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.
I hope you all are doing well in your playoff matches! This week, Kyle and I discussed our HTH playoff strategies on the podcast. My playoff results are a bit of a mixed bag as I advanced to the second round in two of them (one bye), and am currently in six matchups (one bye). Of the non-bye matchups, I'm currently only leading two of them, although I have a shot to win four of the five if everything breaks right. The one that's pretty much over is a points league where my opponent has a massive lead in both points and starts remaining. To make matters worse, they were the team that also eliminated me in the finals of this league last year. Good luck in your own matchups!
Note: all stats current through Friday 8/29/25 and all minor league Statcast figures are sourced from TJ Stats.
David Hagaman was a 4th-round pick by the Texas Rangers in last year's draft, but he didn't debut until June, as he was recovering from an internal brace procedure he underwent prior to the draft. He didn't spend long pitching in the Rangers organization, as he was then moved at the deadline as part of the Merrill Kelly deal. In fact, he didn't pitch many innings in college either, throwing 73.1 innings across two seasons as a reliever before suffering an injury.
However, what Hagaman has done in his pro debut has been extremely impressive, especially when you consider what he's done since joining the Diamondbacks. Immediately after the trade, Arizona promoted him to High-A, and since then, he's actually been significantly better than how he performed at Single-A with the Rangers (which was already very good). At the new level across 17.1 innings pitched, Hagaman has put up a 2.60 ERA (2.41 FIP), 0.63 WHIP, 40.3% strikeout rate, and 3.2% walk rate. Each one of those marks represents an improvement over his Single-A numbers, as does his 17.5% swinging strike rate and his 68% rate of throwing strikes. He's also pitching deeper into games, averaging 4.1 innings per High-A start after averaging just 3.0 innings per Single-A start.
The massive decrease in walk rate (from 9.7% to 3.2%) between the two levels is the most exciting development to observe, as command and control have been the biggest knocks against Hagaman in scouting reports. Fangraphs gave Hagaman a 45 command grade, while MLB Pipeline gave the control a 40. However, it appears the Diamondbacks have helped him improve in that area. That's not all they've done, as Baseball America reported that they've also worked with him to introduce a new mid-80s curveball that he is using heavily now. It's an exciting addition to an arsenal that already includes a mid-90s fastball that maxes out at 98 with lots of run, a mid-80s gyro slider, and a mid-80s fading changeup. All three of those pitches receive at least above-average grades from both Pipeline and Fangraphs, with the fastball and slider receiving plus grades from Fangraphs. Our own scouts were even higher on the changeup, calling it a plus pitch in his trade deadline analysis article, although he's reportedly thrown it less since introducing the curveball.
Why To Think Twice
While Hagaman has thrown fewer than 40 innings this season, it's already more innings than he threw in any of his college seasons. There is some concern about his durability and how much he will hold up over more innings and longer outings. He's also a college arm that has faced off against less advanced competition in the low minors, and may not really be challenged until he reaches Double-A.
Final Thoughts
The more I dig into Hagaman, the more excited I become. With the potential for four above-average to plus pitches and vastly improved command and control, Hagaman looks like a pitcher whose stock is going to skyrocket over the next calendar year. There are some durability concerns, and we are dealing with a small sample here, but I'll be buying in early, and I suggest you do the same.
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!
