These prospect rankings are based on FANTASY value, not on real-life value. Considering such, hitters generally weigh a bit heavier for me due to the injury risk and higher volatility of prospect pitchers. Proximity to the majors is also prominent in the equation, though these rankings are taking a longer-term / dynasty look on these guys (think of it more as a five-ear plan).
Rather than getting into writing little bios on all of these hitters, I’ve decided to keep my rankings simple by providing the 2023 stats of each player across all levels, plus a player comp, a small blub on the player’s prime skills for fantasy and an explanation of my ranking. I’ve also included fScores for any players I expect to debut in 2024, which highlights what my fScore projections believe the player is capable of at the pro level for immediate impact.
I know most people don’t care to read 250 – 500 words on each player, so using both box score scouting and film review, I have provided my personal comps for each prospect and how I think each prospect will perform once in the majors over the next five or so seasons. All-in-all I think the rankings paired with statistical info and a player comp will hit the sweet spot for the broadest category of people who are reading this prospect rankings (or listening on the Fantasy Aceball podcast via Apple pods or Spotify).
NOTE: Rookie status is determined by 130 ABs, or 50 IPs at the Major League level. If you are not familiar with fScores, please check out my fScore content over at Friends with Fantasy Benefits, on X (@fantasyaceball) or at the Fantasy Aceball Podcast to learn more!
- Check out our 2024 Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit
Check out our latest expert consensus fantasy baseball draft rankings 
1. OF Wyatt Langford (Rangers)
2023 College: .373/.498/.784, 21 HR, 9 SB
2023 Rk/A+/AA/AAA: .360/.480/.677, 10 HR, 12 SB
Age: 22
ETA: Opening Day 2024
fScores: 106 fContact, 160 fDiscipline, 126 fPower, 148 fSpeed, 62 fDurability
Comp: Brian Jordan meets Christian Walker
Prime Skills: Langford is known as the best power hitter from this recent draft class. He has 35 homer power in the bat and a very good hit tool to go along with it. He has above average speed that kind of sneaks up on you because of his size and he could put up a 20/20 season from the jump. They look a lot different physically, but statistically his numbers could end up looking like Mookie Betts.
Ranking Explanation: Langford raked at every stop and was nearly called up in the playoffs for the Rangers, he deserves to be the top guy and I’m happily picking him as a top 25 OF in re-draft leagues this season.
Previous Rank: 10
2. 3B Junior Caminero (Rays)
2023 A+/AA: .324/.384/.591, 31 HR, 5 SB
2023 MLB: .235/.278/.353, 1 HR
Age: 20
ETA: Debuted 2023
fScores: 103 fContact, 74 fDiscipline, 113 fPower, 97 fSpeed, 57 fDurability
Comp: Ronald Acuna w/o the wheels
Prime Skills: Probably the quickest bat speed in the minors, the hit tool is ridiculous and now the power is catching up. He could be one of the best hitters in baseball sooner rather than later.
Ranking Explanation: Caminero is right there with Holliday, the biggest differences are he has more power and possibly a stronger hit tool. This is a matter of personal preference, preferring the greater power of Caminero to the plate skills and the additional steals from Holliday.
Previous Rank: 2
3. SS Jackson Holliday (Orioles)
2023 A/A+/AA/AAA: .323/.442/.499, 12 HR, 24 SB
Age: 20
ETA: Opening Day 2024
fScores: 107 fContact, 133 fDiscipline, 91 fPower, 91 fSpeed, 53 fDurability
Comp: Wander Franco
Prime Skills: Quick bat that can reach all fields, but projects out more as a line drive and doubles hitter than a big power bat. Holliday has ridiculous Kwan-esk plate discipline. Not the fastest runner, but could steal 15-20 bags at the major league level in a season.
Ranking Explanation: He has great tools for real baseball as a stud #2 hitter, but for fantasy I don’t see a ton of power upside (of course he could grow into it), but I think he’s more like a Luis Arraez that can go 20/20 and prefer the potential 40 homer bat of Caminero for fantasy.
Previous Rank: 1
4. OF Evan Carter (Rangers)
2023 AA/AAA: .288/.413/.450, 13 HR, 26 SB
2023 MLB: .306/.413/.645, 5 HR, 3 SB
Age: 21
ETA: Debuted 2023
fScores: 98 fContact, 142 Discipline, 115 fPower, 130 fSpeed, 75 fDurability
Comp: A bigger Shin-Soo Choo who could grow into more power
Prime Skills: Carter is a line drive hitter, who can hit it to all fields. He was only 20-years-old last year and should grow into more power, he should at least be a 25 homer guy and with his speed could go 25/20 pretty regularly in his prime. A Kyle Tucker stat line is attainable.
Ranking Explanation: Carter could not have dreamed of a better debut than what he had in 2023. Destroying baseballs at the end of the season and the playoffs and hitting at the top of a World Series winning lineup. Don’t fall into the trap of extrapolating his MLB stats from last year, but he’s a stud who should go 20/20 next year at the top of an awesome lineup with fantastic plate skills. Holliday’s position and insane hit tool keep him ahead of Carter.
Previous Rank: 6
5. OF Jackson Chourio (Brewers)
2023 AA/AAA: .283/.338/.467, 22 HR, 44 SB
Age: 20
ETA: Opening Day 2024
fScores: 93 fContact, 73 fDiscipline, 104 fPower, 144 fSpeed, 66 fDurability
Comp: Luis Robert
Prime Skills: Chourio has a really quick bat, which leads to way more power than you would expect by looking at his frame. The speed came to life in 2023 and he has superstar potential if he can get the plate skills under control. Right now, he’s already trending to a 20/25 bat as a 20-year-old rookie.
Ranking Explanation: While he has more long term power / speed possibility than Carter, his plate skills are far worse which will lead to volatility ala a Luis Robert and Adolis Garcia profile vs. a consistent Choo / Tucker profile I predict for Carter.
Previous Rank: 3
6. OF James Wood (Nationals)
2023 A+/AA: .262/.353/.520, 26 HR, 18 SB
Age: 21
ETA: Mid-2024
fScores: 104 fContact, 103 fDiscipline, 117 fPower, 126 fSpeed, 58 fDurability
Comp: Lefty Aaron Judge
Prime Skills: Light tower power from the left side of the plate. He has a home run swing if we’ve ever seen one and has the biggest power upside of the top 10, even more than Wyatt Langford and Junior Caminero due to the huge 6’ 7” frame.
Ranking Explanation: Wood has MLB read tools, but he does have holes in his swing due to his enormous size and needs to find more consistency before he’s ready for the full time transition to the big leagues in order to avoid the up and down. The Nationals are priming for 2025, rather than 2024 anyway, but if he rakes he should come up around when Elly de la Cruz came up in 2023. Chourio gets the edge for me right now primarily because he’s going to be in the majors to start the year in 2024.
Previous Rank: 4
7. SS Jordan Lawlar (Diamondbacks)
2023 AA/AAA: .278/.378/.496, 20 HR, 36 SB
2023 MLB: .129/.206/.129, 1 SB
Age: 21
ETA: Debuted in 2023 (likely recall in May/June)
fScores: 102 fContact, 98 fDiscipline, 96 fPower, 176 fSpeed, 58 fDurability
Comp: Trea Turner light w/ some Jeter in there
Prime Skills: Lawlar has a nice power swing, but it may affect his contact ability in the majors – he has all fields power and ridiculous speed, he’s a very aggressive base runner and puts himself in good positions to make things happen on top of having way above average plate discipline for his age. I’m looking forward to getting statcast data.
Ranking Explanation: Lawlar had a very rough start to the season in AA this year, but it’s great to see him rebound about 6-8 weeks of struggles into a fine season. Due to the struggles in AA, it’s probably a good idea to avoid having him skip AAA and let him try to ease into AAA before getting the call to the majors. It’s better to let him struggle a bit in the minors than to struggle hard in the majors. The power, speed and eye are all still there, the biggest concern to me is the hit tool.
Previous Rank: 14
8. OF Jasson Dominguez (Yankees)
2023 AA/AA: .265/.377/.425, 15 HR, 40 SB
2023 MLB: .258/.303/.677, 4 HR, 1 SB
Age: 21
ETA: Debuted 2023, should return after minor league rehab in June or July
fScores: 99 fContact, 103 fDiscipline, 136 fPower, 162 fSpeed, 60 fDurability
Comp: Switch hitting Mookie Betts-light
Prime Skills: Dominguez has top notch plate skills, while also demonstrating he can be a game changer on the base paths. He smashes pitches high in the zone from both sides of the plate, but needs to work on lifting pitches low in the zone instead of smashing them into the ground. He was doing a good job of this before the injury at the major league level.
Ranking Explanation: I had him as a top 20 prospect the last two years when many were down on him, but his short stint in the majors showed he’s the real deal and his profile plays very well in Yankee Stadium. He’s out for the first half of the season or so as he recovers from Tommy John surgery.
Previous Rank: 19
9. OF Dylan Crews (Nationals)
2023 College: .426/.567/.713, 18 HR, 6 SB
2023 Rk/A/AA: .292/.377/.467, 5 HR, 4 SB
Age: 22
ETA: September 2024
fScores: 97 fContact, 79 fDiscipline, 105 fPower, 72 fSpeed, 62 fDurability
Comp: Righty Bryce Harper
Prime Skills: He has great all fields power, he’s a good defender and he has a great eye at the plate. The speed is average, so he won’t be a major SB guy for fantasy, but we should see a nice uptick in production in 2024 vs. 2023 as a pro.
Ranking Explanation: He didn’t have a great pro debut, but I’m not concerned about him long-term. Some of the guys who had strong second halves deserve to pass him in the rankings though like Langford, Carter, Lawlar and Dominguez.
Previous Rank: 5
10. SP Paul Skenes (Pirates)
2023 College: 122 ⅔ IP, 209 Ks, 20 BBs, 1.69 ERA, 0.75 WHIP
2023 Rk/A/AA: 6 ⅔ IP, 10 Ks, 2 BBs, 5.40 ERA, 1.05 WHIP
Age: 21
ETA: Early 2024
fScores: 45 fPDurability, 111 fStuff, 104 fControl, 112 fERA
Comp: Justin Verlander
Prime Skills: Skenes is more curve than slider, but his fastball is insane and his command is impeccable, especially the fastball. He throws high heat and has shown he’s durable and consistent. He has a good shot to spend most of 2024 at the major league level.
Ranking Explanation: Skenes is the best pitching prospect in baseball already (unless you count Yoshi Yamamoto – which I think is cheating). He’s about the only one who seems to be a guarantee to succeed in a world where some of the top pitchers come out of nowhere and the top pitching prospects fade into the never. He should get a chance to break camp with the Pirates, but they have a track record of holding guys down longer than other teams.
Previous Rank: 7
11. SP Shane Baz (Rays)
2022 MLB: 27 IP, 30 Ks, 9 BBs, 5.00 ERA, 1.33 WHIP
Age: 25
ETA: Debuted in 2021 (returning from TJ)
fScores: 49 fPDurability, 116 fStuff, 105 fControl, 109 fERA
Comp: mini Gerrit Cole
Prime Skills: Killer fastball and slider combo, the fastball plays up in the zone and really jumps out of his hand, while the slider is his best pitch and really plays off the fastball against righties. He has a nasty knee buckling curve as well, which has a bit of a hook to it.
Ranking Explanation: Baz is a top 45 starter for me in 2024 and was a top 40 starter for me when he was healthy entering 2022. The dude is a legit stud with ace level potential as long as he can stay healthy. Coming off injury, I’m giving the nod to a healthy Skenes.
Previous Rank: N/A (honestly, I forgot he still qualified as a prospect)
12. OF Walker Jenkins (Twins)
2023: .362/.417/.571, 3 HR, 6 SB
Age: 19
ETA: Opening Day 2026
fScores: N/A
Comp: Larry Walker
Prime Skills: Big, strong lefty for his age. The last (but possibly not least) of the top five guys from the 2023 draft class. He has a ton of pull power, but can hit for extra base hits through all fields.
Ranking Explanation: Last ranking period I described how it will be fun to see how Max Clark and Walker Jenkins separate themselves, well Jenkins has really separated himself and is looking like a future number one prospect at this point in time.
Previous Rank: 52
13. 3B Noelvi Marte (Reds)
2023 AA/AAA: .279/.358/.454, 11 HR, 18 SB
2023 MLB: .316/.366/.456, 3 HR, 6 SB
Age: 22
ETA: Debuted in 2023
fScores: 96 fContact, 95 fDiscipline, 94 fPower, 125 fSpeed, 76 fDurability
Comp: David Wright light
Prime Skills: Marte has above average plate skills, especially for his age and should grow into better tools as he transitions, especially in GABP, which will only help his bat play up. The barrel rates have been off since hitting the AAA level, even though he’s making good swing decisions and has a solid SwSp%, he’s just a tick off and this will likely make him a 2024 call.
Ranking Explanation: Marte has the profile where he is basically above average across the board and that will translate to success, think maybe Bryan Reynolds numbers at 3B, he can put up close to a 20/20 season and should at least do something similar to Ke’Bryan Hayes in his first year, which is valuable considering he’s still young for the levels he has been playing.
Previous Rank: 12
14. OF Pete Crow-Armstrong (Cubs)
2023 AA Stats: .283/.365/.511, 20 HR, 37 SB
2023 MLB: .000/.176/.000, 0 HR, 0 SB
Age: 22
ETA: Debuted in 2023
fScores: 93 fContact, 75 fDiscipline, 102 fPower, 159 fSpeed
Comp: Cedric Mullins with a better glove and more consistent power
Prime Skills: PCA has superstar potential with insane power / speed potential. He has lackluster contact skills however and his plate discipline in high A leaves a lot lacking. He could definitely end up as a 20/30 guy though if he can make enough contact and avoid Ks.
Ranking Explanation: The plate skill issues may lead to inconsistency, especially early in his career, but he should be able to put up a 20 homer, 30-40 steal season when he’s hitting near his peak with elite defense. I think he has a higher fantasy ceiling than Marte, but Marte will be more consistent and plays a more premium position.
Previous Rank: 20
15. 3B Colt Keith (Tigers)
2023 AA/AAA: .306/.380/.552, 27 HR, 3 SB
Age: 22
ETA: Opening Day 2024
fScores: 98 fContact, 96 fDiscipline, 96 fPower, 70 fSpeed, 77 fDiscipline
Comp: Josh Donaldson
Prime Skills: Solid hit tool at 3B and an aggressive power hungry swing. The plate skills are excellent, but the hope is he can get to more power and raise the EVs and barrels before he makes his major league debut.
Ranking Explanation: My fScores are down on him a bit as the advanced stats don’t match well with the park factors. We are starting to get away from the power / speed guys here in the rankings with some solid corner power guys that have high ceilings. The discipline stats will increase over time based on his profile and he should grow into more power, but year one expect something like 20 homers and 5 steals with an average slash line. More like what Curtis Mead did with a little more power. PCA takes it with the power / speed combo.
Previous Rank: 16
16. SS Masyn Winn (Cardinals)
2023 AAA: .288/.359/.474, 18 HR, 17 SB
2023 MLB: .172/.230/.238, 2 HR, 2 SB
Age: 22
ETA: Debuted in 2023
fScores: 93 fContact, 100 fDiscipline, 76 fPower, 139 fSpeed, 78 fDurability
Comp: Young Francisco Lindor with less power
Prime Skills: Remember when Lindor came up as a defense first SS? Winn obviously has a ridiculous arm, but on top of that is thrifty on the base paths with sneak 15-ish homer upside. He could land somewhere between Edman with better plate discipline to Lindor as a potential long-term range of outcomes. The swing decisions are excellent.
