Hello and welcome to the Dynasty Baseball Pickups written series! The end of the year is nearly upon us, and with that, Taylor and I have decided it is time to review each other’s work. If you've already read Taylor’s article from earlier this week, then you know that we are splitting this into two articles each in order to go more in-depth than last year (and if you haven’t read Taylor’s article yet, then make sure you go do that). Once again, Taylor did a fantastic job with his recommendations, which is not surprising given his exceptional work.
One important piece of information to keep in mind when looking at the Prospects Live rankings of these players is that there have been at least 100 new names added to the rankings with the introduction of this year’s FYPD class. That means that while many of these players have risen in the ranks since their recommendation, some may not have risen as much as you might have thought, or at all, but that could largely be due to the sheer number of new names appearing on the list.
*Note: all stats current through Friday, September 19/25 and all minor league statcast data is sourced from TJ Stats unless otherwise stated
Taylor Corso
Recommendation Grades
Carson Whisenhunt - 24/LHP/SF/AAA
Date recommended: 4/4/25
League size recommendation: 100+ prospects rostered
Prospects Live rank: Original PLIVE rank: 181 -> Midway PLIVE rank: 145 -> Current PLIVE rank: 194
Fantrax roster rate: Original Fantrax roster%: 28% -> Midway Fantrax roster%: 31% -> Current Fantrax roster%: 30%
Stats since writeup (AAA): 100 IP, 4.50 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 19.9% K%, 7.8% BB%
Stats since writeup (MLB): 23.1 IP, 5.01 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 15.7% K%, 11.8% BB%
Recommendation grade: D
Justification: Whisenhunt hasn’t found much success in Triple-A or the bigs this year. His changeup first profile, with fringey command, has made it difficult to strike out opposing hitters or even keep them off the bases. He flashed improved command early but took a step back following his big league call up and hasn’t been much better since his return to the minors. Despite a ground ball rate of better than 40%, he still gave up more than two home runs per nine innings during his time in the big leagues. He’s been shuttled back and forth between AAA and the majors, but he hasn’t had a scoreless outing at either level since May 13th and has just three such outings on the year. Sorry, Taylor, but I don’t think this one is going to work out for your Giants.
Kameron Misner - 27/OF/TB/AAA
Date recommended: 4/4/25
League size recommendation: 350+ prospects rostered
Prospects Live rank: Unranked -> Graduated
Fantrax roster rate: 12% -> 12% -> 9%
Stats since writeup (AAA): 157 PA, .203/.318/.421, 7 HR, 7 SB, 26.1% K%, 14%BB%
Stats since writeup (MLB): 202 PA, .202/.269/.322, 4 HR, 8 SB, 32.2% K%, 7.9% BB%
Recommendation grade: D
Justification: Misner went on the IL shortly after being sent down at the end of June. He missed nearly two months and hasn’t shown much to get excited about since his return. At the break, Taylor called this a C- due to the flash of usefulness after his recommendation and I don’t disagree with that evaluation but at this point we are far enough removed from that fantasy relevance for me to bump the grade down a little more.
Jake Mangum - 29/OF/TB/MLB
Date recommended: 4/4/25
League size recommendation: 350+ prospects rostered
Prospects Live rank: Unranked -> Graduated
Fantrax roster rate: 6% -> 39% -> 31%
Stats since writeup (AAA): 25 PA, .429/.520/.476, 0 HR, 0 SB, 12.0% K, 16.0% BB
Stats since writeup (MLB): 383 PA, .284/.319/.347, 2 HR, 23 SB, 14.4% K%, 4.4% BB%
Recommendation grade: B
Justification: The lack of power, combined with the decreased value in OBP leagues, brings Mangum’s real-life value down to an 85 wRC+ and holds me back from getting more excited on this one, but he has been a decent asset in average leagues while shining in points leagues. This is still a win for anyone who listened to Taylor, especially in those formats.
Tim Tawa - 26/2B,OF/ARI/MLB
Date recommended: 4/4/25
League size recommendation: 400+ prospects rostered
Prospects Live rank: 611 -> Graduated
Fantrax roster rate: 4% -> 9% -> 7%
Stats since writeup (AAA): 52 PA, .150/.308/.225, 0 HR, 0 SB, 25% K%, 15.4% BB%
Stats since writeup (MLB): 200 PA, .208/.273/.354, 6 HR, 8 SB, 27% K%, 8% BB%
Recommendation grade: C-
Justification: While Tawa has had stretches of fantasy relevance, the overall product hasn’t been great. He’s been well below average at the big league level overall, but if you’ve managed to roster him at the right times, you’ve been happy with what you’ve gotten..
