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.
Hi all! I wanted to use this intro section to throw out a few bonus names this week that, for whatever reason, I didn't end up doing a full write-up on. Daniel Palencia looks to be the closer for the Cubs, has good stuff, is a must-add in any saves leagues, should be an add in most SVH leagues, and is still just 43% rostered on Fantrax. I would take him over Luis Mey, and I have made that swap in several leagues. I still like Mey long-term, but he hit a rough stretch right after I wrote him up, and it looks like it will take a while before he gets a closing role, so there is less urgency in rostering him. Another name I recommend is Devin Fitz-Gerald. Still, just 1% rostered, he's an intriguing add in leagues of 450+ prospects and possibly a name I'll cover more in-depth next week. Finally, Victor Mesa Jr. is interesting in a very deep league, dart-throw-type way. I do like John Rave better, but Mesa could surprise, given enough run, and he's just 4% rostered.
Note: all stats current through Tuesday 5/27/25 and all minor league statcast figures are sourced from TJ Stats.
I’m in 13 dynasty leagues of all different sizes and formats and make many weekly transactions. Due to this, I will include my pickups and drops from the last week below to give you an idea of who I’m targeting and moving on from. Players are in the order I currently value them. Bold names with an “*” indicate that the player is highlighted in the article below.
MLB Pickups
Parker Meadows, Gabriel Moreno, Slade Cecconi (x2), Mike Soroka (x2), Alejandro Osuna, Daniel Palencia (x7), Spencer Horwitz, Daylen Lile (x5), Carlos Narvaez, Adrian Houser (x2), John Rave (x2) *, Victor Mesa Jr. (x2), DL Hall, Ronny Henriquez, Yariel Rodriguez, Mike Burrows
Luis Mey (x4), Joc Pederson, Alek Thomas (x2), Caleb Durbin, Chris Martin, Porter Hodge, Aaron Ashby (x3), Joey Bart (x2), J.T. Ginn, Matthew Lugo, Ramon Laureano, Matt Mervis, Connor Wong, Janson Junk, Jesus Tinoco, Sean Newcomb, Jose Butto, Carson McCusker
MiLB Drops
Bo Davidson, Victor Figueroa, Joey Loperfido (x2), Tim Elko, Marco Luciano, Osvaldo Bido, Matt Wilkinson, Ching-Hsien Ko, Brandon Walter, Christian Oppor, Walker Martin
Mid-Week Pickups
Esmerlyn Valdez - 21/1B,OF/PIT/A+
Height/weight: 6’2”/181 lbs Bats: R Fantrax Rostership: 3%
PLIVE+ (Career): 133 PLIVE+ (2025): 118
Top 600 Prospect Ranking (May 25): 346 My 400+ Prospect Ranking (May 25): 355
2024 stats (A): 435 PA .226/.352/.464, 22 HR, 4 SB, 13.6% BB, 30.6% K 2025 stats (A+): 190 PA .296/.374/.604, 14 HR, 0 SB, 10.0% BB, 25.3% K
Why To Pick Up
Esmerlyn Valdez has big-time power. Last season in Single-A, he posted a 76th percentile average EV, 87th percentile 90th EV, and a 90th percentile max EV of 112.5. His barrel rate, hard-hit rate, walk rate, pull, and air pull rates were all elite as well. The issue for Valdez came down to contact, particularly in the zone where he posted a 7th percentile zone contact rate of just 72.1%. That mark has taken an enormous step forward this season to 80.2%. His strikeout rate has been reduced by 5%, and his overall contact and whiff rates have also improved. In addition to the contact gains, the power is better than ever, with a .308 ISO and Baseball America reporting a new max EV of 114 mph this year.
Why To Think Twice
Valdez is defensively limited as a corner outfielder and likely ends up at first base, which puts a ton of pressure on his bat to perform. Despite the whiff rate improvements, it is still bad at 30.7%, and it's fair to wonder how he will fare in the higher levels of the minors. He won't contribute much, if anything, in stolen bases, either.
Final Thoughts
Valdez has been on my short list of names to write up for weeks, but a steep drop in walk rate held me back. The walk rate has been trending in the right direction, while the contact gains have stuck, so I'm finally jumping in. He's not a perfect prospect, but he's an interesting power play for medium-sized leagues. Shoutout to Tom Gates, who also wrote up Valdez recently.
Where to pick up: Leagues with 300+ prospects
FAAB bid: Minimal (0-5%)
Handelfry Encarnacion - 17/OF/MIL/CPX
Height/Weight: 5’11”/172 lbs Bats: L Fantrax Rostership: 1%
2024 stats (DSL): 127 PA .210/.378/.330, 2 HR, 4 SB, 18.1% BB, 16.5% K 2025 stats (CPX): 68 PA .283/.368/.550, 3 HR, 3 SB, 8.8% BB, 14.7% K
Why To Pick Up
The Brewers 2024 international signing class might be the best ever. In addition to Jesus Made, Luis Pena, and Jose Anderson, they appear to have struck gold on another name in Handelfry Encarnacion. Encarnacion. So far this season, he's shown a good combination of power and hit tool. He's already exceeded his homer total from the DSL in half the games and matched his doubles total with six. In the process, he has increased his ISO from .120 to .267. He does a great job of lifting and pulling the ball as well. The contact is excellent, with a 79.8% contact rate and a 7.8% swinging strike rate. Our own Complex/DSL expert Alex Jensen had this to say in a recent Daily Sheet writeup:
It’s a fully body swing, but Encarnacion generates a ton of bat speed and has plus pure bat-to-ball with a strong arm in the outfield.
Defensively, he's split time between CF and RF, and reports are that he is solid defensively, which should help his future opportunities. Encarnacion also signed for $400,000, so he had some pedigree before entering the Brewers system.
Why To Think Twice
Encarnacion has seen his walk rate drop significantly this year despite swinging far less than he did in the DSL. Alex also raised some concerns about his swing in another Daily Sheet blurb:
Issue I have is he’s kind of a daddy hacker. Swing isn’t too long, but it’s a hanging leg raise, swings with everything he has and big rock back to transfer when he starts the leg raise. Just makes me wonder if the contact will take a hit when he faces better stuff.
The stacked nature of the Brewers farm system could also limit or delay his future opportunities.
Final Thoughts
It feels like in every article and podcast, Kyle and I discuss a new Brewers prospect. Encarnacion is the latest, but that doesn't mean he should be ignored; he is very interesting. I've grabbed a few shares in deeper leagues, and I advise you to do the same.
Where to pick up: Leagues with 450+ prospects
FAAB bid: Minimal (0-5%)
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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.
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!
