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High Upside Prospects to Target in Dynasty

high upside prospects to target by position in dynasty

John Villavicencio
Dynasty 12/29/2025

High Upside Prospects to Target in Dynasty

In the previous article, I provided the following story as an introduction to the list of prospects.

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 traveled 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 who have had some big moments, but are still at an early crossroads in the arc of their career. They have a ceiling of possibilities and much upside ahead of them. We’ll move through outfielders, infielders, left-handed starters, and right-handed starters, peeling back a few more layers along the way.

High Upside Outfielders

Kemp Alderman, Miami

 

Let’s head over to the Red Light District, where Mayor Kemp Alderman is putting on a crimson light show on his Statcast page. The Marlins outfielder is lighting up batted-ball leaderboards, posting 90th-percentile metrics in barrel rate, hard-hit rate, EV90, as well as across his expected stats. He’s also producing a better-than-average rate of pulled fly balls, a key indicator that the damage is real when he squares the ball up.

His walk-to-strikeout ratio isn’t quite as pristine as it was earlier in his career, and there’s room for improved selectivity. Still, it’s far from problematic, especially given the quality of contact he’s producing. When Alderman connects, the ball is hit with authority, and that impact more than offsets minor plate-discipline concerns.

The big question is whether his 20 stolen bases are sustainable. If they are, Alderman becomes a highly intriguing target for 2026 drafts. While the 43% HR/FB rate he posted with Jacksonville is clearly unsustainable, regression doesn’t erase the upside. With elite red-zone power metrics backing the profile, even a normalized home-run rate should still translate into plenty of positive outcomes.

What else you got?

 

Cristian Arguelles, Colorado

 

Here’s someone less known. Imagine hearing Notorious B.I.G. appearing on that Mary J. Blige remix of “Real Love” back in 1992. Raw, engaging lyrics over a dope beat, albeit on a well-worn bed of samples. Picture a fresh-faced Christian Arguelles stepping into the batter’s box at Coors Field, an offensive haven known for bringing out the best in hitters. While still unproven, Arguelles has already shown meaningful progress over his first two seasons—enough to earn Dominican Summer League MVP honors in 2025.

He filled the stat sheet with home runs, doubles, walks, and stolen bases, setting high expectations for his stateside debut at just 18 years old. The underlying indicators support the hype as well: a low swinging-strike rate and a solid batted-ball profile point to a hitter with both feel for contact and emerging impact. All signs suggest Arguelles could be on the verge of a breakout as he takes the next step in his development.

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

 

High Upside Infielders

Deniel Ortiz, St. Louis

 

What about someone who wasn’t as aggressively recruited as other draft day targets? Deniel Ortiz forced his way to High-A after four dominant months at Single-A Palm Beach, and the underlying data makes the case clear. He produced an 18-degree average launch angle, a 49% hard-hit rate, a 105 mph EV90, and a 25% pulled air-ball rate—a near textbook blend of loft, impact, and directional intent. That profile is tailor-made for sustained power production as he climbs the ladder.

Built like a classic corner infielder, Ortiz isn’t known for his speed, yet he still found ways to add value on the bases, even if his stolen-base success rate dipped after the promotion. The raw power is undeniable: he crushed 34 home runs over two seasons in community college, and that strength is now translating against better competition. The next step is sharpening pitch recognition, particularly versus sliders and changeups. Notably, his strikeout rate actually improved at the higher level, a strong signal that further offensive growth is coming. With the Cardinals in need of impact bats at the corners, Ortiz looks increasingly capable of filling that void.

What else you got?

 

Dax Kilby, New York

 

Have you ever heard of the Yankees? Well, they usually target high-upside players, and they may have found a major prize in Dax Kilby. The 6’2″ first-round pick out of high school quickly showed his value as a relentless on-base threat, reaching base via hit or walk in 16 of his first 18 games. That approach fueled a .457 on-base percentage, giving his 60-grade speed plenty of opportunities to impact the game.

While the power output hasn’t fully surfaced in this small sample, the underlying indicators are encouraging. He posted an 80th-percentile 104 mph EV90 along with a 45% hard-hit rate, hinting at more damage to come. With elite speed, advanced strike-zone awareness, and room to grow into additional strength, the upside becomes especially intriguing if he can unlock more power while sticking at shortstop.