Tyler Black (DROP) - 25/1B/MIL/AAA
Date recommended: 4/4/25
League size recommendation: AVG Leagues < 200+ Prospects, OBP/Points Leagues < 150+ Prospects
Prospects Live rank: 106 -> 215 -> 290
Fantrax roster rate: 31% -> 27% -> 26%
Stats since writeup (AAA): 297 PA, .256/.380/.378, 4 HR, 21 SB, 23.9% K%, 16.5% BB%
Stats since writeup (MLB): 13 PA, .250/.538/.375, 0 HR, 0 SB, 38.5% K%, 7.7% BB%
Recommendation grade: A-
Justification: Black has posted a 181 wRC+ over his small sample of five big league games this year, but that was due more to an unwillingness to swing the bat, resulting in a ton of walks. Black continues to slide in our rankings, and it’s pretty telling that when they needed 1B help, the Brewers chose to go outside the organization and bring in Andrew Vaughn rather than give Black a chance, even though he has managed a more encouraging 111 wRC+ during his time in Triple-A.
Chase Meidroth - 24/2B/CHW/MLB
Date recommended: 4/10/25
League size recommendation: AVG Leagues < 150+ Prospects, OBP/Points Leagues < 100+ Prospects
Prospects Live rank: 182 -> Graduated
Fantrax roster rate: 9% -> 42% -> 38%
Stats since writeup (MLB): 469 PA, .267/.343/.339, 5 HR, 13 SB, 14.1% K%, 9.4% BB%
Recommendation grade: B
Justification: Meidroth is one of those boring guys who’s just going to sit on your roster and probably won’t touch your lineup much except when other players have off days. When he does get into your lineup, he isn’t likely to provide much of a boost in the way of counting stats, but he won’t sink your ratios either. In shallower leagues, he might have even passed through a few different teams by way of the waiver wire, but there’s no denying an increase in value since Taylor’s recommendation.
Henry Bolte - 22/OF/ATH/AAA
Date recommended: 4/10/25
League size recommendation: 200+ prospects rostered
Prospects Live rank: 258 -> 135 -> 140
Fantrax roster rate: 9% -> 13% -> 14%
Stats since writeup (AA/AAA): 468 PA, .279/.380/.420, 8 HR, 44 SB, 29.9% K%, 11.8% BB%
Recommendation grade: A-
Justification: Bolte’s contact rates have returned to below-average levels but remain slightly improved compared to 2024. His power production has also come down, in part due to a 56% GB% in Double-A and a 66% rate in Triple-A, but his speed has continued to be a major factor. I’m not sure how well it will work in the majors, but his stock has certainly improved this year.
Dasan Hill - 19/LHP/MIN/A+
Date recommended: 4/10/25
League size recommendation: 250+ prospects rostered
Prospects Live rank: 316 -> 104 -> 101
Fantrax roster rate: 7% -> 16% -> 16%
Stats since writeup (A/A+): 58 IP, 3.26 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 29.9% K%, 15.7% BB%
Recommendation grade: A
Justification: Hill is the kind of high upside arm that people are looking for when they pick up a pitching prospect. The only thing holding him back from an A+ grade here is the command, but at just 19 years old with lots of time to grow into his lanky 6’5” frame, he’ll have plenty of opportunity to figure that out.
J.T. Ginn - 26/RHP/ATH/MLB
Date recommended: 4/10/25
League size recommendation: 350+ prospects rostered
Prospects Live rank: Unranked -> Graduated
Fantrax roster rate: 9% -> 12% -> 22%
Stats since writeup (AAA): 10.1 IP, 2.61 ERA, 1.65 WHIP, 23.4% K%, 14.9% BB%
Stats since writeup (MLB): 86.2 IP, 4.57 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 25.6% K%, 7.5% BB%
Recommendation grade: C+
Justification: Ginn has been in and out of the rotation in his time in the big leagues, as well as on and off the IL, and while he has shown enough reason to think you can stream him against weaker opponents on the road, or even hold on the back end of your roster in deeper leagues, he isn’t an arm I would want to be relying on. If you’ve already listened to our podcast from this weekend, then you know Taylor managed to bring me up a bit from my original grade of C, but I just can’t put someone I view as a streamer into B territory, even considering the increase in roster rate.
Matt Allan - 24/RHP/NYM/A+
Date recommended: 4/10/25
League size recommendation: 450+ prospects rostered
Prospects Live rank: Unranked -> 575 -> Unranked
Fantrax roster rate: 6% -> 6% -> 6%
Stats since writeup (A/A+): 17.1 IP, 4.15 ERA, 21.2% K%, 17.6% BB%
Recommendation grade: F
Justification: Allan was not very good in his return to game action, which is excusable given the fact that he hadn’t pitched in an official game since 2019. Unfortunately he also returned to the IL just a couple months after Taylor recommended him and was moved to the 60-day IL in August. While I didn’t find anything official from the Mets, it appears to be yet another elbow injury. I think the Matt Allan dream is dead, which is sad to say about a player I was once very excited about.
