The National League West is fascinating from a prospect standpoint. First, you have the Dodgers. They always have a loaded farm system and seemingly find talent out of thin air. Then, you have the Padres. Every time the Padres seem to have an intriguing dynasty prospect, they get traded. The article below updates the dynasty prospect ranking lists for all five teams post trade deadline and MLB Draft.
Make sure you head over to the PL Dynasty Page to check out the other divisions already released.
NL West
- With such a deep farm system, only one recent draftee cracks the top 15. The team did not have a ton of draft picks, but Bo Lowrance is one name dynasty managers should keep their eye on. The 18-year-old infielder stands tall at 6’5″. Right now, Lowrance is tall and lanky. He has a good feel for hitting, but the hope is that the Dodgers can unlock the game power that his size suggests he should have. On projectability alone, Lowrance has plenty of upside. As he matures, he is likely to be a below-average runner, which will place more pressure on his hit tool and power to play up.
- Cam Leiter should intrigue dynasty managers in deep leagues. Yes, we have another Leiter pitcher to keep an eye on. Leiter was the 65th overall pick in last year’s draft, but has been overshadowed by other top Dodgers prospects. The trade of Zyhir Hope and Brady Smith opens up a spot for Leiter in the top 15. Leiter is extremely athletic on the mound. Despite his size, he pitches from a lower arm slot, which helps give his fastball significant ride and carry up in the zone. Off of his plus four-seamer, he mixes in a plus (plus-plus?) slider that generates a ton of whiffs. Stuff is not the question. The question is throwing strikes. Leiter’s has not allowed a home run this season, but is also walking over 12% of batters he has faced. He has also yet to throw more than 61 pitches in a game. There is a lot of potential here, but plenty of relief risk.
- Even without Zyhir Hope, the Dodgers’ list of outfield prospects is incredible. Only the Dodgers can trade away a top-25 prospect and still have three outfielders all rank inside of the top 25. Josue De Paula just keeps on hitting at Double-A. He is now up to 21 homers and 29 stolen bases. Mike Sirota has been every bit as good and somehow has an even higher wRC+ than De Paula. Eduardo Quintero got off to a slow start but is slashing .363/.518/.702 since June 18. He should receive a promotion to Double-A before the end of the season.
- There is a lot to like from the team’s first two draft picks. Obviously, Jackson Flora will rank as one of the team’s best prospects. The top pitching prospect in the 2026 draft heads out to San Francisco. Flora features a big fastball along with three plus secondary offerings. Tall and lanky, the Giants will likely push Flora to add more muscle to help reduce injury risk and allow for maintained velocity throughout games. Carson Boleman, another pitcher, is a 19-year-old lefty who has as much potential as any of the pitching prospects selected. An athletic and smooth delivery, and his fastball sits in the low to mid 90s with room to add more consistent velocity. His slider gives him a very strong out pitch to attack lefties, and his changeup flashes plus potential as well. Prep pitchers take longer to reach the major leagues, but he is a prospect worth keeping tabs on.
- Joniel Hernandez was my favorite acquisition from the trade deadline. The Giants completely revamped their farm system. Acquiring players such as Ramon Marquez, Henry Lalane, and Miguel Mendez adds significant pitching depth and upside. While Marquez is the headline of the return to many, acquiring infielder Joniel Hernandez from San Diego stands out. Hernandez was San Diego’s most notable signing this past January and excelled in his first professional test. Hernandez slashed .307/.434/.511 with five home runs and eight stolen bases. Hernandez has a simple approach with a strong athletic build. He already shows a natural feel for getting to his pull side and has a strong understanding of the strike zone. Considering the team has Level, Gonzalez, and Luis Hernández ahead of him, Joniel may be more likely to shift to third base with his new organization.
