April 2026 – Imaginary Brick Wall

Posted on April 27, 2026April 27, 2026 by Michael Halpern

Monday Morning Dynasty Baseball Rundown (4/27/26)

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 (4/27/26):

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR TONS OF EXCLUSIVE CONTENT ALL SEASON, INCLUDING:
-TOP 417 APRIL 2026 DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKS (dropped last week)
-TOP 300+ UPDATED DYNASTY PROSPECTS RANKINGS (coming next week)
-TONS OF DYNASTY RUNDOWNS
–SPREADSHEETS
-HALP’S DYNASTY BASEBALL PODCAST: APRIL 2026 MAILBAG!
-PREDICTING THE 2027 TOP 50 PROSPECTS RANKINGS

Eric Hartman – ATL, OF, 19.10, A+ – There is a new collection of beasts breaking out in the prospect world, and they took my Updated Top 417 Dynasty Baseball Rankings (Patreon) by storm last week. Hartman checked in at #305, and then he went lefty on lefty, smacking out his 8th homer in 19 games. I hate to say it, because it’s going to give some people nightmares, but tell me that doesn’t give you shades of Jarred Kelenic. Kelenic used to be good! He used to be a top 2 prospect! I’m not saying that to scare you off, because he’s performing like Kelenic did in the minors, slashing .316/.388/.711 with 8 homers, 8 steals, and a 27.1/8.2 K%/BB%. And he’s doing it at High-A as a still 19 year old. Many of the other similar breakouts are at Single-A, and since the minor league contraction, Single-A pitching can sometimes be closer to rookie ball than anything else. So Hartman doing it at High-A matters to me. I also like the 24.7% whiff% which is much better than the K rate. He’s lightning fast. He’s lifting a ton. He’s leading the charge of the next wave.

Ronny Cruz – WSH, 3B/SS, 19.8, A+ – But Ronny Cruz was right behind Hartman in the Updated Rankings at #307, and he kept pace, coolly knocking out a dinger going the opposite way. When I watch Cruz, I see shades of Alfonso Soriano, and he’s putting up Soriano like numbers, slashing .346/.446/.654 with 6 homers, 15 steals, and a 22.8/12.0 K%/BB% in 20 games. The last 6 of those games came at High-A (3 homers at the level already), which tells you how much Washington believes in this kid that they promoted him so quickly. Unlikc Hartman, some of the underlying stuff isn’t quite as impressive with a 49.1% GB% and 38.7% whiff%, but it’s hard to focus too much on that with his utter destruction at a scouts dream, long and lean 6’2”. Ranking in the Top 300 area on the Updated Top 417 Dynasty Rankings puts him in Top 75 Prospect range, and when I update the Top 300+ Prospects Rankings next week, these guys might just start cracking the Top 50 already.

Taitn Gray – TBR, 1B, 18.9, A – Gray hasn’t reached High-A yet, but this dude is still 18 years old, and he rocketed his 3rd homer to the outfield bar. He’s old enough to hit them in the bar, but he’s not old to go in one himself yet. 3 long years left big man, although I don’t know how many bouncers who would even have the ability to stop you if you wanted to get in at 6’4”, 220 pounds. He’s slashing .344/.451/.563 with 3 homers, 2 steals, and a 17.1/17.1 K%/BB% in 18 games at Single-A. The 24.5% whiff% is strong. Showing this level of elite plate skills at such a young age means he’s got a chance to be a true do everything, middle of the order masher. I was all over him in my FYPD Rankings, ranking him high, and now he’s checked in at #339 on the Updated Dynasty Rankings.

Braylon Payne – MIL, OF, 19.9, A+ – Payne isn’t a new name, he was a FYPD favorite of mine, I stayed high on him this off-season because in Milwaukee we trust, and now that trust is paying off with him going full breakout as a 19 year old at High-A. Just watch the bat control on this one as he goes down to get it and drills it out for 6th bomb. He looks so much more refined out there this year, doing everything we needed to see with more lift (38.2% GB%) and fewer strikeouts (24.6%). He’s slashing .367/.492/.796 with 6 homers, 6 steals, and a 24.6/18.0 K%/BB% in 14 games. He’s now inside the Top 300 at #295, and considering he’s homered in 3 straight games since that ranking, he’s going to rank in an even loftier territory on next week’s Top 300 Prospects Rankings.

Samuel Basallo – BAL, C/1B, 21.8 – Let’s move off the youngsters ripping up the lower minors for a minute, and let’s talk about the youngsters ripping up the majors. And Basallo is at the top of that list with his blow up seemingly here. He went 2 for 4 with a 101.5 MPH homer off Connelly Early. He’s now homered in back to back games, giving him 5 homers with a 114 wRC+ and 22.9/12.0 K%/BB% in 21 games. I’ve been preaching patience with Basallo, and everything you want to see is there with lift (17.5 degree launch), hard hit (46.3% Hard Hit%) and plate skills (22.9/12.0 K%/BB%). His rise to elite power hitter in the realm of Caminero and Kurtz has started.

JJ Wetherholt – STL, 2B/SS, 23.8 – Make it back to back games for JJ as it’s clear everything is transferring to the majors. This one came at 107.4 MPH. He’s hitting it hard with a 43.8% Hard Hit%, he’s lifting it with a 15.6 degree launch, he’s running with 4 steals, and the plate skills are excellent with a 18.5/12.1 K%/BB%. That is everything. He’s going to be a 20/20 machine with a good BA for a long, long time.

Chase Dollander – COL, RHP, 24.6 – And maybe the most exciting/biggest surprise young breakout kept up the magic yesterday, going 7 IP with 5 hits, 0 ER, and 7/2 K/BB at NYM. The 98.6 MPH fastball put up a 28% whiff%. The slider and curve missed a ton of bats. He now has a 2.25 ERA with a 30.0/6.9 K%/BB% in 32 IP, and as crazy as it is to say, I think I’m in on this. Or as in on a Coors pitcher as I’ve ever been. It really did feel like things were going to be different in Colorado when they hired Paul DePodesta. And then you saw those little things smart franchises do in spring and early in the year. And now there is hope maybe we can actually get our first good Coors pitcher with Dollander blowing up. Keep in mind Coors gets it’s most treacherous as he continues to heat up, so I can’t go true young ace, but I gave him a strong #273 ranking in the Updated Top 417 Dynasty Baseball Rankings (Patreon), and I’m thinking I could have maybe even went higher. We are in the upside down world now.

