Welcome back to Diamond Diplomas, a weekly rundown of all the players knocking on the door to the major leagues. Whether you compete in the deepest of dynasty leagues, or simply want to win the office redraft title, Prospects Live has you covered. For an overview of the tier system used to prioritize players in this series, take a look at the first article in the series here:

Diamond Diplomas 5/6/25
Lucas Morel (@theprospectprof) delivers a rundown of all the players getting their caps and gowns ready for graduation to the major leagues. Class is in session, time to find out who you need to add to your roster or watch list this week.
Prospects LiveLucas Morel

It has been a star-studded week of prospect call-ups, and we have it all covered for you in the latest weekly Report Card (all statistics courtesy of Baseball Reference, Baseball Savant, TJStats, Fangraphs and Milb.com, updated as of the conclusion of play on August 31):

Weekly Report Card

Called Up:

  • Jordan Lawlar, SS/3B (ARI): It’s always fun when a player who features in this series as a Priority Add gets the call shortly thereafter. Finally healthy and ready to fill the Eugenio Suarez-sized void in the Diamondbacks lineup, Lawlar returned to the major league club this past week. Going hitless in his first eight at-bats does not bode well, but he has the talent and the minor league track record to make him an intriguing dynasty asset regardless.
  • Carter Jensen, C (KC): The Royals announced their plan to call up their catcher of the future (or at least of 2026) over the weekend. Jensen will now have a month to stake his claim to the position as the team closes out its season, and he could bring some immediate power contribution to the table for fantasy purposes. Redraft managers in two-catcher leagues should keep an eye on his early performance and pounce if he plays regularly and hits well right away.
  • Sal Stewart, 3B (CIN): Stewart has been one of the hottest hitters in Triple-A ever since his promotion in mid-July, and the Reds chose to reward him with a call-up. He definitely has appeal in dynasty, but may also provide value in the redraft playoffs if he starts regularly, so consider adding him (or at least watch-listing him) in deeper leagues.
  • Harry Ford, C (SEA): Ford made the taxi squad earlier this season, but has now finally gotten the full call-up to the majors with Seattle. He has hit well all season in Triple-A, but Cal Raleigh’s existence precludes any full-time catching role for Ford. Most likely, the young prospect will serve mostly as a backup as he acclimates to the big leagues, à la Dalton Rushing in Los Angeles.
  • Kevin Alcántara, OF (CHC): The Cubs made a prospect-for-prospect swap, sending Owen Caissie back down in order to bring up Alcántara. This move seems like equal parts performance- and service time-related, but either way, those who roster Alcántara in dynasty leagues will be pleased. Redraft managers should hold off on adding the toolsy outfielder until a clearer picture of his  playing time emerges.
  • Jhonkensy Noel, OF (CLE): Happy Holidays, Guardians fans. “Big Christmas” has gotten the call to return to Cleveland now that rosters have expanded. Noel’s twelve home runs and .830 OPS in Triple-A are good numbers, but not great numbers, so he will need to find another gear of plate production to justify staying in the majors this time around.
  • Cam Devanney, SS (PIT): Devanney moved to Pittsburgh from Kansas City in a rather under-the-radar trade and made his big league debut in a Pirates uniform on Sunday. He is on the older side at 28, but he did hit 20 homers in the minors this season and now has the opportunity to carve out a significant role in a lackluster lineup.
  • Jonah Tong, P (NYM): Tong got the call to join the Mets within hours of me writing him up as a Priority Add in last Tuesday’s article, capping off one of the most incredible seasons for a minor league arm in recent memory. His swing-and-miss stuff was on full display during his debut and led to six strikeouts. Only one of the four runs he allowed was earned, and the team has already indicated that Tong will remain in the Mets' rotation for the time being. He is a strong streaming candidate even in the shallowest of redraft leagues.
  • Payton Tolle, P (BOS): In most weeks, Tolle’s debut would have been the headliner, and he showed headliner talent in his first start for Boston anyway. The mustachioed southpaw fell just two outs shy of a quality start and struck out eight batters, likely doing enough to earn another major league opportunity, though no formal decision has yet been announced.

Locked In:

  • Bryce Eldridge, 1B (SF): Eldridge’s immense game power was on display throughout all of August, as his two homers last week brought his monthly total up to nine, giving the tall first baseman 23 bombs on the season. The odds of a September call-up seem around 50/50 given his injury issues and relative youth, but he remains one of the most promising power prospects in the minors.
  • Kevin McGonigle, SS (DET): If Detroit will not call up McGonigle, the least they can do is bump him up a level, as he has nothing left to prove in Double-A. McGonigle’s power has also ticked up of late; he hit two home runs last week to give him a total of 16 in 2025. 15+ homers annually, to go with his double-plus hit tool, would solidify McGonigle as one of the top fantasy prospects in baseball, and his stock continues to rise accordingly.
  • Justin Crawford, OF (PHI): Crawford has quietly put together a remarkably consistent season in 2025. He hit .500 this past week, filling up box scores with two home runs and three steals along the way. Keep reading for a deeper dive into Crawford’s fantasy outlook later on.
  • Brandon Sproat, P (NYM): Sproat looked pretty terrible two outings ago, when the Mets tried bringing him out of the bullpen in long relief at Triple-A, but he made a more traditional start on Saturday and pitched much, much better. The former Florida Gator tossed a sparkling seven innings of three-hit baseball, allowing no runs and tallying nine strikeouts in the process. Rumors are swirling that this could be his last appearance in Triple-A before a big league debut, which would give the Mets an astounding third rookie starter in their rotation. Given the success of Nolan McLean and Jonah Tong, however, that might not be the worst idea.
  • J.R. Ritchie, P (ATL): Hurston Waldrep has stolen the spotlight lately with his superb consistency since joining the Braves’ rotation, but Ritchie might not be far behind. The right-hander looked flat-out dominant in his most recent outing, striking out eleven batters and allowing just one hit over six shutout innings. Given the injury-depleted status of Atlanta’s pitching staff, Ritchie could definitely still hear his name called for a promotion in September at some point.
  • Kendry Rojas, P (MIN): Rojas had his best start in the Twins organization this past week, throwing four scoreless innings with five punchouts. His innings will be worth keeping an eye on because another start of four innings or less would seemingly indicate a workload limitation, which would decrease his chances of making a big league appearance in 2025.

Dropped Off:

  • Kohl Drake, P (ARI): After getting off to a rather rough start in the Diamondbacks organization, Drake now finds himself shelved for the rest of 2025 with a shoulder sprain. Having a full offseason to train and acclimate to a new club’s philosophy will hopefully help the tall lefty reset and rediscover his peak form heading into 2026.
  • Coleman Crow, P (MIL): Crow has been on the 7-day injured list with a hip issue since mid-July, and the hope was that he would be able to return to game action before the season concluded, but a new flexor strain has been reported. This latest update means we will now have to wait until 2026 for Crow’s major league debut.
  • Braden Nett, P (ATH): One of the many prospects who moved to the Athletics from the Padres at the trade deadline, Nett has struggled since moving organizations. The right-hander posted a 5.31 ERA in August, and opposing batters hit .291 against him over the month. Since the Athletics are building for the future, Nett’s earliest call-up opportunity will likely come in 2026.