The divisional reports are a new series put out by the PitcherList dynasty team. These reports provide a list of the top ten prospects on each team in the division and highlight two players from each organization. Each division will be updated once per month by our divisional experts. Make sure to head over to the Pitcher List Dynasty page to check out the other divisions already released.
NL Central
Top 10 Prospects
Prospects I Am Most Excited About:
- James Triantos: This Cubs team has some impressive young prospects making their way into the upper minor leagues. James Triantos has made some adjustments this season to his approach at the plate cutting down an already low strikeout rate as well as hitting the ball with more authority resulting in more extra-base hits as well as home runs at Double-A Tennessee. In 72 games played Triantos is slashing .308/.346/.462 with seven home runs, 48 runs scored, 36 RBIs, and 30 stolen bases in 35 attempts. As said before Triantos has cut his strikeout percentage to an impressive 9.9% (down from 15.4% in Double-A in 2023) while the walk rate has dropped to just 4.8% over 312 plate appearances. With this level of success at just 21 years old at Double-A there seems to be little left to prove for Triantos and we could see a call to Triple-A Iowa in short order.
- Brett Bateman: Selected in the eighth round of the 2023 MLB Draft out of the University of Minnesota, Brett Bateman has stood out early with his performance in High-A. The outfield prospect has shown off his advanced bat-to-ball skill along with his speed on the basepaths. In 61 games played Bateman is slashing .295/.410/.366 with 39 runs scored, 20 RBIs, and 17 stolen bases in 20 attempts. This season Bateman is walking 15.3% while striking out 16.4% in 275 plate appearances. As an advanced College bat, Bateman could be getting the call to Double-A in short order.
A Few Other Names To Know:
- Derik Alcantara: One of the Cub’s impressive prospects to watch in the DSL this season has been Derik Alcantara. The 6’0″ nineteen-year-old outfield prospect has been solid in his second stint in the DSL this season playing in 17 games while slashing .379/.465/.500 with one home run, 12 runs scored, 14 RBIs, and seven stolen bases. At the plate Alcantara showed an advanced approach as he has walked 15.5% while striking out just 5.6% in 71 plate appearances thus far. The bat is something to watch with Alcantara as he led the DSL over the last two weeks of June hitting .500 beating out one of the top prospects in this past season’s international class Joswal Lugo of the Angels and a hot name right now Emil Morales of the Dodgers.
- Juan Bello: The 20-year-old right-hander Juan Bello has been solid this season in Low-A Myrtle Beach. In 13 starts with the Pelicans Bello has struck out 57 batters over 53 innings pitched, good for a 9.68 K/9 with a 3.74 ERA. When it comes to Bello’s pitch mix he features a 92 mph four-seam fastball, a 78 mph curveball that has some serious downward movement, and an 87 mph change-up with a solid fade. Although not a flame thrower Bello finds success with locating his fastball up in the zone with excellent arm-side carry to it. With his career high in innings pitched at 45.2 innings in a single season look for the Cubs to start limiting his innings rest of season.
Top 10 Prospects
Prospects I Am Excited About:
- Ceasar Prieto: With a team like the Cardinals who value defense, one prospect waiting in the wings of Triple-A Memphis is 25-year-old Ceasar Prieto. When you look at Prieto’s Minor League numbers you might ask how he hasn’t been called up yet. From his time in the Orioles farm system to now Prieto has done nothing but hit for average and get on base. This season in Triple-A Memphis Prieto is slashing .304/.348/.478 with 10 home runs, 43 runs scored, 33 RBIs, and four stolen bases. Not one for drawing many walks Prieto has walked 4.8% while striking out an extremely low 10.8% across 315 plate appearances. The increase in power this season has been encouraging as Prieto has had 30 of his 89 total hits go for extra bases. Keep your eyes on Prieto after the All-Star break as this profile fits what the Cardinals love to have in their lineup.
