Wednesday Morning Dynasty Baseball Rundown (6/25/25)

I’ll be running down everything that caught my eye in the Dynasty Baseball world on most Mondays (in this case, Wednesday) throughout the season here on the Brick Wall. The rest of the week you can catch my Rundowns on the Patreon. Here is the Wednesday Morning Dynasty Baseball Rundown (6/25/25):

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–JUNE 2025 TOP 302 PROSPECTS RANKS
–MAY 2025 TOP 443 DYNASTY RANKS (Mid-Season Top 400+ Dynasty Ranks coming next week)
-HALP’S DYNASTY BASEBALL PODCAST: JUNE MAILBAG! (dropped yesterday)
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-TOP 50 2026 FYPD RANKS COMING SOON
–SPREADSHEETS

Chase Burns – CIN, RHP, 22.3 – In my FYPD Strategy & Target Guide this off-season, I advised to stay put in that top tier of talent (through 12th overall), writing, “I truly believe that any player in this group can emerge as the top player in the draft class in the long run.” And that is basically exactly what we are seeing. Every week, a different guy in that tier is popping, making us all regret not picking him, and yesterday, my #4 overall (#3 not including Roki) FYPD prospect, Chase Burns, took centerstage. He made his MLB debut and went 5 IP with 6 hits, 3 ER, and a 8/0 K/BB vs none other than Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees. Here is the strikeout reel. The 98.1 MPH 4-seamer put up a 26% whiff% and the slider notched a 40% whiff%. That is the recipe right there. The lesser used changeup was also effective with a 38 CSW% and a 58.3 MPH EV against (on just one batted ball). The dude is an ace, and this debut left no doubt about that.

Ben Rice – NYY, 1B, 26.6 – But of course my man Ben Rice had to give Burns his welcome to the majors moment, cracking a 107.9 MPH homer off him. He slumped for a bit, but he’s back on the rise with a 1.305 OPS in his last 6 games, and if you think I was moving off him and his .412 xwOBA, you are crazy. That xwOBA is 9th best in baseball!!! He’s crushing the ball with a 93.4 MPH EV and he’s making plenty of contact with a 21.7% K%. I’m not budging off this man even with the playing time logjam, as 1B opens up next year, and there is no reason for him not to get that job. You need to be sticking with Rice like white on rice.

Christian Moore – LAA, 2B, 22.0 – Burns definitely owned the day from the 2025 FYPD class, but Moore had his coming out party in the majors too, crushing 2 homers at 108.4 MPH and 107.8 MPH. The 2nd homer was a bottom of the ninth, 2 run walk off. The man has Champion in his blood, just like he said in his Draft Day interview. That gives him 3 homers in 12 games, and the 73.6 MPH swing and 12.5% Barrel% backs that up. It’s also a short swing at 7 feet, which is a combo I love. Granted, the shortness isn’t helping the hit tool right now with a 35% K%, and the hit tool is definitely still a risk, but I’m betting on it getting into a good enough area long term. The 28 ft/sec sprint also shows the steals should start coming at some point too. I didn’t budge off Moore, and last night was just the start.

Kaelen Culpepper – MIN, SS, 22.4, AA – I’ve been waiting on Culpepper to get to Double-A to really start exploding him up my rankings even more than I already have been, and he made his first impression last night with a pull side bomb. Also did he hit us with the Michael Jordan, tongue out, right before crushing that bomb? I feel like “Tongue Out” with a silhouette of his tongue has a RotoWear T-shirt written all over it in the future. This was his 3rd game at the level and there has been a bit more swing and miss with a 28.6% K%, but he’s still killing it with a 147 wRC+. Obviously we need a bigger sample to say anything. I closed out his Top 1,000 blurb by writing, “He’s a nice little “let him come to you” target in off-season prospect drafts right now,” and then I pushed him into the Top 100 in May. And after hitting us with the Tongue Out, he might just be Top 50 for me now 😉

Ching-Hsien Ko – LAD, OF, 18.8, CPX – Speaking of guys I pushed into the Top 100 area, Ching-Hsien Ko showed off the power I know he so clearly has in there with his 3rd homer in 36 games at rookie ball. While the homer totals haven’t been huge, the man has been a hit machine all season, slashing .373/.484/.571 with an 18.5/15.3 K%/BB%. It’s good for a 175 wRC+. He’s 6’3”, 215 pounds with that upright, loose and powerful lefty swing that has damage written all over it. I’m already super high on him.

