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High Floor Prospects to Target in Dynasty

High floor prospects to target by position in fantasy

John Villavicencio
Dynasty 12/24/2025

High Floor Prospects to Target in Dynasty

 

A few months ago, I was hosting a table at a record swap in the Bay Area and ended up sharing space with Jim, who had travelled in from out of town to sell—though mostly to buy—records. I’d brought my old stash of hip-hop magazines to sell, along with a few oddities like Yo! MTV Raps trading cards, and Jim, while not especially familiar with hip hop, was eager to learn which albums he should listen to.

I started with the foundations: A Tribe Called Quest, Illmatic by Nas. Jim nodded, took it in, then asked the inevitable question:

“What else you got?” I obliged him with Illadelph Halflife by The Roots and Donuts by J Dilla. To Pimp A Butterfly.

Another pause. Another question: “So what else you got?” Souls of Mischief. The Nonce. B.U.M.S.

Layer by layer, we peeled back the hip-hop onion, moving deeper as I worked through whatever names rose to the surface of my mind. It was less about checking boxes and more about opening doors—giving Jim a pathway into 50-plus years of music he was just beginning to explore.

That’s the spirit behind this article.

If you spend enough time talking baseball with a true fan, you know how it goes. The back-and-forth is lively, the name-dropping relentless, until you hit that familiar pause. Then it comes: “What else you got?”

What follows are a few prospects with strong foundations who should be on your radar as we head into the 2026 season. They offer a high probability of creating a stable floor from which to build your dynasty roster. We’ll move through outfielders, infielders, left-handed starters, and right-handed starters, peeling back a few more layers along the way. The next article will follow up with even deeper cuts from the prospect discography.

High Floor Outfielders

 

Dylan Beavers, Baltimore

 

The Orioles have spent part of the offseason reshaping their lineup by adding offense, but those additions came at a cost. Two of the new bats are outfielders, leaving only one open spot on the grass and giving Dylan Beavers a narrow path to regular playing time in 2026—despite his strong production across both Triple-A and a brief Major League stint.

Looking strictly at his minor league track record, Beavers checks many of the boxes teams want to see. He consistently posted strong exit velocities, barreled the ball at ideal launch angles, and maintained healthy line-drive rates dating back to Single-A. Those skills translated quickly in Baltimore. In limited action, he punished fastballs while keeping his whiff rate low, producing a .524 xSLG and .404 xwOBA. While big-league curveballs gave him trouble, his history against breaking balls in the minors suggests that improvement should come with more exposure.

Plate discipline provides Beavers with a valuable safety net. He has significantly reduced his chase rate, is comfortable taking walks, and—despite a low overall swing rate—makes contact on 90% of pitches in the strike zone. The process is strong, and the contact quality is there; what’s missing is a consistent opportunity. The one remaining hurdle is his performance against left-handed pitching, which currently profiles him for a strong-side platoon, as seen late in September.

The best-case scenario is a role where Beavers faces most right-handers with occasional looks against lefties. That path could push him past 450 plate appearances, well above what current Steamer or PLV projections suggest. With that kind of runway, a 20–20 season is firmly within reach.

With 90th-percentile speed, ideal contact rates, and disciplined plate appearances, Beavers brings a high floor and tantalizing upside—assuming the Orioles can find a way to keep his bat in the lineup.

What else you got?

 

Justin Crawford, Philadelphia

 

Ok, I see you want somebody who is flying up the charts. This name is being dropped as a potential Opening Day starter, so get in on the action early. Justin Crawford brings an elite, all-fields contact approach to the plate. While the left-handed hitter does run an unusually high 60% groundball rate, that concern is softened by how often he uses the opposite field and the authority he generates on contact. This isn’t a soft-contact profile—his 45% hard-hit rate and 23% line-drive rate point to a true gap-to-gap hitter capable of turning singles into doubles and doubles into triples.

