These prospect rankings are based on FANTASY value, not 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 these rankings since we are looking at guys for only 2024.
Rather than getting into writing little bios on all of these hitters, I’ve decided to keep my rankings simple. I’ll provide the 2023 stats of each player across all levels, a player comp, a small blub on the player’s prime skills for fantasy, and an explanation of my ranking with expectations for 2024 with ATC projections and my thoughts on these projections. 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.
If you are curious about the fScore ratings, you can check out my fScore rankings and information on the fScores by following THIS LINK.
NOTE: Rookie status is determined by 130 ABs or 50 IPs at the Major League level. I did opt to include the foreign imports in this equation but did not include Shane Baz (who would be ranked 5th behind Chourio) or Mason Miller (who would rank 14th).
Top-25 Prospects for Redraft Leagues
1. Yoshinobu Yamamoto (SP – LAD)
2023 NPB: 164 IP, 169 Ks, 28 BBs, 1.21 ERA, 0.88 WHIP
Age: 25
ETA: Opening Day 2024
fScores: 113 fPDurability, 127 fStuff, 165 fControl, 112 fERA
Comp: A shorter Masahiro Tanaka with Cliff Lee-like control of the strike zone
Prime Skills: Elite command with a five-pitch arsenal, including three plus pitches in the fastball, curve, and splitter that will give Kevin Gausman a run for his money. Yamamoto is a true ace, and coming over at the age of 25 makes him more valuable than any Japanese import since Ohtani (hence the contract).
Projections (ATC): 171 IP, 186 Ks, 47 BBs, 3.72 ERA, 1.17 WHIP
Ranking Explanation: Yamamoto is my seventh-ranked starter going into 2024, even knowing he will be in a six-man rotation. He could easily break into the top tier of my starters this year, and the only reason I haven’t placed him as a top 5 starter is the lack of an MLB track record. He has by far the highest impact potential of any prospect, and it may be debatable to list him in this article since he’s hardly a “prospect,” even though he qualifies as a rookie. I project a lower innings total than what ATC has, with 200 plus strikeouts, an ERA under 3.20, and a WHIP under 1.10.
2. Wyatt Langford (OF – TEX)
2023 College: .373/.498/.784, 21 HR, 9 SB
2023 Rk/A+/AA/AAA: .360/.480/.677, 10 HR, 12 SB
Age: 22
ETA: Early 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.
Projections (ATC): .266/.354/.465, 16 HR, 11 SB (99 games)
Ranking Explanation: There are some new concerns at the time of this writing that Langford may not break the Opening Day roster after they brought in Jankowski and noted there are doubts he could break camp unless he can show defensively he’s worthy of a starting OF spot, rather than just a DH. I think it would be silly of the Rangers not to let Langford break camp, as having him tag team with Carter increases their chances of getting the extra bonus pool and draft pick for next season, plus he’s better than guys like Taveras and Duran already. I expect closer to the Zips projections of 139 games played and think the slash projections aren’t far off (though I do project a better slug) and think he is likely in line for a 25/20 rookie season as long as he does break camp. I currently have Langford ranked as a top 20 OF ahead of guys like Jazz Chisholm Jr., Cody Bellinger, and Randy Arozarena.
3. Evan Carter (OF – TEX)
2023 AA/AAA: .288/.413/.450, 13 HR, 26 SB
2023 MLB: .306/.413/.645, 5 HR, 3 SB
Age: 21
ETA: Debuted in 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.
Projections (ATC): .254/.352/.423, 17 HR, 19 SB (144 games)
Ranking Explanation: Carter might have the roster spot locked down, but he does not have the power or speed upside of his teammate, Wyatt Langford. I would predict closer to a .260-.270 BA, which raises his entire slash line 10-15 points. I also think we see a slug over .450 with more than 20 homers to go along with about 20 steals.
4. Jackson Chourio (OF – MIL)
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.
Projections (ATC): .252/.303/.421, 16 HR, 17 SB (116 games)
Ranking Explanation: Chourio signed the big pre-debut contract to all but guarantee him a roster spot on Opening Day. The ATC projection has only 116 games, which means they expect some struggles and a demotion, which is more likely in Chourio’s case than Carter and Langford, because not only is he younger, but his plate skills are not nearly as developed, which is going to lead to some volatility. I think the slash projects are about right on with ATC, as are the homers (even though I project more games played), but the steals, I think, are a little conservative – I would project more like the 25-30 of the Fangraphs and Zips DC projections.
