July 2025 – Imaginary Brick Wall

Posted on July 28, 2025July 28, 2025 by Michael Halpern

Monday Morning Dynasty Baseball Rundown (7/28/25)

I’ll be running down everything that caught my eye in the Dynasty Baseball world on most Mondays throughout the season here on the Brick Wall. The rest of the week you can catch my Rundowns on the Patreon. Here is the Monday Morning Dynasty Baseball Rundown (7/28/25):

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR TONS OF EXCLUSIVE CONTENT ALL SEASON, INCLUDING:
–MID-SEASON 2025 TOP 437 DYNASTY RANKS
–JULY 2025 TOP 349 PROSPECTS RANKS
-TOP 60 2026 FYPD RANKS w/ Analysis & Prime Projections for every player
-TOP 9 MID-SEASON 2025 DYNASTY BASEBALL TARGETS
-HALP’S DYNASTY BASEBALL PODCAST: JUNE MAILBAG! (July Mailbag coming this week)
-TONS OF DYNASTY RUNDOWNS
–SPREADSHEETS

Edward Florentino – PIT, OF, 18.6, A – Konnor Griffin who? There is new Sherriff in Hype Town, and he just so happens to be on the same team as Konnor Griffin. Can’t wait for 2-3 years from now when Pitt really ramps up and builds a beast around Griffin, Florentino, Cruz and Skenes … ha, who am I kidding. But back to reality, Pitt fans can dream at least by watching Florentino unload for his 3rd homer in 3 nights. He’s now slashing .283/.407/.576 with 7 homers, a 167 wRC+ and a 25.8/15.3 K%/BB% in 28 games since getting called up to Single-A. He’s also stolen 16 bags at the level!!! In just 28 games. You can’t tell me this man has 30 grade speed. Ain’t no way. I’m not buying it. He has 22 steals in 25 attempts on the season. The guy can run. The guy can hit bombs. He’s an 18 year old, 6’4” beast whose raw power is only going to tick up. This is a stud, and it’s why I messed around and ranked him 22nd overall on the freshly updated Top 349 Dynasty Baseball Prospects Rankings that dropped on the Patreon last week.

Leodalis De Vries – SDP, SS, 18.9, A+ – Leo De Vries, aka, Yesterday’s News, is trying to force his way back onto the Prospect front pages by smoking his 3rd homer in his last 12 games. He’s finally getting hot again with a .866 OPS in his last 25 games. His season numbers really aren’t all that impressive with 8 homers, 8 steals in 14 attempts, and a .247/.355/.411 triple-slash, but when you take into account he’s an 18 year old at High-A, and when you watch that beautiful and powerful swing, it gets a lot more impressive. He held strong at 11th overall on those Updated Prospects Rankings.

Carson Benge – NYM, OF, 22.5, AA – Florentino and De Vries had cute days hitting one dinger each, but Benge stole the show and cracked 2 yesterday on a 4 for 5 day. Seriously just watch that lefty swing. Or I should say, try to watch it. That thing is almost faster than the human eye. That didn’t even look real. It’s unsurprising that the swing is having no trouble since getting called up to Double-A, slashing .350/.458/.588 with 5 homers, 3 steals, and a 13.5/15.6 K%/BB% in 21 games. The above average across the board potential is easily transferring to the uppers minors. It looks like the Mets got a good one at 19th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft with him surpassing expectations in his first full year of pro ball. That 2024 FYPD class just keeps on looking better and better. Enjoy it, because I don’t think the 2025 class is going to end up as good, although I did my best to find the gems in my Top 60 2026 First Year Player Draft Rankings (Patreon).

Noelvi Marte – CIN, 3B, 23.8 – I just want to talk about Noelvi Marte for a second here, because he’s quietly back to the insanely talented player he was before the PED suspension, but there seems to be a ton of lag on his hype. He went 1 for 3 with a steal yesterday, and he’s now slashing .283/.338/.496 with 6 homers, 6 steals, and a 18.7/5.8 K%/BB% in 37 games. The 74.1 MPH swing is double plus and so is the 29.1 ft/sec sprint. His 116.7 MPH Max EV is in the top 2% of baseball, the 90.1 MPH EV is excellent, and the 13.6 degree launch and 18.6% Air Pull% is good too. And he plays in Cincy. This dude is back to being a fantasy beast, and it really doesn’t feel like many are jumping fully back on board. The plate skills still need improvement, so he’s not a completely finished product, but he’s still only 23 years old. He’s a major target if his current owner isn’t giving him the respect he deserves. This is an easy Top 100 dynasty asset right now and that might be underselling him.

Matt Shaw – CHC, 3B/2B/SS, 23.7 – I’ve been preaching patience with Shaw, imploring you to give him a chance to get comfortable, and just as he’s getting comfortable, Chicago is threatening to trade for a 3B. Maybe hold off on that Chicago, because Shaw is finally showing true signs of a breakout. He went 1 for 4 with a 103.5 MPH double and a steal yesterday, and even his outs were hit hard with a 106.2 MPH groundout, 89.9 MPH fielding error and a 89.8 MPH groundout. The most important thing to see is him hitting the ball harder, and he’s doing that with a solid 88 MPH EV in his last 8 games. He has 4 dingers over that time with a 1.522 OPS. The contact has been strong with a 20.2% whiff% and 17.7% K%. The plate approach has been solid with a 8.5% BB% and 27.9% Chase%. And the speed is there with 14 steals and a 28.9 ft/sec sprint. Now the power is coming, and he looks setup to have a big last 2 months of the season. I really hope Chicago gets outbid for a 3B, because Shaw deserves the chance to continue this heater. But either way for dynasty, this is great to see.

Maikel Garcia – KCR, 3B/2B, 25.4 – Make it double digits for Maikel as he went deep in back to back games, this one at 103.6 MPH for his 10th homer of the season. The launch is up 3.3 degrees to a respectable 9.7 degrees and the Air Pull% is way up 5.3 percentage points to a strong 16.1%. He’s unlocking that game power, and he’s doing it without giving up skills anywhere else. The 13.1% K% and 8% BB% are career bests, he’s smashing the ball with a 91.1 MPH EV, and he’s running with 19 steals. This is the breakout I envisioned in the 2024 off-season when I named him a major target, and I think there could be more home run juice down the line. I still see those shades of the Ketel Marte power come up. Okay, I’ll stop dreaming, but even as is Garcia is extremely exciting. He ranked 76th overall in the Top 437 Mid-Season Dynasty Baseball Rankings (Patreon).

Eury Perez – MIA, RHP, 22.1 – 5 IP, 2 hits, 1 ER, 6/2 K/BB vs. MIL. The fastball sat 97.7 MPH and put up a 21% whiff%, and the 3 breakers missed bats, leading to a 27% whiff% overall. He has a 1.29 ERA with a 31.1/4.9 K%/BB% in his last 28 IP. I would say the TJ rust has been shaken off, and Eury is back to being one of the most coveted dynasty pitchers in the game. He’s back to being a Top 50 dynasty asset, and a few more outings could put him right alongside side that elite Skenes tier. He’s that good when fully healthy, and he’s looking fully healthy.

Noah Cameron – KCR, LHP, 25.10 – 5 IP, 3 hits, 0 ER, 6/1 K/BB vs. CLE. He put up a 30% whiff% on the back of his curve (45% whiff%), cutter (30% whiff%) and changeup (57% whiff%). The 92.2 MPH fastball chipped in with weak contact with a 80.5 MPH EV against, leading to a 79 MPH EV against overall. It was utter domination. The days of doubting Cameron need to be over. He now has a 2.44 ERA with a 22.2/7.2 K%/BB% in 81 IP. Sure that K/BB is still average-ish, but the 27.3% whiff% is well above average, and so is the 5.8% Barrel% against. He misses bats, he induces weak contact, he has a legit 5 pitch mix, and all 5 pitches are good. It reminds me so much of Ranger Suarez really. Another guy who could never get respect despite a career 3.31 ERA in 698.1 IP. Let’s hope Cameron can stay healthier than Suarez has in his career, because I’m betting on the excellent production to continue, but maybe not to this level.

Brandon Woodruff – MIL, RHP, 32.5 – 6 IP, 4 hits, 2 ER, 6/3 K/BB vs. MIA. Who needs the huge velocity anyway? Woodruff is still dominating even with his fastball down over 3 MPH from peak to around 93 MPH. He has a 2.02 ERA with a 34.5/3.6 K%/BB% in 22.1 IP since returning from shoulder surgery. The changeup is still silly elite with a 44.8% whiff%, the 4-seamer misses a ton of bats with a 38% whiff%, and the sinker and cutter have been positive Run Value pitches too. He’s only 32 years old, and while he’s not showing peak velocity, he’s showing he can still be a legit ace without it. He’s easily a Top 100 dynasty asset right now.

