Format = Position Player | Age on 4/1/2025 | Highest Level Played | Estimated Time of Arrival
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.
2. RHP Travis Sykora | 20 | A | 2026
At 6’6” 232 lbs, Sykora overpowered Low-A hitter all season with plus fastballs, sliders and splitters. Why was he left at the level to record 100 strikeouts and 18 walks with a 0.77 WHIP and 1.67 ERA over his final 14 starts covering 64.2 innings? I dunno. Travel budget stuff. Seems pretty clear he wasn’t being challenged there, but maybe that’s overrated for arms at that level, who primarily need to refine their ability to repeat the mechanism 90-some times a night once per week.
3. RHP Jarlin Susana | 21 | A+ | 2025
Throughout the Rankings season, tumultuous battles that don’t matter in the grand scheme of things take up an irresponsible amount of time in my actual life. Susana v. House 2024 is one of these battles. You may not think it actually matters that Susana won out in the end, and perhaps it absolutely does not, but wow is the resulting clarity a relief to my mind. Susana’s outcomes don’t necessarily support this ranking, but the scouting does. Checking in at 6’6” 235 lbs with easy 100 mph heat, pitching prospects don’t get more promising than this guy. He doesn’t turn 21 until March 23 and should open next year in Double-A after allowing just two home runs in 103.2 innings across two levels against mostly older players in 2024. If he’s in rhythm and the Nationals are contending, he could help in 2025. If either of those factors doesn’t materialize, his debut will get bumped to 2026.
4. 3B Brady House | 21 | AAA | 2025
Brick house hasn’t been mighty enough for his supporters to let it all hang out, but he’s young yet. The 11th overall pick in 2021, House slashed .241/.297/.402 with 19 homers and six steals in 129 games across two levels. At 6’4” 208 lbs, he’s got plenty of talent to buy time while he settles into his physicality and realizes his upside.
5. SS Angel Feliz | 18 | DSL | 2029
Tough to beat Feliz in the most-hopeful-name category, and he’s almost equally impressive on the field. He signed for $1.7 million, so he’s not exactly under the radar, but he’s probably a free agent in your dynasty leagues. At 6’3” 185 lbs, he’s physically developed enough that the age-to-level math can get a little tricky, but he slashed .310/.381/.468 with four homers, 27 steals and 36 strikeouts in 49 DSL games. As a prototype athlete who checks all the boxes, he could climb the lists in a hurry if he’s even okay in his stateside debut.
6. SS Seaver King | 21 | A | 2027
King wants to contend in the most-hopeful-name category, and as the 10th overall pick in 2024, he’s got plenty of promise to go with it. King played four different positions as a junior at Wake Forest after playing his first two collegiate seasons at Wingate. With Wake, he slashed .308/.377/.577 with 16 home runs, 11 steals and just 34 strikeouts in 60 games. A right-handed hitter at 6’0” 190 lbs, he features plus contact skills and developing power to go with a glove that plays all over the field.
7. RHP Cade Cavalli | 26 | MLB | 2022
Injuries and excellence mixed in with command issues has been the story for Cavalli, who makes an interesting flier in deep fantasy leagues entering 2025. When he’s right, Cavalli has a heavy, double-plus fastball and a trio of solid off-speed pitches (curveball, slider, change). He’s got a lot of pace and momentum in his approach and delivery, which can look pretty intimidating when he’s got the linebacker’s build (6’4” 240) in rhythm.
8. SS Luke Dickerson | 19 | NA | 2029
The 44th overall pick this year, Dickerson signed for the highest bonus of anyone who wasn’t selected in the first round at $3.8 million. He’s a 5’11” right-handed hitter at 197 lbs. That’s the extent of the pro stats we have at our disposal so far, creating perhaps a buying window for Dickerson this winter. He played basketball and hockey in addition to baseball and gets the occasional Mike Trout whisper for being an underseen New Jersey prospect with a solid build.
9. LHP Alex Clemmey | 19 | A | 2026
Shoutout to my friend Clem, who is and will remain the Clemmiest dude I know no matter how good Alex Clemmey becomes at baseball. This 6’6” 205 lb Clemmey was selected 58th overall by Cleveland in 2023 and pitched well enough to get himself shipped to Washington a year later. He hasn’t generated excellent results thus far as he’s learning to harness his delivery, which he might need to slow down a tick until he gets it on lock down, but he’s still tough to hit, allowing just 14 in 23 innings with Washington’s Low-A club.
10. RHP Marquis Grissom Jr. | 23 | AA | 2025
A steady reliever who could enter the closing picture this season, Grissom has recorded saves at each of his last three levels, posting a 1.06 WHIP and 56 strikeouts in 53 innings along with nine saves across two levels this season. He was a 12th round pick out of Georgia Tech in 2022 and has improved his command every step of the way, especially of his double-plus changeup.
Thanks for reading!
Just wondering, since his name has “junior” … is this THE (former MLB stud) Marquis Grissom’s son?
Yep, he is indeed.
Thanks for the read Itch!
1.Where would Yohandy Morales be on this list? Can he stick at 3B?
2.With Goldschmidt on his way out it sounds like the Cardinals will try to fill 1B internally? Who’s do you think ends up at 1B for them?
3. Do you think that Bradfield will get a look in Baltimore for 2025?
On bradfield- i think he gets a cup of coffee but would not likely get any run unless there are a lot of injuries. Mullins is the CF next year, Cowser can sort of play CF (he did up until last year) and would be the short term injury fill in. The corners will be Cowser and Heston. I doubt they call up their former 1st rounder to be a 4th OF. I could also see them signing someone to play corner OF/DH- but they still need to find time for Mayo (who is not really a 3b- and westburg is pretty firmly there). I think Mayo plays more or less that role if he has the chops for 1b or LF depending on where they want to fill him.
DH is already going to be 50% Adley next year, so there is not a huge amount of time there. Basallo is also knocking on the door and could be a true 50/50 share with adley with both playing half their time at Catcher and the other half in DH (and maybe carry Hunt as insurance if you need a mid game replacement).
There are still too many mouths to feed in Baltimore- and unless they made a blockbuster trade, Bradfield is not seeing regular run until 2026
Thanks!
Seems like a pretty meh system at this point. Dickerson seems interesting, but that 2029 ETA has me a bit worried about the variance of outcomes with him.
Yeah that’s fair. Not my favorite system by any stretch.