5. Noelvi Marte (3B – CIN)
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.
Projections (ATC): .269/.335/.427, 13 HR, 16 SB (117 games)
Ranking Explanation: Marte gets a bump over Holliday and Camerino (even though I like both of them much better long-term), because he is more of a lock to break the opening day roster. The risk here is the Reds have so many guys on the team that Marte could get shuffled around or placed into a platoon. The slash line projections again seem pretty dead on to what my fScores would project here for Marte, but I would give him closer to 130-140 games played with 15-18 homers and 18-22 steals.
6. Jackson Holliday (SS- BAL)
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.
Projections (ATC): .258/.346/.386, 8 HR, 7 SB (114 games)
Ranking Explanation: I think there’s a much higher chance of Holliday breaking camp with the team as the starting 2B than what the projection systems have, and if he breaks camp, he’s likely sticking with the team all year. I bet he slashes something closer to .275/.370/.410 with 13-16 homers and 10-15 steals, depending on how much the team lets him run.
7. Junior Caminero (3B – TB)
2023 A+/AA: .324/.384/.591, 31 HR, 5 SB
2023 MLB: .235/.278/.353, 1 HR
Age: 20
ETA: Debuted in 2023… back up in Late May
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.
Projections (ATC): .264/.321/.445, 13 HR, 3 SB (79 games)
Ranking Explanation: This is one I’m on the fence about in regards to playing time because the Rays are a team that has always been impossible to predict. He played last season and the Rays best team has Caminero starting at 3B in my opinion with Paredes at 1B and Diaz at DH. If he doesn’t break camp (which I would only put at 50/50 odds), he should still be up by early June when he passes Super 2 status, which means I would be predicting more like 100 games played minimum and potentially closer to 120-130 if he breaks camp. Jordan Walker played in 117 games last year after breaking camp and being sent down, which seems like a safe ballpark. The slash seems pretty fair, but I would be projecting closer to a .460-ish slug with closer to 18-20 homers and 8-10 steals, with potentially more if he breaks camp and they play him every day like they did with Wander.
8. Shota Imanaga (SP – CHC)
2023 NPB: 148 IP, 174 Ks, 24 BBs, 2.80 ERA, 1.05 WHIP
Age: 30
ETA: Opening Day 2024
fScores: 88 fPDurability, 105 fStuff, 106 fControl, 93 fERA
Comp: Lesser, mini Nick Lodolo with a splitter
Prime Skills: Excellent control without the killer stuff and arsenal of Yoshi Yamamoto. He’s known for the IVB on his fastball, which produces some nice ride from the left side, a solid slider, and, of course, the Japan staple, the splitter – which doesn’t match the Yoshi or Senga splitters, though I feel there aren’t many left side splitters in the MLB right now, so that will be interesting to see.
Projections (ATC): 142 IP, 143 Ks, 40 BBs, 3.84 ERA, 1.22 WHIP
Ranking Explanation: These projections actually play out a bit better than what I would expect. I see a similar innings and K/BB as projected, but I think we will be looking at more like a 4.20 ERA with those totals. He’s breaking camp from Opening Day as an import, which is what helps to push him up the rankings a bit here.
9. Colt Keith (2B,3B – DET)
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.
Projections (ATC): .262/.328/.431, 8 HR, 2 SB (67 games)
Ranking Explanation: The projections were obviously pre-contract, but now that Colt Keith has signed a long-term deal, it looks as if he will break camp as the starting 2B for the Tigers and bring 2B / 3B multi-position eligibility to the table. I would project a slightly higher OBP and slug in the .340/.450 range with 18-22 homers and 3-5 steals over the course of his rookie season.
10. Kyle Harrison (SP – SF)
2023 AA: 67 2/3 IP, 109 Ks, 48 BBs, 4.79 ERA, 1.48 WHIP
2023 MLB: 34 2/3 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 nicely. 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 a very high K upside but below-average control.
Projections (ATC): 117 IP, 132 Ks, 52 BBs, 4.08 ERA, 1.32 WHIP
Ranking Explanation: Harrison is currently locked into the rotation and has a very high strikeout upside, which makes him incredibly intriguing, but can he limit the walks? This big question will determine how good Harrison can be; the upside is there to be a very good pitcher. Harrison should be able to pitch around 140 innings with health, and I think he ends up with a 16-18% K-BB rate. I think the ERA could end up anywhere in the 3.7 – 4.5 range, and his WHIP should hover closer to 1.25 than 1.32.