The real appeal, however, lies in the on-base skill set that fuels eye-popping results like a .411 OBP. Crawford posts manageable whiff rates against all pitch types and just recorded his best walk-to-strikeout ratio since the Complex League, underscoring the growth in his offensive approach. There is some trade-off: he will occasionally expand the zone to put the bat on the ball and leverage his speed for infield hits, contributing to a high chase rate. Still, that aggressiveness is often situational and intentional rather than reckless.

Overall, Crawford looks close to a lock for significant playing time on a strong roster, hitting ahead of legitimate run producers. And with 40-plus stolen bases in three of the last four seasons, his speed should remain a major part of the fantasy and real-life value he brings to the table.

What else you got?

 

Ryan Waldschmidt, Arizona

 

How about the Diamondbacks’ top prospect, Ryan Waldschmidt? He is knocking on the door of his Major League debut after turning in a 142 wRC+ in 2025. His offensive profile is built on high-quality contact, highlighted by excellent line-drive rates and a disciplined approach that targets pitches best suited to his swing. While his sub-40% swing rate is mildly concerning, he has consistently maintained a strong walk-to-strikeout ratio at every stop. He has also chipped in with healthy stolen-base totals, reinforcing his value as a true multi-category contributor.

There is, however, one important contextual note. Arizona’s upper-minors affiliates play in extremely hitter-friendly environments. Double-A Amarillo and Triple-A Reno sit at high elevation, and Waldschmidt’s splits reflect that boost. At home, his slugging percentage was roughly .150 points higher and his batting average about .060 points higher than on the road. Those gaps suggest the offensive environment is meaningfully inflating his surface-level numbers.

That raises a fair question: without the altitude assist, does Waldschmidt profile closer to an .800 OPS outfielder with a 20–20 ceiling? Even if that proves to be the case, his profile remains attractive. The plate discipline is stable, the contact quality is ideal, and the speed is real. Taken together, those traits give Waldschmidt a strong chance to contribute across all five categories, even if his raw production settles in a more neutral Major League setting.

What else you got?

Max Clark, Detroit

 

How about a flashy five-tool stud who walks the walk and backs it up on the field? Speed is his carrying tool, driving impact both on the basepaths and while patrolling center field. The left-handed hitter showed a strong contact-oriented approach in 2025, and his physical frame still has room to add strength. Just as important, he has already demonstrated a willingness to refine his swing in pursuit of greater offensive output.

That combination of athleticism, contact skill, and developmental intent makes him an easy player to root for—and one with real upside still untapped. If the power continues to come along, the current projection points toward an annual 20–20 potential, with a realistic chance to settle in around a .275 batting average and .360 on-base percentage.

That’s enough outfielders, let’s move to those guys on the dirt. What else you got?

 

High Floor Infielders

 

Tommy Troy, Arizona

 

2025 was a strong rebound year for Tommy Troy, as he reestablished his starter-level potential after an injury-plagued beginning to his pro career. The speedy middle infielder’s game is driven by his wheels, which pair perfectly with a 90% zone contact rate and a line-drive–oriented swing that should translate into plenty of doubles.

The power is real but modest—more balls landing a few rows into the seats than threatening the 415-foot mark to the Chase Field pool. Troy does his best work against fastballs, and he’ll likely return to Reno to further sharpen his approach against breaking pitches before pushing for a call-up. Encouragingly, he also began seeing more time in center field, adding positional versatility that could accelerate his path to playing time.

With a balanced approach against both lefties and righties, strong plate discipline, and the speed to turn routine grounders into extra bases, Troy looks ready to shed his “baby snake” skin and slither proudly at the next level.

What else you got?

 

Kaelen Culpepper, Minnesota

 

Alright. Here’s another first-round pick, taken a year later by Minnesota. Kaelen Culpepper leaned into more power in 2025, consciously trading some contact for a more explosive swing. Reports indicate his bat speed ticked up, and the results followed—most notably in May, when he crushed five home runs, stole 11 bases, and posted a .302 / .413 / .491 slash line.

