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Kevin's top 20 dynasty fantasy baseball prospect rankings for the 2023/2024 FYPD classes. He turns back the clock and re-ranks top dynasty prospects from those MLB Drafts.
As I finalize my preliminary 2025 FYPD fantasy baseball rankings, I wanted to take a look back at the top prospects from the last two MLB Draft classes. Sometimes it helps to look back and see how recent drafts have turned out, and how the top of the class compares to what you thought about it right after the draft.
Many future star players have emerged from these two classes. Many of these top fantasy baseball prospects are tearing up the minors, and some are even making some noise already in the majors.
This is how I would draft these prospects for dynasty fantasy baseball leagues if I had a crystal ball and could see where they are now. I'm only including players from the MLB Draft to maintain uniformity in the player pool, compared to the active FYPD discussions and evaluations currently underway.
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No. 20: Arjun Nimmala, SS, Toronto Blue Jays
2023 Rank: 13 (Draft Pick- 1.20)
I've been high on Arjun Nimmala for a while, but he's really struggled the last couple of months after he got off to an amazing start to his High-A career.
He's hit under .200 the last two months and hasn't homered in a month, but still has 11 HRs on the season with a 101 WRC+ as one of the youngest players at High-A. His K-rate remains solid at 20.6 percent, which is encouraging to see, as Nimmala's most significant question mark has always been his hit tool.
It might be unusual to think about, but what gives me some optimism that Nimmala will right the ship is the fact that he was able to do so last season. He spent time on the development list after struggling immensely in Low-A and made a massive jump in prospect rankings.
I think Nimmala will turn the corner in the near future, but his stock still has to take a bit of a hit.
No. 19: Bryce Rainer, SS, Detroit Tigers
2024 Rank: 7 (Draft Pick- 1.11)
I wrote about Bryce Rainer in my midseason Top 20 prospects, and not much has changed with him since then, since he's been out with a shoulder injury.
Shoulder injuries can be scary for young hitters, but he was impressive enough in his debut to warrant this ranking. He had a 136 WRC+ and displayed both a solid approach at the plate and impressive quality of contact for a 19-year-old.
Bryce Rainer swings from Spring Breakout. I was able to confirm this first swing(and slo-mo at the end) produced a 114 mph exit velocity, which the Braves video board flashed on impact. Pretty impressive for a 19-year-old. Rainer looked the part at the plate and in the field. pic.twitter.com/fQwq6dVLvn
— Chris Clegg (@ChrisCleggMiLB) March 18, 2025
No. 18: Luke Keaschall, 2B, Minnesota Twins
2023 Rank: 12 (Draft Pick- 2.49)
I think many people have forgotten about Luke Keaschall, as he has been sidelined for months with a forearm injury, much like other top Minnesota prospects. However, his first few games in the majors were extremely exciting. In his first 26 PAs, he had a 208 WRC+ with a 5/2 BB/K ratio. He also ran wild, stealing five bases.
Keaschall is coming off a very strong first professional season in which he had a 157 WRC+ across High-A and Double-A. He had 15 HRs and 23 SBs and showed a very solid approach at the plate. Keaschall should be back on our fantasy radar soon, and he looks like he'll be a solid all-around contributor for years to come.
No. 17: Matt Shaw, 3B, Chicago Cubs
2023 Rank: 11 (Draft Pick- 1.13)
Perhaps this ranking is too low following Matt Shaw's recent performances. After an up-and-down rookie season for Shaw, there have been some whispers that the Cubs could be looking for a short-term replacement at third base for their playoff run.
Those whispers appear to be motivating Shaw as he has homered three times in his last six games, bringing his season total to five and his season WRC+ to 79.
Matt Shaw since the All-Star break:
9 hits
3 home runs
6 RBIs
18 total basespic.twitter.com/VOvLG85XLf— Jacob Zanolla (@jacobzanolla) July 23, 2025
While Shaw has not shown a lot of juice in the bat so far this season, it's encouraging that he's stolen 13 bases and is not overwhelmed at the plate, as his K-rate is under 20 percent. Regardless of what the Cubs do at the deadline, I think Shaw will be their third baseman of the future and will be a solid fantasy contributor for years.