11. Kyle Manzardo (1B – CLE)
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 already a professional hitter with great contact skills and super-star-level plate discipline skills. He could walk into the Majors on Day 1 and avoid being overwhelmed. He also has easy 25-homer power and should produce 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.
Projections (ATC): .230/.318/.408, 14 HR, 2 SB (103 games)
Ranking Explanation: In my opinion, this projection is way off. Manzardo is currently projected to break camp in the Opening Day lineup and had a stellar Arizona Fall League performance, bouncing back from a rough season where he battled injuries. I think he plays 150 games or so and hits something like .255/.350/.450 with 20-25 homers and no speed (less than 3-4 steals).
12. Jung Hoo Lee (OF – SF)
2023 KBO: .318/.406/.455, 6 HR, 6 SB
Age: 25
ETA: Opening Day 2024
fScores: 110 fContact, 154 fDiscipline, 69 fPower, 84 fSpeed, 87 fDurability
Comp: Brendan Donovan in CF mashed with Ha-Seong Kim…
Prime Skills: Lee specs out as a moneyball style leadoff hitter who is high contact, high on-base with limited power and speed upside. He might only end up with Benintendi or Verdugo-type numbers and would be a better buy in points or OBP leagues than in categories-based leagues.
Projections (ATC): .288/.356/.422, 9 HR, 10 SB (135 games)
Ranking Explanation: Lee is going to play a lot from Opening Day and is currently projected to lead off daily for the Giants. The projections look about right for Lee, but I would expect a full slate of games (155 or so) pending injury. As noted, in points leagues, I might bump him up to seventh or so just because he’s likely to get a ton of plate appearances.
13. Paul Skenes (SP – PIT)
2023 College: 122 2/3 IP, 209 Ks, 20 BBs, 1.69 ERA, 0.75 WHIP
2023 Rk/A/AA: 6 2/3 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.
Projections (ATC): 43 IP, 41 Ks, 16 BBs, 4.60 ERA, 1.31 WHIP
Ranking Explanation: This is one I don’t get… I mean, yeah, be conservative with rookie pitchers, but this projection, in my opinion, is way off in a number of ways. First, splitting the difference doesn’t help. I would bet Skenes is up by early June if he doesn’t break camp, even with Jared Jones potentially ahead of him in the pecking order. This would likely put him at around 20-22 starts in the majors and around 100 innings or so. I’d also stick him around an 18% K-BB rate at a great pitching park, so I’d think an under 4.20 ERA and under 1.25 WHIP should be expected.
14. Pete Crow-Armstrong (OF – CHC)
2023 AA/AAA 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. However, his lackluster contact skills 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.
Projections (ATC): .247/.312/.405, 9 HR, 18 SB (113 games)
Ranking Explanation: PCA is an interesting one because he could break camp if the Cubs fail to re-sign Bellinger, but if they bring Bellinger back, there’s a pretty solid chance he’s not up until there’s an injury since the rest of the roster is filled out with Morel unlikely to be starting at 3B. I’m going to agree with the projections on games played, but I think there’s a little more power in the bat right now, and we see closer to 11-13 homers over that span, which increases the slug somewhere around .415-.420.
15. Tyler Black (2B,3B – MIL)
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.
Projections (ATC): .241/.340/.403, 8 HR, 15 SB (81 games)
Ranking Explanation: Black has a better than 50% chance of breaking camp, and if he doesn’t, he should be up by late April or Early May because 3B is the weakest position in the lineup as things stand. The slash line looks about right, but I would project 130 games or so, which stretches his counting numbers to be more like 12 homers and 20-25 steals.
16. Ricky Teidemann (SP – TOR)
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 had 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.
Projections (ATC): 52 IP, 58 Ks, 23 BBs, 4.00 ERA, 1.31 WHIP
Ranking Explanation: Sometimes, pitcher rookie projections are all just shots in the dark to hit some safety net. Tiedemann is probably the 6/7 man for the Jays this year, and it only takes one injury for him to come up. He doesn’t have a track record of durability like Skenes, though, so I’d only project about 80-100 innings at a maximum and probably 120 max minors and majors combined. I’m going to predict he’s up in June, make about 16 starts this year with around 75 major league innings, a 15% K-BB rate, a mid-4s ERA, and the WHIP is likely high even with a high K rate with a lot of BBs.
