about a third of the season in 2025. Acuna is the type of talent you want to keep betting on no matter what the circumstances are, but I’m definitely a little concerned. – 2025 Projection: 71/23/63/.272/.363/.524/20

11) Julio Rodriguez – SEA, OF, 24.3 – The Slow Start King is going to give his dynasty owners a massive coronary event if he gets off to yet another slow start in 2025. He seriously needs to figure something out this off-season. Treat Spring Training like it’s the regular season? Ramp up earlier? I don’t know the answer because I don’t know what his off-season routine is, but he needs to do something differently. He put up a .616 OPS in his first 87 games before exploding after that, slashing .318/.371/.543 with 13 homers, 7 steals, and a 23.3/6.5 K%/BB% in his final 56 games. He’s far too talented to be too scared off by the slow starts. His 76.3 MPH swing is the 9th fastest in baseball. He crushes the ball with a 91.7 MPH EV and he has elite speed with a 29.6 ft/sec sprint. The one area of his game which is preventing him from joining the true elites, especially as a real life hitter, are his plate skills. It’s yet to improve at all in his 3 years in the majors with a 30.9% whiff% and 37.4% Chase% (25.4/6.2 K%/BB%). He can thrive in fantasy especially even without that improving at all, but if that can take a step forward, we may not have seen the best of Julio yet. – 2025 Projection: 100/31/100/.281/.342/.490/32

12) James Wood – WAS, OF, 22.7 – I don’t need to do any deep victory lap philosophizing when it comes to if James Wood is a hit for me (see my 19 Dynasty Baseball Strategies/Thoughts for 2025 for more thoughts on victory lapping in dynasty), because I can say without a shadow of a doubt that I can victory lap the hell out of James Wood. I named him a major First Year Player Draft Target in his draft year, and then I ranked him all the way up at 68th overall in the 2024 Top 1,000 Dynasty Baseball Rankings. I couldn’t help but buy into that beastly power/speed combo from a 6’7” frame, and the swing was always short enough to bet on the hit tool ending up good enough. And that is exactly how it played out in his rookie year with an elite 92.8/96.9 MPH AVG/FB EV, a plus 28.7 ft/sec sprint, a well above average 21% Chase%, and a not in the true danger zone 29.6% whiff%. It resulted in 9 homers, 14 steals, a .264 BA and a 120 wRC+ in 79 games. The 2.4 degree launch subdued the homer power a bit, but he hits the ball so hard that he’s launch proof, and that number is certainly coming up in the future. He’s basically Elly De La Cruz with better plate skills and half as many steals. Do not even think about valuing Wood as anything but a near elite dynasty asset this off-season. – 2025 Projection: 89/24/87/.251/.346/.474/26 Prime Projection: 105/32/105/.268/.364/.518/28

13) Jackson Chourio – MIL, OF, 21.1 – I spent most of my waking hours last off-season agonizing over who to place as the #1 prospect in baseball between Chourio, Holliday and Langford. And honestly, it wasn’t only waking hours, I was dreaming of a Chourio 20/20 rookie season in my sleep. I trusted the voices I was getting from the baseball gods, placing Chourio first overall on my prospect rankings, and projecting his 2024 stat line for 21 homers, 22 steals, 75 RBI, a .320 OBP and a .469 SLG in my 2024 Top 1,000 Rankings. And as we know, he ended up outdoing Langford by a solid amount and Holliday by a city mile, hitting 21 homers with 25 steals, 79 RBI, a .327 OBP and a .464 SLG. Damn, it’s almost like I really did see his future stat line in my dreams (and yes, I’m not mentioning batting average or runs because I didn’t nail those ha). He hit the ball very hard with a 89.7 MPH EV, he had elite speed with a 29.7 ft/sec sprint, and he had a slightly above average 21.1% K%. And all of those numbers include his rough first 2 months of the season. If you just look at his last 4 months, which is reasonable considering he was a 20 year old rookie just finding his MLB sea legs, his numbers get even more impressive, slashing .305/.360/.527 with 16 homers, 15 steals, and a 18.4/7.3 K%/BB% in his final 97 games. There is some room for improvement with his plate approach (below average 31.9% Chase%) and launch (7.6 degrees), but neither of those are too bad to begin with, and he has the profile to make that work even if he can’t improve it. But he’ll barely be 21 years old next season, so I don’t see why we wouldn’t expect all areas of his game to improve. Wood vs. Chourio is a coin flip for me, but I gave the edge to Wood because he hits the ball harder and chases less. – 2025 Projection: 93/26/89/.285/.339/.488/28

14) Wyatt Langford – TEX, OF, 23.5 – Langford’s surface stats don’t jump off the page with a .253 BA, .740 OPS, 16 homers, and 19 steals in 134 games, but his underlying skills were jumping off the page all season, and it finally showed in September. He went bonkos to close out the season, slashing .289/.372/.579 with 9 homers, 7 steals, and a 19.0/10.2 K%/BB% in his final 32 games. Even if you pull it back to June 3rd, he had a .804 OPS with 15 homers and 18 steals in his final 98 games. And like I mentioned, the underlying skills are super impressive. He hits the ball very hard with a 9.3% Barrel% and 89.6 MPH EV (91.3 MPH EV in those final 32 games). He lifts it with a 16.6 degree launch, he has elite speed with a 29.8 ft/sec sprint, he has above average contact rates (22.9% whiff% and 20.6% K%), and he has an above average plate approach (23% Chase% with a 9.2% BB%). The cherry on top is that his 74.5 MPH swing is nearly elite, and it’s a short swing too with 7 foot length. That swing speed/length combo is special. Only Heliot Ramos swings a faster bat with a shorter swing. He’s going to explode in 2025. – 2025 Projection: 89/26/93/.274/.352/.481/24

15) Jackson Merrill – SDP, OF, 21.11 – Merrill’s ability to raise his launch angle considerably, while not losing even a smidge of contact prowess, is nothing short of incredible. He went from putting up a 59.9% GB% with a 19.2% K% at Single-A in 2022 to putting up a 35.9% GB% with a 17% K% in the majors in 2024. Justin Crawford better be blowing up his celly round the clock to get some pointers on how he did it. It resulted in Merrill having one of, if the not the best rookie season in baseball, slashing .292/.326/.500 with 24 homers, 16 steals, and a 17.0/4.9 K%/BB% in 156 games. The underlying numbers back it all up with a 11.3% Barrel%, 90.4 MPH EV, and a .376 xwOBA. The only area of his game to quibble with is that he’s never walked a ton, and he chased a lot with a 34.4% Chase%. He’s also never been a huge base stealer in his career, but I don’t think him stealing 20+ bags is out of the question at all. He’s an easy elite dynasty asset, and he’s in a tier with James Wood, Jackson Chourio, Paul Skenes, and Wyatt Langford as the top rookies in the game. – 2025 Projection: 86/25/92/.288/.336/.492/19

16) Yordan Alvarez – HOU, OF, 27.9 – Yordan had to go ahead and put his surgically repaired knees back in our mind right at the end of 2024, tweaking his knee after sliding into 2nd base on September 22nd, which ended his regular season. He returned for the playoffs, so it’s not a big deal, but any knee injury is going to have our minds racing, thinking about if they are going to become a concern as he starts to age. The good news is that he’s only 27 years old, so I wouldn’t worry about it quite yet. He’s as consistent as they come with beastly season after beastly season. He slashed .308/.392/.567 with 35 homers, a career high 6 steals, and a 15.0/10.9 K%/BB% in 147 games. There are zero concerns about him over the short term, but I do think the knees are something to at least keep in the back of your mind down the line. – 2025 Projection: 91/35/100/.303/.405/.579/3

17) Vladimir Guerrero Jr. – TOR, 1B, 25.6 – We can finally put the “Vlad has only had a great year in a minor league ballpark” narrative to rest. His 165 wRC+ this year was almost identical to the 166 mark he put up in 2021. Granted he hit 48 homers in the minor league park and only 30 this year, but still. His underlying numbers were screaming that he was legitimately elite despite the relatively mediocre surface stats in 2023, so his big year really isn’t that surprising. I don’t have a fancy bat speed + contact rate stat to give you, but if I did, Vlad, Yordan, and Soto would be the cream of the crop. Vlad swung a 75.9 MPH bat with a 13.8/10.3 K%/BB%. And he crushes the ball with a 93.8 MPH EV. The 7.4 degree launch is still subduing the homer power a bit, and he doesn’t run much with only 2 steals, so I wouldn’t quite call him a truly elite dynasty asset, but he’s not far off. – 2025 Projection: 99/32/109/.308/.383/.528/4

18) Jose Ramirez – CLE, 3B, 32.6 – Ramirez had the quietest 39/41 season of all time. Barely heard about it. The pomp and circumstance around Ohtani was too loud for anyone else to get their fair due. Or maybe it’s because he doesn’t play in a large market that Ramirez’ entire spectacular career doesn’t really get the respect he deserves. He’s only 5’9”. He doesn’t smash the ball like the true giants of the game. He doesn’t have elite speed. He doesn’t swing the fastest bat. He’s an everyman who quietly goes about his business with elite season after elite season. He does it with elite contact skills (12% K%), elite lift (19.6 degree launch) and elite pull ability (52.8% Pull%). He also hits the ball plenty hard with an 89.2 MPH EV. The only question is how long can he do it for at 32 years old. He obviously showed zero signs of slowing down in 2024, and like I mentioned in the Aaron Judge blurb, 33 years old is really the first year I start to seriously consider selling elite players like this. I’m not going to dock him for his age too much. He’s an elite win now piece. – 2025 Projection: 102/33/106/.280/.344/.520/33

19) Paul Skenes – PIT, RHP, 22.10 – While this is far from the most impressive part of Skenes game, I’ve just been having a lot of fun diving into the new bat tracking data, and of course Skenes ranks towards the top of those leaderboards as well. The disparity amongst pitcher’s induced swing speed is obviously much less than the disparity between hitters, but I still find it interesting. Skenes had the 8th best swing speed against amongst qualified pitchers at 70.9 MPH. The only qualified starter to induce slower swings was Chris Sale, and Will Vest led of all baseball amongst qualified pitchers. That’s just the cherry on top of his elite profile. He throws a 6 pitch mix, and all of them range from above average to elite. His 94 MPH sinker was the most valuable sinker in baseball with a +18 run value. His 98.8 MPH 4-seamer notched a +6 run value, the curveball notched a +2, the sweeper was at +5, the changeup at +2, and while the slider was his only negative value pitch at -2, that was only because he got unlucky on the pitch with a .229 xwOBA. He combined that filth with plus command which led to a 1.96 ERA and 33.1/6.2 K%/BB% in 133 IP. He’s the easiest #1 dynasty pitcher in the game ranking I’ve ever made since  … 2024. Spencer Strider was a damn easy call last off-season, and he’s a perfect example of the only thing that can go wrong, injuries. Pitchers break, and pitchers who throw upper 90’s seem to break even more. You can’t play scared, and you need good pitchers to win, but it’s why I can’t rank any pitcher higher than around Top 20-ish overall on the Dynasty Rankings. They are just inherently too risky. – 2025 Projection: 15/2.77/0.98/227 in 185 IP

20) Bryce Harper – PHI, 1B, 32.5 – You can find some things here and there which maybe can look like small red flags in hindsight if Harper does start to decline, like a nearly career worst in xwOBA (.361), Barrel% (10.6%), and sprint speed (27.4 ft/sec), but I think that is simply slicing and dicing the numbers too much when it comes to a proven stud like Harper. And none of those marks were too bad or too far off from career norms. His 145 wRC+ was a 3 year high and slightly better than his 142 career wRC+. He crushes the ball with a 91.1 MPH EV and he has a strong plate approach with a 21.9/12.0 K%/BB%. It doesn’t seem like we can count on more than a handful of steals anymore (7 steals), but he strikes me as the type who could rake well into his late 30’s. I wouldn’t be thinking about selling Harper off quite yet. – 2025 Projection: 98/33/99/.287/.382/.520/10

21) Mookie Betts – LAD, 2B/OF, 32.6 – Betts is the leader of the Slow Bat Speed Kings with a 69 MPH swing that is 442nd “best” in baseball (minimum 50 swings). But he proves swinging an electric bat isn’t the only path to success. He had another great season which was only interrupted by a fractured hand in mid June, slashing .289/.372/.491 with 19 homers, 16 steals, and a 11.0/11.8 K%/BB% in 116 games. He has 4 dingers in 11 post season games and counting. The 11% K% tied a career best, and his 16 steals tied for a 6 year best. The 26.7 ft/sec sprint was a career low and in the bottom 30% of the league, so while there certainly seems to be some physical decline, it hasn’t impacted his stats quite yet. Like I’ve been saying with elite players like this, 33 years old is when I start to think about selling, so I’m running it back in 2025 with Mookie. 2025 Projection: 110/32/100/.290/.370/.525/18

22) Francisco Lindor – NYM, SS, 31.4 – Lindor gutted it out with a back injury to close out the season and into playoffs, requiring extra injections to get back on the field, and while I respect the hell out of his heart (130 wRC+ in 13 playoff games), I do hope it’s something that doesn’t come back to bite him early in 2025. Sometimes things like that can throw off your normal off-season routine, creating an uphill battle all season. While it’s something to think about, it would be much too cautious to plan on Lindor being anything other than a stud next year. After going 31/31 in 2023, he followed that up in 2024 with a 33/29 season. His 137 wRC+, 13.6% Barrel% and .382 xwOBA were all career highs. As long as the back isn’t an issue, I don’t see why he wouldn’t go 30/30 again. If the back is an issue, there is a chance he doesn’t run quite as much. 2025 Projection: 103/31/94/.268/.340/.485/26

23) Jarren Duran – BOS, OF, 28.7 – Duran’s hit tool and plate approach have improved every year of his 4 year career, and considering how electric of a player he is, that is all he need to go nuclear. He slashed .285/.342/.492 with 21 homers, 34 steals and a 21.8/7.3 K%/BB% in 160 games. He has elite speed with a 29.6 ft/sec sprint, he hits the ball very hard with a 90.8 MPH EV, and he has plus bat speed with a 73.6 MPH swing. There is absolutely nothing in the underlying numbers to say this year was a fluke, and with how he’s improved every year of his career (48 wRC+ in 2021, 77 wRC+ in 2022, 120 wRC+ in 2023, 129 wRC+ in 2024), who is to say he can’t do it again in 2025. I’m all in. 2025 Projection: 101/23/83/.280/.341/.476/33

24) Oneil Cruz – PIT, OF/SS, 26.6 – Saying that Cruz’ 95.5 MPH EV is elite would be an understatement. It is in all time great territory, trailing only Judge and Ohtani, two all time greats. His 78.6 MPH swing speed is also super elite, trailing only Giancarlo Stanton’s 81.2 MPH swing (Stanton laps the field, with nobody even close to him). And he also has double plus speed with a 28.8 ft/sec sprint speed. This is an extremely special talent. Yes, there is hit tool risk with a 34.1% whiff% and 30.1% K%, but I really don’t think it’s as risky at it seems. He hit .259 this year with a .266 xBA, and in 1,009 career PA he has a .250 BA. He can clearly thrive with the elevated swing and miss. He put together a strong year in 2024 with 21 homers and 22 steals in 23 attempts in 146 games, but he is merely just scratching the surface of what he’s capable of. He was a major target coming into the year, and he turned into an elite dynasty asset. Make sure you treat him like one this off-season. – 2025 Projection: 84/27/92/.255/.328/.474/26

25) CJ Abrams – WAS, SS, 24.6 – Washington sent Abrams to his room at the end of the season like an unruly teenager to think about what he’s done after partying at a casino until 8 AM when he had a 1 PM game. Maybe he was exhibiting this type of behavior all season and it was a long time coming. But maybe this is also what a normal 23/24 year old does, and at that point of the season, the Nationals were so far out of it. I say give the kid a break, but either way, I’m not letting it impact his considerable dynasty value. His power has been slowly but surely ticking up with a 90.9 MPH FB/LD EV in 2022, followed by a 92.6 MPH FB/LD EV in 2023, and finally putting up a very respectable 93.6 MPH FB/LD EV in 2024. It resulted in his first 20 homer season in 138 games, and at a still wiry 6’2” with a 15.1 degree launch, this is just the beginning of his power ascension as he enters his mid 20’s. He wasn’t as good on the bases this year as he was in 2023 (31 for 43), but he finished the season 17 for 19 on steal attempts in his final 52 games, so I think that was just a small sample aberration. And really his biggest demerit is that the plate skills haven’t shown any improvement since he broke into the majors with a 21.3/6.6 K%/BB% and 35.4% Chase%. He can be an easy top 50 dynasty asset even if the plate approach never improves, putting up several 20/30 seasons, but if he wants to take the next step into elite status, he needs to improve in that area. And entering his age 24 year old season, I don’t see why we shouldn’t expect improvement there. Abrams is just getting started. – 2025 Projection: 89/23/76/.263/.329/.450/35

26) Trea Turner – PHI, SS, 31.9 – Turner has two big red flags as he gets deeper into his 30’s. The first one is that speed first players don’t tend to age as well as power first players. The second one is that he also chases a lot with a 33.9% Chase% and 5.0% BB%, and high chase players also don’t tend to age well. His 71.7 MPH swing speed is very slightly above average, so if that starts to fall, along with his foot speed as he gets older, it could spell trouble. The reasons to not panic too much are that while he’s a speed first player, he also hits the ball hard with an 89.1 MPH EV. He’s always had above average K rates with a 18.2% K%, the speed is still elite with a 29.6 ft/sec sprint, and he strikes me as the type of elite base stealer who will be stealing bases until they rip the uniform off him. He’s also only 31 years old, so we are still a few years away from really getting worried about a skills decline. If you’re rebuilding, Turner definitely makes sense to explore trade possibilities on, but if you are only getting low ball-ish offers, I wouldn’t be pressed to sell. I would wait for him to be putting up big numbers in 2025, and then explore the trade market again at that point. – 2025 Projection: 98/25/79/.290/.339/.472/28

27) Jazz Chisholm – NYY, 3B/OF, 27.2 – I ranked Jazz 34th overall on the 2024 Top 1,000, absolutely refusing to fade a player with such a beastly power/speed combo, and named him a major target, writing, “Buy the injury discount. His proven upside is way way way too high to let your fear control you. He was on a 30/30 pace this year. The hit tool isn’t great, but he has 1,193 PA with a .245 BA. That is a large enough sample where I’m not too worried about the bottom falling out. If you want to shy away from mediocre talents due to injury concern, that is fine with me. Even shying away from good talents is reasonable. But you don’t shy away from near elite talents like Chisholm.” And what he just did in 2024 is why you don’t fade this kind of talent. He slashed .256/.324/.436 with 24 homers, 40 steals, and a 24.5/8.5 K%/BB% in 147 games. He was playing well with the Marlins, but he exploded when he got the Yanks with 11 homers, 18 steals and a 132 wRC+ in 46 games. It’s not even that he hit particularly well at Yankee Stadium, it just seemed to light a fire under him, but for sure it’s also a big home field upgrade for him. And the most important thing of all is that he stayed healthy. Health is the main reason why people faded him, and unfortunately, it still has to be taken into account in his price. Staying healthy one season is good, but he needs to go back to back healthy seasons for me to take “injury risk” off his resume, or at least have it downplayed. We saw Robert stay basically healthy in 2023, only to again miss a large chunk of the season in 2024. Jazz could easily follow that same path. If not for injury risk, Jazz has an argument for Top 15 status, so this ranking does factor in a bit of risk. – 2025 Projection: 87/25/84/.252/.323/.455/33

28) Tarik Skubal – DET, LHP, 28.4 – I was all in on Skubal’s 80.1 IP explosion in 2023, ranking him 59th overall on the 2024 Top 1,000, and placing a futures bet on him to lead the league in strikeouts ($10 to win $800). He not only led all of baseball with 228 strikeouts, but he was also the #1 fantasy pitcher in the game with a 2.39 ERA and 30.3/4.6 K%/BB% in 192 IP. His 96.8 MPH fastball was up another tick from last year and was the 4th most valuable 4-seamer in the game. His changeup is elite with a 46.1% whiff%. His 96.6 MPH sinker was the 24th most valuable sinker in baseball. And his slider was above average. Tack on elite control and you have one of the very best pitchers in baseball. It really wouldn’t be crazy at all to have him above Skenes as the top dog. – 2025 Projection: 16/2.82/0.96/220 in 185 IP

29) Garrett Crochet – BOS, LHP, 25.9 – Paul Skenes is the no doubt #1 dynasty pitcher in the game. I’m not arguing that … buuuuuuuuuuuut … what if Crochet is actually better than him? He put up a better K% (35.1% vs. 33.1%), BB% (5.5% vs. 6.2%), Chase% (33.5% vs. 30.9%), and a much better whiff% (33.0% vs. 28.7%). His 97.2 MPH 4-seamer put up a 31.4% whiff% while Skenes’ 98.8 MPH 4-seamer put up a 24.2% whiff%. Crochet’s cutter put up a 32.7% whiff% while Skenes’ sinker notched a 29.3% whiff%. Crochet’s sweeper notched a 42.7% whiff% while Skenes’ sweeper notched a 22.6% whiff% and his curve notched a 33.7% whiff%. They are both beastly athletes. I described the 6’6”, 245 pound Crochet as a WWE Ballerina in my March Mailbag Podcast. With Chicago, he couldn’t touch Skenes in wins, but he’s in Boston now, and just judging who is the better pitcher, I wouldn’t be so sure the answer is Skenes. Now, Skenes dusted him on ERA (3.58 vs. 1.96), and even though their xERA’s were much much closer (2.83 vs. 2.50), I do think that matters. Crochet also has more of a track record of control problems than Skenes does. Like I said, Skenes is the undeniable #1 dynasty pitcher in the game … but maybe … he won’t be at the end of 2025. – 2025 Projection: 15/3.03/1.03/230 in 170 IP

30) Austin Riley – ATL, 3B, 28.1 – Riley seemingly had a down year on the surface with a 116 wRC+ in 110 games, but there is not a single thing to be worried about. His .366 xwOBA was much better than his .338 wOBA, and was in the top 8% of baseball. He was also in the midst of bringing up his season numbers to career norms with a .942 OPS in his last 57 games before his regular season ended with a right hand fracture in mid August. His 93.3 MPH EV and 53.4% Hard Hit% were actually career highs by a good margin, so he’s never hit the ball harder. Have zero concern about Riley moving forward. He’ll do his usual .275 BA with 35 homer thing in 2025. – 2025 Projection: 96/34/94/.273/.339/.513/2

31) Rafael Devers – BOS, 3B, 28.5 – Devers is consistently one of easiest evaluations in the game. He consistently smashes the ball with elite EV and a swing that is geared for both power and average. You can bank on about .270+/30+ every single year. Just call him Dollar Bill Devers, because you can take him to the bank. But there is one thing sticking in my craw this year, which is that he battled shoulder issues in both shoulders this season. His season ended in late September with shoulder inflammation. There was no structural damage and he won’t require surgery, but shoulders are damn important for hitting, and it’s a concern that this shoulder “inflammation” can keep popping up down the line. He’s going to be 28 next year, which is still smack dab in his prime, but he is starting to creep up there a bit. I’m not dinging him too much for it, but it’s why he’s ranked here and not 10 spots higher. – 2025 Projection: 90/31/98/.274/.354/.510/3

32) Logan Gilbert – SEA, RHP, 27.9 – While everyone was focused on George Kirby, waiting for Kirby to turn into a true ace, Gilbert was putting in the work in the shadows, and he emerged as the one to enter true ace territory in 2024. He put up a 3.23 ERA with a 27.4/4.6 K%/BB% in 208.2 IP. He led all of baseball in IP. His 31.7% whiff% is in elite territory for a starter, and his walk rate was in the top 5% of baseball. Elite control, swing and miss, and durability is a Teflon combination. And that isn’t even it. He throws gas with a 96.6 MPH fastball. His splitter is insanely elite with a 50.6% whiff% and .137 xwOBA. His most used pitch is a plus to double plus slider with a 36.8% whiff% and .264 xwOBA. And he has yet another plus secondary in his curve with a 35.4% whiff% and .210 xwOBA. He also throws a useful cutter, giving him a very diverse pitch mix. He straight up doesn’t have a flaw. He has a very very real case to be the top fantasy pitcher and the game, and also possibly the top dynasty pitcher in the game. – 2025 Projection: 15/3.18/0.98/209 in 200 IP

33) Roki Sasaki – LAD, RHP, 23.5 – Sasaki and his people pulled whatever back room deals that needed to be pulled and got him coming stateside this season, which is insanely exciting, because there is little doubt that he will be a true ace right from the get go, and possibly the best pitcher in all the land. He’s better than Yamamoto, and you saw Yamamoto’s seamless transition, other than the shoulder injury. But that injury might have pushed LA to a six man rotation, which works just fine for Sasaki. His fastball sits in the upper 90’s and regularly hits over 100 MPH. The splitter is truly elite and the slider is plus. He has prototypical size at a projectable and athletic 6’2”, 187 pounds, and he has plus control/command of his stuff. He’s been so insanely dominant in Japan that he has basically already hit legend status with so many crazy feats, and he’s only 23 years old. He put up a 2.35 ERA with a 28.7/7.1 K%/BB% in 111 IP this year. He was even better in 2023 with a 1.78 ERA and 39.1%/4.9% K%/BB% in 91 IP. As you can see, the biggest and only red flag is injuries, as he has a career high of 129.1 IP. He battled an oblique injury in 2023 and right arm discomfort in 2024. The right arm discomfort is particularly concerning because his stuff was actually down a tick or two this year. It was still beastly, but would any of us be surprised if Tommy John/internal brace surgery was right around the corner? You can’t be too scared off by that, because even if he needs it, he should still return as an ace. He’s so easily the top pick in my Top 146 2025 First Year Player Draft Rankings, and while I don’t think he’s a no brainer for #1 overall prospect in the game, how can you not put a ready made ace in the top spot, injury risk be damned. He’s my top dog in the Top 500 2025 Prospects Rankings. – 2025 Projection: 12/3.06/1.04/175 in 150 IP Prime Projection: 16/2.72/0.92/240 in 185 IP

34) Corbin Burnes – ARI, RHP, 30.5 – When it comes to proven veteran studs, I think you can get into more trouble than it’s worth to slice and dice the numbers too much. Burnes just completed his 5th straight season of legit ace production with a 2.92 ERA and 23.1/6.1 K%/BB% in 194.1 IP. His K rates are in steep decline, falling from the 36.7% and 35.6% marks he put up in 2020 and 2021, but this is the part where I don’t want to over evaluate a proven year after year elite ace. His 28.6% whiff% is still well above average, so I would be surprised if the K rates didn’t bounce back somewhat in 2025, and his 3 secondaries (curve, slider, change) are all whiff machines, so he could rack up more strikeouts if he wanted to. He was content to dominate with plus control of the 2nd best cutter in baseball with a +20 run value (only Emmanuel Clase topped that with a 23 Run Value). No matter how you slice it … or dice it … Burnes is a true ace, just don’t expect the days of mid 30% K rates anymore, obviously. – 2025 Projection: 15/3.13/1.05/205 in 194 IP

35) Luis Robert – CHW, OF, 27.8 – Robert is in super juicy buy low territory right now. This one feels like it’s served up on a silver platter. He had a down year in 2024 with a career worst 33.2% K% and .224 BA, but he has a 1,944 career PA track record with a 27% K% and .267 BA. He’s smack dab in the middle of his prime at 27 years old, and he has near elite bat speed with a 74.5 MPH swing. His 28.8 ft/sec sprint speed was a 4 year high, and he hit the ball very hard with a 90.1 MPH EV. There is no physical decline, and there is a huge track record which says this was simply a down year. And even in a down year he hit 14 homers with 23 steals in 100 games (about a 21/35 pace). It’s as easy as could be to buy the bounce back in 2025, but the one real area of concern is injuries. He once again missed a large chunk of the season with a hip injury. He’s played in over 100 games just once in his career (2023), and even that year his season ended with a sprained MCL which would have kept him out for a couple months had it not been the end of the season. The White Sox are also terrible, which can’t help the motivation, let alone Runs and RBI. Those reasons are why he can’t really be in elite or near elite asset territory, but there is easy 30/30 upside in here if he does stay healthy, and that is worth trying to acquire on a discount this off-season. – 2025 Projection: 82/23/72/.254/.312/.470/28

36) Riley Greene – DET, OF, 24.6 – With how volatile development can be, it’s always nice when a talented prospect has a nice and smooth upward trajectory. Greene put up a 98 wRC+ in 2022, a 121 wRC+ in 2023 and finally a 135 wRC+ in 2024. He raised his launch (12.2 degrees), improved his whiff% (26.8%) and improved his Chase% (23.1%). That is all he needed to explode with how hard he hit the ball already (13.4% Barrel% with a 91.3 MPH EV) and how fast he swung the bat (elite 74.5 MPH swing). He slashed .262/.348/.479 with 24 homers, 4 steals, and a 26.7/11.0 K%/BB% in 137 games. Even if this is where he tops out, that would be a very good player, but I think he has at least one more level in him. I would be surprised if he can’t get that strikeout rate down into the low 20’s at true peak, resulting in several seasons of plus to double plus hit/power production.. – 2025 Projection: 86/28/92/.276/.359/.498/7

37) Yoshinobu Yamamoto – LAD, RHP, 26.8 – The only blemish on Yamamoto’s excellent first season stateside was a shoulder injury that knocked him out for almost 3 months, limiting him to just 90 IP. It might have been the straw that broke the camels back to push the Dodgers over the edge to go to a 6 man rotation in 2025. Or maybe it’s that Ohtani is coming back from his 2nd major elbow injury. Or that Glasnow can only throw 130 IP during a season. Or that Gavin Stone will likely miss all of 2025 with a shoulder injury. Or that Buehler took all season to start looking like himself coming off his 2nd Tommy John. Or that Bobby Miller was a shell of his former self. Or that River Ryan underwent Tommy John that will keep him out for all of 2025. Or that … I can honestly keep going on and on. Roki Sasaki is likely to get added to the mix too, and he’s had his own injury problems which is another reason to go 6 man. Point being, we might have to put a cap on how many innings all Dodgers starters will be able to pitch, but if it keeps them healthy, who wouldn’t be for that. And a healthy Yamamoto was a true ace with a 3.00 ERA and 28.5/6.5 K%/BB% in 90 IP. The fastball sat 95.5 MPH and while it wasn’t a dominant pitch, it was firmly above average. The famed splitter lived up to the billing with a 38.6% whiff% and .227 xwOBA. And the curveball was plus too with a 33% whiff% and .252 xwOBA. He also mixes in a cutter, slider and sinker every now and then. And he has plus control over that impressive arsenal. He fully lived up to the hype, shoulder injury notwithstanding. – 2025 Projection: 13/3.17/1.12/195 in 170 IP

38) Corey Seager – TEX, SS, 30.11 – Seager underwent hernia surgery in late January 2024, which was supposed to keep him out for a portion of 2024, but he ended up being ready on opening day, which might have been a mistake, because his season then ended on September 2nd after undergoing hernia surgery again. He was also battling some hip trouble at the end of the season. I’m no doctor, but maybe giving his first hernia surgery more than 2 months to heal before returning to real games would have been prudent. At least on this 2nd hernia surgery he will have no choice with all off-season to heal. And sandwiched between the two surgeries was Seager having yet another tremendous season. He jacked 30 homers with a 140 wRC+ and 18.0/9.9 K%/BB% in 123 games. The underlying numbers back up him being one of the best hitters in the game with a .394 xwOBA which was the 10th best mark in baseball. He’s starting to get up there in age, and the injuries are starting to pile up a bit, but with zero signs of slowing down so far, I don’t want to get too concerned. He should continue to be one of the best hitters in baseball for the next few seasons, and he’s also a candidate to be a major producer deep into his 30’s. – 2025 Projection: 88/33/97/.288/.362/.528/2

39) Matt Olson – ATL, 1B, 31.0 – What goes up, must come down. After putting up a career year in 2023 with 54 homers, Olson nearly bottomed out with the 2nd worst year of his career in 2024 with a 117 wRC+. While I didn’t see him falling that far, I saw the fall coming, writing in his 2024 Top 1,000 blurb, “2023 strikes me as a career year, but Olson is one of the premier power hitters in baseball.” And now I can follow up that blurb with “2024 strikes me as a down year, and Olson is still one of the premier power hitters in baseball.” He dominated to close out the season with 16 homers and .949 OPS in his final 63 games. He still hit the ball very hard with a 12.4% Barrel% that was right in line with career norms. It was just a down year. He remains one of the best power hitters in the game. – 2025 Projection: 93/36/115/.253/.348/.517/1

40) Pete Alonso – NYM, 1B, 30.4 – Alonso’s BA unsurprisingly bounced back from a .205 BABIP induced .217 BA in 2023, rising to .240 with a .276 BABIP in 2024, which is right around his career norms. The ebbs and flows of a baseball career are always interesting, with luck being such a big part of the game. Make sure to keep that in mind when evaluating Alonso’s career low 34 homers this year too. His 14.4 degree launch was 3.8 degrees lower than last year, so there might have been a conscious attempt to balance out his profile, but 34 homers is a really nice floor to have. And that is basically a reasonable floor with a 95.3 MPH FB/LD EV and a 75.3 MPH swing that is the 16th fastest swing in baseball amongst qualified hitters. Seeing how fast he swings the bat gives added confidence that his skills are not going to tank in his 30’s. This is a special talent who should be ripping dingers deep into his mid 30’s. – 2025 Projection: 92/37/115/.248/.339/.507/3

41) Michael Harris – ATL, OF, 24.1 – It’s an absolutely no brainer to stay (almost) fully in on Harris. I say almost because his stolen bases and speed dropped off considerably in 2024 with 10 steals and a 28.3 ft/sec sprint in 110 games. He had a 29.4 ft/sec sprint in 2022. Some of it could be blamed on a hamstring injury that knocked him out for 2 months, but not all of it could be blamed on that. It seems like the reasonable hope is for him to get to around 20+ rather than 30+, which is still very valuable. And steals can be extremely hard to predict because it often is just a choice of how much a player wants to run, so I wouldn’t rule anything out. His plate approach also hasn’t improved at all in his 3 years in the bigs with a 39.6% Chase%, and finally he hasn’t improved his launch at all with a 7.5 degree launch. Honestly after writing that all out, even I’m questioning if maybe I shouldn’t still be all the way in, but when I look at his elite 74.7 MPH swing, 10% Barrel%, 90.5/95.3 MPH AVG/FB EV, 47% Hard Hit%, and 20% K%, I realize there is no way I’m betting against this guy. That just screams electric player, and keep in mind all of those above stats were accumulated in his age 21-23 year old seasons. I don’t think we’ve seen his prime yet, and just a few incremental improvements in a few area could result in absolutely beastly seasons. His development hasn’t gone exactly like planned, which is why I wouldn’t consider him in that Top 20 ish dynasty asset area, but he’s easily still a Top 50 guy. – 2025 Projection: 88/23/77/.282/.328/.467/23

42) Lawrence Butler – OAK, OF, 24.9 – Butler put all of his faithful followers loyalty to the test when he got sent down to the minors after putting up a .555 OPS in his first 41 games of the season. He pulled the dynasty baseball version of “if you can’t handle me at my worst, you don’t deserve me at my best.” I’m not gonna lie, after naming him a target this off-season, I did drop him in one league after he got sent back down, but I never let him leave my mind, and when he got called back up and hit a dinger or two, I spent large amounts of FAAB because I simply couldn’t bear to watch him breakout on someone else’s team, and that proved prudent as he was a beast the rest of the way. He slashed .291/.330/.565 with 20 homers, a perfect 15 for 15 on the bases, and a 21.8/6.1 K%/BB% in his final 84 games. The reason I was so quick to stick my neck out to pick him back up (and shouldn’t have dropped him in the first place) is that the underlying numbers were screaming that he was getting unlucky earlier in the season, and the underlying numbers don’t lie (well, sometimes they lie, but not in this case). He smashes the ball with an 11% Barrel% and 91.1 MPH EV, he’s an excellent athlete, and his hit tool has continually improved throughout his career, with the improvements sticking in the majors with a respectable 26.8% whiff% and 27.3% chase%. And to top it all off, he’s about to get a major ballpark upgrade in 2025 and beyond. He had a .866 OPS on the road vs. a .753 OPS at home this year. I’ve been super high on him, and I’ll continue to be super high on him. Even this ranking might be too low. – 2025 Projection: 84/28/82/.255/.326/.487/20

43) Zach Neto – LAA, SS, 24.2 – I was Zach Neto’s biggest fan, ranking him 3rd overall in his FYPD class, far above consensus, and even I couldn’t foresee him stealing 30 bags this year. He stole only 5 bags in 84 games in 2023, and his 27.7 ft/sec sprint wasn’t that impressive. He actually got faster in 2024 with a 28.2 ft/sec sprint, which shows he made it a point to improve in that area last off-season, and he just decided to run more with 40 steal attempts. He wasn’t particularly successful, so it just goes to show how hard it is to predict steals. It can simply come down to how much a player chooses to run. Considering he wasn’t all that successful though, I think we have to consider what he did in 2024 a ceiling. Even if that drops down to 20, he has enough power and feel to hit to be a perennial 20/20 player with a solid BA. His 23 homers, 88.5/94.2 MPH FB/LD EV, 12.3 degree launch and 23.3% K% shows a player that can hit for both power and average. He’s still young and was thrown into the fire with the Angels aggressively promoting players, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see an uptick in both contact and power. His 6.5% BB% is low, but I see that definitely rising as he gains more experience. All of that above analysis assumes he will be healthy for 2025, and that now isn’t a guarantee with him undergoing shoulder surgery in early November which puts his rehab timeline right up against Opening Day. Even if he is ready in time, major surgery like that that takes all off-season to rehab is not a recipe for a big season. I’m bummed about it, but long term, I’m not going to let it shake me too much.- 2025 Projection: 74/21/78/.257/.324/.441/18 (assuming he misses some time in 2025) Prime Projection: 90/25/90/.271/.335/.465/25

44) Dylan Crews – WAS, OF, 23.1 – Crews’ dynasty value/hype has seen some fluctuations since being drafted, but the thing that was quietly flying under the radar, was how good he was on the bases, and for fantasy, that has a major impact on his value. He stole 25 bases in 100 games in the upper minors, and then he stole 12 bags with a double plus 29.3 ft/sec sprint in his 31 game MLB debut. He only stole 6 bases in 71 games his junior year of college, and then went 3 for 7 in his pro debut, so I can’t blame anyone for not expecting it, but it’s clearly a real skill he has, and it makes Crews insanely exciting for fantasy again. He combines the speed with above average contact rates (19.7% K%), above average chase rates (26.6%), and plus power (94.7 MPH FB/LD EV in the majors and a 90.2 MPH EV in the minors). The only quibble in his profile is the low launch (8.8 degrees), but he has the skillset to make that work, and he only needs to raise it a bit higher to be in a completely fine range, which I’m betting he will. The Langford vs. Crews debate might not end up as easy as we thought, and with Crews not really being considered in that lofty tier anymore, there could be a buy window here this off-season. If you can buy off the relatively subdued hype and .641 MLB OPS, I would be all over it. He’s a Top 50 dynasty asset in my book. – 2025 Projection: 81/21/76/.259/.334/.448/26 Prime Projection: 94/27/97/.278/.359/.481/28

45) Jasson Dominguez – NYY, OF, 22.2 – The Yankees didn’t want to unleash Dominguez in the majors this year, and his .617 OPS in the 67 PA he did receive isn’t super impressive, but make no mistake, Dominguez is still on the superstar path. His 75.4 MPH swing is straight elite, which proves right there that his talent really wasn’t that overhyped as an international prospect. His 23.4% whiff% was comfortably above average, which is pretty huge to see, and his 28.1% Chase% was slightly above average. Tack on plus speed, and Dominguez’ beastly potential was even able to shine through despite the Yanks refusing to unleash him. And oh yea, he destroyed the upper minors immediately after returning from Tommy John surgery in mid May with a 135 wRC+, 11 homers, 16 steals (in 17 attempts) and a 20.0/8.8 K%/BB% in 58 games. Is he really 22 years old and not 26 years old? Beats me. But I don’t care when it comes to a talent this huge (I gave my thoughts on MLB cracking down on players’ lying about their ages in the 19 Dynasty Baseball Strategies/Thoughts for 2025). I see no reason why the Yanks won’t unleash him immediately in 2025, and he could be on a beeline for elite dynasty asset status in short order. Go after him. – 2025 Projection: 83/21/76/.246/.323/.434/26 Prime Projection: 109/28/91/.266/.351/.487/34

46) Junior Caminero – TBR, 3B, 21.9 – Caminero swings the 9th fastest bat in baseball at 77.2 MPH. He hits the ball very, very hard with a 93.3 MPH EV at Triple-A, and a 89.7 MPH EV, 11.8% Barrel%, and a 45.7% Hard Hit% in the majors. And the best part of all is that he’s had above average strikeout rates most of his career, putting up a very respectable 21.5% K% in 43 MLB games. There is almost no way this guy isn’t going to start raking his face off in the very near future. The swing is a little on the long side, the 31.7% whiff% doesn’t look as good as the K rates, he chases a lot with a 35.4 Chase%, and the launch is low at 6.8 degrees, but he legitimately has the type of profile that can make all of those things work and still put up big numbers. And at only 21 years old, his plate skills and launch are only going to improve. He’s right on track to be one of the best hit/power combo bats in the game, and if there is any buy window based on the small, mediocre MLB sample, I would be all over it. – 2025 Projection: 74/24/83/.262/.319/.461/5 Prime Projection: 89/33/103/.279/.343/.516/7

47) Jackson Holliday – BAL, 2B, 21.4 – There always has to be one. Chourio was a beast. Langford was really good and beasted at the end of the season. Merrill exceeded all expectations all year. Caminero showed flashes and laid a solid foundation. And then there was Holliday, who had a nightmare rookie year. He slashed .189/.255/.311 with 5 homers, 4 steals, and a 33.2/7.2 K%/BB% in 60 games. The .262 xwOBA backs up the terrible surface stats. To continue with the bad, just to get it all out of my system, his bat speed also wasn’t very impressive with a 71.2 MPH swing that was very slightly below average. There are very real things to be concerned about, like the hit tool being bottom of the scale bad, because he doesn’t necessarily have the biggest game power/base stealing to truly make up for that. It’s possible for prospects to bust, or have decent but unspectacular careers, even elite ones who feel can’t miss. Now having said that, I’m not even close to giving up on Holliday. Even with the extreme struggles, he put up a very good 8.2% Barrel% and 89.3/94.8 MPH AVG/FB EV. Hitting the ball that hard as a 20 year old is impressive. He’s also lightning fast with a 29.4 ft/sec sprint, and he had an above average 27.2% Chase%, so it’s not like he was completely lost up there. His hit tool has been very strong at every stop of the minors, so a 33.9% whiff% as a 20 year old in his first taste of the majors really isn’t that huge of a deal. It’s almost certain to improve as he gains experience. Do I think his terrible season has his stock dropping a bit? Yes. But he’s still a Top 50 dynasty asset for me, and I’m expecting a much better year 2. – 2025 Projection: 77/16/68/.247/.318/.411/18 Prime Projection: 98/25/83/.278/.360/.485/25

48) Cole Ragans – KCR, LHP, 27.4 – Ragans proved without a shadow of a doubt that his 2nd half 2023 breakout was 100% legit. He was a legit ace for the entire season in 2024, and most importantly, he stayed healthy all year. He put up a 3.14 ERA with a 29.3/8.8 K%/BB% in 186.1 IP. The 32% whiff% was elite and the control was average, which is all he needs to let his explosive stuff do the rest. His 95.4 MPH fastball was the 8th most valuable fastball in baseball with a +16 Run Value. His double plus changeup was the 15th most valuable changeup in the game, putting up a 47.8% whiff%. The slider and curve were both plus, bat missing weapons, and he throws a useful cutter too. The only deficiency is that his control was merely average and not plus, which puts him slightly below the aces ranked ahead of him, but not by much. – 2025 Projection: 13/3.28/1.13/218 in 185 IP

49) Hunter Greene – CIN, RHP, 25.8 – Here is what I wrote in part in Greene’s 2024 Top 1,000 blurb, “Buy low on Hunter Greene. We’ve been taught over and over again to not throw the towel in on elite pitching prospects if they don’t immediately dominate their first few years in the league, and Greene has all of the ingredients to be a next level breakout as he gains more experience. I know the fastball gets hit harder than you would expect, but as his command improves and as he continues to tinker with his arsenal, I’m betting on him figuring it out. This is going to be one of those breakouts that look so obvious in hindsight.” … and that obvious (in hindsight) breakout happened in 2024 with him putting up a 2.75 ERA (4.82 ERA in 2023), 3.03 xERA, and a 27.7/9.3 K%/BB% in 150.1 IP. He did in fact tinker with his arsenal (I wrote that blurb before news of his new pitches came out, but of course all young pitchers are now tinkering with their arsenals if they are smart), improving his fastball movement to the point where it was the 2nd most valuable fastball in baseball (Cade Smith is #1 by a landslide). He also added a splitter which was an above average pitch, even if he didn’t go to it often (8.3% usage). And the slider of course remained a plus to double plus whiff machine (39% whiff%). His control/command remained below average, but I still think there is another level in here as he stays healthy and gains more experience. I don’t even think this is the peak, assuming he stays healthy, which who knows there honestly (he missed time with elbow inflammation this year). Greene had the ace breakout I knew was coming, and I’m going to continue to buy high. – 2025 Projection: 14/3.26/1.05/203 in 170 IP

50) Zack Wheeler – PHI, RHP, 34.10 – Not only did Wheeler show zero signs of slowing down, it was arguably his best season ever with a 2.57 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and 28.5/6.6 K%/BB% in 200 IP. The ERA and WHIP were career bests, and the K rate was the 2nd best mark of his career. He added a splitter this year which was immediately an elite pitch with a 40.2% whiff% and .178 xwOBA (7.3% usage). That was just the cherry on top of an already elite 5 pitch mix (now 6 pitch mix). As much as I love fading the true aces, there is no doubt that having a consistent veteran ace like this on a win now team is invaluable. In win now, I wouldn’t worry about his age too much and just ride him. And if you are about to start a rebuild, make sure you get an absolute haul for him despite his age. A general dynasty ranking will be hard to capture his true dynasty value in practice, rather than just in theory. He’s a league changer. – 2025 Projection: 15/2.93/1.04/211 in 195 IP

51) Freddie Freeman – LAD, 1B, 35.7 – The decline has to come one day, right? And as we saw with Paul Goldschmidt, when it comes for a player around this age, their dynasty value falls off a cliff very quickly. If I owned Freeman, even in win now mode, I would be mighty tempted to cash my chips in this off-season, even if the offer isn’t like a godfather type offer. He had another excellent year in 2024 with a 137 wRC+, 22 homers, 9 steals, and a 15.7/12.2 K%/BB% in 147 games. His .370 xwOBA was a career low, but it was still in the top 6% of baseball, which just shows how great of a career he’s having. He should have a gentle decline, but even a gentle decline will tank his trade value. It’s better to sell a year early than a year late. I think this is the year to pull the trigger. – 2025 Projection: 92/25/102/.290/.384/.501/10

52) Ketel Marte – ARI, 2B, 31.6 – Marte has always hit the ball hard, but he went absolutely bonkos in 2024 with a 94 MPH EV which was a career high by a mile (91.1 MPH in 2023). It was the 6th best EV in baseball amongst qualified hitters. And it resulted in him smashing 36 homers in 136 games to go along with his usual excellent plate plate approach (18.2/11.1 K%/BB%) and high BA (.292). His righty swing is just an insane 77.2 MPH, and it resulted in a 1.080 OPS vs. lefties. His 71.5 MPH lefty swing is just fine too and it resulted in a .841 OPS. I have to say, the jump in EV is suspiciously high, but what do I know. It sure feels like a career year, but if the throwback steroid era 30 year old power breakout is for real, maybe he can hold this level for the next couple years. I find it hard to bet on that, but even if he falls back to career norms, he’s still a damn good hitter. – 2025 Projection: 97/29/90/.280/.357/.506/8

53) Michael King – SDP, RHP, 29.10 – King is a true ace. It really is that simple. After his rough April, he put up a 2.42 ERA with a 28.5/7.4 K%/BB% in 137.2 IP. He stayed healthy all year and accumulated 185.2 IP including the playoffs, and he was getting stronger as the year went on. His changeup was the 4th most valuable change in baseball with a +10 run value and notching a 36.2% whiff%. His 92.9 MPH sinker was the 22nd most valuable sinker in baseball. The 93.7 MPH 4-seamer missed bats with a 26.1% whiff%, and the sweeper gave him another swing and miss secondary with a 34.5% whiff%. His 29.2% whiff% overall is near elite. He was not a fluke at all, as he flashed these same skills at the end of 2023. I wouldn’t quite place him at the top of the “true ace” tier, as even during his dominate May-September the 3.40 SIERA wasn’t quite as good as the ERA, and the K/BB numbers weren’t in the land of Skenes, Crochet, Skubal, and Sale, but he’s in the tier right under them. – 2025 Projection: 14/3.28/1.16/205 in 175 IP

54) George Kirby – SEA, RHP, 27.2 – Kirby still hasn’t found that great secondary, and it resulted in him continuing to sit in that low end ace territory with a 3.53 ERA and 23.0/3.0 K%/BB% in 191 IP. His 96 MPH fastball is elite with a 29.1% whiff%, and his 3% BB% is best in all of baseball amongst qualified pitchers. And while he hasn’t had a secondary pitch breakout, he throws 3 secondaries (slider, splitter, curve) which are all average to above average. His slider was actually the 13th most valuable slider in baseball with a 9 Run Value, but the pitch got lucky with a .294 xwOBA and 27.1% whiff% vs. a .245 wOBA. This is his 2nd straight year of 190+ IP, and even if he doesn’t rack up strikeouts, I would still put him in low ace territory. His secondaries did improve in 2024, so if he can improve them again in 2025, that could be the incremental improvement he needs to really put up some monstrous career years. I’m definitely not budging off Kirby. – 2025 Projection: 12/3.28/1.02/154 in 160 IP Update: Shoulder inflammation will put him on the IL to start the season, but it doesn’t seem overly serious, so don’t want to jump tank his value. He does drop a bit though

55) Dylan Cease – SDP, RHP, 29.2 – Cease is officially one of the most inconsistent pitchers in baseball,, and I guess below average control will do that to you, but he put up a career best 8.5% BB% in 2024, which is almost dead average, giving hope that he can get off that seesaw and just remain a consistent ace from here on out. We all know the stuff is straight filth with the 2nd most valuable slider in baseball (behind only Chris Sale and tied with Ronel Blanco) that notched a 44.6% whiff% and .211 xwOBA. The 4-seamer sits 96.9 MPH, and he rounds out the arsenal with a much lesser used knuckle curve and sweeper. The sweeper is a new pitch and it was excellent when he went to it with a 38.5% whiff% on only 4.2% usage. It all led to a 3.47 ERA (3.32 xERA) with a 29.4/8.5 K%/BB% in 189.1 IP. His 32.3% whiff% is elite. His control started to regress more towards career norms in the 2nd half with a 9.6% BB% in his final 91 IP, so I’m not sure I completely trust the control gains. It’s enough to keep him out of the true top tier ace range for me, but it’s not enough to scare me off completely. He’s in the 2nd tier of aces. – 2025 Projection: 13/3.53/1.18/220 in 185 IP

56) Spencer Strider – ATL, RHP, 26.6 – Strider underwent an internal brace procedure on his right elbow in mid April, and the best case scenario seems to be a late April return. Atlanta has World Series aspirations, so I’m sure their main goal is to have him healthy for the post-season. I’ve been preaching to take the “Tommy John” discount on elite starters for as long as I’ve been writing, but I do believe you have to factor in some level of risk. It’s not like everyone just comes right back into prime form. Some never get fully healthy again. Most have to shake off some kind of rust at the least. What we do know for sure, is that Strider has best fantasy starter in the game potential if he’s fully healthy. His slider is among the best, or the best in baseball with a 55.3% whiff% in 2023, which is nuts. The fastball sits mid to upper 90’s and is a plus pitch. And he also throws a changeup and curve which are both really good pitches when he goes to them, which isn’t often. And he has about average control of his arsenal. If you want to assume full health, he would rank somewhere in the 30’s, but he’s not going to pitch a full season this year, and assuming 100% full health right off the bat isn’t something I would plan on. If he does immediately get back there, consider it gravy, but I think it’s prudent to factor in some level of rust. – 2025 Projection: 9/3.40/1.15/166 in 135 IP Update: He’s had one good and one mediocre outing this spring, but the stuff looks all the way back. After McClanahan’s little setback, I’m going to hold here on his original ranking

57) Blake Snell – LAD, LHP, 32.5 – Snell has always been an extremely streaky pitcher who needs to find a rhythm to succeed, so it was not surprising to see him struggle early in the season after Boras took his free agency negotiations into mid to late March. Snell doesn’t blame Boras for not getting what he wanted this off-season though, coming to Boras’ defense when Jordan Montgomery fired Boras, saying Boras “butchered” his free agency negotiations. Montgomery never found that rhythm all season, but Snell eventually did, putting up a 1.23 ERA with a 38.1/10.0 K%/BB% in his final 80.1 IP. The 95.9 MPH fastball performed better than ever with a 24.4% whiff% and .286 xwOBA. His 3 secondaries (curve, change, slider) put up a 49.8%, 47.6%, and 44.6% whiff%, respectively. It’s his 2nd straight year of putting up a 37%+ whiff% overall, which is insane for a starting pitcher. Below average control, being 32 years old, and not being the type to rack up innings (he’s thrown more than 129.1 IP just twice in his career) are the only things preventing him from ranking even higher. – 2025 Projection: 14/3.25/1.14/226 in 170 IP

58) Ozzie Albies – ATL, 2B, 28.3 – I’m a little torn on Albies. On the one hand, Albies is still in the prime of his career, and has a long track of excellent production, which makes predicting a bounce back season in 2025 seem very easy. But on the other hand, his 27.2 ft/sec sprint speed was a career low and was below average, he swings a well below average bat with a 69.1 MPH swing, and he chases a lot with a 33.6% Chase%. He also doesn’t hit the ball hard enough (32% Hard Hit% in 2024 and 35.5% in his career) to make up for a lot of those deficiencies. He thrives based on the contact (14.9% K%), lift (18.4 degree launch), and pull (48.8% Pull%) profile, but I’m starting to question if this is a profile I want to bet on long term. The profile isn’t that much different than Jose Altuve, who has aged just fine, so maybe I’m overthinking it, but I’m starting to think that Albies might have more name value than real dynasty value at the moment. I’m not too concerned over the next couple of seasons, but in the medium and long term, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him as just a good fantasy player, rather than a true difference maker. – 2025 Projection: 83/25/87/.266/.321/.461/16

59) Brenton Doyle – COL, OF, 26.11 – Doyle lowered his strikeout rate from 35% in 2023 to 25.4% in 2024, which has to be one of the biggest improvements of strikeout rate in a single year of all time. That is really unbelievable considering his strikeout rates were over 30% his entire minor league career too other than in rookie ball. If this were a case where the K rate was back over 30% in the 2nd half, I would be less likely to believe, but he put up a 26.1% K% post all break in 57 games, and a 20.8% K% in 19 games in September. It’s prudent to factor in some regression, but it’s pretty clear he took a big step forward with his hit tool, and that is all he needed to let his big power/speed combo shine. He hit 23 homers with 30 steals, and the underlying numbers back it up with a 10.5% Barrel% and 29.3 ft/sec sprint. If he didn’t have such a terrible history of hit tool issues, he would likely rank even higher than this, so even this high ranking takes into account some added risk there. I’m 100% buying into Doyle. – 2025 Projection: 86/26/82/.248/.315/.447/29

60) Manny Machado – SDP, 3B, 32.9 – Machado underwent elbow surgery in early October 2023 which brought his rehab timeline right up against the start of 2024, and it seems pretty clear that was the reason for his slow start (.611 OPS in his first 42 games). But he quickly shook the rust off, and he looked healthy the rest of the way, slashing .297/.345/.525 with 24 homers, 9 steals, and a 17.7/6.9 K%/BB% in his final 110 games. He smashed the ball all season with a 92.5 MPH EV, so some of those early season struggles might have also just been bad luck. Everything was within career norms with zero signs og decline. He’s creeping up there in age, but he’s still a very impactful win now piece. His value might be in a very reasonably priced range this off-season for a win now team. – 2025 Projection: 82/30/97/.277/.334/.480/9

61) Kyle Schwarber – PHI, OF, 32.1 – Schwarber brought his BA back from the abyss in 2024 after getting too launch happy in 2022-23. His 19+ degree launches in those years were career highs, and they resulted in a .218 BA and .197 BA. He brought the launch back down to a reasonable 15 degrees this year, and the BA rose with it to .248. Even in 2022-23 the xBA was telling us that wasn’t his true talent level. A career .230 BA in 4,660 PA just might be a large enough sample to say that is a fair expectation going forward ;). And of course what you are buying is that monster power. He couldn’t get to 40+ like he did in the launch happy years, cracking 38 this year with a 93.6 MPH EV, but we will take that trade off all day. He’s also an OBP machine with a .366 OBP. Schwarber is a great example on how league rules can drastically change a players value. Even in 5×5 BA leagues, he’s great, but in an OBP league, or in a 6+ category league, or in an Ottoneu style points league (no negative for K’s), he’s a next level beast. He played in only 5 games in the OF last year, making him a DH only player right now, which is extremely annoying, and while he could gain OF eligibility during the season, there is no guarantee of that. It definitely dings his value, and it’s something you are going to have to plan around now. – 2025 Projection: 104/39/100/.230/.343/.490/4

62) Brent Rooker – OAK, OF, 30.5 – I remember when Rooker was a fun FYPD “sleeper” pick back in 2017/18 after he destroyed pro ball in his pro debut with 18 homers in 62 games in the lower minors that same year he got drafted (just another reminder to not underrate great pro debuts). He then went on to rip dingers every year since, culminating in this monster career year in 2024. I guess what I’m saying is, maybe this monster year shouldn’t have been as surprising at it seemed. He crushed 39 homers with a 164 wRC+ in 145 games, and the .383 xwOBA, which was top 4% in baseball, backed up the surface stats. It wasn’t only the homers though, he also hit .293 and stole 11 bags. The reason why I called it a “career year,” is that for one, it just smells of a career year the same way Matt Olson’s 2023 smelled of a career year to me, and for two, the underlying numbers don’t back up the hit tool. He had a 28.8% K% with a 34.1% whiff%, which tells me the BA is definitely coming way down in 2025. Regardless, there is zero doubt that Rooker is a legit elite power hitter with a 96.9 MPH FB/LD EV and 18.9 degree launch, so even if the BA comes way down, there is plenty of value to be had, and like every other hitter in Oakland, the ballpark upgrade will only help him. – 2025 Projection: 78/33/93/.260/.334/.510/8

63) Matt McLain – CIN, 2B/SS, 25.8 – Don’t forget about little Matty Mclain. He underwent shoulder surgery in late March and then suffered a late season rib injury which knocked out his entire regular season. But he returned in time for the AFL to prove his shoulder was healthy, and he’s hitting well there with 4 homers and a .844 OPS in 12 games. It gives confidence that with a full normal off-season, he will be ready to build on his awesome 2023 MLB debut where he slashed .290/.357/.507 with 16 homers, 14 steals, and a 28.5%/7.7% K%/BB% in 89 games. He obliterated Triple-A too with a 184 wRC+ in 40 games. He has double plus speed with a 29 ft/sec sprint and he has above average power with a 89.3 MPH EV and 13.8 degree launch. His plate approach wasn’t great with a 28.5%/7.7% K%/BB% in the majors, but his chase rate was above average at 25.4%, and his 28% whiff% shows he isn’t going to have any major contact issues. He also had a 20.6%/16.7% K%/BB% in the minors. And the cherry on top is that he is a good defensive player, so his glove will keep him on the field. Assuming full health, McLain is the real deal, but factoring in some rust and/or risk from the surgery wouldn’t be crazy. Just don’t factor in too much, because McLain can be a really exciting fantasy player. – 2025 Projection: 82/25/79/.269/.343/.468/22

64) Pete Crow-Armstrong – CHC, OF, 23.0 – Pete Crow Armstrong’s power has been underrated from the time he was drafted. He was my #1 target in his 2020/21 FYPD class after getting drafted a ridiculous 19th overall, writing in his FYPD blurb, “Armstrong stands out for his plus speed, plus defense, and strong track record of hitting. Power hasn’t been a big part of his game, but he has recently added muscle onto his projectable 6’1” frame, and a 99 MPH exit velocity mark at a 2019 Perfect Game event is damn good. Armstrong is my favorite target in first year player drafts relative to consensus.” I’ve basically named him a target every 3 months since then, even ranking him within my Top 100 overall this off-season at #99. And in 2024, especially the 2nd half of 2024, we started to see the first buds of a breakout that could absolutely explode in 2025. For starters, he put up a 88.9/94.0 MPH AVG/FB EV on the season, which shows that power potential I saw 4 years ago wasn’t a mirage. And when it comes with a 17.2 degree launch, an elite 30.0 ft/sec sprint speed, and elite CF defense, you have the makings of an extremely exciting fantasy player. We saw that player in his final 65 games, slashing .267/.317/.457 with 9 homers, 11 steals, and a 21.8/6.9 K%/BB%. The reason why he isn’t ranked even higher is because he still does have some deficiencies in his game. His 70.6 MPH swing is below average, his 41.4% Chase% is extreme, and his 29.9% whiff% is well below average. That isn’t exactly my favorite trifecta of skills, but he’s still so young, I foresee all of those numbers improving. And focusing on what he doesn’t do well is silly when what he does do well is so insanely exciting. Put some respect on this man’s name. His name is Pete Crow Armstrong, not Pete Crow Armweak. – 2025 Projection: 82/18/71/.244/.312/.425/31 Prime Projection: 93/24/74/.259/.331/.446/44

65) Kristian Campbell – BOS, 2B/OF, 22.3 – Campbell possesses one of the most visually disgusting swings I have ever seen, and I mean that in the best way possible. It looks like he literally unhinges his shoulder to turn his body into a cannon, absolutely unfurling on the baseball. Here is what I wrote about a homer Campbell hit in early September in the in-season Dynasty Baseball Rundowns: “on his latest homer, I think he dislocated his shoulder with one of the most bad intentions swings I’ve seen.”  Underscoring my visual evaluation of that explosive shoulder movement is that shortly after that homer he hit the IL with a lat strain, which is right under the shoulder blades. Campbell underwent a well documented swing change and bat speed training to unlock more power last off-season, which was obviously successful beyond anybody’s wildest imagination, so let’s just hope that it’s not going to cause more injuries. That is the only small thing that is even rattling around in my brain as a negative, because the season he just had was nothing short or spectacular. He slashed .330/.439/.558 with 20 homers, 24 steals, and a 19.9/14.3 K%/BB% in 115 games spread across 3 levels (A+, AA, AAA). He was just as dominant in the upper minors as he was at High-A with across the board domination. He hits it hard, he has a good feel to hit, he has a good approach, he has size (6’3”, 191 pounds), he has bat speed, he can lift it, and he has speed. You can be hesitant to fully buy in because it feels like he came out of nowhere, but he put up a 1.033 OPS in 45 games in the ACC in 2023, a .932 OPS in 58 games in 2022 in the Northwoods League, and then a .911 OPS in 22 games at mostly High-A in his pro debut, so it’s not his fault that everyone underrated him. He always had a good feel to hit and good approach, and he always had the frame and athleticism to tack on more power, so I’m not going to hold it against him that he wasn’t more hyped (4th round pick in 2023). He still didn’t lift and pull the ball a ton with an under 40% Pull% and under 30% FB%, but he knew when to pick his spots (as you saw with that homer video above), and he has the type of profile that can thrive without an extreme lift and pull profile. I’m all in on Campbell. He’s an elite prospect who is knocking on the door of the bigs. 2025 Projection: 58/13/51/.252/.324/.423/15 Prime Projection: 98/26/89/.277/.356/.478/26

66) Roman Anthony – BOS, OF, 20.11 – Because the rule of prospecting is that if you are even the smallest, tiniest, tiny bit lower on a prospect than other prospectors (most to all have Anthony over Campbell, while I have it the other way around), you must bash that prospect with an overly critical lens, let me start with the negatives here. For one, Anthony isn’t the best base stealer with a career 38 steals in 52 attempts (he was 21 for 28 last year), so there is risk that he doesn’t run as much in the majors as we hope. Secondly, he hits the ball on the ground a lot with an around 50% GB% in 2024, which could limit his homer upside. And lastly, there is some hit tool risk with a 23.5% K%. Now that we got that out of the way, let me just say that I obviously love Anthony, he’s a legit 50/50 coin flip with Campbell, and he’s a no doubt elite prospect. He started the season as a 19 year old in the upper minors and obliterated both Double-A and Triple-A, slashing .291/.396/.498 with 18 homers, 21 steals, and a 23.5/14.6 K%/BB% in 119 games. He crushes the ball, he has speed, he has size, he has elite age to level production, and he hit both lefties and righties well in 2024. He’s as close to a Gunnar Henderson clone as there is, and if you wanted to put him even as the #1 prospect in baseball, I wouldn’t argue with you. He’s going to be a beast. 2025 Projection: 51/14/46/.251/.328/.422/9 Prime Projection: 92/31/98/.272/.363/.493/18

67) Bryce Miller – SEA, RHP, 26.8 – I definitely don’t trust the 2.94 ERA in 180.1 IP when the 3.73 xERA and 24.3/6.4 K%/BB% don’t back that up, but this might very well be a case where the underlying numbers end up regressing towards the surface stats, rather than the other way around. Miller’s 95.2 MPH 4-seamer was one of the best in the game with a +14 Run Value, ranking 14th in all of baseball. His new splitter was the most valuable splitter in baseball with a +10 Run Value. It didn’t miss a ton of bats with a 29% whiff%, so I don’t fully trust that it is actually the best splitter in baseball, but that is insanely impressive for a new pitch. He also started throwing a knuckle curve in the 2nd half which was excellent with a 37.8% whiff% and .207 xwOBA. He has a sinker which keeps the ball on the ground, and he mixes in a sweeper, slider and cutter too. All signs actually point towards him exploding in 2025. He’s in that funny spot where his ERA should make him overrated, but nobody is fully buying the ERA I don’t think, and I think the underlying numbers are about to meet up with those surface stats. I’m all in on Miller. – 2025 Projection: 14/3.39/1.06/189 in 185 IP

68) Grayson Rodriguez – BAL, RHP, 25.3 – Grayson is an ace waiting to happen. He’s not quite there yet, but as long as he stays healthy, it’s basically a foregone conclusion, so if you can get any discount/fatigue price on him at all, I would jump on it. He leveled up in 2024 with a 3.86 ERA and 26.5/7.3 K%/BB% in 116.2 IP. The 96.1 MPH fastball notched a plus 26.9% K% and .325 xwOBA. The pitch got a bit unlucky, but it’s a plus pitch. The plus changeup was his best and most used secondary with a 34.8% whiff% and .254 xwOBA. The slider wasn’t that great, but it missed a lot of bats with a 36.1% whiff%, so I think it will be a good pitch long term. He also threw an average-ish curve. It all resulted in a 30% whiff%, which is elite for a starter, and the control was above average. Velocity, control, bat missing fastball, bat missing secondaries, diverse pitch mix, size  … he has it all, and it was just starting to blossom last year until a lat injury (near the shoulder) ended his season on July 31st. It seemed he was healthy enough to be considered for the post-season, but Baltimore decided to play it safe. All pitchers are risky, so I’m inclined to use the injury as another chance to buy at a small discount. He won’t come cheap and there might not be any discount on him at all, so maybe the real takeaway here is that if you own him already, don’t be the one to sell even slightly low and then come to regret it. – 2025 Projection: 11/3.48/1.17/170 in 150 IP Update: Received a cortisone shot for elbow inflammation and will start the season on the IL. You can’t panic, but this doesn’t feel great

69) Chris Sale – ATL, LHP, 35.11 – Vintage Chris Sale came back for 2024, and really the only thing that changed was that he stayed healthy. His 177.2 IP was the most he’s pitched in a season since 2017. And he performed like 2017 Chris Sale too with a 2.38 ERA and 32.1/5.6 K%/BB%. The slider was the best slider in baseball by a large margin with a 24 Run Value (Dylan Cease and Ronel Blanco were tied for 2nd at 19, and the next highest guy was Ryan Helsley at 13). The 94.8 MPH 4-seamer was above average to plus with a respectable 24.1% whiff%. His changeup was the best it’s been in 6 years with a .244 xwOBA. He also throws a lesser used, decent sinker which keeps the ball on the ground. He’s basically 36 years old and he hasn’t thrown this many innings in years. Who knows if he can do it again, but what I do know is that I’m not betting against at least plus control of that kind of arsenal. You have to factor in some injury and age risk, but he looks like an elite win now piece. – 2025 Projection: 14/3.14/1.04/202 in 165 IP

70) Tyler Glasnow – LAD, RHP, 31.8 – After throwing a career high 120 IP in 2023, Glasnow topped that mark in 2024 with 134 IP. If we want to look on the bright side, he is headed in the right direction. If we want to look on the dark side, he has a very clear internal limit of about 145 IP max (he threw 144.2 IP in 2014 if you want to include the minors and the AFL), and the closer he gets to that mark, the more the countdown until injury gets closer to zero. His season ended on August 11th with an elbow injury. The good news is that it already might be fully healed, so he should be full go for 2025 theoretically. When he’s on the mound, he’s among the best fantasy starters in the game with a 3.49 ERA, 2.65 xERA, and a 32.2/6.7 K%/BB%. That K% was 4th highest among pitchers with more than 100 IP (Crochet, Snell, and Skenes were the top 3, in that order). The stuff is straight filthy with 3 plus to elite pitches in his 96.3 MPH 4-seamer, slider and curveball. Even with all of the injury risk, and the likely cap of about 150 IP (and that is being generous), Glasnow’s upside is just too high to ding too much. I’m willing to take on the risk. – 2025 Projection: 12/3.33/1.03/178 in 140 IP

71) Shota Imanaga – CHC, LHP, 31.7 – It’s no secret that I enjoy a good victory lap like Wade Boggs on horseback taking a victory lap around Yankee Stadium after beating the Braves in the 1996 World Series. Like Boggs, I also eat chicken before I write every article, and I also drink 107 beers on a flight before going 2 for 3 with 2 doubles just hours later. Come to think of it, maybe that was CJ Abrams problem. Not that he partied until 8 am, but that he went 0 for 3 right after that. Dude, we all know that if you are going to be a rebel, you better produce. Maybe he did deserve that punishment after all ;). Now where was I? Oh yea, victory lapping. While I do believe in celebrating your hits, I also believe in taking the walk of shame for your misses, and finding lessons in who I consider to be my biggest miss, Shota Imanaga. I had Imanaga pegged as a good, but not great MLB pitcher, giving him a projection of 11/3.91/1.22/175 in 160 IP. He ended up going 15/2.91/1.02/174 in 173.1 IP. I believe where I went wrong was that I overrated fastball velocity, and while to my credit, the 91.7 MPH fastball actually didn’t miss that many bats (17.5% whiff%) or induce weak contact (91.2 MPH EV with .327 xwOBA), it was still a positive value pitch with a 52% usage rate, and it came with elite control, an elite secondary (splitter), a diverse pitch mix, and a history of ace production in the 2nd toughest league in the world. I shouldn’t have let a low 90’s fastball blind me to how good and established the rest of the profile was, and also to the fact that the fastball was still pretty good despite the low velocity. This wasn’t my only miss, but I believe that every other miss I had, my process was good and I don’t regret my take on them. Imanaga is the only one where I’m disappointed in my evaluation, and I will be taking those lessons with me headed into 2025, starting with properly ranking him for next season, which is in the near ace tier. – 2025 Projection: 13/3.28/1.06/182 in 175 IP

72) Framber Valdez – HOU, LHP, 31.5 – Valdez had a mediocre first half of the season, but he was back at ace levels in his final 108.2 IP with a 2.24 ERA and 27.5/8.4 K%/BB%. He’s a groundball machine with 4 of his 5 pitches putting up a 2 degree through a negative 13 degree launch. His curve, slider and changeup are whiff machines with a 39.8%, 35.4%, and 38.3% whiff%. And he’s maintained slightly above average control for 3 full seasons now. His K numbers have never been high enough to put into the true ace tier, but he’s firmly established in the lower ace tier. – 2025 Projection: 13/3.25/1.13/190 in 190 IP

73) William Contreras – MIL, C, 27.3 – Contreras is coming off back to back seasons finishing as the #1 catcher in fantasy. He’s smack dab in the middle of his prime at 27 years old. There isn’t much an argument for anybody else to hold down the #1 dynasty catcher in the game spot. He smashes the ball with a career high 92.8 MPH EV that is in the top 6% of the league, and his 118.1 MPH Max EV was the 4th hardest hit ball all season. He has a good feel to hit and a plus plate approach (20.5/11.5 K%/BB%). And he also nabbed 9 bags this year, which is a really, really nice little bonus to get from your catcher. The only quibble with his profile is that he hits it on the ground a lot with a 54.5% GB%, which definitely limits his homer upside, but he hits the ball hard enough where he can still hit plenty of dingers, as evidenced by him knocking out 23 this year. – 2025 Projection: 88/22/84/.279/.360/.460/6

74) Triston Casas – BOS, 1B, 25.3 – Casas missed 4 months of the season after suffering torn cartilage in his ribs in late April. I’ve had two pretty big rib injuries in my life, once playing tackle football with my knucklehead friends when we were like 18 years old (no pads, just pickup tackle), and once playing flag football in my law school league. I guess maybe the lesson is that tackle football isn’t anymore dangerous than flag football … but point being, when you hurt your ribs, any movement at all can be extremely painful. It’s not surprising that he was rusty when he returned in mid August, but by the end of the season, he was starting to hit his stride with 5 homers and a 1.026 OPS in is final 12 games. The rib injury was a small bump in the road, but that was all it was as he’s still on the path to being one of the top slugging 1B in baseball. He swings a double plus 74.6 MPH bat, which is really all you need to know about how legit his power is. His 90.2/95.8 MPH AVG/FB EV also backs up how elite his power is, and he’s never had any launch issues in his career, so there are zero worries there either. The only worry is that the hit tool ends up below average with a 32.2% whiff%, but it was better in 2023 (28.1% whiff%), and even with a below average hit tool, he will still be a beast with high OBP’s (12.3% BB%). Buy any discount you can on Casas, especially in OBP and 6+ hitting cat leagues. He’s going to be a monster. – 2025 Projection: 86/32/94/.253/.348/.514/1

75) Matt Shaw – CHC, 3B/2B/SS, 23.4 – The little man discount never fails. Baseball scouts see a little man, and they immediately shave a few inches of projection right off the top. I don’t mind it, because it consistently creates excellent buying opportunities for the right players, and Matt Shaw is definitely one of those right players. He went a little later than he should have in the real MLB Draft, then he went a little later than he should have in Dynasty First Year Player Drafts, and now he’s getting ranked a little later than he should be on prospect lists. He’s an elite prospect that gets ranked like a merely good one. He’s under 6’0”, but his bat packs a true punch, putting up an 89.3 MPH EV with a 14.6 degree launch in 35 games at Triple-A. He smoked 21 homers on the season in 121 games split between Double-A and Triple-A. He’s not a pull machine, but a lot of these lift and pull machines put up some pretty low batting averages, and a profile like Shaw doesn’t need to only pull the ball. He can use his hard hit ability, plus speed (31 steals), and plus contact rates (18.2% K%) to do damage when he goes oppo. He also walks a ton with a 11.9% BB%, making him a likely top of the order bat. Don’t fall into the little man trap, Shaw is going to be a do everything fantasy terror when he gets his shot, and with the Isaac Paredes/Cam Smith trade, that shot could come on Opening Day. Shaw’s been a target for me from before his junior year of college, and he remains a target for me. – 2025 Projection: 79/18/77/.256/.318/.423/23 Prime Projection: 96/23/83/.276/.348/.461/26

76) Carson Williams – TBR, SS, 21.2 – Williams put up a 31.8% K% in 105 games at High-A in 2023, so the worry was that the K rate would explode against upper minors pitching, but that didn’t happen. It actually improved at Double-A with a 28.5% K%, and that was good enough to let his special talent shine. He jacked 20 homers with 33 steals, a 11.5% BB% and a 142 wRC+ in 115 games. He’s a still projectable 6’2”, 180 pounds with an explosive righty swing that is made to launch homers. He’s also an excellent athlete with plus speed and plus SS defense. Tampa’s long term SS job is literally waiting for him (the Kim signing could impact Williams’ projected playing time for 2025, but it’s better for his long term development anyway to take it slow), and because of his plus defense, he is sure to have all the leash he can handle even if it takes his hit tool a year or two to adjust to MLB pitching. If he can keep the K% in the high 20’s, he will be a beast, and if he can continue to improve on it at only 21 years old, there is near elite dynasty asset upside. – 2025 Projection: 21/7/29/.230/.300/.424/9 Prime Projection: 89/28/96/.254/.334/.483/23

77) Leodalis De Vries – SDP, SS, 18.6 – De Vries is my pick to be the #1 overall fantasy prospect in baseball by this time next year (in a tight race with Walker Jenkins and Sebastian Walcott), that is unless he loses rookie eligibility because San Diego are madmen when it comes to promoting their elite prospects. There are already rumors they are considering calling De Vries and Salas up in 2025, which is straight wild. It did work out for Jackson Merrill, so who am I to judge? Merrill was 20 years old of course while De Vries and Salas are 18, but I love to see a team pushing the limits and setting new upper standards on how fast a prospect can fly through the minors. And De Vries has the type of talent that just might be able to pull it off. He was sent straight to full season ball for his pro debut, and while it took him a few months to find his footing, he went gangbusters once he did, slashing .275/.400/.563 with 11 homers, 8 steals, and a 20.5/14.9 K%/BB% in his final 40 games. Even with the early struggles, he still put up a 116 wRC+ in 75 games which is just silly for a 17 year old. The thing that separates De Vries from Jenkins, Walcott and De Paula for me, is that there are zero questions about him getting to his raw power. He put up a 32.4% GB%, 49.3% FB%, and 49.5% Pull%. I fully believe those other guys will get to their raw power as well, don’t get me wrong, but De Vries seems to be one step ahead of them in that area. His season ended in mid August with a shoulder injury, but he’s playing in the AFL, and while he’s not playing especially well, it’s still nice to see the shoulder isn’t an issue. He’s an elite prospect right now, and if he doesn’t end up at #1, he won’t be far off. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 91/31/99/.271/.353/.513/20

78) Walker Jenkins – MIN, OF, 20.1 – My Kyle Tucker comp for Jenkins last off-season turned out to be eerily accurate, at least for what they each did in their first full year of pro ball as 19 year old’s. Tucker had 9 homers with 32 steals and a 16.3/10.1 K%/BB% in 117 games in the lower minors, while Jenkins had 6 homers with 17 steals and a 12.8/15.2 K%/BB% in 82 games. Like Jenkins, Tucker also wasn’t a burner, and nobody really expected the steal totals to stick in the majors, but they did. And like Jenkins, the only thing that hadn’t fully developed yet was the power, but Tucker had a monster power explosion the very next season, hitting 25 homers in 120 games split between High-A and Double-A. I see no reason why Jenkins can’t have that same power explosion at 6’3”, 210 pounds with one of the sweetest lefty swings this game has ever seen. He doesn’t hit the ball on the ground too much and he can pull it, so while his hard hit numbers weren’t too impressive, they weren’t too bad either, and it would be pretty shocking if he didn’t develop impact power. He’s on a beeline for elite dynasty asset, and he’s among the favorites to be the #1 prospect in baseball by the middle of 2025. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 103/27/96/.282/.365/.504/18

79) Shane McClanahan – TBR, LHP, 27.1 – McClanahan underwent Tommy John surgery in late August 2023 and missed all 2024, so he should be a full go for 2025, and he’s the type of pitcher I love taking the Tommy John surgery discount on. He’s established on the MLB level and his upside is elite. Before going down with the injury he was throwing a 96.8 MPH fastball with an elite changeup (54.1% whiff%) and two decent breaking balls. His whiff rates are elite with a 33.4% whiff% and his control is about average with a 8.7% BB%. He’ll be just 27 years at the start of the 2025 season. This is his 2nd Tommy John surgery, and we just saw Walker Buehler struggle hard coming back from his 2nd Tommy John, so there is undeniably risk here (that is why he is ranked here and not 40 spots higher), but his track record, performance, and youth makes him a great target to take the TJ discount on. 2025 Projection: 10/3.63/1.20/140 in 130 IP Update: McClanahan left his last outing with triceps nerve inflammation which Tampa is downplaying as not that serious. So I guess it’s good news that it’s not worse, but it’s bad news that his arm keeps getting hurt. I already docked him for the extra TJ risk, so his ranking holds for me

80) Spencer Steer – CIN, 1B/OF, 27.4 – Good luck trying to predict stolen bases. Steer was quite bad at stealing bases in the minors, and barely ran. He went 0 for 1 in his 28 game MLB debut in 2022. And then over the last two year he’s become one of the better base stealers in the majors. He went 15 for 18 in 2023 and then 25 for 28 in 2024. His 28.2 ft/sec sprint speed is definitely plenty fast enough to steal bags if you are good at it, and it seems Steer has been putting in the work on that part of his game. It’s a big deal for his fantasy value, because he already had a strong plate approach and above average game power. He had a 20.9%/11.0% K%/BB% with an 88 MPH EV, 17.4 degree launch, and a 44.4% Pull%. With the newfound stolen bases, that should make him a perennial .250/20+/20+ guy for the next several years. And if he can find just a hair more raw power in his late 20’s, there could be a big career year or two mixed in there. Defense is his biggest problem as he isn’t good anywhere on the field, but he has versatility (he can play every position but CF), and he’s not terrible at any of them either. I’m not really concerned about his playing time at all. I’ve been high on Steer since his breakout in the upper minors in 2022, and I’ll continue to be high on him. – 2025 Projection: 71/21/80/.253/.339/.456/14 Update: Received a cortisone shot in his shoulder and will start the year on the IL. This shouldn’t hurt his long term value too much, but I’m concerned he won’t run as much this year. I’m dinging him

81) Jose Altuve – HOU, 2B, 34.11 – It seems as if we can finally say that Altuve is in the decline phase of his career with a career worst .316 xwOBA (not including the shortened 2020 season). His 22.1% whiff% and 37.3% Chase% were both career worsts by a decent margin. His 27.1 ft/sec sprint is way down from his prime (28.6 ft/sec in his prime). But even in a decline phase Altuve went .295/20/22. He could always pull it, but his 55.6% Pull% was a career high, so we know Altuve is going to continue to aim for the fences even in decline, and even with declining speed he can still steal bags, even though he also got caught 7 times. Like Freeman, I would say now is definitely the time to pull the trigger on an Altuve trade, even in win now mode. Any more signs of decline, or a down year, will absolutely tank his dynasty trade value. As I said, it’s better to be a year early, than a year late. – 2025 Projection: 96/24/69/.286/.348/.465/18

82) Eury Perez – MIA, RHP, 21.11 – Perez underwent Tommy John surgery in April 2024, which could keep him out until mid-season 2025, although I haven’t heard a timeline yet. This is just unfortunately part of the process with owning young flamethrowers, so you can’t panic when this inevitability hits, especially with pitchers who have best pitcher in baseball upside, like Eury has. Here was my blurb for him in the 2024 Top 1,000 before the injury, and my thoughts remain the same assuming he gets back to full health: “Perez is going to be one of the greatest pitchers we’ve ever seen. He’s 6’8”, 220 pounds with a 97.5 MPH fastball and 3 double plus to elite secondaries. The slider notched a 47.7% whiff% and .226 xwOBA, the curve notched a 54.3% whiff% and .216 xwOBA, and the changeup notched a 46.2% whiff% and .161 xwOBA. He was 20 years old in the majors and put up a pitching line of 3.15/1.13/108/31 in 91.1 IP. The 33.7% whiff% is elite. He’s never had control problems in his career and that will probably end up plus too. The only thing that could stop him is injuries, which unfortunately has to be factored in for all young flamethrowers who have yet to throw a full MLB workload (128 IP is his career high).” … it didn’t take Nostradamus to know where the risk lied, and even though that risk played out, I’m still all in on Eury. 2025 Projection: 5/3.72/1.22/97 in 90 IP Prime Projection: 15/3.05/0.99/230 in 180 IP

83) Andrew Painter – PHI, RHP, 22.0 – Painter underwent Tommy John surgery in late July 2023 and missed the entire 2024 regular season, but he got healthy in time for the AFL, and he’s gone right back to dominating with a 2.30 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, and 18/4 K/BB in 15.2 IP over 6 outings. Just seeing that he was able to ramp up and start pitching in games without getting re-injured is a big first step that we can cross off our worry list this off-season. But he’s also proving he is nearly 100% healthy with the plus to double plus fastball sitting mid to upper 90’s. Like we saw with Shane Baz, it seems that breaking ball crispness and consistency can be something that lags behind after Tommy John, but long term the slider projects as plus and he also throws a lesser used curve and change that could end up plus pitches in their own right. If you ignore the injury, he’s basically a perfect pitching prospect with size, athleticism, velocity, double plus fastball, plus secondary, diverse pitch mix, and plus control. And now that we’ve seen him back on the mound and thriving, the injury risk is a bit lessened. He moves back into my top spot among pitching prospects after his AFL performance, but it’s still a tight race with Noah Schultz, who I absolutely love. It was announced the Phillies plan to slow play him in 2025, which his ETA in the majors around July, and if that helps keep him healthy, avoiding the end of season dilemma for a contending team where he’s at his innings limit, I’m all for it. – 2025 Projection: 6/3.68/1.20/86 in 80 IP Prime Projection: 15/2.95/0.91/225 in 180 IP

84) Noah Schultz – CHW, LHP, 21.8 – Baby Johnson is the #1B pitching prospect in baseball, and while there are other really good contenders (Jobe, Bubba, Kumar), Schultz holds this spot for being absolutely unprecedented. Even the Baby Johnson nickname might not fit, as Randy Johnson had an insane 318 walks in 400.1 minor league IP before getting the call to the bigs. Schultz is 6’9”, 220 pounds with an almost sidearm lefty delivery that he uses to fire a mid to upper 90’s fastball and double plus slider (he also mixes in a cutter and a change). He sliced through the minor with absolutely no problem, putting up a 2.24 ERA with a 32.1/6.7% K%/BB% in 88.1 IP at mostly Double-A. Having that level of control as a 20/21 year old at that size with that kind of stuff is really mind blowing. He’s not a finished product as he’s yet to eclipse 4 IP in any outing of his career and he needs to continue to work on a good third/fourth pitch, but the combination of floor/upside is simply off the charts. Other than Roki Sasaki (who really shouldn’t be considered a prospect), and Painter now that he’s healthy, there is no other pitching prospect I would take over Schultz. – 2025 Projection: 3/3.71/1.24/82 in 75 IP Prime Projection: 15/3.05/1.01/230 in 180 IP

85) Pablo Lopez – MIN, RHP, 29.1 – Lopez very clearly got unlucky in 2024 with a 4.08 ERA vs. 3.67 xERA, but he’s gotten “unlucky” in 5 of the 7 years of his career, so he’s starting to make a habit out of it. It still doesn’t change the fact that he is an easy target for me, likely now falling into that area where I go after my most expensive starters. His 25.6/5.3 K%/BB% was still very good, and a 27% whiff% overall is well above average. The 95 MPH fastball was the 12th most valuable 4-seamer in baseball with a 15 Run Value. The sweeper is plus with a .259 xwOBA and 33.1% whiff%. The changeup is about average, and the lesser used curve is above average with a .262 xwOBA and 34.1% whiff%. The secondaries were the pitches to get unlucky in 2024, and the fastball was the pitch to get unlucky in 2023, so it genuinely could just be that he’s getting unlucky. If his luck turns in 2025, he has the potential to be on the better pitchers in the game. – 2025 Projection: 13/3.51/1.14/201 in 185 IP

86) Freddy Peralta – MIL, RHP, 28.10 – Peralta is just about as close as you can get to a true fantasy ace without actually quite being one. His ERA’s have been a bit too high over the last 3 years to put him in that category, but he did put up true ace numbers in 2021 (albeit in 144.1 IP), and I definitely think he has the capability to put up some truly special seasons again. He’s a bat missing machine with 4 above average to plus pitches that all rack up whiffs. It led to a 31% whiff%. He has a 31.7% whiff% in his career. That is straight elite for a starter. The control is a bit below average, but nothing too bad, and he doesn’t get hit very hard with a 87.6 MPH EV against. He also stayed healthy this year and put up a career high 173.2 IP. It resulted in a 3.68 ERA with a 27.6/9.4 K%/BB%. He’s the type of pitcher who I love to build my staff around. I don’t like fully paying up for the hyped to death aces, but I also don’t want to have to build an entire staff solely from the bargain bin. So Peralta always seems to fall into that goldilocks zone of ace level upside without having to quite pay ace level prices. No matter the league, I always seem to end up with Peralta on a bunch of teams. – 2025 Projection: 12/3.49/1.15/200 in 170 IP

87) Spencer Schwellenbach – ATL, RHP, 24.10 – Schwellenbach was a major mid-season target of mine, ringing the 5 alarm target bell in my Rundowns and Dynasty Rankings even when the ERA was over 5.00, writing, “Schwellenbach is officially one of the most exciting young starters in the game. He has the big velocity, he has the big pitch mix, he has plus control, he induces weak contact, he has above average whiffs, and he has three plus secondaries. He’s starting to look like a young near ace.” … and then he finished the season with a 3.35 ERA and 25.4/4.6 K%/BB% in 123.2 IP, universally considered one of the more exciting young pitchers in the game. The buy low window has most certainly been shut for awhile now, but he’s still worth acquiring at his new high price. He throws a legit 6 pitch mix and all of the pitches are good. The fastball sits 96.1 MPH and his curve and splitter are his two best bat missing weapons with a 40.9 and 46.3 whiff%. He induces weak contact (4.9% Barrel%), misses bats (27.4% whiff%) and has elite control (top 5% BB% in the league). He’s an easy #2 with true ace potential … as long as he stays healthy. He missed the entire 2022 season with Tommy John surgery, and he really hasn’t pitched very much in his career. It’s a major question if he can truly put up a true MLB starter workload year after year. I tend to be less risk averse with pitchers, because all of them are risky, but I am factoring in some experience/injury risk here, keeping him in that 2nd tier of young aces. – 2025 Projection: 12/3.48/1.10/163 in 155 IP

88) Willy Adames – SFG, SS, 29.7 – Adames stole a career high 21 bags and he did it with great efficiency too (only 4 CS). His previous career high was 8 and he’s been a super bad base stealer his entire career. It’s not like he was a burner or anything either with about average speed. Predicting steals has always been hard, and now with the new rules/bases, it is downright impossible. The newfound base stealing skills gave him the upside boost that he needed, because he’s always been able to hit for power, and he hit a career high 32 homers in a career high 161 games in 2024. He’s a batting average risk because the launch is extreme (20.6 degrees), the raw power is more above average than beastly (93 MPH FB/LD EV), and he whiffs a lot with a 29.5% whiff%. But now that we can count on him, or at least hope for him to steal around 15 bags, it takes some of the edge off the batting risk. The biggest issue is that he just signed a 7 year, $182 million contract with the Giants, which gives him a monster ballpark downgrade. Milwaukee was the 7th best park for righty homers while San Francisco is dead last by a mile. Hitting the ball in the air a ton with a solid, but not great EV, and whiffing a lot, seems like a recipe for a very low batting average. It also caps that homer upside a bit. His Statcast expected homer total in SF was still 31, so I don’t want to tank his value, but I’m a bit less apt to pay up big for Adames now than I was before the signing. – 2025 Projection: 79/27/90/.240/.320/.455/13

89) Jordan Westburg – BAL, 2B/3B, 26.1 – I’ve been saying that Mark Vientos was my best target call of 2024, but Westburg isn’t far behind. I closed out his 2024 Top 1,000 blurb by writing, “That is a pretty Teflon combination of skills to have. While Gunnar and Adley hog all the attention on the MLB level, and Holliday, Mayo, Basallo etc … hog all the attention on prospect lists, you should sneakily tip toe in there and steal Westburg from his current owner like a thief in the night.” … that teflon combination of skills I was talking about showed back up in 2024, and this time it unsurprisingly resulted in an excellent season with 18 homers, 6 steals, a 21.7% K% and 125 wRC+ in 107 games (he missed almost two months with a fractured hand but returned before the end of the season). He smokes the ball with a 11.8% Barrel%, 91.1/94.8 MPH AVG/FB EV, 13.1 degree launch and 46.1% Hard Hit%. He has plus speed with a 29 ft/sec sprint, he gets the bat on the ball with a 21.7% K%, and he’s an above average defender at 3B. The 4.9% BB% was low, but he doesn’t have any major chase issues, so I’m not too concerned about that. Like Cowser, I don’t love that he was only 6 for 9 on the bases. As much as I like the bat, that base stealing element is big to put the profile over the top, and it seems we can’t really count on that. It prevents him from truly blowing up, but it doesn’t prevent him from being a Top 100 dynasty asset. – 2025 Projection: 79/26/87/.269/.325/.473/9

90) Josh Naylor – ARI, 1B, 27.9 – Naylor crushed a career high by far 31 homers in 152 games, and while my first reaction is that he got lucky and this isn’t sustainable, it actually might not be all that far off from his true talent level. For one, he played in a career high games by far too (122 games was his previous career high). And he hits the ball damn hard with a 94.3 MPH FB/LD EV. He’s not a huge lift and pull guy, but his 11.1 degree launch with a 41.6% Pull% is fine, and he puts the ball in play a ton with a 16.6% K%. Sure 31 homers is on the high side, but it’s not like it’s some crazy total he couldn’t possibly repeat. And on the flip side, his .243 BA was unlucky with a .246 BABIP (career .282 BABIP). He finished 30th overall on the Razzball Player Rater and is currently going 92nd overall in NFBC drafts, so that tells me that everyone is expecting regression, but I think there is a real chance he could put up a few really big seasons in these prime man muscle late 20’s years. If he had remained in Cleveland or got traded to a better ballpark, I could see lightly targeting him, but in Arizona, who has one of the worst ballparks for lefty homers, it’s harder to still feel that way. Like everyone else now, I’m hesitant to buy off the big season and now looming ballpark downgrade. – 2025 Projection: 77/25/88/.266/.331/.463/7

91) Teoscar Hernandez – LAD, OF, 32.6 – Teoscar’s numbers tanked in 2023 playing in Seattle, one of the worst hitter’s parks in the league, and it just makes you think what Julio could be capable of if he played in a better park. But back to Teoscar, not only did he bounce back with LA in 2024, he arguably had the best season of his career, slashing .272/.339/.501 with 33 homers, 12 steals, and a 28.8/8.1 K%/BB% in 154 games. As always he smashed the ball with plus bat speed and plus foot speed. He swings and misses a lot with a 34% whiff%, but he’s been sitting there his entire career and he still has a career .263 BA in 3,861 PA, so I wouldn’t be worried about that. Returning to the Dodgers (4th best park for righty homers in 2024) was the best case scenario for him. – 2025 Projection: 80/28/93/.261/.328/.490/9

92) Marcell Ozuna – ATL, DH, 34.5 – Not only did Ozuna fully back up his breakout/bounce back/career year that he had in 2023, but he actually topped it with a career high 154 wRC+ (not counting the shortened 2020 season). His .402 xwOBA was 7th best in all baseball and his 92.2 MPH EV was the 2nd best mark of his career. It’s unsurprising to learn he swings a wicked quick bat with a 74 MPH swing that is in double plus range. At 34 years old, expecting a 3rd season in a row of being truly one of the best hitters in baseball seems too much to count on, but I have zero doubts that the guy is going to rake. He’s an excellent win now piece. – 2025 Projection: 85/34/101/.275/.342/.526/1

93) Tanner Bibee – CLE, RHP, 26.1 – Nothing is really off the charts or huge wow factor with Bibee. He is just really, really good across the board. He backed up his excellent rookie year in 2023 with an equally good season in 2024. He put up a 3.47 ERA with a 26.3/6.2 K%/BB% in 173.2 IP. His 94.6 MPH fastball put up a respectable 21.3% whiff%, his 86.5 MPH cutter is one of the best cutters in baseball with a 36.5% whiff% and +13 run value, his changeup and slider induce weak contact and miss bats, and he throws a decent curve too. His control/command leveled up into the plus area, which helps everything play up even further. He’s not quite at true ace level, but he’s really the perfect embodiment of a #2 starter. I feel like the #2 starter label often gets lost in the shuffle between “ace” and “mid-rotation” guy, but somebody has to slot in at a #2, and that man’s name is Tanner Bibee. – 2025 Projection: 13/3.53/1.15/187 in 175 IP

94) Luis Castillo – SEA, RHP, 32.4 – It seems that Castillo might have entered the decline phase in 2024. He didn’t have his best season with a 3.64 ERA and 24.3/6.5 K%/BB% in 175.1 IP. There are real signs of decline with his fastball down a tick to a still very good 95.6 MPH, and his whiff% down to a career low by far 25.9% (still above average). He’s 32 years old, and while I still think he is an excellent win now piece (hence the high ranking), we might have to shave off some of the upside as he gets deeper into his 30’s. The other side of me thinks Castillo is the perfect example of not trying to slice and dice the numbers too much for a proven veteran stud. It’s normal to have ebbs and flows in a long career. Either way, this is the point in an aces career when they actually start to fall into my range for dynasty. I love that little few year period of the start of a decline, but still far from the end. That is where I eat. – 2025 Projection: 13/3.55/1.15/188 in 182 IP

95) Aaron Nola – PHI, RHP, 31.10 – The ERA’s may fluctuate, the strikeouts may be on the way down, but there is something to be said about getting consistent 200 IP seasons of about #2 starter production. I love building the bulk of my rotation with the more volatile, young upside types, but when you can mix in a guy like Nola, who you can trust to take the mound every 5th game and produce good numbers, it provides such an anchor to your rotation. And Nola’s hype/value is far from the days when he was out of my preferred price range, placing him in that perfect area of low end aces/high end #2’s which is where I start to hunt for my most expensive starters. There does seem to be some real decline here with an essentially career low 24% K%, and the K’s have been coming down for years now, but he’s still only 31 years old, and he’s the type of crafty pitcher who can art of pitching his way into a productive career possibly into his late 30’s. – 2025 Projection: 13/3.62/1.16/190 in 190 IP

96) Bailey Ober – MIN, RHP, 29.9 – Ober has basically been performing like a #2 fantasy starter for 4 years now, and in 2024 he proved he was able to do it over a full starter’s workload with 178.2 IP. His changeup leveled up to elite status with a .202 xwOBA and 39.5% whiff%. It was the 10th most valuable changeup in baseball. The 91.7 MPH fastball doesn’t blow the doors off, but it’s an above average pitch. And his slider gives him another plus pitch with a .191 xwOBA and 30.7% whiff%. He also mixes in a solid cutter. And of course what you are buying is the plus control over the entire arsenal. His 6.1% BB% with a 29% whiff% is a pretty special control/whiff combo. It all resulted in a 3.98 ERA with a 26.9/6.1 K%/BB%, and the 3.22 xERA shows his true talent level was even better than that. He’s firmly a #2, and there is upside in here for some low end ace seasons. – 2025 Projection: 13/3.45/1.04/185 in 175 IP

97) Joe Ryan – MIN, RHP, 28.10 – Ryan’s season ended on August 7th with a shoulder injury, but he’s expected to be good to go for 2025, so I wouldn’t ding him too much for it even though it isn’t great. It’s too bad he got hurt, because he was in the process of fixing the only weakness of his game, which is the secondaries. His splitter jumped up to above average with a .255 xwOBA and 25.8% whiff% (still weak), and the sweeper was plus with a .180 xwOBA and 33.7% whiff%, although he got unlucky on the pitch. Seeing the development of those secondaries is huge, because not only did he maintain his elite fastball, he actually improved on it with the velocity up 1.7 MPH to 94 MPH. It put up a .265 xwOBA with a 27.5% whiff%. It all resulted in a 3.60 ERA, 2.87 xERA, and a 27.3/4.3 K%/BB% in 135 IP. At the very least, Ryan locked in #2 starter status, and at best he hinted at an ace breakout coming in 2025, assuming full health. – 2025 Projection: 13/3.48/1.05/185 in 170 IP

98) Zac Gallen – ARI, RHP, 29.8 – Gallen is settling in as a quintessential #2 fantasy starter. You want your ace, optimally, to be putting up those under 3 ERA, over 30% K rate seasons, which Gallen won’t give you, but he will give you a 3.65 ERA with a 25.1/8.7 K%/BB% in 148 IP (he missed time with a hamstring injury, so there is no long term concern there). His curve was the most valuable curve in baseball in 2024 with a +13 Run Value (.208 xwOBA with a 39.2% K%), and while he won’t blow you away, the velocity is holding strong at 93.7 MPH. He’s in the prime of his career and he’s as reliable as they come with a career 3.29 ERA and 26.6/7.8 K%/BB% in 815.1 IP. 2025 Projection: 14/3.40/1.16/188 in 180 IP

99) Anthony Volpe – NYY, SS, 23.11 – Volpe has a well below average 69.5 MPH swing, and I gotta say, it has me shook. Maybe slowing his swing down was all part of the process to improve his hit tool last off-season, and to his credit, his hit tool did improve, going from a .209 BA and 27.8% K% to a .243 BA and 22.6% K%. But that still isn’t a good hit tool, so the tradeoff was not even close to worth it. If he’s going to swing that slow, he needs to make near elite contact, or he needs to be a lift and pull machine, which he was before making this ill fated adjustment. He had a 14.2 degree launch and 45.6% Pull% in 2023, resulting in 21 homers, which he then flipped to a 8.4 degree launch and 32.1% Pull%, resulting in 12 homers. Honestly, whoever was the catalyst for this change of approach needs to answer to this terrible strategy. The one real positive to his 2024 was that he stole 28 bags despite a .293 OBP, so it’s clear he’s going to rack up steals. He obviously can’t be happy with his offensive season, so I’m sure he’s going to go back in the lab this off-season. I wish we had swing speed data from 2023, so we can see if this is just his true talent level, or if he slowed his swing down in 2024 on purpose, but with well below average swing speed like that, and without elite plate skills, his upside is going to be capped. I don’t want to overrate swing speed, and I don’t want to assume he’s locked in here after a one year sample where he changed his swing. I think Volpe will be able to combine the two approaches and become a very good power/speed threat, but I can’t lie, the swing speed scares me a bit, and prevents me from sticking my neck too far out for him. 2025 Projection: 88/18/66/.249/.317/.415/31

100) Jordan Lawlar – ARI, SS, 22.9 – Lawlar had a completely lost season in 2024 due to a broken thumb and hamstring injury, playing in just 23 games. He’s no stranger to injuries as he also underwent major shoulder surgery in 2021. Out of sight, out of mind never loses in the prospecting industry, but Lawlar is the type of talent where you should fight that urge. He already had a huge year in the upper minors in 2023, and he’s only 22, so I don’t think lost development time should be a major consideration here. Even in the 23 games he played this year he put up .900 OPS, and he then got sent to the grown man Dominican Winter League and isn’t embarrassing himself with a .670 OPS. Just the fact he’s playing and getting reps in a league where everyone doesn’t put up silly numbers like the AFL is another reason to not get too hung up on the lost season. He has the potential for a special power/speed combo (20 homers and 36 steals in 105 games in 2023), and while there is some hit tool risk, it’s not really in that extreme zone with around mid 20 strikeout rates throughout his career. He’s not a finished product, and I would expect him to start the year in the minors, but Lawlar will be up eventually in 2025, and he can make a big impact immediately. Don’t ding him too much for the injuries. 2025 Projection: 55/14/57/.241/.312/.417/21 Prime Projection: 94/24/86/.266/.339/.459/38

101) Jacob deGrom – TEX, RHP, 36.9 – I was all over the Tommy John (and age) discount on deGrom last off-season, writing, “We can dig into past arms who returned from 2 Tommy John surgeries (Nathan Eovaldi), but the bottom line is that an elite of the elite player like deGrom can be compared to nobody. Even if he takes one or two steps back, he is coming from such a high place that he will still be a legit ace.” It took him a bit longer to return than hoped, but slow and steady wins the race, and as predicted, even with his velocity down 1.4 MPH to 97.3 MPH, he was still such an easy elite ace with a 1.69 ERA and 31.8/2.3 K%/BB% in 10.2 IP. Sure it’s a small sample, but do you really need to see more? Of course we need to see more in terms of can he stay healthy and for how many innings, but there is little to no doubt that what he’s going to do in those innings is be an elite pitcher. Will his whiff rates be over 40% like they were in 2020-23, highly unlikely, but that is why I was so keen to go after him last off-season. Even if he took two big steps back, he’s still possibly the best starter in baseball. That is how far out in front of the pack he was. He hasn’t pitched more than 92 IP since 2019, but from 2017-19 he threw over 200 IP, so it’s not like he’s some guy who has never ever stayed healthy. If his arm can have a few year grace period after the surgery, I don’t think it’s out of the question for him to rack up innings, even if you can’t count on it. In win now mode, he might be untouchable for me, and in a rebuild, you should net at minimum a Top 100 dynasty asset, and even that could be selling him short. 2025 Projection: 12/2.98/0.97/178 in 140 IP

Shadow101) Shohei Ohtani – LAD, RHP, 30.9 – This is where I would rank Ohtani as a pitcher only. He underwent an internal brace procedure which knocked him out for all of 2024 pitching wise, but he was threatening to possibly pitch in the post-season, so it seems the elbow is feeling good. Unfortunately, he then went out and tore his non pitching shoulder in the World Series, which required surgery in early November. They claim he will be ready to pitch in games by May, but that it is all going to depend on how it is healing. And their focus is clearly going to be on getting Ohtani back to 100% for the postseason. When healthy, he is a true ace with a 3.01 ERA and 31.2/8.9 K%/BB% in 481.2 career IP, but we don’t know exactly how healthy he will be (this was his 2nd major elbow surgery in 5 years, not to mention the non pitching shoulder surgery), and we definitely can’t count on him racking up innings. 2025 Projection: 9/3.41/1.19/142 in 120 IP

102) Logan Webb – SFG, RHP, 28.5 – I’ve always been a bit low on Webb relative to consensus, and it seems that consensus has now regressed more towards my valuation of him. He just doesn’t strikeout enough batters to be super exciting for fantasy with a 20.5% K% in 2024 and a career 22% K%. He’s reliable, he racks up innings, he has plus control, and his sinker was the 3rd most valuable sinker in baseball behind only Skenes and Wheeler, so he’s still a #2 fantasy starter despite the lack of strikeouts. 2025 Projection: 13/3.38/1.14/171 in 195 IP

103) Seiya Suzuki – CHC, OF, 30.8 – Seiya has a collection of skills that seems on the brink of absolutely exploding. He put up an 11.5% Barrel%, 91.7 MPH EV, 16.2 degree launch, 24.5% whiff%, 20.7% Chase%, 28.3 ft/sec sprint and a 73 MPH swing. He already did kinda quietly blow up in 2024 with a 138 wRC+, and while the power/speed numbers weren’t off the charts with 21 homers and 16 steals in 132 games, both of those were career highs too. He’s 30 years old, so it’s hard to say I’m really expecting a true blow up, but at the same time, he only came stateside in 2022, so maybe there is more upside in here than your typical 30 year old. The floor is very high, and I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see a special season or two here coming up. I like Suzuki a lot. 2025 Projection: 85/25/85/.270/.348/.478/14

104) Mark Vientos – NYM, 3B, 25.3 – I was all over Vientos last off-season as a major target like it was my job (wait … it was my job), writing, ” Vientos is one of the premier up and coming power hitters in the game, and he gets valued like he’s barely worth discussing.” His truly elite power was staring me right in the face, and when he finally got the opportunity in 2024, he unsurprisingly went gangbusters. He jacked out 27 homers in 111 regular season games, and then he ripped 5 dingers in 13 post-season games. The 91.2/96.0 MPH AVG/FB EV and 14.1% Barrel% fully back up the power. He was also better than expected at the hot corner, playing a serviceable 3B. The contact rates and plate approach weren’t good, but they did actually take a step forward from 2023 with a 29.7/7.3 K%/BB%. That isn’t good enough to say he is now one of the elite power hitters in the game, really putting him in that 2nd tier of power hitter. He also didn’t steal a single bag, and while you don’t roster him for steals, the difference between a guy who nabs like 7 bags vs. zero starts to add up in your lineup. The time to acquire Vientos was last off-season, so I can no longer call him a true target, but his 2024 season was certainly real, and if he can continue to improve the plate skills, he has the potential to join the elite tier of power hitters. – 2025 Projection: 78/34/93/.252/.321/.520/1

105) Anthony Santander – TOR, OF, 30.6 – Santander hit a career high by far 44 homers, and it’s pretty clearly a career year. All of his underlying numbers were in line with career norms, and his .345 wOBA was much better than his .324 xwOBA. That’s not to say he isn’t a power hitting beast, because he is with an 11.7% Barrel%, 94.6 MPH FB/LD, 22.7 degree launch, and 19.4% K%. He’s going to rip homers no matter where he lands (the Blue Jays have an above average park for righty homers and a below average park for lefty homers), but it’s going to come with a mediocre BA and OBP (hit hit .235 with a .308 OBP even in this career year), so I would shy away from overpaying based on the career year. 2025 Projection: 83/34/95/.249/.318/.480/3

106) Bryan Reynolds – PIT, OF, 30.2 – Just another year of putting in Yeoman’s Work for Reynolds with a .275 BA, 24 homers and 10 steals in 156 games. It’s not flashy but it was good enough to be a Top 50 dynasty player in 2024 (45th overall). He’s so consistently boring with more or less these exact same numbers for the last 4 years. He put up a 118 wRC+ this year and he has a career 120 wRC+. He put up a .350 xwOBA this year and he has a career .354 xwOBA. Safe to say, I think you know what you are getting from Reynolds. 2025 Projection: 83/24/85/.271/.342/.454/10

107) Jack Flaherty – DET, RHP, 29.6 – Score one for track record, as Flaherty turned the clock back to 2018-19 and put up the 3rd true ace season of his career in 2024 with a 3.17 ERA and 29.9/5.9 K%/BB% in 162 IP. It just goes to show that if a player demonstrates a certain level of play, even if it was years ago (and assuming they are still in their physical prime), that it should still be taken into consideration when evaluating them (Bo Bichette is smiling somewhere). I closed out his 2024 Top 1,000 blurb by writing, “If his control can bounce back to prime levels, he definitely can put together a good season,” and not only did his control bounce back to prime levels, it hit career best levels. That was exactly what propelled him back in time to his ace days, because his stuff was basically the same as it has been his entire career. His 93.3 MPH fastball was above average with a +5 Run Value. His curveball was tied for the 2nd most valuable curve in the game with a +12 Run Value, 43.6% K%, and .214 xwOBA. And his above average slider missed a ton of bats with a 36.3% whiff%. He wasn’t quite as good with LA as he was in Detroit, putting up a 3.58 ERA with a 26.1/8.1 K%/BB% in his final 55.1 IP (he also got destroyed in the playoffs), so I think that is a more fair expectation going forward. I’m projecting him as a #2 starter. – 2025 Projection: 12/3.63/1.18/180 in 165 IP

108) Hunter Brown – HOU, RHP, 26.7 – Brown got off to a horrific start to the season with a 8.89 ERA and 21.2/13.1 K%/BB% in his first 27.1 IP, and coming off a rookie year where he put up a 5.09 ERA, it was starting to get worrisome, but he was an absolute demon the rest of the way. He put up a 2.46 ERA with a 26.1/7.3 K%/BB% in his final 142.2 IP. He threw a 6 pitch mix and 5 of the 6 pitches put up a plus run value. His 96 MPH 4-seamer is his best pitch and is bordering on elite with a .282 xwOBA and 28.8% whiff%. He doesn’t really have one wipeout secondary, but the changeup, curve and slider all had above average xwOBA’s. He also throws a sinker and cutter, giving him 3 fastballs. The whiff rates are only about average overall with a 25.1% whiff%, and the control is also about average with a 8.4% BB%, so I can’t really put him in the true young ace tier, but he’s in the tier right under that. He’s looking like a strong #2 starter for years to come. 2025 Projection: 13/3.53/1.23/188 in 175 IP

109) Max Fried – NYY, LHP, 31.3 – Fried had his usual ace to near ace season with a 3.25 ERA and 23.2/8.0 K%/BB% in 174.1 IP, but there were a couple of things to pop up that could be seen as red flags if he isn’t quite as good as he gets deeper into his 30’s. The control took a step back with his BB% rising 2.2 percentage points to 8.0%, and that held all season, so it wasn’t just a first half thing. His swing and miss was also down with his whiff% dropping 3.1% to 24.1%. Inducing weak contact with a low launch is his bread and butter, and that was still in prime form with a 86.3 MPH EV and 3 degree launch, and his changeup still put up a 37.1% whiff%, so I’m too worried, but I do think it’s worth pointing out the small steps back as he heads into his age 31 year old season. I’ve said this in a bunch of other vets blurbs, but I don’t like to slice and dice the numbers too much from proven vets who are still in their prime(ish) years, so while I’ll notice the little red flags, I may not act on them too much. Fried should have a few more top level seasons left in him, and the Yanks obviously weren’t too concerned, handing him an 8 year, $218 million contract. 2025 Projection: 14/3.29/1.14/169 in 175 IP

110) Justin Steele – CHC, LHP, 29.8 – Nobody really wanted to fully buy into Steele’s 2023 breakout, and now that he fully backed it up in 2024 with a 3.07 ERA and 24.3/6.7 K%/BB% in 134.2 IP … still nobody is really buying into it (128 NFBC ADP). His 2.74 xERA was actually better than his ERA, and it was much better than 2023’s 3.50 xERA. The fastball only sits 91.6 MPH, but it’s an excellent pitch with a +5 Run Value and 22.3% whiff%. The slider is above average with a great .213 xwOBA, and he mixes in a sinker, changeup, and curve which were all really good pitches when he went to them. He has plus control over the entire arsenal, he induces weak contact with a 4.2% Barrel%, and he has above average K rates. There really isn’t very much left to doubt, and seeing his continued lack of respect, he makes for a very reasonably priced target for a win now team. 2025 Projection: 13/3.31/1.15/168 in 168 IP

111) Ryan Pepiot – TBR, RHP, 27.7 – Pepiot was one of my top pitching targets headed into 2024, and he more than delivered with a 3.60 ERA and 26.3/8.9 K%/BB% in 130 IP. His 94.9 MPH fastball is straight elite with a 31.6% whiff% that ranks #1 overall among all starters. Kinda nuts. The changeup is his best secondary and what he was known for as a prospect, and while it wasn’t dominant, it was still a good pitch that missed some bats (28.6% whiff%) and induced weak contact (87 MPH EV with a 5 degree launch). The slider was also a decent but not standout pitch that missed some bats (31.7% whiff%) and had a +3 run value on the season. He now has a 3.28 ERA in 208.1 career IP. Continued refinement to his secondaries and command can put him into near ace territory, but he looks like a strong #2 as is. He remains a target for me this off-season. – 2025 Projection: 12/3.48/1.14/176 in 160 IP

112) Bryan Woo – SEA, RHP, 25.2 – Woo had so much success dotting the corners with his 94.8 MPH fastball and 94.7 MPH sinker, that he barely had the need to go to any of his secondaries. He put up a 2.89 ERA with a 21.4/2.8 K%/BB% in 121.1 IP, and he has the 2.72 xERA and 4.8% Barrel% against to back up the dominance. The 4-seamer was near elite with a .276 xwOBA and 27.3% whiff%. He sinker was nearly elite too with a .271 xwOBA and 0 degree launch. It’s not like he doesn’t have secondaries that are effective, he just didn’t need them. His sweeper was elite with a .109 xwOBA and 41.7% whiff% on 9.1% usage. The slider and changeup didn’t miss a ton of bats, but they put up a .270 and .250 xwOBA, respectively. He can strikeout more guys if he wanted to, and he already put up a 25.1% K% in 87.2 MLB IP in 2023, so he’s already established he’s capable of more. Seattle loves their plus control pitchers though, and in that ballpark, why not throw the ball over the plate. There is some injury risk here as he got a late start to the season with an elbow injury, and 135.1 IP is a career high split between the minors and majors, but I don’t want to discount him too much because of that. The elite control he displayed in 2024 gives him a high floor, and there is definitely more strikeout upside in the tank. I’ve loved Woo for awhile now, and I’ll continue to love Woo. 2025 Projection: 13/3.43/1.09/154 in 160 IP

113) Adley Rutschman – BAL, C, 27.2 – It was announced that Baltimore is moving the left field fences back in after moving them out and making them taller before the 2022 season. Gotta love baseball where teams can just be like, yea, we are going to make our field smaller, or bigger, or whatever they hell they want. How fun if in football teams can just be like, so we’re going to make our homefield 150 yards next year. Or 75 yards. Or if in basketball they can just make the rim 11 feet high. It’s genuinely a cool thing that everything isn’t so cookie cutter. And I respect Baltimore for realizing they overcorrected their fences originally and figuring out a happy medium. The Orioles had the 9th worst park for righty homers in 2024, so hopefully that number rises closer to the middle of the pack or higher. And with Adley Rutschman being a switch hitter who put up an 18.8 degree launch with a 42.1% Pull%, this is only going to help his lackluster homer totals. This is a nice bump for his fantasy value, which was starting to get quite boring. He hit .250 with 19 homers and 1 steal in 148 games. His OBP league owners were upset too with his 9.1% BB% (13.4% in 2023) and .318 OBP. He makes a ton of contact (17.1% whiff%), but he does it with a slow swing (69 MPH which is well below average), so he really hasn’t done a ton of damage with an almost dead average Barrel% in his career. Moving the fences in is perfect for him, and while it might not be an explosion, 23 homers would be better than 19, along with the added BA, RBI and Runs that come with it. Everything seems setup for him to have a relatively big age 27 year old season. – 2025 Projection: 76/23/83/.265/.341/.445/2

114) Yainer Diaz – HOU, C, 26.7 – Diaz’ launch went in the wrong direction in 2024, dropping from 11.5 to 8.5 degrees, and it tanked his Barrel% from 12.2% to 7.6%. He went from hitting 23 homers with a .538 SLG to 16 homers with a .441 SLG. He still hit the ball tremendously hard with a 90.2/94.5 MPH AVG/FB EV, and his contact rates hit a career best with a 17.3% K%, so he was still an excellent offense player, finishing as the 4th best catcher in fantasy. Lowering the launch and improving the contact rates also resulted in a career best .299 BA with a .295 xBA to back it up. He’s a really good offensive catcher no matter where the launch lands, but for fantasy, it would be nice if he could bring that back up to 2023 levels, or even higher. He has a terrible plate approach with a 3.9% BB% and 42.6% Chase%, so certainly take a star away here for OBP leagues, but he’s clearly proven he can make the profile work while he’s in his physical prime. – 2025 Projection: 71/19/85/.287/.319/.461/1

115) Samuel Basallo – BAL, C/1B, 20.7 – Basallo didn’t quite obliterate the upper minors like he did the lower minors, slashing .278/.341/.449 with 19 homers, 10 steals, and a 21.1/8.6 K%/BB% in 127 games, but when you take into account that he was 19 years old for the vast majority of the season, it gets a lot more impressive. He was also much better at Double-A with a 134 wRC+ in 106 games than he was at Triple-A (62 wRC+ with a 31.4% K% in 21 games), so I think we can give him a pass for an adjustment period with a new team, coaches, teammates, league, home park etc … Even at Triple-A, the sweet lefty swinging, 6’4” Basallo put up a 91.1 MPH EV. He’s always put up solid contact rates in the minors, but the spike at Triple-A could also be an indicator that we shouldn’t expect the highest BA at least early in his career. He puts the ball on the ground a decent amount, but with his type of double plus power, he’s launch proof. I don’t know where he fits in defensively with Adley behind the plate, and plenty of competition at 1B (Mayo and Mountcastle), but long term there seems to be plenty of room for all of them. He’s a special power bat. – 2025 Projection: 28/9/35/.241/.300/.430/2 Prime Projection: 84/30/97/.268/.337/.505/6

116) Emmanuel Rodriguez – MIN, OF, 22.1 – You can’t talk about Rodriguez without talking about the fact that the guy is rarely on the field. He played in only 47 games this year due to a nagging thumb injury, and he played in only 47 games in 2022 due to a meniscus tear (knee). He did get in a mostly full season in 2023 though (he missed a few weeks with an abdominal strain), and he got in a full rookie ball season in 2021, so I’m hesitant to officially slap the injury prone label on him. It’s something to take into account to break a tie, but his upside is way too high to meaningfully move him down the rankings because of it. He’s a power/speed/OBP beast with 9 homers, 9 steals, and a .459 OBP at mostly Double-A in 47 games. It was good for a 203 wRC+ at the level. He crushes the ball, he lifts it, and he’s an excellent athlete who plays CF. Injuries aren’t the only concern though, he also has strikeout problems with a 29.7% K%. Some of it is because of how patient he is, but definitely not all of it. I wouldn’t say Minnesota’s OF is wide open, but Jeff Zimmerman’s latest article just talked about how they want to limit Buxton to like 100-110 games next year, and while they have solid options for their corner spots, they are far from locked down. If Rodriguez is healthy and producing at Triple-A, it might not be long before he gets the call to the majors, and there is potential for monster fantasy impact, especially in an OBP league. – 2025 Projection: 36/10/31/.224/.310/435/8 Prime Projection: 92/29/89/.248/.342/.490/24

117) Sebastian Walcott – TEX, SS, 19.1 – The 6’4”, uber athletic Walcott is the type of special talent where you can watch a few swings of his on Youtube as a 16 year old and immediately fall in love with him, which is exactly what happened when he was my #1 target from his international class. He’s then been that rocket ship prospect you hope for, culminating with him putting up a 172 wRC+ at Double-A as an 18 year old … granted it came in 5 games with a 29.2/4.2 K%/BB%, but I felt it would be more dramatic to leave that part out. And what he did at Double-A was more or less meaningless when he was already over 4 years younger than the average player at High-A, where he slashed .261/.342/.443 with 10 homers, 26 steals, and a 25.5/10.6 K%/BB% in 116 games. It was good for a 123 wRC+. It can be harder to evaluate players when they are so much younger than the level, but there was actually a similarly talented 18 year old at High-A all season with Walcott, Ethan Salas, and Salas put up a 75 wRC+ for comparison. The elite dynasty asset potential is clear with a potentially plus to double plus power/speed combo, but he’s not quite there yet. The hit tool is still a risk and the K rates have been high at every stop. He also hasn’t fully tapped into his raw power yet with relatively low flyball rates (although he pulls the ball over 50%). I wouldn’t quite place him in the truly elite prospect tier, but he’s in the one right under that. He’s a Top 15 prospect. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 87/28/94/.263/.339/.484/24

118) Travis Bazzana – CLE, 2B, 22.7 – Selected 1st overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, Bazzana looks like a tightly wound ball of kinetic energy that is just ready to explode in the box (I think ball of “Potential” energy is actually the correct scientific term, but I felt like “Kinetic” just hit harder … There is toe tapping and bat wiggling before he absolutely uncoils on the baseball, jacking 28 homers in 60 games in the Pac 12 this year, and also smoking 6 homers with a 1.037 OPS in the wood bat cape cod league in 2023. He’s “only” 6 feet tall, but there is easy plus power in here at the least. He combines the plus power with a near elite plate approach/hit tool (12.5%/25.7% K%/BB%), and speed (16 steals). He didn’t standout in his pro debut, but he did enough to feel confident about him fulfilling his upside with 3 homers, 5 steals, a 126 wRC+ and 25.4/13.9 K%/BB% in 27 games at High-A. He’s the total offensive package, and there is a reason he got taken #1 overall by a very smart franchise despite limited defensive value. The only thing that can stop him seems to be his parents. His parents almost ended his career before it started when celebrating. His dad tried to rip his arm out of his socket, and then his mom put him in some kind of neck hold into a tripping maneuver. Travis almost looked like he was about to square up with his mom for a second there. I guess they do things differently Down Under in Australia. – 2025 Projection: 31/7/31/.247/.319/.420/8 Prime Projection: 93/24/86/.275/.352/.466/25

119) JJ Wetherholt – STL, 2B, 22.7 – Selected 7th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, Wetherholt might not have quite the ceiling of Bazzana, but even that is highly debatable, and he’s establishing that he most probably has the floor edge with a 11.9% K% at Single-A vs. Bazzana’s 25.4% K% at High-A. Different levels, but that is a pretty stark difference. He hit the ball on the ground a lot more than Bazzana, which is where some of that upside edge comes in, but he did it with a 91.9 MPH EV, so don’t cap his power upside too much. He’s two inches smaller than Bazzana at 5’10”, but he rocks that little man leg kick that I’ve always loved, and always seems to get the most out of smaller guys raw power. He slid in the draft a bit after getting a lot of #1 overall buzz, likely due to missing about half of the season with a hamstring injury and still not being fully healthy when he returned. It was his 2nd major hamstring injury within the year. His 16 homer pace was also not that impressive when everyone else was hitting like 30+. What he does better than maybe anyone else in the draft though is hit. He put up a 10.4%/18.3% K%/BB% in 2024 and had a 8.2% K% in 2023. He’s a complete hitter who uses the entire field with a quick and simple lefty swing. Tack on plus speed (57 steals in 145 career games), and you have a damn enticing fantasy player even if his power upside doesn’t quite match some of the other bats in the class. I have Bazzana ranked over him, but I don’t think it’s some no brainer decision. JJ is right there. – 2025 Projection: 18/3/16/.259/.321/.401/5 Prime Projection: 96/19/78/.289/.357/.449/23

120) Josue De Paula – LAD, OF, 19.10 – De Paula doesn’t truly get the hype that Walker Jenkins, Sebastian Walcott and Leo De Vries gets, but he deserves every little bit of it. He might have the best hit/approach/power combo of all of them, putting up a 19.8/17.5 K%/BB% with a 130 wRC+ in 107 games split between Single-A and High-A. His game power still hasn’t exploded, but it ticked up from 2023 with 10 homers (2 homers in 2023), and he hits the ball so hard at 6’3” that there is little doubt about his power potential. He doesn’t sell out for power, and his groundball and pull rates are fine, so he has the potential to be one of those special monster triple-slash middle of the order mashers. He’s not a burner, but he went 27 for 30 on the bases, so the guy is obviously a good athlete who knows how to steal a base. He’s not a good defensive player, but with his potentially elite bat, I’m not scared off by that. He won’t get ranked as highly on real life lists as those aforementioned teenagers, but don’t let you think that Josue isn’t on that level. He’s an elite  lower minors prospect. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 92/26/94/.276/.364/.482/14

121) Max Clark – DET, OF, 20.3 – Clark was the 3rd overall pick in a stacked 2023 draft class, and he played exactly as advertised in his first full season of pro ball, slashing .279/.372/.421 with 9 homers, 29 steals, and a 19.2/12.4 K%/BB% in 107 games split between Single-A (134 wRC+) and High-A (119 wRC+). He’s an absolutely electric player when you watch him with a vicious lefty swing and plus speed. He’s already one of the more exciting top of the order prospects in the lower minors, and when gains more power naturally, and starts lifting the ball a bit more (48% GB%), he can explode into a truly elite prospect. His hype has actually been relatively subdued considering how much pre draft hype he got, but make no mistake, Clark can be special. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 96/20/69/.277/.351/.443/30

122) Cody Bellinger – NYY, OF/1B, 29.9 – When you have a 90.6 MPH FB/LD EV with a 17.4 degree launch, you are going to be highly dependent on how juicy the baseballs are in any given season (I talked a lot about this last year, and I think nobody really knows how each season’s baseballs are going to play exactly, including MLB executives, until they roll them out and see), and with the baseballs not being as juicy in 2024 as they were in 2023, Bellinger’s homer totals dropped from 26 in 130 games in 2023 to 18 in 130 games in 2024. His Barrel% and FB EV were very close to identical, so it was as perfect of an example of the balls as can be. The good news is that his much improved contact rates from 2023 transferred completely with a 15.6% K%, so that helps both his BA and homer power play up. He didn’t run much last year with only 9 steals in 11 attempts, but he’s still fast with a 28.4 ft/sec sprint, so that is on the low end of expectations. And the best news of all is that he got traded to a ballpark that is perfect for his profile. He needs that Yankee Stadium short porch more than anyone. After such an insane start to his career, it is a bit underwhelming to see him settle in as a solid across the board contributor in his “prime” years, but with that short porch, it gives just a glimmer of hope that a big year could be in the cards if things fall right. 2025 Projection: 79/24/86/.266/.325/.450/14

123) Kodai Senga – NYM, RHP, 32.2 – Senga is a high risk, high reward win now pitcher which will test your fortitude on how much you like to gamble. I like to live dangerously (when it comes to fantasy anyway), and with how I build my teams, I need to take upside shots on guys like Senga to build up my rotation. So for me, he’s a target, but this one depends on your risk tolerance. He didn’t make his season debut until July 26th due to a shoulder injury, and then after that one start he went right back on the IL for the rest of the season with a calf injury that turned into a triceps injury. He returned for the postseason and the stuff was down with poor results. The thing I’m hanging my hat on though, is that in that one start in late July when he was perfectly healthy, the stuff was completely back, and he dominated, going 5.1 IP with 2 hits, 2 ER, and a 9/1 K/BB. I’m sure he felt a responsibility to help the team out when they got into the playoffs, so I’m not going to overreact to his stuff being down in the playoffs. With a full off-season to get healthy, he should be able to get back to the pitcher he was in 2023, which was a fantasy beast with a 2.98 ERA and 29.1/11.1 K%/BB% in 166.1 IP on the back of an elite forkball. Like I said, with how I like to build my teams, and my high tolerance for risk, Senga makes for a perfect target for me. 2025 Projection: 11/3.48/1.21/184 in 160 IP

124) Vinnie Pasquantino – KCR, 1B, 27.6 – As much as I want to keep calling for the big Vinnie breakout, and as enticing the contact/EV combo is, he now has 1,112 career PA with a slightly above average 7.6% Barrel%. It’s actually declined every year of his career, so you can’t even say it’s headed in the right direction. His home ballpark is straight up death on lefty homers with a 68 HR Statcast Value. That HR Park factor is by far the worst for both lefty and righty splits (a 72 for Giants righties is next to last). While he crushes the ball with a 91 MPH EV, his FB/LD EV’s haven’t been nearly as impressive with a 92 MPH FB/LD EV in 2022, a 92.1 MPH mark in 2023, and finally a 93.7 MPH mark in 2024. That 2024 mark is his best yet, and he did close out his season by hitting 8 homers in his final 27 games before going down with a thumb injury that required surgery. If not for the injury, he was on pace to hit 20+ homers. If he played in a better ballpark for lefty homers, his 12.8% K%, 14.6 degree launch, and 47.2% Pull% might be capable of putting up some truly special seasons, but in the very worst park for lefty homers by far, it seems mid 20’s is a fair expectation. And hopefully that thumb surgery doesn’t keep popping up in 2025. 2025 Projection: 73/24/92/.269/.333/.455/1

125) Shane Baz – TBR, RHP, 25.10 – Baz returned from September 2022 Tommy John surgery in July 2024 (an oblique injury in spring delayed the start of his season), and while some things returned to prime form, some things didn’t. The fastball was mostly back, sitting 95.7 MPH and was a plus pitch with a 47.9% usage, 22.1% whiff% and .320 xwOBA. The lesser used changeup was actually better than ever with a .251 xwOBA on 10.3% usage. And the control was mostly back too with an average 8.5% BB%, closing out the season with 4 one walk starts in a row. It’s the breaking balls that didn’t return fully, and while they were decent and mostly got the job done, they were not the bat missing, put away pitches that they were pre surgery. The slider notched a 21.4% whiff% and the curveball notched a 31.1% whiff%. It all led to a 3.06 ERA (3.57 xERA) with a 21.6/8.5 K%/BB% in 79.1 IP. Pretty good, but it’s not the ace level upside he flashed pre surgery. Considering he missed 2 full calendar years, it’s understandable that everything wasn’t completely back in prime form, and with a normal off-season this year, I would assume that he’s going to look even better in 2025. He laid a strong foundation himself in 2024, proving he was healthy and pitching well, and that ace explosion could still very well be coming in the near future if he can improve the breaking balls. – 2025 Projection: 10/3.55/1.18/142 in 145 IP

126) Bubba Chandler – PIT, RHP, 22.7 – Just like with hitting prospects where there seems to be two camps between preferring the hit tool first, power later profile vs. power first, hit tool later, there is a similar split with pitching prospects which is pure stuff vs. refinement/command. Chandler most certainly fell into the pure stuff first category with his upside being obvious, but he had a lot of refinement needed with a 4.75 ERA and 25.6/10.9 K%/BB% 106 IP at High-A in 2023. And that refinement smacked upper minors hitters right in the face in 2024 with him exploding. He put up a 3.08 ERA with a 30.9/8.6 K%/BB% in 119.2 IP. He was even better at Triple-A than he was at Double-A. The fastball sits 96.8 MPH and notched a 30.5% whiff% at Triple-A. The changeup is his best secondary with a 83.6 MPH EV against and 41.2% whiff%. The slider is above average with a 85 MPH EV against and 29.4% whiff%. And the lesser used curve was a good pitch too. He also most certainly looks the part at a built up and athletic 6’2”. There is zero doubt that this is an elite pitching prospect with ace upside. He’s not a completely finished product and he needs to continue to improve his command and refine his pitches, but he’s shown he’s more than capable of making those improvements in 2024. He could crack the Pirates rotation out of camp, and even if he doesn’t, it won’t be long before he gets the call. – 2025 Projection: 7/3.87/1.25/137 in 130 IP Prime Projection: 14/3.34/1.13/220 in 185 IP

127) Jackson Jobe – DET, RHP, 22.8 – I love Jobe. He’s definitely an elite pitching prospect. But there are a few other truly elite pitching prospects in the minors right now (Painter, Schultz, Bubba, Kumar), and Jobe’s 25.6/12.0 K%/BB% in 91.2 IP at mostly Double-A just isn’t as impressive as theirs. It came with a 2.34 ERA, and the stuff is filthy with a 97 MPH plus fastball and 3 potentially plus secondaries in his sweeper, changeup, and cutter, so he’s right there with all of them, he just doesn’t hold down the top spot right now. Or the top 2. I have him 4th behind Painter, Schultz and Bubba, but there is no shame in that game as those guys are potentially true aces, just like Jobe is. Jobe should break camp with the team in 2025, and while I wouldn’t expect an ace season right out of the gate, I’m betting on him getting there eventually. – 2025 Projection: 8/3.83/1.27/136 in 140 IP Prime Projection: 14/3.31/1.08/207 in 180 IP

128) Jared Jones – PIT, RHP, 23.8 – Jones came out of the gate in 2024 looking like a completely refined ace with his control taking a huge step forward, putting up a 2.89 ERA with 30.6/3.4 K%/BB% in his first 53 IP, but he couldn’t quite keep that up all season. In his final 68.2 IP he put up a 5.11 ERA (4.49 xFIP) with a 23.2/10.7 K%/BB%. He also suffered a lat strain (near the shoulder) in early July which kept him out for almost 2 months, but that was already 7 starts into his regression, so you can’t blame the injury.  What he did in that 2nd part of the season was more in line with what I expected coming into the year. He has super high octane stuff with a 97.3 MPH fastball that notched a very strong 25.7% whiff%, to go along with a plus slider (37.3% whiff%) as his most used secondary. He also mixes in a below average curve and changeup. Below average control is what held him back from being a truly elite prospect last off-season, and while it looked like it was taking a huge step forward earlier in the year, he couldn’t hold it. All told he put up a 4.14 ERA with a 26.2/7.7 K%/BB% in 121.2 IP. His 30.2% whiff% is elite. It was an extremely exciting rookie season that he should only build on in future years. If he can settle in at around average control for his career, he will be an easy fantasy ace. – 2025 Projection: 9/3.76/1.22/147 in 130 IP Update: Out with elbow discomfort and we are still waiting on news for just how bad this is. Another upper 90’s arm goes down

129) Kumar Rocker – TEX, RHP, 25.4 – It’s been a super bumpy ride, to say the least, but Rocker has inexplicably blasted off into elite pitching prospect status after just 48.1 IP this season. Well, it’s not exactly inexplicable, it’s explicable because he always had the nasty stuff to get here if he stayed healthy. Can we say pitching 48.1 IP is “staying” healthy? I don’t know. But what I do know is that the high octane stuff is elite enough to take on that risk. The 4-seamer sits mid to upper 90’s, and while it’s not a huge bat missing weapon without tons of vertical break, he also throws a mid to upper 90’s sinker which pounds the ball into the dirt. He can start throwing the sinker more, and he can also work on the movement profile of the 4-seamer now that he’s healthy. The real money maker is the truly elite slider. It put up a 50% whiff% in 11.2 IP in the majors and a 71.4% whiff% in 10 IP at Triple-A. He rounds out the arsenal with a lesser used changeup, and how good he can get that pitch could be a big factor in just how high the upside will end up. Digging into the nitty gritty of his pitch mix is almost besides the point though, because staying healthy is essentially the only thing he needs to do. The Mets drafted him 10th overall and didn’t sign him because they didn’t like his medicals. He then underwent shoulder surgery shortly after that, but looked so good in Independent ball when he returned from the surgery, that the Rangers selected him 3rd overall the next year. Which he followed up with Tommy John in 2023, returning for the 2nd half of 2024, where he put up a 1.96 ERA with a 39.6/3.6 K%/BB% in 36.2 IP at mostly AA and AAA. It’s about as risky of a health profile as it gets, but all pitchers are so risky, that I don’t want to discount him too much because of it. I’ll take on extra risk when the upside is a true ace. The downside could be a high leverage reliever though if he keeps getting hurt. 2025 Projection: 7/3.71/1.20/114 in 100 IP Prime Projection: 12/3.35/1.13/190 in 160 IP

130) Mason Miller – OAK, Closer, 26.7 – The Athletics made a compromise to keep Miller healthy by putting him in the bullpen, and he was so utterly dominant, it almost makes you tempted to wish they roll the dice on him in the rotation again. But my granddaddy always said you don’t look a gift horse in the mouth (my granddaddy never said that, and I never called him granddaddy either), so let’s be happy with the electric season he just put together. He had a 2.49 ERA with a 41.8/8/8.4 K%/BB% in 65 IP. His 41.8% K% led all of baseball with pitchers over 30 IP. His 100.9 MPH fastball was the fastest pitch in baseball. The slider put up a .141 xwOBA which was the top mark in baseball on sliders thrown more than 250 times (if you lower the threshold to 150 pitches, fellow Oakland reliever Michel Otanez holds first place, who is an interesting upside setup arm to target). Quite simply, he is the #1 dynasty relief pitcher in the game in any format. The only question is if Oakland will get the itch to put him back in the rotation, and while I would be scared to death, I would absolutely love it if they did. If not, the best reliever in baseball is not a bad consolation prize. – 2025 Projection: 4/2.59/0.94/100/33 saves in 65 IP

131) Alex Bregman – BOS, 3B, 31.0 – Bregman did his usual .260 BA with mid 20’s homers and under 5 steals thing in 2024, and while Boston really isn’t nearly as good of a park for him as Houston, he’s not Isaac Paredes level dependent on ballpark. He still had an 89.1 MPH EV, which is really good, and he’s been bringing his pull rates down over the last few years, sitting below 40% this year. He can be a really good hitter regardless of the ballpark, but he might trade in some homers for doubles in Boston. Boston is a great situation overall though, so his value does get a bump now that we know where he landed. The only thing different about his profile in 2024 was that his walk rate tanked with a 6.9% BB% (12.7% BB% in 2023), but it’s such a one year outlier, you have to think that bounces back in 2025. It’s a bit of a downgrade for his OBP value though. – 2025 Projection: 88/23/81/.264/.340/.440/4

132) Francisco Alvarez – NYM, C, 23.4 – Alvarez just went through an almost textbook sophomore slump season. He followed up his 25 homer rookie year in 123 games with a disappointing sophomore campaign, jacking out only 11 in 113 games, including the playoffs. The underlying stats back up the mediocre numbers with a 12.8% Barrel% in 2023 vs. a 6.7% in 2024, but the sophomore slump isn’t about getting unlucky, it’s about the game of adjustments. And even with the down power year, he actually put up a better wRC+ this year (102) than he did last year (97), so it was also about Alvarez working on becoming a more complete hitter himself. This is just the normal ebb and flow of a young player’s career, and with Alvarez going through those growing pains as a 21-22 year old on the major league level, I’m not even the slightest bit concerned. His power can’t be held down for long with a 114.8 MPH Max EV which was in the top 5% of the league, and his 88.8/94.2 MPH AVG/FB EV was still really good. He also made some incremental improvements to the contact rates, bringing the whiff% under 30% to 29.6%, to go along with a his solid 28.9% Chase%. Alvarez is still right on track to be one of the top hitting catchers in the game for the next decade. I’m smelling a big year 3 where he really puts it all together. – 2025 Projection: 48/16/62/.246/.323/.458/1 Update: Out 6-8 weeks after undergoing surgery for a hamate bone fracture. A hand injury impacted his power in 2024, and it looks like we could be headed for that again in 2025, but I’m not sure this should impact his dynasty value in a major way.

133) Mike Trout – LAA, OF, 33.8 – Trout’s season ended on April 29th with a meniscus tear which required surgery. He tried to return later in the season, suffered a setback, and then underwent another meniscus surgery. It’s unfortunately par for the course as Trout just can’t stay healthy with calf, back, wrist and now the knee knocking him out for huge chunks of time over the last 4 years. The good news is that the Angels are finally going to move him off CF, using him in a corner or as a DH in an attempt to keep him healthy. Who knows if it will work, but at least it’s something to hang your hat on. And most importantly, he keeps producing when he is on the field. He was the fastest player to 10 homers in 2024, and he even started running again with 6 steals in 29 games. His 17.1% Barrel%, 28.9 ft/sec sprint, .405 xwOBA and 21.4 K% are all right in line with his prime levels. And the clear indicator that he is still a beast is a 75.7 MPH swing that is truly elite. He’s not likely to put up the BA and OBP he put up in his prime, but it sure seems like this guy could hit 40 homers in his sleep, assuming he can actually stay healthy. I think just about any name value has been squeezed out of Trout’s value due to the constant injuries, so I see him as a fairly priced veteran power bat with injury risk. – 2025 Projection: 76/32/78/.268/.359/.515/5

134) Josh Lowe – TBR, OF, 27.2 – Lowe couldn’t back up his 2023 breakout in 2024 with a .693 OPS in 106 games, but everything we loved coming into the season is still there. He put up a 90.8/94.3 MPH AVG/FB EV with a 16.9 degree launch, so hitting only 10 homers seems like the very, very bottom of his true talent level, and now moving into Steinbrenner Field (which supposedly has the same dimensions as Yankee Stadium), he’s going to get a ballpark boost too. He’s also an excellent base runner with 25 steals in 26 attempts. That is a special power/speed combo that is not easy to find. The hit tool is the problem of course, and while his K% jumped from 24.8% to 31.8%, his 31.8% whiff% basically remained the same, so I think he should settle somewhere in between those two numbers going forward. And he struggles vs lefties (.547 OPS), but he hit better against them in 2023, and even in some kind of platoon, his upside is high enough to not be too scared off by that. He’s not without his flaws, but Lowe’s power/speed combo is too special to sell low, and he’s in fact a buy low for me this off-season. There is “league winning” (we all know one player can’t win you your league) upside in here, and that is something I’m going after. – 2025 Projection: 77/21/74/.249/.313/.436/31

135) Cal Raleigh – SEA, C, 28.4 – Raleigh’s 34 homers were a career high and was the top mark amongst catchers by a comfortable margin (Langeliers was 2nd with 29). His double plus 74.5 MPH swing and 21.2 degree launch shows he’s not going to stop ripping dingers anytime soon, but it also shows he’s not going to hit for a high BA anytime soon either. He hit .220 in 2024 and has a career .218 BA. You know exactly what you are getting with Raleigh. Extreme power with an extremely low BA. For OBP leagues, his 11.1% BB% was a career best, and while he’s not going to be an asset in OBP, his .312 OBP at least won’t tank you. He also stole a career high 6 bags (1 was his previous career), which is a nice little tack on. He was the 2nd best catcher in fantasy in 2024, and there is no reason he shouldn’t be right up there again in 2025. – 2025 Projection: 72/31/90/.224/.310/.448/3

136) Chase Burns – CIN, RHP, 22.3 – Selected 2nd overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, dynasty managers owe a huge debt of gratitude to Cincinnati for going Burns over Condon. It would have made me legitimately sad to see Burns going to the Rockies. I know Cincinnati is no cake walk for pitchers themselves, but they just have a small ballpark, they don’t have different air. And we’ve seen plenty of pitchers have excellent seasons in Cincy (Castillo, Gray, Greene, Lodolo), so I wouldn’t let this landing spot move you off Burns at all. He has legit ace upside at a strong 6’3”, 210 pounds with a double plus fastball that sits in the upper 90’s and a double plus slider that put up elite whiff rates. It led to a 2.70 ERA with a ridiculous 48.8%/7.7% K%/BB% in 100 IP in the ACC. He’s inevitably going to get compared to Skenes, and Skenes put up a 1.69 ERA with a 45.2%/4.3% K%/BB% in 122.2 IP in the SEC. Skenes was in the tougher conference (although Burns pitched well in the SEC in 2022-23 before transferring to the ACC) with a better ERA, better walk rate and more IP. Burns isn’t as good as Skenes, but not many pitchers are better than Skenes, so that isn’t much of a knock. Burns also throws a curve and changeup to give him a legit starters pitch mix, and how well he can develop those pitches could dictate whether he becomes a true ace or a high K, #2/3 type. If your dynasty team is stacked with hitting, I don’t think taking Burns #1 overall should be ruled out. The teams that took Skenes over Langford and Crews in 2024 aren’t complaining too much right now. – 2025 Projection: 4/3.73/1.20/87 in 75 IP Prime Projection: 15/3.23/1.08/237 in 190 IP

137) Heliot Ramos – SFG, OF, 25.7 – When you dive into the bat tracking data, Ramos is one of the true standouts, if not the very top standout. Both his 75.2 MPH swing speed and 6.9 foot swing length are truly elite. Nobody is even close to as good at him in swing speed/length combo. The ones who are closest are Bobby Witt Jr., Wyatt Langford, Corbin Carroll, Colton Cowser, Lawrence Butler, and Brent Rooker. Not bad company, but again, he tops all of them. My point is, Ramos has a truly special bat. And his 2024 rookie year backed up that evaluation with a 120 wRC+, 14.5% Barrel% and 22 homers in 121 games. The sad part is, that isn’t half as good as what he could have done if he didn’t have San Francisco’s horrific ballpark to deal with. He cracked 14 homers in 58 games on the road vs. only 8 homers in 63 games at home. If he played nearly anywhere else, I might have messed around and put him nearly in my Top 100. But he doesn’t play anywhere else, and along with the ballpark, there are hit tool issues with a 26.1/7.7 K%/BB%. He also only stole 6 bags, but he has some speed with a 27.9 ft/sec sprint, he ran a bit more in his minor league career, and he only got caught stealing once, so I wouldn’t rule out maybe some 15 steal seasons. Even with SF to contend with, I just can’t overlook how special of a talent Ramos is. I’m targeting him despite the park. – 2025 Projection: 76/27/91/.264/.329/.473/11

138) Colton Cowser – BAL, OF, 25.0 – I wish Cowser ran more and/or was a better base stealer (9 for 13 on the bases in 153 games), because then I would really love his profile. He didn’t run all that much in the upper minors either, and it doesn’t seem like we can count on much more than the 10 steals range. The reason I want to see more steals is because he also doesn’t have a good enough hit tool to be a positive contributor in that category. He hit .242 with a 30.7% K% and he had a pretty significantly high K% throughout his minor league career too. The last negative is that he doesn’t hit lefties well, and while I don’t think he’s going to be a platoon player as he’s good on defense and he should only improve against them, it’s definitely something to note. But the trifecta of what he does well is a very powerful trifecta. He crushes the ball with a 13.6% Barrel%, 90.5/95.6 MPH AVG/FB EV, 13 degree launch, and 46.1% Hard Hit%. It led to 24 homers. He gets on base with a strong plate approach, putting up a 9.3% BB% and 25% Chase%. And he has well above average speed with a 28.2 ft/sec sprint. He’s going to do damage, and if it came with more steals (or a better BA), you could really fall in love here, but because it doesn’t, it caps his upside enough to not get too crazy. – 2025 Projection: 84/27/82/.253/.338/.472/11

139) Christian Walker – HOU, 1B, 34.0 – Christian Walker’s real legacy will be to give every Quad-A, 1B masher hope that they too can become a perennial 30 homer, late career breakout bat, when the reality is that they probably won’t be. But hey, you never know, it could happen (I’m looking at you, Luken Baker). As for Walker, he once again had an excellent season with a .351 xwOBA, 119 wRC+, and 26 homers in 130 games. His 75 MPH swing is straight elite, and with how much contact he generally makes, of course he’s a beast. That is a special bat speed/contact combo. His strikeout rate did jump 4.9 percentage points to 24.1%, but his whiff rates were actually down a tad, so I don’t see need to worry there. He’s 34, and father time never loses, so every year is now a bit of a roll of the dice as to when the decline hits, but as of now, there are zero signs of decline. And signing with Houston gives him a perfect ballpark to do damage for the next few seasons. – 2025 Projection: 80/32/94/.250/.331/.485/4

140) Jake Burger – TEX, 1B/3B, 29.0 – Burger simply crushes baseballs with a near elite 74.7 MPH swing that produces big time exit velocities (91.3/96.0 MPH AVG/FB EV). He doesn’t do anything else particularly well, but as long as he makes enough contact (his 25.9% K% was a career best and it’s been improving every year of his career), and gets on the field (I don’t think Texas traded for him to sit him on the bench), he will be a major asset in our game of fantasy. He has a career BA of .251 in 1,344 PA, and as I laid out, his power is no joke. Burger deserves to be treated as a pretty coveted fantasy asset. Don’t underrate him. – 2025 Projection: 73/32/89/.251/.308/.480/1

141) Emmanuel Clase – CLE, Closer, 27.0 – As usual, Clase finished well out in front of the pack in saves with 47, 2nd to only Ryan Helsley’s 49, and 9 saves above 3rd place. Saves tend to be kinda variable, but not for Clase, it’s a damn skill at this point. And I guess it doesn’t hurt that the guy simply doesn’t give up runs. He put up a 0.61 ERA in 74.1 IP in 2024, and he has a career 1.67 ERA in 312.2 IP. Come to think of it, not only does he rack up saves, he racks up innings. Most relievers are lucky to get over 60-65, while Clase has put up over 72.2 innings for the last 3 years. The 24.4% K% definitely hurts a bit, but honestly, with how great he is at everything else, I’m not sure it really matters. He’s as elite as they come and is definitely a contender for top relief pitcher in the game regardless of format. – 2025 Projection: 4/2.31/0.93/67/43 saves in 72 IP

142) Zack Gelof – OAK, 2B, 25.5 – When I named Gelof a major target back in 2023 at the very beginning of his breakout, I dubbed myself the “Autobahn of Dynasty Baseball Schools,” and if you think scraping up against the guard rails a little bit in 2024 is going to scare me off, you got another thing coming. I’m scooping up all of the depressed Gelof shares I can. The theme of the “Oakland” Team Report was the likely considerable ballpark upgrade that is coming for “Oakland” hitters, and Gelof is no exception with a .536 OPS at home vs. a .724 OPS on the road. A home ballpark upgrade is going to be huge for everyone on that team (other than the pitchers). Unfortunately, the ballpark isn’t really Gelof’s major concern, it’s the hit tool, and there is no doubt that it is rough with a 34.4% K% and 36.4% whiff%, but the sophomore slump is very real after teams get an entire off-season to plan against you, and now it’s Gelof’s turn to make the proper adjustments to turn the tables again. I’m betting on him being able to do it well enough to allow his damn exciting power/speed combo to shine with a 89.2 MPH EV, 14.2 degree launch, and 28.7 ft/sec sprint. He went 17/25 in 138 games despite the .211 BA and .270 OBP. There is definitely a ton of risk that the hit tool doesn’t bounce back, but if it does, he’ll go 20/30 in his sleep. With his price in the toilet right now, that is worth the risk. – 2025 Projection: 57/15/55/.238/.313/.436/21 Update: Underwent hand surgery which will keep him out for up to two months. It hurts in the shor term, but not sure this should impact his dynasty value too much

143) Bryce Eldridge – SFG, 1B, 20.5 – Let me just pump the brakes on Eldridge a little bit … hold up … don’t kill me quite yet. I love Eldridge. He is so clearly a beastly power bat at 6’7”, 223 pounds with 23 homers in 116 games at mostly Single-A and High-A. But let me just bring up a few reasons why maybe not quite enough risk is being factored into his current humongous fantasy hype. For one, his hit tool is a legitimate risk with a 25.3% K%, and it was high in the AFL too with a 34.8% K% in 10 games. Sure he made it to the upper minors as a 19 year old, and while he didn’t embarrass himself or anything, he didn’t dominate either with only 1 homer in 17 games. His FB rates and launch are fine, but he’s not exactly a launch machine. And lastly, San Francisco is death on lefty homers. Eldridge has the power to overcome that, so I’m not going too crazy there, but combined with the swing and miss and moderate launch, that is a trifecta of negatives which tells me to maybe have just a small amount of restraint here. Again, I love Eldridge. He’s a special power bat. I just give this negatively tinted blurb relative to the monster hype he’s already getting, and maybe something to at least keep in mind when you are dealing in trade talks involving him this off-season from either direction. – 2025 Projection: 29/10/36/.227/.301/.423/2 Prime Projection: 88/32/97/.258/.342/.495/6

144) Ezequiel Tovar – COL, SS, 23.8 – Tovar had a power breakout in his age 22 year old season, raising his launch 6.3 degrees to 18.9 degrees and raising his FB/LD EV 1.5 MPH to 93.1 MPH. It led to 26 homers in 157 games and he kept up the power output all season. Unfortunately, there is still a lot of improvement to go as his plate approach remained horrific (28.8/3.3 K%/BB%), and so did his base stealing (6 for 11). He’s still just 23 years old, so I would assume the plate skills improve over time, and he was the 5th best defensive SS in baseball, so his glove will give him all the leash he needs to do that over the next few seasons. He plays in Coors which juices up everything, but especially BA, so even with a poor plate approach, he has a .260 career BA in 1.345 PA. If the stolen base skills were better, I can see hyping him pretty hard, but the power isn’t monstrous, the base stealing isn’t there, and there have been zero signs of plate approach improvement, so I can’t get too crazy. – 2025 Projection: 85/25/81/.264/.309/.463/10

145) Bo Bichette – TOR, SS, 27.1 – Bichette is very clearly going to bounce back from a horrendous 2024 where he put up a career worst by a mile .598 OPS. He has a career .798 OPS, he’s never had an OPS below .802 before this season, and he’s going to be 27 years old. There is no way that he isn’t going to bounce back, the only question, is how high will the bounce be, and I don’t think it will be high enough to warrant his still pretty high name value price. His 70.4 MPH swing is below average and so is his 27.3 ft/sec sprint. We really aren’t talking about a truly electric athlete right now. The 19% K% is above average, but it’s not off the charts or anything, the plate approach is bad with a 6% BB% and 37.1% Chase%, the launch is low at 7.2 degrees, and the pull is super low at 28.1%. All of those low marks have been consistent throughout his career (other than the bat speed which we don’t have data on), so you can’t write that stuff off due to the down season. He’s only stolen 10 bags in his last 216 games, so you can’t count on big contributions there either. The main thing he has going for him is that he hits the ball hard, but that bottomed out in 2024 with a 4.4% Barrel% and 92.3 MPH FB EV. Just based purely on track record and age, he almost has to bounce back, but I don’t see the upside to really bet on it considering his current price (145 NFBC ADP). I’m not buying. – 2025 Projection: 76/18/79/.274/.318/.438/9 Update: Bichette’s spring is so massive that even I’m having trouble not buying in. I’m worried it’s just spring, but he deserves a bump

146) Colt Keith – DET, 2B, 23.8 – Keith’s rookie year was so average across the board it almost makes it not average because of how average it was. It was uniquely average. He had an about average 97 wRC+ with an about average .313 xwOBA, an about average 23.2% whiff%, an about average 29.9% Chase%, and an about average 71.3 MPH swing.. Really all of his numbers are in that average range, slashing .260/.309/.380 with 13 homers, 7 steals, and a 19.8/6.5 K%/BB% in 148 games. His 87.8 MPH EV was a bit below average and his 27.7 ft/sec sprint was a bit above average. For a 22 year old, that is almost the textbook definition of “setting a solid foundation.” He’s right on track to be an at least above average MLB hitter, and there is ceiling for him to possibly become one of the better all around hitters in the game if he can take that same developmental path as Riley Greene did. – 2025 Projection: 72/19/76/.265/.324/.430/7 Prime Projection: 88/25/86/.278/.342/.476/9

147) Marcelo Mayer – BOS, SS, 22.3 – Mayer was the 4th overall pick in the draft and just put up a 142 wRC+ in his age 21 year old season at Double-A, and the hype still feels so subdued on him. He might have to get used to that, because it seems like he’s setting up for a Bryan Reynolds-like fantasy career. Really good, but not good enough for anyone to seemingly care to really gush over him. That 142 wRC+ came with only 8 homers and 13 steals in 77 games. He did it on the back of the hit tool with a .307 BA and 19.7/9.0 K%/BB%, but the .367 BABIP did some of that heavy lifting, and his strikeout rates have been on the high side throughout his career, so you can’t really bank on a truly elite hit tool long term. His sweet lefty swing at 6’3” is what got him drafted so highly, and that swing is still special with power and quickness, but it’s geared more for all around hitting than pure homer power with a 47.4% GB% and 26.5% FB%. He’s a good baserunner, but he’s not a burner, so you can’t count on huge steal totals either. Reynolds is really the perfect comp with his 162 game career averages of a .276 BA, .352 OBP, 25 homers and 8 steals. Maybe playing with Boston instead of Pittsburgh will garner him more hype in the long run, but fantasy wise, that equals a really good fantasy player who never quite reaches great levels. 2025 Projection: 28/8/33/.256/.318/.415/6 Prime Projection: 91/25/93/.276/.352/.470/11

148) Colt Emerson – SEA, SS, 19.8 – There is a case to be made that Emerson is overrated. He has high groundball rates and he doesn’t pull the ball all that much, leading to only 4 homers in 70 games split between Single-A and High-A. It’s also not a Jackson Merrill situation where the guy smashes the ball. Emerson can hit it hard, but he’s not putting up gaudy EV’s. He’s also not a burner with average speed. So it’s a hit tool first profile, and like many hit tool first profiles, the hit tool can start to take steps back against more advanced pitching, which is what happened this year. He put up a .263 BA on the season, and the 21.6/10.8 K%/BB% in 29 games at High-A isn’t super impressive. A scenario where he ends up with a good, but not great hit tool, to go along with a moderate power/speed combo, definitely seems to be one possible outcome here. I’m only painting with a negative brush to start because I think it’s more interesting. We know what a positive outcome can look like, which is that both the raw and game power ticks up over time, the plate skills remain plus to double plus, and the base stealing ability is legit (15 steals in 17 attempts). And keep in mind he was only 18 years old for most of the season. This is a high floor/high ceiling prospect in the mold of your Wander Franco’s. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection:  99/22/72/.284/.362/.455/22

149) Royce Lewis – MIN, 3B, 25.10 – The constant lower body injuries seems to have finally worn on Lewis, especially in the 2nd half, where he slashed .191/.236/.257 with 1 homer, 0 steals, and a 24.2/6.1 K%/BB% in his final 42 games. His speed also fell off a cliff with a well below average 26.6 ft/sec sprint which is in the bottom 28% of the league. Considering he injured his quad pretty seriously in the first game of the season when he tried to turn the jets on rounding 2nd base (he missed 2 months), it’s understandable that he might not have wanted to really go full speed when he returned. He missed another month of the season in July with a groin injury. So it’s also understandable that he didn’t attempt a single steal all season. While it’s understandable, it doesn’t make it good for fantasy, and if we can’t count on him being a true contributor in steals, which we can’t, it definitely takes a nice chunk out of his fantasy value. It’s not only steals though, his power production took a big step back too with his EV falling 3.1 MPH to 87.1 MPH. The plate skills are average at best with a 22.8/8.6 K%/BB%. And of course, he keeps getting hurt, playing in only 82 games. It looked like Royce was ascending as one of the young stars in the game in the first half of the season, but when it was all said and done, it was a really mediocre year. He still hit 16 homers with a 11.2% Barrel%, and if he gets healthy this off-season, I’m sure his speed and EV can bounce back, so I would still value him as a Top 100 dynasty asset, but considering the injuries, lack of steals, declining hard hit, and terrible finish to the season, I just don’t see how you can really value him in that young star tier right now. – 2025 Projection: 60/21/71/.262/.328/.475/5 Update: Legs just can’t stay healthy as he once again strained his hamstring. They are calling it moderate, but the bigger concern is that he can’t stay healthy

150) Christian Moore – LAA, 2B, 21.10 – Selected 8th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, the Angels don’t fuck around when it comes to promoting advanced college hitters to the majors, so you know Moore is going to be a contributor on your fantasy team real quick, possibly as soon as Opening Day. Shit, he almost made his MLB debut in 2024 with his absolute destruction of pro ball, slashing .322/.378/.533 with 5 homers, 2 steals, and a 29.6/8.2 K%/BB% in 23 games at Double-A. A knee injury (meniscus) is likely the only thing that stopped that from happening, but he returned to Double-A before the season ended and went 3 for 4 with a double and 4 RBI, so I wouldn’t be worried about the knee. I fell in love with his personality during his Draft Day interview. It was the perfect mix of confident, cocky, thoughtful, playful and mature. That just seems like the type of infectious attitude I want on my team. He wasn’t kidding when he said he had Champion in his blood. And of course, he was an absolute beast in the SEC, smashing 34 homers with a 1.248 OPS and 14.5%/11.3% K%/BB% in 72 games. He has a very strong righty swing at 6’1”, 210 pounds, producing at least plus power with average speed on the bases. In his freshman year in 2022, he put up a 1.062 OPS with 10 homers in 149 PA to give you an idea of the type of natural talent this is. As you saw with his K rate at Double-A, there are definitely some hit tool issues, which I’m not ignoring, but I’m also not letting it scare me off. I was high on Moore before his pro debut, and now I am over the moon for him. He ranked 4th overall on my End of Season Top 56 FYPD Rankings. – 2025 Projection: 70/23/77/.242/.310/.437/8 Prime Projection: 85/28/94/.260/.335/.481/10

151) Justin Crawford – PHI, OF, 21.3 – Crawford is just raw talenting his way through the minor leagues with elite bloodlines and elite talent an uber athletic 6’2”, 188 pounds. He slashed .313/.360/.444 with 9 homers, 42 steals, and an 18.7/6.4 K%/BB% in 110 games split between High-A and Double-A. He was even better at Double-A than he was at High-A with a 140 wRC+ in 40 games. He has double plus speed, he hits the ball hard, and he has a good feel to hit. It’s pure talent baby, but if he doesn’t start to refine his game, it will eventually catch up to him. He has an extreme 61% GB% and he chases a ton. Good defense and good pitchers, which he will find in the majors, are better able to take advantage of that than minor leaguers. But if he can start to refine his game, and at only 21 years old, I don’t see why he wouldn’t, watch the hell out. The upside is a legit elite dynasty asset, and while I wouldn’t bet on him reaching that lofty ceiling, he can be a game changing fantasy player with even a moderately good outcome. I think there is too much focus on his deficiencies, and not enough focus on what he does well. I love him. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 86/17/64/.273/.322/.420/39

152) Jaison Chourio – CLE, OF, 19.10 – Chourio gets plenty of love, but I’m not sure it’s nearly enough. A lot of his love gets couched in “but he’s not as good as his brother,” which isn’t quite fair, because I think there is near elite prospect upside in here, and he took steps towards that in 2024. His power didn’t explode (yet), but it did tick up with 5 homers in 98 games at Single-A (1 homer was his previous career high). He’s a still projectable 6’1” with an explosive swing, so as he gains more raw power, and as he raises his launch (49.3% GB%), there could be a real power breakout coming down the line. And he has the elite plate skills (16.0/`19.9 K%/BB%) and speed (44 steals) to do the rest. He’s yet to put up less than a 140 wRC+ at any stop of his career. This is easily a Top 30 fantasy prospect for me, and even that could be underselling him. If he gets lukewarm love in off-season prospect drafts where he’s available, you need to jump all over that. Now is the time to target him aggressively. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 98/18/68/.276/.355/.433/34

153) Aidan Miller – PHI, SS, 20.10 – Miller wasn’t a target for me in last year’s FYPD class based on his perceived value/hype, but he proved the hype was warranted in his pro debut, obliterating Single-A with a 153 wRC+, and hitting well at the more age appropriate High-A, slashing .258/.353/.444 with 6 homers, 12 steals, and a 22.1/11.6 K%/BB% in 58 games. His big, quick and powerful righty swing was what everyone fell in love with originally, and he proved he can combine that with a good feel to hit, a good approach, and good athleticism. He can also play a decent SS, so his glove is likely to stick somewhere on the infield and potentially end up an asset as well. He’s not exactly standout in any one area at the moment, but there is power upside in the bat which gives him the ceiling of a do everything, middle of the order masher. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 82/25/86/.269/.342/.468/15

154) Jesus Made – MIL, SS, 17.11 – I love to see deep international prospects who cracked my Top 1,000 Rankings have big breakouts, and I thought my blurb for him last off-season was pretty interesting considering how things played out: “Stop me if you heard this one before, but the switch hitting Made is a projectable and toolsy 6’1”, 165 pounds with a swing geared towards launching the ball. He has a mature plate approach and he has the potential to be a very good defensive SS. I know these international prospect blurbs can get repetitive especially as we get deep into the class, but these are the prospects that can blow up if you want upside. Embrace the mystery. Prime Projection: 76/24/81/.258/.334/.449/12.” And blow up Made did as one of the top breakouts in the DSL, slashing .331/.458/.554 with 6 homers, 28 steals, and a 13.0%/18.1% K%/BB% in 51 games. He’s projectable, he’s toolsy, he hits the ball hard, the plate approach is very strong, and he’s a good SS. That is the total package, and while there is still a lot of risk as DSL performance is the least trustworthy, there is also truly elite prospect upside. I know there are many leagues, usually shallower ones, where gunning for the top pure upside is the best strategy to take, but even in medium to deeper leagues, Made is worth the risk. And use Made as a reminder to not be afraid to dive into the mystery that is the international class as you get deeper into first year player drafts this off-season. That is why the last third of my Top 132 FYPD Rankings are always jam packed with these guys. Low upside, boring college guys just aren’t likely to be difference makers. Go for the lotto ticket. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 94/24/86/.276/.352/.472/26

155) Steven Kwan – CLE, OF, 27.7 – Kwan’s season perfectly encapsulated why I don’t like going after hit tool first guys. He had a .389 BA in the first 50 games of the season, and then put up a .220 BA in his final 72 games. You are just way too much at the mercy of the BABIP gods. And the BABIP gods are fickle B’s. He hit a career high 14 homers, and that is semi backed up by a career high 2.6% Barrel% and 14.9 degree launch, but that number is at the top end of his ability. And worst of all, he stole only 12 bases in 17 attempts. Everyone and their grandmother is running like wild these days, so you can’t even count on him to be a true impact contributor in steals. It’s not that I don’t see the appeal of a profile like this, it’s just that I’m never even close to the high guy on it, so I never roster these players in dynasty. – 2025 Projection: 90/11/50/.289/.365/.408/18

156) Will Smith – LAD, C, 30.0 – Smith always feels so underwhelming for fantasy, and now that we see he swings a double below average bat with a 67.9 MPH swing, it just feels like seeing that missing puzzle piece for it to all make sense now. The 10.8% Barrel% is excellent, and so is the 89.4 MPH EV, 18.7 degree launch and 19.3/9.4 K%/BB%, but that slow swing is just going to tamper down that upside. His career low by a decent margin 33.9% Pull% (37.7% in 2023) is also going to tamper down that fantasy upside. And at 30 years old, he’s officially old for dynasty, especially for a catcher. There is certainly potential for everything to fall right and for him to have that big year, but I’m no longer waiting for it. He’s a good fantasy catcher, but not a great one. – 2025 Projection: 75/23/75/.255/.342/.449/2

157) Garrett Mitchell – MIL, OF, 26.7 – The new Statcast Bat Tracking data has been such a fun and valuable tool to dive into, and one of the top names to jump out on that list is Garrett Mitchell. He swings an electric bat with a 75.7 MPH swing that is 27th fastest in baseball, and that is with players that have swung the bat even a single time. Bump the threshold up to 100 swings and he ranks 22nd. He combines the elite bat speed with an elite 29.5 ft/sec sprint speed which is in the top 5% of baseball. He’s simply one of the most electric players in the game, and it unsurprisingly resulted in a very good season. He slashed .255/.342/.469 with 8 homers, 11 steals, and a 31.7/11.2 K%/BB% in 69 games. It was good for a 126 wRC+. Like many players who swing that fast, he misses a lot too with a 34.3% whiff%, but that has been headed in the right direction in his career, and he has a career 19.8% K% in 40 games at Triple-A, so I do think there is potential for that to continue to improve. He’s also hitting .264 in 365 career MLB PA, so I don’t think the hit tool is as risky as it seems. He hits the ball on the ground too much with a career 4.9 degree launch, but with his speed and hard hit ability, he can easily make that profile work (as he has been). I named him a major target at mid-season before he got called up to the majors, and I’ll be naming him a target again this off-season. – 2025 Projection: 81/18/72/.248/.330/.447/26

158) Kerry Carpenter – DET, OF, 27.7 – Carpenter was a major target for me last off-season, writing, “Carpenter has a pretty rare, very hard to find profile that can usually only be found at the top of drafts, but he gets valued like a boring afterthought. He had a 10.2% Barrel%, 90.1/95.1 MPH AVG/FB EV, 13.1 degree launch, 28.1 ft/sec sprint, and 27% whiff%. I promise you, those are not easy numbers to find.” …  I knew that collection of skills was special, and then he went out and proved it in 2024 with a .385 xwOBA, .932 OPS, and 18 homers in 87 games. And the underlying numbers looked even better this year with a 17.7% Barrel%, 90.5/94.9 MPH AVG/FB EV, 17.6 degree launch, 27.7 ft/sec sprint, and 30.3% whiff%. That whiff% is higher than optimal, he was atrocious vs. lefties (.408 OPS in only 32 PA, meaning he was platooning), and he’s not a good defensive player, so he has his warts, but I’ll say it again, this is a very impressive hitting profile. Even in a platoon role, he could very easily hit 30+ bombs next year, and I’m not so sure his bat is going to get relegated to a strict platoon role. – 2025 Projection: 76/30/91/.262/.320/.506/5

159) Nick Kurtz – OAK, 1B, 22.1 – Selected 4th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, Kurtz had one of the best pro debuts in his draft class with 4 homers in 7 games at Single-A, and a 129 wRC+ with a 20.0/13.3 K%/BB% in 5 games at Double-A. It was a just a continuation of the 3 years of dominance in the ACC. He’s a large man at 6’5”, 240 pounds in the mold of a Jim Thome, country strong type. But he’s not just brute strength, he has electric bat speed that led to 61 homers in 164 career games in college. He combines the at least plus power with an extremely patient plate approach and good feel to hit (16.2%/30% K%/BB%). He also has some sneaky athleticism, evidenced by a perfect 11 for 11 on the bases in his college career. The ceiling here is your classic complete hitting first baseman with power and patience. And it looks like the Athletics intend to fly him through the minors, so it might not even be crazy to see him break camp with the team, even if I wouldn’t bet on that. The biggest downside is that his season ended on August 24th with a hamstring injury, and injuries have plagued him throughout his career, so I think it’s something that has to be taken into account unfortunately. – 2025 Projection: 48/16/57/.247/.323/.439/4 Prime Projection: 87/28/93/.269/.357/.490/7

160) Felnin Celesten – SEA, SS, 19.7 – Celesten finally made his long awaited pro debut in 2024, and he didn’t disappoint, slashing .352/.431/.568 with 3 homers, 5 steals, and a 19.4/12.5 K%/BB% in 32 games at stateside rookie ball. All of the explosive traits that made him such a hyped international prospect were fully present with an extremely athletic and powerful swing (particularly from the left side, but he dominated in 2024 with both swings) that already looks like an MLB swing. He’s an explosive athlete in general with plus speed, so seeing the excellent plate skills from the jump in pro ball is a big deal. He does have two blemishes on his profile preventing him from ranking even higher than this though. It’s the 2nd year in a row that an injury kept him out. A hamstring injury in 2023 wiped out his entire season, and a hamate injury that required surgery ended his season on July 23rd this year. The 2nd blemish is a 64.9% GB%, which is very extreme. Personally, I’m blinded by his extreme upside, and I’m apt to overlook the negatives. When a prospect has that type of upside, it almost never makes sense to trade them at this stage of their career. His value is pretty high right now, but I think he falls into the buy high range for me. Certainly don’t trade him, and see if you can get him included in a trade without seeming like your frothing at the mouth for him too much, because it could give his owner second thoughts if you come on too strong. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 88/25/86/.273/.344/.472/25

161) Konnor Griffin – PIT, OF, 18.11 – Selected 9th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, Griffin has the highest pure upside in this entire draft. He’s 6’4”, 215 pounds and has the look of a #1 overall pick in the NFL Draft as a QB. He has the neck of a football player too. He also has the athleticism of a football player with legit potential to put up 30/30 seasons with a plus to double plus power/speed combo. He’s shown a good feel to hit with a good plate approach in his high school career, but like I mentioned back in February 2024 when I did a very early Top 10 FYPD Ranking, the swing isn’t necessarily the smoothest thing in the world, although it actually looks much better to me now than it did then. Plus you can tack on electric bat speed and bank on continued refinement considering how young he is for the class. Pitt obviously wasn’t worried enough about the hit tool to let him slip by them at #9, and for fantasy especially, I wouldn’t let it scare you off him either. This is legit elite dynasty asset potential. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 89/25/92/.261/.337/.470/33

162) Cam Smith – HOU, 3B, 22.1 – Selected 14th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, the 6’3”, 224 pound Smith generates a tremendous amount of power with very little movement in his swing. It is quick, powerful and short to the ball. It is straight up one of the quietest swings from one of the biggest men I’ve ever seen. The swing is geared more for a line drive, all fields approach rather than pull and lift, which is why he didn’t put up the gaudy homer totals as some of his other college hitting brethren with only 16 homers in 66 games in the ACC. But he has the raw power to make that profile work, and the upside is that it can come with a high BA. We saw what this profile can look like at it’s best in his dominant pro debut, slashing .313/.396/.609 with 7 homers, 2 steals, and a 17.9/11.2 K%/BB% in 32 games split between Single-A, High-A, and Double-A. He put up a 122 wRC+ in 5 games at Double-A, so the profile was transferring to the upper minors, and he clearly had no problems ripping dingers to all fields with the wood bat. He very well might have the top hit/power combo in the FYPD class, and it’s why Houston targeted him in the Kyle Tucker trade. The trade doesn’t really change his value at all, but he will definitely get a nice ballpark upgrade even if he doesn’t have the type of profile that necessarily needs it. – 2025 Projection: 62/16/67/.258/.322/.429/2 Prime Projection: 84/24/89/.273/.340/.466/4 Update: He’s been a man possessed this spring and might just break camp with the team

163) Jac Caglianone – KCR, 1B, 22.2 – Selected 6th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, Caglianone’s pro debut was on the disappointing side, and with how tightly packed the talent is in the FYPD Top 12, he’s sliding down my rankings to the bottom of that Top 12 tier. He had hit tool and chase questions coming out of the draft, and hitting .241 with a 20.6/5.6 K%/BB% in his 29 game pro debut at High-A did nothing to quell those issues. He put up a lowly 94 wRC+ with 2 homers, which isn’t what you want to see from an elite college bat in the lower minors. He then went to the AFL where the pitching was so bad this year, they are actively trying to figure out how to improve the pitchers in that league in future years, and he still couldn’t dominate with a .749 OPS in 21 games. Tons of hitters were putting up just wacky numbers in that extreme offensive environment. He did jack 5 homers, and there is zero doubt about his massive power, so there is no doubt he has a carrying tool even if the hit tool and plate approach take time to adjust to pro pitching. He’s built like an NFL tight end at 6’5”, 250 pounds, and he obliterated the SEC with 75 homers in 165 career games. It took him some time to improve his plate skills in college as well, making big improvements his junior year with a 8.2/18.4 K%/BB% (18.2/5.3 K%/BB% his sophomore year), so the hope is that he can do the same in the majors. KC’s ballpark is death to lefty homers, and while I am factoring that in a bit, he has the type of power to not get too hung up on it. Even though the pro debut does have him sliding down the rankings a bit, it’s almost more because of how much comparable college talent there is at the top of this class to begin with. He’s still a very exciting power bat. 2025 Projection: 51/17/63/.232/.308/.449/4 Prime Projection: 81/31/92/.248/.329/.479/6  Update: Like Smith, he’s been a man possessed this spring and deserved to slide up the rankings. The Top 11 FYPD prospects were already very close

164) Parker Meadows – DET, OF, 25.5 – If you would have told me that Meadows would put up a 111 wRC+ last off-season when I named him a major target, I would have assumed he was going to be a major hit for me, but we all know it wasn’t quite that easy. He struggled hard in his first 32 games with a .096 BA, which resulted in him getting banished back to the minors. Depending on the league, many people probably dropped him or sold low by that time, and I sure as hell already given all my mea culpas and my bads on naming him a target. But he didn’t hang his head when he got sent down, putting up a 130 wRC+ in 51 games, and then he carried that over when he got called back up to the majors, slashing .300/.344/.513 with 7 homers, 6 steals, and a 20.7/6.6 K%/BB% in his final 50 games (plus a 131 wRC+ with 3 steals and 1 homer in 7 playoff games). The same profile I loved last off-season is still present with a 18.6 degree launch, 29.3 ft/sec sprint, 27% whiff%, and 25.8% Chase%. He’s also a plus CF. The one problem is that he doesn’t hit the ball very hard. He had a 87/91.6 MPH AVG/LD EV with a 37.3% Hard Hit%. Even during his hot 2nd half he wasn’t hitting the ball all that hard. It’s a recipe for a low batting average, but the homer/steal combo has enough upside to make up for it. While it doesn’t feel right to say Meadows was a hit in 2024, it also doesn’t feel right to say he was a miss. I’ll call it a draw, and we’ll let 2025 break the tie, because I’m definitely still in on him. Let’s run it back … – 2025 Projection: 68/16/59/.248/.320/.432/19 Update: Nerve issue in his arm will land him on the IL to start the season and he might not even be able to begin throwing until late April. I’m not sure this should impact his dynasty a ton, but it’s not great at all

165) Coby Mayo – BAL, 3B, 23.3 – If you think Holliday had a bad MLB debut, get a load of this guy. Mayo was utterly lost at the dish with a .294 OPS and 47.8/8.7 K%/BB% in 46 PA. He had zero barrels with an 84.7 MPH EV and a 45.6% whiff%. It’s a small sample, but I’ve seen a lot of poor debuts, and this one is up there with some of the worst, especially for a hyped up prospect. The debut was especially bad, but we’ve seen plenty of eventual studs have a terrible MLB debut. Just to use one example, Aaron Judge had a .179 BA with a 42.5% whiff% in his 95 PA debut (although it came with 4 homers and a .608 OPS), and he’s been just fine. I don’t want to put too much weight on the scary debut when Mayo has so many other things going him. His power is unquestionable at 6’5”, 230 pounds with 22 homers and a 90.7 MPH EV in 89 games at Triple-A. He swings a lightning quick bat with a double plus 74.1 MPH swing, and it’s a relatively short swing too with a 7 foot length. His strikeout rates were also so much better in the minors with a 24.9% K% this year. He was getting sporadic playing time in the majors and doing a lot of pinch hitting, which is another reason to mostly ignore the MLB numbers. Is it in the back of my mind? Yea, I’m human. But I’m still treating him like an elite power hitting prospect. He currently doesn’t have a starting job, so he’s going to need injuries/ineffectiveness to open one up for him, or he’s going to have to truly kick the door down. – 2025 Projection: 39/14/49/.225/.302/.435/3 Prime Projection: 84/33/98/.249/.336/.512/6

166) Jordan Walker – STL, OF, 22.10 – Walker is still just 22 years old. The Cards called him up so quickly it feels like he should be in his mid 20’s by now, but I just want to reiterate how young he still is. And I want to reiterate that, because I now want to iterate what an insanely tremendous athlete he is. His 77.3 MPH swing is in truly rarified air. Elite of the elite. His 28.4 ft/sec sprint is firmly plus. He’s 6’6”, 250 pounds. In no world am I giving up on this man when he is still just 22 years old. and not only that, he has an above average 104 wRC+ in 168 MLB games. Even with his terrible 2024, he smashed the ball with a 91.2 MPH EV and 9.5% Barrel%. He has some hit tool issues, but they really aren’t all that bad as he’s had respectable K rates basically his entire career being young for every level. There are some launch issues too, but like the K issues, they really aren’t that bad with a 10 degree launch in the majors. This is an insane talent and his two biggest weaknesses aren’t even that bad. And he’s still 22 years old. St. Louis also announced they are going to give him a full leash in 2024 to figure it out. No way I’m giving up on him right now. Strong hold at the least, and buy at the best. 2025 Projection: 73/22/79/.246/.313/.431/9 Prime Projection: 84/28/89/.263/.332/.471/12

167) Evan Carter – TEX, OF, 22.7 – Sometimes (or more like the vast majority of the time), general dynasty value and/or general dynasty rankings just isn’t a great tool for how you should value players for your actual team. Take Evan Carter, who is certainly moving down rankings after an injured and down season, but if you were banking on him to be a core member of your future lineup, it doesn’t make any sense at all to sell low right now. Even if there are real reasons to be worried, like having a bad back. His season ended on May 26th with a stress reaction in his back. It’s his 2nd major back injury of his career as he suffered a stress fracture in his back in 2021 which kept him out for most of that season as well. He also didn’t hit the ball nearly as hard in 2024 as he did in 2023 with a 86 MPH EV in 45 games. At a projectable 6’2”, 190 pounds, the hope was for him to add more power naturally as he got older, but the constant back injuries complicate that. Is he really going to want to add considerably more weight with a bad back? He also only attempted 2 steals in those 45 games, and again, with the bad back, is is possible he isn’t really going to run a ton now? He deserves to take a tumble down the rankings, but back to my original point, it still doesn’t make sense to sell low assuming you don’t already have a stacked young hitting core. The back might fully heal, and at a still young 22 years old, he is in his prime healing age, so maybe that should be the expectation. The plate approach was still excellent even with the down year with an above average 23.4% whiff% and 18.5% Chase%. Maybe he ends up as more of a solid across the board type than truly impact across the board, but his trade value took such a big hit this year, that even if he doesn’t hit his ceiling, you aren’t going to get a fair return this year. Carter is a clear hold for me. 2025 Projection: 76/16/67/.249/.335/.410/15 Prime Projection: 91/22/72/.273/.361/.448/20

168) Adolis Garcia – TEX, OF, 32.1 – I’m getting a lot of questions from teams that are shopping Garcia this off-season, and the trade offers are in the toilet. If you own Garcia, you have probably identified him as someone you could move this off-season, but it makes zero sense to move him coming off this down season. He still hit the ball tremendously hard with a 91.0/95.5 MPH AVG/FB EV, and while the plate approach wasn’t good with a 27.8/7.1 K%/BB%, it’s never been good, so that is just part of his game. I definitely get wanting to sell him, because there are signs of real physical decline (his speed has declined for the 4th straight year with a now below average 26.8 ft/sec sprint), but it makes much more sense to wait for when he’s (hopefully) raking during the season. He’s “only” 32, and with how hard he hits the ball, he shouldn’t fall off a cliff in 2025, so the smarter bet would be to wait to deal him, because the offers you are getting now are probably trash. – 2025 Projection: 79/30/93/.240/.306/.464/11

169) Randy Arozarena – SEA, OF, 30.1 – Seattle is where hitters go to die, and while Arozarena’s 122 wRC+ with Seattle was actually better than the 109 wRC+ he put up with Tampa, the power/speed combo wasn’t nearly as good with 5 homers and 4 steals in 54 games. You can’t count on him for BA (.219 BA with a 26.1% K% in 2024), so with the game power upside now subdued in Seattle, it puts a cap on his upside. He’s also a bad base stealer (20 for 30 in 2024) and is entering his 30’s, so there is potential for that to fall off a cliff as well if he starts running less. He still hits the ball very hard with a 90.4 MPH EV and he gets on base with a 11.3% BB%, so he should still be a good fantasy player, but I’m starting to see more downside than upside. I wouldn’t call him a sell, especially coming off the mediocre year, but I still think his perceived value is a bit higher than how I would value right now. 2025 Projection: 81/20/70/.247/.344/.429/19

170) Carlos Rodon – NYY, LHP, 32.4 – I feel like I nailed Rodon’s evaluation last off-season, closing out his Top 1,000 blurb by writing, “If you’re a glass half full person, you can look at this as a lost season due to the injuries and expect him to bounce back in a big way in 2024, but if you’re a glass half empty person, you are looking at him like a ticking time bomb, especially with his injury history. I’m the type of person who looks at that glass and sees the water in the middle (I live in the gray), which is how I would value Rodon for next year.” And that “in the middle” is basically what we got with a 3.96 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, and a 26.6/7.7 K%/BB% in 175 IP. I knew that explosiveness from true prime Rodon years was gone, but that didn’t mean he still couldn’t be a good pitcher, which is what he was in 2024. He has good velocity with a 95.1 MPH fastball, and his slider and changeup are whiff machines, leading to an elite 30.1% whiff% overall. And most importantly, he stayed healthy. There is still injury risk and he’s getting up there in age, but there is also still upside with that whiff rate. I’ll continue to split the difference with him and live in the gray. 2025 Projection: 12/3.73/1.23/191 in 165 IP

171) Sandy Alcantara – MIA, RHP, 29.7 – Alcantara underwent Tommy John surgery in early October 2023 and missed all of 2024. His excellent track record makes him a decent Tommy John discount candidate, but his lack of K’s makes me hesitant to go too hard. Those lack of K’s also caught up with him in 2023 with the worst year of his career, putting up a 4.14 ERA with a 19.8/6.3 K%/BB%. He was really a floor over upside ace with plus control, plus groundball rates, and plus velocity, but now there is risk coming off the injury. So he doesn’t have big K upside, and there is also risk of rust/re-injury/diminished stuff coming off the injury. I think that warrants some restraint on buying the Tommy John discount too hard. – 2025 Projection: 10/3.70/1.22/158 in 175 IP

172) Tyler O’Neill – BAL, OF, 29.9 – O’Neill signed a 3 year, $49.5 million contract with Baltimore, and while his power could conquer any ballpark, those LF walls coming back in will only help. I thought Baltimore would prioritize pitching in free agency with how stacked their offensive minor league system is, but I can’t argue with adding a bat like O’Neill, and it could open things up for them in the pitching trade market as well. Kjerstad must be sitting there and saying what do I have to do to get a shot. This signing definitely hurts Kjerstad’s value right now, but you have to think he is prime trade bait, so I don’t want to overreact. As for O’Neill, the man is going to hit dingers with 31 homers, a 17.3% Barrel%, 90.9/96.5 MPH AVG/FB EV, and a 20.2 degree launch in 113 games. His days of running seems to be over with only 4 steals, he’s not going to hit for a high BA with a 33.6% K%, and he’s been banged up his entire career, so games played are a concern as well. 2025 Projection: 75/30/81/.237/.321/.479/6

173) Lane Thomas – CLE, OF, 29.7 – The biggest question with Thomas is how much Cleveland is going to let him run. He stole 28 bags in 77 games with Washington and only 4 bags in 53 games with Cleveland. He’s not the best base stealer in the world, he’s alright at best, so that pretty stark contrast in steals is concerning for fantasy. And his hit tool, approach, and power are not quite good enough to really make up for that. He’s average-ish in all of those areas give or take. I still like his collection of underlying skills with contact (23.3% whiff%), lack of Chase (22.9%), speed (29.3 ft/sec sprint), launch (17 degree launch), and hard hit (40.6%), so I think he’s capable of some monster fantasy seasons (28/20 in 2023 and 15/32 in 2024), but if Cleveland doesn’t let him run as much, the profile starts to look lacking, and he’ll turn 30 during the 2025 season. – 2025 Projection: 76/20/76/.247/.313/.425/20

174) Tink Hence – STL, RHP, 22.8 – Tink is the forgotten about elite pitching prospect. He has injury/durability issues, but almost every pitching prospect has injury/durability risk, and I feel like it’s really easy to start picking and choosing whose injury/durability issues you hand wave away, and whose you hyper focus on. Everyone has seemed to hyper focus on Hence’s issues, where a guy like Painter can literally undergo Tommy John surgery and everyone is completely good with it, nothing to see here. Jobe, Schultz, and Rocker have all dealt with injuries and haven’t racked up innings. But for Tink, his problems are like the main focus of his evaluation, and the main focus should be on his nasty stuff. Here is a twitter compilation video of Hence making hitters look absolutely silly with his changeup, both lefty and righty hitters. And that isn’t even arguably his best secondary with a gyro slider and curve that he seems to have on a string, racking up strikeouts. He combines the 3 nasty secondaries with a mid 90’s fastball that he can blow by hitters up in the zone with a good movement profile. It all led to a 2.71 ERA with a 34.1/8.1 K%/BB% in 79.2 IP. There is definitely injury as he’s battled a variety of injuries in his professional career (shoulder, chest and lat issues with year), and he’s not a particularly huge/broad guy, but they talk about him like he’s 5 foot nothing, 150 pounds. The guy is 6’1”, 195 pounds. He’s not that small. All pitchers have injury risk to me, so I’m not one to hyper focus on the injury risk. You know what you are getting into when you draft a pitching prospect, no matter how big and broad they are, they can all go down. I’m focused on Hence’s true top of the rotation upside, and I feel like there is a bit of a buying opportunity right now. 2025 Projection: 4/3.89/1.30/78 in 80 IP Prime Projection: 13/3.48/1.17/186 in 168 IP

175) Emil Morales – LAD, SS, 18.6 – Morales was my 3rd ranked international prospect (behind only Leo and Paulino) and one of my top FYPD targets, writing in his Top 1,000 blurb, “His physicality in the box stands out immediately. He is a grown man at 6’3”, 180 pounds with a big righty swing that can punish a baseball. He combines that with a mature plate approach and a good feel to hit. It certainly looks like he can be a middle of the order beast, and he has the right team to get it out of him. He’s a definite target.” … and he more than came through as one of, if not the top DSL breakout, slashing .342/.478/.691 with 14 homers, 12 steals, and a 22.4/19.9 K%/BB% in 46 games. He’s a lift and pull machine and there is potential for double plus raw power at peak, meaning the home run upside here is elite. The swing is quick and athletic, and he’s a good athlete for his size too. Most places have Jesus Made over Emil Morales an easy call in Made’s favor, but I actually think it’s pretty damn close. Made has the hit tool and speed edge, but Morales has the game power and raw power edge, and often times that power edge can overcome all other flaws. A 22.4% K% is on the high side for the DSL, so I do agree that Made’s combo of floor and upside takes it, but I’m not 100% sure I’m making the right call there. Either way, I love both, and I really, really love Morales compared to his much cheaper price. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 86/33/98/.250/.338/.519/9

176) Josh Hader – HOU, Closer, 31.0 – Hader is starting to creep up there in age. He’s not old enough to start worrying about it, but it is something to keep in the back of your mind if you find yourself needing to kick start a mini rebuild or bridge year. Just saying that it could be the year to trade him at peak value if it makes sense for your team during the season. He’s shown zero signs of decline with a 40.5% whiff% and a 2.72 xERA, so he should remain elite for several more years, but once you get that “old” label in dynasty, the trade offers get smaller and smaller, and I don’t think anyone thinks of Hader as old right now. – 2025 Projection: 4/2.70/1.05/97/34 saves in 65 IP

177) Ryan Helsley – STL, Closer, 30.9 – Helsley stole the saves crown away from the 2 two time defending champ, Emmanuel Clase, notching 49 saves. He did it on the back of a 99.6 MPH fastball and an elite slider that notched a 51% whiff% and .206 xwOBA. The swing and miss is elite with a 36.1% whiff%, and while he’s had bouts of wild control in the past, the walk rate was about average this year at 8.6%. It’s his 3rd year in a row of being an elite reliever, so while he doesn’t feel quite as established as the other elite options, he’s just as locked in as an elite guy. – 2025 Projection: 4/2.56/1.08/84/36 saves in 65 IP

178) Devin Williams – NYY, Closer, 30.6 – Williams made his season debut in late July coming off a back injury, and it was clear very quickly that he was 100%. He closed out the season with a 1.25 ERA and 43.2/12.5 K%/BB% in 21.1 IP. He has a career 1.83 ERA with a 39.4% K% in 235.2 IP. He’s as elite as they come. 2025 Projection: 4/2.51/1.04/89/33 saves in 60 IP

179) Edwin Diaz NYM, Closer, 30.11 – Diaz returned from a torn ACL that kept him out for all of 2023, and other than a small mid-season hiccup with a right shoulder impingement, he was mostly back to his dominant self. He put up a 3.52 ERA (2.48 xERA) with a 38.9/9.3 K%/BB% in 53.2 IP. The fastball sat 97.5 MPH and put up an elite 36.6% whiff%, and the slider is double plus with a .223 xwOBA and 39.4% whiff%. It does sometimes feel like he has a few more “hiccups” then he should, but that could also just be the inherent small sample nature of being a reliever. He’s in the elite tier of the elite tier. – 2025 Projection: 4/2.98/1.01/98/31 saves in 60 IP

180) Sonny Gray – STL, RHP, 35.5 – Gray’s career has been pretty wild. Trying to pin down his projections year to year is like a game of whack a mole. Just when you think you have a read on him, he puts up a completely different statistical profile. In 2024, he entered double plus to elite control territory with a career best 5.8% BB%, and it didn’t come at the cost of his swing and miss at all, also putting up a career best 29.8% whiff%. It all resulted in a 3.84 ERA and 30.3/5.5 K%/BB% in 166.1 IP. The one area where throwing the ball over the plate so much did impact him was hard hit, as he put up a career worst 8.9% Barrel% against. It’s why that elevated ERA isn’t all bad luck (3.67 xERA). Who knows if he will still be this guy next year though, as his pitch mix really didn’t change all that much from 2023, and he put up a 24.3/7.3 K%/BB% that year. At the end of the day, the statistical analysis on Gray is a fruitless endeavor. You are likely to get a #2 fantasy starter in some way, shape or form who is nearing the end of career at 35 years old. Really good win now piece. – 2025 Projection: 12/3.58/1.15/179 in 170 IP

181) Robbie Ray – SFG, LHP, 33.6 – I was a little hesitant to take the Tommy John discount on Ray considering his history of control problems and age, and while I was kinda right on the surface with him putting up a 4.70 ERA with a 11.6% BB%, and then hurting himself after 7 starts and missing all of September, I feel I was mostly wrong when you dig a little deeper. He was immediately back to being a K machine with a 33.3% K%, the 3.72 xERA looks much better than the ERA, the stuff has almost never looked better with a 94.1 MPH fastball (93.4 MPH in 2022), and the injury that ended his season was just a hamstring injury, which probably isn’t that big of a deal. Even though taking the Tommy John discount didn’t really pay off in 2024, it sure seems like it’s going to pay off over the next few seasons. His value still doesn’t seem that high right now, so you have another chance to get him at a slight discount this off-season too. He’s a win now target. – 2025 Projection: 11/3.72/1.23/190 in 160 IP

182) Isaac Paredes – HOU, 3B, 26.1 – Here is what I wrote about Paredes in my End of Season Dynasty Rankings: “Trade to Chicago had bad news written all over it as he got a major ballpark downgrade for his hitting profile, and that has played out with a 86 wRC+ in 47 games since the trade. Chicago has Cam Smith and Matt Shaw in the wings, so I think it’s very possible they flip him again this off-season.” … All is right with the world now that Chicago did the right thing and traded Paredes to a ballpark that fit his hitting style. And his hitting style is to often lift and pull lightly hit flyballs that barely clear a cheap left field wall. They say sports can mirror real life, so let’s use Paredes as a good lesson to find an environment that best fits your skills, rather than trying to jam your skills somewhere that doesn’t fit. He should get back to the hitter he was in Tampa with an about .250 BA, mid 20’s homers, and almost zero speed. Add a star in OBP leagues as he consistently walks a ton. – 2025 Projection: 77/25/83/.247/.350/.448/1

183) Ian Happ – CHC, OF, 30.8 – Happ raised his launch to a 5 year high of 15.1 degrees, and it resulted in a career high 25 homers. He’s always hit the ball very hard, so that bump in launch was just what the doctored ordered to give him that little bit of upside edge that he needed. He raised his launch every year over the last 5 years, so that gives hope this isn’t a one year glitch. OBP leagues are where he really shines with a .341 OPB and 12.2% BB%, so in OBP leagues this is a damn good all category contributor, and easily a Top 100 dynasty asset, if not higher. The .243 BA and 25.6% K% holds his upside down a bit in 5×5 BA, but he’s still really good in that format as well. 2025 Projection: 85/23/81/.251/.348/.443/11

184) Marcus Semien – TEX, 2B 34.7 – Semien is one of the top examples of a player with a slow bat still being able to thrive. There really aren’t a ton of these examples, and even Semien’s power has been all over the map throughout his career, ranging from the mid teens to the mid 40’s. He has a double below average 68.3 MPH swing, and while maybe it got even slower this year due to aging, he’s clearly always swung a slow bat, so I’m not blaming that on the down year (99 wRC+). All of the underlying numbers are more or less in line with career norms, so I do genuinely think it was just a down year, and not the start of a decline. Now having said that, the true start of the decline could easily come next year in his age 34 year old season, so you have to factor that into his dynasty value. He also stole only 8 bags in 159 games. If we can’t count on steals, his career .255 BA, and variable power, might not really be able to make up for it. He’s still a good win now player, but I think his name value is still higher than his true value in a dynasty league. I’m not looking to buy the decline years here. – 2025 Projection: 91/25/79/.250/.321/.450/12

185) Christian Yelich – MIL, OF, 33.4 – Just when we thought we were out of the woods, the damn back got Yelich again, undergoing season ending back surgery in August which put an end to a great season. He put up a 153 wRC+ with 11 homers and 22 steals in just 73 games. The .373 xwOBA and 28.5 ft/sec sprint backed up the surface stats. If not for the back injury, he was looking like a near elite win now piece, but I gotta say I’m scared off by the surgery. He’s 33 years old and he’s been dealing with a bad back for years now. I think his name value and great 2024 is going to keep his price very high, and in dynasty, I’m just not willing to pay that price with the back risk. 2025 Projection: 83/16/69/.274/.366/.439/20

186) Jhoan Duran – MIN, Closer, 27.3 – Duran is definitely the main closer in Minnesota, but they are not afraid to mix it up a little, so it does depress his saves totals a bit. He saved 23 games and had 7 holds in 54.1 IP. He missed the first month of the season with an oblique injury, so that played into the small save total too. Regardless of him losing some saves, he’s an elite (or maybe more accurately near elite as there are some damn good closers these days) closer with an elite 100.5 MPH fastball that notched a 36.1% whiff%, to go along with an elite curveball and good splitter. It led to a 2.70 xERA (3.64 ERA) with a 28.9/6.6 K%/BB%. Because he loses enough save chances to make a dent in his totals, I would consider him in the low end of the first tier of closers. – 2025 Projection: 4/2.94/1.10/84/29 saves in 65 IP

187) Andres Munoz – SEA, Closer, 26.3 – Munoz only closed 22 games in 59.1 IP because Seattle was mixing and matching with him early in the season, and also because of a mid-season back injury that interrupted his season for a bit. Seattle does like to mix and match a bit, so it’s possible his save totals won’t be quite as high as the top guys in the league. He’s pretty close to elite other than that though with a 2.12 ERA and 33.2/11.2 K%/BB%. The fastball sits 98.4 MPH, the slider is elite with a 48.5% whiff%, and the 97.5 MPH sinker is filthy with a negative 10 degree launch and 45% whiff%. – 2025 Projection: 4/2.78/1.10/83/30 saves in 62 IP

188) Matt Chapman – SFG, 3B, 31.11 – Chapman hit 9 homers at home and 18 homers on the road. Sorry to start his blurb off as a bummer, but his home ballpark is going to blunt any offensive upside he has. And he has considerable offensive upside with a 93.2 MPH EV and 16.2 degree launch. His 76.6 MPH swing was 6th best in baseball, so we are talking about a truly special power bat here. He’s hit a lot of homers in his career, but I’m scratching my head as to how he hasn’t hit even more. To his credit, Chapman took matters into his own hands and improved the areas of his game that were more ballpark proof, which was his baserunning (15 steals which was a career high by far), and contact (23.5% whiff% which was also a career high by far). He’s always been fast with a 28.7 ft/sec sprint, so I don’t see why he wouldn’t keep on running at least somewhat. I’ve always been a bit higher than consensus on Chapman because of the huge EV’s, but I’m always lower than consensus on SF hitters because of that terrible ballpark. So those two things cancel each other at and now puts me exactly at consensus for Chapman. – 2025 Projection: 89/28/81/.243/.330/.461/10

189) Jesus Luzardo – PHI, LHP, 27.6 – Luzardo was already one of my favorite bounce back calls for 2025, and after a good team like the Phillies just targeted him in a trade, I’m even more apt to go after him. His season ended in mid June with a lumbar stress reaction (back injury), but he already says he is 100%, and I doubt the Phillies trade for him if they were overly concerned about the injury. He was pitching terribly before going down with the injury with a 5.00 ERA and 21.2% K% in 66.2 IP, but he continued to show average to above average control (8% BB%), big velocity (95.2 MPH fastball), and two whiff machine secondaries (48% whiff% on the slider and 40.7% whiff% on the changeup). A 29.6% whiff% overall in elite. I’m not going to say he was purely unlucky, as the 4.55 xERA wasn’t good either, but underlying skills and pitches still look near ace level to me. Or at least high K, mid rotation starter level, which is an excellent fantasy pitcher. People have legitimately completely dipped out on Luzardo, making him a great target this off-season. 2025 Projection: 12/3.68/1.21/176 in 160 IP

190) Taj Bradley – TBR, RHP, 24.1 – Bradley’s stuff just gets hit too hard to truly put him in the young ace tier. He put up a 91.2 MPH EV with a 10.2% Barrel% against in 2024, and he basically did the exact same thing in 2023. That is 242.2 IP of getting hit really hard, so it’s not an aberration. It’s just part of his game. But even with him getting hit that hard, his stuff is explosive enough, and it misses enough bats, to still result in a very good season. He put up a 4.11 ERA with a 1.22 WHIP and 26.6/8.1 K%/BB% in 138 IP. The fastball sits 96.4 MPH and put up a respectable 21% whiff%. The splitter (33% whiff%) and cutter (32.4% whiff%) are both above average to plus pitches, and he throws a lesser used curve that missed bats too (34.6% whiff%). It resulted in a well above average 27.4% whiff%. Improving his command is probably his best hope to bring that Barrel% down in the future, and at only 24 years old, that is more than possible. And if anyone can help him figure it out, it’s Tampa. – 2025 Projection: 10/3.76/1.20/173 in 160 IP

191) Gavin Williams – CLE, RHP, 25.8 – Williams might be in a very nice buy low pocket of his career right now. He started the season on the IL with elbow discomfort, and it seemed like he could never really find that groove after debuting in early July. He put up a 4.86 ERA with a 23.8/9.6 K%/BB% in 76 IP, but the 4.14 xERA shows he got unlucky, and the fastball velocity was actually up a tick to 96.6 MPH. His curve and cutter both missed bats (30.4% whiff% and 34.1% whiff%) and put up solid xwOBA’s (.241 and .277). None of his pitches are truly dominant and the control is below average, so this isn’t a case where a big breakout is a foregone conclusion. He definitely needs to make improvements this off-season to his arsenal and command, but the raw ingredients and talent are in there to do that. He could be a reasonably priced target for a team in any part of the contention cycle (win now, rebuild, retool, stuck in the middle etc …), but I would be careful about overpaying, as he still has good name value from his strong rookie year. – 2025 Projection: 10/3.79/1.28/160 in 150 IP Update: Looks good in spring and gets a bump, but I would still be careful about going too crazy here

192) Gerrit Cole – NYY, RHP, 34.7 – I was slightly low on Cole in 2024, closing out his Top 1,000 blurb by writing, “there are some indications he might be coming back to the pack a bit,” and then shortly after that he got hit with nerve inflammation and edema in his elbow, which delayed the start of his season until mid June. It resulted in the worst season he’s had since his breakout with a 3.41 ERA and 25.5/7.4 K%/BB% in 95 IP. He also put up a lowly 17.7/8.1 K%/BB% in 29 innings in the playoffs (albeit with a 2.17 ERA). I think it’s fair to say that the days of elite Cole are likely gone, although maybe you can say a full off-season to get healthy will produce a bounce back season. The 95.9 MPH fastball was a career low and his secondaries are starting to become pretty unimpressive. His secondaries used to be whiff machines, but that took a big step back in 2023, and then it took another step back this year with his overall whiff% down to a slightly below average 24.8%. He’s had below average Barrels against for years now, so he’s not an inducing weak contact guy, and his control took a step back this year as well. For sure you have to factor in some health bounce back, but he took a step back in 2023 when he was healthy, so I’m not sure how much to factor in. He’s still a reliable vet who should produce near ace production, but it seems his days of being a tippy top dynasty asset are over. – 2025 Projection: OUT Update: Underwent Tommy John surgery which could keep him out until mid-season 2026 depending on rehab schedule. That means he will be almost 36 years old when he returns, and he was already on the decline. His value takes a big hit

193) Nick Lodolo – CIN, LHP, 27.2 – The Eternal Buy Low is back at it again. It wouldn’t be a dynasty baseball off-season without Nick Lodolo being a buy low candidate. I imagine that one day I will be in my 80’s, and I will be writing about how Nick Lodolo Jr. is a great buy low candidate. Like father, like son (or maybe like grandfather, like grandson at that point). But back to this present timeline, it really is the same old story, different details. Lodolo missed time this year with a groin injury and finger injury, but neither are to his arm, so it’s not as concerning long term even if these non arm injuries are starting to pile up. He also underperformed his underlying numbers with a 4.76 ERA vs. 3.78 xERA in 115.1 IP. The K% dropped a bit this year with a 24.7/7.5 K%/BB%, but the stuff is still excellent, so I’m also not overly concerned with that. He has a 94.1 MPH fastball that put up a respectable .323 xwOBA and 23% whiff%. The curveball is plus to double plus with a .233 xwOBA and 42.5% whiff%. He also throws a decent changeup and sinker, giving him a legit 4 pitch mix. The control is average or maybe even above. It’s been a frustrating start to his career because we all know there is so much more in here, but I’m not letting that frustration get to me. Certainly do not sell low on this man, and once again, target him. – 2025 Projection: 10/3.73/1.22/166 in 150 IP

194) Brandon Pfaadt – ARI, RHP, 26.6 – I would say Pfaadt is a major dynasty buy with a 4.71 ERA vs. 3.78 xERA in 181.2 IP, but I feel like he’s too easy to identify as a “buy low,” making him not a buy low. I think he’s getting fairly priced as it’s obvious he got unlucky in 2024. xERA actually likes him the least out of every ERA estimator, so FIP-heads or SIERA fiends will be all over him. He has a bat missing 93.8 MPH fastball (22.4% whiff%), a groundball inducing 93.7 MPH sinker (negative one degree launch), three bat missing secondaries (the sweeper leads the way with a 36.2% whiff%), double plus control with a 24.3/5.5 K%/BB%, and a great track record of health. I’m definitely buying and would be all over any discount, but I’m not so sure there is going to be a big discount in most leagues. – 2025 Projection: 12/3.71/1.19/178 in 175 IP

195) Logan O’Hoppe – LAA, C, 25.2 – O’Hoppe was unsurprisingly not able to keep up his insane homer pace from 2023, but he locked himself in as a legit power hitter with 20 homers, a 12% Barrel%, 90.4/95.4 MPH AVG/FB EV and a 15.3 degree launch in 136 games. Unfortunately, he also locked in that he isn’t going to hit for a high average or OBP with a 29.7/6.3 K%/BB%, backed up by a 33.6% whiff% and 34% Chase%. I’m betting on him being able to improve the hit tool and plate approach somewhat as he gains more experience (remember that it can take catchers longer to develop offensively with how much focus they put on defense/pitching), which could set him up for some big seasons considering those underlying power metrics. The little thorn is that Travis d’Arnaud just signed a 2 year deal, which is almost certainly going to cut into O’Hoppe’s playing time. – 2025 Projection: 66/24/75/.249/.317/.446/2

196) Willson Contreras – STL, C, 32.11 – It was announced that Contreras will be moved to 1B, so you are on a one year notice to figure out your catcher spot for 2026 and beyond if you own Contreras. Maybe that plan can entail going over his replacement, Ivan Herrera, but we’ll get to him later. The good news is that you should at the least get a boost in playing time at your catcher position for 2025, and maybe even a production boost without him having to take a beating behind the plate. He also has the bat to profile at 1B with his 3rd straight season of putting up an xwOBA that was in the top 7% of baseball (.365 xwOBA in 2024). His 75.9 MPH swing is elite, just to give you another idea of how legit his bat is, and he crushes the ball with a 91.6 MPH EV and 11.2% Barrel%. The only negative of his profile is that he swings and misses a lot with a 35% whiff%, and while that is a career worst, it’s really not far off at all from his career norms, so I wouldn’t be worried about his BA (career .258 BA). He’s getting up there in age, but for 2025, he has a shot to outdo his younger brother for the top fantasy catcher in the game. – 2025 Projection: 84/27/86/.255/.350/.470/5

197) Felix Bautista – BAL, Closer, 29.9 – Bautista underwent Tommy John surgery in October of 2023, and all signs seem to point to a smooth recovery process, so he should be good to go for 2025. If he is legitimately fully healthy, there is zero doubt that he is the elite of the elite with a 1.48 ERA and 46.4/11.0 K%/BB% in 61 IP in 2023. The 99.5 MPH fastball notched a 37.8% whiff% and the splitter was untouchable with a 60.2% whiff% and .113 xwOBA. As we’ve seen with pitchers coming back from Tommy John though, it is not a guarantee that they are actually 100% healthy. Sometimes everything is back but the control. Sometimes everything is back but the secondaries. Sometimes the velocity is a bit down. Sometimes there are setbacks. On a general dynasty ranking, I think factoring in some of that risk is the right play, but for your personal dynasty team, if you want to just assume he will be fully healthy and elite, I have no problem with that. He was also so insanely good, that if he takes a step back, he could still be the best closer in baseball. – 2025 Projection: 4/2.95/0.98/88/32 saves in 60 IP

198) Nico Hoerner – CHC, 2B, 27.11 – Hoerner is a super simple evaluation as an elite contact/speed/defense play with a 10.3% K% and 31 steals in 151 games. He graded out as the 3rd best defensive 2B in baseball behind only Marcus Semien and Andres Gimenez. There isn’t much power here and there isn’t much coming either with a 1.2% Barrel% (that is 6 total barrels all season), leading to only 7 homers. The Paredes/Cam Smith trade seems to take some of the trade heat off Hoerner for now pending future moves, but he’s a starter no matter where he lands. – 2025 Projection: 83/8/50/.280/.339/.389/30

199) Bryson Stott – PHI, 2B, 27.6 – I always thought Stott had the possibility of another level of power to unleash considering his size (6’3”, 200 pounds), and decent EV data (88.1 MPH in 2023), but now seeing his double below average 68.2 MPH swing, I realize that it wasn’t actually a very good possibility. I know I’ve said it in a ton of player blurbs already, but this new bat speed data is so awesome to have. If the bat speed data didn’t tell me that more power wasn’t coming, his 2024 numbers would have told me anyway with his EV hitting a career low 87 MPH, leading to only 11 homers in 148 games. The contact was still excellent (16.3% K%), the speed was on point (32 steals with a 29.1 ft/sec sprint), and the 9.3% BB% was a career best. I’m no longer holding out hope for a breakout (although you still never know), but his contact/speed profile is still enticing. – 2025 Projection: 79/15/65/.268/.327/.407/31

200) Reese Olson – DET, RHP, 25.8 – Olson’s 21.7/7.1 K%/BB% in 112.1 IP (a shoulder injury interrupted his season, but he was 100% when he returned in September) was not all that impressive, but his surface stats, underlying numbers, and individual pitch data was all pretty impressive to me, which makes me override my usual K/BB is king stance. He put up a 3.53 ERA with a 1.18 WHIP. The 3.64 xERA backs up the ERA. The K% is also deceptively low with a 28.7% whiff% which is double plus and nearing on elite. His slider is a double plus pitch with a 45.5% whiff%, and the changeup is plus too with a 42.9% whiff%. The 94.2 MPH 4-seamer isn’t good, but the 94.2 sinker is with a +6 Run Value that was 37th best in baseball. He can keep the ball on the ground (50.6% GB%), he can miss bats, and the control is above average and bordering on plus. He’s a really good young starter, and with a 270 NFBC ADP, he’s definitely underrated. – 2025 Projection: 10/3.69/1.20/153 in 150 IP

201) Shea Langeliers – OAK, C, 27.5 – Langeliers’ 29 homers was 2nd in baseball for catchers behind only Cal Raleigh, and he’s about to get a major ballpark upgrade in 2025. He will certainly compete at the top of that category again because he absolutely smashes the ball with a 91.3/95.4 MPH AVG/FB EV, and he launches it with a 16.3 degree launch. It’s going to come with a low batting average (27.2/7.7 K%/BB%), but that is just the game with the vast majority of catchers. He’s a perfect example of it taking catchers a bit longer to develop offensively after getting taken 9th overall in 2019, but he’s arrived. – 2025 Projection: 64/26/78/.237/.306/.447/3

202) Alec Bohm – PHI, 3B, 28.8 – There is a reason why I am locked in on power/speed upside when targeting minor league players, rather than the better in real life, low launch line drive hitters, because even when they completely pan out, like Alec Bohm, it just makes for such a boring fantasy player. He put up a career best (other than his smaller sample rookie year) 115 wRC+ with a .280 BA, and it still resulted in him finishing 84th on the Razzball Player Rater. He hit 15 homers with 5 steals and 159 combined RBI/Runs. It just isn’t hard production to replace, maybe except the BA, but if I’m going to make a BA play, they better steal a bunch of bases too. Even when a player like this works out, they still make for a kinda awkward fit on my roster with how I like to build my teams. They just aren’t my type of players. – 2025 Projection: 75/18/92/.278/.330/.445/5

203) Michael Busch – CHC, 1B, 27.4 – Busch is a mixed bag of things you really want to buy into, and things that make you hesitant to buy in too hard. On the positive side, his 11.2% Barrel%, 89.9/95.4 MPH AVG/FB EV, and 17.2 degree launch makes you think he can truly be a preeminent power hitter in this game. But those numbers only resulted in 21 homers in 152 games last year, and his expected homer totals were right in that area too, so he wasn’t really unlucky there. His below average 70.3 MPH swing it really the thing that makes me hesitant to start projecting perennial 30+ homer seasons. The true top power hitters in the game generally swing a much, much quicker bat, and while that bat speed doesn’t preclude him from hitting 30+, I think it does make mid 20 homer projections more reasonable moving forward, which would make him a good fantasy first baseman, but not a truly great one. And of course the most obvious downside is the swing and miss with a 28.6% K%, leading to a .248 BA and .217 xBA. I’m not expecting his BA to bottom out, but I think the risk is there. Add a star in OBP leagues as his plate approach is excellent with a 11.1% BB% and well above average 23.2% Chase%. 2025 Projection: 77/25/83/.244/.330/.458/2

204) Michael Toglia – COL, 1B/OF, 26.8 – Tyler Soderstrom is my 2024 version of Mark Vientos, because Vientos “came out of nowhere” and Soderstrom fits that a bit better, but Toglia is most definitely one of my top power bat targets for 2025. He put up a 17.3% Barrel% in 116 games. I mean, I could honestly end the blurb right there. Go get this man … but I’ll continue. His 92.1/95.7 MPH AVG/FB EV is beastly, which he combines with a 15.1 degree launch. He swings a quick bat with a 73.2 MPH swing, and it’s not very long either at 7.5 feet. The hit tool is definitely an issue with a 32.1% K%, 34.9% whiff%, and .218 BA, but Coors Field will give him all the help he can get there, and his .244 xBA isn’t bat at all. The hit tool risk is also fully factored into his current price, and I would argue overly factored in. He also stole 10 bags in 11 attempts (in only 116 games), which is an nice little bonus to offset the low BA. And in OBP leagues he’s an even bigger target with an 11.8% BB%. I’m willing to take on the batting average risk when the power upside is so high. I’m going after Toglia. 2025 Projection: 77/31/89/.232/.320/.475/9

205) Dansby Swanson – CHC, SS, 31.2 – Swanson had a bit of a down year with a .701 OPS, but it’s just the normal ebb and flow of a career. His true talent level remains the same. His .321 xwOBA was better than the .307 wOBA, and he was excellent in the 2nd half, slashing .288/.353/.452 with 8 homers, 14 steals, and a 19.8/9.4 K%/BB% in his final 68 games. He doesn’t standout in any one category, but he can make a true impact in all of them. – 2025 Projection: 84/23/82/.250/.323/.431/17

206) Masyn Winn – STL, SS, 23.0 – Winn stole only 11 bags in 16 attempts, which is definitely a bit concerning for his type of profile. He was a very good and successful base stealer in the minors, and he has legit double plus speed, but both his attempts and success rate plummeted in the majors over the last two years. He’s still just 23 years old, so I definitely expect improvement there, but it’s hard to just assume he becomes a true perennial 30+ guy, let alone a 20+ guy. The good news is that while he currently has a hit/speed profile, there is real potential for him to add power. He cracked 15 homers with a 13.2 degree launch and 87 MPH EV in 150 games. There is definitely room for him to add on more raw power, and he also has the ability to pull the ball more to get to that raw power. The 89.3 MPH FB EV and below average 70.2 MPH swing gives me some pause to project too many power gains here, but considering he just hit 15 in his age 22 year old season, I don’t see why 20 would be out of the question at peak. My gut tells me he stays a mostly hit/speed player throughout his career, or a moderate across the board type a la the guy ranked right below him (Jeremy Pena), but I do see the upside for another level. – 2025 Projection: 84/16/62/.266/.317/.415/18

207) Jeremy Pena – HOU, SS, 27.6 – Pena was already 24 years old when he broke into the bigs in 2022, and it turns out he was more or less an already finished product. He put up a .304 xwOBA in 2022, a .310 xwOBA in 2023, and a .310 xwOBA in 2024. He gets the bat on the ball, he hits it hard enough, and while he’s lightning fast, he’s only an average to above average base stealer. It all adds up to a solid but unspectacular across the board profile. He has an exact 100 wRC+ in his career, which is always fun. Not a league winner, but the deeper the league, the more valuable he becomes, and he can definitely be a low end starter on a shallower championship team too. – 2025 Projection: 82/17/71/.269/.320/.410/18

208) Ivan Herrera – STL, C, 24.10 – With Willson Contreras moving to 1B, Herrera is taking over as St. Louis’ starting catcher, and he has the potential to be a truly impact fantasy catcher with hit, power, and stolen bases in his arsenal. He’s coming off a rookie year where he put up a 127 wRC+ with a .366 xwOBA in 72 games. That xwOBA led all catchers. Leading all catchers in xwOBA in your rookie year is damn exciting. He does everything offensively with a 9% Barrel%, 89.3 MPH EV, 9.2 degree launch and a 20.5/9.7 K%/BB%. His 73.3 MPH swing is easily plus, giving him a pretty potent swing speed/contact combo. His 27.3 ft/sec sprint is about average, and he’s started to run more with 11 steals in 83 games at Triple-A in 2023, and now 8 steals in 99 games split between Triple-A and the majors this year. Chipping in like that helps when other catchers might get you 0-2 steals. His launch isn’t conducive to big homer totals, but he definitely has the potential to hit much more than he hit this year, and if you want a catcher who doesn’t tank your BA, Herrera is your man. He’s my top catcher target for dynasty. – 2025 Projection: 72/15/66/.271/.340/.428/7

209) J.T. Realmuto – PHI, C, 34.0 – Realmuto battled a sore knee basically all season and it limited him to 99 games. It’s likely why he stole just 2 bags in 4 attempts. Without stolen bases, his profile gets a lot more pedestrian, and while his 28.4 ft/sec sprint speed was still high, it seems like wishful thinking to count on him continuing to steal a considerable amount of bags as he enters his mid 30’s. He hits the ball hard enough with a 89.2/94.8 MPH AVG/FB EV to have plenty of value without the steals, but it definitely lops off some upside off the top. And we also have to start taking age related decline into account. I still think he’s a very good win now catcher, but his dynasty value is definitely on the decline. – 2025 Projection: 73/21/75/.265/.328/.443/9

210) Salvador Perez – KCR, C/1B, 34.11 – I keep trying to predict Perez’ decline, and he keeps chugging along just fine, finishing as the 3rd best catcher in fantasy in 2024. As usual, he ripped dingers with 27 homers, a 91.1 MPH EV, and 19.0 degree launch. He also managed to actually improve his plate approach with a 6 year best 19.8% K% and career best 6.7% BB%. He still chases a ton with a 42.9% Chase%, but a 73.2 MPH swing is firmly plus, so the cliff ain’t here yet. Father time is obviously undefeated, so the decline will come soon, but it sure seems like he has some more good seasons in him yet. I just still feel hesitant to be the one left holding the bag when it does happen. – 2025 Projection: 59/26/83/.258/.307/.451/0

211) Josh Jung – TEX, 3B, 27.2 – Jung suffered a broken wrist after getting hit by a pitch just 4 games into the season, and wrist injuries are known to linger and absolutely kill hitters. Unfortunately, that is exactly what happened with Jung. He underwent surgery to repair the wrist, and when he returned in late July, he just wasn’t the same hitter. He put up a 86.2 MPH EV after notching a 91.8 MPH EV in 2023. It’s clear he wasn’t healthy, and the Rangers ended up shutting him down in late September. He then got another surgery on the tendon in that wrist in October. I’m pretty scared off by wrist injuries for hitters. It ended Alex Kirilloff’s career before it could even get off the ground, among others. Like with his teammate Evan Carter, I don’t want to just live in complete fear of an injury, and nobody really knows if it will eventually completely heal, or if this is now going to be a constant problem. And like Carter, I just don’t think it makes sense to sell low in cases like this. We’ve seen what a healthy Jung could do in 2023 (23 homers in 122 games), and while it’s anyone’s guess if he will be completely healthy in 2025, I would hold on to find out. He’s a hold. I would definitely take a star away in OBP leagues though, as he now has 805 MLB PA with a .301 OBP. – 2025 Projection: 71/23/78/.253/.307/.445/6

212) Brandon Nimmo – NYM, OF, 32.0 – Nimmo stole a career high by far 15 bags in 151 games out of nowhere. He stole 3 in 2023 and 2022. He was also a perfect 15 for 15, and he was a terrible base stealer every other year of his career. It’s almost like some players didn’t prepare for the new rules in 2023, saw everyone else run wild, and then they were like, hey, I can do that too. And with a 28 ft/sec sprint, maybe he can keep up at least a large portion of the gains. He also backed up his power uptick from 2023 with a 9.1% Barrel%, 91.9 MPH EV, and 11.2 degree launch. A BABIP induced .224 BA was the only issue with his season, and without poor luck, he would have easily had yet another season of around a 130 wRC+. Nimmo has a career 128 wRC+ in 911 games. Come to think of it, is he the most underappreciated hitter of this generation? He’s been consistently great his entire career, but this level up in power seems legit, and he finally learned how to steal bags. I actually don’t think a monster season is out of the question this year. And add two stars in OBP leagues as a lot of the career wRC+ is due to double plus walk rates. – 2025 Projection: 91/23/86/.258/.349/.451/9

213) Xander Bogaerts – SDP, 2B/SS, 32.6 – Bogaerts put up a .581 OPS in his first 47 games before hitting the IL with a fractured shoulder. He’s been such a lukewarm fantasy player for a little while now, and at already 31 years old, I was just about ready to put the dagger in his fantasy value, but he returned a new man not even 2 months later. He closed out the season slashing .299/.338/.432 with 7 homers, 9 steals, and a 14.8/6.1 K%/BB% in his final 64 games. It’s still not a profile I’m looking to buy into as he gets deeper into his 30’s, but he clearly proved the shoulder injury wasn’t as bad as it sounded. He should have a few more seasons of solid across the board production left in him. – 2025 Projection; 80/17/67/.278/.343/.429/17

214) Brice Turang – MIL, 2B, 25.5 – Turang stole 50 bags in 2024, which was 3rd in all of baseball behind only Elly and Shohei. Unfortunately, that is all he does with a 2.4% Barrel%, .254 BA (.261 xBA),.665 OPS, and .297 xwOBA. He’s a bottom of the order guy, but his plate skills are pretty good (17.0/8.1 K%/BB%), and he walked a lot in the minors, so his path to improvement is putting up a good enough BA/OBP to hit at the top of the order. He’s a good defensive 2B and a good SS too, so his glove should keep him on the field. – 2025 Projection: 76/9/55/.263/.322/.379/41

215) Gleyber Torres – DET, 2B, 28.4 – Gleyber had a very easy to identify down season. They happen. He was 27 in a contract year and the individual components of the underlying numbers were all in line with career norms. I don’t think he just fell off out of nowhere. Plus, the hot streak did finally come at the end of the season with a .861 OPS in his final 35 games. He’s an easy bet to bounce back, but he landed in Detroit, which is one of the worst parks for righty homers, so that isn’t going to help his upside at all. Another issue for fantasy is that he isn’t a good base stealer, he’s slow, and he stole only 4 bags last year, so we aren’t really talking about big upside here. He’s more of a solid bat than a standout one. – 2025 Projection: 84/23/72/.265/.338/.444/8

216) Andres Gimenez – TOR, 2B, 26.7 – The power uptick just isn’t coming for Gimenez with it actually going in the opposite direction in 2024 with a career worst 2.8% Barrel%. It led to just 9 homers in 152 games. You can tell Cleveland gave up on it too, trading him for essentially rotation depth (and some upside in Ortiz). He’s also a bottom of the order hitter with a 4.1% BB%. He’s one of the best defensive 2B in baseball, so the glove will keep him on the field, and the contact/speed profile is legit with a 15.3% K% and 30 steals. You can never say never when it comes to power upticks in your mid to late 20’s, but the indicators just aren’t there to bet on it. – 2025 Projection: 73/14/65/.262/.321/.396/30

217) Maikel Garcia – KCR, 3B/2B, 25.1 – Garcia was a major target for me last off-season, and while he didn’t have the game power breakout I thought was possible, and despite being very unlucky, he still finished 115th overall on the Razzball Player Rater, which is better than I expected considering the disappointing season. His 37 steals were the 7th most in baseball, and he only got caught 2 times. He hit only .231, but with a 16.5% K% and 90.4 MPH EV, that is so clearly the result of bad luck (.260 xBA). He didn’t make any attempts to unlock more game power with a low launch and low pull rate, so that just might not be an adjustment he’s interested in making. He’s entering his mid 20’s, and I do still think a game power uptick is possible, but it’s hard to count on it. He’s an above average defensive player at 3B and he doesn’t have much competition for the job, so all indications are that KC is going to run it back with Garcia in 2025, but it’s likely to come at the bottom of the order this year, especially after the India trade. I can’t say he’s a major target for me this off-season, and while I lean calling him a miss, maybe a neutral is more accurate. He’s settling in as a contact/speed play, but the high EV gives him just enough of an upside boost to stay interesting. – 2025 Projection: 76/10/64/.266/.320/.382/29

218) Ha-Seong Kim – TBR, SS, 29.6 – Kim’s season ended in mid August with a shoulder injury that resulted in labrum surgery in October, and it’s expected to keep him out into May. Shoulder injuries are also high risk when it comes to hitting. And it’s also not great for projecting steals, because it’s possible he decides to play it safe, or at least safer on the bases to not reinjure the shoulder. So he doesn’t seem like the best value for 2025, and by 2026, he will be entering his 30’s. It kinda puts his dynasty value in limbo, and I would be hard pressed to value him too highly right now. If not for the injury, I would have really loved him. His underlying skills have gotten better every single year of his stateside career, culminating with a career best 87.9 MPH EV and 16.4/12.3 K%/BB% in 121 games. He’s a 30+ steals guy with some real pop (mid teens homers) and pretty elite plate skills. He only hit .233 last year, and while some of that was definitely bad luck, he does hit the ball in the air a lot, and not all that hard, so it’s not all bad luck. But it’s the injury that is truly holding me back from going higher, because without that, I would be a big fan. – 2025 Projection: 61/12/45/.252/.336/.390/20