Gabriel Rincones - 24/OF/PHI/AAA
Date recommended: 4/17/25
League size recommendation: AVG Leagues < 250+ Prospects, OBP/Points (Daily Moves) Leagues < 200+ Prospects
Prospects Live rank: 298 -> 332 -> 328
Fantrax roster rate: 8%-> 8% -> 8%
Stats since writeup (AAA): 434 PA, .231/.373/.406, 15 HR, 20 SB, 22.8% K%, 17.1% BB%
Recommendation grade: B-
Justification: Taylor gave himself a D- on this one due to a really rough stretch of games from April 17 to July 17, but things have turned around since then as Rincones has slashed .294/.417/.588 with 10 HR and SB each, just a 19.6% K% and a 16.1% BB%. Neither our ranks nor the public perception seems to have caught on to the strong second half, but Rincones could be a player to look out for early in 2026.
A.J. Ewing - 21/OF/NYM/AA
Date recommended: 4/17/25
League size recommendation: 400+ prospects rostered
Prospects Live rank: 574 -> 84 -> 74
Fantrax roster rate: 2% -> 13% -> 15%
Stats since writeup (A/A+/AA): 519 PA, .304/.389/.404, 2 HR, 63 SB, 19.3% K%, 11.8% BB%
Recommendation grade: A
Justification: Taylor gave himself an A+ on this one at the All-Star break, and while I do think it was a fantastic recommendation, I just can’t quite get there, so he’ll have to settle for a plain old A. The majority of the skills look fantastic, and Ewing has clearly risen up the ranks and become much more widely rostered, but with just three home runs on the year (none since the end of June) and an ISO of exactly .100 since Taylor’s writeup, I just can’t bring myself to give him the plus. That doesn’t take anything away from Taylor’s early callout of one of the true breakouts in the minor leagues this year.
Adam Serwinowski - 21/LHP/LAD/AA
Date recommended: 4/17/25
League size recommendation: 300+ prospects rostered
Prospects Live rank: 301 -> 300 -> 314
Fantrax roster rate: 2% -> 3% -> 6%
Stats since writeup (level): 104.2 IP, 4.30 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 28.2% K%, 11.6% BB%
Recommendation grade: B
Justification: Did Taylor know something we didn’t? Maybe not since he gave himself a C- on this one at the All-Star break, but a trade to the Dodgers made a world of difference as Serwinowski improved his numbers across the board following the move. That includes seeing his BB% drop below 10% in his stint with the Dodgers' High-A affiliate, the first time he’s managed that feat at any stop. There are still strides to take, which is why he didn’t quite break into the A’s, but don’t be surprised if we see him take those strides in 2026.
Jack Wenninger - 23/RHP/NYM/AA
Date recommended: 4/17/25
League size recommendation: 500+ prospects rostered
Prospects Live rank: 594 -> 204 -> 152
Fantrax roster rate: 1% -> 9% -> 11%
Stats since writeup (AA): 125.2 IP, 3.08 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 25.3% K%, 7.5% BB%
Recommendation grade: A+
Justification: Wenninger continues to get overshadowed in a Mets system with an abundance of pitching prospects, but he might just be the kind of safe, steady presence they need at the back end of the rotation in a year or two to go along with all of the high upside arms we’ve seen debut this season.
Kris Bryant (DROP) - age/position/team/level
Date recommended: 4/17/25
League size recommendation: <700 MLB Players
Prospects Live rank: Graduated
Fantrax roster rate: 20% -> 14% -> 13%
Stats since writeup (MLB): Has not played since April 12th
Recommendation grade: A+
Justification: I really hope anybody actually rostering Bryant listened to Taylor. It’s an unfortunate turn for his career to take, but with his back continuing to give him issues, we may have seen the last of Kris Bryant.
Aroon Escobar - 20/2B/PHI/AA
Date recommended: 4/24/25
League size recommendation: 200+ prospects rostered
Prospects Live rank: 521 -> 50 -> 96
Fantrax roster rate: 9% -> 19% -> 19%
Stats since writeup (A/A+/AA): 473 PA, .252/.345/.374, 11 HR, 24 SB, 17.3% K%, 10.1% BB%
Recommendation grade: A
Justification: While I haven’t been the biggest believer in Escobar, there’s no denying that his stock has risen significantly since Taylor recommended him. His power dried up a bit following the initial write-up, and especially following his promotion to High-A, so I’ve got him just a touch lower than Taylor’s A+ grade at the All-Star break, but this was yet another excellent early call out of a big breakout season in the minor leagues.
