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1. SS Jesus Made | 17 | DSL | 2028

Here’s what I wrote in July for Prospect News: Angel The Guardian or Jesus Made Me Do It:

Brewers SS Jesus Made (17, DSL) is looking at a long career of awkward puns if he can keep playing like he has so far as a professional, slashing .395/.490/.716 with five home runs, three stolen bases and a 14.6-to-13.5 percent walk-to-strikeout rate. Made was a highly ranked, highly paid signing, but I’m fascinated by Milwaukee’s process as they’re getting results like this while much of the incoming international class is struggling to make contact or has yet to debut. Made is a switch-hitter at 6’1” 187 lbs who is more physically developed than a lot of his peers, so that’s probably a factor.”

He finished the season .331/.458/.554 with six home runs, six triples, nine doubles, and 28 steals in 32 attempts across 51 games. His plate rates were 18.1-to-13, so he walked more and struck out less the rest of the way. Stateside debut could still send things sideways, but this is a stock on a rocket in the prospecting game. 

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1. RHP Chase Burns | 22 | NCAA | 2025

Burns set a new single-season NCAA record with 191 strikeouts in 100 innings for Wake Forest. That’s the kind of math I can get behind. Seems like he’s striking out about two guys per innings, which seems like a good plan. His slider just isn’t something college hitters are used to seeing. Isn’t something any hitter is used to seeing, really. Plays like an 80 when he’s commanding it, which he usually is. Usually commands his 100 mph fastball well, too, and while he’s got a little Kirby in him in the sense that people hit his fastball more than makes obvious sense, he’s not doomed to that fate, given his incredible athleticism and clear growth arc across time.

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1. 3B Matt Shaw | 23 | AAA | 2025

He’s still listed at third base because that’s what he played this year, but Shaw is probably ticketed for the outfield with Isaac Paredes at the hot corner under team control through 2027. No reason he can’t contribute some infield innings here and there, which might be a better fit for his skillset anyway. In 121 games across two levels this year, Shaw slashed .284/.379/.488 with 21 home runs and 31 stolen bases despite a pretty slow start to the season. The 13th overall pick in 2023, he improved throughout the season, played better in AAA than AA and earned a shot to make the opening day roster but might get caught in the wash of Chicago’s off-season machinations. Probably should’ve been part of the team this year, too.

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1. OF Dylan Crews | 23 | MLB | 2024

Here’s what I wrote about Crews in Prospect News: The Future Is Not A Game or Collier Daddy:

It’s hard to say somebody lost any dynasty value during a seven-inning exhibition, but Nationals OF Dylan Crews took some some strays during the broadcast, who agreed he was something of a ho-hum, 25-homer, gets-his-numbers-by-season’s-end type of compiler who doesn’t have great speed but knows how to swipe a base. That’s been pretty much my read all along, but it was kind of odd to hear it during what’s meant to be a two-hour hype fest.”

Nothing’s really changed since then. Crews made his debut. Slashed .218/.288/.353 over 31 games. He’s ranked first here because it’s unreasonable to rank him after the super young pitchers. I’m kinda out on him until/unless something changes.  

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1. OF Justin Crawford | 21 | AA | 2025

A right-handed thrower and left-handed hitter at 6’2” 188 lbs, Justin Crawford evokes his father at a glance and on the field, prompting the Phillies to take him 17th overall in 2022. The game moved in his direction over that off-season, opening up the base paths to speedsters with the aggression to run. In 110 games across two levels this year, Crawford swiped 42 bases in 51 attempts while slashing .313/.360/.444 with nine home runs and 93 strikeouts.

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1. OF Jett Williams | 20 | AAA | 2025

A wrist injury that required surgery cost the 5’7” 175 lb Williams most of this season, but he returned in time for six games in Triple-A and posted a .533 on base percentage. Prospect development is not linear, and Williams has lost some key development time, but he’s in the Corbin Carroll bucket as a top tier athlete with elite hands who can cheat the norms. He’s played just 36 games in the upper minors but could look like an opening day roster option next season, and even if he’s sent down for seasoning (the likeliest outcome), he could force his way into the lineup by May.

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1. C Agustin Ramirez | 23 | AAA | 2025

Even when/if he’s not hitting, Ramirez could still be useful for fantasy purposes next year as a sneaky steals asset from a spot without many steals to spare. He should also be playing every day no matter what happens, mixing in at Designated Hitter sometimes when he’s not catching. In 39 games with the Triple-A Marlins, he slashed .262/.358/.447 with five home runs and four stolen bases. He had 25 homers and 22 steals in 126 games across two levels on the season. That would look pretty good in anyone’s catcher spot.

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1. LHP Cam Caminiti | 18 | A | 2028 

At 6’2” 195 lbs with 98 mile-an-hour heat from an athletic delivery, Caminiti declared a year early for the draft and landed at 24th overall. As a two-way player, he patrolled center field and was good enough there that a decision had to be made about his role. He’s shown three solid pitches (curve, slider, change) along with the fastball, making him an alarming and unique matchup for hitters at the lower levels. Atlanta didn’t even bother breaking him in during complex league play, sending him instead to Low-A late in the season. He threw just three innings there, allowing one run on three hits with four strikeouts and zero walks.

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Here’s a link to my Top 50 Prospects Post-Draft Update For Dynasty Fantasy Baseball.  

Team Position Player | Age | Highest Level Played | ETA 

1. Rangers SS Sebastian Walcott | 18 | AA | 2026

2. Red Sox OF Roman Anthony | 20 | AAA | 2025

3. Red Sox OF Kristian Campbell | 22 | AAA | 2025

4. Yankees OF Jasson Dominguez | 21 | MLB | 2023

Top group feels pretty clear in terms of proximity, projection and proven success. 

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Rookie Angels C Gustavo Campero (26) spent just 14 games in Triple-A and turns 27 on Friday, so we probably aren’t talking about a long-term piece when discussing the 5’6” switch hitter, but crazier things have happened than a catcher-eligible outfielder making a rotisserie splash over a short stretch. He hit 15 home runs and stole 29 bases against 36 attempts in 93 games (80.5 percent). If he does carve out a niche, I’ll be ready with a nickname for him. 

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Mets SS Luisangel Acuña (22) got the big call on Saturday to provide some versatility off the bench. To say he’s had a tough season would be underselling the reality of his 69 wRC+ and .299 on base percentage across 131 Triple-A games. He has struck out just 16.4 percent of the time, but that has brought with it a career low walk rate of 5.5 percent. If he can put some kind of approach back together, he probably has the hands to hang around as a utility bat. He’s stolen 40 bases (54 attempts) in those 131 games and can play a little all over the field, but he’ll likely open next season back in the minors to get the everyday at bats he needs. 

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Rangers RHP Kumar Rocker is all set to make his debut Thursday against the Mariners. Arms don’t always come back from reconstructive elbow surgeries, but Rocker has returned looking like the best version of what we dreamed he could be, wiping hitters away with superb command of an 80-grade slider that mixes well with his fastball and changeup. It’s a tip-of-the-iceberg type feeling at the moment as it stands to reason that there’s more in the tank for Rocker both this year and in the near future considering he’s just 26.2 innings into this healthy phase of career. In two Triple-A starts, he struck out 51.4 percent of the hitters he faced, walking 2.9 percent. That’s pretty good over any sample size.  

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