219) Clarke Schmidt – NYY, RHP, 29.1 – Schmidt’s breakout/leveling up has slid just far enough under the radar to land in a perfect target range, although without a current lock on a rotation spot, it’s kinda hard to go all in on him as a target. He put up a 2.85 ERA with a 26.3/8.5 K%/BB% in 85.1 IP, and while he certainly got lucky with a 3.78 xERA, I think that xERA is underselling him too. Let’s start with the fact he had a 29.4% whiff% overall, which should immediately get your attention. The cutter he added in 2023 has leveled up into a plus pitch with a 32.2% whiff%, which he combines with an above average to plus sweeper (.269 xwOBA with a 29.7% whiff%), and plus to double plus curve (.217 xwOBA with a 33% whiff%). The 94.3 MPH sinker also missed the most bats of it’s career with a 20.3% whiff%. He had about average control last year and he’s had average to above average control in his career, so there are zero issues there. He doesn’t get hit particularly hard either with an above average 5.9% Barrel%. That is just a really, really strong overall skillset, and at the least it should result in a good fantasy starter. At the most, there is legit #2 starter potential in here. Like all pitchers, injuries are a concern, and he did miss over 3 months mid-season with a lat strain. He wasn’t quite as good when he returned in September, so that is probably a major reason his price is a bit depressed, but I’ll just use that as a buying opportunity. I can’t in good conscious go all in on a possible 6th starter, but if he had a rotation spot, he would rank considerably higher than this. – 2025 Projection: 11/3.58/1.19/169 in 160 IP Udpate: Injuries have secured Schmidt’s spot in the rotation and is back to being a very fairly priced high floor/high upside target. Update to the Update: Schmidt hurt his shoulder himself now, but it doesn’t seem like a serious injury

220) Tyler Soderstrom – OAK, 1B, 23.4 – Soderstrom hit 2 homers in 26 games at home vs. 7 homers in 35 games on the road. Sacramento is a well below average hitter’s park for Triple-A, but I would be surprised if it didn’t play at least neutral, and maybe much better than that in relation to major league parks, while Oakland was one of the worst parks for homers. For a pure power hitting prospect, getting out of Oakland is a major upside boost for his value, and with how hard Soderstrom hits the ball, he’s actually a major target for me this off-season. He’s my Mark Vientos of 2025. The dude smokes the ball with a 91.9/97.4 MPH AVG/FB EV, resulting in a near elite 14.6% Barrel%. That is truly beastly power. Like Vientos, that is really the only attribute he brings, but near elite power conquers all, and the hit tool and plate approach were very encouraging as well, relatively. He put up a very respectable 24.9/9.4 K%/BB% in 61 games. On the downside, a 30.1% whiff% shows the hit tool isn’t completely out of the woods yet, and he’s also a true 0 in stolen bases. He might not end up as underrated as Vientos by the time draft season rolls around, but there is little chance his power will get the respect it deserves with the ballpark upgrade coming. Nick Kurtz is charging quickly for the 1B job, but I find it hard to believe that Oakland will be crowded enough to push Soderstrom out if he’s raking (he should get some run at catcher too, possibly gaining eligibility during the season), and I’m betting on him raking. Go after him. – 2025 Projection: 69/27/81/.248/.323/.465/1

221) Jorge Soler – LAA, OF, 33.1 – Soler got traded out of San Francisco, and magically the power returned with 9 homers in 49 games with Atlanta and only 12 homers in 93 games with SF (and only 4 homers in 49 games at SF-Oracle Park). This is why I like Conforto so much. Bad ballparks can simply crush power hitters. Soler signed with the Angels this off-season (Top 10 ballpark for righty homers), so he landed in a great spot. He absolutely crushes the ball with a 12.6% Barrel%, 90.5 MPH EV, and an elite 75.4 MPH swing, he lifts it with a 17.9 degree launch, and his contact rates have stabilized for a while now with a 24.6/11.8 K%/BB%. I’m looking at the Angels lineup right now, and I actually like it a ton if things breaking right. Trout can’t stay healthy and Neto already might not be ready for the start of the season, so banking on things breaking right might not be a good bet, but I’m just saying. Christian Moore is waiting in the wings too, and Mathew Lugo ain’t chopped liver either. They signed Kikuchi, Soriano is a favorite of mine, and they have pretty damn good rotation depth in the minors. It’s not a high end rotation, but it’s kinda deep. I gotta say, with a Win O/U at 71.5, that could be my favorite O/U on the slate. I can’t in good conscious recommend you follow in my footsteps, but I’m in on that (and you know I’m crazy enough I’ll pop that WS long shot bet on them too ha). – 2025 Projection: 80/28/80/.242/.330/.471/1

222) Michael Conforto – LAD, OF, 32.1 – If you missed out on Teoscar Hernandez’ monster bounce back season, the universe is giving you another chance this off-season to rectify that mistake. It is nearly an exact replica of the Teoscar situation with Conforto this off-season. The Dodgers signed Conforto to a 1 year, $17 million contract, and it’s almost like nobody else in baseball understands how ballpark factors work. I’m starting to think the Dodgers are so “smart” only relative to how dumb everyone else is. Conforto goes from the 28th worst park for lefty homers (SF) to the 6th best. He hit 3 homers at home vs. 17 on the road. I mean, come on. Could it get anymore obvious? Yes. Yes it can. He had a 11.8% Barrel%, a 90.2/95.4 MPH AVG/LD EV, 14.8 degree launch, a 74.1 MPH swing, and 24.2/8.6 K%/BB%. And he actually hit lefties better than righties last year, so there isn’t that much platoon risk. There was no team out there willing to give him a 2 or 3 year deal? You let the Dodgers just do it again? He’s a major win now buy target going for a song of a price (still only 280th overall NFBC ADP over the last month). 2025 Projection: 77/25/84/.250/.338/.468/2

223) Matt Wallner – MIN, OF, 27.3 – Wallner has 580 PA in his 3 year career and is slashing .251/.366/.500 with 29 homers, 6 steals, and a 34.5/10.0 K%/BB%. It’s good for a 144 wRC+. I mean, that is no joke. His 77.2 MPH swing is in the elite of the elite, and he utterly smashes the ball with a 17.5% Barrel% and 92.8 MPH EV. Yea, the strikeout rate is high, and yea, he doesn’t hit lefties well, but this is an absolutely extraordinary power hitter. Even in a platoon role, I almost don’t see how he wouldn’t crack 30 homers, and while the counterargument is that you have to make contact in order to hit homers, he has a career .251 BA in a not that small of a sample. I see the negatives, but I don’t know, that upside is too high for me to focus on them. I’m in on Wallner. – 2025 Projection: 72/30/83/.241/.348/.491/5

224) Jo Adell – LAA, OF, 26.0 – I feel crazy for even saying this, but I think Jo Adell is a target for me this off-season. I know, I know, even saying it out loud sounds downright silly, but hear me out. He just put up a .312 xwOBA in 130 games, which is nearly average, and he massively improved his contact rates with a 29.8% whiff% (38.5% in 2023) and 27.9% K% (40.3% in 2023). Nobody doubts his humongous talent, but just in case you need a reminder, his 76.7 MPH swing is 5th best in all of baseball. The names around him on that leaderboard are Stanton, Oneil Cruz, Schwarber, Judge, Chapman, Yordan, Ohtani, Julio, and Gunnar. The only qualified hitter in that area who wasn’t good was Christopher Morel. If you lower the minimum qualification you will get more hit tool busts like Adell, but point being it shows off legit monster talent. And he has the EV to back it up with a 89.8/96.4 MPH AVG/FB EV. That FB EV is near elite. He also has plus speed with a 28.8 ft/sec sprint. He only hit .207 with a 90 wRC+ on the season, but he slashed .253/.341/.440 with 6 homers, 5 steals, and a 25.3/10.0 K%/BB% in his final 46 games before his season ended with an oblique injury. It can often take uber athletes into their mid to late 20’s to figure out the hit tool, but when they do, it can pay off huge. It sure seems like Adell took a big step forward there in 2024. I know I’m going to end up regretting this, hah, but boy do I like Adell a lot right now relative to his perceived value. – 2025 Projection: 72/26/81/.237/.310/.449/15

225) Jose Soriano – LAA, RHP, 26.6 – Everyone is focused on the Garrett Crochet and Reynaldo Lopez success stories of relievers being transitioned (back) into starters, and that allows Soriano to fly ever so quietly under the radar, putting him in perfect target territory. He put up a 3.42 ERA with a 20.7/9.6 K%/BB% in 113 IP. The K% isn’t high, but he makes up for that with a negative 6 degree launch on the back of an elite 97.7 MPH sinker. It was the 4th most valuable sinker in baseball, behind only Wheeler, Skenes and Webb. That is heady territory right there. And it’s not like he doesn’t have an out pitch secondary with a plus to double plus curve that put up a 40.2% whiff% on 25.4% usage. He also throws a lesser used splitter (32.9% whiff% on 8.1% usage) and slider (46.3% whiff% on 5.5% usage), giving him 3 legit swing and miss secondaries. He put up a 36.2% whiff% in 42 IP out of the bullpen in 2023, so it’s clear this guy has strikeout upside. And it’s clear he has nasty stuff with elite ground ball rates. His excellent 2024 was not a fluke, and I think it’s just the beginning. He reminds of a righty Framber Valdez before Valdez’ control took a step forward, which is the last thing Soriano needs to do if he want to become a #2 fantasy starter. His season ended in mid August with arm fatigue, which isn’t great, but it doesn’t seem serious. I’m all systems go for Soriano this off-season. – 2025 Projection: 10/3.62/1.21/144 in 150 IP

226) Yusei Kikuchi – LAA, LHP, 33.2 – Houston fully unleashed the beast in Kikuchi with a 2.70 ERA and 31.8/5.9 K%/BB% in 60 IP. He put up a 4.75 ERA with a 26.2/6.0 K%/BB% in 115.2 IP with Toronto. He started throwing the slider more and the curve less after the trade, and considering his slider has put up much better Run Value’s the past 2 seasons, yea, that makes sense. Is the difference between smart franchises and not as smart franchises just like, competence? This isn’t high level stuff here. I also think smart franchises gain considerable edges with pitch calling and defensive alignments, so it’s not purely just “throw this pitch more,” it’s more nuanced than that. All of that to say, signing with the Angels is not great news hah. I’m not running for the hills or anything, because he still has an enticing profile. He has big velocity with a bat missing 95.5 MPH fastball (28.0% whiff%), the control gains from 2023 actually took another step forward, and his 3 secondaries are average to above average. If he went to a good organization, I would have like him even more, but he still deserves a good ranking with the Angels. – 2025 Projection: 11/3.83/1.24/193 in 169 IP

227) Tanner Houck – BOS, RHP, 28.9 – Houck put up a 3.12 ERA in 178.2 IP, but let’s see what all the ERA estimators say about that. SIERA isn’t buying it at 3.73. xERA hates his guts at 4.11. xFIP is a bit more forgiving, but still not all the way in at 3.58. And then there is the OG ERA estimator, FIP, and FIP is kinda digging it at 3.32. FIP isn’t cool anymore with all the new kids on the block, but FIP was banging back before xERA was even a thought, so maybe we put some respect back on it’s name. Houck’s walk rate took a big step forward, moving into plus territory with a 6.5% BB% (8.9% in 2023). His sweeper was the 5th most valuable sweeper in baseball. His splitter was the 5th most valuable splitter in baseball. And his sinker was an above average pitch that kept the ball on the ground with a 2 degree launch. With a 215 NFBC ADP, nobody is really buying in, but maybe FIP is on to something? I can’t deny that I too don’t buy it, because strikeouts are king for fantasy, and he simply didn’t miss enough bats with a 20.7% K% and 22.6% whiff%, but he has a career 26.7% whiff%, so it’s not like the ability isn’t in there. I agree with the masses to not buy into his career year, but I have the old wise FIP whispering in my ear to maybe not be so skeptical. I’m still not buying, but I hear ya, FIP, and I will give you your respect if Houck does repeat his big year, or maybe even builds off it. 2025 Projection: 11/3.67/1.19/159 in 172 IP

228) Cristopher Sanchez – PHI, LHP, 28.4 – I was skeptical that Sanchez could maintain the monster control gains he made in 2023, but he proved the gains were mostly real with a 5.8% BB% this year, and it resulted in a very good season. He put up a 3.32 ERA with a 20.3% K% in 181.2 IP. The strikeouts were lower than optimal, but he keeps the ball on the ground with a 57.4% GB% that was the 5th best mark in baseball (90 IP min). He also has an elite changeup that notched a .193 xwOBA and 34.6% whiff%, to go along with an average to above average slider. He’s not likely to ever be a huge K guy, but I think he can do better than he did this year, and his overall profile is very enticing. Solid velocity (94.1 MPH sinker), plus control, elite ground ball rates, an elite secondary, and a starter’s pitch mix. I wasn’t buying last year, but I would be willing to dip my toe in this year if the price is right. – 2025 Projection: 12/3.55/1.21/157 in 175 IP

229) Spencer Arrighetti – HOU, RHP, 25.2 – Arrighetti is in the same bucket as DJ Herz for me. Both were former targets of mine who I eventually moved off of, but now I’m still super proud to see them breaking out on the MLB level even if I can’t truly call them hits anymore. Too much time has passed between their target status and their breakout. But the good news is that both still have value left on the bone for 2025 and beyond, and I’m ready to dive back in head first on both of them. Arrighetti struggled hard when he first got the call, but once he found his groove, he was a beast, He put up a 3.08 ERA with a 29.0/8.3 K%/BB% in his final 76 IP. The fastball isn’t a particularly good pitch, but it has solid velocity at 94.1 MPH, and it can miss bats with a 19.8% whiff%. The secondaries are where he shines with a dominant curveball that notched a .207 xwOBA and 42.4% whiff%, a plus sweeper that notched a .198 xwOBA and 38.6% whiff%, and a cutter that put up a +4 Run Value. He also throws a bat missing changeup with a 37.8% whiff%. As long as the control/command stays in that average-ish area, this looks like a high K, mid rotation starter to me. He’s had bouts of control problems in that past, and also velocity fluctuations, so there is still risk here, but I love chasing K’s in fantasy, and Arrighetti knows how to miss bats. Don’t overpay, and with a 214 NFBC ADP, he’s already getting valued pretty highly (as opposed to Herz with a 321 ADP), but that still isn’t an unreasonable price to pay. – 2025 Projection: 10/3.88/1.29/180 in 160 IP

230) Clay Holmes – NYM, RHP, 30.4 – When I told my mom (an insanely passionate Yankees fan) that the Mets signed Clay Holmes with the intent to turn him into a starter, she just laughed and said “good luck with that.” My take isn’t as harsh as my mom’s, as we saw the value to be had in 2024 with these reliever to starter transitions, and my instinct is to buy them. Holmes was a starter in the minors, and he put up a 30.2% whiff% in 2024, so I say why not take a shot. He put up a .662 OPS against both lefties and righties last year, his 96.6 MPH sinker should work in any role (the velocity will likely drop in a starting role, but he has some room to spare there), and his slider and sweeper are whiff machine secondaries. I’m not sure if he plans on adding more pitches this off-season, but he used to tinker with a 4-seamer, cutter, and changeup which he could bring back into the fold more. Holmes had his bumps in a bullpen role last year, losing the closer job, which is what prompted my mom’s laughter, but his groundball/whiff combo is enticing, and I’m apt to buy here. I’ll take a shot if the price is right for sure. – 2025 Projection: 9/3.84/1.30/142 in 140 IP Update: I was already buying and now he looks great in spring. He continues to rise

231) Luis Garcia – WAS, 2B, 24.11 – I see why one would buy into Luis Garcia. He was a talented prospect who got rushed to the majors and just had his big breakout season at 24 years old. That checks out. But personally, I’m not buying in. He hit a career high 18 homers in 140 games, but with a 47.4% GB% and 30.4% Pull%, that looks like the top of his ability, rather than some true upward trajectory. He stole a career high by far 22 bags (9 was his previous career high), but with a below average 27.2 ft/sec sprint, it seems shaky to really count on a follow up on that. And while the hit tool is good, a 21.3% whiff% is only above average, and a 36% Chase% is terrible, so the plate approach still isn’t good. The final nail in the coffin is that he was already regressing by the end of the season with a .250 BA, 4 homers, and 3 steals (in 5 attempts) in his final 39 games. I kinda hesitate to call a 25 year old breakout a sell, because I generally don’t play the game like that, but I would be all ears on Garcia this off-season if I can get a similarly objectively valued young breakout who I actually believe in more. – 2025 Projection: 69/16/76/.276/.312/.420/16

232) Jung Hoo Lee – SFG, OF, 26.7 – Lee underwent season ending shoulder surgery for a torn labrum after just 37 games into his MLB career, and while he’s expected to be 100% going into 2025, it definitely adds in a healthy dose of risk. And he wasn’t fully established yet on the MLB level either with a 83 wRC+. So there is a lot of risk here, and on the flip side, there isn’t high upside either. He didn’t have a big homer/steal combo in Korea, and he only hit 2 homers with 2 steals before the injury. High risk and low ceiling isn’t exactly my favorite combo, ha, but this blurb started off more negative than I intended, because there were plenty of positives from his debut. The elite contact rates fully transferred with a 8.2% K%, he hit the ball hard with an 89.1 MPH EV, and he had plus speed with a 28.4 ft/sec sprint. Good things tend to happen on a baseball field when you have those 3 skills, so I have little doubt that Lee will eventually be a very good MLB hitter. The question is just if it will come in 2025 coming off the surgery, and also how much fantasy upside it will come with. – 2025 Projection: 84/13/58/.278/.337/.392/15

233) Drew Rasmussen – TBR, RHP, 29.8 – Rasmussen returned from internal brace procedure in August, and he looked as filthy as ever, if not filthier. He put up a 2.83 ERA with a 30.2/5.2 K%/BB% in 28.2 IP over 16 outings. All 4 of his pitches were straight dominant (4-seamer, sinker, cutter, sweeper), missing bats (31.4% whiff%) and keeping the ball on the ground (6.6 degree launch). The velocity was huge with a 97.4 MPH 4-seamer leading the way, and the control was double plus. He never went more than 2 IP, so you can’t count on him being that good in the rotation, and there is no guarantee that he currently has a rotation spot. It seems at this point he might not, and even if he does win one, we might be looking at a 4-5 IP guy. I love to chase upside, and Rasmussen is so enticing, but I do think some caution is warranted just based on expected innings. – 2025 Projection: 10/3.41/1.13/150 in 145 IP Update: McClanahan injury locks Rasmussen into a rotation spot

234) Nolan Jones – CLE, OF, 26.10 – Jones had a bad back basically the entire season, and he played like a guy who had a bad back. You can see the underlying skills were still there and still solid, but the impact and explosion was completely non existent. The Barrel% tanked from 15.7% to 5.9%, despite a still solid 88.2/93.3 MPH AVG/FB EV. The steals dropped from 20 in 106 games to 5 in 79 games, despite a still solid 28.1 ft/sec sprint. And as we’ve seen with Yelich’s bad back, he struggled to keep the launch up, with it dropping from 9.8 degrees to 7.8 degrees. The skills were in there, but the explosion was gone. The one positive takeaway from his season is that despite still striking out 30.6% of the time, he brought his whiff% way down to 25.6% (31.9% in 2023). That does take some of the edge off the hit tool downside, even though it’s obviously still a risk. And his plate approach remained excellent with a 23.1% Chase% and 12.1% BB%. If the back is completely healthy, and that explosion returns, the huge season we were expecting out of Jones in 2024 can easily still happen in 2025. The problem is that we know back injuries can linger, and it’s no guarantee he’s completely healthy. Jones is a strong hold for me. I can’t say I’m particularly going after him, but I would really want to give him one more year before making any drastic decisions. – 2025 Projection: 76/20/76/.245/.342/.433/14 Update: Traded back to Cleveland. Seems to me like Jones is the Chase DeLauter replacement and is the favorite for the starting RF job, or at least a strong side platoon role. Not sure this changes his fantasy value a ton. He’ll lose Coors, but he’s with a much better team. The bigger problem is that he hasn’t looked good this spring

235) Reynaldo Lopez – ATL, RHP, 31.3 – Lopez clearly got very lucky in 2024 with a 1.99 ERA vs. 3.88 xERA in 135.2 IP, but with the way he closed out the season, I’m apt to buy his breakout as legit. He put up a 1.74 ERA with a 46/5 K/BB in his final 31 IP. His K/BB numbers were very pedestrian before that, but instead of his ERA regressing towards his K/BB numbers, the K/BB numbers progressed towards his ERA. And he definitely has the stuff to buy in. He throws gas with a 95.5 MPH fastball, and his secondaries miss a ton of bats with his slider leading the way with a 44.3% whiff%, finishing as the 5th most valuable slider in baseball. He battled a minor forearm and shoulder injury in the 2nd half of the season, but he came back from both of them no worse for the wear, so I’m not apt to dock him too much for that. He’s in a weird spot where the lucky ERA might inflate his value too high, but at the same time, it doesn’t really seem like anybody is buying in too hard. Based on my read, I actually think there might be some value left on the bone here. I’m buying and he seems like he will fall into a very reasonable range this off-season. – 2025 Projection: 12/3.61/1.16/168 in 160 IP

236) David Festa – MIN, RHP, 25.3 – I don’t think Festa is actually going to be all that cheap this off-season despite his 4.90 ERA in 64.1 IP in his MLB debut, because we don’t live in 2005, but I can see him going for pretty cheap in shallower leagues, and I think Festa is even worth targeting in those leagues. The 4.05 xERA was much better than the ERA, the 27.8/8.3 K%/BB% is excellent, and the stuff is really good. The fastball sat 94.7 MPH with good life, the changeup missed bats (39.4% whiff%) and induced weak contact (85.9 MPH EV), and the slider was above average with better surface stats than underlying stats. That’s 3 above average to plus pitches which can all miss bats, to go along with average control. The one area of his game that prevents me from going all in on him as a young ace, is that his stuff gets hit pretty hard, and it got hit pretty hard at Triple-A too. His 4-seamer has a 91.3 MPH EV against and it was 93.4 MPH at Triple-A. The slider has a 90.2 MPH EV against (89.7 MPH at Triple-A). The high ERA is not a complete fluke. So I’m all in for buying low, but I’m stopping short of really valuing in that young ace tier. I’m putting him in the high K, fantasy friendly mid rotation starter tier for now. – 2025 Projection: 8/3.82/1.28/142 in 125 IP

237) Quinn Mathews – STL, LHP, 24.6 – I think it’s easy to completely hand wave Mathews getting bombed at Triple-A to close out the season (6.48 ERA with a 27.8/17.7 K%/BB% in 16.2 IP), but I do think there might be at least a small amount of signal there that we shouldn’t just 100% dismiss. I’m not going to put too much emphasis on it either seeing as he was already at a career high in IP, and you have to give humans a chance to adjust to a new level, new team, new coaches etc …, but there is one wrinkle that makes me pause, and that wrinkle is that Triple-A is the only level to use the MLB ball. Every other level uses their own balls, and I mean, the ball is a pretty important factor. Blade Tidwell obliterated Double-A, got called up to Triple-A earlier in the season, and then stunk at Triple-A for a large sample. Everyone hates Blade Tidwell now. Mathews (and Brandon Sproat has a similar story too), didn’t have a large sample at Triple-A, so it’s easy to just hand wave it away, but I do think it’s something to keep in mind. Now just because I’m keeping it in mind, doesn’t mean I still don’t love Mathews. He’s a 6’5”, lefty with a mid 90’s fastball and two whiff machine secondaries in his slider and changeup (he also throws a curve and sinker). He dominated all season (other than at Triple-A) with a 2.76 ERA and 35.4/8.6 K%/BB% in 143.1 IP. And as you can see, he stays healthy, which does matter. I lean towards him being more of a #2 starter than a true ace, but add a star for his health, and he’s knocking on the door of the bigs. I like him a ton. Maybe I just feel the need to knock him down a peg because of my love for Tink, who I have ranked higher than Mathews, while most have it the other way around. The truth is, I love both of them (just Tink more ;). 2025 Projection: 6/3.98/1.32/97 in 100 IP Prime Projection: 14/3.59/1.20/190 in 180 IP

238) Dalton Rushing – LAD, C/OF, 24.1 – It seems that LA is set on keeping Rushing at catcher, which I completely understand for real life value, but for fantasy, I don’t think it’s great. Will Smith is signed until 2034, meaning Rushing looks ticketed for some kind of hybrid C/1B/OF/DH role, and with how hard it is to crack the Dodgers full time lineup (and with how little leash they give their prospects due to unlimited resources and strong organizational depth), it seems like Rushing is going to have to scratch and claw for playing time. They are not rolling out the red carpet for him at all, and I do think it hurts his fantasy value a bit. Putting defense aside for now, as a pure hitter, there is so much to like. He proved himself in the upper minors in 2024, slashing .271/.385/.512 with 26 homers, 2 steals, and a 20.5/12.7 K%/BB% in 114 games split between Double-A (149 wRC+) and Triple-A (128 wRC+). He has easy plus power with a 90.8 MPH EV, he has a launch made for both power and average, and he has a plus plate approach. The hit tool is solid, but I can see that dipping to below average against major league pitching, and like I mentioned earlier, we have seen LA be very quick with the hook if young players aren’t producing. I like the bat a ton, but defense, path to playing time, and the slight hit tool questions are enough to make me hesitant to really value him at a premium right now. – 2025 Projection: 38/12/45/.242/.310/.428/1 Prime Projection: 78/24/83/.262/.339/.465/2

239) Termarr Johnson – PIT, 2B, 20.10 – It only took 23 games in Johnson’s 2022 pro debut to realize that his hit tool was overrated coming of the draft, and that started to scare people off in 2023 and 2024 when that became even more glaringly obvious with a .244 BA and .237 BA in those respective years. But Johnson was never just a hit tool only guy, he has real power and speed, so while the hit tool troubles prevent him from rising to near elite prospect status as hoped, it doesn’t prevent him from still being a really exciting prospect. He swings an electric and powerful lefty bat that hits the ball really hard, resulting in 15 homers in 124 games, and his speed has always been a bit undersold, nabbing 22 bags. The hit tool isn’t as good as hoped, but the 21.3% K% isn’t bad at all, and he put up a 19.3% in 14 games when he got the call to Double-A as a 20 year old, which is exciting to see. He’s also an on base machine with a 15.6% BB%. With him falling out of favor in the mainstream, now is a really good opportunity to buy low if you can, because when he produces in the upper minors as a still 20 year old, the hype is going to hit all over again. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 88/23/78/.262/.343/.452/15

240) Zyhir Hope – LAD, OF, 20.2 – And this is why “In the Dodgers We Trust” is a dynasty motto that should be burned into our retinas. They take Hope, and turn it into reality. Hope was a high risk, high reward upside pick by the Cubs in 2023 who struck out 30.2% of the time in rookie ball in his pro debut. He got traded to the Dodgers in the off-season in the Michael Busch trade, and of course the Dodgers immediately drastically improved his only weakness, bringing the strikeout rate all the way down to 22.8% at mostly Single-A. There is still hit tool risk (he hit .228 with a 24.3% K% in 23 games in the AFL), but low to mid 20’s hit tool risk is in an entirely other bucket than hovering around 30% hit tool risk. And the hit tool improved without impacting any other areas of his game, slashing .290/.419/.484 with 9 homers, 9 steals, a 22.8/15.1 K%/BB% and a 144 wRC+ in 61 games. The reasons he’s not ranked even higher than this are because the ground ball rates are on the high side (45.1%), there is still hit tool risk, and his speed/stolen base skills seem to be more in the above average than truly great area. So a guy who swings and misses a lot, hits the ball on the ground, and doesn’t run quite as much as we would like isn’t necessarily a slam dunk. I’m saying this just as much to myself as I am to you, because it’s hard not to fall head over heels for him. He hits the ball very hard, he’s a great athlete, he’s in a great organization, and he’s done nothing but produce. I do feel some caution is warranted before really putting him into that near elite to elite prospect tier, but he’s not too far off from that already. I’m thinking something like Randy Arozarena could be a good ceiling comp. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 84/22/81/.255/.338/.445/19

241) Nick Pivetta – SDP, RHP, 32.1 – Pivetta put up a career best year in 2023, and while I was hesitant to buy in because his entire career has been a rollercoaster ride, he actually 100% backed it up in 2024, if not built on it. He put up a 4.14 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, and a 28.9/6.1 K%/BB% in 145.2 IP. His 3.51 xERA shows he was on the unlucky side, and that 6.1% BB% was a career high by far (8.5% in 2023). Showing that level of control is huge for my confidence in his ability to possibly get off that rollercoaster career. The 25.6% whiff% isn’t quite as impressive as the K rate, and he doesn’t really have one dominant pitch, although the fastball/slider combo is very good. Mostly I feel like he’s stabilized himself enough to make him a very good win now asset. San Diego is a great landing spot for him, so I’m apt to call him a buy for a win now team. His price should be pretty reasonable. – 2025 Projection: 10/3.88/1.20/176 in 158 IP

242) Ryan Walker – SFG, Closer, 29.4 – Doval’s well below average control ended up tanking him, and Walker swooped right in to lock down San Francisco’s closer job. He also has the no doubt stuff and production to hold the job with a 1.91 ERA and 32.1/5.8 K%/BB% in 80 IP. The 95.6 MPH sinker induces weak contact, and the plus to double plus slider misses bats. The 28.6% whiff% overall isn’t quite as impressive at the K rate, and the 18.8% whiff% on the sinker, and 38% whiff% on the slider is good, but not great for a reliever. I suspect he isn’t quite as good as he showed in 2024, but he’s still really good. – 2025 Projection: 4/3.05/1.09/80/32 saves in 65 IP

243) Trevor Megill – MIL, Closer, 31.3 – With Devin Williams shipped out of town, Megill will get the first shot to nail down the closer job, and while I think he will do it, there is some risk after he faltered down the stretch. He dominated to start the season with a 1.53 ERA and 35/7 K/BB in 29.1 IP, but after missing time with a back injury, the stuff was down, the control was off, and the performance dropped upon his return. He put up a 4.76 ERA with a 15/7 K/BB in 17 IP to close out the season (although he was lights out in 2 playoff appearances). He most certainly has closer stuff with a 98.8 MPH fastball and a slider that put up a 55% whiff%. He’s always had solid control too. The potential is there for him to be an elite or near elite closer, but there is just enough risk with his performance down the stretch that I want to have the smallest bit of caution before really ranking him in the elite area. – 2025 Projection: 4/3.17/1.11/78/30 saves in 60 IP

244) Raisel Iglesias – ATL, Closer, 35.3 – Iglesias’ K/9 fell below 9.00 for the first time in his career with a 8.83 K/9, but with a 31.5% whiff%, I would have zero concerns about that. Not to mention that it also came with career bests in ERA (1.95), WHIP (0.74) and BB/9 (1.69). There are zero signs of a decline with a double plus 4 pitch. The changeup, 4-seamer, slider and sinker put up a .249, .221, .190. and .285 xwOBA, which is quite remarkable. He’s old, but he’s still elite. – 2025 Projection: 5/2.73/0.95/74/33 saves in 65 IP

245) Jeff Hoffman – TOR, Closer, 32.3 – Hoffman signed a 3 year, $33 million control with Toronto, so they are obviously confident enough in his health, but word on the street is that other teams passed on him after he failed their physicals. All relievers are super volatile, so I don’t want to be too scared off, but it’s hard not to at least take that into account. He was fully healthy in 2024, and he was straight up elite with a 2.17 ERA and 33.6/6.0 K%/BB% in 66 IP. He throws gas with a bat missing 96.6 MPH fastball, the heavily used slider is elite, and the lesser used splitter is also elite. Assuming full health, he is in the elite of the elite, but he’s already 32 years old, and failing multiple physicals doesn’t seem like a great omen. – 2025 Projection: 4/2.98/1.01/79/30 saves in 62 IP

246) Christian Encarnacion-Strand – CIN, 1B, 25.4 – Strand’s season ended on May 7th with ligament damage in his right hand which required season ending surgery, but the good news is that he was able to get healthy enough in time for the AFL where he put up a .930 OPS in 8 games. It’s a good sign that he should be healthy for 2025. My initial gut reaction is to call him a buy low as his rookie year (13 homers with a 111 wRC+ in 63 games) was much better than his 2024 even before the injury (33 wRC+ with 2 homers in 29 games), but when I dig in a little more, there are a few things that concern me. His 71.3 MPH swing isn’t special, it’s about average, and it comes with a poor 29.4% whiff% and horrific 40.5% Chase%. That is really not a trifecta of skills that you want to have. He doesn’t provide defensive value, he’s never walked much in his career, and he doesn’t provide value on the bases. Seeing his 220 ADP in NFBC Drafts, I’m concerned he might be a hair overrated at the moment. He has a long history of hitting for power and Cincinnati is one of the best ballparks in the league, but I really thought I was going to like Strand a lot more before digging into him for this blurb. I think I’m kinda lukewarm on him right now. – 2025 Projection: 68/26/79/.245/.304/.449/2

247) Paul Goldschmidt – NYY, 1B, 37.7 – When a 36 year old puts up the worst offensive season of his career by a large margin, you better believe their dynasty value is going to fall off a cliff. I agree that you don’t want to underrate really, really good win now pieces just because they are in their 30’s, but Goldy is a good reminder that there is a cost to that as well. When the decline comes, any hope of recouping their value for future pieces goes out the window. So if you are a Goldy owner, at this point, you might as well continue to ride this thing into the ground. And the good news is that you may just be able to squeeze another year or two of production out of him. He was definitely on the unlucky side with a .310 wOBA vs. .329 xwOBA, although that xwOBA was also a career low by far. But most importantly, he still absolutely crushed the ball with a 91.2/96.5 MPH AVG/FB EV. As long as you hit the ball that hard, you are going to produce no matter how much the plate approach diminishes. And the plate approach is where we are seeing the decline with a 26.5/7.2 K%/BB%. At 37 years old, it’s possible we see another step back, but landing with the Yanks is a solid spot for him. I’m just worried the name value is too high for the price to be right for me. – 2025 Projection: 75/24/83/.259/.331/.440/11

248) Rhys Hoskins – MIL, 1B, 32.0 – Hoskins was definitely a diminished version of himself coming back from ACL surgery that wiped out his entire 2023 season. He had career lows in EV (88.7), xwOBA (.301), wRC+ (100), and K% (28.8%). But it’s not like he was all that far off from career norms taken all together. His 12.7% Barrel% was excellent, his 26.3% whiff% was right in line with career norms (which helps alleviate some of the BA concerns from this year) and he still hit 26 homers in 131 games. With a full normal off-season to get further removed from that surgery, and at “only” 32 years old, I can see a few more prime years in the tank here. Or maybe he’s getting older and more injured, and this is the new normal. That uncertainty is what is keeping his price low, and I’m inclined to take a shot on him as a win now team who wants to target a reasonably priced, proven power bat. – 2025 Projection: 72/29/85/.233/.320/.452/3

249) Max Muncy – LAD, 3B, 34.7 – You can nitpick some signs of decline, like his 7 year worst 10.8% Barrel% (career 13.3% Barrel%), and at 34 years old, I get why you wouldn’t want to let any signs of decline slip by you, but overall, he really hasn’t shown much decline. He put up a 135 wRC+ in 73 games which is the third best mark of his career. He missed a large chunk of time with an oblique injury, but he put up a 158 wRC+ in 33 games when he returned, so that doesn’t look like a long term issue. We know exactly who he is as a low BA, high OBP slugger, and while it’s hard to predict the decline, it sure seems like he has at least another big year in the tank here. – 2025 Projection:  83/31/89/.228/.345/.482/1

250) Ryan Weathers – MIA, LHP, 25.4 – Weathers is teetering on the edge for me between a “stick your neck out for him” target and a “let him come to you” target, but the one thing I am sure of, is that he is a target for me. A physical lefty at 6’1”. 230 pounds with a 95.9 MPH fastball, 2 plus to double plus secondaries in his changeup (37.9% whiff% with a .243 xwOBA), and sweeper (51% whiff% with a .208 xwOBA), and above average to plus control (6.5% BB%) is a profile that is extremely hard to find. And it unsurprisingly lead to really good results with a 3.63 ERA and 21.8/6.5 K%/BB% in 86.1 IP. The 26.1% whiff% is well above average, so I’m not too concerned about the mediocre K rates. The one are that I don’t love, which is why I don’t know if I want to go full stick your neck out target for him, is that the fastballs aren’t very good despite the high velocity, and he threw the 4-seamer or sinker 51.8% of the time. Neither missed many bats or induced weak contact. He’s still a young developing pitcher at only 25 years old, so I think it’s very possible he can improve his fastballs and/or pitch mix to hit a next level breakout, and even if he can’t, he’s pretty damn good as is. I’m definitely hoping to leave with Weathers in every draft he’s available in, and if I can get him at a super low price, even better. – 2025 Projection: 8/3.75/1.21/130 in 130 IP Update: Left forearm strain will keep Weathers out until May at the earliest, and let’s hope this doesn’t turn into a worst case scenario

251) DJ Herz – WAS, LHP, 24.3 – What is the victory lapping etiquette for dynasty baseball? In a redraft league, the etiquette is much easier to figure out. Wait until the end of the season and you are safe. But for dynasty, you are wading in much more treacherous waters. Enter DJ Herz, who I named a major target in 2022, only to back off of a bit coming into 2023 and 2024. Now that he broke out this season with a 4.16 ERA (3.29 xERA) and 27.7/9.4 K%/BB% in 88.2 IP, can I claim he’s a “hit”? It feels weird to claim he’s a hit when most people probably dropped him or sold low over those last 2 years. On the other hand, when ranking prospects, you can’t truly know if someone is a hit or miss until several years down the line. Or maybe most importantly, does anyone give a crap? (I ruminate about this more in the Strategy/Thoughts section down below). At this point, the past is behind us, and it’s time to figure out how to value Herz going forward. And my advice is to value him pretty damn high. His 93.5 MPH fastball is a legitimate elite weapon which he throws 54.2% of the time. The pitch notched a 30.5% whiff% which was 4th best amongst starting pitchers. That alone makes him a high K, mid-rotation fantasy starter, and well, to be honest, that is actually all he has. His slider and changeup are decent and mostly get the job done, but they both grade out as slightly below average. And of course the biggest red flag is his below average control. It took a step forward in the majors this year, which sparked this breakout, but it was getting worse towards the end of the season, and it adds in a healthy dose of risk to his profile. I don’t believe Herz will be hyped to death this off-season, making him a relatively reasonably priced target if you to chase upside (control and/or secondaries improving can unlock near top of the fantasy rotation upside), but make sure to factor in the real risk (you can only be so good with a 12% BB% and mediocre secondaries). – 2025 Projection: 7/3.73/1.25/130 in 110 IP Update: This one hurts the most out of all of the updates. Herz was sent down after a lackluster spring and also a rotation logjam. I thought Washington was going to prioritize him, but I was clearly wrong. I still like him long term though

252) Ben Brown – CHC, RHP, 25.7 – Brown is one of my top pitcher targets for 2025. I’ve been calling him a target for a few years now in that bucket of pitching prospect that I love to shop in (close to the majors, big stuff, upper minors production, moderate to little hype), and now that he’s proven it in the majors, he becomes a true 5 alarm target. And the best part is, even after he proved it in the majors, he’s still getting majorly underrated. He put up a 3.58 ERA with a 28.8/8.6 K%/BB% in 55.1 IP. A neck injury ended his season in June, but the expectation is for him to have a normal off-season. He throws gas with a 96.4 MPH fastball that was an above average pitch (although the underlying numbers weren’t as good). His curveball was amongst the very best in baseball with a 51% whiff% and .183 xwOBA. He performed better against righties than he did lefties, but even with just two pitches basically, he still put up an above average .304 wOBA vs lefties. He also threw a lesser used changeup, cutter, sinker and sweeper at Triple-A in 2023, so I don’t think he is locked in as a two pitch pitcher. The cutter in particular seems to have promise as a third pitch. Point being, even with two pitches I think he can be a high K, mid rotation starter, and if he can find that effective 3rd+ pitch, there could be an even higher level in here. He’s control over command, but it’s good to see the walk rate stay about average in his MLB debut. He might start the season in the bullpen, but I don’t think Chicago has plans to ban him to the bullpen permanently. They used him as a starter last year and he was great, so it would make little sense for them not to give him a full shot in the rotation long term. I’m going after him. – 2025 Projection: 8/3.79/1.23/150 in 130 IP

233) Hayden Birdsong – SFG, RHP, 23.7 – Birdsong is a major target this off-season. I know he had extreme control problems in his MLB debut with a 13.7% BB%, but that is what is keeping his price/hype down so low, and there is just too much upside to be scared off by that. He throws gas with a 95.8 MPH fastball, and he has 3 secondaries that are all fire. The curve put up a .217 xwOBA and 32.7% whiff%. The changeup put up a .273 xwOBA and 34.9% whiff%. And the slider put up a .292 xwOBA and 48.7% whiff%. He’s had control problems in the minors too, but on the whole, they were never quite as bad as he showed in the majors, so I think that was the very low end of his ability. He has high K, mid-rotation starter written all over him at peak, and he’ll get to pitch in one of the best pitcher’s parks in the majors. Use his control problems and lack of rotation spot to your advantage, because this is the type of K upside to chase in fantasy. Go after him. – 2025 Projection: 7/3.89/1.32/138 in 120 IP

254) Zach Eflin – BAL, LHP, 31.0 – Eflin wasn’t able to fully maintain his 2023 breakout with his K% falling all the way back down to 19.6% (26.5% in 2023). Part of it was that the 2023 strikeout rate was lucky, and another part of it was by choice, as he threw his curveball less and his cutter more this year. Either way, it’s the elite control that you can bank on with a 3.5% BB%, and it’s been elite essentially his entire career. Even without being able to maintain the K breakout, he did maintain the ERA breakout with a 3.50 ERA and the 3.67 xERA to back it up. He’s your classic elite control, excellent WHIP mid rotation fantasy starter. – 2025 Projection: 11/3.75/1.13/149 in 168 IP

255) Ronel Blanco – HOU, RHP, 31.7 – Blanco has some things to like about his game, and some things to dislike, making him one of the players I am torn on. The things not to like are very obvious, which is the 4.00 xERA with a 24.6/10.1 K%/BB%. That doesn’t support the 2.80 ERA at all. Not even close. But when you dig a little deeper, he did put up a 29% whiff%, which is no joke, on the back of 3 swing and miss secondaries that were all plus pitches with plus whiff rates. The slider was actually the 3rd best slider in baseball according to Run Value behind only Chris Sale and Dylan Cease. I definitely don’t want to buy the 2.80 ERA, but I also don’t want to run too far in the other direction. – 2025 Projection: 11/3.85/1.25/170 in 165 IP

256) Bowden Francis – TOR, RHP, 28.11 – Francis was a decently popular sleeper pick this off-season (not by me), and while I bet a lot of people gave up on him Parker Meadows style when he got off to a rough start, hurt his forearm, and then returned in a bullpen role, just like Parker Meadows, he totally redeemed himself by the end of the season. He got re-inserted into the rotation for good in August and put up a 1.53 ERA with a 26.5/3.3 K%/BB% in his final 59 IP. His season numbers were good too with a 3.30 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, and 22.5/5.4 K%/BB% in 103.2 IP. He threw his splitter, sinker, and particularly his slider more in the 2nd half, and threw the curve less if you are looking for real improvements that could make the 2nd half numbers stick. His slider put up a 43.6% whiff%, so smart move throwing that more. And he threw it 3.3 MPH slower than last year, so that could be a real weapon moving forward. His 92.9 MPH fastball doesn’t miss a ton of bats or induce particularly weak contact, but it put up a +13 Run Value which was the 16th best in baseball. It was +6 in 2023 as well, so it might not be a fluke there. He doesn’t miss a ton of bats in general with a 21.2% whiff%, and he doesn’t really induce weak contact with a 8.7% Barrel%, so I’m a little hesitant to buy in too hard, but he made real changes in the 2nd half which could easily carry over into 2025. With a 206 NFBC ADP, it seems everyone is hedging a bit on Francis, and I’m probably in the same camp. His value seems right, and if I had to lean one way, I would lean a buy. – 2025 Projection: 10/3.63/1.18/146 in 150 IP

257) Hagen Smith – CHW, LHP, 21.7 – Selected 6th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, the White Sox know a thing or two about developing vicious lefty starters with funky deliveries and some control risk. They’ve done just fine with Chris Sale, Garrett Crochet, and Noah Schultz. The 6’3”, 225 pound Hagen Smith is next on that list with a three quarter arm slot delivery that he uses to fire a double plus mid 90’s fastball and double plus slider. Both pitches are whiff machines, leading to a 2.04 ERA with a 48.6%/10.3% K%/BB% in 84 IP in the SEC. He also mixes in a splitter, and while he doesn’t throw it that often, it’s a good pitch when he goes to it. The walk rate is on the high side, and it was worse in his freshman and sophomore seasons with a 13.4% BB% in 148.3 IP. Improving his control/command and turning his splitter into a higher usage 3rd weapon can turn Smith into a true ace. If he can’t improve in those areas, a high K, mid-rotation starter is within the range of outcomes (and I guess the bullpen is too, but you don’t take a guy 6th overall to use him in the bullpen long term). I’m surprised that Smith was allowed to debut in 2024, but Chicago marches to the beat of their own drum. He more than held his own at High-A with a 3.52 ERA and 21.2/6.1 K%/BB% in 7.2 IP over 3 outings. The filthy stuff was as advertised, and while the K numbers weren’t off the charts, it’s nice to see that clean walk rate. Add a star for being young for the class, but take a star away for already undergoing Tommy John when he was 16 years old. – 2025 Projection: 2/3.91/1.28/50 in 50 IP Prime Projection: 13/3.48/1.17/203 in 175 IP

258) Thomas White – MIA, LHP, 20.6 – White is in the pole position to be the top pitching prospect in baseball by this time next year (with Travis Sykora and Alejandro Rosario right on his tail). He’s a built up 6’5” lefty with such dominant stuff that he basically slept walked through the lower minors. He quickly got the call to High-A and put up a 2.61 ERA with a 29.9/8.3 K%/BB% in 62 IP. He throws from an easy and athletic three quarter arm slot delivery which he uses to fire a mid 90’s fastball that completely overpowered lower minors hitters. He also has a plus breaking ball that he will use in any count to go along with a lesser used, but still very good changeup. He’s not a finished product as he’ll have some bouts of control problems, and he needs to continue to refine all 3 of his pitches really, but for his first year out of high school, that is an insanely impressive first full year of pro ball. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 14/3.39/1.15/215 in 185 IP

259) Travis Sykora – WAS, RHP, 20.11 – Like I wrote above, I have White as the favorite to be the #1 pitching prospect in baseball by this time next year, because he did it at High-A for most of the season, but Sykora simply didn’t get that opportunity. All he could do was obliterate the competition that was put in front of him, and obliterate he did with a 2.33 ERA and 39.2/8.2 K%/BB% in 85 IP at Single-A. He’s a 6’6”, 232 pound beast with 3 at least plus pitches in his mid 90’s fastball, slider and splitter. He doesn’t have pinpoint control, but he throws the ball over the plate, and he doesn’t have the most athletic looking delivery, but it’s not unathletic either. Age to level doesn’t matter nearly as much for pitchers as it does hitters, but I do think it’s still something to take into account, so him being 20 years old at Single-A makes me want to see it at higher levels before truly crowning him. Regardless, this is easy ace upside, and his hype is going to blow up in 2025. He’s the type you might want to stick your neck out to grab if he’s out there in your off-season prospect draft. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 14/3.31/1.12/225 in 185 IP

260) Kevin Gausman – TOR, RHP, 34.3 – Gausman’s season had bad news written all over it right when he got popped with a shoulder injury early in Spring. He just wasn’t right all season (3.83 ERA with a 21.4/7.4 K%/BB% in 181 IP), and while he was better in the 2nd half (2.90 ERA in final 90 IP), the 19.6/8.6 K%/BB% was not nearly back to prime levels, so that 2nd half does not ease my mind. The velocity was a down a half tick and the elite splitter was more good than elite. You can talk yourself into him getting healthy with a full off-season to heal, but he’s 34 years old, and injuries like this are often what prompt the decline phase. His name value and track record is going to keep his value high enough where I don’t think he’s going to fall into my target area. If your gut is saying that this is a buy low opportunity, I 100% see why you could think that, and don’t let me stop you from acting on it. But my gut is saying to not spend the still decently high price on his decline years. Not the worst buy, but just not my guy. – 2025 Projection: 12/3.69/1.20/181 in 178 IP

261) Carlos Correa – MIN, SS, 30.6 – Correa was in the midst of his first hot streak in like 6 years (I’m not even sure that is that much of an exaggeration) before going down with planter fasciitis in mid July and missing 2 months. He had smashed 11 homers in the 46 games before his injury, and after returning he hit just 1 in 11 games. He also had a .960 OPS in those 11 games, which does alleviate some of the concern over the injury in general, which is good. And he had an awesome season overall, slashing .310/.388/.517 with 14 homers, 0 steals, and a 16.6/10.9 K%/BB%. It was good for a 155 wRC+ which was the highest mark of his career. He was on the lucky side with a .358 xwOBA (still really damn good) vs. a .385 wOBA, and once again, he couldn’t stay healthy. His 8.9 degree launch still says to not count on big homer totals, and he’s literally a zero in stolen bases. He’s only 30 years old, and he just proved he’s not planning on fading into that good night anytime soon after putting up the best wRC in his career last year, so I’m not sleeping on him as a potentially good win now piece, but the injuries, low launch, and zero speed prevent me from going higher than this. – 2025 Projection: 78/22/77/.275/.354/.461/0

262) Eugenio Suarez – ARI, 3B, 33.8 – Suarez got off to a cold 1st half in 2024, but the underlying numbers were adamant that he was fine and he closed the season slashing .311/.348/.625 with 24 homers and a 25.6/5.6 K%/BB% in his final 73 games. He also improved his hit tool a bit with his BA bouncing back to .256 on the season (.232 in 2023) with a corresponding bump in K% and whiff% to back it up, but it came at the expense of his plate approach with less walks and more chase. You certainly take that tradeoff in 5×5, and it didn’t hurt his OBP too much. He’s a good defensive 3B and he hits both righties and lefties well, so he’s a locked in true everyday guy with 158 games in 2024 and 162 games in 2023. He’s not the type of upper echelon player where I wouldn’t be worried at all about decline in his age 33/34 year old season, but there are no signs of it yet. He’s a good win now power bat. – 2025 Projection: 76/29/92/.242/.320/.451/2

263) Brandon Lowe – TBR, 2B, 30.9 – If Lowe could stay healthy and actually play a full season, he could put up some pretty impressive numbers, but he’s only stayed healthy twice in his career. Once in the shortened 2020 season where he hit 14 homers in 56 games, and then again in 2021 where he hit 39 homers in 149 games. Sure those homer totals are the top end of his ability, but he’s been putting up impressive xwOBA’s his entire career, including a .346 xwOBA in 2024. The 12.4% Barrel% is excellent, and the 94.1 MPH FB EV and 14.5 degree launch backs that up. He was also really good against lefties last year (.835 OPS in 72 PA) and he hasn’t been that bad against them in his career (.737 OPS), so I don’t think it’s a foregone conclusion that he gets platooned depending on how good Tampa’s other options are playing. If you want to roll the dice on his health, there could be a big power payoff. – 2025 Projection: 74/26/79/.241/.319/.471/6

264) Christopher Morel – TBR, 3B/2B, 25.9 – I’m happy I didn’t know about Morel’s very elite 76.1 MPH swing before this year, because I might have ended up even higher on him than I already was, and it’s a reminder to not overrate bat speed, even though I do think it is a majorly valuable stat to have. Despite the elite bat speed, Morel bottomed out in 2024 with a 82 wRC+ and .196 BA in 152 games. The interesting thing is that his plate approach actually took the step forward we wanted to see with a 26.0/10.0 K%/BB% (31.0/8.4 K%/BB% in 2023), and in theory, it should have resulted in a big year. Clearly the .233 BABIP (career .277 BABIP) played a big role, but he also hit a relatively lackluster 21 homers. He got unlucky, but he also wasn’t that good even with neutral luck with a .316 xwOBA (.280 wOBA). And finally he got considerably slower with a 27.3 ft/sec sprint (28.6 in 2023), which could be an indicator he was playing through an injury (he hurt his foot earlier in the year). It’s still very easy to make a case to buy Morel, which is the case I made a few years ago, and those skills are still present. Namely, he hits the ball very hard. A full off-season with Tampa going into his age 25/26 year old season could easily result in a big season. Most people seem to have lost hope, and while I wouldn’t call him a target, I think I want to go one more year to see what he can do. He’s a let him come to you buy for a cheap price only. – 2025 Projection: 68/25/77/.235/.316/.438/10

265) Connor Norby – MIA, 3B, 24.10 – Norby’s MLB debut pretty emphatically answered the question of if his profile would transfer to the majors, and that answer is yes. He ripped 9 dingers with a 14.8% Barrel% in 45 games. He does it with a lift and pull profile that put up a 33.9% GB% and 48.7% Pull%. He doesn’t have big raw power, but you don’t need big raw power with that profile, and the 93.6 MPH FB/LD EV looks much better than the 86.2 MPH AVG EV. The cherry on top is that he is much faster than expected with a 29.3 ft/sec sprint, and while he’s not a huge base stealer (3 for 6 in his debut), he did steal 13 bags in 80 games at Triple-A, so he could easily be a 10+ guy. The downside of his profile transferring is that the rough plate approach transferred too with a 33.0/7.7 K%/BB% and 34.8% Chase%, leading to a .236 BA and .294 OBP. It’s also worth mentioning that Miami is among the worst ballparks for righty homers, and since Norby doesn’t have huge raw power, that could become a problem down the line, although it wasn’t a problem in 2024 with 7 homers and a 1.102 OPS in Miami. He’s also a bad defensive player, which puts a lot of pressure on the bat. I’m a sucker for a lift and speed profile, but he doesn’t run quite enough, and there are enough other warts in his game to make me hesitant to really go all in on Norby, but there is a very exciting fantasy profile lurking in here if he can improve his plate skills and possibly get stronger too. – 2025 Projection: 77/21/71/.246/.313/.440/10

266) Xavier Edwards – MIA, SS, 25.8 – I might be scared that Edwards could easily lose his starting SS job on another team, but the Marlins have very little competition for that job at the moment. And I might be scared that he could lose his spot atop of the order, but again, the Marlins don’t really have much competition for that spot either. Damn it feels good to be a 2nd division regular, and Edwards took advantage of that 2nd division with 31 steals, 39 runs, a .328 BA, and a .397 OBP in 70 games. He gets the bat on the ball with a 16.9% whiff%, he gets on base with a 10.9% BB%, and he loves to run. The reason I would be afraid of his playing time on another team, is that he’s not a good defensive SS, he has nearly 0 power with 1 homer and a 1.6% Barrel%, and he got extremely lucky last year with a .359 wOBA vs. .297 xwOBA. But he’s not on another team, so I have little doubt that his contact/speed/runs profile can be very valuable if you have the right offensive pieces around him to take his huge hit to your power department. – 2025 Projection: 78/4/43/.280/.340/.378/43

267) Luis Rengifo – LAA, 2B/3B, 28.1 – Rengifo’s season ended on August 2nd after undergoing wrist surgery. He was in the midst of a fantasy breakout on the back of a career high by far 24 steals in just 78 games, but with a well below average 26.9 ft/sec sprint, and a previous career high of 6 steals, I don’t know how many you can truly count on for 2025. The .300 BA was lucky with a .262 xBA, although the 14.5% K% was a career best, so it wasn’t a complete fluke. And the rest of his profile is still lacking with a 2.5% Barrel% and .295 xwOBA. He’s not good on defense either, playing a below average 2B, 3B, and SS. I’m just not buying into this, and with Christian Moore on the way (and Gleyber Torres rumors), I’m not even certain he’s going to be a full time starter. He’s just not one of my guys. (after writing this blurb, I looked at the objective projection I gave him, and it’s not bad at all, but I’m still weary of it). – 2025 Projection: 73/15/68/.270/.324/.427/20

268) Shane Bieber – CLE, RHP, 29.10 – Bieber worked hard on increasing his velocity over last off-season in an attempt to get back to his true ace days, and he was successful with it … at least for 2 starts. The fastball was up a tick and he put up a 0.00 ERA with a 44.4/2.2 K%/BB% in 12 IP, but the elbow simply couldn’t hold up. He underwent Tommy John surgery in April which will likely keep him out until mid-season 2025. What the velocity looks like when he returns is anyone’s guess, along with the breaking ball crispness and control/command. He’s the type of pitcher who can be effective without huge velocity, so even if he can’t get back to his ace days, there is potential for him to settle in as a plus control, mid-rotation guy throughout his 30’s. He’s still only 29 years old, he has an excellent track record, and he has a few different paths to remaining an impact fantasy starter. I’m not sticking my neck out for him, but there are enough positives to be intrigued by the Tommy John discount right now. – 2025 Projection: 6/3.78/1.22/97 in 100 IP

269) MacKenzie Gore – WAS, LHP, 26.1 – Here we go again. Gore is making himself comfortable in the breakout waiting room, and I just hope he doesn’t end up stuck there. The good news is that he definitely took a nice step forward this season with career bests in ERA (3.90), xERA (4.19), Barrel% (6.8%), BB% (8.9%), whiff% (28.6%), and velocity (96 MPH fastball). Those are 6 major categories to take a step forward in. You can see just from those stats that the ingredients are all in here to have a true explosion in 2025, and Gore would be far from the first top of the rotation starter to take a few years before getting to that lofty level (Scherzer, Wheeler, Gausman to name a few). But it also feels like a copout to just name 3 aces who weren’t as good earlier in their career as a reason to expect an explosion from Gore, and after predicting that breakout for Gore the last 2 years to mediocre results, it feels too much like wishful thinking to go too hard after it for a 3rd year. He’s more of a Top 300 dynasty asset for me rather than a Top 200 one. – 2025 Projection: 11/3.82/1.34/195 in 173 IP

270) Luis Arraez – SDP, 1B/2B, 28.0 – If you’ve read me for any length of time, you know that Arraez just isn’t the type of fantasy player I go after. He’s a special contact hitter with an absurd 4.3% K%, which was a career best this year, and he has a career .323 BA, but the power/speed combo is just super lackluster. 4 homers with 9 steals in 150 games just isn’t worth the BA bump, and neither are the 129 combined Runs and RBI. He always gets valued considerably higher than I would be willing to take him, so I never end up with him on my teams. – 2025 Projection: 84/8/51/.318/.357/.420/8

271) Luis Gil – NYY, RHP, 26.10 – Gil is a tough rank for me. I was never truly in on him as a prospect because of his extreme walk troubles, and even after his excellent rookie season (3.50 ERA with a 26.8% K% in 151.2 IP), there are still a few things holding me back from truly putting him in the young ace, or near ace tier. Most obviously, the control is still really bad with a terrible 12.1% BB%, and he was a very hot or cold pitcher because of it. I would be willing to overlook that (or at least be more forgiving of it), if he had a true dominant secondary, but he doesn’t really have that with a slider that put up a good but not great .280 xwOBA and 31.5% whiff%, and a changeup that put up a solid .307 xwOBA and 26.9% whiff%. The money maker is of course the 96.6 MPH fastball that is a plus pitch with a .318 xwOBA and 28.5% whiff%. He put up a 29% whiff% overall, which is in the double plus range. I definitely feel the pull to bet on the huge stuff and whiff rates, but the well below average control, and the lack of a true whiff machine secondary makes it all feel very shaky to me. He currently has a 182 NFBC ADP, which feels about right to me, so he seems to be valued with how I see him as well. 2025 Projection: 7/3.69/1.22/102 in 90 IP Update: Suffered a lat strain which will keep him out for 3 months. I was already shaky on him, and now you can tack on injury risk on top of that

272) Jonathan India – KCR, 2B, 28.4 – India goes from one of the best offensive power ballparks in baseball to one of the worst, and I gotta say, I’m not sure I want anything to do with this. His power is not the type that can thrive in any ballpark with a 87.2/91.4 MPH AVG/FB EV, and he hits the ball in the air a fair amount with a 13.5 degree launch. He had a career .809 OPS at home vs. a .722 OPS on the road. His 19.6% K% is good, but it’s not great, and he’s not a huge base stealer with 13 steals in 151 games. While KC is not a good ballpark for power, they are an above average park for righties overall, so India’s value might not tank, but power is king for fantasy, and it’s a clear downgrade for me. The upside wasn’t high to begin with, and now the floor is getting considerably lower with the ballpark switch. I’m passing on India this year. – 2025 Projection: 82/14/58/.252/.343/.402/14

273) Spencer Torkelson – DET, 1B, 25.7 – Torkelson swings a quick bat with a 73.6 MPH swing, he hits the ball hard with an 89 MPH EV, he lifts it with a 20.2 degree launch, he doesn’t chase with a 23.2% Chase%, and he gets the bat on the ball with a very respectable 26.6% whiff%. I mean, that really should work as a legitimate impact power bat. And obviously he already does have one big power season under his belt with 31 homers in 159 games in 2023. He struggled hard in 2024 with only 10 homers and a 92 wRC+ in 92 games, getting sent down to the minors mid season, but when he returned to the bigs, he was much better with 6 homers and a 125 wRC+ in his final 38 games. The hit tool is definitely very shaky (.233 career BA), and he has one of the worst ballparks for righty homers, so there are reasons to have some restraint, but there are enough positive signs here to lead me to believe he is in for a bounce back 2025. The Tigers have zero interest in handing him anything after the Gleyber Torres signing, but I don’t think it’s out of the question for him to force his way into the lineup, maybe at the expense of Matt Vierling, Jace Jung, or gasp, Colt Keith. I’m not quite ready to give up on him, although in shallower leagues, he’s tough to roster right now. – 2025 Projection: 61/22/72/.233/.312/.443/2

274) Chase DeLauter – CLE, OF, 23.6 – I don’t know if DeLauter needs to stop missing leg day at the gym, or by looking at the size of those trunks, maybe he needs to skip more leg days, but he has to figure out a way to keep the gams healthy. He broke his foot pre draft in 2022 which required surgery, and then he broke that same foot this year while running the bases. This one didn’t require surgery and wasn’t as serious, but at 6’3”, 235 pounds, those feet are going to continue to take a beating. He was able to return from the 2nd broken foot only to have a hamstring strain end his regular season about one month later. He dominated the AFL after the season, so that also wasn’t serious, but the injuries are starting to get concerning. They seemed to have stopped him from running at all this year with only 1 steal in 45 total games (although he stole 2 in 12 games in the AFL). The injuries haven’t stopped him from raking though. The hit tool and plate approach look truly elite with a 13.4/11.6 K%/BB%, and he has big power with 7 homers in 36 upper minors games. One of those homers was an inside the park job, which showed off his athleticism. He’s a special talent with above average to plus across the board skills, but he has to stay healthy, and staying healthy looks like it might entail not stealing a ton of bases, which does hurt the fantasy value a bit. – 2025 Projection: 16/5/19/.256/.320/.439/2 Prime Projection: 90/26/84/.278/.351/.472/11 Update: He just can’t shake the injury bug. He underwent hernia surgery which could keep him out for 3 months. It’s getting harder and harder to really hang on here. He’s dropping

275) Lazaro Montes – SEA, OF, 20.5 – Montes has three big negatives that prevent me from ranking him even higher than this. The first is that the hit tool is a real concern with a 26.1% K% in his 1,067 PA career in the lower minors. The 2nd is that Seattle is simply an awful ballpark to hit in. And the third is that he’s a very bad defensive player, and could end up DH only. That puts a ton of pressure on the bat, and as a lefty who hits righties much better than lefties, a strong side of a platoon power bat seems well within the range of outcomes. I do find it interesting that Bryce Eldridge has a nearly identical profile, and Eldridge is the darling of the prospect world while people seem lukewarm on Montes these days. I also prefer Eldridge, because the hit tool seems a bit safer, he’s a true unicorn at 6’7”, and he at least seems to have found a defensive home at 1B, but Montes is right there with him. He has beastly power at 6’3”, 210 pounds with 21 homers in 116 games, he’s an on base machine with a 14.4% BB%, and while the K% spiked to 29.6% when he got the call to High-A, it was starting to come down towards the end of the season, and seeing the 19.1% K% he put up at Single-A shows hope that he can improve that skill over time. He’s one of the premier lower minors power hitting prospects in the game, and his hype deserves to be damn close, if not equal to Eldridge’s, but the prospect world can be a fickle place. Even my ranking has a disparity between them, Maybe it’s just the nature of rankings. They are imperfect. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 84/33/95/.246/.333/.490/4

276) Jacob Melton – HOU, OF, 24.7 – Houston’s OF is nothing but opportunity right now, with not a single locked in OF starter on the roster, which means Melton is going to get all of the opportunity he can handle in the coming years. And considering how great of an athlete he is, I love the leash he is almost certain to get. He’s 6’2”, 208 pounds with plus speed and above average power. He cracked 15 homers with 30 steals in 105 games at Double-A and Triple-A. The reason why I’m so excited by the opportunity and leash, is that he might need it as the hit tool and plate approach are below average with a 23.5/7.0 K%/BB%. He’s also not a huge lift and pull guy, which isn’t the worst thing for his type of profile (speed and hard hit ability), and it doesn’t go extreme in the way direction either, so I’m not too worried about that. Is it possible he ends up a kinda fringy major leaguer who shows flashes but just doesn’t have the hit/plate approach to thrive? For sure that is a very realistic outcome. But I lean upside for fantasy, which Melton has plenty of, and when you combine it with proximity and opportunity, that is a profile I want on my dynasty team. 2025 Projection: 21/6/24/.228/.292/.402/8 Prime Projection: 77/19/75/.248/.319/.438/24

277) Byron Buxton – MIN, OF, 31.4 – It was announced that the Twins want to limit Buxton to about 100 games in order to keep him healthy, and since that seems to be just about as many as he could play anyway, I guess that makes sense. Either way, due to choice or injuries, the limited amount of games we can back on Buxton playing holds back his fantasy value majorly. This man could have been a fantasy beast with full health, because he crushes the ball (13.2% Barrel%) in the air (19.8 degree launch) with elite speed (29.7 ft/sec sprint). The below average hit tool is his only other demerit with a 25.5/5.2 K%/BB% and 32.1% whiff%, but that is good enough to let an elite power/speed combo shine. And the injuries have prevented him from running as much as he should with just 7 steals in 102 games. Those 102 games were a 7 year high by the way. A low BA slugger with a handful steals playing in 100 games can only get ranked so high, no matter how high the upside feels. – 2025 Projection: 70/24/70/.248/.314/.491/10

278) Kyle Manzardo – CLE, 1B, 24.8 – Manzardo struggled in his first taste of the bigs, putting up a .571 OPS in his first 30 games and then got sent back down. But he was a new man when he got called up again in September, smashing 5 homers with a .873 OPS in 23 games. He carried that over into the playoffs with a 138 wRC+ in 9 games. Manzardo has average to above average raw power with a good feel to hit, strong plate approach and a lift and pull profile. He didn’t really standout in any one area against major league pitching (except the lift part with a 22.1 degree launch), but he wasn’t bad in any area either with a 89.2 MPH EV, 27.6% whiff% and 27.7% Chase%. Considering this was his first go around, those numbers should only improve. He isn’t going to wow you with bat speed or hard hit ability, but he hits the ball often enough, and with enough power, and at the right angles to put up some very impactful fantasy seasons. He’s not good on defense and he struggled vs. lefties in the majors (.566 OPS), so a strong side of a platoon role is unfortunately still on the table as a possible outcome, but I don’t think he’s doomed to a part time role forever as he hit lefties better in the minors. – 2025 Projection: 74/24/79/.248/.321/.447/2

279) Heston Kjerstad – BAL, 1B/OF, 26.1 – Baltimore just doesn’t seem interested in the slightest to give Kjerstad a real shot. He’s once again blocked after the Tyler O’Neill signing. It seems obvious they want to use him as trade bait, but I guess nobody has bitten so far (that could change as they are still on the hunt for pitching). It’s a shame, because he’s clearly overdo for his shot. He smoked Triple-A with 16 homers, a 26.0/12.4 K%/BB%, and a 152 wRC+ in 56 games. It came with a 90.7 MPH EV and 16.8 degree launch. And then he was really good in the majors with 4 homers, a 116 wRC+ and 90.2 MPH EV in 114 PA. The swing and miss was on the high side with a 31.3% whiff% and 28.9% K%, but neither of those are too bad, and he also chased a lot with a 35% Chase%, so he needs to refine the plate skills, but that is to be expected with such little MLB experience. He’s not a great defensive player, so he’s definitely going to have to rake to hold down a job, but if he doesn’t rake, it doesn’t matter for us anyway. I love betting on the pedigree (2nd overall pick in the draft), history of production, and hard hit ability, but without opportunity, none of it matters. – 2025 Projection: 71/23/77/.250/.328/.440/3 (this assumes he gets traded to a situation where he can compete for a full time job. If he doesn’t, you can half these projections at least)

280) Kevin Alcantara – CHC, OF, 22.8 – The Forgotten Unicorn continues to fly just low enough under the radar to not have the hype explode, while continuing to perform very well and show off his truly special tools. He’s a still projectable 6’6”, 188 pounds with a double plus raw power/speed combo. He put up a 91 MPH EV at Triple-A with a 29.2 ft/sec sprint in the majors. And it’s not like he’s struggled in the minors at all, He’s actually been extremely good his entire career, never putting up a wRC+ under 123 at any stop other than when he was a 16 year old in rookie ball. This year he did it in the upper minors all season as a 21/22 year old, slashing .278/.353/.428 with 14 homers, 14 steals, and a 26.0/9.9 K%/BB% in 111 games split between Double-A and Triple-A. The cherry on top is that he’s a good CF, which could make a potent OF with PCA in center and Alcantara in a corner down the line. He’s not a finished product with hit tool risk and too many groundballs, but his hype should be so much higher than it is. Alcantara makes for a great upside target. 2025 Projection: 22/7/29/.229/.294/.407/6 Prime Projection: 79/23/78/.251/.328/.449/18

281) Charlie Condon – COL, 3B/1B/OF, 21.11 – Let me just start by saying that I’ve been valuing pro debuts extremely high from the second I started writing back in 2015/16, and it has served me extremely well in both directions (moving guys both up and down). It was back before any other outlet would even consider changing their evaluation or ranking of a player based on their pro debut. When asked, they would just hand wave it away and say something like “small sample,” even though the sample was often actually bigger in pro ball than it was in their Junior year of college (back when the draft was in early June). It made no sense to me why the pro debut with wood bats and more advanced pitching wouldn’t be weighed more heavily. And now, you see basically every outlet change their ranking at least somewhat based on the pro debuts, which is the right move. That brings us to Charlie Condon, who just had the type of pro debut you have nightmares over. Despite all of his pre draft hype, he did have some hit tool questions at 6’6” with relatively high K rates throughout his college career. And the hit tool immediately didn’t transfer to pro ball with a .180 BA and 31.2/3.7 K%/BB% in 25 games at High-A. That isn’t just bad, that is atrocious. Completely lost. It’s not great that the only question he had coming out of the draft was immediately answered, and not in a good way. This was a 21 year old in the lower minors. You need a high FYPD college bat to dominate in the majors by like 23 years old, let alone High-A. Jacob Berry and Chase Davis were the last two hyped college bats to have poor pro debuts, and neither of their values are anywhere close to where you wanted them to be. Condon is a better prospect than both of those guys, and I’m not dropping him as far down as those guys at all, but I do believe he does deserve a real drop. This draft class was already really tightly packed at the top with a lot of really, really good college talent, but no one true standout. So based on Condon’s poor debut, I don’t see how it doesn’t make complete sense to drop him under those guys. He has a clear carrying tool in his power, and of course I do factor in that the pro debut was at the end of a long season, draft process, new team, new coach, new everything etc …, so he’s still a Top 10 FYPD pick for me. I still like him as a power bat who will get to hit in Coors (but also gets their developmental team, and it looks like he still needs development). I just wouldn’t be able to pull the trigger on him until the other similarly talented college players with better debuts were off the board first. I feel like that’s reasonable. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 77/30/88/.241/.322/.472/8

282) Braden Montgomery – CHW, OF, 22.0 – Selected 12th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, there was a lot of talk about Montgomery dropping his righty swing to hit exclusively lefty. That doesn’t really seem like what you want to hear from a highly drafted college bat, but the lefty swing is so smooth and powerful I get why it doesn’t seem like that big of a deal overall. He also had a 20% K% which is substantially higher than the college bats drafted before him. Maybe that is partly why he slipped a bit to 12th overall, and also why Boston was willing to include him in the Crochet trade. The broken ankle which he suffered pre draft on June 8th was also likely a major reason for the drop. So he certainly has some risk with hit tool, platooning and injury, but he also has very major power upside. He’s 6’2”, 220 pounds and he smashed 27 homers with a 1.187 OPS in 61 games in the SEC. He’s been smashing homers his entire career with 62 homers in 187 games split between the Pac 12 and SEC. He absolutely destroys the baseball with huge exit velocities. That gives him a no doubt carrying tool that will make him a fantasy force. As for the trade, it really doesn’t change his value at all. The path to playing time is clearer, but it’s an organization downgrade and a future lineup downgrade. It’s also a ballpark downgrade. If anything, it makes me like him slightly less, but again, this really shouldn’t change his value too much. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 81/28/89/.251/.333/.475/6

283) Kevin McGonigle – DET, SS/2B, 20.7 – McGonigle had one of the best hit tools in the high school class, and while this is generally a bucket of prospect that I don’t go after in first year player drafts, McGonigle showed what it looks like when that profile goes right. He slashed .309/.401/.452 with 5 homers, 22 steals, and a 8.5/14.0 K%/BB% in 74 games split between Single-A and High-A. He proved he wasn’t just hit tool though, hitting the ball pretty hard with a 88.9 MPH EV at Single-A, and also showing base stealing skills (22 for 24 on the bases). He didn’t have any groundball issues and he pulled the ball a lot (well over 50% pull rate). Even during the regular season I got too locked into him as a hit tool guy, when there is more to his skillset than that. He’s not a particularly big guy at 5’10”, 187 pounds, and I still see more of a moderate power/speed combo, so I still don’t mind my Stevan Kwan 2.0 comp, but McGonigle is already hitting the ball harder (and pulling the ball a lot more), so he can end up a souped up version of Kwan. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 92/15/58/291/.362/.422/21

284) Ceddanne Rafaela – BOS, SS/OF, 24.7 – Rafaela put up a 79 wRC+ with a .273 xwOBA (bottom 5% of baseball) in 152 games. Boston has a sea of studs on the way too. I’m starting the blurb out with that moreso as just a reminder to myself to not get too crazy here as much as I want to love Rafaela. He’s a whiff and chase machine with a 33% whiff% and 46.4% Chase%. That is really, really bad. His 70.1 MPH bat speed is below average and so is his 86.6 MPH EV. He wasn’t great on the bases either, going 19 for 29. Again, I’m saying this as much to myself as I am to you, but there is a very real chance, maybe a good chance, that he is just not a very good hitter. Now having said that, the power/speed combo is super fun for fantasy with an above average 7.5% Barrel%, 14.9 degree launch, and 28.8 ft/sec sprint. It resulted in 15 homers and 19 steals. He also has defensive versality, so even as a super utility player/next man up at several positions type player, that can still equal basically full time at bats over the course of the season. And he has a possibly elite CF glove, so even if they have other players that can play center, they can’t play it nearly as well as Rafaela. The bat needs to take a step forward though, and I’m not so sure it’s such a sure bet that it’s going to happen. It might be a super utility profile on the MLB level when it’s all said and done, but he’s still young, and that definitely isn’t the ceiling. – 2025 Projection: 71/17/74/.244/.295/.402/24

285) Jett Williams – NYM, SS/OF, 21.5 – Jett’s season was a straight disaster. He underwent surgery on his right wrist just 11 games into the season and he didn’t return until the end of the August. Wrist injuries are known killers for hitters, so it’s not surprising to see he wasn’t great after returning from the injury either with 0 homers and a .656 OPS in 33 games on the season. I would call it a completely lost year, but if there is one small silver lining to take out of it, it’s that he was actually really good in his final 6 games at Triple-A. He had a 192 wRC+ with a 89.6 MPH EV. I know it’s just 6 games, but it shows how the 5’6” Jett can truly pack a punch. He also proved the GB rates (around a 32% GB%) and the plate approach (23.6/14.9 K%/BB%) won’t fall apart in the upper minors. Also keep in mind he was just 20 years old this year. Lift, speed, plate approach, and sneaky pop is a potent fantasy combination, and with Williams’ injury induced down year, I’m sensing some major buy low opportunities this winter. This is an electric player, size be damned. – 2025 Projection: 16/2/10/.238/.305/.385/5 Prime Projection: 96/19/66/.264/.345/.438/32

286) Jonny Farmelo – SEA, OF, 20.7 – Farmelo was on his way to becoming a legitimate possibility for Top 20 prospect status by this off-season, but he tore his ACL on June 11th after just 46 games. It was a non contact injury while tracking a line drive to centerfield. A lot of the excitement around him was due to his double plus speed and elite athleticism, so a torn knee kinda takes a shot directly to that strength. We’ve also seen guys tear their knee, and then keep tearing their knee again (or tear their other knee), like Kyle Lewis, Royce Lewis, and Ronald Acuna. On the flip side, we see NFL running backs return from torn ACL’s and get their explosion back, so at only 20 years old, I’m expecting Farmelo to retain most of his elite athleticism, but it’s certainly not good. And the injury is also expected to keep him out until mid-season 2025. So it could be hard for him to truly get the hype fully rolling again until 2026. Even with all that, I remain high on him because his upside is no joke. He slashed .264/.398/.421 with 4 homers, 18 steals, and a 23.5/16.3 K%/BB% in 46 games at Single-A. He’s 6’2”, 205 pounds with a powerful lefty swing and low groundball rates (34.1% GB%). He was thought to be on the raw side coming out of the draft, and while there is still hit tool risk, he showed a good feel to hit with an excellent approach in his debut. Assuming full health, he could be a beast, and even with the injury risk (and also the general risk of being a 19 year old in the lower minors), he should be considered a pretty sought after dynasty prospect. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 86/20/74/.256/.332/.439/30

287) Tommy Edman – LAD, OF, 29.11 – Edman is certainly not a profile I would be looking to age with on my fantasy team, but his value really isn’t all that high, so I can’t really call him a sell. I see him as a mostly fairly valued hit/speed combo for a win now team. He didn’t debut until late August due to a wrist injury that turned into an ankle injury, and you could see the rust in multiple areas with a career worst Barrel% (3.6%), sprint speed (27.9 ft/sec), and whiff% (24%). The surface stats were still solid with 6 homers, 6 steals, and a .237 BA in only 37 games, and with a full off-season to get healthy, I don’t see why he wouldn’t mostly perform to career norms. Career norms is mid teens homers, upper 20’s steals, and a .260 BA. Not bad. He might be a part time player in a couple years, but until that happens, I feel his profile is pretty stable. – 2025 Projection: 77/14/63/.255/.309/.405/25

288) Taylor Ward – LAA, OF, 31.4 – Ward’s surface stats feel more underwhelming than they should based on the underlying numbers, but then you see his below average 69.8 MPH swing, and it all comes together. That’s not to say that he’s not a really good hitter, because he is a really good hitter, but that is to say just don’t expect a monster season based on the 13% Barrel%, 90.9 MPH EV, and 17.4 degree launch. In 2024 it resulted in 25 homers with a .246 BA in 156 games, and while the underlying numbers said he got unlucky, I’m not so sure he actually did. – 2025 Projection: 77/24/79/.250/.327/.440/5

289) George Springer – TOR, OF, 35.6 – Springer definitely got unlucky in 2024 with a .298 wOBA vs. a .322 xwOBA, but in order the truly act on that, you would have to ignore two majors reasons to stay away. Which are that his underlying numbers are in a clear 4 year decline, and he’s 35 years old. He obviously still has the potential to be put up some solid seasons as the 9.3% Barrel%, 28.1 ft/sec sprint, and 18.7% K% are all well above average, but at his age, you have to factor in the possibility of continued decline, and you also have to lower the best case outcome scenario. He’s a decent win now piece, but I wouldn’t consider him anything more than that. – 2025 Projection: 78/21/70/.251/.328/.429/14

290) TJ Friedl – CIN, OF, 29.7 – Friedl outperformed his underlying numbers for the 4th year in a row, which isn’t surprising because the Statcast blind spot of contact/lift/pull is well known at this point, but he was only barely able to outperform them this year with a .309 wOBA vs. .292 xwOBA. It may be a Statcast blind spot, but it sure feels more precarious of a profile than the guys whose underlying numbers do match the surface stats. He was also majorly banged up all season, so that also could be to blame for the career worst 88 wRC+. He started the year with a wrist injury, he then picked up a broken thumb, and then he tacked on a hamstring injury. His speed tanked almost 2 ft/sec to a well below average 26.5 ft/sec, resulting in only 9 steals, and the BA tanked to .226 which was backed up by the .228 xBA. He still jacked out 13 homers despite a 86 MPH EV, because he has that contact (15.2% K%), lift (16.7 degree launch), pull (48.2% Pull%) profile down pat, but everything else dropped off. With a full off-season to get healthy, and a seemingly pretty good lock on a full time job (he hits both lefties and righties), Friedl could mess around and put up a 20/20 season, or something very close to it. I didn’t think I was going to like him when I started this blurb, but I’m kinda liking him right now. And he’s not very expensive. – 2025 Projection: 76/18/68/.252/.328/.424/22

291) Brandon Marsh – PHI, OF, 27.4 – Marsh is a platoon bat who you wouldn’t want to play against lefties anyway (.552 OPS in 90 PA), and he’s never posted a better than 30% K% (32.4% K% in 2024), so it’s really hard to call him even the slightest bit of a true target, but he still has a really fun collection skills that I want to bet on. He crushes the ball (10% Barrel% with a 91.6 MPH EV), he’s fast (28.2 ft/sec sprint), he has a great plate approach (23.7% Chase% with a 10.5% BB%), and his whiff rates really aren’t that bat at all (27.5% whiff%). That’s exciting. But I can’t ignore that all it added up to was 16 homers, 19 steals, 55 runs and 60 RBI. That just isn’t good enough to really go out of your way for. Philly isn’t that deep, so Marsh’s path to improvement is to get much better lefties, and if he can, the playing time should be there. – 2025 Projection: 66/18/71/.250/.330/.327/20

292) Wilyer Abreu – BOS, OF, 25.9 – Back on August 3rd, 2023, literally mere moments before Abreu went on a crazy run at Triple-A that ended up with him raking in the majors, I got this feeling about him that I just couldn’t shake, naming him a target and writing, “there is something I really love about Abreu that I just can’t shake. And that something is probably his sweet, sweet lefty swing.” … and now that we have bat tracking data, I see why I just couldn’t shake how much I loved his swing, and it’s because not only is it smooth, but it’s lightning fast with a near elite 74.6 MPH bat speed. It’s no wonder he’s kept on raking in the bigs right through 2024 with a 114 wRC+ in 132 games. He uses that swing to absolutely crush the ball with a 50.5% Hard Hit%, 11.1% Barrel%, 91.6 MPH EV,  and a 19.2 degree launch. It only resulted in 15 homers in 132 games, but that is so clearly on the very low end of his true talent, and he racked up 33 doubles. With that swing and batted ball data, there is zero doubt his bat is legit, but there are reasons to remain cautious. For one, he was horrible vs. lefties (.532 OPS in 67 PA), and especially with how deep Boston is, he looks like a strict platoon bat. The other big issue is the hit tool as he had a 28% K% and .229 xBA (.253 BA). The 29.6% whiff% isn’t too bad, so I’m not concerned the hit tool is going to tank or anything, but it’s clearly below average. He likes to run a bit with 8 steals, which isn’t huge, but it’s a nice little boost, and he’s a really good right fielder, so his glove will certainly help keep him on the field. I would be absolutely all over him if he could hit lefties or if he was in a situation where he would get the leash to get better against them, but I don’t see that in Boston. That leaves him as solid dynasty asset (Top 200-250 range), rather than a truly coveted one. 2025 Projection: 69/20/71/.251/.325/.465/9

293) Jesus Sanchez – MIA, OF, 27.5 – Sanchez has absolutely electric bat speed with a 75.2 MPH swing, and it’s a short swing with a 7.1 foot length. That swing helps him demolish the ball with a 92.5 MPH EV, but unfortunately, that is just about all he does well. The 7.7 degree launch isn’t high enough to take advantage of the hard hit ability, the plate approach is terrible with a 36.1% Chase% and 31.2% whiff%, he has below average speed, and he’s terrible vs lefties (.485 OPS). Miami doesn’t have many options, so they may play him against lefties anyway, but that’s not necessarily a good thing for you. He managed to steal a career high by far 16 bases in 2024, and while that is an outlier he might not be able to keep up, at least it gives him a little added something, because without that, I would like him even less. You know I want to bet on electric bat speed and hard hit ability, but if that is literally all you do, I can’t just ignore everything else. – 2025 Projection: 67/22/74/.251/.317/.438/9

294) Trevor Story – BOS, SS, 32.5 – Story hurt his shoulder just 8 games into the season, resulting in surgery for a fractured shoulder that kept him out until early September. But he was actually pretty good still when he returned, slashing .270/.361/.429 with 2 homers, 5 steals, and a 33.3/11.1 K%/BB% in 18 games. It shows the homer/steal combo can still be very impactful, but we know it’s coming with a very low batting average. He had double below average bat speed last year (probably impacted by the surgery though, so we’ll see), and his K rates have been over 30% since leaving Coors. He’s also struggled to stay healthy, playing in just 162 games in his 3 years with Boston. This is an oft-injured, aging profile that relies a good amount on stolen bases, so it’s not one I’m really looking to buy low on in general, but for a cheap win now move, I don’t hate it. He’s probably pretty cheap right now and he just might be able to squeak out a 20/20+ season if things go relatively well. – 2025 Projection: 73/21/76/.228/.307/.421/23

295) Tyler Fitzgerald – SFG, SS/2B, 27.7 – I use a 20 game cutoff for these positional rankings, but with Fitzgerald set to be San Francisco’s starting 2B in 2024, I’m going to include him in the 2B rankings too (I know these are the SS rankings). He had an insanely fun rookie year with 15 homers, 17 steals, and a .280 BA in 96 games, but there are so many warning signs going off, it’s definitely making me hesitant to buy in too hard. The fantasy upside is undeniable with an elite 30 ft/sec sprint and 20.2 degree launch, so the power/speed numbers will be there, but the BA/OBP is a major, major risk. He put up a 31.7/6.5 K%/BB% with a 87.7/90.6 MPH AVG/FB EV. That is a recipe for a disaster batting average, especially hitting in San Francisco. The .292 xwOBA was much, much worse than the .367 wOBA. He was already starting to regress by the end of the season with a .592 OPS, 1 homer and a 36.3/6.2 K%/BB% in his final 36 games, so you can’t even say the hit tool was improving as the year went on. His fantasy upside is so fun I thought I was going to like him more than I do, but there are just so many flashing red lights. – 2025 Projection: 67/21/61/.232/.298/.417/24

296) Andy Pages – LAD, OF, 24.4 – The Dodgers Giveth and The Dodgers Taketh Away. They giveth us these beautiful, ready made prospects who are perfectly developed and capable of making an immediate impact on our fantasy team … and then they taketh them right out of the lineup and stick them on their bench, or at Triple-A. We saw it with Michael Busch. We’re seeing it now with Andy Pages. And Dalton Rushing is on double deck to get the same treatment, which is why I’m maybe a hair lighter on Rushing than others. But let the record show, I was the first guy hyping Rushing based off his pro debut. You know a good pro debut doesn’t slip by me ;). And while we’re at it, here is a fun tweet from November 2019 where I name Andy Pages my favorite “No One Else Is On” player. Actually Jordan Rosenblum was the only other one on him (as mentioned in the tweet), and that was back before Jordan was the man behind the man of like every projection based system on the internet, hah. I even identify the prospect writer/analyst sleepers before they hit big! But enough back patting (life is short, let me celebrate my hits, will ya), let’s get back to Pages’ dynasty value. He set a rock solid foundation to build on in his rookie year with a 10.7% Barrel%, 88.6 MPH EV, 20.8 degree launch, 28.3 ft/sec sprint, 73.1 MPH swing, .321 xwOBA, and a 26.1% whiff% in 116 games. That is a damn good collection of skills, and not very easy to find at all. If he had a full time job, I would be all over him, but it’s hard to hype a guy up who simply doesn’t have a job. And even if injuries hit, he has competition to be next man up. The cream generally rises to the top, and players generally get their shot one way or another at some point, so for dynasty, I wouldn’t be overly concerned about it, but I don’t see how you can’t factor it in. If you want to ignore playing time, Pages would be a Top 200 dynasty asset easy for me, but with the playing time concerns, I can’t rank him quite that high. – 2025 Projection: 48/15/44/.244/.318/.435/3 Prime Projection: 79/26/82/.252/.333/.465/7

297) Chase Dollander – COL, RHP, 23.5 – In a Baseball America Youtube interview (The Hot Sheet Show is a great show in general), Dollander mentioned that he’s literally not planning ahead at all, and doing absolutely nothing different for the looming Coors Field that awaits him. The Rockies literally don’t prepare their pitchers at all for eventually pitching with different air. That makes total sense to me based on how bad their franchise is. If I was heading up a franchise where the ballpark had different air, and their entire history of pitching in that environment was nothing short of horrific, the strategies necessary to thrive in that environment would run deep throughout my organization from rookie ball on up. Dollander answered the question as if nobody has even mentioned it to him ha. I just find that kinda wild. Now, maybe trying to change who you are as a pitcher would only get in your head, and maybe there literally is no good strategy for it, so I guess you might as well not think about it. I’m open to that being the case, but either way, for fantasy purposes, it just reinforces that I’m never going to be the high guy on Colorado pitching prospects, It sure seems like if anyone can slay the beast, it will be Dollander, and as a baseball fan, I’m rooting for him hardcore to be the one who breaks through. A true ace at Coors would be awesome. If we forget about Coors for a second, Dollander is an elite pitching prospect on his own merits with a 2.59 ERA and 33.9/9.4 K%/BB% in 118 IP at High-A and Double-A (he was equally dominant at both stops). The mid to upper 90’s fastball is a double plus bat missing weapon, which he combines with a 3 secondaries (gyro slider, curve, change) that aren’t as good as the fastball, but can be above average to plus pitches in their own right. Below average control is the only other demerit besides Coors Field. I’ve had a zero tolerance policy for Coors pitching prospects my entire life, and it has yet to come back to bite me. Maybe Dollander will be the one to finally make me regret it, and I’m genuinely rooting for him to be the one, even if it won’t happen on my dynasty team. 2025 Projection: 4/4.28/1.33/96 in 100 IP Prime Projection: 11/3.79/1.24/185 in 170 IP

298) Brandon Sproat – NYM, RHP, 24.6 – Baseball likes to make it as hard as possible to evaluate minor league players, and pitchers in particular. They love to use minor leaguers as guinea pigs, which I get, but life would be a lot easier if things were at least a bit more standardized among all levels. There was literally different rules for calling balls and strikes at Triple-A in the first 3 games of a series (fully automated) vs. the last 3 (umps call it with a automated challenge system). Then they switched the rules mid-season to just the automated challenge system with the umps calling them the rest of the time. Every level also uses different balls. Triple-A uses the MLB ball, while lower levels don’t. Enter Brandon Sproat, who utterly dominated at Double-A with a 2.45 ERA and 33.2/6.5 K%/BB% in 62.1 IP, only to completely fall apart at Triple-A with a 7.53 ERA and 16.3/8.5 K%/BB% in 28.2 IP. Was it the ball? Was it the strikezone? Was it the better competition? Was it that he was reaching a career high in IP? Was it a combo of everything? I don’t know exactly, but what I do know is that the stuff was still nasty. The 4-seamer sits 96.6 MPH and he has 2 potentially plus secondaries in his slider and changeup which both miss bats and induce weak contact. He also throws a cutter, curve and sinker, giving him a very diverse pitch mix. His control was below average throughout his college career, and it also was poor at the start of the season at High-A, so there is still some control/command risk in here even though he took a big step forward in that department overall. Does it worry me a bit that his numbers tanked so hard when he used the MLB baseball for the first time? It does. But at the end of the day the stuff don’t lie, and Sproat has monster stuff. – 2025 Projection: 3/4.08/1.32/87 in 90 IP Prime Projection: 13/3.63/1.20/189 in 170 IP

299) Austin Wells – NYY, C, 25.9 – Let’s start with the fact that Wells was an excellent defensive catcher, ranking 5th best in baseball according to Fangraphs. His defense was a question coming up in the system, so seeing that is a big deal for his ability to stick at catcher, which is now a foregone conclusion. But it’s offense we care the most about, and while Wells didn’t exactly dominate with a .229 BA and 13 homers in 115 games, there are plenty of positive takeaways. It was his rookie year and he put up an above average 105 wRC+. That is a really strong foundation, and he also underperformed his underlying numbers with a .339 xwOBA vs. .315 wOBA. He hit the ball hard enough with a 88.4 MPH EV, he lifted it with a 17.1 degree launch, and he showed strong plate skills with a 21.0/11.4 K%/BB%. With the short porch at Yankees Stadium, that is just begging for some big homer totals in future years. Wells is setting up to be a really good fantasy catcher for a long time. – 2025 Projection: 63/20/71/.243/.336/.440/3

300) Gabriel Moreno – ARI, C, 25.2 – I was always low on Moreno and didn’t buy the playoff homer binge, and that proved correct as he had a very lackluster fantasy season. He hit .266 with just 5 homers in 97 games. He put up a 107 wRC+ on the back of an excellent 14.8/11.7 K%/BB%, and he’s a good defensive player, so there is a reason he was ranked highly on real lift prospect lists, but for fantasy, I just didn’t see that next level appeal. It’s not like I hated him, and I still don’t hate him now. He hits the ball hard with a 90 MPH EV, but even with a career high 8.8 degree launch, a 92.7 MPH FB/LD EV is just not going to result in a bunch of homers. He should be a good fantasy catcher for a long time, but he’s not likely to be a next level one. – 2025 Projection: 58/13/66/.278/.346/.415/6

301) Tyler Stephenson – CIN, C, 28.8 – The 6’4”, 225 pound Stephenson was the former 11th overall pick in the 2015 Draft, and he finally had that power breakout that I feel we’ve been waiting for forever, jacking a career high by far 19 homers in 138 games. It also came with a career high 90.2/95.2 MPH AVG/FB EV to back up the surface stats. He’s always had a good hit tool and plate approach (22.7/9.3 K%/BB%), so the power uptick was all he needed. I’ve said it a few times in these rankings, but catchers taking longer to breakout offensively is the norm, so I do think he can maintain this level over the next few seasons. He finished as the 8th overall catcher in 2024, and it sure seems like that could be on the rise in future years. – 2025 Projection: 71/19/69/.261/.335/.434/1

302) Noelvi Marte – CIN, 3B, 23.6 – Marte got popped for an 80 game PED suspension in March, which shocked the prospect and baseball world. My first instinct isn’t to just drop talented players down the rankings when they get popped for PED’s, but when Marte returned mid-season, he did everything in his power to prove he was actually cheating. Everything got much worse from his 2023 MLB debut. He put up a 46 wRC+ in 242 PA, which was the 6th worst mark in baseball (min 240 PA). Only Tim Anderson, Brandon Drury, Javier Baez, Dominic Fletcher and Eddie Rosario were worse. He got slower with his home plate to 1B runtime dropping from 4.3 to 4.43. His EV dropped from 91.3 MPH to 87 MPH. His Chase% jumped from 28.6% to 37.1%. His K% jumped from 20.3% to 31%. He was also terrible on defense, leading to a negative 1.5 WAR on the season. He was quite simply one of the very worst players in baseball. It’s possible that the horrific season wasn’t purely because he wasn’t on the juice anymore. It’s certainly possible that the suspension threw off his entire season both mentally and physically. An entire off-season to regroup should be a big help towards bouncing back in 2025. I’m not giving up on him at all, but I do think there has to be a major penalty for the possibility he was in fact cheating. I know everyone, including me, kinda brushes off the PED thing nowadays, but guys can still genuinely cheat, right? It also seems that he is in Cincinnati’s doghouse, and that he is going to have to earn every future opportunity he will get. I just can’t go higher than this on him. – 2025 Projection: 36/8/31/.240/.300/.403/11 Prime Projection: 76/18/71/.252/.320/.427/21 Update: He still looks awful this spring and was sent down. I’m getting nervous

303) Ryan Jeffers – MIN, C, 27.10 – Jeffers robbed Peter to pay Paul in 2024, bringing his K rate down to a career best by far 20.2% (27.8% in 2023), but his exit velocity tanked with it to a career low by far 86.9 MPH (90.5 MPH in 2024). His walk rate tanked too with a 6.9% BB% (9.9% in 2023). With how much he hits the ball in the air (16.9 degree launch), he couldn’t even take advantage of the better contact rates with a .226 BA and 21 homers in 122 games. It’s interesting that he kinda ended up with the same numbers he likely would have ended up with anyway had he just kept the same profile from 2023, except with a lower OBP. All roads seem to lead to mostly the same place for Jeffers. Which is as a low BA slugger. – 2025 Projection: 63/23/72/.240/.316/.440/3

304) Nick Castellanos – PHI, OF, 33.1 – Castellanos basically has the recipe for a guy you don’t want to buy the decline years on. He chases a ton with a 37.8% Chase% and he whiffs a ton with a 30.1% whiff%. We’ve actually already seen the decline once he hit 30 years old, putting up a 95, 109, and 105 wRC+ over the last 3 years. He was a 120+ guy in his prime more or less. And his bat speed is only slightly above average at 71.9 MPH, so you can’t even fall back on electric bat speed. Following a normal decline curve, it seems to me he can level down yet again in his age 33+ seasons, and considering he’s a terrible defensive player, he’s just not a guy I’m looking to own in his mid 30’s. Having said that, the skills haven’t fallen off a cliff yet with a .333 xOBA, so I do think he can be a solid hitter in 2025. – 2025 Projection: 76/24/83/.258/.311/.448/6

305) Jurickson Profar – ATL, OF, 33.1 – By golly, it took 14 years, but Profar finally had that superstar breakout we all thought was possible back when he was an elite prospect (and #1 overall like everywhere in 2013). If you took him in your 2010 First Year Player Draft, you must be pretty damn happy right now. It finally paid off ;). He had that classic year 32 power breakout with a career high by a mile 91.1 MPH EV (87.3 MPH was his previous career high). Just how we drew it up. The plus contact and plus approach didn’t take a step back at all either, so it was a full on blow up season, and he kept it up all year with 24 homers, 10 steals, 94 Runs, 84 RBI and a .280/.380 BA/OBP. The 139 wRC+ was elite. I’m not in the business of paying up for career years at 32 years old, so there is just no way I can see myself paying up for Profar, but it’s not like anything he did was lucky. He just got magically INSANELY stronger 12 years into his career. And he did it during an off-season where he was a free agent and nobody really wanted him. His career was almost over. He had nothing to lose. Totally normal. – 2025 Projection: 82/18/69/.266/.339/.430/8

306) Nolan Arenado – STL, 3B, 33.11 – The Cards are trying to trade Arenado, but he pulled a card of his own, the full no trade clause card. He rejected a trade to Houston. It seems he has about 6 teams he wants to go to, with the Dodgers seemingly the one he’s pushing for (all just based on rumors). At this point of the off-season, this could very well go into the season. He’s a shell of his former self, bottoming out in 2024 with a career low 86.3 MPH EV and .296 xwOBA. The contact rates are still excellent with a 14.5% K%, he can still lift and pull, his speed was the same (slow, but the same), and his defense was still excellent, so it might have been just a down year rather than the start of the cliff. Or at least it was a combo of both, so I would expect a power bounce back in 2025 (only 16 homers in 152 games). The Cards were also the 9th worst park for righty homers, and based on his preferred destinations, he will almost certainly get a ballpark bump if a trade does happen. I actually don’t hate him as a buy low win now option if his name value doesn’t inflate his price too much. – 2025 Projection: 75/24/83/.269/.322/.441/3

307) Yandy Diaz – TBR, 1B, 33.8 – Yandy was unsurprisingly unable to keep up his career high 22 homers in 2023 with it dropping back down to 14 homers in 145 games in 2024. When you have a 5 degree launch, literally everything has to go perfectly, and all the stars have to align to put up impactful homer seasons. He crushes the ball with a 92.2 MPH EV, he makes tons of contact with a 15.3% K%, and he gets on base with a career 11.3% BB%, but he has a bottom 10% of the league sprint speed, so he really can’t even take full advantage of those skills. And now he’s officially in his old man years at 33/34 in 2025. The upside isn’t really that high to begin with, BA first plays are not my thing, he’s not good on defense, he provides 0 steals, and I really don’t want to be the one left holding the bag here. Diaz isn’t someone I’m going to own anywhere, but he can definitely still be solid for a win now team. – 2025 Projection: 80/15/75/.284/.361/.438/1

308) Nestor Cortes – MIL, LHP, 30.3 – Cortes put up a career high 174.1 IP, which is great to see because durability has really been his biggest issue. When he’s on the mound, he’s a solid mid rotation starter with a plus control (5.5% BB%) and average whiff rates (24.2% whiff%). He gets it done by pounding the zone with a fastball heavy approach. He went to the 92.1 MPH 4-seamer 44.2% of the time, and it’s at least a plus pitch with a 7 Run Value and 21.5% whiff%. The second most used pitch is the cutter with a 28% usage rate and +5 Run Value. Nothing flashy. Just solid. – 2025 Projection: 10/3.72/1.19/158 in 160 IP

309) Jose Berrios – TOR, RHP, 30.10 – Berrios massively outperformed his underlying numbers for the 2nd year in a row with a 3.60 ERA and 19.5/6.9 K%/BB% in 192.1 IP vs. 4.74 xERA. He put up a 3.65 ERA vs. a 4.51 xERA in 2023. He’s actually pretty considerably outperformed his underlying numbers in 5 of his last 6 years, so it’s obviously skill, but I’m still really hesitant to buy too hard into it. None of his pitches are really standout or miss a ton of bats, although sinker performed extremely well in 2024 with a +12 Run Value. He’s proven he can be a solid mid-rotation fantasy starter, but his really good ERA’s are going to push his price up too high for me. He’s just not one of my guys. – 2025 Projection: 12/3.88/1.20/165 in 185 IP

310) Grant Holmes – ATL, RHP, 29.0 – It sure seems like Holmes is the favorite for a rotation spot right now, and that makes me damn excited. I went full 5 alarm target on him during the season when they gave him a shot in the rotation, and it looks like scooping him up is about the pay off in a major way in 2025. He checks a ton of boxed for what I look for in a pitching prospect breakout. The control is double plus with a 5.3% BB%, the whiff% is elite with a 32.4% whiff%, the 94.5 MPH fastball is a good pitch with a .299 xwOBA and 20.3% whiff%, and he has two bat missing secondaries in his slider (41.5% whiff%), and curve (43.7% whiff%). It all led to a 3.56 ERA with a 24.8/5.3 K%/BB% in 68.1 IP. Most of it came in a bullpen role, but he got multiple longer outings in there where he proved it will translate to the rotation. He might be my #1 pitching prospect target in 2025. If you didn’t already get him last off-season, now is the time to strike. – 2025 Projection: 10/3.68/1.22/150 in 145 IP

311) Seth Lugo – KCR, RHP, 35.4 – Lugo should have been starting for the Mets for years now, but they made the head scratching decision to leave him in the pen. When he got unleashed in the rotation in 2023 after getting out of New York, he has unsurprisingly done nothing but thrive. He put up a 3.00 ERA with a 21.7/5.7 K%/BB% in 206.2 IP. I trust the 3.75 xERA more than the ERA, but the plus control profile of a 9 pitch mix (!!!) is clearly legit. The guy knows how to pitch. He’s 35 years old and he doesn’t put up the K numbers we love to see for fantasy, so he’s still not really a super highly sought after asset for me. – 2025 Projection: 13/3.69/1.19/160 in 180 IP

312) Luis Severino – OAK, RHP, 31.1 – The days of Severino being an ace or near ace are clearly over, but it was nice to see him stabilize his career as a #3/4 type after a disastrous 2023. He put up a 3.91 ERA with a 21.2/7.9 K%/BB% in 182 IP. He still throws gas with a 96.2 MPH fastball that was a good pitch too with a .292 xwOBA and 21.8% whiff%. The sweeper was excellent with a .217 xwOBA and 38.6% whiff%, the sinker put up a +6 Run Value, and he throws a 6 pitch mix. That is plenty of positive attributes to like there. He’s a rock solid mid-rotation starter. – 2025 Projection: 11/3.85/1.26/160 in 170 IP

313) Brandon Woodruff – MIL, RHP, 32.1 – Woodruff will be returning from October 2023 shoulder surgery that kept him out for all of 2024, and it’s anyone’s guess just how healthy he is going to be. He’s been throwing bullpens and is having a relatively normal off-season routine, but not even he knows how he will look as he starts truly ramping up for the season until he goes out there and does it. We know he’s a true ace when healthy, but I think truly expecting full health is on the wishful thinking side. You have to factor in some rust at the very least, and probably a diminished version of himself is most realistic. His upside is high enough to take the shot at this point in the rankings, but I would hesitate to pay up much higher than this. – 2025 Projection: 10/3.71/1.20/143 in 140 IP

314) Sean Murphy – ATL, C, 30.6 – Murphy missed two month right at the beginning of the season with an oblique injury, and it’s an easy thing to point to for what led to a down season. He put up a career worst 78 wRC+ in 72 games. All of the the underlying power metric were considerably down. He has a long enough track record to say it is highly likely he will have a major bounce back in 2024 to get back to career normal levels, which is about a .250 hitter with 20 homers. Travis d’Arnaud leaving town will also help his playing time, and while Drake Baldwin is knocking on the door, he’s a rookie who isn’t necessarily the best defensive catcher, so I don’t think he will be a major threat if Murphy is playing well. Or at least not as much of a threat as d’Arnaud. Muphy should get back to being a good fantasy catcher in 2025. – 2025 Projection: 59/16/63/.246/.337/.431/1 Update: Cracked rib will keep him out until mid April at the earliest, which could allow Baldwin to stake claim to some of that catcher job

315) Ranger Suarez – PHI, LHP, 29.7 – Suarez is basically the textbook definition of “mid-rotation” starter. He doesn’t really standout in any one area, but he’s solid across the board. He has a career 3.42 ERA with a 21.8/7.9 K%/BB% in 604.2 IP. He doesn’t rack up innings (155.1 IP is a career high) and he doesn’t rack up strikeouts, but you can be pretty confident when you throw him out there that he’ll put together a solid outing for you. – 2025 Projection: 8/3.65/1.27/124 in 130 IP Update: Back injury will land him on the IL

316) Tobias Myers – MIL, RHP, 26.8 – Myers doesn’t do anything flashy, and there is no one area of his game that really stands out, but when you add up the sum of his parts, you realize he’s a really interesting young starter to say the least. The fastball only sits 92.9 MPH, but it gets really good movement and it was a pretty good pitch with a +6 run value that ranked 58th in all of baseball. He only went to the changeup 11.4% of the time, but it was elite when he went to it (mostly vs. lefties) with a 44.4% whiff% and .194 xwOBA, and the slider induced weak contact with a .194 xwOBA. He also threw a cutter and mixed in a changeup. Tack on above average to plus control, and you have a really good pitcher which resulted in a 3.00 ERA with a 22.3/6.3 K%/BB% in 138 IP. The xERA sat 4.11, so he definitely got on the lucky side, and his stuff isn’t exactly unhittable with a 89.7 MPH EV against, so we might not be talking about huge upside, but I really like Myers a lot, especially if he doesn’t get any respect this off-season. He’s a “let him come to you” target for me this off-season, meaning don’t reach, but definitely put a star next to his name as you get deeper into the draft. – 2025 Projection: 9/3.76/1.23/142 in 150 IP Update: Oblique injury will land him on the IL

317) Sean Manaea – NYM, LHP, 33.2 – Manaea put together an excellent season in 2024 with a 3.47 ERA in 181.2 IP, but that is pretty clearly the very high end of his ability. His 24.9/8.5 K%/BB% is right in line with career norms over the last several years, and the 3.75 xERA is likely more in line with his true talent level. There are a couple things to point to though as to why it could be real, or at least semi real. He went to the sweeper more than he ever has, making it his most used secondary, and he dominated with the pitch (.219 xwOBA with a 38.8% whiff%). He also swapped out his 4-seamer with his sinker as his most used fastball. And he added in a cutter this year which was a plus 2 Run Value pitch. I’m still not fully buying the great year, but I am buying that the leveling up was partially real. It’s hard to act on it too hard at 33 years old, but Manaea looks like a rock solid #3 starter with maybe a hair upside for better. – 2025 Projection: 9/3.78/1.20/146 in 145 IP Update: Suffered an oblique injury and will start the year on the IL. Obliques are known to linger, so he gets a very small ding

318) Kyle Bradish – BAL, RHP, 28.7 – Bradish underwent Tommy John surgery with an internal brace procedure in June, which will likely keep him out until the 2nd half of 2025 at the very best, and will more likely wipeout his entire season. He started the year on the IL with a UCL sprain, so the writing was already on the wall, but when he did pitch in 2024, he showed the type of upside you want to see in order to take the TJ discount. He put up a 2.75 ERA with a 32.5/9.2 K%/BB% in 39.1 IP. The sinker sat 95.3 MPH, the secondaries miss bats, and he keeps the ball on the ground. Assuming full health, he was locking in his status as a strong #2, but we’ll see how healthy he is upon his return. – 2025 Projection: OUT

319) Tanner Scott – LAD, Closer Committee, 30.8 – Scott signed a 4 year, $72 million contract with the Dodgers, and they just announced he is going to get the bulk of their saves. But that really only means he’s going to get the first shot at it, maybe, and because he’s a lefty, it seems unlikely that he will truly lock in the full time role. He also still has control issues with a 12.2% BB% in 72 IP, which is another reason I would hesitate to trust him to truly rack up saves. He’s damn good with a 1.75 ERA and 28.6% K% on the back of a truly elite 97.8 MPH fastball and plus slider. But even with the endorsement, I can’t go any higher than this. – 2025 Projection: 5/3.01/1.17/77/22 saves in 66 IP

320) Otto Lopez – MIA, 2B, 26.4 – I love it when I think I’m going to be lukewarm on a player, and then after really diving in, I realize I like him more than I thought I would. That’s Lopez for me, and I’m kinda liking him a lot right now. He got his first real shot at the majors in 2024, and he played well enough to seemingly lock down Miami’s starting 2B job. He has a strong contact/speed/defense combo that transferred to the majors with a 17.3% K%, .270 BA, 20 steals (28.7 ft/sec sprint), a 12.2 defensive value and 6 homers in 117 games. But the thing that makes me like him so much, is that he hits the ball damn hard for this type of profile. He put up a 88/93.1 MPH AVG/FB EV in the majors, and he had a 92.2 MPH EV in 12 games at Triple-A. He didn’t hit the ball nearly this hard in 2023, but it seems to me he might have had a true raw power uptick in his age 25 year old season. The 5.4 degree launch is low, so he’s not going to have some big homer power breakout, but it’s a recipe for a high batting average, which he’s had his entire career. He struggled vs lefties and he doesn’t walk a lot (5.8% BB%), so it’s likely a bottom of the order profile on most days. I’m not saying I see some big breakout coming, but if you miss out on the more hyped contact/speed/defense plays (Hoerner, Stott, Gimenez etc), Lopez could quite frankly equal their production at a fraction of the cost. – 2025 Projection: 76/10/61/.275/.321/.398/25

321) Ryan Mountcastle – BAL, 1B, 28.1 – Baltimore moving the LF fences back in somewhat will be a major benefit to Mountcastle after his homer totals tanked to 13 in 124 games in 2024, but he still doesn’t really have the profile to fully take advantage of it with a 10.4 degree launch and 27.9% Pull%. Those numbers were much better earlier in his career before they moved the fences back, so maybe he goes back to lifting and pulling more. He definitely has the hard hit ability to take advantage if he does with a 45.2% Hard Hit% and 90.8 MPH EV. It’s not just the fences though, he also has major competition for his job, so the leash is going to be very short, and his lack of defensive value and low OBP isn’t going to help there. I was 100% out on Mountcastle before the fence news, and while I’m still not going after him, he’s at least a bit more interesting now. – 2025 Projection: 66/22/78/.268/.318/.446/3

322) Ben Rice – NYY, 1B, 26.6 – I’m a simple man. I see a .340 xwOBA vs. a .269 wOBA in 50 games and I’m going to buy that 9 out of 10 times. And it’s not just xwOBA. The individual components back it up too. He put up a 15.6% Barrel% with a 90 MPH EV, 17.7 degree launch, 25.8% whiff%, and 20.6% Chase% in his rookie year. Sure he was already 25 years old, but it was still his first taste of the bigs, and those are super impressive marks despite the poor surface stats (.613 OPS). He also utterly decimated the upper minors with a 155 wRC+ in 49 games at Double-A and a 174 wRC+ in 30 games at Triple-A. His lefty bat is made for Yankee Stadium with a lift, pull, and crush the ball profile. He doesn’t have defensive value and he hits righties better than lefties, but his bat is too good to write off even with the Goldy signing. It’s only a one year deal, and Rice will eventually get the opportunity to show he can be the man in 2026 and beyond. I still like him as a target, but he’s a let him come to you target. Don’t overpay. – 2025 Projection: 63/18/68/.241/.328/.433/3 Prime Projection: 82/25/82/.259/.342/.457/6 Update: Giancarlo Stanton injury has opened the door for Rice to win that DH job

323) Zach Dezenzo – HOU, 1B, 24.11 – Houston is planning on using Dezenzo at 1B and LF in 2025, which works just fine because Houston has nothing but opportunity in their OF. He also has an offensive profile that I am super excited about. He’s going to have to earn it every step of the way, so he’s not the type of target I am going to stick my neck out for, but he is 100% a “let him come to you” target for me. He’s 6’5”, 220 pounds with an elite 75.4 MPH swing and a well above average 28.3 ft/sec sprint. We are talking about an absolutely elite, electric athlete here. He wasn’t great in his MLB debut with a 33.8/4.6 K%/BB% and 84 wRC+ in 19 games, so the hit tool is definitely a risk, but his 31.7% whiff% wasn’t too bad, and he dominated Triple-A with a 149 wRC+ and 22.1/13.3 K%/BB% in 25 games. I’m willing to take on that extra risk for the type of athlete he is. Don’t reach, but definitely put a big star next to Dezenzo’s name and hope he falls right into your lap. 2025 Projection: 62/15/69/.248/.312/.422/9 Prime Projection: 83/20/79/.262/.337/.444/15

324) Luisangel Acuna – NYM, SS/2B, 23.1 – Acuna was in the midst of an extremely lackluster season at Triple-A with a 69 wRC+ in 131 games, but maybe he was just getting bored, because he gave his dynasty value a shot to the arm in his cup of coffee in the bigs. He jacked out 3 homers with a 91 MPH EV, 15% K% and 165 wRC+ in 40 PA. He might not be as good as his older brother, but the electric Acuna blood most certainly runs through his veins with a near elite 29.5 ft/sec sprint speed and a plus 73.5 MPH bat speed. He’s only 5’10”, and the 87.3 MPH EV at Triple-A wasn’t as impressive, but there is real juice in his bat, especially as he continues to get stronger. He’s a game changer on the bases with 40 steals at Triple-A, and he’s put up strong contact rates at every level, including the majors. He only had a 2.5% BB% in the majors, but he really didn’t chase a concerning amount with a 30.8% Chase%. The Mets are a wild card this off-season, so I hesitate to try to project their lineup right now, but he can play SS, 2B, and CF, which means he can basically play any position on the field, so that versality will keep his bat in the lineup if he’s producing. He looks like a mighty enticing dynasty asset right now. – 2025 Projection: 73/12/61/.256/.309/.394/23 Prime Projection: 84/16/69/.272/.328/.426/30

325) Ronny Mauricio – NYM, 2B, 24.0 – I’m fighting off the prospect creep of “out of sight, out of mind,” because even when you are aware of that mind virus, it can still take a hold of you. Mauricio missed all of 2024 after undergoing surgery for a torn ACL that he suffered after a non contact injury on the bases in Winter Ball. It was deju vu all over again with Edwin Diaz tearing his knee in the WBC the off-season before that, but Diaz came back to basically full strength this season, and Mauricio can do the same in 2025. He hit the ball very hard with a 90.7 MPH EV in 26 games in the majors and a 91.1 MPH EV at Triple-A, he loves to run with 7 steals in the majors and 24 steals at Triple-A, and he gets the bat on the ball with a 18.2% K% at Triple-A. That K% jumped to 28.7% in the majors, he chases a ton, he hits the ball on the ground a lot and despite loving to run, he’s not a burner. He doesn’t really have the speed to lose, so the knee injury is definitely concerning in the stolen base department at the least.. I definitely have the pull to drop him down the rankings, but I’m fighting it with everything I have, because at full strength, Mauricio has a very fantasy friendly skillset. – 2025 Projection: 37/10/46/.248/.304/.419/8 Prime Projection: 75/22/77/.267/.325/.454/16

326) Spencer Jones – NYY, OF, 23.11 – Extremely high strikeout rate hitters often straddle that imaginary line between “he’ll hit enough for the huge talent to blow up” and “he can’t hit, making the huge talent worthless.” It often results in a very black or white ranking, because if you think they will hit enough, they get ranked extremely high, and if you don’t think they will hit enough, you might erase them completely from your rankings. I like to live in the Grey (not Grey as in Razzball Grey, that would just be odd, but Grey as in the Queen’s English of gray), so while I’m obviously less than enthused with Jones’ 36.8% K% in 122 games at Double-A, I don’t want to just banish him to purgatory. His talent is just too huge to do that at 6’6”, 235 pounds with an at least plus power/speed combo. And even with all of the strikeouts, he still showed out in the upper minors with 17 homers, 25 steals, and a 124 wRC+. He doesn’t have to bring the K rate down to like the mid 20’s, he can survive in the low 30’s. Jones isn’t Elly, but we saw the season Elly just put up with a 31.3% K%. The extremely high K rate rate definitely hurts his value (at least he’s no Elijah Green and his 44% K%), but I don’t think it means you should write him off. The upside is too high, and I don’t think the hit tool is hopeless. He’s still a Top 75 Prospect for me. 2025 Projection: 11/3/14/.217/.290/.399/4 Prime Projection: 75/21/79/.238/.317/.436/21

327) Mitch Keller – PIT, RHP, 29.0 – There was some hope that Keller could maybe be that classic case of an elite pitching prospect taking until their mid to late 20’s before really breaking out, but at this point, that hope is super minimal. He just doesn’t miss enough bats to think he’s anything else than who he’s been, which is a #3/4 starter. He put up an underwhelming 21.5% whiff% in 2024, and none of his pitches put up an over 30% whiff%. The one positive takeaway is that he proved the control gains he made in 2023 were real with a 6.5% BB% in 2024, but it only resulted in a 4.25 ERA and 21.5/6.5 K%/BB% in 178 IP. He’s fine. – 2025 Projection: 11/4.09/1.28/174 in 180 IP

328) Brayan Bello – BOS, RHP, 25.10 – You can only hang out in the breakout waiting room for so long before you start to wear out your welcome, and I think Bello has more or less reached that point. He had another underwhelming season with a 4.49 ERA and 21.8/9.1 K%/BB% in 162.1 IP. All of the things I’ve loved about him over the past few years are still there with velocity (95.7 MPH sinker), groundballs (50.8% GB%), and an excellent changeup (36.9% whiff%), but it’s only resulted in mediocre results, and it seems silly to keep betting on a big breakout at this point. He even improved his slider this year, and it still didn’t really make a huge impact on the overall line. He’s only 25 and plenty of talented pitchers took several years before a big breakout, but plenty of similarly talented pitchers also never break out and remain a #4 type starter, so I think it’s time we stop reaching for it. I still like him and have no problem drafting him, but make sure it’s for a pretty low price. – 2025 Projection: 11/4.13/1.31/159 in 165 IP

329) Kris Bubic – KCR, LHP, 27.7 – Bubic returned from Tommy John surgery in a bullpen role, and he thrived with a 2.67 ERA and 32.2/4.1 K%/BB% in 30.1 IP. KC is moving him back into the rotation, and with the K/BB he just put up in 2024, regardless of role, I’m interested. I’m a simple man. The 30.5% whiff% backs up the K rate somewhat, and all 3 of his pitches missed plenty of bats. The 93 MPH fastball in particular was dynamite with an elite 34.7% whiff%. His slider put up a .197 xwOBA and the changeup put up a .194 xwOBA with a 34.1% whiff%. His control took a big step forward, and while it was in a bullpen role, it was so good that you have to hope at least some of it was real. He was terrible as a starter earlier in his career, so I would tread a bit carefully, but overall, I’m in. I think I’m kinda targeting him. Why not, it’s not like he’s getting too much hype right now. – 2025 Projection: 8/3.89/1.23/130 in 130 IP

330) Kutter Crawford – BOS, RHP, 29.0 – Crawford was a popular breakout pick last off-season, and it looked like he was going full breakout with a 2.17 ERA in his first 58 IP, but he was wasn’t able to maintain it, settling in as more of a #4 type starter by the end of the season with a 4.36 ERA and 23.1/6.7 K%/BB% in 183.2 IP. He has plus control of an about average 5 pitch mix. The true standout pitch is the splitter he’s been developing, and while he rarely goes to it (8.6% usage), it’s his best pitch when he does with a .215 xwOBA and 40.4% whiff%. If he can incorporate that pitch more and continue to refine it, that could give him a true put away weapon that he’s lacking right now. – 2025 Projection: 8/3.92/1.16/124 in 130 IP Update: Knee injury will keep Crawford out unitl May

331) Cade Horton – CHC, RHP, 23.7 – Horton’s season ended after just 34.1 IP with a lat strain, and let’s hope that lat strain is what led to his terrible run at Triple-A. He put up a 7.50 ERA with a 27.2/13.6 K%/BB% in 18 IP. The fastball was down to 94.1 MPH. The good news is that the secondaries (changeup, curve, slider) still missed a ton of bats and induced weak contact, and he also pitched much better at Double-A with a 1.10 ERA and 29.0/3.2 K%/BB% in 16.1 IP. We can give him a pass for his performance at Triple-A due to the injury, but Tommy John surgery knocked out his entire 2021 season, so injuries are starting to become a concern. He’s never pitched more than 88.1 IP in a season, so it’s a question if he can truly put up a full starter’s workload year after year, and also what level of stuff he can hold over those innings. His value took a hit this year, but it would be too risk averse to completely tank his value. I’m holding relatively strong. 2025 Projection: 4/4.13/1.32/74 in 80 IP Prime Projection: 11/3.68/1.19/163 in 150 IP

332) Moises Ballesteros – CHC, C, 21.5 – Ballesteros is a below average defensive catcher which makes it unclear if he will end up sticking behind the plate. He’s only 21 years old, so maybe he’ll improve, and maybe Chicago will be fine with his below average defense because they are not strong at catcher in both the majors and the minors. Even if Ballesteros moves off catcher to 1B/DH, he definitely has the bat to clear that high bar. He possesses one of the best hit/power combos in the minors, slashing .289/.354/.471 with 19 homers, 1 steal, and a 18.3/8.9 K%/BB% in 124 games split between Double-A (154 wRC+) and Triple-A (106 wRC+). And keep in mind he did that as a 20 year old. He started to lift and pull the ball more at Triple-A, which spiked his K rate a bit, but we’ll take that tradeoff for more dingers. Lack of defensive value can certainly end up a real issue if his bat ends up more above average than great, but Chicago has every incentive for him to stick behind the plate, so I’m leaning he gets a real shot there. – 2025 Projection: 33/9/39/.258/.307/.420/1 Prime Projection: 73/24/84/.275/.332/.450/2

333) Colson Montgomery – CHW, SS, 23.1 – Montgomery had a pretty damn bad season at Triple-A with 18 homers, an 85.8 MPH EV, a 28.6/12.0 K%/BB% and an 88 wRC+ in 130 games. I’ve talked about this in a previous year’s Strategy Section, but it’s easy to assume every down year for a prospect is him regressing as a player, and every monster year is a true breakout, rather than it sometimes just being a down year or a career year. So even though I was a bit lower than most last year on Montgomery, writing, “Those are the reasons that make me hesitant to rank him as high as I see him in other places, but there is no denying he is a damn good prospect no matter how you slice it,” I’m still not going to jump ship. His profile remains the same for me as a 6’3”, 225 pound slugger with a clear path to playing time. He also came into the AFL fired up to wash the slate clean with 3 homers, a 6/10 K/BB, and a 1.167 OPS in 11 games, which shows everything you liked about him last off-season is still in here. Hold strong – 2025 Projection: 58/18/65/.223/.296/.411/3 Prime Projection: 82/26/88/.247/.332/.465/7

334) Adael Amador – COL, 2B, 22.0 – I warned that Amador’s elite hit tool would take a step back in the upper minors in my Predicting the 2025 Top 50 Prospects Rankings last off-season, writing,” Amador’s strikeout rate won’t be as elite in the upper minors as it was in the lower minors, and like many Rockies hitters who go from their hitter’s park haven at High-A to their more neutral Double-A park, the offensive production won’t be as eye popping. His value won’t tank but it won’t explode either.” … that is essentially exactly what happened with a .230 BA and 19.3/13.6 K%/BB% in 100 games. And his value actually tanked more than I thought it would, but I’m not sure it deserves to tank that hard. The .261 BABIP shows he was definitely on the unlucky side, and he still had 14 homers, 35 steals, and a 111 wRC+, so it was far from a disaster season. Colorado rushed him to the majors for 10 games in June because they are one of the weirdest franchises out there, but I would ignore those numbers. The 2B job is wide open for him, and while the power likely ends up below average, the hit, plate approach, and speed can certainly make a fantasy impact. – 2025 Projection: 28/5/26/.246/.305/.371/10 Prime Projection: 84/17/62/.273/.341/.426/27

335) Brice Matthews – HOU, SS, 23.0 – Matthews was one of my top targets from his FYPD class because I saw an explosive athlete when watching him, and he proved that explosiveness will translate to the upper minors in 2024, slashing .265/.384/.481 with 15 homers, 32 steals, and a 31.4/13.4 K%/BB% in 79 games at mostly Double-A (but also rookie, High-A and Triple-A). I wish I could raise the victory flag and truly explode him up the rankings, but unfortunately the hit tool was a bit worse than hoped. He was hanging in there with a 26.8% K% at High-A, but it immediately jumped to 33.7% at Double-A, and then 39.6% to close out in the season in 12 games at Triple-A. He’s now in the Puerto Rican Winter League and has a 35.3% K% in 20 games. Sure he’s 5.4 years younger than average in that league, but he’s already a 22 year old college bat who could conceivably break into the majors this year, so he’s not that young for that level really. The dude obviously has a very real strikeout problem, and I can’t just gloss over it. I comped him to Tommy Pham last year, and I predicted like Pham, it could take into his mid 20’s for the hit tool to click, but when it does click, the returns will be very big. I’m sticking with that timeline. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 78/24/74/.233/.318/.431/26

336) Nolan Gorman – STL, 2B, 24.11 – The Cards announced that they want to get a full season of at bats for Gorman and Jordan Walker without the threat of demotion, but for Gorman, it doesn’t look crystal clear how that is going to happen at the moment, although a Nolan Arenado trade would help clear that path. His hit tool went in the wrong direction in 2024, tanking with a 37.6% K% and .209 BA. The power was just fine with a 16.7% Barrel% and 19 homers in 107 games, but his hit tool was bad to begin with, and it just went from bad to worse. It doesn’t give a ton of hope that he is magically going to make major, major strides there, and he’s a bad defensive player, so he’s going to need to improve it considerably if he wants to remain an everyday player. There is also platoon risk even if he can make those improvements. I want to call Gorman a buy low, because he’s a 25 year old with a career .335 xwOBA and a proven carrying tool in his power, but the hit tool/defense/platoon risk combo is stopping me short from going too hard. – 2025 Projection: 64/26/72/.224/.302/.436/6

337) Owen Caissie – CHC, OF, 22.9 – Caissie is a super easy evaluation as a low BA, high OBP slugger, but he really doesn’t hit as many homers as you would think with 19 homers in 127 games at Triple-A. His 33.4% FB% is on the low side for a slugger, which is what is holding down the homer totals. It’s helping his BA, hitting .278, but with a 28.4% K% (which is a career best), he’s not going to hit for a high BA in the majors regardless. There could be a scenario where the strikeout rate is hovering around 30% in the majors with a launch that really isn’t all that high, which could result in some pretty mediocre numbers. I mainly bring this up because it’s the most interesting thing about projecting his future value, but when you pan out for the big picture, he’s a powerful and athletic 6’3”, 190 pounds with current plus power and possibly more coming down the line. He’ll also chip in with steals, nabbing 11 bags. And add two stars in OBP leagues with a 12.9% BB%. I don’t want to lose the forest through the trees by slicing and dicing the numbers too much, so I’m still projecting his as a low BA, high OBP slugger no matter how you slice it. There is a short term logjam for playing time, but long term I don’t see many roadblocks. 2025 Projection: 19/6/25/.227/.303/.420/2 Prime Projection: 78/28/91/.246/.335/.480/7

338) Orelvis Martinez – TOR, 2B/3B, 23.5 – Martinez got popped with an 80 game PED suspension in June, and I’m honestly struggling to figure out how much to dock him for that. I didn’t dock Tatis much for his PED suspension, and that turned out to be a good move. But Tatis was an established MLB superstar already. I then followed suit by not docking Noelvi Marte much, and that looks like a mistake with him possibly being the worst player in MLB last year, dropping off everywhere you look. Martinez clearly fits better into the Noelvi mold than Tatis mold, but everyone is their own person, and I don’t want Marte’s season to influence Martinez’ ranking too much for me. Martinez returned in September and he put up a .882 OPS with 1 homer in 11 games at Triple-A, so that is a good sign that the suspension won’t impact him that much. And before the suspension, he was beasting the league with 17 homers, a 13.1% Barrel%, 46.1% Hard Hit%, 23.8/8.5 K%/BB%, and a 120 wRC+ in 74 games. His power is no joke with 30+ potential on the MLB level. Toronto traded for Gimenez, but 3B is still open for the taking, and it wouldn’t be crazy to see Martinez win that role pretty quickly into 2025 (pending any off-season moves). I’m going to stay a bit restrained here because of the suspension, but I don’t want to be overly scared off. This is a big time power bat who is knocking on the door of the bigs with opportunity. I’m cautiously buying. – 2025 Projection: 36/12/43/.229/.298/.422/1 Prime Projection:  76/28/87/.247/.323/.477/3

339) Jacob Misiorowski – MIL, RHP, 23.0 – The hope was that Misiorowski’s control/command would take a step forward this season, but it just didn’t happen. He put up a 14.4% BB% in 97.1 IP at mostly Double-A. They moved him into the bullpen when he got the call to Triple-A, and the control didn’t improve in short outings either with a 14.3% BB%. He finished the season with a 3.33 ERA and 30.5/14.4 K%/BB%. His evaluation basically remains exactly the same from last off-season. He’s 6’7”, 190 pounds with premium stuff and super high upside. The upper 90’s fastball is a double plus bat missing weapon and his breaking balls are plus and miss bats. You hate to say it, but it is really a reliever profile right now. It’s far too early into his development process to write him off as a starter though, and I highly doubt Milwaukee is ready to do that either. Even if he breaks into the majors in the bullpen, he will definitely be a candidate to get transitioned back into the rotation at some point too. I’ll keep betting on the huge stuff and let the chips fall where they may. – 2025 Projection: 3/3.91/1.34/67 in 60 IP Prime Projection: 11/3.58/1.27/183 in 150 IP

340) Josue Briceno – DET, C/1B, 20.6 – As the world’s foremost expert on Josue’s, I presented you with the first zero hype Josue to pick up as quick as possible in 2022 (Josue De Paula), and then knowing a good Josue when I see one, I did the same for the 2nd zero hype Josue in 2023 (Josue Briceno). Both of their hypes have grown considerably since then, and if not for a knee sprain knocking out 2 and a half months of Briceno’s season, his hype could have been even more. But he’s making up for lost time right now in the AFL, winning the MVP award with 10 homers and a 1.376 OPS in 25 games. Even with the knee injury and not really having a good regular season, he still ended up with a 123 wRC+, 89.8 MPH EV and 14.8/12.5 K%/BB% in 40 games at Single-A. He’s 6’4”, 200 pounds with a potentially special hit/power combo. He’s likely a 1B long term, which is perfect for his type of bat. Even with his profile rising, it’s still not enough. He remains a major target for me this off-season. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 84/28/89/.275/.350/.488/3

341) Jarlin Susana – WASH, RHP, 21.1 – I called Susana the Hunter Greene starter pack that was still sitting in the plastic, waiting to be put together coming into this season, and well, he started to assemble those pieces in 2024. After a rough start, he caught fire, putting up a 2.79 ERA with a 39.4/9.3 K%/BB% in his final 77.1 IP split between Single-A and High-A. The Greene comp is actually extremely on point for the similarly sized, 6’6”, 235 pound Susana with an upper 90’s fastball that doesn’t get enough movement, a double plus slider, below average control, and a developing splitter. The improvements that Greene made this season (turning the splitter into a legit third weapon and improving his fastball movement) are the same improvements Susana has to make as he continues to climb the ladder. He also needs to continue to improve his control/command, as he can start to look a big relievery at times. There is still plenty of risk here, but there is legit top of the rotation upside, and he could have a soft landing spot as an elite closer. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 12/3.55/1.26/187 in 165 IP

342) Keibert Ruiz – WAS, C, 26.8 – Ruiz took a big step back in 2024 with his EV tanking to a career low 85.4 MPH, leading to a career worst 71 wRC+. These were supposed to be the years he had an uptick in power, not taking a major step back. The 11.1% K% was still elite, and his EV was much better in 2022-23, so he should bounce back somewhat in 2025 in that department. He’s a lift and pull machine with a 35% GB% and 51.2% Pull%, but if he can’t hit the ball considerably harder, that is a recipe for a super low BA, which bottomed out to .229 this year. He’ll be better in 2025, and he’s still young in catcher years offensively, so I’m far from giving up on him, but I just can’t get excited about him right now. – 2025 Projection: 51/16/61/.250/.300/.391/3

343) Bo Naylor – CLE, C, 25.1 – Naylor followed up his strong rookie season with the classic sophomore slump. He put up a 74 wRC+ with a .201 BA, 13 homers, and 6 steals in 123 games. The underlying numbers were just as bad with a .260 xwOBA and 31.4/7.5 K%/BB% in 123 games. But the good news is that underlying numbers of the underlying numbers are actually pretty encouraging. A 8.1% Barrel% with a 28.3% whiff% and 27.2% Chase% is actually pretty good. That collection of skills tells me what he did in 2024 is not his true talent level, and that we should expect a much better year 3. He was also the 6th best defensive catcher in baseball according to Fangraphs, so Cleveland should give his bat every opportunity to hit it’s stride. He’s still a very enticing young catcher despite the terrible season. – 2025 Projection: 64/20/64/.228/.309/.418/8

344) Ethan Salas – SDP, C, 18.10 – Salas is an example of where pushing your prospects too fast goes wrong, although what Salas did as a 17/18 year old at High-A has to be graded on a major curve, and most importantly, it doesn’t matter what his numbers were this year. The only thing that matters is if he’s developing to be an impact major league player down the line, so it’s even too early to say it was a mistake. He slashed .206/.288/.311 with 4 homers, 10 steals, and a 20.9/10.0 K%/BB% in 111 games. The strong K/BB rate is important, because it shows he wasn’t completely overmatched or anything. He was also a bit better towards the end of the season with a .723 OPS in his final 28 games, which he’s carried over into the AFL with a .751 OPS in 23 games. And he hit really well in 2023 at Single-A, so he does have a track record to look at to not be overly concerned about this year. He’s an excellent defensive catcher who will have no problems sticking behind the dish, and that will also juice up his trade value as he ranks extremely high on real life lists. Catchers get downgraded in fantasy in general, and while I do still like his bat a lot, there is a question about exactly how high his offensive upside is. I would value him as a really good prospect, but not an elite one. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 78/24/85/.269/.342/.468/9

345) Brady House – WAS, 3B, 21.10 – House hasn’t had the elite prospect explosion we hoped for when he was a hyped high school bat, and his .241/.297/.402 triple slash with a 26.4/5.7 K%/BB% in 129 games split between Double-A and Triple-A isn’t all that impressive either, but when evaluating prospects, you have to have an eye towards who they can be, rather than who they are today, and House can definitely still be a middle of the order power bat at peak. His power did take a step forward this year with 19 homers, and he’s still a relatively svelte 6’4”, so I think there is more power coming when he gets into his man muscles years. Keep in mind he was just 21 years old in the upper minors, while hyped, similarly aged college bats were struggling or not exactly dominating in the lower minors. He needs to improve his hit tool and plate approach, which is why he isn’t ranked higher on this list, but he still looks on track to be that middle of the order power bat we thought he could be. The Nationals 3B job is also wide open for the taking in both the short term and the long term. – 2025 Projection: 28/9/36/.230/.291/.408/4 Prime Projection: 73/24/84/.253/.326/.457/9

346) Trey Sweeney – DET, SS, 24.11 – Sweeney was one of my favorite proximity stashes during the 2024 season, even moving him into my Top 100 at some point, and his MLB debut just emboldened my love for him. He’s 6’3”, 212 pounds with a 74.1 MPH swing which is in double plus territory. It resulted in a 91.1 MPH EV with a 12.8 degree launch. His 28.1 ft/sec sprint speed is above average to plus, stealing 16 bags in 96 games at Triple-A and 3 bags in 43 games in the majors (including the playoffs). He was also a plus defender at SS. This is a pretty special athlete here. His .642 OPS in 36 games isn’t super impressive, he didn’t exactly dominate Triple-A with a 88 wRC+, and there is hit tool risk with a 32.4% whiff%. But all of those are more than baked into his price, overly so in my opinion. My attention is on the things he does well, and that makes him a very enticing target relative to his perceived value. – 2025 Projection: 71/18/76/.237/.308/.416/11 Prime Projection: 83/22/78/.252/.328/.444/14

347) Deyvison De Los Santos – MIA, 1B/3B, 21.9 – De Los Santos is a one tool player, but that tool is so massive and so important, that it just might overcome that he does nothing else well on a baseball field. And that thing is of course double plus power. He’s a power hitting bull at 6’1” with 40 homers and a 90.6 MPH EV in 137 games in the upper minors. He swings and misses a lot (24.6% K%), he doesn’t walk (5.8% BB%), he hits the ball on the ground way too much (50%+ groundball rates), he’s bad on defense, and he doesn’t steal bases. There is actually one other thing going for him, which is that he’s been very young for the upper minors in 2023-24, and he’ll still be just 21 years old for almost half of the 2025 season. There is time for him to improve his plate skills and launch. If he can, he has the upside to be one of the best power hitters in baseball, but even if he can’t, there is a role for a guy who can hit 30+ homers even if that is all he does well. Miami should also have plenty of opportunity for him if he’s raking. – 2025 Projection: 41/15/52/.228/.280/.435/0 Prime Projection: 73/31/88/.256/.314/.495/2 Update: He looked bad in spring and will start the year at Triple-A

348) Luke Keaschall – MIN, 2B/OF, 22.8 – Keaschall’s season ended on August 8th with an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery, but we all know by now that you don’t need elbows to hit. Ohtani just went 54/59 while rehabbing from internal brace or whatever super secret surgery he underwent. Keaschall ain’t Ohtani, but point being, I don’t think the surgery should ding his value too much. And his value was starting to get pretty exciting with him proving the profile will transfer to the upper minors, slashing .281/.393/.439 with 8 homers, 9 steals, and a 19.1/12.0 K%/BB% in 58 games at Double-A. He doesn’t have huge raw power, but he hits the ball fairly hard, and can definitely lift and pull it with a 35.3% GB% and 50.3% Pull%. He’s got speed, he gets the bat on the ball, and he has a good approach. It’s possible the good but not great tools will play down a bit on the major league level, and he’s also not a particularly good defensive player, so he’s going to have to hit. But a lift, speed, contact, approach profile is a lot of boxes to check, and the profile is fantasy friendly. – 2025 Projection: 18/4/12/.247/.304/.399/5 Prime Projection: 82/19/72/.266/.334/.436/19

349) Michael Wacha – KCR, RHP, 33.9 – This is the third year in a row where Wacha massively outperformed his underlying numbers with a 3.35 ERA vs. 4.05 xERA. Plus control guys seem to often beat the ERA estimators, so I wouldn’t say they are lucky, it just feels like a much more precarious skill than guys who miss bats. He does have two bat missing secondaries with a 34.1% whiff% on the changeup (his most used pitch), and a 37.3% whiff% on the slider, so he has legit outpitches. It’s not just dotting the 3 fastballs. I kinda buy into him, but at 33 years old, and with limited K’s, you can only like him so much. – 2025 Projection: 11/3.77/1.24/142 in 160 IP

350) Nathan Eovaldi – TEX, RHP, 35.1 – Eovaldi has had some injury issues throughout his career, but he’s tremendously consistent when he’s on the mound. He put up a 3.80 ERA with a 23.9/6.0 K%/BB% in 170.2 IP in 2024, and he’s put up ERA’s between 3.63 and 3.87 over the past 5 seasons. Considering how volatile ERA can be, that is an impressively tight band to sit in over an extended period of time. He throws hard (95.4 MPH fastball), he has 2 bat missing secondaries (splitter and curve), he has a diverse pitch mix (5 pitches), and he has plus control. Age is really the biggest detractor here, because at 35 years old, we are definitely entering “cliff” territory at any point, and the injury history doesn’t help either. – 2025 Projection: 11/3.83/1.18/156 in 160 IP

351) Walker Buehler – BOS, RHP, 30.8 – I know Buehler isn’t on the Dodgers anymore, but I find him the most interesting guy to discuss right now from their 2024 team. He was coming off his 2nd Tommy John surgery, and it sure did look like he was doubly rusted when he returned. It took him until the playoffs for him to even start feeling at least halfway like himself. And despite the terrible season, it seems like people aren’t too scared off by him. He’s going 248th overall in NFBC right now, which is pretty high, and I gotta say, I’m out on him at that price for sure. His name value still clearly carries a lot of weight, and while I do respect the track record, and the very good possibility he will be much better in his 2nd year removed from the surgery, I still don’t think he’ll be good enough to warrant his still decently high price tag. He put up a 5.38 ERA with a 18.6/8.1 K%/BB% in 75.1 IP in the regular season. He got a late start to the season due to the elbow, even though he got the surgery all the way back in August of 2022, which was a bad sign, and then he missed 2 months during the season with a hip injury. The stuff was diminished even further when he returned from that injury. He was better in the playoffs with a 3.60 ERA in 15 IP, but the stuff was still diminished, and it came with a 20.6/7.9 K%/BB%, so it’s not like he was back in prime form or anything. He throws a 7 pitch mix, and not a single one of them put up a whiff% over 30%, which isn’t good. His whiffs were already coming down before the injury, and now they are in the toilet at 19.4% overall. His stuff really isn’t all that standout anymore, and is arguably below average. He’s an aging, banged up pitcher with decent stuff and continually declining whiff rates. I’m out at his current price. – 2025 Projection: 9/4.09/1.30/137 in 150 IP Update: Good spring has me a bit more confident on him, but still treading carefully

352) Nick Martinez – CIN, RHP, 34.8 – It looks like Nick Martinez will finally take his rightful spot as a full time rotation member, and it’s long overdue. He had his 3rd straight great season since returning to the states, putting up a 3.10 ERA with a 20.4/3.2 K%/BB% in 142.1 IP. He used a different formula this year to do get it done with an elite 3.2% BB%, and while he had to give up some whiff gains to do it, he still has a put away changeup with a 41.6% whiff%. He induces weak contact (86.4 MPH EV) and he has a 6 pitch mix. Cincy isn’t the best place to pitch, to say the least, so the upside isn’t that high, but he should be a rock solid mid-rotation starter. – 2025 Projection: 10/3.76/1.24/130 in 150 IP

353) Matthew Boyd – CHC, LHP, 34.2 – Boyd returned from Tommy John surgery in mid August, and age be damned, he looked as good as new. He put up a 2.72 ERA with a 27.7/7.8 K%/BB% in 39.2 IP. The 29.7% whiff% was straight elite, and 4 of his 5 pitches were truly standout (4-seamer, change, slider, curve). The velocity was all the way back at 92 MPH, and so his control with walk rates right around his career average. There was literally nothing not to like about his return, and the underlying numbers fully back up the surface stats. The biggest concern of course is injury as he hasn’t thrown more than 78.2 IP since 2019. Expecting him to rack up innings at that level of quality at 34 years old seems like the very, very, very high end outcome, but I’m a sucker for a great pitching small sample that people aren’t completely buying into, so he’s a buy for me as a win now team. – 2025 Projection: 9/3.77/1.23/145 in 140 IP

354) Jeffrey Springs – OAK, LHP, 32.6 – Springs returned from Tommy John surgery and the velocity was down (89.8 MPH fastball), the K/BB rates weren’t quite back to true prime levels (26.1/7.7 K%/BB%), and then he closed the season back on the IL with an elbow injury after throwing only 33 IP. And now tack on him getting traded from one of the best organizations to one of the worst, and I’m definitely out on Springs. There is a ton of risk here, he’s never thrown more than 135.1 IP in a season, he’s already 32 years old, and the name value is probably too high to get too good of a price. – 2025 Projection: 7/3.85/1.25/148 in 135 IP

355) Edward Cabrera – MIA, RHP, 27.0 – I’m basically at the point where I want Miami to pull the trigger on moving Cabrera to the bullpen and letting him finally live out his destiny to be a near elite closer. Miami’s closer job is wide open for him too. But I don’t get to make that decision, and I can’t deny that I definitely still have hope for him as a starter too. He throws gas with a 96.3 MPH fastball (although the pitch hasn’t actually been that good), he has 2 good bat missing secondaries (changeup and curve), and he has a diverse pitch mix (he also throws a sinker and slider). The 11.8% BB% actually wasn’t that horrible this year either, but still not good. He wasn’t that good in general with a 4.95 ERA and 25.7% K% in 96.1 IP. He also continued to battle a shoulder problem that he also battled in 2023, keeping him out for 2 months earlier in the season. To me, it seems like it’s time to make that switch, but with all of the injuries and trades, it looks like he’s locked in as a starter. I’m rooting for bullpen, but I’ll accept a starter job. He’s not a target, but he’s not an avoid either if his price slides too low. – 2025 Projection: 5/3.92/1.32/125/7 saves in 110 IP

356) Cody Bradford – TEX, LHP, 27.1 – Bradford was a victim of low velocity pitchers getting no respect (I am fully guilty of this as well), but low velocity pitchers are starting to get their due more and more, and Bradford is another example of why the discrimination needs to end. The fastball only sat 89.8 MPH, but it was tied for the 21st most valuable 4-seamer in baseball with a +11 Run Value. One of the pitchers he was tied with was Mason Miller and his 100.9 MPH fastball. And Bradford’s fastball was better on a per pitch basis than Miller’s. Just really fun to think about that disparity in velocity with about the same effectiveness. He combines the plus fastball with an above average changeup that notched a 33.8% whiff%, and he also mixes in a curve, slider, and cutter. He has elite control over the entire arsenal. It resulted in a 3.54 xERA with a 22.7/4.2 K%/BB% in 76.1 IP, and the 3.54 xERA perfectly backs up the surface stats. He gets hit relatively hard with a 8.9% Barrel% against, so I don’t think the upside is very high, but nothing he did in 2024 was a fluke either. He looks like a low WHIP, mid rotation fantasy starter. – 2025 Projection: 7/3.72/1.15/119 in 130 IP Update: Hit the IL with elbow soreness and will return in May at the earliest

357) Joe Musgrove – SDP, RHP, 32.4 – Musgrove underwent Tommy John surgery in October and will miss all of 2025. He battled arm injuries in 2023 and 2024, so in hindsight, this felt inevitable, although he was actually starting to pitch damn well in the 2nd half of 2024 before finally succumbing to the surgery. He’s a borderline case as a Tommy John discount category as he’s established with near ace upside, but he hasn’t really shown that upside in a couple years and he’ll be 33 years old when he returns. I can’t say I’m particularly targeting him at a discount, but I’m not eliminating him from my rankings either. I’ll take a shot in some leagues if he’s super cheap. – 2025 Projection: OUT

358) Colby Thomas – OAK, OF, 24.2 – Colby Thomas comes to the plate with one thing in mind and one thing only … well, maybe two things … and those things are lifting it and pulling it. He has a relatively open batting stance that telegraphs his intentions, and he executes his plan with a 33% GB% and 54.5% Pull% at Triple-A which led to 17 homers in 73 games (31 homers in 132 games on the season). He’s not necessarily a raw power beast at 5’10”, but he’s pretty thick and he definitely has more than enough power to make his profile work. He’s also a good athlete who stole 15 bases this season and 25 bags in 2023, which gives him that added upside bump to make him a very enticing proximity stash headed into 2025. The thing that can tank him is that the hit tool is very shaky with a 30.3/7.3 K%/BB% at Triple-A, and there is something about the batting stance which feels like it could get a bit exposed in the majors. The profile is actually very similar to Connor Norby, except Thomas has more raw power and runs more, while I trust Norby’s hit tool more. Don’t overextend yourself here, but he’s definitely someone to put a star next to their name if you want to take an upside shot on someone who could very well break camp with the club. – 2025 Projection: 48/13/46/.229/.294/.420/10 Prime Projection: 75/23/78/.252/.318/.452/15

359) Denzel Clarke – OAK, OF, 24.11 – Back in 2023, I literally had Lawrence Butler and Denzel Clarke ranked back to back in my 2023 Top 1,000 Dynasty Baseball Rankings at #744 and #745. They both had extremely similar profiles. They are the same age, they are almost the same size, they are both excellent athletes with plus power/speed combos, they are both Oakland prospects, they are both outfielders, and they both had major swing and miss problems with strikeout rates north of 30% at High-A. But that is where their paths started to split, as Butler made extreme improvements to his strikeout rate, putting up a sub 20% K% in the upper minors in 2023 and 2024 (and obviously holding enough of those gains in the majors), while Clarke’s strikeout rate remained in the 30%+ area … that is until the 2nd half of this season. From June 12th on, Clarke slashed .317/.387/.524 with 9 homers, 30 steals and a 23.5/8.6 K%/BB% in 73 games at Double-A. Granted, he did it two years after Butler, so age to level isn’t as impressive, and he also had to lower his launch to do it with a 50.5% GB%, but that is still a major improvement to see, because like Butler, he has the type of power/speed combo to make a major fantasy impact. Even with the lower launch, he has the power and speed to make that type of profile work. I’ve been heavily debating Colby Thomas vs. Clarke, and while I gave the nod to Thomas because I trust his hit tool and launch more, I think Clarke has the upside nod. He’s a definite target this off-season. – 2025 Projection: 28/7/32/.220/.289/.397/9 Prime Projection: 76/20/74/.244/.318/.430/25

360) Cedric Mullins – BAL, OF, 30.6 – Mullins is terrible vs lefties (.506 OPS in 101 PA), and he’s only an average CF at best, so he’s basically in a pretty strict platoon role at this point. And with a speed first profile entering his 30’s, this is a train you want to jump off of. He was limited to just 499 PA in 147 games in 2024, and it resulted in only 69 runs and 54 RBI. The fun power/speed combo is still there with 18 homers (21.5 degree launch), and 32 steals (28.2 ft/sec sprint), but the launch is so extreme, it kills his BA too (.234 BA). He really seems like he’s entering the part time player part of his career, and while he can maybe stave that off for another season, it’s not going to be for much longer. – 2025 Projection: 67/16/61/.240/.310/.408/28

361) Alejandro Kirk – TOR, C, 26.5 – Kirk couldn’t bounce back from a down 2023 with even worse year in 2024, putting up a career worst 94 wRC+. He hit just 5 homers with 0 steals in 103 games, and the .253 BA didn’t even come close to making up for the lackluster power/speed combo. He graded out as the 4th best defensive catcher in baseball, so there is little worry about him losing his job, he hit the ball very hard with a 89.4/94.1 MPH AVG/LD EV, and the contact rates are elite with a 13.2/9.1 K%/BB%. His true talent level is better than what he’s shown over the last 2 seasons, but he’s the opposite of a lift and pull guy, so the homer totals are always going to be lackluster unless he drastically changes his hitting profile. He’s a safety over upside catcher option if you want to protect your BA. – 2025 Projection: 49/12/68/.267/.343/.405/0

362) Brendan Donovan – STL, 2B/OF, 28.3 – All the hubbub over Donovan’s 2023 Spring Training power surge turned out to be real (I thought it was real at the time as well), but 14 homers in 153 games is still lackluster, especially when it comes with only 5 steals. The plate skills are elite with a 12.4/7.2 K%/BB%, and it’s led to a career 119 wRC+, but a 123 overall finish on the Razzball Player Rater in 2024 shows it’s not a fantasy friendly profile. He’s pretty close to an empty BA play, which are not my types of players. I want to like Donovan more than I actually do. – 2025 Projection: 76/16/68/.280/.352/.419/6

363) Lars Nootbaar – STL, OF, 27.5 – Nootbaar stole only 7 bags in 10 attempts in 109 games, which just isn’t enough for his type of profile, because he also doesn’t hit for a high average (.244 BA in 2024 and .246 in his career), or hit enough homers (12 homers in 2024). He hits the ball very hard with a 91.8 MPH EV, but his launch has actually gone in the wrong direction, declining every year of his career with a 6 degree launch in 2024. His speed has also declined every single year of his career, bottoming out to a below average 27 ft/sec. Maybe you can blame injuries for that, but he’s never played in more than 117 games, so not sure injuries would be a point in his favor. Plate approach of course is his best asset with a 19.5/12.8 K%/BB%, so add two stars in an OBP league, but in a 5×5 BA league, it seems his ceiling is just solid. – 2025 Projection: 74/15/71/.260/.352/.425/11

364) Joey Ortiz – MIL, 3B, 26.8 – It seems like Ortiz will slide over to SS to take over for Willy Adames (Turang could factor in too), but either way, his full time job seems very safe with a plus infield glove. His hard hit ability wasn’t able to fully transfer to the bigs with a 87.8/91.4 MPH AVG/FB EV, resulting in only 11 homers in 142 games, but his strong plate approach did transfer with a 20.2/11.0 K%/BB%, leading to an above average 104 wRC+. He’s fast with a 28.7 ft/sec sprint, but he’s not a good base stealer with 11 steals in 17 attempts. It’s a low upside, solid across the board profile if things go well, and if things don’t go well, it’s below average across the board. I’m betting on things going relatively well though. – 2025 Projection: 71/15/67/.256/.327/.406/13

365) Nolan Schanuel – LAA, 1B, 23.2 – I wasn’t high on Schanuel this off-season because as you guys already know, hit tool/plate approach first guys without a big power/speed combo is just not my bag, and what Schanuel did in 2024 is why they aren’t my bag. He hit 13 homers with 10 steals, 62 Runs, and 54 RBI in a full 607 PA. Even his .250 BA wasn’t good, because often “hit tool” guys don’t actually hit the ball hard enough to have a truly great hit tool. You need power for that too. His 86.1/89.2 MPH AVG/FB EV is super low, he’s slow as dirt with a bottom 24% sprint speed, and his 65.2 MPH swing was 5th worst amongst qualified batters. He’s also not really a lift and pull guy with a 46.1% GB% and 40.4% Pull%. Now having said all that, this was his first full year of pro ball and he put up an above average 104 wRC+. That is pretty impressive. He’s 6’4”, 220 pounds, so there is no way that there isn’t more power in here if he ever decides to actually swing harder, which may or may not impact his elite contact rates (14.4% whiff%). He can certainly be a useful fantasy bat at peak, and there is some semblance of power upside purely because of his size, but you can’t own everyone, and Schanuel is just not the type I ever own. – 2025 Projection: 79/15/68/.270/.356/.402/9

366) Andrew Vaughn – CHW, 1B, 27.0 – I guess it’s definitely time to give up hope on the breakout. Vaughn now has 2,258 career PA of being a very average hitter. But damn if there still aren’t a few things here that I don’t want to completely give up on. He raised his launch 4.4 degrees to a career high 16.6 degrees. He put up a career best 9.3% Barrel%, which is pretty damn good. He hits the ball hard with a 90.3 MPH EV. And he gets the bat on the ball with a 22% whiff%. That should result in more than 19 homers in 149 games, but then you see the below average 70.8 MPH swing, and you go “aha,” now it makes sense. The new bat speed data has been providing that missing piece to so many players for me this off-season, and that explains Vaughn right there. He’s coming into his age 27 year old season, and as I laid out, there are still some things to like, so I’m not going to tank his value, but I’m finding it hard to think a breakout is coming. – 2025 Projection: 68/22/79/.250/.310/.431/1

367) Joc Pederson – TEX, OF, 32.11 – Pederson has been the best platoon bat in baseball over the last 3 years, putting up xwOBA’s in the top 5-10% of baseball in each year. It resulted in a career best 151 wRC+ in 449 PA in 2024. The lack of PA seriously cuts down his upside in fantasy though as he only had 62 Runs and 64 RBI. He’s hard to roster in weekly lineup leagues, and while he’s obviously valuable in daily lineup leagues, even in many of those leagues it’s not that comfortable rostering a platoon bat. He’s also basically 33 years old already. You feel the pull to rank a guy higher who just put up a .902 OPS with beastly underlying numbers, but the lack of PA and age prevent me from getting too crazy. – 2025 Projection: 66/25/71/.257/.345/.470/5

368) Nathaniel Lowe – WSH, 1B, 29.9 – No surprises here. Lowe had his usual wet napkin fantasy season. He hit only 16 homers with 2 steals in 140 games. He had a 121 wRC+ on the back of a 12.6% BB%, but even in OBP leagues, a combined 131 Runs and RBI is lackluster. He’s just not a very impactful fantasy player. In 5×5 BA leagues, he’s super lackluster, and in OBP and 6+ hitting category leagues he’s mediocre at best. Very deep leagues are where he would hold his most value, but even there it’s not like he’s a league winner. He’s a placeholder until you can find a better option, which is exactly what Texas thought of him. – 2025 Projection: 76/18/76/.265/.360/.425/2

369) Ryan McMahon – COL, 3B, 30.3 – McMahon’s hard hit ability (92.1 MPH EV) has roped me in in the past, but those days are long over at this point, and it gave me the strength to not buy into his hot start to the season at all (.920 OPS in his first 32 games). By the end of the year, he was right back to his usual underwhelming self with 20 homers, a .242 BA, and a .722 OPS. He just doesn’t lift and pull enough to take advantage of the hard hit (49% GB% with a 35.8% Pull%), and the hit tool isn’t good enough either (28.7% K%). He’s a good defensive 3B and it’s not like the Rockies have any better options, so his job is safe, but he’s just a serviceable 3B, not an impact one for fantasy. – 2025 Projection: 76/23/74/.245/.325/.425/5

370) Alec Burleson – STL, OF, 26.4 – The Cards are committed to letting the kids play in 2025, so I wouldn’t say I’m overly concerned with Burleson’s playing time, but he actually has a lot going against him. He’s a terrible defensive player, he’s terrible vs lefties (.514 OPS in 142 PA), he’s slow as dirt with a 25.5 ft/sec sprint and he’s a 27 year old with a career .307 OBP and 97 wRC+ in 275 games. Even in his breakout 2024, he still only had a 106 wRC+, which combined with the poor defense and baserunning resulted in a 0.6 WAR. It hurts me to say it, but he’s really not a starter. Having said that, the 12.8% K% is elite and he hits the ball hard with a 89.7 MPH EV. With the Cards in rebuild/bridge year mode, he should at least have a strong side of a platoon role, and there is no guarantee he gets fully relegated to that role either. Long term though, he looks like a good but not great platoon bat, which isn’t extremely valuable in fantasy. – 2025 Projection: 68/20/77/.270/.318/.424/6

371) JJ Bleday – OAK, OF, 27.5 – Bleday is a low ceiling player with little speed, a below average BA, and above average homer power at best. I also think there is risk too, because he’s a below average outfielder, and Denzel Clark and Colby Thomas are charging hard to compete for those open OF jobs. Kurtz and Soderstrom could push Rooker into more OF duty too. I see the appeal with a 19.5/10.4 K%/BB%, an 88.5 MPH EV, and a 18.6 degree launch, but I just don’t really see an impact player here. He’s not a starter on a good team, and while Oakland isn’t good yet, they are kinda getting there. He’s actually getting valued pretty highly, so if you can sell high here, I would go for it. The upside just isn’t high enough to make you regret it too much even in a worst case scenario. 2025 Projection: 74/19/69/.245/.328/.420/4

372) Lourdes Gurriel Jr. – ARI, OF, 31.6 – Gurriel is just about the poster child for high floor, low upside vet bat. He gets the bat on the ball with an 18.3% K%, he’ll pop 20-ish dingers with a solid Barrel%, and he’ll even steal a handful of bags. Nothing flashy. Nothing league winning. Just rock solid. The deeper the league, the more value a guy like this has. – 2025 Projection: 69/20/79/.267/.312/.435/5

373) Pavin Smith – ARI, 1B/OF, 29.2 – Even with Arizona trading for Naylor, Arizona still has openings at DH and in the OF, and with the year Smith just had in 2024, I’m betting on him winning a job. He was a straight beast in 60 MLB games with a 142 wRC+, 14.7% Barrel%, 13.1 degree launch, 90.2/96.2 MPH AVG/FB EV, and a 19.6/11.4 K%/BB%. It resulted in an elite .395 xwOBA. He always had an excellent plate approach, but we were waiting on the game power to tick up, and boy did it tick up this year. He looks like a great candidate for a late career breakout, and is a no doubt target. – 2025 Projection: 76/24/82/.268/.342/.457/2

374) Jhonkensy Noel – CLE, OF, 23.8 – If you’ve been loving diving into the new bat speed data like I have, the first thing that smacks you right in the face is how elite Noel’s bat speed is. Only Giancarlo Stanton and Oneil Cruz top his 78.1 MPH bat, and it’s not a particularly long swing either. It’s not short, but it’s not in the territory to be concerned. And at 6’3”, 250 pounds, with that fast of a swing, bad things happen when he makes contact, smashing 13 homers with a 14.5% Barrel% and 19.3 degree launch in 67 MLB games. The flip side of swinging that hard and fast, is that it comes with a lot of missing the ball too with a 34.2% whiff% and 31.8% K%. He also seems to mostly close his eyes and just swing at anything with a 45% Chase%. He’s bad on defense, and while he was good vs righties in the minors, he didn’t hit them well in the majors (.683 OPS). He’s big and he swings hard and that is about it, but we know that is all you need to make a big fantasy impact if your bat is in the lineup everyday. That last part isn’t guaranteed though with Cleveland being pretty deep in corner/DH power bats. Why play Noel against a righty when you can play Kyle Manzardo? Or Will Brennan? or Chase DeLauter? Or George Valera? I wouldn’t be overly concerned about it because if he mashes he will give them no choice, but he wasn’t playing everyday down the stretch, and you have to at least have playing time problems in the back of your mind. – 2025 Projection: 71/27/83/.238/.311/.482/2

375) Ryan Clifford – NYM, 1B/OF, 21.8 – After hitting only 1 homer in 31 games in New York’s tough High-A ballpark (although he didn’t hit any homers on the road either), Clifford got the call to Double-A as a still 20 year old and lived up to his big power profile. He jacked out 18 homers with a 133 wRC+ and 28.9/15.6 K%/BB% in 98 games. Even at High-A he put up a 124 wRC+, which is the sign of a good player who can still produce when the homers aren’t coming (or it’s a sign that High-A pitchers just didn’t want to pitch to him with a 23.5% BB%). Clifford was one of my favorite targets in his first year player draft class because he looked like a sure bet to become an exciting power hitting prospect, and that is exactly what he’s become. The strikeouts are too high to really put him into that elite tier, but I wouldn’t rule out him improving there at a still young 21 years old. Even if he can’t, the power will play on any level. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 78/31/90/.239/.324/.491/4

376) Cam Collier – CIN, 3B, 20.4 – Collier might be the most underrated power hitting prospect in the minors. He’s a big physical guy at 6’1”, 210 pounds with a powerful and quick lefty swing that is made to do damage, so he most certainly looks the part. It’s what got him drafted 18th overall. And now he has the production part too with a blow up season at High-A as a 19 year old. He smashed 20 homers with a 25.0/13.0 K%/BB% and 129 wRC+ in 119 games. He crushes the ball and the power is at least plus. Age to level production, EV, pedigree, approach, eye test, great eventual home ballpark … Collier has a ton of things going for him, and he really gets barely any hype. There is definitely hit tool risk, but that often comes with the package for young power hitters. Don’t underrate Collier. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 82/29/93/.252/.333/.486/5

377) Xavier Isaac – TBR, 1B, 21.4 – Isaac was always a power over hit prospect, but his hit tool risk shot into the stratosphere this year. He put up a 30.1% K% in 71 games at High-A, and then it got even worse at Double-A with a 40.6% in 31 games. It stayed that bad when he went to the AFL too with a 40.3% in 15 games. He clearly has a major, major problem. He wasn’t nearly this bad in 2023 with a 21.3% K%, so while this didn’t come completely out of nowhere, it’s definitely much worse than expected. He crushes the ball with 18 homers in 102 games, he’s a good athlete with 15 steals in 18 attempts, he gets on base with a 13.3% BB%, and he’s very young, so he’s still a very exciting prospect, but it prevents him from jumping into that elite or near elite tier coming into 2025. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 77/28/86/.240/.324/.469/10

378) Zac Veen – COL, OF, 23.4 – Long gone are the days where Veen is a major prospect target for me. The book is far from written on him, but I think it’s more than fair to say he is one of my biggest misses in terms of ranking him as a near elite prospect a couple years ago. The development simply hasn’t happened like I thought it could, and him being a Rockies prospect, yea, maybe I should have seen that coming. But just because he hasn’t blown up, doesn’t mean he’s still not a pretty enticing fantasy prospect. As I expected, he bounced back from an injury induced down year in 2023, slashing .259/.346/.459 with 11 homers, 21 steals in 25 attempts, and a 24.8/11.1 K%/BB% in 65 games at mostly Double-A and Triple-A. We saw a power uptick that we were waiting for, but it was more of a moderate power uptick than a true explosion. And once again, his year was marred by injuries with a back and thumb injury, which once again sapped some power when he returned. I don’t know whether to think the constant injuries are hiding that upside that made me fall in love originally, or if he’s simply injury prone and it’s something that should be a demerit on his profile. Maybe a little of both. What makes him so exciting for fantasy is his speed and base running ability, which are at least plus, and he also has a good glove in the OF, which could get him on the field. The strikeout rates are elevated and the power looks like it might only end up average at best, so while I still see so much upside at a still projectable 6’3”, 190 pounds, I can’t rank him any higher than this. 2025 Projection: 29/6/26/.229/.292/.371/11 Prime Projection: 78/18/68/.248/.319/.418/25

379) Rhett Lowder – CIN, RHP, 23.1 – Lowder was known as a high floor, low ceiling, fast moving college pitcher in his draft year, and that is exactly what he gave us in 2024. He put up a 3.64 ERA with a 25.3/5.4 K%/BB% in 108.2 IP at mostly Double-A, and then he got the call to the bigs and held his own with a 1.17 ERA (4.25 xERA) with a 17.2/10.9 K%/BB% in 30.2 IP. I trust the K/BB and xERA more than the ERA, but even with the underlying numbers being lackluster, there were other positive takeaways from the debut. Namely his 93.5 MPH fastball put up a very good 27.8% whiff%. Plus control of a good fastball is a very strong foundation, and Lowder is more than just that with a legit 4 pitch mix. The slider and changeup were less impressive in the majors, and he wasn’t putting up big strikeout numbers in the minors, so development of those secondaries will be huge to unlock more upside. As is, he projects as a solid mid rotation starter, but there is definitely upside for more. – 2025 Projection: 5/4.11/1.31/106 in 120 IP Prime Projection: 13/3.72/1.16/177 in 175 IP

380) Zebby Matthews – MIN, RHP, 24.10 – Zebby had a mixed bag MLB debut, and I think it leaned more bad than good. The good part is that the 24.3/6.2 K%/BB% and 4.05 xFIP looks really solid. K/BB is King for pitchers, so that alone tells me that I think Zebby will be fine. But I have some concerns, and those concerns are that his heavily used 94.9 MPH fastball wasn’t nearly as good in the majors as it was the minors, and that his stuff got hit really damn hard in both the majors and Triple-A, leading to a 6.69 ERA in 37.2 MLB IP, and a 5.68 ERA in 19 AAA IP. His fastball put up a 94.3 MPH EV against in the majors and a 93 MPH EV against at Triple-A. His 2nd most used pitch, the slider, also got hit really hard at both stops with a 90.2 MPH EV against in the majors and a 94.7 MPH EV against at Triple-A. He had a 14% Barrel% against in the majors, which is wildly bad. His slider and changeup both missed bats, we know how good his control is with a ridiculous 7 walks in 97 IP in the minors, and this was just his first taste of the majors after starting the season at High-A. He definitely deserves some grace to have an adjustment period, especially because he was reaching a career high in IP, and the strong K/BB rate gives added confidence that he will figure it out. It’s just that I feel his reasonable upside projection drops from maybe a #2 to a #3. – 2025 Projection: 8/4.26/1.31/121 in 120 IP Prime Projection: 12/3.77/1.24/180 in 170 IP

381) Moises Chace – PHI, RHP, 21.10 – Chace has one of those beautiful double plus fastballs that is just a wonder to watch. It visually looks like it’s swimming through the air, picking up speed before it blows by some poor minor league hitter. Saying it’s explosive would be an understatement. It’s been racking up strikeouts in the lower minors since 2021, and then he got his first shot at the upper minors to close out 2024, and he shined with a 3.66 ERA and 45.5/9.1 K%/BB% in 19.2 IP over 4 outings. He combines the fastball with a potentially plus slider and solid changeup. The one thing that can tank him is his control as he put up a 12% BB% in 80.1 IP on the season, and it’s been even worse than that in the past. It definitely might end up being the fatal flaw which puts him in the bullpen, and it prevents me from really going too crazy here, because I do love the stuff. Even with that risk, he’s an excellent upside pitching prospect who should come at a very reasonable price. This isn’t a comp, but think something like what DJ Herz did this year. I’m going after him. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 10/3.81/1.27/168 in 150 IP

382) Victor Robles – SEA, OF, 27.10 – I definitely noticed Robles leveled up a bit in 2023, ranking him a pretty decently 543rd overall last off-season considering his career up until that point, and in 2024, Robles proved that leveling up was for real. He had the best season of his career by 75 country miles, slashing .307/.381/.433 with 4 homers, 34 steals, and a 18.0/7.1 K%/BB% in 91 games. If someone would have told me back in 2017 that Robles would have a 141 wRC+ in his age 27 year old season, I would have clearly assumed that he fulfilled his elite prospect destiny. But we all know that wasn’t the path at all, and the problem is that you can’t really trust that 141 wRC+ at all either. A .370 BABIP was doing a lot of the heavy lifting for that high BA (.257 xBA), and while bumping up his EV about 2 MPH is a big reason for the breakout, a 86.7 MPH EV is still well below average. He’s going to play corner outfield (he’s a below average CF), he doesn’t get on base a ton, and his speed has actually been declining with a career worst 27.8 ft/sec sprint. He’s basically a steals only player who should probably be a 4th outfielder. He has a starting job right now and he clearly has the ability to make a big impact in steals, so I see the appeal, but I’m only in here at a super, super cheap price. He’s going 192nd overall in NFBC over the last month, which I find kinda crazy. – 2025 Projection: 74/9/48/.262/.333/.382/30

383) Brock Wilken – MIL, 3B, 22.10 – Wilken is a 6’4”, 225 pound masher who has the 3B job wide open for him right now with Willy Adames hitting free agency, likely moving Joey Ortiz to SS (or Turang to SS and Ortiz to 2B). There definitely seems to be a path to playing time, and there is little doubt that he will hit dingers and get on base when he gets that chance with 17 homers and a 13.4% BB% in 108 games at Double-A. The hit tool was worse than we hoped for with a .199 BA and 28.2% K%, but some of that was definitely bad BABIP luck. He was also hit in the face with a pitch on April 11th, sustaining multiple facial fractures, so I think we can cut him some extra slack for that, although he performed better the first 3 months after returning than he did in August and September, so maybe that is just an excuse. Either way, I’m betting on the monster power, pedigree (18th pick in the 2023 MLB Draft) and opportunity. – 2025 Projection: 27/11/36/.219/.296/.427/1 Prime Projection:  75/28/86/.238/.320/.476/2

384) Ralphy Velazquez – CLE, 1B, 19.10 – Velazquez was one of my top FYPD targets last off-season, ranking him 21st overall, and he more than delivered with a big season at Single-A. He cracked 10 homers with a 20.1/15.0 K%/BB% and 131 wRC+ in 82 games. He struggled when he got to High-A with a 54 wRC+ in 19 games, but considering he started the year as an 18 year old, that isn’t a big deal. Cleveland moved him off catcher to 1B, which isn’t surprising and is a good thing for fantasy. One of the reasons I loved him so much last off-season was because when a smart team takes a 1B prospect so high (23rd overall), you know they absolutely love the bat, and at 6’3”, 215 pounds with a smooth and powerful lefty swing, it’s hard not to love his bat. He profiles as a classic middle of the order slugger. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 84/30/92/.258/.345/.500/6

385) Cole Young – SEA, 2B/SS, 21.8 – Young put up a 119 wRC+ in 124 games at Double-A as a 20/21 year old, which is impressive, but he did it on the back of an elite 15.8/12.1 K%/BB%, making him a better real life prospect than fantasy prospect. He hit only 9 homers, there isn’t big raw power in here, and he’s not a guy looking to hit dingers with a low launch, all fields approach, so he doesn’t project for big power either. The biggest blow to his fantasy value is that he isn’t a good base stealer, going 23 for 34, and he’s not a true burner, so his upside on the bases is questionable too. I don’t think we should underrate the fact that he was 20 years old at Double-A, and that includes the power/speed numbers, so I don’t want to to be overly harsh, but he remains a better real life than fantasy prospect, which has been the book on him since being drafted. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 88/17/62/.278/.349/.426/18

386) Michael Arroyo – SEA, 2B, 20.5 – Arroyo always had precocious plate skills, writing in his 2024 Top 1,000 blurb, “He looks like a seasoned vet at the dish, and is the type who jumps out immediately when you watch him hit. He’s completely locked in and makes hitting a baseball look easy.” But I questioned his power upside at only 5’8”, and in 2024, he answered those power questions in a resounding fashion. He clubbed 23 homers in 120 games split between Single-A and High-A, and he did it while remaining a good all around hitter, slashing .285/.400/.509 with a 23.0/12.3 K%/BB%. He can lift and pull, and he can hit the ball hard. His swing looks damn quick to me too. He’s not a burner, but he can run a little bit too with 18 steals. There certainly seems to be some little man discount going on here, because Arroyo has a lot to be excited about. He’s easily a Top 100 dynasty prospect, and if he were 6’2”, we might be talking about him in an entirely different way. The biggest issue is that Seattle will be his home ballpark, and without huge raw power, it’s going to limit his upside. That is why I would hesitate to stick your neck out too much, but I still like him a lot. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 82/22/77/.268/.347/.445/14

387) Ricky Tiedemann – TOR, LHP, 22.8 – Tiedemann underwent Tommy John surgery in late July which will likely wipeout his entire 2025 season. It’s definitely a blow to his value, but honestly, with a young flamethrower like this, it should be completely expected. If you jump ship on every flamethrowing pitching prospect you own after undergoing major elbow surgery, you might as well not even draft them (which is a completely viable strategy, although I don’t mind taking a shot on one or two). I already used Tiedemann as a trade piece last season in my 12 teamer, as even when I do own them, I don’t hesitate to use them in win now deals. That deal netted me 2 years of Will Smith, who helped me secure 3rd place and my money back. Such a fitting lukewarm finish for the lukewarm fantasy player Smith has become. But back to Tiedemann, assuming full health, he has the potential for a plus to double plus fastball/slider combo, to go along with a pretty damn good changeup too. The control/command is below average, so along with the injury, there is certainly a lot of risk in the profile at the moment. Hopefully he can get back on the mound at the end of the season, or even in the AFL, to show the huge stuff is back and to get the hype going into the off-season. He’s definitely still a Top 100 Prospect for me, and even that might be selling him too low. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection:  13/3.53/1.21/185 in 165 IP

388) Tommy Troy – ARI, 2B/SS, 23.3 – Troy saved his season at the end of the year, because it looked like his dynasty value was in a nose dive before slashing .276/.375/.447 with 4 homers, 9 steals, and a 22.2/11.8 K/BB% in his last 32 games at High-A. He then went to the AFL and kept on hitting with a .864 OPS in 22 games. A hamstring injury knocked out 2 months of his season early in the year, and it seemed like he just couldn’t find a rhythm when he returned, so there is something to point to for the slow start. The skills and general explosiveness of his game that got him drafted 12th overall are all still there. His hype definitely dropped this year, but I would be careful about selling too low here. He’s still a Top 100 prospect for me. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 78/18/71/.251/.320/.427/23

389) Arjun Nimmala – TOR, SS, 19.6 – Nimmala got off to a slow start in full season ball, which is completely understandable considering he was only 18 years old, but once he found his footing, he showed why he was one of the most hyped high school bats in his class. He slashed .265/.331/.564 with 13 homers, 5 steals, and a 29.7/6.4 K%/BB% in his last 53 games. He has one of the sweetest righty swings in the game that is tailored made to launch the ball to the moon with a 46.6% FB%. It’s powerful too with a 89.1 MPH EV, and at a projectable 6’1”, there is only more power coming. He’s also a good athlete who should contribute in steals even if he isn’t a huge base stealer. The biggest issue is clearly the hit tool, but you have to give him some leeway for his age, and the upside is high enough to take on that extra risk. I have Nimmala grouped with Brandon Winokur and Eric Bitonti as tooled up power hitting beasts with hit tool risk in the back half of the Top 100 Prospects Rankings. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 77/28/89/.242/.321/.473/14

390) Dylan Beavers – BAL, OF, 23.7 – Beavers doesn’t have a clear path to a full time job right now, but there are bench jobs available for Beavers to force his way into the lineup at some point during 2025, and we all know injuries/trades happen. He can play all 3 OF spots and is a pretty good defensive player. There is a reason Baltimore didn’t use him as trade bait (yet). I think they like him a lot. There is going to be opportunity eventually, and he has the type of fantasy friendly skillset to go after. He’s a very athletic 6’4”, 206 pounds with a vicious lefty swing that hits the ball hard and hits the ball in the air (15 homers with a 49.1% FB% in 119 games at Double-A). He’s also fast with 31 steals. The hit tool isn’t great with a .241 BA and 22.6/13.2 K%/BB%, but the high walk rates mitigate some of that, and he has the type of power/speed combo to survive a low BA. Beavers looks like a very enticing, not hyped to death fantasy target right now. – 2025 Projection: 17/5/21/.228/.297/.391/5 Prime Projection: 81/20/75/.247/.326/.430/24

391) Brandon Winokur – MIN, SS/OF, 20.5 – Winokur is one of my favorite prospect targets right now relative to perceived value. 6’6”, 210 pound athletes like this don’t grow on trees, and I think he deserves to rise to true unicorn status. His big time power is obvious, and it resulted in 14 homers with a 89.6 MPH EV in 94 games at Single-A. The area of his game that gets considerably underrated, is how good of an athlete he is. He put up plus run times in high school, and then he went out and stole 23 bags in 29 attempts this year. He played both SS and CF this year. This is not some lumbering corner bat. This is a unicorn with real defensive value. The problem, of course, is the hit tool. He put up a 28.0/8.3 K%/BB% and he swings and misses a lot. There is no denying there is very real risk here, but that is why he isn’t like a Top 50 prospect. As is, I believe he is a top 100 fantasy prospect, and he won’t be valued anywhere close to that in off-season prospect drafts. He’s a major target. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 77/26/83/.246/.317/.471/15

392) Eric Bitonti – MIL, 3B, 19.5 – In my End of Season Mailbag Podcast (Patreon), I ran down a list of several of my favorite underrated and/or reasonably priced prospect targets to go after, and Bitonti easily cracked that list. He has future elite power hitting prospect written all over him at 6’4”, 218 pounds with a powerful, athletic and sweet lefty swing that is made to hit bombs. He smoked 8 homers with a 157 wRC+ in 51 games at the age appropriate stateside rookie ball, and then he got called up to Single-A and went nuclear with 8 homers in just 28 games. With his raw power and an over 50% FB%, he can’t not hit homers. He also gets on base a ton with a 16.5% BB%, which offsets some of the swing and miss issues (27.9% K%). And he’s a good athlete with 12 steals in 15 attempts over 79 games, so he should contribute at least a handful in that category. Definitely go after him everywhere. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 84/33/97/.242/.331/.497/8

393) Aidan Smith – TBR, OF, 20.8 – The Rays targeted Smith in the Randy Arozarena trade (along with Brody Hopkins), which is good news for Smith, because he goes from a ballpark that is terrible for his profile, to one that is perfect for him (assuming Tampa goes back to the Trop in future years). Isaac Paredes proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that the righty lift and pull profile can thrive in Tampa, and that is Smith’s game with a 35.7% GB% and 54.4% Pull% (11 homers in 97 games at Single-A). He combines that with projectable power at 6’2”, 190 pounds, plus speed with 41 steals in 47 attempts, and a strong plate approach with a 23.2/14.4 K%/BB%. The hit tool is still on the risky side, but if he gains meaningful raw power as he enters his 20’s, he has true explosion potential. He’s really exciting. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 82/22/76/.250/.338/.443/25

394) Cooper Pratt – MIL, SS, 20.8 – The only thing Pratt didn’t do at Single-A was hit for power, hitting only 3 homers with a 25% FB% in 73 games, but when he got the call to High-A, he immediately proved that he wasn’t going to have any problems getting to his potentially plus power with 5 homers and a 38.7% FB% in just 23 games. At a projectable 6’4”, there is no doubt the raw juice is in there, and he also proved to be an excellent athlete (27 steals) with a strong plate approach (20.0/10.3 K%/BB%). The plate approach was much better at Single-A than High-A, and some of that was certainly because he was trying to get to more of his power. So he’s not a finished product, but the ingredients are in here to be an impact across the board fantasy player. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 80/23/80/.262/.328/.453/18

395) Kyle Teel – CHW, C, 23.2 – Teel was known as a high floor, lower ceiling, quick moving college catcher in last year’s FYPD, and that is exactly what he did in 2024. He slashed .288/.386/.433 with 13 homers, 12 steals, and a 23.0/13.5 K%/BB% in 112 games split between Double-A (145 wRC+) and Triple-A (97 wRC+). His 86.3 MPH EV at Triple-A isn’t super impressive, but he knows how to lift and pull it, so he should get the most out of his raw power. He’s also a good athlete who likes to run relative to other catchers, so that can help his fantasy value even if the homer totals aren’t huge. He had a crystal clear path to Boston’s starting catcher job of the future (and the present), but with his trade to Chicago, he now has to battle it out with Edgar Quero. You have to think Teel is the favorite for most of the at bats, but that might be a bad assumption, and at the end of the day, that will get decided on the field. The trade probably doesn’t change Teel’s dynasty value too much in the grand scheme of things, but it’s a ballpark hit, organization hit, and a bit of a path to playing time hit. – 2025 Projection: 31/7/34/.244/.311/.383/4 Prime Projection: 74/17/68/.268/.342/.430/9

396) Welbyn Francisca – CLE, SS, 18.10 – After getting lots of hype coming off his strong pro debut in the DSL, Francisca’s hype seems to have quieted down to barely a whisper despite a very strong follow up season in 2024. He slashed .328/.418/.523 with 6 homers, 11 steals and a 12.4/12.4 K%/BB% in 45 games at stateside rookie ball, and then he went to full season ball as an 18 year old and didn’t slow down, slashing .325/.402/.402 with 1 homer, 8 steals, and a 20.5/10.6 K%/BB% in 29 games. He’s not a big guy at 5’8”, so power isn’t expected to be a huge part of his game, but he can definitely pack a punch in that small frame. And keep in mind he will still be just 18 years old at the start of 2025. He’s on pace to have one of the most enticing top of the order profiles in the minors, and I wouldn’t completely sleep on his power either. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 89/16/61/.280/.346/.427/28

397) Robert Calaz – COL, OF, 19.5 – The 6’2”, 202 pound Calaz is a straight power hitting beast. He cracked 7 homers in 43 games in the DSL in 2023, he smoked 10 homers in 49 games in stateside rookie in 2024, and then he chipped in 2 homers in 13 games at Single-A to close out the season. He crushes the ball with plus to double plus raw power, and his batted ball profile is conducive to both power and average. He slashed .327/.386/.571 at Single-A as an 18 year old, and has a career .336/.436/.603 triple-slash in 105 career games. He’s done nothing but obliterate every level of pro ball that’s been put in front of him. He doesn’t exactly have my favorite batting stance, but the swing is quick and powerful, and I’m not going to get too caught up in that. The biggest risk is the contact rates, as the strikeout rate has been high at every level (career 23.4% K%, which is quite high for rookie ball levels), culminating with a 28.1% K% at Single-A. We have to trust Colorado to develop him, which isn’t great, and then we have to trust Colorado to actually play him and give him leash, which also isn’t great. Combined with the hit tool risk, it prevents me from going higher than this, but he has one of the top 19 year old power bats in the minors. ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 77/28/88/.247/.324/.471/7

398) Joendry Vargas – LAD, SS, 19.5 – Vargas was one of my favorite targets in his international class, and then was once again one of my favorite DSL breakout targets, so if anyone wants to crown him already, it would be me, but I can’t quite crown him yet. He had a strong year in stateside rookie ball with a 129 wRC+, but 4 homers in 38 games shows the game power isn’t quite there yet, the 22.8% K% is on the high side, and he wasn’t that successful on the bases, going 11 for 16. So that means he still needs to improve his hit tool, power, and speed. Completely reasonable for an 18 year old rookie baller to need to improve basically everywhere, and I still love the power upside at a projectable 6’4” with hard hit ability, but it’s not quite that straight rocket ship you really want. He’s a Top 100 prospect for me, but I can’t put him in that truly coveted tier quite yet. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 81/25/85/.257/.336/.465/8

399) Eduardo Quintero – LAD, OF, 19.7 – Quintero was one of, if not the top DSL breakout in 2023, and he mostly backed it up in stateside rookie ball in 2024, slashing .330/.459/.449 with 3 homers, 29 steals, and a 19.3/17.6 K%/BB% in 56 games. It was good for a 142 wRC+. He struggled when he got the call to Single-A with a 77 wRC+ in 27 games, but it came with a 19.6/16.1 K%/BB%, so it’s not like he was completely overmatched or anything. You have to give these kids time to adjust to a new level. He’s an excellent athlete at 6’0”, 175 pounds with plus speed, hard hit ability, a good feel to hit, and a plus plate approach. The launch is geared for both power and average, and he has a good glove in the OF. This guy basically does everything well on a baseball field, and while there is still plenty of development left to go (being more aggressive at the dish, getting stronger, unlocking more game power, proving it at higher levels), you have to trust the Dodgers to get the most out of him. ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 86/19/74/.273/.341/.430/26

400) Bryce Rainer – DET, SS, 19.9 – Selected 11th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, Rainer is your classic “looks the part” prospect at 6’3”, 195 pounds with a smooth lefty swing, plus power potential, plus athleticism, and a good glove at SS. Corey Seager and Kyle Tucker would be the absolute ceiling comps, while Colson Montgomery would be a more recent comp. Like Montgomery, Rainer is older for his class at 19 years old already, and his hit tool isn’t a slam dunk either quite yet. Come to think of it, Riley Greene might actually be the perfect comp here, and Detroit has done a great job developing Greene. Detroit got their SS version of Greene (although Greene was a slightly more touted prospect in his draft year, so he would be close to a ceiling comp as well). – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 82/25/86/.263/.336/.465/12

401) Braylon Payne – MIL, OF, 18.8 – When a smart franchise sticks their neck out and selects a high school bat higher than expected, you should take notice. I took notice when it happened with Xavier Isaac and Tampa, and then Ralphy Velazquez with Cleveland. I ranked both very high and named them targets. And now I’m going to do the same with Payne after the Brewers selected him 17th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft. The book on the 6’2”, 186 pound Payne coming into the draft was that he had big time talent and upside, but was still on the raw side. Which is why it was so exciting to see his electric pro debut where he slashed .438/.526/.625 with 0 homers, 4 steals, and a 15.8/15.8 K%/BB% in 4 games at Single-A. It’s only 4 games, and the swing isn’t geared towards power right now, but there is definitely raw power in there with a 110 MPH shot already to his name, and he has game breaking speed. He’s also young for the class and will be 18 years old for most of 2025. Payne is the type of target you stick your neck out for in off-season prospect drafts, and after the consensus Top group is off the board, Payne is my next target. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 89/18/63/.267/.334/.436/38

402) Theo Gillen – TBR, SS, 19.7 – Selected 18th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, Gillen has near elite dynasty upside at 6’3”, 200 pounds with electric bat speed, potentially plus power, plus speed, and a good feel to hit. He still needs to learn how to fully tap into his raw power, and he underwent shoulder surgery from a torn labrum in 2022, so he’s not a finished product, and he’s not without risk. His pro debut underscored that with a  41.2% K%, .154 BA, and 86 wRC+ in 8 games at Single-A, but the 23.5% BB% mitigates that K rate a bit, it was only 8 games, and in the past, high schoolers debuted in rookie ball. Now they are thrown right into the fire in full season ball. I would give a lot of leeway for all of these high school bats, but I gotta be honest, the 41.2% K% is sticking in my craw right now. You can try to project the hit tool of these high school hitters all you want, but you really don’t know if they will be able to hit pro pitching until they get there. I’m not panicking at all over the super small sample, and I still like him a ton, but I do think that extremely high K rate could be a harbinger of things to come. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 82/20/76/.252/.331/.441/20

403) Gavin Lux – CIN, 2B, 27.4 – The good news is that Lux got back to being a solid real life hitter in 2024 with a 100 wRC+ in 139 games after returning from a torn ACL, MCL, and hamstring that knocked him out for all of 2023. He was even better in the 2nd half the further removed he got from the injury, slashing .306/.390/.513 with 8 homers, 2 steals, and a 24.7/11.7 K%/BB% in his final 65 games. The bad news is that his fantasy profile is still severely lacking. His speed dropped off considerably with a 27.7 ft/sec sprint, and he was barely running even before the injury, so we can’t count on much there. The power is also lacking with only 10 homers, a 9.1 degree launch, and a below average 6% Barrel%. Granted, those numbers were all considerably better in that 2nd half run, so I do think he can do better than 10, but we aren’t talking about a power hitter here. The hit tool is only average-ish, and that includes the elevated K rate in that 2nd half run. And finally, he was terrible vs lefties, so he might be maxed in a platoon role. I can definitely see him putting up some pretty good “sum of his parts” fantasy seasons in the next few years, but the upside isn’t very high. He’s a low end option. – 2025 Projection: 73/14/61/.266/.339/.408/8

404) Jacob Wilson – OAK, SS, 23.0 – Wilson stole just 2 bases in 3 attempts in 53 minor league games, and then he didn’t attempt a single steal in 28 games in his MLB debut. That is just brutal for his type of profile, and with a below average sprint speed, it doesn’t seem like there is much hope for him to really be a major contributor in steals. And without that, there is just no upside in this profile at all with legitimately bottom of the scale power. He had a 84 MPH EV with a 2% Barrel% at Triple-A, and a 85.4 MPH EV with 0 barrels in the majors. He’s a relatively thin and projectable 6’3”, so I definitely don’t think it’s impossible for him to gain power in his mid to late 20’s, but that is an extremely low point to start from. Of course what you are buying is the truly elite contact rates with a minuscule 4.3% K% at Triple-A and a 9.7% K% in the majors, but even with that, he’s going to need to hit the ball harder to truly take full advantage of that. This just isn’t the type of profile I go after in fantasy, but in deep leagues where safety gets a bump, I could see going higher than this. – 2025 Projection: 73/5/42/.273/.328/.381/7 Prime Projection: 88/10/50/.291/.356/.405/10

405) Jordan Romano – PHI, Closer, 31.11 – Romano got a few week late start to the season due to an elbow injury, was really bad for two months with a 6.58 ERA and 21/6.5 K%/BB% in 13.2 IP, and then he hit the IL with an elbow injury that ended his season. The word is that he will be fully healthy for 2025, but the weird thing is that he wasn’t really showing signs of being hurt before going down with the injury. The velocity was completely normal at 96.4 MPH and the control was actually better. There are other ways an injury could impact your effectiveness, like the spin rate being down on the fastball, which it was, but I still find it adds an oddity to evaluating Romano. I guess you have to blame the injury for the terrible the season, and if he’s fully healthy, the assumption is that he gets back to being a nearly elite reliever with a 3.00 ERA and upper 20’s K rates. But for one, there is no guarantee he’s actually fully healthy (and stays that way), and I still don’t love the extreme performance drop when he was on the mound. He only landed a 1 year, $8.5 million deal, which tells me MLB teams are hesitant to bet on him returning to form. Philly has other good options to close and they love to mix and match. I wouldn’t mind grabbing Romano if he drops, but I’m worried his name value will push him higher than I’m willing to go, and since he’s only on a one year deal, who knows where he ends up in 2026 and beyond. – 2025 Projection: 4/3.65/1.25/66/24 saves in 60 IP

406) David Bednar – PIT, Closer, 30.6 – Despite David shitting the Bed … nar, it seems like Pitt is set on giving him another crack at it in 2025. He straight up imploded in 2024 with a 5.78 ERA and 22.1/10.7 K%/BB% in 57.2 IP, but his stuff was actually up a tick, so maybe there was just some classic small sample, reliever volatility going on there. Relievers are known to have some wonky years because they simply don’t pitch enough innings for things to “normalize.” He was bad all year though, so it certainly didn’t feel like an aberration. He’ll have to prove himself in spring, and throughout the season, as I’m sure the leash is going to be short, but as of now, he seems like the man, and because his stuff was still excellent, I’m apt to take a flier on him as a team who usually waits on saves. – 2025 Projection: 4/3.77/1.24/68/28 saves in 62 IP

407) Andrew Abbott – CIN, LHP, 25.10 – Abbott backed up his strong rookie year in 2023 with another strong season in 2024, putting up a 3.72 ERA with a 19.5/8.9 K%/BB% in 138 IP, but there is really nothing in the profile that makes you want to buy in too hard. He doesn’t have big stuff (92.8 MPH fastball), the secondaries don’t miss bats with a below average 22.6% whiff% overall, he pitches in Cincy, and the control is below average. He’s still early into his career and I’m sure he’s working on improving all aspects of his game, but he’s yet to flash the type of fantasy upside we want to see for him to really standout as a target. A shoulder strain also ended his season in late August, and while he was close to returning, that isn’t great. He’s just a guy right now. – 2025 Projection: 9/3.83/1.29/133 in 150 IP

408) Erick Fedde – STL, RHP, 32.1 – Fedde came back to the states after putting up an MVP season in Korea, and he proved the gains he made overseas were legit. He put up a 3.30 ERA with a 21.2/7.2 K%/BB% in 177.1 IP. His career ERA in the majors is 4.82 in 631.2 IP. He quite clearly leveled up like 3 levels. I was all for taking a flier on him last off-season because I lean into the mystery, but now that he put up that pristine ERA, I’m out on him for 2025. The 3.91 xERA was not nearly as good as the ERA, the 21.6% whiff% is well below average, and none of his pitches were that impressive. The cutter, sinker and sweeper were all positive value pitches, so I’m not saying he’s a mirage, I’m just saying the upside isn’t very high, and the time to buy was last off-season. MLB hitters now have an off-season to adjust back to the changes he made. – 2025 Projection: 10/3.92/1.25/145 in 170 IP

409) Brooks Lee – MIN, SS/3B/2B, 24.2 – I’ve always been a bit low on Lee for fantasy, because a good but not great hit tool first profile, with moderate power and little speed is just not something I go after, even with him getting ranked very high on real life lists. I also wasn’t buying into the 8 homers he hit in 25 games at Triple-A this year because of the below average exit velocity and low launch, and sure enough, his MLB debut didn’t look great. He slashed .221/.265/.320 with 3 homers, 3 steals, and a 14.6/5.9 K%/BB% in 50 games. His 25.6 ft/sec sprint speed is in the bottom 13% of the league. That is brutal, and it might be part of the reason why the guy scored a shockingly low 9 runs. The EV numbers were poor too with a 85.8 MPH EV and 4.1% Barrel%. And he chases a lot with a 35.8% Chase%, so he doesn’t really fit in at the top of the order. He gets the bat on the ball and there is some pop in there, so I never thought he would be a bust or anything, I just thought the upside was low as a solid but not standout hitter, and I still believe that today. He’s still not a target for me. – 2025 Projection: 64/14/73/.259/.313/.415/6 Prime Projection: 73/18/81/.277/.331/.436/8

410) Aaron Civale – MIL, RHP, 29.10 – I had hope for a Tampa magic strikeout breakout, but it wasn’t to be. Civale remained a solid #4 type with a 4.36 ERA and 21.6/7.5 K%/BB% in 161 IP. That line is basically exactly who he’s been in his entire career, although a bit on the low end of it. – 2025 Projection: 9/4.03/1.25/139 in 150 IP

411) Zack Littell – TBR, RHP, 29.6 – I named Littell a late round target last off-season, and while he wasn’t a league winner, he more than held up his late round value with a 3.63 ERA and 21.5/4.7 K%/BB% in 156.1 IP. He throws 2 positive value fastballs in his 92.4 MPH 4-seamer and 91.6 MPH sinker, to go along with a slider that notched a +9 Run Value and a splitter that notched a 34.4% whiff%. The entire profile plays up due to elite control. There is competition in the Rays rotation, so it’s not necessarily a lock that he will break camp with a spot, but I would be a little surprised if he didn’t. He’s a #3/4 fantasy starter. – 2025 Projection: 9/3.81/1.23/136 in 150 IP

412) Jameson Taillon – CHC, RHP, 33.4 – Taillon put up a 3.27 ERA in 165.1 IP, but ain’t nobody being fooled by that. All of the ERA estimators sit around 4.00. He doesn’t miss enough bats with a 18.4% K% to buy into it, but he has double plus control with a 4.9% BB%, which makes him a solid #3/4 type starter. – 2025 Projection: 10/4.03/1.21/133 in 160 IP

413) David Peterson – NYM, LHP, 29.7 – Peterson has been an enticing breakout candidate for a few years now, and now that he’s finally broken out, I don’t want anything to do with him. Life can be funny like that. The 2.90 ERA in 121 IP looks great, but I just can’t buy into that at all with a 4.58 xERA and 19.8/9.0 K%/BB%. It was more of the same in the playoffs with a 2.92 ERA and 14.0/14.0 K%/BB% in 12.1 IP. K/BB is still King when it comes to pitchers, and those K/BB numbers just aren’t something I can buy into. Now having said all that, there are definitely some things to like beyond the ERA. His 25.5% whiff% was above average, and he’s missed a ton of bats in his career, so the low strikeout rate was definitely on the unlucky side. That should rise in 2025. His 93.1 MPH 4-seamer put up a near elite 28.7% whiff%, the 91.9 MPH sinker keeps the ball on the ground with a 0 degree launch, the slider misses bats with a 33.9% whiff% and the change and curve are solid pitches too. His 9% BB% was a career high, and he had a 5.9% BB% in his final 50 IP of the regular season. As I finish off this blurb, I think I might actually be talking myself into Peterson more and more. You know what, I take back what I said earlier about not wanting anything to do with him. If his price rises too high due to the ERA, I won’t get him anywhere, but if he slips through the cracks, I don’t mind taking some cheap stabs at him. – 2025 Projection: 9/3.92/1.30/140 in 145 IP

414) Sean Burke – CHW, RHP, 25.3 – Here is what I wrote about Burke right after his first start in the majojrs: “I’m far from ready to call Burke a target, but I will say that there are some interesting things brewing here that deserve our attention. He had his 2nd strong MLB outing in a row, going 5 IP with 5 hits, 2 ER, and a 5/2 K/BB vs. Oakland. The fastball sat 95.4 MPH and put up a 29% whiff%, while the slider and curve were solid as well with a 33% and 30% whiff%. It led to a 31% whiff% overall. His first outing against Cleveland was more of the same, and he now has a 2.25 ERA with a 30.4% whiff% in 8 IP. He has size (6’6”, 230 pounds), velocity (mid 90’s heat that misses bats) and bat missing secondaries (slider, curve change). He didn’t perform well at Triple-A with a 4.62 ERA in 64.1 IP, but all 4 of his pitches missed a ton of bats leading to a 31% K%. Control is the biggest problem here with well below average walk rates his entire career, but super tall pitchers can sometimes take longer to make control gains, and we all know that pitching development isn’t linear. So far in the majors he has a 8.3% BB%. Again, I’m not calling him a target, but I am saying there is some very interesting stuff going on here. There are definitely ingredients for a big breakout in the future, and as a free pick up in the vast majority of leagues, I don’t hate it all. Consider this your first little warning on Burke.” … and after that outing, Burke dominated in 2 more starts with 1 ER and a 14/4 K/BB in 11 IP. If he was able to do it in a larger sample, he might have been valued more closely with Spencer Arrighetti (both have similar-ish profiles), and I’m apt to use the small sample to my advantage. The skills are there are to be a high K mid-rotation starter, and he did prove it on the MLB level. He’s an excellent later round target. – 2025 Projection: 8/3.96/1.31/149 in 140 IP

415) Tylor Megill – NYM, RHP, 29.8 – It’s unclear exactly how the Mets plan on handling their rotation, but they have enough shaky guys where Megill should get his shot at some point, and usual, I find him intriguing. I’ve found him intriguing in the past, and it’s never worked out, so I find it hard to really buy in too hard, but there are things to like. The fastball sat 95.7 MPH and put up an elite 29.2% whiff%. He throws an 8 pitch mix, and plenty of them are useful. The splitter put up a .148 xwOBA with a 42.9% whiff%. The curve, sinker and slider all put up an above average xwOBA and miss some bats. It all resulted in a 4.04 ERA with a 27.0/9.5 K%/BB% in 78 IP. If he had a rotation spot, I would definitely like him, but even without one, I can taking a shot on him in medium to deeper leagues. In shallow leagues, it’s probably best to pounce when he actually cracks the rotation. – 2025 Projection: 8/3.83/1.29/137 in 130 IP Update: Injuries have opened up a spot for Megill to be in the rotation to start the year

416) Dustin May – LAD, RHP, 27.7 – May underwent flexor tendon surgery and a revision to his 2021 Tommy John surgery in July 2023 which wiped out his entire 2024 (surgery for a torn esophagus ended any bid to return in the 2nd half). His ability to stay healthy and at the top of his game has to be in major question right now. He didn’t look all that great before going down with the injury with a 18.2%/8.6% K%/BB% in 48 IP, although the stuff was still big with a 97.3 MPH fastball, and he was still getting the job done with a 2.63 ERA. He’ll have to battle for a rotation spot, and it’s a major question how he’s going to look post surgery, so he’s in pure flier territory for me. I’m just not into trying to guess what happens with the Dodgers rotation for their fringy guys. – 2025 Projection: 8/4.10/1.27/119 in 130 IP Update: It seems he won the 5th starter job out of camp, but I’m still treading carefully

417) Jack Leiter – TEX, RHP, 24.11 – We know that pitching development is especially non linear, which makes me want to stay strong on the 2021 2nd overall pick in the draft with plus bloodlines, but damn is Leiter making it hard. He made his MLB debut and got absolutely shellacked, putting up a 8.83 ERA with a 17.9/9.8 K%/BB% in 35.2 IP. He also didn’t have the minor league career you would have expected from a talent like this, although he was much better in 2024 than 2023 with a 3.51 ERA and 33.3/10.6 K%/BB% in 77 IP at Triple-A. The below average control is killing him, but there is more than enough here for me to stick to my guns about staying strong. His 96.4 MPH fastball is a bat missing weapon that put up a 32.1% whiff% at AAA and a 28.9% whiff% in the majors. His slider was a whiff machine at AAA with a 43.2% whiff%, but it dropped off in the majors with a 21.8% whiff%. But on the flip side, his lesser used curve and changeup were actually pretty good in the majors. The curve put up a .212 xwOBA with a 38.7% whiff% on 11.4% usage, and the change put up a .237 xwOBA with a 35.7% whiff% on 5.8% usage. The pieces are still here to turn into an impact fantasy starter, and it seemingly should be able to work even with below average control, but so far, it just hasn’t come together. We’ve seen this story a million times from top level talents like Leiter, so while he could easily end up being a bust, I’m not writing him off to that fate yet. He’s a hold for me. – 2025 Projection: 7/4.18/1.34/127 in 130 IP Prime Projection: 12/3.74/1.26/183 in 170 IP Update: Added the kick change and has looked good in spring. I was already holding strong as possible on his value, and now it looks like he could win that 5th starter job

418) Kyle Harrison – SFG, LHP, 23.8 – I’ve been on the low side on Harrison for a few years now as he was getting truly elite pitching prospect hype, and his MLB debut showed why I wasn’t fully buying in. He put up a 4.56 ERA with a 22.2/7.9 K%/BB% in 124.1 IP. The 92.5 MPH 4-seamer was solid with a .327 xwOBA and 23% whiff%, but the secondaries were straight trash. The slurve and change don’t miss nearly enough bats, and the .356 xwOBA on both pitches was bad too. He has average control at best, so I’m not exactly sure what we are buying into here at this point. I guess youth and ballpark? He also ended the season on the IL with shoulder inflammation, so you can tack on injury risk too. We know pitching development isn’t linear and we see late breakouts all the time, so I’m not saying Harrison is hopeless, I’m just saying he didn’t show any skills in his debut that really makes me want to buy in. – 2025 Projection: 7/4.16/1.31/120 in 120 IP Update: Latest news has him not making the rotation

419) Bobby Miller – LAD, RHP, 26.0 – What a fucking disaster that was, huh. Miller came into 2024 as one of the most hyped young starters in the game, and he left it injured, disgraced, and without a job coming into 2025. The life of a young pitcher ain’t easy (other than the $3,665,520 million in career earnings he has by the time he’s 26 years old, although in LA, what does that buy you? A studio apartment?). Miller got shellacked in both the majors (8.52 ERA with a 20.2/11.6 K%/BB% in 56 IP) and Triple-A (6.00 ERA with a 17.6/13.1 K%/BB% in 33 IP). The stuff was down about 2 ticks across the board. The cause of the disaster is pretty easy to identify though. In his first start of the season, his velocity was the same as 2023, and he dominated with 11 strikeouts in 6 IP. His velocity then started to decline in the next 2 terrible outings, leading to him getting pulled in his 3rd outing of the season with shoulder inflammation. He was never the same after that 1st start, and his velocity never quite got back to 2023 levels. Even with diminished stuff, he still had humongous stuff with a 97.6 MPH fastball (99 MPH in 2023), but it wasn’t only about the stuff, his control/command was way off too. The hope is that with a full off-season to get healthy, he looks much more like the guy from 2023 than 2024, and while he certainly has plenty plenty of competition for a rotation spot, you have to think that if he looks healthy in spring, he’s the favorite to win one of the open jobs. Overall, I would say I’m lukewarm on him. Even in his great rookie year, he still only had a 23.6% K%, so when you tack on the injury risk now too, there are questions about both the pure upside and the floor. On the flip side, it’s easy to bet on the monster stuff, history of production, and clear reason for the down year. I’m in between. – 2025 Projection: 4/3.93/1.31/76 in 80 IP Update: He still looked bad in spring and then got hit in the face with a comebacker. He’s going to have to battle to get a rotation spot again, and will likely need injuries for it to happen

420) Caden Dana – LAA, RHP, 21.4 – The Angels fast tracked the talented Dana through their farm system, because of course they did, and once again, it mostly paid off for them. With the right players, they are proving the strategy can definitely work. Dana spent the entire season at Double-A as a 20 year old and excelled with a 2.52 ERA and 27.4/7.3 K%/BB% in 135.2 IP. He then got a taste of the majors and struggled with a 9.58 ERA and 15.4/13.5 K%/BB% in 10.1 IP, but that is basically meaningless. He racked up an impressive amount of innings for a 20 year old, and that was at the end of a very long season. He most certainly looks the part at a rock solid 6’4”, 210 pounds. The fastball sat 93.7 MPH and it gets good movement with bat missing ability. There could also be another tick or 2 coming down the line. The slider is nasty and even in his rough MLB debut it performed well with a 37.5% whiff%. The lesser used changeup, curve and cutter all performed really well too with a 37.5%, 50%, and 66.7% whiff%, respectively. He has about average command of the entire arsenal. He showed off mid rotation upside in 2024, and that was as a 20 year old in the upper minors and the majors. If he can take a step forward this off-season with his arsenal and command, there could be yet another level in here. – 2025 Projection: 4/4.27/1.34/87 in 100 IP Prime Projection: 13/3.73/1.20/194 in 180 IP

421) Joey Bart – PIT, C, 28.3 – I feel like the theme of this year’s catcher’s rankings are the delayed offensive catcher breakout. And Bart fits that category perfectly after finally breaking out at 27 years old after being drafted 2nd overall in 2018. Both the power and hit tool took big steps forward with the EV jumping 1.9 MPH to 88.1 MPH and the whiff% dropping from 38% in 2022 to 26.2% in 2024. It resulted in a 121 wRC+, 13 homers, and a .265 BA in 80 games. He’s now in the pole position to be Pittsburgh’s starting catcher, but with Endy Rodriguez returning, and Henry Davis still in the picture too, this seems like it’s going to be a never ending competition. If Bart played better defensively, I would be more confident he would lock it down, but he was below average defensively. He’s a low end option right now. – 2025 Projection: 45/15/53/.242/.311/.418/1

422) Agustin Ramirez – MIA, C, 23.7 – Ramirez was the crown jewel of the Jazz Chisholm trade, so there is no way that Miami makes this deal if they don’t have every intention of giving him a real shot, and with the catcher job wide open, it seems very possible that he breaks camp as the starting catcher (and also mixing in at some 1B and DH). He profiles as your classic low BA, slugging catcher with 25 homers and a .267 BA in 25 games in the upper minors. The 18.6/11.1 K%/BB% shows the plate skills are also pretty good, making him relatively low risk. The risk comes from the fact that he isn’t a particularly good defensive catcher, so it’s possible the bat will have to hit well enough to profile at 1B/DH as well. He also has former first round Joe Mack and his 2024 breakout right behind him, so there is definitely going to be some competition for that job in the near future. – 2025 Projection: 31/8/36/.238/.309/.418/2 Prime Projection: 58/19/69/.251/.328/.439/5

423) Braxton Ashcraft – PIT, RHP, 25.6 – I love Ashcraft when healthy, but his elbow health is a major question mark headed into the off-season with bright red warning signs flashing. He underwent Tommy John surgery in 2022, and when he returned in 2023, his stuff looked electric in 52.2 IP. He again looked electric in the first half of 2024 with a 2.84 ERA and 25.8/4.0 K%/BB% in 73 IP at Double-A and Triple-A. But the elbow problems returned after his July 6th start, hitting the IL until August 30th. His stuff was way down in that one outing and then he hit the IL again with “a recurrent right forearm injury.” As much as I love the mid to upper 90’s fastball, the plus to double plus slider, plus control, size (6’5”), and pitch mix (he also throws a good changeup and curve), I can’t ignore the very major injury risk. It could end up landing him in the bullpen eventually, or very early into 2025 if he has problems ramping up. If I were to ignore the injury risk, I can see ranking him much higher than this, so this placement factors in a healthy dose of risk. – 2025 Projection: 2/4.10/1.28/45 in 50 IP Prime Projection: 8/3.72/1.17/130 in 130 IP Update: He looks fully healthy this spring

424) Grant Taylor – CHW, RHP, 22.10 – Taylor looked so exciting coming off Tommy John surgery in his pro debut with a 1.13 ERA and 43.1%/4.7% K%/BB% in 16 IP at Single-A over 4 outings, but a lat strain cut his regular season short. He’s 6’3”, 230 with a mid 90’s fastball and a plus breaker as his best pitches. He has high spin rates on all of his pitches. He was the perfect candidate to absolutely blow up with a strong AFL showing, and while he hasn’t done that with a 9.45 ERA and 12/6 K/BB in 6.2 IP over 3 outings, he has established that his nasty stuff is legit. The fastball sits mid to upper 90’s, the slider is potentially plus, and the changeup is promising. He barely has any track record at all with a career high of 31 IP in 2022 in the SEC (52 IP if you include the 2022 Cape), so it’s a mystery if he can stay healthy or if he can maintain this level of stuff over an entire season, but pitchers take this path all the time, and the stuff is undeniable. He definitely has some hype, so his price could vary depending on the league, but I would be more than happy to take a shot on Taylor if you are looking for a high upside arm. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 9/3.82/1.31/148 in 140 IP Update: He’s looked fire this spring and has been untouchable

425) Drake Baldwin – ATL, C, 24.1 – Baldwin has a path to playing time problem with Sean Murphy under contract through 2028 at least, and I don’t see why Atlanta would be motivated to trade either one of them (although it’s certainly possible). Both of their bats are good enough to get some DH at bats, so I think both could theoretically survive even without a trade, but it cuts majorly into the projected playing time for them over the next several years. It’s a shame for fantasy, because Baldwin is proving to have one of the most exciting prospect catcher bats in the game. He destroyed Triple-A with 12 homers, a 92.8 MPH EV, a 16.2/15.6 K%/BB% and 135 wRC+ in 72 games. He has the power, contact and plate approach to be a Top 5 fantasy catcher at peak, but along with Sean Murphy, there are a few things keeping me from going too crazy. His 96 wRC+ in 52 games at Double-A was not as good as his Triple-A run. His 7.7 degree launch isn’t great and his groundball rates have been pretty high in the upper minors. His hit tool is also projected to be closer to average at best, rather than a truly impact tool. You don’t need to be all that great to be one of the top hitting catchers in baseball, but tack on Sean Murphy to all of that, and he lands more as a Top 100 prospect for me rather than one I’m really targeting. 2025 Projection: 28/9/32/.238/.307/.399/1  Prime Projection: 64/20/78/.260/.335/.438/1 Update: The Murphy injury allows Baldwin to possibly get his foot in the door, but it’s still a problem long term

426) Alejandro Rosario – TEX, RHP, 23.3 – The only box Rosario didn’t check in 2024 was upper minors production, and while I do think that is a big step, even for pitchers, you can only dominate the competition that is put in front of you, and Rosario utterly dominated the lower minors. He put up a 2.24 ERA with a 36.9/3.7 K%/BB% in 88.1 IP split between Single-A and High-A. He’s 6’1”, 182 pounds with an athletic righty delivery that he uses to fire 3 potentially plus or better pitches. The fastball sit’s in the mid to upper 90’s and it’s a bat missing weapon, He combines that with two plus secondaries in his slider and splitter, giving him the ability to get both lefties and righties out. The control was elite this season. He wasn’t nearly this good in college (7.11 ERA with a 11.6% BB% in 74.2 IP his junior year), which is why he fell to 144th overall in the 2023 Draft, but Texas made some changes to his delivery and arsenal, giving reason to buy into the monster breakout. I would still like to see it in the upper minors first, and see him do it for a 2nd straight season in general, before truly valuing as an elite prospect, but if he dominates in his first start or two at Double-A in 2025, he will be a truly elite pitching prospect in the blink of an eye. White and Sykora have the more traditional path of size, youth, and pedigree, which is why my bet is on one of them to be the top dog in 2026, but maybe I’m sleeping on Rosario swooping in. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 13/3.52/1.18/189 in 170 IP Update: Underwent Tommy John which will knock him out for all of 2025

427) Trey Yesavage – TOR, RHP, 21.8 – Selected 20th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, the 6’4”, 225 pound Yesavage has been beating up on inferior competition in the American Athletic Conference for 2 years now, putting up a 2.03 ERA with a 40.4%/8.9% K%/BB% in 93.1 IP in 2024. But he’s not just the product of his competition with 3 potentially plus pitches in his mid 90’s fastball, hard slider, and nasty splitter. He has weapons to get guys out from both sides of the plate and his control is solid. He likely slid to 20th in the draft because of a collapsed lung that he suffered in May, which I guess does add some unknown long term risk, but all signs seem to indicate that he is okay now. There is definitely potential for him to become an impact mid rotation fantasy starter. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 12/3.76/1.22/180 in 170

428) Ke’Bryan Hayes – PIT, 3B, 28.2 – Hayes was dealing with a back injury all season that ended his year in mid August (and has dealt with injuries his entire MLB career), and it led to a horrific season with a 59 wRC+ in 96 games. The launch dropped all the way back down to 4.8 degrees, snuffing out any residual hope for a true power breakout. The EV and speed were down majorly too. You can give him a pass for this year for the injury, but this is not the first year that he blamed injuries for poor performance. It’s becoming part of his profile, which adds risk, and he doesn’t have high upside, so I’m not exactly sure what we are buying here anymore if he isn’t safe and he doesn’t have upside. – 2025 Projection: 71/13/60/.256/.311/.400/13

429) Jeimer Candelario – CIN, 3B/1B, 31.4 – Candelario got a monster ballpark upgrade in Cincinnati, and he did in fact hit a career high homers (on a per game basis) with 20 homers in 112 games. He’s never been a huge EV guy, so he definitely needed the ballpark boost to continue to be a 20+ guy. The bad news is that the BA and OBP tanked to .225 and .279. A career worst 29.1% whiff% and 34.6% Chase% backs that up. The bottom line is that he is just an average hitter no matter how you slice it. He has a career 100 wRC+ in 858 career games. The India trades seems to lock him into a full time job, and as usual, he has the chance to be a solid but not really an impact fantasy bat. – 2025 Projection: 70/22/79/.237/.308/.431/6

430) Jorge Polanco – SEA, 2B, 31.9 – Polanco got traded to Seattle’s death on hitters ballpark, and he died a thousand deaths in one season with a terrible year. He slashed .213/.296/.355 with a 29.2/9.8 K%/BB% in 118 games.  We just saw Teoscar die a similar death and then have a big year in a better park in 2024. But Polanco resigned with Seattle, so the hope of a Teoscar-lite bounce back is dead. He still put up a well above average 8.9% Barrel%, and he was on pace for over 20 homers if he played a full season. A hamstring injury knocked him out for over a month, and he can’t blame the ballpark on that as he’s been plagued by injuries the past few seasons. I definitely think he will bounce back and have a better year in 2025, but the injuries are starting to pile up, he’s not getting any younger at 31/32 in 2025, and he’s back in Seattle, so he’s only a low end win now option. – 2025 Projection: 64/22/71/.245/.321/.430/5

431) Ryan Bliss – SEA, 2B/SS, 25.4 – Maybe I got a little too overexcited about Bliss when I named him a major target mid-season, but I still love his potential fantasy impact relative to his super, super subdued hype, and even after the Jorge Polanco signing, there is still a path to playing time if he forces the issue. The main selling point is the stolen base upside with him stealing 50 bags in 93 bags at Triple-A. But what makes him so exciting, is that he is not just a light hitting speedster. He can actually hit the ball pretty damn hard, and he showed that in his MLB debut with a 88.5/98.2 MPH AVG/FB EV. The EV was strong at Triple-A too with an 88.8 MPH EV. He’s not a huge lift and pull guy, but he can lift and pull enough to rip some dingers (12 in 93 games at AAA), and especially in Seattle’s ballpark, we don’t want him to lift and pull. Hitting the ball hard all over the field works perfectly for his profile. He’s also a good 2B. The biggest issue is that the hit tool is not quite optimal for this type of profile. He put up a 22.4% K% at AAA and a 31% K% in the majors. The plate approach is good with a 14.1% BB% at AAA and an excellent 21% Chase% in the majors, which mitigates the hit tool somewhat, but not all the way. That is the thing holding me back from going too crazy, but Bliss could be free to very cheap in most leagues, and why not take a shot. – 2025 Projection: 61/13/52/.237/.304/.380/23 Prime Projection: 77/17/66/.254/.325/.416/31

432) Max Muncy – OAK, SS, 22.7 – Muncy cracks the 3B list too because there are rumors he could be competing for that open job. Considering he was the 25th overall pick in the 2021 Draft, he’s been flying super low under the radar despite strong minor league results throughout his career, especially when you consider age to level. Oakland has been relatively aggressive with him, and he’s responded to the challenge every single time, culminating with him putting up a 117 wRC+ in 50 games at Triple-A in his age 21 year old season this year. He doesn’t have a standout area in his game, which is likely why the hype has been so quiet, but he’s just a good all around player with 8 homers, 4 steals, and a 24.6/8.9 K%/BB%. He has about average power right now which should only tick up in the next few years, he’s a very good athlete who should contribute in steals, and he’s known as a good defensive SS, so his glove should help him get on the field The strikeout rates have been high throughout his career and there is definitely hit tool risk, so that combined with the fact he doesn’t really have standout power or speed makes me hesitant to go higher than this. He still feels underrated to me though. – 2024 Projection: 36/9/43/.226/.289/.392/7 Prime Projection: 72/20/77/.248/.321/.435/12 Update: Muncy did in fact win a starting job, but not in the way I envisioned. He will take over for Gelof, and if he hits, I’m sure Oakland will keep him in the lineup

433) Miguel Vargas – CHW, 3B/OF, 25.4 – Vargas’ dynasty owners finally got what they wished for when Vargas got traded to Chicago, opening up playing time, but they say be careful what you wish for, because he was atrocious. He put up a 16 wRC+ in 42 games. He hit .104 with .170 SLG. That has got to be close to all time bad in 42 games. His underlying numbers are admittedly still interesting enough with a 21.6% whiff%, 21.8% Chase%, 28.6 ft/sec sprint, and 21.3 degree launch, but he doesn’t hit the ball hard enough (86.2 MPH EV), and he swings a slow bat (69.8 MPH). He’s also not going to contribute much in Runs or RBI even if he does put together a decent season. He’s fine as a bottom of the roster type, or as a depth piece in a deeper league, but I’m no longer really eyeing him as an interesting flier type. – 2025 Projection: 61/16/49/.219/.299/.368/12

434) Jhostynxon Garcia – BOS, OF, 22.3 – Garcia is one of my top prospect targets relative to perceived value, and he was one of several prospect targets I named in my End of Season Mailbag Podcast (Patreon). He has legit thunder in his bat with a quick and powerful righty swing that resulted in 23 homers in 107 games. He hits the ball really hard and he lifts it with all fields power. He’s also a good athlete who can play CF, and he’ll run a bit too with 17 steals. He started the year at Single-A and flew all the way through to Double-A by mid August. He wasn’t quite as good at Double-A as he was in the lower minors, but he still put up an above average 103 wRC+, and the most important thing is that his K rate didn’t skyrocket with a 19% K%. The hit tool and plate approach are certainly the biggest risk here with a 21.6/7.2 K%/BB% overall, but the K rate actually got better at each higher level, and he walked a ton in 2021-23, so he has that skill in there. His combination of power, athleticism and good OF defense is very enticing, and the hit tool was actually pretty decent this year. Boston is crowded, so he doesn’t have a path to playing time, but trades happen and injuries/ineffectiveness happens too, so he’ll get his shot eventually, and when he does, we could be looking at a guy who puts up big EV’s with a high launch, above average sprint, positive defense value, and good enough K rates. He can be a legit impact fantasy bat going for a price way under that right now. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 76/25/84/.247/.321/.458/12

435) Brayden Taylor – TBR, 3B/SS, 22.10 – Taylor destroyed High-A with 14 homers, 26 steals, a 24.8/15.9 K%/BB% and a 154 wRC+ in 84 games, but he’s an advanced college bat, and he doesn’t have big raw power or big raw speed, so seeing what he could do in the upper minors was important, and it was a mixed bag at best. The K% exploded to 36.8% (.194 BA), but he still knocked out 6 homers with 3 steals and a 113 wRC+ in 30 games. He’s a lift and pull machine, so even without big raw power, he can hit dingers, and he’s not a burner, but he’s been a really good base stealer at every stop of his career. It’s the hit tool that is the real problem, and while I’m sure he will be better his second time around in the upper minors, it’s still not a good sign for what his hit tool will look like in the majors. A high K rate with mediocre EV’s and lots of flyballs is a recipe for a very low BA. It’s still a fantasy friendly skillset with pedigree (19th overall pick) and strong production at every stop of his career, so while I can’t call him a truly coveted prospect, I still like him. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 78/20/76/.242/.325/.435/15

436) Alfredo Duno – CIN, C, 19.3 – Duno skipped right over stateside rookie ball and opened the season at Single-A, which tells you how much Cincinnati loved this kid. And really everyone loved this kid as a hyped up international signing who destroyed the DSL and most certainly looks the part at 6’2”, 210 pounds. Not only did he hold his own at the level, but he thrived with a 127 wRC+, 10.5% Barrel%, 89 MPH EV, and a 19 degree launch. He only hit 3 homers in 32 games, but that clearly isn’t indicative of his true talent level. And he only played in 32 games because his season ended in late May with a broken rib. There is hit tool risk with a 28.8% K%, but considering how young he was the level, I’m not overly concerned with that. He’s an elite power hitting catcher prospect waiting to happen, and he has the type of true upside to go after this off-season. I’ve been calling him a target since his signing year, and now is certainly the time to strike even in shallower leagues. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 74/28/82/.251/.338/.487/5

437) Harry Ford – SEA, C, 22.1 – Ford is just not hitting the ball hard enough to feel comfortable flying him up the rankings with only 7 homers in 116 games at Double-A. It’s not a hard and fast line, but if you don’t have the power breakout in your age 21 year old season, I start to dock some points on a prospect’s future power potential. Even without hitting the ball hard, he still had a very strong season with a 119 wRC+, 35 steals, and a 22.0/14.1 K%/BB% at Double-A. He definitely has more raw juice in his bat than he’s shown, so even though I do have his value sliding, it’s not like I think a future power breakout can’t happen, and if it does, the speed, lift, pull, and plate approach will be there waiting for it. It’s uncertain if he can stick at catcher with Seattle playing him in the OF some, but due to his speed, he has the fantasy upside to profile there. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 76/18/68/.248/.333/.411/21

438) AJ Puk – ARI, Closer Committe, 29.11 – Puk and Justin Martinez seem to be in some kind of closer competition and/or committee, and the tie usually goes to the righty for the lion’s share of the job. But in this case, it might not be a tie as Puk is better than Martinez and safer than Martinez. Martinez also has control issues which could tank him (like we saw with Doval and Diaz in 2024), but plenty of elite closers have below average control, so just because the risk of implosion is higher, it doesn’t mean it’s going to happen. Puk on his own merits is a truly elite relief pitcher with a 1.72 ERA and 35.0/5.1 K%/BB% in 57.2 IP once being transitioned back to the bullpen after a short stint as a starter (which didn’t work out). The fastball and slider are elite, and he also throws a good sweeper and sinker. Your guess is as good as mine as to how this situation will shake out, but my gut is telling me to bet on the better reliever, which is Puk, lefty be damned. – 2025 Projection: 4/2.96/1.08/82/23 saves in 65 IP

439) Pete Fairbanks – TBR, Closer, 31.3 – I guess Fairbanks is the favorite for saves in Tampa if he’s healthy after saving 23 games in 2024 and 25 saves in 2023, but there are a lot of red flags here. For one, he’s never pitched more than 45.1 IP in an MLB season, and his 2024 ended in mid August with a lat strain. He also showed signs of decline in 2024 with a pretty mediocre season compared to his past few years with a 3.57 ERA and 23.8/9.2 K%/BB%. His career K rate is 31.7%, so that is a big drop, and the whiff% dropped majorly too (21.8%), so it doesn’t look like an aberration or bad luck. His stuff was still good with a 97.3 MPH fastball, so maybe there is just a weird small sample reliever thing going on. He’s a really weird evaluation, and it’s even harder with not knowing if he’s truly locked into the closer job, or how much leash he is going to get. I’m treading carefully here – 2025 Projection: 3/3.41/1.17/61/24 saves in 55 IP

440) Justin Martinez – ARI, Closer Committee, 23.8 – Martinez is in a competition/committee with AJ Puk, but as I wrote in the Puk blurb, my money is on Puk if I had to choose. Martinez just isn’t as good, and the 11.7% BB% and 1.31 WHIP in 72.2 IP shows the added risk which has me leaning Puk. He most certainly has closer stuff with a 100.2 MPH sinker and two whiff machine secondaries in his splitter and slider. It was good for a 2.48 ERA and 29.5% K%. He’s the righty, which generally gets the lean when it comes to closers. Just because I think Puk has the edge, doesn’t mean it’s going to play out like that. – 2025 Projection: 4/3.32/1.27/81/14 saves in 65 IP

441) Orion Kerkering – PHI, Setup, 24.0 – Philly signed Jordan Romano, which knocks Kerkering out of the pole position for saves, and while I do think he’s next man up, Philly loves to mix and match, so there are no guarantees of that. Philly had 8 players receive saves and nobody saved more than 13 games last year (Jose Alvarado, who is still on the team). Maybe that means Kerkering can still get saves even if Romano is solid, and I still think Kerkering eventually ascends to the closer of the future role. He’s not quite good enough to put in the truly elite tier, but he’s not far off. He put up a 2.29 ERA with a 28.8/6.6 K%/BB% in 63 IP. The fastball sat 97.6 MPH and was a plus to double plus weapon with a .261 xwOBA and 27.2% whiff%. The sweeper was his most used pitch with a 55.7% usage, and while it’s a good pitch, the 31.1% whiff% and .294 xwOBA aren’t eye popping, which is the only thing keeping him out of the truly elite range (for now). And he has plus control, which is a nice bonus for a top end reliever as many of them have high risk walk rates (hello, Camilo Doval and Alexis Diaz). The Romano signing is a hit, but I still like him a lot for dynasty leagues – 2025 Projection: 5/2.87/1.03/79/13 saves in 65 IP