The 6’0″ right-handed hitter can be prone to chasing pitches, so the next step in his development will be refining pitch recognition while keeping those aggressive, high-impact swings under control. If he can strike that balance, the power gains should stick.

Culpepper’s glove gives him plenty of runway. A strong defender, he’s settling in at shortstop while also carrying experience at second and third base, ensuring Minnesota can afford him the time and flexibility needed to let the bat fully catch up to the tools.

What else you got?

 

Caleb Bonemer, Chicago

 

Ok, high school prospects can be risky, but here is someone who made a strong impression in their professional debut at 19 years old. Caleb Bonemer appears headed for a move to third base, where he’ll continue adding strength to his 6’1″ frame. The power already shows up easily, particularly to the pull side, and he put that on full display in August. That month, Bonemer blasted four home runs, stole four bases, and posted a dominant .369 / .475 / .708 slash line.

There are some concerns about occasional cold streaks, but the overall profile remains steady. Bonemer maintained a healthy strikeout-to-walk balance across the entire season and at both levels, suggesting a hitter with enough discipline and adjustment ability to weather those downturns as he continues to develop.

What about someone on the mound? Who you got there?

 

High Floor Left-handed Starters

 

Hagen Smith, Chicago

 

I am going to start with the lefties. We have talked ad nauseam about Robby Snelling, but make sure you add the Marlins’ most polished prospect to your list. After that, can I interest you in someone who had a 38% K%-BB%? Yes, his strikeout rate was north of 40% over 84 innings for 6’3″ Hagen Smith during his draft season at Arkansas. That kind of dominance hasn’t disappeared, but it has been held in check by a bout of control regression, as his strike rate slipped to a concerning 58%.

That dip likely ties back to an elbow issue that sidelined Smith for a few weeks. Encouragingly, his command ticked back up in the Arizona Fall League, where he raised his strike rate to a more palatable 62%. Across 227 pitches for Glendale, his fastball–slider combination looked every bit the part, producing a 37% strikeout rate against an 11% walk rate.

While Smith still lacks a true plus third pitch, his changeup proved sufficient to neutralize platoon concerns, effectively taking splits out of the conversation. The upside here remains substantial, and if the progress he showed in Arizona continues, Smith has the tools to overwhelm hitters on the South Side—possibly as soon as the All-Star break.

What else you got?

 

Christian Oppor, Chicago

 

Sometimes it’s love at first sight. That’s how it was with Christian Oppor. He features a smooth, athletic delivery that unleashes high-90s fastballs and a wide-breaking slider. After flashing promise in 2024, he truly put everything together this past season, growing stronger and more consistent with each passing month.

The peak came in July, when he rattled off back-to-back 10-strikeout outings, but the dominance didn’t stop there. Over the remainder of the season, Oppor held hitters to a .169 average while posting a 35:13 strikeout-to-walk ratio, underscoring his ability to miss bats while limiting damage.

If he continues to tighten his command and further develop his changeup, Oppor has the ceiling to climb even higher within an already impressive group of White Sox pitching prospects.

What else you got?

 

Adam Serwinowski, Los Angeles

 

Pitchers are creatures of habit. Repeating an athletic delivery 20 to 100 times a game requires routine, rhythm, and a way to reset between pitches. Each pitcher develops their own ritual to stay locked in. Adam Serwinowski has one you won’t miss.

 

The 6’5″ left-hander is already turning heads with legitimate strikeout stuff, putting hitters away with a nasty slider and a lively fastball. But after the punchout comes the moment: Serwinowski calmly doffs his cap, fixes his hair, and gets back to work.

For that unforgettable, ingrained post-strikeout move—and the dominance that precedes it—I’ve officially dubbed him “The Big Fluffer.”

What else you got?

 

Jacob Bresnahan, San Francisco

 

Drats, those Dodgers did it again by swinging a deal for the big Fluffer. Well, the Giants and their Single-A pitching coach, Dan Runzler, have many arms succeeding on the lower levels.