17. Orion Kerkering (RP – PHI)
2023 A/A+/AA/AAA: 53 2/3 IP, 79 Ks, 12 BBs, 1.51 ERA, 0.89 WHIP
2023 MLB: 3 IP, 6 Ks, 2 BBs, 3.00 ERA, 1.67 WHIP
Age: 23
ETA: Debuted in 2023
fScores: 30 fPDurability, 133 fStuff, 105 fControl, 144 fERA
Comp: Emmanuel Clase
Prime Skills: Kerkering is a sinker, slider pitcher and in his small big league sample size his slider was rating as one of the best pitches in baseball. The sinker looks a little like a Jordan Hicks sinker as it cuts in against righties at 98 MPH, while the slider appears to be two different sliders, where one is a hard drop slider at 86 or 87, and the other has more slide to it with the drop. He’s going to be an elite reliever for some time.
Projections (ATC): 52 IP, 60 Ks, 18 BBs, 3.67 ERA, 1.23 WHIP & 2 Saves
Ranking Explanation: Kerkering could get save ops this year behind Alvarado and Hoffman, which is enough value in some leagues (like DCs). The stuff reminds me of Clase or Jordan Hicks with a tad less stuff but more command. I expect him to be the primary closer in Philadelphia by the end of the season.
18. Masyn Winn (SS – STL)
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.
Projections (ATC): .246/.305/.377, 10 HR, 13 SB (124 games)
Ranking Explanation: Winn is slated to be the starting SS for the Cardinals from Opening Day and should hold the job even if there are struggles with the bat because the defense is superb. He had a rough small sample size in his debut in 2023, but he has had that issue at every level upon promotion being young at every level at an intensive position. I think we are looking at something like .265/.330/.415 with 13-16 homers and 25-ish steals in 145-150 games.
19. Drew Thorpe (SP – SD)
2023 A+/AA: 139 1/3 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.
Projections (ATC): 60 IP, 55 Ks, 20 BBs, 4.19 ERA, 1.30 WHIP
Ranking Explanation: Thorpe is basically the 7 or 8 for the Padres right now, but Avila and Vazquez may not have a long shelf life, and Waldon isn’t great, while Brito would make for a better bullpen arm. My guess is Thorpe is up sometime in June for the Padres and could pitch more like 100-120 innings in the majors this year and could rock a 17% K-BB with a lower WHIP with his pin-point command. There could be some risk here ala Paddack and Gavin Stone when he reaches the majors, but my fScores love him.
20. Colson Montgomery (SS – CWS)
2023 A+/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.
Projections (ATC): .226/.325/.359, 5 HR, 1 SB (52 games)
Ranking Explanation: While the White Sox brought Paul DeJong in to play SS, I doubt they want him starting for them the majority of the season, and the team would prefer it if Montgomery can outright beat him for the job in the spring. My bet would be closer to .245/.360/.425 with 12-15 homers in about 115 games.
21. Max Meyer (SP – MIA)
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.
Projections (ATC): 84 IP, 78 Ks, 31 BBs, 4.39 ERA, 1.35 WHIP
Ranking Explanation: The Marlins are still looking to move a starter prior to ST (likely Cabrera or Luzardo via rumors), which means we could be looking at a competition between Meyer, Weathers, and Puk for a fifth rotation spot. It sounds like Meyer is unlikely to win the spot out of camp, but I expect we will see him up by June, and he will likely pitch a similar workload to Ricky Tiedemann. He’s coming off TJ, so we will see how the control looks in spring, but if Meyer gets back to where he was pre-TJ, he should be looking like a 14-16% K-BB rate guy in 80-100 innings. The projection is about what I would expect, but I would think he can log more than a K/9, and I think he is likely closer to a 1.25 WHIP.
22. Jakob Marsee (OF – SD)
2023 A+/AA: .274/.413/.428, 16 HR, 46 SB
Age: 23
ETA: Early 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.
Projections (ATC): .234/.336/.393, 7 HR, 8 SB (55 games)
Ranking Explanation: Marsee was the Arizona Fall League MVP, but for him to debut this season, he would have to skip AAA entirely, which could happen. The Padres OF right now looks pretty rough, so I would have to say there is at least a 50% chance Marsee can win a job out of camp. I would estimate something like a .275/.370/.395 slash with 11-13 homers and 22-27 steals in about 110 games, with the chance of breaking camp. Marsee is basically my Matt McLain of 2024 that I will have in every single league.
