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Andersen's dynasty fantasy baseball prospects breakouts, sleepers, risers for Week 8 of 2026. His MLB prospects report includes Jacob Gonzalez, Karson Milbrandt, Austin Overn, more.
Welcome back to the Week 8 edition of our Dynasty Fantasy Baseball Prospects Report for the 2026 MLB season, looking at dynasty prospect risers and fallers! Today, we'll take a look at some hot prospects in the minors, including Jacob Gonzalez, Karson Milbrandt, Austin Overn, Kash Mayfield, and Malcolm Moore.
Believe it or not, we have already passed the halfway point in the month of May. In addition to the bountiful storylines and highlights in the majors already, we should also acknowledge all the standout fantasy baseball prospect performances across levels of affiliated ball in the minors.
Monitoring the top fantasy baseball prospects who have turned heads thus far is imperative. The MLB prospects listed here are coming off dominant weeks and have significant long-term upside for dynasty fantasy baseball leagues. Don't be surprised when these exact names are painting corners, mashing homers, and swiping bags at the big league level soon. Savvy fantasy baseball dynasty managers looking for an edge in their leagues should watch these prospects over the long haul and consider targeting them in dynasty fantasy baseball formats.
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Jacob Gonzalez, SS, White Sox
Level: Triple-A
2026 stats: 42 G, .306/.423/.638, 14 HR, 48 RBI, 36 R, 7 SB, 15.8% BB%, 20.4% K%, .327 BABIP, .456 wOBA, 161 wRC+
Gonzalez was the White Sox' first-round pick in 2023, signing for $3.9 million out of Ole Miss. His development appeared to be heading in the wrong direction after he totaled wRC+ values of 77, 93, and 87 over his first three minor league seasons, respectively. However, he has completely turned things around in 2026 and is now one of Chicago's hottest prospects.
Previously, Gonzalez was susceptible to sacrificing contact for power, resulting in plenty of whiffs. This year, though, he has dropped his whiff rate to 23.3% while maintaining high exit velocities — his maximum exit velo of 113.6 mph ranks in the 98th percentile — and a terrific 11% barrel rate. His strikeout rate has stayed near 20%, but he's walking more and finding more power. His previous single-season home run record was eight; he's already up to 14 this season, and it's only May.
Last week, Gonzalez went 10-for-21 with four homers, two doubles, 12 RBI, three walks, and five strikeouts. He also stole a base. His somewhat unpredictable offensive outburst could force the White Sox to call him up sooner rather than later. The biggest concern for his fantasy value right now is that the White Sox have plenty of depth on the dirt in the majors, making it difficult for Gonzalez to get playing time if called up. Still, he may force Chicago's hand, and if he does, he'll be an intriguing dynasty option because of his long-term upside.
A new day, but the same result for Jacob Gonzalez! 2-run HR to start us off right! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/1n7gxD9QuO
— Charlotte Knights (@KnightsBaseball) May 17, 2026
Karson Milbrandt, RHP, Miami Marlins
Level: Double-A
2026 stats: 7 G, 7 GS, 3-1, 36.1 IP, 1.24 ERA, 2.93 xFIP, 12.63 K/9, 2.97 BB/9, 0.74 HR/9, 61.6% GB%, .254 BABIP
Milbrant was the Marlins' second-round pick back in the 2022 MLB Draft. He was a prep prospect at the time, and he fetched an impressive $1.5 million signing bonus to forego a commitment to Vanderbilt. The pick has panned out for the Marlins, as Milbrant has dazzled across various levels of the minor leagues.
Milbrandt relies heavily on his upper-80s cutter, which has sharp bite and can miss plenty of bats. His fastball has a decent shape, and it's an average-to-plus offering when you consider its average velocity of 97 mph. He rounds out his repertoire with a slider and curveball. While both breaking balls have good shapes, the slider tends to miss more bats and grades out better on Stuff+ models.
In his latest outing on Saturday, Milbrant went six full innings, allowing three hits, zero walks, and zero earned runs. He racked up 11 strikeouts along the way, which equates to nearly two per inning. The right-hander has now made nine Double-A starts, so we wouldn't be surprised to see him get promoted to Triple-A sooner rather than later. When that happens, he'll be just a stone's throw away from making his MLB debut and offering long-term pitching upside to dynasty fantasy baseball managers.
It's time we talk about Karson Milbrandt as a possible Top-100 overall prospect.
