Latest news with #Rotoworld
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Fantasy Baseball Dynasty Stock Watch: Konnor Griffin, Luis Peña, Chase Burns headline first-half storylines
With the midway point of the 2025 season rapidly approaching, it feels like the perfect time to take a 10,000 foot overview of the dynasty landscape, which is in the process of undergoing a dramatic overhaul. This week's Dynasty Stock Watch column identifies a handful of compelling prospect-related storylines and players that fantasy managers need to know entering the second half. We've spilled enough electronic ink across Rotoworld's wide range of fantasy baseball-related columns on household names like Roman Anthony and Jac Caglianone in recent weeks. This space digs a little deeper with a focus on the next wave of top prospects that are going to send shockwaves through the fantasy landscape in a couple years. 1) Konnor Griffin and Luis Peña have achieved top-10 dynasty prospect status. Life comes at you fast. Griffin and Peña's meteoric ascents into the top-10 dynasty prospect stratosphere took than a half season as they've spent the past few months destroying the Low-A Florida State and Carolina Leagues, respectively, as two of its youngest position players. The fact that Griffin and Peña remain several hyperspace jumps, respectively, from the big leagues makes it challenging to forecast their long-term future. However, the pair look like potential future five-category impact fantasy contributors, which puts them in some lofty territory already. The unmistakable indicators were there for Griffin when he showed up to spring training a couple months ago and immediately looked like one of the top prospects in baseball. The 19-year-old shortstop, who was selected ninth overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, has hit .317/.376/.519 with eight homers and 25 steals across 46 contests for Low-A Bradenton in a highly impressive professional debut. He leads the entire Florida State League in hits (60) while also ranking second in stolen bases and third in OPS (.895). It's not hyperbolic to say that he looks like a potential fantasy star based on his combination of talent and early-career production. Meanwhile, Peña's long-term stock has risen more than any other prospect in the dynasty landscape as he's torn the cover off the ball in his stateside debut, slashing .344/.407/.563 with five homers and 24 steals across 32 games for Low-A Carolina. The 18-year-old phenom, who put up strong numbers last year in the Dominican Summer League, has displayed above-average plate skills and a power/speed upside combination on-par with other elite shortstop prospects like Sebastian Walcott, Leo De Vries and Jesús Made. According to Baseball America's Geoff Pontes back in late May, Peña is among a handful of prospects in the entire minors that have seen a significant uptick in 90th percentile exit velocity, jumping from 99.9 mph last year to an impressive 106.5 mark. There's a bit of an anchoring effect going on right now where it might take some additional time for some dynasty managers to truly value him in the same neighborhood as those other elite prospects, which creates a buying opportunity. Advertisement 2) In a vast prospect ocean filled with uncertainty, Kevin McGonigle represents a safe harbor. From a purely probabilistic standpoint, McGonigle's combination of elite contact skills and consistent hard contact make him one of the most likely prospects to make the leap to a consistent fantasy contributor at the highest level. The 20-year-old supplemental first-round selection from the 2023 MLB Draft missed one month at the outset of the year after suffering an ankle injury in his season debut, but he's been destroying the Midwest League ever since, hitting .444 (20-for-45) with 10 extra-base hits through 12 games this season for High-A West Michigan. He's still growing into some additional over-the-fence pop, but he looks like the quintessential high-floor fantasy prospect with the potential to emerge as an extremely impactful multi-category impact bat, especially if he manages to stick at second base, which remains one of the weakest position groups in the fantasy landscape. He lacks the stratospheric power/speed combo upside of a Roman Anthony, Walcott, Made, De Vries, Griffin or Peña, but he's rapidly cementing his status as a borderline top-10 dynasty prospect. 3) No pitching prospects improved their stock more than Chase Burns and Jacob Misiorowski during the first half. Let's start with Burns, who has blossomed into arguably the top pitching prospect in baseball over the last few months during his electrifying professional debut, recording a microscopic 1.93 ERA, 0.79 WHIP and 69/9 K/BB ratio across 46 2/3 innings (10 starts) between High-A Dayton and Double-A Chattanooga. The hard-throwing 22-year-old righty, who was the second-overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, has put himself squarely in the Bubba Chandler and Andrew Painter tier of elite starting pitching prospects. The typical risk/reward caveats apply here, as they would with any pitcher, but he's clearly one of the most promising long-term gambles in the dynasty landscape based on his early-career performance in the upper minors. We still need to see the noticeable gains Misiorowski has made in the control department this season, slashing his walk rate from 14.4 percent last year to a more respectable 11.9 percent, stick in the majors if he's going to be a truly impactful fantasy starter. The triple-digit velocity and strikeouts have always been there thanks to his potent fastball/curveball combo, but he's made serious strides this season at the Triple-A level, compiling a sparkling 2.47 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 73/28 K/BB ratio across 58 1/3 innings (12 appearances, 11 starts). The risk that he wouldn't succeed as a start, eventually winding up as a high-leverage reliever, made him one of the more challenging pitching prospects to value for dynasty purposes. He'll continue rising in long-term rankings lists as the likelihood increases that he's going to make it as a starting pitcher. Advertisement 4) Arjun Nimmala and Bryce Rainer are among the fastest rising hitting prospects in the lower minors entering the second half. Unfortunately, Rainer suffered a potentially serious shoulder injury earlier this week and could be facing a lengthy absence. There should be some clarity on his status at some point in the coming days. Prior to the injury, Rainer was ascending into top-25 territory from a dynasty rankings perspective based on his elite exit velocity data relative to his age and level, recording a sky-high 108 mph 90th percentile average exit velocity, per MLB Pipeline. The 19-year-old shortstop, who was selected 11th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, was hitting .288/.383/.448 with five homers and nine steal across 35 games for Low-A Lakeland in his professional debut. Detroit's front office has done an outstanding job in the Scott Harris era with Rainer looking like another potential franchise cornerstone someday. Speaking of future franchise icons, Nimmala has a chance to be the next one for Toronto in a couple years. The 19-year-old prodigy has looked like an elite fantasy prospect this season at High-A Vancouver, slashing .288/.376/.513 with nine homers and five steals across 48 games. He ranks among the top five in the entire Northwest League this season in hits (55), home runs (nine) and OPS (.889) despite being one of its youngest position players. He's made one of the biggest jumps over the past few months from a long-term dynasty rankings standpoint, ascending to top-25 range status heading into midseason. 5) There's no shortage of interesting pitching prospects in the dynasty landscape. Throwing a dart at the second half of Rotoworld's upcoming Top 500 Dynasty Rankings update typically results in hitting a compelling pitching prospect. They're not quite ready to make the leap to top-50 range status yet in most cases, but they're all compelling. Blue Jays phenom Trey Yesavage might be the closest as he continues to excel in his professional debut. The Athletics have a pair of intriguing arms in southpaw Gage Jump and righty Luis Morales, who have looked extremely impressive this season. Nationals flame-thrower Travis Sykora is healthy again and missing bats. Logan Henderson has emerged as a viable big-league option for the Brewers. The Mets might have the most intriguing arm in this territory in strikeout machine Jonah Tong, who continues to dominate at the Double-A level. Advertisement We haven't even touched on guys who deserve a mention in this space like Robby Snelling (Marlins), Nolan McLean (Mets), Grant Taylor (White Sox), Ryan Sloan (Mariners) and Payton Tolle (Red Sox). Dynasty managers are understandably leery when it comes to pitching prospects, but there are compelling cases for rolling the dice on a bunch of names right now. Bonus) My personal affinity for Aroon Escobar is reaching unhealthy levels. We all have a favorite prospect. Avoiding personal biases or attachments to any singular prospect is an essential component of my overall process when it comes to compiling Rotoworld's dynasty rankings. Change is inevitable and we need to be open to changing our opinions as uncomfortable as it can be in some cases. With that important caveat out of the way, let's talk about Escobar, who is rapidly evolving into one of my favorite prospects in baseball. The 20-year-old infielder has become one of the Phillies top prospects over the last few months, hitting .324/.421/.533 with 10 homers and five steals over 45 games for Low-A Clearwater. He's shown an ability to make consistent hard contact without selling out from an approach standpoint to get to it in games and he looks like a potential impact fantasy contributor at second base in a couple years.
