The divisional reports are a new series put out by the Pitcher List dynasty team. These reports provide a list of the top ten prospects on each team in the division and highlight notable news, promotions, and performances to keep you up to date. Each division will be updated once per month by our divisional experts. Be sure to head over to the Pitcher List Dynasty page for all things prospects.
A little delayed due to my vacation, but the NL East Farm System report is back. There have been tons of promotions over the past month opening up new spots on each team’s top ten list. This article details all of the changes dynasty managers need to know. The goal is to help dynasty managers stay up to date 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.
NL East
Top 10 Prospects
Notable Prospect Performances:
- Starlyn Caba has 22 steals in 25 games at the Complex League. Caba’s name has popped up on several top 100 lists early this season and his skills are showing early in his career. He owns a minuscule swinging strike rate of four percent with a walk rate north of 23%. The only thing missing so far has been game power which he has plenty of time to develop. His fantasy ceiling is likely a .300 hitter with strong walk rates, 30 steals, and 15 homers.
- Justin Crawford’s slight fall down this list has more to do with the other players who moved up than it has to do with his struggles. Crawford has gotten red hot at the plate recently and has lowered his ground ball percentage below 60%. Crawford still has a long way to go in terms of unlocking his game power with better launch angle distribution, but his early season progress is notable.
- Another young pitcher to keep an eye on is Mavis Graves. The Phillies selected Graves in the sixth round of the 2022 draft out of a high school in South Carolina. Graves struggled with command last season but has lowered his walk rate below 10% so far this season. Although the stuff his not overpowering, Graves deploys a five-pitch mix that has been effective at keeping batters in Low-A off balance.
Notable Promotions and News:
- George Klassen earned a promotion from Low-A to High-A. Klassen has been dominant to start his professional career. Across nine starts at Low-A, Klassen owns a 0.71 ERA with a strikeout rate of 39.6%. A promotion to High-A should provide more of a challenge for Klassen as we will get to see how his stuff plays against advanced competition. I still have a fear he could struggle against left-handed batters with his current arsenal.
- Aidan Miller is also headed to High-A. Miller has lived up to the hype so far with a 155 wRC+ across 39 games at Low-A. Miller had fallen into a bit of a slump batting just .115 since the start of June. Digging in a bit, Miller’s BABIP over that period is just .158 which is the primary reason for his struggles. Miller has already turned himself into one of the game’s top prospects and his ability to stick at shortstop could raise his ceiling even higher.
- To help make room for Miller at High-A, the team promoted Otto Kemp to Double-A. Kemp went undrafted in the 2022 draft, but quickly signed with the Phillies. In 46 games split between Low and High-A this season, Kemp is slashing an impressive .346/.460/.573 with five homers and 10 stolen bases. Kemp has an excellent understanding of the strike zone and deposits line drives all over the field. The only issue is some swing and miss that could result in a higher strikeout rate against tougher competition.
- Gabriel Rincones Jr has not appeared in a game since April 24th. He hit a mammoth home run in his previous game, but has been sidelined with a thumb injury ever since. Reportedly, the injury is a torn ligament in his thumb which is expected to keep him sidelined until July.
Top 10 Prospects
Notable Prospect Performances:
- Blade Tidwell could have found himself in the promotions section after the Mets sent him to Triple-A, but recent struggles land him here. Success has not been easy to come by for Tidwell in his first three appearances with 10 walks and just six strikeouts so far at Triple-A. Triple-A data reveals that Tidwell is primarily a three-pitch pitcher who lacks consistent feel for his changeup. These recent struggles undoubtedly put a speed bump in his path to the Major Leagues.
- Jett Williams is another player who could have landed on either section of this list. His offensive performance this season has been dreadful and is making me feel better about my low ranking of him entering this season. News also recently broke that Williams underwent surgery on his right wrist that is expected to keep him out until at least August. The wrist injury could be partially to blame for Williams’ slow start, but this further lowers my dynasty outlook of him.
- After struggling last season, Alex Ramirez is showing off big-time speed on the bases this year. He has already matched his total from last season of 21, but that has been the only bright spot so far this year. He is still struggling to show much of any game power and his average sits down at .234. I had high hopes for Ramirez this season, but perhaps it is time adjust expectations.
Notable Promotions and News:
- For starters, Christian Scott earned his promotion to the Major Leagues but was recently demoted back to Triple-A. This demotion comes at no fault to Scott, but rather an attempt by the Mets to limit his innings and keep him on track with the team traveling to London. Fantasy and dynasty managers should expect Scott back in the Major Leagues soon and this demotion should not change his value.
- Nolan McLean is already in Double-A. The newest two-way player to captivate the dynasty community is making quick progress of the Minor Leagues. Although his Double-A ERA is above five, both his strikeout rate and walk rate have improved since the promotion making it likely better days are ahead. On the flip side, McLean has struggled at the plate since his promotion with a strikeout rate north of 40% and an average below .200. I am skeptical he will make it at the Major League level as a hitter and think his future home is solely as a pitcher.
- Brandon Sproat is becoming a dynasty darling. Sproat was taken in the second round of last year’s draft but the stuff was always viewed as first-round quality. After pitching well in six games at High-A, Sproat has continued to dominate through his first four games at Double-A. If Sproat can continue to show off an improved strike throwing ability, he will turn into one of the game’s top pitching prospects.