Will Wilson - 27/2B,3B/CLE/AAA
Date recommended: 4/24/25
League size recommendation: 400+ prospects rostered
Prospects Live rank: Unranked -> 626 -> 749
Fantrax roster rate: 2% -> 3% -> 2%
Stats since writeup (AAA): 209, .218/.292/.362, 5 HR, 3 SB, 23% K%, 8.6% BB%
Stats since writeup (MLB): 87 PA, .189/.268/.243, 0 HR, 2 SB, 37.9% K%, 8% BB%
Recommendation grade: F
Justification: I could really just copy and paste a lot of what Taylor said about Wilson at the All-Star break and it would still hold true…so I will:
“I wrote up Wilson when he received an early-season call to the big leagues. Spoiler alert: it didn't go well. Wilson returned to the minors and raked again but showed far more swing and miss than he had when I wrote him up. He's now back in the bigs and doing no better the 2nd time around. I'm not writing off Wilson completely, but this is starting to look like a quad-A situation.”
Wilson has been up and down all year, and the only thing that has really changed is that he hasn’t performed nearly as well in Triple-A since the All-Star break. That’s why this grade has fallen to an F.
Victor Bericoto - 23/1B,OF/SF/AA
Date recommended: 4/24/25
League size recommendation: 350+ prospects rostered
Prospects Live rank: 507 -> 597 -> Unranked
Fantrax roster rate: 1% -> 1% -> 1%
Stats since writeup (CPX/AA/AAA): 394 PA, .263/.330/.433, 12 HR, 3 SB, 24.6% K%, 8.6% BB%
Recommendation grade: C-
Justification: Bericoto was flat-out bad between the time of Taylor’s recommendation and the All-Star break. He also got injured and was sent back down to Double-A upon his return, and even that didn’t seem to help. But something clicked again in July, and he slashed .318/.395/.472 with 5 HR in his final 48 games. He’s worth consideration once again, though probably only in slightly deeper leagues than what Taylor originally recommended him for.
Daniel Eagen - 22/RHP/ARI/AA
Date recommended: 4/24/25
League size recommendation: 350+ prospects rostered
Prospects Live rank: Unranked -> 238 -> 163
Fantrax roster rate: 3% -> 4% -> 8%
Stats since writeup (A+/AA): 104 IP, 2.86 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 31.3% K%, 11.8% BB%
Recommendation grade: A
Justification: Taylor didn’t give himself an A on Eagen at the All-Star break, but I will, thanks in large part to the fact that he cut his walks down a bit to a more manageable 10.5% since that time. The hype is starting to take hold now as his roster has doubled since the break, and some at Prospects Live had him inside their top 100 for the most recent update to our rankings. If you haven’t already, go listen to episode 34 of the On Deck podcast, where Drew Wheeler and Rhys White had the chance to interview Eagen.
Griff O’Ferrall - 22/2B,SS/BAL/AA
Date recommended: 4/24/25
League size recommendation: Points Leagues < 300+ Prospects, Other Leagues < 400+ Prospects
Prospects Live rank: 601 -> 385 -> 504
Fantrax roster rate: 3% -> 3% -> 3%
Stats since writeup (A+/AA): 449 PA, .234/.327/.290, 2 HR, 41 SB, 14.5% K%, 11.8% BB%
Recommendation grade: D
Justification: O’Ferrall did receive a late-season promotion to Double-A, but even with a 105 wRC+ in ten games (the best he’s posted over any stint in the minors), he still didn’t show much impact. He does make a ton of contact and draws his fair share of walks, so there’s a possibility he could someday hold down a role in the big leagues, but it just won’t likely be a fantasy-relevant one.
Gage Jump - 22/LHP/ATH/AA
Date recommended: 5/1/25
League size recommendation: 200+ prospects rostered
Prospects Live rank: 568 -> 38 -> 36
Fantrax roster rate: 4% -> 28% -> 30%
Stats since writeup (A+/AA): 94.2 IP, 3.23 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 26.3% K%, 7.6% BB%
Recommendation grade: A+
Justification: Jump’s last four outings of the year were pretty rough and resulted in a more inflated ERA than the rest of the season would suggest. If you remove those outings, he had a 1.55 ERA after Taylor’s write-up and held firm as a top 50 prospect in all of baseball despite the introduction of the 2025 FYPD class to our rankings. It’s also worth noting that Jump surpassed his collegiate innings total of 83 in 2024 by nearly 30 innings this year, a likely cause for the late-season fatigue. This is arguably Taylor’s best recommendation of the year, certainly on the pitching side of things.
