Posted on by Michael Halpern

Washington Nationals 2025 Dynasty Baseball Team Report (Top 10 Prospects/Interesting MLB guys/Strategy Talk)

The 2025 off-season festivities have officially kicked off on the Brick Wall with the first Dynasty Team Report of the year. Like during the regular season, I will release a freebie here on Imaginary Brick Wall on some Mondays with the vast majority of the content over on the Patreon. Off-season content will include these Dynasty Team Reports, along with Deep Positional Rankings, strategy articles, target articles, podcasts, predicting future prospect lists, AFL/Winter League Updates, the Top 100+ FYPD rankings, Top 500+ Prospects Rankings, and Top 1,000+ Dynasty Rankings. Here is the Washington Nationals 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:
-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
-HALP’S DYNASTY BASEBALL PODCAST: SEPTEMBER MAILBAG!
-SPREADSHEETS
-OFF-SEASON CONTENT! – Dynasty Team Reports (Top 10 Prospects/Interesting MLB guys/Strategy Talk) , 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!

Pitchers

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: 9/3.73/1.25/181 in 155 IP

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

Hitters

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, 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. There are very few players I’m parting with Wood for. He ranked 13th overall on the Top 438 End of Season 2024 Dynasty Baseball Rankings. 2025 Projection: 89/24/87/.251/.346/.474/26 Prime Projection: 105/32/105/.268/.364/.518/28

CJ Abrams – WAS, SS, 24.6 – Washington sent Abrams to his room 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 near 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

Bullpen

Kyle Finnegan – WAS, Closer, 33.7 – We’ve been waiting nervously for Finnegan to get traded out of the closer role for 2 years, but now that Washington looks on the brink of contention, he just might be off the trade block (famous last words). He’s not very good, but he mostly gets the job done with a 3.68 ERA, 38 saves, and a 22.1/8.9 K%/BB% in 63.2 IP. He has the big velocity with a 97.2 MPH fastball that he throws 67.6% of the time, but he doesn’t have a great secondary and the control is average at best. Even if he doesn’t get traded, Washington is liable to bring in someone else to close, he’s in the final year of team control, and he’s 33 years old. He’s a very low end closer option. 2025 Projection: 4/3.66/1.32/63/30 saves in 65 IP

Washington Nationals 2025 Top 10 Dynasty Baseball Prospects Rankings

1) 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

2) Travis Sykora – WAS, RHP, 20.11 – The way I see it, it’s a two man race between Thomas White and Travis Sykora to be the top rated pitching prospect in baseball by this time next year, and while I have White as the favorite because he did it at High-A for most of the season, 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: 15/3.31/1.12/225 in 185 IP

3) 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

4) 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

5) 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. He ranked 16th overall on the Top 56 2025 Dynasty Baseball First Year Player Draft Rankings (Patreon). – ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 87/16/69/.274/.330/.427/26

6) 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

7) 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

8) 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. He ranked 46th overall on the Top 56 2025 Dynasty Baseball First Year Player Draft Rankings (Patreon). – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 76/20/79/.260/.330/.440/15

9) 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

10) 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, and they also have opportunity at 1B/DH depending on what they do this off-season. 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, but if he makes it through the off-season with a job, he’s not the worst guy to have on your team. 2025 Projection: 41/13/50/.241/.316/.430/2

Just Missed

11) Robert Hassell – WAS, OF, 23.8

12) Cayden Wallace – WAS, 3B, 23.7

13) Yohandy Morales – WAS, 1B/3B, 23.6

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

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, so after horseback victory lapping James Wood and half ass victory lapping DJ Herz in this post, let’s kick off the first Dynasty Thoughts/Strategy section of the off-season by 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 15/2.91/1.02/173.1 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.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR TONS OF EXCLUSIVE CONTENT ALL OFF-SEASON, INCLUDING:
-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
-HALP’S DYNASTY BASEBALL PODCAST: SEPTEMBER MAILBAG!
-SPREADSHEETS
-OFF-SEASON CONTENT! – Dynasty Team Reports (Top 10 Prospects/Interesting MLB guys/Strategy Talk) , 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!

By Michael Halpern (@MichaelCHalpern)
Email: michaelhalpern@imaginarybrickwall.com
Twitter: Imaginary Brick Wall (@DynastyHalp)

Posted on by Michael Halpern

End of Season 2024 Top 438 Dynasty Baseball Rankings (Patreon)

Let’s close out the regular season with a bang! It’s End of Season Dynasty Baseball Rankings Week! As usual, I’m going over 400 deep with blurbs for every player. Top 25 free here on IBW. But you guys already know that the fun is really just getting started with tons of dynasty content coming all off-season on the Patreon, including Dynasty Team Reports, Team Prospect Lists, Deep Positional Rankings, Strategy Articles, Predicting Future Prospect Lists, Top 100+ FYPD Rankings, Top 500+ Prospect Rankings, Top 1,000+ Dynasty Rankings and so much more! But first, here is the End of Season 2024 Top 438 Dynasty Baseball Rankings:

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR THE REST OF THESE RANKINGS & TONS OF EXCLUSIVE CONTENT ALL OFF-SEASON, INCLUDING:
-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
-HALP’S DYNASTY BASEBALL PODCAST: SEPTEMBER MAILBAG!
-TONS OF DYNASTY RUNDOWNS
-SPREADSHEETS
-OFF-SEASON CONTENT! – Dynasty Team Reports, Team Prospect Rankings, Deep Positional Rankings, Top 100+ FYPD Ranks, Top 500+ Prospects Ranks, Top 1,000 Dynasty Ranks & so much more!

*Previous Rankings are in parenthesis

1) (4) (4) (3) (4) (5) Shohei Ohtani – LAD, RHP/DH, 30.2 – Ohtani just went 50/50, is working on 55/55, and just might mess around and go 60/60 if he keeps going insane this last week. He also might already get back on the mound this post season. Age be damned, I don’t see how I could possibly pass on Ohtani for any other player in the game. It just seems silly.

2) (1) (1) (2) (2) (2) Bobby Witt Jr. – KCR, SS, 24.3 – Only a 30/30 season for Witt? How cute

3) (2) (2) (1) (9) (9) Elly De La Cruz – CIN, SS/3B, 22.8 – I told you to embrace the risk when it came to Elly, ranking him 9th overall this off-season, and it paid off in a major way with him going 25/65. The .261 BA was pretty damn good too considering expectations. I laugh in the face of risk … except when it comes to rollercoasters, horseback riding, skydiving, mountain climbing etc … but when it comes to taking an unproven uber athlete with hit tool risk 9th overall, danger is my middle name

4) (3) (3) (6) (13) (28) Gunnar Henderson – BAL, SS/3B, 23.3 – Gunning for a 40/20 season. Career bests basically everywhere you look. If steals are devalued in your league (pts, 6+ cat leagues etc …), Gunnar would slide in ahead of Elly

Shadow4) (4) (4) (4) (10) (13) Shohei Ohtani – LAD, DH only/Weekly Leagues, 30.1 – This is where I would rank Ohtani in weekly leagues or as a hitter only. Without the pitching to put him over the top, the age does come into play here a bit

5) (5) (5) (5) (7) (7) Juan Soto – NYY, OF, 25.11 – Is there any doubt that Boras will gun for the 20 year, $1 Billion contract? I don’t think he’ll be able to resist the leaked reports that Boris is asking for a billy. Steals are the only thing Soto lacks for fantasy

6) (7) (6) (7) (8) (8) Kyle Tucker – HOU, OF, 27.7 – Returned from a deep bone bruise and has a 1.113 OPS in 14 games, leaving no concern about his elite ability for 2025. But he’ll get zero hype anyway because that is just how it goes for Tucker. Quiet Killer

7) (8) (15) (4) (1) (1) Ronald Acuna Jr. – ATL, OF, 26.8 – Underwent surgery to repair a torn ACL in his left knee. We’ve already seen Acuna return from a torn ACL and put up a historic season, but switching sports for a second, you can’t help but think of Russell Westbrook and Derrick Rose. Both were explosive young athletes who kept blowing out their knees until the explosion dimmed. They were still good, but no longer in true prime form. Let’s hope Acuna can avoid that fate, and let’s also take into account baseball isn’t basketball. I’m not giving up on Acuna as an elite dynasty player at all, but it’s something to think about

8) (17) (21) (12) (5) (3) Corbin Carroll – ARI, OF, 24.0 – I implored you with everything I had that by decree of fantasy law, you are required to go down with the ship when it comes to elite dynasty assets like Carroll, and luckily, you didn’t actually have to go down with the ship as he righted it, slashing .257/.350/.591 with 19 homers, 17 steals, and a 20.6/11.0 K%/BB% in his last 65 games. The shoulder looks good

9) (6) (9) (8) (11) (12) Aaron Judge – NYY, OF, 32.5 – 55 homers but it only comes with 10 steals. Super unimpressive

10) (9) (7) (13) (10) (10) Yordan Alvarez – HOU, OF, 27.3 – Perfect 6 for 6 on the bases, which crushes his previous career high of 1 steal. The knees must be feeling pretty good, which is all we want for dynasty

11) (12) (8) (10) (3) (6) Fernando Tatis Jr. – SDP, OF, 25.7 –  Returned from a right femoral stress reaction and is raking with a .939 OPS in 17 games. .393 xwOBA leaves little doubt that he’s still elite, but injuries are constantly popping up, and he’s not running as much this year with 10 steals in 97 games

12) (16) (14) (11) (6) (4) Julio Rodriguez – SEA, OF, 23.8 – Slashing .321/.381/.556 with 12 homers, 6 steals, and a 23.4/7.3 K%/BB% in his last 50 games. He had a .616 OPS in the 87 games before that. He took the slow start thing to a whole new level this year, but I don’t think his owners can stomach another repeat of this. He has to figure it out this off-season

13) (18) (25) (49) (61) (68) James Wood – WAS, OF, 22.0 – As long as the hit tool stayed in a reasonable range, there was zero doubt that Wood would shine, and the hit tool stayed in a reasonable range with a 28.4% K% and 29.7% whiff%. The 92.6/97.3 AVG/FB MPH EV and 28.6 ft/sec sprint did the rest. There are a lot of good candidates to be the top rookie on these rankings, but I’ll take the guy who absolutely smashes the ball much, much, much harder than any of them

14) (19) (27) (24) (20) (18) Jackson Chourio – MIL, OF, 20.6 – Slashed .305/.364/.540 with 16 homers, 14 steals, and a 17.1/7.7 K%/BB% in his last 91 games. He just went .273/21/21 as a 20 year old. Wood vs. Chourio is a coin flip

15) (10) (23) (28) (23) (22) Vladimir Guerrero Jr. – TOR, 1B, 25.6 – We can now put the “Vlad has only had a great year in a minor league ballpark” narrative to rest. His 168 wRC+ is a career high this year. Granted he hit 48 homers in the minor league park and only 30 this year, but still. He officially locked in elite status

16) (14) (11) (17) (18) (15) Jose Ramirez – CLE, 3B, 32.0 – Ramirez might go 40/40 and nobody cares. Barely hear about it. The Ohtani Shadow is real

17) (20) (22) (62) (102) (151) Jackson Merrill – SDP, OF/SS, 21.4 – Merrill’s argument for being the top rookie on this list is that his .370 xwOBA outpaces them all, and by a large margin. His extremely low launch used to be an area of concern, and now his 14.7 degree launch is leaps and bounds above Chourio and Wood. The reason he sits 3rd among them though is because he doesn’t seem to run quite as much throughout his career

18) (22) (17) (19) (78) (106) Paul Skenes – PIT, RHP, 22.3 – 1.99 ERA with a 32.9/6.3 K%/BB% in 131 IP. The easiest #1 dynasty pitcher in the game ranking I’ve ever made. The only reason he doesn’t rank even higher is that pitchers break, and pitchers that throw 98.8 MPH seem to break even more. Sucks to even acknowledge, but it’s part of the game.