442) Porter Hodge – CHC, Setup, 24.1 – Chicago traded for Pressly, and you have to think Pressly will get the first shot at the job. Maybe he will scuffle, and he’s only under contract for one year, but this is a big blow to Hodge’s dynasty value. Before adding Pressly, I was really loving Hodge though. He took over the closer job in late August and he ran with it, locking down 8 saves in his final 13 appearances. He was lights out when he got the call to the bigs in late May, putting up a 1.88 ERA with a 31.7/11.6 K%/BB% in 43 IP. The stuff is most certainly closer stuff with the best sweeper in baseball that put up a +11 Run Value (tied with Anthony Bender) with a 51.8% whiff%. The fastball sits 95.5 MPH and put up very good .298 xwOBA. Below average control is the only thing that can tank him, and while plenty of elite closers have below average control, there is still some risk there as we saw with Camilo Doval and Alexis Diaz last year. It seems he’s the closer of the future at the least, but Chicago could easily do the same think next off-season that they did this off-season by bringing in a vet, so nothing is guaranteed. Either way, he’s a top setup option on his own merits, and there is still a path to saves in both the short and long term. 2025 Projection: 4/3.41/1.18/77/10 saves in 63 IP

443) Sal Frelick – MIL, OF, 24.11 – I honestly thought Frelick would be able to get to more power when I was evaluating him in his draft year, but his power has been true very bottom of the scale with a 83.4 MPH EV and 2 homers in 145 games. This type of profile can work with like a 86+ MPH EV, but an 83+ MPH EV is absolutely brutal. The contact is elite with a 14.9% K% and he has double plus speed with a 29.3 ft/sec sprint, but the extreme lack of power is killing him. It resulted in a .259 BA and 86 wRC+. He also doesn’t run as much as you would want this profile to with 18 steals. He’s entering his mid 20’s, so I do think he can bring that EV up 2+ MPH at peak, and he’s a good defensive outfielder, so his glove should keep him on the field. He’s got a classic hit/speed/defense profile, but his power needs to level up to keep a starting job in the long run. – 2025 Projection: 73/7/44/.266/.329/.361/20

444) Brady Singer – CIN, RHP, 28.8 – I’m not buying into the 3.71 ERA in 179.2 IP at all, and now with his move to one of the worst pitcher’s parks in the league, I’m not going near him with a ten foot pole. He was already regressing hard to close out the season with a 5.60 ERA in his final 54.2 IP, and the 4.65 xERA tells you to be highly mistrustful of that season ERA. Both his sinker and slider, his two most used pitches by far, got lucky last year and grade out as more average to slightly above average pitches. It’s not there is nothing to like, I just see him as a #4 type. Singer’s 92.2 MPH sinker was the 7th most valuable sinker in baseball last year, and with Cincinnati’s small ballpark, the ability to keep the ball low will only help (career 8.5 degree launch against). The slider can miss bats with a 35.4% whiff%, and the walk rate is above average with a 7.1% BB%. If he had stuck with Kansas City, I could see a case to think he could be a solid mid rotation starter, but with the move to Cincy, he just doesn’t have the upside (22.3% K%) to take on that ballpark hit. I’m avoiding him. – 2025 Projection: 9/4.16/1.31/160 in 170 IP

445) Max Scherzer – TOR, RHP, 40.8 – We are clearly on the last legs here. Scherzer had an injury filled year (back, thumb, shoulder, hamstring) where he only pitched 43.1 IP, but he’s such a legend he was actually still decent with a 3.95 ERA and 22.6/5.6 K%/BB%. The velocity was all the way down to 92.5 MPH, but he still managed an elite 29.2% whiff% on the back of the slider and curve. He has the double plus control to art of pitching his way as a mid rotation starter, but at 40 years old, how long will he want to do that even if he can. It seems he wants to give it go for 2025 at the least though. – 2025 Projection: 9/3.75/1.18/140 in 140 IP

446) Chris Bassitt – TOR, RHP, 36.1 – Bassit has entered the junk balling, mid to back end starter portion of his career. He put up a 4.16 ERA with a 22.2/9.2 K%/BB% in 171.1 IP, and he’s been on the decline for a couple years now. At 36 years old, it’s unlikely he will return to his #2/3 starter days. He throws an 8 pitch mix led by a 92.5 MPH sinker, so he’s definitely the type who can art of pitching his way through his mid to late 30’s. – 2025 Projection: 11/4.05/1.28/160 in 170 IP

447) Merrill Kelly – ARI, RHP, 36.6 – Kelly missed almost 4 months of the season with a shoulder strain, and while he was solid when he returned in mid August, it was clearly a diminished version of himself. The velocity was down a tick and the swing and miss was way down with a 21.3% whiff% (27% in 2023). It resulted in a 4.03 ERA with a 21.0/6.3 K%/BB% in 73.2 IP on the season. He was coming off back to back season with an ERA around 3.30, but at 36 years old, it’s super hard to count on him for anything more than like a solid #3/4 type starter. – 2025 Projection: 10/3.99/1.22/138 in 150 IP

448) Andrew Heaney – PIT, LHP, 33.10 – Heaney is a solid win now pitcher who has more value the deeper the league is. He can miss bats with an above average 26.3% whiff% and he can throw the ball over the plate with a plus 5.9% BB%. The stuff gets hit hard with a below average Barrel% against his entire career, so he’s not going to be a league winner, but he can be a trusty mid rotation guy. – 2025 Projection: 9/4.19/1.28/159 in 155 IP

449) Lucas Giolito – BOS, RHP, 30.9 – Giolito underwent a UCL repair with an internal brace procedure in March 2024 which kept him out for all of 2024, but it seems he could be ready pretty early into 2025. Here was my blurb for him last off-season before we heard about the injury: “Giolito dropped off a cliff in 2022, and he was still at the bottom of the cliff in 2023. He put up a 4.88 ERA with a 25.7%/9.2% K%/BB% in 184.1 IP. His velocity is still down from prime levels with a 93.1 MPH fastball, and his formerly plus changeup and slider are now average-ish.” … now tack on the injury risk and I’m just not super enthused for him. It seems he still has some decent name value holding up his value, so for me, I don’t foresee the value being there for me in any league to scoop him. – 2025 Projection: 6/4.33/1.32/124 in 120 IP

450) Frankie Montas – NYM, RHP, 32.0 – Montas basically missed the entire 2023 season after undergoing shoulder surgery, and he wasn’t able to get back to even close to his prime levels in his return in 2024. He put up a 4.84 ERA with a 22.6/10.1 K%/BB% in 150.2 IP. The velocity was down a tick to 95.6 MPH, the control/command was way off, and the 24.9% whiff% was down considerably from prime levels. The silver lining is that the famed splitter was still really good with a 42.6% whiff%, and a 95.6 MPH fastball is still plenty of velocity, so if he can get his control/command back with another year removed from the injury, I do see a path for a better 2025. He was also starting to round into form after getting traded to Milwaukee in the 2nd half, so he gave a hint of the improvement we are looking to see in 2025. – 2025 Projection: 8/4.28/1.32/1436in 140 IP Update: Lat injury will keep him out until May

451) Casey Mize – DET, RHP, 27.11 – Mize cracks this list for past pedigree and the fact he seemingly has a rotation spot, but that is all. And even the rotation spot is now tenuous after they signed Flaherty. On his own merits, I’m not sure he really deserves to be on here after putting up a 4.49 ERA with a 17.3/6.4 K%/BB% in 102.1 IP. He’s never put up a K% better than 19.5% in his 4 year career. He’s bad. He throws hard with a 95.5 MPH 4-seamer, and the control is above average, but it’s just not working out. None of his pitches are good. – 2025 Projection: 7/4.17/1.32/119 in 130 IP Update: Mize has looked good this spring with refinement on all of his pitches. He’s locking in a rotation spot and a late 20’s breakout is far from crazy for this type of talent. He gets a bump

452) Max Meyer – MIA, RHP, 26.1 – Meyer is why I have some standards when it comes to who I want to take the Tommy John discount on. He landed kinda inbetween for me. He wasn’t established on the MLB level and he wasn’t an elite pitching prospect, but he was a very good pitching prospect and he was established in the upper minors, so I didn’t write him off completely. Maybe I should have though as his 2024 was quite bad with a 5.68 ERA and 18.5/7.7 K%/BB% in 57 MLB IP. He ended the season on the IL with shoulder bursitis. The 94.1 MPH fastball was simply terrible, the changeup was bad, and while the famed slider was good, it wasn’t great with a .241 xwOBA and 34.2% whiff%. With only about average control, having one good, but not great pitch is just not going to get it done. He was coming off major surgery and it was his first extended taste of the bigs, so he should obviously only go up from here, but it seems the upside is more like a #3/4 guy. – 2025 Projection: 7/4.38/1.36/118 in 140 IP

453) Yu Darvish – SDP, RHP, 38.7 – Darvish pitched only 81.2 IP due to a variety of reasons (groin injury, elbow inflammation, private family issue), but when he was on the mound, he was his usual really good self. He put up a 3.31 ERA with a 23.6/6.6 K%/BB%. The K rate was a career low and has been trending down for years now, so prime Darvish is very clearly in the rear view mirror at 38 years old. He’s in his “art of pitching” stage of his career with an 8 pitch mix and plus control. There is also enough juice still in the tank with a 94.1 MPH fastball that he’s not just a junk baller quite yet. He can still dial it up when he needs to. He’s not a difference maker anymore, but he can still be a key cog of your fantasy rotation for the next season or two. – 2025 Projection: 8/3.73/1.17/129 in 130 IP Update: Will start the season on the IL with elbow inflammation

454) Aaron Ashby – MIL, LHP, 26.10 – Ashby underwent shoulder surgery in April 2023 and didn’t truly get back to full health until late May/early June of this year. Even with his stuff back, he still struggled mightily with his control as a starter in the minors, but once they transitioned him to the bullpen, all hell broke loose. He immediately dominated in the role at Triple-A, and then he rolled it right into the majors with a 1.37 ERA and 36.8/3.9 K%/BB% in 19.2 IP. The sinker sat 96.2 MPH and put up a .291 xwOBA with a 2 degree launch. His changeup (37% whiff%), curveball (42.9% whiff%) and slider (43.8% whiff%) all racked up whiffs. If they keep him in the pen, it’s quite clear he can be a truly elite reliever, but if they decide to put him back in the rotation, he would certainly be one of the leading candidates to go all Garrett Crochet on us. Even as a starter, the velocity was averaging between 94-95 MPH by the end of May. Due to the injuries and control problems as a starter, they may never make that move, but he has the pitch mix for it, and it’s not like Milwaukee has a stacked rotation, so they may have to give it a go out of necessity at some point. Either way, Ashby is looking like a great target this off-season. – 2025 Projection: 5/3.72/1.27/111 in 95 IP Update: Oblique injury will put him on the IL to start the year, but as injuries happen during the season, I still think he gets his shot eventually

455) Nick Gonzales – PIT, 2B, 25.10 – Gonzales is the front runner to be Pittsburgh’s starting 2B in 2025, and while he does have competition in Nick Yorke and ultimately Termarr Johnson, he has an exciting enough skillset to mark him as one your cheap, low end targets. His hit tool took a monster step forward this year with a 16.2% K and .356 BA in 34 games at Triple-A, which he backed up in the majors with a 19.1% K%, 24.9% whiff%, and .270 BA in 94 games. It sat at 26.6% at Triple-A in 2023. His power also ticked up with a 90.8 MPH EV at Triple-A and an above average 7.9% Barrel% with a decent 87.9 MPH EV in the majors. He had a 87.4 MPH EV at Triple-A in 2023. He can also lift the ball with a 13 degree launch, so he should get the most out of his average, maybe slightly above average power at peak. And he’s damn fast with a near elite 29.2 ft/sec sprint, although he’s not a big base stealer. His numbers in the majors don’t jump off the page with 7 homers, 5 steals, and a 94 wRC+ in 94 games, and I do think that shows there might not be big upside in here, but I definitely think he has the potential to be a useful fantasy bat, especially in deeper leagues. He’s also a good defensive 2B who can play some SS in a jam, so his glove could be the separator which keeps him on the field. – 2025 Projection: 66/17/75/.260/.318/.419/8

456) Spencer Horwitz – PIT, 1B/2B, 27.5 – With Vlad locked in at 1B, and Toronto giving up on Horwitz as a 2B, Horwitz looked like a bench bat in Toronto, so this move to Pitt with their 1B job wide open is a nice bump in value for Horwitz. He’s now the favorite for the lion’s share of that job. He struggled hard vs. lefties in 2024, so it’s likely a strong side of a platoon role, and he doesn’t really have the power you want for a 1B, so he’s still not a target for me, but at least he’s now more interesting in medium to deeper leagues. He proved his bat will play in his rookie year, slashing .265/.357/.433 with 12 homers, 0 steals, and a 18.4/11.0 K%/BB% in 97 MLB games. The 8% Barrel% was above average, and the 88.2 MPH EV was solid. The problem is still that he’s a 1B/DH with moderate power at best and a good but not great hit tool. The bat speed is well below average and the sprint speed is in the bottom 7% of the league. He’s also already 27 years old. The upside just isn’t very high. – 2025 Projection: 58/12/52/.260/.338/.417/2 Update: Underwent wrist surgery which is not a recipe for a big season, and it’s likely to land him on the IL to start the season

457) Ryne Nelson – ARI, RHP, 27.2 – Nelson would have been an interesting pitcher this off-season, but it seems like he’s the 7th starter in Arizona, and I don’t personally like him enough to really wait for him to get into the rotation, so he’s not one of my guys. He had a big 2nd half of the season with a 3.05 ERA and 24.8/5.0 K%/BB% in 82.2 IP. He did it on the back of a heavily used 95.2 MPH fastball that put up a +7 Run Value on the season. The problem is that his secondaries are awful with not a single one of them putting up an over 20.3% whiff% (he has 5 secondaries). The 18.2% whiff% overall is extremely light. He just doesn’t miss enough bats for me, and without a rotation spot, I’m staying away. – 2025 Projection: 7/4.12/1.25/110 in 130 IP

458) Joey Cantillo – CLE, LHP, 25.3 – I’ve always had Cantillo as around a #4 upside type, and while I still have him pegged in that area, his performance in the majors showed he has the goods to beat that projection. He put up a 4.89 ERA (3.83 xERA) with a 27.0/9.2 K%/BB% in 38.2 IP. The 92.2 MPH fastball got hit hard, but it was able to miss bats with a 22% whiff%. The changeup was straight elite with a .207 xwOBA and 43.7% whiff%. The lesser used curve and slider also performed real well with above average xwOBA’s and bat missing ability. It led to a 31.1% whiff% overall, which is elite for a starter. The fastball is below average and the control is below average, which is why I’ve been hesitant to buy in, but proving he can miss that many bats on the MLB level is exciting. He doesn’t seem to have a rotation spot at the moment, but he can certainly win one, and I’m sure he’ll get plenty of innings regardless. I didn’t think I was going to like Cantillo a ton coming into this blurb, but I’m digging him. – 2025 Projection: 6/4.18/1.33/103 in 100 IP Prime Projection: 10/3.78/1.29/164 in 150 IP

459) Nick Yorke – PIT, 2B, 23.0 – Yorke was quietly smashing the ball all season at Triple-A with a 91.5 MPH EV, and then he got called up to the majors and put up a 15.4% Barrel%, 89.7 MPH EV, and a .383 xwOBA in 42 PA. He’s damn fast with a double plus 28.9 ft/sec sprint, he has a strong plate approach (24.4% Chase%), and he has a potentially above average to plus hit tool (.333 BA with a 18.9/12.2K%/BB% at AAA, plus a .290 xBA in the majors). I want to get really damn excited and tell you to target him everywhere, but there are a few things which I can’t just gloss over. He has a mostly line drive approach, so the game power isn’t huge right now, and he’s not a great base stealer, so he’s not going to rack up steals either. Really his biggest issue is that he isn’t a good defensive player. Nick Gonzales is the better defender and he had a relatively exciting year as well, so he’s the favorite for the job in the short term, and Termarr Johnson is the favorite to man 2B in the long run. That leaves Yorke as a utility type (he played 2B, OF, and 3B this year). Injuries happen and the cream generally rises to the top, so if Yorke hits, and I think he will, he is very likely to find plenty of at bats in 2025. Without being the favorite for a full time job, I wouldn’t be willing to really reach for him, but I will be hoping to scoop him up on the cheap everywhere I can. – 2025 Projection: 46/11/51/.252/.308/.403/10 Prime Projection: 81/18/73/.273/.334/.430/14

460) Yoeilin Cespedes – BOS, SS/2B, 19.7 – Cespedes’ season ended on June 21st a broken hamate, but he was one of the top rookie ball breakouts before going down with the injury. He slashed .319/.400/.615 with 5 homers, 3 steals, and a 18.1/11.4 K%/BB% in 25 games. It was good for a 163 wRC+, and this was coming off the 145 wRC+ he put up in the DSL in 2023. He’s a lift and pull machine who takes absolute daddy hacks at the dish with a monster righty swing. He swings much bigger than his 5’8” size would indicate. I’m thinking the contact rates could take a step back in full season ball, but I believe in the power despite not being a huge human being. If the contact rates don’t take a step back, we could be looking at a very potent hit/power combo, and even if they do, he should remain a very good prospect. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 77/25/84/.268/.329/.458/8

461) Alex Freeland – LAD, SS, 23.7 – I’m pretty certain I’m the only one crazy enough to have called Freeland a target in his FYPD class after getting drafted 105th overall, but you know how strongly I feel about good pro debuts (and bad pro debuts), even in small samples, and Freeland had himself a hell of a pro debut with a 152 wRC+, 3 homers, and 2 steals in 8 games in rookie ball. That was enough for me to target him late, and look at him just two years later, getting major mainstream hype. Please ignore the fact that he actually didn’t crack my 2024 Top 1,000 after his lukewarm year in 2023 … but my point still stands, pro debuts mean a lot, and certainly when you are looking for late round sleepers. And now that he is getting rained down with hype, I hate to be that guy, but I think he might be getting overrated now. A lot of his damage and hype came from dominating High-A in 23 games, but he was 22 year old and repeating the level. He was good at Double-A too with a 127 wRC+, but a .245/.370/.422 triple-slash isn’t exactly blowing the doors off, and he struggled at Triple-A, slashing .243/.335/.396 with a 26.8% K% and 85 wRC+ in 39 games. The bottom line is that he hit under .250 at the age appropriate levels of the upper minors with a pretty high strikeout rate. He has very real hit tool risk. But enough raining on his parade. He’s definitely exciting with an above average to plus power/speed combo, jacking out 18 homers with 31 steals in 136 games. He hits the ball hard and he’s fast, so those numbers aren’t a mirage. He also has a good infield glove, so his glove should only help him get in the lineup. Whenever a former deep sleeper blows up, they will always hold a fond place in my heart, but perceived value shifts, and my feelings on a player have to shift with percieved value. Right now, I think he might be a tad overrated even though I still like him. – 2025 Projection: 17/3/19/.229/.293/.378/5 Prime Projection: 77/19/71/.248/.324/.421/21

462) Franklin Arias – BOS, SS/2B, 19.4 – I have Arias in the same category that I had Jefferson Rojas in last off-season when Rojas was getting a ton of hype. They don’t jump off the screen, they don’t have huge size, and they don’t have huge tools, but they are just really good baseball players who do a lot of things well on a baseball field. I like them, and I definitely like them for real life, but they are probably a bit overrated for fantasy. Arias demolished rookie ball with a 181 wRC+ on the back of elite plate skills with a 17.5/16.5 K%/BB% in 51 games. He then got the call to Single-A and wasn’t as impressive, slashing .257/.311/.378 with 3 homers, 5 steals, and a 17.5/9.6 K%/BB% in 36 games. He was only 18, so that is still a very solid line, but I do think it underscores how the production might not look so outsized against more advanced competition. He hit 9 homers in 87 games, so he has some pop, and he stole 35 bags, so a he’s a good baserunner despite not being a burner. An up the middle glove with good contact rates and some power and speed is a really high floor real life profile, but we play fantasy, and we want upside. He’s a Top 100-ish fantasy prospect, so again, I like him, but I don’t think he’s a truly coveted one. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 83/18/68/.273/.338/.428/15

463) Demetrio Crisantes – ARI, 2B, 20.7 – Crisantes doesn’t necessarily jump off the screen when you watch him, but he has a very quick and controlled righty swing, which he combines with plus plate skills, that has resulted in him raking everywhere he’s played. He made it to Single-A by the 2nd half of the season and slashed .333/.429/.478 with 6 homers, 20 steals, and a 15.9/12.9 K%/BB% in 63 games. He can hit the ball relatively hard, and there is room to tack on more mass at 6’0”, 178 pounds. The swing is geared more for average than power right now, he’s not a true burner, so the steal totals could come down against more advanced competition, and many of the best players at Single-A got promoted by the time he hit the league (that one is a very small one, but it’s something knocking around in my brain on 2nd half lines at Single-A). I like him, but I wouldn’t go too crazy for him quite yet. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 79/18/73/.272/.331/.427/20

464) Druw Jones – ARI, OF, 21.4 – Jones got his career back on track after a disastrous pro debut in 2023, but it still wasn’t a particularly impressive year considering what we expected out of him after getting drafted 2nd overall. He went back to Single-A and slashed .275/.409/.405 with 6 homers, 21 steals, and a 28.0/18.0 K%/BB% in 109 games. It was good for a 125 wRC+. The strikeout rate is way to high for a 20 year old at Single-A, and so is the 57.2% GB%. Even with a .409 OBP, he still only stole 21 bags in 26 attempts, and with speed now looking like the main selling point here, that really isn’t that impressive. All of the raw tools and bloodlines that got him drafted so highly are still there at a projectable 6’4”, 180 pounds with a plus raw power/speed combo, but he still looks so raw out there. He needs to refine his game in every aspect (other than defense, where he is a plus CF, which will help get him on the field for sure). Right now he looks on track to be more of a mid 20’s breakout candidate, which isn’t what you want when you draft a high schooler 2nd overall, but that is where we are at. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 78/17/67/.247/.320/.429/22

465) Jake McCarthy – ARI, OF, 27.8 – McCarthy has improved his strikeout rate every year of his career, and it reached a career best 15.8% in 2024. That improvement puts him on the radar as a possible true everyday guy who will hit for contact and rack up steals, but unfortunately, he has competition for that job, and I’m not so sure I want to bet on him winning it. Alek Thomas is right behind him, and Thomas has equally as good contact rates and he hits the ball much harder. McCarthy sacrificed power to get those contact gains with a career worst 84.5 MPH EV. There are also other alignments Arizona could use that would push McCarthy out. I would like him more if I was sure had a lock on the job, because the speed is elite with a 29.8 ft/sec sprint and 25 steals in 495 PA, but with the lack of job security, and lack of hard hit, I can only put him so high. – 2025 Projection: 68/9/57/.265/.331/.392/29

466) Willi Castro – MIN, OF/3B/2B/SS, 27.11 – Castro is a super utility player who was an overall positive on defense (+3.9 Fangraphs value), he hits at the top of the order, scoring 89 runs, and he amassed a ton of at bats with 635 PA. The nature of his everyday role feels a bit precarious long term, but short term it does seem likely he will get a ton of at bats again. He wasn’t able to maintain his outlier steal season in 2023 (33 steals), coming back down to earth with 14 in 23 attempts, and he doesn’t hit for much power (12 homers with a 87.4 MPH EV) or hit for a high BA (.247 BA with a 23.6% K%). He’s optimally getting more like 400-500 PA per season, and not 600+, but right now, it does seem like his path to 600+ is still there. I’m not too intrigued by him in dynasty except in medium to deeper leagues. – 2025 Projection: 77/13/58/.250/.330/.397/17

467) Joe Mack – MIA, C, 22.3 – Mack is a former 1st round high school catcher who had his power breakout in his age 21 year old season, cracking 24 homers in 125 games at mostly Double-A. A lot of 21 year old’s have that power breakout as juniors in college, while Mack had his at Double-A. It resulted in a well above average 129 wRC+. He’s built like a catcher at a strong 6’0”, 210 pounds with a powerful lefty swing, and he’s known as a good defensive player. Since Agustin Ramirez’ catcher defense is shaky, Mack very well might be the odds on favorite to be the Marlins catcher of the future. And they can certainly share the position with Ramirez getting at bats at 1B/DH as well. The 25.7/9.7 K%/BB% shows there is hit tool risk, so he likely profiles as your classic low BA, slugging catcher. – 2025 Projection: 10/4/14/.218/.283/.392/0 Prime Projection: 53/21/64/.242/.313/.431/2

468) Jeferson Quero – MIL, C, 22.6 – Quero underwent season ending shoulder surgery on his throwing shoulder just 1 PA into 2024. Shoulders are important for hitting, and they are also very important defensively for a catcher. It definitely adds in some risk that needs to be taken into account. He’s also very clearly blocked by William Contreras who isn’t a free agent until 2028, and I don’t think Milwaukee is going to have any urgency to move either of these guys, so Quero might have to wait until 2028 to take over the starting catcher job. Injuries and playing time aside though, Quero is an excellent catcher prospect with an above average hit/power combo and good defense. He hit 16 homers with a 17.8/10.0 K%/BB% in 90 games at Double-A in 2023. He can easily be a top 10 fantasy catcher at peak, and there is top 5 upside as well. If there was a clear path to playing time, I would rank him considerably higher than this. – 2025 Projection: 11/4/15/.245/.304/.408/1 Prime Projection: 65/20/74/.268/.329/.448/4

469) Endy Rodriguez – PIT, C, 24.10 – Endy underwent Tommy John surgery in December 2023, and he wasn’t able to get back on the field until September 10th for a rehab assignment in the minors. In his absence, Joey Bart was able to nail down at least the first shot at the starting catcher job in 2025, which puts Endy in a weird spot. His bat doesn’t really have big upside, so while Endy can potentially play other positions, I’m not sure that is a big help for us. He’s not the type to smash the ball, but the plate approach is plus, he has some speed, and he can lift and pull, so he can be a nice all category contributor at catcher if he does end up winning the job in the end. This will be a competition that surely goes into the season. May the best man win (including Henry Davis). – 2025 Projection: 39/8/36/.241/.309/.394/4 Prime Projection: 72/16/66/.263/.338/.426/9

470) Thayron Liranzo – DET, C, 21.9 – The trade to Detroit must have lit a fire under Liranzo, because he went from hitting 7 homers with a .700 OPS in 74 games at High-A for LA, to jacking out 5 homers with a 1.031 OPS in 26 games for Detroit. He’s also decimating the AFL with a 1.158 OPS in 15 games. He came over in the Jack Flaherty trade along with Trey Sweeney, so you know Detroit loved this kid, and he proved them correct very quickly. He’s a big boy at 6’2” with a powerful swing from both sides of the plate. He’s not a lock to stick behind the plate, but he has the bat to profile at 1B/DH, and I don’t think Detroit makes this trade if they thought he couldn’t stick there. Detroit doesn’t have a strong organizational catcher depth chart at all, so they have every reason to stick with him there. He profiles as your classic low BA slugging catcher if he sticks. He’s less exciting as a 1B/DH prospect, but still not a bad prospect there either. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 66/24/73/.242/.323/.460/2

471) Eduardo Tait – PHI, C, 18.7 – Tait started his career as a 16 year old in 2023 … we think. Baseball has been catching players lie about their ages more and more, and lying about your age has really always been a thing in spots. I remember back in 2021 the Danny Almonte Little League World Series controversy where he ended up being two years older than claimed. I always assumed it was kinda an open secret that teams knew the players real ages internally, and it seems MLB is now trying to crack down on it. It’s always something I had in the back of my mind, but it’s never something I took into account when ranking players. I can’t just make wild speculations on which players are older than they claim, and beyond that, try to guess how much older. It just seems like too many wild goose chases, witch hunts, etc … and it’s just not something I want to poison my love for the game and prospects with. I want to get excited about these players, not think about them with a cloud of suspicion. I’m not using the Tait blurb to say all this for any reason other than being a professional baseball player at 16 years old is cool as hell, ha, and not only that, he’s a damn good one. He ripped up the DSL in 2023, and then he came stateside in 2024 and just kept on raking. He smacked 6 homers with a 14.6% K% and 132 wRC+ in 51 games in rookie ball, and then he got the call to Single-A and crushed 5 homers with a 28.9% K% and 117 wRC+ in 28 games. He did this as a 17 year old. He’s a thick 6’0” with a whip quick and powerful lefty swing that is made to launch the ball. There are questions if he can stick behind the plate and he chases a lot, so plenty of refinement is still needed, but who didn’t need refinement at 17 years old. He’s a really good candidate to be one of the best offensive catcher prospects in the game in the next 1-2 years. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 64/24/77/.260/.318/.450/3

472) Blake Mitchell – KCR, C, 20.8 – It was a bit of a head scratcher when the Royals selected Mitchell 8th overall, and while I still question the pick a bit, Mitchell proved he is an excellent catcher prospect in his first full year of pro ball. He slashed .238/.376/.439 with 18 homers, 25 steals, and a 30.5/17.0 K%/BB% in 106 games at Single-A. It was good for a 141 wRC+. He has a quick and powerful lefty swing that is made to lift and pull, giving him considerable power upside at peak, and while he’s not a burner, the 25 steals show how good of an athlete he is. He should at least chip in there. Of course, the big question is the hit tool. If he can just get to below average, he can be your classic low BA slugging catcher, but there is no guarantee he can get to that. Add a star in OBP leagues because he walks a ton, but the hit tool is going to have to show improvement no matter what. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 66/25/74/.227/.314/.438/9

473) Bryan Ramos – CHW, 3B, 23.1 – Ramos did not have a good MLB debut with a .586 OPS in 32 games, and he didn’t play particularly well in the minors either with a 98 wRC+ in 64 games at Triple-A, but like I mentioned in the Montgomery blurb, there is still a collection of skills here that I’m buying. Despite the poor MLB debut, he put up a 20.4% K%, 25.5% Chase%, a 90.1 MPH EV, an 11.8 degree launch, and a 28.7 ft/sec sprint speed. For a bad debut, that is a damn good collection of numbers. He was also getting hot at Triple-A towards the end of his stay there with 7 homers and a .894 OPS in his final 37 games, which shows you to not get too hung up on the down minor league numbers either. Chicago has nothing but opportunity, so they are going to give him every chance to establish himself. He might not be a league winner, but 20+ homers with a decent BA and a handful of steals is more than useful in most fantasy leagues. – 2025 Projection: 41/13/52/.233/.292/.403/4 Prime Projection: 71/23/80/.252/.318/.450/8

474) Tyler Locklear – SEA, 1B, 23.8 – Locklear’s hit tool fell off a cliff in his MLB debut with a .156 BA, 40.8% K%, and 37% whiff% in 49 PA. It’s a small sample, and you have to give him time to adjust to the highest level, but it’s really not what you want to see. He’s not the type of prospect that is just going to be handed a job, so he’s going to have to start hitting pretty quickly if he wants to lock in a full time role anytime soon. He’s also in a terrible hitter’s park, which will subdue his offensive stats to begin with. He has plus power with 16 homers in 111 games in the upper minors, and he even had an above average 8% Barrel% in the majors, so he can certainly make an impact, but the power isn’t really off the charts. Combined with the ballpark and hit tool issues, the reasonable ceiling here is likely more of a solid fantasy bat than a great one, and that is assuming he can win a job eventually. Seattle currently has opportunity at both 1B and DH, so he could earn that opportunity in 2025. – 2025 Projection: 35/11/42/.230/.302/.402/2 Prime Projection: 76/24/81/.251/.332/.448/5

475) CJ Kayfus – CLE, 1B, 23.5 – I just realized that I have the same birthday as CJ Kayfus! Let’s go Scorpios! That has to be worth at least a few spots in the rankings But you don’t need to have the same birthday to appreciate the season Kayfus just had. He obliterated High-A (188 wRC+ in 40 games), and then he proved the skills will transfer to Double-A with 10 homers, a 139 wRC+ and 28.2/12.1 K%/BB% in 67 games. He has one of the sweetest lefty swings out there which helps his solid but not great raw power play up at 6’0”, 192 pounds. He’s not an extreme lift and pull guy, but he can lift and pull it. The strikeout rate jumping so high at Double-A is a little concerning, because he doesn’t have big defensive value, and like I mentioned, the raw power isn’t off the charts. He’s a good 1B and he can play some corner outfield, so there is at lest some defensive value there. He has the type of bat you want to bet on, but Cleveland has a ton of competition for at bats at his positions, and his profile isn’t bulletproof enough to completely overlook that. He’s a fringy Top 100 prospect for me. – 2025 Projection: 16/5/19/.239/.308/.407/1 Prime Projection: 75/23/79/.252/.331/.447/6

476) Tre’ Morgan – TBR, 1B/OF, 22.9 – The only stop of Morgan’s career where he had less than a .316 BA was when he got to Double-A in late August. He put up a .211 BA in 21 games. His K% also jumped up to 18.7% from 7.8% at High-A. There isn’t high upside here with a moderate power/speed combo at best, so seeing him immediately struggle harder than he ever has the first time he faced advanced competition isn’t great. Don’t get me wrong, I still think he can be a solid MLB bat, but if the hit tool is only good and not great, I just don’t see how he can be a true impact fantasy player. He also struggled hard vs lefties (.521 OPS), so especially with Tampa, it looks likely he will be in a platoon role. This blurb ended up being much more negative than even I expected, because at the end of the day, I do believe this guy is going to hit at any level. I’m just worried about the upside. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 78/14/66/.280/.336/.422/13

477) Luke Adams – MIL, 3B, 20.11 – Everything I liked about Adams when I named him a deep FYPD sleeper in 2022/23, I still like about him now. He’s 6’4”. 210 pounds with plus raw power, good athleticism, and a plus approach. And he keeps proving the profile will transfer one level at a time. He conquered High-A in 2024 with a 154 wRC+, 11 homers, 28 steals and a 21.3/18.7 K%/BB% in 101 games. While there is a lot to like, you can pretty easily build a case against him too. He still hasn’t fully tapped into that raw power, he’s not a true burner and he gets caught stealing a solid amount (10 CS), and the hit tool has been pretty bad with a .227 BA in 2024 and .233 BA in 2023. It’s not hard to see this profile start to fall apart a bit when he gets to the upper minors, and then ultimately the majors. That is why seeing him prove it at Double-A in 2025 is going to be a big step, and only then can his hype really explode into Top 100 prospect range. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 81/20/76/.252/.333/.441/14

478) James Triantos – CHC, 2B, 22.2 – Triantos ran a ton in 2024, stealing 47 bags in 115 games split between Double-A and Triple-A. I’m leading with that because it gives his profile an upside boost which he needed for fantasy. The contact rates have consistently ranged from plus to elite throughout his minor league career, putting up an 11.1 K% this season, but both the game power and raw power are well below average. He put up a 85.9 MPH EV at Triple-A with a 2 degree launch. He doesn’t walk much with a 5.6% BB%, which isn’t great for his chances to hit at the top of the lineup, and he’s not really an asset on defense as a solid 2B. The hit/speed combo is certainly good enough to make him a good fantasy prospect, but lack of impact, OBP and defense keeps him just outside the Top 100. – 2025 Projection: 19/2/11/.260/.303/.365/7 Prime Projection: 81/11/52/.282/.328/.408/26

479) Seaver King – WAS, SS, 21.11 – You know how I often say that if you hit it hard, hit if often, and are fast that good things tend to happen, well, that is King’s game to a T. Selected 10th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, the 6’0”, 195 pound King has a lightning quick swing that is very powerful, controlled and produces very hard contact. He can spray hard liners all over the field. He combines that with plus to double plus speed with 31 steals in 33 attempts in 149 career college games. And finally, tack on tons of contact with a 12% K% in 60 games in the SEC. That is a profile that consistently makes things happen on a baseball field. There isn’t a ton of game power because of his hitting profile, but he still jacked out 16 homers in college, and he’s an aggressive hitter with high chase rates. That profile completely transferred to Single-A, both the good (.295 BA, 14.4% K%, and 10 steals in 20 games), and the bad (0 homers with a 53.8% GB%). The hit tool and speed give him a high floor, and if he can raise his launch, the raw power is in there to give him some legit upside too. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 87/16/69/.274/.330/.427/26

480) Slade Caldwell – ARI, OF, 18.9 – Selected 29th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, of course it was the Diamondbacks to jump on the 5’6” Caldwell at the end of the first round. They were also the team to jump on the undersized Corbin Carroll when he fell in his draft year. Little guys falling in the draft is a tale as old as time, and Arizona recognizes a good thing in a small package when they see one. Caldwell is basically the exact replica of Jett Williams from the 2022 draft, except he’s a lefty. He may be short, but he is not weak with a very built up frame and the ability to hit the ball pretty damn hard. He unleashes some explosive lefty swings, but as you can tell from the comps, what you are buying is the elite hit/speed combo. The plate approach is top of the class, he makes tons of contact, and the speed is double plus. He’s also super young for the class. Buy the little man discount. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 89/14/68/.284/.355/.423/30

481) Ryan Waldschmidt – ARI, OF, 22.6 – Selected 31st overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, Waldschmidt is a rock solid 6’2”, 205 pounds with a howitzer of a righty upper cut swing. He hits the ball hard, he’s a good athlete who loves to run, and he has a strong plate approach. He slashed .333/.469/.610 with 14 homers, 25 steals, and a 16.5%/15.0% K%/BB% in 59 games in the SEC. It’s probably more of a solid across the board profile rather than a truly standout one on the MLB level, but he’s yet another really enticing college bat in a class full of really enticing college bats. And his strong pro debut made me like him even more with a 142 wRC+, 4 steals, and 13.6/22.7 K%/BB% in 14 games at Single-A. It’s a good sign that the solid across the board profile will play, and while it came with 0 homers, the 36.1% GB% and 51.4% Pull% shows the power should be fine. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 80/18/76/.265/.339/.438/19

482) Carson Benge – NYM, OF, 22.2 – Selected 19th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, the 6’1”, 181 pound Benge is lean, loose and mean at the dish with a quick and athletic lefty swing that most certainly looks the part. He slashed .335/.444/.665 with 18 homers, 10 steals, and a 16.8%/16.1% K%/BB% in 61 games in the Big 12. He then stepped right into pro ball and impressed with 2 homers, 3 steals, a 20.3/15.9 K%/BB% and a 152 wRC+ in 15 games at Single-A. It came with a solid 88.3 MPH EV and a 51.2 GB%, so a bit of a mixed bag there. He’s the type that does everything well on a baseball field with bouncy athleticism, bat speed, power, mature plate approach, and he even pitches too. He profiles as an average to above average across the board player with the upside to beat that projection. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 84/20/77/.267/.334/.440/16

483) Jurrangelo Cijntje – SEA, RHP/LHP, 21.10 – Selected 15th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, Cijntje is a switch pitcher who will most likely pitch exclusively righty in the majors. He’s only 5’11”, 200 pounds but he has a very easy and athletic delivery. The ball effortlessly explodes out of his hand with mid to upper 90’s heat. He combines the juice with a bat missing slider and solid changeup. It all resulted in a 3.67 ERA with a 29.9%/7.9% K%/BB% in 90.2 IP in the SEC. Seattle has been a machine of late in developing impact fantasy starters (their impossible to hit in ballpark does a lot of that heavy lifting too), so you have to love this landing spot for him, and it shows how much they liked him by passing up Yesavage for him. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 11/3.84/1.25/170 in 170 IP

484) Griffin Burkholder – PHI, OF, 19.7 – Selected 63rd overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, Burkholder is a strong and physical 6’2”, 195 pounds with double plus speed, potentially plus power, and a good feel to hit. He’s definitely the type of explosive athlete to jump off the screen with electric bat speed, and that explosiveness shined through in just one single game in his pro debut. He went 1 for 2 with a triple, and tell me you don’t get exited just watching that. He still needs to learn to tap into his raw power and there are still questions on just how good the hit tool will be, but this is a very enticing high school bat with legit upside. He’s a definite target. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 84/20/76/.257/.328/.443/28

485) Victor Scott – STL, OF, 24.2 – St. Louis is committed to playing the kids in 2024, and that could mean that Scott gets another extended look in center in 2025. He had a disaster 2024 with a 40 wRC+, 2 homers, 5 steals, and a 27.1/3.9 K%/BB% in 155 PA. The .179/.219/.283 triple-slash is pretty irredeemable, and he was nearly just as bad at Triple-A too with a slash of .210/.294/.303. He has elite speed, and he actually hit the ball decently hard with a 88.4 MPH EV, but his 2024 was so atrocious it’s hard to overlook. I’m not betting on a legit bounce back even with the opportunity he seemingly still has in St. Louis, and with a still decent 400 NFBC ADP, he might not even be that cheap either. I see the appeal with his stolen base upside, but he’s not one of my fliers. – 2025 Projection: 73/10/53/.248/.312/.379/31 Update: Scott won the CF job with an excellent spring showing both power and plate approach improvements

486) Michael Soroka – WSH, RHP, 27.8 – Here is what I wrote about Soroka after his latest spring outing, “4 IP, 4 hits, 1 ER, 6/0 K/BB. The outings get longer, the lineups get realer-ish (about 70% of the Cardinals read lineup), and Soroka just gets on locking in that he is for real. The fastball was still sitting 94.6 MPH, up 1.1 MPH from 2024. The slider, which was a dominant, whiff machine pitch in 2024, is so legit with a 60% whiff%, and the sinker and changeup missed bats too, leading to a 41% whiff% overall. He now has a 1.29 ERA with a 37.5/4.2 K%/BB% in 7 IP. Really the biggest problem in 2024 for Soroka was his control (12.7% BB%), but he showed much better control when he first came up in the majors, and it sure looks damn good right now too. Both his slider and fastball were good pitches in 2024, and if he can maintain even some of this velo spike, they might be even better in 2025. And the sinker and change are showing signs of life too. I’m really starting to buy in here. Soroka is definitely a “star next to his name” player for me in the late rounds of drafts at this point.” 2025 Projection: 7/4.24/1.33/120 in 130 IP Update: Soroka has gotten blown up in the last two starts with tons of walks. The great spring doesn’t look so great anymore

487) Hye-seong Kim – LAD, 2B, 26.2 – It’s funny that I just had Kim and Lux ranked back to back in the 2B rankings, with Kim one spot ahead, and it looks like the Dodgers agreed with me. They preferred Kim to Lux at 2B too after they signed Kim and shipped out Lux to Cincinnati. Kim signed a 3 year, $12.5 million contract with the Dodgers, but he got better offers elsewhere. Smart move going to the best situation rather than taking the best offer. Kim’s contact/speed/defense profile is one that plenty of starting 2B have, and I think it will play in the majors. He slashed .326/.383/.458 with 11 homers, 30 steals, and a 10.9/8.3 K%/BB% in 127 games in the KBO. We can look at Jung Hoo Lee as a comp who just came over last year. Both are lefties and the same age with similar profiles. Lee is 2 inches taller, had much better contact rates, much better walk rates, and much better power numbers. He didn’t run nearly as much though, and steals are a huge part of fantasy, so that is a nice edge to Kim. Kim isn’t as good as Lee overall, but Lee’s skills more or less transferred to the bigs, so I don’t see why Kim’s couldn’t too. Just check out this homer he hit in 2023. I would say that swing could play. It seems like he has a full time job at the moment (although nothing is certain until the off-season is over), and as I wrote in the 2B rankings, if he ended up with a full time job, I’m apt to go after him. Even better that he ended up with one on the Dodgers – 2025 Projection: 41/5/33/.260/.307/.372/14 Prime Projection: 77/10/61/.273/.321/.398/26 Update: The Dodgers decided to change Kim’s swing to add more power, and they are going to start him at Triple-A to get more used to it. I still really like Kim long term, but part of this ranking was that he could be their starting 2B out of camp, and that clearly isn’t happenning

488) Jackson Ferris – LAD, LHP, 21.3 – I definitely like Ferris a lot, and was quick to jump on him during the season last year, but I don’t love the K/BB taking such a huge step back when he got to Double-A. He put a 3.39 ERA with a 29.2/10.5 K%/BB% in 98.1 IP at High-A and a 2.54 ERA with a 21.3/11.5 K%/BB% in 28.1 IP at Double-A. The stuff is good, but it’s not really standout with a low to mid 90’s fastball, two good breaking balls, and a lesser used, but good change. He gets a lot of “looks the part” extra hype as a 6’4”, 195 pound lefty with an athletic delivery, but as is, it might be a back end profile. The reason why I was so quick to jump on him, and why he gets lots of love, is because we try to project who a player could be in the prospect world, and at his young age with his projectable frame, you can definitely dream on a mid rotation starter or better with an extra tick on the fastball and continued refinement. Again, I like him a lot, but I would be hesitant to put too high a value on him right now. I’m staying a little cautious here. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 10/3.88/1.27/162 in 165 IP

489) Griffin Jax – MIN, Setup, 30.4 – Jax’ velocity increased every year of his career, going from 92.6 MPH in 2021 (as a starter), to 95.4 MPH in 2022, to 96.5 MPH in 2023, and finally 97.1 MPH in 2024. And it’s resulted in him going from good, to one of the best relievers in baseball this year. He put up a 2.03 ERA with a 34.4/5.4 K%/BB% in 71 IP. The 37.8% whiff% backs up the exploding K rate (24.8% K% in 2023). His sweeper (which also jumped 2.1 MPH), 4-seamer and changeup are all plus to double weapons, racking up whiffs, and the control is plus. He was so good that it earned him save chances throughout the entire season, nabbing 10 of them. 4 of them came in the first month of the season when Duran was out, so I don’t think this is a committee or anything, but like I mentioned in the Duran blurb, they will mix and match a bit. – 2025 Projection: 6/2.83/0.97/86/9 saves in 67 IP

490) Carlos Estevez – KCR, Closer, 32.3 – Just call him the spoiler, because Estevez keeps taking the closer job from far more fun options. Lucas Erceg was all set to hit the scene as the hot new closer, but no no no, here comes Estevez after signing a 2 year, $22 million deal. You have to think Estevez is the heavy favorite to get the first crack at the closer role, and while he’s not a great reliever, he’s good enough to hang onto the role. He put up a 2.46 ERA with a 23.6/5.7 K%/BB% in 55 IP. He throws gas with a 96.8 MPH fastball, and he has two good secondaries in his slider and changeup. Maybe Erceg wrangles the role from him mid-season, or maybe I have it wrong and they go with Erceg, but as of now, I’m drafting as if Estevez starts the year as the closer. – 2025 Projection: 4/3.61/1.23/60/24 saves in 60 IP

491) Lucas Erceg – KCR, Setup, 29.11 – KC brought in Estevez, and I have to think that makes Estevez the favorite for the first shot at saves. Estevez isn’t great, but he’s good enough to hold the job, which is a big hit to Erceg’s value, but that doesn’t mean I don’t like Erceg at all anymore. I was relatively high on him last off-season, ranking him pretty high among non closers, writing in his Top 1,000 blurb, “Erceg could factor into the saves mix, and he has the big stuff to make an impact if his control can take one step forward. The sinker sat 98 MPH and is a plus, bat missing pitch, to go along with two good bat missing secondaries in his slider and changeup. He got drafted as a hitter in 2016, and only got transitioned to a pitcher in 2021, so there could more upside in the tank here than your average 28 year old.” … not only did his control take one step forward, it took 8 steps forward, improving his walk rate 8 percentage points to a well above average 6.3%. It led to a full on breakout with a 3.36 ERA and a 28.5% K%, culminating with him taking over the full time closer job with Kansas City after he got traded there at the deadline. He throws a devasting 4 pitch mix with two upper 90’s fastball and 2 bat missing secondaries. He maintained the control gains all season too, which gives confidence that he can maintain a least a large portion of those gains. Estevez got signed for two years, so it’s not even easy enough to say Erceg is the closer of the future. He’s going to need Estevez to scuffle, or just be so insanely good himself he gives KC no choice. – 2025 Projection: 4/3.30/1.17/15 saves in 64 IP

492) Edwin Uceta – TBR, Setup, 27.3 – Let’s just start with Uceta putting up a 1.51 ERA with a 35.8/5.0 K%/BB% in 41.2 IP. That is straight elite, and if I could fully trust it, I would bet on him passing Fairbanks for the closer role, but you can’t really fully bet on it. He wasn’t nearly as good at Triple-A with a 5.77 ERA and 29.7/10.1 K%/BB% in 34.1 IP, and he’s not your typical flame throwing back end guy with a 94.2 MPH 4-seamer. Now having said that, the guy is a whiff machine. That fastball put up a 36.6% whiff% with a .187 xwOBA, and he the pairs that with an elite changeup that put up a .189 xwOBA and 37.4% whiff%. He also throws a good cutter. Uceta used to be a starter when he started his career in the minors, and honestly, he would be a super fun candidate to transition back into the rotation. The Rays need him more in the pen than in the rotation, so I doubt it happens, but it would be fun. Maybe down the line? But back to the present, if Fairbanks falters, it looks like Uceta is next in line, and while I wouldn’t trust the small sample 2024, he could still be very good with legit K upside. – 2025 Projection: 4/3.61/1.22/79/13 saves in 65 IP

493) Ben Joyce – LAA, Setup, 24.7 – Joyce becoming the Angels closer was always his destiny since they selected him 89th overall, fast tracking him through the minors, and he now looks on the precipice of fulfilling that prophesy. He was in the process of locking down the job post trade deadline with 4 saves from August 3rd through September 3rd, but he then suffered a shoulder impingement which ended his season (it doesn’t seem like it’s serious). And we all know he most certainly has closer stuff, which is a understatement with a 102.1 MPH fastball that dominated MLB hitters with a .269 xwOBA and 29.8% whiff%. His 97.4 MPH sinker is dominant too with a negative 12 degree launch and 25.3% whiff%. The only thing keeping him out of the no doubt elite tier is that his slider isn’t all that great. It put up a .339 xwOBA with a 32.1% whiff%, and it wasn’t very good in 2023 either. His new changeup was actually really good with a 44.4% whiff%, but he only went to it 3.9% of the time, so maybe he develops that pitch more in 2025. It all resulted in a 2.08 ERA with a 23.2/9.9 K%/BB% in 34.2 IP. The 29% whiff% overall is much better than the K%, so I wouldn’t be too worried about that. Control is his biggest problem, and it definitely adds some volatility to the profile, but not enough to scare me off. It would be premature to put him in the elite or even near elite closer range, but he so obviously has the talent to end up there. – 2025 Projection: 4/3.32/1.17/71/6 saves in 62 IP Update: LA signed Jansen for the closer role, which pushed Joyce back into “closer of the future” territory

494) Jeremiah Estrada – SDP, Setup, 26.5 – Estrada is the young gun in San Diego’s bullpen, and while he has two vets ahead of him on the depth chart right now, he seems to be the favorite for the closer of the future job. And who knows, maybe he sneaks in there in 2025 too. He just put up a 2.95 ERA with a 37.3/9.1 K%/BB% in 61 IP. The 97.2 MPH fastball is elite with a 32.6% whiff%, the splitter is elite with a 51% whiff%, and the slider is above average. I don’t believe he’s as good as he showed in 2024, but that really isn’t a knock as he was ridiculous in 2024. He has elite reliever potential, but he’s not quite established enough to put him in that tier quite yet. – 2025 Projection: 4/3.29/1.17/85/5 saves in 63 IP

495) Enrique Bradfield – BAL, OF, 23.4 – I talked about it in the Strategy Section of the Tampa Bay Rays Team Report, but Enrique Bradfield’s profile just isn’t one I go out of my way to roster. It’s an extreme steals, extremely low power profile that just doesn’t fit in with how I build my teams, but if this is a profile you like, Bradfield is a good one to go after. He proved everything will transfer to Double-A in the last 27 games of the season, slashing .287/.395/.396 with 1 homer, 15 steals, and a 11.7/12.5 K%/BB%. He’s a good CF, the contact rates are excellent (although they weren’t as good at High-A with a 16.6% K% in 81 games), he gets on base, and he’s a demon on the bases. He’s a CF version of Xavier Edwards, and with Cedric Mullins hitting free agency after this year, it wouldn’t be crazy at all to see Bradfield winning the CF job in 2026 and beyond. – 2025 Projection: 19/0/7/.248/.298/.334/8 Prime Projection: 77/6/44/.278/.336/.369/43

496) Chandler Simpson – TBR, OF, 24.5 – Simpson’s profile is as extreme as it gets with 1 homer, 104 steals, and a 8.5% K% in 110 games at mostly Double-A. It’s a little too extreme for my taste, but he’s also a good CF, so if he gets his bat in the lineup, he will be a fantasy difference maker in the steals category. These type of steals only types have never been the type of player I like going after. It creates too much of a hole in the power department for me, but that’s not to say they don’t have value in the game. Just because it’s not my style, doesn’t mean you can’t make it work. – 2025 Projection: 27/1/12/.253/.303/.326/11 Prime Projection: 76/5/41/.278/.332/.346/46

497) Jonathan Aranda – TBR, 1B, 26.10 – Aranda looks to be headed to a strong side of a platoon role at best, which makes it hard for him to be very enticing for fantasy, but his bat definitely started to get mighty comfortable in the majors last year. He put up a .362 xwOBA with a 16.5% Barrel% and 91.9/98.1 MPH AVG/FB EV in 44 games. It only resulted in 6 homers because he hits the ball on the ground too much with a 50.5% GB%, and he has zero speed with a bottom 14% of the league sprint speed. The plate approach is also only average with a 22.4/8.4 K%/BB%. When you hit the ball that hard, you’re interesting, but there are enough other deficiencies here that make me hesitant to buy in too hard. – 2025 Projection: 56/15/59/.252/.329/.430/0

498) Kenley Jansen – LAA, Closer, 37.6 – Jansen is still a free agent, and while it seems likely that he can land a closer job, there is no guarantee of that. He also closed the year with a shoulder issue, which isn’t great. He’s far from his prime, but he was so insanely good in his prime, that even being a shell of his former self is still a good reliever. He put up a 3.29 ERA with a 28.8/9.2 K%/BB% in 54.2 IP. He does it with basically one pitch at this point, and it’s the cutter which put up a 84.9% usage, .298 xwOBA, and 28.2% whiff%. His value will rise or fall depending on where he lands, but even if he does land a closer job, his time is running out. – 2025 Projection: 4/3.58/1.17/66/29 saves in 60 IP Update: He signed with LA, guaranteeing him at least one more season of closing

499) Ryan Pressly – CHC, Closer, 36.3 – Pressly was traded to the Cubs, and while nothing has been announced, my gut says that he will get the first shot at locking down the closer job. It seems the highly paid veteran with a long track record is almost always given precedence over the high octane, up and coming youngster. But just because Pressly is likely to get the first shot, doesn’t mean he can’t falter, because he’s been on the decline for 2 years in a row now, and he’ll be 36 years old in the last year of his contract. The fastball velocity was down to 93.8 MPH, which is down about 2 ticks from his prime, and it was continuing to drop as the year went along. The whiffs are also down considerably, dropping from the mid to high 30’s in his prime, to 26.9% in 2024. He was still solid with a 3.49 ERA in 56.2 IP, but the 23.8/7.4 K%/BB% isn’t as impressive. My guess is that he’ll probably be good enough to hang onto the job in 2025, but there is no guarantee of that, and with only 1 more year left on his contract, there is no guarantee of him finding a closer job beyond this season. – 2025 Projection: 4/3.67/1.26/67/25 saves in 60 IP

500) Robert Suarez – SDP, Closer, 34.1 – Suarez is 34 years old, he doesn’t put up typical closer K rates with a 22.9% K%, and he struggled in the 2nd half with a 5.66 ERA and 16/7 K/BB in his final 20.2 IP. San Diego has other good options on their team like Jason Adam and Jeremiah Estrada, who are both probably better than Suarez, and there are trade rumors swirling around Suarez too. I’m just saying I’m not so sure Suarez has a super safe hold on the job, and he most certainly is not going to get a very long leash. He still had a really good season with a 2.77 ERA in 65 IP, and he throws gas with a 99.1 MPH 4-seamer, to go along with a lesser used sinker that keeps the ball on the ground and changeup that gets whiffs. He definitely has the goods to hold the job down, I’m just saying there are some cracks in the armor with ready, willing, and able replacements waiting nearby. – 2025 Projection: 5/3.44/1.09/60/22 saves in 65 IP

501) Kyle Finnegan – WSH, Closer, 33.7 – – Finnegan wasn’t on this list originally when it looked like Washington was moving on, but neither Washington nor Finnegan could find a better replacement for each other, so he’s back as a low end closer option. 2025 Projection: 4/3.72/1.32/61/30 saves in 65 IP

502) Aroldis Chapman – BOS, Closer Committee, 37.1 – Chapman and Hendriks will battle it out for the closer role in Spring, and I guess it’s conceivable they form a committee if both are pitching well. If I had to bet on one taking the role though, Chapman seems like the safer, more predictable choice. He’s still an absolute strikeout machine with a 37.1% K% in 61.2 IP. He’s a wild man too with a 14.4% BB%, and it all resulted in a 3.79 ERA and 2.98 xERA. His fastball velocity is in decline, but he had so much to spare that he’s still throwing 97.8 MPH. The 32.3% whiff% isn’t quite as impressive as the K%, and it’s not as good as previous seasons, and his 90.5 MPH EV against is a career worst by far. Those are 3 signs of decline, along with the terrible walk rates, and he’s going to be 37. I may give the edge to Chapman, but it’s possible his decline continues in 2025, so nothing is certain. – 2025 Projection: 4/3.57/1.29/89/20 saves in 60 IP Update: Seems to have pulled ahead for the closer job, which was my guess before the spring, but time will tell

503) Reid Detmers – LAA, LHP, 25.9 – How many times can you fall for the ole banana in the tailpipe trick? (does anybody actually still do this? Come to think of it, do cars even have tailpipes anymore?) Detmers’ 3.86 xFIP with a 27.9/9.7 K%/BB% seems so enticing, and seems so juicy to call a target, but these were the same things to draw us in in 2023, and draw us in again at the start of 2024, and we know how that worked out. Not well. He had a 6.70 ERA in 87.1 IP and got demoted to Triple-A where he put up a 5.54 ERA in 78 IP. As discouraging as that is, we all know pitcher development is notoriously fickle, and it taking a young starter a few years before he really figures out how to put it all together, while showing flashes, isn’t all that unusual. He has a good arsenal with a 93.8 MPH fastball that missed a lot of bats with a 25.3% whiff%, and his slider was plus with a .254 xwOBA and 36.8% whiff%. He rounds out the arsenal with a curve and change, both of which are below average. To my credit, I knew to be skeptical last off-season, finishing his Top 1,000 blurb by writing, “I like Detmers if he fell into my lap, but I think his perceived value is a bit too high for him to land in the target range for me.” His perceived value has sunk like a stone, so I actually don’t mind him at all as a later round flier. I think I may just end up with him on a few teams this off-season. – 2025 Projection: 6/4.05/1.31/124 in 110 IP Update: Detmer lost the 5th starter job and will start the year in the bullpen

504) Jace Jung – DET, 3B, 24.6 – I called Jung a good prospect to use as trade bait, instead of one you hold before he made his MLB debut this year, and his poor debut showed why. He hit 0 homers with 0 steals, an 86.4 MPH EV, a 26 ft/sec sprint speed, and a 30.9% K%. It’s not that I don’t think he can be a solid MLB hitter, and his 102 wRC+ and 16% BB% shows very clearly that he can be a solid MLB hitter, it’s just that there isn’t big fantasy upside. He doesn’t hit the ball hard, he’s slow, and the hit tool is below average. He can lift and pull it, but both his lift and pull plummeted in the majors, and while that should improve, it’s not the best sign. He’s also a bad defensive player and he put up a .649 OPS vs. lefties in the minors. His best skill is that he walks a lot, so add a star in OBP leagues, but in general, Jung is not one of my guys. – 2025 Projection: 42/10/35/.238/.318/.402/2 Prime Projection: 82/20/76/.254/.343/.440/3

505) Josh Bell – WSH, 1B, 32.8 – Bell put up a negative 0.1 WAR in 2024 and a 0.4 WAR in 2023. He’s put up about average wRC+’s over the last two years. His .310 xwOBA was a career low by far. He should be a veteran bench bat at this point in his career, but it seems he landed a full time role with Washington. He still hits the ball relatively hard, he has above average contact rates, and he was much better in the 2nd half of 2024 with a .885 OPS post break. The deeper the league, the more value he has.. – 2025 Projection: 60/18/73/.254/.331/.420/0

506) Matt Vierling – DET, 3B/OF, 28.6 – Vierling seems to have a near everyday job in Detroit, but he’s a low end option, and his hold on that full time job is very precarious long term, and probably short term too. H has a career 100 wRC+ in 429 games which is dead average, and he has a career .318 xwOBA, which is also almost dead average. His 21.3/7.2 K%/BB% is about average, and his 16 homers with 6 steals is about average (maybe being generous there). But you get the point, he’s very MLB average, which is very fantasy below average. He hits the ball hard with a 89.8 MPH EV and he’s very fast with a 28.8 ft/sec sprint, but he has a long enough track record, even going back to the minors, to not expect a big homer/steal breakout. 2025 Projection: 72/15/61/.262/.321/.402/8

507) Luke Raley – SEA, 1B/OF, 30.6 – Raley is a strong side of a platoon bat who just put up his 2nd straight season of a 119 wRC+. He has a very fantasy friendly power/speed combo with a 90.1/95.1 MPH AVG/FB EV, 13.5 degree launch, and 28.9 ft/sec sprint. It resulted in 22 homers and 11 steals in 455 PA. The problem is that the plate approach is awful (29.7/5.9 K%/BB%), the 116 combined Runs and RBI is lacking, and he just doesn’t get enough playing time to be a coveted fantasy player. In weekly lineup leagues, he’s tough to use ever. In daily lineup leagues at least you can play the matchups, and he could be more than useful there. 2025 Projection: 58/20/61/.240/.315/.448/12

508) Ryan O’Hearn – BAL, 1B/OF, 31.8 – O’Hearn is a strong side of a platoon bat who doesn’t hit quite enough homers, or hit for quite a high enough average to overcome the cap on plate attempts. He hit .264 with 15 homers in 494 PA. He’s a really good hitter with a .351 xwOBA, and the plate skills took a big step forward in 2024 with a career best 14.0/9.3 K%/BB%, so there is certainly value here in daily leagues, but you also have to take into account the massive playing time pressure with Mayo, Basallo, and Kjerstad all ready to break in. He’s a nice fantasy bench bat in medium to deeper leagues. 2025 Projection: 52/15/56/.270/.327/.439/3

509) Trevor Larnach – MIN, OF, 28.1 – Larnach is a basically a power only strong side of a platoon bat, and he just hasn’t shown enough game power over his career (19 homers in 162 game career average) to get too excited for him. It seems he should hit more homers with a 90.9 MPH EV and 13.6 degree career launch, but he just hasn’t. The good news is that he massively improved his hit tool and contact rates. It honestly might be the biggest one year improvement I’ve ever seen. He went from a 36.5% whiff% and 34% K% in 2023 to a 27.9% whiff% and 22.3% K% in 2024. The improved hit tool definitely levels him up, but it’s still a pretty low upside platoon bat. – 2025 Projection: 64/19/64/.247/.330/.430/3

510) Max Kepler – PHI, OF, 32.2 – Kepler’s career has been an absolutely wild ride of ups, downs, and mismatched underlying/surface numbers, but at 32 years old, coming off a season where he put up a 95 wRC+ in 105 games that ended with knee tendinitis, his evaluation gets a lot easier. He’s a super low end win now piece for medium to deeper leagues. He very well might have a full time job after Philly paid him $10 million, and the 20.1% K%, 88.9 MPH EV, and 16.8 degree launch should still be good enough to pop some dingers. – 2025 Projection: 68/20/66/.248/.318/.427/1

511) Andrew Benintendi – CHW, OF, 30.9 – Benintendi hit 20 homers for the first time since his rookie year that seemed to be a launching point for a near elite dynasty asset career, but we all know that it didn’t play out like that. Those 20 homers in his rookie year came with 20 steals, 84 Runs, 90 RBI and a .271 BA. In 2024, it came with 3 steals, 50 Runs, 64 RBI, and a .229 BA. And with a 68 MPH swing, those 20 homers seem like a best case scenario. The White Sox lineup also isn’t getting better anytime soon, so you can basically count on Benintendi for nothing. Super low end win now piece. – 2025 Projection: 64/15/64/.253/.315/.396/6

512) Daulton Varsho – TOR, OF, 28.9 – Varsho underwent rotator cuff surgery on his right shoulder in mid September which is expected to delay the start of his season. Shoulder surgery that takes you right into the season is not a great starting point, and Varsho’s star has already been dimming pretty hardcore over the last two years. He just isn’t a good hitter with a career .293 xwOBA in 577 games. The K rate is high (26.7%), the EV is low (86.1 MPH), and while the launch/speed profile makes him fantasy friendly, it’s just not good enough to overcome that he isn’t a good hitter. Even if his plus outfield defense gets on the field, the upside isn’t that high anymore, and I’m not sure how much longer his defense is going to actually give him a full time job. Especially now coming off the shoulder surgery. – 2025 Projection: 58/16/52/.225/.297/.414/10

513) MJ Melendez – KCR, OF, 26.4 – There might come a day where the surface stats actually catch up to the underlying numbers, but after three straight years of underperforming the underlying numbers (.305 career wOBA vs. .325 career xwOBA), I just can’t keep on banging my head against the wall and expecting a different outcome. Even the underlying numbers took a step back in 2024 with a career low 8.4% Barrel%, and KC’s bad hitter’s park isn’t doing him any favors either. I still see the 91.1/95.3 MPH AVG/FB EV, 14.6 degree launch, and 25.1% K%, and say how is this guy not hitting 25+ dingers per year. He’s never even hit 20 homers, which is wild. He hits lefties worse than righties and he’s a bad defensive player, which makes him a low end platoon bat, although KC has such a dearth of options in the OF, he could play everyday regardless (which isn’t necessarily a positive thing for us in fantasy either). 2025 Projection: 60/20/66/.230/.313/.424/5

514) Jordan Beck – COL, OF, 23.11 – The thing that makes me most worried about Beck right now is his very, very slightly below average 71.4 MPH swing. And it’s on the long side at 7.7 feet. The reason I’m hyper focused on that is because he also has major strikeout issues with a 35.3/6.5 K%/BB% in his 55 game MLB debut, which led to a cover your eyes 32 wRC+. I can handle big strikeout issues in your debut if the bat was electric, but the cold hard stats say the bat actually isn’t electric. Speaking of electricity though, he is most certainly an electric athlete at 6’2”, 225 pound with plus speed (28.6 ft/sec sprint) and plus raw power (90.2 MPH EV with 8 homers in 39 games at Triple-A). The RF job is wide open for him in the short term, and with a good spring, I think the Rockies want him to win it. Tack on Coors Field which should theoretically help his biggest weakness (hit tool), and you still have an enticing player here. I just think that risk is creeping up more and more on him, and while there is opportunity right now, Colorado has a lot of good OF options right behind him. – 2025 Projection: 43/12/45/.233/.305/.418/12

515) Luis Ortiz – CLE, RHP, 26.2 – It seems like Ortiz is a favorite for a rotation spot, and getting acquired by a good pitching organization like Cleveland helps his value, but I’m still not huge on Ortiz. The 3.32 ERA in 135.2 IP looked good, but the 19.2/7.6 K%/BB%, 21% whiff%, and lack of any true standout pitches makes me hesitant to buy. He has really good stuff with a 95.9 MPH 4-seamer, and the slider put up a decent 31% whiff%, so the ingredients are definitely in here to breakout if Cleveland can figure it out. And he did pitch well last year, so maybe I’m being too harsh. He’s not really one of my guys, but I see the appeal. – 2025 Projection: 8/4.13/1.30/117 in 140 IP

516) Jordan Hicks – SFG, RHP, 28.8 – It seems like SF is sticking with Hicks as a starter, and it seems he has the inside track on the 5th starter job right now. The transition was far from a resounding success, but it went decently with a 4.10 ERA and 20/9.8 K%/BB% in 109.2 IP. They removed him from the rotation by late July and he suffered shoulder inflammation at the end of the season as well. I’m happy to say that he was never a target for me despite getting a lot of off-season love. The fastball velocity dropped like a stone from 100.1 MPH to 94.5 MPH, and the control remained below average. The one silver lining is that his sweeper and splitter were absolute whiff machines. The heavily used sinker keeps the ball on the ground. There are still ingredients here to like, which is why it seems SF is sticking with him, but he’s only a low cost option, and there is no guarantee he sticks as a starter. – 2025 Projection: 6/4.03/1.38/105 in 120 IP

517) Hayden Wesneski – HOU, RHP, 27.4 – It seems like Wesneski is the favorite for the 5th starter job to start the season, and I don’t think Houston would have traded for him if they didn’t like him. And there were some things to like in 2024 with a 3.86 ERA and 23.7/7.4 K%/BB% in 67.2 IP. His sweeper is his most used pitch and it’s dominant with a 43.3% whiff%. His 94.6 MPH 4-seamer and 93.5 MPH sinker both keep the ball on the ground, and his cutter was pretty good last year too with a .240 xwOBA. It’s a relievery profile, but he’s been a starter for most of his career, and he definitely has some tools to make it work in the rotation. Let’s also see what Houston can help him with to maybe get over that hump. I don’t mind him as a flier. – 2025 Projection: 7/4.16/1.26/125 in 130 IP

518) Brett Baty – NYM, 3B, 25.4 – Baty’s best shot at an opportunity closed when Alsono resigned with the Mets. He had that opportunity in 2024 and failed with a 83 wRC+ in 50 games, resulting in him getting sent down to Triple-A, but he laid down some skills that should result in him reaching his solid MLB hitter destiny if he’s ever given the chance again. His 73.5 MPH swing is plus and the contact rates weren’t bad at all with a 24.6% K% and 26.2% whiff%. He didn’t hit the ball hard with a 86.6 MPH EV, which was the problem, but there is zero doubt that he has considerably more in the tank than that at 6’2”, 210 pounds. He hit the ball hard in 2023 in the majors, so he’s proven it too. He also destroyed Triple-A with 16 homers and a 21.2/12.3 K%/BB% in 62 games, which doesn’t mean that much, but it’s something. The high groundball rates and 10.3 degree launch is why I always cautioned against his 5×5 fantasy upside, because the game power probably isn’t huge, but I always thought Baty was going to end up one of those damn good “professional” hitters, and I still think he should reach that peak. It doesn’t look like it’s going to happen in 2025 though, and he’s already 25 years old. Time is kinda running out – 2025 Projection: 55/15/60/.247/.321/.416/2 Update: Baty seems to have won the 2B job, at least while McNeil is out with an oblique. I also didn’t realize Baty was a real option at 2B to begin with, which definitely bumps up his value

519) Hunter Goodman – COL, C/OF, 25.6 – Goodman is not a good defensive catcher, making it more likely that Drew Romo is going to be Colorado’s starting catcher of the future, and they don’t really have openings in their short term or long term outfield either. I don’t know where he fits in, but if he does work his way into playing time, the guy is going to jack dingers. His 74.9 MPH swing is elite, and it resulted in 13 homers in 70 MLB games with a 12.8% Barrel% to back it up. The hit tool and plate approach are atrocious though with a 28.6/3.6 K%/BB%, .190 BA, and .238 OBP. I just don’t see him as more than a part time power bat long term, but I’m a sucker for that bat speed, he hits in Coors, and it’s conceivable they give him a shot at catcher. – 2025 Projection: 33/10/41/.215/.278/.415/1 Update: Having a strong spring and Colorado seems set on still giving him a shot at catcher. If he hits, it sure seems like there is a chance for him to get enough at bats to be a starting catcher option in fantasy

520) Landon Knack – LAD, RHP, 27.9 – Knack had a damn good MLB debut with a 3.65 ERA and 24.1/6.3 K%/BB% in 69 IP, but of course, in true Dodgers fashion, he seems eons away from a rotation spot. To the Dodgers credit, that seems like the high end of his ability. The 23.1% whiff% is below average and none of his pitches really stood out. The 93.5 MPH fastball was his best pitch with a respectable 20.3% whiff%, but none of the secondaries were able to do better than a 27.8% whiff%. He’s more control over command and the stuff gets hit hard too with a 10.2% Barrel%. He’s a good depth starter, but he’s not good enough to push the Dodgers hand to be anything more than that. – 2025 Projection: 5/3.95/1.27/87 in 90 IP

521) Gavin Stone – LAD, RHP, 26.6 – Stone underwent shoulder surgery in October and will miss all over 2025. We also know the odds of him just walking right back into a rotation spot in 2026 is highly unlikely in LA. So this injury really does kill his dynasty value. It’s a shame, because he was bouncing back from a down 2023 and living up to his lofty prospect promise before going down with the injury with a 3.53 ERA and 20.0/6.4 K%/BB% in 140.1 IP. The strikeouts were the only thing missing, but the changeup and slider missed plenty of bats, so even that wasn’t that big of a concern. I would have really liked Stone without the injury, but a shoulder injury is scary for pitchers, and his path to get back into the rotation isn’t going to be easy either. – 2025 Projection: OUT

522) Christian Scott – NYM, RHP, 25.9 – Scott underwent a hybrid Tommy John surgery and internal brace procedure in late September which will knock him out for all of 2025. I don’t know if it’s worse that he needed both or if this kind of elbow surgery is just evolving, but I’m going to assume it’s the latter … or is it the former? … no, it’s the latter … am I the only one who takes way too long to figure out which is the former and which is the latter? Either way, Scott straddles the line between the type of pitcher I like taking the Tommy John discount on and ones I don’t. He wasn’t quite an elite pitching prospect, but he wasn’t far off from it, and he didn’t fully established himself on the MLB level yet, but he was starting to set a pretty strong foundation. He put up a 4.56 ERA with a 19.8/6.1 K%/BB% in 47.1 IP in his MLB debut. Plus control of a highly used, above average 94.2 MPH fastball is his bread and butter. He combines that with a potentially plus sweeper, above average splitter, and decent slider. None of the secondaries missed enough bats in the majors to keep up the 33.5% K% he put up at Triple-A, and the fastball isn’t quite a good enough pitch to make up for it. He can be a plus control mid-rotation starter even if the secondaries don’t miss a ton of bats, but he’ll have to unlock more if he wants to beat that projection. And now also tack on risk from the elbow surgery. Don’t forget about him, but I’m not sure I’m going out of my way to get him either. – 2025 Projection: OUT Prime Projection: 10/3.93/1.22/150 in 150 IP

523) Emmet Sheehan – LAD, RHP, 25.4 – Sheehan underwent Tommy John surgery in mid May which will keep him out until mid-season 2025 at the very best, and more likely will limit him to more of a late season option. The Dodgers rotation is quite frankly a headache to figure out where everyone fits in not just for 2025, but long term as well. It’s the type of headache where I don’t really love dealing with it for fantasy. The “problem” though, is that the guys who do emerge for them, are generally very, very good, so you can’t just write the situation off completely. At his best, Sheehan was a legit near elite pitching prospect, so his upside is high enough to keep on the radar. Here was my writeup for him last off-season before all the elbow problems started: “Sheehan didn’t have a standout MLB debut with a 4.92 ERA and a 25.8%/10.5% K%/BB% in 60.1 IP, but some of the underlying data is extremely encouraging. Most notably, his 3 secondary pitches were absolutely devastating. The slider put up a .179 xwOBA with a 43.8% whiff%, the changeup put up a .200 xwOBA with a 47.6% whiff%, and the very lightly used sweeper put up a .161 xwOBA with a 41.2% whiff%. His heavily used 95.4 MPH fastball was solid as well with a respectable 20.2% whiff%. His 3.50 xERA looks much better than the surface stats, and he also closed the year out in dominant fashion with a 1.98 ERA and 24/4 K/BB in 13.2 IP over 3 outings. His control is below average, but it’s never really been in the major danger zone, so I wouldn’t downgrade him too much because of that.” …. don’t give up on him, but I can’t in good conscience call him target with so much path to a rotation spot uncertainty. – 2025 Projection: OUT

524) Luis Matos – SFG, OF, 23.5 – The ballpark absolutely destroys Matos. In the right park, Matos could be an impact player, but in SF, a lift and pull approach with mediocre EV’s is just a recipe for disaster, which is exactly what happened in 2024 with a 60 wRC+ in 45 games. In another park, plus contact (15.4% K%) with a 51.2% Pull% and 44.9% FB% could thrive, but with a 87.6 MPH EV at Triple-A (and 86.9 MPH in the majors), that ballpark is just going to eat him up. To be fair, Matos actually hit well at home and horrible on the road, but I still don’t really think that changes my narrative at all. I’m looking towards the future, and I don’t see it working there. He also doesn’t run quite enough with 0 steals in the majors and 8 steals in 81 games in the minors. And while the contact rates are double plus to elite, the approach is terrible with a 40.1% Chase%. I’m not loving the upside in his current environment even if he can win a full time job in the next few years, which I think he can. – 2025 Projection: 31/9/36/.238/.302/.396/5 Prime Projection: 74/18/73/.251/.318/.420/12

525) Sal Stewart – CIN, 2B/3B, 21.4 – If you like a plus plate approach, Stewart is your man. He put up a 16.9/14.8 K%/BB% in 80 games at High-A which led to a 144 wRC+. It’s basically the same thing he did in 2023 and 2022. But he’s not just a plus plate approach, he also has very real raw power. Just watch him crush this dinger 454 feet out to centerfield. This is a big physical guy in the box who can certainly unleash more game power if he tries. He hit only 8 homers this year and he likes to spray liners all over the field, so he would definitely have to change his hitting approach to do it, which may or may not work. He might just be content to plate approach his way through the minors. I don’t love betting on plate approach guys who don’t have much speed and aren’t particularly good defensive players, but if he does unlock more game power, he could end up having a very potent hit/power combo at peak. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 84/21/76/.274/.350/.452/9

526) Tai Peete – SEA, SS/OF/3B, 19.7 – Tai Peete is the same age as many of the high schoolers in the 2024 Draft (he’s 1 month younger than Bryce Rainer), and his pure talent can rival any of them (maybe not Konnor Griffin’s, but everyone else’s). He also already has a pretty strong season at Single-A under his belt with a .269/.343/.408 triple-slash in 115 games. That is a pretty good slash for an 18 year old in full season ball. He hit only 7 homers, but all 7 of them came in his final 59 games, which is the improvement you want to see from a young player as the season goes along. And he has no joke raw power at 6’2”, 193 pounds, so there is a lot more of that coming. He’s a really good athlete and he displayed elite base stealing ability with 45 steals in 50 attempts. What I’m trying to say, is that Peete is getting mighty underrated right now. I understand why he’s getting rated so low, because the hit tool is a legit problem with a 30.7% K%, but he walked 10.4% of the time too, and you have to take into account his young age for the level. There is definitely still a lot of rawness to his game, but he performed pretty well despite that rawness, so imagine what he can do as he starts to refine his game. I aim for upside in fantasy, and Peete is all upside. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 77/20/75/.247/.323/.432/26

527) Staryln Caba – MIA, SS, 19.4 – Caba is a better real life prospect than fantasy prospect with an elite glove at SS and little to no raw or game power, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t enticing at all for fantasy. His plate skills are elite with both plus contact rates and a plus approach. He put up a 14.4/19.7 K%/BB% in 78 games split between stateside rookie and Single-A. He’s also a plus runner who loves to steal with 50 steals in 62 attempts. If he can make enough impact to the baseball, he could be a potent top of the order hitter with BA, OBP and tons of steals. But how much impact he will make is the question. He’s not a big guy at 5’10”, he doesn’t hit the ball hard with a 83.7 MPH EV at Single-A, and his ground ball rate was around 50%. He’s young and has time to get bigger and add power, but just how much he can get to is the question. Guys like Caba generally top out at around Top 75-ish fantasy prospects for me when they are knocking on the door of the bigs, and since Caba isn’t knocking on the door of the bigs, he’s more of a Top 150-ish prospect. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 92/12/51/.284/.353/.395/34

528) Angel Genoa – CLE, SS, 20.10 – Genoa will rank higher on real life lists because he has a good glove at SS and a solid all around offensive game, but he’s not nearly as exciting for fantasy. The reason I even have him ranked this high is because getting ranked highly on real life lists boosts fantasy trade value, whether rightly or wrongly, and having a good glove also gets you on the field. Opportunity and leash is a big factor for success, and Genoa’s glove should give him that. And it’s not like he’s a zero on offense at all. He slashed .330/.379/.499 with 10 homers, 25 steals, and a 15.5/7.7 K%/BB% in 110 games split between Single-A and High-A. He’s a 6 foot switch hitter who should get to average power at peak, and while he’s not a burner, he should contribute in steals as well. He’s a solid but unspectacular across the board contributor. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 77/17/74/.268/.323/.428/17

529) Roderick Arias – NYY, SS/2B, 20.7 – Arias was one of the top bets to go full elite prospect status in 2024, and it’s good reminder that even though it can feel like a rookie ball prospect is inevitable, they aren’t actually inevitable. There is a lot of inherent risk if you haven’t even hit full season ball yet. Arias struggled to adjust for the first 3+ months of the season with a .652 OPS and 34.9% K%, but he finally found his groove in the final 2 months, giving hope that the big prospect breakout can still happen in 2025. In his final 47 games he slashed .276/.390/.471 with 7 homers, 16 steals, and a 24.4/14.6 K%/BB%. The strikeout rate has been high throughout his career, so there is definitely hit tool risk here, but he hits the ball hard, he has speed and he gets on base. I don’t think it’s fair to expect a truly elite prospect breakout anymore. You are really aiming for those rocket ships with little to no bumps in the road, and that isn’t quite Arias. But just because his stock took a hit, doesn’t mean he’s not a really talented prospect. Just more of a Top 100-150 one. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 77/20/77/.247/.326/.442/23

530) Joswa Lugo – LAA, SS, 18.2 – Lugo signed for $2.3 million in last year’s international class with the big tools to back it up at 6’3”, and then he went out and impressed in the DSL, slashing .301/.370/.466 with 5 homers, 18 steals, and a 23.3/7.8 K%/BB% in 53 games. He has power potential written all over him with a smooth and quick righty swing that already packs a major punch. He had no groundball issues with a 35.3% GB%, so he should be able to get to all of his power at peak. He’s also a really good athlete who is currently at SS, so while he’s likely to fill out and slow down over time, he should be at least be a contributor in stolen bases, along with a possible asset with the glove (or at least not a total nothing). The biggest red flag is that the K/BB rates were pretty weak against DSL competition, so there is still a ton of risk present here, but if he performs well when he comes stateside, he has the type of talent that can explode in a hurry. He’s one of my favorite DSL breakouts. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 76/26/86/.251/.321/.471/12

531) Kellon Lindsey – LAD, SS, 19.6 – Selected 23rd overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, elite speed is the the 6’0”, 175 pound Lindsey’s calling card, and it comes with a good glove at SS and a good feel to hit. There isn’t big power in here, and while that should tick up over time, he doesn’t really project for big power down the line either. The hit tool is solid, but it’s not really in that near elite range and there is some risk with how it will perform against more advanced pitching. He’s an excellent athlete who played QB and DB in high school, so there is plenty of upside in here, but going after a speed first guy without huge power and with a good but not great hit tool I think warrants some caution. I know getting drafted by LA and getting Trea Turner comps is exciting, but I’m not sure I’m reaching for Lindsey quite yet. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 82/15/66/.270/.328/.420/31

532) Josuar Gonzalez – SFG, SS, 17.6 – Gonzalez is expected to sign for one of the top bonuses in the class, and he earned that bonus by being a great athlete and doing everything well on the baseball field. He’s not a huge guy at 5’10”, 170 pounds, so he’s more in the mold of a Jesus Made than a Emil Morales to use two comps from last years class. Of course, that is if everything goes right. If everything doesn’t go right, he’s more in the mold of a Fernando Cruz or Brando Mayea. He’s a switch hitter who looks super smooth, explosive and locked in at the dish. He has a good feel to hit, approach, he can hit it hard, he’s fast, and he has a good glove. He’s not one of those overtly physical prospects that I really love sticking my neck out for, so I’m not going to fly him up my rankings, but he’s definitely exciting. I’ve been going back and forth in my mind if I prefer the 2nd tier of high school bats from the MLB draft class, or the top tier of international bats, and right now I’m leaning draft bats. But it’s close. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 88/18/62/.277/.342/.421/28

533) Luis Baez – HOU, OF, 21.2 – Please just watch how fast this home run left Baez’ bat. Is that even real? That looked like a cartoon or something. And while you’re at it, also check out how athletic that swing was. For such a powerful man, that is a damn athletic swing. It’s no surprise he demolished 20 homers in 92 games at High-A (and he also stole 9 bags, showing off that athleticism I was talking about). His power is no joke, and he lifts and pulls it. The problem is that the hit tool and plate approach are both double below average with a 27.3/5.4 K%/BB%. He got a cup of coffee at Double-A to end the season, and it was nice to see the 18.0/13.1 K%/BB% in 14 games, but it came with only 1 homer and a 84 wRC+. He can play some OF, so he’s not a defensive liability, but he’s not likely to add much value with the glove. The bat is going to have to hit it’s ceiling, and he still has to prove it in the upper minors, but it’s so easy to fall in love with that swing and power. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 72/27/84/.245/.316/.463/5

534) Brailer Guerrero – TBR, OF, 18.9 – Guerrero suffered a torn labrum which required surgery in 2023, limiting him to just 7 games in the DSL, and then that surgically repaired shoulder once again gave him problems in 2024, ending his season in late July after 28 games at stateside rookie ball. But he showed enough in those 28 games to take on the added injury risk. He’s a big and physical 6’1”, 215 pounds with a vicious lefty swing that smokes the ball. He slashed .330/.452/.466 with 2 homers, 13 steals, and a 25.4/17.5 K%/BB%. He’s not a burner, but he’s a good athlete, and he signed for $3.7 million in 2023, which tells you the type of talent he has. He hit the ball on the ground too much (50%), he struck out too much, and there is injury risk, but there is also big upside in here. The shoulder injuries are really just creating a larger buy window here than there should be. And he’ll still be just 18 years old for half of 2025, so there is plenty of time for development. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 76/26/87/.257/.326/.469/9

535) Yilber Diaz – ARI, RHP, 24.7 – Diaz is too far down the pecking order in Arizona to get too pumped for him, but path to playing time aside, there is plenty to like here. He put up a 3.80 ERA with a 32.1/10.8 K%/BB% in 104.1 IP in the upper minors. He then got a shot in the majors, and while the 16% K% in 28.1 IP isn’t impressive, his slider (36.5% whiff%) and curve (35.3% whiff%) were both whiff machines, so he clearly has more in the tank. He also throws gas with a 96.1 MPH fastball, although it wasn’t a very good pitch in the majors. He threw the fastball more than 50% of the time, and combined with the below average control and lack of rotation spot, there are enough seasons to doubt him to not get too carried away here. But velocity, swing and miss secondaries, and upper minors production is a strong trifecta, so if he works his way into a rotation spot, I’d be happy to roster him to see how it plays out. 2025 Projection: 3/4.31/1.35/66 in 70 IP Prime Projection: 10/3.93/1.31/151 in 150 IP

536) Noble Meyer – MIA, RHP, 20.3 – There is no two ways about it, Meyer had a really rough first full year of pro ball with a 5.18 ERA and 23.5/17.9 K%/BB% in 40 IP at HIgh-A. He was better at Single-A, but it still came with a 16.3% BB% in 34 IP. That is just an insanely high walk rate over 74 IP, and it’s really hard to overlook as much as I want to overlook it. Maybe if it came with mid to upper 90’s heat, it would be easier, but the fastball sat more low to mid 90’s this year. The reason I want to overlook the poor numbers, is because Meyer still looks like that electric, hyped pitching prospect when you watch him. He’s a projectable and athletic 6’5” who most certainly looks the part. And while the fastball velocity wasn’t off the charts, it explodes out of his hand and is a bat missing weapon. He combines the fastball with a potentially plus to double plus slider and a lesser used, but good changeup. The ingredients and eye test are definitely here to still be a top of the rotation starter, but he clearly has a ways to go with his control/command to get there. I can definitely see scenarios where I would prefer him over Agustin Ramirez and De Los Santos, so placing him 2nd on this list wouldn’t be unreasonable at all. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 12/3.87/1.31/180 in 170 IP

537) Thomas Harrington – PIT, RHP, 23.9 – Harrington is a floor over upside prospect with plus command of a diverse pitch mix. He has a heavily used low to mid 90’s fastball that is probably about an average pitch at best when you factor in his command over it. He combines that with a plus changeup, an average-ish sweeper, an average-ish cutter, and a lesser used curve which is a good pitch when he goes to it. None of his pitches really missed enough bats at Triple-A to get really overly excited, but they generally induced weak contact, and a 22.5% whiff% on the fastball, 30.0% whiff% on the changeup, and 33.3% whiff% on the lesser used curve isn’t that bad. It all led to a 2.61 ERA with a 25.1/4.1 K%/BB% in 117.1 IP in the upper minors. I see more of a low WHIP, mediocre K #3/4 starter on the MLB level, which isn’t bad, but it’s also not exactly the upside I love aiming for. – 2025 Projection: 3/4.30/1.32/72 in 90 IP Prime Projection: 10/3.86/1.23/144 in 160 IP

538) George Lombard – NYY, SS, 19.10 – Lombard’s hit tool was not as good as hoped in his first full year of pro ball with a 24% K% and .232 BA in 81 games at Single-A, and then a 19.8% K% and .226 BA in 29 games at High-A. A large chunk of his value was coming from that hit tool, because he doesn’t have big present power with only 5 homers in 110 games. The launch and approach are geared more for line drives than homers, so it’s not just about gaining more power naturally, which he will. He has good tools at 6’3”, 190 pounds and there is definitely room to tack on more mass. He’s also fast and a good baserunner with 39 steals. He has a mature approach (12.3% BB% with a .338 OBP), he’s a good defensive SS, and he’s young for his class at a still 19 years old as of 2025 Opening Day. There is potential for him to be an above average across the board player at peak, but he’s going to have to show real hit tool gains pretty soon, or a major power increase if he doesn’t want the profile to start looking a bit lackluster. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 79/17/69/.259/.324/.419/23

539) Giancarlo Stanton – NYY, OF, 35.4 – Stanton is the Bat Speed King, absolutely lapping the field with a 81.3 MPH swing. Oneil Cruz is 2nd at 78.6 MPH. On the flip side, it’s also the longest swing in baseball with a very worst 8.6 degree length (Javier Baez is tied for last with him). And both of those were with a 1 swing qualification, so there is no sample size funny business going on there. The dude swings hard (the hardest), and he swings long (the longest). And while we didn’t need anymore evidence to know exactly who Giancarlo Stanton was (a low BA slugger, or should I say, THE low BA slugger), we now have that clear evidence. He also gets hurt all the time and likely won’t play in much more than 120 games at best. You know what you are getting. He’s a fairly priced win now piece. 2025 Projection: 61/29/81/.230/.304/.470/0 but possibly out for the season Update: Both elbows are seriously injured and it seems season ending elbow surgery is on the table

540) George Klassen – LAA, RHP, 23.2 – The 22 year old Klassen got a little bit worse at every level as he climbed the minor league ladder. He put up a 0.71 ERA with a 39.6/8.3 K%/BB% in 38 IP at Single-A. A 4.22 ERA with a 35.2/9.9 K%/BB% in 21.1 IP at High-A. And then a 5.65 ERA with a 28.3/17.3 K%/BB% in 28.2 IP at Double-A. Age for level isn’t as important for pitcher as it is for hitters, but I think Klassen is a good example for why it still needs to be taken into account. An older, more advanced pitcher can definitely have real advantages over less experienced hitters, which will make them look better than they really are. But the reason it doesn’t matter as much for pitchers, is that stuff don’t lie, and Klassen got that stuff. He throws a plus mid to upper 90’s fastball, which he combines with a plus curve and a potentially plus hard slider/cutter. The control/command is below average, and it’s not great how quickly he fell apart in his first taste of the upper minors, but it’s hard not to fall in love with that stuff. He’s a great proximity upside play with a soft landing spot as a high leverage reliever. – 2025 Projection: 2/4.33/1.36/61 in 60 IP Prime Projection: 10/3.79/1.28/182 in 165 IP

541) Winston Santos – TEX, RHP, 23.0 – Santos might be one of the more underrated pitching prospects in the minors right now, and he fits squarely into that pitching prospect bucket that I love to shop in. He has big stuff with a plus to double plus mid 90’s fastball that misses bats and has a great movement profile. The slider is above average and it plays up because of his good control/command over it. And while he doesn’t go to the changeup that often, it flashes as a really good pitch. It all led to a 3.67 ERA with a 30.1/7.4 K%/BB% in 110.1 IP split between High-A and Double-A. The ERA spiked to 4.89 at Double-A, but the 3.63 xFIP and 29.5/7.3 K%/BB% shows he got unlucky. As is, he can be a solid #3/4 starter with good K rates and a good WHIP, but if he can develop his changeup more and/or take his control up to double plus levels, he can beat that projection. I like him a ton relative to perceived value. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 12/3.81/1.22/175 in 168 IP

542) Jonah Tong – NYM, RHP, 21.9 – Here is what I wrote about Tong in the in-season Dynasty Baseball Rundowns after his first start at Double-A on September 5th, “Tong got the call to Double-A, and if there were any questions about how his stuff would translate against upper minors hitters, there aren’t questions anymore after he went 6 IP with 0 hits, 0 ER, and a 9/0 K/BB. Talk about making a statement. The low to mid 90’s fastball will play just fine. Here he is blowing a fastball by Spencer Jones. Granted, I think I could strikeout Spencer Jones right now, but still. It wasn’t just Jones, it was everyone. Showing that level of dominance in the upper minors was a big hurdle to clear.” … He wasn’t as good in his 2nd start at the level (and final start of the season) with 3 ER and a 5/4 K/BB in 3.1 IP, but we already knew that below average control is a weakness in his game. Seeing the stuff so clearly fully translate was exciting. The breaking ball is absolutely filthy, the bat missing fastball can be a plus pitch despite the mediocre velocity, and he rounds out the arsenal with a cutter and changeup. If he can improve him control/command, Tong could be a beast, and even if he can’t, he can be a high K, mid rotation starter. I’m definitely in on him. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 11/3.71/1.27/174 in 155 IP

543) Edwin Arroyo – CIN, SS, 21.7 – Arroyo underwent shoulder surgery in late March and missed all of 2024, but he made it back for the AFL, so he should be able to have a completely normal off-season and be 100% healthy for 2025. Granted, he didn’t hit very well in the AFL with a .642 OPS in 18 games, but he’s 2.2 years younger than average, and this is basically his spring training coming off a major surgery. I would only take it as a positive that he is even playing in the league. He’s a switch hitter who hits well from both sides of the plate, he has plus speed, and at a pretty skinny 5’11”, there is definitely room for him to add more power. The hit tool and approach aren’t quite good enough to get really excited for this type of profile, but if he can add real power, there is definitely potential for him to put up some super impactful fantasy seasons hitting in Cincinnati. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 81/17/64/.253/.320/.426/25

544) Cade Cavalli – WAS, RHP, 26.7 – Cavalli underwent Tommy John surgery in March 2023, and he never made it back on an MLB mound in 2024 at all. He barely made it back on a minor league mound with 8.1 IP at High-A and rookie ball after getting shutdown with a “dead arm.” It’s just a reminder that coming back from Tommy John surgery is not always smooth, and while it’s not a death knell by any means, it’s not always a cake walk right back into prime form. Here is how I finished his blurb in last year’s Top 1,000, and honestly, it’s still exactly how I feel now: “When healthy, the 6’4”, 240 pound Cavalli does have plenty to be excited about with big time stuff (95+ MPH fastball) and three quality secondaries in his curve, changeup and slider. The control is inconsistent and his minor league career was a bit up and down, so combined with the Tommy John risk, he’s not someone I’m really targeting.” The one thing he does have going for him is that there is plenty of opportunity in Washington’s rotation, so the leash should be very long for him to shake the rust off. – 2025 Projection: 4/4.38/1.37/94 in 100 IP Prime Projection: 9/4.03/1.32/162 in 159 IP

545) Logan Henderson – MIL, RHP, 23.1 – It’s a little worrisome that Henderson’s production took a big step back when he got to Triple-A, because the stuff isn’t really that huge, but he still wasn’t too bad with a 4.56 ERA and 26.5/6.1 K%/BB% in 23.2 IP. He was lights out at Double-A with a 3.30 ERA and 32.6/3.9 K%/BB% in 46.1 IP. The fastball only sits 92.5 MPH but it gets good movement and is a bat missing weapon. The nasty changeup is his best secondary and a heavily used pitch that both misses bats and induces weak contact. He rounds out the arsenal with a mediocre cutter. Plus control with an excellent secondary and a bat missing, low 90’s fastball can definitely work, but lack of a good breaking ball is a problem. Maybe he’s just a back end starter, but I think there is some mid rotation upside in here, and if he can develop a legitimate breaking ball (he’s still only 22 as of this writing), I don’t think it’s out of the question for him to end up a legit impact fantasy starter. You also have to trust Milwaukee with a guy like this. Henderson is definitely a nice proximity arm to target even in shallower leagues. – 2025 Projection: 3/4.31/1.30/63 in 70 IP Prime Projection: 10/3.85/1.23/155 in 155 IP

546) Caleb Durbin – MIL, 2B/3B, 25.1 – I see the huge offensive season Durbin just had at Triple-A, slashing .287/.396/.471 with 10 homers, 29 steals, and a 9.9/12.5 K%/BB% in 82 games (he was even better in the AFL with a .976 OPS in 24 games), but I’m struggling to get past the extremely low 83 MPH EV. He’s only 5’6”, he’s already 25 years old (as of 2025 Opening Day), and while he has a solid infield glove, he’s not some slick fielding SS whose glove will get him on the field. It seems like a utility infielder profile to me, and while the trade to Milwaukee helps his value, I’m not sure he’s more than a utility infielder on their team either. On the other hand, his contact/speed combo gives him a very clear path to fantasy usefulness if he does work his way into the lineup. He can also lift and pull it, which we know can overcome a low EV, but an 83 MPH EV isn’t just low, it’s among the worst in baseball low. I know Durbin has his big supporters, and while I’m not one of them, I understand what they see with contact, speed, lift, pull, and proximity. I don’t mind him as a proximity play, but he’s not really one of my guys. – 2025 Projection: 49/7/33/.250/.313/.360/17 Prime Projection: 76/10/58/.271/.325/.383/26

547) Chase Meidroth – CHW, 2B/3B/SS, 23.9 – Meidroth was part of the return for Garrett Crochet, and if Chicago didn’t think he has a very good chance of being a starting caliber player, why would they even want him included. It sure feels like he’s the favorite for the starting 2B job right out of the gate, which is a big boost to his value. Unfortunately, that big boost still doesn’t boost him very high in my book. The power is lacking with only 7 homers, a 5 degree launch, and a 2.2% Barrel% in 122 games at Triple-A, and so is the speed with 13 steals in 19 attempts. An elite plate approach is his game with a 12.7/18.8 K%/BB%, which led to a .293 BA, .437 OBP, and a 132 wRC+. His 88.6 MPH EV also isn’t bad, so while it hasn’t led to homers, it could be good enough to maintain the high BA/OBP on the MLB level. If he were potentially hitting atop a really good lineup, I could see real fantasy value here, but in the White Sox lineup, the fantasy value is likely to be lacking for the next few seasons. I can see a path to a solid fantasy player, but it’s not a journey I’m looking to go on. – 2025 Projection: 63/11/49/.255/.320/.386/7 Prime Projection: 84/15/61/.276/.352/.416/9

548) Matthew Lugo – LAA, OF, 23.10 – Lugo had a monstrous breakout at Double-A this season, slashing .315/.405/.664 with 11 homers, 9 steals, and a 21.1/11.7 K%/BB% in 43 games. It’s also not the first time he’s had a huge season. He had a big time year in 2022 as well. His numbers dropped off at Triple-A, but he still performed well with a 107 wRC+, 5 homers, 7 steals, and a 27.0/8.5 K%/BB% in 35 games. His raw power is currently below average with a 86.5 MPH EV, but there is still some projection on his frame at 6’1”, so that can easily tick up in his mid 20’s, and best of all, he’s a lift and pull machine, so he’ll get the most out of his raw power. He also has good speed and went 16 for 17 on the bases in 79 total games. The hit tool is below average and the talent probably isn’t quite big enough to just overlook that, but a lift and pull profile with speed is very fantasy friendly, and he’s knocking on the door of the bigs. I’m starting to like Lugo a decent amount in medium to deeper leagues as proximity play. 2025 Projection: 21/5/28/.229/.290/390/3 Prime Projection: 76/19/74/.246/.313/.420/11

549) Gavin Cross – KC, OF, 24.2 – Cross bounced back in 2024 from a disappointing first full year of pro ball, slashing .261/.342/.428 with 15 homers, 30 steals, and a 24.1/10.3 K%/BB% in 101 games at Double-A. It was good for a 115 wRC+. It certainly has his value back on the rise, and while this isn’t the player many were hoping to see after getting selected 9th overall, there is still an intriguing power/speed combo in here for fantasy. He doesn’t smash the ball, but the raw power is solid, and he knows how to lift and pull it. He’s not a burner, but he has speed, and he’s been an excellent base stealer throughout his career, going 30 for 32 this year. The two biggest issues are that the hit tool is below average, and KC is absolutely death (dead last) for lefty homers. It seems like a recipe for a low BA and limited homers. If Cross played in a different park, I might be enticed by the profile, but in KC, I’m a little worried it’s going to be lackluster. 2025 Projection: 19/5/24/.221/.298/.391/7 Prime Projection: 74/18/76/.242/.318/.421/18

550) Masataka Yoshida – BOS, OF, 31.8 – Yoshida is a super boring fantasy player at his best with a BA first profile, moderate power, and little speed. And at his worst he is a low upside platoon bat, which is almost unrosterable except in very deep leagues. He’s terrible vs lefties (.565 OPS), he’s terrible on defense, and Boston is about to be stacked, so I’m leaning that he’s a strict platoon bat. I’m out on Yoshida for the vast majority of leagues. – 2025 Projection: 66/14/66/.282/.340/.420/4

551) Jake Cronenworth – SDP, 2B/1B, 31.2 – Cronenworth bounced back from a down 2023, but it’s still not a fantasy friendly profile at all. He hit .241 with 17 homers and 5 steals in 155 games. He has plus plate skills and he can lift it, but he doesn’t hit it hard enough in the air to fully take advantage of it. It’s average to below average across the board, which is fine, but nothing to be excited about. – 2025 Projection: 74/16/74/.238/.320/.394/6

552) Jarred Kelenic – ATL, OF, 25.8 – It’s sad to say that Kelenic has settled in as a strong side of a platoon bat, and that is at best. When Acuna returns, he could be out of a job completely. He put up an 86 wRC+ in 131 games and he has a career 86 wRC+ in 383 games. You can say he got unlucky last year with a .308 xwOBA vs. .294 wOBA, but he’s gotten “unlucky” every year of his career, and that xwOBA is still below average. The hit tool just couldn’t hack it. His 29.6% K% was actually a career best, but he needed to drop his BB% to a career low 7.1% to do it. That power (15 homers with a 9.9% Barrel%) and athleticism (7 steals with a 27.9 ft/sec sprint) are still there, but he can’t hit lefties (.516 OPS in 72 PA), and hoping for hit tool improvement at this point seems like wishful thinking. He’s only 25, so I guess you never know though. 2025 Projection: 46/13/44/.241/.308/.416/8

553) Addison Barger – TOR, 3B/OF, 25.5 – Barger isn’t a good defensive player (although he played a good RF last year), which makes it harder for a fringy type like him to get playing time, but out of all of Toronto’s fringy players, I want to bet on his bat the most. I’ve always gushed over his swing, and seeing his near elite 74.3 MPH bat speed just backs up my visual evaluation. That level of bat speed is not to be trifled with, and while he’s had some hit tool troubles throughout his career, he’s shown improvement there in the upper minors over the last two years. He put up a very respectable 19.3/16.1 K%/BB% in 57 games at Triple-A this year, and he wasn’t too bad in the majors either with a 27.6% whiff% and 26.7% K% (albeit with a .239 BABIP fueled .197 BA). As you know from that bat speed, he hits the ball hard with a 90.1 MPH EV at AAA and a 8.7% Barrel% in the majors. The MLB debut was rough with a 70 wRC+ in 69 games, but like I mentioned, some of that was bad luck, and seeing the contact rates not implode is encouraging. He doesn’t run a ton, but a 28 ft/sec sprint shows he’s a good athlete. He doesn’t seem to have a spot right now, but I would hesitate to write him off with that type of bat speed. I’m side eying him. – 2025 Projection: 44/16/53/.238/.314/.428/4

554) Joey Loperfido – TOR, OF, 25.11 – Toronto has a lot of interesting fringy players who are going to Battle Royale it out for playing time. And that battle is sure to go into the season, so predicting who will emerge is quite hard. In most leagues, you probably want to wait to see who emerges, and then try to jump on them quickly, rather than hold any of them, but in deeper leagues, you might not have that luxury. Loperfido is one of those players, and since he has the ability to play CF (he was an above average CF in his 20 games at the position), his glove could give him a leg up on large role in 2025. His MLB debut was rough due to a 36.3/5.0 K%/BB% that led to a 74 wRC+. He’s almost 26 years old and he also had a 28% K% at Triple-A. I’m not saying he can’t improve there, but expecting major improvement is probably a low probability outcome. What you are buying is the very real power/speed combo. He’s 6’3”, 220 pounds with a 90.8 MPH EV at AAA and a 28.8 ft/sec sprint. It led to 13 homers and 9 steals in just 39 games at the level. It dropped off in the majors with an 88.3 MPH EV, leading to only 4 homers and 4 steals in 81 games, but if he can figure out the hit tool, we know the ability is in there to do much better than that. Considering his age and consistent hit tool issues, he profiles more as a 4th OF, but the fantasy friendly skillset is in here if he gets playing time and makes the necessary improvements. – 2025 Projection: 51/13/51/.226/.302/.412/11

555) Henry Davis – PIT, C/OF, 25.6 – Davis was one of my biggest misses in 2024, and while I believe my process was sound and I don’t regret calling him a target, it was still a miss. Not only didn’t he improve from his rookie year in 2023, everything got worse. He put up a 85.3 MPH EV (88.6 MPH in 2023), a 4.8% Barrel% (7% in 2023), a .224 xwOBA (.291 in 2023), and a 36.9% K% (27.1 in 2023) in 37 games. There was all this buzz about him going to driveline and improving his bat speed, and while he did swing an above average 72.5 MPH bat, it obviously didn’t matter. He had an opportunity to lock down Pitt’s catcher job and he couldn’t do it, letting Joey Bart slide into the job. Endy Rodriguez will also return to compete for at bats behind the plate, leaving Davis in competition with a gaggle of players for outfield and catcher reps. The only silver lining, if you can call it that, is that he obliterated Triple-A with a 148 wRC+ in 57 games. I’m far from giving up on him completely or labeling him a bust, but the bottom line is that he just no longer is someone to target, even on the low end. He’s a 25 year old who isn’t good on defense and has struggled in the majors. Yea, there is still potential in the bat, but that just isn’t a unique profile. A lot of guys fit into that. He’s fine to roster, but this isn’t a case of where I’m going back to the well. – 2025 Projection: 31/8/33/.223/.298/.402/3

556) Echedry Vargas – MIA, SS, 20.1 – Vargas has been ripping up rookie ball for the last 2 years, and in his first taste of full season ball, he just kept on producing, slashing .276/.321/.454 with 14 homers, 29 steals, and a 21.1/5.0 K%/BB% in 97 games. It was good for a 125 wRC+. As you can see from that low walk rate, he chases a ton, and it gives him plenty of risk as he climbs the minor league ladder. He also isn’t the type to jump off the screen with huge size or eye popping athleticism, but he can hit the ball hard, he can lift it, he can pull it, and he has speed. He’s done nothing but produce in his career, and he generally has a good feel to hit. It might not end up the highest upside profile, but he has the potential to be an across the board contributor. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 72/19/77/.252/.317/.426/16

557) Braxton Garrett – MIA, LHP, 27.8 – Garrett underwent revision surgery and an internal brace procedure on his elbow in January which will knock him out for all of 2025. He got a late start to 2024 with a shoulder injury, looked mostly like himself for 7 outings, and then went right back on the IL with an elbow injury that turned into the surgery. He’s a plus control #3/4 type starter at full health, which isn’t exactly the upside I’m looking for on guys to take the “Tommy John” discount on. He’s fine to keep on your IL for free, but anything more than free is likely too much for me. – 2025 Projection: OUT

558) Justin Wrobleski – LAD, LHP, 24.9 – It’s just super hard to roster Dodgers pitchers. You have no idea when or if they will get a shot, and they will get almost no leash when they do get a shot. It’s just too big of a pain in the ass for fantasy, and while I like Wrobleski, his upside isn’t quite high enough to wait around and hope he ends up in the rotation. He has a plus mid 90’s fastball that misses bats and induces weak contact, both in the upper minors and in the majors. He pairs that with a potentially above average slider as his best out pitch, and he has a diverse pitch mix (he also throws a cutter, curve, sinker, and changeup). It all resulted in a 3.76 ERA with a 25.9/7.7 K%/BB% in 95.2 IP at Double-A and Triple-A. He got knocked around in the majors with a 5.70 ERA and 16.9/10.4 K%/BB% in 36.1 IP, but he has still able to show the skills could potentially translate if given the leash. He has no leash though, and he has no rotation spot. – 2025 Projection: 3/4.29/1.33/55 in 60 IP Prime Projection: 10/3.93/1.28/155 in 160 IP

559) Cam Caminiti – ATL, LHP, 18.8 – Selected 24th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, Caminiti has a lot of things working in his favor to give him the best chance at success. He has baseball bloodlines as the nephew of Ken Caminiti, he got drafted into one of the best pitching development organizations in baseball, and he’s young for his class. He’s not just narrative though, he has a strong foundation for Atlanta to build on at 6’2”, 205 pounds with a mid 90’s fastball that is a whiff machine and has double plus potential. The secondaries aren’t as refined, but he has a traditional starters pitch mix (slider, curve, change), and he also looked really good in his pro debut. He went 3 IP with 3 hits, 1 ER and a 4/0 K/BB at Single-A. The fastball sat low to mid 90’s and the slider looked good. He threw the ball over the plate. I think #2/3 starter upside is fair to put on him right now, but he’s so young with so much development time ahead, his range of outcomes is wide. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 12/3.71/1.18/190 in 180 IP

560) Tyson Lewis – CIN, SS, 19.3 –  Selected 51st overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, the 6’2”, 195 pound Lewis is a high upside high school bat with at least plus speed, plus power potential, and a quick and powerful lefty swing. He’s not the most refined high school bat, just recently undergoing a swing overhaul, and there are also some hit tool questions as he faces more advanced pitching. On pure upside, he rivals or surpasses Theo Gillen, but his bat isn’t as safe and he’s just not as refined. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 80/20/78/.259/.322/.438/23

561) Caleb Bonemer – CHW, SS, 19.6 – Selected 39th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, Bonemer has one of the top power/speed combos in the high school class with plus run times and electric bat speed. He’s performed against advanced competition and has a good feel to hit. He doesn’t have the smoothest batting stance/swing, which adds some hit tool risk, and he’s not one of those obvious giant human beings with a 6’1”, 195 pound frame, but he’s far from small. He’s a big, physical guy. He’s an excellent upside pick who should come at a reasonable price. I like Bonemer a lot – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 80/20/80/.256/.325/.440/20

562) AJ Smith-Shawver – ATL, RHP, 22.4 – Shawver was an absolute rocket ship in 2023, flying from the lower minors straight through to the majors, but he got a dose of reality in 2024. He put up a 4.86 ERA with a 28.5/11.0 K%/BB% in 87 IP at Triple-A. He might not have been the wunderkind we hoped for, but he’s still a good pitching prospect with a 95 MPH fastball that gets good movement and misses bats. The secondaries are good too with a changeup that notched a 42.3% whiff% and 84.8 MPH EV, a slider that notched a 34.8% whiff% and 86.1 MPH EV, and a decent curve that notched a 81.6 MPH EV and 23.9% whiff%. That is 3 potentially above average to plus pitches with a decent 4th pitch. Even with below average control, that profile could work as a #3/4 type starter, but what would really pull this entire thing together is a big step forward in control/command. Atlanta is also a great organization to bet on for pitching prospects. He’s more of a Top 200 guy than Top 100 one, so his value certainly took a hit, but I would try to stay strong one more year if you can. 2025 Projection: 4/4.32/1.36/83 in 90 IP Prime Projection: 9/3.95/1.31/155 in 150 IP

563) Yordanny Monegro – BOS, RHP, 22.5 – Monegro is one of my top pitching prospect targets relative his extreme lack of hype. He checks a hell of a lot of boxes with size (6’4”, 180 pounds), mid 90’s velocity, diverse pitch mix, nasty secondaries, and excellent production. He put up a 2.73 ERA with a 30.8/9.8 K%/BB% in 66 IP at High-A. He has an explosive righty delivery with a mid 90s 4-seamer, 2-seamer, a nasty change, and 2 good breaking balls in his slider and curve. He’s not a finished product as he has to continue to refine his control/command and all of his secondaries, plus he hasn’t thrown that many innings in his career (76 IP was a career high this year), but all of that is way over factored into his price. He’s a pretty special talent who has done nothing but dominate for the past two years when he’s been on the mound. If he keeps it up at Double-A, his price should take a big jump in 2025. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 11/3.76/1.21/169 in 160 IP

564) Luis Morales – OAK, RHP, 22.6 – This isn’t a comp, but Morales reminds me a lot of where Bubba Chandler was sitting last off-season. Like Chandler, Morales is a huge talent ($3 million signing bonus in 2023), with a scouts dream build at 6’3”, 190 pounds (although Chandler was more built up and wider), super obvious humongous stuff, below average control, and mediocre results at High-A. Morales put up a 4.22 ERA with a 24.9/10.7 K%/BB% in 81 IP at the level while Chandler put up a 4.75 ERA with a 25.6/10.9 K%/BB% in 106 IP at the level. Just because Chandler exploded to elite prospect status in 2024 doesn’t mean Morales will, but that high end outcome is definitely in the cards. Morales’ delivery is so easy and athletic it almost lulls you into a false sense of security before he fires off a mid to upper 90’s fastball, a potentially plus breaking ball, and a promising, but still developing changeup. He can definitely still look pretty raw on the mound, making the bullpen a very possible destination long term, but this is the type of upside you want to chase. I was relatively high on Morales in his FYPD year, and I’m going to remain high on him headed into 2025. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 10/3.78/1.29/168 in 155 IP

565) Gary Gill Hill – TBR, RHP, 20.7 – Gill Hill most certainly looks the part at 6’2” with a super loose and athletic righty delivery. His nasty stuff has plus potential across the board with excellent movement on all of his pitches. The mid 90’s fastball is a bat missing weapon, he can throw the plus breaking ball both in and out of the zone, and the changeup flashes plus as well. And while he’s not a control artist, he has solid command over all of his pitches, especially relative to his age. It resulted in a 3.15 ERA with a 24.2/6.2 K%/BB% in 108.2 IP at Single-A. If he keeps getting stronger, there could be another tick or two of velocity in here at peak, and his delivery is so easy he certainly has the potential to end up with plus command at peak too. He’s young and needs to refine his game all around, but there is considerable upside in here, and the floor is about as high as it gets for a 19 year old pitcher in A ball. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 12/3.69/1.18/167 in 160 IP

566) Santiago Suarez – TBR, RHP, 20.3 – The 6’2” Suarez has a bulldog mentality on mound, going right at hitters with a plus, mid 90’s fastball that has good life. He combines the fastball with an above average breaking ball and cutter. He has excellent control of all of his pitches which allows them to play up. It resulted in a 4.11 ERA (2.97 xFIP) with a 25.7/4.7 K%/BB% in 111.2 IP at Single-A. Hill’s stuff is a bit nastier, but Suarez easily has the command edge. I’ll lean the nastier stuff, but they are pretty close to a coin flip for me. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 11/3.76/1.18/160 in 160 IP

567) Alan Roden – TOR, OF, 25.3 – Roden projects as a solid across the board corner outfielder, but he’s already 25 years old, and with how high the offensive bar is for a corner outfielder, I’m not sure Roden’s bat is quite good enough to clear that bar. Having said that, the guy has done nothing but rake in the minors, and he had another great year in 2024, slashing .293/.391/.475 with 16 homers, 14 steals, and a 14.2/12.1 K%/BB% in 125 games in the upper minors. He doesn’t hit the ball particularly hard (87.6 MPH EV), he’s not a burner, and he doesn’t lift it a ton (7.4 degree launch). He’s also going to have to scratch and claw for playing time. 2025 Projection: 31/8/34/.251/.312/.392/3 Prime Projection: 66/14/62/.269/.328/.414/10 Update: He looks damn good in spring. I was too low on him

568) Kaelen Culpepper – MIN, SS, 22.3 –  Selected 21st overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, the 6’0”, 185 pound Culpepper is a proven college performer with solid across the board skills. He slashed .328/.419/.547 with 11 homers, 17 steals, and a 14.1%/12.0% K%/BB% in 61 games in the Big 12. He reminds me a lot of Minnesota’s 2nd round pick in 2023, Luke Keaschall, who has similar size, speed, and feel to hit. Nothing jumps off the screen, but they get the job done in all facets of the game. Minnesota has had a lot of success with Keaschall, and Culpepper looks to be next with his strong pro debut. He cracked 3 homers with 4 steals, and a 13.4/9.8 K%/BB% in 26 games split between Single-A and High-A. He’s a nice little “let him come to you” target in off-season prospect drafts right now. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 81/16/72/.268/.330/.420/18

569) Henry Bolte – OAK, OF, 21.8 – Bolte came into pro ball as a high risk, high reward $2 million dollar signing bonus 2nd round pick, and he’s still a super talented high risk, high reward prospect. He’s a tooled up 6’3”, 195 pounds who most certainly looks the part, and he showed off that upside at High-A with 11 homers, 28 steals, and a 159 wRC+ in 69 games. He showed off the risk too with a 31.8% K% and 54.5% GB%, and then he went to Double-A and the strikeout rate exploded to 38.8% in 54 games. Even with the high K rate though, his talent still shined in the upper minors in his age 20 year old season with 4 homers, 18 steals, and a 107 wRC+. The extremely high strikeout and groundball rates show how raw he still is, but if he can put up these kind of numbers this raw, imagine the upside if he can actually start improving on those skills. Considering his age and upside, along with the fact he isn’t really all that hyped of a prospect, I’m more than fine going after Bolte at fair value, and if you want to lean pure upside, there is an argument for him to be 4th on this list. Just know the likelihood that he busts completely is high. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 68/17/62/.228/.306/.419/19

570) Elijah Green – WAS, OF, 21.4 – I almost wrote Green off completely this year after putting up a quite ridiculous 44% K% in 106 games at Single-A as a 20 year old, and honestly, maybe I still should, but it’s so important to shoot for upside in the vast majority of dynasty leagues when it comes to prospects, that I believe his upside is still worth the shot in this area of the rankings. Even with that stupid strikeout rate, he still slashed .262/.342/.487 with 9 homers, 25 steals (only one caught stealing), and a 41.4/10.4 K%/BB% in his last 51 games. I don’t even want to do that whole “if he can improve his hit tool” spiel because I couldn’t even do it while keeping a straight face with that dumb stupid strikeout rate, but on the say 5-10% chance he can get that strikeout rate into the 30-35% range by his mid 20’s, there is dangerous power/speed combo lurking in here to do the rest at an uber athletic 6’3′, 225 pounds. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 59/21/72/.221/.302/.418/17

571) George Wolkow – CHW, OF, 19.3 – Wolkow was one of my favorite underrated FYPD Targets last off-season, and while he certainly still has his problems, he more than put his name on the map in 2024. The 6’7” behemoth obliterated the age appropriate stateside rookie ball with 148 wRC+ in 15 games, and then he got called up to Single-A as a an 18 year old and cracked 11 homers with 6 steals and a 126 wRC+ in 76 games. This is a no joke unicorn type talent, but like a lot of no joke unicorn type talents, the hit tool is a major question. And for Wolkow, it’s getting close to off the charts with a 38.8% K% at stateside rookie and a 40.6% K% at Single-A. He walks a lot too, and he’s very young, but that really isn’t a strikeout rate you just hand wave away. It’s why he really can’t be close to consideration for a Top 100 spot, but it won’t stop me from valuing him in the Top 200 range. The deeper you get into prospects rankings, the higher the bust rates become for everyone, so why not swing for the fences with a guy like Wolkow. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 75/28/87/.237/.319/.470/9

572) Chas McCormick – HOU, OF, 30.0 – I really liked McCormick coming into 2024, and he had such a terrible year I almost forgot he existed. It came out of nowhere too, as all of a sudden his EV dropped almost 2 MPH to 86.2 MPH, and everything else dropped with it. He ended the year with a 66 wRC+, 5 homers, and 8 steals in 94 games. I want to blame an injury or something, and he did injure his hamstring very early into the season, but the 28.7 ft/sec sprint was excellent, so blaming the injury seems like an excuse. The two major things he has going for him are that Houston’s entire OF is wide open, and that his 2024 was such an outlier, he almost has to bounce back closer to career norms in 2025. He has a career .250 BA and the skills are there to go 20/20, but coming off the disastrous season, that feels like wishful thinking. A weak side of a platoon role (he hits lefties better than righties in his career) might be where he ends up. And he’s 30 years old already. – 2025 Projection: 55/15/55/.240/.311/.410/13

573) Jonny DeLuca – TBR, OF, 26.9 – DeLuca was one of my favorite low key targets coming into the season, and the Rays did indeed teach him how to raise his launch considerably (16.2 degree launch), trying to give him that classic hit/lift/pull profile, but it just didn’t click how they hoped (or I hoped) it would. He hit only 6 homers with a 84.6 MPH EV and .217 BA in 107 games. He didn’t hit the ball hard enough to make it work, and the 21.3/6.6 K%/BB% wasn’t good enough either. The Rays don’t look to be giving up on him, penciling him as the starting CF (he’s above average defensively), so if he hits the weight room and starts hitting the ball harder, maybe it can click in year two for him. He also has the speed (16 steals with an elite 29.8 ft/sec sprint) to give him upside if he can start to hit the ball harder. He won’t have the Trop to help him out though even if he can, instead hitting at Yankee Stadium 2.0, which is not a good park for that kind of profile. He’s a very low end flier right now. – 2025 Projection: 59/12/57/.234/.303/.381/19

574) Vance Honeycutt – BAL, OF, 21.10 – Selected 22nd overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, Honeycutt is an elite athlete at 6’3”, 205 pounds with a plus to double plus power/speed combo (he went 28/28 in 62 games in the ACC) and plus CF defense. The only reason he even fell to 22nd, was because he is a strikeout machine with a 27.5% K%, and unfortunately, that risk was at the forefront in his pro debut with a 36.1% K% in 8 games at Single-A and a 55% K% in 5 games at High-A. The odds that he simply won’t be able to hit MLB pitching nearly well enough to let his tools shine are quite high, but expecting the hit tool to be magically fixed in his first taste of pro ball was unrealistic. It was also a small sample. Let’s see what Baltimore can do with him over a full off-season and season, because his upside is tremendously exciting. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 73/20/71/.223/.302/.428/17

575) James Tibbs III – SFG, OF, 22.6 – Selected 13th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, James Tibbs the Third sounds like he comes from generational wealth, in a family that can trace their lineage back to pre Revolutionary War times. I think his great great great great great great grandfather led the charge at Bunker Hill. He straight up even looks like one of those old timey pictures of a Civil War general. His bloodlines are so refined that he steps up to the plate with his pinkie up, and it’s no surprise that he has one of the more refined plate approaches in the draft with a 11.6%/18.1% K%/BB% in 66 games. He’s not a super tooled up guy at 6’0”, 200 pounds, but he has a powerful lefty swing that produced 28 homers in the ACC this year and 55 homers in 176 games in his career. He can definitely hit it hard. San Francisco is just about the worst landing spot for him as I’m not sure he has the no doubt raw juice to make him ballpark proof, which is why I’m lower on him than his draft slot. His mediocre pro debut also didn’t assuage my fears about his lack of upside with a .636 OPS and 31/6.9 K%/BB% in 26 games split between Single-A and High-A. The only scenario I would honestly see myself drafting him is in like a 30 team league, or if he falls so far I simply don’t have a choice (and even then I might keep on passing). Maybe this ranking is too low, but he’s just not my guy. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 76/20/75/.261/.330/.432/8

576) Eduardo Beltre – MIN, OF, 18.6 – Beltre was one of the top DSL breakouts, slashing .326/.453/.618 with 11 homers, 10 steals, and a 23.8%/15.5% K%/BB% in 43 games. Those 11 homers were tied for 2nd in the league with Arnaldo Lantigua, and behind only Emil Morales’ 14 bombs. He has an athletic righty swing with no doubt power. The K rate is a bit high and the tools aren’t necessarily off the charts at 5’ll”, but he signed for $1.5 million, so we are talking about a legit prospect here. His swing and offensive profile reminds me a lot of Orelvis Martinez, maybe with a bit less power and a bit more speed. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 76/24/81/.252/.333/.458/10

577) Yorger Bautista – SEA, OF, 17.6 – Bautista looks like he was born with a bat in his hands when you watch him swing. He moves that bat in a totally controlled way like a samurai warrior, coolly crushing everything that comes his way with both power and contact. He was always known for his good feel to hit, and then he got much bigger and stronger at a rock solid 6’1”, 175 pounds, so he can end up with a truly potent hit/power combo. Then tack on the fact he also has plus speed, and you have one of, if not the most enticing prospects in the international class. I have Gonzalez #1 one right now, but Bautista is 1A for me. It’s a coin flip with the tie going to Gonzalez’ superior perceived value. I don’t think you are going to have to go even close to this high to grab Bautista. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 91/25/93/.277/.351/.473/21

578) Tomoyuki Sugano – BAL, RHP, 35.6 – Sugana is a 35 year old who just put up an 18.3% K% in 156.2 IP in Japan, so we aren’t talking about big dynasty value here, but he can easily end up a solid win now piece. Here is Sugano himself talking about his arsenal and strategy in an MLB.com article by Adam Berry, “Obviously not a guy that throws 100 mph, but I’m very confident in my control, command, my pitch mix. That’s why I’ve had a lot of success in Japan. I’m not looking to really change anything now. I want to use my pitch selection, my pitch mix, my command to pitch in the States and see where it takes me from there.” That says it all as Sugano art of pitching’d his way to a 1.67 ERA and 0.95 WHIP in 2024, and a 2.43 ERA and 1.04 WHIP in his 1,873.1 IP career. The guy knows how to pitch, and while he’s not going to be an under 3 guy in MLB, I don’t see why his profile wouldn’t transfer. Baltimore wouldn’t have paid him $13 million if they didn’t think he could be effective. I would expect a #3/4 type starter with a high 3 ERA and low WHIP, but the lack of K’s and age still blunts his dynasty value. Putting him on a list like this is kinda pointless, because your league size and whether you are in win now mode will drive his value. – 2025 Projection: 9/3.88/1.18/120 in 150 IP

579) Jordan Montgomery – ARI, LHP, 32.3 – Boras took Montgomery’s free agency super deep into the off-season, and it quite clearly threw off his entire season. He was awful and simply couldn’t find a groove all season, putting up a 6.23 ERA with a 15.6/8.3 K%/BB% in 117 IP. It’s so out of character from the rest of his career I find it hard to believe he won’t bounce back after a normal off-season. The biggest red flag is that the sinker was down 1.5 MPH to 91.8 MPH, and that seems hard to completely blame a late build up for. Eventually you would think the velocity would have returned if he was actually fully healthy. The curve and changeup still missed plenty of bats though, so if his control/command and velocity returns in 2025, the ingredients for a bounce back are certainly in here. The upside wasn’t high enough to begin with to give him too much leeway, but he shouldn’t be written off because there is a clear reason for the terrible season. – 2025 Projection: 6/4.17/1.31/90 in 110 IP Update: It looks like he’s the odd man out for a rotation spot

580) Mason Barnett – OAK, RHP, 24.5 – Barnett is a very reasonably priced, mid rotation upside arm who has nothing but opportunity in Oakland’s rotation. He’s a thick 6’0”, 218 pounds with a mid 90’s fastball that has good life, a plus slider, good curve, and a decent changeup. He’s not a control artist, but he’s far from wild. He caught fire in the 2nd half of the season with a 2.03 ERA and 30.0/9.3 K%/BB% in his last 84.1 IP at Double-A. There is some bullpen risk, but that lessens considerably with how wide open Oakland’s rotation is, and he checks plenty of boxes (good size, velocity, swing and miss, diverse pitch mix). The coming ballpark downgrade definitely makes me a little more hesitant to go after him than if they were sticking in Oakland, but Barnett definitely qualifies for that pitching prospect aisle that I love to shop in, and he gets a clear opportunity boost. – 2025 Projection: 4/4.29/1.34/91 in 100 IP Prime Projection: 9/3.92/1.28/150 in 150 IP

581) Sawyer Gipson-Long – DET, RHP, 27.4 – Gipson-Long underwent an internal brace procedure (or possibly Tommy John, it’s not entirely clear) in April after his first outing of the season, and then he also underwent hip surgery in July. He’s expected to be out until mid-season 2025, and it sure seems like he has a lot to come back from. I get writing him off until he proves he is healthy, as he was never a hyped pitching prospect either. But it’s hard to write him off when you remember how good he was in his 2023 MLB debut. He put up a 2.70 ERA with a 31.7/9.8 K%/BB% in 20 IP. His 35.0% whiff%, even in a small sample, is very impressive. His slider and changeup were untouchable and the 93.6 MPH 4-seamer and 92.4 MPH sinker performed well too. If he does get healthy, and if he can pick up from 2023, he definitely has impact fantasy starter upside. At this point in the rankings, I think it’s worth hanging onto him. – 2025 Projection: 2/4.23/1.33/38 in 40 IP Prime Projection: 9/3.82/1.24/152 in 140 IP

582) River Ryan – LAD, RHP, 26.7 – Ryan underwent Tommy John surgery in August which will wipe out his entire 2025 season. He was breaking out on the MLB level before going down with the injury with a 1.33 ERA and 22.2/11.1 K%/BB% in 20.1 IP. He had the big stuff to back it up with a 96.3 MPH fastball, a diverse pitch mix, and bat missing secondaries. But like so many Dodgers pitchers in this category, who knows when he will be able to claw his way back into the rotation. He’s good enough to not ignore, but he’s not so good where I would say he’s the type I love to take the Tommy John discount on. – 2025 Projection: OUT

583) Hurston Waldrep – ATL, RHP, 23.1 – Waldrep had an impressive pro debut in 2023 which had his stock rising, but his numbers weren’t as impressive when he got to Double-A, and that proved to be a precursor for what to expect in 2024. He put up a 3.47 ERA with a 23.7/11.0 K%/BB% in 93.1 IP at mostly Double-A and Triple-A. Those K/BB numbers are not very impressive against minor league competition, and he was atrocious in the majors with a 16.71 ERA and 8.3/22.8 K%/BB% in 7 IP. The devasting splitter lived up to the hype and is definitely an at least plus bat missing weapon, but that seems to really be all he has. The fastball sits in the mid 90’s, but it doesn’t miss many bats, the slider is average at best, and the control is well below average. This is a profile that can so easily end up in the bullpen, and it looks like it might be headed there right now. I’m not giving up on him as a starter, and he could be someone who transitions back into the rotation even if he starts his career in the pen, but this wasn’t the year we wanted out of Waldrep. His value took a hit in 2024. – 2025 Projection: 2/4.09/1.34/58 in 60 IP Prime Projection: 4/3.56/1.26/77 in 68 IP

584) Logan Evans – SEA, RHP, 23.10 – Evans was a popular breakout pick late in the off-season, and while a 21.9/9.4 K%/BB% in 107 IP at Double-A isn’t impressive enough for me to really love him, I would say he lived up to the breakout hype. He put up a 3.20 ERA, and the big stuff that got a lot of people very excited was most certainly there. He has a mid 90’s fastball that keeps the ball on the ground to go along with an out pitch in his sweeper. He also has a diverse pitch mix with a curve, cutter and changeup. It seems more like a #4 type profile to me right now, but this was his first full year of pro ball, so more improvement is coming, and you have to love the organization/ballpark. – 2025 Projection: 3/4.31/1.34/45 in 50 IP Prime Projection: 10/3.87/1.29/147 in 160 IP

585) Jaden Hamm – DET, RHP, 22.7 – Hamm was one of the top statistical breakout pitchers in the minors with a 2.64 ERA and 30.6/7.8 K%/BB% in 99 IP. And he’s not just stats, he has the talent to back it up with a plus low to mid 90’s fastball and plus slider, to go along with an average change and curve. He combines that with about average control. He never made it to Double-A for even a cup of coffee, and I would really like to see how the profile plays against upper minors hitters before really flying him up the rankings, because I have a feeling that K rate is coming down against better competition. I see more #3/4 fantasy starter upside, but if his control/command takes a step forward, or he gains more velocity, or the changeup takes a step forward, he can beat that projection. – 2025 Projection: 1/4.35/1.34/24 in 30 IP Prime Projection: 10/3.90/1.25/160 in 160 IP

586) Brody Hopkins – TBR, RHP, 23.2 – The 6’4”, 200 pound Hopkins has funky righty delivery with the funky stuff to match. He slings a sometimes unreal, double plus slider that is his calling card. He combines that with a tailing mid 90’s fastball that looks like he often has little idea where it is going to end up, and he rounds out the arsenal with a decent, lesser used changeup. It resulted in a 3.05 ERA with a 27.2/10.8 K%/BB% in 115 IP split between Single-A and High-A. There is definite control risk that seems like it will always be a part of his game with that funky delivery, so he very well might end up in the bullpen, but with a just a tad more refinement he could be a high K, mid rotation starter, and Tampa is a great team to bet on for that refinement. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 10/3.83/1.29/158 in 145 IP

587) Yoniel Curet – TBR, RHP, 22.5 – Curet is a thick 6’2” with the build of a power NFL running back, and he uses that power to fire an electric mid to upper 90’s fastball that is a double plus pitch. He combines the heat with a plus slider. He’s been dominating the lower minors since 2021, so it was a big deal to see him keep up the production at Double-A where he put up a 1.75 ERA with a 35.9/10.7 K%/BB% in 25.2 IP. The control is below average and he lacks a good third pitch, so it definitely looks like a reliever profile right now, but he can be an elite high leverage one. He could also very well be a short outing, two times through the order starter. Where he ends up could be decided by how healthy and effective Tampa’s rotation is when he’s ready to get the call. – 2025 Projection: 1/3.77/1.30/23 in 20 IP Prime Projection: 4/3.35/1.20/85/26 saves in 65 IP

588) Luis Perales – BOS, RHP, 22.0 – Perales underwent Tommy John surgery in late June which will essentially knock out his entire 2025. It’s such a bummer as he was going full breakout and keeping it up at Double-A. He put up a 2.94 ERA with a 38.9/8.3 K%/BB% in 33.2 IP at High-A and Double-A. The stuff is electric with a plus to double plus mid to upper 90’s fastball. He made improvements to his changeup/splitter, which flashed nasty in 2024, and he rounds out the arsenal with a cutter and slider. He was a breakout candidate coming into the season because of the electric stuff, and it sure looked like the control and secondaries took real steps forward to combine with that stuff. He was on the path to be one of the most hyped pitching prospects this off-season before the injury. He wasn’t quite established enough in the upper minors for me to love taking the TJ discount on, and he’s not a big guy, so injury risk is a real downside, but the upside is certainly here, and he was on the verge of truly establishing himself. I would take him if the price is right, but I wouldn’t stick my neck out. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 11/3.78/1.26/160 in 150 IP

589) Owen Murphy – ATL, RHP, 21.6 – Murphy was one of the top pitching prospect breakouts in 2024 with an uptick in stuff and dominant production, but the ghost of Tommy John got another one with Murphy undergoing Tommy John surgery in early June. That likely keeps him out for most or all of 2025, but it does give him enough of a cushion to prove he’s healthy by the end of the season and possibly into the AFL, so there could be some budding hype by this time next year assuming full health. And if he hadn’t gotten hurt, the hype could have been hitting hard already with a 1.54 ERA and 38.7/7.7 K%/BB% in 41 IP at High-A. The fastball only sits low 90’s, but it gets a ton of movement and is a plus pitch. The slider and curveball both still need refinement, but the slider in particular will flash at least plus. And the control/command is potentially plus with an extremely easy and athletic righty delivery. He’s not necessarily that in your face, upper 90’s, mountain of a man pitching prospect (6’1”) that will get no doubt elite pitching prospect love, but he’s the one who will sneak up on you real fast until he’s all of a sudden doing it against MLB hitters. The injury obviously complicates things, but I like him enough to not have it kill his value. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 10/3.87/1.23/152 in 150 IP

590) JR Ritchie – ATL, RHP, 21.9 – If you want to make a case for Owen Murphy, you don’t have to look very far, because JR Ritchie just showed what it looks like to have everything go smoothly returning from Tommy John almost the exact same time as Murphy underwent the surgery (just one year earlier obviously). Ritchie looked like he could have been headed for a breakout in 2023 before undergoing the surgery in late May, and he not only was able to return before the end of 2024, but he shined. He put up a 2.90 ERA with a 27.3/8.3 K%/BB% in 49.2 IP between 3 levels (rookie, A, A+). He looks the part at 6’2”, 185 pounds with a low to mid 90’s fastball, starter’s pitch mix, and potentially above average or better control/command. Both the slider and changeup are legit weapons, giving him the ability to get both lefties and righties out, and the fastball certainly has the ability to tick up into the mid 90’s considering it was closer to the mid 90’s before the injury. With a normal off-season, there is a chance he could look even stronger across the board in 2025, making him a very reasonably priced breakout option. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 10/3.93/1.27/154 in 160 IP

591) Emiliano Teodo – TEX, RHP, 24.2 – Teodo is likely a reliever long term with well below average control, but he most certainly has closer stuff, and it seems like he could be a heavy contender to eventually be Texas’ closer of the future. And on the off chance he can remain a starter, the strikeout upside is there to make an impact for fantasy. He put up a 1.98 ERA with a 30.7/14.0 K%/BB% in 86.1 IP at Double-A. The fastball sits upper 90’s and the slider is double plus. He also has a lesser used changeup that does have some potential. An upper 90’s fastball with a wipeout secondary and below average control is a classic back of the bullpen profile to get excited about. If Texas makes the decision to bullpen him, he could end up in the majors before you know it. 2025 Projection: 2/3.88/1.29/32 in 30 IP Prime Projection: 4/3.42/1.19/80/32 saves in 65 IP

592) Ben Hess – NYY, RHP, 21.10 – Selected 26th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, Hess is a high floor real life arm at 6’5”, 255 pounds with a mid 90’s fastball and 3 legit secondaries in his slider, curve and changeup. He didn’t pitch particularly well this year with a 5.80 ERA and 1.39 WHIP in 68.1 IP in the SEC, but the 34.8%/11.5% K%/BB% looks much better. I call him a “high floor real life arm” because as a college starter with his size, velocity and pitch mix, there is a very high probability he will be a major league arm in some capacity. But for fantasy, there is risk he ends up in the bullpen, or a back end starter if his control can’t improve. I’m apt to bet on the size and stuff here, and his price should be very reasonable in First Year Players Drafts. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 10/3.95/1.32/165 in 160 IP

593) Jonathan Santucci – NYM, LHP, 22.3 – Selected 46th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, Santucci had the type of talent to be in position to possibly be a top 10 pick with a huge season, but inconsistency dropped him into the 2nd round. He shows flashes of being a potentially impact MLB starter, but the control/command isn’t there and 58 IP in his career high due to injuries. The stuff is filthy enough to thrive without great command, putting up a 3.41 ERA with a 35.0%/14.0% K%/BB% in 58 IP in the ACC. He’s 6’2”, 205 pounds with an athletic lefty delivery, mid 90’s fastball, plus slider, and average to above average change. There is a lot of risk here, both injury and control, but he’s a high upside college arm who should come at a very reasonable price in drafts. I don’t mind him as a “let him come to you” target in drafts. Don’t reach. Let him fall into your lap. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 10/3.81/1.32/168 in 155 IP

594) Ryan Sloan – SEA, RHP, 19.2 – Selected 55th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, Seattle went for a safer college starter in the first round, and then turned around and went for an upside high school starter in the 2nd. As I talked about in the June Mailbag Podcast, it made all the sense in the world for Seattle to focus on arms, and their entire draft was extremely arm heavy. Well done, Seattle. Sloan reminds me of Blake Wolters from the 2023 Draft, in that he looks the part and checks a lot of boxes. He’s 6’4”, 225 pounds with a mid 90’s fastball, potentially plus slider, and solid changeup. He controls all of his pitches relatively well. And you have to love Seattle as his landing spot. He’s a very enticing high school arm. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 12/3.83/1.24/178 in 170 IP

595) Kale Fountain – SDP, 3B, 19.8 – Selected 151st in the 2024 MLB Draft, Fountain is a mountain of a man at 6’5”, 225 pounds, and he has the type of power befitting of his size with monster homer totals in high school. He’s also a sneaky good athlete with above average run times. He was drafted in the 5th round but signed for $1.7 million, so this was a highly sought after prospect. There is definite hit tool risk, and he’s on the old side for his class, but there is tons to like for fantasy. He reminds me of the Brandon Winokur of this year’s draft, and Winokur just cracked my Top 100. Fountain is a definite target. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 73/25/81/.240/.315/.462/9

596) Luke Dickerson – WAS, SS, 19.8 – Selected 44th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, the 6’0”, 190 Dickerson is a strong kid who won a state championship as as hockey player. You can see that toughness in the box with a powerful righty swing, and he combines that with good athleticism and speed. He signed for $3.8 million, which was the 21st highest signing bonus in the class and tells you how much Washington loved this kid. I do prefer a few other high school bats that got drafted in that 2nd round area over Dickerson, but it’s hard to argue with that signing bonus, and his talent is right there with them. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 76/20/79/.260/.330/.440/15

597) PJ Morlando – MIA, OF, 19.11 – Morlando was selected 16th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, and if he was picked by a team who I respected (like Xavier Isaac in 2022, or Ralphy Velazquez in 2023, or Braylon Payne this year), I might be inclined to go after him as a potentially plus hit/power bat at 6’3”, 200 pounds without much defensive value, but I just don’t trust the Marlins with hitters. Morlando getting picked this high by them just doesn’t warrant a bump in my book. But having said that, he certainly has big talent at the dish with big raw power and a great feel to hit. The wide and low batting stance just isn’t my favorite type of swing and it isn’t conducive to big game power, so he’ll likely need a swing change to fully tap into that raw power. He’s also old for the class, while the previously mentioned Isaac, Ralphy, and Payne were all young for the class. He got one plate attempt at Single-A before his season ended with a lumbar stress reaction in his back. Bit of a bummer to see a back injury so early into his career, but you can’t read too much into it at this point. There is appeal, but despite the high draft slot, I’m not going out of my way to get Morlando. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 76/23/82/.262/.333/.458/5

598) Elian Pena – NYM, SS, 17.6 – Pena is expected to sign for the top bonus in the class (non Roki Sasaki division), and when you watch his lefty swing, it’s easy to see why he has a potentially very exciting hit/power combo. He’s only 5’10”, but he already has that sturdy trunk and hard hit ability that portends him being a bruiser in the box. And he combines that power potential with a good feel to hit and excellent approach. I definitely see the middle of the order masher potential, but like Josuar Gonzalez, I’m not sure I’m so blown away that I really want to stick my neck out for him. I’ll take him if the price is right, but I’m not going to reach. Maybe I’m being too conservative at the moment, but that is how I would play it right now. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 86/26/91/.273/.348/.475/10

599) Cole Carrigg – COL, OF, 22.10 – I really wish we could have seen Carrigg at Double-A, because it’s hard for me to buy in too hard here as an advanced college bat in the lower minors. The Rockies High-A park is also notoriously hitter friendly, with many of their hitters immediately falling off in their Double-A ballpark. At best, you can use his lack of time at Double-A as a buying opportunity, because there is a lot to like, but at worst, it could be a trap. The rosy outlook on Carrigg is that he’s 6’2”, 200 pounds with about average power (16 homers in 111 games at High-A), an average hit tool (19.0/9.8 K%/BB%), double plus baserunning (53 steals), and defensive versality which should add value. The less rosy outlook is that the hit tool drops to below average at higher levels and he won’t have the power to make up for it, relegating him to a utility role. If we saw it at Double-A, I would be more apt to buy into the first narrative, but until I do, I’m staying a little cautious. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 74/16/67/.262/.323/.417/28

600) Ty Johnson – TBR, RHP, 23.6 – Johnson absolutely blew up after his trade to the Rays, putting up a 0.78 ERA with a 46.4/4.8 K%/BB% in 23 IP at High-A. He was pitching well all season with Chicago too, but Tampa tweaked his arm slot to that at the ear fastball, and it gave High-A hitters fits. He’s a tall drink of water at 6’6”, 205 pounds, and he uses that frame to fire that heavily used, mid 90’s fastball that is a plus pitch, to go along with a plus slider. He doesn’t have a third pitch and there is definitely bullpen risk, but let’s see what Tampa can do with a full off-season of him. Finding a third pitch could unlock mid rotation upside. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 9/3.91/1.24/140 in 140 IP

601) Hyun-Seok Jang – LAD, RHP, 21.0 – I just couldn’t resist writing up Jang even though he didn’t crack the Top 10, because if there is one pitcher in the minors who can jump into near elite pitching prospect range extremely quickly into 2025, it’s Jang. If he has literally a few good outings to start the season, maybe even just one good outing, the hype is going to hit really damn hard. He was one of my top FYPD pitching targets last off-season, and while his control/command was too raw to say he was a major hit, he more than showed the upside that I just can’t resist. He put up a ridiculous 41% K% in 36.2 IP split between rookie ball (41.5%) and Single-A (39.6%). He’s 6’4”, 200 pounds with an athletic righty delivery that fires a mid 90’s fastball that can reach the upper 90’s, to go along with a 2 potentially plus breakers (slider, curve), and a developing changeup that flashes plus. He was improving as the year progressed with a 2.19 ERA in 12.1 IP at Single-A (6.14 ERA on the season), which is a good sign, but the 16.3% BB% remained high all year, and that is just way too high. He has the type of stuff that can thrive with below average control, but he has work to do to get to even that. The way I see it, the raw control gives you one more off-season to get in for cheap or possibly nothing before he really starts to pop. Last year was his first year in a new country and his first year in pro ball. There was a lot of adjusting to do, and I think he’s going to look a lot more comfortable in year 2. He’s a major target. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 11/3.69/1.28/180 in 160 IP

602) Daniel Espino – CLE, RHP, 24.3 – Sometimes you just gotta say eff it. If you said eff it with Kumar Rocker and held onto him, it would have paid off in a major way for you this year. Rocker had both shoulder and elbow surgeries. Granted, Espino’s shoulder problems seem way more serious with him missing all of 2024 with another shoulder surgery. He hasn’t pitched since 2022. But his stuff was so off the charts nasty with upper 90’s heat, a plus slider, and a diverse pitch mix, that I think it’s worth it to just say eff it. Maybe he’s a shell of his former self. Maybe he keeps getting hurt. Or maybe he ends up in the bullpen. But on the off chance that his shoulder actually does get back to full health, he has the potential to Kumar Rocker the minors. From an afterthought to an elite, hyped pitching prospect in the blink of an eye. I’m going to hold on to see where it goes. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 3/3.81/1.29/65 in 60 IP

603) Danny Jansen – TBR, C, 30.0 – Jansen couldn’t have landed in a better spot, immediately becoming Tampa’s far and away clear starter. I thought he was going to be able to land a full time job, but nothing was guaranteed after his poor 2024. His EV tanked to 86.6 MPH, and it resulted in a .206 BA with 9 homers and a 89 wRC+ in 94 games. He’s about average on defense, so without an above average bat, it was up in the air on how teams were going to view him, but Tampa is so weak at catcher, he is also going to get an extremely long leash. He’s only 30, and he has a long track record of above average Barrels, a high launch, and above average contact rates, so the potential is in here to have a truly impact offensive catcher season. If you wait on catcher, he’s a decent last man standing type of pick. – 2025 Projection: 56/17/61/.225/.313/.419/0

604) Brayan Rocchio – CLE, SS, 24.3 – I’ve been calling Rocchio a sell for a few years now as he was getting Top 100 Prospect love (and actually like Top 20 prospect love on some lists), and after his rough rookie year in 2024, any trade value he had left is probably gone. He slashed .206/.298/.316 with 8 homers, 10 steals, and a 20.4/10.0 K%/BB% in 143 games. The .275 xwOBA backs up the terrible surface stats. He has a good SS glove, the plate approach is solid, and he he seems to have a lock on the starting SS job, but with an 84.6 MPH EV, 26.8 ft/sec sprint, and 69.5 MPH swing, there really isn’t all that much hope for an impact fantasy player. Maybe he can put together some .260/15/15 seasons at peak, but even that would be a high end outcome. – 2025 Projection: 68/11/51/.237/.313/.362/12

605) Geraldo Perdomo – ARI, SS, 25.4 – I know that Perdomo has a good glove at SS, and I know he is a clubhouse leader, but I still think he’s just keeping the seat warm for Jordan Lawlar. I don’t think his bat is good enough to be an MLB starter long term with a .281 xwOBA in 98 games. But having said that, there are some strings you can pull out to hope for future offensive improvement. For one, his surface stats beat his underlying numbers with a 98 wRC+ in 2023 and a 101 wRC+ in 2024. His contact rates are near elite with a 14.9% K%, and he has a good approach too with a 9.3% BB%. If he can start to hit the ball a bit harder as he gets into his mid 20’s, I guess it’s possible for his bat to be just good enough to be a starting SS, but I don’t think good teams want just good enough. They want Jordan Lawlar, and I think Lawlar is coming to take this job. Even if Perdomo does hold him off and hits his peak, the upside just isn’t there without power or speed. – 2025 Projection: 74/9/49/.255/.329/.382/14 Update: Arizona signed Perdomo to an extension, which is a clear vote of confidence that he is their guy at SS. I still don’t love him though

606) Tirso Ornelas – SDP, OF, 25.1 – Ornelas was once upon a time a popular sleeper bat back in 2018 as a 19 year old, and while he didn’t have the explosion many hoped for, here he is popping back up on the radar in 2025. The 6’4”, sweet lefty swinging Ornelas slashed .297/.367/.497 with 23 homers, 7 steals, and a 16.1/9.7 K%/BB% in 128 games at Triple-A. The 87.6 MPH EV and 8.4 degree launch don’t exactly scream big time power hitter in the majors, but the raw power is definitely in there, and the contact rates were really good. It’s probably a bench bat long term, but San Diego is a very thin team right now, so Ornelas is in position to get plenty of at-bats in 2025. It’s also not out of the question for him to level up again if he can raise his launch, and his teammate Jackson Merrill is a perfect guy to talk to about that. He’s not a bad underrated proximity bat at all for deeper leagues. – 2025 Projection: 41/10/47/.238/.303/.409/2 Prime Projection: 43/12/51/.260/.321/.435/3

607) Juan Brito – CLE, 2B/3B, 23.6 – Brito isn’t a good defensive player and Cleveland has started to move him all over the field (1B, 2B, 3B, OF), which isn’t a good sign because he doesn’t really have that no doubt offensive upside either. But his season at Triple-A was too good to ignore. He slashed .256/.365/.443 with 21 homers, 13 steals, and a 16.1/13.5 K%/BB% in 144 games. The 87.3 MPH EV isn’t great, but it’s not terrible, and it came with a 17.5 degree launch and a 47% Pull%. We know that a strong plate approach with a lift and pull profile can most certainly work. If he can get into the lineup, and he has opportunity at 2B before Bazzana arrives, he should be a rock solid MLB hitter, but his glove could cause problems on that front long term. – 2025 Projection: 22/5/27/.241/.302/.394/2 Prime Projection: 76/20/79/.259/.328/.430/8

608) Patrick Bailey – SFG, C, 25.10 – It looked like Bailey was breaking out with an excellent 1st half of the season, putting up a .784 OPS pre break in 69 games, but it fell apart in the 2nd half with a .434 OPS in his final 52 games. It’s the 2nd year in a row he’s massively underperformed his underlying numbers with a .319 xwOBA vs. .281 wOBA, and he hit the ball extremely hard with a 91.2 MPH EV, so there are some positive takeaways here. His plate approach also took a step forward with a very solid 22.3/8.7 K%/BB%. We’ve talked a lot about how catchers take much longer to develop offensively, so Bailey could be on that late 20’s breakout track, although his home ballpark will subdue whatever breakout he does have. – 2025 Projection: 54/13/58/.249/.312/.385/3

609) Edgar Quero – CHW, C, 22.0 – Quero is a super safe catcher prospect who had a clear path to playing time, but after the Kyle Teel trade, he’s going to have to battle it out. He’s had an excellent plate approach his entire professional career, putting up a 17.4/9.7 K%/BB% in 98 games split between Double-A and Triple-A. There is some juice in his bat too with 16 homers, but there isn’t huge raw power at 5’10” (87.3 MPH EV at Triple-A), and the launch isn’t very high either (7.2 degrees at Triple-A). It’s an above average hit/power combo in the minors which might play as an average hit/power combo in the majors, but at only 22 years old, you can give him a bump for age to level. He’s the type that has more value the deeper the league is, because I’m seeing more of a solid than standout hitting catcher. – 2025 Projection: 36/10/41/.246/.305/.391/1 Prime Projection: 66/17/72/.266/.339/.429/3

610) Michael Massey – KCR, 2B, 27.0 – The Royals brought in India this off-season, and while it seems they still have room for Massey to get full time at bats, it’s not great for him. The bigger problem is that he’s just not that good. He’s not bad though either, which is what keeps him on the radar. He’s coming off his best season where he put up a .743 OPS with 14 homers in 100 games, but it came with 1 steal, a .259 BA and a 4.2% BB%. The 7.1% Barrel% is about average, the 92.8 MPH FB EV isn’t all that great, and the ballpark is terrible. He improved his hit tool with a career best 15.7% K%, but it came at the cost of his plate approach with a career worst 37.4% Chase. The fantasy upside is capped and the real life upside is capped too. There is also no guarantee of full time at bats. He’s a very low end option. – 2025 Projection: 61/17/69/.250/.300/.416/4

611) Thairo Estrada – COL, 2B, 29.1 – Estrada signed a 1 year, $3.25 million contract with the Rockies, and the contract number really says it all. Estrada is not a very sought after player, and while having a starting job and hitting in Coors clearly bumps up his value, I’m not targeting him. The Coors bump isn’t close to what it used to be, and he only stole 2 bags in 96 games last year, which is where he derived most of his value. He’s never had an above average xwOBA in any season in his entire career, and it bottomed out to .263 in 2024. Having a job puts him back on the late round radar, but that is about it. He’s also just keeping the seat warm for Adael Amador, so he might not even hold onto the starting job for very long. – 2025 Projection: 66/13/49/.258/.310/.408/13 Update: I was already out on Estrada and now he will miss up to 2 months with a broken wrist. When he comes back he will have to compete with Tyler Freemand and eventually Amador for that job

612) Lenyn Sosa – CHW, 2B/3B, 25.2 – Sosa is in a scrum with a bunch of Chicago prospects for their middle infield jobs, and unfortunately, I don’t think he is going to be one of the players to emerge, but that will proven on the field. He hits the ball pretty hard with a 89.0/93.0 MPH AVG/FB EV, he can lift it with a 12.3 degree launch, and he can get the bat on the ball with a 20.9% K%. That’s not a bad collection of skills, and while it only resulted in an 80 wRC+ in 100 games, a lot of that was due to back luck with an average .316 xwOBA. The plate approach is terrible (3.3% BB%), he doesn’t run, and he’s not particularly good on defense, so I don’t think he’s a full time player, and guys like Colson Montgomery, Bryan Ramos, Miguel Vargas, Chase Meidroth and even Jacob Gonzalez are all going to pass him on the depth chart quite soon. – 2025 Projection: 35/11/42/.250/.298/.410/3

613) Jerar Encarnacion – SFG, OF, 27.5 – Encarnacion is highly likely to top out as a bench power bat, but he’s a bench power bat with very real upside. His 77 MPH swing is almost all you need to know that his upside is very real. And he smashes the ball with a 15% Barrel% and 95 MPH EV in 35 games in the majors. It led to 5 homers and a .348 xwOBA. That xwOBA is no joke. The .301 wOBA wasn’t as good, and I do think that matters, and the 28.6/4.2 K%/BB% is quite terrible, which I obviously think matters a ton. He’s also not a high launch guy with a 6.7 degree launch. And he’s bad on defense. It’s a very classic bench power bat, but man, anybody who swings that fast and hits it that hard has at least some of my attention. – 2025 Projection: 38/12/45/.237/.306/.424/2 Update: Fractured finger will keep him out until May, which is not going to help his bid to be a full time starter

614) Everson Pereira – NYY, OF, 24.0 – Pereira’s season ended on May 19th after undergoing elbow surgery. He was doing his usual big power, big strikeout thing before going down with the injury with 10 homers and a 32.4/8.6 K%/BB% in 40 games at Triple-A. That K rate at Triple-A is scary, and it was even worse when he got a shot in the majors in 2023 with a 38.8% K% and 43.1% whiff%. But strikeouts aside, Pereira is an exciting talent with the ability to crush the ball and above average speed. He’s basically obliterated every stop of the minors. These guys generally get a shot at some point in time, often with the Miami Marlins of the world, and the fantasy upside is worth staying patient with. With Juan Soto now officially a goner, maybe Pereira’s status in the Yankees organization gets a little bump, and even if he isn’t handed a starting job (which he won’t be), he might hang around in that next man up territory. He’s a bit more interesting to me now than he was before Soto signing with the Mets. 2025 Projection: 28/10/35/.222/.291/.424/5 Prime Projection: 71/24/78/.235/.312/.454/12 Update: Stanton injury could open the door a crack for Pereira

615) Drew Gilbert – NYM, OF, 24.6 – A hamstring injury knocked out 3 months of Gilbert’s season, and he couldn’t get comfortable until the final month where he went bonkos with 9 homers, 2 steals, and a 16.2/10.3 K%/BB% in his last 29 games at Triple-A. It was more of the same in the AFL with 3 homers and a 5/8 K/BB in 11 games. But the batting average didn’t follow behind with a .200 BA in the AFL and a .222 BA during that hot streak at Triple-A, and I’m not sure it’s purely bad luck. He only had a 85 MPH EV at Triple-A to go along with a 46.9% FB%, which is a recipe for a low batting average. The Mets ballpark also isn’t the right park for that kind of profile with it being one of the worst parks for lefty homers this year. He’s had less extreme flyball rates in the past, but with the mediocre at best EV’s, I don’t think it’s going to matter much, and while he runs a bit, it doesn’t seem like he will rack up steals. He’s close to the majors and he can definitely end up a solid fantasy player, but it’s not someone I’m going after unless it’s a deeper league. – 2025 Projection:.25/5/29/.235/.301/.395/3  Prime Projection: 76/18/74/.251/.322/.428/13

616) Wilfred Veras – CHW, OF, 22.4 – Veras is one of my favorite underrated proximity stashes in the minor leagues right now. He has that perfect mix of talent, upside, production, path to playing time, and absolutely non existent hype. He’s 6’2” with a big righty swing that has easy plus power potential, and he used that to club 16 homers in 128 games at Double-A. He’s not a burner but he loves to run, stealing 25 bags in 34 attempts, and I don’t see why Chicago wouldn’t let him run, especially if they are going to be bad for the next few years. And the most exciting part is that he at least hinted at improving his well below average plate approach in the 2nd half of the season with a 23.2/8.7 K%/BB% in his final 70 games. He was only 21 years old in the upper minors with a 118 wRC+, and his biggest weakness, the plate approach, showed signs of improving. I love taking some high risk, high reward shots on guys who aren’t teenagers, so Veras is in that perfect zone of upside and proximity for a cheap price that isn’t always easy to find. – 2025 Projection: 27/8/36/.221/.280/.389/5 Prime Projection: 69/22/78/.246/.309/.442/13

617) Miguel Bleis – BOS, OF, 21.1 – We already knew that Bleis was not going to be that rocket ship elite prospect that we hoped for after his disappointing 2023 season, and as often happens with these uber talented, close to a breakout but never quite breaks out prospects (see Alex Ramirez), they can just sit in the breakout waiting room for years, sometimes all the way into their late 20’s. So I fear Bleis is going to get comfortable in this breakout waiting room, but that is where he is after another mediocre at best season. He conquered Single-A with a 123 wRC+, but he was a 20 year old repeating the level, and he struggled when he got to the more age appropriate High-A with a 70 wRC+ in 50 games. That hit tool is still quite raw with a .221 BA on the season. The good news is that the upper echelon talent is still here with 11 homers, 38 steals, and a lift and pull profile. The hit tool isn’t good, but a 21.4/9.1 K%/BB% isn’t too bad. He also has a good glove in the OF. Is he just Alex Ramirez 2.0? Probably. But even Alex Ramirez can still breakout down the line, and Bleis certainly can too. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 67/20/71/.241/.309/.417/23

618) Yophery Rodriguez – MIL, OF, 19.4 – Rodriguez didn’t have the flashiest season with 7 homers, 7 steals, a .726 OPS and a 23.8/12.2 K%/BB% in 110 games at Single-A, but it resulted in a 117 wRC+, and when you take into account he was an 18 year old who skipped over stateside rookie ball, it’s much more impressive. He has a whip quick lefty swing, and he has good size at 6’1”, 185 pounds, so he should be able to get to above average to plus power at peak. He’s also an excellent athlete who signed for $1.5 million in 2023, although he needs to improve his base stealing (19 for 31 in his career and 7 for 12 this year). More refinement is needed in all areas of his game, which is to be expected at this stage in his career, but it’s not hard to see an above average across the board player at peak. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 82/22/80/.266/.344/.451/10

619) Yanquiel Fernandez – COL, OF, 22.3 – Fernandez simply didn’t have a good enough year for a bat only prospect. He put up a 98 wRC+ with 12 homers in 122 games split between Double-A and Triple-A. The plate approach is really bad (7.2% BB%), the hit tool is below average (.262 BA with a 19.4% K%), he’s almost a literal zero in steals, and the launch isn’t great either with a 44.1% GB%. Don’t get me wrong, I still love that sweet lefty swing and big power potential, but his bat really needed to be pretty bulletproof as the climbed the minors, and it just wasn’t in 2024. He’s a guy who is going to have to scratch and claw for playing time. I don’t hate him, but it’s just not a profile that deserves to get ranked very highly right now. 2025 Projection: 11/3/14/.228/.281/.398/0 Prime Projection: 66/24/71/.251/.318/.451/1

620) Paulino Santana – TEX, OF, 18.4 – Leodalis De Vries, Paulino Santana, and Emil Morales were my top 3 targets from last year’s international class, and while De Vries and Morales have gone full blow up, Santana is still sitting in a very reasonable price range. He didn’t hit for nearly enough power to be a coveted prospect with 0 homers in 53 games in the DSL, but everything else was there with a 14.6/20.0 K%/BB%, 20 steals, and a 142 wRC+. He’s a projectable 6’2”, 180 pounds and he didn’t have any major groundball or pull issues with a 35.4% flyball percentage and a 49% Pull%, so the game power should tick up naturally over time as the raw power starts coming in. The super quick and super athletic righty swing that made me fall in love with him is still fully present. The big breakout hasn’t come yet, but I still think it’s coming down the line. ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 88/20/76/.278/.347/.446/28

621) Kash Mayfield – SDP, LHP, 20.3 – Selected 25th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, Mayfield has prototypical size at 6’4”, 200 pounds with a deceptive lefty delivery that hides the ball well, before releasing it with a short arm action and 3 quarter arm slot. The deception and movement on the fastball allows the low to mid 90’s pitch play up. He combines the heater with two potentially plus secondaries in his slider and changeup, to go along with potentially plus control/command. He’s old for the class and seems a bit more floor over upside at the moment, but there is plenty here for San Diego to work with. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 11/3.91/1.22/160 in 165 IP

622) Cade Smith – CLE, Setup, 25.11 – Cade Smith had the most valuable 4-seam fastball in all of baseball last year. And that is not on a per pitch basis. That is overall, which is even more impressive for a reliever to hold the top spot there. And it also wasn’t even close. That pitch put up a 28 run value while the next closest was Hunter Greene with 20. It resulted in an unreal season with a 1.91 ERA and 35.6/5.9 K%/BB% in 75.1 IP. He was almost even more impressive in the post season with a 3.60 ERA and 43.2/5.4 K%/BB% in 10 IP. He’s obviously really good, but I’m not sure the underlying stats show him to be quite that good (which would be hard for anyone to maintain). The 30.2% whiff% is good, but not as good as the K rate, and none of his pitches put up more than a 30.4% whiff%. The splitter was an excellent pitch with a .231 xwOBA, but it only had a 29.9% whiff%, and the sweeper wasn’t very good. He also got hit relatively hard with a 90.4 MPH EV and 8.4% Barrel% against. Hard to say he still isn’t one of the top setup men to go after in 2025, but I don’t know, I’m going to at least be keeping in mind that there could be some regression next year. – 2025 Projection: 5/2.84/0.96/94/3 saves in 70 IP

623) Bryan Abreu – HOU, Setup, 27.11 – Abreu wasn’t quite as good in 2024 as he was in 2022-23, but he was still elite with a 3.10 ERA and 31.7/9.8 K%/BB% in 78.1 IP. He’s firmly established as one of the top setup men in the game, if not the top guy. Hader is locked into the closer role, but an injury would turn Abreu into an elite closer immediately, and a Hader trade could also get him into the role, but I guess in that scenario, Abreu could be the next one out the door anyway. – 2025 Projection: 4/3.02/1.15/93/5 saves in 70 IP

624) Mason Montgomery – TBR, Setup, 24.10 – Montgomery got transitioned to the bullpen in 2024, and to say he took to it well would be an understatement. He absolutely exploded with a 1.86 ERA and 45.9/13.5 K%?BB% in 9.2 IP. His stuff exploded too with a 97.3 MPH fastball that put up a 43.1% whiff%, to go along with a slider that put up a 56% whiff%. The control is below average, but this looks like it can end up a truly elite pen arm. And it’s not like Tampa’s pen is set in stone. He could emerge as a true elite closer option quite quickly, even if being a lefty makes it hard to really bank on that, and also the fact he can go multiple innings. – 2025 Projection: 4/3.39/1.19/90/3 saves in 70 IP

625) Jason Foley – DET, Closer Committee, 29.5 – Foley saved 28 games in 2024, so he’s the presumed favorite for saves, but his hold on the role seems very precarious. Detroit would also be a candidate to trade for a pen arm during the season even if Foley can make it through the off-season. His strikeout rates just aren’t good enough to feel safe with him with a 18.4/8.0 K%/BB% in 60 IP. He had a 3.15 ERA and he has a career 3.16 ERA in 199.2 IP, so it’s certainly possible he can hang onto the role. He does it with a 96.9 MPH sinker that keeps the ball on the ground to go along with an above average slider. He’s a very low end option. – 2025 Projection: 3/3.45/1.21/52/20 saves in 63 IP

626) Chris Martin – TEX, Closer, 38.10 – Martin is currently penciled in as the Rangers closer, but let’s see where Kenley and Robertson land before feeling too comfortable with that. Even if they don’t sign anyone, he doesn’t feel all that secure in the role. He’s also liable to lose the role by the trade deadline even if he does start the season as the closer. He’s the rarer elite control bullpen arm with a 3.45 ERA and 27.8/1.7 K%/BB% in 44.1 IP. The 23.9% whiff% is below average, so I wouldn’t buy into that K% too hard. He mostly dominated with a plus cutter that had a 45.5% usage, .260 xwOBA and 27.6% K%. If you wait on closer, beggers can’t be choosers, so he’s the type of low cost option you will be looking at. And then just cross your fingers he holds the role. – 2025 Projection: 3/3.49/1.14/57/20 saves in 55 IP

627) Robert Garcia – TEX, Setup, 28.10 – Garcia is the best lefty in Texas’ bullpen, and if they don’t sign anyone, Chris Martin seems like a relatively shaky (or more accurately, not locked in) option that possibly could be passed at some point during the season. No guarantee they go to Garcia, but he could start to see more and more save chances regardless. He put up a 2.53 xERA (4.22 ERA) with a 29.9/6.4 K%/BB% in 59.2 IP. He throws 3 good pitches with his changeup being the standout with a .193 xwOBA and 37.2% whiff%. There are ingredients in here for him to breakout, and even as a lefty, maybe he can emerge as the guy. – 2025 Projection: 3/3.56/1.19/75/15 saves in 62 IP

628) Jason Adam – SDP, Setup, 33.8 – Suarez showed some cracks in the armor in 2024, and while he’s clearly the incoming favorite for the job, Adam seems to be next in line if he falters. Adam is also better than Suarez with a 1.96 ERA and 28.7/8.2 K%/BB% in 73.2 IP. His stuff backs up the production with a plus, bat missing mid 90’s fastball to go along with 3 whiff machines secondaries. If San Diego just chooses to go with the best pitcher, and not worry about track record, maybe they do just give the job to Adam. It’s worth noting that Jeremiah Estrada is a beast too, but I think track record gives the edge to Adam in the short term if Suarez gets ousted. – 2025 Projection: 4/3.13/1.06/78/10 saves in 65 IP

629) Taylor Rogers – CIN, Closer Committee, 34.3 – Diaz is as shaky as it gets right now, and Rogers has experience as a closer, saving 31 games in 2022, so it’s possible Rogers is the guy if Diaz falters. He’s a lefty though, and Cincy has other options even beyond him, so even next man up status is far from certain. Either way, he could be in the mix, and he’s coming off a strong season where he put up a 2.40 ERA and 25.9/8.8 K%/BB% in 60 IP. The sinker velocity has been on the decline, sitting at 93 MPH, and the sweeper is a good pitch, but not a great pitch. He seems to be declining, and he’s solid, but he’s not really great. I think Cincy might go another way even if it’s not Diaz, but again, who knows. – 2025 Projection: 3/3.68/1.26/66/13 saves in 60 IP Update: As I expected, Diaz is out at closer (maybe due to injury but also due to performance), and Rogers will at least form a committee and maybe get a shot at the job

630) Liam Hendriks – BOS, Closer Committee, 36.2 – Hendriks returned from Tommy John surgery in August for a rehab assignment at Triple-A. His stuff was down 2 ticks and he didn’t look great over 5 outings. He then went back on the IL after suffering a setback. All indications are that he’s having a normal off-season and will be ready to go for 2025, but who knows exactly how healthy he’s going to look. He missed almost the entire 2023 and 2024 season, and he’s 36 years old. He was basically the Jacob deGrom of relief pitchers before going down with the injury, putting up minuscule ERA’s with like a 40.0/3.0 K%/BB%, so I guess even a diminished version of himself can be very good, but there is also a chance the cliff has come, and he will just never be close to the same. The upside is higher than Chapman, but so is the risk. Seeing how he looks in Spring will swing his value majorly. -2025 Projection: 2/3.75/1.20/45/10 saves in 40 IP Update: Seems to have been beaten out for the closer job, but this competition can easily go into the season

631) Curtis Mead – TBR, 2B/3B, 24.5 – Mead isn’t good on defense, he hits lefties much better than righties, he has below average speed, he doesn’t walk a ton, and he’s not really a big power hitter. That is just a lot of negatives to overcome. The hit tool is good, but it’s not great. He’s been terrible in the majors with 2 homers, 2 steals, a 78 wRC+ and a 22.8/5.8 K%/BB% in 224 PA. He’s only 24, and I do still think he can become a solid MLB hitter, but the upside isn’t very high even if he can reach that upside. – 2025 Projection 18/4/22/.248/.304/.391/1 Prime Projection: 58/16/66/.263/.317/.422/6

632) Thomas Saggese – STL, 2B/3B/SS, 23.0 – Saggese was always a guy who produced above his tools, demanding respect in the prospect world despite being a 5th round pick, but pro ball finally caught up with him at Triple-A. He put up 93 wRC+ with a 23.1/5.9 K%/BB% in 125 games. He then got a cup of coffee in the majors where he struggled hard with a 57 wRC+ and 26.9/3.8 K%/BB% in 52 PA. He just doesn’t hit the ball hard enough (87.3 MPH at AAA and 85.7 MPH in the majors), or have good enough plate skills (see K/BB above), or run enough (9 steals) to be too enticing of a fantasy prospect. There also isn’t much defensive value, so it’s not like the glove will force him on the field. I’m not saying he can’t be a solid bat at peak, because I think he can be, I’m just not too enthused about rostering him until it maybe happens. – 2025 Projection: 25/5/29/.237/.293/.389/2 Prime Projection: 66/19/74/.259/.318/.420/8

633) Shay Whitcomb – HOU, 3B, 26.6 – If Whitcomb had a starting job, or even some semblance of a path to a full time job, I would really love him, but he really doesn’t have a path. And at already 26 years old, it’s hard to say you should hold him for the future. It’s a shame, because he’s a tooled up hitter with a powerful righty swing (25 homers with a 89.5 MPH EV and 16.9 degree launch in 105 games at Triple-A), and he finally made the hit tool improvement he needed to make, which stuck in his small sample MLB debut. He put up a 19.8/11.0 K%/BB% at Triple-A and a 17.4/10.9 K%/BB% in 46 PA in the majors. The 17.9% whiff% is even more impressive. His 76 wRC+ wasn’t impressive, but he got unlucky with a .342 xwOBA. He’s not a burner with a 27.4 ft/sec sprint (in a small sample, so that might not be his true talent level), but he’s a good athlete and he loves to run with 26 steals at Triple-A. He’s the type where I would keep a close eye and pounce the second you see him getting at bats, but it’s hard to hold until that happens. – 2025 Projection: 22/7/28/.244/.308/.417/8

634) Edouard Julien – MIN, 2B, 25.11 – I poured some cold water on Julien last off-season, writing in his Top 1,000 blurb, “I was the party pooper on a Minnesota infielder last off-season (Jose Miranda), and I’m going to do it again with another Minnesota infielder this year, Edouard Julien. What gives me pause, in 5×5 BA leagues especially, are that his strikeout rates are high (31.4%), his groundball rates are high (50.2%), he’s a below average defensive player, he has below average speed (27 ft/sec sprint), and he struggled majorly vs. lefties (.447 OPS in 48 MLB PA and .758 OPS in 91 PA at Triple-A).” … All of those deficiencies were on full display in 2024 and it resulted in him losing his job mid-season and getting sent back down to the minors. He got called back up in August, but he was even worse than before. He put up a 80 wRC+ with 8 homers, 6 steals, and a 33.9/11.0 K%/BB%  in 94 games on the season. He still hit the ball hard with a 9.8% Barrel%, and he still walked a ton with a 11% BB%, but that is all he did well. He dug himself a hole to get another shot at a starting job, and it doesn’t look like he has one going into 2024. – 2025 Projection: 51/13/42/.231/.327/.413/8

635) Marco Luciano – SFG, SS/2B, 23.7 – Luciano’s prospect star has slowly faded as he’s continued to climb the ladder, and it came to a head in 2024 with a terrible year in the majors, and also a very mediocre year at Triple-A. He put up a 59 wRC+ with a 34.6/6.2 K%/BB%, 0 homers, and 0 steals in 81 MLB PA. And at AAA he slashed .250/.380/.380 in 83 games. He’s not good on defense, the hit tool is below average at best, and he’s not fast with average speed. Power was always his main selling point, and that is still present with a plus 73.7 MPH swing and 89.8 MPH EV at Triple-A, but the launch is relatively low, he doesn’t particularly pull it a ton, and SF is just a deadly ballpark for power hitters. He’s also been passed on the depth chart, so he doesn’t have a clear path to playing time at the moment. Without much defensive value, hit tool problems, little speed, no starting job, and good but not great power, I just don’t see him as a very unique or valuable player right now. He’s still on the radar, he has legit power, and he’s young, so I’m not giving up on him completely, but this is as high as I can go. – 2025 Projection: 28/7/24/.234/.310/.400/2 Prime Projection: 68/24/73/.248/.322/437/6

636) Gabriel Rincones – PHI, OF, 24.1 – Rincones is a powerfully built 6’3”, 225 pounds with easy plus power, and in his first shot at the upper minors in 2024, he dominated. He slashed .263/.357/.487 with 11 homers, 20 steals, and a 25.6/11.6 K%/BB% in 59 games at Double-A. It was good for a 141 wRC+. He’s not a burner, so don’t expect big steal totals in the bigs, but he should at least be a contributor in the category. He’s a corner outfielder and there are hit tool issues, but I’ll bet on a guy who looks the part, hits the ball hard, disposed of Double-A immediately, and is knocking on the door of the bigs. The biggest issue is that he’s terrible vs. lefties, so it might end up in a platoon role. 2025 Projection: 18/5/24/.228/.298/.420/4 Prime Projection: 68/23/75/.245/.323/.462/9

637) Jefferson Rojas – CHC, SS, 19.11 – I was a bit lower on Rojas than consensus last off-season, because I just didn’t see big enough tools to get really excited about him for fantasy, and that played out in 2024 with a mediocre season. He hit 6 homers with 21 steals (in 29 attempts) and a 88 wRC+ in 96 games at High-A. We have to grade on a curve because he was young for the level, and the 15.3% K% was excellent, so it’s not like it was a terrible year or anything, it just displayed that he’s a better real life prospect than a fantasy one. He can play SS and he gets the ball on the ball, which gives him a very high floor, but the power/speed combo projects to be moderate at best. He’s a solid fantasy prospect, but not a truly coveted one at the moment. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 78/17/71/.273/.326/.421/15

638) Jeral Perez – CHW, 2B, 20.5 – Perez getting traded from LA to CHI is a major developmental downgrade, and while it does theoretically create a better path to playing time down the line, I don’t think the trade off is worth it. Perez has a lot of development left to go as he’s only reached Single-A. Having said that, he’s still a really good lower minors prospect. I gave him the Andy Pages 2.0 comp, and that really sums him up pretty well. They are both 6’0” righties with relatively extreme lift and pull profiles, above average to plus raw power, a plus plate approach, and mid 20 K rates. He slashed .262/.370/.423 with 12 homers, 4 steals, and a 22.9/12.9 K%/BB% in 105 games. Andy Pages set a strong foundation for himself in 2024 to be an above average MLB bat, and Perez has the potential to do the same in a few years. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 80/22/80/.255/.332/.440/6

639) Luken Baker – STL, 1B, 28.1 – With the news of Contreras moving to 1B, that takes a lot of the wind out of Baker’s sails in terms of playing time projections. It doesn’t seem like St. Louis is interested in him as anything more than a power bench bat. Which is understandable considering his age and hit tool risk, but it’s still unfortunate as far as fantasy goes, because the guy is a home run machine. He hit 33 homers in 84 games at Triple-A in 2023 and then hit another 32 homers in 108 games this year. He smashes the ball with a 91.1 MPH EV and he lifts it with a 17.5 degree launch. He hasn’t exactly kicked the door down when he’s gotten his small shots in the majors, which is what a bat like this has to do, but the power has most certainly transferred with a 92.3 MPH EV and 16.6 degree launch in 148 career MLB PA. It’s come with a .198 BA though, and even though his 22.4% K% this year looks good, the 33% whiff% doesn’t look good. He not only hits for power, he walks a ton too with a 14.3% BB% in the majors, so I thought he was worthy of getting a shot at an everyday job, but it’s not to be. He’ll have to Kool Aid Man the door down, and at 6’4”, 285 pounds, he just might. – 2025 Projection: 31/11/36/.228/.321/.427/0 Prime Projection: 63/20/68/.236/.331/.462/1

640) Jonathon Long – CHI, 1B, 23.2 – I’m a hawk for great pro debuts coming right out of the draft, and Long’s great pro debut in 2023 certainly got my attention. Despite getting picked 266th overall as a college bat (he signed for slot value, so there were no complicating signing bonus factors), I messed around and placed Long on my Top 1,000 Rankings, writing in part, “Long makes for an interesting late round target in deeper leagues … He has a very quick and powerful swing that looks relatively legit to me, and he hits the ball hard. Obviously don’t expect a league winner, but I think he’s a real prospect.” He then went out and proved in 2024 that he is most certainly a legit prospect, to say the least. He slashed .340/.455/.528 with 7 homers and a 16.5/17.5 K%/BB% in 46 games after getting the call to Double-A. He then went to the AFL and obliterated the league with a 1.088 OPS and 6 homers in 18 games. He’s still a mostly 1B prospect (he can play some 3B too) whose reasonable projection is more of a good bat than a great one, so he’s still more of a deeper league guy, but he most certainly backed up that great pro debut. He’s a close to the majors bat who can make a fantasy impact if he can work his way into the lineup. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 68/20/76/.257/.326/.441/1

641) Jesus Baez – NYM, SS/3B, 20.1 – Baez’ season ended on July 3rd after undergoing knee surgery for a torn meniscus, but he has showing off a very impressive hit/power combo before going down with the injury. He cracked 10 homers with a 15.7 degree launch, 16.2% K% and 123 wRC+ in 64 games at Single-A, and then he snuck in 8 games at High-A where he proved everything will transfer with 1 homer, a 15.6% K% and a 119 wRC+. He’s not a huge tools guy at 5’10”, but he’s powerfully built and he surely has a powerful righty swing with a 89.7 MPH EV. He’s not particularly projectable and the plate approach isn’t great, so it might be someone who sees his production drop, or maintain, as he gets to higher levels, rather than someone who just keeps on improving. I think a reasonable upside projection for him would be an above average hit/power combo, rather than a truly special one. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 71/24/79/.263/.321/.441/7

642) Pablo Guerrero – TEX, 1B, 18.8 – Pablo Guerrero is Vlad Guerrero’s son and Vlad Guerrero’s brother. He has the power of a Guerrero with 7 homers and a 119 wRC+ in 51 games in rookie ball, but he doesn’t have the contact rates of a Vlad with a 30.0%/8.0% K%/BB%. He closed out the season at Single-A as a barely 18 year old and struggled with a 64 wRC+ and 1 homer in 27 games, but considering his age, I wouldn’t put too much stock into that. It’s super fun to bet on a Guerrero, and at 6’2”, 200 pounds with the patented Guerrero family swing, he most certainly has a carrying tool in his power. Even with the shaky hit tool, I’m apt to go after him. I think he’s a bit underrated, which is hard to believe considering the bloodlines. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 72/28/85/.247/.322/.473/2

643) Connor Wong – BOS, C, 28.10 – Wong had a strong season in 2024, finishing as the 10th best fantasy catcher, and after Boston traded Kyle Teel, he seems secure in his job, at least for the short term. I’m still not a big fan though. He was a well below average defense catcher, and he got lucky on offense with a .330 wOBA vs. .288 xwOBA. His EV bottomed out at 86.5 MPH, he doesn’t make a ton of contact with a 28.8% whiff%, and he doesn’t get on base with a 5.7% BB%. He just seems like a good backup catcher to me, which is where I think he’ll end up in the long run, but for now, he’s got the job. – 2025 Projection: 51/11/49/.253/.309/.400/9

644) Adrian Del Castillo – ARI, C, 25.6 – Del Castillo is not a good defensive catcher, and he might be a DH only, which is a major problem in projecting his future playing time. His bat is really going to have to max out, and the good news is that it maxed out in 2024. He utterly obliterated Triple-A with a 144 wRC+, 26 homers, and a 16.9/11.6 K%/BB% in 105 games, and then he utterly obliterated the majors with a 146 wRC+, 4 homers, and a 32.2/8.0 K%/BB% in 25 games. As you can see from that K/BB though, the hit tool is a major risk, and his strikeout rates in the minors prior to this season were very high. The power is plus and he puts the ball in the air, but the hit tool risk combined with the poor defense could be enough to keep him as a bench bat. He’s highly unlikely to take the starting catcher job away from Gabriel Moreno anyway, even if he was better on defense. In most leagues, he’s probably someone you jump on when/if he does get in the lineup, rather than someone you hold waiting for it. – 2025 Projection: 41/10/47/.245/.312/.423/1

645) Carter Jensen – KCR, C, 21.9 – The unheralded Jensen continued to rake his face off everywhere he’s played, and it’s high time we start heralding him. He put up a 137 wRC+ in 84 games at High-A, and then he got the call to Double-A where he put up a 112 wRC+ with 8 homers in 41 games. He obliterated the AFL too with a silly 1.382 OPS and 4 homers in 12 games, but granted, I think I could have put up a 1.000+ OPS against AFL pitching this year. He hits the ball very hard, he has no groundball issues, and he can pull it. He’s a legit exciting power bat with a howitzer lefty swing, but it comes with legit hit tool risk too. He hit .233 with a 26.5/8.8 K%/BB% when he got to Double-A, and he has a career .235 BA in 373 minor league games. He walks a ton, so add a star in OBP leagues, but the hit tool still needs to take a step forward to be a slam dunk starting MLB catcher. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 63/22/68/.232/.317/.435/5

646) Triston McKenzie – CLE, RHP, 27.8 – Here is what I wrote about McKenzie after his latest spring outing, “3.2 IP, 7 hits, 2 ER, 0 HR, 3/0 K/BB vs. a Quad-A Cubs lineup. The velocity is still up with a 93.6 MPH fastball, and the whiffs are still coming with a 38% whiff%. He didn’t pitch all that well, and the competition wasn’t all that great, but McKenzie continues to be an arrow up player this spring. I still don’t fully trust him, but he’s likely going to bounce back from a disaster last couple of years.” 2025 Projection: 8/4.28/1.33/135 in 140 IP

647) Mitch Garver – SEA, C, 34.2 – Garver caught 25 games in 2024, which is a saving grace to his value, because he wouldn’t crack the Top 1,000 without catcher eligibility. He had a nightmare of a time hitting in Seattle’s extreme pitcher’s park, and he’ll still be hitting there in 2024, which doesn’t give much hope for a truly impactful season. His 89.9/94.8 MPH AVG/FB EV with a 18.3 degree launch shows the power potential is most certainly in here, and he did crack 15 homers in 114 games, but the hit tool fell off a cliff with a 30.9% K% and .172 BA (.180 xBA). Garver has a long track record with a career .236 BA, but the Mariners were the worst park in baseball for righty batting average, so that might not be a complete fluke. He was terrible vs. righties last year with a .549 OPS, so a short side of a platoon bat is his main role, although he’ll still get plenty of time vs. righties. He could definitely get enough playing time to be a viable starting catcher in fantasy if the hit tool bounces back, but he’s no longer sneaky exciting like he has been in the past. – 2025 Projection: 44/17/53/.225/.316/.424/0

648) Jake Rogers – DET, C, 29.11 – Rogers was the 2nd best defensive catcher in baseball last year, and he was really good in 2023 as well, so I have to think he’s still the favorite to get the majority of playing time in Detroit despite a terrible offensive season. He put up a 71 wRC+ with 10 homers and a 29.4/6.5 K%/BB% in 102 games. He’s got pop with a 89/94.2 MPH AVG/FB EV and a 15.7 degree launch, but the hit tool is tanking him. Dillon Dingler is right on his tail, so he doesn’t have much job security if he continues to be terrible on offense. He’s an extremely low end option. – 2025 Projection: 39/13/41/.219/.283/.408/1

649) Jose Miranda – MIN, 3B, 26.9 – 1B is so light this year, and with Miranda seemingly ticketed for a large share of Minnesota’s 1B job, I’ll make an exception to the 20 GP qualification I’m using and include him in the 1B rankings along with these 3B rankings. He has an average-ish hit/power combo with a 15.4% K%, 88.9 MPH EV, and 15.5 degree launch. It only resulted in 9 homers and a 5.9% Barrel% in 121 games, so that is very lackluster power output for a 1B, especially one who doesn’t walk (4.2% BB%). He put up a 115 wRC+, but the .306 xwOBA shows there was good luck in play there. He’s not an MLB starter long term, and even short term I’m sure Minnesota is hoping someone can take this job from him. – 2025 Projection: 40/11/48/.262/.312/.418/2 Update: Like I thought, Minnesota brought in a vet to take the job away from Miranda

650) Jose Tena – WAS, 3B, 24.0 – Tena looks to be locked in as Washington’s starting 3B, but I’m still treading carefully here. He was terrible vs. lefties in the majors (.458 OPS in 48 PA), he was pretty bad at 3B, he was a bad real life hitter (83 wRC+ in 44 games) and Brady House is almost unquestionably the long term starter there. House already spent a lot of time at Triple-A in 2024, so “long term” could be more like very quickly into 2025. Tena also has bad plate skills with both contact and chase issues (24.4/4.2 K%/BB% in the majors and a 25.2/7.4 K%/BB% at Triple-A). He does two things well though, and those things are good for fantasy, which is hitting the ball very hard (91.2/96.8 MPH AVG/FB EV) and speed (28.1 ft/sec sprint with 6 steals in 44 games in the majors). The launch was low in both the majors and Triple-A, so he can’t fully take advantage of that power, and he’s been a bad base stealer his entire career, so it’s hard to count on him truly racking up steals. I see the appeal, and he’ll be cheap, so I get it, but he’s not one of my later dart throws. All good if he’s one of yours though. It’s not like he’s very expensive right now anyway. – 2025 Projection: 51/13/55/.245/.302/.401/16 Update: I was already out on Tena, and then Washington signed DeJong to be their shor term 3B while House cooks

651) Abimelec Ortiz – TEX, 1B, 23.1 – I was never the high guy on Ortiz, and I kinda wrote him off after his poor first half of the season, but he redeemed himself in the 2nd half, slashing .308/.406/.570 with 15 homers, 2 steals, and a 21.1/14.2 K%/BB% in his final 60 games. He’s 5’10”, 230 pounds with a howitzer of a lefty swing that is made to launch the ball. He’s not a good defensive player and he was bad vs. lefties (.623 OPS in 107 PA). Tack on the hit tool risk, and it’s still not a player I’m going to be super high on. But there is no doubt power in his bat, so if he does get the playing time, he’s going to pop dingers. – 2025 Projection: 9/3/13/.224/.291/.409/0 Prime Projection: 61/21/74/.246/.318/.451/2

652) Chase Davis – STL, OF, 23.3 – The Ghost of Poor Pro Debut Past actually didn’t have a bad year at all in 2024, but it wasn’t that good either considering all the hype he had after the draft, proving the weight put on the poor debut was the proper evaluation. He slashed .252/.349/.417 with 12 homers, 9 steals, and a 23.8/11.8 K%/BB% in 112 games at mostly Single-A and High-A. He got a cup of coffee in the upper minors to close out the season and put up a 103 wRC+ in 8 games. He still has that smooth and athletic lefty swing, but the raw power has only been above average at best, and it comes with a low launch (47.5% GB%). He doesn’t have the hit tool, speed or defensive value to really make up for the power not being standout. It’s just not a very unique profile as a good but not great corner outfield bat, and I’m kinda being generous even saying “good” there. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 51/14/53/.251/.325/.423/5

653) Billy Amick – MIN, 3B, 22.5 – Selected 60th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, the reason Amick isn’t grouped on the FYPD Rankings with the higher end college hitter prospects, and didn’t get drafted as highly as that group of hitting prospects either, is because of his 18.2%/9.9% K%/BB% in 65 games in the SEC. That is both too much swing and miss and too much chasing. He can definitely mash with 23 homers and a 1.026 OPS, and he’s a proven SEC hitter, so I still like the bat a lot, and he had a strong pro debut to back up the strong college production. He ripped 3 homers with an 88.5 MPH EV and 19.5/15.6 K%/BB% in 18 gamest at Single-A. It came with a .222 BA and 53.2% GB%, so it wasn’t all roses, but it was nice to see the strong plate skills. He’s a solid but unspectacular power bat. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 72/22/78/.253/.320/.447/5

654) Tommy White – OAK, 3B, 22.1 – Selected 40th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, the 6’1”, 228 pound White has that low and wide batting stance which I’ve always disliked since I started writing, and now it seems like teams and mainstream scouts are also open about not liking. It’s all about the upright batting stance into a leg kick these days. He fell to 40th overall despite ripping up the SEC and ACC all 3 years he was in college, hitting 75 homers with a 14.5%/8.2% K%/BB% in 187 games. And his poor pro debut (2 homers with a 67 wRC+ in 25 games at Single-A) did nothing to change the lukewarm attitude I have (and MLB seems to have had) towards him. A poor defensive player with no speed and low walk rates is a recipe for scratching and clawing for playing time. Having said all that, the contact/power combo from a proven major college performer is good enough to take a shot on at this point of the rankings, and while “Oakland” is getting more crowded, you have to think there will be playing time available if he hits. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 67/22/79/.253/.310/.450/2

655) Blake Burke – MIL, 1B, 21.10 – Burke was selected 34th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, which is relatively high for a DH/1B bat to get drafted, which means Milwaukee really believes in Burke’s bat. And why not, as Burke is a 6’3”, 240 pound masher who hit 50 homers in 182 career games in the SEC (20 homers in 72 games this season). He’s had hit tool and chase issues throughout his career, but a 14.9/10.8 K%/BB% this year shows he’s capable of improvement. He played in only 5 games at High-A in his pro debut for reasons I am unsure of. He didn’t hit a homer, but a 22.2/11.1 K%/BB% is a good sign that the hit tool won’t blow up in a bad way in pro ball, and we know the power is in there. He’s not a good defensive 1B, so there is a ton of pressure on his bat to become more than a part time power hitter, but for fantasy especially, why not take the shot here. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 67/23/79/.250/.322/456/2

656) Austin Charles – KCR, 3B/SS, 21.4 – Charles was a super raw, super talented project at an uber athletic 6’5” coming into 2024, and he more or less heads into 2025 with that exact same profile. He was 20 years old and repeating Single-A, which is never a great sign, and while he had a much better season this year with a 121 wRC+, the .257/.353/.386 triple slash with a 25.8% K% and 10 homers in 117 games doesn’t exactly look great. You only have to watch him swing the bat once with an insanely athletic, quick, and powerful righty swing to overlook the lackluster statistical profile, and he can certainly lift and pull it with a 35.2% GB% and 60.1% Pull%, so he should be able to get to most of his power down the line. He also has plus speed with 36 steals. The real question is the hit tool, and while it seems the odds are against him hitting enough to be a full time regular, the upside would be considerable if he can figure it out. He continues to hover in that Top 200-ish area for me as a high risk, high reward lotto ticket. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 69/18/74/.233/.308/.423/19

657) Jhonny Severino – PIT, SS.3B, 20.5 – You only have to watch Severino demolish a homer to completely get his appeal. He’s a still projectable 6’2”, 185 pounds with that absolute vicious and athletic righty swing that jacked out 16 homers in 84 games split between stateside rookie and Single-A (6 homers in 28 games at Single-A). He’s also a good athlete who stole 16 bags in 20 attempts. He was a 19 year old at rookie ball for his first 56 games of the season, so I was a little skeptical of the 15.9/11.8 K%/BB% at that level, and that skepticism proved correct as he put up a much worse 30.1/6.5 K%/BB% at the more age appropriate Single-A. There is definitely risk with much more refinement needed, but the upside is easy to dream on. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 75/24/82/.242/.313/.448/12

658) Jeremy Rodriguez – NYM, SS, 18.9 – Rodriguez was one of the top high-floor DSL breakouts in 2023, and he remains a high floor prospect after a solid showing in stateside rookie ball, slashing .282/.355/.400 with 3 homers, 17 steals, and a 17.1/9.7 K%/BB% in 50 games. If you want to get a little crazy with the comp, his swing reminds me more than a bit of Francisco Lindor’s, and Rodriguez is basically the same size with the same skillset. Lindor’s power was also undersold as a prospect. But Lindor is obviously the stupid ceiling comp. You can also find utility infielders with similar profiles and size. You get the point. He gets the bat on the ball, he’s 6’0” with room for muscle, he’s a good athlete, and he has a good glove. He’s probably a bit underrated right now if anything. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 82/17/60/.269/.331/.413/20

659) John Gil – ATL, SS/3B, 18.10 – Gil is a pretty toolsy and projectable 6’1”, 175 pounds, and he’s now conquered both levels of rookie ball, putting up a 120 wRC+ in 48 games in the DSL in 2023, and then putting up a 124 wRC+ with 3 homers, 26 steals, and a 16.1/13.3 K%/BB% in 51 games at stateside rookie ball in 2024. He struggled when he got the call to Single-A with a 72 wRC+ in 39 games, but he was barely 18 years old, and the 23.3/11.9 K%/BB% with 14 steals wasn’t bat at all. There is definitely room to tack on more mass, and he was lifting and pulling in rookie ball, so he should be able to get to most of his eventual raw power. Gil checks a lot of boxes for a rookie ball player with contact, approach, speed, athleticism, good size, and projection. He’s a definite legit breakout candidate in 2025. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 82/16/58/.273/.336/.419/26

660) Luis Pena – MIL, SS/3B/SS, 18.4 – Pena was the top hit/speed combo breakout in the DSL, slashing .393/.457/.583 with 1 homer, 39 steals, and a 8.2/8.2 K%/BB% in 44 games. He’s not a big guy at a relatively skinny 5’11”, but he has an explosive righty swing that can hit the ball hard, there is plenty of room to tack on mass, and he doesn’t have any major lift and pull problems, so there is definitely potential for him to develop some level of real power down the line. If he can, that makes for a pretty exciting prospect with contact, speed and power. If he can’t, there should still be enough impact there for him to be a enticing hit/speed prospect. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 82/15/64/.272/.331/.425/28

661) Jhonny Level – SFG, SS, 18.0 – Level signed for $1 million in last year’s international class, and he then went on to decimate the DSL, slashing .275/.393/.517 with 10 homers, 18 steals, and a 16.7/14.0 K%/BB% in 48 games. He doesn’t necessarily have the scouts dream body you can really project on to fly him up rankings, but he’s a rock solid and athletic 5’10”, which can certainly work. He excelled in all facets of the game, and while there might not be a true standout tool when he gets to higher levels, he very well might have enough juice to stay very productive across the board. I wouldn’t stick my neck out too much, but he’s definitely one of my favorite DSL breakouts. He’s a fun one. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 81/21/79/.268/.332/.437/15

662) Yolfran Castillo – TEX, SS, 18.2 – Castillo obliterated the DSL with a 8.2%/22.7% K%/BB%, 6 steals, and a 188 wRC+ in 20 games before Texas showed how much they liked the kid by calling him up to stateside rookie. He proved the profile will transfer there too with a 10.6% K% and 4 steals in 15 games. He didn’t hit a homer this year, but he’s a projectable 6’3” with good bat speed, so more power is certainly coming down the line. He signed for a solid $647,500, and with how quick Texas promoted him, they are tipping their hand as to how much they value him. He has both floor (elite contact rates with a good glove) and upside (size, projection and athleticism). He’s definitely a good target. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 85/18/71/.278/.343/.428/18

663) Tyler Black – MIL, 1B, 24.8 – Black didn’t play a single game at 2B this year, telling me they have given up on playing him at that position, and he only played 9 games at 3B and 12 games in the OF. He spent the majority of his time at 1B and DH. And the bottom line is that low EV 1B/DH don’t really exist, especially ones who have a good but not great hit tool. He put up an 83 MPH EV with 0 barrels, a .561 OPS and a 29.8% K% in his 57 PA MLB debut. The EV sat at 85.7 MPH at Triple-A. He also doesn’t have the type of extreme lift and pull profile to really pull that off, but it doesn’t go in the extreme the other way either, so he can definitely pop some dingers. If he had a viable position, I wouldn’t mind the speed, OBP, good BA, some pop profile at all, but he doesn’t have a position, and I don’t think the upside is high enough to really wait to find out if he can find one. – 2025 Projection: 33/5/24/.245/.306/.383/9 Prime Projection: 77/13/61/.263/.332/.415/24

664) Charles McAdoo – TOR, 3B, 23.1 – McAdoo was a 13th round pick in 2023 who has done nothing but rake in pro ball, slashing .279/.364/.479 with 17 homers, 21 steals, and a 24.7/10.4 K%/BB% in 124 games split between High-A and Double-A. His production was much worse at Double-A than High-A with a .675 OPS in 63 games, which is a bad sign, but that drop off only happened after he was traded to Toronto, so I want to give him some leeway for a major life event (new city, new org, new coaches, etc …). He’s power over hit at a very strong 6’1”, 210 pounds with a powerful righty swing, and he lifts and pulls a ton. He’s not a burner, but he’s a good athlete. He’s going to have to scratch and claw for playing time, and there is hit tool risk, but there is fantasy upside in here if he gets his shot. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 58/18/66/.238/.309/.431/9

665) Dante Nori – PHI, OF, 20.6 – Selected 27th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, the first thing that jumps out about Nori is that he’s already an old man at 20.6 years old on Opening Day 2024. I thought he was going to need a walker to get to the podium. Being old for your high school class is so 2008, when Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers book came out. These days it’s all about being 17 years old. But Philly isn’t afraid to take old high schoolers, like they did with Aidan Miller last year, and they went back to that well in 2024 with Nori. Nori might be old, but his tools are undeniable with a built up 5’11” frame, elite speed, a good feel to hit, a good glove in CF, and above average raw power. His grandfather was an assistant college baseball coach and his father is an assistant coach in the NBA. He has coaches’ son in his veins. The profile also mostly transferred to pro ball with 0 homers (55.4% GB%), 4 steals, a 123 wRC+ and 21.2/24.1 K%/BB% in 14 games at Single-A. I’m usually scared off by old high school bats, and they don’t get any older than Nori, but I’m intrigued enough by Nori’s combination of floor and upside to not get too hung up on it. I like him. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 83/15/62/.264/.332/.418/30

666) Wyatt Sanford – PIT, SS, 19.4 – Selected 47th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, Sanford has baseball bloodlines with his dad playing 19 games in the bigs, and like most baseball bloodlines kids, you can tell. He has a plus SS glove with a natural lefty swing, good feel to hit, and plus speed. While the swing is smooth, the stance isn’t all that smooth and is geared more for contact than power. The 6’1”, 185 pound frame definitely has room to tack on more mass, but he’s not expected to be a big power hitter down the line. There is a nice combination of floor and upside here, but both the floor and upside aren’t quite high enough for me to rank higher than this. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 77/17/70/.268/.331/.4247/25

667) Nelson Rada – LAA, OF, 19.8 – Rada is a tough evaluation as an 18 year old at Double-A, but let’s try to parse through the numbers and skillset. The one thing that is for sure is that he has impact speed and baserunning ability. He stole 27 bags in 50 games in the DSL in 2022, 55 bags at Single-A in 2023, and 35 bags in 123 games at Double-A this season. The hit tool and ultimate power projection isn’t as easy. He hit .234 with a 23.3% K% this year, but considering how young he was for the level, that can be considered pretty impressive. The only year he was at an age appropriate level, 2022 in the DSL, he hit .311 with a 12.6% K%. As a 17 year old at Single-A he hit .276 with a 18.1% K%. This could easily end up being a plus hit tool at peak with an easy and simple lefty swing. He also has a very strong plate approach with a 11.4% BB% and .331 OBP. He was excellent in that department his entire career. He’s a plus CF, so his glove will keep him on the field, and his speed gives him a decent floor for fantasy. It’s not hard to see a potent top of the order hitter … if he can do enough damage when he does make contact. He’s had extreme groundball rates his entire career (56.6% this year), he doesn’t hit the ball hard, and he’s already a decently filled out 5’8”. He’s hit just 4 homers in 288 career games and just 1 this season. That says more bottom of the order hitter than top of the order, but considering how young he is, I don’t want to rule out a power uptick down the line. If he can just get to 10+ homer power, there is impact top of the order potential in here. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 78/8/57/.268/.332/.372/25

668) Ryan Johnson – LAA, RHP, 22.8 – Selected 74th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, Johnson’s delivery is so unique and weird, and not necessarily in a good way, but I think the true uniqueness gives him some extra intrigue to me. Different can add some unknown upside, and while most teams are probably risk averse and shy away from different, I go towards it when it comes at a steep discount. And weirdness is far from the only thing going for Johnson. He has the size, production and elite K/BB to back it up at 6’6”, 215 pounds with a 2.21 ERA and 35.9%/3.3% K%/BB% in 106 IP in Conference USA. The fastball sits 92-95 but can hit the upper 90’s and the sweeper is a devastating pitch that he goes to often and racks up whiffs. He also throws a curve and change. If the Rays drafted him, I would feel so confident about naming Johnson a major target, but it’s definitely a red flag that he lasted until 74th and got picked by the Angels. I always say you can’t be too much of a slave to organization, so I’m not going to let it scare me off too much. I really really really like Johnson as a FYPD sleeper pick. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 10/3.95/1.26/165 in 160 IP

669) Jared Thomas – COL, OF/1B, 21.9 – Selected 42nd overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, Thomas gets the Coors bump, and he has enticing fantasy upside, but he also feels like the type of guy that Colorado never really gives a full chance to become a full time player. He performed well in his two years in the Big 12, slashing .349/.435/.635 with 16 homers, 18 steals, and a 20.6%/10.7% K%/BB% in 60 games in 2024. He’s 6’2”, 190 pounds with room to tack on some more muscle, and he’s a good athlete with above average speed and plus defense at 1B (he also can play CF, again showing off his athleticism). Add a star for being young for the class, and another another star for having a strong pro debut with 2 homers, 1 steal, a 19.4% K% and 146 wRC+ in 8 games at Single-A. 15/15 with 20/20 upside is in the cards here, and the hit tool will get as much help as possible in Coors. I like him relative to his lack of hype. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 74/16/71/.254/.325/.428/16

670) Tytus Cissell – ARI, SS, 19.0 – Selected 132nd overall in the 2024 MLB Draft and signing for $800,000, Cissell was a late riser in the draft process, and sometimes those guys that pop up later in the process can have a lag on their value, which is what Arizona is hoping for after they swiped him in the 4th round. He’s 6’2”, 185 pounds with an absolutely vicious swing. He’s a switch hitter and the swing is smoother from the left, but it’s truly vicious from both sides. He’s also a plus runner and athlete with a good up the middle glove. The hit tool isn’t a lock, but if he manages solid contact rates in pro ball, his stock could fly in a hurry. He’s definitely an enticing later round target. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 77/19/72/.250/.322/.427/21

671) JD Dix – ARI, SS, 19.6 – Selected 35th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, Dix is a 6’2”, 180 pound SS with a simple and quick swing from both sides of the plate, developing power, and some speed. The hit tool is the most standout tool right now, profiling as a solid across the board type at peak. There really isn’t anything too remarkable about his profile. Just your classic really good high school prospect with good size, good feel to hit, and good overall athleticism. He’s good. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 79/18/72/.273/.338/.429/16

672) Luis Cova – MIA, OF, 18.2 – Cova was a popular international prospect breakout pick coming into the season, and while he didn’t explode into truly coveted prospect territory, he did enough to have his value hold serve in the breakout waiting room. He hit 3 homers with 36 steals and a 10.0/15.3 K%/BB% in 55 games in the DSL. He only hit .239, but that was mostly due to bad BABIP luck, so I’m not too concerned about that considering the contact rates. He’s a projectable and athletic 6’2′”, so when the power ticks up to combine with the plate skills and speed, that big breakout could be right around the corner. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 82/18/69/.270/.338/.430/28

673) Cris Rodriguez – DET, OF, 17.2 – Rodriguez has some of the highest pure upside in the class, but he’s not quite refined enough to really go after him too hard. He’s 6’4”, 200 pounds with present power and more coming down the line. He’s also a really good athlete with speed. The swing is definitely fast and powerful, but it’s not really that natural or smooth, and he’s had some hit tool issues. I like him, and he could easily emerge as a Julio Rodriguez type if it really all clicks, but that doesn’t seem like the most likely outcome, to say the least. Still a really good upside pick. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 79/26/86/.251/.322/.461/16

674) Dorian Soto – BOS, SS, 17.1 – Soto is the type of international prospect that I love to target. He’s not the most hyped guy in his class, but he has that prototypical size at a projectable 6’3”, 185 pounds, and his swing jumps off the screen as uber quick and powerful. He already has big time power and it could end up double plus at peak depending on how he fills out. He’s a good athlete but isn’t considered a burner, and while he’s known to have a solid hit tool and approach, I’m thinking there could be some hit tool risk in here looking at the swing. If he were faster, I might really, really love him, but as is I still really like him as an upside target. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 79/28/88/.250/.322/.469/13

275) Tyler Mahle – TEX, RHP, 30.6 – Mahle returned from Tommy John surgery in August, looked like crap for 3 outings, and then hit the IL for the rest of the season with a shoulder injury. He underwent the Tommy John in May 2023, so essentially having his entire 2024 season wiped out is normal, but he didn’t look good at all. His stuff was way down with a 91.4 MPH fastball, and the slider and splitter didn’t miss as many bats as usual. I’m willing to just call it a lost year and give him a redo with a full normal off-season, but it’s possible he will just never be the same. Flier territory. – 2025 Projection: 7/4.28/1.31/125 in 130 IP

676) Tony Gonsolin – LAD, RHP, 30.10 – I’m not so sure Gonsolin deserves to crack this list, and I’m not so sure he’s a favorite for a rotation spot, but I guess any possible Dodgers starter should at least get a mention. He missed all of 2024 recovering from Tommy John, but he was able to make 3 rehab outings at Triple-A where he looked completely healthy. He was terrible in 2023 before succumbing to the injury, but at his best he has multiple secondaries which can miss bats and put up well above average xwOBA’s. Those secondaries weren’t there for him in 2023, but they were there in previous years, and they were there in the rehab starts, so he makes this list by the skin of his teeth. – 2025 Projection: 7/4.25/1.30/100 in 120 IP

677) Luis Garcia – HOU, RHP, 28.5 – Garcia underwent Tommy John in May 2023, and after a mid-season setback in 2024, it wiped out his entire 2024 season. He’s still expected to start 2025 on the IL, so he’s really in pure flier territory. This is why I would be careful about going after the Tommy John discount on everyone. You really want to limit it to the cream of crop if you can. He looked like himself before going down with the injury in 2023, and I always felt he was underrated for fantasy, but with this injury, I’m scared off. Flier only. – 2025 Projection: 6/4.21/1.31/95 in 100 IP Update: Shut down with right elbow soreness. This is why I was not ready to buy into the TJ discount on Garcia

678) Lance McCullers Jr. – HOU, RHP, 31.6 – McCullers missed all of 2023 with an elbow injury that eventually required surgery to repair the flexor tendon in mid June. He experienced renewed elbow soreness in 2024, and that wiped out his 2024 as well. He hasn’t pitched since 2022 at this point, and he’s expected to start the 2025 season on the IL too. Careful who you buy that “Tommy John” discount on. He’s a high K, mid rotation starter at full health, but who knows if he ever gets back to full health. He cracks the list on the off chance he does. – 2025 Projection: 3/4.25/1.31/70 in 70 IP

679) Cristian Javier – HOU, RHP, 28.0 – Javier underwent Tommy John surgery in June which will likely wipe out his entire 2025 season (or maybe just a late season option). He wasn’t pitching well before going down with the injury either with a 18.0/12.7 K%/BB% in 34.2 IP. His strikeouts have been on the decline for 2 years now as well, and his stuff just isn’t missing enough bats. I really liked Javier last off-season, and I foresaw a K bounce back in 2024, but that is not how it played out. The K’s got even worse and then he picked up a very serious arm injury. He’s a flier only at this point. – 2025 Projection: OUT

680) Jake Fraley – CIN, OF, 29.10 – Fraley is in a strict side of a platoon role at best, and because he’s not a good defensive player, he’s at risk of being just a bench bat too. His offense isn’t quite good enough to feel comfortable with him being locked into that role with a career 101 wRC+ and a 95 wRC+ in 2024. He gets the bat on the ball with a 18.3% K%, he runs with 20 steals in 116 games, and he gets on base with a .333 career OBP, but he’s a guy who should get like 400-500 PA, and in fact he’s never gotten more than 382 PA in his career. He simply doesn’t hit the ball hard enough with a 84.3 MPH EV. – 2025 Projection: 58/12/47/.255/.333/.401/22

681) Starling Marte – NYM, OF, 36.5 – Marte is in the last year of his deal, the Mets are full go win now mode, he can’t stay healthy, and they have a plethora of prospects who are champing at the bit for an opportunity, so I don’t think the 36 year old Marte’s leash is going to be very long here. He’s bad in the outfield now and he’s never been a big on base guy. I’m just saying, I can easily see a drop in his age 36 year old season which will land him on the bench. Having said that, he hit .269 with 7 homers and 16 steals in 94 games last year (he hasn’t played in more than 120 games since 2019), and the .337 xwOBA was directly in line with his career averages, so he definitely can keep beating those kids off with a stick and hold the job. He’s in physical decline with a career worst, below average 27.1 ft/sec sprint, but he could steal bases if he was in a wheelchair. He’s not the worst win now flyer, but certainly don’t pay up for the name value, especially in dynasty. – 2025 Projection: 69/12/61/.267/.323/.402/24

682) Jacob Young – WSH, OF, 25.8 – Young is a very bad offensive player, but he seems pretty locked into the starting CF (or as locked in as you can be while being this bad offensively) because he’s a plus defensive CF and Washington doesn’t have any other good options at the moment. He also runs, which makes him relevant for fantasy. He stole 33 bags with a 29.7 ft/sec sprint in 150 games, and that is basically all he does. He can get the bat on the ball with a 19.6% K%, but with a 1.6% Barrel% and 85.8 MPH EV, it still only led to a .648 OPS and .286 xwOBA. He’s a 4th outfielder on a team who doesn’t seem to have any other options. – 2025 Projection: 58/4/33/.248/.313/.325/21

683) Richard Fitts – BOS, RHP, 25.3 – Here is what I wrote about Fitts in the latest Dynasty Rundown: “2.1 IP, 2 hits, 1 ER, 4/3 K/BB vs. a very weak Braves lineup. He now has a 1.42 ERA with a 32.1/14.3 K%/BB% in 6.1 IP. Fitts came into spring a new man with upper 90’s heat and filthy stuff, and that was on display yesterday as well. He was mostly a control over stuff guy coming into this year, but it sure looks like he’s changing that profile into a stuff over control guy now, and for fantasy, that is definitely what we want to see, but he still has to prove he can truly harness the stuff in a starting role. He’s so obviously a major riser this spring, and with Bello starting the year on the IL, there is a rotation spot to be won, so he makes for a great underrated target. I’m just worried with how much hype he’s getting, he’s not actually going to be all that underrated.” 2025 Projection: 6/4.33/1.36/108 in 110 IP

684) Cade Povich – BAL, LHP, 25.0 – Povich didn’t crack this list originally because I had him as a back end starter without a rotation spot, but he’s looked better this spring, and he might have a rotation spot now. Here is what I wrote about him in his latest Rundown update, “3 IP, 1 hit, 0 ER, 6/1 K/BB vs. Pitt’s Quad-A+Cruz lineup. Not the best competition, but Povich has been absolutely lights out this spring in 5 IP with 0 ER and a 38.9/5.6 K%/BB%. I thought his path to improvement would be increased stuff, as the fastball only sits low 90’s, but it looks like it could come with improved control/command. He has his stuff on an absolute string this spring, and it’s still missing a ton of bats. I was out on Povich, but his spring performance definitely has me regretting that decision.” 2025 Projection: 7/4.25/1.32/115 in 120 IP

685) Landen Roupp – SFG, RHP, 26.6 – Seems to possibly be gaining steam for the 5th starter job, although nothing is certain and I’m hoping Birdsong wins it. He throws a 94.4 MPH sinker with a plus curve and a 5 pitch mix. If he had better control, I could see liking him, but he put up a 12% BB% in 50.1 IP in 2024. Probably a low end back guy with mid rotation upside if he can improve his control (and his control has been improved this spring). 2025 Projection: 8/4.15/1.31/137 in 140 IP Update: Roupp won the job

686) Steven Zobac – KCR, RHP, 24.5 – Zobac might be one of the more underrated pitchers in the minors right now as he checks a solid amount of boxes. He certainly looks the part at an athletic 6’3”, 185 pounds. His stuff is good with a low to mid 90’s fastball that has a great movement profile and is a bat missing weapon, to go along with an above average slider and solid changeup. And he has plus control over the entire arsenal. The final box is that he has upper minors production too with a 3.25 ERA and 28.6/6.2 K%/BB% in 55.1 IP at Double-A. He wasn’t quite as good at High-A with a 3.95 ERA and 20.0/5.2 K%/BB% in 70.2 IP, so I would temper expectations a bit, but there is a lot to like here. He definitely falls into that pitching prospect bucket that I like to take shots in, but Zobac is still probably more for medium to deeper leagues than shallower ones right now. – 2025 Projection: 1/4.30/1.32/35 in 40 IP Prime Projection: 10/4.05/1.25/154 in 160 IP

687) Chase Petty – CIN, RHP, 22.0 – Petty was known as a flamethrower in his draft year, throwing mid to upper 90’s, but he was more of a low to mid 90’s, plus control guy in his pro career prior to this season. He worked on regaining that velocity this off-season, and it worked with him back up into the mid 90’s all season. It came at the cost of his control, and he didn’t have a particularly great year, but we are watching the development of a very talented, first round high school arm right before our eyes on the professional level. He was a freshly turned 21 in the upper minors all season and put up a 4.20 ERA with a 22.4/10.2 K%/BB% in 137 IP. He racked up innings, he maintained his stuff, and he more than held his own against much older competition. He has an excellent bat missing secondary in his slider, he has a solid change to use against lefties, and the big velocity is back. I’m sure he’s going to go back in the lab this off-season to continue to improve and work on his game. He’s not a truly coveted pitching prospect, but he’s a still a good one. – 2025 Projection: 1/4.44/1.38/38 in 45 IP Prime Projection: 10/3.93/1.28/174 in 170 IP

688) Carson Whisenhunt – SFG, LHP, 24.5 – Whisenhunt struggled at Triple-A with a 5.42 ERA and 28.4/11.3 K%/BB% in 109.2 IP, and considering he’s mostly a two pitch guy (with only one of them being legitimately good), the odds of him landing in the bullpen seem quite high at the moment. The two main things he has going for him though are that all of his pitches can miss bats (sinker, change, cutter, slider), and he’ll have a great ballpark at his back if he does get a shot in the rotation. Strikeouts and a run suppressing home ballpark could be good enough to make an impact. The changeup is a legit double plus weapon and 93.2 MPH sinker can be asset when it’s at it’s best, but it wasn’t at it’s best in 2024. The slider and cutter also show promise as legit 3rd and 4th pitches, so there is a world where everything comes together and Whisenhunt can thrive in the rotation. But I think the most likely world is that he ends up in the bullpen, or as a back end 4-5 IP type guy. – 2025 Projection: 2/4.44/1.38/55 in 60 IP Prime Projection: 8/4.18/1.33/135 in 140 IP

689) Hunter Barco – PIT, LHP, 24.4 – Barco has been nothing but a strikeout machine at every stop of his career from a freshman in the ACC in 2020, to a 23 year old at Double-A in 2024. He put up a 3.34 ERA with a 30.4/8.7 K%/BB% in 62 IP at High-A, and then he got just a small taste of Double-A (2.25 ERA with a 46.2/0/0 K%/BB% in 4 IP) before his season ended with a lower leg injury in late July. No injury is good, but it’s not an arm injury, so I’m not concerned. He throws a low to mid 90’s fastball from a deceptive lefty delivery, to go along with a plus slider and a pretty good splitter. He generally attacks zone with average control. He might end up a back end guy, but there is high K mid rotation upside in here too. – 2025 Projection: 1/4.37/1.36/41 in 45 IP Prime Projection: 9/3.94/1.29/158 in 150 IP

690) Mike Burrows – PIT, RHP, 25.5 – I’ve always felt Burrows was underrated, and while he’s not the type of pitcher I take the Tommy John discount on, he returned from the surgery in 2024 and showed he was more or less healthy. He put up a 4.06 ERA with a 26.6/8.9 K%/BB% in 37.2 IP at Triple-A. All 4 of his pitches were absolute whiff machines with the 94.4 MPH fastball putting up a decent 21.9% whiff%, the changeup putting up a 49% whiff%, the slider notching a 37.9% whiff%, and the curve putting up a 35.3% whiff%. That is damn impressive. He’s also generally had solid control throughout his career. It’s probably #4 starter upside, but there are jobs to be won in Pitt’s rotation, and I like his profile. He’s a deep league target. – 2025 Projection: 4.35/1.35/83 in 90 IP Prime Projection: 10/4.02/1.29/140  in 150 IP

691) Jackson Baumeister – TBR, RHP, 22.9 – Baumeister got traded to the Rays and something immediately clicked with his control, putting up a 4.8% BB% in 29 IP with Tampa vs. a 14% BB% in 70.2 IP with Baltimore. The Baltimore sample is bigger, so it’s hard to fully trust the control gains, but this wouldn’t be the first time a pitcher has seen big control gains with Tampa, and if he can maintain those gains, he’s a very exciting pitching prospect. He put up a 1.24 ERA with a 41.9/4.8 K%/BB% with Tampa, showing what he’s capable of when he’s hitting his spots. The fastball sits low to mid 90’s, but it can reach the upper 90’s, and it has great shape which makes it a plus pitch that can miss bats. The curve is a beautiful pitch which goes 12 to 6, and he also mixes in a cutter, slider and change. The control gains might not stick, and then he’ll end up in the bullpen, but he’s worth a shot at this point in the rankings in case they do. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 9/3.96/1.31/148 in 140 IP

692) Malcolm Moore – TEX, C, 21.8 – This is a very weak class for catchers, and in shallower leagues, you might want to ignore the catcher position completely in this draft. But in medium to dee6per leagues, Moore is your best option if you need a long term catcher. He immediately becomes the best catcher in Texas’ system by a long shot, and he could be in the starter mix as soon as 2027 with Jonah Heim hitting free agency after the 2026 season. Texas selected him with the last pick in the first round at 30th overall for his prowess with the bat more than his process behind the plate, which is perfect for fantasy. He’s a 6’2”, 215 pound bruiser who has a squared up batting stance that looks more like he’s ready the beat the shit out of the pitcher rather than hit a baseball off him. It’s kinda intimidating, and he’s raked over two years in the Pac 12 with 31 homers and a .958 OPS in 118 games. The plate approach also took a big step forward this year with a 14.3%/18.0% K%/BB%. He’s not likely to become a star, but he can become an above average hitting catcher. He didn’t have the best pro debut with a 94 wRC+ and 27.9/7.7 K%/BB% in 25 games, but he was thrown right into High-A, and he also jacked 3 dingers, so I have his value as mostly holding steady. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 60/19/71/.247/.319/.433/2

693) Shotaro Morii – OAK, SS/RHP, 18.4 – Morii is the rare Japanese player to come stateside right out of high school, which I think adds some extra intrigue to his profile. He’s a two way player with upside on both the mound and at the plate, so it’s hard to say where he’s going to end up. I’ll start with the bat, which I’m pretty damn excited about. He has a vicious lefty swing with quickness, power, and barrel control from a pretty built 6’1”, 180 pound frame. He hit 45 homers in high school. He reminds me a bit of Hideki Matsui if you are looking for a ceiling comp. On the mound he gets up to 95 MPH with a splitter, slider and curve that all need more development. I hope he sticks as a bat, but he has two real paths to be an impact prospect. I’m a fan. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 78/24/83/.268/.333/.445/9

694) Levi Sterling – PIT, RHP, 18.6 – Selected 37th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, Sterling is maybe the most “projection” pitcher in the draft. I mean that in the sense that this could be like buying 2025’s top high school arm a year early. The last time I said that, I said that about Walter Ford, and Ford has yet to live up to that promise. So the downside is that the projection you are hoping to see never materializes, or doesn’t materialize on the timeline that you would like. What gives Sterling that projection is that he was very young for his class at 17 years old at the time of the draft, and he’s very projectable at 6’5”, 200 pounds with an athletic righty delivery. If the fastball can tick up from the low 90’s into the mid 90’s, he has a chance to explode with plus control and 3 legit secondaries in his change, curve, and slider (change is the best secondary). Something like a Logan Gilbert/George Kirby/Bryce Miller would be a dream outcome here. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 10/4.10/1.25/170 in 170 IP

695) Mike Sirota – LAD, OF, 21.10 – Selected 87th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, Sirota was a potential first round pick coming into the season, but instead of having the big junior year breakout, he took a step back. He went from hitting 18 homers his sophomore year to just 7 homers in 51 games in the Colonial Athletic Conference his junior year. The hit tool isn’t good enough to see the power take a step back with a 18.8% K%, and considering he’s not from a major conference, the profile needed to be pretty bulletproof. But having said that, it could create a buying opportunity for our purposes. He’s 6’3”, 188 pounds with plus speed and good raw power. The swing and stance is geared more for average than power, but he’s young for the class, and hopefully pro instruction can get the most out of his raw power (I wrote this blurb just minutes before he got traded to the Dodgers, and now you have to feel even better about the Dodgers unlocking his power). He also has an excellent plate approach with a 23% BB%. He’s most likely a 4th outfielder, but joining the Dodgers gives him the best chance possible of beating that projection. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 69/16/57/.246/.319/.418/19

696) Chase Harlan – LAD, 3B, 18.9 – Most of the high school hitting class, except for Morlando and Fountain, are speed over power prospects at the moment, so if you are looking for an upside power bat later in the draft, Harlan is your guy. Selected 98th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, Harlan is a 6’3”, 205 pound bruiser putting up some of the best exit velocities in the class. He’s also young for the class and will still be 18 years old for half of the 2025 season. If you squint hard enough, you see an Austin Riley clone down the line. And equally as exciting as his profile is that he landed with the Dodgers. If anyone can figure out the best batting stance for him, and get his hit tool to a good enough level for the power to shine, it’s the Dodgers. I really like him and he’s definitely underrated. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 74/26/82/.243/.326/.465/5

697) Rodney Green – OAK, OF, 22.0 – Selected 104th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, Green is a high risk/high reward college bat, and with Oakland’s relative success with a very similar bat in Denzel Clarke, Green could be next in line. Granted, Clarke is both a bigger and better athlete, and he didn’t strikeout as much as Green in college, so even Clarke could be a low percentage outcome. Regardless of comps, I like Green a lot at 6’3”, 190 pounds with a plus power/speed combo. And his strong pro debut made me like him even more, slashing .289/.368/.464 with 3 homers, 9 steals, and a 26.1/11.4 K%/BB% in 24 games. He put up a 28% K% his junior year, but he walked a ton, and he cracked 14 homers with 15 steals in 55 games. Seeing the hit tool remain solid at Single-A is a good first step. He lasted to 104th overall, so it’s clear most teams don’t think he will hit enough (although he did sign for almost $300K above slot at $1 million, so the threat of returning for his senior season also likely contributed to the drop), but if he does, the upside is substantial. He’s a good later round upside in fantasy drafts if you don’t want to draft a teenager. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 73/18/69/.228/.310/.423/18

698) Trevor Harrison – TBR, RHP, 19.8 – Harrison was Tampa’s 5th round pick in 2023, and he had a very strong pro debut in 2024 with a 3.15 ERA and 29.3/11 K%/BB% in 40 IP at Single-A. He’s a big guy at 6’4”, 225 pounds, although the delivery doesn’t look particularly athletic to me. He’s fastball heavy with a mid 90’s fastball, while the slider and changeup need more refinement, but show flashes. It’s a strong foundation to work with and you gotta trust Tampa. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 10/3.87/1.27/150 in 150 IP

699) Jedixson Paez – BOS, RHP, 21.2 – Paez put up a 29.0/3.1 K%/BB% in 96.2 IP split between Single-A and High-A. K/BB is king for pitching, so that is really all you need to know for Paez to be interesting and on the radar. He has a very fun, super athletic righty delivery and 2 potentially plus secondaries (slider, change). The fastball only sits low 90’s, but there is some projection there at a relatively thin 6’1”. If his fastball ticks up, there is very legit explosion potential in here. I like him a ton and is one of my favorite deep pitching sleepers. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 10/3.91/1.22/150 in 160 IP

700) Chen-Wei Lin – STL, RHP, 23.4 – Lin is 6’7” with a pretty athletic righty delivery and nasty stuff. He put up a 2.79 ERA with a 26.6/7.8 K%/BB% in 116 IP at Single-A. The fastball sits 96.4 MPH and he has a diverse pitch mix with multiple bat missing secondaries (change, splitter, slider). He’s still a bit on the raw side overall, as evidenced by the fact that he’s already 23 and pitched the entire season at Single-A last year. The K/BB rate was good at the level, but it wasn’t really off the charts like you would want to see from a 22 year old with nasty stuff. Having said that, dude is a beast with very obvious potential, and he pitched well all season. I like him a lot. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 10/3.96/1.28/155 in 160 IP

701) Elvin Garcia – BAL, SS, 18.2 – Garcia was a talented international prospect who signed for half a million, and then he went out and produced in the DSL, slashing .294/.439/.505 with 1 homer, 12 steals and a 18.0/19.4 K%/BB% in 36 games. It was good for a 154 wRC+. He’s a projectable 6’2” and he didn’t have any groundball issues, so the homer power should come in time, which he will combine with a good feel to hit, speed, and a good glove. With a good showing stateside, and with an uptick in power, he might have the highest real life prospect helium upside of anyone in the Baltimore system outside of Mayo, Basallo, and Kjerstad. He’s a good later round target if you can handle the risk. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 78/17/71/.266/.325/.421/23

702) Yairo Padilla – STL, SS, 17.9 – Padilla signed for $760,000 in last years international class, so he was certainly a legit prospect, and then he went out in the DSL and played well, slashing .287/.391/.404 with 1 homer, 22 steals, and a 17.9/10.5 K%/BB% in 35 games. He’s a smooth operator in all facets of the game at an athletic and projectable 6’0”. More power should definitely be coming down the line, he has a good feel to hit, he has a really good glove at SS and he has speed. He didn’t exactly blow the doors off DSL pitching, but he hit well, and he’s still only 17 years old. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 76/17/69/.261/.320/.416/24