No. 16: Bryce Eldridge, 1B, San Francisco Giants
2023 Rank: 10 (Draft Pick- 1.16)
Bryce Eldridge is one of the top power-hitting prospects in the minor leagues. His first full professional season in 2024 was incredibly impressive. At just 19, he had 23 HRs and a 139 WRC+ across four minor league levels.
He's taken a little bit of a step back this season as he's struggled with some swing and miss against upper-level pitching. However, he's only 20 and already showing considerable power in the upper minors. When you're 6-foot-7, strikeouts will always be a part of your game, but if he can keep them in check, he'll be one of the best young power hitters in baseball soon.
No. 15: Dylan Crews, OF, Washington Nationals
2023 Rank: 9 (Draft Pick- 1.02)
I feel like I'm seen as a Dylan Crews hater every time I write about him. He's a good player, and the fact that the Nationals have given him the green light to run as much as he has (as they do for most of their players) is exciting for fantasy. However, nothing I've seen so far in his pro career justifies the elite prospect label he received coming out of LSU.
After getting drafted, Crews had a 192 WRC+ in his short stint in Low-A, but top college bats are supposed to beat up on Low-A pitching. When he got the bump to Double-A, he struggled with a 76 WRC+.
In his first full season in the majors, he had a 117 WRC+ across Double-A and Triple-A before getting a late-season call-up to DC. Last season, in 132 PAs in the majors, he had an 80 WRC+ with three HRs and 12 SBs.
This season, he showed a little more pop in the bat with seven HRs in 173 PAs. However, the rest of his offensive profile has regressed, as evidenced by his 73 WRC+ and a K-rate that has ballooned to 27.7 percent. His BA also dropped below .200. He's now on the IL with an oblique injury.
I still think Crews can be a good fantasy player. Perhaps he can be like a 20/30 guy with decent ratios. However, I'm not sure I see the fantasy ceiling that many were hoping for when he was taken at the top of FYPD two years ago.
No. 14: Zyhir Hope, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers
2023 Rank: 8 (Draft Pick- 11.326)
Zyhir Hope was one of last year's big pop-up prospects. While there's a bit of "the Dodgers can't keep getting away with this" in acquiring the relatively unknown player via trade, the Cubs did acquire Michael Busch for him, who has been fantastic in Chicago.
Hope has flashed very loud tools so far in his minor league career. He has nine HRs and 13 SBs with a 140 WRC+ in High-A this season. He's part of arguably the most talented minor league outfield alongside Josue De Paula and Mike Sirota. Any of them could be getting the call to Double-A soon. If he can continue to flash these impressive tools against better competition, Hope's stock will continue to rise.
No. 13: Kristian Campbell, 2B/OF, Boston Red Sox
2023 Rank: 7 (Draft Pick- 4.132)
If we had compiled this list last offseason, Kristian Campbell would easily be in the top 10, and possibly even the top five. In 2024, Campbell might've been the best hitter in the minor leagues. He had a 178 WRC+ across High-A, Double-A, and Triple-A. He had 20 HRs, 24 SBs, and struck out under 20 percent of the time.
Campbell broke camp with the Red Sox this spring, and it looked like a star was born early on this season, as he had a 149 WRC+ through April. That's when things started to fall apart for Campbell as he had a disastrous May (-7 WRC).
He had a solid June with a 90 WRC+, but that was not enough to keep Campbell from being sent back down to Triple-A. While a little reset seemed good for Campbell, especially as he didn't have a firm defensive home, he's also struggled immensely in Triple-A. He has an 84 WRC+ in Triple-A, and his K-rate has ballooned to 34.0 percent.
I'm still holding out hope for Campbell and think he's a decent buy-low dynasty trade target. However, the first member of Boston's big three prospects to make the big leagues is now looking like the one with the most uncertain future.