19) (13) (10) (16) (17) (13) Bryce Harper – PHI, 1B, 31.11 – Career 142 wRC+ and has a 143 wRC+ this season. Still elite and I would bet on him being elite (or near elite) deep into his 30’s

20) (15) (13) (9) (12) (14) Mookie Betts – LAD, 2B/OF, 31.11 – Mookie is on pace to steal the most bases in a season since 2018, and if he didn’t get hurt, he would have surpassed 20. The decline years are lurking, but they ain’t here yet

21) (27) (26) (27) (22) (20) Wyatt Langford – TEX, OF, 22.10 – It took until September, but the underlying numbers kept saying to stay patient, and the breakout is here now, slashing .316/.395/.605 with 5 homers, 4 steals, and a 22.1/10.5 K%/BB% in his last 20 games. He’s crushing the ball with a 92.1 MPH EV over that time. I feel good about having Chourio as my #1 overall prospect over Langford (and Holliday) last off-season, but this story is far from over. This is just Chapter 1

22) (23) (30) (39) (32) (26) Francisco Lindor – NYM, SS, 30.10 – After nearly another 30/30 season, Lindor might finally not be so underrated going into next year. But I will say that him fighting through this back injury with extra injections to get back on the field doesn’t feel all that great for his long term health as he gets deeper into his 30’s. I agree with his decision to gut it out, don’t get me wrong, but I think it’s worth mentioning

23) (32) (53) (94) (123) (165) Jarren Duran – BOS, OF, 28.0 – Backed up the 2023 breakout with an even better year in 2024, currently sitting 15th overall on the Razzball Player Rater. He hits it hard, he’s lightning fast, and the hit tool just keeps on improving. There is nothing that says he’s a fluke at all. Value highly with confidence

24) (31) (40) (41) (36) (38) Oneil Cruz – PIT, SS, 25.11 – 95.6 MPH EV trails only Ohtani and Judge, and just barely. He now has a .255 career BA in 987 career PA, so while the hit tool is still a risk, I don’t think it’s that risky. And he went 22 for 23 on the bases. This is a truly elite dynasty asset, and he still feels on the underrated side

25) (21) (12) (14) (15) (46) CJ Abrams – WAS, SS, 23.11 – Sent down to the minors because he was partying at a casino until 8 AM when he had a 1 PM game. He’s 23 years old. The Nationals are so far out of it. I say give the kid a break. This doesn’t impact his dynasty value at all for me. He just went 20/30 with his power ticking up a notch this year. I think there is another jump coming in the future. This is just the beginning

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR THE REST OF THESE RANKINGS & TONS OF EXCLUSIVE CONTENT ALL OFF-SEASON, INCLUDING:
-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
-HALP’S DYNASTY BASEBALL PODCAST: SEPTEMBER MAILBAG!
-TONS OF DYNASTY RUNDOWNS
-SPREADSHEETS
-OFF-SEASON CONTENT! – Dynasty Team Reports, Team Prospect Rankings, Deep Positional Rankings, Top 100+ FYPD Ranks, Top 500+ Prospects Ranks, Top 1,000 Dynasty Ranks & so much more!

By Michael Halpern (@MichaelCHalpern)
Email: michaelhalpern@imaginarybrickwall.com
Twitter: Imaginary Brick Wall (@DynastyHalp)

Posted on by Michael Halpern

Top 322 September 2024 Dynasty Baseball Prospects Rankings (Patreon)

Jasson Dominguez was originally ranked first overall when I started this list, but with his callup last night, he is no longer eligible. So a brand new #1 prospect is crowned in Kristian Campbell! Any player currently in the majors is ineligible for this list, and I use that eligibility because I find lists are more fun/interesting/valuable when they highlight new up and coming talent. Dominguez was already the first overall prospect in the August Rankings, so he had his time. The Updated Dynasty Rankings coming in two weeks will have all of the prospects in the majors ranked, and obviously any player who retains prospect eligibility at the end of the season will be reinserted into the off-season prospects rankings. Bur for now, it’s all about ranking prospects still in the minors. As usual, I go over 300 deep with blurbs for every player. Top 25 free here on the Brick Wall. Here is the Top 322 September 2024 Dynasty Baseball Prospects Rankings:

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR THE REST OF THESE RANKINGS & TONS OF EXCLUSIVE CONTENT ALL SEASON & OFF-SEASON, INCLUDING:
-SEPTEMBER TOP 322 PROSPECTS RANKS
-AUGUST TOP 274 DYNASTY RANKS (UPDATED TOP 400+ DYNASTY RANKS COMING IN 2 WEEKS)
-TOP 57 2025 FYPD RANKS with full scouting reports and prime projections
-HALP’S DYNASTY BASEBALL PODCAST: AUGUST MAILBAG! (SEPT MAILBAG COMING NEXT WEEK)
-TONS OF DYNASTY RUNDOWNS
-SPREADSHEETS
-OFF-SEASON CONTENT! – Dynasty Team Reports, Team Prospect Rankings, Deep Positional Rankings, Top 100+ FYPD Ranks, Top 500+ Prospects Ranks, Top 1,000 Dynasty Ranks & so much more!

*Previous Rankings are in parenthesis

**Any player currently in the majors is ineligible

1) (34) (157) (UR) (UR) Kristian Campbell – BOS, 2B/OF, 22.3 –  A new #1 overall fantasy prospect is crowned, and that man’s name is Kristian Campbell. Here is what I wrote about Campbell in his latest Dynasty Baseball Rundown blurb, “I was asked about a comp for Campbell in the August Mailbag Podcast, and I couldn’t really think up of a great comp. But after watching him continue his absolute tear through Triple-A, maybe Fernando Tatis Jr. is the perfect comp. I didn’t want to go that lofty on the comp, but he has the size (6’3”, 210 pounds), the athleticism (23 steals) and power (20 homers) to live up to it.” … he currently has a 90 MPH EV in 16 games at Triple-A, and on his latest homer, I think he dislocated his shoulder with one of the most bad intentions swings I’ve seen. The launch is low and the hit tool still has some risk, so he’s not an absolutely perfect prospect, but he’s clearly an elite prospect. Campbell vs. Anthony is a coin flip for me, and Anthony being two years younger almost gave him the nod, but ultimately I couldn’t pass up on Campbell. He’s my top dog.

2) (3) (12) (10) (14) Roman Anthony – BOS, OF, 20.4 – How about the Sox having the top 2 prospects in the minor leagues right now? And they have far more than that too, they are not just top heavy. I hope the Yanks and Orioles are having their fun, because the Sox are coming real soon. As for Anthony, Triple-A isn’t slowing him down at all with a 149 wRC+ and 18.2/12.7 K%/BB% in 23 games. High groundball rates and poor base stealing are the only quibbles in his profile. He’s an upper middle class man’s Gunnar Henderson

3) (4) (8) (3) (19) Matt Shaw – CHC, 3B, 22.10 – Shaw has a 91.4 MPH EV with 4 homers in 23 games at Triple-A just in case anyone was questioning his power at 5’9”. He combines that with contact, approach and speed. He still feels underrated to me

4) (6) (15) (15) (58) Carson Williams – TBR, SS, 21.2 – 28.1% K% in 111 games at Double-A is starting to creep up there, but it’s not high enough to scare me off. He can be just fine with a K% in the high 20’s throughout his career, and if he get eventually get it under 25%, we could be looking at an elite fantasy player with his at least plus power/speed combo

5) (5) (9) (4) (25) Emmanuel Rodriguez – MIN, OF, 21.6 – Finally returned from a thumb injury and is now getting his first shot at Triple-A where he has a 41.7% K% in 5 games (as well as 1 homer and a 25% BB%). If anyone can hit under .200 with an over .400 OBP, it will be Rodriguez

6) (9) (14) (18) (64) Noah Schultz – CHW, LHP, 21.1 – His profile is almost unheard of. A 6’9” lefty with double plus stuff and plus control. Even Randy Johnson struggled with control earlier in his career. Randy actually had an insane 318 walks in 400.1 minor league innings pitched before getting the call to the bigs. Schultz is unprecedented. He’s easily my top pitching prospect in the game.

7) (11) (11) (11) (27) Samuel Basallo – BAL, C/1B, 20.1 – The upper minors definitely slowed him down a bit, and Triple-A is slowing him down more than a bit with a 41.3/4.3 K%/BB% and 19 wRC+ in 10 games. He’s barely 20 years old, so it’s an extremely encouraging season overall, but his comp maybe goes from Yordan Alvarez to Rafael Devers. Not bad

8) (12) (72) (58) (88) Leodalis De Vries – SDP, SS, 17.10 – De Vries vs. Jenkins vs. Walcott seems to be a popular debate, and I have De Vries first out of that group right now because he’s the one who has already tapped into his raw power the most. He ripped 11 homers in his last 40 games and he has a 49.3% FB% on the season. All 3 are going to be great, but that is what gives the small edge to De Vries at the moment.