Chase Harlan – LAD, 3B, 18.11, CPX – Harlan has quietly found his groove at rookie ball after jacking out 2 homers yesterday, and he’s now starting to resemble my Austin Riley ceiling comp more and more, slashing .283/.339/.485 with 4 homers and a 19.6/8.9 K%/BB% in 27 games in stateside rookie. The hit tool and plate approach have been solid all season, and now the power is coming with 4 homers in his last 8 games. This was a underrated FYPD sleeper for me, and he’s starting to make his mark now. Keep an eye on him at the least, and he’s a pickup candidate in medium to deeper leagues right now.

Ryne Nelson – ARI, RHP, 27.5 – I named Nelson a Target in the June Mailbag Podcast (Patreon) yesterday, and then a few hours later he showed why, going 5 IP with 1 hit, 1 ER, and a 7/3 K/BB vs. CHW. The 95.5 MPH 4-seamer continues to dominate with a 29% whiff% and 78% usage. The curve induced weak contact with a 74.6 MPH EV against, and he mixed in a much lesser used slider, changeup and cutter. His 4-seamer now has a +12 Run Value which is tied for 3rd in baseball with Joe Ryan, behind only Hunter Brown and Zack Wheeler. He pitched well in the 2nd half of 2024, and he’s pitching well again in every role they put him in 2025. He’s in the rotation now, and I’m buying.

Denzel Clarke – OAK, OF, 24.11 – 2 for 3 with a 103.2 MPH homer off none other than Tarik Skubal. And most importantly, it came with 0 strikeouts! It’s been a rough offensive debut for Clarke, which honestly was to be expected with a 43.3/2.2 K%/BB%, but I’m actually encouraged by the 32.5% whiff% and 28.3% Chase%. To me, that indicates the K/BB numbers should definitely improve as he gets more comfortable, and he’s proven he’s capable of improving his contact rates in the minors. Someone this talented deserves patience, and with his insane CF defense, the Athletics are going to give him that patience. I’m holding Clarke.

Nick Gonzales – PIT, 2B, 26.0 – If you are struggling at 2B in your league and are looking for anyone to help out, Gonzales could be the guy to take a shot on. He cracked a 395 foot homer off Freddy Peralta yesterday, and he’s been excellent since returning from a fractured ankle that he suffered on Opening Day. He’s slashing .316/.345/.519 with 3 homers, 0 steals, and a 17.9/4.8 K%/BB% in 20 games. The 9.2% Barrel% and 90.3 MPH EV backs up the hot start. He’s not going to be a world beater, but beggars can’t be choosers if you are desperate for 2B help.

Tommy White – OAK, 3B, 22.3, A+ – White has grown on me more and more this season, ranking him 96th overall in the June Top 302 Prospects Rankings (Patreon), and he blasted off for his 8th homer in 43 games at High-A last night. I’m also starting to like his swing and stance much more than I did in college. It’s much more upright and loose, and he’s taking to the changes quite well. The power also comes with great contact with a 11.6% K%. We need to see it at Double-A for an advanced college bat like this, but he’s coming for that starting 3B job in short order. He’s really underrated right now.

Hunter Barco – PIT, LHP, 24.6, AAA – Barco had his best outing at Triple-A, going 6 IP with 5 hits, 0 ER, and a 6/1 K/BB. The sinker was down to 92.2 MPH, which isn’t great to see the velocity uptick slipping a bit as he’s building innings, but it still performed well with a 40% CSW%. The slider and splitter both missed bats and induced weak contact. I don’t love the velocity and the 23% whiff% overall wasn’t super impressive, but it’s still great to see him start to feel comfortable at Triple-A. He hasn’t been bad at the level with a 4.21 ERA and 28.2% K% in 25.2 IP, so hopefully he can keep building on this.

