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Connelly's top fantasy baseball pitching prospects for dynasty leagues and 2025. He breaks down pitchers to be targeting in fantasy baseball dynasty leagues.
Spring Training may just be getting near, but fantasy managers in dynasty leagues are always busy. Whether reviewing potential trades, taking stock of prospect depth, or preparing for first-year player drafts, managing future talent is one of the most important aspects of dynasty leagues.
Assessing potential value early on in players' careers can be difficult, especially for pitchers. Fortunately, RotoBaller offers Dynasty Prospect Ranks as part of their Premium membership offerings, removing the need for fantasy managers to guess in their evaluations.
With some time to spare before drafts, I will review the top five dynasty pitching prospects from RotoBaller's rankings going into the 2025 season. This includes players throughout the Minor League levels and some who have tasted the big leagues. Be sure to also check out RotoBaller's fantasy baseball dyansty articles and fantasy baseball dynasty rankings.
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Jackson Jobe, Detroit Tigers
RotoBaller's top dynasty pitching prospect is Jackson Jobe. This is unsurprising, as the 22-year-old is MLB Pipeline's top pitching prospect and No. 5 overall prospect. Jobe was the Tigers' No. 3 overall pick of the 2021 MLB draft.
Jobe spent most of his 2024 season with Double-A Erie but started the season with High-A West Michigan and finished the season with the Tigers, even making two postseason appearances. Jobe made 16 starts at Double-A, covering 73 2/3 innings, posting a 1.95 ERA, a 1.09 WHIP, and a 27.1% strikeout rate.
All four of his pitches graded above average per MLB Pipeline, including a 97-MPH fastball and a slider/sweeper with nearly 3,000 RPM. One spot for improvement is walks, as his 12.7% walk rate at Double-A would leave little room for error in the big leagues.
Overlay of Jackson Jobe's 85 mph SL and 101 mph FF pic.twitter.com/jg1KNITAzQ
— Alex Fast (@AlexFast8) March 12, 2024
Regarding his short-term fantasy value, Jobe pitched five and two-thirds innings with the Tigers out of the bullpen to end the season and in the playoffs. However, he figures he will have a chance to earn a rotation spot for the Tigers this spring.
As with any young pitcher, Jobe's role could vary throughout the season depending on how the Tigers want to manage his workload. However, he could still provide fantasy value even if he served as a bulk reliever. Overall, it seems likely that Jobe will provide fantasy value as early as the start of the 2025 season.
Andrew Painter, Philadelphia Phillies
Despite being drafted in the same class as Jobe, fantasy managers haven't seen Andrew Painter pitch since 2022. Despite this, he is still in MLB Pipeline's Top 100 prospects and the top 10 right-handed pitchers, slotting in as RotoBaller's No. 2 top dynasty pitching prospect.
After an excellent first professional season when he reached Double-A Reading, the 21-year-old was shut down early in 2023 with an elbow injury, resulting in Tommy John surgery in late July.
Fortunately for fantasy managers, Painter has recently shown that he still has the elite skills that he showcased in 2022. After 15 2/3 IP in November's Arizona Fall League, Painter walked away with the league's Pitcher of the Year Award. He posted a 2.30 ERA, a 0.89 WHIP, and an 18/4 K/BB ratio in those innings.
Andrew Painter just threw a 5-pitch first inning, including a strikeout.
Reached 98mph.
All 5 pitches: pic.twitter.com/zQZRSLhXlH
— John Foley (@2008Philz) October 24, 2024
While Painter will likely need to accumulate some more innings in the minors, Phillies’ president of baseball operations, Dave Dombrowski, said that he expects Painter to contribute to the big league staff at some point in 2025. More recently, Dombrowski mentioned Painter could see time with the Phillies around July.
From a short-term fantasy perspective, Painter's health questions will likely limit his 2025 fantasy value compared to Jobe. However, Painter's career numbers have been more impressive than Jobe's. Painter's ceiling looks sky high if he can stay healthy, and he could potentially provide value this season.
