March 2026 – Imaginary Brick Wall

Damn it feels good to be doing the Rundowns again! It’s only Spring, but I’m buzzing that there is officially new games and data to analyze … and more accurately at this time of year … to overanalyze. As usual, I’m doing Dynasty Baseball Rundowns all Spring, with most of them coming on the Patreon, and a few coming on the Brick Wall like this one. There is sooooooooo much off-season content already up on the Patreon, and there is much more coming, in particular one of my favorite articles to write every year, Predicting the Top 50 2027 Prospects Rankings which doubles as a Bold Predictions article (coming this week). But first, here is the Monday Morning Spring Dynasty Baseball Rundown (3/2/26):

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–2027 TOP 12 FYPD RANKINGS

Hunter Barco – PIT, LHP, 25.4 – Do you wish you could have gotten in on Connelly Early before he was everyone’s favorite target? Do you wish you could have gotten in on him when he wasn’t even in Top 100 Prospect lists? When he was considered a soft tossing lefty, back end starter? It’s easy to forget how little Early was valued or hyped as early as August 2025, before making his MLB debut, but now you have your chance to get in on the ground floor of Early 2.0, Hunter Barco. He’s being treated the same way Early was treated before the debut, like a soft tossing lefty, back end starter, but he’s not that dude, and he gave you another taste of it yesterday, going 3 IP with 0 hits, 0 ER, and a 3/2 K/BB vs. Ivan Herrera, Nolan Gorman, Jordan Walker, and the rest of a B Cardinals lineup. The fastball sat 93.4 MPH, which is around where he sat last year, which isn’t bad at all for a lefty. And the pitch missed bats with a 47% whiff% (7 for 15) in this one. The slider went 3 for 3 on whiffs and the changeup went 1 for 2, leading to a 55% whiff% overall! The reason Early got so hyped, was because he had a 19.1 IP MLB debut which was enough to get people excited, so let’s be thankful Barco’s MLB debut was only 3 IP. While a small sample, it was enough to show the bat missing ability would play with a 36% whiff% and all of his pitches missing bats. He put up a 29.4% whiff% at Triple-A. This isn’t some low K, soft tossing lefty. This is Connelly Early 2.0 without any of the hype. I named him one of my top SP Targets in my Position by Position Target Series (Patreon), and nothing he’s done this spring has changed my opinion on him, whether he breaks camp with a rotation spot or not.

Konnor Griffin – PIT, SS/OF, 19.11 – Only at Imaginary Brick Wall does Hunter Barco get top billing over Konnor Griffin 😉 … Griffin’s legend is almost old hat already around these parts, but fine, you can pull my arm to get me to post another missile in spring training at 107.8 MPH off a Kyle Leahy hanging breaking ball. Could I have hit that hanger for a line drive single? … no, honestly, probably not, but I would have fouled it off at least, I promise you that (I would have whiffed). Griffin now has 3 hits this spring, and all of them are dingers. Nothing he’s done this spring is telling us anything new, which is that this guy should be treated like an elite dynasty asset already. He ranked 22nd overall on my 2026 Top 1,000 Dynasty Baseball Rankings (Patreon), and quite frankly, if you wanted to Top 10 him, I wouldn’t argue with you too much.

John Gil – ATL, SS, 19.11 – Sam Antonacci might have been the first underrated hype train prospect this spring, but John Gil is right behind him. The only thing Gil needed to show more of to have the big breakout was power, and it looks like the power has arrived. He went deep in back to back games, this one coming at 109.7 MPH. That is legit juice. He also looks thicker and stronger to me than last year. He put up a 14.5/12.4 K%/BB% with 54 steals in 107 games at mostly Single-A, so if the power really is coming, which I think it is, we could be looking at a big breakout. Here is how I closed out his Top 1,000 blurb: “This is a really damn good prospect, both in real life and fantasy, and his hype isn’t even nearly where it is likely going to be by this time next year. He was a solid target last year, and he’s an even better one now.”

