The prospect list is my favorite article to write. Early in the season, there is plenty of fluctuation in these rankings. Things change quickly and if you are too slow to react, the rankings become outdated. At the same time, there are some prospects that dynasty managers need to be patient with. A slow two months does not define the type of player a prospect will become in the years to come. If you like a prospect stay patient, but also don’t be too slow to react. Keep reading to find the latest update on my top 100 prospects for dynasty fantasy baseball leagues.
Prospect List Rules:
- All players must have prospect eligibility.
- This list is only for prospects in the minor leagues; no major league players are included.
- Maximum of two positions listed per player.
- Primarily weighted for standard 5×5 leagues, but all league types are considered.
Prospect List Graduates:
This section of the prospect list is reserved for players who have recently been promoted to the Major Leagues. This month, the following prospects were promoted to Majors and would have landed inside of this list: Heston Kjerstad, Adael Amador, Drew Thorpe, Adam Mazur, Hurston Waldrep, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Justyn-Henry Malloy, Tyler Locklear, Cade Povich, and Orelvis Martinez. Kyle Manzardo and Christian Scott were previously excluded from this list due to being in the Major Leagues during the previous publication but have been readded due to their demotions.
Note this article was submitted prior to the promotion of David Festa who comes in at 89th overall.
Top 50 Prospect Notes
Max Clark, #11 Detroit Tigers
For Tigers fans, Max Clark is still viewed as the prospect the team took instead of Wyatt Langford. Comparisons like that are never fair for a player, especially when that player is still just 19 years old. Was his transition to professional baseball as smooth as it was for Langford? No, but that is an unfair comparison to somebody who played baseball in the SEC. That also should not diminish the talent and potential that Clark has. He moves up to 11th in this month’s update as he continues to flash his top-tier potential.
What am I seeing from Clark that has him moving up this list? While his athletic ability has stood out since before the draft, Clark is learning how to utilize this athleticism to produce on-field results. For starters, Clark is pulling the ball over 45% of the time this season. While speed is a large part of his game, the development of his game power is what will take his dynasty value to the next level. Pulling the ball is an excellent start to unlocking more of that.
In addition, Clark has continued to elevate the ball more as the season has moved along. Entering play on May 21, Clark was batting just .250 with one home run. Since, Clark has completely transformed his season slashing .313/.400/.465. A large part of this success is correlated to the increase in his launch angle. Before his outburst, Clark’s average launch angle was two degrees. From May 21 forward, his average launch angle is up to 12 degrees. This number jumps up to 14 degrees is you just look at June 9 forward. Since June 9, Clark is slashing .349/.408/.558.
The best part of these adjustments are that they are not taking away from areas where Clark is already proficient. Clark has an understanding of the strike zone that is years beyond his age. He is walking over 14% on the season while making contact at an excellent rate. He has lowered his swinging strike rate below eight percent and has continued to bring down his strikeout rate as the season has moved along. His season-long strikeout rate sits at 18.3% and is just 19.1% since May 21.
High school prospects are never finished products. Dynasty managers need to exercise patience when rostering them. Clark’s Major League potential is obvious. He has plus speed, a plus hit tool, and is continuing to develop power. His body is still maturing and adding more muscle will add to his power potential. Although Clark is still at least two years away from making his Major League debut, he continues to rise up this prospect list.
Luke Keaschall, #43 Minnesota Twins
From unrated to top-50, Luke Keaschall is a prospect I was too low on before, but am trying to catch up on now. Keaschall was the 49th overall pick in last year’s draft and has done nothing but mash since being drafted. In his professional debut, Keaschall appeared at three different levels posting a 145 wRC+. Things have gotten even better for him this season. Between High-A and Double-A, Keaschall’s wRC+ sits at an incredible 167 resulting in his dynasty value soaring.
Vincent wrote a bit more about Keaschall’s excellent performance in the most recent middle infield performance report which you can check out here.
There is very little not to like in Keaschall’s profile. His hit tool is the shining attribute. This was apparent throughout his collegiate career both at University of San Francisco and Arizona State University. Keaschall never hit below .305 in any season and this tool has translated well to professional baseball. Keaschall’s swinging strike rate sits below eight percent this season while his swing produces elite line drive rates. With plus speed, he should run well above-average BABIPs throughout his career and be a plus hitter.
Speaking of speed, Keaschall profiles to be a plus runner. He has already stolen 17 bases on the season and profiles as a 20-25 stolen base player. His stolen base numbers are as much a product of his on-base rate as they are his speed. On top of his plus hit tool, Keaschall has an excellent eye. In his brief Minor League career, Keaschall is walking 13.8% of the time.
His hit tool, patience, and excellent barrel control are all combining to produce more and more power as well. Entering his final collegiate season, Keaschall had never hit more than eight home runs before exploding to hit 18 at Arizona State. Keaschall has hit eight home runs this season thanks to small tweaks in his stance and added physicality. Aram Leighton provided a great side by side breakdown of these changes in the tweet below:
Luke Keaschall added impact?
