Hot MLB Prospects to Watch for Fantasy Baseball - Week 2 (2025)

Andersen looks at the top fantasy baseball prospects risers, sleepers for Week 2 of 2025. These MLB prospects may become strong waiver wire stashes or pickups.

Welcome back, RotoBallers! The 2025 MLB season is in full swing, and we've also seen Minor League Baseball action get underway over the last two weeks. During last week's action, there were plenty of big plays and impressive prospect performances throughout Minor League Baseball.

Monitoring the top fantasy baseball prospects who have turned heads thus far is imperative. The players listed here are coming off dominant weeks and have significant long-term upside. Don't be surprised when these exact names are painting corners, mashing homers, and swiping bags at the big league level soon.

Savvy fantasy managers looking for an edge in their leagues should certainly keep an eye on these players over the long haul, as they may soon be excellent additions.

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Justice Bigbie, OF, Detroit Tigers

Level: Double-A
2025 stats: 4 G, .429/.500/1.000, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 6 R, 0 SB, 12.5 percent BB%, 0.0 percent K%, .333 BABIP, .664 wOBA, 312 wRC+

Bigbie is a former 19th-round pick out of Western Carolina. We have previously seen him adopt a contact-over-power profile at the plate, but his production in limited action so far this year (two homers over four games) suggests that he has perhaps tapped into more power.

He's capable of hitting to all fields and has great discipline, but the Tigers could look to maximize his power potential, which would create more runs. Defensively, he plays a decent first base but should stick in the outfield long-term.

Last week, Bigbie went 5-for-10 with one homer, five RBI, two walks, and zero strikeouts. He should continue to make a significant impact while batting for the Tigers' Double-A affiliate.

Justice Bigbie continues to torment Double-A pitching. Here’s an RBI double to the right corner. @SamLebowitz_ on the call. pic.twitter.com/UG3bjLVsq6

— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) April 6, 2025

Griff McGarry, SP, Philadelphia Phillies

Level: Double-A
2025 stats: 1 G, 1 GS, 0-0, 4.0 IP, 0.00 ERA, -0.75 FIP, 18.00 K/9, 0.00 BB/9, 0.00 HR/9, 50.0 percent GB%, .000 BABIP

McGarry is a former Phillies fifth-round pick who has endured more than his fair share of adversity since being drafted in 2021. The right-hander has always been a strikeout-inducing hurler, but his walk rate has also soared to the point where he essentially could not be utilized at the Triple-A level.

McGarry earned Triple-A appearances every year from 2022 through 2024, but he has not yet reached the majors. For now, he's pitching with the Phillies' Double-A affiliate.

Last week, he impressed, striking out eight batters over four innings. He came out of the game having allowed zero hits and zero walks. The strong outing solidifies the odds of McGarry returning to Triple-A sooner rather than later.

Griff McGarry made his first start since 2023 this afternoon and had an amazing outing for AA Reading:

4.0 IP | 0 H | 0 ER | 0 BB | 8 K pic.twitter.com/M5RpoShuR0

— Phillies Tailgate (@PhilsTailgate) April 6, 2025

Maikol Escotto, SS, Pittsburgh Pirates

Level: High-A
2025 stats: 2 G, .667/.667/1.333, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 6 R, 4 SB, 0.0 percent BB%, 22.2 percent K%, .833 BABIP, .860 wOBA, 401 wRC+

Escotto's allure as a prospect has fluctuated over the years, and he's had trouble producing enough to earn a promotion to Double-A. Now in his fourth consecutive year at High-A, Escotto has continued to flash raw power. Additionally, even though his strikeout rate has been consistently high, he has shown an ability to pick his pitch and fight off potential putaway offerings when he's behind in the count.

Escotto's long-term defensive home remains up in the air as the Pirates continue to experiment with his usage. He primarily played the corner infield spots in 2024, but through his first two games this year, he registered one appearance at second base and another at designated hitter.

Over his two outings last week, Escotto's bat looked phenomenal. During that span, he went 6-for-11 with one homer, three doubles, three RBI, and a pair of strikeouts. He has also shown off good baserunning instincts, stealing four bases in a singular game on April 6.

Maikol Escotto HOMER!

Hoppers: 8 | Tourists: 1 pic.twitter.com/DKOAMlNauv

— Greensboro Grasshoppers (@GSOHoppers) April 5, 2025

Hayden Minton, SP, Detroit Tigers

Level: Single-A
2025 stats: 1 G, 1 GS, 0-0, 4.0 IP, 0.00 ERA, -0.46 FIP, 15.75 K/9, 0.00 BB/9, 0.00 HR/9, 40.0 percent GB%, .000 BABIP

Minton is a 24-year-old right-hander whom the Tigers selected in the ninth round of the 2023 MLB Draft. He attended Missouri State and has made 26 appearances (22 starts) since being drafted.

Minton throws a mid-90s fastball and relies heavily on a pair of breaking balls -- a mid-70s curveball and low-80s slider -- to retire opposing batters. While the fastball and breaking balls are effective, complementary offerings, he also mixes in a decent mid-80s changeup to round out his repertoire.

In his first start of the season last week, Minton tossed four scoreless innings without allowing a walk or hit. His display of dominance culminated in seven strikeouts and Florida State League Pitcher of the Week honors.

Terrific season debut with Lakeland for Hayden Minton. Needed just 56 pitches to work 4 scoreless innings. Fastball sat at 93.5 MPH and touched 96. Induced 13 whiffs. pic.twitter.com/wEKk9wQ5fe

— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) April 6, 2025

Lazaro Montes, OF, Seattle Mariners

Level: High-A
2025 stats: 3 G, .429/.692/1.143, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 4 R, 1 SB, 38.5 percent BB%, 15.4 percent K%, .500 BABIP, .716 wOBA, 341 wRC+

Montes is somewhat of a household name in prospect circles, routinely ranking among the top players in Seattle's farm system. Signed out of Cuba in 2022, Montes has used his bat to carry him through the lower levels of Minor League Baseball. The left-hander has elite bat speed and raw power, and he hasn't necessarily had to sacrifice contact skills. He's still capable of making good contact, reducing swings and misses, and walking at a clip north of 10 percent.

Montes runs moderately well, but his glove work leaves a lot to be desired, and his arm strength is average at best. His bat will carry him to the majors, where his long-term outlook most likely includes a lot of appearances as the designated hitter.

As the High-A season kicked off last week, Montes made quite an impact. Over three games, he went 3-for-7 with a home run, a triple, two RBI, five walks, two strikeouts, and a stolen base. The two extra-base hits are impressive, but his five walks are even more intriguing.

Lazaro Montes is coming out of the gate red-hot in 2025 🔥

MLB's No. 40 prospect (@Mariners) has reached base in 10 of 14 plate appearances, including this roundtripper for the High-A @EverettAquaSox: pic.twitter.com/pwZDlg4i9r

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) April 9, 2025

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