Mike Sirota – Imaginary Brick Wall

Los Angeles Dodgers 2026 Dynasty Baseball Team Report (Top 10 Prospects/Interesting MLB guys/Strategy Talk)

Michael Halpern — Mon, 12 Jan 2026 14:56:29 +0000

It’s time to give the back to back World Series Champions their due on the Brick Wall. Sure they “buy” their championships, but I am a Yankees fan who grew up in the 90’s, so who am I to judge? And they also might be the smartest organization in baseball and the best developmental organization in baseball, so it feels so cheap to just say they “buy” their rings. They deserve our respect. Make sure to check out the Strategy/Thoughts section below for my take on the Edward Cabrera trade and Bregman signing. The Patron is also popping off left and right with big drop after big drop, so give that a gander too. Here is the Los Angeles Dodgers 2026 Dynasty Baseball Team Report (Top 10 Prospects/Interesting MLB guys/Strategy Talk):

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Arizona Diamondbacks—Atlanta Braves—Baltimore Orioles—Boston Red Sox (free)—Chicago Cubs (free)—Cincinnati Reds (free)—Cleveland Guardians—Colorado Rockies—Detroit Tigers—Houston Astros—Kansas City Royals—Los Angeles Angels—Miami Marlins—Milwaukee Brewers—Minnesota Twins—New York Yankees (free)—Pittsburgh Pirates (free)—Sacramento Athletics—Seattle Mariners—St. Louis Cardinals (free)—Tampa Bay Rays—Texas Rangers—Toronto Blue Jays—Washington Nationals

Pitchers

Roki Sasaki – LAD, RHP, 24.5 – The psychic world is fickle. It’s not like the physical world where you can be exact. It comes in glimpses, fragments, and when I went into a deep meditative state last off-season to Predict the 2026 Top 50 Prospects, I was getting visions of Roki Sasaki still being on that list. I trusted those visions and predicted, “I don’t want to believe it either, but Sasaki will feel elbow soreness in May, hit the IL, and then succumb to Tommy John surgery with an internal brace procedure after throwing 33.2 IP in the majors.” … The way it actually played out is that Sasaki did in fact hit the IL in May after throwing 34.1 IP with a shoulder impingement. He pitched just 36.1 IP on the season, which means that in fantasy leagues that use 50 IP as the threshold, he is back on prospects lists in 2026. My prediction wasn’t exact, but I mean, eerily close. I even scare myself sometimes. The part I really didn’t predict is how bad he would look. He put up a 4.46 ERA, 5.74 xERA, and a 17.4/13.7 K%/BB%. He put up a 6.10 ERA with a 20.0/13.7 K%/BB% in 20.2 IP at Triple-A. Sure he was better in the playoffs with a 0.84 ERA in 10.2 IP, but it came with a 14.0/11.6 K%/BB%. There is no way I look at that K/BB and go all is forgiven. The velocity was up in the playoffs, but that came in very short outings. There was one silver lining in the entire season, and that was that the splitter was good, not great, with a 37.2% whiff% and .253 xwOBA. He was straight up atrocious otherwise. Nothing translated from Japan. The Dodgers say they are going to put him back into the rotation in 2026 and they have a plan to fix him/teach him how to succeed in MLB, but I’m not going back in on this too hard. Just look at that K/BB in the playoffs one more time, and that was supposed to be the glimmer of hope for next year. Look at what he did at AAA. I don’t see it. It seems there is a very high chance he ends up back in the bullpen in 2026. Of course there is still upside and I can’t imagine he’s worse the 2nd time around, but he’s not a buy low for me. – 2026 Projection: 6/4.27/1.35/106 in 120 IP

Emmet Sheehan – LAD, RHP, 26.5 – Betting on Tommy John/internal brace returnees is a total roll of the dice. We have no idea which ones are going to come back fully healthy and which ones aren’t, but one thing I noticed in 2025, is that you can tell which ones are fully back extremely quickly. Conventional wisdom would say we should give guys time to shake the rust off, but that wasn’t the case at all in 2025. The guys who came back and looked great from literally their first rehab outing, were the guys who kept on looking great. And the ones who looked rusty out of the gate, more or less remained rusty all season. I still buy into the conventional wisdom somewhat, but I think it’s worth mentioning that in practice it didn’t work that way at all. And it’s a lesson I’m taking with me for 2026. Basically buy hard on a guy who dominates in their first rehab outing, and at the very least don’t buy on a guy who doesn’t look back to 100%. And I have to say, I was all over Sheehan the second he started dominating at Triple-A, calling him a major target over and over again and ranking him extremely high on the in season dynasty rankings from mid-season on. He was bordering on elite pitching prospect status before the injury, and he immediately re-established that level with a 2.18 xFIP and 45.6/2.5 K%/BB% in 19.2 IP at Triple-A in his rehab outings. It’s hard to break into LA’s rotation for a young pitcher, but LA clearly saw what I was seeing and gave them no choice. And when he did get that shot, he looked like a young ace with a 2.82 ERA and 30.6/7.6 K%/BB% in 73.1 IP (I’m trying my best to ignore the horrific post-season because I have no idea what to do with that). The 95.6 MPH fastball was a bat missing weapon with a 26.5% whiff%, the slider was straight elite with a .198 xwOBA and 43.6% whiff%, and the changeup was excellent with a .200 xwOBA and 30.2% whiff%. The control is above average and the 32.9% whiff% is in the elite of the elite for a starter. There is nothing not to like (other than the playoffs, woof). Sheehan is one of the most exciting young pitchers in the game. He ranked 78th overall on the Top 200 Sneak Peek of the 2026 Top 1,000 Dynasty Baseball Rankings (Patreon). – 2026 Projection: 12/3.37/1.14/171 in 145 IP

Hitters

Andy Pages – LAD, OF, 25.4 – I find it hard not to mention that Pages had one of the worst playoff performances I can remember with a negative 45 wRC+ and .078 BA in 55 PA. I don’t think it’s going to impact how the Dodgers view him going into 2026, but there were also signs that he got lucky in 2025 with a below average .315 xwOBA vs. .332 wOBA. He’s a contact (21.5% whiff%)/lift (16.9 degree launch)/pull guy (20.1% Air Pull%), which can routinely beat Statcast, but the 37.2% Hard Hit% makes the profile a bit precarious, and we saw how bad it can look in the playoffs. It was even cooling off in the regular season with a .696 OPS and 34.2% Hard Hit% in his final 70 games. The 4.6% BB% and 33.2% Chase% is not giving hope that his big walk rates from the minors are all of a sudden going to show up in the majors. I really thought I was going to like Pages a lot coming into this blurb, but I’m coming away more concerned than I am excited. Don’t get me wrong, he’s coming off an excellent year where he went .272/27/14, and LA showed their faith in him during the season even when he was slumping, which is big to see because they are sometimes quick to pull the plug with young players. A lot of that faith is how good he is on defense, including CF. His defensive ability is a big reason I’m staying high, and so is the fact his MLB career is just getting started, so if he can improve that hard hit, the fantasy friendly profile is here to have some huge seasons. I would just caution to have some restraint here as the red flags are here. – 2026 Projection: 72/25/83/.254/.308/.452/10

Mookie Betts – LAD, SS, 33.6 – We all know why Mookie had a down season. It’s not a mystery. He contracted a very serious stomach virus that caused him to lose 20 pounds right before the season started. That is so clearly the recipe for diminished power, and that is exactly what happened as he put up a career worst 35.8% Hard Hit%. The power outage not only impacted his homer totals (20 in 150 games), but also his batting average (.258), especially because of how much he lifts and pulls. The good news is that the hard hit numbers were already starting to come back up by the end of the season, putting up a 44.3% Hard Hit% in September. The 39.3% Hard Hit% in 17 playoff games was solid too even if he didn’t have the best post-season. He has a career 42.1% Hard Hit%. With a full off-season to regain the strength he lost, it sure seems like he should be in for a major bounce back in 2026, even at 33 years old, because the elite contact rates didn’t go anywhere with a career best 10.3% K%. He stole only 8 bags, and while it’s hard to expect huge steal totals in his mid 30’s, that should bounce back too when he gets on base as much as he usually does. I don’t see how we can consider this the start of a decline when we have a clear reason for the down season. All signs point towards a much better 2026. – 2026 Projection: 104/28/83/.279/.358/.487/14

Bullpen

Edwin Diaz – LAD, Closer, 32.0 – It doesn’t matter what coast he’s on, Diaz is a no doubt elite closer and might be the best reliever in baseball. He put up a 1.63 ERA with a 38.0/8.1 K%/BB% in 66.1 IP. The 41.5% whiff% is absurd and trails only Fernando Cruz, Mason Miller, and Brendon Little. If you are looking for undervalued, high upside relievers, you might want to take a peek at Cruz and Little. But back to Diaz, the 97.2 MPH 4-seamer and slider are both elite bat missing weapons. He has no major control issues with about average walk rates. He’s as elite as they come. – 2026 Projection: 5/2.44/0.93/101/33 saves in 65 IP

