Yes, the 2025 season is young, but that does not mean it is too early to adjust your prospect rankings. Getting ahead and staying ahead of the curve is key for assessing prospects and their dynasty value. On top of that, several of the game’s top prospects made their Major League debut in the first month of the season. Keep reading to check out the updated prospect list detailing the game’s top 150 prospects for dynasty baseball.
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Prospect List Rules:
- All prospects listed are yet to debut in the Major Leagues.
- 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. In the past month, we have seen plenty of prospects with dynasty relevance earn a promotion. The prospects featured on last month’s list who have already been called up to the majors are Matt Shaw, Chase Dollander, Zac Veen, Max Muncy, Cam Smith, Drake Baldwin, Alan Rosen, and Kristian Campbell. These prospects are no longer included on this list.
Prospects Rising Quickly Up Dynasty Ranks
Nick Kurtz, #4 – Athletics
Nick Kurtz was previously ranked as a top dynasty prospect. However, there was a limited sample size, and how much value could he really produce out of the first base position? Well, he is now being ranked as an elite dynasty prospect. Kurtz has been on fire to start the season, doing everything right. He leads all of Minor League baseball in home runs and is showing off a fantastic hit tool. Kurtz has the looks of being an elite four-category contributor. His polished and mature approach gives him a stable floor and he has the kind of power for 35+ home run upside. Helping to fuel Kurtz’s move up this list is his proximity to the Major Leagues. The Athletics are already testing Brent Rooker in the outfield, which is an obvious attempt to open up a Major League roster spot for Kurtz. His fast start to 2025 is not just a flash in the pan. Kurtz is the real deal that all dynasty managers should be buying in on.
Zyhir Hope, #13 – Los Angeles Dodgers
There are some other lists out there that have already ranked Zyhir Hope as high as this move. Hope’s success coming in the low levels of the Minor Leagues kept him ranked a bit lower to start this season, and that was a mistake, as Hope is tearing up High-A to start the season. His raw power and lightning-quick hands have been on full display. He has already hit two home runs on the season and his plus-plus speed has him up to four stolen bases already. Hope gets to his pull side extremely well, which should allow his power to continue playing up. His patience at the plate forces pitchers to attack him with strikes where he can do damage. This plus plate discipline also helps create a stable floor for Hope’s future production. Hope could continue rising up prospect lists as the season moves along. He now ranks 13th, and as the third-highest-ranked outfielder who is yet to debut.
New Inclusions to the Top 100
Braxton Ashcraft, #94 – Pittsburgh Pirates
Paul Skenes is the guy already in the Major Leagues. Bubba Chandler is considered to be the next big prospect who will arrive in Pittsburgh. The team already promoted Thomas Harrington as well, giving them three intriguing dynasty prospects. Well, add a fourth pitching prospect to that list. Braxton Ashcraft is another young arm in Triple-A whose stuff should make him a useful dynasty asset. He has made three starts in Triple-A this year, each being better than the last. Ashcraft owns an 11:1 K:BB ratio over his previous two starts, with PLV backing up his success. He deploys a deep five-pitch arsenal with multiple plus offerings. The best is his 90 mph slider, which generates plenty of whiffs. His fastball sits in the mid to upper 90s with over 16″ of iVB. The location on his four-seam has been spotty to begin the season, but his control of the sinker has helped him keep the ball on the ground and in the park. Ashcraft is not getting the same attention as the other pitching prospects in Pittsburgh, but he moves into the top 100 prospects in baseball for this month’s update.