Andrew Painter – PHI, RHP, 23.0 – I wish I could have led off the Rundown with Painter’s triumphant year 2 from Tommy John revenge tour, but the thing we really needed to see, we didn’t see. And that thing is a dominant fastball. The 96.8 MPH velocity was good, but the 1 for 8 whiffs is just not the dominant fastball he had before the injury. He pitched well though, going 2 perfect innings with 1 K. He put up a 27% whiff% overall, and he has a bevy of secondaries that can miss bats. He’s a good pitching prospect, but we can’t quite say he’s back to pre injury form when he was legitimately a perfect pitching prospect. Injuries suck.

Anthony Kay – CHW, LHP, 31.0 – Make that two straight sneaky outings that I am digging. Kay went 2.2 IP with 3 hits, 1 ER, and a 2/2 K/BB vs. the Cubs almost real lineup, and while the line isn’t that standout, the 33% whiff% with a 85.7 MPH EV against is. The sinker sat 95.6 MPH and went 2 for 3 on whiffs. The changeup dominated with 3 for 4 whiffs. The slider induced weak contact with a 77.4 MPH EV, the 4-seamer sat 96.1 MPH, and he threw a sweeper too. We are seeing the strikeout rate is very likely to rise back in the states, getting out of the contact oriented NPB. I’m liking Kay more and more as a cheap late draft flier. There is enough to like here and enough upside to take a shot.

Heriberto Hernandez – MIA, OF, 26.4 – You want a legit power sleeper? Going 552 in NFBC? Heriberto Hernandez is your man. He cranked out a 109.6 MPH homer for his 1st of the spring, and even better it comes with a 23.1% K%. Any signs of solid contact rates is a positive in my book. And maybe even more sneakily, he’s stolen 2 bags. This is a powerful dude with a 28.7 ft/sec sprint speed. He’s never been a big base stealer, but what if those steals are a sign he worked on his base running this off-season? He put up a 5 OAA in the outfield last year. I like him better than Conine. He might be better than Caissie this year. He’s super sneaky, and there could be an actual fantasy beast lurking in here. Take some late shots on him.

Braden Montgomery – CHW, OF, 23.0 – Montgomery has been sliding so far under the radar considering how much hype and talk that 2024 Draft class gets, but it’s not going to last for long. Just watch him obliterate this 107.7 MPH homer off Shota Imanaga. Imanaga even hit him with the oakie doke, mess with your timing delivery, and it didn’t faze Montgomery at all. Nothing feels better as a player than when a pitcher or hitter tries some slick shit and you just destroy them immediately. Montgomery can truly smash the ball, he’s a good athlete who is going to steal some bags (he also hit a 101.9 MPH triple in this one which is his 2nd triple this spring), and he’s coming for a job in Chicago very quickly into 2026.

Cameron Cauley – TEX, OF/SS/2B, 23.2 – I yelled it from the rooftops in the Target Series, I then gave you another heads up in the Opening Day Spring Dynasty Baseball Rundown, and now I’ll tell you for the last time, Cauley is majorly underrated. He was back at it yesterday, going 2 for 3 with a 112.9 MPH homer off none other than Logan Gilbert. This man is not messing around, and I hope you’ve taken my advice and scooped him for almost nothing already. Because his value ain’t going to stay this low for long.

Ryan Sloan – SEA, RHP, 20.2 – Say hello to the #1 pitching prospect in 2027, Ryan Sloan. He went 1 perfect inning with 1 K and his elite stuff/command combo was on full display. The fastball sat 98.2 MPH and went 1 for 3 on whiffs. The sweeper put up a 77.6 MPH EV with a 33% whiff%. The changeup went 1 for 1 on whiffs and he throws a cutter too at 92.7 MPH. Here is how I started his Top 1,000 blurb, “High school pitchers don’t just step into pro ball and immediately put up elite walk rates. It’s almost unheard of. I haven’t done a study, and I’m sure there are plenty of examples, but most of the time it’s a Noble Meyer situation. Where you hear a guy has good control and then they put up a 15% BB% in their first taste. Having great control is a mind/body connection, tons of repetition type thing that takes some pitchers well into their MLB career to really find that groove. But not Sloan, who jumped straight off the assembly line as the quintessential Seattle Mariners pitcher.” … this dude is special.

