A Giants fan living in San Diego, been playing fantasy baseball since 2005 and dynasty since 2021. Started the Dynasty Baseball Pickups podcast in June 2023 and joined Prospects Live in March of 2024.
Last week, I complained about the slim pickings caused by the small samples, and I only had MLB and AAA playing. Even still, I'm happy with how my picks turned out. Carson Whisenhunt still hasn't walked a batter, Kameron Misner and Jake Mangum have established themselves as regulars on the Rays, and Tim Tawa got the cawa (sorry, I had to) even if he hasn't done much with it. I'm kicking myself for not recommending Kyren Paris (who narrowly missed last week's list), but if he's still out there, I recommend a pickup in all but the shallowest leagues. Moving on to this week, all of the full-season leagues have started up, and there is no shortage of intriguing prospects to choose from. Due to this, I'm going old school this week with no MLB players or drops. Enjoy!
Players are in the order I currently value them. An “*” indicates that the player is highlighted in the article below.
MLB Pickups
Noelvi Marte, Joey Bart (x2), Kyren Paris, Wilmer Flores, Kameron Misner, Jake Mangum, Easton Lucas, Michael Massey, Mike Yastrzemski, Tim Tawa (x9), Dominic Canzone, Justin Wrobleski (x2), Chris Martin, Connor Gillispie, Carson Spiers, Jose Butto, Erik Miller, Zack Kelly
MiLB Pickups
Chase Meidroth *, Henry Bolte (x5) *, Dasan Hill (x5) *, JT Ginn (x4) *, Ian Seymour (x2), Juan Valera, Dakota Jordan, Jimmy Crooks, Esteury Ruiz (x3)
MLB Drops
Alek Thomas, Brendan Rodgers, Davis Martin, Justin Wrobleski, Ryan Bliss, Jon Gray, Graham Pauley (x6), Jose Tena, Brant Hurter, Carmen Mlodzinski, Tim Tawa, Jack Suwinski, Robert Garcia, Jorge Lopez, Calvin Faucher, Ian Anderson, Kenta Maeda
MiLB Drops
Matthew Lugo, Jhonny Severino, Hao-Yu Lee, Yordanny Monegro, Colton Ledbetter, Dasan Hill (x2), Billy Amick, Dakota Jordan (x2), Juan Valera, Jimmy Crooks, Mac Horvath, Jhancarlos Lara, Esteury Ruiz (x2), Drew Thorpe, Hogan Harris
Mid-Week Pickups
Chase Meidroth - 23/2B,3B,SS/CHW/AAA
Height/weight: 5’11”/196 lbs Bats: R Fantrax Rostership: 9%
Top 600 Prospect Ranking (Feb 25): 182 My Top 400 Rank (Feb 25): 305
2024 stats (AAA): 558 PA .293/.437/.400, 7 HR, 13 SB, 18.8% BB, 12.7% K 2025 stats (AAA): 36 PA .296/.472/.667, 3 HR, 2 SB, 19.4% BB, 11.1% K
Why to pick up: Meidroth was a 4th round pick for Boston in the 2022 draft before being traded to the White Sox this offseason in the Garrett Crochet deal. While this can easily be seen as a downgrade in development organization, it opened up a more direct path to playing time. As unlikely as it seems, it's also possible his new organization may have unlocked a new level of power. This would be a considerable development, as power isn't typically a big part of Meidroth's game. Meidroth already boasts three home runs and a double in eight games with an ISO of .370. For reference, his career high in home runs is 9, and he's never had an ISO over .120 in the high minors. While it's easy to write it off as a small sample, there are some interesting differences in his batted ball profile compared to last year in Triple-A. His average EV is up nearly two mph, and his hard hit, sweet spot, and barrel rates are all up significantly from last season. However, the most promising change is that he went from being one of the worst players at pulling fly balls in AAA to one of the best. His pull rate has increased by 24 points since last year, and his pull rate on fly balls has risen by 20 points. His ground ball rate has also decreased by 6 percent, which is his lowest since Single-A. Does this mean Meidroth is going to hit 20+ home runs? Probably not, but even if he can hit 15, that would elevate his profile. Meidroth will already be an OBP and points league monster due to his massive walk rates and ability to avoid striking out. Adding some moderate power to that mix is exciting. He's already spent a full season in Triple-A, and it's just a matter of time before he gets the call with players like Miguel Vargas (49 wRC+), Lenyn Sosa (35 wRC+), Brooks Baldwin (73 wRC+) currently "blocking" him.
Final Thoughts: Meidroth is unlikely to contribute a lot in the SB department, but he's not a zero there either, after stealing a career-high 13 bags last year. The dream here is a .275 average, .400 OBP, and 15-15 second baseman who never strikes out, which would be an extremely valuable asset in many dynasty leagues. That dream could become reality sooner rather than later as he could receive the call any day now. You better grab him off the wire in shallower leagues before he does.
Where to pick up: Points and OBP leagues with 100+ prospects rostered, other leagues with 150+ prospects rostered
FAAB bid: Minimal (0-5%)
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Henry Bolte - 21/OF/ATH/AA
Height/weight: 6’3”/195 lbs Bats: R Fantrax Rostership: 9%
Top 600 Prospect Ranking (Feb 25): 256 My Top 400 Rank (Feb 25): 297
2024 stats (A+/AA): 545PA .267/.368/.466, 15 HR, 46 SB, 11.2% BB, 34.7% K 2025 stats (AA): 15 PA .462/.533/.692, 1 HR, 0 SB, 6.7% BB, 6.7% K
Why to pick up: I haven't been the biggest Bolte believer in the past, but on Tuesday, he surprised me by getting his first of the year. It was not his first HR (though he did do that), but his first strikeout. The fact that he didn't get a strikeout until his 4th game of the year is genuinely eye-opening after the contact woes he showed to this point in his career. Now, it's a tiny sample but promising when you consider all of last year. Bolte never went three straight games without a strikeout. In addition to the lack of strikeouts, Bolte's contact rate is a ridiculous 96.2%, which would be a career-high by about 32%. His swinging strike rate is 1.8%, around 14% below his career low. In addition, he is posting career bests in ground ball and pull rate. Obviously, this is a very small sample, but even if Bolte can push his hit tool to a 45, let alone a 50, it would mean big things. A 2nd-round pick in the 2023 draft, he has a very high fantasy ceiling with his power and speed, and his upside is extremely high.
Final Thoughts: It's likely a mistake to put too much stock in 15 plate appearances, and a couple of bad games could easily erase the contact gains. Bolte must also improve his ground ball rate (which sits at 50%) before he can make the most of his significant raw power. This might be small sample noise, but what if it isn't? The potential upside Bolte represents isn't easy to find on the wire, and if you strike early, you may find yourself on a rocket ship. If the contact woes return, he's an easy churn for the next intriguing prospect. Therefore, I would head out to the wire and grab any shares that aren't Bolte(d) down.
Where to pick up: Leagues with 200+ prospects rostered
A Giants fan living in San Diego, been playing fantasy baseball since 2005 and dynasty since 2021. Started the Dynasty Baseball Pickups podcast in June 2023 and joined Prospects Live in March of 2024.
As Director of Pro Scouting, I lead a talented group of evaluators as we break down future stars. You can find me at random California League games throughout the season!
Director of Dynasty Content - Canadian born and raised, moved to Arkansas with my wife and two sons Ezra and Ari. Followed and played baseball my whole life; played dynasty for 25+ years.
A Giants fan living in San Diego, been playing fantasy baseball since 2005 and dynasty since 2021. Started the Dynasty Baseball Pickups podcast in June 2023 and joined Prospects Live in March of 2024.
Dynasty player of 10+ years. Helping you find the building blocks of your championship rosters as a co-host on the Dynasty Baseball Pickups podcast since mid-season 2023, joined Prospects Live at the start of 2024.
As Director of Pro Scouting, I lead a talented group of evaluators as we break down future stars. You can find me at random California League games throughout the season!
Watch Path to the Show on Bally Sports Live & Stadium! | Check out the On Deck Podcast! | Dynasty Team Writer/Podcaster | I love the Tennessee Volunteers, milk, pitchers, catchers, & you <3 P4:13
As Director of Pro Scouting, I lead a talented group of evaluators as we break down future stars. You can find me at random California League games throughout the season!
Director of Dynasty Content - Canadian born and raised, moved to Arkansas with my wife and two sons Ezra and Ari. Followed and played baseball my whole life; played dynasty for 25+ years.
Dynasty player of 10+ years. Helping you find the building blocks of your championship rosters as a co-host on the Dynasty Baseball Pickups podcast since mid-season 2023, joined Prospects Live at the start of 2024.
As Director of Pro Scouting, I lead a talented group of evaluators as we break down future stars. You can find me at random California League games throughout the season!