Ronny Mauricio – NYM, 2B/3B, 24.8 – 4 for 4 with a 104.7 MPH homer, 101.8 MPH double, 99 MPH double, and a 95.2 MPH single. Mauricio is back from that torn ACL, and while he’s slow as dirt now with a 25.8 fts/sec sprint that is in the bottom 15% of baseball, there is no doubt juice in that bat. He’s got 5 homers in 35 games and it comes with a 73.8 MPH swing, 90.8 MPH EV, 12.1 degree launch, and a 22.8% Air Pull%. This is easily a 25 homer bat at peak, except it was also supposed to come with 20+ steals, and now that is a bit of a question mark. The plate approach is still rough too with a 37.8% Chase% and 30.6% whiff%, so those steals were supposed to mitigates some of that risk. Hopefully with another full off-season to get healthy, he can get back to running, because I really want to bet on his power bat despite the plate skills. I held strong on his ranking throughout the injury because I didn’t let out of sight, out of mind infect me, and I’m happy I did right now.

Otto Kemp – PHI, 1B/3B/OF, 25.10 – If the Phillies can’t land Suarez, we might be seeing a lot more of Otto Kemp, and he made his case for the Phillies to not overpay for Suarez yesterday, blasting two homers at 105.2 MPH and 99.4 MPH. Both came off Carlos Rodon. That officially brings his wRC+ up to 106 in 35 games, and he surely has the fantasy friendly profile to take a shot on in fantasy with power (13% Barrel%, 91.6 MPH EV, 48.1% Hard Hit%) and speed (29.3 ft/sec sprint). He hit 14 homers with 11 steals in 58 games at Triple-A. The plate approach is still rough with a 28.2/4.8 K%/BB%, which is why Philly is going after Suarez, but it’s never been in the true danger zone in the minors with about 25% K rates or less, so it could easily improve as he gets more comfortable. He might get the rug swept out from under him at the deadline, but if he doesn’t, he’s a fun fantasy pickup.

Heriberto Hernandez – MIA, OF, 25.7 – While we’re on the topic of lowkey 25 year old MLB power breakouts, Hernandez is starting to make a name for himself too. He was actually a formerly pretty hyped prospect in his day before everyone got scared off by the hit tool, but hit tool be damned, the power is conquering all right now after he walloped a 99.8 MPH homer off Brandon Woodruff for his 5th homer in 36 games. The power is no joke with a 73.3 MPH swing, 13.2% Barrel%, and 47.1% Hard Hit%. The .375 xwOBA and .908 OPS are excellent. The hit tool is undoubtably still a major concern with a 39.8% whiff%, and he’s not playing everyday yet, but Hernandez is surely entering pick up territory.

Bryce Eldridge – SFG, 1B, 20.8, AAA – There is nobody in the minors with more power potential than Bryce Eldridge, and he keeps on showing that massive power at 6’7” with his 7th bomb in just 25 games at Triple-A, and his 14th homer in 61 games on the season. He has an absurd 96.4 MPH EV at the level. We are talking about elite of the elite type power here. Oneil Cruz level EV’s, and yes, I brought up Cruz for a reason, and that is because the big time whiffs are there too. It comes with a 31.7/8.7 K%/BB% and a 36.9% whiff%. He’s only 20 years old, so there is definitely plenty of leeway we have to give him there for improvements in the future, but strikeouts are always going to be a part of his game. The insane power can overcome it though, and it can also overcome San Francisco’s ballpark. He ranked 15th overall on the Updated Top 349 July 2025 Dynasty Baseball Prospect Rankings (Patreon).

Ryan Clifford – NYM, 1B/OF, 22.0, AA – Speaking of power hitting prospects, Clifford is quietly having a monster power season himself, cracking his 21st homer in 93 games at Double-A. He’s not a true monster like Eldridge, but he’s a 6’3”, 200 pound beast who knows how to lift and pull. He’s made to hit dingers. Like Eldridge, it comes with plenty of hit tool risk with a 26.6/15.5 K%/BB%, but all of the other “3 true outcome sluggers” are getting tons of hype like Montes and Caissie, while Clifford doesn’t get a peep of it really. He was one of my favorite FYPD sleepers from his draft year, not getting nearly the respect he deserved, and it looks like he’ll continue down that no respect path. I guess it will take him ripping dingers in the majors before anyone notices.

Emil Morales – LAD, SS, 18.9, A – If any rookie baller can go all Edward Florentino at Single-A now that he got called up to the level, it’s the athletic and powerful 6’3” Emil Morales, but we know there is always an adjustment period with him. He’s 1 for 9 with 4 strikeouts in his first 2 games at the level. New level, same shit. Major K problems early before he gets comfortable and brings it down. Give him time.

Kristian Campbell – BOS, 2B/OF, 22.6 – Campbell finally came out of his coma recently after being on life support for months. Friends and family were gathered around him, ready to pull the plug. But no! Not yet! He smacked one of those classic 2024 Campbell bombs yesterday, and he’s now slashing .314/.375/.510 with 3 homers in his last 13 games. The 26.8/8.9 K%/BB% and only 1 steal isn’t that great over that time, but we’ll take what we can get. He’s moving his fingers and toes at least. Baby steps. Can’t lie, his dynasty value is shot, but you can’t give up on these young kids at the first sign of trouble. I would stay patient if I owned him in dynasty.

Joe Boyle – TBR, RHP, 25.11 – 3 weeks ago in this here Monday Morning Rundown I predicted that Boyle was coming for Taj’s starting spot, writing, “Boyle was piggybacking Rasmussen in this one, and there isn’t a clear spot in the rotation for him, but I think Taj could be in trouble. Bradley has a 4.79 ERA this season and he has a career 4.76 ERA in 340.1 IP. I still think Taj could breakout down the line. If Tampa had the room, he should stay in the rotation. But keeping Boyle out of the rotation at this point is downright silly. I suspect Tampa is going to do the right thing.” … and then they did the right thing and demoted Taj to the minors. Boyle is taking his spot. I’ve been touting Boyle for months, and his time is now. I’m pumped.

By Michael Halpern (@MichaelCHalpern)
Email: michaelhalpern@imaginarybrickwall.com
Twitter: Imaginary Brick Wall (@DynastyHalp)
Blue Sky: Dynasty Halp (@ImaginaryBrickWall)

Posted on July 22, 2025 by Michael Halpern

July 2026 Top 300+ Dynasty Baseball Prospects Rankings (Patreon

I think we can just call this the Edward Florentino and Joshua Baez update, because I’m all in on both of these guys. But there are over 298 other guys to rank as I’m going over 300 deep with blurbs for every player. Top 24 free here on the Brick Wall. Non debuted prospects only are eligible for this list. You can see where already debuted guys rank in my Mid-Season Top 437 Dynasty Baseball Rankings (Patreon). Here is the Top 300+ July 2026 Dynasty Baseball Prospects Rankings (1-100):

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR THE REST OF THESE RANKS & TONS OF EXCLUSIVE CONTENT ALL SEASON, INCLUDING:
–MID-SEASON 2025 TOP 437 DYNASTY RANKS
–JULY 2025 TOP 300+ PROSPECTS RANKS
-TOP 60 2026 FYPD RANKS w/ Analysis & Prime Projections for every player
-TOP 9 MID-SEASON 2025 DYNASTY BASEBALL TARGETS
-HALP’S DYNASTY BASEBALL PODCAST: JUNE MAILBAG! (July Mailbag coming next week)
-TONS OF DYNASTY RUNDOWNS
–SPREADSHEETS

1) (1) (21) (35) Konnor Griffin – PIT, OF, 19.2 – What really pushed it over the edge for me to put Konnor Griffin #1 overall back in June before he even got to High-A, was that the plate skills were massively improving at the end of his stay there, and now he’s fully carrying that over into High-A, slashing .297/.405/.475 with 4 homers, 15 steals, and a 19.8/12.4 K%/BB% in 27 games. He’s even more locked into the #1 spot now. I’ve seen a lot of people in win now mode asking me about trades where they give up Griffin for some 30+ bat or 30+ pitcher, and my plea is that you don’t trade this man no matter what. Sure, flags fly forever, but so will your regret for trading Griffin. Find another way.

