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Eric Cross looks into the future and projects the Top 10 fantasy baseball prospects for 2025 that should see their values soar in 2024. Dynasty players should consider picking up these top prospects for leagues now.
In the dynasty world, you always have to keep one eye on the present and one eye on the future. We need to be focusing on our team in the present, of course, but also keeping in mind the impact our moves could have on the future.
When it comes to prospects, part of that focuses on finding prospects whose value is on the rise and could take a significant jump over the next season or so. Having a top-10 prospect is always fun, but even more so when you don't have to pay a top-10 price tag to acquire them.
That's what I'll be focusing on today. I'm dusting off the proverbial crystal ball and projecting who I believe will be the Top 10 prospects for fantasy purposes at this time in 2025.
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Projected Top 10 Prospects in 2025
1. Walker Jenkins (OF – MIN)
If you think there’s a lot of hype right now on Walker Jenkins, just give it time. With many names in front of him, set to graduate in 2024, Jenkins is my current leader in the clubhouse to be the new #1 overall fantasy prospect in 2025.
VIDEO: ACQUIRED
BALL: CRUSHED
GRAND: SLAM
Walker Jenkins crushes a Grand Slam for his first ever professional HR 💣
Through 3 games he is slashing .462/.500/.846 with a 1.346 OPS‼️#MNTwins https://t.co/gO99ZGgYJE pic.twitter.com/PfH4nbmFVs
— Twins Player Development (@TwinsPlayerDev) August 8, 2023
Jenkins just turned 19 in February and you can already consider him one of the best pure hitting prospects in baseball with the chance for double-plus power and at least average speed as well, even if he adds bulk. The upside is an early-round fantasy asset capable of going 30/15 with a strong AVG and OBP.
2. Roman Anthony (OF – BOS)
One of the buzziest prospects of 2023 checks in at #2 here in my projected top prospects for 2025. In 106 games across three levels, Anthony racked up 45 extra-base hits, 14 home runs, and 16 steals, along with a .272/.403/.466 slash line. Anthony also displayed a phenomenal approach for his age, walking 17.5% of the time while keeping the strikeout rate in check at 24.2%.
Plus or better raw power is Anthony’s carrying tool and he could develop into a 30-homer bat in time to pair with a potentially above-average hit tool and average speed as well. Jenkins gets the edge here as the better pure hitter, but the power/speed blend could be similar between these two long-term.
3. Adael Amador (2B/SS – COL)
This might feel a bit high, but I’m putting a lot of weight on Adael Amador’s elite hit tool and his ability to possibly be a .290+ hitter with a .370+ OBP. I’m also a believer that he could flirt with 20/20 annually with around average power and speed in Coors Field.
Ballpark context definitely matters to some degree and Amador has enough power to approach or exceed 20 HR annually with similar stolen base totals. And given his on-base abilities, I expect Amador to hit at or near the top of the lineup and score plenty of runs as well. Getting all of this from second base would be very intriguing for fantasy purposes.
4. Samuel Basallo (C/1B – BAL)
If you thought the Samuel Basallo hype train was going to slow down just because it was the offseason, guess again! While Basallo has already skyrocketed up rankings and into some Top 20 overall rankings, the rise should only continue in 2024. Basallo cranked 26 doubles and 20 HR in 114 games last season and added an impressive .313/.402/.551 slash line, 12.6% walk rate, and even a dozen steals for good measure.
While he won’t provide more than 5-10 SB annually, Basallo’s blend of contact, approach, and power could make him a high-impact bat at either the first base or catcher position with .270+/25+ upside.
5. Travis Bazzana (2B – NCAA)
The 2024 MLB draft class isn’t quite as loaded as the 2023 draft class was, but there are still plenty of exciting names at the top, including my current 1.1 for 2024 FYPDs, Travis Bazzana from Oregon State. The 21-year-old Australian second baseman is off to a blistering start to his final collegiate season, currently slashing .450/.588/.900 with 12 extra-base hits, six HR, and five SB through his first 16 games. On top of that, Bazzana has almost twice as many walks (19) as strikeouts (10) so far this season.
Oregon State's Travis Bazzana turns on this up-and-in pitch for his first HR of the year. He's now 2-3 with an RBI single. Projected Top 5 pick in the '24 Draft.