Los Angeles Dodgers 2026 Top 10 Dynasty Fantasy Baseball Prospects Rankings

1) Josue De Paula – LAD, OF, 20.10 – 2026 is the season De Paula has to have the legitimate game power breakout. It’s his age 21 year old season, where so many Junior year college bats are able to make that adjustment and put up the big homer totals. If it doesn’t come for De Paula this year, I will start to get worried the odds of it ever coming will be low. I’m actually slightly disappointed it didn’t come this year with 12 homers, a 33% FB% and 40.7% Pull% in 102 games at mostly High-A. He got a 4 game cup of coffee at Double-A to close out the year, and while it’s obviously a super small sample, I’m not in love with the 83.3% GB%. So he just pounded the ball into the ground the first time he tasted advanced competition. Don’t take this blurb as me not liking De Paula, because I think I’m his biggest fan, “discovering” him when he was a legit unknown, not a word of hype DSL breakout and calling him a major buy before people caught on, so take it more as a proud father who is a bit disappointed. And I do still love him. He’s a 6’3” beast who genuinely crushes the ball with strong plate skills and base stealing ability. He put up a 142 wRC+ with a 20.2/19.0 K%/BB% and 32 steals in 98 games at High-A as a 19/20 year old. I’m most certainly in, but the reason he isn’t in the elite of the elite prospect tier is the still lacking game power, poor defense, and the fact he hasn’t proven it against advanced competition yet. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 88/24/84/.266/.348/.460/16

2) Emil Morales – LAD, SS, 19.6 – I love it when I’m evaluating the incoming international class and a prospect absolutely explodes off the screen. It happened with Lazaro Montes. It happened with Sebastian Walcott. And then it happened with Emil Morales. True athletic beasts that look undeniable even in a few swings on a Youtube video. All 3 immediately became the biggest targets for me in their international class, and all 3 exploded in pro ball. It’s just so fun hitting on one of these guys with such little information, and I can’t help it for them to become personal favorites. Montes and Walcott are obviously long past getting any value on them, but there is still value to be had on Morales, surprisingly. I went all in even more after he destroyed the DSL in 2024, ranking him 39th overall on the 2025 Top 500 Prospect Ranks last off-season when he wasn’t even getting Top 100 love, and he proved my love for him correct once again, closing out the season at Single-A as an 18 year old, slashing .339/.420/.548 with 5 homers, 5 steals, and a 23.1/11.9 K%/BB% in 30 games. That was good for a 160 wRC+. The hit tool was getting better and better as the year went on, he’s a true beast at 6’3” with lift/pull and hard hit, and he’s a legitimately good athlete. This is not just a lumbering slugger. This is a very special talent, who to my disbelief, still might not get a ton of Top 100 love. I don’t get it, but it’s better for you, because there is still time to get in before his value utterly explodes in 2026. I see a star every time I watch this kid, hit tool risk be damned. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 91/33/102/.261/.343/.515/12

3) Eduardo Quintero – LAD, OF, 20.7 – Quintero continues to be one off the very best hitters at every single level he plays at. He put up a 177 wRC+ in the DSL in 2023, a 146 wRC+ in stateside rookie in 2024, and then a 158 wRC+ at Single-A in 2025. The cherry on top is that he closed the year out at High-A as a still 19 year old and put up a 135 wRC+ in 32 games. It may sound obvious and simple, but I love a guy who just keeps on raking no matter the competition put in front of him. He finished the season slashing .293/.415/.508 with 19 homers, 47 steals, and a 22.7/16.3 K%/BB% in 113 games. They wanted him to lift/pull more this year, and he did it. Again, making adjustments and not seeing the production drop off at all is another great sign, because baseball is a game of adjustments, and you need to be able to tinker like that your entire career basically. He has a good feel to hit, he has plus power potential, he has speed and he’s a good defensive CF. That is all the boxes except upper minors production, but that is likely coming soon too. As much love as Quintero gets, he’s probably still underhyped. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 91/23/78/.263/.342/.450/31

4) Zyhir Hope – LAD, OF, 21.2- If an NFL Running Back played baseball, I imagine it would look a lot like Zyhir Hope. He’s got an NFL running back build at 5’10” with thunder thighs of pure steel, and he’s got the power/speed combo of a running back as well, crushing the ball with 13 homers and stealing 27 bags in 127 games at mostly High-A. He put up a 131 wRC+. Unfortunately, he also has the hit tool of a running back, hah, just playing, it’s not that bad, but there is definitely hit tool issues with a 26.3% K%. I’m very encouraged by his cup of coffee at Double-A to close out the season though. He put up a 20% K% in 20 PA, and while it’s too small of a sample to read into too much, it’s still a good sign. And he hit .266 on the season, so it’s not like the guy is completely incapable of hitting for average. The risk is he ends up a strong side of a platoon corner outfielder, but there is way too much upside in here to get overly scared off by the risk. He was just 20 years old last off-season, so there is time for him to refine the hit tool, and if anyone can help him, it’s the Dodgers. The Dodgers need some payoff from that Michael Busch trade (Busch for Hope and Ferris), and Hope is that payoff. The lefty Randy Arozarena is the comp. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 88/24/79/.250/.338/.455/26

5) Roki Sasaki – LAD, RHP, 24.5 – See above

6) Mike Sirota – LAD, OF, 22.9 – It was straight comical how just about everybody immediately called Sirota a major FYPD target the second he got traded to the Dodgers, including myself. I don’t even victory lap it at all because everyone single one of us saw it coming from a mile away right after the trade went down. And it’s just so stupid how ridiculously good of a season he had, slashing .333/.452/.616 with 13 homers, 5 steals, and a 21.9/17.8 K%/BB% in 59 games at Single-A and High-A. I want to reiterate that he was a 3rd round pick. Number 87 overall. He hadn’t played a single professional game, and yet every damn one of us was like, yup, he’s going to explode, and he did. I love it. The fact that he was considered a possible Top 10 picks before his junior year was also a big reason for the optimism. The talent is unquestionable here at 6’2”, 188 pounds with a plus power/speed combo. If we are going to nitpick, which is what we do, he only did this in the lower minors as an advanced college bat. Despite the plus speed, he was a bad base stealer, going 5 for 10, and while the 37.7% GB% looks good, the 34.2% Pull% is quite low. So the risk is that the hit tool ends up exposed a bit against more advanced competition, he doesn’t run a ton, and the lack of pull limits his homer totals. But the upside is a good defensive CF would hits 25 bombs with 15 steals and a solid BA. A knee injury is why his season got cut short and never got to prove it in the upper minors. He’s a Top 50-ish prospect for me, but the negatives I laid out are why I’m not going higher. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 86/24/84/.262/.339/.457/11

7) Chase Harlan – LAD, 3B, 19.9 – Harlan was one of my favorite 2025 FYPD Targets, writing in his Target blurb, “Harlan gives me shades of Austin Riley,” and after his excellent pro debut, those shades are even more obvious. He’s 6’3”, 205 pounds with an absolutely beastly righty swing. Just look at this thing. That is the type of swing you watch and your jaw just drops. It stands out. And he uses that swing to truly crush the ball. He slashed .269/.357/.442 with 9 homers, 3 steals, and a 22.3/12.0 K%/BB% in 68 games split between rookie ball (121 wRC+) and Single-A (103 wRC+). There is definitely hit tool risk, and that popped up at Single-A with a .240 BA and 26% K%. He was young for his class, but he turned 19 by the time he got to Single-A, so I hesitate to give him too large of an age to level bump. Still, he will only be 19 years old for the first half of the 2026 season, so there is time to improve that hit tool. And if he can, we are taking about true top level power upside, a la Austin Riley. I love him last off-season and I love him even more now. He’s a target, again. – 2026 Projection: 79/28/91/.244/.326/.472/6

8) Alex Freeland – LAD, 3B/2B, 24.7 – Freeland’s hit tool risk got exposed immediately in the majors with a .190 BA and a 36.1% K% in 97 PA. The 30.5% whiff% isn’t nearly as scary, and the 21.9% K% and 23.7% whiff% at Triple-A was considerably better, so I’m expecting a much better showing in his 2nd go around, but it’s very clearly a real risk. His next biggest problem is that he’s on the Dodgers and they don’t seem like they are just going to unleash him in the starting lineup. He’s going to have to compete and he’s going to have to earn it every step of the way. His good infield glove will help though, and if he can make his way on the field, the power/speed is in here to make a fantasy impact. He ripped the ball at Triple-A with a 47.6% Hard Hit%, and the 90.7 MPH EV in the majors is not too shabby. He can hit it damn hard, he can lift and pull, he’s got an excellent approach with a 19.3% Chase%, and he’s got speed with two 31 steal seasons under his belt in the minors. The 26.2 ft/sec sprint was oddly low in the majors, so I’m thinking it was just a small sample, but he also wasn’t exactly a demon on the bases at AAA this year (18 for 24), so we should probably keep the stolen bases expectations in a more moderate range. Considering both the hit tool and playing time risk, it’s hard to bet on him too hard, but the Dodgers are also super old in their infield. 2B is wide open. I wouldn’t fade him too hard either. – 2026 Projection: 38/9/31/.233/.308/.406/7 Prime Projection: 77/22/73/.248/.330/.436/16

