Welcome to the newest list to debut on the PitcherList site. The dynasty team is continuing to grow here as we have great content coming out weekly with everything from performance reports to a consistently awesome prospect podcast.
Adding to the already great lineup, I now have the honor of bringing you a top prospect list for dynasty leagues. Before diving in, make sure to read through the ProspectList rules below.
ProspectList Rules:
- All players must have prospect eligibility.
- This list is only for prospects in the Minor Leagues, no Major League players are included.
- Maximum of 2 positions listed per player
- Primarily weighted for standard 5×5 leagues, but all league types are considered.
Prospect List Graduates:
This part of the ProspectList is reserved for players who appeared in the previous version but have since been promoted to the Major Leagues.
The list this month includes: Colton Cowser, AJ Smith-Shawver, Endy RodrÃguez, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Tyler Soderstrom, Marco Luciano, Sal Frelick, and Quinn Priester
Top 50 Prospect Notes
Kevin Alcantara, #14 OF Chicago Cubs
At the time Chicago traded for Kevin Alcantara, Cubs fans did not care about the prospect they got in return for the face of their franchise Anthony Rizzo. Fans felt betrayed, let down, and disappointed by ownership and management.
While the frustration felt by fans is understandable, it is time for fans to appreciate the return they were able to get. At the time, Alcantara was a 16-year-old big-bodied outfielder who had looked unspectacularly solid in Rookie Ball prior to the pandemic but was showing signs of growth and development at the Complex Level in 2021.
The Cubs sent Alcantara to Low-A in 2022 which is when he really showed signs of reaching his potential with 15 home runs and 14 stolen bases in 112 games.
Alcantara was the leading player on my prospect breakout article from this past off-season. His 6’6″ frame provides tons of raw power with excellent speed that makes it easy to dream about a 30/20 player.
So far this season, Alcantara is taking his play to the next level. A slow start to the season saw him hit .218/.255/.352 through May 23rd. Since then, Alcantara has exploded. Since that point, he is batting .322/.387/.533 while crushing six home runs.
The biggest red flag in Alcantara’s profile is a relatively high ground ball rate. However, his raw tools and potential upside is enough to lower the concerns that come with that.
Alcantara is already breaking out the season and is already inside my top 20 prospects in all of baseball.
Ethan Salas, #39 C San Diego Padres
The hype around Ethan Salas started as soon as he signed with the Padres. Scouts raved about his immense talent and potential to be a generational talent behind the dish. From a fantasy perspective, ranking international prospects is extremely difficult as nobody is quite sure how they will transition to State-side baseball.
The kids that come over are so young and their talent level is so raw that sometimes it can take years for them to fully adjust and their body development can look a lot different than initially anticipated. Not only that, but young catchers have an even longer developmental process due to the defensive difficulties they have to overcome.
Despite all of that, Salas is already proving to be a rare talent. Despite being just 17 years old, Salas skipped the DSL and Complex League and was sent straight to Low-A. Most players at 17 would experience some significant growing pains, but not Salas. So far, he has a 139 wRC+ with nine home runs and five stolen bases.
He is showing off plus power, sneaky speed, and a plate discipline that is rare for a player his age. By all accounts, his defense is years beyond his age and will not limit how fast he can move through San Diego’s system.
Padres catching prospect Ethan Salas is unbelievable. He just swatted his second home run of the night for Lake Elsinore, making that 5 home runs in his last 6 games.
.850 OPS in 104 at bats at A. He’s 17 years old as of June 1. pic.twitter.com/BogAA80Oic
— Beck (@Upper_Beck) July 7, 2023
Salas is already proving that projections of becoming generational talent were not an exaggeration. Although it might seem crazy to rank a 17-year-old player inside the top 40 prospects in baseball, Salas has a case to be moved even higher.
He has a plus-hit tool, plus power, and great OBP skills at a position that is constantly a position of weakness in the fantasy baseball landscape. Do not focus too much on Salas’ young age, he deserves his ranking on this list.
Back-Half Top 100 Prospect Notes
Blaze Jordan, #61 1B Boston Red Sox
Blaze Jordan’s professional career got off to a fast start after being taken in the third round of the 2020 draft. Jordan aced the Complex League crushing four home runs in 19 games with a .362 batting average.
The Red Sox then moved him to Low-A to finish the 2021 season and sent him back there to start 2022. Once again, Jordan’s bat was up to the challenge as he slashed .286/.357/.446. High-A was next, and yet again Jordan was a standout performer offensively.
The results are even better this year. Jordan matched his career high in home runs with 12 and a .324 batting average in just 73 games at High-A.
The most impressive part of Jordan’s 2023 season has been his improved contact skills. In 2022, Jordan’s swinging strike rate was 14%.
This year, he has brought that number down to 11.5%. A steadily improving hit tool with a strong power base is exactly the kind of corner infield prospect dynasty managers love.
He is going to be 20 years old for the entirety of this season and has already worked his way up to Double-A. His swing path is smooth, his pull-side power is impressive, and his plate discipline keeps getting better. Jordan continues to work his way up this Prospect List and is now inside of the top 70.
Chase DeLauter, #73 OF Cleveland Guardians
Where Chase DeLauter would be selected in the 2022 draft was a complete unknown. During 2022 at James Madison, DeLauter suffered a broken foot that resulted in him missing most of the season. His on-field results were inconsistent as he struggled at times in college, but looked like the best hitter on the Cape during his time there.
Despite his health and inconsistencies, the Guardians took him 16th overall and we are just now getting our first glimpses of him in a professional setting.
DeLauter comes with tons of physical projection thanks to his 6’4″ frame and a left-handed swing that is as pretty as they come.
