Fantasy Baseball Dynasty Stock Watch: Trey Yesavage, Luis Peña, Gage Jump headline latest risers

NBC Sports

22-05-2025

With just over one quarter of the 2025 season in the books the most challenging question facing dynasty managers is how to value Roki Sasaki from a ranking standpoint. The 23-year-old sensation arrived in Los Angeles earlier this year as one of the most ballyhooed international prospects in a generation and checked in at 24th overall in Rotoworld's Opening Day dynasty rankings update. His stateside debut didn't exactly go to plan as he struggled to a calamitous 4.72 ERA and 15.6 percent strikeout rate across 34 1/3 innings (eight starts) before hitting the injured list last week with a shoulder impingement after experiencing diminished velocity in his final start.
It's fair to wonder how much the lingering issue impacted his performance since he told reporters that he's been pitching through the issue for a while. He remains one of the most intriguing talents in the fantasy landscape from a long-term standpoint, but it's impossible to overlook his early struggles. He'll use the extended layoff to recover physically and work on his mechanics. It feels like a classic buy-low opportunity for dynasty managers, but he's going to drop roughly 50 spots into the top-75 range in Rotoworld's next dynasty rankings update.
This week's Dynasty Stock Watch column takes a look at five mostly unheralded prospects in the lower minors — Trey Yesavage, Luis Peña, Gage Jump, Asbel Gonzalez and Payton Tolle — that are making the jump from unranked a couple months ago to cracking Rotoworld's next dynasty rankings installment.
Trey Yesavage, SP, Blue Jays
Has rapidly emerged as one of the premier pitching prospects in the dynasty landscape this season as he continues to put together an extremely impressive professional debut in the lower minors. The hard-throwing 21-year-old righty didn't skip a beat in his High-A Vancouver debut on Tuesday evening, piling up 10 strikeouts over four innings. He compiled a stellar 2.43 ERA, 0.81 WHIP and 55/8 K/BB ratio across 33 1/3 innings (seven starts) for Low-A Dunedin to earn a lightning-quick promotion. He slipped to the 20th overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft due to medical concerns during his collegiate career, but there's zero question regarding his ability to miss bats. His strikeout upside and realistic mid-rotation floor make him extremely intriguing for fantasy purposes, even though he lacks the front-of-the-rotation potential of top prospect arms like Andrew Painter, Bubba Chandler, Chase Burns or Noah Schultz.
Luis Peña, SS, Brewers
We've touched on some early season rising hitting prospects like Aroon Escobar, Arjun Nimmala, Eduardo Tait, Slade Caldwell and Bryce Rainer in recent weeks, but somehow Peña has eluded mention in this space. It would be unfair to compare his present trajectory to franchise cornerstone Jackson Chourio, or even fellow top prospect Jesús Made, but his meteoric rise this season hasn't gone unnoticed by dynasty managers. The 18-year-old prodigy, who is currently in concussion protocol following an ugly on-field collision at first base last weekend, has torn the cover off the ball this season at Low-A Carolina to the tune of a stratospheric .327/.400/.505 triple-slash line with three homers and 21 steals through 25 games. He's walked more than he's struck out in 115 plate appearances as one of the youngest players in the entire Carolina League. The combination of near-elite speed and above-average plate skills buoy his realistic batting average floor and give him a chance to arrive in the majors as a true five-category impact fantasy contributor in a couple years. The future looks extremely bright for Milwaukee with the trio of 18-year-old top prospects -- Made, Peña and last year's first-round pick Braylon Payne -- excelling in the lower minors. It's theoretically possible that Peña is a top-40 range dynasty prospect by midseason.
Gage Jump, SP, Athletics
Jump made a serious statement in his second start for Double-A Midland earlier this week, recording eight strikeouts over six shutout innings. The 22-year-old southpaw has reeled off 12 consecutive scoreless frames with a 14/3 K/BB ratio since being promoted earlier this month to the upper minors as he continues to cement his status as one of this season's fastest-rising pitching prospects. The 22-year-old lefty, who was a second-round pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, compiled a sparkling 2.32 ERA and 45/5 K/BB ratio across 31 innings (six appearances, five starts) at High-A Lansing to open the year. He lacks the top-of-the-rotation upside projection of organization mate Luis Morales, but his three-pitch mix, and deceptive delivery give him a chance to reach the majors as an impactful fantasy contributor relatively soon. He's a name dynasty managers should already know, but he's going to be a household name among casual fantasy enthusiasts by the end of the year if he keeps this up.
Asbel Gonzalez, OF, Royals
The classic better for fantasy than real-life prospect, Gonzalez has been one of this season's dynasty standouts in the lower minors with his 36 stolen bases through 38 games at Low-A Columbia. The 19-year-old speedster remains a work in progress, but he's shown some serious growth in the hit tool department this season, hitting .319 (45-for-141) and striking out just a shade over 12 percent of the time in 172 plate appearances. The over-the-fence power is purely projection at this point based on his exit velocity data and physical frame, but he's putting together a strong foundation to build upon. Gonzalez is the type of prospect that dynasty managers should closely monitor as he continues to develop and climb the rungs of Kansas City's system. He's the type of speculative prospect worth stashing in deeper dynasty formats.
Payton Tolle, SP, Red Sox
Boston has struggled to develop pitching talent in recent years, with Hunter Dobbins standing out as the lone homegrown impact contributor at the highest level at present, but they've got a pair of true breakout southpaw prospects on their hands this season in Brandon Clarke and Tolle. The 22-year-old lefty has absolutely dominated at High-A Greenville in his professional debut, striking out nearly 40 percent of the hitters he's faced, compiling a 4.56 ERA (3.55 FIP) and 40/7 K/BB ratio across 23 2/3 innings (six starts). He doesn't throw extremely hard, but his 6-foot-6 frame enables him to get some extra extension and allow his stuff to play up. He'll face a stiffer challenge once he reaches Double-A, but he's clearly a pitching prospect on the rise that dynasty managers need to monitor.