Kyle Harrison – MIL, LHP, 24.9 – Milwaukee doesn’t fucking miss. Boston is spiraling right now enough, and Harrison is just the final nail in that coffin after going 6 IP with 1 hit, 0 ER, and a 12/1 K/BB vs. Pit. The 94.8 MPH fastball was filthy as usual with a 37% whiff%. The slurve dominated with a 53% whiff%. And the changeup was useful with a 82 MPH EV against. He now has a 2.28 ERA with a 31.3/8.3 K%/BB% in 23.2 IP. Milwaukee didn’t even need to unleash the changeup for the breakout. The elite fastball was enough, and the slurve is performing well too. This is why you bet on organization. He checked in at #358 on the updated rankings, and that is looking low after this outing.

Carlos Cortes – ATH, OF, 28.10 – Cortes ain’t young, but he’s looking like one of the more exciting true late career breakouts we’ve seen in a little while. He went 3 for 4 with a triple and 3 hard hit balls yesterday, and his numbers are impossible to deny to right now. He’s slashing .377/.433/.689 with 4 homers and a 6.0/9.0 K%/BB% in 22 games. He’s crushing the ball with a 52.6% Hard Hit% and the 14.8% whiff% backs up the K% mostly. He’s not lifting a ton right now, but he’s had no lift issues in his career. He put up a 132 wRC+ in the majors last year in 99 PA. I’m pretty excited. I think I’m buying this.

Ildemaro Vargas – ARI, 2B/3B, 34.9 – The 34 year old Vargas laughs at calling the 28 year old late career. This is truly late career, and he keeps raking after going 3 for 5 with a double, triple, and homer. That is one single shy of the cycle. He hit for the tricycle. The 37.7 Hard Hit% and 7 degree launch means I’m not buying this one, but I mean, super fun start.

Jose Fernandez – ARI, 1B, 22.7 – Fernandez is the Diamondack that is much easier to buy in, and he homered yesterday too at 103.1 MPH off Michael King. He tacked on a 109.6 MPH and 93.6 MPH single too. I’ve been slow to buy fully in, and I still am with a .308 xwOBA vs. .379 wOBA, but the more he rakes, the more he draws me in. He hits it pretty hard, he can lift/pull a bit, he’s not showing any major hit tool issues, and he’s a great athlete at 6’3” with double plus speed. He’s not a good base stealer, the walk rates are low, and he’s not a huge launch guy in his career, so I still can’t go all in, but it’s clear his value is on the rise.

Ozzie Albies – ATL, 2B, 29.3 – I usually hate to give sells, because if you have a guy on your roster, it means you like him, and if he’s hitting well, why get cute and try to do too much, but Albies is my top sell right now. If you are looking to get off this ride, now is the time to do it. The surface stats are on fire with 5 homers, a .316 BA and .371 wOBA, but the underlying numbers are telling a different story with a 3% Barrel%, 28.7% Hard Hit%, 86.3 MPH EV, and .298 xwOBA. He has the Statcast Killa profile of lift/pull/contact/weak contact, so I’m not saying all of it is lucky, but I’m just not buying it. He’s still not running either. I think now is the time to take that off ramp if you aren’t going for the title this year.

Rhett Lowder – CIN, RHP, 24.1 – While we’re on the topic of guys I’m not buying, Lowder pitched damn well again, going 5 IP with 6 hits, 2 ER, a 7/1 K/BB vs. DET. The 24% whiff% and 94.9 MPH EV is not as impressive as the surface line, and that sums up his season. He has a 3.18 ERA in 34 IP, but the 4.07 xERA, 17.9/7.1 K%/BB% and 20.4% whiff% aren’t as impressive. I think Lowder can be a solid MLB pitcher, but I don’t buy he’s this good.

Foster Griffin – WSH, LHP, 30.8 – 7 IP, 2 hits, 0 ER, 8/2 K/BB at CHW … he was a bat missing machine in this one with a 35% whiff%, and as usual, he threw the kitchen sink at them with a 7 pitch mix … which got me thinking, where did the expression “throw the kitchen sink” even come from. The kitchen sink is pretty basic. It does like one thing. So why the expression? I AI’d it … “It stems from the phrase “everything but the kitchen sink,” which gained popularity during World War II to describe throwing everything possible at the enemy.” … of course it stems from war. So many sports idioms stem from war. And I actually read a book that claimed sports in general evolved from war. When troops had down time, they would sharpen their skills by competing in “games” that tested speed, throwing accuracy, etc … everything is war, sigh. But back to Griffin, he’s been pitching well all season with a 2.61 ERA and 21.9/7.3 K%/BB% in 33.2 IP. I don’t fully believe in it. The 4.51 xERA is preaching caution, but the 25.2% whiff% actually isn’t that bad. The K/BB isn’t too bad for this type of pitcher either. I think he can be a solid arm.

Spencer Arrighetti – HOU, RHP, 26.3 – 7 IP, 3 hits, 1 ER, 8/1 K/BB vs the Yanks … The 22% whiff% and 92.1 MPH EV isn’t as impressive. He’s been good over 3 outings with a 2.00 ERA, but the 4.99 xERA isn’t buying it, the stuff isn’t great with a 92.5 MPH fastball, and the 11.5% BB% shows the volatility. I can’t buy back in too hard yet.