2) (10) (13) (13) Samuel Basallo – BAL, C/1B, 20.10 – He’s a 20 year old at Triple-A with 19 homers, a 21.7/15.4 K%/BB%, a 94 MPH EV and a 152 wRC+ in 62 games. Caminero better be enjoying his stay at the top of the young power hitter rankings, because Basallo just might steal that crown one day soon … that’s if Nick Kurtz doesn’t steal it from both of them.

3) (2) (4) (15) Sebastian Walcott – TEX, SS, 19.4 – 10 homers, 23 steals, and a 21.6/12.0 K%/BB% in 81 games at Double-A as a 19 year old is admittingly more impressive than the .248/.344/.400 triple-slash. Walcott, De Vries, Made … I can’t lie, a lot of their elite prospect status is riding on their age. Being so young and playing well at higher levels is impressive for sure. Their talent is no joke. I’m in. Don’t get me wrong. But also, how about the good old days when elite prospects actually ripped shit up no matter the level?

4) (8) (5) (9) Walker Jenkins – MIN, OF, 20.4 – This guy hurt his ankle and I feel like everyone just kinda forgot about him. I don’t hear even a snippet of hype about this man. But he’s a 20 year old at Double-A and is performing like a mature vet, slashing .293/.413/.424 with 2 homers, 7 steals, and a 17.4/15.7 K%/BB% in 26 games. That’s good for a 138 wRC+. Sure we want the big power breakout, but at 6’3”, 210 pounds, I’m really not too concerned about it. Can we put some respect back on this man’s name?

5) (3) (7) (18) Josue De Paula – LAD, OF, 20.1 – De Paula showed off that game power improvement in the Futures Game with a 108.5 MPH 3 run bomb. And I’m not 100% sure where I heard it, it might have been Longenhagen, but now I can’t get Ken Griffey Jr. out of my head when watching his swing. He ain’t Ken Griffey Jr., but damn is that a smooth and powerful lefty swing. I’ve been all in on Josue since he was a completely unknown prospect in the DSL, and I’m still all in on him.

6) (12) (17) (17) JJ Wetherholt – STL, 2B, 22.10 – Are we all taking Wetherholt for granted? We all knew he would be good, and we all knew what the profile is, but he’s really smashing through all expectations. He obliterated Double-A with a 151 wRC+, and now he’s doing the same to Triple-A with a 400/.500/.800 slash with 1 homer and a 4/4 K/BB in 6 games. He smashes the ball (92.8 MPH EV at Triple-A right now), he doesn’t have any major groundball issues with a 40.6% GB%, the plate skills are elite (14.7/16.1 K%/BB%) and he runs (14 for 16 on the bases). Is this just who Jesus Made and Luis Pena will be 4 years from now? Maybe they have more runway for a huge game power breakout, but why not just get the guy who is already there?

7) (15) (40) (54) Kevin McGonigle – DET, SS/2B, 20.10 – Called up to Double-A and has a 8.3/16.7 K%/BB% with a 159 wRC+ in 6 games. I called McGonigle the souped up version of Steven Kwan this off-season, and that might be understatement with what he is doing this year. Also, soup isn’t even really that great of a food. Why is the expression “souped up?” … looks it up … “it likely stems from a 19th-century horse racing slang term where a “soup” was a substance injected into horses to enhance their speed” … okay, actually, that is kinda cool. I guess baseball changed the term to “juiced up.”

8) (4) (41) (252) Luis Pena – MIL, SS/3B/SS, 18.7 – Finally a young for the level prospect who also has an impressive triple-slash with a .316/.383/.485 line in 62 games at Single-A. It comes with 6 homers and 38 steals. He also hasn’t been quite as good as his hot start to the season though with 1 homer and a .749 OPS in his last 30 games.

9) (14) (22) (19) Max Clark – DET, OF, 20.6 – Called up to Double-A and in only 6 games he’s already shown off the electric profile. How about this for power? A 106 MPH homer on Friday that hit off whatever the hell that building is in right field. And how about this for speed? A triple he had to truly leg out with the classic helmet half falling his off head. That gives him 2 homers, 1 steal and a 141 wRC+ in 6 games. It might have been the Made, Pena, De Vries show early in the year, but things have gotten shaken up at the top in my opinion as we get deeper into the year.

10) (9) (8) (32) Jesus Made – MIL, SS, 18.2 – I alluded to it in the Walcott blurb, but Made isn’t exactly ripping up Single-A with 4 homers and a 273/.382/.399 triple slash in 74 games. He has a .726 OPS in his last 57 games. Do I still love him? Yes. Do I still love the hit/power/speed/age combo? Yes. But I feel like we all cemented his status after the first month, and it hasn’t been as good since.

11) (7) (3) (8) Leodalis De Vries – SDP, SS, 18.9 – After having done nothing for 2 straight months, De Vries has finally started to come out of hibernation after cracking his 7th homer in 74 games at High-A on Sunday. And how can you not stay all in through the slump after watching a swing like that. He has a .925 OPS in his last 19 games. But, like I wrote in the Walcott blurb, 7 homers, 6 steals in 12 attempts and a .248/.359/.414 triple-slash isn’t exactly jumping off the screen. Being 18 and looking the part is doing a lot of the heavy lifting right now for better or worse

12) (13) (16) (16) Travis Bazzana – CLE, 2B, 22.10 – He very recently returned from an oblique injury that kept him out for 2 months. The 25% K% is definitely a bit higher than optimal, but everything else is basically where we want it with lift and pull, walks, and speed. He has a 135 wRC+ in 35 games at Double-A. I’m going to hold steady on his ranking even if it hasn’t been the smoothest season.

13) (22) (50) (71) Josue Briceno – DET, C/1B, 20.8 – Our little baby’s all growns up and he’s all growns up. After an MVP performance in the AFL, followed up by an MVP performance at High-A, our boy Briceno got the call to Double-A. I remember when he was just a wee 18 year old getting not a speck of hype, and now look at him. Blowing up everywhere

14) (29) (38) (48) Lazaro Montes – SEA, OF, 20.8 – Profile is completely transferring to Double-A as a 20 year old with 6 homers and a 27.5/16.3 K%/BB% in 18 games. Even Seattle won’t be able to contain this man

15) (25) (37) (24) Bryce Eldridge – SFG, 1B, 20.8 – Hit tool is getting exposed at Triple-A with a .214 BA and a 32.1/7.7 K%/BB% in 18 games, but it also comes with 3 homers and a 95.4 MPH EV. And he’s also only 20 years old. I’m apt to not get too hung on the hit tool risk, because even in San Francisco, Eldridge can be one of the premier power hitters in baseball for a long time.

16) (16) (20) (43) Zyhir Hope – LAD, OF, 20.5 – I gave Hope a statistical comp of Randy Arozarena this off-season, and I feel like that is exactly what he’s doing at High-A with high K rates (26.9% K%), high OBP (.390 OBP), power (9 homers) and speed despite getting caught a lot (13 steals in 19 attempts) in 83 games. That is the exact Arozarena profile.

17) (17) (23) (104) Bryce Rainer – DET, SS, 19.11 – I’ve been taking about it for most of the season, but shoulder surgery doesn’t seem to be that big of a deal for hitters anymore. Neto, Ohtani and Varsho all returned this season ripping dingers, arguably stronger than they’ve ever looked before. So I’m not fading Rainer at all due to the shoulder surgery. I closed out Rainer’s Top 1,000 blurb by writing, “Riley Greene might actually be the perfect comp here, and Detroit has done a great job developing Greene. Detroit got their SS version of Greene” … and he basically performed right to that comp. He’s a buy low off the surgery if you can

18) (19) (107) (103) Eduardo Quintero – LAD, OF, 19.10 – Been ripping up Single-A all year. I think it’s time for High-A

19) (5) (6) (20) Bubba Chandler – PIT, RHP, 22.10 – Call me crazy, but I like my elite pitching prospects to not have a 4.18 ERA with a 25.3/13.5 K%/BB% in his last 51.2 IP at Triple-A. Chandler pitched well for the first month of the season, and then that is it. He also doesn’t really have a great breaking pitch with his slider and curve putting up a pretty lowly 25% and 27.5% whiff%, respectively. The changeup has a good 32% whiff%, but I mean, that isn’t exactly off the charts. The upper 90’s fastball is elite with a 34.8% whiff%, so don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I don’t like him anymore, but there are enough weaknesses here to drop him down the rankings a bit.