Saturday: 6 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 11 K
Season: 7 GS, 36.1 IP, 1.24 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 8.7% BB, 37% K, .168 BAA
Deep arsenal, can miss bats, & has trimmed the BB%.#FightinFishpic.twitter.com/7fLKikExfw
— Eric Cross (@EricCrossMLB) May 17, 2026
Austin Overn, OF, Tampa Bay Rays
Level: Double-A
2026 stats: 34 G, .317/.375/.554, 7 HR, 19 RBI, 27 R, 27 SB, 7.8% BB%, 30.7% K%, .435 BABIP, .403 wOBA, 140 wRC+
Overn was originally selected by the Orioles in the 2024 MLB Draft. The USC product heard his name called in the third round, and he ultimately inked a deal with an $850,000 signing bonus. However, this last summer, he was part of the prospect haul traded to the Rays in exchange for starting pitcher Shane Baz.
One of the biggest adjustments Overn has made since being drafted is adding strength — and, in turn, generating more power. He slugged 13 homers last year, and he's already up to seven this year. It has resulted in more swings and misses, though, as his strikeout rate has soared to 30.7%, which is not ideal for a prospect facing Double-A pitching. The good news is that in addition to the power, he's still walking at a decent 7.8% clip and has stolen a whopping 27 bags through 34 games this year.
Last week, Overn went 11-for-21 with three homers, a double, five RBI, four walks, and seven strikeouts. Additionally, he also stole six bases on six attempts. We want to see the 23-year-old cut down on strikeouts, but if he can carry that power and speed combo to Triple-A and (eventually) the majors, he could rack up significant fantasy points while playing on a near-everyday basis. There's plenty of dynasty upside in the left-handed-hitting outfielder's bat.
Congrats to Austin Overn on being named Minor League Player of the Week after going .524 (11-for-21) with 1 2B, 3 HR, 5 RBI, 4 BB, 6 SB and a 1.600 OPS last week! pic.twitter.com/kYv8QixMzT
— Rays Player Development (@RaysPlayerDev) May 18, 2026
Kash Mayfield, LHP, San Diego Padres
Level: High-A
2026 stats: 7 G, 7 GS, 3-1, 29.2 IP, 1.52 ERA, 3.41 FIP, 10.62 K/9, 3.94 BB/9, 0.30 HR/9, 39.7% GB%, .140 BABIP
The Padres turned to the midwest for their first-round pick in 2024, selecting Mayfield with the 25th overall pick. The prep southpaw from Oklahoma ultimately fetched a signing bonus worth more than $3.44 million, and the investment has paid off for the Padres so far. Mayfield's first pro season saw him rack up plenty of strikeouts and limit loud contact, and he has continued to do the same in 2026.
Mayfield throws a low-to-mid-90s fastball that gets the best results when elevated, leading to whiffs and weak contact. It pairs nicely with his late-fading changeup, which also misses bats and can even induce chase out of the zone. He rounds out his repertoire with a slider that has the potential to be an effective tertiary offering.
Mayfield pitched last Friday, allowing zero runs, one hit, and zero walks over five innings of work. He struck out nine opposing batters, translating to nearly two per inning. Perhaps most impressive was the fact that he threw 76.8% strikes and required just 56 pitches, good for an average of 11.2 pitches per frame. The 21-year-old lefty has now delivered five-inning, zero-run gems in back-to-back High-A games.
🟡 5 IP
🟤 1 H
🟡 9 KKash Mayfield (@Padres No. 4 prospect) dazzles in his latest High-A @TinCaps outing, lowering his ERA to 1.52: pic.twitter.com/eReTg2x9ue
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) May 16, 2026
Malcolm Moore, C, Texas Rangers
Level: High-A
2026 stats: 28 G, .318/.409/.573, 6 HR, 21 RBI, 22 R, 0 SB, 10.2% BB%, 18.9% K%, .363 BABIP, .432 wOBA, 151 wRC+
Fresh off a World Series win, the Rangers used their 2024 first-round pick (30th overall) to select Moore. The Stanford product signed for $3 million, and while he struggled immensely at the plate through his first two pro seasons, he has completely turned things around in 2026. He's now a major offensive threat who also plays above-average defense.
A finger injury sabotaged Moore's previously impressive power grade, and it seems like he's finally back on track in that regard, slugging six homers through 28 High-A games. He's walking more than ever, and he has also dropped his strikeout rate ever so slightly (from 19.4% last year to 18.9% this year). Defensively, he's an above-average framer, and his pop times behind the dish have improved almost as much as his power as a hitter. He has thrown out a career-high 18 base-stealers for a 47.4% success rate so far in 2026.
Congrats to @Spartanburgers_ Catcher Malcolm Moore on being named South Atlantic League Player of the Week!
The 2024 first rounder hit .520 and tallied a 1.731 OPS with 4 HR, 4 2B and 10 RBI 🔥 pic.twitter.com/IO8m3lfqXS
— Rangers Player Development (@TEXPlayerDev) May 18, 2026
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