23. Jared Jones (SP – PIT)
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.
Projections (ATC): 62 IP, 54 Ks, 27 BBs, 4.91 ERA, 1.46 WHIP
Ranking Explanation: The projection systems aren’t high on Jones and I don’t really blame them, because my fScores are a little cold on him too despite the above average stuff. He profiles only as an 11-12% K-BB guy as a rookie, and I think while the projections might be a worst-case scenario, we are probably looking closer to the Zips projections of 119 IP, 11.3% K-BB, 4.46 ERA, and 1.35 WHIP.
24. Jasson Dominquez (OF – NYY)
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 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.
Projections (ATC): .236/.322/.394, 5 HR, 6 SB (36 games)
Ranking Explanation: Dominguez had TJ surgery, and since he’s not Bryce Harper (even though he is from another planet), he is unlikely to resume playing baseball until Early July in 2024, and the Yankees have already stated he doesn’t have a locked in roll automatically when he’s healthy, so he will probably spend at least a month in the minors on a rehab assignment before we see him again in 2024. It’s also possible the Yankees are setting up the ability to push his return back so Dominguez retains rookie status for 2025, so they can shoot for the DP rewards, but that likely depends on the health of the rest of their guys. I would project something like .265/.345/.460 with eight homers and seven steals in 40 games, which could be a boon late in the season.
25. Victor Scott (OF – STL)
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.
Projections (ATC): .253/.312/.359, 1 HR, 2 SB (9 games)
Ranking Explanation: Scott’s value is all going to be based on when he is promoted. The Cardinals love him, and he’s a future gold glove type in CF. I believe his future is pretty tied to the rest of the OFs. Do the Cardinals trade Edman, Carlson, or Burleson? If they do, then Scott could be up sooner. My guess is they do make some trades at some point and Scott could be up as early as Opening Day, but most likely he’s up post trade deadline. How many steals can he get in about 60 games? Will he start all 60 games? Probably not… I’m going to be conservative on this one and say he does the following in about 40 games: .280/.335/.390 with 2 homers and 15 steals. If the Cardinals trade some OF depth, then jump on Scott before the rest of your league does because the speed could be league-changing.
Honorable Mentions
Hitters
Heston Kjerstad (1B,OF – BAL), Justyn-Henry Malloy (3B,OF – DET), Darell Hernaiz (SS – OAK), Drew Gilbert (OF – NYM), Carson Williams (SS – TB), Zach Dezenzo (3B – HOU), Chase DeLauter (OF – CLE), Sterlin Thompson (3B – COL), Jordan Beck (OF – COL), Graham Pauley (3B – SD), Denzel Clarke (OF – OAK), Thomas Saggese (2B,3B – STL), Coby Mayo (1B,3B,OF – BAL), James Wood (OF – WSH), Dylan Crews (OF – WSH), Luisangel Acuna (2B,SS – NYM)
Pitchers
Abner Uribe (RP – MIL), Sawyer Gipson-Long (SP – DET), Joe Boyle (SP – OAK), Connor Phillips (SP – CIN), Robert Gasser (SP – MIL), AJ Smith-Shawver (SP – ATL), Prelander Berroa (SP,RP – SEA), Ben Brown (SP,RP – CHC), Gavin Stone (SP – LAD), Chase Hampton (SP – NYY), Robby Snelling (SP – SD), Tekoah Roby (SP – STL), Jacob Misiorowski (SP,RP – MIL), Carson Whisenhunt (SP – SF), Carlos Rodriguez (SP – MIL), Wikelman Gonzalez (SP – BOS), David Festa (SP – MIN), Ty Madden (SP – DET), Nick Nastrini (SP – CWS), Wilmer Flores (SP – DET), Yariel Rodriguez (RP,SP – TOR), Kyle Hurt (SP,RP – LAD), Isaac Coffey (SP – BOS), Hurston Waldrep (SP – ATL), Clayton Beeter (SP – NYY), Mike Vasil (SP – NYM), Mick Abel (SP – PHI), Will Warren (SP – NYY), Emerson Hancock (SP – SEA), Chase Petty (SP – CIN), Jake Eder (SP – CWS), Mason Black (SP – SF), Cristian Mena (SP – CWS), Cade Cavalli (SP – WSH), Anthony Solometo (SP – PIT)
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