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Five Low-A Prospects To Watch Going Into 2024

5 Low-A prospects for dynasty managers to know

Rick Haake
Dynasty 2/17/2024

The new season is almost upon us, and as pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training we can take this time to dive into the next wave of prospects to watch in 2024. This week I will dive into five prospects who played most if not all of their season in Low-A in 2023. With these prospects I’ll break down their strengths and what we could expect as they climb to High-A and beyond. In addition to the player breakdown, I will let you know the dynasty impact of each prospect and league-size relevance. Just because minor league baseball has not started yet doesn’t mean the savvy manager isn’t already planning and scouting for the season ahead, so let’s get you up to speed. 

Make sure to head over to the Pitcher List dynasty page to check out the rest of the content from the dynasty team.

 

Five Low-A Prospects To Watch

 

Cooper Kinney, 1B/2B TBR

(121 GP, .274/.341/.393, 10 HR, 61 R, 61 RBI, 3 SB)

With this article I wanted to give you some names under the radar from most dynasty managers, but Cooper Kinney might be the most well-known on this list. Selected 34th overall in the 2021 MLB draft out of high school Cooper Kinney stood out in the short sample he had after the draft in the complex league. Kinney stands 6’1” and 200 pounds, and primarily splits time at first base and second base in the Rays organization. There is a potential plus hit tool here with at least average power.

The long-term home for Kinney is up for debate as the 21-year-old has well below average fielding grades to this point. After impressing in his short sample size after the draft Kinney missed the entire 2022 season recovering from shoulder surgery. 

Back and healthy in his first full season as a professional, Kinney impressed playing the entire season in Low-A Charleston. Across 121 games Kinney slashed .274/.341/.393 with 10 home runs, 61 runs scored, 61 RBIs, and stole three bases in 505 total plate appearances. Kinney did not look overmatched at any point as he struck out just 21.2% of the time while walking 8.3%. The shoulder appears to be good to go as Kinney crushed 24 doubles in 2023. 

Dynasty managers take note of his strong season as this could be the last opportunity to get in on the ground floor. The fear of shoulder injuries sapping power has always been at the forethought for fantasy but it appears Kinney has recovered nicely and is putting up solid power numbers. There could be 20 home runs pop here with a solid batting average and OBP long term for Kinney and I believe he seems like a better version of current Ray Curtis Mead. 

 

Michael Prosecky, LHP COL

(21 GS, 109 IP, 125 K, 10.32 K/9, 2.72 ERA)

Colorado has improved in many ways with scouting and player development. Michael Prosecky was drafted in the sixth round of the 2022 MLB draft out of the University of Louisville. Across his three seasons in Louisville, Prosecky was deployed largely as a reliever appearing in 26 games with a 10.6 K/9 and finishing with a 3.38 ERA in his final season. The Rockies have deployed Prosecky as a starter in his first full season as a professional with solid results. Prosecky is a left-hander who has a potential four-pitch mix but the true 12-6 curveball stands out as a plus offering.

His fastball sits in the low 90s and sets up the curveball because of Prosecky’s ability to deliver both pitches at the same release point before dropping off the table to opposing batters. The Rockies are working on the changeup and a two-plane slider that hasn’t been consistent to this point but has the potential to be at least an average offering. 

The results in Low-A Fresno were encouraging. Across 21 starts at Fresno Prosecky pitched 109 innings striking out 125 batters good for a 10.32 K/9. Prosecky did a good job keeping the ball in the yard as he finished the season with a 0.33 HR/9 and held a 4.0% home run to flyball rate. Opposing batters hit just .215 off Prosecky and he finished the season with a solid 2.72 ERA.

When it comes to Rockies pitching prospects most fans get a little skeptical, but if you look through the Rockies Minor League pitchers in 2023, you will be surprised by the numbers. This could signal a new approach in development. I’m not saying Prosecky is a slam dunk or a top-tier starter but there is back-of-a-rotation upside here or in a worst-case scenario a potential high-leverage reliever thanks to his time as the Louisville closer. Because of dynasty manager’s reluctance to stash Rockies pitchers, there is a strong chance Prosecky and pitchers like him are on your waiver wire right now. 

 

Thayron Liranzo, C LAD

(94 GP, .272/.400/.562, 24 HR, 81 R, 70 RBI, 2 SB)

There is no doubt about it, Thayron Liranzo is a prospect on the rise in dynasty circles, and for good reason. The 19-year-old catcher has jumped off the page in 2023 with his performance with the Low-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. Standing at 6’3” and 195 pounds Liranzo has plus power potential with a solid hit tool from both sides of the plate. The defensive skills are below average and could result in Liranzo moving off catcher to first base long-term. As for speed, Liranzo is a well below-average runner who shouldn’t factor into many stolen bases long-term. 

