I went as fast as I could this winter. Faster, sometimes. Last year, I completed the top ten lists when Razzball published the Rangers on February 7. This year, the Rangers’ list went live on January 22. No trick to it, really, just grinding it out, learning on my own in the fresh powder of rankings season. One of the true joys of this gig is having a reason to watch six-month-old minor league baseball games when it’s below zero around here.
I hadn’t been necessarily racing to get ahead of the crowd; that’s just how this off-season was turning out. I guess I turned the page early. Paid less attention to the postseason, in writing. Left me kind of alone in my headspace thinking about which prospects I’d want in what sequence. That’s pretty much over now. Baseball America, CBS, and MLB Pipeline released their Top 100 lists this week, so even though I’m pretty good at blocking out the noise in a general kind of way, I can’t pretend I don’t see what the chamber value of these prospects is going to be for the near future. It would be malpractice to go completely ostrich about perceived value, given the bartyr-intensive nature of our game, particularly this time of year.
Still, I’m trying to build my own thing from the ground up to the best of my ability before cross-referencing it with the outside world. It’s tough to synthesize four months of research into a few thousand words. Hell it’s hard to remember half the work you’ve done over that time, at least in my experience. I’ve written up 300 guys and dismissed about 600 more. It’s not the winter you dream about as a little kid.
Anywho, in today’s article, I’m sussing through the top 100, discussing especially the guys I like who might get left aside due to their relative lack of perceived value.
These are in the class of guys who stuck out to me along the way who might not make many top 100s.
PS: The number next to their name correlates to their organizational ranking. Here’s a link to that matrix.
https://razzball.com/2025-fantasy-baseball-prospects/
My favorite guy here is the first, for what it’s Werth.
6. Rangers SS Yolfran Castillo | 18 | CPX | 2029
I think power can be learned more easily than contact, especially with a baseline like Castillo’s. He struck out just 15 times in 35 games across two levels in 2024, slashing .377/.481/.415 with zero home runs and ten stolen bases. He’s also 6’3” and 165 pounds. Turns 18 on February 8th. He’s not exactly under the radar considering he signed for $647,500, but he’s already a much better prospect now than he was then.
3. Guardians 2B Juan Brito | 23 | AAA | 2025
A selective switch-hitter with contact skills from both sides, the 6’ 202 lb Brito slashed .256/.365/.443 with 21 home runs and 13 stolen bases in 144 Triple-A games. He struck out just 105 times (16.1%) against 88 walks (13.5%), so the batting average has typically landed a bit higher than his .280 BABIP allowed in 2024. With Andres Gimenez out of town, Brito figures to get his chance to take the job in spring training, and as he was the return for Nolan Jones, the front office has plenty of incentive to see him succeed.
3. Padres OF Tirso Ornelas | 25 | AAA | 2025
I play in a lot of deep leagues, and guys like Tirso have value there. I wrote about Ornelas a few times in 2024 for the stash list because I thought San Diego might as well give him a shot in their depleted outfield. David Peralta started hitting eventually and put the kibosh on that, but the 6’3” 200 lb Ornelas should be on the field a lot this spring after slashing .297/.367/.497 with 23 home runs and just 88 strikeouts in 128 Triple-A games. His chances to break camp as a lefty power bat who’s a solid corner defender will be in the balance all off-season as San Diego navigates the market. Smart money suggests they’ll re-sign Jurickson Profar to handle left field, but it might still make sense to roster someone who costs nothing but can spell Profar and Tatis and mix in at DH once in a while.
UPDATE 1/26/25: Well, they haven’t signed an outfielder yet, and this ownership dispute seems pretty entrenched. Things are looking up for the investor with the Tirso-heavy portfolio
5. Twins RHP Andrew Morris | 23 | AAA | 2025
Morris gets more velocity than a lot of high-angle arms, a testament to the athleticism in his 6’0” 195 lb frame. One sneaky aspect of his game is that he’s thrown a lot of innings (482.1) between college and the pros, which provides a little insight as to how he repeats a unique delivery with such consistency. From the Nolan Ryan school of pitching: how do you learn to throw a lot of innings? You throw a lot of innings. In 133 innings across three levels in 2024, Morris went 10-and-5 with a 2.37 ERA and 1.08 WHIP on the strength of a plus fastball with ride and a solid slider he can spot where he wants in any count.
6. Rays OF Brailer Guerrero | 18 | CPX | 2029
You don’t need 20/20 vision to see that Guerrero could be special. At 6’1” 215 lbs from the left side, he’s a dynamic athlete with speed, power and a signing bonus of $3.7 million. His season was just 28 games on the complex due to right shoulder issues, but he slashed .330/.452/.466 with two home runs and 13 stolen bases over that burst.
3. Giants OF Bo Davidson | 22 | A | 2027
Davidson went undrafted after his sophomore season at Caldwell Community College but later signed with the Giants as a free agent. He’s one of the best scouting and development wins this organization has had on the minor league level in the recent past, thoroughly dominating the Low-A level in 2024 with nine home runs, seven triples, and a slash line of .328/.438/.608. A left-handed hitter at 6’1” 205 lbs, Davidson has plus tools across the board and will be one of the fastest risers of the 2025 season if my read on this situation is right.
3. Rays OF Chandler Simpson | 24 | AA | 2025
Simpson hit .355 and stole 104 bases in 110 games across two levels in 2024. Take a moment to let those numbers register and stretch across 150 or so. A left-handed hitter at 5’11” 170 lbs, Chandler doesn’t generate power with his pesky, slap-n-dash approach, but he’s such a pest that his unique offensive contributions and solid defense in center field all but ensure that Simpson will get playing time like his namesakes Bart, Homer, Marge, Maggie and Lisa.
9. Marlins OF Andres Valor | 19 | CPX | 2028
A right-handed hitter at 6’3” 180 lbs, Valor has generated positive outcomes (116, 119 wRC+) in back-to-back levels (DSL, CPX) despite battling some light strikeout issues (24.1%, 25.1%). The key details for our game are that Valor stole 35 bases in 39 attempts and slashed .289/.374/.421. This ranking might wind up too low. Valor has a real shot to top Miami’s list next year.
10. Royals OF Asbel Gonzalez | 19 | AA | 2027
Despite the name, this is a skinny speedy centerfielder with a boatload of upside. His power is theoretical at this point, but the plate skills and steals are in place already. In 41 games on the complex, Gonzalez slashed .285/.398/.384 with zero home runs and 22 steals. The team liked his work enough to call him up to Double-A when they needed a defensive center fielder, which goes in my book as a pretty big win for his career arc.
9. Giants SS Jhonny Level | 18 | DSL | 2029
Level signed for $997,500 on Jan 16, 2024 and quickly impressed, slashing .275/.393/.517 with 10 home runs and 18 stolen bases in 48 DSL games. A switch-hitter listed at 5’10” 154 lbs, he’s a gifted defender with quick-but-fluid actions at the six and an easy plus throwing arm.
Thanks for reading!
