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. This article focuses on the NL West.
Be sure to head over to the Pitcher List dynasty page to check out the farm system reports already published.
Remember, it’s still early in the year—I’ll be trying not to panic or shift rankings too much unless players truly earn the bumps. I trust what I saw in the off-season to be a bit stickier than just a few weeks of new data. I expect more meaningful moves and additions to these lists as we get deeper into the summer.
NL West
Top 10 Prospects
Notable Promotions
- Jordan Beck got the call for the Rockies since our last check-in, he has only seen 21 At Bats which have yielded a meager three Hits. He gets the comfort of Coors this week so it will be interesting to monitor if he’s a player to use during favorable home matchups. His hit tool still has lots of questions, and the 11 strikeouts are not helping to calm them. Ideally, we see the contact rates pickup as he gets used to the majors, but I’m not rushing to get him into my lineups just yet.
Notable Performances
- Adael Amador is performing notably badly, which isn’t what you want to hear for the guy at the top of the list—but it’s likely a blip on the radar and I’ll give the shortstop the credit he deserves. His career MiLB OPS is still at .830 even with the 9 of 72 start, and he’s stolen 11 bags. He should right the ship. No need to panic.
- Carson Palmquist makes the list, he’s been awesome—in five starts he’s 3-1 with a 2.00 ERA / 1.15 WHIP to go with 38Ks in 27IP at AA. The lefty, of course, would have to deal with Coors as a home park, but that shouldn’t deter you too much from looking into this, likely cheap, prospect.
Top 10 Prospects
Notable Promotions
- It’s a bit crowded at the Major League level for the Diamondbacks, there have been no real call-ups and Jordan Lawlar is hurt, who maybe could have been considered. Nonetheless, I don’t expect a busy season for Arizona prospects in this section—many of their top names are younger and in the lower levels still
Notable Performances
- Hello Cristofer Torin! The 18-year-old is SCORCHING hot out the gate. Hitting to the tune of a .968 OPS with 17 RBIs in 83 At Bats. He’s also drawn 20 walks to just 15 strikeouts and is being more selective with which pitches he swings at. If you play in true dynasty (no contracts, increasing prices, etc) and have some room for stashes…this kid could be someone to hold on to as he climbs towards the majors. I imagine it could be quick if he keeps this up.
- Yu-Min Lin is currently ranked 6th for me and 4th by MLB, I am putting him on alert to be moved down further if he doesn’t turn it around a bit. He’s allowed 24 hits across his last three starts and was placed on the IL after his April 27th outing. Hopefully he can workout any potential ailment and look sharp in May.
San Fransisco Giants
Top 10 Prospects
Notable Promotions
- Mason Black was called up by the Giants on May 6th to make his debut. The righty was 10th on my pre-season list for San Fran. and unfortunately was not put in a great spot to succeed in his first start. The Giants had Black pitch through the Phillies lineup twice in full and faced the top of the order for a third time. As you might imagine for the youngster, it did not go well (4.1 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 3 BB, 4 K). However, the stat line doesn’t tell all, it was a really nice first three innings, but once the strong Phillies lineup knew what was coming, they made him pay. He should be more deployable against weaker offenses, especially any home, assuming he stays with the big club.
Notable Performances:
- Reggie Crawford cracks my list, the former two-way player is focusing entirely on pitching and operating on just one or two innings per appearance, but the former 30th overall pick could become a starter over the course of his career. He’s recorded 16Ks in 8.2 IP across six appearances. His big frame and potential to touch 100 with the fastball creates major issues for hitters, the extension adding to the explosive nature. He might be getting a bit lucky, but we’ll keep an eye on the 23-year-old.
Top 10 Prospects
Notable Promotions
- Andy Pages was the big promotion of April for the Dodgers, the power-hitting outfielder has transitioned into the Majors seamlessly. He’s notched 13 RBIs, 23 Hits, and scored 14 runs as a part of the potent Los Angeles batting order. Truly no better lineup for a youngster to play in. He’s getting pitches to hit and turning them around at a .862 OPS rate early. The power looks legit and the scenario couldn’t be better. I wouldn’t consider even selling high. Dodgers are far too valuable in Fantasy.
- Also called up in April was Kyle Hurt, who ironically is injured at the moment. Hurt was called up on the 16th and transferred to the IL on the 20th, he has since been moved to the 60-day but nonetheless, he was promoted and played—he was used as an opener against the Nationals on April 16th for two clean innings, and that looks to be his set role when he returns. He has great stuff but is unfortunately trending towards high-leverage reliever, which caps the upside.
Notable Performances
- Kendall George makes the list—at 19 years old, this kid is fast. He has already stolen 10 bases with just 58 at-bats. He profiles as a contact hitter who understands his abilities. The speed is as good as anyone you’ll find, so if you have a raw SB category (no CS) he should be high on your list.
- Zyhir Hope joins the bottom of the Dodgers list, he’s a lesser-known prospect but his .899 OPS to start the season at Single-A is worth a look if you like to snag deeper, younger prospects. Personally, I play in some deep leagues, and this is the type of guy that you might be able to get for a low price to fill an empty spot on the end of your farm. The Dodgers wanted him, the Cubs got him, and then the Dodgers gave up Micheal Bush and Yency Almonte for Hope and LHP Jackson Ferris, who almost made the list as well, but he is having some issues at High-A.
Top 10 Prospects
Notable Promotions:
- Graham Pauley has been up and down with the big club this month, the multi-positioned player started the season in the majors but was sent down on April 9th, recalled on the 20th, and then again sent down on the 4th of May. Night-and-day difference for Pauley between the two levels of ball. His MLB OPS sits at .438 while his career in the minors has generated a .932 OPS over 620 at-bats. He’ll figure it out and probably be back up soon.
- Call it a Notable Move—the Fathers sent the Marlins a prospect package of Dillon Head, Jakob Marsee and Nathan Martorella to acquire Luis Arraez along with reliever Woo-Suk Go.
Notable Performances:
- Ethan Salas gets a note for his sub-par start as the #1 prospect on the list for San Diego. I’m not worried, as he roped a double and a triple in his most recent game—but those were the first extra-base hits since April 20th and he has yet to go yard this season. I see this mostly as a good buy low, Salas is still the top international prospect in the 2023 class and if you can get him at a reduced price, I like it.
- Worth noting that almost every single arm and hitter at the top of the Padres prospect list is having a bad start to the season. Most pitchers have worse ERA and WHIP than their MiLB careers, hitters are struggling—I’m not sure what’s in the water but I’m not going to shake up the rankings too much here. It’s usually wise to give prospects time to settle into the season and take things with a grain of salt, especially for pitchers, as they can sometimes be facing rehabbing major league players.