Mick Abel – MIN, RHP, 24.8 – Abel is competing for a rotation spot, and it’s hard to say he’s not clearly winning one after yesterday’s performance. He went 3 IP with 1 hit, 0 ER, and a 6/0 K/BB vs. a terrible Braves lineup. The stuff was fire with a 97.4 MPH fastball that put up a 55% whiff%. The slider went 3 for 3 on whiffs. And he has a diverse pitch mix with 6 different pitches. Sure the lineup was terrible, but the control and stuff has been on point in two outings. He has a 52.4/0.0 K%/BB% in 6 IP. I mean, it doesn’t get much better than that. I don’t know if he’s taking Taj’s or Zebby’s spot, but I don’t see how you leave him out of the rotation at this point.

Connor Prielipp – MIN, LHP, 25.3 – Speaking of Minnesota pitching depth, Prielipp is turning heads this spring too, going 2 IP with 1 hit, 1 ER, and a 2/2 K/BB. The fastball sat 96.5 MPH, but the slider was the star off the show with a 57% whiff%. He also mixed in a curve, change, and sinker. It’s a bit relievery and his injury history also points to the pen, but I mean, it’s not like he can’t start. Also, Minnesota’s pen is terrible. Turn this guy loose in the pen and he might end up their long term closer. I’ll sign up for that right now.

Kris Bubic – KCR, LHP, 28.7 – All we need to see this spring is Bubic’s shoulder looking healthy, and so far, so good. He went 2 IP with 4 hits, 1 ER, and a 3/0 K/BB. The fastball sat 91.9 MPH which is just 0.2 MPH down from last year, and it performed well with a 73.7 MPH EV against. The change, slider and sweeper were all whiff machines, leading to a 40% whiff% overall. Bubic already had the big breakout last year, and as long as he stays healthy, he’s going to be damn good again.

Daniel Espino – CLE, RHP, 25.3 – It’s honestly just so cool to see Espino back out there on the mound and healthy. He went one clean inning yesterday with a 0/0 K/BB. The fire stuff is back with 96.3 MPH heat because shoulder surgeons are dominating the game right now. Maybe it’s just a pen role, but what a win for shoulder surgery pitchers. Woodruff was a shoulder surgery win last year. Gavin Stone didn’t look bad at all in his return from shoulder surgery this spring. It’s not just hitters that are taking advantage of it now. We are in a new era of shoulder surgery.

Samuel Basallo – BAL, C/1B, 21.7 – 2 for 2 with a 109.5 MPH single off lefty Ranger Suarez and a 99.4 MPH, 380 foot double. I saw Basallo following in the footsteps of Caminero, which is following up a weak MLB debut with an explosion, and this spring seems to be setting him up on that path with a 1.138 OPS in 13 PA. After Griffin and McGonigle, there is no other prospect I would want. He ranked 3rd overall on my Top 500 2026 Dynasty Baseball Prospects Rankings (Patreon).

Ryan Waldschmidt – ARI, OF, 23.6 – Waldschidt already hit the ball pretty hard last year, but he’s going nuclear this spring, and it continued yesterday with a 112.1 MPH single and 2 doubles at 111.2 MPH and 106.9 MPH. He now has a 95 MPH EV in 20 PA. The plate skills are strong, he lifts/pulls, he steals bags, and now the hard hit is going through the roof. I’m already high on him, but maybe not even high enough.

Jacob Melton – TBR, OF, 25.6 – Melton is battling for a job this spring, so his spring stats matter, and the power looks undeniable after vaporizing his 2nd homer at 112.1 MPH. He has a 1.141 OPS in 13 PA. That’s good. What’s not good though is the 46.2% K%. And that K% is almost more important than showing the power, because the talent is undeniable. It’s the hit tool that can tank him. He’s already 25 years old and he’s already conquered Triple-A, so I don’t see the point in sending him down. If I were running things, he would be on the team and competing with Fraley and Simpson for at bats straight through the regular season.

Jhostynxon Garcia – PIT, OF, 23.4 – 2 for 2 with a 107.5 MPH frozen rope dinger off JoJo Romero and a 98.2 MPH single. Pitt got crowded in a hurry, so kudos to Ben Cherington for putting together the best offense he could on a shoestring budget, but it still leaves Garcia a bit blocked in the short term. Long term there should be no issues though, and he is showing off the special bat this spring with a 1.394 OPS in 16 PA. If he works his way into the lineup this year, he’s going to make an impact.

