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Atlanta Braves—Baltimore Orioles—Cincinnati Reds–Chicago Cubs (free)—Chicago White Sox—Cleveland Guardians—Detroit Tigers—Kansas City Royals—Los Angeles Angels—Miami Marlins—Milwaukee Brewers (free)—Minnesota Twins—New York Mets (free)—New York Yankees (free)—Oakland Athletics—Philadelphia Phillies—Pittsburgh Pirates—San Diego Padres—Tampa Bay Rays—Texas Rangers—Washington Nationals (free)

1) Shohei Ohtani – LAD, RHP/DH, 30.9 – If you own Shohei Ohtani, there is a very, very high likelihood that your team is in win now mode, and if your team is in win now mode, I can’t imagine there is single solitary scenario where you would feel good about trading him straight up for any player in the game, age be damned. 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 he is expected to be fully healthy to get back on the mound after undergoing an internal brace procedure, or whatever super secret elbow surgery he underwent. His arm 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 he always has elite hitting to fall back on even if he can’t return to full health. Considering what he did this year while recovering from surgery, it’s pretty clear you barely need elbows to hit. Sure he’s 30 years old, but that is far from ancient. One complicating factor did pop up during the World Series with him hurting his left shoulder, ultimately requiring surgery in early November. It’s not his pitching shoulder, but you do need shoulders to hit, and there are already rumors he isn’t going to run as much in 2025. He was so far out ahead of the pack in a daily moves league that I don’t think this changes his #1 status, but it definitely makes it less of a no brainer. His injuries are starting to pile up – 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 – HOU, 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 the Washington Nationals Dynasty Team Report 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

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR THE REST OF THESE RANKINGS & TONS OF EXCLUSIVE CONTENT ALL OFF-SEASON, INCLUDING:
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Previous Dynasty Team Reports on Patreon (free ones listed in parenthesis)

Atlanta Braves—Baltimore Orioles—Cincinnati Reds–Chicago Cubs (free)—Chicago White Sox—Cleveland Guardians—Detroit Tigers—Kansas City Royals—Los Angeles Angels—Miami Marlins—Milwaukee Brewers (free)—Minnesota Twins—New York Mets (free)—New York Yankees (free)—Oakland Athletics—Philadelphia Phillies—Pittsburgh Pirates—San Diego Padres—Tampa Bay Rays—Texas Rangers—Washington Nationals (free)

By Michael Halpern (@MichaelCHalpern)
Email: michaelhalpern@imaginarybrickwall.com
Twitter: Imaginary Brick Wall (@DynastyHalp)
Blue Sky: Dynasty Halp (@ImaginaryBrickWall)

It just worked out that the release of the Yankees Dynasty Team Report coincided with the gut punch of the Mets signing Juan Soto. Or if you’re a Mets fan, the elation of the Mets stealing Soto away from the Yankees. Steven Cohen gives more George Steinbrenner vibes than the Steinbrenner kids ever did. Hard not to love it. I give more thoughts on the Soto signing in the Dynasty Strategy/Thoughts section below, but first, we dive into the most interesting MLB players on the Yankees and their Top 13 Prospects. Here is the New York Yankees 2025 Dynasty Baseball Team Report (Top 10 Prospects/Interesting MLB guys/Strategy Talk):

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR TONS OF EXCLUSIVE CONTENT ALL OFF-SEASON, INCLUDING:
-A TOP 75 SNEAK PEEK OF THE 2025 TOP 1,000 DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKS (more coming this week)
-2025 DEEP DYNASTY POSITIONAL RANKS: Top 78 Catchers–Top 83 1B
-END OF SEASON 2024 TOP 322 PROSPECTS RANKS
-END OF SEASON 2024 438 DYNASTY RANKS
-TOP 57 2025 FYPD RANKS with full scouting reports and prime projections (a Top 100+ coming soon)
-HALP’S DYNASTY BASEBALL PODCAST: END OF SEASON MAILBAG!
-SPREADSHEETS
-OFF-SEASON CONTENT! – Dynasty Team Reports, Deep Positional Rankings, Predicting Future Prospect Lists, Fall/Winter League Updates, Top 100+ FYPD Ranks, Top 500+ Prospects Ranks, Top 1,000 Dynasty Ranks & so much more!

