RoboScout’s Top Fantasy Baseball Prospects At Each Level
It’s another teaser prequel this week while we wait a big enough sample for the data to stabilize – would it be titled Too Robo Too Scout or Robo2cout? – where instead of the traditional RoboScout article, I will talk about the top 5 or so at each level with some noteworthy additions. For the loyal readers, the list of names looks pretty similar to last week, suggesting that the production is reaching a vague steady state, establishing our priors for what a player’s true talent should be (loosely) anchored too for the rest of the season.
Interestingly, as you will see below, at many levels, there is one leader who is further ahead of the next ranked hitter by more than the second-ranked guy is ahead of the next ten or so players. This probably means that those players will be promoted soon enough to be at a more appropriate level for the talent they seem to be showing already. Still, I don’t recall seeing a distribution of talent like this before in the last while
Let’s dig in!
Low-A Hitting
Andrew Salas (MIA) is the highest-ranked Low-A hitter, per RoboScout. As a 17-year-old, Salas is the youngest hitter at the level but his wRC+ of 164 is the 20th highest wRC+ at the level, while also chipping in five steals. He has no home runs yet but with a .297/490/.378 triple slash, Salas is showing that he’s not being over matched at all in his stateside debut and needs only to show some game power as he has no tracked batted ball events greater than 99 mph yet, and on a small sample, has a 90th percentile exit velocity of 96.5 mph. As a 17-year-old, he has time. Jeremy Rodriguez (NYM) and Yolfran Castillo (TEX) both had similar 90th percentile exit velocities last year – and facing a lower level of pitching at the Complex – and Starlyn Caba (PHI) had a 96mph mark in 2023 as a 17-year-old.
Probably to no one’s surprise based on the hype, the next three spots are filled by Carolina Mudcats: Luis Pena, Braylon Payne, and Jesus Made (MIL). All are fantasy Top 100 prospects already – as is likely Andrew Salas – with the power and speed blends they are showing.
Speaking of speed, Asbel Gonzalez (KCR) has 24 stolen bases in 90 plate appearances while playing a solid center field and striking out less than 8% of the time.
The next best: Owen Carey (ATL), A.J. Ewing (NYM), Eduardo Tait (PHI) showing 25 to 30 HR power, Slade Caldwell (ARI), Javier Mogollon (CHW), Felnin Celesten (SEA), Caleb Bonemer (CHW), Luis Merejo (CLE), and Aroon Escobar (PHI).
Low-A Pitching
There probably hasn’t been a pitcher more talked about this season than Sean Linan (LAD). Last week, our Josh Norris wrote a great article which included some conversations with Dodger director of pitching Rob Hill, discussing his high spin changeup – a screwball really – that has befuddled hitters. The error bars around the projection are quite large when estimating from Low-A and after only 20 innings, but Linan has a peak projected ERA of 3.56 with a strikeout rate nearing 28%. It’s irresponsible to project someone with this small body of work with any confidence, but it’s clear that this early season is breaking the model. Linan should not yet be a Top 100 prospect, but he should be taken in leagues of up to 200 prospects now. As the short seasons start, new prospects will no doubt push their way up, but it’s very conceivable that Linan is pushing to crack the Top 100 by the end of May.
After an eight-strikeout performance (out of ten outs) on Saturday, Dasan Hill (MIN) stays in the top three behind Wei-En Lin (ATH) who we discussed last week. The 19-year-old Hill sits 95 to 96 mph from the left side with his two seam fastball and has a low 80s slider that has over two feet of horizontal separation from the heater. Hill also adds a changeup that has over 10 mph separation from the sinker, and a curveball with plenty of two-plane break.
Three 20-year-olds who each have a strikeout rate over 40% – Liomar Martinez (MIA), Christian Oppor (CHW), and Dylan Questad (MIN) – round out the rest of the top six for Low-A. Oppor is the only one with a walk rate in the single digits, but he has the lowest ground ball rate, suggesting he might be susceptible to the long ball. It’s worth noting that at the lower levels, strikeout rate is more important than walk rate – so don’t be too alarmed by the double digit walk rate of Questad and Martinez yet. For example, Eury Perez had a 9.5% walk rate in 2021 (as an 18-year-old), Andrew Painter (PHI) had an 11% walk rate in 2022, and Kyle Harrison had a 12% rate in 2021. Something to keep an eye on though as they progress in their development.
High-A Hitting
Just like last week, Leo De Vries (SDP) finds himself alone at the top of the High-A ranks with a 142 wRC+, three home runs, and two stolen bases as an 18-year-old in the Mid West League. Since 2006, the only 18-year-olds who had a higher wRC+ than De Vries early mark were Fernando Tatis Jr. and Carlos Correa – though they sustained that level of production over 500 plate appearances. Needless to say, De Vries is further ahead of second place in the rankings, than second place is from 15th. He’s in a class by himself with a peak projection of 25 to 30 home runs and 10 stolen bases with a .270/.340 batting average and OBP.
The next hitter – again, just like last week – is outfielder Yophery Rodriguez (BOS) who we discussed previously and continues to hit.
With the exception of Josue Briceno (DET) and Jeral Perez (CHW), the next nine spots are occupied by current Top 100 prospects – Arjun Nimmala (TOR), Zyhir Hope (LAD), Demetrio Crisantes (ARI), George Lombard Jr. (NYY), Lazaro Montes (SEA), Josue de Paula (LAD), and Max Clark (DET). He is obviously not in the same tier of perceived value but Jeral Perez is likely the best value of the group and can probably be grabbed for minimal cost, exactly for what RoboScout is intended.