20) (11) (11) (10) Andrew Painter – PHI, RHP, 22.3 – 5.01 ERA with a 24.3/8.2 K%/BB% and 24.9% whiff% in 55.2 IP at Triple-A. Back in my day, elite pitching prospects, I don’t know, they actually pitched like elite pitching prospects. I feel like I was the only one questioning Jackson Jobe even a little this off-season based off his mediocre K/BB rates. Painter has a semi excuse in that he’s coming off Tommy John. And we know it’s often the 2nd year back that guys truly round into form, so I don’t want to get too worried here. But he’s a long way off from the truly perfect pitching prospect he was before going down with the injury.

21) (38) (18) (7) Carson Williams – TBR, SS, 21.5 – He’s been back to himself since June 1st with 11 homers, 8 steals, a 1.011 OPS and 29.1/12.8 K%/BB% in his last 35 games. It’s still major hit tool risk, but it’s nice to see him make adjustments as a 21 year old at Triple-A

22) (177) (UR) (408) Edward Florentino – PIT, OF, 18.6 – Here is how I closed out Florentino’s blurb in June before he got to Single-A, “He certainly looks in the next wave of Top 100 sluggers. Maybe by this time next year” … and then he got to Single-A and is going nuclear, slashing .299/.434/.558 with 4 homers, 16 steals in 17 attempts, and a 22.0/18/0 K%/BB% in 23 games. He mostly certainly looks the part of a stud at 6’4”, 200 pounds with a sweet and powerful lefty swing, and considering how good of a base stealer he is, I have a sneaking suspicion his speed might be underrated too. Pitt has him playing mostly in CF, which tells me his athleticism is definitely underrated. I gotta say, this looks like an elite lower minors prospect. I’m all in

23) (162) (UR) (UR) Joshua Baez – STL, OF, 22.1 – Here is what I wrote about Baez in my Top 9 Mid-Season Dynasty Baseball Targets (Patreon), and I’m putting my money where my mouth is with this ranking. I’m all in: “This guy just has Lawrence Butler 2.0 written all over him. I know his hype has been rising, but I still think even a super savvy dynasty owner might be looking at him as a perfect sell high opportunity. Popped up “out of nowhere,” there is hit tool risk, they just might be thinking they are the one getting one over on you, but it’s going to be the other way around. Play possum on this one. Dummy up. Because what Baez is doing is exactly what Butler did. He’s an absolute specimen at 6’3”, 220 pounds, he crushes the ball, he has 34 steals in 39 attempts in 69 games total, and he now has a 25.8/16.4 K%/BB% in 31 games at Double-A. He’s proving his hit tool gains are real. And the insane, true elite talent is there. Pretend you’re the fool buying in too hard, and then don’t gloat when in a year or two their former owner realizes the mistake they make. You just got lucky ;)”

24) (FYPD-1) (NA) (NA) Ethan Holliday – COL, SS, 18.5 – Why does taking Ethan Holliday 1st overall in FYPD’s feel like falling into a trap? (You can check out my full Top 60 FYPD Rankings on the Patreon) Why does this feel more like Druw Jones 2.0 than Jackson Holliday 2.0? Why does getting drafted into Coors (4th overall in the Draft), the best hitter’s park in baseball, make this feel like falling even more into a trap? I’m thankful that all of my leagues hold their FYPD/available prospects draft in the off-season, after these hitters debut in pro ball and we can start to get some real data and looks on them against pro competition, because right now, I don’t feel strongly about this top pick at all. I’ve tried to put a pitcher in this top spot, but every instinct I’ve ever developed in Dynasty Baseball just wouldn’t let me do it. I’ve considered some other bats for this top spot too, but the bottom line is that there doesn’t seem to be a single player who has the talent, size, upside, bloodlines, and now ballpark to top Ethan Holliday’s potential dynasty value. He’s 6’4”, 200 pounds with a picturesque lefty swing that is smooth and explosive. It has easy double plus power potential written all over it. The dream is that he becomes a middle of the order masher hitting in Coors with power, patience and a solid hit tool. The problem is that he’s shown some swing and miss risk in his amateur career, he still likely needs to make adjustments to fully tap into his raw power, and he’s also not expected to be a big base stealer. So while it’s super easy to talk yourself out of him, there really isn’t anyone slam dunk enough to move me off him right now. For now, he’s my top dog. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 94/32/103/.266/.352/.508/10

By Michael Halpern (@MichaelCHalpern)
Email: michaelhalpern@imaginarybrickwall.com
Twitter: Imaginary Brick Wall (@DynastyHalp)
Blue Sky: Dynasty Halp (@ImaginaryBrickWall)

Posted on July 21, 2025 by Michael Halpern

Welcome to July Prospects Rankings Week!

I was going to do Prospects Rankings Week next week, but I’m too excited to get the FYPD guys in the Rankings and also see where some of the biggest movers will slot in like Florentino and Baez. So this week it is. As usual, I’m going over 300 deep with blurbs for every player on the Patreon. Top 20-ish gets posted for free here on the Brick Wall. First post will drop tom. Catch you then …

-Halp

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Posted on July 15, 2025July 17, 2025 by Michael Halpern

2026 Top 50 First Year Player Draft Rankings (Patreon)

When everyone was shitting on last year’s MLB Draft Class around this time last year, I wrote about how much I actually loved it. In this very article, I wrote, “Do not be scared off to trade into this FYPD class because of the rhetoric you hear from mainstream sources. In fact, you can try to use that to get a discount.” And we are already seeing how exciting that class was for fantasy purposes. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same about this year’s class. If you want to trade for 2026 FYPD picks, don’t pay up for early picks. Grab later ones on the cheap, because like all draft classes, there is still fun talent throughout the rankings. I’ll be going about 50 deep with analysis, prime projections, and where they would rank on the the Top 300 Prospect Rankings for every player. Top 6 free here on the Brick Wall. Here is the 2026 Top 50 First Year Player Draft Rankings:

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1) Ethan Holliday – COL, SS, 18.5 – Why does taking Ethan Holliday 1st overall feel like falling into a trap? Why does this feel more like Druw Jones 2.0 than Jackson Holliday 2.0? Why does getting drafted into Coors (4th overall in the Draft), the best hitter’s park in baseball, make this feel like falling even more into a trap? I’m thankful that all of my leagues hold their FYPD/available prospects draft in the off-season, after these hitters debut in pro ball and we can start to get some real data and looks on them against pro competition, because right now, I don’t feel strongly about this top pick at all. I’ve tried to put a pitcher in this top spot, but every instinct I’ve ever developed in Dynasty Baseball just wouldn’t let me do it. I’ve considered some other bats for this top spot too, but the bottom line is that there doesn’t seem to be a single player who has the talent, size, upside, bloodlines, and now ballpark to top Ethan Holliday’s potential dynasty value. He’s 6’4”, 200 pounds with a picturesque lefty swing that is smooth and explosive. It has easy double plus power potential written all over it. The dream is that he becomes a middle of the order masher hitting in Coors with power, patience and a solid hit tool. The problem is that he’s shown some swing and miss risk in his amateur career, he still likely needs to make adjustments to fully tap into his raw power, and he’s also not expected to be a big base stealer. So while it’s super easy to talk yourself out of him, there really isn’t anyone slam dunk enough to move me off him right now. For now, he’s my top dog. ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 94/32/103/.266/.352/.508/10 Where he would rank in the Upcoming Top 300 Prospects Rankings: #25 – ranked around Lazaro Montes and Bryce Eldridge

2) Liam Doyle – STL, LHP, 21.1 – I really wanted to put Doyle 1st overall, but I just envisioned Doyle going down with TJ/internal brace while Holliday is ripping up the lower minors and flying up to elite prospect status in the blink of an eye, and I just couldn’t do it. But the reason I wanted to put him first overall, is because Doyle has the type of overpowering, high strikeout stuff that has the potential to simply bulldoze through the minors in the blink of an eye, a la Chase Burns. He’s not as good as Chase Burns, but he’s the closest thing this draft has to him. His main weapon is a mid to upper 90’s fastball with an elite movement profile that is elite at missing bats. The pitch is double plus to legitimately elite, and he throws it often. The secondaries aren’t quite as good, but I think they get undersold. The splitter dominated college hitters with elite whiff rates, the slider has above average potential with bat missing ability, and he’s working on a cutter too. His 42.6% K% led all of D1, and the 8.3 BB% shows the control isn’t in the true danger zone. I also think it says something that the Cardinals drafted him 5th overall. This isn’t the usual Cardinals type of pitcher. They lean floor over upside. But quite clearly they fell in love with Doyle’s upside, which I’m also falling in love with. Kade Anderson is the safer choice and he landed in the perfect situation in Seattle, but I lean pure explosion, and Doyle has more of that explosion than Anderson has right now. Doyle is my top pitcher in FYPD’s. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 14/3.33/1.07/216 in 183 IP Where he would rank in the Upcoming Top 300 Prospects Rankings: #30 – ranked around Jonah Tong, Noah Schultz, and Thomas White