Tim Elko - 26/1B/CHW/AAA
Date recommended: 5/1/25
League size recommendation: 350+ prospects rostered
Prospects Live rank: Unranked -> 282 -> 362
Fantrax roster rate: 6% -> 8% -> 5%
Stats since writeup (AAA): 303 PA, .260/.320/.498, 17 HR, 2 SB, 31% K%, 7.3% BB%
Stats since writeup (MLB): 72 PA, .134/.194/.328, 4 HR, 1 SB, 41.7%, 6.9%
Recommendation grade: D
Justification: Sorry Taylor, but I just can’t get behind a player like Elko who can’t even hold down a big league job with the White Sox. The raw power is still great, I just don’t think he gets to it enough in the big leagues for it to matter in fantasy.
Nate Dohm - 22/RHP/STL/A+
Date recommended: 5/1/25
League size recommendation: 300+ prospects rostered
Prospects Live rank: 580 -> 296 -> 352
Fantrax roster rate: 2% -> 4% -> 4%
Stats since writeup (A/A+): 56 IP, 3.37 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 27.2% K%, 10.3% BB%
Recommendation grade: B-
Justification: Dohm was dominant in High-A for the Mets organization but struggled to a 5.11 ERA at the same level following his trade to the Cardinals. It was a small sample of just five games, but between that, his roster percentage holding steady since the break, and this year’s FYPD class pushing him down our rankings a bit, I had to bump him down just a little from Taylor’s B grade at the break.
Mike Sirota - 22/OF/LAD/A+
Date recommended: 5/1/25
League size recommendation: 250+ prospects rostered
Prospects Live rank: 494 -> 53 -> 46
Fantrax roster rate: 7% -> 23% -> 24%
Stats since writeup (A/A+): 194 PA, .333/.464/.613, 10 HR, 4 SB, 21.1% K%, 20.1% BB%
Recommendation grade: A+
Justification: Sirota balled out in his pro debut. I was late to hop on the hype train, even after Taylor recommended him, but hopefully you all were smarter than I was. It’s still a very passive approach, and his season did end early due to a knee injury, but he rose too much for any of that to hold him back from an A+ grade on this one.
Jared Thomas - 22/OF/COL/AA
Date recommended: 5/1/25
League size recommendation: 250+ prospects rostered
Prospects Live rank: 315 -> 153 -> 126
Fantrax roster rate: 7% -> 11% -> 11%
Stats since writeup (A+/AA): 425 PA, .287/.380/.432, 10 HR, 28 SB, 28.2% K%, 12.5% BB%
Recommendation grade: A-
Justification: Thomas’ production fell off a bit following a promotion to Double-A. His power numbers and contact rates, in particular, took a hit, but he still managed a 114 wRC+ (compared to 146 in High-A), despite his ISO dropping to .129 and his K% spiking to nearly 35%. The relative struggles in Double-A have me knocking this down to an A-, but they don’t overshadow the success of the season as a whole, another excellent recommendation from Taylor.
Addison Barger - 25/3B,OF/TOR/MLB
Date recommended: 5/11/25
League size recommendation: 12+ team leagues
Prospects Live rank: Graduated
Fantrax roster rate: 13% -> 76% -> 70%
Stats since writeup (MLB): 423 PA, .250/.303/.472, 20 HR, 4 SB, 25.1% K%, 6.9% BB%
Recommendation grade: A+
Justification: Shame on you if you are among the 6% who dropped Barger since the All-Star break. This is a player Taylor and I had been following since the off-season, so hopefully you grabbed lots of shares early, like we did. He’s hit 20 home runs and will drive in at least 75 runs by the time the season is over, despite starting the year in Triple-A. He’s also shown an ability to make adjustments, meaning we may not have seen the best of Barger yet.
Nate George - 19/OF/BAL/A+
Date recommended: 5/11/25
League size recommendation: 350+ prospects rostered
Prospects Live rank: Unranked -> 277 -> 85
Fantrax roster rate: 1% -> 8% -> 14%
Stats since writeup (CPX/A/A+): 350 PA, .338/.415/.472, 3 HR, 49 SB, 16.6% K%, 10.6% BB%
Recommendation grade: A+
Justification: I have a feeling the Orioles are pretty happy to have gotten George in the 16th round of last year’s draft, and you should be extremely happy to have gotten him for free if you listened to Taylor’s advice. He’s got the necessary tools for an exciting power/speed blend, but he needs to lift the ball more to take advantage of his raw power, and he needs to be more efficient on the bases, as he was caught 25 times on 75 attempts. All in all, this was a fantastic pro debut for George, and one that saw him rise from relative obscurity into our consensus top 100 ranks by season’s end.