One of the system’s breakout arms captured California League Pitcher of the Year honors in 2025 after delivering 22 consistently strong starts. Jacob Bresnahan didn’t just miss bats—he controlled contact. Opponents hit just .198 against him, and he allowed only two home runs while posting an impressive 16% swinging-strike rate.

There are a few underlying notes to monitor. Bresnahan does allow more fly balls than some evaluators prefer, and his elevated xFIP suggests he may have benefited from some good fortune, particularly with a tiny 2.4% HR/FB rate. Still, he was locked in from start to finish and showed the ability to execute a clear plan.

The next step will be extracting a bit more life from his above-average four-seam fastball, which would allow him to better set up and “pull the string” on hitters with his changeup. If that comes, Bresnahan’s already strong profile could take another meaningful step forward.

What else you got?

 

High Floor Right-handed Starters

 

You served up a lot of names there. What else you got from righties?

Jack Wenninger, New York

 

Akin to members of the Wu-Tang Clan releasing back-to-back-to-back stellar solo albums, Jonah Tong broke the seal on Mets prospects in 2025. Nolan McLean and Brandon Sproat were close behind, paving a trail for the next era to walk on. Jack Wenninger stands atop the mound like he is the sheriff in a western, ready to spell the end for whatever villain is at the edge of town.

The 6’4″ righty challenges the opposition with a 97+ fastball, before blasting them away with a slider or splitter. His 14% swinging strike rate has remained steady while keeping the groundballs high. By late 2026, Wenninger should be laying down the law in Queens.

What else you got?

 

David Davalillo, Texas

 

How about Mr. Consistency? David Davalillo had a 2.80 FIP in 2024, then turned in a 2.81 FIP in 2025 after reaching another season of 20+ starts. His ability to keep the ball in the park and on the ground is due to his strong set of pitches with armside run. The splitter can look like a changeup or slider, but is nevertheless a great wipeout pitch.

He harnesses the power of his deep arsenal, which boosted his swinging strike rate and strikeout rate to new highs. Texas smartly added him to its 40-man roster this fall.

What else you got?

 

Braden Nett, Athletics

 

You know how everyone loves the versatility of the Swiss Army knife? Well, then, they should enjoy the multiple tools that can be deployed by Braden Nett. Now, he has a wide arsenal and has hit triple digits on the fastball in previous years. A shoulder and elbow injury does cloud long-term projections, yet his new organization had enough faith to add him to the 40-man roster.

The Athletics are developing a better pipeline of pitching, so we could see them build more value out of Nett’s well-regarded fastballs. Of course, he will need to reduce the balls out of the zone, but 64% strikes aren’t unusable, unlike that little saw on the Swiss Army knife.

What else you got?

 

Christian Zazueta, Los Angeles

 

Onto someone with more excitement around their profile. Christian Zazueta burst onto the scene this season after debuting as a 17-year-old in the Dominican Summer League in 2022. Zazueta has a low-arm, athletic delivery that is punctuated by above-average command.

In addition, he had one of the top swinging strike rates across all levels of Minor Leagues.  With a 97 mph four-seamer and sick changeup, Zazueta is poised to dispatch of high number of hitters in Double-A.

What else you got?

 

Keyner Martinez, San Francisco

 

Well, if I give any positive press to the Dodgers, then we have to balance that out with shine for the Giants. Keyner Martinez is not currently at the same level of excitement as Zazueta, but he is on that track with his strong strikeout profile. Although he needs more seasoning, Martinez had a top ten K%-BB% in all of the Minor Leagues.

Yet he already has a fastball hitting 98 mph with a nice changeup and late-breaking slider. The 6’1″ righty earned 52% groundballs in addition to catching hitters sleeping with 30% called strikes and whiffs. It was a small sample of just under 70 innings, but Martinez is ready for the next challenge.

Good, can you say it faster?

 

Photo by Randy Litzinger/Icon Sportswire | Featured Image by Justin Redler (@reldernitsuj on Bsky/Twitter)

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