The Guardians started by sending him to the Complex League, which DeLauter quickly proved to be too advanced for. He posted a 138 wRC+ in nine games there before being promoted up to High-A. His wRC+ in his first 12 games there is an absurd 246. He is hitting for big-time power and showing exciting aggression on the bases.
Although speed is not the focal point of his game, DeLauter already has stolen five bases in just 21 Minor League games. In addition, he is quieting concerns over his hit tool. Although it is only the low levels of the Minor Leagues, his strikeout rates have been impressive.
#Guardians 21yr old OF prospect Chase DeLauter delivers a 2-run double tonight in his 1st game back from injury for @LCCaptains in their win over Beloit. The double extends his hitting streak to 11 games.
During streak:
21-42 7R 10(2B) 1HR 13RBI 2BB 2SB .500 AVG #ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/vNKPR3hUcX
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) July 29, 2023
DeLauter is already 21 and now that he is healthy, he has the chance to move quickly through Cleveland’s system. There is potential for a 30/15 player and dynasty managers should be getting in now. An impressive start to his professional career moves him up to number 80 on this list and he could move even higher before the season is over.
Prospect List Part 2
Prospects That Just Missed
Wikelman Gonzalez, Boston Red Sox
Similarly to Kevin Alcantara, my expectations were high for Wikelman Gonzalez entering 2023. He was the third player included in my prospect breakout article from March and somebody I believed would easily break into the top 100 prospects in all of baseball.
The dynasty community as a whole seemed down on Gonzalez citing concerns over his control as the primary reason. Sure, Gonzalez has had issues limiting walks in the past, but that has not stopped experts from ranking players such as Kyle Harrison and Mick Abel within their Top 100. Why is the story any different for Gonzalez?
Gonzalez got off to a slow start in 2023 allowing 15 earned runs in his first 8.2 innings of work. He walked 16 batters across those first four starts. In addition, he failed to make it out of the third inning in three of the four. Instead of progressing, Gonzalez was regressing.
Lately, Gonzalez has looked like a completely different pitcher even earning himself a promotion to Double-A. He has thrown at least five innings in 12 straight starts and has a 3.23 ERA in his last nine. In his last nine starts, Gonzalez is striking out over 40% of the batters he faces while lowering his walk rate below 11 percent.
Although his control is still a work in progress, his upside is undeniable. Gonzalez is on the verge of breaking into the Top-100 prospects and deserves more attention in the dynasty community.
Jairo Iriarte, San Diego Padres
Another electric arm climbing up prospect rankings is Jairo Iriarte. Iriarte made his professional debut back in 2019 at just 17 years old and has slowly been working his way through the Minor Leagues. 2023 has been a breakout year so far as Iriarte made 14 starts in High-A posting a 3.10 ERA and a 3.07 FIP.
His strikeout rate has jumped from 23.4% in 2021, to 26.7% in 2022, and now sits at 31% in 2023. As Iriarte has continued to fill out his 6’2″ frame, he has added over three miles per hour to his fastball velocity which now sits comfortably in the upper-90s.
This added velocity paired with a wipeout slider sitting down near 85 (the first pitch thrown in the video below) creates a deadly combination that opposing hitters have to deal with.
Jairo Iriarte(SD/RHP/21/A+) had 24 whiffs and 10 strikeouts in 6 IP today. He allowed 3 H/1 ER and did not allow a walk. 42% CSW and 69% strikes 🔥🔥
pic.twitter.com/uhfKw4QKiB— Chris Clegg (@RotoClegg) June 25, 2023
After dominating High-A, the Padres made the call to move Iriarte to Double-A. He has pitched exclusively out of the bullpen in his first five appearances, but make no mistake, this is a pitcher with a starter’s repertoire.
Iriarte made it at least five innings in six of his final ten starts at High-A and pitching out of the pen is likely San Diego’s way to limit his innings (since he has never thrown more than 91 in a season).
As with Gonzalez, the biggest red flag to Iriarte’s profile is inconsistent control. However, he has been showing significant improvements in this area lately only walking 8.8% of batters since May 12th compared to 14% before that. He is moving quickly up prospect lists and needs to be on your radar.
Deep Prospects to Note
Austin Charles, Kansas City Royals
If you are looking for a prospect that could become the next Elly De La Cruz not named Sebastian Walcott, then Austin Charles is your guy. Charles stands at 6’4″ with a powerful swing and plus speed. He currently plays shortstop, but many scouts project that he will move to third base. This will make the development of his game power all the more important.
The encouraging news is that it seems like Charles has made significant changes to his swing path allowing him to get more launch on the baseball. He already has a natural tendency to pull the ball and could see his home run totals skyrocket. He is slashing .265/.313/.453 since June 17 and is showing an ability to quickly adjust to the tougher competition at Low-A. Now might be your last chance to grab him before his dynasty value takes off.
Dylan Beavers, Baltimore Orioles
Dylan Beavers feels criminally underrated in the dynasty world. Beavers was selected 33rd overall in last year’s draft. The 6’4″ outfielder comes with plenty of raw and projectable power and the speed that has allowed him to steal 18 bases already this season. He has excellent plate discipline that adds value in OBP leagues. His swing is exceptionally smooth and he has designed to drive the ball to all parts of the park.
At this point, his power profiles more as a doubles monster than a 30-home run bat although his size makes that potential easy to envision. After a slow start, Beavers has really picked things up. Since June 13th, he is slashing .327/.424/.593 while striking out just 18.0% of the time.
Coming out of college, Beavers has a chance to move quickly through Baltimore’s system. Dynasty managers should keep a close eye on him.
James Triantos inside the top 25?
Yup, projectable power frame, excellent plate discipline, and a strong hit tool. Mostly a projection that the power is going to come.
Typo on Gabe Gonzalez’ organization.
SEA
Yup typo! Thanks for the catch. Has been fixed