3) Eli Willits – WSH, SS, 17.7 – Willits was the semi surprise 1st pick in the draft, but considering there wasn’t a truly slam dunk #1 overall pick, I don’t think it was much of a surprise at all. It seems that he will sign for an under slot deal, which surely factored into Washington’s decision, but even taking money out of it, Willits has a real case to be the top player in this class. He has one of the best hit tools in the high school class with top of the scale contact. He’s a switch hitter and his swing from both sides of the plate are super simple, easy, and very quick. He has plus speed, he’s an aggressive base runner, and he has a plus SS glove. There isn’t much present power, but he’s one of the youngest players in the class at 17 years old, and he’s 6’1”, 175 pounds, so the power should tick up naturally over time. That gives Willits one of the safest floors in the draft with hit, defense and speed, and there is enough power projection here for him to have real upside too. He was worthy of that top pick in this draft class. ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 93/18/77/.283/.348/.438/31 Where he would rank in the Upcoming Top 300 Prospects Rankings: #35 – ranked around Justin Crawford, Colt Emerson, Angel Genoa and Franklin Arias

4) Kade Anderson – SEA, LHP, 21.0 – Anderson couldn’t have asked for a better landing spot than Seattle (3rd overall). Even after falling in love with Doyle’s explosiveness and pure nastiness, pitching in Seattle almost gives Anderson that extra upside nudge to match Doyle’s. And even if Anderson doesn’t have the pure stuff of Doyle, he beats Doyle on pitchability. He’s a 6’2”, 175 pound lefty with an above average to plus 4 pitch mix. The 93 MPH fastball misses tons of bats with a great movement profile, the plus slider is his main breaker, but he throws a plus curve too, and the changeup is a plus weapon vs. righties. He knows how to pitch, he throws the ball over the plate, and there is definitely some projection left on his frame, meaning there is a chance the fastball can sit mid 90’s at peak. It all led to a 3.18 ERA with a 37.4/7.3 K%/BB% in 119 IP in the SEC. It does seem more #2/3 than true top of the rotation at the moment, but again, Seattle give him a bump, and the fastball could tick up in the future. He’s the safer choice over Doyle, and it’s not like he doesn’t have upside himself. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 14/3.41/1.05/205 in 189 IP Where he would rank in the Upcoming Top 300 Prospects Rankings: #40 – ranked around Luis Morales, Logan Henderson, Hunter Barco, Gage Jump and Trey Yesavage

5) Aiva Arquette – MIA, SS, 21.9 – Selected 7th overall, Arquette was the first college bat off the board, and another one wasn’t selected until 13th overall, so he’s clearly the consensus top college bat in the draft by a good margin. The reasons aren’t hard to see. He’s 6’5”, 220 pounds with super smooth athleticism and a viciously quick and powerful righty swing. He slashed .354/.461/.654 with 19 homers, 7 steals, and a 16.5/12.6 K%/BB% in 65 games at Oregon State. He’s not expected to steal many bases, and some hit tool risk could emerge against better competition, so this is a bet on his big righty power bat. He could be a perennial 25+ homer mashing 3B at peak. Do I secretly think Ethan Conrad is the best fantasy college bat in the class? Yes. But trade value matters, and getting the best value out of your draft targets matter too. As of now, you shouldn’t have to go this high to grab Conrad, so I still think Arquette is the smarter play for top college hitter off the board. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 85/26/92/.263/.329/.471/8 Where he would rank in the Upcoming Top 300 Prospects Rankings: #50 – ranked around CJ Kayfus, Ryan Waldschmidt, and Mike Sirota

6) Ethan Conrad – CHC, OF, 21.0 – If there is one guy in this FYPD class that really makes me tingle. The guy who I would hate to leave the draft without. The guy I want to say is my guy, it’s Ethan Conrad. He can so easily become the best fantasy player in this draft, and that isn’t even close to a stretch. He’s 6’3”, 220 pounds, and I’m in love with his lefty swing. It’s loose, athletic, upright, and then he absolutely unfurls on the baseball like a big cat striking it’s prey. He was in the midst of a junior year power explosion with 7 homers in 21 games in the ACC before hurting shoulder diving for a ball which required surgery to repair. But you know I’ve been loving the shoulder surgery discount with so many hitters coming back completely fine, and obviously the Cubs thought the same thing stealing him at 17th overall in the Draft. Not only is the power no joke, but he’s fast and he loves to run with 77 steals in 88 attempts in 200 amateur games. He’s also hit extremely well everywhere he’s been since his freshman year. He had a .813 OPS in 200 PA his freshman year in the MAAC, he topped that his sophomore year in the MAC with a 1.171 OPS in 259 PA, he then went to the Cape and put up a .920 OPS in 120 PA, and then he transferred into the ACC and dropped a 1.238 OPS in 21 games. He’s literally never not hit, and his contact rates have always been pretty damn good too with a 14.4% K% this year, a 15% K% in the Cape and a 12.4% K% his sophomore year in the MAAC. He’s had some chase issues throughout this career, he’s yet to really face super tough competition as he was just getting into the meat of his ACC schedule before getting hurt, and I guess there is some risk coming off the shoulder surgery, but all of that just looks like it opens up a giant buying opportunity to me. Conrad is the guy I’m really targeting in this draft. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 83/24/88/.262/.324/.461/21 Where he would rank in the Upcoming Top 300 Prospects Rankings: #60 – ranked around Jhostynxon Garcia, Xavier Isaac and Dylan Beavers

By Michael Halpern (@MichaelCHalpern)
Email: michaelhalpern@imaginarybrickwall.com
Twitter: Imaginary Brick Wall (@DynastyHalp)
Blue Sky: Dynasty Halp (@ImaginaryBrickWall)

Posted on July 7, 2025July 10, 2025 by Michael Halpern

Monday Morning Dynasty Baseball Rundown (7/7/25)

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Joe Boyle – TBR, RHP, 25.11 – I’ve been calling for it. I’ve been pounding the table. And last week, I threw the gauntlet down, demanding Boyle get called up, flying him up to #178 overall in the Mid-Season Top 437 Dynasty Baseball Rankings (Patreon). If there was any question about Tampa’s magical ability to develop pitchers, they done proved it again by fixing Boyle’s control, and it was high time for him to get unleashed. That time came yesterday, and he didn’t disappoint, going 5 IP with 2 hits, 0 ER, and a 7/1 K/BB vs. MIN. The 98.3 MPH fastball put up a 27% whiff%, the slider dominated with a 71% whiff%, and the splitter was good too with a 29% whiff%. And he walked only one guy!!! It’s his 2nd great MLB outing of the season, and he’s been dominant at Triple-A with a 1.85 ERA and 32.9/10.6 K%/BB% in 73 IP. He was piggybacking Rasmussen in this one, and there isn’t a clear spot in the rotation for him, but I think Taj could be in trouble. Bradley has a 4.79 ERA this season and he has a career 4.76 ERA in 340.1 IP. I still think Taj could breakout down the line. If Tampa had the room, he should stay in the rotation. But keeping Boyle out of the rotation at this point is downright silly. I suspect Tampa is going to do the right thing, but honestly, I don’t know. What I do know is that I’ve been calling Boyle a major target for months now, and I have to believe his time has come.

Emmet Sheehan – LAD, RHP, 25.4 – Speaking of pitchers I flew up my Updated Dynasty Rankings, Sheehan checked in at #170, right in that range he sat before going down with Tommy John, because it’s clear he’s 100% healthy and back to being one of the most exciting young pitchers in the game. The Dodgers called him up for the start yesterday, and he too delivered, going 5 IP with 5 hits, 1 ER, and a 4/1 K/BB vs. HOU. The fastball sat 96.1 MPH, the slider notched a 45% whiff%, the changeup notched a 57% whiff%, and the curve went 1 for 2 on whiffs. It all led to a 31% whiff% with an 86.7 MPH EV against. He was silly elite in the minors with a 45.6/2.5 K%/BB% in 19.2 IP, and this was his 2nd strong outing the majors. I don’t know what happens when (or if) the Dodgers rotation gets more healthy, but I’m buying Sheehan hard regardless.

