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. For one final time, this article has been updated for the month of September. After some late-season promotions, there are several new names to know on each team’s top ten list. This article details all of the changes dynasty managers need to know on prospects from the NL East. 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.
NL East
Top 10 Prospects
Notable Prospect Performances:
- Eiberson Castellano continues to dominate in Double-A. Castellano has made six starts since joining Double-A and has posted a 2.18 ERA. He has back-to-back games with 10+ strikeouts giving him four such games in total on the season. On the season, Castellano has a strikeout rate of 32.3% and a walk rate of 7%. He is a pitcher dynasty managers need to know. He moves up to eighth on this list but has a case to be considered the Phillies’ second-best pitching prospect.
- Devin Saltiban is quietly having a very solid debut season. Saltiban was taken in the third round of the 2023 draft and has spent the entire season in Low-A. There, he has hit 16 home runs, stole 21 bases, and has shown solid improvements throughout the season. Since August 13, he is slashing .281/.343/.594 with three homers.
- I am not sure if Hendry Mendez is getting enough attention. Mendez was acquired by the Phillies this past off-season from Milwaukee and has had an excellent and underrated season in High-A. The 6’3″ outfielder is only 20 years old and owns a 128 wRC+ on the season. Since July 25, Mendez is batting .352/.436/.534 with more walks than strikeouts. Mendez continues to show off excellent contact skills and despite just two home runs, his big frame suggests there is plenty of power for him to develop. Mendez does not crack this top ten list but is a deep-league player to keep on your radar.
Notable Promotions and News:
- The Orioles traded away plenty of prospects at the deadline but the one making the most noise right now is Moisés Chace. The Phillies acquired Chace in the Gregory Soto trade and he has been lights out since joining his new organization. Chace is striking out over 45% of the batters he has faced through five starts. The biggest concern with the Orioles was his ability to limit walks. Well, he is walking less than 10% of batters since joining the Phillies. The team promoted him from High-A to Double-A in the middle of August. He has posted a 1.72 ERA in three starts since the promotion. Chace debuts at ninth overall in this farm system update.
- Another piece of that trade mentioned above was Seth Johnson coming over to the Phillies. Johnson ranks tenth in this month’s update and was promoted from Double-A to Triple-A this past month. Johnson has allowed just one run through three starts since his promotion and could be in line to make some starts this September at the Major League level. Johnson relies heavily on a mid-90s fastball but his slider is also generating a whiff rate of over 50% since his promotion.
- Aidan Miller has settled into High-A and is now on his way to Double-A. After dominating Low-A, Miller struggled following his promotion. While dynasty managers want instant results, Miller is just 20 years old and took some time to adjust to the advanced competition. Since August 6, Miller is slashing .318/.389/.576. He is up to 11 homers and 22 stolen bases in his first professional season. Miller is the second-best prospect in the Phillies’ system and ranks inside of the top 25 for all of baseball.
Top 10 Prospects
Notable Prospect Performances:
- The Mets’ first-round pick from this year has gotten off to a strong start to his professional career. The Mets selected Benge out of Oklahoma State where he hit .335 with 18 homers. The Mets have sent Benge to Low-A to start the season where he has already hit two home runs with two stolen bases. He is also walking over 15% of the time showing off his mature plate approach.
- Brandon Sproat’s numbers have taken a step back in Triple-A. After dominating High-A and Double-A, many assumed Sproat would breeze through Triple-A on his way to the Major Leagues. Unfortunately, things have not gone quite as planned. Sproat has allowed 10 runs through his first three starts while his strikeout rate has dropped significantly. Despite sitting around 96 mph, Sproat’s four-seam fastball receives mediocre stuff grades from the PLV model with none of his pitches looking particularly strong. Sproat is still a top-100 prospect and it is important to remember this is his first professional season. However, his path to the Major Leagues may not be as easy as it once seemed.
Notable Promotions and News:
- Jett Williams is back in Double-A. Williams missed four months of game action dealing with injuries. He returned to game action on August 21 and completed his rehab assignment on August 30. While his return to action is encouraging for dynasty managers, he is batting just .190 with a strikeout rate over 30% through eight games. While this small sample size is not indicative of his true talent level, the 2024 season continues to be a disappointing one for Williams and his dynasty managers.