Kyle DeBarge - 22/2B/MIN/A+
Date recommended: 5/11/25
League size recommendation: 250+ prospects rostered
Prospects Live rank: 414 -> 189 -> 257
Fantrax roster rate: 5% -> 8% -> 7%
Stats since writeup (A+): 406, .223/.323/.327, 4 HR, 49 SB, 24.6% K%, 11.1% BB%
Recommendation grade: C-
Justification: At the All-Star break, Taylor mentioned a big slump that afflicted DeBarge through much of June and July and that carried into the second half as he slashed just .216/.319/.296 with a 28.6% K% and just an 83 wRC+ following that mid-season review. Taylor also mentioned a wrist injury as a possible reason for the dip in power, but he doesn’t appear to have hit the IL at any point in the second half. His value is back around where it had been when Taylor first recommended him, hence the grade, but if that injury really did sap his power, he could bounce back in 2026.
Eli Serrano III - 22/OF/NYM/A+
Date recommended: 5/11/25
League size recommendation: 300+ prospects rostered
Prospects Live rank: Unranked -> 313 -> 351
Fantrax roster rate: 2% -> 3% -> 2%
Stats since writeup (A+): 259 PA, .207/.305/.306, 3 HR, 6 SB, 20.1% K%, 12% BB%
Recommendation grade: D
Justification: To put it lightly, Serrano’s second half wasn’t very good and really strayed from what caught Taylor’s attention in the first place. He had a mere 82 wRC+ and with no home runs after his first game in July, posting an ISO of just .058 since the mid-season review. The major dip in production across the board lowers this grade to a D.
Rainiel Rodriguez - 18/C/STL/A+
Date recommended: 5/11/25
League size recommendation: 1 C Leagues 200+ Prospects, 2 C Leagues 150+ Prospects
Prospects Live rank: 268-> 83 -> 37
Fantrax roster rate: 6% -> 17% -> 23%
Stats since writeup (CPXA/A+): 347 PA, .273/.392/.542, 18 HR, 4 SB, 17.9% K%, 14.4% BB%
Recommendation grade: A+
Justification: The only three-time member of the Dynasty Pickups club, would you really expect anything other than an A+? The 18-year-old performed so well in Single-A that he was rewarded with a four-game taste test in High-A to end the year. This means that he’ll likely start the season there next year with an opportunity to end the year in Double-A at just 19 years old. He might move out from behind the dish, but that could be a good thing for his fantasy stock given the potency of his bat. Watch out for Rodriguez to continue climbing in 2026 (maybe he’ll even become the first and only FOUR-time member of the Dynasty Pickups club).
Jose Anderson - 18/OF/MIL/A
Date recommended: 5/15/25
League size recommendation: 250+ prospects rostered
Prospects Live rank: 391 -> 217 -> 324
Fantrax roster rate: 5% -> 8% -> 6%
Stats since writeup (CPX/A): 350 PA, .194/.269/.343, 8 HR, 7 SB. 29.1% K%, 7.7% BB%
Recommendation grade: D
Justification: After looking like a man among boys in a short 10-game sample in Complex ball, the aggressive push to Single-A proved to be too much for Anderson. He will still be just 19 years old when he presumably starts the 2026 season back in Single-A, so not all hope is lost, but he’ll need to show a much better understanding of the strike zone and an improved ability to make contact.
Ethan Workinger - 23/OF/ATL/AA
Date recommended: 5/15/25
League size recommendation: 400+ prospects rostered
Prospects Live rank: 654 -> 348 -> 750
Fantrax roster rate: 0% -> 1% -> 1%
Stats since writeup (AA): 379 PA, .211/.286/.320, 7 HR, 11 SB, 16.9% K%, 8.4% BB%
Recommendation grade: D
Justification: Workinger has now spent 150 games in Double-A, between 30 games last year and a full season at the level this year. You would hope that in that time, he would get acclimated and show signs of dominating his competition as he did at the two previous levels of full-season ball, but that just didn’t happen. He did reach career highs with 16 home runs and 12 steals, but the overall numbers aren’t enough to get you excited, and for that reason, his stock fell significantly in our consensus ranks.
Mick Abel - 24/RHP/MIN/AAA
Date recommended: 5/15/25
League size recommendation: 200+ prospects rostered
Prospects Live rank: 255 -> 86 -> 108
Fantrax roster rate: 27% -> 47% -> 40%
Stats since writeup (AAA): 52 IP, 1.90 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 30.6% K%, 10.2% BB%
Stats since writeup (MLB): 29 IP, 7.76 ERA, 1.76 WHIP, 17.5% K%, 8.8% BB%
Recommendation grade: C+
Justification: Abel has been shuttled up and down between the majors and Triple-A with two different teams now, and it looks like he might just be that type of pitcher. He has admittedly looked like the best version of himself in Triple-A, but we don’t count those numbers for fantasy. He’ll get more of a shot in Minnesota than he would have in Philadelphia, but I’m not confident he’ll be Abel to stick in that rotation…sorry.