9) River Ryan – LAD, RHP, 27.8 – Ryan underwent Tommy John surgery in August 2024 which wiped out his entire 2025 season. He was breaking out on the MLB level before going down with the injury with a 1.33 ERA and 22.2/11.1 K%/BB% in 20.1 IP. He had the big stuff to back it up with a 96.3 MPH fastball, a diverse pitch mix, and bat missing secondaries. But like so many Dodgers pitchers in this category, who knows when he will be able to claw his way back into the rotation, and how much they are going to ease/baby him back in. He’s good enough to not ignore, but he’s not so good where I would say he’s the type I’m actively targeting. If he’s a guy you have on the bottom of your roster, that works. – 2026 Projection: 3/4.18/1.32/71 in 75 IP Prime Projection: 10/3.91/1.29/150 in 150 IP

10) Charles Davalan – LAD, OF, 22.4 – Davalan is only 5’9” and he’s not a huge tools guy as a maxed out college bat, but you know if the Dodgers took him 41st overall, there is something to like, and as a little man discount connoisseur myself, I wouldn’t let his size fool you. For one, he packs a real punch with the bat, jacking out 14 homers in 65 games in the SEC. This isn’t just some Punch and Judy hitter. Davalan can hit the ball hard even if power isn’t going to be the main part of his game. The main part of his game is the hit tool with an 8.5/11.0 K%/BB%, speed (10 steals), and defensive versality (he can play 2B and all 3 OF positions). The pro debut got me even more excited for him, slashing .500/.541/.735 with 1 homer, 3 steals, and a 13.5/8.1 K%/BB% in 8 games at Single-A. Maybe he tops out as a cheap 400-500 AB utility type for the Dodgers, which might be the most likely outcome, but he’s also the type who can just keep hitting his way into more and more playing time. He ranked 36th overall on the Top 161 2026 First Year Player Draft Rankings (Patreon). – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 78/16/71/.273/.331/.418/21

11) James Tibbs III – LAD, OF, 23.6 – This guy gets tossed around like a hot potato. I was going to try to update the “hot potato” expression, but I just made potatoes yesterday, and fuck are those things hot as hell. The expression stays. He’s projected to be more of a solid than standout bat, so once he got out of San Francisco, I definitely liked him more, but ending up in LA is a double edged sword. He’s very likely to end up blocked, but he needed a good developmental organization based on his pro debut, and LA immediately unlocked his potential at Double-A, slashing .269/.407/.493 with 7 homers, 5 steals, and a 21.4/17.3 K%/BB% in 36 games. He ended the season with 20 homers and 10 steals with a 21.4/16.0 K%/BB% in 123 games, which isn’t bad. Tibbs was a FYPD fade for me last year after getting picked 13th overall, writing, “The only scenario I would honestly see myself drafting him is in like a 30 team league, or if he falls so far I simply don’t have a choice (and even then I might keep on passing). Maybe this ranking is too low, but he’s just not my guy.” … So he’s still not my favorite prospect without big tools, but his draft pedigree and solid season deserve to sneak on the back of this list. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 76/18/72/.253/.327/.423/8

Dynasty Baseball Thought/Strategy of the Day (which may or may not be related to the team I’m covering that day)

Marlins trade Edward Cabrera to the Cubs for Owen Caissie, Cristian Hernandez, and Eduardo De Leon

I really don’t think Miami knows what they are doing. They don’t seem to get it. Last year in the 19 Dynasty Baseball Strategies/Thoughts for 2025 I lambasted their deal for Jesus Luzardo, writing, “Man, I wish I had the Marlins in my dynasty leagues, giving up nearly elite upside starters (Jesus Luzardo) for light hitting speedsters (Caba and Body). I thought Caba was getting a bit overrated (certainly for fantasy), and obviously Philly didn’t view him as untouchable either. If you can pull the same sell high move for Caba that Philly just did, I would jump on it. As all dynasty owners know too well, I bet you there is another team out there going, “they sold Luzardo for that? My offer was 3 times better than that!!” … and while I’ll start by saying I like this deal a lot more than that deal (Cabrera is not as valuable as Luzardo and Caissie is a prospect I actually like who can make an impact), I only like it a lot more because of how horrible the other deal was. Cabrera is a very legitimate high upside, high octane arm who was finally putting it together and has 3 more years of team control. An arm like this is crazy valuable, even with the injury risk as all these pitchers have injury risk. A smart team would realize it would take a knock me over haul to trade an arm like this, and Owen Caissie with two spare parts is not a knock me over haul. I like Caissie a lot for fantasy, but even in fantasy, I would have never made this deal. Caissie has never put up a strikeout rate lower than 27.9% in the minors. In his cup of coffee in this majors he put up a 40% K% and 39.7% whiff% in 27 PA. Small sample for sure, but I mean, it shows that extreme risk in bright red colors. He doesn’t hit lefties well and he doesn’t have much defensive value. A power hitting, corner platoon outfielder with extreme hit tool risk is not the type of piece that should land you 3 years of a guy who could be a near ace or #2. It’s not like it’s impossible for this one to work out better for the Marlins, because again, I like this deal much better than the Luzardo deal. Cabrera could get hurt and Caissie could hit 30 bombs. I get that, but even if that is the outcome, I don’t believe the Marlins properly understand value. Look at that Rays deal for Baz as a counterpoint. They swept up with 5 value pieces and got a centerpiece in Forret as well. That is how a smart team does it. Miami doesn’t get it.

As for fantasy, everyone wins here. Caissie gets a clearer path, Cabrera gets a better team, White and Snelling have one less arm in front of them, and Alcantara and Long have one less bat in front of them. Great trade all around as far as fantasy is concerned. And again, I don’t dislike Caissie. He’s a really good power hitting prospects who is an easy Top 100 Prospect. It’s just not the guy you trade a potential cheap ace or potential #2 for 3 years for in real life. Major hit tool risk, big power corner outfielders should not cost that much in real life.

Cubs sign Alex Bregman for 5 years, $175 million

Straight disaster for Matt Shaw. The Cubs have been threatening to trade Hoerner for a while, so hopefully they do that (or trade Shaw), but they could just keep Shaw as depth with the intention of him taking over for Hoerner in 2027. It’s the same situation that Jasson Dominguez is probably about to be in when the Yanks sign Bellinger. Two guys who I think are long term starters and I still love, but what the hell am I supposed to do with them in limbo for 2026. I’m stressing over it hah, but this is dynasty, and if you believe in a player, you should stick with them even through playing time uncertainty. I stuck with Ben Rice last year, and it paid off in a major way. I’m holding strong on my value on both Shaw and Dominguez long term, but short term, yea, it kinda sucks.

As for Bregman, it is a definite ballpark downgrade from Boston and Houston, and considering his fantasy value was already boring, it’s not exactly great. But make no mistake, this is not an Isaac Paredes situation at all. Paredes has a career 30.6% Hard Hit%. He desperately needs a good ballpark for his profile. Bregman has a career 38.5% Hard Hit% and actually raised it to a career high 44.4% in 2025. This is not a Paredes situation by any stretch. They are not the same. Bregman is going to be just fine, and if he can actually maintain that increased Hard Hit, he might be more than fine. I really don’t think this changes his ranking all that much even though it is a ballpark downgrade.

Previous Dynasty Team Reports on Patreon (free ones listed in parenthesis)

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

Monday Morning Dynasty Baseball Rundown (5/12/25)

Michael Halpern — Mon, 12 May 2025 15:06:09 +0000

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 (5/12/25):

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR TONS OF EXCLUSIVE CONTENT ALL SEASON, INCLUDING:
–APRIL 2025 TOP 437 DYNASTY RANKS (4/25/25)
–MAY 2025 TOP 323 PROSPECTS RANKS
-TONS OF DYNASTY RUNDOWNS
-PREDICTING THE TOP 50 2026 PROSPECTS RANKS
–SPREADSHEETS
-HALP’S DYNASTY BASEBALL PODCAST: APRIL MAILBAG!

Pete Crow-Armstrong – CHC, OF, 23.1 – Make it double digits for Pete Crow as he destroyed his 10th homer of the year into the upper deck at Citi Field. I’ve been pounding the table for Pete Crow Armstrong for so long now that I don’t have a table in my house that isn’t cracked and broken. I have to eat dinner standing up now. The Crow now has a 13.8% Barrel%, 90 MPH EV, and 22.1 degree launch in 41 games and is on pace for almost 40 dingers with 50 steals. I ranked him all the way up at 64th overall in the off-season Top 1,000 Rankings, starting off his blurb by writing, “Pete Crow Armstrong’s power has been underrated from the time he was drafted,” and ending with “Put some respect on this man’s name. His name is Pete Crow Armstrong, not Pete Crow Armweak.” Well, I think now people know. He moved all the way up to 33rd overall on the recently updated April Top 423 Dynasty Baseball Rankings (Patreon), and I’m not even sure that was high enough. I would value PCA as a Top 20 dynasty asset at the very least right now. Damn he’s fun.