9) (13) (23) (8) (12) Walker Jenkins – MIN, OF, 19.6 –  I comped Jenkins to Kyle Tucker, and Jenkins’ first year of pro ball is going very similarly to Tucker’s. Tucker had 9 homers with 32 steals and a 16.3/10.1 K%/BB% in 117 games in the lower minors, and Jenkins has 6 homers with 15 steals and a 12.7/15.6 K%/BB% in 76 games. Like Tucker, the power explosion is almost certainly coming

10) (14) (7) (NA) (6) Jordan Lawlar – ARI, SS, 22.1 – Lawlar tore his shoulder swinging a bat. He broke his thumb fielding a grounder. And he suffered a major hamstring strain presumably when running. Swinging a bat, fielding grounders, and running is basically the job, and getting majorly injured so often while doing these routine things makes it appropriate to slap the dreaded “injury prone” label on him. The good news is that he’s back from the hamstring injury and went 1 for 5 in his return. He just has to stay healthy

11) (40) (112) (75) (158) Bubba Chandler – PIT, RHP, 21.11 – I was a little hesitant this off-season to go all in on Chandler, because while the huge stuff was undeniable, he still needed a lot of refinement. Well, that refinement came this off-season and he’s now destroying Triple-A with a 1.93 ERA and 32.1/9.8 K%/BB% in 28 IP. The fastball averages 96.7 MPH and is a bat missing weapon. The slider is his most used secondary and it induces weak contact and misses bats. The changeup is his best secondary with a 40.5% whiff% and 79.7 MPH EV against at Triple-A. And finally the curve is a good pitch too. As long as the control/command stays solid, this is an easy ace. Pitt is absolutely stacked with both high end talent and depth

12) (8) (FYPD-1) (NA) (NA) Travis Bazzana – CLE, 2B, 22.0 – A lot of these college bats are getting a cold splash of water to the face after putting up video game numbers in college. Bazzana is hitting well with a 126 wRC+ in 27 games at High-A, but a .238/.369/.396 slashline with 3 homers and a 25.4% K% is not exactly screaming no doubt MLB superstar. I still love him, and I think he’s still going to be an impact fantasy player, but it’s at least something to think about

13) (17) (FYPD-2) (NA) (NA) JJ Wetherholt – STL, 2B, 22.0 – Profile is completely transferring to pro ball, slashing .295/.405/.400 with 2 homers, 2 steals, and a 11.9/12.7 K%/BB% in 29 games at Single-A. His upside might not be quite as high as some of the other bats, but he probably has the highest floor, and I do think there is 20/20 upside in here

14) (20) (22) (55) (83) Josue De Paula – LAD, OF, 19.3 – The last step to elite prospect status is an uptick in game power with 10 homers in 107 games, and while he certainly has the huge raw power in the tank, we only have to look at Jordan Walker to not take it for granted

15) (21) (33) (30) (33) Sebastian Walcott – TEX, SS, 18.7 – The 25.5% K% is still on the high side, and he hasn’t fully tapped into his raw power with 10 homers in 116 games at High-A, but all of that is just nitpicking. He has a 123 wRC+ as an 18 year old at High-A. College hitters are struggling to keep their heads above water at that level right now. Future star

16) (24) (48) (28) (28) Max Clark – DET, OF, 19.9 – I gave him the Corbin Carroll/Pete Crow Armstrong comp, and he was exactly as advertised in the lower minors. When the power ticks up, like we are seeing with Pete Crow right now, there is superstar upside

17) (15) (13) (6) (15) Jackson Jobe – DET, RHP, 22.1 – Is everyone just ignoring the 12.7% BB% in 73.2 IP at Double-A? I love Jobe just as much as the next guy, but it feels like this is getting majorly glossed over at the moment. He’s also had some injury issues in his career. Huge upside, but the risk is starting to creep up there too

18) (123) (265) (263) (319) Kumar Rocker – TEX, RHP, 24.8 – Returned from Tommy John surgery and he’s going full elite pitching prospect on us with a 1.96 ERA and 55/5 K/BB in 36.2 IP at mostly Double-A and Triple-A. The fastball sits 97.9 MPH and the slider is double plus to elite. He also mixes in a cutter, sinker and slider. If you want to ignore all risk from the shoulder surgery and Tommy John surgery which delayed his career, he has a case to be the top pitching prospect in the game, but I think factoring in some risk is prudent. All pitchers are risky, so I’m not going to dock him too much, but I’m not going to put him as the #1 pitcher on this list. He’s going to make his MLB debut on Thursday, and since he’s not up quite yet, he cracks this list.

19) (22) (27) (17) (36) Andrew Painter – PHI, RHP, 21.2 –  Painter underwent Tommy John surgery in late July 2023, which will keep him out for all of 2024. He has the type of elite upside to take the Tommy John discount on, but I do think you have to factor some risk in

20) (61) (92) (92) (105) Bryce Eldridge – SFG, OF, 19.9 – His dominance at High-A was so spectacular (187 wRC+ in 48 games) that it earned him a promotion to Double-A as a 19 year old, and he’s looked great there too with 1 homer, 19.2/11.5 K%/BB% and 115 wRC+ in 6 games. He’s 6’7” with elite power. No two ways about it at this point. He’s a truly elite power hitting prospect

21) (19) (18) (24) (48) Marcelo Mayer – BOS, SS, 21.9 – 141 wRC+ in 77 games at Double-A, but how big the power/speed combo will end up is still a question. He has only 8 homers with a 47.4% GB%, and he’s not a burner despite a solid 13 steals. He might end up more solid than standout in the majors, but at only 21, there is plenty of development time left to go

22) (25) (24) (12) (35) Colt Emerson – SEA, SS, 19.2 – High-A slowed him down a bit with a 90 wRC+ and 21.6% K% in 29 games, but on the plus side, he’s running a ton with 9 steals at the level. He’s 15 for 17 in 70 games on the season, so while he might not be a true burner, he looks like he could be a skilled baserunner

23) (23) (FYPD-3) (NA) (NA) Chase Burns – CIN, RHP, 21.8 – Yet to debut

24) (27) (28) (19) (68) Tink Hence – STL, RHP, 22.1 – Little Tink can’t seem to get true elite pitching prospect buzz because he isn’t a big guy, but size aside, the dude is elite with a 2.76 ERA and 34.4/8.0 K%/BB% in 78.1 IP at Double-A. He has the nasty stuff to back up the numbers. If he was a broad 6’2”, there would be zero questions about him

25) (35) (70) (82) (189) Thomas White – MIA, LHP, 19.10 – 2.61 ERA with a 29.9/8.3 K%/BB% in 62 IP at High-A. He has the size and stuff to back it up. He’s on the short list for #1 pitching prospect in the game once the guys in the upper minors graduate

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR THE REST OF THESE RANKINGS & TONS OF EXCLUSIVE CONTENT ALL SEASON & OFF-SEASON, INCLUDING:
-SEPTEMBER TOP 322 PROSPECTS RANKS
-AUGUST TOP 274 DYNASTY RANKS (UPDATED TOP 400+ DYNASTY RANKS COMING IN 2 WEEKS)
-TOP 57 2025 FYPD RANKS with full scouting reports and prime projections
-HALP’S DYNASTY BASEBALL PODCAST: AUGUST MAILBAG! (SEPT MAILBAG COMING NEXT WEEK)
-TONS OF DYNASTY RUNDOWNS
-SPREADSHEETS
-OFF-SEASON CONTENT! – Dynasty Team Reports, Team Prospect Rankings, Deep Positional Rankings, Top 100+ FYPD Ranks, Top 500+ Prospects Ranks, Top 1,000 Dynasty Ranks & so much more!

By Michael Halpern (@MichaelCHalpern)
Email: michaelhalpern@imaginarybrickwall.com
Twitter: Imaginary Brick Wall (@DynastyHalp)

Posted on by Michael Halpern

Combo Platter Week: August 2024 Top 274 Dynasty Baseball Rankings (Patreon)

Welcome to Combination Platter Week! I’m going to try something different this week. I usually only serve up Rankings one week, and Dynasty Rundowns the next, but I’m just feeling a Combination Platter Week where I serve up a little of both. Why order just the General Tso’s Chicken when you can get the General Tso’s Chicken and Roast Pork Fried Rice combo platter (with wonton soup instead of the egg roll, please)? I’m going to do a Top 274 update of the Dynasty Rankings for the first half of the week (Top 25 free here on IBW), and then I am going to finish it off on Thursday and Friday with Dynasty Rundowns. I’ve just been having a lot of fun with Dynasty Rundowns that I don’t want to skip a full week, but I’m definitely itching to update the top half of the dynasty rankings with so many of the young breakouts going crazy right now. The latter part of the dynasty rankings are mostly prospects (which you can see the recently updated August Top 327 Prospects Rankings for that) or lower upside vets anyway, so hopefully this will be a best of both worlds type of thing. And it’s only something I want to try out and would be an occasional thing. Full Top 400+ Dynasty Rankings will still come out in September. Without further ado, here is the August 2024 Top 274 Dynasty Baseball Rankings (Patreon):

*Previous Rankings are in parenthesis

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR THE REST OF THESE RANKINGS & TONS OF EXCLUSIVE CONTENT ALL SEASON & OFF-SEASON, INCLUDING:
-AUGUST TOP 327 PROSPECTS RANKS (8/9/24)
-MID-SEASON TOP 422 DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKS (7/12/24)
-TOP 57 2025 FYPD RANKS (7/19/24)
-HALP’S DYNASTY BASEBALL PODCAST: JULY MAILBAG! (7/31/24)
-TOP 11 MID-SEASON DYNASTY TARGETS (6/25/24)
-TONS OF DYNASTY RUNDOWNS
-SPREADSHEETS

1) (1) (2) (2) (2) Bobby Witt Jr. – KCR, SS, 24.2 – Witt was already my #2 overall ranked dynasty player coming into the season, and then he messed around and improved in almost all areas of his game, putting up career best marks in Barrel% (14.3%), EV (92.9 MPH), xwOBA (.418), K% (15%), and BB% (7.3%). The only thing that hasn’t improved in his baserunning, going 25 for 37 on the bases, but I think we can forgive him for that. He is the runaway #1 Dynasty player in the game.

2) (2) (1) (9) (9) Elly De La Cruz – CIN, SS/3B, 22.7 – I closed out Elly’s off-season Top 1,000 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.” … Taking that “risk” paid off majorly as he’s on pace to go almost 30/80. He raised his launch to a respectable 10.3 degrees and he improved his plate approach with an above average 26.1% Chase%. Keep in mind he’s still just 22 years old, so if he can bring that 31.3% K% down into the mid 20’s at some point, Whoa Nelly

3) (3) (6) (13) (28) Gunnar Henderson – BAL, SS/3B, 23.2 – Career bests in Barrel% (12.6%), EV (93.2 MPH), xwOBA (.386), K% (22.5%) and Chase% (21.8%). He also improved his 2 biggest weaknesses, putting up a .891 OPS vs. lefties and running more with 14 steals. He still isn’t running quite enough to surpass Witt and Cruz though

4) (4) (3) (4) (5) Shohei Ohtani – LAD, RHP/DH, 30.1 – Ohtani ranks 1st on the CBS Player Rater, but only 3rd on the Razzball Player Rater. Battle of the Player Raters!! I’m a Razzball guy, so I’ll trust theirs. He is 1 homer and 3 steals away from joining the elite 40-40 club that has only 5 current members (Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, Jose Canseco, Alfonso Soriano, Ronald Acuna). And he’s going to be back on the mound next year too. Even at 30 years old, it might be silly to place him anywhere else but #1 in a daily moves league, and in pure win now mode, he’s almost definitely #1

Shadow4) (4) (4) (10) (13) Shohei Ohtani – LAD, DH only/Weekly Leagues, 30.1 – This is where I would rank Ohtani in weekly leagues or as a hitter only. The Shadow Ohtani is now shadowing the Real Ohtani … the world is folding in on itself

5) (5) (5) (7) (7) Juan Soto – NYY, OF, 25.10 – I nailed Soto’s off-season Top 1,000 blurb so hard that even I’m starting to question if I can actually see into the future ;), “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) … 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.” He’s having that season with a 188 wRC+ that is 2nd only to Judge and a .478 xwOBA that is tied with Judge. I’m just imaging Boras manically laughing with every homer Soto hits

6) (9) (8) (11) (12) Aaron Judge – NYY, OF, 32.4 – Judge’s career 171 wRC+ is 9th in baseball history, behind only Josh Gibson, Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Oscar Charleston, Willard Brown, Buck Leonard, Turkey Stearnes (great name), and Barry Bonds. Not bad. Trout is 13th overall, Yordan is 15th and Soto is 19th.