Ball is carrying in Arizona and the Beavers have chased New Mexico's starter in the 4th. pic.twitter.com/nfCLwzUvmz
— Brandon Curry (@bdotcurry) February 16, 2024
With Bazzana, not one singular tool stands out, but he’s an above-average hitter, running contact rates around 80% with above-average power and plus speed to pair with a great approach at the plate. He has all the makings of a five-category fantasy contributor from the second base position.
6. Colt Emerson (SS – SEA)
I’m not sure anyone improved their stock more after the draft last season than Colt Emerson. In 24 games, Emerson slashed .374/.496/.550 with 12 extra-base hits, eight steals, and nearly as many BB (17) as SO (20). But, of course, it’s not just the performance that has the arrow firmly pointing up next to Emerson’s name. Emerson has a fantasy-friendly offensive profile, led by a plus hit tool and many believe he could eventually be a plus power bat as well if he adds a little bulk to his frame.
As it stands now, he’s already producing encouraging exit velocities for his age, so some added bulk could make him a 25-HR bat in time. And while he’s not a burner, Emerson should be around an average runner long-term who adds around 15 SB annually as well.
7. Brock WIlken (3B – MIL)
I’ve been on board the Brock Wilken hype train for a while now, so his inclusion here shouldn’t be overly surprising. Wilken is one of the best power bats in the minor leagues right now, with legitimate 35-HR potential as a middle-of-the-order thumper. But why I’m so high on him and why he’s included on a list like this really centers on the improvements he made outside of the power department.
From 2022 to 2023, Wilken improved his contact, walk, and strikeout rates, and those improvements stuck after the draft during his first taste of minor league baseball. Wilken now projects as a .260-.270 hitter for me with an OBP north of .350 to pair with elite power and run production. If this all happens, Wilken could develop into one of the most feared sluggers in the game and a potential top-10 or even top-5 third baseman for fantasy.
8. Joendry Vargas (SS – LAD)
Often, a severe case of regret can set in when a prospect breaks out in a big way, and we didn’t try to acquire them when their price tag was much lower. My hunch is that will be the case with Joendry Vargas, who looks like the Dodgers’ next elite prospect in the making. Vargas has the kind of projectable frame that evaluators get incredibly excited about, with the potential to add 25 or more pounds of muscle to his 6’4 frame.
If that happens, Vargas could jump from a 17-year-old who already flashed above-average power to a potential double-plus power bat that has also shown a good feel to hit and the ability to draw BB while limiting his SO. Vargas will come stateside in 2024, and if he picks up where he left off, the price tag here is going to soar immensely, and maybe into top-10 fantasy-focused prospect rankings.
9. Jackson Jobe (SP – DET)
I’ve gone back and forth on whether I think Jackson Jobe will graduate this season, but I’m leaning on him receiving less than 50 innings at the Major League level this season. If that is indeed the case, my current #1 pitching prospect should only move higher in my rankings and join my top 10 overall. It’s pretty rare for a pitching prospect to make my top 10, but Jobe is a special talent with massive upside.
Jackson Jobe, Unfair 3 Pitch K Sequence.
96mph Cutter & 2 86mph changeups.
Simply mind-blowing stuff from this 21 year old. 🤯 pic.twitter.com/k0S6pd3d8t
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) March 12, 2024
In 64 innings last season, Jobe recorded a 2.81 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 2.3% walk rate, and a 32.6% strikeout rate. Yes, that walk rate is accurate and not a typo. Jobe possesses plus command and control over a nasty four-pitch arsenal consisting of a mid-90s fastball, mid-80s changeup, low-90s cutter, and a devastating slider. The changeup grades as plus, the four-seamer as plus or even double-plus, and the slider is easily double-plus. Jobe checks off all the boxes of a future ace.
10. Roderick Arias (SS – NYY)
This spot could go to a few different names, but I’ll go with Yankees’ shortstop prospect, Roderick Arias. In 27 games at the Complex Level before needing season-ending hand surgery in late July, Arias slashed .267/.423/.505 with six HR, 17 SB, and nearly as many BB (27) as SO (29). He was really heating up before the injury, too, slashing .344/.488/.625 over his final 84 plate appearances.
Honestly, I firmly believe that Arias would be in Top 25 overall consideration right now if he didn’t get hurt last season. Arias has shown an exciting and fantasy-friendly offensive profile with plus or better raw power, above-average or better speed, and a good feel to hit as well. Get ready for his dynasty stock to really take off in 2024.
If you enjoyed these rankings and want to see Eric's full prospect rankings for redraft and dynasty - along with additional rankings, analysis, and more - check out Eric's Toolshed Fantasy Patreon.
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