Joswa Lugo - 18/SS/LAA/CPX
Date recommended: 5/15/25
League size recommendation: 300+ prospects rostered
Prospects Live rank: 475 -> 451 -> 532
Fantrax roster rate: 7% -> 7% -> 6%
Stats since writeup (CPX): 114 PA, .231/.377/.308, 1 HR, 1 SB, 30.7% K%, 16.7% BB%
Recommendation grade: F
Justification: Lugo didn’t touch the field after the start of July, so it’s difficult for me to disagree in any way with what Taylor had to say at the All-Star break:
“Lugo has shown nothing of the early-season skills that got me excited about him. There has been virtually no power, tons of swing-and-miss, and a poor average, despite a .333 BABIP, after I wrote him up. He's also only played one game since June 21st. The walk rate is the only plus you can point to, but at this point, I'm fully out. That's what I get for buying into an Angels prospect.”
Braxton Bragg - 24/RHP/BAL/AA
Date recommended: 5/15/25
League size recommendation: 350+ prospects rostered
Prospects Live rank: 333 -> 186 -> 283
Fantrax roster rate: 3% -> 8% -> 5%
Stats since writeup (AA): 25.1 IP, 2.84 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 29.7% K, 6.9% BB
Recommendation grade: C
Justification: Injuries derailed what was looking like a stellar breakout campaign for Bragg. He eventually required Tommy John surgery, crushing the dream of a recommendation that had A+ potential.
Joseph Sullivan - 23/OF/HOU/AA
Date recommended: 5/22/25
League size recommendation: 250+ prospects rostered
Prospects Live rank: 401-> 196 -> 171
Fantrax roster rate: 3% -> 6% -> 8%
Stats since writeup (A+/AA): 308 PA, .210/.360/.327, 6 HR, 25 SB, 26.3% L%, 15.6% BB%
Recommendation grade: B-
Justification: At the break, Taylor noted how Sullivan had flipped the script a bit and had been improving his strikeout rate while seeing his power trend in the wrong direction. He was hopeful that the second half would bring a meshing of the approaches, but I don’t think he wanted to see the worst of both approaches come to fruition. From July 17th on, Sullivan had a 30% K% and a .073 ISO to go along with just a .191 batting average. He also displayed concerning platoon splits; thankfully, he would at least be on the strong side of a platoon. Taylor gave himself a B+ at the break, and although I’ve had to knock it down a little bit, I can’t move it below a B- because public perception, as well as Sullivan’s consensus rank at Prospects Live, has improved greatly since the initial writeup. This might not be a popular opinion with some of my fellow PLive writers, as I know some are very high on him, but I think you should consider selling high on Sullivan.
Bo Davidson - 23/OF/SF/AA
Date recommended: 5/22/25
League size recommendation: 250+ prospects rostered
Prospects Live rank: 351 -> 255 -> 106
Fantrax roster rate: 5% -> 9% -> 11%
Stats since writeup (A+/AA): 375 PA, .263/.372/.427, 12 HR, 14 SB, 23.5%, 14.4%
Recommendation grade: A+
Justification: A win for Taylor and his Giants, this former undrafted free agent is looking like he could be a legit power/speed threat. Davidson has shown everything you’d want to see out of an early draft pick and came up just two home runs and one steal shy of a 20/20 season. He spent nearly two months in Double-A this year, which means that with continued success, there’s a non-zero chance he makes his big league debut in 2026, and you could have gotten him off your wire for free if you listened to Taylor.
Luis Mey - 24/RHP/CIN/AAA
Date recommended: 5/22/25
League size recommendation: All SVH leagues, SV leagues < 400+ MLB Players
Prospects Live rank: Unranked -> 672 -> Unranked
Fantrax roster rate: 18% -> 9% -> 7%
Stats since writeup (AAA): 30 IP, 2.10 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 29.5% K%, 10.7% BB%
Stats since writeup (MLB): 11 IP, 4.91 ERA, 2.27 WHIP, 21.4% K%, 14.3% BB%
Recommendation grade: D
Justification: It takes a lot for Taylor or me to recommend a relief pitcher, but Mey had been showing the kind of stuff and control gains that made him look like the future closer in Cincy. Unfortunately, the control disappeared almost immediately, and Mey ended up back in Triple-A, where things have admittedly improved, but he’ll need to show he can do it in the big leagues before we buy back in on the high-octane stuff.