No. 12: Walker Jenkins, OF, Minnesota Twins
2023 Rank: 6 (Draft Pick- 1.05)
Walker Jenkins has the talent to be a top-5 prospect in baseball. Like Keaschall and many top Twins prospects and big leaguers before him, he has also been hit with a bit of the injury bug. He missed time last season due to a hamstring injury and this season due to an ankle injury.
When he's on the field, he has a very good approach at the plate. He has a 140 WRC+ across Low-A and Double-A with almost as many walks (16.8 percent) as strikeouts (17.4 percent). He also has impressive raw power, which is starting to show its head a little bit as game power.
Walker Jenkins has had back-to-back three-hit games post All-Star Break, including a double and a triple, raising his Double-A slash line to .302/.435/.453 (.888 OPS) since the 20-year-old returned from injury in June 📈#MNTwins pic.twitter.com/8uMcpYpvja
— Twins Player Development (@TwinsPlayerDev) July 20, 2025
Jenkins has a chance to climb this list in the near future. If he can stay healthy and start getting to more game power, the sky is the limit for him.
No. 11: Max Clark, OF, Detroit Tigers
2023 Rank: 5 (Draft Pick- 1.03)
I feel like Clark and Jenkins have been tied at the hip in the dynasty prospect space since they got drafted. Clark is known for his impressive athleticism, but what stands out to me with him is his remarkable approach at the plate.
Clark has a 151 WRC+ this season across High-A and a taste of Double-A, with more walks (18.9 percent) than strikeouts (17.5 percent). He also has nine HRs and 13 SBs. Clark is one of the most exciting prospects in the minors. On real-life lists, he might be in the running for the new number one when Roman Anthony graduates due to his excellent outfield defense paired with his great all-around offensive profile.
No. 10: J.J. Wetherholt, SS, St. Louis Cardinals
2024 Rank: 6 (Draft Pick- 1.07)
Knock-knock. The J.J. Wetherholt train is expected to arrive in St. Louis soon. The exciting young infielder has been amazing so far this season. Coming into tonight, he had a 157 WRC+ across Double-A and Triple-A with more walks than strikeouts.
JJ Wetherholt already has two home runs tonight.
Six home runs in his last nine games.#ForTheLoupic.twitter.com/4kZNC4dNfi
— Eric Cross (@EricCrossMLB) July 24, 2025
He homered twice on Wednesday to bring his season total to 10 to go along with 14 SBs. Not sure if the Cardinals will make a spot for Wetherholt on their major league roster at this upcoming trade deadline, but he seems like he can be a solid five-category contributor right away.
No. 9: Jacob Wilson, SS, Athletics
2023 Rank: 4 (Draft Pick- 1.06)
I think Jacob Wilson is the single most disrespected player in the fantasy baseball world. I must admit, I wasn't high on him as a fantasy asset coming into the draft, as I viewed him as having an empty batting average at best.
However, I think he's silenced a lot of doubters and is becoming a real fantasy asset. We expected the high batting average (.311) and the low K-rate (7.7 percent), but there's a little bit more fantasy juice in this profile.
Everyone in the fantasy world just says Wilson will probably be Luis Arraez, but Wilson already has 10 HRs, a little over halfway through his rookie season, which matches Arraez's career high. While Wilson will never be a huge power bat, is it crazy to think he can be a 20 HR bat at peak?
If Wilson can be a 20-HR bat while competing for batting titles and chipping in a few steals (he has five SBs this season), that's an outstanding fantasy player that is not getting enough respect.
No. 8: Chase Burns, P, Cincinnati Reds
2024 Rank: 5 (Draft Pick- 1.02)
I see the vision with Chase Burns. He has unbelievable swing and miss stuff, but I'm not ready to crown him as a future ace just yet, given some of his struggles at suppressing hard contact and keeping runners off the bases.
So far in his major league career, Burns has a very impressive 35.0 percent K-rate and 13.6 percent swinging strike rate. However, he has an 11.0 percent BB-rate and has been hit a couple of times.
Chase Burns’s stuff is undeniably excellent!
However, he could stand to get more comfortable with his changeup and add a fourth pitch to his arsenal.
