Entering the home stretch, most teams are in the playoffs and the other half is looking to re-tool. Dynasty formats bring a fun aspect of career projection into the equation. Some of the younger talent that hasn’t had eye popping numbers are players I like to target. Here are some of the best options for rebuilding squads, as well as some players to avoid.
Be sure to head over to the Pitcher List dynasty page to check out other helpful articles such as the dynasty performance report for outfielders!
Dynasty Risers:
Colt Keith, DET, 3B:
One of the more anticipated debuts coming into 2024, Keith had a slow March and April. Since those first two months, Keith has turned it on and hit the ball well. While the power is still lower than expected, Keith is a 23 year-old rookie putting together a solid season. There is plenty to build on here and nothing threatening an ever day role for Keith in Detroit. The bat is going to carry Keith, which makes him a great dynasty option. There’s a good chance we’re looking at a .330/.340 OBP second baseman with 20+ home runs per season.
If the power ticks up like we saw in 2022 and 2023, Keith is looking like a top 5 second base dynasty option. Already at a .263 average, Kieth has tallied 12 home runs in his first 136 games. An aspect of improvement can be walk rate. Keith is an aggressive hitter that doesn’t draw a lot of walks. With an expected batting average of .274, the OBP would climb to above .320. A nice addition, Keith will still need to work counts more which could see him reach that .300+ average we saw at Double-A and Triple-A. With a strong rookie campaign, Keith is one of the top young players in the game. Second base gives him a bit of a bump, but with improvement, Keith is a top 10 option for dynasty formats.
Coby Mayo, 1B/3B, BAL:
The second highly rate Oriole rookie to have a slow start, Mayo has struggled much like Jackson Holliday. A 3-for-33 start is slightly better than the first MLB stint for Holliday but still underwhelming. Both Mayo and Holliday were mashing at every level to the point where they forced a promotion. That being said, Mayo is a buy low and stash for dynasty leagues. The biggest concern is the left field wall limiting the home run total. Mayo has all of the tools in his bat even if he is closer to a .275 hitter.
The clear plus category here is the power and RBI. Mayo might not have an issue with the left field wall in Baltimore as he hit absolute moonshots at Triple-A in 2024, 25 home runs in 91 games. Mayo utilizes a good size leg kick with his 6’5″ frame. The hit tool is off to a slow start and may be the question mark, but either way the power makes Mayo a top corner infield option. There is some concern early on with the high whiff and strikeout rate, but the adjustment could take some time. The slow start with the bat creates a great buy low opportunity for a player that will most likely hold down an every day role with the Orioles in 2025.
Honorable Mention
Ivan Herrera, C, STL: With a solid season in 2024, Herrera has turned into a viable every day catcher. Through 204 at-bats, Herrera has hit .279 with 3 home runs and 5 stolen bases. The power should tick up over a full season and live around 15 home runs a year. A former top prospect, Herrera needs the opportunity to play every day. With Willson Contreras signed for the near future that may be tough. Herrera could turn out to be a high average catcher with a good amount of pop to hover around a top 10 catcher if he plays closer to 162 games.
Adrian Del Castillo, C, ARI: Del Castillo saw the raw power come into play in 2024 when he hit 24 home runs in 100 games at Triple-A. Granted it was in Reno, Castillo has the power to hit 20+ per season. A prospect that I avoided, Del Castillo has 4 home runs in his first 75 MLB at-bats. While the underlying data isn’t great, suggesting a drop in average, with a high chase and whiff rate, Del Castillo is solid. A decent walk rate, Del Castillo could be a .320-.350 OBP player with 20 home runs. At catcher, that’s great and he could be a sleeper pick headed into 2025.
Dynasty Fallers:
Christopher Morel, 3B, TBR:
One of my favorite players to watch, Morel has taken a step back in 2024. His short time with the Rays has been worse than his start with the Cubs this season. Morel is hitting sub .200 with 21 home runs on the season. Even with the plus power, the 25 year-old doesn’t retain much fantasy value. Yet to reach 60 runs or RBI, Morel is strictly a one category home run player. I don’t like to go against a fun, young player that has put together two solid seasons that was traded to Tampa but Morel has regressed. His whiff rate is near the bottom of the league and his strikeout percentage isn’t far behind.
Morel is a fun player and his home runs are some of the best to watch. That being said, there isn’t a ton of fantasy value here unless the Rays do what they typically do and use the off-season to help him build back up. This is very possible, which makes me want to add Morel to the “buy” category but this season was too far of a regression. A sub .200 average is alarming and even if the Rays can rejuvenate him, we’re looking at a .250 hitter with 25 home runs. A slightly better 2023 season would be best case scenario for Morel, so for now he’s an avoid.
Spencer Torkelson, 1B, DET:
I wanted so badly to buy back in on Tork at a low point but the value isn’t there. Torkelson seemed to bounce back in 2023 and put together a 31 home run season. Outside of those 31 home runs, Tork was still leaving a lot to be desired from a former number 1 pick. Regardless, for fantasy value, he was a 3 category player as he tallied 88 runs and 94 RBI. A .313 OBP wasn’t great but it was not detrimental and Torkelson looked to be poised for a big 2024. That was not the case as he struggled and was sent down to Triple-A for some time.
Now back with the Tigers, Torkelson .221, with 8 home runs in 79 games. The 2023 numbers should be the baseline profile for Torkelson but taking a step back in 2024 leave that in question. With the poor 2024 performance, there isn’t much to trust with Torkelson at the moment. The breakout could come late so if there is room on your roster to stash and hope, Tork is a good candidate. In terms of counting on Torkelson to produce for your team, there isn’t enough history there to start with that in 2025. The Tigers should give him the every day first base job, but as the top Tigers prospects come up and they compete, that could change. Torkelson isn’t anything more than a stash as a last few picks player headed into 2025.
Honorable Mention
Danny Jansen, C, BOS: Seemingly stuck in a platoon situation wherever he goes, Jansen is a solid bat. Outside of 2022, Jansen has never hit near that mark in a full season. He turns 30 at the start of the 2025 season and if he stays on the Red Sox, will have plenty of competition with Connor Wong and Kyle Teel. Regardless of where he ends up, the fantasy profile doesn’t make for much more than a power bat. Trending in the wrong direction for dynasty leagues, Jansen would need a full time role to prove otherwise. He is a free agent after 2024, but even with a full time role, the track record is more of a low .200 hitter with mid level power.
Shea Langeliers, C, OAK: Putting together another powerful season, Langeliers is at a career high 25 home runs in 2024. With a nearly identical strikeout to walk total, as well as a low .200 average, this is likely the profile. Almost 27 years old, Langeliers is a former top prospect and is one of those guys you’ll always expect to break out. Outside of a slight jump in average, maybe to ~.240, I don’t think the breakout is coming. There is some value is taking the power at the catcher spot and living with the rest, but there are better dynasty options here.
Feature image by Michael Packard (@CollectingPack on Twitter) | Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire