First Half Recap: Up-And-Coming Dynasty Players

With the All-Star break this week, I figured now was a good time to look back at the first half of the season and see what I got right and what I got wrong when it comes to who is and isn’t an up-and-coming dynasty player.

To be honest, I still feel pretty good about the majority of the players I have talked about the last three and a half months. But a few players have not lived up to the expectations I had for them entering the season or for what I expected out of them the rest of this year. Are these players going to rebound, or should I admit that I was just flat out wrong? Guess you will have to read and find out.

I will admit, this is a bit of a long read, but looking back on the good and the bad should be a slow journey. So, go grab a cold beverage and a hearty snack and then settle in.

JULY

With this month not even over, there isn’t much I would say differently about Jordan Beck and Hunter Goodman. But in case you missed what I posted, here is a brief recap.

Note: The stats below show what they were when I highlighted the player and what they are now – so Then and Now.

Jordan Beck

2025 STATS	G	R	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	OBP	SLG
Then	82	41	10	31	10	.266	.319	.451
Now	84	41	10	31	10	.264	.318	.444

• What I said then…

Simply put, there is a lot to like about Beck. While he still has plenty of room to improve, he came out of Tennessee as an advanced prospect and shot through the Rockies system. Yes, that is not that hard to do right now, but it still takes talent to do that.

After struggling last year in his 55-game stint, Beck has made a lot of adjustments this season at the plate, and so far, he has been remarkably consistent from month to month.

In March/April, he slashed .268/.354/.607 with five homers, 10 RBI, and four steals. In May, the slash line was .252/.301/.435 with three home runs, six RBI, and three steals. This June, he slashed .265/.321/.408 with two home runs, 12 RBI, and two steals. The drop in his SLG is a little disconcerting, but while the home runs have dropped a bit, he did hit six doubles and three triples in May and added eight more doubles in June. Through his first 82 games this season, he has 32 extra base hits. I’ll take that.

• What I say now…

I’m sticking to what I said above. Beck is a player to go after as he has come into his own this season. The one red flag is one so many hitters who play in Colorado have – the home/road splits.

At Coors Field, Beck is slashing .302/.339/.462 with 24 runs scored, four homers, 18 RBI, and five steals. On the road, he is slashing .218/.293/.423 with 17 runs scored, six homers, 13 RBI, and five steals. The slash line is a big difference, as are the runs scored. But the Rockies have always hit better and scored more at home – it is just the nature of the ballpark. But with Beck actually hitting more home runs on the road and his RBI total is close to being equal, that makes me feel he is equipped to improve that slash line on the road over time.

Hunter Goodman

2025 STATS	G	R	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	OBP	SLG
Then	78	43	16	50	1	.286	.332	.525
Now	85	46	17	52	1	.277	.325	.517

• What I said then…

The reason you want and need Goodman is because he is going to hit home runs, and we all love home runs. That one ability helps in runs scored, RBI, SLG, OPS, and, of course, home runs. If you have a team of Goodmans, you will likely win most of the offensive categories, losing in batting average and OBP but doing pretty well in the other stats, and that is the goal of the game, right?

His future is more than likely as a DH with some time at catcher, which will keep him eligible at that position. While he has yet to play first base this year, the Rockies still may give him some time there, and if that happens, it will only increase his value. But even if Goodman is eligible only at catcher after this season, I am fine with that. His power at that position makes him one of the better catchers in baseball.

• What I say now…

I think his batting average will slip over time to the .260-/265 range, but his power is not going to disappear. In fact, he has been better away from Coors Field this season. In 41 home games, he has a .266/.316/.449 slash line with five homers and 22 RBI. In 44 road games, he has 12 homers and 30 RBI with a .288/.333/.583 slash line.

Goodman isn’t going to tank, and you’d be wise to hold on to him for the next several years.

June

The month of June featured Nick Kurtz, Jacob Misiorowski, Mick Abel and Jac Caglianone. One of those players is already an All-Star (roll eyes here), another is quickly becoming the favorite to win AL Rookie of the Year, another has yet to be given a complete chance and the fourth player is really struggling to get going.

Nick Kurtz

2025 STATS	G	R	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	OBP	SLG
Then	42	19	11	28	0	.255	.313	.523
Now	58	33	17	44	1	.257	.333	.558

• What I said then…

Despite already having Tyler Soderstrom at first base, the A’s selected Kurtz in the first round of last year’s draft, and the move is proving to be a correct one. Kurtz has forced Soderstrom to left field as he has taken over at first, and there is no reason to think he won’t be there for years to come.

At the plate, Kurtz currently has a 162-game average of 42 homers and 108 RBI, and those numbers may be spot on by the time the season ends. For at least the rest of this season and the following two, Kurtz gets to play in a minor league that appears to be a huge boon to the hitters, at least when it comes to Kurtz so far. In home games, he is slashing .288/.359/.625 with eight homers and 20 RBI in 23 games. In 19 road games, those numbers are .217/.257/.406 with three home runs and eight RBI.

But that is a small sample size right now, and over the course of a season and his career, Kurtz’s power will be on full display no matter where he plays.

• What I say now…

What I said then still stands today. Since talking about him back in June, over his last 16 games, he has 14 runs scored, six homers, 16 RBI, and one steal while slashing .263/.382/.649.

But I will throw a little cold water here: Kurtz’s home-road splits look like he plays for the Rockies and not the Athletics. Through the first half of the season, it has become very apparent that the Athletics really do play in a minor league park. When playing in West Sacramento, Kurtz is slashing .304/.385/.714. When he is away from home, the numbers are not pretty, slashing .202/.269/.372 with four homers and 12 RBI.

Those are not good splits and something to monitor. But considering the A’s are going to be playing in a minor league park for at least two more seasons, just ride out the highs and lows Kurtz may continue to bring because in the end, he is going to have some monster power numbers.

 Jacob Misiorowski

2025 STATS	W-L	G-GS	IP	ERA	WHIP	BB/9	K/9
Then	2-0	2-2	11.0	1.64	0.545	4.1	9.0
Now	4-1	5-5	25.2	2.81	0.896	3.9	11.6

• What I said then…

There is no denying the tools Misiorowski has. His fastball is elite, and his secondary pitches are solid. But the problem he has is controlling his arsenal of weapons.

Since 2023, his walk rates in the minors have been 5.3, 5.5, and 4.4 per nine innings. Against the Cardinals, he did not allow a hit. Great! But he did walk four batters in five innings, a BB/9 of 7.2. Going by past history and not his first two major league starts, ff Misiorowski wants to make the jump from solid starter to ace, he is going to have to learn to command his pitches. It doesn’t matter how hard you throw – if you can’t find the strike zone, you are not going to have a long career.

Because of his struggles to throw strikes at times, I would discount the talk of Misiorowski becoming a reliever. He did see time in the bullpen last year at Triple-A, appearing in 12 games out of the pen. And yes, there have been successful relievers who walk the tightrope by walking two hitters but wiggling out of trouble thanks to the strikeout ability they have. But the Brewers have used Misiorowski almost exclusively as a starter, and I see no reason why he won’t be given every chance to succeed as a starter in the majors.

• What I say now…

Dang, he is already an All-Star! OK, it is a joke that in five career starts, Misiorowski is already an All-Star. But I can say that he is going to have more All-Star selections because he will be deserving of them. Over his last three starts, he has a 3.68 ERA and 1.159 WHIP, showing he is somewhat human. But he has a solid 3.7 BB/9 rate and an amazing 13.5 K/9 rate.

The most innings he has ever thrown in a season is 97.1, which he accomplished last year. With 89 total innings of work this season between the minors and majors, the Brewers may skip him in the rotation once or twice. But as they continue to compete for a division title or Wild Card slot, that will not be an easy decision to make.

Whether or not he throws a lot of innings this year, Misiorowski is a stud who will succeed at this level.

Mick Abel

2025 STATS	W-L	G-GS	IP	ERA	WHIP	BB/9	K/9
Then	1-0	3-3	15.1	2.35	1.109	1.8	8.2
Now	2-2	6-6	25.0	5.04	1.360	3.2	7.6

• What I said then…

The good news for Abel is he has the stuff to be a frontline starter. Entering this season, he has never struck out fewer than 9.7 hitters per nine innings. His four seamer is up there when it comes to velocity, and the sinker will likely improve as he learns to master it more.