Noah Schultz, Chicago White Sox
RotoBaller's No. 3 top dynasty pitching prospect is MLB Pipeline's No. 1 left-handed pitching prospect and No. 16 overall player. The 21-year-old Noah Schultz sits atop a deep White Sox farm system and offers high fantasy hopes.
At 6-foot-9 and 220 pounds with an excellent fastball-slider combination, the lanky lefty has drawn comparisons to former White Sox pitchers Chris Sale and Garrett Crochet. His workload was heavily managed in 2024 due to injuries earlier in his career, but the comparisons seemed justified.
Schultz pitched 27 1/3 innings with High-A Winston-Salem with a respectable 3.95 ERA, a 0.91 WHIP, and a 38.2% strikeout rate. His final 61 IP with Double-A Birmingham were even better overall with a 1.48 ERA, a 1.02 WHIP, and a 29.4% strikeout rate.
His performance led to him being named the Southern League’s Pitching Prospect of the Year.
Top 10 Pitching Prospects for #FantasyBaseball, end of 2024.
1. Jackson Jobe
2. Andrew Painter
3. Noah Schultz 🎥
4. Bubba Chandler
5. Travis Sykora
6. Zebby Matthews
7. Kumar Rocker
8. Quinn Mathews
9. Alejandro Rosario
10. Tink Hencepic.twitter.com/FJwZL6ZdqP— Eric Cross (@EricCrossMLB) September 26, 2024
His skills look big-league-ready, and the White Sox have plenty of rebuilding to do. However, Schultz's biggest consideration in the White Sox system seems to be his workload management. Given this and that the White Sox won't have much to play for, Schultz may not have a huge fantasy role in 2025.
Either way, Schultz should have a clear path to making his way to the big leagues whenever the White Sox feel he is ready. Fantasy managers may have to wait a bit, but it looks like it will be well worth it.
Bubba Chandler, Pittsburgh Pirates
Coming in at No. 4 is 22-year-old Bubba Chandler. He is currently one spot ahead of Schultz in MLB Pipeline's Top 100 prospects at No. 15 and is the No. 2 right-handed pitcher.
While he has not reached the big leagues, Chandler has experience in the upper minors. He pitched 80 1/3 innings at Double-A Altoona, compiling a 3.70 ERA, a 1.01 WHIP, and a 29.4% strikeout rate. He finished the season with Triple-A Indianapolis, posting a 1.83 ERA, a 1.04 WHIP, and a 34.0% strikeout rate in 39 1/3 IP.
Bubba Chandler has been untouchable in Triple-A 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/FQAMm1ASb2
— Young Bucs (@YoungBucsPIT) August 29, 2024
Chandler was a multi-sport athlete and brought extreme athleticism to the mound, including a fastball that could touch the upper 90s. At this point, there doesn't seem to be much more for him to prove in the minors.
The Pirates already have several top young pitchers in their big-league rotation, including Paul Skenes and Jared Jones. It remains to be seen when they decide to add Chandler to their rotation, but fantasy managers shouldn't have to wait too long if he picks up in 2025 where he left off last season.
Travis Sykora, Washington Nationals
RotoBaller's No. 5 dynasty pitching prospect is 20-year-old Travis Sykora, who is No. 76 in MLB Pipeline's Top 100 prospects and the top pitching prospect in the Nationals' system.
Drafted out of high school in 2023, Sykora quickly showed his promise in 2024. He pitched 85 innings with Single-A Fredericksburg, posting a 2.33 ERA, a 0.91 WHIP, and a 39.2% strikeout rate. He worked with a developed three-pitch arsenal, including a fastball that can touch triple digits.
Future 70-grade heater for Travis Sykora?
The @Nats_PlayerDev righty ranks No. 2 in their system entering 2025. pic.twitter.com/n16ErjHSBG
— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) November 9, 2024
Sykora is by far the furthest away from providing fantasy value of RotoBaller's top-5 pitching prospects. While he dominated Single-A, he will need to prove that he can replicate his success against stiffer competition. He also has an unorthodox delivery, which leaves more room for potential mechanical issues.
It is unlikely that fantasy managers will see Sykora in the big leagues in 2025. However, he offers huge upside in a system that has produced high-end starters in the past.
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