Keaschall's feel to hit is what earned him a 2nd round selection by the Twins last year. He has emerged this year looking more physical with some adjustments to his setup. Chest less angled toward catcher, better base, slot/bat angle more conducive… pic.twitter.com/KtxgJxwway
— Aram Leighton (@AramLeighton8) April 27, 2024
Keaschall is rising quickly up prospect rankings across the industry. Consistent game power is the only thing preventing Keaschall from already being considered one of the game’s elite prospects. Since his promotion to Double-A, Keaschall’s HR/FB% has dipped back down below five percent which is something to monitor moving forward. His ranking however comes with confidence this power is going to develop. Barrel control like his is rare, and he is already pulling the ball over 50% of the time. The Twins have something special in Keaschall. Now might be the last chance for dynasty managers to get in at any sort of discount.
Prospect List Part 1
Back-Half Top 100 Prospect Notes
Luke Adams, #67 Milwaukee Brewers
Nobody paid much attention when the Brewers selected Luke Adams in the 12th round of the 2022 draft. The 372nd pick in that year’s draft generated some attention last year when he stole 30 bases, but 11 home runs and a .233 batting average is not viewed in high regard by the dynasty community. Last season, Adams was one of 15 Minor League batters 21 years or younger who met the following criteria: 200+ ABs, BB%> 10, K%< 25, HR> 10, SB > 20. This season, Adams is playing even better and I am fully going all in.
Unorthodox scares people; Adams is certainly unorthodox. His batting stance comes with plenty of movement. Just before the pitch is thrown he features a big leg kick with lots of hand movement to step into the pitch. His arms load up in a similar sense to Mario Super Sluggers. Imagine taking a giant power swing with Bowser. That is exactly where my mind goes. This combined with his low batting average from last season scares off many dynasty managers, but it is important to dig in a bit.
For starters, Adams has shown off excellent contact rates throughout his professional career. His swinging strike rate this season has dropped below seven percent. Adams has also posted solid line drive rates which should keep his BABIP right around the league average. The Brewers have also worked with Adams to simplify his hand movements just a touch.
In this first tweet from 2023, see how much movement Adams has in his hands. His hands drop all of the way near his belt separating far from his body. You can see it even better at 0.5 speed.
Luke Adams is an intriguing sleeper in deeper dynasty leagues.
Only hitting .192 in 137 PA (.221 BABIP), but 20.4% BB, 21.2% K, .402 OBP, & 16th in wOBA for prospects <20yo.
– 6'4/210 w/ plus raw power.
– Big and odd leg kickJust one to keep an eye on.pic.twitter.com/aOtAyRBIj7
— Eric Cross (@EricCross04) May 29, 2023
This second video now is from 2024. The movement and windup is still there, but not as dramatic.
Luke Adams with a towering blast (has now homered in back to back games) and Luis Lara with the emphatic stomp on home plate at the end 😤
— Tyler Koerth (@TylerKoerth) April 17, 2024
Instead of completely changing Adams’, the Brewers development team has just worked to help him adjust. Refreshing to see from a Major League organization. The results are already paying off. Adams got off to a slow start, but the hits are coming in bunches now. Since June 5, Adams is slashing .303/.479/.566. On top of that incredible slash, Adams is walking more than he is striking out.
Standing at 6’4″ the game power is going to come. He is pulling the ball at a much higher rate this year which is only going to help with that. Adams is up to six home runs on the season which would put him on a 14/600 pace. This is nothing to write home about, but just wait… the game power is coming.
Adams has a chance to become the total package. High walk rates, a strong hit tool, strong base stealing abilities, and plus raw power. This is the perfect starter pack for a prospect to target in dynasty leagues. To make matters even better, Adams just turned 20 years old in April. There is still plenty of time for his bat to continue developing making now the time to get in on him. He jumps comfortably into the top 100 prospects and dynasty managers should expect to see his name more often on these kinds of lists.
Cole Carrigg, #98 Colorado Rockies
In the first edition of this article, Carrigg was featured as a deeper name that dynasty managers should keep their eye on. Already, Carrigg has worked his way into the top 100. The Rockies took the versatile Carrigg in the fourth round of last year’s draft signing him for $1.3 million. Having played nearly everywhere in college, there was some hope Carrigg would stick at catcher which could take his unique profile to a new level. The Rockies have already moved Carrigg away from catching this season, but he has still maintained versatility. He has played primarily center field but has also started eight games at shortstop speaking to his athleticism. While his athleticism continues to shine defensively, Carrig’s bump into the top 100 is based off what he is doing with the bat.
Despite standing at 6’2″ and 200 pounds, game power was something Carrigg struggled with throughout his collegiate career. He primarily relied on his hit tool and speed to produce offensively, but started producing more power during his final collegiate season. This continued during his professional debut last season as Carrigg swatted five home runs in just 36 games played. A switch hitter, Carrigg’s swing generates more pop from the right side. Both sides feature a big leg kick, but his body is more compact from the right. His swing relies heavily on his arms from the left side resulting in less pop. Look for the Rockies to try and tweak this as he progresses through their system. He does not profile to ever hit 30+ home runs in a season, but 15-20 is a realistic projection.