Previous Dynasty Team Reports on Patreon (free ones listed in parenthesis)

Atlanta Braves—Baltimore Orioles—Cincinnati Reds–Chicago Cubs (free)—Chicago White Sox—Cleveland Guardians—Detroit Tigers—Kansas City Royals—Los Angeles Angels—Miami Marlins—Milwaukee Brewers (free)—Minnesota Twins—New York Mets (free)—Oakland Athletics—Philadelphia Phillies—Pittsburgh Pirates—San Diego Padres—Tampa Bay Rays—Texas Rangers—Washington Nationals (free)

Hitters

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

Jazz Chisholm – NYY, OF/3B, 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 ranking him 27th overall on A Top 75 Sneak Peek of the 2025 Top 1,000 Dynasty Baseball Rankings (Patreon) does factor in a bit of risk. – 2025 Projection: 87/25/84/.252/.323/.455/33

Pitchers

Clarke Schmidt – NYY, RHP, 29.1 – Schmidt is one of my favorite pitcher targets for 2025, and while my favorite pitching targets generally have a low floor (and high upside obviously), Schmidt is one with both a high floor and high upside. A pitcher like that generally gets drafted higher than 217th overall (where he currently sits in NFBC ADP), which is why they don’t land in true target range for me, but Schmidt’s breakout/leveling up has slid just far enough under the radar to land in a perfect target range. 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. 2025 Projection: 13/3.58/1.19/169 in 160 IP

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. He’s a Top 150-ish dynasty asset. 2025 Projection: 12/3.69/1.22/181 in 160 IP

Bullpen

Luke Weaver – NYY, Closer, 31.7 – With the Yankees now scrambling to replace Soto’s offensive production, it seems likely that the focus isn’t going to be on the bullpen (of course you never know though), so that leaves Weaver as the heavy favorite to remain the Yanks closer in 2025. And he certainly deserves that job after a breakout 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 4/3.36/1.11/79/33 saves in 67 IP

New York Yankees 2025 Top 10 Dynasty Fantasy Baseball Prospects Rankings

1) 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 like 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 Philadelphia Phillies Dynasty Team Report). 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. He ranked 45th overall on the Top 75 Sneak Peek of the 2025 Top 1,000 Dynasty Baseball Rankings over on the Patreon (more Sneak Peeks are coming this week). – 2025 Projection: 83/21/76/.246/.323/.434/26 Prime Projection: 109/28/91/.266/.351/.487/34

2) 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

3) Roderick Arias – NYY, SS, 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

4) 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

5) 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

6) 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

7) 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. Hess ranked 28th overall on the End of Season Top 56 2025 First Year Player Draft Rankings (Full off-season Top 100+ coming soon on the Patreon). – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 10/3.95/1.32/165 in 160 IP

8) 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. He ranked 62nd overall in my Top 78 2025 Dynasty Baseball Catcher Rankings (Patreon). – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 74/15/68/.276/.343/.430/3

9) 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

10) 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

11) Caleb Durbin – NYY, 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, especially if he remains on the Yankees. 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, or if he gets traded to a team with more opportunity. 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: 29/4/18/.250/.313/.360/9 Prime Projection: 76/10/58/.271/.325/.383/26

12) 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: 3/4.31/1.35/51 in 50 IP Prime Projection: 8/4.18/1.32/153 in 150 IP

13) 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

Dynasty Baseball Thought/Strategy of the Day (which may or may not be related to the team I’m covering that day)

The real life implications of Soto signing a 15 year, $765 million contract are obviously the most fun thing to discuss right now, but because I’m a dynasty baseball nut, I’m actually a bit more interested in the fantasy fallout. The first little piece of fantasy fallout is that Soto actually changed his approach for the Yankee Stadium short porch. He put up a career high by far 45.1% Pull%, 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 which sat more in the high 30 percent area? He’s certainly ballpark proof with a 99.5 MPH FB/LD EV, but it’s easy to forget that there was actually a small time where people were worried about his fantasy upside with a 29 homer and 27 homer season in 2021-22. Yankee Stadium was perfect for him. Citi Field isn’t. My guess is that he continues to pull the ball more, and because of the extreme EV, I’m not worried about the ballpark downgrade, but I think it’s worth mentioning.

The next most interesting fantasy fallout is how this signing impacts the playing time projections for exciting youngsters hoping for a shot to break into the bigs. I already wasn’t too worried about Dominguez’ playing time, and now that seems even more locked in. Ben Rice on the other hand, who I was hoping could make it through the off-season with a shot to win the Yanks 1B job, I am now much less confident in. It sure feels like Pete Alonso is now an obvious pivot for the Yankees. But if not him, Christian Walker, or even Paul Goldschmidt could be an option. Without Soto, I just don’t see the Yanks leaving 1B open anymore. Other than Dominguez, Everson Pereira and Spencer Jones sure seem to take on much more importance for the Yanks long term outfield plans. Even if they sign an outfielder, it will be an older vet. As for the Mets, Brett Baty gets a lot more attractive with Mark Vientos likely to slide over to 1B. He’s struggled in his first 3 tastes of the majors, but I still think he can fulfill his better in real life than fantasy destiny if given a long enough leash, and he just may get that leash in 2025.

This is all obviously still speculation with many more moves to come for both franchises, but opportunity and leash is one of the most important things for young players trying to break in, and this seems to shift which young players are in a better position to get their shot now, and which might be left holding the bag. Stay tuned.