Luis Morales – OAK, RHP, 22.7 – 7 IP, 2 hits, 1 ER, 11/1 K/BB at Double-A. The Bubba Chandler 2.0 glow up at Double-A just keeps on cementing. He was pumping upper 90’s heat for whiffs all day, which he would then follow up with vicious sliders. He utterly demoralized the competition. After his 7th strikeout vs. Logan Cerny, I’ve never seen someone walk away from the plate so dejected. He just dropped his bat and hung his head in shame as he walked back to the dugout. I saw the writing on the wall this off-season, starting Morales’ Top 1,000 blurb by writing, “This isn’t a comp, but Morales reminds me a lot of where Bubba Chandler was sitting last off-season. Like Chandler, Morales is a huge talent ($3 million signing bonus in 2023), with a scouts dream build at 6’3”, 190 pounds (although Chandler was more built up and wider), super obvious humongous stuff, below average control, and mediocre results at High-A. Morales put up a 4.22 ERA with a 24.9/10.7 K%/BB% in 81 IP at the level while Chandler put up a 4.75 ERA with a 25.6/10.9 K%/BB% in 106 IP at the level.” … and now just like Chandler, Morales is blowing up at Double-A with a 2.97 ERA and 31.5/9.8 K%/BB% in 36.1 IP. He already rose all the way up to 33rd overall on my Updated Top 323 May Dynasty Baseball Prospects Rankings that just dropped on the Patreon last week, and it still seems like there is time to get in. He’s still underrated.

Addison Barger – TOR, 3B/OF, 25.5 – It’s time to target Barger everywhere. He went 2 for 4 with a 107.2 MPH homer and 103.5 MPH single yesterday. I wanted to make him a major target this off-season, but the only thing holding me back was his defense, and right now, he actually has a positive 2.6 defensive value, which is getting me pumped, because his bat is no joke. He has an elite 76.3 MPH swing with a 13.6% Barrel%, 96.1 MPH EV. 13.5 degree launch, and .362 xwOBA in 59 PA. The plate skills are taking a big jump forward too with his K% all the way down to 16.9% (26.7% in 2024) and his Chase all the way down to 20.2% (31.5% in 2024). He’s still in a scrum for playing time, and it might be a platoon role, but I’m sorry, you can not keep this bat off the field. Barger is a major target right now. Go after him.

Caleb Durbin – MIL, 2B/3B, 25.1 – 0 for 3 and now has a .581 OPS with 0 barrels, an 83.7 MPH EV, and a negative 1.4 defensive value in 22 games. I like Durbin. I’m rooting for the little cutie at 5’7”, and he makes a ton of contact with a 5% K%, but 3B is for power hitting beasts, and Milwaukee just so happens to have one of those behemoths ripping up the minors right now …

Brock Wilken – MIL, 3B, 22.11 – and that man’s name is Brock Wilken. I held strong on Wilken’s value this off-season, putting him in my Top 100 at #87, and he’s rewarding that patience with a big year at Double-A. He went 3 for 4 with a dinger yesterday and he now has 8 homers with a 26.2/23.4 K%/BB% and 176 wRC+ in 33 games. He had a down year in 2024, but that was due to getting rocked in the face with a pitch on April 11th, sustaining multiple facial fractures. He talked about how hard it was to come back from that mentally this off-season. He’s over it now though. And he’s coming for that 3B job sooner rather than later.

Rafael Devers – BOS, 3B, 28.6 – 2 for 3 with a 110.4 MPH homer off Seth Lugo. First off, it’s great to see the shoulder problems seem to be behind Devers. His 18.8% Barrel%, 95.6 MPH EV and 61.6% Hard Hit% are all career bests. It sure seems like he’s taking to DH quite well … possibly too well, because now he refuses to move off the position. And I mean, I get it. I played 3B and 2B in my career through high school, and I also hated when they made me play 1B. I felt like a fish out of water. I wasn’t good at it. It was hard to learn. I get it … but … unlike Devers, I didn’t refuse to play it hah. I did the best I could and I did what was best for the team. So even though I relate to Devers, hopefully he comes around eventually.

Josh Jung – TEX, 3B, 27.3 – 2 for 4 with a 107.4 MPH homer for his 4th in 32 games. Jung hasn’t exactly been blowing up with a .732 OPS, but I’m extremely encouraged by his start. He got hit by a pitch and broke his wrist just 4 games into the 2024 season, and he didn’t look the same when he returned later that year. We’ve seen wrist injuries linger and even end player’s careers (Alex Kirilloff), so I love the see that Jung has a 13.2% Barrel% with a 95.5 MPH FB/LD EV on the season. He’s back to hitting the ball very hard, and he’s doing it with career bests in K% (21.1%), whiff% (23.7%) and Chase% (30.7%). He’s starting to look like the special hitter trajectory he was on after his rookie year in 2023. Buy now while the surface stats still look mediocre.

Lars Nootbaar – STL, OF, 27.6 – I’ve been ringing the buy bell on Nootbaar all season with his launch all the way up to 17.7 degrees, and unsurprisingly, the dingers keep on coming with him cracking a 108.1 MPH homer off Mackenzie Gore for his 6th in 40 games. He’s always hit the ball really hard with an elite plate approach, and seeing neither of those strengths in his game drop off even a smidge with the added launch is damn impressive. In fact, he’s never hit the ball harder with a career high 50.8% Hard Hit%, or swung the bat faster with a 74.5 MPH swing (up almost 2 MPH from 2024). He’s also on a career high stolen base pace with 4 steals. This is a full on blow up and I’m buying hard here.

Wilyer Abreu – BOS, OF, 25.10 – 3 for 4 with a 107.9 MPH homer, 107.4 MPH single, and 106.9 MPH single. Abreu jumped up to #161 overall on the Updated Top 437 Dynasty Baseball Rankings (Patreon), and here is what I wrote for him, “I’m ashamed of myself for not being higher on Abreu. He was one of my favorite target hits ever, and I let him down this off-season. He has double plus bat speed, he hit the ball hard, he lifts it, and the plate skills are taking a big step forward this year. One the flip side, he’s not hitting lefties well and he’s not playing against them very often either. And the biggest concern, which scared me this off-season, was Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer on the way. It’s a lot of mouths to feed.” … He’s still not playing vs. lefties very much, but the damage he is doing vs. righties more than makes up for it. His .411 xwOBA is in the top 6% of baseball. He’s also an above average defensive player. Treat this man like the young star he is. His value continues to rise.

Heliot Ramos – SFG, OF, 25.8 – 2 for 2 with a 105.4 MPH homer off Pablo Lopez at Minnesota. He now has 6 homers with a .968 OPS on the road vs. 1 homer with a .611 OPS at home. This dude could be a superstar hitting almost anywhere else other than San Francisco, but even dealing with that handicap, he’s so damn good he’s still powering through with a strong year. He has a 14.2% Barrel% with a 91.2 MPH EV and .365 xwOBA in 40 games. The hit tool is taking steps forward too with career bests in K% (23.5%) and whiff% (23.8K%). I was all in on Ramos this off-season, naming him a target due to his short and quick swing, and he’s one of many that is proving betting on the bat speed data standouts was not for naught. So many of my targets are paying off. Ramos would have paid off more if not for San Francisco, but nothing we can do about that.

Hunter Goodman – COL, C/OF, 25.6 – Speaking of bat speed breakouts, Goodman’s double plus swing made him a fun target once it was clear Colorado was serious about letting him loose at catcher, and he’s using that powerful swing to keep on hitting dingers, going 3 for 5 with a 108.7 MPH homer and a 116.2 MPH double!!!! He now has 6 homers with a .835 OPS in 25 games, and while he’s likely getting lucky as the .310 xwOBA and 32% whiff% aren’t quite as impressive as the surface stats, it’s clear he has an impact fantasy bat for a catcher at the least.

Brooks Lee – MIN, SS/3B/2B, 24.2 – I rang the 5 alarm target bell on Lee last week in the Rundowns, and he went off yesterday, going 3 for 5 with a 100.9 MPH homer, 100.7 MPH single and 100.3 MPH single. What got me so excited is that this is a high contact player who was seeing big gains in his power. The 11% Barrel%, 89.2 MPH EV and 41.1% Hard Hit% are all career highs by far. His righty swing is almost 3 MPH faster at 73 MPH and his lefty swing is up 1.2 MPH to 70.3 MPH. The fantasy upside is capped by how damn slow he is though. You can time him with a sundial, as my high school baseball coach used to love to yell at me. His 25.9 ft/sec sprint is in the bottom 20% of the league. So you are getting very few steals and it hurts him in runs too, but we are seeing a very real power uptick, and that is worth buying.