- Quinn Mathews: Continuing to carve up the Minor Leagues, Quinn Mathews has been impressive ascending from Low-A up to Double-A so far this season. Collectivly Mathews has started in 15 games striking out 120 batters across 85 innings pitched, good for a 12.7 K/9 while sporting a solid 2.65 ERA. Mathews has done a solid job limiting the walks this season to a 2.6 BB/9 something he struggled with in College at Stanford. Pitching from the left side Mathews features a mid-90s fastball that touches 97 mph, an 80 mph change-up with excellent break to it, and profiles as his best offering. The slider has tight movement coming in at 84 mph while the curveball is a work in progress as it comes in with two-plane shape at 77 mph. After completing his sixth start for Double-A Springfield Mathews could be pushed once again to Triple-A after the All-Star break.
A Few Other Names To Know:
- Dakota Harris: Selected in the 11th round of the 2023 MLB Draft out of Oklahoma, Dakota Harris has ascended from High-A Peoria to Double-A Springfield thus far. Playing second base and shortstop this season the 22-year-old Harris was solid in 52 games played in High-A Peoria slashing .298/.340/.473 with eight home runs, 25 runs scored, 34 RBIs, and four stolen bases. The approach at the plate has been solid as Harris as struck out just 17% of his 206 plate appearances with the Chiefs. The Cards have since promoted Harris to Double-A Springfield where he has picked up where he left off in Peoria. In seven games played Harris is slashing .296/.310/.370 with three runs scored, three RBIs, and one stolen base. With the approach at the plate and the solid power early on Dakota Harris is a prospect to keep on your dynasty radar.
- Darlin Saladin: Cutting up both Low-A and High-A this season has been Darlin Saladin a right-handed pitcher that needs to be on your dynasty radars going forward. Standing 5’11” and featuring a four-seam fastball that comes in the mid 90’s paired with a change up at 88 mph, and a slider at 82 mph. The ride on Saladin’s fastball has been key to his success this season at Low-A. In 11 appearances and 10 starts, Saladin struck out 62 batters over 60 innings pitched, good for a 9.30 K/9 walking just 2.55 BB/9, and finished the level with a solid 1.95 ERA. Once Quinn Mathews was promoted to Double-A, Saladin was promoted to High-A Peoria to take his rotation spot. Across two starts thus far he has struck out 16 batters over 11.2 innings pitched, good for a 12.34 K/9 with a solid 1.54 BB/9, and is currently sporting a solid .77 ERA. In deeper dynasty leagues this needs to be a waiver wire claim to add to your minor league roster.
Top 10 Prospects
Prospects I Am Excited About:
- Sammy Stafura: Cinncinatti might have got a steal in the second round by selecting Sammy Stafura in the 2023 MLB Draft. The 19-year-old is back in the complex league to start the 2024 season and the numbers were encouraging. In 15 games played Stafura is slashed .345/.449/.582 with two home runs, 18 runs scored, 17 RBIs, and four stolen bases. Going into the draft Stafura was praised for his bat-to-ball skills and his understanding of the strike zone and this seemed to be the case as he walked 17.4% while striking out 29% across 69 plate appearances. Once he was promoted to Low-A Stafura has continued to be solid despite early struggles getting used to the level. In 31 games played Stafura is slashing .246/.362/.342 with one home run, 20 runs scored, 13 RBIs, and seven stolen bases. At the plate, Stafura has lowered his strikeout rate to 22.9% while continuing to walk at a solid clip of 13.6% across 140 plate appearances. Keep your eyes on Stafura for the rest of the season.
- Sal Stewart: Continuing to impress this season back in High-A Dayton is Sal Stewart. The 20-year-old has been fun to watch this season playing second and third base in Dayton giving him some positional flexibility long-term. in 74 games played with the Dragons Stewart is slashing .274/.385/.444 with eight home runs, 50 runs scored, 42 RBIs, and has nine stolen bases in 11 attempts. At the plate, Stewart continues to show an excellent eye as he is walking 14.4% while striking out just 16% across 312 plate appearances. Stewart has been climbing dynasty rankings and for good reason make sure to get some shares of him while you can as he could see the bump to Double-A post All-Star break.
