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)

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 (3/30/26):

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR TONS OF EXCLUSIVE CONTENT ALL SEASON, INCLUDING:
-DYNASTY RUNDOWNS, TARGETS, MAILBAG PODCASTS, & MONTHLY DYNASTY & PROSPECTS RANKINGS UPDATES ALL SEASON
-TOP 1,000 2026 DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKINGS
-TOP 500 2026 DYNASTY FANTASY BASEBALL PROSEPCTS RANKS
-TOP 164 2026 FIRST YEAR PLAYER DRAFT RANKS
–POSITION BY POSITION TARGET SERIES
–2026 FYPD TARGET & STRATEGY GUIDE
–ALL IN ONE SPREADSHEET
-HALP’S DYNASTY BASEBALL PODCAST
-PREDICTING THE 2027 TOP 50 PROSPECTS RANKINGS
–2027 TOP 12 FYPD RANKINGS

Munetaka Murakami – CHW, 3B/1B, 26.2 – If you know me, you know I can have a bit of a victory lap problem. I can’t help it. I get excited! So let me thank the Baseball Gods for protecting me against myself this year. If my targets were going off in the first 3 games, I wouldn’t be able to help myself! I would be too early victory lapping all over these pages like a maniac! So it’s super, super appreciated that none of my targets are really going wild crazy to start the season 😉 And some guys I wasn’t super all in on are going off, like Munetaka Murakami. He’s going Babe Ruth to start his MLB career with homers in 3 straight games, this one coming off Sproat at 102.1 MPH. I wasn’t super low on him or anything, I thought he would be a low BA slugger, and I actually ended up drafting him in my 12 teamer when he dropped, but I was a bit scared off by the huge swing and miss, and clearly that isn’t an issue so far. It’s still there though. He struck out 3 times in this one and he has a beyond danger zone 38.5% whiff%. MLB teams were scared off a bit too to be fair. But if you were all in on Murakami, live it up! You know I would be!

Kazuma Okamoto – TOR, 3B/1B, 29.9 – I also was solid but not super all in on Okamoto too, and he got his first bomb of his MLB career, going the opposite way at 110.4 MPH off Luis Morales. Damn impressive. I actually did like Murakami and Okamoto coming into the year, but if the early returns are correct, I didn’t like them enough, and I’m really hard on myself. I live and die with every opinion I made on a player this off-season, and I made an opinion on every player ha. I had a career Target year in 2025. Seriously, every Target I touched turned to gold, and I can’t help but thinking I could be in for some regression this year hah … or maybe this is just the opposite of my victory lapping problem. 3 bad games and I’m throwing in the towel hah …

Tatsuya Imai – HOU, RHP, 27.11 – Imai was the Japanese star I was fully buying into, ranking him 1st in FYPD’s, and of course he had a rough debut, going 2.2 IP with 3 hits, 4 ER, and a 4/4 K/BB vs. LAA. The splitter did nothing. The fastball sat 95.6 MPH, which is great to see, and it put up a 33% whiff%. The slider went 5 for 12 on whiffs. So it wasn’t a complete disaster, but clearly, not the start we want to see. We know the fantasy season isn’t decided by the first 3 games, but just tack Imai’s poor start onto the pile.

Owen Caissie – MIA, OF, 23.9 – I gave Miami a ton of shit for that Edward Cabrera for Owen Caissie trade, so with how these first 3 games are going for me, it’s only fitting that Owen Caissie is proving Peter Bendix right, drilling a 107.9 MPH walk off homer. He’s off to a great start, going 5 for 10 with a 17.6% whiff%. I’m like one of those Tik Tok girls who is dancing and crying at the same time. Baseball is back! But it’s not been a great first 3 games. Which I know is crazy to say after just 3 games, hah, but I can’t be the only one to live and die with this shit everyday. That’s why I love it. I’m in this shit! My Targets will have their day too! It’s just wasn’t on Opening Weekend.

Jordan Walker – STL, OF, 23.10 – I was passing on Jordan Walker, but I actually think I inadvertently ended up the high guy on him in my rankings at #368, so I’ll take my wins where I can get them in these first 3 games as Walker had himself a day, going 3 for 4 with a 114.9 MPH double, 105.8 MPH homer, and 95.7 MPH single. The homer was a pretty nice piece of hitting too. He’s upright and loose in the box with a bit of a leg kick, which is my favorite batting stance. Driveline looks to have done right by him. He now has a 1.400 OPS with a 8.3/16.7 K%/BB% in 3 games. I’ll take my wins any way I can get them in these first 3 games, even inadvertent ones!

Max Muncy – OAK, 2B/3B, 23.7 – … And you damn right one of my deep Targets got one yesterday. Muncy went deep at 104.8 MPH for his 1st of the year. That’s just about all he’s done this year, but it’s a start.

Jonathan Aranda – TBR, 1B, 27.10 – One of my biggest Targets of the year, Aranda, putting him nearly in the Top 100 and yelling from the rooftops that this guy is super underrated, is killing it to start the year, going 3 for 6 with 4 hard hit balls yesterday. He homered in game one and now has a 1.299 OPS in 3 games. Hey, I need to show some self love ha. It’s not all bad.

Kody Clemens – MIN, 1B/OF/2B, 29.10 – Another super deep target, Clemens, look at my boy hitting leadoff and stealing a bag. He hasn’t done much in 10 PA yet, and he’s in a platoon role, but I’m still smelling good things coming.

Wilyer Abreu – BOS, OF, 26.9 – And how about one of my favorite old school targets jumping in the action to cleanse my soul, going ballistic on a 3 for 4 day with a 107.8 MPH single, 103.4 MPH double, and 98 MPH home run. Here is how I closed out his Top 1,000 blurb, “As a platoon bat, 30 dingers with a mediocre BA and a few steals is a Top 200-250 dynasty asset, but if he hits lefties better, and gets a little luck, I’m not exaggerating when I say he might just mess around and pop out 40.” … I still believe there is a beastly season lurking in here

Sal Stewart – CIN, 1B/3B, 22.4 – I did go all in on Stewart, making him a Top 100 dynasty asset already, and he’s right back to raking, going 2 for 2 with a 107.1 MPH double and 2 walks. This coming off his 1st homer on Saturday. He’s now 7 for 10 on the season!

Nolan Gorman – STL, 2B/3B, 25.11 – Gorman was a light target for me based on power and opportunity, and he got on the board with a 108.8 MPH homer. He’s got a .900 OPS with a 20% K% in 10 PA. It’s not all bad!

Carter Jensen – KCR, C, 22.9 – Jensen gets off the Schneid too with a snot rocket at 99.6 MPH. That thing looked faster than that, but in technology we trust.

Drake Baldwin – ATL, C, 25.0 – Baldwin’s looking to build off his great rookie season with his 2nd bomb in 3 games, this one coming at 107.6 MPH. Dude is smashing the ball as usual to start the season. He’s still hitting the ball on the ground a lot, but the contact/hard hit combo looks even better in the early going. If you can’t improve your weaknesses, improve your strengths.

Connelly Early – BOS, LHP, 24.0 – We all loved Early, and Early loved us back in his first outing, going 5.1 IP with 1 ER, and a 6/2 K/BB at CIN. The 16.3% whiff% and 92.1 MPH EV against isn’t so hot, so I think good luck was in play here, but it’s better to be lucky than good. And he was good too with 18 called strikes. The fastball is also sitting 94.4 MPH, which is up a tick from 2025. Not perfect, but a positive first start for sure.

Payton Tolle – BOS, LHP, 23.5 – 4 IP, 5 hits, 4 ER, 6/2 K/BB at Triple-A. It’s Early’s world and like I feared this off-season, all the prospect guys, myself included, with Tolle over Early might come to regret it. Early-1. Tolle-0. ha

Didier Fuentes – ATL, RHP, 20.10 – 4 IP, 2 hits, 1 ER, 4/1 K/BB vs. KCR in a piggyback role … the Spring success has transferred into the regular season outing. He did it more with weak contact and called strikes than whiffs (16.7%), but that still works. It seems like only a matter of time before he gets into that rotation.

Nolan McLean – NYM, RHP, 24.8 – Not that there was any doubt, but McLean kept rolling in his first start, going 5 IP with 4 hits, 2 ER, and a 8/2 K/BB vs. PIT. He used a 6 pitch mix to put up a 38% whiff%. The 4-seamer sat 96.9 MPH. The secondaries missed bats. Nothing we don’t already know. He’s a young ace.

Alex Bregman – CHC, 3B, 32.0 – I warned that people were majorly overreacting to Bregman signing with Chicago, and that this wasn’t an Isaac Paredes situation by any stretch, and then Bregman went out and eased those fears immediately. He jacked out 2 bombs in Chicago yesterday at 102.7 MPH and 100.3 MPH. He put up a career best by far Hard Hit% last year at a very strong 44.4%, and he might be coming for more this year.

Brandon Sproat – MIL, RHP, 25.6 – 3 IP, 6 hits, 7 ER, 3/4 K/BB vs. CHW … I wasn’t going all in on Sproat this off-season, and that looked like the right move after game one. I’m just trying to get my wins where I can ha. The big stuff is there with a 96.8 MPH fastball, but it’s just not dominating MLB hitters with a 22.5% whiff% and 90.1 MPH EV against. This was against a White Sox lineup he should have success against too. Obviously we need to give Milwaukee more time with him, but if it were me, Logan Henderson would have been in this start.

Dustin May – STL, RHP, 28.7 – Another guy I wasn’t chasing with his strong spring, May put up a dud in his first game, going 4 IP with 10 hits, 6 ER, and a 3/1 K/BB vs. TBR. He went 4 for 30 on whiffs, which was always my worry. The guy just doesn’t miss enough bats. The fastball was sitting 96.3 MPH, so better days might be ahead, but he’s still not my guy.

Colson Montgomery – CHW, SS, 24.1 – Montgomery had his best game of the young season, going 2 for 3 with a 108.6 MPH single and 103.6 MPH Grand Salami, both off Sproat. He’s looking to build off his electric rookie year, and while the swing and miss is still there in the early going (33.3% K%), so is the power.

Everson Pereira – CHW, OF, 25.0 – Pereira is getting his shot, and the power is not in question, putting up his 1st of the year at 103 MPH. He also tacked on a 107.1 MPH single. Dude can smash it, but he’s a still a whiff machine with a 45.5% K%. Looks like the same guy to me, but he’s got power and opportunity, which is something.

Joey Wiemer – WSH, OF, 27.2 – They took Dylan Crews from us, but they gave us back our old friend Joey Wiemer, and he’s taking advantage, going 3 for 3 with a 108.9 MPH single, 103.3 MPH triple, and 100.2 MPH homer off Shota Imanaga. He got 3 hits with a dinger in game one too. He’s in a short side of a platoon role right now, which is hard to buy into, but if he keeps hitting like this, I’m sure he will get more opportunity. He’s a worthy pickup in most league sizes. The big talent was always in there. I’m not guaranteeing a huge season, but he’s worth the stab if you got a spot.

Carmen Mlodzinski – PIT, RHP, 27.1 – Mlodzinski won the 5th starter job, and he’s out to hold it, going 4.1 IP with 6 hits, 2 ER, and a 8/0 K/BB vs. NYM. The 21.6% whiff% is not as impressive as that K rate, and the 95.6 MPH EV against shows the stuff got hit hard too. The heater was also down a tick+ to 94.4 MPH. Good outing obviously, but I’m not ready to crown him yet. Staying cautious.

Emerson Hancock – SEA, RHP, 26.10 – 6 IP, 0 hits, 0 ER, 9/1 K/BB vs. CLE … how could I not mention Hancock after a performance like that, but I’m still not in on this. He put up a 23.5% whiff%, which doesn’t back up the K% and the fastball sat only 93.5 MPH. He induced weak contact and obviously pitched really well, but I’m not jumping in yet.

Rhett Lowder – CIN, RHP, 24.1 – 5 IP, 3 hits, 2 ER, 5/2 K/BB vs. BOS … really encouraging outing for Lowder with a 32.6% whiff% and 87.4 MPH EV against. The fastball sat 93.7 MPH and missed a respectable amount of bats (23% whiff%). The slider put up a 40% whiff% and the changeup notched a 75% whiff%. I always had Lowder down as a rock solid MLB starter, and this start at least locked that in for me. He showed a touch more than solid potential too here.

Eric Lauer – TOR, LHP, 30.10 – Lauer killed it in 2025 to no fanfare, and now he’s doing it again in 2026, going 5.1 IP with 3 hits, 2 ER, and a 9/1 K/BB vs. ATH. He doesn’t throw hard at 91.2 MPH, but the pitch was a bat missing machine with a 39% whiff% (12 for 31). The cutter and change missed bats too, leading to a 37% whiff% overall. At full health, this rotation is super crowded, but Lauer is going to make it as hard as possible to pull him. And as we all know, how often is a rotation actually at full strength?

Mick Abel – MIN, RHP, 24.8 – 3.1 IP, 8 hits, 5 ER, 4/4 K/BB vs. Bal … we ain’t in spring anymore, and just like last year in the majors, Abel got hit up. He missed bats with a 33.3% whiff% and he induced weak contact with a 81.2 MPH EV against. So it wasn’t a complete disaster. It was poor control mixed with poor luck. If you took a shot on him this off-season, I wouldn’t want to throw in the towel quite yet, but not the start you want to see.

Luis Morales – SAC, RHP, 23.7 – 4.1 IP, 5 hits, 5 ER, 5/2 K/BB vs. TOR … continuing from the spring, he’s just not putting it together. The 96.9 MPH 4-seamer just doesn’t miss enough bats and gets hit up. So it’s good to see the usage is up on the 97 MPH sinker (18% in this one). And that pitch was good with a 60% whiff% and 82.5 MPH EV against. We need to keep seeing more of that and less of the 4-seamer. The sweeper and change missed tons of bats too, leading to a 29% whiff%. The ingredients are in here. He just needs more tinkering.

Bailey Ober – MIN, RHP, 30.9 – 4 IP, 4 hits, 3 ER, 1/1 K/BB vs. BAL … the velocity dip from the spring is still here with the fastball sitting 89.8 MPH. The bounce back doesn’t look like it’s coming, and in fact, it looks like he’s going to slide further.

Coby Mayo – BAL, 1B, 24.4 – I get on Mayo when he drops O-fers, so how about some love for his first good game of the season, going 2 for 4 with a double, 2 hard hit balls, and 0 K. He needs some early success to let that confidence build.

Carlos Lagrange – NYY, RHP, 22.10 – 4 IP, 4 hits, 1 ER, 3/0 K/BB at Triple-A … not a super standout start, but any 0 BB outing gets a mention from me. The fastball “only” sat 97.9 MPH and went only 1 for 15 on whiffs. He was amped in spring and I think he’s calming down a bit now ha. Still would have liked to see more swing and miss on the pitch though. The sweeper/change/slider missed bats though, and again, the most important thing to see is the control.

Walker Jenkins – MIN, OF, 21.1 – 2 for 3 with a 101.8 MPH double at AAA. He’s healthy. He’s hitting (3 for 7). That’s all we can ask for.

James Tibbs III – LAD, OF, 23.6 – Leave it to LA to get the big breakout out of Tibbs, dropping 2 bombs yesterday on a 3 for 4 day. Great for Tibbs. Great for LA. But I mean, he just has nowhere to play there. Now we need to root for him to get traded yet again.

Spencer Jones – NYY, OF, 24.11 – Speaking of being blocked, Jones might not even be next man up (that is Dominguez), but he’s doing all he can to keep the pressure on, going 3 for 8 in a doubleheader with a 109.1 MPH homer and 3 K. He has a 195 wRC+ with a 38.5% K% in 3 games. That’s what he does.

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–2027 TOP 12 FYPD RANKINGS

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

These usually come out on Monday’s on the Brick Wall (Patreon the rest of the week), but there are exceptions some weeks, and this is one of those weeks. I do these Rundowns all Spring and all season, plus sooooooooo much more. Here is the Thursday Morning Dynasty Baseball Rundown (3/12/26):

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR TONS OF EXCLUSIVE CONTENT ALL OFF-SEASON & SEASON, INCLUDING:
-TOP 1,000 2026 DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKINGS (analysis, projections, & prime projections for every player)
-TOP 500 2026 DYNASTY FANTASY BASEBALL PROSEPCTS RANKS
-TOP 161 2026 FIRST YEAR PLAYER DRAFT RANKS
–POSITION BY POSITION TARGET SERIES
–2026 DEEP POSITIONAL RANKS: Top 80 C–Top 91 1B–Top 97 2B–Top 101 3B–Top 161 SS–Top 288 OF–Top 335 SP–Top 83 RP
–2026 FYPD TARGET & STRATEGY GUIDE
–ALL IN ONE SPREADSHEET
-HALP’S DYNASTY BASEBALL PODCAST
-PREDICTING THE 2027 TOP 50 PROSPECTS RANKINGS
–2027 TOP 12 FYPD RANKINGS

Cade Cavalli – WAS, RHP, 27.7 – I’ve poisoned myself. I reluctantly wrote up my Top 2026 Dynasty Baseball Fades on the Patreon yesterday, because I hate writing Fade articles (it’s not that I don’t have fades every year, it’s just that I don’t write the article), but once you get a taste of the hate, it can take over and spread through you. I can’t stop it now even if I tried. I opened Pandora’s box, and now the hate is running through me, so let me open this Rundown with another guy I’m still not going after even with a great spring. Cavalli had another great outing, going 3 IP with 0 hits, 0 ER, and a 2/1 K/BB vs about a 50/50 Cardinals lineup. The stuff is really good, no doubt about it, with a 97 MPH fastball, but that fastball went 0 for 5 on whiffs. His 3 secondaries (sweeper, curve, change), combined for 1 for 7 whiffs. He has a 28.1% K% this spring in 9 IP, but it comes with a lackluster whiff%. The whiff% was only a decent 26.7% before this outing, and with a 12% whiff% in this one, it’s going to be even more pedestrian. You know I love getting excited for baseball being back and getting amped with these spring rundowns, but please don’t forget that this is just spring. And it’s just 9 IP for Cavalli in 3 short outings against weak competition. You can’t take that much away from it, and his 1.48 WHIP in the majors last year and 1.45 WHIP in the minors just seems pretty damn far away from being a true breakout, impact fantasy starter. I can’t deny the ingredients are certainly in here He’s a big dude (6’4”, 223), he throws hard (97.1 MPH 4-seamer), the fastball misses bats (25.6% whiff%), he has a ground ball inducing sinker, he has two bat missing secondaries in his curve (39.8% whiff%) and changeup (41.8% whiff%) and he has a plus whiff% overall (27.9% whiff%). That is a lot to like, but I just cooked my grandma’s famous chicken recipe last night with all of the best ingredients, and it still tasted like shit. It’s not only about ingredients, it’s about results, and Cavalli’s results in games that matter aren’t good enough for me to call him a Target this year.

Dustin May – STL, RHP, 28.7 – The hate is running through me now! I can’t stop it! Noooooooo …. Dustin May is another guy I’m still not targeting despite showing signs this spring. He went 3.2 IP with 2 hits, 1 ER, and a 3/2 K/BB vs. a like 40% Nationals lineup. The main signs he’s showing is the velocity is back up to 97.4 MPH in this one, and that 4-seamer did miss bats with a 38% whiff%, as did the sweeper (50% whiff%), but he still had a 23% whiff% overall on the day. It’s not only about big velocity for May, he’s had big velocity like that for most of his career, but he’s yet to turn that into big K rates or a great K/BB, and nothing he’s done this spring is convincing me that big breakout is coming (16.0/12.0 K%/BB% in 6.2 IP). K/BB and whiffs are king for me even during the regular season, so a good ERA in spring really doesn’t do much for me at all. Just like Cavalli, I want to see tons of whiffs, and while Cavalli at least has a good K/BB, May doesn’t even have that. I love stuff just as much as the next guy, but I don’t just blindly chase it. There has to be some foundation of production, and with Cavalli and May, I just don’t see enough of that foundation to go after them. They are cheap and of course I completely see the appeal, but I can only be 100% honest with what my plans are this draft season, and these guys aren’t going to be my main dart throws, especially with their values on the rise.