703) Braylin Antunez – MIL, OF, 17.4 –  At 6’0”, 194 pounds, Antunez’ build, movements and type of athleticism remind me of an NBA point guard. He has present power, he’s fast, and he has a good feel to hit. There might not be as much projection as some of the other long and lean builds in this class, but there is some Jasson Dominguez vibes in the sense he might be pretty filled out already, but it’s the type of athleticism that he will maintain. Some of these guys could fill out and slow down considerably, while Antunez has already proven he can do both. I like him a lot, and how can you not trust Milwaukee after Chourio and Made. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 89/20/72/.266/.335/.434/28

704) Kendry Rojas – TOR, LHP, 22.5 – Rojas got a decent amount of off-season love in 2024 that I wasn’t buying into, and that proved to be a mistake as he leveled up this year at High-A. He had a 2.43 ERA with a 27.0/5.3 K%/BB% in 55.2 IP. He’s 6’2” with an athletic lefty delivery that certainly looks the part. The fastball has ticked up into the low to mid 90’s this year which he combines with a plus changeup and good slider. He’s a definite candidate to level up again in 2025 if he can stay healthy and build off this season. – ETA 2026 Prime Projection: 9/4.06/1.30/150 in 150 IP

705) Dylan Lesko – TBR, RHP, 21.7 – What a disaster. Lesko was coming off Tommy John surgery when he made his pro debut in 2023, so some of the extreme control problems were excused, but it actually got worse in 2024, so it’s getting harder and harder to blame rust. He put up a 6.96 ERA with a 19.2/25.6 K%/BB% in 84 IP at High-A. If you thought getting traded to Tampa was going to help, he actually put up an insane 31.1% BB% in 14.1 IP with them, so whatever they tried, clearly didn’t work. Just looking at those numbers, even this ranking seems like wishful thinking, but the stuff is still so good, it really does make you want to stay patient. The fastball sits mid to upper 90’s, the changeup is his best secondary and it’s a nasty pitch that can end up double plus, and the curve is another potentially plus pitch. But he’s clearly very far away from putting it all together. He’s a high upside lotto ticket right now. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 7/4.16/1.34/150 in 140 IP

706) Justin Verlander – SFG, RHP, 42.1 – The cliff finally came for Verlander in 2024, putting up a 5.48 ERA with a 18.7/6.8 K%/BB% in 90.1 IP. The 3.78 xERA was much better, and obviously SF doesn’t think he’s washed, but even a good season in 2025 is not going to come with a lot of strikeouts. His legend status gets him on this list, and in SF’s ballpark,, he probably does have one more relevant fantasy season in him. – 2025 Projection: 9/4.08/1.26/133 in 150 IP

707) Charlie Morton – BAL, RHP, 41.3 – I feel like it was like 5 years ago when Morton said he was considering retiring to spend more time with his family. Well, fuck his family I guess, as Morton is now in the stage of his career where they are going to have to rip the jersey off him. He’s not even that good anymore and he still doesn’t want anything to do with his family ;). He put up a 4.19 ERA with a 23.8/9.3 K%/BB% in 165.1 IP. His curve is his only good pitch, but it’s only above average now with a 34.2% whiff%. The velocity is on the decline too with a 94.1 MPH fastball. He can still be a solid mid-rotation starter, but that looks about it. – 2025 Projection: 10/4.05/1.31/160 in 160 IP

708) Griffin Canning – NYM, RHP, 28.11 – Here is what I wrote about Canning in the latest Dynasty Rundown, “3.2 IP, 1 hit, 0 ER, 5/0 K/BB vs. a 50/50 Cardinals lineup. The fastball only sat 92.6 MPH, but it was a whiff machine with a 44% whiff%. The changeup was dominant too with a 38% whiff% and 77.8 EV against. It led to a 35% whiff% overall. Canning was one of my favorite pitching targets in 2024, but he literally showed none of the things I liked about him. He’s showing off those things this spring, and maybe this is a case where you are just a year late on the breakout, but I’m still struggling to truly buy in. He’s still just a flier for me, but with the banged up Mets rotation, he’s not the worst flier.” 2025 Projection: 7/4.32/1.35/115 in 130 IP

709) Trevor Williams – WSH, RHP, 32.11 – Williams new sweeper is what makes him interesting. He added it to the arsenal in 2024 (really 2023, but he barely used it) and it was an awesome pitch with a 45.9% whiff%. It resulted in a really good season with a 2.03 ERA and 22.7/6.9 K%/BB% in 66.2 IP. He now goes from 0 good pitches, to one good pitch. It’s still likely a not very enticing back end arm, but I don’t know, if that sweeper can repeat, there may actually be some impact potential in here. He’s kinda a sneaky deep league target. – 2025 Projection: 8/4.09/1.30/118 in 140 IP

710) Clayton Kershaw – LAD, LHP, 37.0 – He was a shell of his former self this year coming off shoulder surgery with a 4.50 ERA and 18.0/6.8 K%/BB% in 30 IP, and he underwent toe and knee surgery this off-season. It seems like a #3/4 type starter is the best we can hope for, and it’s not going to be for many innings either. He cracks this list for legend status only. – 2025 Projection: 4/3.79/1.21/76 in 80 IP

711) Dean Kremer – BAL, RHP, 29.3 – Kremer is a back end starter with just enough K upside to get a half decent ranking on this list. He put up a 4.10 ERA with a 22.2/9.2 K%/BB% in 129.2 IP. The 4-seamer and cutter both miss a respectable amount of bats with an around 23% whiff%, and the splitter is a legit weapon with a 36% whiff%. Again, he’s just a back end guy, but I can see enough upside to make him a worthy flier. – 2025 Projection: 9/4.11/1.28/134 in 140 IP

712) Andre Pallante  – STL, RHP, 26.6 – Pallante cracks this list because his ability to induce weak contact is quite real after proving it for 3 straight seasons. He put up a 3.3% Barrel% against with a 1.1 degree launch. He has good velocity with a 94.8 MPH sinker, and he has bat missing secondaries in his curve and slider. It resulted in a 3.78 ERA with a 18.5/9.4 K%/BB% in 121.1 IP. That K/BB really made me want to keep him off the list, but keeping the ball on the ground is a skill that can overcome a bad K/BB, so he gets a reluctantly decent rank. – 2025 Projection: 9/3.93/1.32/115 in 140 IP

713) Osvaldo Bido – OAK, RHP, 29.5 – Bido will need to compete for a rotation spot, and I hope he can win one, because he’s by far the most interesting starter out of Oakland’s fringe group. He had an excellent season in 2024 with a 3.41 ERA, 2.72 xERA, and 24.3/10.0 K%/BB% in 63.1 IP. His 94.8 MPH fastball was a really good pitch with a .288 xwOBA and 28.7% whiff%. His changeup was excellent with a 34.3% whiff% and .171 xwOBA. The slider and cutter both put up above average xwOBA’s and he mixes in a sinker too which keeps the ball on the ground with a 2 degree launch. The control was below average, but he hasn’t really had any major control issues throughout his career, so I’m not worried there. He’s already 29 and I’m not sure the upside is actually all that high, but he has plenty of interesting to traits to buy into. I hope he wins a spot, and I do think he’s worth a flier if he does. – 2025 Projection: 9/4.18/1.31/130 in 140 IP

714) Michael McGreevy – STL, RHP, 24.9 – McGreevy’s strong MLB debut is what gets him on this list, because his minor league track record isn’t very impressive. He put up a 4.02 ERA with a 21.6/6.9 K%/BB% in 150 IP at Triple-A. The fastball only sits low 90’s and none of his secondaries miss a ton of bats. It’s a back end profile, but I can’t ignore his MLB debut. He put up a 1.96 ERA with a 20.9/2.3 K%?BB% in 23 IP. His slider put up a very good 34.5% whiff%, the 92.9 MPH fastball put up an elite 30% whiff% the cutter was an excellent pitch with a .208 xwOBA, his sinker put up a negative 8 degree launch, and his much lesser used curve put up a 50% whiff%. Those pitches didn’t perform as well at Triple-A as they did in the majors, so there is definitely some small sample stuff going on, but at the least, the pro debut proved his profile will transfer. He might end up an elite control #3/4, which will definitely play. – 2025 Projection: 9/4.15/1.29/125 in 150 IP

715) Jon Gray – TEX, RHP, 33.5 – There is some talk of moving Gray into the bullpen, and with Texas’ closer job wide open right now, that might not be such a bad thing for Gray owners, because he’s become a pretty boring, at best, fantasy starter. He put up a 4.47 ERA with a 19.6/6.4 K%/BB% in 102.2 IP. He’s become a mostly 2 pitch pitcher (fastball/slider), and only the slider is good. Or more like above average. Moving him to the bullpen is actually the best chance for upside (if he can win the closer job). – 2025 Projection: 7/4.18/1.30/115 in 130 IP Update: Out for about 2 months with a right wrist fracture. He already seemed to be on the verge of a move to the bullpen, but there is no guarantee he gets a rotation spot back when it returns

716) David Sandlin – BOS, RHP, 24.1 – Sandlin’s 5.34 ERA in 57.1 IP split between High-A and Double-A isn’t that impressive, but the 33.2/7.3 K%/BB% is much more indicative of his true talent level. He has high octane stuff with a mid to upper 90’s fastball, two variations of a slider that miss bats, and a developing changeup/splitter. He pitched in mostly short outings in 2024, and he’s yet to pitch in more than 66.2 IP over the course of a season in pro ball. He’s already 24 years old, so it’s on the old side to be so far from being fully ramped up. It makes me think that Boston views him more as a bullpen weapon on their ascending team. There is upside, and he for sure could work his way into the rotation at some point, but I’m kinda leaning bullpen arm, at least for the first few years of his career. – 2025 Projection: 2/4.23/1.32/48 in 50 IP Prime Projection: 9/3.85/1.26/148 in 140 IP

717) Yeremi Cabrera – TEX, OF, 19.9 – Cabrera comes with both hit tool risk and some age to level risk, and he doesn’t jump off the screen physically at 5’11”, but what does jump off the screen is his absolutely vicious lefty swing. That thing is made to launch the ball to the moon, and that is exactly what Cabrera did to stateside rookie ball, slashing .301/.348/.571 with 9 homers, 17 steals, and a 20.0/19.0 K%/BB% in 49 games. It was good for a 151 wRC+. He’s a bit of a tweener age wise with his birthday smack dab in the middle of baseball season, so while I wouldn’t say he was old for the level, he was on the older side, and when he got the call to Single-A, the numbers dropped off hard with 0 homers, a 73 wRC+ and a 29.8% K% in 23 games. It’s fair to give him an adjustment period to full season ball, so I don’t want to be too hard on him for that. It does underscore the risk in his profile, namely the hit tool risk, but his power/speed combo is legit, and that is what I love to chase in fantasy. He’s high risk, high reward. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 78/21/78/.244/.327/.438/19

718) Andres Valor – MIA, OF, 19.5 – Valor is a tooled up and projectable 6’3”, 180 pounds, and he had has 2nd strong season in rookie ball, slashing .289/.374/.421 with 2 homers, 35 steals, and a 25.1/8.8 K%/BB% in 54 games in stateside rookie ball. It was good for a 119 wRC+. He did basically exactly the same in the DSL in 2023. There is hit tool risk, he still needs to both add more power and tap into that raw power more, and he’s only been good but not great in rookie ball, so it’s a lotto ticket, but it’s a high upside lotto ticket. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 76/19/71/.245/.317/.423/22

719) Braylin Morel – TEX, OF, 19.2 – Morel has now conquered both levels of rookie ball, cracking 7 homers with a 168 wRC+ in 47 games in the DSL in 2023, and then cracking 7 homers with a 142 wRC+ in 41 games at stateside rookie. He has a powerful righty swing at 6’2”, so the power is legit, and he’s a good athlete with 12 steals. The hit tool is still a question though with a 23.6% K%, and he has to prove it in full season ball, but he can get pretty exciting with a good showing in 2025.  – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 68/22/75/.244/.319/.429/8

720) Walker Martin – SFG, SS, 21.1 – Martin put up a 46.3% K% in 25 games at Single-A after putting up a 37.6% K% in 44 games at rookie ball. As a 20 year old, those K rates are really enough for him to not crack this list, but his talent demands we stay patient for at least one more year. He has a damn smooth, athletic and powerful lefty swing at 6’2”, 188 pounds that most certainly looks the part of a major leaguer. Even with the high strikeout rates, he still performed pretty well with 8 homers, 6 steals, a .391 OBP, and a 108 wRC+ on the season. He was considered a bit more on the raw side when he was drafted, so some of this hit tool risk was expected. He’s clearly never going to be an “age to level” guy, but his talent isn’t going anywhere, and if he can figure out the hit tool in his mid 20’s, there could be a big payoff here. I’m inclined to buy super low, but make sure the price is actually super low. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 76/23/78/.235/.318/.434/14

721) Sam Aldgheri – LAA, LHP, 23.7 – Aldegheri is likely a back end arm, but he’s close to the majors (he’s already made his MLB debut), and there is definitely enough in here to give him mid rotation upside. The fastball only sits 92.2 MPH, but it put up a 19.4% whiff% in the majors, which really isn’t all that bad considering he was a 22 year old who jumped straight to the majors from Double-A. That tells me the low 90’s fastball can definitely play, and he combines that with a plus slider that actually ate up MLB hitters, putting up a .091 xwOBA with a 38.5% whiff%. He also mixed in a below average changeup and below average curve. He wasn’t good in the majors with a 4.85 ERA and 14.9/14.9 K%/BB% in 13 IP, but I’m actually impressed with the fastball/slider combo and pitch mix. He was also a K machine in the minors with a 3.59 ERA and 33.5/10.3 K%/BB% in 95.1 IP split between High-A and Double-A. His K rate didn’t dip in the upper minors, which is a big step. If he didn’t have below average control, I might be willing to get really excited for him, but with below average control, I’m leaning a #4 as his reasonable upside. Improving his control, or his third pitch, or his velocity could easily take him up a notch. He’s growing on me. 2025 Projection: 3/4.31/1.35/79 in 85 IP Prime Projection: 9/3.94/1.32/151 in 150 IP

722) J.P. Crawford – SEA, SS, 30.2 – While Crawford wasn’t able to fully maintain his power breakout from 2023 (19 homers), he actually was able to maintain a large chunk of it, hitting 9 homers in 105 games, which would have put him on pace for the 2nd most homers in his career if he didn’t miss time with a fractured finger. His 6.5% Barrel% was also a career high by far. He definitely has grown into more power towards the mid to later stages of his career here. It has come at the cost of some contact though, putting up a 5 year worst 22.6% K% and 20.2% whiff%. His hit tool also bottomed out with a .202 BA, and while some of hit was certainly back luck, not all of it was with a .227 BA. His .245 career BA isn’t very good, he still doesn’t have more than mid teens power even with the uptick, and he barely runs. Add a star in OBP leagues as he walks a lot, but this is just a very low upside player who might not be a starter for that much longer. – 2025 Projection: 82/14/55/.245/.338/.391/5

723) Orlando Arcia – ATL, SS, 30.8 – Arcia put up a 72 wRC+ with a .218 BA in 157 games, and while some of it was bad luck with a .249 BABIP, the .261 xwOBA and career 78 wRC+ shows it really wasn’t all that much of an outlier season. It does strike me as a definite down year, and he should bounce back in 2025, but this is a very low end option with mid teens pop and that is about it. He doesn’t hit for a good average, he doesn’t run, and he doesn’t walk all that much. – 2025 Projection: 69/16/67/.239/.304/.402/2

724) Dylan Moore – SEA, SS/3B/2B/OF, 32.8 – Moore is a heavily used utility player whose most valuable format would be a deeper OBP, daily moves league. There is value in here if you can start him vs. lefites (.762 OPS vs .639 OPS vs. righties). He stole 32 bags in 441 PA, which is where he derives most of his value, and he can also pop some dingers with a 8.8% Barrel% and 22.6 degree launch, leading to 10 homers. The hit tool is brutal with a career .206 BA (.201 in 2024), but the .316 OBP is where he can be decent in OBP leagues. He’s currently penciled in at 2B, but he will have some decent competition there (Bliss). Even with a full time job, he’s still just a medium to deep league role player. – 2025 Projection: 59/14/48/.210/.315/.396/28

725) Ty France – MIN, 1B, 30.0 – I’ve been low on France basically every year of his career, and that came to a head in 2024 with Seattle finally pulling the plug on him being their starting 1B, designating him for assignment in July. Cincinnati picked him up out of desperation due to injuries, and even with the biggest ballpark upgrade possible (from Seattle to Cincy), he actually managed to get worse with an 82 wRC+ in 52 games. He has a career .263 BA with 0 speed and about mid teens homers. Not much here even with him landing in Minnesota, but at least he has the opportunity now. – 2025 Projection: 58/13/65/.255/.322/.398/1

726) Yoan Moncada – LAA, 3B, 29.10 – Moncada pulled a rabbit out of his hat and seemingly landed a starting job with the Angels. He missed essentially the entire 2024 season with an abductor strain, and when he’s actually been on the field over these last 3 seasons (not often), he just hasn’t been very good with a 76 wRC+ in 2022 and a 98 wRC+ in 2023. On the plus side, he has a solid glove at 3B, and he’s always hit the ball hard with well above average EV’s and barrel rates, so he certainly has a chance to be an about average 3B overall. The fantasy upside is extremely limited with low homer totals, almost no stolen bases, and a mediocre BA for years now, and I’m definitely not interested in buying the decline years here, so even with a job, he’s still a super low end option. – 2025 Projection: 62/16/66/.251/.318/.415/3

727) Jonah Heim – TEX, C, 29.9 – Heim had a terrible season with a 70 wRC+ in 131 games, and while the underlying numbers back it up with a .277 xwOBA, the individual components of the underlying numbers were mostly in line with career norms, so he should bounce back in 2025. The 88.5 MPH EV, 14.5 degree launch and 18.3% K% all look good. Having said that, he now has a career .228 BA in 1,768 PA, which is a large enough sample for that to be the expectation moving forward, and he doesn’t really have the power to make up for that. Texas also signed Kyle Higashioka, which is a major, major threat to his playing time. I was out on him to begin with, and now I’m way out. – 2025 Projection: 33/10/39/.233/.292/.396/1

728) Luis Campusano – SDP, C, 26.6 – I was low on Campusano last off-season, and then I saw his new batting stance in spring training and couldn’t have been more out. He then unsurprisingly went on to have a terrible season with a 83 wRC+, 8 homers, and a 34.2% Hard Hit%. He made a ton of contact with a 13.7% K%, but the lack of impact still resulted in a .227 BA (.242 xBA). He was also a well below average defensive catcher. He lost his starting job in the middle of the season, and while Elias Diaz isn’t much of a road block, I’m not sure he can actually pass him. He’s a backup unless he improves considerably both offensively and defensively. – 2025 Projection: 31/7/35/.247/.302/.389/0

729) Kyle Higashioka – TEX, C, 34.11 – Higashioka claimed a large share of San Diego’s starting catcher job by June, and I was hoping he could find a full time job this off-season, but it looks like he’s going to split time with Heim. He has the power to be fantasy relevant with 17 homers, a 10.9% Barrel%, and 20.7 degree launch in 84 games. It comes with a terrible plate approach (28.1/5.7 K%/BB%), but his 25.6% whiff% and 28.1% Chase% isn’t bad at all, so that mitigates some of the risk (but not all of it). Lastly he’s an above average defensive player, which will help him get on the field, but Heim has been a good defensive catcher in his career as well. Unfortunately, they kind of cancel each other out for me – 2025 Projection: 30/12/40/.222/.276/.421/1

730) Miguel Amaya – CHC, C, 26.1 – Amaya had a shot to lock down Chicago’s catcher of the future job, and he couldn’t get it done with a 83 wRC+, 8 homers, and 0 steals in 117 games. The underlying numbers look a bit better with a 88.4 MPH EV, 11.1 degree launch, and 17.1% K%, so I do think he can have some decent offensive catcher seasons, but he now has Carson Kelly to compete with short term, and Moises Ballesteros to compete with long term. He was an above average defensive catcher, which gives him a slight leg up on his biggest long term competition, Moises Ballesteros, but Kelly is good on defense too. There is just too much competition here, and Amaya isn’t good enough, to really back on him. – 2025 Projection: 28/7/35/.239/.304/.393/0

731) Dillon Dingler – DET, C, 26.6 – Dingler had a monster breakout at Triple-A, slashing .308/.379/.559 with 17 homers, 5 steals, and a 20.3/10.0 K%/BB% in 71 games. The 91 MPH EV with a 18.4 degree launch backs up the breakout, but he was already 25 years old, and he was terrible in the majors with a 37 wRC+ and 35.5/3.4 K%/BB% in 27 games. He graded out as an above average defensive catcher, but he’s not as good as Jake Rogers, so the tie will go to Rogers if both of their offensive outputs are close. Dingler is going to have to outhit Rogers to take over the starting job, which is certainly possible, and he has the pop to be fantasy relevant if he does. – 2025 Projection: 27/8/34/.221/.279/.391/1

732) Kris Bryant – COL, OF, 33.3 – Bryant makes this list for name value and track record only. He looks completely washed with a 75 wRC+ in 2023 and a 70 wRC+ in 37 games in 2024. The EV has been in about 85 MPH for 3 years in a row. The bad back killed him. He’s expected to be ready for 2025, and he’s expected to their starting DH, but this is a last guy on your roster only type. If that. – 2025 Projection: 51/12/56/.245/.320/.398/0

733) David Hamilton – BOS, SS/2B, 27.6 – If I was more certain that Hamilton truly had a stable full time job, I could see liking him a ton for fantasy, but I think Boston views him more as a heavily used utility player, which limits how high I’m willing to go. Kristian Campbell could conceivably win the 2B job out of camp, and Marcelo Mayer is coming soon too. There is just too much competition, and quite frankly, Hamilton just isn’t a good enough real life hitter to stave them off. He has a career 85 wRC+ in 113 career MLB games, and he had a 92 wRC+ in 98 games in 2024. He’s a solid middle infielder, but he’s not so good that his glove is going to truly force him on the field. The last negative is that the hit tool isn’t good enough for this type of profile with a .248 BA and 25.2/6.9 K%/BB%. He’s a straight demon on the bases with a 29.4 ft/sec sprint and 33 steals (in 98 games), so he can make a fantasy impact in daily moves leagues even without a full time job, and his 5.6% Barrel% isn’t bad, so he can pop some dingers too (8 homers), but I just don’t see a full time player here long term. – 2025 Projection: 48/8/33/.244/.309/.398/26 Update: Bregman signing seals his fate as a utility, but his stolen base prowess is still fantasy relevant

734) Jose Caballero – TBR, 2B/SS/3B, 28.7 – I was already valuing Caballero as if he was a heavily used utility player, and now with the Kim signing, that is a foregone conclusion. He’s terrible on offense with a 83 wRC+, .267 xwOBA, an 83.7 MPH EV and a 27.5/5.6 K%/BB% in 139 games. He’s good on defense, but he’s not that good to overcome that offense. He’s a great base stealer, racking up 44 steals, which is the sole area where he derives his fantasy value. He’s a bench role player for deep leagues. – 2025 Projection: 41/7/30/.233/.299/.352/21

735) Tyler Freeman – COL, OF, 25.10 – I got pulled into Freeman early last year when I saw the EV popping, thinking he could be the next in their line of contact first prospects who add power later, a la Jose Ramirez, but he regressed back to career norms shortly after. This trade definitely puts him back into flier territory, but I still wouldn’t go too crazy. Adael Amador is the long term 2B there anyway. 2025 Projection: 47/9/36/.258/.322/.398/13

736) Paul DeJong – WSH, SS/3B, 31.8 – DeJong shouldn’t be a starter, but I could have said that last off-season and he was a starter for a large chunk of the season, so maybe he can once again find a job this off-season. He still accrued only 482 PA by the end of the season, so 400-500 PA is probably a best case scenario. He’s a lift and pull and nothing else guy, leading to 24 homers with a 32.4/4.8 K%/BB%. I shouldn’t say nothing else, because he also has a very good glove, which is how he found a job last year. If he can do the same in 2024, he’ll hit dingers but hurt you everywhere else. – 2025 Projection: 41/16/43/.221/.287/.412/2 Update: Once agin, he found a job with Washington, but he’s still a very low end option

737) Josh Smith – TEX, 3B/SS, 27.7 – Smith is a super utility player who optimally doesn’t play everyday, but he could be next man up at several positions, so injuries/ineffectiveness could end up forcing him into near everyday at bats like it did in 2024. He’s the epitome of a good bench player with a solid glove, a solid plate approach (20.4/7.8 K%/BB%), a solid EV (87.8 MPH EV), and solid speed (27.6 ft/sec sprint). It resulted in a .258 BA with 13 homers and 11 steals. The deeper the league, the more value he would have. – 2025 Projection: 57/12/53/.249/.326/.395/9

738) Chayce McDermott – BAL, RHP, 26.7 – McDermott has always been talented at a very athletic 6’3”, 197 pounds with good stuff and big strikeout numbers, but his control/command has yet to take a step forward in his 4 year professional career with a 13.7% BB% in 100 IP at Triple-A. The stuff is quite good with a bat missing 93.7 MPH fastball, 3 plus, bat missing secondaries (slider, changeup, sweeper) and a solid curve too. It resulted in a 3.78 ERA with a 32.9% K%. Pitchers are notorious for having something click later in their career, so even at 26 years old, I don’t think that is too old for a breakout considering the talent is still in here. One other complicating factor is that he went down with a shoulder injury after his July 30th start. He returned for one start at the end of the season where the velocity was down 2 ticks. He was probably just taking it easy, but it does tack on extra risk heading into the off-season. Baltimore has tons of opportunity is their rotation right now, so they have every reason to keep McDermott a starter for as long as possible, and he has the fantasy friendly upside to roster as a proximity arm in medium to deeper leagues. – 2025 Projection: 3/4.29/1.35/90 in 90 IP Prime Projection: 9/3.94/1.31/172 in 155 IP

739) Brandon Birdsell – CHC, RHP, 25.0 – Birdsell is certainly in the bucket of pitching prospect I like to shop in that I talked about in the Ben Brown blurb, but his profile reminds me a bit of Adam Mazur’s, who burned me this season, so I’m going to stay restrained in my expectations for Birdsell. Like Mazur, he has plus control of a 95 MPH fastball that doesn’t have a great movement profile, although Birdsell’s fastball missed considerably more bats at Triple-A than Mazur’s did. And like Mazur he has an above average slider as his best secondary to go along with a starter’s pitch mix. It all resulted in a 3.91 ERA with a 23.5/5.4 K%/BB% in 135.2 IP split between Double-A and Triple-A. Like Mazur, I’m leaning towards more of a #4 starter as a reasonable upside projection for Birdsell. The deeper the league, the more value he has. 2025 Projection: 2/4.36/1.34/56 in 70 IP Prime Projection: 9/4.07/1.25/138 in 150 IP

740) Robert Gasser – MIL, LHP, 25.10 – Gasser’s MLB debut was a major success with a 2.57 ERA and 14%/0.9% K%/BB% in 28 IP. The 21.6% whiff% was better than the K rate, and his most used pitch, the sweeper, had a strong 34.5% whiff%. He missed plenty of bats in the minors, so the K rate (and walk rate) should have normalized over time, but he didn’t have time. He injured his elbow and underwent Tommy John surgery in June 2024 which will knock him out for most or all of 2025. He doesn’t have the upside I look for when taking the TJ discount, so he’s not a target for me, but he was looking like another underrated Brewers success story before going down with the injury. – 2025 Projection: OUT Prime Projection: 9/4.08/1.30/140 in 150 IP

741) Drue Hackenburg – ATL, RHP, 23.0 – I was very low on Hackenburg this off-season because he wasn’t very good in college and because of his below average bloodlines (I say this tongue in cheek as a Penn State and Jets fan living through the Christian Hackenberg years), but he proved the Braves right for picking him in the 2nd round, putting up a 3.07 ERA with a 26.3/11.3 K%/BB% in 129 IP spread across 3 levels (A+, AA, AAA). He’s a built up 6’2”, 220 pounds with mid 90’s heat, a diverse pitch mix, and a bat missing secondary in his curve. The control is below average and that curve is really his only standout pitch, so even with him beating my expectations, it’s still likely a back end starter with mid-rotation upside. 2025 Projection: 2/4.50/1.41/42 in 50 IP Prime Projection: 9/4.09/1.32/145 in 160 IP

742) Blade Tidwell – NYM, RHP, 23.10 – Tidwell looked like he was going full breakout at Double-A with a 2.41 ERA and 29.9/7.5 K%/BB% in 37.1 IP, but the wheels fell off when he got the call to Triple-A, and now everyone hates him. He put up a 5.93 ERA with a 19.8/13.7 K%/BB% in 85 IP. Triple-A was messing around with the automated strikezone and challenge system, so a lot of guys struggled there, but they are also the only level to use the MLB ball, which adds a different dynamic to evaluating pitchers. Quinn Mathews and Brandon Sproat had a similar split between Double-A and Triple-A, but because theirs happened in a small sample at the end of the season, everyone is just ignoring it. Because Tidwell struggled over a longer sample, everyone has completely jumped ship. The stuff was still good at Triple-A with a 94.8 MPH seamer and a plethora of secondaries that missed some bats and induced weak contact. I’m also docking Tidwell much more than Mathews/Sproat, but a part of me is seeing some picking and choosing with these evaluations. I would be careful about giving up on Tidwell so far, or conversely, maybe be careful about crowning Sproat and Mathews. Or maybe a little of both. – 2025 Projection: 2/4.36/1.37/34 in 40 IP Prime Projection: 9/4.13/1.31/144 in 150 IP

743) Nolan McLean – NYM, RHP, 23.8 – McLean was an early season breakout at High-A with a 2.57 ERA and 32.1/8.9 K%/BB% in 28 IP, but he wasn’t able to fully keep it up when he got the call to Double-A, putting up a 4.19 ERA with a 22.8/9.1 K%/BB% in 81.2 IP. The stuff is really good with a mid 90’s fastball and potentially plus slider, and he’s relatively inexperienced as a pitcher, so it’s not unreasonable to see him struggle in his first taste of the upper minors as he is hitting career highs in IP. We have to see him dominate the upper minors before flying him up the rankings, but he has the potential to do that in 2025. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 10/4.06/1.29/138 in 150 IP

744) Michael Forret – BAL, RHP, 21.0 – Forret was a 14th round pick in 2023, but when he made his pro debut in 2024, he had already made major strides from his draft year. Most notably, the fastball ticked up into the mid 90’s, and it turned him into a beast with a 3.88 ERA and 28.8/10.2 K%/BB% in 99.2 IP at Single-A and High-A. He has the starter’s build at 6’3”, the delivery is pretty athletic. He combines the gas with a potentially plus slider and a pretty good changeup. The control is below average and there is more refinement needed all around, but he’s the type who could really pop with a good showing in the upper minors. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 10/3.93/1.27/146 in 150 IP

745) Charlee Soto – MIN, RHP, 19.7 – Soto was a high upside, high signing bonus high school pitcher in the 2023 Draft, and while he didn’t explode in 2024, his value held serve. He put up a 3.60 xFIP (5.23 ERA) with a 26.4/10.0 K%/BB% in 74 IP at Single-A. He has 3 potentially plus to double pitches with a mid to upper 90’s fastball, a nasty changeup, and a nasty slider. He was young for the class and known to be on the raw side, so the expectation shouldn’t have been a breakout in 2024. It might not truly happen in 2025 either, but as long as the stuff remains top shelf, and the production is solid, his value should hold strong. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 11/3.88/1.31/168 in 160 IP

746) Parker Messick – CLE, LHP, 24.5 – Messick is likely a back end arm with a plus changeup, low 90’s fastball profile, but him keeping up the production at Double-A is what gets him on this list. He put up a 2.06 ERA with a 32.3/8.0 K%/BB% in 65.2 IP at the level. I still think he’s a back end starter, but every higher level he’s able to miss bats at that pace is a slightly better chance that he could reach that #4 starter upside, which would make him fantasy relevant. You also have to trust Cleveland. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 9/4.18/1.28/141 in 150 IP

747) Matt Wilkinson – CLE, LHP, 22.4 – Wilkinson was a statistical beast in 2024 with a 1.90 ERA and 37.6/8.0 K%/BB% in 118.2 IP split between Single-A and High-A, but it was only the lower minors, and he mostly dominated with an upper 80’s to lower 90’s fastball, which doesn’t seem like a repeatable thing on the MLB level. He also throws a good slider and changeup, so it’s not like he has nothing else, but it’s super hard for me to bet on this kind of stuff, especially if he hasn’t proven it in the upper minors yet. I’m rooting for him, and fat pitchers are always a favorite of mine (David Wells was one of my favorite pitchers growing up), but I can’t call Wilkinson an especially sought after pitching prospect for me quite yet. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 9/4.21/1.29/138 in 150 IP

748) Boston Bateman – SDP, LHP, 19.7 – Selected 57th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, you know I love me some monster human beings who are good athletes and have some funk in their deliveries. Enter Boston Bateman, who is a 6’8”, 240 pound beast with an athletic lefty delivery that features a pretty high leg kick and deception by almost keeping his back to the hitter. I absolutely love it. The stuff is there too with a low to mid 90’s fastball and a filthy curve, to go along with a slider and change. He’s far from a finished product, needing continued refinement to his delivery and control/command, but I love the ingredients and will be targeting Bateman everywhere. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 12/3.72/1.28/175 in 170 IP

749) Blake Larson – CHW, LHP, 19.1 – Selected 68th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, Larson has that raw, uncut nastiness that I am just drawn to. Of course the White Sox were the team to pick him, they love this profile almost as much as I do. And that profile is a projectable 6’3”, 185 pound lefty with a funky delivery and filthy stuff. The fastball sits low to mid 90’s with tailing action, and the slider is a sharp breaker with at least plus potential. He has a developing changeup as well. He is still raw, he needs to improve his control/command and he needs to refine his changeup, but you know this is a profile I love betting on, and I will bet on it again with Larson. Chicago knows what they are doing with these guys too. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 10/3.74/1.31/173 in 160 IP

750) Gage Jump – OAK, LHP, 22.0 – Selected 73rd overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, Jump was a pretty hyped high school lefty in the 2021 Draft class, but he decided to go to UCLA where Tommy John surgery essentially wiped out his freshman and sophomore years. He stayed healthy in 2024 though, and he showed why he was such an exciting high school arm with a 3.47 ERA and 29.8/6.5 K%/BB% in 83 IP in the SEC. He throws a low to mid 90’s fastball that is a bat missing weapon, along with 2 good breaking balls and a decent, lesser used changeup. He’s not a particularly big guy at 6’0”, the delivery seems a bit reliever-ish to me (not to say it can’t work in the rotation though), and there is still injury risk, but I don’t see why he wouldn’t move very quickly through Oakland’s farm system, and Oakland is desperate for impact starters, so the opportunity will be there. I think a #4 starter projection is reasonable for him right now. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 8/4.03/1.31/140 in 145 IP

751) Yassel Soler – ARI, 3B, 19.2 – Soler’s production in rookie ball isn’t all that impressive with a 97 wRC+ in the DSL in 2023 and a 105 wRC+ in 53 games at stateside rookie in 2024, but he has a swing/hit/raw power combo that you want to bet on. He has a quick and powerful righty swing from a strong 5’1l” frame that definitely looks the part. He also makes a ton of contact with a 17.2% K%. He hits the ball on the ground too much (50.3% GB%), so the 6 homers in 55 games isn’t impressive, but his hard hit ability still led to a .303/..351/.472 triple-slash. He’s a long way off and the upside probably isn’t truly huge, but you can easily envision a pretty enticing hit/power combo prospect in a couple years. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 68/22/76/.262/.319/.436/6

752) Carter Johnson – MIA, SS, 19.1 – Selected 56th overall, Johnson is a safe high school bat with plus hit as his best tool. Watching his super easy and smooth lefty swing reminds me of when I was evaluating Mickey Moniak in his draft year (Moniak went first overall, but I didn’t have him even close to 1st overall on my FYPD Rankings). Let’s hope he ends up better than Moniak though, whose hit tool immediately didn’t transfer to pro ball … and spoiler alert (I wrote that above blurb before Johnson debuted), the hit tool immediately didn’t transfer to pro ball with a .221 BA and a 33.1% K% in 28 games at Single-A. He was thrown into the deep end at Single-A as an 18 year old, so I don’t want to overrate that small sample, but considering I got visions of Moniak before the debut, it doesn’t add confidence. Then tack on the fact that that he doesn’t have a big power/speed combo (although at 6’2”, 180 pounds, the hope is that he can get to average power) and I don’t trust the Marlins to develop him at all, it’s just not the type of profile I like going after. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 76/17/68/.270/.325/.421/9

753) Kyle DeBarge – MIN, SS, 21.9 – Selected 33rd overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, DeBarge gets the little man discount at 5’9”, 175 pounds, and he gets the non major conference discount playing in the Sun Belt Conference, but he’s a legitimately electric player with a lot to be excited about. He has an explosive righty swing that jacked out 21 homers in 62 games, he has a potentially plus hit tool with a 10.3% K%, he’s got speed with 10 steals, and he’s young for the class. I wish he had a better pro debut, because I might have went after him this off-season, but I was a little underwhelmed by the hit tool (.235 BA with a 24.3% K%) and power (1 homer in 26 games at Single-A). He wasn’t a great base stealer in college, he didn’t walk a ton, and his size does limit his ultimate power projection (0 homers in 25 games in the wood bat Cape Cod league as well), so it might not be a huge upside profile, but maybe I’m falling into the little man trap as well. Minnesota took him 33rd overall for a reason. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 76/16/69/.261/.321/.414/16

754) David Coronil – SDP, SS, 17.6 – Coronil could sneakily be my favorite international prospect in this SS class. He has that nearly perfect long, lean, and projectable frame at 6’3”, 175 pounds, and he has that smooth and athletic lefty swing that is easy to dream on. If he tacks on more mass while retaining that athleticism, we could be talking about a prototypical hyped prospect here with power, speed and feel to hit. Lastly, he has one of the best SS gloves in the class, which will be a big help to his real life hype. He’s definitely one of my top targets in the international class. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 80/20/80/.255/.328/.436/20

755) Kenny Fenelon – MIL, OF, 17.6 – If Antunez (ranked above) isn’t the next Milwaukee success story, it could be Fenelon. The 6’0”, 180 pound Fenelon might not be a particularly huge guy, but he’s absolutely explosive on the field with both power and speed. He has a strong righty swing that already produces big power, and he’s a good centerfielder with excellent athleticism. The hit tool has some risk to it, which is why he isn’t getting hyped with the top guys in the class, and while I generally like taking shots on like a 6’3” guy, Fenelon just looks explosive out there.  – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 73/22/77/.247/.318/.439/26

756) Cobb Hightower – SDP, SS, 20.0 – Selected 88th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, the pretty skinny 6’0” Cobb swings a quick righty bat that has some thump behind it already. When he starts to fill out, he can definitely end up with some legitimate power. He’s a good athlete with plus run times, he has a good feel to hit, and he has the ability to play up the middle. He was a late riser before the draft and San Diego popped him pretty early despite little pre draft hype, which tells you how much they like him. He’s old for the class, and the upside doesn’t seem huge, but like San Diego thought, he could be a sneaky pick late in first year player drafts. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 74/15/63/.262/.320/.415/18

757) Will Warren – NYY, RHP, 25.2 – Warren put up a 10.32 ERA in his 22.2 IP MLB debut, which is hard to find silver linings with, but let’s try to find a few. The 4.52 xERA and 26.4/9.1 K%/BB% look much better, and his pitches were missing bats. His 93.8 MPH 4-seamer actually performed excellently with a 24.6% whiff% and .255 xwOBA. His famed sweeper wasn’t great, but it still put up a 37.1% whiff%, which tells me better day are ahead, and the underlying numbers on the changeup were really good with a .221 xwOBA and 32% whiff%. Both the changeup and sweeper got massively unlucky, which was the main culprit for the ridiculous ERA. He also throws a sinker and cutter, giving him a diverse pitch mix. He wasn’t good at Triple-A either with a 5.91 ERA in 109.2 IP, but again, the 28.0/8.0 K%/BB% looked much better. He’s probably a back end starter, but I don’t think his 2024 was as bad as it seemed on the surface. Looking at the underlying metrics of the individual pitches actually paints a kinda encouraging picture. He’s only a deeper league play right now, but I would hold him in those leagues. 2025 Projection: 7/4.31/1.35/124 in 130 IP Prime Projection: 8/4.18/1.32/153 in 150 IP Update: Injuries could push him into a starting role and he’s looked good this spring

758) Noah Cameron – KCR, LHP, 25.8 – Cameron is probably your classic back end, crafty lefty with a 92.2 MPH fastball that gets decent movement and has some bat missing ability, but it’s not one of those low 90’s fastballs to get really excited about. It’s the plus control and plus changeup that has been befuddling upper minors hitters, and we know that profile can often stall in the majors. Regardless, he’s knocking on the door of the bigs, and the upper minors production is certainly there with a 3.08 ERA and 27.8/6.7 K%BB% in 128.2 IP split between Double-A and Triple-A. He also throws a solid curve and cutter, giving him a starter’s pitch mix. I wouldn’t completely rule out of a mid rotation outcome, but considering his age and stuff, that seems like the very, very high end. 2025 Projection: 2/4.38/1.35/52 in 60 IP Prime Projection: 10/4.11/1.28/143 in 160 IP

759) Tyler Kinley – COL, Closer, 34.1 – It looks like Kinley will be the guy in Colorado with Halvorsen having a poor spring. He’s a 34 year old coming off 2 straight seasons of 6+ ERA’s, which is absolutely wild to have this guy as your best option. He’s beyond desperation option, but he does have the back of the bullpen profile, and he’s pitching well this spring. 2025 Projection: 3/4.61/1.38/66/25 saves in 63 IP

760) Tony Santillan – CIN, Setup, 28.0 – I don’t trust Alexis Diaz at all, which makes me more likely to take some shots on Cincy relievers if I wanted to chase saves. Even if Diaz falters, Santillan doesn’t even seem like the favorite for next man up, but he’s good enough on his own merits to crack this list. He put up a 3.00 ERA with a 37.7/7.4 K%/BB% in 30 IP. He’s not that good as the 30% whiff% doesn’t back up the K rate, but a 30% whiff% is still damn good. He does it on the back of an elite 97.2 MPH fastball and a plus slider. He saved 16 games at Triple-A before getting the call to the majors, so there is a chance he emerges. – 2025 Projection: 4/3.50/1.25/80/12 saves in 65 IP Update: With Diaz out, I don’t think Santillan is the favorite, but he could end up with the role

761) Luke Weaver – NYY, Setup, 31.7 – The Yanks brought in Devin Williams, which bumps Weaver out of the closer job. He’s next man up though, and he’s good enough on his own merits to still get a solid ranking. He went full breakout in 2024, putting up a 2.89 ERA with a 31.1/7.9 K%/BB% in 84 IP. The 95.7 MPH fastball was double plus with a +8 run value and 30% whiff%. The changeup was elite with a .216 xwOBA and 48% whiff%. And he throws a solid cutter too. The Yanks saw qualities they thought they could work with when they acquired him in 2023, and boy oh boy did it work with his stuff taking a huge step forward. The move from a starter to the bullpen also probably naturally played a role. Those very real adjustments give hope that this is mostly sustainable, and not a one year blip. We know how volatile relief pitching can be, but I’m apt to buy the breakout. – 2025 Projection 4/3.36/1.11/79/7 saves in 67 IP

762) Blake Treinen – LAD, Closer Committee, 36.9 – The Dodgers are stacking their pen, but Trienen still might be the best one of them all. He put up a 1.93 ERA with a 30.4/6.0 K%/BB% in 46.2 IP. He returned from shoulder surgery and also a lung issues, and while the stuff was down two ticks to 94.6 MPH, it didn’t seem to matter at all. The heavily used sweeper is straight filthy with a .163 xwOBA and 49.2% whiff%. He’s 36 years old, and there were some signs of decline in 2024, so some caution is warranted, but the guy is lights out. – 2025 Projection: 4/2.99/1.07/70/5 saves in 60 IP

763) Michael Kopech – LAD, Closer Committee, 28.11 – We’ve been fighting it for years, but Kopech finally took his rightful place in the back of a bullpen, and he thrived with a 3.46 ERA and 31.5/12.2 K%/BB% in 67.2 IP. He was also much better in LA (1.13 ERA in 24 IP) than he was in Chicago (4.74 ERA), because of course he was. He dominates with an elite, heavily used (78.4% usage) 98.7 MPH fastball that is a bat missing machine with a 34% whiff%. The much lesser used slider and cutter aren’t nearly as impressive, but the cutter was a new pitch and was pretty good when he went to it with a .235 xwOBA. With LA bringing in Yates and Scott this off-season, it seems to push Kopech out of the pole position for saves. The well below average control and lack of a great secondary also probably pushes him more into a setup role, but I guess he’ll still be in the mix. 2025 Projection: 4/3.45/1.20/80/5 saves in 65 IP

764) Jose A. Ferrer – WSH, Setup, 25.1 – Ferrer is the best lefty in an unsettled bullpen situation, which can often lead to like 8-10 saves, and it’s very possible he can emerge as the main guy too. He throws gas with a 97.9 MPH sinker that keeps the ball on the ground, he has a plus slider with a 39.6% whiff%, and he has excellent control with a 4.7% BB%. It all led to a 3.38 ERA in 32 IP, but the reason he isn’t ranked higher than this, is because he only put up a 19.4% K%. He missed more bats in the minors, and he has the whiff machine secondary, so he’s certainly capable of more, but it’s hard to count on it as he uses the sinker well over 50% of the time. I’m kinda back and forth on loving Ferrer and thinking he could be the long term closer there vs. seeing the K rates and the fact he’s a lefty giving me some caution. – 2025 Projection: 3/3.43/1.11/51/10 saves in 60 IP Update: Finnegan signing settles Washington’s bullpen, but I really like Ferrer, and I want to bet on him in general

765) Tommy Kahnle – DET, Setup, 35.7 – Detroit has a lot of mismatched toys vying for the closer role, and Kahnle is the most traditional of their options. He’s struggled to stay on the mound since 2020, not throwing more than 42.2 IP in any of those seasons, but when he’s out there, the ERA’s have been pristine. He put up a 2.11 ERA with a 25.7/10.6 K%/BB% in 2024. He does it with a heavily used elite changeup and mid 90’s heat. If he’s healthy, and dealing, he might look the part the most out of any of their options. – 2025 Projection: 2/3.50/1.18/57/7 saves in 50 IP

766) Jesus Tinoco – MIA, Closer Committee, 29.11 – Tinoco closed the season out in September as Miami’s closer, and even though he was a mid-season waiver wire pickup (I’m talking real life waiver wire, not fantasy waiver wire … well, I guess fantasy waiver too), I kinda like him the most out of Miami’s current options, but your guess is as good as mine. He has closer stuff with a 96.1 MPH sinker that keeps the ball on the ground (5 degree launch) to go along with an at least plus slider that put up a .192 xwOBA and a 37.6% whiff%. It led to a 3.32 ERA, 3.32 xERA, and a 25.9/7.4 K%/BB% in 40.2 IP. He doesn’t have a long track with a mediocre at best minor league career (hence the part where he was waiver wire fodder), so this type of reliever is very volatile, but at the same time, tons of good relievers pop up like this “out of nowhere.” He’s a very low end option, but I might take some very late shots for saves needy teams – 2025 Projection: 3/3.51/1.19/63/20 saves in 60 IP

767) Calvin Faucher – MIA, Closer Committee, 29.6 – Faucher was locking in the closer role with 6 saves in August, but he hit the IL with a shoulder problem in September which ended his season, and it allowed Jesus Tinoco get some hooks into the closer role. I have no idea who will be favored for the role in 2025, but Faucher had a 1.40 WHIP with an 11.1% BB%, so I’m kinda feeling Tinoco more. Facuher had a good season with a 3.19 ERA and 26.8% K% in 53.2 IP. None of his pitches are dominant, but the cutter is good, and the sinker and sweeper are solid pitches too. He’s just not a good enough reliever to rank him too highly when it’s questionable if he even has the role or not. I don’t think he’s one of my late draft saves targets. – 2025 Projection: 3/3.98/1.34/62/15 saves in 60 IP

768) Kirby Yates – LAD, Closer Committee, 38.0 – I don’t have the slightest clue how LA’s bullpen is going to shake out, but I guess Yates has as good a chance as any to emerge as the man. He’s 38 years old but he’s coming off an elite season with a 1.17 ERA and 35.9/11.8 K%/BB% in 61.2 IP, and the Dodgers just paid him $13 million, so they surely think he can at least come close to repeating that in 2025. He’s 38 and he has tons of competition, but my gut is kinda saying he could be the main righty when the smoke clears. – 2025 Projection: 5/3.28/1.18/78/10 saves in 60 IP Update: LA announced that Scott has the bulk of the job, and LA has other good righties in their pen to compete with Yates for any righty save opps too

769) Adrian Morejon – SDP, Setup, 26.1 – Morejon went through a few iterations as a target for me. Once as a really exciting starting pitcher prospect back in 2018, and once as an exciting bullpen to starter transition candidate back in 2022. And now in 2025, I thought he could be setup to make that transition back to the rotation, but San Diego announced they need him more in the bullpen, so that dream is mostly dead. Who knows what can happen during the season though. Morejon excelled out of the bullpen in 2024 with a 2.83 ERA and 26.1/7.7 K%/BB% in 63.2 IP. The sinker sat 97.4 MPH and put up a negative 6 degree launch. The slider was double plus with a 39.9% whiff%. The 96.9 MPH 4-seamer put up a very good 25% whiff%, and the new split finger was devasting when he went to it with a 52.9% whiff% and .100 xwOBA, but he only went to it 7.6% of time. He pitched well against both lefties and righties. As I mentioned, he came up through the system as a starter, and looking San Diego’s rotation, I don’t see why they wouldn’t at least give it a shot in spring, but it doesn’t seem to be in the cards right now. – 2025 Projection: 4/3.40/1.22/75/3 saves in 65 IP

770) Alexis Diaz – CIN, Closer, 28.6 – Diaz showed signs of imploding in the 2nd half of 2023, and that proved to be a signal, as he was pretty bad in 2024. He put up a 3.99 ERA with a 22.7/12.8 K%/BB%. The velocity dropped for the 2nd year in a row and now sits at a pedestrian 93.9 MPH. The whiffs on his slider also dropped off a cliff with a 29.8% whiff%. And the control remained well below average. He was bad all season, so it’s also not the case of a small blip bringing all the stats down. It seems like Diaz is still the favorite for the job, but I’m not sure why. He shouldn’t be at all. Cincy has better options, and I just can’t trust that Diaz will actually get the first shot at it. We’ll see how he looks in spring, but as of now, I’m too shaky to go after him even as a saves needy team. – 2025 Projection: 3/3.89/1.28/59/10 saves in 55 IP Update: Diaz was already my top closer fade even before spring training started, and now he’s had a terrible spring and will start the year on the IL with a hamstring injury. That could be the final nail in his bid to get the closer job back

771) Seth Halvorsen – COL, Closer Committee, 25.1 – It seems Halvosen is the best bet for the closer job in Colorado, but that isn’t locked in yet. He had a great MLB debut with a 1.46 ERA and 28.3/4.3 K%/BB% in 12.1 IP. The 99.9 MPH fastball was a plus pitch with a .240 xwOBA and 25% whiff%, and he combines that with a bat missing splitter and slider. That is a pretty classic back end of the bullpen profile. He wasn’t as good at Triple-A as he was in the majors with a 4.47 ERA and 28.6/11.7 K%/BB% in 44.1 IP, so I would be careful about buying the small sample MLB debut too hard, but Colorado doesn’t have any better options, and at only 25, he very well could lock in this role for several years. The upside is there too. I actually don’t mind him despite pitching in Coors. – 2025 Projection: 4/3.83/1.30/65/10 saves in 60 IP Update: He’s looked bad in spring, which is not going to win him that job

772) Leonardo Bernal – STL, C, 21.2 – The 6 foot, 245 pound Bernal is a switch hitting catcher with a pretty vicious lefty swing that can definitely do damage. The righty swing ain’t bad either, and he continued to put up very good offensive numbers in 2024. He put up a 120 wRC+ with 10 homers and a 22.8/9.7 K%/BB% in 96 games at High-A. He struggled in a small taste at Double-A with a 68 wRC+ in 14 games, but the 16.4/10.9 K%/BB% shows he was far from overmatched. He’s also a pretty good defensive catcher. Bernal is a very solid catcher prospect who is probably on the underrated side, although he projects as more of a solid around hitter rather than a true beast. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 67/17/72/.258/.327/.421/3

773) Creed Willems – BAL, C/1B, 21.10 – Willems isn’t a good defensive player, he chases a lot, and there is hit tool risk, so playing time is always going to be an issue, but if he does get his bat in the lineup, he’s going to hit dingers. He has plus raw power and he gets to all of it with very high flyball rates, jacking out 13 homers in 82 games at High-A and 4 homers in 16 games at Double-A. It’s a good sign that his K% didn’t explode at Double-A with a 18.8% K% (20.9/10.7 K%/BB% at High-A), although it came with a 2.9% BB%. He’s almost certainly going to need a trade to find a full time job, so he should be solid trade bait at the deadline. And if he ends up on a team who needs a power bat, Willems could fill that role. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 66/22/75/.238/.312/.441/2

774) Johanfran Garcia – BOS, C, 20.4 – Garcia’s season ended after just 14 games after undergoing knee surgery, but they were an impressive 14 games, slashing .385/.467/.596 with 2 homers and a 25.0/10.0 K%/BB%. He was a relatively high priced international signing in 2022 ($850,000), and he played very well his first year in stateside rookie ball, slashing .302/.408/.497 with 5 homers, 3 steals, and a 20.7%/10.6% K%/BB% in 42 games. He’s already pretty physically mature at a muscular and beefy 5’10”, and he unsurprisingly hits the ball relatively hard with a blink of an eye righty swing. If not for the injury, he could have really blown up in 2024, just like his brother, Jhostynxon, did. He’s not a lock to stick behind the plate, which does complicate his future projection a bit, but assuming full health, I’m expecting his hype to start percolating in 2025. – ETA: Prime Projection:  64/20/72/.253/.325/.438/3

775) Edgleen Perez – NYY, C, 18.10 – Perez isn’t my typical big game power upside catcher that I like to go after, especially if you’re in rookie ball, but his supporting skills are good enough to get excited. His plate skills are elite for his age with a 16.2/20.8 K%/BB%, and it resulted in a 138 wRC+ in 51 games at stateside rookie ball. It only came with 2 homers due to a 51.7% GB%, but he hits the ball hard, so there is more game power in the tank if he can raise his launch. And he has a chance to be a good defensive catcher, so his glove could get his bat in the lineup. Ivan Herrera is my favorite dynasty catcher target this off-season, and Perez could develop a similar profile down the line. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 74/15/68/.276/.343/.430/3

776) Shane Smith – CHW, RHP, 24.11 – I had Shane Smith in the likely reliever bucket, which I’m guessing Milwaukee did too when they made him available in the Rule 5 Draft, but Chicago was the perfect landing spot for him, and he won that 5th starter job with a solid spring. I still see a reliever profile with below average control and a relievers pitch mix, but I also see the upside. He throws mid 90’s, he has a bat missing slider and a good cutter too. I’ve been underrating him as he was also really good in the upper minors last year, but to my credit, Milwaukee being willing to lose him showed a smart organization wasn’t prioritizing him either. No excuse, as maybe we are both wrong. 2025 Projection: 7/4.25/1.32/127 in 130 IP

777) Jacob Stallings – COL, C, 35.3 – Stallings resigned with Colorado, which gets him on this list, but there is no guarantee he even holds the job for the entire year. At some point you have to think they are going to go with the kids. But he actually had a good year last year with them with a .263 BA, 9 homers, and a 114 wRC+ in 82 games. He got massively lucky with a .353 wOBA vs. .318 xwOBA, but I’m just Coors helped, and even that xwOBA isn’t bad. He’s as low end as it gets. – 2025 Projection: 38/9/42/,238/.315/.398/0

778) Freddy Fermin – KCR, C, 29.10 – With Perez getting only 91 games behind the plate in 2024, Fermin was able to amass 368 PA, but that’s not quite enough to really make him a starting fantasy catcher because there isn’t much upside on offense. He put up a .279 xwOBA with a 89.2 MPH FB EV. He can get the bat on the ball with a 17.9% K%, and his 88.2 MPH AVG EV is better than the FB EV, but there is really not enough here for anything other than a deep league bench bat right now. – 2025 Projection: 30/6/30/.259/.311/.390/2

779) LaMonte Wade – SFG, 1B, 31.3 – Wade is a strong side of a platoon bat. He hit .260 with 8 homers, 45 Runs and 34 RBI in 401 PA. He still put up a very good .354 xwOBA on the back of a 22.4/15.5 K%/BB%, so there are no signs of decline quite yet. He’s a deep league, daily moves option only really, and add a star in OBP leagues. – 2025 Projection: 56/14/48/.255/.350/.410/2

780) Kyle Karros – COL, 3B, 22.8 – Karros cuts an impressive figure at an athletic looking, Kris Bryant-like 6’5”, 220 pounds, and he had an excellent season at High-A, slashing .311/.390/.485 with 15 homers, 12 steals, and a 22.8/10.0 K%/BB% in 123 games. He was a 5th round pick in 2023, but he was young for his college class, and there could be some late bloomer traits with it taking a bit longer to get his swing down pat with long levers. He’s gone through multiple batting stances and it still doesn’t exactly look comfortable to me. He’s never hit a ton of homers even in college with more of a line drive, all fields approach, but clearly there is more in the tank in a perfect world. It’s not a perfect world though, and I’m not sure Colorado is going to be the team to get the most out of him. Interesting prospect, but he’s going to have to prove it in the upper minors before I get too excited. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 59/16/69/.244/.311/.408/5

781) Jack Brannigan – PIT, 3B/SS, 24.1 – Brannigan was a 23 year old at Single-A who had a .238 BA with a 26.1% K%. Odds are the hit tool isn’t going to be good enough to be an MLB starter, bit if he can make real improvements to the hit tool, the upside is high enough for him to make an impact. Think something like a Luke Raley type career arc, where he breaks out when he’s in his late 20’s, but you’re still not quite sure if he truly has a lock on a full time job. And like Raley, Brannigan has that type of power/speed combo with 18 homers and 12 steals in 77 games. He can lift and pull, he can hit the ball hard, he’s a good athlete, and he has a decent infield glove too. He fits nicely into that reasonably priced, high upside bucket of prospect where you don’t have to wait 5 years to see what you have. You will know pretty quickly into 2025 once he hits the upper minors. I’m kinda liking him the more I’m thinking about him during this blurb, but the odds are still that he won’t hit enough, a la Joey Wiemer. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 58/18/66/.228/.311/.431/9

782) Brant Hurter – DET, LHP, 26.7 – Hurter doesn’t seem to have a rotation spot, he’s already 26 years old, and the upside isn’t that high, so it’s hard to really stick your neck out for him, but he had a pretty exciting MLB debut which would have made him an intriguing sleeper if he had a spot. He put up  a 2.58 ERA with a 21.7/3.4 K%/BB% in 45.1 IP. The control is elite, he has a bat missing secondary in his sweeper (37% whiff%), and all 4 of his pitches put up impressive xwOBA’s (from .148 to .263). He very well might be one of Detroit’s 5 best starters, and if that’s true, I’m sure he’ll make his way into the rotation eventually. But without a current spot, it’s hard to go higher than this. – 2025 Projection: 6/3.98/1.26/86 in 100 IP Prime Projection: 10/3.82/1.23/133 in 150 IP

783) Jonathan Cannon CHW, RHP, 24.8 – Chicago really forces you to scrape the bottom of the barrel when looking for interesting players, but at the same time, a team like this gives opportunity to fringy young players who just might be able to take advantage of it. While I don’t think Cannon is a good breakout candidate, he has a job, and he has some skills that make him interesting for deeper leagues. He put together a solid rookie season with a 4.49 ERA, 4.37 xERA, and 17.4/7.7 K%/BB% in 124.1 IP. He throws a 5 pitch mix, and while none of them were standout, none of them were too bad either. His 93.3 MPH sinker keeps the ball on the ground with a 6 degree launch, his 94.3 MPH 4-seamer put up a 25.2% whiff% and .273 xwOBA (he should probably throw this pitch more), and his changeup and sweeper were both decent with a .290 and .269 xwOBA, respectively. He also throws a useful cutter. Average control of an average-ish 5 pitch mix can certainly lead to an average starter, and at only 24 years old, there is plenty of tinkering he can do to his pitches and the mix. He’s not someone I’m going after and he would have to fall right in my lap, but there are worse fliers in deeper leagues. – 2025 Projection: 7/4.18/1.30/130 in 150 IP

784) Robby Snelling – MIA, LHP, 21.4 – Snelling simply wasn’t even close to backing up his truly spectacular 2023 in 2024. He put up a 5.54 ERA with a 22.6/8.8 K%/BB% in 115.1 IP at mostly Double-A. And he doesn’t have the type of stuff to overlook the poor numbers with a pretty average at best 4 pitch mix. The fastball and sinker sit 93 MPH, the slider is solid and the changeup is still developing. He’s a bull on the mound at an athletic 6’3”, 210 pounds, and this is 2nd straight year of staying healthy and racking up innings. He was also heating up in the 2nd half with a 3.64 ERA and 28.3/7.7 K%/BB% in his final 54.1 IP, showing that great 2023 was not a complete mirage. If you combine both seasons, he has a 3.58 ERA with a 233/79 K/BB in 219 IP, and you have to take into account that he was a 20 year old in the upper minors all season this year. It’s a workhorse #4 type profile right now, but coming into his age 21 year old season, I think there is upside in here for more with continued refinement. – 2025 Projection: 2/4.53/1.38/40 in 50 IP Prime Projection: 8/4.16/1.32/152 in 165 IP

785) Alex Clemmey – WAS, LHP, 19.8 – I’ve been a sucker for a funky lefty delivery since the days of Josh Hader being one of the very first sleeper posts I’ve ever written back in 2015/16, and when you combine that with nasty stuff, it has all the makings of an upside pitching prospect that is worth taking the extra risk on. Clemmey is a projectable 6’6” with a mid 90’s fastball, a nasty, bat missing breaking ball, and a developing changeup that led to a 31.5% K% in 92.1 IP at Single-A. The 16.1% BB%, 4.58 ERA, and 1.41 WHIP aren’t nearly as impressive, and shows there is a long way to go with a lot of risk for him to reach his high K, mid rotation starter upside, but like with Hader, Clemmey has a soft landing spot as a potentially impact high leverage reliever as well. He was also 18 years old for most of the season, so him being raw was the expectation. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 9/3.91/1.34/180 in 150 IP

786) KC Hunt – MIL, RHP, 24.9 – Hunt was a big breakout in 2024 after a pretty bad college career, and while age doesn’t matter as much for pitching prospects as it does for hitting prospects, I think it’s important to note he will already be 24/25 during the 2025 season. He obliterated the lower minors in 2024, and while he couldn’t keep it up fully at Double-A, he was still damn good in Double-A with a 2.20 ERA and 29.8/6.9 K%/BB% in 32.2 IP. He dominated with above average control of a plus slider, but his other pitches aren’t as impressive. The fastball sits low to mid 90’s and he also mixed in a curve and changeup. He was mostly a reliever in college, and there is still reliever risk long term. We’ve seen Milwaukee work magic with these types consistently, so I don’t want to doubt them, and Hunt’s statistical season was outstanding, but I don’t know, my heart just isn’t in him. I get the appeal, but he’s not really one of my guys. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 8/3.91/1.28/135 in 130 IP

787) Cooper Hjerpe – STL, LHP, 24.0 – Hjerpe was proving the profile was going to transfer to Double-A with a 3.07 ERA and 35.1%/14.0% K%/BB% in 14.2 IP, but his season ended after July 2nd with an elbow injury. The walk rate is too high considering the fastball is only low 90’s at best, but I still love the funky lefty delivery, and I love to see the K rates stick in the upper minors. A high K, mid rotation starter is definitely in play, if not a high end outcome. Unfortunately the injury now adds unknown risk to an already risky profile. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 9/4.04/1.31/159 in 150 IP

788) Joey Oakie – CLE, RHP, 18.11 – Selected 84th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, the 6’3”, 205 pound Oakie is a sidearming righty with stuff that dashes and dives in every direction. The fastball sits low to mid 90’s with tons of movement, the slider is a vicious pitch with at least plus potential, and he also has a developing changeup. The stuff is almost too nasty for his own good in that he doesn’t seem to always know where it is going, so he will need to refine his control/command to remain a starter, but I love me a funky righty (Zander Mueth last year), and I like Oakie a ton this year. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 10/3.88/1.33/175 in 160 IP

789) Braylon Doughty – CLE, RHP, 19.4 –  Selected 36th overall in the 2025 MLB Draft, Doughty is a short righty at 6’0”, 196 pounds with a very easy and athletic delivery. He only throws low to mid 90’s, and he isn’t that projectable, but he can break off some absolutely nasty sliders and curves. The delivery also seems conducive to potentially plus control down the line. You gotta trust Cleveland when it comes to pitcher development, and while this doesn’t seem like the highest upside arm, he has some of the best and crispest breaking stuff in the class. Adding more velocity and/or improving his control/command to plus or better can make him a legitimate impact starter. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 9/4.09/1.29/146 in 150 IP

790) Jairo Iriarte – CHW, RHP, 23.4 – Iriarte had a super exciting breakout in 2023, but he wasn’t able to back it up in 2024. He put up a 3.71 ERA with a 22.8/10.7 K%/BB% in 126 IP. The stuff backed up a tick or two, and the performance backed up with it. The fastball sits about 94 MPH and it wasn’t able to miss many bats. It put up a 4.8% whiff% in his 6 IP MLB debut. The slider misses bats (47.1% whiff% in that small MLB sample), and he throws a lesser used changeup which can be an average pitch. Chicago’s rotation is horrific, so they have every reason to stick with Iriarte in the rotation, but it’s not a special profile. It’s a back end profile with mid-rotation upside, which can say about tons of pitching prospects. And it might be a bullpen profile on a team who had a real rotation. – 2025 Projection: 3/4.54/1.41/82 in 90 IP Prime Projection: 9/4.24/1.33/135 in 150 IP

791) Michael Kennedy – CLE, LHP, 20.4 – Kennedy is my attempt to be less of a velocity snob. His fastball sat only 89.8 MPH at Single-A, which makes me want to put him in a back end starter bucket and call it day, but I’m fighting that urge. He has the secondary skills to not get too caught up on the velocity. He put up a 3.66 ERA with a 27.8/5.6 K%/BB% in 83.2 IP split between Single-A and High-A. The fastball may not be fast, but it can miss bats, and the changeup and slider are both good pitches which can miss bats and induce weak contact. Tack on plus control, and this is a profile that can actually work as a mid rotation fantasy starter. It’s also a good sign the Cleveland targeted him in the Spencer Horwitz trade. I’m kinda liking him, but I wouldn’t get too crazy. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 10/3.82/1.24/137 in 150 IP

792) Drew Romo – COL, C, 23.7 – Romo was always destined to be Colorado’s catcher of the future, for better or worse, and as of right now, it looks like he might fulfill that destiny in 2025. The problem is that he isn’t very good offensively. He hit .297 with 14 homers and a 17.8/4.3 K%/BB% in 85 games at Triple-A, which is good on the surface, but it only resulted in a 104 wRC+ to give you an idea of the offensive environment, and more importantly, the 85.2 MPH EV is very unimpressive. He then got a taste of the majors where he was atrocious in 53 PA. He put up a 9 wRC+ with an 82.2 MPH EV and 34.0%/3.8% K%/BB%. Hitting in Coors could make him useful in some of his peak years, but even Coors isn’t enough to save this profile. He’s going to have to hit the ball a lot harder to make a real impact. – 2025 Projection: 31/5/34/.232/.281/.358/1 Prime Projection: 50/13/57/.256/.309/.394/4

793) Dominic Keegan – TBR, C, 24.8 – Keegan was my favorite very deep league catcher target last off-season, and he now looks one step closer to claiming Tampa’s catcher of the future job. He made his upper minors debut in 2024 and didn’t blink with a 138 wRC+, 9 homers, and a 20.4/11.3 K%/BB% in 104 games. His upside isn’t huge as he’s more of a complete hitter than one who sells out for power, but he’s got more raw power in the tank if he ever decides to try to unleash it. He’s not known as a particularly great defender, but he’s improving, and Tampa’s Catcher depth chart is horrendous, even after the Danny Jansen signing, so beggars can’t be choosers. He remains a very deep league target for me. – 2025 Projection: 18/4/22/.237/.296/.368/0 Prime Projection: 55/14/61/.252/.327/.420/1

794) Jake Bloss – TOR, RHP, 23.10 – Bloss is your classic likely back end starter with mid rotation upside. These guys are more valuable in real life than fantasy, but if they hit their ceiling, they have good fantasy value. His heavily used 93.4 MPH fastball has a good movement profile, and while it got destroyed in his 11.2 IP MLB debut, leading to a 6.94 ERA and 20.0/5.5 K%/BB%, it was an above average pitch at Triple-A. He throws a diverse 5 pitch mix, and his sweeper stands out the most as a bat missing weapon in both the majors (44.4% whiff%) and AAA (38.5% whiff%). None of his pitches are really standout though, and his control has been average to below average throughout his career. He wasn’t all that great in the minors either with a 23.3/9.5 K%/BB% in 93.1 IP. He’s just not a particularly enticing fantasy prospect right now. – 2025 Projection: 2/4.51/1.38/50 in 60 IP Prime Projection: 8/4.29/1.32/130 in 150 IP

795) Adam Mazur – MIA, RHP, 23.11 – Mazur had the type of rough MLB debut that makes you want to just give up on a player. He put up a 7.49 ERA with a 13.9/13.3 K%/BB% in 33.2 IP. And quite frankly, there are no silver linings. None of his pitches were good. The fastball in particular got destroyed. The slider was the only pitch to perform halfway decently. And worst of all, his elite control from the minors was nowhere to be found, probably because he didn’t want to throw the ball over the plate with how easily his stuff was getting crushed. He didn’t only get hit up in the majors, he also didn’t pitch well at Triple-A with a 6.20 ERA in 61 IP, although at least it came with a 60/13 K/BB. Plus control of a 94.6 MPH fastball with a diverse pitch mix and an above average slider is a good profile in theory, but in practice, it’s clearly not working. The fastball is way too hittable despite the good velocity. He looks like a back end arm right now. – 2025 Projection: 2/4.50/1.41/64 in 80 IP Prime Projection: 6/4.21/1.34/112 in 130 IP

796) Kohl Drake – TEX, LHP, 24.8 – I was skeptical that Drake’s extreme High-A success would translate to the upper minors, because he was dominating by just pumping his low to mid 90’s fastball in there, and like I thought, upper minors hitters were able to get to him. His K%/BB% dropped from 33.9/6.5 at High-A to 24.4/13.4 in 20.1 IP at Double-A. But just because I knew not to buy into the High-A numbers doesn’t mean I don’t like him as a prospect. He’s a 6’5” lefty with good control over a good fastball and good curveball, to go along with a changeup and slider as well. It’s probably a #4 upside type, but there is definitely mid rotation upside in here too. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 9/4.16/1.31/141 in 150 IP

797) Nate Dohm – NYM, RHP, 22.3 – Selected 82nd overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, Dohm looks like a nice little college sleeper arm right now with his budding 3rd year breakout cut way short with a forearm strain. But he returned in May with his stuff all the way back, and the results were back to full form in shorter outings as well. He dominated in the innings he did pitch on the season with a 1.23 ERA and 32.7%/3.5% K%/BB% in 29.1 IP. He’s a big boy at 6’4”, 210 pounds, and he has legit stuff with mid 90’s heat, a nasty breaking ball, and a changeup which flashes nasty. He fills up the zone as well. The injury adds risk, but it also tanked Dohm’s value to almost non existent levels. He might even be a sleeper for 30 teamers, and I see legit impact potential in here. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 9/4.03/1.30/146 in 150 IP

798) Hunter Renfroe – KCR, OF, 33.2 – Renfroe had his 2nd straight season of a 92 wRC+, and at 33 years old and being a poor defensive player, he probably shouldn’t be a starter anymore, but KC doesn’t have many options. The 75.2 MPH swing is still elite, and the 19.8% K% was a career best, so it doesn’t seem like he’s washed quite yet, but this is still a very low end win now piece. And while there isn’t a ton of good competition there, he still does have some competition. – 2025 Projection: 51/18/58/.238/.306/.431/1

799) Jake Meyers – HOU, OF, 28.10 – Meyers has a plus CF glove, and with how terrible Houston’s outfield is right now, that is probably good enough for him to be a favorite for a near everyday job. He’s really bad on offense with a career 87 wRC+ in 1,117 career PA, and while you can pull out some positives (a 6.8% Barrel% with an 88.2 MPH EV ain’t terrible), the sample is large enough to know he’s just not good on offense. And the profile isn’t fantasy friendly either with only 11 steals in 148 games despite a 28.9 ft/sec sprint. Full time job or not, he’s just not a very good option. – 2025 Projection: 59/15/67/.231/.302/.398/12

800) Jose Siri – NYM, OF, 29.8 – Siri seems to be the Mets starting CF at the moment, but I doubt it’s a true everyday job, and the off-season isn’t over. He’s a plus defender in CF with a fun power/speed combo (18 homers and 14 steals in 130 games in 2024), but the hit tool is just brutal (.187 BA with a 37.9/6.9 K%/BB%). He’s optimally a 4th outfielder at best. – 2025 Projection: 54/17/50/.215/.268/.406/14

801) Eloy Jimenez – TBR, OF, 28.4 – Jimenez signed a minor league deal with Tampa, which tells you where his value is, but Tampa’s DH job is open (Aranda is penciled in right now), and he still smashes the ball with a 92 MPH EV. That is all he does though. He’s one of the slowest players in baseball, the launch is low, and the plate skills are below average. – 2025 Projection: 41/12/49/.255/.309/.428/1

802) Davis Schneider – TOR, 2B/OF, 26.2 – Schnedier wasn’t able to back up his impressive rookie season. His hit tool tanked with a .191 BA and 31.7% K%. He played a solid 2B, but there isn’t much defensive value there either. The poor sophomore season now puts him in a battle with sooooooo many similarly talented fringy type players in Toronto. The thing that keeps him ranked even this high is that he still put up an excellent 12% Barrel%, so the power potential is in here if he can improve the hit tool. The 21.4 degree launch with a 88.6/93.1 MPH FB/EV ensure he will hit dingers, but it also looks like a recipe for an extremely low BA. I was all for taking a shot on Schneider coming off his excellent rookie season, but it didn’t really pan out. He’s a bench bat who could be useful if he works his way into a full time job, but that isn’t a very unique profile. – 2025 Projection: 41/13/44/.221/.312/.416/5

803) Will Wagner – TOR, 2B, 26.8 – Wagner is smack dab in the middle of Toronto’s fringy young player clusterf*ck, and while his excellent plate approach and strong MLB debut could put him in the pole position for playing time, he just doesn’t have the type of profile I like rostering. He put up a 125 wRC+ in his 24 game MLB debut, but it came with 2 homers and 0 steals. He swings a slow bat (68.9 MPH), he’s slow himself (26.4 ft/sec sprint), and he doesn’t hit the ball all that hard (88.1 MPH EV with a 4.4% Barrel% at Triple-A). He had a 90.6 MPH EV with a 9.1% Barrel% in the majors, but the AAA numbers were the bigger sample. The hit tool and approach are the calling card (10.4/16.6 K%/BB% at Triple-A and a 18.6% K% and .305 BA in the majors), but as you guys already know well, this isn’t my type of player. He’s a fine 2B, so it’s not like his glove is really going to force the issue either. He’s a bench infielder long term, and even if he does get a full time job, the upside isn’t worth it. – 2025 Projection: 35/6/35/.275/.323/.407/3

804) Brendan Rodgers – HOU, 2B, 28.8 – Rodgers cracks this list almost purely on his past hype, combined with the fact that maybe once he gets out of Colorado, and actually gets into a real organization (we’ll see where he lands, if anywhere), maybe there is some kind of untapped upside in here that a good team can pull out. He still hits the ball hard with a 44.1% Hard Hit%, but that is all he does well at this point. He has no speed, below average plate skills, and a below average launch. I guess the thing a good team will try to do is to get him to hit the ball in the air more, and at this point in his career, why not give it a shot. What does he have lose? Let’s see where or if he lands somewhere. – 2025 Projection: 60/14/60/.261/.311/.410/1 Update: He landed with a real organization, and obviously the first thing they are trying with him is to add loft. Just a flier still

805) Alexander Canario – NYM, OF, 24.11 – I was always visually amazed when watching Canario swing, writing, “he swings the bat like it’s a bazooka with an extreme all or nothing approach,” in last year’s Top 1,000 writeup, and now with bat speed tracking, we saw Canario put up an eye poppingly elite 78 MPH swing. It was in a small sample (40 swings), but that was 4th best in all of baseball. My eyes certainly weren’t deceiving me, and it’s what keeps Canario interesting to me for fantasy. He’s going to rip dingers if he gets playing time, like he did at Triple-A with 18 homers and a 16.8% Barrel% in 64 games. He also keeps producing in the majors in small samples (despite an extremely high K%) with a 148 wRC+ in 17 PA in 2023 and a 128 wRC+ in 28 PA in 2024. The swing is on the long side and he strikes out a ton (30.4% K% at Triple-A), so the batting average is a major risk, and it may prevent him from ever really truly locking down a full time job, but that power upside is big enough to crack this list. 2025 Projection: 28/10/37/.223/.301/.438/2 Prime Projection: 64/25/78/.235/.314/.469/6

806) Mike Boeve – MIL, 1B/2B/3B, 22.11 – Boeve is a better real life prospect than fantasy prospect with a solid hit tool and lackluster power/speed combo, but with Milwaukee’s 3B job open right now, being a good real life hitter could get him into that lineup. I like Brock Wilken to take the job based on pedigree and upside, but just because I like that, doesn’t mean it’s going to happen. Boeve proved his hit tool will transfer to the upper minors, slashing .306/.374/.447 with 6 homers, 1 steal, and a 17.0/9.3 K%/BB% in 66 games. He has some raw power, but the launch is low and it’s a line drive approach, so there isn’t big homer upside, and he doesn’t run much. He’s not a small guy at a thick 6’1”, so it’s possible for him to tap into more game power down the line. This isn’t a profile I love buying into, but with the current opening at 3B, I can’t ignore the possibility that he could hit his way into the role pretty quickly. – 2025 Projection: 23/5/27/.249/.300/.385/1 Prime Projection: 68/15/65/.269/.326/.418/4

807) Carlos Santana – CLE, 1B, 39.0 – Santana hit 23 homers with a 114 wRC+ in 150 games in 2024, so even at 39 years old, it’s not surprising that he found a full time job. The underlying numbers back up that he’s still good with an 89.2 MPH EV, 16.1 degree launch, .330 xwOBA, and 16.7/10.9 K%/BB%. The cliff could come at any moment, and Cleveland has good young players who can take his spot, so this is an extremely low end option still. – 2025 Projection: 65/20/69/.235/.318/.417/3

808) Jesse Winker – NYM, OF, 31.7 – Winker returned from the dead in 2024 (118 wRC+) after a horrific 2023 (66 wRC+), but he tailed off after getting traded to the Mets, and he’s likely in line for a platoon role at the very best. The biggest mystery is the 14 steals in 145 games after never having stolen more than 1 bag in a season. The new stolen base rules have created some truly wonky steal seasons. He stole 0 bags in 44 games with the Mets though, and it seems unlikely he even comes close to 14 again. A plus plate approach is his best offensive skill with a 20.9/12.4 K%/BB%, and he’s more of a good all around hitter than a home run hitter, so a low upside platoon bat is just not a very enticing profile. – 2025 Projection: 55/14/50/.249/.350/.410/5

809) Mike Yastrzemski – SFG, OF, 34.7 – Yas is a mostly strong side of a platoon power bat who is likely nearing the end of his career. He’ll pop dingers with a 10.5% Barrel%, 90.4 MPH EV, and 19.1 degree launch, but it’s coming with a low BA (he hasn’t hit better than .233 in 5 years), little speed (3 steals), and not many RBI/Runs (60/57). – 2025 Projection: 58/16/54/.230/.311/.438/3

810) Isiah Kiner Falefa – PIT\, 2B/3B/SS, 30.0 – Falefa seems to be penciled in as Pitt’s SS at the moment, which is not optimal for them. He’s a very low end option with an above average glove and below average bat. The below average bat part is what he care about the most for fantasy with a .283 xwOBA in 2024, and he’s never put up higher than a .294 xwOBA in his career. He will run a bit with mid teens stolen base ability, making him relevant in medium to deeper leagues if he really can hold onto this job by Opening Day, but I have a hard time believing he is going to be a full time starter at SS all season. – 2025 Projection: 62/8/46/.262/.308/.362/14

811) Ernie Clement – TOR, 3B/SS, 29.0 – There are things to like about Clement, and he has a path to plenty of at bats, but he’s really best suited for a utility role. He’s already 29 years old and the upside just isn’t there for fantasy even if he does have a full time job. The things to like are that he has an above average infield glove, he has elite contact rates with a 9.1% K%, he can lift and pull, and he has speed with a 28.4 ft/sec sprint. It resulted in a .263 BA with 12 homers and 12 steals in 452 PA. That is definitely a serviceable across the board profile if given full time at bats. But it’s not the type of player, especially considering his age, where you want him to be a full time starter. He put up a .282 xwOBA, .297 wOBA, a 85.5 MPH EV and 2.4% BB%. It’s a light hitting bottom of the order bat that optimally gets 400-500 PA a season, which is what he got in 2024. – 2025 Projection: 58/14/61/.265/.304/.401/13

812) Tommy Pham – PIT, OF, 37.1 – Pham is 37 years old and coming off a season where he put up a 91 wRC+ and negative 0.1 WAR in 116 games, so kinda wild that he found a full time job, but he seems to have found a full time job.. To Pitt’s credit, his .319 xwOBA and 90.4 MPH EV seems to indicate there is still juice left in here, but he’s always underperformed his xwOBA, so I wouldn’t bank on that too hard. Pitt does have some other options, maybe not perfect options, but I have to think at some point they will prefer to go with the kids. – 2025 Projection: 51/10/39/.246/.318/.400/10

813) Andrew McCutchen – PIT, OF, 38.6 – The 38 year old McCutchen is aging gracefully with 20 homers and a 105 wRC+ in 120 games, but make no mistake, he’s aging. The speed is now below average, and he only nabbed 3 bags last year. The 25.8% K% was a career worst, and it led to a .232 BA. He can be useful in deeper leagues, and also in OBP leagues, but he’s not going to make a major impact assuming he stays at this level, and at 38, there is no guarantee he stays at this level. – 2025 Projection: 62/16/50/.240/.330/.410/5

814) DJ LeMahieu – NYY, 1B/3B, 36.9 – LeMahieu is a 36 year old coming off a season where he just put up a 52 wRC+ in 67 games. He put up a 99 wRC+ the year before. Not to be Mr. Obvious, but I would say the decline has arrived. The underlying numbers have declined right along with the surface stats with a .299 xwOBA in 2024. He still gets the bat on the ball with a 15.4% K%, and the 5.8% Barrel% isn’t terrible, so he can still be a solid part time player. The Yanks 3B job is also currently open, so there is a still a path to plenty of at bats right now. – 2025 Projection: 51/8/42/.250/.328/.385/2

815) Jeff McNeil – NYM, 2B/OF, 33.0 – McNeil is on his last legs, and while the Mets could go with the vet at 2B, they have so many other good younger options (Acuna, Mauricio, Jett), I just doubt he holds onto the starting job for long even if he does win it. He just had his 2nd straight year of a well below average xwOBA, and he’s now 33 years old. He can get the bat on the ball with a 14.4% K% and he plays a solid 2B, but that is about all he does well. He’s a desperation option. – 2025 Projection: 44/8/35/.261/.323/.390/5

816) J.D. Martinez – FRA, OF, 37.7 – Martinez is 37 years old coming off a mediocre season where he put up a .725 OPS in 120 games. The 14.9% Barrel%, .351 xwOBA and 91 MPH EV are all still good though, so it’s possible he lands a near full time DH job, but we’ll see. – 2025 Projection: 48/15/61/.247/.319/.438/0

817) David Fry – CLE, C/1B/OF, 29.4 – Fry underwent surgery to repair a ligament in his elbow in early November with a 6-8 month timeline. That puts May as his earliest possible return date, and it could go into the 2nd half. That doesn’t give him much of a shot to lock in a starting job, or at least a near everyday utility job. He’s not a good defensive player, so he was always going to have to prove it every step of the way, and this surgery just seems like a terrible roadblock considering he’s already 29 years old. The swing speed is below average, and the 90.3 MPH FB EV is also lackluster. He has 505 career MLB PA with a 124 wRC+, but some of that was luck with a career .341 wOBA vs. a .326 xwOBA. I was already torn on if he could truly be a full time player, and with the injury, it has me leaning towards mostly needing to see him healthy and raking again before truly placing a high value on him. – 2025 Projection: 34/8/38/.252/.330/.426/2

818) Kyle Stowers – MIA, OF, 27.3 – I really liked Stowers a few years ago as a power hitting, proximity play prospect. With a plus 73.7 MPH swing that is also very short at 6.8 feet, and with an above average 28.2 ft/sec sprint at 6’2”, 215 pounds, I’m happy that I wasn’t hallucinating his very real talent, but the hit tool is just awful. He put up a 36.1% whiff% with a 35.4% K%. And it hasn’t improved in 3 years in the majors. It led to a 67 wRC+ in 69 games, which is just horrific. The big power is for sure there with a 91 MPH EV and 10.0% Barrel%, but at this point, you just can’t bet on that hit tool. He’ll battle for at bats in 2025 with a path to playing time, so he’s not the worst flier ever, but that is all he is. – 2025 Projection: 48/15/57/.221/.298/.421/3

819) Richie Palacios – TBR, 2B/OF, 27.11 – Palacios is likely locked into a bench role, and a strong side of a platoon role at best, but he just put up a .325 xwOBA with 19 steals, a .346 OBP and zero contact issues in 316 PA, so he’s kinda interesting. He’s always had excellent plate skills, and that continued in the majors with a 21.2/14.2 K%/BB%. He doesn’t have a ton of pop with a 3.5% Barrel% and 5 homers, but it’s not nothing, and he’s a good baserunner, going 19 for 20. Tampa isn’t exactly super deep, so injuries or underperformance from their starters, combined with Palacios hitting well, could result in a bunch of at bats for him and fantasy relevance. – 2025 Projection: 57/9/41/.248/.337/.385/17

820) Leody Taveras – TEX, OF, 26.7 – Leody looks to be out of a starting job after the Joc Pederson signing, and quite frankly, that is where he belongs. He’s a 4th outfielder with average CF defense and a below average bat. He put up a 82 wRC+ in 2024 and he has a 85 career wRC+ in 1,743 PA. He actually doesn’t do anything too poorly offensively with almost average underlying marks everywhere you look, but this is a case where the sum is less than the parts. And the sample is big enough to say that this is who he is. It’s possible he can level up in his late 20’s, but you can say that about a ton of guys, and he currently doesn’t have a starting job. – 2025 Projection: 48/11/41/.254/.313/.400/19

821) Mike Siani – STL, OF, 25.9 – The Cardinals are super weak at CF, and it doesn’t seem like they are interested in adding vets at the moment, so Scott and Siani will battle it out for the job. Both are really bad on offense, and neither are likely starters long term, but they both have the stolen base upside to be fantasy relevant if they are in the lineup. Siani stole 24 bags in 334 MLB PA, and he did that with a .285 OBP. The guy runs. The 84.4 MPH EV, .243 xwOBA, and 27.5/6.3 K%/BB% shows there really isn’t much hope for him to actually be a long term starter, but I guess he deserves to be on the list. He’s great on defense, so that could give him the edge for the job. – 2025 Projection: 49/3/25/.230/.295/.323/22 Update: He lost the job to Scott, but we’ll see if Scott can truly lock it down during the season

822) Johan Rojas – PHI, OF, 24.8 – The Phillies have Marsh penciled in at CF right now, and he’s not a good CF, so it’s possible Rojas’ plus CF glove gets him on the field. I just doubt it’s going to be full time, and Justin Crawford has already been mentioned as an option in 2025, so it will be short lived for Rojas no matter what. He’s just not good on offense 85.7 MPH EV, .250 xwOBA, and 19.0/3.6 K%/BB% in 363 PA. He stole 25 bags, so that is what keeps him fantasy relevant if he does get in the lineup. – 2025 Projection: 45/4/30/.250/.293/.340/23

823) Jorge Mateo – BAL, 2B, 29.10 – Mateo’s season ended in mid July with an elbow injury that eventually needed an internal brace procedure and flexor repair surgery. The injury is likely to keep him out into the beginning of 2025 as well. He’s just a utility player these days, and even if injuries hit, there is no guarantee he’s in line for full time at bats as Baltimore is pretty deep. If he does find his way into the lineup, his elite speed and base stealing ability will keep him relevant, and he has decent pop, but it comes with terrible plate skills. – 2025 Projection: 42/6/27/.228/.276/.378/22

824) Darell Hernaiz – OAK, 3B/SS, 23.8 – There are rumors Max Muncy could be considered for the 3B job, which tells me that Oakland optimally sees Hernaiz as a utility infielder long term with Muncy, Wilson, and Gelof as the starters, but just because that’s the plan, doesn’t mean it’s going to work out that way. And Hernaiz is good enough to keep the pressure on all 3 of those guys, slashing .333/.376/.493 with 5 homers, 6 steals, and a 14.0/7.6 K%/BB% in 35 games at Triple-A. He struggled hard in the majors with a 50 wRC+, but a 20.0/8.1 K%/BB% with a 87.1 MPH EV isn’t that bad. The launch is low and the 27.5 ft/sec sprint is slightly above average, so we aren’t talking about a big talent here, but the guy can hit. If he does find himself with full time at bats, he could put up average across the board numbers. – 2025 Projection: 21/3/18/.248/.291/.353/6 Prime Projection: 68/12/51/.266/.324/.388/11

825) Alejandro Osuna – TEX, OF, 22.6 – I’ve comped Osuna to pre-roids Melky Cabrera for a few years now, and in 2024, he’s getting closer to the roids version of Melky. He slashed .292/.362/.507 with 18 homers, 17 steals, and a 23.6/7.8 K%/BB% in 102 games split between High-A (132 wRC+ in 45 games) and Double-A (151 wRC+ in 57 games). He’s not a big guy at 5’9”, and while he can lift it and hit it fairly hard, he doesn’t pull it a ton, and he doesn’t project for big homer totals on the MLB level. The K/BB rates weren’t exactly great and he’s not a great base stealer (17 for 23 this year). He’s a good ballplayer, and I see the appeal, but he’s not really one of my guys. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 74/17/66/.261/.322/.420/14

826) Kahlil Watson – CLE, 2B/OF, 22.0 – Cleveland selecting Bazzana first overall is an absolute killer for Watson’s path to playing time, but the biggest killer to his path to playing time is the hit tool. He just put up a 30.7% K% with a .220 BA in 96 games at Double-A. He was only 21 years old, so there is some age to level leeway you can give him, and he still put up a 104 wRC+, so he wasn’t bad. The electric power/speed combo that made him a hyped high school prospect is still here with 16 homers and 15 steals. Even with the hit tool risk, I still like him for fantasy, but he has to get on the field in order to help us. And it just doesn’t seem like a team is going to hand him a full time job anytime soon. This could shape up to be more of a mid to late 20’s type breakout scenario. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 73/20/71/.233/.316/.425/15

827) Luis Guanipa – ATL, OF, 19.4 – Guanipa was one of the top breakout targets from the 2023 international class, and while he’s yet to truly explode, he remains a very enticing high upside option. He played well in the age appropriate stateside rookie ball with 2 homers, 4 steals, a 12.3% K% and 112 wRC+ in 20 games, but he struggled hard when he got the ball to Single-A with a 42 wRC+ in 32 games. The 25.7/8.1 K%/BB% shows he wasn’t completely lost, and at only 18 years old with very little pro experience, I wouldn’t kill him too much for struggling there. Plus speed and potentially plus CF defense are his best two attributes right now, and he’s starting to lock in at least a pretty good feel for contact. Contact, defense and speed is a pretty safe profile that also has fantasy upside. How much power he gets to is the ultimate question, and while he’s an explosive player, he’s not a big guy and he hit the ball on the ground a decent amount this year. He wasn’t that to the moon prospect we hoped for, but there is still a nice little combination of floor and upside in here. ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 77/16/66/.265/.325/.416/24

828) Yohandy Morales – WAS, 1B/3B, 23.6 – The Nationals are really weak organizationally at corner infield, and they selected Morales pretty high at 40th overall, so he’s in the right situation to get as much opportunity as he can handle. And he’s done nothing but produce in pro ball, putting up a 119 wRC+ in 69 games at Double-A this year. It only came with 5 homers, 4 steals, and a 24.5% K%, so it was more underwhelming than the wRC+ would lead you to believe, but still. He’s a big guy at 6’3”, 225 pounds with big raw power. He’s not as finished of a product as you would hope for a college bat, needing to improve his game power and hit tool, but there is power potential in here, and there is a long term path to playing time. – 2025 Projection: 16/3/18/.221/.289/.377/1 Prime Projection: 68/17/74/.244/.312/.414/5

829) Cayden Wallace – WAS, 3B, 23.7 – If Tena stumbles, and House isn’t ready, Wallace could slide right into that 3B job so easily in 2025. He’s a good defensive 3B and he can get the bat on the ball, so if the higher upside, flashier options fail, the safe and stable Wallace could look mighty enticing. He put up a 17.8/7.3 K%/BB% in 56 games at mostly Double-A, and while he didn’t perform that well with a 96 wRC+, 3 homers and 4 steals (in 8 attempts), he was playing much better before an oblique injury, followed by a trade to the Nationals, and then followed by a broken rib interrupted his season. It’s a mostly low launch, all fields approach, and while he can nab a few bags, he doesn’t have big speed, so even if he can find full time at bats, it’s a low upside fantasy profile. – 2025 Projection: 16/2/19/.236/.288/.372/2 Prime Projection: 51/13/56/.255/.317/.414/7

830) Gino Groover – ARI, 3B, 22.11 – Low upside college bats aren’t exactly my favorite targets, but Groover played to the very top of that profile in 2024, and after keeping it up at Double-A to close out the season, he definitely has my attention. He cracked 3 homers with a 16.4/9.1 K%/BB% in 13 games at the level. This coming off a strong showing at High-A with 7 homers, 3 steals, a 13.7/11.4 K%/BB% and 129 wRC+ in 40 games. I’m still not seeing huge fantasy upside as he doesn’t hit the ball all that hard, he doesn’t run much, and while the glove is solid, it’s not so good that it is going to force him on the field. He can be a solid MLB hitter, and Eugenio Suarez’ contract is up after this year, so there is a path to fantasy relevance, but it’s just not my type of prospect stash. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 69/18/73/.267/.328/.416/7

831) George Valera – CLE, OF, 24.4 – Add Valera to the pile of Cleveland’s strong corner depth. I don’t know who is going to emerge out of this group, but at least a few of them will emerge over the next few years, and the ones that do can definitely make an impact. Valera had injuries slow his career and allowed others to catch up to him on the depth chart, so now he’s in a dog fight like the rest of them. He had a strong year in 2024 with 17 homers, a 90.5 MPH EV and 27/12 K%/BB% in 90 games at Triple-A, showing off the power potential. He still has that damn smooth lefty swing. The best way to play Cleveland’s fringier prospects are to probably wait to see who gets the opportunity, and then pounce, rather than hold on, but in deeper leagues you probably don’t have that luxury. Something tells me that I still want to bet on Valera, but it will probably come as a strong side of a platoon bat. – 2025 Projection: 15/6/21/.221/.301/.424/1 Prime Projection: 66/23/73/.245/.327/.469/6

832) Johnathan Rodriguez – CLE, OF, 25.5 – Good teams know how to build depth, and Cleveland is building strong offensive depth basically at every position. It’s great for real life, but it makes it very hard to know if and when a good but not great prospect will get an opportunity. Rodriguez is in that bucket as a slugger with no defensive value. He destroyed Triple-A, slashing .301/.390/.540 with 29 homers, 8 steals, and a 25.2/12.6 K%/BB% in 118 games. The 7.2 degree launch was low, but the 92.5 MPH EV more than made up for it. He didn’t have a good MLB debut in a small sample with a .486 OPS in 40 PA, but he still put up a 91.3 MPH EV. If he gets playing time, there is little doubt that he will be fantasy relevant, but who knows when or if he will get playing time. – 2025 Projection: 18/6/24/.232/.307/.432/2 Prime Projection: 48/16/54/.244/.325/.457/ 5

833) Kala’i Rosario – MIN, OF, 22.9 – I just wrote Rosario up in yesterday’s AFL Rundown, and it really encapsulates my thoughts perfectly on him: “An elbow injury knocked Rosario out for almost 3 months mid-season, and in the prospect world, you already know that out of sight, out of mind is a real thing, so it’s great to see Rosario back in sight in the AFL. And he’s making sure he gets seen with an absolute 113.1 MPH rocket for his first homer. He’s 1 for 7 with 2 strikeouts overall. We all know that Rosario is a power hitting beast, and he hit 8 homers in 67 games in Double-A this year, but the reason he didn’t crack my End of Season Prospect Rankings is because I don’t like the 30.4% K% and 54.2% GB% combo. Huge power conquers all, so I’m not saying he can’t overcome the K’s and groundballs, but I don’t love it. He ranked 211th for me last off-season, and he probably does deserve to rank at least in the Top 300 now too.” – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 68/24/78/.238/.316/.452/5

834) Brooks Baldwin – CHW, 2B/SS, 24.7 – Colson Montgomery is going to take the starting SS job sooner rather than later, but if Chicago slow plays it, or if he struggles hard, Baldwin could be their best option at SS at the moment, and he has the speed to be fantasy relevant. He has a 29.1 ft/sec sprint and he stole 17 bags in 82 games in the upper minors, and then 4 bags in 33 games in the majors. He doesn’t have big raw power with an 87.4 MPH EV, but he puts it in the air a ton with a 26.2 launch, so he can pop some dingers. It’s certainly a fun homer/steal combo for fantasy, but the plate approach isn’t good (25.6/5.0 K%/BB%), and he doesn’t hit the ball hard to take advantage of the flyball rates, so it’s a recipe for a super low BA (.211 BA). He’s likely a utility infielder long term, but one with some fantasy upside. – 2025 Projection: 31/8/31/.227/.290/.393/9

835) Nacho Alvarez – ATL, SS/3B/2B, 22.0 – Nobody is a bigger Nacho fan than me. I named him a super deep sleeper in his FYPD class for deep leagues, and seeing him blossom has been fun to watch, but unfortunately, he’s still really only a deep league option. The power/speed combo is just far too lackluster with an 86.3 MPH EV at Triple-A and below average speed. He’s also not a lift and pull guy, so he can’t fall back on that either. The hit tool and plate approach are great with a 15.6/12.8 K%/BB% at Triple-A, but that immediately didn’t transfer to the majors with a 31.3/0.0 K%/BB% in 32 PA. He was 21 and it’s a super small sample, so I’m not giving it too much credence, but considering the below average power/speed combo, that hit tool/approach needs to be bulletproof. It sure looks like a utility player to me, or a low end regular. – 2025 Projection: 11/2/13/.248/.297/.353/2 Prime Projection: 76/13/62/.276/.338/.411/10

836) Ricardo Cabrera – CIN, 3B/2B/SS, 20.5 – I want to like Cabrera more, but a 83.9 MPH EV in 105 games at Single-A is super underwhelming. He was only 19, so I’m not saying he can’t improve there, he almost certainly will, it’s just a very low starting point, and it’s hard to bet on him truly hitting the ball very hard in the future. It’s also not like he was that great statistically, slashing .252/.333/..399 with 11 homers, 19 steals, and a 22.1/6.8 K%/BB%. He also had a 50.2% GB%. He was a high priced international signing who has hit well in pro ball, which is why I feel the pull to like him more, but objectively, he’s just not that unique or special of a prospect. He’s fine. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 67/15/71/.264/.322/.411/13

837) Jansel Luis – ARI, 3B/2B/SS, 20.1 – Luis was a breakout candidate coming into 2024, and while he didn’t breakout, he did enough to stay on the future breakout radar. He slashed .265/.337/.414 with 7 homers, 20 steals, and a 20.8/7.6 K%/BB% in 109 games at Single-A. He’s a pretty explosive player at 6’0”, 170 pounds with plenty of room to add more raw power down the line, but he’s still raw in most aspects of his game. He needs to refine the hit tool, plate approach, base stealing, unlocking more game power and defense. It’s a lot, but simply hitting the ball harder would cure a lot of ills and he should naturally hit the ball harder as he ages. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 74/16/62/.265/.321/.403/18

838) Max Acosta – MIA, SS/2B, 22.5 – Acosta was a popular international target in his incoming 2021 class (by me as well), and while he’s had a solid pro career, it just goes to show you that you are really looking for those rocket ship prospects. 2025 will be going on year 5 of holding him, waiting for him to turn into a likely utility infielder by 24 years old. That’s 7 years of waiting for maybe a utility player. This is almost the worst case scenario when you select hot international prospect names. You almost rather them be complete busts where you can just move on, rather than hanging around the fringes, which is where Acosta has been hanging. To be fair to him, he’s coming off a damn good year in 2024 with a 119 wRC+ in 104 games at Double-A. He slashed .288/.353/.425 with 8 homers, 26 steals (in 35 attempts), and a 13.4/7.8 K%/BB%. He’s not a home run hitter, but he’s got some pop in his bat, and he’s not a true burner, but he likes to run. The most encouraging part is obviously the contact rates. A guy who gets the bat on the ball that much and has a solid up the middle glove is a very high floor prospect. There is definitely a path for him to be a full time regular, but even in that scenario it’s probably a low end one. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 58/8/41/.263/.318/.391/16

839) Andrew Salas – MIA, SS/OF, 17.1 – I can’t deny that I’m starting to feel a little worn out/underwhelmed with the Salas family. I was a fan of Andrew’s oldest brother, Jose Salas, and liked him as a breakout candidate, but he bottomed out hard in 2023 and 2024. His middle brother, Ethan, has been so insanely hyped for a while now, and his 2024 was underwhelming to say the least. And now here comes Andrew, who is is hit tool/plate approach first prospect with a moderate power/speed combo, which isn’t my favorite profile to begin with. He’s 6’2”, 185 pounds with a quick and controlled swing from both sides of the dish. With those bloodlines, we know he has an advanced feel for the game too. He’s a floor over upside type, but it’s not like he’s devoid of upside, and his floor seems higher than your typical international prospect due to those bloodlines. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 74/21/77/.262/.326/.423/10

840) Aaron Parker – TOR, C, 22.3 – Searching for pro debut breakouts coming out of the draft has been one of my favorite things to do since I started writing back in 2015/16. Back then, nobody else was really doing it, and now I’m happy to see the prospect hounds out there giving great pro debuts the respect they deserve. Harrison Bader and Willie Calhoun were two of my favorite players from this bucket way back in the day, and both still hold a warm place in my heart to this day. Alex Freeland, Luke Adams and Nacho Alverez were 3 guys I named targets in this bucket in their draft year. And just this past season, CJ Kayfus, Tre Morgan, and Jonathan Long were three guys who cracked my off-season rankings on the back of their excellent pro debuts. Now moving onto this season, Aaron Parker, who was selected 187th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, is someone that is demanding recognition for his pro debut. The dude absolutely smashed the ball with a 93.9 MPH EV, and it resulted in 5 homers and a 154 wRC+ in 24 games. The 27% K% is too high, but he’s shown a good feel to hit throughout his amateur career, and it comes with a 17% BB%. He was a 6th round pick known for a good bat and decent catcher defense. Catcher definitely isn’t my favorite position to stash for fantasy, but Morgan and Kayfus were 1B without huge power, which also isn’t my favorite thing to stash, but look how that turned out. He’s my favorite pro debut breakout in this year’s class, and is a definite target later in first year player drafts. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 64/18/69/.246/.319/.427/1

841) Cole Messina – COL, C, 21.11 – Selected 77th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, after Aaron Parker, Messina is my top later round catcher target in First Year Player Drafts, and based purely on path to playing time, maybe he should be my top later round target. He has a chance to be a good defensive catcher, Colorado’s organizational depth chart at catcher is terrible, and of course, he will get to hit in Colorado. He also has the big power I generally like to target with my catchers, smoking 21 homers in 59 SEC games with the hard hit ability to back it up at 6’0”, 230 pounds. There are hit tool concerns with a 23.4% K% his junior year, but he had a 16.8% K% his sophomore year, and he had a 19.6% K% in his pro debut (17 games at High-A). Granted, he didn’t hit well in his pro debut with a 33 wRC+, but in this year’s catcher class, you take what you can get. He has the ability to stick behind the plate, the path to playing time, the excellent home park, and power upside. Messina and Parker are my top targets for a late round FYPD catcher in deeper leagues. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 57/18/69/.237/.312/.433/4

842) Carson DeMartini – PHI, 3B/SS, 22.3 – Selected 130th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, DeMartini was a pro debut breakout, and you know how much I love my pro debut breakouts. He slashed .315/.385/.478 with 2 homers, 8 steals, and a 13.5/8.7 K%/BB% in 24 games at Single-A. And it’s not like he wasn’t an absolute beast in his amateur career too. He put up a 1.110 OPS his freshman year in the ACC, a 1.048 OPS his sophomore year, and a 1.072 OPS with 21 homers in 54 games his junior year. He’s not a huge guy at 6’0”, 197 pounds, but he can hit it hard enough, and he knows how to lift and pull it. He’s also not a burner, but he knows how to steal a bag. The reason he got drafted so late is that he had a 27.7% K% this year in college, but it came with a 16.8% BB%, and it was much better his sophomore year with a 17.1% K%, so it’s not like he has some definite fatal flaw there. The fact that he had a 13.5% K% in his pro debut is also a great sign. He might not be a world beater, but DeMartini is a very, very interesting later round college bat for deeper leagues. He’s a definite target late in the draft. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 77/18/69/.253/.321/.422/12

843) Chase Hampton – NYY, RHP, 23.8 – Hampton didn’t make his season debut until July 1st due to an elbow injury. When he returned, his stuff was diminished and the results were poor with a 21.1/11.8 K%/BB% in 18.2 IP. He then went right back on the IL with a lower body injury that ended his season. Pitching prospects are fun ;). At full health, he’s 6’2, 200 pounds with mid 90’s heat, a diverse set of secondaries (slider, curve, cutter, change), and solid control/command. He looked like he had the potential to be an impact mid-rotation fantasy starter, and if he returns to full health in 2025, he still has that potential. But the risk couldn’t be more evident. 2025 Projection: 2/4.38/1.37/21 in 25 IP Prime Projection: 10/3.91/1.30/157 in 155 IP Update: Out with a UCL injury that seems ominous

844) Camilo Doval – SFG, Setup, 27.10 – Doval’s below average control tanked him in 2024, putting up a 14.4% BB% with a 4.88 ERA in 59 IP, including a mid-season demotion to the minors. The 3.44 xERA was better than the ERA, so bad luck was certainly in play, and he still has fire stuff (99.1 MPH cutter) that misses a ton of bats (34.3% whiff% overall). It wouldn’t be surprising at all to see Doval have a big year in 2025, but he’s going to have to fight to get the closer job back, and it will probably require an injury and/or implosion by Ryan Walker to even get a chance at it. – 2025 Projection: 5/3.49/1.29/82/5 saves in 65 IP

845) Craig Yoho – MIL, Setup, 25.5 – Here is what I wrote about Yoho in my latest Rundown: “Even in my 30 team leagues, I’m not the type to roster minor league relief pitchers. I prefer to get my relievers from super small sample MLB pop ups, but Yoho is really making me rethink that strategy. At least for him in particular. He went 2 perfect innings with 4 K’s yesterday and now has a 0.00 ERA with a 52.9/5.9 K%/BB% in 5 IP. This coming off a 42.4% K% in the minors in 2024. Here he is ripping off a disgusting breaker, and that isn’t even his best secondary, it’s the change. He’s just super fun, and I’m getting drawn in.” 2025 Projection: 4/3.57/1.21/78 in 60 IP

846) Tyler Holton – DET, Closer Committee, 28.10 – Holton notched 8 saves in 2024 as their main lefty in the pen, and while it seems unlikely for him to ascend to the full time role, you never know. He has a career 2.19 ERA and 0.84 WHIP in 188.2 IP on the back of elite control with a 4.8% BB% in 2024. The fastballs only sit low 90’s, but he throws a 5 pitch mix, and the sweeper is a legit bat missing weapon with a 37.9% whiff%. It seems very possible he’s Detroit best reliever, so if they don’t sign anyone, maybe he can emerge. – 2025 Projection: 5/3.33/0.98/69/10 saves in 80 IP

847) Fraser Allard – CHW, Closer Committee, 27.5 – Chicago’s bullpen is an absolute shit show. I have zero clue what is going to happen, but Allard could very well be their best reliever, and despite being a lefty, Chicago might not have any other choice. He put up a 3.75 ERA with a 25.7/11.9 K%/BB% in 24 IP. The 95.1 MPH fastball can miss a respectable amount of bats with a 24.9% whiff%, and the slider was elite with a .133 xwOBA and 41.9% whiff%. The control is below average, so it’s not so clear he’s any safer than Chicago’s other options. If you are chasing saves though, this is an unsettled situation that could pay off if you guess the right guy, and as the top lefty, he could get 10-ish saves regardless. – 2025 Projection: 3/3.95/1.34/69/9 saves in 60 IP

848) Matt Strahm – PHI, Setup, 33.5 – I don’t think Strahm is very close to the full time closer role, but he’s elite enough to crack this list regardless. He put up a 1.87 ERA with a 33.3/4.6 K%/BB% in 62.2 IP. The 26.7% whiff% shows you probably shouldn’t trust that K rate, but he can definitely miss bats with an elite 4-seamer that put up a .229 xwOBA and 26.8% whiff%. The slider is excellent too with a .167 xwOBA and 32.4% whiff%. – 2025 Projection: 5/3.37/1.06/76/3 saves in 63 IP

849) AJ Minter – NYM, Setup, 31.7 – Minter signed a 2 year, $22 million contract with the Mets, which is a good sign the Mets are expecting him healthy coming off hip surgery that ended his 2024 in August. And also coming off a shoulder injury that he returned from mid season with very diminished stuff. I’m not sure I would have given him that contract, but I didn’t see the medicals, so what do I know. It also makes it likely he’s next man up assuming full health. He was good once again before going down with the injury with a 2.62 ERA and 26.1/8.2 K%/BB% in 34.1 IP, but he wasn’t quite as good as his prime. The velocity was down 2 ticks It started down a bit and then just tanked as the season went along, especially after the shoulder injury. The strikeouts also weren’t as good as his prime. Even a diminished version of himself can be a good reliever, and unfortunately, I think you have to seriously consider that he could be diminished. – 2025 Projection: 4/3.52/1.17/66/6 saves in 60 IP

850) Robert Stephenson – LAA, Setup, 32.1 – Stephen underwent Tommy John surgery in late April 2024, just a couple months after signing a 3 year deal, which will likely knock him out until mid-season at the earliest. If Ben Joyce is pitching well, I just highly, highly doubt they remove him from the closer job, but if Joyce isn’t pitching well, Stephenson could slide in there by the 2nd half, or by 2026. He broke out into the elite tier in 2023 after Tampa unlocked a new cutter, so if he comes back fully healthy, he could definitely make a major impact. Not the worst IL stash, and probably a pretty good one to stash. – 2025 Projection: 1/3.80/1.25/16 in 15 IP

851) Joel Payamps – MIL, Setup, 31.0 – If Megill falters (or gets hurt), I don’t think Milwaukee will hesitate to open up the closer role, and Payamps could be the guy who slides in. He nabbed 6 saves in 2024. He’s rock solid with a 3.05 ERA and 25.1/7.7 K%/BB% in 59 IP. The 4-seamer misses an elite amount of bats with a 34.5% whiff%, and the slider is average to above average. Nothing flashy, but he’s good. – 2025 Projection: 4/3.45/1.14/66/8 saves in 65 IP

852) Chad Green – TOR, Setup, 33.10 – Hoffman failed two medicals before signing with Toronto, so if he gets hurt, it seems Green is next in line after saving 17 games last year. It’s not a guarantee though as he has competition for next man up too. His K rate dropped off a cliff in 2024 with a 21.9% K% (23.3% whiff%), but he made up for it with plus control, leading to a 3.21 ERA and 6.7% BB% in 53.1 IP. With the K rate plummeting, and no guarantee he’s next man up, I’m not too enticed by him. – 2025 Projection: 4/3.72/1.15/53/6 saves in 55 IP

853) Jose Leclerc – OAK, Setup, 31.4 – Mason Miller has well known injury issues, and it seems Leclerc is next man up in Oakland. He put up a 4.32 ERA with a 30.9/11.1 K%/BB% in 66.2 IP. We know quite well who he is at this point in his career. He’s a whiff factory, but the well below average control makes him volatile. – 2025 Projection: 4/3.64/1.26/80/8 saves in 65 IP

854) Beau Brieske – DET, Closer Committee, 27.0 – Brieske was transitioned from a starter to a reliever in 2023, and he started to look mighty comfortable with it in 2024, putting up a 3.59 ERA with a 24.5/10.6 K%/BB% in 67.2 IP. None of his pitches are particularly standout, the 23.9% whiff% is below average, and the control was below average too. At this moment in time, he’s more of a solid reliever than a true standout one. Jason Foley is the incumbent, and until the Kenley and Robertson are off the board, I would be scared one of them takes over the role. But Beau cracks this list because if they don’t sign anyone, maybe he can sneak in there. – 2025 Projection: 4/3.68/1.28/66/7 saves in 65 IP

855) Justin Slaten – BOS, Setup, 27.7 – Slaten is the young gun in Boston’s pen ready to go if the old grandpa’s peter out. He has elite control (4% BB%), double plus whiffs (29% whiff%), big velocity (96.4 MPH 4-seamer), and a plus cutter. It resulted in a 2.93 ERA in 55.1 IP. I’m not sure he’s the closer of the future, as Boston can keep acquiring vets, but it’s certainly possible he does emerge as the long term guy. -2025 Projection: 5/3.38/1.10/70/4 saves in 65 IP

856) Yimi Garcia – TOR, Setup, 34.8 – Hoffman’s injury risk makes Toronto an enticing team to take shots on their setup men, and while it seems Green is next in line, Yimi just might be better than him. He put up a 3.46 ERA with a 32/7.8 K%/BB% in 39 IP. The 96.5 MPH 4-seamer was elite with a .256 xwOBA and 31.7% whiff%, and he throws a 6 pitch mix with the curve, sweeper and changeup capable of missing bats. His season ended in August with an elbow injury, so he also has injury risk, and it feels like a lot has to happen for him to end up the closer. – 2025 Projection: 3/3.65/1.14/75/5 saves in 60 IP

857) Jorge Lopez – WSH, Setup, 32.2 – After his on field meltdown with the Mets, he came back a new man with Chicago, putting up a 2.03 ERA with a 29.2/7.5 K%/BB% in 26.2 IP. I thought it was too harsh for the Mets to cut him, so I’m happy he came back and redeemed himself. His velocity was up with Chicago, so he was clearly amped up to shove it in the Mets faces. Which also begs the question, was he not trying that hard with the Mets? He throws 2 mid 90’s fastballs and he has 3 good secondaries in his slider, curve and changeup. The ingredients are definitely in here to be good, and quite frankly, he was good in 2 for the last 3 years. With Finnegan re-signing though, he’s back in a setup role. – 2025 Projection: 4/3.70/1.25/65/5 saves in 65 IP Update: Washington re-signed Finnegan to reprise his role as the closer

858) Evan Phillips – LAD, Setup, 30.7 – LA has nine million guys, and it seems like Phillips is on the outs, but he’s racked up 42 saves over the last 2 years, so I guess I’ll put him on this list. He took a step back in 2024 with a 3.62 ERA and 27.6/7.5 K%/BB% in 54.2 IP, but the stuff is still good, and we know relievers can have wonky years. He cracks this list more for track record than his current path to saves. – 2025 Projection: 4/3.40/1.15/70/5 saves in 60 IP

859) Ryan Zeferjahn – LAA, Setup, 27.1 – He put up a 2.21 ERA with a 28.1/9.4 K%/BB% in 17 IP. His three pitch mix was straight elite with a 97.3 MPH 4-seamer that put up a 37.1% whiff%, a cutter that put up a .224 xwOBA, and a sweeper that put up a .153 xwOBA. He was good at Triple-A too. Obviously it’s a small sample and he hasn’t been all that great in his career up until this year, but relievers pop up like this all the time, and he clearly has the stuff. – 2025 Projection: 3/3.74/1.25/66/4 saves in 60 IP

860) Rece Hinds – CIN, OF, 24.7 – How can a guy who put up a 1.051 OPS with 5 homers and 2 steals in his 51 PA MLB debut not make this list? Well, I guess the answer to that question is by striking out 37.9% of the time and putting up a 68 wRC+ at Triple-A. Maybe he shouldn’t make this list, but Hinds has very real upside, and he’s close to the majors, so let’s roll the dice. He’s a very athletic 6’4”, 215 pounds with a plus power/speed combo. He had a 29.2 ft/sec sprint with a 91.6 MPH EV and 18.9 degree launch in the majors. He smacked 14 homers with 20 steals in 99 games at Triple-A. If he can even strikeout just like 32% of the time, he could do some major fantasy damage, as he did in the majors with a 31.4% K%. Odds are he can’t hit enough to become an MLB regular, but in shallower leagues especially, why not take a shot on this kind of close to the majors upside at this point in the rankings. – 2025 Projection; 16/6/21/.207/.266/.412/3 Prime Projection: 42/16/56/.219/.282/.432/10

861) Mac Horvath – TBR, 2B/3B/OF, 23.8 – Horvath is a lift and pull machine, so it’s unsurprising that Tampa was intrigued by him in a mid-season trade, and it’s an upgrade to get out of Baltimore’s logjam. The hit tool is the real problem though with .229 BA and 25.9% K% in 102 games at High-A, and it got way worse after the trade to Tampa with a 34.6% K% in 31 games. He’s an excellent athlete with power and speed, but his K rates have been very high in the lower minors, which is not a great sign for an advanced college bat. If anyone can make it work, it’s Tampa, but often a guy like this ends up in a part time role for them in their mid to late 20’s, which is only so helpful for fantasy. Still a decent upside shot though if the hit tool can improve. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 54/16/56/.233/.309/.422/18

862) Jud Fabian – BAL, OF, 24.6 – Fabian’s contact rates always seem to be on the brink of total implosion before he brings them back off the ledge. He put up a 29.4% K% at Florida at 20 year old, before improving that to 22.3% in his age 21 season. He put up a 37.5% K% at Double-A in 2023, and then improved that in 2024 with a 29.9% K%. And then he got to Triple-A this year where he put up a 40.8% K% in 30 games, but we know how this story goes, and I’m expecting that to come down in 2025. Just how far down he can get it down against MLB pitching is the ultimate question, and while it seems likely he will never be able to get it down quite enough, the power/speed/defense trifecta is good enough to roster him in medium to deeper leagues on the off chance he can. He jacked out 20 homers with 16 steals in 128 games, and he put up a 117 wRC+ at Double-A. He’ll compete with Beavers and Bradfield for bench at bats/next man up status in 2025, and while my money is one Beavers or Bradfield, don’t completely count out Fabian. – 2025 Projection: 11/3/16/.210/.289/.389/2 Prime Projection: 55/18/53/.228/.309/.429/11

863) Colton Ledbetter – TBR, OF, 23.5 – Ledbetter was a 22 year old advanced college bat in the lower minors, so the 28.3/8.1 K%/BB% in 109 games at High-A isn’t a great sign, but the power/speed numbers were there with 16 homers and 34 steals, and the 130 wRC+ was just fine as well. He hits the ball in the air a ton with a 28.6% GB%, and he’s always been an excellent base stealer with some speed. It’s likely he ends up in some kind of strong side of a platoon role with the Rays (he hits righties much better than lefties), but the power/speed combo is in here to make an impact when he gets on the field. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 56/15/61/.244/.318/.429/15

864) Dylan Dreiling – TEX, OF, 21.11 – Selected 65th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, Dreiling is a proven SEC performer from the second he stepped on campus and is a complete hitter, slashing .342/.459/.715 with 23 homers, 4 steals, and a 20.5%/17.5% K%/BB% in 71 games at Tennessee. He hits the ball hard and he’s a disciplined hitter. He’s likely a corner outfielder, he’s not a huge guy at 5’11”, 197 pounds, the K rate is a bit high, and he doesn’t run much, so I’m not sure the upside is super high, but it’s a testament to how deep this year’s college bat class is that you can get a guy with these kind of numbers this late. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 68/18/74/.248/.324/.423/7

865) Dakota Jordan – SFG, OF, 21.11 – Selected 116th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft but signing for $2 million, Jordan is a beast at the dish at a rock solid 6’0”, 220 pounds, and he has the big power to back up the build with 20 homers in 63 games. I don’t love the crouched batting stance, but he kinda rises up as the pitch comes, and it’s an athletic swing, so I’m not holding it against him. The hit tool is the biggest issue with a 29% K%, and he also hits the ball on the ground a lot. That is not the best combo of skills to have, but hard hit ability can conquer all, and Jordan has done nothing but hit the ball hard and produce his entire career. If he landed somewhere other than SF, I could maybe see liking him more, but I just can’t come around on him being one of my guys. Love the obvious huge power, but too many other things are going against him (contact, grounders, ballpark). – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 67/21/74/.226/.311/.434/4

866) Cole Mathis – CHC, 1B, 21.8 – Selected 54th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, Mathis is 6’1”, 210 pounds and he looks big and physical in the box with a strong and controlled righty swing. He didn’t play in a major conference (CAA), but he dominated the competition put in front of him, slashing .335/.472/.650 with 14 homers, 14 steals, and a 12.6/18.1 K%/BB% in 52 games. Maybe most impressively, he obliterated the wood bat Cape league too, slashing .318/.381/.667 with 11 homers, 0 steals, and a 17.0/8.2 K%/BB% in 38 games. He’s a really good all around hitter with the ability to hit for power and average, and while he’s not a burner, he’s definitely a good athlete. He’s a good pitcher too, and while his future is likely with the bat, I wouldn’t rule out a return to pitching if he doesn’t develop as hoped. He didn’t make his pro debut yet, he didn’t face the toughest competition in college, and I prefer my 1B bats to have big time game power already, but there is plenty to like here. And despite those negatives, a smart organization took him pretty high, although I suspect part of that reason is because pitching might not end up on as much of the back burner as we think, which isn’t great for fantasy. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 71/18/73/.263/.329/.427/9

867) Eddie Rynders – PIT, 3B, 19.5 – Selected 229th overall (and signed for slot value) in the 2024 MLB Draft, the best way I can describe Rynders’ lefty swing is that it’s a bit gangly, but it’s definitely big and powerful at 6’2”, 195 pounds. He has legit power upside and he’s a good athlete too. He struck out 7 times in 13 PA in the 2024 MLB Draft League, and while that is clearly a very small sample, I think it does foreshadow some possible hit tool issues in pro ball. He’s a power first high risk, high reward high school bat. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 66/23/78.241/.313/.435/9

868) Luis Merejo – CLE, 1B, 18.10 – Merejo put up a 147 wRC+ in the DSL in 2023, a 123 wRC+ in stateside rookie in 2024, and then finally a 145 wRC+ in 30 games at Single-A to close out the season as a barely 18 year old. The guy does nothing but produce, and at a well built 6’2″, he definitely looks the part as well. He’s not really excelling in any one way with a 24.8% K%, 3 homers and 3 steals in 30 games at Single-A, but with a 30.6% GB%, the power should only tick up from here. I generally like my 1B prospects to already have big game power, and his K rates, even in rookie ball, are on the high side, but his age, production, size, and lift all point towards a possible blowup in future years. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 74/22/79/.255/.333/.446/7

869) Will Simpson – TBR, 1B, 23.7 – The good pro debut strikes again. Granted, this one slipped by even me, but Simpson isn’t slipping by me anymore. He was a 15th round pick in 2023, but he stepped right into pro ball and raked with 6 homers and a .910 OPS in 36 games at mostly Single-A. In 2024, he just kept on producing, but this time he did it in the upper minors, slashing .348/.408/.493 with 2 homers, 1 steal, and a 23.7/9.2 K%/BB% in 18 games at Double-A. He destroyed High-A too with 16 homers and a 142 wRC+ in 109 games. He’s 6’3”, 225 pounds with a powerful righty swing, and he can lift and pull it, so his power is legit. The bat has a high bar to clear, making the most reasonable projection as a part time power bat, but if he does get playing time, he can hit homers. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 58/16/64/.245/.318/.438/3

870) Rayner Arias – SFG, OF, 18.11 – Arias was an absolute machine in the DSL in 2023 with 4 homers and a 230 wRC+ in 16 games, but he couldn’t repeat that magic in stateside rookie in 2024 with 0 homers and a 98 wRC+ in 25 games. The 25.7% K% was too high, he showed no power and he’s not great on the bases (3 for 6). He’s had some injury issues in his young career (multiple wrist injuries after diving for balls in the OF), and considering the $2.7 million signing bonus at a projectable 6’2”, 185 pounds, some patience is prudent here. The down and injured 2024 has his stock dropping, but I want to give him one more year before really tanking him. ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 68/20/73/.257/.324/.428/9

871) Khal Stephen – TOR, RHP, 22.3 – Selected 59th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, Stephen reminds me of a classic Seattle Mariners type pitcher. He’s a big guy at 6’4”, 225 pounds with good control of a good low to mid 90’s fastball as his bread and butter. The slider is also pretty good and he’ll use a decent change against lefties. It all resulted in a 3.28 ERA with a 27.9/5.5 K%/BB% in 96 IP in the SEC. It’s probably more #4 type upside right now, but I think there are multiple paths for him to bump that up to a #3 in a best case scenario. Pitching in Seattle would have been one of those best case scenarios, but obviously he got drafted by Toronto, so he will not have that advantage. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 10/4.09/1.25/149 in 160 IP

872) David Shields – KCR, LHP, 18.7 – Selected 41st overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, Shields is a very athletic 6’2”, 210 pounds who was an excellent high school quarterback as well. He has a smooth lefty swing too even though his future is definitely on the mound, but it does show the type of athlete he is. You can see that athleticism on the mound with a lefty delivery that is easy to dream on, especially since he was one of the youngest players in the draft. The stuff isn’t quite as exciting yet with a low 90’s fastball and 3 still developing secondaries (slider, curve, changeup), but he throws a ton of strikes, and it’s so easy to project improvement on all of his pitches. There is definitely nice upside in here if the velocity ticks up and he refines the secondaries, but there is also a long way to go. ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 9/4.16/1.27/145 in 150 IP

873) Luis Lara – MIL, OF, 20.4 – Lara is your typical little guy (5’7”) contact/speed play with a 15.7% K% and 45 steals in 110 games at High-A. There isn’t much hope for more power coming with only 4 homers, and the 95 wRC+ is underwhelming, but he was very young for the level. I had hope that he could be one of the higher end versions of this profile, but after the lackluster season, he just wasn’t able to separate himself from the pack. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 73/8/47/.267/.321/.374/26

874) Kendall George – LAD, OF, 20.5 – George lived up to his billing as a contact/speed play after getting drafted 36th overall in 2023, slashing .279/.384/.328 with 1 homer, 36 steals, and a 20.5/14.1 K%/BB% in 86 games at Single-A. The reason he doesn’t rank higher is because that power output is true bottom of the scale, the 20.5% K% is higher than optimal, and he got caught 12 times on the bases. Usually with these types I want to see truly elite contact rates or potential for legit power, and it doesn’t seem like George has either of those right now. Still a good speed first prospect though. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 74/6/45/.267/.330/.369/31

875) Lisbel Diaz – SFG, OF, 19.8 – Diaz is a big physical dude at 6’2”, 201 pounds, and he’s hit everywhere he’s been, including in full season ball as a 18 year old in 2024. He slashed .279/.333/.433 with 6 homers, 8 steals, and a 18.8/5.5 K%/BB% in 55 games at the level. This coming off a 138 wRC+ in 22 games at stateside rookie earlier in the year, and a 124 wRC+ in 22 games in the DSL in 2023. He needs to learn how to lift the ball more to get to his pretty considerable raw power with about 50% groundball rates, but he mitigates that a bit by pulling it over 50% of the time, and he’s a good athlete for his size too. The approach isn’t great and there are some hit tool concerns, but Diaz is legitimately exciting. He’s definitely underrated. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 68/20/76/.251/.317/.428/9

876) Dasan Hill – MIN, LHP, 19.3 – Selected 69th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, Hill is a thin and lanky 6’4”, 170 pounds who reminds me a bit of Brandon Williamson (Williamson was even lankier at 6’6”). He should theoretically put on weight and gain velocity, but he also might just stay skinny and lanky with low to mid 90’s heat. He combines the fastball with a potentially plus slider, potentially above average change, and good control with an athletic lefty delivery. He’s not my favorite high school arm drafted in this area, but his talent is right there with them. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 8/4.12/1.31/145 in 155 IP

877) Payton Tolle – BOS, LHP, 22.5 – Selected 50th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, when you think of Tolle, think something like a Joey Cantillo type. The fastball might not be huge, the control might be not be great, but he’s a big lefty (6’6”, 250 pounds) with an effective low 90’s fastball and a diverse pitch mix. He’ll never likely get the big prospect hype, but before you know it he’ll be knocking on the door of the bigs while continuing to pitch effectively at every level. He put up a 3.21 ERA with a 37.1/11.0 K%/BB% in 81.1 IP his junior year. He was a two way player in college, so that gives you an idea of his general athleticism. He doesn’t have the highest upside, and there is also risk, but like Cantillo, he just feels like a guy who will keep getting the job done. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 10/3.91/1.30/158 in 160 IP

878) Ryan Forcucci – HOU, RHP, 22.4 – Selected 101st overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, the Astros took the Tommy John discount in the 3rd round on Forcucci as he was in the running to be a first round pick before his season ended just 5 starts into the season. He hurt his elbow and underwent Tommy John surgery in June, which will likely delay his pro debut until mid-season 2025 at the earliest. He was in the midst of a Junior year breakout before going down with the injury with a 2.16 ERA and 37/6 K/BB in 25 IP. The fastball sits mid 90’s and is a bat missing weapon, which he combines with a plus slider as he his best secondary. He also mixes in a curve and changeup to give him a starter’s pitch mix. The righty delivery is controlled, athletic and pretty explosive. I wouldn’t say he’s generally my type to take the Tommy John discount on, but he shouldn’t be very expensive, so if I wanted a more advanced arm later in the draft, and Forcucci was sitting there, I could see taking that shot. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 9/4.05/1.28/145 in 150 IP

879) Bryce Cunningham – NYY, RHP, 22.3 – Selected 53rd overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, Cunningham is a built up 6’5”, 230 pounds with the big mid 90’s fastball to match. He combines the heat with a slider and changeup that can both miss bats, giving him 3 legit pitches with bat missing ability. There is a reason the Yanks selected him relatively high despite pretty lackluster college production. He has a career 4.95 ERA in 160 IP in the SEC, and while 2024 was his best season, it wasn’t exactly dominant with a 4.36 ERA and 26.6/9.4 K%/BB% in 84.2 IP. The stuff gives him a high real life floor as a potentially impact reliever, and there is rotation upside too if he can improve his control/command and continue to refine his pitch arsenal. He’s not the worst option if you are looking for a college arm in the mid to late rounds of your First Year Player Draft, but he’s not exactly a target for me either. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 9/4.22/1.33/146 in 150 IP

880) Chase Mobley – CLE, RHP, 18.10 – Selected 295th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft but signing for $1.8 million, Mobley’s talent backs up that signing bonus at 6’5”, 205 pounds with a mid 90’s fastball that he fires from a funky, low slot arm angle. That pitch is a straight nightmare for high school hitters, and he combines that with a potentially plus changeup and two breaking balls that need refinement. He generally throws the ball over the plate and the delivery is athletic. Cleveland is an excellent organization for pitcher development, and there are so many things to like here (size, athleticism, strike throwing). Mobley is a definite later round pitcher target. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 11/3.73/1.21/166 in 160 IP

881) Johnny King – TOR, LHP, 18.7 – Selected 95th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft but signing for $1.25 million, King is one of the youngest players in the class, and he also has the size and stuff to get pretty excited. He’s 6’3”, 210 pounds with an athletic three quarters arm slot delivery that fires off a low to mid 90’s fastball to go along with two damn nasty breaking balls. He has to refine all aspects of his game, and the velocity likely has to tick up to reach his upside, but at only 18 years old, all of that could be coming down the line. He’s damn electric out there. I like King as a later round upside pitcher. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 11/3.82/1.29/169 in 160 IP

882) Owen Hall – DET, RHP, 19.5 – Selected 49th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, Hall is 6’3”, 185 pounds with an explosive arm action that fires a low to mid 90’s fastball that blows right by hitters. He combines that with two good breaking balls in his slider and curve, and he rounds out the arsenal with a developing changeup. While the ball explodes out of his hand, the delivery does look a bit relievery, and he does have some control risk, so there is definitely bullpen risk here if he can’t improve his control and/or develop the changeup more. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 10/3.95/1.32/155 in 150 IP

883) Kevin Alvarez – HOU, OF, 17.2 – I love the guys where the bat looks like an absolute twig when they swing it, and that applies to the 6’4”, 185 pound Alvarez who has an easy, but lightning fast lefty swing. He’s known for his advanced approach and good feel to hit, so when he adds more power onto on his projectable frame, this could end up a truly potent hit/power combo masher from a corner outfield spot. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 79/24/84/.263/.342/.451/8

884) Mitchell Parker – WSH, LHP, 25.6 – Mitchell is a back end arm who is going to have to fight for a rotation spot, but he cracks this list because his secondaries miss enough bats to give him a smidge of upside over some of the other back end guys who didn’t crack this list. His splitter put up a 37.4% whiff% and his slider put up a 36.4% whiff%. His control also leveled up into above average territory in 2024 with a 6.7% BB%. It resulted in a 4.29 ERA and 20.6% K% in 151 IP in the majors. The 92.5 MPH fastball is bad, and it’s likely a back end arm, or worse, a depth arm, but his youth, solid 2024, and swing and miss secondaries get him on the list. – 2025 Projection: 9/4.30/1.31/130 in 150 IP

885) Jake Irvin – WSH, RHP, 28.1 – Irvin is a back end starter who is just interesting enough to crack this list. He has above average control of a pretty damn good 93.9 MPH fastball that put up a .294 xwOBA and 23.5% whiff%. He throws a six pitch, so if another pitch can emerge (the changeup has the most impact potential, but he rarely goes to it), there is some real mid rotation upside. – 2025 Projection: 10/4.12/1.26/145 in 170 IP

886) Dairon Blanco – KCR, OF, 31.11 – Kyle Isbel is the main CF in KC, but it would be more fun for fantasy if it was Blanco. Blanco has elite speed with a 29.6 ft/sec sprint, and it led to 31 steals in just 88 games (and only 132 PA). He wasn’t too bad of a hitter either with a 94 wRC+, and he’s got some pop with an above average 7.8% barrel% and 89 MPH EV. He’s not particularly good on defense, the 24.2/6.1 K%/BB% isn’t good, he’s already basically 32 years old, and he hits lefties much better than righties, so he’s likely a speedy 4th outfielder/pinch runner, but if he does get on the field, he will make a fantasy impact. – 2025 Projection: 41/6/28/.256/.313/.402/28

887) Ezequiel Duran – TEX, 3B/OF, 25.10 – I loved Duran in 2023 and into the off-season, and while I was worried about his playing time, I wasn’t worried about his talent. It turns out I should have been worried about both as his quality of contact dropped off a cliff in 2024. His Barrel% went from 8.7% to 3.4%, his EV dropped from 90.1 MPH to 87.1 MPH, and his launch dropped from 14.0 degrees to 8.9 degrees. It resulted in a 74 wRC+, 3 homers, and a 1 steal in 285 PA. He swings a quick bat with an above average 72.6 MPH swing speed and he’s very fast with a 28.8 ft/sec sprint, so it’s not like I was imagining things loving him so much. And his contact rates improved with an average 22.1% K% and 24.7% whiff%. But both the underlying and surface stats numbers were terrible in 2024, and he clearly doesn’t have a starting job, or probably a next man up job either, so he’s no longer target. He remains on the radar though, and that swing speed tells me he should be able to do better in 2025. 2025 Projection: 31/8/28/.255/.300/.400/5

888) Alek Thomas – ARI, OF, 24.11 – I wouldn’t write Thomas off from winning that starting CF job in Arizona, which is holding me back from liking Jake McCarthy more. Thomas has plus contact rates with a 16.5% K%, he hits the ball very hard with a 91.2/96.0 MPH AVG/FB EV, and he has above average speed with a 27.8 ft/sec sprint. Good things tend to happen on a baseball field when you have that trifecta of skills, and while good things haven’t happened for Thomas in the majors with a career .226 BA, I have to think that is majorly unlucky. He put up a .278 xBA in 2024 vs. a .189 BA in 39 games. That is a major discrepancy. With how often he’s underperformed the xBA, you can’t say it’s all unlucky, but I have a hard time believing that a large portion of it isn’t. The launch is terrible at 1 degree and he doesn’t run nearly enough, so he’s not a great fantasy target himself, he’s just more of a thorn in McCarthy’s side. – 2025 Projection: 42/8/39/.245/.298/.395/9

889) Eguy Rosario – SDP, 3B, 25.7 – On surface stats alone, Rosario had an excellent season at both Triple-A and the majors. He slashed .263/.361/.531 with 21 homers, 19 steals, and a 21.3/12.3 K%/BB% in 95 games at Triple-A, and then he popped 3 homers with a 125 wRC+ in 57 MLB PA. The underlying numbers weren’t bad either, but they weren’t quite as impressive with a 86.8 MPH EV at Triple-A, and a 41.9% whiff% and 34.7% Chase% in the majors. Granted, he did crush the ball in the majors with a 14.7% Barrel%, and he definitely has some legit raw juice in his bat. He ran a lot in the minors, but he wasn’t a particularly good base stealer, and he’s not a burner, so while he’ll likely contribute in the category, I wouldn’t expect big totals. He seems like a bench bat to me optimally, but San Diego is thin, so he’s not far away from playing time. – 2025 Projection: 29/8/34/.241/.298/.417/4

890) Gage Workman – CHC, SS/3B, 25.5 – The Cubs took Workman 10th overall in the Rule 5 Draft, giving him a leg up on a roster spot, and with 3B currently ticketed for an unproven rookie, Matt Shaw (who I obviously absolutely love, but as we all know, nothing is guaranteed), it’s conceivable that Workman ends up fantasy relevant in 2025. There is very real fantasy upside in here too at 6’4”, 202 pounds with a plus power/speed combo. He also had a big time year at Double-A, slashing .280/.366/.476 with 18 homers, 30 steals, and a 27.5/11.7 K%/BB% in 126 games. He was 24 years old and the hit tool is a major issue, which is why he was available in the Rule 5, but if he can make enough hit tool gains in his mid to late 20’s, which we’ve seen plenty of toolsy prospects do in the past, he will get interesting in a hurry. He’s a lefty who was much better vs. righties than he was vs lefties, but I think that’s a good thing in this case, because it means he can end up a very fun strong side of a platoon player. And his 25.2% K% vs. righties was a tad better. I kinda like him in deeper leagues as a proximity play. – 2025 Projection: 17/5/19/.218/.289/.381/5 Prime Projection: 44/11/41/.231/.309/.413/15

891) Nelson Velazquez – KCR, OF, 26.3 – Velazquez couldn’t back up his 2023 breakout, and it resulted in him getting sent down to the minors in June after putting up a .200 BA with only 8 homers in 64 games. Not only did the hit tool tank him, but the power was way down too with a 8.8% Barrel% (21.4% in 2023). He’s now out of a job and will have to hit his way back into one, but because KC’s outfield is so wide open, there is opportunity for him to do it. – 2025 Projection: 34/11/35/.225/.301/.417/4

892) Payton Eeles – MIN, 2B/3B, 25.4 – Payton Eeles is the type of player you want to root for. He’s 5’5” and went undrafted after playing 4 years at a Division II school. So he played a 5th year in Division 1, and then he played in Indy Ball. And oh yea, he’s literally raked everywhere he’s been. Minnesota gave him a shot in 2024, and he continued to do what he’s done everywhere, and that is produce all the way through Triple-A. He slashed .299/.419/.500 with 8 homers, 20 steals, and a 14.6/12.7 K%/BB% in 64 games. He’s only 5’5”, but he’s thick and he’s damn explosive. He’s almost like an older version of Jett Williams and Slade Caldwell, except without a one hundredth of the respect. He only put up an 85.4 MPH EV at Triple-A, and the groundball rates are around 50%, so there isn’t much power upside, but the hit/speed combo looks pretty damn good. It’s probably a utility infielder long term, which is still a super fun success story, but I wouldn’t be so sure to cap him there. I think he has starting 2B potential. – 2025 Projection: 19/2/11/.249/.303/.355/7 Prime Projection: 74/10/52/.266/.328/.379/28

893) Billy Cook – PIT, 1B, 26.3 – Cook is a 26 year old who just put up a 38.8/0.0 K%/BB% in his 49 PA MLB debut, and his strikeout rates have been anywhere from the mid 20’s to upper 30’s in the minors, so the hit tool probably isn’t good enough to be an MLB starter, but he’s quietly kinda interesting. He put up a 92.6/97.1 MPH AVG/FB EV in the majors, and he’s a launch machine with a 28.6 degree launch. Neither of those numbers were quite as extreme in Triple-A, but this guy is going to hit homers, and he hit 3 in his 16 game MLB debut (17 homers in 115 games in the minors). He’s also really fast with a 29.3 ft/sec sprint, and he’s a good base stealer with 26 steals in 32 attempts. Pitt traded for Cook at the deadline from Baltimore, so they obviously like him. In deeper leagues, he’s a really fun proximity play, and even in shallower leagues he’s worth a looksie if you see him getting full time at bats at some point in 2025. – 2025 Projection: 31/9/35/.225/.298/.416/5

894) Cooper Bowman – CIN, 2B/OF, 25.2 – The Reds selected Bowman 7th overall in the Rule 5 Draft, which gives him a leg up on an Opening Day roster spot, and it seems like he could be next man up at several positions for them now. And if he does get pushed into full time action, he has the base running ability to make a fantasy impact with 43 steals in 118 games at Double-A and Triple-A. The Athletics left him unprotected for a reason, and that reason is that the hit/power combo probably isn’t good enough to be a true MLB starter. He hit 0 homers with a 80.5 MPH EV, 24.3/7.9 K%, .218 BA and 48 wRC+ in 38 games at Triple-A. Granted he hit much better at Double-A with 12 homers, a 20.2/12.4 K%/BB% and a 138 wRC+ in 80 games, but at 24 years old, he’s already too old to be taking his upper minors numbers fully seriously. I see some similarities with David Hamilton, and like Hamilton, if Bowman gets the at bats, the steals should keep him afloat in fantasy. – 2025 Projection: 38/6/31/.232/.304/.379/16

895) Homer Bush Jr. – TBR, OF, 23.5 – Bush was a college bat who didn’t exactly dominate High-A with a 111 wRC+ in 86 games, but he doesn’t have the type of profile to dominate a level. He’s the type where he can do what he does regardless of the competition, which is run like wild (57 steals) and get the bat on the ball (18.8/9.3 K%/BB%). He’s 6’2”, 200 pounds, so he has the size to add more power, but it’s really not a big part of his game with 6 homers. He’s likely a part time player, but with his speed, he’s a part time player that can make an impact. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 71/8/42/.258/.321/.391/28

896) Jonatan Clase – TOR, OF, 22.10 – There were points where I really liked Clase, and only 22 years old, maybe I shouldn’t be so quick to cool on him, but the warts in his profile are starting to take forefront in my mind. He doesn’t hit the ball hard with an 85.8 MPH EV at AAA and 0 Barrels in his 66 PA MLB debut, and at a small 5’10”, it’s hard to expect a lot more there. He’s also had contact issues his entire career with a 26% K% at AAA and a 25.8% K% in the majors. And lastly, he has a below average 70.7 MPH swing which is even worse from the left side with a 69.3 MPH swing (the side he swings with more often). He’s also not particularly great on defense. He has elite speed and base running ability, which makes him so fun for fantasy, but I think a bench OF is his most likely role. At only 22, maybe he can make improvements to the power, defense, and hit tool, which is why I don’t want to write him off completely, but I’m just not too excited by him anymore. – 2025 Projection: 25/3/21/.228/.292/.360/9 Prime Projection: 63/10/41/.249/.319/.391/24

897) Hao-Yu Lee – DET, 2B, 22.2 – Lee’s season ended on August 15th with lumbar spine inflammation, but he was having an impressive season before going down with the injury, slashing .298/.363/.488 with 12 homers, 16 steals, and a 17.9/8.5 K%/BB% in 87 games at Double-A. It was good for a 141 wRC+ as a 21 year old, which is damn good. He doesn’t jump off the screen at 5’10”, and he doesn’t jump off the screen electricity wise either, but he’s just a really solid baseball player who has produced everywhere he’s been, and now that’s continued in the upper minors. The power/speed combo isn’t huge, he’s not particularly good on defense, and the hit tool is good, but not great, so he’s not exactly one of my favorite targets, but there is average across the board potential here at peak. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 74/18/71/.261/.323/.416/12

898) Eiberson Castellano – MIN, RHP, 23.11 – Castellano was selected by Minnesota in the Rule 5 Draft, which means it’s likely they are going to keep him in the bullpen all season. I’m not sure it’s a great thing for his fantasy value as it will be easy for him to just get stuck in the bullpen. But I like his profile enough to still crack this list on the change he can work his way into the rotation. He’s a big boy at 6’3” but the delivery is pretty damn athletic for his size. He also has really good stuff with a mid 90’s fastball, a potentially plus curve, and a solid changeup. It all resulted in a 3.99 ERA with a 31.3/6.7 K%/BB% in 103.2 IP split between High-A and Double-A (he was just as good at each level). I do think his selection dooms him to the bullpen unfortunately, but on his own merits, he’s a pretty interesting pitching prospect. – 2025 Projection: 3/3.98/1.31/65 in 65 IP

899) Connor Prielipp – MIN, LHP, 24.3 – Prielipp is likely a reliever long term with 2 major elbow surgeries (Tommy John and then internal brace) since 2021, but when he got back on the mound in 2024, he showed off impressive upside. He put up a 2.70 ERA with a 45.1/7.7 K%/BB% in 23.1 IP at mostly High-A. The fastball sits mid 90’s and is a bat missing, which he pairs with a plus to double plus slider. It was only the lower minors, his injury history scares me, and it was only in short outings, so I lean him being a reliever, but I lean upside in fantasy, and even as a reliever he can make an impact. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 4/3.45/1.21/76 in 65 IP

900) Tekoah Roby – STL, RHP, 23.6 – I poured some cold water on Roby this off-season when everyone was ranking him over Tink Hence (not me, and maybe some foreshadowing on everyone ranking Quinn Mathews over Hence now, although I actually like Mathews a ton, so it’s not a completely comparable situation), and Roby had a straight terrible season. He put up a 6.57 ERA with a 22.2/8.5 K%/BB% in 38.1 IP at mostly Double-A. He missed a large chunk of the season due to a shoulder injury, but he looked just as bad before the injury as he did when he returned from it. He can definitely bounce back in 2025 if he’s healthy with a mid 90’s fastball, plus curve, and diverse pitch mix, but he’s just not a very highly sought after pitching prospect right now. He’s in prove it territory. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 8/4.27/1.33.133 in 140 IP

901) Henry Lalane – NYY, LHP, 20.10 – Lalane was a fun breakout pick before the season, but he was limited to just 12.1 IP due to shoulder fatigue. It was a completely lost season. This is just the life of a pitching prospect, and it’s why rookie ball pitchers are some of my least favorite prospects to go after. There is just so much that can go wrong. But when you play the rookie ball pitcher game, you know what you are getting into, so the hope is that he can come back completely healthy in 2025 and immediately get the hype rolling again. Here was my blurb for him in the 2024 Top 1,000, and nothing has really changed assuming full health: “Rookie ball pitchers aren’t my favorite to go after, but if you are going to go after one, a 6’7”, 211 pound lefty with good stuff and good numbers isn’t a bad choice. Lalane put up a 36.6%/4.5% K%/BB% in 21.2 IP in stateside rookie ball with 3 potentially plus pitches (fastball, breaking ball, changeup). He only reached 4 IP in one outing, and the fastball sits in the low to mid 90’s, so there is a long way to go, but if you squint hard enough, you can see a CC Sabathia starter pack here. Here’s to hoping he can pack on 130 pounds of pure Captain Crunch to fulfill his destiny.” ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 10/3.93/1.28/165 in 160 IP

902) Ty Floyd – CIN, RHP, 23.8 – Floyd underwent shoulder surgery and missed all of 2024. He’s yet to pitch in the pros. I liked him as a FYPD college arm, but who knows how healthy he will be coming off the surgery. Here was my blurb for him before the injury: “ Selected 38th overall, the 6’2”, 200 pound Floyd has a plus to double plus mid 90’s fastball that he leans on heavily. It led to a 4.35 ERA with a 31% K% in 91 IP. There are more than a few heavy fastball usage pitchers who are doing well in the majors right now, but those guys generally have plus control and/or better secondaries than Floyd. Floyd’s control is below average with a 9.6% BB%, but it was improving as the year went on, and his slider, curve and change are about average at best. If the secondaries and/or control take a step forward, there is very real upside here, and I don’t mind targeting him at all as a later round arm if you focus on offense with your earlier picks.” … now with the injury risk though, he’s really more in pure flier territory, especially having to pitch in Cincy. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 8/4.28/1.31/135 in 140 IP

903) Kannon Kemp – SDP, RHP, 20.7 – Selected 251st overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, but signing for a well over slot deal, Kannon Kemp cracks this list on name alone. Come to think of it, the Padres drafted Boston Bateman, Kale Fountain, Kash Mayfield, Kannon Kemp, Tyson Neighbors, Kavares Tears, Cobb Hightower, and Brandon Butterworth. Are they just picking guys based on cool names? But Kemp is not just a cool name, he also cracks this list for potential at a projectable 6’6”, 225 pounds with a low to mid 90’s fastball that has he good control over and has the potential to be a plus pitch. He combines the fastball with good feel for a slider and changeup, but both pitches still need more refinement. His path can still take many directions, but plus control of a really good fastball with 2 solid secondaries and a beastly frame is a really good profile to bet on. I like Kemp a lot. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 10/3.93/1.24/160 in 160 IP

904) Brody Brecht – COL, RHP, 22.6 – Okay, I guess I’ll put a Coors pitcher on here. Maybe it’s the Dollander afterglow that is easing me up, even if Dollander hasn’t proven anything yet really. We all already knew he was a really good prospect (granted, he’s been better than really good, he’s been great), but it was Coors Field that is the looming problem that he’s yet to truly conquer. Either way, Brecht was selected 38th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, and he deserves to crack this list. He’s 6’4”, 235 pounds and is an elite athlete who also played wide receiver for Iowa. I’m gonna be honest, his delivery doesn’t really look all that athletic to me, and maybe that is why he put up a 14.2% BB% in 78.1 IP, which is simply way too high. The hope is that by focusing solely on baseball, that can improve, and he did have his best season after dropping football, putting up a 3.33 ERA with a 37.2% K%. The stuff is also legit with a mid to upper 90’s fastball, two heavily used, bat missing sliders, and a developing split change. The upside is very obviously quite big, but his control issues, and getting drafted by Colorado prevents me from buying. I’m just not in the market for Coors pitchers. It’s as simple as that. It’s hard enough being a pitching prospect, and I only like to roster a small percentage of pitching prospects anyway, so a Coors pitcher is just never going to be one of them for me. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 9/4.15/1.33/169 in 160 IP

905) Luke Holman – CIN, RHP, 22.3 – Selected 71st overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, Holman is a safety over upside arm with a strong history of production in the toughest conference in college baseball (SEC). He put up a 2.75 ERA with a 33.7/8.8 K%/BB% in 91.2 IP this year. The stuff isn’t off the charts, but the low to mid 90’s fastball is a good pitch with good life and bat missing ability. The slider is his best secondary and it misses a ton of bats, and he has a good curve too. The control/command is about average. It’s not the most enticing profile, but it’s why he will be available pretty late in first year player drafts, and he’s not a bad option if you are looking for a fast moving college arm. It’s also not like he’s completely devoid of upside at 6’4”, 200 pounds, so there is certainly room to tack on a MPH or two on the fastball. I could have gone with any of the names in the just missed section over Holman, as they all have similar value to me, but why not highlight a fresh name rather than guys who I’ve been writing about for years now. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 8/4.12/1.32/128 in 150 IP

906) Trey Gregory-Alford LAA, RHP, 18.11 – Selected 322nd overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, but signing for $1.96 million, Alford has the size and stuff to match that big signing bonus. He’s a built up 6’5”, 235 pounds with a mid 90’s fastball that has been up to 101.4 in a bullpen session, which he combines with a potentially plus, but still developing slider. It’s a reliever profile as is with below average control and without a third pitch, but he’ll still be just 18 years old on Opening Day, so there is plenty of time for him to refine his arsenal and command. There is obviously a ton of risk here, but the upside is high too. He’s likely to be one of the more interesting true upside arms that you will be able to get very late in first year player drafts. At the very least, keep an eye on him early in 2025, because his loud stuff will get people’s attention quickly if he’s pitching well. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 9/3.93/1.30/156 in 150 IP

907) Brendan Tunink – LAD, OF, 19.6 – Selected 250th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, Tunink is a high upside high schooler drafted by the Dodgers. That is an excellent foundation right there. He’s a strong 6’0”, 185 pounds with an absolutely vicious lefty swing that is looking to do damage, and it’s a short and controlled swing too. He combines that with plus speed and a good feel to hit. This is a bet on the Dodgers just as much as it’s a bet on Tunink. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 76/17/68/.252/.321/.421/17

908) Jimmy Crooks – STL, C, 23.8 – Crooks is likely headed to a backup role at least early in his career, and he has a lot of competition at catcher in St. Louis’ system (although a trade can clear that up very quickly), but he has the skills to be interesting in deeper leagues. His strong glove gives him a leg up as many of the catchers on this list are iffy to stick at the position, and it’s not like he’s chopped liver on offense either. He just handled his business at Double-A with a 156 wRC+, 11 homers, and a 21.0/11.6 K%/BB% in 90 games. He has a good feel to hit, a good approach, and he can hit it hard at 6’0”, 230 pounds. It just seems like he would be the perfect backup to Ivan Herrera, but even there he has very real competition. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 48/13/56/.251/.323/.403/3

909) Ramon Ramirez – KCR, C, 19.10 – Ramirez was a popular DSL breakout target last off-season, and while his numbers fell off in stateside rookie ball, he still had a good season, slashing .265/.379/.459 with 7 homers, 1 steal, and a 20.7/12.8 K%/BB% in 49 games. He has a strong, quick and athletic righty swing that mostly certainly passes the eye test, and he has the big pop to back that up. There is hit tool risk, he’s been on the old side for the level the past 2 seasons, and there is no guarantee he sticks at catcher, but he has plenty of development time to go, and his impressive swing/power potential makes him an exciting young prospect to at least keep an eye on. What he does in full season ball will swing his value in a major way in either direction. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 62/21/69/.246/.318/.440/3

910) Rainiel Rodriguez – STL, C, 18.3 – Rodriguez is the top catcher breakout coming of the DSL, slashing .345/.462/.683 with 10 homers, 1 steal, and a 13.6/16.3 K%/BB% in 41 games. It was good for a 186 wRC+. He’s not a particularly big guy at 5’10”, 197 pounds, but he hits the ball very hard and the plate approach was excellent. 5’10” DSL catchers aren’t exactly my favorite targets for fantasy, and he’s not a lock to stick behind the plate, but those numbers are hard to ignore. He’s definitely a candidate to be a top catcher prospect in a few years if he keeps progressing. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 66/18/73/.260/.335/.438/1

911) Simeon Woods Richardson – MIN, RHP, 24.6 – Back end arm with an average to below average 4 pitch mix and average control. Zebby and Festa are better than him, but it seems Minnesota is going to roll with SWR. 2025 Projection: 7/4.16/1.32/125 in 140 IP

912) Chris Paddack – MIN, RHP, 29.2 – Back end up arm with double plus control, an above average fastball, and 4-pitch mix, but none of the secondaries are good. Seems to have a hold on the 5th starter job. 2025 Projection: 6/4.28/1.31/107 in 120 IP

913) Marcus Stroman – NYY, RHP, 33.11 – Stroman looks to be a pure back end starter at this point in his career with a 4.31 ERA and 16.7/8.9 K%/BB% in 154.2 IP. He cracks list this because he does have a long track record of being solid, and he’s not ancient quite yet. But don’t buy the name value here. – 2025 Projection: 10/4.28/1.32/1200 in 150 IP

914) Eduardo Rodriguez – ARI, LHP, 32.0 – A shoulder injury delayed the start of Rodriguez’ season until August, and he was terrible when he returned with a 5.04 ERA and 21.0/8.5 K%/BB% in 50 IP. He throws 5 pitches and none of them are particularly good, he doesn’t miss many bats, and the control isn’t particularly great either. He’s a back end arm at this stage of his career. – 2025 Projection: 8/4.27/1.33/129 in 140 IP

915) Jack Kochanowicz – LAA, RHP, 24.3 – Here is what I wrote about Jack in the latest Rundown: “The most boring pitcher alive keeps churning out good outings, going 4 IP with 0 hits, 0 ER, and a 2/0 K/BB vs a bad Reds lineup. He now has a 1.00 ERA with a 17.6/2.9 K%/BB% in 9 IP. The K% is at least much better than the 9.4% K% he put in the majors last year, but even that with that 9.4% K%, he still pitched well with a 3.99 ERA in 65.1 IP. It’s all sinker all the time, which is just quite boring, but it’s been undeniably effective for awhile now. He doesn’t seem to have a rotation spot, but I guess he’s not the worst guy to roster in deeper leagues.” 2025 Projection: 8/4.18/1.25/108 in 140 IP Update: Jack won the 5th starter job

916) Drew Thorpe – CHW, RHP, 24.6 – Thorpe had the type of nightmare MLB debut that can shake a dynasty owner to their core, putting up a 13.2/11.1 K%/BB% with a 5.48 ERA in 44.1 MLB IP. He simply doesn’t have the type of stuff to just ignore that. His 91 MPH fastball was batting practice for MLB hitters with a 7.7% whiff% and 93.5 MPH EV against. His slider and cutter were bad too. The only good pitch was his unique changeup (really more of a knuckleball) which put up a 37.9% whiff% and .260 xwOBA. He also ended the season on the IL with an elbow injury that required surgery to remove a bone spur. Not the end of the world, but it’s something to note. The famed changeup transferring to the bigs gives him a silver lining to the terrible season, but this looks like a low K #4 type upside profile. It’s just not enticing for fantasy. – 2025 Projection: OUT Update: I was already out on Thorpe and now he just underwent Tommy John surgery which will keep him out into the 2026 season. He’s not the type I like to take the TJ discount on. I’m even more out

917) Travis d’Arnaud – LAA, C, 36.2 – I’m not sure d’Arnaud deserves to crack this list as a 36 year old backup, but assuming no decline he’s possibly the best back up in the league, and the Angels didn’t just pay him $12 million over 2 years to not play him. He’s coming off a season where he put up an above average .322 xwOBA with a 89.9 MPH EV, and 15 homers in 99 games. If O’Hoppe gets hurt, d’Arnaud will certainly be relevant, and even if he doesn’t, I don’t see why the Angels would sign him if they weren’t going to find ways to get him in the lineup. – 2025 Projection: 35/13/43/.241/.303/.420/1

918) Gary Sanchez – BAL, C, 32.4 – It seems Baltimore could be intent on using Sanchez as a weak side of a platoon bat, which is actually not that horrible for his fantasy value. The bar to clear for catcher is pretty low, and Sanchez has the power to be relevant when his bat is in the lineup. He’s never had a Barrel% below 10.5%, which granted, that is the career low mark he put up in 2024. He’s getting up there in age and he was a below average defensive catcher last year, so Baltimore could pull the plug at any moment, but he’s worth a flier in deeper leagues. – 2025 Projection: 32/13/39/.220/.300/.428/0

919) Edward Florentino – PIT, 1B/OF, 18.5 – Florentino is a big dude at 6’4”, 200 pounds, and he signed for a not bad $395,000 in last year’s international class. He played a bunch of CF along with 1B, so while his glove isn’t expected to be an asset, he could end up a solid corner outfielder. And of course, we are buying the bat here with big raw power and excellent production in his pro debut in the DSL. He slashed .260/.432/.459 with 5 homers, 8 steals, and a 18.9/20.0 K%/BB% in 49 games. He put the ball in the air a ton with a 30.5% GB%. He’s setting up to be your classic three true outcome slugger. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 76/26/83/.246/.328/.453/6

920) Justin Gonzales – BOS, 1B/OF, 18.3 – Like Florentio, Gonzales is a big dude at 6’4”, 210 pounds, and he signed for $250,000 in last year’s international class despite limited defensive value. That means the Red Sox liked his bat a lot, and I’m sure they like it even more after his excellent pro debut in the DSL, slashing .320/.391/.517 with 5 homers, 8 steals, and a 10.4/9.9 K%/BB% in 47 games. He hit the ball on the ground too much to fully get to his big raw power, but his contact/power combo is impressive. Obviously so much risk with DSL guys and lack of defensive value, but the upside on the bat is good enough to slot in here. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 74/22/81/.266/.326/.447/6

921) Teilon Serrano – MIN, OF, 16.10 – Betting on Serrano was just as big of a bet on the Dodgers as it was on Serrano, so I can’t say I like him as much with the Twins as I did with the Dodgers (the Dodgers had to decommit to him after signing Roki). But I still love me a prospect with such a visually fast and explosive swing at 6’0”, 185 pounds. Combine that with double plus speed and I think he could have some of the best speed first upside in this class. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 83/16/64/.259/.328/.413/30

922) Royel Strop – STL, OF, 16.10 – Strop has baseball bloodlines with his father, Pedro Strop, just finishing his MLB reliever career in 2021. And now his father is turning to the training/coaching game as he coached his son, Royel, to be one of the best international prospects in the class. Strop is a strong and still projectable 6’1”, 165 pounds, and he has a controlled and powerful lefty swing that is geared for both power and average. Tack on plus speed, and you have a very enticing international prospect. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 78/18/69/.265/.328/.426/18

923) Maykel Coret – TBR, OF, 17.6 – Coret has one of the highest upsides in the class at 6’4”, 190 pounds with a potentially plus power/speed combo. The swing is athletic and powerful, and while it’s not the shortest swing, I like that he’s trying to do real damage. He can already hit the ball very hard. He’s also an excellent athlete who certainly looks the part on the field with smooth and explosive movements. If the hit tool is at least solid in the DSL, he definitely has potential to get some real hype very quickly. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 76/25/81/.254/.329/.453/21

924) Caleb Lomavita – WAS, C, 22.5 – Selected 39th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, taking Lomavita might be an indication that Washington is not locked into Keibert Ruiz as their long term catcher despite Ruiz being under contract until 2032. They are also light on organizational catcher depth, so maybe it has nothing to do with that, but point being, Lomavita could start competing for that catcher job in the next few seasons. And he has enough fantasy upside stemming from his speed to be an interesting deep league option. He stole 12 bags in 55 games in the Pac 12 this year and has stolen 36 in 158 games in his career. He combines the well above average athleticism for a catcher with above average power (15 homers). The downside is that his plate approach is well below average with a 16.7%/4.7% K%/BB%, so he simply just might not be a very good hitter against more advanced competition. And we saw that downside play out in his pro debut with 0 homers, a .213 BA, and a 76 wRC+ in 17 games at Single-A. The 18.3/7.0 K%/BB% wasn’t too bad though, so it’s not like he was completely overmatched or anything, and he stole 3 bags. He’s a deep league FYPD option for a catcher needy team. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 49/14/53/.247/.307/.412/9

925) Andres Chaparro – WAS, 1B, 25.11 – I fear that Chaparro ends up a good but not great short side of a platoon 1B/DH considering the .551 OPS in 87 PA vs righties in his MLB debut, but Washington doesn’t have a deep system, so injuries could end up forcing his bat into the lineup even with their recent acquisitions. Chaparro also has a good enough contact/power profile to make a fantasy impact if he does get the playing time. He hit 23 homers with a 17.9% K% in 105 games at Triple-A, and then he held his own in the majors with 4 homers and a 18.2% K% in 132 PA. He doesn’t crush the ball, but he hits it hard enough, and he has a lift and pull profile to get the most out of his power. It’s most likely a bench bat long term. – 2025 Projection: 21/7/26/.241/.316/.430/1

926)  Jared Serna – MIA, 2B/SS, 22.10 – Serna’s stats dropped off when he got to the upper minors, slashing .247/.328/.356 with 2 homers, 4 steals (in 7 attempts), and a 20.7/8.1 K%/BB% in 45 games. He’s a small guy at 5’7” with high ground ball rates, so the power upside is very limited. He has speed, but he started to get caught a lot in the upper minors, and the plate skills dropped off in the upper minors too. He’s likely a utility infielder, but the Marlins entire infield is far from locked down, so he’s on the right team for opportunity. I still think Miami has better options than him though. – 2025 Projection: 18/2/11/.246/.299/.351/6 Prime Projection: 61/9/42/.262/.323/.388/18

927) Devin Saltiban – PHI, 2B, 20.2 –  Saltiban was a 3rd round pick in 2023 who immediately hit well in pro ball. He put up a 124 wRC+ in 10 games at rookie ball in 2023, and then in 2024 he put up a 123 wRC+ with 17 homers, 22 steals and a 24.8/12.2 K%/BB% in 97 games at Single-A. He’s not a big guy at 5’9”, 180 pounds, but he’s got a quick righty swing and he can lift and pull it a bit. The 86.2 MPH EV isn’t too bad for his age, and the 9.7% Barrel shows the power production wasn’t a fluke. He also has speed and is a good baserunner, going 22 for 24 on the bases. If the strikeout rate was a bit better, I could see being even higher on him, but I’m a fan. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 76/17/71/.253/.325/.417/23

928) Mikey Romero – BOS, 2B/SS, 21.3 – Here is what I wrote about Romero in the in-season Dynasty Rundowns towards the end of the season, and my thoughts remain the same: “The Red Sox 1st round pick, 24th overall, in 2022 has been almost completely ignored by everyone, including me, but Mikey is demanding our attention right now after calmly jacking out his 4th homer in 7 games since getting called up to Double-A as a 20 year old. He had 10 homers in 59 games at High-A. The reason he has been ignored is because he doesn’t have big raw power, he doesn’t have speed (1 steal all season), and his hit tool/plate approach isn’t particularly good either with a 21.9/5.0 K%/BB% in 60 games overall. Those deficiencies still make me pretty lackluster on his future potential, but production matters, and the guy is no doubt producing while being super young for the level. Maybe he can lift and pull his way into like Connor Norby type territory.” … He closed out the season at Double-A with 6 homers and a 33.8/2.7 K%/BB% in 16 games. That K rate is scary, but he was just 20 years old getting a taste of the upper minors. It was much better at High-A with a 21% K%. He’s getting no love, but the guy was picked 24th overall, he reached Double-A by 20 and showed he can do damage against upper minors pitching. I don’t think he’s a major dynasty asset either, but show the guy just a little bit of love, will ya. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 66/17/71/.245/.303/.412/3

929) Cooper Kinney – TBR, 2B, 22.2 – Kinney was the 34th overall pick in 2021 and then missed the entire 2022 season with shoulder surgery. He’s just been kinda slowly plodding through the minors since with good but not eye catching production. He slashed .289/.352/.494 with 10 homers, 6 steals, and a 22.2/8.9 K%/BB% in 87 games at High-A this year. It was good for a 137 wRC+. Being 21 years old at High-A is fine, but it’s one year older than optimal, and nothing really stands out in his game. He has good size at 6’1”, 200 pounds, and he has a sweet lefty swing, which are the things that got him drafted so highly out of high school, but without a standout tool/skill, he remains kinda lukewarm for fantasy. If he can keep up the production at Double-A, that will give him a bump, and there is definitely potential for a power breakout if he can start to lift and pull more. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 65/18/71/.261/.318/.414/6

930) Vaughn Grissom – BOS, 2B, 24.3 – Despite Grissom’s hype in previous years, he’s settled in as a pretty unexciting player. He looks like a utility infielder who will need a legitimate power uptick in his mid 20’s to end up as anything more than that. He was very rough in the majors in 2024 with a 28 wRC+, 0 homers, and 2 steals in 31 games. He wasn’t all that good at Triple-A either with a .259/.385/.373 triple-slash in 55 games. He just hits the ball super weakly with a 86.1 MPH EV in the majors and a 85.3 MPH EV in the minors. He’s not fast either with a 27.4 ft/sec sprint, and the contact rates are good, but they aren’t great with a 21.1% K% in the majors and a 19.2% K% in the minors. He’s also not that good on defense. He’s 6’2”, 210 pounds, so he theoretically has the size to add more power, but “looking the part” can only get you so far. You need to produce, and Grissom just isn’t producing. – 2025 Projection: 18/2/14/.251/.318/.391/5 Prime Projection: 74/14/68/.268/.333/.409/12

931) William Bergolla Jr. – CHW, 2B/SS, 20.5 – I really liked Bergolla’s hit/speed/bloodlines combo in his international signing year, and while the hit was most certainly there with elite contact rates, he wasn’t running at all. That changed this year with him stealing 27 bags in 33 attempts at High-A. He combined that with a 10.6/8.1 K%/BB%, a .300 BA and a 114 wRC+ in 89 games as a 19 year old. He truly has special contact ability. There is absolutely zero power in here with 1 homer in his entire 168 game career, and he’s a small guy without much raw power, so he isn’t going to grow into much more either. It’s likely a utility infielder profile, but those contact rates are elite, and if he hits his way into the lineup, he should steal enough bases with it to be interesting for fantasy. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 73/7/38/.283/.332/.371/23

932) Cameron Cauley – TEX, SS/2B, 22.2 – Every year that Cauley doesn’t improve the hit tool makes it less likely that it’s ever going to really happen. He once again put up a 29.2/8.4 K%/BB% in 93 games at High-A, which just isn’t going to get the job done. But he remains on the back of this list because he’s a true talent. He’s lightning fast with 27 steals in 29 attempts, and he has both raw and game power with 12 homers. He also has a potentially plus up the middle glove. His glove and pure talent should eventually get him on an MLB field, but it’s likely a case where the hit tool isn’t good enough until his mid to late 20’s, if it ever gets good enough at all. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 51/14/46/.226/.300/.415/23

933) Jakob Christian – SFG, OF, 22.6 – Selected 149th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, Christian is 6’5”, 225 pounds with big power and good athleticism. I love betting on a big dude who is also a good athlete, and while Christian has plenty of flaws, there is plenty to like for fantasy. He’s done nothing but rip homers in his college career starting from his freshman year, crushing 67 homers in 160 career games. He definitely has hit tool risk, but a 20% K% isn’t too bad, and he was good in his pro debut, slashing .267/.378/.500 with 1 homer and a 21.6/13.5 K%/BB% in 9 games at Single-A.. He’s a high risk, high reward power hitting college bat. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 58/16/66/.233/.301/.429/6

934) Kavares Tears – SDP, OF, 22.7 – Selected 134th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, Tears is proven SEC power bat with hit tool risk. He’s a strong 6’0” with a powerful lefty swing that is made to do damage. He cracked 20 homers in 71 games at Tennessee. He’s also a good athlete with some speed, and while he’s not a huge base stealer, he should still contribute a handful. The problem is that it came with a 25.3% K%, and while the 15.4% BB% mitigates that a bit, it’s still not good. His bat has a high bar to clear as a mostly corner outfielder, and you can see by him getting drafted 134th overall, teams aren’t fully convinced he can clear it. He’s still worth the shot late in first player drafts if you want a good college bat rather than a 17 year old mystery. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 66/18/74/.240/.314/.420/7

935) Wilfri De La Cruz – CHC, SS/3B, 17.6 – De La Cruz certainly looks the part at a very projectable and relatively broad 6’2” with a smooth lefty swing that is geared for both average and power. The righty swing isn’t as smooth, but you can see he’s trying to drive the ball with that one too, not just slap it. He’s known to have a good feel to hit and a solid plate approach, but it seems likely to me that this will end up power over hit at peak. He’s also a good athlete who should at the very least contribute in steals as he fills out, and maybe more than that. Feel to hit/approach, size, athleticism, projection … that is basically what you look for in an international prospect. De La Cruz is a good one. – ETA: 2023 Prime Projection: 77/23/79/.257/.338/.449/12

936) Alejandro Cruz – CHW, 3B, 18.3 – Cruz will already be 18 years old when he enters pro ball, which is a bit on the older side for the international class, although he’s from Cuba and they don’t seem to stick with that 17 year old timeline that other areas mostly do, so I wouldn’t hold it against him too much. He’s already a relatively imposing 6’3”, 180 pounds, and it certainly looks like he could end up being a real bruiser at the dish at peak. He’s fast too though, so maybe he keeps a more a athletic physique to keep his speed. These are the type of guesses you have to make when talking about such young players. No matter how his body fills out though, his righty swing is damn fast and it’s quick and short too, so he could have a pretty potent hit/power combo if it all comes together. Tack on that speed, and Cruz has plenty of upside to be a fun late FYPD lotto ticket. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 72/21/76/.253/.326/.438/14

937) Harold Rivas – BOS, OF, 16.11 – Rivas is visually super explosive at the dish with an athletic and powerful righty swing that definitely has power potential as he continues to fill out his 6’2”, 170 pound frame. He’s also a plus runner who plays a good CF. The hit tool isn’t bulletproof, and he’s not necessarily the broadest guy, but he’s on the young side for the class, so who knows how his body ends up. Either way, he’s got the power/speed combo we like for fantasy, so the upside is definitely in here. – ETA: 2023 Prime Projection: 74/18/63/.248/.313/.427/22

938) Diego Tornes – ATL, OF, 16.9 – Tornes is one of the youngest players in the class but he’s also already one of the most physically mature at 6’4”, 200 pounds. This is a big boy already with big boy power from a quick and powerful swing. He’s a switch who hits better lefty than righty, and he’s a good athlete despite his already impressive size. He has some of the best power upside in the class. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 74/25/83/.250/.320/.450/9

939) Rafael Flores – NYY, C/1B, 24.5 – Flores’ power took a big step forward in 2024, and it resulted in him destroying Double-A, slashing .274/.359/.519 with 15 homers, 6 steals, and a 26.7/10.3 K%/BB% in 65 games. He also so easily passes the eye test at 6’3”, 220 pounds with a smooth righty swing that looks like an MLB swing. I mean, his offensive power upside is no joke. He’s already 24 years old, the hit tool has risk as you can see from that strikeout rate, and he’s not a particularly good defensive player, but it’s so easy to fall in love watching his swing. I like him, but a bench bat is probably his most reasonable outcome. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 54/18/65/.241/.317/.437/3

940) Manny Cedeno – NYY, SS, 16.8 – Cedeno is one of the youngest players in the class (you are drafting a full child here basically), but you already see the seeds of a grown man righty swing that can potentially punish baseballs. His righty swing is powerful and fast, and he makes it look easy. He also has one of the best hit tools in the class and is a good athlete. He’s currently 5’11”, but I guess at his age he could easily grow more, which would make him even more dangerous. I like him. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 72/23/81/.268/.333/.451/9

941) Cristopher Polanco – TOR, SS, 17.3 – Polanco has one of, if not my favorite pure swing in the class. It is a super sweet and smooth lefty swing that is easy and under control. And when he wants to put his back into one, he can really crank it with that same smooth motion. I love it. He’s not a particularly big guy at 5’11”, 180 pounds, but I think he’s going to have the ability to hit the ball pretty hard at peak, and he’s already known for a good hit tool. If he was a bit bigger, I would really love him, but even at his size I think he can be damn good. I’m a big fan. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 77/18/74/.277/.346/.429/16

942) Nieves Izaguirre – PHI, SS, 17.3 – Izaguirre is Acuna’s cousin, so how could I leave him off this list. He’s more Luisangel than Ronald though, but that ain’t bad either as I like Luisangel a lot. Like Luisangel, he’s not a big guy, but he has a big righty swing that looks pretty damn electric, and he combines that with a good hit tool and speed. I think he can definitely follow in Luisangel’s footsteps. Don’t expect Ronald’s footsteps though. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 81/14/57/.266/.331/.388/28

943) Conrad Cason – BOS, SS/RHP, 18.8 – Selected 237th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft and signing for $1.25 million, Cason is a two way player whose future is likely on the mound. He was a multi sport star as well, so this is a guy who can do just about anything athletically at a high level, and the hope is that when he finally focuses fully on one thing, he can really thrive. That one thing seems to be pitching as his fastball already sits mid 90’s and can touch upper 90’s, to go along with a changeup that flashes plus and a solid slider. He’s 6’2”, 185 pounds with an athletic delivery, and while all areas of his game still needs refinement, he’s still just 18 years old. If pitching doesn’t work out, he can give hitting a go with plus speed, above average power potential, a good glove, and decent hit tool. He also needs refinement in all areas of his hitting, so that is why it seems his pitching is a bit farther ahead, and where the most upside lies. You are basically drafting the athlete here, and seeing where the chips fall, just like the Sox did. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 9/4.13/1.29/141 in 150 IP

944) Niko Kavadas – LAA, 1B, 26.6 – Kavadas is likely a very low BA, bench power bat, but his power is huge enough, and he’s close enough to the majors to crack this list. It’s not hard to envision him becoming fantasy relevant if injuries hit, because the guy will rip dingers. He smoked 17 homers with a 92 MPH EV and 18.8 degree launch in 83 games at Triple-A, and then he hit 4 homers with a 91.7 MPH EV and 27.3 degree launch in 30 MLB games. He had a 33.4% K% at Triple-A and a 38.7% K% with a .183 BA in the majors, so the BA will tank you. He walks a ton though with a 17.3% BB% at AAA and 10.4% BB% in the majors, so in deep OBP leagues, he definitely has a chance to be useful. – 2025 Projection: 23/8/26/.208/.309/.416/0

945) Daniel Susac – OAK, C, 23.11 – Susac was the 19th overall pick in the 2022, and with how many former first round catchers leveled up in 2024, it’s not hard to see Susac taking that same path when he’s in his mid to late 20’s. He put up a solid season at Double-A with 12 homers, 7 steals, and a 103 wRC+ in 88 games. It came with a terrible 25.9/4.3 K%/BB%, and while he improved his launch this season, he’s still not a huge launch guy. He’s 6’4”, 218 pounds with a big and powerful righty swing, so he has legit raw power, and he’s a solid defensive catcher. Maybe he can become fantasy relevant in like 2028. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection:  45/15/58/.236/.291/.417/5

946) Ben Williamson – SEA, 3B, 24.5 – I was scratching my head on why so many people were so hyped up for Williamson last off-season, and to their credit, a 146 wRC+ at High-A and a 114 wRC+ at Double-A is good, but he was already 23 years old, and the .272/.365/.374 triple-slash with 3 homers and 15 steals in 95 games at Double-A is not very fantasy friendly. He hit 4 homers in 124 games all season. He doesn’t lift, he doesn’t pull, and while the hit tool is solid, it’s not standout. This still isn’t my type of profile, especially hitting in Seattle, but considering the solid year at Double-A and the solid glove, it’s possible he could be a solid real life bat at peak. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 66/12/58/.256/.325/.392/9

947) Sammy Stafura – CIN, SS, 20.4 – I know that I go on and on about pro debuts, but Stafura is a good example of someone who had a terrible pro debut and then turned it around the next season. After putting up a 7 wRC+ with a 43.4% K% in 12 rookie ball games in 2023, he then hit pretty well in full season ball in 2024, slashing .270/.387/.412 with 8 homers, 31 steals, and a 24.7/15.2 K%/BB% in 92 games at Single-A. I give respect where it’s due, and his value definitely rose from last year, but he’s still not really all that enticing of a prospect, so I don’t think the poor pro debut rankings drop led you in the wrong direction. The 85.9 MPH EV was low and the 24.7% K% was high. That’s not a great combo, and he’s really not all that electric of an athlete at 6’0” with good but not great athleticism. It’s just not that unique or enticing of a profile. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 77/16/63/.251/.325/.412/23

948) Aroon Escobar – PHI, 2B, 20.3 – Here is what I wrote about Escobar in the latest Rundown: “I generally hate players who are “old” for their rookie ball leagues. These include 18 year olds repeating the DSL and 19 year olds in stateside rookie ball, but with the recent contraction of the minor leagues, I might have to loosen up my stance on that. With fewer teams, more deserving guys are going to repeat rookie ball levels, and on the flip side, Single-A is getting more rookie ball-ish itself. High-A might really be the true “full season ball” jump that Single-A used to be. It’s something to keep in mind, and something that I have to continue adjusting to myself. Enter Aroon, who destroying rookie ball as a 19 year old with a 172 wRC+, 3 homers, 9 steals, and a 9.6/20.2 K%/BB% in 24 games. I wasn’t in on him because of his age, but I’m feeling regret for that after he crushed him first homer this spring at a grown man’s 108.2 MPH. He now has a 505 wRC+ in 2 PA ;). He’s not necessarily a big tools guy, which is another reason I wasn’t in on him, but he can end up a very strong across the board contributor. He deserved more respect from me.” ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 77/15/69/.269/.333/.421/16

949) Griff O’Ferrall – BAL, SS, 22.2 – Selected 32nd overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, Baltimore followed up their super risky pick of Honeycutt, with a super safe pick of O’Ferrall. Griff is a low upside college bat without much power, so while the real life profile of up the middle defense, contact, and some speed is enticing, it’s less so for fantasy. He hit only 5 homers in 63 games in the ACC this year, and he hit only 8 homers in 186 career college games. He didn’t hit a single homer in his 20 game pro debut in the lower minors. He did make a lot of contact with a 14.4% K% and he ran a bit with 2 steals in 6 attempts. The deeper the league, the more enticing he becomes, but even in deeper leagues I’m not super excited. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 76/9/58/.268/.324/.392/21

950) Daiber De Los Santos – MIN, SS, 18.6 – De Los Santos was a big time international prospect, signing for $1.9 million, and he went out and proved he deserved that money in his pro debut, slashing .301/.384/.460 with 5 homers, 17 steals, and a 31.0/8.9 K%/BB% in 47 games in the DSL. He’s an excellent athlete at a projectable 6’1” with a powerful and athletic righty swing to go along with plus speed. He also lifted and pulled a ton, so he should get the most of his raw power. The big red flag is obviously the 31% K%, which is way too high for the DSL especially. He’s a very high risk, very high reward DSL breakout. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 70/23/76/.238/.309/.438/19

951) Walker Janek – HOU, C, 22.7 – Selected 28th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, Janek was the first catcher taken in the draft, but he’s known more for his defense than his offense. He has an excellent glove and excellent arm, so there is zero doubt that he sticks behind the plate. The only question is how much offense he will provide with an average hit/power combo at 6’0”, 190 pounds. He has hit for both average and power all 3 years of his college career in the WAC and CUSA with 37 homers and .325 BA in 166 games, and maybe most notably, he’s done the same in the wood bat Cape Cod League with 5 homers and a .281 BA in 30 games. But he had an awful pro debut with 1 homer, a 29.1/3.9 K%/BB% and 42 wRC+ in 25 games, which really dampens any excitement I might have had for him. I’m projecting him as a light hitting, defense first catcher, and Yainer Diaz isn’t a free agnet until 2029. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 42/14/51/.235/.306/.402/5

952) Johan De Los Santos – PIT, SS, 17.5 – De Los Santos is the brother of Yordany De Los Santos, who went through this process only a few years ago and also signed with Pitt. Yordany was one of the first misses for this SS list, but his younger brother cracks it, because the name of this game is finding the lotto ticket that pays off big, not the one you have to hold for 7 years in order to get a utility infielder out of it (not saying Yordany is doomed to that fate, it’s just the long and slow development process is not what you are looking for when you draft a 17 year old). De Los Santos could easily end up in the same bucket as his older brother, but his bonus is expected to double his brother’s, so maybe he has a cleaner path in pro ball too. His lefty swing definitely looks the part. It looks super natural with both feel to hit and the intent to do damage. As he adds more strength at 6’0”, 175 pounds, the hope is that the power comes. And like most of these kids, he has a good feel to hit and speed. He’s pretty electric though, and that electricity does stand out a bit amongst his peers. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 76/17/68/.258/.319/.413/24

953) Jose Pena – BAL, SS, 16.8 – I can’t find any video of Pena, probably because he has such a common name, which is a shame because it seems like he could be someone I really like. I will keep an eye out though and I’m sure I’ll find a video that pops up eventually, in which time I could change his ranking here. He’s one of the youngest players in the class and has one of the best frames at a projectable 6’2”, 155 pounds. He supposedly swings a quick and explosive bat (which I haven’t seen) and he’s fast. I know you could say that seeing a few swings isn’t that big of a deal, but I don’t know, I’ve had a ton of success picking out my favorite international prospects based on watching their swings and movements, so without seeing that, I can’t really say he’s a target for me yet. I’m just going to keep my eye out for that video, which I know is clearly out there somewhere. I just can’t find it. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 78/18/72/.260/.320/.425/28

954) Ayden Johnson – OAK, SS, 17.2 – It’s always a little crazy to me watching some 14 year olds workout video and evaluating them for dynasty baseball, hah, but here we are, and Johnson put together a fire training video. He also shows a body transformation of going from a chubby kid to ripped. At one point his trainer says, “Can you believe this kid is just 14 years old?” … hah, and I mean, you can’t help but laugh and say, “no.” … but I’m just being tongue in cheek, I already talked about not going down that path of disbelieving everyone’s age. It is what it is. He already speaks perfect English, which I guess is considered a good thing? Does that really matter though? I’m not so sure. Okay, on to things that really matter, which is that he has a ton of the traits you look for in a hyped international prospect. He’s a rock solid 6’2”, 180 pounds with a quick and powerful righty swing that should have plenty of power potential at peak. He’s also a good athlete and has a good feel to hit. And he’s quite clearly a hard worker. It seems to me his future is as a power hitting bruiser if it all works out. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 74/24/79/.259/.324/.456/9

955) Ty Southisene – CHC, SS, 19.9 – Selected 120th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft and signed for $1 million, Southisene is a small guy at 5’9”, 160 pounds, and he’s on the older side for the class, but Chicago didn’t pay him over slot for nothing. He’s the quintessential little man discount as he’s raked and been a standout performer everywhere he’s been. There isn’t much power potential in the bat, but he has a potentially plus hit/speed combo which can certainly be impactful for fantasy. Utility infielder is probably the most likely relatively good outcome scenario, but if you love betting on the underdog who just keeps on raking while not getting enough love (although he just made one million dollars at 19 years old, so he’s doing just fine ;), that’s Southisene. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 76/9/48/.268/.323/.372/24

956) Jose Perdomo – ATL, SS, 18.6 – Perdomo received the highest signing bonus in the international class at $5 million, but unfortunately he was limited to just 8 games in the DSL due to a hamstring injury. He didn’t do much in those 8 games with a 66 wRC+, but the 18.2/9.1 K%/BB%, 37.5% GB%, and 2 steals all look fine, so basically the sample is too small to say anything. We have to give him a mulligan and run it back in 2025. He’s known for his excellent hit tool with the ultimate power/speed combo still in some question. He’s not a huge guy at 5’11”, but it seems he’s trending towards power over speed right now. There is plenty of time for him to change his body in multiple ways, so we’ll see which way he decides to go. I’ll split the difference for now and assume it will end up a hit tool first profile with a moderate power/speed combo, but there is still so much mystery here. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 78/18/72/.268/.327/.429/15

957) Didier Fuentes – ATL, RHP, 19.9 – The 18/19 year old Fuentes had a phenomenal season at Single-A, putting up a 2.74 ERA with a 32.1/6.9 K%/BB% in 75.1 IP. He also has the stuff to back it up with a heavily used mid 90’s fastball that can miss bats, a potentially plus slider, and a developing changeup. He’s not a particularly big guy and there are definitely some reliever traits here, but I respect the age, production, stuff, and organization. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 10/3.97/1.26/144 in 150 IP

958) Victor Lizarraga – SDP, RHP, 21.4 – Lizarraga cracks this list on the back of his youth and build, because the present stuff and performance isn’t too impressive. He’s a relatively filled out 6’3” with an athletic righty delivery that put up a 4.03 ERA and 25.1/10.3 K%/BB% in 96 IP at Double-A. The curve is his best pitch and is potentially plus, but that is really his only plus attribute. The fastball sits low 90’s, the changeup is still developing, and the control is average-ish at best. He’s was only 20 in the upper minors, which makes his season more impressive, but he needs to improve his velocity, control, and/or third pitch to be more than a back end guy. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 8/4.25/1.33/130 in 150 IP

959) Brian Holiday – STL, RHP, 21.10 – Selected 80th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, Holiday is a small and athletic righty with a plus control profile. He put up a 2.95 ERA with a 28.6/4.2 K%/BB% in 113 IP in the Big West. The fastball only sits in the low 90’s, but it’s a bat missing weapon because of it’s movement profile from a low release point. He also mixes in three secondaries (slider, curve, change) with his slider being his best swing and miss secondary. There could be some little man, and low velocity discrimination going on here, so there might be some more upside in here than he gets credit for. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 9/4.05/1.26/138 in 150 IP

960) Ethan Anderson – BAL, C/1B, 21.6 – Selected 61st overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, Anderson cracks this list more on the back of how weak of a catcher class it is in first year player drafts this year. I have to grade the position on a curve, and while staying away from it completely even in deep leagues is reasonable, it’s nice to know your best options. Anderson is one of those options after raking all 3 years he’s played in the ACC with a good feel to hit and good pop. He hit .341 with 28 homers in 178 career minor league games, and then he stepped into pro ball and kept on producing there too. He put up a 125 wRC+ in 14 games at Single-A and a 155 wRC+ in 5 games at High-A. He’s a switch hitter and he’s young for the class, two things that can portend a bit more potential than a typical college selection, and he’s got good size at 6’2”, 215 pounds with a swing geared towards lift. There is no guarantee he can stick at catcher, but there are definitely things to like about Anderson. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 55/14/55/.263/.329/.411/4

961) Jacob Cozart – CLE, C, 22.3 – Selected 48th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, Cozart is a big dude at 6’3”, 222 pounds, and he has the big lefty swing and plus power to match. He cracked 19 homers with a 1.038 OPS in 61 games in the ACC. The hit tool was considered a risk coming into the draft, and that unfortunately played out in his pro debut with a 36.7% K% and 26 wRC+ in 13 games at High-A. He’s not a bad defensive player who has a chance to stick behind the plate. He has the upside to be a classic low BA, slugging catcher, but it might take until his mid to late 20’s for him to realistically have a shot at reaching that ceiling with a full time job. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 46/15/54/.227/.301/.418/0

962) Gabriel Davalillo – LAA, C, 17.5 – Francisco Alvarez is really the very easy and perfect ceiling comp here with an almost identical profile. Davalillo is a 5’11”, 215 pound bull with plus power, but the hit tool isn’t bulletproof and neither is his defense at catcher. He’s the top international catcher in the class, and he has real power, but considering I already don’t love rostering a bunch of catcher prospects in dynasty, Davalillo has enough warts to make me hesitant to really fly him up the rankings. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 66/22/78/.252/.321/.443/3

963) Bryce Meccage – MIL, RHP, 19.0 – Selected 57th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, Meccage is similar to Josh Knoth, who Milwaukee took 33rd overall in 2023, so they clearly have a type. And Milwaukee has done well with pitching development, so they are a good team to bet on. Meccage is 6’4”, 210 pounds with a low to mid 90’s fastball, two breaking balls (slider, curve), and a developing changeup. He can spin all of his pitches, like Knoth, and he has a solidly athletic right delivery with a good idea of where the ball is going. Not the flashiest profile, but there is plenty to like. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 9/4.02/1.27/160 in 160 IP

964) Drew Beam – KCR, RHP, 22.1 – Selected 76th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, Beam is a floor over upside college starter who should move through the system quickly. Plus control is his best attribute, putting up a 6.5% BB% in his 262.2 IP college career in the SEC, and he was throwing strikes the second he stepped on campus as a freshman. He also most certainly looks the part at an athletic 6’4′, 208 pounds. The career 3.60 ERA and 22.7% K% isn’t as impressive as the size and walk rates, and his stuff is more in the average to above average category than truly standout with two 94 MPH fastballs, a curve and a changeup. It’s a #4 upside type profile, as you can see from falling to 76th overall in the draft, and the lack of strikeouts subdues his upside for fantasy too. The deeper the league, the more value he has. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 8/4.21/1.29/130 in 150 IP

965) Emelien Pitre – TBR, 2B, 22.6 – Selected 58th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, Pitre is a lower upside infielder who is probably a better real life prospect than fantasy, but that’s not to say there is no fantasy intrigue. He’s 5’11” with some room to tack on a bit more mass, and he had a power breakout his junior year with 10 dingers in 62 games in the SEC (1 was his previous career high). A strong plate approach and speed is what you are buying, and that immediately transferred to pro ball, slashing .299/.402/.403 with 0 homers, 7 steals, and a 12.0/13.0 K%/BB% in 21 games at Single-A. He can hit the ball hard, but it’s geared more for all fields line drives, so there isn’t big upside in here. He likely profiles as one of Tampa’s many moving parts, part time players down the line. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 66/10/51/.262/.323/.393/15

966) Aiden May – MIA, RHP, 21.11 – Selected 70th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, May has that quick, fast moving delivery that has the look of guy that is hungry to attack hitters and is confident in his stuff. And I get it, because he has really good stuff with a 94 MPH sinker that can keep the ball on the ground to go along with a legitimately nasty, plus slider and a lesser used changeup. It all led to a 3.05 ERA with a 27.0/7.4 K%/BB% in 73.2 IP in the Pac 12. It’s probably a back end or a reliever profile, but if he can develop the changeup, or improve his control/command, he could beat that projection. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 8/4.18/1.34/126 in 140 IP

967) Joshua Kuroda-Grauer – OAK, SS, 22.2 – Selected 75th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, Grauer has been a contact machine everywhere he’s played, putting up a .428 BA with a 7% K% in 53 games in the Big Ten his Junior year, and then stepping right into pro ball and doing the same with a .324 BA and 7.1% K% in 28 games at Single-A, High-A, and Triple-A. Even the fact he made it to Triple-A shows how fast Oakland thinks he can contribute. He combines the elite contact rates with speed (5 steals in pro ball and 24 steals in college), a solid plate approach, and decent hard hit ability. He won’t hit many homers with very high groundball rates (5 homers his junior year and 0 homers in pro ball), but he doesn’t need to aim for homers with his profile. He’s probably best suited for a utility role on a good team, but his contact/speed profile can definitely make an impact if he works his way into an everyday job. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 66/7/42/.268/.327/.376/19

968) Ethan Schiefelbein – DET, LHP, 19.0 – Selected 72nd overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, Schiefelbein’s delivery reminds me of Cole Hamels as a 6’2”, 180 pound lefty (Hamels was two inches taller than him, and much better than him, obviously), and he’s known to have some of the best command in his class. The fastball only sits low 90’s and he doesn’t necessarily have any electric secondaries (slider, curve, change), but he’ll rip off some sweet looking curveballs. If he gains velocity and just refines his pitches all around, there is real elite command type upside in here. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 9/3.96/1.22/139 in 150 IP

969) Landen Maroudis – TOR, RHP, 20.3 – Maroudis was looking really good in his 10.2 IP pro debut at Single-A before going down with an elbow injury that required an internal brace surgery in May. The puts his likely return date at some point mid-season, which could be enough time to get the hype rolling again. He had a 0.84 ERA with a 31.6/10.5 K%/BB%. The fastball sat 93.6 MPH, the curve and change got whiffs, and the slider induced weak contact. He also throws a sinker. He’s not the type I love taking the “Tommy John” discount on, but I think he’s worth a shot this late in the rankings as he was on a clear upward trajectory before going down with the injury. If he returns to full health, I don’t see why he can’t pick up from where he left off. Major elbow surgery is just part of the pitching prospect journey. ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 10/3.98/1.27/160 in 155 IP

970) Ben Lively – CLE, RHP, 33.1 – Lively is a junk balling, kitchen sink back end starter who had basically the best year you can hope for for this type of guy with a 3.81 ERA and 18.7/7.8 K%/BB% in 151 IP. He throws 6 pitches, and while none are very good, none are very bad either. The fastball only sits 90.4 MPH. He’s also already 33 years old. It’s a classic back end starter. – 2025 Projection: 9/4.15/1.29/110 in 140 IP

971) Kyle Wright – KCR, RHP, 29.6 – After years of struggles, Wright finally broke through in 2022 and learned how to harness his very good stuff, so of course all of that got wiped out with a shoulder injury in 2023. He injured his shoulder that spring and had a terrible season trying to fight through it with missed time, diminished stuff and poor results (6.97 ERA with a 92.7 MPH fastball in 31 IP). He then succumbed to shoulder surgery in October 2023 and missed the entire 2024 season. I guess you can scoop him and hope for a full return to his 2022 version, but he’s not really all that enticing to me in anything but deep leagues. He’s not even guaranteed a rotation spot. Pure flier. – 2025 Projection: 6/4.31/1.34/89 in 100 IP

972) Jack Perkins – OAK, RHP, 25.3 – Perkins is most likely a reliever long term, but he’s in the right organization to get as long of a leash as possible. He has a potentially plus fastball/slider combo with below average control, which is a classic reliever profile. But it was good enough to dominate Double-A with a 2.88 ERA and 32.1/10.9 K%/BB% in 78 IP. He also throws a cutter, curve, and changeup, so it’s not like he’s a purely two pitch pitcher, but those are much lesser used pitches. He’s already 25 years old, and Oakland does have a bunch of similar options, so it’s not clear what number he is in the pecking order. I’m betting on reliever, but the K upside and possible opportunity is good enough to crack this list. – 2025 Projection: 2/4.11/1.32/33 in 35 IP Prime Projection: 4/3.74/1.25/69 in 65 IP

973) Joe Boyle – TBR, RHP, 25.8 – Boyle is very likely a bullpen arm after putting up a 6.42 ERA with a 24.8/17.7 K%/BB% in 47.2 IP, but Tampa executives talked about being extremely patient with a high upside arm like this, so I’ll give Tampa one year to see if they can work their magic. The fastball sat 97.7 MPH and the breaking balls are whiff machines, so if Tampa can bring the control/command down to just below average, maybe, just maybe he can end up a high K, mid rotation starter. I would still bet on bullpen, but you never know. – 2025 Projection: 3/3.88/1.32/72 in 65 IP

974) Franyerber Montillo – DET, 2B/SS/3B, 19.11 – I’m not sure Montillo deserves to crack this list after how hard he struggled once he got the call to Single-A. He was already 19 years old, so seeing him put up a 42 wRC+ with a 31.6% K% in 20 games is not a good sign. He looked really good in rookie ball with a 136 wRC+ and above average across the board production, but those numbers don’t look as impressive after the immediate drop off at the more age appropriate Single-A. The reason he does crack this list though is because I just like the look of him at the plate. He’s a pretty electric player at 6’0” with some power and athleticism. He can also lift and pull it, so he should be able to get the most out of his power. And he’s walked a ton in his career, even at Single-A with a 15.2% BB% at that level. I’ll give him a pass for the struggles in full season ball because it’s not like he was ancient at a relatively recently turned 19, and regardless of age, there is an adjustment period humans often have to make to tougher levels, new teams, cities, coaches etc … Hard to say he’s too sought after of a prospect, but there is something here that I definitely like a lot when watching him. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 73/17/66/.250/.330/.418/18

975) Kyle Isbel – KCR, OF, 28.1 – Isbel should be a 4th outfielder, but KC doesn’t have any other good options, so he seems like the main guy for the CF job. He’s an above average CF, but he’s not even that good there where his glove needs to get him on the field. And he’s a bad hitter with a 81 wRC+ in 136 games, and a 77 wRC+ in his 361 game career. He’s not a big base stealer either with only 11 steals in 2024, so you can’t even bank on that. He has a job, and that is about it. – 2025 Projection: 54/7/46/.236/.294/.375/12

976) Javier Sanoja – MIA, OF/SS/2B, 22.7 – Sanoja can play basically every position on the field, and Miami’s corner outfield spots are pretty wide open, so there seems to be plenty of opportunity for him to rack up at bats. He had elite contact rates in the minors which transferred to the majors with a 11.1% K% in 36 PA, and he’s got speed with a 28.7 ft/sec sprint and 17 steals in 126 games in the upper minors. He doesn’t hit the ball hard (84.6 MPH EV in the minors), and as you saw from that steal total, he doesn’t really run enough for this type of profile. He’s a utility player on the vast majority of teams, but with Miami, he’s liable to get 500+ PA. – 2025 Projection: 38/4/36/.245/.297/.338/12

977) Josh Kasevich – TOR, SS, 24.3 – Kasevich is a hit tool/defense play, which doesn’t excite me for fantasy, but he hits the ball hard enough, and runs just enough to remain kinda interesting. And unlike some other fringy prospects on the Jays, his glove might actually get him on the field. The hit tool is damn good with a 11.8% K% and .296 BA in 128 games in the upper minors. He put up an 89.6 MPH EV at Triple-A, which is pretty good, and he was 13 for 14 on the bases with solid speed. The deeper the league, the more value he will have, but if the hit tool transfers to the majors, he could end up having value in most league sizes. – 2025 Projection: 9/1/10/.259/.305/.357/2 Prime Projection: 73/9/58/.276/.323/.382/11

978) Robert Hassell – WAS, OF, 23.8 – Hassell hasn’t lived up to his draft promise as the 8th overall pick in the draft, and now it seems likely that he’s a 4th outfielder. After putting up an 85 wRC+ at mostly Double-A in 2023, he followed that up with a 87 wRC+ in 2024 at mostly that same level. He doesn’t hit for power (5 homers), he doesn’t steal a ton of bases (15 steals in 85 games), and the contact rates aren’t that great either (21% K%). He cracks this list for pedigree and proximity. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 44/8/39/.242/.311/.389/13

979) Grant McCray – SFG, OF, 24.4 – McCray is really testing the limits on how much I lean power/speed over hit tool. That hit tool is as brutal as it gets with a 43.1/4.6 K%/BB% in 37 games, and I just can’t overlook that. He’s an elite athlete with a 29.2 ft/sec sprint and an 11.8% Barrel% (90.2 MPH EV), which led to 5 homer and 5 steals in those 37 games, but even I can’t just gloss over the hit tool risk. Then tack on ballpark risk and the fact he’s not a big launch guy, and I just can’t get behind this. He’s an upside true last pick flier. – 2025 Projection: 29/7/26/.218/.284/.395/9

980) Max Schuemann – OAK, SS/3B, 27.9 – Schuemann is a super utility player who has some fantasy friendly skills with speed (14 steals in 459 PA), lift (16.6 degree launch) and OBP (10.2% BB%), and Oakland has an open-ish job at 3B, so he can easily rack up a ton of at bats in 2025. The hit tool is the biggest issue with a 25.9% K% and .220 BA. He lifts it a lot, but he doesn’t pull it enough with a 36.4% Pull%, and the 91.8 MPH FB/LD EV isn’t great, so that is a recipe for a very low BA. The 89 MPH AVG EV and 5.6% Barrel% isn’t bad though, so he definitely has some pop (7 homers). He’s 27 years old and the K rates and hit tool were a problem even in the minors, so I don’t think his supporting skills are good enough to overcome the at least below average hit tool. But if the hit tool can improve, and/or he finds his way into everyday at bats, he can definitely end up fantasy relevant. – 2025 Projection: 46/8/35/.227/.309/.366/13

981) Gio Urshela – OAK, 3B, 33.5 – Urshela is as low of a win now option as it gets, but he could open the season as Oakland’s starting 3B, so he cracks this list. He can get the bat on the ball with a 15.6% K%, and he has a solid glove, and that is about it. There are already rumors that Max Muncy will be competing for that job, and I’m sure they hope Muncy will win it. But if he doesn’t, Urshela will be rolled out there. – 2025 Projection: 42/10/53/.265/.303/.395/1

982) Jadher Areinamo – MIL, 2B/SS/3B, 21.4 – Areinamo is probably a utility infielder long term with one of the wackiest swings I’ve ever seen. I imagine if they ever drew Micky Mouse playing baseball, they would have him swing something like Areinamo. It’s amazing that he has elite contact rates with that swing, but he does with a 11.1% K% and .301 BA in 110 games at High-A. He doesn’t have big raw power with only 10 homers at 5’8″, and he’s not a burner despite 32 steals, so I don’t think his fantasy value is huge. But if the elite contact rates stick in the upper minors, he’ll be interesting for deeper leagues. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 58/9/42/.268/.321/.387/16

983) Dillon Head – MIA, OF, 20.6 – Head’s season ended after just 26 games due to a hip injury that required surgery. He wasn’t all that impressive before the injury either, slashing .243/.317/.396 with 2 homers, 5 steals, and a 24.4/8.1 K%/BB% at Single-A. Considering he’s supposed to be a hit/speed guy, neither the contact rates nor the stolen base totals are where you wanted them to be. He was a first round pick in 2023 and I liked him a lot coming out of the draft, so I don’t want to completely write him off, but this was a rough start to his career. He needs to prove himself in 2025 to start climbing back up the rankings again. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 61/10/53/.251/.319/.406/16

984) Seth Brown – OAK, 1B/OF, 32.9 – Brown is in a strong side of a platoon role, but I think his time is coming up on even that. He’s not a good defensive player, he’s going to turn 33 during the season, and he put up his 2nd straight season with a 91 wRC+. That isn’t a starter. He still hits the ball hard with a 90 MPH EV, which can keep him relevant, but the contact rates and plate approach are poor. It’s time to give the kids a shot. – 2025 Projection: 35/12/41/.228/.290/.419/4

985) Jonah Bride – MIA, 1B, 29.3 – McBride was Miami’s starting 1B/DH in the 2nd half of the season, and despite putting up a 123 wRC+ with 11 homers in 71 games, and despite him currently penciled in for the job, I’m not buying. His .297 xwOBA and 87.1 MPH EV tell a different story, and with a mediocre 11.8 degree launch, it’s not like there are going to be a ton of homers. The 20.2/11.0 K%/BB% is solid, but the .224 xBA shows you can’t count on a high BA either. He’s a bench bat at best. De Los Santos is going to take that 1B job possibly from opening day. – 2025 Projection: 31/9/36/.243/.317/.410/1

986) Griffin Conine – MIA, OF, 27.8 – Conine seems to have a path to playing time in Miami at the moment, although he’ll have plenty of other fringy competition, and he can definitely hit some dingers if given the opportunity. He cracked 19 homers with an 89.9 MPH EV in 112 games at Triple-A, and then he cracked 3 homers with a 114 wRC+ in 89 PA in the majors. He got lucky in the majors with a .289 xwOBA, the hit tool is terrible (31.5/6.7 K%/BB%) and he’s already 27 years old, so he’s a bench power bat at best. But as long as he has opportunity, he deserves to sneak on this list. – 2025 Projection: 29/10/34/.220/.297/.409/1

987) Matt Mervis – MIA, 1B, 26.11 – Quad-A slugger who might win the Marlins 1B job just out of desperation. He’ll pop some homers and probably nothing else, but sometimes these Quad-A guys do breakout when they get the chance, and Mervis is getting the chance. 2025 Projection: 40/13/49/.218/.291/.392/0

988) Pedro Leon – HOU, OF, 26.10 – Leon cracks this list basically solely for that 77.8 MPH swing in his MLB debut. And also for the 24 homers and 29 steals in 118 games at Triple-A. And also for the opportunity in Houston’s OF. He’s 26 years old and the hit tool probably isn’t good enough to be a starter with a 27.0/8.1 K%/BB% at Triple-A and a 47.6% K% in 21 PA in the majors, so he’s merely a deep league flier. – 2025 Projection: 16/4/13/.210/.283/.374/6 Prime Projection: 33/8/36/.222/.298/.391/8

989) Bo Davidson – SFG, OF, 22.9 – Davidson put up a 173 wRC+ in 53 games at Single-A, but considering he was already 21/22 years old, it isn’t quite as impressive. He can hit the ball hard at 6’1”, 205 pounds, leading to 9 homers at the level, but a 48.4% GB% and 35.5% Pull% isn’t conducive to big homer totals long term, and neither is his eventual home ballpark. He’s not a great base stealer (6 steals in 9 attempts), and the 23.9% K% is on the high side. He’s a good athlete who can play CF, and he comes from the Junior college level, so maybe there could be some more developmental upside than his age would indicate. I’m just not seeing big fantasy upside here, but that doesn’t mean there is nothing to like. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 55/14/55/.252/.321/.418/8

990) Dedniel Nunez – NYM, Setup, 28.10 – Nunez’ season ended in August with a forearm injury, and Roster Resource doesn’t even have him making the team, but his profile is too bulletproof not to get excited by him. Minter is getting long in the tooth a bit, and Nunez could very easily end up the clearly 2nd best option in their bullpen. He put up a 2.31 ERA with a 35.6/5.9 K%/BB% in 35 IP. The slider was elite with a 45.3% whiff% and .189 xwOBA, and the 96.3 MPH fastball put up a respectable 25.2% whiff%. He was dominant at Triple-A too before getting the call, and while there have been some bouts of wildness, he’s had generally solid control on the whole. This is just a case of betting on the talent and letting the chips fall where they may. – 2025 Projection: 4/3.30/1.16/80/0 saves in 60 IP

991) Michell Otanez – OAK, Setup, 27.9 – Otanez probably isn’t next in line to the closer job, but he’s too fire to keep off the list. He put up a 2.49 xERA, 3.44 ERA, and a 36.4/13.2 K%/BB% in 34 IP. The 98 MPH fastball is an insane bat massing machine with a 39.2% whiff%, and so is the slider with a 52.2% whiff%. The control is horrible, and he’s had high ERA’s in the minors, so he’s still just an upside play on the back of the list. – 2025 Projection: 3/3.72/1.32/90/0 saves in 61 IP

992) Emilio Pagan – CIN, Setup, 33.11 – Cincy is a good spot to save chase, and while they have a lot of options if Diaz loses the job, Pagan will be one of them. He wasn’t that good in 2024 with a 4.50 ERA and 27.8/7.0 K%/BB%, but everything more or less looks to be within career norms (career 3.78 ERA). He has the best combo of being a righty and strong track record out of the non Diaz options. – 2025 Projection: 4/3.90/1.28/65/5 saves in 60 IP

993) Gus Varland – CHW, Closer Committee, 28.5 – Varland doesn’t have the whiff rates of Chicago’s other options with a 24.5% whiff%, but he has the control edge with a 7% BB%, and maybe that ends up winning the day considering the volatility of the other options. He was solid in 2024 with a 3.42 ERA and 23.5% K% in 26.1 IP. Maybe he ends up the guy. Who knows. – 2025 Projection: 3/4.10/1.33/65/2 saves in 65 IP

994) Pierce Johnson – ATL, Setup, 33.11 – Johnson is likely next man up in Atlanta, and while he’s not great, he has the strikeout upside to crack the list. He put up a 3.67 ERA with a 28.4/10.6 K%/BB% in 56.1 IP. He does it with an above average fastball/slider combo. If Atlanta had other better options, I might not have put him on, but they don’t seem to right now. Maybe Hurston Waldrep emerges as their closer of the future though. – 2025 Projection: 4/3.88/1.32/72/6 saves in 60 IP

995) Derek Law – WSH, Setup, 34.7 – He put up a 2.60 ERA with a 20.8/6.6 K%/BB% in 90 IP. His walk rates have been below average throughout his career, so it’s hard to trust that 6.6% BB%, and his K rates have always been below average. The 28.6% whiff% is actually good, and he’s always gotten whiffs, but they don’t translate to K’s. The stuff is good with mid 90’s heat, a bat missing slider, and a good cutter, so he very well could end up their most reliable guy. – 2025 Projection: 4/3.78/1.31/54/5 saves in 65 IP

996) David Robertson – FRA, Closer, 40.0 – Who knows if Robertson can find a closer job this off-season, but even at 40 years old he has the production to find one, and there are more than a few possible landing spots. Going back to Texas seems mighty obvious, and he would close there. He just put up a 3.00 ERA with a 33.3/9.4 K%/BB% in 72 IP. He dominates with a heavily used cutter, which I’m pretty sure he learned from the legend himself, Mariano Rivera. He’s 40 and it’s hard to value him highly in dynasty regardless, but if I had to guess, I’m guessing he finds a closer job. – 2025 Projection: 2/3.39/1.17/55/10 saves in 45 IP Update: He surprisingly remains unsigned. Hard to rank a 40 year old highly without a job

997) Nathan Martorella – SDP, 1B, 24.1 – Italian Snack couldn’t keep up his production in the upper minors with a 104 wRC+ in 127 games at Double-A, and with a 1B bat like this, that is basically a death knell for his prospect status. Your bat needs to be bulletproof. But he still displayed a solid hit/power combo with 18 homers and a 18.2/9.3 K%/BB%. He can lift and pull, so he’ll get the most out of his above average raw power, and there is opportunity in Miami. He’s only a deep league option right now though. – 2025 Projection: 15/3/17/.243/.302/.381/1 Prime Projection: 38/10/41/.258/.320/.425/3

998) Hector Rodriguez – CIN, OF, 21.1 – Rodriguez generally hits everywhere he’s been, and while he hit well again this year, it was a bit more underwhelming with a 106 wRC+, 12 homers, and 12 steals in 125 games at High-A. He’s not a big guy at 5’10”, and while the 13.3% K% is excellent, the 4.8% BB% isn’t. He’s likely a utility player long term. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 63/10/51/.262/.313/.395/10

999) Gabriel Gonzalez – MIN, OF, 21.3 – Gonzalez had an underwhelming year in 2024, slashing .255/.326/.381 with 5 homers, 5 steals, and a 14.5/6.8 K%/BB% in 81 games at High-A. The contact rates were still good, but the power/speed numbers were very lackluster, and as a maxed out corner outfielder, it’s not looking like a starting profile right now. He’s hit for more power in the past, and he gets the bat on the ball, so I want to give him one more year before dropping him off this list. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 48/13/56/.257/.320/.417/4

1000) Samuel Zavala – CHW, OF, 20.8 – Zavala was a straight disaster in 2024, slashing .187/.340/.301 with 8 homers, 14 steals, and a 22.3/17.8 K%/BB% in 111 games, but I don’t want to write him off completely quite yet. He’s always been very young for the level, and he continued to show the mature plate approach that was his bread and butter. He’s 6’1”, 175 pounds, so there is room for him to tack on more muscle, and he doesn’t have any issues lifting and pulling it. Simply getting stronger and playing against people his own age could go a long way. I’m giving him one more year. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 56/13/49/.248/.324/.412/9

1001) Ching-Hsien Ko – LAD, OF, 18.7 – The Dodgers signed Ko mid-season like they did with Hyun-seok Jang the year before, which kept the hype in check, but they signed him for $750,000, so they obviously like him. He only played in the 9 games in the DSL, but he played well in those games with 1 homer, 1 steal, a 17.5/27.5 K%/BB%, and a 150 wRC+. He was a strong international performer as well in tournaments, so there is some history of production here. And he most certainly looks the part at 6’3”, 215 pounds. He profiles as a potentially big power hitter with a strong plate approach, but clearly he has a lot to prove. ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 74/23/77/.255/.335/.445/7

1002) Juan Sanchez – TOR, SS, 17.7 – Sanchez is another one I can’t find video on (see Jose Pena above too), again probably because his name is just too common, but I will continue to keep my eye out and I’m sure I’ll find some eventually. He definitely has the build and tools you are looking for though at 6’3”, 200 pounds with power and speed. That’s a big boy with athleticism. When I find the video, I will add more. Not much more I can say until then. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 71/23/79/.245/.317/.448/10

1003) Larry Suero – COL, 2B/3B, 17.0 – Suero is 6’2”, 182 pounds with a sweet lefty swing, a good feel to hit, and good athleticism. Signing with Colorado is a double edged sword, as you get their ballpark at the end of the road, but you also get their poor development on the way to that. There isn’t a ton of video out there on him, and he seems probably 14/15 years old in the video I have seen, but even the younger version of him had an athletic and sweet lefty swing, so it’s not hard to envision legit offensive upside at 6’2”. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 77/22/79/.268/.334/.447/10

1004) Raymer Medina – TBR, SS, 17.5 – The thing that stands out about Medina to me is that the ball jumps off his bat from a very controlled and powerful swing from both sides of the plate. He’s not a huge guy at 5’11”, but he’s got the right kind of strength/thickness, and he definitely packs a punch with that swing. I think more power is coming, which he can combine with a good feel to hit and athleticism. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 74/20/77.255/.316/.433/12

1005) Warel Soriano – TBR, SS, 17.7 – Soriano has a vicious righty swing that is fast and made to do damage, which is what I love to see from these prospects, and he’s also fast and projectable at a skinny 6’0”, 165 pounds. It’s so hard to say how these kids are going to mature and end up physically, but there is definitely a path for him to develop a truly impact power/speed combo down the line. It’s not like he’s 6’3”, so I’m not going to say it’s super high upside, but this is definitely an upside pick, and the hit tool is solid too. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 71/22/77.251/.314/.442/16

1006) Trey Snyder – NYM, SS, 19.6 – Selected 144th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft and signing for $1.32 million, the first thing that jumps out about Snyder is how much bat speed he can generate from such a simple swing, and at a solid 6’2”, 195 pounds, there is power behind it too. The swing is more geared for average than power right now, but he has plus speed too, so that profile can work even if he doesn’t try to lift and pull more down the line. He made his pro debut in 2024, and while he didn’t perform well with a 58 wRC+ in 6 games, he was thrown right into Single-A, and the 23.1/15.4 K%/BB% was actually pretty encouraging. He has the potential to be a solid across the board contributor. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 79/16/61/.264/.329/.416/18

1007) Ronny Cruz – CHC, SS, 18.8 – Selected 90th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft and signing for an under slot $620,000, Cruz is 6’1”, 170 pounds with a big righty swing that has power potential written all over it. The swing mechanics are still raw, there is hit tool risk, and he’s not a burner, so I wouldn’t necessarily circle him as a later round target right now, but he’s young for the class, and the Cubs popped him relatively early, so they obviously like him even if part of the reason was the under slot bonus. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 71/23/78/.244/.317/.441/8

1008) Juan Cabata – CHC, SS, 16.11 – Luis Pena of the Brewers is what you hope that Cabata can duplicate in 2025. He has one of the best hit tools in the class with a very smooth, easy and fast lefty swing. He’s not a big guy at 5’11”, 165 pounds, so power likely isn’t going to be a big part of his game, but the hope is that it can get to average. And he’s got some speed and base stealing ability. He could be one of the top hit/speed combo coming out of the DSL if things go right. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 77/14/59/.266/.325/.412/23

1009) Brayan Cortesia – WSH, SS, 17.4 – Cortesia hit a growth spurt of late, which yes, that is what boys do from the ages of 13 years old to 16 years old ha, growing to 6’1”, and those extra inches gives him that added boost of upside to combine with his good feel to hit, good glove, and plus speed. If the power really starts to come down the line, there is potential for him to be a complete prospect, and his righty swing definitely looks the part (quick, powerful, athletic, launch). – ETA: 2023 Prime Projection: 79/18/69/.266/.326/.423/24

1010) Ramcell Medina – KCR, SS, 17.5 – Medina has a perfect combination of refinement, history of production, and now size/projection. He’s grown to 6’2”, 180 pounds, and he looks pretty damn physical in the box already. He could end up with real power to go along with an advanced feel at the plate and solid athleticism. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 77/22/77/.262/.334/.434/7

1011) Juan Tomas – CHC, SS, 17.4 – Tomas has that prototypical build you are looking for at a projectable 6’3”, and he’s a switch hitter with a quick and powerful swing from both sides of the dish. He has that Alonso Soriano type athleticism, and like Soriano, he has the potential for an impact power/speed combo if it all comes together. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 76/20/74/.250/.318/.436/20

1012) Darwin Ozuna – OAK, OF, 17.0 – Ozuna has big time power upside at a broad and still projectable 6’3”, 195 pounds with a powerful righty swing that already does damage. He’s a good athlete but he’s not a burner, and there are some hit tool questions, so it’s a power first profile with some risk. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 68/23/77/.245/.317/.446/8

1013) Ian Seymour – TBR, LHP, 26.4 – Seymour is likely a back end arm with that classic plus changeup, low velocity profile, but Tampa is known to work magic, so he might have a chance to end up at the high end of this profile type. He put up a 2.35 ERA with a 28.1/7.1 K%/BB% in 145.1 IP split between Double-A and Triple-A (he dominated both levels equally). The fastball only sits 90.7 MPH, but it put up a 32.4% whiff% at Triple-A, and the changeup is at least plus with a 45% whiff%. The cutter and slider are useful pitches too which can induce weak contact. The control is solid, but it’s been below average at points in his career, and you probably really have to count on plus control to maximize this profile. – 2025 Projection: Prime Projection: 10/4.19/130/149 in 160 IP

1014) Troy Melton – DET, RHP, 24.4 – Melton put up a 5.10 ERA in 100.2 IP at Double-A, but the 27.2/7.0 K%/BB% ad 3.14 xFIP is much more indicative of how he really pitched. He’s a big guy at 6’4”, 210 pounds with a decently athletic delivery, a mid 90’s fastball, and a starters pitch mix. It might not be the highest upside, but he’s a rock solid pitching prospect who is definitely on the underrated side. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 9/4.11/1.28/134 in 145 IP

1015) Connelly Early – BOS, LHP, 23.0 – Early certainly looks the part at 6’3”, 195 pounds with an athletic lefty delivery, and he has the production to match with a 3.99 ERA and 30.8/8.7 K%/BB% in 103.2 IP split between High-A and Double-A. The stuff doesn’t necessarily blow you away with a low to mid 90’s fastball, but the changeup can be a legit plus pitch, and he also throws a slider and curve. He’s already 23 years old, and it’s likely a back end starter profile, but there is enough here to crack the list. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 9/4.21/1.30/136 in 145 IP

1016) Nestor German – BAL, RHP, 23.1 – German put up a 1.59 ERA with a 31.4/5.9 K%/BB% in 73.2 IP at Single-A and High-A. With numbers like that, it’s not hard to see why he’s getting a lot of sleeper buzz this off-season, but he’s not really one of my guys. He’s a big guy at 6’3”, 225 pounds, but the delivery really isn’t all that athletic. It’s definitely reliever=ish to me. The stuff is good, but it’s not really great with an average to maybe above average traditional 4 pitch mix. And he’s never shown this level of control on the college level. I’m just not too blown away when watching him, and it makes me not want to put too much weight on an advanced college arm who is fully physically mature beating up on lower minors hitters. It’s not like he’s all that expensive, and I respect a K/BB like that no matter what, so I get the love, but he’s not one my guys. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 8/4.29/1.32/128 in 140 IP

1017) Josh Knoth – MIL, RHP, 19.8 – Knoth was a favorite of many last off-season in FYPD’s (including me), and while he didn’t have a particularly great year, his value held serve with a 4.48 ERA and 26.6/11.1 K%/BB% in 84.1 IP at Single-A. The mid 90’s fastball is a potentially plus pitch and bat missing weapon, which he pairs with a potentially plus slider. He also mixes in a curve and change. There is obviously more refinement needed all round, but he’s still only 19 years old, and Milwaukee is a good organization to trust for pitcher development. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 11/3.91/1.29/165 in 160 IP Update: Underwent Tommy John surgery which will keep him out for all of 2025

1018) Blaze Jordan – BOS, 3B/1B, 22.3 – I wasn’t sure Jordan deserved to crack this list with his 2nd straight year of poor performance at Double-A (98 wRC+ in 89 games), but that 12.1% K% is still pretty impressive. He has good raw power despite hitting only 7 homers, and being 21 years old at Double-A is still on the slightly young side. He doesn’t have much defensive value, but he can play a decent 3B, so it’s not like he doesn’t have any at all. I doubt he finds a role on the Red Sox, but I’ll take a shot on his contact/power combo at this point in the rankings. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 67/18/76/.266/.315/.421/3

1019) Nick McLain – CHW, OF, 22.4 – How could I not put little Matty McLain’s little brother, Nicky McLain, on this list. The McLain’s are not big people (Nick is also 5’10”), but they are damn good baseball players. Nick was selected 78th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft coming off a very productive college career in the Pac 12. He slashed .342/.457/.663 with 12 homers, 6 steals, and a 11.7/14.4 K%/BB% in 48 games his junior year. He’s not quite as good of an athlete as his brother with an average power/speed combo, and he’s a corner outfielder, so if he wasn’t a McLain, he might not have cracked this list. But plus bloodlines matter, and he has then. And he also has a good feel to hit. So I wouldn’t bet against him becoming a solid all around baseball player, it just might come as a bench bat. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 65/14/59/.258/.319/.413/8

1020) Yasser Mercedes – MIN, OF, 20.5 – Mercedes destroyed stateside rookie ball with a 163 wRC+, but he was already 19 years old, and when he got to the age appropriate Single-A, he fell apart with a 37.5% K% and 41 wRC+ in 10 games. It’s fair to give him more time to adjust to a new level regardless of age, and he’s a toolsy prospect with power (6 homers in 61 games overall) and speed (21 steals) at 6’1”, 175 pounds. He’s a mid 20’s breakout type prospect. It’s going to be a slow burn, but the upside is worth a spot at the back of the rankings.  ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 58/14/58/.234/.306/.418/16

1021) Casey Saucke – CHW, OF, 21.8 – Selected 107th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, Saucke was a big time major conference performer his entire career, culminating in a junior year where he slashed .344/.407/.578 with 14 homers, 9 steals, and a 18.2/9.5 K%/BB% in 62 games in the ACC. He also  looks the part at a rock solid 6’3”, 210 pounds with a pretty athletic and controlled righty swing. He’s a corner outfielder, and the bat probably isn’t going to be good enough to clear that bar, which is why he lasted until 107th overall, but the size and production are there, so there is some potential here to become an impact fantasy bat if it all works out. He’s also very young for the class, and he hit decently at the age appropriate High-A with a 110 wRC+, 2 homers, 2 steals, and a 26.3/6.1 K%/BB% in 24 games. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 41/12/46/.238/.301/.413/5

1022) Gage Miller – MIA, 3B/2B, 22.1 – Selected 92nd overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, Miller was a standout Junior College player in his freshman and sophomore years, and then he transferred into the SEC and kept on raking, slashing .381/.474/.702 with 18 homers, 0 steals, and a 24/27 K/BB in 55 games. If he had a good pro debut, I could see liking him more, but his debut was rough, slashing .240/.305/.298 with 0 homers, 2 steals, and a 16.9/5.9 K%/BB% in 26 games split between Single-A and High-A. He’s not a particularly toolsy guy and he’s not particularly physical at 6’0”, 200 pounds. His strong amateur production and decent draft slot gets him on the list, but he’s not a very interesting fantasy prospect right now. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 45/12/45/.253/.318/.402/4

1023) Eli Lovich – CHC, OF, 19.7 – Selected 332nd overall in the 2024 MLB Draft but signing $650K, Lovich has the size (6’4”), projection (a skinny-ish 185 pounds), and athleticism (above average speed) you look for in an enticing fantasy prospect. He can already hit the ball hard, and while the swing isn’t really all that smooth or pretty, it’s definitely fast and powerful. There could be hit tool issues in here, but there is upside as well. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 62/16/66/.244/.315/.426/7

1024) JP Sears – OAK, LHP, 29.1 – Sears has plus control with a 6.5% BB%, and that is it. He doesn’t miss bats, he doesn’t induce weak contact, and none of his pitches are really standout. The 91.9 MPH fastball is solid I guess. I’m not sure he deserves to be on this list. – 2025 Projection: 10/4.33/1.28/140 in 170 IP

1025) Tyler Anderson – LAA, LHP, 35.3 – I was going back and forth on whether Anderson deserved to crack this list as a 35 year old coming off a season where he put up a 18.6/9.5 K%/BB% (albeit with a 3.81 ERA), but his excellent 27.8% whiff% convinced me to put him on. That is an impressive whiff% on the back of his changeup (39.6% whiff%). It still doesn’t result in strikeouts, and he might not deserve to crack the list, but that’s why he’s on. – 2025 Projection: 9/4.21/1.30/130 in 160 IP

1026) Michael Lorenzen – KCR, RHP, 33.3 – Lorenzen put up a 3.31 ERA with a 1.24 WHIP in 130.1 IP in 2024, so I guess he deserves to crack this list, but I’m not buying at all with a 4.59 xERA and 18.1/11.0 K%/BB%. He’s a back end arm and he’s 33 years old. He’s begrudgingly on the list. – 2025 Projection: 8/4.05/1.29/115 in 140 IP

1027) Jose Quintana – MIL, LHP, 36.2 – He found a starting job with Milwaukee. He has a career 3.74 ERA and he’s coming off 3 seasons with sub 4 ERA’s. The upside is low, but he can still be a solid pitcher. 2025 Projection: 7/4.05/1.30/100 in 130 IP

1028) Mitch Spence – OAK, RHP, 26.10 – Back end starter with above average control and that is about it. He showed a velocity increase in spring which could give him an upside boost that he desperately needs, but he still didn’t make the rotation. 2025 Projection: 5/4.33/1.33/89 in 110 IP