7) (6) (7) (8) (8) Kyle Tucker – HOU, OF, 27.6 – Out since June 3rd with a deep bone bruise in his shin. He was putting up the quietest 174 wRC+ in baseball history before going down with the injury

8) (15) (4) (1) (1) Ronald Acuna Jr. – ATL, OF, 26.7 – Underwent surgery to repair a torn ACL in his left knee. We’ve already seen Acuna return from a torn ACL and put up a historic season, but switching sports for a second, you can’t help but think of Russell Westbrook and Derrick Rose. Both were explosive young athletes who kept blowing out their knees until the explosion dimmed. They were still good, but no longer in true prime form. Let’s hope Acuna can avoid that fate, and let’s also take into account baseball isn’t basketball. I’m not giving up on Acuna as an elite dynasty player at all, but it’s something to think about

9) (7) (13) (10) (10) Yordan Alvarez – HOU, OF, 27.2 – He’s running WILD this year with 5 whole steals. He had 2 steals in his entire career prior to this EXPLOSION. And oh yea, he’s still consistently elite with a 162 wRC+

10) (23) (28) (23) (22) Vladimir Guerrero Jr. – TOR, 1B, 25.5 – The underlying numbers have been screaming Vlad was legit elite, and once again, the underlying numbers didn’t steer us wrong as he’s slashing a ridiculous .421/.492/.904 with 13 homers in his last 30 games

11) (19) (26) (29) (23) Rafael Devers – BOS, 3B, 27.9 – Having a career year in his age 27 season with a career high 156 wRC+, .968 OPS, and 93.8 MPH EV. The guy is a consistent beast

12) (8) (10) (3) (6) Fernando Tatis Jr. – SDP, OF, 25.7 – Out since June 21st with a right femoral stress reaction. It’s taking awhile for him to heel, which I’m taking as a good sign that he isn’t taking any “shortcuts.” His .400 xwOBA was in the top 4% of the league before going down with the injury. It’s clear he can still be truly elite when healthy

13) (10) (16) (17) (13) Bryce Harper – PHI, 1B, 31.10 – .365 xwOBA is the 2nd lowest mark of his career in the Statcast era, but nothing is really showing any signs of decline, and his 145 wRC+ is right in line with career norms (142 career wRC+). I’ve said it before, but Harper strikes me as the type who will be raking deep into his 30’s

14) (11) (17) (18) (15) Jose Ramirez – CLE, 3B, 31.11 – Showing zero signs of decline and he even hit the hardest ball of his career this year with a 116.6 MPH Max EV. He’s also 6 steals away from breaking his personal record, and 29 steals is already the most steals he’s had in a season since he was 25 years old

15) (13) (9) (12) (14) Mookie Betts – LAD, 2B/OF, 31.10 – .986 OPS in 7 games since returning from a broken hand. I would say he’s fully healed

16) (14) (11) (6) (4) Julio Rodriguez – SEA, OF, 23.7 – 1.022 OPS in his last 20 games. .338 xwOBA is much better than the .308 wOBA. He still crushes the ball with a 91.1 MPH EV and he’s still lightning fast with a 29.7 ft/sec sprint. Ain’t no way in hell I’m selling low on Julio

17) (21) (12) (5) (3) Corbin Carroll – ARI, OF, 23.11 – The power has finally returned, slashing .252/.341/.622 with 11 homers, 6 steals, and a 27/15 K/BB in his last 34 games. This is why I was so adamant that with a player like this, you go down with the ship before selling low

18) (25) (49) (61) (68) James Wood – WAS, OF, 21.11 – He’s doing his best Elly De La Cruz impression with huge EV’s (94.6 MPH), a low launch (3.1 degrees), speed (6 steals with a 28.3 ft/sec sprint), and some hit tool issues (30.5/11.9 K%/BB%) in his 42 game MLB debut. He’s not nearly as fast as Elly, but he’s hitting the ball much harder. He’s going to join the truly elite dynasty assets in no time, if he isn’t there already.

19) (27) (24) (20) (18) Jackson Chourio – MIL, OF, 20.5 – Here is what I wrote about Chourio in the 8/16/24 Dynasty Baseball Rundown, “We already know the Chourio level up has arrived, and he keeps arriving after going 2 for 4 with a double and a homer last night. He’s now knocking on the door of a .280/20/20 season in his rookie year at .274/15/16 in 108 games. I’m feeling pretty good about my very tough decision to place Jackson Chourio at the #1 prospect in baseball this off-season over the likes of Holliday, Langford, and Caminero. This isn’t a victory lap as all of them were about equal in my book, they are still very close, and they can end up flip flopping their entire careers, but I spent a TON of time thinking about this in the off-season, and it’s cool to see it seems I had the right read, at least for now.”

20) (22) (62) (102) (151) Jackson Merrill – SDP, OF/SS, 21.3 – Merrill had a 59.9% GB% in 2022 at Single-A, and it is all the way down to 37.9% this year in the majors. That improvement is wild, especially when you consider it hasn’t impacted his hit tool at all with a 18.1% K% and .290 BA, or his hard hit ability at all with a 89.8 MPH EV. He’s one of the most exciting young players in the game

21) (12) (14) (15) (46) CJ Abrams – WAS, SS, 23.10 – 11 for 12 on the bases in his last 29 games, so any concerns about his baserunning can be put to rest, but on the flip side, his power metrics are starting to regress too with a .522 OPS in his last 33 games

22) (17) (19) (78) (106) Paul Skenes – PIT, RHP, 22.2 – The most slam dunk generational pitching prospect since Stephen Strasburg, and he hasn’t disappointed with a 2.30 ERA and 31.8/6.3 K%/BB% in 98 IP. Strasburg put up a 2.91 ERA with a 33.6/6.2 K%/BB% in 68 IP his first year out of college too. Let’s just hope Skenes’ career has more longevity, but with all of these upper 90 MPH flamethrowers dropping like flies, you sadly know it’s not going to be a decade+ of unscathed 180 IP+ years. That’s just how it goes for these guys

23) (30) (39) (32) (26) Francisco Lindor – NYM, SS, 30.9 – Lindor might be the most underrated fantasy and real life player in baseball. His 5.9 WAR is 5th best in baseball and he’s on pace for his second straight 30/30 season

24) (16) (18) (19) (17) Trea Turner – PHI, SS, 31.1 – 29.3 ft/sec sprint speed is a career low by far, and while you can blame the hamstring strain, injuries as you get older is generally what slows you down. This is the first sign of decline for the 31 year old Turner, and we know speed first profiles do not age well for dynasty. He’s stolen only 2 bases in his last 29 games. Having said that, Turner is an elite base stealer, going 14 for 15 this year and going a perfect 30 for 30 in 2023. I think he will be running until the day they tear the uniform off him

25) (18) (20) (42) (59) Tarik Skubal – DET, LHP, 27.8 – Pure dominance all season with a 2.49 ERA and 30.1/5.4 K%/BB% in 155.1 IP. It was announced he will get extra rest down the stretch though, which really puts a damper on my off-season bet for Skubal to lead the league in strikeouts at +8000 odds ($10 to win $800). He’s currently just 2 K’s behind the leader, Chris Sale. Damn

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR THE REST OF THESE RANKINGS & TONS OF EXCLUSIVE CONTENT ALL SEASON & OFF-SEASON, INCLUDING:
-AUGUST TOP 327 PROSPECTS RANKS (8/9/24)
-MID-SEASON TOP 422 DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKS (7/12/24)
-TOP 57 2025 FYPD RANKS (7/19/24)
-HALP’S DYNASTY BASEBALL PODCAST: JULY MAILBAG! (7/31/24)
-TOP 11 MID-SEASON DYNASTY TARGETS (6/25/24)
-TONS OF DYNASTY RUNDOWNS
-SPREADSHEETS

By Michael Halpern (@MichaelCHalpern)
Email: michaelhalpern@imaginarybrickwall.com
Twitter: Imaginary Brick Wall (@DynastyHalp)

Posted on by Michael Halpern

Top 327 August 2024 Dynasty Baseball Prospects Rankings (Patreon)

The trade deadline has passed. The 2024 MLB Draft is in the books. And that means it’s time to update the Top 300+ Dynasty Baseball Prospects Rankings over on the Patreon. Top 23 free here on the Brick Wall. Any player currently in the majors is ineligible for this list. So if you’re in the minors and have under 130 AB or 50 IP, you are eligible. As usual, I go over 300 deep with blurbs for every player. Here is the Top 327 August 2024 Dynasty Baseball Prospects Rankings:

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR THE REST OF THESE RANKINGS & TONS OF EXCLUSIVE CONTENT ALL SEASON, INCLUDING:
-AUGUST TOP 327 PROSPECTS RANKS
-MID-SEASON TOP 422 DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKS (7/12/24)
-TOP 57 2025 FYPD RANKS (7/19/24)
-HALP’S DYNASTY BASEBALL PODCAST: JULY MAILBAG! (7/31/24)
-TOP 11 MID-SEASON DYNASTY TARGETS (6/25/24)
-TONS OF DYNASTY RUNDOWNS
-SPREADSHEETS

*Previous Rankings are in parenthesis

**Any player currently in the majors is ineligible

1) (2) (NA) (8) Jasson Dominguez – NYY, OF, 21.6 – Alex Verdugo has a 87 wRC+ and isn’t a particularly good defensive player. It’s getting mighty close to that time for The Martian to invade New York again, and we saw what happened the last time he invaded New York with 4 bombs in just 8 games. His combination of upside and proximity is hard to match. He deserves the #1 spot on these rankings with all of prospects in the major leagues being ineligible for this list.

2) (5) (NA) (4) Junior Caminero – TBR, 3B/SS, 21.1 – Caminero is a close 2nd to Dominguez in terms of upside and proximity. But he doesn’t steal bases (1 steal in 48 games), and it sure feels like Tampa is ready to manipulate the hell out of his service time

3) (12) (10) (14) Roman Anthony – BOS, OF, 20.3 – The game power and stolen base speed have arrived at Double-A with 10 homers and 10 steals in his last 38 games. There is still some low launch (46.1% GB%) and high K (25.9% K%) in his game, but that feels like nitpicking for a barely 20 year old kid with a 134 wRC+ in the upper minors.