Alek Manoah – LAA, RHP, 28.3 – 4 IP, 8 hits, 4 ER, 4/2 K/BB … Okay, do I even have to let you know I’m not in on Manoah. I don’t even feel like this one is letting the hate run through me. This one is just common sense.

Tatsuya Imai – HOU, RHP, 27.11 – I need to cleanse my soul with some love! And Imai’s performance yesterday is the antidote, because he looked like straight fire. He went 3 perfect innings with 4 K against a Quad-A-ish Marlins lineup. But it was the stuff that was even more exciting with the fastball averaging 96.7 MPH! I’m not going to say he’s going to sit there every start, but he clearly he has that kind of juice in him. The reverse slider is clearly having no issues working stateside with a 38% whiff%, and he didn’t even have to go to the splitter that much in this one (1 for 1 whiffs). I would say that arsenal is going to transfer just fine to the majors, and it’s why he’s my #1 pick in First Year Player Drafts, along with already being a Top 150 Dynasty Asset in my 2026 Top 1,000 Dynasty Baseball Rankings (Patreon). It’s only spring, but if you were getting cold feet about valuing him so highly sight unseen, well, consider him sight seen now. And that site is beautiful.

Drew Anderson – DET, RHP, 32.0 – Let’s keep the love flowing, because nobody is getting me more excited this Spring than the Expats, er, I guess maybe more accurately the Repats? The Ex-Expats? The Traitors? hah, nah, just messing around, but also a sneakily good Reality Competition Show. I was already convinced that all of them were majorly underrated and were going to outperform their contracts, and now seeing it this spring, I’m even more convinced. Anderson spun another gem yesterday, going 2.2 IP with 1 hit, 0 ER, and a 4/1 K/BB. The fastball sat 95.9 MPH and put up a 33% whiff%. The hellacious change induced weak contact (79.3 MPH EV) and missed bats (30% whiff%). And while the breakers aren’t as good, the curve showed up with 1 for 3 whiffs. He now has a 0.00 ERA with a 35.9/5.1 K%/BB% in 11 IP. Like I wrote above, spring stats don’t matter that much, but for guys coming over and playing with new balls, it matters more than for guys like Cavalli and May. Showing the stuff and results will transfer matters, and Anderson is coming off pure destruction of Korea with a 2.25 ERA and 35.3/7.3 K%/BB% in 171.2 IP. He doesn’t have a rotation spot right now, which is the main thing holding me back from going full Target status, but it sure seems like when he does get a spot, he’s going to produce. I was already in, and after this spring, I’m even more in.

Anthony Kay – CHW, LHP, 31.0 – The Expat love isn’t done with Kay continuing to look strong this spring as well, going 4 IP with 3 hits, 1 ER, and a 4/0 K/BB vs. a like 40% Angels lineup. He has 2 fastballs that sit 95+ in his 4-seamer and sinker. The changeup is killing it stateside with 4 for 10 whiffs, and the slider and sweeper combined for a respectable 2 for 6 on whiffs. All indications continue to show the strikeout rate from Japan is coming up, although a 20.4/12.2 K%/BB% in 11.2 IP this spring isn’t jumping off the screen, so maybe it’s not coming up majorly. But regardless, he’s proving to me that the stuff and profile is transferring. Chicago is going to kill his win chances, and I don’t like him as much as Anderson, but he’s definitely a nice little late round flier pick for me. And his rotation spot is locked in.

Max Meyer – MIA, RHP, 27.1 – Like Cavalli and May, Meyer wasn’t an off-season target for me, but unlike them, I actually am getting drawn in by his spring. Saying he looks completely healthy is an understatement, going 3 IP with 1 hit, 0 ER, and a 6/1 K/BB vs. a like 40% Astros lineup. The slider has been devastating with a 40% whiff%. The fastball sat 94.8 MPH and put up a 33% whiff%. And even the always maligned changeup got in on the action with 2 for 4 whiffs. He now has a 0.00 ERA with a 50.0%/4.2% K%/BB% in 7 IP. You want to impress me with spring stats, then you put up a 50/4 K/BB hah. It’s still only spring, but the performance is good enough for him to be a major spring riser for me.

Max Muncy – OAK, 2B/3B, 23.7 – Muncy was one of my Top 3B Targets in my Position by Position Target Series (Patreon), and dude has been an absolute machine this spring. He went bonkos yesterday, going 3 for 3 with a 111.5 MPH homer off Ryne Nelson. He’s been crushing the ball all spring with a 225 wRC+ in 35 PA, and the 17.1/20.0 K%/BB% looks good too. Caveat as always, only spring, but he’s a young player who is showing signs of taking the steps forward I thought he was going to take. This guy put up a 108.8 90th% EV at Triple-A last year which is top of the scale. The power potential is in here is no joke, and he’s going to be in a minor league ballpark. The plate skills should take a step forward. He’s a really exciting young player who just never gets any respect, but that respect is coming.

Cole Young – SEA, 2B, 22.8 – Speaking of power coming, I was worried about the 5’10” Young’s power in Seattle, and while I’m still worried about it, he’s doing the best he can to ease those concerns. He jacked out a 108.7 MPH homer for his 4th of the spring, and he also added a 109.2 MPH GIDP, and a 105.8 MPH single. He’s crushing the ball this spring with more than enough juice to hit them out in Seattle too if he can sustain the increase. The 31.1% Hard Hit% in 2025 is super low though, so I’m still a bit skeptical until I actually see it in the regular season, but it’s not hard to believe the still 22 year old Young is going to see his power on the rise. And if he can do it, the plate skills and lift/pull were there. Young is another player whose spring has me buying in more, and spring does matter for him, because he’s competing for a job.

Matt McLain – CIN, 2B, 26.8 – I wasn’t too keen on buying low on McLain this off-season, but how can his nuclear spring not draw me back in. He’s going looney tunes on the league with 5 homers and a 6.1/15.2 K%/BB% in 33 PA. He went 3 for 3 yesterday with a 104.5 MPH dinger off Robert Gasser, a 107.2 MPH single and a 98.4 MPH single. He put on 12 pounds this off-season, and it’s showing with his Hard Hit rates way up. I loved him after his great rookie year, and while I cooled after the injury and down 2025, it sure looks like the bounce back is coming. The fantasy friendly upside is in here. I’m back in.

Kaelen Culpepper – MIN, SS, 23.3 – We want to see more hard hit, and Culpepper just gave us some more hard hit with a 109.1 MPH single and 104.2 MPH single. He’s hitting .316 this spring in 21 PA. He might not end up a league winner, but I think this dude is going to be a good real life player and a good fantasy player. And he’s a personal favorite after being a low key target of mine in his FYPD year, which already paid off. He ranked 68th overall on my 2026 Top 500 Dynasty Baseball Prospects Rankings (Patreon).

Blake Mitchell – KCR, C, 21.8 – Mitchell suffered a fractured hamate in his wrist in February 2025 which tanked his 2025 season, so any signs his huge power returning is a good sign, and I think vaporizing a 114.4 MPH homer yesterday is a good sign. The power might be returning in a huge way in 2026, and also, with all of the hamate injuries that went down this spring, maybe use him as a reminder for a worst case scenario. Sometimes the power comes back quickly, and sometimes it doesn’t.

Heriberto Hernandez – MIA, OF, 26.4 – How about another one for my boy Heriberto with a 100.2 MPH homer off Spencer Arrighetti. That gives him 3 homers in 25 PA, and even better, it sure looks like he’s fittin to run more this year with 3 steals. The hit tool can still tank him and he’s got competition for a job, but I’m just smelling something here. I already gave you the heads up on the Brick Wall in an earlier Rundown, and I’m still digging him as a late flier.

Spencer Strider – ATL, RHP, 27.5 – 4 IP, 2 hits, 0 ER, 5/1 K/BB vs a mediocre Rays lineup. The velocity isn’t back at 94.8 MPH and neither are the whiffs on that pitch with a 7% whiff%. The secondaries were whiff machines, leading to a 30% whiff% overall, but that was basically the formula in 2025, and that formula didn’t work. We know Strider is still building up and taking it slow, so don’t count him out, but the things we wanted to see this spring, we haven’t seen yet. Even without a true elite fastball, I believe in him enough to figure out how to work around that and still be a high K, impact fantasy starter, but it doesn’t look like 2022-23 Strider is walking through that door.

Ian Seymour – TBR, LHP, 27.4 – It made sense for Tampa to add pitching depth and use the limited money they have in the best way possible, but damn is it annoying that it delays the rise of some of their more fun, younger pitchers. And Seymour just showed that fun yesterday, going 2.1 IP with 1 hit, 0 ER, and a 4/0 K/BB. The fastball ain’t fast at 92 MPH, but it can miss bats (1 for 2 in this one). The changeup dominated with 6 of 8 whiffs, and the cutter was good too (2 for 3 whiffs). I was in on Seymour last year with his breakout and I’m still on him now, he just needs to get back into the rotation.

Tyler Bremner – LAA, RHP, 21.11 – We got our first look at Bremner in pro ball, and not bad at all, going 1 IP with 0 hits, 0 ER, and a 1/2 K/BB. The not bad at all part was the 98 MPH fastball that went 1 for 2 on whiffs. The famed changeup induced weak contact with a 67.8 MPH EV against. It’s just fun to see him out there for the first time and while being on the Angels stinks, he’s going to be a super fun one to follow all season. He ranked 16th overall on my 2026 Top 164 First Year Player Draft Rankings (Patreon).

 Carlos Lagrange – NYY, RHP, 22.10 – 4 IP, 0 hits, 0 ER, 3/1 K/BB vs. a minor league Blue Jays lineup, but no matter the lineup, it’s always great to see him show some level of control, and as us prospect hounds already know, the stuff is off the charts. The fastball averaged 101.5 MPH yesterday! I’m speechless. And that isn’t even over 1 IP. That is over 4 innings. The pitch went 5 for 10 on whiffs. The change, slider, and sweeper missed bats too, leading to a 47% whiff%. I’ve been leaning him ending up an elite closer due to his control issues, but his upside is so insane, I don’t see why the Yanks wouldn’t want to give him every opportunity to start. Even if he breaks into the majors in a pen role, that door to a starter’s role should stay wide open. He’s taken the entire baseball world by storm this spring, and even with knowing how great his stuff is for years now, he’s blowing me away too. What a talent.