Tate Southisene – ATL, SS, 19.6, A – Now back to the youngsters ripping up the lower minors. Southisene didn’t crack the Updated Dynasty Rankings, but he had a case for it, and his case got stronger yesterday, slicing an opposite field dinger on one he didn’t even get close to all of. His terrible pro debut scared me off in 2025, but he’s wiping that memory away completely with destruction of Single-A, slashing .270/.444/.527 with 4 homers, 15 steals, and a 23.2/17.2 K%/BB% in 20 games. The 52% GB% is still high, but that is the only thing to nitpick. Atlanta obviously knew what they were doing when they surprised people by taking him 22nd overall. Credit to the Braves front office.

Coy James – WSH, SS, 19.1, A – James was another FYPD player that I wasn’t sticking my neck out for, and he’s making me regret it, hitting one into the forest for his 4th dinger in 19 games at Single-A. He was known as a hit tool first type coming out of the draft, and he’s playing to the complete opposite of that profile, slashing .197/.369/.409 with 4 homers, 11 steals, and a 27.4/19.0 K%/BB%. He’s clearly showing hit tool risk, but the .231 BABIP says he’s definitely getting unlucky. He’s on the rise.

Emil Morales – LAD, SS, 19.7, A – The new kids on the block are getting all the attention right now, but don’t forget about my boy Emil who is handling his business at Single-A after drilling his 3rd homer in 19 games. He’s slashing .318/.394/.553 with 3 homers, 2 steals, and a 24.2/9.1 K%/BB%. The 29.8% whiff% ain’t bad, and as long as it stays in that range the power will most certainly do the rest. I’ve been high on him and I’m still high on him.

Seaver King – WSH, SS, 22.11, AA – King had a rough first full season of pro ball in 2025, but he came out on fire in the AFL, giving hope for a 2026 bounce back, and the 2026 bounce back is quite clearly here after tattooing one the opposite way for his 3rd homer in 6 games. He’s now slashing .278/.402/.542 with 4 homers, 3 steals, and a 21.5/17.2 K%/BB% in 19 games at Double-A. This is what Washington envisioned when they selected him 10th overall. The GB% is down to a respectable 44.2% and he’s making tons of contact with a 21.4% whiff%. His value is back on the rise.

Justin Gonzales – BOS, 1B/OF, 19.3 – Let’s check in on the beast himself, Justin Gonzales, as he looks to top 4 whole homers in all of 2025. It took him 93 games to get there. It’s 2026 now, and he’s already at 3 after crushing a grand salami to dead center. Just one away from tying what he did all of last season, and it’s only 17 games. The homer power coming was so obvious with how hard this dude cranks the ball. The 50% GB% is still high, but it’s better than last year, and he hits it so hard that he doesn’t have to be a lift/pull guy. He’s still making tons of contact with a 16.9% K%. He’s living up to his off-season hype.

Logan Henderson – MIL, RHP, 24.1 – 5 IP, 5 hits, 1 ER, 9/1 K/BB at Triple-A … how much longer do we have to watch Brandon Sproat get shelled? I liked Henderson much more than Sproat this off-season, but Milwaukee disagreed, and now they are paying the price for that decision. Hard to question Milwaukee, but sometimes you gotta do it. Nobody is perfect. I have to think the switch is coming soon though. I’m not budging off Henderson. He’s got a 1.02 ERA with with a 35.6/12.3 K%/BB% in 17.2 IP. I’m buying low if you can.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR TONS OF EXCLUSIVE CONTENT ALL SEASON, INCLUDING:
-TOP 417 APRIL 2026 DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKS
-TOP 300+ UPDATED DYNASTY PROSPECTS RANKINGS (coming next week)
-TONS OF DYNASTY RUNDOWNS
–SPREADSHEETS
-HALP’S DYNASTY BASEBALL PODCAST: APRIL 2026 MAILBAG!
-PREDICTING THE 2027 TOP 50 PROSPECTS RANKINGS

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

Posted on April 21, 2026April 26, 2026 by Michael Halpern

April 2026 Top 417 Dynasty Baseball Rankings (Patreon)

The first Dynasty Baseball Rankings Week of the season has arrived! It’s always dangerous dealing with small samples, but the wheeling and dealing doesn’t wait for large samples, so decisions must be made with the information we have. I went over 400 deep with new blurbs for every player. Full Rankings and the spreadsheet are on the Patreon with the Top 30 free down below here on the Brick Wall. Here is the April 2026 Top 417 Dynasty Baseball Rankings (Patreon):

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR THE REST OF THESE RANKS & TONS OF EXCLUSIVE CONTENT ALL SEASON, INCLUDING:
-TOP 417 APRIL 2026 DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKS
-TOP 300+ DYNASTY PROSPECTS RANKINGS COMING SOON
-TONS OF DYNASTY RUNDOWNS
–SPREADSHEETS
-HALP’S DYNASTY BASEBALL PODCAST: APRIL 2026 MAILBAG!
-PREDICTING THE 2027 TOP 50 PROSPECTS RANKINGS
–2027 TOP 12 FYPD RANKINGS

Off-season Ranking is in parenthesis

1) (1) Shohei Ohtani – LAD, RHP/DH, 31.10 – Stole his first bag of the season yesterday, which was the only thing lacking in his profile this year. Well, I guess saves are actually the only thing lacking in his profile. Come on Ohtani, with Edwin Diaz out, you can’t save a few games too? Slacking.

Shadow1) (1) Shohei Ohtani – LAD, DH only/Weekly Leagues, 31.10 – This is where I would rank Ohtani as a hitter only or in weekly leagues. I’m keeping him Shadow 1, but it he’s still not running that much by next month, I might slip him closer to the Top 5 range

2) (2) Juan Soto – NYM, OF, 27.6 – Hit the IL after 8 games with a calf injury. The only thought is will the calf injury be a reason to not run very much again? But other than that, there is nothing to move off him #2 yet

3) (3) Bobby Witt Jr. – KCR, SS, 26.10 – 0 homers in 23 games, and I can’t say I didn’t at least warn you a little bit, writing in his Top 1,000 blurb, “Witt hit only 23 homers in 157 games, and while I want to completely hand wave it away as just a down power season, I don’t think we can completely dismiss it.” … but just like the off-season, I’m still not letting it scare me away. The dude has a 53.1% Hard Hit% with a 19 degree launch. The homers will come, and everything else is there. I’m not budging off him.