- The Mets promoted catching prospect Daiverson Gutierrez to Low-A. Gutierrez signed with the Mets in January of 2023 out of Venezuela. He started this season in the DSL and after a quick stop at the Complex League, Gutierrez is now in Low-A. Overall on the season, Gutierrez is batting .274 with two homers and one stolen base. Defense is Gutierrez’s calling card and he does not profile to be an impactful fantasy asset.
- The Mets promoted Jonah Tong to Double-A. In his first professional season, Tong will now pitch at three different levels. After dominating Low-A, Tong has found similar levels of success in High-A. In 19 starts, Tong struck out 30.3% of batters with a 3.71 ERA. Things have been a bit rougher for Tong as of late (a 5.17 ERA since July 19), but the Mets have still seen enough to promote him to the next level.
Top 10 Prospects
Notable Prospect Performances:
- Nacho Alvarez Jr. has continued to swing it well since returning to Triple-A. Alvarez’s first stint in the Major Leagues did not go as planned, but he is not letting that get to him. Since returning to Triple-A, Alvarez is batting .344 with two more home runs. He is up to nine homers and nine stolen bases in just 217 plate appearances in Triple-A. Even with rosters expanding, the team has chosen to leave Alvarez in Triple-A where he can continue to get regular playing time. However, if his strong offensive performances continue, he could be back in Atlanta before the end of the season.
- JR Ritchie could have found himself in the below section thanks to a promotion to High-A, but I slotted him in here to talk about his excellent season. Ritchie returned to the mound after rehabbing from Tommy John surgery on June 17. He has made 10 starts since returning with a 2.56 ERA across those. Ritchie has been especially dominant on the mound over his last four starts allowing just two earned runs across 21.2 innings. Altanta’s farm system is heavy with pitching prospects and Ritchie might be the best of them all. He could be in for a huge 2025 season.
- Jhancarlos Lara’s Double-A surface stats look great. Across his last three starts, Lara has pitched 14 innings with a 1.93 ERA. The low ERA speaks to the quality of his stuff, but does not change the relief risk present in his profile. In these last three starts, Lara is still walking 19.7% of batters and owns a 4.74 FIP. With a walk rate that high, sustained success against tougher competition is impossible to sustain. Lara fails to crack the top 10 here based on the belief he will end up in a relief role down the line.
Notable Promotions and News:
- Drue Hackenburg continues to move quickly through Atlanta’s system. Hackenburg started the year in High-A after being drafted by the Braves in the second round of last year’s draft. After 12 starts there, he moved to Double-A where he made an additional nine starts posting a 3.13 ERA in them. The Braves saw enough to move him to Triple-A where he pitched six innings of one-run ball in his first start. His run through the Minor Leagues has been impressive but many remain skeptical that his sinker/curveball combo will find such high levels of success against Major League hitters.
- Another Braves pitching prospect is moving up a level. Garrett Baumann was the team’s fourth-round selection last year and has spent most of the season pitching in Low-A. He has shown off impressive control throughout the season but has recently seen his strikeout rate jump significantly. Over his final four starts in Low-A, Baumann posted a strikeout rate of 39.2% and will now head to High-A to see how his stuff plays against more advanced competition.
- Cam Caminiti made his professional debut in Low-A. The Braves’ first-round pick from this season debuted at just 17 years old on August 31. He pitched three innings striking out four and allowing just one earned run. Caminiti’s fastball sits in the low to mid-90s with a plus slider. Caminiti is still several years away from the Major Leagues but is certainly a prospect to keep tabs on. The hope is that he can add more velocity and a third pitch to take his arsenal to the next level.
Top 10 Prospects
Notable Prospect Performances:
- Fatigue could be setting in for Noble Meyer. The first-round pick from a year ago has shown flashes of brilliance on the mound this season but has struggled as of late. Across his last four starts, Noble owns an ERA of 7.63 with more walks than strikeouts. Meyer’s walk rate has been concerning all season but the jump to over 20% in his last four starts is noteworthy. At 19 years old, there is still plenty of time for development although the Marlins could look to shut him down soon.
- The new addition to this month’s top ten list is Joe Mack ranking tenth. The right-handed catcher was drafted 31st overall back in 2021 and is putting together a quietly solid season. In 103 games, Mack is up to 22 home runs and a wRC+ of 142. He has been even better as of late slashing .288/.380/.550 since the start of August. There are concerns over how his hit tool will translate to the Major Leagues but with plus plate discipline and solid pop, he could turn into a solid catching prospect for the Marlins.
Notable Promotions and News:
- The team promoted Connor Norby to the Major Leagues. Norby spent most of the 2024 season with Baltimore and many saw his trade to Miami as an opportunity to play everyday at the Major League level. The team still sent him to Triple-A, but an injury to Xavier Edwards opened the door for Norby to join the club. In just 12 games, he has already hit three homers and stolen two bases while playing multiple infield positions. He is likely to remain with the Major League club through the remainder of the 2024 season.
- Griffin Conine was also promoted to the Major Leagues this past month. Conine was originally drafted by Toronto back in 2018 and has spent the last few seasons in the Marlins’ system. Now 27, Conine is finally getting his shot at the Major League level. He has plus power but he has struggled to keep his strikeout rate in check leading to low Minor League batting averages. He profiles more as a bench outfielder than an asset dynasty managers need to pay attention to.
- PJ Morlando is going to miss the remainder of the 2024 season. The Marlins’ first-round pick from this year did not last long before suffering a stress reaction in his back. The team quickly shut Morlando down and will focus on getting him healthy for the 2025 season. Morlando has plenty of power potential and hopefully, this back injury does not impact this.
- Jakob Marsee was promoted to Triple-A. Marsee’s 2024 season has largely been viewed as a disappointment after high expectations were set this past off-season. He is batting just .183 on the season with nine home runs after a breakout campaign in 2023. The bright side for dynasty managers is that his 44 stolen bases are still excellent and now he is just one step away from the Minor Leagues.
Top 10 Prospects
Notable Prospect Performances:
- The fact that Travis Sykora has not been promoted to High-A is baffling. Sykora has been dominant all season in Low-A for Washington and has gotten even better as of late. Dating back to July 27, Sykora has gone 4-0 in seven starts with a 0.78 ERA. He has allowed runs in just two of those starts while striking out 46.8% of batters. In his first professional season, Sykora is showing everything dynasty managers want to see and ranks firmly inside my top 100 prospects.
- Yohandy Morales has looked much more comfortable at the plate since returning from the IL. Morales’ season did not get off to the start he or many dynasty managers expected and then he was forced to miss over two months with injury. However, since returning on July 30, Morales is batting .307/.407/.505. He has lowered his strikeout rate, increased his walk rate, and has hit five home runs. Morales was viewed as one of the top power hitters in the 2023 draft class and could be a sneaky buy low in dynasty leagues.
- Seaver King has gotten off to an excellent start in his professional career. The Nationals took King tenth overall in this past year’s draft and quickly sent him to Low-A for his professional debut. Although he has yet to hit a home run. he is batting well above .300 through his first 15 games and has already stolen five bases. King is spraying the ball over the field hitting tons of line drives. King is not the flashiest player but is an intriguing option in FYPDs.
Notable Promotions and News:
- Dylan Crews has officially joined James Wood in the Nationals outfield. The Nats’ first-round pick from a year ago was promoted from Triple-A to the Major Leagues and figures to be another cornerstone building piece for the Nationals. Crews was overshadowed by other first-round picks from last year like Wyatt Langford and Matt Shaw but was swinging a hot bat in Triple-A and should be an impactful fantasy asset for years to come.
- The Nationals promoted Andrew Pinckney from Double-A to Triple-A. Pinckney was drafted in the fourth round of last year’s draft and is now just one step away from the Major Leagues. Pinckney has played all three outfield positions this year although he profiles best on a corner. He has plus speed but there are concerns about how his hit tool and plate discipline will translate to the Major League level. He does not profile to hold much dynasty value long-term.
- Yet another piece from the Juan Soto trade, Robert Hassell III was promoted from Double-A to Triple-A. Hassell was once viewed as the top prospect in San Diego’s system but has fallen off over the past few seasons. The biggest knock on Hassell has been the disappointing development of his game power although he still has plus plate discipline and speed. He was batting just .246 since returning from the IL on August 7 and profiles more as a fourth-outfielder.