Matt Svanson – STL, Closer Committee, 27.2 – If you think spring doesn’t mean much for starters, it means even less for relievers, but still, there goes Matt Svanson again putting up a pristine K/BB. He went 1 IP with 2 hits, 0 ER, and a 1/0 K/BB. He now has a 1.80 ERA with a 23.8/0.0 K%/BB% in 5 IP. Riley O’Brien? He has a 0/5 K/BB in 1.2 IP. JoJo Romero? He has a 3/2 K/BB in 4 IP. Sure it’s only spring, but Svanson’s K/BB blew those guys out of the water last year too. I know performance and K/BB isn’t everything when it comes to who closes, but I mean, it means something. I still like him as a long term closer option in St. Louis.

 Justin Lawrence – PIT, Setup, 31.4 – While we’re on the topic of sneaky relievers, there is no sneakier reliever than Justin Lawrence. He’s my sneakiest reliever target of them all. He got out of Coors and it was like a monkey was thrown from his back with a 0.51 ERA and 33.3/11.6 K%/BB% in 17.2 IP in Pitt. He’s back at is again this spring, going 1 perfect inning with 2 K yesterday. That makes it 3 scoreless outings for him. The sweeper dominated with a 50% whiff%. The mid 90’s sinker keeps the ball on the ground. Very, very sneaky.

Konnor Griffin – PIT, SS/OF, 19.11 – 0 for 2 and is now hitting .192 in 29 PA … how about we don’t rush the still 19 year old Griffin just because Pitt is desperate. How about we let him continue his development in the upper minors. I’m all for not playing games with prospects, but that doesn’t mean we should just throw all caution to the wind. Let the guy cook a little more. When he’s destroying Triple-A and on a roll, then give him the call.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR TONS OF EXCLUSIVE CONTENT ALL OFF-SEASON & SEASON, INCLUDING:
-TOP 1,000 2026 DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKINGS (analysis, projections, & prime projections for every player)
-TOP 500 2026 DYNASTY FANTASY BASEBALL PROSEPCTS RANKS
-TOP 161 2026 FIRST YEAR PLAYER DRAFT RANKS
–POSITION BY POSITION TARGET SERIES
–2026 DEEP POSITIONAL RANKS: Top 80 C–Top 91 1B–Top 97 2B–Top 101 3B–Top 161 SS–Top 288 OF–Top 335 SP–Top 83 RP
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–ALL IN ONE SPREADSHEET
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–2027 TOP 12 FYPD RANKINGS

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

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):

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR TONS OF EXCLUSIVE CONTENT ALL OFF-SEASON & SEASON, INCLUDING:
-TOP 1,000 2026 DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKINGS (analysis, projections, & prime projections for every player)
-TOP 500 2026 DYNASTY FANTASY BASEBALL PROSEPCTS RANKS
-TOP 161 2026 FIRST YEAR PLAYER DRAFT RANKS
–POSITION BY POSITION TARGET SERIES
–2026 DEEP POSITIONAL RANKS: Top 80 C–Top 91 1B–Top 97 2B–Top 101 3B–Top 161 SS–Top 288 OF–Top 335 SP–Top 83 RP
–2026 FYPD TARGET & STRATEGY GUIDE
–ALL IN ONE SPREADSHEET
-HALP’S DYNASTY BASEBALL PODCAST
-PREDICTING THE 2027 TOP 50 PROSPECTS RANKINGS (coming this week)
–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 …

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

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 (9/8/25):

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Kruz Schoolcraft – SDP, LHP, 18.4, A – We actually got some highly drafted pitchers making their pro debuts this weekend, which I wasn’t expecting because teams don’t usually debut these guys, but as a dynasty owner and just a fan of baseball in general, I love it. And the first one to really catch my eye was Schoolcraft’s debut. Sure he got hit up with 2 earned and 3 walks in 1.2 IP at Single-A, but it was the stuff that was eye catching. He was sitting upper 90’s, blowing the heat right by guys. Then he dropped in the potentially plus changeup, making hitters look silly. He also has a potentially plus slider in the bag. He struck out 4 with 10 whiffs in the outing. This is basically the Noah Schultz 2.0 blow up, and I saw it coming from a mile away in my Top 60 2026 First Year Player Draft Rankings (Patreon), starting his blurb by writing, “If you know me, you know I love me some monster humans who are good athletes and have nasty tools, and that describes Schoolcraft perfectly. He’s like a blend between Noah Schultz and Boston Bateman from their draft years, and both of those guys were targets for me,” and ending it by writing, “Like Schultz, if the velocity ticks up, this is the type of guy who can fly up rankings in a second.” And now the velocity has already ticked up in a major way. I was already going after him, ranking him 23rd overall, and this debut makes me even more excited. He’s an easy Top 20 FYPD pick, and quite frankly, a 6’8” lefty throwing upper 90’s with two potentially plus secondaries is a wildly good profile. This is a pretty weak class. Top 10 isn’t a stretch at all. He’s a major target who still might go very late in drafts this off-season.

Liam Doyle – STL, LHP, 21.2, A – Liam Doyle got on the hill as well, and he went 1.2 IP with 1 hit, 1 ER, and a 3/2 K/BB at Single-A. That one hit was a missile from elite catcher prospect Alfredo Duno off the slider. That really tells you more about how good Alfredo Duno is than anything about Doyle. Although Doyle’s secondaries were the big question coming out of the draft, and Duno certainly answered that question pretty quickly. But the double plus heater looked great, sitting 96.1 MPH and recording all 3 strikeouts. He only went to the changeup twice, which very well might be his best secondary and is a nasty pitch. The debut hasn’t shifted me in either direction on Doyle. He’s my top pitcher in FYPD’s and a candidate to go first overall in drafts now that Ethan Holliday is doing his best Elijah Green impression in his debut. Kade Anderson is right there with Doyle and is really a coin flip between them. Willits is my current top dog. It’s wide open this year.

Ethan Holliday – COL, SS, 18.5, A – Speaking of Holliday, he went 1 for 5 with 3 more strikeouts yesterday and now has an Elijah Green like 39.3% K% in 18 games. That isn’t a super small sample anymore and the strikeouts aren’t slowing down. Granted he’s cracked 2 dingers in September and he has a 108 wRC+, but the talent is unquestioned. What is questioned is the hit tool, and this is basically a worst case scenario debut. He’s only 18 and he’s just getting comfortable in pro ball, but I would say it’s pretty clear the hit tool risk is as high as it could be. He dropped out of the top spot on my rankings and fell to 7th overall for me. I still like him, but that is too much hit tool risk to take at the very top of drafts.

Gage Wood – PHI, RHP, 21.8, A – But back to pro debuts from highly drafted pitchers, Wood made his debut too and went 2 IP with 1 hit, 1 ER, and a 5/2 K/BB at Single-A. The only one who can rival Doyle’s fastball is Wood, and the 95.7 MPH heater racked up a 43% whiff%. The curve went 2 for 2 on whiffs and the 96 MPH sinker chipped in too with a 25% whiff%. He also mixed in a slider and cutter. It all led to a 38% whiff% overall. I started Wood’s FYPD blurb by writing, “I’m apt to think that Wood should be considered right with that top consensus group of starters, even though he dropped to 26th overall in the draft,” and finished it with, “I’m buying whatever discount I can get here.” He’s already a Top 100 prospect for me, ranking 86th overall in the End of Season Top 325 Dynasty Baseball Prospect Rankings that just dropped on the Patreon last week. The fastball is double plus, the curve is plus, and he has a diverse pitch mix. The 46.0/4.7 K%/BB% was elite in 37.2 IP his Junior year. There is a lot of risk here as he just converted to starter this year and an injured shoulder after his 2nd outing limited his innings, but his upside is high enough to take on that risk.

Walker Jenkins – MIN, OF, 20.6, AAA – You want hard hit? How about this for hard hit as Jenkins obliterated a 104.9 MPH, 414 foot bomb for his first homer at Triple-A. He now has an 88.4 MPH EV and 46.7% Hard Hit% at the level, and those numbers don’t even include his game yesterday. He went 3 for 4 and along with the homer, tacked on a 104.8 MPH single, 95.6 MPH lineout, and an 89.5 MPH single. Is that hard enough for you? He’s now conquering Triple-A as a 20 year old, slashing .311/.404/.489. He’s been getting disrespected all season, and I wasn’t having it, banging his drum all year, ranking him in the Top 10 consistently. Now that he’s closing out the season showing the one thing he was lacking, hard hit, I don’t see why you couldn’t even argue for him at #1 overall. I have that as Griffin still. And there are other great prospects out there, but Jenkins’ hype has been so quiet all year and it wasn’t deserved.

Travis Bazzana – CLE, 2B, 23.0, AAA – Bazzana was due for a heater, and the heater is now here with him launching his 4th homer in his last 4 games at Triple-A. He’s now conquering the level with a .916 OPS in 23 games. He’s been more solid than standout in his first full year of pro ball, but the fantasy friendly skillset is most certainly in here. He hits it hard (89.5 MPH EV with a 42.3% Hard Hit% at AAA), he can lift and pull (37.5% GB% and 48.6% Pull% on the season), he runs (11 steals), and he gets on base (17% BB%). The 23.5% K% is higher than optimal, but the 24.5% whiff% at AAA says we shouldn’t be too concerned there. It hasn’t been the full blown explosion we wanted, but he’s finishing the season strong and I’m still betting on him being an impact fantasy player. He ranked 21st overall on the End of Season Top 325 Dynasty Baseball Prospect Rankings (Patreon).

Jacob Misiorowski – MIL, RHP, 23.4 – 7 IP, 3 hits, 1 ER, 8/2 K/BB at Pitt. Misiorowski is old news already. We’re all excited for the new wave of elite pitching prospects who just made their pro debuts recently, but after scuffling over his last 5 outings, Miz is set to finish out the season strong. The 99 MPH fastball dominated with a 84.7 MPH EV against and 31% whiff%. The curve notched a 40% whiff%. And he mixed in a slider and changeup, leading to a 27% whiff% overall. Not that I think anyone was worried with the small rough patch, and you most certainly shouldn’t be with a 2.75 xERA (4.09 ERA) and 35.2/10.5 K%/BB% in 55 IP. I called him the Tyler Glasnow starter pack back in 2023, and with his control/command taking a step forward this year, he looks mighty close to that outcome. In Glasnow’s age 23 year old season, he put up a 14.4% BB% in the majors, so Misiorowski is actually ahead of the game. I ranked him 42nd overall in the August Top 444 Dynasty Baseball Rankings (Patreon), and while maybe that is a tad high, he needs to be treated like a Top 50 dynasty asset.