AJ Blubaugh, #97 Houston Astros
There is not a bigger riser on this month’s edition of the prospect list than AJ Blubaugh. Blubaugh ranked outside of my top 200 prospects entering the season and now moves up to 97th. The primary driver in this shift in outlook is Blubaugh’s command. Blubaugh’s stuff has been considered above-average since being drafted. However, his command and control of his pitches have been inconsistent at best. Through three starts in Triple-A, Blubaugh has allowed just four walks and is yet to give up a home run. On top of that, the strikeouts have been piling up. Blubaugh has struck out 38.2% of the batters he has faced so far this season. All three of Blubaugh’s top pitches (four-seam, sweeper, and changeup) have an early-season whiff rate of above 40%. Although Blubaugh’s stuff has not graded out particularly well by PLV standards, it is difficult to argue with the results. Every pitch in his Major League-ready arsenal features plus movement paired with plus extension that should allow him to continue finding success. Blubaugh should make his Major League at some point in 2025.
Prospects Moving Down
Tink Hence, #75 St. Louis Cardinals
Tink Hence’s durability is becoming a major concern. Hence has shown flashes of brilliance in his professional career. This potential has kept him on many top prospect lists despite inconsistencies over the past few seasons. Following Spring Training, the Cardinals announced that Hence is starting the season on the Minor League 60-Day IL due to a rib injury. This injury is just the latest in a long string of setbacks that Hence has experienced in his professional career. Since being drafted in 2020, Hence has never eclipsed 96 innings pitched in a single season. Health seemed to be on his side entering 2025, but that is no longer the case. As the injuries continue to accumulate, the relief risk in Hence’s profile grows larger. He slides down 30 spots in this month’s update, tumbling to 75th overall.
Charlie Condon, #85 Colorado Rockies
Everything in Charlie Condon’s profile is trending in the wrong direction. Dynasty managers were already skeptical after a poor professional debut last season. Still, that was just 25 games, and Condon was the third overall pick in the draft for a reason. His raw power in Coors Field is still a dream come true for fantasy baseball managers. Then, Condon suffered a wrist fracture in Spring Training that will keep him sidelined for the first 2-3 months. This injury combined with the poor results have Condon moving down this list. The questions about his hit tool were one thing, but a wrist injury has the potential to linger. Now, dynasty managers need to worry about Condon’s power returning to the same levels that it was at prior to this injury. Add in a reliance on Colorado’s player development team, and you have a recipe for disaster. Do not be mistaken, Condon is still a top-100 prospect in baseball. This is the same player who hit 37 home runs in his final collegiate season at Georgia. However, his dynasty value has dropped significantly since draft day. His move down this ranking list reflects in the increased risk in his profile.
Prospect List: Top-100
Prospects Inching Closer to the Top-100
Chase Davis, #107 – St. Louis Cardinals
Chase Davis has a stance eerily similar to Ryan Howard. He holds the bat out prior to getting set in an open stance designed to pull the ball. His hands and raw power are almost as impressive. His hands explode through the zone with excellent barrel control that allows him to use the whole field. He has the raw pop to take opposing pitchers out to any part of the park. His power dates back to his time at the University of Arizona and is showing up early on in 2025. The former first round pick has been a bit disappointing early on in his professional career, but things are seeming to click in the first part of 2025. While the resemblance to Howard is a fun comparison, Davis’ stance also causes concern moving forward. Unlike Howard, Davis features a large leg kick that looks a bit unorthodox at times. He also has a tendency to swing down on the ball, resulting in high ground ball rates and limiting his home run totals. His hot start has him moving up, but he still has not checked all of the boxes needed to move him into the top-100 in this month’s update.
Grant Taylor, #112 – Chicago White Sox
Whenever Nick Pollack (our fearless leader) has high praise for a pitcher, you need to pay attention. Nick watched and was amazed, as we all were, at Grant Taylor’s dominant Spring performance, where he struck out six batters in a row during Spring Training against the Dodgers. Nick went as far as to call Taylor one of the best pitchers he saw this spring. The truth is that Taylor’s stuff has ace potential. That term is not thrown around lightly, but when a prospect sits 98 on the four-seam, mixes in a cutter, a filthy curveball, and a changeup, it is easy to get excited. He is a prime breakout candidate in 2025. What keeps Taylor outside of the top-100 has nothing to do with his potential. The issue is durability. As mentioned already, Taylor was shut down after just 19.1 innings last season with injury, and that was after he was recovering from Tommy John Surgery already. He has not pitched deeper than the fourth inning in any professional start, and until he does, there is inherent relief risk present in his profile. As Taylor’s sample size grows larger, he is likely to continue moving up this list.