A Few Other Names To Know:
- Nestor Lorant: There is an arm in the Reds organization that has gone largely under the radar to this point and that’s Nestor Lorant. Standing 6’2″ and 205 pounds Lorant has been dominant coming out as a piggyback starter something we have seen a ton in the Astros organization. In 15 appearances thus far in Low-A Daytona Lorant has struck out 66 batters across 58.2 innings pitched, good for a 10.13 K/9 limiting batters to a .180 average against and sporting a solid 1.23 ERA. Lorant has done a solid job lowering his walks per nine this season down from a 7.29 BB/9 in Low-A in 2023 to a stellar 1.99 BB/9 this season. Although he has not shown any games started Lorant has pitched between 3.1 and five innings per appearance typically after a starter is pulled in the fifth inning or so. As for pitch mix, Lorant features a four-seam fastball that tops out at 92 mph, the change-up and slider comes in at 85 mph, while the curveball will top out at 77 mph but typically rests at 75 mph.
- Kyle Henley: Selected in the 14th round of the 2023 MLB Draft out of High School by the Reds, Kyle Henley has been really impressive in his second stint in the Complex League this season. Just 19 years old the 6’2″ and 180-pound outfield prospect has played in 40 games slashing .301/.382/.423 with one home run, 33 runs scored, 18 RBIs, and 30 stolen bases in 32 attempts. That’s right, we have a true speed prospect on our hands but with the excellent average, OBP, and stolen bases comes a major opportunity for growth. In 179 plate appearances, Henley has walked 7.8% which is solid but the 35.8% strikeout rate is something to be concerned about going forward. For dynasty managers keep Henley in the back of your mind as there is still plenty of time to work on the strikeout rate as he moves through the minor leagues. With Complex Leagues wrapping up, it would not be surprising to see Henley promoted to Low-A to get more reps in.
Top 10 Prospects
Prospects I Am Excited About:
- Josh Knoth: Off to a solid start this season the 18-year-old right-hander out of Long Island New York Josh Knoth is showcasing three plus offerings in Low-A Carolina. Knoth’s fastball touches 98 mph with plus spin to it, while the 78 mph curveball might be a double-plus offering long term with excellent spin rates and sharp downward drop. The 82 mph slider has a two-plane break helped in large part by the high spin rates breaking out of the zone. As for the change-up, it’s still a work in progress as we see with most high school arms early on. In 14 starts with the Mudcats Knoth has 61 strikeouts over 53.2 innings pitched, good for a 10.23 K/9 and a .225 average against while sporting a 3.69 ERA. The walks have been the Achilles heel for Knoth as he currently has a 5.37 BB/9. With the solid success to this point in the season a promotion to High-A Wisconsin could be coming soon.
- Jadher Areinamo: Tearing the cover off the ball and burning up the basepaths this season in High-A Wisconsin has been infielder Jadher Areinamo. The 20-year-old has played every position in the infield except first base and catcher this season. In 73 games played with the Timber Rattlers Areinamo is slashing .311/.359/.451 with seven home runs, 45 runs scored, 48 RBIs, and 27 stolen bases in 33 attempts. at the plate, Areinamo has increased his walk rate over the 2023 season to 7.3% while striking out just 12.4% across 315 plate appearances. Currently, Areinamo is only 1% rostered in Fantrax leagues making this a prime candidate to stash in deeper dynasty formats as a call to Double-A could come soon.
A Few Other Names To Know:
- K.C. Hunt: The undrafted signee out of Mississippi State has been fantastic in the Brewers system this season starting in Low-A Carolina and now up with the High-A Timber Rattlers. K.C. Hunt stands 6’3″ and 200 pounds throws from the right side of the mound and features a four-seam fastball coming in at 95 mph with carry-up in the zone paired with the curveball, slider, and change-up. Early in the season in Low-A Carolina Hunt was coming exclusively out of the pen and dominating. In eight appearances Hunt struck out 32 batters over 19 innings pitched, good for a 15.16 K/9 with a 1.89 BB/9 while sporting a solid 1.42 ERA. Once promoted to High-A Wisconsin Hunt started to get stretched out to be a starter or come in to relieve a starter. Across eight appearances and five starts, Hunt has struck out 50 batters over 34.1 innings pitched, good for a 13.11 K/9 with a solid 2.10 BB/9, and is currently sitting with a 2.62 ERA and 2.06 FIP. This might just be another in a long line of pitchers finding success in the Brewers organization making this a prime target to pick up now.