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

 

High Upside Left-handed Starters

David Shields, Kansas City

 

Beware those who look only at the top of the counting stats columns. Workload management is hiding a high riser in David Shields. The 2024 high school draft pick has been brought along deliberately, with the organization prioritizing long-term development over early workload. Their acclimatization plan for Shields limited him to one start per week, never allowing fewer than five days of rest between outings.

That approach paid off down the stretch. Shields finished the season fresh and dominant, posting a 23:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio over four August starts. As evaluators begin projecting that performance over a full season’s workload, he’s a strong candidate to climb prospect rankings.

On the mound, the left-hander generates excellent ride on his fastball from a low arm slot, and his **high leg kick—reminiscent of Garrett Crochet—**adds extra momentum toward the plate.

What else you got?

 

Xavier Rivas, New York

 

If you like your pitches from a high angle, then take a gander at the 6’4″ Xaviver Rivas. The Yankees’ 16th-round pick put together a breakout run that felt like a mini-Yesavage, racing through three levels behind a solid four-pitch arsenal. The floor isn’t especially high, but he’s shown the ability to work his entire mix against both left- and right-handed hitters with encouraging results.

Walks have been his biggest issue, yet he’s consistently limited hard contact and kept runs in check. Strikeouts have never been a problem—he posted at least a 25% strikeout rate throughout college and ramped that up to 39% in High-A, closing the season with a dominant five-game stretch. In total, he punched out 42 hitters over 29.1 innings, a clear glimpse at the upside.

After suffering a left UCL injury in early 2024, another healthy offseason could unlock gains in both velocity and command. Even while throwing just 58% strikes, he found success; if he can begin filling the zone more consistently, the performance could take a meaningful step forward.

What else you got?

 

Naimer Rosario, Arizona

 

This one is way underground, as people have only caught glimpses of his shadow. Naimer Rosario is a lanky 6’0″ righty in the Arizona organization who was shifted from Arizona Black to Arizona Red. Without any context for the switch, I am going to confidently state that he was promoted to the A-team due to the dominant 29% K%-BB% he posted over those first four games. Once on the A-team, he quickly proved he belonged.

Rosario delivered one of the strongest outings in the summer league, firing seven shutout innings, allowing just one hit, and striking out six. The strikeout ability clearly plays, and just as encouraging is how he adjusted after early damage—following a solo home run in his second start, Rosario did not allow another homer the rest of the season. That combination of bat-missing stuff and in-season adjustment points to a pitcher trending sharply upward.

 

High Upside Right-handed Starters

What else you got from righties?

Eliazar Dishmey, Miami

 

Ok, you think I’m biased with that choice. Valid. Here is someone ready to be your next prospect crush as someone in the esteemed pitching pipeline of the Marlins. Eliazar Dishmey uses a long, athletic delivery that hitters have a hard time timing up. Dishmey posted one of the lowest averages against in all levels of the minor leagues.

Furthermore, he can earn strikeouts with a curveball and changeup, generating 40% whiff rates. In his short time in High-A, Dishmey went off with 32 strikeouts to six walks over five games with a .184 average against. Once he harnesses the full power of his 93 mph sinker, those results could get even better.

What else you got?

 

Jostin Florentino, Chicago

 

You want more underground. Well, let’s dive into a Cubs prospect who finally made the jump stateside in 2025. Jostin Florentino uses a drop-and-dive delivery to achieve solid extension and a low release height.

His pitches have a lot of natural tailing action, but he does break off with a strong slider. Although it remains to be seen if he can prop up the high strikeout rates, he has kept the ball in the yard and issued minimal free passes.

What else you got?

 

Anthony Astudillo, Texas

 

I’m no prospect savant, but if you like your prospects live, I got this one while scouting the stat line from my dynasty dugout. If you scan the board, then you will see that Anthony Astudillo was pitching prospect one of the 2025 Dominican Summer League, with a delightful 33% strikeout rate that was balanced by a low 7% walk rate. Truth be told, his delivery is locked and hidden in the toolshed, with almost no video or print on him anywhere. Once he moves to baseball America, he could find himself earning his organization the prospect promotion incentive after climbing the MLB pipeline to success.

Good, can you say it faster?

 

Photo by Mark LoMoglio/MiLB.com | Featured Image by Justin Redler (@reldernitsuj on Bsky/Twitter)

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