But the fear with Abel is his command. Walks have always been an issue with him. But his last two starts have been a mixed bag. On June 4 at Toronto he went 5.1 innings and allowed only one run on three hits with no walks. But he also struck out only two batters as only 67% of his 78 pitches were thrown for strikes, and he produced only 10 swings and misses (13%). His last start came on Tuesday, saw him last only four innings as he allowed three runs on six hits and three walks to go with three strikeouts.

If you are in need of pitching (and aren’t we all), Abel is a solid target to go after. If you are relying on him right now to rack up great numbers, you may be disappointed. While his control has been better this season, he still struggles with it, and major league hitters are harder to attack than those in the International League.

• What I say now…

Like many young pitchers, Abel is struggling as he adjusts to major league hitters. Since those first three starts, he has really struggled to the tune of a 9.31 ERA and 1.759 WHIP – thanks in large part to a 5.6 BB/9 rate. I still think Abel can become a solid pitcher for the Phillies, but he is going to have to learn to command his pitches for him to do so.

Abel has talent, and I still believe in him, but my enthusiasm about his future is somewhat dampened due to his continued struggle to throw strikes.

Jac Caglianone

2025 STATS	G	R	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	OBP	SLG
Then	3	0	0	1	0	.077	.077	.154
Now	35	7	4	7	1	.140	.264	.459

• What I said then…

It has not taken long for Caglianone to fly through the Royals’ system. In fact, it took him less than a year since being drafted last year. Depending on what source you look at, his scouts grade his power as a 70 to 80. No matter what it really is, it shows just how much power Caglianone has and should produce at the MLB level.

He has all the tools to be a top homer run hitter while providing a solid batting average and OBP.

If it is not obvious by now, this is a player you want. If you already have him, fantastic. Keep him unless someone offers you Fort Knox for him. If you don’t have him, you’d better jump on the waiver wire and get him.

• What I say now…

Well, things have not started well for Mr. Caglianone. His first month of MLB ball has been a rough one. But am I going to let one month of baseball sway my opinion of Caglianone? Nope. Not one bit. If you have him, keep him. If you are trying to trade for him, continue that quest. He will figure it out, and when he does, you will be happy to have him on your team.

MAY

Since the month of May, I have not been upset with my decision to talk about Andrew Abbott, Logan Henderson, Kyle Stowers, James Wood, or Pete Crow-Armstrong. Henderson is a disappointment only because the Brewers don’t think they need him in the rotation. Henderson’s performance says otherwise. As for everyone else, they are all proving to be outstanding up-and-coming dynasty players.

Andrew Abbott

2025 STATS	W-L	G-GS	IP	ERA	WHIP	BB/9	K/9
Then	4-0	8-8	40.2	1.77	1.156	3.8	10.0
Now	8-1	16-16	91.1	2.07	1.084	2.4	8.2

• What I said then…

If you have to define Abbott on the mound, he would be defined as a pitcher and not a thrower. He relies on his fastball, but he does a great job of mixing his pitches and throwing to all parts of the zone. His ability to do this has limited the hard contact of opposing hitters and has created some interesting StatCast numbers.

Abbott’s fastball velocity ranks in the 16th percentile, but his Average EV ranks in the 74th percentile. His Chase% and Whiff% rank in the 48th and 51st percentile, respectively, but his K% ranks in the 79th percentile.

The southpaw’s fantasy numbers are much better across the board this season, and that is likely due to the fact that he is completely healthy. Last year, he had a 9-6 record with a 3.39 ERA and 1.21 WHIP through his first 19 starts. But over his last six starts, he went 1-4 with a 4.83 ERA and 1.58 WHIP. The numbers were worse over his final four starts, posting a 5.57 ERA and 1.48 WHIP before finally being shut down.

• What I say now…

Now in his third season, Abbott understands what his strengths and weaknesses are and is demonstrating that on the mound. A member of the NL All-Star team, Abbott is 4-1 over his last six starts with a 2.31 ERA and 1.026 WHIP. He has lowered his walk rate, but his strikeout rate has also decreased. But that is quibbling.

With pitching in such short supply, Abbott is a pitcher who should be on your team now, tomorrow, next year and three years from now.