Byron Buxton – MIN, OF, 31.7 – 2 for 5 with a 104 MPH homer, a 101.1 MPH single and a stolen base. He’s now slashing .270/.334/.544 with 20 homers, 16 steals, and a 27.1/8.3 K%/BB% in 73 games. I feel like we’ve slipped into an alternative reality where Byron Buxton fully lived up to his all time great prospect status. Where he was never injury prone. Where 40/40 seasons were just the norm for him. Sure, this timeline also has the hell world this planet has descended into, but it’s all worth it for a healthy Buxton season 🙂 Maybe I’m a sucker, but I couldn’t resist his pull, jumping him up to #82 overall in the Mid-Season Top 437 Dynasty Rankings (Patreon), because if he actually had health on his side, this would be a Top 20 dynasty asset today, ranked with the likes of Jose Ramirez, Francisco Lindor and Bryce Harper. That is his rightful place. But at this point, we’ll take Top 100 dynasty asset status … until … you know … don’t make me say it.

Ceddanne Rafaela – BOS, SS/OF, 24.9 – The poor man’s PCA is starting to move up into the middle class after another big day at the dish yesterday, going 3 for 4 with a 109.7 homer that was the hardest hit ball of the game. He’s been hitting the ball hard all season with career bests in Barrel% (13%), EV (90.8 MPH), Max EV (112.1 MPH) and Hard Hit% (47.1%). He’s also been making more contact, bringing his K% down 7 percentage points to 19.4%. He combines the improved power and hit with his already elite defense and speed, leading a breakout season, slashing .264/.307/.456 with 11 homers and 11 steals in 86 games. Sure it comes with a 42.6% Chase%, but that is where the middle class man’s PCA comes in. He doesn’t lift and pull nearly as much as PCA, and he doesn’t run nearly as much, but the profiles are so damn similar. Rafaela is on the come up.

Chase Burns – CIN, RHP, 22.6 – It was crucial to see how Burns bounced back from his first true road bump in his professional career after getting bombed in his last outing, and I would say he passed the test, going 4.2 IP with 2 hits, 1 ER, and a 7/4 K/BB vs. PHI. The 98 MPH fastball notched a 26% whiff% and the slider notched a 50% whiff%. That’s what he does. Don’t let the hiccup scare you off.

Brandon Woodruff – MIL, RHP, 32.4 – Woodruff made his return to the majors from October 2023 shoulder surgery, and while the stuff was down, he delivered a vintage performance, going 6 IP with 2 hits, 1 ER, and a 8/0 K/BB vs. MIA. The 4-seamer was down around 3 MPH from prime levels to 93.2 MPH, but it still dominated with a 33% whiff%. The changeup notched a 50%, leading the way to a 30% whiff% overall. He also threw a sinker, cutter, sweeper and curve. That is the type of pitch mix that can survive a drop in velocity. And Woodruff is the type of elite of the elite aces that can still be a damn good pitcher in the back nine of his career with diminished stuff. I got scared off by the surgery, diminished stuff, and the lackluster results at Triple-A (20.6/7.1 K%/BB% in 42 IP) but I never should have doubted legend status. He’s not back to prime levels, but it sure looks like he can still be damn good.

Edward Cabrera – MIA, RHP, 27.2 – I’ve been ringing the buy bell on Cabrera for almost 2 months now, and he keeps on chugging along, going 7 IP with 5 hits, 2 ER, and a 5/0 K/BB v. MIL. He didn’t do it with whiffs (15% whiff%), but he did it with weak contact (86.1 MPH EV). Which quite frankly, Cabrera not needing whiffs to maneuver through a strong start is exciting. He’s becoming a real pitcher and not just a thrower. The control and command have been much better for awhile now with a career best 9.2% BB%, and it’s been even better over the last 2 months at 8%. He has a 2.11 ERA with a 25.3% K% over his last 59.2 IP. The man is learning how to pitch, and he still has the big stuff (96.5 MPH sinker), and whiff ability. I was ready to put Cabrera in the bullpen this off-season as their closer and call it a day, but credit to Miami for never wavering. He jumped up to #164 on the Mid-Season Top 437 Dynasty Ranks (Patreon).

Edward Florentino – PIT, 1B/OF, 18.6 – Florentino was already on the path to Top 100 Prospect status, ranking him 177th overall in the June Top 302 Prospects Rankings (Patreon), writing, “He certainly looks in the next wave of Top 100 sluggers.” And that was before he got to Single-A. After his nuclear explosion yesterday at Single-A, he ain’t waiting on the next wave, he’s here now. Just watch him demolish homer #1 412 feet out to dead center, and then homer #2 with an absolute howitzer of a swing. He’s now slashing .286/.357/.592 with 3 homers, 6 steals, and a 24.6/8.8 K%/BB% in 14 games in full season ball as an 18 year old. He most certainly looks the part at 6’4”, 200 pounds and while you can’t expect him to be a big base stealer, he’s 12 for 14 on the bases in 43 games this season, showing he’s a good athlete. That is all of the ingredients you look for in elite power hitting prospects. He’s blowing up.

JJ Wetherholt – STL, 2B, 22.10 – You don’t gotta be 6’4” to jack a couple dingers, the 5’10” Wetherholt got ahold of 2 of his own, both coming lefty off lefty, and both were frickin laser beams. Here’s the first pull side blast, and here’s the one out to dead center. He’s now slashing .300/.425/.466 with 7 homers, 14 steals, and a 14.5/16.0 K%/BB% in 62 games at Double-A. The profile is completely transferring to the upper minors. He’s going to be hitting atop St. Louis’ lineup for a long time.

Walker Jenkins – MIN, OF, 20.4 – If “out of sight, out of mind” can come for Walker Jenkins, it can come for anyone. I’m actually shocked at the amount of hype that Jenkins lost for being out with an ankle injury. I didn’t think anyone would actually budge on him, but people were budging. They budged. I tried my darndest not to let it take hold of me, and I’m happy I didn’t, because he’s now a 20 year old at Double-A who is having little issue. He went 2 for 4 with a 0/1 K/BB yesterday, and he’s now slashing .284/.429/.418 with 2 homers, 7 steals (in 7 attempts) and a 19.0/19.0 K%/BB% in 18 games. That’s good for a 143 wRC+. Being perfect on the bases shows he’s clearly healthy, the elite plate skills are transferring to the upper minors, and he’s showing some power too. There is also no doubt that a lot more power is coming. I’m always just amazed at how “out of sight, out of mind” almost never fails, but Jenkins is most certainly back is sight, and back in mind right now.

Spencer Jones – NYY, OF, 24.2 – Jones has been absolutely unconscious, and yesterday he blasted one 445 feet into the mountains at Triple-A for his 4th homer in 8 games at level. He had guys trying to climb that rock wall to secure the home run ball. The massive potential has never been a question for Jones, it’s the contact rates, and right now they are sitting at a reasonable 30% K% with a 15% BB%. They were on the way down a bit at Double-A too, sitting at a more palatable 33.7%, at least compared to last year’s 36.8% mark. If he can truly sit low 30’s in the majors, I think that just might be good enough to let his massive power/speed combo shine. The hit tool probably does tank him at the end of the day, but man I just can’t quite this power/speed combo.

Zac Veen – COL, OF, 23.7 – I know the fatigue is strong on Veen, and deservedly so, but he’s actually finally starting to have that raw power explosion that we have been waiting for. He went the opposite way for his 5th homer in 46 games at Triple-A, and while that number isn’t super impressive, it comes with a 50% Hard Hit%. The .311/.382/.494 triple slash with a 17.6/9.8 K%/BB% ain’t bad either. He’s not running as much with only 6 steals, and the 107 wRC+ isn’t super impressive, but I wouldn’t be so quick to give up on him quite yet. Seeing the raw power uptick is low key exciting.

Jacob Reimer – NYM, 3B, 21.3 – Reimer recently got the call to Double-A after destroying High-A (159 wRC+), and he reamed his 3rd homer in just 11 games at the level. The much improved lift and pull he demonstrated at High-A is transferring to the upper minors, although the K% has spiked to 33%. Still a small sample and still just something to watch, but it’s a sign the contact rates could take a step back against more advanced competition.