Bubba Chandler – PIT, RHP, 22.11 – Speaking of the excitement from the new wave of elite pitching prospects, Chandler went against Miz in this one and went 2.2 IP with 9 hits, 9 ER, and a 3/3 K/BB vs. MIL. Are you still excited? He now has a 7.36 ERA with a 18.2/6.1 K%/BB% in 14.2 IP. The 22.9% whiff% is super weak too. After his rocky season at Triple-A, this was sadly predictable, and it’s why I called him a sell (along with Painter) on one of my mid-season Mailbag Podcasts. This debut is not going to help his trade value. Having said that, the 98.6 MPH fastball can still end up a nasty pitch even if it’s getting hit up right now. The changeup has a 44% whiff% with a .161 xwOBA, which is straight elite. The slider has been a positive Run Value pitch too. The elite pitching prospect ingredients are still in here, so don’t panic sell or anything. I just recommended selling high before this disaster happened, but now it’s happened, and you just have to hold through the storm.

Brandon Sproat – NYM, RHP, 24.10 – Sproat’s elite prospect hype faded a long time ago, but his debut was still highly anticipated, and he held his own, going 6 IP with 3 hits, 3 ER, and a 7/4 K/BB. The sinker sat 95.9 MPH and the 4-seamer sat 96.1 MPH. He threw the fastballs 35 times and they didn’t record a single whiff. Not gonna lie, not great. His secondaries (sweeper, curve, change, slider) didn’t miss a ton of bats either, leading to a lowly 15% whiff%. It looked more of the same from his shaky stint at Triple-A with below average control/command and a much lower strikeout rate than optimal (22.1/10.4 K%/BB%). The stuff is big and the pitch mix is diverse, so it’s smart to stay patient with these guys as we know the breakout can come at any time through their late 20’s, but waiting on it can be frustrating. I would value him as a back end Top 100 prospect and even that could be generous.

Hunter Greene – CIN, RHP, 25.11 – Usually I wouldn’t even mention established aces like Greene, but he’s taking his ace breakout to yet another level this season, going 7 IP with 1 hit, 1 ER, and a 12/2 K/BB vs. NYM. He now has a 2.59 ERA with a 32.0/5.4 K%/BB% in 90.1 IP. He’s taking his control/command to a new level, and I can’t say I didn’t see it coming, writing in his off-season Top 1,000 blurb, “His control/command remained below average, but I still think there is another level in here as he stays healthy and gains more experience. I don’t even think this is the peak, assuming he stays healthy, which who knows there honestly (he missed time with elbow inflammation this year). Greene had the ace breakout I knew was coming, and I’m going to continue to buy high.” … I was all over him before he broke out in 2024, and then I was buying high for another breakout in 2025, which is now happening. All 3 pitches dominated in this latest outing with the 100.2!!! MPH fastball notching a 44% whiff%, the elite slider notching a 46% whiff%, and the improved splitter putting up a 40% whiff%. This is a Top 5 dynasty pitcher.

Jo Adell – LAA, OF, 26.3 – Can we just take a second to sit and smell the roses on the Jo Adell breakout. This was a long time coming, and if you had the patience of a saint, you gotta be enjoying every minute of this. He cracked his 35th homer of the season on a 107.9 MPH shot off Luis Severino. He got his hit tool out of the gutter with a relatively respectable 25.9% K% and .243 BA. He’s now ranked 65th overall on the Razzball Player Rater. I’m proud to say I did have the patience of a saint this off-season, starting his Top 1,000 blurb by writing, “I feel crazy for even saying this, but I think Jo Adell is a target for me this off-season. I know, I know, even saying it out loud sounds downright silly, but hear me out,” and finishing it with, “It can often take uber athletes into their mid to late 20’s to figure out the hit tool, but when they do, it can pay off huge. It sure seems like Adell took a big step forward there in 2024. I know I’m going to end up regretting this, hah, but boy do I like Adell a lot right now relative to his perceived value.” …. okay, okay, he might have dropped out of my Top 400+ Dynasty Rankings earlier this year (before moving right back in) after his rough start yet again this season, so maybe I didn’t have the patience of a saint. But I had one of a flawed human being, and you’re damn happy if you bought this off-season.

Ben Rice – NYY, 1B/C, 26.10/Tyler Soderstrom – OAK, 1B, 23.7 – And while we’re on the topic of off-season targets, both Rice and Soderstrom are putting the finishing touches on their 2025 breakouts. Rice popped his 23rd homer of the season at 109.4 MPH off the legend, Max Scherzer. Soderstrom popped his 24th homer of the season at 104.7 MPH off the not legend, Mitch Farris. You guys know that Soderstrom and Rice were two of my biggest target calls this season, and both of them did exactly what I thought they were capable of. Rice actually did even better, gaining catcher eligibility along the way. I’m just happy to see both of these guys pay off.

Parker Messick – CLE, LHP, 24.10 – Messick shook off his first bad MLB outing with another strong start yesterday, going 6 IP with 8 hits, 1 ER, and a 4/0 K/BB at TB. The low 90’s fastball/changeup combo was working with both pitches notching a 27% whiff%. The 90.5 MPH sinker induced weak contact with a 87 MPH EV against and missed some bats with a 17% whiff%. He also mixed in a curve and slider. That has been the formula to a T in his debut, leading to a 1.93 ERA and 18.8/3.1 K%/BB% in 23.1 IP. The big strikeout rates from the minors aren’t transferring, which isn’t surprising, but he has 3 good pitches in his 4-seamer, changeup and slider, and the control/command has been excellent. He’s the type who can maybe get into Top 200 dynasty asset value at peak, but he’s not showing enough upside to get more excited than that. And he’s probably sitting more in the Top 300-400 area at the moment. Strong debut.

Carson Williams – TBR, SS, 21.6 – And that one earned run off Messick came off the bat of Carson Williams at 103.9 MPH for his 2nd MLB homer in 14 games. Now seems like a good time to check in on his MLB debut … 38.3% K%, 38.6% whiff%, .209 BA … yea, that sounds about right. We all knew that was coming, right? There was zero doubt a hit tool adjustment period was coming for the still 21 year old, and unfortunately, it might be coming for a couple years until the bat can catch up to the SS glove. The good news is that the 74.1 MPH swing is double plus. The power/speed combo will be waiting patiently for him to improve those contact rates. He’s enough in the danger zone though where there is no guarantee it ever really happens. I’m a sucker for upside, so I’m still betting on him, because the glove will give him all the least he can handle in the long run. And just look at Jo Adell this year. Hopefully we don’t need to be that patient though.

Elmer Rodriguez Cruz – NYY, RHP, 21.10, AA – I got asked in the August Mailbag Podcast (Patreon) who I thought the next Cam Schlittler’s were for 2026, which is a question I love, because I hate paying up for the top hyped aces, and love to shop in that discount aisle of pitching prospect. Elmer Rodriguez Cruz was one of several guys I named, and he just cemented his target status even more yesterday, going 5 IP with 2 hits, 0 ER, and a 8/1 K/BB at Double-A. He actually might be pitching too well now to be underrated this off-season with a 2.56 ERA and 30.2/7.7 K%/BB% in 56.1 IP at the level. His 166 strikeouts on the season trails only Jonah Tong’s 179 in all of the minor leagues. Not bad company. You can watch the filth from this latest outing here. The sinker sat 95+ and the two breakers were devastating. He also throws a solid changeup. This is an easy Top 100 pitching prospect, and even that might be underselling him at this point.

Blake Burke – MIL, 1B, 22.0, AA – Burke has quietly exploded since getting the call to Double-A, and he’s not slowing down with a grand salami yesterday. That’s his 8th homer in 32 games at the level and he now has a .940 OPS there. He wasn’t as good at High-A, but he still hit well there with a 124 wRC+. The 23.3/11.5 K%/BB% in 126 games on the season isn’t too bad. Milwaukee drafted him 34th overall in 2024 for a reason, and that reason was his potential to be a 1B masher. He’s proving them right. The problem is that Milwaukee is stock piling a ton of these guys. They drafted his clone this year in the first round with Andrew Fischer. Wilken might end up at 1B. Luke Adams might end up at 1B. Andrew Vaughn is currently staking his claim to that spot on the MLB level. It makes sense organizationally. They are deep in guys who can get the bat on the ball, have a good glove, and can run. They need guys to battle it out at 1B/DH, and now they have a bunch of them. Who knows who ends up emerging, but the ones who do are going to have plenty of fantasy value.