4) (8) (3) (19) Matt Shaw – CHC, 3B, 22.9 – Earned a callup to Triple-A by obliterating Double-A over his last 46 games, slashing .333/.400/.582 with 11 homers, 15 steals, and a 13.6%/9.7% K%/BB%. The Paredes trade complicated his path to playing time, but I’m trusting it to get sorted one way or another by 2025. Shaw still feels underrated to me

5) (9) (4) (25) Emmanuel Rodriguez – MIN, OF, 21.5 – A thumb injury from sliding into 2nd base put an abrupt halt to Rodriguez’ massive season at Double-A (201 wRC+ in 37 games). Even my 9 year old nephew uses one of those huge sliding mitts when on the bases (it’s kinda hilarious). Come on EmRod. It doesn’t change how much I love him with a monster OBP/power/speed combo, but it’s definitely annoying

6) (15) (15) (58) Carson Williams – TBR, SS, 21.1 – The hit tool concerns aren’t completely out of the woods with a 27% K% and .255 BA, but the age to level, power (14 homers), speed (28 steals), and glove more than make up for that. Plus, the K rate is actually improved from what he did in the lower minors. The Rays starting SS job is waiting for him

7) (FYPD-1) Charlie Condon – COL, 3B/1B/OF, 21.4 – Ranked 1st overall on the 2025 Top 57 FYPD Rankings (Patreon), writing, “I was all set to have Bazzana #1 on my FYPD Board, but with Condon going to Coors with the 3rd overall pick in the draft, it rattled my whole game plan. How can you pass up on a massive human being, with massive numbers, in the best conference in college baseball, going to the best ballpark in the majors, which just so happens to juice up the only slight quibble in his profile? The answer is, you can’t. Or at least I can’t. Condon has to be the top dog now. He’s 6’6”, 215 pounds and he swings the bat like it’s a literal twig. He ripped 37 homers in 60 games in the SEC this year and has 62 homers in 116 career games in the SEC. The power is near elite (I say near elite, because Jac has more power). He improved both his contact rates and plate approach this year with a 13.5%/18.8% K%/BB%, and like I alluded to, Coors Field juices up batting average the most. Coors is actually slightly below average for homers in 2024, but with 6’6” baseball players, it’s always the BA you have to watch out for, so this landing spot is perfect. He’s not going to steal many bases, but he’s a good athlete, and he should be able to nab a handful. If your team really needs the stolen bases, I can maybe see going Bazzana one, but all things being equal, there is just too much offense upside in that hitting environment to pass up on Condon in the top spot. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 99/34/107/.276/.357/.529/6″

8) (FYPD-2) Travis Bazzana – CLE, 2B, 21.11 – Ranked 2nd overall on the 2025 Top 57 FYPD Rankings (Patreon), writing, “Selected 1st overall, 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’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. Either way, he survived, and if you want to give Bazzana the edge over Condon because of steals, I wouldn’t blame you. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 100/25/91/.287/.366/.481/23″

9) (14) (18) (64) Noah Schultz – CHW, LHP, 21.0 – He’s yet to throw more than 4 IP in any outing of his career and he only has 65.2 IP on the season. Workload is the only thing to nitpick here, because everything else is straight elite with a 1.64 ERA and 29.6%/6.6% K%/BB% in 38.1 IP at Double-A. Schultz was my top pitcher target in his FYPD class, and he’s arrived

10) (10) (9) (10) Dylan Crews – WAS, OF, 22.4 – Just when we were ready to put the rough 2023 Double-A debut behind us, he went out and looked mighty mediocre when he got the call to Triple-A with a 87 wRC+ in 34 games. But the individual components look better with a 17.1%/9.1% K%/BB%, 4 homers, and 5 steals. He’s looking more like an above average across the board contributor rather than a true star right now though

11) (11) (11) (27) Samuel Basallo – BAL, C/1B, 19.11 – You couldn’t pry Basallo away from Baltimore’s cold dead hands at the deadline, and for good reason, as he’s still 19 years old with 15 homers, a 127 wRC+ and 20.9%/8.9% K%/BB% in 88 games at Double-A. At 6’4”, he has future beast written all over him

12) (72) (58) (88) Leodalis De Vries – SDP, SS, 17.9 – The explosion is on, slashing .274/.397/.573 with 9 homers, 6 steals, and 22%/14.9% K%/BB% in his last 29 games. He now has a well above average 110 wRC+ in 64 games at Single-A. He’s my favorite to be the #1 prospect in the game by this time next year

13) (23) (8) (12) Walker Jenkins – MIN, OF, 19.5 – Showed an elite plate approach at Single-A (11.3%/18.5% K%/BB% in 33 games), which is exciting because we know the big power is in there at 6’3”, 210 pounds. He hasn’t been as good since getting the call to High-A with a 61 wRC+ and 18.2%/9.2% K%/BB%, but obviously it’s too small of a sample to say anything

14) (7) (NA) (6) Jordan Lawlar – ARI, SS, 22.1 – Lawlar tore is shoulder swinging a bat. He broke his thumb fielding a grounder. And he suffered a major hamstring strain presumably when running. Swinging a bat, fielding grounders, and running is basically the job, and getting majorly injured so often while doing these routine things makes it appropriate to slap the dreaded “injury prone” label on him. I still love him, but the injuries are piling up

15) (13) (6) (15) Jackson Jobe – DET, RHP, 22.0 – The elite control from 2023 has vanished with a 14.5% BB% in 42.1 IP at Double-A. He went from Maddux to Misiorowski. But he’s still dominating with a 1.91 ERA and 30.6% K%, and I don’t believe that walk rate is his true talent. Not budging on him

16) (FYPD-3) Jac Caglionone – KCR, 1B/LHP, 21.6 – Ranked 3rd overall on the 2025 Top 57 FYPD Rankings (Patreon), writing, “Selected 6th overall, Caglionone is a giant human being at 6’5”, 250 pounds. Condon may have an extra inch on him, but he can’t even come close to Caglinone’s sheer mass. And it’s not Dan Vogelbach mass, it’s elite NFL TE type mass and athleticism. This is what truly elite power looks like, and he has no trouble getting to that power with 75 homers in 165 career games in the SEC. He also pitches with a fastball that can reach the upper 90’s to give you an idea of the type of athlete we are talking about, even if his future is almost certainly with the bat. The plate approach and hit tool were questions coming into the year, but he massively improved in those areas this year with a 8.2%/18.4% K%/BB% (18.2%/5.3% in 2023). The biggest knock on his profile is the very high chase rate, making him riskier than the other top bats in his class, but let me make a counter argument to that for a second. One, basically every hitter with an extremely high walk rate and low chase got criticized for not swinging enough, namely Kurtz. Jac is getting criticized for swinging too much. You can’t win. Two, if I was a pitcher, I wouldn’t want to give this guy anything to hit either. Sure, he chased, but not to his detriment. He did a ton of damage (.419 BA with a 1.419 OPS) and made a ton of contact. Three, there is something to be said about Jac proving he can hit very tough pitches that are out of the zone. It goes without saying that pro pitching and MLB pitching is much, much, much tougher than college pitching. You are going to have to hit tough pitches. You can’t always wait for a perfect pitch. Jac has proven he can do that. Maybe that’s just the lawyer in me to feel the pull to argue for a clear negative, ha, but it sounded good, right? I feel like there’s something to it, and on pure upside, Jac very well might be the top guy in the class. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 94/37/109/.261/.342/.524/8″

17) (FYPD-4) JJ Wetherholt – STL, 2B, 21.11 – Ranked 4th overall on the 2025 Top 57 FYPD Rankings (Patreon), writing, “Selected 7th overall, Wetherholt slid in the draft a bit after getting a lot of #1 overall buzz. Maybe it was the injuries, 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. It could also be that he is on the small side at 5’10”, and doesn’t have quite the raw power of the other top college hitters in the draft. Don’t get me wrong, he definitely has plenty of power, but about a 16 homer pace is not that impressive when everyone else is hitting 30. Or maybe it’s that he didn’t face the toughest competition in the Big 12. 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. He also rocks the little man leg kick which I love, ensuring he will get the most out of his very good raw power. 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. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 97/21/82/.290/.357/.462/26″

18) (19) (32) (41) Xavier Isaac – TBR, 1B, 20.8 – Called up to Double-A and went lefty on lefty for his first homer at the level in his 3rd game. The power is no joke, but the hit tool has some risk with a 30% K% at High-A and 42.9% K% in 3 games at Double-A

19) (18) (24) (48) Marcelo Mayer – BOS, SS, 21.8 – 140 wRC+ in 77 games at Double-A, but how big the power/speed combo will end up is still a question. He has only 8 homers with a 47.4% GB%, and he’s not a burner despite a solid 13 steals. He might end up more solid than standout in the majors, but at only 21, there is plenty of development time left to go.

20) (22) (55) (83) Josue De Paula – LAD, OF, 19.2 – Everything is translating to High-A except for the BABIP (.236). De Vries, Jenkins, De Paula and my next guy, Walcott, is going to be a super fun 1, 2. 3, 4 one day atop the prospects rankings

21) (33) (30) (33) Sebastian Walcott – TEX, SS, 18.6 – Destroying High-A for awhile now, slashing .301/.356/.534 with 7 homers, 9 steals, and a 24.7%/7.7% in his last 45 games. That’s insanely impressive for an 18 year old, and the tools are elite at 6’4”

22) (27) (17) (36) Andrew Painter – PHI, RHP, 21.2 –  Painter underwent Tommy John surgery in late July 2023, which will keep him out for all of 2024. He has the type of elite upside to take the Tommy John discount on, but I do think you have to factor some risk in

23) (FYPD-5) Chase Burns – CIN, RHP, 21.7 – Ranked 5th overall on the 2025 Top 57 FYPD Rankings (Patreon), writing, “Selected 2nd overall, 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 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. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 15/3.23/1.08/245 in 190 IP”

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR THE REST OF THESE RANKINGS & TONS OF EXCLUSIVE CONTENT ALL SEASON, INCLUDING:
-AUGUST TOP 300+ PROSPECTS RANKS
-MID-SEASON TOP 422 DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKS (7/12/24)
-TOP 57 2025 FYPD RANKS (7/19/24)
-HALP’S DYNASTY BASEBALL PODCAST: JULY MAILBAG! (7/31/24)
-TOP 11 MID-SEASON DYNASTY TARGETS (6/25/24)
-TONS OF DYNASTY RUNDOWNS
-SPREADSHEETS

By Michael Halpern (@MichaelCHalpern)
Email: michaelhalpern@imaginarybrickwall.com
Twitter: Imaginary Brick Wall (@DynastyHalp)

Posted on by Michael Halpern

Mid-Season 2024 Top 422 Dynasty Baseball Rankings (Patreon)

The Mid-Season 2024 Top 422 Dynasty Baseball Rankings are up on the Patreon! Spreadsheet is available on the Patreon as well. Blurbs for every player. Top 20 free here on the Brick Wall. Without further ado, here is the Mid-Season 2024 Top 422 Dynasty Baseball Rankings:

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR THE REST OF THESE RANKINGS & TONS OF EXCLUSIVE CONTENT ALL SEASON, INCLUDING:
-TOP 11 MID-SEASON DYNASTY TARGETS (6/25/24)
-JUNE TOP 305 PROSPECTS RANKS (6/14/24)
-MID-SEASON TOP 422 DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKS
-HALP’S DYNASTY BASEBALL PODCAST: JUNE MAILBAG! (6/28/24)
-TONS OF DYNASTY RUNDOWNS
-SPREADSHEETS

1) (2) (2) (2) Bobby Witt Jr. – KCR, SS, 24.1 – Witt has nearly as much upside as Elly (but not quite), and he’s a whole lot safer with a 16.4% K%. He deserves to hold down the top spot

2) (1) (9) (9) Elly De La Cruz – CIN, SS/3B, 22.6 – .247 BA with a 31.4% makes Elly very streaky right now, but keep in mind he’s still only 22 years old. This is his floor. And being within reach of a 30/80 season as his floor is just stupid

3) (6) (13) (28) Gunnar Henderson – BAL, SS/3B, 23.0 – He’s not slowing down at all, in fact, he’s picked it up even more, slashing .351/.431/.657 with 9 homers, 7 steals, and a 34/18 K/BB in his last 33 games. There is a real argument for him being the #1 dynasty player in the game

4) (3) (4) (5) Shohei Ohtani – LAD, RHP/DH, 30.0 – Ohtani just turned the big 3-0 a few days ago. Happy Birthday, Big Fella. It’s the only demerit to his otherwise spotless dynasty profile

Shadow4) (4) (10) (13) Shohei Ohtani – LAD, DH only/Weekly Leagues, 30.10 – This is where I would rank Ohtani in weekly leagues or as a hitter only. The Shadow Ohtani is now shadowing the Real Ohtani … the world is folding in on itself

5) (5) (7) (7) Juan Soto – NYY, OF, 25.9 – 46.5% Pull% is a career high by far (38.9% in 2023). He’s aiming for that short porch as I fully expected, and it’s resulted in a career best home run pace with 21 homers in 88 games. Oh yea, the career high 94.4 MPH EV is helping too

6) (7) (8) (8) Kyle Tucker – HOU, OF, 27.6 – Out since June 3rd with a shin injury. He was putting up the quietest 173 wRC+ in baseball history before going down with the injury

7) (13) (10) (10) Yordan Alvarez – HOU, OF, 27.0 – Since his OPS fell to .748 on May 18th, he’s been a man possessed with a 1.179 OPS in his last 41 games. He’s even started running with 4 steals after he’s never stolen more than 1 bag in a season.

8) (10) (3) (6) Fernando Tatis Jr. – SDP, OF, 25.6 – Out since June 21st with a stress reaction in his quad. Just heal naturally. Please don’t make an appointment for a “haircut.” His .400 xwOBA was in the top 3% of the league before going down with the injury. It’s clear he can still be truly elite when healthy

9) (8) (11) (12) Aaron Judge – NYY, OF, 32.2 – He’s risen to #1 overall on the Razzball Player Rater on the back of 32 homers and a 204 wRC+ in 90 games. His .467 xwOBA is a career high and leads all of baseball

10) (16) (17) (13) Bryce Harper – PHI, 1B, 31.9 – Elite as usual

11) (17) (18) (15) Jose Ramirez – CLE, 3B, 31.10 – Showing zero signs of decline and he even hit the hardest ball of his career this year with a 116.6 MPH Max EV

12) (14) (15) (46) CJ Abrams – WAS, SS, 23.9 – Abrams is locking in that the breakout is legit with 14 homers,  89.5 MPH EV, .364 xwOBA, and 139 wRC+, but his base stealing ability has mysteriously disappeared. He went an insane 47 for 51 on the bases last year, but that has plummeted to 14 for 24 this year. He’s slightly slower this year, but it’s hard to believe that is the cause of all of this. I’m expecting some positive regression there in the 2nd half

13) (9) (12) (14) Mookie Betts – LAD, 2B/OF, 31.9 – Out since June 16th with a broken hand. He wasn’t maintaining his power surge from the last few years with a 6% Barrel%, which was a 7 year low, but that’s just nitpicking as he was still dominating with a 158 wRC+.

14) (11) (6) (4) Julio Rodriguez – SEA, OF, 23.6 – Julio has officially taken this slow start thing too far. Struggling into the middle of July with a .632 OPS is no longer a slow start. But he’s still been massively unlucky with a .282 wOBA vs. .334 xwOBA. Everything looks pretty close to his career norms. There is definitely a big 2nd half coming here. He’s in prime buy low territory right now.

15) (4) (1) (1) Ronald Acuna Jr. – ATL, OF, 26.7 – Underwent surgery to repair a torn ACL in his left knee. We’ve already seen Acuna return from a torn ACL and put up a historic season, but switching sports for a second, you can’t help but think of Russell Westbrook and Derrick Rose. Both were explosive young athletes who kept blowing out their knees until the explosion dimmed. They were still good, but no longer in true prime form. Let’s hope Acuna can avoid that fate, and let’s also take into account baseball isn’t basketball. I’m not giving up on Acuna as an elite dynasty player at all, but it’s something to think about

16) (18) (19) (17) Trea Turner – PHI, SS, 31.0 – Returned from a hamstring strain and is slashing .321/.361/.564 with 5 homers, 1 steal, and a 15/3 K/BB in 18 games. How much he runs as he gets deeper into his 30’s is the biggest question for his dynasty value. I’m betting on him running till they rip the uniform off him, but you never know

17) (19) (78) (106) Paul Skenes – PIT, RHP, 22.1 – I named him the #1 dynasty pitcher in the game after just 3 MLB starts in the last update, and he hasn’t let me down since then with a 2.08 ERA and 57/8 K/BB in his next 7 starts totaling 43.1 IP. The only nitpick is that he doesn’t have a secondary with a whiff% over 30.1%. That isn’t optimal.

18) (20) (42) (59) Tarik Skubal – DET, LHP, 27.7 – I put a bet on Skubal this off-season to lead the league in strikeouts at +8000 odds ($10 to win $800). He’s currently 5th overall, just 14 behind the leader, Garrett Crochet. I can smell it! Needless to say, he’s fully backing up the 2023 breakout, and the odds won’t be nearly as good next off-season

19) (26) (29) (23) Rafael Devers – BOS, 3B, 27.8 – 157 wRC+ and .968 OPS are both career highs by far. He’s as consistent as they come and he’s having a career year in his age 27 season

20) (22) (28) (11) Luis Robert – CHW, OF, 26.11 – He’s volatile, steaky, and injury prone, but the man is a power/speed beast with 8 homers and 5 steals in 30 games since returning from a hamstring injury. He’s clearly working on becoming a more mature hitter with a career best by far 33.1% Chase%, but it’s come at the cost of his K% with a career worst 33.3% K%. I’ll keep betting on this kind of talent, but it’s not a smooth ride

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR THE REST OF THESE RANKINGS & TONS OF EXCLUSIVE CONTENT ALL SEASON, INCLUDING:
-TOP 11 MID-SEASON DYNASTY TARGETS (6/25/24)
-JUNE TOP 305 PROSPECTS RANKS (6/14/24)
-MID-SEASON TOP 400+ DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKS
-HALP’S DYNASTY BASEBALL PODCAST: JUNE MAILBAG! (6/28/24)
-TONS OF DYNASTY RUNDOWNS
-SPREADSHEETS

By Michael Halpern (@MichaelCHalpern)
Email: michaelhalpern@imaginarybrickwall.com
Twitter: Imaginary Brick Wall (@DynastyHalp)

Posted on by Michael Halpern

Top 305 June 2024 Dynasty Baseball Prospects Rankings (Patreon)

May’s update was all about the pure prospects. Any MLB taint disqualified you from the list. But I swung it back in the other direction for this month’s update because I just felt like it would be more interesting to see where the new popups fit in with the old guard. I’m unpredictable like that. So keep in mind that the previous month’s rankings are not a direct comparison with this month. It might look like guys dropped, but really it’s just because players were added into the rankings who were ineligible last month. Top 20 free here on the Brick Wall. Blurbs for every player. Here is the Top 3005 June 2024 Dynasty Baseball Prospects Rankings:

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR THE REST OF THESE RANKINGS & TONS OF EXCLUSIVE CONTENT ALL SEASON, INCLUDING:
-MAY TOP 414 DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKS (5/24/24)
-JUNE TOP 300+ PROSPECTS RANKS
-HALP’S DYNASTY BASEBALL PODCAST: MAY MAILBAG! (5/30/24)
-TONS OF DYNASTY RUNDOWNS
-SPREADSHEETS

*Previous Rankings are in parenthesis (May’s Non-Debuted Pure Prospects Rankings) (Off-Season Rankings)

1) (2) (16) Paul Skenes – PIT, RHP, 21.11 – Mercury must be in retrograde or something, because I never thought I would see the day when I ranked a pitcher as the top prospect in baseball, but that day is today. Skenes jumped up to the majors and immediately overwhelmed MLB hitters with a 3.00 ERA and 35.5%/5.6% K%/BB% in 27 IP. He’s not only my top prospect in the game, he’s my top dynasty pitcher in the game, ranking 19th overall on my latest Top 414 Dynasty Baseball Rankings (Patreon).

2) (NA) (8) Jasson Dominguez – NYY, OF, 21.4 – You know what Dominguez doesn’t have in common with Holliday and Caminero? His MLB debut was actually electric with 4 homers in 8 games, and now that he’s back from Tommy John surgery, it’s like he never left with 6 homers in 15 upper minors games. Maybe the hit tool is still a bit riskier, but he more than makes up for that with upside due to how much he loves to run. Dominguez is my #1 hitting prospect in baseball.

3) (1) (9) James Wood – WAS, OF, 21.9 – Wood’s strikeout rate is better than both Holliday and Caminero’s at Triple-A. We saw Holliday’s K rate skyrocket in his MLB debut, and Wood’s plate approach is superior to Caminero’s. We’ve seen both Holliday and Caminero struggle in their MLB debuts. He runs more than both Holliday and Caminero. He hits the ball harder than both Holliday and Caminero. I can’t guarantee that Wood ends up better than Holliday and Caminero, and at his height, he most probably does have more hit tool risk, but I don’t think either can match Wood’s upside, and judging based only on 2024, his hit tool is more than holding his own vs. those guys. I’m a glutton for upside, and there might not be a prospect in baseball with more upside than Wood.

4) (NA) (2) Jackson Holliday – BAL, SS, 20.6 – If the terrible MLB debut never happened, we would all be losing our minds on what a travesty it is that Jackson Holliday and his 140 wRC+ is still at Triple-A. With all the extremely aggressive assignments throughout all levels of professional baseball, and the mostly lackluster results, it feels like the pendulum has swung too far in the other extreme. How about some middle ground. “Everything in moderation, even moderation.”