4) (5) Corbin Carroll – ARI, OF, 25.8 – The hamate looks like no problem with a .990 OPS in 20 games

5) (6) Elly De La Cruz – CIN, SS, 24.3 – Power is leveling up with a 95 MPH EV, 53.4% Hard Hit%, and 14.5 degree launch. The 31.7% whiff% with a career 31.8% whiff% really isn’t even that bad. We’re seeing a new level of Elly, and I love it, but the guys I ranked ahead of him still do have more hit tool safety

6) (4) Ronald Acuna Jr. – ATL, OF, 28.4 – .719 OPS vs. .401 xwOBA … if you can buy Acuna even slightly low, I would be all over it

7) (7) Aaron Judge – NYY, OF, 34.0 – The decline ain’t here yet with 9 homers, 4 steals, and a .426 xwOBA. Elite win now piece

8) (16) Paul Skenes – PIT, RHP, 23.10 – Pitt actually has a good offense now. Skenes already has 3 wins. His only weakness is now maybe a strength. He easily ascends to top dynasty pitcher in the game and he might not give up that crown for a long, long time. I don’t remember the last time I had a pitcher in my top 10 dynasty assets.

9) (10) Gunnar Henderson – BAL, SS, 24.10 – Nobody was more frustrated by the 17 homers last year than Gunnar, because he’s out for blood this year with a launch explosion to 19 degrees. The 30.8% Air Pull% has also exploded. It’s working with 7 homers already, which is what we want to see for fantasy, but it is impacting the hit tool with a .196 BA and 30% K%. Hopefully he can find a nice middle ground, but for fantasy, I like the direction he’s headed in assuming the hit tool normalizes

10) (8) Fernando Tatis Jr. – SDP, OF, 27.3 – 67.7% Hard Hit%, 14.5% Barrel%, 94.1 MPH EV, .384 xwOBA … he’s going to be fine. Buy low if you can

11) (9) Julio Rodriguez – SEA, OF, 25.4 – .609 OPS in 24 games … like fucking clockwork … you know the drill, don’t sell low because the big 2nd half is coming. Just gotta sweat it out for 2-3 more months … torture

12) (98) Sal Stewart – CIN, 1B/3B, 22.5 – Maybe I’m a little crazy. Maybe I’m buying too much into a small sample. But tell me what this man doesn’t do. Power (8 homers with a 49.2% Hard Hit%), plate skills (18.4/14.3 K%/BB%), lift (13.9 degree launch), stolen bases (5 steals), and ballpark. And all of these things are things he’s done in the minors and last year in the majors. He’s slow, but he’s in the mold of a Kyle Tucker on the bases. Again, that is everything. I was all in this off-season ranking him in the Top 100 already at #98, and I’m staying all in now. He doesn’t have the hit tool risk of Kurtz. He runs more than Kurtz and Caminero. I can only tell you how I would play the game, and there are just very few guys I’m trading Stewart for right now.

13) (11) Nick Kurtz – SAC, 1B, 23.1 – 98.5 MPH EV with a 64.3% Hard Hit% and .410 xwOBA. I really hope you didn’t panic after his slow start, because he’s already starting the blow up, swing and miss be damned. The 38.6% whiff% is still just a tad high, not gonna lie ha

14) (12) Junior Caminero – TBR, 3B, 22.9 – 5 homers with a 16.8/11.9 K%/BB% in 22 games. He’s lifting and pulling even more. It’s super “fun” that he has a .689 OPS with only 1 homer at the Trop, so we can’t quite put that minor league park career 2025 to bed, but everything still points towards him being one of the premier power hitters in the game for a long time

15) (17) Tarik Skubal – DET, LHP, 29.5 – 2.08 ERA with a 28.0/5.1 K%/BB% … Skenes’ pull ahead with the new and improved Pitt offense, but that is no slander towards Skubal

16) (13) Roman Anthony – BOS, OF, 21.11 – .311 wOBA vs. .348 xwOBA … he’s lifting more with a 10.2 degree launch … the 26.1/13.6 K%/BB% looks good … he’s nabbed 2 bags … the heater is coming. Buy low if you can. I’m not moving off him as an elite core dynasty bat. And those are the type of bats I just don’t trade

17) (14) Kyle Tucker – LAD, OF, 29.3 – Not off to the best start but even when he’s not hot he still produces with 3 homers and 3 steals in 21 games. We know what we are getting from Tucker when it’s all said and done

18) (18) Zach Neto – LAA, SS, 25.2 – 15.7% BB% shows he’s maturing as a hitter. 5 homers and 2 steals in 23 games shows the near elite power/speed combo ain’t going anywhere. A mediocre BA is the only blemish, but he’s backing up my aggressive ranking of him from this off-season

19) (23) Jose Ramirez – CLE, 3B, 33.7 – 6 homers, 10 steals and a .421 xwOBA in 23 games. I would say the decline ain’t here yet. As always, in pure win now mode, he would rank higher

20) (26) Yordan Alvarez – HOU, OF, 28.10 – I started Alvarez’ Top 1,000 blurb by writing, “Alvarez is the easiest buy low call in the history of buy low calls” … and yea, he has a 1.261 OPS in 23 games. .553 xwOBA leads all of baseball by a mile (Dillon Dingler is #2 at .475). Too easy to even victory lap. Just stay healthy

21) (39) CJ Abrams – WSH, SS, 25.7 – The mid 20’s power explosion could be here with a 48.4% Hard Hit% and 90.4 MPH EV. It’s resulted in 6 homers and a 1.016 OPS. I will say he got off to this same hot start last year before cooling off, so maybe he’s a first half player, but I’ve stayed high on Abrams, and it feels great to see the hot start. Plus, a 20/30 floor is why I kept ranking him high

22) (20) Jackson Chourio – MIL, OF, 22.1 – Yet to debut with a fractured hand that is expected to keep him out until early May