Logan Henderson

2025 STATS	W-L	G-GS	IP	ERA	WHIP	BB/9	K/9
Then	3-0	3-3	16.0	1.69	0.813	2.3	12.9
Now	3-0	4-4	21.0	1.71	0.952	2.6	12.4

• What I said then…

Without a doubt, Logan Henderson is a player to go after right now. With so many injuries to pitchers, he is one of the top hurlers who is likely available to go after. He is currently owned in only 30% of ESPN leagues and in 58% of Yahoo leagues.

Henderson came into the season as the 12th ranked prospect in the Brewers’ system, so his price tag may not be high if you try to trade for him. Though with what he has shown so far on the MLB level, owners who are willing to trade him will likely try to sell high.

• What I say now…

Well, I jinxed Henderson when I wrote about him since he made one more start, was sent to the minors, and has not been back with the Brewers since. But that doesn’t change my dynasty outlook concerning him.

Henderson has proven at every level that he can consistently throw strikes. And while he doesn’t light up the radar gun, he gets the ball past hitters by throwing up in the zone with movement. He limits hard contact, limits walks, and strikes out tons of hitters. This is a pitcher with a solid future and is still an up-and-coming dynasty player.

Kyle Stowers

2025 STATS	G	R	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	OBP	SLG
Then	40	22	10	29	2	.300	.375	.571
Now	91	46	19	54	4	.293	.368	.543

• What I said then…

Is Kyle Stowers a sure-fire dynasty player? I say “wait-and-see.” Right now, go and grab him. He is only rostered in 59% of Yahoo leagues and 33% of ESPN leagues. As for 2026 and beyond? I think Stowers should be a valuable player after this season, but before I make that a 100% proclamation, I want to see if the success he has had through the first month and a half of the season is real or a mirage.

Stowers may not keep up the high batting average and OBP, but I fully expect him to keep slugging. The power has always been there, and the power is why you should want him on your team.

• What I say now…

My wait-and-see is now go-and-get. Stowers, who can now call himself an All-Star, is hitting on all cylinders and is proving his hot start is not a fluke. Of course, he could crash and burn at any time. A few players further down on this list are doing that right now. Despite a healthy strikeout rate, his slash line has stayed pretty much the same over his last 51 games, but even when/if it does decrease, the power will still be there.

My confidence in him has only increased and I firmly believe he is a player you will want for seasons to come.

James Wood

2025 STATS	G	R	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	OBP	SLG
Then	37	22	10	23	5	.271	.378	.550
Now	95	59	24	69	12	.278	.381	.534

• What I said then…

The verdict for James Wood is easy – try to get him if you don’t have him. The worst he is going to be is a 30-homer, 90-RBI player with some steals and a .270/.360/.460 slash line. That is the floor. I think he will bust through that floor as he progresses in his career, but I am not going to pretend what his ceiling is.

If you own him, be very happy. Should you try to trade for him, the cost will not be cheap. But if you are rebuilding, then the cost is likely worth it, as Wood is a player to build around. If an owner is in win-now mode, flipping some solid veterans and a prospect or two for Wood would be a steal.

• What I say now…

See above. Nothing has changed with Wood, now an All-Star. Since writing about him, he has a .282/.383/.523 slash line with 37 runs scored, 14 homers, 46 RBI, and seven steals in 58 games. Dude is amazing, and dude is who you want to keep on your team no matter what.

Pete Crow-Armstrong

2025 STATS	G	R	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	OBP	SLG
Then	32	23	6	21	12	.266	.305	.508
Now	95	67	25	71	27	.265	.302	.544

• What I said then…

Lots of players have been able to show improvement during April compared to what they did last year. But Crow-Armstrong should be able to continue along this path and not regress. That is because the improvement isn’t just in one area. It is across the board.

In 2024, his xwOBA, xBA, and xSLG ranked in the 11th, 13th, and 27th percentile. This season, he ranks in the 60th, 65th, and 75th percentile. That is some vast improvement. Last season, he ranked in the 45th percentile in Barrel% while his Hard-Hit% was in the 30th percentile, Bat Speed was in the 26th percentile, and his Squared Up% was in the 38th percentile. This year, those percentile ranks are 71st, 47th, 44th, and 68th.