Ranking Explanation: Winn had a pretty bad debut, but the defense will keep him in the lineup and he’s breaking camp with the team. The fScores portend to a .270-ish batting average in 2024 with 10-15 homers and 20-25 steals, which is solid for a rookie SS and he has more room to grow based on his minor league track record. If Winn can hit 20 homers and increase the hit tool, he could surpass Keith’s fantasy value in roto leagues (however probably not points leagues).
Previous Rank: 15
17. SS Adael Amador (Rockies)
2022 A+/AA: .287/.380/.495, 12 HR, 15 SB
Age: 20
ETA: Early 2025
fScores: N/A
Comp: Jimmy Rollins meets Luis Arraez
Prime Skills: He has a compact swing and gets out of the box fast, which helps him reach for hits, because he does hit the ball on the ground too much. He has surprising power for his size, because he is good at turning on the ball quickly when pitchers make mistakes. The Rockies could have been justified in promoting him to high A last year, but are bringing him up slowly. His contact and plate discipline skills are his calling card with solid speed, but below average power. He’s another guy that needs to hit the ball in the air more often.
Ranking Explanation: Fantastic hit tool, more walks than Ks, he’s a future stud top of the order guy. The power increases this year have been nice, but I would like to see someone with his speed run a bit more to maximize his skillset. He will probably get stuck at 2B with Tovar playing a solid SS for the Rockies. He broke his hamate bone in early July, so keep that in mind in regards to the counting stats.
Pre-Season Rank: 22
18. C Sammy Basallo (Orioles)
2023 A/A+/AA Stats: .313/.402/.551, 20 HR, 12 SB
Age: 19
ETA: Early 2025
fScores: N/A
Comp: Kyle Schwarber with a better hit tool
Prime Skills: Good plate discipline, great power and young for his level, Bassallo is looking like Salas minor coming up in the next few years. The dude is built for his age with fast hands, but a tight / weird batting stance. He will likely move off the position because of Rutschman.
Ranking Explanation: The dude can straight up hit and if he maintains the speed has the skill to be a 30/15 1B or LF in the future from the left side. He’s young, which means there is more volatility, but if he continues on his current track, he’s a top 10 prospect.
Previous Rank: 44
19. C Ethan Salas (Padres)
2023 A/A+/AA: .248/.331/.421, 9 HR, 5 SB
Age: 18
ETA: Early 2026
fScores: N/A
Comp: Juan Soto at Catcher
Prime Skills: Insane power for his age… insane everything for his age really. This could be a Henry Davis situation where the bat is so good, you don’t want him as your primary catcher. He played AA as a 17-year-old. The plate skills are ridiculous for his age, as is the contact rate. Usually I take these super young guys with a grain of salt, but Salas is the real deal.
Ranking Explanation: Salas is a generational talent. I might be remiss not ranking him higher, but in fantasy baseball there is an opportunity cost to waiting, so that is reflected in these rankings. He might end up as a better real life player than a fantasy player, especially as a catcher so keep that in mind when you’re riding the hype.
Previous Rank: 21
20. SS Colson Montgomery (White Sox)
2023 AA Stats: .287/.456/.484, 8 HR, 2 SB
Age: 22
ETA: Early 2024
fScores: 96 fContact, 140 fDiscipline, 98 fPower, 60 fSpeed, 44 fDurability
Comp: Lefty Carlos Correa
Prime Skills: Montgomery has fantastic plate discipline, which by now you know I love as a projecting skill toward future fantasy baseball stardom. He should grow into significantly more power as he builds muscle onto his 6-4 frame and even though he’s not slow, I doubt we see steals from him in the future.
Ranking Explanation: Montgomery missed most of the 2023 season with an injury, but bounced back pretty strong. Everyone comps him to Corey Seager, but I don’t think that’s right – they just like to do it because they are both big lefties, he profiles a lot more as a lefty Correa.
Pre-Season Rank: 23
21. SP Ricky Tiedemann (Blue Jays)
2023 Rk/A/AA/AAA: 44 IP, 82 Ks, 23 BBs, 3.68 ERA, 1.23 WHIP
Age: 22
ETA: Opening Day 2024
fScores: 49 fPDurability, 121 fStuff, 96 fControl, 167 fERA
Comp: Good Andrew Heaney
Prime Skills: Tiedemann was a huge breakout last year and has a really nice fastball – slider combo. His changeup plays great off the slider, which is probably his best pitch. He’s a tunnel master who has a short arm / side arm funky delivery from the left side which makes his slider even tougher to pick up. He does have bullpen risk.
Ranking Explanation: Despite the pen risk, his stuff is pretty ridiculous and a ton of the pitching is so volatile that I’m still willing to rank a guy with killer stuff close to the majors higher than guys further away that look to be safer starters longterm. Long life the high end stuff, even if he’s just the next Matt Brash.
Previous Rank: 25
22. C Harry Ford (Mariners)
2023 A+: .257/.410/.430, 15 HR, 24 SB
Age: 21
ETA: Early 2025
fScores: N/A
Comp: J.T. Realmuto light (less power, better discipline)
Prime Skills: Ford has power, speed, plate discipline and great contact skills – he’s the real deal. I think he’s a better version of Bo Naylor, but a couple years behind in development. He will also likely move off the position ala MJ Melendez and be an OF and backup catcher, because Big Bopper and now Mitch Garver will be blocking him at the position (at least for one year).
Ranking Explanation: Ford is legit, but the Mariners are not rushing him like some of the other guys in this area. He may be a bit of a slow cook, but once he’s up he could be a game changer. By rights, he has earned a AA promotion despite the downtick in power this season. The plate skills and pitch recognition are there.
Previous Rank: 26
23. SP Cade Horton (Cubs)
2023 A/A+/AA: 88 1/3 IP, 117 Ks, 27 BBs, 2.65 ERA, 1.00 WHIP
Age: 22
ETA: Mid 2024
fScores: 43 fPDurability, 120 fStuff, 106 fControl, 113 fERA
Comp: Hunter Brown
Prime Skills: Dude looks like a righty Jon Lester throwing 98 MPH darts and has a nasty curve. He has shown insane command with three plus pitches between the fastball, slider and curve and should be moving pretty quickly next season due to his well above average command.
Ranking Explanation: He doesn’t have as nasty of stuff as Tiedemann, but the control gives him a really high floor. The Cubs have a number of prospects and only so many rotation spots, but none of those guys should block Horton. Horton was a multi-sport guy until recently and now that his full focus is on baseball, he’s showing he can be even better than advertised.
Previous Rank: 47
24. 2B Tyler Black (Brewers)
2023 AA/AAA: .284/.417/.513, 18 HR, 55 SB
Age: 23
ETA: Early 2024
fScores: 90 fContact, 132 fDiscipline, 73 fPower, 143 fSpeed, 69 fDurability
Comp: Faster Ben Zobrist
Prime Skills: He has ridiculously good plate skills to go along with high end speed, a solid hit tool and above average power. Under the radar guy who will kill it at 2B as soon as next season.
Ranking Explanation: Black had a killer year in 2023, vaulting himself way up the rankings by showing he has more speed than originally thought. He’s looking like a Tommy Edman / Ben Zobrist type with a solid OBP and 30-40 steal speed to go along with 10-15 homer power and the ability to play multiple positions, which is very useful for fantasy baseball.
Previous Rank: Unranked
25. SS / 3B Brady House (Nationals)
2023 A/A+/AA: .312/.365/.497, 12 HR, 9 SB
Age: 21
ETA: Opening Day 2025
fScores: N/A
Comp: Austin Riley
Prime Skills: Big frame with room to grow for a SS at 6’ 4”, but many think he will move off to 3B. He has shown a ton of improvement in the plate skills in 2023 and has a ton of power potential that has yet to play out. He is pretty good at going the other way. He reminds me a ton of Austin Riley coming up where everyone like him, then nobody liked him, then everyone liked him again.
Ranking Explanation: House will be a 4 category stud once he hits the majors at a weak position, however he’s a year away assuming his growth continues. The power is much better than the 12 homers in this stats, he is coming off injury and should be a long-term 30 homer guy with a good hit tool at the major league level.
Previous Rank: 30
26. SP Drew Thorpe (Padres)
2023 A+/AA: 139 ⅓ IP, 182 Ks, 38 BBs, 2.52 ERA, 0.98 WHIP
Age: 23
ETA: Mid 2024
fScores: fPDurability 61, 128 fStuff, 114 fControl, 134 fERA
Comp: George Kirby-light to Chris Paddack-ish
Prime Skills: Primarily a fastball, changeup guy (though the best attribute of the fastball is where he places it), Thorpe might remind Padres fans of former top Padres prospect Chris Paddack. He has a nice slider he mixes in between the two and has dominated the minors to date ala Mr. Paddack.
Ranking Explanation: The trade from the crowded Yankees system to the barren Padres system only helps him and he’s only an injury away from a rotation spot entering 2024, despite having no experience at AAA and only limited experience at AA.
Previous Rank: Unranked
27. OF Roman Anthony (Red Sox)
2023 A/A+/AA: .272/.403/.466, 14 HR, 16 SB
Age: 20
ETA: Early 2025
fScores: N/A
Comp: Jarred Kelenic with a better eye
Prime Skills: Very good eye with a strong power tool for a young kid who still needs to fill out. He could be a five tool guy, but needs to be more consistent on the base paths for steals to be a big part of his game long term.
Ranking Explanation: After struggling at low A, he really turned it on at A+ and AA and there was some reporting a big part of that was due to bad umps at low A. He will grow into more power and with a strong season should push for an early 2025 debut. Many like Anthony more than someone like House, but I think House has a more consistent hit tool which will lead to a more predictable outcome, where Anthony has more boom or bust potential as a potential Evan Carter-like prospect or he could struggle into more of a Kelenic.
Previous Rank: 49
28. SS Jackson Merrill (Padres)
2023 AA Stats: .277/.326/.444, 15 HR, 15 SB
Age: 21
ETA: Late 2024
fScores: 100 fContact, 82 fDiscipline, 71 fPower, 107 fSpeed, 47 fDurability
Comp: A bigger, lefty Marcus Semien
Prime Skills: He has speed way above his grade and above average power from the left side, but could work on his plate discipline, which seemed to progress from rookie league to low A. He’s still growing into his own and the Padres should avoid calling him up too early to avoid a CJ Abrams like debut for the best outcome.
Ranking Explanation: Like a lot of guys his age, he hits the ball on the ground way too much and until that changes I can’t move him as high in my rankings as others have him. It should be noted he has been making some progress in this department. Merrill is a bit of an industry darling, but I like the fantasy tools of guys like Black, House and Anthony a bit more than a guy who might end up grading out as “boring” for fantasy purposes.
Pre-Season Rank: 24
29. SP Andrew Painter (Phillies)
2022 A/A+/AA Stats: 103 2/3 IP, 155 Ks, 25 BBs, 1.56 ERA, 0.89 WHIP
Age: 21
ETA: Mid 2025
fScores: N/A
Comp: A bigger Jacob deGrom, or a Tyler Glasnow with more control
Prime Skills: Painter regularly touches 99 MPH on his fastball and throws it up in the zone with some ridiculous ride, then loves to use his curve up in the zone to finish guys off when they are dead red fastball. He has pin-point control for a pitcher his age, which plays his stuff up even more. He has an excellent pitch mix and knows how to throw his changeup and breaking stuff off his money fastball.
Ranking Explanation: TJ obviously pushed him back as he will end up sitting out all of 2024 and likely spend the first half of 2025 working his way back up through the minors before getting the call. He was the consensus top starting pitcher at this time last year and the closer we get to a return the more excited we should begin to get about his potential.
Previous Rank: 34
30. 1B Kyle Manzardo (Guardians)
2023 AAA: .237/.337/.464, 17 HR, 1 SB
Age: 22
ETA: Opening Day 2024
fScores: 96 fContact, 122 fDiscipline, 109 fPower, 65 fSpeed, 59 fDurability
Comp: Joey Votto
Prime Skills: Manzardo is a professional hitter with great contact skills and super star level plate discipline skills already. He could walk into the Majors day 1 and avoid being overwhelmed. He also has easy 25 homer power and should produce to at least a league average 1B in his first season with the odds of performing better than that in points leagues thanks to the plate skills.
Ranking Explanation: Manzardo had an injury plagued 2023, but post Guardians trade he bounced back strong and tore up the Arizona Fall League. The power is trending up as well and even though he should be a regular 25 homer guy, with the trending increase of power he could have some 30 homer seasons in his peak.
Previous Rank: 18
31. RP Mason Miller (Athletics)
2023 A/AA/AAA: 19 ⅓ IP, 35 Ks, 5 BBs, 1.86 ERA, 0.67 WHIP
2023 MLB: 33 ⅓ IP, 38 Ks, 16 BBs, 3.78 ERA, 1.20 WHIP
Age: 25
ETA: Debuted in 2023
fScores: 37 fPDurability, 126 fStuff, 105 fControl, 152 fERA
Comp: Somewhere Between Hunter Greene and Jordan Hicks
Prime Skills: High heat with a 100+ MPH fastball, there aren’t many starters that can compare in stuff, however can he hold up? The slider is his best pitch and he has shown it’s hard for hitters to square him up. He’s going to be one of the better closers in baseball out of the gate.
Ranking Explanation: Miller would have been ranked higher if it wasn’t for the injury and major work-load concerns will cap his potential until he can prove he can stay healthy and pitch upwards of 150 innings in a season. The big question in his career now will be if the pen is a 2024 solution or if it’s the long term solution. I usually don’t rank relievers in the top 200, but with his skill and ability to eventually get back to starting, he’s going to finish out his prospect status as a top 50 guy for me.
Previous Rank: 39
32. SP Robby Snelling (Padres)
2023 A/A+/AA: 103 2/3 IP, 118 Ks, 34 BBs, 1.82 ERA, 1.12 WHIP
Age: 20
ETA: Mid-End of 2024
fScores: 32 fPDurability, 100 fStuff, 95 fControl, fERA 154
Comp: Jesus Luzardo-light
Prime Skills: The ¾ arm-slot helps create a lot of deception between his fastball and slider, which also gets classified as a curveball – so we will call it a slurve. He’s a three pitch guy with an above average fastball, a good changeup and a stellar breaking pitch with a knack for avoiding hard contact.
Ranking Explanation: Snelling won Baseball America’s 2023 Minor League Pitcher of the Year after a stellar second half closing out what was already an impressive campaign as a 19-year-old. He has a good year of work or so to put in before getting the call, even for a pitching desperate organization like San Diego. There’s a lot to like, but there’s also some definite regression in store at some point when it comes to damage allotment, so don’t expect an under 2 ERA. I’ve been all over him in my dynasty leagues, but he’s getting a lot of hype right now and this is an asset I’d move at the right price once we start seeing the over-hype.
Previous Rank: 50
33. OF Chase DeLauter (Guardians)
2023 Rk/A+/AA: .355/.417/.528, 5 HR, 6 SB
Age: 22
ETA: Mid 2024
fScores: 106 fContact, 122 fDiscipline, 113 fPower, 82 fSpeed, 28 fDurability.
Comp: A raw, LIGHT Bryce Harper (or lefty Matt Holliday)
Prime Skills: He’s shown a really strong hit tool and has some unrealized power in his small sample size at the minor league level. The pull power from his college days is tantalizing. Coming off injury, we just need to see some health from this doubles machine.