- Parks Harber and Bo Davidson are both on the doorstep of the major leagues. Harber’s season was delayed due to injury, but he is already up to 17 home runs in just 89 games played. Although the PCL is a very favorable hitting environment, it is encouraging that his production has not slowed down since his promotion to Triple-A. There is 25 home run upside in his bat even though his exit velocities in Triple-A have been underwhelming to this point. Davidson has the power-speed combination that dynasty managers chase. The question is: how much will Davidson hit? Davidson’s pitch recognition is below average, and his batting average has dropped significantly since his promotion to Triple-A. Both are candidates for late-season major league promotions
- An extremely thin farm system got a makeover at the MLB Draft. There are a lot of new faces in this top 15, including six players from the 2026 draft class. First-round pick Coleman Borthwick leads the way at third overall. Another prep pitcher, Borthwick is an intimidating presence on the mound. 6’6″, 245 pounds, there is no projectability here. The good news is that his fastball already sits in the mid to upper 90s and he has a filthy plus slider with 2700 RPM. His changeup and consistency are both question marks, but there is certainly plenty of upside.
- Ethan Salas could make his major league debut in 2026. Through 12 games at Triple-A, Salas is batting .348 with a .261 ISO. Blah blah blah, PCL, blah blah blah. Salas is showing why he could be a difference-maker at the catcher position in dynasty. He is running elite contact and chase rates this season. The hit tool is a clear plus tool with solid power and sneaky speed to go with it. As the Padres push towards a playoff spot, do not be surprised to see Salas in the major leagues.
- Michael Salina has made his full-season ball debut. The team’s fourth-round pick from last season has been on the road to recovery after undergoing Tommy John surgery in his final collegiate season. He made three appearances at the Complex League before transitioning his rehab to Low-A. The Padres are being extremely careful not to push Salina too hard (none of his appearances have been more than one inning). Before his injury, his fastball was sitting upper-90s with a strong gyro slider, giving him an excellent 1-2 punch. He is not a must-add prospect, but is certainly worth keeping tabs on into next season.
- Robert Calaz is the biggest faller this month. Calaz has just not been able to figure things out. After showing off all of the tools in the DSL and Complex League, his suspect hit tool has caught up to him in High-A. Calaz owns a 48 wRC+ on the season with too many strikeouts and far too many ground balls. The struggles are not the main concern; the concern is a lack of development. Calaz is only 20 years old, but he has yet to show any signs of improvement throughout the season. There is plenty of upside here, but he is nothing more than a deep-league prospect at this point.
- Both Tyler Bell and Daniel Jackson offer significant dynasty appeal. Bell, the 10th overall pick, battled through a shoulder injury his final collegiate season and still managed to hit .343. Bell’s polish stands out, and the landing spot in Coors is a great fit. He has more pop from the left side, but swings it well from both sides and is a plus runner. Jackson is a power-hitting catcher who crushed 32 home runs in his final year at Georgia. Jackson has incredible pop with sneaky speed, but also has struggled with strikeouts in the past.
- Cristian Arguelles has not slowed down since his promotion to Low-A. Arguelles just keeps on hitting. With a smooth left-handed swing, Arguelles lacks the loudest tools, but is above-average at just about everything. His contact rate has actually increased since his promotion. This is a high-floor prospect with 20/20 upside.
- The Diamondbacks are stockpiling catching prospects. Already with Carlos Virahonda and Ivan Luciano inside of their top 15, the team took Ryder Helfrick with their first-round pick in this year’s draft. Helfrick hit 18 home runs in his final season at Arkansas and profiles as a plus defender behind the plate. There are debates over how well his hit tool will translate, and catching prospects typically take more time to develop into reliable dynasty assets.
- Patrick Forbes is back on the mound after another IL stint. The start to Forbes’ 2026 season was delayed due to a flexor strain. The flexor strain returned after five professional appearances, forcing him to miss over a month. Forbes is healthy again and continues to look strong when healthy. The Diamondbacks are sure to be careful with Forbes moving forward. Recurring arm injuries cast some doubt over his long-term durability.
- A tough 2026 season has continued for former first-round pick Slade Caldwell. Caldwell’s speed and on-base skills continue to be positives. However, everything else has been disappointing. Caldwell continues to hit for nearly no power with too many ground balls and far too much weak contact. His overly patient approach is inflating his strikeout rate and keeping his batting average suppressed. There is some floor here, but he does not seem like an impactful dynasty prospect.
