The division reports debuted last year. The goal of this article series is to provide a quick overview of all dynasty-relevant information from each division. Each team has multiple levels each containing plenty of impactful prospects which can feel impossible to keep up with. This article series, which will be updated once per month, will help dynasty managers stay up to date on performances, injuries, promotions, and more. New this season is the inclusion of tiers in the rankings. Next to their rank, each prospect is assigned a tier. The tier range is 1-5.
- Tier 1: A potential difference-making dynasty prospect. Somebody who would rank in the top-20ish prospects for dynasty baseball
- Tier 2: A still very good dynasty prospect who holds plenty of value. This prospect would typically rank in the 21-75 range
- Tier 3: A mid-tier prospect who could be valuable but has questions and concerns present in his profile ranking in the 76-150 range
- Tier 4: A prospect who is worth knowing, but is reserved for deeper leagues. This prospect would rank 151-250
- Tier 5: The rest of the prospects fall into Tier 5
The Astros had their top prospect heading into the season, Cam Smith, make the Opening Day roster, as well as fellow prospect Zach Dezenzo. So the rankings here are already shifting. This article details all of the changes dynasty managers need to know on prospects from the Astros. The goal is to help dynasty managers stay updated on the latest information with in-depth looks at each specific team! Each division will come with a monthly update that readers can look forward to.
This list features prospects not currently in the Majors.
AL West
Notable Prospect Performances:
- Brice Matthews, MI – It always feels like Matthews is overlooked or under-discussed. The middle infielder had some warts coming out of Nebraska, and he certainly still has some as he’s progressed through the minors, but Matthews has also performed at every level and offers a fantasy-friendly profile. The whole Matthews experience has been on display so far as Matthews is hitting .237 through 25 Triple-A games, but has already belted out three home runs while swiping 11 bags. He’s struck out just under 30% of the time but also walked north of 17% of the time. It’s a tough profile to get a grip on but Matthews does have a decent fantasy ceiling at the MLB level if he can keep the strikeout rate from ballooning too much.
- Shay Whitcomb, INF – Whitcomb got a taste of the bigs last season, but didn’t do much with the opportunity, hitting .220 in 20 games. The 26-year-old is off to a sizzling start at Triple-A with a .243/.325/.544 triple slash and six home runs in 25 games. Whitcomb’s age makes it tougher to buy into sustained success at the MLB level but it would be interesting to see what he could do with an extended opportunity in the bigs. Unfortunately a path to that opportunity looks murky for the time being.
Notable Prospect News:
- Luis Baez, OF – Baez underwent thumb surgery in September. He was cleared to return to game action and even appeared in the Spring Breakout game, going hitless in his only plate appearance. But Baez has yet to appear in a minor league game this season. The team reportedly is starting him on the development list, which is a bit puzzling. That may be somehow related to last season’s thumb surgery, but that is pure speculation at this time as information has been difficult to track down. Baez has long been a prospect to watch after showing immense potential in the Complex in 2023 (seven home runs in 17 games as 19-year-old), but he’s been more or less a slightly above average hitter at every level since. A full season at Double-A will surely test him, but given how young he is for the level, any production should be taken as positive signs of things to come.
- Ethan Pecko, P – Like Baez, Pecko has been assigned to Double-A but has yet to make his 2025 debut. Unlike Baez, though, Pecko has been placed on the minor league IL. It’s undisclosed injury so it’s unclear what Pecko is dealing with or when he will be set to make his season debut. Pecko was very quietly dominant in 2024, tossing 96 innings across three levels and striking out north of 30% of the batters he faced while keeping his walk rate in the single digits. He also finished with a 3.47 ERA. The righty is entering his age-22 season and, if healthy, could be in line for a breakout.