Across 94 games played with the Quakes Liranzo slashed .272/.400/.562 with 24 home runs, 81 runs scored, 70 RBIs, and two stolen bases. The home runs output was a big improvement over the eight home runs he hit across 41 games in the complex league in 2022. The quality of hits was impressive for Liranzo who finished the season with 94 hits with 50 of them coming in the extra-base variety. In addition to the power gains, we saw Liranzo increase his walk percentage to 16.7% while the strikeout rate also increased to 26.8% across 418 plate appearances. 

This could be a fantastic stash for dynasty managers in deeper dynasty leagues as for now  Liranzo is a power-hitting catching prospect with upside. Even if he moves off catcher long-term to first base there could be 30-home-run power here with an excellent approach at the plate. The Dodgers do such a good job developing prospects like this and then moving them for win-now pieces for the major leagues club. The upside is there and the cost to get him makes it worth it to stash in dynasty and watch his value rise. 

 

Trevor Martin, RHP TBR

(25 GP, 22 GS, 110 IP, 131 K, 10.72 K/9, 3.52 ERA)

Tampa Bay has become a “pitching factory” and dynasty managers have taken note. Somehow, Trevor Martin has gone largely under the radar and that should change. Drafted in the third round of the 2022 MLB draft out of Oklahoma State Martin stands at 6’5” and 238 pounds with a starter’s build. Used primarily as a closer in college, the Tampa Bay Rays are attempting to convert Martin into a starter focusing on developing secondary offerings that play to his high spin rates.

There is a potential four-pitch mix with Martin in a mid-90s four-seam fastball that tops out at 98 mph with the ride up in the zone. He adds a mid-80s slider that like the fastball has high spin rates, but lacks elite movement. With the curveball and change-up, they are still a work in progress as Martin did not through either while at Oklahoma State. 

The first full season as a starter went very well for Martin as he appeared in 25 games while starting in 22 in Low-A Charleston. While with the River Dogs Martin struck out 131 batters in 110 innings pitched, good for a 10.72 K/9. The 22-year-old right-hander kept opposing batters to a .225 average while walking 3.35 batters per nine and finishing the season with a 3.52 ERA. Martin had his best month in July in which he struck out 30 batters in 19 innings pitched across four appearances (three starts) keeping batters to a .186 average against and finishing the month with a 2.84 ERA. 

When it comes to dynasty purposes Trevor Martin should be on your radar in deeper dynasty leagues. With his build and high spin rates, Martin has two potential outcomes. If the Rays can develop the secondary pitches into at least an average offering we could be looking at a back-of-the-rotation arm with lower innings totals due to his time as a reliever in college. The second outcome is that he’s developed as a reliever going forward and has the experience to be a closer-type with a high 90s fastball and a cutting slider that have proven to be high strikeout pitches. His cost to acquire is cheap making this a solid target to bolster the farm system with loads of upside. 

 

Wilfredo Lara, 3B/OF NYM

(99 GP, .264/.362/.452, 14 HR, 54 R, 49 RBI, 17 SB)

The Mets’ player development is on the rise and players like Wilfredo Lara are starting to take steps forward. Standing at 5’10” and 180 pounds Lara has split his playing time between third base and outfield where he can cover more ground with his plus speed. When it comes to the bat Lara has steadily improved his bat-to-ball skills over the last three years. Before the 2023 season, Lara would have been projected as a slightly below-average power bat but has shown an increase in his raw power not only via the home run but with his extra-base output in his most recent season. 

While in Port St Lucie, Wilfredo Lara played in 99 games with the Mets slashing .264/.362/.452. The average and OBP have been steadily increasing since his debut back in 2021. Lara has done a better job of getting base hits and driving the ball as well as improving his walk rate from 10.8% in CPX ball back in 2022 to 12.2% in Low-A. There was above-average power displayed as Lara hit 14 home runs, with 54 runs scored, 49 RBIs, and finished with 93 total hits of which 35 were for extra bases.

The strikeout rate has stayed about the same for Lara who finished the season with a 21.8% strikeout rate right in line with what you want to see at this level. As mentioned before there is a plus speed here and we can see some of it translate to the base paths as Lara stole 17 bases in 23 attempts. 

With Wilfredo Lara, there is deep league upside here as the soon-to-be 20-year-old could start the season in High-A with the Brooklyn Cyclones. For dynasty managers, the increase in power is a welcomed sight to pair with the stolen base upside. If he can maintain these power strikes in 2024, he could turn into a 20+ homer, 25+ stolen base threat. The average has steadily increased by roughly 30 points at each stop so it’s not unreasonable to see Lara push for a .270 to .280 average in 2024. With a manageable strikeout rate and increasing walk rate year over year, Lara is not a bad deep league stash going into the 2024 season. 

Feature Image Adapted by Aaron Polcare (@bearydoesgfx on X)

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