Editor's note: Please give a big welcome to Lucas Morel, also known as The Prospect Professor (@theprospectprof)! This is his debut article as he joins the Dynasty Team here at Prospects Live.

Welcome to Diamond Diplomas! Whether you compete in the deepest of dynasty leagues or want to win the office redraft title, Prospects Live has you covered. Before we dive in, here is a quick overview of the tier system. Both the hitter and pitcher lists feature three tiers of prospects:

  • Tier 1: These are the good leads, the Glengarry leads. Consider Tier 1 the top shelf of anticipated call-ups, highlighting players expected to have immediate and long-term fantasy relevance once they reach The Show. For all the redraft folks, this is where you find emerging stars before the rest of your league catches on. While the players in this tier are likely already rostered in most dynasty leagues, they are immediate must-adds if available and high-priority trade targets if the price has not yet risen.
  • Tier 2: A house blend of fantasy stability and upside with some light notes of uncertainty. Tier 2 players tend to be slightly farther away from promotion (by a factor of weeks, not months) or have a less clear path to playing time with their Major League club. For redraft, put these names on your watch list and keep an eye out for a hot start at the big league level. For dynasty purposes, Tier 2 designation marks a key point in a player’s buy window, an opportunity to trade for or throw FAAB dollars on someone who could produce for you in 2025 and beyond.
  • Tier 3: Leagues of all types are won and lost in these trenches. You come here to find the post-hype (or hype-less) sleepers everyone else has overlooked and the single-category specialists. A Tier 3 player is likely a little older than their Tier 1 and 2 counterparts and might have a demotion or two on their résumé, but it could prove especially productive in the short term. Think of 2018 Adalberto Mondesi or 2024 Jack Kochanowicz, with the possibility of a 2018 Max Muncy.

Hitting Prospects

Without further ado, here are the hitters worthy of Diamond Diplomas this week (all statistics updated as of the conclusion of play on May 4):

Priority Add: Matt Shaw, 3B (CHC)

Shaw had fantasy managers everywhere excited after he parlayed a strong 2024 into a stellar spring, landing a starting role with the Cubs on Opening Day, but hit only .172 over 18 games before being sent back down to Triple-A Iowa. The former Maryland Terrapin has responded to this setback well at the plate, with a particularly noteworthy emphasis on plate discipline. In 12 games since his demotion, Shaw has 11 walks to just four strikeouts, all part of a more promising slash line of .277/.424/.404.

He needs to show more adaptability in his approach to adjust once back in the bigs, but all signs point to Shaw returning to Chicago as soon as the team feels he has settled into a sustainable rhythm. The Cubs lead the NL Central right now despite their underwhelming current options at third base; Nicky Lopez is currently hitting .000 (yes, you read that right), and Jon Berti, while off to a strong start, is 35 years old and more of a utility man than a contending solution at the position. Now might be the time to add Shaw to your watch list in redraft or inquire about a subtle buy-low opportunity in dynasty.

One To Watch: Brady House, 3B (WSH)

Still just 21 years old, House looks poised for promotion after his impressive start to the season with Rochester (AAA). The Winder, GA native has hit .293/.353/.488 in his first 30 games, with five home runs and 13 total extra-base hits backed by a 9.6% barrel rate. House had struggled a bit upon reaching AAA in the back half of last season, only putting up an OPS of .655 in 54 games, so his scorching start at the level this year bodes well.

With former all-star CJ Abrams cemented as franchise shortstop for the Nationals, the team has developed House almost exclusively as a third baseman since the start of 2023. Amed Rosario and José Tena have been platooning there for Washington in 2025, but neither will get in the way of a House call once the organization decides the time is right. The Nationals have a notable track record of moving prospects quickly through their system and giving them a significant leash once promoted to the majors (looking at you, Dylan Crews), so House might be up sooner than some expect. 