NBC Sports
3 days ago
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Fantasy Baseball Dynasty Stock Watch: Konnor Griffin, Luis Peña, Chase Burns headline first-half storylines
With the midway point of the 2025 season rapidly approaching, it feels like the perfect time to take a 10,000 foot overview of the dynasty landscape, which is in the process of undergoing a dramatic overhaul. This week's Dynasty Stock Watch column identifies a handful of compelling prospect-related storylines and players that fantasy managers need to know entering the second half. We've spilled enough electronic ink across Rotoworld's wide range of fantasy baseball-related columns on household names like Roman Anthony and Jac Caglianone in recent weeks. This space digs a little deeper with a focus on the next wave of top prospects that are going to send shockwaves through the fantasy landscape in a couple years. 1) Konnor Griffin and Luis Peña have achieved top-10 dynasty prospect status. Life comes at you fast. Griffin and Peña's meteoric ascents into the top-10 dynasty prospect stratosphere took than a half season as they've spent the past few months destroying the Low-A Florida State and Carolina Leagues, respectively, as two of its youngest position players. The fact that Griffin and Peña remain several hyperspace jumps, respectively, from the big leagues makes it challenging to forecast their long-term future. However, the pair look like potential future five-category impact fantasy contributors, which puts them in some lofty territory already. Two Run Triple by SS Konnor Griffin @The_Marauders #LetsGoBucs The unmistakable indicators were there for Griffin when he showed up to spring training a couple months ago and immediately looked like one of the top prospects in baseball. The 19-year-old shortstop, who was selected ninth overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, has hit .317/.376/.519 with eight homers and 25 steals across 46 contests for Low-A Bradenton in a highly impressive professional debut. He leads the entire Florida State League in hits (60) while also ranking second in stolen bases and third in OPS (.895). It's not hyperbolic to say that he looks like a potential fantasy star based on his combination of talent and early-career production. Luis Peña earns Carolina League Player of the Week 🏅 in his return to the @CarolinaMudcats lineup, lacing 2 home runs and a triple in 5 games! Peña owns a 1.035 OPS in 17 games since the beginning of May and has stolen 10 bases in that span!#ThisIsMyCrew Meanwhile, Peña's long-term stock has risen more than any other prospect in the dynasty landscape as he's torn the cover off the ball in his stateside debut, slashing .344/.407/.563 with five homers and 24 steals across 32 games for Low-A Carolina. The 18-year-old phenom, who put up strong numbers last year in the Dominican Summer League, has displayed above-average plate skills and a power/speed upside combination on-par with other elite shortstop prospects like Sebastian Walcott, Leo De Vries and Jesús Made. According to Baseball America's Geoff Pontes back in late May, Peña is among a handful of prospects in the entire minors that have seen a significant uptick in 90th percentile exit velocity, jumping from 99.9 mph last year to an impressive 106.5 mark. There's a bit of an anchoring effect going on right now where it might take some additional time for some dynasty managers to truly value him in the same neighborhood as those other elite prospects, which creates a buying opportunity. 2) In a vast prospect ocean filled with uncertainty, Kevin McGonigle represents a safe harbor. From a purely probabilistic standpoint, McGonigle's combination of elite contact skills and consistent hard contact make him one of the most likely prospects to make the leap to a consistent fantasy contributor at the highest level. The 20-year-old supplemental first-round selection from the 2023 MLB Draft missed one month at the outset of the year after suffering an ankle injury in his season debut, but he's been destroying the Midwest League ever since, hitting .444 (20-for-45) with 10 extra-base hits through 12 games this season for High-A West Michigan. He's still growing into some additional over-the-fence pop, but he looks like the quintessential high-floor fantasy prospect with the potential to emerge as an extremely impactful multi-category impact bat, especially if he manages to stick at second base, which remains one of the weakest position groups in the fantasy landscape. He lacks the stratospheric power/speed combo upside of a Roman Anthony, Walcott, Made, De Vries, Griffin or Peña, but he's rapidly cementing his status as a borderline top-10 dynasty prospect. 3) No pitching prospects improved their stock more than Chase Burns and Jacob Misiorowski during the first half. Let's start with Burns, who has blossomed into arguably the top pitching prospect in baseball over the last few months during his electrifying professional debut, recording a microscopic 1.93 ERA, 0.79 WHIP and 69/9 K/BB ratio across 46 2/3 innings (10 starts) between High-A Dayton and Double-A Chattanooga. The hard-throwing 22-year-old righty, who was the second-overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, has put himself squarely in the Bubba Chandler and Andrew Painter tier of elite starting pitching prospects. The typical risk/reward caveats apply here, as they would with any pitcher, but he's clearly one of the most promising long-term gambles in the dynasty landscape based on his early-career performance in the upper minors. Can you feel the Burns? 🔥 MLB's No. 11 overall prospect, Chase Burns (@Reds), completes a professional-high six scoreless frames for the Double-A @ChattLookouts. We still need to see the noticeable gains Misiorowski has made in the control department this season, slashing his walk rate from 14.4 percent last year to a more respectable 11.9 percent, stick in the majors if he's going to be a truly impactful fantasy starter. The triple-digit velocity and strikeouts have always been there thanks to his potent fastball/curveball combo, but he's made serious strides this season at the Triple-A level, compiling a sparkling 2.47 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 73/28 K/BB ratio across 58 1/3 innings (12 appearances, 11 starts). The risk that he wouldn't succeed as a start, eventually winding up as a high-leverage reliever, made him one of the more challenging pitching prospects to value for dynasty purposes. He'll continue rising in long-term rankings lists as the likelihood increases that he's going to make it as a starting pitcher. 4) Arjun Nimmala and Bryce Rainer are among the fastest rising hitting prospects in the lower minors entering the second half. Unfortunately, Rainer suffered a potentially serious shoulder injury earlier this week and could be facing a lengthy absence. There should be some clarity on his status at some point in the coming days. Prior to the injury, Rainer was ascending into top-25 territory from a dynasty rankings perspective based on his elite exit velocity data relative to his age and level, recording a sky-high 108 mph 90th percentile average exit velocity, per MLB Pipeline. The 19-year-old shortstop, who was selected 11th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, was hitting .288/.383/.448 with five homers and nine steal across 35 games for Low-A Lakeland in his professional debut. Detroit's front office has done an outstanding job in the Scott Harris era with Rainer looking like another potential franchise cornerstone someday. Speaking of future franchise icons, Nimmala has a chance to be the next one for Toronto in a couple years. The 19-year-old prodigy has looked like an elite fantasy prospect this season at High-A Vancouver, slashing .288/.376/.513 with nine homers and five steals across 48 games. He ranks among the top five in the entire Northwest League this season in hits (55), home runs (nine) and OPS (.889) despite being one of its youngest position players. He's made one of the biggest jumps over the past few months from a long-term dynasty rankings standpoint, ascending to top-25 range status heading into midseason. 5) There's no shortage of interesting pitching prospects in the dynasty landscape. Throwing a dart at the second half of Rotoworld's upcoming Top 500 Dynasty Rankings update typically results in hitting a compelling pitching prospect. They're not quite ready to make the leap to top-50 range status yet in most cases, but they're all compelling. Blue Jays phenom Trey Yesavage might be the closest as he continues to excel in his professional debut. The Athletics have a pair of intriguing arms in southpaw Gage Jump and righty Luis Morales, who have looked extremely impressive this season. Nationals flame-thrower Travis Sykora is healthy again and missing bats. Logan Henderson has emerged as a viable big-league option for the Brewers. The Mets might have the most intriguing arm in this territory in strikeout machine Jonah Tong, who continues to dominate at the Double-A level. We haven't even touched on guys who deserve a mention in this space like Robby Snelling (Marlins), Nolan McLean (Mets), Grant Taylor (White Sox), Ryan Sloan (Mariners) and Payton Tolle (Red Sox). Dynasty managers are understandably leery when it comes to pitching prospects, but there are compelling cases for rolling the dice on a bunch of names right now. Bonus) My personal affinity for Aroon Escobar is reaching unhealthy levels. Aroon Escobar went deep twice last night! 