Yes, he is still below the major league average in some of those metrics, but he has still improved across the board, and there is no reason to think Crow-Armstrong won’t continue to improve. Right now, he is on a pace of 116 runs scored, 30 homers, 106 RBI, and 61 steals. Will he remain on that pace – probably not in the RBI and runs scored department, but the 30 homers are not a pipedream, and he can certainly steal 60-plus bases.

• What I say now…

I think I underestimated Crow-Armstrong. Since writing about him, all he has done is dominate on the field. Over his last 63 games, he has scored 44 runs, hit 19 homers, driven in 50, and stolen 15 bases while slashing .265/.301/.562. The only negative thing you can say about Crow-Armstrong is his low OBP. If that is why you don’t like him, then stop playing dynasty baseball.

He is doing all of this despite the fact his Average EV and Hard Hit% rank in the 43rd and 45th percentile, while his chase percentage is in the first percentile. Just imagine what he will do when he stops swinging at every pitch thrown to him and adds a little more bat speed.

APRIL

This month was a mixed bag when it came to Kameron Misner, Hayden Wesneski, Jacob Wilson, and Otto Lopez. One player is making me look foolish for talking about him, and one is out for the season with an arm injury. But the other two – I am happy with what they have been doing on the field.

Kameron Misner

STATS	G	R	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	OBP	SLG
Then	21	14	3	11	1	.349	.394	.635
Now	71	27	5	22	8	.213	.273	.345

• What I said then…

There have been people who compare Misner to fellow Rays outfielder Josh Lowe. That is a pretty lofty comparison. Just two years ago, Lowe slashed .292/.335/.500 with 20 homers, 83 RBI, and 32 steals.

Misner may not reach that level this year or in any season, but there is no reason to think he can’t be a 20-20 player. His early-season stats are just that – early-season stats. But his expected stats say that he should still have a solid season. His xBA of .265 ranks in the 63rd percentile, and his xSLG of .488 ranks in the 73rd percentile. And his bat speed of 73.4 mph ranks in the 74th percentile.

• What I say now…

Oops. Well, that did not age well. Since hyping up Misner, all he has done is, well, nothing. In the 50 games he appeared in before being sent back to the minors, he slashed .149/.214/.269 with 13 runs scored, two homers, 11 RBI and seven steals. Well, at least he had the stolen bases.

I have not dumped Misner from my leagues, but he is buried on my bench and not seeing the light of day. What is his future? A lot cloudier than it used to be. I drank the Kool-Aid on this kid and I have to say I was wrong. He is looking more and more like a future fourth outfielder, not a future up-and-coming dynasty player.

Hayden Wesneski

2025 STATS	W-L	G-GS	IP	ERA	WHIP	BB/9	K/9
Then	1-1	3-3	18.0	4.00	0.722	1.5	10.5
Now	1-3	6-6	32.0	4.50	1.094	1.7	8.2

• What I said then…

The chances of Wesneski being an ace are small, and he likely isn’t really going to be a No. 2 pitcher. So while his ceiling is not very high, he has a very high floor, meaning he should be a very good No. 3 pitcher.

He has six solid pitches, allowing him to attack both right-handers and left-handers equally well. Again, this is a small sample size, but in his three starts this year right-handed hitters have a slash line of .216/.256/.568 with a 33% strikeout rate and a 2.6% walk rate. Meanwhile, lefties have a .074/.138/.185 slash line with a 27.6% strikeout rate and 6.9% walk rate.

Those numbers are in line with what he has done during his career. Overall, righties have a .210/.275/.391 slash line with a 26.6% strikeout rate and 7.1% walk rate. Lefties have a .233/.297/.442 slashing line, 19.5% strikeout rate, and 7.5% walk rate.

With pitchers hitting the IL each and every day, you would be wise to go after Wesneski and then keep him for several more years after this season as he is an up-and-coming dynasty player.

• What I say now…

Well, Wesneski is now one of those pitchers on the IL as he underwent Tommy John surgery and won’t return until midway through 2026, at the earliest. While he won’t help you in the short term, I think he still has value in 2027 and beyond. I still don’t think he will be an ace, but he will be a solid pitcher who can help your staff. So if you can stash him, do so.