23) (27) James Wood – WSH, OF, 23.7 – When you put up a 96.2 MPH EV with a 64.8% Hard Hit%, who even needs to make contact or hit the ball in the air that often? Both of those things are still bad, but I mean, it doesn’t matter with 7 homers, an .893 OPS and .421 xwOBA. And he’s a perfect 4 for 4 on the bases. He’s putting that scary 2nd half in the rearview mirror, but the .237 BA, 32.4% K% and 35.8% whiff% is still lurking

24) (22) Konnor Griffin – PIT, SS/OF, 20.0 – Rough start to his MLB career both surface and underlying numbers wise, but quite clearly we need to be as patient as a saint with a 19/20 year old in his first taste. Hold strong

25) (25) Vladimir Guerrero Jr. – TOR, 1B, 27.1 – 2 homers with a .354 BA … he continues to be far too much of a BA play for fantasy. It’s why I didn’t rank him higher than 25th this off-season. He just doesn’t lift and pull enough and it doesn’t seem like he’s interested in trying to lift and pull more, but he’s still rock solid beast regardless

26) (37) Kevin McGonigle – DET, SS/2B, 21.9 – No adjustment period needed as McGongile is exactly as advertised with a 12.8% whiff% and .317 BA. A 39.4% Hard Hit% with a 18.5 degree launch and 27.3% Air Pull% says the homer power is going to come (1 homer). He’s not running a ton with 1 steal, so that might be the only thing that holds him back even slightly, but he’s already a near elite dynasty asset and this is just the start. I get going McGonigle over Griffin right now, but I can only tell you what I would do, and my gut still can’t part with Griffin. Griffin’s fantasy upside is still on another level

27) (33) Yoshinobu Yamamoto – LAD, RHP, 27.8 – 2.10 ERA, 0.82 WHIP, 30.9% whiff%, and a 3.2 BB% in 25.2 IP. He’s backing up being the top pitcher in Tier 2, and with Crochet’s struggles, I can’t say I would take Crochet over Yamamoto. Welcome to Tier 1, Yoshi! And I really don’t think he’s far off from Skenes/Skubal right now. He might get there next month

28) (86) Brice Turang – MIL, 2B, 26.5 – The power ain’t going anywhere, and in fact, it’s leveling up again with a 94.5 MPH EV and 58.8% Hard Hit%. He’s lifting a bit more too with a 11.7 degree launch. And he’s back to running a ton with 6 steals. That is a near elite dynasty asset at the least. We gotta start treating him like it

29) (36) Bryan Woo – SEA, RHP, 26.3 – 2.25 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 21.1/4.9 K%/BB% and a 24.2% whiff% in 32 IP. The only thing keeping him out of Tier 1 is the whiffs, and quite frankly, maybe that shouldn’t even matter. True ace on the Tier 1/2 border, and right now, would I really trade Woo for Crochet? I don’t think I would. It could look silly by next month though. That is the small sample game

30) (49) Cristopher Sanchez – PHI, LHP, 29.5 – Bad BABIP luck (.413) has led to a 1.41 WHIP, but he’s so good that it doesn’t even matter with a 1.59 ERA and 31.7/6.5 K%/BB% in 28.1 IP. 32.3% whiff% is in the elite of the elite. Hard to say he’s not a Tier 1 ace right now, or close to it, and like Woo, could I really trade him for Crochet? I don’t think I could

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR THE REST OF THESE RANKS & TONS OF EXCLUSIVE CONTENT ALL SEASON, INCLUDING:
-TOP 417 APRIL 2026 DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKS
-TOP 300+ APRIL 2026 DYNASTY PROSPECTS RANKINGS COMING SOON
-TONS OF DYNASTY RUNDOWNS
–SPREADSHEETS
-HALP’S DYNASTY BASEBALL PODCAST: APRIL 2026 MAILBAG!
-PREDICTING THE 2027 TOP 50 PROSPECTS RANKINGS
–2027 TOP 12 FYPD RANKINGS

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

Posted on April 20, 2026April 20, 2026 by Michael Halpern

Welcome to the First Dynasty Baseball Rankings Week of 2026!

The first Dynasty Baseball Rankings Week of the season has arrived! It’s always dangerous dealing with small samples, but the wheeling and dealing doesn’t wait for large samples, so decisions must be made with the information we have. I’m going over 400 deep with quick blurbs for every player. Full Rankings will be on the Patreon with about a Top 20-ish free here on the Brick Wall. First post drops tomorrow. Can’t wait to see how ballsy I get with Sal Stewart’s rank hah … catch you tom …

-Halp

Posted on April 6, 2026April 6, 2026 by Michael Halpern

Monday Morning Dynasty Baseball Rundown (4/6/26)

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Slade Cecconi – CLE, RHP, 26.9 – I was the only man alive with a bat speed against target this off-season, and in fact, I might have been the only man alive to even look at bat speed against, hah, but when I dug in, there was one major takeaway, and in short, that takeaway was Slade motherfucking Cecconi. Hitters swing in Slow Mo vs. this man, and they were swinging in mud yesterday too. He went 6 IP with 1 hit, 0 ER, and a 6/1 K/BB vs. CLE. He has a well below average 70.0 MPH swing speed against this year, which is even better than last years mark. I was smelling that there was some value in bat speed against when I dug in for my 18 Dynasty Baseball Strategies/Thoughts for 2026, writing in part, “Chis Sale once again led all starters with a 70.9 MPH against, and Hunter Greene was 2nd at 71.1 MPH. Skubal was third and Skenes was 4th. I mean, the fact that those 4 guys are top 4 tells me that bat speed against means at least a little bit. The interesting takeaway from that is that Slade Cecconi is 5th.” The 93.5 MPH 4-seamer dominated in this one with a 44% whiff% (8 for 18). I loved the cutter this spring, and he went to it 29% in this one, using it to induce weak contact with a 72.8 MPH EV. The curve and sweeper were solid too, leading to a 30% whiff% and 87.1 MPH EV on the day. His first outing wasn’t as good as this one and the fastball velo is down a bit, so too early to call this one in either direction, but I’m pumped to continue following how my bat speed against does. And just looking at the early leaderboard this year, I see Andrew Painter sitting pretty at 69.6 MPH. Hmmm .. I like it.