That said, his ceiling is still sky‑high! pic.twitter.com/TjF12yypmC
— Pitch Profiler (@pitchprofiler) July 23, 2025
He has a 6.65 ERA and 1.62 WHIP. The ERA estimators are all much more favorable for Burns, most notably his 2.83 xFIP. I expect Burns to have some positive regression to his ERA and WHIP before the end of this season, but he's not a no-doubt future fantasy ace like someone higher on this list.
No. 7: Cam Smith, 3B/OF, Houston Astros
2024 Rank: 4 (Draft Pick- 1.14)
Cam Smith is quietly having a very impressive rookie season with the Astros. With the pressure of being the prized prospect returned in the Kyle Tucker trade and switching positions to the outfield, it would've been understandable if Smith's rookie season was a disappointment.
Smith had a 181 WRC+ across Low-A, High-A, and Double-A last season in the Cubs organization. He broke camp in Houston this season and has more than held his own. He has a 107 WRC+ with seven HRs and five SBs. He is also playing excellent defense in right field.
While we don't care much about a player's defense for fantasy, it's a testament to Smith's versatility and work ethic that he's been able to play a new position so well. This will also give him a lot of leeway if he goes through future slumps.
As a right-handed hitter in Houston, there is a lot of meat on the bone in the HR department for Smith. I hope he gets in the lab a little bit with two pulled fly ball fasters in Jose Altuve and Isaac Paredes this offseason to fully get the benefit of playing half of his home games with the Crawford Boxes in left field.
No. 6: Jac Caglianone, 1B/OF, Kansas City Royals
2024 Rank: 3 (Draft Pick- 1.06)
I mentioned Jac Caglianone as a dynasty trade target in my article last week, as he has not gotten off to a great start in his major league career. Still, he's been incredibly unlucky and is starting to turn the corner a bit. He has only a 31 WRC+ so far this season, but there is about a 120-point gap between his wOBA and xwOBA. He's also showing some under-the-hood improvements this month.
Jac Caglianone from June to July:
GB%: 55.9% -> 39.5%
Barrel%: 8.8% -> 13.2%
LA: 3.0 -> 11.1
zContact%: 88.6% -> 96.2%Jac’s power with Luis Arraez’s zone contact rate would go bonkers over a larger sample.
— Preston Farr (@royalsminors) July 22, 2025
Caglianone needs to refine his approach at the plate, but he possesses impressive bat-to-ball skills to complement his elite raw power. As he continues to mature as a hitter, we could be looking at one of the best young power bats in the league.
No. 5: Kevin McGonigle, 2B/SS, Detroit Tigers
2023 Rank: 3 (Draft Pick- 1.37)
I think I'm fully Kevin McGonigle-pilled. He looks like the best pure hitter in all of the minor leagues. At only 20 years old, he has a 193 WRC+ this season, mostly in High-A with small stints in Low-A and Double-A. He walks (14.0 percent) way more than he strikes out (10.2 percent), and he doesn't exactly swing a wet noodle.
He has seven HRs so far this season and already has a few XBHs since getting bumped to Double-A.
Kevin McGonigle walks it off for Erie. Technically a single, had doubled in three straight games before this. Also walked twice today. pic.twitter.com/Q9POckF9Bw
— Aram Leighton (@AramLeighton8) July 23, 2025
While he might not have the most fantasy upside, I would confidently bet on him being a .300/20 HR bat in the majors as a floor peak projection.
No. 4: Konnor Griffin, SS/OF, Pittsburgh Pirates
2024 Rank: 2 (Draft Pick- 1.09)
The arguable top fantasy prospect in the minors and my number two non-debuted prospect in my latest rankings, Konnor Griffin, has laid basically all question marks about his hit tool in the pre-draft cycle to rest.
The power-speed upside with Griffin is immense, and he might have the purest upside out of anyone in these two draft classes. He's getting better and better at the plate, even as he faces tougher pitching.
He already has 13 HRs and 41 SBs so far this season with a 155 WRC+ across Low-A and High-A. Arguably more impressive than the HR and SB numbers is the fact that he's decreased his K-rate to 19.8 percent and increased his BB-rate to 12.4 percent since getting the bump from Low-A to High-A.