1029) Mike Tauchman – CHW, OF, 34.3 – Tauchman seems to have a starting job with Chicago, but he’ll have some competition from minor leaguers as the season progresses, so he’s far from locked into that job. He does have the hitting talent to hold those kids off though coming off his 2nd straight season putting up a pretty impressive xwOBA. He put up a .345 xwOBA in 2023 and a .330 xwOBA in 2024. The 20.0/13.4 K%/BB% is strong and he hits it pretty hard with a 89 MPH EV. Even in those years the fantasy upside was extremely limited with about a .250 BA, 15 homers, and 13 steals in 751 PA combined, so it’s an extremely low end win now option, and he’s going to be 34 years old. – 2025 Projection: 53/8/41/.247/.342/.370/6

1030) Zander Mueth – PIT, RHP, 19.9 – Mueth was a favorite of mine in the last off-season FYPD’s as a funky righty, but his 2024 wasn’t good enough to get too excited here. He put up a 2.31 ERA with a 23.8/15.1 K%/BB% in 74 IP split between rookie and Single-A. The 93.8 MPH sinker keeps the ball on the ground and the slider is a potentially plus bat missing weapon. The control/command was much worse than hoped though, and he needs to develop the changeup more as well. He needs to take steps forward in 2025 to remain on this list, because 2024 was pretty unexciting. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 8/4.27/1.32/133 in 150 IP

1031) Dylan Jordan – LAA, RHP, 19.6 – Selected 143 overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, but signing for $1.25 million, Jordan has prototypical size at 6’3”, 200 pounds, and he has that three quarters arm slot, funky righty delivery which I definitely love, similar to Zander Mueth. It hasn’t worked out fully for Mueth so far, but he still has plenty of time. As for Jordan, the fastball currently sits low to mid 90’s which he combines with a potentially plus slider, but he needs to improve his changeup and control/command. Back end starter/reliever might be the most likely outcome, but there is obviously so much development time to go. ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 8/4.24/1.33/126 in 140 IP

1032) Kenta Maeda – DET, RHP, 37.0 – He’s looking spry this spring and could win that 5th starter job, but the injury risk is high and he hasn’t had an under 4.23 ERA since 2020. Just a low end option. 2025 Projection: 5/4.25/1.30/98 in 100 IP Update: He did not win the 5th starter job but could still easily find his way into the rotation at some point

1033) Carson Kelly – CHC, C, 30.8 – Kelly is an above average defensive catcher and he put up an about average offensive season in 2024, so it’s possible he ends up the most used catcher in Chicago, even if he is best as a backup. He has above average plate skills with a career 20.4/9.7 K%/BB%, but he doesn’t hit the ball hard enough to truly be an impact offensive player with a career 6.1% Barrel% (not terrible, but below average). He’s a low end option no matter what. – 2025 Projection: 37/9/40/.233/.309/.379/1

1034) Justin Turner – CHC, 1B, 40.4 – Turner has had a very slow and gentle decline, and I gave him a decent rank last year as a 39 year old at 354th overall, but I think this is the year where I’m not too interested even in win now mode. His BA dropped down to .259, and the .252 xBA backs that up. The power was way down too with 11 homers and a career low 87.1 MPH EV in 139 games. The 4.6% Barrel% was also a career low. He still put up a 117 wRC+, which is just a testament to how good he is, but at 40 years old, there is no guarantee he can even find a full time job. Even if he does land one, he’s a very low end option. – 2025 Projection: 48/11/48/.265/.340/.430/2 Update: He landed with Chicago where he is likely a bench bat

1035) Juan Valera – BOS, RHP, 18.10 – Valera put up a 2.35 ERA with a 31.1/15.6 K%/BB% in 23 IP at Single-A as an 18 year old. He’s already a thick 6’3” with a mid 90’s fastball and a potentially slider. There is a lot of reliever risk here and there is obviously a long way to go, but he has the size, stuff, age to level, and production to be firmly on your radar. He’s a candidate to pop in 2025. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 8/4.14/1.32/145 in 140 IP

1036) Axiel Plaz – PIT, C, 19.8 – Plaz put himself on the map with an excellent season in the DSL in 2022, and after a down year in 2023 at stateside rookie, he once again made waves in 2024, this time in full season ball. He smashed 15 homers with a 89.5 MPH EV and 13% Barrel% in 76 games at Single-A. Those are super impressive marks. He’s not a huge guy at 5’11”, but his righty swing is athletic and absolutely vicious. The 29.2/11.4 K%/BB% and .207 BA shows the very major batting average risk though. He’s a very high risk prospect, but if he can improve the hit tool, that power will get his name spoken more and more in coming years. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 51/18/59/.227/.307/.428/1

1037) Cooper Ingle – CLE, C, 23.1 – Ingle was a low upside college bat who got selected in the 4th round in the 2023 Draft, and while he’s still a low upside bat, he’s now proven it in the upper minors, slashing .281/.379/.416 with 2 homers, 4 steals, and a 15.5/13.6 K%/BB% in 25 games. There isn’t big power or speed and he’s not a particularly good defensive catcher. He’s likely a backup catcher long term, but if the defense ticks up, and if he can work his way into a starting job, the bat can be solid enough to be fantasy relevant. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 42/9/46/.262/.334/.410/4

1038) Kevin Bazzell – WAS, C, 22.0 – Selected 79th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, Bazzell is a hit over power catcher who is new to the position. He played mostly 3B before his junior year, but his bat is only interesting as a catcher, so whether he can stick behind the dish will make or break his profile. His bat to ball skills are impressive, putting up a 10.1% K% in 49 games in the Big 12, and then putting up a 16.7/18.3 K%/BB% with a 148 wRC+ in 14 games at Single-A. He didn’t hit a homer in pro ball with a 51.4% GB%, and he hit only 6 his junior year. There isn’t big power upside in here, which makes him a safety over upside option. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 37/8/41/.268/.324/.392/3

1039) Stiven Martinez – BAL, OF, 17.8 – The 6’3”, 198 pound Martinez cracked my Top 1,000 last off-season on the back of his impressive power potential, and while there were some positives and negatives from his pro debut in the DSL, the 137 wRC+ is good enough to crack this list again in 2025. He slashed .278/.417/.466 with 4 homers, 2 steals, and a 30.4/16.7 K%/BB% in 41 games. The K rates is too high to go too crazy here, but he’s still only 17 years old, and he’s an impressive athlete. He’s still a high upside lotto ticket. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 67/23/76/.241/.320/.433/8

1040) Robert Arias – CLE, OF, 18.6 – Arias’ 102 wRC+ with 0 homers in 41 games in the DSL doesn’t jump off the screen, but his double plus speed most certainly does with 29 steals, and so do the elite contact rates with a 8.3/13.9 K%/BB%. He’s a projectable 6’1” with the potential to reach average power at peak, so as the raw power grows naturally, he could end up one of the top contact/speed plays coming out of the DSL this year. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 76/13/58/.263/.327/.392/29

1041) Jose Anderson – MIL, OF, 18.4 – Anderson was one of the top DSL performers, slashing .283/.403/.512 with 8 homers, 14 steals, and a 18.9/14.4 K%/BB% in 46 games. It was good for a 143 wRC+. He wasn’t a high priced international signing, but Milwaukee does absolutely elite work in this market, so you have to trust the organization there, and it’s not like Anderson doesn’t have talent. He can hit the ball hard, he can lift it, and he can pull it. He’s also a good athlete who plays CF and can steal some bags. He’s not one of those diminutive breakouts either at a solid 6’0”, 183 pounds. He’s one to at least keep an eye on in 2025 as he comes stateside. ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 71/18/68/.250/.320/.425/14

1042) Warren Calcano – KCR, SS, 17.6 – Calcano simply checks a lot of boxes as a switch hitting SS with projection (6’1”) and an ease about all aspects of his game. He looks like a natural at the dish and in the field with good athleticism. Nothing really sticks out too much in his profile, but he seems to have a high floor (relative to the international class), and there is definitely some upside in here too. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 78/15/63/.265/.335/.415/15

1043) Elian De La Cruz – ARI, OF, 17.6 – Cruz checks plenty of the international prospect boxes. He’s projectable at 6’1”, 180 pounds, he has a quick righty swing, he has a good feel to hit, and he has speed. Nothing particularly stands out too much, but he definitely has the talent to pop with a strong showing in the DSL. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 76/17/67/.250/.320/.418/18

1044) Carlos Taveras – MIN, OF, 16.10 – Taveras has a smooth and controlled lefty swing that is geared for both power and average, and at 6’1”, 213 pounds, it’s not hard to envision a potent hit/power combo at peak. He’s also a good runner despite his size, so this is a good athlete too. The swing isn’t super explosive and he’s not quite as generally explosive as a lot of the other kids in this class, but he’s a still a good one. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 81/20/76/.267/.333/.440/10

1045) Carlos Renzullo – COL, 2B/OF, 18.6 – Renzullo is one of the top hit/speed breakouts in the DSL, slashing .360/.455/.447 with 1 homer, 18 steals, and a 6.0%/14.0% K%/BB% in 50 games. There isn’t big power here at 5’8” with high groundball rates, and often with these types the hit tool will just keeping getting a bit worse at every level, leaving them with a pretty lackluster speed and not much else profile. But if you want to take a shot on a DSL contact/speed play, Renzullo is not a bad shot. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 72/9/55/.273/.328/.385/27

1046) Liberts Aponte – CIN, SS, 17.5 – You are hoping for a Starlyn Caba type rise for Aponte. He has a standout glove at SS, so if the contact rates are strong and he steals some bags, the real life hype can be the driver of his value. His BP is pretty unimpressive, but he’s obviously young, so if he gets stronger and bigger as he ages, combined with his other skills, there can definitely be some hype coming down the line on the back of the glove. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 73/10/51/.262/.323/.365/21

1047) Kenly Hunter – STL, OF, 16.11 – Hunter has a history of production against international competition, he has a good feel to hit, he’s got speed, and he’s projectable at 6’0”, 160 pounds. I can’t find video on him, but that seems to be a pretty good floor/upside combo, and one worthy of being on the radar. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 76/15/61/.268/.324/.409/21

1048) Ruben Castillo – NYY, OF, 17.3 – Castillo has a damn smooth and powerful lefty swing that is fun to watch, and while he’s not a huge guy, there is definitely power projection at 6’0”, 165 pounds. He also has a good feel to hit and speed, giving him plenty of ingredients to be a quick performer in the DSL. – ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 76/18/71/.263/.323/.427/18

1049) Jacob Gonzalez – CHW, SS, 22.10 – Gonzalez cracks this list purely for pedigree (15th pick in the 2023 Draft), glove, and opportunity. Chicago actually isn’t that weak in the infield anymore, but that is only theoretical as nobody is established, so Gonzalez should certainly get some opportunities to battle for playing time in the near future. When you take a guy 15th overall, you generally want to give him a look, no matter how mediocre the pro career has been, and it’s been damn mediocre. He just put up a .225/.284/.321 triple slash with 5 homers, 10 steals, and a 14.0/6.9 K%/BB% in 94 games at Double-A. He gets the bat on the ball and he has a solid infield glove and that is about it. He’s only relevant in probably like 30 teamers, but the opportunity I forsee him eventually getting is why he barely cracks the list. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 63/12/48/.252/.321/.392/10

1050) Shinnosuke Ogasawara – WSH, LHP, 27.6 – Ogasawara signed a 2 year, $3.5 million contact with Washington, which says it all. He’s expected to be a swingman/long reliever in the bigs, but nobody knows for sure if his skills will fully translate or not, so on the chance they do, he cracks this list for mystery alone. He put up a 3.12 ERA with a 13.6/3.7 K%/BB% in 144.1 IP in Japan. He had a 20.2% K% in 2023, so he’s capable of better in that department than he showed in 2024. It’s a classic plus control, junk baller profile with a low 90’s fastball and a multiple of secondaries. He might not have a rotation spot, and he might get bombed in the majors, but I think there is a chance the profile transfers, and he’s only 27, so if he does, there could be multiple years of a solid starter. – 2025 Projection: 6/4.27/1.29/88 in 110 IP Update: He looks bad in spring

1051) Damiano Palmegiani – TOR, 3B/1B, 25.2 – Maybe Palmegiani doesn’t deserve to crack this list with a 82 wRC+ in 123 games at Triple-A as a 24 year old, but the power upside is in here if he works his way into a shot, which would make him fantasy relevant. He hit 19 homers with an 89.3 MPH EV, 19.4 degree launch, and a 53.6% Pull%. The .210 BA and 28.1% K% is why the wRC+ was so low, and that probably does limit is reasonable upside projection to a bench bat. He’s a righty that didn’t hit righties that well either (.648 OPS), so it’s also a short side of a platoon bench bat. First Base seems especially weak to me up and down the rankings, so he also cracks this list purely on 1B scarcity. – 2025 Projection: 11/3/14/.218/.292/.400/0 Prime Projection: 36/12/42/.231/.316/.436/2

1052) Ivan Melendez – ARI, 3B/1B, 25.4 – Melendez’ hit tool is not nearly good enough to be an MLB regular with a 30.1/7.7 K%/BB% in 107 games at Double-A, but there is zero doubt this guy will rip dingers if given the chance with 22 homers, a 36.1% GB%, and 51.5% Pull% at 6’1”, 225 pounds. It might come with a BA under the Gallo line, but if you hit dingers, you have the potential to be fantasy relevant. A power bench bat seems to be a good scenario outcome for him. Hitting 30+ homers in a foreign league is another good scenario outcome. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 28/12/34/.219/.299/.428/1

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By Michael Halpern (@MichaelCHalpern)
Email: michaelhalpern@imaginarybrickwall.com
Twitter: Imaginary Brick Wall (@DynastyHalp)
Blue Sky: Dynasty Halp (@ImaginaryBrickWall)

The mother of all lists has been unleashed on the Patreon! That’s right, it’s the Top 1,000 2025 Dynasty Baseball Rankings! Top 80 are free here on the Brick Wall. Analysis, 2025 Projections and Prime Projections for every player. The All-in-One Spreadsheet is coming soon which include my Top 146 FYPD Ranks, Top 500 Prospects Ranks, Top 1,000 Dynasty Ranks, and the Positional Ranks. These lists will be released here on Imaginary Brick Wall in late March. I’ve been doing these Top 1,000 Rankings since 2019, and man, it always feels so great when I release it out into the wild! Please enjoy! Here is the Top 1,000 Rankings for 2025 Fantasy Baseball Dynasty Leagues:

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR THE REST OF THESE RANKS & TONS OF EXCLUSIVE CONTENT ALL OFF-SEASON & SEASON, INCLUDING:
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1) Shohei Ohtani – LAD, RHP/DH, 30.9 – Ohtani was the no brainer #1 overall dynasty asset in the game before he tore his non pitching shoulder in the World Series. Now it’s not so easy. He’s expected to be ready to DH by Opening Day, but it will push his pitching debut into May at the earliest. Shoulder surgery which takes your rehab right up to the start of the season is also not a great recipe for success in general. Considering he’s 30 years old, it has me teetering on whether he deserves this top spot, but he’s just so far out ahead of the pack assuming full health, that I can’t move off him. He just went .310/54/59 as a hitter only, finishing as the #1 fantasy player in the game by a country mile (shouldn’t the expression be a city mile? Try driving a mile in New York City, it will take you about 30 minutes. In the country? 50 seconds). And now in 2025, the throwing elbow is expected to be fully healthy after undergoing an internal brace procedure, or whatever super secret elbow surgery he underwent. His elbow was healthy enough to even hear murmurs he could have pitched this post-season. And when healthy, he is a true ace with a 3.01 ERA and 31.2/8.9 K%/BB% in 481.2 career IP. It’s his 2nd major elbow surgery in 5 years, but I’m not betting against a super human talent like Ohtani, and the same goes for the shoulder surgery. I just can’t bring myself to bet against the true GOAT. Health is clearly a risk, but even factoring in that extra risk, he is so far and away the best fantasy player in the game that he still lands at #1. – 2025 Projection: 105/40/101/.283/.371/.562/25 // 9/3.41/1.19/142 in 120 IP

2) Bobby Witt Jr. – KCR, SS, 24.10 – In leagues where Ohtani can’t be used as both a pitcher and hitter (weekly leagues or leagues where Ohtani is split into two players), age does start to become more of a factor, so in those leagues, Bobby Witt Jr. would be crowned the #1 dynasty player in the game. Coming off his rookie season in 2022, he improved in almost every facet of the game in 2023, and then he once again improved in every facet of the game in 2024. Someone tell Bobby that development isn’t linear, because his development is a straight line. He put up career bests in Barrel% (14.3%), EV (92.7 MPH), Max EV (116.9 MPH), xwOBA (.413), K% (15%), and BB% (8.0%). His 74.7 MPH bat speed is elite, which makes his contact rates even more impressive, because that bat speed/contact combo is in even more rarified air. He’s also the fastest man in baseball by a good margin with a 30.5 ft/sec sprint. It all resulted in a .332/32/31 season, and seeing how he’s only gotten better every single season, there might just be another level in here. 40/40 here we come. – 2025 Projection: 118/35/104/.315/.379/.555/39

3) Elly De La Cruz – CIN, SS, 23.3 – Risk? What risk? I laugh in the face risk, ranking Elly 9th overall last off-season, and finishing his blurb by writing, “I always say, ‘if you can’t take risks in fantasy, where can you take risks,’ and I’m not even sure Elly is as risky as people think. I’m all in.” That not so risky risk paid off in a huge way in 2024 with Elly going .259/25/67. Those 67 steals led the league by a large margin, lapping most of the field. He’s one of, if not the most electric player in the game at 6’5” with an elite 75.2 MPH swing (his lefty swing is super elite, while his righty swing is more near elite) and 30.0/sec sprint speed. He crushes the ball with a 91.8 MPH EV, he brought his launch up as expected to a respectable 9.7 degrees, he brought his chase down to an above average 26.9%, and he kept his strikeout rate in a reasonable enough range (31.3%) to let the insane talent shine. And this is just the beginning. If he can continue to improve his plate skills and raise that launch, which I wouldn’t see why that isn’t the expectation at just 23 years old, I shutter to think about what kind of numbers are possible. – 2025 Projection: 110/31/89/.267/.348/.515/59

4) Gunnar Henderson – BAL, SS, 23.9 – Henderson massively improved on basically the only three weaknesses of his game in 2024, which easily propelled him into a Top 5 dynasty asset. He put up a .829 OPS vs. lefties in 2024 after a notching a lowly .618 OPS in 2023. I never let Gunnar’s struggles vs. lefties hold his ranking back, even when it was a major point of contention in is his prospect years, and I think it’s something to keep in mind when evaluating lefty hitting prospects. You often don’t get that many reps against lefties, so you often see that skill develop over time when they get into the majors. Don’t let it scare you off. He also improved his base stealing, nabbing 21 bags in 25 attempts after stealing only 10 bags in 2023. Granted this one was more a fantasy skill than a real life skill, as he was an excellent base runner overall in both years. And finally, he improved his hit tool, putting up a 22.1% K%, 24.4% whiff%, and a .281 BA. He combined all of those improvements while continuing to smash the ball with a 92.8 MPH EV, leading to 37 homers. He still doesn’t steal quite enough to pop him over Witt or Elly, but he is right there with those guys, and if steals are devalued in your league, like in points or 6+ hitting category leagues, Gunnar would slid in ahead of Elly. – 2025 Projection: 116/35/99/.280/.370/.535/18

5) Juan Soto – NYM, OF, 26.5 – Soto didn’t give the Yanks even the slightest bit of deference, going to the highest bidder in the New York Mets, signing for 15 years and $765 million (the Yanks reportedly offered 16 years for $760 million). He’s just a subway ride away from his new digs … or more accurately, just a chauffeured ride away … or probably even more accurately, just a helicopter ride away. For a super elite hitter like Soto, ballpark doesn’t really matter, but the most interesting part of this move is how much he changed his hitting profile for Yankee Stadium’s short porch.  He put up a career high by far 45.1% Pull% (38.9% in 2023), and it led to a career high 41 homers. The Yanks were the 3rd best park for lefty homers last year, while the Mets were 10th worst. Will Soto continue to pull the ball that much? Or will he decide to go back to his career norms? My guess is that he keeps on pulling it, because he actually hit one more homer on the road than he did at home. It seems Yankee Stadium gave him the push to unlock more homer power regardless of ballpark, and I don’t see why he would want to go back. His 19.7% Barrel%, 94.2 MPH EV, and 57% Hard Hit% were all career highs. His Statcast expected homer totals were 46 for Yankee Stadium and the exact same 46 for Citi Field, again underscoring that he is ballpark proof. The only thing he doesn’t do is steal bases with only 7 steals, and that is what keeps him just a smidge behind Witt, Elly and Gunnar. 2025 Projection: 118/35/105/.289/.418/.539/9

Shadow5) Shohei Ohtani – LAD, DH only/Weekly Leagues, 30.9 – This is where I would rank Ohtani in weekly lineup leagues or as a hitter only. Without the pitching to put him over the top, the age does come into play here a bit. And it’s hard not to have that shoulder surgery in the back of your mind too. – 2025 Projection: 2025 Projection: 105/40/101/.283/.371/.562/25

6) Corbin Carroll – ARI, OF, 24.7 – Back when Carroll was in the throes of his awful start, I made a decree by Fantasy Law to not sell low in one of my Dynasty Baseball Rundowns, writing, “‘The captain goes down with the ship.’ That’s just Maritime Law. Now, I’m no sailor, but as the world’s foremost expert on Fantasy Law, there are some players that you are required to go down with the ship for, and Corbin Carroll is most certainly one of those players. I’ve seen a ton of panic and sell low offers for Carroll, but all of the warning signs could be flashing red, the sirens could be blaring, and you are still legally obligated to not sell low on an established elite dynasty asset like Carroll.” He continued to struggle for a bit after writing that, but before long, he did indeed turn that ship around, slashing .258/.351/.577 with 20 homers, 20 steals, and a 10.6/11.3 K%/BB% in his final 71 games. He smashed the ball with a 91.3 MPH EV and 14.6 degree launch over that time. I would say any lingering concern over his shoulder injury can be put to rest, cementing Carroll as a truly elite dynasty asset with standout contact, approach, power, and speed. He’s the total package. Don’t be scared off by the poor first half. – 2025 Projection: 119/28/84/.270/.357/.519/42

7) Kyle Tucker – CHC, OF, 28.2 – A fractured shin knocked Tucker out for half the season, but he put up a 1.041 OPS in 18 games after returning, so there is zero concern about the injury long term. I guess the one area of his game where maybe you can get a little nervous about is stolen bases. He only stole one bag in those 18 games, and he put up a career low 26.0 ft/sec sprint, which is in the bottom 18% of the league. He’s never been fast but he’s always been an excellent base stealer, so I’m not sure I’m extra worried about it, but he does kinda feel like the type of player who may not steal as much as he gets into his 30’s. He’s not there yet at only 28, but it might be something to keep in mind. Steals aside, he does feel like the type of player who will rake deep into his 30’s. He only played in 78 games, but it was the best year of his career with a 180 wRC+ that came on the back of a career high by far 16.5% BB% (11.9% in 2023). He also hit 23 homers with 11 steals, and if you double that over a full season pace, that is 46 homers with 22 steals if my math is correct … carry the 1. He’s been one of the most consistently great players of his generation. Almost too consistent as he semes to get taken for granted. – 2025 Projection: 102/34/109/.285/.378/.533/24

8) Aaron Judge – NYY, OF, 32.11 – In pure win now mode, I can see ranking Judge 2nd overall, but with him turning 33 years old just one month into the 2025 season, age starts to move a little more to the forefront of my mind. 33 years old is generally the number for me when I maybe start to explore sell opportunities if I want to rebuild or retool, so while I’m not saying to sell Judge, it’s the reason why he isn’t ranked even higher coming off his massive season. His 218 wRC+ was the best in baseball by a massive margin. The only players to put up a higher wRC+ in a season are Barry Bonds (3x), Babe Ruth (3x), Ted Williams (2x), and Roger Hornsby (1x). I mean, do I need to say more? No. No I don’t. – 2025 Projection: 112/50/128/.293/.422/.661/10

9) Fernando Tatis Jr. – SDP, OF, 26.3 – Tatis proved without a shadow of a doubt that he is not going to fade into mediocrity after his relatively down 2023 season coming off the PED suspension and multiple surgeries (not that I had much doubt, ranking him 6th overall last off-season). He demolished the ball with a 93.5 MPH EV, 14.5% Barrel%, .393 xwOBA, and a 55.1% Hard Hit% which was in the top 1% of baseball. Not only were his power metrics in prime form, but his 21.9% K% was a career best. He missed over two months with a stress reaction in his leg, which I guess you can add to his “injury risk” pile, but he was fine when he returned in September, and he went nuclear in the playoffs too with 4 homers in 7 games. It all resulted in 25 homers with a .280 BA in 109 games (including the playoffs). That is about a 35 homer pace over a full season. The one area where the injuries did seem to take their toll was on the bases. He only stole 11 bases on 14 attempts and his sprint speed tanked to 28.4 ft/sec (29.3 in 2023). Maybe you can blame the leg injury, but he wasn’t running much before that injury, and I’m not sure how you can blame the wrist/shoulder injuries for him getting slower, especially since he was fine in 2023. How much he’s going to run in the future is the wild card in this profile, and that question, along with some continued injury risk, is enough to nudge him just outside of the of that Top 5-ish area into the Top 10 area. – 2025 Projection: 96/33/89/.283/.348/.529/18

10) Ronald Acuna Jr. – ATL, OF, 27.3 – Acuna tore his right ACL in 2021 and now he’s torn his left ACL in 2024. Since that first torn ACL, he’s been in the process of slowing down with a 29.4 ft/sec sprint in 2021, a 28.5 ft/sec sprint in 2022, a 28.0 ft/sec sprint in 2023 and finally a 27.7 ft/sec sprint in 2024. And now coming off this 2nd ACL tear, I don’t think there is any question at all that Acuna is not going to be the athlete he was in his prime. Even with the lowest sprint speed of his career, he still stole 16 bases in 49 games, which is about a 48 steal pace, so I don’t think he is all of a sudden going to stop running, but let’s see how he looks coming off this 2nd major knee injury. He was also in the midst of the worst season of his career before going down with the injury. He hit only 4 homers with a .716 OPS. He was definitely getting unlucky as he was crushing the ball with a 92.2 MPH EV, but even his .348 xwOBA was a career low by far. He wasn’t able to maintain any of the contact gains from 2023 with his K% jumping back up to 23.9% (11.4% in 2023). After the first ACL tear, Acuna’s first year back wasn’t particularly great with 15 homers and a 115 wRC+ in 119 games in 2022, so keep that in mind for 2025. He had a historic season in 2023 of course, so the hope is that he can do the same eventually after this one, but this one will be his 2nd, and it’s hard for me to completely ignore it. He’s also expected to miss about a third of the season in 2025. Acuna is the type of talent you want to keep betting on no matter what the circumstances are, but I’m definitely a little concerned. – 2025 Projection: 71/23/63/.272/.363/.524/20

11) Julio Rodriguez – SEA, OF, 24.3 – The Slow Start King is going to give his dynasty owners a massive coronary event if he gets off to yet another slow start in 2025. He seriously needs to figure something out this off-season. Treat Spring Training like it’s the regular season? Ramp up earlier? I don’t know the answer because I don’t know what his off-season routine is, but he needs to do something differently. He put up a .616 OPS in his first 87 games before exploding after that, slashing .318/.371/.543 with 13 homers, 7 steals, and a 23.3/6.5 K%/BB% in his final 56 games. He’s far too talented to be too scared off by the slow starts. His 76.3 MPH swing is the 9th fastest in baseball. He crushes the ball with a 91.7 MPH EV and he has elite speed with a 29.6 ft/sec sprint. The one area of his game which is preventing him from joining the true elites, especially as a real life hitter, are his plate skills. It’s yet to improve at all in his 3 years in the majors with a 30.9% whiff% and 37.4% Chase% (25.4/6.2 K%/BB%). He can thrive in fantasy especially even without that improving at all, but if that can take a step forward, we may not have seen the best of Julio yet. – 2025 Projection: 100/31/100/.281/.342/.490/32

12) James Wood – WAS, OF, 22.7 – I don’t need to do any deep victory lap philosophizing when it comes to if James Wood is a hit for me (see my 19 Dynasty Baseball Strategies/Thoughts for 2025 for more thoughts on victory lapping in dynasty), because I can say without a shadow of a doubt that I can victory lap the hell out of James Wood. I named him a major First Year Player Draft Target in his draft year, and then I ranked him all the way up at 68th overall in the 2024 Top 1,000 Dynasty Baseball Rankings. I couldn’t help but buy into that beastly power/speed combo from a 6’7” frame, and the swing was always short enough to bet on the hit tool ending up good enough. And that is exactly how it played out in his rookie year with an elite 92.8/96.9 MPH AVG/FB EV, a plus 28.7 ft/sec sprint, a well above average 21% Chase%, and a not in the true danger zone 29.6% whiff%. It resulted in 9 homers, 14 steals, a .264 BA and a 120 wRC+ in 79 games. The 2.4 degree launch subdued the homer power a bit, but he hits the ball so hard that he’s launch proof, and that number is certainly coming up in the future. He’s basically Elly De La Cruz with better plate skills and half as many steals. Do not even think about valuing Wood as anything but a near elite dynasty asset this off-season. – 2025 Projection: 89/24/87/.251/.346/.474/26 Prime Projection: 105/32/105/.268/.364/.518/28

13) Jackson Chourio – MIL, OF, 21.1 – I spent most of my waking hours last off-season agonizing over who to place as the #1 prospect in baseball between Chourio, Holliday and Langford. And honestly, it wasn’t only waking hours, I was dreaming of a Chourio 20/20 rookie season in my sleep. I trusted the voices I was getting from the baseball gods, placing Chourio first overall on my prospect rankings, and projecting his 2024 stat line for 21 homers, 22 steals, 75 RBI, a .320 OBP and a .469 SLG in my 2024 Top 1,000 Rankings. And as we know, he ended up outdoing Langford by a solid amount and Holliday by a city mile, hitting 21 homers with 25 steals, 79 RBI, a .327 OBP and a .464 SLG. Damn, it’s almost like I really did see his future stat line in my dreams (and yes, I’m not mentioning batting average or runs because I didn’t nail those ha). He hit the ball very hard with a 89.7 MPH EV, he had elite speed with a 29.7 ft/sec sprint, and he had a slightly above average 21.1% K%. And all of those numbers include his rough first 2 months of the season. If you just look at his last 4 months, which is reasonable considering he was a 20 year old rookie just finding his MLB sea legs, his numbers get even more impressive, slashing .305/.360/.527 with 16 homers, 15 steals, and a 18.4/7.3 K%/BB% in his final 97 games. There is some room for improvement with his plate approach (below average 31.9% Chase%) and launch (7.6 degrees), but neither of those are too bad to begin with, and he has the profile to make that work even if he can’t improve it. But he’ll barely be 21 years old next season, so I don’t see why we wouldn’t expect all areas of his game to improve. Wood vs. Chourio is a coin flip for me, but I gave the edge to Wood because he hits the ball harder and chases less. – 2025 Projection: 93/26/89/.285/.339/.488/28

14) Wyatt Langford – TEX, OF, 23.5 – Langford’s surface stats don’t jump off the page with a .253 BA, .740 OPS, 16 homers, and 19 steals in 134 games, but his underlying skills were jumping off the page all season, and it finally showed in September. He went bonkos to close out the season, slashing .289/.372/.579 with 9 homers, 7 steals, and a 19.0/10.2 K%/BB% in his final 32 games. Even if you pull it back to June 3rd, he had a .804 OPS with 15 homers and 18 steals in his final 98 games. And like I mentioned, the underlying skills are super impressive. He hits the ball very hard with a 9.3% Barrel% and 89.6 MPH EV (91.3 MPH EV in those final 32 games). He lifts it with a 16.6 degree launch, he has elite speed with a 29.8 ft/sec sprint, he has above average contact rates (22.9% whiff% and 20.6% K%), and he has an above average plate approach (23% Chase% with a 9.2% BB%). The cherry on top is that his 74.5 MPH swing is nearly elite, and it’s a short swing too with 7 foot length. That swing speed/length combo is special. Only Heliot Ramos swings a faster bat with a shorter swing. He’s going to explode in 2025. – 2025 Projection: 89/26/93/.274/.352/.481/24

15) Jackson Merrill – SDP, OF, 21.11 – Merrill’s ability to raise his launch angle considerably, while not losing even a smidge of contact prowess, is nothing short of incredible. He went from putting up a 59.9% GB% with a 19.2% K% at Single-A in 2022 to putting up a 35.9% GB% with a 17% K% in the majors in 2024. Justin Crawford better be blowing up his celly round the clock to get some pointers on how he did it. It resulted in Merrill having one of, if the not the best rookie season in baseball, slashing .292/.326/.500 with 24 homers, 16 steals, and a 17.0/4.9 K%/BB% in 156 games. The underlying numbers back it all up with a 11.3% Barrel%, 90.4 MPH EV, and a .376 xwOBA. The only area of his game to quibble with is that he’s never walked a ton, and he chased a lot with a 34.4% Chase%. He’s also never been a huge base stealer in his career, but I don’t think him stealing 20+ bags is out of the question at all. He’s an easy elite dynasty asset, and he’s in a tier with James Wood, Jackson Chourio, Paul Skenes, and Wyatt Langford as the top rookies in the game. – 2025 Projection: 86/25/92/.288/.336/.492/19

16) Yordan Alvarez – HOU, OF, 27.9 – Yordan had to go ahead and put his surgically repaired knees back in our mind right at the end of 2024, tweaking his knee after sliding into 2nd base on September 22nd, which ended his regular season. He returned for the playoffs, so it’s not a big deal, but any knee injury is going to have our minds racing, thinking about if they are going to become a concern as he starts to age. The good news is that he’s only 27 years old, so I wouldn’t worry about it quite yet. He’s as consistent as they come with beastly season after beastly season. He slashed .308/.392/.567 with 35 homers, a career high 6 steals, and a 15.0/10.9 K%/BB% in 147 games. There are zero concerns about him over the short term, but I do think the knees are something to at least keep in the back of your mind down the line. – 2025 Projection: 91/35/100/.303/.405/.579/3

17) Vladimir Guerrero Jr. – TOR, 1B, 25.6 – We can finally put the “Vlad has only had a great year in a minor league ballpark” narrative to rest. His 165 wRC+ this year was almost identical to the 166 mark he put up in 2021. Granted he hit 48 homers in the minor league park and only 30 this year, but still. His underlying numbers were screaming that he was legitimately elite despite the relatively mediocre surface stats in 2023, so his big year really isn’t that surprising. I don’t have a fancy bat speed + contact rate stat to give you, but if I did, Vlad, Yordan, and Soto would be the cream of the crop. Vlad swung a 75.9 MPH bat with a 13.8/10.3 K%/BB%. And he crushes the ball with a 93.8 MPH EV. The 7.4 degree launch is still subduing the homer power a bit, and he doesn’t run much with only 2 steals, so I wouldn’t quite call him a truly elite dynasty asset, but he’s not far off. – 2025 Projection: 99/32/109/.308/.383/.528/4

18) Jose Ramirez – CLE, 3B, 32.6 – Ramirez had the quietest 39/41 season of all time. Barely heard about it. The pomp and circumstance around Ohtani was too loud for anyone else to get their fair due. Or maybe it’s because he doesn’t play in a large market that Ramriez’ entire spectacular career doesn’t really get the respect he deserves. He’s only 5’9”. He doesn’t smash the ball like the true giants of the game. He doesn’t have elite speed. He doesn’t swing the fastest bat. He’s an everyman who quietly goes about his business with elite season after elite season. He does it with elite contact skills (12% K%), elite lift (19.6 degree launch) and elite pull ability (52.8% Pull%). He also hits the ball plenty hard with an 89.2 MPH EV. The only question is how long can he do it for at 32 years old. He obviously showed zero signs of slowing down in 2024, and like I mentioned in the Aaron Judge blurb, 33 years old is really the first year I start to seriously consider selling elite players like this. I’m not going to dock him for his age too much. He’s an elite win now piece. – 2025 Projection: 102/33/106/.280/.344/.520/33

19) Paul Skenes – PIT, RHP, 22.10 – While this is far from the most impressive part of Skenes game, I’ve just been having a lot of fun diving into the new bat tracking data, and of course Skenes ranks towards the top of those leaderboards as well. The disparity amongst pitcher’s induced swing speed is obviously much less than the disparity between hitters, but I still find it interesting. Skenes had the 8th best swing speed against amongst qualified pitchers at 70.9 MPH. The only qualified starter to induce slower swings was Chris Sale, and Will Vest led of all baseball amongst qualified pitchers. That’s just the cherry on top of his elite profile. He throws a 6 pitch mix, and all of them range from above average to elite. His 94 MPH sinker was the most valuable sinker in baseball with a +18 run value. His 98.8 MPH 4-seamer notched a +6 run value, the curveball notched a +2, the sweeper was at +5, the changeup at +2, and while the slider was his only negative value pitch at -2, that was only because he got unlucky on the pitch with a .229 xwOBA. He combined that filth with plus command which led to a 1.96 ERA and 33.1/6.2 K%/BB% in 133 IP. He’s the easiest #1 dynasty pitcher in the game ranking I’ve ever made since  … 2024. Spencer Strider was a damn easy call last off-season, and he’s a perfect example of the only thing that can go wrong, injuries. Pitchers break, and pitchers who throw upper 90’s seem to break even more. You can’t play scared, and you need good pitchers to win, but it’s why I can’t rank any pitcher higher than around Top 20-ish overall on the Dynasty Rankings. They are just inherently too risky. – 2025 Projection: 15/2.77/0.98/227 in 185 IP

20) Bryce Harper – PHI, 1B, 32.5 – You can find some things here and there which maybe can look like small red flags in hindsight if Harper does start to decline, like a nearly career worst in xwOBA (.361), Barrel% (10.6%), and sprint speed (27.4 ft/sec), but I think that is simply slicing and dicing the numbers too much when it comes to a proven stud like Harper. And none of those marks were too bad or too far off from career norms. His 145 wRC+ was a 3 year high and slightly better than his 142 career wRC+. He crushes the ball with a 91.1 MPH EV and he has a strong plate approach with a 21.9/12.0 K%/BB%. It doesn’t seem like we can count on more than a handful of steals anymore (7 steals), but he strikes me as the type who could rake well into his late 30’s. I wouldn’t be thinking about selling Harper off quite yet. – 2025 Projection: 98/33/99/.287/.382/.520/10

21) Mookie Betts – LAD, 2B/OF, 32.6 – Betts is the leader of the Slow Bat Speed Kings with a 69 MPH swing that is 442nd “best” in baseball (minimum 50 swings). But he proves swinging an electric bat isn’t the only path to success. He had another great season which was only interrupted by a fractured hand in mid June, slashing .289/.372/.491 with 19 homers, 16 steals, and a 11.0/11.8 K%/BB% in 116 games. He has 4 dingers in 11 post season games and counting. The 11% K% tied a career best, and his 16 steals tied for a 6 year best. The 26.7 ft/sec sprint was a career low and in the bottom 30% of the league, so while there certainly seems to be some physical decline, it hasn’t impacted his stats quite yet. Like I’ve been saying with elite players like this, 33 years old is when I start to think about selling, so I’m running it back in 2025 with Mookie. 2025 Projection: 110/32/100/.290/.370/.525/18

22) Francisco Lindor – NYM, SS, 31.4 – Lindor gutted it out with a back injury to close out the season and into playoffs, requiring extra injections to get back on the field, and while I respect the hell out of his heart (130 wRC+ in 13 playoff games), I do hope it’s something that doesn’t come back to bite him early in 2025. Sometimes things like that can throw off your normal off-season routine, creating an uphill battle all season. While it’s something to think about, it would be much too cautious to plan on Lindor being anything other than a stud next year. After going 31/31 in 2023, he followed that up in 2024 with a 33/29 season. His 137 wRC+, 13.6% Barrel% and .382 xwOBA were all career highs. As long as the back isn’t an issue, I don’t see why he wouldn’t go 30/30 again. If the back is an issue, there is a chance he doesn’t run quite as much. 2025 Projection: 103/31/94/.268/.340/.485/26

23) Jarren Duran – BOS, OF, 28.7 – Duran’s hit tool and plate approach have improved every year of his 4 year career, and considering how electric of a player he is, that is all he need to go nuclear. He slashed .285/.342/.492 with 21 homers, 34 steals and a 21.8/7.3 K%/BB% in 160 games. He has elite speed with a 29.6 ft/sec sprint, he hits the ball very hard with a 90.8 MPH EV, and he has plus bat speed with a 73.6 MPH swing. There is absolutely nothing in the underlying numbers to say this year was a fluke, and with how he’s improved every year of his career (48 wRC+ in 2021, 77 wRC+ in 2022, 120 wRC+ in 2023, 129 wRC+ in 2024), who is to say he can’t do it again in 2025. I’m all in. 2025 Projection: 101/23/83/.280/.341/.476/33

24) Oneil Cruz – PIT, OF/SS, 26.6 – Saying that Cruz’ 95.5 MPH EV is elite would be an understatement. It is in all time great territory, trailing only Judge and Ohtani, two all time greats. His 78.6 MPH swing speed is also super elite, trailing only Giancarlo Stanton’s 81.2 MPH swing (Stanton laps the field, with nobody even close to him). And he also has double plus speed with a 28.8 ft/sec sprint speed. This is an extremely special talent. Yes, there is hit tool risk with a 34.1% whiff% and 30.1% K%, but I really don’t think it’s as risky at it seems. He hit .259 this year with a .266 xBA, and in 1,009 career PA he has a .250 BA. He can clearly thrive with the elevated swing and miss. He put together a strong year in 2024 with 21 homers and 22 steals in 23 attempts in 146 games, but he is merely just scratching the surface of what he’s capable of. He was a major target coming into the year, and he turned into an elite dynasty asset. Make sure you treat him like one this off-season. – 2025 Projection: 84/27/92/.255/.328/.474/26

25) CJ Abrams – WAS, SS, 24.6 – Washington sent Abrams to his room at the end of the season like an unruly teenager to think about what he’s done after partying at a casino until 8 AM when he had a 1 PM game. Maybe he was exhibiting this type of behavior all season and it was a long time coming. But maybe this is also what a normal 23/24 year old does, and at that point of the season, the Nationals were so far out of it. I say give the kid a break, but either way, I’m not letting it impact his considerable dynasty value. His power has been slowly but surely ticking up with a 90.9 MPH FB/LD EV in 2022, followed by a 92.6 MPH FB/LD EV in 2023, and finally putting up a very respectable 93.6 MPH FB/LD EV in 2024. It resulted in his first 20 homer season in 138 games, and at a still wiry 6’2” with a 15.1 degree launch, this is just the beginning of his power ascension as he enters his mid 20’s. He wasn’t as good on the bases this year as he was in 2023 (31 for 43), but he finished the season 17 for 19 on steal attempts in his final 52 games, so I think that was just a small sample aberration. And really his biggest demerit is that the plate skills haven’t shown any improvement since he broke into the majors with a 21.3/6.6 K%/BB% and 35.4% Chase%. He can be an easy top 50 dynasty asset even if the plate approach never improves, putting up several 20/30 seasons, but if he wants to take the next step into elite status, he needs to improve in that area. And entering his age 24 year old season, I don’t see why we shouldn’t expect improvement there. Abrams is just getting started. – 2025 Projection: 89/23/76/.263/.329/.450/35

26) Trea Turner – PHI, SS, 31.9 – Turner has two big red flags as he gets deeper into his 30’s. The first one is that speed first players don’t tend to age as well as power first players. The second one is that he also chases a lot with a 33.9% Chase% and 5.0% BB%, and high chase players also don’t tend to age well. His 71.7 MPH swing speed is very slightly above average, so if that starts to fall, along with his foot speed as he gets older, it could spell trouble. The reasons to not panic too much are that while he’s a speed first player, he also hits the ball hard with an 89.1 MPH EV. He’s always had above average K rates with a 18.2% K%, the speed is still elite with a 29.6 ft/sec sprint, and he strikes me as the type of elite base stealer who will be stealing bases until they rip the uniform off him. He’s also only 31 years old, so we are still a few years away from really getting worried about a skills decline. If you’re rebuilding, Turner definitely makes sense to explore trade possibilities on, but if you are only getting low ball-ish offers, I wouldn’t be pressed to sell. I would wait for him to be putting up big numbers in 2025, and then explore the trade market again at that point. – 2025 Projection: 98/25/79/.290/.339/.472/28

27) Jazz Chisholm – NYY, 3B/OF, 27.2 – I ranked Jazz 34th overall on the 2024 Top 1,000, absolutely refusing to fade a player with such a beastly power/speed combo, and named him a major target, writing, “Buy the injury discount. His proven upside is way way way too high to let your fear control you. He was on a 30/30 pace this year. The hit tool isn’t great, but he has 1,193 PA with a .245 BA. That is a large enough sample where I’m not too worried about the bottom falling out. If you want to shy away from mediocre talents due to injury concern, that is fine with me. Even shying away from good talents is reasonable. But you don’t shy away from near elite talents like Chisholm.” And what he just did in 2024 is why you don’t fade this kind of talent. He slashed .256/.324/.436 with 24 homers, 40 steals, and a 24.5/8.5 K%/BB% in 147 games. He was playing well with the Marlins, but he exploded when he got the Yanks with 11 homers, 18 steals and a 132 wRC+ in 46 games. It’s not even that he hit particularly well at Yankee Stadium, it just seemed to light a fire under him, but for sure it’s also a big home field upgrade for him. And the most important thing of all is that he stayed healthy. Health is the main reason why people faded him, and unfortunately, it still has to be taken into account in his price. Staying healthy one season is good, but he needs to go back to back healthy seasons for me to take “injury risk” off his resume, or at least have it downplayed. We saw Robert stay basically healthy in 2023, only to again miss a large chunk of the season in 2024. Jazz could easily follow that same path. If not for injury risk, Jazz has an argument for Top 15 status, so this ranking does factor in a bit of risk. – 2025 Projection: 87/25/84/.252/.323/.455/33

28) Tarik Skubal – DET, LHP, 28.4 – I was all in on Skubal’s 80.1 IP explosion in 2023, ranking him 59th overall on the 2024 Top 1,000, and placing a futures bet on him to lead the league in strikeouts ($10 to win $800). He not only led all of baseball with 228 strikeouts, but he was also the #1 fantasy pitcher in the game with a 2.39 ERA and 30.3/4.6 K%/BB% in 192 IP. His 96.8 MPH fastball was up another tick from last year and was the 4th most valuable 4-seamer in the game. His changeup is elite with a 46.1% whiff%. His 96.6 MPH sinker was the 24th most valuable sinker in baseball. And his slider was above average. Tack on elite control and you have one of the very best pitchers in baseball. It really wouldn’t be crazy at all to have him above Skenes as the top dog. – 2025 Projection: 16/2.82/0.96/220 in 185 IP

29) Garrett Crochet – BOS, LHP, 25.9 – Paul Skenes is the no doubt #1 dynasty pitcher in the game. I’m not arguing that … buuuuuuuuuuuut … what if Crochet is actually better than him? He put up a better K% (35.1% vs. 33.1%), BB% (5.5% vs. 6.2%), Chase% (33.5% vs. 30.9%), and a much better whiff% (33.0% vs. 28.7%). His 97.2 MPH 4-seamer put up a 31.4% whiff% while Skenes’ 98.8 MPH 4-seamer put up a 24.2% whiff%. Crochet’s cutter put up a 32.7% whiff% while Skenes’ sinker notched a 29.3% whiff%. Crochet’s sweeper notched a 42.7% whiff% while Skenes’ sweeper notched a 22.6% whiff% and his curve notched a 33.7% whiff%. They are both beastly athletes. I described the 6’6”, 245 pound Crochet as a WWE Ballerina in my March Mailbag Podcast. With Chicago, he couldn’t touch Skenes in wins, but he’s in Boston now, and just judging who is the better pitcher, I wouldn’t be so sure the answer is Skenes. Now, Skenes dusted him on ERA (3.58 vs. 1.96), and even though their xERA’s were much much closer (2.83 vs. 2.50), I do think that matters. Crochet also has more of a track record of control problems than Skenes does. Like I said, Skenes is the undeniable #1 dynasty pitcher in the game … but maybe … he won’t be at the end of 2025. – 2025 Projection: 15/3.03/1.03/230 in 170 IP

30) Austin Riley – ATL, 3B, 28.1 – Riley seemingly had a down year on the surface with a 116 wRC+ in 110 games, but there is not a single thing to be worried about. His .366 xwOBA was much better than his .338 wOBA, and was in the top 8% of baseball. He was also in the midst of bringing up his season numbers to career norms with a .942 OPS in his last 57 games before his regular season ended with a right hand fracture in mid August. His 93.3 MPH EV and 53.4% Hard Hit% were actually career highs by a good margin, so he’s never hit the ball harder. Have zero concern about Riley moving forward. He’ll do his usual .275 BA with 35 homer thing in 2025. – 2025 Projection: 96/34/94/.273/.339/.513/2

31) Rafael Devers – BOS, 3B, 28.5 – Devers is consistently one of easiest evaluations in the game. He consistently smashes the ball with elite EV and a swing that is geared for both power and average. You can bank on about .270+/30+ every single year. Just call him Dollar Bill Devers, because you can take him to the bank. But there is one thing sticking in my craw this year, which is that he battled shoulder issues in both shoulders this season. His season ended in late September with shoulder inflammation. There was no structural damage and he won’t require surgery, but shoulders are damn important for hitting, and it’s a concern that this shoulder “inflammation” can keep popping up down the line. He’s going to be 28 next year, which is still smack dab in his prime, but he is starting to creep up there a bit. I’m not dinging him too much for it, but it’s why he’s ranked here and not 10 spots higher. – 2025 Projection: 90/31/98/.274/.354/.510/3

32) Logan Gilbert – SEA, RHP, 27.9 – While everyone was focused on George Kirby, waiting for Kirby to turn into a true ace, Gilbert was putting in the work in the shadows, and he emerged as the one to enter true ace territory in 2024. He put up a 3.23 ERA with a 27.4/4.6 K%/BB% in 208.2 IP. He led all of baseball in IP. His 31.7% whiff% is in elite territory for a starter, and his walk rate was in the top 5% of baseball. Elite control, swing and miss, and durability is a Teflon combination. And that isn’t even it. He throws gas with a 96.6 MPH fastball. His splitter is insanely elite with a 50.6% whiff% and .137 xwOBA. His most used pitch is a plus to double plus slider with a 36.8% whiff% and .264 xwOBA. And he has yet another plus secondary in his curve with a 35.4% whiff% and .210 xwOBA. He also throws a useful cutter, giving him a very diverse pitch mix. He straight up doesn’t have a flaw. He has a very very real case to be the top fantasy pitcher and the game, and also possibly the top dynasty pitcher in the game. – 2025 Projection: 15/3.18/0.98/209 in 200 IP

33) Roki Sasaki – LAD, RHP, 23.5 – Sasaki and his people pulled whatever back room deals that needed to be pulled and got him coming stateside this season, which is insanely exciting, because there is little doubt that he will be a true ace right from the get go, and possibly the best pitcher in all the land. He’s better than Yamamoto, and you saw Yamamoto’s seamless transition, other than the shoulder injury. But that injury might have pushed LA to a six man rotation, which works just fine for Sasaki. His fastball sits in the upper 90’s and regularly hits over 100 MPH. The splitter is truly elite and the slider is plus. He has prototypical size at a projectable and athletic 6’2”, 187 pounds, and he has plus control/command of his stuff. He’s been so insanely dominant in Japan that he has basically already hit legend status with so many crazy feats, and he’s only 23 years old. He put up a 2.35 ERA with a 28.7/7.1 K%/BB% in 111 IP this year. He was even better in 2023 with a 1.78 ERA and 39.1%/4.9% K%/BB% in 91 IP. As you can see, the biggest and only red flag is injuries, as he has a career high of 129.1 IP. He battled an oblique injury in 2023 and right arm discomfort in 2024. The right arm discomfort is particularly concerning because his stuff was actually down a tick or two this year. It was still beastly, but would any of us be surprised if Tommy John/internal brace surgery was right around the corner? You can’t be too scared off by that, because even if he needs it, he should still return as an ace. He’s so easily the top pick in my Top 146 2025 First Year Player Draft Rankings (Patreon), and while I don’t think he’s a no brainer for #1 overall prospect in the game, how can you not put a ready made ace in the top spot, injury risk be damned. He’s my top dog in the Top 500 2025 Prospects Rankings (Patreon). – 2025 Projection: 12/3.06/1.04/175 in 150 IP Prime Projection: 16/2.72/0.92/240 in 185 IP

34) Corbin Burnes – ARI, RHP, 30.5 – When it comes to proven veteran studs, I think you can get into more trouble than it’s worth to slice and dice the numbers too much. Burnes just completed his 5th straight season of legit ace production with a 2.92 ERA and 23.1/6.1 K%/BB% in 194.1 IP. His K rates are in steep decline, falling from the 36.7% and 35.6% marks he put up in 2020 and 2021, but this is the part where I don’t want to over evaluate a proven year after year elite ace. His 28.6% whiff% is still well above average, so I would be surprised if the K rates didn’t bounce back somewhat in 2025, and his 3 secondaries (curve, slider, change) are all whiff machines, so he could rack up more strikeouts if he wanted to. He was content to dominate with plus control of the 2nd best cutter in baseball with a +20 run value (only Emmanuel Clase topped that with a 23 Run Value). No matter how you slice it … or dice it … Burnes is a true ace, just don’t expect the days of mid 30% K rates anymore, obviously. – 2025 Projection: 15/3.13/1.05/205 in 194 IP

35) Luis Robert – CHW, OF, 27.8 – Robert is in super juicy buy low territory right now. This one feels like it’s served up on a silver platter. He had a down year in 2024 with a career worst 33.2% K% and .224 BA, but he has a 1,944 career PA track record with a 27% K% and .267 BA. He’s smack dab in the middle of his prime at 27 years old, and he has near elite bat speed with a 74.5 MPH swing. His 28.8 ft/sec sprint speed was a 4 year high, and he hit the ball very hard with a 90.1 MPH EV. There is no physical decline, and there is a huge track record which says this was simply a down year. And even in a down year he hit 14 homers with 23 steals in 100 games (about a 21/35 pace). It’s as easy as could be to buy the bounce back in 2025, but the one real area of concern is injuries. He once again missed a large chunk of the season with a hip injury. He’s played in over 100 games just once in his career (2023), and even that year his season ended with a sprained MCL which would have kept him out for a couple months had it not been the end of the season. The White Sox are also terrible, which can’t help the motivation, let alone Runs and RBI. Those reasons are why he can’t really be in elite or near elite asset territory, but there is easy 30/30 upside in here if he does stay healthy, and that is worth trying to acquire on a discount this off-season. – 2025 Projection: 82/23/72/.254/.312/.470/28

36) Riley Greene – DET, OF, 24.6 – With how volatile development can be, it’s always nice when a talented prospect has a nice and smooth upward trajectory. Greene put up a 98 wRC+ in 2022, a 121 wRC+ in 2023 and finally a 135 wRC+ in 2024. He raised his launch (12.2 degrees), improved his whiff% (26.8%) and improved his Chase% (23.1%). That is all he needed to explode with how hard he hit the ball already (13.4% Barrel% with a 91.3 MPH EV) and how fast he swung the bat (elite 74.5 MPH swing). He slashed .262/.348/.479 with 24 homers, 4 steals, and a 26.7/11.0 K%/BB% in 137 games. Even if this is where he tops out, that would be a very good player, but I think he has at least one more level in him. I would be surprised if he can’t get that strikeout rate down into the low 20’s at true peak, resulting in several seasons of plus to double plus hit/power production.. – 2025 Projection: 86/28/92/.276/.359/.498/7

37) Yoshinobu Yamamoto – LAD, RHP, 26.8 – The only blemish on Yamamoto’s excellent first season stateside was a shoulder injury that knocked him out for almost 3 months, limiting him to just 90 IP. It might have been the straw that broke the camels back to push the Dodgers over the edge to go to a 6 man rotation in 2025. Or maybe it’s that Ohtani is coming back from his 2nd major elbow injury. Or that Glasnow can only throw 130 IP during a season. Or that Gavin Stone will likely miss all of 2025 with a shoulder injury. Or that Buehler took all season to start looking like himself coming off his 2nd Tommy John. Or that Bobby Miller was a shell of his former self. Or that River Ryan underwent Tommy John that will keep him out for all of 2025. Or that … I can honestly keep going on and on. Roki Sasaki is likely to get added to the mix too, and he’s had his own injury problems which is another reason to go 6 man. Point being, we might have to put a cap on how many innings all Dodgers starters will be able to pitch, but if it keeps them healthy, who wouldn’t be for that. And a healthy Yamamoto was a true ace with a 3.00 ERA and 28.5/6.5 K%/BB% in 90 IP. The fastball sat 95.5 MPH and while it wasn’t a dominant pitch, it was firmly above average. The famed splitter lived up to the billing with a 38.6% whiff% and .227 xwOBA. And the curveball was plus too with a 33% whiff% and .252 xwOBA. He also mixes in a cutter, slider and sinker every now and then. And he has plus control over that impressive arsenal. He fully lived up to the hype, shoulder injury notwithstanding. – 2025 Projection: 13/3.17/1.12/195 in 170 IP

38) Corey Seager – TEX, SS, 30.11 – Seager underwent hernia surgery in late January 2024, which was supposed to keep him out for a portion of 2024, but he ended up being ready on opening day, which might have been a mistake, because his season then ended on September 2nd after undergoing hernia surgery again. He was also battling some hip trouble at the end of the season. I’m no doctor, but maybe giving his first hernia surgery more than 2 months to heal before returning to real games would have been prudent. At least on this 2nd hernia surgery he will have no choice with all off-season to heal. And sandwiched between the two surgeries was Seager having yet another tremendous season. He jacked 30 homers with a 140 wRC+ and 18.0/9.9 K%/BB% in 123 games. The underlying numbers back up him being one of the best hitters in the game with a .394 xwOBA which was the 10th best mark in baseball. He’s starting to get up there in age, and the injuries are starting to pile up a bit, but with zero signs of slowing down so far, I don’t want to get too concerned. He should continue to be one of the best hitters in baseball for the next few seasons, and he’s also a candidate to be a major producer deep into his 30’s. – 2025 Projection: 88/33/97/.288/.362/.528/2

39) Matt Olson – ATL, 1B, 31.0 – What goes up, must come down. After putting up a career year in 2023 with 54 homers, Olson nearly bottomed out with the 2nd worst year of his career in 2024 with a 117 wRC+. While I didn’t see him falling that far, I saw the fall coming, writing in his 2024 Top 1,000 blurb, “2023 strikes me as a career year, but Olson is one of the premier power hitters in baseball.” And now I can follow up that blurb with “2024 strikes me as a down year, and Olson is still one of the premier power hitters in baseball.” He dominated to close out the season with 16 homers and .949 OPS in his final 63 games. He still hit the ball very hard with a 12.4% Barrel% that was right in line with career norms. It was just a down year. He remains one of the best power hitters in the game. – 2025 Projection: 93/36/115/.253/.348/.517/1

40) Pete Alonso – NYM, 1B, 30.4 – Alonso’s BA unsurprisingly bounced back from a .205 BABIP induced .217 BA in 2023, rising to .240 with a .276 BABIP in 2024, which is right around his career norms. The ebbs and flows of a baseball career are always interesting, with luck being such a big part of the game. Make sure to keep that in mind when evaluating Alonso’s career low 34 homers this year too. His 14.4 degree launch was 3.8 degrees lower than last year, so there might have been a conscious attempt to balance out his profile, but 34 homers is a really nice floor to have. And that is basically a reasonable floor with a 95.3 MPH FB/LD EV and a 75.3 MPH swing that is the 16th fastest swing in baseball amongst qualified hitters. Seeing how fast he swings the bat gives added confidence that his skills are not going to tank in his 30’s. This is a special talent who should be ripping dingers deep into his mid 30’s. – 2025 Projection: 92/37/115/.248/.339/.507/3

41) Michael Harris – ATL, OF, 24.1 – It’s an absolutely no brainer to stay (almost) fully in on Harris. I say almost because his stolen bases and speed dropped off considerably in 2024 with 10 steals and a 28.3 ft/sec sprint in 110 games. He had a 29.4 ft/sec sprint in 2022. Some of it could be blamed on a hamstring injury that knocked him out for 2 months, but not all of it could be blamed on that. It seems like the reasonable hope is for him to get to around 20+ rather than 30+, which is still very valuable. And steals can be extremely hard to predict because it often is just a choice of how much a player wants to run, so I wouldn’t rule anything out. His plate approach also hasn’t improved at all in his 3 years in the bigs with a 39.6% Chase%, and finally he hasn’t improved his launch at all with a 7.5 degree launch. Honestly after writing that all out, even I’m questioning if maybe I shouldn’t still be all the way in, but when I look at his elite 74.7 MPH swing, 10% Barrel%, 90.5/95.3 MPH AVG/FB EV, 47% Hard Hit%, and 20% K%, I realize there is no way I’m betting against this guy. That just screams electric player, and keep in mind all of those above stats were accumulated in his age 21-23 year old seasons. I don’t think we’ve seen his prime yet, and just a few incremental improvements in a few area could result in absolutely beastly seasons. His development hasn’t gone exactly like planned, which is why I wouldn’t consider him in that Top 20 ish dynasty asset area, but he’s easily still a Top 50 guy. – 2025 Projection: 88/23/77/.282/.328/.467/23

42) Lawrence Butler – OAK, OF, 24.9 – Butler put all of his faithful followers loyalty to the test when he got sent down to the minors after putting up a .555 OPS in his first 41 games of the season. He pulled the dynasty baseball version of “if you can’t handle me at my worst, you don’t deserve me at my best.” I’m not gonna lie, after naming him a target this off-season, I did drop him in one league after he got sent back down, but I never let him leave my mind, and when he got called back up and hit a dinger or two, I spent large amounts of FAAB because I simply couldn’t bear to watch him breakout on someone else’s team, and that proved prudent as he was a beast the rest of the way. He slashed .291/.330/.565 with 20 homers, a perfect 15 for 15 on the bases, and a 21.8/6.1 K%/BB% in his final 84 games. The reason I was so quick to stick my neck out to pick him back up (and shouldn’t have dropped him in the first place) is that the underlying numbers were screaming that he was getting unlucky earlier in the season, and the underlying numbers don’t lie (well, sometimes they lie, but not in this case). He smashes the ball with an 11% Barrel% and 91.1 MPH EV, he’s an excellent athlete, and his hit tool has continually improved throughout his career, with the improvements sticking in the majors with a respectable 26.8% whiff% and 27.3% chase%. And to top it all off, he’s about to get a major ballpark upgrade in 2025 and beyond. He had a .866 OPS on the road vs. a .753 OPS at home this year. I’ve been super high on him, and I’ll continue to be super high on him. Even this ranking might be too low. – 2025 Projection: 84/28/82/.255/.326/.487/20

43) Zach Neto – LAA, SS, 24.2 – I was Zach Neto’s biggest fan, ranking him 3rd overall in his FYPD class, far above consensus, and even I couldn’t foresee him stealing 30 bags this year. He stole only 5 bags in 84 games in 2023, and his 27.7 ft/sec sprint wasn’t that impressive. He actually got faster in 2024 with a 28.2 ft/sec sprint, which shows he made it a point to improve in that area last off-season, and he just decided to run more with 40 steal attempts. He wasn’t particularly successful, so it just goes to show how hard it is to predict steals. It can simply come down to how much a player chooses to run. Considering he wasn’t all that successful though, I think we have to consider what he did in 2024 a ceiling. Even if that drops down to 20, he has enough power and feel to hit to be a perennial 20/20 player with a solid BA. His 23 homers, 88.5/94.2 MPH FB/LD EV, 12.3 degree launch and 23.3% K% shows a player that can hit for both power and average. He’s still young and was thrown into the fire with the Angels aggressively promoting players, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see an uptick in both contact and power. His 6.5% BB% is low, but I see that definitely rising as he gains more experience. All of that above analysis assumes he will be healthy for 2025, and that now isn’t a guarantee with him undergoing shoulder surgery in early November which puts his rehab timeline right up against Opening Day. Even if he is ready in time, major surgery like that that takes all off-season to rehab is not a recipe for a big season. I’m bummed about it, but long term, I’m not going to let it shake me too much.- 2025 Projection: 74/21/78/.257/.324/.441/18 (assuming he misses some time in 2025) Prime Projection: 90/25/90/.271/.335/.465/25

44) Dylan Crews – WAS, OF, 23.1 – Crews’ dynasty value/hype has seen some fluctuations since being drafted, but the thing that was quietly flying under the radar, was how good he was on the bases, and for fantasy, that has a major impact on his value. He stole 25 bases in 100 games in the upper minors, and then he stole 12 bags with a double plus 29.3 ft/sec sprint in his 31 game MLB debut. He only stole 6 bases in 71 games his junior year of college, and then went 3 for 7 in his pro debut, so I can’t blame anyone for not expecting it, but it’s clearly a real skill he has, and it makes Crews insanely exciting for fantasy again. He combines the speed with above average contact rates (19.7% K%), above average chase rates (26.6%), and plus power (94.7 MPH FB/LD EV in the majors and a 90.2 MPH EV in the minors). The only quibble in his profile is the low launch (8.8 degrees), but he has the skillset to make that work, and he only needs to raise it a bit higher to be in a completely fine range, which I’m betting he will. The Langford vs. Crews debate might not end up as easy as we thought, and with Crews not really being considered in that lofty tier anymore, there could be a buy window here this off-season. If you can buy off the relatively subdued hype and .641 MLB OPS, I would be all over it. He’s a Top 50 dynasty asset in my book. – 2025 Projection: 81/21/76/.259/.334/.448/26 Prime Projection: 94/27/97/.278/.359/.481/28

45) Jasson Dominguez – NYY, OF, 22.2 – The Yankees didn’t want to unleash Dominguez in the majors this year, and his .617 OPS in the 67 PA he did receive isn’t super impressive, but make no mistake, Dominguez is still on the superstar path. His 75.4 MPH swing is straight elite, which proves right there that his talent really wasn’t that overhyped as an international prospect. His 23.4% whiff% was comfortably above average, which is pretty huge to see, and his 28.1% Chase% was slightly above average. Tack on plus speed, and Dominguez’ beastly potential was even able to shine through despite the Yanks refusing to unleash him. And oh yea, he destroyed the upper minors immediately after returning from Tommy John surgery in mid May with a 135 wRC+, 11 homers, 16 steals (in 17 attempts) and a 20.0/8.8 K%/BB% in 58 games. Is he really 22 years old and not 26 years old? Beats me. But I don’t care when it comes to a talent this huge (I gave my thoughts on MLB cracking down on players’ lying about their ages in the 19 Dynasty Baseball Strategies/Thoughts for 2025). I see no reason why the Yanks won’t unleash him immediately in 2025, and he could be on a beeline for elite dynasty asset status in short order. Go after him. – 2025 Projection: 83/21/76/.246/.323/.434/26 Prime Projection: 109/28/91/.266/.351/.487/34

46) Cole Ragans – KCR, LHP, 27.4 – Ragans proved without a shadow of a doubt that his 2nd half 2023 breakout was 100% legit. He was a legit ace for the entire season in 2024, and most importantly, he stayed healthy all year. He put up a 3.14 ERA with a 29.3/8.8 K%/BB% in 186.1 IP. The 32% whiff% was elite and the control was average, which is all he needs to let his explosive stuff do the rest. His 95.4 MPH fastball was the 8th most valuable fastball in baseball with a +16 Run Value. His double plus changeup was the 15th most valuable changeup in the game, putting up a 47.8% whiff%. The slider and curve were both plus, bat missing weapons, and he throws a useful cutter too. The only deficiency is that his control was merely average and not plus, which puts him slightly below the aces ranked ahead of him, but not by much. – 2025 Projection: 13/3.28/1.13/218 in 185 IP

47) George Kirby – SEA, RHP, 27.2 – Kirby still hasn’t found that great secondary, and it resulted in him continuing to sit in that low end ace territory with a 3.53 ERA and 23.0/3.0 K%/BB% in 191 IP. His 96 MPH fastball is elite with a 29.1% whiff%, and his 3% BB% is best in all of baseball amongst qualified pitchers. And while he hasn’t had a secondary pitch breakout, he throws 3 secondaries (slider, splitter, curve) which are all average to above average. His slider was actually the 13th most valuable slider in baseball with a 9 Run Value, but the pitch got lucky with a .294 xwOBA and 27.1% whiff% vs. a .245 wOBA. This is his 2nd straight year of 190+ IP, and even if he doesn’t rack up strikeouts, I would still put him in low ace territory. His secondaries did improve in 2024, so if he can improve them again in 2025, that could be the incremental improvement he needs to really put up some monstrous career years. I’m definitely not budging off Kirby. – 2025 Projection: 14/3.28/1.02/182 in 188 IP

48) Junior Caminero – TBR, 3B, 21.9 – Caminero swings the 9th fastest bat in baseball at 77.2 MPH. He hits the ball very, very hard with a 93.3 MPH EV at Triple-A, and a 89.7 MPH EV, 11.8% Barrel%, and a 45.7% Hard Hit% in the majors. And the best part of all is that he’s had above average strikeout rates most of his career, putting up a very respectable 21.5% K% in 43 MLB games. There is almost no way this guy isn’t going to start raking his face off in the very near future. The swing is a little on the long side, the 31.7% whiff% doesn’t look as good as the K rates, he chases a lot with a 35.4 Chase%, and the launch is low at 6.8 degrees, but he legitimately has the type of profile that can make all of those things work and still put up big numbers. And at only 21 years old, his plate skills and launch are only going to improve. He’s right on track to be one of the best hit/power combo bats in the game, and if there is any buy window based on the small, mediocre MLB sample, I would be all over it. – 2025 Projection: 74/24/83/.262/.319/.461/5 Prime Projection: 89/33/103/.279/.343/.516/7

49) Jackson Holliday – BAL, 2B, 21.4 – There always has to be one. Chourio was a beast. Langford was really good and beasted at the end of the season. Merrill exceeded all expectations all year. Caminero showed flashes and laid a solid foundation. And then there was Holliday, who had a nightmare rookie year. He slashed .189/.255/.311 with 5 homers, 4 steals, and a 33.2/7.2 K%/BB% in 60 games. The .262 xwOBA backs up the terrible surface stats. To continue with the bad, just to get it all out of my system, his bat speed also wasn’t very impressive with a 71.2 MPH swing that was very slightly below average. There are very real things to be concerned about, like the hit tool being bottom of the scale bad, because he doesn’t necessarily have the biggest game power/base stealing to truly make up for that. It’s possible for prospects to bust, or have decent but unspectacular careers, even elite ones who feel can’t miss. Now having said that, I’m not even close to giving up on Holliday. Even with the extreme struggles, he put up a very good 8.2% Barrel% and 89.3/94.8 MPH AVG/FB EV. Hitting the ball that hard as a 20 year old is impressive. He’s also lightning fast with a 29.4 ft/sec sprint, and he had an above average 27.2% Chase%, so it’s not like he was completely lost up there. His hit tool has been very strong at every stop of the minors, so a 33.9% whiff% as a 20 year old in his first taste of the majors really isn’t that huge of a deal. It’s almost certain to improve as he gains experience. Do I think his terrible season has his stock dropping a bit? Yes. But he’s still a Top 50 dynasty asset for me, and I’m expecting a much better year 2. – 2025 Projection: 77/16/68/.247/.318/.411/18 Prime Projection: 98/25/83/.278/.360/.485/25

50) Hunter Greene – CIN, RHP, 25.8 – Here is what I wrote in part in Greene’s 2024 Top 1,000 blurb, “Buy low on Hunter Greene. We’ve been taught over and over again to not throw the towel in on elite pitching prospects if they don’t immediately dominate their first few years in the league, and Greene has all of the ingredients to be a next level breakout as he gains more experience. I know the fastball gets hit harder than you would expect, but as his command improves and as he continues to tinker with his arsenal, I’m betting on him figuring it out. This is going to be one of those breakouts that look so obvious in hindsight.” … and that obvious (in hindsight) breakout happened in 2024 with him putting up a 2.75 ERA (4.82 ERA in 2023), 3.03 xERA, and a 27.7/9.3 K%/BB% in 150.1 IP. He did in fact tinker with his arsenal (I wrote that blurb before news of his new pitches came out, but of course all young pitchers are now tinkering with their arsenals if they are smart), improving his fastball movement to the point where it was the 2nd most valuable fastball in baseball (Cade Smith is #1 by a landslide). He also added a splitter which was an above average pitch, even if he didn’t go to it often (8.3% usage). And the slider of course remained a plus to double plus whiff machine (39% whiff%). His control/command remained below average, but I still think there is another level in here as he stays healthy and gains more experience. I don’t even think this is the peak, assuming he stays healthy, which who knows there honestly (he missed time with elbow inflammation this year). Greene had the ace breakout I knew was coming, and I’m going to continue to buy high. – 2025 Projection: 14/3.26/1.05/203 in 170 IP

51) Zack Wheeler – PHI, RHP, 34.10 – Not only did Wheeler show zero signs of slowing down, it was arguably his best season ever with a 2.57 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and 28.5/6.6 K%/BB% in 200 IP. The ERA and WHIP were career bests, and the K rate was the 2nd best mark of his career. He added a splitter this year which was immediately an elite pitch with a 40.2% whiff% and .178 xwOBA (7.3% usage). That was just the cherry on top of an already elite 5 pitch mix (now 6 pitch mix). As much as I love fading the true aces, there is no doubt that having a consistent veteran ace like this on a win now team is invaluable. In win now, I wouldn’t worry about his age too much and just ride him. And if you are about to start a rebuild, make sure you get an absolute haul for him despite his age. A general dynasty ranking will be hard to capture his true dynasty value in practice, rather than just in theory. He’s a league changer. – 2025 Projection: 15/2.93/1.04/211 in 195 IP

52) Freddie Freeman – LAD, 1B, 35.7 – The decline has to come one day, right? And as we saw with Paul Goldschmidt, when it comes for a player around this age, their dynasty value falls off a cliff very quickly. If I owned Freeman, even in win now mode, I would be mighty tempted to cash my chips in this off-season, even if the offer isn’t like a godfather type offer. He had another excellent year in 2024 with a 137 wRC+, 22 homers, 9 steals, and a 15.7/12.2 K%/BB% in 147 games. His .370 xwOBA was a career low, but it was still in the top 6% of baseball, which just shows how great of a career he’s having. He should have a gentle decline, but even a gentle decline will tank his trade value. It’s better to sell a year early than a year late. I think this is the year to pull the trigger. – 2025 Projection: 92/25/102/.290/.384/.501/10

53) Ketel Marte – ARI, 2B, 31.6 – Marte has always hit the ball hard, but he went absolutely bonkos in 2024 with a 94 MPH EV which was a career high by a mile (91.1 MPH in 2023). It was the 6th best EV in baseball amongst qualified hitters. And it resulted in him smashing 36 homers in 136 games to go along with his usual excellent plate plate approach (18.2/11.1 K%/BB%) and high BA (.292). His righty swing is just an insane 77.2 MPH, and it resulted in a 1.080 OPS vs. lefties. His 71.5 MPH lefty swing is just fine too and it resulted in a .841 OPS. I have to say, the jump in EV is suspiciously high, but what do I know. It sure feels like a career year, but if the throwback steroid era 30 year old power breakout is for real, maybe he can hold this level for the next couple years. I find it hard to bet on that, but even if he falls back to career norms, he’s still a damn good hitter. – 2025 Projection: 97/29/90/.280/.357/.506/8

54) Michael King – SDP, RHP, 29.10 – King is a true ace. It really is that simple. After his rough April, he put up a 2.42 ERA with a 28.5/7.4 K%/BB% in 137.2 IP. He stayed healthy all year and accumulated 185.2 IP including the playoffs, and he was getting stronger as the year went on. His changeup was the 4th most valuable change in baseball with a +10 run value and notching a 36.2% whiff%. His 92.9 MPH sinker was the 22nd most valuable sinker in baseball. The 93.7 MPH 4-seamer missed bats with a 26.1% whiff%, and the sweeper gave him another swing and miss secondary with a 34.5% whiff%. His 29.2% whiff% overall is near elite. He was not a fluke at all, as he flashed these same skills at the end of 2023. I wouldn’t quite place him at the top of the “true ace” tier, as even during his dominate May-September the 3.40 SIERA wasn’t quite as good as the ERA, and the K/BB numbers weren’t in the land of Skenes, Crochet, Skubal, and Sale, but he’s in the tier right under them. – 2025 Projection: 14/3.28/1.16/205 in 175 IP

55) Grayson Rodriguez – BAL, RHP, 25.3 – Grayson is an ace waiting to happen. He’s not quite there yet, but as long as he stays healthy, it’s basically a foregone conclusion, so if you can get any discount/fatigue price on him at all, I would jump on it. He leveled up in 2024 with a 3.86 ERA and 26.5/7.3 K%/BB% in 116.2 IP. The 96.1 MPH fastball notched a plus 26.9% K% and .325 xwOBA. The pitch got a bit unlucky, but it’s a plus pitch. The plus changeup was his best and most used secondary with a 34.8% whiff% and .254 xwOBA. The slider wasn’t that great, but it missed a lot of bats with a 36.1% whiff%, so I think it will be a good pitch long term. He also threw an average-ish curve. It all resulted in a 30% whiff%, which is elite for a starter, and the control was above average. Velocity, control, bat missing fastball, bat missing secondaries, diverse pitch mix, size  … he has it all, and it was just starting to blossom last year until a lat injury (near the shoulder) ended his season on July 31st. It seemed he was healthy enough to be considered for the post-season, but Baltimore decided to play it safe. All pitchers are risky, so I’m inclined to use the injury as another chance to buy at a small discount. He won’t come cheap and there might not be any discount on him at all, so maybe the real takeaway here is that if you own him already, don’t be the one to sell even slightly low and then come to regret it. – 2025 Projection: 14/3.48/1.17/197 in 170 IP

56) Dylan Cease – SDP, RHP, 29.2 – Cease is officially one of the most inconsistent pitchers in baseball,, and I guess below average control will do that to you, but he put up a career best 8.5% BB% in 2024, which is almost dead average, giving hope that he can get off that seesaw and just remain a consistent ace from here on out. We all know the stuff is straight filth with the 2nd most valuable slider in baseball (behind only Chris Sale and tied with Ronel Blanco) that notched a 44.6% whiff% and .211 xwOBA. The 4-seamer sits 96.9 MPH, and he rounds out the arsenal with a much lesser used knuckle curve and sweeper. The sweeper is a new pitch and it was excellent when he went to it with a 38.5% whiff% on only 4.2% usage. It all led to a 3.47 ERA (3.32 xERA) with a 29.4/8.5 K%/BB% in 189.1 IP. His 32.3% whiff% is elite. His control started to regress more towards career norms in the 2nd half with a 9.6% BB% in his final 91 IP, so I’m not sure I completely trust the control gains. It’s enough to keep him out of the true top tier ace range for me, but it’s not enough to scare me off completely. He’s in the 2nd tier of aces. – 2025 Projection: 13/3.53/1.18/220 in 185 IP

57) Spencer Strider – ATL, RHP, 26.6 – Strider underwent an internal brace procedure on his right elbow in mid April, and the best case scenario seems to be a late April return. Atlanta has World Series aspirations, so I’m sure their main goal is to have him healthy for the post-season. I’ve been preaching to take the “Tommy John” discount on elite starters for as long as I’ve been writing, but I do believe you have to factor in some level of risk. It’s not like everyone just comes right back into prime form. Some never get fully healthy again. Most have to shake off some kind of rust at the least. What we do know for sure, is that Strider has best fantasy starter in the game potential if he’s fully healthy. His slider is among the best, or the best in baseball with a 55.3% whiff% in 2023, which is nuts. The fastball sits mid to upper 90’s and is a plus pitch. And he also throws a changeup and curve which are both really good pitches when he goes to them, which isn’t often. And he has about average control of his arsenal. If you want to assume full health, he would rank somewhere in the 30’s, but he’s not going to pitch a full season this year, and assuming 100% full health right off the bat isn’t something I would plan on. If he does immediately get back there, consider it gravy, but I think it’s prudent to factor in some level of rust. – 2025 Projection: 9/3.40/1.15/166 in 135 IP

58) Blake Snell – LAD, LHP, 32.5 – Snell has always been an extremely streaky pitcher who needs to find a rhythm to succeed, so it was not surprising to see him struggle early in the season after Boras took his free agency negotiations into mid to late March. Snell doesn’t blame Boras for not getting what he wanted this off-season though, coming to Boras’ defense when Jordan Montgomery fired Boras, saying Boras “butchered” his free agency negotiations. Montgomery never found that rhythm all season, but Snell eventually did, putting up a 1.23 ERA with a 38.1/10.0 K%/BB% in his final 80.1 IP. The 95.9 MPH fastball performed better than ever with a 24.4% whiff% and .286 xwOBA. His 3 secondaries (curve, change, slider) put up a 49.8%, 47.6%, and 44.6% whiff%, respectively. It’s his 2nd straight year of putting up a 37%+ whiff% overall, which is insane for a starting pitcher. Below average control, being 32 years old, and not being the type to rack up innings (he’s thrown more than 129.1 IP just twice in his career) are the only things preventing him from ranking even higher. – 2025 Projection: 14/3.25/1.14/226 in 170 IP

59) Ozzie Albies – ATL, 2B, 28.3 – I’m a little torn on Albies. On the one hand, Albies is still in the prime of his career, and has a long track of excellent production, which makes predicting a bounce back season in 2025 seem very easy. But on the other hand, his 27.2 ft/sec sprint speed was a career low and was below average, he swings a well below average bat with a 69.1 MPH swing, and he chases a lot with a 33.6% Chase%. He also doesn’t hit the ball hard enough (32% Hard Hit% in 2024 and 35.5% in his career) to make up for a lot of those deficiencies. He thrives based on the contact (14.9% K%), lift (18.4 degree launch), and pull (48.8% Pull%) profile, but I’m starting to question if this is a profile I want to bet on long term. The profile isn’t that much different than Jose Altuve, who has aged just fine, so maybe I’m overthinking it, but I’m starting to think that Albies might have more name value than real dynasty value at the moment. I’m not too concerned over the next couple of seasons, but in the medium and long term, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him as just a good fantasy player, rather than a true difference maker. – 2025 Projection: 83/25/87/.266/.321/.461/16

60) Spencer Steer – CIN, 1B/OF, 27.4 – Good luck trying to predict stolen bases. Steer was quite bad at stealing bases in the minors, and barely ran. He went 0 for 1 in his 28 game MLB debut in 2022. And then over the last two year he’s become one of the better base stealers in the majors. He went 15 for 18 in 2023 and then 25 for 28 in 2024. His 28.2 ft/sec sprint speed is definitely plenty fast enough to steal bags if you are good at it, and it seems Steer has been putting in the work on that part of his game. It’s a big deal for his fantasy value, because he already had a strong plate approach and above average game power. He had a 20.9%/11.0% K%/BB% with an 88 MPH EV, 17.4 degree launch, and a 44.4% Pull%. With the newfound stolen bases, that should make him a perennial .250/20+/20+ guy for the next several years. And if he can find just a hair more raw power in his late 20’s, there could be a big career year or two mixed in there. Defense is his biggest problem as he isn’t good anywhere on the field, but he has versatility (he can play every position but CF), and he’s not terrible at any of them either. I’m not really concerned about his playing time at all. I’ve been high on Steer since his breakout in the upper minors in 2022, and I’ll continue to be high on him. – 2025 Projection: 81/25/90/.253/.339/.456/21

61) Brenton Doyle – COL, OF, 26.11 – Doyle lowered his strikeout rate from 35% in 2023 to 25.4% in 2024, which has to be one of the biggest improvements of strikeout rate in a single year of all time. That is really unbelievable considering his strikeout rates were over 30% his entire minor league career too other than in rookie ball. If this were a case where the K rate was back over 30% in the 2nd half, I would be less likely to believe, but he put up a 26.1% K% post all break in 57 games, and a 20.8% K% in 19 games in September. It’s prudent to factor in some regression, but it’s pretty clear he took a big step forward with his hit tool, and that is all he needed to let his big power/speed combo shine. He hit 23 homers with 30 steals, and the underlying numbers back it up with a 10.5% Barrel% and 29.3 ft/sec sprint. If he didn’t have such a terrible history of hit tool issues, he would likely rank even higher than this, so even this high ranking takes into account some added risk there. I’m 100% buying into Doyle. – 2025 Projection: 86/26/82/.248/.315/.447/29

62) Manny Machado – SDP, 3B, 32.9 – Machado underwent elbow surgery in early October 2023 which brought his rehab timeline right up against the start of 2024, and it seems pretty clear that was the reason for his slow start (.611 OPS in his first 42 games). But he quickly shook the rust off, and he looked healthy the rest of the way, slashing .297/.345/.525 with 24 homers, 9 steals, and a 17.7/6.9 K%/BB% in his final 110 games. He smashed the ball all season with a 92.5 MPH EV, so some of those early season struggles might have also just been bad luck. Everything was within career norms with zero signs og decline. He’s creeping up there in age, but he’s still a very impactful win now piece. His value might be in a very reasonably priced range this off-season for a win now team. – 2025 Projection: 82/30/97/.277/.334/.480/9

63) Kyle Schwarber – PHI, OF, 32.1 – Schwarber brought his BA back from the abyss in 2024 after getting too launch happy in 2022-23. His 19+ degree launches in those years were career highs, and they resulted in a .218 BA and .197 BA. He brought the launch back down to a reasonable 15 degrees this year, and the BA rose with it to .248. Even in 2022-23 the xBA was telling us that wasn’t his true talent level. A career .230 BA in 4,660 PA just might be a large enough sample to say that is a fair expectation going forward ;). And of course what you are buying is that monster power. He couldn’t get to 40+ like he did in the launch happy years, cracking 38 this year with a 93.6 MPH EV, but we will take that trade off all day. He’s also an OBP machine with a .366 OBP. Schwarber is a great example on how league rules can drastically change a players value. Even in 5×5 BA leagues, he’s great, but in an OBP league, or in a 6+ category league, or in an Ottoneu style points league (no negative for K’s), he’s a next level beast. He played in only 5 games in the OF last year, making him a DH only player right now, which is extremely annoying, and while he could gain OF eligibility during the season, there is no guarantee of that. It definitely dings his value, and it’s something you are going to have to plan around now. – 2025 Projection: 104/39/100/.230/.343/.490/4

64) Brent Rooker – OAK, OF, 30.5 – I remember when Rooker was a fun FYPD “sleeper” pick back in 2017/18 after he destroyed pro ball in his pro debut with 18 homers in 62 games in the lower minors that same year he got drafted (just another reminder to not underrate great pro debuts). He then went on to rip dingers every year since, culminating in this monster career year in 2024. I guess what I’m saying is, maybe this monster year shouldn’t have been as surprising at it seemed. He crushed 39 homers with a 164 wRC+ in 145 games, and the .383 xwOBA, which was top 4% in baseball, backed up the surface stats. It wasn’t only the homers though, he also hit .293 and stole 11 bags. The reason why I called it a “career year,” is that for one, it just smells of a career year the same way Matt Olson’s 2023 smelled of a career year to me, and for two, the underlying numbers don’t back up the hit tool. He had a 28.8% K% with a 34.1% whiff%, which tells me the BA is definitely coming way down in 2025. Regardless, there is zero doubt that Rooker is a legit elite power hitter with a 96.9 MPH FB/LD EV and 18.9 degree launch, so even if the BA comes way down, there is plenty of value to be had, and like every other hitter in Oakland, the ballpark upgrade will only help him. – 2025 Projection: 78/33/93/.260/.334/.510/8

65) Matt McLain – CIN, 2B/SS, 25.8 – Don’t forget about little Matty Mclain. He underwent shoulder surgery in late March and then suffered a late season rib injury which knocked out his entire regular season. But he returned in time for the AFL to prove his shoulder was healthy, and he’s hitting well there with 4 homers and a .844 OPS in 12 games. It gives confidence that with a full normal off-season, he will be ready to build on his awesome 2023 MLB debut where he slashed .290/.357/.507 with 16 homers, 14 steals, and a 28.5%/7.7% K%/BB% in 89 games. He obliterated Triple-A too with a 184 wRC+ in 40 games. He has double plus speed with a 29 ft/sec sprint and he has above average power with a 89.3 MPH EV and 13.8 degree launch. His plate approach wasn’t great with a 28.5%/7.7% K%/BB% in the majors, but his chase rate was above average at 25.4%, and his 28% whiff% shows he isn’t going to have any major contact issues. He also had a 20.6%/16.7% K%/BB% in the minors. And the cherry on top is that he is a good defensive player, so his glove will keep him on the field. Assuming full health, McLain is the real deal, but factoring in some rust and/or risk from the surgery wouldn’t be crazy. Just don’t factor in too much, because McLain can be a really exciting fantasy player. – 2025 Projection: 82/25/79/.269/.343/.468/22

66) Pete Crow-Armstrong – CHC, OF, 23.0 – Pete Crow Armstrong’s power has been underrated from the time he was drafted. He was my #1 target in his 2020/21 FYPD class after getting drafted a ridiculous 19th overall, writing in his FYPD blurb, “Armstrong stands out for his plus speed, plus defense, and strong track record of hitting. Power hasn’t been a big part of his game, but he has recently added muscle onto his projectable 6’1” frame, and a 99 MPH exit velocity mark at a 2019 Perfect Game event is damn good. Armstrong is my favorite target in first year player drafts relative to consensus.” I’ve basically named him a target every 3 months since then, even ranking him within my Top 100 overall this off-season at #99. And in 2024, especially the 2nd half of 2024, we started to see the first buds of a breakout that could absolutely explode in 2025. For starters, he put up a 88.9/94.0 MPH AVG/FB EV on the season, which shows that power potential I saw 4 years ago wasn’t a mirage. And when it comes with a 17.2 degree launch, an elite 30.0 ft/sec sprint speed, and elite CF defense, you have the makings of an extremely exciting fantasy player. We saw that player in his final 65 games, slashing .267/.317/.457 with 9 homers, 11 steals, and a 21.8/6.9 K%/BB%. The reason why he isn’t ranked even higher is because he still does have some deficiencies in his game. His 70.6 MPH swing is below average, his 41.4% Chase% is extreme, and his 29.9% whiff% is well below average. That isn’t exactly my favorite trifecta of skills, but he’s still so young, I foresee all of those numbers improving. And focusing on what he doesn’t do well is silly when what he does do well is so insanely exciting. Put some respect on this man’s name. His name is Pete Crow Armstrong, not Pete Crow Armweak. – 2025 Projection: 82/18/71/.244/.312/.425/31 Prime Projection: 93/24/74/.259/.331/.446/44

67) Kristian Campbell – BOS, 2B/OF, 22.3 – Campbell possesses one of the most visually disgusting swings I have ever seen, and I mean that in the best way possible. It looks like he literally unhinges his shoulder to turn his body into a cannon, absolutely unfurling on the baseball. Here is what I wrote about a homer Campbell hit in early September in the in-season Dynasty Baseball Rundowns: “on his latest homer, I think he dislocated his shoulder with one of the most bad intentions swings I’ve seen.”  Underscoring my visual evaluation of that explosive shoulder movement is that shortly after that homer he hit the IL with a lat strain, which is right under the shoulder blades. Campbell underwent a well documented swing change and bat speed training to unlock more power last off-season, which was obviously successful beyond anybody’s wildest imagination, so let’s just hope that it’s not going to cause more injuries. That is the only small thing that is even rattling around in my brain as a negative, because the season he just had was nothing short or spectacular. He slashed .330/.439/.558 with 20 homers, 24 steals, and a 19.9/14.3 K%/BB% in 115 games spread across 3 levels (A+, AA, AAA). He was just as dominant in the upper minors as he was at High-A with across the board domination. He hits it hard, he has a good feel to hit, he has a good approach, he has size (6’3”, 191 pounds), he has bat speed, he can lift it, and he has speed. You can be hesitant to fully buy in because it feels like he came out of nowhere, but he put up a 1.033 OPS in 45 games in the ACC in 2023, a .932 OPS in 58 games in 2022 in the Northwoods League, and then a .911 OPS in 22 games at mostly High-A in his pro debut, so it’s not his fault that everyone underrated him. He always had a good feel to hit and good approach, and he always had the frame and athleticism to tack on more power, so I’m not going to hold it against him that he wasn’t more hyped (4th round pick in 2023). He still didn’t lift and pull the ball a ton with an under 40% Pull% and under 30% FB%, but he knew when to pick his spots (as you saw with that homer video above), and he has the type of profile that can thrive without an extreme lift and pull profile. I’m all in on Campbell. He’s an elite prospect who has a chance to break camp in the bigs. 2025 Projection: 68/16/61/.252/.324/.423/19 Prime Projection: 98/26/89/.277/.356/.478/26

68) Roman Anthony – BOS, OF, 20.11 – Because the rule of prospecting is that if you are even the smallest, tiniest, tiny bit lower on a prospect than other prospectors (most to all have Anthony over Campbell, while I have it the other way around), you must bash that prospect with an overly critical lens, let me start with the negatives here. For one, Anthony isn’t the best base stealer with a career 38 steals in 52 attempts (he was 21 for 28 last year), so there is risk that he doesn’t run as much in the majors as we hope. Secondly, he hits the ball on the ground a lot with an around 50% GB% in 2024, which could limit his homer upside. And lastly, there is some hit tool risk with a 23.5% K%. Now that we got that out of the way, let me just say that I obviously love Anthony, he’s a legit 50/50 coin flip with Campbell, and he’s a no doubt elite prospect. He started the season as a 19 year old in the upper minors and obliterated both Double-A and Triple-A, slashing .291/.396/.498 with 18 homers, 21 steals, and a 23.5/14.6 K%/BB% in 119 games. He crushes the ball, he has speed, he has size, he has elite age to level production, and he hit both lefties and righties well in 2024. He’s as close to a Gunnar Henderson clone as there is, and if you wanted to put him even as the #1 prospect in baseball, I wouldn’t argue with you. He’s going to be a beast. 2025 Projection: 51/14/46/.251/.328/.422/9 Prime Projection: 92/31/98/.272/.363/.493/18

69) Bryce Miller – SEA, RHP, 26.8 – I definitely don’t trust the 2.94 ERA in 180.1 IP when the 3.73 xERA and 24.3/6.4 K%/BB% don’t back that up, but this might very well be a case where the underlying numbers end up regressing towards the surface stats, rather than the other way around. Miller’s 95.2 MPH 4-seamer was one of the best in the game with a +14 Run Value, ranking 14th in all of baseball. His new splitter was the most valuable splitter in baseball with a +10 Run Value. It didn’t miss a ton of bats with a 29% whiff%, so I don’t fully trust that it is actually the best splitter in baseball, but that is insanely impressive for a new pitch. He also started throwing a knuckle curve in the 2nd half which was excellent with a 37.8% whiff% and .207 xwOBA. He has a sinker which keeps the ball on the ground, and he mixes in a sweeper, slider and cutter too. All signs actually point towards him exploding in 2025. He’s in that funny spot where his ERA should make him overrated, but nobody is fully buying the ERA I don’t think, and I think the underlying numbers are about to meet up with those surface stats. I’m all in on Miller. – 2025 Projection: 14/3.39/1.06/189 in 185 IP

70) Chris Sale – ATL, LHP, 35.11 – Vintage Chris Sale came back for 2024, and really the only thing that changed was that he stayed healthy. His 177.2 IP was the most he’s pitched in a season since 2017. And he performed like 2017 Chris Sale too with a 2.38 ERA and 32.1/5.6 K%/BB%. The slider was the best slider in baseball by a large margin with a 24 Run Value (Dylan Cease and Ronel Blanco were tied for 2nd at 19, and the next highest guy was Ryan Helsley at 13). The 94.8 MPH 4-seamer was above average to plus with a respectable 24.1% whiff%. His changeup was the best it’s been in 6 years with a .244 xwOBA. He also throws a lesser used, decent sinker which keeps the ball on the ground. He’s basically 36 years old and he hasn’t thrown this many innings in years. Who knows if he can do it again, but what I do know is that I’m not betting against at least plus control of that kind of arsenal. You have to factor in some injury and age risk, but he looks like an elite win now piece. – 2025 Projection: 14/3.14/1.04/202 in 165 IP

71) Gerrit Cole – NYY, RHP, 34.7 – I was slightly low on Cole in 2024, closing out his Top 1,000 blurb by writing, “there are some indications he might be coming back to the pack a bit,” and then shortly after that he got hit with nerve inflammation and edema in his elbow, which delayed the start of his season until mid June. It resulted in the worst season he’s had since his breakout with a 3.41 ERA and 25.5/7.4 K%/BB% in 95 IP. He also put up a lowly 17.7/8.1 K%/BB% in 29 innings in the playoffs (albeit with a 2.17 ERA). I think it’s fair to say that the days of elite Cole are likely gone, although maybe you can say a full off-season to get healthy will produce a bounce back season. The 95.9 MPH fastball was a career low and his secondaries are starting to become pretty unimpressive. His secondaries used to be whiff machines, but that took a big step back in 2023, and then it took another step back this year with his overall whiff% down to a slightly below average 24.8%. He’s had below average Barrels against for years now, so he’s not an inducing weak contact guy, and his control took a step back this year as well. For sure you have to factor in some health bounce back, but he took a step back in 2023 when he was healthy, so I’m not sure how much to factor in. He’s still a reliable vet who should produce near ace production, but it seems his days of being a tippy top dynasty asset are over. – 2025 Projection: 13/3.36/1.11/199 in 185 IP

72) Tyler Glasnow – LAD, RHP, 31.8 – After throwing a career high 120 IP in 2023, Glasnow topped that mark in 2024 with 134 IP. If we want to look on the bright side, he is headed in the right direction. If we want to look on the dark side, he has a very clear internal limit of about 145 IP max (he threw 144.2 IP in 2014 if you want to include the minors and the AFL), and the closer he gets to that mark, the more the countdown until injury gets closer to zero. His season ended on August 11th with an elbow injury. The good news is that it already might be fully healed, so he should be full go for 2025 theoretically. When he’s on the mound, he’s among the best fantasy starters in the game with a 3.49 ERA, 2.65 xERA, and a 32.2/6.7 K%/BB%. That K% was 4th highest among pitchers with more than 100 IP (Crochet, Snell, and Skenes were the top 3, in that order). The stuff is straight filthy with 3 plus to elite pitches in his 96.3 MPH 4-seamer, slider and curveball. Even with all of the injury risk, and the likely cap of about 150 IP (and that is being generous), Glasnow’s upside is just too high to ding too much. I’m willing to take on the risk. – 2025 Projection: 12/3.33/1.03/178 in 140 IP

73) Shota Imanaga – CHC, LHP, 31.7 – It’s no secret that I enjoy a good victory lap like Wade Boggs on horseback taking a victory lap around Yankee Stadium after beating the Braves in the 1996 World Series. Like Boggs, I also eat chicken before I write every article, and I also drink 107 beers on a flight before going 2 for 3 with 2 doubles just hours later. Come to think of it, maybe that was CJ Abrams problem. Not that he partied until 8 am, but that he went 0 for 3 right after that. Dude, we all know that if you are going to be a rebel, you better produce. Maybe he did deserve that punishment after all ;). Now where was I? Oh yea, victory lapping. While I do believe in celebrating your hits, I also believe in taking the walk of shame for your misses, and finding lessons in who I consider to be my biggest miss, Shota Imanaga. I had Imanaga pegged as a good, but not great MLB pitcher, giving him a projection of 11/3.91/1.22/175 in 160 IP. He ended up going 15/2.91/1.02/174 in 173.1 IP. I believe where I went wrong was that I overrated fastball velocity, and while to my credit, the 91.7 MPH fastball actually didn’t miss that many bats (17.5% whiff%) or induce weak contact (91.2 MPH EV with .327 xwOBA), it was still a positive value pitch with a 52% usage rate, and it came with elite control, an elite secondary (splitter), a diverse pitch mix, and a history of ace production in the 2nd toughest league in the world. I shouldn’t have let a low 90’s fastball blind me to how good and established the rest of the profile was, and also to the fact that the fastball was still pretty good despite the low velocity. This wasn’t my only miss, but I believe that every other miss I had, my process was good and I don’t regret my take on them. Imanaga is the only one where I’m disappointed in my evaluation, and I will be taking those lessons with me headed into 2025, starting with properly ranking him for next season, which is in the near ace tier. – 2025 Projection: 13/3.28/1.06/182 in 175 IP

74) Framber Valdez – HOU, LHP, 31.5 – Valdez had a mediocre first half of the season, but he was back at ace levels in his final 108.2 IP with a 2.24 ERA and 27.5/8.4 K%/BB%. He’s a groundball machine with 4 of his 5 pitches putting up a 2 degree through a negative 13 degree launch. His curve, slider and changeup are whiff machines with a 39.8%, 35.4%, and 38.3% whiff%. And he’s maintained slightly above average control for 3 full seasons now. His K numbers have never been high enough to put into the true ace tier, but he’s firmly established in the lower ace tier. – 2025 Projection: 13/3.25/1.13/190 in 190 IP

75) William Contreras – MIL, C, 27.3 – Contreras is coming off back to back seasons finishing as the #1 catcher in fantasy. He’s smack dab in the middle of his prime at 27 years old. There isn’t much an argument for anybody else to hold down the #1 dynasty catcher in the game spot. He smashes the ball with a career high 92.8 MPH EV that is in the top 6% of the league, and his 118.1 MPH Max EV was the 4th hardest hit ball all season. He has a good feel to hit and a plus plate approach (20.5/11.5 K%/BB%). And he also nabbed 9 bags this year, which is a really, really nice little bonus to get from your catcher. The only quibble with his profile is that he hits it on the ground a lot with a 54.5% GB%, which definitely limits his homer upside, but he hits the ball hard enough where he can still hit plenty of dingers, as evidenced by him knocking out 23 this year. – 2025 Projection: 88/22/84/.279/.360/.460/6

76) Triston Casas – BOS, 1B, 25.3 – Casas missed 4 months of the season after suffering torn cartilage in his ribs in late April. I’ve had two pretty big rib injuries in my life, once playing tackle football with my knucklehead friends when we were like 18 years old (no pads, just pickup tackle), and once playing flag football in my law school league. I guess maybe the lesson is that tackle football isn’t anymore dangerous than flag football … but point being, when you hurt your ribs, any movement at all can be extremely painful. It’s not surprising that he was rusty when he returned in mid August, but by the end of the season, he was starting to hit his stride with 5 homers and a 1.026 OPS in is final 12 games. The rib injury was a small bump in the road, but that was all it was as he’s still on the path to being one of the top slugging 1B in baseball. He swings a double plus 74.6 MPH bat, which is really all you need to know about how legit his power is. His 90.2/95.8 MPH AVG/FB EV also backs up how elite his power is, and he’s never had any launch issues in his career, so there are zero worries there either. The only worry is that the hit tool ends up below average with a 32.2% whiff%, but it was better in 2023 (28.1% whiff%), and even with a below average hit tool, he will still be a beast with high OBP’s (12.3% BB%). Buy any discount you can on Casas, especially in OBP and 6+ hitting cat leagues. He’s going to be a monster. – 2025 Projection: 86/32/94/.253/.348/.514/1

77) Matt Shaw – CHC, 3B/2B/SS, 23.4 – The little man discount never fails. Baseball scouts see a little man, and they immediately shave a few inches of projection right off the top. I don’t mind it, because it consistently creates excellent buying opportunities for the right players, and Matt Shaw is definitely one of those right players. He went a little later than he should have in the real MLB Draft, then he went a little later than he should have in Dynasty First Year Player Drafts, and now he’s getting ranked a little later than he should be on prospect lists. He’s an elite prospect that gets ranked like a merely good one. He’s under 6’0”, but his bat packs a true punch, putting up an 89.3 MPH EV with a 14.6 degree launch in 35 games at Triple-A. He smoked 21 homers on the season in 121 games split between Double-A and Triple-A. He’s not a pull machine, but a lot of these lift and pull machines put up some pretty low batting averages, and a profile like Shaw doesn’t need to only pull the ball. He can use his hard hit ability, plus speed (31 steals), and plus contact rates (18.2% K%) to do damage when he goes oppo. He also walks a ton with a 11.9% BB%, making him a likely top of the order bat. Don’t fall into the little man trap, Shaw is going to be a do everything fantasy terror when he gets his shot, and with the Isaac Paredes/Cam Smith trade, that shot could come on Opening Day. Shaw’s been a target for me from before his junior year of college, and he remains a target for me. – 2025 Projection: 79/18/77/.256/.318/.423/23 Prime Projection: 96/23/83/.276/.348/.461/26

78) Carson Williams – TBR, SS, 21.2 – Williams put up a 31.8% K% in 105 games at High-A in 2023, so the worry was that the K rate would explode against upper minors pitching, but that didn’t happen. It actually improved at Double-A with a 28.5% K%, and that was good enough to let his special talent shine. He jacked 20 homers with 33 steals, a 11.5% BB% and a 142 wRC+ in 115 games. He’s a still projectable 6’2”, 180 pounds with an explosive righty swing that is made to launch homers. He’s also an excellent athlete with plus speed and plus SS defense. Tampa’s long term SS job is literally waiting for him (the Kim signing could impact Williams’ projected playing time for 2025, but it’s better for his long term development anyway to take it slow), and because of his plus defense, he is sure to have all the leash he can handle even if it takes his hit tool a year or two to adjust to MLB pitching. If he can keep the K% in the high 20’s, he will be a beast, and if he can continue to improve on it at only 21 years old, there is near elite dynasty asset upside. – 2025 Projection: 21/7/29/.230/.300/.424/9 Prime Projection: 89/28/96/.254/.334/.483/23

79) Leodalis De Vries – SDP, SS, 18.6 – De Vries is my pick to be the #1 overall fantasy prospect in baseball by this time next year (in a tight race with Walker Jenkins and Sebastian Walcott), that is unless he loses rookie eligibility because San Diego are madmen when it comes to promoting their elite prospects. There are already rumors they are considering calling De Vries and Salas up in 2025, which is straight wild. It did work out for Jackson Merrill, so who am I to judge? Merrill was 20 years old of course while De Vries and Salas are 18, but I love to see a team pushing the limits and setting new upper standards on how fast a prospect can fly through the minors. And De Vries has the type of talent that just might be able to pull it off. He was sent straight to full season ball for his pro debut, and while it took him a few months to find his footing, he went gangbusters once he did, slashing .275/.400/.563 with 11 homers, 8 steals, and a 20.5/14.9 K%/BB% in his final 40 games. Even with the early struggles, he still put up a 116 wRC+ in 75 games which is just silly for a 17 year old. The thing that separates De Vries from Jenkins, Walcott and De Paula for me, is that there are zero questions about him getting to his raw power. He put up a 32.4% GB%, 49.3% FB%, and 49.5% Pull%. I fully believe those other guys will get to their raw power as well, don’t get me wrong, but De Vries seems to be one step ahead of them in that area. His season ended in mid August with a shoulder injury, but he’s playing in the AFL, and while he’s not playing especially well, it’s still nice to see the shoulder isn’t an issue. He’s an elite prospect right now, and if he doesn’t end up at #1, he won’t be far off. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 91/31/99/.271/.353/.513/20

80) Walker Jenkins – MIN, OF, 20.1 – My Kyle Tucker comp for Jenkins last off-season turned out to be eerily accurate, at least for what they each did in their first full year of pro ball as 19 year old’s. Tucker had 9 homers with 32 steals and a 16.3/10.1 K%/BB% in 117 games in the lower minors, while Jenkins had 6 homers with 17 steals and a 12.8/15.2 K%/BB% in 82 games. Like Jenkins, Tucker also wasn’t a burner, and nobody really expected the steal totals to stick in the majors, but they did. And like Jenkins, the only thing that hadn’t fully developed yet was the power, but Tucker had a monster power explosion the very next season, hitting 25 homers in 120 games split between High-A and Double-A. I see no reason why Jenkins can’t have that same power explosion at 6’3”, 210 pounds with one of the sweetest lefty swings this game has ever seen. He doesn’t hit the ball on the ground too much and he can pull it, so while his hard hit numbers weren’t too impressive, they weren’t too bad either, and it would be pretty shocking if he didn’t develop impact power. He’s on a beeline for elite dynasty asset, and he’s among the favorites to be the #1 prospect in baseball by the middle of 2025. – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 103/27/96/.282/.365/.504/18

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By Michael Halpern (@MichaelCHalpern)
Email: michaelhalpern@imaginarybrickwall.com
Twitter: Imaginary Brick Wall (@DynastyHalp)
Blue Sky: Dynasty Halp (@ImaginaryBrickWall)

The real Opening Day is this week, and that means it’s time to start releasing some of my rankings on the Brick Wall. The Top 132 2024 First Year Player Draft Rankings dropped on Monday, the Top 581 2024 Dynasty Baseball Prospects Rankings dropped on Thursday, and we conclude today with the 2024 Top 1,145 Dynasty Baseball Rankings, which has been on the Patreon since February 7th. Without further ado, here is the Top 1,145 2024 Dynasty Baseball Rankings:

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-PREDICTING THE TOP 50 2025 PROSPECT RANKS
-TOP 11+ 2025 FYPD RANKINGS
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-ALL-IN-ONE RANKINGS SPREADSHEET

1) Ronald Acuna Jr. ATL, OF, 26.3 – Acuna went 40/70, but somehow the most mind blowing thing about his 2023 season is that he all of a sudden turned into an elite contact hitter with an 11.4% K% (23.6% in 2022). He also must have eaten his spinach this off-season, because the six foot Acuna Popeye’d the league with the type of exit velocity numbers usually reserved for giant human beings only. His 121.2 Max EV was the hardest hit ball all season. The next 6 leaders in that category were the 6’6” Giancarlo Stanton, the 6’5” Elly De La Cruz, the 6’4” Shohei Ohtani, the 6’5” Matt Olson, the 6’2” Jake Burger, and the 6’5” Yordan Alvarez. His 94.7 MPH AVG EV was bested only by the superhuman Aaron Judge (97.6 MPH). He got slower with a career worst 28 ft/sec sprint, but he still stole 73 bags. He hit the ball on the ground more than ever with a career high 49.5% GB%, but he still hit 41 bombs. He’s the undisputed #1 overall dynasty player. 2024 Projection: 132/37/103/.318/.398/.582/61

2) Bobby Witt Jr. KCR, SS, 23.10 – Witt is Exhibit A on why you should be betting on Anthony Volpe and Jordan Walker in 2024. When an elite prospect shows all the ingredients of a future breakout in their rookie year, you need to be all over whatever small discount you can get them for. These are the type of breakouts that look so obvious in hindsight, you forget you ever doubted them in the first place. Witt raised his FB/LD EV from 92.6 MPH in 2022 to 94.4 MPH in 2023 and all hell broke loose with him cracking 30 dingers. He also lowered his K% by 4 percentage points to 17.4% and raised his BB% by 1.1 percentage points to 5.8%. The scary thing is that he was on the unlucky side too with a .343 wOBA vs. .373 xwOBA. There is another level to unlock here. His .904 2nd half OPS is probably what he has in store for us in 2024. 2024 Projection: 102/34/107/.283/.336/.522/47

3) Corbin Carroll ARI, OF, 23.7 – The 5’10” Carroll laughs at me for even hinting that the 6’0” Acuna isn’t big. Carroll truly had to deal with the little man discrimination his entire career, falling to a ridiculous 16th overall in the 2019 MLB Draft (I ranked him 3rd overall personally). He’s done nothing but prove the doubters wrong since then, culminating with a rookie season that immediately catapulted him to elite dynasty status. He smashed 25 homers with a 90 MPH EV. Nobody doubted his speed, and he didn’t disappoint with 54 steals and a 30.1 ft/sec sprint. The cherry on top is that he put up career best contact rates with a 19.4% K%, and that includes his entire minor league career going back to rookie ball. The only thing that could stop him is the major shoulder injury he suffered in 2021 which reared it’s ugly head again this July. He doubled over in pain after a swing and said, “I took a swing, and I felt a shift in my shoulder, shocking, tingling sensation go down my arm and then my hand go numb. I was just holding it thinking it came out of the socket, pretty much thought that the season was over.” It ended up being “minor,” but I’m not sure how you can’t at least have that in the back of your mind when ranking Carroll. He’s too good to be scared off by it, but my tolerance for injury risk might be higher than yours. 2024 Projection: 121/28/85/.288/.374/.496/52

4) Julio Rodriguez SEA, OF, 23.3 – When Julio gets off to a slow start in 2024, remind yourself not to panic. 2023 was the 2nd year in a row where it took him a minute to hit his stride. He put up a mediocre .721 OPS in 87 games pre break before exploding in the 2nd half, slashing .308/.363/.578 with 19 homers and 15 steals in 68 games. He crushes the ball with a 92.7 MPH EV that led to 32 homers, and he’s lightning fast with a 29.6 ft/sec sprint that led to 37 steals. The only weakness he has that the guys ranked above him don’t have is a poor approach. His 37.4% chase rate is well below average and so is his 28.2% whiff%. I’m betting on the plate approach improving as he gains more experience, but the guys ranked above him are already further along. 2024 Projection: 104/33/105/.280/.341/.507/38

5) Shohei “(deferred) Money” Ohtani LAD, RHP/DH, 29.9 – First there were asterisks for juiced players. Then there were asterisks for juiced balls. And now there are asterisks for juiced contracts. The 700* million dollar man (*680 million of it deferred) tore the UCL in his right elbow in August and seems like he opted to go with an internal brace procedure rather than get his 2nd Tommy John surgery in 5 years. It’s still a serious surgery that will prevent him from pitching until 2025, but he’s expected to be good to go as hitter at the start of 2024. As we saw with Bryce Harper, the odds Ohtani will continue to be an elite hitter are very high, but we can’t be surprised if he doesn’t get back to prime form until the 2nd half. He was in the midst of the best offensive season of his career with career highs everywhere you look (EV, wOBA, xwOBA, K%, BB%, Hard Hit%), and his 180 wRC+ led the league by a good margin (Judge was 2nd at 174). I’m not concerned with Ohtani’s bat at all, but it’s fair to question his ability to stay healthy as a pitcher. His stuff is so good with a 96.8 MPH fastball that he could probably stand to lose a tick or two and still be near elite. He also strikes me as the type who will thrive in his old age with diminished velocity, so I’m far from writing him off as a pitcher, but I do believe you have to factor in the added risk. 2024 Projection: 96/33/94/.277/.380/.538/18 Update: This ranking assumes he doesn’t get Pete Rose’d

6) Fernando Tatis Jr. SDP, OF, 25.3 – Maybe it was the shoulder, maybe it was the wrist, or maybe it was the lack of PED’s, but it’s undeniable that Tatis had some of his upside shaved off the top in 2023. His barrel% was down 10.3 percentage points to 11%, his exit velocity was down 2 MPH to 91.9 MPH, his hard hit% was down 6.3 percentage points to 49.3%, and his xwOBA was down .039 to .368. He also wore down as the season went along with a .871 OPS in the 1st half versus a .665 OPS in the 2nd half. But take a look at all of those numbers. Even with him being considerably worse than his prime, he was still an elite fantasy player with 25 homers and 29 steals in 141 games. He missed all of 2022, he had to rehab both his shoulder and wrist surgeries over the off-season, and he also had to deal with so much controversy, whether it was self inflicted or not. He’ll actually be able to have a normal off-season going into 2024, and he’s still only 25 years old, which makes me think what he did in 2023 is his floor. And considering he also got unlucky (.332 wOBA vs. .368 xwOBA which is in the top 10% of the league), his floor is probably even higher than that. The decline in production takes him out of the conversation to be the #1 dynasty player overall, but this is still an easy Top 10 dynasty asset at the very least. 2024 Projection: 98/33/96/.274/.348/.515/31

7) Juan Soto NYY, OF, 25.6 – This is a contract year for Soto, and Scott Boras is his agent. He hasn’t really had that crazy career year yet. 2020 looked like it could have been that year with 13 homers and 202 wRC+ in 49 games, but it was a shortened season. What I’m trying to say is, the Baseball Gods owe him one, and his move from one of the very worst ballparks for lefty homers to one of the very best only adds fuel to that fire (I’m expecting him to start pulling the ball just a bit more). He doesn’t run enough with only 12 steals to truly be considered in the same tier as the guys ranked above him, but in any league that devalues speed, he is right there with them. He’s an OBP God with an 18.6% BB% and .410 OBP. It’s his 4th year in a row with more walks than strikeouts. His 6.7 degree launch is low, but he’s launch proof with a 98.7 MPH FB/LD EV that is 4th best in all of baseball. It led to a career high 35 homers. Everything seems to be setting up for Soto to have one of those silly statistical seasons that won’t even look real, and then he will land one of those silly contract numbers that won’t even look real. 2024 Projection: 115/38/115/.287/.422/.546/13

8) Kyle Tucker HOU, OF, 27.2 – Just call him the quiet killer because no elite player gets less hype than Kyle Tucker. He was one homer shy of going 30/30, and he did it while putting up career bests in both K% (13.6%) and BB% (11.9%). He has well below average speed with a bottom 33% sprint speed, but he once again proved stolen bases are not just about pure speed, there is a major skill component to it as well. Maybe it’s fitting he has the shortest blurb out of his elite dynasty brethren, because he’ll just continue to quietly kill your fantasy competition. No fanfare necessary. 2024 Projection: 99/30/115/.285/.365/.520/28

9) Elly De La Cruz CIN, SS/3B, 22.3 – Call me crazy, but I’m actually encouraged by Elly’s 33.7% K%, 29.7% whiff%, and .235 BA in his age 21 year old season in the major leagues. In last year’s Top 1,000 Rankings, I projected Elly’s 2023 triple slash would be .232/.294/.433, and it ended up being .235/.300/.410. Not bad if I don’t say so myself, but point being, this is exactly what you should have expected. He also had a 26.9%/14.0% K%/BB% in 38 games at Triple-A, which proves he is capable of making real improvements to his plate approach over time (30.9%/7.7% K%/BB% at Double-A in 2022). And his hit tool only needs to get to below average to be an absolute fantasy monster. The power is elite with a 91.2 MPH EV and 119.2 Max EV which was the 3rd highest mark in the league. It came with a 3.6 degree launch, but he has the type of power that is launch proof (13 homers in 98 games), and he’s never had any major groundball issues in the minors, so that number is only coming up. He also has elite speed with 35 steals and a 30.5 ft/sec sprint speed which was tied for the fastest man in baseball with Bobby Witt. I always say, “if you can’t take risks in fantasy, where can you take risks,” and I’m not even sure Elly is as risky as people think. I’m all in. 2024 Projection: 91/25/85/.244/.317/.452/52 Prime Projection: 103/33/109/.261/.337/.506/65

10) Yordan Alvarez HOU, OF, 26.9 – The only two categories Yordan isn’t a beast in are games played and steals. He dealt with left hand soreness in March that delayed the start of his spring training, he missed about a week in April with a neck injury, and he missed almost 2 months in June and July with an oblique injury. It limited him to just 114 games. The surgeries he’s gotten on both of his knees are also still fresh in everyone’s mind, but the fact that none of his issues had to do with his knees is encouraging to me. He played in 135 games in 2022 and 144 games in 2021. I think it’s one year too early to really slap him with the injury prone tag. And he’s too elite to be too risk averse with a career .978 OPS and a .440 xwOBA in 2023, which was the 3rd best mark in the league behind only Judge and Acuna. I’m not getting too hung up on the injury risk quite yet. 2024 Projection: 94/37/111/.296/.403/.589/1

11) Luis Robert CHW, OF, 26.8 – While many were jumping ship after a down and injured 2022, I kept the faith by ranking Robert 30th overall, and he responded with the type of year we all knew he was capable of, slashing .264/.315/.542 with 38 homers, 20 steals, and a 28.9%/5.0% K%/BB% in 145 games. He laughed in the face of chase rate (40.5%) and chased his way to a career best 15.4% barrel%. His speed bounced back with a top 16% sprint speed, and he played in a career high 145 games. I wish I could say he is now completely out of the woods and we can trust him completely, but the injury black cloud always seems to be lurking. His season ended on September 24th with a sprained MCL in his knee which would have kept him out for up to a month if the season didn’t end a week later. He also dealt with hamstring, quad, calf, hip, and finger injuries throughout the season. Rostering Robert definitely feels like playing Press Your Luck, begging to avoid any whammies (no whammies, no whammies, no whammies, STOP). Robert is elite enough where you can’t live completely in fear of his next injury, but projecting him for a fully healthy season feels optimistic. 2024 Projection: 88/32/84/.268/.320/.528/19

12) Aaron Judge NYY, OF, 31.11 – Judge’s 97.6 MPH EV is the highest average exit velocity in the history of Statcast. The only years Judge didn’t lead the league in average exit velocity was 2015 when he was in the minors, and 2020 during the shortened season. His .468 xwOBA not only led the league, and it wasn’t only a career high, it was the highest xwOBA amongst qualified hitters in history if you take out 2020 (Soto put up a .475 xwOBA that season in 49 games). And he did all of this while gutting it out in the 2nd half with a torn ligament in his big toe which knocked him out for almost 2 months in June and July. He isn’t expected to need surgery this off-season, which is a good sign, and he had a 1.066 OPS in September, so I’m inclined to not harp too much on the injury. 2024 Projection: 121/46/119/.283/.405/.594/9

13) Bryce Harper PHI, 1B, 31.6 – Harper was nice enough to leave zero doubt that his power will fully return to prime form in 2024 coming off Tommy John surgery. After hitting just 3 homers in first 58 games, he turned it around by launching 23 homers in his final 79 games, including the postseason. He returned way ahead of schedule anyway, so it’s not surprising he wasn’t fully healthy until the 2nd half. I would expect your typical elite Harper season in 2024, and he strikes me as the type of all time great that will be raking deep into his 30’s. 2024 Projection: 107/35/100/.289/.400/.540/14

Shadow13) Shohei Ohtani LAD, DH only/Weekly Leagues, 29.9 – This is where I would rank Ohtani in weekly leagues or as a hitter only. 2024 Projection: 96/33/94/.277/.380/.538/18

14) Mookie Betts LAD, 2B/OF, 31.6 – Betts played 70 games at 2B in 2023 and it was announced he will be LA’s starting 2B moving forward. He immediately becomes the best 2B in baseball. He is in the midst of a later career power surge, which makes up for his declining speed. After hitting a career high 35 homers in 2022, he topped that in 2023 by jacking out 39 dingers. His 92.4 MPH EV and 20.6 degree launch were both career highs, and his 48.5% Hard Hit% was the 2nd best mark of his career. As I mentioned, his speed is declining with a bottom 47% of the league sprint speed, but he still used his wiles to nab 14 bags. He may not be in his physical prime anymore, but Betts proved in 2023 that he has plenty of years of elite production left in him. 2024 Projection: 120/34/91/.290/.381/.536/13

15) Jose Ramirez CLE, 3B, 31.6 – Mookie Betts’ beastly season is a reminder that not every year can be a banger. It wasn’t Ramirez’ best season with only 24 homers in 156 games, but there is absolutely nothing in the underlying numbers that would be concerning in the slightest, and we know his power is fine after watching him drop Anderson on a single punch. He’s also not slowing down on the bases at all with 28 steals. Even in a down-ish year, he still finished 29th overall on the Razzball Player Rater. 2024 Projection: 94/31/101/.281/.360/.511/26

16) Michael Harris ATL, OF, 23.1 – Harris’ surface stats took a step back in his 2nd year in the bigs with a .808 OPS in 2023 vs. a .853 OPS in 2022, but his underlying numbers actually showed a player who was improving. His contact rates took a big step forward with a 18.7% K% (24.3% in 2022), his EV took a 1.4 MPH jump to 90.9 MPH, his launch increased by 3.1 degrees to 7.6, and his xwOBA increased by .020 to .355. He hit .293 with 18 homers and 20 steals in 138 games, and he was even better in his final 100 games with a .912 OPS. He still needs to improve his plate approach with a 4.6% BB%, but Harris cemented his status as a near elite dynasty asset in 2023. 2024 Projection: 91/23/82/.287/.333/.480/27

17) Trea Turner PHI, SS, 30.9 – I was pounding the table to buy low on Turner all season, but he came on too strong at the end of the year to get any discount on him this off-season. He slashed .339/.391/.677 with 16 homers, 9 steals and 16.9% K% in his final 47 games, and he’s currently destroying the playoffs with a 222 wRC+ in 11 games. He had a .656 OPS in his first 108 games. He also hasn’t lost even half a step with the 4th fastest sprint speed in the game. That buy low window slammed shut hard at the trade deadline. 2024 Projection: 105/25/83/.289/.340/.481/35

18) Jackson Chourio MIL, OF, 20.1 – Baseball now uses minor leaguers like guinea pigs, testing out every hairbrained idea they have all willy nilly, and Chourio got caught in the crosshairs of it. The Southern League used a pre-tacked ball for the first half of the season, and Chourio put up a lowly .714 OPS in 71 games. When they went back to the regular ball, he immediately went gangbusters, slashing .324/.379/.538 with 11 homers, 21 steals, and a 13.4%/8.0% K%/BB% in 57 games. He closed out the season at Triple-A where he put up a 4.2%/8.3% K%/BB% in 6 games. He did all of this as a 19 year old. The power/speed combo is plus to double plus, and it sure looks like his contact rates are entering the elite range if you ignore what he did in the 1st half. Jackson Holliday seems to be the consensus #1 prospect in the game (and Wyatt Langford is the trendy #1 for fantasy), but if Chourio hit with the regular ball all season, I’m not so sure that would be the case. The main thing Holliday has over Chourio right now is plate approach, which makes him the safer prospect, but for fantasy, I gotta give the ever so slight edge to the power/speed combo. Milwaukee showed us they are all in by signing him to an 8 year, $82 million contract, and it ensures him a spot on the opening day roster as well. Chourio is my #1 fantasy prospect. 2024 Projection: 69/21/75/.258/.320/.469/25 Prime Projection: 101/32/104/.283/.353/.523/41

19) Jackson Holliday BAL, SS, 20.4 – Holliday’s power/speed combo really wasn’t that huge with only 12 homers and 24 steals (in 33 attempts) in 125 games spread across 4 levels (A, A+, AA, AAA). It dropped off even further in the upper minors with 5 homers and 4 steals in 54 games. It seems crazy to start his blurb off with criticism, but when the battle for the top prospect in the game is so close, it needs to be highlighted. Now that we got that out of the way, Holliday had an absolutely insane season where he slashed .323/.442/.499 with a 20.3%/17.4% K%/BB%. He was in high school last year, and he displayed one of the most advanced plate approaches of any prospect all the way through Triple-A. This is why everyone drools over kids with baseball bloodlines, they tend to be far advanced beyond their years. As I mentioned, the power isn’t fully developed yet with relatively low flyball rates, but he hits the ball hard with a 30.2% Hard Hit% and a 90.9 MPH EV in 40 batted balls at Triple-A, so I’m not concerned about the power long term. He has the safety edge over Chourio, but it’s not like Chourio is a risky prospect, so Holliday slots in at #2 for me. 2024 Projection: 68/14/59/.270/.339/.441/17 Prime Projection: 117/27/94/.296/.382/.506/28

20) Wyatt Langford TEX, OF, 22.5 – I have Chourio, Holliday, and Langford in a tier of their own atop my Dynasty Baseball Prospects Rankings. The only reason Langford is 3rd is because Chourio/Holliday have a longer professional track record and more impressive age to level production. But his power, speed, hit tool, plate approach, and production can rival anyone’s. He was selected 4th overall in the 2023 MLB Draft on the back of elite production in the SEC, slashing .373/.498/.784 with 21 homers, 9 steals, and a 44/56 K/BB in 64 games. He clearly separated himself from Dylan Crews in his pro debut, slashing .360/.480/.677 with 10 homers, 12 steals, and a 17.0%/18.0% K%/BB% in 44 games, and he was equally as dominant in the upper minors as he was the lower minors. He’s the total package, and if you wanted to rank him 1st overall on prospects rankings (especially with him ripping up spring), I wouldn’t argue with you. 2024 Projection: 81/26/77/.262/.338/.479/16 Prime Projection: 103/34/109/.277/.364/.535/24

21) Spencer Strider ATL, RHP, 25.5 – If Strider’s 3.86 ERA opens up even the smallest buy window, I would be all over it. He had a 3.04 xERA, 2.92 xFIP, and 2.86 SIERA. His 22 homers against weren’t bad at all, so you can’t even blame a homer problem. ERA is just about the least predictive stat there is. He got unlucky. Simple as that. His 36.8%% K% led the league by a large margin, and strikeouts are king in fantasy. Glasnow was 2nd at 33.4% and Skubal was 3rd at 32.9%. His control continued to improve with an above average 7.6% BB%, and he proved he can handle a full workload with 186.2 IP. He also led the league in wins with 20, and while that was partly due to good luck, Atlanta is a perennial winner, so he should continue to be among the league leaders there. He was the #1 fantasy pitcher in 2024, and considering his age and strikeout upside, he’s in a tier of his own as the easy #1 overall pitcher in dynasty. 2024 Projection: 16/3.18/1.04/266 in 182 IP

22) Vladimir Guerrero Jr. TOR, 1B, 25.0 – Vlad got very unlucky in 2023. His .374 xwOBA (top 7% of the league) vs. .340 wOBA was the 8th largest differential in baseball, and this is the first year he’s ever underperformed his underlying numbers, so this isn’t a trend for him. He crushes the ball with a 92.1 MPH EV, he makes near elite contact with a 14.7% K%, and he raised his launch to a career high 10.5 degrees. With that type of profile, he simply can’t be held down for long. The only thing rattling around my head that gives me some pause is that the only season he really had a beastly year, 2021, was the year he played over half his home games at their spring training ballpark and Triple-A ballpark, both of which played like extreme hitter’s parks. If you take that year out of the equation, he’s really yet to display the ability to be a truly elite fantasy player, but at the end of the day (and the beginning of the day), the underlying numbers don’t lie. He looks setup for a big 2024. 2024 Projection: 92/31/101/.286/.359/.507/6

23) Rafael Devers BOS, 3B, 27.5 – There is no fancy analysis needed for Devers. He rips the ball (93.1 MPH) with a swing geared for both power and average (12.4 degree launch). His plate approach has also slowly been improving with a career best 19.2%/9.5% K%/BB%. The guy is as safe and consistent as they come. 2024 Projection: 93/34/106/.280/.358/.513/5

24) Austin Riley ATL, 3B, 27.0 – Riley is Devers’ righthanded brother from another mother. The plate approach might only be average-ish, but he rips the ball (92.3 MPH EV) with a swing geared for both power and average (13.5 degree launch). He’s averaging 36 homers with a .285 BA over his last 3 seasons. 2024 Projection: 97/36/102/.274/.347/.519/3

25) Freddie Freeman LAD, 1B, 34.7 – The only question with the 34 year old Freeman is how much longer can he keep it up. I’m ranking him this high because I’m betting on him being productive deep into his 30’s, but he was the 3rd overall fantasy player this year, so this ranking does actually include an age discount. He showed zero signs of decline in 2023 with a .409 xwOBA which was in the top 2% of the league. He’s never had an xwOBA that wasn’t in at least the top 4% of the league in the Statcast era. He’s possibly the most consistently great hitter of his generation. He also took advantage of the new rules with a career high by far 23 steals. Certainly in win now mode Freeman isn’t going anywhere, but even in a rebuild I wouldn’t feel that much pressure to move him. 2024 Projection: 120/30/101/.313/.396/.528/18

26) Francisco Lindor NYM, SS, 30.5 – Lindor put up the quietest 30/30 (actually 31/31) season of all time. He somehow found the fountain of youth with career best power numbers and a major speed bounce back. He notched career bests in EV (91.2 MPH), Barrel% (10.4%), and launch angle (19.2 degrees). His sprint speed hit a 5 year high of 28.2 ft/sec, and he took advantage of the new rules with a career high 31 steals. He managed to do all of this with a bone spur in his elbow which required surgery this off-season, but with how many guys rake right through torn UCL’S and barely miss any time after getting Tommy John surgery, I’m not even sure you need elbows at all to hit. 2024 Projection: 100/30/96/.258/.337/.475/26

27) Matt Olson ATL, 1B, 30.0 – Olson led the league in homers with 54. Schwarber’s 47 was a distant 2nd. His already double plus power leveled up to truly elite levels with a career high in Barrel% (16.4%), EV (93.7 MPH), Max EV (118.6 MPH), Hard Hit% (55.5%) and xwOBA (.394). His .283 BA was probably on the lucky side with a .263 xBA, but the days of being concerned about his hit tool are over with a 23.2%/14.% K%/BB%. 2023 strikes me as a career year, but Olson is one of the premier power hitters in baseball. 2024 Projection: 104/42/119/.267/.368/.549/1

28) Gunnar Henderson BAL, SS/3B, 22.9 – If Gunnar took advantage of the new stolen base rules like almost everyone else, Gunnar vs. Carroll would still look very close today, but he only attempted 13 steals in 150 games. It’s not like he couldn’t have run more with a 28.8 ft/sec sprint and a solid 77% success rate, so if he just decides to start running more in 2024, he could quickly rise up the dynasty rankings even further. Even with the modest steal totals, there is a ton to love, led by how hard he crushes the ball. His 92 MPH EV is in the top 9% of the league, and he unsurprisingly raised his launch angle much higher than in his MLB debut in 2022 (2 degrees) with an 11.4 degree launch. He also cemented the huge jump his hit tool took in 2022 with a 25.6%/9.0% K%/BB% this year. It all led to a 123 wRC+ with 28 homers. The only issue he hasn’t corrected is his struggles vs. lefties with a .618 OPS, but Baltimore looks committed to playing him everyday and not turning him into a platoon guy, so I have faith he will hit them well enough over time. Keep in mind he will still be only 22 at the start of next season. 2024 Projection: 97/30/91/.266/.341/.506/15

29) Corey Seager TEX, SS, 29.11 – I ranked Seager 38th overall last off-season, starting his Top 1,000 blurb by writing, “Seager doesn’t get the respect he deserves in the fantasy world,” and I ended it by writing, “If he hits .300 next year with 35 homers it wouldn’t be surprising at all.” He blew past even my high expectations with a .327 BA and an over 40 homer pace if he didn’t miss time. If you include the postseason, he hit almost exactly 35 homers in 136 games (36 homers). He’s an elite hitter with a 93.3 MPH EV, 13 degree launch, .413 xwOBA, and 16.4%/9.1% K%/BB%. Nobody will be underrating him anymore, but the only snafu is that he underwent hernia surgery in late January, which puts the start of his season in question. It doesn’t impact his dynasty value too much, but he’s about to enter his 30’s, and injuries like this can start to take their toll. 2024 Projection: 89/32/98/.291/.369/.538/2

30) Pete Alonso NYM, 1B, 29.5 – Alonso’s .205 BABIP was dead last among qualified hitters. He has a career .259 BABIP and he had a .279 BABIP in 2022. Point being, his .217 BA is going to bounce back in a big way in 2024, especially considering he has no contact issues with a 22.9%/9.9% K%/BB%. What you’re buying is the elite power anyway, and it was in prime form with 46 homers (3rd most in the league). If that low BA opens up even a crack of buy low value, jump on it. 2024 Projection: 94/42/120/.253/.346/.516/4

31) Ozzie Albies ATL, 2B, 27.3 – I kept the faith on Albies after his down year in 2022, ranking him 40th overall on the Top 1,000 Rankings, and closed out his blurb by writing, “The bottom line is that both the surface and underlying numbers look bad, but his youth and track record is strong enough to overlook it. I seriously doubt he’s all of a sudden not that good.” He rewarded my faith by having a major bounce back in 2023 with a career high 33 homers and career high 124 wRC+. The only thing that didn’t bounce back was his sprint speed which sat at a mediocre 27.5 ft/sec. It resulted in only 13 steals in a year where steals exploded, and while he’s been a very successful base stealer in his career, he was never the type to truly run a ton. 2024 Projection: 98/29/93/.268/.327/.485/15

32) Bo Bichette TOR, SS, 26.1 – Bichette’s speed and launch angle are both headed in the wrong direction. He’s putting up old man sprint speeds at just 25 years old with a bottom 42% of the league mark. His sprint speed was in the top 17% of the league in 2019. He missed time with knee tendinitis in August, so maybe that played a role, but his sprint speed was also way down in 2022. It resulted in only 5 steals in 135 games. That seriously cuts down his upside because he’s not a monster home run hitter either with a career worst 6.2 degree launch that resulted in 20 homers. It’s not all bad news though as Bichette still hits the ball very hard with a 90.2 MPH EV and he still makes a ton of contact with a 19.1% K%. His .361 xwOBA was actually a career high. he had a .306 BA and he’s never had a BA under .290 in his 5 year career. BA guys are not my favorite to go after for fantasy, but I’m not willing to classify Bichette as “BA guy” quite yet. Development isn’t linear, and I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see him faster with a higher launch in 2024, and even if he doesn’t improve in those areas, he’s still an impact fantasy hitter. 2024 Projection: 89/25/94/.296/.340/.483/12

33) Royce Lewis MIN, 3B, 24.9 – Royce goes in for ACL surgeries like he’s going in for a tune-up, because he always comes right back firing on all cylinders. He showed double plus power with 19 homers in 64 games (including the playoffs) on the back of a 95.1 MPH FB/LD EV, a 114 MPH Max EV (top 10% of the league), and a 16.2 degree launch. He still has above average to plus speed with a 28.2 ft/sec sprint despite the knee injuries (6 steals), and his plate approach, which was once a bit of a concern as a prospect, was about average with a 23%/8.4% K%/BB%. It all led to a 155 wRC+ in 58 games. When he’s on the field, he’s done nothing but destroy levels since 2022. I implored you to keep buying through the knee surgeries, writing in last years Top 1,000, “I named Lewis a player to target last off-season, imploring you to buy the dip coming off a torn ACL. Now it’s deja vu all over again with Lewis once again down with a torn ACL, and once again I’m imploring you to buy the dip.” … so hopefully you already have him on your team. If not for the added injury risk, which I think you have to at least consider, he might have ranked 15 spots higher. 2024 Projection: 77/29/88/.272/.339/.485/16

34) Jazz Chisholm MIA, OF, 26.2 – Jazz was on pace to go 30/30 if he played a full season (19/22 in 97 games). I know “if he played a full season” is the big question mark as he’s yet to play more than 124 games in his 3 year career, but we would have been talking about him as Top 10 dynasty asset if he played in 140+ games. Ranking him at “only” 33rd overall is the injury discount, and the discount is necessary because unfortunately the injury risk is real. A turf toe injury in May kept him out for 6 weeks which required surgery after the season. He’s expected to be fully healthy going into 2024, but a pretty major surgery during the off-season where he won’t be able to run for at least 3 months isn’t optimal. He also hit the IL for a month during the season with an oblique strain. He played in only 60 games in 2022 and needed surgery on his back and knee that year. The injuries are piling up, but he’ll only be 26 on opening day, and he still has his plus power/speed combo with a 90.4 MPH EV and 28.4 ft/sec sprint. The 30.8%/6.8% K%/BB% isn’t great, but his 27% chase% is slightly above average, and he has a career .245 BA in 1,193 PA, so I’m not too worried about the hit tool tanking. Jazz is one healthy season away from being talked about with the best in the fantasy game. 2024 Projection: 74/26/79/.247/.315/.462/28

35) Jordan Walker STL, OF, 21.10 – The vibe seems to be that Jordan Walker was a bust, or at least a disappointment, but in my book, his value took a jump in 2023. He was a 20/21 year old in the majors who put up a well above average 116 wRC+ in 117 games. He hit the ball hard with an 89.4 MPH EV, he had plus speed with a 28.6 ft/sec sprint, he had an average plate approach with a 22.4%/8.0% K%/BB%, and all the hand wringing over his launch angle early in the season proved to be unfounded with a solid 10.2 degree launch. We can’t expect every prospect to immediately put up MVP numbers when we demand they get called up as 19/20/21 year olds. Being an above average MLB hitter at Walker’s age is extremely, extremely impressive, and for me, it puts him right on track to become the beast we all thought he would be last off-season. 2024 Projection: 87/26/85/.271/.340/.469/15 Prime Projection: 98/31/102/.279/.356/.513/17

36) Junior Caminero TBR, 3B/SS, 20.9 – Caminero was a popular breakout pick this year (me included), and he more than lived up to the consensus hype by going full phenom beast mode. He made a mockery of High-A pitching with 11 homers and a 190 wRC+ in 36 games, and then he barely slowed down at Double-A with 20 homers and a 140 wRC+ in 81 games. He even improved his plate approach at Double-A with a 17.1%/9.1% K%/BB% (25.2%/6.3% at High-A). He completed the phenom cycle by jumping straight from Double-A to the majors as a 20 year old for a cup of coffee (he ordered the cold brew with a .631 OPS in 36 PA, but it obviously doesn’t mean much). His calling card is double plus power with a good feel to hit that reminds me of a righty version of Rafael Devers. And while he didn’t run a ton (5 for 10 on the bases), he put up a 28.6 ft/sec sprint speed in the majors, so he’ll certainly contribute in the category at the least. Tampa Bay is forever crowded, but a player like Caminero forces the issue. 2024 Projection: 47/17/54/.260/.323/.462/5 Prime Projection: 96/35/109/.284/.349/.525/10

37) Evan Carter TEX, OF, 21.7 – The only question is how much power will Carter get to, because the plate approach and speed are impregnable at this point. He’s a line drive hitter who didn’t exactly smash the ball in the minors, although a 89/95.8 MPH AVG/FB EV in his 75 PA MLB debut shows he’s not some light hitting weakling. He’s also 6’4”, 190 pounds and only 21 years old, so more raw power is certainly coming. He hit 12 homers in 105 games at mostly Double-A (133 wRC+), then he set the baseball world on fire by hitting 5 homers in his first 23 games in the majors (180 wRC+), and finally he closed out the year with 1 homer in 17 playoff games (155 wRC+). That’s 18 homers in 145 games. If he can just get to about 25 homers in his prime, the man is going to be a terror. The speed is double plus with a 29.5 ft/sec sprint speed (31 steals overall), and the plate approach is elite. He had a 9% chase% in his MLB debut and he’s been an elite plate approach guy his entire career in the minors. He struggles vs. lefties, but just like with Gunnar Henderson last year, I wouldn’t let that scare you off an elite prospect. The downside is a .260 hitter with 15 homers and 25 steals, which isn’t that bad, and the upside is a .280/25/35 guy. 2024 Projection: 87/18/72/.263/.334/.429/26 Prime Projection: 105/24/80/.278/.367/.468/31

38) Oneil Cruz PIT, SS, 25.6 – Cruz was showing major plate approach gains, in an admittingly small sample, before a broken ankle from a home plate collision ended his season. He had a 20%/17.5% BB% K%/BB% in 9 games after putting up a 34.9%/7.8% K%/BB% in 2022. It was a very small sample, but it’s what I expected to happen as Cruz never showed that level of plate approach issues in the minors. Super tall players will always have some swing and miss in their game, but that is acceptable when the talent is huge, and Cruz most certainly has huge talent with an at least plus power/speed combo. If the injury creates any type of discount, I would be all over it. 2024 Projection:  78/27/83/.251/.333/.471/20

39) Randy Arozarena TBR, OF, 29.1 – Arozarena couldn’t maintain his blistering start to the season with a much better 1st half (.855 OPS) than 2nd half (.700 OPS), but it all evened out to a typical Arozarena season. He put up a 126 wRC+ in 2023, a 124 wRC+ in 2022, and a 127 wRC+ in 2021. He went at least 20/20 in each season. The man is consistent. He hits the ball very hard (91.7 MPH EV), he put up a career best 11.3 degree launch, he doesn’t have strikeout issues (23.9% K%), he has plus speed (28.4 ft/sec sprint), and he gets on base with a career best 12.2% BB%. That’s a near elite fantasy asset. 2024 Projection: 92/22/84/.260/.355/.442/27

40) Cody Bellinger CHC, OF/1B, 28.9 – Bellinger massively improved his contact rates with a career best 15.6% K% (27.3% in 2022) and career best 20.1% whiff% (27.2% in 2022). It led to a major bounce back season, slashing .307/.356/.525 with 26 homers, 20 steals, and a 15.6%/7.2% K%/BB% in 130 games. It wasn’t only the improved contact rates, he should also thank MLB for the juicier balls as his lowly 91 MPH FB/LD EV with a 17.2 degree launch likely wouldn’t have gotten the job done in 2022 with the dead balls. His 20 steals were a career high (thank you new rules) and his .319 BABIP was a career high (thank you no shift). Was Bellinger on the rules committee this off-season? He was certainly on the lucky side with a .370 wOBA vs. .331 xwOBA, but as long as the ball and rules stay the same, his contact/speed/lift profile should provide very nice fantasy numbers. 2024 Projection: 84/28/91/.268/.327/.470/17

41) Adolis Garcia TEX, OF, 31.1 – Everybody was scared off by the terrible plate approach, so Garcia went ahead and made massive improvements to it. His BB% rose 4.2 percentage points to a well above average 10.3% and his chase rate dropped 8 percentage points to a nearly average 29.3%. That’s remarkable, and it’s a reminder that a player’s plate approach tends to improve as they gain experience, hence why it’s often called a “mature” plate approach. The improved patience didn’t take away any of his power with 39 homers, a 92.1 MPH EV, and a 15.7 degree launch. The only quibble with his season is that his sprint speed dropped considerably to 27.3 ft/sec, and he stole only 9 bags in 10 attempts. With the speed decline and age, it’s hard to predict a major bounce back there, but the maturing at the dish more than makes up for it as he gets deeper into his 30’s. 2024 Projection: 94/35/103/.254/.330/.505/13

42) Jordan Lawlar ARI, SS, 21.8 – I would completely ignore what Lawlar did in his super small sample, 34 PA MLB debut. Don’t even look at his Statcast page, it will only get in your head. Your focus should be on the pitchers he laid waste to in the upper minors. He slashed .278/.378/.496 with 20 homers, 36 steals, and a 20.6%/11.4% K%/BB% in 105 games at Double-A and Triple-A. His contact rates took a big step forward from 2022 (25.1% K%), he has truly elite speed with a 30.1 ft/sec sprint speed, and he hit the ball fairly hard, especially for a 20 year old, with a 31.8% Hard Hit%. He’s 6’2”, 190 pounds with room to add more muscle, so the power is only going up from here. He has legitimate Top 10 dynasty asset potential. 2024 Projection: 69/14/55/.248/.317/.410/25 Prime Projection: 103/24/84/.273/.351/.470/38

43) Anthony Volpe NYY, SS, 22.11 – Volpe might be easier to acquire this off-season than he was last off-season, which is wild, but is also par for the course in dynasty leagues. If rookies don’t immediately Corbin Carroll the league, people get discouraged and throw the bust label around. In reality, Volpe’s value should be considerably higher after the year he just had. Not only did he go 20/20 (21/24), but all of the underlying numbers are screaming a future breakout is coming with a 9% barrel%, 88.7 MPH EV, 14.2 degree launch, and 28.4 ft/sec sprint speed. The 27.8%/8.7% K%/BB% wasn’t great, but it’s far from the danger zone, and it’s really not bad for a 21/22 year old who had 99 total PA at Triple-A coming into the year. If cold hard numbers aren’t your thing, Volpe even has Black Magic on his side. His OPS was the number of the beast, .666. I don’t know what is going to happen to Volpe’s soul, but the Devil keeps his promises. Max Kepler was the only player to have a .666 OPS in 2022, and this season he had the highest wRC+ of his career at 124 (.816 OPS). Literally all signs, both natural and supernatural, are pointing towards a big 2024 for Volpe. He’s an easy target. 2024 Projection: 81/25/79/.245/.316/.451/31

44) Jose Altuve HOU, 2B, 33.11 – Altuve was in prime form yet again with a 154 wRC+, .311 BA, 17 homers and 14 steals in 90 games. A broken thumb delayed the start of his season until mid May, and an oblique injury kept him out for most of July, but he was no worse for the wear when on the field. The only crack in the armor is a career low by far 26.9 ft/sec sprint (28.1 ft/sec in 2022). It didn’t stop him from running, but it is the first sign of a true physical decline. He’s been so dominant the last 2 years I almost want to ignore his age and speed decline, but how much longer can the 5’6” Altuve maintain his elite production? 2024 Projection: 101/28/73/.285/.371/.496/19

45) Corbin Burnes BAL, RHP, 29.5 – Burnes had one of the best disappointing seasons of all time. I guess that is what happens when expectations are through the roof. He put up a pitching line of 3.39/1.07/200/66 in 193.2 IP, but it still feels like he was a bust somehow. The 25.5% K% was 5 percentage points lower than 2022 and 11.2 percentage points lower than his peak. His 8.4% BB% was 2 percentage points higher than 2022 and 3.2 percentage points higher than his peak. His velocity was down a tick or two on all of his pitches, and his most used pitch, the cutter (55.4% usage), put up a career worst by far 22.7% whiff%. It sure seems like his days of being so far out in front of the pack are over, but this current iteration of him is still damn good. The trade to Baltimore doesn’t really impact his dynasty value is any meaningful way in either direction. 2024 Projection: 15/3.21/1.03/218 in 190 IP

46) CJ Abrams WAS, SS, 23.6 – It’s almost like they made the new rules and new ball specifically for Abrams. The juicier ball helped his below average power play up (87.4 MPH EV with 18 homers), the banned shift helped lefties the most (all lefties saw their BA increase from .239 in 2022 to .249 in 2023), and the bigger bases/pickoff rules sparked him to start running a ton again (7 steals in 2022 vs. 47 steals in 2023). It wasn’t only the new rules though, he also leveled up by increasing his barrel%, EV, launch, and BB%. Even with all of those gains, he was still a below average hitter with a 90 wRC+, and while he has the type of power/speed combo to thrive in fantasy while being a bad real life hitter, that profile has a way of catching up to you. Considering he’s still only 23 years old, and proved his ability to make meaningful improvements in 2023, I’m betting on him continuing to improve and becoming the fantasy beast we all expected when he was an elite prospect. 2024 Projection: 87/17/71/.267/.321/.430/42

47) Pablo Lopez MIN, RHP, 28.1 – Lopez’ 4-seamer exploded with a 1.4 MPH velocity bump to 94.9 MPH and it immediately turned into one of the best 4-seamers in the game with a 31.5% whiff%. His sweeper, changeup, and curve are all above average to plus pitches that miss bats. His control is plus with a 6% BB% and he induces weak contact with an 87.1 MPH EV against. He definitely broke out in 2023 with a 3.66 ERA and 29.2% K% in 194 IP, but he’s been a really, really good pitcher since 2020, so it’s more of him staying healthy and leveling up. He’s a complete ace. 2024 Projection: 14/3.35/1.13/220 in 185 IP

48) Triston Casas BOS, 1B, 24.3 – Casas has the potential to become one of the next great all around 1B mashers, and we saw what that could look like in the 2nd half of 2023. He slashed .317/.417/.617 with 15 homers and a 23.4%/14.2% K%/BB% in his final 54 games. He smashes the ball with a 91.1/95.2 MPH AVG/FB EV, he lifts the ball with a 15.7 degree launch, he hit lefties well with a .817 OPS, he has no contact issues, and he’s an OBP beast. His .371 xwOBA was in the top 8% of the league, and that includes his slow start. He also hits in a great ballpark. The 1B position is starting to age a bit with Votto, Goldy, and Freeman all getting up there, and I think Casas has the upside to be in the next generation of greats to take their place. I don’t think he will get quite the respect he deserves this off-season. 2024 Projection: 93/32/94/.273/.375/.520/1

49) Manny Machado SDP, 3B, 31.9 – I’ve been all over Machado’s every other year voodoo thing that’s happening. Here is what I wrote in his 2023 Top 1,000 blurb, “I could do an extensive analysis of the underlying numbers, but I’m afraid there are larger forces at play here. Who am I to question the universe? Machado is due for one of his good but not standout seasons in 2023” … hah! I mean, he literally had one of his good but not standout seasons with a 114 wRC+ in 138 games. I don’t even want to waste my time going through all the numbers, we all know what’s going to happen. He’s due for a beastly 2024. 2024 Projection: 86/32/98/.274/.336/.490/8

50) Mike Trout LAA, OF, 32.8 – It was another injury plagued year for Trout with only 82 games played. Nobody can be surprised by that, can they? This year it was a hamate fracture in his wrist which required surgery and effectively ended his season on July 3rd. He’s averaged 79 games over his past 3 years. It’s not only the missed games, the injuries seem to be taking a toll on his performance as it looks like he’s entering a decline phase. The power still looks great with 18 homers and a 91.9 MPH EV, but the .263 BA and 28.7% K% were both career worsts, and a continuation of a decline from 2022. His 12.4% BB% is also much lower than his prime years. He’s still very fast with a 29.5 ft/sec sprint, and while he’s long since stopped running, it shows he hasn’t fallen off a cliff athletically. If he can stay on the field, he should still put up big power numbers at the least, but he simply hasn’t been able to stay on the field. 2024 Projection: 88/35/86/.273/.371/.538/4

51) George Kirby SEA, RHP, 26.2 – Kirby’s 2.5% BB% didn’t only lead all qualified starters, it led all pitchers with more than 24 IP. Elite control isn’t high enough praise. He has generational control. And he uses that generational control to dominate with a fastball heavy profile led by a 96.1 MPH double plus 4-seamer. Neither of his breaking balls generate many whiffs, but his slider induces weak contact, and he’s incorporating a splitter more which killed it with a .202 xwOBA and 35.7% whiff%. He didn’t start throwing the splitter until the 2nd half, and his strikeout totals immediately ticked up. He was great in 2023 with a pitching line of 3.35/1.04/172/19 in 190.2 IP, and I think he’s going to take another step forward in 2024. 2024 Projection: 14/3.31/1.02/183 in 185 IP

52) Yoshinobu Yamamoto LAD, RHP, 25.7 – The Dodgers made Yamamoto the highest paid pitcher in history with a 12 year, $325 million contract (plus a $50 million posting fee). That is really all you need to know. He’s expected to be a true ace right from the get go, and signing with the best developmental team in the game also takes a lot of the risk out of his transition to a new ball, new country, new league etc … He’s been a true ace in Japan for years now, and that continued this year with a pitching line of 1.16/0.86/176/28 in 171 IP. He pitched 193 innings in both 2021 and 2022, so there also isn’t any concern of how many innings he can pitch. The fastball sits mid 90’s and regularly hits the upper 90’s. A nasty splitter is his most used secondary, and he also throws a very good curve, 2-seamer, and cutter. He has elite command over all of his pitches, and he has an unique, oddly athletic delivery which he varies constantly to mess with hitters timing. He’s a straight up nightmare to face, and looks like a ready made ace. 2024 Projection: 12/3.42/1.11/173 in 160 IP Update: I’m not panicking coming off the bad debut, but this is why I had him ranked 7th overall on the prospects rankings and not 1st overall

53) Zack Wheeler PHI, RHP, 33.10 – Not only isn’t the 33 year old Wheeler slowing down, he’s reaching new levels with a career best 28.6% whiff% and 5% BB%. The stuff is in peak form too with his 95.8 MPH fastball notching a career best .260 xwOBA and 31.4% whiff%. He even added a new pitch to his arsenal, the sweeper, and it was immediately a plus pitch with a .264 xwOBA and 39.2% whiff%. Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks? 2024 Projection: 14/3.28/1.06/208 in 190 IP

54) Luis Castillo SEA, RHP, 31.4 – Castillo’s 96.3 MPH 4-seam fastball was the third most valuable 4-seamer in the game (Cole and Gallen ranked 1st and 2nd), and his 33% whiff% on the pitch led all qualified starters. It led to another ace level season with a pitching line of 3.34/1.10/27.3%/7% in 197 IP. He’s a consistent, safe ace. 2024 Projection: 14/3.43/1.14/210 in 188 IP

55) Zac Gallen ARI, RHP, 28.8 – Gallen’s control has improved almost every season to the point he is nearly an elite control guy with a 5.6% BB%. His stuff isn’t overpowering, but it’s very good with 3 above average to plus pitches in his 93.6 MPH 4-seamer, curve (40.6% whiff%), and changeup (31.4% whiff%). He also mixes in a decent cutter and occasional slider. It was good for a pitching line of 3.47/1.12/220/47 in 210 IP. The stuff isn’t really on the level as some of the aces ranked above him, but he’s done nothing but produce in his career. 2024 Projection: 14/3.43/1.10/204 in 195 IP

56) Jasson Dominguez NYY, OF, 21.2 – The backlash to Dominguez’ early career hype made it hard to hold the line, but I remained all in on Dominguez last off-season, ranking him 10th overall, and he more than delivered on that ranking this year. He hit 15 homers with 37 steals and a 25.6%/15.2% K%/BB% in 109 games at Double-A as a 20 year old. Then he quickly ran through Triple-A with a 180 wRC+ in 9 games, before finishing out his season with 4 homers and a 162 wRC+ in 8 games in the majors. Unfortunately, Tommy John surgery put a halt to what was sure to be insane hype this off-season, but I wouldn’t let the Tommy John surgery scare you off. It isn’t as big of a deal for hitters as it is for pitchers, and he’s expected to return by the 2nd half of 2024. His extremely good MLB debut will likely make it hard to get good value for him this off-season even with the surgery, so my move would be to hope he needs to shake off some rust when he returns next season to bring his value into a more reasonable range again. 2024 Projection: 30/8/226/.242/.324/.438/10 Prime Projection: 92/26/86/.266/.361/.485/28

57) Freddy Peralta MIL, RHP, 27.10 – A shoulder injury in 2022 put some doubt into Peralta’s ace trajectory coming into 2023, but he proved that was merely a bump in the road. He put up career bests in fastball velocity (94.4 MPH), innings pitched (165.2 IP) and BB% (7.9%). He once again eclipsed a 30% K% at 30.9%. He was also at his best in the 2nd half with a 2.44 ERA and 92/11 K/BB in his final 62.2 IP. Peralta cemented his status as a young ace this year, but because his 3.86 ERA doesn’t look all that great, you might be able to buy him for non ace prices this off-season. 2024 Projection: 12/3.38/1.09/215 in 170 IP

58) Adley Rutschman BAL, C, 26.2 – Rutschman has an advantage over other catchers on playing time alone. His 687 PA led all catchers by far (William Contreras was 2nd at 611). It helps his fantasy profile play up, because he’s a better real life hitter than fantasy hitter with an elite plate approach (14.7%/13.4% K%/BB%) as his most valuable skill. I don’t mean to be too disparaging with that statement, because he has the potential to be a near elite real life hitter with a .373 xwOBA (top 8% of the league). The power is only slightly above average right now with a 92.7 MPH FB/LD EV, 7.5% Barrel%, and 12.6 degree launch, but this was his first full season in the majors, so this is basically the baseline. 2024 Projection: 88/22/85/.286/.381/.458/3

59) Tarik Skubal DET, LHP, 27.4 – Skubal went in for a flexor tendon “upgrade” in August 2022, and he came out one of the best pitchers in baseball when he returned in July. I’m not even going to call it a “surgery,” because me thinks there are more than a few pitchers out there who should elect to have it if you can expect these results. He put up a pitching line of 2.80/0.90/102/14 in 80.1 IP. His fastball jumped 1.7 MPH to 95.8 MPH and it became arguably the best 4-seamer in baseball with a league leading .225 xwOBA (250 pitch min). His changeup was elite too with a 50.6% whiff% that was 3rd best. The slider and sinker were also both above average pitches. His 32.9% K% trailed only Strider and Glasnow. And to top it all off, his control improved to elite levels with a 4.5% BB%. That is almost unheard of for control to actually improve directly coming off major arm surgery. He’ll have to prove he can keep up this level over a full season, but if he can, he’ll be in the conversation for the #1 fantasy starter next year. 2024 Projection: 13/3.36/1.05/190 in 155 IP

60) Nolan Jones COL, OF, 25.11 – You can’t leave the house these days without hearing Nolan Jones this and Nolan Jones that, but I was ringing the 5 alarm bell on Jones back in my June Targets Article, closing out the blurb by writing, “Jones has no joke near elite potential … I would go hard after him.” After that writeup he put up a 1.007 OPS with 11 homers and 14 steals in his final 57 games. He went 20/20 in just 107 games on the season. His speed was vastly underrated as a prospect with a well above average 28.4 ft/sec sprint (are scouts just making up speed grades for most prospects?), but they nailed his power grade with an at least plus 90.1/95.3 MPH AVG/FB EV. He’s also an OBP machine with a 12.5% BB%. The two downsides are that he’s always had high strikeout rates with a 29.7% K%, and he’s never had a high launch angle with a 9.8 degree launch. Coors Field and the low launch should help his BA from completely tanking, but he’s not going to repeat a .401 BABIP. Unfortunately, he played far too well to have much value left on the bone this off-season, but if you took my advice back in June, you already have him. 2024 Projection: 86/26/88/.255/.352/.486/23

61) Matt McLain CIN, 2B/SS, 24.8 – While we’re all drooling over AFL breakouts right now, here is a reminder that McLain tanked in the AFL in 2022 with a .190 BA and 31.2% K%, before becoming one of the biggest MLB breakouts in 2023. He slashed .290/.357/.507 with 16 homers, 14 steals, and a 28.5%/7.7% K%/BB% in 89 games. He obliterated Triple-A too with a 184 wRC+ in 40 games. He has double plus speed with a 29 ft/sec sprint and he has above average power with a 89.3 MPH EV and 13.8 degree launch. His plate approach wasn’t great with a 28.5%/7.7% K%/BB% in the majors, but his chase rate was above average at 25.4%, and his 28% whiff% shows he isn’t going to have any major contact issues. He also had a 20.6%/16.7% K%/BB% in the minors. And the cherry on top is that he is a good defensive player, so he should be safe from the playing time crunch. McLain is the real deal. 2024 Projection: 67/20/63/.269/.343/.468/18 Update: Diagnosed with a shoulder injury and will begin the season on the IL. All options are still on the table, so surgery hasn’t been ruled out yet

62) Blake Snell SFG, LHP, 31.4 – In my first Mailbag Podcast Podcast back in April, I got asked about how concerned we should be with Blake Snell after his rough start to the season, and my response was that he is the type of pitcher to find his groove and rip off like 4 straight starts of double digit strikeouts, so I would hold on. Well, not only did he rip off 4 straight starts, he ripped off 23 straight starts with a 1.20 ERA and 186/72 K/BB in his final 135 IP. He had a 5.40 ERA with a 48/27 K/BB in the 45 IP before that. The problem is, just as easily as he can get red hot, he can also go ice cold with a 13.3% BB% that was a career worst and in the bottom 4% of the league. You are playing with fire with such bad control, which prevents Snell from entering the truly elite pitching tier, but with his extreme strikeout upside and career 3.20 ERA, it would be silly to drop him any further than the tier right under that. 2024 Projection: 13/3.27/1.20/218 in 170 IP

63) Jesus Luzardo MIA, LHP, 26.7 – I was super high on Luzardo last off-season, trusting the improved control he showed in the 2nd half of 2022, and that proved wise as his 7.4% BB% was actually above average this year. He also stayed healthy, putting up a pitching line of 3.58/1.21/208/55 in 178.2 IP. The stuff is filthy with a 96.7 MPH fastball, an elite slider that put up a 51.8% whiff% (only Snell and Strider can top that), and a solid changeup that misses bats (36.1% whiff%). He officially fulfilled his ace upside status. 2024 Projection: 13/3.49/1.15/202 in 175 IP

64) Grayson Rodriguez BAL, RHP, 24.5 – Rodriguez had a 7.35 ERA in his first 45.1 IP before Baltimore sent him back down, but he was different man when they called him back up, putting up a 2.58 ERA and 24%/6.9% K%BB% in his final 76.2 IP. He throws a 5 pitch mix led by a 97.4 MPH fastball and three above average to plus secondaries in his changeup, slider, and curve (he mixes in a cutter too). Even in his dominant 2nd half run, he didn’t really excel in any one area. He didn’t miss a ton of bats, the control wasn’t elite, and he didn’t particularly induce a ton of weak contact. It makes me a little hesitant to say he will be a true fantasy ace next season, but with his level of stuff and minor league performance, it seems inevitable he will get there eventually. 2024 Projection: 13/3.59/1.13/181 in 170 IP Prime Projection: 15/3.23/1.01/220 in 190 IP

65) Eury Perez MIA, RHP, 21.0 – Perez is going to be one of the greatest pitchers we’ve ever seen. He’s 6’8”, 220 pounds with a 97.5 MPH fastball and 3 double plus to elite secondaries. The slider notched a 47.7% whiff% and .226 xwOBA, the curve notched a 54.3% whiff% and .216 xwOBA, and the changeup notched a 46.2% whiff% and .161 xwOBA. He was 20 years old in the majors and put up a pitching line of 3.15/1.13/108/31 in 91.1 IP. The 33.7% whiff% is elite. He’s never had control problems in his career and that will probably end up plus too. The only thing that could stop him is injuries, which unfortunately has to be factored in for all young flamethrowers who have yet to throw a full MLB workload (128 IP is his career high). 2024 Projection: 7/3.56/1.14/125 in 100 IP Prime Projection: 16/2.82/0.96/240 in 180 IP Update: As I wrote, “the only thing that could stop him is injuries,” and injuries just stopped him as he’s now battling right elbow soreness. He was cleared of any structural damage, but there still isn’t a clear timeline

66) Gerrit Cole NYY, RHP, 33.7 – Cole’s strikeouts took a major step back in 2023, and that lasted throughout the entire season. His K% was down 5.4 percentage points to 27% and his whiff% was down 7.9% to 26%. The whiffs were down on all of his pitches. He still performed like a true ace with pitching line of 2.63/0.98/222/48 in 209 IP, and the stuff was still huge with a 96.7 MPH fastball, but his 3.48 xERA, 3.60 xFIP, and 3.63 SIERA all say he got lucky. With an elite stud like Cole who has a long track record, you don’t want to slice and dice the numbers too much, but he will be 33 next year, and everyone is human. Even if the strikeouts don’t bounce back, he’s as safe as an ace as there is (say that 10 times fast), but there are some indications he might be coming back to the pack a bit. 2024 Projection: 7/3.27/1.05/115 in 100 IP Update: Model of health Gerrit Cole just got popped with nerve inflammation and edema in his elbow. He’s hoping to return in early June, but who knows. Nobody is safe

67) Tyler Glasnow LAD, RHP, 30.7 – Glasnow is 30 years old and he just reached a career high 120 IP this season. An oblique injury was the culprit this year which delayed the start of his year until late May. When he’s on the mound, it’s crystal clear his fantasy upside is matched by very, very few. His 33.4% K% was bested by only Spencer Strider. The stuff is huge with a 96.4 MPH fastball, and the control is above average with a 7.6% BB%. If you want to look on the bright side, it wasn’t an arm injury which got him this year, and if you want to include the minors and the AFL, he threw 144.2 IP in 2014 and 140 IP in 2016. If you want to completely ignore the injury risk, I can see going 30 spots higher on him. The Dodgers doling out a 5 year, $136 million contract extension for him also gives added confidence that a smart organization is willing to bet on him staying healthy enough over the next 5 years to earn that contract. 2024 Projection: 12/3.48/1.11/190 in 145 IP

68) James Wood WAS, OF, 21.7 – The K% jumped to 33.7% in 87 games at Double-A, which is exactly what you are worried about with a player this tall (6’6”), but Wood is the type of unicorn athlete where you don’t want to let it scare you off him. He still cracked 18 homers with 10 steals and a 124 wRC+ at the level as a 20 year old. And that was coming off a 155 wRC+ in 42 games at the more age appropriate High-A. Despite his size and high strikeout rate, Wood has a relatively short and quick swing which gives hope he’ll be able to keep the strikeout rate in a range that allows his truly elite talent shine. Don’t expect a high BA, but expect him to kill it everywhere else. 2024 Projection: 45/17/51/.229/.308/.450/13 Prime Projection: 91/30/99/.253/.341/.508/18

69) Dylan Crews WAS, OF, 22.1 – Starting this blurb with anything other than the 73 wRC+ and 0 homers Crews put up in 85 PA at Double-A would be beating around the bush, and you know me, I don’t beat around the bush. The performance was bad enough to have Wyatt Langford clearly pass him for the top spot in my Top 130 2024 Dynasty Baseball First Year Player Draft Rankings (Wyatt’s dominance also had something to do with that), and also for me to prefer the newly minted highest paid pitcher in baseball history (Yamamoto), but that is where it ends. 85 PA isn’t enough to sour me on the 2nd overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft. Crews is built like a solid rock at 6’0”, 203 pounds, and he swings the bat so fast and powerfully it almost looks like he’s using an illegally light bat (he’s not, at least I don’t think he is ha). The ball explodes off it on contact. He obliterated the SEC from the second he stepped on campus as a freshman, and he kept on improving through his junior year, slashing .380/.498/.689 with 58 homers, 23 steals, and a 146/152 K/BB in 196 career games. He also destroyed the lower minors with a 192 wRC+ in 71 PA at Single-A. His floor feels like a 30+ homer bat without the best BA or tons of steals, but the ceiling is that of a truly elite dynasty player. 2024 Projection: 55/16/61/.251/.327/.458/9 Prime Projection: 89/29/97/.268/.347/.489/16

70) Noelvi Marte CIN, 3B, 22.6 – Everyone called Marte fat and slow this off-season, so of course he put up double plus run times in the majors with a 29.1 ft/sec sprint speed. Be super wary of scouting speed grades as they are wildly inaccurate (see also, Henry Davis and Nolan Jones). Not only is he a speedster, but he crushed the ball with a 91.3 MPH EV, and the hit tool looked good with a 20.3% K% and .296 xBA in 123 MLB PA. It all resulted in a slash line of .316/.366/.456 with 3 homers, 6 steals, and a 20.3%/6.5% K%/BB%. He showed those same skills in the upper minors with 11 homers, 18 steals, and a .279 BA in 92 games. He did all of this as a 21-year-old. He’s fast, he hits it hard, he gets the bat on the ball, he produced in the upper minors, he produced in the majors, and he was super young. Quite simply, this is an elite fantasy prospect, and I’m not sure he gets the respect he deserves. 2024 Projection: 37/9/33/.261/.322/.431/11 Prime Projection: 96/27/91/.276/.354/.491/25 Update: Suspended 80 games for a PED suspension. My instinct isn’t to drop super talented players down the rankings for a PED suspension, which is the same thing I did with Tatis. Marte gets a small drop, but nothing drastic.

71) Max Fried ATL, LHP, 30.2 – Fried missed 3 months of the season with a forearm strain, but he looked completely healthy when he returned with his 4th straight year of ace production. He had a pitching line of 2.55/1.13/25.7%/5.8% in 77.2 IP. He induces weak contact with a 86.5 MPH EV against (top 9% of the league), he keeps the ball on the ground with a 4.8 degree launch, he has plus control, and he misses bats with a 27.2% whiff%. 2024 Projection: 14/3.18/1.10/175 in 175 IP

72) Lane Thomas WAS, OF, 28.7 – Part of me feels like Thomas is a trap. The plate approach isn’t great (5.3% BB%), the hit tool is mediocre (25.8% K%), he was on the lucky side last year (.334 xwOBA vs. .319 wOBA), and the launch isn’t very high (10.8 degrees). But the things he does do well are the things that can result in a fantasy stud. He hits the ball fairly hard (94.6 MPH FB/LD EV), he’s fast (29.3 ft/sec sprint), and he gets the bat on the ball (23% whiff%). If you do those three things well, good things are most certainly going to happen. So while I came into this blurb intending to call Thomas a sell high, the more I really looked into it and thought about his profile, the more I realized he is a buy. I’m in. 2024 Projection: 87/25/83/.257/.318/.465/18

73) Marcus Semien TEX, 2B 33.7 – Projecting stolen bases can be a mystery wrapped in a riddle inside an enigma. Semien stole 25 bases in 2022, and with the new rules in 2023 when everyone was running wild, he stole only 14 bags. He’s as fast and healthy as he’s ever been, but his career high before 2022 was 15, so maybe it should have been expected. He made up for modest steal totals with a career best 14.6% K% and .276 BA (2nd best mark in his career). He also continues to get the most out of his average raw power with a 19.1 degree launch and 49.4% Pull% (29 homers). 2024 Projection: 103/28/86/.266/.335/.474/15

74) Logan Gilbert SEA, RHP, 26.11 – Gilbert is an elite control pitchers (4.7% BB%) with a big fastball (95.7 MPH) and improving secondaries. The whiff% was up 7.1 percentage points on his slider to a respectable 32.2%, 7.3 percentage points on his curveball to 30.6%, and his new splitter was at least plus when he went to it (14.8% usage) with a .185 xwOBA and 34.7% whiff%. Improving the secondaries was the last step to unleash his full potential, and while his 3.73 ERA and 24.5% K% in 190.2 IP doesn’t jump off the screen, it gives him the potential to level up even further in 2024. 2024 Projection: 14/3.54/1.12/193 in 187 IP

75) Aaron Nola PHI, RHP, 30.10 – Nola likely had the worst season of his career (other than his rookie season) taking into account both surface stats and underlying numbers. His 4.46 ERA was the 3rd worst mark of his career and his 3.77 xERA was the worst of his career. A 8.3% Barrel%, 89.3 MPH EV, and 32 homers against were all career worsts, and his 25.5% K% was a 7 year low. Nothing was so bad or so out of the realm of his career norms, and he’s been alternating great years with mediocre years for his entire career, so I don’t think this is the beginning of a true decline. The Phillies obviously agree as they just signed him for 7 years at $172 million. 2024 Projection: 12/3.61/1.12/205 in 190 IP

76) Framber Valdez HOU, LHP, 30.4 – It was a tale of 2nd halves for Framber as he had a 2.27 ERA with a 104/21 K/BB in his first 99 IP and 4.64 ERA with a 96/36 K/BB in his final 99 IP. He also got hit up in 12 playoff innings. The velocity was up on all of his pitches with a 95.3 MPH sinker (93.9 MPH in 2022), but it seems like it actually hurt him as his once insanely elite launch angle (negative 3.6 degrees in 2022) rose all the way to a positive 4.2 degrees. He missed a few more bats with a career high 26.7% whiff%, and his control was a bit better with a 7.1% BB%, but it didn’t make up for all extra flyballs, leading to a 3.46 ERA and 4.33 xERA. He’s a very, very good pitcher no matter how you slice it, but the extreme groundball rate was his best asset, and you might not be able to fully count on that anymore. 2024 Projection: 13/3.41/1.15/192 in 195 IP

77) Riley Greene DET, OF, 23.6 – Greene underwent Tommy John surgery on his non throwing elbow in late September, but since elbows seem to be optional for hitting anyway, he’s expected to be good to go for 2024. I still think you have to give some leeway for rust, especially in the 1st half, but long term, it shouldn’t be an issue. He was in the process of his first breakout before going down with the injury with an 11.3% Barrel%, 91.6/96.1 MPH AVG/FB EV, .363 xwOBA, and 28.1 ft/sec sprint speed. It led to .288 BA with 11 homers, and 7 steals in 99 games (a broken fibula kept him out for over a month in June). I said “first” breakout, because he has more levels in him if he can raise his 6.6 degree launch and improve on his 27.4%/8.4% K%/BB%, which I would bet on him being able to do as he gains experience. There is a chance Greene ends up a better real life hitter than fantasy, but he can potentially be such a good real life hitter that he’ll still be a fantasy beast. 2024 Projection: 86/20/77/.268/.335/.448/12 Prime Projection: 97/27/89/.282/.354/.476/15

78) Kevin Gausman TOR, RHP, 33.3 – Remember when people were worried about Gausman going from San Francisco to Toronto? (I named him a target that year) Remember when people questioned if he can be consistent with a splitter as his main secondary? Well, those memories are fading as Gausman has been the model of consistency. He put up a pitching line of 3.16/1.18/237/55 in 185 IP. His 31.1% K% was the 3rd best mark in the league among qualified starters. He’s one of the safest aces out there. 2024 Projection: 14/3.30/1.16/214 in 180 IP Update: A little shoulder injury popped up which they aren’t that concerned about right now, but not great

79) Christian Yelich MIL, OF, 32.4 – MVP level Yelich ain’t walking through that door, but he managed his back well enough to have his best season in 4 years. He took advantage of the new rules with 28 steals, and he maxed out his power potential with 19 homers in 144 games despite a 3.5 degree launch. He crushes the ball (91.7/96.7 MPH AVG/FB EV), he has a great plate approach (22.2%/12.3% K%/BB%), and he has speed (28.1 ft/sec sprint). He’s getting deeper into his 30’s, and was knocked out for a week in September with a stiff back, so I’m not sure he’s the type I want to bet on long term, but there should certainly be a few more years of impact fantasy production. 2024 Projection: 102/18/69/.272/.365/.436/25

80) Shane McClanahan TBR, LHP, 26.11 – McClanahan underwent Tommy John surgery in late August and will likely miss all of 2024, but he’s the type of pitcher I love taking the Tommy John surgery discount on. He’s established on the MLB level and his upside is elite. Before going down with the injury he was throwing a 96.8 MPH fastball with an elite changeup (54.1% whiff%) and two decent breaking balls. His whiff rates are elite with a 33.4% whiff% and his control is about average with a 8.7% BB%. He’ll also still be only 27 years at the start of the 2025 season. There is always extra risk when it comes to any major surgery, but his track record, performance, and youth makes him a great target if you can take the hit for 2024. 2024 Projection: OUT

81) Hunter Greene CIN, RHP, 24.8 – Buy low on Hunter Greene. We’ve been taught over and over again to not throw the towel in on elite pitching prospects if they don’t immediately dominate their first few years in the league, and Greene has all of the ingredients to be a next level breakout as he gains more experience. He had a 4.82 ERA in 112 IP, but the 3.82 xERA shows he was unlucky, and the 30.5%/9.6% K%/BB% is screaming future ace breakout. The stuff is fire with a 98.3 MPH fastball, a plus slider that notched a 39.2% whiff%, and an improving changeup that put up a respectable .314 xwOBA against. I know the fastball gets hit harder than you would expect, but as his command improves and as he continues to tinker with his arsenal, I’m betting on him figuring it out. This is going to be one of those breakouts that look so obvious in hindsight. 2024 Projection: 11/3.72/1.25/200 in 160 IP

82) Logan Webb SFG, RHP, 27.4 – Webb doesn’t have the type of strikeout rates I aim for in a true top of the rotation fantasy starter with a well below average 20.7% whiff% and an average 22.8% K%. His stuff also isn’t what I generally aim for in a top of the rotation fantasy starter with a 92.3 MPH sinker and none of his pitches as truly standout offerings. But he makes up for all of that with pinpoint control and tons of innings. His 3.7% BB% was the 3rd best amongst qualified starters. His 216 IP led all of baseball (Zac Gallen was 2nd at 210 IP). This is also his 3rd year in a row with a pristine ERA (3.25), so he’s more than cemented himself as legit. I’m usually not the highest guy on Webb in my dynasty/fantasy leagues, so I rarely end up with him, but I wouldn’t blame you for going out and getting him as your staff ace. 2024 Projection: 15/3.35/1.10/179 in 195 IP

83) Joe Ryan MIN, RHP, 27.10 – Ryan is an elite control pitcher (5.1% BB%) with a double plus 92.3 MPH 4-seamer that put up a 28.7% whiff% and was the 10th most valuable 4-seamer in baseball (200 PA min), but MLB hitters started poking some holes in his profile in 2023. He developed a major homer problem with 32 homers allowed, a 90 MPH EV against, and a 20.4 degree launch in 161.2 IP. He also still has a secondaries problem as none of his secondaries are standout offerings, to say the least. The sweeper and slider both got hit up, and while he went to the much improved splitter a lot more this year, it was only slightly above average with a 21.3% whiff% and .294 xwOBA against. It led to an inflated 4.51 ERA, and he was even worse in the 2nd half with a 5.90 ERA and 26 homers in his final 90 IP. Some of that was surely bad luck, and the 2nd half issues could have stemmed from a groin injury he picked up right around that time, but he has a career 4.05 ERA with a 4.01 xFIP in 335.1 IP, so I don’t think you can chalk it all up to bad luck/injury. I’m expecting a bounce back in 2024 and would happily buy low as a 29.3%/5.1% K%/BB% is in rarified air, but I wouldn’t be expecting it to come with too low of an ERA. 2024 Projection: 12/3.78/1.14/190 in 170 IP

84) Zach Eflin TBR, LHP, 29.4 – Tampa sprinkled their magic pixie dust on Eflin (if you missed out on Eflin, take a look at Aaron Civale for 2024), and he had the best year of his career by far with a 3.50 ERA (3.11 xERA) and 26.4%/3.4% K%/BB% in 177.2 IP. The Phillies had a horrific defense in Eflin’s career there and they have a hitter’s park, so I’m sure that had a lot to do with it, but his K/BB rate was also the best of his career, so it wasn’t all outside factors. He has elite control of a 6 pitch mix, led by a 92.2 MPH sinker that induces poor contact (86.8 MPH EV and negative one degree launch) and a 79.1 MPH plus curveball that induces weak contact and misses bats (85.4 MPH EV and 34.9% whiff%. Maybe the K rate regresses a bit more toward career norms in 2024, but I don’t think his breakout is a mirage. 2024 Projection: 13/3.41/1.10/173 in 170 IP

85) Gleyber Torres NYY, 2B, 27.4 – Torres massively improved his strikeout rate with a career best by far 14.6% K%, but it didn’t result in a particularly monster season with 25 homers, 13 steals, and a .273 BA in 158 games. He’s slow with a 26.4 ft/sec sprint speed, and his power is only above average with a 93.4 MPH FB/LD EV. His .361 xwOBA was a career high (.346 wOBA), so he might have been a hair unlucky, but if he didn’t have that monster breakout season in 2023, we probably shouldn’t expect it in 2024 either. Above average across the board production is the expectation. 2024 Projection: 86/26/81/.271/.340/.460/12

86) Bobby Miller LAD, RHP, 25.0 – Miller’s huge stuff unsurprisingly transferred to the big leagues with a very strong rookie year. He put up a 3.76 ERA with a 23.6%/6.3% K%/BB% in 124.1 IP. He threw a 5 pitch mix and all of the pitches were good. The 99.1 MPH 4-seamer and 98.7 MPH sinker were both plus, and all 3 of his off-speed pitches missed bats (curve-36% whiff%/change-39.9%/slider-29.2% whiff%). He established a very high floor for himself. The 23.6% K% was modest, but the 6.3% BB% is very encouraging, and seeing the whiff rates on his secondaries tell me there could easily be more swing and miss in the tank. He has legitimate ace upside. 2024 Projection: 12/3.52/1.18/165 in 160 IP

87) Francisco Alvarez NYM, C, 22.4 – Two of the oldest tricks in the dynasty book of trading make Alvarez a very attractive target this off-season. A .222 BABIP dragged his BA down to .209 (only 5 players in all of baseball with over 400 PA had a lower BABIP), and he didn’t immediately put up Hall of Fame numbers in his rookie season with a below average 97 wRC+. Bad luck (the 26% K% and 31.8% whiff% weren’t bad at all), and lack of patience with prospects in their rookie year are basically the playbook on how to make trades that look fair at the moment, but end up looking like major rip-offs not too far into the future. And with top prospects flying through the minors faster than ever, these type of buy opportunities are likely to explode when everyone’s favorite 20 and 21 year olds take a minute to adjust to MLB pitching. It’s not like Alvarez’ price will be dirt cheap though, because his 25 homers were the 2nd most for all catchers, and the 90.1/95.7 MPH EV backs up the production. The scary thing is, this is just scratching the surface of his power potential. Alvarez is going to be a perennial 30+ homer bat from the catcher position for the next decade. 2024 Projection: 72/32/80/.239/.324/.472/4 Prime Projection: 85/34/93/.254/.351/.520/3

88) Josh Jung TEX, 3B, 26.2 – Jung had an uncharacteristically bad plate approach when he returned from shoulder surgery in 2022, which I assumed would improve in 2023, but it didn’t with a 29.3%/5.8% K%/BB% in 122 MLB games. It didn’t matter though, because his power was big enough to overcome it with a 91.8 MPH EV and 15 degree launch that led to 26 homers in 139 games (including the playoffs). He was intentionally aggressive with a 40.8% 1st pitch swing% (29.6% is league average), and he wasn’t chasing wild crazy with a decent 32.9% chase%, so it was obviously a strategy. This was only his rookie year, so I think he’ll become a more complete hitter as he gains experience. He’s right on track to become one of the top young power hitters in the game. 2024 Projection: 81/30/93/.264/.323/.487/2

89) Spencer Torkelson DET, 1B, 24.7 – Tork scared us for a minute there with another slow start to the season, but the underlying numbers were screaming the hot streak was coming, and it sure came with 16 homers and a .921 OPS in his final 48 games. He had a .688 OPS in the 111 games before that, but the underlying numbers say he’s much closer to the player we saw in the last third of the season. He absolutely crushes the ball with a 91.8/95.8 MPH AVG/FB EV, 17.1 degree launch, 14.1% Barrel%, and 50.9% Hard Hit%. And he does it with average whiff rates (24.7% whiff%), above average walk rates (9.8% BB%) and above average chase rates (23.6% Chase%). The skills are definitely in here to put up an entire season of what he did in those last 48 games. 2024 Projection: 86/33/97/.253/.338/.491/4

90) Christian Encarnacion-Strand CIN, 1B, 24.4 – Injuries cleared up any playing time concern for Stand, and it’s now all systems go. He cracked 13 homers with a 10.5% barrel%, 95.8 MPH FB/LD EV, 18.6 degree launch, and .347 xwOBA in 63 games in 2023. Even his hit tool was pretty good with a .270 BA and .268 xBA. The plate approach wasn’t great as expected with a 28.6%/5.8% K%/BB%, but he proved he’s capable of making improvements in that area at Triple-A with a 21.8%/10.4% K%/BB%. Speaking of Triple-A, he decimated the level with 20 homers and a 155 wRC+ in just 67 games. Strand is on a beeline to be one of the premier power hitters in the game. 2024 Projection: 76/32/89/.252/.318/.499/4

91) Walker Jenkins MIN, OF, 19.1 – Selected 5th overall in the 2023 MLB Draft, the 6’3”, 215 pounds Jenkins has that sweet lefty swing that just oozes offensive potential. It’s athletic, quick, under control, powerful, smooth … I can go on and on. It’s hard to watch this guy hit and not completely fall in love. It has the potential for at least plus hit and plus power at peak, and he’s also a good athlete with above average run times. But we don’t have to only dream on the potential, as Jenkins’ showed it to us clear as day in his pro debut, slashing .362/.417/.571 with 3 homers, 6 steals, and a 12.2%/7.8% K%/BB% in 26 games split evenly between rookie ball (138 wRC+) and Single-A (182 wRC+). It’s the type of profile that can be an elite dynasty asset a la Kyle Tucker. Langford, Crews, and Yamamoto are locked in as my top 3 FYPD picks, and while there are good arguments for Skenes or even Matt Shaw at #4, I don’t think I can pass up on the truly “generational” (or maybe nearly generational would be more accurate ha) upside of Jenkins. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 94/31/102/.273/.345/.510/16

92) Zack Gelof OAK, 2B, 24.5 –  I named Gelof a major target mid-season, well before he started getting the respect he deserved, writing, “If you want safety, sign up for a defensive driving course. This here is the autobahn of dynasty baseball schools, and I don’t want speed limits. I want to take the restrictor plate off and let it fly. That brings us to the 6’3”, 205 pound Zack Gelof, whose upside was considerably underrated in the minors. The guy came up to the majors and has been a power/speed glutton with a 91.8 MPH EV, 20.3 degree launch, and 29.5 ft/sec sprint speed. It’s led to 4 homers and 5 steals in just 16 games. He flashed those same skills in the minors with 12 homers and 20 steals in 69 games at Triple-A. Sure it might feel like your car is coming apart at the seams with the steering wheel shaking and hearing a weird squeaking sound that you can’t quite place because your whiff% meter is well into the danger zone at 42.1%, but F it, you’re sick of playing it safe and falling just short of a championship. In fantasy baseball, if you crash and burn, you don’t actually die, you just feel shitty for a few weeks/months.” … after that write-up, Gelof actually took the breakout to another level with 10 homers, 9 steals, and a 25.4%/9.1% K%/BB% in his final 53 games. The strikeout and whiff rates both came way down and he continued to put up big power/speed numbers. He’s now getting the respect he deserves, so there probably isn’t that much excess value here, but I still like him at his fair price as well. 2024 Projection: 79/23/77/.246/.319/.438/28

93) Josh Lowe TBR, OF, 26.2 – Lowe is in a strong side of a platoon which caps his value, but most of Tampa’s extreme depth resides in the infield, and he put up a decent .712 OPS in 67 PA vs. lefties in 2023, so I wouldn’t completely rule out him locking down a nearly full time job in 2024 (you know Tampa is always going to mix and match a bit no matter what). And even with the platoon role, his power/speed combo is big enough to go after. He cracked 20 homers with 32 steals in only 501 PA. The hit tool took a big step forward with his K% dropping 8.5 percentage points to 24.8%, and it resulted in a .290 BA, but I’m not fully buying it with a 30.8% whiff% and 35.7% Chase%. The hit tool risk is still present, and he’s going to have to keep earning at bats vs. lefties, but Lowe has a path to truly monster fantasy upside. 2024 Projection: 73/22/79/.254/.319/.451/30

Shadow93) Shohei Ohtani LAD, RHP, 29.9 – This is where I would rank Ohtani as a pitcher only. He isn’t expected to pitch at all in 2024 after seemingly undergoing an internal brace procedure on his torn UCL in August. It will be his 2nd major elbow surgery in 5 years, and it increases the odds he gets babied a bit more as a pitcher when he returns. He’s an elite pitcher when healthy and I wouldn’t want to bet against a superhuman talent like Ohtani, so I’m inclined to take the UCL surgery discount on him even as a pitcher only. 2024 Projection: OUT

94) Cole Ragans KCR, LHP, 26.4 – Let me start with a word of caution. Ragans wasn’t nearly as good with Texas to start the season with a 5.92 ERA and 22.6%/13.2% K%/BB% in 24.1 IP, and he scuffled to close out the year too with a 4.88 ERA and 25.5%/15.7% K%/BB% in his final 24 IP. There is definitely potential for him to disappoint in 2024, but how can you not bet on a guy with this level of talent and stuff. He’s a 6’4” lefty with a 96.5 MPH fastball that notched a 27.9% whiff%. He throws 4 secondaries (change, cutter, curve, slider) with the change and slider leading the way with a .247 xwOBA and .202 xwOBA, respectively. In between the struggles to start and end the season, he had a 1.51 ERA with a 34.2%/6% K%/BB% in 47.2 IP. This is the type of ace upside where you don’t want to outthink yourself too much, because if you start to focus too much on the control issues, or the lack of track record, or injury risk with his velocity taking a monster jump this year (92.1 MPH fastball in 2022), you just might talk yourself out of him. 2024 Projection: 10/3.40/1.19/185 in 155 IP

95) Tanner Bibee CLE, RHP, 25.1 – Gavin vs. Tanner is an interesting debate. Tanner also had an excellent ERA (2.98) with a solid, but unspectacular 24.1% K% in 142 IP. He has the better control with a 7.7% BB% and he also has the much better changeup with a .234 xwOBA and 37.8% whiff% on the pitch (their sliders are equal). That gives him the definite safety edge over Williams. Where Williams beats him out is the fastball, and while Bibee’s 94.9 MPH fastball is nothing to sneeze at, it doesn’t have quite the explosion of Williams’. For pure upside, I would still give it to Williams, but Tanner has the safety edge with plenty of upside himself. 2024 Projection: 12/3.55/1.16/179 in 175 IP

96) Bryan Reynolds PIT, OF, 29.2 – If you look up “solid across the board production” in an imaginary dynasty baseball encyclopedia, you will see Bryan Reynolds picture. He slashed .263/.330/.460 with 24 homers, 12 steals, and a 21.6%/8.3% K%/BB% in 145 games. He hits the ball hard (90.1 MPH EV) with a line drive approach (10.9 degree launch) and above average speed (27.7 ft/sec sprint speed). He won’t carry you in any one category, but he’ll make a legit contribution in all of them. 2024 Projection: 89/26/87/.268/.340/.470/10

97) Alex Bregman HOU, 3B, 30.0 – Sometimes Runs and RBI can get lost in the fantasy chase for big power/speed combos, and Bregman thrives in those two categories. He scored 103 runs with 98 RBI despite being uninspiring in the other 3 5×5 hitting categories with a .262 BA, 25 homers, and 3 steals. He has an elite plate approach with a 12%/12.7% K%/BB%, is a great OBP player with a .363 OBP, and he gets the most out of his average raw power (91.9 MPH FB/LD EV) with a 17.6 degree launch and generally high pull rates throughout his career. Being an excellent real life batter, hitting in the middle of a great lineup is where he derives his value. 2024 Projection: 96/25/90/.265/.361/.450/3

98) Seiya Suzuki CHC, OF, 29.8 – Suzuki was hitting the ball too hard all season (91.4 MPH EV) to be held down for long, and the inevitable explosion happened in the final two months of the season, slashing .350/.406/.667 with 12 homers and a 17.4%/9.2% K%/BB% in his final 50 games. He’s a line drive hitter with a 10.8 degree launch, and he’s not a good base stealer with an under 50% success rate on the bases (6 for 13), so the fantasy upside isn’t huge, but he looks set up to have a big year now that he is getting fully acclimated to MLB. 2024 Projection: 89/25/87/.276/.351/.478/8

99) Pete Crow-Armstrong CHC, OF, 22.0 – I’ve been all in on Pete Crow since before he was drafted, and he finally fulfilled his elite prospect destiny in 2023. The power took yet another step forward with him jacking 20 homers in 107 games split between Double-A and Triple-A. He’s not an EV masher, but he doesn’t hit the ball weakly either, and his high launch will ensure he gets the most out of his still growing raw power. The CF defense and speed are elite with a 29.9 ft/sec sprint speed and 37 steals. There is bit more swing and miss than optimal with a 26% K%, but he’s always generally had a good feel to hit, and he’s never had low BA’s in the minors, so I’m not overly concerned about it. Armstrong has 20/40 written all over him. 2024 Projection: 41/9/29/.241/.310/.407/19 Prime Projection: 91/22/76/.257/.334/.439/34

100) Paul Goldschmidt STL, 1B, 36.7 – Goldschmidt put up a career low .810 OPS in 2023 (excluding his 48 game rookie year where he had a .808 OPS). He faked us out once before thinking he was about to decline after he put up a .821 OPS in 2019, so you know what they say about “fool me twice, shame on me,” but considering he’s 36 years old, maybe we should take this one more seriously. He’s not making it easy though, as his underlying numbers were still quite good with a 12% Barrel%, 91.3 MPH EV, and a career high 50.8% Hard Hit%. Those aren’t the numbers of a man who is about the fall off a cliff, although he did most of that damage in the first half with a .736 OPS in his final 74 games. Logic demands we have to factor in a decline phase for Goldy, but elite hitters like Goldy can often defy logic. 2024 Projection: 92/30/90/.279/.370/.480/10

101) Roman Anthony BOS, OF, 19.11 – I ended Anthony’s 2023 Top 1,000 blurb by writing, “There is a lot of refinement needed, but this is a high upside bat who could explode up rankings if everything comes together.” … well, everything came together and Anthony exploded up rankings, slashing .272/.403/.466 with 14 homers, 16 steals, and a 24.2%/17.5% K%/BB% in 106 games at mostly Single-A (109 wRC+) and High-A (164 wRC+). It was a little concerning that the K% jumped to 30.6% at High-A, but then he closed out the season at Double-A and had a 185 wRC+ with a 13.6%/18.2% K%/BB% in 10 games. And he did all this starting the season as an 18 year old. He’s an elite athlete at 6’2”, 200 pounds with a plus power/speed combo, powerful lefty swing, and a mature plate approach. The only things preventing him from being ranked even higher is that he’s not great at lifting the ball with an under 25% Flyball%, and he wasn’t a great base stealer with 16 steals in 23 attempts. He hits the ball so hard he can survive without a huge launch, and he has time to refine his base stealing skills as well, so neither are major concerns. He’s on a short list to be the #1 overall prospect in baseball by this time next year. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 96/25/88/.273/.358/.472/16

102) Dylan Cease SDP, RHP, 28.3 –  Cease has below average and inconsistent control, and while that certainly played a role in his disappointing season, that isn’t even what really got to him this year. What got to him is that his stuff was down a tick across the board and was much more hittable. His fastball velocity dropped from 96.8 MPH in 2022 to 95.6 MPH in 2023, and his slider dropped from 87.4 MPH to 86.3 MPH. It resulted in his EV against going from 86.8 MPH to 90 MPH, and his Hard Hit% going from 31.2% to 41.6%. He put up a pitching line of 4.58/1.42/214/79 in 177 IP on the season. He definitely got a little unlucky with a 4.07 xERA, he still missed a ton of bats with a 31% whiff%, and even his diminished stuff is still very good, so I’m far from completely writing him off, but the true ace numbers he put up in 2022 is looking like an outlier. 2024 Projection: 12/3.75/1.26/215 in 175 IP

103) Kodai Senga NYM, RHP, 31.2 – Senga blew past all reasonable expectations in 2023. He put up a 2.98 ERA with a 29.1%/11.1% K%/BB% in 166.1 IP, and he was even better in the 2nd half with a 2.44 ERA and 29.8%9.1% K%/BB% in his final 84.2 IP. He did it on the back of an insane forkball that put up a 59.8% whiff% and .184 xwOBA. It was the highest whiff% on any pitch in all of baseball thrown at least 317 times (and if you lower the threshold all the way down to 54 pitches, it was the 4th highest mark). He throws gas with a 95.6 MPH fastball and has as diverse 6 pitch mix. Control is really the only thing that can tank him, and if you take into account he was adjusting to a new league and new ball in the 1st half of the season, his 2nd half 9.1% BB% really isn’t bad at all. It’s definitely possible he takes another step forward in year 2. 2024 Projection: 11/3.37/1.17/185 in 155 IP Update: Got a PRP injection for a sore shoulder and will begin the season on the IL. So far it doesn’t seem like there is a ton of concern and he is hoping to begin throwing again in March, but this is not good news to say the least

104) Gavin Williams CLE, RHP, 24.8 – Gavin didn’t blow the doors off in his MLB debut with a 23.5%/10.7% K%/BB in 82 IP, but he pitched damn well with a 3.26 ERA, and he proved all of his skills will transfer. The 95.7 MPH fastball was plus with a respectable 24.9% whiff%, and his two breaking balls were at least above average with a .238 xwOBA on the slider and 35.2% whiff% on the curve. It led to a 27.8% whiff% overall which is a very strong foundation to set in your rookie year. The control and/or the changeup will likely have to take a step forward to reach his top of the rotation upside, but this was a very encouraging start to his career. 2024 Projection: 9/3.69/1.22/151 in 145 IP Prime Projection: 13/3.48/1.17/195 in 180 IP Update: Has elbow discomfort but it isn’t considered serious. Will start the season on the IL though

105) Jackson Jobe DET, RHP, 21.9 – Jobe made his season debut in mid June from lumber spine inflammation, which obviously sounded worse than it really was, because he immediately looked like the best pitching prospect in baseball when he returned. He had a 2.81 ERA with a 32.6%/2.3% K%/BB% in 64 IP at mostly High-A. He closed the season out with a gem at Double-A, going 6 IP with 4 hits, 0 ER, and a 6/0 K/BB, and then he went to the AFL and dominated in that extreme hitter’s environment with a 2.87 ERA and 19/5 K/BB in 15.2 IP. He looks absolutely electric on the mound at 6’2”, 190 pounds with an athletic delivery and a double plus 4 pitch mix. He was known for his high spin slider coming into the draft, and the pitch is so filthy it almost doesn’t look real. His changeup dominated as well with nasty tailing diving action, the fastball sits mid 90’s with excellent movement, and the cutter is a high spin pitch that misses bats. And he does all of this with pinpoint control. He still has to prove it in the upper minors, which I’m not too concerned about, and he has to prove he can stay healthy and maintain his stuff with a full MLB starters workload, which is more concerning, but that’s just the pitching prospect game. He’s my #1 pitching prospect in baseball, non Yoshinobu Yamamoto division. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 15/3.18/1.03/220 in 180 IP

106) Paul Skenes PIT, RHP, 21.10 – Selected 1st overall in the 2023 MLB Draft, Skenes’ season was nothing short of jaw dropping with a pitching line of 1.69/0.75/209/20 in 122.2 IP in the SEC. His fastball sits in the upper 90’s and routinely hits over 100 MPH. His slider is elite, and while he didn’t go to his changeup as much, that pitch is also nasty. He also displayed plus control of his entire arsenal. He’s 6’6”, 235 pounds with a relatively athletic delivery and he’s a good athlete in general as evidenced by the fact he is also an excellent hitter. He had a career 1.121 OPS in 119 games in the Mountain West before transferring into the SEC. There were some whispers about poor fastball shape in his 6.2 IP pro debut, but I wouldn’t let that sour you on a generational type pitching prospect. He’ll still be just 21 years old on Opening Day, so plenty of refinement, tinkering, new pitches etc … are coming down the road. 2024 Projection: 8/3.80/1.27/133 in 120 IP Prime Projection: 15/3.28/1.06/237 in 190 IP

107) Chase DeLauter CLE, OF, 22.6 – A broken foot delayed the start of DeLauter’s pro career until June of this year, but he quickly answered every question you could have had about him in resounding fashion. He didn’t play in the toughest college conference (Coloniel Athletic Association), so seeing his hit tool and advanced plate approach completely transfer to pro ball is huge. He put up a 12.5%/5.7% K%/BB% in 42 games at High-A (164 wRC+), a 10.7%/17.9% K%/BB% in 6 games at Double-A (149 wRC+), and a 10.1%/12.8% K%/BB% in 23 games in the AFL. For a man with his type of talent at 6’4”, 235 pounds, that is incredibly exciting. He hit only 5 homers in 57 regular season games, but he doesn’t have any major groundball issues, he has plus raw power, and he’s hit 5 homers in 23 AFL games. The power is there. He also didn’t run a ton with 6 steals, but keep in mind he was coming off the foot injury, and he nabbed 5 bags in the AFL. He was a bit underrated at the end of 2023 and into the early off-season, but with his insane spring, he’s not underrated anymore.. 2024 Projection: 48/11/44/.257/.319/.438/11 Prime Projection: 88/25/86/.274/.343/.472/17

108) Spencer Jones NYY, OF, 22.11 – Strikeouts are the only thing we have to worry about with the uber talented 6’6”, 235 pound beast, which is why his 28.2% K% in 78 PA at Double-A is actually encouraging. That number could have easily skyrocketed against more advanced pitching after putting up a 29% K% in 100 games at High-A. Jones can live in the upper 20’s and still thrive due do his double plus power/speed combo. He hit 16 homers and stole 38 bags in 117 games. His groundball rates are on the high side, but with how hard he hits the ball, it might actually be a good thing to ensure his batting average doesn’t tank too low. It’s more or less the Elly De La Cruz package, and just like I’m buying Elly, I’m buying Jones too. 2024 Projection: 31/8/29/.228/.304/.421/9 Prime Projection: 89/25/86/.248/.326/.478/26 Update: Jones massively improved his swing and miss this spring, which is extremely encouraging considering his monster tools. I just ranked him 3rd overall on my Predicting the Top 50 2025 Dynasty Baseball Prospects Rankings. I’ve been super high on Jones from the get go, ranking him 5th overall on my 2023 FYPD Rankings, and I’ll continue to be super high on him

109) Bryson Stott PHI, 2B, 26.6 – Stott has a level of power upside in him that many other plus contact/speed profiles don’t have. He’s 6’3”, 200 pounds, he doesn’t have any major groundball issues with a 11.3 degree launch in his career, and he doesn’t have very low EV’s with an about average 88.1 MPH EV. Philly’s ballpark is also among the best for homers. I’m not predicting he will have a big power breakout because the 91.3 MPH FB/LD EV isn’t great and he doesn’t pull the ball a ton, but he’s still in the part of his career where big jumps in skills can take place, so his power leveling up is something I’m not ruling out. And his 15 homers in 2023 already isn’t too bad of a floor. Obviously what you are actually buying is his 15.6% K% and 28.8 ft/sec sprint speed with 31 steals, but that little extra hope for a power jump is what puts him over similar players for me. 2024 Projection: 83/16/68/.272/.330/.415/30

110) Nico Hoerner CHC, 2B/SS, 26.11 – Hoerner is an elite defensive 2B with elite contact rates (12.1% K%) and elite base stealing skills (43 for 50 on the bases). He doesn’t hit the ball hard with an 86.6 MPH EV, but that isn’t truly in the danger zone with the new ball. He has below average walk rates and below average chase rates, so the main risk is that he ends up hitting at the bottom of the order rather than the top of the order, but he can also just as easily improve in those areas. 2024 Projection: 89/11/61/.277/.339/.400/39

111) Will Smith LAD, C, 29.0 – I feel like I keep expecting Smith to hit another level with his surface stats, and it’s just not happening. He hits the ball hard with a 89.3 MPH EV, he lifts it with a 15.6 degree launch, and he has a great plate approach with a 16.1%/11.4% K%/BB%, but it all resulted in him finishing 141st overall on the Razzball Player Rater with a .261 BA and 19 homers in 126 games. He’s hinted at bigger surface stats in his rookie year with 15 homers in just 54 games, and in the shortened 2020 season with 8 homers in just 37 games, but he hasn’t been able to repeat that in a full season. The ingredients are there to have that huge career year, but you can’t draft him expecting it. I would expect another year where he’s a really, really good real life hitter, but only an above average fantasy hitter. 2024 Projection: 74/24/79/.260/.355/.461/2

112) J.T. Realmuto PHI, C, 33.0 – Buying a 33 year old catcher whose speed is a major part of his profile doesn’t seem like the best long term bet, but Realmuto keeps churning out good seasons (20 homers and 16 steals in 135 games), and his speed hasn’t dropped off a smidge yet with a 28.7 ft/sec sprint speed. His power is also big enough to sustain a speed decline with a 95 MPH FB/LD EV, 16.7 degree launch, and 11.2% Barrel%. In a win now scenario I don’t mind riding him for a few more years, but this off-season could definitely be a good opportunity to cash in on him before he does start showing signs of decline. 2024 Projection: 73/23/73/.265/.328/.464/17

113) William Contreras MIL, C, 26.3 – Contreras finished as the #1 fantasy catcher in 2023. His 611 PA were 2nd to only Adley (687 PA), and his contact rates took a big jump forward with a career best 20.6% K% (27.7% in 2022) and 28% whiff% (34.3% in 2022). The improved contact rates didn’t take away from his hard hit ability at all with a 91.3 MPH EV and career best 48.7 Hard Hit%. He even took advantage of the new rules, chipping in with a career best 6 steals (previous career high was 2, including the minors). The one area of his game that didn’t improve is his launch angle with a career low 4.7 degree launch, resulting in only 17 homers in 141 games. He was also on the lucky side with a .253 xBA vs. .289 BA. The low launch makes it hard to buy him for his power, the low xBA makes it hard to buy him for his BA, and you sure as hell ain’t buying him for speed with a 26.5 ft/sec sprint speed. What you are buying is how hard he hits the ball, and hope the rest works itself out one way or the other, which isn’t a bad plan. 2024 Projection: 77/21/77/.274/.352/.455/3

114) Vinnie Pasquantino KCR, 1B, 26.6 – Vinnie’s season ended in June when he underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder. While it’s been proven you don’t need elbows to hit, you most certainly need your shoulder. I’m more scared of shoulder surgeries than elbow surgeries, but we’ve seen plenty of guys return from shoulder surgeries and perform well (Jung, Tatis, Carroll), and Vinnie is already ripping liners in the cage, so I’m not overly concerned. What’s of greater concern is that the Royals park is brutal for lefty homers, and Vinnie has yet to prove he can be a big power hitter on the MLB level. He raised his launch angle before going down with the injury with a 17.4 degree launch, but he put up only a 92.1 MPH FB/LD EV, and it was only 92 MPH in 2022. It resulted in a .247 BA with 9 homers in 61 games. The contact rates and plate approach are near elite with a 11.9%/9.6% K%/BB%, so the floor is very high, but he has no speed and the homer power is still questionable. 2024 Projection: 82/25/86/.270/.353/.467/2

115) Spencer Steer CIN, 1B/3B/OF, 26.4 – I named Steer a target last off-season and finished his Top 1,000 blurb by writing, “He’s in a great ballpark and I’m betting on those EV numbers coming up enough for Steer to do damage. I would buy his poor MLB debut.” As I predicted, his poor EV numbers in his rookie year (84.7 MPH) came way up to 88.7 MPH, and he most certainly did damage, slashing .271/.356/.464 with 23 homers, 15 steals, and a 20.9%/10.2% K%/BB% in 156 games. The underlying numbers back up the production with average to above average marks everywhere you look. 2024 Projection: 79/24/81/.266/.341/.457/13

116) Kyle Schwarber PHI, OF, 31.1 – Schwarber drilled 47 homers with a .197 BA. Almost half of his hits were homers with 115 total hits. He is the ultimate 3 true outcome slugger with a 16.4% Barrel% and 29.9%/17.5% K%/BB%. 2024 Projection: 94/43/92/.222/.354/.499/4

117) Dansby Swanson CHC, SS, 30.2 – Swanson doesn’t have quite big enough power or a good enough hit tool to only be around a 10 steal guy, especially in the modern game. He hit .244 with 22 homers and 9 steals in 147 games. He was definitely on the unlucky side with a .346 xwOBA vs. a .325 wOBA, but he’s a career .253 hitter and 27 homers is his career high, so he didn’t fall that much under his career norms. The skills are in there to put up a big power/speed season with a 95.1 MPH FB/LD EV and 28.4 ft/sec sprint, but at 30 years old already, it would be a bit reckless to draft him expecting that. 2024 Projection: 86/26/84/.256/.331/.458/13

118) Matt Shaw CHC, 2B/SS, 22.5 – Selected 13th overall in the 2023 MLB Draft, Shaw is only 5’11”, but he’s a thick dude who has real power, and he combines that with above average speed and excellent base stealing skills. He has that little man leg kick (which Chicago toned down a hair in pro ball) that I absolutely love in the mold of a Alex Bregman, Spencer Steer, and Zach Neto. It seems to be working for these slightly undersized guys, and it’s certainly working for Shaw. He smashed 24 homers with 18 steals and a 1.142 OPS in 62 Big Ten games. He also impressed in the wood bat Cape Cod League with 5 homers, 21 steals, and a 1.006 OPS in 36 games. He then ran through pro ball like it was nothing, finishing the year at Double-A slashing .292/.329/.523 with 3 homers, 6 steals, and a 17.1%/4.3% K%/BB% in 15 games at the level. Shaw was my top draft target pre-draft (I actually pointed out Shaw as my top target back in February before the season even started), but now that he absolutely blew up in pro ball, there is no chance you get a great value on him. He’s worth his very high draft price though. 2024 Projection: 36/10/43/.253/.312/.432/11 Prime Projection: 85/25/89/.271/.337/.469/21

119) Ha-Seong Kim SDP, 2B/SS/3B, 28.6 – Kim put up a 71 wRC+ in year one, a 106 wRC+ in year two, and a 112 wRC+ in year 3. His whiff% went from 21.6%, to 19.1%, to 17.7%, and his BB% went from 7.4%, to 8.8%, to 12%. Keep this in mind for all international players coming over to a new country and using a different baseball. It takes time to get fully acclimated. Kim’s big year wasn’t only about getting acclimated though, he also took advantage of the new rules and new ball with his stolen base totals exploding with 36 steals and his below average power (86.2 MPH EV) playing up with 17 homers. 2023 was probably on the high end of what Kim is capable of, but as long as MLB doesn’t deaden the ball again, I don’t see why he can’t put up similar numbers in 2024. 2024 Projection: 82/15/60/.255/.338/.395/32

120) Cedric Mullins BAL, OF, 29.6 – I’m not so sure I want to take the ride with Mullins into “old age.” His speed has been declining every single year since he debuted in 2018, and it was down to a merely above average 28 fts/sec in 2023. With everyone running wild now, and him slowing down, his stolen base contributions aren’t likely to be as valuable in the future. He’s also put up a well below average xwOBA in every year of his career but one (2021). It’s sat at .288 for the past two seasons. He’s handily outperformed his xwOBA in his career, so I wouldn’t be overly concerned, but I don’t exactly love it. And he’s in a stacked organization where he may start to get rested more often. I still have him ranked relatively highly, because even with all of that, he has the easy potential to go 20/30. He doesn’t hit the ball weakly with an average-ish 88.9 MPH EV, he lifts it with a 21.6 degree launch, and he stole 19 bases in 115 games in 2023 battling through a couple lower body injuries. He’s also a solid CF defender, so his glove should help keep him on the field. 2024 Projection: 78/18/74/.255/.322/.415/26

121) Bryan Woo SEA, RHP, 24.2 – Woo doesn’t get nearly the hype as most of the other breakout rookie pitchers, and he deserves every bit of that hype. His 95.1 MPH 4-seamer is double plus with a 30.3% whiff% and .287 xwOBA, His 95 MPH sinker is also double plus with a negative 5 degree launch and 85.2 MPH EV against. The slider and cutter both get a respectable amount of whiffs (33% and 31.3%) and both induce weak contract (86.1 MPH and 83.7 MPH). His 28.1% whiff is well above average and his control is average with a 8.4% BB%. This is a floor of an above average starter, and the ceiling is legit top of the rotation production. The 4.21 ERA (3.48 xERA) should leave plenty of meat on the bone this off-season. He’s a major target. 2024 Projection: 11/3.62/1.22/160 in 155 IP

122) Bo Naylor CLE, C, 24.1 – It took Naylor a minute to find his footing in the majors (.592 OPS in his first 44 games), but he was an absolute stud once he did, slashing .321/.434/.679 with 7 homers, 4 steals, and a 16.2%/16.2% K%/BB% in his final 28 games. There were some hit tool concerns in the minors, but he’s completely erased those with a 21.8% MLB whiff% and a 19.3%/18.1% K%/BB% at Triple-A (123 wRC+). He didn’t smash the ball in the majors with an 87.7 MPH EV, but he had a 90.8 MPH EV at Triple-A, and he lifts the ball with a 21 degree launch, so he’s going to get the most out of his power. The cherry on top is that he’s always liked to run with average speed. Naylor has a chance to be a true beastly fantasy catcher. 2024 Projection: 73/22/73/.243/.335/.444/10 Prime Projection: 79/27/83/.259/.350/.475/10

123) Yainer Diaz HOU, C, 25.5 – Diaz isn’t a particularly good defensive catcher, which made Houston hesitant to hand over the reins, but his offense is about to force the issue (literally in the middle of writing this blurb, MLB Trade Rumors dropped an article reporting that Diaz will be the man in 2024, so we don’t have to worry about playing time). He’s a barrel machine with a 12.2% Barrel% on the back of plus power (90.3 MPH EV) and above average contact rates (19.6% K%). He was unstoppable in the final 83 games of the season with a .295 BA, 22 homers and a .905 OPS. He’s a high chase player with a 2.9% BB% and 44% chase%, but plenty of guys thrive with that profile when they are in their physical primes, and he’s sure to improve on that as he gains experience. I like him at his fair value, and I wouldn’t mind sticking my neck out a bit to grab him either. 2024 Projection: 68/25/84/.276/.318/.477/1

124) Nolan Gorman STL, 2B, 23.11 – Gorman’s swing and miss is in the danger zone with a 31.9% K% and 35.5% whiff%, and it made him an extremely streaky player in 2023. He alternated between red hot and ice cold, but it all added up to a classic low BA slugger type season, slashing .236/.328/.478 with 27 homers, 7 steals, and a 31.9%/11.4% K%/BB% in 119 games. He’s not a good defensive player, but St. Louis seems committed to getting his bat in the lineup, and looking up and down their organization, he’s one of their few young sluggers, so I’m not too worried about playing time long term. He also hits lefties well with a .840 OPS in 2023, so that shouldn’t be a major issue either. If his hit tool takes a step forward, he can be one of the best power hitters in the game, and even if it doesn’t, a 91 MPH EV, 22.2 degree launch, and 16.5% Barrel% ensures he will be an impact fantasy player no matter what. 2024 Projection: 77/33/90/.242/.331/.490/7

125) Henry Davis PIT, OF, 24.6 – Davis put up a 28.2 ft/sec sprint speed in his MLB debut, which is in the top 28% of the league. His speed grades on mainstream prospect lists ranged from a 30 to a 45 … a 30!?!? I’m calling for a full scale investigation into speed grades! … but seriously, are they just picking them out of a hat for most guys? He wasn’t afraid to use that speed either with 10 steals in 55 games in the minors and 3 steals in 8 attempts in 62 games in the majors. That success rate was rough, but I like his willingness to run. And speed is just the cherry on top. What you are buying is his bat. He was insanely dominant in the upper minors with a 1.015 OPS and 12 homers in 55 games split between Double-A and Triple-A. He wasn’t as good in the majors with a .653 OPS, but the underlying numbers were encouraging with an 88.6 MPH EV, 12.5 degree launch, 27% whiff%, and 9.8% BB%. Pitt has also confirmed they plan on using him behind the plate again, and with Endy Rodriguez’ injury, that is now a foregone conclusion. All of the components are there for him to have a big breakout as he gets more comfortable in the majors, and because the debut was mediocre, he is a great target. 2024 Projection: 67/21/75/.249/.326/.448/8 Prime Projection: 78/25/85/.266/.344/.490/10

126) Bryce Miller SEA, RHP, 25.7 – Seattle certainly has a type. Miller’s profile is eerily similar to George Kirby and Logan Gilbert. He has elite control of an at least plus 95.1 MPH fastball that he relies on heavily, putting up a 27.8% whiff% with a 58.5% usage on the pitch. It resulted in a pitching line of 4.32/1.14/22.2%/4.8% in his 131.1 IP MLB debut. The secondaries are even rougher than Kirby and Gilbert though with a below average slider (91 MPH EV and 24.4% whiff%) being his best and most used secondary. If 2023 was his floor, you are still getting a solid low WHIP mid rotation starter, and considering his secondaries have nowhere to go but up, he has #2/3 fantasy starter upside. 2024 Projection: 11/3.88/1.19/155 in 160 IP Update: Miller’s new splitter looks filthy, and it plays off his fastball perfectly. He gets a spring bump

127) Walker Buehler LAD, RHP, 29.8 – Buehler missed all of 2023 after undergoing Tommy John surgery in August of 2022, but he actually almost made it back for the end of the season. He made one rehab outing at Triple-A and pitched 2 perfect innings with 2 K’s. The fastball sat 94.6 MPH and he used a 6 pitch mix. It sure seems like the stuff will get back to nearly 100% by the start of 2024, although there has been some talk about limiting his innings/delaying the start of his season, and his strikeout rate was trending down in 2021 and 2022. A #2 fantasy starter is a reasonable expectation for him going forward. 2024 Projection: 11/3.50/1.17/160 in 160 IP

128) Joe Musgrove SDP, RHP, 31.4 – Ranking pitchers with arm injuries, especially a shoulder injury, is one of the hardest parts of doing rankings. Just look at Brandon Woodruff, who you might have been inclined to ignore his shoulder injury, that is until it was announced he underwent shoulder surgery and will miss all of 2024. Musgrove was seemingly headed in the right direction from his shoulder injury that had kept him out since July 28th before it was obvious there was no point in bringing him back. If you want to ignore the injury risk, Musgrove had yet another excellent season with a 3.05 ERA and 24.3%/5.3% K%/BB% in 97.1 IP. He throws a 6 pitch mix with 5 of the 6 pitches putting up an above average to plus xwOBA. Performance wise, he is a very safe bet, but that shoulder injury adds a healthy dose of unknown risk that is hard to actually pinpoint. 2024 Projection: 10/3.41/1.14/151 in 150 IP

129) Ricky Tiedemann TOR, LHP, 21.7 – Tiedemann’s dominance in the AFL quieted some of the risk that was growing after an injured and mixed bag season in 2023. He had a 2.50 ERA with a 23/8 K/BB in 18 IP. He went 5 IP in 3 of the 4 starts after not reaching 5 IP the entire season. The stuff is elite with a mid 90’s fastball and two plus secondaries in his slider and changeup. He also looks the part at 6’4”, 220 pounds with an almost sidearm lefty delivery. If he stays healthy and throws the ball over the plate, he’ll be an easy ace, but those are the two areas that can trip him up. He pitched only 62 innings all year, including the AFL, because of a biceps injury that kept him out for almost 3 months. It will probably take 3 years to truly build up his innings fully, and we all know the injury risk with young flamethrowers like this. His 12% BB% is also nearing the danger zone where inconsistency can end up a part of the profile. The profile isn’t without risk, but when dealing in upside prospect flamethrowers, that is just the game. He’s an elite pitching prospect. 2024 Projection: 5/3.81/1.31/111 in 100 IP Prime Projection: 14/3.38/1.19/213 in 170 IP

130) Jacob deGrom TEX, RHP, 35.10 – deGrom’s season ended after just 6 starts with elbow inflammation that required Tommy John surgery in early June. He also underwent Tommy John surgery in 2010, so he’s a two time offender. We can dig into past arms who returned from 2 Tommy John surgeries (Nathan Eovaldi), but the bottom line is that an elite of the elite player like deGrom can be compared to nobody. Even if he takes one or two steps back, he is coming from such a high place that he will still be a legit ace. He had a dumb stupid 39.1%/3.5% K%/BB% in 30.1 IP before going down with the injury. His fastball sat 98.7 MPH and his slider and changeup both sat over 91 MPH. In late October he claimed his arm was already feeling pretty normal and was hoping to return in August of next season. He’ll “only” be 35 years old, which is like 30 years old in truly elite pitcher years. I honestly wouldn’t be all that scared going after him, but there is obviously some unknown risk here that is hard to actually quantify, and it’s usually the 2nd year back from Tommy John where pitchers truly round into form. 2024 Projection: 5/3.17/1.02/85 in 60 IP

131) George Springer TOR, OF, 34.7 – Springer seems to be in a perfect target goldilocks zone for a win now team. His age (34) will scare a lot of dynasty owners away, and he’s coming off a down season with a .732 OPS. What makes him a buy is that most of his underlying numbers aren’t far off from his career norms, he was playing better in his final 49 games with a .815 OPS, and the new stolen base rules invigorated him with a career high 20 steals. His 22.3% whiff% was a career best and while he’s slowing down, he still had above average speed with a 27.8 ft/sec sprint. I think he still has a few more really good years in the tank. 2024 Projection: 88/27/82/.264/.339/.460/15

132) Marcell Ozuna ATL, OF, 33.5 – Ozuna’s .400 xwOBA was the 9th best mark in all of baseball. He popped a career high 40 homers on the back of a 16.6% Barrel% and 22.6%/9.6% K%/BB%. He vastly underperformed his underlying numbers in 2021-2022, but nobody wanted to trust the bounce back was coming. 2023 sure had the look and feel of a good ole’ traditional career year, so I wouldn’t expect a repeat, but he’s been a really good hitter his entire career, and 2023 put a screeching halt to any talk of an age related decline. 2024 Projection: 79/33/93/.265/.332/.508/2

133) Nolan Arenado STL, 3B, 33.0 – Arenado had his first decline when he left Coors, and now it looks like he’s having his 2nd decline as he enters his mid 30’s. He’s in the bottom 6% of baseball for sprint speed, which is a career worst and is an indicator is he passing his physical prime. Fangraphs and Statcast both agreed his defense fell to career worst rates as well, although he is still a good defensive player. The numbers looked mighty pedestrian too with 26 homers, a .266 BA, and a .774 OPS in 144 games. He still gets the bat on the ball (16.5% K%), he can lift it (16.9 degree launch), and hits it hard enough with a 88.8 MPH EV, so he’s more than capable of putting up good offensive seasons, but his days of being a true fantasy beast seem in the past. 2024 Projection: 77/29/91/.269/.325/.473/4

134) Josh Hader HOU, Closer, 30.0 – I decided to ignore Hader’s rough 2nd half of 2022 due to the extenuating circumstances (his wife went through a very tough last month of pregnancy), and that proved wise as he was completely back to himself in 2023. He put up a 1.28 ERA with a 36.8%/13% K%/BB% in 56.1 IP. The sinker sat 96.1 MPH and the slider put up a 51.7% whiff%. He’s as elite as they come. Houston is a good landing spot for him, but it wouldn’t be shocking to see Pressly steal some saves away based on matchups with Hader being a lefty. 2024 Projection: 4/2.21/1.02/93/32 saves in 60 IP

135) Justin Steele CHC, LHP, 28.9 – Steele worries me a little. He’s a two pitch pitcher and neither pitch is really dominant. The fastball sits only 91.8 MPH and it put up a solid but unspectacular .326 xwOBA and 20.3% whiff%. The slider put up a pretty mediocre 31.1% whiff%, and while it induced weak contact with a 86.6 MPH EV against, I prefer my sliders to miss bats. His control took a monster step forward with a 5% BB%, but he’s never shown that level of control in the past, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see that regress a bit in 2024. His ERA was also much better in the 1st half (2.56) than the 2nd half (3.62). I say all of this just to add some caution, because not only do I still like him, I was actually lightly touting him last off-season, writing in his Top 1,000 blurb, “Steele’s the type you put a star next to their name as you start to fill out of the back half of your fantasy rotation.” He induces weak contact, he keeps the ball in the ballpark, he has about average whiff rates, and his control took a big step forward. He’s a good pitcher, just don’t be surprised if he ends up more above average than truly standout in 2024. 2024 Projection: 13/3.62/1.21/175 in 170 IP

136) Michael King SDP, RHP, 28.10 – King pitched too damn well once being transitioned to a starter to leave a ton of value on the bone. And then tack on him being the centerpiece of the Juan Soto trade, and he won’t be sliding under anyone’s radar. He put up a 2.02 ERA with a 45/7 K/BB in his final 35.2 IP. There is nothing in the underlying data to say it was a fluke, and he’s been lights out for 2 years now in whatever role the Yanks put him in. The stuff is good, he misses bats, he induces weak contact, and he doesn’t have any major control issues. He was also a starter throughout his minor league career, so it’s not like starting is a new challenge for him. Everything is pointing towards him being for real, but there are a couple things to consider before you really sell the farm for him. His velocity was slowly declining to close out the season, and he also had a serious arm injury in 2022 (fractured elbow which required surgery). It adds at least some doubt if he can truly keep up this level of production under a full starter’s workload. I’m willing to go after him if the price doesn’t get too out of control, but I’m concerned his price could get too out of control. 2024 Projection: 10/3.44/1.17/162 in 145 IP

137) Ketel Marte ARI, 2B, 30.6 – When the balls get juicier, Marte’s power comes out to play. He hit 32 homers with the silly super ball in 2019, and he jacked 25 homers with the juicier ball this year. He’s a line drive hitter (10.7 degree launch) with a plus plate approach (16.8%/10.9% K%/BB%), plus raw power (91.1 MPH EV), and a handful of steals (8 steals). As long as the balls stay a bit juiced, he’ll likely be able to line enough dingers out of the park to not drop back down to dead ball levels (12 homers in 2022). 2024 Projection: 87/22/74/.271/.346/.455/9

138) Josh Naylor CLE, 1B, 26.9 – Naylor built on his breakout 2022 season by leveling up yet again. In fact, he’s improved every single year of his career with a .298 xwOBA in 2019, .309 xwOBA in 2020, .311 xwOBA in 2021, .327 xwOBA in 2022, and finally a .345 xwOBA in 2023. Why not again in 2024? He’s always hit the ball fairly hard (89.1 MPH EV), and the improvements stemmed from slowly raising his launch and lowering his strikeout rate. His 12.3 degree launch and 13.7% K% were both career bests. He’s very slow with a 25.8 ft/sec sprint speed, but he’s frisky on the bases with 10 steals. The plate approach isn’t great with a 6.7% BB% and 39.5% chase%, but he’s a natural hitter with good feel for the barrel. Naylor won’t be a league winner, but he has a very high likelihood of being an impact fantasy hitter. 2024 Projection: 72/23/89/.277/.331/.459/9

139) Chas McCormick HOU, OF, 29.0 – McCormick is going full late career breakout on us, and really the only thing that was stopping him from breaking out earlier was opportunity. He got the opportunity in 2023 and he capitalized on it, slashing .273/.353/.489 with 22 homers, 19 steals, and a 25.6%/8.8% K%/BB% in 115 games. It was good for a 133 wRC+. He put up a 114 wRC+ in 2022 and a 108 wRC+ in 2021, so he’s always been good. He has average power with an 88 MPH EV, but he gets the ball in the air with a 14.6 degree launch and he pulls it with a 44.3% Pull%. The new ball is perfect for him, and his home ballpark is perfect for him too. He took advantage of the new stolen base rules with his plus speed, going from 4 steals in 2022 (119 games) to 19 steals this year. He also improved his whiff% with a career best 28.9% whiff%. He’s locked in with a starting job and has easy 20/20 potential in 2024. 2024 Projection: 77/24/79/.258/.339/.465/20

140) Mitch Keller PIT, RHP, 28.0 – We gotta stop acting so surprised when a former elite pitching prospect with big stuff doesn’t truly break out until their mid to late 20’s. It happens damn often, and Keller was the latest for it to happen to. His K% jumped 5.4 percentage points to 25.5% and his BB% dropped 2 percentage points to 6.7%. He added a cutter into his arsenal, and it might have played a role in his 95.2 MPH 4 seamer turning into a near elite pitch with a .278 xwOBA against and 30.2% whiff%. He also pitched a career high 194.1 IP. He only had a 4.21 ERA with a 4.16 xERA, and he was much worse in the 2nd half with a 5.59 ERA, but the seeds have been planted for yet another step forward in 2024. He’s the type I’m not going to reach for, but would be hoping for him to fall in my lap if people shy away from him. 2024 Projection: 11/3.79/1.23/195 in 180 IP