Ranking Explanation: DeLauter is the biggest riser in my rankings, I had been behind the curve on him vs. guys like the Welsh who have been all over him for a long time, but I might be the highest on him now after doing his fScores. I just hope the Guardians don’t ruin him like they have most of their top hitting prospects, he has higher upside than Manzardo for fantasy, however he’s a bit more blocked and the injury concerns are a bit higher.
Previous Rank: 118
34. 2B / 3B Matt Shaw (Cubs)
2023 College: .341/.445/.697, 24 HR, 18 SB
2023 Rk/A+/AA: ..347/.400/.618, 8 HR, 15 SB
Age: 22
ETA: Late 2024
fScores: 101 fContact, 67 fDiscipline, 102 fPower, 170 fSpeed and 19 fDurability
Comp: Jonathan India with more speed
Prime Skills: Really great plate approach with above average power and speed. Should be one of the better on-base middle infielders in the majors sooner, rather than later and has the power and speed combo to put up some 20/20 type seasons.
Ranking Explanation: Shaw might have been one of the better picks in the 2023 draft, the dude is advancing quickly and has shown he’s the real deal. The 2023 draft might be one of the best when it’s all said and done in recent history. I like the well-rounded skills of Shaw over the power of Kjerstad.
Previous Rank: 65
35. 2B / SS Tommy Troy (Diamondbacks)
2023 College: .394/.478/.699, 17 HR, 17 SB
2023 Rk/A: .371/.374/.469, 4 HR, 9 SB
Age: 22
ETA: Early 2025
fScores: N/A
Comp: Ozzie Albies
Prime Skills: Big time speed and great hit tool paired with above average all fields power could make for a big time fantasy contributor sooner, rather than later. I think we are looking at a guy who should hit .270-.280 with 20 homers and 30+ steals.
Ranking Explanation: Troy jumped out as a standout post draft in the fast lane to a quick promotion. He killed it in his debut and should move quick through the organization. D-backs fans should be excited to have a crazy productive middle infield of Lawlar and Troy for years to come.
Previous Rank: Unranked (drafted in 2023)
36. OF Heston Kjerstad (Orioles)
2023 AAA: .303/.376/.528, 21 HR, 5 SB
2023 MLB: .233/.281/.467, 2 HR
Age: 25
ETA: Debuted in 2023
fScores: 102 fContact, 74 fDiscipline, 118 fPower, 68 fSpeed, 80 fDurability
Comp: Lefty Nick Castellanos or Eloy Jimenez
Prime Skills: Big time power with a solid hit tool, but where will he play? He’s killed it through 2023 rebounding back into the top prospect stratosphere only to find the Orioles have way too many hitting prospects and not enough open positions. The plate skills are a concern, as he profiles as a nice #5 or #6 hitter in any lineup.
Ranking Explanation: The dude is blocked at the time of this writing and he’s at an age where he needs to start getting regular playing time if he’s going to live up to his full potential. He should be a 30 homer guy in his best seasons, but will never be a super star – more just a supporting counting stats guy in his peak seasons with a couple All Star seasons sprinkled in.
Previous Rank: 17
37. SS Cole Young (Mariners)
2023 A/A+: .277/.399/.449, 11 HR, 22 SB
Age: 20
ETA: Late 2025
fScores: N/A
Comp: Lefty Zach Neto
Prime Skills: Young has a top of the line hit tool to go along with great plate skills, especially for a player his age and as a 19-year-old is showing increased power at A+. The speed is good, but not great. He has quick hands and is starting to hit the ball in the air more as he moves up each level.
Ranking Explanation: He’s a fast riser, especially for his age and as long as the hit tool and the plate skills stay ahead of the level, he will keep moving up to play at levels above his age. He will need to develop more power as he ages and be more consistent on the basepaths in order to maximize his fantasy value, for now I’ll take Heston’s proximity and banked power.
Previous Rank: 31
38. SS Marcelo Mayer (Red Sox)
2023 A+/AA Stats: .236/.306/.433, 13 HR, 9 SB
Age: 21
ETA: Early 2025
fScores: N/A
Comp: Lefty Dansby Swanson
Prime Skills: Fast hands and a good eye lead to an advanced hitting prospect, but how much power will he hit for in his prime? He’s better than the stats and struggled hard at AA this season, but so have some other guys in their AA debuts. My gut says he will adapt in 2024 and get back to the numbers he was putting up at the lower levels.
Ranking Explanation: I might be the high guy on him still, but my track record of holding struggling players (like Jasson Dominguez) has proven right over time. Prospect growth is not linear. He might not be a super star, but he should be an above average major leaguer in his peak years and provide decent fantasy value. I like Young a tad more, as I think the upside is a little higher, even if Mayer is a little closer to the show.
Previous Rank: 8
39. SP Max Meyer (Marlins)
2022 AAA Stats: 58 IP, 20.1% K-BB rate, 3.72 ERA, 1.00 WHIP
2022 MLB Stats: 6 IP, 15.4% K-BB rate, 7.50 ERA, 1.50 WHIP
Age: 25
ETA: Debuted in 2022 (TJ)
fScores: 21 fPDurability, 108 fStuff, 104 fControl, 118 fERA
Comp: Shorter John Smoltz
Prime Skills: Meyer has a super nasty slider that might be one of the best pitches in baseball. He projects more as a solid #2-3 SP (or top 40 for fantasy) than as an ace, because he’s more of a two pitch guy – but he’s shown in the minors he can be stretched out to start once he comes back from TJ.
Ranking Explanation: I had Meyer right around the top 10-15 before his TJ; people are down on him already because of the size, but the TJ has also pushed him out of people’s minds and will allow some good value in any dynasty or prospect leagues. He could go the Mason Miller route into the pen, but if not he should be a very good starter, especially considering the Marlins track record with pitching.
Previous Rank: 36
40. SP Jackson Jobe (Tigers)
2023 Rk/A/A+/AA: 64 IP, 84 Ks, 6 BBs, 2.81 ERA, 0.98 WHP
Age: 21
ETA: Early 2025
fScores: N/A
Comp: George Kirby
Prime Skills: Excellent command of his pitches for a guy his age and has a ton of spin on his pitches. The fastball is riding as an above average pitch, but it allows him to use his elite slider to get Ks.
Ranking Explanation: Starters who exhibit this much command at an early age usually come right up and deal without some of the bumps the high stuff, low command guys deal with, which is why he gets the bump over some ridiculous stuff guys like Harrison and Misiorowski. Meyer gets the edge due to the proximity.
Previous Rank: 63
41. SP Kyle Harrison (Giants)
2023 AA: 67 ⅔ IP, 109 Ks, 48 BBs, 4.79 ERA, 1.48 WHIP
2023 MLB: 34 ⅔ IP, 35 Ks, 11 BBs, 4.15 ERA, 1.15 WHIP
Age: 22
ETA: Debuted in 2023
fScores: 72 fPDurability, 105 fStuff, 93 fControl, 101 fERA
Comp: Somewhere between Shane McClanahan and DL Hall… hopefully he can start
Prime Skills: Harrison has disgusting stuff. The slider is ridiculous and reminds me of Lodolo, while the fastball rides nice. He needs to throw the slider more, it rates as a better pitch than his slurve – it’s just not as consistent. He has D.L. Hall type stuff with much better command. He has very high K upside, but below average control.
Ranking Explanation: He projects out as a super volatile starter who could either be a top 20 starter in baseball or will be relegated to the bullpen. Harrison showed rough that I’ll be bullish on his starter upside so much as in that I think he will be a starter and get a lot of Ks, though there might be some Robbie Ray in this profile. The stuff keeps him ahead of other stuff guys or other volatile pitchers, but is not good enough for me to bump him over injury risks that have shown better command like Painter and Meyer.
Previous Rank: 43
42. SP Jacob Misiorowski (Brewers)
2023 A/A+/AA: 71 ⅓ IP, 110 Ks, 42 BBs, 3.41 ERA, 1.18 WHIP
Age: 23
Comp: Tyler Glasnow
ETA: Mid 2024
fScores: 41 fPDurability, 107 fStuff, 88 fControl, 118 fERA
Prime Skills: Killer fastball, he throws it 101 and it’s at an odd arm angle, so it’s difficult to pick up. He’s had some control issues, especially in his short stint at AA, but if he can harness the control he could be an elite starter – otherwise he will be a back of the bullpen beast.
Ranking Explanation: The control issues limit the upside a bit compared to the upside of his stuff, but he has a range of outcomes that goes from ace to top setup guy. I trust he will find success in one role or another. Remember Glasnow had the same concerns with Pittsburgh due to his size and has had control and durability issues at different times throughout his career. I think he’s very similar to Harrison and has higher upside, but Harrison is further along and proven he can start in the majors.
Previous Rank: 40
43. OF Jakob Marsee (Padres)
2023 A+/AA: .274/.413/.428, 16 HR, 46 SB
Age: 23
ETA: Early – Mid 2024
fScores: 95 fContact, 140 fDiscipline, 80 fPower, 197 fSpeed, 54 fDurability
Comp: Ripped Christian Yelich with more air on the ball
Prime Skills: Nice compact lefty swing with some reach, the dude has all fields power and hits around the yard, which will allow him to beat the shift. The speed is legit and he could reach for a number of 15-30 seasons in his prime with stellar plate skills.
Ranking Explanation: He could rise even further up the rankings if the Padres neglect their OF this offseason. Marsee should have a shot to break camp at the least and could be a breakout type this spring if he does.
Previous Rank: Unranked
44. SP Chase Petty (Reds)
2023 A+/AA: 68 IP, 66 Ks, 15 BBs, 1.72 ERA, 1.15 WHIP
Age: 21
ETA: Late 2024
fScores: 38 fPDurability, 100 fStuff, 109 fControl, 123 fERA
Comp: Dylan Cease and Spencer Strider mash is the ceiling
Prime Skills: Rising fastball with ridiculous velocity that can reach over 100 MPH. The Reds seem to be putting Chase Petty through the Tink Hence developmental track as he’s barely increasing workload as he goes up the minors. The Twins messed up A-Aron, now the Reds just need to build him up in 2024 for a 2025 all out Petty.
Ranking Explanation: Petty has a killer fastball, slider combo and great control which puts him on the road to being a high end starter. He is going to pitch in Cincy, which scares me, but besides that and a lack of high K potential right now, he is a good bet for success and has a more solid floor than guys like Harrison and Misiorowski, but is missing that ace upside.
Previous Rank: 53
45. 2B / SS Jett Williams (Mets)
2023 A/A+/AA: .263/.425/.451, 13 HR, 45 SB
Age: 20
ETA: Early 2025
fScores: N/A
Comp: Jose Altuve light (think Nico Hoerner stats)
Prime Skills: Plate skills and speed, the contact tool is still developing, but should ultimately be a good tool for Williams, however quality contact is lacking right now.
Ranking Explanation: Williams was bumped up to AA at the end of the year as a teenager, so you know the Mets are high on him. The hit tool needs to catch up to the other tools, but Jett projects as a future 20/30 or 20/40 type with an insanely good plate approach. Quero gets the edge as a hitter, because he’s closer and will be a 20 homer catcher, the floor is higher with Quero while Jett has some risk involved due to his size and the volatility of the hit tool.
Previous Rank: 129
46. 1B Xavier Isaac (Rays)
2023 A/A+: .285/.395/.521, 19 HR, 12 SB
Age: 20
Comp: A better Vinnie Pasquantino
ETA: Mid 2025
fScores: N/A
Prime Skills: Sweet lefty swing and wide open stance with all fields power. Some of his best highlights are him lining high heat out of the park, how he still gets under those and hits them hard enough to get out is a pretty sight to see. A ridiculous number of his homers are no doubters; the kid is big bodied and also maintains his athleticism. He straight up rakes.
Ranking Explanation: I admittedly did not watch enough video on Isaac last time around and am so behind on him, it’s time to make up for lost ground with this ranking.
Previous Rank: Unranked
47. SP Tekoah Roby (Cardinals)
2023 AA: 58 ⅓ IP, 69 Ks, 15 BBs, 4.63 ERA, 1.20 WHIP
Age: 22
ETA: Late 2024
fScores: 47 fPDurability, 119 fStuff, 107 fControl, 118 fERA
Comp: Jose Berrios
Prime Skills: Four plus pitches with above average command. He knows how to mix his pitches in and likes to play his 95 mph heater up in the zone then goes low with the curve, his best pitch.
Ranking Explanation: Shoulder injuries have weighed down his potential and likely allowed him to get traded at the deadline, but he’s back and healthy now. The ratios play up for Roby and as long as he can build up the durability, he can be a front line starter. He injury risk pushes him down the rankings a bit for me actually, or I might have placed him above Harrison, Misiorowski and Petty.
Previous Rank: 98
48. C Jeferson Quero (Brewers)
2023 AA: .262/.339/.441, 16 HR, 5 SB
Age: 21
ETA: Early 2025
fScores: N/A
Comp: Wilson Contreras with a better glove
Prime Skills: Pretty above average skills across the board and young for the level. He showed increased power and plate skills in 2023, along with a better hit tool all as a 20-year-old catcher at AA.
Ranking Explanation: Quero is going to be a solid major league catcher for a long time, the development of his hit tool and plate skills to match his solid power potential have bumped him up the Quero rankings along with the total rankings as a really nice looking player long-term.
Previous Rank: 27
49. OF Colton Cowser (Orioles)
2023 A+/AA/AAA: .278/.406/.469, 19 HR, 18 SB
2023 MLB: .115/.286/.148, 0 HR, 1 SB
Age: 24
ETA: Debuted in 2023 (starting role in 2024 not guaranteed)
fScores: 101 fContact, 122 fDiscipline, 86 fPower, 96 fSpeed, 69 fDurability
Comp: Lars Nootbaar light
Prime Skills: Cowser has some big time gap power to go along with decent speed and great plate skills, this guy knows how to take a walk. I was wrong in regards to the contact skills, however he runs abnormally high BABIPs, so I’m not sure how that’s going to regress back at the major league level, but he might be more of a .260 hitter.
Ranking Explanation: He needs to hit the ball in the air more and trends toward hitting the ball on the ground too often. Jett has a higher upside than Cowser at this point and gets the nod, while Cowser needs to establish some power and the ability to hit the ball hard at the major league level in order to gain a starting role with the Orioles in 2024.
Previous Rank: 9
50. SS / OF Cedanne Rafaela (Red Sox)
2023 AAA: .302/.349/.520, 20 HR, 36 SB
2023 MLB: .241/.281/.386, 2 HR, 3 SB
Age: 23
ETA: Debuted in 2023
fScores: 95 fContact, 59 fDiscipline, 93 fPower, 135 fSpeed, 72 fDurability
Comp: Shorter Adolis Garcia-type with a Mookie Betts swing.
Prime Skills: Rafaela at this point is all tools with potential 20 homer pop to go along with 30 steal speed. He makes solid contact and has shown the propensity to hit liners and has adjusted his launch angle last year to hit the ball in the air more. The plate discipline leaves something to be desired, however.
Ranking Explanation: Rafaela is a ton of fun and really rebounded this season after a slow start. He’s one of the most exciting players in the minors and comes with great defense, so once he’s up – he should stick. The issue is the discipline is so bad it will likely make him an extremely volatile player throughout his career, while Cowser even with his struggles should have a solid floor.