The next best: Kendall George (LAD) is showing an early season power surge with three home runs to go along with his ten stolen bases in 85 plate appearances. If he can sustain this type of production, George projects to be a 20/25 threat playing defense up the middle.
High-A Pitching
The High-A rankings are extremely tightly packed right now where every performance moves a player up or down the list. This volatility can be illustrated by how one bad outing by Ben Hess (NYY) has dropped him down to 45th and after a dominant 13-strikeout performance, Gage Jump (ATH), er, jumps into the top three. All of the following pitchers all have similar peak projections of around 4.20 ERA with no one really jumping out yet. In descending order, they are Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz (NYY), Bishop Letson (MIL), the aforementioned Jump, Michael Forret (BAL), Daniel Eagen (ARI), Manuel Rodriguez (MIL), Santiago Suarez (TBR), and Charlee Soto (MIN). From a stuff perspective, RoboScout likes Letson, Eagen, Suarez and Forret the best.
Just before publication, last week’s Top 5 entrant, and this week coming in at 11th, Zach Thornton (NYM) was promoted to Double-A.
Double-A Hitting
Just like at the two lower levels, the hitter at the top has more separation between him and the second ranked hitter as the second-ranked hitter is from the fifteenth-ranked hitter. At Double-A, that honor belongs to Sebastian Walcott (TEX) who, as a teenager, has a 142 wRC+ with two home runs and five stolen bases over 88 plate appearances. He’s a hands-down top 5 fantasy prospect.
Cooper Pratt (MIL) is showing 20 home run power with three dingers over 89 plate appearances. Being able to play an average shortstop has him as a top real-life prospect. Of course, that carries over into fantasy as Pratt will likely get full time playing time where he should also have an above average batting average.
William Bergolla (CHW) – who was mentioned on the fantasy podcast as showing an excellent hit tool and with speed – and Cooper Kinney (TBR), who has a phenomenal 216 wRC+ and five bombs over 74 plate appearances as a 22-year-old, round out the next two slots. Kinney might be available in your league and is showing 20 to 25 home run pop and the potential to be an above average major league hitter in the early going.
Joe Mack (MIA), who is currently plying his trade in Triple-A, takes the final spot.
The next best: Denzer Guzman (LAA), Ethan Salas (SDP, Jett Williams (NYM), Sal Stewart (CIN), Ryan Clifford (NYM), and Termarr Johnson (PIT).
Double-A Pitching
There’s a clear top three at the top of the Double-A pitching charts, led by Robby Snelling (MIA). The former Padre has been averaging more than five innings per start, has limited walks and hard contact, while also keeping the ball on the ground at a 57% rate. It’s not the sexiest profile but the left hander is still only 21 years old and has been sitting 94 mph this year, touching 97 mph, after sitting 92 mph last year, touching 96 mph. RoboScout projects him to be a sub 4.00 ERA with low walks at peak, similar to Justin Steele or a Top 50 pitcher.
On the last fantasy podcast, we talked about Red Sox southpaw Connelly Early whose five pitch mix has taken a step forward this year and through 10.2 innings this year, leads Double-A in strikeout rate amongst pitchers who have thrown at least seven innings in 2025. Early too projects to have an ERA in the high 3s in the major leagues at peak.
Jack Wenninger (NYM) is the other member of the Double-A trifecta. Wenninger’s five-pitch arsenal has led to a scintillating 0.80 WHIP and 0.90 ERA with a groundball rate of 49% and averaging five innings per start. With these early results, it seems like the 23-year-old Wenninger is showing the makings of a mid-rotation starter.
All three of these pitchers are pushing Top 100 fantasy prospects.
Triple-A Hitting
Purely from a results perspective, Roman Anthony (BOS), Jordan Lawlar (ARI), and Moises Ballesteros (CHC) rank higher on the Triple-A rankings than much-ballyhooed, newly promoted slugger Nick Kurtz (ATH). In dynasty leagues, all three of them are of course, long gone, but in redraft leagues, do not be surprised if any or all of them are promoted in the next week or so.
In fifth place on the Triple-A list is Jorbit Vivas (NYY) who recently got brought up to the big club last week.
Juan Brito (CLE), who will miss three months or so with thumb surgery, and Adael Amador (COL) make up the next two spots. But next in line is another hitter who may be in the major leagues before long, making him extremely relevant in redraft leagues: Marcelo Mayer (BOS), with six home runs in 93 plate appearances.
Triple-A Pitching
For Triple-A pitchers, there are typically no new “top prospects” that can be discovered. However, the majority of top Triple-A pitching performances per RoboScout pitch in the major leagues and do quite well. Last year, Chad Patrick (MIL), Quinn Priester (MIL), and Louie Varland (MIN) finished in the top 30 last year and have contributed this year at a better-than-expected rate. This year, in the top 10 there are the pitchers who are already expected to be contributors in the major leagues – such as Bubba Chandler (PIT), Logan Henderson (MIL), and Zebby Matthews (MIL) – but we are more interested in the potential for unsung contributors.
Right now, in the top 20 and projected – based on 2025 performance – be feasible redraft options for the rest of the season are Carlos Rodriguez (MIL), Adam Mazur (MIA), Noah Cameron (KCR), Ian Seymour (TBR), and Luinder Avila (KCR). These pitchers are all showing better projections for 2025, based on their early season performance, than public projections that use historical performance. In other words, there is a possibility that the public projections haven’t “caught up” to potential changes in true talent yet.
Happy bidding!