5) (NA) (4) Junior Caminero – TBR, 3B/SS, 20.11 – Caminero’s 106 wRC+ in 34 games at Triple-A isn’t super impressive, but he’s still crushing the ball (92.4 MPH EV), ripping homers (8 homers), and showing a decent plate approach (22.9%/9.2% K%/BB%). And he’s still only 20. He’s still on track to reach his righty Devers comp.

6) (NA) (11) Noelvi Marte – CIN, 3B, 22.8 – I think there is a case to put Marte over Holliday and Caminero as well due to his much superior MLB debut, but let’s get a looksie on him post PED suspension before getting ahead of ourselves. Maybe he was cheating.

7) (NA) (6) Jordan Lawlar – ARI, SS, 21.10 – Lawlar started a rehab assignment in rookie ball coming off thumb surgery. Nobody has staked claim to Arizona’s SS job in his absence, and while Perdomo is on the comeback trail as well, I just don’t think he has the bat to hold the job. Lawlar should get his shot at some point in the 2nd half

8) (3) (19) Matt Shaw – CHC, 3B, 22.8 – He hasn’t blown the doors off at Double-A, but he’s proving his big 2023 pro debut was no fluke with 6 homers, 15 steals, and a 21.4%/14.4% K%/BB% in 54 games at Double-A.

9) (4) (25) Emmanuel Rodriguez – MIN, OF, 21.3 – There are a lot of really good prospects not putting up eye popping numbers at Double-A, but Baby Bonds isn’t one of them with a 199 wRC+ in 37 games. In OBP leagues, there is a case for him to be the #1 hitting prospect in the game with a 25.1% BB%

10) (9) (10) Dylan Crews – WAS, OF, 22.2 – The disaster start is behind him, but this still isn’t the light the world on fire bat we hoped we would be getting

11) (11) (27) Samuel Basallo – BAL, C/1B, 19.10 – 1.099 OPS in his last 20 games. Looks like Basallo has figured out the upper minors, and he’s still 19 years old

12) (10) (14) Roman Anthony – BOS, OF, 20.1 – A 138 wRC+ as a barely 20 year old at Double-A is impressive even if the numbers aren’t off the charts

13) (6) (15) Jackson Jobe – DET, RHP, 21.9 – He was just getting back to his dominant self in his last 3 outings with a 16/3 K/BB in 11 IP at Double-A, but a hamstring strain landed him on the IL since May 1st

14) (18) (64) Noah Schultz – CHW, LHP, 20.9 – Insane dominance has transferred to the upper minors with a 0.77 ERA and 35%/0% K%/BB% in 11.2 IP. There is little doubt that this guy is going to be an ace if he stays healthy

15) (15) (58) Carson Williams – TBR, SS, 20.11 – 27.9% K% shows there is still hit tool risk, but as a 20 year old in the upper minors, that actually isn’t too bad, and he’s dominating regardless with a 161 wRC+. Tack on a plus SS glove which should give him a long leash, and this is a no doubt elite prospect

16) (NA) (13) Pete Crow-Armstrong – CHC, OF, 22.2 – PCA is locking in that his speed and baserunning ability are truly elite with a 30 ft/sec sprint and a perfect 7 for 7 mark on the bases, and he’s also showing much better contact rates than his first go around with a 23% K%, but he’s yet to prove he can hit the ball hard enough to truly make an impact with a 86.7 MPH EV. It sat 87.9 MPH with a 110.6 MPH MAX at Triple-A, so there is more in the tank right now, and I definitely think there is more in the tank in the future. I’m not moving off PCA

17) (7) (23) Coby Mayo – BAL, 1B/3B, 22.6 – Out since May 16th with a fractured rib. He’s on a beeline to be on the best power hitters in the game when he gets healthy again

18) (24) (48) Marcelo Mayer – BOS, SS, 21.8 – Here is what I wrote about Mayer this off-season in his Top 1,000 blurb: “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.” … and like Marte, he came out swinging the next season, slashing .300/.370/.486 with 6 homers, 12 steals, and a 20.2%/9.7% K%/BB% in 54 games at Double-A . Hopefully unlike Marte, he isn’t on PED’s

19) (32) (41) Xavier Isaac – TBR, 1B, 20.6 – 27.6 K% in 51 games at High-A means we have to recalibrate his hit tool expectations a bit, but on the flip side, we can do the same about his stolen base expectations with 13 steals. And the power is unquestioned with 12 homers

20) (5) (18) Spencer Jones – NYY, OF, 23.1 – He might finally be finding his groove at Double-A with 4 homers, 2 steals, and a 1.052 OPS in his last 9 games, although it still comes with a 12/2 K/BB. I’m going to keep betting on the huge talent, even if the hit tool isn’t where it needs to be right now with a 34.1% K%

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR THE REST OF THESE RANKINGS & TONS OF EXCLUSIVE CONTENT ALL SEASON, INCLUDING:
-MAY TOP 414 DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKS (5/24/24)
-JUNE TOP 300+ PROSPECTS RANKS
-HALP’S DYNASTY BASEBALL PODCAST: MAY MAILBAG! (5/30/24)
-TONS OF DYNASTY RUNDOWNS
-SPREADSHEETS

By Michael Halpern (@MichaelCHalpern)
Email: michaelhalpern@imaginarybrickwall.com
Twitter: Imaginary Brick Wall (@DynastyHalp)

Posted on by Michael Halpern

May 2024 Top 414 Dynasty Baseball Rankings (Patreon)

Welcome to May Dynasty Baseball Rankings Week! Unlike the April Update, we have a legit sample to work with to make some real determinations. As usual, I will be going over 400 deep with blurbs for every player. Top 20 is free here on the Brick Wall. Here is the May 2024 Top 414 Dynasty Baseball Rankings:

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR THE REST OF THESE RANKINGS & TONS OF EXCLUSIVE CONTENT ALL SEASON, INCLUDING:
-MAY TOP 414 DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKS (5/24/24)
-MAY TOP 301 PROSPECTS RANKS (5/10/23)
-HALP’S DYNASTY BASEBALL PODCAST: MAILBAG!
-TONS OF DYNASTY RUNDOWNS
-SPREADSHEETS

*Off-season and April rankings are in parenthesis, in that order

1) (9) (9) Elly De La Cruz – CIN, SS/3B, 22.4 – I went all in on Elly’s insane upside this off-season, ranking him 9th overall on the Top 1,000 and 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.” … And now that he’s exploded with a legit shot at 30/100, I’m not taking my foot off the pedal. He’s still a bit riskier than some of the elite talent ranked after him, but none of them can touch his upside. He’s my #1 overall dynasty player.

2) (2) (2) Bobby Witt Jr. – KCR, SS, 23.11 – Witt’s cooled off a bit from the scorching start to the season with a .867 OPS, but the underlying numbers are still elite with a .404 xwOBA. I was so close to ranking him over Elly as the top dog because he definitely has the safer hit tool, but I didn’t play it safe with Elly this off-season, and I’m not going to start now

3) (4) (5) Shohei Ohtani – LAD, RHP/DH, 29.10 – Ohtani doesn’t even need to pitch to be the most valuable player in fantasy, ranking 1st overall on the Razzball Player Rater. If he comes back healthy on the mound in 2025, he’s such an insanely good win now piece that I just can’t ding him for being older than the other elite players. He was my undisputed #1 overall dynasty player before going down with the elbow injury, and there is an argument that he should still hold that top spot

4) (1) (1) Ronald Acuna Jr. – ATL, OF, 26.4 – We’re deep enough into the season to say something ain’t right. The elite contact numbers from 2023 have completely disappeared, and the 8.9% Barrel% is a career low by far. He’s been unlucky (.322 wOBA vs. .353 xwOBA), and he’s still crushing the ball (92.4 MPH EV), so I do think a heater is coming, but this has gone beyond a slow start to the season. He deserves a small drop, but this is still an elite of the elite dynasty asset for me.

Shadow4) (10) (13) Shohei Ohtani – LAD, DH only/Weekly Leagues, 29.10 – This is where I would rank Ohtani in weekly leagues or as a hitter only

5) (7) (7) Juan Soto – NYY, OF, 25.7 – As I expected, he’s aiming for that short porch, increasing his pull percentage 6.9 percentage points to a career high 45.8% and increasing his launch 3.7 degrees to 10.4 degrees. It’s resulted in 11 homers and a .463 xwOBA (2nd best in baseball behind only Ohtani) in 48 games. The 4 steals are modest, but that actually puts him on a career high pace there too

6) (13) (28) Gunnar Henderson – BAL, SS/3B, 22.10 – Well, well, well. How the turntables … have turned. I ranked Gunnar over Carroll as the #1 overall prospect in the game in the 2023 Rankings, and that looked like a mistake after the 2023 season, but things look different this year with Gunnar jumping back over Carroll. His 94.1 MPH EV is in the top 3% of the league, and it’s led to 16 homers, which leads the league. And he’s running much more with 7 steals. I wouldn’t be surprised if this isn’t the last time Carroll and Gunnar flip values, but right now, Gunnar reigns supreme.

7) (8) (8) Kyle Tucker – HOU, OF, 27.3 – 15 homers is the 2nd most in the league behind Gunnar, and his 192 wRC+ is 2nd to only Ohtani … and it still feels like barely anyone gets excited about him. It’s crazy how good he is compared to his hype

8) (11) (12) Aaron Judge – NYY, OF, 32.0 – Unsurprisingly shook off a slow start with 10 homers and a 1.307 OPS in his last 25 games. The exit velocity king is back atop his throne with a 96.6 MPH EV that leads all of baseball

9) (12) (14) Mookie Betts – LAD, 2B/OF, 31.7 – 185 wRC+ is tied for a career high, and his 8 steals in 48 games is on pace to shatter his recent season steal totals

10) (3) (6) Fernando Tatis Jr. – SDP, OF, 25.4 – Only 6 steals in 7 attempts is the main thing holding him back from ranking higher. His EV also hasn’t really bounced back to pre PED/wrist/shoulder levels, but Tatis is still an elite beast with a .389 xwOBA that is in the top 6% of the league.

