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.
This weekend was a rough one for my fantasy teams, as I lost two of my playoff matches and lost a playoff spot on the last week of the season (thanks to Kyle, who also pummeled me in one of those playoff matches). Things were going fairly well until what I'm calling "Black Saturday," when everything began to unravel. It continued on Sunday and wasn't isolated to my baseball teams either, as I went 0-4 to start the fantasy football season. On the plus side, I still have four playoff teams alive (one redraft) with two leads and a legitimate shot to win all four. I am also competing for third place (and the final money spot) in three of the leagues I lost in, so I may not walk away empty-handed. My Roto leagues are also progressing well, and I'm currently sitting in the top three in a couple of them, but it will be challenging for me to secure titles there. Hopefully, you are all doing better!
Note: all stats current through Tuesday 9/9/25 and all minor league Statcast figures are sourced from TJ Stats.
Height/Weight: 6’2”/235 lbs Bats: R Fantrax Rostership: 5%
Top 600 Rankings (July 25): 368 My Top 450 Rankings (July 25): 325
PLIVE+ (Career): 140 PLIVE+ (2025): 146
2024 stats (A/A+/AA): 320 PA 242/.306/.391, 8 HR, 5 SB, 8.4% BB, 24.4% K 2025 stats (AA/AAA): 490 PA .284/.339/.473, 20 HR, 21 SB, 7.6% BB, 22.4% K
Why To Pick Up
Alderman, the 47th overall pick in the 2023 draft, has been a prospect who I've been intrigued by all season. However, his impressive Triple-A debut is what has me picking him up everywhere. Over the past week, I've added seven shares. At this point in the season, it's rare that I come across a player I feel the need to try to add everywhere, but Alderman is one of those players. Just how hot was that start to Triple-A? Well, he homered in his first four games at the level and has five home runs in nine games, slashing .313/.361/.813. The quality of contact Statcast has been predictably ridiculous in a small sample:
The raw power has never been a question with Alderman, who Fangraphs gave an incredible 80-grade for raw power. However, he hasn't always been able to actualize it in games, as he posted just a .111 ISO in his 34-game professional debut in 2023 and a .149 ISO in his 77-game 2024 season, which was shortened due to a fractured hand. It was more of the same in the first half of 2025, where Alderman posted the exact same .149 ISO in 76 games with nine homeruns heading into the All-Star break.
So what has held him back? Alderman has posted very high groundball rates throughout his career, with a 61.5% mark in 2023, a 49.0% mark last year, and a 54.2% mark earlier this year in Double-A. Something seems to have clicked into place at the All-Star break, though, as he posted a .202 with six home runs over his last 34 games at Double-A before his promotion to Triple-A. All told, he's posted a .288/.351/.551 slash since July 22nd with a .263 ISO, 11 home runs, and seven steals in 43 games. And while I can't split his groundball rate to that date, his Triple-A performance shows a significant decrease to 36.0%. Alderman has kept the strikeouts in check with a 22% mark at both levels this season and has posted contact rates in the low 70s. He's also stolen a surprising amount of bases at 21, after a previous career high of five in 2024.
Why To Think Twice
Alderman features an extremely aggressive approach and has predictable chase issues. His zone contact metrics don't align with Fangraphs, showing a good 85.1% while TJ Stats shows a much lower 79.5%.
The pull and air pull rates are something to monitor, but it's worth noting that the pull rate has fallen about 15% from where it was in Double-A and is likely just small sample noise. Alderman doesn't receive great grades as a defender and is a corner outfield bat only.
PLive+ is also a huge fan of the profile, predicting that Alderman will hit for both power and average:
Final Thoughts
While I probably went a little overboard with my aggressive pick-ups of Alderman, his massive power and proximity make him an intriguing target. If he has really learned to tap into that extreme raw power, there is huge upside here, but the sample is small, and approach concerns remain. Invest appropriately for your risk tolerance.
Where to pick up: Leagues with 250+ prospects rostered.
FAAB bid: Minimal (0-5%)
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Your one stop shop for Dynasty Fantasy Baseball, MLB Draft, Baseball Card & MiLB Baseball content. Blending Data & Scouting into our Player Evaluation
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!
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!
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!
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!