Ben Rice – NYY, 1B, 26.7 – For the people waiting on Ben Rice to all of a sudden spot hitting, you can keep on waiting, because Rice isn’t going anywhere. He went 1 for 2 with a 111.2 MPH bomb off Mitch Spence for his 9th in 36 games. You already know Rice was a major target for me this off-season. Here is what I wrote about him in my off-season 19 Dynasty Baseball Strategies/Thoughts for 2025 (A Collection from the 2025 Dynasty Baseball Team Reports), “4) For even the most iron willed dynasty owner, it is a major gut punch when a prospect you love gets the call to the majors, struggles hard, and then gets sent back down to the minors. When it happens to an elite or near elite universally hyped prospect, it’s much easier to stay level headed and hold strong, but when it happens to a good, but not necessarily great prospect it can be much tougher to hold on. Trade value plummets for the non elite guys, and you start to question if their team truly believes in them, thinking they might not get another chance so soon. But let us use Lawrence Butler (and Parker Meadows too) as a lesson to not let a demotion rattle us if we still believe in a player’s skillset. Even elite prospects can struggle in their first taste or two of the majors, so certainly we need to give some grace for non elite ones as well. How to apply that for this season? Well, Ben Rice is staring us right in the face. Rice is not an elite prospect, but he is a relatively well liked one, and he took almost the exact same Butler path in the majors with great underlying numbers (15.6% Barrel%) and poor surface stats (.613 OPS in 173 PA). Admit it, you are questioning how much the Yanks really believe in him and if he will get another chance. I get it, because I am too, but I’m going to use Butler and Meadows as my pillars of strength to not be so quick to give up on Rice. I still like him long term, even with the Goldy signing.”

Mark Vientos – NYM, 3B, 25.4 – 2 for 4 with a 101.4 MPH homer off Mathew Boyd for his 5th in 37 games. It hasn’t been the best start for Vientos, but I would 100% stay the course here. He’s brought his K rate all the way down from 29.7% in 2024 to 20.4% in 2025, which is huge to see, and it’s backed up by a 4.6 percentage point drop in whiff% and a 3.9 percentage point drop in chase%. He’s improving in the areas we wanted to see improvement, and we know the monster power is in there with a 90.5/94.6 MPH AVG/FB EV. He’s an easy hold, and a buy low if you can.

Mike Burrows – PIT, RHP, 25.5 – 4.2 IP, 4 hits, 0 ER, 11/2 K/BB at Triple-A. The fastball sat 94.7 MPH and put up a 39% whiff% while the changeup put up a 86%!!! whiff%. The slider missed some bats too, leading to a 45% whiff% overall. He now has a 2.63 ERA with a 32.7/9.1 K%/BB% in 27.1 IP. I’ve always felt Burrows was too underrated, giving him a solid ranking at #273 this off-season, and with his dominance in Triple-A, he rose into the Top 200 in the latest update. The Pirates Triple-A rotation is probably better than some MLB rotations right now with Burrows, Chandler, Ashcraft, Harrington and Barco all knocking on the door. I have no idea how they fit all of these guys into the rotation, but these things usually work themselves out.

Chen-Wei Lin – STL, RHP, 23.5 – Lin didn’t pitch especially well yesterday, going 2.2 IP with 5 hits, 1 ER (4 unearned) and a 3/0 K/BB at High-A, but this is just your reminder that he’s back on the mound after getting a late start to the season, and it’s also your reminder to get in now before his value starts to explode. He’s 6’7” with upper 90’s heat and bat missing secondaries. It’s only a matter of time before everyone realizes how good this kid is.

Drew Beam – KCR, RHP, 22.1 – 4 IP, 4 hits, 1 ER, and a 7/1 K/BB at High-A. Beam’s skills are officially transferring to pro ball with a 2.55 ERA and 24.8/5.7 K%/BB% in 35.1 IP at High-A. He’s 6’4”, 208 pounds with average to above average stuff (two 94 MPH fastballs, a curve and a changeup) that plays up due to the plus control. Kansas City’s ballpark will be perfect for this type of profile too. He might not have huge upside, but especially in KC, he can be a solid mid rotation starter. He’s a solid pitching prospect.

Braden Nett – SDP, RHP, 22.11 – 5 IP, 2 hits, 0 ER, 5/1 K/BB at Double-A. I’ve been sleeping on Nett, but that ends now, as he looked quite impressive yesterday. His fastball got up to 98 MPH and he was just straight blowing it by guys. He combines the heat with a couple of bat missing breakers, and it’s resulted in a 4.20 ERA and 27.4/9.6 K%/BB% in 30 IP. There is still major bullpen risk with major control problems throughout his career, but the walk rate is taking a big step forward this year, and the big stuff is worth betting on.

Cole Carrigg – COL, OF, 22.10 – I was waiting to see if Carrigg could keep up the great lower minors production in the upper minors, and he’s answered that question quite easily in 2025 after blasting off for 2 more homers yesterday. He’s now slashing .288/.388/.563 with 7 homers, 9 steals, and a 27.3/11.6 K%/BB% in 28 games at Double-A. The K% is a tad too high, but it’s been coming down of late, and the fantasy upside is shining through. I would value him a Top 100 fantasy prospect right now.

Mike Sirota – LAD, OF, 21.11 – Speaking of newly minted Top 100 fantasy prospects, Sirota just cracked my Top 100, and then he cracked 2 more bombs at Single-A. He’s making a mockery of the level, slashing .354/.443/.687 with 7 homers, 1 steal, and a 21.7/13.0 K%/BB% in 24 games. I would like to see him run a bit more, and would also obviously like to see him keep this up at higher levels, but this was a potential Top 10 draft pick coming into the 2024 season, and now he has the production to match the talent. The Dodgers done did it again.

Jefferson Rojas – CHC, SS, 20.0 – Rojas joined the 2 homer parade yesterday, going 3 for 4 with 2 homers at High-A, and he’s now slashing .300/.387/.513 with 4 homers, 5 steals, and a 14.0/10.8 K%/BB% in 21 games. He’s never been my favorite prospect, but it sure looks like the power is ticking up this year, which he combines with his already strong across the board profile. His value is on the rise.

Jacob Reimer – NYM, 3B, 21.2 – Say hello to the best qualified hitter at High-A. Jacob Reimer leads all hitters at High-A with a 198 wRC+, and he tacked onto his lead yesterday with his 6th homer in 30 games. He was once upon a time a deep FYPD target for me in a tier with Alex Freeland, Luke Adams, and Nacho Alvarez. None of them has done anything in the majors yet, but from their non existent hype at the time, all of them have seen big value rises, and now it’s Reimer’s turn to take centerstage. He’s got real power at 6’0”, 205 pounds, the plate approach is solid (20.0/11.1 K%/BB%) and now he’s lifting and pulling a ton more with a 36% GB% and 46.7% Pull%. He just moved into my Top 300, and he might be pushing Top 200 value right now.

Brailer Guerrero – TBR, OF, 18.10 – The Brailer Guerrero breakout continues to quietly lurk just under the radar, but it got a bit louder yesterday with him blasting his first homer of the season at Single-A. He’s now slashing .308/.438/.487 with 1 homer, 4 steals, and a 29.2/18.8 K%/BB% in 11 games at Single-A as an 18 year old. That’s good for a 166 wRC+. The K rate and 56.5% GB% are both a bit higher than optimal, but this dude can crush the ball and is a breakout waiting to happen. It might be time to pounce, and at the least keep a very, very close eye on him.

Tim Elko – CHW, 1B, 26.4 – Elko popped onto the back at #309 of the Updated Top 323 Dynasty Prospects Rankings (Patreon), writing, “He’s a classic Quad-A slugger, MLB bench bat type with 10 homers and a 29.6 K% at Triple-A, but Chicago is in full rebuild, and if they give him time, he’ll hit dingers” … right on cue, Chicago called him up, and he did in fact hit dingers with a 101.4 MPH homer off Sandy Alcantara for the 1st of his career. He’s 1 for 6 on his young career. The BA could be terrible, but the power is no joke.

Matthew Lugo – LAA, OF, 23.10 – Speaking of hitting your first MLB dinger, Matthew Lugo joined that club yesterday with a 108 MPH homer off Felix Bautista. He did it coming off the bench for Jo Adell, he of the 65 wRC+ and negative 3.5 defensive value. He has a negative 0.4 WAR right now. I might be insane, but I actually don’t want to give up on Adell yet as his .330 xwOBA is actually much better than his surface stats, but I mean, he’s going on his 6th year of being brutal. The problem is that Lugo hasn’t been all that great at Triple-A himself with a 65 wRC+, so I don’t think a change here is imminent, but I liked Lugo this off-season, and even with the slow start, he would be worth a shot if he does find his way into the lineup more. Just a keep your eye situation right now.

Jordan Lawlar – ARI, SS, 22.10 – The wait is over. Lawlar is getting the call to the big league club after demolishing Triple-A all season. He just ranked 2nd overall on my Updated Top 323 Prospects Ranks, and while it doesn’t seem like there is an open spot for him, Arizona claims they will be able to find at bats for him. Optimally you want to call a guy up like this to a full time job, but he’s too good to not be helping the big league club, so I get it. He’ll get eased in, and then when Eugenio Suarez’ contract runs out after this season, he will take over 3B for good.