🚀🚀 He now has 10 home runs this season. We all have a favorite prospect. Avoiding personal biases or attachments to any singular prospect is an essential component of my overall process when it comes to compiling Rotoworld's dynasty rankings. Change is inevitable and we need to be open to changing our opinions as uncomfortable as it can be in some cases. With that important caveat out of the way, let's talk about Escobar, who is rapidly evolving into one of my favorite prospects in baseball. The 20-year-old infielder has become one of the Phillies top prospects over the last few months, hitting .324/.421/.533 with 10 homers and five steals over 45 games for Low-A Clearwater. He's shown an ability to make consistent hard contact without selling out from an approach standpoint to get to it in games and he looks like a potential impact fantasy contributor at second base in a couple years.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Fantasy Baseball Dynasty Stock Watch: Trey Yesavage, Luis Peña, Gage Jump headline latest risers
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. Advertisement 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. Advertisement 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. Advertisement 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.
NBC Sports
22-05-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Fantasy Baseball Dynasty Stock Watch: Trey Yesavage, Luis Peña, Gage Jump headline latest risers
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.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Sport
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Phillies at Rockies prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends, and stats for May 21
Its Wednesday, May 21 and the Phillies (30-18) are in Denver to take on the Rockies (8-40). Taijuan Walker is slated to take the mound for Philadelphia against Carson Palmquist for Colorado. The Phillies have won back-to-back games against the Rockies to lead the series 2-0. Yesterday, Jesus Luzardo was phenomenal for the Phillies. He struck out 10 batters in 6.0 innings while only giving up two hits and one earned run. Advertisement Bryce Harper was another bright spot for the Phillies. He went 3-5 with a run and two RBIs. Lets dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two. We've got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts. Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long. Game details & how to watch Phillies at Rockies Date: Wednesday, May 21, 2025 Time: 8:40PM EST Site: Coors Field City: Denver, CO Network/Streaming: NBCSP Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out. Odds for the Phillies at the Rockies The latest odds as of Wednesday: Advertisement Moneyline: Phillies (-233), Rockies (+192) Spread: Phillies -1.5 Total: 11.0 runs Probable starting pitchers for Phillies at Rockies Pitching matchup for May 21, 2025: Taijuan Walker vs. Carson Palmquist Phillies: Taijuan Walker , (1-3, 2.62 ERA) Last outing (St Louis Cardinals, 5/14): 3.0 Innings Pitched, 2 Earned Runs Allowed, 3 Hits Allowed, 1 Walks, and 2 Strikeouts Rockies: Carson Palmquist , (0-1, 11.25 ERA) Last outing (Arizona Diamondbacks, 5/16): 4.0 Innings Pitched, 5 Earned Runs Allowed, 6 Hits Allowed, 1 Walks, and 0 Strikeouts Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type! Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Phillies at Rockies The Rockies have lost four of their last five games against teams with winning records The Phillies are 3-6-1 to the OVER in their last 10 games The total is 5-5-0 in the last 10 Rockies games The Phillies have covered in four of their last five on the road, profiting 2.41 units If you're looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports! Expert picks & predictions for tonight's game between the Phillies and the Rockies Rotoworld Best Bet Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700. Advertisement Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts. Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager. Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Wednesday's game between the Phillies and the Rockies: Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Philadelphia Phillies on the Moneyline. Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Colorado Rockies at +1.5. Total: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Game Total of 11.0. Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC Advertisement Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