Braxton Ashcraft – PIT, RHP, 26.6 – If you read my first Monday Morning Rundown of the season last week, you know I took my lumps, so let your boy have some fun with this one and take some laps. And nothing more fun than seeing one of my top pitcher targets go off against Baltimore. Ashcraft went 6 IP with 4 hits, 1 ER, and a 8/0 K/BB. The 96.2 MPH gas put up a 31% CSW%. The slider and sinker induced weak contact. And the curve and splitter missed bats and induced weak contact. That’s two good outings to start the season for Ashcraft, and while I would say he’s off to more of a solid start than a truly dominant one, as there are things to nitpick (like the 22.7% whiff%), we’ll take it. I know he started to get a ton of love as the off-season went along (thanks, Eno 😉 … hah, I’m just messing around, I’m an Eno fan! But I planted that flag back on October 6th in the first Dynasty Team Report I wrote up, and I literally wrote in that Pirates Team Report, “There is nothing worse than identifying targets/sleepers early in the off-season, only to watch their value skyrocket by the time your draft comes around. You just sit and pray everyday that some popular analyst doesn’t decide to name them one of their sleepers, because if they do, forget about it, all value is lost in the blink of an eye.” … hah, so can’t say I didn’t see it coming, but he deserved that love and I remained high. Long way to go but good start.

Edward Cabrera – CHC, RHP, 28.0 – Cabrera was another big target for me, and he put in Yeoman’s Work vs. CLE, going 5.2 IP with 1 ER, 0 ER, and a 4/5 K/BB. Sure those walks are scary considering his track record, but when it comes with a one hitter shutout, we won’t get so worked up over them. He went to the 93 MPH changeup 46% of the time and it notched a 35% whiff%. The heaters didn’t miss any bats, but he was pumping them in there at 97 MPH on the sinker and 95.5 MPH on the 4-seamer. The curve and slider combined for 2 for 5 whiffs. That’s two straight shutouts for Cabrera. Great start.

Chase Burns – CIN, RHP, 23.2 – I hade Burns in a completely other Tier than any of the other fun young aces, already putting Top 10 dynasty pitcher status on him, and he hasn’t disappointed, going 6 IP with 5 hits, 1 ER, and a 9/1 K/BB vs. TEX. The 98.6 MPH fastball put up a 32% whiff% and the 91.2 MPH slider put up a 56 whiff%. He didn’t go to the changeup often, but it dominated when he did with 3 of 6 whiffs and a 56.8 MPH EV against. It’s his 2nd dominant outing of the season. I was all gas, no brakes on Burns and this is why. I still think he’s on a level of his own. True ace.

Maikel Garcia – KCR, 3B, 26.1 – Garcia got on the board for his 1st homer with a 101.5 MPH shot off Kyle Harrison, and it was only a matter of time with that 18.1 degree launch. Once he got a taste of that power uptick in 2025, I knew he was going to smell blood in the water and come for more. I saw the Ketel Marte rise since him being one of my top targets in 2024, and I thought he was coming for elite dynasty asset status this year, writing in his Top 1,000 blurb, “I don’t see why Garcia wouldn’t be emboldened by the success he had in 2025, and try to continue to build on that this off-season. Ketel Marte had that similar slow but steady rise in launch, barrels, and air pull, and I still see that same path for Garcia. Even if he doesn’t keep improving, this was a definite leveling up/breakout, and I think there could be more down the line especially with the new ballpark dimensions. I’m buying high.” … and I’m still buying high. I really do believe we could be looking at an elite or near elite dynasty asset in short order.

Joseph Dzierwa – BAL, LHP, 21.11, A+ – I know Dzierwa didn’t pitch yesterday, but I’m too pumped not to include him in this Rundown after his gem of a first outing. He went 6 IP with 1 hits, 0 ER, and a 9/1 K/BB. If you’re on my Patreon, you know he was my top true sleeper college FYPD arm that was getting zero hype, but he’s not getting zero hype anymore as his value already started to rise with a killer Spring Breakout appearance. And now this. Just watch this filth from a funky 6’9” lefty delivery. That is what I was watching when this guy was in college, saying he’s massively underrated. It’s only High-A and there is a long way to go, but you almost got your money’s worth already as a trade piece if you scooped him in your FYPD.

Miguel Sime – WSH, RHP, 18.11, A – Dzierwa was my top college sleeper target, but Sime was my top high school sleeper target, and the start to Sime’s career might be even nastier than Dzierwa. I was seriously on an island with both of these guys. His hype got going in Spring Breakout too, and now it’s going right into the regular season. He went 2.1 IP with 1 hit, 1 ER, and a 6/1 K/BB at Single-A. I watched this entire outing and Single-A hitters were straight helpless up there. The breakers were filthy and he actually commanded them pretty damn well. He was then blowing upper 90’s heat right by guys. There is definitely still control/third pitch risk, but I’m even more all in now than I already was. Don’t make me choose between Sime and Dzierwa! It’s like making me choose a favorite child! But both are legit on a beeline for Top 100 status.

Kaelen Culpepper – MIN, SS, 23.3, AAA – And how about another FYPD Target while we’re on the subject, this one from the 2024 Draft, Culpepper is off to a hot start at Triple-A, going deep twice for his 2nd and 3rd bombs on the year. The first came off Payton Tolle (who pitched well as we are just awaiting his much deserved 2nd shot at the majors) at 101.3 MPH. When Culpepper gets ahold one to his pull side it is a thing of beauty as seen here off Tolle and then here for his 2nd of the day. The camera wasn’t close enough to see if he went Tongue Out, but I like to think he did. He definitely looks bigger and stronger to me this year too, and he’s hitting the ball harder too with a 50% Hard Hit% and 90.3 MPH EV. That is the main thing we needed to see, because the hit, speed and D were already there. The Twins don’t believe in Brooks Lee. That means Culpeper is on the way sooner rather than later at SS, although Marek Houston is going to figure in very soon as well. I’ve loved him for 2 years now, and his value is jumping even higher to start 2026. He basically needs to be owned in just about all leagues sizes, no matter how shallow or how few prospects are owned.