11) (6) (4) Julio Rodriguez – SEA, OF, 23.4 – Julio is a notorious slow starter and nothing looks too concerning in the underlying numbers. He’s already started to heat up with a .315 BA in his last 31 games. The homer binge has to be around the corner

12) (5) (3) Corbin Carroll – ARI, OF, 23.8 – It’s getting harder to keep the faith, but a 92 MPH EV in May tells me better days are still ahead. He’s also definitely been unlucky with a .251 wOBA vs. 305 xwOBA. We might be entering prime buy low territory right now

13) (10) (10) Yordan Alvarez – HOU, OF, 26.7 – With nearly zero value in the stolen base category, Yordan needs to be air tight elite everywhere else, and he hasn’t been this year with a .759 OPS. The underlying numbers are better, but even those are in career low areas with a still very good 12.8% Barrel% and .373 xwOBA

14) (15) (46) CJ Abrams – WAS, SS, 23.7 – Cooled off since the hot start, but Abrams is still showing major improvement with a 89.1 MPH EV, .374 xwOBA, and .310 xBA. He hasn’t locked in his near elite dynasty asset status, but he’s clearly leveling up

15) (16) (43) Anthony Volpe – NYY, SS, 23.0 – Leveled off after the scorching start, but the hit tool is clearly much improved with a .270 BA and 21.3% whiff% (.209 BA with a 28.1% whiff% in 2023), and the power/speed combo is still very good with a 20/30 season within reach

16) (17) (13) Bryce Harper – PHI, 1B, 31.7 – Career low by far 26.4 ft/sec sprint shows there could be some physical decline here, and a .360 xwOBA is nearly a career low. It’s way too early to say he’s declining and the 146 wRC+ is near elite, but I think it’s worth mentioning

17) (18) (15) Jose Ramirez – CLE, 3B, 31.7 – .302 xwOBA is basically a career low and his OPS is on a 4 year decline at .780. Like Harper, it’s worth mentioning, but he still ranks 12th overall on the Razzball Player Rater and nothing is overly concerning in the underlying numbers, so way too early to say it’s the start of a decline phase

18) (19) (17) Trea Turner – PHI, SS, 30.10 – Out since May 3rd with a hamstring strain. He wasn’t showing any signs of decline before going down with the injury with a .343 BA, 2 homers, and 10 steals in 33 games

19) (78) (106) Paul Skenes – PIT, RHP, 21.11 – Called up the bigs and hasn’t missed a beat with a 2.70 ERA and 46.2%/7.7% K%/BB% in 10 IP. The fastball sits 99.7 MPH and he has a 38.3% whiff%. Calling Skenes a generational pitching prospect was not oversold. It might be early, but I don’t think I would trade Skenes for any other pitcher. He’s my new top dog dynasty baseball pitcher

20) (42) (59) Tarik Skubal – DET, LHP, 27.5 – Not only is he backing up the 2023 breakout, he’s actually been even better with a 1.80 ERA and 31.6%/3.8% K%/BB% in 55 IP. The velocity is up too with a 96.6 MPH fastball. He’s the best starter in baseball. Just stay healthy

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR THE REST OF THESE RANKINGS & TONS OF EXCLUSIVE CONTENT ALL SEASON, INCLUDING:
-MAY TOP 414 DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKS (5/24/24)
-MAY TOP 301 PROSPECTS RANKS (5/10/23)
-HALP’S DYNASTY BASEBALL PODCAST: MAILBAG!
-TONS OF DYNASTY RUNDOWNS
-SPREADSHEETS

By Michael Halpern (@MichaelCHalpern)
Email: michaelhalpern@imaginarybrickwall.com
Twitter: Imaginary Brick Wall (@DynastyHalp)

Posted on by Michael Halpern

Welcome to May Dynasty Baseball Rankings Week! (Patreon)

Welcome to May Dynasty Baseball Rankings Week! Unlike the April Update, we have a legit sample to work with and make some real determinations. As usual, I will be going over 400 deep with blurbs for every player. The Top 20-ish will be released here on the Brick Wall. First post will drop later today. Catch you then …

-Halp

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR TONS OF EXCLUSIVE CONTENT ALL SEASON, INCLUDING:
-MAY TOP 400+ DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKS
-MAY TOP 301 PROSPECTS RANKS (5/10/23)
-HALP’S DYNASTY BASEBALL PODCAST: MAILBAG!
-TONS OF DYNASTY RUNDOWNS
-SPREADSHEETS

Posted on by Michael Halpern

Top 301 May 2024 Dynasty Baseball Pure Prospects Rankings (Patreon)

These prospects rankings are for the pure, uncut prospects only. If you were tainted with MLB at bats/IP, even 1, you’ve lost your prospect virginity, and are ineligible for this list. The goal is to make a list with fresh names, and allow everyone to be evaluated on an even playing field of 0 MLB experience. Top 20 free here on the Brick Wall. Here is the Top 301 May 2024 Dynasty Baseball Pure Prospects Rankings:

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR THE REST OF THESE RANKINGS & TONS OF EXCLUSIVE CONTENT ALL SEASON, INCLUDING:
-APRIL TOP 427 DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKS (4/19/24)
-MAY TOP 301 PROSPECTS RANKS
-HALP’S DYNASTY BASEBALL PODCAST: APRIL MAILBAG! (4/24/24)
-TONS OF DYNASTY RUNDOWNS
-TOP 42 PROSPECTS TO STACH FOR 2024 ONLY (May Update coming soon)
-MAY DYNASTY TARGETS COMING SOON
-SPREADSHEETS

1) (9) James Wood – WAS, OF, 21.8 – When you eliminate every player who has already made their MLB debut, Wood rises to the #1 pure prospect in the game. And he did it on the back of much improved contact rates at Triple-A with a 20.7% K%. He combines that with elite power (93.8 MPH EV), speed (8 steals), and OBP (15.6% BB%). He’s going to be scary good.

2) (16) Paul Skenes – PIT, RHP, 21.10 – Remember all that hand wringing about his fastball shape? Yea, neither do I as he’s been wrecking Triple-A with a 0.99 ERA and 42.9%/7.6% K%/BB% in 27.1 IP. The fastball averages 100 MPH and the secondaries (slider, splitter, change) rack up whiffs. This is what a true ace should do against minor league hitters, and he’s doing it. Let’s be honest, he shouldn’t be on this list at all. Call him up, Pitt.

3) (19) Matt Shaw – CHC, 3B, 22.6 – 3 homers, 7 steals, 23.2%/17.2% K%/BB% and 132 wRC+ in 24 games at Double-A. After the low walk rates in 2023, he’s clearly working on being more patient

4) (25) Emmanuel Rodriguez – MIN, OF, 21.2 – Baby Bonds is now officially an elite prospect with his destruction of Double-A, slashing .281/.500/.625 with 4 homers, 9 steals, a 28.3%/29.3% K%/BB% and 203 wRC+ in 20 games

5) (18) Spencer Jones – NYY, OF, 23.0 – Hit tool issues aren’t in the rear view mirror yet with a 32.4% K% in 16 games at Double-A, but it only needs to sit around 30% in the majors for him to be an absolute menace, and I’m betting on him being able to do that

6) (15) Jackson Jobe – DET, RHP, 21.9 – It took him a minute to find a rhythm, but he’s been back to his dominant self in his last 3 outings with a 16/3 K/BB in 11 IP at Double-A. Skenes might have separated himself a bit, but both of them are going to be aces. Unfortunately he did land on the IL with a hamstring strain during his latest start

7) (23) Coby Mayo – BAL, 1B/3B, 22.5 – Destined to be one of the top power hitters in baseball with 11 homers in 33 games at Triple-A, and the cherry on top is that he runs a bit too with 3 steals

8) (12) Walker Jenkins – MIN, OF, 19.2 – Limited to just 1 AB with a hamstring injury, but I wouldn’t let that change his outlook at all. His rise to uber prospect status has been delayed, but it’s still coming

9) (10) Dylan Crews – WAS, OF, 22.1 – Are we concerned yet? Crews followed up his poor Double-A debut in 2023 with a terrible spring, and now another poor showing at Double-A. He has a 34.3%/7.1% K%/BB% in 16 games. The 106 wRC+ isn’t terrible, but this isn’t the no doubt superstar college bat that we thought we were getting. That much is becoming pretty clear.

10) (14) Roman Anthony – BOS, OF, 20.0 – 33.3% K% and .225 BA is showing the hit tool risk, but considering he’s not quite 20 yet, and he has a 105 wRC+, I’m not overly concerned. He’s also clearly been working on keeping the ball off the ground with a 34.6% GB%, so some growing pains are normal

11) (27) Samuel Basallo – BAL, C/1B, 19.9 – Isn’t destroying the upper minors like he did the lower minors, but he’s still showing off the prodigious power with 5 homers in 24 games at Double-A as a 19 year old

12) (35) Colt Emerson – SEA, SS, 18.8 – Backing up his strong pro debut with a 131 wRC+ in 12 games at Single-A

13) (50) Lazaro Montes – SEA, OF, 19.6 – Going full Yordan Alvarez glow up with a 14.4%/13.6% K%/BB% and 6 homers in 24 games at Single-A. He’s a truly elite prospect

14) (30) Cade Horton – CHC, RHP, 22.9 – 1.77 ERA with a 24/6 K/BB in 20.1 IP in the upper minors. Fastball sat 93.7 MPH in his first start at Tripe-A, which isn’t overpowering, but maybe that is better off for his long term health considering 88.1 IP is his career high. I feel comfortable with my #2 starter evaluation of him from this off-season.

15) (58) Carson Williams – TBR, SS, 20.10 – Hit tool issues aren’t completely behind him with a 28%/5% K%/BB% in 22 games at Double-A, but he’s only 20, and he’s obliterating the level with 4 homers, 7 steals, and a 178 wRC+. Tack on a plus glove which locks him in as Tampa’s SS of the future, and you have a nearly elite fantasy prospect.

16) (59) Jacob Melton – HOU, OF, 23.8 – 20.2% K% is huge to see, because we know he has the power/speed combo with 4 homers and 6 steals in 23 games at Double-A. He’s a legit elite athlete. Melton continues to be very underrated.

17) (36) Andrew Painter – PHI, RHP, 21.1 –  Painter underwent Tommy John surgery in late July 2023, which will keep him out for all of 2024

18) (64) Noah Schultz – CHW, LHP, 20.8 – Back to his silly dominance with a 41.8%/7.6% K%/BB% in 19.1 IP at High-A. When Skenes/Jobe/Horton graduate, we are looking at a contender for the top pitching prospect in the game

19) (68) Tink Hence – STL, RHP, 21.8 – Hence was a buy low, bounce back target of mine, and he’s bouncing back with a 2.10 ERA and 32.6%/6.3% K%/BB% in 25.2 IP at Double-A. His ace ascension is back on

20) (195) Adam Mazur – SDP, RHP, 22.11 – Mazur was one of my top targets this off-season, and he’s showing why with a 2.39 ERA and 29.3%/4% K%/BB% in 26.1 IP at AA. I called him the discount Christian Scott, and he remains the discount Christian Scott. I’m all in

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR THE REST OF THESE RANKINGS & TONS OF EXCLUSIVE CONTENT ALL SEASON, INCLUDING:
-APRIL TOP 427 DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKS (4/19/24)
-MAY TOP 301 PROSPECTS RANKS
-HALP’S DYNASTY BASEBALL PODCAST: APRIL MAILBAG! (4/24/24)
-TONS OF DYNASTY RUNDOWNS
-TOP 42 PROSPECTS TO STACH FOR 2024 ONLY (May Update coming soon)
-MAY DYNASTY TARGETS COMING SOON
-SPREADSHEETS

By Michael Halpern (@MichaelCHalpern)
Email: michaelhalpern@imaginarybrickwall.com
Twitter: Imaginary Brick Wall (@DynastyHalp)