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Jarod's top fantasy baseball prospect breakout candidates, sleepers with the highest-rated hit tools. His rookies to target that can have big 2025 impacts.
For those fantasy baseball managers looking beyond the draft to see who could help fortify their lineup at some point this season, or perhaps next season for those in dynasty leagues, sometimes we need to look at prospects for the next round of hitters who could lead our squads to victory.
For this article, we want to look at prospects with the best hit tools, so we're focused on prospect hitters who have/are:
- Future Value (FV) hit tool of 60 or better
- Overall scouting grade of 50 or better
- Ranked inside MLB.com's Top 100 Prospects List
- ETA of 2025 or 2026
You can also check out Eric Cross's Top 50 Fantasy Baseball Prospects list for ETAs on when some of the brightest young players will get a call-up or bookmark our 2025 fantasy baseball prospects rankings for redraft leagues.
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Jacob Wilson, SS, Oakland Athletics
Current Level/ETA: MLB
MLB Prospect Rank: No. 31 overall
2024 AAA stats: 53 G, 208 AB, .396-4-17-26-0, .462 wOBA, 167 wRC+
Son of former major leaguer Jack Wilson, Jacob Wilson inherited the baseball gene. The 2023 MLB Draft pick was selected sixth overall and has hit ever since the day he stepped onto the field.
In 79 career minor league games, the right-handed hitter owns a .401/.446/.606 slash line with a .480 wOBA and 180 wRC+. The excellent contact skills helped him to a low 7.7 percent strikeout rate.
By the middle of July last season, the 6-foot-2 shortstop got the call to the majors, and what did he do in his first at-bat? Got a hit, of course!
Unfortunately, he injured himself that same game (hamstring) and didn't return until late August, but he did collect a hit in that game as well, along with five multi-hit games the rest of the way.
This spring, the former first-rounder is 16-for-52 (.308), so he appears to be picking up where he left off and is set to be the Athletics' Opening Day shortstop.
The drawback for fantasy is that he doesn't draw many walks, registering a 5.9 percent rate in the minors, and he doesn't run much, stealing a total of six bases.
This figures to be the case in the majors, which will limit his fantasy appeal. There's hope that he will grow into some power after hitting four home runs this spring, but this will probably be another drawback for fantasy and not something managers should bank on.
Jacob Wilson often got labelled as a ‘noodle-bat’ hitter, with little to no power.
He hit 7 HR’s in 226 PA’s. That’s 15-20 per season. He combined this with a .433(!) BA & 6.2% K%.
He now has 2 in 23 ST at-bats.
— LouisAnalysis (@LouisAnalysis) March 8, 2025
There's a reason why his NFBC ADP stands at 358 overall heading into Opening Day. But if you're looking for batting average at the end of a draft with perhaps some small upside attached to a sneakily potent A's lineup, then Wilson can provide that.
Walker Jenkins, OF, Minnesota Twins
Current Level/ETA: Double-A/2025
MLB Prospect Rank: No. 3 overall
2024 MiLB stats: 82 G, 305 AB, .282-6-58-51-17, .395 wOBA, 139 wRC+
Walker Jenkins was selected by the Twins with the fifth overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft and debuted in the organization as an 18-year-old that season, making a strong initial impression between the Twins' complex league affiliate and Single-A, slashing .362/.417/.571 in 26 games (115 PA).
A hamstring injury caused him to get a late start in 2024, but the youngster hit well and showed tremendous discipline at the plate, which prompted promotions all the way to Double-A by season's end.
Jenkins slashed .282/.394/.439 in 82 games (368 PA), but perhaps most impressively, he walked more than he struck out (56:47 BB:K) over the course of the campaign. The Twins' top prospect also stole 17 bases last year, so there's an ability to run, too.
The 6-foot-3 slugger regularly draws praise for his ability to make consistent hard contact, and while it hasn't shown up in the form of a ton of home runs yet, his big frame allows for the 20-year-old to grow into more power.
Walker Jenkins with his 3rd home run in his last six games.#MNTwins pic.twitter.com/t8rY8Jfynu
— Eric Cross (@EricCrossMLB) August 30, 2024
MLB's No. 3 overall prospect will likely begin 2025 at Double-A after having logged just six games there in 2024, but a hot start should see him make an arrival at Triple-A before the season is out, perhaps even making a big league debut as well.