- Logan Henderson: Ascending two levels this season Logan Henderson has continued to make his name known not only by the Brewers but by dynasty managers all the same. Henderson features a 92 mph four-seam fastball that sets up the plus offering in his 80 mph change-up thanks to the tunneling out of his hand tumbling action. The slider is a distant third offering. Starting in High-A Wisconsin Henderson started in two games striking out 10 batters over 6.2 innings pitched and finishing with a 1.35 ERA before heading up to Double-A Biloxi. In five starts with the Shuckers Henderson struck out 34 batters over 25.2 innings pitched, good for an 11.92 K/9 with a solid 1.40 BB/9 while sporting a solid 1.75 ERA. With primarily two pitches that he relies on there is inherent reliever risk here but the results have continued to ensure he sticks as a starter for the time being.
Top 10 Prospects
Prospects I Am Excited About:
- Braxton Ashcraft: There is a rocket of talent heading up towards Pittsburgh this season as we have seen Jones and Skenes make their major league debut in the Pirates rotation, could Braxton Ashcraft be the next up? It’s been a solid season thus far for Ashcraft who started the season in Double-A Altoona. In 11 appearances (10 starts) with the Curve Ashcraft struck out 63 batters over 53.2 innings pitched, good for a 10.57 K/9 and a 1.34 BB/9 while finishing with a 3.69 ERA and 3.06 FIP. Since his promotion to Triple-A Indianapolis Ashcraft’s strikeouts have dipped but he has remained effective on the mound. Across four appearances (three starts) Ashcraft has struck out 13 batters over 18.1 innings pitched, good for a 6.38 K/9 with a 1.96 BB/9, and currently is sporting a 0.49 ERA. This would be a solid mid-rotation arm for the Pirates long term and Ashcraft has shown solid strikeout upside while limiting the walks which is a dynasty manager’s best friend. Keep him on your radars post-All-Star break.
- Charles McAdoo: Just missing the top 10 was Charles McAdoo a prospect that has been brought up on here before and has since skyrocketed up dynasty rankings for good reason. The 22-year-old third base and outfield prospect was fantastic in High-A Greensboro to start the season. In 60 games played with the Grasshoppers McAdoo slashed .336/.415/.561 with nine home runs, 40 runs scored, 52 RBIs, and 14 stolen bases. At the plate, we saw an advanced approach as he walked 10.5% and struck out just 21.7% across 258 plate appearances. The Pirates saw all they needed to see and promoted him to Double-A Altoona where he went off to hit two home runs in his first game played with the Curve. Since then however, he has cooled off slashing .265/.390/.551 with three home runs, nine runs scored, five RBIs, and one stolen base in 13 games played. Despite the dip in average McAdoo is still walking 16.9% and striking out 20.3% across 59 plate appearances. It will be interesting to see if Pittsburgh will continue to push McAdoo the rest of this season to finish the year in Double-A Altoona or up in Triple-A Indianapolis.
Notable Performances
- Jhonny Severino: Performing well down in Complex Ball, Jhonny Severino could be getting a bump to Low-A Bradenton after the All-Star break. In 43 games played Severino is slashing .280/.373/.587 with 10 home runs, 30 runs scored, 34 RBIs, and 10 stolen bases in 12 attempts. There have also been improvements in his walk rate this season at 13% while dropping the strikeout rate to 17.8% across 169 plate appearances. Of Severino’s 40 total hits this season 21 have been for extra bases indicating potential future power gains that could see his name skyrocket up dynasty rankings.
- Edward Florentino: An interesting prospect getting some helium right now and rightfully so is Edward Florentino. The 6’4″ 200 pounds 17-year-old first basemen and outfield prospect has put up solid numbers in the DSL this season. In 21 games played Florentino is slashing .286/.444/.514 with two home runs, 18 runs scored, 15 RBIs, and three stolen bases. At the plate, Florentino has shown a solid approach walking 17.8% while striking out just 13.3% across 90 plate appearances. This is just a small sample size to this point but there is a lot to like here as we can see flashes of future plus power with Florentino as 10 of his 20 total hits have been for extra bases thus far. In deeper dynasty formats Florentino needs to be a prospect to target as he makes his way stateside.