The Next 50
Newcomers to the Top 150 Prospects
Braylon Doughtly, #116 – Cleveland Guardians
Several pitchers made their professional debut earlier this month after being drafted in 2024. Of those pitchers, none may have stood out as much as Braylon Doughty. Doughty was taken 36th overall in last year’s draft by the Guardians. For pitchers coming out of high school, information on what dynasty managers should expect is fairly limited. Getting live looks at pitchers such as Doughty or fellow newcomer Kash Mayfield early on is imperative. Well, Doughty looks legit. His fastball sits 93/94, but Doughty also mixes in a sinker to pair with it. His changeup is a solid pitch and helps him attack lefties. What really stands out for Doughty is the slider. His slider has excellent command and is clearly his go-to strikeout pitch. He gets great movement down and away from righties, and he already has excellent feel and command of it. The Guardians have a strong track record for pitching development, and Doughty could be the next one of their great arms to come along. The hope is that he adds velocity as he continues to mature in the Guardians’ system. Now is a great time for dynasty managers to get in on him before it is too late.
Aroon Escobar, #130 – Philadelphia Phillies
Aroon Escobar popped up as one of the top prospects from the Complex League last season. Many dynasty managers got their first look at Escobar live during Spring Training this year. He hit a rocket of a double in the Spring Breakout game and has continued to find success in his first taste of full-season ball. Escobar is batting well over .300 with one homer on the season. Watch one at-bat of Escobar and two things instantly stand out. First, he has elite bat speed. Second, Escobar has lightning-quick hands. These combine to produce impressive power. His swing can get a bit aggressive at times, but he has plus contact skills that come into play with two strikes. Escobar has a chance to be one of the fastest-rising prospects in dynasty this season. The only thing missing from Escobar’s profile is speed, but the rest of his profile more than makes up for it.
Deep Prospects to Note
Griff McGarry, Philadelphia Phillies
The last time Griff McGarry was mentioned in top-prospect articles was likely at some point early on in the 2023 season. After being drafted in the fifth round of the 2021 draft, McGarry set the lower levels of the Minor Leagues on fire. His plus stuff helped make up for spotty control, but his walk issues caught up to him as he began facing tougher competition. A move to the bullpen did not help at all, so the team moved him back into a starters role for the 2025 season. The team also reworked his mechanics, hoping to unlock the potential many saw a couple of seasons ago. The season is too young to make any guarantees, but the Phillies may have done it. McGarry has not allowed a single hit through his first two starts, and has also only walked three batters. The best part? McGarry is striking out 48% of the batters he has faced. Dynasty managers should not be rushing to pick up the 25-year-old who was demoted back to Double-A, but this is a situation to monitor.
Nolan McLean, New York Mets
Nolan McLean was dominant in his first start of 2025. McLean struck out eight across four-scoreless innings. The most notable part of McLean’s start was the zero walks. Spending time last season splitting his focus between hitting and pitching resulted in inconsistent results. There is no denying that McLean has a good fastball and a borderline elite slider, but his ability to command his pitches consistently was absent last season. For 2025, McLean is focusing solely on pitching. Hopefully, his first start is a sign of what is to come. Seeing this success carry over for more than just a couple of starts will keep McLean moving up prospect lists and potentially land him inside of the top-150. The other concern keeping him off this list is the lack of a true pitch to attack lefties with. He is a two-pitch guy who also mixes in a cutter. The development of a changeup could help take McLean to the next level. For now, he remains a prospect to watch closely.