George Valera – CLE, OF, 24.9 – Old, forgotten friend George Valera made his MLB debut this month, and I just couldn’t wait to see how the sweet, sweet lefty swing would register on Statcast bat tracking. It is indeed pretty fast at 73.2 MPH, and it’s mighty short at 6.5 feet. The swing is legit. He went 1 for 2 with a 107.7 MPH single off a 96.6 MPH Rasmussen fastball yesterday. He’s hitting .300 in 11 PA overall. He doesn’t have much fantasy value right now and the 36.4% K% isn’t great, but just thought it was interesting to check in on a former favorite. Maybe one day he can work into a fantasy relevant power platoon bat.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR TONS OF EXCLUSIVE CONTENT ALL SEASON & OFF-SEASON, INCLUDING:
–AUGUST 2025 TOP 444 DYNASTY RANKS (End of Season Ranks coming soon)
–END OF SEASON 2025 TOP 325 PROSPECTS RANKS
-TOP 60 2026 FYPD RANKS w/ Analysis & Prime Projections for every player
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By Michael Halpern (@MichaelCHalpern)
Email: michaelhalpern@imaginarybrickwall.com
Twitter: Imaginary Brick Wall (@DynastyHalp)
Blue Sky: Dynasty Halp (@ImaginaryBrickWall)

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 (8/18/25):

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR TONS OF EXCLUSIVE CONTENT ALL SEASON, INCLUDING:
–AUGUST 2025 TOP 444 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: TRADE DEADLINE & JULY MAILBAG!
-TONS OF DYNASTY RUNDOWNS
–SPREADSHEETS

Ethan Holliday – COL, SS, 18.5, A – I love me pro debut season. It’s when an entirely new class of players get thrown into the fire mid race. It’s where the men get separated from the boys. Where the Nick Kurtz’s get separated from the Charlie Condon’s. It’s where guys like Alex Freeland and Jacob Reimer put themselves on the map as deep sleepers. All the guessing goes out the window. We now see what these guys can do with wood bats against professional pitching. And what better to way to kick off this Rundown than with my #1 overall player in the Top 60 2026 First Year Player Draft Rankings (Patreon), Ethan “It’s a Trap” Holliday, because of course the tactless Rockies decided to just throw him to the wolves in full season ball. Yesterday, he was throwing spit balls at the teacher in high school algebra class, and today, he’s striking out 3 times in a Single-A game. Sure, he also had 2 hits, and he’s hitting well overall in his debut, going 6 for 16 with 2 doubles, but we know there were hit tool concerns coming out of the draft, and he now has a 33.3/5.6 K%/BB% in 4 games. It’s obviously a super small sample, but if Holliday maintains a mid 30’s K rate here down the stretch, what will the panic meter be this off-season? Why did the Rockies have to do this to us? They couldn’t have just let him ease into pro ball next year? Speaking of the Rockies, do we trust them to develop him at all? So many questions, so little answers, but the pro debuts will start to at least partially answer some of these questions on all of these new draftees. It’s a fun time.

Aiva Arquette – MIA, SS, 21.9, A+ – I’ve talked about this draft class being pretty underwhelming for fantasy, so it’s fitting that the top college bat in the class is off to a pretty underwhelming start at High-A, slashing .237/.333/.342 with 1 homer, 1 steal in 3 attempts, and a 26.7/13.3 K%/BB% in 10 games. That one homer was an opposite field cheapie, which underscores that while Arquette has big power at 6’5”, 220 pounds, he’s not really that prototypical lift and pull beast. And he has some hit tool risk. And he’s not expected to be a big base stealer. The last two college bats the Marlins selected high in the first round were Jacob Berry and JJ Bleday. I’m just saying. If Arquette continues to be mediocre at High-A, how high should we actually be taking him? It seems like .260 with 25 homers would be a good outcome here, which is good for fantasy, but it’s more Jordan Westburg than Nick Kurtz. And like I mentioned with Berry and Bleday, there is no guarantee he even makes it to .260/25. I don’t know how excited I could be picking Arquette this off-season, in shallower leagues especially.

Gavin Kilen – SFG, SS, 21.3, A – “Safe” college bat Gavin Kilen is doing nothing to help the reputation of this draft class. He was selected 13th overall by San Francisco, and getting drafted into that ballpark immediately killed any desire I would have to pick him, and now his pro debut is further cementing that, slashing .205/.279/.282 with 0 homers, 0 steals, and a 11.6/7.0 K%/BB% in 10 games at Single-A. He doesn’t have big power. He doesn’t have much speed. He’s in a horrible ballpark. He’s not having a good debut so far. I mean, what’s the point. And this was the 2nd college bat off the board. We aren’t in 2024 anymore, Dorothy. This 2025 draft class is kinda depressing.

Marek Houston – MIN, SS, 21.3, A – Is the 3rd college bat off the board doing any better? I guess, slashing .370/.424/.444 in 12 games at Single-A, but the concern was that he wasn’t going to make enough hard contact to make an impact, and he does indeed have zero homers with not much hard hit. The 22.6/7.5 K%/BB% is aight I guess. He’s great on defense and he is running with 6 steals, but man, this just feels so lackluster. Where are the Nick Kurtz’s? Where oh where are the JJ Wetherholt’s? …

JJ Wetherholt – STL, 2B, 22.10, AAA – Oh, there are the JJ Wetherholt’s, smoothly obliterating a bomb to dead center for his 9th homer in 26 games at Triple-A. This man became a power hitting beast right before our eyes with a 91.6 MPH EV and 48.7% Hard Hit%. The plate skills remain excellent with a 15.8/13.2 K%/BB% at the level and he runs with 17 steals on the season. He’s got 20/20 with a good BA written all over him, and it’s what catapulted him to 6th overall on my July 2025 Top 349 Dynasty Prospects Rankings (Patreon). Nick Kurtz is a Top 20 Dynasty asset. The 19 year old Konnor Griffin, who just got called to Double-A to show the 19 year old Sebastian Walcott how it’s done, is the #1 prospect in baseball. JJ is an elite prospect. Enjoy it, because the 2025 class ain’t going to be doing this. Except for maybe one man. One underrated man. And his name is Ethan Conrad. Give me the guy with a torn up shoulder over all of these other college bats.

Charlie Condon – COL, 3B/1B/OF, 22.2, AA – And then there is poor Charlie Condon. I was ringing the panic bell after Condon’s horrific pro debut, and while 2025 has been much better, as expected, it still hasn’t been easy. But all you have to do watch is one swing where he mashes the ball to smithereens at 111 MPH to forget all of it. That was his 4th homer in 33 games at Double-A, and it comes with a decent .244/.352/.420 triple-slash. The problem is that the strikeout rate sits at 29.6%. That remains too high. He’s also not exactly blowing the doors off the minors like we wanted to see out of the draft. So while he remains a legitimately exciting power bat, it sure looks like this isn’t going to be a smooth process to MLB power hitting star. He might get there, I think he will, but it’s going to be a process.

Jac Caglianone – KCR, 1B, 22.6, AAA – Speaking of not a smooth process, Caglinone is on a rehab assignment at Triple-A, and he’s leaving no doubt that there is nothing left for him to do in the minors with a 422 foot bomb for his 8th homer in 17 games on the season, and his 2nd in 5 games on this rehab assignment. He has a 1.641 OPS with a 1/2 K/BB in these games. He’s ready for another go at the majors, and I’m 100% sticking with him through the MLB adjustment period. He had a 77.1 MPH swing with a 12.1% Barrel%, .332 xwOBA, and a very respectable 26.1% whiff%. There is no way this guy isn’t going to start ripping the ball in the majors soon. The 37.2% Chase% is bad for sure, and he’s not lifting and pulling, so I’m not saying it’s all roses, but I’m not budging off a special bat like that.

Jakob Marsee – MIA, OF, 24.1 – The MLB onslaught continues, going 2 for 2 with a 105 MPH frozen rope for his 4th homer in 17 games. 32% Hard Hit% at Triple-A? 87.3 MPH EV at Triple-A? Was Marsee just not trying that hard? Did he Popeye the Sailor Man a can of spinach right before the callup? I don’t get it, because he’s turned into Shohei Ohtani all of a sudden with a 93 MPH EV and 54.8% Hard Hit% in the majors. He has 4 homers, 6 steals, a 17.7/14.5 K%/BB% and a 236 wRC+. But, I mean, the larger Triple-A sample has to rule the day, right? We can’t be assuming this is close to real. Now, he does have a fantasy friendly profile with lift and pull, speed, and good plate skills, so I don’t think it’s a complete mirage, but I still can’t go higher than 347th overall on the Updated Top 444 Dynasty Baseball Rankings that hit the Patreon last week. Maybe that’s too low, and considering he just keeps on raking, maybe I would have him ranked even higher today, but I can’t give the rec to truly buy high right now. Enjoy the ride if you have him, but if you don’t, don’t go chasing him too hard. It’s too late to get him now.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. – TOR, 1B, 25.9 – Junior Caminero this. Nick Kurtz that. Vlad must have gotten sick of hearing it, because he’s been running these mean streets for years, and he’s out to put some respect back on his name after smashing his 9th homer in his last 27 games. That brings his season total up to a respectable 21 in 123 games, and he does it with something Kurtz and Caminero likely won’t be able to sniff long term, a .300 BA. The .416 xwOBA is the 5th best in baseball, and while expected stats aren’t everything as Statcast underrates lifting and pulling, it’s still a reminder that Vlad is one of the most special bats in baseball. He might still deserve that top spot over Caminero and Kurtz.

Noelvi Marte – CIN, 3B/OF, 23.9 – I got asked in the July Mailbag Podcast (Patreon) who the 2026 version of PCA and Neto are going to be, and my answer was Noelvi Marte and Maikel Garcia. I’ve been screaming from the rooftops to buy Marte since early July, with some people telling me they were able to just pick him up, and I wasn’t scared off by the Hayes trade either. This man is too electric to keep off the field, and he is indeed staying on the field in RF, and he keeps on raking. He went 2 for 4 with a 104.7 MPH single yesterday, and he has 2 homers with a 1.206 OPS in his last 8 games. It’s the electric skills he’s been showing all season with a double plus 74.1 MPH swing and double plus 29.1 ft/sec sprint. The 27% whiff% and 32.8% Chase% ain’t too bad at all. His value has been rising, and I’m still buying.

Samuel Basallo – BAL, C/1B, 20.11/Dylan Beavers – BAL, OF, 23.11 – Of course the Orioles went off for a 12 to 0 victory on the day they call up their two big guns from Triple-A, Basallo and Beavers. Basallo and Beavers may sound like a bad buddy cop TV show on TNT, but no, they are two big guns ready to give the Orioles a much needed shot in the arm. Basallo went 1 for 4 with a 101.1 MPH single, 2 RBI and 0 K. Beavers went 1 for 4 with 2 runs and a 1/1 K/BB. Beavers actually got called up the day before and ripped a 99.9 MPH double off Bryan Abreu in his first game. Basallo could enter that Kurtz/Caminero/Vlad tier in short order, and Beavers could join that pushing Top 100 dynasty asset status with power and speed. It’s going to be fun watching what they can do down the stretch.

Shea Langeliers – OAK, C, 27.8 – Raleigh is the clear top dog at catcher. We all know that. But I don’t think #2 is an easy call at all, and while I went with Basallo at #2, Basallo might not end up a catcher, which makes Shea Langeliers my real #2 dynasty catcher in baseball in last week’s update, ranking 83rd overall. And he kept on raking since then with his 25th homer on Friday, and a 106.5 MPH blast yesterday for his 26th on the season. The thing that really catapulted him to the top of the catcher rankings is that the hit tool has been much improved all season with a career best by far 23.6% whiff% and 18.4% K%. The big power hasn’t taken a step back at all with a 90.5 MPH EV and 15.4 degree launch. And he hits in a bandbox. The guy jacked out 29 homers last year too. Don’t sleep on Shea.

