Dynasty Fantasy Baseball Prospect Rankings: FYPD (First-Year Player Drafts)

August 13, 2025

Kevin's top 30 FYPD fantasy baseball prospect rankings for First Year Player Drafts. See how he ranks the top prospects from this most recent MLB draft class.

We're about a month post-MLB Draft. The signing deadline has passed, and we're starting to see some recent draftees receive minor league assignments. Now seems like the perfect time to release my FYPD rankings for this draft class.

I would say the FYPD period is when I value the opinions of professionals in the industry the most. I don't necessarily rank based on how others rank, but I am reading and listening to scouting reports and trying to translate those scouting reports into what I value for fantasy.

Let's take a look at my rankings for this class. I will have a quick trigger when it comes to adjusting my rankings of these players as I see how they perform as professionals. There's a good chance that how I rank this class looks much different a year from now.

Top 30 FYPD Rankings

This draft may have the least consensus at the top that I've seen in quite some time, as I have encountered half a dozen players at the top of FYPD rankings during my research.

Some general FYPD principles I have:

I love prep hitters. From my time playing dynasty baseball, they seem to have the most upside out of any of the branches of FYPD players.

With rare exceptions, I try to avoid prep pitchers. There just seems to be so much more that can go wrong with a prep pitching prospect than can go right.

I may give a player a slight bump if they get a good landing spot. However, I'm unlikely to drop a player I like down much for a bad landing spot (unless they're a pitcher in Colorado). Guys like Bobby Witt Jr. and Konnor Griffin had "bad landing spots," but elite talents will find a way to succeed anywhere.

I love stats, but I try not to get too caught up in the stats these players produced at their respective amateur levels. Every top pick put up video game numbers in high school or college (especially the high school guys), and it's hard to compare and contrast the competition levels.

Prospect details can be found in the rankings table below, with some thoughts on the top 12.

1. Eli Willits, SS, Washington Nationals (Pick 1-1)

Is it weird that it's kind of controversial to have the No. 1 pick in the MLB Draft as my top player for FYPDs? Eli Willits was viewed as a top pick that would save the Nationals some bonus pool money that they spent to sign other top picks like Miguel Sime Jr. and Coy James.

However, I think he was a perfectly fine pick on talent, and he has a lot of what I'm looking for in an FYPD 1.01. Willits has a very advanced hit tool to go along with plus speed and athleticism. There are questions about how much juice will be in the bat, but he has a frame that should grow into at least average power as he matures.

Lead off bomb for Fort Cobb-Broxton SS Eli Willits today. Hitting .489 with 8 doubles, 4 homers and 22 stolen bases. Just 1 strikeout in 67 PA. Kid is just a gamer.

Potential top-five pick in July. pic.twitter.com/tQNM8oPpei

— Joe Doyle (@JoeDoyleMiLB) April 15, 2025

In terms of fantasy evaluation, when I heard Willits was the youngest top pick since Ken Griffey Jr., my ears perked up a bit. I'm a sucker for age-to-level production, and I know I'll be aggressive with him if he gets to full-season ball and produces right away.

2. JoJo Parker, SS, Toronto Blue Jays (Pick 1-8)

It was extremely close between JoJo Parker and Willits for the top spot. What gave Willits the slight edge was that he's almost a year and a half younger than Parker. I don't usually ding older prep players, but it's a nice bonus for a player like Willits to still be thought of so highly by scouts despite being so young.

Parker has the best current combination of power and hit tool among prep batters in this class. He has displayed an extremely mature approach at the plate to go along with plus power. If his hit tool holds strong as he continues to mature physically, he has the upside of a player like Gunnar Henderson.

Draft Spotlight: SS JoJo Parker Purvis HS (MS)

Huge LH hit tool upside on the dirt; good athlete w/ can flat out spray it all fields & well-rounded tools across the board. Getting into power. Riser this spring garnering plenty of buzz.@Parker2Jojo @PG_DeepSouth pic.twitter.com/mMCPcXU1Fc

— Perfect Game Draft (@PG_Draft) May 13, 2025

3. Ethan Holliday, SS/3B, Colorado Rockies (Pick 1-4)

In the crowded field, I think Ethan Holliday is likely the most common choice for the top pick in FYPDs this season. His brother, Jackson, ascended to being one of the top prospects in baseball not too long ago, and some think Ethan can be better than his brother.

Stillwater SS Ethan Holliday hit home runs No. 14, 15 and 16 today in regionals.

He’ll play again tomorrow with a chance to match his brother Jackson’s 17 home run mark from 2022.

🎥:@StillwaterBSB pic.twitter.com/hIhiQqXmFX

— Joe Doyle (@JoeDoyleMiLB) May 9, 2025

Holliday looks like he's a more powerful version of his brother with a worse hit tool. The question is: How much worse is his hit tool? Holliday struggled with both high-end velocity and high-end spin, which he will see much more of in pro ball.

The questions about his hit tool put him below Willits and Parker for me, but I don't want to bury him, as we've seen top prep players with "questionable hit tools" quickly answer those questions (most notably Konnor Griffin this season). Having a former All-Star father and brother in the big leagues to get feedback from should also help in his development.

4. Kade Anderson, P, Seattle Mariners (Pick 1-3)

If your league values proximity or pitching higher, I can see going with Kade Anderson at No. 1. Between his successful college career and getting developed by the pitching factory in Seattle, Anderson is the most likely player in this draft to be a good major leaguer and I think we'll see him in the big leagues at some point next season.