141) Cristian Javier HOU, RHP, 27.0 – Javier has been a strikeout machine his entire career going back to when he was in rookie ball as an 18 year old, which is why it is so confusing how his strikeout rate fell off a cliff this year. He put up a 23.1% K% in 162 IP after putting up a 33.2% K% in 148.2 IP in 2022. Both his 4-seamer and slider were much less effective this year with his velocity down 1.1 MPH on the fastball to 92.7 MPH, and his slider had less break on it resulting in a 10.7 percentage point drop in whiff% to a pedestrian 28.7%. His overall whiff% didn’t drop nearly as much as his K% with a still respectable 27.1% whiff% (30.4% in 2022), and his strikeout rate was already starting to normalize with a 30% K% in his final 41.2 IP, including the playoffs. He couldn’t back up his monster 2022 breakout, and I wouldn’t expect a bounce back to that level, but I do believe he’ll be better in 2024. 2024 Projection: 12/3.83/1.24/185 in 165 IP

142) Kerry Carpenter DET, OF, 26.7 – Carpenter has done nothing but rake in his pro career (and amateur career), and has been underrated every step of the way, including this off-season. He was a 19th round draft pick in 2019, he was never anything even approaching a hyped prospect, and now after his 2nd strong year in the majors, he still gets disrespected with a 195 ADP in NFBC drafts. He put up a 124 wRC+ with 6 homers in 31 games in 2022, and then followed that up with a 121 wRC+ and 20 homers in 118 games this year. The underlying numbers fully back up the production with a 10.2% Barrel%, 90.1/95.1 MPH AVG/FB EV, 13.1 degree launch, and a 25.1%/7.0% K%/BB%. He’s got surprising speed too as the cherry on top with a 28.1 ft/sec sprint speed and 6 steals. He’s not a good defensive player and he struggles vs. lefties (.657 OPS in 78 PA), so he has some platoon risk, but a collection of offensive skills like this from a 26 year old is not exactly easy to find. 2024 Projection: 74/28/87/.261/.328/.472/8

143) Parker Meadows DET, OF, 24.5 – Meadows is looking mighty similar to my Nolan Jones and Zack Gelof buy calls from mid-season. He has a very fantasy friendly skillset with the build and athleticism to back it up, but he always got vastly underrated on prospect lists. And unlike Jones and Gelof who have played far too well to still be underrated this off-season, Meadows is setting up to be in perfect buy territory with a .699 OPS in 37 games. He has a 89.3 MPH EV, 18.3 degree launch, 29 ft/sec sprint, 24% whiff%, and 11.7% BB%. And to top it all off, his at least above average CF defense should keep him in the lineup even when Riley Greene gets healthy. That is a recipe for tons of fantasy goodness, and you might be able to acquire him for barely anything this off-season. His 293 NFBC ADP shows his perceived value to fantasy upside could be as wide as anyone’s right now. He’s a major target. 2024 Projection: 79/23/76/.248/.328/.432/24

144) Colt Keith DET, 3B/2B, 22.8 – Keith more than hinted at a big breakout in 2022 with a 150 wRC+ in 48 games at High-A, but a shoulder injury cut the explosion short, and even though he made it back to dominate the AFL (1.004 OPS in 19 games), the hype was still relatively subdued last off-season. Well, the explosion continued right into 2023, and this time he did it in the upper minors with a 163 wRC+ and 14 homers in 59 games at Double-A, followed up by a 119 wRC+ and 13 homers in 67 games at Triple-A. He hits the ball very hard, he has a mature plate approach, and the hit tool is at least above average. He’s one of the most complete prospect hitters in the game, and while I already assumed he was going to break camp with the team, it’s now a foregone conclusion with him signing a guarantied 6 year extension with the club.. 2024 Projection: 74/24/81/.258/.329/.445/2 Prime Projection: 89/29/92/.276/.352/.480/3

145) Carlos Rodon NYY, LHP, 31.4 – An elbow and back injury delayed the start of Rodon’s season until July, and while there were glimpses of him regaining his old form, it was mostly a straight disaster with a 6.85 ERA and 22.4%/9.8% K%/BB% in 64.1 IP. His finish to the season was the most concerning as his velocity was way down, and he gave up 8 earned runs without recording a single out in his final outing. If you’re a glass half full person, you can look at this as a lost season due to the injuries and expect him to bounce back in a big way in 2024, but if you’re a glass half empty person, you are looking at him like a ticking time bomb, especially with his injury history. I’m the type of person who looks at that glass and sees the water in the middle (I live in the gray), which is how I would value Rodon for next year. 2024 Projection: 9/3.57/1.20/160 in 140 IP

146) Bailey Ober MIN, RHP, 28.2 – Ober is the discount, less hyped version of Joe Ryan, and quite frankly, there is a case to be made that Ober is better than Ryan. Ober is an elite control pitcher (5% BB%) with a plus 91.3 MPH 4-seamer that put up a 27.7% whiff% and was the 21st most valuable 4-seamer in baseball (200 PA min). Like Ryan, his stuff gets hit generally hard with a 9.6% Barrel% and 20 degree launch, so he will also be at the mercy of the homer gods. What makes the case for Ober to be better than Ryan is that his secondaries are better. His changeup is better than Ryan’s splitter with a .263 xwOBA and 29.8% whiff%, and his breaking balls are a little better than Ryan’s too, although they are still mediocre. Ober’s 28.7% whiff% is better than Ryan’s 26.8% whiff%, so don’t be surprised if their strikeout rates aren’t far off from each other next year. I would still take Ryan first because of the tick better fastball which they both heavily rely on, but if I’m being brutally honest, it’s not far off from a coin flip overall. 2024 Projection: 11/3.76/1.13/169 in 160 IP

147) Jhoan Duran MIN, Closer, 26.3 – My mind is blown that Duran was actually able to add velocity to his 100.8 MPH fastball from 2022. It sat 101.8 MPH in 2023. I’m kinda speechless. The 35.8% whiff% on the pitch was the 8th best in baseball (50 PA min). He combines that with an elite curve (.184 xwOBA and 45.9% whiff%) and of course, the famous elite splitter (negative 14 degree launch). It all led to a 2.45 ERA with a 32.9%/9.8% K%/BB% in 62.1 IP. He saved only 27 games because he wasn’t quite used as a traditional closer in the 1st half, but by the 2nd half he was basically a one inning traditional closer, so I think those save totals will rise in 2024. 2024 Projection: 3/2.63/1.07/73/27 in 55 IP Update: Will start the year on the IL with an oblique strain, an while those can linger, it doesn’t worry me like an arm injury. This shouldn’t change his dynasty value all that much

148) Edwin Diaz NYM, Closer, 30.0 – Diaz almost returned from March knee surgery in September, which makes me pretty confident he will be 100% in 2024. Any major surgery adds risk, but it’s not like it’s his elbow or shoulder. I’m treating him like the elite of the elite closer he is with a ridiculous 50.2% K% in 2022 on the back of a 99.1 MPH fastball and 90.8 MPH slider. If there is any slight discount to be had because of the injury, I would be all over it. 2024 Projection: 4/2.59/1.00/105/33 saves in 60 IP

149) Jordan Westburg BAL, 2B/3B, 25.1 – I named Westburg one of my Top 10 Early Off-Season Dynasty Targets (Patreon), because there is no better time to go after a former top prospect than when they have a lukewarm MLB debut. Westburg had only 3 homers, 4 steals, and a .715 OPS in his 68 game debut, but it’s the individual components of the underlying numbers that make me so excited. He crushed the ball with a 90.2/94.0 MPH AVG/FB EV, he had a strong 13.4 degree launch, he has plus speed with a 28.9 ft/sec sprint, he had no contact issues with a 25.8% whiff%, and he didn’t chase with an almost dead average 28.4% Chase%. To top it all off, he was a plus defensive player at both 2B and 3B. That is a pretty Teflon combination of skills to have. He proved his superiority at Triple-A too with 18 homers, 6 steals, a .295 BA and a 131 wRC+ in 67 games. While Gunnar and Adley hog all the attention on the MLB level, and Holliday, Mayo, Basallo etc … hog all the attention on prospect lists, you should sneakily tip toe in there and steal Westburg from his current owner like a thief in the night. 2024 Projection: 78/23/74/.269/.330/.448/14 Prime Projection: 89/26/86/.277/.342/.471/16

150) Coby Mayo BAL, 1B/3B, 22.4 – My boldest prediction in last off-season’s Predicting the 2024 Top 50 Prospects Rankings was that Coby Mayo would explode to a Top 10 prospect, predicting that “Mayo will follow in Gunnar Henderson’s footsteps with an off the charts type season in the upper minors. He’ll put up a 150 wRC+ at Double-A and a 130 wRC+ at Triple-A. The K% will be under 25%, the power will be huge, and there will be some surprising speed too.” … Mayo put up a 178 wRC+ in 78 games at Double-A and a 127 wRC+ in 62 games at Triple-A. The power was huge with 29 homers in 140 games, and the K% was under 25% at 24.1%. I don’t think I could have nailed that more even if I was actually able to see into the future. The surprising speed didn’t really show up with only 5 steals, but better than nothing. The 6’5”, 230 pound Mayo is now a truly elite power hitting prospect, just as I expected. 2024 Projection: 31/11/35/.242/.319/.455/2 Prime Projection: 86/34/99/.265/.346/.535/6

151) Jackson Merrill SDP, SS, 20.11 – Merrill did everything you could have asked of him in 2023. Most importantly, he brought his GB% way down from 59.6% at Single-A to 48.6% at High-A and 33.5% at Double-A. It resulted in 15 homers in 114 total games. His already strong contact rates got even better with a 12.1% K%, and he proved all of his skills will transfer to the upper minors, slashing .273/.338/.444 with 5 homers, 5 steals, and a 11.8%/8.5% K%/BB% in 46 games at Double-A. I’m still not seeing a monster power/speed combo, which is why I wasn’t the highest guy on him last off-season, but a few seasons of .300/20/20 doesn’t seem like that much of a reach. He’s set to break camp with San Diego as their starting CF. 2024 Projection: 76/15/68/.266/.315/.418/17 Prime Projection: 84/20/81/.283/.338/.451/20

152) Emmanuel Rodriguez MIN, OF, 21.1 – Baby Bonds scared us all for a minute there with a .677 OPS in his first 27 games at High-A coming off a season ending meniscus tear in 2022, but he was back to his dominant self after that with a .927 OPS, 14 homers, 18 steals, and a 27.3%/20.7% K%/BB% in his final 78 games. He finished the season with a stupendous 145 wRC+ in 99 games. He has at least plus power, the ability to lift the ball, speed, and elite on base skills. The only concern is the hit tool, but some of those issues are surely due to his extreme patience. This is truly elite dynasty upside, especially in an OBP league or 6+ cat league, and I think he’s still on the underrated side. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 94/29/89/.252/.361/.490/18

153) Ethan Salas SDP, C, 17.10 – At this point, I wouldn’t even be surprised if Ethan Salas broke camp with the big league club this spring (I think I’m just joking) … San Diego flew him through the minors at absolutely unprecedented rates. He made his pro debut at Single-A as a fucking 16 year old!!! Is that even legal? And the even crazier thing is that he dominated with a 122 wRC+, 9 homers, 5 steals, and a 25.9%/10.9% K%/BB% in 48 games. SD then got a little too nutty by promoting him all the way up to Double-A to close out the season where he struggled with a 51 wRC+ in 9 games. He struggled at High-A before that too with a 35 wRC+ in 9 games. Regardless, what Salas did at Single-A for his age is truly mind blowing, and I hesitate to put a cap on what his ultimate upside could be. It might be crazy to say his ceiling is one of the greatest catchers of all time, but with how crazy San Diego handled him this year, let’s just all jump aboard the crazy train. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 84/29/92/.278/.362/.505/10

154) Samuel Basallo BAL, C/1B, 19.8 – The biggest issue with Basallo has nothing to do with him. It’s that Adley isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. And with Baltimore trying to build a Tampa Bay North situation, I don’t think they are going to feel pressured to trade him either. His bat will profile just fine at 1B, but now we’re talking about competition with Coby Mayo and possibly Heston Kjerstad too. Maybe I’m just borrowing trouble a bit too much, because Basallo looks like he has a special bat. He’s a built up 6’3” with a treacherous lefty swing that is made to do damage, slashing .313/.404/.551 with 20 homers, 12 steals, and a 94/61 K/BB in 114 games at mostly Single-A and High-A. Four of those games came at Double-A where he put up a 220 wRC+. He’s a complete hitter with power, contact, and patience. And he did all of that as an 18 year old for most of the season. If defense wasn’t a slight issue (he’s not a particularly good defensive catcher either), I would likely be even higher on him, but he has the type of bat where maybe you should just completely ignore it. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 84/32/95/.272/.354/.517/5

155) Max Clark DET, OF, 19.4 –  Clark is the 2023 draft version of Pete Crow Armstrong and Corbin Carroll, two guys who I was the high man on in their first year player draft class, although Clark actually got the respect he deserved by getting selected 3rd overall. Maybe the success of those aforementioned players paved the way for a guy like Clark to get valued correctly. As you can tell from the comps, double plus speed with a plus hit tool and developing power is what you are buying. He’s a pretty thick and muscular 6’1”, 190 pounds, so I don’t think you have to squint too hard to see legitimate power developing down the line, even if he’s more a line drive hitter currently. After dominating rookie ball with a 146 wRC+ in 12 games, he got slowed down a bit at Single-A with a 73 wRC+ and 29.4% K% in 11 games, but he still had a .353 OBP, so it’s not like he was completely overmatched or anything. 5×5 BA leagues are going to be his bread and butter, but like Carroll, he can be a beast regardless of league type. He has elite dynasty asset upside. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 93/18/72/.278/.347/.433/33

156) Jett Williams NYM, SS, 20.4 – Jett Williams got much thicker in all the right places in 2023, and that extra muscle paid dividends with him cracking 14 homers in 125 games split between Single-A (79 games), High-A (36 games), and Double-A (10 games). 9 of those homers came in his final 47 games. He combines the uptick in power with elite speed (45 steals), and an excellent plate approach (22.1%/19.5% K%/BB%). If he wasn’t 5’6”, he might be a consensus elite prospect already. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 93/20/77/.274/.350/.445/38

157) Xander Bogaerts SDP, SS, 31.6 – Bogaerts went from one of the best hitter’s parks to one of the worst, and while his numbers unsurprisingly took a hit with a 6 year low in wRC+ (120) and BA (.285), he was still quite productive, falling just one homer and one steal short of a 20/20 season. The problem is, he got majorly lucky with a .343 wOBA vs. .318 xwOBA. He doesn’t hit the ball hard with a 87.6 MPH EV, he doesn’t lift it with a 7.6 degree launch, and he’s slowing down with a career worst top 57% sprint speed. With a solid vet like him, I don’t like to read too much into the underlying numbers if the surface stats were strong, but the major ballpark downgrade and advancing age makes me think there could have been more hidden decline than on the surface. He was a sell for me last off-season (I actually predicted he would hit 19 homers with a .288 BA and he hit 19 homers with a .285 BA), and he remains a sell for me this off-season. 2024 Projection: 86/19/69/.282/.351/.443/16

158) Isaac Paredes TBR, 1B/3B, 25.1 – Statcast is King, until a player like Paredes comes along and busts up the whole system. Or maybe he’s just the exception that proves the rule (does anybody know what this means, or is it just a fun thing to say?). This is his 2nd year in a row of outdoing his underlying Statcast numbers, and this year with the juicier ball, he blew the underlying numbers away. He had a .362 wOBA vs. .314 xwOBA. It was the third highest differential amongst qualified hitters behind TJ Friedl and Jose Altuve. He had a well below average 86.9 MPH EV and 5.9% Barrel%, and he still hit 31 homers in 143 games. The trick to his success is that he lifts the ball a ton with a 22.2 degree launch, he makes a lot of contact with a 18.2% K%, he pulls the ball an extreme amount with a 54.5% Pull%, and he plays in a top 8 ballpark for righty homers. It’s like he found the loophole to hitting homers with below average power. I still sense 2023 was the high end of what he’s capable of, and the extreme flyball profile hurts his BA with a .250 BA in 2023 and a career .229 BA in 1,145 PA, but we’ve seen Jose Altuve maintain consistent success with a pretty similar profile, so maybe doubting the success at all is the wrong way to play it. 2024 Projection: 81/27/86/.243/.340/.458/1

159) Andres Gimenez CLE, 2B, 25.7 – Gimenez’ EV ticked up in 2022 and it led to a huge season with a 142 wRC+, giving hope he would cement himself as a true young star in 2023, but that wasn’t in the cards. The EV tanked to career worst by far levels with a 84.8 MPH EV that was in the bottom 1% of the league. It led to a below average 97 wRC+ and .297 xwOBA. The good news is that he still managed to have a good season with 15 homers, 30 steals, and a .251 BA. His 5.5% Barrel% was the 2nd best mark of his career, so it seems like a good bet to assume the EV will rise in 2024 to at least career norms. He also took advantage of the new baserunning rules with his 29.2 ft/sec sprint speed, and he’s a great defensive player, so his playing time is locked in. Other than the EV, the main thing preventing me from ranking him higher is his extreme 40% chase% and 5.2% BB%. Hitting the ball weakly and chasing is not a great combo. I certainly feel the tug to buy into the fantasy friendly profile, but I’m concerned he is just not a very good hitter. 2024 Projection: 75/15/63/.257/.320/.411/27

160) Sandy Alcantara MIA, RHP, 28.7 – Alcantara underwent Tommy John surgery in early October and will miss all of 2024. His lack of big swing and miss finally caught up to him in 2023 with a lackluster 4.14 ERA and 19.8% K% in 184.2 IP. He was starting to look more like himself in the 2nd half with a 3.04 ERA in his final 77 IP, but the 19.9% K% was still on the low side. His stuff was as huge as ever with a 98 MPH fastball, his whiff% was right at career averages at 25.2%, and so was his control with a 6.3% BB%, so it seems like this was just a down year. I’ve never really been willing to pay up full price for him because of his modest strikeout totals, and the Tommy John surgery tacks on a healthy dose of risk, but considering his age and stuff, I would bet on him getting back to prime form in 2025-26. 2024 Projection: OUT

161) Yandy Diaz TBR, 1B, 32.5 – Yandy finally put those popcorn muscles to good use by jacking out a career high by far 22 homers in 137 games. He didn’t do it by improving his launch with a still very low 5.7 degree launch, he did it by getting even stronger with a career high 93.4 MPH EV. It’s a good reminder that if you can’t improve your weaknesses, make your strengths even stronger. It was good for a .384 xwOBA that was in the top 5% of the league. The extremely low launch and 0 speed (0 steals), still makes me hesitant to go too hard for him as I don’t love buying BA first guys (.330 BA with a .301 xBA), but he has a career 132 wRC+ and had a 164 wRC+ this year, so how low can you rank one of the best hitters in baseball. 2024 Projection: 93/19/76/.308/.392/.467/2

162) Teoscar Hernandez LAD, OF, 31.6 – Teoscar’s numbers very predictably took a hit going to the very worst ballpark for hitters in baseball in 2023. His wRC+ dropped from 130 to 105, but all of his underlying numbers showed he is still in his prime, so I’m betting on a bounce back in 2024. He had a .336 xwOBA (.317 wOBA), 13.8% Barrel%, 91.3 MPH EV, and 28.6 ft/sec sprint speed. The Dodgers ballpark plays neutral overall and is one of the best for homers. I called him “a good buy low target for a win now team” prior to signing with LA, and now he’s getting a major ballpark and lineup upgrade, although this signing with likely raise his price considerably. 2024 Projection: 76/29/90/.260/.315/.478/9

163) Sonny Gray STL, RHP, 34.5 – In Spring Training, Gray blamed his injury filled 2022 on not being prepared for the season due to the lockout, and he clearly wasn’t BS’ing with him throwing an 8 year high 184 IP in 2023. He put up a pitching line of 2.79/1.15/24.5%/7.3%. His whiff% bounced back in a major way with a 4.1 percentage point increase to 26%, and his velocity ticked back up 0.8 MPH to 92.9 MPH. St. Louis is clearly betting on him being able to keep it up as he enters his mid 30’s with a 3 year, $75 million contract. 2024 Projection: 12/3.54/1.19/167 in 170 IP

164) Nick Castellanos PHI, OF, 32.1 – Castellanos is an extremely high chase rate player (41% Chase% and 5.4% BB%), he doesn’t hit the ball especially hard (88.9 MPH EV), he put up a career worst 35.2% whiff%, and he’s leaving his physical prime with a declining sprint speed (bottom 46% of the league). This is not a player I want to take the ride with as he enters his decline years. He put up a good year in 2023 with 29 homers, 11 steals and a .272 BA, so you might want to look into cashing in on him this off-season. I don’t really like calling player’s sells, because if I was a win now team I might be apt to just hold him, but if you want to kick start a rebuild, he would be first on my list to put on the block. 2024 Projection: 74/25/88/.265/.315/.452/8

165) Jarren Duran BOS, OF, 27.7 – Ceddanne Rafaela is pretty clearly Boston’s starting CF of the future, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a path to playing time for Duran both in the short term and long term. Rafaela hasn’t established himself yet, Alex Verdugo got traded to the Yanks, Masataka Yoshida looks like he’ll be doing a lot of DH’ing, the unproven Wilyer Abreu (who I like) is penciled into one of the OF spots, and Tyler O’Neill is in his final year of team control. That leaves plenty of avenues for playing time for Duran. His hit tool took a big step forward in 2023 with a 24.9% K% (28.3% in 2022), and it was even better in the 2nd half with a 17.6% K% in his final 142 PA. The contact improvements allowed his double plus speed (29.5 ft/sec sprint with 24 steals in 102 games) and at least above average raw power (89.9 MPH EV with 8 homers and a .295 BA) to shine. He was definitely on the lucky side with a .266 xBA, but luck is the residue of design, and when you hit the ball hard with his kind of speed, good things happen. His season ended in late August with a toe injury that required surgery, but he should be good to go for 2024, and I would use any job/injury uncertainty to your advantage this off-season. 2024 Projection: 78/16/69/.264/.329/.428/29

166) Hunter Brown HOU, RHP, 25.7 – Don’t be scared off by Brown’s 5.09 ERA in 155.2 IP. Most of the damage came in the 2nd half when he was already at a career high IP total, and his 4.27 xERA is much more representative of the type of year he had with a 26.8%/8.3% K%/BB%. The stuff is big led by a plus 95.7 MPH fastball to go along with an above average curve, below average slider, and a splitter he’s been developing that he should clearly go to more (4.8% usage) with a .194 xwOBA and 37% whiff%. He didn’t go full breakout, but it was a very strong rookie year, and the ingredients are certainly there for him to keep improving. 2024 Projection: 12/3.91/1.27/189 in 170 IP

167) Cade Horton CHC, RHP, 22.7 – Horton was a star quarterback in high school, and his pithing delivery very much looks like he’s throwing a football with a short arm action thrown from around his ear. That type of arm action tends to produce good spin rates, and Horton can mostly certainly spin a potentially double slider that falls completely off the table. The plus fastball has good movement too and sits mid 90’s. He also mixes in a changeup and curveball that have above average potential. He used that plus stuff to obliterate pro ball in his debut with a 2.65 ERA and 33.5%/7.7% K%/BB% in 88.1 IP split between 3 levels (A, A+, AA). The K/BB numbers dropped a bit when he got to Double-A with a 28.4%/10.1% K%/BB% in 27 IP, but he still crushed the level with a 1.33 ERA. He only averaged around 4 inning outings and Chicago was very careful with him in general as this was truly his first fully healthy season coming off Tommy John surgery in 2021. He still has to prove he can handle a full MLB starter’s workload while maintaining his stuff and staying healthy, but he’s on the right track to doing that. I would put high end #2 starter upside on him. 2024 Projection: 2/3.95/1.31/42 in 40 IP Prime Projection: 14/3.48/1.17/178 in 160 IP

168) Jordan Montgomery FRA, LHP, 31.3 – I was relatively high on Montgomery last off-season, ranking him 142nd overall, and he delivered with a pitching line of 3.20/1.19/166/48 in 188.2 IP. Similarly talented plus control pitchers always got more respect than him, but that will change after his strong season. He throws 4 average to above pitches (sinker, change, curve, 4 seamer), the secondaries miss bats, and everything plays up with his plus control (6.2% BB%). 2024 Projection: 10/3.73/1.20/152 in 170 IP

169) Emmet Sheehan LAD, RHP, 24.5 – Sheehan didn’t have a standout MLB debut with a 4.92 ERA and a 25.8%/10.5% K%/BB% in 60.1 IP, but some of the underlying data is extremely encouraging. Most notably, his 3 secondary pitches were absolutely devastating. The slider put up a .179 xwOBA with a 43.8% whiff%, the changeup put up a .200 xwOBA with a 47.6% whiff%, and the very lightly used sweeper put up a .161 xwOBA with a 41.2% whiff%. His heavily used 95.4 MPH fastball was solid as well with a respectable 20.2% whiff%. His 3.50 xERA looks much better than the surface stats, and he also closed the year out in dominant fashion with a 1.98 ERA and 24/4 K/BB in 13.2 IP over 3 outings. His control is below average, but it’s never really been in the major danger zone, so I wouldn’t downgrade him too much because of that. And how could you not trust the Dodgers to unlock his full potential in the long run. He showed no joke ace upside in his rookie year, and considering he currently has a NFBC ADP of 249, that tells me he isn’t getting nearly the respect he deserves this off-season. LA bringing Paxton in puts a squeeze on his rotation spot, but they seem to be headed towards a 6 man rotation, and their rotation is very injury prone, so Sheehan should get his innings one way or another. 2024 Projection: 6/3.72/1.23/99 in 90 IP Prime Projection: 14/3.52/1.18/210 in 175 IP Update: Sheehan is dealing with general soreness and a forearm issue, which knocked him out of the 5th starter job

170) Shane Baz TBR, RHP, 24.9 – Baz underwent Tommy John surgery in late September 2022, so he should be fully healthy for 2024 assuming he has no setbacks. If you’re going to take the Tommy John discount on pithing prospects, make sure they are elite ones, and Baz is most certainly an elite one. When healthy, he throws 3 potentially double plus pitches in his mid to upper 90’s fastball, slider, and curve, to go along with a developing lesser used changeup. He struggled with control earlier in his pro career, but he improved it to about average levels in 2021 and 2022. That level of stuff with average control screams ace upside. I do think you have to at least take into account the added risk from major elbow surgery, and keep in mind he has a career high of 92 IP, so it might take 3 years before he can truly throw a full top of the rotation workload, assuming he’s actually physically able to do it, but I also understand if you want to ignore all of it for his insane upside. 2024 Projection: 7/3.76/1.19/110 in 100 IP Prime Projection: 13/3.38/1.11/190 in 160 IP

171) Camilo Doval SFG, Closer, 26.10 – Control was the only thing that could tank Doval, so after putting up a very reasonable 9.3% BB% in 2023, he’s locked in as a safe elite closer option. He had a 2.93 ERA with a 31% K% and 39 saves in 67.2 IP. The stuff is elite with a 99.8 MPH cutter that put up a 30.4% whiff%, a 98 MPH sinker that put up a negative 2 degree launch, and a 88.9 MPH slider that put up a 49.3% whiff%. He could easily end up the top closer in 2024. 2024 Projection: 5/2.85/1.15/83/35 saves in 65 IP

172) Andres Munoz SEA, Closer, 25.2 – Munoz was always an elite closer in waiting, and he didn’t disappoint when he got his opportunity after Sewald got traded at the deadline. He racked up 11 saves with a 2.96 ERA and 30.1%/10.1% K%/BB% in 24.1 IP post deadline. The 99.2 MPH fastball put up a 30.5% whiff%, the 98.4 MPH sinker put up a negative 22 degree launch, and the slider was elite with a 48.3% whiff%. He missed 2 months with a shoulder injury earlier in the year, and he battled a bit of a hip injury at the end of the year, so you always have to keep injuries in mind with a young flamethrower like this. If he stays healthy, he’ll be a candidate to finish as the top fantasy closer in 2024. 2024 Projection: 4/2.90/1.09/84/30 saves in 60 IP

173) Emmanuel Clase CLE, Closer, 26.0 – Clase led the league in saves for the 2nd year in a row with 44. Saves are a hard category to predict, but my money would be on him to at least be among the league leaders again. Strikeouts are where he has an issue as his strikeout rate tanked 7.2 percentage points to a below average 21.2%. The slider was the biggest culprit with a 11.4 percentage point drop to 31.3%. He also gave up a career worst 88.4 MPH EV against (86.3 MPH in 2022). It led to a down year with a 3.22 ERA. With relievers and small samples, variance is just part of the game. The stuff is still elite with a 99.1 MPH cutter, so I’m assuming he will bounce back in 2024, or at least split the difference. 2024 Projection: 4/2.76/1.00/71/40 saves in 70 IP

174) David Bednar PIT, Closer, 29.6 – The fear of Bednar getting traded has been real the last couple years, but Pittsburgh is a team on the rise, and he’s under contract through 2026, so I think we have to let that fear go (famous last words ha). He throws 3 plus pitches in his 96.6 MPH fastball that notched a 30.3% whiff%, a curve that notched a 40.5% whiff%, and a splitter that notched a 33.6% whiff%. The guy is a whiff machine and he does it with above average control. 2024 Projection: 3/2.78/1.08/83/36 saves in 64 IP

175) Tyler O’Neill BOS, OF, 28.10 – Ozuna showed what can happen if you ignore the underlying numbers too much, and O’Neill has significantly underperformed his underlying numbers for 2 straight years. He put up a .338 xwOBA vs. 313 wOBA in 2023 and a .331 xwOBA vs. 307 wOBA in 2022. He actually improved his hit tool with a career best 25.2% K% and 27.8% whiff%, and his 10.5% BB% and 25.3% Chase% were also career bests. The power is still big with a 89.2/94.3 MPH AVG/FB EV and 15 degree launch and the speed is plus with a 28.5 ft/sec sprint speed. The biggest concern is that his body could be breaking down earlier than expected with a body building like physique, and he’s battled injuries for 2 straight years now, missing almost 3 months with a back injury mid-season, among other injuries. The profile isn’t without risk, but there is still big upside lurking in here, and he couldn’t have landed in a better spot than Boston’s elite hitter’s park. I would caution against selling O’Neill too low. 2024 Projection: 75/26/79/.249/.330/.462/14

176) Ke’Bryan Hayes PIT, 3B, 27.2 – Hayes finally raised his launch to a respectable 13.2 degrees, but it still only resulted in 15 homers, and his speed dropped off hard with a below average 27.1 ft/sec sprint and only 10 steals. The plate approach took a step back too with a 5.3% BB%. The hit tool is good, but it’s not elite, the power ticked up, but it’s still average homer power at best, and his formerly best asset, speed, has been watered down to basically nothing with everyone running wild. The one thing he can still hang his hit on is that he crushed the ball with a 92.2 MPH EV, but beyond that, the profile looks pretty boring. 2024 Projection: 78/19/72/.270/.323/.441/16

177) Lars Nootbaar STL, OF, 26.7 – Nootbaar is a better real life hitter and in OBP leagues than in 5×5 BA leagues, but he can still provide solid across the board production. The plate approach is double plus (19.7%/14.3% K%/BB%), he hits it hard with an 8.8% Barrel%, and he has above average speed with a 27.8 ft/sec sprint. It resulted in 14 homers, 11 steals, and a .261 BA in 117 games. His 49.7% GB% is too high to take full advantage of his plus raw power, but he’s been better at lifting it in the past, so I wouldn’t rule out future improvement. He also struggled vs. lefties with a .635 OPS, but his .323 OBP isn’t bad, and he’s an above average defensive player, so I wouldn’t automatically assume he’s headed for a full blown platoon role. 2024 Projection: 84/18/68/.268/.369/.441/16

178) Luis Matos SFG, OF, 22.2 – I get being scared off by the very lackluster power/speed numbers Matos put up in his 253 PA MLB debut. Hit he hit only 2 homers and stole only 3 bags. Considering this was always his possible downside, the debut didn’t assuage any of those fears, but I’m still betting on the power/speed combo getting to a high enough level to make Matos an impact fantasy player. The contact rates are double plus with a 8.1% K% and .331 BA in 63 games split between Double-A and Triple-A. It then almost completely transferred over to the majors with a 13% K%. The second he stepped onto a pro field back in 2019 as a 17 year old the contact rates were near elite, and they were again near elite the second he stepped on a MLB field as a 21 year old. That is a prodigy level feel to hit. He massively improved his plate approach with a 9.8% BB% in the minors, and those gains also carried over to the bigs with a 7.9% BB% and an above average 25.4% chase%. He doesn’t hit the ball especially hard, but he’s also not in the true danger territory with a 88.7 MPH EV at Triple-A and 87.1 MPH EV in the majors. There is no guarantee those numbers will rise considerably, but he was only 21 and he has a legitimately electric swing, so I’m betting on them rising. He’s not a burner, but he has above average speed and he’s never been afraid to run with very good stolen base rates. The Jung Hoo Lee signing blocks his path to playing time in the short run, but I don’t think he’ll have any issue finding playing time long term. 2024 Projection: 44/9/35/.271/.327/.410/8 Prime Projection: 88/20/72/.282/.340/.442/15

179) Shane Bieber CLE, RHP, 28.10 – Bieber went down with elbow inflammation after his July 9th start, but he returned for 2 starts at the end of the season where he looked like himself, so that at least eases some, but not all, of the injury concern headed into 2024. His performance is really the biggest concern as his skills were in clear decline before going down with the injury. His K% dropped like a stone to a well below average 20.1%, his 91.6 MPH EV against was a career worst, and so was his 4.83 xERA. His 91.3 MPH fastball got demolished with only a 9.3% whiff%, and his slider put up a career worst 32.7% whiff%. The control is still good with a 6.7% BB%, and he can be successful with a plus feel for the art of pitching, but a mid-rotation fantasy starter is a more realistic expectation for him than the ace he used to be. 2024 Projection: 9/3.70/1.20/148 in 160 IP Update: Bieber’s velocity is up in spring, which definitely gives hope a bounce back is coming

180) Aaron Civale TBR, RHP, 28.10 –  Did Tampa get their hands on Steve Urkel’s potion that turned him into Stefan Urquelle? Because what they turned the boring, pitch to contact Aaron Civale into overnight is nothing short of magic. He went from a guy with a 19%/7.2% K%/BB% in 77 IP with Cleveland, to a guy with a 29.3%/5.6% K%/BB% in 45.1 IP with Tampa. I mean, what the hell? I’ve never seen such an instant transformation ever I don’t think. And the fact that he has a 5.36 ERA with Tampa makes it even better for our purposes, because it should open the buy window just enough to get him at a great value this off-season. He’s now someone with near ace upside and there is no way his trade/draft price will be even close to that. Zack Eflin is a similar pitcher and a perfect example of the Tampa bump being legit. Durability is likely his biggest issue with 124.1 IP his career high, so don’t expect him to rack up innings. 2024 Projection: 10/3.61/1.15/160 in 150 IP

181) Ryan Pepiot TBR, RHP, 26.0 – The Tampa Bay Rays must subscribe to my Patreon, because I named Ryan Pepiot a Top 10 Early Off-Season Dynasty Baseball Target back on September 26th, and the Rays went out and got him for Tyler Glasnow. When trying to identify breakouts, you look for real skills improvements in the underlying numbers, and Pepiot’s skill improvement is as easy as it gets to identify. His control took a huge step forward. He had a 16.9% BB% in 36.1 MLB IP in 2022 vs. a 3.1% BB% in 42 IP in 2023. And it’s not just the majors. The BB% sat at 9.8% at Triple-A in 2022 vs. 5.4% this year. That is clear as day. That is a jump from below average to elite, and even if he can’t keep up the elite levels, the fact it’s this good gives confidence it is a legit skills jump. It’s resulted in all 3 of his pitches (fastball, changeup, slider) being above average and getting whiffs. The Rays are an organization that almost has to trade their studs when they are in the last year of team control, especially an injury prone pitcher, but targeting Pepiot tells you everything you need to know about him. Like me, they think he can be a legitimate impact starter. This trade likely raises his profile too high to still get great value on him, but I also like targeting him at his fair value. 2024 Projection: 10/3.88/1.21/155 in 150 IP Prime Projection: 13/3.63/1.14/190 in 175 IP

182) Brandon Pfaadt ARI, RHP, 25.7 – Pfaadt was having one of those truly miserable MLB debuts that makes you completely forget about what you liked about a player in the first place. He put up a 9.82 ERA with a 21/10 K/BB in his first 25.2 IP and then was sent back down to the minors. But top pitching prospects failing early in spectacular fashion is nothing new, and just like many of the ones that came before him, it was just a matter of time before he found his footing. He got called back up a month later and put up a 4.22 ERA with a 73/16 K/BB in 70.1 IP the rest of the way. He then took it up a notch in the playoffs with a 3.27 ERA and 29.9%/5.7% K%/BB% in 22 IP. He’s thrived throughout his entire pro career by having plus control of a 93.7 MPH fastball, to go along with a plus sweeper (.245 xwOBA), an improving changeup, a solid curve, and a sinker that keeps the ball on the ground. None of his pitches are truly standout, so I hesitate to put that #1/2 starter upside on him, but everything plays up because of his plus control, and we saw plenty of plus control pitchers have great years in 2023. I’m projecting Pfaadt as a #2/3 type. 2024 Projection: 11/3.92/1.21/174 in 170 IP

183) Nick Lodolo CIN, LHP, 26.2 – A stress reaction in Lodolo’s left tibia ended his season after just 7 starts. He’s expected to be fully healthy for 2024, and leg injuries aren’t nearly as worrisome as arm injuries, but he had a setback when trying to return in 2023, so I do think some extra injury risk has to be taken into account. When healthy, he’s put up near ace level K/BB numbers with a 29.3%/8.1% K%/BB% in 137.2 career IP. He’s a nightmare to face at 6’6” with an almost sidearm lefty delivery that he fires an at least plus curve and a mid 90’s fastball from. The breakout is simply inevitable if he can stick on the mound, and his inflated 6.29 ERA in 2023 should keep the price low. 2024 Projection: 9/3.78/1.23/162 in 140 IP

184) Ryan Helsley STL, Closer, 29.9 – Helsley seems in line for the full time closer role in 2024, but the Cards always like to sneak Giovanny Gallegos in there too, so I would expect Gallegos to steal a few saves here and there. It won’t matter though, because Helsley is dominant enough to overcome a handful of saves shaved off the top with a 2.46 ERA and 35.6%/11.6% K%/BB% in 36.2 IP. He throws a 99.7 MPH fastball to go along with an elite slider (52.2% whiff%) and elite curve (.144 xwOBA). His control is spotty, but plenty of relievers thrive with similar control issues, and a forearm strain knocked him out almost 3 months mid-season, but he looked healthy when he returned. He’s not without risk, but the elite upside is worth it. 2024 Projection: 4/2.65/1.09/83/30 saves in 60 IP

185) Sean Murphy ATL, C, 29.6 – Murphy left the desolate ghost team that is the Oakland Athletics and immediately broke out with an elite .395 xwOBA that was in the top 4% of the league. His power exploded to near elite levels with a 91.5/96.4 MPH AVG/FB EV, 16.1% Barrel%, and 114.7 Max EV (top 6% of the league). The two problems are that he completely tanked in the 2nd half with a .585 OPS in 41 games vs. a .999 OPS in 67 1st half games (all the underlying power numbers dropped off too), and Atlanta rested him an extreme amount with only 108 games played all year. Travis d’Arnaud is too good of a player to be a lightly used back up, and there was no reason for Atlanta to run Murphy into the ground. d”Arnaud is going to be 35 years old next year and he only had a 83 wRC+ in 2023, so I would bet on Murphy getting more run in 2024, but considering the 2nd half drop off, I still don’t think you can value him as a truly elite fantasy catcher. 2024 Projection: 71/24/75/.257/.348/.475/1

186) Anthony Santander BAL, OF, 29.5 – The new dimensions at Camden don’t seem to be fazing Santander too much. He posted another strong contact/power season with 28 homers, a 119 wRC+ and a .257 BA in 153 games. The underlying numbers back it up as usual with a 90.6 MPH EV, 20.2 degree launch, and a 23.2%/8.4% K%/BB%. 2024 Projection: 79/29/91/.248/.323/.467/4

187) Christian Walker ARI, 1B, 33.0 – Walker not only backed up his huge season in 2022 with 33 homers and a .258 BA, he also surprisingly decided to take advantage of the new stolen base rules with 11 steals. When a guy like Walker can pop 11 bags out of nowhere, it’s a reminder we have to recalibrate how many bases speed first players need to steal to be truly worth their price. A high teens to low 20’s guy is really not that impressive anymore. Once again, the underlying numbers backed up Walker’s big season with a 19.2% K%, 11.4% Barrel%, and 15.8 degree launch. He was still underrated last year, but you won’t be getting much of a discount this year. 2024 Projection: 79/31/92/.250/.330/.485/7

188) Andrew Abbott CIN, LHP, 24.10 – Abbott took the majors by storm in his first 10 starts at the level with with a 1.90 ERA and 66/19 K/BB in 61.2 IP, but the league caught up with him in the 2nd half with a 6.42 ERA and 54/25 K/BB in his final 47.2 IP. The stuff is solid, but not truly standout with a 92.7 MPH fastball, he got hit very hard with a 91.2 MPH EV against, and the control is below average with a 9.6% BB%. Those were some of the reasons I wasn’t fully buying into Abbott when he was crushing the minors, but I don’t want to make the same mistake for his 2nd time through the majors. He still had a strong debut overall with a 3.87 ERA and 26.1% K% in 109.1 IP. He has a legit 4 pitch mix where the sweeper notched an elite .182 xwOBA against, and the changeup missed bats with a 39.4% whiff%. He definitely has the collection of skills to be an impact fantasy starter, I’m just not sure I would put top of the rotation expectations on him, especially in Cincinnati. 2024 Projection: 11/3.93/1.29/187 in 170 IP

189) Byron Buxton MIN, OF, 30.3 – Buxton feels like he’s 30 going on 35 with all of the injuries he’s accrued in his career. 2023 was no different with only 85 games played. He battled a knee injury for most of the year that ended up requiring arthroscopic surgery in October, along with rib and hamstring injuries that landed him on the IL during the season. He’s supposedly fully healed from the knee surgery, but it will likely make him a little more hesitant on the bases, and he was already a hesitant base stealer despite his plus speed. The power is double plus with a 97.3 MPH FB/LD EV and 20.1 degree launch, which is a skill that tends to age well, but it comes with a terrible batting average (.207 BA and 31.4% K%). He’s a very low BA slugger with injury risk, and I don’t think you can count on him running enough to make up for that killer BA. 2024 Projection: 72/28/72/.229/.313/.460/10

190) James Outman LAD, OF, 26.10 – Outman has a plus power/speed combo with extreme hit tool risk, but I’m concerned the power/speed combo isn’t quite big enough to stick your neck out for considering the risk. He hit 23 homers with a 87.9/91.8 MPH AVG/FB EV, and he stole 16 bags in 567 PA. Good, but not great, and the swing and miss is in the danger zone with a 31.9% K% and 36.6% whiff%. He also struggles vs. lefties with a .665 OPS, giving him platoon risk. He’s a well above average defensive centerfielder, and he still got on base vs. lefties (.357 OBP), so the skills are there to play nearly everyday even if the BA dips. It was also only his rookie year and he managed a .248 BA (.228 xBA), so I’m certainly not down on him, but it’s the type of profile I would want to fall into my lap, rather than one I’m truly going after. 2024 Projection: 81/25/72/.239/.338/.440/15

191) Maikel Garcia KCR, 3B, 24.1 – Garcia has the Holy Trinity of hitting the ball hard (91.8/95.5 MPH AVG/FB EV), hitting the ball often (19.5% whiff%), and being fast (28.2 ft/sec sprint). If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it 1,000 times, good things tend to happen on a baseball field when you have those 3 traits. He’s also a very good defensive player, so there is little worry about playing time. It’s basically the Ketel Marte starter kit, except Garcia runs a lot more. He just needs to raise his launch as he gains experience, just like Marte has done in his career. I named Garcia a target back in my June Target Article, and he remains a major off-season target for me. 2024 Projection: 78/13/69/.278/.335/.408/27

192) Zach Neto LAA, SS, 23.2 – Ranking Neto 3rd overall on my 2023 FYPD Rankings (over the likes of the more highly regarded Elijah Green, Termarr Johnson, Cam Collier, and Gavin Cross) raised some eyebrows, and my reasoning for it ended up being right on point. I wrote in the 2023 FYPD Target & Strategy Guide, “He’s one of those picks where he’ll quickly be contributing for LA and you’ll be scratching your head on why you just didn’t scoop this guy. LA has literally kept the SS position open for him.” The Angels calling up Nolan Schanuel just a month after being drafted makes it look like they handled Neto with kid gloves, but at the time it seemed quite aggressive to call Neto up after just a couple weeks into his first full season of pro ball, surprising even me. He didn’t play particularly well offensively with a 89 wRC+ in 84 games, but the 8.8% Barrel%, 89.1/94.2 MPH FB/LD EV, 14.5 degree launch, and 23.4% K% portends very good things for the future. He’s also a plus defensive SS, so his glove will most certainly keep him on the field. I know Schanuel’s debut overshadows how quickly they called up Neto, but even the fact Neto was able to hold his own was impressive coming from a non major college conference. He’s set up to have an excellent 2024 season. 2024 Projection: 79/20/74/.256/.322/.425/12

193) Kyle Bradish BAL, RHP, 27.7 – I’m a little skeptical of fully buying into Bradish, mostly because of how elite his surface stats were relative to what I think his true talent level is. He put up a pitching line of 2.83/1.04/25%/6.6% in 168.2 IP. That is an ace level pitching line and it’s sure to push his trade value and draft value higher than I would be willing to go. His 3.82 xERA and 3.76 SIERA were both much worse. But I don’t want it to come across that I don’t like him, because he made real improvements in 2023. He threw his bad 4-seam fastball (.433 xwOBA) much less in favor of his plus 95 MPH sinker (.314 xwOBA). And he also threw his above average slider (36.4% whiff%) and curve (35.6% whiff%) more. He did all of that with improved control with a well above average 6.6% BB%. This new pitch mix has me buying into him as a Top 100-ish dynasty asset, but I wouldn’t be willing to go higher than that. 2024 Projection: 11/3.62/1.19/165 in 165 IP Update: Bradish will start the season on the IL with a UCL sprain. He is going to attempt to rehab it and is optimistic he can return in the 1st half of 2024, but this ads a healthy dose of risk, and I already felt he was on the overrated side (although I still liked him)

194) Taj Bradley TBR, RHP, 23.0 – K/BB is King when it comes to pitchers, and Bradley put up a very impressive 28%/8.5% K%/BB% in 104.2 IP in his MLB debut. That right there is enough to have confidence in him, especially when you combine it with faith in Tampa’s development reputation. He also has big stuff with a 96.1 MPH fastball and 3 legit secondaries in his cutter, curve, and change. The change was elite in limited usage (13.7%) with a .188 xwOBA and 41% whiff%, while the cutter and curve were both mediocre. On the downside, his stuff got hit very hard with a 10.7% Barrel%, 91.2 MPH EV against, and 17.1 degree launch. It led to a 5.59 ERA (4.45 xERA) and 23 homers against. He’s also given up a lot of homers at Triple-A in 2022-23, so homers look to be a legit problem. He got popped with a pec injury which will put him on the IL to start the season. 2024 Projection: 7/3.91/1.29/139 in 120 IP Prime Projection: 12/3.63/1.18/180 in 160 IP

195) Chris Sale ATL, LHP, 35.0 – Sale was a bit rusty coming off a completely lost and chaotic 2022 season with a 8.22 ERA in his first 23 IP, but he performed like a true ace after that with a 3.16 ERA and 30.2%/6.0% K%/BB% in 79.2 IP. He can clearly still be an impact fantasy starter, but there are enough indications that what he did in those final 79.2 IP shouldn’t be expected over a full season. He missed over 2 months during that stretch with shoulder inflammation, and while he performed well afterwards, the velocity was spotty and shoulder injuries are scary. He hasn’t thrown a legitimate starter’s workload since 2019 (147.1 IP). And the stuff isn’t quite as good as his prime with his heavily used 4-seamer hitting a career worst .320 xwOBA and 23.4% whiff%. He’s looked electric in spring, and while being fresh in spring doesn’t mean he can keep it up all season, it’s a great start. 2024 Projection: 11/3.47/1.13/170 in 140 IP

196) Jonathan India CIN, 2B, 27.4 – The injuries cleared up a full time job for India, and he seems to be over the planter fasciitis as well. He bounced back from the classic sophomore slump with 17 homers, 14 steals, and a 20.6%/9.8% K%/BB% in 119 games. The underlying numbers back it up with a career best 89.5 MPH EV, 15.2 degree launch, and a well above average .339 xwOBA. He’s definitely underrated at this point, but his poor defense could still come back to bite him long term. 2024 Projection: 79/20/73/.259/.340/.434/13

197) Termarr Johnson PIT, 2B, 19.10 – Just call me Prospectdamus, because I nailed Johnson’s 2023 season in my Predicting the 2024 Top 50 Prospects Rankings back in February, writing, “Johnson’s hit tool at Single-A won’t be as good as the hype with an over 20% K% and under .280 BA. The power/speed numbers will be good though, and he’ll still destroy the level with a 130 wRC+.” … Johnson’s K% was over 20% at 26.7% and his BA was under .280 at .244, but he still destroyed the level with a 141 wRC+, 13 homers and 7 steals in 75 games. He put up almost identical numbers at High-A too with a 142 wRC+ in 30 games. He hits the ball hard, he has a very mature plate approach, and he has some speed. He didn’t hit his ceiling projection, but I would say he still lived up to the hype. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 93/25/82/.264/.351/.478/15

198) Sebastian Walcott TEX, SS, 18.1 – I know that nobody really cares/remembers who was “first” on a player. And being “first” on a player is a nebulous concept anyway as I guess the person who was really the first was the one to identify him when he was like an 8 year old probably. And saying you were “first” on a player who signed for $3.2 million might seem like a stretch in hindsight … but having said all that, I was first on Walcott …. his extremely elite athleticism at 6’4”, 190 pounds jumped off the screen in every video I watched of him last off-season before he was getting even a whisper of real dynasty hype. If you were a Patreon subscriber last off-season, I told you to target this kid in every first year player draft. His hype picked up in a major way later in the off-season, and I ain’t even mad at it, because he deserved the love. Texas knew they had a special kid on their hands too, promoting him to stateside rookie ball after just 9 games in the DSL, and he thrived, slashing .273/.325/.524 with 7 homers, 9 steals, and a 32.5%/6.4% K%/BB% in 35 games. The contact rates and plate approach were rough enough to assume that will be an area of his game he needs to work on, but they weren’t so bad considering his age to let it scare you off him. I’m all in on Walcott. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 84/32/92/.257/.328/.491/23

199) Druw Jones ARI, OF, 20.4 – I think we’ve all been spoiled by how many players came back with little to no rust from major shoulder surgery (Carroll, Lawler, Jung), and unfortunately, that wasn’t the case for Jones. He put up a .490 OPS with 0 homers in his first 25 games, and he battled hamstring and quad injuries all year too. But he finally settled down and showed glimpses of his special talent to close out the season, slashing .339/.438/.500 with 2 homers, 6 steals, and a 20.5%/15.1% K%/BB% in 16 games at Single-A. Obviously it would have been preferrable for him to light the world on fire all season, but this year was his very first taste of pro ball, he was coming off major shoulder surgery, and he dealt with multiple lower body injuries. I would be very careful about judging such a special talent like this too harshly under those conditions, and he showed what’s to come at the end of the year. He needs to learn how to get the ball in the air more as his groundball rates were very high, but he isn’t the type of player who needs an extreme launch to thrive with double plus speed, a relatively mature plate approach, and plus raw power potential. Tack on plus CF defense, and Jones is a high floor player with all the upside still present from his draft year. Buy low if you can. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 91/24/83/.268/.344/.476/31

200) Colt Emerson SEA, SS, 18.8 – Selected 22nd overall in the 2023 MLB Draft, the 6’1”, 195 pound Emerson had an electric pro debut, both statistically and visually. He slashed .374/.496/.550 with 2 homers, 8 steals, and a 17.5%/14.9% K%/BB% in 24 games at rookie ball (251 wRC+) and Single-A (147 wRC+). He has an athletic, lightning quick lefty swing that the ball absolutely rockets off of. It’s geared for both power and average. He’s not a true burner, but he has speed and he was perfect on the bases. He’ll also be 18 years old for most of the 2024 season. He checks off almost every box that you look for in a potential elite prospect coming out of the draft (size, power, average, speed, age, sweet swing, production). If you’re drafting in the mid to late 1st round, and all the buzzy names are off the board, you can confidently take Emerson knowing he can easily end up amongst the best in the class. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 93/26/86/.277/.356/.475/15

201) Tommy Edman STL, 2B/SS/OF, 28.11 – Edman didn’t get the stolen base bump, which puts his formerly elite stolen base output more in the double plus range with 27 steals. His BA tanked to .248 in 2023, but it was mostly due to bad luck with a 15.9% K% and 89.1 MPH EV. He hits the ball hard enough where he’s capable of putting together a career type power year with a just a few more flyballs (7.5 degree launch), but it’s not something you can count on, especially after he underwent wrist surgery this off-season in October. The wrist is still acting up, and now he’s expected to start the year on the IL. 2024 Projection: 69/11/51/.262/.318/.400/23

202) Masataka Yoshida BOS, OF, 30.8 – I projected Yoshida’s 2023 numbers at 83/16/65/.281/.342/.428/5 last off-season, and he ended up going 71/15/72/.289/.338/.445/8. He did more or less exactly what I (and most others as well) expected with a plus hit tool (14% K%), some pop (89 MPH EV), and a handful of steals. He wasn’t going to be a difference maker in shallower leagues, but in deeper leagues, a line like that can make a real impact. Keep that in mind for Shota Imanaga and Jung Hoo Lee, two players who project to be good, but not necessarily great, if they are available in your FYPD this off-season. You need to adjust rankings based on your league, contention window, and team needs, especially for international vets. This was Yoshida’s first year playing in a new country, let alone with a new team, so the expectation should be for him to keep improving over the next couple seasons as he gets more comfortable. The upside might not be a huge, but a .290/20/10 season is well within reach. 2024 Projection: 81/17/76/.283/.347/.440/8

203) Andrew Vaughn CHW, 1B, 26.0 – Vaughn raised his launch angle to a career high 11.2 degrees, and while it didn’t result in a huge power season with 21 homers in 152 games, it’s a very good sign for the future. And he’s not the type who needs a huge launch to have a big power season with a 90.6/95.7 MPH AVG/FB EV. He’s always had a good feel to hit with a 21% K%, so as Vaughn heads into his age 26 year old season, it sure seems like he’s headed in the direction of leveling up. 2024 Projection: 76/24/87/.273/.330/.451/1

204) Taylor Ward LAA, OF, 30.3 – Ward’s season ended on July 29th when he got hit in the face from a pitch thrown by Alek Manoah. Monoah was so horrible in 2023 that he was a danger to himself and others out there. Ward got off to a slow start to the season with a .607 OPS in his first 51 games, but he dominated after that, slashing .288/.377/.541 with 10 homers, 3 steals, and a 16.6%/10.6% K%/BB% in 46 games. He had a 90.7 MPH EV, 14.3 degree launch, and a 19.6%/9.5% K%/BB% overall. This is his third year in a row of being a complete, well above average hitter. The floor is high, and the potential is certainly in here to have a true beastly season. 2024 Projection: 84/25/81/.267/.350/.469/8

205) Jeffrey Springs TBR, LHP, 31.6 – Springs underwent Tommy John surgery in late April, which makes July the conservative estimate for his return date. He was in the midst of fully backing up his 2022 breakout with a 0.56 ERA and 43.6%/7.6% K%/BB% in 16 IP before going down with the injury. He’s not a huge stuff guy with a 91.7 MPH fastball, so considering control is usually the last thing to come back from Tommy John, I would be hesitant about him picking right up from where he left off in 2024, but long term, I like taking the Tommy John discount on him. He wasn’t established enough for his owner to demand an extremely high price, but he was established enough for me to feel comfortable targeting him. 2024 Projection: 4/3.68/1.17/72 in 70 IP

206) Brandon Woodruff FRA, RHP, 31.2 – Woodruff underwent shoulder surgery in October and is likely to miss all or the vast majority of the 2024 season. I love buying the Tommy John surgery discount with pitchers, but shoulder injuries scare me much more. He was non-tendered by Milwaukee, so it will be revealing what kind of contract he ends up with. MLB teams will obviously look over the medicals extensively, so we’ll essentially see exactly what kind of odds they are willing to place on him returning to full health in 2025 and beyond. When completely healthy, he is a true ace with a 2.28 ERA and 29.2%/5.9% K%/BB% in 67 IP in 2023, so even with the shoulder injury, I wouldn’t want to completely count him out. 2024 Projection: OUT

207) Andrew Painter PHI, RHP, 21.0 – Painter underwent Tommy John surgery in late July 2023, which will keep him out for all, or almost all of 2024. As I wrote in the Baz blurb, if you’re going to take the Tommy John discount on pithing prospects, make sure they are elite ones, and Painter is most certainly an elite one. He had a silly pitching line of 1.56/0.89/155/25 in 103.2 IP spread across 3 levels (A, A+, AA) in 2022. He’s 6’7”, 215 pounds with plus control of an upper 90’s fastball, plus slider, potentially plus change, and an average curve. The timing of his elbow injury in spring training and the ultimate decision to get surgery in July makes it that he will miss two entire seasons. I do think it is prudent to factor in at least some extra injury/performance risk, but if you want to assume he picks right back up from where he left off without any setbacks, I can see ranking him at least 50 spots higher. 2024 Projection: OUT Prime Projection: 15/3.28/1.08/215 in 180 IP

208) Max Muncy LAD, 3B, 33.7 – Classic 3 true outcome slugger with 36 homers, a .212 BA, and .333 OBP. He’s not a good defensive player, he’s getting up there in age, and he struggled vs. lefties with a .642 OPS, so a platoon DH role could be coming in the not too distant future. 2024 Projection: 87/33/91/.228/.345/.480/2

209) Mason Miller OAK, RHP, 25.7 – Injury risk is why I’ve been hesitant to truly put Mason Miller in the elite pitching prospect tier (he missed 4 months with a UCL sprain in 2023), and it seems Oakland has the same concerns as their GM announced Miller will start 2024 in the bullpen, and likely in the closer role eventually. If I owned Miller, I wouldn’t even be mad at that outcome. Back in the day I was the high guy by far on Josh Hader, and while I was disappointed he never got a chance to prove he could be an ace, he’s been a mainstay on my fantasy team for 7 years. No injuries. No missed time. Just easy dominance that puts your mind at rest about scurrying for closers every year. Miller has the stuff to be in that elite closer tier with a 98.3 MPH fastball and an elite slider that put up a .207 xwOBA and 47.1% whiff% in 33.1 IP over 10 outings in his MLB debut. They haven’t ruled out a return to the rotation down the line, but I wouldn’t count on that as you plan for the future of your dynasty team. 2024 Projection: 4/3.25/1.14/88/20 saves in 65 IP

210) Jung Hoo Lee SFG, OF, 25.7 – San Francisco signed Lee to a 6 year, $113 million contract, which is definitely an eye opening amount, but he earned that contract for his real life baseball value, and not for his fantasy value. He had extremely high groundball rates in Korea with a 59.2% GB% in 2023, and he doesn’t hit the ball particularly hard. He hit only 6 homers in 86 games. He has speed, but he’s not a true burner, and he hasn’t been a good base stealer. He was 6 for 9 in 2023 and has a career high of 13 steals in 20 attempts. He also fractured his ankle in July which required season ending surgery, so that adds even more risk to his future steal projections. And to top it all off, he landed in one of the very worst hitter’s parks in the league. He’s truly elite at what he does well though, and that is hit for average. He had a 5.9%/12.7% K%/BB% in 2023, and he has a career .340 BA. He was a baseball prodigy with baseball bloodlines, dominating the KBO from the time he was 18 years old with a sweet lefty swing. He’s not a small guy at 6’0”, and there is most certainly room to tack on mass at a relatively skinny 171 pounds. He has a little bit of that Ichiro feel to him, where if he wanted to hit for more power, he would, and he did crack 23 homers in 142 games in 2022, so it’s not like he’s been some light hitter in his career. It’s also possible he runs a lot more with the new stolen base rules in MLB. It might take him a couple years to get fully acclimated like it has Ha-Seong Kim, but once he does, a .300/15/15 season looks well within reach, and it wouldn’t shock me if he got to 20/20. He might be more valuable in real life than fantasy, but that doesn’t mean he still can’t be a very good fantasy player. 2024 Projection: 81/11/51/.285/.341/.401/12 Prime Projection: 93/15/62/.305/.371/.437/15

211) Evan Phillips LAD, Closer, 29.7 – Phillips dodged the Hader bullet, and now it’s all systems go for him. He took over LA’s undisputed closer role by late June, and he earned it with a 2.05 ERA and 28.2%/5.6% K%/BB% in 61.1 IP. He has an elite sweeper (.195 xwOBA with a 42.1% whiff%), a double plus 96.4 MPH fastball (.279 xwOBA with a 30.8% whiff%), a 95.5 MPH sinker that keeps the ball on the ground (negative 1 degree launch), and a solid 93.1 MPH cutter. It’s his 2nd year in a row of dominance, and his control is now in the near elite range. 2024 Projection: 4/2.89/0.98/72/30 saves in 63 IP

212) Devin Williams MIL, Closer, 29.6 – Williams’ 37.7% K% was 4th best in all of baseball among pitchers with at least 40 IP, and his 85.9 MPH EV against was in the top 6% of the league. He did it on the back of an elite changeup that was the third most valuable changeup in all of baseball. His 4 seamer was excellent too with a 41.8% whiff% which led the league on 4 seamers that were thrown at least 300 times. It all led to a miniscule 1.53 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and 36 saves in 58.2 IP. The only blemish is the 12.1% BB%, but that seems silly to even bring up considering how utterly dominant he is. He’s in the elite of the elite tier of closers. 2024 Projection: 3/2.68/1.06/45/18 saves in 30 IP Update: Out 3 months with a back injury

213) Pete Fairbanks TBR, Closer, 30.3 – It’s hard to fully trust the Rays, but it does seem like Fairbanks is locked into the closer job. He saved 25 games in 45.1 IP (he missed some time with a forearm and hip injury). The stuff is most certainly worthy of the full time job with a double plus 98.9 MPH fastball and a plus slider. It led to a 2.58 ERA and 37.0%/10.9% K%/BB%. The strikeout rate is likely inflated with a 30.7% whiff%, but even 2 steps back would put him in near elite K% range. As long as Tampa doesn’t go Tampa on us, and as long as he stays healthy (45.1 IP is his MLB career high), Fairbanks should be in the mix for top closer status in 2024. 2024 Projection: 3/2.79/1.03/75/29 saves in 55 IP

214) Alexis Diaz CIN, Closer, 27.6 – Diaz was much better in the first half (1.80 ERA with a 40.4% K% in 35 IP) than the 2nd half (4.45 ERA with a 20% in 32.1 IP), but nothing really changed in his profile, so I’m leaning towards it being small sample reliever variance. It all evened out to a 3.07 ERA and 30.1%/12.6% K%/BB% in 67.1 IP. The slightly more concerning thing is that the stuff wasn’t quite as good in 2023 as it was in 2022 with his fastball down 1.3 MPH to 94.5 MPH, and it got hit harder too with a 90.2 MPH EV against vs. 86.6 MPH in 2022. The slider also wasn’t as good with the whiff% dropping 7 percentage points to 38%. Some of this feels like slicing and dicing the numbers a little too much, which is why I’m still projecting him as elite, but if he struggles, it’s not like their weren’t some red flags. 2024 Projection: 6/3.02/1.12/85/36 saves in 65 IP

215) Cal Raleigh SEA, C, 27.4 – At the dish, Raleigh has one thing on the mind and one thing only, and that thing is ripping dingers with a 20.3 degree launch and 94.4 MPH FB/LD EV. It resulted in 30 bombs in 145 games which led all catchers by a large margin (Francisco Alverez was 2nd with 25 homers in 124 games). It’s not conducive to a high BA with a .232 BA, but his contact rates took a small step forward with a 27.8% K% and 29.9% whiff%, which at least adds some comfort that his BA won’t fall off a cliff. 2024 Projection: 72/28/78/.228/.307/.465/1

216) Logan O’Hoppe LAA, C, 23.5 – The fun part about playing dynasty is the ability to be so far out ahead of the curve. I’m seeing O’Hoppe being called a sleeper this off-season, meanwhile, I named him a target back in February of 2022 when he was actually a sleeper, calling him “easily the most underrated catcher in the minors” in my 2022 Hitter Targets article (the 2024 version of that article comes out in early February). He went down with a torn shoulder that required surgery on April 20th that kept him out for 4 months, but he proved to be completely healthy when he returned. His already above average power ticked up to double plus levels with a 90.5/95.3 MPH AVG/FB EV and 19.6 degree launch, which led to 14 homers in just 51 games. The plate approach was below average, but not terribly so with a 24.1%/7.0% K%/BB%, and while the .236 BA is low, it’s mostly the product of bad luck with a .240 BABIP and .260 xBA. I hope were able to get in for beans back in 2022, but even if you weren’t, he looks setup for a potentially monster 2024 and is worth his now higher price. 2024 Projection: 63/25/76/.248/.322/.468/0

217) Tyler Wells BAL, RHP, 29.7 – Just like last off-season, I like Tyler Wells a ton, but Baltimore being wishy washy with his ultimate role prevents me from really going after him. As I expected, his above average to plus control/whiff combo put up excellent results with a 3.64 ERA and 24.9%/7.2% K%/BB% in 118.2 IP. His 92.5 MPH fastball is a plus pitch, and he throws a legit 5 pitch mix with his changeup, slider and curve all putting up above average xwOBA’s. It’s very odd to me that Baltimore doesn’t give him the respect he deserves, but maybe they know something about his health that I don’t know. He started to struggle as his innings racked up, which is what prompted Baltimore to send him down to the minors in August and call him back up as a reliever in September. He’s going to be 29 years old and the 133.1 IP he threw this year is essentially a career high. It sure seems like Baltimore plans on using him out of the bullpen to start the season in 2024, especially after the Corbin Burnes trade. It’s hard to go after a guy who might be multi inning middle reliever. 2024 Projection: 10/3.62/1.12/133 in 140 IP Update: The Kyle Bradish injury almost guarantees Wells a spot in the rotation. As long as he’s in the rotation, I love Wells

218) Jordan Romano TOR, Closer, 30.11 – Romano is in the lower upper class of closers with a 29% K% on the back of a plus fastball/slider combo. Other than his rookie season, he hasn’t had an ERA higher than his 2.90 ERA this year (career 2.67 ERA). A back issue that popped up at the all-star game landed him on the IL for a few weeks in the 2nd half, but his 2.95 ERA post break shows it isn’t a concern. 2024 Projection: 4/3.06/1.08/65/32 saves in 55 IP  Update: Diagnosed with elbow inflammation which they are hoping isn’t serious

219)  Jose Alvarado PHI, Closer, 28.10 – With Kimbrel leaving town, Alvarado looks locked into at least the lion’s share of Philly’s closer job. He’s a lefty, so they could mix and match a bit, but I don’t think it will impact his value much. He’s straight elite with a 1.74 ERA and 37.2%/10.5% K%/BB% in 41.1 IP, and the stuff is fire with a 98.7 MPH sinker and 93.1 MPH cutter/slider. The only thing that could stop him is injuries, as he missed time during the season with an elbow injury. 2024 Projection: 3/2.76/1.14/85/28 saves in 60 IP

220) Chris Bassitt TOR, RHP, 35.1 – Bassitt’s horrific Spring Training and first start of the season (9 ER in 3.1 IP), proved to be him just taking his sweet old time to ramp up for the season. He was his usual good self after that with a 3.25 ERA and 186/59 K/BB in 196.2 IP. He threw a career high 200 IP at 34 years old, so maybe there was a method to his madness. He throws an 8 pitch mix that is geared towards weak contact (87.5 MPH EV against), above average control (7.1% BB%), and average K rates (22.5%). 2024 Projection: 12/3.68/1.17/165 in 180 IP

221) Yu Darvish SDP, RHP, 37.8 – Darvish is 37 years old, his year ended on August 25th with a bone spur in his elbow, he put up a career worst 24.6% K%, and his 4.56 ERA was basically a career worst. Assuming he’s entering a true decline phase seems like the right way to play it, but he definitely got unlucky last year with a 3.82 xERA, and the stuff is still big with a 94.3 MPH sinker and a 7 pitch mix. He can definitely still be an impact starter for a win now team. 2024 Projection: 12/3.78/1.18/176 in 165 IP

222) Willson Contreras STL, C, 31.11 – Contreras very quietly put up a career best .375 xwOBA which was in the top 7% of the league. He also notched career bests in Barrel% (12.2%), launch (10.1 degrees), and Max EV (117.5 MPH). He had a slow 1st half, but he absolutely exploded in the 2nd half with a .959 OPS and 10 homers in 46 games. He has too long of a track record to truly expect him to level up at the plate, but the underlying numbers say it isn’t out of the question. He had a poor defensive year behind the dish, but it could have been some growing pains with him joining a new team for the first time in his career, and they’re paying him too much to be too worried about his playing time. I sense that Contreras’ perceived value is relatively low right now, making him a solid buy candidate for a win now team. 2024 Projection: 64/23/71/.261/.350/.460/5

223) Raisel Iglesias ATL, Closer, 34.3 – Iglesias had yet another dominant year with a 2.75 ERA and 29.4%/6.5% K%/BB% in 55.2 IP. He’s put up a sub 3 ERA and an over 30% whiff% in 7 of his 9 seasons. He battled shoulder inflammation in April which delayed the start of his season until May, but he was obviously fully healthy once returning. 2024 Projection: 4/2.85/1.08/80/34 saves in 64 IP

224) Alec Bohm PHI, 1B/3B, 27.8 – I want to like Bohm more than I actually do. He hit a career high 20 homers in 145 games, and finished 93rd on the Razzball Player Rater on the back of 97 RBI and a .274 BA. But he just doesn’t have the homer upside or speed for me to really go out of my way to get him. He’s a line drive hitter with an 11.1 degree launch, he doesn’t hit the ball hard in the air with a 92.2 MPH EV, he doesn’t pull the ball often with a 30.2% Pull%, and he has a 26.6 ft/sec sprint. It’s a BA first profile with a 15.4% K%, 89.4 MPH AVG EV and .287 xBA, but even that is combined with a low walk rate (6.9% BB%) and below average chase rate (30% chase%). He should continue to be an above average fantasy hitter, but he just hasn’t shown the upside that I like going after considering his relatively high price. 2024 Projection: 77/21/85/.279/.333/.440/4

225) Eloy Jimenez CHW, DH, 27.4 – Eloy’s ground ball rate is becoming a problem with a career worst 53.2% GB% that led to only 18 homers in 120 games. That’s a 24 homer pace over 160 games, which obviously isn’t bad, but when it comes with literally zero steals (0 steals in 436 career games), a mediocre plate approach (19%/6.1% K%/BB%), and a long injury history, you need to be sure you are getting huge homer totals. He still hits the ball extremely hard with a 90.9/95.3 MPH AVG/FB EV, so he’s certainly capable of putting up big homer totals without having an extreme launch angle, and he can do it with a good BA too (career .275 BA). The ingredients are there for him put together a Luis Robert like career year if he can actually play a full season (122 games played is his career high), but unlike Robert, he doesn’t really have the upside to stick your neck out for it. 2024 Projection: 71/25/87/.275/.324/.487/0

226) Ezequiel Duran TEX, 3B/SS/OF, 24.10 – If Duran were in a weaker organization where playing time wasn’t a concern, I would tell you to go after him with reckless abandon, but that just isn’t the reality of his situation. Texas has established players at basically every position, and with Wyatt Langford on the way, not even the DH spot in safe. He’s also not a good defensive player, so the glove isn’t going to force him on the field. But it’s not like there isn’t a path to playing time at all. Evan Carter is a good centerfielder, so if Leody Taveras doesn’t hit, Leody could end up the odd man out. Duran can also play multiple positions, so even in a super utility role he can play almost everyday. And if anybody gets hurt, he will essentially be the next man up. He’s absolutely electric at the plate with big EV’s (90.1 MPH), the ability to lift the ball (14 degree launch), double plus speed (29.1 ft/sec sprint), and no major contact issues (28.5% whiff%). He’s a high chase player (37.7% chase%), but with his talent, that is something you mainly have to worry about like 7 years from now, and he could easily improve in that area over time. There are just too many green flags here for me to focus too heavily on the fact he isn’t quite locked into a spot at the moment. I’m still going after him, but in a responsible way, not in a reckless way. 2024 Projection: 73/21/73/.257/.316/.442/13

227) Ezequiel Tovar COL, SS, 22.8 – Tovar didn’t do anything well enough to get really excited for him in 2024, but he also didn’t do anything bad enough to get too discouraged. An 88 MPH EV with a 8.1% barrel%, 12.6 degree launch, 27% K%, and 28.1 ft/sec sprint is not the worst starting point for a 21 year old. 15 homers with 11 steals in 155 games can easily become 20+ homers with 15+ steals with just a few incremental improvements. It doesn’t look like he will be the type to carry you in any one category, or to be a league winner, but he’s right on track to be a solid across the board contributor. 2024 Projection: 80/18/73/.264/.317/.422/16

228) Steven Kwan CLE, OF, 26.4 – 21 steals in 24 attempts over 718 PA is simply not enough for a player with Kwan’s profile with the new rules. There are slomo’s out there stealing 10 bags in their sleep. He needs to be in the 30 plus range considering how weakly he hits the ball. He had a 1.1% Barrel%, and it led to an only .268 BA with 5 homers despite an elite 10.4%/9.7% K%/BB%. He scored 93 runs and his .282 xBA is probably more representative of his true talent level, so he for sure has value, but he needs to run more to make a true fantasy impact. 2024 Projection: 90/7/56/.282/.355/.394/25

229) Luis Arraez MIA, 2B, 27.0 – The Hit Tool King was flirting with a .400 BA all the way through mid June, and while it fell off after that, he still finished with a league leading by far .354 BA. His career .326 BA not only leads all of baseball over his 5 year career, it leads all of baseball if you set the Fangraphs leaderboards all the way back to the year 1999. He also finally cracked the double digit homer seal with 10 homers, which is obviously still very low, and he also accrued a lowly 3 steals, 71 runs and 69 RBI. He’s a one trick pony, but that one trick is historically great. 2024 Projection: 84/10/59/.331/.385/.438/4

230) Jack Suwinski PIT, OF, 25.7 – Suwinski is the discount Nolan Jones. Their barrel% (Suwinski-15.7% vs. Jones-15.7%), exit velocity (Suwinski-90.5 MPH vs. Jones-90.1 MPH), whiff% (Suwinski-30.1% vs. Jones-31.9%), walk rate (Suwinski-14% vs. Jones-12.5%), Max EV (Suwinski-114.7 MPH vs. Jones-115.3 MPH) and speed (Suwinski-28.6 ft/sec vs. Jones-28.4 ft/sec) are all remarkably similar. There are some key things which differentiate their profiles. Jones hits lefties better, his launch isn’t as extreme, he ran a lot more, and he plays in Coors, so Jones clearly deserves to go much higher than Suwinski, but the point is, the potential is there for Suwisnki to put up some difference making fantasy numbers at a much lower cost. His .224 BA (.218 xBA) is a major problem in 5×5 BA leagues, so he’s much more attractive in OBP/OPS/6+ Cat leagues, but even in a 5×5, his swing and miss isn’t so bad that I would rule out improvement there. He’s the type of target you slow play and hope to get for a great value in drafts/auctions. 2024 Projection: 76/28/81/.232/.331/.467/15

231) Trevor Story BOS, SS, 31.4 – Story underwent an internal brace procedure on his UCL in January, and he struggled hard after returning in August with a 48 wRC+ and 32.7%/5.4% K%/BB% in 43 games. He’s sure to perform better with a fully heathy off-season, and the power/speed combo is still very much present for him to pop in 2024 with a 28.8 ft/sec sprint and 9.7% Barrel%, but you need to expect it to come with a BA that can tank you. His performance clearly took a hit after leaving Coors with a mediocre 2022 as well. 2024 Projection: 76/24/81/.237/.306/.441/27

232) Jake Burger MIA, 3B, 28.0 – Burger tore his Achilles tendon twice in a row as a prospect. He’s a hefty 6’2”, 230 pounds. And he still has a well above average 28 ft/sec sprint speed. I’m just marveling at the level of athleticism. As someone who grew up a chubby kid and was also a good athlete, I always have a soft spot for a guy like this. But you aren’t buying the speed here (he stole only 1 bag in his entire pro career, and that came this year), you are buying the monster power. He cracked 34 homers with a 16.7% Barrel%, 97.8 MPH FB/LD EV, and 118.2 MPH Max EV. The hit tool and plate approach are rough with a 34.1% whiff% and 38.5% chase%, but being aggressive at the dish kept his strikeout rate at a manageable 27.6%. He’s hit well his entire MLB career with a 118 wRC+ (120 wRC+ in 2023), so I see no reason why he wouldn’t be 100% legit. 2024 Projection: 74/29/88/.246/.311/.488/1

233) Edouard Julien MIN, 2B, 24.11 – I was the party pooper on a Minnesota infielder last off-season (Jose Miranda), and I’m going to do it again with another Minnesota infielder this year, Edouard Julien, although I definitely like Julien more this off-season than I did Miranda last off-season for one major reason, OBP. Julien is an elite OBP player with a 15.7% BB% and .381 OBP in 109 MLB games. He’s never put up a BB% under 18.8% at any level in the minors. He also hits the ball hard with a 89.5/94.3 MPH AVG/FB EV. What gives me pause, in 5×5 BA leagues especially, are that his strikeout rates are high (31.4%), his groundball rates are high (50.2%), he’s a below average defensive player, he has below average speed (27 ft/sec sprint), and he struggled majorly vs. lefties (.447 OPS in 48 MLB PA and .758 OPS in 91 PA at Triple-A). If he ends up in a strong side of a platoon role with an average-ish BA/homer combo, and only a handful of steals, it’s not going to make for a truly impact fantasy player. The extremely high OBP is the saving grace though, because it’s hard to take a guy who gets on base that much out of the lineup no matter what his other deficiencies are. 2024 Projection: 82/20/71/.248/.357/.440/7

234) Edward Cabrera MIA, RHP, 26.0 – Cabrera very well might be the highest risk, highest reward young pitcher in the game. He has major control risk with a 15.2% BB% in 99.2 IP, and while it was much better in 2022 at 11.3%, it was horrible in 2021 too with a 15.8% BB%. The extreme inconsistency is hard to trust. Along with the control risk, he also has major injury risk. He missed over a month of 2023 with a shoulder injury, and he battled biceps and forearm injuries in 2022. His 128 IP this year was a career high. But despite the risk, his upside is way too high to dismiss. He throws filth with a 96.2 MPH fastball, a double plus changeup, and a plus curve. It led to a 4.24 ERA (3.79 xERA), 30.9% whiff% and 27.2% K%. I love chasing upside, but the risk here is extreme enough to give me half a pause before reaching too high for him. 2024 Projection: 7/3.86/1.33/136 in 120 IP Update: Cabrera was diagnosed with a shoulder impingement but he has already started throwing, so hopefully it isn’t serous

235) Jarred Kelenic ATL, OF, 24.8 – Kelenic leveled up in 2023 with a career best by far 108 wRC+, and the underlying numbers back it up with an above average .333 xwOBA, but it still all feels so tenuous. He put up a .982 in April, a .727 OPS in May, a .588 OPS in June, a .686 OPS in July, and a .653 OPS in September (he missed all of August and some of July and September with a broken foot). His contact rates were still extremely rough with a 31.7% K% and 33.8% whiff%, which makes it hard to believe he can maintain a .253 BA, and he needed to bring his launch down to a non friendly 10 degrees in order to do it. He also isn’t a good base stealer, going 13 for 18 in 2023 and 24 for 35 in his career. The one thing he did very clearly improve upon is hitting the ball hard with a career best 45.5% Hard Hit%, but because he needed to bring the launch down, it only resulted in 11 homers in 105 games. Joining a new organization and hearing different voices can probably only help his development, but there is a reason Seattle was willing to move on from him in a salary dump trade. While the talent is still clearly in here, the improved 2023 and the high profile trade to Atlanta likely pushes his value higher than I would be willing to go. 2024 Projection: 69/20/77/.243/.321/.424/14

236) Kyle Manzardo CLE, 1B, 23.8 – Manzardo was getting unlucky all season, and it was only a matter of time for him to get hot. Well, he got hot in a major way on September 8th and he took it right into the AFL. He smacked 6 homers in his final 11 regular season games and then crushed 6 dingers in 22 AFL games. He had a 90.6 MPH EV with very low groundball rates at Triple-A, so like I said, the homer binge was inevitable. The hit tool took a step back from 2022 with a .237 BA and 20.8% K% at Triple-A, so while there are still no contact issues, I might be leaning towards him being power over hit by a small margin. It will depend on how he adjusts vs. MLB pitchers. 2024 Projection: 61/19/70/.251/.328/.452/1 Prime Projection: 85/27/90/.269/.346/.482/1

237) Matt Chapman SFG, 3B, 30.11 – Chapman hit only 17 homers in 140 games, but that was very clearly the result of bad luck. He had a 93.4/98.1 MPH AVG/FB EV with a 18.5 degree launch and 17.1% Barrel%. It’s actually astonishing he managed to hit only 17 homers. I’m almost impressed. He still managed a 110 wRC+ despite the bad luck. Don’t expect a high BA with a 28.4% K%, and while the power should bounce back, signing with San Francisco is a worst case scenario for him. The landing spot scares me off him. 2024 Projection: 76/27/82/.238/.330/.456/3

238) Jorge Soler SFG, OF, 32.1 – Soler’s hit tool took a step forward in 2023 with a career best 27.6% whiff% (31.5% whiff% in 2022), and that is all he needed to have a monster season with 36 homers and a .376 xwOBA in 137 games. His beastly power is unquestioned with a 96.1 MPH FB/LD EV and 17.8 degree launch. His hit tool has been very inconsistent his entire career, making gains one year and then regressing back to even worse than career averages the next, so it’s hard to really say this is a new level for him. He’s also a terrible defensive player, he’s aging, and he hits lefties better than righties. He’s hit in bad ballparks his entire career, so I’m not too worried about the move to SF, and they have a full time job waiting for him, but I wouldn’t completely ignore the risks here. 2024 Projection: 76/30/82/.241/.328/.490/1

239) Clay Holmes NYY, Closer, 30.4 – Holmes 27.1% K% isn’t high enough to put him in the truly elite closer tier when you have guys like Felix Bautista putting up a 46.4% K% (and plenty of others in the mid to high 30’s), but he’s in the tier right under that. He uses a 96 MPH sinker which he throws 69.2% of the time to keep the ball on the ground (negative 3.4 degree launch), and he uses a dominant slider (.176 xwOBA and 43.1% whiff%) and sweeper (.079 xwOBA and 44.2% whiff%) to miss bats. He’s locked in as the Yanks closer for 2024. 2024 Projection: 4/3.09/1.12/72/32 saves in 64 IP

240) Paul Sewald ARI, Closer, 33.10 – Sewald’s numbers took a step back after the trade to Arizona with a 3.57 ERA and 25%/12.5% K%/BB% in 17.2 IP, but I don’t see how that is anything other than small sample noise, or at the most just him getting acclimated with a new team, new city, new living situation etc … He also had a 35.6%/6.7% K%/BB% in 10 playoff IP (despite a 5.40 ERA). He’s not a flamethrower with a 92.2 MPH fastball, but it’s a double plus pitch that put up a .266 xwOBA and 28.4% whiff%, and he combines that with an above average to plus sweeper. Because it’s not really a prototypical closer profile, and he’s getting up there in age, I’m weary of ranking him too high on dynasty rankings, but he’s put up elite numbers for 3 straight years now. 2024 Projection: 4/3.29/1.11/82/33 saves in 63 IP

241) Tanner Scott MIA, Closer, 29.9 – Scott took control of the full time closer job in September and looks locked into the role for 2024. He most certainly has closer’s stuff with a double plus 96.8 MPH fastball and double plus 89.4 MPH slider. He induces weak contact with a 85.3 MPH EV against. And his control took a major step forward with his BB% dropping 8.1 percentage points to 7.8%. It led to a 2.31 ERA with a 33.9% K%. If he can maintain even half of those BB% gains, he’ll finish 2024 in the elite closer range. 2024 Projection: 4/3.25/1.17/85/30 saves in 65 IP

242) Adbert Alzolay CHC, Closer, 29.1 – Alzolay took over Chicago’s closer job in mid June and he never gave it back. He put up a 2.67 ERA with a 26.5%/5.1% K%/BB% and 22 saves in 64 IP on the season. He leads with the plus slider which he threw 45.1% of the time and put up a 40.6% whiff% on the pitch. He backs that up with 3 different fastballs (95.3 MPH 4-seamer, 95.3 MPH sinker, 91.1 MPH cutter). He got shut down for 3 weeks in September with a forearm injury, but he returned for one outing on September 29th and his velocity was fine, so I wouldn’t be concerned. The modest strikeout rate has him sitting in the 3rd tier of closers (there are so many stud closers), but his elite control should mitigate that with a strong WHIP, and there is potentially more K’s in the tank. 2024 Projection: 3/3.36/1.09/71/30 saves in 65 IP

243) Felix Bautista BAL, Closer, 28.10 – Bautista underwent Tommy John surgery in October and will miss all of 2024. He had a dumb stupid season with a 1.48 ERA and 46.4%/11.0% K%/BB% in 61 IP on the back of a 99.5 MPH fastball and a quadruple plus splitter. Kimbrel is keeping his closer seat warm on a one year deal, so I have no worries that Bautista will retain his closer job in 2025. I would take the Tommy John discount on him if you are a rebuilding team. 2024 Projection: OUT

244) Ian Happ CHC, OF, 29.8 – Happ’s .248 BA (career .249 BA) isn’t quite good enough support his only modest power/speed combo (21 homers with 14 steals in 158 games). He hits the ball hard with an 89.9 MPH EV, but it’s mostly geared towards line drives with a career 12 degree launch, and his 14 steals were a career high with the new rules, so that’s probably close to a ceiling as he approaches his 30’s. OBP leagues are where he thrives with a 14.3% BB% and .360 OBP, so make sure you don’t undervalue him in those leagues. He would rank about 75 spots higher in that league (OBP Rankings are coming in February). 2024 Projection: 80/20/20/.250/.345/.440/12

245) Brandon Lowe TBR, 2B, 29.10 – It might be time to officially hit Lowe with the injury prone label. He had yet another injury plagued season, most notably having issues with his back again. A broken knee cap also ended his season in September after fouling a pitch off it, but he’s supposedly good to go for 2024. 2019 is the only season he played an entire year. His 109 games played this year was the 2nd most of his career. He also has platoon risk with a .512 OPS vs. lefties, and Tampa is platoon city. When on the field, you know what you are getting from him, and that is power (91.4 MPH EV with a 16 degree launch), OBP (11.5% BB%) and a low BA (27.3% K% with a .231 BA). He was also on a modest career high stolen base pace with the new rules (7 steals). 2024 Projection: 74/28/81/.242/.333/.457/8

246) Rhys Hoskins MIL, 1B, 31.1 – Hoskins underwent surgery to repair a torn ACL in his left knee in late March and missed all of 2023, but he should be 100% for 2024 as there was actually a chance he could have returned if Philly made the World Series. When healthy, he’s a consistent slugger with a high barrel% (12.2% career barrel%), high EV (90 MPH career EV), and a high launch (career 21.5 degree launch). He combines the power with high OBP’s (.353 career OBP), and no contact issues (career 24% whiff%). He lands in a great spot with Milwaukee. They are an above average park for righty homers (but below average overall), and there shouldn’t be many playing time concerns. 2024 Projection: 78/30/89/.243/.339/.480/2

247) Jorge Polanco SEA, 2B, 30.9 – Polanco’s power exploded in 2021 with 33 homers, he kept it up in 2022, but the dead ball subdued his numbers, and then he was right back at in 2023 with a 13.8% Barrel% that led to 14 homers in 80 games. Point being, he has legit 30+ homer upside if he can remain healthy, but he’s struggled to remain healthy with back, knee and hamstring injuries robbing him of a large portion of 2022-23. He’s also no longer an asset in steals with only 7 steals in his last 184 games, and he needed to trade in some of his plus hit tool to get to the extra power with a career worst .25.7% K%. The final negative cherry on top is that he got traded to the worst ballpark for righties. 2024 Projection: 74/25/82/.253/.330/.440/7

248) Thairo Estrada SFG, 2B/SS, 28.1 – Estrada put up a 38% chase% with a 85.9 MPH EV that was in the bottom 4% of the league. He’s never put up an above average xwOBA in his 5 year career, although he has a history of overperforming the underlying numbers. He’s also not lightning fast with a 28 ft/sec sprint speed, which makes me concerned he’s not going to be able to rack up quite enough steals in this new environment to make up for his other deficiencies. He hit .270 with 14 homers and 23 steals in only 120 games last year, and it was his 2nd year in a row of strong fantasy production, but both years came with low RBI and Runs totals. I was actually relatively high on Estrada last year as I felt similar players were going much higher than him, but now that his price has risen a bit, I’m not sure I’m apt to go out of my way to grab him. 2024 Projection: 74/16/61/.263/.319/.414/25

249) Ceddanne Rafaela BOS, OF, 23.6 – Rafaela’s MLB debut was rough with a 74 wRC+, .238 xwOBA and 85.5 MPH EV in 89 PA, which fanned the flames of concern that he is too small (5’8″) to excel at the highest levels, but I’m using it as a buying opportunity. His floor is very high with at least plus CF defense and plus speed (39 steals and a 28.7 ft/sec sprint). He’s always had a good feel to hit (21.9% K% at Triple-A), he hit the ball hard in the upper minors with a 89.1 MPH EV, and he’s never had any groundball issues. He has a poor plate approach with a low BB% (5.5%) and high chase rates, but I don’t think that will hold him back while he’s in his physical prime. Cedric Mullins with a tick worse plate approach is the comp. It also looks like he’s breaking camp as the starting CF. 2024 Projection: 76/15/66/.245/.302/.401/25 Prime Projection:  87/19/68/.261/.318/.422/31

250) Xavier Isaac TBR, 1B, 20.3 – I was high on Isaac in 2023 First Year Player Drafts, ranking him 20th overall, because when a smart organization takes a poor defensive player in the 1st round, you know they must really, really love the bat (which is why I’m high on Ralphy Velazquez in 2024). And that strategy proved correct as Isaac obliterated the lower minors. He slashed .266/.380/.462 with 13 homers, 10 steals, and a 21.3%/14.9% K%/BB% in 90 games at Single-A, and then he blew the doors off at High-A to close out the season, slashing .408/.491/.898 with 6 homers, 2 steals, and a 21.1%/14% K%/BB% in 12 games. He’s a 6’3” 240 pound lefty who hits the ball hard with an excellent plate approach. The GB% was a little on the high side, but not concerningly so with it sitting at 45% at Single-A, and while he’s not fast, the 12 steals show he is a good athlete. By this time next year, he will be competing for at least top 10 fantasy prospect status. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 89/30/97/.278/.366/.491/5

251) Ryan Mountcastle BAL, 1B, 27.1 – Mountcastle is the anti-Isaac Paredes. Statcast loves him, but it’s not fully translating to on field success. He had a 12.1% Barrel%, 91.4 MPH EV, and .357 xwOBA, but it only translated to 18 homers and a .333 wOBA in 115 games. Not bad, but not great. The disparity was even greater in 2022 with a .362 xwOBA vs. .316 wOBA. He doesn’t pull the ball a ton with a 30.7% Pull% and he plays in a bottom 3 ballpark for righty homers. The other issue is future playing time. He isn’t a good defensive player, he doesn’t hit righties all that well (.640 OPS in 2023 and a career .742 OPS), and Baltimore has Mayo, Kjerstad, and Basallo all ready to compete for at bats at 1B. A short side of a platoon role doesn’t look out of the question in the near future. The best thing for him would be a trade to a less talented organization and a ballpark that better fits his profile. It’s hard to fade a guy who smashes the ball this hard with a generally good feel to hit and no groundball issues, but his negatives are starting to worry me a little bit. 2024 Projection: 75/26/83/.268/.330/.455/5

252) Craig Kimbrel BAL, Closer, 35.10 – Kimbrel signed a 1 year deal with Baltimore to take over the closer job in Felix Bautista’s absence. He’s had a choppy career since 2019, and while he’s not the same prime Kimbrel, he’s stabilized his performance over the last 3 years. In 2023, he put up a 3.26 ERA with a 33.8%/10.1% K%/BB% in 69 IP. The fastball/slider combo is plus and it misses bats with a 33% whiff%. As long as he keeps his control in merely below average territory, he’ll be a high level short term closer option. 2024 Projection: 5/3.39/1.13/83/31 saves in 65 IP

253) Kenley Jansen BOS, Closer, 36.6 – Jensen is certainly passed his prime with career worsts in K% (27.7%), EV against (89.9 MPH), xFIP (4.61), and xERA (3.16), but he’s far from washed up. His velocity jumped two ticks to near career highs with a 94.3 MPH cutter, and the slider is still plus with a 37.5% whiff%. The days of him putting up a 1.32 ERA with a 42.2%/2.7% K%/BB% are over, but a low 3’s ERA with a 30%/9%% K%/BB% is still well within reach. 2024 Projection: 4/3.39/1.15/79/34 saves in 62 IP

254) Carlos Correa MIN, SS, 29.6 – Correa battled planter fasciitis in his left heel for most of 2023, and it led to a terrible season with a .230 BA, 18 homers, and 0 steals in 135 games. His sprint speed dropped to a career low 26.6 ft/sec. Its not the same injury or leg that resulted in two long term contracts falling through in 2022 with the Giants and Mets, but it just tacks on more concern that he isn’t going to age well. And he was already a super boring fantasy player with 0 steals since 2020 and a line drive approach (10.6 degree launch). He still had a 9.6% Barrel%, 90.4 MPH EV, and a 22.6%/10.2% K%/BB%, so he should bounce back in 2024, but his name value likely keeps his perceived value higher than I would be willing to go. 2024 Projection: 77/24/80/.270/.348/.465/0

255) Jeremy Pena HOU, SS, 26.6 – Pena’s groundball% shot up in 2023, and he didn’t have any room to spare with it going from 46.4% to 54.3%. It resulted in him hitting only 10 homers in 150 games, after hitting 22 homers in 136 games his rookie year. He has near elite speed with a 29.4 ft/sec sprint speed, and he tried to take advantage of the new steal rules, but he failed with a 13 for 22 success rate on the bases. The power/speed combo taking a step back isn’t what you want to see in year 2. There was one silver lining, and that is he improved his plate approach with 20.3%/6.8% K%/BB% vs. a 24.2%/3.9% K%/BB% in 2022. That isn’t a small deal, and we all know development isn’t linear. Last year very well could have been a bit of a Sophomore slump, which could be followed up by a big year 3 where everything comes together. I’m not predicting that will happen, but that is the reason I’m not even further down on him. 2024 Projection: 78/18/69/.268/.327/.421/14

256) Sal Frelick MIL, OF, 23.11 – Frelick’s 83.3 MPH EV in his 223 MLB PA debut is concerningly low, but there were actually a fair amount of low EV guys who thrived this year. Jake Fraley put up a .783 OPS with a 84.4 MPH EV. Andres Gimenez went 15/30 with a 84.8 MPH EV. Plenty of guys with EV’s under 87 put up impact fantasy seasons like Ha-Seong Kim, TJ Friedl, and Steven Kwan. It’s not a death knell to have a low EV, especially when you get the bat on the ball and have speed. And Frelick most surely gets the bat on the ball with a 16.6%/12.6% K%/BB%, and he most certainly has speed with a 28.6 ft/sec sprint. The low EV’s definitely cap his upside, he’s not going to be a major contributor in RBI or HR, but it’s been proven this type of profile can transfer to the majors. 2024 Projection: 78/9/58/.268/.345/.387/23

257) Masyn Winn STL, SS, 22.0 – Winn’s 29 wRC+ in his 137 PA MLB Debut was the 4th worst mark in the league (130 PA min). If you want to look on the bright side, it could have been worse. He could have been Cam Gallagher with a negative 17. Winn earned that terrible wRC+ by hitting the ball very weakly with only 2 barrels in 101 batted balls, but surprisingly, nothing actually looks too concerning to me in the underlying numbers. An 86/91 MPH AVG/FB EV is honestly not that terrible of a starting point for a relatively skinny 21 year old, and his 87.6 MPH EV in the minors clearly shows he has the juice for me. He showed double plus speed with a 29.2 ft/sec sprint, he got the bat on the ball with a 19%/7.3% K%/BB%, and he didn’t have any groundball issues with a 12.8 degree launch. He also got unlucky with a .196 BABIP and a .211 wOBA vs. .250 xwOBA, so the bad debut looked worse than it actually was. We saw plenty of players with a similar profile thrive in 2023, and I want to stress again, his EV numbers really aren’t in the true danger zone. Everything the Cardinals brass has said this off-season leads me to believe Winn is locked in as their Opening Day starting SS. All signs point towards him being much much better in 2024. 2024 Projection: 72/13/59/.241/.309/.388/21 Prime Projection: 83/17/64/.268/.330/.421/28

258) Luisangel Acuna NYM, SS/2B, 22.1 – Acuna’s power didn’t take a step forward in 2023 as hoped with only 9 homers in 121 games at Double-A, but there is definitely more raw juice in the tank with an explosive righty swing, and that was the only blemish on an otherwise excellent season. He put up a career best (other than the DSL) 18.6% K%, and he stole a career high 57 bases. It’s also really, really hard to resist the pull of elite bloodlines. Even if Acuna never develops big power, he can still be an impact fantasy player, and if does, watch out. 2024 Projection: 36/6/25/.239/.300/.382/14 Prime Projection: 82/17/68/.258/.328/.427/35

259) Colson Montgomery CHW, SS, 22.1 – If you like a prospect who looks the part, you are going to love Montgomery. He’s a 6’3”, 205 pound SS with a nuclear and smooth lefty swing that quite clearly belongs on a major league baseball field. He also has a mature approach at the dish which resulted in 11 homers and a 20.3%/17.0% K%/BB% in 72 games across 4 levels (rookie, High-A, Double-A, AFL). I don’t want to be a party pooper, because he’s clearly very exciting, but I do think there is a world where his upside doesn’t end up all that high. His groundball rates have been on the high side throughout his career (45.2% GB% in 37 games at Double-A), and he’s not a threat on the bases (3 for 8 in 186 career games). The hit tool is good, but it dropped off at Double-A with a .244 BA and he’s not an elite contact rate guy. Those are the reasons that make me hesitant to rank him as high as I see him in other places, but there is no denying he is a damn good prospect no matter how you slice it. 2024 Projection: 24/6/19/.251/.320/.436/1 Prime Projection: 92/27/86/.272/.356/.478/4

260) Colton Cowser BAL, OF, 24.0 – Cowser had a terrible MLB debut with a lowly 40 wRC+ and .115 BA in 77 PA, but he got massively unlucky. He had a .175 BABIP, his .302 xwOBA was much higher than his .226 wOBA, and none of his underlying numbers looked concerning at all really. He was a beast at Triple-A with a 136 wRC+, 17 homers, and 9 steals in 87 games. Despite not being overly concerned with the MLB debut, there are a few things that make me think he could end up a more solid than standout 5×5 BA fantasy player. The strikeout rates are on the high side with a 26.8% K% at Triple-A and 28.6% in MLB, the launch angle is on the low side with a 25.2% flyball% at Triple-A and 4.6 degree launch in MLB, and he’s not a true burner with a 27.9 ft/sec sprint speed. Add a star in OBP leagues as he’s an extremely patient hitter who rarely chases, but I’m seeing a more solid across the board type than a true league winner. 2024 Projection: 53/12/46/.248/.322/.422/10 Prime Projection: 83/21/77/.264/.348/.440/14

261) Ronny Mauricio NYM, 2B, 23.0 – Mauricio tore his ACL and will undergo surgery after a non contact injury on the bases in Winter Ball. It’s deju vu all over again with Edwin Diaz tearing his knee in the WBC last off-season. It’s getting so sad for Mets fans that I don’t even want to crack a joke about it. I just feel bad. Mauricio was a major target for me this off-season, so it’s just a major bummer all around. He’ll likely miss the entire 2024 season, and even if he doesn’t, you can’t count on him for anything at the MLB level. He also wasn’t a burner, so even a small drop in speed isn’t great. I still like him. but he’s no longer a real target for me. Here was my write-up for him prior to going down with the injury, just so we can remember the good times: “I named Mauricio one of my top targets in the Top 10 Early Off-Season Dynasty Baseball Target article on Patreon. Mainstream prospects lists have been slowly sliding him down the rankings the closer he’s gotten to the majors, but I’ve done the exact opposite on my lists. He crushes the ball with a 117.3 MPH Max EV that was the 10th hardest hit ball all season. He had a 90.7 MPH AVG EV in 108 MLB PA (91.1 MPH at AAA). He loves to run with 7 MLB steals and 24 AAA steals, and his speed gets underrated with an above average 27.7 ft/sec sprint. He’s never had any major contact issues and he most certainly looks the part at 6’3” with a vicious swing. He doesn’t have a good plate approach with low walk rates, but keep in mind he’s always been very young for his level, and his 6.6% BB% at Triple-A (6.5% BB% in the majors) was a career high, so I wouldn’t bet against future improvement there either. His mediocre ranking on prospects and mediocre .643 OPS in the majors should create a very nice buy opportunity this off-season.” 2024 Projection: OUT Prime Projection: 78/24/83/.267/.325/.461/18

262) Kevin Alcantara CHC, OF, 21.8 – If you want to invest in one of those unicorn baseball talents in the mold of a Elly De La Cruz and James Wood, but don’t want to pay unicorn prices, Alcantara is the guy for you. He’s an elite athlete at 6’6”, 188 pounds with a plus power/speed combo and blink of an eye bat speed. He scuffled to start the season with a .604 OPS in his first 35 games, but he was en fuego after that, slashing .329/.401/.549 with 11 homers, 5 steals, and a 23.9%/10.7% K%/BB% in his final 71 games at mostly High-A. He closed out the regular season at Double-A where he put up a 130 wRC+ in 5 games, and then went to the AFL where he put up a .865 OPS in 21 games. The hit tool and plate approach still need continued refinement, but prospect rankers seem far too hesitant on shooting such a uniquely talented player up rankings. He should be in unanimous near elite prospect range, and he mostly sits in good but not great prospect range. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 80/26/85/.257/.333/.467/16

263) Marcelo Mayer BOS, SS, 21.4 – Mayer feels like he’s getting a bit of the treatment Noelvi Marte got last year. He was on a beeline for elite prospect status until there was an abrupt, general cooling on him throughout the industry, but like with Marte, I’m not sure it’s warranted. That sweet and vicious lefty swing obliterated the age appropriate High-A, slashing .290/.366/.524 with 7 homers, 5 steals, and a 22.%/10.4% K%/BB% in 35 games. He scuffled when he got to Double-A with a 63 wRC+, but there are multiple reasons to not get scared off by that. He was very young for the level, he was battling though a shoulder injury that eventually ended his season, and a .220 BABIP was really the biggest issue as 6 homers with a 25.8% K% in 43 games isn’t bad at all. He’s not that fast, but he’s a good enough base stealer to nab a handful of bags, and the strikeout rates have been higher than optimal, but the has the type of swing that can hit for both average and power even with a slightly higher strikeout rate. There are also only improvements coming from here. He’s right on track to become one of the better complete hitters in the game, especially hitting in Fenway. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 91/27/93/.272/.351/.484/9

264) Kutter Crawford BOS, RHP, 28.0 – I told you guys to put a star next to Justin Steele’s name as you were filling out the middle to back half of your fantasy rotation last off-season, and I’m going to tell you to do the same with Kutter Crawford this off-season. He shares some similarities which made me like Steele last off-season, but they aren’t really direct comps. Crawford’s control jumped to above average levels with a 6.8% BB%, and it allowed his 93.6 MPH fastball (.268 xwOBA with a 26% whiff%) and 88.6 MPH cutter (.295 xwOBA with a 24.2% whiff%) to play as plus pitches. He throws a legit 6 pitch mix with his sweeper, splitter, and slider thriving in limited usage. It all led to a 4.04 ERA (3.25 xERA) with a 25.6% K% in 129.1 IP. The floor is pretty high, and he has some very real upside. I really, really like Kutter as a very reasonably priced target. 2024 Projection: 11/3.73/1.22/159 in 155 IP

265) Jose Berrios TOR, RHP, 29.10 – Jose “Bounce Back” Berrios bounced back once again from a terrible season. The first time he did it was after an 8.02 ERA in his rookie year, and this time he did after putting up a 5.23 ERA last year. He had a pitching line of 3.65/1.19/184/52 in 189.2 IP. The problem is, he doesn’t really do anything well enough to want to buy into him again. The stuff is mediocre with an average 4 pitch mix, the strikeout rate is slightly above average at 23.5% K%, and the barrel% against is below average at 8.6%. The 4.55 xERA is also much worse than the ERA. The ceiling looks just about like an average pitcher, and the floor is another blow up year like 2022. 2024 Projection: 12/3.92/1.22/177 in 185 IP

266) MacKenzie Gore WAS, LHP, 25.1 – Everything in my gut tells me Gore is going to end up being one of the model cases of “pitching development isn’t linear.” Nearly all of the ingredients are there for him to follow in the path of many former top pitching prospects before him. The stuff is still big led by a 95 MPH fastball, he has a diverse pitch mix, the secondaries get whiffs (27.9% whiff% overall), and the control isn’t really that terrible (9.8% BB%). Studs like Jesus Luzardo, Lucas Giolito, and many more have gone from zero to hero (my bad, watching too much Shark Tank again) in the blink of an eye, and Gore really wasn’t even that bad this year with a 4.42 ERA and 25.9% K%. He’s still a young pitcher with all the risk that comes with, but Gore isn’t looking like a bad target at all right now for a pitching starved team. 2024 Projection: 10/3.92/1.32/178 in 155 IP

267) Griffin Canning LAA, RHP, 27.11 – I told you to put a star next to Kutter Crawford’s name as you fill out of the middle to back half of your fantasy rotation in the Boston Red Sox Dynasty Team Report, and Canning is in the very same class of target for me. Neither are big names, neither were super hyped prospects, and both showed signs of extremely exciting breakouts in 2023 that were hidden by less impressive surface stats. Canning’s fastball velocity ticked up to a career high 94.7 MPH, and it turned into a bat missing weapon with a 28.3% whiff%. The slider is plus with a .262 xwOBA, and he throws a legit 4 pitch mix rounded out by a solid changeup and curve. He put up a 29.1% whiff% overall which is in near elite territory, and like Kutter, the control took a big step forward with a plus 6.7% BB%. That is a very impressive profile, and the mediocre 4.32 ERA in 127 IP will keep his price mighty reasonable. Canning and Kutter aren’t sexy breakout picks, which is exactly what makes them excellent targets. They are wolves in sheep’s clothing. They seem boring, but they are actually quite dangerous. 2024 Projection: 10/3.76/1.24/165 in 150 IP

268) Brayan Bello BOS, RHP, 24.10 – The good news is that Bello improved one of his biggest weaknesses, bringing his BB% down 3.4 percentage points to a well above average 6.7%, but the bad news is that basically everything else took a half step back. The velocity dropped 1.3 MPH to 95 MPH, the barrel% rose 1.6 percentage points to 7%, and the whiff% dropped 1.6 percentage points to 24.4%. It resulted in a good, but unexciting fantasy season with a 4.24 ERA and 19.8% K% in 157 IP. The floor is high with his ability to keep the ball on the ground (56.2% GB%), the stuff is still big, and the changeup is still plus with a .219 xwOBA and 38.7% whiff%, but the upside is lacking with the mediocre K rates. He was major buy for me last off-season, and everything I liked him about then, I still like about him now (plus the improved control), so he’s an easy hold for me this off-season. 2024 Projection: 11/3.94/1.28/150 in 165 IP

269) Nestor Cortes NYY, LHP, 29.4 – Cortes hit the IL with a shoulder injury after his May 30th start, and then returned for one start in August before being shutdown for the season because of the shoulder. He’s expected to be good to go for 2024, but that shoulder injury adds a lot of risk to the profile. And he wasn’t nearly as good as he was in 2021-22 with a 4.97 ERA in 63.1 IP. The 25.2%/7.5% K%/BB% still looked good, his heavily used 91.6 MPH fastball was still a beast with a .246 xwOBA against, and the 3.66 xERA looked much better. He’s definitely a bounce back candidate, but the shoulder injury prevents me from really sticking my neck out for it, and his true talent level probably isn’t actually as good as what he showed in 2022. 2024 Projection: 10/3.68/1.17/150 in 145 IP

270) Triston McKenzie CLE, RHP, 26.8 – A shoulder injury in spring training delayed the start of McKenzie’s season until June, and then he hit the IL again after only 2 starts with a UCL sprain that kept him out until late September. He had a 5.06 ERA with a 21.9%/17.8% K%/BB% in 16 IP on the season, but considering the injuries, you should probably ignore the stats. It was a completely lost season. At a super skinny 6’5”, 165 pounds, durability was always a major concern for McKenzie long term, but maybe that’s not fair to put on him as pitchers of all shapes and sizes go down with injuries. Regardless, the injury filled season makes him a major risk for 2024 and beyond. He relies on plus control to thrive because the fastball only sits 92.4 MPH and his stuff gets hit hard with a career 9.9% barrel% against, so he needs to be healthy and in a rhythm to keep everything in sync. 2024 Projection: 8/3.93/1.24/160 in 160 IP

271) Gabriel Moreno ARI, C, 24.1 – Moreno just doesn’t lift the ball enough to go too crazy for him in fantasy with a 4.2 degree launch that led to only 7 homers in 111 games. He smacked 4 homers in 17 playoff games, but it still came with a 51.2% GB%, so he didn’t change his hitting approach or anything. The hit tool is plus, but it’s not elite with a 19.7% K% and .284 BA, and the speed is average with 6 steals. He hits the ball fairly hard with an 89.8 MPH EV, so the raw power is in there if he can raise his launch, and he’ll barely be 24 years old at the start of 2024, so all of his skills (contact, power, approach) should improve from here. I like him, but his plus catcher defense has always made him a better real life prospect/player than fantasy. 2024 Projection: 58/15/69/.278/.337/.418/7

272) Adael Amador COL, SS/2B, 21.0 – Amador has looked too advanced at every level he’s played at with an elite plate approach (10%/12% K%/BB% in 54 games at High-A in 2023), that is until he closed out the year in Double-A. He put up 35 wRC+ with a 19.5%/9.8% K%/BB% in 10 games. It’s only 10 games, he was only 20 years old, and he was also coming off hamate surgery which held him out for about 2 month, but it does at least plant the idea that his plate approach might not be quite as elite against more advanced competition. He’s also an extreme groundball hitter (55.9% GB% at High-A) without big raw power, and his speed grades are only average to above average (although we discussed in the Nolan Jones blurb how unreliable those grades can be). The upside seems a little lacking to me, but his floor is as high as anyone’s, especially with Coors Field waiting for him, and he’s so young that I wouldn’t rule out an uptick in power down the line. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 88/17/70/.282/.356/.429/22

273) Willy Adames MIL, SS, 28.7 – Adames had a down year in 2023 with a .217 BA and 24 homers in 149 games. His EV was down a bit with a 5 year low 87.4 MPH EV, but that isn’t too far off from career norms to really think it’s a true decline, and everything else was in line with career norms with a 12.4% Barrel% and .335 xwOBA. He’s not a high BA hitter and he doesn’t have truly beastly power, but the hit/power combo is better than he showed in 2023. 2024 Projection: 76/28/84/.235/.315/.449/6

274) Will Benson CIN, OF, 25.9 – Benson was one of my favorite sleeper bats heading into 2023, and he overslept by 2 and a half months. He put up a .425 OPS in his first 49 PA and was sent back down to Triple-A. But when he finally heard that alarm clock, he shot out of bed like a cannon, slashing .298/.389/.554 with 11 homers, 18 steals, and a 30.1%/12.6% K%/BB% in his final 280 PA. He smashes the ball with a 90.2/94.4 MPH AVG/FB EV and 10.3% Barrel%, and he has double plus speed with a 28.9 ft/sec sprint. The hit tool is well below average, but a 31.3% K% and 31.5% whiff% is not too horrific, and he gets on base with a 12.2% BB%. He struggled hard vs. lefties with a .400 OPS, and he’s not a good defensive player, so he’s limited to a strong side of a platoon bat, but he has the type of talent that can thrive even in a platoon role, and injuries might give him a bigger role in the 1st half of the season. 2024 Projection: 77/19/66/.234/.323/.445/27

275) Brett Baty NYM, 3B, 24.5 – As for the Baby Mets, Baty is stuck somewhere in between Alvarez and Vientos, in the sense he still has enough name value where his price won’t be that cheap, but his upside might not be quite high enough to pay that high price. He’s put up very high groundball rates his entire career and he had a 6.6 degree launch in 389 MLB PA in 2023. It led to a lowly 9 homers and 68 wRC+. He also doesn’t have the high contact rates to make up for it with a 28% K% and 31.5% whiff%. I don’t want this to come off like I don’t like him though, because I would bet on Baty becoming a very good MLB hitter. He has a mature plate approach, he hits the ball very hard, he has great size (6’3”, 210), he’s a solid defender at 3B, and he just looks like a hitter in the box. I’m just concerned about his upside in 5×5 BA leagues, and I don’t think his price will be all that cheap this off-season. 2024 Projection: 77/22/74/.246/.322/.435/4 Prime Projection:  84/26/88/.264/.347/.475/5

276) Christopher Morel CHC, OF, 24.10 – I was hyping up Morel in these here Imaginary pages at this time last year, ranking him 189th on the 2023 Top 1,000, and while you are still probably unsure what to think of him one year later, you have to be relatively satisfied at what he provided your fantasy team considering his very reasonable cost. He jacked 26 homers with 6 steals and a .247 BA in 107 games. It was good for a 119 wRC+ and a full-season pace of about 35+ homers and 10 steals. He absolutely pummeled the ball with a 92.1/97.1 MPH AVG/FB EV, he has plus speed with a 28.6 ft/sec sprint (although he didn’t run as much as I thought he would), and he has average walk rates with a 8.4% BB%. But the reason we are still unsure of him, is because he didn’t improve enough on his two biggest weaknesses, contact and defense. He still had a cover your eyes 37% whiff% with a 31% K%, and he was a terrible defender with a negative 12.9 Fangraphs defensive value. He’s basically a DH and a roaming defensive player as needed. I still love the fantasy upside, and am encouraged that he managed a solid 22% K% to close out the season in September, but mostly because of the playing time concerns, I have to admit I’m not quite as high on him this off-season as I was last off-season. 2024 Projection: 68/25/76/.241/.316/.478/12

277) Lazaro Montes SEA, OF, 19.5 – The only question for the sweet swinging, athletic, and beastly 6’4”, 250 pound Montes was how bad the contact rates would be stateside after putting up a 33.2% K% in the DSL in 2022, and he answered those questions in resounding fashion with him actually improving against the more advanced competition. He had a ,282 BA with a 25.3%/22.6% K%/BB% in 37 games in stateside rookie ball, and then he went to Single-A and had a .321 BA with a 25%/13.5% K%/BB% in 33 games. He’s obviously never going to be Nick Madrigal, but a 25% K% is a perfectly fine number for an elite power/OBP player, and considering how much he improved this year, I don’t see why he can’t take another step forward in the future. To nobody’s surprise, the power is so sincere with 13 homers in 70 games overall. He had a 150 wRC+ in rookie and a 165 wRC+ at Single-A. At minimum, Montes is an elite power hitting prospect, and if his contact rates take another step forward, he can be a true Top 5 prospect by this time next year. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 93/34/105/.252/.355/.525/4

278) Braxton Garrett MIA, LHP, 26.8 – Plus control breakouts are all the rage these days. Garrett put up an elite 4.4% BB% and it allowed his junk-bally stuff to play up with a pitching line of 3.66/1.15/156/29 in 159.2 IP. His slider is his best pitch with a 40.7% whiff%, his 90.5 MPH sinker kept the ball on the ground with a 3 degree launch, and he added a cutter into the arsenal which wasn’t particularly good, but it gives him another weapon to use vs. righties. He also throws a changeup, curve, and 4-seamer to round out the classic lefty, junk baller profile. The slider gives him enough swing and miss upside to keep him enticing, but what he did in 2023 might be pretty close to the ceiling. 2024 Projection: 10/3.81/1.21/157 in 160 IP Update: A shoulder issue popped up which they are saying isn’t serious, but he could start the year on the IL

279) TJ Friedl CIN, OF, 28.7 – Friedl has massively outperformed his underlying for 3 years in a row. He had a .338 wOBA vs. a .311 xwOBA in 2021, a .323 wOBA vs. a .283 xwOBA in 2022, and finally a .353 wOBA vs. a .289 xwOBA in 2023. He does it by using the Statcast blind spot of making tons of contact (16.2% K%), lifting the ball (16.1 degree launch), pulling the ball (44.5% Pull%), and hitting in a great ballpark. Statcast should probably adjust their meters or something, because it’s clear at this point a profile like this can thrive without hitting the ball hard (86.7/88.6 MPH AVG/FB EV). It does add some risk to the profile, especially if the balls aren’t as juicy in 2024, but Friedl’s above average CF defense and speed (28.2 ft/sec sprint with 27 steals) mitigates some of that risk. 2024 Projection: 49/9/37/.260/.330/.426/16 Update: Fractured his wrist and there is no timetable for his return

280) Justin Verlander HOU, RHP, 41.1 – It took 40 years, but I think we can officially say Verlander is on the decline. His strikeout rate dropped 6.3 percentage points to a below average 21.5% and his whiff% also dropped to a below average 22.5%. The swing and miss rates have been declining for 3 years now. He’s starting from such a high place, even his decline looks good though with a 3.22 ERA and 1.13 WHIP in 162.1 IP. The expectation shouldn’t be that he can carry your fantasy rotation anymore, but he should still be able to put up some strong #2/3 starter seasons until he decides to retire. 2024 Projection: 12/3.48/1.15/165 in 165 IP Update: Experiencing shoulder soreness and will start the year on the IL, but seems to be progressing well

281) Max Scherzer TEX, RHP, 39.8 –  Knowing when to trade away your aging studs is one of the trickiest balancing acts in dynasty leagues. Some people like to trade away anyone who even sniffs 30 years old like they were throwing Granny into the nursing home after she stumbles for half a step. For me, 33 years old is usually a benchmark for when it could be time to make a move. And others will ride their Paul Goldschmidt’s, Max Scherzer’s etc … right into the ground. If you’ve held onto Scherzer this long, you might not have gotten his peak seasons as he got deeper into his 30’s, but you still got an upper echelon starting pitcher. But now that he’s approaching his 40’s, the real decline seems to have arrived. He underwent back surgery this off-season and is expected to be out until June. His elite slider took a major tumble to barely above average levels in 2023 with a .303 xwOBA and 36.4% whiff%. It had a .160 xwOBA with a 46.4% whiff% in 2022. His control also took a step back with his BB% rising 3 percentage points to 7.2%. Everything else looked pretty good, and he still had a good season with a 3.77 ERA and 28% K% in 152.2 IP. Scherzer is the type of guy who is just built different, and I mean that literally, he has two different eye colors, but I also mean that figuratively, so maybe the slider and control actually bounce back next year. But with news of the back surgery, it doesn’t seem like a good bet. 2024 Projection: 6/3.69/1.17/100 in 90 IP

282) Clayton Kershaw LAD, LHP, 36.0 – Kershaw underwent shoulder surgery this off-season and is hoping to return around mid-season. When he’s on the mound, he does nothing but dominate with a 2.46 ERA and 26.2%/7.6% K%/BB% in 131.2 IP in 2023. Diminished velocity, shoulder problems, back injuries etc … it doesn’t matter, he performs when he’s out there, so I hesitate to bet against him even considering this surgery and his advanced age. But his 18.5% K-BB% was a 11 year low, so signs of decline are seeping in beyond just the injuries. 2024 Projection: 5/3.22/1.09/77 in 75 IP

283) Nathaniel Lowe TEX, 1B, 28.9 – As expected, Lowe’s 27 homers and .302 BA in 2022 proved to be a mirage with him hitting only 17 homers with a .262 BA in 161 games in 2023. He just doesn’t launch the ball high enough with a lowly 7.2 degree launch to expect big power numbers. On the plus side, he maintained the contact gains he made in 2022 with a 22.8% K% (20.6% whiff% was a career high), and his walk rates bounced back with a 12.8% BB% (7.4% BB% in 2022). 2024 Projection: 87/22/84/.271/.358/.447/3

284) Jeimer Candelario CIN, 3B/1B, 30.4 – Candelario signing with the Reds changes everything. That is a monster ballpark upgrade from any ballpark he’s ever called home. And he’s the type who could particularly use that huge ballpark upgrade because he’s never really been a huge EV guy with a solid 88.3/93.1 MPH AVG/FB EV, and he has the launch (14.1 degrees) to take advantage of the much friendlier confines. He smacked a career high 22 homers in 140 games in 2023, and he needed to outperform his underlying numbers to do it with a .346 wOBA vs. .319 xwOBA, but in Cincinnati now, I’m not nearly as concerned with him coming down to earth. He’s now in position to be a legit impact fantasy player. 2024 Projection: 79/24/85/.257/.338/.448/6

285) Leody Taveras TEX, OF, 25.7 – Taveras has a plus glove in CF, but like I wrote in the Duran blurb, Carter is capable of playing a good center too, so there is still going to be pressure on his bat to lock down an everyday role. And he took multiple steps in 2023 towards cementing that bat as a legitimate MLB threat. His K% dropped 4.7 percentage points to 21.1% and his whiff% dropped 3.9 percentage points to 24.2%. The power also ticked up with career bests in EV (90.1 MPH), Barrel% (7.2%) and Hard Hit% (43.1%). It resulted in a slightly above average .320 xwOBA. He started to show a more mature plate approach at the end of the year with a 27/20 K/BB in his final 39 games including the playoffs, so there could still be another offensive level to unlock here. And the speed is double plus with a 29.1 ft/sec sprint. I’m not sure I would want to bet on him to go full offensive breakout, but even one more step forward would make him an impact fantasy bat. 2024 Projection: 76/17/72/.268/.325/.419/22

286) Brandon Marsh PHI, OF, 26.4 – Marsh leveled up in 2023 with career bests in K% (30.5%), whiff% (27.3%), BB% (12.5%), launch (12.4 degrees), and OPS (.829). He has the type of tools where that kind of improvement should have resulted in an explosion, but his 12 homers and 10 steals in 133 games were still lacking. Regardless, showing improvements in those areas are key, and it lays the foundation for potentially big seasons from here on out with a 91.3/94.9 MPH AVG/FB EV and 28.6 ft/sec sprint. He also hit lefties decently well with a .717 OPS. There is a lurking beast in here, and despite the high strikeout rate, the floor is deceivingly high. Marsh is nice little target. 2024 Projection: 77/18/77/.263/.342/.435/14

287) Gavin Lux LAD, 2B/OF, 26.4 – Lux put on a lot of muscle weight last off-season in a bid to increase his power, but it ended up backfiring as the excess weight seemed to clearly play a role in him tearing his ACL, MCL, and hamstring in spring training while running the bases. LA is currently committed to him as their starting SS in 2024, so they obviously have faith he will return to full health. Lux was having an underwhelming start to his MLB career relative to the hype, but he still leveled up in 2022. He had an above average plate approach (20.2%/10% K%/BB%) with plus speed (28.9 ft/sec sprint) and some pop (93.3 MPH FB/LD EV). He’s been an average MLB hitter in his age 21-24 year old seasons with a .316 xwOBA (MLB average is .315). The homer/steal totals were very minimal (6 homers with 7 steals in 129 games in 2022), but the hope is that his steal totals pop with the new baserunning rules like the rest of the league, and that his homer power also increases as he gains strength (which was the goal coming into 2023). The ingredients are there for him to a have a very strong across the board profile, but we don’t know what he will look like post injury. 2024 Projection: 72/14/61/.265/.337/.410/16

288) Reid Detmers LAA, LHP, 24.9 – Detmers came into 2023 Spring Training looking like fire with increased velocity, and while it wasn’t a mirage with a career best 94.3 MPH fastball and 26.1% K%, he still needs to take steps to put it all together. The 4.48 ERA (4.55 xERA), 1.35 WHIP, and 9.3% BB% in 148.2 IP were still mediocre. Even with the increased velocity, the fastball didn’t perform all that well with a .358 xwOBA, and while his secondaries are solid, none are truly standout. It seems the best path for him to take a step forward is to improve his control, but I find it hard to bet on LA being the team to help him do that. I like Detmers if he fell into my lap, but I think his perceived value is a bit too high for him to land in the target range for me. 2024 Projection: 10/3.98/1.30/167 in 160 IP

289) DL Hall MIL, LHP, 25.6 – It looks like I wasn’t the only one to love DL Hall. Milwaukee targeted him in a trade for Corbin Burnes, and it seems like they have every intention to use him as a starter. This was a perfect landing spot for him both opportunity wise and developmental wise. Hall wasn’t able to properly ramp up last off-season which resulted in his fastball velocity dropping a tick or two in the 1st half, and he struggled because of it with a 4.67 ERA in his first 44.1 IP. Baltimore then shut him down for a month to build strength back up and his velocity returned in a bullpen role in the 2nd half. He closed out the year in the majors and showed why he’s been such a highly touted prospect with a 2.84 ERA and 31.2%/6.5% K%/BB% in 22.2 IP (including the playoffs). The 95.6 MPH fastball was silly elite with a .243 xwOBA and 30.2% whiff%, the changeup was plus with a 36.4% whiff% and .241 xwOBA, and the slider was mediocre with a 31% whiff% and .358 xwOBA. It resulted in a near elite 30.3% whiff% overall. The most impressive thing was his control (6.5% BB%) as he’s struggled with his control his entire career. This is legit top of the rotation upside in the mold of a Jesus Luzardo, and although the control improvements were in a small sample and out of the bullpen, they are extremely encouraging to me. I loved Hall even before the trade to Milwaukee, and now I’m really all in on him. 2024 Projection: 8/3.81/1.29/145 in 130 IP Prime Projection: 12/3.48/1.23/185 in 160 IP

290) Kyle Harrison SFG, LHP, 22.8 – The automated strike zone at Triple-A absolutely murdered Harrison with a cartoonish 16.3% BB% in 65.2 IP. It deflated all the way down to an above average 7.5% in 34.2 IP in the majors. I guess it was almost like playing basketball with ankle weights and then taking them off. The majors felt like easy mode compared to Triple-A. He didn’t have as much success with carrying over his extreme strikeout rates from the minors either though, as he put up a 35.6% K% in the minors vs. a 23.8% K% in the majors. His 93.6 MPH fastball was plus with .300 xwOBA and 24.8% whiff%, but all 3 of his secondaries got destroyed with lackluster whiff rates. The whiff rates on his secondaries weren’t all that great at Triple-A either. It’s still hard to fully trust the control, the secondaries aren’t great, and the fastball is plus but not elite quite yet, so that leaves Harrison in the 2nd tier of pitching prospects for me rather than the elite tier. 2024 Projection: 8/4.07/1.31/150 in 140 IP Prime Projection: 12/3.69/1.26/185 in 165 IP

291) Eduardo Rodriguez ARI, LHP, 31.0 – Rodriguez always felt underrated to me in the dynasty world, and while he’s never really had that crazy breakthrough year, he’s been consistently good. The baseball gods smiled down upon him in his contract year by putting up a career best 3.30 ERA in 152.2 IP, earning him a 4 year, $80 million contract with Arizona. But most of that was the result of good luck, as his 4.04 xERA and 23.0%/7.7% K%/BB% were both right in line with career norms. He throws an average to above average 5 pitch mix, so he’s not going to blow you away with stuff, but he knows how to pitch and it should be a profile that ages well. 2024 Projection: 11/3.81/1.27/155 in 165 IP

292) Luis Severino NYM, RHP, 30.2 – Severino had an absolutely horrific 2023, and it kinda came out of nowhere. He put up a 6.65 ERA with a 18.9%/8.2% K%/BB% in 89.1 IP. The only real explanation I can see is that it had something to do with a lat strain that he suffered both at the end of 2022 and the beginning of 2023. I know tipping his pitches has also been blamed, but maybe the tipping happened due to the injury. He was only able to land a 1 year, $13 million contract this off-season, which tells me MLB teams were not willing to bet on a true bounce back. He at least has a plan this off-season, going to Driveline and working on not tipping his pitches. The stuff is still fully intact with a 96.5 MPH fastball, so obviously the talent is there to turn it around. Considering nobody really seems to still believe in him, he makes for a pretty reasonably priced bounce back bet. 2024 Projection: 9/4.03/1.30/148 in 150 IP

293) Heston Kjerstad BAL, 1B/OF, 25.1 – Kjerstad finally played in his first full professional season since being draft 2nd overall in 2022 due to myocarditis, and he showed why he got draft so highly, slashing .303/.376/.528 with 21 homers, 5 steals, and a 18.4%/7.7% K%/BB% in 122 games split between Double-A and Triple-A. He cooled off towards the end of the season with a .680 OPS in his final 34 games, but that’s understandable as he almost doubled his career high in games. He also closed the year out in the majors where he showed off the massive power with 2 homers, a 92.3 MPH EV and 19.3 degree launch in 33 PA. The power is unquestionable, but the plate approach was rough with a 30.3%/6.1% K%/BB%, and his plate approach hasn’t been the strongest point of his game going back to college, so there is certainly some risk there. There is also a major, no ending in sight playing time scrum brewing in Baltimore. 2024 Projection: 44/15/50/.246/.313/.452/3 Prime Projection: 76/27/85/.259/.325/.483/6

294) Jacob Misiorowski MIL, RHP, 22.0 – If you want to know what peak Misiorowski could be like, just take a look at Tyler Glasnow. Both are extremely tall righties with athletic deliveries, mid to upper 90’s fastballs, two plus breaking balls, and terrible control early in their careers. Glasnow put up a 36.3%/13.5% K%/BB% in 111.1 IP in his first year of full season ball in 2013, and Mis just put up a 35%/13.4% K%/BB% in 71.1 IP split between Single-A, High-A, and Double-A. The hope is that Misiorowski’s control improves throughout his career like Glasnow’s has. Glasnow just put up a 7.6% BB% this year after putting up a 14.4% BB% in 2017 in the majors. Point being, a big jump in control/command is very possibly in the cards for Mis down the line. Let’s just hope he doesn’t catch Glasnow’s injury bug, as he was shut down with arm fatigue after his last start of the season on August 15th. 2024 Projection: 2/3.92/1.34/30 in 25 IP Prime Projection: 12/3.54/1.22/190 in 160 IP

295) AJ Smith-Shawver ATL, RHP, 21.5 – Atlanta flew Shawver through their minor league system so fast that it put the prospect world in a tizzy, but they went a little too far with it, and the tizzy cooled off a bit by the end of the season. He put up a 1.09 ERA with a 35.2%/9.4% K%/BB% in his first 33 IP spread across 3 levels (A+, AA, AAA), but he wasn’t as good after getting promoted to the majors, putting up a 4.47 ERA with a 23.6%/14.0% K%/BB% in 54.1 IP the rest of the way in MLB and Triple-A. It was probably a little too much, a little too fast, but Atlanta showed how much they believe in this kid. He throws a legit 4 pitch mix led by a potentially plus mid 90’s fastball. His changeup was his least used secondary (10.6% usage), but it dominated MLB hitters with a .068 xwOBA and 50% whiff%. The slider is his most used secondary, and it has plus potential (35.1% MLB whiff%), and a potentially average to above curve rounds out the arsenal. Like most pitchers his age, he needs to refine his control/command and secondaries. There is #2 starter upside if it all comes together, and considering how he was able to hold his own at only 20 years old in the majors, the floor is pretty high too. 2024 Projection: 5/4.05/1.26/90 in 90 IP Prime Projection: 13/3.58/1.17/185 in 170 IP

296) Vaughn Grissom BOS, SS, 23.3 – Boston isn’t going to target Grissom in a 1 for 1 Chris Sale trade if they don’t have every intention of handing him the starting 2B job. This is a boon for Grissom’s dynasty value as he was stuck in no man’s land with Atlanta. He’s a safety over upside bat with a plus hit tool and moderate power/speed combo. He should be a doubles machine in Fenway, wearing out the Green Monster. His 27.1 ft/sec sprint was below average, and he only stole 13 bags in 15 attempts in 102 games at Triple-A. He’s not a big power hitter with a low launch and a below average EV (86.2 MPH), so not being able to count on steals hurts his upside. The plate skills are plus with a 14.1%/12.0% K%/BB% at Triple-A, which led to a 135 wRC+, and the hit tool looked good in the majors too with a .280 BA, .278 xBA, and 18.8% K%. He’s 6’3”, 210 pounds and he had a 88.2 MPH EV at Triple-A, so the power will most certainly be better by his mid 20’s. The floor is high, and there is definitely some more upside in the tank. 2024 Projection: 71/13/61/.279/.338/.410/11

297) Brandon Nimmo NYM, OF, 31.0 – Nimmo put up career high power marks everywhere you look. His 9.5% Barrel%, 91.8 MPH EV, 12.2 degree launch, 47.9% Hard Hit% and 24 homers were all career highs. And he didn’t need to cut into his strong K rates at all to do it with a 21.4% K%. He’s not the OBP God he used to be, but a 10.9% BB% is still a major asset in OBP leagues. Baking in some power regression makes sense because he has such a long track record of only moderate homer power, but he was able to maintain the power surge throughout the entire season, and it was a such a big leap that you have to think at least a good portion of it was real and sustainable. 2024 Projection: 91/21/65/.272/.365/.456/4

298) Daulton Varsho TOR, OF, 27.9 – The days of Varsho having catcher eligibility are over, but I don’t think that means you should completely forget about him. He’s a plus defensive outfielder, so his glove should keep him in the lineup, and he has a fantasy friendly power/speed combo with a 20.5 degree launch and 28.1 ft/sec sprint. He also doesn’t have any contact issues with a 23.2% K%. He wasn’t able to take full advantage of the new stolen base rules with a moderate 16 steals, and he doesn’t hit the ball hard enough to fully take advantage of his high launch with a 87.8 MPH EV, but the 20 homers and 16 steals are probably on the low end of what he is capable of. With a little better luck, a .240/25/20 season isn’t out of reach. I’m not exactly targeting him, but there is some sneaky buy low appeal here. 2024 Projection: 77/23/75/.230/.300/.427/18

299) Tyler Black MIL, 3B, 23.8 – Defense could be an issue for Black. Milwaukee moved him off 2B, playing the majority of his games at 3B, and he even got some run at 1B. It makes me concerned that he could be in for a part time bench role, at least early in his career. He’s also not the type of beastly masher where defense won’t really matter with a 86.2 MPH EV at Triple-A. But enough of the downsides. Black has plenty to be legitimately excited about with his destruction of the upper minors, slashing .284/.417/.513 with 18 homers, 55 steals, and a 100/88 K/BB in 123 games split between Double-A and Triple-A. As I talked about in the Frelick blurb, you don’t need to be an EV king to be an impact fantasy player if your supporting skills are good, and Black excels with his plus hit tool, elite on base ability, and plus speed. As a lefty, he’s made for the modern game with the new juicier ball, shift rules, and stolen base rules, it’s just a matter of getting him on the field. 2024 Projection: 46/8/39/.248/.329/.389/17 Prime Projection: 86/16/69/.267/.353/.427/32

300) Miguel Vargas LAD, 2B, 24.4 – It feels like eons ago since Miguel Vargas was considered a near elite prospect, but that was just last off-season. What scared everyone off is that he pulled a Gavin Lux on us with extremely underwhelming homer/steal totals (7 homers and 3 steals in 304 MLB PA), and he also only hit .195 despite a strong 20.1%/12.5% K%/BB%. He was then sent back down to the minors on July 8th and never saw the MLB field again. Vargas had his chance and failed to lock in a full time MLB role, and now he’s going to have to fight for his playing time. Betts is locked in at 2B, Muncy is at 3B, Freeman is at 1B, and Ohtani is at DH. He’s a bench bat until an injury happens or Muncy leaves in free agency after the 2024 season. Despite the poor rookie season, he still showed the skills to breakout in the future with his aforementioned strong plate approach, 16.6 degree launch, decent 6% Barrel%, and above average 27.9 ft/sec sprint. He crushed Triple-A again too. He’s just going to have to wait his turn to get another full time shot. 2024 Projection: 39/10/36/.251/.329/.418/7 Prime Projection: 84/24/79/.267/.346/.451/13

301) Harry Ford SEA, C, 21.1 – Ford matched almost exactly what he did at Single-A in 2022, at High-A in 2023. He slashed .257/.410/.430 with 15 homers, 24 steals, and a 19.4%/18.3% K%/BB% in 118 games. It was good for a 135 wRC+ (132 wRC+ in 2022).  The contact rates are above average, the plate approach is nearing on elite, and he has plus speed. What he hasn’t done all that well is hit the ball hard, which isn’t great, but this is a thick dude with plus bat speed and more raw power in the tank. He also doesn’t have any groundball issues, so he will get the most out of his power. It’s something to consider, but combined with his other skills and still young age, I wouldn’t let it scare you off him. He has yet to play any other position than catcher in his career, so Seattle seems committed to keeping him at the position. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 83/21/73/.267/.352/.446/17

302) Carson Williams TBR, SS, 20.9 – The only thing holding Williams back from elite prospect status is a 31.8% K% in 105 games at High-A. That is certainly in the danger zone, and it’s a legitimate reason for why he’s not in that elite prospect range. Everything else is there though. He has a plus SS glove, plus power (23 homers), speed (17 steals), OBP (11.5% BB%), and age to level production as a 19 year old for the first half of the season. He’s an excellent athlete and he has projectable size at 6’1”, 180 pounds. The Wander Franco allegations, combined with his plus glove could put him on the fast track to the majors, but I hope that doesn’t happen. He needs more time in the minors to improve his hit tool and gain experience against upper minors pitching. It might be the best thing for Tampa, but it will burn valuable years of fantasy team control when he likely won’t be ready to be an impact player yet. I’m betting on the hit tool improving enough for his power/speed combo to shine, but it might take a few years. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 82/26/77/.246/.331/.453/21

303) Jacob Melton HOU, OF, 23.7 – Melton is seriously underrated. He is a supreme athlete at 6’3”, 208 pounds with thunder in his bat and plus speed. He hits the ball very hard which led to 23 homers in 99 games, and he’s an excellent base stealer with 46 steals in only 53 attempts. He handled his business at High-A with a 21.1%/12.2% K%/BB%, 18 homers, and 41 steals in 86 games, and while the plate approach wasn’t as good at Double-A with a 28.6%/7.1% K%/BB%, he played well there too with a 117 wRC+, 5 homers, and 5 steals in 13 games. With his level of talent, a 28.6% K% isn’t even that bad, and that was just in his first taste of advanced pitching. He struggled vs lefties with a .653 OPS, so there is some platoon risk, but for how he’s currently being valued, Melton is an easy target. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 75/25/81/.248/.322/.468/25

304) Samuel Zavala CHW, OF, 19.9 – Zavala is a baseball prodigy who looks like a 10 year MLB vet at the dish. He went against much older competition at Single-A and slashed .267/.420/.451 with 14 homers, 20 steals, and 26.4%/19.4% K%/BB% in 101 games. It was good for an elite 140 wRC+. He doesn’t jump off the screen with elite size or athleticism, but his swing is sweet as hell, and at 6’1”, 175 pounds, I don’t have any concerns about his ability to grow into more power. I have to at least mention the horrific negative 21 wRC+ he put up in 14 games at High-A to close out the season, but it’s too small of sample to read into. Zavala is starting to get the respect he deserves, but I still think his upside gets underrated. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 88/25/84/.266/.352/.473/16

305) Zac Veen COL, OF, 22.4 – Veen was likely my worst call in 2023. Not only didn’t the power tick up, it actually got worse with only 2 homers in 46 games at Double-A. My bad. I got it wrong. I talked about it on one of the Mailbag Podcasts during the season, I hate the guy who was clearly wrong, but still tries to convince you that he was actually right, or makes excuses for simply being wrong  …. buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut … there is a legitimate reason why Veen’s power disappeared. He was dealing with a hand injury since mid-season of 2022 which ended up requiring surgery in June of 2023, ending his season. Mid-season 2022 is exactly when his power dropped off a cliff. It’s not an excuse for being wrong, period. But looking into the future, he still showed a strong plate approach (21.4%/11.4% K%/BB%) and speed (22 steals), so if he comes into 2024 completely healthy, I might have simply been a year too early on the power breakout. I like him as a buy low this off-season. 2024 Projection: 19/3/16/.236/.300/.385/8 Prime Projection: 81/19/74/.256/.331/.422/30

306) Esteury Ruiz OAK, OF, 25.2 – Ruiz hit .254 with 5 homers, 47 RBI, and 47 Runs in 132 games. His .271 xwOBA was in the bottom 3% of the league and his 82.7 MPH EV was dead last amongst qualified hitters by far (Fraley’s 84.7 MPH was 2nd to last). He was also a below average defensive CF. He simply shouldn’t be starting for a Major League Baseball team, but it’s a good thing that he isn’t on a Major League Baseball team … he’s on the A’s. And for fantasy, you are only buying him for his speed, and his speed is truly elite. He stole 67 bags with a 29.7 ft/sec sprint speed. His baserunning is actually so good that it made up for everything I wrote above about him, putting up a positive 1.2 WAR on the season. It was also just his rookie year, so there is hopefully offensive and defensive improvements coming down the line. He’s a one category player who should probably be a 4th outfielder on a real team, but as long as Oakland/Las Vegas refuses to put a real MLB team on the field, Ruiz’ playing time should be relatively safe. 2024 Projection: 63/8/45/.251/.311/.368/64

307) Merrill Kelly ARI, RHP, 35.6 – Kelly had a career year type season with a 3.29 ERA and a career best by far 27% whiff% (25.9% K% is also a career best). It’s hard to buy into it as a true talent leveling up as a 34 year old, but considering he didn’t make his MLB debut until 30 years old, he may just be on a later track. None of his pitches are truly standout, but all of 6 of them are pretty good to varying degrees, led by the above average fastball, changeup, and cutter. The velocity isn’t big with a 92.2 MPH fastball, his control took a step back with a career worst 9.4% BB%, and he outperformed his underlying numbers (3.83 xFIP), but this is his 2nd straight season of very good production. At some point, you can’t stay skeptical. 2024 Projection: 12/3.68/1.21/173 in 175 IP

308) Tim Anderson MIA, SS, 30.9 – Anderson’s struggles seem to go back to a left knee sprain that knocked him out for 3 weeks in April. Before the injury, he looked like himself with a .298 BA and 5 steals in 11 games. After the injury he hit .240 with 8 steals in 112 games. His sprint speed tanked from 28.3 ft/sec in 2022 to 27.2 ft/sec in 2023. There is no way he aged like 5 years in a single off-season. It’s clear he just wasn’t healthy all year. He also suffered a shoulder injury in June, got knocked out by Jose Ramirez in August, and was dealing with a personal marital issue. Players are human beings, and it sure seems like everything came together to tank his 2023 season. I would bet on a bounce back season in 2024, but considering he’s entering his decline years as a speed first, high chase rate player whose speed has been declining even before this year, I would need a real buy low price to grab him. 2024 Projection: 80/14/57/.272/.317/.403/20

309) Robbie Ray SFG, LHP, 32.6 – Ray underwent Tommy John surgery in early May and will be out until mid-season 2024. He put up an elite season in 2021 when his control improved from well below average to well above average levels, and while the control fell back to around average levels in 2022, it was still good enough to let his double plus bat missing ability shine. Keep in mind that control often times is the last thing to come back after Tommy John, so I wouldn’t panic if Ray looks more like his 2015-2020 self when he returns in the 2nd half. I’m already smelling a buy low opportunity next off-season, so even if you are apt to buy the Tommy John surgery discount on him, waiting one more off-season could be the move. 2024 Projection: 3/3.95/1.29/77 in 70 IP

310) Keibert Ruiz WAS, C, 25.8 – Ruiz’ power has been ever so slightly ticking up over the last 3 seasons with a 2.5% Barrel% in 2021, 3.7% Barrel% in 2022, and then finally to an almost average 5.8% Barrel% in 2023. He combined the uptick in power with his already elite contact rates (10.3% K%), and strong launch angle (15.3 degrees) to pop a respectable 18 homers in 136 games. He hit only .260, but there is clearly batting average upside in here too. If his power can take just one more step forward, and at only 25 years old I don’t see why it wouldn’t, he can have some truly impact hit/power fantasy seasons. His value is climbing. 2024 Projection: 59/19/71/.270/.320/.422/3

311) Brendan Donovan STL, 2B/OF, 27.3 – The upright batting stance struck again. Donovan went to a more upright batting stance and used a new bat to increase his power, and it paid off with him jacking 11 homers in 95 games after hitting only 5 homers in 126 games in 2022. His EV jumped 1.6 MPH to 89.3 MPH and his launch increased 4.6 degrees to 10.6 degrees. It didn’t impact his near elite contact skills at all with a 14.3% K% and .284 BA. His season ended on July 29th after undergoing elbow surgery, but he’s expected to be ready for 2024. He’ll never truly be a huge power hitter and he’s not a big base stealer either, so the upside isn’t high, but he’s going to be a very good hitter for the next several years. 2024 Projection: 78/17/59/.282/.371/.428/8

312) Nick Pivetta BOS, RHP, 31.2 – I was never a roller coaster kid growing up. You could always find me at the rigged basketball carny game with 12 ft hoops and half size rims, so forgive me if I’m not waiting in line to jump back on the Nick Pivetta experience. His career has been one big rollercoaster ride, and his 2023 season feels like when you get to the very top of that 3rd huge drop, hearing every click and creak below you. Pivetta had the best year of his career with a 4.04 ERA and 31.2%/8.5% K%/BB% in 142.2 IP. It was even better in the 2nd half with a 3.27 ERA and 116/22 K/BB in 82.2 IP. His stuff is big with a 94.7 MPH fastball and 4 secondaries that all get whiffs (curve, cutter, slider, sweeper). None of his pitches are dominant, but they are all pretty good. His control has really never been all that terrible, and it was about average this year. There really isn’t anything in his underlying numbers to scare you away. The track record is what is scaring me away, and it worries me a little that this blurb is starting to actually get me excited for him. I don’t want to fall for it, but damn is his profile looking kinda exciting right now. I think I just did a 180 on him from the beginning of this blurb to the end, but I know that I will end up regretting it. 2024 Projection: 11/3.92/1.29/175 in 155 IP

313) Ryan Jeffers MIN, C, 26.10 – I was pumped for Jeffers at this time last off-season, but then Minnesota went and signed Christian Vazquez, which was a head scratcher to me at the time, and ended up an even bigger head scratcher by the end of the season. Jeffers eventually took over the starting catcher job and he ran with it with a .928 OPS and 10 homers in 45 games post all star break. The underlying numbers back up the power with an 11.6% Barrel%, 90.5%/95.4% MPH AVG/FB EV, and 17.2 degree launch. His 117.4 MPH Max EV was the 9th hardest hit ball all-season. The power is double plus. The .276 BA on the other hand was likely a bit of a mirage with a 27.8% K% and .232 xBA, but the 29.1% whiff% isn’t bad at all, so I’m not concerned with the BA tanking. He’s going to have a big season in 2024. 2024 Projection: 66/26/69/.241/.332/.466/2

314) Matt Wallner MIN, OF, 26.4 – Wallner has the Joey Gallo starter kit, although a bit less extreme on both ends. He’s a mountain of a man at 6’4”, 220 pounds, and he’s a good athlete with a well above average 28 ft/sec sprint speed. The power is massive with a near elite 97.1 MPH FB/LD EV and 21 degree launch, and the walk rates are high with a 11% BB%. Those skills led to an outstanding year in the bigs with 14 homers and a 144 wRC+ in 76 games. The one catch, obviously, is the danger zone swing and miss with a 31.5% K% and 36.3% whiff%. That is the type of swing and miss that can tank your dynasty team’s BA. He’s not a good defensive player and he hits righties better than lefties, so along with the hit tool risk, there is platoon risk as well. 2024 Projection: 74/27/77/.232/.336/.479/4

315) Nelson Velazquez KCR, OF, 25.3 – Velazquez see ball, Velazquez smash ball. That is basically the story of Velazquez’ professional career going back to when he was 18 years old. He swings and misses a lot (33.7% whiff%), he hasn’t had particularly high walk rates throughout his career, and he’s bad on defense, but the guy knows how to obliterate a baseball with 17 homers and a 96.1 MPH FB/LD EV in just 53 MLB games in 2023. The things he’s deficient in might be a bigger problem in another organization, but KC doesn’t have the type of organizational talent where they can be picky. Beggars can’t be choosers. It sure seems like the playing time will be there for him, and if it is, he’s an easy bet to jack 30 dingers. 2024 Projection: 67/28/76/.238/.311/.489/4

316) MJ Melendez KCR, OF, 25.4 – Melendez would make for a great buy low if he wasn’t in defensive limbo. He’s a terrible outfielder and Salvador Perez is under contract through 2026. He also didn’t catch a single inning after April 30th, so it’s not even a guarantee that he gains catcher eligibility at some point during the season. It’s a shame, because he has monster power breakout written all over him. His 93.2 MPH EV was in the top 4% of the league, he puts the ball in the air with a 16.9 degree launch, and his strikeout issues were manageable with a 28.2% K%. The fact he hit only 16 homers in 602 PA is bonkers, but the 10 homers in 64 2nd half games is much more representative of his true talent level, and even that number is likely low. His aforementioned defensive quandary, his struggles vs. lefties, and his high K rate all add enough risk to his profile to make me a little hesitant to go after him, but man, if they were able to just unleash him behind the plate, I would have been all over this buy low opportunity. 2024 Projection: 74/25/78/.242/.328/.467/7

317) Lawrence Butler OAK, OF, 23.9 – Butler had a weak MLB debut with a 60 wRC+ in 129 PA, but some of the important underlying numbers were relatively encouraging, so I wouldn’t it let hurt your opinion of him. He had a 9% Barrel%, 88.3/93 MPH AVG/FB EV, and 16.2 degree launch. That tells me his big power at 6’4”, 185 pounds is going to translate just fine to the MLB level once he gets acclimated. He also massively improved his hit tool in the minors, going from a 31.9% K% in the lower minors in 2022 to a 18.3% K% in the upper minors in 2023. The fact his 27.1% K% and 29.7% whiff% didn’t get completely out of control against MLB pitching is a pretty good sign the hit tool gains were at least partly for real, even if they weren’t all that great. The one area I will downgrade him for in his MLB debut is his speed. He stole 0 bags with an average-ish 27.4 ft/sec sprint speed, after stealing 21 bags in 89 games in the minors. He should still chip in with a handful, but not sure we should expect big steal totals. He has the type of profile that will get a big boost when Oakland moves to Las Vegas, and will presumably have a much much better hitter’s park. 2024 Projection: 51/18/57/.237/.305/.439/7 Prime Projection: 78/31/89/.250/.326/.482/9

318) Roderick Arias NYY, SS, 19.7 – Arias has elite prospect written all over him, and with a good showing in full season ball in 2024, it won’t be long before he skyrockets into the Top 10 overall. He hits the ball hard (6 homers in 27 games in stateside rookie ball), he has speed (17 steals), he has an excellent plate approach (22.3%/20.8% K%/BB%), he’s a good defender, and he has pedigree ($4 million international signing). He most certainly looks the part too with a vicious lefty swing (he went 2 for 11 on the entire season hitting righty). He won’t come super cheap this off-season, but he’s easily worth targeting at his current price. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 86/22/80/.264/.348/.471/24

319) Chase Silseth LAA, RHP, 23.10 – Silseth was very clearly rushed to the majors in 2022 based on team need (6.59 ERA with a 18.6% K%), and I was using it as a buying opportunity headed into 2023, writing in his 2023 Top 1,000 blurb, “Silseth’s poor, rushed MLB debut has him going for a very reasonable price this off-season, because his stuff and minor league performance would have pushed his value much higher if he hadn’t debuted … Use the poor MLB debut as a buying opportunity.” … He was very predictably much better his 2nd run through the majors in 2023 with a 3.96 ERA and 25.3%/11.8% K%/BB% in 52.1 IP. The fastball sits 95 MPH, the splitter is a true put away pitch with a .190 xwOBA, the slider misses a respectable amount of bats with a 33.7% whiff%, and he added a cutter this year which was immediately an above average pitch with a .272 xwOBA. He needs to improve his control to take the next step, and considering he’s always had solid control going back to college, it’s a good bet that he will. 2024 Projection: 9/3.89/1.28/148 in 140 IP

320) Noah Schultz CHW, LHP, 20.8 – Baby Randy Johnson didn’t step on the mound until June and he only threw 27 IP, but that’s all it took for the 6’9”, 220 pound lefty to put jaws on the floor. He was untouchable with a 1.33 ERA and 36.5%/5.8% K%/BB% at Single-A on the back of a mid 90’s fastball and plus slider. It may seem like he came out of nowhere, but if you read my stuff last off-season you weren’t surprised. He was my top pitcher target relative to value in first year players drafts, writing in the FYPD Strategy Guide, “I know Barriera is everyone’s guy and is getting hyped, but Schultz is my guy. Not saying I don’t like Berriera too, but if hype is any indication, Schultz will be going for a much better value in drafts. He has that funky lefty delivery and very projectable frame. I think he could be a beast.” … beast status is confirmed. The only thing that could stop him is injuries, as a flexor strain is what delayed the start of his season, and a shoulder impingement is what ended it. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 12/3.35/1.13/190 in 160 IP

321) Victor Scott STL, OF, 23.2 – “Scott and the Case of the Missing Stolen Base.” If you look at Fangraphs, Scott led the entire minor leagues with 95 steals. Chandler Simpson was 2nd at 94 and Jonatan Clase was 3rd at 79. But if you look at Baseball Reference and MiLB.com, Scott only tied for 1st with 94 steals. Hmmmm … we need to hire a private dick to investigate the missing stolen base and then turn it into a 30 for 30 documentary. Then we can hire another private dick to figure out why private detectives are called private dicks. As you can clearly see, Scott has double plus speed and elite base stealing ability. He also has a good feel to hit with above average contact rates. He started the year at High-A with a 117 wRC+ in 66 games, and then he proved the skills will transfer to the upper minors, slashing .323/.373/.450 with 7 homers, 45 steals, and a 14.5%/5.8% K%/BB% in 66 games. The power is below average and he had relatively high K rates in college, so there’s definitely a chance he is an Estuery Ruiz like one trick pony, but like Ruiz, that one trick is so elite he can still be an impact fantasy player. Unlike Ruiz, he’s actually in a real organization where he won’t just be handed playing time. It seems likely that he will break into the bigs as a speedy 4th outfielder, and then have to earn more playing time from there. E2024 Projection: 45/8/37/.251/.310/.378/21 Prime Projection: 76/14/54/.262/.322/.398/52 Update: It seems Fangraphs fixed the glitch

322) Charlie Morton ATL, RHP, 40.3 – Morton is certainly in a decline phase, which almost goes without saying for a 40 year old, with an 8 year worst 14% K-BB%, but it didn’t stop him from having yet another good season with a 3.64 ERA and 25.6% K% in 163.1 IP. His control is what took the biggest hit with a 1.43 WHIP and 11.6% BB%, but that is so much worse than his career norms I’m assuming that actually bounces back somewhat in 2024. The stuff is still excellent led by a 94.9 MPH fastball and a double plus curve (42% whiff%), so there are no signs of him falling off a cliff, but you have to at least take into account the possibility. 2024 Projection: 12/3.82/1.27/182 in 165 IP

323) Jonah Heim TEX, C, 28.9 – Heim’s power broke out in 2022 with a 2.3 MPH bump in EV to 89.3 MPH, and he cemented that breakout in 2023 with a 89.2 MPH EV. He always lifted the ball (17.3 degree launch) and he always got the ball on the ball (19.2% K%), so proving the power is real takes most of the risk completely out of his profile. He’s also an elite defensive catcher, as his 22.8 Fangraphs defensive value was 2nd in all of baseball behind only Patrick Bailey, so you don’t have to worry about him losing playing time. 2024 Projection: 67/20/78/.249/.312/.430/2

324) Salvador Perez KCR, C/1B, 33.11 – Perez had the worst offensive year of his career with a career low 86 wRC+, and he’s been a poor defensive catcher for 3 years now. He actually put up a negative WAR in 2023 at negative 0.3. He had a barely positive 0.5 WAR in 2022. He’s an extremely high chase rate player with a 47% chase% and 3.3% BB%, which is a profile that tends to fall off a cliff as it ages (Perez will be almost 34 at the start of 2024). This is a profile I’m staying away from, but having said that, he did get unlucky last year with a .326 xwOBA vs. 302 wOBA. He also hits the ball hard with a 90.1 MPH EV, 15.6 degree launch, and 23.3% K%. Another big power season is far from out of the question. 2024 Projection: 55/26/75/.251/.298/.449/0

325) Eugenio Suarez ARI, 3B, 32.9 – Suarez’ surface stats were down in 2023 with only 22 homers and a .714 OPS in 162 games, but his underlying numbers say he’s the same low BA slugger that he’s been for the past 4 years. He put up a 13.2% Barrel%,  90.3/94.5 MPH AVG/FB EV, 18.9 degree launch, and 30.8%/10.1% K%/BB%. The Mariners had the very worst hitter’s park in baseball last year, so while the D-Backs park is a step up overall, they were actually rated worse for homers than Seattle. I don’t think the ballpark switch changes his value much. 2024 Projection: 74/29/89/.238/.333/.450/2

326) Mark Vientos NYM, 3B/1B, 24.4 – If Francisco Alvarez is out of your price range, Vientos is another young Met who might be more your speed, and you should be able to acquire him for next to nothing in most leagues. Like Alvarez, he got unlucky in 2023 with a .267 wOBA vs. .305 xwOBA, and like Alvarez, he has beastly power with a 92.5/97.6 MPH AVG/FB EV. That isn’t even “beastly power,” that is truly elite power. He put up a 94.4 MPH EV at Triple-A too. Speaking of Triple-A, he showed hit tool improvements at the level with a 21.6%/10.8% K%/BB% in 61 games, and completely demolished the level in general with a 143 wRC+. Showing that kind of swing and miss improvement gives hope he can do the same against MLB pitching with more experience (30.5% K% and 36.7% whiff%). Lack of defensive value is the biggest snafu, but elite power bats tend to force their way into the lineup, and at Vientos’ current dirt cheap price, it’s an easy call to take a shot on him. The Ronny Mauricio injury should also make playing time a bit easier to come by. 2024 Projection: 49/19/60/.236/.315/.450/2 Prime Projection: 77/31/88/.248/.327/.493/2 Update: JD Martinez signing blocks his playing time in the short term, but I still like him long term

327) Orelvis Martinez TOR, 2B/3B/SS, 22.4 – I named Orelvis a target and buy low last off-season, writing, “Nobody wants to give Orelvis the young for the level bump. I don’t completely understand why. His plate approach was also improving towards the end of the year. So he was young for the level, and he showed improvement at that level in the 2nd half, and he has a no doubt standout tool in his power … I’m buying the dip in value.” Now that he was more age appropriate he unsurprisingly (to me) crushed the level with 17 homers and a 122 wRC+ in 70 games. The improving plate approach from the 2nd half carried over into 2023 with a 20.5%/14% K%/BB%. He then went to Triple-A and performed well there too, slashing .263/.340/.507 with 11 homers and a 26.8%/10.6% K%/BB% in 55 games. He’s never going to hit for a high batting average, but he’s on track to be a beastly power hitter. 2024 Projection: 28/9/36/.219/.292/.425/2 Prime Projection: 79/32/91/.247/.325/.492/5

328) Curtis Mead TBR, 3B, 23.5 – Mead is the type to make it look easy in the batter’s box. He’s such a natural hitter with a statue of liberty batting stance that coolly sprays liners all over the field. He’s displayed an above average hit/power combo every single year of his career going back to 18 years old. He made his MLB debut in 2023, and while the power wasn’t there with only 1 homer and a 83.5 MPH EV, that advanced plate approach didn’t fail him with a 22.8%/7.6% K%/BB% in 92 AB. Pretty good for his first taste of big league pitching. I have zero concern that he will get that EV up very quickly to fulfil his above average hit/power combo potential, but I would still expect more of a good fantasy player than a great one. He’s not fast with a 26.7 ft/sec sprint, he’s a line drive hitter, and he’s not an extreme pull guy. He’s not a great defensive player and Tampa has a major infield logjam, but I’m not really too concerned about his playing time in the long run. They will find at bats for him if he’s hitting, and it’s only a matter of time before Brandon Lowe and Yandy Diaz get the Tyler Glasnow treatment. 2024 Projection: 39/10/45/.261/.328/.428/2 Prime Projection: 88/24/82/.278/.346/.469/5

329) Mitch Garver SEA, C, 33.2 – Garver signing with Seattle is a bit of a give and take situation. He has clear path to a full time job at backup catcher/DH, but it’s also a terrible hitter’s park. In 2023, he cranked 19 homers with a 12.6% Barrel%, 90 MPH EV, 20.5 degree launch, and 23.8%/12.8% K%/BB% in 87 games (a knee sprain knocked him out for 2 months earlier in the year). It was good for a 138 wRC+. He’s been inconsistent and injury prone in his career, but when he’s on and healthy, the bat is capable of putting up huge numbers. Opportunity is the most important thing, so the move to Seattle is definitely a bump for his value. 2024 Projection: 69/25/77/.257/.344/.464/0

330) Josh Bell MIA, 1B, 31.7 – Bell came alive after his trade to Miami, putting up a .701 OPS in his first 97 games with Cleveland and a .818 OPS in last 53 games in Miami. It all added up to his usual underwhelming fantasy season with a .247 BA, 22 homers, 52 runs, and 74 RBI. He hits the ball hard (90.1 MPH EV) with a plus plate approach (21.7%/10.2% K%/BB%), but he doesn’t lift it enough (9.3 degree launch), or have enough speed (25.9 ft/sec sprint), to consistently put up big fantasy seasons. 2024 Projection: 76/23/81/.263/.348/.446/0

331) J.D. Martinez NYM, DH, 36.7 – Martinez forgot he was supposed to be on the decline in 2023 and went out and had a beastly season. He EV jumped 4.3 MPH to a career high 93.4 MPH and it led to 33 homers in just 113 games. His .369 xwOBA was in the top 9% of the league, and his 55.1% Hard Hit% was a career high and in the top 2% of the league. He needed to weaken his plate approach to do it (31.1%/7.1% K%/BB%) but you’ll make that trade off every time. There is both injury risk and age related decline, but I don’t think Martinez’ price will all of a sudden skyrocket again, making him a solid target for a win now team. 2024 Projection: 68/30/85/.261/.320/.482/1

332) Joc Pederson ARI, OF, 31.11 – Joc is a strong side of a platoon bat who is a poor defender and is starting to get up there in age, but his underlying numbers have been so beastly the last 2 seasons there is still sneaky upside in here. He put up a .367 xwOBA (top 5%) in 2022 and a .366 xwOBA (top 10%) in 2023. He smashes the ball with a 92.1 MPH EV, he has a strong plate approach with a 20.9%/13.4% K%/BB%, and he lifts it with a 15.2 degree launch. He gets a major ballpark upgrade, but Chase Field was actually equally bad for lefty homers that Oracle Park was. It’s still a net positive. 2024 Projection: 76/28/76/.253/.348/.481/2

333) Nathan Eovaldi TEX, RHP, 34.2 – Eovaldi’s great post-season put a halt to what was certainly going to be a major slide in value this off-season. He missed about two months of the season from mid July to mid September with a forearm strain, and when he returned, his velocity and performance were both way down. But then he went into playoff mode and dominated with a 2.95 ERA and 26.8%/6.5% K%/BB% in 36.2 IP. The velocity was still down a bit, but he had velocity to spare, so a 95 MPH fastball is still very good. He’s had injury issues the past two seasons, his velocity, K%, and BB% are all headed in the wrong direction, and he’s now entering his mid 30’s, so it certainly seems he is entering a decline phase, but he has the type of stuff where the slide could be gradual, rather than fall off a cliff. 2024 Projection: 10/3.89/1.19/142 in 155 IP

334) Jon Gray TEX, RHP, 32.5 – Gray took a step back in 2023 from his get out of Coors mini breakout in 2022. He put up a 4.12 ERA with a 21.6%/8.2% K%/BB% in 157.1 IP. The stuff was still big with a 95.7 MPH fastball, the slider was still plus with a 37% whiff%, and the whiff rates were still above average with a 26.3% whiff%. It seems to me the lack of strikeouts were just normal small sample variance. I think his true talent level is closer to what he did in 2022. 2024 Projection: 10/3.90/1.26/159 in 155 IP

335) James Paxton LAD, LHP, 35.3 – Paxton returned like a man on fire in May 2023 coming off his 2nd Tommy John surgery (among a couple other injuries) with a 3.34 ERA and 93/23 K/BB in 86.1 IP, but he ran out of gas with 16 earned in his last 9.2 IP over 3 outings before getting shutdown in September with knee inflammation. The fastball was dropping in velocity throughout the entire season as well. He showed he still has that prime Paxton in him with big velocity (95.2 MPH fastball) and big K rates, but is he only able to maintain that level for shorter bursts now? Signing with LA is obviously the perfect landing spot. 2024 Projection: 9/3.81/1.27/153 in 140 IP

336) Lourdes Gurriel Jr. ARI, OF, 30.6 – Gurriel’s homer power predictably bounced back in 2024 with a career high 24 homers in 145 games after hitting only 5 homers all of 2022. Here is what I wrote for Gurriel in last year’s Top 1,000, “Everything in his underlying numbers are essentially the same (plus contact, plus EV, line drive hitter), so I think it’s just one of those weird things when you hit a round ball with a round bat. His barrel% tanked to 3.8%, but considering everything else was the same, I think it’s an aberration.” The juicier balls definitely helped his profile as well, but his power was going to bounce back no matter what. 2024 Projection: 69/20/80/.272/.321/.454/4

337) Anthony Rizzo NYY, 1B, 34.9 – Rizzo was never the same after colliding with Tatis on May 28th. He was in the midst of a huge year with a .304 BA, 11 homers, and .880 OPS in his first 53 games, but he dropped off a cliff after that with a .496 OPS in his final 46 games. He was then shutdown on August 1st with post concussion syndrome. He’s reportedly doing well now and is expected to be a full go for 2024, so if you want to assume full health and no age related decline, he could have a big year with the juicier balls and new shift rules, like he was taking advantage of before the concussion. But he’s always dealt with back issues and is now into his mid 30’s, so expecting some decline seems prudent. 2024 Projection: 76/27/79/.261/.340/.458/3

338) Giancarlo Stanton NYY, OF, 34.5 – Stanton’s BA tanked in 2023 to a career low by far .191, and the underlying numbers back up the decline with a .219 xBA. He had a .211 BA in 2022 as well. His injury woes also continued with only 101 games played. He’s an aging, injury prone, very low BA slugger, but he’s most definitely still a major slugger with a 15.7% Barrel% and 93.3 MPH EV. If he stays healthy, he almost can’t hit fewer than 30 dingers, but betting on him staying healthy seems like a bad bet. 2024 Projection: 67/29/83/.230/.319/.489/0

339) Starling Marte NYM, OF, 35.6 – I implored you to sell Marte in last year’s Top 1,000, writing, “He had a good year overall with a 136 wRC+ in 118 games, which makes this possibly your last chance to truly cash in on Marte. There are multiple red flags popping up.” I hope you listened, because his stock dropped off a cliff in 2023 with a 76 wRC+ in 86 games. He continued to struggle with injuries, dealing with a groin injury that ended his season in August, and his sprint speed dropped off a cliff to a below average 27.1 ft/sec. He still stole 24 bags, showing his base stealing skills are elite enough to handle a speed decline, and he should theoretically be healthier in 2024. He was also unlucky in 2023 with a .276 wOBA vs. .312 xwOBA. Last off-season was your last chance to really cash in on him, but on the flip side, he now actually makes for a reasonably price speed play for a win now team. 2024 Projection: 78/16/61/.265/.319/.411/27

340) Tink Hence STL, RHP, 21.8 – Hence finally met his match when he made it to Double-A with a 5.47 ERA and 22.2%/9.2% K%/BB% in 54.1 IP. It’s not great to see the production back up so much in the upper minors, but he was very young for the level, and he was blowing past his career high IP (96 IP). He also pitched very well at High-A with a 2.81 ERA and 27.9%/7.3% K%/BB%, and most importantly, he still looks absolutely electric on the mound. The delivery is extremely athletic, the mid to upper 90’s fastball explodes out of his hand, and the change, slider and curve all have plus potential. He doesn’t have prototypical starter size, but I think that is overblown in his case. He still screams ace upside to me, and I would take advantage of the hit to his value in 2023. Pitcher development is especially non linear. I expect him to have a big year in 2024. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 13/3.55/1.18/181 in 168 IP

341) Dylan Lesko SDP, RHP, 20.7 – Lesko was a little rusty coming off Tommy John surgery with a 5.45 ERA and 52/22 K/BB in 33 IP split between rookie, Single-A, and High-A, but I wouldn’t read too much into the numbers considering that was basically his spring training, and he was just returning from Tommy John. What you should be reading into was the absolutely filthy stuff is all the way back. He has an electric mid 90’s fastball with an elite, fall off the table changeup, and a potentially plus curveball. He put up a 37.7% K% against High-A hitters, and while he struggled with his control/command, that is often the last thing to return. He has ace written all over him. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 14/3.44/1.17/210 in 170 IP

342) Louie Varland MIN, RHP, 26.4 – It’s not 100% clear what role Varland will pitch in, but Minnesota isn’t exactly overflowing with starting pitching talent at the moment, so it seems like a decent bet he will start the year in the rotation. Varland checks off a ton of boxes that you look for in a young pitcher breakout … except one. He throws hard with an above average 95.3 MPH fastball, he has a legit 4 pitch mix, he has plus control with a 6% BB%, and he has above average whiff rates with a 25.9% whiff%. The one thing he doesn’t have is a true wipeout secondary, but Bryce Miller has a relatively similar profile, and everyone loves Bryce Miller. Varland is the discount Bryce Miller. It all led to a 3.81 xFIP (4.63 ERA) with a 25.1%/6.0% K%/BB% in 68 IP split between a starting and relief role, and I would bet on him topping that in 2024. 2024 Projection: 8/4.07/1.25/148 in 145 IP

343) Robby Snelling SDP, LHP, 20.4 – Snelling gives me shades of Andy Pettitte as a big physical lefty. I’m ready to go over there and teach him the cutter myself. Like Pettitte, Snelling also dominated right off the bat (er, mound) in his pro debut with a 1.82 ERA and 118/34 K/BB in 103.2 IP split between Single-A (51.2 IP), High-A (34.2 IP), and Double-A (17.1 IP). He was basically equally as dominant at all the levels. It’s not a direct comp as Pettitte was even bigger with a more athletic delivery and a pretty curveball, but Pettitte wasn’t a finished product at 19 years old either. Snelling throws mid 90’s heat with a potentially plus slider and a developing changeup. He looks like an easy mid-rotation starter to me, and with continued refinement, I wouldn’t rule out top of the rotation. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 12/3.68/1.22/182 in 175 IP

344) Reese Olson DET, RHP, 24.8 – There always seem to be some players in dynasty/fantasy that you just can’t make up your mind on. Reese Olson is one of those guys for me. I went from very high on him, to off him, to lukewarm on him, to back off him, and now back to lukewarm on him. I probably let his terrible Triple-A performance with the automated strike zone get in my head too much with a 6.38 ERA and 12.6% BB% in 36.2 IP, because he handled his business in his MLB debut with a 3.99 ERA and 24.4%/7.8% K%/BB% in 103.2 IP. The stuff is what made me so high on him in the first place with a plus slider that put up a 41.6% whiff%, to go along with two 94.8 MPH fastballs (4-seamer, sinker), a plus changeup (35.9% whiff%) and an above average curve (31.1% whiff%). The whiff rates were well above average at 27.4% and the control with the regular strike zone was also above average with a 7.8% BB%. He got hit very hard with a 90.8 MPH EV against and probably was on the lucky side with a 4.77 xERA, but it was a very strong rookie year. I would hesitate to really pay up big for him because I’ve seen too much inconsistency out of him over the last few years, but his stuff and diverse pitch mix is hard to fade too much. 2024 Projection: 8/4.18/1.28/143 in 140 IP

345) Alejandro Kirk TOR, C, 24.9 – Kirk and Danny Jansen are locked in a time share, but between catcher and DH, there seems to be just enough at bats for both of them to keep them in the startable range for fantasy, and Jansen is now out with a broken wrist. Kirk was also the superior defensive catcher, so if I’m leaning one way on playing time, I’m leaning to Kirk. Kirk continued to display an elite plate approach (10.7%/10% K%/BB%), but his exit velocity fell of a cliff to 87.6 MPH (90.5 MPH in 2022) and his launch dropped to 6.3 degrees (8.1 in 2022). It resulted in a down offensive season with a 96 wRC+ and 8 homers in 123 games. He’s hit the ball so much harder in his career, so I have to think the EV will bounce back somewhat, but this still isn’t a high upside fantasy profile, and he also has playing time concerns. Jansen is a free agent after this year, so Kirk should have the job to himself by 2025. 2024 Projection: 48/13/59/.265/.350/.411/0

346) Austin Wells NYY, C, 24.9 – Wells’ MLB debut gave me a ton of confidence that the profile will transfer. He had a 14% barrel%, 89.5 MPH EV, 13.6 degree launch, 18.7% K%, and .367 xwOBA in 75 PA. Boone also praised his defense. He didn’t exactly blow the doors off the upper minors, but he still hit 17 homers in 96 games. The Yankee Stadium short porch is perfect for him, and the bar to clear to be an impact fantasy catcher isn’t very high right now. I don’t think he is going to be a fantasy beast, but I do foresee a top 10 fantasy catcher for years to come. 2024 Projection: 56/18/63/.235/.307/.410/3 Prime Projection: 71/23/77/.252/.331/.442/5

347) Michael Busch CHC, 3B, 26.4 – The trade to Chicago gives Busch a huge playing time upgrade. He goes from completely blocked, to the odds on favorite for the 1B job. While he gets a major bump in my rankings, I still think you should have some caution before going all in on him based on his gaudy Triple-A stats. He’s a poor defensive player, so he’s going to have to mash to hold down an everyday job in a relatively crowded organization (especially if Bellinger signs). He hits righties much better than lefties, and he had a terrible MLB debut with a 49 wRC+ in 81 PA. He was utterly dominant at Triple-A (150 wRC+, 27 homers, 18.8%/13.9% K%/BB% in 98 games), but he was 25 years old in an extreme hitter’s environment. I think the most reasonable projection is for him to be a good MLB hitter, but not necessarily a great one. 2024 Projection: 63/19/67/.241/.324/.438/3 Prime Projection: 79/27/83/.253/.339/.472/5

348) Cole Young SEA, SS, 20.8 – Young backed up his strong pro debut in 2022 with another great season in his first full year in pro ball, slashing .277/.399/.449 with 11 homers, 22 steals, and a 14.9%/14.5% K%/BB% in 126 games split between Single-A (128 wRC+) and High-A (142 wRC+) He’s not the type to jump off the screen, but the plate skills are nearly elite. The power likely tops out at around average, and he’s not a true burner with mediocre stolen bases skills (26 for 38 in his career), so the upside isn’t super high, but he projects to be an all around, top of the order hitter. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 91/17/62/.281/.362/.431/17

349) Bryan Ramos CHW, 3B, 22.1 – I’ve given up hope on Ramos getting the respect he deserves. I thought him raking at Double-A would do the trick, but nope. He slashed .271/.369/.457 with 14 homers, 4 steals, and a 21.9%/11.1% K%/BB% in 77 games. He’s 6’2”, 190 pounds with plus power, a good feel to hit and a good glove. And yet, not only doesn’t he rank highly on mainstream top 100 lists, he’s not even on the lists. It’s a major head scratcher, but for our purposes, it creates another opportunity to scoop him on the cheap. And his path to playing time looks pretty clear at the moment with Moncada’s contract set to expire after this year (2025 club option as well). 2B is also wide open, and there is talk of having Moncada play some 2B this year. 2024 Projection: 11/3/14/.244/.308/.430/1 Prime Projection: 79/26/85/.264/.333/.470/8

350) Owen Caissie CHC, OF, 21.9 – Chicago continued to be aggressive with Caissie’s assignments, sending the 20 year old to Double-A, which usually tells you what an organization thinks about a player. They love Caissie, and he rewarded their love with a monster season. He stared the Southern League pre-tacked ball in the eye and didn’t blink with a 144 wRC+, .918 OPS, and 22 homers in 120 games. Well, maybe he blinked, as the 33.9% K% in the 1st half was much higher than his 27.7% K% in the 2nd half. It got all the way down to 21.7% in his final 21 games, and considering how young he was for the level, I wouldn’t be extra concerned about his hit tool any more than your average high walk rate (14.4% K%), low BA slugger. The raw power is monstrous and he’s a relatively good athlete too. He’s one of the premier power hitting prospects in baseball. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 82/31/92/.248/.339/.492/5

351) Drew Thorpe CHW, RHP, 23.6 – Who needs a huge fastball anyway? Thorpe’s double plus changeup and above average slider was more than enough to obliterate minor leaguers. He put up a 2.81 ERA with a 32.4%/7.7% K%/BB% in 109 IP at High-A, and then he went to Double-A and was even better with a 1.48 ERA and 40%/4.5% K%/BB% in 30.1 IP. He’s a big boy at 6’4”, 225 pounds and his command is very good too. Plus changeup guys can sometimes get exposed against MLB hitters, and the aforementioned fastball only sits low to mid 90’s, which is why I’m hesitant to truly put top of the rotation upside on him, but this is a high floor starter with legit upside who should be up in the bigs very quickly into 2024. 2024 Projection: 6/4.13/1.28/115 in 110 IP Prime Projection: 13/3.64/1.18/190 in 175 IP

352) Joey Ortiz MIL, SS/2B, 25.9 – The trade to Milwaukee is a huge boost for Ortiz’ value. He was completely blocked in Baltimore, and there is so much more opportunity in Milwaukee both short and long term. With Adames set to hit free agency after this year, it’s clear Ortiz is their SS of the future, and probably the present if they can find a fair deal for Adames this year. Ortiz’ profile starts with a plus glove at SS which is what makes him so enticing as a real life prospect, but he has the offensive skills to be an impact fantasy player as well. He hits the ball quite hard (90 MPH EV at Triple-A and a 88.2 MPH EV in his 34 PA MLB debut), has above average speed (28.1 ft/sec sprint) and has above average to plus contact rates (17.7%/8.2% K%/BB%). The game power and stolen base skills are more moderate than standout, so we likely aren’t talking about a stud, but he can be a strong across the board contributor. 2024 Projection: 68/14/62/.258/.317/.398/14 Prime Projection: 78/18/74/.274/.331/.418/18

353) Alex Verdugo NYY, OF, 27.10 – Maybe the Yankees Stadium short porch is the push Verdugo needs to finally try to adjust his swing to tap into more of his raw power. It’s much much easier said than done of course. He needs to raise his 8.8 degree launch and start pulling the ball more, but if he can pull it off, his plus contact rates (15.4% K%) and above average EV (89.2 MPH) will do the rest. He’s only been an about average hitter over his last 3 seasons, and he’s only an average defensive player (at best) with average speed, so he really needs to try something if he wants to get paid in his contract year. The trade to the Yankees at least gives some hope for a much needed fantasy boost. 2024 Projection: 79/16/79/.271/.329/.429/5

354) Justin Turner TOR, 1B, 39.4 – I wish everyone could decline as gracefully as Turner has. He’s definitely on the downswing with a career worst .336 xwOBA, but he churned out yet another productive fantasy season, finishing 63rd on the Razzball Player Rater with a .276 BA, 23 homers, 86 runs and 96 RBI in 146 games. Fenway is one of the best hitter’s park in the league, so Toronto’s below average park is definitely a downgrade, and at 39 years old, you have to factor in continued decline, but another season of an above average hit/power combo seems to be well within reach. 2024 Projection: 75/21/81/.269/.336/.443/3

355) Thomas Saggese STL, 2B/3B, 22.0 – Saggese broke out in 2022, but many, including me, stayed skeptical because he’s not a big tools guy and the K%/plate approach weren’t particularly great, but some guys are just ballers, and Saggese balled out even harder in 2023. He slashed .306/.374/.530 with 26 homers, 12 steals, and a 22.9%/8.3% K%/BB% in 139 games at mostly Double-A. The same drawbacks that made me hesitant in 2022 are still present. His raw power is only average to potentially above average, he’s not fast, the plate approach isn’t great, and he’s not a big guy at 5’11”. But at some point, it’s silly to keep doubting a guy who is producing to this level. He’s obviously doing something right. He doesn’t have a clear path to playing time and I would still hesitate to put big upside on him, but I’m willing to to bet on him being a good MLB hitter at peak at this point. 2024 Projection: 18/5/23/.249/.308/.416/2 Prime Projection: 75/24/82/.266/.328/.444/8

356) Sterlin Thompson COL, 2B/3B/OF, 22.9 – Colorado’s High-A park is one of the most hitter friendly in the minors, and their Double-A park plays more neutral, which is a big part of why you see such a large production drop from so many Rockies prospects at Double-A (see Beck and Yanquiel as well). Thompson was victimized by it as well with a 147 wRC+ in 60 games at High-A versus a 111 wRC+ in 34 games at Double-A. He destroyed the AFL with a .935 OPS in 21 games (0 homers and 7 steals), but the AFL is an extreme hitters park too, so it doesn’t really change my opinion of him in either direction. He’s a 6’4”, 200 pound lefty with a quick and controlled swing that is geared towards line drives. There isn’t really a carrying tool here, but he hits the ball hard and has average to above average potential across the board. 2024 Projection: 20/4/20/.255/.318/.416/4 Prime Projection: 82/20/79/.273/.337/.441/12

357) Brady House WAS, 3B, 20.10 – House bounced back in a big way from a mediocre 2022. He put up a 142 wRC+ at Single-A in 36 games, 145 wRC+ at High-A in 16 games, and 127 wRC+ at Double-A in 36 games. He displayed all the skills that made everyone so excited in the first place with a .312 BA, 12 homers, and 9 steals in 88 total games from an athletic 6’4”, 215 pound frame. His big righty hack is made to do damage, and while the flyball rates have been low so far in his career, it’s the type of profile that projects for an above average to plus hit/power combo with some speed. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 77/24/83/.268/.332/.472/9

358) Drew Gilbert NYM, OF, 23.6 – Gilbert is one of the safest prospects on this list. He does everything well on a baseball field with contact ability (18.9% K%), on base ability (11.3% BB%), power (18 homers), speed (12 steals), and good defense in 116 games at mostly Double-A. The power/speed combo isn’t quite big enough at only 5’9”, 195 pounds to really fly him up prospect lists, but he has a big lefty swing that makes him look much bigger in the box than his listed height, and I wouldn’t be shocked if his power surprised in the bigs. He’s a high floor prospect who might have more upside than his small stature would indicate. 2024 Projection: 41/10/33/.253/.318/.409/7 Prime Projection:  84/20/72/.273/.340/.438/14

359) Tommy Troy ARI, 3B/2B, 21.8 – Selected 12th overall in the 2023 MLB Draft, the first thing that pops out when watching Troy is his absolute vicious bat speed and rotation. It’s controlled violence at it’s finest. He used that explosive swing to have a monster junior year, slashing .394/.478/.699 with 17 homers, 17 steals, and a 42/35 K/BB in 58 Pac12 games. He’s not a huge tools guy 5’10”, 197 pounds, so the power/speed combo might not be huge on the Major League level, but he at least proved it will transfer to wood bats in pro ball, slashing .247/.343/.447 with 4 homers, 8 steals, and a 26.3%/12.1% K%/BB% in 23 games at High-A. His hit tool is good, but there is still some swing and miss in his game which popped up in his pro debut. There is definitely a chance the upside might not end up being very high, but he does a lot of things well, and like I highlighted above, the swing is truly impressive to me. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 82/20/76/.255/.330/.441/20

360) Josue De Paula LAD, OF, 18.10 – De Paula’s stateside debut wasn’t perfect, and it wasn’t the true explosion we were all hoping for, but it was still impressive when taking everything into account. The Dodgers showed how much they loved him by skipping him straight over stateside rookie ball, and he didn’t only hold his own against much older competition, his plate approach and hit tool were actually extremely mature with a 17.9%/13.5% K%/BB%, .284 BA, and 118 wRC+ in 74 games at Single-A. At a broad, athletic, and projectable 6’3”, 185 pounds with a sweet lefty swing, establishing this level of plate skills is relatively rare and exciting. Usually with these toolsy prospects we have to worry about the hit tool tanking them, but not with Josue. He hit only 2 homers, which is extremely low, so I’m not just going to hand wave it away, but he didn’t hit the ball particularly weakly, and he obviously made zero attempts to sell out for power. The raw power will certainly continue to tick up, which will make for a dangerous combination with his plate skills once it does. He’s not a burner, but he’s a good base runner with 14 steals in 17 attempts. Josue is taking the Juan Soto path, and the off-season after Soto’s 18 year old season were when the biggest trade mistakes were made with Soto (not saying he will be as good as Soto because Soto was even better in a shortened 18 year old season at Single-A). Stay patient on the explosion. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 88/24/81/.278/.352/.475/12

361) Jace Jung DET, 2B, 23.6 – Jace is following in his big brother Josh’s footsteps by making quick work of the minor leagues. He put up a 136 wRC+ with 14 homers in 81 games at High-A, and then he took it up a notch at Double-A with a 154 wRC+ and 14 homers in 47 games. He has a very mature plate approach (24.2%/13.7% K%/BB%), he lifts the ball (35% GB%), he has plus power, and he has plus bloodlines. Big bro is just a few years ahead of him to give him the lay of the land, lets just hope Jace can miss the shoulder surgery part. He’s an advanced college bat who doesn’t really need much more seasoning in the minors, so I would be surprised if he isn’t up by the 2nd half. 2024 Projection: 35/10/38/.246/.320/.435/2 Prime Projection: 84/25/85/.264/.350/.472/4

362) Brock Wilken MIL, 3B, 21.10 – Selected 18th overall in the 2023 MLB Draft, the 6’4”, 225 pound Wilken is almost the exact definition of a lurking slugger. He quite literally lurks over the plate with an eerily calm and foreboding batting stance which he used to unleash 31 homers in 66 ACC games. He then stepped right into pro ball and raked with a .887 OPS in 47 games split between rookie, High-A, and Double-A. He has the huge EV’s to back up the power. The hit tool and plate approach made big jumps this year with a .345 BA and 58/69 K/BB in college, but he still isn’t expected to hit for much average, and a 36% K% in 6 games at Double-A hints at the hit tool risk. You are buying the monster power here. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 79/31/87/.247/.332/.495/3

363) Joendry Vargas LAD, SS, 18.5 – Vargas is basically Josue De Paula 2.0. It’s almost like the Dodgers are especially good at this developing baseball players thing. He’s a projectable and athletic 6’4”, 175 pounds, earning him one of the top international signing bonuses last off-season, and he had a great season in the DSL, slashing .328/.423/.529 with 7 homers, 19 steals, and a 14.9%/14.4% K%/BB% in 48 games. All of the ingredients are there for him to explode to elite prospect status in the next few years with at least plus power potential, plus athleticism, and plus plate skills. Get in on him now before the mainstream prospect lists start blowing him up next season. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 81/26/86/.268/.341/.481/13

364) Felnin Celesten SEA, SS, 18.8 – A hamstring injury prevented Celesten from making his pro debut in 2023, so we’ll have to wait for 2024 to see if his production can match the hype. Here was my blurb for him last off-season, and everything still applies as we head into 2024, “Celesten has that super smooth lefty swing (he also hits righty) in the mold of a Marcelo Mayer, George Valera, and Zac Veen. It just screams offensive potential. He’s also an excellent athlete with plus speed. We’ve seen plenty of international prospects with smooth swings just not hit enough against more advanced competition, but it’s hard not to fall in love with the swing and tools. Considering the last couple international classes haven’t really popped, Celesten could come at a very reasonable price in 2023 First Year Player Drafts. This could be the year to dive back into this market.” … obviously Celesten didn’t have the opportunity to pop, but I nailed my observation that 2023 was the year to jump back into the international player pool market with Ethan Salas and Sebastian Walcott exploding (along with Joendry Vargas and others). I’m staying all in on Celesten for 2024. ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 83/26/87/.268/.336/.470/22

365) Leodalis De Vries SDP, SS, 17.6 – De Vries is the top player in the 2024 international class and is expected to sign for over $4 million. As per his signing bonus, he has almost everything you look for in a potentially elite prospect. He’s a switch hitter at projectable 6’2”, 175 pounds with an extremely quick, loose, and athletic swing. He’s known for his mature plate approach and good feel to hit, and there is certainly plus power potential in here at peak. He’s also an excellent athlete with above average speed. The plate skills give him as high of a floor as you can get for a 17 year old international prospect, and the upside is considerable as well. International prospects are definitely the most mysterious and risky class of prospect to shop in, but when they hit, they hit in a huge way. De Vries is worth taking on the risk. ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 89/24/86/.276/.352/.462/18

366) Shota Imanaga CHC, LHP, 30.7 – Imanaga’s stuff isn’t as big as Yamamoto’s, mostly sitting in the low 90’s with the fastball, but he’s a damn good pitcher in his own right. The fastball gets whiffs despite the mediocre velocity, and he combines that with a plus splitter as his main secondary. The slider is solid and he throws a curve too. He pitched against a stacked USA lineup in the WBC and the stuff was good enough to notch a 33% whiff%. The fastball sat 93.5 MPH and the slider and splitter racked up whiffs. He’s been an ace in Japan for years and put up a 2.66 ERA with a 188/24 K/BB in 159 IP this year. I wouldn’t put top of the rotation upside on him, but all signs points towards him being a good MLB starter, and the strikeout upside is high enough to be an impact fantasy starter as well. If you want the win now pitcher, I can see ranking him as high as 9th overall on FYPD Rankings. 2024 Projection: 11/3.91/1.22/175 in 160 IP

367) Jared Jones PIT, RHP, 22.8 – Jones stuff is straight fire with a traditional 4 pitch mix led by a 96.4 MPH fastball. The slider is above average, the curve is average, and the changeup is below average. He made quick work of Double-A with a 2.23 ERA and 26.3%/8.9% K%/BB% in 44.1 IP before slowing down at Triple-A with a 4.72 ERA and 28.3%/9.7% K%/BB% in 82 IP. The control is below average and he’s not a physical beast at 6’1”, 190 pounds. It’s hard to say he doesn’t have the ceiling of an ace with that nasty fastball, but there is still a lot of refinement to get there. A high K mid rotation starter seems more reasonable. 2024 Projection: 9/4.13/1.31/138 in 145 IP Prime Projection: 12/3.78/1.26/176 in 165 IP

368) Gavin Stone LAD, RHP, 25.6 – Stone had a truly horrific MLB debut with a 9.00 ERA and 14.5%/8.6% K% in 31 IP, but I’m trying not to panic. We only have to look at Brandon Pfaadt to be reminded to keep our heads when a top pitching prospect gets demolished in their debut. Pfaadt is just one of many examples (Jose Berrios immediately comes to mind as well). If you’re looking for silver linings, his stuff did a solid job of missing bats with his changeup putting up a 41.4% whiff%, his slider putting up a 40% whiff%, and his 4-seamer putting up a 23.5% whiff%. His stuff didn’t even get hit insanely hard either with a merely below average 8.7% barrel%. It certainly wasn’t a good year with his fastball velocity taking a step back to 94 MPH, and he wasn’t great at Triple-A either with a 4.74 ERA in 100.2 IP, but I think the prudent thing to do is to look at this year as a developmental bump in the road, rather than a true disaster. His value takes a hit, but you certainly shouldn’t be close to throwing in the towel on him. And his strong spring shows it was smart to not sell too low on him, as he’s looked good and has locked in the 5th starter job. 2024 Projection: 8/4.09/1.29/135 in 140 IP Prime Projection: 11/3.88/1.26/173 in 165 IP

369) AJ Puk MIA, LHP, 28.11 – Tanner Scott took the closer job away from Puk in the 2nd half of the season, but that had just as much to do with Scott’s dominance than it had to do with Puk. Puk didn’t pitch poorly at all with a 3.97 ERA (3.02 xERA) and 32.2%/5.4% K%/BB% in 56.2 IP. Those K/BB numbers are elite, and the stuff is near elite with a plus 95.8 MPH fastball/sweeper combo. Miami is transitioning him back into a starter, which is a super fun decision, and I am all for it. He also seems to have a spot at the moment with Garrett’s shoulder injury. Puk is a great upside pitching target. 2024 Projection: 8/3.81/1.26/145 in 130 IP Update: Puk looks really exciting in spring and there is no reason not to go after his upside

370) Robert Suarez SDP, Closer Committee, 33.1 – Suarez seems to be the favorite for the closer job, but that feels very tentative with San Diego signing Matsui and Go this off-season, so you can’t really bank on it right now. He also didn’t pitch particularly well in 2023 with a 4.23 ERA and 22.2%/9.3% K%/BB% in 27.2 IP (he missed the first half of the season with an elbow injury). He has prototypical closer stuff with a 97.7 MPH fastball and a bat missing, plus secondary in his changeup, while neither Matsui nor Go have fastballs that reach those heights. He also put up a 2.27 ERA with a 31.9% K% in 2022, so he has the ability to put up near elite closer numbers. The leash won’t be long, and he could get traded at any time, but he seems to be the best bet at the moment in SD. 2024 Projection: 4/3.44/1.13/65/25 saves in 60 IP

371) Jose Abreu HOU, 1B, 37.1 – Abreu’s decline came fast and swift with a career worst by far 86 wRC+ and .310 xwOBA in 141 games. But it came almost too fast and too swift to think it was 100% age related decline. And he was also much better in his final 82 games with 17 homers and a .783 OPS vs. his first 59 games with 1 homer and a .533 OPS. He’s 37 years old and he required a couple of cortisone shots in his back in the 2nd half, so I do think he is in the midst of a real age related decline, just not nearly as bad as his 2023 season would indicate. He should bounce back somewhat in 2024. 2024 Projection: 74/23/85/.267/.339/.445/0

372) Alek Thomas ARI, OF, 23.11 – The Diamondbacks seem committed to Alek Thomas in center for 2024, but we all know it’s Druw Jones’ job to lose in the long run. We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it, because in the present, Thomas looks set up to have a breakout season, and his 71 wRC+ in 402 PA should make his price dirt cheap. He hits the ball quite hard for his type of profile with a 88.9/93.4 MPH AVG/FB EV, he’s very fast with a 28.8 ft/sec sprint speed, and he has no contact issues with a 21.4% K% that should only improve from here. The homer/steal totals aren’t huge (13 homers and 11 steals in 461 PA including the playoffs) because he has a low launch at 2.2 degrees and he’s never been a successful base stealer, but he went 11 for 12 on the bases this year with the new rules, so if he can get on base more in 2024, I can see him approaching 20 steals. A low launch is fine for his profile, but with how hard he hits the ball, even bringing it up a few degrees can make a big difference. Thomas is a low key, don’t stick your neck out for him, but put a star next to his name type target for me. 2024 Projection: 76/16/59/.255/.310/.413/16

373) Ryan McMahon COL, 3B/2B, 29.3 – Despite playing in Coors and hitting the ball tremendously hard (11.4% Barrel% and 90.8 MPH EV), McMahon still hasn’t been able to put up a year that you would describe as anything better than solid. He’s actually never put up an above average wRC+. His 9.7 degree launch and 31.6% K% is what’s holding him back from having that huge year, and at 29 years old, this is just clearly who he is. 2024 Projection: 75/23/75/.246/.326/.432/6

374) Mitch Haniger SEA, OF, 33.4 – Haniger had the worst year of his career with 6 homers and a 73 wRC+ in 61 games. He battled an oblique injury to start the year, and then broke his forearm which knocked him out 2.5 months mid year. The injuries obviously played a role in the down year, and he was also unlucky on top of it with a .274 wOBA vs. 316 xwOBA. He still smashed the ball with a 91 MPH EV, so the odds of a power bounce back are very high, and he got traded out of SF’s platoon nightmare. Considering his age, poor hit tool (28.4% K%), and poor ballpark, he’s not a target, but he should get back to making an impact in homers. 2024 Projection: 68/27/79/.243/.314/.441/3

375) Kris Bryant COL, OF, 32.3 – Bryant had his 2nd straight injury marred season with only 80 games played, but unlike 2022, his numbers took a dive this year with a 73 wRC+. His EV was at a cover your eyes 85.7 MPH for the 2nd year in a row, and his 20.3%/8.7% K%/BB% with a 26.4 ft/sec sprint is not good enough to make up for it. He’s not that old at 32, and he still has Coors at his back, so it wouldn’t be surprising in the slightest if he put together a strong season, but it sure does seem like his body is breaking down a bit. He’s also never put up particularly great contact or EV numbers, so even fully healthy the upside probably isn’t super high. 2024 Projection: 76/19/71/.262/.334/.447/2

376) Harrison Bader NYM, OF, 29.10 – Bader lands in a perfect situation and looks locked into the Mets starting CF job. He’s a plus defensive CF with plus speed (28.8 ft/sec) and above average contact rates (17.2% K%), but he hasn’t been able to hit the ball hard enough to really do damage in his career (85.9 MPH EV). He put up a 85 wRC+ in 2022, a 70 wRC+ in 2023, and he has a career 92 wRC+, so it’s hard to expect anything but below average production. He’s a terror on the bases though with 20 steals in just 98 games, so if gets full time playing time, he could rack up 30+ steals, and he has a 17.8 degree launch, so he’ll get the most our his raw power. The power/speed combo makes him fantasy relevant, but he might hurt you everywhere else. 2024 Projection: 68/16/61/.241/.301/.395/28

377) Brice Turang MIL, 2B/SS, 24.4 – Turang had a poor MLB debut with a 60 wRC+ in 137 games, because he just couldn’t hit the ball hard enough with a 2.9% Barrel% and 85.5 MPH EV, but everything else is there for a fantasy explosion if he can just bring his EV up to his Triple-A levels (87.8 MPH in 50 BBE). He has double plus speed (26 steals with a 29.5 ft/sec sprint), a good feel to hit (21% K%), a solid plate approach (27.3% chase% and 8.5% BB%), and he’s a good defensive player. He’s never going to hit for big power, but just one small step forward would go a long way. He’s currently penciled in for a strong side of a platoon role at 2B (he struggles vs. lefties), so it looks like he will have plenty of opportunity in 2024. He’s nice late round speed flier. 2024 Projection: 68/11/56/.252/.324/.391/29

378) Luis Rengifo LAA, 2B/3B/SS/OF, 27.1 – Rengifo’s raw power took a big jump with a 2.2 MPH bump in EV to 89.1 MPH, and it resulted in him leveling up with a career best .783 OPS and .323 xwOBA. He’s a line drive hitter (11 degree launch) with limited speed (6 steals and a 27.3 ft/sec sprint) and a good, but not great hit tool (.264 BA), so he’s still not super enticing for fantasy, but now he’s at least interesting for medium to deeper leagues, or as a versatile bench bat/low end starter in shallower leagues. A ruptured biceps ended his season in early September, but he’s expected to be good to go for 2024. 2024 Projection: 72/19/76/.259/.326/.438/8

379) Brandon Drury LAA, 1B/2B, 31.7 – Drury handily outperformed his underlying numbers for the 2nd year in a row with a .339 wOBA vs. .318 xwOBA, and while he’s generally outperformed his underlying numbers in his career, he hasn’t done it to this level (career .319 wOBA vs. .311 xwOBA). He hits the ball hard with an 11% Barrel% and 89.9/94.6 MPH AVG/FB EV, so it’s not like he’s a complete mirage or anything, but a 11.8 degree launch and 26%/4.8% K%/BB% is just not screaming upside. He hit 28 homers in 138 games in 2022 and 26 homers in 125 games in 2023, but those numbers feel more like a ceiling to me than a reasonable expectation moving forward. 2024 Projection: 71/24/82/.256/.307/.460/1

380) J.P. Crawford SEA, SS, 29.2 – Crawford’s power exploded in 2023 with a career high by far 19 homers, 15.1 degree launch, and 88.3 MPH EV in 145 games. His previous career high in homers was 9. And he managed to do it with barely impacting his plate approach with an excellent 19.6%/14.7% K%/BB%. 19 homers is still obviously not a majorly impactful number, and his 90.8 MPH AVG/FB EV shows that is also closer to a ceiling than something he will build on. His .266 BA and 3 steals keeps his value in check as well. The power uptick helps in Runs and RBI, so Crawford’s value takes a major jump, but this still isn’t a sought after fantasy profile. 2024 Projection: 89/17/61/.260/.360/.421/3

381) Max Kepler MIN, OF, 31.2 – The king of underperforming the underlying numbers did it again, but this time the underlying numbers were so good it still resulted in a good season with a .362 xwOBA vs. .348 wOBA. His 124 wRC+ was a career high and he did by hitting the ball much harder with a career high 91.9 MPH EV and 12.2% Barrel%. It still resulted in only 24 homers with a .260 BA and 1 steal, so I wouldn’t get too excited even if he can fully keep up the newfound power. 2024 Projection: 74/24/70/.257/.333/.448/3

382) Rowdy Tellez PIT, 1B, 29.0 – Tellez landed in a perfect spot with an up and coming Pitt team. He also claimed his down 2023 was due to injury, so there is added hope of a bounce back. He dropped off a cliff in 2023 with 13 homers, a .215 BA and a 78 wRC+ in 351 PA. He was being used as a strictly strong side of a platoon bat for most of the year, and Milwaukee decided not to tender him a contract in his final year of arbitration. He still hits the ball hard with a 8.7% Barrel% and 89.9 MPH EV, and he still has a solid plate approach with a 24.5%/10.0% K%/BB%, so he’ll have every opportunity in Pitt to prove 2023 was due to injuries. He’ll certainly sit vs. plenty of lefties, but he’s in line for a ton of at bats. 2024 Projection: 62/24/77/.242/.323/.447/1

383) Bryan De La Cruz MIA, OF, 27.4 – Cruz is a well below average defensive player and he’s been an about average hitter the past two seasons. That is not a recipe to keep your job, but the one thing he has going for him, is that he’s massively underperformed his underlying numbers over the past two years. He put up a .313 wOBA vs. .355 xwOBA in 2022 and a .309 wOBA vs. .331 xwOBA in 2023. There is clearly upside for him to be better than just an average hitter. He hits the ball fairly hard (89.9 MPH EV), but he has a line drive approach (11.8 degree launch) with below average whiff rates (28.7% whiff%), below average walk rates (6.4% BB%), and low stolen base totals (4 steals). Even if he does come closer to his underlying numbers, the fantasy upside isn’t going to be huge. 2024 Projection: 64/20/77/.269/.318/.437/5

384) Jake Fraley CIN, OF, 28.10 – Fraley is capped as a strong side of a platoon player because he’s terrible vs. lefties (.482 career OPS) and he’s also a below average defensive player, but injuries could open up more at bats for him in the early going. The below average defensive player part also gives him added risk of being just a bench player long term, because his 84.6 MPH EV is dangerously low. I don’t want to be too down on him though, because this was the 3rd year in a row he was an above average offensive player in both the surface stats and underlying stats. The new rules also play perfectly for him as a lefty with a contact (18.7% K%)/speed (21 steals with a 28 ft/sec sprint)/lift (16.5 degree launch) profile at Great American Ball Park. How much PT he gets in a crowded organization is still questionable, but he should produce impact fantasy numbers when he’s out there. 2024 Projection: 73/17/73/.253/.335/.430/25

385) Drew Waters KCR, OF, 25.3 – You may not be able to tell from his surface stats, but Waters leveled up from his 2022 MLB debut. He brought his K% down 4.9 percentage points to 31.8%, his EV up 3.3 MPH to 87.4 MPH, his launch up 6.8 degrees to 17.2, and his xwOBA up from .296 to .313. His wRC+ dropped from 124 to 82, but the underlying numbers are more important in this case. He has plus speed with a 28.7 ft/sec sprint and 16 steals in 98 games. He also has a career 10.6% Barrel%, so there is definitely juice in his bat. If his hit tool can take one more step forward (.228 BA), there is real explosion potential here, and even if it can’t, the power/speed combo will keep him fantasy relevant if he ends up with full time at bats. He’s going to have to battle for those at bats though. 2024 Projection: 56/14/48/.239/.316/.410/24

386) Tommy Pham FRA, OF, 36.1 – Pham is aging very gracefully with few to zero signs of decline. Hit hit 16 homers with 22 steals and a .256 BA in 129 games, and the underlying numbers back it up with a 92.3 MPH EV, .361 xwOBA, 27.8 fts/sec sprint and a 22.0%/9.8% K%/BB%. This is around the age where numbers can fall off a cliff, so you should still be careful, but there are no signs of that happening quite yet. 2024 Projection: 76/18/74/.254/.326/.440/20

387) Alex Lange DET, Closer, 28.6 – Lange wasn’t able to fully repeat his strong 2022 breakout with his control falling apart with a 15.6% BB%, but it was much better to close out the season with a 8.5% BB% in his final 20 IP, and he misses so many bats it makes you want to ignore the control risk. His 39.1% whiff% is in the silly elite range, and he does it on the back of an at least plus slider (48.4% whiff%) and elite changeup (.170 xwOBA and 44.7% whiff%). He throws gas with a 95.8 MPH sinker, but that pitch got demolished with a 92.7 MPH EV against and .422 xwOBA. He was shaky enough throughout the season that he couldn’t fully nail down the closer job to himself with Jason Foley mixing in, but he was still the main guy, and it seems like it’s his job to lose in 2024. 2024 Projection: 5/3.52/1.26/85/25 saves in 65 IP

388) Garrett Mitchell MIL, OF, 25.7 – Mitchell’s swing and miss is in that truly scary danger zone where you can’t just ignore it. He had a 35.6% K% and 39.7% whiff% in 73 MLB PA in 2023. He had a 41.2% K% in 68 MLB PA in 2022. It’s a major problem. He’s also not a huge home run hitter despite hitting the ball hard with a low launch angle. Lots of strikeouts and groundballs are not a recipe for success, no matter how fast you are. Having said that, Mitchell has actually been quite successful in his MLB career with a 119 wRC+ in 141 career PA. He has a 10.8% barrel% and 29.3 ft/sec sprint. The fantasy upside is so enticing, but the hit tool issues combined with the crowded organization puts him more in the nice bench stash category for me. 2024 Projection: 44/8/37/.235/.306/.420/14

389) Alex Kirilloff MIN, 1B/OF, 26.5 – Kirilloff’s recurring wrist issues knocked him out for the first month of the season as he was recovering from the surgery he underwent on August 2022, and then just when it seemed like he put the injury bug behind him, he suffered a shoulder injury in late July that ended up requiring surgery in October 2023 (nothing was found torn, so it was just a cleanup). It’s a true shame that he can’t stay healthy, because he was always destined to be a damn good MLB hitter, and he was starting to show that potential this year with a 120 wRC+ in 88 games. The underlying numbers don’t jump off the page, but he was solid all around with a .333 xwOBA. Considering the injuries, lack of defensive value, struggles vs lefties (.482 OPS in 56 PA), and lack of a true standout skill, he’s not someone I’m going after, but I still don’t doubt Kirilloff will put up a nice offensive season if he can just stay healthy. 2024 Projection: 64/17/69/.265/.335/.442/1

390) Joey Wiemer MIL, OF, 25.2 – Joey Wiemer has a hit tool problem with a .204 BA, .210 xBA and 28.3% K% in his 410 PA MLB debut. I might not be as concerned about it if he were in another less crowded organization, but even assuming Milwaukee doesn’t make any free agent additions, he’ll have to battle for OF/DH PT with Chourio, Frelick, Yelich, and Mitchell. Opportunity is a major factor in success, and that includes being given a long leash to figure it out and make adjustments. I just don’t see Wiemer getting that long leash. If I were more confident in his playing time projection, I would 100% still like him a lot. He has plus power at 6’5”, 215 pounds with a 9.1% barrel% and 89.3 MPH EV, and he has plus speed with a 28.9 fts/sec sprint. He’s also a plus defensive player. The 28.3 K% and 33.6% whiff% aren’t really that bad of a starting point at all for him in his rookie year. He’ll compete for a job this spring, and maybe he can prove to Milwaukee he’s made hit tool improvements during spring training, but until that happens, I’m assuming he’s going be a part time player in 2024. 2024 Projection: 55/17/55/.228/.305/.413/17

391) Jordan Beck COL, OF, 22.11 – Beck’s wRC+ went from 150 in 76 games at High-A to 108 in 50 games at Double-A. His K% jumped from 20.8% to 31.8%. A drop off in stats like this is always a reminder of how impressive it is when some players get to Double-A and don’t miss a beat, but plenty of impact major leaguers struggled in their first taste of the upper minors before making adjustments the next year, so you shouldn’t get too scared off. And Beck is the type of athlete you don’t want to get scared off from with a plus power/speed combo from a 6’3”, 225 pound frame. He jacked 25 homers with 20 steals and a 12.9% BB% in 126 total games. Even with a below average hit tool, he has the ingredients to be a fantasy beast. 2024 Projection: 12/3/15/.223/.302/.413/4 Prime Projection: 76/25/81/.240/.320/.457/14

392) Yanquiel Fernandez COL, OF, 21.3 – Fernandez’ plate approach got exposed at Double-A with a 32.9%/6.3% K%/BB% in 56 games, which led to a 69 wRC+. He utterly obliterated High-A with 17 homers, a 148 wRC+, and a 17.9%/5.2% K%/BB% in 58 games, and he was very young for Double-A at only 20 years old, but considering he has limited defensive value, it’s not great. His lefty swing is a thing of beauty and his double plus power is a carrying tool, so I still like him a lot, but I am concerned he could be the type of prospect the Rockies don’t just hand a starting job to. The bat is going to have to hit it’s ceiling to hold down a full time job. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection:  72/28/87/.248/.319/.480/3

393) John Cruz NYY, OF, 18.7 – If Cruz were eligible for the 2023 MLB Draft, his hype would be through the roof. He has the scout’s dream build at a projectable 6’3”, 171 pounds, and it comes with a quick and powerful lefty swing. It resulted in him ripping up stateside rookie ball as a 17 year old, slashing .294/.376/.531 with 10 homers, 9 steals, and a 21.8%/10.9% K%/BB% in 48 games. Power, speed, build, production, age to level … this is everything you look for in a shooting star prospect. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 78/27/87/.251/.324/.473/12

394) Hurston Waldrep ATL, RHP, 22.1 – Pitcher’s don’t usually make big moves in either direction in their pro debut, but Waldrep bucked that trend. His double plus mid to upper 90’s fastball/splitter combo put up a 33.3% K% and 1.53 ERA in 29.1 IP spread across 4 levels (A, A+, AA, AAA). He also throws a curve and slider that both have plus potential. There is zero doubt about the strikeout ability with a 34.7% K% in 101.2 IP in the SEC in 2023 as well. The reason he only got selected 24th overall though, is that there is definitely some risk in his profile. The control is well below average with a 12.7% BB% at college and a 13.0% BB% in pro ball. He also had a mediocre college season with a 4.16 ERA and 1.40 WHIP, and the K/BB numbers weren’t quite as impressive in the upper minors with a 16/10 K/BB in 14.1 IP at Double-A and Triple-A. Ending up in Atlanta is a great landing spot as they know what they are doing when it comes to pitching, so I’m more apt to go after him now than I would have been if he went to a lesser organization. And if you go K chasing in fantasy, which I do, Waldrep is mighty enticing despite the risk. 2024 Projection: 3/4.13/1.35/75 in 70 IP Prime Projection: 11/3.71/1.28/185 in 165 IP

395) Zack Littell TBR, RHP, 28.6 – You have to be a damn fool to doubt Tampa in any way, and mama didn’t raise no fool. With Shane Baz announcing he is on a delayed schedule until “early to mid-season,” Littell looks locked into a rotation spot, and he’s now someone I’m going after everywhere. He went against essentially Minnesota’s real lineup yesterday and went 3 IP with 4 hits, 0 ER, and a 1/1 K/BB. He now has a 0.00 ERA with a 4/1 K/BB in 5 IP on the spring. The velocity was down a tick, but assuming he’s just easing into things, his 94+ MPH fastball in 2023 was actually already very good with with a strong .290 xwOBA and 21.8% whiff%. His control entered elite territory with a 3.2% BB%, and while his secondaries aren’t great, he added a sweeper to the arsenal in the 2nd half which was immediately his best secondary with a .247 xwOBA and 30% whiff%. He’s also been working on the now very popular splitter that he’s been incorporating into him arsenal more and more over the past couple years. If he really takes off with any of his secondaries, he’s going to be a major issue, and even if he doesn’t, double plus control of a good fastball will play. I mean, how many times does Tampa have to pull a rabbit of their hat for us to even stop questioning it even a little? Littell is currently going 344th overall in the NFBC and is going to be an afterthought in so many dynasty leagues. Easiest call ever is to grab this guy from the bargain bin in all league sizes. 2024 Projection: 7/3.92/1.26/113 in 130 IP

396) Luis Campusano SDP, C, 25.6 – Campusano missed 3 months of the season after undergoing left thumb surgery in mid April, but when he returned, he finally had his breakout on the MLB level. He massively improved his contact rates, bringing his K% all the way down to 12% and his whiff% all the way down to 18.1%, and it led to a .319 BA and .300 xBA in 174 PA. The power is average with 7 homers, a 88.5 MPH EV and 13.2 degree launch. The rest of his profile is little lacking though. He’s still a below average catcher, he’s very slow with a bottom 14% of the league sprint, and the plate approach is bad with a 4% BB% and 35.5% Chase%. He’s always had a good bat in the minors, so it’s not surprising to see him figuring it out, and he now looks locked into the starting catcher job at this point in the off-season. 2024 Projection: 53/16/61/.256/.311/.418/0

397) Andrew Benintendi CHW, OF, 29.9 – Neil Young said “it’s better to burn out than fade away,” and Andrew Benintendi is showing us why. He’s just slowly fading into fantasy irrelevance with 5 homers, 13 steals, a .262 BA and an 87 wRC+ in 2023. This is a guy who was the 7th overall pick in the draft and went 20/20 in his rookie year, but it’s been all downhill since then. He has a big contract, he gets the bat on the ball (14.3% K%), and he should hit atop Chicago’s mediocre lineup, so you can’t completely ignore him, but he’s a very low end option. 2024 Projection: 74/12/53/.271/.332/.398/12

398) Ty France SEA, 1B, 29.9 – France’s light hitting ways finally caught up with him with a lackluster 12 homers and .250 BA in 158 games. He definitely got unlucky with a .270 xBA and .342 xwOBA (.315 wOBA), but a 87.5 MPH EV, 13.7 degree launch, and 25.0 ft/sec sprint speed just isn’t anything to get too excited about. I’ve poured cold water on France in my rankings every year, and I’m surely not going in on him now. 2024 Projection: 76/17/76/.270/.344/.419/1

399) Michael Conforto SFG, OF, 31.1 – Conforto had a predictably mediocre season coming off shoulder surgery and going into one of the worst hitter’s parks in baseball. He hit 15 homers with a .718 OPS in 125 games. The underlying numbers were down a bit, but nothing was too far from career norms, so I would expect him to tick up in his 2nd year back from the surgery, but he’ll still have to contend with Oracle Park, and he’s in a strong side of a platoon role. 2024 Projection: 69/20/69/.248/.341/.428/3

400) Jose Siri TBR, OF, 28.8 – Siri is a plus defensive CF and Tampa really isn’t all that deep in the OF. His job seems relatively secure despite the horrific 35.7%/5.5% K%/BB%, and he has that super fun power/speed combo which makes him enticing in fantasy. He hits the ball in the air (14.4 degree launch) with solid EV’s (88.4 MPH) and he has elite speed with a 29.8 ft/sec sprint. It led to 25 homers and 12 steals in just 101 games. Short of a complete disaster (which is possible due to the plate approach), I think Tampa is going to run him out there nearly everyday. If your BA/OBP can take the hit, Siri could be a homer/steal difference maker. 2024 Projection: 69/21/67/.220/.275/.420/17

401) Johan Rojas PHI, OF, 23.8 – Rojas jumped straight from Double-A to the majors and put up great surface stats with a .302 BA, 2 homers, and 14 steals in 59 games, but the underlying numbers weren’t nearly as impressive. He had a far below average .267 xwOBA and had a single barrel in 113 batted balls. The 86.6 MPH EV is low and the plate approach is rough with a 25.6%/3.0% K%/BB% and 40.4% chase%. His speed is truly elite with a 29.5 ft/sec spring and he’s a plus defensive CF, so if his defense keeps him on the field, his speed will make him a very relevant fantasy player despite the very likely below average offensive production everywhere else. 2024 Projection: 52/8/39/.258/.309/.388/27

402) Brent Rooker OAK, OF, 29.5 – Rooker mashes with 30 homers, a 91.6/95.4 MPH AVG/FB EV, and 17.6 degree launch in 137 games, but it comes with a danger zone whiff% at 38.2%, and he’s a terrible defensive player. Being in Oakland eases some of that playing time risk, but not all of it as Lawrence Butler and Denzel Clarke could eat into his playing time if he isn’t raking. Rooker is a high risk power bat who will give you homers and nothing else even if things are going well. 2024 Projection: 63/27/70/.230/.318/.450/3

403) Jonny DeLuca TBR, OF, 25.9 – There are currently multiple paths to playing time for DeLuca, so if he hits well, he should get plenty of playing time. And Tampa is almost definitely the best team to get the most out of his offensive profile. In his pro debut, he put up plus contact rates (17.8% K%) with a 61.8% pull% and low EV’s (83.7 MPH EV). That’s almost Isaac Paredes like, except Paredes hits the ball in the air a lot more than DeLuca (8.7 degree launch). But what DeLuca has that Paredes doesn’t is elite speed with a 29.7 ft/sec sprint speed. He’s already showing Paredes like magic with an average-ish 102 wRC+ and 5.9% Barrel% despite the low EV, and the EV was much better at Triple-A (86.1 MPH). He’s also generally hit plenty of flyballs in the minors, so that launch should come up. If it all comes together, DeLuca can be Paredes with more speed and less power. 2024 Projection: 45/10/38/.253/.317/.416/6 Prime Projection: 79/18/66/.266/.328/.431/16

404) Davis Schneider TOR, 2B, 25.2 – Shane Spencer always comes to mind when thinking about older, out of nowhere, crazy MLB debuts. Spencer hit 10 homers with a 1.321 OPS in 27 games in 1998, and then never put up an OPS over .800 again in his career. Schneider hit 8 homers with a 1.008 OPS in 35 games this year. He was already starting to regress hard with a .268 OPS in his final 10 games. He was majorly lucky with a .424 wOBA vs. .353 xwOBA. He had a 37.3% whiff%, 30.5% K%, and a .214 xBA. I’m just saying to be careful about valuing Schneider super high in trades and drafts this off-season, but I do think he can become a solid MLB hitter. He obliterated Triple-A with a 142 wRC+, he hits the ball hard with a 94.6 MPH FB/LD EV, he lifts the ball with a 26 degree launch, and he gets on base with a 14.9% BB%. He looks like a low BA, high OBP slugger with a handful of steals. 2024 Projection: 74/25/77/.238/.321/.450/6

405) Nolan Schanuel LAA, 1B, 22.1 – Selected 11th overall in the 2023 MLB Draft, Schanuel is a classic Angels first round pick as a safe, fast moving college bat. And boy did he move fast as they sped him through the minors, jumping straight from Double-A to the majors on August 18th. To their credit, Schanuel was ready for the challenge with a 14.5%/15.2% K%/BB% and 112 wRC+ in 29 games. He put up a 14/71 K/BB in 59 games in Conference USA, and a 9/16 K/BB in 17 games at Double-A, so the plate approach certainly looks to be in the elite range. The problem is that the power/speed combo is majorly lacking. He put up a lowly 85.4 MPH EV with a 6.5 degree launch and 26.8 ft/sec sprint speed in the majors. It resulted only 1 homer and 0 steals. He hit the ball very weakly in the minors too with a 10.3% Hard Hit% and only 1 homer in 22 games. He did hit for more power in college with 19 homers this year, and he’s 6’4”, 220 pounds, so there is certainly more in the tank, but it doesn’t look like power is going to be a major part of his game. Buying a hit tool first 1B isn’t my optimal strategy, so I’m not overly high on Schanuel, but calling him the safest, most proximiest (I know that isn’t a word) bat in first year player drafts is an understatement. 2024 Projection: 80/15/70/.270/.355/.400/5 Prime Projection: 92/18/73/.291/.382/.437/6

406) Jairo Iriarte CHW, RHP, 22.4 – Iriarte looks absolutely electric on the mound with a whip quick arm and athletic delivery from a skinny and projectable 6’2” frame. He uses that delivery to throw fire stuff with a mid 90’s fastball that has nasty movement on it, a vicious plus slider, and a potentially plus changeup. It all led to a 3.49 ERA with a 33.2%/11.7% K%/BB% in 90.1 IP split between High-A and Double-A. Honestly, he had the year I thought Tink Hence was going to have, and the profiles are pretty similar. Iriarte’s control isn’t as good with a high walk rate, which adds some risk to the profile, but he has the type of arm to go after. 2024 Projection: 3/4.07/1.34/64 in 60 IP Prime Projection: 10/3.73/1.28/175 in 155 IP

407) Chase Hampton NYY, RHP, 22.8 – Hampton wasn’t quite able to keep up the breakout at Double-A with his ERA jumping from 2.68 at High-A to 4.37 at Double-A, and his K% dropping from 40.5% to 27.4%, but that shouldn’t put a damper on his excellent season, because he has the big stuff to get excited about. He’s 6’2, 200 pounds with mid 90’s heat and a diverse set of secondaries (slider, curve, cutter, change). The command is solid. With the production taking a step back against more advanced competition, I wouldn’t put top of the rotation upside on him, but I certainly think he can be an impact mid-rotation fantasy starter at peak. 2024 Projection: 4/4.28/1.33/86 in 90 IP Prime Projection: 12/3.78/1.23/177 in 170 IP

408) Dalton Rushing LAD, C/1B, 23.1 – If Robo Umps come to the majors in the future, it will take framing away as a catcher skill, but blocking balls in the dirt and throwing out runners on the bases will still be super important, so I wouldn’t assume catcher defense will just be thrown to the curb. On that note, Rushing isn’t a particularly good defensive catcher, so it puts a lot of pressure on his bat to max out. He was far too advanced for High-A with a 146 wRC+ on the back of a .404 OBP in 89 games, as an advanced 22 year old college bat should be, but the 15 homers, .228 BA, and 24.4% K% aren’t quite as impressive. His numbers likely would have been better if he didn’t suffer a concussion from a getting hit by a backswing in June, but not sure that is necessarily a point in his favor for fantasy. Catchers take a beating, which is why you should generally downgrade them. The bat is good enough to profile in a 1B/DH/backup catcher role, but it just makes playing time tougher to come by and the leash much shorter. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 78/25/81/.253/.339/.458/2

409) Tyler Locklear SEA, 1B, 23.4 – Locklear carried over his great pro debut in 2022 into 2023 with him smashing High-A, slashing .305/.422/.549 with 12 homers, 10 steals, and a 21.8%/13.1% K%/BB% in 61 games. He then missed about 2 months after breaking his hand, but he picked right up after returning, getting the call to Double-A and slashing .250/.361/.460 with 4 homers, 2 steals, and a 22.7/10.1% in 27 games. He’s a strong dude who hits the ball very hard, so the power isn’t in question, and he’s shown a relatively good feel to hit at every level. He’s not fast, but he was a perfect 12 for 12 on the bases in 85 games, so there is obviously a level of athleticism here too. He’s a 1B only at this point, so he’ll have to mash to hold down a full time job, but the potential is certainly there to mash. 2024 Projection: 18/5/23/.240/.317/.431/1 Prime Projection: 77/27/86/.255/.332/.468/5

410) Ryan Clifford NYM, 1B/OF, 20.7 – Here is what I wrote about Clifford in January of 2023 in my FYPD Target & Strategy Guide, “I’m planning on leaving every draft with Clifford, and he could be my #1 target in general. This guy checks almost every box you want to see for a monster power hitter (size, swing, lift, EV, organization, good pro debut, history of production). He also got drafted 343rd overall, meaning he should go super, super late in drafts. The one hiccup is the K rate was a bit on the high side, but the BB% was even higher to even it out, and he wasn’t expected to have major hit tool problems coming into the draft. He has legit star upside.” … you’re damn happy right now if you took my advice, as Clifford slashed .262/.374/.480 with 24 homers, 5 steals, and a 27.4%/12.5% K%/BB% in 115 games at mostly High-A. He scuffled after the trade to the Mets (so did Acuna), but I think you have to take into account an adjustment period when you join a new team, new city, new coaches etc … He’s right on track to become a high OBP, low BA slugger. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 78/30/86/.248/.332/.487/6

411) Bryce Eldridge SFG, OF, 19.5 – Selected 16th overall, Eldridge is a 6’7”, 220 pound unicorn type power hitter with monster raw power from the left side of the dish. He smashed pro pitchers in his pro debut with 5 homers and a 139 wRC+ in 16 games in rookie ball, and then he got the call up to Single-A and put up a 123 wRC+ in 15 games. There isn’t much speed and there is some swing and miss in his game with a 26.2% K%, but that’s balanced out by a 15.4% BB%, and he also had a .293 BA. He got drafted as a pitcher too, but it’s clear his future is as a power hitting beast. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 84/32/97/.251/.344/.512/5

412) Noble Meyer MIA, RHP, 19.3 – Selected 10th overall, Meyer has elite pitching prospect written all over him. He’s a loose and athletic 6’5”, 200 pounds with a mid 90’s fastball that he can get into the upper 90’s, an absolutely filthy slider that could be double plus, and a changeup that flashes plus. He also displays good control of all 3 pitches, although he struggled with his control in his pro debut with a 13.7% BB% in 11 IP. He had a 29.4% K% as well, and it was a small sample, so I wouldn’t be too concerned about the control right now. He speaks like he’s a physics professor with a well beyond his years understanding of the art of pitching. At the draft, the ESPN guys literally called him a nerd right to his face (in an endearing way) in their pre draft interview with him. Right handed high school pitchers are treacherous waters to wade in, but sometimes you make exceptions, and Meyer is that exception. I wouldn’t fade him at all and have no issue going out and reaching for him. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 14/3.48/1.16/205 in 180 IP

413) Robert Stephenson LAA, Closer Committee, 31.1 – The Angels signed Stephenson to a 3 year, $33 million contract, and it’s only a matter of time before he is their full time closer. Maybe he wins the job right out of camp, maybe he wins at some point during the year, and at worst, he will have it by 2025 with Estevez’ contract running out. He’s better than Estevez with a 3.10 ERA and 38.3%/8.0% K%/BB% in 52.1 IP. The fastball sits 96.8 MPH, and he has 3 bat missing secondaries in his cutter (59.9% whiff%), slider (41.8% whiff%), and splitter (42.2% whiff%). This was the best year of his career by far, but the truly elite cutter that he threw 41.4% of the time was a new pitch, so there is reason to believe he’s legit. Tampa was the one to unlock that pitch when he got traded there mid-season. What a difference a good organization can make. 2024 Projection: 3/3.26/1.09/68/12 saves in 52 IP Update: Will start the year on the IL with elbow discomfort, but it isn’t considered serious, and he’s still likely the closer here by 2025 at the latest

414) Bryan Abreu HOU, Setup, 26.11 – The Hader signing blocks Abreu’s path to the closer job in both the short term and the long term, but he’s so insanely elite you want him on your team in any format regardless. He put up a 1.75 ERA with a 34.8%/10.8% K%/BB% in 72 IP. The 39.8% whiff% is elite, the fastball is elite with a 37.3% whiff%, and the slider is at least plus with a 41.3% whiff%. He’s the best setup man in the game. 2024 Projection: 5/2.60/1.02/91/2 saves in 66 IP

415) Hunter Harvey WAS, Closer Committee, 29.4 – Harvey would have a legitimate case to be in the 2nd tier of closers if he had the job, but as I mentioned in the Finnegan blurb, he doesn’t have the job. He put up a 2.82 ERA with a 28.5%/5.5% K%/BB% and 10 saves in 60.2 IP. The stuff is huge with a 98.3 MPH fastball and 3 secondaries in his splitter, slider, and curve. He put up similar dominant numbers in 2022 as well. If there is more clarity on the job as we get deeper into the off-season, I would be more willing to go after either of these guys, but until that happens, I’m treading carefully. 2024 Projection: 4/3.19/1.09/71/18 saves in 62 IP

416) Logan Allen CLE, LHP, 25.7 – Allen had a rock solid MLB debut with a 3.81 ERA and 22.2%/8.9% K%/BB% in 125.1 IP. He doesn’t have big stuff with a 91.4 MPH fastball, but his sweeper and changeup were both above average with a .266 and .252 xwOBA. The big strikeout rates from the minors unsurprisingly didn’t fully translate to the majors, but a 22.2% K% is almost dead average, and this was only his rookie year. Improvements to his control and/or added velocity and/or continued refinement of the secondaries are all paths for him to take the next step. As is, he’s a nice #4 starter. 2024 Projection: 9/3.88/1.30/150 in 150 IP