Francisco Alvarez – NYM, C, 23.8 – And while we’re on the topic of ascending dynasty catchers, Alvarez is now doing what we all expected of him to start the season, and that is rake his face off. He went 3 for 4 with 2 doubles at 103.3 MPH and 99.7 MPH, and those weren’t even his hardest hit balls of the day. It was a 112.9 MPH forceout. Since getting called back up the bigs he’s slashing .323/.408/.645 with 4 homers, a 22.5/12.7 K%/BB%, a 94.6 MPH EV and a 58.7% Hard Hit%. Alvarez was once the prince that was promised, the future #1 dynasty catcher in the game, and while there have been bumps in the road, he just might come for that crown one day if he keeps this up. That is assuming the jammed thumb he suffered last night doesn’t require a long absence.

Ralphy Velazquez – CLE, 1B, 20.2, AA – Ralphy was one of my top FYPD targets in his draft year, and while he was having a mediocre 1st half of the season, he was just lying in wait. Because he’s now going insane since he got the call to Double-A, walloping his 4th homer in just 5 games at the level. He was heating up at High-A before getting the call, and really his only problem even in the 1st half was the low BABIP. Whenever I got asked about his struggles, I always said his profile really remains that same. And that profile is a power hitting beast with 21 homers and a 19.8/9.9 K%/BB% in 99 games. Doing this as a recently turned 20 year old just puts an exclamation point on that profile. He did fall out of my Top 100 with the lackluster start, but he started the year 88th overall, and he’ll be right back there at the very least in the next update. This is an easy Top 100 power hitting prospect.

Carter Jensen – KCR, C, 22.1, AAA – All this dude did was mash. Every single year of his career, and he never really got the full hype treatment from the prospect world. But me thinks that is about to end, as the hype treatment is going to hit overdrive with his destruction at Triple-A. He went the opposite way for his 11th homer in just 34 games at the level, and it comes with a ridiculous 94.2 MPH EV and 61.3% Hard Hit%. Those are elite power hitting levels. Simple as that. He’s lifting it too with a 16 degree launch. The 33.2% whiff% and 31.9% K% are definitely way too high, and while he mitigates what with high walk rates and well above average chase, it is still a concern. But I mean, just look at those power metrics again. Elite. He entered my Top 100 at #100 in the July 2025 Top 349 Dynasty Prospects Rankings (Patreon), but right now, I don’t see how he’s not a Top 50 prospect at least. Let him split time with Salvador Perez behind the plate and at DH. That will be a killer fantasy catcher.

Michael Forret – BAL, RHP, 21.3, AA – Forret got the much deserved call to Double-A, and he didn’t disappoint, going 6 IP with 2 hits, 0 ER, and a 7/0 K/BB. That is just a continuation of the utter dominance he displayed at High-A with a 1.51 ERA and 33.5/7.5 K%/BB% in 59.2 IP. I closed out his off-season Top 1,000 blurb by writing, “he’s the type who could really pop with a good showing in the upper minors,” and that good showing could be here. He’s an athletic 6’3” with mid 90’s heat, a plus slider and a pretty good changeup. He’s already a Top 150 prospect for me, and he could be pushing close to Top 100 by the end of the season.

Lenyn Sosa – CHW, 2B/3B, 25.6 – 1 for 5 with a 108.6 MPH homer yesterday, and Sosa now has 12 homers in his last 42 games. The underlying metrics back it up with a 10.3% Barrel%, 90.8 MPH EV, 18.8 degree launch, .347 xwOBA and 44% Hard Hit% on the season. He barely snuck onto the back of the Updated Dynasty Rankings, so I definitely think he deserves to be on the radar, but the main problem is that with Meidroth back in the lineup, Sosa played 1B in this one. He also has a 3.5% BB%. A low OBP player who has a decent but not great infield glove is always going to have to scratch and claw for playing time. You can’t really feel locked with him long term. Ride the heater now, but don’t pay up for it.

Aaron Nola – PHI, RHP, 32.0 – Nola returned from a 3 month IL stint and he seamlessly picked up right up from where he left off, going 2.1 IP with 7 hits, 6 ER, and a 4/1 K/BB vs. WAS. He gave up 9 ER in his last start 3 months ago. It brings his ERA up to a cool 6.92 ERA in 52 IP. He’s definitely not this bad. He’s definitely been unlucky, but this cliff has been looming for a little while now. The stuff is down a tick this year and the 23.8/7.2 K%/BB% just isn’t special. It’s why he tanked to #266 on the August 2025 Top 444 Dynasty Baseball Rankings (Patreon). I do think a bounce back is coming. I would be willing to take the flier. But don’t buy the name value.

Victor Robles – SEA, OF, 27.10 – You can hit a man with a pitch one time and he will shake it off. Two times, and he’ll still probably take it like a man. Three times, and he’ll put his head down and run to first, resigned to his fate. But after 177 times, that man will snap. On the 178th hit by pitch of Robles career, he went feral, jackhammering his bat at Joey Estes after taking a fastball straight to the chest and charging the mound. That is his 4th hit by pitch in just 5 games since getting to Triple-A for his rehab assignment. Because he swung at it, it doesn’t actually count as a hit by pitch, but that is only on the scorecard. Robles clearly felt like it counted. He’s been out since early April with a shoulder injury, and he’s clearly frustrated. And while I can’t say he should have thrown the bat at Estes, getting hit 4 times in 5 games while just trying to rehab is frustrating. I’m not going to blame him. Love the fireworks ha

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR TONS OF EXCLUSIVE CONTENT ALL SEASON, INCLUDING:
–AUGUST 2025 TOP 444 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
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By Michael Halpern (@MichaelCHalpern)
Email: michaelhalpern@imaginarybrickwall.com
Twitter: Imaginary Brick Wall (@DynastyHalp)
Blue Sky: Dynasty Halp (@ImaginaryBrickWall)

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 (8/4/25):

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR TONS OF EXCLUSIVE CONTENT ALL SEASON, INCLUDING:
–MID-SEASON 2025 TOP 437 DYNASTY RANKS (August Update coming next week)
–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: TRADE DEADLINE & JULY MAILBAG! (dropped last week)
-TONS OF DYNASTY RUNDOWNS
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Dylan Beavers – BAL, OF, 23.11, AAA – You know Beavers can just smell that opportunity. Wait, do Beavers have a good sense of smell? Or do they just build dams? I don’t know because I’m not a zoologist, but I am a prospectologist, and I’m observing the behavior of the 6’5” Beaver/Oriole hybrid in the wild. Look at how the majestic creature unfurls his monster frame to strike it’s prey at just the right time. And not just once. He finishes them with a 2nd fatal blow to the jugular. The first homer would have went into whatever body of water that is back there if it didn’t hit the scoreboard, and that didn’t even look like a full swing. That 2nd one he put his back into and crushed even harder into the centerfield batter’s eye at 108.3 MPH. He knows the opportunity is waiting for him now that Laureano and O’Hearn are out the door. It’s just a matter of time, and Beavers has the power, speed, size, athleticism, contact rates, and approach to make a major impact. Just look at the numbers he’s putting up, slashing .307/.421/.520 with 16 homers, 22 steals, and a 17.1/16.3 K%/BB% in 85 games at Triple-A. Utter destruction.

Emil Morales – LAD, SS, 18.9,, A – Oh, here we fucking go. If you want to call blasting 2 homers on Saturday getting comfortable at Single-A, then Morales is making himself right at home. He also went 2 for 5 with a double and a steal on Friday. The dude is a lift and pull machine with double plus power and pretty damn good athleticism. He runs a bit too. Just call him Emil Morentino, because if you missed out on the Florentino hype train, Morales is now right behind him. Here is what I wrote in Morales’s Target blurb this off-season, “Jesus Made this. Jesus Made that. Made, Made, Made. But what if it is Morales who ends up the true star. Made hit 6 homers in 51 DSL games … cute. Morales hit 14 in 46 games. There is nothing cute about that. Morales had a 27.5% GB%. Made’s was 48.6%. Morales is a 6’3” beast. Made ain’t that big. Made has the hit tool edge for sure, but I find trusting DSL contact/hit tool evaluation is the most precarious of any of the DSL stats/skills to predict at higher levels. We know Morales has some hit tool issues, and we know he has monster power upside. Made’s upside depends much more on that hit tool, and you know me, I’m most hesitant to buy into hit tool. Now, I’m being a bit over the top here, because you know I love Made too, and I’m in on Made, ranking him over Morales, and in my Top 40. But the point here is that Morales doesn’t get even a smidge of Made’s hype, so you can get them both. Pay up for Made, and then scoop Morales much later. It’s not an either or scenario.” … Now Made has a .267 BA with a 20.6% K%, 4 homers and a .267/.373/.388 Triple-A in 83 games at Single-A. Are we sure that Made is even that great? 😉 … Morales has a 145 wRC+ in 6 games to Made’s 122 … I just love needling Made, ha, but once again, the point being, don’t be surprised if it’s Morales ends up the true beast. Or I guess Florentino now too. Or Pena. It’s not just Made’s world. And now Emil is coming for his slice of the pie.

Kyle Stowers – MIA, OF, 27.6 – 2 for 4 with a 98.1 MPH chip shot that Stowers didn’t even come close to getting all of. I talked about it on last week’s July Mailbag Podcast (Patreon), but there is no more beating around the bush, Stowers is officially entering potentially Top 50 dynasty asset territory. This looks like a Brent Rooker 2.0 situation, and if you remember, people definitely were slow to really fully buy into Rooker. Stowers was a major target for me a few years ago (before the struggles scared me off), but I absolutely loved his powerful swing, and that was before bat tracking. Now with bat tracking we see it is a truly special swing with a double plus 75.1 MPH speed and a very short 6.8 foot length. That is a dangerous combination, and he’s using that whooping stick to crack 25 homers with a 19.6% Barrel%, .948 OPS and .392 xwOBA in 105 games. Sure the hit tool is still a risk with a 28.3% K% and 33.3% whiff%, so maybe I will be more comfortable putting him in Top 100 range when I update the Dynasty Rankings next week, but by the end of the year, don’t be surprised to see him nipping the Top 50.