Jacob Wilson

STATS	G	R	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	OBP	SLG
Then	28	11	0	3	0	.250	.314	.305
Now	87	44	9	42	5	.329	.373	.459

• What I said then…

Wilson simply has an amazing ability to make contact and hit it well enough to rack up the hits. If he can just start to throw in some more walks to go with his hits, he would have an outstanding OBP. And while he is never going to be a home run hitter, he can become a more prolific doubles hitter if he increases his line drive percentage by just a few points. Those doubles will add up to give him an above average slugging percentage.

As I have said a million times, while it would be nice to have a roster full of players who excel in the slash line, homers, and stolen bases, that is pretty impossible to do. But if you have a few superstars and mix in players who excel at one thing, then you are going to have a pretty great offense. Wilson is one of those players who excels at one thing and that makes him a player to go after.

• What I say now…

I say now what I said then, and will add that I like the power Wilson is showing. I believed he would hit for average, but was not confident about his power. But Wilson is showing he has some pop, and not just at the minor league ballpark he calls home. On the road, he has four homers in 41 games compared to five homers in 46 home games.

Wilson is one of the leading candidates for Rookie of the Year, battling his teammate Kurtz for that honor. Even if he is just a 15 to 20 homer guy, he is a player to keep for years.

Otto Lopez

STATS	G	R	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	OBP	SLG
Then	7	5	2	7	1	.345	.406	.552
Now	79	41	11	48	10	.250	.320	.392

• What I said then…

The Blue Jays gave up on Lopez and are probably regretting their decision to let him go, considering the number of second baseman who have played for them since last season.

I’m not saying Lopez is a top 15 second baseman, but he is a starter who gets on base and steals bases. That is a pretty solid player to have on your team. He may be on your bench, but if your starter gets hurt or has a day off, Lopez would be a great person to slide into the starting lineup.

In really deep leagues, he is a lot better at the plate than a host of other second basemen. Lopez is taking a firm hold of the second base job in Miami, meaning he is going to get a lot of playing time and the chance to steal 20 to 30 bases, score runs, and drive in some runs here and there.

• What I say now…

Otto is still a player who will swipe 20 to 30 bases, but he is also a player who is delivering some power at the plate. A .392 slugging percentage isn’t the greatest thing in the world, but he hits enough homers to make him more valuable than just a speedy middle infielder. Otto is a solid player, and I stand by what I said back in April.

MARCH

This was a month in which I talked about Cam Smith, Matt Shaw, Austin Wells, and Brenton Doyle. Smith and Wells have been outstanding, while Doyle has been a disappointment, and Shaw is showing why rookies are such a crapshoot.

Cam Smith

STATS	G	R	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	OBP	SLG
Then	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Now	82	39	7	39	4	.277	.347	.418

• What I said then…

This offseason, I targeted Smith in every league I play in, though I was not able to snag him in all of those leagues. I was not expecting Smith to make the Opening Day roster, so that was a bonus. If you want to watch a lot of great highlights of Smith, you can watch them here.

Smith is going to be a successful hitter in the majors. I love his swing and approach at the plate, and he is able to make adjustments. And when it comes to Smith, I am not the only one who loves him. In the Razzball Staff Picks, six of us, including Grey and Itch, have picked Smith for the AL Rookie of the Year. In the words of Grey, “He is perfection at the plate and we might be looking at the number one prospect in baseball for fantasy. Grab him everywhere.”

• What I say now…

I love watching  Smith play, and I get to do so every night the Astros are playing. Smith has consistently stuck to his approach, yet has been able to adjust on the fly. He is more than happy to swat a line drive single to right field with runners in scoring position to drive in a run instead of trying sell out for power and smash a majestic homer or strike out.

The in-game power is not quite there, but he has started to turn on the ball more lately and drive the ball to left. His bat speeds ranks in the 85th percentile, but his Squared-Up% ranks in the second percentile. Once he consistently starts to square the ball up, the home runs will come in bunches. Overall, he is a great player to have on your team going forward.

Matt Shaw

STATS	G	R	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	OBP	SLG
Then	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Now	63	28	2	15	11	.198	.276	.280

• What I said then…

Shaw entered the season ranked as the 19th overall prospect by MLB Pipeline, 35th by Baseball America, and 26th by Baseball Prospectus. So I am obviously not going out on a limb right now by highlighting Shaw. If you are a seasoned dynasty player, you should know about him.