MLB's No. 3 Draft prospect Kade Anderson twirls a gem at the Men's College World Series 💎

7 IP | 3 H | 1 R | 2 BB | 7 K

See where the 20-year-old with 170 strikeouts in 110 IP lands in our latest mock: https://t.co/CKUHQu7a5f

(📽️: @LSUbaseball)pic.twitter.com/6lp0grVl6M

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) June 15, 2025

The question is: How high is his upside? I don't view him as a Paul Skenes or even Chase Burns level pitching prospect. He has three plus pitches to go along with strong command, but I think he will probably be more of a No. 2 or 3 starter for our fantasy teams as opposed to an ace.

5. Steele Hall, SS, Cincinnati Reds (Pick 1-9)

Steele Hall is one of the best athletes in this draft, and his speed might be the best fantasy tool in this draft. I need that race between him and Elly De La Cruz at some point soon.

Hall, like Willits, is a very young prep draftee. His hit tool is solid, and we'll hope to see some more juice in the bat as he matures. He has the floor of a solid average speedster but has received some Trea Turner comps if everything clicks.

6. Gavin Fien, 3B, Texas Rangers (Pick 1-12)

Transparency: Gavin Fien is who I took in the first round of my recent FYPD. Fien was one of the biggest risers over this past summer, but the buzz on him cooled down a bit over the spring.

Fien has big boy power with a solid feel to hit. I don't think he'll ever be a .300 hitter, but we're looking at a potential middle-of-the-order slugger if everything clicks for him.

1.12 Rangers select Gavin Fien SS Great Oak (CA)

Fien has top of the class power, w/ a great feel to hit. Consistently posts 100+ mph EVs. Performer this year in Cali. Athlete w/ plus arm. Tons of offensive upside.#PGDraft #MLBDraft #AllForTX

pic.twitter.com/9bVeplnWqE

— Perfect Game Draft (@PG_Draft) July 13, 2025

7. Seth Hernandez, P, Pittsburgh Pirates (Pick 1-6)

My hatred of drafting prep pitchers shows how highly I think of Seth Hernandez as a prospect. The risk with taking any prep pitcher is extremely high, but the reward could be worth it with him.

I've heard Hernandez called the best prep pitching prospect of the 21st century. He has a fastball that is already hitting triple digits with above-average secondary pitches.

The Pirates have also been kind of cooking with their pitching development of late in the minors, so this is a good landing spot for Hernandez. It would not shock me if we're looking back at this class in a few years and Hernandez is at the top of it.

8. Liam Doyle, P, St. Louis Cardinals (Pick 1-5)

Liam Doyle's fastball might be the best singular pitch in the whole draft. He sits upper 90s, and it can get up to 100. He completely overpowered college hitters last year with it and led all of D-1 in K% at 42.6 percent.

With the 5th overall pick, the St. Louis Cardinals have selected LHP Liam Doyle. Mid-to-high-90s (T100) FB is a rocket ship w/ big-time carry through the zone. Eye-popping 40% whiff rate w/63% usage. Legit 70. SPL/CH and Cut/SL are both intriguing 2daries.pic.twitter.com/BonYC82PEG

— Peter Flaherty III (@PeterGFlaherty) July 13, 2025

His secondary pitches are a little bit of a question mark at this point. It's possible that he just hasn't had to use them much to this point in his career because his fastball was so dominant, but it does add a bit of reliever risk to his profile if they don't develop.

9. Aiva Arquette, SS, Miami Marlins (Pick 1-7)

Aiva Arquette is the top college bat in this class. While I do like his all-around profile, I think that is a little bit of an indictment on the class of college bats as a whole. Arquette is a big shortstop who might end up at third base. He has above-average to plus power with a solid feel to hit.

A couple of years ago, the Marlins were not known for their hitting development, but we've seen what they've done lately with a lot of young players at the major league level. Arquette should be a pretty fast mover and will fit in nicely with their young core.

10. Ethan Conrad, OF, Chicago Cubs (Pick 1-17)

A lot of fantasy analysts whose opinions I really respect LOVE Ethan Conrad.

He gives me Chase DeLauter vibes in that he's an advanced college bat with potential for plus power and hit. He showed that both at Wake Forest and on the Cape with a wood bat like DeLauter. Also like DeLauter, he is currently injured.

Ethan Conrad looks ideal in the Chicago Cubs model and they nab him at 17.
Conrad slashed .385/.433/.486 on the Cape, which is a key indicator for the Cubs org. He was off to a blistering start before injuring his shoulder. Cubs taking him this high suggests they trust medicals. pic.twitter.com/1AKFoZH7k4

— Greg Zumach (@IvyFutures) July 13, 2025

Conrad's season was cut short by a shoulder injury. Shoulder injuries are always a little scary for power hitters, but the Cubs were not scared off by his medicals. If he played the full season this spring, he probably would be the top college position player.

11. Billy Carlson, SS, Chicago White Sox (Pick 1-10)

Billy Carlson is a little bit of a forgotten man when it comes to this class of prep shortstops. He's an elite defender at short (which I know doesn't matter much for fantasy), but that could help move up the minors quicker.

I've also had some thoughts this year about elite defenders at premium positions getting as much leash as possible once they reach the majors for their bats to catch up. Carlson doesn't have any particularly loud tools in terms of speed or power, but he has a very solid feel to hit. It's a nice all-around profile that should become a regular major leaguer one day when you factor in his defense.

12. Jamie Arnold, P, Athletics (Pick 1-11)

If you're looking for another pitcher who should be in the majors soon (maybe next season), I think it could be Jamie Arnold. The Athletics have been aggressive with their recent college draftees, and they could use the help in the rotation.

He has three above-average pitches, and he's kind of doing the Chris Sale sidearm thing that a lot of lefties are doing, which is making their pitches harder to hit.

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