Dynasty managers should already have the talented prospect stashed away, while redraft managers should be ready to pounce in the event of a late-season call-up or, at the very least, be familiar with the name in early preparation for 2026 fantasy drafts.
Chandler Simpson, OF, Tampa Bay Rays
Current Level/ETA: Triple-A/2025
MLB Prospect Rank: Unranked (TB No. 7)
2024 AA stats: 78 G, 322 AB, .351-1-20-56-73, .377 wOBA, 141 wRC+
Chandler Simpson is perhaps the best contact hitter on this list, at least based on the numbers. He hit .293 between Single and High-A in 2023, striking out at just an 8.7 percent rate and recording a measly 3.9 percent SwStr%.
In 2024, between High and Double-A, the Georgia Tech product improved on those numbers, hitting .355, striking out only 8.5 percent of the time, and registering a 2.9 percent SwStr%.
What's more is that Tampa's seventh-ranked prospect walks more than he strikes out, owning a career 10.0 percent walk rate and boasting a .394 OBP during his minor league career.
Believe it or not, those are not his best traits, though! The kid can run. He's one of a limited number of prospects that boast an 80-grade tool, and his tool is speed. So that superb OBP mentioned earlier allows him to steal bases- a lot of them.
The speedster swiped 94 bags in 2023 in only 115 games, then outdid himself in 2024 by stealing a whopping 104 bases in 110 games.
Getting on base consistently via hit or walk and being able to take an extra base will regularly put you into position to score, and that's what Simpson did well, too. In 2023, 88 runs were scored, and then in 2024, he crossed the plate 90 times.
Rays prospect Chandler Simpson can FLY. pic.twitter.com/s72j4BvbVn
— The Call Up | An MLB Prospect Podcast (@The_CallUpPod) March 3, 2025
The drawback for fantasy is that hitters who make so much contact, akin to Luis Arraez, don't generally hit for much power. Simpson has just one minor league home run to his name in 921 at-bats.
Still, Arraez's best stolen base total to this point in his MLB career is nine. When Simpson gets the call, he'll no doubt obliterate that number.
With the ability to make contact, elite stolen base potential, and run-scoring potential, the 24-year-old is an exciting future fantasy asset.
Don't be surprised to see him get the call in the first half of this season if there is an injury or underperformance in the Rays' outfield (he rates above-average in the field long-term as well), so redraft managers will need to keep a close eye on him so they can stash ahead of time.
Cole Young, SS, Seattle Mariners
Current Level/ETA: AAA/2025
MLB Prospect Rank: No. 49 overall
2024 AA stats: 124 G, 469 AB, .271-9-57-67-23, .355 wOBA, 119 wRC+
Cole Young was part of the 2022 draft class, with the Mariners taking him at 21 overall that year. He fared well in his limited action in 2022, and in 2023, he saw an improved AVG, OBP, ISO, K%, and BB% when he jumped from Single-A to High-A.
In 2024, he hit well, although perhaps with less power than some expected but he reportedly dealt with a wrist injury during the year that may have had an adverse impact in that regard. The left-handed hitter finished with a .271-9-57-67-23 line at Double-A at just 20 years old.
Young received an invite to big league camp this spring; however, he was only able to muster four hits in 21 at-bats (.190) with no home runs or stolen bases. At this point, it looks like he'll begin the season at Triple-A, but a 2025 debut is likely.
J.P. Crawford will handle shortstop duties for the Mariners, so Young's path to the majors may go through second base. Ryan Bliss appears to be the favorite to win the job out of camp, but should he stumble, Young could see a call-up by midseason if he's producing at Triple-A.
Known to be a contact-over-power hitter, posting an 81.4 percent contact rate in 2024, the 5-foot-11 infielder also has a keen eye that has helped him to a 13.3 percent walk rate and .387 OBP during his minor league career.
Cole Young tags a 101.5 mph double, notching his first Cactus League RBI!
MLB's No. 49 prospect collected 59 two-baggers over the past two seasons, most among all @Mariners prospects. pic.twitter.com/pttrgep5Bp
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) March 1, 2025
The 21-year-old is not a must-stash for fantasy, but with his ability to make contact and get on base, along with a first-round pedigree, managers in deeper leagues in need of middle infield help could consider the shortstop and second base-eligible player upon his call-up.
Honorable Mentions
- Max Clark, Detroit Tigers, 2027
- Starlyn Caba, Philadelphia Phillies, 2028
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