Grant Holmes – ATL, RHP, 29.3 – 6 IP, 4 hits, 2 ER, 5/3 K/BB vs. BAL. The K/BB wasn’t that impressive, but the whiff% was with a 35% whiff%. The slider led the way with a 50% whiff% as his most used pitch. The 94.3 MPH fastball put up a 82.6 MPH EV against with a 22% whiff%. The cutter dominated with a 40% whiff% and 85.9 MPH EV against. The curve put up a 77.9 MPH EV against. All of his pitches were working, and Holmes is now the midst of that huge breakout I foresaw when I named him a target this off-season. His 31.2% whiff% on the season is in the elite range. He has a 3.44 ERA with a 27.8/11.3 K%/BB% in 102 IP, and he’s been even better than that of late. He rocketed up to #148 on the Mid-Season Top 437 Dynasty Baseball Rankings (Patreon), and even that might not be high enough.

Trevor Rogers – BAL, LHP, 27.8 – Pitching prospects never die. You can slice them up. You can beat them down. You can write them off. And then there they are again. Ready to give it another go on your fantasy team, and now Rogers is calling your name again. Like a ghost you can’t shake. He went 6.2 IP with 4 hits, 0 ER, and a 6/2 K/BB yesterday vs. ATL. The 4-seamer was down to 92.4 MPH, but it still performed well with a 29% whiff%. His sweeper and slider combined for an over 50% whiff%, leading to a 32% whiff% overall. That’s his 4th good start in 5 outings, giving him a 1.57 ERA with a 21.8/7.3 K%/BB% in 28.2 IP. I can’t in good conscious get overly excited here, but it’s wild that he’s firmly back on the fantasy radar. He’s worth a pick up for a pitching needy team.

Cam Schlittler – NYY, RHP, 24.4 – I hate the way Schlittler is getting his shot, because I was a huge Schmidt fan this off-season and have been loving what he’s doing, but when one door closes, another opens. Schmidt is down with Tommy John, and Schlitter is next man up. Schlittler jumped up to #266 on the Updated Dynasty Rankings, as I’ve been just blown away by his stuff at Triple-A. He flings upper 90’s heat with 3 different bat missing breakers. His 35.1% whiff% at Triple-A was straight elite. And he’s a 6’6”, 225 pound beast on the mound. He’s a buy in all league sizes.

Chase Dollander – COL, RHP, 23.5 – 3.2 IP, 5 hits, 3 ER, 2/4 K/BB vs. CHW at home. It could be vs. my 10 year old nephew’s little league team, and if it’s at Coors, he would still get hit up. It brings me no joy to report he now has a 9.37 ERA with a 22/18 K/BB in 32.2 IP at home vs. a 4.25 ERA with a 30/15 K/BB in 36 IP on the road. I implored you with everything I had to stay away from Dollander this off-season. If you haven’t read it already, here was my blurb for him in the off-season Top 1,000, “In a Baseball America Youtube interview (The Hot Sheet Show is a great show in general), Dollander mentioned that he’s literally not planning ahead at all, and doing absolutely nothing different for the looming Coors Field that awaits him. The Rockies literally don’t prepare their pitchers at all for eventually pitching with different air. That makes total sense to me based on how bad their franchise is. If I was heading up a franchise where the ballpark had different air, and their entire history of pitching in that environment was nothing short of horrific, the strategies necessary to thrive in that environment would run deep throughout my organization from rookie ball on up. Dollander answered the question as if nobody has even mentioned it to him ha. I just find that kinda wild. Now, maybe trying to change who you are as a pitcher would only get in your head, and maybe there literally is no good strategy for it, so I guess you might as well not think about it. I’m open to that being the case, but either way, for fantasy purposes, it just reinforces that I’m never going to be the high guy on Colorado pitching prospects, It sure seems like if anyone can slay the beast, it will be Dollander, and as a baseball fan, I’m rooting for him hardcore to be the one who breaks through. A true ace at Coors would be awesome. If we forget about Coors for a second, Dollander is an elite pitching prospect on his own merits with a 2.59 ERA and 33.9/9.4 K%/BB% in 118 IP at High-A and Double-A (he was equally dominant at both stops). The mid to upper 90’s fastball is a double plus bat missing weapon, which he combines with a 3 secondaries (gyro slider, curve, change) that aren’t as good as the fastball, but can be above average to plus pitches in their own right. Below average control is the only other demerit besides Coors Field. I’ve had a zero tolerance policy for Coors pitching prospects my entire life, and it has yet to come back to bite me. Maybe Dollander will be the one to finally make me regret it, and I’m genuinely rooting for him to be the one, even if it won’t happen on my dynasty team.”

By Michael Halpern (@MichaelCHalpern)
Email: michaelhalpern@imaginarybrickwall.com
Twitter: Imaginary Brick Wall (@DynastyHalp)
Blue Sky: Dynasty Halp (@ImaginaryBrickWall)

Posted on July 1, 2025July 4, 2025 by Michael Halpern

Mid-Season 2025 Top 437 Dynasty Baseball Rankings (Patreon)

We are at the midway point of the season, and that means it’s time for the Mid-Season Dynasty Baseball Rankings! As usual, I’m going over 400 deep with blurbs for every player. Top 24 free here on the Brick Wall. Previous rankings (May, April, and Off-season) are in parenthesis. Here is the Mid-Season 2025 Top 437 Dynasty Baseball Rankings:

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR THE REST OF THESE RANKS & TONS OF EXCLUSIVE CONTENT ALL SEASON, INCLUDING:
–JUNE 2025 TOP 302 PROSPECTS RANKS
–MID-SEASON 2025 TOP 400+ DYNASTY RANKS
-HALP’S DYNASTY BASEBALL PODCAST: JUNE MAILBAG! (dropped last week)
-TONS OF DYNASTY RUNDOWNS
-TOP 50 2026 FYPD RANKS COMING SOON
–SPREADSHEETS

1) (1) (1) (1) Shohei Ohtani – LAD, RHP/DH, 31.0 – Finally made his triumphant return to the mound and I would say throwing a career high 98.7 MPH says he’s pretty healthy. He hasn’t given up a single barrel in 4 IP. The Dodgers are majorly slow playing him with super short outings, and I’m sure there is going to be some rust that pops up (the 22.2% whiff%), but it sure looks like he is going to be get back to being an ace. He also has career highs in Barrel% and Hard Hit%, which is just insane. Nobody is taking this top spot from him

2) (2) (2) (2) Bobby Witt Jr. – KCR, SS, 25.1 – Here is what I wrote for Witt in the last update, “Only 5 homers in 54 games, but poor HR/FB luck is the only problem. He’ll go on a homer binge shortly for sure” … and the homer binge came with 6 homers in his last 27 games.

3) (3) (3) (3) Elly De La Cruz – CIN, SS, 23.5 – Here is what I wrote for Elly in the last update, “He’s 12th on the Razzball Player Rater and it doesn’t even feel like he’s been playing that well. K% and Whiff% are both down a hair, which locks in that the hit tool isn’t all of a sudden going to tank him. I’m scared to see where he ends up when he actually gets hot” … and then he got hot, slashing .345/.422/.689 with 10 homers, 6 steals, and a 19.3/11.9 K%/BB% in his last 32 games. Elly with an under 20% K rate is downright scary, and it’s down to 25.2% on the season. He’s 5th on that player rater now

4) (10) (11) (10) Ronald Acuna Jr. – ATL, OF, 27.6 – Two torn up knees? No problem. Acuna is back to being straight elite with 9 homers and a .426 xwOBA in 34 games. He’s also started running again with 4 steals in his last 16 games. He’s fully back. Just stop tearing your knees, please

5) (11) (9) (5) Juan Soto – NYM, OF, 26.8 – Soto went from a .745 OPS on May 28th to a .900 OPS today. That was quick, and the underlying numbers never doubted him for a second. The only one even close to Judge’s league leading .462 xwOBA is Juan Soto at .458. Maybe it was me reminding him to get back to pulling the ball in the air like he did in 2024, because his Air Pull% rose from 11.6% at the time of the last update to 14.6% right now. And he’s going shatter his career high in steals as the cherry on top with 9 already (12 is his career high)

Shadow5) (5) (6) (5) Shohei Ohtani – LAD, DH only/Weekly Leagues, 31.0 – This is where I would rank Ohtani in weekly lineup leagues or as a hitter only

6) (4) (5) (6) Corbin Carroll – ARI, OF, 24.10 – Out since June 18th with a chip fracture in his left wrist, but it doesn’t seem very serious and he’s hoping to return in mid July. He was in the midst of a power explosion with career highs by far in bat speed, EV, Max EV and Hard Hit%, leading to a 40+ homer pace. I’m not docking him at all because of the injury