Sleeper Pick: Tim Elko, 1B (CWS)

Heading back to the Windy City, the White Sox have an opportunity to breathe some life into their offense, which currently ranks second-worst in all of Major League Baseball in team OPS at .625. That opportunity’s name? Tim Elko. The 26-year-old first baseman has demolished AAA pitching to start the year, leading all batters at the level in home runs (10) and posting an overall line of .333/.408/.657 en route to winning April MiLB Player of the Month honors for the White Sox organization. 

Some words of caution: Elko does not run, strikes out at a 30.4% clip for his career (30.0% this season), and his 62.5% HR/FB rate will not carry on forever. His April hot streak is essentially that, a hot streak. However, he has legitimate 20+ HR pop, and the White Sox can only let Andrew Vaughn’s OPS+ of 41 stand in his way for so long if and when they choose to take advantage of Elko seeing the ball this well and call him up, consider doing the same in 20+ team leagues.

Pitching Prospects

Priority Add: Bubba Chandler (PIT)

Chandler is the best pitching prospect still in the minors, for my money. The former third-round pick has been largely un-hittable over his first six starts this season for AAA Indianapolis, posting a 1.42 ERA, a 0.67 WHIP, and allowing opposing batters to hit for a mere .122 AVG against him. Chandler’s fastball routinely touches triple digits, and he has shown impressive command of his secondaries thus far, walking only seven batters across those six outings.

On talent alone, the top Pirates prospect probably should have started the season in Pittsburgh’s rotation once Jared Jones hit the IL. Still, General Manager Ben Cherington seems set on handling Chandler the same way he handled Paul Skenes in 2024: waiting too late to receive draft pick incentives while still promoting in time to contend for Rookie of the Year honors. Chandler has nothing left to prove in the minors, so expect a sentimental call-up video from the Pirates social media team any day now.

Also, Bubba’s real first name? Roy, R-O-Y. Make of that what you will.

One To Watch: Nolan McLean (NYM)

Like Bubba Chandler, McLean began his professional career as a two-way player after being drafted out of Oklahoma State in 2023 but has shifted to pitching full-time this season. Being entirely focused on mound work as part of the Mets' burgeoning pitching development program has pumped helium into McLean as a prospect. Through five starts with Binghampton, McLean has conceded just four earned runs in total, good for a 1.37 ERA, and his wipeout slider has helped him tally 30 strikeouts. He gives out a few too many free passes (4.1 BB/9 so far in 2025), but that feels less concerning than it might otherwise, given the context of his unique development up until this year. Overall, the Mets decision to promote McLean to Triple-A Syracuse yesterday comes as little surprise.

It may sound outlandish to suggest that McLean is close to another promotion, given that he has yet to make his Triple-A debut. However, consider the following factors: McLean turns 24 in July, and the Mets have eight arms currently on the IL. If the recent Quinn Priester to Milwaukee trade taught us anything, teams aim to charge a premium for starting pitching these days. Any potential trade for reinforcements will cost a pretty penny. The Mets have little incentive to let McLean waste bullets in the minors if he keeps dominating, and fast-tracking him to the majors could prove smarter (and certainly cheaper) than mortgaging the farm via trade. McLean could see Queens by July if he keeps up the pace.

Sleeper Pick: Brandon Young (BAL)

Young had his first taste of Major League action in mid-April, taking two turns in Baltimore’s rotation. The results were rough: a 6.21 ERA and eight walks over the course of eight and 2/3 innings, albeit with nine strikeouts. Upon returning to Norfolk, the former Ragin’ Cajun settled back in with a quality start, going six innings on May 2, allowing two runs, two walks, and striking out five.

Ordinarily, a stumble like Young’s first two big league starts would preclude him from showing up on this list so soon after. However, Baltimore’s high aspirations for this season have been derailed by the truly abysmal performance from their rotation so far. The Orioles rank second-to-last in the majors in team ERA (5.24) and in AVG against (.283), and general manager Mike Elias has made it pretty clear the club will not be making any shock moves to rectify the situation. If a big trade is off the table, Young remains the next man up and should be on your watch list in deeper leagues where pitching is scarce.