Shaw’s biggest strength is his ability to hit. He should put up a solid slash line for years and years as he doesn’t strike out much and does a good job of barreling the ball. He has above average power, leading him to be a 22-25 homer candidate each season.

And then there is his speed. If Shaw sticks at third, his steals are going to give him a nice advantage over many of the other third basemen.

• What I say now…

So far, Shaw has not been living up to my expectations. He has shown off his speed with 11 steals, but that is about it. The power has not been there, and I said he has the ability to hit, yet he has a slash line of .198/.276/.280.

At the plate, he is not being overmatched, per se. He has a 19.4 strikeout rate, which is below the MLB average of 21.9%. And his walk rate is at 9.1%. He is simply not squaring up the ball. His AEV is 83.0 mph (88.9 is MLB average) ranks in the first percentile, and his Hard Hit% of 27 percent is way below the MLB average of 41.1% and ranks in the fifth percentile.

For someone who is supposed to hit for power, those numbers are not good. Yet it is not time to give up on Shaw. Some rookies hit the ground running, some don’t. Shaw is one of those rookies who have not.

Austin Wells

2025 STATS	G	R	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	OBP	SLG
Then	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Now	78	30	14	53	3	.226	.284	.455

• What I said then…

Wells is a must add in deep leagues for obvious reasons as he is the starting catcher for the Yankees and thus will be in the lineup a lot. If you are in a 12-team league, I can make the case that he should be on your team. His home run total ranked tied for 15th among catchers last season, and with more games played this year, that ranking is more than likely to go up. He also ranked 12th in RBI, 15th in SLG, and 16th in Hard Hit%.

The talent is there to improve in all of those areas, and at only 25 years old, Wells can become an anchor at catcher for years.

• What I say now…

Through the first 78 games Wells has appeared in this season, he has matched the production he had last season when he hit 13 homers and drove in 55 runs while slashing .229/.322/.395. Wells is not going to hit for a high average, and his walk rate is below the MLB average, so he is not going to have a high OBP. But Wells is a catcher who can hit homers, and that is the key to why you should want him and keep him.

His power isn’t going to disappear, and over a full season, his stats this season would produce 28 homers and 106 RBI. Not sure about you, but I would love a player like that on my team. And as a catcher, that is even better. Wells was and still is an up-and-coming dynasty player to keep or want to try to acquire.

Brenton Doyle

2025 STATS	G	R	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	OBP	SLG
Then	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Now	82	33	7	30	9	.202	.254	.322

• What I said then…

Coming off a 2024 season in which he slashed .260/.317/.446 with 82 runs scored, 23 homers, 72 RBI, and 30 steals, there really is no reason for you not to target Brenton Doyle. But if you are looking for any red flags, there are a few to take note of.

First, Doyle’s production was vastly different at home compared to the road in 2024. At Coors Field, he slashed .313/.365/.534 with 12 homers, 43 RBI, and 16 steals. But on the road, Doyle was a completely different player, slashing .211/.271/.364 with 11 homers, 29 RBI, and 14 steals.

He also saw his production drop off from the first half to the second half. In the first half, he was a .276/.343/.472 hitter while that line fell to .234/.274/.407 line in the second half. A lot of that lack of production came in September. In 19 game,s he slashed .167/.194/.212 with only one home run and six RBI.

• What I say now…

As of now, I would say Doyle is a miss. His current season looks a lot like what he did in 2023, when he slashed .203/.250/.343 in 126 games with 48 runs scored, 10 homers, 48 RBI, and 22 steals. Doyle is on pace to beat those numbers, but equaling what he did last year doesn’t look to be in the cards. I may have been drinking too much of the Kool-Aid when it came to Doyle entering the season.

Trading him right now would be a selling low option, so I would hang on to him and hope he finds the magic he had last season, and then flip him if you think last season was a one-off.

Through the first 11 games of July, he is slashing .273/.314/.394 with one homer, three RBI, and one steal. So there is a glimmer of hope, but he may be more of a solid reserve outfielder than your starting center fielder.

Thanks for reading, and come back next week.