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Atlanta Braves—Baltimore Orioles—Cincinnati Reds–Chicago Cubs (free)—Chicago White Sox—Cleveland Guardians—Detroit Tigers—Kansas City Royals—Los Angeles Angels—Miami Marlins—Milwaukee Brewers (free)—Minnesota Twins—New York Mets (free)—Oakland Athletics—Philadelphia Phillies—Pittsburgh Pirates—San Diego Padres—Tampa Bay Rays—Texas Rangers—Washington Nationals (free)

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By Michael Halpern (@MichaelCHalpern)
Email: michaelhalpern@imaginarybrickwall.com
Twitter: Imaginary Brick Wall (@DynastyHalp)
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Off-season content is already in full swing on the Brick Wall! Like during the regular season, I will be posting a few articles a month for free here on Imaginary Brick Wall with the vast majority of the content over on the Patreon. We are deep into Dynasty Team Report season, while the first Sneak Peek of the 2025 Top 1,000 Dynasty Baseball Rankings hit last week. Deep Positional Rankings are also right around the corner. But first, here is the New York Mets 2025 Dynasty Baseball Team Report (Top 10 Prospects/Interesting MLB guys/Strategy Talk):

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Baltimore Orioles—Cleveland Guardians—Miami Marlins—Milwaukee Brewers (free)—Minnesota Twins—Oakland Athletics—Pittsburgh Pirates—San Diego Padres—Tampa Bay Rays—Washington Nationals (free)

Hitters

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

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: 68/25/82/.246/.323/.458/2

Pitchers

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: 8/3.92/1.30/140 in 145 IP

Tylor Megill – NYM, RHP, 29.8 – Peterson and Megill seem to be on the exact same career timeline. Both have been frustrating “sleeper” picks over the last years, but pitcher development can be a fickle B, and neither would be the first to take until their late 20’s to stay healthy and figure it all out. Unlike Peterson, Megill didn’t have a super impressive ERA at 4.04 in 78 IP, but his K% and whiff% were super impressive. He put up a 27.0/9.5 K%/BB% with a 28.6% whiff%. That is pretty rarified air. The heavily used fastball was absolutely fire at 95.7 MPH, and it put up an elite 29.2% whiff%. He also threw an insane 8 pitch mix, which is just fun. The splitter is a mostly new weapon which he should clearly go to more with a .158 xwOBA and 42.9% whiff% on 7.5% usage. The cutter, slider, sinker, and curve all serve their purpose and gives him a variety of secondaries to go to depending on situation. I’ve definitely been burned by Megill before, but haven’t we all, which should keep his price in a very, very reasonable range. With how I’m expecting him to be valued, he’s almost a no brainer late round target in every draft. 2025 Projection: 7/3.94/1.29/148 in 135 IP

Bullpen

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

New York Mets 2025 Top 10 Dynasty Baseball Prospects Rankings

1) 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

2) 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

3) Luisangel Acuna – NYM, SS, 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

4) 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, and the latest news is that the knee isn’t healing as fast as hoped. 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

5) 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

6) 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

7) 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

8) 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

9) 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

10) 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

Just Missed

11) Jesus Baez – NYM, SS, 20.1

12) Jeremy Rodriguez – NYM, SS, 18.9

13) Blade Tidwell – NYM, RHP, 23.10

14) Nolan McLean – NYM, RHP, 23.8

15) 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

Dynasty Baseball Thought/Strategy of the Day (which may or may not be related to the team I’m covering that day)

Jumping off from the Brandon Sproat blurb, does any sport tinker with the ball, the rules, the uniforms, the size of the equipment (bases), etc … more than baseball? I’m not even saying that I hate it. It’s kinda fun honestly that they are willing to try new things out for the betterment of the game, and overall, I think the changes they have made have been a net positive. So while I’m down for it, it makes preparing for every new season a whole lot more complicated. In last year’s Chicago Cubs Team Report Strategy Section, I wrote in part, “Jumping off from the Bellinger blurb, MLB changes the baseball every damn year, and I’m not even 100% sure they are truly in complete control of every change, as my understanding is that they manufacture new balls for every season. The juicier 2023 ball allowed mediocre exit velocity bats to come alive and be impact MLB hitters, but those type of hitters hold more risk coming into 2024 because we can’t be sure how the ball will play until we actually see it.” And right on cure, the ball was less juicy, and Bellinger went from 26 homers in 130 games in 2023 to 18 homers in 130 games in 2024. How will the ball play in 2025? Who the hell knows. I don’t even think MLB knows. Along with Sproat, Quinn Mathews was another big breakout who saw their numbers drop off a cliff with the MLB ball at Triple-A. The ball isn’t the only change for these young pitchers, so it’s hard to just isolate that one factor. Joining a new team, new league, new city, new home ballpark, and it being the very end of a long season are also complicating factors. My instinct is to not ignore the drop off in production, but also not to put too much weight on it. Sproat and Mathews are still extremely exciting pitching prospects, but I would be lying if I said it wasn’t in the back of my mind. Keeping up with all of the different balls and rule changes are just part of the game now.

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