Previous Rank: 38
51. SP Chase Hampton (Yankees)
2023 A+/AA: 106 2/3 IP, 145 Ks, 37 BBs, 3.63 ERA, 1.14 WHIP
Age: 21
ETA: Mid-Late 2024
fScores: 65 fPDurability, 103 fStuff, 98 fControl, 107 fERA
Comp: Kyle Bradish
Prime Skills: Hampton has really good mechanics and all his pitches tunnel together very well, the curve is great and plays off his well located fastball nicely. He has a pitch labeled as a cutter, but it almost looks more like a hammer 12/6 slider than a cutter.
Ranking Explanation: Hampton doesn’t have the best stuff, but he does have consistency and ability to control his stuff, which puts him ahead of Hence and some of the lower command guys in my rankings.
Previous Rank: 46
52. SP Tink Hence (Cardinals)
2023 A+/AA: 96 IP, 99 Ks, 34 BBs, 4.78 ERA, 1.33 WHIP
Age: 21
ETA: Early 2025
fScores: N/A
Comp: Dylan Cease
Prime Skills: Tink has some serious ride on his fastball (but not Espino ride) that averages in the mid 90s – guys swing under it a lot. The curve is pretty sick and to counter the riding fastball, guys swing over it a lot. He has to work on the third pitch (change up) in order to be a rotation guy instead of a bullpen guy.
Ranking Explanation: The big question with Hence is going to be building up innings and health. He’s a smaller dude and has yet to really piece heavy duty innings together. Though the Cardinals are finally letting him stretch out at the AA level. 2024 is going to be a big year for Tink to show whether or not he has the durability to be a top end major league starter.
Pre-Season Rank: 37
53. SS Carson Williams (Rays)
2023 A+/AA/AAA Stats: .258/.356/.497, 23 HR, 20 SB
Age: 21
ETA: Late 2024
fScores: 90 fContact, 88 fDiscipline, 106 fPower, 134 fSpeed, 44 fDurability
Comp: Righty Gunnar Henderson light with strikeout problems
Prime Skills: Power, speed, plate skills the only thing this kid is missing right now is the hit tool. He’s young enough that he can develop the hit tool on his rise up the minors. He has quick hands and changed his stance from a slight crouch to be more upright since last year, but those Ks need to go down for him to reach his potential as a 20/20 type with a good walk rate.
Ranking Explanation: He has had way too much swing and miss throughout his minor league career, especially this season, but he’s absolutely electric and has a good glove on top of it. His batting eye is OK, because he can take a walk, but he needs to work on the hit tool to make more consistent contact in order to take the next step at the higher levels to surpass someone already there like Rafaela.
Previous Rank: 45
54. 2B / SS Ronny Mauricio (Mets):
2023 AAA: .292/.346/.506, 23 HR, 24 SB
2023 MLB: .248/.296/.347, 2 HR, 7 SB
Age: 23
ETA: Debuted in 2023 (torn ACL, possibly out for all 2024)
fScores: 88 fContact, 64 fDiscipline, 95 fPower, 141 fSpeed, 90 fDurability
Comp: Lefty non-Coors version of Trevor Story
Prime Skills: Mauricio has crazy power for a MI to go along with above average speed and an improved plate approach (about average now) to go along with his average hit tool. The power is the tool that will keep him in business and he is transitioning to second base from SS with Lindor blocking him long term. His EVs are ridiculous with a 91.7 average EV and elite max EV of 116.
Ranking Explanation: Mauricio has a nice power / speed combo that should translate very well to the majors. He has a little bit of volatility in the profile, which he was just starting to steady out with his terrific 2023 campaign before the injury. The ACL could change his trajectory depending on how he rebounds post injury and if he can make it back at the end of the 2024 season (which he is currently slated to return in August). The injury combined with the poor discipline bumps him down quite a bit in my rankings.
Previous Rank: 11
55. SP AJ Smith-Shawver (Braves):
2023 A+/AA/AAA: 62 IP, 79 Ks, 33 BBs, 2.76 ERA, 1.13 WHIP
2023 MLB: 25 1/3 P, 20 Ks, 11 BBs, 4.26 ERA, 1.11 WHIP
Age: 21
ETA: Debuted in 2023
fScores: 53 fPDurability, 103 fStuff, 93 fControl, 101 fERA
Comp: Giovanny Gallegos as a starter
Prime Skills: A super over the top arm slot that he repeats really well makes it difficult to pick up on what pitch is coming out of his hand. He throws heat and the arm slot makes it come on even faster. This kid is rocketed up levels last year, which led to some initial struggles at the higher levels, but he should adapt – he was impressive last year.
Ranking Explanation: I would like to see the walks reigned in at the upper levels and the K rate should rise as he pitches to the correct levels in 2024. It will be interesting to see if he starts in AAA or in the pros and he could move up with a strong spring ahead of guys like Hampton and Hence.
Previous Rank: 54
56. C Kyle Teel (Red Sox)
2023 College: .407/.475/.655, 13 HR, 5 SB
2023 Rk/A+AA: .363/.483/.495, 2 HR, 3 SB
Age: 21
TBD: Early 2025
fScores: N/A
Comp: Buster Posey
Prime Skills: He’s an athletic catcher with a big hit tool. He gets some comps to J.T. Realmuto, but I think he is more of a high average hitter who will get on base than the primarily power / speed threat of Realmuto.
Ranking Explanation: He’s an across the board very solid hitter who should maintain primary catcher duties and is a good enough hitter he should find the lineup even when he’s not catching. It’s hard for me to rank catchers this high, especially when they aren’t super tooled up in power or speed, but the plate skills and hit tool are both top notch.
Previous Rank: 87
57. OF Samuel Zavala (Padres)
2023 A/A+: .243/.391/.406, 14 HR, 21 SB
Age: 19
ETA: Early 2026
fScores: N/A
Comp: Christian Yelich with more of a Kyle Tucker batting profile and more Ks
Prime Skills: He’s shown a ton of power for his age, with plus speed to boot and has a great batting profile. He knows how to take a walk as well.
Ranking Explanation: He needs to work on the hit tool and limiting Ks, but he has fantasy superstar potential. Worst case might be a Byron Buxton-like profile, best case is prime Yelich, Tucker, Robert type stats. There’s a lot in this guy and I’m willing to be the high guy on him.
Previous Rank: 48
58. OF Max Clark (Tigers)
2023 Rk/A: .224/.383/.377, 2 HR, 5 SB
Age: 19
ETA: Early 2026
fScores: N/A
Comp: Corbin Carroll light
Prime Skills: Multi-sport athlete; has a really nice hit tool, a lot of speed and should develop more power as he ages. He’s likely to develop more into a speed first, 15-20 homer type based on the small sample size of what we have seen in the minors and pre-draft.
Ranking Explanation: He’s still far away and has to develop further before I can move him higher in my rankings. Zavala wins out right now due to his experience and more developed batting profile.
Previous Rank: 51
59. SP Carson Whisenhunt (Giants)
2023 A/A+/AA: 58 2/3 IP, 83 Ks, 23 BBs, 2.45 ERA, 1.02 WHIP
Age: 23
ETA: Late 2024
fScores: 38 fPDurability, 121 fStuff, 96 fControl, 135 fERA
Comp: A plus version of Braxton Garrett
Prime Skills: He has a super slurvy-like curve and has a strong change up, but he’s playing these against a below average fastball. Whisenhunt missed basically all of the second half in 2023 and is supposed to return to full health in 2024, but will need to focus on building up his innings.
Ranking Explanation: The stuff is ridiculous despite the lack of killer fastball velocity and I think he has what it takes to be a #2 or #3 in the rotation, however the lack of innings is concerning and we need to make sure he can build up to a starters workload before bumping him higher up the rankings.
Previous Rank: 60
60. OF Yanquiel Fernandez (Rockies)
2023 A/A+/AA: .265/.313/.486, 25 HR, 1 SB
Age: 21
ETA: Mid 2025
fScores: N/A
Comp: Yordan Alvarez-light w/ worse plate skills
Prime Skills: Big time power bat who will be in Colorado and started in AA as a 20-year-old. Generally his hit tool is solid, but he needs to develop good plate skills to be an elite player at the major league level. The upside is there if he can reign in the Ks, because the power is legit 40 homer power if he hits his peak outcome.
Ranking Explanation: There has been a ton of swing and miss at the AA level, too much to be honest, but he is young for the level. The A+ to AA jump is a tough one and I need to see some progress at AA before I jump him above higher floor guys like Cowser. The electric power and speed combo of guys like Mauricio and Carson Williams give them the edge.
Previous Rank: 28
61. OF Victor Scott II (Cardinals)
2023 A+/AA: .303/.369/.425, 9 HR, 94 SB
Age: 23
ETA: Mid 2024
fScores: 96 fContact, 84 fDiscipline, 69 fPower, 269 fSpeed, 72 fDurability
Comp: Esteury Ruiz with more power and a better glove
Prime Skills: Speed and contact, he has limited power, but it’s not nothing. He will instantly be a top 5 runner in baseball once he’s up and should have more value than Esteury Ruiz once he is up and established into the Cardinals lineup with a regular role.
Ranking Explanation: Even in a world where steals are up 30-40%, a guy who can steal 60 bases every year with 10 homers or so is worth a decent amount in fantasy baseball.
Previous Rank: 134
62. OF Jonatan Clase (Mariners)
2023 A+/AA: .242/.353/.449, 20 HR, 79 SB
Age: 21
ETA: Early 2025
fScores: N/A
Comp: Jonathan Villar in CF with a little Jorge Mateo mixed in
Prime Skills: Lightning speed with power and the ability to take walks. He has shown above average power to go along with the wheels, however the hit tool and K rate are a problem.
Ranking Explanation: A bad hit tool means Clase has a low floor, but the power and speed combo means he has a ridiculously high ceiling despite his size. He’s a fun player, but could also be a complete bust. I trust the hit tool of Scott over the hit tool of Clase and Scott has more speed, even if Clase has more power.
Previous Rank: 42
63. 1B Tyle Locklear (Mariners)
2023 A+/AA: .288/.405/.502, 13 HR, 12 SB
Age: 22
ETA: Early 2025
fScores: N/A
Comp: Mitch Haniger-ish with a righty Beltran stance
Prime Skills: Hit tool, check. Power tool, check. Slight speed with improving plate skills, I’m in! Locklear is coming off an injury shortened season so don’t take those counting stats for granted, I think he paces out for a 25 homer 15 steal guy in the future.
Ranking Explanation: Locklear is a 1B and I’m just not someone who will generally be high on 1B prospects, because it’s easy for them to get blocked. One good thing is I doubt Ty France is blocking anyone in Seattle.
Previous Rank: 58
64. 3B Coby Mayo (Orioles, 2024)
2023 AA/AAA: .290/.410/.564, 29 HR, 5 SB
Age: 22
ETA: Mid 2024
fScores: 89 fContact, 101 fDiscipline, 108 fPower, 77 fSpeed
Comp: Wil Myers at 3B with less speed
Prime Skills: Mayo has a quick and powerful swing that portends to 25-ish homer power with 10-ish steal speed, but he has terrible contact skills thus far in his minor league career.
Ranking Explanation: Mayo will make it to the majors because of his prospect pedigree, but he may only end up being a super utility player because his contact skills are so bad and the other young guys the team has are superior. He could fall into the Vientos trap on the O’s if they can’t find a good move for him.
Previous Rank: 68
65. OF Owen Caissie (Cubs)
2023 AA: .289/.399/.519, 22 HR, 7 SB
Age: 21
ETA: Late 2021
fScores: 91 fContact, 103 fDiscipline, 99 fPower, 68 fSpeed, 60 fDurability
Comp: Joey Gallo
Prime Skills: The power is legit, but the hit tool and plate skills need some serious work. There is a lot of potential here however, hence the ranking. He just needs to work on making more contact and putting the ball into the air to maximize his skill set.
Ranking Explanation: He spent the entire season at AA as a 20 year old, but he needs to work on reducing the swing and miss and get that K rate down. Locklear has way better plate skills and Mayo has better tools.
Previous Rank: 59
66. 2B Termarr Johnson (Pirates)
2023 A/A+: .244/.422/.438, 18 HR, 10 SB
Age: 20
ETA: Early 2025
fScores: N/A
Comp: Short Jason Kipnis, might have some Dozier-esk or Brandon Phillips-esk seasons, but looks like a lefty Jose Altuve at the dish
Prime Skills: Amazing plate skills for his age, but he’s super raw right now despite the plate discipline. Contact, power and speed have a lot of room to grow to figure out how good he can really end up.
Ranking Explanation: He’s pretty tantalizing, but raw so I have to reign in his ranking behind some of the more established hitters. The power has been surprisingly above average, but that may be at the expense of the hit tool, which was supposed to be his top tool when he was drafted. Next year at this time Termarr could be a top 25 prospect.
Pre-Season Rank: 79
67. OF Drew Gilbert (Mets)
2023 A+/AA: .289/.381/.487, 18 HR, 12 SB
Age: 23
ETA: Mid 2024
fScores: 94 fContact, 99 fDiscipline, 92 fPower, 119 fSpeed, 52 fPDurability
Comp: TJ Friedl
Prime Skills: Gilbert has good speed to go with a solid hit tool and developing plate skills. The power is good enough to reach 15-20 homers and he has 20-ish steal speed to go along with it.
Ranking Explanation: Gilbert is kind of like Cowser as high floor, lower ceiling type guys, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t going to be good for fantasy. Gilbert reminds me a ton of the 2023 version of Friedl with slightly less speed and if he can do that as soon as the back end of 2024, he’s pretty valuable.
Previous Rank: 57
68. 3B / OF Zach Dezenzo (Astros)
2023 A+/AA Stats: .305/.383/.531, 18 HR, 22 SB
Age: 24
ETA: Mid 2024
fScores: 95 fContact, 83 fDiscipline, 101 fPower, 145 fSpeed, 54 fDurability
Comp: A bigger, more athletic Chas McCormick – ceiling would be Adolis-light type stats.
Prime Skills: Power / speed guy who has to work on his hit tool, but can take a walk and will excel against fastballs. Needs to work on reducing the K rate, which he had done at high A.
Ranking Explanation: Gilbert might have a lower power and speed ceiling than Dezenzo, however the far superior plate skills gives Gilbert the slight edge. Both of these guys should be up in 2024 around the midpoint of the season and can help fantasy teams.
Previous Rank: 136
69. 3B Curtis Mead (Rays)
2023 Rk/AAA: .287/.377/.502, 9 HR, 4 SB
2023 MLB: .253/.326/.349, 1 HR, 0 SB
Age: 23
ETA: Debuted in 2023
fScores: 93 fContact, 102 fDiscipline, 89 fPower, 77 fSpeed, 65 fDurability
Comp: Justin Turner
Prime Skills: Mead is the type of player who will probably be a better big leaguer than fantasy asset. He has great plate skills and contact skills. He hits to all fields and is a bigger guy, who could grow into more power as he ages.
Ranking Explanation: Mead had a rough start to the season, got injured and then came back raking, but had trouble finding his power stroke in 2023. He has a high floor as a solid hitting corner infielder, but for him to hit his cap he needs to hit for a lot more power.
Previous Rank: 32
70. OF Spencer Jones (Yankees)
2023 A+/AA: .267/.336/.444, 16 HR, 43 SB
Age: 23
ETA: Early 2025
fScores: N/A
Comp: Shohei Ohtani Super Light (just the hitter)
Prime Skills: He’s huge at 6’ 6” and has ridiculous power potential with decent speed to boot. Everyone wants to comp him to Judge since they are both Yankees, but I think Ohtani makes more sense, even the stance is more like Ohtani. A bit too much swing and miss at the high A level for a college bat, but the power and speed skills are real.
