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Andersen looks at the top fantasy baseball prospects risers, sleepers for Week 9 of 2025. These MLB prospects may become strong waiver wire stashes or pickups.
Welcome back, RotoBallers! We're heading into Week 9 of the baseball season, and the minor league schedule is in full swing. 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 watch these players over the long haul, as they may soon be excellent additions.
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Kyle Teel, C, Chicago White Sox
Level: Triple-A
2025 stats: 43 G, .293/.397/.490, 7 HR, 27 RBI, 29 R, 4 SB, 14.7% BB%, 25.0% K%, .375 BABIP, .400 wOBA, 132 wRC+
Teel was acquired from the Boston Red Sox during the offseason. He appears to be Chicago's franchise catcher of the future, and although the club opted to send him to Triple-A at the start of the season, he's knocking on the door of the major league level.
Teel's offensive production and skills are unparalleled among catching prospects. He pairs solid discipline with a smooth, powerful swing that could generate plenty of power and hard contact to the pull side. His arm strength is his best quality on defense, and he can throw out base runners at a high clip.
Last week, Teel went 8-for-16 with three home runs, two doubles, and six RBI. He continued to show advanced discipline skills at the plate by drawing six walks while striking out five times. He snapped a 19-game hitting streak but has reached base safely in 33 consecutive contests. With 72 career Triple-A games under his belt, we wouldn't be surprised to see Teel receive a promotion soon.
KYLE TEEL - SEE YA!! pic.twitter.com/ugPSd19EAG
— Charlotte Knights (@KnightsBaseball) May 22, 2025
Griffin Herring, SP, New York Yankees
Level: Single-A
2025 stats: 8 G, 8 GS, 4-1, 44.2 IP, 1.21 ERA, 2.89 FIP, 11.69 K/9, 3.22 BB/9, 0.40 HR/9, 51.0% GB%, .227 BABIP
Herring impressed as a reliever at LSU, turning heads and prompting the Yankees to select him in the sixth round of last summer's draft. He didn't pitch in the pros last year, but rather, he made his minor league debut at the Single-A level this spring.
The southpaw has a fastball, sinker, slider, and changeup in his arsenal. The heater sits around 91 to 93 mph, the breaking ball is a gyro slider, and the changeup is a new offering in his repertoire that has quickly developed into a lethal pitch. He forces plenty of swings and misses, and his 51 percent ground ball rate suggests he's also capable of producing weak contact.
Herring's college background is as a reliever, but the Yankees' organization has stretched him out as a starter. Pitching out of the rotation on Thursday, he went six innings, allowing zero runs, zero hits, and two walks. He struck out 10 batters en route to earning the win.
Griffin Herring with a beautiful gyro slider for his sixth strikeout of the day.
Four scoreless for the left-hander. He does not belong in Single-A anymore. Fastball is closer to 92 MPH today which is up from before, not shocked considering his velocity tends to climb in-season pic.twitter.com/vK9qrb9wAq
— Ryan Garcia (@RyanGarciaESM) May 22, 2025
Leonardo Bernal, C, St. Louis Cardinals
Level: Double-A
2025 stats: 21 G, .265/.368/.487, 6 HR, 22 RBI, 19 R, 4 SB, 14.3% BB%, 16.5% K%, .279 BABIP, .386 wOBA, 132 wRC+
Bernal is a switch-hitting catcher who signed with the Cardinals out of Panama in 2021. He has shown good discipline from both sides of the plate and a consistent ability to hit the ball to all parts of the field. He walked 15.2 percent of the time in 2023 and has maintained a similar rate so far in 2025.
Defensively, he possesses average catching skills. Bernal receives and blocks well, and he projects as someone who'll through out base-stealers at a league-average rate. His overall feel for the position should allow him to stick behind the dish long-term, which is important given that he's never played any position other than catcher or designated hitter in the minors.