418) Christian Scott NYM, RHP, 24.10 – Scott had a truly elite 32.8%/3.4% K%/BB% in 62 IP at Double-A. He had a 107/12 K/BB in 87 IP on the season. Let’s not overthink things too much. Those are eye opening K/BB numbers and they led to a 2.57 ERA with a 0.86 WHIP. And it’s not like he did it with smoke and mirrors. He’s 6’4”, 215 pounds with a relatively easy, smooth, and athletic delivery . He throws a low to mid 90’s fastball that he can even got into the upper 90’s, and his slider is a plus, bat missing weapon. He rounds out the arsenal with a curve and change. To sum it all up, this a big man with elite control, a fastball that consistently hits the mid 90’s, a put away slider, a diverse pitch mix, and upper minors dominance. The more I think about and watch Scott, the more I love him. He’s getting considerably underrated. 2024 Projection: 3/4.22/1.28/44 in 45 IP Prime Projection: 12/3.72/1.18/169 in 160 IP

419) Max Meyer MIA, RHP, 25.1 – Meyer missed all of 2023 after undergoing Tommy John surgery on August 9th, 2022, so he should be fully ready to go for 2024. He lands in a kinda middle area for me when it comes to going after the Tommy John discount on players. He’s not established on the MLB level, and he’s not quite an elite pitching prospect in my book, but he’s a very, very good one and he’s established himself in the upper minors with a 2.77 ERA and 199/61 K/BB in 172 IP. The stuff is big with a double plus slider that he proved will succeed against MLB hitters with a 42.1% whiff% and .255 xwOBA in his 6 IP MLB debut in 2022. He combines that with a mid 90’s fastball, a potentially above average changeup, and about average control. At full health, I pegged him as a high K mid-rotation starter, but I think the Tommy John surgery adds some extra bullpen risk on top if his arm keeps running into trouble. I’m not specifically targeting him, but I’m not avoiding him either. 2024 Projection: 7/4.23/1.32/115 in 120 IP Prime Projection: 11/3.71/1.24/160 in 150 IP

420) Kyle Teel BOS, C, 22.1 – Selected 14th overall in the 2023 MLB Draft, Teel is a better real life prospect than fantasy prospect like most prospect catchers. He has a hit over power profile, slashing .407/.475/.655 with 13 homers, 5 steals, and a 36/32 K/BB in 65 ACC games. He backed up that profile in pro ball, slashing .363/.483/.495 with 2 homers, 3 steals, and a 19.3%/18.4% K%/BB% in 26 games split between 3 levels (rookie, High-A, Double-A). He’s a good athlete, so he could nab a few bases which is nice for a catcher, and he immediately becomes Boston’s best catcher prospect, so he could move relatively fast through the system. Fenway is a great hitter’s park too which should help his profile play up. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 76/16/71/.281/.352/.433/8

421) Rhett Lowder CIN, RHP, 22.1 –  Selected 7th overall in the 2023 MLB Draft, Lowder is a relatively safe, quick moving college arm. None of his stuff is jaw dropping, but he has plus control of 3 above average to plus pitches in his 93-94 MPH fastball, slider and changeup. It led to a pitching line of 1.87/0.95/143/24 in 120.1 IP in the ACC. He’s 6’2”, 200 pounds with an athletic delivery, he works fast, and he throws strikes with good stuff. Take a star away for landing in Cincy’s hitter’s haven, but I wouldn’t let the landing spot completely spoil you on him. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 13/3.78/1.18/185 in 180 IP

422) Brayan Rocchio CLE, SS, 23.3 – Rocchio was a sell for me last off-season, writing in his Top 1,000 blurb, “He’s not a target of mine, and because he has strong name value, if I owned him I would be willing to put him on the block for win now production.” I think that played out being the right move as he had a pretty lackluster year all around. He put up a 101 wRC+ in Triple-A with only 7 homers in 116 games. He doesn’t hit the ball hard with a 85.8 MPH EV and he doesn’t lift the ball. He had 25 steals, but he’s not fast with a 27.4 ft/sec sprint, and he didn’t steal any bags in 86 MLB PA. He had 12.3%/11.2% K%/BB%, but it fell apart completely in the majors with a 31.4%/4.7% K%/BB%. To top it all off, he wasn’t a good defensive player either with a negative 2.7 value. The one thing he does have is opportunity as it seems like the SS job is his for the taking at the moment, but even if everything works out, the upside isn’t very high. 2024 Projection: 66/9/47/.257/.309/.378/11 Prime Projection: 78/14/63/.276/.332/.409/18

423) Graham Pauley SDP, 2B/3B, 23.6 – I’m not seeing big fantasy upside from Pauley without a big power/speed and with a good, but not great hit tool. He’s also not a particularly great defensive player, so it’s not like his glove will force him onto the field. Having said that, the guy can clearly hit, slashing .308/.393/.539 with 23 homers, 22 steals, and a 16.9%/10.9% K%/BB% in 127 games split across 3 levels (A, A+, AA). The fact that he didn’t miss a beat when he got to Double-A is the most impressive part of his season with a 141 wRC+ and 13.6% K% in 20 games. He’s not my favorite type of prospect to go after, but the guy can play, and he might break camp with the team while Machado’s elbow continues to heal. 2024 Projection: 66/14/59/.252/.311/.406/12 Prime Projection: 76/19/73/.269/.328/.436/15

424) Marco Luciano SFG, SS, 22.7 – The elite prospect potential that Luciano hinted at earlier in his career has all but completely faded after his lackluster 2023 season, and it’s the hit tool that got him in the end. He put up a 29.8% K% and .228 in 56 games at Double-A, a 35.9% K% and .209 BA in 18 games at Triple-A, and a 37.8% K% and .231 BA in 14 games in the majors. The huge power is still there with 15 homers in 74 games in the minors, and a 93 MPH EV in the majors, so it’s not like he’s close to being a bust at this point. It just shaves a ton of upside off the top, and he now profiles as a low BA slugger. 2024 Projection: 66/23/74/.227/.309/.423/4 Prime Projection: 77/28/91/.246/.330/.468/4

425) Tyler Soderstrom OAK, C/1B, 22.4 – Soderstrom got called up to the majors in July and he was just so clearly not ready with a horrible 35 wRC+ and 31.2% K% in 138 PA. It was relatively predictable as the plate approach was rough at Triple-A too with a 26.3%/7.5% K%/BB% that resulted in a 88 wRC+ in 77 games. Oakland has been very aggressive with him, and the plate approach just hasn’t caught up, but I would expect it to improve over time. The power is so easy to dream on with 21 homers and a 91.6 MPH EV at Triple-A, and the 89.3 MPH EV in the majors wasn’t too bad considered how hard he struggled. He’s a below average defensive catcher and Shea Langeliers looks pretty likely to hold the majority of the catcher job in the near future, so it’s not a guarantee he retains catcher eligibility long term. You are buying a potentially special lefty power bat, but there is refinement needed in multiple areas of his game (launch, plate approach, defense). 2024 Projection: 41/14/48/.238/.300/.417/1 Prime Projection: 76/26/82/.263/.325/.471/2 (without catcher eligibility)

426) Danny Jansen TOR, C, 29.0 – Jansen is under contract for one more season, and it seems very likely he will land a full time catcher job when he hits free agency. For now, he’s stuck in a timeshare with Kirk, but as I wrote in Kirk’s blurb, there seems to be enough playing time to keep them in the fantasy starting mix for 2024 as well. Jansen has above average power with a 19.7 degree launch and 93.1 MPH FB/LD EV, he has above average contact rates with a 20.6% K%, and he’s an above average defensive catcher. He used his extreme launch to jack 17 homers in 86 games, and he jacked 15 homers in 72 game sin 2022. On the flip side, that extreme launch makes him a low BABIP player with a .228 BA, but his strong contact rates should prevent the BA from dipping too low. 2024 Projection: 34/15/45/.238/.319/.452/0 Update: fractured his wrist but is hoping to return relatively soon

427) Shea Langeliers OAK, C, 25.4 – Langeliers power leveled up to the double plus range in 2023 with a 90.6/96.1 MPH AVG/FB EV and 19.6 degree launch, leading to 22 homers in 135 games. 16 of those homers came on the road as he struggled hard in Oakland’s pitcher park with a .605 OPS and 6 homers in 65 games. The move to Vegas can’t come soon enough for Shea. The plate approach is quite bad with a 29.2%/6.9% K%/BB, .205 BA, and .268 OBP, so I wouldn’t really consider him in the tier of young catchers above this until he improves on that area. Soderstrom is also lurking, but there is plenty of room on that roster for both of them, and Langeliers is the superior defensive catcher. 2024 Projection: 55/24/68/.226/.295/.431/5

428) Anthony Rendon LAA, 3B, 33.10 – The injury bug hit Rendon again in 2023 with only 43 games played. He played in only 47 games in 2022 due to a wrist injury and 58 games in 2021 due to a hip injury. This year it was groin injury, wrist injury, and ultimately a fractured tibia which ended his season in July. I said it in last year’s Top 1,000, but collecting a ton of injuries is not the way to stay productive deep into your 30’s, and Rendon wasn’t productive in the games he did play with a 95 wRC+. On the flip side, the underlying numbers were very encouraging with a great .357 xwOBA, 14.8%/13.7% K%/BB%, 90.1 MPH EV, and 16.6 degree launch. Those kind of numbers are not ones you just ignore. His injuries this year were largely due to getting hit with the ball (the broken tibia was from fouling a ball off his leg), so if he can just have better injury luck in 2024, a major bounce back season is certainly in the cards. His price is super dirt cheap this off-season (475 NFBC ADP), making him an almost no brainer late round pick for a win now team. 2024 Projection: 71/19/73/.260/.343/.431/3

429) Yoan Moncada CHW, 3B, 28.10 – Moncada battled knee and back issues all season, but he sure looked healthy in his final 41 games, slashing .315/.354/.557 with 8 homers and a 52/9 K/BB. Looking at those K/BB numbers though, and his 30.0%/5.6% K%/BB% in 92 games overall, it was probably more of a hot streak than a true leveling up. The days of hoping for a true Moncada breakout are over, and it seems like he could already be physically declining with a career low by far 26.4 ft/sec sprint. That drop obviously had to do with the injuries, but racking up injuries is what generally starts a physical decline. He’s never been able to improve his contact rates, and his walk rates are now in steep decline too for 2 straight years. He still hits the ball hard with a 10.1% Barrel%, but it’s a swing geared for liners and he’s never unlocked his full power potential with mediocre homer totals basically his entire career. 2024 Projection: 68/18/75/.255/.323/.420/4

430) Blaze Jordan BOS, 3B/1B, 21.3 – Blaze is one of those prospects where every time I fly him up rankings in early rankings drafts, I get cold feet after looking them over a few times because he isn’t a good defensive player, he hits lefties much better than righties, and he’s yet to truly show that prodigious power he was known for as an amateur. But then I move him too far down the rankings, and get FOMO when I think about a 20 year old with big raw power, great contact rates, and great production. He slashed .324/.385/.533 with 12 homers and a 14.6%/8.7% K%/BB% in 73 games at High-A. It was good for a 145 wRC+. He then went to Double-A and hit 6 homers with a 13.8% K% in 49 games. He can look a bit stiff at the plate, but he’s talked about losing weight and working on his body this off-season, which will only help him both offensively and defensively at a very strong 6’2”, 220 pounds. As a pure bat, there is a lot to love, and if he can improve defensively this off-season, it would make prospect rankers feel a lot more comfortable about him. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection:  75/25/84/.269/.332/.465/3

431) Trevor Rogers MIA, LHP, 26.5 – Rogers went down with a biceps injury just 4 starts into the season, and just when he was ramping back up to rejoin the MLB rotation a couple months later, he got shutdown with a shoulder injury to his non throwing shoulder. Before going down with the injury, he was showing signs of bouncing back somewhat from a horrible 2022 with his famed changeup putting up a 37.8% whiff% in 18 IP. It didn’t look like he was going to get back on the ace trajectory from 2021, but a high K mid rotation starter looked to be the level he was evening off at. The biceps injury adds risk, and the injury to his non throwing shoulder isn’t great either, but it’s nothing like if it happened to his left arm. He looks locked into a rotation spot at the moment, and I like taking a flier on him at his currently very cheap price. 2024 Projection: 7/3.95/1.28/130 in 130 IP

432) Kahlil Watson CLE, 2B/SS, 20.11 – Watson hasn’t lived up to the hype from his draft year, both on and off the field, but he’s getting a fresh start with Cleveland, and he’s still an electric player with a boatload of talent. The numbers ain’t bad either with 14 homers, 25 steals, and a 104 wRC+ in 83 games at High-A. The hit tool is rough with a 26.8% K% and .217 BA, but it’s not like those contact rates are too bad at all, and bad luck had a lot to do with that BA with a low BABIP. He hit the ball hard, he has plus speed, and he has a beautifully vicious lefty swing. There is still time for him to fulfill his promise. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 80/22/73/.246/.323/.442/24

433) Brice Matthews HOU, SS, 22.0 – Selected 28th overall, Matthews is a major first year player draft target considering his upside vs. his hype. And if Houston trusts his hit tool enough to take him in the first round, that is good enough for me to go all in on him. He’s a top notch athlete with plus power and plus speed that led to 20 homers and 20 steals in 54 games in the Big 10. He’s a rock solid 6’0” with a swing that reminds me a bit of Tommy Pham’s. In fact, his entire game reminds me of Tommy Pham as a guy who hits the ball very hard with speed and some swing and miss. He lived up to his scouting report in his pro debut with 4 homers, 16 steals, a 120 wRC+ and a 26.7%/16% K%/BB% in 33 games at Single-A. The K rate was also coming down at the end of the year with a 15.2% K% in his final 11 games. Like Pham, maybe it takes him a couple extra years to figure it out, but the breakout will be loud when he does. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 78/21/74/.242/.320/.442/23

434) Yusei Kikuchi TOR, LHP, 32.9 – Kikuchi leveled up by massively improving his control with a 6.9% BB% (12.8% in 2022). It allowed his 95.1 MPH fastball to play as an above average pitch and it led to a 3.87 ERA with a 25.9% K% in 167.2 IP. He still got hit very hard with a 9% Barrel% and none of his secondaries (slider, curve, changeup) are better than average, so I’m still not buying in too hard, but this is the first year I’m not completely avoiding him. 2024 Projection: 10/4.09/1.28/170 in 160 IP

435) Marcus Stroman NYY, RHP, 32.11 – Stroman had a 2.88 ERA in 118.2 IP through July 15th, but then he starting dealing with a hip and rib injury that tanked his season. He put up a 11.00 ERA in 18 IP the rest of the way while missing a month and a half of the season. His velocity was way down when he returned in mid September. He’s a low velocity (around 92 MPH), groundball pitcher (3 degree launch) who doesn’t put up big K numbers (20.7% K%), so even in good years he’s not a fantasy beast. Now that he is approaching his mid 30’s, I’m not sure it’s a profile I want to keep betting on. 2024 Projection: 10/3.80/1.24/142 in 160 IP

436) Ranger Suarez PHI, LHP, 28.8 – An elbow injury delayed Suarez’ season debut until May, and he had his usual unheralded but solid year, especially if you include the postseason. He put up a 3.90 ERA with a 22.6%/8.2% K%/BB% in 143.2 IP. The strikeout rates are about average, the walk rates are about average, and the stuff is about average. He’s an average starter. 2024 Projection: 10/3.77/1.30/141 in 150 IP

437) Andrew Heaney TEX, LHP, 32.10 – It’s so stupid that Heaney walked into the Dodgers magic pitching machine, unlocked his full potential with a 3.10 ERA and 35.5%/6.1% K%/BB% in 72.2 IP, and then went right back to being his usual mercurial self the second he stepped out of it. With Texas, he put up a 4.15 ERA with a 23.5%/9.4% K%/BB% in 147.1 IP. Like I mentioned, what he did with Texas is who he’s been throughout his entire career other than that one season, so this is obviously who he is. 2024 Projection: 9/4.20/1.31/158 in 150 IP

438) Sean Manaea NYM, LHP, 32.2 – Manaea couldn’t opt out of the final year of his contract fast enough as San Francisco jerked him around from starter, to bulk reliever, to opener, to short inning reliever like I’ve never seen before. That seriously couldn’t have been easy for him. He was finally allowed to settle into a normal starting job in his last 4 outings of the season, and he thrived with a 2.25 ERA and 18/2 K/BB in 24 IP. He had a 4.44 ERA with a 25.7%/8.4% K%/BB% in 117.2 IP on the season. He maintained his Driveline induced, career best velocity bump all year (93.6 MPH fastball), and he introduced a sweeper into his arsenal which was his best secondary with a 35.1% whiff% and .221 xwOBA. Signing with the Mets gives him a no doubt, regular starting job. 2024 Projection: 9/4.12/1.26/157 in 155 IP

439) Frankie Montas CIN, RHP, 31.0 – Montas underwent shoulder surgery in February and made it back for a single appearance on September 30th where he went 1.1 IP with 2 hits, 0 ER, and a 1/1 K/BB. The velocity was down 1.4 MPH to 94.8 MPH, but he obviously wasn’t trying to go full speed at the very end of the season just so he could get hurt again, so I wouldn’t read anything into that velocity reading. He also has velocity to spare with a 96+ MPH fastball when healthy. Cincinnati just signed him to a 1 year, $14 million contract, so they obviously believe the arm is feeling good enough to pony up that much dough. When healthy, he combines the big gas with a double plus splitter and near elite whiff rates overall. The upside is high, but with the injury risk and the horrible pitcher’s park, it’s hard to really go after him. 2024 Projection: 8/4.10/1.31/142 in 140 IP

440) Luis Lara MIL, OF, 19.4 – The big question is if the 5’7” Lara can ever develop legitimate power. Just based on his size, the answer might be that he can’t, but he has the type of electric swing from both sides of the plate that says you shouldn’t rule it out. And even if he can’t develop a ton of power, he can still be an impact fantasy player with a plus hit, plus speed profile. He slashed .285/.379/.354 with 2 homers, 22 steals, and a 14.5%/12.3% K%/BB% in 70 games as an 18 year old at Single-A, and then he closed out the year at High-A where he put up a 107 wRC+ in 17 games. This is the type of precocious hitter that I want to bet on. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 90/15/65/.285/.360/.410/30

441) Everson Pereira NYY, OF, 23.0 – Pereira’s 43.1% whiff%, 38.8% K%, and 23 wRC+ in his 103 PA MLB debut is exactly what we didn’t want to see happen. That is the kind of disaster MLB debut that has to make you think twice about betting on a player, but I would be careful about giving up on Pereira too fast. He truly crushes the ball, he has well above average speed, and he decimated the upper minors with a 145 wRC+ at Double-A and 132 wRC+ at Triple-A. You only have to look at his teammate, Aaron Judge, to find hope, as Judge put up a 44.2% K% in his 95 PA MLB debut in 2016. When a guy hits the ball this hard, you don’t need to be Luis Arraez to do damage. The extreme swing and miss does have me less excited for him than I was before his debut, but I’m still betting on his talent long term. 2024 Projection: 24/9/29/.222/.291/.434/5 Prime Projection: 74/26/82/.244/.320/.482/12

442) Jonatan Clase SEA, OF, 21.11 – Clase put up an extremely fun power/speed season with 20 homers and 79 steals in 129 games split between High-A and Double-A, but there are reasons for some restraint when ranking him. He has below average raw power at only 5’9”, the strikeout rates are very high with a 27.7% K%, and the production dropped off at Double-A with a .222 BA and 94 wRC+. If he gets to the majors and the EV’s are low while the K rate is high, plus the fact he will be in a pitcher’s park, he might struggle to be even an average MLB hitter. The good news is that he only needs to get to about average to let his elite speed rack up fantasy value. It’s a risky profile, but it’s a high upside one too. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 76/16/61/.236/.322/.414/41

443) Anthony Solometo PIT, LHP, 21.4 – Solometo continued to live up to my high ranking of him since before he was drafted. He crushed High-A with a 2.30 ERA and 29.1%/10.7% K%/BB% in 58.2 IP, and then he more than held his own at Double-A as a 20 year old with a 4.35 ERA and 23%/6.5% K%/BB% in 51.2 IP. His velocity ticked up into the low to mid 90’s range on the fastball, the low 90’s sinker/2-seamer is filthy, and both his changeup and slider have above average potential at least. He does all this from a nightmare (for hitters) funky lefty delivery at 6’5”, 220. He’s one of my favorite pitching prospects in the minors. 2024 Projection: 2/4.13/1.32/27 in 30 IP Prime Projection: 12/3.72/1.24/185 in 170 IP

444) Chase Petty CIN, RHP, 21.0 – If Petty was throwing as hard he was throwing in his draft year (mid to upper 90’s), he would be an elite pitching prospect right now, but he’s settled in as a low to mid 90’s guy. Even with the modest velocity, he does everything else so well, this version of him might actually be better than the version we thought we were getting. He’s now a pitcher’s pitcher with elite control (5.5% BB%) and a very diverse pitch mix. He throws so many different pitches that all look pretty similar out of his hand and are all at around similar velocities, but they break a different way as they get closer to the plate. He throws a hard gyro slider, a hard split change, a 2 seam fastball, 4 seam fastball, and a slightly slower breaking ball. He’s a nightmare to face. You can almost say he’s a junk baller type, but he throws his secondaries so hard it wouldn’t exactly be accurate. He dominated with a 1.72 ERA and 24.1%/5.5% K%/BB% in 68 IP at mostly High-A. He closed out year at Double-A and was equally as dominant. The floor might be higher than the ceiling at the moment, but if he all of a sudden finds that old velocity of his, watch out. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 11/3.74/1.19/166 in 170 IP Update: Petty found the lost velocity from his draft year this spring, but he still has to prove he can maintain over a full starter’s workload, and he needs to prove he can maintain the plus control from 2023 with the newfound stuff

445) Garrett Whitlock BOS, RHP, 27.10 – Whitlock looks locked into a rotation spot with the Giolito injury, and as frustrating as it’s been waiting for him the breakout in a starting role, he still has the enticing profile to keep him interesting for fantasy. The control is elite with a 4.3% BB%, and the whiff% is well above average with a 28.1% whiff%. I love a plus control/whiff combo, and the stuff is good too. The sinker sat 94 MPH, the slider was at least plus with a 47.2% whiff%, and the changeup is above average with a .294 xwOBA. He battled an elbow injury in 2023, limiting him to 71.2 IP, and he never pitches quite as well in a starting role as he does in a relief role. The 5.15 ERA also isn’t very impressive, but the 3.75 xFIP looks better. I really like him as a reasonably priced pitcher with some upside. 2024 Projection: 8/3.89/1.29/130 in 130 IP

446) Seth Lugo KCR, RHP, 34.5 – Lugo was finally unleashed in the rotation, and the fact he was a very good starting pitcher was a surprise to nobody except maybe the Mets. He put up a 3.57 ERA with a 23.2%/6.0% K%/BB% in 146.1 IP. He throws an average to above average 6 pitch mix which plays up because of his good control. Nothing is really standout in his profile, but he doesn’t do anything poorly either. 2024 Projection: 9/3.80/1.22/147 in 150 IP

447) Jack Flaherty DET, RHP, 28.6 – Flaherty had a disaster season that wasn’t all that surprising if you were paying attention. He put up a 4.99 ERA with a 22.8%/10.2% K%/BB% in 144.1 IP. I wrote in his 2023 Top blurb, “Don’t get pulled in on the name value … he’s been bad for years now with a 5.03 xERA in 2020, 4.89 xERA in 2021, and 4.94 xERA in 2022.” … He doesn’t have the type of stuff (93.1 MPH fastball) or strikeout upside to survive with well below average control. He’s not a complete lost cause as his curve notched an excellent 40.2% whiff% and he still generally induced weak contact with a 87.9 MPH EV against. If his control can bounce back to prime levels, he definitely can put together a good season. 2024 Projection: 8/4.27/1.33/156 in 150 IP

448) Cristopher Sanchez PHI, LHP, 27.4 – Sanchez’ control took a monster step forward with a career best by a mile 4% BB%, and it led to a breakout season with a 3.44 ERA and 24.2% K% in 99.1 IP. He’s had well below average control his entire career and he had a 13.1% BB% just this year at Triple-A in 49.2 IP, so it seems hard to believe this is actually sustainable. What is sustainable is his ability to keep the ball on the ground (3.9 degree launch), to go along with a plus, bat missing changeup (43% whiff%). His stuff isn’t big enough (92.1 MPH fastball) to have below average control, so buying into Sanchez is taking a leap of faith that he can maintain at least a large portion of the control gains. I’m lukewarm on him. 2024 Projection: 8/4.18/1.32/128 in 140 IP

449) Tanner Houck BOS, RHP, 27.9 – Houck looks locked into a rotation spot with the Giolito injury, and like Whitlock, there are enough ingredients here to stay semi excited for him despite a lackluster 2023. He put up a 5.01 ERA with a 21.4%/8.9% K%/BB% in 106 IP, but things look better under the hood with a 4.21 xERA and 28.7% whiff%. The heavily used slider is plus with a 38.7% whiff%, and the splitter is another bat missing weapon with a 40.4% whiff%. The 93.4 MPH sinker is solid with a negative 3 degree launch, and his new cutter performed admirably with a .309 xwOBA. Boston hired some new pitching minds, so maybe they can take these good ingredients and actually turn it into a successful meal. I think they can. 2024 Projection: 8/3.99/1.32/130 in 135 IP

450) Garrett Crochet CHW, LHP, 23.9 – Chicago announced they have every intention to transition Crochet into a starting role, which was pretty clearly their intention from the time they drafted him. He returned from Tommy John surgery in May in a relief role, but he hit the IL again one month later with a shoulder problem. He was able to make it back for 3 outings in September, relieving some of the injury concern, but the bottom line is that he didn’t look good at all in 2023. He put up a 3.55 ERA (6.48 xERA) with a 18.8%/20.3% K%/BB% in 12.2 IP. It’s been a different story this spring though he gets further away from the injury. He looks healthy and has been having some very crisp outings, with the stuff fully back. He’s definitely worth taking a shot on at this point in the rankings. 2024 Projection: 7/3.98/1.32/135 in 130 IP

451) Chris Paddack MIN, RHP, 28.3 – Paddack underwent Tommy John surgery in May 2022 and was able to make it back for 2 appearances to close out the year in September. He looked more than 100% in those appearances, going 5 IP with 6 hits, 3 ER and a 8/1 K/BB. The fastball sat 95.5 MPH with a 37.5% whiff% and the famed changeup notched a 36.8% whiff%. He seems to have an inside track on a rotation spot at the moment. It doesn’t seem prudent to go too crazy for such a small sample, especially considering that would be a career high velocity on his 4-seamer and career high whiff percentages on both pitches. He also put up a 5.07 ERA and 4.73 ERA in his last two healthy seasons in 2021 and 2022. He’s a fun upside flier, but there is a ton of risk here in all directions. 2024 Projection: 7/4.11/1.23/116 in 120 IP

452) Casey Mize DET, RHP, 26.11 – The Ghosts of Elite Pitching Prospects Past are never far away, and Mize is reminder 1,001 on why you can never be too sure of any pitching prospect. He was as sure of a bet as there was after getting drafted 1st overall in 2018, and it’s basically been all down hill after that. The strikeout rates never transferred to pro ball at all, and his famed splitter has been mediocre at best. He then completed the pitching prospect bust trifecta by going down with Tommy John surgery in June of 2022 that kept him out for all of 2023. He’s expected to be healthy for 2024, but he had issues ramping up to try to make it back for 2023, so it’s far from a guarantee, and even if he is fully healthy, he’s just not the pitcher we thought we were getting in 2018. He’s in flier territory only. Don’t buy the name value. 2024 Projection: 6/4.37/1.33/115 in 130 IP Update: The stuff is up this spring, which is a much needed upside boost for Mize, but I still wouldn’t go too crazy for him

453) Erick Fedde CHW, RHP, 31.1 – Fedde went to Korea and absolutely dominated with a pitching line of 2.00/0.95/209/35 in 180.1 IP. He was named MVP. Whenever players leave for foreign leagues and dominant, it always adds some unknown intrigue that immediately makes them more interesting for fantasy. He didn’t add velocity, but he made tweaks to his slider and changeup. It’s always better to take a shot on unknown upside than known mediocrity when it comes to the last few rounds of the draft/$1-$3 players in auctions, so he’s worth the last spot on your roster even in a shallower league. He only signed for a 2 year, $15 million contract, so I would be careful about getting too carried away. 2024 Projection: 9/4.16/1.31/139 in 150 IP

454) Matt Manning DET, RHP, 26.2 – Manning is reminder 1,002 on why you can never trust elite pitching prospect. His hype never quite reached Mize levels, but it was getting up there, and he’s now trying to drag people back in, but I’m staying away. He put up a 3.58 ERA in 78 IP in 2023, but it came with a 15.8% K%, a .355 xwOBA against, and a 5.48 xERA. The stuff isn’t big with a 93.4 MPH fastball, and the secondaries are very weak with a below average slider leading the way with a measly 26.1% whiff%. Control is really the only thing going for him with a 6.6% BB%, and we’ve seen pinpoint control guys thrive with mediocre stuff, but I’m not quite ready to fully trust that he actually has pinpoint control. 2024 Projection: 5/4.29/1.29/85 in 100 IP Update: The stuff is up this spring, which is a much needed upside boost for Manning, but I still wouldn’t go too crazy for him, and Mize just knocked him out of the rotation

455) Drew Rasmussen TBR, RHP, 28.8 – Rasmussen underwent an internal brace procedure on his UCL in mid July which will likely keep him out until the end of the 2024 season at the least. It will be his 3rd major elbow surgery in his career, but the first two Tommy John surgeries came back to back in 2016 and 2017, so I don’t want to just write him off as a hopeless case to remain a starter. It’s a shame he can’t stay healthy, because he was leveling up to near ace levels in 2023 with a 2.62 ERA and 26.6%/6.2% K%/BB% in 44.2 IP. He had a 2.84 ERA in both 2021 and 2022 as well. He has the big stuff to back up the production with plus control of a 95.7 MPH 4-seamer to go along with a legitimate 5 pitch mix. It’s hard to buy him expecting a full starter’s workload for years to come, but injuries are a part of pitching, and being overly scared off seems foolish as well considering the extremely high level he was establishing. 2024 Projection: OUT

456) Oswald Peraza NYY, SS/2B/3B, 23.10 – I guess the Devil only has room for one Yankees rookie on his ledger (see the Anthony Volpe blurb), because I see no promises made for Peraza in 2024. He swung and missed far too often for his type of profile with a 33.1% whiff% in 191 PA, which led to a .191 BA. He doesn’t hit the ball hard enough to make up for the swing and miss with a below average 87.2 MPH EV in the majors and 85.2 MPH EV at Triple-A. He also has never really been a big OBP guy with mostly mediocre walks rates throughout his career. The plus speed and defense are what carries his profile, and while both are good enough to make Peraza an attractive low cost option, his former prospect hype could push his value higher than I would be willing to go. 2024 Projection: 33/6/26/.238/.299/.388/13 Prime Projection: 77/17/68/.254/.319/.415/23 Update:OUt 2 months with a shoulder strain

457) Orlando Arcia ATL, SS, 29.8 – Arcia is an above average defensive SS, but he hits at the bottom of the order and is an average hitter at best. He had 66 Runs and 65 RBI in a full time role, and this was the best year of his career. He has average power with an 88.2 MPH EV and 6.9% Barrel%, but a 5.4 degree launch is going to cap his homer upside (17 homers), and his plate approach is average-ish with a 19.1%/7.3% K%/BB%. He’s also a well below average runner with only 1 steal and a 25.9 ft/sec sprint. In shallower leagues, he is optimally a bench bat, and in medium and deeper leagues, he should be around one of your worst starters. 2024 Projection: 73/17/66/.259/.320/.415/1

458) Brendan Rodgers COL, 2B, 27.8 – Don’t get sucked into Rodgers. I get it, he still has some prospect shine on him and he plays in Coors, but there is nothing here to buy into for fantasy. He’s a worm killer with a 53.3% GB%, his sprint speed can be timed with a sundial (as my former baseball coach used to yell at me) with a bottom 26% of the league mark, he doesn’t get on base with a 5.7% BB%, and his hit tool isn’t particularly good with a career .265 BA. You’re going to get to the end of your draft, see his name, and say, “why not,” but what you should be saying is, “why?” 2024 Projection: 75/17/73/.265/.322/.420/0

459) Michael Massey KCR, 2B, 26.0 – Massey once again seriously underperformed his underlying numbers with a .283 wOBA vs. .319 xwOBA in 2023 (.302 wOBA vs. .332 xwOBA in 2022). Once is a fluke, twice is a coincidence, and three times is a pattern, so there won’t be any more grace if it happens again in 2024. The underlying numbers are good because he gets the bat on the ball (21.5% K%), he lifts it (19.7 degree launch), and he has an above average 7.8% Barrel% and 88.6 MPH EV. He closed the season out with 5 homers, a .274 BA and .855 OPS in his final 78 PA, so the optimistic view is that he was figuring it out, but it’s just as likely the regular variance that happens throughout the season. I liked him as a target last off-season, and while he’s no longer a target for me, I wouldn’t mind grabbing him super late if he falls into my lap. 2024 Projection: 63/19/71/.246/.310/.421/7

460) Luis Garcia WAS, 2B, 23.11 – Remember what I said in the Rosario blurb about some players just being who they are? Well, Garcia is headed down that path, except he’ll still be just 23 years old at the start of the season, and there was some hope in the underlying numbers that he can take a step forward. His 88.3 MPH EV was a career best and so was his 12.4% K%. It didn’t result in a good season with a 84 wRC+ and below average .308 xwOBA, but at least it’s something. He doesn’t have much speed (27.2 ft/sec sprint with 9 steals) and he has a low launch (4.6 degree launch), so even if he levels up, it still probably won’t make for a truly great fantasy season. 2024 Projection: 67/13/63/.269/.310/.417/10

461) Jeff McNeil NYM, 2B/OF, 32.0 – McNeil is at the mercy of the BABIP gods for fantasy value. His BABIP dipped a little in 2 of the last 3 years, and he doesn’t have the power (1.3% Barrel%) or speed (27.4 ft/sec sprint) to overcome it. He hit .270 with 10 homers, a 10%/6% K%/BB%, and .288 BABIP in 2023. He took advantage of the new steal rules with a career high 10 steals, but that isn’t enough to really move the needle. He’s an aging, one category fantasy player (BA). 2024 Projection: 78/12/58/.290/.348/.426/9

462) Austin Hays BAL, OF, 28.9 – Hays is as boring as it gets. He hit .275 with 16 homers and 5 steals in 144 games. He hit .250 with 16 homers in 145 games in 2022. The underlying numbers back up the boring stats with xwOBA’s in the slightly below average range for his career. He’s under team control through 2025, and with Baltimore’s talented minor league system ready to boil over, he’s at risk of losing his full time job. He can also be traded, but Baltimore might prefer to keep the depth, so that isn’t a guarantee. He’s getting pretty close to a worst case scenario fantasy option. 2024 Projection: 71/17/66/.262/.318/.435/4

463) Amed Rosario TBR, SS/2B, 28.4 – Rosario is a case of a super talented player who just never improved. We hope that young players can make the proper adjustments, mature at the plate, add power, etc …, but sometimes they just are who they are. Rosario came into the league with a good feel for contact, plus speed, average raw pop and a poor plate plate approach, and that is still who he is today. He’s a below average SS and an average at best hitter, but he played well at 2B in 2023, so there is a chance a team takes a shot on him for their 2B job. He’s been a 2 WAR or over player for 3 of the last 5 years. His landing spot will dictate his value. 2024 Projection: 63/11/54/.270/.315/.413/17 Update: Rosario signed with Tampa, which isn’t great from a playing time perspective, and but is great for a developmental perspective. If Tampa can’t get the most of his raw power, it’s never going to happen, but it’s likely coming in a part time role

464) Joey Meneses WAS, 1B/DH, 31.11 – Meneses played only 19 games at 1B, but the only other position he played is DH, so I’m going to include him in these rankings even though 20 games is generally my cutoff. I wasn’t buying into Meneses last off-season and ignored the insane projection Steamer put on him. Halp beat Steamer on this one with him putting up very mediocre numbers with only 13 homers and a 96 wRC+ in 154 games. The hit tool was solid with a .275 BA, 19.8% K%, and 89.4 MPH EV, but he has no speed (0 steals), and a 9.4 degree launch is going to keep the power numbers modest. 2024 Projection: 68/18/82/.264/.317/.423/1

465) Luis Garcia HOU, RHP, 27.5 – Garcia underwent Tommy John surgery in May 2023, which makes a 2nd half return a best case scenario, and a late season return the more likely outcome. You can’t count on him at all for 2024. He pitched only 27 innings before going down with the injury and he more or less looked like himself with a 4.00 ERA and 27%/8.7% K%/BB%. He always got underrated for fantasy, so he’s likely to be almost completely forgotten about now that he went under the knife. I don’t particularly love him as a target, but if you can get him for almost nothing, why not stash him on your IL. 2024 Projection: 2/3.97/1.31/29 in 30 IP

466) Lance McCullers Jr. HOU, RHP, 30.6 – McCullers missed all of 2023 with an elbow injury that eventually required surgery in mid June. He’s not expected to be ready to return until July, and that is probably the best case scenario. You really can’t count on him at all for 2024. He’s a high strikeout mid rotation starter when healthy, but we’ll see how healthy he is when he returns mid-late season. No issue with him as a cheap IL stash, but I wouldn’t give up a lot of value for him at this point as he enters his 30’s. 2024 Projection: 2/3.95/1.28/32 in 30 IP

467) Tyler Mahle TEX, RHP, 29.6 – Mahle underwent Tommy John surgery in late May 2023 which puts the 2nd half as his best case return date, and a late season return as the safer bet. He was pitching well before going down with the injury with a 3.16 ERA and 27.5%/4.9% K%/BB% in 25.2 IP. When healthy, he’s a high strikeout mid rotation starter, but like with McCullers and Garcia, we’ll see how healthy he is when he returns. I generally like to go after the Tommy John discount on top of the rotation starters, but Garcia, McCullers, and Mahle all have the K upside, and almost, but not quite top of the rotation upside to make them just enticing enough as a cheap stash. Don’t pay up big (or even medium) for them though. 2024 Projection: 2/4.21/1.27/30 in 30 IP

468) Ryan Noda OAK, 1B, 28.0 – Oakland is still a talent wasteland, but they have enough talent on the way where a 1B/DH logjam could be brewing with Noda, Rooker, Soderstrom, and Jordan Diaz (and Lawrence Butler and Denzel Clarke ready to make the OF crowded too). Noda has the talent to keep a full time job, but he’s definitely going to have to earn it. He has plus power with a 13% Barrel%, 91.2/94.9 MPH AVG/FB EV and 16 degree launch. It resulted in only 16 homers in 128 games, but there is obviously more in the tank. He also gets on base with a 15.6% BB% (.364 OBP) and can hit hit lefties with a .753 OPS. The thing that can tank him is the hit tool, as a 34.3% K% and 36.9% whiff% is in the major danger zone. He had a .229 BA with a .213 xBA. You can’t count on him for BA, Runs, RBI, Steals or even guaranteed playing time. But other than that, he’s great ;). 2024 Projection: 74/23/71/.225/.337/.431/5

469) Nick Senzel WAS, 3B/OF, 28.9 – Opportunity is King for fringy players, and it was announced that Senzel will be Washington’s starting 3B in 2024. He’s obviously going to have to perform to keep the job, but at least he’ll get a real shot to prove he’s a legit MLB player, because he’s yet to prove that in his 5 year career, let alone that he is a legit MLB starter. He has a career negative 0.8 WAR and has been both a very bad hitter (career 77 wRC+ in 1366 PA) and very bad defensive player (career negative 12.8 Fangraphs defensive value). The only year he’s been above replacement level is his rookie year in 2019. If he wasn’t the 2nd overall pick in the 2016 Draft, I highly doubt Washington would have already handed him the 3B job, or even a guaranteed spot on their roster. Pedigree is a hellava drug. It’s not like a breakout is impossible though with decent contact rates (22.4% K%), not horrible EV’s (87.4 MPH EV), a good launch (15.2 degrees), and above average speed (28.3 ft/sec sprint). I wouldn’t bet on a breakout, but at least Washington will give him a chance at one. 2024 Projection: 62/16/53/.247/.314/.402/13

470) Hunter Renfroe KCR, OF, 32.2 – Renfroe is an aging, below average defensive player who hits for a low average, doesn’t get on base and whose power showed signs on decline in 2023. He put up a career worst 26.8% ft/sec sprint with a 6 year low 88.3 MPH EV. His 20 homers were the lowest mark of his career in a full season. He can still pop close to 30 homers with nothing else if it all comes together, but even in KC, I would be a bit worried about his playing time and leash. 2024 Projection: 62/24/71/.244/.311/.447/1

471) Stone Garrett WAS, OF, 28.5 – Garrett had season ending surgery in August on his ankle and fibula, but he is expected to be good to go for 2024. It seems like he has a full time job at the moment, and he has the skills to keep that job with a 91.1 MPH EV, 9.6% Barrel%, 17.3 degree launch, and .345 xwOBA in 271 MLB PA in 2023. It was good for a 115 wRC+. The hit tool is bad with a 30.3% K%, but the 32.6% whiff% isn’t horrible, and he had a .269 BA (.263 xBA), so it’s not completely out of control. He’s also a good athlete with a 28.5 ft/sec sprint, although we will see how the injury impacts that. Garrett has the opportunity and talent to go after late in drafts. 2024 Projection: 68/24/75/.246/.327/.442/7

472) Sawyer Gipson-Long DET, RHP, 26.4 – Long was almost completely ignored as a prospect, but his MLB debut put us all on notice that he’s not to be taken lightly. He put up a 2.70 ERA with a 31.7%/9.8% K%/BB% in 20 IP, and while he’s obviously not going to maintain that over a full season, there is nothing that looks like a fluke. He leads with a plus slider that notched a 40.9% whiff% and a plus changeup that notched a 50% whiff% with a .134 xwOBA. He doesn’t throw gas with a 93.6 MPH 4-seamer and 92.4 MPH sinker, but both fastballs performed very well too. His entire arsenal plays perfectly off each other as it’s tough to pick up which of his pitches he’s going to until it’s too late for the batter. He controls the entire arsenal very well with plus walk rates throughout most of his minor league career. I’m inclined to think he’s the real deal, although he’s never had quite as much success in the minors as he did in his debut, so a little bit of caution is warranted. Detroit also added to their rotation this off-season, so he’s going to have to fight for a rotation spot. 2024 Projection: 6/3.95/1.29/103 in 100 IP

473) Nick Nastrini CHW, RHP, 24.1 – One of the biggest issues with Nastrini was that he was in a jam packed organization with the Dodgers, but that cleared right up with his trade to the pitching starved White Sox. He’s a big dude at 6’3”, 215 pounds with fire stuff (mid 90’s fastball) and a diverse pitch mix (slider, curve, change are all good pitches). It led to a 4.08 ERA with a 27.9%/10.8% K%/BB% in 114.2 IP at mostly Double-A. His control is below average, but this is a legitimately exciting prospect with high K upside and nothing but opportunity in Chicago. Nice little undervalued target this off-season. 2024 Projection: 6/4.28/1.35/132 in 130 IP Prime Projection:  10/3.80/1.28/172 in 155 IP

474) Ben Brown CHC, RHP, 24.7 – If you can buy low on Brown’s 5.33 ERA and 15.8% BB% in 72.2 IP at Triple-A I would be all over it. He had a 7.8% BB% in 20 IP at Double-A to start the year, and he had a 9.5% BB% at Double-A last year, so the Triple-A automated strike zone made his merely below average control look cartoonishly bad. He has legitimate top of the rotation stuff with 3 potentially plus pitches (mid 90’s fastball, curveball, slider) and all of them can look pretty damn similar until they get about halfway to the plate. He’s a nightmare to face at 6’6”, 210 pounds and it resulted in a 32.6% K% on the season in 92.2 IP. He missed all of August with a lat injury, and he pitched out of the bullpen when he returned in September, which does hint at some bullpen risk, but I’m looking at Chicago’s rotation, and they would be silly to not give this stud every chance to stick in the rotation. I really, really like Brown. 2024 Projection: 4/4.18/1.35/83 in 80 IP Prime Projection: 10/3.82/1.27/175 in 150 IP

475) Mick Abel PHI, RHP, 22.8 – Abel remains more or less the same pitcher he was when he was drafted 15th overall in 2020, and I mean that in both a good and bad way. He’s 6’5”, 190 pounds with explosive stuff and control issues. The fastball sits in the upper 90’s and has the potential to be a double plus pitch, and all 3 of his secondaries (slider, curve, change) have plus potential. But none of his pitches will reach their full potential if he doesn’t improve his scattershot control/command. He put up a 4.13 ERA with a 27.4%/13.5% K%/BB% in 113.1 IP at mostly Double-A. That walk rate is in the danger zone, and his filthy stuff should have produced a better ERA and K% against minor leaguers. It’s his 3rd full year of pro ball and there hasn’t been any improvement, but at the same time, he’s still just 22 years old, so writing off the possibility of future improvement would be too harsh. 2024 Projection: 3/4.37/1.37/58 in 60 IP Prime Projection: 11/3.79/1.29/176 in 165 IP

476) Connor Phillips CIN, RHP, 22.11 – Phillips’ control took a monster step forward at Double-A with a 9.5% BB% (14% BB% in 2022), but it proved to be a pre-tacked ball mirage. His walk rate exploded again at Triple-A and MLB with a 16.9% BB% and 13.5% BB%, respectively. When MLB tests out new rules/balls in the minors, they tend to make their way to the majors, so I wouldn’t be shocked if MLB incorporates a tackier ball at some point in the future. It will majorly help poor control guys like Phillips if they do, because his stuff is utter filth with a 96.4 MPH fastball and an elite slider that notched a 48.9% whiff% and .152 xwOBA in 20.2 MLB IP. With the pre-tacked balls at Double-A, he had a 3.34 ERA in 64.2 IP, but that jumped to 4.69 at Triple-A and 6.97 in the majors. The stuff is tantalizing and makes you want to bet on him, but the control is in the major bullpen danger zone with the normal baseballs. 2024 Projection: 4/4.28/1.37/88 in 80 IP Prime Projection: 10/3.86/1.32/170 in 150 IP

477) Jeferson Quero MIL, C, 21.6 – Quero doesn’t have a path to playing time with William Contreras notching a 5.4 WAR season in 2023, and he also doesn’t have the highest upside profile with an above average hit/power combo. His numbers also don’t exactly jump off the page with a 107 wRC+ in 90 games at Double-A. It’s making it hard for me to really want to go all in on him, but when you take into account he was only 20 years old, you can’t deny he’s a damn good prospect. If there was a clear path to playing time, I can see being higher on him. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 68/20/76/.268/.335/.442/4

478) Brooks Lee MIN, SS, 23.2 – There wasn’t much concern that a profile like Lee’s would transfer to the upper minors, but he went out and proved it anyway with a good feel to hit (16% K%) and some pop (16 homers) in 125 games at Double-A and Triple-A. His numbers dropped off at Triple-A with a 78 wRC+ in 38 games (120 wRC+ in 87 games at Double-A), but a lot of that had to do with a .258 BABIP, because the underlying numbers looked fine. He hit the ball generally hard all year (90.6 MPH EV at Triple-A), so while he’s more of a line drive hitter, I don’t think the power numbers will look too bad. It’s still a safety over upside profile, but an above average hit/power combo with a handful steals ain’t bad at all. 2024 Projection: 27/6/32/.254/.317/.401/2 Prime Projection:  84/19/73/.274/.338/.437/8

479) Nathan Martorella SDP, 1B, 23.1 – Italian Snack put on a clinic against High-A pitchers, putting up a 131 wRC+ with 16 homers and a 18%/15.1% K%/BB% in 112 games, and while he only had a 85 wRC+ in 23 games at Double-A, the 14.1%/9.1% K%/BB% and 3 homers look much better. He’s following in the footsteps of his fellow Italian brothers (Vinnie and Manzardo) as plus plate approach lefty sluggers, and there is nothing but opportunity in San Diego. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 77/24/83/.269/.343/.455/3

480) Dustin May LAD, RHP, 26.7 – May underwent flexor tendon surgery and a revision to his 2021 Tommy John surgery in July 2023 which will probably effectively keep him out for all of 2024, although I’m sure he will try his darndest to make a 2nd half return. His ability to stay healthy and at the top of his game has to be in major question right now. He didn’t look all that great before going down with the injury with a 18.2%/8.6% K%/BB% in 48 IP, although the stuff was still big with a 97.3 MPH fastball, and he was still getting the job done with a 2.63 ERA. He’s too talented to write off, and he’s not the worst stash for a rebuilding team, but I’m struggling to get too excited for him right now. 2024 Projection: OUT

481) Tekoah Roby STL, RHP, 22.6 – Roby is getting a ton of helium this off-season, and while I most certainly like him, my money is still on Hence as the best pitching prospect in this system. Roby put up a 4.63 ERA with a 28.9%/6.3% K%/BB% in 58.1 IP at Double-A. He missed almost 3 months of the season with a shoulder injury, but he looked like fire when he returned, and he also impressed in the AFL despite a 5.93 ERA in 13.2 IP. The stuff backs up the production with a mid 90’s fastball, plus curve, and a potentially above average slider and change. He strikes me as a strong mid rotation type rather than a top of the rotation starter, and I think his relatively high home run rates and ERA bears that out. 2024 Projection: 2/4.28/1.33/48 in 50 IP Prime Projection: 12/3.86/1.24/175  in 170 IP

482) Endy Rodriguez PIT, C, 23.10 – Endy underwent elbow surgery to repair a torn UCL and will miss all of 2024. He had a rough season at both Triple-A and in his MLB debut. He had a 95 wRC+ with 6 homers and a 86.9 MPH EV in 67 games at Triple-A, and he had a 65 wRC+ with 3 homers and an 89.1 MPH EV in 57 games in the majors. On the plus side, his plate approach was elite at Triple-A with a 14.9%/11.9% K%/BB%, and it was solid in the majors too with an above average chase% (26.4%), above average whiff% (21.4%), and average BB% (8.3%). He’s a plus defensive catcher, he has above average speed with a 27.8 ft/sec sprint, and he has no groundball issues with a 16.5 degree launch. Nothing really jumps out at me to make me want to stick my neck out to buy him, but he definitely has an interesting collection of skills that could make him an impact fantasy catcher at his peak. I already thought it might take a few years for him to really hit his stride, and this elbow injury pushes that timeline back even further. 2024 Projection: OUT Prime Projection: 75/18/68/.268/.349/.436/9

483) Cade Cavalli WAS, RHP, 25.7 – Cavalli underwent Tommy John surgery in March 2023 and is hoping for a June 2024 return assuming there are no setbacks. I’m all for taking the Tommy John surgery discount on guys, but I like to take it on players who are already established or are at least nearly elite pitching prospects. Cavalli doesn’t really fall into either of those categories, and while the Tommy John success rate is high, it’s not like there aren’t legitimate risks. Brent Honeywell comes to mind as someone who was never the same, and Gunnar Hoglund seems headed down that path (although there is still hope for him). Regardless, the 6’4”, 240 pound Cavalli does have plenty to be excited about with big time stuff (95+ MPH fastball) and three quality secondaries in his curve, changeup and slider. The control is inconsistent and his minor league career was a bit up and down, so combined with the Tommy John risk, he’s not someone I’m really targeting. 2024 Projection: 3/4.38/1.37/66 in 70 IP Prime Projection: 11/3.85/1.30/175 in 170 IP

484) Carlos Estevez LAA, Closer Committee, 31.3 – Estevez has one half of the elite closer formula with a plus 97.1 MPH fastball that notched a 28.5% whiff%, but he lacks the half second half, which is a whiff machine secondary. The slider is mediocre with a 25.6% whiff% and .332 xwOBA. His control also isn’t good enough to dominate with just the fastball with a 11% BB%. It led to a 3.90 ERA, 1.49 WHIP, and 27.8% K% in 62.1 IP. With Robert Stephenson now in town, his hold on the closer job is extremely tenuous, and even if he manages to hold Stephenson off this year, it seems likely this will be his final season as a closer regardless with his contract running out. He’s one to avoid right now. 2024 Projection: 4/3.74/1.29/75/25 saves in 62 IP

485) Kyle Finnegan WAS, Closer Committee, 32.7 – I’m staying far away from this closer situation because the bottom line is that while Finnegan was the main closer for most of the year (28 saves), Hunter Harvey is just better than him. But we know the better pitcher doesn’t always get picked to close, which is why I’m staying away from both of them. Finnegan was serviceable but mediocre with a 3.76 ERA (4.83 xERA), 21.9%/8.3% K%/BB% and 92.2 MPH EV against. On the flip side, he throws hard with a 97.3 MPH fastball and has a 3.53 ERA in 226.1 IP in his career, so it isn’t so cut and dry that he will lose his closer job. 2024 Projection: 5/3.62/1.26/68/20 saves in 66 IP

486) Jose Leclerc TEX, Closer Committee, 30.4 – I liked Leclerc as a reasonably priced closer target last off-season, and that blew up very quickly as he saved only 4 games all season, so forgive me if I’m a little hesitant to go back to that well this year. Texas just signed David Robertson this off-season as well, so it’s basically 50/50 on who wins this job I would say. His velocity was down in the 1st half of the season and he was mighty shaky with a 16/12 K/BB in his first 16.1 IP, but his velocity started to rise back into the upper 90’s in the 2nd half, and his performance rose with it with a 2.43 ERA and 51/16 K/BB in his final 40.2 IP. He induced weak contact with a 85.9 MPH EV against, and all 4 of his main pitches got whiffs, led by the slider (49.6% whiff%). The control is shaky with a 12% BB%, but it was better in the 2nd half and plenty of top closers have similar walk rates. With Robertson in town, you really can’t 100% count on him for saves 2024 Projection: 4/3.27/1.12/75/15 saves in 60 IP

487) Geraldo Perdomo ARI, SS/2B, 24.5 – Perdomo is a good defender, he gets the bat on the ball (17.4% K%), he gets on base (12.9% BB% with a .353 OBP), and he’s a good baserunner (16 steals with a 27.2 ft/sec sprint in 495 PA), but he hits the ball so weakly (0.9% Barrel% and 85.7 MPH EV) that I think he is better suited as like a 400 PA super utility player. Jordan Lawlar is also coming for that starting SS job real quick. He’s still young and improving, and I do think it is a profile that can be a solid starter at peak, but his job is far from secure, and the upside isn’t very high to begin with. 2024 Projection: 60/9/40/.239/.332/.378/15

488) Jose Caballero TBR, 2B/SS, 27.7 – Caballero will compete for Tampa’s open SS job, but even if he wins it, I don’t see him locking in the role long term, and I don’t see him getting true full time playing time regardless. He gets the bat on the ball (23.6% K%), he gets on base (10% BB% with a .343 OBP), he has plus speed (29 ft/sec sprint with 26 steals in 280 MLB PA), and he’s a plus defensive player. That collection of skills can certainly get you on the field. The two biggest issues are that he hits the ball very weakly with a 83.3 MPH EV, and he struggled majorly vs. righties with a .588 OPS, so he might headed for a short side of a platoon role. 2024 Projection: 58/10/39/.234/.322/.370/26

489) Jesus Sanchez MIA, OF, 26.6 – Sanchez is a low launch hitter (5.6 degree launch), who doesn’t steal bases (3 steals), and is in a strong side of a platoon (.564 OPS vs. lefties). That just isn’t a recipe for success. He’s ranked even this high because he hits the ball very hard with a 12.2% Barrel% and 90.4 MPH EV, and he’s made some incremental gains to his plate approach with a solid 26.6%9.5% K%/BB%. 2024 Projection: 58/18/69/.256/.332/.448/3

490) Wilyer Abreu BOS, OF, 24.10 – I had a lot of in-season Target article hits this year, ringing the five alarm bell on a bunch of guys right at the first sign of a sprouting breakout and before they were even close to getting the respect they deserved (Nolan Jones and Zack Gelof, among others, were my best calls), but my favorite call was probably the one I made on Wilyer Abreu. Here is what I wrote about Abreu on August 3rd, “ This one is probably more for my deep leaguers out there, but there is something I really love about Abreu that I just can’t shake. And that something is probably his sweet, sweet lefty swing. It’s resulted in 14 homers with a 89.6 MPH EV in 71 games at Triple-A. It also comes with a solid 22.3%/16% K%/BB% and a cannon for an arm in rightfield. I don’t think he is going to be a league winner, but I think he has a chance to be a rock solid MLB player.” … From that point forward, Abreu went absolutely bonkos, hitting 8 homers in just 15 games at Triple-A, and then earning a call up to the majors where he put up a ridiculous 135 wRC+ in 85 PA. It’s almost like I had a crystal ball on that one. He continued to hit the ball hard in the majors with a 91.3 MPH EV, he likes to run with 3 steals (8 steals at AAA), and the plate approach was solid with a 27.1%/10.6% K%/BB%. I still think he’s more of an impact player for medium to deeper leagues rather than shallow leagues, but he more than proved he can be a good big leaguer in the long run. 2024 Projection: 47/14/54/.242/.319/.423/6 Prime Projection: 76/24/82/.257/.338/.453/9

491) Oscar Colas CHW, OF, 25.7 – This is the type of terrible MLB debut where I’m not interested in taking the poor debut discount. Colas didn’t get the bat on the ball (27% K% and 31.8% whiff%), he didn’t get on base (4.6% BB%), he didn’t lift the ball (51.4% GB%), and he didn’t run fast (26.9 ft/sec sprint). It all led to a 53 wRC+ and .263 xwOBA in 75 games. The only saving grace is that the 88.9/94.2 MPH AVG/FB EV and 7.9% barrel% is above average, but he had a 87.3 MPH EV in 54 games at Triple-A, so it’s not like he’s some no doubt masher where you can ignore the other deficiencies in his game. He’s also already 25 years old. I’m sure he’ll be much better his 2nd time around, and he’s far from a hopeless case, but I’m not going after him. 2024 Projection: 56/15/52/.240/.300/.410/5

492) Abimelec Ortiz TEX, 1B, 22.1 – The 6’0”, 230 pound Ortiz was a man amongst boys in the lower minors, and he bodied lower minors pitching with 33 homers and a .990 OPS in 109 games at mostly High-A. I never flew him too far up my in-season rankings because he was a hair older than optimal for High-A, the body is definitely maxed out, and the strikeout rates were very high with a 27.8% K%, but what he did in the AFL gives me some hope the plate approach could be improved. He put up a 8/12 K/BB with a 1.060 OPS in 12 games. It’s a small sample, but it’s something to hang his hat on going into next year. How he fares against upper minors pitchers will really cement his status as either a platoon bench bat, or as a legit everyday starting first baseman. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 73/28/87/.244/.323/.478/2

493) Alexander Canario CHC, OF, 23.11 – Canario returned from ankle and shoulder surgeries in mid June, and by the time he got back to Triple-A he looked mostly like himself, slashing .276/.342/.524 with 8 homers and a 28%/9.3% K%/BB% in 36 games. He swings the bat like it’s a bazooka with an extreme all or nothing approach, so he’ll easily pop 30+ homers if the hit tool doesn’t completely tank him, and it took him only 17 PA to hit his first major league grand slam. The part that didn’t come back was his speed with only 2 steals and 25.8 ft/sec sprint speed in his MLB debut, albeit in such a small sample I wouldn’t give it too much weight, and he was also just coming back from two major surgeries. He’ll have to earn his playing time every step of the way, and the hit tool is in the major danger zone, but his explosive power is worth taking a shot on. 2024 Projection: 22/8/29/.221/.292/.423/2 Prime Projection: 66/28/79/.237/.312/.466/7

494) George Valera CLE, OF, 23.5 – Valera underwent surgery on the hamate bone in his right hand last off-season, and not only did it delay the start of his season until May, it also took him awhile to truly heal from the injury. That injury is known to sap power and it did exactly that with only 3 homers and a .650 OPS in his first 49 games, but he looked like himself the rest of the way with 8 homers and a .897 OPS in his final 30 games. He’s a low BA, high OBP slugger on a team who needs some pop, and there is playing time to be won in that OF. I would buy his dip in value, and you could probably get him for almost nothing in most leagues right now. 2024 Projection: 42/13/46/.231/.318/.437/2 Prime Projection: 85/29/85/.248/.339/.484/5

495) Justyn-Henry Malloy DET, 3B/OF, 24.1 – Malloy was patiently waiting his turn all season at Triple-A, but his turn never came despite hitting well all year, slashing .277/.417/.474 with 23 homers, 5 steals, and a 24.9%/18.0% K%/BB% in 135 games at Triple-A. He has elite OBP’s, plus power, and a solid hit tool, but the thing that could be holding him back is that he isn’t a good defensive player. Detroit is a team on the rise, and there really isn’t a clear spot for him, which makes me worry he will be in a dog fight for playing time without much of a leash. Defense doesn’t matter for fantasy … until it does. 2024 Projection: 33/9/31/.243/.322/.427/2 Prime Projection: 78/24/76/.258/.341/.450/4

496) Ty Madden DET, RHP, 24.1 – Some players just never become darlings of the prospect world, both mainstream and underground dynasty, for whatever reason, despite having a ton to like about them, Madden has the size, stuff, strikeout upside, production, pedigree and proximity to be a hyped up pitching prospect, but he remains an afterthought on most rankings. He’s built like a horse at 6’3”, 215 pounds with a mid 90’s fastball and 3 legit secondaries in his slider, curve and changeup. It resulted in a 3.43 ERA with a 29.7%/10.2% K%/BB% in 118 IP at Double-A. He’s a perfect low key target for any league size for both win now and win later teams. 2024 Projection: 4/4.28/1.34/88 in 90 IP Prime Projection: 11/3.87/1.26/180 in 170 IP

497) Andy Pages LAD, OF, 23.4 – Out of sight, out of mind rules the prospect world, but Pages has the skills and opportunity to fight that instinct. He tore his labrum on a swing in mid May and missed the rest of the season after undergoing shoulder surgery. He was in the midst of having another excellent season (all he’s done in his career is have excellent seasons) with a 144 wRC+ in 33 games at Double-A. He has plus power with extremely low groundball rates (23.8%), and he combines that with a plus plate approach (22.5%/17.6% K%/BB%). He has some hit tool risk, especially with the extreme launch, but his strikeout rates have generally stayed out of the danger zone over his career. The Dodgers also don’t have much close to the majors OF depth with Outman, Jason Heyward, Chris Taylor, and Manuel Margot currently penciled into their OF slots. Pages can definitively kick the door down in 2024 assuming he returns to full health. 2024 Projection: 18/6/22/.223/.307/.431/2 Prime Projection: 78/27/82/.241/.335/.462/8

498) Moises Ballesteros CHC, C, 20.4 – Here is what I wrote about Bellesteros, in part, on my 2023 Top 1,000, “Most of the 2022 catcher breakouts are getting the full hype treatment, but Ballesteros is just chillin in corner waiting to get his fair due … The other catcher breakouts overshadowing Ballesteros’ impressive season creates a buying opportunity, making him one of my top prospect catcher targets for 2023.” … I would call Ballesteros’ great 2023 season a breakout, but he already broke out in 2022, so all the hype on him this year is just other people starting to notice. He destroyed the age appropriate Single-A with a 142 wRC+ and then went to High-A and put up a 128 wRC+. He did it on the back of a plus plate approach (15.8%/12.8% K%/BB%) and above average power (14 homers). The profile might be a tad better for real life than fantasy, and he’s starting to get valued correctly, but I’m still on Ballesteros at his fair value. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 69/22/73/.271/.342/.440/2

499) Justin Crawford PHI, OF, 20.3 – Saying Crawford has an extreme groundball problem is understating it. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a legitimate prospect have such high groundball rates. He put up a 68.5% GB% in 69 games at Single-A and a 74.5% GB% in 18 games at High-A. He’s a skinny, slap hitting speedster right now with 47 steals, 3 homers and a .332 BA in 87 games, and while that profile can thrive against lower minors defenders, it’s not going to work nearly as well as the competition improves. The good thing is, his power will most definitely improve naturally as he gets stronger, and he has the type of profile that can still thrive with higher groundball rates. The odds of him really hitting his hopeful power ceiling from his draft year are pretty low at this point, but he’s still on pace to be a high BA, high steal player. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 86/12/52/.274/.336/.401/44

500) Nelson Rada LAA, OF, 18.8 – Rada skipped right over complex ball to make his stateside debut at Single-A, and he wasn’t rattled with a 113 wRC+ and 18.1%/13.5% K%/BB% in 115 games. As a 17 year old, that is very impressive. He combines the mature plate approach with plus speed that he used to rack up 55 steals, but he doesn’t have much power (2 homers), and he doesn’t really project to have a ton of power down the line either. He had a 63.7% GB%, and he’s already relatively filled out at 5’10”. Obviously the power is only going to tick up from here, so how much he’s able to get to will determine his upside, but he set a very nice floor for himself. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 82/12/51/.273/.348/.398/27

501) Jaison Chourio CLE, OF, 18.10 – The power didn’t tick up this year with only 1 homer and a 54.1% GB% in 48 games (1 homer in 40 games in 2022), but everything that made us so excited about Chourio as a potential breakout last off-season is still present this off-season. He slashed .349/.476/.463 with 19 steals and a 19.6%/20.1% K%/BB% in 39 games in rookie ball. It was good for a 147 wRC+. We’ve seen his raw power on display in batting practices, he has a good frame at 6’1”, 162 pounds, and he’s a Chourio for crying out loud. I have little doubt that he will grow into more power and learn how to lift the ball more, and when he does, it will combine with his other skills to become a hyped through the roof prospect. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 87/17/69/.276/.352/.425/26

502) Cristhian Vaquero WAS, OF, 19.7 – If Vaquero was hitting for even modest power, his hype would be the through the roof, but he’s hit only 3 homers in 113 career games (2 homers in 58 games in 2023). Everything else is there with a 20.1%/15.8% K%/BB% and 22 steals split between rookie ball (118 wRC+ in 42 games) and Single-A (83 wRC+ in 16 games), so considering he certainly has the frame to add power in the future at a projectable and athletic 6’3”, 180 pounds, he makes for a very fairly priced dynasty target at the moment. And even if he never adds big power, his profile would still play for fantasy. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 88/18/71/.266/.338/.435/27

503) Jakob Marsee SDP, OF, 22.9 – I don’t put that much stock into AFL numbers in the vast majority of cases, but Marsee’s dominance in the AFL is more about putting an exclamation point, and highlighting what a great, underhyped season he had all year. He put up a 142 wRC+ with 13 homers, 41 steals, and a 16.4%/17.4% K%/BB% in 113 games at High-A. Then he proved the skills will transfer to the upper minors, slashing .286/.412/.446 with 3 homers, 5 steals, and a 21.7%/15.9% K%/BB% in 16 games at Double-A. He’s now the star of the AFL with a 1.215 OPS, 5 homers, and 16 steals in 24 games. He was great in his pro debut in 2022 as well, and he did nothing but produce in his college career. He must thinking, “what else do I have to do to get some respect around here.” Well, seeing all the hype his AFL performance has gotten him, I think he is about the get the respect he deserves this off-season. 31/5/26/.248/.313/.386/9 2024 Projection:  Prime Projection: 83/16/62/.273/.341/.416/26

504) Lonnie White PIT, OF, 21.3 – There have been more sightings of the Yeti than there have been of Lonnie White over the past couple of years, but he finally got extending playing time in the 2nd half of 2023, and the tantalizing talent was on full display. He slashed .259/.395/.488 with 8 homers, 12 steals, and a 28%/16% K%/BB% in 44 games at Single-A. He’s 6’3”, 212 pounds and could have gone to Penn State as a WR, so that tells you the type of elite athlete we are talking about. He has contact issues and he was old for Single-A, so the risk is high, but we’ve now the seen the upside for the first time, and it’s mouth watering. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 76/23/74/.233/.316/.438/24

505) Gabriel Gonzalez MIN, OF, 20.3 – Gonzalez’ numbers dropped off majorly when he got promoted to High-A. He put up a 149 wRC+ with a 13.7% K% in 73 games at Single-A vs. a 21.5% K% and 83 wRC+ in 43 games at High-A. Single-A was his age appropriate level, but it’s not a great sign that more advanced pitchers were able to exploit his extremely aggressive plate approach (6.5% BB%). He’s not a toolsy guy or imposing figure at 5’10” with below average speed, and his groundball rates have been on the high side at 53.4% at High-A. He does hit the ball hard with more power likely coming (18 homers in 2023), and he does have an excellent feel to hit, but it’s a profile that is lacking upside right now. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 73/20/81/.271/.326/.442/8

506) Ralphy Velazquez CLE, C, 18.10 – Selected 23rd overall, Velazquez is not a good defensive catcher, which tells you how much Cleveland loves his bat picking him this high. He rewarded their faith immediately with 2 homers and a 5/3 K/BB in 6 games in rookie ball. He’s a 6’3”, 215 pound bruiser with a smooth lefty swing that is geared for both power and average. He’s also young for his draft class as he’ll still be 18 years old at the start of 2024. I’m extremely high on him, and he strikes me as the Xavier Isaac of this draft class, who I was also high on. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 82/28/91/.267/.342/.491/3

507) Brayden Taylor TBR, 3B, 21.10 – Selected 19th overall, Taylor’s power took a jump this year with a career high 23 homers in 67 games in the Big 12. He’s not a huge raw power guy, but he hits the ball in the air and he knows how to barrel a baseball. Adding more power was the final step, because he’s an excellent all around hitter with an advanced plate approach. He has a career 146/158 K/BB with a 1.038 OPS in 184 Big 12 games. He’s not a particularly great athlete and he doesn’t have big speed, but he still stole 39 bases in 40 career attempts, so there certainly seems to be some stolen base skills here too. As for his pro debut, the 32.3% K% in 22 games at Single-A is a little scary, considering like I mentioned, he’s not some beastly athlete. On the flip side, he had 5 homers, 9 steals, a 141 wRC+, and is in one of the best organizations in baseball. One the flip side of the flip side, dealing with Tampa’s never ending logjam can be exhausting. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 81/23/76/.250/.335/.441/16

508) Tai Peete SEA, SS/3B, 18.7 – Selected 30th overall, Peete’s upside is considerable at a projectable 6’3”, 190 pounds with at least plus power potential and above average speed. He has a quick and vicious lefty swing with offensive potential written all over it, but the hit tool and plate approach are still on the raw side. He showed off both the upside and downside in his pro debut. The strikeout rates were on the high side with a 26.2% K% in 10 games in rookie ball and a 28.4% K% in 14 games at Single-A, but the huge talent was shining through with a 125 wRC+ in rookie, and 2 homers with 3 steals at Single-A. He’s also one of the youngest players in the class and won’t turn 19 years old until mid-August. He has a chance to be a truly special player. Don’t underrate him. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 79/26/86/.248/.326/.464/12

509) Dillon Head SDP, OF, 19.6 – Selected 25th overall in the 2023 MLB Draft, Head is the discount Max Clark. He has double plus speed with a good feel to hit and developing power from the left side. He’s an elite athlete at 5’11”, 180 pounds with room to tack on more muscle, and he’s hit some beastly pull side homers which flashes more power coming in the future. He also handled his business in pro ball, slashing .294/.413/.471 with 1 homer, 3 steals, and a 14.3%/17.5% K%/BB% in 14 games at rookie ball. He didn’t hit as well at Single-A with a 78 wRC+ in 13 games, but the 16.4% K% shows the skills are going to transfer in the future. If we’re debating Clark vs. Head by this time next year I wouldn’t be completely shocked. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 86/15/57/.274/.338/.428/27

510) Miguel Bleis BOS, OF, 20.1 – Bleis was the anti-Junior Caminero in 2023. Everyone wants to know which prospects can blow up from outside Top 50’s into elite prospect range, and Bleis and Caminero were both popular picks to do that this year. Caminero obviously fulfilled that elite prospect destiny, while Bleis completely imploded in on himself. He struggled hard at Single-A with 1 homer, 11 steals, a 26.8%/7.0% K%/BB%, and 71 wRC+ in 31 games, and then his season ended on May 30th with a shoulder injury that required surgery. The superstar traits are still there with a lightning quick swing, projectable power, and plus speed, but he didn’t seem all that close to putting it together in 2023, and the shoulder injury adds further risk. He’s not an overtly imposing presence at a skinny 6 feet, so he needs to tack on more muscle to reach his power potential, and the plate approach is below average. He can still obviously reach his elite prospect potential, but every year he doesn’t do it, the odds of it happening get a little lower. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection:  75/22/77/.255/.322/.438/24

511) Walker Martin SFG, SS, 20.1 – Selected 52nd overall in the 2023 MLB Draft, Martin only slipped that far because of signing bonus demands, and he has the talent to back up his demands. He’s a pretty solid 6’2”, 188 pounds with room to add more muscle. He was also a star quarterback in high school to give you an idea of the type of all around athleticism we are talking here. He has plus power potential at peak with above average speed and a good feel to hit from a smooth lefty swing. He checks a ton of boxes. He’s not a completely finished product, and the biggest red flag might be that he will be 20 years old already on Opening Day 2024, which is a year older for his class. 19 year old high school kids aren’t my favorite group to buy from, but every player has to be evaluated on his own merits, and Martin has the type of skills and upside to overlook the age. He’s the Colson Montgomery of this year’s draft. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 78/25/83/.266/.337/.467/14

512) Aidan Miller PHI, SS, 19.10 – Selected 27th overall in the 2023 MLB Draft, like Martin above, Miller was drafted as a 19 year old high school bat. It’s one of the major reasons I stayed away from Blake Rutherford in 2017 FYPD’s when he was getting lots of hype, but on the other hand, Colson Montgomery was also an older high school bat and he’s doing just fine. It’s a case by case basis, and Miller has the talent to ignore the age. He has one of the top hit/power combos in the high school class. He’s 6’2”, 205 pounds with a lightning quick and powerful righty swing that already generates big exit velocities. He combines that with a mature plate approach, good feel to hit, and a history of performance. He was far too advanced for rookie ball with a 179 wRC+ in 10 games, but he slowed down considerably at the more age appropriate Single-A with a 86 wRC+ in 10 games. He also hit 0 homers in 20 games, although he hit a monster shot in the Single-A playoffs, so I’m not too concerned with his ultimate power. He’s not really a target for me specifically, but the talent is pretty obvious, so I have no issues with being much higher on him. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 82/25/86/.269/.342/.468/7

513) Carson Whisenhunt SFG, LHP, 23.6 – Whisenhunt’s season ended on July 22nd with an elbow strain, and while all indications are that he should be good to go by Spring, it’s hard to be sure he’s completely passed the injury until he truly ramps up for the season. It adds a healthy does of risk to an otherwise very solid and enticing profile. He’s a 6’3”, 210 pound lefty with a clean and traditional delivery that has mid rotation MLB starter written all over it, especially in the pitcher’s paradise of SF. The money maker is a double plus changeup which racks up whiffs, and he combines that with an average curve and average mid 90’s fastball. The stuff completely overwhelmed lower minors hitters with a 56/12 K/BB in 39 IP, and while he wasn’t quite as good at Double-A, he was still good with a 3.20 ERA and 32.1%/13.1% K%/BB% in 19.2 IP. If not for the injury, I would say definitely go after this guy, but with the injury, I might be more comfortable letting him fall into my lap. 2024 Projection: 4/4.21/1.32/79 in 80 IP Prime Projection: 11/3.83/1.26/167 in 160 IP

514) Robert Gasser MIL, LHP, 24.10 – Gasser just doesn’t have the stuff to get too excited about him. His fastball sat 92.2 MPH and none of his 5 pitches notched more than a 29.2% whiff% at Triple-A. He’s really more of a junk balling lefty type that likely has #4 starter upside. The most attractive thing about him is his proximity to the bigs, and he’s also put up high strikeout rates throughout his minor league career (28% in 135.1 IP this year), so it’s not like there is nothing of value here, but this is more of a medium to deeper league play for me. 2024 Projection: 8/4.38/1.36/126 in 130 IP Prime Projection: 9/4.13/1.32/158 in 155 IP

515) Sal Stewart CIN, 3B, 20.4 – Stewart is proving to have an elite plate approach with a 15.2%/17.1% K%/BB% in 88 games at Single-A (128 wRC+), which he followed up with a 13.7%/13.7% K%/BB% in 29 games at High-A (127 wRC+). And he’s not the type of plus approach guy who doesn’t have much else to offer, Stewart is an excellent athlete at 6’3”, 215 pounds. He hit only 12 homers in 117 total games, but he hit the ball fairly hard, the raw power is only going up from here, and he didn’t have any major groundball issues. He also stole 15 bags, which shows his speed might be getting underrated. The biggest problem is his defense, and in a jam packed organization like Cincinnati, that could become an issue down the road. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 82/25/88/.274/.351/.473/8

516) Bubba Chandler PIT, RHP, 21.6 – Chandler’s stats don’t really jump out with a 4.75 ERA and 25.6%/10.9% K%/BB% in 106 IP at High-A, but his talent most certainly jumps out. He throws a mid to upper 90’s fastball with a plus slider and potentially plus changeup. You just have to watch how he closed out the season at Double-A, going 5 IP with 1 hit, 0 ER, and a 8/0 K/BB. He’s a solid rock at 6’2”, and this was his first year as a fulltime pitcher. It sure looks like he has ace upside watching him, but his performance will have to match the talent over an extended time period before I can really start ranking him like that. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 10/3.93/1.31/170 in 160 IP

517) Luke Adams MIL, 3B, 19.11 – Adams was one of my top late round FYPD targets from last year, and he hit in a major way with a 135 wRC+, 11 homers, 30 steals, and  22.5%/17.3% K%/BB% in 99 games at Single-A. He’s 6’4”, 210 pounds with one of the most fun swings in the game that features both a leg kick and a bat wiggle. It’s the type of swing that you would try out playing whiffle ball as a kid. The stolen base totals might be deceiving because he’s far from a burner, but stolen bases aren’t only about pure speed, so I wouldn’t completely dismiss them. Combine that with a plus plate approach and potentially plus power, and we have one exciting, considerably underrated prospect on our hands. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 77/22/74/.253/.337/.449/14

518) Ricardo Cabrera CIN, SS/3B, 19.5 – Here’s how I closed out Cabrera’s Top 1,000 blurb last off-season, ranking him 985th overall, “I don’t think it’s a good idea to give too long of a leash on hyped international prospects who struggle their first year or two in pro ball, but I also don’t want to pull the rip cord too early. Gotta give them at least a year to get acclimated.” That proved wise with Cabrera as he followed up a mediocre pro debut in the DSL in 2022 with a full scale breakout in 2023. He slashed .350/.469/.559 with 5 homers, 21 steals, and a 20%/12% K%/BB% in 39 games at stateside rookie, and then he went to full season ball and put up a 159 wRC+ in 5 games. He has a good feel to hit, a strong plate approach, and a potentially above average power/speed combo. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 81/20/77/.267/.330/.441/18

519) Carlos Jorge CIN, 2B, 20.6 – Jorge is a small guy at 5’10”, 160 pounds and he doesn’t hit the ball all that hard with low EV’s and hard hit rates. It makes me a little hesitant to rank him too highly, but he’s the type to get the most out his raw power through quality of contact. He pulled the ball over 50% of the time and he doesn’t have any groundball issues. He’s a destroyer of levels with a 173 wRC+ in 2021 in the DSL, a 151 wRC+ in stateside rookie in 2022, and a 140 wRC+ at Single-A in 2023 (he struggled at High-A to close out the year with a 86 wRC+). What you are really buying here is the very mature plate approach (19.7%/13.2% K%/BB%) and plus speed (31 steals). If the raw power meaningfully ticks up in the future, he will be a fantasy beast, and even if it doesn’t, he has the skillset to make a fantasy impact. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 83/15/61/.263/.337/.421/26

520) Hector Rodriguez CIN, OF, 20.1 – Rodriguez looks like such a natural and easy hitter at the dish. He has a calm setup before exploding with a pretty nasty lefty swing. He’s done nothing but produce in pro ball, and that continued in 2023, slashing .293/.347/.510 with 16 homers, 18 steals, and an 18.9%/6.1% K%/BB% in 101 games at Single-A before slowing down at High-A (88 wRC+ in 14 games). The problem is that he is a small guy at 5’8” who doesn’t have a ton of raw power. He also doesn’t walk a ton. Projecting that out on the MLB level, it could end up looking like a bottom of the order contact/speed play, but maybe that is just the small man bias kicking in. If he was taller, his hype would be a lot louder right now. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 78/16/69/.273/.328/.427/23

521) David Festa MIN, RHP, 24.1 – Festa is a long legged 6’6” 185 pounds with a relatively athletic righty delivery considering his size and build. He’ll likely never be a plus control guy, but a 9.6% BB% in 80 IP at Double-A isn’t too bad, and while that exploded to 16.7% in 12.1 IP at Triple-A, I would take it with a grain of salt considering the automated strike zone. The selling point is his truly plus stuff. He throws a mid 90’s fastball to go along with two legit secondaries in his changeup and slider. All three pitches have plus potential and get whiffs. It resulted in a 30.4% K% with a 4.39 ERA at Double-A. If the control remains below average, a high K, high WHIP mid-rotation starter is a reasonable outcome, but if he can get the control to at least average, there is #2 fantasy upside in here. 2024 Projection: 3/4.29/1.36/72 in 70 IP Prime Projection: 10/3.86/1.31/168 in 155 IP

522) Eduardo Quintero LAD, OF, 18.7 – Quintero was one of the top DSL breakouts, and is arguably THE top DSL breakout with a 180 wRC+ that led all qualified age appropriate 17 year olds. He slashed .359/.472/.618 with 5 homers, 22 steals, and a 16%/15.1% K%/BB% in 49 games. He doesn’t have De Paula or Vargas’ obvious projectable size, but he’s not small at 6’0”, 175 pounds, and he’s an electric athlete with plus speed and at least above average power potential. DSL stats have to be taken with some level of restraint, so when I truly stick my neck out for a DSL breakout, they optimally have that prototypical size and pedigree, but if you aren’t as concerned with that, Quintero has a real case to be valued equally to, or even higher than Vargas. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 83/20/77/.265/.336/.448/22

523) Brando Mayea NYY, OF, 18.7 – Signed for $4.35 million in 2023 international class, Mayea didn’t have nearly as loud of a season that Salas, Walcott or even Joendry Vargas had, but he still backed up the big signing bonus, slashing .276/.382/.400 with 3 homers, 22 steals, and a 15.9%/12.9% K%/BB% in 38 games in the DSL. Everything that landed him that big bonus is still present with a good feel to hit, double plus speed, and an athletic, quick and powerful righty swing. The ball jumps off his bat. He needs to raise his launch with a 58% GB%, and he’s not a not a huge guy at 5’11”, but even if the game power only gets to average, he could still end up a dangerous fantasy profile.  ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 88/20/81/.275/.345/.440/36

524) Zach Dezenzo HOU, 3B, 23.11 – Dezenzo is a big dude at 6’4”, 220 pounds with big raw power, and his hit tool took a big jump forward in 2023. He struggled with high strikeout rates his entire college career and in his pro debut last year, but he brought his K% all the way down to 20.3% in 31 games at High-A, and it resulted in an offensive explosion with a 195 wRC+. He couldn’t maintain the gains at Double-A with a 28.5% K% in 63 games, which is concerning, but he started lifting the ball a lot more, which allowed his power to shine with 14 homers and a 114 wRC+. He’s not a burner and he’s never stolen bases before this year, so I wouldn’t fully trust the 22 steals, but it definitely adds another layer of upside to his game. I like him, but I wouldn’t really say he is a target of mine as he’s a bit on the old side with hit tool issues and limited defensive value. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 68/23/75/.244/.318/.452/9

525) Elijah Green WAS, OF, 20.4 – I’ve coined myself the Autobahn of dynasty baseball in the past, because I’m willing to throw caution to the wind, but even I have the urge to throw a seatbelt on and slow down when it comes to Green’s 41.9% K% in 75 games at Single-A. It didn’t even come with a ton of game power with only 4 homers and a 26.7% FB%. The fact he even ranks this high shows the type of elite talent we are talking about though. He’s a yoked 6’3”, 225 pounds with double plus raw power and speed (he stole 30 bags). As we just saw with Brady House, you don’t want to write off elite draft prospects at the first sign of struggles, but extreme strikeout rate struggles are really in their own category. He needs to make major improvements to even get to below average. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 72/23/77/.234/.316/.468/24

526) Kristian Robinson ARI, OF, 23.4 – Robinson was finally able to resume his career after not playing since 2019, and he picked up right where he left off, both in a good way and a bad way. He smacked 14 homers with 23 steals and a .915 OPS in 65 games spread across 4 levels (rookie, Single-A, High-A, Double-A), but it came with a 31.6% K% which jumped to 41.2% in 5 games at Double-A. It’s also worth mentioning his groundball rates were well over 50%. You can give him a pass on the extreme K rates because he missed all of that development time, but you can’t get that development time back, and high strikeout rates were an issue for him to begin with. He kept himself in great shape and is still an elite athlete, so the hope is that he just ends up 2-3 years behind schedule, but the there is very real risk the hit tool ends up tanking him. For fantasy especially, he’s worth the upside shot, but there is a lot of work left to be done. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 72/24/77/.228/.315/.449/22

527) Rayner Arias SFG, OF, 17.11 – Arias played in only 16 games in the DSL due to a sprained wrist that he suffered while attempting to make a diving catch, but damn were those 16 games impressive. He slashed .414/.539/.793 with 4 homers, 4 steals, and a 14.5%/19.7% K%/BB%. He cracked my Top 1,000 last year at #993 on the back of plus bloodlines, a mature plate approach, and power potential with a big righty swing, so his DSL success shouldn’t come as a surprise. Many other DSL prospects got off to flaming hot starts too who ended up cooling off by the end of the year, but Arias dipped out of the season before giving his numbers a chance to regress. I would caution against putting too much weight on the ridiculous numbers, but Arias is no doubt an extremely exciting prospect. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 86/24/84/.268/.341/.458/9

528) Yophery Rodriguez MIL, OF, 18.4 – There is nothing dynasty players love more than the guy who goes from being on zero Top 100 lists, to hyped to death status in the blink of an eye, and Rodriguez is on the short list to potentially be that guy. He slashed .253/.393/.449 with 6 homers, 12 steals, and a 17.9%/18.3% K%/BB% in 52 games in the DSL. It was good for a 125 wRC+. He has the tools to back it up with a quick and powerful lefty swing that oozes potential. He also has the pedigree with a $1.5 million signing bonus. His prospect status is going to take a major jump in 2024. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 81/24/81/.266/.344/.463/14

529) Paulino Santana TEX, OF, 17.5 – Santana is the top international OF prospect, and when you watch his swing, you get it immediately. He has a blink of an eye righty swing that is absolutely electric. He combines that with a supremely athletic and projectable 6’2”, 180 pound frame. He has at least plus potential across the board. Texas just did a masterful job on the getting the hype machine overflowing with Sebastian Walcott (Santana isn’t as athletic as the truly insanely athletic Walcott), and they’re about to do the same with Santana. He’s the type of talent to stick your neck out for in first year player drafts. ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 89/26/94/.270/.340/.477/23

530) Jacob Wilson OAK, SS, 22.0 – Selected 6th overall, Wilson has one of the safest profiles in the draft. He’s a plus defensive SS with baseball bloodlines and truly elite bat to ball skills. He had a ridiculous 5/19 K/BB and .412 BA in 49 games in the WAC, and then he went to High-A and put up a 10.1% K% with a .318 BA. The power is minimal with only 6 homers this year in college and 1 homer in 26 pro games, but he’s a projectable 6’3”, 190 pounds, so Oakland is clearly betting on more power coming down the line. He’s not a burner, but he does like to run a bit with 12 steals in 14 attempts in 75 combined games. It’s not a very fantasy friendly profile as even with power gains he doesn’t expect to ever be a big home run hitter. It’s just not the profile I love going after, but in very deep leagues, I can see giving him a bump, and he should be up with Oakland in no time. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 84/14/59/.288/.347/.407/15

531) Arjun Nimmala TOR, SS, 18.6 –  Selected 20th overall, Nimmala is one of the youngest players in the class by far, and he’s already showing some of the best power potential with a recorded 103 MPH EV at a Perfect Game Event, which is elite for his age range. He has all the trademarks of being an elite power bat with a projectable 6’1”, 170 pound frame, to go along with a viciously quick and athletic righty swing. He also recorded a 6.54 60 yard dash time which is firmly above average. The hit tool still needs refinement which adds risk, but his age gives him a little extra breathing room there, and the upside is tantalizing. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 76/26/84/.248/.327/.469/12

532) George Lombard NYY, SS, 18.10 – Selected 26th overall, Lombard has baseball bloodlines with his father playing 6 years in the big leagues, and like most plus bloodlines kids, his game is mature beyond his years. He stepped right into pro ball and put up a 202 wRC+ with a 2/5 K/BB in 4 games at rookie ball, and then he closed the year out at Single-A with a 114 wRC+ and 10/8 K/BB in 9 games. He combines the high baseball IQ with plus athleticism at 6’3”, 190 pounds, and has the potential for an at least above average power/speed combo at peak. This is a really nice blend of safety and upside. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 83/22/77/.268/.341/.450/16

533) Jonny Farmelo SEA, OF, 19.7 – Selected 29th overall, the lefty Farmelo is 6’2”, 200 pounds with double plus speed, a good feel to hit and below average power. He’s already pretty built up, and while there is clearly still room for more muscle at only 19 years old, his swing is geared more towards line drives. That’s not necessarily a bad thing as he’s a true speedster, and he knows how to get the bat on the ball. He has a very nice blend of safety and ceiling. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 79/16/68/.266/.329/.427/23

534) Jun-seok Shim PIT, RHP, 20.0 – Shim has the size and stuff to be a major riser on rankings in 2024, but he’s pitched only 8 innings in his pro career, so he’s still mostly a mystery. I liked him a lot in first year player drafts last year because he has an innings eater build at 6’4”, 215 pounds, and he has the big fastball befitting of his stature with mid to upper 90’s heat. He has good control over his entire 4 pitch arsenal, with a big curveball as his best secondary. In those 8 innings, he put up a 3.38 ERA with a 43.3%/10% K%/BB% at stateside rookie ball. I really like him as a super cheap target. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 11/3.76/1.25/165 in 160 IP

535) Patrick Sandoval LAA, LHP, 27.6 – Sandoval took a major step back in 2023. His ERA rose from 2.91 to 4.11, his K% dropped from 23.7% to 19.6%, and his BB% rose from 9.4% to 11.3%. His velocity was normal, he still had an above average 27.7% whiff%, he still induced weak contact with a 87.6 MPH EV, and the changeup was still excellent with a 43.2% whiff%. The problem was that his heavily used slider took a step back with a ..330 xwOBA and 28.3% whiff%, and his 93.1 MPH fastball is atrocious with a .404 xwOBA. There are elements to like here, but with below average control that got even worse in 2023, it’s hard to think it’s all going to come together for a truly breakout season. He’s only 27 and pitcher development is notoriously non linear, but without improvements to his command and/or velocity, he’s settling in as a #4 starter. 2024 Projection: 9/3.92/1.32/146 in 150 IP

536) Jameson Taillon CHC, RHP, 32.4 – Taillon had that hint of late career breakout hope for a few years as the former 2nd overall pick in the draft, but that hope has dissipated. He had another mediocre year with a 4.84 ERA and 21.4%/6.3% K%/BB% in 154.1 IP. He throws a diverse pitch mix, but none are standout pitches. He was much better in the 2nd half of the season with a 3.38 ERA and 81/21 K/BB in 90.2 IP, so I guess there is some hope he can carry that over into next year. 2024 Projection: 10/4.18/1.25/145 in 160 IP

537) Kenta Maeda DET, RHP, 36.0 – You can’t expect Maeda to rack up innings as he’s had the injury prone tag his entire career, but almost nobody racks up innings anymore, and when he’s out there on the mound, he produces. He had a 3.74 xERA (4.23 ERA) with an excellent 27.3%/6.5% K%/BB% in 104.1 IP. His best pitch is a plus splitter which he combines with an above average slider and fastball. In my shallower leagues, he’s always someone I scoop up for a few dollars at the end of the auction. 2024 Projection: 8/3.78/1.20/143 in 130 IP

538) Dean Kremer BAL, RHP, 28.3 – Kremer was able to maintain most of the control gains he made in 2022 with a 7.5% BB%, and he added a tick of velocity with a 94.1 MPH fastball. It allowed his 4-seamer and cutter to play as above average pitches with a 26.2% and 27.7% whiff%, respectively. But none of his off-speed pitches are very good, and he had a mediocre season overall with a 4.12 ERA and 21.4%/7.5% K%/BB% in 172.2 IP. With only good but not great control, a #4 starter profile is what we are looking at. 2024 Projection: 10/4.10/1.29/140 in 160 IP

539) Michael Wacha KCR, RHP, 32.9 – Wacha throws a heavily used (34.5% usage) double plus changeup that put up a .234 xwOBA and 35.9% whiff%, but that is really the only good thing in his profile. He hasn’t thrown more than 134.1 IP since 2017, his K rates are mediocre (22.4%), he doesn’t keep the ball on the ground (18.5 degree launch), and the control is above average but not great (7.8% BB%). He has put up excellent ERA’s 2 years in a row (3.32 in 2022 and 3.22 in 2023), but his xERA’s were much worse (4.56 and 4.27). He can be a serviceable mid to back end fantasy starter, but it’s just not a profile that I find all that enticing. 2024 Projection: 7/3.78/1.23/128 in 140 IP

540) John Means BAL, RHP, 30.11 – Means underwent Tommy John surgery in April 2022 and didn’t return until September of 2023. He made 4 starts and put up a 2.66 ERA with a 11.4%/4.5% K%/BB% in 23.2 IP, but he was then shutdown before the playoffs with elbow soreness. The stuff wasn’t far off from career norms, but it was on the low end, and he wasn’t missing any bats at all. If he didn’t get hurt again, I might be apt to give him the benefit of the doubt on returning to full health in 2024, but considering the renewed elbow soreness, the upside isn’t high enough for me to take on the extra risk. 2024 Projection: 7/3.99/1.23/120 in 130 IP

541) Clarke Schmidt NYY, RHP, 28.1 – Clarke improved his control in 2023 with a 6.6% BB% (9.7% in 2022), but his strikeout rate came down with it with a lowly 21.5% K% (23.7% in 2022). His sweeper took a major step back in particular with a 26.3% whiff% (40.7% in 2022). It led to a 4.64 ERA in 159 IP. Nothing in his profile is really standout, but nothing looks all that concerning either. He’s a #4 starter. 2024 Projection: 9/4.21/1.31/141 in 150 IP

542) Tyler Stephenson CIN, C, 27.8 – The 6’4”, 225 pound Stephenson is just not living up to his promise with the bat. He majorly outperformed his underlying numbers in 2020-2022, and he wasn’t able to repeat that trick in 2023 with a 85 wRC+ in 142 games (.305 wOBA vs. .314 xwOBA). The hit tool is regressing with a career worst 28.4% whiff% and .243 BA. The only silver lining is that he hit the ball harder than he ever has with a career best 7.6% Barrel%, 43.5% Hard Hit% and 89.4/94.7 MPH AVG/FB EV. Catchers are notorious for later career offensive breakouts, and he’s always had the raw power to take this step. He’s never been a target for me, and he still isn’t, but I do see a muddied path to Top 12 catcher production with a little luck on his side and hitting in a great ballpark. 2024 Projection: 62/15/63/.258/.333/.416/1

543) Victor Robles WAS, OF, 26.11 – Back spasms ended Robles season after just 36 games, but they were the best 36 games of his career with a 112 wRC+, 8 steals, and a .322 xwOBA. He massively improved his plate approach with a career best 14.3%/8.7% K%/BB%, and he brough his EV way up to a not terrible 86.7 MPH. He needed to bring his launch way down to do it at 9.9 degrees, and he didn’t hit a single homer. He still seems to have the starting CF job, and while the upside isn’t high, he could be a legit contributor in steals if the plate approach gains prove real. 2024 Projection: 63/8/46/.253/.319/.382/24

544) Jordan Wicks CHC, LHP, 24.7 – Wicks is the type of safety over upside prospect that is more valuable in deeper leagues, but it’s not like there are no skills to get excited about. He understands the art of pitching with a 6 pitch mix, he has a legitimate plus offering in his changeup, and he keeps the ball on the ground with 3 of his pitches generating negative launch angles (sinker, cutter, curve). He had a 3.55 ERA with a 26.5%/8.6% K%/BB% in 91.1 IP split between Double-A and Triple-A, and then he held his own in the majors with a 4.41 ERA (4.18 xERA) and 16.3%/7.5% K%/BB% in 34.2 IP.  It’s likely #4 starter upside with only 92.1 MPH heat and average control, but he’s worth a spot in the back of your fantasy rotation even in shallower leagues. 2024 Projection: 9/4.22/1.31/136 in 150 IP

545) Jordan Hicks SFG, RHP, 27.7 – The Giants signed Hicks to a 4 year, $44 million contract and announced they plan on using him as a “starter.” I put “starter” in quotes, because I’m not sure SF really fully understands what the accepted definition of starter is. I’m expecting them to deploy him in a variety of roles (opener, follower, multi inning reliever, one inning reliever, janitor, ticket salesman, stadium security …). He throws insane gas with a 100.1 MPH sinker that put up a negative 6 degree launch and 86.9 MPH EV against, to go along with an elite sweeper that notched a 59.5% whiff%. It resulted in a 3.29 ERA with a 28.4%/11.2% K%/BB% in 65.2 IP in a one inning role. I would be much more comfortable going after him in deeper leagues where I’m not as concerned about his role, but if you’re in a shallow-ish QS league, it might be hard to really figure out where he fits in on your squad. 2024 Projection: 7/3.82/1.34/120 in 110 IP

546) Nick Martinez CIN, RHP, 33.8 – Going from San Diego to Cincinnati is a major ballpark downgrade, and Martinez doesn’t have a guaranteed rotation spot, but he has a super interesting profile. His bat missing ability took a major step forward in 2023 with an excellent 28.6% whiff%. He throws a legit 5 pitch mix led by an elite changeup that notched a .204 xwOBA and 46.5% whiff%. He keeps the ball on the ground with a 6.4 degree launch, and he induces weak contact with a 84.7 MPH EV against. It led to a 3.43 ERA with a 23%/8.7% K%/BB% in 110.1 IP. Keeping the ball on the ground and missing bats is a good combo for Great American Ball Park. He might end up in a swingman role, but Martinez has a relatively high floor and some very sneaky upside. 2024 Projection: 7/3.79/1.30/120 in 125 IP

547) Josiah Gray WAS, RHP, 26.3 – While Gore is a young Nationals pitcher I’m willing to stick my neck out for, Gray is one I’m selling. I’m not buying his 3.91 ERA in 159 IP at all with xERA, xFIP, and SIERA all sitting around 5.00. He put up a 4.76 ERA in the 2nd half, the 20.5%/11.5% K%/BB% doesn’t inspire much confidence, and his stuff really isn’t that big with a 93.5 MPH 4-seamer. ERA can hold at least some weight in trade talks, so his good ERA combined with his age and former prospect pedigree could result in you actually getting a decent return for him this off-season. 2024 Projection: 8/4.33/1.35/154 in 160 IP

548) Tylor Megill NYM, RHP, 28.8 – The Senga injury opened the door for Megill to win a rotation spot, and he’s that door down in the spring with a dominating performance. He’s working on some new pitches, and as usual, the stuff is enticing enough to get a little excited for him. This isn’t the first Megill hype train though, and he’s yet to put up an ERA better than 4.52. He has a career 4.72 ERA in 263.1 IP, so have some caution, but he’s definitely worth a flier in the back of your rotation. 2024 Projection: 9/4.32/1.33/135 in 140 IP

549) Reynaldo Lopez ATL, RHP, 30.3 – Lopez’ filthy stuff got even filthier with a career high 98.2 MPH fastball, and it resulted in his best season ever with a 3.27 ERA and 29.9%/12.2% K%/BB% in 66 IP. Atlanta is now in the process of turning him back into a starter, which is something he is familiar with as he threw over 180 IP in both 2018 and 2019. He’s been looking good in spring as well, and he has the arsenal to start if he throws his solid changeup more. He might be the favorite for the 5th starter job, and is definitely entering target range. 2024 Projection: 8/3.89/1.27/129 in 130 IP

550) Joe Boyle OAK, RHP, 24.8 – Oakland is the land of misfit toys, and Joe “Wild Thing” Boyle is making himself at home. He’s put up insanely high walk rates every single year of his career, sitting at 17.8% in 117.1 IP split between Double-A and Triple-A in 2023. But Oakland has nothing to lose by letting his elite stuff fly in the majors and letting the chips fall where they may, and the chips fell in a perfect spot in his 16 IP MLB debut at the end of the season. He put up a 1.69 ERA with a 25%/8.3% K%/BB% over 3 outings. The fastball sat 97.8 MPH and the slider was plus with a .186 xwOBA and 32.3% whiff%. His entire career says you shouldn’t trust that MLB BB%, but Oakland seems intent on unleashing him, and you gotta love the upside. If the price is right, why not take a shot on him, and he has the fallback of having elite reliever potential. 2024 Projection: 5/4.43/1.44/126 in 120 IP Prime Projection: 4/3.43/1.24/85/20 saves in 65 IP Update: The improved control has so far transferred into the spring, and while I’m still not going after him, it definitely makes him more enticing

551) Michael Kopech CHW, Closer Committee, 27.11 – Kopech was a disaster in 2023 with a 5.43 ERA and 22.7%/15.4% K%/BB% in 129.1 IP. He battled a shoulder injury mid year and knee surgery ended his season in late September. The only silver lining is that he still throws hard with a 95.2 MPH fastball, but it’s a below average fastball regardless with a 91.4 MPH EV against. He looked so bad in spring too that Chicago just moved him to the bullpen, which is actually a boom to his value because at least now he has a chance to win the closer job. 2024 Projection: 4/3.81/1.30/71/15 saves in 65 IP

552) Lance Lynn STL, RHP, 36.11 – If the Dodgers couldn’t magically turn Lynn around, what hope do the rest of the mere mortals have? St. Louis is willing to give it a shot for a cool $11 million, but I wouldn’t even spend $11 of fake auction money on him. He had a 5.73 ERA (4.83 xERA) with a 5 year worst 23.6%/8.3% K%/BB% in 183.2 IP. His velocity is on a 5 year decline with it tanking to 92.6 MPH, and his 10.4% Barrel% is a career worst by far. Like I mentioned above, the Dodgers tried to work their magic, and while they did manage to bring his ERA down to 4.36 in 64 IP, they needed to kill his strikeout rate to do it with a 17.2% K%. He’ll be 37 years old about one month into the 2024 season, and his decline couldn’t be more clear cut, starting in 2022 and really hitting it’s stride in 2023. I do expect him to bounce back somewhat from his disaster season, and St. Louis is building a nursing home rotation of old, low velocity, pitch to contact pitchers, so maybe he can learn a thing or two about how to survive in your decline years, but his days of being a truly impact fantasy starter seem over. 2024 Projection: 10/4.27/1.31/158 in 165 IP

553) Keaton Winn SFG, RHP, 26.1 – Winn is in starter/reliever limbo where it’s hard to really prioritize him when he can easily end up in the bullpen long term. He has a fastball/splitter combo that probably belongs in the bullpen, so that is where I am projecting him. In his MLB debut, the fastball sat 96 MPH with a 30% whiff% and the splitter put up a 34.4% whiff% with a .271 xwOBA. He only put up a 4.68 ERA with a 20.3%/4.7% K%/BB% in 42.1 IP, but that K% is definitely on the low side with a 30% whiff%. He’s had good control in his career other than with the automated strike zone at Triple-A. If you are looking for possible breakout late inning relievers, Winn is not a bad option, and I guess there is chance they keep him in the rotation. 2024 Projection: 7/3.95/1.33/110 in 100 IP

554) Mike Soroka CHW, RHP, 26.8 – It looks like injuries took another super talented pitcher from us. Soroka returned to the mound after tearing his Achilles twice and missing two seasons, and he looked mighty rusty out there, to say the least. He put up a 6.40 ERA with a 20%/8.3% K%/BB% in 32.1 IP. He was then shutdown in September with a forearm injury. He was better at Triple-A with a 3.41 ERA and 25.9%/7.9% K%/BB% in 87 IP, and the velocity was good at 93.2 MPH, but there really isn’t anything else to hang your hat on. All of his 4 pitches were below average. Betting on Soroka is basically just a shot in the dark the he will get better as he gets further away from those injuries, but picking up a forearm injury to end the year makes it hard to even want to bet on that. He should go for super, super, super cheap, so I guess there’s that. 2024 Projection: 6/4.29/1.33/107 in 120 IP Upate: He’s looked solid spring, and while I’m still not going after him, it makes me a little more likely to take a flier on him

555) Alec Burleson STL, OF, 25.4 – All signs point towards Burleson being a really good hitter if given the chance, but he’s a poor defensive player, so there is no guarantee he is given the chance, and the leash will also be very short. He hits the ball hard with a 89.9 MPH EV, he has elite contact rates with a 13% K%, and he has a solid 12.4 degree launch. It was good for a well above average .337 xwOBA in 347 MLB PA. The surface stats weren’t nearly as impressive with a .244 BA, 8 homers, and a 89 wRC+, but a lot of that was surely bad luck with a .300 wOBA. I don’t really see a path to full time at bats, so he’s merely a flier in medium to deeper leagues, but I legitimately like the bat. 2024 Projection: 58/16/64/.264/.322/.436/5

556) Dominic Canzone SEA, OF, 26.8 – Canzone has a pretty similar profile to Alec Burleson. He’s a poor defensive player who hits the ball hard (89.7 MPH EV), gets the bat on the ball (17.6% K%), and lifts it (16.3 degree launch). The MLB debut wasn’t great with a .282 wOBA, but the .326 xwOBA looks much better. There isn’t a path to full time at bats, but I like the bat in general. 2024 Projection: 57/17/63/.255/.319/.429/6

557) Tyler Freeman CLE, 3B/2B, 24.10 – It doesn’t look like Freeman is going to develop the necessary power to let his profile shine with a 85.8 MPH EV in 168 MLB PA. He gets the bat on the ball (17.9% K%) and he’s fast (28.6 ft/sec sprint), but he hasn’t been great on defense and he’s never really been a huge base stealer. He did have a .272 xBA (.242 BA) and a .315 xwOBA (.290 wOBA), so he got a bit unlucky in 2023, but he’s a utility infielder until hopefully he can develop enough power in his mid to late 20’s. 2024 Projection: 61/9/41/.261/.321/.398/18 Update: Cleveland transitioned Freeman to OF and it seems he won the CF job

558) Luke Raley SEA, 1B/OF, 29.6 – The move to Seattle definitely gives Raley a bump as there is now a chance he could have a full time role, and he hit lefties well enough in 2023 to win one with a .741 OPS. He hit 19 homers with 14 steals in 406 PA, and the underlying numbers back it up with a 12.9% Barrel%, 91.1/94.6 MPH AVG/FB EV, 17.3 degree launch, and 28.8 ft/sec sprint speed. On the flip side, it comes with a terrible 31.4%/6.9% K%/BB% and 38.9% whiff%. The hit tool still makes him risky, and there is no guarantee he isn’t platooned, but the power/speed combo is high enough to make him an enticing upside pick. 2024 Projection: 58/18/61/.235/.319/.448/13 Update: It looks like Raley might have lost that starting job to Canzone

559) LaMonte Wade SFG, 1B/OF, 33.3 – Wade is a strong side of a platoon bat who makes the most out of his average-ish power (88.4/92.6 MPH AVG/FB EV) with a high launch (17.4 degrees), a high Pull% (43.3%), and an excellent plate approach (18.3%/14.6% K%/BB%). 2024 Projection: 72/18/65/.250/.350/.427/2

560) Seth Brown OAK, OF, 31.9 – Brown is a strong side of a platoon bat at best, and it wouldn’t be surprising if he ends up a bench bat, even on Oakland. He’s a below average defensive player and average-ish hitter. The bottom dropped out for him in 2023 with a 92 wRC+, but that was mostly bad luck as the underlying numbers were mostly within career norms, except for sprint speed (27.3 ft/sec), which shows he might be passed his physical prime. He hits the ball very hard with a 90.5 MPH EV and 16.4 degree launch, so he’ll pop plenty of dingers, but he might hurt you in every other category. 2024 Projection: 53/23/70/.233/.308/.434/7

561) Javier Baez DET, SS, 31.4 – Not only didn’t Baez bounce back from a poor 2022, but he tanked even further with a horrific 61 wRC+ in 136 games, and the underlying numbers aren’t giving him a lifeline either. His 5.2% Barrel% was a career low and his .283 xwOBA was well below average. He doesn’t walk with a 4.4% BB% and he swings and misses a lot with a 32.6% whiff%. His power metrics are all down from his prime years and so is his speed. He’s only 31 years old, he’s a plus defensive shortstop, and an 88 MPH EV with a 28.1 ft/sec sprint and 22.9% K% doesn’t seem hopeless, so I don’t think a bounce back would be crazy, but you would be crazy to be banking on it. He’s a bench flier. 2024 Projection: 64/17/68/.236/.281/.398/13

562) Willi Castro MIN, OF/3B, 26.11 – Castro stole 33 bags in 409 PA in 2023. That right there is all you need to know to make him fantasy relevant, and unfortunately, that is just about all he does well too. The hit tool and plate approach have been average at best his entire pro career (24.2%/8.3% K%/BB% in 2023), and the power has been below average (86.5 MPH EV). He looks to be in a 400+ PA super utility role. 2024 Projection: 52/9/39/.253/.321/.396/22

563) Brenton Doyle COL, OF, 25.10 – I talked about how much opportunity plays a role in success in the New York Mets Dynasty Team Report, and Doyle’s elite CF defense could very well earn him that opportunity. He put up a 21.6 defensive value in 126 games in 2023, which allowed him to put up a 0.9 WAR despite a horrible 43 wRC+. There is no way around it, he’s a terrible hitter with a 35%/5.1% K%/BB%, but he still managed to jack 10 homers with 22 steals. He has elite speed (29.9 ft/sec sprint) and average power (88.3 MPH EV). There’s no guarantee he can hold down the starting CF job, but his elite defense gives Colorado every reason to give him enough leash to figure it out, and if he does figure it out, he can be an impact fantasy player. 2024 Projection: 52/12/36/.230/.299/.396/23 Update: Doyle’s contact rates have looked much better this spring. He’s still only in flier range for me, but he’s more interesting now

564) Lucas Giolito BOS, RHP, 29.9 – Giolito dropped off a cliff in 2022, and he was still at the bottom of the cliff in 2023. He put up a 4.88 ERA with a 25.7%/9.2% K%/BB% in 184.1 IP. His velocity is still down from prime levels with a 93.1 MPH fastball, and his formerly plus changeup and slider are now average-ish. I could see giving him the track record benefit of the doubt in 2023, but doing it again in 2024 just seems like wishful thinking. 2024 Projection: 10/4.23/1.30/191 in 175 IP Update: Diagnosed with a torn UCL and flexor strain and could miss all of 2024 at the least

565) Ramon Laureano CLE, OF, 29.9 – Laureano didn’t take advantage of the new stolen base rules with 12 steals in 105 games, so his formerly relatively valuable modest stolen base totals are no longer nearly as valuable. And he doesn’t have the BA or power to make up for it with a .224 BA (career .245 BA) and 9 homers. He currently has a full time job, but he doesn’t hit righties well (.613 OPS), so he can very quickly turn into a short side of a platoon player. 2024 Projection: 60/16/50/.237/.311/.400/15

566) Jon Berti MIA, SS/3B, 34.2 – Good luck trying to get a read on Berti’s stolen base projections. He stole 26 bags in 112 games in 2019-2020 combined, then he stole a measly 8 bags in 85 games in 2021, before exploding with 41 steals in 102 games in 2022, and then falling back down in 2023 with only 16 steals in 133 games with the new rules. There doesn’t seem to be a rhyme or reason for how much he runs, and you know me, I’m constantly looking for rhyme’s to explain why guys steal bases. He has double plus speed with a 29.3 ft/sec sprint, so declining speed isn’t the reason either. He put up a career best .294 BA with a 18.2% K% in 2023, but at 33 years old, I’m not sure I can fully buy into the huge BA jump, and it came at the cost of his BB% (6.8%) and EV (85.4 MPH). At the end of the day, Berti’s value is tied to his stolen bases, and your guess is as good as mine for where they will land in 2024. 2024 Projection: 71/9/48/.264/.335/.386/25

567) Whit Merrifield PHI, 2B/OF, 35.2 – Merrifield has actually aged relatively gracefully, and he had another productive fantasy season in 2023 with 11 homers, 26 steals, and a .272 BA. His speed is still more or less in prime form with a 28.7 ft/sec sprint speed. But it’s still clear he’s in a decline. His 85.1 MPH EV and .276 xwOBA were both career lows, and even with the solid surface stats, it resulted in only a 130th overall finish on the Razzball Player Rater. He seems to be a super utility player for Philly, so you can’t count on full time at bats. 2024 Projection: 61/9/52/.262/.310/.380/19

568) J.D. Davis OAK, 3B, 30.11 – Davis received a career high by far 546 PA, and he really wasn’t able to do much with them with 18 homers, 61 Runs, 69 RBI, and a .248/.325 BA/OBP. The ballpark did him no favors and a 27.8 K%, 7.8 degree launch, and 25.7 ft/sec sprint is really not the recipe for success. He hits the ball tremendously hard with a 91.1/94.6 MPH AVG/FB EV, but without the supporting skills, it will only lead to a decent season like 2023. 2024 Projection: 65/19/73/.252/.334/.427/1

569) Cavan Biggio TOR, 1B/2B/OF, 29.0 – There seems to be enough open spots in Toronto at the moment that Biggio has a chance of carving out an almost full time role. He’s a high strikeout player (26% K%) who hits a lot of weak flyballs (92.2 MPH FB EV with a 15.7 degree launch). It led to a .235 BA with only 9 homers in 338 PA. OBP is what you’re buying with a .340 OBP and 11.8% BB%, and he’ll also steal a handful of bags with a 28.3 ft/sec sprint. In OBP leagues, there is a path to legit value with a moderate power/speed combo, but in BA leagues, the power/speed combo isn’t good enough enough to make up for a BA that will drag you. 2024 Projection: 69/14/54/.232/.341/.389/9

570) Charlie Blackmon COL, OF, 37.9 – Blackmon’s contact rates are still in prime form as he actually put up a career best 13.3% K% in 2023, but his power/speed combo has declined to the point where he isn’t an impact fantasy player. He put up a 86.4 MPH EV with 8 homers and 4 steals in 96 games. His decline started 4 years ago, and I will give him credit that he plateaued over the next 4 years, maintaining about average production. He signed a one year contract extension with Colorado, and it sure seems like this could be his final year. 2024 Projection: 73/15/62/.270/.340/.430/7

571) JJ Bleday OAK, OF, 26.5 – Bleday took a step forward in his 2nd year in the majors, but that step took him from horrible to just below average with a 92 wRC+ in 82 games. The overall underlying numbers weren’t good either with a .298 xwOBA, but some of the individual components show hope. He had an average 6.4% Barrel% with a respectable 88.6/93.8 MPH AVG/FB EV, 15.5 degree launch, and 23.8%/13.9% K%/BB%. Those numbers should be good enough to hit for some real power with a solid BA. A .226 BABIP seems at least partly responsible for the .195 BA, and he did manage 10 homers in about half a season. He’s not fast, but he also chipped in 5 steals. There is actually a legitimate path for Bleday to be a good platoon bat (he’s terrible vs. lefties), and while Oakland’s terrible lineup will drag down anything he is able to muster up, that is also the reason he even has playing time in the first place. 2024 Projection: 48/15/43/.227/.321/.416/7

572) Joey Loperfido HOU, OF/2B, 24.11 – Loperfido actually already broke out in 2022 with a 142 wRC+ at Single-A and 166 wRC+ at High-A, but nobody seemed to care or notice. We’re noticing him now though with him fully keeping it up at Double-A, slashing .296/.392/.548 with 19 homers, 20 steals, and a 22.2%/12.9% K%/BB% in 84 games. He most certainly has the talent to back up the production at 6’4”, 220 pounds with plus power, plus speed, and a big lefty swing. He fell off towards the end of the year at Triple-A with a 32.6% K% and 79 wRC+ in 32 games, he’s on the old side even for the upper minors, and the groundball rates are higher than optimal, but I’m mostly buying the breakout. 2024 Projection: 27/5/22/.229/.302/.412/5 Prime Projection: 73/22/76/.247/.321/.448/16

573) Cam Collier CIN, 3B, 19.4 – Collier had a very lackluster season with only 6 homers, a 53% GB%, and a .706 OPS in 111 games at Single-A. There is no doubt his value is lower today than it was last off-season, but there are enough positives to think the best is yet to come. He was very young for his draft class and was just 18 years old playing the entire season in full season ball. He hit the ball very hard, especially for his age, and he showed a strong plate approach with a 23%/12.4% K%/BB%. His 98 wRC+ was also nearly average. If he can raise his launch angle, and I would bet on him being able to do so, he can still very easily live up to hit plus hit/power profile coming out of the draft. He’s a hold. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 77/24/84/.265/.334/.468/5

574) Blake Dunn CIN, OF, 25.7 – Dunn had a bonkos statistical season, slashing .312/.425/.522 with 23 homers, 54 steals, and a 23.3%/11.1% K%/BB% in 124 games at High-A and Double-A, but there are reasons to not go all in. He’s already 25 years old, his hard hit rates and EV are mediocre, and good luck figuring out where he fits into Cincy’s stacked organization. He might be in his late 20’s by the time he hits his full stride in the majors and has a full time job open up. He has the speed to make a fantasy impact if he does get playing time, and the hit tool is solid, so I certainly see the upside, but he’s not really a target for me. 2024 Projection: 18/3/15/.246/.310/.402/6 Prime Projection: 69/16/66/.261/.327/.423/26

575) Denzel Clarke OAK, OF, 23.11 – Lawrence and Clarke both came into 2023 as tooled up prospects with major hit tool issues, and while Butler was able to take a monster step forward, Clarke remains a tooled up prospect with major hit tool issues. He went Double-A and slashed .261/.381/.496 with 12 homers, 11 steals, and a 29.7%/12.9% K%/BB% in 64 games. He hits the ball very hard at 6’5”, 220 pounds and he has some speed too, but the hit tool can tank him. Oakland is a perfect organization to take a shot on guy like him though. 2024 Projection: 17/6/22/.214/.292/.418/3 Prime Projection: 69/27/78/.229/.316/.452/13

576) Edwin Arroyo CIN, SS, 20.7 – Arroyo got off to a cold start in April and May, be he turned it on in June and never looked back, slashing .281/.360/.480 with 9 homers, 25 steals, and a 20.1%/10.1% K%/BB% in his final 89 games. 4 of those games came at Double-A where he put up a 153 wRC+, albeit with a 30%/5% K%/BB%. He’s a switch hitter who hits well from both sides of the plate, he has plus speed, and at 6’0”, 175 pounds, there is definitely room for him to add more power. I’m not sure I see a star when I watch him, but he’s still quite young, and I wouldn’t completely rule that out as a possibility at this point. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 79/18/74/.253/.320/.428/25 Update: Underwent season ending shoulder surgery

577) Jake Cronenworth SDP, 2B/1B, 30.2 – Cronenworth has gotten worse every single year of his career with a .831 OPS in 2020, .800 OPS in 2021, .722 OPS in 2022, and a .689 OPS in 2023. He’s the Benjamin Button of Baseball. He hits the ball weakly with a 87.4/91.0 MPH AVG/FB EV, he hits the ball in the air with a 15.2 degree launch, and he plays in one of the worst parks for lefty homers. That isn’t a recipe for success, and that played out in 2023 with only 10 homers and a .229 BA. He doesn’t have much competition for the job at the moment, but San Diego could always bring someone in this off-season, there is talk of moving Bogaerts off SS with Jackson Merrill not too far off, and Nathan Martorella is lurking too. He’s basically a worst case scenario 1B/2B at this point and is quickly headed to a bench role. 2024 Projection: 67/14/59/.242/.324/.394/5

578) Keiner Delgado NYY, 2B/SS, 20.3 – Delgado backed up his 2022 breakout in the DSL with all of his skills transferring stateside in 2023, slashing .293/.414/.485 with 8 homers, 36 steals, and a 13%/15.1% K%/BB% in 49 games. Proving it stateside is one box checked off, but he was still one year older than optimal for the level, and he is still a small guy at only 5’7”. It wouldn’t be all that surprising if he ended up a utility infielder, but he’s a legitimately electric player who I think can overcome his small stature. If he can keep up the production at a more age appropriate level, he will be an easy Top 100 prospect. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 83/16/62/.273/.343/.428/26

579) Edgar Quero CHW, C, 21.0 – Quero is a relatively boring fantasy prospect. He has a plus plate approach (16.7%/15.8% K%/BB%), strong age to level production (106 wRC+ as a 20 year old at Double-A), and above average raw power, but he hit only 6 homers in 101 games due to a 50% GB%. He’s also not a great defensive catcher, so it is no guarantee that his glove locks him down a full time catching job. Chicago’s catcher of the future job (and catcher of the present job) is wide open at the moment, so Quero might not have to even be that great to take ahold of the job in the near future. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 66/17/65/.267/.340/.432/5

580) Jackson Ferris LAD, LHP, 20.3 – Ferris is a big, slinging lefty at 6’4”, 195 pound lefty with a plus mid 90’s fastball that absolutely explodes out of his hand. He combines the heat with a two potentially plus breakers (slider, curve), and a lesser used, developing changeup. He dominated Single-A hitters with a 3.38 ERA and 32.5% K% in 56 IP, and while he did it in mostly short outings, he was up to 5 IP a couple times towards the end of the season. Along with staying healthy and building up innings, the biggest issue will be his control. He had a 13.9% BB% and he doesn’t exactly have the most repeatable delivery. There is elite pitching prospect upside with control gains and continued refinement, but there is also bullpen risk. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 11/3.77/1.32/185 in 160 IP

581) Jack Leiter TEX, RHP, 23.11 – Leiter followed up a disaster pro debut in 2022 with a slightly better, but still bad season in 2023. He put up a 5.19 ERA with a 30.7%/13.2% K%/BB% in 85 IP at mostly Double-A. The talent that made him the 2nd pick in the 2021 Draft is still there with an athletic delivery, an electric mid 90’s fastball, and a plus slider. Striking out over 30% of batters in the upper minors is impressive, and after Texas put him on the developmental list for almost 2 months in July-August for mechanical tweaks, he came back with better control, putting up a 29/6 K/BB in his final 19.2 IP. I’m inclined to keep betting on the talent and bloodlines here, although I think a high K mid rotation starter is a more reasonable ceiling right now. 2024 Projection: 2/4.38/1.39/31 in 30 IP Prime Projection:  10/3.95/1.32/179 in 165 IP

582) Brock Porter TEX, RHP, 20.10 – Porter pitched almost exactly to my scouting report of him coming out of the draft. The delivery still doesn’t look particularly great to me and his control/command is scattershot with a 14.3% BB% in 69.1 IP at Single-A, but the stuff is filthy with 3 potentially plus pitches. The fastball sits mid 90’s, the changeup is a nasty dive bombing pitch, and the breaking ball is potentially plus but still needs refinement. It led to a 2.47 ERA with a 32.4% K%. There is rawness all around in his game, but it was a successful pro debut in 2023, and there should only be further improvements from here. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 10/3.86/1.30/183 in 165 IP

583) Thomas White MIA, LHP, 19.6 – Selected 35th overall in the 2023 MLB Draft, White is a big lefty with big stuff who is really easy to dream on. He’s 6’5”, 210 pounds with a mid 90’s fastball and two potentially plus secondaries in his curve and change that he fires from an almost sidearm lefty delivery. The delivery is very easy and repeatable. He doesn’t have pinpoint command, and he walked 6 batters in his 4.1 IP pro debut, so it’s possible control will be an issue early in his career. He has legitimate top of the rotation upside, but he obviously still has a lot to prove. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 12/3.79/1.28/190 in 170 IP

584) Hyun-Seok Jang LAD, RHP, 20.0 – When the Dodgers aggressively go after somebody (they made a trade for international moola right before signing Jang), you take notice, and you also jump aboard knowing how good they are at development. The 6’4”, 200 pound Jang was expected to be the #1 overall pick in the Korea League Draft before signing with LA, and after watching every video I could find of him, it’s very easy to see why. His stuff is genuinely explosive with a plus to double plus 4 pitch mix. He throws a mid 90’s fastball that rockets out of his hand, a knee buckling curve that looks like it could be double plus, a plus slider, and a potentially plus change. He is also way mature beyond his years on the mound with an athletic delivery and good control. I think he has legit ace upside and isn’t going to be ranked even close to where he deserves to be. Go after Jang hard in first year player drafts, and I’m tempted to go even higher on him, but you likely won’t have to reach too far to grab him in your drafts  based on his current hype. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 13/3.56/1.18/185 in 170 IP

585) Ryan Weathers MIA, LHP, 24.4 – Weathers has put himself back on the map with a strong spring and showing increased stuff. Injuries have also opened up a spot in the rotation for him to prove himself before everyone gets healthy. It puts him in flier range. 2024 Projection: 6/4.33/1.34/108 in 120 IP

586) Liover Peguero PIT, 2B/SS, 23.3 – Peguero is one of many Pitt infielders vying for the 2nd base job, but any of them would just be keeping the seat warm for Termarr Johnson, and honestly, Johnson might be better than all of them already. Peguero put together a solid season in the upper minors, slashing .260/.333/.462 with 13 homers, 21 steals, and a 17.5%/10.1% K%/BB% in 76 games at mostly Double-A, but he was very bad in his MLB debut with a 74 wRC+, .270 xwOBA, and a 31.5%/5.2% K%/BB% in 213 PA. His groundball rates have been generally high throughout his minor league career (4.1 degree launch in the majors), he’s mostly had a slightly below average plate approach which reared it’s ugly head in the majors, and while his 89.3 MPH AVG EV was strong, it sat at only 91.8 MPH for FB/LD. He has double plus speed (29.3 ft.sec sprint) and at 6’2”, 200 pounds, there should only be more power coming, so there is real upside in his profile, but it’s not one I’m really reaching for. 2024 Projection: 36/7/31/.244/.308/.397/12 Prime Projection: 74/18/66/.258/.322/.417/22

587) Jo Adell LAA, OF, 25.0 – There are zero signs that Adell is any closer to figuring out MLB pitchers. He put up a 40.3%/6.5% K%/BB% in 62 MLB PA, and when he returned from an oblique injury in September, he put up a .628 OPS with a 19/3 K/BB in 12 games. He played well at Triple-A with a 122 wRC+ and 26.4%/12.1% K%/BB%, but considering there was literally zero improvement in the majors, I’m not sure it really matters. Adell wouldn’t be the first super toolsy guy who couldn’t figure out MLB pitching until his late 20’s, so I don’t think a late career breakout is out of the question, but he also wouldn’t be the first who never figured it out. 2024 Projection: 27/8/34/.224/.298/.426/4

588) Ji-Hwan Bae PIT, 2B/OF, 24.8 – Bae had a poor rookie year with a 66 wRC+, and he’s going to have to fight for playing time, but there is a very valuable fantasy profile lurking in here. The speed is truly elite with a 29.7 ft/sec sprint and 24 steals in 371 PA, he hits the ball hard for his profile with a 88.1/92.6 MPH AVG/FB EV, and he has a solid plate approach with a 24.8%/8.1% K%/BB%. His speed alone will provide fantasy value if he gets the playing time, and he has the potential to be more than just a speed guy. 2024 Projection: 51/5/37/.251/.320/.388/19 Prime Projection: 76/12/58/.267/.338/.402/32

589) Prelander Berroa CHW, Closer Committee, 24.0 – Berroa was unsurprisingly moved to the bullpen in 2023, which is exactly where he belongs with an upper 90’s fastball, double plus slider, and below average control. He dominated Double-A with a 2.89 ERA and 36.6%/14.1% K%/BB% in 65.1 IP, and then he closed out his season in the majors, throwing a perfect inning with 2 K’s. Chicago’s closer job is open, but he has a lot of competition, both for this year and in the future. 2024 Projection: 3/3.58/1.27/70 in 55 IP Prime Projection: 4/3.20/1.15/85 in 65 IP

590) Kyle Hurt LAD, RHP, 25.10 – All signs point towards LA deploying Hurt as a multi inning bullpen weapon in the near future. He reached 5 IP in only 4 of 26 upper minors outings, and he was already 25 years old for most of the 2023 season. His 92 IP this year was a career high. The profile also plays in shorter outings with below average control (11.3% BB%) of two plus to double plus pitches in his 95.5 MPH 4-seamer and 87.1 MPH changeup. It led to an insane 39.2% K%. He throws a decent slider and curve, so it’s not impossible for him to end up a starter, but neither misses a ton of bats. In shallower leagues, his likely middle innings role could make it hard to roster him, but in medium to deeper leagues, he’s good enough to make a real impact out of the bullpen, and he can certainly end up in the rotation if injuries open up a spot for him. 2024 Projection: 5/3.78/1.30/99 in 85 IP Prime Projection: 8/3.55/1.26/150 in 130 IP

591) Blade Tidwell NYM, RHP, 22.10 – The 6’4”, 207 pound Tidwell is a high upside pitcher with both control risk and reliever risk. He throws an electric fastball/slider combo with the fastball sitting mid to upper 90’s and the slider racking up whiffs. It led to a 3.09 ERA with a 33% K% in 81.2 IP at High-A and a 4.72 ERA with a 27.7% K% in 34.1 IP at Double-A. The problem is that his control is in the danger zone with a 12.9% BB%, and the changeup needs to develop into a legitimate 3rd pitch. You want to aim for upside in fantasy, which is why I like Tidwell at his current value, but he can very easily end up in the pen. 2024 Projection: 2/4.32/1.36/39 in 35 IP Prime Projection: 9/3.94/1.32/170 in 150 IP

592) Luis Morales OAK, RHP, 21.6 – I was relatively high on Morales in the 2023 FYPD Rankings after signing for almost $3 million, and his debut didn’t disappoint with a 2.86 ERA and a 29.4%/8.3% K%/BB% in 44 IP split between the DSL, stateside rookie, Single-A and High-A. He’s 6’3”, 190 pounds with an explosive mid to upper 90’s fastball that has reportedly hit triple digits, a plus breaking ball and a hard developing changeup. His control can be spotty, but he’s far from wild, generally throwing around the plate. He still has a ton to prove in terms of maintaining his stuff over longer outings, building up his innings, facing more advanced competition, and tightening up his control and changeup, but there is legit #2 starter upside here. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 10/3.83/1.24/163 in 150 IP

593) Adam Mazur SDP, RHP, 22.11 – Mazur checks a ton of boxes. He’s a projectable 6’2”, 180 pounds with an athletic delivery, low to mid 90’s fastball, elite control, diverse pitch mix (slider, curve, changeup), and upper minors success. He put up a 2.81 ERA with a 22.8%/4.3% K%/BB% in 96 IP at High-A and Double-A. The ERA ballooned to 4.03 at Double-A, so the stuff isn’t exactly unhittable, and the curve and changeup need more refinement. He has low WHIP, mid rotation starter upside. 2024 Projection: 2/4.41/1.31/34 in 40 IP Prime Projection: 10/4.08/1.24/148 in 160 IP

594) Mason Black SFG, RHP, 24.4 – Black performed very well in the upper minors with a 3.71 ERA and 155/52 K/BB in 123.2 IP split evenly between Double-A and Triple-A. He’s a 6’3”, 230 pound bull with an almost sidearm righty delivery that he uses to throw a bowling ball 93.7 MPH plus sinker. The slider is above average, he doesn’t go to his other secondaries very often, and the control is about average, so he feels more like a #4 type starter at the moment. There are multiple avenues to reach his mid-rotation upside (control jumping to plus, velocity bumping 1-2 MPH, non slider secondaries improving), but there is no guarantee any of that happens. I really liked him during the season, and while I still do, I’m pulling back on his upside a bit. 2024 Projection: 4/4.36/1.35/76 in 80 IP Prime Projection: 10/3.87/1.28/155 in 155 IP

595) River Ryan LAD, RHP, 25.8 – Ryan’s numbers don’t exactly jump off the screen with a 3.90 ERA and 24.6%/10.3% K%/BB% in 104.1 IP at mostly Double-A, but his stuff most certainly does with a mid to upper 90’s fastball and plus slider leading the way. He also throws a curve and changeup that both have plus potential. He has a repeatable and athletic righty delivery at 6’2”, 195 pounds, and he doesn’t have a ton of experience starting, so there might be more upside in here than your typical 25 year old. A mid-rotation starter is probably his most reasonable upside projection, but he has a bit more upside than your typical “mid-rotation upside” starter. 2024 Projection: 2/4.48/1.35/54 in 60 IP Prime Projection: 10/3.95/1.28/150 in 150 IP

596) Diego Cartaya LAD, C, 22.7 – Cartaya’s hit tool issues came to the forefront at Double-A with a .189 BA and 29%/9.2% K%/BB% in 93 games. A lot of that was back luck with a .216 BABIP, but it certainly wasn’t all bad luck. He was only 21 years old in the upper minors, so I would expect improvement in the future, but the hit tool is definitely a risk. The power isn’t a risk as the 6’3”, 220 slugger smacked 19 homers with a 31.6% GB%. Cartaya didn’t have the elite fantasy catcher explosion that we were hoping for in 2023, but his big power, low BA profile remains intact. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 64/26/72/.237/.321/.462/1

597) Thayron Liranzo LAD, C, 20.9 – Liranzo was one of the top breakout catcher prospects in 2023 on the back of at least double plus power. He slashed .272/.400/.562 with 24 homers and a 26.8%/16.7% K%/BB% in 94 games at Single-A. He’s a big boy at a thick 6’3” and he hits the ball tremendously hard from both sides of the plate (he’s better as a lefty). He’s not a great defensive catcher, the hit tool is still a risk, and LA is stacked at catcher up and down their organization, but Liranzo still seems underrated and underhyped to me considering the destruction he just laid in 2023. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 68/28/81/.242/.328/.464/3

598) Jake Rogers DET, C, 28.11- Rogers took a tenuous hold on Detroit’s starting catcher job in 2023. He was a well above average defensive catcher and a nearly average hitter with a 97 wRC+. He did it with huge power, cranking 21 homers with a 95.5 MPH FB/LD EV, 12% Barrel% and 14.7 degree launch in 107 games. The problem is that his hit tool is in the major danger zone with a 32.3%/7.7% K%/BB% and .221 BA. It was much worse last year with a 36.2% K%, so there might be just as good of a chance it regress closer to that than there is it takes another step forward. 2024 Projection: 45/23/56/.223/.294/.432/1

599) DJ LeMahieu NYY, 1B/3B, 35.9 – LeMahieu’s decline continued with a career worst .243 BA, 22.2% K%, .322 xwOBA, and 25.6 ft/sec sprint. If he takes another step back at 35 years old, he won’t really be a usable fantasy player, but he still hit the ball relatively hard (89.6 MPH) with above average whiff rates (19.7% whiff%), so he’s not completely cooked yet assuming no further decline. 2024 Projection: 72/14/59/.260/.344/.385/3

600) Taijuan Walker PHI, RHP, 31.8 – Walker mixed up his pitch mix this year, throwing the splitter, cutter and sinker more, while throwing the 4-seamer and slider less, and it didn’t really work with a 4.38 ERA and 18.8%/9.7% K%/BB% in 172.2 IP. The velocity was down to career low levels with a 92.9 MPH 4-seamer, and the 9.1% K-BB% was essentially a career low. He needs to keep tinkering, because this clearly wasn’t the answer. 2024 Projection: 10/4.30/1.30/137 in 160 IP

601) JP Sears OAK, LHP, 28.1 – Oakland plays in the type of pitcher’s park (for now) where back end starters can play up to 3/4 types, and that is the hope for Sears. He had a decent year in 2023 with a 4.53 ERA and 21.9%/7.2% K%/BB% in 172.1 IP. The stuff is also decent with a 93.1 MPH 4-seamer and 3 mediocre secondaries in his sweeper, changeup, and slider. The control is above average and his quality of contact metrics are below average. It all adds up to a mediocre starter, but we’ve seen mediocre starters in Oakland put up relevant fantasy seasons even in a shallow league (Cole Irvin, Paul Blackburn and more). 2024 Projection: 7/4.28/1.25/156 in 165 IP

602) Steven Matz STL, LHP, 32.10 – Matz’ season ended in August with a lat strain, but he was pitching well prior to that, and he should be healthy for 2024. He put up a 3.86 ERA with a 21.8%/7.1% K%/BB% in 105 IP. The stuff was good led by a plus 94.1 MPH sinker that notched a 24.7% whiff%. The 25.3% whiff% overall was slightly above average. It’s slightly above average almost everywhere you look other than health. If healthy, the talent is there to be an average to above average pitcher, but health has always been the question with him. 2024 Projection: 7/4.03/1.30/124 in 130 IP

603) Dane Dunning TEX, RHP, 29.3 – Don’t get roped in by Dunning’s 3.70 ERA in 172.2 IP. He 4.48 xERA is much closer to his true talent level with a 19.4%/7.6% K%/BB%, and he was much worse in the 2nd half with a 4.80 ERA in his final 86.1 IP. He also got knocked around in the postseason. 2024 Projection: 9/4.23/1.32/130 in 150 IP

604) Ross Stripling OAK, RHP, 34.4 – Stripling struggled is SF’s no role system (the only roles are that there are no roles) with a 5.36 ERA in 89 IP getting jerked around every which way, so he’s in a much better spot in Oakland now. The control was still elite with a 4.2% BB% and the velocity was normal with at 92.5 MPH, so I think he has a decent shot at pitching closer to his career 3.96 ERA now that he will just be left alone and allowed to get into a rhythm. 2024 Projection: 7/4.19/1.28/120 in 140 IP

605) Jose Urquidy HOU, RHP, 28.11 – Urquidy seems to be in a 5th starter battle with France, and due to Urquidy’s superior track record, I give the edge to him. He’s not going to hold a rotation spot down for long regardless though if he doesn’t bounce back. He had a terrible 2023 with a 5.29 ERA and 16.4%/9.1% K%/BB% in 63 IP. He missed all of May, June, and July with a shoulder injury. His control dropped off a cliff with a 3.5 percentage point rise in walk rate, and he doesn’t have the type of stuff that can survive below average control. The velocity was still solid at 93.1 MPH, and his secondaries were missing bats with a 25% whiff% overall, so 2023 seemed like just a worst case scenario season. There is definitely bounce back potential here. 2024 Projection: 5/4.21/1.31/80 in 100 IP Update: Out with a forearm strain that they don’t think it serious

606) Aaron Ashby MIL, LHP, 25.10 – Ashby underwent shoulder surgery in April 2023 which knocked out his entire 2023 season, although he was able to make a few rehab appearances in the minors in September, so the hope is that he will be fully healthy for 2024. He certainly wasn’t fully healthy in those rehab outings as he looked terrible and the stuff was way down with a 92.5 MPH fastball. They announced they view him as a starter long term, and looking at their rotation, yea, I get it. It’s hard to guess what guys are going to look like post major arm injury, or if they will be able to stay healthy. At peak, he threw a mid to upper 90’s sinker with a 2 plus secondaries in his slider and changeup. He was really, really exciting, but we’ll see if he can get back to that, and he didn’t look great in spring. 2024 Projection: 4/4.35/1.35/80 in 80 IP

607) Gary Sanchez MIL, C, 31.4 – Sanchez has actually been a pretty solid defensive catcher these last few years, and we all know he has thunder in his bat. He walloped 19 homers in just 75 games with a 15.4% Barrel%, 96.2 MPH FB/LD EV, and 16.5 degree launch. It was good for a solidly above average .329 wOBA (he’s underperformed his xwOBA’s in his career, so I think wOBA is more accurate in his case). There are hit tool issues with a .217 BA, but his 27.2% whiff% was actually a career best, and his 25.1% K% was a 6 year best. Signing with Milwaukee, he should be able to come close to an average catchers workload between DH and backup catcher. 2024 Projection: 41/19/51/.225/.301/.445/0

608) Trey Sweeney LAD, SS, 23.11 – The ingredients seem to be in here for a legit breakout, which is obviously part of the reason LA traded for him. Sweeney has a plus plate approach (19.1%/13.8% K%/BB%), good raw power at 6’2”, 212 pounds, low groundball rates (32.9% GB%), and while he’s not a burner, he clearly has some base stealing skills (20 steals). He’s also a decent defensive SS. It was good for a 118 wRC+ in 100 games at Double-A. He hasn’t been able to fully tap into his raw power yet with only 13 homers and a very low hard hit rate. The lack of squaring up the baseball has also led to a mediocre BA (.252 BA). He also struggled mightily vs lefties with a .560 OPS. The Dodgers organizational SS depth is surprisingly weak right now, so Sweeney immediately becomes their 2nd best long term SS option behind Gavin Lux. He might never be anything but a below average MLB hitter, but the move to LA gives him both a developmental and opportunity bump. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 68/18/62/.248/.324/.429/11

609) Dylan Beavers BAL, OF, 22.8 – Beavers has yet to show the level of power he displayed in college on the pro level with only 11 homers and a weak 22.2% Hard Hit% in 119 games split between High-A and Double-A, but everything else in his profile looks strong with a mature plate approach, solid contact rates, and speed. He slashed .288/.383/.467 with 27 steals and a 22.1%/13.3% K%/BB%. He performed even better at Double-A (150 wRC+) than he did at High-A (125 wRC+). There is definitely more raw power in the tank at 6’4”, 206 pounds, so if he can find a way to tap into it more, he could be trouble. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 78/18/72/.260/.328/.421/16

610) Hunter Goodman COL, 1B/OF, 24.6 – One of the most attractive things about Goodman was his potential catcher eligibility, but it doesn’t seem like Colorado has any intention of using him behind the plate, so he’s going to be stuck fighting it out with Elehuris Montero, Michael Toglia, and probably others for 1B/DH/CO reps. The negative defensive value is an issue, especially when he’s had a poor plate approach throughout his career with a 31.2%/6.5% K%/BB% in his 77 PA MLB debut. There is no denying his massive power with 34 homers in 106 games split between Double-A and Triple-A, but his lack of supporting skills puts him in flier territory only right now. 2024 Projection: 38/13/45/.225/.296/.432/1 Prime Projection: 55/18/67/.242/.310/.449/2

611) Connor Norby BAL, 2B/OF, 23.10 – Norby doesn’t hit the ball hard (86.6 MPH EV), he doesn’t have a particularly great plate approach (21.6%/9.0% K%/BB%), he’s not particularly fast (10 steals in 138 games), he’s not a particularly good defensive player, he’s blocked in a stacked organization, and he’s small at 5’9”. I’m not gonna lie, that is a lot of deficiencies to overcome, and I just don’t see how he could be a coveted fantasy prospect with that profile. He’s produced throughout his minor league career, and that continued last year with a 109 wRC+ at Triple-A, so I certainly think he can be a solid hitter if given the chance, but there are too many things going against him for me to value him highly. 2024 Projection: 14/3/11/.246/.312/.405/1 Prime Projection: 75/21/75/.262/.328/.436/10

612) Justin Foscue TEX, 2B/3B, 25.1 – Foscue is a safety over upside bat who is knocking on the door of the bigs, but unfortunately the bigs are knocking back because he has no where to play with Texas, and his glove isn’t good enough to force the issue even if there was a slightly better path to playing time. He showed an elite plate approach with elite contact rates at Triple-A with a 12.4%/15.1% K%/BB% in 122 games. It was good for a 113 wRC+. He also hit 18 homers with 14 steals, but he doesn’t hit the ball hard (87.3 MPH EV) and he’s not that fast, so the power/speed numbers are going to be moderate at best on the MLB level. Buying an older prospect without big upside and without a path to playing time isn’t my favorite thing to do, but the guy looks like an MLB hitter to me in some way shape or form. 2024 Projection: 15/3/12/.249/.323/.398/1 Prime Projection: 77/18/73/.268/.337/.438/6

613) Marco Raya MIN, RHP, 21.8 – Raya doesn’t strike a physical presence on the mound at a relatively thin 6’0″, but his loud stuff does the talking for him. He fires a mid 90’s fastball to go along with 2 crisp breaking balls (slider/curve), and a changeup that has good diving action. It’s potentially 3 plus pitches, and I wouldn’t completely dismiss the changeup either. He also doesn’t have any control/command issues, and that could end up plus as well. He dominated the lower minors with a 2.94 ERA and 29.5%/6.1% K%/BB% in 33.2 IP, before slowing down at Double-A with a 5.28 ERA and 20.8%/11.2% K%/BB% in 29 IP, but he found his stride by the end of the year with only 1 earned in his final 16 IP. He pitched in mainly 3-4 inning outings and has a career high of 65 IP, so he still has a lot to prove in terms of building innings and maintaining his stuff over longer outings. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection:  10/3.88/1.25/156 in 150 IP

614) Chayce McDermott BAL, RHP, 25.6 – McDermott was a favorite of mine in his FYPD class due to his size (6’3”, 197 pounds), double plus athleticism and very good stuff, and while he still exhibits all of those traits, his control never took a step forward. Even with below average control, he still managed to dominate the upper minors with a 3.10 ERA and 30.9%/13.8% K%/BB% in 119 IP at Double-A and Triple-A. He throws a diverse pitch mix (fastball, slider, curve, change) with the slider as his best secondary. If his fastball sat 95+ MPH, and/or if he wasn’t already 25 years old, I would probably overlook the major control issues completely, but it “only” sits 93-94, which is still good. He has the high K rates and the “looking the part” aspect to get excited for him, but his control issues push his upside more into the high K, mid rotation starter bucket. 2024 Projection: 2/4.34/1.38/46 in 50 IP Prime Projection: 10/3.88/1.32/170 in 160 IP

615) Will Warren NYY, RHP, 24.9 – Warren has a video game slider that is an at least plus pitch and is very easy to get excited about, but that is just about the only thing that is standout in his profile. He throws 6 pitches (4-seamer, 2-seamer, cutter, slider, change, curve) that he is still tinkering with to find the best way to deploy them. The fastball sits around 94 MPH and the control is below average. The numbers were also mediocre at Triple-A with a 3.61 ERA and 25.6%/10.9% K%/BB% in 99.2 IP. He was lights out at the end of the season with a 1.36 ERA and 45/14 K/BB in 39.2 IP, so maybe he figured something out, but I think a #3/4 type starter is his most reasonable upside, and he very well may end up in the bullpen. 2024 Projection: 2/4.37/1.37/47 in 50 IP Prime Projection: 9/4.12/1.32/146 in 150 IP

616) Jefferson Rojas CHW, 2B/SS, 18.11 – Rojas was a barely 18 year old in full season ball and he more than held his own, slashing .268/.345/.404 with 7 homers, 13 steals, and a 19.9%/7.5% K%/BB% in 70 games at Single-A. His tools don’t necessarily jump out at you at 5’10”, but he’s the type to do everything pretty well on a baseball field (hit, power, speed, defense, arm). Taking into account his excellent age to level production (119 wRC+), you can probably tack on a tick more upside to project out a potentially above average across the board player. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 83/21/76/.276/.338/.441/15

617) Kyren Paris LAA, 2B/SS, 22.5 – I don’t know how we can trust the Angels to develop this kind of high risk, high reward prospect when so so many of them have stalled out at all levels of their system.  Paris put up a super fun fantasy line at Double-A with 14 homers and 44 steals in 113 games, but it came with a 29.4% K%, and then right on cue it jumped to 37% with a .100 BA in 46 MLB PA. He’s an OBP machine with a 17.1% BB%, he has double plus speed with a 29.2 ft/sec sprint, and he has average to above average power potential, but are we really betting on LA being the team to get his hit tool to a playable level? Even in Tampa, these guys sometimes don’t really start contributing until their mid to late 20’s. I have no problem taking a shot on him, but I think you have to assume it’s not going to work out, and if it does, it might take 3-5 years when he’s probably long off your roster. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 72/18/64/.227/.318/.413/24

618) Alex Ramirez NYM, OF, 21.3 – Ramirez continues to sit in the breakout waiting room for his 3rd straight year. I know it’s getting frustrating, but all of the same ingredients are there that made him so exciting in previous years. He had a very good 21.9%/10.7% K%/BB% in 120 games at High-A, and he also stole 21 bags. He just needs to finally start tacking on mass to his skinny 6’3” frame, because only 7 homers with a 78 wRC+ is not going to get the job done. He’s too young to give up on such tantalizing tools, but 2024 is the last year he gets to live on “potential.” We need to see some real production. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 73/18/72/.252/.320/.423/21

619) Kala’i Rosario MIN, OF, 21.9 – Rosario is a wide and thick 6’0” with at least plus power from a quick and relatively short righty swing. He smacked 21 homers in 118 games at High-A and then smacked 7 homers in 25 games in the AFL. The power comes with a high risk hit tool with a 31.7% K% in 2021 in rookie ball, a 32.5% K% in 2022 at Single-A, and a 29.6% K% in 2023 at High-A. He walked at a career best by far rate of 14.2%, and like I mentioned, the swing is relatively quick and short, so I think the hit tool has a chance to reach a good enough level to let the power shine. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 75/28/88/.239/.322/.476/4

620) Waner Luciano HOU, 3B, 19.3 – Luciano backed up a strong pro debut in the DSL (123 wRC+ in 56 games) with an even more impressive season in stateside rookie ball with 10 homers and a 18.6%/11.3% K%/BB% in 45 games. He has an athletic, powerful, and explosive righty swing that is very easy to dream on. He hits the ball very hard, he has a mature plate approach, he has above average contact rates, and he doesn’t have any groundball issues or extreme flyball rates. Those are the ingredients you look for when projecting out a complete all around hitter. He’s underrated and makes for a great target in a deeper league. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 78/25/80/.263/.334/.470/8

621) Luis Baez HOU, OF, 20.3 – Baez mashed in the DSL in 2022 with 9 homers in 58 games, and he mashed in stateside rookie ball in 2023 with 7 homers in 17 games, but he was one year older than optimal at each level, and his production dropped off when he went to the age appropriate Single-A with only 4 homers and a 26.8% K% in 41 games. He’s a strong kid at 6’1”, 205 pounds with plus power, and he signed for $1.3 million in the 2022 international signing period, so there is obviously real talent here. Considering the age, hit tool questions, and lack of speed, I don’t want to go too crazy for him, but there is potential for him to become a hyped power hitting prospect down the line. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 77/27/86/.254/.328/.468/2

622) Josue Briceno DET, C/1B, 19.6 – I was the first one on the first Josue hype train (Josue De Paula), so let me welcome you onto the 2nd Josue hype train as well. Meet, Josue Briceno. All 6’4”, at least 200 pounds of him. He has the type of jawline that could cut glass. And he used that big ole noggin of his to crack 7 homers in 44 games in rookie ball. He’s not just a “Josue see ball, Josue hit ball” type either, he has a refined plate approach with a 14.1%/11.6% K%/BB%. It all led to a 143 wRC+. He then put the cherry on top of his season at Single-A where he put up a 132 wRC+ with a 16.7%/14.6% K%/BB% in 11 games. This is the type of plus power, plus plate approach player to get very excited about. He’s a C/1B and he is more or less already physically maxed out, so he’s not the perfect prospect, but I’m betting on that big bat. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 76/26/79/.262/.335/.475/3

623) Alfredo Duno CIN, C, 18.4 – Duno was the 2nd best catcher in last year’s international class behind Ethan Salas, and while he didn’t get the chance to prove it at Single-A like Salas did, he more than handled his business in the DSL. He slashed .303/.451/.493 with 6 homers, 6 steals, and a 21%/19.5% K%/BB% in 45 games. It was good for a 153 wRC+. He’s a big, strong kid at 6’2”, 210 pounds with a powerful and relatively athletic (for a catcher) righty swing. He’s definitely a candidate to be an elite power hitting catcher prospect by 2025-26. ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 72/27/78/.254/.338/.471/5

624) Juan Brito CLE, 2B/3B, 22.6 – Brito has put up impressive offensive numbers every year of his pro career since 2019, and that continued in the upper minors, slashing .276/.373/.444 with 10 homers, 3 steals, and a 16.8%/12.8% K%/BB% in 87 games at Double-A. It was good for a 125 wRC+, and he put up a 115 wRC+ in 5 games at AAA too. He’s not a huge guy, but he’s not small either at 5’11” 202 pounds, and he has a smooth lefty swing that is made for lift (35.2% GB%). He hits righty too, but not nearly as well (.649 OPS). Without a ton of speed, the upside isn’t huge, but he has plus hit, a mature plate approach, and developing power that he will be able to get the most of, so there is certainly potential for him to make a legit fantasy impact. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 82/18/68/.276/.348/.427/9

625) Jorbit Vivas NYY, 2B, 23.1 – The Yankees were on the hunt for plus contact hitters, and after acquiring the big fish (Soto) and the medium fish (Verdugo), they went out and got their small fish (Vivas). He slashed .280/.391/.436 with 12 homers, 21 steals, and a 10.6%/11.0% K%/BB% in 109 games at Double-A. He struggled when he got the call to Triple-A (63 wRC+ in 26 games), but he still had a strong 15.7%/12.4% K%/BB%. He doesn’t hit the ball hard (84.7 MPH at Triple-A), he’s not a particularly good defensive player and he’s not a burner, so the upside isn’t very high and he’ll have to fight for playing time, but there is room in the game for this type of profile (see Brendan Donovan). ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 77/14/61/.281/.348/.414/13

626) James Triantos CHC, 2B, 21.2 – If Triantos was a good defensive player, I would go higher on him, but Chicago is already prepping him for a Christopher Morel like, poor defensive player utility role. 2B, 3B, OF, 1B are all being tried out. It hurts his value, but the bat is good enough to not drop him too far. He has an at least plus hit tool with a 10.6% K% and .285 BA in 80 games at High-A, a .333 BA in 3 games at Double-A, and a .417 BA in 22 games in the AFL. He’s not a burner, but it looks like he’s a good base stealer (25 for 30 on the bases). He hit only 7 homers in 105 games, but he has more raw juice in his bat than that. He’s a hit tool driven, solid across the board contributor with no real defensive home. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 81/15/61/.282/.347/.423/15

627) Austin Charles KCR, 3B/SS, 20.4 – Charles is a 6’4”, 215 pound ball of clay with a potentially plus power/speed combo. His righty swing is controlled, athletic, and vicious, but he’s far from a finished product. He slashed .230/.290/.356 with 3 homers, 12 steals, and a 24.7%/7.4% K%/BB% in 69 games at Single-A. Considering he doesn’t have any groundball issues (36% GB%), and the strikeout rate wasn’t too bad, he’s definitely a great upside bet to make at his current very reasonable price. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 74/21/76/.246/.314/.433/19

628) Payton Martin LAD, RHP, 19.11 – Martin was only recently turned into a full time starter, and he’s taken to it well with a 2.04 ERA and 30.2%/9.4% K%/BB% in 39.2 IP at Single-A. Sometimes I think I could put up an under 3 ERA with 30% K rates in the lower minors if the Dodgers trained me for a year … He fires a mid 90’s fastball with a potentially plus slider, solid curve and developing changeup. He’s not a big guy at 6’0”, 170 pounds, but he has a quick arm with an athletic delivery. There is a long way to go, but the upside is high. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 10/3.78/1.27/157 in 150 IP

629) Henry Lalane NYY, LHP, 19.11 – Rookie ball pitchers aren’t my favorite to go after, but if you are going to go after one, a 6’7”, 211 pound lefty with good stuff and good numbers isn’t a bad choice. Lalane put up a 36.6%/4.5% K%/BB% in 21.2 IP in stateside rookie ball with 3 potentially plus pitches (fastball, breaking ball, changeup). He only reached 4 IP in one outing, and the fastball sits in the low to mid 90’s, so there is a long way to go, but if you squint hard enough, you can see a CC Sabathia starter pack here. Here’s to hoping he can pack on 130 pounds of pure Captain Crunch to fulfill his destiny. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 11/3.83/1.24/175 in 160 IP

630) Braxton Ashcraft PIT, RHP, 24.6 – The 6’5”, 195 pound Ashcraft returned from Tommy John surgery and looked dominant all the way through Double-A where he put up a pitching line of 1.35/0.95/29.1%/6.3% in 20 IP. The stuff backs up the results with a mid 90’s fastball, a beautiful plus curve, and a damn good cutter. He also showed plus control with a 5.2% BB% in 52.2 IP spread across 3 levels (A, A+, AA). He pitched in mostly 3 inning outings and 53 IP is his career high, so it’s a major question if he can handle a full starter’s workload at already 24 years old, but he’s legitimately exciting. 2024 Projection: 2/4.25/1.30/36 in 40 IP Prime Projection: 10/3.85/1.21/150 in 145 IP

631) Enrique Bradfield BAL, OF, 22.4 –  If Willie Mays Hayes were a real person, he would be Enrique Bradfield. Selected 17th overall in the 2023 MLB Draft, Bradfield is an absolute terror on the bases with 37 steals in 62 games at Vandy. He then literally stole a base a game in pro ball with 25 steals in 25 games at mostly Single-A. He has a legit shot of stealing over 50 bags with the new rules, and can maybe even approach Esteury Ruiz levels, but like Ruiz, the other parts of his hitting profile leave something to be desired. He has well below average power and the hit tool really isn’t that great either. He had a .279 BA this year in college and he hit 0 homers in his pro debut with the wood bats (he also had 0 homers in 11 games in the wood bat Cape League in 2022). He’s purely a speed play, but that speed can carry your fantasy team. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 77/8/49/.263/.331/.378/41

632) Benny Montgomery COL, OF, 21.7 – The uber talented 6’4”, 200 pound Montgomery is doing just enough to stay interesting with 10 homers, 18 steals, and a 95 wRC+ in 109 games at High-A, but he’s still mostly a project right now with a 27.2% K% and 62.6% GB%. Pounding the ball into the ground with a high strikeout rate is not a recipe for success, and he needs to make major strides in both areas to really get excited about him. He’s still young, and the plus raw power/speed combo which made him the 8th overall pick in the draft in 2021 is still there, so we’ll let him hangout in the breakout waiting room for at least another season. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 78/18/72/.252/.321/.423/18

633) Chase Davis STL, OF, 22.4 – Selected 21st overall, Davis went full Jacob Berry on us in his pro debut, and we saw Berry go from bad to worse in 2023. Davis’ pro debut was actually even worse than Berry’s with 0 homers, a 26% K% and .212 BA in 36 games at Single-A. It was good for a below average 91 wRC+ (Berry had a 118 wRC+). The most concerning thing was the lack of power with an 84.9 MPH EV. He also struggled to hit for power in the wood bat Cape Cod League in 2022 with 0 homers and a .629 OPS in 15 games. Those are scary numbers for a guy you are drafting for basically only his power. If you don’t want to put so much weight on the pro debut, Davis had a damn exciting junior year that got everyone excited going into the draft. He was a lefty power hitting beast who is a smooth operator in the box. I can honestly watch him crush homers all day. He cracked 21 homers in 57 Pac12 games this year. He’s not a particularly huge guy at 6’1”, but he’s a muscled up 216 pounds and the EV’s were legit in college. The swing is also very athletic, and he improved his hit tool this year (.362 BA with a 40/43 K/BB) after struggling with swing and miss in the past, but the struggles in pro ball show he still has a long way to go there too. I understand if you want to put more weight on the larger sample college production, but that would have been a mistake with Jacob Berry, and Davis seems to be headed down that same path. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 72/22/78/.242/.321/.437/7

634) Mac Horvath BAL, 2B/3B/OF, 22.8 – Selected 53rd overall in the 2023 MLB Draft, Horvath is a high risk, high reward college bat with a big power/speed combo and hit tool issues. He’s a great athlete at a strong 6’1”, 195 pounds with a quick and powerful righty swing. He cracked 24 homers with 25 steals in 60 games in the ACC, and then he obliterated pro ball with a 323 wRC+ in 3 games in rookie ball, 160 wRC+ in 14 games at Single-A, and 184 wRC+ in 5 games at High-A. It was good for 5 homers and 14 steals in 22 games overall. He’s on the older side, the 26.3% K% shows the hit tool risk, and Baltimore is stacked, so the path to playing time isn’t clear, but he’s the type of prospect you buy when you want big upside from someone who isn’t a teenager. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 71/23/76/.237/.318/.448/18

635) Yohandy Morales WAS, 3B, 22.6 –  Selected 40th overall in the 2023 MLB Draft, Morales is a big man at an athletic 6’4”, 225 pounds with a big righty hack that jacked 20 homers in 61 ACC games. The problem is, he didn’t hit a single homer in his 182 PA pro debut, and he also didn’t hit a single homer in 65 PA in the wood bat cape cod league in 2021. His strikeout rates were relatively high throughout his college career, and he’s not a big threat on the bases, so I’m a little scared of buying a power prospect who hasn’t hit for power with wood bats. Having said that, his pro debut was still quite good with a .349 BA and .917 OPS at mostly Single-A and High-A, and considering his size and how hard he hits the ball, there has to be much more homer power coming than he’s showed with wood bats so far. He also has a clear path to playing time with only Nick Senzel standing in his way at 3B. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 73/23/79/.250/.325/.450/5

636) George Wolkow CHW, OF, 18.3 – Selected 209th overall, Wolkow screams upside everywhere you look. He’s 6’7”, 225 pounds with double plus power potential and he’s also an above average runner. That is James Wood type territory we are talking about. He’s super young for his class, and despite getting drafted so late, he landed a $1 million signing bonus. Like Wood, there is swing and miss concerns with a 33.3% K% in his 13 game pro debut, but it came with 1 homer, 3 steals, and a .392 OBP. The ingredients are here to truly explode. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 76/27/84/.242/.329/.464/11

637) Cooper Pratt MIL, SS, 19.7 – Selected 182nd overall in the 2023 MLB Draft, Pratt most certainly looks the part at an athletic 6’4”, 195 pounds with a quick and powerful righty swing. He had a strong pro debut in rookie ball, slashing .356/.426/.444 with 0 homers, 4 steals, and a 20.4%/9.3% K%/BB% in 12 games. A lot of that was good BABIP luck, but he still showed a good feel to hit and no groundball issues (30.3% GB%). He has above average speed and should have at least plus power at peak, so that is a strong foundation to set, although it was only in 12 games, the K/BB numbers weren’t particularly great, he’s a bit old for his high school class, and he still needs to prove it against advanced competition. He’s already a buzzy name in FYPD circles, but considering how late he got drafted, he should still go for good value in most drafts, and he definitely has the upside to pay off. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 76/24/83/.253/.327/.451/10

638) Welbyn Francisca CLE, SS, 17.10 – Francisca couldn’t maintain his molten hot start in the DSL which put all the prospect-heads in a tizzy (1.118 OPS in his first 18 games vs. .706 OPS in his final 23 games), but it was still a great year overall, slashing .316/.419/.500 with 3 homers, 11 steals (in 18 attempts), and a 19.8%/13.4% K%/BB% in 40 games. He has such a natural swing and great feel to hit from both sides of the plate, to go along with plus speed and sneaky pop. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 84/16/63/.275/.341/.418/21

639) Josh Knoth MIL, RHP, 18.8 – Selected 33rd overall, the 6’1”, 190 pound Knoth throws two high spin, devastating breaking balls in his slider and curve. He combines that with a fastball that has ticked up into the mid 90’s and a developing changeup. He also commands his entire arsenal very well. He’s still only 18 years old and I really like Milwaukee’s pitching development. He’s the type of pitcher I would hope falls in first year player drafts to scoop up at a great price. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 11/3.72/1.26/185 in 170 IP

640) Zander Mueth PIT, RHP, 18.8 – Mueth was selected 67th overall in the 2023 Draft and signed for an over slot $1.8 million deal. I immediately fell in love after watching every video of him I could find. He’s 6’6”, 205 pounds with an athletic, deceptive, and funky righty delivery that he uses to throw filthy stuff. The fastball sits mid 90’s and the secondaries (slider, change) both have plus potential. He’s also young for the draft class. He needs to improve his control/command and more refinement is needed all around, but I’m very giddy about his upside. He’s going to be a major later round FYPD target for me. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 11/3.85/1.28/190 in 170 IP

641) Emil Morales LAD, SS, 17.6 – When taking a shot on raw international prospects, the team they sign with is a big deal. There is so much development that is needed, and I trust the teams with a long track record of development successes. All of that to say, the Dodgers signing Morales give him a bump in my book. And even without the Dodgers, his physicality in the box stands out immediately. He is a grown man at 6’3”, 180 pounds with a big righty swing that can punish a baseball. He combines that with a mature plate approach and a good feel to hit. It certainly looks like he can be a middle of the order beast, and he has the right team to get it out of him. He’s a definite target. ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 86/28/91/.263/.346/.488/7

642) Kendall George LAD, OF, 19.5 – Selected 36th overall in the 2023 MLB Draft, George is a pure speed play. He has 80 grade speed with legitimately elite run times. He also makes a ton of contact and is a plus defensive centerfielder. That profile will play on the major league level, and it certainly played in the lower minors, slashing .370/.458/.420 with 0 homers, 17 steals, and a 20/17 K/BB in 28 games split between rookie and Single-A. He has below average power with extremely high groundball rates, and while it does project to tick up from here, it’s not expected to be a major part of his game. He’s the high school version of Enrique Bradfield. . ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 84/10/52/.284/.348/.390/41

643) Ty Floyd CIN, RHP, 22.7 – Selected 38th overall, the 6’2”, 200 pound Floyd has a plus to double plus mid 90’s fastball that he leans on heavily. It led to a 4.35 ERA with a 31% K% in 91 IP. There are more than a few heavy fastball usage pitchers who are doing well in the majors right now, but those guys generally have plus control and/or better secondaries than Floyd. Floyd’s control is below average with a 9.6% BB%, but it was improving as the year went on, and his slider, curve and change are about average at best. If the secondaries and/or control take a step forward, there is very real upside here, and I don’t mind targeting him at all as a later round arm if you focus on offense with your earlier picks. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 10/3.95/1.27/165 in 160 IP

644) Alex Clemmey CLE, LHP, 18.8 – Selected 58th overall in the 2023 MLB Draft, Clemmey is a high risk, high reward high school arm who landed in a perfect organization. He’s a 6’6”, 205 pound lefty with fire stuff led by a mid 90’s fastball and a filthy breaking ball. He also has a developing changeup. He still needs plenty of refinement and the control is below average, so he could ultimately land in the bullpen, but if you want to shoot for the moon, Clemmey is your guy. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 10/3.79/1.32/183 in 160 IP

645) Colin Houck NYM, SS, 19.6 – Selected 32nd overall in the 2023 MLB Draft, the 6’2”, 190 pound Houck is an excellent all around athlete who was also a heavily recruited star quarterback in high school. He’s not just raw tools though, he also has a good feel to hit with a mature approach at the plate. His value held serve in his pro debut with a dead average 100 wRC+, 0 homers, 0 steals, and a 22.2%/19.4% K%/BB% in 9 games. The power isn’t plus quite yet, and while he’s fast, he’s not lightning fast, so it all might project to an above average across the board profile. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 81/22/79/.272/.338/.453/14

646) Jose Perdomo ATL, SS, 17.6 – Perdomo is expected to land the highest signing bonus in the class at over $5 million. He has a very quick, simple, and controlled righty swing that makes a ton of contact. His size doesn’t necessarily jump off the screen at 5’11”, and he doesn’t really have that visual explosion I like going after, but he hits the ball hard and has plus speed. When going after risky international prospects, I lean towards prototypical size first, so I hesitate to really reach for Perdomo, but his combo of hit, power, speed, and signing bonus is hard to deny. ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 84/20/77/.271/.337/.441/24

647) Fernando Cruz CHC, SS, 17.5 – Starlin Castro is Fernando Cruz’ cousin, which doesn’t necessarily give me the warm and fuzzies with Castro’s relatively disappointing career. But “disappointing” is relative as he racked up 22 WAR in his 12 year MLB career. Not a bad outcome at all. As for the 6’0”, 180 pound Cruz, his tools jump out immediately with a chiseled and athletic frame. The swing and hit tool isn’t as refined as Perdomo’s, but it looks like it has more upside to me. There is definitely plus power potential in here and he also has plus speed. Tack on the baseball bloodlines, and Cruz makes for a very enticing target. ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 78/23/81/.261/.328/.447/22

648) Michael Taylor PIT, OF, 33.0 – Taylor landed the starting CF job in Pitt. The hit tool and plate approach are rough, but he hits it hard and he’s fast, which gives him fantasy appeal. 2024 Projection: 55/15/55/.240/.295/.400/14

649) Jorge Mateo BAL, SS, 28.10 – Mateo was one of my top sells last off-season, writing in his 2023 Top 1,000 blurb, “Mateo is one my top sells this off-season … Baltimore’s stacked minor league system is breathing down his neck with Gunnar Henderson, Connor Norby, and Jordan Westburg ready to stake their rightful claim to the infield. Mateo was an excellent defensive SS last year, but I don’t think it will be enough for him to hold down the starting job. I think he’ll be a super utility player by the 2nd half of the season.” … and that is exactly how it played it out with Mateo turning into a part time player by July. His wRC+ tanked to 67 and his .289 xwOBA was well below average. He got off to a great start in April (which I was admittingly buying into), and he ended up with 32 steals in just 350 PA. If he were in a weaker organization, they might have let him Esteury Ruiz it with an elite 30.1 ft/sec sprint, 23.4% K%, and 88.4 MPH EV, but Baltimore is the opposite of a weaker organization, so like I expected last off-season, he lost his job to better players. 2024 Projection: 36/7/25/.235/.288/.375/23

650) Edward Olivares PIT, OF, 28.1 – Olivares has a very intriguing fantasy bat with above average barrel rates (7.9%), above average contact rates (16.6% K%) and plus speed (28.6 ft/sec sprint), but his poor defense prevents him from locking in a full time job. Even in Pitt, he’s looking like a strong side of a platoon bat. 2024 Projection: 51/13/47/.268/.322/.432/12

651) Matt Vierling DET, 3B/OF, 27.6 – Vierling has double plus speed with a 29.1 ft/sec sprint, but he’s a terrible base stealer, going 6 for 12 in 2023. I think I could have put up a better than 50% success rate with the new rules this year, and I’m pretty sure my sprint speed is like 11.3 ft/sec on a good day. The lack of baserunning prowess seriously caps his upside because he’s also not a homerun hitter with a 9.1 degree launch and 10 homers in 134 games, despite hitting the ball hard with an 89.1 MPH EV. He’s projected for a super utility type role. 2024 Projection: 61/13/54/.266/.332/.406/8

652) David Peterson NYM, LHP, 28.7 – Peterson underwent hip surgery in November which will likely keep him out until May/June. He seems to be settling in as a back end starter, but the strikeout upside is there to remain interesting for fantasy. He put up a 5.03 ERA with a 26%/10.2% K%/BB% in 111 IP. The 29.2% whiff% is in the near elite range. The stuff isn’t big with a 92.7 MPH fastball and he gets hit hard with a 90 MPH EV against, but he throws a legit 5 pitch mix and 4 of the pitches miss bats (plus the sinker keeps the ball on the ground). The ingredients are there to put up a very good season, but the hip injury throws a monkey wrench into that. 2024 Projection: 5/4.31/1.34/100 in 90 IP

653) Kyle Wright KCR, RHP, 28.6 – After years of struggles, Wright finally broke through in 2022 and learned how to harness his very good stuff, so of course all of that got wiped out with a shoulder injury in 2023. He injured his shoulder in spring and had a terrible season trying to fight through it with missed time, diminished stuff and poor results (6.97 ERA with a 92.7 MPH fastball in 31 IP). He then succumbed to shoulder surgery in October and will miss all of 2024. I guess you can scoop him and hope for a full return to his 2022 version, but he’s not really all that enticing to me in anything but deep leagues. 2024 Projection: OUT

654) Graham Ashcraft CIN, RHP, 26.2 – Ashcraft once again wasn’t able to capitalize on his big stuff with a 4.76 ERA and 17.8%/8.3% K%/BB% in 145.2 IP before getting shutdown in September with a toe injury that required surgery. The stuff also wasn’t quite as big with the cutter down 1.5 MPH to 95.8 MPH. He was better in the 2nd half of the season with a 2.58 ERA in 76.2 IP, but it mostly looks like good luck with a 59/22 K/BB and 4.64 FIP. You don’t ever want to completely give up on a guy with this level of stuff, but considering the extremely low K rates and terrible ballpark, he’s mostly in flier range only now. He’s also liable to end up in the bullpen quicker than you might think if he doesn’t get off to a good start. 2024 Projection: 6/4.35/1.35/119 in 140 IP

655) Jake Gelof LAD, 3B, 22.1 – Selected 60th overall, Gelof has the baseball bloodlines with his older brother, Zack, breaking out in the majors this year. Jake is a thick 6’1”, 200 pounds with a powerful righty swing that is made to hit dingers. He popped 21 homers in 2022 and then followed that up with a 23 homer season in 2023. That continued in pro ball with him cracking 6 homers in 30 games at mostly Single-A. It might not be truly elite power, but it’s easy plus power. He has below average speed, and there is hit tool risk too which already reared it’s ugly head with a .225 BA and 29.9 K% at Single-A, but we’ve seen the Gelof’s thrive with high K rates (hello, Zack) You are buying the power here, and after getting drafted by the Dodgers, you are also buying the great developmental organization. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 74/27/83/.243/.326/.468/6

656) Echedry Vargas TEX, 2B/SS, 19.1 – I love it when the guys I dig deep for in the off-season hit. Here’s what I wrote about Vargas, in part, in the 2023 Top 1,000, ranking him 993rd overall, “He’s not a big singing bonus guy or a huge human being (5’11”, 170), but there is still an exciting set of tools here.” He backed up that DSL breakout this year in stateside rookie, slashing .315/.387/.569 with 11 homers, 17 steals, and a 24.3%/9.5% K%/BB% in 52 games. Everything I wrote about him last year is still true for this year, so he’s not the type to explode to elite prospect status, but the guy keeps on producing. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 76/19/74/.253/.321/.423/19

657) Caden Dana LAA, RHP, 20.4 – The 6’4”, 215 pound Dana is a strong kid who throws with the football like, at the ear throwing motion that always produces high spin rates. The combination of power and spin created a mid 90’s fastball with a ton of life that lower minors hitters swing right through. He pairs the plus fastball with a potentially plus slider, average curve and a lesser used, developing changeup. He put up a 3.56 ERA with a 31.7%/10.7% K%/BB% in 68.1 IP at mostly High-A. His control is a bit scattershot, he needs to continue to refine his secondaries, and he was shut down in mid July with arm fatigue, so he also needs to prove he can stay healthy with a full workload. There is a long way to go, but he established some strong building blocks towards his potentially impact mid-rotation starter upside. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 10/3.97/1.31/165 in 160 IP

658) Hayden Birdsong SFG, RHP, 22.7 – Birdsong is a big righty at 6’4”, 215 pounds. He fires a mid 90’s fastball to go along with a plus breaking ball and developing changeup. He dominated the lower minors with a 2.67 ERA and 116/31 K/BB in 77.2 IP, before slowing down at Double-A with a 5.46 ERA (3.75 xFIP) and 31.7%/12.5% K%/BB% in 23 IP. The control needs improvement and he needs a better third pitch, but he was used mostly out of the bullpen in college, and he’s the same age as many of the college starters that got drafted this year, so there should be more improvements coming down the line. There is reliever risk, but the upside is pretty high. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 9/3.88/1.32/158 in 145 IP

659) Ivan Herrera STL, C, 23.10 – Herrera would rank higher on this list if he wasn’t blocked by Willson Contreras (under contract through 2027 at least), and I don’t think St. Louis will be particularly interested in trading him because depth is important and Contreras is getting up there in age. He dominated Triple-A, slashing .297/.451/.500 with 10 homers, 11 steals, and a 20.5%/20% K%/BB% in 83 games, and then he performed well in his cup of coffee in the majors with a 122 wRC+ and 91.3/100.4 MPH AVG/FB EV in 44 PA. He has the ability to be a complete hitter with an average to above average hit/power combo, but he might not get a full time job until 2028 barring trade (Contreras might be the more likely one to get traded) or injury. 2024 Projection: 23/4/18/.251/.328/.403/2 Prime Projection: 72/19/66/.268/.343/.432/6

660) Drew Romo COL, C, 22.7 – Romo blamed his down power season in 2022 (5 homers in 101 games at High-A) on a hand injury, and that proved to be accurate as his power bounced back in 2023 with 13 homers in 95 games at mostly Double-A. The power will likely top out as average at best, but combined with Coors Field, and a good feel to hit (18.4% K%), he’ll very likely be fantasy relevant in the near future even if the upside isn’t very high. He has a plus glove and will be knocking on the door of the majors in 2024. 2024 Projection: 13/2/11/.248/.293/.384/1 Prime Projection: 61/15/65/.266/.327/.412/7

661) Luis Guanipa ATL, OF, 18.4 – Guanipa got off to a blistering first month in the DSL, but he couldn’t maintain it and ended up with lackluster numbers, slashing .238/.361/.384 with 4 homers, 20 steals, and a 20.2%/11.1% K%/BB% in 46 games. The low BA and mediocre K rates definitely knock his hit tool grade down a peg, but his power/speed combo is still very enticing (30.9% GB%, so he’ll get the most out of his growing raw power), and it’s not like the hit tool was that terrible. I still love the talent despite the non eye popping numbers. ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 79/18/67/.257/.326/.421/28

662) Anthony Gutierrez TEX, OF, 19.4 – Gutierrez had one of those “breakout waiting room” years. He was a favorite upside pick of mine last off-season, and everything I liked about him then, I still like about now, but every year you don’t actually break out, the odds of it happening go down. He put up an underwhelming year at Single-A, slashing .259/.326/.338 with 2 homers, 30 steals, and a 22.2%/7.7% K%/BB% in 78 games as an 18 year old. He’s still a projectable 6’3”, 180 pounds, so the power should tick up, he’s an excellent athlete, and the plate approach was solid against much older competition. If the power meaningfully ticks up, he can still explode, but he also might Alex Ramirez it for the next year years. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 77/17/71/.264/.327/.425/22

663) Brandon Barriera TOR, LHP, 20.1 – Barriera pitched just 20.1 innings all year due to a variety of arm injuries. A shoulder injury delayed the start of his season until May, an elbow injury knocked him out for almost two months mid-season, and biceps soreness ended his season in late July. He pitched well when on the mound with a 3.98 ERA and 25/9 K/BB at mostly Single-A. The bat missing slider showed double plus potential and the 92.8 MPH fastball plays up. He also mixes in a changeup and sinker. He has easy Top 100 prospect potential if he can stay healthy, but with all of the arm injuries, it’s a question if he can. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 10/3.92/1.28/169 in 160 IP

664) Dawal Joseph SEA, SS, 16.11 – The first thing that jumps out about Joseph is an explosive and athletic righty swing at 6’2”, 175 pounds. He’s looking to do damage at the dish. His easy and smooth athleticism looks on par with Leo De Vries, although De Vries is known as the more mature hitter. Joseph is one of the top players in the class with the potential for a plus power/speed combo at peak, and he’s also one of the youngest. ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 76/22/78/.253/.324/.442/18

665) Victor Hurtado WAS, OF, 16.10 – Hurtado is a long and lean 6’4”, 180 pounds with a quick and powerful lefty swing that is made for launching baseballs. He’s also known for his good feel to hit. This is the type of profile that can turn into one of those EV hype beasts with eye popping dingers. The hit/power combo can be good enough for elite prospect status at peak if it all comes together, and even if he ends up with hit tool issues, the power is big enough to carry him. ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 81/28/89/.262/.341/.481/8

666) AJ Minter ATL, Setup, 30.7 – Minter is next man up in Atlanta and is in the elite setup tier. He put up a 3.76 ERA with a 31.5%/8.1% K%/BB% in 64.2 IP. He racked up 21 holds and 10 saves. The stuff is excellent with 3 at least plus pitches in his 95.8 MPH fastball, cutter, and changeup. He’s not old, he misses bats, he’s on a good team, and the control is solid. He’s a free agent in 2025, so he very likely could land a closer job by next year. 2024 Projection: 4/3.38/1.17/84/9 saves in 65 IP

667) Matt Brash SEA, Setup, 25.10 – Brash’s filthy fastball/slider combo has been the stuff of Twitter legend for a few years now, and he fully blossomed in 2023 with a 3.06 ERA and 34.7%/9.4% K%/BB% in 70.2 IP in a high leverage relief role. His control took a step forward with a career best walk rate, which allowed the stuff to shine. He threw the elite slider 50.4% of the time and it dominated with a .210 xwOBA and 47.8% whiff%. The fastball sat 98.1 MPH and put up a respectable 26.3% whiff%. Andres Munoz is locked into the closer role, but Brash is next man up, and I’m sure he’ll find his way into several saves throughout the season regardless. 2024 Projection: 5/3.18/1.21/89/10 saves in 65 IP Update: An elbow injury popped up for Brash which initially was reported as very serious, but now he’s already resumed throwing, so maybe it is not as bad as it originally seemed. His value holds steady for now

668) John McMillon KCR, Closer Committee, 26.2 – McMillon would be my bet for Kansas City’s closer of the future job, but it might take him a bit to really enter the circle of trust considering he has the least experience, and there is some injury risk. He made his MLB debut in August and was lights out in 4 IP with a 2.25 ERA and 8/0 K/BB before getting shutdown with a forearm strain. He dominated in the minors too with a 2.10 ERA and 91/25 K/BB in 51.1 IP at Double-A and Triple-A. The stuff is no doubt closer stuff with a 98.8 MPH fastball and plus slider that notched a 75% whiff% in his MLB debut. This is basically the prototype for “closer of the future,” but in the present, he definitely has competition for the job, and he’ll be the one that has to prove it first. 2024 Projection: 4/3.63/1.25/78/10 saves in 58 IP

669) Mason Barnett KCR, RHP, 23.5 – Barnett has very good stuff with a mid 90’s fastball and diverse pitch mix (slider, changeup, curve). He pitched very well at High-A for most of the year, and then kept it going when he got the call to Double-A with a 3.58 ERA and 31.4%/8.8% K%/BB% in 32.2 IP. Nothing seems crazy standout when watching him, but he’s not really missing anything either. The fastball has legit zip and all of the secondaries are pretty good. He certainly has mid rotation starter upside. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 10/4.08/1.30/143 in 150 IP

670) Miles Mikolas STL, RHP, 35.7 – Mikolas will give you a ton of innings with 201.1 IP in 2023 and 202.1 IP in 2022, but they aren’t likely to be good innings with a 15.9% K% and 4.78 ERA this year. He had a career worst 90.4 MPH EV against, and he’s firmly in his decline years at 35 years old. He still has elite control with a 4.5% BB%, and the stuff hasn’t dropped off, so I’m assuming this was just a particularly bad year. He should be able to get back to a low 4 ERA with a solid WHIP. 2024 Projection: 10/4.28/1.26/130 in 180 IP

671) Jose Quintana NYM, LHP, 35.2 – A rib injury kept Quintana out until late July, and it now seems like he’s fully entering his crafty lefty back end starter stage that he’s been training his whole life for. He put up a 3.57 ERA with a 18.8%/7.5% K%/BB% in 75.2 IP. The velocity was down a tick to 90.4 MPH on the sinker. At 35 years old, I’m assuming this is who is now, but he has the skills to put up relevant fantasy seasons even if the big strikeout rates aren’t there. 2024 Projection: 9/3.97/1.31/128 in 150 IP

672) Domingo German PIT, RHP, 31.8 – German’s season ended on July 31st when the Yanks put him on the restricted list for inpatient alcohol abuse treatment. Pitt was willing to take a shot on him, which is a prefect situation for him because there are plenty of rotation spots to win. He was in the midst of a solid season with a 4.56 ERA (4.04 xFIP) and 25.7%/7.7% K%/BB% in 108.2 IP. He leads with a double plus curve that he throws 40.9% of the time and notched a 39.3% whiff% with the pitch. His 30.3% whiff% overall is in the elite range. He’s a nice little cheap target right now. 2024 Projection: 7/4.15/1.16/130 in 130 IP

673) Joey Gallo WAS, 1B/OF, 30.4 – Gallo hit .177 with a 42.8% K%, and he still managed to be an above average hitter with a 104 wRC+ and 21 homers in 111 games. His EV bounced back with a 4 year high of 93 MPH and he walks a ton with a 14.5% BB%. Washington is a perfect landing spot for him as it locks him into an at least strong side of a platoon role, and maybe more than that. 2024 Projection: 64/28/66/.188/.311/.442/3

674) Alek Manoah TOR, RHP, 26.3 – Manoah’s season was such a disaster they ended up shutting him down completely in August and ran a battery of medical tests on him that turned up no structural damage. Even with the clean tests they still shot his arm up with multiple injections, because I guess nobody has any idea what the hell is going on exactly. Their team doctors didn’t even recommend the injections, he made the decision on his own. He put up a 5.87 ERA with a 19%/14.2% K%/BB% in 87.1 IP, and his fastball velocity was down 1.1 MPH to 92.8 MPH. His velocity was way, way down in spring training, which was the first indicator that something wasn’t right. This is a nightmare situation and I don’t think a more serious surgery has been completely ruled out. I get taking a shot on him for his track record and name value, but this doesn’t seem like it’s going to end that well, at least in the near future. Unless he’s free or nearly free, I’m staying away. 2024 Projection: 3/4.45/1.38/65 in 70 IP

675) Mike Clevinger FRA, RHP, 33.3 – The hope of Clevinger returning to his early career form is basically finished. He had another mediocre season in 2023 with a 3.77 ERA and 20%/7.3% K%/BB% in 131.1 IP. It’s a very average-ish profile essentially everywhere you look, and he’s not getting any younger. 2024 Projection: 8/4.10/1.26/120 in 140 IP

676) Patrick Bailey SFG, C, 24.10 – Bailey was drafted 13th overall in the 2020 Draft based on his excellent catcher defense, and he lived up to his scouting report with a 26.9 Fangraphs defensive value which led the league by far. His offense lags far behind though with a 78 wRC+, 7 homers, and a .644 OPS in 97 games. The plate approach is rough with a 28.3%/5.9% K%/BB%, and the power is only average with a 88.7 MPH EV and 10.2 degree launch. It was only his rookie year, but he was never expected to be a truly impact hitter, and he’s in an extreme pitcher’s park, so the offensive ceiling is lacking. 2024 Projection: 47/12/54/.238/.303/.387/1

677) Miguel Amaya CHC, C, 25.1 – Amaya should likely take the starting catcher job away from Yan Gomes in 2024, assuming he’s able to take even a small step forward at 25 years old and Gomes takes a small step back at 36 years old. But even assuming he wins the job at some point, he hasn’t shown enough upside to go any higher than this. He doesn’t hit the ball hard with a 90.6 MPH FB/LD EV in 156 MLB PA, and with a 18.6 degree launch, that is a very, very low BA waiting to happen (.214 with 5 homers in 2023). The contact rates were decent with a 25.6% K%, and he’s made solid contact in his minor league career, so if he can start hitting the ball harder, the other ingredients are there to breakout. 2024 Projection: 35/9/39/.227/.309/.401/0

678) Osleivis Basabe TBR, SS, 23.7 – Basabe wasn’t able to take advantage of his first shot at the majors, putting up a 67 wRC+ with 1 homer, 0 steals, and a 26.6%/6.4% K%/BB% in 94 PA, but it wasn’t a disaster season by any stretch. He proved his skills will translate to Triple-A with a .296 BA, 4 homers, 16 steals, and a 15.5%/7.3% K%/BB% in 94 games. The raw power/speed combo looked good with a 28.6 ft/sec sprint and an 88.4 MPH EV (88.5 MPH at AAA). He’s an extreme groundball hitter (53.1% GB% at AAA), so there isn’t much homer power, but good things happen when you hit it hard, get the bat on the ball, and have speed. Even if Wander stays out, Tampa has other options at SS like Jose Caballero, Taylor Walls, Junior Caminero, and Carson Williams, so Basabe is going to have to scratch and claw for playing time, but I do think he has a profile that can lead to real fantasy value at peak. 2024 Projection: 29/4/22/.258/.313/.391/6 Prime Projection: 79/13/60/.277/.328/.412/16

679) Kevin Parada NYM, C, 22.8 – Parada had such an underwhelming season for an advanced college bat. He had 11 homers with a 25.1%/7.9% K%/BB% in 87 at High-A, and then he put up a 38.3%/6.7% K%/BB% with a 70 wRC+ in 14 games at Double-A. He didn’t hit for a ton of power, he didn’t get on base, and he didn’t hit for average. He’s not considered a good defensive catcher, so he was probably putting a ton of focus into his defense, which is often why catchers take longer to develop in general, but that isn’t exactly a point in Parada’s favor for fantasy either. He’s starting to look like a pretty low upside option with multiple areas of risk (hit tool, defense, Francisco Alvarez). ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 66/20/75/.247/.323/.437/2

680) Nick Yorke BOS, 2B, 22.0 – A 24.1% K% and .268 BA at Double-A isn’t exactly super encouraging for a player who you are mostly buying for the hit tool. There also isn’t a clear path to playing time with the Grissom trade, Story under contract through 2027, Marcelo Mayer very likely ahead of him on the depth chart, and many others with similar skillsets to Yorke in the organization as well. And to top it all off, he isn’t a particularly good defensive player. But Yorke showed a good enough all around collection of skills/tools to stick with him. He hit 13 homers with 18 steals, a 10.1% BB% and 116 wRC+ in 110 games as a barely 21 year old in the upper minors. The Sox took him 17th overall in 2020, and when a team invests so much into a player, they usually want to give him every opportunity to succeed. His perceived name value is probably greater than his actual value, but he can still be a solid all around contributor at peak. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 78/18/71/.267/.332/.426/14

681) Ben Rice NYY, C/1B, 25.1 – Rice is on the old side for a prospect at Double-A, he isn’t a particularly good defensive catcher, and he struggled heavily vs. lefties, so I’m hesitant to fully buy into the huge numbers he put up in 2023. The numbers are undeniably beastly though, slashing .327/.401/.683 with 16 homers, 7 steals, and a 18.9%/9.5% K%/BB% in 48 games at Double-A. The statline scouting put Steamer into such a tizzy they already project him as an above average MLB hitter with a 103 wRC+. He has a contact oriented approach at the plate, but he has no problems lifting the ball with a 33.1% GB%, so he’ll get the most out of his raw power from a controlled lefty swing. It’s likely a bench bat profile, but there will certainly be opportunity to keep proving himself and to win a larger share of playing time. 2024 Projection: 13/2/9/.242/.305/.404/1 Prime Projection: 65/18/64/.259/.322/.430/6

682) Lyon Richardson CIN, RHP, 24.2 – Richardson returned from Tommy John surgery and he looked absolutely electric with mid to upper 90’s fastball and plus changeup. It led to a 3.50 ERA with a 34.5%/13.1% K%/BB% in 69.1 IP at mostly Double-A. He pitched in mostly 3-4 inning outings, his control wasn’t good, his breaking balls are mediocre, and he got knocked around in his cup of coffee in the majors (8.64 ERA with a 14.8%/18.5% K%/BB% in 16.2 IP). Maybe he comes back his 2nd year away from Tommy John even more refined and dangerous, but I think the safer bet is that he ends up a relief ace. 2024 Projection: 3/3.98/1.32/59 in 55 IP Prime Projection: 4/3.55/1.23/75/6 saves in 65 IP

683) Brandon Sproat NYM, RHP, 23.6 – Selected 56th overall, Sproat got drafted as a college senior, but with pitchers, it’s more about stuff than age, and Sproat most certainly has the stuff. He throws everything hard with a mid to upper mid 90’s fastball, an upper 80’s to low 90’s changeup, and an upper 80’s to low 90’s slider. Both his secondaries have plus potential. He also throws a slower curve. He didn’t exactly have the best statistical senior year with a 4.66 ERA and 1.27 WHIP in 106.1 IP, but the 134/48 K/BB looks much better. The control is below average and like I mentioned, he’s never really had that dominant season, but he has the frame (6’3”, 210) and stuff to get excited even if he ends up in the pen. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 9/4.05/1.33/156 in 155 IP

684) Blake Wolters KCR, RHP, 19.5 -, Selected 44th overall, Wolters is your typical big, power pitching high school prospect that doesn’t take much of a discerning eye to see his talent. He’s 6’4”, 215 pounds with a mid 90’s fastball, a slider that flashes plus and a developing changeup. He has good control over all of his stuff. The ingredients are there to be a top pitching prospect with continued refinement. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 12/3.93/1.28/175 in 170 IP

685) Charlee Soto MIN, RHP, 18.7 – Selected 34th overall in the 2023 MLB Draft, Soto is a 6’5”, 200 pound power pitcher who is still on the raw side, but that is understandable considering he was only 17 years old at the draft and he only recently got transitioned from shortstop. The fastball sits in the mid 90’s which he combines with a filthy changeup and potentially plus slider. There is still some inconsistency in his game and he has to tighten up his command, but the ingredients are there for him to be an elite pitching prospect with continued refinement. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 10/3.88/1.33/178 in 165 IP

686) Hiro Wyatt KCR, RHP, 19.7 – Selected 75th overall, Wyatt has a truly nasty fastball/slider combo with both pitches displaying that quick twitch movement that is a nightmare to face. The fastball sits mid 90’s with tight tailing action and the slider gets vicious horizontal movement. He also throws a cutter and change, and how good he can develop those pitches will play a major factor in how high his upside could be as a starter. He also needs to refine his control/command. He’s not a huge guy at 6’1”, 185 pounds, but he’s not small either and I wouldn’t worry about his size at all. He has considerable upside with the floor of a high leverage reliever. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 10/3.82/1.27/165 in 155 IP

687) Sean Bouchard COL, OF, 27.11 – Bouchard didn’t return to the majors until September coming off surgery for a ruptured biceps, but he once again got back to raking. He has a 158 wRC+ in 140 PA over 2022-23. He hits the ball hard with a 91 MPH EV, but that is about all he does particularly well with a 32.6%/9.3% K%/BB%, 7.8 degree launch, and 27.3 ft/sec sprint. He is going to have to compete for at bats with Hunter Goodman, and eventually Zac Veen, Jordan Beck, Sterlin Thompson, and Yanquiel Fernandez as well, so playing time in the short term and long term is far from guaranteed. A short side of a platoon role might be the best outcome, and he’s more likely a bench bat, although it does seem Colorado intends to give him first shot at the starting RF job. 2024 Projection: 57/15/51/.250/.326/.428/9

688) Homer Bush Jr. SDP, OF, 22.6 – Selected 128th overall in the 2023 MLB Draft, Bush is quickly becoming one of my favorite underrated FYPD targets. He has plus bloodlines (Former Yankee Homer Bush is his father), great size (6’3”, 200 pounds), and an excellent pro debut with a plus contact/speed profile. He slashed .325/.422/.440 with 3 homers, 22 steals, and a 12.8%/10.7% K%/BB% in 44 games split between 3 levels (rookie, A, AA). His production didn’t drop off at all at Double-A with a 149 wRC+ and 6.9% K% in 8 games. I’m planning on grabbing him for cheap in every FYPD I’m in this off-season. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 80/12/52/.271/.331/.405/25

689) Jared Triolo PIT, 3B, 26.2 – Triolo has very quietly produced every year of his pro career, and while he’s been old for each level he’s played at, the lost 2020 season is a legitimate excuse for that. He made his MLB debut in 2023, and he continued to produce with a 118 wRC+ in 54 games. He mostly did it on the back of a clearly unsustainable .440 BABIP, but even his .324 xwOBA was above average, so it wasn’t all a mirage. Speed, OBP, and defense are his best skills with a 28.4 ft/sec sprint (6 steals), 11.5% BB% (.388 OBP), and a 3.8 Fangraphs defensive value. The hit tool and power are both below average with a 30.1% K% and 86.6 MPH EV, but both have room for improvement with better marks throughout his minor league career. He’s currently slotted to be the starting 2B, but he will have to compete to keep the job all year, and Termarr is coming for the job long term 2024 Projection: 56/10/51/.247/.332/.391/14

690) Jose Rodriguez CHW, SS/2B, 22.11 – Rodriguez lowered his GB% from over 50% to 41.3% and it led to an uptick in homer power with 21 homers in 106 games at mostly Double-A, but it came at the expense of his hit tool with his K% jumping from 13.6% in 2022 to 22% in 2023. Considering he doesn’t hit the ball very hard, you can’t really buy into the homer totals, and he also has a poor plate approach with a lowly 4.1% BB%. He’s likely a utility infielder type, but I’ve pounded into the ground that plus hit, plus speed, low EV players like Rodriguez can produce impact fantasy numbers if given the playing time, and there very well could be opportunity in the middle of Chicago’s infield in 2024. Not the worst flier type. 2024 Projection: 25/4/18/.241/.284/.352/9 Prime Projection: 68/12/52/.262/.308/.396/21

691) Kenedy Corona HOU, OF, 24.0 – Corona isn’t as big and doesn’t have the overt physicality or raw power as the other breakout hitters in Houston’s system at 5’10”, 184 pounds, but what he does have is plus centerfield defense, which is often the determining factor in who gets on the field. He has plus speed with 31 steals in 117 games at mostly Double-A, and it’s not like he has no power with 22 homers. The hit tool is below average with a .244 BA and 25.9%/9.8% K%/BB%, and he was a barely average hitter overall as a 23 year old with a 101 wRC+. It’s a fringy 4th outfielder type profile who has fantasy upside if his glove gets him on the field. 2024 Projection: 18/3/12/.224/.291/.381/6 Prime Projection: 73/18/67/.240/.310/.422/21

692) Kevin Kiermaier TOR, OF, 33.11 – Kiermaier is a plus CF with plus speed and an average at best bat. He hit .265 with 8 homers and 14 steals in 408 PA in 2023. He’s put up an above average xwOBA just once in his career, and he’s starting to get up there in age. 2023 was the best season he’s had in years, so that is probably the best you can hope for, which admittedly, wouldn’t be that bad if he gets full time at bats. His speed and PT makes him relevant even in shallower leagues. 2023 Projection: 68/10/49/.251/.311/.398/15

693) Alan Roden TOR, OF, 24.3 – Roden got drafted as a 22 year old in 2022, and he was too old for the lower minors, but he proved age to level production isn’t everything as he crushed Double-A when he got the chance. He slashed .310/.321/.460 with 6 homers, 9 steals, and a 15.3%/12.4% K%/BB% in 46 games at the level. He’s a good athlete with a plus approach and a swing geared for liners. He projects as an average to above average across the board type. 2024 Projection: 18/3/13/.252/.318/.391/5 Prime Projection: 79/16/73/.277/.340/.419/18

694) Jake Eder CHW, LHP, 25.6 – It’s often the 2nd year back from Tommy John that pitchers really return to full health, so I would give Eder one more year, but it’s hard to deny that 2023 was a pretty discouraging season. He put up a 6.35 ERA with a 26.2%/13.5% K%/BB% in 56.2 IP at mostly Double-A. The fastball velocity only sat low to mid 90’s, but he still has the wipeout slider and solid changeup. He’s not in must hold territory, but I’m expecting a much better year in 2024. 2024 Projection: 3/4.48/1.40/67 in 70 IP Prime Projection: 8/4.09/1.34/162 in 150 IP

695) Adrian Santana TBR, SS, 18.9 – Selected 31st overall in the 2023 MLB Draft, Santana is a plus defensive SS with elite speed, a good feel to hit and developing power. He’s not big at 5’11”, 160 pounds, so power will likely never be a big part of his game, but it’s not like he’s just a slap hitter with 11 homers in his senior year. The 73 wRC+ in 10 games in stateside rookie in his pro debut isn’t great, but the 19.1%/14.9% K%/BB%, 3 steals, and 42.9% GB% looks just fine. The glove should get him on the field, and the hit/speed combo should get him in your fantasy lineup. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 81/13/53/.269/.338/.403/33

696) Luke Keaschall MIN, 2B, 21.8 – Selected 49th overall in the 2023 MLB Draft, Keaschall is young for his college class, and he’s put up big production everywhere he’s played and every single year of his amateur career. He then stepped into pro ball and didn’t miss a beat, slashing .288/.414/.478 with 3 homers, 11 steals, and a 25/19 K/BB in 31 games at mostly Single-A. The raw power isn’t huge, but the 89.1 MPH EV he put up at Single-A shows he can make an impact, and the speed is plus. He might not be an upside league winner type, but he can be a speed first, legit all category producer. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 76/17/67/.261/.323/.410/22

697) Joe Whitman SFG, LHP, 22.7 – Selected 69th overall in the 2023 MLB Draft, Whitman is a 6’5”, 200 pound lefty with an extremely high spin, double plus slider as his standout pitch. It’s the type of filthy offering that can carry you straight into the majors. He heavily used that pitch to have a dominant Junior year at Kent State with a 2.56 ERA and 100/29 K/BB in 81 IP, and then he stepped into pro ball and did exactly the same with a 1.86 ERA and 13/3 K/BB in 9.2 IP at rookie ball and Single-A. If the fastball sat mid 90’s, we might have been talking about a top 10 pick, but it only sits in the low 90’s. Regardless, he spins that pitch well too and commands it well which allows it to miss bats and play above it’s velocity. He also flashes a potentially above average changeup. If the velocity ticks up, Whitman could be a truly hype beast pitching prospects by mid-season, and even if it doesn’t, the ingredients are there to be an impact fantasy starter. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 10/3.89/1.27/165 in 160 IP

698) Aidan Curry TEX, RHP, 21.8 – Curry has the ingredients to be a truly hyped pitching prospect by next season. He’s a projectable 6’5”, 205 pounds with room to tack on more muscle, and he already can get the fastball consistently into the mid 90’s. He combines the fastball with a nasty sweeper and a pretty damn good changeup as well. It all resulted in a 2.30 ERA with a 30.8%/9.0% K%/BB% in 82 IP at Single-A. He struggled in two outings to close the year out at High-A, but he was already well passed his career high IP. With an extra tick or two on the fastball, and continued refinement all around, Curry is someone who could explode. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 10/3.93/1.28/160 in 160 IP

699) Yordanny Monegro BOS, RHP, 21.5 – Monegro is a projectable 6’4”, 180 pounds with nasty stuff and a starter’s pitch mix. He throws a mid 90’s fastball with good movement, to go along with 2 plus breaking balls that he has full confidence in and will throw in any count, both in and out of the zone. He also mixes in a decent a changeup. He was too much for the lower minors with a 2.06 ERA and 34.6%/9.7% K%/BB% in 65.2 IP at rookie ball, Single-A, and High-A. He doesn’t have pinpoint control, but he’s not majorly wild either. Boston has a bunch of arms with similar value to Monegro, but I like his combination of upside and likelihood of sticking as a starter the most. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 10/3.93/1.31/160 in 155 IP

700) Yuki Matsui SDP, Closer Committee, 28.5 – Matsui has been one of the top closers in Japan for years, and he signed with a team (5 years, $28 million) who has an opening at closer. Robert Suarez might be the favorite for the job at the moment, and the recently signed Woo Suk Go will also be in the mix, so you can’t draft Matsui expecting him to win it, but he could easily end up the guy. He’s coming off an excellent season in 2023 with a pitching line of 1.57/0.89/72/13 in 57.1 IP. He doesn’t really have prototypical closer stuff with a low to mid 90’s fastball, but he has a plus splitter which gets whiffs and a good slider as well. Without the huge fastball, I wouldn’t expect a truly elite closer even if he wins the job, but he’s worth taking a shot on in deeper leagues and/or leagues where you are desperate for saves. 2024 Projection: 4/3.62/1.20/66/15 saves in 60 IP

701) David Robertson TEX, Closer Committee, 39.0 – LeClerc is in major danger of losing his hold on the closer job, and I would say it’s 50/50 right now on who ends up winning it. Robertson is the much more stable option with a 3.03 ERA and 29.0%/9.3% K%/BB% in 65.1 IP. The stuff doesn’t blow you away with a 93.3 MPH cutter, but he’s never been a flamethrower, and this is actually as hard as he’s ever thrown, so it’s hard to be too worried about his advanced age either. If I had to bet, I would say Robertson ends up the main closer. 2024 Projection: 4/3.40/1.18/79/20 saves in 65 IP

702) Ryan Pressly HOU, Setup, 35.3 – Hader signing with the Astros pushes Pressly into a setup role. He had his worst season since breaking out in 2018 with a 3.58 ERA and 27.6%/6.0% K%/BB% in 65.1 IP. Nothing really looks too worrisome in the underlying numbers, and he was lights out in the playoffs, so it’s probably just normal reliever variance, but he is getting up there in age at 35 years old. If he’s taking a true step back it wouldn’t be all that surprising, and maybe that was at least part of the reason why Houston paid up for Hader. 2024 is his last guaranteed year under contract (he has a mutual option for 2025), so it’s very possible he can find a different closer job in 2025 if he has a good season. 2024 Projection: 5/3.25/1.04/74/8 saves in 63 IP

703) Abner Uribe MIL, Setup, 23.9 – Nobody is better than Milwaukee at churning out elite relievers, and Uribe looks to be next in line. He throws absolute gas with a 99.4 MPH sinker, which he combines with an elite slider that notched a 58.1% whiff% and .226 xwOBA. It was good for a 1.76 ERA and 30.7%/15.7% K%/BB% in 30.2 IP in his MLB debut. That walk rate is too high even for a relief pitcher, and he’s had truly horrific walk rates his entire career, so it’s not a foregone conclusion the control improves enough to fulfill his elite closer potential, but I’m willing to take on the risk. 2024 Projection: 4/3.31/1.20/80/3 saves in 60 IP

704) Justin Lawrence COL, Closer, 29.4 – Lawrence is a low end closer option who is currently the favorite for the job, but it’s far from guaranteed. He has the Coors handicap too with a 1.62 ERA in 33.1 IP on the road versus a 5.40 ERA in 41.2 IP at home, but even on the road the 32/15 K/BB wasn’t all that great, so it’s not like it’s just Coors Field holding him back. The stuff is good enough to not completely avoid him with a 95.4 MPH sinker that put up a negative 3 degree launch, and a plus sweeper that put up a .222 xwOBA, but I would want more assurance he ends up the guy there before even going after him for cheap. 2024 Projection: 4/3.82/1.31/70/23 saves in 65 IP

705) Giovanny Gallegos STL, Setup, 32.8 – Gallegos’ season ended on September 17th with a shoulder injury which doesn’t seem that serious, but it’s still not great. Assuming he’s healthy for 2024, he’s next man up in St. Louis and will certainly vulture some saves from Helsley. He grabbed 10 saves with 20 holds in 2023. The stats weren’t great with a 4.42 ERA and 25.8%/5.2% K%/BB%, but the 36.2% whiff% was still elite, so I wouldn’t be concerned with the mediocre numbers. He’s an elite setup man (if healthy). 2024 Projection: 4/3.41/1.11/72/10 saves in 60 IP

706) Jason Adam TBR, Setup, 32.8 – Adam is next man up in Tampa, and I’m sure he’ll grab a few saves even if Fairbanks stays healthy. He saved 12 games last year and 20 in the last two. He throws a 94.8 MPH fastball with two plus secondaries in his changeup and sweeper. All of his pitches miss bats with an elite 34.4% whiff% overall. It resulted in a 2.98 ERA with a 31.1%/9.0% K%/BB% in 54.1 IP. He’s an elite setup man. 2024 Projection: 4/3.25/1.07/77/10 saves in 62 IP

707) Jeff Hoffman PHI, Setup, 31.3 – Hoffman broke out in 2023 with a 2.41 ERA and 33.2%/9.1% K%/BB% in 52.1 IP. It’s the first truly good year of his career, and he did it with a monster jump in stuff. The fastball velocity jumped 2.8 MPH to 97.1 MPH, the slider was better in every way, shape, and form with an elite .151 xwOBA and 45.2% whiff%, and the splitter was double plus with a .220 xwOBA and 35% whiff%. That type of huge uptick in stuff is rare to say the least, and suspicious to say the most, but I’m not going to ask questions I don’t want the answers to. Assuming he maintains that level of stuff, he can be a near elite reliever, but considering he’s only done it one year, it’s fair to factor in at least some regression. He’s the Phillies best righty in the bullpen (Seranthony isn’t far behind despite the down year), so he can end up with plenty of saves mixing and matching with Alvarado. 2024 Projection: 4/3.28/1.16/72/11 saves in 58 IP

708) Aroldis Chapman PIT, Setup, 36.1 – Chapman is next man up in Pitt and might steal some save chances away from Bednar when it makes sense to use a lefty. He bounced back everywhere you look from a terrible 2022 with a 3.09 ERA and 41.4%/14.5% K%/BB% in 58.1 IP. The velocity ticked back up 1.5 MPH to 99 MPH, and the slider got back to missing bats with a 46.1% whiff%. His walk rate has been in the danger zone for 3 straight years now, so he might never get back to true prime numbers, but the velocity and K rates were as good as ever. 2024 Projection: 5/3.20/1.24/94/10 saves in 58 IP

709) Lucas Erceg OAK, Closer Committee, 28.9 – Oakland’s plans are far from clear, but it seems like Erceg could factor into the saves mix, and he has the big stuff to make an impact if his control can take one step forward. He put up a 4.75 ERA (3.69 xERA) with a 27.1%/14.3% K%/BB% in 55 IP in his MLB debut. The sinker sat 98 MPH and is a plus, bat missing pitch, to go along with two good bat missing secondaries in his slider and changeup. He got drafted as a hitter in 2016, and only got transitioned to a pitcher in 2021, so there could more upside in the tank here than your average 28 year old. 2024 Projection: 3/3.93/1.37/79/10 saves in 65 IP

710) James McArthur KCR, Closer Committee, 27.4 – The Royals closer job is wide open right now, and I wouldn’t feel comfortable betting on any of the options, although I guess it seems McArthur is in the pole position at the moment. He pitched well in 2023 in his MLB debut with a 4.63 ERA (2.95 xERA) and 25.6%/2.2% K%/BB% in 23.1 IP. He saved 4 games in the closer role at the end of the season, but he wasn’t used as a traditional reliever in the minors, and the stuff isn’t huge with a 94.1 MPH sinker and 24.8% whiff% overall. If I were forced to bet on who emerges from the Royals crew, I don’t think I would put my money on McArthur long term. 2024 Projection: 3/3.75/1.28/59/10 saves in 60 IP

711) Will Smith KCR, Closer Committee, 34.9 – Smith is the only lefty in the Royals pen at the moment, which makes it hard to project him winning the full time closer job, but he does have the experience edge. He didn’t have a great year in 2023 with a 4.39 ERA and 24.3%/7.5% K%/BB% in 57.1 IP, but the 3.30 xERA and 28.7% whiff% look much better, leading me to believe it is just normal reliever variance. The slider was still elite with a .174 xwOBA and the velocity was right in line with career norms with a 92.3 MPH fastball. 2024 Projection: 3/3.70/1.22/63/10 saves in 59 IP

712) Brady Singer KC, RHP, 27.8 – Singer’s stuff was down considerably with the sinker down 1.7 MPH to 92.1 MPH, and he got demolished with a 5.52 ERA and 18.9%/7% K%/BB% in 159.2 IP. He also couldn’t fully maintain his control gains from 2022 with his BB% rising 1.4 percentage points to 7%. He’s a back end guy. 2024 Projection: 7/4.19/1.33/132 in 150 IP Update: Singer has looked much better this spring with two new pitches in his sweeper and 4-seamer. It makes him much more interesting, but still only in flier range

713) Jason Foley DET, Setup, 28.5 – Alex Lange is definitely on the shaky side, and Foley slide in for 7 saves last year due to that shakiness. He has an elite control/groundball/velocity combo with a 5.4% BB% and 3.6 degree launch on the back of a 97.2 MPH sinker. It led to a 2.61 ERA with a 19.9% K% in 69 IP. His slider is below average, but he went to his changeup more last year which was much improved with a .264 xwOBA and 29.1% whiff%. He doesn’t strike enough guys out to really go after, but there could be another level in here, and Lange isn’t going to have a long leash. He’s one of the better save spec setup men. 2024 Projection: 3/3.40/1.23/55/10 saves in 65 IP

714) Brusdar Graterol LAD, Setup, 25.7 – Graterol has the elite control/groundball/velocity combo with a 4.7% BB% and 1.9 degree launch on the back of a 98.6 MPH sinker. It resulted in a 1.20 ERA with a 18.7% K% in 67.1 IP. He does have a decent bat missing secondary in his slider, but he only goes to it 24.3% of the time. He saved 7 games in 2023 and is likely next man up if anything happens to Phillips. 2024 Projection: 4/3.18/1.05/52/7 saves in 65 IP

715) Yennier Cano BAL, Setup, 30.1 – The Kimbrel signing blocks Cano’s path to saves in 2024, and Bautista is the man long term, so Cano looks locked into “next man up” status for the foreseeable future. He broke out in 2023 with a pitching line of 2.11/1.00/65/13/8 saves in 72.2 IP. His 96.3 MPH sinker is the 4th most valuable sinker in the game (including starters) with a negative 10 degree launch and a .292 xwOBA against. His changeup and slider both get whiffs with a 40.5% and 37.7% whiff%, respectively. And he showed elite control with a 4.6% BB%. He doesn’t strike enough guys out to be considered in the elite setup man tier, but he’s in the tier right under that. 2024 Projection: 4/3.22/1.14/66/7 saves in 65 IP

716) Royber Salinas OAK, RHP, 23.0 – We just talked about Oakland letting a guy like Joe Boyle fly, so I see no reason why they wouldn’t do the same with Salinas. He’s a very thick (maybe too thick) 6’3” with big time stuff. The fastball sits mid 90’s and he has two potentially plus breaking balls in his curve and slider. He put up a 5.48 ERA (3.95 xFIP) with a 30.9%/10.8% K%/BB% in 67.1 IP. The control is below average, but it was double below average prior to this season, so he’s made improvements there. He also missed a month and a half of the season with an elbow injury, so injuries are another risk. He likely ends up in the bullpen, but Oakland should give him every chance to stick in the rotation. 2024 Projection: 1/4.22/1.38/37 in 35 IP Prime Projection: 6/3.91/1.32/128 in 120 IP

717) Darell Hernaiz OAK, SS, 22.8 – Hernaiz is currently penciled in as Oakland’s starting SS, but he would only be keeping the SS seat warm for Jacob Wilson. 3B is wide open long term, and he can play all over the infield, so if he performs, Oakland shouldn’t have a problem finding a spot for him long term. His hit tool driven, solid across the board profile completely transferred to the upper minors in 2023, slashing .321/.386/.456 with 9 homers, 13 steals, and 13.4%/8.9% K%/BB% in 131 games. The power/speed numbers were even more underwhelming than expected, but the hit tool was better than expected. His profile is actually remarkably similar to Jacob Wilson, except without the extra body projection and maybe a tick worse hit tool. 2024 Projection: 47/7/41/.253/.308/.369/8 Prime Projection: 78/14/61/.274/.330/.392/12

718) Josh Rojas SEA, 3B/2B, 29.9 – Rojas seems to be in the strong side of a 3B platoon at the moment. He had a down year in 2023 with a 78 wRC+ in 350 PA, but it really wasn’t that far off from his career norms, which is the problem. He doesn’t hit for power with only 4 homers and the BA is average at best (.245 with a 23.1% K%). The one saving grace is that he’s an excellent base stealer (12 for 12 on the bases) despite below average speed (26.7 ft/sec sprint). He’s best suited as a part time player. 2024 Projection: 55/8/46/.251/.323/.388/14

719) Austin Martin MIN, 2B/OF, 25.0 – Don’t stick a fork in Martin quite yet. He missed the 1st half of the season with an elbow injury, but he performed well at Triple-A when he returned, slashing .263/.386/.405 with 6 homers, 16 steals, and a 17.1%/14.3% K%/BB% in 59 games. He still doesn’t hit the ball hard, and while that doesn’t preclude him from being an impact fantasy player considering his other skills (plus speed, plus contact, plus plate approach), it’s not the type of profile that will demand a full time job right out of the gate. He’ll have to fight for playing time and will probably be in a utility role to start his career. 2024 Projection: 16/2/9/.238/.307/.373/4 Prime Projection: 76/14/59/.259/.332/.403/21

720) Wilfredo Lara NYM, 3B/OF, 19.11 – Lara’s power took a big jump forward in 2023, and it led to a breakout season, slashing .264/.362/.452 with 14 homers, 17 steals, and a 21.8%/12.2% K%/BB% in 99 games at Single-A. He has a legitimately athletic and explosive swing, to go along with plus speed and above average CF defense. The hit tool needs continued refinement, but he’s a guy who you barely hear a whisper about, and he’s actually damn good. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 77/17/68/.253/.326/.418/19

721) Alex Wood OAK, LHP, 33.3 – Wood lands in an excellent situation for him in Oakland, guaranteeing him a rotation spot and a long leash. Obviously lack of wins is the downside, but beggars can’t be choosers. He had one of the worst years of his career in 2023 with a 4.33 ERA and 17.2%/9.8% K%/BB% in 97.2 IP. He battled a hamstring and back injury throughout the season, and at 33 years old with a long injury history, I would assume he’s firmly entering the back end starter stage of his career. 2024 Projection: 6/4.27/1.30/120 in 130 IP

722) Andrew McCutchen PIT, DH, 37.6 – McCutchen’s season ended in early September with a torn Achilles that required surgery. Buying a 37 year old coming off a torn Achilles doesn’t sound like the best idea, but prior to going down with the injury, he’s was playing damn well. He had a 115 wRC+, .353 xwOBA, 89.6 MPH EV, and 28.4 fts/sec sprint. The plate approach was mature with a 21.1%/15.9% K%/BB%, and the power/speed combo was moderate with 12 homers and 11 steals in 112 games. Considering the injury, he would only be a super cheap deep league option for me as factoring in continued decline seems prudent. 2024 Projection: 60/14/60/.250/.340/.410/7

723) Ryan O’Hearn BAL, 1B/OF, 30.8 – O’Hearn is a strong side of a platoon bat who will have a very short leash with the amount of talent knocking on the door in Baltimore. But he has the talent to force his bat into the lineup with at least plus power (91.9/95.9 MPH AVG/FB EV) and solid contact rates (22.3% K% and 23.3% whiff%). He hit .289 with 14 homers and a 118 wRC+ in 368 PA in 2023. 2024 Projection: 45/15/55/.268/.314/.456/4

724) Mark Canha DET, OF, 35.1 – Canha can lose his fantasy relevance at any moment with a very low upside profile at 35 years old. He’s still an above average hitter with a 111 wRC+ assuming no further decline, but he hit .262 with 11 homers and 11 steals in 139 games. He’s also a bad defensive player. The .355 OBP is where he derives his value, so he’s slightly more appealing in OBP leagues, but I can’t imagine he holds down a full time job for much longer. 2024 Projection: 59/13/59/.252/.339/.403/9

725) Mike Yastrzemski SFG, OF, 33.8 – Yas is a strong side of a platoon bat with plus power and a below average hit tool. He cracked 15 homers with a .233 BA in 106 games, and the 90 MPH EV with a 26% K% backs up the profile. At 33 years old, he’s likely towards the end of even having a full time platoon role. 2024 Projection: 58/18/45/.238/.326/.439/3

726) Deyvison De Los Santos ARI, 1B/3B, 20.9 – Cleveland selected De Los Santos in the Rule 5 Draft, and I’m honestly not sure this is a good thing for Deyvison or his fantasy owners. He’ll still be only 20 years old for the first 3 months of the 2024 season, and he’s already been advanced through the minors too aggressively to begin with. Now he’ll be thrown into the fire in the majors. Arizona assigned the 19 year old to Double-A to start the year and he struggled hard with 7 homers and a .570 OPS in his first 61 games at the level, but he found his groove in the 2nd half with 14 homers and a .927 OPS in his final 58 games. The plate approach is still rough with a 26%/5.2% K%/BB%, the groundball rates are still way too high with a 52.8% GB%, and he’s still a poor defensive player. If he sticks with Cleveland, he’ll likely be used as a bench bat, so you are burning years of team control in leagues that aren’t keep forever. Best case scenario is that Cleveland ends up sending him back to Arizona, which I might be leaning towards as the most likely outcome. His power is legit and will play at any level, so there is a possibility he surprises, which is the low risk bet Cleveland is making. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 69/26/82/.248/.322/.458/3 Update: As I expected, Cleveland sent DDLS back to Arizona

727) Nick Madrigal CHC, 3B, 27.1 – Madrigal had the stolen base EXPLOSION we’ve all been waiting for … with 10 steals in 92 games. Womp Womp. He combines the continually disappointing steal totals with 2 homers and a .263 BA. The contact rates are elite with a 8.2% K%, but a 0.8% Barrel% is brutal, and his speed is merely above average with a 27.9 ft/sec sprint. He’s a utility player. 2024 Projection: 51/5/38/.275/.324/.360/14

728) Jhonkensy Noel CLE, 1B/3B/OF, 22.8 – Noel had a relatively uninspiring year at Triple-A with a 77 wRC+ in 138 games, but he still jacked 27 homers, and it doesn’t really change his ultimate profile all that much as a low BA (.220 BA), poor defensive slugger. He didn’t hit the ball particularly hard this year, but he’s 6’3”, 250 pounds with double plus raw power, so it isn’t too much of a concern. He’s currently in LIDOM and he’s already cracked 3 homers with a .174 BA in 7 games. Playing time will be an issue, but you know he’ll jack homers if he gets it. 2024 Projection: 13/4/18/.219/.296/.422/0 Prime Projection: 64/21/76/.238/.320/.461/1

729) Wilfred Veras CHW, OF, 21.5 – Veras put up some fun fantasy numbers with 17 homers, 24 steals and a .286 BA in 130 games split between High-A and Double-A. He was actually better in Double-A as a 20 year old. He’s 6’2”, 180 pounds with monster raw power and baseball bloodlines (his cousin is Fernando Tatis Jr.). All of that information should make me love him, but there are enough issues that make me hesitant. The plate approach is rough with a 25.7%/5.0% K%/BB%, the GB% is very high at 55.3%, and he doesn’t have much defensive value. He’s also not a burner, so you can’t fully trust the stolen base numbers. He’s kinda an extreme prospect with a bunch of things to absolutely love and a bunch of things to absolutely hate. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 68/21/77/.247/.308/.442/11

730) Victor Bericoto SFG, 1B/OF, 22.4 – Bericoto seems to be on a beeline for a short side of a platoon bat with SF. You know how SF loves their platoon bats. He has a legitimately electric righty swing that produces plus power, cracking 27 homers with an .840 OPS in 122 games split between High-A and Double-A. The hit tool and plate approach took a big step back at Double-A with a 26.5%/6.9% K%/BB% and .237 BA in 51 games, but he was only 21, and he was still an above average hitter with 11 homers and a 104 wRC+. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 43/16/51/.244/.318/.436/2

731) Jason Heyward LAD, OF, 34.8 – Here’s what I wrote in Heyward’s 2023 Top 1,000 blurb, ranking him 1,003rd overall, “We’ve heard about the new swing and LA working their magic on Heyward, and then we got a first hand look at it. Heyward unloaded on his first homer of the spring and looked equally good demolishing his 2nd a few days later. It was undeniably impressive, but Heyward is the type of athlete that has always been undeniably impressive at 6’5”, 240 pounds. I mean, would anything be more fun than a late late career breakout for a player we all thought would be a superstar? There are definitely at bats to be won in LA this year. Crazier things have happened …” … the breakout did in fact happen, albeit in a part time role, slashing .269/.340/.473 with 15 homers, 2 steals, and a 17.0%/9.0% K%/BB% in 377 PA. It was good for a 121 wRC+. His 15.4 degree launch was the highest of his career, and that is what mainly fueled the breakout, but good luck also fueled the breakout with a .348 xwOBA vs. .319 wOBA. The plus contact, plus launch, plus pull profile is a Statcast blind spot though, so the breakout certainly wasn’t only luck. He looks setup for a strong side of a platoon role, but there is definitely risk he ends up more of a bench bat with little to no leash. 2024 Projection: 48/13/42/.260/.328/.434/2

732) Chris Taylor LAD, SS/3B/OF, 33.7 – Taylor is an aging super utility player who has major strikeout problems (32.6% K%). He also doesn’t hit the ball hard (86.2 MPH EV), but he pulls it a ton and hits it in the air, so he gets the most of his raw power (15 homers in 117 games). And he has above average speed with a 28.3 ft/sec sprint and 16 steals. With LA signing Teoscar Hernandez, his playing time takes an even bigger hit. 2024 Projection: 48/13/48/.235/.325/.418/12

733) Wilmer Flores SFG, 1B/3B, 32.8 – Flores has the Isaac Paredes profile with low EV’s (86.4/90.9 MPH AVG/FB EV), high pull rates (46.1% Pull%), a high launch (22 degree launch), and lots of contact (13.9% K%). As expected, it’s resulted in him beating his underlying numbers throughout his career (.331 wOBA vs. 308 xwOBA), and he did it again in 2023 with a .368 wOBA vs. .333 xwOBA. It resulted in career best .863 OPS and 136 wRC+ in 126 games. Unlike Paredes, Flores hits in one of the worst parks for righty homers, and SF seems alergic to giving him full time at bats. He’s always been a good hitter throughout his career, but the team and ballpark limits his upside. 2024 Projection: 56/18/64/.267/.338/.447/1

734) Carlos Santana MIN, 1B, 38.0 – Santana seems to have the starting 1B job in Minnesota, but he can easily end up more of a bench bat. He put up a 101 wRC+ in both 2022 and 2023. His .308 xwOBA was a career low by far and so was his 10.5% BB%. There is still some juice in the bat with a 16.8% K% and 88.8 MPH EV, but his career is winding down. 2024 Projection: 55/18/61/.236/.317/.420/4

735) Trent Grisham NYY, OF, 27.5 – Grisham is a bench bat with the Yankees, but maybe the huge ballpark upgrade will help him get the most out of his intriguing underlying numbers. He put up a 11.9% Barrel%, 90.3/95.8 MPH AVG/FB EV, and 18.3 degree launch in 153 games, but it only resulted in 13 homers and a .198 BA. The 27.7%/13.5% K%/BB% isn’t great, but it’s not horrible, and he’s a good defensive player. It wouldn’t be crazy if he was better than Alex Verdugo. 2024 Projection: 43/13/41/.220/.320/.400/12

736) Elehuris Montero COL, 1B, 25.7 – Montero closed out the season very strong, slashing .292/.355/.540 with 8 homers and a 30.9%/6.6% K%/BB%, but that is all he can really hang his hat on. He’s a bad defensive player, he put up a 76 wRC+ in 85 games, his hit tool is terrible with a 39.3% whiff%, the plate approach is horrific with a 43.2% Chase% and 4.9% BB%, he doesn’t lift the ball enough with a 9.9 degree launch, and he doesn’t hit it hard enough with a 92.9 MPH FB/LD EV. He also has competition for the 1B/DH job. He’s only a bench flier in deeper leagues. 2024 Projection: 38/13/46/.240/.303/.432/0

737) Zach McKinstry DET, OF/3B/2B/SS, 28.11 – With Detroit’s talented group of upper minors hitters, most notably Keith and Jung, McKinstry is headed for a super utility role. He leveled up in 2023 with a career best 21.8% K% and .312 xwOBA. He has above average speed (28.5 ft/sec sprint) and can lift the ball (17.8 degree launch), but a 89.2 MPH FB/LD EV caps his upside. 2024 Projection: 41/8/35/.240/.310/.392/13

738) Owen Miller MIL, 1B/2B/3B, 27.5 – Miller plays a lot of positions that Milwaukee is weak in, he’s a good defensive player, he gets the bat on the ball with a 19.4% K%, and he’s fast with a 29 ft/sec sprint speed (13 steals in 90 games). The problem is that he can’t do any damage with a 86.3/89.4 MPH AVG/FB EV and 3.4% Barrel%, leading to a 81 wRC+. If he can hit the ball harder as he enters his late 20’s, there is a path to legit impact fantasy numbers. 2024 Projection: 36/6/33/.257/.305/.384/11

739) Eddie Rosario WAS, OF, 32.6 – Rosario is an average hitter (100 wRC+ in 516 PA) and a below average defensive player. That isn’t a recipe to find a full time job on the free agent market, and he wasn’t able to find one signing with Washington in some kind of platoon role. He’s also getting up there in age, and the hit tool is declining with a 29.7% whiff% and 23.6% K% which are both much worse than career norms. 2024 Projection: 46/16/53/.250/.300/.435/4

740) Adam Duvall ATL, OF, 35.7 – Duvall resigned with Atlanta and looks to be in a short side of a platoon role. He’s an extreme launch player with a 28.9 degree launch, and it led to 21 homers in 92 games. The plate approach is terrible with a 31.2%/6.2% K%/BB%, so expect a very low BA. 2024 Projection: 48/20/61/.229/.295/.489/3

741) Jake McCarthy ARI, OF, 26.8 – The Joc signing pushes McCarthy into a speed bench role only. He has elite speed and nothing else with 26 steals and a 29.9 ft/sec sprint in 312 MLB PA. The hit tool and power are both well below average with only 2 homers, an 85.3 MPH EV, and a .243 BA. There is fantasy upside if he ends up with playing time, but he’s not someone I’m banking on. 2024 Projection: 31/5/22/.253/.321/.390/17

742) Jordan Diaz OAK, 2B/3B, 23.8 – I was never the highest guy on Diaz because I was scared off by his very high groundball rates, very low walk rates, very slow speed and very poor defense, and that is exactly what got him in his rookie year with a 78 wRC+ and negative 0.9 WAR in 293 PA. He put up a 5.4 degree launch, 5.8% BB%, 25.3 ft/sec sprint, and a negative 8.3 Fangraphs defensive value. His hit tool actually wasn’t even that good either with a 23.5% K% and 29.9% whiff%. The one saving grace is that he hit the ball very hard with a 90/95.6 MPH AVG/FB EV, and that one thing can erase a lot of deficiencies. There are at least one too many deficiencies for me to buy into Diaz, and it doesn’t look like he has a starting job at the moment, so he’s only rosterable in deeper leagues. 2024 Projection: 31/9/39/.248/.297/.410/0