Ranking Explanation: The tools are all there for Jones, but I’m concerned about his whiff rate and that he may go the route of Joey Gallo, rather than the route of Aaron Judge in being a big dude with a big strike zone. The ceiling is really high on Jones, but the floor is not even making the Majors.
Previous Rank: 72
71. SP Noah Schultz (White Sox)
2023 A Stats: 27 IP, 38 Ks, 6 BBs, 1.33 ERA, 0.85 WHIP
Age: 20
ETA: Late 2025
fScores: N/A
Comp: Randy Johnson
Prime Skills: Giant lefty, he might be the tallest player in baseball history by the time he gets to the majors. He has had pinpoint command for someone of his size – it’s incredible to see. He gets Chris Sale and Nick Lodolo comps often because of the slider.
Ranking Explanation: He’s getting the Tink Hence treatment only pitching 2-3 innings or so per outing, but he has absolutely destroyed hitters so far this season. He has excellent command, the fastball sits around 96 MPH and he has an arm slot similar to the guys mentioned above leading to a slick looking slider. The lack of innings and him still being in low A dings him a bit, but if he keeps this up and builds up next year, things are looking sunny!
Previous Rank: 85
72. 3B / OF Graham Pauley (Padres)
2023 A/A+/AA: .308/.393/.539, 23 HR, 22 SB
Age: 23
ETA: Late 2024
fScores: 96 fContact, 100 fDiscipline, 89 fPower, 115 fSpeed, 54 fDurability
Comp: Anthony Rizzo, Zac Gelof mash-up
Prime Skills: Pauley has a good hit tool and is a good judge of the strike zone and pushes more toward doubles power than high end home run power. He looks like a regular 20 homer, 10 steal type who has the ability to play multiple positions, since he plays third, second and outfield.
Ranking Explanation: Pauley had a killer year and is a guy without much pedigree, but a great hit tool can make up for only average EV numbers. Very solid floor with his hit tool and decent enough ceiling to be usable during his peak in most fantasy leagues.
Previous Rank: Unranked
73. 2B / OF Luisangel Acuna (Mets)
2023 AA Stats: .294/.359/.410, 9 HR, 57 SB
Age: 22
ETA: Mid 2024
fScores: fContact 86, fDiscipline 88, fPower 66, fSpeed 200, fDurability 75
Comp: Tommy Edman with a Ronald Acuna batting stance
Prime Skills: Acuna has decent plate skills and speed for days. The power is about average and he could tap out at a 12-15 homer guy with 35-40 steals.
Ranking Explanation: The Mets grabbing Acuna is likely good for him, because now he has a clear path to playing time at second (if McNeil moves to the OF) and playing against his brother will probably only bring out the best in him. Pauley has a bit more to his profile and Acuna has some rabbit risk, which I’m not a big fan of those types.
Previous Rank: 64
74. SS Carlos Jorge (Reds)
2023 A/A+ Stats: .282/.374/.464, 12 HR, 32 SB
Age: 20
ETA: Mid 2025
fScores: N/A
Comp: Jazz Chisholm Jr.
Prime Skills: Electric player who has a lot of holes in his game, but the athleticism makes up for many of them. This is a guy I have a live look on and I saw him make non-hits into hits and get thrown out stealing trying to make stuff happen. He has a solid eye for his age with power and speed to boot.
Ranking Explanation: I’m concerned about the swing and miss and the mental mistakes he makes. He is confident and thinks he can do anything, which is great but can run him into trouble if he doesn’t play good fundamental baseball. He’s pretty similar to Acuna, but a year behind or so in development. Jorge could end up the better player, but for now proximity wins out.
Previous Rank: 55
75. SP Daniel Espino (Guardians)
2022 AA Stats: 18 ⅓ IP, 45.6% K-BB rate, 2.45 ERA, 0.71 WHIP
Age: 22
ETA: Early 2025
fScores: N/A
Comp: An injured Pedro Martinez (hopefully not Alex Reyes)… but leaning toward Alex Reyes
Prime Skills: He has the best stuff of any pitcher in the minors. His fastball has ridiculous vertical ride, watch it – it’s fun. I love the slider and curve. Three plus, plus pitches is very rare.
Ranking Explanation: If he could pitch even 80-100 innings, he would be top 50 on this list. He missed almost all of 2022 and 2023 with injuries and he won’t be back until halfway through the season. The skills are there and this is about the spot in the rankings where it’s worth taking a risk on Espino.
Previous Rank: 83
76. 3B / OF Sterlin Thompson (Rockies)
2023 A+/AA Stats: .293/.376/.487, 14 HR, 17 SB
Age: 23
ETA: Mid 2024
fScores: 100 fContact, 90 fDiscipline, 92 fPower, 119 fSpeed, 51 fDurability
Comp: Charlie Blackmon
Prime Skills: Great hit tool, he will develop into one of the better doubles hitters in the league in Colorado. The power and speed could lead to some 20/20-ish seasons in his peak.
Ranking Explanation: He has a very high floor due to the great hit tool and while he likely won’t become elite for fantasy purposes, he should be a regular in 3 OF leagues for a long time due to his consistency and ability to pile up stats across the board. Another floor-ish guy with similar skills to Gilbert and Pauley. Hitting in Colorado will help him though.
Previous Rank: 71
77. SP Wikelman Gonzalez (Red Sox)
2023 A+/AA: 111.333 IP, 168 Ks, 70 BBs, 3.96 ERA, 1.31 WHIP
Age: 22
ETA: Mid 2024
fScores: 65 fPDurability, 110 fStuff, 90 fControl, 134 fERA
Comp: Freddy Peralta
Prime Skills: Really nice fastball / slider combo with a well above average change up as well. Hits 95 with the fastball and really pounds it into the zone. The strikeout stuff and the walks have both increased this year. If he’s going to succeed in the Major’s he needs to work on his command.
Ranking Explanation: He’s a smaller dude, so we do have to worry about his workload some to go along with the walk issues, but he has some nasty stuff and when trying to judge which pitching prospects will break from the glob once they hit the majors, stuff and control win out against run prevention.
Previous Rank: 81
78. SP Brock Porter (Rangers)
2023 A Stats: 69 1/3 IP, 95 Ks, 42 BBs, 2.47 ERA, 1.17 WHIP
Age: 21
ETA: Late 2025
fScores: N/A
Comp: Sandy Alcantara
Prime Skills: The slider and fastball are pure filth (he has triple digit heat) and the circle changeup is graded out as a 70 pitch that he gets a lot of strike three calls on.
Ranking Explanation: He ran into some control problems at low A and despite the killer stuff, he has not shown enough control to the Rangers to advance to high A, which is where I thought he would be at this point earlier in the season. He’s being babied a bit in his advancement up the system and innings workload, thus Wikelman Gonzalez and his innings / stuff combo gets the nod.
Previous Rank: Honorable Mention
79. C Edgar Quero (White Sox)
2023 AA: .255/.380/.351, 6 HR, 1 SB
Age: 21
ETA: Early 2025
fScores: N/A
Comp: Yasmani Grandal
Prime Skills: Quero has fantastic plate discipline with more walks than Ks as a young 20-year-old at AA. He has 20-ish homer power in the bat and can steal a few bags, despite the lack of power and speed this season.
Ranking Explanation: The Angels traded Quero in the Lucas Giolito deal, which two bad organizations don’t make a right. He’s hitting the ball on the ground too much this year, but again – he’s incredibly young for a AA catcher and has time to developmentally catch up.
Previous Rank: 61
80. OF Jordan Beck (Rockies)
2023 A+/AA Stats: .241/.365/.448, 3 HR, 3 SB
Age: 23
ETA: Late 2024
fScores: 93 fContact, 122 fDiscipline, 95 fPower, 97 fSpeed, 62 fDurability
Comp: A Hunter Renfroe and George Springer mash up
Prime Skills: Big country boy with a future 30 homer power. He has a little speed to boot, a nice arm and unlike Renfroe (despite the Ks), he can take walks.
Ranking Explanation: Beck is at the right level now and we can see some contact issues, however the power is legit and he has a tad of speed to boot. He also has a good eye for taking walks. He’s a future 12-15 team league fantasy asset. Thompson gets the edge due to the superior hit tool and the fact his doubles power is likely to play up in Coors, while Quero has a ridiculous eye for a catcher.
Previous Rank: 75
81. OF Gabriel Gonzalez (Mariners)
2023 A/A+: .298/.361/.476, 18 HR, 10 SB
Age: 20
ETA: Late 2025
fScores: N/A
Comp: Shorter Marcell Ozuna
Prime Skills: This kid has a killer hit tool, developing above average power and semi-decent speed and is flying up the minors as a 19-year-old at high A. He has a good eye and doesn’t strike out much, but also doesn’t walk as much as he should and could work on some patience as he goes up levels.
Ranking Explanation: G Gon had a double green arrow on him while he was in low A, but once he hit high A, his season hit some major brakes. Many of the guys higher up in the rankings hit the same issues in AA, but not at high A which gives me pause with ranking him any higher. The final slash line still looks good though and prospect growth is not linear.
Previous Rank: 77
82. 2B / OF Joey Loperfido (Astros)
2023 A+/AA/AAA: .278/.370/.510, 25 HR, 27 SB
Age: 25
ETA: Early 2024
fScores: 111 fContact, 96 fDiscipline, 93 fPower, 118 fSpeed, 76 fDurability
Comp: Christian Yelich (without the peak years)
Prime Skills: He has all fields gap power and can hit oppo tacos with his bat speed. He has very good speed to go with a great hit tool and very good plate skills. He would be a killer top of the lineup guy, but in Houston, he’s probably looking at super utility duties.
Ranking Explanation: Loperfido’s age and the fact he’s a blocked from regular playing time in Houston (pending injury) drops him a bit in the rankings, but the tools are legit and this guy could be one of these out of nowhere type guys with limited pedigree who has a nice 5-7 year stretch in the majors.
Previous Rank: 78
83. SP Noble Meyer (Marlins)
2023 Rk/A: 11 IP, 15 Ks, 7 BBs, 4.09 ERA, 1.63 WHIP
Age: 19
ETA: Late 2026
fScores: N/A
Comp: Logan Gilbert
Prime Skills: Big fastball can hit 100 MPH as a high schooler. The fastball / slider combo are his calling card. He’s known for his impeccable command despite his size.
Ranking Explanation: High School pitchers are always a crapshoot when prospecting, but Meyer has a very high floor for a high schooler, based on his size, velocity and command. He could be a future top of the rotation starter. It helps the Marlins already have experience with big guys already having developed Eury Perez.
Previous Rank: 84
84. SP Ty Madden (Tigers)
2023 A+/AA: 122 2/3 IP, 133 Ks, 38 BBs, 3.01 ERA, 1.10 WHIP
Age: 24
ETA: Mid 2024
fScores: 75 fPDurability, 110 fStuff, 97 fControl, 107 fERA
Comp: Good Jack Flaherty
Prime Skills: Four quality pitches, including a fastball with really nice ride that he likes to burn guys with high in the zone, a killer slider that tunnels his fastball well and a curve that is best used down in the zone. The changeup is also solid against righties.
Ranking Explanation: Madden’s stock takes a little bit of a hit because he’s been blocked thrice over this offseason and is now looking like the number 8 guy in the rotation thanks to the unnecessary addition of Jack Flaherty. I still like what he brings to the table however and will take his skill over the next couple guys, who will probably get a little more run in the majors in 2024.
Pre-Season Rank: 97
85. SP David Festa (Twins)
2023 AA/AAA: 92 1/3 IP, 119 Ks, 42 BBs, 4.19 ERA, 1.39 WHIP
Age: 24
ETA: Early 2024
fScores: 63 fPDurability, 111 fStuff, 98 fControl, 108 fERA
Comp: George Kirby without a curve and worse control
Prime Skills: Festa rocks a mid-90s fastball, a plus slider and above average changeup with way above average control, which will help him cement a starter’s role in the majors in the near future.
Ranking Explanation: He’s had some home run problems this year, but besides that the underlying metrics are very nice. Continuing the pitching run here, Festa is an injury away from a rotation spot and could get a nice MLB workload in 2024. I like Madden’s stuff a little more and give him the edge even though Festa has the proximity edge.
Previous Rank: 107
86. 2B / 3B Jace Jung (Tigers)
2023 A+/AA: .265/.376/.502, 28 HR, 5 SB
Age: 22
ETA: Early 2025
fScores: N/A
Comp: Nolan Gorman meets Josh Jung
Prime Skills: The pull power is legit. His swing reminds me a ton of Nolan Gorman and his approach is very similar to his brother Josh. All things look good for success, except that he will have to hit in Detroit.
Ranking Explanation: The hit tool has some risk as does the future home stadium, which could pull him down a bit, but Jung will be playing in the higher levels all next year and will have a chance to move into the top 50 of my rankings if he continues where he left off in 2023.
Previous Rank: Unranked
87. SP Jared Jones (Pirates)
2023 AA/AAA: 126 1/3 IP, 146 Ks, 50 BBs, 3.85 ERA, 1.24 WHIP
Age: 22
ETA: Early 2024
fScores: 84 fPDurability, 108 fStuff, 93 fControl, 99 fERA
Comp: Lance McCullers Jr.
Prime Skills: He gets a ton of whiffs, primarily riding his fastball / slider combo. He could work on limiting the walks a bit more, but could be a #3 for Pittsburgh long term pretty easily. He has some higher heat, averaging 96-97 with the fastball.
Ranking Explanation: He gets hit pretty hard for some reason and runs a high BABIP, kind of like McCullers does himself. They even look alike. His ceiling might be a number 3 or 4 starter and even though he scores high for proximity, I like guys like Madden and Festa a little more long term.
Previous Rank: 86
88. SP Carlos F. Rodriguez (Brewers)
2023 AA/AAA: 128 1/3 IP, 158 Ks, 57 BBs, 2.99 ERA, 1.12 WHIP
Age: 22
ETA: Mid 2024
fScores: 75 fPDurability, 112 fStuff, 98 fControl, 136 fERA
Comp: Marcus Stroman
Prime Skills: He has a below average fastball, but three above average breaking pitches and locates all of his pitches well. He’s short for a pitcher at 6’0, so he’s always going to be fighting that uphill battle as a prospect, but results matter and the Brewers are good at developing lower pedigree pitchers.
Ranking Explanation: This dude is climbing up the system levels quickly and is earning it based on his performance. There’s a little Braxton Garrett in his pitch mix and his size is a concern, but results continue. The Brewers are excellent at developing pitchers and Rodriguez just seems like the next one in a long line of successful projects. We have seen pitchers succeed without a fastball of late and Rodriguez has a nice track record of making this work.
Previous Rank: 90
89. SP Hurston Waldrep (Braves)
2023 College: 101 ⅔ IP, 156 Ks, 57 BBs, 4.16 ERA, 1.40 WHIP
2023 A/A+/AA/AAA: 29 1/3 IP, 41 Ks, 16 BBs, 1.53 ERA, 1.19 WHIP
Age: 22
ETA: Mid 2024
fScores: 52 fDurability, 110 fStuff, 86 fControl, 111 fERA
Comp: Kevin Gausman-light
Prime Skills: Waldrep has an above average rising fastball to go with a slider, splitter and curve. The splitter is an excellent pitch, but he doesn’t have the same heat to pair with it as Gausman, at least not yet.