Last week, Bernal went 10-for-20 with three home runs and a whopping 13 RBI. He walked twice, struck out three times, and even stole a pair of bases. At 245 pounds, Bernal is not a speed threat, but it's worth noting that he's swiped three bags over the last two weeks. The top catching prospect in St. Louis' farm system, Bernal, should have no trouble continuing to rise through the ranks of affiliated ball.
21 year old Panamanian catcher, Leonardo Bernal, has absolutely been mashing in May. He’s hitting .308/.393/.596 in May. His line drive rate has seen a big jump, his ground ball rate has gone down and fly ball rate up. Possibly the most underrated catching prospect in the game pic.twitter.com/6SDGNUdT8X
— Jeff Duda (@INTLBaseball24) May 23, 2025
Grant Umberger, SP, Chicago White Sox
Level: Single-A
2025 stats: 10 G, 3 GS, 2-0, 26.0 IP, 2.77 ERA, 2.99 FIP, 11.42 K/9, 5.19 BB/9, 0.00 HR/9, 42.9% GB%, .246 BABIP
Umberger played college ball at Virginia Tech and Toledo but was not selected in last summer's MLB Draft. He signed his first pro contract with an independent league team last winter before the White Sox offered him a minor league deal in April. The southpaw represents an underdog story, and so far, he's pitching quite well at the Single-A level.
Umberger throws a lethal sinker in the low 90s capable of forcing weak contact or even missing bats entirely. The offering has peaked around 95 mph. Despite the effectiveness of Umberger's sinker, his changeup is even better, sitting around 85 mph. The off-speed pitch has a deceptive late fade, so he can use it to generate whiffs, especially coming off his sinker.
Although Umberger's first seven minor league appearances came out of the bullpen, his last three outings were all starts. Pitching out of the rotation last Thursday, he went a career-high six innings, allowing two hits, zero walks, and zero runs. Best of all, he struck out 11 batters along the way.
The @Kcannonballers saw DOMINANCE from Grant Umberger (@mvscrappers '24) on Thursday after striking out 1️⃣1️⃣ batters in the 4-0 victory!🔥
Game: W, 6.0 IP, 11 K, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB
'25: 10/3 G/S, 2-0, 2.77 ERA, 26 IP, 33 K, 1.12 WHIP, .156 BAAUmberger was signed as an MiLB FA… pic.twitter.com/QmMFQautUs
— MLB Draft League (@mlbdraftleague) May 23, 2025
Ryan Ritter, SS, Colorado Rockies
Level: Triple-A
2025 stats: 45 G, .284/.400/.580, 13 HR, 33 RBI, 39 R, 3 SB, 14.1% BB%, 21.1% K%, .319 BABIP, .426 wOBA, 137 wRC+
Ritter found his way to the Rockies in the fourth round of the 2022 MLB Draft. The Kentucky product showed some impressive pop in college and the Cape Cod League, but his defense is the best part of his game. He has true Gold Glove potential and should have no trouble sticking at shortstop long-term.
On the offensive side, Ritter has continued to flash power while driving in runs, and he's done a great job cutting down on strikeouts over the last few seasons. His strikeout rate dropped from 29.0 percent in 2023 to 21.1 percent so far this year, and there's room for him to improve even further. He has also drawn more walks this year, and he's doing so without sacrificing power.
Last week, Ritter went 13-for-30 with four home runs, five doubles, and eight RBI. He also launched another two homers on Tuesday. The 24-year-old has top-tier power for a shortstop and is almost certainly on the verge of forcing the Rockies' hand for a promotion. Don't be surprised if he makes his MLB debut very soon.
Ryan Ritter has crushed homers in FOUR of his last eight at-bats😧
The @Rockies’ No. 10 prospect has been on a tear as he’s tied for the PCL lead in XBH.
At this rate, a call to the majors feels inevitable…
(🎥@ABQTopes)
pic.twitter.com/0CjHgjayQu— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) May 28, 2025
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