743) Mauricio Dubon HOU, 2B/OF, 29.9 – Dubon is a super utility player with near elite contact rates (14.2% K%), above average speed (28.1 fts/sec sprint), well below average pop (4.5% Barrel%) and above average defense. He hit .278 with 10 homers and 7 steals in 492 PA. He’ll probably need an injury to Jeremy Pena to get full time at bats, because at every other position, Houston has options in the upper minors who they may prefer to go to. 2024 Projection: 55/9/38/.268/.308/.402/8

744) Cade Marlowe SEA, OF, 26.9 – I struggle to find a path to playing time for Marlowe, but he had a very encouraging MLB debut. He was a plus defensive player, with plus speed (28.9 ft/sec sprint), an above average barrel% (7.3%), a 112 wRC+, a 12% BB%, and a not horrible 29.4% whiff% (despite a 33% K%). He doesn’t hit the ball that hard with a 86.6 MPH EV, but a 20.8 degree launch will get the most out of his raw power. If he does work his way into playing time, he has a very intriguing fantasy profile, especially in OBP leagues. 2024 Projection: 36/8/33/.231/.322/.401/14

745) Jonathan Aranda TBR, 1B/2B, 25.10 – Aranda is a poor defensive player, he’s not that young, he’s in a stacked organization, and his hit tool hasn’t been good in the majors. He hit .230 with a 30.1% K% in 103 MLB PA in 2023. He once again destroyed Triple-A with a 165 wRC+, and he hits the ball legitimately hard (92.3 MPH EV at AAA and 90.1 MPH career EV in the majors), but there is absolutely zero leash for him with no guarantee on when he will get his next chance. A trade would help his value, but I’m not sure his trade value is that high and he would still have to fight for playing time in another organization. If he works his way into playing time, he’s worth picking up, but he’s not the type I really want to hold with no speed and a line drive approach. 2024 Projection: 38/10/45/.242/.328/.415/2

746) Victor Mesa Jr. MIA, OF, 22.7 – The Mesa brothers have been very disappointing since coming over from Cuba, but Victor Jr. still has a chance to make due on his promise. His power broke out in 2023 with 18 homers in 123 games at Double-A as a 21 year old, and looking at his pretty thick 6’0” frame with a big lefty swing, there could be more in the tank down the line. He’s also retained his athleticism with above average speed (16 steals) and above average CF defense. The hit tool and approach still need to take at least one step forward, as a .242 BA and 22.9%/7.7% K%/BB% led to an only 91 wRC+ despite the strong power/speed numbers. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 75/22/75/.247/.314/.433/11

747) Harold Ramirez TBR, OF, 29.7 – Ramirez is a short side of a platoon DH. He has above average contact rates (18.2% K%) and he hits the ball fairly hard (89.1 MPH EV), but he doesn’t have enough lift (6.1 degree launch) or speed (5 steals in 434 PA) to have a ton of fantasy value in a part time role. He’s a BA play. 2024 Projection: 41/9/49/.282/.330/.430/4

748) Will Brennan CLE, OF, 26.2 – Brennen isn’t a quite good enough defensive player and isn’t quite fast enough (28.3 ft/sec sprint) to make up for his weak hitting. He put up a 85.7 MPH EV and 81 wRC+ in 455 MLB PA. He has elite contact rates with a 12.5% K% and .286 xBA (.266 BA), but 5 homers with 13 steals in 18 attempts is very lacking for fantasy purposes even if he was able to lock down a full time job, which is far from guaranteed, and is looking unlikely in the near future. 2024 Projection: 41/5/33/.278/.322/.392/13

749) Andrew Monasterio MIL, 3B/2B, 26.10 – Monasterio is likely a bench bat both short and long term with the Joey Ortiz trade, and Tyler Black and Brock Wilken on the way, but it wouldn’t be all that surprising to see him at least make the decision as hard as possible on Milwaukee. He has a good feel to hit (21% K% and 21.7% whiff%), he hits it hard (88.8 MPH EV), he can lift it (17.7 degree launch), he has above average speed (28 ft.sec sprint), and he’s a solid defensive player. He’s not a big home run hitter because the 90.7 MPH FB/LD EV is low, but he can do better than the 3 homers he put up in 315 MLB PA. There is average across the board potential here. 2024 Projection: 42/8/35/.256/.330/.397/10

750) Taylor Walls TBR, SS/2B/3B, 27.9 – Even with Franco looking unlikely to ever play again, Walls has plenty of competition for the SS job both short and long term. Another complication is that he had hip surgery this off-season and is “iffy” for opening day. He’s a very bad hitter with a .277 xwOBA and .638 OPS in 349 PA in 2023, but he nabbed 22 bases (28.2 ft/sec sprint), he lifts the ball with a 19.1 degree launch (8 homers), and he gets on base with a 26.4%/12.6% K%/BB%. He can certainly be fantasy relevant if he’s in the lineup. 2024 Projection: 45/8/29/.221/.318/.371/14

751) Gabriel Arias CLE, SS/1B, 24.1 – Arias has always been pushed aggressively because of his plus glove while the bat lagged behind, so his production in his rookie year isn’t a surprise. He was a plus defensive player with a 32.8%/8.1% K%/BB% and 74 wRC+ in 345 PA. The thing that gets him on this list is that he has an above average to plus raw power/speed combo with a 91.1 MPH EV and 28.1 ft/sec speed, which resulted in 10 homers and 3 steals. If his glove keeps giving him chances, and if he can mature at the plate, the tools are there to be an impact fantasy player. 2024 Projection: 42/11/39/.227/.296/.396/6

752) Matt Mervis CHC, 1B, 25.11 – Mervis is starting to look mighty blocked in Chicago with the Michael Busch trade. He had a disaster pro debut with a 46 wRC+ and 32.3%/8.1% K%/BB% in 99 PA, and Chicago didn’t give him much leash to figure out his struggles on the MLB level. He dominated Triple-A again with a 132 wRC+ in 100 games, but he wouldn’t be the first older, 1B only bat who just couldn’t hit enough to hold down a full time job on the MLB level. He also struggles vs. lefties, so a strong side of a platoon bat might be the reasonable ceiling at this point. The one thing you can hang your hat on is how hard he crushed the ball with a 91/98.5 MPH AVG/FB EV, but he didn’t hit it quite as hard at Triple-A with a 88.8 MPH EV. 2024 Projection: 26/9/35/.239/.320/.431/1

753) Dustin Harris TEX, OF/1B, 24.9 – Harris’ power pulled back in 2023 with only 14 homers in 127 games split between Double-A and Triple-A, and the underlying numbers back up the decline with a 84.1 MPH EV at Triple-A. He’s hit the ball harder in the past and he’s got more raw power in the tank at a rock solid 6’3”, so I would expect a bounce back next year, but it’s not great. On the plus side, he continued to show an excellent plate approach (22.6%/14.8% K%/BB%), the ability to lift the ball (35.2% GB%), and speed (41 for 46 on the bases), so it’s a mighty enticing fantasy profile even if he never puts up beastly exit velocity numbers. He’s on the older side and he’s not a particularly good defensive player, so he’s a fringy-ish fantasy prospect on a team where their fringy-ish prospects will be used as bench pieces/depth. 2024 Projection: 14/2/10/.232/.307/.389/5 Prime Projection: 76/18/69/.247/.324/.424/19

754) Addison Barger TOR, 3B/SS/OF, 24.5 – Barger had a down year with a 92 wRC+ in 88 games at Triple-A. I’m calling it a “down year” because he had an elbow injury that contributed to a slow start to the year. He was much better in the 2nd half with a .809 OPS and 8 homers in his final 64 games. Everything that made him a fun breakout in 2022 is still present with plus power, and his plate approach actually improved with a 17.7%/13.7% K%/BB% over those last 64 games. He’s not a great defensive player, but Toronto played him all over the field, so he seems to have some versatility. He’s not going to be handed a full time job, but he has the type of bat that could win him one over time. 2024 Projection: 22/6/24/.232/.302/.403/2 Prime Projection: 76/24/81/.253/.328/.448/6

755) Luken Baker STL, 1B, 27.1 – Baker arguably had the best statistical season of any hitter in the minor leagues. He smashed Triple-A, slashing .334/.439/.720 with 33 homers and a 20.0%/15.5% K%/BB% in 84 games. It was good for a 180 wRC+. He wasn’t able to keep it up in the majors with a 31.3% K% and 79 wRC+ in 99 PA, but the ingredients are there for him to become a low BA slugger if he can find playing time. In the majors, he put up a 93.1/96.6 MPH AVG/FB EV with a 16.9 degree launch and a .320 xwOBA. The EV numbers were big in the minors too with a 92.1 MPH EV. He’s not the type of prospect I like to hold waiting for him to get playing time, but if a path opens up for him, he would be an easy pickup. 2024 Projection: 27/8/32/.231/.319/.432/0

756) Damiano Palmegiani TOR, 3B/1B, 24.2 – Palmegiani has been an absolute terror since entering pro ball in 2021. He put up a 167 wRC+ in rookie, a 141 wRC+ at Single-A, a 116 wRC+ at High-A, a 123 wRC+ at Double-A, and a 146 wRC+ at Triple-A. He’s now ripping up the AFL with a .941 OPS in 22 games. He has at least plus power with 26 homers in 144 games split between 3 levels (AA, AAA, AFL), but it comes with some swing and miss with a 27.2% K%, and he’s not a particularly good defensive player. Despite the hit tool and defensive risk, it’s easy to bet on a guy who has had nothing but success and a carrying tool in his power. 2024 Projection: 11/5/14/.230/.301/.421/0 Prime Projection: 66/25/77/.243/.321/.466/4

757) Robert Hassell WAS, OF, 22.8 – Hassell’s fall from grace was so brutal it almost makes you hesitant to invest too heavily in Nationals prospects at all (see below for the Dynasty Thought of the day). He’s someone with a hit tool driven profile, except he struck out 31.9% of the time with a .225 BA in 106 games at Double-A. He didn’t even run that much with only 13 steals, and he doesn’t have much power with 8 homers and a 53.1% GB%. I’m actually stumped on what we are buying here other than former prospect hype, but at the same time, it was his first truly down year of his career. We have to give him the opportunity to overcome adversity and come out the other side of it before completely tanking his ranking. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 76/14/61/.243/.318/.407/16

758) Gavin Cross KC, OF, 23.2 – Cross’ year was no doubt a disaster with a 91 wRC+ in 94 games at High-A. A 22 year old, advanced college bat should be doing damage against lower minors pitchers, but there were enough positives to not completely give up on him. The 27.8% K% wasn’t good, but it’s not hopeless either, he did show off a solid power/speed combo with 12 homers and 23 steals, and a relatively low .262 BABIP probably made a mediocre season look even worse. He utterly obliterated Single-A last year, so it’s not like he’s just been total trash in his pro career. The pedigree and power/speed combo has me thinking he’s in for a bounce back in 2024, but I would only acquire him if the price is very cheap. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 68/19/73/.239/.317/.427/14

759) Jansel Luis ARI, 2B/SS, 19.1 – Luis was excellent in the DSL in 2022 with a plus contact/speed profile, and the skills transferred completely to stateside rookie ball in 2023, slashing .297/.381/.495 with 3 homers, 9 steals, and a 14.3%/8.6% K%/BB% in 25 games. He then got the call to Single-A as an 18 year old and he held his own, slashing .257/.310/.417 with 4 homers, 7 steals, and a 22.6%/5.2% K%/BB% in 36 games. He’s a switch hitter who does everything well on a baseball field with plus contact, developing power, speed and good defense. He’s not a huge guy, but there is certainly plenty of projection left at a skinny 6’0”. If his power takes another step forward, he can really start popping, and the floor is pretty high as is. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 76/17/60/.269/.327/.420/23

760) Kevin McGonigle DET, SS, 19.7 – Selected 37th overall in the 2023 MLB Draft, McGonigle is a hit tool play with one of the most advanced bats in the high school class. He has a simple and quick left handed swing that has racked up hits everywhere he’s played, and includes both stateside rookie (135 wRC+) and Single-A (151 wRC+) in his pro debut. He slashed .315/.452/.411 with 1 homer, 8 steals (in 13 attempts) and a 10.9%/19.4% K%BB% in 21 games. He’s only 5’11’, 185 pounds and the power/speed combo isn’t big, but it’s not like he doesn’t have any athleticism. He’s definitely a good athlete. Hit tool first high school prospects aren’t my favorite aisle to shop in, but McGonigle has enough upside to go after. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 86/15/59/.283/.354/.418/12

761) Enmanuel Tejeda NYY, 2B/3B, 19.3 – Tejada ripped up the DSL in 2022 with a 162 wRC+, and he did the same in stateside rookie ball in 2023, slashing .307/.465/.458 with 5 homers, 24 steals, and a 20.3%/20.3% K%/BB% in 50 games. He’s not a projectable tools guy at only 5’11”, but he has a quick righty swing and is a strong overall offensive player with average to above average hit, approach, power, and speed. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 82/18/68/.268/.339/.429/14

762) Myles Naylor OAK, SS, 19.0 – Selected 39th overall in the 2023 MLB Draft, Myles Naylor is your last chance to get in on the Naylor family without having to pay through the nose (Josh and Bo are his older brothers). The youngest Naylor is 6’2”, 195 pounds with a quick and powerful righty swing that jacked out 6 homers in 32 games at Single-A in his pro debut. He wasn’t expected to have major hit tool issues when he was drafted, but his 39.4% K% ended up being scary, and he struck out 3 times in 6 AB in rookie ball too. I want to give him a pass because of his plus bloodlines, aggressive assignment, and track record as an amateur, but the cold hard numbers without any narrative are a little hard to stomach. The high strikeout rate prevents me from flying him up FYPD rankings, but the swing is exciting, and his power is so sincere. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 74/28/85/.241/.323/.473/5

763) Robert Calaz COL, OF, 18.4 – Calaz was the Rockies top international signing with a $1.7 million signing bonus, and he delivered in his pro debut in the DSL, slashing .325/.423/.561 with 7 homers, 6 steals, and a 22.8%/11.6% K%/BB% in 43 games. It was good for a 155 wRC+. He has the tools to back it up at an athletic 6’2”, 202 pounds with plus power being his calling card. He’s definitely a candidate to explode when he gets stateside. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 74/25/79/.251/.322/.464/7

764) Abraham Nunez CHW, OF, 18.1 – If you like your DSL prospects to look the part, Nunez is your guy. He’s a projectable 6’3”, 170 pounds with baseball bloodlines (his dad played in the majors) and good athleticism. He played well in the DSL with 3 homers, 12 steals, and a 11.9%/17.8% K%/BB% in 44 games. He checks a lot of boxes in what you look for in a future breakout. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 76/22/79/.268/.338/.440/14

765) Javier Mogollon CHW, 2B/SS, 18.5 – Mogollon is not your typical tall drink of water, projectable DSL prospect at only 5’8”, but he’s a legitimately explosive player with power, speed and contact ability. He destroyed the DSL, slashing .315/.417/.582 with 10 homers, 11 steals, and a 14.1%/13.6% K%/BB% in 47 games. He’s definitely a candidate to be one of the next small, but still hyped prospect in the mold of a Jonatan Clase or Carlos Jorge. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 79/18/76/.275/.335/.425/18

766) Yoeilin Cespedes BOS, SS, 18.7 – Yoeilin Cespedes takes huge hacks at the dish, reminiscent of a miniature version of Vlad Guerrero Sr. And like Vlad Sr., he also makes tons of contact. He crushed the DSL in his pro debut, slashing .346/.392/.560 with 6 homers, 1 steals, and a 11.5%/6.7% K%/BB% in 46 games. He’s only 5’9”, and while he hits the ball hard, it’s hard to expect him to be a true beastly power hitter. He also doesn’t have much speed and he’s a very aggressive hitter at the dish. The swing is super fun and his hit/power combo proved to be legit in the DSL, so maybe I’m getting too caught up on the perceived negatives (size, lack of speed, and aggressiveness), but he’s not yet in that must target territory for me. I do like him at a reasonable price though. ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 73/21/78/.268/.326/.432/5

767) Jeremy Rodriguez NYM, SS, 17.9 – Rodriguez signed for $1.25 million in last year’s international class, and he went out and earned that signing bonus in the DSL, slashing .293/.411/.467 with 3 homers, 19 steals, and a 15.3%/16.3% K%/BB% in 51 games. The Mets then targeted him at the deadline in a 1 for 1 trade with Tommy Pham. That tells you right there how highly the Mets think of him, and he’ll still be 17 years old for the first half of 2024. He’s a projectable 6’0”, 170 pounds with a quick lefty swing that should produce at least average power at peak, with a definite chance for more than that. He’s also an excellent all around athlete with a good glove at SS. There isn’t necessarily jaw dropping tools here, but he’s toolsy, and he showed an excellent plate approach in his debut. ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 78/18/72/.267/.336/.421/18

768) Landon Roupp SFG, RHP, 25.7 – Roupp is 6’2”, 205 pounds with a relatively athletic righty delivery that uses to fire an elite spin, double plus curveball. He combines that standout pitch with plus control, a 4 pitch mix, and a low to mid 90’s fastball. He used that arsenal to dominate Double-A with a 1.74 ERA and 35%/7.5% K%/BB% in 31 IP. He only pitched in relatively short outings and he’s on the older side, but Roupp has literally never not pitched well at any level going back to his Freshman year of college. He also went longer outings in 2022 (2.60 ERA with a 152/37 K/BB in 107.1 IP). The one snafu is that he was shutdown for the season on June 30th with an unspecified injury, but it seems he’s expected to be healthy for 2024. 2024 Projection: 2/4.28/1.31/48 in 50 IP Prime Projection: 9/3.99/1.26/155 in 150 IP

769) Richard Fitts BOS, RHP, 24.3 – Fitts always strikes me as a #4 type starting pitcher when watching him, but plus control guys can often beat the visual evaluations of them. He put up a 3.48 ERA with a 25.9%/6.8% K%/BB% in 152.2 IP at Double-A. The fastball sits low to mid 90’s and an above average slider is his best secondary. He probably needs to up his control/command to an even higher level to be an impact fantasy starter, because the stuff is hittable when he catches too much of the plate. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 9/4.22/1.28/140 in 150 IP

770) Spencer Arrighetti HOU, RHP, 24.3 – I was feeling Arrihetti as a breakout candidate coming into this year in the mold of a Cristian Javier, and while I still wouldn’t rule that out, he disappointed when he got to Triple-A with a 4.64 ERA and 23.1%/13.4% K%/BB% in 64 IP. He fastball sat only 92.5 MPH and the slider was solid but didn’t dominate. The PCL is a tough league, he was much better at Double-A with a 4.15 ERA and 31.2%/9.1% K%/BB% in 60 IP, and the lesser used changeup took a step forward as an at least average pitch, so it wasn’t a disaster year by any stretch. He didn’t go full breakout like I thought was possible, but he remains an intriguing close to the majors arm in a great organization. 2024 Projection: 2/4.39/1.38/45 in 50 IP Prime Projection: 10/4.12/1.32/157 in 155 IP

771) Ignacio Alvarez ATL, SS, 21.0 – Alvarez was one of my top deep league, late round FYPD targets, finishing his Top 1,000 blurb by writing, “He doesn’t jump off the screen, but he’s not small at 6’0”, 190 pounds, and he looks like a player out there.” He backed up my evaluation of him with another strong year in his first full season of pro ball, slashing .284/.395/.391 with 7 homers, 16 steals, and a 17.4%/13.2% K%/BB% in 116 games at High-A. The upside isn’t high with an average at best power/speed combo, and he’s not a particularly good defensive player, but the guy can hit. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 75/15/72/.271/.337/.421/12

772) Michael Arroyo SEA, SS, 19.5 – Arroyo was an 18 year old at Single-A and put up a 118 wRC+ in 57 games. He looks like a seasoned vet at the dish, and is the type who jumps out immediately when you watch him hit. He’s completely locked in and makes hitting a baseball look easy. The rest of his profile is a little lacking though. His slash line isn’t as impressive as the wRC+, slashing .234/.389/.373 with 2 homers, 5 steals, and a 20.0%/13.6% K%/BB%. He doesn’t jump off the screen at 5’10” without big raw power or speed, and he’s not a particularly good defensive player. Without big upside, and without the plus glove to get him on the field, I’m hesitant to really go after him, although I don’t doubt this guy will hit at any level. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 79/18/76/.277/.344/.431/6

773) Cole Carrigg COL, C/SS/OF, 21.11 – Selected 65th overall in the 2023 MLB Draft, Carrigg was one of the top pro debut breakouts in his class. After destroying rookie ball (176 wRC+ in 13 games), he kept it going at Single-A, slashing .326/.376/.554 with 3 homers, 6 steals, and a 19.8%/6.9% K%/BB% in 23 games. It’s nice to see that level of production considering he didn’t play in one of the toughest conferences (Mountain West). He doesn’t have big power with only 7 homers in his 133 game college career, but at 6’3”, 200 pounds, you don’t have to squint too hard to see his ability to develop more as he ages. He also got caught stealing more than optimal in college and doesn’t walk a ton, but he can be a fun jack of all trades type who plays all over the field. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 74/14/68/.263/.319/.411/16

774) AJ Ewing NYM, 2B, 19.8 – Selected 134th overall in the 2023 MLB Draft, Ewing got dinged because of questionable power potential, but he’s not a small guy at a relatively strong 6’0”, and he hits the ball hard with a vicious lefty swing, so I’m not sure why that got put on him. He had a strong pro debut with a 161 wRC+, 0 homers (14.3% GB%), 1 steal, and a 28.6%/23.8% K%/BB% in 7 games. He has a good feel to hit, mature approach, above average speed, and more power than he is given credit for. He has a chance to be quite good. He makes for a great underrated FYPD target. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 82/20/79/.265/.336/.438/16

775) Nazzan Zanetello BOS, SS, 18.10 – Selected 50th overall in the 2023 MLB Draft, Zanetello had the type of rough pro debut that gives me some pause. He slashed .139/.311/.222 with 0 homers, 5 steals, and a 33.3%/20.0% K%/BB% in 12 games at rookie ball. It’s not so bad where I’m taking him off my draft list, but it’s bad enough where he would have to fall to me. The upside is most certainly there at a long and lean 6’2”, 190 pounds with double plus athleticism and a potentially plus power/speed combo. His upside is up there with almost anyone’s in this draft. He was already on the risky side when he got drafted, and the pro debut made him a whole lot riskier. ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 73/18/71/.238/319/.427/21

776) Brandon Winokur MIN, SS/OF, 19.3 – Selected 82nd overall in the 2023 MLB Draft, the 6’5”, 210 pound Winokur has double plus power potential, and he’s also an excellent athlete with plus run times. He had no issue showing off the big power in his pro debut with 4 homers in 17 games in rookie ball, but it came with a terrible 32.4%/5.6% K%/BB%. He also had very high groundball rates with a 53.5% GB%, and despite the speed, he was 0 for 1 on the bases, so considering his size, I’m not sure we should expect big steal totals. There is very clearly still rawness in his game, but the upside is considerable. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 67/24/79/.236/.312/.442/7

777) Orion Kerkering PHI, Setup, 23.0 – Kerkering doesn’t look all that close to the closer job with a great bullpen in Philly, but he showed elite back end reliever potential in his 3 IP MLB debut. He gave up 0 earned with a 6/2 K/BB on the back of a 97.8 MPH sinker and plus sweeper. He was excellent in the minors with a 1.51 ERA and 79/12 K/BB in 53.2 IP. He’s really never shown major control issues in the minors, which combined with his level of stuff, is a very exciting profile. 2023 Projection: 3/3.47/1.19/69/5 saves in 55 IP

778) John Brebbia CHW, Closer Committee, 33.10 – Chicago added a few relievers to compete with Brebbia for the closer role. He’s been a good reliever since 2017 and that continued last year with a 3.99 ERA and 29.2%/8.7% K%/BB% in 38.1 IP (a lat injury knocked out a couple months of his season). The 94.5 MPH fastball is plus with a .253 xwOBA and 29.7% whiff%, but the slider is average to above average with mediocre whiff rates (25.6% whiff%). 2024 Projection: 3/3.56/1.23/70/15 saves in 60 IP

779) Jordan Leasure CHW, Closer Committee, 25.7 – Chicago’s closer job is wide open, and Leasure is definitely a candidate to win it. He followed up a strong AFL with a strong spring, and he has the big stuff with an upper 90’s fastball to profile in that closer role. 2024 Projection: 4/3.72/1.26/70/5 saves in 60 IP

780) Luis Gil NYY, RHP, 25.10 – Gil looks like he won the 5th starter job while Cole is on the shelf, but he’s going to have to pitch well to hold it, and I don’t completely trust him with poor control. The stuff is big though and he has a job, so he’s worth a flier. 2024 Projection: 4/4.38/1.36/102 in 90 IP

781) Yariel Rodriguez TOR, RHP, 27.3 – Toronto signed Rodriguez to a 4 year, $32 million contract, which is definitely a big enough commitment where they are expecting him to be an impact pitcher, but the only question is what role he will pitch in. It seems to me he will most likely pitch in a bullpen role, which limits his fantasy appeal. He was used as a reliever in Japan, and he dominated in that role with a 1.15 ERA and 60/18 K/BB in 54.2 IP. He has prototypical high leverage reliever stuff with a mid to upper 90’s fastball and plus slider. He also has the below average control of a typical late inning reliever, and the lack of a true third pitch, which makes the pen his most likely role. 2024 Projection: 4/3.51/1.23/65 in 60 IP

782) Jose Soriano LAA, Setup, 25.6 – Soriano looked to be in good position before LA signed Stephenson, but now he looks to be 3rd in line. He most certainly has closer stuff with two upper 90’s fastballs (98.8 MPH 4-seamer and 96.6 MPH sinker) and a double plus, bat missing curve (.236 xwOBA with a 47.1% whiff%). It resulted in a 3.64 ERA with a 30.4%/12.4% K%/BB% in 42 IP, His 36.2% whiff% is in the true elite zone. Soriano has the strikeout upside to provide real fantasy value in a setup role, and he will likely be next in line by at least 2025. 2024 Projection: 4/3.51/1.26/85/4 saves in 65 IP Update: Soriano is being stretched out as a starter, but there is no rotation spot for him, so it might just be in preparation for if they need reinforcements during the season. Still adds a nice little upside wrinkle for him

783) DJ Herz WAS, LHP, 23.3 – I’m a sucker for a bat missing lefty with a funky delivery, and while Herz will most likely end up in the bullpen, he has the opportunity to be a high leverage reliever if he does end up there. Washington’s rotation and organizational pitching depth is also nearly barren, so they may give him every opportunity to start. He put up a 3.43 ERA with a 32.4% K% in 94.1 IP at Double-A led by a bat missing low to mid 90’s fastball,  plus changeup, and average breaking ball. It comes with a 13.7% BB%, which is where the bullpen risk comes in, but you have to aim for upside in fantasy, and Herz’ elite K rates throughout his entire minor league career has upside written all over them. 2024 Projection: 2/4.21/1.36/51 in 45 IP Prime Projection: 4/3.48/1.22/88/15 saves in 65 IP

784) Wikelman Gonzalez BOS, RHP, 22.0 – There is no doubt that Gonzalez has fire stuff with a nightmare mid to upper 90’s fastball that gets a ton of whiffs to go along with a plus breaking ball and a solid changeup. It led to a 3.96 ERA with a 35.2% K% in 111.1 IP at High-A and Double-A. The problem is that his control is in the major danger zone with a 14.7% BB%. He can survive with below average control, but he needs to improve to even reach below average, so his most likely role will be out of the bullpen. It’s closer type stuff though. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 4/3.45/1.22/81/25 saves in 65 IP

785) Nick Anderson KCR, Closer Committee, 33.9 – McMillon would be my bet for the closer of the future job, and Anderson might be my bet for the closer of the present job, but his injury last year makes me hesitant to lean into that opinion too hard. He got shutdown in July with a shoulder strain and was only able to make it back for a few rehab appearances in the minors at the end of the year. He pitched well before going down with the injury with a 3.06 ERA and 25.5%/6.4% K%/BB% in 35.1 IP. The fastball sat 94.3 MPH and the curve was elite with a .183 xwOBA and 40.2% whiff%. He’s been battling injuries for a few years now, so he’s a major injury risk, and he’s already 33 years old. I would be more comfortable targeting him if he looks good in Spring. 2024 Projection: 2/3.50/1.18/52/10 saves in 50 IP

786) Erik Swanson TOR, Setup, 30.7 – Swanson is next man up in Toronto and his 29 Holds in 2023 was 4th best in baseball. He mostly backed up his 2022 breakout (1.68 ERA with a 34%/4.9% K%/BB%) with a 2.97 ERA and 28.6%/8.0% K%/BB% in 66.2 IP, but he wasn’t quite as good in multiple areas. The 93.7 MPH fastball and slider both took a step back, so he went to his plus splitter more than ever with a 47.5% usage. I think he’s closer to the guy he was in 2023 than 2022, but that is a still a damn good reliever. 2024 Projection: 4/3.31/1.12/75/7 saves in 65 IP

787) Kevin Ginkel ARI, Setup, 30.0 – Ginkel is next man up in Arizona, and he had a strong year in 2023 with a 2.48 ERA and 27.5%/9.4% K%/BB% in 65.1 IP. He was also great in the playoffs with a 0.00 ERA in 11.2 IP. The fastball sits 95.7 MPH and the slider notched a 40.4% whiff% and .190 xwOBA. It’s as standard of a back of the bullpen profile as it gets. 2024 Projection: 6/3.30/1.18/72/8 saves in 65 IP

788) Griffin Jax MIN, Setup, 29.4 – Jax backed up his 2022 breakout with another strong year in 2023, putting up a 3.86 ERA with a 24.8%/6.9% K%/BB% in 65.1 IP. He notched 23 holds and 4 saves. The stuff got even bigger with a career high 96.5 MPH fastball, to go along with a plus sweeper and changeup. He’s likely next man up in Minnesota. 2024 Projection: 6/3.51/1.16/68/5 saves in 65 IP

789) DJ Stewart NYM, OF, 30.4 – Stewart is a strong side of a platoon bat at best, and not in the majors by the 2nd half at worst. He went on a heater in mid August to close out the season with 10 homers and a .901 OPS in 35 games. He’s gone on these type of benders before though, and the rough hit tool always brings him back down to earth (30.3% K% in 2023 with a .220 career BA). He’s a late round flier in deeper leagues. 2024 Projection: 34/11/39/.230/.315/.430/1

790) Richie Palacios TBR, OF, 26.11 – Palacios is likely a part time player for Tampa. He has plus plate skills with average raw power, a low launch and above average speed. It’s a low upside profile to begin with, and I don’t see a real path to full time playing time unless he really blows up. 2024 Projection: 33/7/36/.261/.332/.395/7

791) Gavin Sheets CHW, OF/1B, 27.11 – The bottom fell out from under Sheets in 2023 with a 61 wRC+ in 344 PA, but his 88.1 MPH EV, 16.9 degree launch, and 19.2% K% make it seem like it was just a particularly bad year. With Chicago looking to sell off pieces, he could end up with a nearly full time job by default. 2024 Projection: 36/13/47/.236/.308/.421/1

792) Joe Jimenez ATL, Setup, 28.3 – Jimenez followed up his breakout 2022 with another excellent season, putting up a 3.04 ERA with a 30.7%/5.9% K%/BB% in 56.1 IP. It earned him a 3 year, $26 million contract to stay in Atlanta. He proved the control gains were real, and the plus fastball/slider combo was in full effect with a 95.3 MPH 4-seamer and a slider that notched a 45.5% whiff%. 2024 Projection: 3/3.31/1.17/77/2 saves in 58 IP

793) Seranthony Dominguez PHI, Setup, 29.4 – Dominguez didn’t have a good year in 2023 with a 3.78 ERA and 21.5%/9.8% K%/BB% in 50 IP, but the lack of K’s is probably just reliever variance with a 28% whiff%. The stuff is still nasty with a plus 97.5 sinker and a double plus slider that notched a 46.5% whiff%. He dropped down the pecking order last year, but he can easily rise back up it. 2024 Projection: 4/3.47/1.23/67/2 saves in 55 IP

794) Luke Little CHC, Setup, 23.7 – Little made his MLB debut in September, and he was an absolute terror with a 0.00 ERA and 40%/13.3% K%/BB% in 6.2 IP. He’s a 6’8”, 220 pound lefty with a 96.6 MPH 4-seamer and a double plus sweeper that notched a 56% whiff% in the majors. He dominated the upper minors too with that same profile. It’s not going to be long before he climbs Chicago’s bullpen pecking order, and he has a chance to be an elite high leverage reliever for a long time. 2024 Projection: 3/3.46/1.28/85/1 save in 60 IP

795) Reggie Crawford SFG, LHP, 23.6 – Crawford was considered a project when San Francisco drafted him 30th overall in 2022, and he remains a project. It looks like SF is developing him mostly as a pitcher, but they are taking that development super slow, not eclipsing 2 IP in any outing. He threw 19 IP all season battling mononucleosis in the beginning of the year and an oblique injury at the end of the year. He’s 6’4”, 235 pounds with a fire upper 90’s fastball and the curve is plus, resulting in a 39% K% against lower minors hitters, but he seems a long way off from being considered a starter. The changeup lags behind and the control is spotty with a 12.4% BB%. If you want to a pure upside shot, Crawford is your guy, but a late inning reliever might be his most likely outcome at the moment. Or more likely SF will turn him into a 2-3 inning opener/follower type that they love so much. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 7/3.87/1.32/129 in 120 IP

796) Bowden Francis TOR, RHP, 27.11 – Francis has won a rotation spot in Toronto’s rotation, but he’s only in flier territory for me. He got hit really hard last year in a bullpen role, and was lucky with a .297 wOBA vs. .370 xwOBA against in 36.1 IP. The control is good, so maybe he can be a #4 starter, but I also think Tiedemann is taking that 5th starter job when they deem him ready (and he’s basically ready). 2024 Projection: 7/4.30/1/30/115 in 130 IP

797) Jakob Junis MIL, RHP, 31.7 – Signing with the Brewers give Junis a chance to lock in a starting role. He thrived with San Francisco in a multi inning relief role, putting up a 3.87 ERA and 26.2%/5.7% K%/BB% in 86 IP over 40 outings. The sinker velocity hit a career high by far 93.7 MPH and he threw his above average slider more than ever at a 62.5% usage rate, leading to a career high K rate. It’s doubtful he can keep up that level of production in a traditional starting role, and Milwaukee could easily shift him back to the bullpen if it’s not working out early in the rotation, so the leash isn’t going to be long. 2024 Projection: 6/4.23/1.34/113 in 120 IP

798) Xavier Edwards MIA, 2B/OF, 24.8 – I try not to be a slave to exit velocity, especially for prospects with good complimentary skills, but Edwards’ exit velocities are low enough to scare me off. He put up a 82.4 MPH EV in 93 games at Triple-A and a 82.2 MPH EV in 84 PA in his MLB debut. The contact rates and plate approach were elite in Triple-A with a 6.9%/12.0% K%/BB%, but he wasn’t able to maintain that in the majors with a 16.7%/3.6% K%/BB%. And he’s fast with a 28.3 ft/sec sprint speed, but that isn’t really lightning fast. There is obviously a path to impact fantasy production with a plus hit/speed combo, but I’m staying away from him as anything other than a flier with those horrific exit velocities. 2024 Projection: 49/4/32/.263/.326/.362/19 Prime Projection: 76/8/51/.277/.338/.385/32

799) Kumar Rocker TEX, RHP, 24.5 – Rocker underwent Tommy John surgery in May 2023 which will likely knock him out until the 2nd half of 2024. It’s a major bummer as he was actually looking really good with a 3.86 ERA and 37.8%/6.3% K%/BB% in 28 IP at High-A. A high mid 90’s fastball with a bat missing slider is his game when healthy, but he’s struggled to remain healthy. A bullpen role could be in his future if his arm can’t handle a starter’s workload. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 4/3.78/1.26/73 in 65 IP

800) Nick Frasso LAD, RHP, 25.6 – When everything is clicking, Frasso looks like a near ace at an athletic 6’5” with a deceptive righty delivery, fire stuff, and above average control. But everything isn’t always clicking for him as he ran extremely hot and cold this year, his stuff can be up and down, he’s been very injury prone in his career, and 93 IP was a career high by far (60 IP was previous career high in 2018). He throws a mid 90’s fastball with a plus slider and a changeup that flashes plus. It was good for a 3.77 ERA and 26.8%/7.8% K%/BB% in 93 IP at mostly Double-A. His ultimate role is still very much in the air, and in an organization that grows pitching prospects on trees and can sign/acquire high priced pitchers whenever they want, a bullpen role seems likely in the first couple years of his career. 2024 Projection: 3/4.39/1.34/58 in 60 IP Prime Projection: 9/3.91/1.28/150 in 140 IP

801) Daniel Espino CLE, RHP, 23.3 – Espino underwent shoulder surgery in early May with a 12-14 month timetable. That puts his best case return date in the 2nd half of 2024, and shoulder surgeries scare me more than elbow surgeries. I love buying the elbow surgery discount, but I’m not nearly as gung-ho about the shoulder surgery discount. At full health, Espino has elite fantasy upside which he displayed in 2022 with a ridiculous 51.5%/5.9% K%/BB% in 18.1 IP before going down with a knee injury that turned into the shoulder injury. The stuff is nasty with a 5 pitch mix led by an upper 90’s fastball and plus slider. If he wasn’t so filthy with insane upside, I would go way off him, but he’s too good to completely write off. 2024 Projection: OUT Prime Projection: 4/3.72/1.26/70 in 65 IP Update: Espino underwent another shoulder surgery, and this one has to kill his value. A bullpen role seems most likely, and that is if he can even get healthy at all

802) Ryne Nelson ARI, RHP, 26.2 – Nelson has looked better this spring with crisp stuff and good results, and he’s now looking like the 5th starter in Arizona. He was still terrible last year though with a 5.31 ERA and 15.5% K%, so even two steps forward from that will still be not all that great. He’s only a flier. 2024 Projection: 8/4.45/1.37/125 in 140 IP

803) Luis Ortiz PIT, RHP, 25.2 – Ortiz rededicated himself this off-season after a rough 2023, and he looks better this spring with his stuff back up a tick. He’s still unproven and not really a target for me in most leagues, but he now looks locked into a rotation spot, and is at least worth cracking this list, which he didn’t crack in the first version of it in February. 2024 Projection: 6/4.36/1.35/116 in 120 IP

804) Cole Irvin BAL, LHP, 30.2 – Irvin’s velocity was up earlier in spring, but it’s back down now. He’s a back end guy 2024 Projection: 7/4.28/1.31/123 in 140 IP

805) Griff McGarry PHI, RHP, 24.10 – McGarry just can’t improve his control with a 15.6% BB% in 54.2 IP at Double-A, which makes it very likely at this point that he will be a reliever, but he has the type of stuff to be an impact reliever. The fastball sits mid to upper 90’s, the slider is plus, and the cutter and changeup are good pitches too. It resulted in a 3.13 ERA and 32% K% at the level. If you’re hunting for possible high K, high leverage relievers, McGarry isn’t a bad bet, and it’s still possible something clicks with his control to remain a starter. 2024 Projection: 2/4.03/1.37/56 in 50 IP Prime Projection: 4/3.61/1.28/77 in 62 IP

806) Adalberto Mondesi FRA, SS, 28.8 – Mondesi had multiple setbacks in his attempt to return in 2023 from surgery to repair a torn ACL, and he was eventually shut down in August without playing a single game. He was already a wild card type player with an extreme amount of talent and an extreme amount of rawness, and now he is an even a bigger wildcard. I can’t imagine there is a team out there who is just going to hand him a starting job, and he hasn’t even proven he’s fully healed from the surgery. I don’t hate him as a last pick in the draft flier in any league size, because on the off chance he is healthy, the upside is super fun, but the risk is off the charts. 2024 Projection: 37/7/33/.236/.287/.405/15

807) Dominic Fletcher CHW, OF, 26.7 – The trade to Chicago opens up a path to playing time for Fletcher, but he’s still going to have to fight for it, and he’s a low upside fantasy player. The hit tool is solid, but it’s not great with a 18.6% K% at Triple-A and 21.6% K% in 102 PA in the majors. The game power is below average with low flyball rates (29.5% FB% at Triple-A and 8.5 degree launch in the majors), the speed is below average with a 26.5 ft/sec sprint,, and he struggles vs. lefties. He hits the ball relatively hard, but a 89.1 MPH EV at AAA and 89.7 MPH EV in the majors isn’t hard to enough to overcome everything else in his profile. He’s mostly produced everywhere he’s been, and that includes the majors with a 113 wRC+, but an above average hit tool with a below average everything else isn’t what I look for in fantasy. 2024 Projection: 41/9/41/.250/.317/.409/4

808) Hector Neris CHC, Setup, 34.9 – I don’t think Neris is going to steal Alzolay’s job, but it certainly tightens the leash, and he may vulture some saves even if Alzolay is pitching well. Neris had the best surface stat year of his career in 2023 with a 1.71 ERA and 28.2%/11.4% K%/BB% in 68.1 IP, but as you can see from the K/BB, the miniscule ERA was mostly due to good luck with a 3.35 xERA and 4.45 xFIP. His stuff was down with the fastball dropping 1.3 MPH to 93 MPH and the splitter dropping 2.2 MPH to 83.9 MPH, but both pitches were still very effective, so I wouldn’t be too concerned about that. I wouldn’t put him in the elite setup man tier, but he’s been a very good setup man for awhile now, and his 31 Holds in 2023 was tied for the league lead. 2024 Projection: 5/3.49/1.16/76/8 saves in 66 IP

809) Joel Payamps MIL, Setup, 30.0 – Payamps had a breakout season with a 2.55 ERA and 26.8%/5.9% K%/BB% in 70.2 IP. He did it by massively improving his slider and 4-seamer with an extra tick on the fastball and 2 extra ticks on the slider. His previous career high K rate was 18.5%, and it’s not like anything is wildly different in his profile, so I do think factoring in some regression is prudent. He seems to be next man up in Milwaukee with 27 holds in 2023, but I don’t his hold on that job is super secure with other good options behind him. 2024 Projection: 4/3.25/1.17/65/3 saves in 65 IP

810) Tyler Rogers SFG, Setup, 33.3 – Rogers seems to be next man up in San Francisco with 30 holds and 2 saves in 2023. He’s an absolute marvel, thriving with a submarine, knuckle dragging delivery that “fires” an 82.8 MPH sinker that notched a negative 4 degree launch, to go along with a slider that notched a .219 xwOBA. He’s not a big K guy with a 19.4% K%, but the control is plus (6.1%) and he induces weak contact (84.4 MPH EV against). It was good for a 3.04 ERA in 74 IP. 2024 Projection: 4/3.28/1.18/57/5 saves in 70 IP

811) Will Vest DET, Setup, 28.10 – The back of Detroit’s bullpen is far from locked in with studs, so Vest could creep towards the closer role as the season progresses. He broke out in 2023 with a 2.98 ERA and 28.1%/6.5% K%/BB% in 48.1 IP. The fastball sat 95.3 MPH and was a plus pitch with a .288 xwOBA against, but the secondaries don’t miss quite enough bats to get really get excited for him. 2024 Projection: 3/3.42/1.17/62/4 saves in 55 IP

812) Emilio Pagan CIN, Setup, 32.11 – Pagan is likely next man up in Cincy. His K rate dipped in 2023 with a 23.8% K%, but it didn’t stop him from putting up the 2nd best ERA of his career with a 2.99 ERA. The fastball sits 95.8 MPH, thesplitter is a whiff machine with a 41.4% whiff%, and the cutter induced weak contact with a 86.7 MPH EV against. 2024 Projection: 4/3.71/1.13/68/7 saves in 65 IP

813) Colin Barber HOU, OF, 23.4 – The upside might not be loud, but Barber keeps quietly producing everywhere he goes. This year he did at Double-A with 11 homers, 5 steals, a 22.7%/14.0% K%/BB%, and a 111 wRC+ in 79 games. He has a mature plate approach and the ability to lift the ball with an average power/speed combo. Nothing to write home about, but he can easily end up an average big leaguer with contributions in every category. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 78/20/76/.264/.337/.432/10

814) Jose Rodriguez MIN, OF, 18.10 – Rodriguez didn’t have a huge year in his stateside rookie ball debut with a 91 wRC+ in 49 games, but he laid down a foundation of skills to set up a future breakout. And keep in mind he will still be 18 years old at the start of 2024. He showed a good feel to hit with a 19.6% K%, plus power potential with 6 homers, and the ability to lift the ball with a 49% FB%. He hits the ball hard and he’s a strong dude at a powerful 6’2”. If he continues to show the solid hit tool and lift, big years are definitely coming. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 74/27/86/.258/.327/.473/3

815) Marco Vargas NYM, SS, 18.10 – Vargas had an excellent year in the DSL in 2022 (139 wRC+), and everything transferred completely to stateside rookie ball, slashing .275/.432/.389 with 2 homers, 13 steals, and a 15.2%/21.2% K%/BB% in 54 games. He’s 6’0”, 170 pounds with a smooth and easy lefty swing that has natural loft. There should be at least average power at peak, and I think above average power is in play too. He’s not a burner, but he should at least contribute in steals as well. And of course what you are buying is the plus hit tool and plate approach. He reminds me of Juan Brito a bit, and I think Vargas has a tick more upside. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 81/18/66/.273/.351/.432/12

816) AJ Vukovich ARI, 3B/OF, 22.8 – I’ve always been a fan of AJ Vukovich because he’s a big guy and an excellent athlete, and he finally starting popping in 2023, slashing .263/.333/.485 with 24 homers, 20 steals, and a 28.4%/9.1% K%/BB% in 115 games at Double-A. He wasn’t a great 3B, so it’s very interesting to see he played 60 games in CF. That speaks to his level of speed and athleticism, and it gives him another route to get his bat in the lineup. The hit tool is below average, the plate approach isn’t great, and the groundball rates are slightly higher than optimal, but I love betting on an athlete like this. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 67/21/75/.248/.317/.436/11

817) Ruben Santana ARI, 3B, 19.1 – Santana hit well in the DSL in 2022 with a 142 wRC+, and he backed that up stateside in 2023, slashing .316/.389/.487 with 4 homers, 7 steals, and a 23.7%/8.1% K%/BB% in 52 games. He’s a strong kid who hits the ball hard and is an excellent athlete. The hit tool and plate approach still need refinement, but this is a nice high upside dart throw as you get into the later rounds of your off-season prospect draft. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 74/23/77/.248/.321/.445/15

818) Jacob Berry MIA, 1B/3B, 22.11 – All of the fears over Berry’s poor pro debut in 2022 were proved correct with another disappointing showing in 2023. He slashed .233/.284/.388 with 9 homers, 10 steals, and a 20.5%/5.3% K%/BB% in 107 games split between High-A and Double-A. The only saving grace is that he was actually better at Double-A to close out the season with 5 homers and a decent .743 OPS in 28 games, and he kept that mediocrity going in the AFL with 2 homers and a .770 OPS in 17 games. Seeing how far he’s fallen just one year after being drafted 6th overall is wild, but it’s deserved. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 66/15/71/.257/.318/.420/4

819) Won-Bin Cho STL, OF, 20.0 – Cho had a perfectly fine year at Single-A with a 114 wRC+, 7 homers, 32 steals, and a 21.7%/14.2% K%/BB% in 105 games. He has a mature plate approach, he hits the ball fairly hard, and he’s a good athlete. The 50% GB% is the biggest issue with his profile, but it was much better last year in rookie ball (34.7%), so I don’t think it’s going to be a fatal flaw for him. Lars Nootbaar could be a good comp here. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 78/17/72/.262/.341/.428/15

820) Yu-Min Lin ARI, LHP, 20.9 – Lin has done nothing but dominate pro ball at an impressively young age for the past two years. He put up a 3.34 ERA with a 32.1%/9.3% K%/BB% in 60.1 IP at High-A as a 19-year-old, and then to celebrate his 20th birthday, Arizona sent him to Double-A where he put up a 4.28 ERA with a 24.7%/10% K%/BB% in 61 IP. A plus changeup is his best pitch, he has a diverse pitch mix (fastball, change, slider, curve, cutter) and he has a deceptive and athletic lefty delivery. The problem is the the fastball is below average in the very low 90’s, he’s pretty small at a skinny 5’11”, and deceptive plus changeup guys have often dominated the minors before getting crushed in the majors. We already saw the numbers take a step back at Double-A. An uptick in velocity would do wonders for him, and at only 20 years old with his build, I would bet on it rising at least a bit. #4 starter is his most reasonable projection. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 10/4.14/1.30/155 in 160 IP

821) Owen Murphy ATL, RHP, 20.6 – Murphy doesn’t stand out physically when watching him and his stuff isn’t really standout either. He throws a low 90’s fastball with two really good breaking balls in his slider and curve. It resulted in a 4.72 ERA with a 29.6%/8.4% K%/BB% in 89.2 IP at mostly Single-A. He can really spin all of his pitches, so everything plays up, but he likely needs to become a plus control/command guy to be an impact fantasy starter, which I do think he has the ability to do. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 10/4.12/1.28/145 in 150 IP

822) Kyle Gibson STL, RHP, 36.5 – Gibson is an aging back end starter who put up a 5.05 ERA in 2022 and a 4.73 ERA in 2023. His control is above average with a 6.8% BB%, and I like his landing spot in St. Louis, so I don’t think a serviceable fantasy season is out of the question. 2024 Projection: 10/4.37/1.33/140 in 170 IP

823) Kyle Hendricks CHC, RHP, 34.4 – Hendricks bounced back from down seasons in 2021 and 2022 with a 3.74 ERA and 16.1%/4.7% K%/BB% in 137 IP. It’s damn impressive he can put up seasons like this with a 87.8 MPH fastball. It just goes to show how far control/command can take you. 2024 Projection: 8/4.18/1.25/105 in 150 IP

824) Alec Marsh KCR, RHP, 25.10 – Marsh wasn’t good in his MLB debut with a 5.69 ERA and 24.9%/11.4% K%/BB% in 74.1 IP, but he has the opportunity and strikeout upside to crack this list. His 29.5% whiff% was excellent, and he did it with a 6 pitch mix where his 5 most used pitches all miss bats (led by a sweeper that notched a 45% whiff%). The velocity is also good with a 94.2 MPH fastball. If he can improve his control, there is high K, mid rotation-ish starter upside. The downside is that he’s a reliever. 2024 Projection: 5/4.44/1.41/128 in 120 IP

825) Matt Canterino MIN, RHP, 26.3 – Canterino returned from Tommy John surgery this spring and he looks completely healthy with the potential for 3 plus pitches. The stuff is truly filthy. He definitely looks reliever-ish out there, but Minnesota does not have a ton of rotation depth, so he could certainly find his way into the rotation as well. He should be back on your radar at the very least. 2024 Projection: 3/4.21/1.34/66 in 60 IP

826) Alex Cobb SFG, RHP, 36.6 – SF picked up Cobb’s $10 million option, so they are obviously hoping he can still be an effective pitcher, but a 36 year old coming off serious hip surgery that is not something I’m buying into. His upside is pretty low to begin with with a 20.3% K% in 2023. He pitched well overall with a 3.87 ERA and 5.7% BB%, and the stuff is good with a 94.5 MPH sinker. If he were fully healthy, I would rank him higher, but the October hip surgery combined with his age has me staying far away. 2024 Projection: 6/4.07/1.33/90 in 100 IP

827) Wilmer Flores DET, RHP, 23.1 – I loved Flores coming into the season, but he wasn’t able to build on his excellent 2022 with all of his numbers taking a step back, most notably his control. He had a 3.90 ERA with a 24.3%/9.5% K%/BB% in 80.2 IP at Double-A after putting up a 3.01 ERA with a 27.5%/6.1% K%/BB% in 83.2 IP at the level last year. The plus control was a major reason why I liked him so much, so seeing that back up has him dropping for me, but he’s still a good pitching prospect with a mid 90’s fastball, plus breaking ball and a developing cutter. 2024 Projection: 3/4.34/1.36/57 in 60 IP Prime Projection: 9/4.05/1.31/150 in 150 IP

828) Haydn McGeary CHC, 1B, 24.6 – McGeary is a big man at 6’4”, 235 pounds with big raw power and a mature plate approach. He slashed .255/.382/.435 with 16 homers, 4 steals, and a 23.8%/15.2% K%/BB% in 104 games at Double-A. The flyball rates have been low throughout his career, and while he’s been able to raise it to a decent 36.9%, I’m concerned it will ultimately cap his power upside without the hit tool, speed or defensive value to really make up for it. He’ll have to scratch and claw for playing time. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 47/15/54/.252/.338/.442/2

829) Wade Meckler SFG, OF, 23.11 – Meckler’s plate approach was far too mature for the minor leagues in his first full year of pro ball. He started the year at High-A, and he didn’t hit a road bump all the way through Triple-A with a 19.6%/17.6% K%/BB% and 144 wRC+ in 24 games. It all fell apart in the majors though with a 39.1%/9.4% K%/BB% in 64 PA. His power is double below average with a 81.4 MPH EV in MLB and a 83.8 MPH EV at Triple-A, and while he’s fast with a 29.4 ft/sec sprint, he’s only an average to slightly above average base stealer. Considering the upside isn’t super high, the plate approach being so terrible in the majors, even in small sample, scares me a bit, and he’s in San Francisco’s platoon factory. 2024 Projection: 26/4/21/.247/.323/.376/6 Prime Projection: 66/10/48/.263/.342/.401/13

830) Yeison Morrobel TEX, OF, 20.4 – Morrobel’s season ended after just 37 games, but he was hitting well with a 110 wRC+, 1 homer, 12 steals, and a 22.5%/14.6% K%/BB% at Single-A. He’s an athletic guy at 6’2”, 170 pounds with a solid plate approach, nice lefty swing, and speed. He needs to add more raw power and likely needs to start lifting the ball more as well, but there is a nice collection of skills and athleticism here. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 76/17/72/.262/.331/.422/18

831) Yasser Mercedes MIN, OF, 19.5 – Mercedes put up a cover your eyes 57 wRC+ in 25 games in stateside rookie ball, but a lot of that had to do with a .211 BABIP. His contact rates were fine (21.9% K%), he hit for power (4 homers), and he stole some bags (4 steals despite a .248 OBP). The raw talent at a projectable 6’3”, 180 pounds is still fully there with an electric righty swing. He needs plenty of refinement, but I’m still buying the upside. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 73/23/78/.246/.317/.448/18

832) Austin Shenton TBR, 1B/3B, 26.4 – I’m not sure Shenton is every going to find a pocket to lock in full time playing time with Yandy at 1B, Paredes at 3B, and Caminero, Mead, Isaac, Carson Williams, Braden Taylor and more all on the way. But his play in the upper minors warranted a decent spot on this list, slashing .304/.423/.584 with 29 homers and a 26.8%/16.3% in 134 games split between Double-A and Triple-A. I’m not sure the raw power is quite huge enough to make up for the hit tool issues, but the plate approach is mature and he’s knocking on the door of the bigs. He has a chance to work his way into a strong side of a platoon role down the line. 2024 Projection: 16/4/19/.230/.307/.398/0 Prime Projection: 43/13/45/.242/.323/.424/0

833) Malcom Nunez PIT, 1B, 23.1 – Nunez didn’t have a good year at Triple-A with a 69 wRC+ in 67 games, but he’s knocking on the door of the bigs and Pitt has a long term opening at 1B/DH, so I don’t want to write him off. Down years happen in baseball, he’s been a very good hitter throughout his pro career, and he battled a shoulder injury this year which certainly impacted his production. He hits it relatively hard and he’s never shown any major strikeout issues (23.6% K% this year). He should get his shot at some point in 2024. 2024 Projection: 18/6/23/.235/.301/.417/0 Prime Projection: 43/15/49/.251/.326/.447/1

834) Ivan Melendez ARI, 1B/3B, 24.4 – I was hesitant to buy into a 22 year old college bat, and that proved prudent as Melendez showed major hit tool and plate approach issues in 2023 with a 34.3%/7.3% K%/BB% in 96 games split between High-A and Double-A. The problems got worse at Double-A and he wasn’t great in the AFL with a .229 BA and 2 homers in 21 games. But he still cracks this list because the power is massive. He jacked 30 homers with low groundballs rates. If he can improve his contact rates, he will mash, but if doesn’t, he’ll hit under the Gallo line. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 32/15/41/.226/.310/.450/1

835) Brennen Davis CHC, OF, 24.5 – I always get a little sad when I think about Davis. He was a near elite prospect who got derailed by injuries, and making this list might be more nostalgia than anything else. He put up a 49 wRC+ with 4 homers in 62 games at Triple-A. The back injury has completely sapped his power. The 22.6%/8.6% K%/BB% and 9 steals actually weren’t bad, so if he can fully recover from his injuries and regain his power, there is hope for a bounce back. Forget regaining his former near elite prospect status, I’m just hoping he can get his career back on a reasonable track. 2024 Projection: 7/1/5/.220/.290/.387/1 Prime Projection: 39/10/41/.244/.308/.421/10

836) Cade Povich BAL, LHP, 24.0 – Povich profiles as a back end starter with below average control and below average velocity. He put up a 4.87 ERA with a 33.4%/10.5% K%/BB% in 81.1 IP at Double-A, and a 5.36 ERA with a 26.9%/14.7% K%/BB% in 45.1 IP with the automated strike zone at Triple-A. The fastball sat 92.1 MPH and he uses a six pitch mix led by a plus changeup and curve. The high K rates keep him interesting for fantasy, but he will need to improve his command to reach his high K, mid rotation starter upside. 2024 Projection: 2/4.51/1.40/46 in 50 IP Prime Projection: 9/4.25/1.32/155 in 150 IP

837) Joey Cantillo CLE, LHP, 24.3 – Cantillo has solid stuff with a 93.5 MPH fastball, he misses bats with a changeup and slider that helped notch a 26.1% K% overall at Triple-A, and he’s close to the bigs, but the control is below average with a 12.9% BB% and he wasn’t all that great at Triple-A with a 4.64 ERA in 95 IP. Without taking a big step in control/command, he’s likely a back end guy. 2024 Projection: 2/4.55/1.40/46 in 50 IP Prime Projection: 9/4.27/1.34/150 in 150 IP

838) Cooper Hjerpe STL, LHP, 23.0 – Hjerpe’s velocity did not tick up this year like many hoped with him sitting in the high 80’s to low 90’s. He has the type of hjerpe jerky, sidearm lefty delivery to make it work, but that is still dangerously low. He also didn’t have the most impressive pro debut from a statistical or injury standpoint. He put up a 3.51 ERA with a 29.8%/14.6% K%/BB% in 41 IP and missed 4 months of the season after undergoing surgery to get loose bodies removed from his elbow. Low velocity, poor control, and injury risk is not the 3 headed monster you are looking for. At this point, a #4 starter seems like a reasonable upside projection for him. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 10/4.17/1.31/163 in 160 IP

839) Thomas Harrington PIT, RHP, 22.8 – Harrington pitched well in the lower minors like an advanced college starter should, putting up a 3.53 ERA with a 27.8%/7.8% K%/BB% in 127.1 IP split between Single-A and High-A. A filthy, at least plus slider is his moneymaker, which he combines with a low to mid 90’s sinker and 4-seamer. As is, it’s likely a #4 starter profile. He’ll likely need to enter plus to double plus control/command territory to beat that projection, which I wouldn’t rule out. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection:  9/4.16/1.29/142 in 150 IP

840) Alonzo Tredwell HOU, RHP, 21.11 – Selected 61st overall in the 2023 MLB Draft, Tredwell is 6’8”, 230 pounds with an athletic delivery and plus control. Just those 3 combination of skills makes him an unique and intriguing pitching prospect. He put up a 2.11 ERA with a 62/6 K/BB in 47 innings out of the pen in 2022 at UCLA, and then he was transitioned into the rotation this year where he put up a 3.57 ERA with a 51/12 K/BB in 45.1 IP before getting shutdown with back and rib injuries. The stuff doesn’t necessarily jump off the screen with a low to mid 90’s fastball, but he throws a legitimate 4 pitch mix (slider, curve, change), and everything plays up because of his control. If it all comes together, think something like Bailey Ober (not a direct comp). ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 9/4.16/1.20/150 in 150 IP

841) Caden Grice ARI, LHP, 21.10 – Selected 64th overall, Grice is a supreme athlete at 6’6”, 250 pounds with potential as both a pitcher and hitter (he put up a 1.029 OPS in 60 games in the ACC), but his future is very likely on the mound. He has all the makings of that prototypical mid rotation workhorse with a relatively athletic delivery, but he probably needs the fastball to tick up to get there. He currently sits in the low 90’s, and while it’s hard to predict a velocity increase, his two way player status and build seems to point towards a bump if he focuses solely on pitching. He also throws a good slider and changeup. It all led to a 3.35 ERA and 31.4%/10.2% K%/BB% in 78 IP. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 10/4.05/1.29/164 in 170 IP

842) Leonardo Bernal STL, C, 20.2 – Bernal’s power is going to have to tick up to become an impact fantasy catcher with only 3 homers in 78 games at Triple-A, and he’s already pretty thick, so there might not be a ton more coming. Everything else is there though with an advanced plate approach (17%/15.2% K%/BB%) and potentially plus catcher defense. I trust St. Louis to develop hitters like him, so he’s in a perfect organization. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 66/14/59/.267/.338/.412/3

843) Blake Mitchell KCR, C, 19.2 – Selected 8th overall in the 2023 MLB Draft, Mitchell got drafted so highly mostly because of his defensive prowess. He’s a good defensive catcher with an elite arm. He’s not chopped liver at the dish either with a powerful lefty swing at 6’1”. 200 pounds that projects for plus power at peak, but it comes with plenty of swing and miss. His 13 game pro debut in rookie ball showed the rawness of his offensive game with 0 homers, a .147 BA, and 26.9% K%, but the 32.7% BB% saved the debut from being a complete disaster. He projects to be that classic plus defense, low BA slugging catcher. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 72/21/69/.244/.330/.443/4

844) Jacob Gonzalez CHW, SS, 21.10 – Selected 15th overall in the 2023 Draft, Gonzalez is a safe, quick moving college bat who doesn’t have big upside. He’s a SS who has an excellent plate approach and bat to ball skills. He had a .327 BA with a 28/35 K/BB in 54 SEC games. An up the middle defender who gets the bat on the ball is probably the safest profile there is. He has a bit of an awkward lefty swing, and while he’s 6’2”, 200 pounds, there isn’t big power with only 10 homers this year. He also has below average speed. His lack of upside was on full display in his pro debut, slashing .207/.308/.261 with 1 homer, 1 steal, and a 16.8%/14.6% K%/BB% in 30 games at Single-A. He should move fast through the system and is a high probability big leaguer, but he’s not a fantasy target. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 75/17/67/.263/.332/.418/4

845) Colton Ledbetter TBR, OF, 22.5 – Selected 55th overall, the 6’2”, 205 pound Ledbetter has that classic solid across the board profile. He transferred into the SEC from the Southern League for his junior year and he had no issues against the superior competition, slashing .320/.452/.574 with 12 homers, 17 steals, and a 36/47 K/BB in 53 games. The profile also completely transferred into pro ball with 2 homers, 3 steals, and a 21.6%/13.5% K%/BB% in 18 games at Single-A. The raw power/speed combo is only about average, which caps his upside, but Ledbetter can do a little bit of everything on the baseball field. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 78/15/69/.267/.334/.422/15

846) Travis Honeyman STL, OF, 22.6 – Selected 90th overall, the 6’2”, 190 pound Honeyman makes a ton of contact, hits the ball fairly hard, and has above average speed. That is a strong combination of skills, and it led to an excellent season in the ACC, slashing .304/.383/.534 with 6 homers, 10 steals, and a 11.5% 7.1% K%/BB% in 39 games. He’s never been a big home run hitter in college, but his frame definitely has room to add power, and he also hit 4 homers with a .930 OPS in 24 games in the wood bat Cape Cod League in 2022. I like Honeyman a lot, and he makes for an excellent underrated FYPD target. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 79/18/73/.264/.321/.422/17

847) Carson Rucker DET, 3B/SS, 19.7 – Selected 107th overall, Rucker is 6’2”, 193 pounds with a big righty swing that should produce plus power at peak, and he’s a good athlete with above average speed. The hit tool was a bit of a question coming into the draft, but it looked solid in his pro debut with a 22.0%/14.6% K%/BB% in 9 games at stateside rookie. He also hit 1 homer with 4 steals, which was good for a 110 wRC+. He has the upside to become a legit hyped prospect. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 74/22/78/.256/.330/.446/10

848) Adolfo Sanchez CIN, OF, 17.6 – The 6’2”, 175 pound Sanchez has one of those sweet lefty swings that just oozes offensive potential. He’s known for his great feel to hit, and when his power naturally ticks up, it’s going to be easy above average power at the very least. He’s a good athlete, but he’s not a burner, so something like Marcelo Mayer is the prospect ceiling here. ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 84/24/86/.273/.345/.462/9

849) Joswa Lugo LAA, SS, 17.2 – Lugo is already a relatively physical presence in the box at 6’2”, 175 pounds, and he’s still only 16 years old as of this writing. He has easy plus power at peak, and he does it with a smooth, effortless, and controlled righty swing. The hit/power combo has plus potential at peak, and he’s a good athlete too. He definitely has middle of the order, complete hitter potential. ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 82/26/86/.273/.341/.471/8

850) Luis Cova MIA, OF, 17.2 – I didn’t really love Cova’s swing in my first run through the international prospects rankings, and with so many toolsy prospects, I had him as one of the just misses on my FYPD rankings, but that was a mistake. His athleticism stands out with double plus speed, and he’s grown as well with a projectable 6’2”, 175 pound frame. I’m still not quite as high on him as others, but there is obviously a ton of potential in here. ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 79/18/73/.262/.328/.435/26

851) Eric Bitonti MIL, 3B, 18.4 – Selected 87th overall, Bitonti just turned 18 in mid November. He’s the same age or younger as many of the DSL prospects, and he started his career in stateside rookie ball. He’s 6’4”, 218 pounds with a big lefty swing that could have double plus power at peak. He already cracked 2 homers in 12 games in his pro debut. The hit tool is still very raw with a .179 BA and 31.1% K%, but the 18.8% BB% mitigates that a bit, and so does his young age. He has a chance to be a premier power hitter at peak. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 68/26/79/.240/.324/.457/3

852) Andrew Nardi MIA, Setup, 25.8 – If Miami is serious about making Puk a starter (which I don’t think they are), Nardi might be in position to be next man up. He had a strong year in 2023 with a 2.67 ERA, 17 holds, 3 saves, and a 30.8%/8.9% K%/BB% in 57.1 IP. The stuff isn’t huge with a 94.5 MPH fastball, but he’s a weak contact machine with an 84.6 MPH EV against, and he still gets plenty of whiffs with a 28.5% whiff%. 2024 Projection: 5/3.45/1.22/77/4 saves 63 IP

853) Yovanny Rodriguez NYM, C, 17.5 – The 5’11”, 180 pound Rodriguez is the top catcher in the 2024 international class. A lot of that has to do with his potentially plus defense, but he’s no slouch with the bat either. He has a quick twitch swing with easy bat speed. He’s already pretty strong with more power coming, and he has a good feel to hit. ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 72/21/76/.268/.336/.447/6

854) Angel Martinez CLE, 2B/3B/SS, 22.4 – Martinez had an underwhelming year in the upper minors with a 96 wRC+ in 99 games at Double-A and a 78 wRC+ in 37 games at Triple-A, but his profile mostly remains the same. He has a solid contact rates (20.1% K%), with developing power at 6’0″, 200 pounds (14 homers in 136 games), and average speed (11 steals). It’s an average across the board profile. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 76/18/65/.267/.330/.419/11

855) Cameron Cauley TEX, SS, 21.2 – Cauley’s swing and miss is in the major danger zone with a 31.6% K% in 100 games split between Single-A and High-A. He then went to the AFL and put up a .186 BA with a 43.8% K% in 21 games. That strikeout rate is brutal enough to stay away from him, but his power/speed combo is too good to just ignore. He has double plus speed with 39 steals, and he hits the ball hard with 16 homers. If he can make substantial gains to his hit tool, he could explode, but even one step forward would go a long way for his profile. As of now though, that strikeout rate scares me. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 53/13/44/.223/.309/.414/25

856) Carlos Rodriguez MIL, RHP, 22.4 – The Brewers rotation is very rough looking at the moment, so Rodriguez could have plenty of opportunity in 2023. He had a strong season with a 2.77 ERA and 29.5%/10.3% K%/BB% in 123.2 IP at Double-A. The stuff isn’t very big with a 91.6 MPH fastball, but he throws a six pitch mix with a plus changeup leading the way. It looks like a junkbally back end starter to me, but I trust Milwaukee’s pitching development, and you have to like the minor league K rates. 2024 Projection: 1/4.58/1.42/43 in 50 IP Prime Projection: 9/4.26/1.34/145 in 150 IP

857) Nick Fortes MIA, C, 27.4 – Fortes tanked in 2023 with a 53 wRC+, but he was on the unlucky side, the individual components of his underlying numbers don’t look too bad, and Miami doesn’t have many other options at the moment. He had a 18.3% K% with an 88.2 MPH EV and 13.9 degree launch. That gives hope that this was just an odd year where the baseball gods weren’t on his side. He’s a good defensive catcher, but he wasn’t good at throwing runners out, which is obviously at the forefront with the new rules. Miami could sign someone else, and Christian Bethancourt (who is excellent at throwing runners out, but bad at everything else defensively)/Paul McIntosh are other options in the the organization, but as of right now, I give the edge to Fortes. 2024 Projection: 39/8/33/.230/.302/.390/5

858) Rene Pinto TBR, C, 27.5 – Pinto seems to be the starting catcher in Tampa, but they can still bring someone else in, and even if they don’t, he’ll have other fringy competition. The reason I’m hesitant to assume he has the job is because his hit tool is brutal with a 32.4%/1.9% K%/BB% and 38% whiff% in 105 MLB at bats. He hits the ball extremely hard with a 90.5/95.1 MPH AVG/FB EV with resulted in 6 homers and a decent 98 wRC+, but I’m struggling to get over how bad that hit tool/plate approach is. He’ll pop dingers if he gets the playing time, but it will come with a BA that can tank you. 2024 Projection: 33/12/41/.219/.265/.404/1

859) Dylan Carlson STL, OF, 25.6 – Carlson looks like a bench bat for the foreseeable future. He’s an average hitter at best with a lackluster fantasy profile. The solid plate approach leads the way with a 19.2%/10.2% K%/BB%, but the 5 homers and 3 steals in 255 PA is lacking. He’s more name value than anything else right now. 2024 Projection: 40/11/40/.246/.327/.402/7 Update: Carlson looks like he won the CF job in Edman’s absence, but he’s going to have to hit well to keep it, and that isn’t guaranteed

860) Ben Joyce LAA, Setup, 23.7 – Joyce made it look easy in his pro debut in 2022, jumping straight into Double-A and dominating with a 2.08 ERA with a 35.1%/7.0% K%/BB% in 13 IP, but 2023 was a completely different story. He struggled at both Double-A (4.60 ERA with a 34.3%/18.6% K%/BB% in 15.2 IP) and the majors (5.40 ERA with a 20.8%/18.8% K%/BB% in 10 IP). He missed 3 months mid-season with ulnar neuritis, adding injury risk onto the profile. The insane fastball velocity was still there with a 100.9 MPH fastball, but despite the velocity, it only played as an above average pitch at best on the MLB level, and the slider was average at best with a .319 xwOBA and 31.3% whiff%. Maybe he wasn’t quite healthy, or maybe it was a developmental bump in the road, but his inevitable beeline to the closer role doesn’t look all that inevitable anymore. 2024 Projection: 3/3.82/1.31/67/2 saves in 55 IP

861) Estiven Florial CLE, OF, 26.5 – The Yankees clearly didn’t believe in Florial at all, so getting traded to Cleveland will only help, and their CF job is definitely open for the taking. The reason the Yanks didn’t believe in him is because his hit tool is double below average. He has a career .209 BA with a 40.2% whiff% in 134 MLB PA. He hit very well at Triple-A with a 130 wRC+, 28 homers, and 25 steals, but even there the K% is in the danger zone at 29.9%. He has double plus speed with a 29.3 ft/sec sprint and he has plus raw power (90.6 MPH EV at AAA), but it seems unlikely that he can truly hit MLB pitching at 26 years old already. We’ve seen talents like this breakout in their late 20’s, sometimes it takes that long for a guy to improve the hit tool, and if that happens, the elite tools will be there to do the rest. 2024 Projection: 28/6/25/.221/.309/.392/9

862) Johnathan Rodriguez CLE, OF, 24.5 – Rodriguez has legit power with 29 homers and a 91.5 MPH EV in 135 games at Double- A and Triple-A, but it comes with major hit tool risk. He had a 32.7% K% in 47 games at Triple-A. Cleveland could use the power bats, but I think Valera and Noel are the better bats, so I’m not prioritizing Rodriguez. 2024 Projection: 11/4/16/.221/.292/.422/0 Prime Projection: 41/15/49/.238/.312/.453/1

863) Nasim Nunez WAS, SS/2B, 23.7 – Washington took a shot on Nunez in the Rule 5 Draft for a reason, and that is because their infield situation outside of CJ Abrams is unsettled. He put up a 79 wRC+ with 5 homers in 125 games at Double-A, but his supporting skills make him a legitimate fantasy prospect. He has a plus SS glove which should get him on the field, he has double plus speed with 52 stolen bases, and he gets on base with a 14.9% BB%. He’s only 5’9”, 168 pounds, so there likely isn’t much more power coming, but he has the skills to be among the league leaders in steals if he can hit just enough to not get stuck in a utility infielder role. 2024 Projection: 19/1/9/.238/.318/.354/7 Prime Projection: 73/8/42/.256/.331/.380/36

864) JoJo Romero STL, Setup, 27.7 – Romero is the best lefty in St. Louis’ pen after a breakout 2023, putting up a 3.68 ERA (2.82 xERA) with a 28.6%/8.6% K%/BB% in 36.2 IP. The stuff backs up the numbers with a 94.7 MPH sinker that keeps the ball on the ground, to go along with a changeup and slider that racks up whiffs (45.3% and 53.2%). His season ended on September 1st with knee tendinitis, but it doesn’t seem super serious. He can go multiple innings, and he can definitely slide into some save opps when a lefty is preferred. 2024 Projection: 6/3.42/1.19/75/5 saves in 65 IP

865) Scott Barlow CLE, Setup, 31.4 – Barlow is probably next man up in Cleveland based on prior experience, but it’s far from guaranteed. He throws two plus breaking balls as his most used pitches, but the 93 MPH fastball gets hit up. He’s been a good reliever for 5 years now, and while 2023 wasn’t his best year, it was solid with a 4.37 ERA (3.66 xERA) and 26.4%/11.4% K%/BB% in 68 IP. 2024 Projection: 4/3.51/1.25/76/3 saves 66 IP

866) Dauri Moreta PIT, Setup, 28.0 – Moreta broke out in 2023 with a 3.72 ERA and 31.8%/10.8% K%/BB% in 58 IP, and both the underlying numbers and stuff say it was for real. He had a 3.04 xERA with a 95.2 MPH fastball and double slider that put up a .218 xwOBA and 40.5% whiff%. He’s the third best arm in Pitt’s pen, and the 2nd best righty. 2024 Projection: 4/3.47/1.14/78/2 saves in 62 IP

867) Connor Wong BOS, C, 27.10 – Teel is going to be Boston’s starting catcher sooner rather than later, so Wong is likely a back up long term, but he’s got the job for now. Plus speed is his most interesting skill with a 28.3 ft/sec sprint and 8 steals in 126 games. It’s nice to have your catcher chip in with steals like that. He also hits the ball hard with a 9.1% Barrel%, 89.1 MPH EV, and 15.5 degree launch. What relegates him to a likely back up role is the terrible hit tool (33.3% K%) and plate approach (34.5% Chase%). He’s also not a good enough defensive catcher to make up for it. 2024 Projection: 49/11/45/.224/.286/.399/7

868) Freddy Fermin KCR, C, 28.10 – Fermin might be a better player than Salvador Perez, and he was certainly better than him in 2023 both offensively and defensively. He’s an above average defensive catcher and he slashed .281/.321/.461 with 9 homers, a 21.3%/5.5% K/BB% and a 108 wRC+ in 235 PA. The underlying numbers back it up with a 9.9% Barrel% and .332 xwOBA. Perez has the much longer track record and he obviously isn’t losing his starting job as long as he’s with the team (signed through 2025 with a 2026 club option), so Fermin is purely a back catcher right now, but if trades or injuries open up playing time, he could be relevant in even a shallow league. 2024 Projection: 23/7/25/.257/.322/.413/1

869) Elias Diaz COL, C, 33.4 – Diaz had one of the better offensive seasons of his career with a .725 OPS, and he had lady luck on his side with a .314 wOBA vs. .295 xwOBA, and it still resulted in a well below average 81 wRC+. He’s an okay defensive catcher at best and he’ll be 33 years old next year. I can’t imagine he holds down a starting job for much longer. 2024 Projection: 43/12/52/.250/.305/.400/1

870) Yasmani Grandal PIT, C, 35.5 – Grandal is a 35 years old with declining offense and declining defense. 2023 was his 2nd straight season with a slightly negative WAR. And the underlying numbers back up the decline with a .278 xwOBA in 2023 and a .290 xwOBA in 2022. His days of being a starting catcher or either over, or very nearly over, although it seems he’s expected to be the main catcher with Pitt, at least to start the season 2024 Projection: 46/12/47/.229/.317/.389/0

871) Yan Gomes CHC, C, 36.8 – As I wrote in the Amaya blurb, it seems likely that Amaya will take over the starting catcher job in 2024, but that isn’t a guarantee, and Gomes can be serviceable for one more year if he can hold Amaya off. He gets the bat on the ball with a 19.3% K%, he lifts it with a 15.1 degree launch, and he hits it hard enough with a 92.1 MPH FB/LD EV. It was good for an above average .317 xwOBA. 2024 Projection: 32/9/37/.249/.300/.410/1

872) Mike Tauchman CHC, OF, 33.4 – Even if the Cubs don’t re-sign Bellinger, which it seems very likely that they will (and they just did), PCA is right around the corner. Tauchman is likely a bench bat with an average at best across the board profile. OBP is his best skill with a 14% BB%, so add a half star in OBP leagues. 2024 Projection: 48/9/41/.254/.345/.390/7

873) Avisail Garcia MIA, OF, 32.10 – Garcia had the “best shape of his life” storyline going into 2023, and like usual, nothing came of it with his second horrendous season. He put up a 63 wRC+ in 2022 and a 46 wRC+ in 37 games in 2023 battling multiple injuries. The hit tool is on a clear decline with a career worst 33.1% K%. He has a big contract, there is still a path to playing time with Miami, and the raw talent is still intact with a 90.4 MPH EV and 28.4 ft/sec sprint, so I guess he’s worth a flier in deeper leagues. 2024 Projection: 38/9/44/.231/.296/.399/3

874) Dillon Dingler DET, C, 25.6 – Dingler will be competing with Jake Rogers for Detroit’s starting catcher job before long. Their profiles are mighty similar too with plus power (16 homers in 89 games split between 3 levels) and hit tool issues (29.6% K% in the upper minors). He’s a deeper league proximity play. 2024 Projection: 16/4/21/.210/.282/.383/2 Prime Projection: 46/17/55/.225/.297/.414/5

875) Agustin Ramirez NYY, C, 22.7 – Ramirez is a thick 6’0”, 225 pounds, and he used that stout frame to hit the ball very hard. He cracked 18 homers in 114 games split across 3 levels (A, A+, AA). He did it with a good feel to hit as well with a 17.3% K%. He struggled when he got to Double-A with a 62 wRC+ in 31 games, which is a little concerning, but he still had strong contact rates (19.4% K%), and it was his first taste of the upper minors after playing in rookie ball all of last year. The defense isn’t that great, which could force a move to 1B/DH, and that would put a whole lot of pressure on his bat to absolutely max out. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 41/15/49/.255/.320/.443/5

876) Paul DeJong CHW, SS, 30.8 – DeJong signed with Chicago to be their stopgap SS until Colson Montgomery is ready. He put up a 66 wRC+ in 2023 and has been a well below average hitter for 4 seasons now. He has an above average glove at SS, which is why he keeps getting run, but with a 85.5 MPH EV and 30.3%/5.3% K%/BB%, you don’t want to be giving him run on your dynasty team. Chicago even has other young options for SS besides Montgomery, so DeJong isn’t guaranteed anything. 2024 Projection: 35/9/35/.212/.275/.385/3

877) Ryan Bliss SEA, 2B/SS, 24.4 – Bliss was putting up video game numbers at Double-A with 12 homers, 30 steals, and .358 BA in 68 games, but his numbers dropped off in the 2nd half at Triple-A with a still respectable .779 OPS in 60 games. He’s a particularly small guy at 5’6” and he had an 86 MPH EV at Triple-A, so you can’t trust the 23 homers he hit in 128 games. The hit tool is good, but not great, so he’ll likely have to start his career in a utility role, and with Seattle trading for Polanco, his path to playing time is gone. 2024 Projection: 17/3/12/.238/.304/.373/5 Prime Projection: 71/14/57/.248/.319/.401/22

878) Javier Vaz KCR, 2B/SS/OF, 23.6 – Vaz is a little guy at 5’9” with elite contact rates, high walk rates, plus speed, and some pop. He’s on the older side at 23 years old and KC played him all over the field (2B, SS, CF, LF). This type of profile often ends up as a utility player, but he got a lot more interesting when he was able to fully keep up the production from High-A when he got the call to Double-A. He slashed .304/.391/.429 with 2 homers, 4 steals, and a 13.8%/11.5% K%/BB% in 33 games at level. He’s more of a deep league flier type, but KC has plenty of opportunity in the near future, and he has the type of skills that can make a fantasy impact if he does get the playing time. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 66/8/52/.268/.327/.386/16

879) Samad Taylor SEA, 2B/OF, 25.9 – Taylor’s first shot against MLB pitching didn’t go well with a 31.9% K% and .546 OPS in 69 PA, but in such a barren minor league system, why not take a shot on a guy who can actually be a fantasy difference maker. And that difference making ability is his speed. He stole 8 bags in those 69 PA and that was with barely being on base. He also jacked 43 bags in 89 games at Triple-A. Speaking of Triple-A, he did damage there with 8 homers, a 20.5%/15.9% K%/BB%, and 128 wRC+. He’s looking like a speed bench bat with little power and hit tool issues, but that speed can make a legit impact. 2024 Projection: 37/4/29/.236/.307/.378/14

880) Connor Joe PIT, 1B/OF, 31.8 – The Tellez, Olivares, and McCutchen acquisitions puts a squeeze on Joe for playing time, but he should still be in line for at least a short side of a platoon role. He bounced back from a poor 2022 with a .760 OPS, 107 wRC+, .329 xwOBA, and 8.2% Barrel% in 472 PA. The plate approach is good with a 23.3%/10.6% K%/BB% and he lifts the ball with a 16.7 degree launch, so he’s capable of being a solid player in deeper leagues. 2024 Projection: 48/11/41/.253/.340/.416/2

881) Carlos De La Cruz PHI, 1B/OF, 24.6 – Cruz is one of those unicorn baseball players at 6’8”, 210 pounds with big power, but he’s one I’m not really going after. The strikeout rates have been very high throughout his pro career and sat at 27.5% at Double-A this year. His walk rates have been relatively low and while the 9.3% BB% he put up this year is solid, it’s not particularly great considering his skillset and age. He doesn’t run much with only 3 steals and the groundball rates are on the high side at 46.1%. Having said that, he jacked out 24 homers with a 118 wRC+ in 129 games. He’s a fine pick in deeper leagues or as you get into the late rounds of your draft, but I’m not going after him. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 33/9/39/.232/.308/.428/2

882) Tyler Gentry KCR, OF, 25.2 – Gentry got off to a rough 1st half of the season, but he got back to mashing in the 2nd half, slashing .288/.425/.495 with 10 homers, 9 steals, and a 48/46 K/BB in 58 games at Triple-A. He’s not exactly a masher, but his power is legit with a respectable 88.8 MPH EV, and he combines that with a mature plate approach and some speed. The poor first half had a lot of people forgetting about the relative excitement for Gentry coming into the year, me included, but he has a strong across the board profile, and he’ll compete for a big league job this Spring. 2024 Projection: 31/7/35/.232/.311/.414/5

883) Rece Hinds CIN, OF, 23.7 – Hinds hit tool and plate approach are just too brutal to fully jump on board. He had a 32.8%/7.4% K%/BB% in 109 games at Double-A. His strikeout problems were just as bad in the lower minors. The power is legit at 6’4”, 215 pounds with 23 homers, and he’s a good athlete with 20 steals, but the odds of the hit tool tanking him are very high. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 32/11/38/.222/.291/.429/5

884) Jud Fabian BAL, OF, 23.6 – Fabian had major strikeout issues in college, and while he managed to keep them at a reasonable rate in the lower minors (25.7% K% in 56 games at High-A), they got completely out of control when he faced advanced pitching for the first time with a 37.5% K% in 64 games at Double-A. The power/speed combo is big with 24 homers and 31 steals in 120 games overall, but that K rate is much too high for me to buy in too hard, especially in Baltimore’s stacked organization. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 48/16/53/.235/.320/.435/12

885) Braylin Tavera BAL, OF, 19.2 – The 6’2”, 175 pound Tavera was a high priced international signing who played well this year at stateside rookie, slashing .262/.391/.421 with 4 homers, 13 steals, and a 17.3%/16.5% K%/BB% in 35 games. He has the type of talent that could fly up rankings with a strong showing in full season ball. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 73/20/77/.255/.333/.438/11

886) Marcos Torres TEX, 1B/OF, 19.6 – Torres hit well in the DSL in 2022 with a 133 wRC+, and he backed that up stateside in 2023, slashing .250/.378/.494 with 7 homers, 23 steals, and a 23.9%/13.4% K%/BB% in 48 games. At 6’3”, the power is most certainly legit, but he doesn’t have any defensive value and there are some hit tool issues which reared their ugly head at Single-A with a 43.9% K% in 10 games to close out the season. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 66/23/74/.243/.321/.434/9

887) Jose Pirela CLE, OF, 18.0 – Pirela has all the tools to blow up in 2024. He’s an athletic 6’3”, 180 pounds with plus power potential. He performed well in the DSL, slashing .270/.395/.480 with 6 homers, 8 steals, and a 21.6%/13.5% K%/BB% in 41 games. The K rate is higher than optimal, but at the very least you should keep a close eye on him in his stateside debut and pounce quickly if he’s performing well. ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 76/24/81/.250/.325/.457/9

888) Andres Valor MIA, OF, 18.5 – Valor wasn’t a hyped international signing, but he wasn’t cheap either at $520,000, and he has the build and skills to get excited about. He’s a projectable 6’3”, 180 pounds with plus athleticism and a swing geared for both power and average. He had an excellent season in the DSL, slashing .294/.360/.466 with 5 homers, 21 steals, and a 24.1%/9.2% K%/BB% in 51 games. The K rate is a bit on the high side for the DSL, but he’s an exciting lotto ticket that could pay off big in a couple years. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 68/21/73/.245/.317/.431/14

889) Enmanuel Bonilla TOR, OF, 18.2 – Bonilla was a very high priced international signing ($4.1 million) known for his plus power and good feel to hit, and while he didn’t destroy the DSL, he hit well, slashing .307/.407/.429 with 3 homers, 5 steals, and a 24.3%/11.9% K%/BB% in 50 games. It was good for a 127 wRC+. He remains in the lotto ticket bucket as a possible future hyped breakout. ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 74/26/83/.248/.326/.467/9

890) Gabriel Lara NYY, OF, 18.4 – Gabriel is one of, if not the most underrated DSL breakout prospect. I don’t see a whisper of hype for anywhere, but he’s legitimately very exciting. He slashed .267/.401/.411 with 4 homers, 18 steals, and a 16.5%/15.4% K%/BB% in 43 games. He has double plus speed, and while he’s not a big guy at 5’9”, he has a strong lefty swing. He’s in the mold of a Carlos Jorge. ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 78/15/59/.267/.336/.411/25

891) Max Muncy OAK, SS, 21.8 – The good news is that Muncy didn’t let his strikeout rate get out of control as he climbed the minor league ladder. He put up a 29.5%/9.9% K%/BB% with a .255 BA in 72 games at High-A and a 23.2%/9% K%/BB% with a .302 BA in 51 games at Double-A. The bad news is that he needed to give up some of his power to do it with only 10 homers and relatively low hard hit rates in 123 games. He also stole only 13 bags, so we can’t count on big steal totals either. He’s only 21 years old and he’s obviously trying to find the right balance of hit vs. power. Putting up a 124 wRC+ in your age 20 season at Double-A is nothing to sneeze at either. The hit tool is still hard to trust, and he’s yet to put up that truly special season, but the ingredients are there to breakout in the next 1-2 years. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 67/20/74/.241/.320/.433/13

892) Chase Dollander COL, RHP, 21.9 – Selected 9th overall, Dollander was picked by Colorado, which could honestly end the blurb right there. I’m just not in the business of going after Rockies prospect pitchers, no matter how highly touted they are. Jon Gray is probably pretty close to the best case scenario. Dollander is 6’2”, 200 pounds with a plus to double plus mid 90’s fastball which he didn’t command as well in 2023 as he did in 2022. He had a 2.39 ERA with a 108/13 K/BB in 79 IP in 2022 vs. a 4.75 ERA with a 120/30 K/BB in 89 IP in 2023. The slider is his best secondary and while it’s good, it’s not really in the elite filth area. He also mixes in a good curveball and changeup. If he were drafted by another team, I could see overlooking the step back he took in 2023, but in Coors Field, I’m staying far away  ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 10/4.15/1.31/173 in 170 IP

893) Travis Sykora WAS, RHP, 19.11 – Selected 71st overall in the 2023 MLB Draft, Sykora is a 6’6”, 230 pound righty with a huge fastball that has eclipsed 100 MPH. Those two things alone make Sykora an interesting later round option in first year player drafts. There is a reason he didn’t get drafted higher though. The delivery looks a bit gangly to me, the control isn’t great, he’s on the older side for his high school class, and his secondaries (slider & split changeup) need plenty of refinement. Washington went way over slot to sign him ($2.6 million), and the upside is certainly there for him to explode. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 9/3.94/1.34/160 in 150 IP

894) Justin Wrobleski LAD, LHP, 23.8 – Wrobleski is another Dodgers success story, ho hum, with a 2.90 ERA and 26%/8.3% K%/BB% in 102.1 IP at High-A. He throws a mid 90’s fastball with a 3 good secondaries in his slider, curve, and changeup from a very clean lefty delivery. He doesn’t really standout when watching him in particular, but there is not much to nitpick with the profile either. He was old for the level, the control/command wasn’t great, and the K rates weren’t off the charts, so my read is that a #4 starter is a reasonable projection with mid rotation upside. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 9/4.06/1.29/136 in 145 IP

895) Jackson Rutledge WAS, RHP, 25.0 – Rutledge is a low upside proximity play with opportunity in Washington. He’s also a mountain of a man at 6’8”, 250 pounds with big stuff, which always keeps a pitcher interesting even if the results aren’t there. And the results certainly weren’t there with a 4.44 ERA and 19.6%/13.3% K%/BB% in 50.2 IP at Triple-A. He got decimated in the majors too with a 6.75 ERA and 13.6%/6.8% K%/BB% in 20 IP. He throws a 95.8 MPH fastball with a potentially plus slider, which is the only reason he cracks this list. There is always a chance a coaching staff can unlock something if the stuff is big. 2024 Projection: 3/4.69/1.44/67 in 80 IP Prime Projection: 8/4.34/1.35/125 in 145 IP

896) Nick Gonzales PIT, 2B, 24.10 – Gonzales had a rough MLB debut with a 64 wRC+ in 35 games. He didn’t hit the ball hard (85.5 MPH EV), he didn’t get the bat on the ball (32.4% whiff%), and he didn’t run (0 steals). He didn’t do any of those things well at Triple-A either, but he did perform well at that level with a 121 wRC+ in 99 games. He’s a fringy prospect and he has competition for playing time, but as the former 7th overall pick in the draft, I get the sense Pitt will want to give him every chance to succeed. 2024 Projection: 38/7/36/.236/.303/.394/4

897) Chase Meidroth BOS, 2B/3B, 22.8 – Meidroth was utterly destroying High-A with a 173 wRC+ in 20 games, but his numbers fell back down to earth at Double-A, slashing .255/.386/.375 with 7 homers, 9 steals, and a 19.7%/14.9% K%/BB% in 91 games. He has an above average hit tool with a mature plate approach, but the groundball rates are over 50%, he doesn’t hit the ball all that hard, he’s not that fast, and he’s not a great defensive player. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 73/14/67/.264/.332/.416/7

898) Nick Loftin KC, 1B/2B/3B, 25.6 – Loftin is a hit tool first super utility type who doesn’t have enough power or speed to really go after in anything but very deep leagues. He made his MLB debut in 2024 and put up a .323 BA in 68 PA, but it was mostly due to a .392 BABIP. The 86.3 MPH EV was well below average and the 27.2 ft/sec sprint speed was also pretty discouraging. If I’m going to roster a utility type, they better have plus speed, and Loftin doesn’t have it. The defensive versatility, plus contact rates, and proximity should have him on your radar, but that is about all right now. 2024 Projection: 43/7/44/.257/.313/.394/7

899) Mason Montgomery TB, LHP, 23.10 – Montgomery is a deceptive lefty with low 90’s heat and a plus changeup as his best secondary. He put up a 4.18 ERA with a 28%/10.5% K%/BB% in 107.2 IP at Double-A. The walk rates are bit too high for this type of profile, but if anyone can turn him into an impact fantasy starter, it’s Tampa. 2024 Projection: 1/4.41/1.38/26 in 30 IP Prime Projection: 8/4.17/1.32/136 in 140 IP

900) Eduardo Herrera CHW, 3B, 17.6 – Herrera is an already built up 6’2”, 215 pounds with an extremely quick and powerful righty bat that crushes baseballs. He looks like a grown man out there and will have easy plus power at peak. He also has a good feel to hit and is a good athlete. He has a chance to be a complete, middle of the order bat. He’s expected to land a signing bonus that approaches $2 million. ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 81/26/86/.263/.345/.478/8

901) Ricardo Yan ARI, RHP, 21.5 – Yan has a funky, athletic, herky jerky, rubber arm, almost sidearm righty delivery that would be a nightmare to go against. It’s super fun watching him. He uses that delivery to fire a low 90’s sinker, plus slider, and solid changeup. It resulted in a 3.65 ERA with a 31.9%/10.4% K%/BB% in 103.2 IP at Single-A and High-A. He keeps the ball on the ground and gets whiffs, which is a great combo. He’s a skinny 6’4”, so he could easily add velocity in future years. A bullpen role might be his most likely outcome, but damn is there some legitimate, really fun upside in here. I actually really really like Yan. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 10/3.92/1.31/147 in 145 IP

902) Wenceel Perez DET, 2B/OF, 24.5 – Perez has an interesting fantasy profile with an above average hit tool (16.4% K%), plus speed (26 steals), and some pop (9 homers in 116 games in the upper minors), but I don’t see a clear path to playing time, so he’ll likely be a utility infielder for at least the first few years of his career. 2024 Projection: 16/2/9/.248/.311/.377/4 Prime Projection: 73/14/59/.266/.328/.412/21

903) Lenyn Sosa CHW, 2B, 24.2 – It seems like Chicago is going to fill their hole at 2B with someone outside the organization (trade/signing), and I think Jose Rodriguez would have the inside track long term if they don’t, but Sosa is still in the mix and there is opportunity. He gets the bat on the ball (23.1% K%), and he hits is relatively hard with a 89.4/93.6 MPH FB/LD EV.  He only put up a 97 wRC+ in 71 games at Triple-A and a 47 wRC+ in 52 games in the majors, he doesn’t steal bases, and has a poor plate approach, so I don’t think he’s a starter, but he’s in the mix right now. 2024 Projection: 19/7/24/.243/.300/.410/1

904) Justice Bigbie DET, OF, 25.2 – Bigbie had a huge season with a .343 BA in 115 games at mostly Double-A, but buying into a batting average fueled breakout isn’t really my thing. He’s an aggressive, line drive hitter with a 15.9%/8.7% K%/BB%, so a high BABIP is part of his profile, but his K% fell apart when he got to Triple-A with a 25.9% K%, and his strikeout rates have been on the average to below average side previously in his career. He doesn’t steal a lot of bases, and the launch limits his power upside with 19 homers and 6 steals. It seems like more of a bench bat or non impact starter type to me. 2024 Projection: 11/2/9/.246/.307/.398/1 Prime Projection: 51/14/57/.266/.327/.432/5

905) Tsung-Che Cheng PIT, 2B/SS, 22.8 – Cheng wasn’t able to maintain his outstanding production from High-A (163 wRC+ in 57 games) when he got to Double-A (80 wRC+ in 66 games), but he showed all of his skills will translate to the upper minors with a 18.9% K%, 4 homers, and 13 steals. He’s an up the middle defender with plus contact rates, a mature plate approach, plus speed, and sneaky pop. It’s a high floor profile with fantasy friendly upside, but he could easily end up a utility infielder. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 73/12/57/.262/.328/.391/22

906) Cristofer Torin ARI, SS/2B, 18.10 – Torin will still be just 18 years old for the first two months of the 2024 season, and he already made it all the way up to Single-A in 2023. He earned that promotion by being insanely mature for his age in stateside rookie ball, slashing .320/.437/.427 with 2 homers, 15 steals, and a 7.1%/16.7% K%/BB% in 26 games. He slowed down at Single-A with a 74 wRC+ in 30 games, but the 19.2% K%, 2 homers and 6 steals shows he wasn’t completely overmatched. You’re buying the advanced bat and approach because he doesn’t have a huge power/speed combo, but he’s definitely got some pop with more coming, and he’s a good base stealer with some speed. He can be a hit tool driven, solid across the board contributor at peak. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 84/16/58/.278/.352/.421/15

907) Diego Velasquez SFG, 2B/SS, 20.6 – Velasquez’ power ticked up in 2023 with 8 homers in 111 games at Single-A, and it was enough to put him on the prospect map considering his other skills. He has a good feel to hit (15.9% K% and .298 BA), he gets on base (10.8% BB%), and he has speed (23 steals). It was good for a 125 wRC+. He’s a projectable 6’1”, so I wouldn’t be surprised if there is more power coming down the line. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 77/16/65/.272/.331/.413/18

908) Leonardo Balcazar CIN, SS, 19.9 – Balcazar was playing well at Single-A before going down for the year with a torn ACL. He slashed .324/.427/.471 with 1 homer, 2 steals, and a 26.8%/15.9% K%/BB% in 18 games. It was good for a 147 wRC+, and it was basically the exact same thing he did in the DSL in 2021 (135 wRC+), and stateside rookie in 2022 (144 wRC+). I wrote in his Top 1,000 blurb last year that he “was flying too far under the radar,” and just when he was about to get his due, he went out and busted up his knee. If he returns to full health, I have no doubt he will continue to show the same mature plate approach, speed, and developing power that he has every single year of his career. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 78/18/73/.257/.336/.423/18

909) Quinn Priester PIT, RHP, 23.7 – I’ve felt Priester has been overrated for awhile now, and he had another mediocre season at both Triple-A and the majors. He put up a 7.74 ERA with a 15.4%/11.5% K%/BB% in 50 MLB innings. He had a 4.00 ERA with a 25.3%/10.2% K%/BB% in 108 IP at Triple-A. The stuff isn’t all that big with a 93.5 MPH sinker, and the control is below average. It’s a back end starter profile who gets too much hype because he looks the part at 6’3”, 195 pounds with a diverse pitch mix. 2024 Projection: 4/4.60/1.42/72 in 90 IP Prime Projection: 8/4.32/1.35/131 in 145 IP

910) Ian Anderson ATL, RHP, 25.11 – Anderson underwent Tommy John surgery in April and will miss the 1st half of 2024 at least. It also isn’t likely that a rotation spot will be waiting for him, so he’s quickly entering depth starter/bullpen piece territory. He was terrible in 2022 and I was already out on him last off-season, so the Tommy John surgery is just the cherry on top. He’s borderline for the Top 1,000, but he has the bat missing ability with a 28.4% whiff% in 2022 to stay interesting if the control/command can take a step forward. 2024 Projection: OUT

911) Joe Kelly LAD, Setup, 35.10 – Kelly struggles to stay healthy, but he was a beast when he’s out there with a 98.9 MPH sinker and 35.7% K% in 39.1 IP. He throws a trio of secondaries that all range from plus to elite, led by the 91.6 MPH slider that notched a 47% whiff% and .184 xwOBA. If he stays healthy, he can be a truly elite setup guy. 2024 Projection: 4/3.28/1.16/74/2 saves 55 IP

912) Ian Hamilton NYY, Setup, 28.10 – Loaisiga and Kahnle both dealt with injuries in 2023, so it could open the door for Hamilton to be next man up when the time comes. He broke out with a 2.64 ERA and 28.9%/10.9% K%/BB% in 58 IP. He has the stuff to back that up with a plus slider that notched a 43.4% whiff% and a 95.6 MPH sinker. 2024 Projection: 3/3.52/1.24/70/2 saves in 60 IP

913) Colin Poche TBR, Setup, 30.3 – Poche had the best year of his career by going to his elite slider more than ever. He used it 34.9% of the time and it notched a .193 xwOBA and 40.9% whiff%. It also helped him put up the lowest HR/FB rate in his career at 5.3%. It resulted in a 2.23 ERA (2.67 xERA) with a 24.8%/9.8% K%/BB% in 60.2 IP. He seems to be behind both Fairbanks and Jason Adam in the pecking order, the profile isn’t your typical back end arm with a 92.5 MPH fastball, and luck probably played a factor in his much better HR/FB rate (14.3% in 2022), but he’s a great pick for holds. 2024 Projection: 6/3.46/1.12/64/4 saves in 60 IP

914) Gregory Soto PHI, Setup, 29.2 – Soto finally improved his control with a career best by far 8.8% BB% (12.9% in 2022), so of course he had the 2nd worst ERA of his career with a 4.62 ERA. The underlying numbers were elite though with a 2.82 ERA and 34% whiff% (only a 26% K% though). The stuff is fire with a 98.1 MPH sinker and a slider that notched a 48.7% whiff%. He racked up 24 holds and 3 saves. If he can maintain those control gains, there is elite setup man potential in here. 2024 Projection: 4/3.60/1.25/69/3 saves in 61 IP

915) Caleb Ferguson NYY, Setup, 27.9 – Ferguson is now the top lefty in the Yanks pen. He put up a 3.43 ERA with a 25.9%/8.5% K%/BB% in 60.1 IP. The fastball is plus at 95.8 MPH with a 26% whiff%, but the secondaries don’t miss quite enough bats to really fly him up rankings. 2024 Projection: 5/3.48/1.26/68/3 saves in 58 IP

916) Matt Moore LAA, Setup, 34.10 – Moore backed up his 2022 breakout with another great year in 2023. He put up a 2.56 ERA with a 27.5%/6.9% K%/BB% in 52.2 IP. All three of his pitches miss bats, and the changeup was elite with a .184 xwOBA. He’s the best lefty in their pen, so he could work his way into some saves even if everyone is healthy and effective. 2024 Projection: 4/3.31/1.17/70/6 saves in 60 IP

917) Tommy Kahnle NYY, Setup, 34.7 – Kahnle missed the first two months of the season with a biceps issues, and the last 2 weeks of the season with a shoulder injury. He should be ready for 2024, but there is obviously some extra injury risk here. He pitched well in between the injuries with a 2.66 ERA and 29.1%/11.5% K%/BB% in 40.2 IP. The plus fastball sat 95.3 MPH and he threw his plus changeup 75.6% of the time. He would be in the mix to replace Holmes if Holmes got hurt. 2024 Projection: 3/3.31/1.15/65/5 saves in 55 IP

918) Julian Merryweather CHC, Setup, 32.5 – The Neris signing likely moves Merryweather down the pecking order, but his stuff and strikeout upside still deserve a spot on this list. He broke out in 2023 with a 3.38 ERA and 32.3%/11.9% K%/BB% in 72 IP. The throws 98.1 MPH gas with a double plus slider that notched a 45.2% whiff%. His 35.1% whiff% is in the near elite range. 2024 Projection: 4/3.54/1.25/85/2 saves in 65 IP

919) Sam Hentges CLE, Setup, 27.8 – Hentges is the best lefty in Cleveland’s pen, and while he didn’t have as good of a year in 2023 as he did in 2022, it was still a good season with a 3.61 ERA and 25.1%/8.1% K%/BB% in 52.1 IP. He throws a 4 pitch mix where every pitch does it’s job (groundball sinker, 2 bat missing breaking balls, 95.6 MPH bat missing 4-seamer). 2024 Projection: 3/3.42/1.20/66/2 saves in 59 IP

920) Gregory Santos SEA, Setup, 24.7 – The trade to Seattle kills Santos’ fantasy value in saves leagues especially, but it hurts him in all leagues probably. He pitched well in 2023 with a 3.39 ERA and 22.8%/5.9% K%/BB% in 66.1 IP. The K rate wasn’t high, but he has high leverage reliever stuff with a 98.8 MPH sinker and 91.3 MPH slider that notched a .227 xwOBA and 37.2% whiff%. He obviously made a successful effort to improve his control this year, which combined with his stuff, can lead to a true explosion in future years, although he’s never been a huge K guy even in the minors. He picked up an elbow injury in September and it was announced he might not be fully ready for the start of spring training, but Seattle is clearly not too concerned. 2024 Projection: 3/3.52/1.23/64/1 saves in 60 IP

921) Chris Martin BOS, Setup, 37.10 – Martin is a solid vet who had another good year in 2023 with a 1.05 ERA and 23.1%/4.0% K%/BB% in 51.1 IP. The stuff is still big with a 95.7 MPH 4-seamer and the control is elite. Jansen has been involved in trade talks (and I’m sure Martin isn’t untouchable either), so the closer job could open up at some point in 2024. 2024 Projection: 4/3.35/1.10/55/7 saves in 53 IP

922) Adam Ottavino NYM, Setup, 38.4 – Ottavino is next man up in New York, and while I’m all the way back in on Edwin Diaz, the knee injury obviously adds enough extra risk to put a star next to Ottavino’s name if you are speculating on saves late in the draft. He saved 12 games for them in 2023 and had another good year with a 3.21 ERA and 23.8%/11.1% K%/BB% in 61.2 IP, but signs of decline have firmly seeped in. The velocity was down considerably to 92.5 MPH on the sinker (94.2 MPH in 2022), and it was steadily decreasing as the year went along. He missed fewer bats overall as you can tell by the 10 year low K%. At 38 years old, there is fall off the cliff potential, but relievers are weird, so it wouldn’t complete shock me if the velocity bounced back somehow. 2024 Projection: 4/3.61/1.24/65/7 saves in 60 IP

923) Roansy Contreras PIT, RHP, 24.5 – Contreras took two huge steps back from his solid rookie year in 2022. His fastball velocity dropped 1.3 MPH to 94.3 MPH, and it got absolutely obliterated with a 92.9 MPH EV against. He doesn’t have the type of control to survive without a big fastball. It led to a 6.58 ERA with a 18.2%/10.6% K%/BB% in 68.1 IP. He got beat up at Triple-A too. The only silver lining is that his slider and curve were both good with a 36.5% and 44.7% whiff%, so if he can figure out his fastball/control, the upside is still in here. 2023 was a straight disaster that tanks his value, there is no way around that, but remember that pitching development is particularly non linear. He can still right the ship. 2024 Projection: 4/4.31/1.36/80 in 80 IP Update: He’s looked really bad in spring

924) Alejandro Osuna TEX, OF, 21.6 – Osuna is the type of prospect who is never going to get big love, but I comp him to pre-roids Melky Cabrera, and Melky never got any prospect love either. He lived up to that Melky comp with a good year at the age appropriate High-A with a 115 wRC+, 22.1%/15.2% K%/BB%, 5 homers, and 16 steals in 70 games. He has a quick and strong lefty swing with speed, a mature plate approach, and developing power. I think he can be a rock solid player. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 74/16/66/.268/.337/.423/21

925) Gabriel Rincones PHI, OF, 23.1 – Putting up a 104 wRC+ with a .238 BA and 10 homers in 72 games at High-A as a 22 year old isn’t very impressive, but Rincones has the tools to remain interesting. He’s 6’3″”, 225 pounds with legitimate raw power, and while he’s not a burner, stealing 32 bags in 120 games shows he’s a good athlete. The strikeout rates are on the high side with a 24.8% K% at High-A, so there is hit tool risk which keeps him more in the flier territory.  ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 52/15/52/.241/.319/.430/8

926) Seth Johnson BAL, RHP, 25.0 – Johnson returned from Tommy John surgery in August and the big stuff was back with a mid to upper 90’s fastball and two potentially plus breaking balls. He closed out the season at Double-A, going 3 IP with 3 hits, 1 ER, and a 4/2 K/BB. He generally hasn’t had major control problems with his career, so if his control returns and he remains healthy, he could start to look very exciting in 2024. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 6/3.89/1.32/120 in 110 IP

927) Luis Perales BOS, RHP, 21.0 – Perales has an electric mid to upper 90’s fastball that explodes out of his hand, but he needs to make gains to the rest of his profile if he wants to remain a starter. The control is below average with a 12.7% BB%, and the secondaries are inconsistent with a potentially plus slider and developing changeup. He pitched well at Single-A with a 3.21 ERA and 31.4%/12.4% K%/BB% in 53.1 IP, but those numbers immediately took a step back at the more age appropriate High-A with a 4.95 ERA and 26.3%/13.2% K%/BB% in 36.1 IP. A reliever is probably his most likely outcome, but he’s young enough where you can factor in enough gains to his supporting skills to remain a starter. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 8/4.13/1.32/142 in 140 IP

928) Gunnar Hoglund OAK, RHP, 24.3 – Like Sims, Hoglund is another case of a player not returning to form after Tommy John surgery. He returned from the injury in July of 2022 only to almost immediately go back on the IL with a biceps issue. His season was delayed in 2023 from the same issue, and he wasn’t good when he got back on the mound with a 6.05 ERA and 46/12 K/BB in 61 IP spread across 3 levels (A, A+, AA). The one saving grace is that he finally starting looking a little bit like his pre Tommy John self with a 2.55 ERA and 19/2 K/BB in his last 17.2 IP. The plus control certainly still seems to be in here, but the stuff isn’t all the way back. He looks like a back end starter right now, but there is upside in the hope he returns to full health in 2024 after his first normal off-season in awhile. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 8/4.35/1.30/125 in 140 IP

929) Hunter Barco PIT, LHP, 23.4 – Barco returned from Tommy John surgery in July and put up a 3.44 ERA with a 28/6 K/BB in 18.1 IP at rookie and Single-A. He looked mostly healthy with a low 90’s fastball and two solid, but not standout secondaries in his changeup and slider. The almost sidearm lefty delivery helps everything play up. The fastball velocity is going to have to tick up and/or the control will have to enter near elite territory for him to beat a 4/5 starter projection, either/both of which is possible as he gets further away from the injury. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 9/4.21/1.29/144 in 150 IP

930) Josh Stephan TEX, RHP, 22.5 – Stephan’s stuff doesn’t really jump off the screen with a below average low 90’s fastball, but if the fastball can tick up in the future, he has the plus slider and plus control to really start popping. He put up a 2.17 ERA with a 31.2%/5.1% K%/BB% in 62.1 IP at High-A, and then proved the skills will translate to Double-A in one start (5/1 K/BB in 4.1 IP) before getting shutdown with a back injury. He’s 6’3”, 185 pounds, so there is room to tack on more muscle to get that velocity up. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 9/4.25/1.26/130 in 145 IP

931) Aeverson Arteaga SFG, SS, 21.0 – A former Brick Wall favorite, Arteaga has just never been able to put all the tools together. He had another mixed bag season at High-A with 17 homers, 8 steals, and a 24.2%/8.3% K%/BB% in 126 games. It was good for a below average 89 wRC+. All of the individual components are in here with plus power potential, speed, defense, and an improving feel to hit, but at some point it has to come together. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 73/19/69/.244/.317/.420/9

932) Jose Ramos LAD, OF, 23.3 – Ramos has plus power with 19 homers in 113 games at Double-A, but the hit tool is well below average with a 28.9% K% and .240 BA, and there isn’t a path to playing time in LA. He looks like a power bench bat. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 45/16/56/.236/.312/.436/3

933) Leandro Arias BAL, 2B/3B/SS, 19.2 – Arias had a strong year at stateside rookie, slashing .271/.370/.414 with 3 homers, 12 steals, and a 12.3%/12.3% K%/BB% in 44 games. He’s a projectable 6’1′ and hits the ball hard with an excellent plate approach and speed. He could definitely start popping with a strong showing in full season ball. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 78/18/72/267/.334/.429/18

934) Alexander Albertus LAD, 3B/SS/2B, 19.5 – Albertus started the season by repeating the DSL as an 18-year-old (148 wRC+ in 31 games), which usually isn’t a good sign, but he made it stateside to close out the season, and he proved he can also rake against age appropriate competition. He slashed .313/.532/.438 with 1 homer, 1 steal, and a 8.5%/29.8% K%/BB% in 14 games. It’s also not like he struggled in the DSL in 2022 with a 143 wRC+. He’s 6’1”, 176 pound with an explosive righty swing, so more power is certainly coming, and his plate approach sure looks like it could have near elite potential. He’s got some speed too. His hype could explode in 2024. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 84/18/68/.273/.349/.428/15

935) Eric Brown MIL, SS, 23.3 – Brown feels completely forgotten about just one year after being drafted 27th overall, but he had a solid year in 2023 with 6 homers, 37 steals, and a 16.7%/11.1% K%/BB% in 63 games at Single-A. He was never expected to hit for big power, but his power was even weaker than expected with an extremely low hard hit rate and .343 SLG. His K rate also exploded in a very small sample at Double-A with a 37.5% K% in 5 games. It feels early to just be completely off him, but a utility infielder role looks more likely than it did in his draft year. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 66/10/48/.255/.327/.389/24

936) Rafael Ramirez CLE, SS, 18.8 – Ramirez was one of the younger players in stateside rookie as a 17 year old for the first two months of the rookie ball season, and he was a well above average hitter with a 133 wRC+. He has an explosive lefty swing at 6’0”, and while he hit only 4 homers in 41 games, there is more power coming with no groundball issues (34.5% GB%). He also has some speed (6 steals) and a patient (maybe too patient) plate approach (28.4%/26.3% K%/BB%). Edouard Julien isn’t the worst comp right now. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 82/19/73/.248/.344/.431/10

937) Staryln Caba PHI, SS, 18.4 – The 5’10,”, 160 pound Cabo was a hit/speed DSL breakout, slashing .301/.423/.346 with 0 homers, 16 steals, and a 9.8%/17.1% K%/BB% in 38 games. He signed for $3 million last international signing period, so he certainly has the pedigree too. He’s a switch hitter with enough projectable power to get to at least average at peak, and he was also known for his excellent glove. He has a chance to be a real riser with a strong stateside debut and power gains. ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 83/15/64/.275/.348/.411/26

938) Cayden Wallace KC, 3B, 22.7 – Wallace’s numbers dropped off a cliff when he got promoted to Double-A with a 75 wRC+ in 33 games vs. a 116 wRC+ in 97 games at High-A. That isn’t what you want to see from an advanced college bat, but he still showed off a potentially solid across the board profile that makes him interesting. He gets the bat on the ball with a 20.6% K% overall, he puts a sting into the ball with 13 homers, and he has some speed with 18 steals. They took him with the 49th overall pick in 2022, so KC obviously likes him. It’s not the highest upside profile, but this does look like an MLB bat in some capacity. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 62/18/67/.252/.318/.431/10

939) Jacob Reimer NYM, 3B, 20.1 – In last year’s FYPD Target & Strategy Guide, I named Jacob Reimer, Ignacio Alverez, Luke Adams, and Alex Freeland targets, calling them “deep league sleeper bats”, and 3 out of the 4 saw their values rise considerably this year (even Freeland was decent). Reimer had an excellent season at Single-A with a 129 wRC+ and 19.6%/14.1% K%/BB% in 75 games. Hit only 6 homers with a 47.1% GB%, but he’s a big boy at 6’2”, 200 pounds with plenty of raw power in the tank (and more coming down the line), so establishing such a strong plate approach is exciting. He didn’t hit as well when he got called up to High-A with a 89 wRC+ in 25 games, but he still had a strong 22.2%/17.2% K%/BB%. He just looked like a really solid hitter to me in his limited time in 2022, and he proved my eyes weren’t deceiving me with a really strong first full year in pro ball. Think something like Jeimer Candelario as a ceiling comp. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 72/20/77/.262/.332/.437/3

940) Jack Brannigan PIT, 3B, 23.1 – Brannigan is too old and showed too much swing and miss to go too crazy for his great year in the lower minors, but he undoubtedly had a great year, slashing .275/.390/.524 with 19 homers, 24 steals, and a 29.9%/14.2% K%/BB% in 87 games split between Single-A and High-A. His K% was even higher at High-A with a 33.5% K%, and he hit .177 with a 37.6% K% in 23 games in the AFL. He checked in at #946 on the 2023 Top 1,000, so he didn’t exactly come out of nowhere, and he played exactly to his scouting report with a plus power/speed combo and hit tool risk. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 58/15/58/.231/.312/.421/12

941) Mitch Jebb PIT, 2B/SS, 21.11 – Selected 42nd overall in the 2023 MLB Draft, Jebb has a traditional leadoff hitter profile with plus hit, plus approach, double plus speed, and well below average power. He slashed .337/.438/.495 with 1 homer, 14 steals, and a 11.6%/13.3% K%/BB% in 50 games in the Big Ten. The skills completely transferred to pro ball, slashing .297/.382/.398 with 1 homer, 11 steals, and a 7.2%/11.1% K%/BB% in 34 games at Single-A. He’s 6’1”, 185 pounds, so the raw power can certainly tick up from here, but it’s still a spray hitting, contact oriented approach. Even with the limited power, I like him as a later round speed target in medium to deeper leagues. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection:79/10/47/.257/.330/.391/24

942) William Bergolla Jr. PHI, 2B/SS, 19.6 – The 18-year-old Bergolla skipped right over stateside rookie and made his 2023 debut at Single-A. He has the type of precocious contact rates and mature plate approach where it made sense, and he didn’t disappoint in those areas with a 7.5%/13.2% K%/BB% in 55 games. He did disappoint overall though with 0 homers, 2 steals in 7 attempts, and a 84 wRC+. His lack of baserunning skills is a major problem, because he was never expected to hit for big power, and even his power is worse than expected. Luis Arraez is the wishcasting comp. 82/10/46/.288/.360/.398/9

943) Yandel Ricardo KCR, SS, 17.6 – The 6’2”, 185 pound Ricardo is a switch hitter with projectable size, plus athleticism, a good feel to hit, and a quick swing. Nothing is truly standout in his profile, but he does a lot of things very well and is expected to get one of the biggest bonuses in the class. ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 77/20/77/.262/.331/.440/16

944) Jose Corniell TEX, RHP, 20.10 – Corniell had a breakout season with a 2.92 ERA and 29.8%/7.6% K%/BB% in 101.2 IP split between Single-A and High-A. The stuff is above average with a mid 90’s fastball, 2 potentially plus breaking balls and a developing changeup. He doesn’t necessarily jump off the screen, and I don’t necessarily see big upside, but there is mid-rotation potential if it all comes together. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 9/4.18/1.29/141 in 150 IP

945) Kyle Stowers BAL, OF, 26.3 – It’s sad that Stowers is so blocked that it seems he has no shot on seeing the field no matter how much he rakes. I think he can be a legit power hitter if given the opportunity, but he is likely going to need to get out of Baltimore to get that chance. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 46/19/59/.238/.319/.472/1

946) Matt Sauer KCR, RHP, 25.2 – The Royals selected Sauer in the Rule 5 draft, and I love the pick for them. I’m the only person in the world who believes in him, and the Royals rotation and rotation depth are both truly cover your eyes horrific. This gives Sauer a much, much better chance of being given a shot to remain a starter. His career likely starts in the bullpen, and he’s only a flier even in deep leagues, but keep his name in mind if he ends up with a rotation spot at some point. He put up a 3.42 ERA with a 29.5%/10.3% K%/BB% in 68.1 IP at Double-A. He has an above average to plus fastball/slider combo, and has the strikeout upside to be worthy of cracking this list. 2024 Projection: 4/4.31/1.36/88 in 90 IP

947) Troy Melton DET, RHP, 23.4 – Melton pitched well in the lower minors with a 2.74 ERA and a 24.9%/6.4% K%/BB% in 92 IP split between Single-A and High-A. The strikeout rate immediately plummeted from 30% to 22.8% when he got to High-A, which isn’t great to see for an older pitcher, but he was able to maintain the plus control. The stuff is very good with a mid 90’s fastball, two breaking balls that have plus potential, and a solid changeup. If the production transfers to the upper minors, he could start to gain some legitimate hype. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 10/4.07/1.28/141 in 150 IP

948) Joander Suarez NYM, RHP, 24.1 – Suarez closed out the season at Double-A and put up a 0.00 ERA with a 32.2%/6.8% K%/BB% in 18 IP. He’s a big guy at 6’3”, 223 pounds and has legit stuff with a mid 90’s fastball, two good breaking balls, and a developing changeup. His numbers at High-A weren’t as good (5.08 ERA with a 29.3%/11.2% K%/BB% in 90.1 IP), so I wouldn’t get too excited, but I think he’s a legit MLB arm with mid-rotation upside. He’s underrated. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 9/4.23/1.32/137 in 150 IP

949) Keider Montero DET, RHP, 23.9 – Montero has big stuff with a mid 90’s fastball and a nasty breaking ball, but the control is below average, and he got knocked around in the upper minors. He put up a 4.93 ERA with a 28.2%/9.2% K%/BB% in 111.1 IP at Double-A and Triple-A  There is enticing K upside, but he can look at bit reliever-ish out there. 2024 Projection: 1/4.09/1.33/31 in 35 IP Prime Projection: 3/3.68/1.26/71 in 65 IP

950) Yoniel Curet TBR, RHP, 21.5 – The thick 6’2” Curet throws an absolutely electric mid to upper 90’s fastball that explodes out of his hand. Lower minors hitters were completely overmatched by the pitch. He put up a 2.94 ERA with a 33.3%/16.9% K%/BB% in 104 IP at mostly Single-A. He combines the double plus fastball with an above average slider and developing changeup. The control is well below average and he looks like a future reliever out there, but maybe Tampa improves the control enough to be a 5 IP starter down the line. He could be someone they start in the bullpen and then transition into a starter in his mid to late 20’s. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 7/3.71/1.31/125 in 120 IP

951) Jhancarlos Lara ATL, RHP, 21.2 – Lara is 6’3”, 190 pounds with big stuff (mid 90’s fastball with a slider that flashes plus), but the control needs improvement and he needs to work on his changeup. He put up a 4.09 ERA with a 33.1%/12.2% K%/BB% in 81.1 IP at mostly Single-A. He definitely looks reliever-ish out there on the mound right now, but he’s still young, and he has upside in any role. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 7/3.95/1.34/128 in 120 IP

952) Santiago Suarez TBR, RHP, 19.2 – Santiago has produced everywhere he’s been in his young career. He put up a 2.31 ERA with a 24.8%/3.9% K%/BB% in 39 IP in the DSL in 2022, a 1.13 ERA with a 25.3%/5.3% K%/BB% in 39.2 IP at stateside rookie ball this year, and then closed out the season at Single-A where he put up a 2.29 ERA with a 17.1%/3.7% K%/BB% in 19.2 IP. Those walk numbers are elite, and he has good supporting skills as well with a low to mid 90’s fastball, good curve, and developing changeup. He also has good size at 6’2”, 175 pounds. As is, it’s a back end profile, but he’s only 19 years old, so improvement to his velocity and secondaries could vault him to the next level. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 9/4.05/1.24/135 in 150 IP

953) David Sandlin BOS, RHP, 23.1- Sandlin dominated Single-A with a 3.38 ERA and 33.5%/5.5% K%/BB% in 58.2 IP, but he was old for the level and his 2 starts at High-A weren’t nearly as impressive with a 4.50 ERA and 8/5 K/BB in 8 IP. He then got shutdown for the season with a lat strain. The stuff is good with an above average to plus fastball/slider combo and a changeup that flashes plus. Even in the lower minors, those kind of K/BB numbers, combined with good stuff is very interesting. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 9/4.16/1.28/132 in 145 IP

954) Stiven Martinez BAL, OF, 16.10 – Martinez is a very projectable 6’3”, 170 pounds with a vicious righty swing that has monster power potential written all over it. He’s also an excellent athlete with speed and the ability to play CF. This is the type of plus power/speed combo that fantasy managers drool over. The hit tool and plate approach are still unrefined, so there is a lot of risk here, but the upside is considerable. ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 73/23/79/.244/.317/.449/16

955) Kyle Isbel KCR, OF, 27.1 – Isbel is a good defensive CF, which could keep him on the field, but his bat is rough. He put up a 75 wRC+ with a .289 xwOBA in 313 PA. he doesn’t hit for much power or speed with 5 homers and 7 steals. I wouldn’t count on his defense keeping him a starter. 2024 Projection: 38/8/34/.251/.305/.395/8

956) Jake Meyers HOU, OF, 27.10 – Meyers has a plus CF glove which can get him on the field, but he’s a bad hitter with a 88 wRC+, 86 MPH EV, and 25.8%/7.6% K%/BB% in 112 games. He’s fast with a 29.2 ft/sec sprint, but he’s not a good base stealer with only 5 steals. Even with playing time you don’t really want to be running him out there. 2024 Projection: 36/8/29/.233/.305/.385/6

957) Dairon Blanco KCR, OF, 30.11 – Blanco was a 30 year old rookie, but some of that was because he didn’t come stateside until he was 25 years old from Cuba, and he has a very interesting fantasy profile. He has truly elite speed with a 30.3 ft/sec sprint, and he used that speed to steal 24 bags in just 138 PA. He’s also a good defensive player, so his glove could get him on the field. The plate approach is average at best with a 23.9%/7.2% K%/BB%, and the power is below average with a 86.7 MPH EV, but he’s an interesting speed play in deep leagues, and I wouldn’t completely rule out him getting a ton of run in CF, even though I wouldn’t bet on it. 2024 Projection: 31/5/26/.256/.322/.395/25

958) Eddys Leonard DET, SS, 23.5 – Javier Baez is in free fall, and if that continues, Leonard could be next man up at SS for Detroit. He had a solid year in the upper minors, slashing .269/.342/.447 with 19 homers, 5 steals, and a 21.8%/8.2% K%/BB% in 132 games split between Double-A and Triple-A. He hits the ball reasonably hard with a 90.4 MPH EV at AAA. The hit tool is average at best, the groundball rates are on the high side, and he doesn’t have speed, so this isn’t a high upside profile even if he does work his way into playing time. 2024 Projection: 11/3/11/.240/.306/.390/1 Prime Projection: 63/16/68/.253/.321/.419/3

959) Casey Schmitt SFG, 3B/SS, 25.1 – There was excitement around Schmitt after his big Spring Training, and then again after he got off to a hot start in his MLB debut in May, but I never really fully bought into it, and by the end of the season he was who I thought he was. And that is a glove first player who isn’t really a target in fantasy. He ended up with a lowly 59 wRC+ and 5 homers in 277 MLB PA, and he wasn’t that good at Triple-A either with a 88 wRC+ and 4 homers in 47 games. The plate approach is rough with a 38.5% Chase% in the majors, and the power is mediocre with a 87.2 MPH EV in the minors. Tack on San Francisco’s extreme pitcher’s park, plus their undying loyalty to platoons, and Schmitt is someone I’ll continue to shy away from. 2024 Projection: 31/7/37/.238/.295/.402/2

960) Peyton Graham DET, SS, 23.2 – Graham had an underwhelming first full year of pro ball with 4 homers and a 95 wRC+ in 54 games at Single-A. That is a level he should have handled easily, and he didn’t make it look easy. It wasn’t a total nightmare with a solid 22.2%/11.7% K%/BB% and 15 steals, but he just didn’t hit the ball hard enough with a 85.8 MPH EV. The good news is that he has plenty of room to tack on mass at 6’3”, 185 pounds, so hopefully he’s hitting the weight room hard this off-season. If he can naturally gain more raw power, I definitely think a real breakout can still be in the cards. I would hold onto Graham for one more year if you can. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 66/16/64/.248/.323/.431/21

961) Yunior Severino MIN, 3B/2B, 24.6 – Severino does one thing well, and one thing only, and that is hit for massive power with 35 homers in 120 games in the upper minors. The strikeout rate is extremely high at 32.8%, the groundball rates are on the high side, and he’s not a good defensive player. He’s probably a bench power bat, but he’s young enough and close enough to the majors for his elite power to get him on this list. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 34/11/39/.222/.297/.436/3

962) Tanner Schobel MIN, 3B/2B, 22.10 – Schobel’s numbers dropped off hard when he got to Double-A with a 75 wRC+, 2 homers, and 3 steals in 49 games, and it’s kinda turned me off him. The upside isn’t huge with an average at best hit/power combo, and while he’s fast, he hasn’t run a ton even going back to college. Then tack on the huge production drop when he finally faced advanced pitching, and it’s not a profile I’m going after. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 68/13/59/.257/.328/.416/15

963) Jeral Perez LAD, 2B/3B/SS, 19.5 – Perez’ destruction of rookie ball (11 homers with a 120 wRC+ in 53 games) earned him a promotion to Single-A where he more than held his own with a 118 wRC+ and 22.2%/18.5% K%/BB% in 7 games. He doesn’t necessarily jump off the screen with a thick and stocky build, and he’s not a huge tools guy, but he’s done nothing but produce as every level, including the DSL in 2022 (130 wRC+). He has a mature plate approach, he lifts the ball, and he’s in a great organization, so he should be able to get the most of his talent. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 66/19/74/.245/.323/.430/8

964) Yiddi Cappe MIA, 2B/SS, 21.6 – Cappe got off to a hot start at High-A with a .938 OPS and 3 homers in his first 19 games, but he fell off a cliff after that and finished with a 55 wRC+ and 5 homers in 123 games overall. He still surely looks the part at a smooth and athletic 6’3”, 175 pounds. He also had strong contact rates (19% K%) with plus speed (18 steals). He needs to get stronger to actually do damage when he makes contact, and he needs to refine his plate approach (3.4%), but considering he will be the same age as most of the college kids in the 2024 draft class, I wouldn’t rule out him making those improvements. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 67/14/66/.244/.306/.412/18

965) Dyan Jorge COL, SS, 21.0 – Jorge’s production dropped off a cliff when he got to full season ball with his wRC+ dropping from 178 in 21 games in rookie ball to 82 in 49 games at Single-A. Considering he was 20 years old, it’s pretty discouraging, but there is still enough to dream on to crack this list. He’s a skinny 6’3”, 170 pounds with plenty of room to tack on muscle. Even with his struggles at Single-A, he still got the bat on the ball with a 16.3% K% (.283 BA) and showed off his speed with 10 steals. If the power ticks up (3 homers in 70 total games), the upside is immense. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 73/13/61/.256/.312/.401/21

966) Austin Gauthier LAD, 2B/3B/SS, 24.11 – The 24 year old Gauthier got a lot more interesting when he got called up to Double-A and kept the production up, slashing .293/.411/.433 with 6 homers, 14 steals, and a 13.8%/16.3% K%/BB% in 84 games. Even at an advanced age, that plate approach is extremely impressive, and he combines that with good baserunning skills and some pop. He’s most likely a bench bat, but if he can start lifting and pulling the ball more, which we’ve seen these types make that adjustment before, he could end up a being a problem. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 48/9/42/.262/.333/.407/9

967) Pedro Ramirez CHC, 2B/3B, 20.0 – Ramirez put up a strong 119 wRC+ in 104 games as a young 19 year old at Single-A, but I’m not seeing big upside to really go after. He hit only 8 homers and he’s only 5’8”, so power isn’t going to be a major part of his game. The hit tool is good, but it’s not great with a .266 BA and 17.1%/11.8% K%/BB%, and he has speed, but 17 steals in 24 attempts isn’t standout. He’s also not a SS, so the glove might not get him on the field either. His contact, speed, and age are good enough to keep him interesting, but only as a safe infield glove towards the bottom of your farm system. ETA: 2026 Prime Prime Projection: 66/8/45/.262/.327/.396/14

968) Eddinson Paulino BOS, SS/3B/2B, 21.9 – Paulino is trending towards a bench utility player. He’s not a good defensive player, which is really the biggest issue for his profile, and he doesn’t have a standout offensive skill. What he does have is a smooth and sweet lefty swing, and it produced at High-A, slashing .257/.338/.421 with 12 homers, 26 steals, and a 22.6%/10.0% K%/BB% in 115 games. He’s not a burner and the power is currently below average. He needs an uptick in power to really become anything more than a flier type prospect. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 51/12/46/.259/.328/.416/9

969)  Jared Serna NYY, 2B/SS, 21.10 – Serna was putting up video game numbers at Single-A with 19 homers, 19 steals, and a 16.9% K% in 95 games at Single-A, but he wasn’t able to keep up the power when he got to the more age appropriate High-A with 0 homers in 27 games. He was able to keep up the speed (10 steals) and contact rates (12.5%), but at only 5’6”, the High-A power numbers are probably closer to his true talent level. He’s likely a utility infielder who will have to earn it every step of the way. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 46/8/38/.258/.319/.389/13

970) Shay Whitcomb HOU, SS, 25.6 – Whitcomb was a 24 year old at Triple-A who put up a 62 wRC+ with a 31.1%/6.1% K%/BB% in 87 games. That is horrific, and he’s not young enough to really bank on future improvement. He’s a good athlete, he has plus power, and he’s put up really fun homer/speed totals in his minor league career (35 homers with 20 steals in 118 games in 2023), so sometimes these types can breakout in their late 20’s. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 28/11/34/.221/.297/.429/6

971) Emeliano Teodo TEX, RHP, 23.1 – Teodo is likely a reliever long term, but it’s potentially elite high leverage reliever stuff. The sinker sits in the upper 90’s and the breaking ball is plus. A plus to double plus sinker/breaking ball combo with below average control is very easy to envision in the back of a bullpen. He showed what that could look like in the AFL with a 0.00 ERA and 19/3 K/BB in 11 IP over 8 outings. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 4/3.42/1.18/78/30 saves in 65 IP

972) Ronan Kopp LAD, LHP, 21.8 – Kopp is likely a reliever long term, and he has the attributes to be a damn good one. He’s 6’7”, 250 pounds with a mid to upper 90’s fastball and plus slider. The control is well below average and the changeup isn’t great, which is what makes his likely role in the bullpen. He was in the bullpen in the AFL and put up a 1.13 ERA with a 15/6 K/BB in 8 IP over 7 outings. He pitched in short outings during the regular season too and had a 2.99 ERA with a 35.8%/16.7% K%BB% in 72.1 IP at High-A. We’ve seen LA work magic with drastically improving a pitchers control in the past, so that is what he needs to do to remain a starter. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 4/3.46/1.23/80 in 65 IP

973) Michael Arias CHC, RHP, 22.4 – Arias has an athletic and funky delivery with a plus mid 90’s fastball to go along with a solid slider and changeup. It resulted in a 4.09 ERA with a 31.3% K% in 81.1 IP at Single-A and High-A. The control is bad enough with a 14.5% BB% that the bullpen is his most likely role, but he has the type of stuff to be high leverage reliever. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 4/3.66/1.27/73 in 65 IP

974) Cody Bradford TEX, LHP, 26.1 – Bradford looks like he’s locking himself into that 5th starter job in Texas, but he’s only a medium to deeper league play if you are desperate for starting pitching. He’s a plus control, low 90’s guy with an above average changeup as his best secondary. He talked about exclusively working out of the stretch as he’s prepared to both start and work out of the bullpen at a moments notice. Jack Leiter can also come for that 5th starter job at any time. 2024 Projection: 5/4.39/1.32/82 100 IP

975) Jacob Lopez TBR, LHP, 26.1 – Some of this ranking is betting on Tampa magic because a 26 year old pitcher with a 90.8 MPH fastball isn’t exactly all that enticing, but Lopez has things to like even without Tampa. He dominated Double-A with a 2.57 ERA and 41.7%/8.3% K%/BB% in 28 IP, and while he wasn’t as good at Triple-A with the automated strike zone (26%/14% K%/BB%), he still had a 2.72 ERA in 79.1 IP. The slider is a bat missing weapon and put up a 41.4% whiff% in his 12.1 IP MLB debut. He held his own in the majors overall with a 4.38 ERA and 14.8%/3.7% K%/BB%. He’s the type that pitches well out of the bullpen and then Tampa turns him into an ace at 30 years old out of nowhere. 2024 Projection: 2/4.23/1.32/44 in 50 IP Prime Projection: 7/3.93/1.28/115 in 120 IP

976) Mike Vasil NYM, RHP, 24.0 – Vasil is a back end starter proximity play with solid but not standout stuff. He put up a 5.30 ERA with a 24.9%/11.7% K%/BB% in 73 IP at Triple-A, but he was better at Double-A without the automated strike zone with a 3.71 ERA and 28.9%/4.1% K%/BB% in 51 IP. The fastball sits about 93 MPH and he throws a diverse pitch mix. 2024 Projection: 1/4.68/1.42/36 in 40 IP Prime Projection: 9/4.31/1.34/138 in 150 IP

977) Zack Showalter STL, RHP, 20.2 – Showalter has a plus low to mid 90’s fastball that he throws with a kinda odd delivery that hides the ball really well. He also mixes in a solid slider and developing changeup. He was pitching well at Single-A before getting shutdown with an undisclosed injury on August 8th, putting up a 3.10 ERA with a 28.1%/11.2% K%/BB% in 20.1 IP. There is obviously a long way to go, but the fastball alone makes him interesting. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 9/4.04/1.29/139 in 145 IP

978) Juaron Watts-Brown TOR, RHP, 22.1 – Selected 89th overall, Watts-Brown didn’t have the best year in college (5.03 ERA in 82.1 IP) with a low 90’s fastball, but he’s an excellent athlete and he still has room on his 6’3”, 190 pound frame to level up again in pro ball. His plus slider is a true out pitch that he goes to often, and despite the low velocity on the fastball, it looks pretty electric coming out of his hand. He also throws a curve and change. He missed a ton of bats with a 33% K%, so the ERA is certainly inflated. If he can improve his control (12.8% BB%) and/or add a tick or two to the fastball, he has some real upside in the tank. As is, he might be more of a #4 type. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 9/4.08/1.33/155 in 150 IP

979) Max Anderson DET, 2B, 22.1 – Selected 45h overall in the 2023 MLB Draft, Anderson had an absolutely beastly junior year, slashing .414/.461/.771 with 21 homers, 0 steals, and a 29/20 K/BB in 57 games. He doesn’t necessarily look the part at a wide 6’0”, 215 pounds with little to no speed, and he has an aggressive plate approach, but he has legitimate all fields power with plus contact rates. I would have liked to see more power in his pro debut with only 2 homers in 32 games at Single-A, but he generally hit well with a 17.9% K%, .790 OPS, and 112 wRC+. The hit/power combo from a fast moving college bat is worth a later round pick in deeper leagues. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 67/20/74/.263/.322/.437/2

980) Cristian Mena ARI, RHP, 21.3 – Mena looks the part at a projectable 6’2” with an athletic delivery, and he also has youth on his side as a 20 year old in the upper minors, but his stuff is really more of a back end profile. He got hit around with a 4.85 ERA and 156/64 K/BB in 133.2 IP at mostly Double-A. The fastball sits low to mid 90’s and the control is below average. He gets whiffs with his plus breaking ball, but he needs to improve his control/command and add velocity to take the next step. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 9/4.20/1.33/145 in 150 IP

981) Gino Groover ARI, 3B, 22.0 – Selected 48th overall in the 2023 MLB Draft, Groover is a complete hitter and rock solid college bat, but the power/speed combo leaves a little something to be desired. He slashed .332/.430/.546 with 13 homers, 2 steals, and a 26/36 K/BB in 57 games in the ACC. He then stepped into pro ball and showed off those same excellent hitting skills with a 9.0%/8.0% K%/BB% in 23 games at High-A, but it came with only 1 homer and 1 steal. It was good for a below average 97 wRC+. He’s 6’2”, 212 pounds, so there is more raw power in the tank, but it’s not like there aren’t a million “not small” guys who just don’t hit for big power, so I’m not really assuming some big power jump in the future. The deeper the league, the more I would like him. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 72/18/75/.263/.332/.421/4

982) Matthew Etzel BAL, OF, 21.11 – Selected 301st overall, Etzel’s college numbers don’t jump off the screen with 7 homers, 23 steals, and a .853 OPS in 66 games in the non major Sun Belt Conference, but he has the type of skills that can produce everywhere he plays, rather than the type that will dominate levels. He hits the ball hard with above average speed, a solid feel to hit, and good CF defense. He played well in pro ball, slashing .323/.455/.510 with 2 homers, 21 steals, and a 23/21 K/BB in 30 games at mostly Single-A. He hasn’t completely tapped into his raw power yet, but he doesn’t have any major groundball issues, and at 6’2”, 211 pounds, he certainly has the size. He’s much better than his draft selection would indicate. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 74/15/65/.261/.324/.421/17

983) Carson Roccaforte KCR, OF, 22.0 – Selected 66th overall, Roccaforte has a very similar profile to Matthew Etzel. They both came from the Sun Belt Conference, and they both hit the ball hard with above average speed and a solid feel to hit. He didn’t blow the doors off in his pro debut, but he was solid, slashing .257/.377/.356 with 0 homers, 11 steals, and a 25.4%/15.6% K%/BB% in 21 games at Single-A. He hit 24 homers in 123 games over his last 2 years in college, but he struggled in the wood bat Cape Cod league in 2022 with 0 homers in 22 games, and then he again hit 0 homers with wood bats in his pro debut, so homer power is concern. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 72/14/61/.255/.320/.412/15

984) Jack Hurley ARI, OF, 22.0 – Selected 80th overall, the 6’0”, 185 pound Hurley’s power ticked up this year with 17 homers in just 45 games in the ACC, but the plate approach didn’t follow suit with a mediocre 40/20 K/BB. Those plate approach issues reared their ugly head in pro ball too with a 28.5%/5.7% K%/BB% in 20 games at High-A, and the power wasn’t as big either with 1 homer. The profile is fantasy friendly with a potentially above average power/speed combo (10 steals in his pro debut), but the plate approach needs to take a big step forward. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 73/17/73/.244/.317/.420/13

985) Sabin Ceballos ATL, 3B, 21.7 – Selected 94th overall in the 2023 MLB Draft, Ceballos is 6’3”, 225 pounds with plus power. He ripped 18 homers in 59 games in the Pac12, and he did it with an excellent 14.1%/13.3% K%/BB%. He’s also an excellent defense player at 3B with a big arm. He showed some hit tool risk in his pro debut with a 31.4% K% in 9 games at Single-A, and he doesn’t have speed, but he’s an excellent underrated FYPD college power bat. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 67/23/78/.250/.320/.439/2

986) Jace Bohrofen TOR, OF, 22.5 – Selected 184th overall, Bohrofen has an easy and quick lefty swing that produces plus power from his strong 6’2”, 205 pound frame. He crushed 16 homers in 60 games in the SEC, and then he crushed 6 homers in 17 games at Single-A. The hit tool is risky with a 23.6% K% in college, but it’s a good sign it didn’t get out of control in pro ball with a 23.4%/19.5% K%/BB%. He destroyed pro ball in general with a 189 wRC+. He won’t really be tested until he faces upper minors competition, but Bohrofen has a chance to be a legit impact power bat. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 72/23/77/.245/.322/.438/3

987) Nehomar Ochoa HOU, OF, 18.8 – Selected 344th overall, Ochoa is 6’4”, 210 pounds with big raw power, and he showed that off immediately in pro ball with 3 homers and a 29.2% GB% in 12 games in rookie ball. He also showed a good feel to hit with a 16.7% K%, and he’s very young for his class. He’s playing in the Australian Winter League right now where he’s over 7 years younger than average, and he’s not embarrassing himself with a .648 OPS in 24 games. His bat looks legit. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 73/24/81/.263/.321/.445/4

988) Angel Mateo TBR, OF, 18.7 – A 96 wRC+ in 48 games at stateside rookie ball isn’t anything to write home about, but Mateo is a toolshed at 6’2”, 190 pounds, and the individual components look better with 4 homers, 12 steals, and an 18.3%/7.1% K%/BB%. He closed the season out at Single-A showing off his risk with a 31.1% K% in 12 games, but his upside is worth keeping on your radar. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 68/18/68/.248/.319/.428/14

989) Arnaldo Lantigua LAD, OF, 18.4 – Lantigua was one of the top power breakouts in the DSL, smacking 7 homers with a 21.8%/15.1% K%/BB% in just 29 games. He’s 6’2”, 200 pounds and was a relatively highly thought of international signing. He hit only .222 and the 113 wRC+ doesn’t standout, but he has the talent to start popping when he comes stateside. ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 68/26/79/.242/.323/.447/8

990) Chase Jaworksy HOU, SS, 19.8 – Selected 164th overall in the 2023 MLB Draft, Jaworsky is a projectable and athletic 6’1, 170 pounds with a potentially plus power/speed combo. He showed a strong plate approach in his pro debut with a 15.8%/15.8% K%/BB% in 9 games, and he has a big lefty swing that can definitely do damage to go along with plus speed. It’s nice when you can piggyback a strong organization like Houston for a prospect like this. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 72/20/76/.253/.326/.440/10

991) Aidan Smith SEA, OF, 19.8 – Selected 124th overall and signed for $1.2 million, Smith is a great athlete at 6’3”, 190 pounds with plus power potential and plus run times, but his swing isn’t geared for homers right now and he also has hit tool risk. He had a strong pro debut in rookie ball with a 128 wRC+, but it mostly came on the back of a .400 BABIP and 20% BB% in 8 games. He then went to Single-A and struggled with a 60 wRC+ and 29.6%/7.4% K%/BB% in 12 games. There is a lot of refinement needed to his launch and hit tool, but you are betting on the athlete that he makes those improvements. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 67/18/71/.247/.319/.426/11

992) Mario Baez ATL, SS, 17.7 – Baez was 16 for almost the entire year in the DSL, and he killed it, slashing .311/.393/.422 with 3 homers, 24 steals, and a 12.4%/9.7% K%/BB% in 47 games. He’s a thick but athletic 5’9”, so I definitely think there is real juice in his bat. The hit tool looked good and he has speed too. He definitely has the look of a player who can overcome his small stature and be a truly impact bat. ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 74/21/78/.267/.332/.437/14

993) Jesus Baez NYM, SS, 19.1 – Baez’ numbers didn’t stand out with a 71 wRC+ in 40 games at stateside rookie ball, but his explosive righty swing most certainly stands out. He’s already putting up big EV numbers. He also showed a solid plate approach with a 17.5%/11.9% K%/BB% and no major groundball issues with a 43.9% GB%. The power is most certainly coming. He doesn’t have much speed and he’s a stocky-ish 5’9”, so we aren’t talking about a ton of upside, but an above average hit/power combo at peak is within reach. ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 76/20/79/.268/.334/.433/6

994) Jhonny Severino PIT, SS, 19.5 – Severino is an athletic power hitting middle infielder at 6’2”, and he started to tap into that power in 2023 with 5 homers in 15 games in stateside rookie ball. The plate approach is very rough, both this year, and in the DSL in 2022, so the hit tool is high risk. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 72/23/79/.242/.317/.442/8

995) Angel Bastardo BOS, RHP, 21.10 – The 6’1”, 175 pound Bastardo has an athletic delivery and above average stuff with a mid 90’s fastball and two good secondaries in his changeup and breaking ball. He pitched well at High-A with a 4.62 ERA (3.66 xFIP) and 31.8%/10.5% K%/BB% in 103.1 IP before getting knocked around at Double-A to end the season (5.63 ERA with a 14.5%/13% K%/BB% in 16 IP). He needs to improve his control/command and refine his secondaries to beat his current back end starter projection: ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 7/4.24/1.34/125 in 140 IP

996) Darren Bowen MIN, RHP, 23.2 – Bowen purely makes this list because he looks the part, and Minnesota obviously thinks they can turn his talent into production. He’s a projectable 6’3”, 180 pounds with a highly athletic delivery and good stuff. He’s already 23 years old though, so it’s not like it’s a projectable high school kid, and the numbers weren’t that great at Single-A with a 3.88 ERA and 25.7%/10.9% K%/BB% in 55.2 IP. The fastball sits mid 90’s and the two breaking balls miss bats. If he was younger or if his stats were much better against much inferior competition at Single-A it would be easy to love him, but I don’t want to fly a guy up my rankings because he proverbially looks great in the uniform. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 8/4.33/1.35/120  in 140 IP

997) Isiah Kiner Falefa TOR, 3B/OF, 29.0 – Falefa is a super utility player who could work his way into playing time with Toronto’s currently weak infield situation. He gets the bat on the ball (15.5% career K%) and is a good base stealer (14 steals in 361 PA in 2023). The stolen bases will make him relevant even in shallower leagues if he gets on the field. 2024 Projection: 36/5/31/.258/.310/.355/13

998) Luis Urias SEA, 2B/3B, 26.10 – The Polanco trade puts Urias into a short side of a platoon role. He suffered a severe hamstring strain right at the start of the season that kept him out for 2 months, and then it was a straight disaster after that with an 83 wRC+ in 52 games in the majors, and a 86 wRC+ in 29 games after getting demoted to Triple-A. A mature plate approach is basically all he has with a 23.2%/11.9% K%/BB%. He has no speed and his power never ticked up beyond below average. If his power does tick up in his late 20’s, he has the launch to take advantage of it with a 14.7 degree launch, but holding your breath for that power uptick doesn’t seem wise at only 5’9”. 2024 Projection: 38/9/34/.235/.330/.397/2

999) Ernie Clement TOR, SS, 28.0 – Clement had a 5% K% and 136 wRC+ in 320 PA at Triple-A, then he had a 7.7% K% and 144 wRC+ in 52 PA in the majors, and now he has a 2.7% K%, 3 homers, and a 1.045 OPS in 37 spring PA. It might be time we start taking notice. He ripped his 3rd homer yesterday at only 97.7 MPH, but he pulled it and he lifted it. We know the pull, lift, contact trifecta can overcome a poor EV, and Clement is definitely in that category. He doesn’t have a full time job, but there are jobs to be won in Toronto’s infield, and he very well has a chance of being the guy who emerges. Keep an eye on him at the least. 2024 Projection: 30/7/30/.260/.315/.400/6

1000) Joshua Palacios PIT, OF, 28.8 – Palacios is currently penciled in as a strong side of a platoon player, but he’s going to struggle to even lock that role in. He hits it hard with a 91.3 MPH EV, and he has some speed with a 28.2 ft/sec sprint, but the plate approach (21.2%/4.5% K%/BB%) and launch (7.7 degree launch) are both well below average. He’s a very deep league option only. 2024 Projection: 28/7/36/.246/.299/.418/5

1001) Mickey Moniak PHI, OF, 25.11 – Moniak hit 14 homers with a 12.6% Barrel%, 6 steals and a 114 wRC+ in 85 MLB games, but I don’t see how he holds down a starting job with a 35%/2.8% K%/BB%. He’s a strong side platoon bat at best, and not a major leaguer at worst. 2024 Projection: 27/9/34/.240/.289/.410/5

1002) Andy Ibanez DET, 2B/OF, 31.0 – Ibanez is an aging short side of a platoon bench bat, but he has a big enough contact/power profile to be rosterable in deep daily leagues or if an injury opens up PT. He hit hell in 2023 with an 18% K%, 9% Barrel%, and 89.1 MPH EV. It was good for a well above average .331 xwOBA. The 92.1 MPH FB/LD EV and 12.9 degree launch cap his homer power upside, so he just cracked this list by the skin of his teeth. 2024 Projection: 31/8/35/.254/.312/.420/2

1003) Abraham Toro OAK, 3B, 27.3 – I guess Toro can be fantasy relevant by default with little competition for the 3B job in Oakland, but even if he does manage to win and hold onto the job all season, he’s not going to make much of an impact. He’s always put up below average EV’s and he hit only 8 homers in 96 games at Triple-A this year. He’s not a big base stealer (10 steals in 934 career MLB PA), and the hit tool isn’t good (.211 career BA) despite solid contact rates. He’s also a below average defensive player. He really shouldn’t be on this list, but he’s penciled in as Oakland’s starting 3B right now. 2024 Projection: 39/8/43/.234/.309/.387/7

1004) Patrick Wisdom CHC, 3B, 32.7 – Wisdom crushes homers, and that is it. He hit 23 homers in only 302 PA in 2023 on the back of a 92.7 MPH EV and 21.7 degree launch. He does everything else terribly though. He had a .205 BA with a 36.8% K% and he’s a poor defensive player. The power is massive enough to give him value in daily deeper leagues, but that is it. 2024 Projection: 38/20/45/.215/.304/.451/3

1005) Manuel Margot LAD, OF, 29.6 – Margot is a bench OF with a short side of a platoon role at best. He’s an aging speed play whose speed has been declining, and his modest stolen base totals are even more watered down with the new rules. He needs injuries to be fantasy relevant. 2024 Projection: 33/6/29/.265/.315/.385/10

1006) Enmanuel Valdez BOS, 2B, 25.3 – The Grissom trade basically locks Valdez into a bench role at best. He hit well in the minors, like he’s done basically every year of his career, with 10 homers, a 20.7%/17.7% K%/BB% and 118 wRC+ in 57 games at Triple-A. He also had a strong MLB debut with a 102 wRC+ in 149 PA, but there just isn’t a standout skill for you to really hang your hat on. The hit tool is average at best with a 24.8% K%, the plate approach didn’t transfer to the majors at all with a 5.4% BB%, he’s slow with a 26.4 ft/sec sprint, the power is average at best with a 87.5 MPH EV (87.6 at AAA), and he was a below average defensive player. He’s hit at literally every level he’s played at, including the majors, so I don’t want to fade him too much, but the upside and playing time projection is holding me back. 2024 Projection: 31/8/34/.248/.326/.427/4

1007) Jake Bauers MIL, 1B/OF, 28.5 – Bauers will be in a platoon role at best, and he’s probably more of a bench bat. He’s got power with 12 homers and an 89.1 MPH EV in 272 PA, but it comes with major hit tool issues (.211 BA in 1398 career PA). 2024 Projection: 32/9/35/.218/.300/.400/4

1008) Pedro Leon HOU, OF/2B, 25.10 – Leon probably doesn’t deserve to crack this list. He put up an 88 wRC+ with 84.8 MPH EV and 28.4% K% in 128 games at Triple-A as a 24/25 year old. He has more raw power than the EV indicates and he pulls the ball a ton, so he gets the most of his power with 21 homers. He also has plus speed with 21 steals. It’s a fantasy friendly profile if he can work his way into playing time, but he might not be able to even hit .200, and others have passed him in the organization. 2024 Projection: 7/1/9/.215/.282/.355/2

1009) Grant McCray SFG, OF, 23.4 – A 29.3% K% as a 22 year old at High-A in 127 games makes McCray very, very high risk, but he has the power/speed combo to hang onto until we see what he can do in the upper minors. He has average to above average power potential with 14 homers, and he has plus speed with 52 steals. He’s also a patient hitter with a 12.3% BB%. It was good for a 114 wRC+. The upside is there, but the hit tool is going to have to take a major step forward to be a full time player. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 44/9/38/.238/.317/.408/16

1010) Kemp Alderman MIA, OF, 21.7 – Selected 47th overall, Alderman’s pro debut was bad enough to completely scare me away. He put up a 68 wRC+ with a 29.3%/5.3% K%/BB% in 34 games at Single-A. That is a level he should have handled easily. I really liked him before the debut, so I don’t want to completely ignore him either though. He is 6’3”, 250 pounds, but it’s not a sloppy 250, it’s an edge rushing linebacker type 250. He swings the bat like it’s a tooth pick with double plus power that led to 19 homers in 54 games in the SEC. Considering he’s relatively young for his class, his size, athleticism, and power, I can overlook some of that pro debut, but not all of it. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 51/18/63/.242/.314/.448/5

1011) Sammy Stafura CIN, SS, 19.4 – Selected 43rd overall in the 2023 MLB Draft, Stafura had one of those disaster pro debuts that makes you want to stay away in first year player drafts. He put a 43.4% K%, .071 BA and 7 wRC+ in 12 games. It’s a small sample and I’m sure he’ll be better in the future, but when past high school bats put up such extreme K rates in their debuts, they usually continue to have hit tool risk to some degree going forward. He’s a toolsy SS at 6’0”, 187 pounds, but he doesn’t necessarily knock your socks off when watching him, so the extreme hit tool problems are extra worrisome. There is plus speed and the potential for average to above average power in the future, but he was supposed to also have a good feel to hit, and he clearly has a long way to go in that department. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 72/16/66/.241/.316/.416/19

1012) David Hamilton BOS, SS, 26.6 – Boston doesn’t really seem to believe in Hamilton for anything other than a utility role. I thought there was a chance he could have been a legit impact fantasy player if given the opportunity, but all signs point towards him not getting the opportunity. Even in a utility role, he has the speed (29.2 ft/sec sprint) and base stealing skills (57 steals in 103 games at Triple-A) to be relevant in many leagues. He also hit 17 homer at Triple-A, and had a 89 MPH EV with a 17.7 degree launch, 20% whiff%, and 15.4% BB%% in 39 MLB PA. I thought he had the lift, contact, OBP, speed profile to be a true player. 2024 Projection: 21/4/17/.242/.318/.409/9

1013) Tyler Fitzgerald SFG, SS/OF, 26.7 – Fitzgerald put up fun numbers at Triple-A with 20 homers, 29 steals, and a 23.8%/9.7% K%/BB% in 102 games, but he was 25 years old, and he has below average exit velocity numbers and a below average hit tool. He put up a 86.6 MPH EV at AAA and a 29.4%/5.9% K%/BB% in his 34 PA MLB debut. He has elite speed with a 30.1 ft/sec sprint, and he has a lift/pull profile which gets the most of his raw power, but it seems SF views him as a super utility player/depth piece. 2024 Projection: 18/3/15/.231/.293/.398/7

1014) Trevor Larnach MIN, OF, 27.1 – Larnach is a poor defensive player, which keeps his bat off the field, and he has a terrible hit tool with a 34% K% and .213 BA. He has easy plus power with a 90.1 MPH EV and 17.5 degree launch, and he gets on base with a 12.7% BB%, but he needs a lot to happen to end up with a strong side of a platoon job. 2024 Projection: 25/8/36/.225/.315/.420/1

1015) Juan Baez MIL, 3B/SS, 18.9 – Baez broke out in stateside rookie ball with a 11.2% K%, 4 homers and 17 steals in 48 games. Milwaukee was impressed enough to give him some run at Single-A to close out the season, and while he only had a 65 wRc+ in 9 games, the 11.8% K% was impressive. He’s not a big guy and he doesn’t jump off the screen at 5’9”, 175 pounds, but you gotta respect those contact/speed numbers with some pop as a 17/18 year old. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 68/12/55/.271/.325/.401/18

1016) Willy Vasquez TBR, 3B/2B, 22.7 – A 93 wRC+ in 114 games at High-A as a 21 year old probably shouldn’t be good enough to crack this list, but Vasquez’ athleticism at 6’2”, 191 pounds keeps him on it. He put up a 23.1%/9.7% K%/BB% with 16 homers and 17 steals, which isn’t bad taken on it’s own. He needs to gain strength and start hitting the ball harder, along with refining all parts of his game, but his upside is worth staying patient with for one more year in deeper leagues. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 53/10/46/.243/.311/.409/13

1017) Elias Medina LAD, 3B/SS, 18.5 – Medina was a DSL breakout, slashing .313/.381/.553 with 7 homers, 16 steals, and a 21%/9.1% K%/BB% in 44 games. He’s not a huge guy at 5’10”, but there is definitely some explosion in his game with a potential above average to plus power/speed combo. The plate approach and hit tool need refinement, but he’s one to at least keep an eye on as he comes stateside in 2024. ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 68/18/73/.243/.317/.421/22

1018) Brady Smith LAD, RHP, 19.2 – Selected 95th overall, Smith is almost purely a bet on the Dodgers. He’s a projectable 6’2”, 170 pounds with a low 90’s fastball and 3 secondaries that all flash well in his slider, curve and changeup. If you’re going to take a shot on a toolsy high school pitcher, why not let the Dodgers do the development for you. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 10/3.91/1.29/160 in 160 IP

1019) Cole Schoenwetter CIN, RHP, 19.6 – Selected 105th overall, Schoenwetter is 6’3”, 190 pounds with an easy and repeatable delivery that he coolly fires a plus fastball/curve combo with. The fastball sits mid 90’s and the curve is a beauty with traditional curve shape. He needs a ton of refinement in basically all areas of pitching (control/command, changeup, holding his stuff deeper into starts, consistency etc …), but if it all comes together, he can become a hyped pitching prospect. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 9/3.95/1.32/158 in 155 IP

1020) Jarlin Susana WASH, RHP, 20.1 – Susana was a favorite breakout pick of mine coming into the season with the Hunter Greene starter pack, and unfortunately, that pack is still sitting in the plastic, waiting to be put together. He put up a 5.14 ERA with a 21.8%/14.1% K%/BB% in 63 IP at Single-A. The huge stuff is still there with an upper 90’s fastball that hits over 100, a potentially plus slider, and developing changeup, but the longer he doesn’t actually put it together, the more likely he ends up in the bullpen. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 8/4.13/1.37/147 in 145 IP

1021) Paul Wilson DET, LHP, 19.4 – Selected 76th overall, the 6’3”, 197 pound Wilson has a bit of a funky lefty delivery and fires the baseball from a 3 quarters arm slot. He’s definitely tough to pick up. He uses that delivery to throw a low to mid 90’s fastball that is a bat missing weapon and a plus slider. He also mixes in a curve and change. The delivery still looks on the raw side and he needs to improve his control/command, so plenty of refinement is needed all around. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 10/3.94/1.31/168 in 160 IP

1022) Barrett Kent LAA, RHP, 19.7 – Selected 234th overall in the 2023 MLB Draft and signed for an over slot $1 million, the 6’4”, 215 pound Kent leads with a mid 90’s fastball that he pairs with two potentially plus secondaries in his slider and changeup. The changeup actually might have double plus potential with nasty diving and tailing action. He dominated in his pro debut with a 0.00 ERA and 27.8%/11.1% K%/BB% in 8.2 IP at rookie and Single-A. The delivery isn’t particularly athletic, he doesn’t consistently maintain his velocity, and his secondaries need refinement, so plenty of improvement is needed all around. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 9/4.19/1.32/150 in 150 IP

1023) Landen Maroudis TOR, RHP, 19.4 – Selected 121st overall and signed for $1.5 million, Maroudis’ signature pitch is a plus changeup that is already nasty, to go along with a low to mid 90’s fastball and decent slider. He’s 6’3”, 195 pounds and his athleticism is evident in that he is also a good hitter. More refinement is needed all around, but there is a reason he got such a high signing bonus. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 10/3.89/1.27/160 in 160 IP

1024) Steven Echavarria OAK, RHP, 18.8 – Selected 72nd overall, Echavarria doesn’t have the pure electricity as some of the other high school starters ranked above him, but he has a really strong combination of skills. He’s 6’2”, 180 pounds with a mid 90’s fastball and good control over all of his stuff. None of his secondaries standout, but he throws a slider, curve, and changeup that all have above average potential. It’s likely mid-rotation upside. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 9/4.14/1.29/150 in 160 IP

1025) Kameron Misner TBR, OF, 26.3 – Misner has the chance to be the next Luke Raley/Jose Siri-like late 20’s “breakout” on the Rays. He has a plus power speed combo with 21 homers and 21 steals in 130 games at Triple-A, but it comes with a horrible hit tool (35.8% K% and .226 BA). He’s a physical specimen at 6’4”, and he gets on base with a 17.5% BB%. He’s a sneaky upside play in deep leagues with some semblance of opportunity over the next few years. 2024 Projection: 28/6/23/.216/.307/.398/6

1026) Ismael Javier SDP, SS, 18.7 – Javier was a DSL breakout, slashing .280/.386/.505 with 9 homers, 8 steals, and a 17.1%/13.4% K%/BB% in 51 games. He’s not a big guy, and he was known for his hit/defense combo, but the power was clearly bigger than expected. He has a chance to be a true small guy breakout in 2024 when he comes stateside. ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 77/16/62/262/.327/.410/18

1027) Drake Baldwin ATL, C, 23.0 – Baldwin most certainly has the look of a catcher with two big tree trunks for legs, and he uses that strong base to hit the ball very hard, leading to 16 homers and a 135 wRC+ in 92 games at High-A. He then got the call to the upper minors in September and kept producing with a .811 OPS in 17 games. He’ll likely break in as a back-up catcher/solid bench bat and will have to earn it every step of the way from there. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 39/13/48/.254/.326/.431/0

1028) Daniel Susac OAK, C, 22.11 – The former 19th overall pick in the 2022 Draft, Susac hit well at High-A with a 128 wRC+ in 99 games, but a 54.9% GB% limited him to just 7 homers. The plate approach and hit tool are only solid at best (21.5%/9.5% K%/BB%), so he’s going to have to raise that launch considerably to be an impact offensive catcher. At 6’4”, 218 pounds, he certainly has the raw power in the tank to make that adjustment work if he can pull it off. He closed the year out at Double-A, and while he didn’t hit particularly well (71 wRC+ in 13 games), it was a small sample and he wasn’t too bad either with 1 homer and a .280 BA. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 52/16/61/.254/.319/.412/5

1029) Carter Jensen KCR, C, 20.9 – The 6’1”, 210 pound Jensen has a good looking lefty swing with a great eye at the dish (18.5% BB%) and the ability to lift the ball (36.3% GB%). The most impressive thing about him is probably his age to level production as he put up a 109 wRC+ in his age 19 season at High-A. The power isn’t huge right now with 11 homers in 116 games, but there is more in the tank. The biggest problem is of course the hit tool. He had a .211 BA with a 24.1% K%. He had a .226 BA at Single-A in 2022. The contact rates aren’t so bad that he’s a hopeless case, but it does have the potential to tank his profile when he faces more advanced pitching. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 66/18/63/.236/.318/.424/7

1030) Yeiner Fernandez LAD, C/2B, 21.7 – Fernandez has elite contact rates with an excellent plate approach, but he doesn’t have the raw power, game power, or base stealing ability to get too excited about him. He slashed .273/.360/.375 with 6 homers, 4 steals, and a 12.9%/10.9% K%/BB% in 99 games at High-A. He then went to the AFL and put up a .939 OPS with 1 homer and a 5/8 K/BB in 11 games. He’s a small guy (5’9”) with high groundball rates (50.6% GB%), so the odds of a legitimate power breakout aren’t that high. He likely projects as a super utility bench player, but it wouldn’t be the first time a small, elite plate approach guy had a much better career than anyone expected. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 58/8/42/.273/.338/.398/7

1031) Dominic Keegan TBR, C, 23.8 – The Rays don’t sign big free agents and they don’t have an obvious catcher of the future. It leaves the door open for a guy like Keegan to break through in the next year or two. He was a 4th round pick in 2022 out of Vandy, so it’s not like he’s coming out of obscurity. He’s always had a good bat, and he proved it in the lower minors, slashing .287/.386/.467 with 13 homers and a 90/59 K/BB in 106 games. He then went to the Fall League and ripped that up too with a 1.031 OPS in 15 games. His defense needs work, but it’s been improving and he has a big arm. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 38/10/44/.242/.316/.421/1

1032) Christian Cerda ARI, C, 21.3 – Cerda has been one year older than optimal at every level from the DSL-Single-A, but he reached the age appropriate High-A in the 2nd half and proved his strong numbers weren’t a mirage. He hit 6 homers with a 20.8%/22.6% K%/BB% and 134 wRC+ in 40 games. He got acquired by Arizona in 2022 for David Peralta, so they obviously identified something they like in the kid. He’s playing in LIDOM now and he recently ripped his first bomb with a 1.333 OPS in 3 games. He needs to work on his defense, but his power/patience profile is very interesting. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 46/13/42/.241/.323/.429/1

1033) Johanfran Garcia BOS, C, 19.4 – Garcia was a relatively high priced international signing in 2022 ($850,000), and he played very well his first year in stateside rookie ball, slashing .302/.408/.497 with 5 homers, 3 steals, and a 20.7%/10.6% K%/BB% in 42 games. He’s already pretty physically mature at a muscular and beefy 5’10”, and he unsurprisingly hits the ball relatively hard. He had a poor showing at Single-A to close out the season with a 60 wRC+ and 35.3% K% in 15 games, but I wouldn’t put too much weight on that as an 18 year old. He has the potential for an average to above average hit/power combo. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 65/20/73/.257/.324/.438/2

1034) Ramon Ramirez KCR, C, 18.10 – Ramirez was a bit old for the DSL, but he went above and beyond in obliterating the level, slashing .344/.440/.615 with 8 homers, 6 steals, and a 12%/14% K%/BB% in 41 games. He’s a thick and athletic 6’0”, 180 pounds and he hits the ball very hard. He also has good defensive upside behind the dish. Ramirez has legitimate potential for prospect helium if he keeps performing. ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 63/18/68/.263/.336/.443/5

1035) Julio Zayas NYM, C, 18.1 – DSL catchers aren’t exactly my favorite targets, but Zayas’ hit/power combo is one of the best the league with 7 homers and a 12.9% K% in 49 games. He hits the ball hard and he gets it in the air with a 36.7% GB%. He obviously has a long way to go, but he’s a candidate to start popping when he gets stateside. ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 62/20/68/.257/.323/.434/1

1036) Eduardo Tait PHI, C, 17.7 – Tait was a 16 year old in the DSL and he was still one of the better hitters in the league, slashing .333/.400/.517 with 3 homers, 4 steals, and an 18.8%/7.3% K%/BB% in 44 games. He has a relatively simple and controlled lefty swing and he hits the ball hard. ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 64/18/66/.255/.321/.429/3

1037) Michael Stefanic LAA, 2B/3B, 28.1 – Stefanic is the Angels new David Fletcher. He has a truly elite plate approach/contact rates and nothing else. He put up a 7.3%/13.2% K%/BB% in 99 games at Triple-A (139 wRC+) and then did the same in the majors with a 11.3%/11.3% K%/BB% in 71 PA (109 wRC+). Unfortunately, he has only 1 barrel in 104 MLB batted balls with a 26 ft/sec sprint. He’s a utility infielder, but if he does work his way into playing time, he could be a positive for BA and OBP. 2024 Projection: 29/4/26/.265/.339/.378/4

1038) Jose Miranda MIN, 3B, 25.9 – I was the low man on Miranda last off-season, pouring some cold water on him as he got lots of hype, and he ended up having a disaster season with a 57 wRC+ in 152 MLB PA, and a 74 wRC+ in 181 AAA PA. His season ended in July with a shoulder injury that required a clean up surgery in September. He’s expected to be ready for Spring Training, but an above average hit/power combo in a short side of a platoon role seems his best case scenario at the moment, and the worst case scenario is that he simply isn’t an MLB caliber player with very poor defensive value. 2024 Projection: 19/4/21/.247/.308/.416/1

1039) Andres Chaparro ARI, 1B/3B, 24.11 – Chaparro’s 90 wRC+ in 137 games at Triple-A isn’t great, but the 25 homers and 21.8%/10.8% K%/BB% shows his plus power, solid plate approach profile remains intact. He hits the ball hard (89.1 MPH EV) and he lifts it (34.4% GB%). He’s a poor defender and even with him signing with Arizona, he’s still going to struggle for playing time. 2024 Projection: 14/5/18/.237/.298/.420/0 Prime Projection: 33/10/37/.251/.320/.431/0

1040) Oswaldo Osorio LAD, SS/3B, 19.0 – Osorio was one of my favorite DSL breakouts last year, and while he had a good year in stateside rookie ball (114 wRC+), it wasn’t good enough to keep targeting him. The biggest issue is that he stole only 1 bag in 49 games, and he didn’t have a good success rate in the DSL last year either. If we can’t count on steals contributions, it puts a ton of pressure on his good, but not great bat (6 homers with a 26.9%/14.4% K%/BB%). ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 73/21/73/.245/.327/.424/7

1041) Franklin Arias BOS, SS, 18.4 – Arias was a DSL breakout, slashing .350/.440/.453 with 1 homer, 3 steals, and a 8.8%/11.9% K%/BB% in 37 games. He has a solid SS glove and he gets the bat on the ball. That is a very safe profile, and if he starts impacting the ball more as he gets older at 5’11”, 170 pounds, he can definitely become a very legit prospect. Probably not the highest upside though. ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 76/17/65/.272/.338/.417/9

1042) Nikau Pouaka-Grego PHI, 2B/3B, 18.7 – Grego tore his ACL and missed all of 2023. He ranked 881st in last year’s Top 1,000, and his blurb remains the same assuming he returns to full health: “Pouaka-Grego was 17 years old playing in stateside rookie ball and he excelled, slashing .301/.424/.466 with 3 homers, 2 steals, and a 16/16 K/BB in 35 games. He has a smooth lefty uppercut swing that is made to hit flyballs (36.1% GB%), and he combines that with an advanced plate approach. He’s not a big raw power or speed guy, so the upside might not be huge.” ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 76/18/73/.273/.344/.432/6

1043) Dameury Pena MIN, 2B, 18.7 – Pena doesn’t have much power with 0 homers in 39 games in the DSL, but he does everything else well, slashing .382/.453/.496 with 13 steals and a 6.5%/10.1% K%/BB%. He’s not particularly small at 5’10”, and he’s not an extreme groundball hitter, so if the power ticks up, he could get some real hype. ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 78/14/59/.275/.343/.405/22

1042) TJayy Watson PHI, OF, 19.2 – Selected 130th overall, Watson is a 6’3”, 225 pound power hitting beast who is already putting up big exit velocities with a powerful and controlled righty swing. And he’s not just big raw power and nothing else. He also has a mature plate approach and average speed. He had a strong pro debut with a 211 wRC+ on the back a .714 BABIP and 17.6% BB%, but he had 0 homers and a 35.3% K% in 5 games. If it all comes together, he can be a middle of the order slugger, but there is plenty of risk. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 74/23/77/.244/.328/.441/7

1044) Antonio Anderson BOS, 3B, 18.9 – Selected 83rd in the 2023 MLB Draft, Anderson had a rough pro debut with a 41 wRC+ and 33.3% K% in 5 games in rookie ball, and a 26 wRC+ with a 32.1% K% in 7 games at Single-A. It’s only a small sample, and he’s on the young side for his class, but considering he was supposed to be a relatively advanced hitter, that isn’t a great sign. If advanced hitting was his only skill, I would be out, but he’s much more than that. He hits the ball hard at 6’3”, 205 pounds with a controlled lefty swing, and he’s a good athlete with average to above average run times. The poor debut means I’m not going out of my way for him, but if I’m looking for upside in the later rounds of a deeper league, I can see popping Anderson. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 62/19/69/.246/.324/.437/8

1045) Jesus Made MIL, SS, 16.11 – Stop me if you heard this one before, but the switch hitting Made is a projectable and toolsy 6’1”, 165 pounds with a swing geared towards launching the ball. He has a mature plate approach and he has the potential to be a very good defensive SS. I know these international prospect blurbs can get repetitive especially as we get deep into the class, but these are the prospects that can blow up if you want upside. Embrace the mystery. ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 76/24/81/.258/.334/.449/12

1046) Francisco Vilorio NYY, OF, 17.5 – The 6’2” Vilorio sure looks good in the box with a big righty swing that is made for launch. He’s already hitting for power and it’s not hard to envision much more coming in the future. He also has speed and a good feel to hit. He looks the part of a damn exciting prospect, so if the production is there, he’ll blow up fast. ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 76/24/81/.255/.336/.453/14

1047) Daiber De Los Santos MIN, SS, 17.6 – The 6’1”, 160 pound De Los Santos is an excellent all around athlete with the potential for a plus SS glove. He has good size, power potential, speed, and feel to hit. A lot of refinement is needed and he’s not a physical beast, but the ingredients are there to be a good one down the line. ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 78/20/78/.260/.325/.430/15

1048) Jorge Quintana CLE, SS, 17.0 – Quintana is a projectable 6’2”, 170 pounds with a strong all around skillset. Based on his scouting report, he’s kinda the George Lombard of the international class with plus plate skills and a potentially above average power/speed combo. ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 79/20/76/.265/.335/.430/14

1049) Ashley Andujar COL, SS, 16.8 – Andujar is one of the youngest players in the class and is expected to sign with Colorado. The Rockies obviously play in a great ballpark, but talking about what ballpark a 16 year old might hit in 6+ year from now is a bit silly as that is the least of our concerns. What is our concern is Colorado’s lack of developmental prowess and lack of commitment to their non elite prospects, so signing with them is probably more of a negative than anything. As for Andujar, he’s a projectable and toolsy 6’1”, 160 pounds with a great feel to hit and aggression on the bases. A low K% and lots of steals in the DSL will definitely put you on the deep dynasty league map, and Andujar has the potential to put up that kind of stat line in 2024. ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 73/18/76/.267/.323/.422/21

1050) Roberto Arias CLE, OF, 17.6 – Arias has a vicious and controlled lefty swing that makes a ton of contact and can start to do real damage when he grows into his skinny 6’1” frame. He’s also a premium athlete with plus speed potential. If he grows into plus raw power, that swing and his athleticism will do the rest. ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 79/21/77/.269/.328/.437/19

1051) Spencer Horwitz TOR, 1B/OF, 26.5 – Horwitz is a low upside proximity play. He has limited defensive value with a plus plate approach and a swing geared for line drives. He made his MLB debut in 2023 and wasn’t able to maintain the elite 14.9%/16.1% K%/BB% he had in Triple-A with a 27.3%/9.1% K%/BB% in 44 MLB PA. He also had a 87 MPH EV, 1.5 degree launch, and 25.1 ft/sec sprint. It’s a small sample and he still had a 106 wRC+, so I do think he can be a solid MLB hitter, but I don’t the see the upside, and it comes with playing time risk. 2024 Projection: 39/8/44/.262/.338/.408/3

1052) Tre’ Morgan TBR, 1B/OF, 21.8 – Selected 88th overall in the 2023 MLB Draft, Morgan isn’t your prototypical power hitting first baseman with only 9 homers in 69 games in the SEC, but all of his other skills/traits are good enough to crack this list. He’s young for his college class, his excellent plate approach transferred to pro ball with a 4.5%/18.2% K%/BB% in 11 games at Single-A, he has speed with 4 steals at the level, and he’s an excellent defensive 1B who can also play OF. The upside isn’t super high, but Tampa is a great organization for him to work his way into playing time a few years from now. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 58/12/42/.262/.328/.414/10

1053) Zach Levenson STL, OF, 22.1 – Selected 158th overall, Levenson has done nothing but hit in his amateur career, never putting up an OPS under .938 at any of his 4 stops, and that continued right into pro ball, slashing .268/.331/.480 with 6 homers, 2 steals, and a 23%/8.6% K%/BB% in 34 games at Single-A. He hits the ball hard at 6’2”, 210 pounds and the plate approach is generally solid. Solid big league bat is probably his ceiling, but the Cardinals churn these types out all the time. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 61/17/66/.253/.324/.429/3

1054) Shalin Polanco PIT, OF, 20.2 – Polanco was a high priced international signing with the requisite sweet lefty swing and power/speed combo, but his production has been lacking since entering pro ball. He didn’t blow the doors off in 2023 either, but it was his best season with 12 homers, 17 steals, and a 104 wRC+ in 70 games at Single-A. The 28.7%/9.6% K%/BB%, shows he still has a long way to go, but he’s been improving every year, and the talent is certainly there. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 57/15/62/.243/.314/.425/7

1055) Julian Aguiar CIN, RHP, 22.10 – Aguiar throws an above average 5 pitch mix with all of his pitches moving in different directions. The 4-seamer and 2-seamer sit mid 90’s, and he has a trio of secondaries (slider, curve, change) which are all effective pitches. The 2-seamer is probably the pitch that stands out the most, which keeps his groundball rates high. It was too much for lower minors hitters with a 1.92 ERA in 70.1 IP, but the production slowed down at Double-A with a 4.28 ERA and 26.3%/5.6% K%/BB% in 54.2 IP. It’s likely a back end guy but there is mid rotation upside. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 9/4.23/1.31/135 in 150 IP

1056) Dominic Hamel NYM, RHP, 25.1 – Hamel is a back end starter (with mid rotation upside) proximity arm. He pitched very well at Double-A with a 3.85 ERA and 30.4%/9.3% K%/BB% in 124 IP on the back of a 93 MPH fastball that gets whiffs. He rounds out the arsenal with a curve, slider, cutter and change that are all solid pitches. He’s already 25 years old, the stuff isn’t really that electric, and the control is average to below average, which is why I put the back end starter label on him despite the big rates in the upper minors. 2024 Projection: 1/4.52/1.39/36 in 40 IP Prime Projection: 9/4.29/1.33/135 in 145 IP

1057) Dax Fulton MIA, LHP, 22.6 – Fulton underwent surgery on his UCL (internal brace and primary repair procedures) in June, which will likely keep him out for most or all of 2024. When healthy, he makes for an extremely uncomfortable at bat at 6’7”, 225 pounds with a bit of a herky jerky lefty delivery. The fastball was ticking up this year with it more consistently getting into the mid 90’s, which he combined with a plus curve and average changeup. The profile is exciting enough to keep him on the fantasy radar, but it’s not so good to make him anything other than a fringe Top 500 guy. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 8/4.12/1.33/145 in 145 IP

1058) Michael Burrows PIT, RHP, 24.5 – Burrows underwent Tommy John surgery in April 2023 after just two outings which will keep him out until mid-season 2024. I liked him coming into 2023 with a plus fastball/curve combo that he had good control over, but he’s not quite in the class of prospect I like to take the Tommy John discount on. He’s someone you should keep an eye on to see if he returns to full health, but I’m not sure he’s a particularly great stash before that. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 6/4.30/1.33/100 in 110 IP

1059) Paul Blackburn OAK, RHP, 30.4 – Blackburn put up a career best 22.4% K% from simply throwing his good slider more, but his walk rate rose with it with a career worst 9.3% BB%, and he ends up a back end starter no matter which route he takes to get there with a 4.43 ERA in 103.2 IP. 2024 Projection: 5/4.36/1.38/110 in 120 IP

1060) Wade Miley MIL, LHP, 37.4 – Miley put up a 3.14 ERA in 120.1 IP in 2023. He had a 3.16 ERA in 2022 and a 3.37 ERA in 2021. I still find it hard to buy into the excellent ERA’s though. Nothing else looks too exciting with a 16.1%/7.8% K%/BB% and a 90.4 MPH fastball. He’s also 37 years old. He’s nothing but a fungible back end guy to me. 2024 Projection: 8/4.07/1.29/90 in 130 IP

1061) Marco Gonzales PIT, LHP, 32.1 – Gonzales can lose his starting job at any moment, even with Pitt, and the upside is extremely low with a 15.8% K%. He almost didn’t crack this list with a 5.22 ERA in 50 IP in 2023 (a forearm injury ended his season in May), but he had 5 straight years before that with ERA’s hovering around 4.00. Serviceable is the ceiling. 2024 Projection: 8/4.32/1.36/105 in 145 IP

1062) Adrian Houser NYM, RHP, 31.2 – Houser seems to be the favorite for the Mets 5th starter job, which is a perfect fit for him, because he’s a #5 starter. He put up a 4.12 ERA with a 20%/7.1% K%/BB% in 111.1 IP. The sinker hit a career low 92.1 MPH in 2023, so he’s likely declining too. 2024 Projection: 6/4.29/1.38/101 in 120 IP

1063) Gordon Graceffo STL, RHP, 24.1 – Graceffo started getting hype based on a plus mid to upper 90’s fastball, but that fastball was gone in 2023 with a 94 MPH fastball. He can still get it into the upper 90’s, but that extra zip that really put him over the top is currently gone. And without it, he doesn’t have the numbers to get excited about with a 4.92 ERA and 20.9%/11.6% K%/BB% in 86 IP at Triple-A. He’s a low upside proximity play with a glimmer of hope that the fastball ticks back up again. 2024 Projection: 2/4.67/1.43/44 in 50 IP Prime Projection: 7/4.34/1.36/120 in 140 IP

1064) Bryce Elder ATL, RHP, 24.10 – I was calling to sell Elder when he got off to a hot first half with a 2.45 ERA and 80/30 K/BB in 102.2 IP, and he unsurprisingly fell off hard after that with a 5.75 ERA and 48/33 K/BB in his final 72 IP. I’m not even that proud of the call, it was super obvious. He keeps the ball on the ground with a 89.5 MPH sinker, and his slider is respectable with a 33.7% whiff%, but this is a back end starter profile. If his control can jump from good to great levels, maybe he can level up to a mid rotation starter, but the upside won’t be high even if he’s able to do that. It seems like he is going to start the year as rotation depth. 2024 Projection: 4/4.23/1.32/70 in 100 IP

1065) Owen White TEX, RHP, 24.8 – White is an overhyped, low upside proximity play. His stuff backed up in 2023 with the fastball sitting about 93 MPH. He battled a shoulder and hip injury throughout the year, but I’m not sure that helps his case. The results were terrible too with a 21.1%/10.1% K%/BB% at Double-A and a 13.5%/13.5% K%/BB% at Triple-A. He got obliterated in the majors with an 11.25 ERA in 4 IP. The hope is that the stuff ticks back up again in 2024 and he remains healthy. 2024 Projection: 1/4.65/1.44/34 in 40 IP Prime Projection: 7/4.32/1.37/120 in 140 IP

1066) Nathan Hickey BOS, C, 24.4 – Boston drafting Kyle Teel essentially ends Hickey’s chance of earning a large share of the catcher job, so now he’s kinda stuck in no man’s land as a platoon DH/back up catcher type. The bat is still worthy of him cracking this list though, slashing .258/.352/.474 with 15 homers, 3 steals, and a 27.2%/11.9% K%/BB% in 80 games at Double-A. He most likely ends up a bench bat, but I can see him working his way into a strong side of a platoon role of some sort down the line. 2024 Projection: 9/2/12/.226/.293/.401/1 Prime Projection: 41/16/49/.244/.320/.434/2

1067) Jorge Barrosa ARI, OF, 23.1 – Barrosa is very small at 5’5”, and is likely a 4th outfielder type with a plus hit/speed/defense profile. He slashed .274/.394/.456 with 12 homers, 15 steals, and a 16.3%/15.9% K%/BB% in 120 games. If Alek Thomas doesn’t get the job done, it’s possible they give Barrosa some run before Druw Jones takes over the job for good in a year or two. 2024 Projection: 27/2/16/.246/.305/.355/5 Prime Projection: 53/6/37/.264/.322/.390/12

1068) Dylan O’Rae MIL, 2B/OF, 20.1 – At 5’7” with every high groundball rates, O’Rae’s lack of power will likely relegate him to a utility role, but his speed, hit tool, and plate approach are all elite enough to take a shot on. He slashed .330/.439/.375 with 0 homers, 16 steals, and a 13.1%/15.9% K%/BB% in 23 games at Single-A. He’s a late round speed play. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 63/5/41/.268/.334/.376/22

1069) Vaun Brown SFG, OF, 25.9 – Brown is why it’s prudent to have some restraint when drooling over older prospects in the lower minors. He put up Fun House numbers in the lower minors, but it all came crumbling down at Double-A with a 37.5%/6.3% K%/BB% and 90 wRC+ in 50 games. The power/speed combo is still big though (8 homers and 15 steals at the level), so if he gets it figured out at say 27 years old, he can still be a late career breakout. But he’s merely in flier territory right now. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 34/7/29/.227/.293/.396/10

1070) Zach Cole HOU, OF, 23.8 – Cole has a big power/speed comb with 19 homers and 37 steals in 111 games in the lower minors, but it comes with a bottom of the scale hit tool. His 33.1% K% at High-A is enough to scare me off, but the upside is high if something clicks in his mid 20’s. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 28/6/25/.221/.308/.411/8

1071) Leonardo Pineda TBR, OF, 17.0 – Pineda is only 5’11”, but he’s a strong 5’11” with a powerful swing that can hit a baseball hard. He also has speed and a good feel to hit. His prospect upside is in the mold of a Corbin Carroll, Dillon Head, and Max Clark. ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 84/17/59/.273/.338/.420/22

1072) Zyhir Hope LAD, OF, 19.2 – Selected 326th overall, Hope is the hit tool risk version of Dillon Head. He has a carrying tool in his double plus speed, and he had a strong pro debut, slashing .286/.491/.543 with 3 homers, 3 steals, and a 30.2%/18.6% K%/BB% in 11 games at stateside rookie. Like Head, he has good raw power but hits the ball on the ground way too much to fully tap into it. Unlike Head, he has hit tool risk, but the high walk rate mitigates that a bit. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 66/13/51/.252/.326/.416/21

1073) BJ Murray CHC, 3B, 24.2 – Murray raised his launch considerably in 2023 and it led to a moderate power breakout with 16 homers in 124 games at Double-A. It didn’t impact his mature plate approach at all either with a 23.8%/15.1% K%/BB%, and it all led to a 128 wRC+. He hits the ball fairly hard, but he’s not a beast or anything, and he’s not a great defensive 3B. He’s likely a bench bat long term. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 35/9/35/.246/.328/.418/4

1074) David McCabe ATL, 3B, 24.0 – McCabe is too old for the lower minors to get too excited, but he had a strong season at Single-A and High-A, slashing .276/.386/.450 with 17 homers, 10 steals, and a 21.6%/15.3% K%/BB% in 123 games. He’s a big guy at 6’3”, 230 pounds and he hits the ball hard, but the bat speed doesn’t really standout to me and he’s more of a “heavy” 230 than a built up one. Proving it against upper minors pitching would go a long way, but it’s still not a high upside profile. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 36/9/33/.246/.325/.417/2

1075) Cade Doughty TOR, 2B/3B, 23.0 – Doughty’s 29.7% K% is a bit on the high side for a college bat at High-A, but he still produced with 18 homers and a 116 wRC+ in 102 games. He can put a sting into the ball and he’s produced everywhere he’s played since 18 years old. A bench bat seems his most likely role at the moment, but I want to keep him on this list until he at least gets a shot to show what he can do in the upper minors. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 36/10/41/.241/.316/.418/3

1076) Mike Boeve MIL, 2B/3B, 21.11 – Selected 54th overall in the 2023 MLB Draft, Boeve is a plus hitter who put up an eye popping 9/32 K/BB and .401 BA in 47 games in the Summit League. The power/speed combo is average at best with only 4 homers and 6 steals, and the hit tool didn’t look nearly as impressive when he got to High-A with a .250 BA and 22.6%/11.7% K%/BB% in 19 games. He’s a relatively safe, low upside college bat. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 47/10/42/.262/.330/.416/7

1077) Braylin Morel TEX, OF, 18.3 – Morel is a powerful 6’2”, 180 pounds and he used that power to mash 7 homers with a 168 wRC+ in 47 DSL games, but the 24.5% K% shows there is legit hit tool risk. He also has plus speed, but he stole only 2 bags, so the base stealing skills need work. It’s a high risk, high upside profile. ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 51/18/59/.234/.309/.432/7

1078) Gian Zapata ARI, OF, 18.7 – Zapata is a tooled up 6’4”, 195 pounds with a plus power/speed combo, and he showed it in the DSL with 9 homers and 5 steals in 44 games, but it comes with a scary 29.1% K%. High risk/high reward. ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 53/18/59/.234/.313/.436/6

1079) Taylor Rogers SFG, Setup, 33.4 – Rogers is the top lefty in SF’s pen and would be in the running to close if anything happened to Doval. He’s been good since 2016 and that continued in 2023 with a 3.83 ERA and 29.6%/11.6% K%/BB% in 51.2 IP. The stuff was down a tick with a 93.6 MPH sinker, so it’s possible he could be entering a decline phase after a long run of success with a 6 year low 18.1% K-BB%. 2024 Projection: 4/3.70/1.23/73/3 saves in 60 IP

1080) Brock Stewart MIN, Setup, 32.6 – Stewart came out of nowhere in 2023 with his fastball exploding to career high levels by far with a 97.3 MPH 4-seamer that notched a 51.1% whiff%. The sweeper and cutter were also both plus to double plus bat missing weapons. It led to a 0.65 ERA with a 35.8%/10.1% K%/BB% in 27.2 IP. There is definitely injury risk as he missed a large chunk of the season with an elbow injury, and the track record is also super short, but he might have the highest non Duran division upside in Minnesota’s pen. 2024 Projection: 4/3.34/1.16/65/2 saves in 50 IP

1081) Gabe Speier SEA, Setup, 28.11 – Speier is the best lefty in Seattle’s pen after a breakout 2023 on the back of improved stuff. He put up a 3.79 ERA with 29.6%/5.1% K%/BB% in 54.2 IP. He displayed 3 plus pitches in his 94.4 MPH sinker (1 degree launch), slider (45.7% whiff%), and 95.1 MPH 4-seamer (35.7% whiff%). We’ll see if he can maintain the improved stuff and improved control, because he can be really good if he can. 2024 Projection: 3/3.50/1.13/67/2 saves in 60 IP

1082) Lucas Sims CIN, Setup, 29.11 – Pagan is most likely next man up, but it wouldn’t be surprising if Sims slips into that role at some point during the season. He finally stayed healthy in 2023 and pitched well with a 3.10 ERA and 27.9%/15.1% K%/BB% in 61 IP. His 33.1% whiff% is in the near elite range. The slider missed bats with a 41.5% whiff%, and the 94.2 MPH fastball plays as about an average to above average pitch. The walk rate is scary, but it’s been much better in the past. 2024 Projection: 4/3.68/1.24/73/3 saves in 58 IP

1083) Pierce Johnson ATL, Setup, 32.11 – Johnson didn’t have a great year in 2023 with a 4.02 ERA and 1.48 WHIP in 62.2 IP, but he came alive when he got traded out of Coors to Atlanta with a 0.76 ERA and 36%/5.6% K%/BB% in 23.2 IP. The stuff is big with a 95.9 MPH fastball and plus curve that notched a 39.9% whiff%. He’s put up over a 30% K% for 4 years in a row. 2024 Projection: 3/3.61/1.28/83 in 60 IP

1084) Colin Holderman PIT, Setup, 28.6 – Holderman broke out in 2023 with a 3.86 ERA and 24.2%/8.3% K%/BB% in 56 IP, which really isn’t that great, but his big stuff gets him on this list. He has a 97.9 MPH sinker to go along with a double plus slider that notched a .177 xwOBA and 37.5% whiff%. The Chapman signing takes away his next man up status, but since Chapman is a lefty, maybe they go to Holderman anyway. And they clearly trust him with 27 holds in 2023. 2024 Projection: 4/3.62/1.26/65/2 saves in 62 IP

1085) Josh Winckowski BOS, Setup, 25.9 – Winckowski’s 2.88 ERA in 84.1 IP was mostly due to good luck with a 3.71 xERA and 22.3%/8.4% K%/BB%, but he has the stuff and youth to take another step forward in 2024. The sinker sat 96.3 MPH and the cutter and slider both missed bats with a 33.5% and 31.1% whiff%. Boston’s bullpen is old and kinda all over the place, so it wouldn’t be crazy to see Winckowski work his way into the closer of the future job if he can take that next step forward. 2024 Projection: 4/3.67/1.31/71/2 saves in 70 IP

1086) Jonathan Loaisiga NYY, Setup, 29.5 – Loaisiga is in the mix for next man up in New York, but he pitched only 17.2 IP in 2023 due to an elbow injury that required surgery to remove bone spurs, so nothing is certain. The big stuff was still there post surgery with a 97.8 MPH sinker, and he actually put up a strong 3.06 ERA (2.67 xERA), but the swing and miss was in the toilet with a 8.7% K%. He was obviously hurt, so I don’t want to dive too deep into the 2023 numbers, but the K rates have been low for a few years now. He cracks this list more due to his possible proximity to saves. 2024 Projection: 3/3.65/1.22/42/3 saves in 50 IP

1087) Matt Strahm PHI, Setup, 32.5 – Strahm is a jack of all trades who can start, go multiple innings out of the pen, or be used as a traditional one inning high leverage reliever. Regardless of the role, he’s good with a 3.29 ERA and 30.8%/6.0% K%/BB% in 87.2 IP. The fastball/slider combo is plus, and he rounds out the arsenal with a decent sinker and cutter. 2024 Projection: 6/3.50/1.14/82/2 saves in 70 IP

1088) Yimi Garcia TOR, Setup, 33.7 – Yimi is a rock solid setup man who is 2 spots away from the closer job. He put up a 4.09 ERA with a 28%/5.3% K%/BB% in 66 IP and has the big stuff to back it up with a double plus 96 MPH fastball that notched a 36.5% whiff%. He combines that with 4 other pitches that are effective in a sinker that keeps the ball on the ground and 3 off speed pitches that miss bats. 2024 Projection: 4/3.43/1.14/74/2 saves in 62 IP

1089) Trevor Megill MIL, Setup, 30.3 – Milwaukee has the magic touch when it comes to relievers, and they may have struck again with Megill. He broke out in 2023 with a 3.63 ERA and 35.1%/8.1% K%/BB% in 34.2 IP. The stuff was up at career high levels with a 99.1 MPH fastball, and the curve was better than it’s ever been with a 52.9% whiff%. The track record is super small, but relievers have these weird late career breakouts all the time, so I wouldn’t write it off. Payamps is likely next man up, and Uribe is the young stud, but it wouldn’t be crazy if Megill worked his way into next man up status at some point into 2024. 2024 Projection: 3/3.73/1.27/78/1 save in 60 IP

1090) Keynan Middleton STL, Setup, 30.7 – Middleton broke out in 2023 by throwing his 95.5 MPH fastball much less and his plus changeup much more. It resulted in a 3.38 ERA with a 30.2%/10.8% K%/BB% in 50.2 IP. The 36% whiff% overall is in elite territory. He battled a shoulder injury at the end of the year, and this was his best year by far, so there is plenty of risk. 2024 Projection: 3/3.60/1.25/66 in 55 IP

1091) Josh Sborz TEX, Setup, 30.3 – A 5.50 ERA in 2023 and a 6.45 ERA in 2022 has me a little hesitant to include Sborz, but his underlying numbers in 2023 were much better than the surface stats, and he was lights out in the playoffs with a 0.75 ERA in 12 IP. He had a 3.35 xERA with a 30.7%/7.9% K%/BB% in 52.1 IP in the regular season. He has the stuff to back it up with a 96.9 MPH fastball and 2 bat missing breaking balls. He’s gotten hit hard with 90+ MPH EV’s against his entire career, so I don’t think the high ERA was a complete fluke. 2024 Projection: 4/3.82/1.28/70/2 saves in 56 IP

1092) Sam Bachman LAA, RHP, 24.7 – The Angels system is brutally bad, which is evidence enough to stay away from their prospects in any kind of situation where you are torn on two players. Bachman immediately took 5 steps back the second the Angels got their hands on him. It’s almost like history is repeating itself with Joyce now. Like Joyce, Bachman looked good in his pro debut in his draft year before the Angels were able to mess with him (3.77 ERA with a 25.9%/6.9% K%/BB% in 14.1 IP at High-A). He then imploded in on himself with injuries and terrible performance in 2022 and 2023. This year, he put up a 5.81 ERA with a 24.6%/16.9% K%/BB% in 26.1 IP at Double-A, and a 3.18 ERA with a 18.2%/14.3% K%/BB% in 17 IP in the majors. His season ended in July with shoulder inflammation. The stuff is still huge with a 96.9 MPH fastball, but it performed as a below average pitch in the majors, and the slider was above average at best with a 34% whiff%. The Angels say they are still developing him as a starter, which I’m not sure is a good thing or a bad thing for his fantasy value at this point. Middle reliever is the most likely outcome, but the stuff, proximity and pedigree (9th overall pick) is enough to stay interesting in a barren system. 2024 Projection: 2/4.21/1.38/54 in 60 IP

1093) Clayton Beeter NYY, RHP, 25.5 – Beeter is likely a reliever with an above average fastball/slider combo and below average control. He put up a 3.62 ERA with a 165/75 K/BB in 131.2 IP at Double-A and Triple-A. If the fastball sat 95+ MPH, I can see being a bit more excited about him, but it only sits 93-94 MPH, which is why in a pen role it might be able to play up in the 95 range. 2024 Projection: 1/4.36/1.38/37 in 40 IP Prime Projection: 3/3.81/1.31/64 in 61 IP

1094) Spencer Schwellenbach ATL, RHP, 23.10 – Schwellenbach was a two way player who pitched only one year as a closer in college, but Atlanta liked his stuff enough to draft him in the 2nd round in 2021. He needed Tommy John surgery after the draft and missed the entire 2022 season. He returned this year, and immediately showed why Atlanta liked him so much with a 2.49 ERA and 55/16 K/BB in 65 IP at Single-A and High-A. The fastball sits mid 90’s, the breaking ball is plus, the changeup is solid, and he has good control over all of his stuff. He missed some time this year with a shoulder injury, so the injury risk is very high considering he’s almost 24 years old and 65 IP is his career high. He also looked like a grown man out there at a thick 6’1” against lower minors hitters. There is legitimate bullpen risk, and if I had to guess, I would say that is where he ends up, but there is also upside because he has so little experience as a pitcher. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 4/3.65/1.18/67 in 65 IP

1095) Peyton Pallette CHW, RHP, 22.11 – Pallette made his pro debut in 2023 after returning from Tommy John surgery and missing all of 2022 (his junior year of college). He put up a 4.13 ERA with a 24.4%/12.8% K%/BB% in 72 IP at Single-A. He really never had a particularly great year in college either with a 4.02 ERA and 67/20 K/BB in 50 IP his sophomore year. The stuff is good with a plus mid 90’s fastball and a beautiful plus curve that he has on a string, but the fastball was a tick better in college and so was his control. Maybe everything looks much better his 2nd year back, but he’s not a target for me at the moment. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 9/4.23/1.33/140 in 150 IP

1096) Zach DeLoach CHW, OF, 25.8 – DeLoach gets an opportunity bump moving to Chicago. He’s been a solid hitter in the upper minors, slashing .286/.387/.481 with 23 homers, 8 steals, and a 27.8%/13.3% K%/BB% in 138 games at Triple-A. He hits the ball relatively hard with a 89.3 MPH EV and he can get it in the air with a 36.7% FB%. He’s on the old side for a prospect and there is hit tool risk, so it’s not really a profile to stash in most leagues. If he ends up with playing time, I can see taking a shot on him at that point. 2024 Projection: 28/7/25/.230/.308/.402/2 Prime Projection: 53/15/48/.242/.321/.418/5

1097) Landon Sims ARI, RHP, 23.3 – Sims returned from Tommy John surgery and he just didn’t look the same. The stuff and production were both way down with a low 90’s fastball and 5.47 ERA with a 28/12 K/BB in 24.2 IP. This is a reminder that taking the Tommy John surgery discount can definitely backfire. Tommy John surgery success rates are good, but it’s not 100% by any means. Betting on Sims is simply a bet that the elite fastball/slider combo will return the further away he gets from the surgery, but it sure seems much more likely that ends up in the pen either way at this point. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 3/3.85/1.29/70 in 65 IP

1098) Ryan Birchard MIL, RHP, 20.9 – Selected 155th overall, Birchard is a big boy at a thick 6’0” with legit stuff. He throws a mid 90’s fastball with 2 potentially plus breaking balls in his slider and curve. He also throws a developing changeup. He dominated the MLB Draft League with a 1.00 ERA and 16/1 K/BB in 9 IP. A power reliever might be his most likely role, but he’s only 20 years old, and if he continues working on his body and refining his command, I wouldn’t rule out him remaining a starter. Milwaukee is also a great organization for him regardless of what role he ends up in. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 4/3.45/1.21/80 in 65 IP

1099) Steven Zobac KCR, RHP, 23.5 – Zobac has an above average fastball/control profile with mid 90’s heat and a 6.4% BB%. The slider looks about average-ish to me and and the changeup is still developing. He dominated Single-A with a 2.09 ERA and 29.9%/5.9% K%/BB% in 51.2 IP, but High-A slowed him down with a 5.31 ERA and 21.8%/7.1% K%/BB% in 39 IP. If the secondaries improve, he could start popping. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 9/4.13/1.25/130 in 150 IP

1100) Frank Mozzicato KC, LHP, 20.10 – Mozzicato got off to such a promising start to the season with a 2.14 ERA and 74/25 K/BB in 46.1 IP at Single-A, but it all fell apart after that. He put up a 7.12 ERA with a 25.3%/18.5% K%/BB% in his final 36.2 IP at High-A. He really hasn’t taken any steps forward since KC drafted him 7th overall with the control still well below average and the fastball still sitting in the low 90’s. He’s only 20, the curveball might already be plus, and he’s been a strikeout machine in his pro career, so a few extra ticks on the fastball and a big step forward with his control could catapult him in the future, but he has a long way to go. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 4/3.74/1.28/75/10 saves in 65 IP

1101) Troy Johnston MIA, 1B, 26.11 – Johnston is a bit more hit over power than I would like for a 1B prospect, but his power ticked up this year with 26 homers and decent hard hit rates in 134 games split between Double-A and Triple-A. He did it without sacrificing the hit tool with a 18.0%/10.3% K%/BB%, and while he’s not fast, he showed some athleticism with 24 steals in 26 attempts. He’s also a lefty who hit lefties well too with a .908 OPS. He’s likely a bench bat, but in very deep leagues, a low key proximity bat like this can sometimes provide sneaky value. 2024 Projection: 9/2/13/.242/.303/.394/1 Prime Projection: 34/8/38/.257/.323/.428/4

1102) CJ Kayfus CLE, 1B, 22.5 – Selected 93rd in the 2023 MLB Draft, Kayfus is another 1B prospect who doesn’t have that prototypical power you want to see, but his supporting skills are good enough to crack this list. He has a good feel to hit with a strong plate approach and some speed. He slashed .348/.464/.581 with 13 homers, 8 steals, and a 44/46 K/BB in 62 games in the ACC, and then he excelled in pro ball, slashing .271/.429/.542 with 4 homers, 5 steals, and a 15.6%/19.5% K%/BB% in 17 games at Single-A. After hitting only 1 homer in the wood bat Cape Cod league in 2022, it was nice to see him pop 4 in his pro debut. He still looks like there is some room to tack on muscle, so if he takes a step forward in raw power, he could be a very interesting prospect. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 49/10/39/.254/.324/.422/8

1103) Niko Kavadas BOS, 1B, 25.5 – Kavadas is a strong side of a platoon bat(.524 OPS vs. lefties), 3 true outcome slugger (91.2 MPH EV at AAA). He slashed .206/.377/.428 with 22 homers and a 35.8%/20.4% K%/BB% in 117 games split between Double-A and Triple-A. The swing and miss is a bit too much to even be too sure of him ever locking in a full platoon role. 2024 Projection: 11/4/14/.203/.300/.410/0 Prime Projection: 36/14/43/.218/.321/.435/0

1104) Jonathon Long CHI, 1B/3B, 22.2 – Selected 226th overall in the 2023 MLB Draft, Long makes for an interesting late round target in deeper leagues. He had a big Junior year in the Big West, slashing .312/.404/600 with 15 homers and a 44/29 K/BB in 55 games, and then he proved he’s not just a product of a weaker conference, slashing .260/.380/.533 with 6 homers and a 19.6%/12.0% K%/BB% in 23 games at Single-A. He has a very quick and powerful swing that looks relatively legit to me, and he hits the ball hard. Obviously don’t expect a league winner, but I think he’s a real prospect. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 56/18/69/.245/.317/.441/1

1105) Trevor Werner KCR, 3B, 23.6 – Selected 199th overall in the 2023 MLB Draft, Werner is old for the class as a Senior, and his college numbers weren’t that great, but his off the charts pro debut should put him on your radar. He slashed .354/.459/.699 with 8 homers, 8 steals, and a 23.0%/15.6% K%/BB% in 31 games at Single-A. He’s 6’3”, 225 pounds with big power and he’s also a good athlete. The hit tool likely stalls him against upper minors pitching, but if you’re in a deep league and want upside from someone who isn’t 17 years, Werner isn’t a bad pick. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 35/10/43/.232/.310/.416/6

1106) Brian Kalmer CHC, 1B/3B, 23.7 – Selected 536th overall in the 2023 MLB Draft, Kalmer had an absolutely beastly pro debut, slashing .358/.423/.683 with 10 homers and a 20.3%/9.4% K%/BB% in 32 games at Single-A. He transferred out of the Pac12 after his sophomore season because he wasn’t getting any run, and then he went on to destroy Junior college in his junior year, and dominate for Gonzaga in his senior year. He’s 6’2”, 215 pounds with a pretty beastly righty swing that hits the ball hard. The hit tool and plate approach both still need work, and he was obviously far too old for the lower minors, but why not take a chance on a kid who was never given a shot, and then when he found his own path, has done nothing but rake. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 33/10/37/.236/.309/.421/1

1107) Angel Feliz WAS, 3B, 17.6 – Feliz is an athletic and projectable 6’3”, 190 pounds with plus power potential. He has solid barrel control and a good feel to hit, but he doesn’t exactly looked refined at the dish right now. He’s a ball of clay lotto ticket, but at this point in the draft, I prefer taking guys like this who could turn into truly coveted prospects, rather than low upside college bats who will likely never make a true impact. ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 64/17/61/.252/.321/.436/11

1108) Luis Suisbel SEA, 1B/3B, 20.11 – Suisbel repeated the DSL in 2022, and then was a 20 year old in rookie ball to start 2023. 20 is even on the older side for Single-A, and while he hit well when got the call to that level with a 132 wRC+ and 6 homers in 31 games, it still came with a poor 29.9%/8.3% K%/BB%. He has big hit tool risk and the big production is mitigated by his advanced age, but there is definitely nice power potential in the bat, and there was big production in 2023. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 32/10/37/.238/.315/.426/2

1109) Ben Williamson SEA, 3B, 23.5 – Selected 57th overall in the 2023 MLB Draft, Williamson was a college senior from a non major conference who had a shaky pro debut. He was known for his excellent plate approach with a 22/40 K/BB in 55 games in college, but that immediately didn’t transfer to Single-A with a 10/2 K/BB in 10 games. He hits the ball fairly hard, but he didn’t put up big homer totals in college. I’m honestly not sure how he got picked so high or why so many people seem to particularly like him. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 35/7/31/.245/.321/.410/4

1110) Maximo Acosta TEX, SS, 21.5 – Acosta’s power ticked up in 2023 with 11 homers in 110 games at High-A, and he combined that with a good feel to hit (21.1% K%) and some speed (26 steals). The power still isn’t all that big, the hit tool is solid, but it’s not great, and he’s not a true burner. His 92 wRC+ also wasn’t great. He’s likely a utility infielder long term, but he’s young enough to improve across the board, so I don’t want to write him off quite yet. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 51/9/42/.252/.318/.408/12

1111) Christian Knapczyk CLE, SS, 22.4 – Selected 161st overall in the 2023 Draft, Knapczyk is likely a utility infielder with a plus hit/speed combo, but the skills are there to make a fantasy impact if he does end up with a full time job. He slashed .331/.455/.408 with 1 homer, 19 steals, and a 19/21 K/BB in 45 games. He has a quick lefty swing that sprays hits all over the field, but the power is very, very minimal. For a guy like this, the hit tool needs to be in the elite range to really get excited about him, but it’s a very safe profile and he should move fast through the minors. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 34/2/21/.266/.324/.355/13

1112) Jalvin Arias PHI, OF, 17.6 – Arias is 6’3”, 210 pounds with easy plus power potential. The swing doesn’t necessarily look super smooth, but it’s quick and powerful. The plate approach and athleticism are both good as well. A strong showing in the DSL will have his stock quickly rising. ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 72/23/76/.251/.323/.436/9

1113) Andres Arias TOR, OF, 17.6 – Arias is a physical specimen at 6’4”, 180 pounds who is known for his big power potential. There isn’t any video of him I can find, so I can’t see how sweet the swing is, but he projects as a corner bat, so you know the offensive potential is legit if he’s landing a big signing bonus. He’s a shot in the dark power upside bat, and I’ll continue to be on the lookout for more video. ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 72/25/81/.245/.325/.450/7

1114) Dylan Ray ARI, RHP, 22.11 – Ray put together a strong season at High-A with a 3.81 ERA and 30.4%/7.9% K%/BB% in 99.1 IP, but he got crushed at Double-A to close out the season with a 8.36 ERA and 22.4%/11.9% K%/BB% in 14 IP, which hints at his likely backend starter projection. He’s a big guy at 6’3”, 230 pounds with a solid but not standout 4 pitch mix. The fastball sits low to mid 90’s and he throws a trio of effective secondaries (curve, slider, change). He has some ingredients for mid rotation upside, but a 4/5 starter or bullpen role is his most likely big league role. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 6/4.28/1.34/108 in 110 IP

1115) Logan Henderson MIL, RHP, 22.1 – Henderson obliterated at Single-A with a 2.75 ERA and 35.2%/8.6% K%/BB% in 78.2 IP, but it’s the type of profile that can often dominate less advanced hitters before struggling in the upper minors/majors. He throws low 90’s heat with a plus changeup and the occasional slider. The fastball will likely have to tick up or the control will have to become near elite to really start getting hype. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 8/4.32/1.31/120 in 140 IP Update: the fastball has reportedly ticked up this spring

1116) Justin Campbell CLE, RHP, 23.1 – Campbell underwent ulnar nerve decompression surgery on his elbow in June and missed all of 2023, which sounds scary, but the timetable was only a few months, so maybe it’s better than it sounds. He’s yet to make his pro debut after getting drafted in 2022, and I liked him coming out of the draft. The elbow injury makes it questionable if he ever returns to full health, but here was my 2023 Top 1,000 blurb for him, “Selected 37th overall in the 2022 MLB Draft, Campbell is 6’7”, 220 pounds with an easy and athletic delivery. Sometimes guys this tall can have an awkward delivery, but not Campbell. His dive bombing changeup in his best pitch, to go along with a low to mid 90’s fastball which gets plenty of whiffs, and 2 effective breaking balls in his curve and slider. His 3.82 ERA was a little inflated, but the 141/25 K/BB in 101.1 IP is much more indicative of his talent. Cleveland knows a thing or two about pitching development, and Campbell is legitimately exciting, especially if his fastball can tick up.” ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 9/4.25/1.32/130 in 140 IP

1117) JR Ritchie ATL, RHP, 20.9 – Ritchie looked like he was headed for a breakout before going down with an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery in late May 2023. He had a 5.40 ERA (1.40 xFIP) with a 47.2%/5.7% K%/BB% in 13.1 IP at Single-A. He played exactly to his scouting report as an advanced pitcher with a low to mid 90’s fastball, potentially plus slider, and developing changeup. This isn’t really the type of pitcher I like to take the Tommy John discount on, so he’s not a target for me, but if he does come back 100%, he could be a good one. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 9/4.11/1.27/140 in 150 IP

1118) Jackson Baumeister BAL, RHP, 21.9 – Selected 63rd overall, Baumeister put up a 5.09 ERA in 69 IP in the ACC, and he also put up mediocre ERA’s his freshman year (5.60 ERA) and in the Cape (4.29 ERA). He was a draft eligible sophomore though, so this upcoming season was going to presumably be his breakout year, and he’s always missed a ton of bats. He put up a 30.9%/9.4% K%/BB% this year on the back of an above average, bat missing low to mid 90’s fastball. He combines that with a potentially above average curve and a developing slider and change. He needs to improve his command and his secondaries to take the next step. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 9/4.18/1.31/150 in 155 IP

1119) Justin Lange NYY, RHP, 22.7 – Lange is a big guy at 6’4”, 220 pounds and he has big stuff with a mid to upper 90’s. He also has a legit starters pitch mix with a cutter, slider, and changeup. But he needs his control to take a major step forward to harness that stuff. He put up a 4.75 ERA with a 33.2%/16% K%/BB% in 85.1 IP at mostly Single-A. He most likely ends up in the bullpen, but the upside is high if something clicks with his control. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 3/3.81/1.32/67 in 62 IP

1120) Cade Kuehler ATL, RHP, 21.10 – Selected 70th overall, Kuehler has good, but not great stuff, he has below average control, he’s from a non major conference, and he hasn’t thrown that many innings. He did have an excellent season in the Big South with a 2.71 ERA and 29.4%/8.4% K%/BB% in 73 IP. His 94 MPH fastball is his best pitch and it’s a bat missing weapon. He combines that with a decent slider and curve. I see him as a #4 type, but he gets the bump for being drafted by Atlanta. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 6/4.21/1.32/123 in 130 IP

1121) Isaiah Drake ATL, OF, 18.9 – Selected 162nd overall, Drake is very raw with a 64 wRC+ and a 37.7% K%/BB% in his 18 game pro debut, but his upside is worth taking a shot on this late. He has elite speed and plus raw power potential, and he is very young for his draft class, so some of that extreme rawness is mitigated. It’s a complete lotto ticket, but it’s one of those $1 billion jackpots if it hits. ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 38/8/32/.231/.304/.416/19

1122) Matt Rudick NYM, OF, 25.9 – Rudick is small and old, so he’s probably a bench bat, but his numbers are too good to ignore. He slashed .271/.414/.449 with 9 homers, 12 steals, and a 15.8%/17.3% K%/BB% in 61 games at Double-A. The plate approach is very mature, he has some speed, and he has a lift and pull profile that will get the most out of his 5’6” frame. 2024 Projection: 17/3/12/.242/.326/.395/3 Prime Projection: 55/9/39/.251/.338/.412/8

1123) Randal Grichuk ARI, OF, 32.8 – Grichuk is a poor defensive player and average offensive player assuming no decline, and at 32 years old, you probably have to factor in decline. I don’t see why a team would sign him to a full time job, and after signing with Arizona, a team didn’t sign him to be a starter. He’s a short side of a platoon bat at best. 2024 Projection: 38/11/43/.249/.296/.431/2

1124) Grant Taylor CHW, RHP, 21.10 – Selected 51st overall, Taylor is a Tommy John surgery discount pick, but after getting burned by Landon Sims last year, I’m hesitant to go in on Taylor as he was far from established before going down with the injury. What Chicago is so excited about him is that he looked great in the Cape with a 2.14 ERA and 30/2 K/BB in 21 IP before the injury wiped out his junior year at LSU. He’s 6’3”, 230 with a mid 90’s fastball and a potentially plus breaker as his best pitches. He has high spin rates on all of his pitches. There is reliever risk and there is injury risk, but there is certainly upside too. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 4/3.68/1.24/78 in 65 IP

1125) Aaron Zavala TEX, OF, 23.9 – Zavala clearly wasn’t healthy after returning from surgery on a torn UCL (elbow). He had a 37.3% K%, 5 homers, and 79 wRC+ in 95 games at Double-A. In 2022, he had a 133 wRC+ and 20.9% K% in 30 games at Double-A, so I’m willing to give him a redo as he gets further away from that surgery. It’s not the highest upside profile to begin with with a moderate power/speed combo, so seeing the major hit tool issues in 2023 is scary regardless of the reason. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 31/7/28/.246/.321/.410/4

1126) Emaarion Boyd PHI, OF, 20.8 – Boyd is your classic plus contact speedster with a 14.9% K% and 54 steals in 91 games at Single-A. The groundball rates are very high and the EV’s are very low, so his power is at the very bottom of the scale with only 1 homer. He’s also not a big OBP guy with a 8.7% BB%, and the 99 wRC+ isn’t that impressive. His ceiling is a bottom of the order slap hitter. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 52/5/27/.259/.319/.386/28

1127) Chandler Simpson TBR, OF, 23.4 – Simpson is probably a speed bench player, but the speed is truly elite with 94 steals, and so are the contact rates with a 8.7% K% in 115 games at Single-A and High-A. He hit 0 homers, which will make it hard to be a full time player, and he still has to prove it in the upper minors. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 51/2/28/.266/.331/.346/29

1128) Yeremi Cabrera TEX, OF, 18.9 – Cabrera is repeating the DSL which made me want to keep him off this list, but he’s still only 18 years old, and the numbers are impressive, slashing .329/.445/.559 with 7 homers, 9 steals, and a 28/33 K/BB in 46 games. The tools are only average, so he’s not really a target for me. ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 68/14/64/.262/.328/.415/10

1129) Derek Bernard COL, 2B, 18.8 – Bernard repeated the DSL, and even though he was still relatively age appropriate for the level, it makes me heavily discount his numbers. Even heavily discounted, his numbers are impressive though, slashing .311/.411/.563 with 7 homers, 17 steals, and a 17.8%/14.4% K%/BB% in 42 games. Along with repeating the level, he hits the ball on the ground well over 50% of the time and he’s a poor defensive player. There is above average offensive potential here, but he’s only a deep league flier for me. ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 61/17/72/.242/.318/.422/17

1130) Daniel Palencia CHC, Setup, 24.2 – Palencia made his MLB debut and certainly showed “future closer” stuff with a 98.4 MPH fastball and plus slider that notched a 55.7% whiff%. It only resulted in a 4.45 ERA and 27.7%/11.8% K%/BB% in 28.1 IP, and he’s actually been pretty bad throughout his minor league career, but that stuff doesn’t lie. 2024 Projection: 3/3.87/1.26/68 in 58 IP

1131) Gabriel Terrero NYY, 2B, 18.7 – Terreo is only 5’6”, he doesn’t play SS, and the 21.6% K% is a little high, which makes me hesitant to put him on this list, but he crushed the DSL with 7 homers, 14 steals, and a 146 wRC+ in 37 games. He’s small, but he packs a punch. ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 76/15/62/.251/.325/.407/19

1132) Cory Lewis MIN, RHP, 23.6 – Lewis has a back end starter profile with low 90’s heat and diverse pitch mix, but he throws a hard knuckleball which sets him apart, and the fastball misses bats despite the low velocity. He put up a 2.49 ERA with a 28.6%/8.0% K%/BB% in 101.1 IP split between Single-A and High-A. He likely needs to get to near elite control to beat his back end starter projection, but he’s a fun one. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 9/4.20/1.30/120 in 145 IP

1133) Wes Clarke MIL, 1B/C, 24.5 – Clarke was a standout in the AFL, slashing .297/.435/.568 with 5 homers and a 29.3%/18.5% K%/BB% in 21 games, and while that shouldn’t really change his value, it does highlight the excellent year he had at Double-A. He slashed .241/.392/.497 with 26 homers, 6 steals, and a 29.2%/17.7% K%/BB% in 118 games. He hits the ball very hard with a 35.2% Hard Hit% and he gets on base, but his K rates exploding to danger zone territory is not a great sign for his ability to be a full time MLB starter considering his weak defense. He’s trending towards a short side of a platoon bench power bat. 2024 Projection: 15/5/21/.218/.302/.409/0 Prime Projection: 36/12/43/.233/.323/.436/2

1134) Andrew Cossetti MIN, C/IB, 24.2 – Minnesota’s High-A manager did a Q&A on Twins Player Development Twitter recently, and was asked what player isn’t getting the recognition they deserve. His answer was Andrew Cossetti, writing, “Andrew Cossetti did a nice job for us after joining us from Ft. Myers. His ability to get on base plus drive the baseball made him a tough out, plus his catching is coming along.” He put up a 1.069 OPS in 35 games at Single-A before heading to High-A and putting up a .898 OPS with 9 homers in 60 games. He hits the ball very hard, and he hasn’t had any hit tool issues going back to college. He’s likely a backup catcher/bench bat, but he’s an interesting older bat. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 33/10/38/.248/.325/.433/1

1135) Creed Willems BAL, C, 20.10 – Willems absolutely obliterated Single-A with a 192 wRC+ in 30 games, but his numbers fell off hard at the more age appropriate High-A with a 60 wRC+. A lot of that was bad luck though (.237 BABIP), as his 9 homers and 27.7% K% in 75 games doesn’t look as horrific. He’s a thick boy at 6’0”, 225 pounds with plus raw power and the ability to lift the ball, but the hit tool and defense are both risks. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 42/12/47/.234/.311/.428/1

1136) Drue Hackenburg ATL, RHP, 22.0 – Maybe it’s because I’m both a Penn State fan and a Jets fan that I want to keep Drue, the brother of infamous QB bust Christian Hackenburg which everyone but the Jets saw coming from a mile away, off this list, but that would make him the only 2nd rounder to not make the list. Selected 59th overall and signed for $2 million, Hackenburg seems like an unlikely 2nd round pick even keeping the emotions out of play. He put up a mediocre 5.80 ERA with a 24.8%/6.5% K%/BB% in 85.1 IP in the ACC. He throws a mid 90’s fastball which induces grounders to go along with a bat missing slider and good control. He also put up a 3.30 ERA in 2022, so it’s not like he hasn’t had success in college. Based on draft slot, signing bonus, and the team that drafted him, he deserved to crack this list. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 9/4.26/1.32/145 in 155 IP

1137) Maddux Bruns LAD, LHP, 21.9 – Well below average control is holding Bruns back considerably, because the rest of his profile is really enticing. He’s a big lefty at 6’2” and throws mid 90’s heat with two plus breaking balls in his slider and curve. He also throws a decent changeup. He didn’t perform that well at High-A with a 4.74 ERA and 27.2%/15.8% K%/BB% in 76 IP, so he really needs to improve his command if he wants to have success against upper minors hitters. Being with the Dodgers gives him the bump to crack this list. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 4/3.72/1.28/70 in 65 IP

1138) Brooks Raley NYM, Setup, 35.9 – Raley is New York’s only lefty in the bullpen, so it seems unlikely he would ever get the full closer role even if injuries/ineffectiveness hit the Mets bullpen hard, but it’s definitely possible he could be part of a committee if Diaz gets hurt. And he’s been a damn good setup guy regardless with a 2.80 ERA, 25.8%/10.6% K%/BB%, 25 holds and 3 saves in 54.2 IP. He’s the rare junkballer reliever with an 89.9 MPH sinker and 4 pitch mix led by an at least plus sweeper and changeup. The 10.6% BB% was by far the worst mark of his career (6.8% in 2022), so combined with the low velocity and advanced age, there is certainly decline potential here. 2024 Projection: 2/3.35/1.20/60/3 saves in 55 IP

1139) Caleb Thielbar MIN, Setup, 37.2 – Thielbar is the best lefty in Minnesota’s bullpen with a 3.23 ERA and 30%/5% K%/BB% in 30.2 IP. He’s been really really good every year since 2020. He’s getting up there in age, and the stuff isn’t huge with a 93.1 MPH fastball, but that velocity is actually a career high, so it doesn’t seem like he’s about to fall off. 2024 Projection: 4/3.38/1.13/69/2 saves in 57 IP

1140) Brandon Belt FRA, 1B, 35.11 – Belt jacked 19 homers with a .858 OPS in 103 games in a strong side of a platoon role in 2023, so he should be able to land a platoon job in 2024, but he hasn’t found one yet, which is concering. The underlying numbers say he was on the lucky side with a .369 wOBA vs. .336 xwOBA, his K% exploded to 34.9%, and he’ll be 36 years old, so there is no guarantee he finds one. 2024 Projection: 39/13/36/.234/.341/.442/1

1141) Joey Votto TOR, 1B, 40.7 – Votto seems set on having a retirement tour in 2024, but we’ll see if he can land a job. He’s 40 years old and he’s put up a slightly below average wRC+’s in the last 2 seasons. He still hits the ball hard with a 11% Barrel%, and he has a good plate approach (25.6%/11.2% K%/BB%), so I can see a team taking a shot on him, but a team hasn’t pulled the trigger yet. 2024 Projection: 31/11/35/.235/.332/.431/0 Update: He landed in Toronto but it’s a part time role at best, and this will be his final season

1142) Darick Hall PHI, 1B, 28.8 – Hall wasn’t able to repeat his solid 2022 season (121 wRC+ in 142 PA) in 2023 with a 14 wRC+ in 56 PA, but to be fair, he basically wasn’t given even the slightest bit of leash to find a rhythm. That is the plight of the poor defensive slugger. He still crushed the ball with a 92.5 MPH EV, and he crushed Triple-A with a 19.5%/12.6% K%/BB% and 133 wRC+ in 74 games. He’ll need a few injuries to get another shot, but if he does, he should rip dingers. 2024 Projection: 12/4/15/.227/.305/.437/0

1143) Alex Isola MIN, C/1B, 25.8 – Isola came in at #1,004 on last year’s Top “1,000,” and he backed that up with another strong year in 2023 with 20 homers, a 122 wRC+ and a 21.5%/10.8% K%/BB% in 110 games at Double-A. The plate approach is solid, he lifts it, he pulls it, and he can hit it hard. He was old for the level and he’s not a good defensive player, so a bench bat is his mostly role. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 32/10/36/.239/.320/.427/2

1144) Aneudis Mordan BAL, C/1B, 19.10 – Mordan struggled in the DSL in both 2021 and 2022, which is why he was a year older than optimal for stateside rookie ball in 2023, but he dominated the level, slashing .274/.390/.504 with 7 homers, 2 steals, and a 20.6%/13.5% K%/BB% in 38 games. He then got called up to Single-A for a 3 game cup of coffee and knocked out 1 homer with a 211 wRC+. He’s 6’1”, 175 pounds with a quick, powerful and fairly athletic righty swing. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 32/9/39/.238/.308/.424/3

1145) Daniel Pena MIN, C/1B, 19.1 – Pena hit well in the DSL in 2022 with a 121 wRC+, and then he was even more impressive stateside, slashing .278/.376/.474 with 5 homers and a 12%/12.8% K%/BB% in 34 games. He also just graduated high school in September, so congrats to him! He certainly looks the part of a catcher with a big trunk and developing power, and his contact rates have been bordering on elite. He needs to work on his defense and obviously there is a long way to go, but he’s one to watch in 2024. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 48/14/53/.261/.332/.435/1

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