The parts of his game that have been particularly impressive has been his hit tool and speed. 2024 got off to a bit of a slow start as Carrigg was batting just .225 on May 3. Despite this low batting average, Carrigg had still stolen 17 bases proving that his stolen base rate from last season was no fluke. While his speed is not at an elite level, his instincts and athleticism provide additional stolen base opportunities. Since May 24, the rest of Carrigg’s offensive numbers have taken off. Over that time frame, Carrigg is slashing .378/.419/.561 with a .184 ISO. He is depositing line drives all over the field helping to fuel a high BABIP. With his smooth swing path, consistent ability to make contact, and plus speed, Carrigg profiles to be an above-average hitter.
Carrigg does not have the same ceiling as some other prospects included in this list, but that does not make him any less valuable. His defensive versatility ensures he will find his way to the Major Leagues and his skillset should be intriguing for dynasty managers. The additional bonus of his future home games coming at Coors Field makes his package even more exciting. He moves into the top 100 this month and should remain there as the season moves along.
Prospect List Part 2
Prospects That Just Missed
Kevin McGonigle, Detroit Tigers
Kevin McGonigle is already showing up on many top 100 prospect lists and is on the precipice of cracking this list. The 37th overall pick in this past draft is off to an excellent start to his professional career. In 44 games this season, McGonigle is slashing .328/.398/.477 with 13 stolen bases. The most impressive part of McGonigle’s start is his ability to make contact with just about anything. His swinging strike rate currently sits below five percent. In addition, he is walking more than he is striking out. Sure, this is all in Low-A, but McGonigle is just 19 years old. There could certainly be something special here.
The only thing that dynasty managers are still waiting to see from McGonigle is the game power. His average exit velocity sits at a respectable 89.6 mph, but he has just three home runs on the season so far. Home run per fly ball is one of the stickiest statistics for Major League translation and this is the one area of weakness so far. Obviously, at 19 years old, there is still plenty of time for this facet of his game to develop. He already has a natural feel for pulling the baseball which is yet another encouraging sign. Do not be surprised if McGonigle cracks the top 100 in next month’s update.
Brian Sanchez, New York Yankees
One of the hardest parts of prospect evaluation if determining an appropriate reaction time. You do not want to overreact to a small sample but if you are too slow to react, a star prospect could disappear. With the Complex League and DSL starting recently, we are seeing new names pop up in dynasty articles. The name I am paying the most attention to right now is Brian Sanchez of the New York Yankees. The 6’3″ outfielder joined the Yankees organization as part of a trade that sent Jake Bauers to Milwaukee. Well Brewers fans, cover your eyes because Sanchez is absolutely dominating the Complex League. Through 29 games, he is batting .377 with three homers and 11 stolen bases.
Sanchez’s physicality lends itself to plenty of power projection. He already has a strong feel for pulling the baseball and should continue adding power as he matures. At just 19 years old, Sanchez has an excellent understanding of the strike zone and has shown improvements to his hit tool already this season. The Yankees clearly identified something in Sanchez’s profile that they linked and already showing signs of taking his skill set to the next level. With less than 300 professional plate appearances, there is still plenty left for Sanchez to prove. His BABIP sits above .440 and there is still swing-and-miss in his game. This leaves him on the outside of the top-100 looking in, but he is certainly a player to keep tabs on.
Deep Prospects to Note
Carter Jensen, Kansas City Royals
High school catching prospects are slow to develop. On top of developing their offensive game, they also must learn how to handle catching a professional pitching staff. The Royals took Jensen in the third round of the 2021 draft and have watched him turn into a legitimate pitching prospect. Still just 20 years old, Jensen has an excellent understanding of the strike zone and is starting to use his patience to tap into more game power. Jensen already has a strong feel for tapping into his pull side and could be a 15-20 home run bat once he fully develops. Jensen is not yet considered a top-catching prospect, but could become one soon.
Cooper Kinney, Tampa Bay Rays
Cooper Kinney was the 34th overall pick in the 2021 draft by Tampa Bay. Shortly after making his professional debut, Kinney tore his labrum forcing him to miss the entirety of the 2022 season. Kinney was unspectacularly solid in his return to baseball last season and is continuing to perform well at High-A this season. Kinney has a pretty left-handed swing that deposits balls to all areas of the park. As he continues developing, he profiles as a line drive machine with the size to add more game power. Kinney is not a household name yet but is a player worth keeping a close eye on.
Photos courtesy of Icon Sportswire
Adapted by Kurt Wasemiller (@kurtwasemiller on Twitter / @kurt_player02 on Instagram)
Brilliant. As a longtime fantasy baseball participant but first-time dynasty player, I look forward to this article and Martin’s rankings all month. Keep up the great work!