Edward Cabrera – MIA, RHP, 27.2 – Speaking of not beating around the bush, I was all over Cabrera’s breakout from the second it first started sprouting back in May, calling him a major target, and he’s just been a straight rocket ship since then, going 6 IP with 2 hits, 1 ER, and a 7/1 K/BB vs. the Yanks yesterday. The curve went 8 for 15 on whiffs, the slider went 4 for 8, and the changeup induced weak contact with a 65 MPH EV. His two 97+ MPH fastballs were his least used pitches. Who is this man? He’s turned into Picasso on the mound. He now has a 3.24 ERA with a 24.8/8.2 K%/BB% in 100 IP. The 28.3% whiff% is in double plus range. He’s now sniffing Top 100 dynasty asset value himself.

Jack Perkins – OAK, RHP, 25.7 – With the closer role and a starting spot opening up in Sacramento post deadline, we didn’t know which way Perkins would go, but he’s in the rotation, and he did not make a statement in his first start, going 3 IP with 5 hits, 4 ER, and a 4/3 K/BB vs. ARI. The good news though is that the whiffs were still there with a 29% whiff%, and he also induced weak contact with a 78.3 MPH EV against. The 95.2 MPH fastball put up a 27% whiff% with an 80.3 MPH EV against. The sweeper notched a 40% whiff% and 73.6 MPH EV against. He mixed in a cutter and changeup too. While not a great outing, it could actually keep the buy window on Perkins open for a bit longer, because I’m liking him a lot right now. He has a 33% whiff% with an 85.6 MPH EV against in 22.2 IP on the season. Missing bats and inducing weak contact is an exciting combo. The control is below average and the ballpark is rough, but I’m buying that stuff/whiff/weak contact trifecta. I’m fully in on Perkins.

Joe Boyle – TBR, RHP, 25.11 – 5 IP, 3 hits, 0 ER, 2/2 K/BB vs. LAD … now that’s more like it Boyle. He wasn’t putting up big time whiffs with only a 13% whiff%, but he was inducing weak contact with a 87.9 MPH EV against led by the slider (75.9 MPH EV against), and he was getting called strikes with a solid 32% CSW%. It’s honestly encouraging to me that he was able to dominate the Dodgers without even having his best swing and miss stuff. This is the new and improved Boyle. And of course the strikeouts are going to come too. Any buy window that is still open on Boyle I would be all over. The fastball sits upper 90’s, he has two bat missing secondaries in his slider and splitter, and the control is much improved. There is true high end fantasy upside in here even with still below average control.

Colson Montgomery – CHW, SS, 23.5 – In one of the wildest, wackiest seasons I can remember in a while, Colson “The Rollercoaster” Montgomery had another big day on the MLB level, going 2 for 4 with a 100.8 MPH dinger off Jack Kochanowicz. He’s now slashing .256/.304/.547 with 7 homers, 0 steals, and a 26.9/6.5 K%/BB% in 25 games. He has a 14.8% Barrel%, 95 MPH FB/LD EV and a .365 xwOBA. The man had a 78 wRC+ in 60 games in the minors this year. Like I said, wild ride, and I can’t help but think we aren’t off that ride yet. We are just at the top of it. The 33% whiff% and 35.2% Chase% says strap in. Super fun start and Montgomery definitely has real pop, but I can’t be all in quite yet.

CJ Kayfus – CLE, 1B, 23.7 – Kayfus made his MLB debut, and that beaut of a lefty swing immediately made an impact with a 108.4 MPH double off the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (Michael Tonkin). I can’t get that lefty swing out of my mind, and it’s what made me name him one of my Top 9 Mid-Season Dynasty Baseball Targets (Patreon), writing, “The last time I just couldn’t get a guy’s swing out of my mind was Wilyer Abreu. I think I named Abreu a major target right right around this time 2 years ago, and then he got the call in August and just went gangbusters with a .939 OPS to close out 2023. Just watch Kayfus crush his 12 homer in 57 games at Triple-A last night. Tell me that isn’t a swing you just want to bet on. And he doesn’t have split issues. He crushes lefties just as hard as righties. There is some hit tool risk, there is some defense risk, and it’s not like his price is going to be super low, but I still think we are all underrating him. I don’t think you are going to have to give up an arm and a leg to get him. Nobody on Cleveland is locking in that long term 1B/DH. It’s going to be Kayfus’ job, and he’s going to deliver.” … and now he’s up, and now he’s starting to deliver. I’m still all in on Kayfus. I’m just betting on that swing. Simple as that.

Alex Freeland – LAD, SS, 23.10 – Alex Freeland MLB debut check in … 0 for 4 with 2 K yesterday and now has a 93.7 MPH EV with a 45.8% whiff% in 15 PA. Yup, that is about exactly right for his first taste. Hits it hard with legit hit tool concerns. Obviously insanely small sample, but it reinforces the profile. I like him. Top 75 prospect for me, but there is definitely risk.

Hector Rodriguez – CIN, OF, 21.4, AAA – Okay, it’s now quite clear that I’ve been underrating Hector Rodriguez. We’ve all been underrating this man, and the reason is obvious. The little man discount strikes again as the 5’10” Rodriguez just never got the full respect he deserved throughout his excellent minor league career. But I can’t overlook him any longer (well, I can, because I got an inch and a half on him at 5’11” and a half … 6’0” if you want to round up! ;), because he’s been making a statement since getting the call to Triple-A. He cracked his 2nd homer in 13 games at the level on Saturday, and as you can see, he might be 5’10”, but he’s a powerful 5’10”. Dude can hit the ball hard with a 53.5% Hard Hit% at at the level. The contact rates have been standout throughout his career (14% K% in 95 total games this year), and he’ll run a bit too with 10 steals. The reason why I’ve been hesitant to go all is because he’s a corner outfielder who doesn’t walk a lot, the launch isn’t conducive to big homer totals (8 degrees) and he’s not a good base stealer. It doesn’t seem like that high upside of a profile, but Cincinnati will help everything play up, and I just can’t deny the dominance. I’ve been slow to buy in, but he’s winning me over.

Carson Benge – NYM, OF, 22.5, AA – The man doesn’t stop. I gushed over Benge’s swing in last Monday’s Rundown, and I mean, just watch him vaporize his 8th homer in 26 games since getting called up to Double-A. He’s 19 for 22 on the bases on the season and the plate skills are plus. He does it all, and he certainly passes the eye test with athleticism, size and explosion. I don’t think saying he’s a Top 25 prospect is crazy at all. That is how I would value him.

Joey Cantillo – CLE, LHP, 25.7 – 5.2 IP, 6 hits, 4 ER, 9/2 K/BB vs. MIN. Not the greatest start, and this has kinda been a microcosm of his season, but damn is that 44% whiff% eye popping. The changeup put up a 79% whiff% on 11 of 14 whiffs!!! The curve notched a 50% whiff%, the slider a 33% whiff% and the 91.5 MPH fastball a 20% whiff%. Cantillo is a whiff machine with a 31.9% whiff% in 55.2 IP on the season. He had a 31.1% whiff% in 2024 as well. Sure the stuff isn’t that huge and it’s hittable. Sure the control is below average, but if you love K chasing like I do, Cantillo is surely mighty interesting. He has a 3.68 xERA (4.37 ERA) with a 29.5/12.3 K%/BB% on the season. Like I said, there are deficiencies, but he’s an excellent low cost/free pick up option right now.

Luis Gil – NYY, RHP, 27.0 – Gil made his season debut from a lat strain, and his performance showed why I’ve been hesitant to really go after him, going 3.1 IP with 5 hits, 5 ER, and a 3/4 K/BB vs. Miami. I just don’t trust the control. He wasn’t missing bats in this one either with a 16% whiff%. The stuff is still big with a bat missing 96.4 MPH fastball, but even last year, his highest whiff pitch was the 31.4% whiff% slider. His secondaries really aren’t all that great. I just don’t love him, but it’s only his first start, and of course the upside is obvious.

Julio Rodriguez – SEA, OF, 24.7 – 2 for 4 with a 112.4 MPH single, a 103.6 MPH homer, and a stolen base to notch the 4th straight 20/20 season of his career. He had a .687 OPS in his first 92 games and now that inevitable 2nd half heater is here with a 1.000 OPS in his last 20 games. So stupid. It’s like clockwork. Is he ever going to get that figured out? Are we ever going to see a full season of dominance?

Marek Houston – MIN, SS, 21.3 – One of my favorite times of the year is watching all of the new draftees make their pro debuts. The pro debut isn’t the end all be all, but I do think it says a lot about the player and gives a real indication of how they are going to transition to pro ball. Not many have debuted yet, but Houston has, and well, I’m not loving it. He already made a gold glove play in the field, which is really what Minnesota drafted him 16th overall for, but we know he doesn’t have big power, so the hit tool needs to bulletproof, and so far, it’s not. He has a 35.7/7.1 K%/BB% in 14 PA at Single-A. Stupid small sample of course. Just something to watch and keep our eye one. But if his strikeout rates are like mid 20’s in this debut, I’m going to like him less than I already do. Keep an eye.

Esteban Mejia – BAL, RHP, 18.4, A – 4 IP, 3 hits, 2 ER, 2/2 K/BB in his Single-A debut. I don’t know, Kendry Chourio was lights out in his Single-A debut last week. Mejia definitely has a level of nastiness that Chourio doesn’t really have, but Chourio is plenty nasty himself with pristine control. Do we have the wrong guy? Is it Chourio? Is it both of them? Is it neither of them because 17/18 year old rookie ball pitchers are a minefield to own?

Coby Mayo – BAL, 3B, 23.6 – Mayo is finally unleashed with the trades! We did it! … 0 for 4 with a K yesterday and is now 0 for his last 18 with a 38.9% K% … hah … I mean, I laugh so I don’t cry … Mayo is taking the hard route. We already know that. It’s never easy with him. But just use Stowers as your North Star. He will get there. Hopefully before he’s 27 years old and on the Marlins …

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