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.
The NL East is full of prospects dynasty managers need to keep tabs on. Not only does this division house the top prospect in all of baseball (who was called up on Monday), but there are plenty of other fantasy-relevant names here. 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:
- Aidan Miller has struggled since being promoted to High-A. After Miller’s professional career got off to a fast start at Low-A, he is batting under .200 through his first 16 games at the next level. Now is not the time to press the panic button though as Miller is still walking over 14% of the time and his BABIP sits below .240. Miller remains the top prospect in Philly’s system and one of the top prospects in all of baseball.
- Eduardo Tait is on fire down in the Complex League. The 17 year old catcher is up to five home runs already this season with all five coming since June 10. Since the start of June, he is batting .318/.390/.682. This is a guy who could continue to soar up rankings as the season moves along.
- Things have continued to get worse for Mick Abel. His ranking of third has not changed, but the gap between him and the group of Caba, Rincones, Klassen, and Crawford is closing very very quickly. In my deeper rankings which are for personal use, he is closer to seventh on this list than he is to second. Across his last four starts, Abel owns an 8.00 ERA with a walk rate north of 14%. His dynasty value has tanked this season which I wrote more about here.
Notable Promotions and News:
- Keaton Anthony was promoted to High-A. Anthony signed with the Phillies after the 2023 draft and has done nothing but mash since joining the organization. He was batting .322 with four homers and as many walks as strikeouts in Low-A prior to his promotion. Anthony has plenty of projectability but considering he is already 23, the true test will come as he moves up against tougher competition.
- Aroon Escobar is dealing with an unspecified injury. For those of you who do not know, Escobar is a 19-year-old infielder playing in the Phillies Complex League. He just missed cracking the top ten in this month’s update primarily due to the fact he has not appeared in a game since June 8. In 24 games, Escobar hit three homers with nine stolen bases and a .338 average. He is also walking twice as often as he is striking out this season. He is an intriguing deep-league stash even with this mysterious injury.
Top 10 Prospects
Notable Prospect Performances:
- Luisangel Acuña has been on fire. Acuna got off to a slow start this year but has turned things on at the plate over the past few weeks. Since June 7, Acuna is slashing .354/.400/.506. With below-average game pop, Acuna’s hit tool and speed will be his carrying tools at the next level. If Acuna keeps hitting like this, he could force the Mets to call him up to take away some at-bats from a struggling Jeff McNeil.
- Brandon Sproat bounced back nicely in his most recent start. Sproat experienced his first Double-A hiccup on the 20th surrendering four runs in six innings. He bounced back nicely last Friday firing six scoreless. The strikeouts have dipped over his last two starts, but he is still a pitching prosepct rising quickly up lists. He moves into third on this specific list.
Notable Promotions and News:
- Christian Scott is expected to be promoted later this week. The Mets are playing 17 games in 17 days requiring additional arms in the rotation. Scott was demoted earlier this season in an attempt to limit his innings and is likely to start on Wednesday. Scott looked excellent in his first Major League stint earlier this season and is worth adding so long as he is in the Major Leagues. He posted a 2.12 ERA in five starts since his demotion.
- Nolan McLean does not have an at-bat since June 20. McLean is currently viewed as the top two-way prospect in baseball but that could change soon. McLean’s pitching is far more advanced than his approach at the plate which could shift him to the mound full time. He has eight homers in just 130 plate appearances this year (37/600 pace) but is also striking out over 50% of the time. His ERA over his last seven starts sits up at 6.07 although his most recent one (5IP, 1ER) was an encouraging sign.
- The Mets promoted pitcher Jordan Geber to Triple-A. Geber’s name does not show up on any prospect lists, but he could find himself pitching in Queens at some point this season. Geber has bounced between the rotation and bullpen since joining the Mets organization in 2022 and has pitched exclusively from the pen since reaching Double-A this season. He is not a name dynasty managers need to keep tabs on.
Top 10 Prospects
Notable Prospect Performances:
- Nacho Alvarez has been on FIRE since joining Triple-A. After going homerless in 48 games at Double-A, Alvarez has already hit four since his promotion. His contact skills have remained excellent helping to fuel a .358 batting average. His Statcast metrics are not particularly impressive making it likely his profile is still hit over power. Still, the home runs are encouraging to see.
- Sabin Ceballos has been coming on strong at the plate. Ceballos looks like a ball player when you watch him swing. He is athletic and powerful which is now showing up in the box scores. Since June 11, Ceballos is batting .308 with two of his three home runs coming during that span. Ceballos hits a ton of line drives, is posting above-average contact rates, and has a natural feel for pulling the ball. He is also 6’3″ which adds to his power projection. He jumps a spot up to sixth in this month’s ranking.