Carter Jensen – KCR, C, 22.9 – We didn’t need to see any more evidence that Jensen is about to rake his face off this season, but if you needed more, he’s going about his business this spring too. He jacked out his 2nd dinger yesterday at 101.3 MPH to give him a 1.333 OPS in 12 PA. I already have him as a Top 100 dynasty asset at #99 overall in the Top 1,000. As much hype as he gets, it’s probably not enough.

Chris Suero – NYM, C/OF/1B, 22.2 – You’re going to be hearing a lot more about Suero this season, and it got started yesterday with a 105.3 MPH dinger for his first of the spring. This is your rare plus power/speed catcher (16 homers with 35 steals last year), and he’s going to spend all year in the upper minors. You can see by that athleticism that he can play the OF too. Either the Mets use him as trade bait at the deadline, or he can be deployed as a super utility player, but either way, Suero’s hype is just getting started.

Antwone Kelly – PIT, RHP, 22.6 –Pitt is a pitching factory. Even after trading away tons of pitchers this off-season, they got more on the way, and Kelly is one who is going to see his hype rise majorly in 2026. He took a step in that direction yesterday, going 3 IP with 1 hit, 0 ER, and a 2/1 K/BB. The 4-seamer sat 96.9 MPH and put up a 36% whiff% on 59% usage. The secondaries weren’t as good with the cutter going 1 for 5 on whiffs and the changeup 0 for 1. That backs up his performance and scouting reports from 2025, which is that the fastball is fire and the secondaries still need refinement. He’s also 5’10”, 238, so the profile is definitely relievery, but if he ends up in the pen, he could maybe be in the running for the closer role within a couple years of debuting. He’s worth keeping an eye on.

Reynaldo Lopez – ATL, RHP, 32.3/Grant Holmes – ATL, RHP, 30.0 – This is your weekly Lopez/Holmes heath check. Lopez dominated again (3 IP, 1 hit, 0 ER, 3/1 K/BB) and while the velocity is still down (92 MPH), it’s great to see him pitching so well. I have to think he’s taking it a bit easy, but who knows if he will be able to get back full velocity. Holmes also pitched well (2.2 IP, 1 hit, 0 ER, 2/1 K/BB) with the velo down a tick (93.3 MPH). These are two arms I was avoiding this off-season, and with the velocity still down I can’t say I’m going after them now, but they look good enough where I am more apt to take some cheap shots.

Chase DeLauter – CLE, OF, 24.6 – The news of DeLauter getting scratched last week with lower body soreness from heavy on field work got us all scared … just when I thought he couldn’t possibly be more injury prone, he goes ahead and does something like this … and totally redeems himself with a 2 for 2 day where he walloped a 105.6 MPH bomb off a 97.9 MPH fastball. He can be a special hit/power combo if he can just stay damn healthy.

Walker Jenkins – MIN, OF, 21.1 – Grade 1 hamstring strain … it’s only a grade 1, it’s only a hamstring strain, but this could be the most frustrating hamstring strain of all time. Please do not let the Injury Gods take Jenkins from us. I’m sticking my head in the sand. I refuse to put the Royce Lewis, Byron Buxton, Emmanuel Rodriguez, Twins curse on him. I just refuse. Also, did a witch doctor literally put a curse on this team? What is going on?

Reid Detmers – LAA, LHP, 26.9 – 3 IP, 5 hits, 2 ER, 2/2 K/BB. He got bombed even worse in his first outing. I couldn’t believe he was a popular sleeper again, writing in his Top 1,000 blurb, “Are people back in on Reid Detmers? I kinda keep seeing his name as a favorite sleeper and I keep having to rub my eyes to make sure I’m seeing right.” … and I think I’m seeing right watching him this spring, and what I’m seeing is that I’m still not on him. He’s young, he can miss bats, and the stuff is good, so hey, I guess you never know, but it won’t be on my team.

Joe Boyle – TBR, RHP, 26.8 – 1.2 IP, 1 hit, 0 ER, 2/2 K/BB … I started this Rundown with a Target, so it only makes sense to book end it with a Target too. Except at the Bottom of the Rundown, it’s not for a good reason, it’s for more walks and more inconsistency from Boyle. It’s only spring, but if he keeps it up, he will pretty easily end up in the pen …

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