Ranking Explanation: He fell a bit in the draft, but he went to a team that promotes quickly and is good at developing their players (with the exception of Ian Anderson). Splitters are a volatile pitch, so like Gausman, Montas and other splitter pitchers, he will likely have his up years and his down years. I have some concerns about his control and volatility hence him being a bit lower in my rankings than others.
Previous Rank: 116
90. SP Dylan Lesko (Padres)
2023 Rk/A/A+: 33 IP, 52 Ks, 22 BBs, 5.45 ERA, 1.55 WHIP
Age: 20
ETA: Mid 2025
fScores: N/A
Comp: Walker Buehler
Prime Skills: He threw 93-95 pre-TJ, but he has a big curve and killer changeup with solid command pre-TJ that generally put him ahead of the count – he might have been a top 3 pick in 2022 had he not gotten injured.
Ranking Explanation: Just got back from TJ rehab and finally made his pro debut. He has had trouble finding his command post surgery, but the stuff is still getting plenty of swings and misses. He should move up quite a bit because the stuff is insane once he starts re-gaining his command and building some innings.
Previous Rank: 119
91. 2B Thomas Saggesse (Cardinals)
2023 AA/AAA: .306/.374/.530, 26 HR, 12 SB
Age: 22
ETA: Mid 2024
fScores: 96 fContact, 82 fDiscipline, 100 fPower, 98 fSpeed, 69 fDurability
Comp: Righty Matt Carpenter with more speed
Prime Skills: Saggesse has a good hit tool, very solid plate skills and underrated power and speed for a guy that plays multiple infield positions.
Ranking Explanation: He won’t be a super star, but he should be a very valuable deeper league asset sooner, rather than later. He’s going to provide stats in all categories and will be great for points leagues. If the Cardinals move some of their hitters for pitchers, Saggesse is a guy who could benefit with some playing time.
Previous Rank: 125
92. OF Lazaro Montes (Mariners)
2023 Rk/A: .303/.440/.560, 13 HR, 2 SB
Age: 19
ETA: 2026
fScores: N/A
Comp: Kyle Schwarber
Prime Skills: Big strong kid with ridiculous EVs, Montes has some insane lefty power and good plate skills, but the wheels are pretty bad.
Ranking Explanation: This is a dude who is still really young and only has one small sample size of pro ball, but there’s a ton of power upside here which I love for fantasy. Keep an eye on Montes next year to see how quickly he rises levels, he will probably start in A+. He gets the edge to Malloy with the much higher upside power and similarly good plate skills.
Previous Rank: Unranked
93. 3B / OF Justyn-Henry Malloy (Tigers):
2023 AAA: .277/.417/.474, 23 HR, 5 SB
Age: 24
ETA: Early 2024
fScores: 93 fContact, 142 fDiscipline, 85 fPower, 96 fSpeed, 84 fDurability
Comp: Righty Lars Nootbaar with less power and speed
Prime Skills: He might not be a super star, but he will have a ton of value on OBP and points leagues, because this dude is an on-base machine with a solid enough hit tool and slightly above average power with 15-20 homer upside. He will be a killer in points leagues.
Ranking Explanation: I’m not sure how he didn’t get promoted last year, apparently the defense is terrible, but with his plate skills he should be incredibly useful for almost any team. Maybe the Athletics will trade for him.
Previous Rank: 94
94. SS / 3B Brayden Taylor (Rays)
2023 College: .308/.430/.631, 23 HR, 14 SB
2023 Rk/A: .242/.361/.517, 5 HR, 11 SB
Age: 22
ETA: Early 2025
fScores: N/A
Comp: Gavin Lux with more speed
Prime Skills: Known for being a high contact hitter with excellent plate skills and a pretty swing, the fantasy impact may not be super high here – but he should be a quick mover until he gets blocked.
Ranking Explanation: The Rays like to slow cook their prospects and even once they come up, generally they platoon them and don’t give them full playing time (Jonathan Aranda anyone?) These concerns push Taylor down a bit, but if he can prove he deserves a fast rise, ala Junior Caminero / Wander… will the hold him down?
Previous Rank: 124
95. SP Ben Brown (Cubs)
2023 AA/AAA: 92 2/3 IP, 130 Ks, 57 BBs, 4.27 ERA, 1.40 WHIP
Age: 24
ETA: Early 2024
fScore: 64 fPDurability, 120 fStuff, 91 fControl, 102 fERA
Comp: Lucas Giolito w/ more velo and worse control
Prime Skills: Brown is a big 6’ 6 guy who has a fastball that averages 96 and comes in like a laser and pairs it with a nice 12-6 curve and a 55 grade slider. The stuff is ridiculously good, but the rough control puts him in righty DL Hall territory.
Ranking Explanation: Brown is a WHIP risk at the Major League level, but he has high K upside and worst case scenario he should be a high leverage, late innings reliever. The reliever risk, despite the stuff pushes him back behind some higher control guys who have worse stuff just because control really matters when looking for success as a major league starter.
Previous Rank: 73
96. OF Druw Jones (Diamondbacks)
2023 Rk/A Stats: .238/.353/.327, 2 HR, 9 SB
Age: 20
ETA: End of 2025
fScores: N/A
Comp: Andruw Jones
Prime Skills: He was a top pick for a reason and has 5 tool upside with quick hands, unfortunately with the injuries we don’t have a huge sample size, but the power has been missing as he’s recovering and hitting the ball on the ground way too much. He’s quick with easy pull power, I’d like to see if he can hit to all fields, but most of the video of him he’s pulling the ball.
Ranking Explanation: Dude has been injured two seasons in a row now. I’m not ready to give up on him completely, but it’s getting hard to keep positive about him until we start seeing some professional success. He’s getting passed in my rankings by guys who are showing they are legit players. I’d like to see him get some muscle on that frame and hit the ball in the air at a higher frequency.
Previous Rank: 56
97. SP Cristian Mena (White Sox)
2023 AA/AA: 133 2/3 IP, 156 Ks, 64 BBs, 4.85 ERA, 1.41 WHIP
Age: 21
ETA: Late 2024
fScores: 69 fDurability, 110 fStuff, 90 fControl, 101 fERA
Comp: Pedro Martinez super light
Prime Skills: A killer curve and increased fastball velo has led to this 20-year-old to be putting up some nice K numbers at a high level for his age. The arm angle is way over the top which gets on hitters very quickly.
Ranking Explanation: Ignore the ERA with this guy, the BABIP and LOB luck is ridiculously bad. He is in the Southern League too using the infamous tacky ball and we don’t really know the results of what that’s doing to help or hurt pitchers at this point, but his swinging strike rate is higher than his K-BB rate and that’s abnormal.
Previous Rank: 89
98. OF Emmanuel Rodriguez (Twins)
2023 A+: .240/.400/.463, 16 HR, 20 SB
Age: 21
ETA: Mid 2025
fScores: NA
Comp: The upside could be Rafael Devers, however he is currently trending to being more of a Miguel Sano
Prime Skills: Great eye and insane power with a tad of speed mixed in despite being a bigger boy, quick hands though. Like many of these guys, Rodriguez has to work on his hit tool a bit and cut down on the strikeouts.
Ranking Explanation: The strikeouts are way too high right now, but the talent is undeniable. He missed a ton of 2022 with an injury and didn’t fully bounce back in 2023. Next year at AA will be the real test where he can either zoom up the rankings or stagnate.
Previous Rank: 88
99. SP Rhett Lowder (Reds)
2023 College: 120 ⅓ IP, 143 Ks, 24 BBs, 1.87 ERA, 0.95 WHIP
Age: 21
ETA: Early 2025
fScores: N/A
Comp: Logan Webb
Prime Skills: He has three above average pitches and is known for his pin-point control. His change up and 2-seamer are both nasty.
Ranking Explanation: I think his upside is only about a #3 starter and pitching in Cincinnati is not as easy as it seems – ask Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo. He has a high floor, but Dollander’s stuff even in Colorado gives him the edge in my rankings until we start seeing some minor league work.
Previous Rank: 112
100. OF Chase Davis (Cardinals)
2023 College: .362/.489/.742, 21 HR, 0 SB
2023 A: .212/.366/.269, 0 HR, 3 SB
Age: 22
ETA: Mid 2025
fScores: N/A
Comp: Carlos Gonzalez w/o the steals
Prime Skills: One of the best hitters in college the last couple of years, he has a solid hit tool with very good plate skills and 25-30 homer potential from a corner OF spot. He looks like CarGo hitting, but does not have the CarGo wheels.
Ranking Explanation: He had a bad start at Low A after the draft and part of me thinks this has to do with bad umps or him trying to do something new instead of just hitting. A lot of people think he was one of the best hitters in the 2023 draft, so I’m giving the small sample size the benefit of the doubt to see how he bounces back in 2024.
Previous Rank: 80
101. SP Clayton Beeter (Yankees)
2023 AA/AAA: 131 2/3 IP, 165 Ks, 75 BBs, 3.62 ERA, 1.37 WHIP
Age: 25
ETA: Early 2024
fScores: 79 fDurability, 114 fStuff, 88 fControl, 108 fERA
Comp: Christian Javier
Prime Skills: He’s mostly a fastball, slider guy – but mixes in a solid curve as well. He has good stuff, especially the fastball which looks like it has some deception to it whereas the control is a bit lackluster as he’s constantly posting high walk rates.
Ranking Explanation: Beeter is currently projected to break camp in the Yankees rotation, he’s ready and leaving him in the minors won’t help, but he does have walk issues and it’s possible he’s better taking the Michael King role long term.
Previous Rank: Unranked
102. OF Sebastian Walcott (Rangers)
2023 Rk/A+: .246/.335/.471, 7 HR, 12 SB
Age: 18
ETA: 2027
fScores: N/A
Comp: Fernando Tatis Jr. – light, similar build and swing
Prime Skills: Super raw, a huge 17-year-old kid with power for days. He has to develop the hit tool and plate skills, but the tools are there and he debuted at high A as a 17-year-old.
Ranking Explanation: The kid is super raw and has been striking out a ton at every level, but he’s incredibly young for the level and he might be following the Jackson Chourio route.
Previous Rank: Unranked
103. OF Kevin Alcantara (Cubs)
2023 Rk/A+/AA: .284/.345/.466, 13 HR, 15 SB
Age: 21
ETA: Early 2025
fScores: N/A
Comp: Righty Shawn Green with more swing and miss
Prime Skills: Wiry frame with projectable power once he starts filling out, but for now he’s filling out more in the Elly de la Cruz mold than in the Gioncarlo Stanton mold. Right now he’s still pretty raw, the swing is a little too loopy and leads to a lot of swing and miss, but he can crush it when he connects.
Ranking Explanation: Alcantara has high upside due to the frame and the above average wheels, but if he strikes out too much he will just be the next Aristides Aquino. He’s performed better to date than Bleis and both are rough players who need further development before they move further up the list. There’s a lot of upside here, but he hasn’t started performing near his max as of yet.
Previous Rank: 99
104. 2B / 3B James Triantos (Cubs)
2023 A+/AA: .287/.364/.391, 4 HR, 16 SB
Age: 21
ETA: Early 2025
fScores: N/A
Comp: Bigger Matt McLain with possibly a better hit tool, but the power and speed tools aren’t as developed
Prime Skills: Good hit tool with a solid set of wheels and some developing pull power from the right side. He’s a bigger kid who projects for more power than he’s shown at this point in his minor league career.
Ranking Explanation: He hasn’t shown much power in pro ball yet, but it’s in there. He has the swing and he has the body to be a consistent 20/20 guy in the majors, but he has to get that power tool rolling forward.
Previous Rank: Unranked
105. 2B Connor Norby (Orioles)
2023 AAA: .279/.360/.483, 21 HR, 10 SB
Age: 24
ETA: Early 2024
fScores: 93 fContact, 91 fDiscipline, 96 fPower, 97 fSpeed, 71 fDurability
Comp: Aaron Hill
Prime Skills: Norby is average to above average all the way around and a big part of his MLB future is based on how much power he can actually hit for. Norby could be almost an Alex Bregman light type player at second base which is valuable.
Ranking Explanation: Norby is just stuck right now on a team with too many guys. In almost any other organization he would be locked into the Opening Day roster and would have debuted much earlier. The org issues and the lack of a true carrying tool push him down in my rankings.
Previous Rank: 69
106. SS Brooks Lee (Twins)
2023 AA/AAA: .275/.347/.461, 16 HR, 7 SB
Age: 23
ETA: Early 2024
fScores: 95 fContact, 95 fDiscipline, 89 fPower, 66 fSpeed, 66 fDurability
Comp: Chipper Jones light meets David Freese
Prime Skills: He’s an extra base hitter and switch hitter on top of it, he has great contact skills with only 15-20 homer power to go along with above average plate skills, but no speed.
Ranking Explanation: He could be a very good player, but from a fantasy perspective his upside is limited as a likely less than average power guy without much speed. He is very safe though and he will be one of those guys you probably stick at MI just to feel warm and fuzzy.
Previous Rank: 74
107. SP David Vasil (Mets)
2023 AA/AAA: 124 IP, 138 Ks, 46 BBs, 4.65 ERA, 1.2 WHIP
Age: 23
ETA: Early 2024
fScores: 74 fPDurability, 107 fStuff, 98 fControl, 93 fERA
Comp: Pablo Lopez
Prime Skills: Big dude, the curve is his best pitch and he has a starter’s arsenal, however he is missing the one elite pitch to make him a difference maker. Command has been his best skill set throughout his minor league career. He’s not getting the high fastball with the automatic strike zone and it’s been his lowest swing and miss pitch at AAA.
Ranking Explanation: AAA hit him up pretty good after a dominate AA, but I’ve seen him on the record stating the robo umps kind of messed with his locations and he had to adapt, but mentioned it’s probably better long term for his command to have to pitch in the zone more.
Previous Rank: 122
108. SP Mick Abel (Phillies)
2023 AA/AAA: 113 1/3 IP, 132 Ks, 65 BBs, 4.13 ERA, 1.26 WHIP
Age: 22
ETA: Mid 2024
fScores: 73 fPDurability, 104 fStuff, 91 fControl, 94 fERA
Comp: A young Max Scherzer with significantly worse control.
Prime Skills: Abel has a sick curveball with a high 90s fastball and solid changeup. Abel has #2-3 starter upside, but needs to work on his control if he wants to meet maximum potential, but the stuff is there.
Ranking Explanation: Abel has a good amount to work on to get him up to the majors, but he’s pitching pretty well at AA and if Painter doesn’t make it back this year it might be Abel who comes up later in the season.
Previous Rank: 67
109. OF Andy Pages (Dodgers)
2023 AA/AAA: .277/.425/.482, 3 HR, 7 SB
Age: 23
ETA: Late 2024
fScores: N/A
Comp: He looks like a Smaller Pete Alonso and has some of the power as an OF
Prime Skills: Big time power with a little bit of speed and a great eye at the plate. The hit tool is lacking and the numbers could look like a righty James Outman.
Ranking Explanation: The hit tool leaves a little bit of a boom or bust window for Pages, but he could be one of those guys that shoot up out of nowhere to become an All Star or he could be a career bench bat. He possibly would have been up by now if it wasn’t for an injury, but I expect he will be up sometime in 2024 to play off the bench or platoon with Outman.
Previous Rank: 82
110. SP Chase Dollander (Rockies)
2023 College: 89 IP, 120 Ks, 30 BBs, 4.75 ERA, 1.27 WHIP
Age: 22
ETA: 2025
fScores: N/A
Comp: Zach Wheeler light in Coors
Prime Skills: Big time fastball with a slider and curve. The major questions are if he can correct back to his 2022 levels and if he can figure out how to pitch in Colorado.