Top 10 Prospects
Notable Prospect Performances:
- Hurston Waldrep’s first Major League start did not go as many hoped. Waldrep would have ranked at the top of this list had he not been promoted to the Major Leagues to start Sunday’s game. Waldrep walked four across just 3.2 innings. On the bright side, Waldrep’s splitter did generate a whiff rate of 42.9% and without one major mistake to Keibert Ruiz, his stat line could look a lot different. Fantasy managers should remain high on Waldrep despite a rough first outing.
- EJ Exposito is a deep league name to know about. Drafted by the Braves in the 16th round of the 2022 draft, Exposito is off to a fast start in High-A. He has already set a new career high in home runs with 10 and is up to 17 stolen bases. A .347 BABIP is unsustainable but this blend of power and speed is intriguing for fantasy managers. 23 years old in High-A, Exposito’s true test will come once he is promoted to Double-A.
Notable Promotions and News:
- The Braves saw enough from Spencer Schwellenbach to send him straight from Double-A to the Major Leagues. Schwellenbach’s strikeout rate was up this season while he continued to show off incredible control giving the Braves confidence he has what it takes to succeed at the Major League level. His first start against the Nationals went well but his second start against Boston was a disaster. His fastball has averaged 96 mph with solid secondaries giving me confidence brighter days are ahead.
- After striking out 38.5% of batters in Low-A, the Braves promoted Mitch Farris to High-A. Throwing from the left side, Farris is not going to overpower hitters. He sits right around 90 with his fastball, but generates plus movement on all of his pitches. His true test will come against tougher competition. There is significant relief risk in his profile.
- AJ Smith-Shawver is dealing with an oblique injury. Smith-Shawver pitched well in his Major League debut a few weeks ago but quickly landed on the IL. Oblique injuries are tricky even for pitchers and this certainly impacts his rest of season fantasy value. Fantasy managers should not expect him back on the mound until at least July.
- In devastating news, Owen Murphy underwent Tommy John Surgery. Murphy is still the top prospect in Atlanta’s system that is not already in the Major Leagues.
Top 10 Prospects
Notable Prospect Performances:
- Ryan Ignoffo leads the Marlins Minor League system in wRC+ (amongst players with at least 100 PA). Ignoffo was drafted by the team last year and is just learning to become a full-time catcher. While his defense is likely still a work in progress, he is batting well over .300 with 13 stolen bases. Athletic catchers are always the slightest bit intriguing making him an interesting name to keep tabs on.
- Karson Milbrandt has a solid ERA but is still struggling to limit the walks. Milbrandt’s 3.13 ERA at 20 years old is impressive, but his walk rate sits over 14%. He is also not striking many batters out which limits his fantasy ceiling and is keeping him at the bottom of this list for Miami.
Notable Promotions and News:
- Both of the Marlins recent top draft picks were promoted from Low-A to High-A. Noble Meyer and Thomas White both got off to slow starts this season, but have quickly found their footing and are headed up a level. Meyer’s command has improved as the season has moved along while White is posting impressive strikeout rates at each level. Both young pitchers have promising futures and should be firmly on dynasty radars.
- Following the Luis Arraez trade, the Marlins received a handful of prospects who have been assigned to their respective levels. Both Jakob Marsee and Nathan Martorella have been assigned to Double-A and rank inside of the top 10 on this list. Marsee has continued to hit for low average since being acquired but is still running and already has three homers with the Marlins. Martorella meanwhile has just a 46 wRC+ since being acquired.
- Another prospect acquired in the trade, Dillon Head, was sent to Low-A before an injury sidelined him. Head is currently off rehabbing with the FCL Marlins and should rejoin Low-A soon.
Top 10 Prospects
Notable Prospect Performances:
- Dylan Crews is starting to settle in. After a slow start and enormous expectations, Crews’ dynasty value has taken a bit of a hit. However, since May 15th, Crews is slashing .284/.343/.409 with a 112 wRC+. The lack of home runs continues to be a bit disappointing but patience with Crews is key. On the bright side, Crews is striking out less than 16% of the time during this hot stretch.
- Jarlin Susana can put together some pretty pitching lines. When things are going right, the young right-hander is virtually untouchable with a high 90s fastball and plus secondaries. He has back-to-back nine strikeout games working five innings in both starts. Control is the major question here. If that develops at all, Susana is a sure-fire top 100 prospect. For now, he comes in at eight on this list.
- One deep league, upside name to know is Brenner Cox. Cox was the team’s fourth round pick in 2022 and just recently turned 20 years old. Standing at 6’3″, Cox has plenty of projectabiliy and has shown flashes of legit power. He is also already up to 13 stolen bases this season in Low-A. The issue is a very high strikeout rate that could prevent him from ever reaching the Major Leagues.
Notable Promotions and News:
- DJ Herz was promoted to the Major Leagues. So far, he has started two games for Washington striking out eight with five walks. The walks are what have plagued Herz throughout his professional career and appear likely to continue causing issues for him moving forward. There is significant relief risk here and Herz is unlikely to be come a reliable fantasy asset.
- Andry Lara was promoted to Double-A and has looked strong since joining Harrisburg. One noticeable stat is that his strikeout rate has dropped from 32.2% in High-A down to 24.6% in Double-A. Lara profiles as more of a mid-to-back- of the rotation arm with a home run problem rather than a front-end starter.
- For those sickos looking for deeper relief arms that could continue moving quickly, Marquis Grissom Jr. is a name to know. After dominating High-A, the Nationals promoted Grissom to Double-A where he has continued striking out batters at an impressive clip. He is strictly a relief pitching prospect who still has a ways to go.
Feature Image Adapted by Aaron Polcare (@bearydoesgfx on X)