Prospect News: First-Year-Player Draft Dynasty Rankings

February 18, 2026 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects, Featured | 1 Comment

My FYPD rankings have changed more over this winter than any I can remember. Some of it is just the OCD in action, but I think it’s mostly because class is especially tricky to sort. This sequence is the best I could come up with for now for a typical dynasty league, but every context is different in every dynasty league. I just drafted Red Sox C Carlos Narvaez at the end of the 2nd round in a league I won last year. Sure, I could’ve tried to draft a prospect and trade that for a catcher, but sometimes it’s better just to take the guy who best fits your build during a contention cycle. Good luck out there in your leagues.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Prospect News: Razz 30 First-Year-Player Draft

February 8, 2026 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects, Featured | 8 Comments

by: The Itch

The Razz 30 off-season is a tradition like no other. Owners slowly trim their rosters from 50-something players (43 spots with unlimited IL) down to the required 25 total, bartering over mid-round draft picks and borderline droppable players. It’s quite the party, and after a couple hundred trades have been made, we begin the First-Year-Player Draft.

1. White Sox 3B Munetaka Murakami

2. Blue Jays 3B Kazuma Okamoto

3. Astros RHP Tatsuya Imai

4. Mariners LHP Kade Anderson

I wouldn’t put Murakami in the top group, but he’ll probably go that high in most leagues, and Okamoto will probably go a little lower as people chase upside over present production at the top of their drafts. Likely wouldn’t be picking that high if they had enough right-now juice in the categories to contend. Even in a rebuild, I’d be tempted to take Okamoto. If he hits right away, you can trade him for more or just build around him heading into 2027. I don’t advocate for rebuilds with long tails anyway. I think the goal should be an 18-24 month turnaround, and you have to start stacking functional pieces at some point. Why not start with Okamoto? Well, if he doesn’t hit in his first MLB season, his value will be pretty much shot. There’s some safety in far-away players like Ethan Holliday because he doesn’t have to generate big outcomes to keep his dynasty stock alive for a couple years. Or so goes that theory anyway. Every league is different though. In the Razz 30, a bad 2026 from Holliday could tank his stock just as quickly as a bad 2026 would tank Okamoto’s.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Prospect News: Top 100 For 2026 Dynasty Fantasy Baseball

February 4, 2026 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects, Featured | 15 Comments

by: The Itch

76. Pirates RHP Seth Hernandez | 19 | NA | 2029

I might wind up low on Seth Hernandez despite loving the player. How could you not? He throws a hundred miles an hour with an adult change-up and solid command. Comes down to timeline stuff. Pittsburgh can develop pitching, but they won’t be in any kind of hurry with Hernandez. They have Oneil Cruz and Paul Skenes today. Jared Jones is on the way back and Bubba Chandler is on the way up. Why take a player who’s five years away? It’s certainly defensible because Hernandez is awesome, but it also feels like old thinking in that a front office shouldn’t draft for short-term impact. We have all seen the opposite over the last several years. Amateur baseball has come a long way. Then I think of Jackson Jobe and Andrew Painter, who’ve both been great in the minors at times but have battled injuries throughout their careers. Can’t predict that, of course, but it’s just hard to point to a high school right-hander who has returned a ton of dynasty value. There’s Hunter Greene, but he’s been hurt, too

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Pittsburgh Pirates Top 10 Prospects For 2026 Fantasy Baseball

October 22, 2025 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects, Featured | 3 Comments

by: The Itch

1. SS Konnor Griffin | 19 | AA | 2026

Straight from the Department of This Is What They Look Like, Griffin checks in 6’4” 225 pounds with double-plus speed and power. In his senior year of high school, he was the Gatorade National High School Player of the Year after winning his third straight title for Jackson Prep in Mississippi. It’s no exaggeration to say he might steal 100 bases in a minor league season considering he stole 87 in 88 attempts in his final high school season. Somewhat shockingly for a player his size and age, he’s a promising defensive shortstop already and has the arm and speed to become an elite defender if his hands keep coming along. On talent alone, I think he’s the best prospect in baseball. In the context of his organization and ballpark, I have concerns: concerns that can look pretty silly in the light of his real-world outcomes: a slash line of .333/.415/.527 with 21 home runs and 65 stolen bases in 122 games across three levels in his pro debut season.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Prospect News: 2025 First-Year-Player Draft Rankings

July 27, 2025 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects, Featured | 5 Comments

by: The Itch

Off the top, I want to point out how this draft and the one before it are great examples of why you should NOT tank in dynasty leagues. Last year’s class was so stacked, you could’ve landed Cam Smith with a pick at the end of round one, as happened in one of my leagues. This year, there’s not much of a difference between the top fifteen or so, and there’s no fast-moving monster among the college bats.

1. Mariners LHP Kade Anderson

2. Rockies SS Ethan Holliday

3. Marlins SS Avia Arquette

4. Reds SS Steele Hall

In a class without an obvious bat at the top, Kade Anderson in Seattle represents the best combination of proximity and upside. Easily the top pick in a league where quality pitching is at all hard to find. The shallower the league, the more I’d lean Holliday here.

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Prospect News: I Feel A Draft or We’ll Blog It Live!

July 16, 2025 | Fantasy Baseball Prospects, Featured | 21 Comments

by: The Itch

Off the top, I feel compelled to say that, prospect-wise, I love SS Kayson Cunningham. It’s an unrequited, non-romantic love, just fyi, but he’s the guy I’m walking away with after draft night if I’m anywhere outside the top three or so.

Oh hey, during the brief but effective pre-game show, Carlos Collazo says Cunningham is his favorite hitter in the draft. Fast hands. Smooth swing. Great energy. Models himself after Lindor. Was Team USA’s shortstop. Let’s get it.

Please, blog, may I have some more?