7) (12) (13) (12) James Wood – WAS, OF, 22.10 – I already had Wood as an elite dynasty asset this off-season at 12th overall, and the nuclear explosion I saw coming is here in all it’s glory with a 40/20 pace. His bat speed, EV and Hard Hit are up even more from last year into the true elite range, and he’s been much better on the bases too. I remember when this dude was dropping in FYPD rankings for supposed work ethic concerns, which I ignored and named him a major target. I’ve been naming him a major target every year since, and it’s awesome to see him fully blossom

8) (6) (8) (7) Kyle Tucker – CHC, OF, 28.6 – Epic contract year performance and you know he has it on the mind when he’s racking up steals more than he ever has with 20 steals in 83 games. He’s also on pace to shatter his career high in homers with 17. This is how you do a contract year

9) (5) (4) (4) Gunnar Henderson – BAL, SS, 24.0 – I’m seeing people getting frustrated with Gunnar, but there is no way I’m budging off him very far. The 93.2 MPH EV is a career high and so is the 17.2% Air Pull%. He’s just playing to the low end of his ability right now, and the low end of his ability is still a 125 wRC+ with a 20/20 pace

10) (7) (10) (8) Aaron Judge – NYY, OF, 33.2 – 35.7% K% in June and the man (if we can even call him a mere man) has a .975 OPS anyway. The only reason I have Judge 10th is because of age, because if you are win now mode, you clearly aren’t trading this man

11) (8) (6) (9) Fernando Tatis Jr. – SDP, OF, 26.6 – It’s his 2nd mediocre month in a row, and while the .384 xwOBA is much higher than the .347 wOBA, he has a history of underperforming his underlying numbers. He’s still on a nearly 30/30 pace and he’s crushing the ball with a 93.1 MPH EV, so I still love him, but you gotta nitpick a bit at the top of these rankings

12) (13) (17) (25) CJ Abrams – WAS, SS, 24.9 – Just continues to lock himself into elite to near elite dynasty asset territory, slashing .354/.424/.598 with 4 homers, 6 steals, and a 14.1/8.7 K%/BB% in his last 19 games. The power is leveling up, but it’s been the hit tool taking the biggest jump. And while he’s still not a good SS, he’s been better there than last year too. This is just a young kid improving in every aspect of the game. He took his punishment at the end of last year like a man and came back better than ever, like I thought he would.

13) (15) (33) (64) Pete Crow-Armstrong – CHC, OF, 23.4 – I’ve victory lapped Pete Crow so hard and so often I’m passed out from exhaustion on the side of the road. Are victory laps only supposed to be metaphorical? Am I the only one actually doing them for real? Is the 44.4% Chase% still a tad concerning? Sure. So there is still real regression risk here, but even with regression, the power/speed combo isn’t going anywhere

14) (19) (18) (19) Paul Skenes – PIT, RHP, 23.1 – 2.12 ERA with a 26.9/7.2 K%/BB% in 106 IP. The only nitpick is that the K% is on the low side, but his 29.6% whiff% is actually higher than last year. There is an argument for Skubal to take the top spot, but Skenes hasn’t done anything to lose his #1 spot, and while I’m not as concerned with age for pitchers as I am hitters, he has 5 years on Skubal too. It’s scary for me to rank any pitcher this high, but the young bats after this are showing enough risk themselves to push Skenes over them

15) (24) (24) (28) Tarik Skubal – DET, LHP, 28.7 – He’s better than Skenes. His 33.4/3.4 K%/BB% in 109 IP blow Skenes out of the water. But Skenes has 5 years on him, and that has to count for something on a dynasty list. Skenes is also the reigning champ, and he’s done nothing to get knocked off that top spot. It’s a coin slip, but that’s why I’m sticking with Skenes at #1

16) (9) (7) (24) Oneil Cruz – PIT, OF/SS, 26.9 – The hit tool got him. He has a .167 BA with a 36.5% K% over his last 27 games. But he still has 4 homers and 9 steals over that time. He’s still on pace for like 30/50. And his .238 xBA and career .241 BA in 1,330 PA still gives me the confidence to stay patient through the struggles. His 22.8% Barrel% is 2nd to only Aaron Judge. His 96.3 MPH EV leads all of baseball. I ain’t running scurred after a slump.

17) (14) (14) (14) Wyatt Langford – TEX, OF, 23.8 – The May slump has extended into June and then he hit the IL with an oblique strain. The underlying numbers aren’t saying he’s going full explosion or anything, but they aren’t showing anything wrong either. The hit tool and plate approach haven’t been quite as good as last year, but not in a range to be concerned. I just think this is a young kid going through the ups and downs of a career. Maybe some growing pains. Overall, I still see an across the board beast at peak, so don’t get discouraged here. Stay patient.

18) (18) (15) (13) Jackson Chourio – MIL, OF, 21.4 – Here is what I wrote for Chourio in the last update, “Julio Rodriguez is the slow starter King, but Chourio may be coming for that crown with a slow start for his 3rd year in row (2023 came in the minors). I’m not gonna lie, the underlying numbers don’t look pretty either with a .289 xwOBA, 87.2 MPH EV, and 40.5% Chase%, but the bottom line is that you can’t sell low. You can’t panic. My bet is still being placed on a monster 2nd half” … and while he wasn’t exploded yet, we are seeing signs of the come up. He has a .805 OPS over his last 30 games and that xwOBA has risen to a better .301. Even with him not really getting hot yet, he still has 13 homers, 15 steals, and a .254 BA in 83 games. And he’s still just 21 years old It’s a long season, and I’m still betting on the 2nd half heater

19) (16) (12) (11) Julio Rodriguez – SEA, OF, 24.6 – 2022 – .814 OPS pre break vs. .937 OPS post break. 2023 – .721 OPS pre break vs. 941 OPS post. 2024 – .690 OPS pre vs. .818 OPS post. 2025 – .726 OPS pre vs. ??? post … call me crazy, but I’ll keep betting on the post break explosion until it doesn’t happen.

20) (21) (19) (18) Jose Ramirez – CLE, 3B, 32.8 – In the midst of another elite season. My rule for elite studs like Ramirez is that you ride them until their age 33 year old season. Only then do you start to consider selling, but even that is based on your team.

21) (26) (26) (29) Garrett Crochet – BOS, LHP, 26.0 – I wasn’t budging off Crochet even there were some slight signs of regression, and then he went out and put up a 2.68 ERA with a 35.7/5.4 K%/BB% in his last 47 IP. I was going on and on about Skenes vs. Skubal, but Crochet has a case for #1 overall himself

22) (41) (60) (108) Hunter Brown – HOU, RHP, 26.10 – Here is what I wrote about Brown in the Rundowns after his latest start, “7 IP, 3 hits, 0 ER, 9/0 K/BB vs. PHI. All 6 of his pitches were working, leading to a 79.5 MPH EV against with a 39% whiff%. He now has a 1.74 ERA with a 32.1/7.6 K%/BB% in 98 IP. I ranked Brown 41st overall in the latest update and closed out his blurb by writing, “He’s a no doubt ace, just not ready to put him into that Skenes, Skubal, Gilbert, Crochet, Yamamoto tier … yet” … and I think “yet,” has quite clearly come. At the time of that update, the whiff% was sitting at 26.6%, and now it raised to 28.8%. Brown is in the elite of the elite tier.”

23) (46) (93) (135) Cal Raleigh – SEA, C, 28.7 – Dude is putting up double digit homers every damn month with 10 in April, 12 in May and now 11 in June. He’s not slowing down

24) (58) (39) (46) Junior Caminero – TBR, 3B, 22.0 – Here is what I wrote about Caminero in the Rundowns after he hit his 20th bomb, and he just hit his 21st last night, “ Make it #20 for Caminero with a 106 MPH bomb on a 85.1 MPH swing. That puts him on pace for over 40 dingers. The 8.9 degree launch is low, but when he does lift it, he makes it count with a 21.7% Air Pull% and a 96.4 MPH FB/LD EV. The 20.2% whiff% is down 11.5 percentage points from last year. He might just be ascending to the #1 hit/power combo dynasty asset in the game. Bye bye, Vlad. Bye, bye Rafael. Where have you been, Yordan? There is a new Sheriff in town, and his name is Junior Alberto Caminero.”

By Michael Halpern (@MichaelCHalpern)
Email: michaelhalpern@imaginarybrickwall.com
Twitter: Imaginary Brick Wall (@DynastyHalp)
Blue Sky: Dynasty Halp (@ImaginaryBrickWall)