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

Los Angeles Dodgers 2025 Dynasty Baseball Team Report (Top 10 Prospects/Interesting MLB guys/Strategy Talk)

Michael Halpern — Mon, 13 Jan 2025 14:56:25 +0000

It’s time to give the 2024 World Series Champions their due on the Brick Wall. I gush over their superior development, I marvel at their smart front office (while also wondering if they only look so smart because everyone else is so dumb), I agonize over their never ending logjam, I cry over all of their injured pitchers, and I dive into sooooooo much more. Here is the Los Angeles Dodgers 2025 Dynasty Baseball Team Report (Top 10 Prospects/Interesting MLB guys/Strategy Talk):

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR TONS OF EXCLUSIVE CONTENT ALL OFF-SEASON, INCLUDING:
-A TOP 200 SNEAK PEEK OF THE 2025 TOP 1,000 DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKS
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-TOP 146 2025 FYPD RANKS (+FYPD Target & Strategy Guide)
-TOP 100 2025 DYNASTY BASEBALL PROSPECT RANKS (coming tom)
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Dynasty Team Reports on Patreon (free ones listed in parenthesis)

Atlanta Braves—Baltimore Orioles—Boston Red Sox (free)—Cincinnati Reds–Chicago Cubs (free)—Chicago White Sox—Cleveland Guardians—Detroit Tigers—Kansas City Royals—Los Angeles Angels—Miami Marlins—Milwaukee Brewers (free)—Minnesota Twins—New York Mets (free)—New York Yankees (free)—Oakland Athletics—Philadelphia Phillies—Pittsburgh Pirates—San Diego Padres—Tampa Bay Rays—Texas Rangers—Toronto Blue Jays—Washington Nationals (free)

Hitters

Michael Conforto – LAD, OF, 32.1 – If you missed out on Teoscar Hernandez’ monster bounce back season, the universe is giving you another chance this off-season to rectify that mistake. It is nearly an exact replica of the Teoscar situation with Conforto this off-season. The Dodgers signed Conforto to a 1 year, $17 million contract, and it’s almost like nobody else in baseball understands how ballpark factors work. I’m starting to think the Dodgers are so “smart” only relative to how dumb everyone else is. Conforto goes from the 28th worst park for lefty homers (SF) to the 6th best. He hit 3 homers at home vs. 17 on the road. I mean, come on. Could it get anymore obvious? Yes. Yes it can. He had a 11.8% Barrel%, a 90.2/95.4 MPH AVG/LD EV, 14.8 degree launch, a 74.1 MPH swing, and 24.2/8.6 K%/BB%. And he actually hit lefties better than righties last year, so there isn’t that much platoon risk. There was no team out there willing to give him a 2 or 3 year deal? You let the Dodgers just do it again? He’s a major win now buy target going for a song of a price (still only 280th overall NFBC ADP over the last month). 2025 Projection: 77/25/84/.250/.338/.468/2

Andy Pages – LAD, OF, 24.4 – The Dodgers Giveth and The Dodgers Taketh Away. They giveth us these beautiful, ready made prospects who are perfectly developed and capable of making an immediate impact on our fantasy team … and then they taketh them right out of the lineup and stick them on their bench, or at Triple-A. We saw it with Michael Busch. We’re seeing it now with Andy Pages. And Dalton Rushing is on double deck to get the same treatment, which is why I’m maybe a hair lighter on Rushing than others. But let the record show, I was the first guy hyping Rushing based off his pro debut. You know a good pro debut doesn’t slip by me ;). And while we’re at it, here is a fun tweet from November 2019 where I name Andy Pages my favorite “No One Else Is On” player. Actually Jordan Rosenblum was the only other one on him (as mentioned in the tweet), and that was back before Jordan was the man behind the man of like every projection based system on the internet, hah. I even identify the prospect writer/analyst sleepers before they hit big! But enough back patting (life is short, let me celebrate my hits, will ya), let’s get back to Pages’ dynasty value. He set a rock solid foundation to build on in his rookie year with a 10.7% Barrel%, 88.6 MPH EV, 20.8 degree launch, 28.3 ft/sec sprint, 73.1 MPH swing, .321 xwOBA, and a 26.1% whiff% in 116 games. That is a damn good collection of skills, and not very easy to find at all. If he had a full time job, I would be all over him, but it’s hard to hype a guy up who simply doesn’t have a job. And even if injuries hit, he has competition to be next man up. The cream generally rises to the top, and players generally get their shot one way or another at some point, so for dynasty, I wouldn’t be overly concerned about it, but I don’t see how you can’t factor it in. If you want to ignore playing time, Pages would be a Top 200 dynasty asset easy for me, but with the playing time concerns, I have him more in the Top 250-300 ish range. – 2025 Projection: 48/15/44/.244/.318/.435/3 Prime Projection: 79/26/82/.252/.333/.465/7

Pitchers

Bobby Miller – LAD, RHP, 26.0 – What a fucking disaster that was, huh. Miller came into 2024 as one of the most hyped young starters in the game, and he left it injured, disgraced, and without a job coming into 2025. The life of a young pitcher ain’t easy (other than the $3,665,520 million in career earnings he has by the time he’s 26 years old, although in LA, what does that buy you? A studio apartment?). Miller got shellacked in both the majors (8.52 ERA with a 20.2/11.6 K%/BB% in 56 IP) and Triple-A (6.00 ERA with a 17.6/13.1 K%/BB% in 33 IP). The stuff was down about 2 ticks across the board. The cause of the disaster is pretty easy to identify though. In his first start of the season, his velocity was the same as 2023, and he dominated with 11 strikeouts in 6 IP. His velocity then started to decline in the next 2 terrible outings, leading to him getting pulled in his 3rd outing of the season with shoulder inflammation. He was never the same after that 1st start, and his velocity never quite got back to 2023 levels. Even with diminished stuff, he still had humongous stuff with a 97.6 MPH fastball (99 MPH in 2023), but it wasn’t only about the stuff, his control/command was way off too. The hope is that with a full off-season to get healthy, he looks much more like the guy from 2023 than 2024, and while he certainly has plenty plenty of competition for a rotation spot, you have to think that if he looks healthy in spring, he’s the favorite to win one of the open jobs. Overall, I would say I’m lukewarm on him. Even in his great rookie year, he still only had a 23.6% K%, so when you tack on the injury risk now too, there are questions about both the pure upside and the floor. On the flip side, it’s easy to bet on the monster stuff, history of production, and clear reason for the down year. I’m in between. – 2025 Projection: 8/3.93/1.31/135 in 140 IP

Walker Buehler – BOS, RHP, 30.8 – I know Buehler isn’t on the Dodgers anymore, but I find him the most interesting guy to discuss right now from their 2024 team. He was coming off his 2nd Tommy John surgery, and it sure did look like he was doubly rusted when he returned. It took him until the playoffs for him to even start feeling at least halfway like himself. And despite the terrible season, it seems like people aren’t too scared off by him. He’s going 248th overall in NFBC right now, which is pretty high, and I gotta say, I’m out on him at that price for sure. His name value still clearly carries a lot of weight, and while I do respect the track record, and the very good possibility he will be much better in his 2nd year removed from the surgery, I still don’t think he’ll be good enough to warrant his still decently high price tag. He put up a 5.38 ERA with a 18.6/8.1 K%/BB% in 75.1 IP in the regular season. He got a late start to the season due to the elbow, even though he got the surgery all the way back in August of 2022, which was a bad sign, and then he missed 2 months during the season with a hip injury. The stuff was diminished even further when he returned from that injury. He was better in the playoffs with a 3.60 ERA in 15 IP, but the stuff was still diminished, and it came with a 20.6/7.9 K%/BB%, so it’s not like he was back in prime form or anything. He throws a 7 pitch mix, and not a single one of them put up a whiff% over 30%, which isn’t good. His whiffs were already coming down before the injury, and now they are in the toilet at 19.4% overall. His stuff really isn’t all that standout anymore, and is arguably below average. He’s an aging, banged up pitcher with decent stuff and continually declining whiff rates. I’m out at his current price. – 2025 Projection: 9/4.09/1.30/137 in 150 IP

Bullpen

Michael Kopech – LAD, Closer Committee, 28.11 – We’ve been fighting it for years, but Kopech finally took his rightful place in the back of a bullpen, and he thrived with a 3.46 ERA and 31.5/12.2 K%/BB% in 67.2 IP. He was also much better in LA (1.13 ERA in 24 IP) than he was in Chicago (4.74 ERA), because of course he was. He dominates with an elite, heavily used (78.4% usage) 98.7 MPH fastball that is a bat missing machine with a 34% whiff%. The much lesser used slider and cutter aren’t nearly as impressive, but the cutter was a new pitch and was pretty good when he went to it with a .235 xwOBA. It seems he is the favorite for the lion’s share of the closer job in 2025, but the Dodgers were mixing and matching a lot even after he took over the job in the 2nd half of 2024, and his hold on the job is going to be mighty tenuous at the first sign of struggles. The well below average control, lack of a great secondary, and shaky hold on the job makes him a high risk option, but the high reward is there too. 2025 Projection: 4/3.45/1.20/80/22 saves in 65 IP