Ranking Explanation: Pitching in Colorado is a killer chore, however with his stuff he has the potential to be their best starter since Jon Gray. I’m hesitant to move him higher despite the great stuff because he has to battle Coors.
Previous Rank: 111
111. SP Connor Phillips (Reds)
2023 AAA: 105 IP, 154 Ks, 57 BBs, 3.86 ERA, 1.41 WHIP
2023 MLB: 20 2/3 IP, 26 Ks, 13 BBs, 6.97 ERA, 1.50 WHIP
Age: 23
ETA: Debuted in 2023
fScores: 65 fPDurability, 106 fStuff, 84 fControl, 94 fERA
Comp: Charlie Morton w/ a little righty Robbie Ray mixed in
Prime Skills: His fastball is cheddar high in the zone and he has a solid curve. He locates the fastball and cutter well, which is his bread and butter or getting guys to swing at the curve outside of the zone. The slider is his best pitch, which he should use more often.
Ranking Explanation: The tack balls in AA helped Phillips incredibly. His BB rate was a career low and is now back up in AA and the majors. This concerns me a bit and limits his upside, the control shown was atrocious outside of that AA stint, which concerns me a lot going forward and he will need to find enough to start to hit the above comps.
Previous Rank: 62
112. SS Marco Luciano (Giants)
2023 AAA: .223/.334/.442, 15 HR, 6 SB
2023 MLB: .231/.333/.308, 0 HR, 1 SB
Age: 22
ETA: Debuted in 2023
fScores: 84 fContact, 97 fDiscipline, 98 fPower, 93 fSpeed, 61 fDurability
Comp: Eugenio Suarez
Prime Skills: The power is legit, but mostly from the pull side at this point. Luciano was projecting out for a strong year, but got hurt and never made it to AA last year, which is slowing up his development. His K rate progressed y/o/y from last year and he’s a potential 30 homer bat from the SS position, but could move off onto 3B long term. The hit tool needs some serious work.
Ranking Explanation: Luciano has dropped quite a bit in my rankings the last couple of years and a good part of that is health, along with other guys just blowing by him in growth the last couple of years. I think he still ends up a solid fantasy contributor, but only in the power categories and that depends on league size. He was promoted to the majors straight from AA and has been getting blown away, which is not a surprise based on the level skip.
Previous Rank: 69
113. SP Mason Black (Giants)
2023 AA/AAA: 123 2/3 IP, 155 Ks, 52 BBs, 3.71 ERA, 1.21 WHIP
Age: 24
ETA: Early 2024
fScores: 78 fPDurability, 105 fStuff, 95 fControl, 104 fERA
Comp: Justin Verlander light
Prime Skills: Big dude, reminds me of Michael Lorenzon on the mound with a good fastball / slider combo. The slider is better than the grade he has on it and is his main K pitch. He’s a smart kid too and knows how to pitch a game.
Ranking Explanation: The walk rate spiked in AAA, if he can get that back down to AA levels at the MLB level, he will be a solid major league starter.
Previous Rank: Honorable Mention
114. C/1B Tyler Soderstrom (Athletics)
2023 AAA: .252/.308/.526, 21 HR, 2 SB
2023 MLB: .160/.232/.240, 3 HR, 0 SB
Age: 22
ETA: Debuted in 2023
fScores: 86 fContact, 82 fDiscipline, 104 fPower, 66 fSpeed, 74 fDurability
Comp: Josh Bell with a tad of left side Adley Rutschman tossed in and hint of lefty Christian Walker
Prime Skills: Big time lefty power, he makes good contact – but again can do a better job of lifting the ball with consistency.
Ranking Explanation: He would be much more valuable as a catcher, but if he’s playing 1B or DH he has to work on plate skills bad to provide any real fantasy value. No speed here which pushes him down some, but he could definitely be a 30 homer guy, but was promoted way too early and his having major contact issues at the highest level. I’ll take the better skills of Pages over the power potential of Soderstrom any day.
Previous Rank: 66
115. SP Gordon Graceffo (Cardinals)
2023 AAA: 86 IP, 81 Ks, 45 BBs, 4.92 ERA, 1.54 WHIP
Age: 24
ETA: Mid 2024
fScores: fPDurability 63, fStuff 102, fControl 103, fERA 104
Comp: Mike Clevinger
Prime Skills: Graceffo has a big fastball and three more above average pitches to pair with them. He has excellent command and could grow into a mid rotation starter for the Cardinals in the future or a high leverage reliever by the end of the season.
Ranking Explanation: Graceffo had some injury troubles in 2023 that have set him back a bit in his development. Next season will be a big boom or bust year for him to see if he’s a future starter or just a bullpen guy.
Pre-Season Rank: 110
116. SP Gavin Stone (Dodgers)
2023 AAA: 100 2/3 IP, 120 Ks, 46 BBs, 4.74ERA, 1.31 WHIP
2023 MLB: 31 IP, 22 Ks, 13 BBs, 9.00 ERA, 1.90 WHIP
Age: 25
ETA: Debuted in 2023
fScores: fPDurability 71, 105 fStuff, 98 fControl, 98 fERA
Comp: Chris Paddack
Prime Skills: Stone dominates hitters best by pitching them low and inside with good command of his fastball and a nasty changeup with a ton of late sink to it that could be confused with a breaking ball or splitter.
Ranking Explanation: Stone’s upside is likely a number 4 starter at this point, coming off a bad 2023. It’s going to be interesting to see if Stone can bounce back to 2022 form where he was almost untouchable. The pre-2023 success leaves some opportunity for him to still be a successful pro and keeps him in my top 150 prospects.
Pre-Season Rank: 106
117. SP Nick Nastrini (White Sox)
2023 AA/AAA: 114 ⅔ IP, 139 Ks, 54 BBs, 4.08 ERA, 1.31 WHIP
Age: 24
ETA: Mid 2024
fScores: 66 fPDiscipline, 114 fStuff, 92 fControl, 109 fERA
Comp: Jose Berrios / Jack Flaherty mash up with worse control
Prime Skills: Nastrini has a classic four pitch mix of fastball, changeup, slider and curve and all are average to above average offerings, without one pitch that really stands out. I like the change and the curve. The change some movement and he mixes it in well and uses it for punch outs, whereas the curve is the nastiest pitch, while the fastball is kind of just average.
Ranking Explanation: The stuff is above average across the board and he mixes his pitches in well, but he walks too many guys and will likely struggle when he first comes up unless he can get the walk rate down closer to 8%. He’s going to end up being a solid back end rotation starter for 10 years or so and the Dodgers kept Stone over him for a reason.
Previous Rank: Unranked
118. 1B / OF Ryan Clifford (Mets)
2023 A/A+: .262/.374/.480, 24 HR, 5 SB
Age: 21
ETA: Mid 2025
fScores: N/A
Comp: Vinnie Pasquantino with more Ks
Prime Skills: This kid has a big time power tool and the hit tool is pretty solid as well. I think he ends up at first base. He can take a walk too.
Ranking Explanation: The power is legit at a young age, he might struggle at upper levels with the Ks, but he makes good contact. The lack of speed and the fact he’s a lefty will probably make him a lower BABIP hitter.
Previous Rank: 113
119. 2B / SS Colt Emerson (Mariners)
2023 Rk/A: .374/.496/.550, 2 HR, 8 SB
Age: 18
ETA: Late 2026
fScores: N/A
Comp: Brendan Donovan w/ more natural talent
Prime Skills: Great hit tool for his age and plate skills for a big lefty who is still developing and has some solid wheels. He was playing A ball as a 17-year-old and is skinny with a ton of room to build on his frame for power as he moves up levels.
Ranking Explanation: This kid is going to move fast, because he takes professional ABs for the age. He has a higher upside than the guys I’m pushing him over and despite the wait for him to hit the majors, I would bet on this talent translating well to the majors.
Previous Rank: Unranked (drafted in 2023)
120. 3B Brock Wilken (Brewers)
2023 College: .345/.506/.807, 31 HR, 1 SB
2023 Rk/A+/AA: .285/.414/.473, 5 HR, 4 SB
Age: 22
ETA: Early 2025
fScores: N/A
Comp: Austin Riley
Prime Skills: This dude has massive power, but the question is if the hit tool can be average enough to allow him to mash 30-40 homers.
Ranking Explanation: As long as the hit tool can average out, a 30 homer 3B is worth a ton, even if he can only manage a .260 batting average.
Previous Rank: Unranked
121. OF Jacob Melton (Astros)
2023 AA: .245/.334/.467, 23 HR, 46 SB
Age: 23
ETA: Mid 2025
fScores: N/A
Comp: James Outman
Prime Skills: There are some pretty crazy power, speed skills here, but the hit tool and plate skills are lacking. Dude has an interesting wide open stance with a lot of movement, but he hits some moon shots and he could debut in 2024 if the Astros have some bad injuries and Melton can progress the hit tool.
Ranking Explanation: The power / speed combo is top 100 stuff, but the hit tool is pretty bad. Bad enough that I’ll take a power only guy like Wiklen over the power / speed combo of Melton.
Previous Rank: Unranked
122. OF Justin Crawford (Phillies)
2023 A/A+: .332/.392/.467, 3 HR, 47 SB
Age: 20
ETA: Late 2025
fScores: N/A
Comp: Carl Crawford w/ less power
Prime Skills: Speed, lightning speed like his dad. The hit tool is developing and the plate skills are improving, however there is next to nothing in the power department at this point and he doesn’t hit the ball in the air at all, but uses his legs to rack up a high average.
Ranking Explanation: He needs to lift the ball and start building some muscle if he wants to be as good as his dad, otherwise he’s looking like Myles Straw right now. Let’s see how he can build himself up this offseason.
Previous Rank: 128
123. 2B / SS Edwin Arroyo (Reds)
2023 A+/AA: .252/.324/.433, 13 HR, 29 SB
Age: 20
ETA: Late 2025
fScores: N/A
Comp: Ozzie Albies with a worse hit tool
Prime Skills: Speed guy who projects out for above average power as a switch hitting middle infielder.
Ranking Explanation: The stats aren’t great, but he debuted in AA this season as a 19-year-old. The hit tool isn’t great and the plate skills are only okay, but hopefully once he catches up to a level for his age these will neutralize.
Previous Rank: Unranked
124. 1B Abimelec Ortiz (Rangers)
2023 A/A+: .294/.371/.619, 33 HR, 1 SB
Age: 22
Comp: Daulton Varsho meets Dan Vogelbach
ETA: Early 2025
fScores: N/A
Prime Skills: Short quick swing, with a shorter body closer to Dan Vogelbach than you might like at age 22, he generates a lot of power and is still athletic enough to not fall into the BABIP trap as a big lefty.
Ranking Explanation: I’m not a huge fan of his profile or his overall skillset, but power is power and while he will likely end up as a DH, if he can hit .250-.260 with 25-30 bombs every year, one could do a lot worse in hunting fantasy value.
Previous Rank: Unranked
125. SP/RP Wilmer Flores (Tigers)
2023 A+/AA: 89 IP, 90 Ks, 33 BBs, 4.65 ERA, 1.32 WHIP
Age: 23
ETA: Mid 2024
fScores: 67 fPDurability, 103 fStuff, 97 fControl, 113 fERA
Comp: A righty Matt Strahm with better stuff
Prime Skills: Flores has a nice high rising fastball and a super loopy curve, but is more or less a two pitch guy, because his cutter isn’t very good and he doesn’t have a fourth pitch developed yet, which marks him as a possible pen guy out of the gate.
Ranking Explanation: My expectation based on some of what I’ve heard is that he has a route to come up in 2024 through the bullpen. The fastball / curve combo is pretty sick and there is plenty of upside here, but I think he’s missing another pitch to tunnel better off the fastball if he’s going to make it as a starter in the majors.
Previous Rank: Unranked
126. C Dalton Rushing (Dodgers)
2023 A+: .228/.404/.452, 15 HR, 1 SB
Age: 23
ETA: Mid 2025
fScores: N/A
Comp: Daulton Varsho without the baserunning ability
Prime Skills: Stout kid with a quick swing and nice lefty pull power with great plate discipline and an average hit tool.
Ranking Explanation: I think he ends up moving off the position and once he does, the value won’t be as high as if he were a catcher. He’s too old for the level he’s playing at and that has me concerned the number we are seeing are somewhat artificial.
Previous Rank: 96
127. SP Anthony Solometo (Pirates)
2023 AA: 110 1/3 IP, 118 Ks, 39 BBs, 3.59 ERA, 1.19 WHIP
Age: 21
ETA: Late 2024
fScores: fPDurability 60, 98 fStuff, 95 fControl, 104 fERA
Comp: Andrew Miller as a Starter
Prime Skills: Solomento has a similar repertoire to Snelling and Luzardo, however his fastball is more deceptive and most of his K’s come on the slider. He will at least be a dominant late inning reliever, but for now is showing he has the stuff to be a solid mid rotation starter.
Ranking Explanation: He has had a stellar season and as a 20-year-old in AA (and a lefty to boot) has been putting up great numbers.
Previous Rank: 70
128. SP Yu-Min Lin (Diamondbacks)
2023 A+/AA: 121 1/3 IP, 140 Ks, 48 BBs, 3.86 ERA, 1.18 WHIP
Age: 20
ETA: Early 2025
fScores: N/A
Comp: Lefty Sonny Gray type or mini / lefty Yu Darvish
Prime Skills: He has six pitches in his repertoire already and is only 19-years-old at AA. The command of his pitches at his age is insane, hopefully he can up his fastball a few ticks to get to that Sonny Gray level. He uses the fastball (89-91) and the slider to set up his changeup and curve, which are both pretty nasty and mixes in a splitter and screwball on top of it.
Ranking Explanation: He’s still just scratching the surface of his command and potential velocity gains. There are a lot of guys with better stuff, but he mixes his pitches well and pitches way above his age from a gamesmanship perspective. Should be a really good #3-4 SP for a long time.
Previous Rank: 123
129. C Ivan Herrera (Cardinals)
2023 AAA: .297/.451/.500, 10 HR, 11 SB
2023 MLB: .279/.409/.351, 0 HR, 0 SB
Age: 24
ETA: Debuted in 2023
fScores: 85 fContact, 140 fDiscipline, 76 fPower, 79 fSpeed, 62 fDurability
Comp: A shorter Tyler Stephenson with potentially more power in the bat
Prime Skills: He has an interesting batting stance where his hands are way out in front of him, he has a good hit tool for a catcher and excellent plate skills; with full plate appearances could hit 20 homers in a season near his peak.
Ranking Explanation: Herrera has the bat and the defensive prowess to roll as a full-time catcher and showed it already this season when he was up with the big league club. He’s not a future superstar, but he has solid starting catcher written all over him, but will mostly be a backup in 2024 since Wilson Contreras is blocking him unless there is a trade, limiting his upside.
Previous Rank: 117
130. 2B Justin Foscue (Rangers)
2023 AAA: .266/.394/.468, 18 HR, 14 SB
Age: 24
ETA: Mid 2024
fScores: fContact 89, fDiscipline 98, fPower 89, fSpeed 66, fDurability 63
Comp: Righty Brandon Donovan who only plays 2B
Prime Skills: Quick hands and a good hit tool, Foscue doesn’t have much for speed, but he has some power and could run across a couple 25 homer seasons.
Ranking Explanation: The biggest issue with Foscue is finding a spot for him to play, he’s kind of in Connor Norby territory (but without the power / speed upside) and could end up getting stuck as a super utility guy, which isn’t great for fantasy value.