Troy Melton – DET, RHP, 24.7, AAA – It’s time to take Melton very seriously. He utterly dominated Triple-A last night, going 5.1 IP with 6 hits, 1 ER and a 10/1 K/BB. The fastball sat 97.1 MPH!!! and put up a 32% whiff%. The cutter was his next highest usage pitch, putting up a 29% whiff%, and the lesser used slider notched 2 for 3 whiffs. He also threw a change and curve a few times. He now has a 35.6/6.8 K%/BB% in 16 IP at the level. This coming off a 27.4/6.4 K%/BB% in 39 IP at Double-A. It’s an odd pitch mix as it is extremely heavy on 4-seamer and cutter, which makes me a bit hesitant to really go all in, but the guy is throwing mid to upper 90’s gas and he’s dominating the upper minors. It should be noted he does have a 5.63 ERA at Triple-A, and while the 2.47 xFIP looks much better, he had the same ERA problems last year (5.10 ERA with a 3.14 xFIP). I wouldn’t be surprised if he ended up in the pen, but he could end up a really good pen arm. Either way, he deserves our attention.

Travis Sykora – WAS, RHP, 21.1, A+ – 6 IP, 2 hits, 0 ER, 8/2 K/BB at High-A. There really isn’t much more to say about Sykora while he’s at High-A other than he’s an elite pitching prospect. I immediately called him an elite pitching prospect when he returned from hip surgery and looked more athletic on the mound than I had ever seen him. The surgery fixed a hip issue he was having for a few years, and while he was great with the hip issue, he’s even better now with a 1.21 ERA and 44.3/7.5 K%/BB% in 29.2 IP at High-A. He has 3 potentially plus to double plus pitches. We’re just waiting on the upper minors, but I doubt that slows him down too much.

Tyson Hardin – MIL, RHP, 23.5, AA – After handling his business at High-A, Hardin got the call to Double-A and he’s handling his business there too, going 6 IP with 6 hits, 1 ER and a 6/0 K/BB. He had a similar outing his first time out at the level too, giving him a 2.25 ERA with a 24.4/2.2 K%/BB% in 12 IP at the level. He’s a classic Brewers pitcher with a low to mid 90’s bat missing fastball and diverse pitch mix. Solid pitching prospect with mid-rotation upside, and it’s great to see him transfer the profile to Double-A.

Nate George – BAL, OF, 19.0, A – George popped onto my June Top 302 Prospect Rankings (Patreon) at #290 on the back of his strong pro debut at rookie ball, and now he’s looking pretty good at Single-A after going 3 for 4 with a double, triple, walk and stolen base yesterday. This coming off his first dinger at the level the day before. He’s now slashing .364/.417/.568 with 1 homer, 8 steals, and a 24.5/8.2 K%/BB% in 11 games at the level. Sure the K% spiked a bit, but this is a legit athlete at a strong and fast 6’0”, and now he’s doing it at an age appropriate level. He’s getting even more exciting.

Gage Jump – OAK, LHP, 22.1, AA – 3.2 IP, 2 hits, 2 ER, 3/6 K/BB at Double-A. This coming off an outing where he went 4.1 IP with 4 hits, 3 ER and a 3/4 K/BB. He’s human after all, and with that violent delivery, let’s just hope it’s just a rough patch … I don’t even want to put that on him … it’s just a rough patch

Quinn Mathews – STL, LHP, 24.8, AAA – 1.1 IP, 2 hits, 5 ER, 1/6 K/BB at Triple-A. The fastball was down to 92.9 MPH. He now has a 5.27 ERA with a 21.9/23.4 K%/BB% in 27.1 IP. Saying this is not the follow up we wanted to see from his breakout 2024 is an understatement. I warned not to hand wave away the small sample Triple-A struggles last year, and it’s clear this isn’t the guy we thought he was. He’s looking more like a back end arm right now.

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

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