Los Angeles Dodgers 2025 Top 10 Dynasty Fantasy Baseball Prospects Rankings

1) Josue De Paula – LAD, OF, 19.10 – De Paula doesn’t truly get the hype that Walker Jenkins, Sebastian Walcott and Leo De Vries gets, but he deserves every little bit of it. He might have the best hit/approach/power combo of all of them, putting up a 19.8/17.5 K%/BB% with a 130 wRC+ in 107 games split between Single-A and High-A. His game power still hasn’t exploded, but it ticked up from 2023 with 10 homers (2 homers in 2023), and he hits the ball so hard at 6’3” that there is little doubt about his power potential. He doesn’t sell out for power, and his groundball and pull rates are fine, so he has the potential to be one of those special monster triple-slash middle of the order mashers. He’s not a burner, but he went 27 for 30 on the bases, so the guy is obviously a good athlete who knows how to steal a base. He’s not a good defensive player, but with his potentially elite bat, I’m not scared off by that. He won’t get ranked as highly on real life lists as those aforementioned teenagers, but don’t let that fool you into thinking that Josue isn’t on that level. He ranked 123rd overall on A Top 200 Sneak Peek of the 2025 Top 1,000 Dynasty Baseball Rankings (Patreon). ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 92/26/94/.276/.364/.482/14

2) Emil Morales – LAD, SS, 18.6 – Morales was my 3rd ranked international prospect (behind only Leo and Paulino) and one of my top FYPD targets, writing in his Top 1,000 blurb, “His physicality in the box stands out immediately. He is a grown man at 6’3”, 180 pounds with a big righty swing that can punish a baseball. He combines that with a mature plate approach and a good feel to hit. It certainly looks like he can be a middle of the order beast, and he has the right team to get it out of him. He’s a definite target.” … and he more than came through as one of, if not the top DSL breakout, slashing .342/.478/.691 with 14 homers, 12 steals, and a 22.4/19.9 K%/BB% in 46 games. He’s a lift and pull machine and there is potential for double plus raw power at peak, meaning the home run upside here is elite. The swing is quick and athletic, and he’s a good athlete for his size too. Most places have Jesus Made over Emil Morales an easy call in Made’s favor, but I actually think it’s pretty damn close. Made has the hit tool and speed edge, but Morales has the game power and raw power edge, and often times that power edge can overcome all other flaws. A 22.4% K% is on the high side for the DSL, so I do agree that Made’s combo of floor and upside takes it, but I’m not 100% sure I’m making the right call there. Either way, I love both, and I really, really love Morales compared to his much cheaper price. – ETA: 2029 Prime Projection: 86/33/98/.250/.338/.519/9

3) Dalton Rushing – LAD, C/OF, 24.1 – It seems that LA is set on keeping Rushing at catcher, which I completely understand for real life value, but for fantasy, I don’t think it’s great. Will Smith is signed until 2034, meaning Rushing looks ticketed for some kind of hybrid C/1B/OF/DH role, and with how hard it is to crack the Dodgers full time lineup (and with how little leash they give their prospects due to unlimited resources and strong organizational depth), it seems like Rushing is going to have to scratch and claw for playing time. They are not rolling out the red carpet for him at all, and I do think it hurts his fantasy value a bit. Putting defense aside for now, as a pure hitter, there is so much to like. He proved himself in the upper minors in 2024, slashing .271/.385/.512 with 26 homers, 2 steals, and a 20.5/12.7 K%/BB% in 114 games split between Double-A (149 wRC+) and Triple-A (128 wRC+). He has easy plus power with a 90.8 MPH EV, he has a launch made for both power and average, and he has a plus plate approach. The hit tool is solid, but I can see that dipping to below average against major league pitching, and like I mentioned earlier, we have seen LA be very quick with the hook if young players aren’t producing. I like the bat a ton, but defense, path to playing time, and the slight hit tool questions are enough to make me hesitant to really value him at a premium right now. – 2025 Projection: 38/12/45/.242/.310/.428/1 Prime Projection: 78/24/83/.262/.339/.465/2

4) Zyhir Hope – LAD, OF, 20.2 – And this is why “In the Dodgers We Trust” is a dynasty motto that should be burned into our retinas. They take Hope, and turn it into reality. Hope was a high risk, high reward upside pick by the Cubs in 2023 who struck out 30.2% of the time in rookie ball in his pro debut. He got traded to the Dodgers in the off-season in the Michael Busch trade, and of course the Dodgers immediately drastically improved his only weakness, bringing the strikeout rate all the way down to 22.8% at mostly Single-A. There is still hit tool risk (he hit .228 with a 24.3% K% in 23 games in the AFL), but low to mid 20’s hit tool risk is in an entirely other bucket than hovering around 30% hit tool risk. And the hit tool improved without impacting any other areas of his game, slashing .290/.419/.484 with 9 homers, 9 steals, a 22.8/15.1 K%/BB% and a 144 wRC+ in 61 games. The reasons he’s not ranked even higher than this are because the ground ball rates are on the high side (45.1%), there is still hit tool risk, and his speed/stolen base skills seem to be more in the above average than truly great area. So a guy who swings and misses a lot, hits the ball on the ground, and doesn’t run quite as much as we would like isn’t necessarily a slam dunk. I’m saying this just as much to myself as I am to you, because it’s hard not to fall head over heels for him. He hits the ball very hard, he’s a great athlete, he’s in a great organization, and he’s done nothing but produce. I do feel some caution is warranted before really putting him into that near elite to elite prospect tier, but he’s not too far off from that already. I’m thinking something like Randy Arozarena could be a good ceiling comp. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 84/22/81/.255/.338/.445/19

5) Joendry Vargas – LAD, SS, 19.5 – Vargas was one of my favorite targets in his international class, and then was once again one of my favorite DSL breakout targets, so if anyone wants to crown him already, it would be me, but I can’t quite crown him yet. He had a strong year in stateside rookie ball with a 129 wRC+, but 4 homers in 38 games shows the game power isn’t quite there yet, the 22.8% K% is on the high side, and he wasn’t that successful on the bases, going 11 for 16. So that means he still needs to improve his hit tool, power, and speed. Completely reasonable for an 18 year old rookie baller to need to improve basically everywhere, and I still love the power upside at a projectable 6’4” with hard hit ability, but it’s not quite that straight rocket ship you really want. He’s a Top 100 prospect for me, but I can’t put him in that truly coveted tier quite yet. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 81/25/85/.257/.336/.465/9

6) Eduardo Quintero – LAD, OF, 19.7 – Quintero was one of, if not the top DSL breakout in 2023, and he mostly backed it up in stateside rookie ball in 2024, slashing .330/.459/.449 with 3 homers, 29 steals, and a 19.3/17.6 K%/BB% in 56 games. It was good for a 142 wRC+. He struggled when he got the call to Single-A with a 77 wRC+ in 27 games, but it came with a 19.6/16.1 K%/BB%, so it’s not like he was completely overmatched or anything. You have to give these kids time to adjust to a new level. He’s an excellent athlete at 6’0”, 175 pounds with plus speed, hard hit ability, a good feel to hit, and a plus plate approach. The launch is geared for both power and average, and he has a good glove in the OF. This guy basically does everything well on a baseball field, and while there is still plenty of development left to go (being more aggressive at the dish, getting stronger, unlocking more game power, proving it at higher levels), you have to trust the Dodgers to get the most out of him. ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 86/19/74/.273/.341/.430/26

7) Hye-seong Kim – LAD, 2B, 26.2 – It’s funny that I just had Kim and Lux ranked back to back in the 2B rankings, with Kim one spot ahead, and it looks like the Dodgers agreed with me. They preferred Kim to Lux at 2B too after they signed Kim and shipped out Lux to Cincinnati. Kim signed a 3 year, $12.5 million contract with the Dodgers, but he got better offers elsewhere. Smart move going to the best situation rather than taking the best offer. Kim’s contact/speed/defense profile is one that plenty of starting 2B have, and I think it will play in the majors. He slashed .326/.383/.458 with 11 homers, 30 steals, and a 10.9/8.3 K%/BB% in 127 games in the KBO. We can look at Jung Hoo Lee as a comp who just came over last year. Both are lefties and the same age with similar profiles. Lee is 2 inches taller, had much better contact rates, much better walk rates, and much better power numbers. He didn’t run nearly as much though, and steals are a huge part of fantasy, so that is a nice edge to Kim. Kim isn’t as good as Lee overall, but Lee’s skills more or less transferred to the bigs, so I don’t see why Kim’s couldn’t too. Just check out this homer he hit in 2023. I would say that swing could play. It seems like he has a full time job at the moment (although nothing is certain until the off-season is over), and as I wrote in the 2B rankings, if he ended up with a full time job, I’m apt to go after him. Even better that he ended up with one on the Dodgers. Kim ranked 16th overall in the Top 146 2025 Dynasty Baseball First Year Player Draft Rankings (Patreon). – 2025 Projection: 71/9/53/.260/.307/.372/22 Prime Projection: 77/10/61/.273/.321/.398/26