It's hard to put someone in the low minors above three guys already producing so much at the big league level in this draft, but it wouldn't shock me if he's at the top of this list in a few years.
No. 3: Wyatt Langford, OF, Texas Rangers
2023 Rank: 2 (Draft Pick- 1.04)
Wyatt Langford had maybe the best short minor league career ever. After getting drafted, he had a 199 WRC+ with more walks than strikeouts in 200 PAs across four levels of the minors before breaking camp in his first full season with the Rangers.
Langford has not yet totally set the world on fire in the majors, but has shown the five-category upside that could see him getting drafted in the first round of redraft leagues soon.
Langford had 16 HRs and 19 SBs to go along with a 111 WRC+ in his rookie season, where he dealt with some injury problems. He has shown more power and speed in his second season, already accumulating 15 HRs and 15 SBs in just 352 PAs. However, he's regressed a bit as a hitter with only a 101 WRC+, and his K-rate has spiked to 27.7 percent.
While it's a little disappointing that Langford hasn't yet taken the leap into fantasy superstardom and had a bit of a sophomore slump, this is still one of the most exciting young fantasy bats in the majors.
No. 2: Nick Kurtz, 1B, Athletics
2024 Rank: 1 (Draft Pick- 1.04)
Maybe slightly controversial to have Kurtz above Langford, as Langford has five category potential that Kurtz doesn't have, but Kurtz might have the most power upside out of any young player in the league.
I wrote a few weeks ago about how Kurtz was challenging Vladdy for the top first baseman spot in dynasty. Since that time, he seems to have homered almost every night. He has a 161 WRC+ and 19 HRs in only 259 PAs this season.
Since he's gotten his feet wet in the majors, he's been one of the best hitters in the whole league. Doing what he's doing as a rookie is simply not normal.
Nick Kurtz since May 20th among first baseman:
HR: 17 (1st)
RBI: 42 (1st)
ISO: .454 (1st in MLB)
AVG: .312 (4th)
OBP: .395 (1st)
SLG: .766 (1st in MLB)
wOBA: .477 (1st in MLB)
wRC+: 209 (1st in MLB)
fWAR: 2.2 (1st)Should be the ROY favorite#Athletics pic.twitter.com/mF3Si5GZHq
— Running From The OPS (@OPS_BASEBALL) July 21, 2025
Kurtz does have a little bit of a strikeout problem as he's striking out 32.0 percent of the time, but when you have the potential to hit 50 HRs in a season, you can live with the strikeouts.
No. 1: Paul Skenes, P, Pittsburgh Pirates
2023 Rank: 1 (Draft Pick- 1.01)
In most two-year draft periods, it would be pretty tough for a pitcher to rank at the top of a redraft, but Paul Skenes is just that special, and no hitter from either of these drafts has truly emerged as a no-doubt first-round regular.
Skenes is already one of the best pitchers in baseball. He had a 1.96 ERA and 0.95 WHIP as a rookie and has followed that up with a 1.91 ERA and 0.91 WHIP in his second season in the majors.
If we're going to nitpick Skenes at all, his K-rate is down to "only" 27.8 percent this season compared to 33.1 percent as a rookie, and playing for the Pirates doesn't help you win many games as a starting pitcher. However, he has easily earned the label of being a generational talent and should remain an ace for years to come.
Players since 1901 to have 300+ strikeouts and a sub-2.00 ERA through 44 career MLB games:
Paul Skenes
That’s it. pic.twitter.com/p8bR63eI4l
— Greg Harvey (@BetweenTheNums) July 22, 2025
Honorable Mentions:
- Colt Emerson, SS - SEA
- Travis Bazzana, 2B - CLE
- Theo Gillen, OF - TB
- Travis Sykora, P - WSH
- Caleb Bonemer, CHW
- Cooper Pratt, SS - MIL
- Carson Benge, OF - NYM
- Braden Montgomery, OF - CHW
- Christian Moore, 2B - LAA
- Mike Sirota, OF - LAD
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