Jesus Made – MIL, SS, 18.11, AA – Checking on in the 18 year old Made at Double-A … 4 for 5 with an opposite field frozen rope dinger and a stolen base. Yea, I would say that will do. With Griffin, McGonigle, and Basallo all debuted, that makes Jesus Made my #1 non debuted prospect in baseball. But you better believe Leo De Vries is nipping at his heels. If I could name two #1’s, I would. But I can’t. That’s not how rankings work. There can only be one #1. It’s Made … for now.

Marek Houston – MIN, SS, 22.0, A+ – Houston needs to show more power. We know he needs to show more power. He knows he needs to show more power. And then he went out in his 3rd game at High-A and showed more power with an opposite field blast. Although it seemed he lifted that one into the wind stream and let mother nature do the rest. He’s off to a hot start to the season with a 232 wRC+ in 3 games. If the Hard Hit comes, he’s going to look like an FYPD steal, but long way to do and he’s still in the lower minors.

Charles Davalan – LAD, OF, 22.4, A+ – Davalan ripped up his 8 game pro debut in 2025, and now he’s picking right back up after hitting 2 homers in the same inning! That also might tell us something about the level of pitching he was facing, but we’ll gloss over that for a second hah. Davalan is your classic little man discount FYPD pick, and in an era where the little men are starting to get not all that discounted at all, he still did at 41st overall in the draft. LA jumped on that value. He’s little, but he cracked 14 homers his junior year and 10 homers his sophomore year, so the guy has pop. The contact is elite, he’s got good plate skills and plus speed. That is everything. I still fear he’s a 400-500 PA guy on the Dodgers if he doesn’t get traded, but that is only something we can keep in the back of your mind right now. He’s gonna fly up rankings this year.

Jack Leiter – TEX, RHP, 25.11 – 5 IP, 4 hits, 1 ER, 9/1 K/BB vs. CIN … The 97.3 MPH fastball put up a 56% whiff% (9 for 16). The changeup nearly matched it at 54% (7 for 13). And the slider chipped in with 2 for 4 whiffs. It all led to a 47% whiff% with a 86.7 MPH EV against. I was getting pretty excited about Leiter after his first outing, and I can’t help but feel even better after this one. We know he’s inconsistent. We need to see it for longer before really putting young ace on him, but man does he look electric. I’m buying it.

Kyle Harrison – MIL, LHP, 24.8 – 5.1 IP, 3 hits, 2 ER, 6/2 K/BB vs. KC … The Brewers are like, who needs secondaries anyway, we’ll get the breakout just on the back of that nasty fastball on it’s own. It sat 94.2 MPH in this one on 60% usage with a 30% whiff%. The slurve induced weak contact with a 77.5 MPH EV against the changeup was useless with 0 whiffs, 0 called strikes and a 110.8 MPH EV. His value was rising in spring due to the changeup, but the real reason his value was rising because Milwaukee is the model franchise, and they are proving once again their supremacy. The fact the secondaries haven’t been shining still matter to me, so I wouldn’t go too crazy on his value, but he clearly keeps trending up.

Kodai Senga – NYM, RHP, 32.6 – 5.2 IP, 5 hits, 2 ER, 7/2 K/BB vs. SFG … The 96 MPH put up a 29% whiff%. The forkball notched a 44% whiff%. The cutter and sweeper missed bats. It all led to a 32% whiff%. We already knew Senga was back this spring. He dominated in game 1 too. He’s fully back. Now he’s just gotta stay healthy.

Oneil Cruz – PIT, OF, 27.6 – I joked in my Patreon Rundowns that my 2025 Targets were so insane, that the few that didn’t hit are now going off in 2026 (Jordan Walker, Jose Soriano, Garrett Mitchell, Oneil Cruz), and Cruz keeps coming with a 111.8 MPH bomb yesterday. And better, yet, it came with 0 K on a 2 for 4 day. The swing and miss is still in crazy, full blown danger zone with a 48.5% whiff%. Honestly, I’m not even sure what to do with that hah … so I ain’t going back all in as the risk is still sky high, but I love to see the hot start to the season. I still own a lot of the guys I listed above from going after them in 2025. Those 2025 Targets are the gift that keeps on giving.

Ben Rice – NYY, 1B/C, 27.1 – Speaking of those 2025 Targets, Rice might have been my favorite hit from that group, and now he’s going next level nuclear after destroying a 110 MPH homer off Pete Fairbanks. He has a 96.9 MPH EV with a 1.380 OPS and .453 xwOBA. After being unlucky the last two years according to Statcast, the luck gods are in his favor this year. I’m scared to see what a lucky Ben Rice season looks like.

Drake Baldwin – ATL, C, 25.0 – Baldwin wasn’t a target for me in 2025, but there were more than enough catcher targets to go around for everyone last year, and like Rice, Baldwin’s taking it up a notch in 2026 after going 3 for 5 with a 108.4 MPH homer off Pfaadt. That gives him 4 homers with a 6.7% K% and .461 xwOBA. The launch is up a bit to 8.5 degrees. We are in a whole new era of catchers and it’s glorious.

Cole Young – SEA, 2B, 22.8 – Young’s power surge from the spring has transferred to the regular season with him smacking a 104 MPH homer for his 2nd in 10 games. He has a 157 wRC+. The underlying numbers don’t look quite as good as the surface stats though with a 85.4 MPH EV and 37.5% Hard Hit%. That Hard Hit% is up from 2025, so I see the uptick, but it’s still not in true power hitter territory. I still do worry that he’s not running much, and I also worry the power is only going to end up solid rather than truly impact. Which means the upside might not be huge, especially in Seattle, but I can’t hate on the start. Or I guess I can, because I just did hah, but I like him!