Previous Rank: 104
131. SP Isaac Coffey (Red Sox)
2023 A+/AA: 117 2/3 IP, 155 Ks, 33 BBs, 3.37 ERA, 1.11 WHIP
Age: 24
ETA: Mid 2024
fScores: 64 fPDurability, 107 fStuff, 104 Control, 110 fERA
Comp: None, maybe Cooper Hjerpe
Prime Skills: Coffey has a very unique (aka weird) arm action when he pitches, where he almost slings the ball with a wrist-like flick from a near side arm slot. This makes all of his pitches look different than a more standard arm slot to a hitter, so even though his fastball is only about 90 MPH, it looks like it’s rising and zips across the zone.
Ranking Explanation: There is reliever risk here due to the arm slot and how it plays in the bigs, but he’s been putting up good numbers on the season in high A and AA as a starter and has four pitches. This is a guy you just keep an eye on and see how he performs and what the Red Sox plan is for him, as they already have a full rotation going into 2024 and might also bring James Paxton back.
Previous Rank: 150
132. SP Jake Eder (White Sox)
2023 A/AA Stats: 56 2/3 IP, 70 Ks, 36 BBs, 6.35 ERA, 1.68 WHIP
Age: 25
ETA: Early 2024
fScores: 37 fPDurability, 100 fStuff, 94 fControl, 116 fERA
Comp: Chris Sale Light w/ much worse command and fastball
Prime Skills: Huge lefty with a dominant slider and average fastball. Will get a shot to start, but could be a killer bullpen arm.
Ranking Explanation: He’s old for the level and between Eder and Nastrini, Nastrini has a much better arsenal as a starter, whereas Eder has the best pitch (the slider) and that might relegate him to the pen, but even if he ends up in the pen – he could be a top reliever just based on that pitch alone. Looks exactly like the Chris Sale slider… but then again, everyone thought Sale would be a reliever too.
Previous Rank: Unranked
133. SP Frank Mozzicato (Royals)
2023 A/A+: 93 IP, 130 Ks, 67 BBs, 4.65 ERA, 1.47 WHIP
Age: 21
ETA: Late 2025
fScores: N/A
Comp: mini Nick Lodolo
Prime Skills: An absolutely dirty slider, it’s underrated. He has heat with some rise and it tunnels against the curve very nicely.
Ranking Explanation: Mozzicato is young and very far away, but it will be interesting to see if the Royals can develop him, since they have had trouble in general as a farm system in developing especially pitchers.
Previous Rank: 103
134. SP Richard Fitts (Red Sox)
2023 AA: 152 2/3 IP, 163 Ks, 43 BBs, 3.48 ERA, 1.14 WHIP
ETA: Late 2024
fScores: N/A
Age: 23
Comp: Miles Mikolas
Prime Skills: Big kid with excellent command. He can hit 95-96 with the fastball, but it’s pretty straight. The breaking ball is a 12-6 slider and it’s a nice pitch paired with his fastball. He puts the heater where he wants it.
Ranking Explanation: This kid looks like a major league starter, even if it’s at the back of a rotation. The excellent command should lead to a good WHIP and he could have some decent years, even if he’s not a huge strikeout guy. He was traded to the Red Sox for Alex Verdugo this offseason and could get some play late in the year.
Previous Rank: 133
135. SP Payton Martin (Dodgers)
2023 A: 39 2/3 IP, 48 Ks, 15 BBs, 2.04 ERA, 1.13 WHIP
Age: 20
ETA: 2026
fScores: N/A
Comp: Sonny Gray
Prime Skills: He’s limiting damage by keeping the ball on the ground, he avoids walks and homers and generates Ks.
Ranking Explanation: Another Dodgers pitcher that came out of nowhere. This kid looks like the real deal at low A. He’s been pitching in short bursts and even some out of the bullpen, so let’s see how he builds on this next year. The short starting pitcher is the new thing in baseball.
Previous Rank: 135
136. 2B / 3B Jack Brannigan (Pirates)
2023 A/A+: .275/.390/.524, 19 HR, 24 SB
Age: 23
ETA: Mid 2025
fScores: N/A
Comp: Righty Zac Gelof
Prime Skills: Very good power / speed combo and a good eye to take walks, but the hit tool is below average and he strikes out too much.
Ranking Explanation: This is a dude who could hit .220 – .240, but still hit 20 homers and steal 20 bags in the same season. There’s a lot of volatility here, but if he can get the Ks under control and at least bring his hit tool up to average, he could be a really solid player.
Previous Rank: Unranked
137. OF Josue de Paula (Dodgers)
2023 A: .284/.396/.372, 2 HR, 14 SB
Age: 19
ETA: 2026
fScores: N/A
Comp: Lefty Jordan Walker
Prime Skills: Big kid has a body that power can grow into with a solid hit tool, great plate skills and none zero speed.
Ranking Explanation: de Paula is years away from fantasy relevance, but he’s good enough that in dynasty leagues, he’s worth stashing a few years out.
Previous Rank: Unranked
138. SP / RP Landon Roupp (Giants)
2023 AA: 31 IP, 42 Ks, 9 BBs, 1.74 ERA, 1.00 WHIP
Age: 25
ETA: Mid 2024
fScores: 31 fPDurability, 114 fStuff, 106 fControl, 140 fERA
Comp: Corbin Burnes light (doesn’t have the velo)
Prime Skills: Ridiculous breaking stuff, the curve falls right off the table and looks like Burnes’ curve without the 96 MPH cutter to go along with it.
Ranking Explanation: He’s put up insane numbers throughout his time in the minors and is finally reaching the higher levels and doing the same things. He has some great stuff and could be an under the radar deep league guy who could put it together, especially with some increased velocity. He has not pitched a lot of innings this year though and needs some build up. I like him per inning better than some of the guys higher in the rankings, but need to see some durability built up or he will end up in the pen.
Previous Rank: 139
139. RP DL Hall (Orioles)
2023 Rk/AAA: 52 IP, 78 Ks, 32 BBs, 3.98 ERA, 1.37 WHIP
2023 MLB: 19 1/3 IP, 23 Ks, 5 BBs, 3.26 ERA, 1.19 WHIP
Age: 25
ETA: Debuted in 2022
fScores (as RP): 77 fPDurability, 121 fStuff, 99 fControl, 98 fERA
Comp: Shorter Andrew Miller w/ a changeup
Prime Skills: Hall has some of the best stuff in the majors already, with a killer fastball and slider from the left side. He’s banked in as a reliever now and I think he can be a dominant one with his stuff.
Ranking Explanation: Hall doesn’t have the control to start, but he could be an elite back of the bullpen reliever, which is what keeps him in these rankings. I think it’s a good thing for his value that he should be locked into a bullpen role to start the season and could work his way up the pen food chain with only an older Kimbrel and Cano blocking him from some saves and holds.
Previous Rank: 144
140. SP Hunter Barco (Pirates)
2023 A: 18 1/3 IP, 28 Ks, 6 BBs, 3.93 ERA, 1.26 WHIP
Age: 23
ETA: Early 2025
fScores: N/A
Comp: Brandon Williamson with a split change
Prime Skills: Barco is a big lefty with a killer slider and excellent command for his size and delivery. It looks like he put on some size since his pre-draft days at FL, which might help in building up the innings and trying to add velo to the fastball.
Ranking Explanation: Barco missed all of 2022 and a big part of 2023 recovering from TJ after being one of the higher rated pitching prospects in the 2022 draft, which delayed his pro debut, however he destroyed in his small sample size in 2023 and 2024 should be about building him back up as he climbs through the ranks of the minors.
Previous Rank: Unranked
141. SP Christian Scott (Mets)
2023 A/A+/AA: 87 ⅔ IP, 107 Ks, 12 BBs, 2.47 ERA, 0.86 WHIP
Age: 25
ETA: Late 2024
fScores: N/A
Comp: Zack Wheeler super light (basically a Wheeler fastball / slider without the other pitches)
Prime Skills: Scott has a rising fastball he just smokes guys with up in the zone as a big righty that averages 95-96 on the pitch. Scott has fantastic command and pins the fastball wherever he wants it, playing it off a slider, but he fastball is his K pitch.
Ranking Explanation: This dude is underrated as a college guy who spent time in the pen in 2022 and had an excellent year in 2023 as a full time starter. He has a full time starters arsenal, but needs to build up the innings. I believe he debuts in 2024, but it might take a few injuries and some time in AAA.
Previous Rank: Unranked
142. 3B Sal Stewart (Reds)
2023 A/A+: .275/.396/.416, 12 HR, 15 SB
Age: 20
ETA: Late 2025
fScores: N/A
Comp: Bigger, better Juan Yepez meets Josh Naylor
Prime Skills: Big dude who should develop more power, but for now has a fantastic plate approach and hit tool for his age. This is a guy I got a live look on and I think he’s going to be a dude. He might end up moving off the position, because he’s a big boy. He has a good hit tool and big time power potential.
Ranking Explanation: He has not grown all the way into his power potential yet in an almost Josh Naylor-esk way, but he has a good feel for the game and I like him long-term as an underrated dynasty asset.
Previous Rank: 127
143. SP Mason Montgomery (Rays)
2023 AA/AAA: 124 1/3 IP, 144 Ks, 60 BBs, 3.98 ERA, 1.33 WHIP
Age: 24
ETA: Mid 2024
fScores: 81 fPDurability, 99 fStuff, 98 fControl, 101 fERA
Comp: John Means
Prime Skills: Montgomery’s slider looks like a lefty slurve and it’s pretty sick. He also pitches 95 from the left side with a really solid change up. He’s underrated in my opinion.
Ranking Explanation: Montgomery isn’t highly regarded by most, but I think he’s could be a #4 starter pretty easily with his repetiteur and above average command. He had a rough 2023, where I thought he had a chance to come up, but I’m giving Scott’s fastball and command the edge to Montgomery.
Previous Rank: 131
144. SP Spencer Arrighetti (Astros)
2023 AAA: 34 IP, 10.7% K-BB rate, 5.82 ERA, 1.50 WHIP
Age: 24
ETA: Mid 2024
fScores: 73 fPDurability, 105 fStuff, 90 fControl, 102 fERA
Comp: Joe Ryan with worse command
Prime Skills: He has some deception in his delivery that allows his low 90s fastball to play up and appear to be rising. He throws the fastball up in the zone and pairs it with an outside curve to get swings and misses.
Ranking Explanation: Arrighetti has lost some command since being promoted to AAA, but some of that might be guys laying off his breaking balls, so he may just need to adjust the pitch mix at this next level in order to build upon his track record at the lower levels.
Previous Rank: 141
145. SP Nick Frasso (Dodgers)
2023 AA: 93 IP, 107 Ks, 31 BBs, 3.77 ERA, 1.27 WHIP
Age: 25
ETA: Early 2024
fScores: 57 fPDurability, 96 fStuff, 97 fControl, 117 fERA
Comp: Young righty Madison Bumgarner
Prime Skills: Big, lanky dude with a ¾ arm slot, he has a ridiculous change up from his arm slot and it tunnels perfectly against his fastball. The slider is average, but he’s almost all fastball and changeup.
Ranking Explanation: The lack of innings and the production, plus the age reminds me a bit of Mason Miller. His output right now is undeniable, but he’s kind of coming out of nowhere and reminds me a little bit of Gavin Stone as a fastball, changeup guy. With all the Dodgers additions and his age, Frasso looks like he will either be dealt or end up as a bullpen guy, but could be high end or useful as a reverse SPARP.
Previous Rank: 109
146. 2B / SS Ryan Bliss (Mariners)
2023 AA/AAA: .304/.378/.524, 23 HR, 55 SB
Age: 23
ETA: Early 2024
fScores: 86 fContact, 82 fDiscipline, 79 fPower, 174 fSpeed, 66 fDurability
Comp: Chone Figgins w/ more of a Jose Altuve swing
Prime Skills: He’s a small dude who packs a punch with his swing, which mimics Jose Altuve a bit – however his best asset is his speed and a developing hit tool, which could propel him to an eventual leadoff role.
Ranking Explanation: He’s been hitting the ball on the ground and not hard enough so far at the AAA level, but he just got traded to the Mariners and we will see how the organization adjusts him and also how fast he is promoted (they just DFA’d Kolten Wong). He might just be Dominic Fletcher who had a good year, so there is some risk in adding this profile for fantasy purposes.
Previous Rank: 101
147. 1B Matt Mervis (Cubs)
2023 AAA: .282/.399/.533, 22 HR, 2 SB
2023 MLB: .167/.242./289, 3 HR, 0 SB
Age: 25
ETA: Debuted in 2023
fScores: 81 fContact, 105 fDiscipline, 121 fPower, 66 fSpeed, 67 fDurability
Comp: Lefty C.J. Cron
Prime Skills: Mervis has easy pull power and really broke out last year, but he’s basically all power and hit tool with average plate discipline and no speed.
Ranking Explanation: Mervis has power, but the contact rate has been atrocious at the major league level so far and I get the feeling if he doesn’t adapt quickly, he could fall into the AAAA trap though if he doesn’t make some strides in the next couple of months.
Previous Rank: 102
148. 1B / OF Justice Bigbie (Tigers)
2023 AA/AAA: .343/.405/.537, 19 HR, 6 SB
Age: 25
ETA: Early 2024
fScores: 99 fContact, 78 fDiscipline, 81 fPower, 73 fSpeed, 68 fDurability
Comp: Andrew Vaughn
Prime Skills: Good hit tool and growing into above average power.
Ranking Explanation: A 19th round pick, this dude came out of nowhere this year for an insane season, but how real is it? The hit tool looks real from the metrics and the power looks okay, but I’m not sure about the rest of the profile matching the slash line from this year, especially in Detroit.
Previous Rank: Unranked
149. C Diego Cartaya (Dodgers)
2023 AA: .189/.278/.379, 19 HR, 0 SB
Age: 22
ETA: Early 2025
fScores: N/A
Comp: Sean Murphy-light
Prime Skills: Cartaya has quick hands which leads to solid pull power and the ability to hit for a decent average, but he lacks in speed and strikes out a bit too much – despite also having a high walk rate until this season.
Ranking Explanation: Cartaya has the upside to be a solid catcher, but he had a terrible season at the plate in 2023 which if it continues completely sinks his fantasy value long term.
Previous Rank: 105
150. OF Elijah Green (Nationals)
2023 Rk/A: .218/.336/.327, 5 HR, 31 SB
Age: 20
ETA: 2026
fScores: N/A
Comp: Teoscar Hernandez with massive speed
Prime Skills: This kid destroys baseball and on top of it he has top flight speed. It’s too early to see if he can make the tools connect as he goes up in the minors, but he is about as toolsy as they come with elite power and speed tools.
Ranking Explanation: I usually like to see more in the minors before having someone this high, but he has legit super star tools. The power and speed are there, but he is striking out at a ridiculous rate. We will know more about Greene’s trajectory a year or two from now.
Previous Rank: 140
151. (Bonus) SP Dax Fulton (Marlins)
2023 A+/AA: 97 ⅓ IP, 120 Ks, 35 BBs, 4.07 ERA, 1.43 WHIP
Age: 22
ETA: Late 2024
fScores: 50 fPDurability, 105 fStuff, 93 fContact, 99 fERA
Comp: Matthew Liberatore with a lot more slider in his curve than 12/6.
Prime Skills: Giant lefty who primarily works an average fastball in with a massive hooked slurve that tunnel well against each other.
Previous Rank: Unranked
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