Notable Promotions and News:
- Cade Kuehler is headed to High-A. Kuehler pitched well at Low-A with a 2.52 ERA across 50 innings. A low strikeout rate speaks to a capped ceiling for Kuehler limiting his dynasty value.
- Drue Hackenburg was promoted to Double-A. This promotion and strong string of performances has vaulted Hackeburg into Atlanta’s top ten prospect ranks. Despite this being his first professional season, Hackenburg is showing the ability to work deep into games giving him a bit of floor. His strikeout rate is also over 27% since May 23.
- JR Ritchie is working his way back from Tommy John Surgery. Ritchie has made twos starts down in the complex league and has looked strong in both outings. He appeared to be on the cusp of a breakout before the injury last season and is a prospect worth keeping an eye on. He moves up to third on this list thanks to the looks of a successful rehab process.
Top 10 Prospects
Notable Prospect Performances:
- Thomas White has walked at least two batters in every start dating back to May 10. White moves up two spots in this month’s list but it is not all positive notes. The strikeouts have been great and his 3.27 ERA in High-A is nice to see. White is still just 19 years old, but his control issues are something to monitor as he progresses through the Marlins system.
- Victor Mesa Jr. has gotten red hot at the plate again. Mesa’s season has been broken down into three segments. April 5-May 25 where he hit .287/.360/.470. May 26-June 13 when he hit .169/.231/.390. From June 14 forward, Mesa is slashing .375/.404/.583. Mesa is going to find himself playing in Miami at some point this season.
- One of the early standouts from the Complex League has been Julio Henriquez. Henriquez is a 19-year-old first baseman who is batting .314 with 21 stolen bases already. A speedy first baseman with suspect power is not the standard build, but his performance is worth keeping an eye on.
Notable Promotions and News:
- Dillon Head underwent season-ending hip surgery. Head was one of the prospects acquired in the Luis Arraez trade and will now be sidelined until. Head never looked quite right after the trade to Miami which is the primary reason for his exclusion from this top 10 list. Hopefully, better days are ahead in 2025.
- The Marlins promoted Valente Bellozo to the Major Leagues. Bellozo made his Major League debut last Thursday firing five scoreless innings against the Royals. After being acquired in the off-season from Houston, Miami sent Bellozo to Double-A first and then Triple-A prior to his promotion. His fastball sits around 91 mph and he features a sweeper which profiles as below average. He is not worth rostering in dynasty formats.
Top 10 Prospects
Notable Prospect Performances:
- Brad Lord’s promotion to Triple-A could land him in the section below, but I wanted to focus on his performance. Lord was an 18th-round pick back in 2022 and has quickly worked his way through the Minor League season. He owned a 1.80 ERA in 12 starts at Double-A. with already 75 innings pitched this season, Lord is proving capable of handling a starter’s workload even if his upside is capped. His fastball sits in the low 90s and his breaking stuff is underwhelming. He profiles more as a back-end streaming option for fantasy managers rather than a player you have to roster.
- The name to watch from the Nationals’ DSL team is Jose Feliz. While Victor Hurtado garners the attention, Ruiz is putting up excellent numbers on the mound so far. Through four starts, Feliz owns a 0.53 ERA with a strikeout rate of over 36%. With an athletic frame and smooth delivery, Feliz is certainly a pitcher to keep tabs on.
Notable Promotions and News:
- Number eight prospect Daylen Lile was promoted from High-A to Double-A. Lile moving down one spot on this month’s update has everything to do with the lack of ceiling apparent in his profile. Lile has been unspectacularly solid this season but lacks the power upside to turn into a reliable fantasy asset
- Dylan Crews was promoted to Triple-A. We can debate whether or not Crews deserved this promotion, but it does move him one step closer to the Major Leagues. Right now, his BABIP is keeping his batting average down but he has looked much better at the plate since his slow start to the season. He remains a top 10 prospect in baseball.
- Yohandy Morales is working his way back from a thumb injury. Morales has not appeared in a Minor League game since the middle of May but has began throwing again. Morales is still likely a week or two away from returning on a rehab stint, but this is still encouraging news
- Cade Cavalli resumed his rehab stint firing three scoreless innings for High-A on June 21. The Nationals are proceeding with caution for their top pitching prospect. He should return to the Major League team at some point later this summer.
- The big news out of Washington this week was the promotion of top prospect James Wood. Wood was promoted to the Nationals on Monday (which is why he is still featured as the top prospect on this list). Wood has put together an exceptional 2024 season. Already known for his power and speed, Wood has made notable improvements to his hit tool which could turn him into a fantasy star. He is a must add in all 12+ team leagues.
Feature Image Adapted by Aaron Polcare (@bearydoesgfx on X)