8) Alex Freeland – LAD, SS, 23.7 – I’m pretty certain I’m the only one crazy enough to have called Freeland a target in his FYPD class after getting drafted 105th overall, but you know how strongly I feel about good pro debuts (and bad pro debuts), even in small samples, and Freeland had himself a hell of a pro debut with a 152 wRC+, 3 homers, and 2 steals in 8 games at Single-A. That was enough for me to target him late, and look at him just two years later, getting major mainstream hype. Please ignore the fact that he actually didn’t crack my 2024 Top 1,000 after his lukewarm year in 2023 … but my point still stands, pro debuts mean a lot, and certainly when you are looking for late round sleepers. And now that he is getting rained down with hype, I hate to be that guy, but I think he might be getting overrated now. A lot of his damage and hype came from dominating High-A in 23 games, but he was 22 year old and repeating the level. He was good at Double-A too with a 127 wRC+, but a .245/.370/.422 triple-slash isn’t exactly blowing the doors off, and he struggled at Triple-A, slashing .243/.335/.396 with a 26.8% K% and 85 wRC+ in 39 games. The bottom line is that he hit under .250 at the age appropriate levels of the upper minors with a pretty high strikeout rate. He has very real hit tool risk. But enough raining on his parade. He’s definitely exciting with an above average to plus power/speed combo, jacking out 18 homers with 31 steals in 136 games. He hits the ball hard and he’s fast, so those numbers aren’t a mirage. He also has a good infield glove, so his glove should only help him get in the lineup. Whenever a former deep sleeper blows up, they will always hold a fond place in my heart, but perceived value shifts, and my feelings on a player has to shift with perceived value. Right now, I think he might be a tad overrated even though I still like him. – 2025 Projection: 17/3/19/.229/.293/.378/5 Prime Projection: 77/19/71/.248/.324/.421/21

9) Kellon Lindsey – LAD, SS, 19.6 – Selected 23rd overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, elite speed is the the 6’0”, 175 pound Lindsey’s calling card, and it comes with a good glove at SS and a good feel to hit. There isn’t big power in here, and while that should tick up over time, he doesn’t really project for big power down the line either. The hit tool is solid, but it’s not really in that near elite range and there is some risk with how it will perform against more advanced pitching. He’s an excellent athlete who played QB and DB in high school, so there is plenty of upside in here, but going after a speed first guy without huge power and with a good but not great hit tool I think warrants some caution. I know getting drafted by LA and getting Trea Turner comps is exciting, but I’m not sure I’m reaching for Lindsey quite yet. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 82/15/66/.270/.328/.420/31

10) Jackson Ferris – LAD, LHP, 21.3 – I definitely like Ferris a lot, and was quick to jump on him during the season last year, but I don’t love the K/BB taking such a huge step back when he got to Double-A. He put a 3.39 ERA with a 29.2/10.5 K%/BB% in 98.1 IP at High-A and a 2.54 ERA with a 21.3/11.5 K%/BB% in 28.1 IP at Double-A. The stuff is good, but it’s not really standout with a low to mid 90’s fastball, two good breaking balls, and a lesser used, but good change. He gets a lot of “looks the part” extra hype as a 6’4”, 195 pound lefty with an athletic delivery, but as is, it might be a back end profile. The reason why I was so quick to jump on him, and why he gets lots of love, is because we try to project who a player could be in the prospect world, and at his young age with his projectable frame, you can definitely dream on a mid rotation starter or better with an extra tick on the fastball and continued refinement. Again, I like him a lot, but I would be hesitant to put too high a value on him right now. I’m staying a little cautious here. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 10/3.88/1.27/162 in 165 IP

Just Missed

11) River Ryan – LAD, RHP, 26.8

12) Justin Wrobleski – LAD, LHP, 24.9

13) Hyun-Seok Jang – LAD, RHP, 21.0 – I just couldn’t resist writing up Jang even though he didn’t crack the Top 10, because if there is one pitcher in the minors who can jump into near elite pitching prospect range extremely quickly into 2025, it’s Jang. If he has literally a few good outings to start the season, maybe even just one good outing, the hype is going to hit really damn hard. He was one of my top FYPD pitching targets last off-season, and while his control/command was too raw to say he was a major hit, he more than showed the upside that I just can’t resist. He put up a ridiculous 41% K% in 36.2 IP split between rookie ball (41.5%) and Single-A (39.6%). He’s 6’4”, 200 pounds with an athletic righty delivery that fires a mid 90’s fastball that can reach the upper 90’s, to go along with a 2 potentially plus breakers (slider, curve), and a developing changeup that flashes plus. He was improving as the year progressed with a 2.19 ERA in 12.1 IP at Single-A (6.14 ERA on the season), which is a good sign, but the 16.3% BB% remained high all year, and that is just way too high. He has the type of stuff that can thrive with below average control, but he has work to do to get to even that. The way I see it, the raw control gives you one more off-season to get in for cheap or possibly nothing before he really starts to pop. Last year was his first year in a new country and his first year in pro ball. There was a lot of adjusting to do, and I think he’s going to look a lot more comfortable in year 2. He’s a major target. ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 11/3.69/1.28/180 in 160 IP

14) Chase Harlan – LAD, 3B, 18.9 – Most of the high school hitting class, except for Morlando and Fountain, are speed over power prospects at the moment, so if you are looking for an upside power bat later in the draft, Harlan is your guy. Selected 98th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, Harlan is a 6’3”, 205 pound bruiser putting up some of the best exit velocities in the class. He’s also young for the class and will still be 18 years old for half of the 2025 season. If you squint hard enough, you see an Austin Riley clone down the line. And equally as exciting as his profile is that he landed with the Dodgers. If anyone can figure out the best batting stance for him, and get his hit tool to a good enough level for the power to shine, it’s the Dodgers. I really like him and he’s definitely underrated. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 74/26/82/.243/.326/.465/5

15) Mike Sirota – LAD, OF, 21.10 – Selected 87th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, Sirota was a potential first round pick coming into the season, but instead of having the big junior year breakout, he took a step back. He went from hitting 18 homers his sophomore year to just 7 homers in 51 games in the Colonial Athletic Conference his junior year. The hit tool isn’t good enough to see the power take a step back with a 18.8% K%, and considering he’s not from a major conference, the profile needed to be pretty bulletproof. But having said that, it could create a buying opportunity for our purposes. He’s 6’3”, 188 pounds with plus speed and good raw power. The swing and stance is geared more for average than power, but he’s young for the class, and hopefully pro instruction can get the most out of his raw power (I wrote this blurb just minutes before he got traded to the Dodgers, and now you have to feel even better about the Dodgers unlocking his power). He also has an excellent plate approach with a 23% BB%. He’s most likely a 4th outfielder, but joining the Dodgers gives him the best chance possible of beating that projection. – ETA: 2027 Prime Projection: 69/16/57/.246/.319/.418/19

16) Kendall George – LAD, OF, 20.5

17) Ben Casparius – LAD, RHP, 26.2

18) Teilon Serrano – LAD, OF, 16.10 – I love me a Dodgers prospect, and I also love me a prospect with such a visually fast and explosive swing, so that means I like Serrano a lot in this FYPD class. He doesn’t have big present power, but at 6’0”, 185 pounds, and with that swing, I trust the Dodgers to get the most of his eventual raw power. And he’s a burner with plus to double speed. I think he could have some of the best speed first upside in this class. He’s late round international target for me and he ranked 93rd overall on the Top 146 2025 FYPD Ranks (Patreon). ETA: 2030 Prime Projection: 83/16/64/.259/.328/.413/30

19) Brendan Tunink – LAD, OF, 19.6 – Selected 250th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, Tunink is a high upside high schooler drafted by the Dodgers. That is an excellent foundation right there. He’s a strong 6’0”, 185 pounds with an absolutely vicious lefty swing that is looking to do damage, and it’s a short and controlled swing too. He combines that with plus speed and a good feel to hit. This is a bet on the Dodgers just as much as it’s a bet on Tunink. – ETA: 2028 Prime Projection: 76/17/68/.252/.321/.421/17

Dynasty Baseball Thought/Strategy of the Day (which may or may not be related to the team I’m covering that day)

Jumping off from the Hye-seong Kim blurb, it’s extremely easy to get tunnel vision with pure player evaluation when making decisions in dynasty, but supply and demand should often be the driver of your decisions instead. How I rank players in my FYPD rankings, is the same order you will find them on my overall Top 500+ Prospects Rankings, which is the same order you will find them on my Top 1,000+ Dynasty Baseball Rankings. I try my darndest to give truly actionable rankings/content that fully incorporates how dynasty leagues operate in practice, rather than just in theory, and I know that when that point comes in a dynasty draft (usually around Top 400-ish area) where the supply of MLB starters dries up, especially MLB starters with some upside, it’s a feeding frenzy to grab them before they are gone. That is why Kim slots in high on my FYPD Rankings. Players like Kim who have a path to a full time job, and have some upside, are much more valuable to grab than one of the many, many, many high upside lotto ticket prospects you can grab later on. It’s just simple supply and demand. Kim doesn’t have the upside of many of the bats I have ranked after him on the FYPD rankings, and he definitely may come in and be underwhelming, but I still believe he’s worth taking the shot on at that point in the rankings. And I do personally like his profile too as a hit/speed/defense play. You have to take into account the environment of your league, and what is a bucket of player where the supply is limited (guys with jobs) vs. what is the bucket of player where there is plenty of supply (high upside prospects). This will change league to league though. In shallow leagues, low end MLB starters might be very easy to pick up all season, whereas high upside prospects are only available in a FYPD and they can’t be picked up during the season. That will change the equation for sure. Even in a shallow league though, I still think Kim has the skillset to make an impact. Regardless, you get the point. Make sure you understand what is hard to acquire in your league, and what is easy, and then slant your decision making process to best take advantage of that.

Dynasty Team Reports on Patreon (free ones listed in parenthesis)

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