TJ Rumfield – COL, 1B, 25.10 – Rumfield was getting some deep sleeper love this off-season, and the guys touting him have to be hyped right now after he lifted off at 107.6 MPH for his 2nd homer. He now has a 168 wRC+ in 9 games. I can’t lie that I’m still not really buying in though. He just simply doesn’t hit the ball hard enough for me. He has a 84.3 MPH EV with a 31.8% Hard Hit%. He didn’t hit the ball that hard at Triple-A either. The hit tool is solid but it’s not elite. Fun start, and maybe I’m wrong, but I still don’t see big upside here. I’m not buying high.

Mickey Moniak – COL, OF, 27.11 – Moniak on the other hand I was buying into more, and he’s looking to build on that 2025 breakout with 2 homers at 108.7 MPH and 103.1 MPH. He crushed the ball in 2025, and he’s back at it in 2026. I’m in here.

Foster Griffin – WSH, LHP, 30.8 – Hit em with that kitchen sink baby as Griffin threw a 7 pitch mix, going 5 IP with 5 hits, 1 ER, and a 6/3 K/BB vs. the Dodgers. He only sits 91.2 MPH, but the myriad of secondaries had the Dodgers in stiches, leading to a 30% whiff% overall. That’s his 2nd excellent outing of the season as Griffin is establishing himself as a legit fantasy option. Back end kitchen sink guy is likely still the projection, but the mid-rotation upside is definitely popping it’s head up. With Cody Ponce down for the count, Foster has to pick up the pieces for his fallen Expat.

Parker Messick – CLE, LHP, 25.5 – 5 IP, 2 hits, 1 ER, 6/3 K/BB vs. CHC … there is nothing prospect rankers hate more than low velo. These guys can literally prove it in the majors, and prospect rankers will still give them all kinds of disrespect. But you know what, Messick averaged 93.3 MPH in this one, which isn’t even low velo for a lefty, and the pitch put up a more than respectable 25% whiff%. The changeup was untouchable with 7 of 10 whiffs. The breakers missed some bats and he mixed in a sinker and cutter, all leading to a 35% whiff% overall. His first start was a gem against the Dodgers. It’s pretty clear this dude isn’t going anywhere. I gave him love as a Top 75 prospect and Top 300-ish dynasty asset, and he continues to climb those rankings.

Christian Zazueta – LAD, RHP, 21.6, A+ – 4 IP, 2 hits, 1 ER, 7/1 K/BB at High-A … Zazueta is a hype beast breakout candidate this year, and his first real start at High-A went just about how his starts at Single-A went last year. Which is that he’s a K/BB King, and a K/BB King is the best kind of King there is as a pitcher. He put up a 29.7/5.9 K%/BB% in 2025. He’s 6’3” with a potentially plus 93+ fastball/changeup combo. Fastball/changeup righties guys can often dominate the lower minors before finding trouble against more advanced competition, so as a 21 year old, we need to see it in the upper minors before really going crazy, but keep him on your radar.

Nathan Flewelling – TBR, C, 19.5, A+ – Flewelling was a popular sleeper catcher prospect this off-season, and he got on the board for his first at High-A as a 19 year old going lefty on lefty. He also has a 50% K% in 3 games, so still a long way to go and a lot to prove, but he looks to be in the next wave of top catcher prospects.

Conor Essenburg – ATL, LHP/OF, 19.6, A – Essenburg was a $1.2 million dollar bonus baby, and while I was unsure if they were going to unleash him as a pitcher or a hitter, it looks like hitter won with him cracking his first pro homer. He utterly obliterated this thing and then hit us with a much deserved stop and stare. I think it left the park. He’s 6’2′, 200 and you can see that power clearly. He’s also hitting .182 with a 40% K% in 3 games, so as with a lot of these super talented high school players, it will come down to if the hit tool will play or not. If it doesn’t though, he’s got the backup plan of going back on the mound.

Kevin Alcantara – CHC, OF, 23.8, AAA – Alcantara is off to a smoking start at Triple-A, crushing his 4th homer in 8 games. These things aren’t chip shots either with him putting up a 93.7 MPH EV in the early going. Dude is 6’6” with no joke power. The same problems from the off-season are still there though, which is the hit tool (35.8% whiff%), and really the biggest problem, which is that he didn’t get traded. He desperately needs a trade and for a team to unleash his truly special talent and power/speed combo. There will be hit tool troubles, but the right team should stay patient with him.

Roki Sasaki – LAD, RHP, 24.5 – 5 IP, 5 hits, 6 ER, 5/3 K/BB vs. WAS … it was nice while it lasted. I don’t think anyone was buying after his first solid appearance and I honestly think the Dodgers are only starting him because they feel like they have to/it’s the right thing to do. He signed for just $6.5 million under MLB’s international free agent rules. Without those rules, he would have probably gotten over $100 million. I think they feel like they owe him this. But I will say the underlying numbers for this start don’t look bad at all. He put up a 32% whiff% with a 85.6 MPH EV against. All 3 of his pitches missed bats. I don’t think this outing should be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. A breakout isn’t impossible even if I’m not betting on it.

George Klassen – LAA, RHP, 24.2 – Klassen made his MLB debut and it was rough, going 2.2 IP with 3 hits, 2 ER, and a 4/5 K/BB vs. SEA … the filthy stuff was there with the 97.1 MPH fastball putting up a 40% whiff%. The slider notched a 67% whiff%. The 40% whiff% with a 86.6 MPH EV overall looked good, but as you can see, the control just wasn’t there at all. That is what he’s struggled with his entire career. I love the stuff obviously, but I hate the franchise, and I just don’t trust the Angels at all to call Klassen one of my guys. He’s definitely in that pitching prospect bucket I love shopping in, but I ended up grabbing other guys in that bucket this year.

Dalton Rushing – LAD, C, 25.1 – 1 for 3 with his 1st homer at 103 MPH in his first start since March 30th and with only 5 PA on the season … James Tibbs, meet your ghost of MLB Debut future …

James Tibbs III – LAD, OF, 23.6, AAA – Didn’t homer … now I only give you updates when he doesn’t homer. More noteworthy …

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