Ching-Hsien Ko - 19/OF/LAD/A
Date recommended: 5/22/25
League size recommendation: 300+ prospects rostered
Prospects Live rank: 358 -> 237 -> 165
Fantrax roster rate: 3% -> 12% -> 12%
Stats since writeup (CPX/A): 316 PA, .297/.427/.410, 3 HR, 5 SB, 19.3% K%, 17.4% BB%
Recommendation grade: A+
Justification: Talk about a strong stateside debut, Ko slashed .310/.437/.439 across the entire season and showed excellent contact ability and zone recognition. He did hit a bit of a speed bump following his promotion to Single-A, but it’s nothing to be worried about at this point. Ideally, he’ll learn to lift the ball a little more, but there is plenty of time for that.
Jose Dickson - 18/SS/DET/CPX
Date recommended: 5/22/25
League size recommendation: 450+ prospects rostered
Prospects Live rank: Unranked -> Unranked -> Unranked
Fantrax roster rate: 0% -> 0% -> 0%
Stats since writeup (CPX): 116 AB, .198/.293/.250, 1 HR, 9 SB, 25.6%, 11.3%
Recommendation grade: F
Justification: As Taylor said about Dickson at the All-Star break, “move along, nothing to see here.”
Esmerlyn Valdez - 21/1B,OF/PIT/AA
Date recommended: 5/29/25
League size recommendation: 300+ prospects rostered
Prospects Live rank: 346 -> 227 -> 135
Fantrax roster rate: 3% -> 10% -> 10%
Stats since writeup (A+/AA): 335 PA, .284/.376/.520, 12 HR, 3 SB, 24.6%, 10.6%
Recommendation grade: A+
Justification: After a slow start following his promotion to Double-A, Valdez really hit his stride again. Kicked off by a three-hit day on July 30th, he slashed .291/.388/.455 with just a 23.1% K% through the final month and a half of the season. His contact rate actually ended up even better than what it was in High-A, and he finished the year with 26 home runs, planting himself in the conversation as one of the better power-hitting prospects in all of the minor leagues.
Handelfry Encarnacion - 18/OF/MIL/A
Date recommended: 5/29/25
League size recommendation: 450+ prospects rostered
Prospects Live rank: Unranked -> 348 -> 371
Fantrax roster rate: 1% -> 1% -> 5%
Stats since writeup (CPX/A): 260 PA, .232/.312/.330, 2 HR, 3 SB, 17.3% K%, 8.8% BB%
Recommendation grade: C+
Justification: Encarnacion didn’t turn 18 until the start of June, and the Brewers promoted him aggressively to Single-A in August. His performance there was dreadful, with just a 34 wRC+, which might make this grade of C+ a bit of a head scratcher, but if we dive below the surface, we actually see some really encouraging numbers. His BABIP was exceptionally low at just .198, implying plenty of bad luck, and he actually posted borderline plus contact metrics while showing a very strong approach as a player who was already young for his previous level, let alone following the promotion. There won’t likely be much discussion around Encarnacion in the off-season, but don’t forget this name; he could be a big riser in 2026.
David Shields - 19/LHP/KC/A
Date recommended: 5/29/25
League size recommendation: 400+ prospects rostered
Prospects Live rank: 511 -> 329 -> 153
Fantrax roster rate: 6% -> 7% -> 10%
Stats since writeup (A): 58.2 IP, 2.30 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 26.6% K%, 5.8% BB%
Recommendation grade: A+
Justification: Shields fell into a bit of a funk between May 29th and July 17th when Taylor reviewed his first half, resulting in Taylor giving himself a B- grade. After that, however, Shields dazzled with a 1.54 ERA and an exceptional 25.9% K-BB% in his final 35 innings of the year. Shields is a name on the rise, even if public perception hasn’t caught up just yet. 2026 could be a very big year, and I hope you got in early, just as I did when Taylor recommended him.
John Rave - 27/OF/KC/AAA
Date recommended: 5/29/25
League size recommendation: 600+ MLB players
Prospects Live rank: Unranked -> 461 -> 705
Fantrax roster rate: 3% -> 2% -> 3%
Stats since writeup (AAA): 72 PA, .242/.347/.419, 2 HR, 2 SB, 20.8% K%, 13.9% BB%
Stats since writeup (MLB): 145 PA, .205/.292/.331, 4 HR, 7 SB, 24.8% K%, 10.3% BB%
Recommendation grade: D
Justification: There’s still some deep league intrigue here due to Rave’s raw power and speed, but the party has been postponed until further notice. He did just get called back up to the big leagues, so keep an eye on him.
Roc Riggio - 23/2B/COL/AA
Date recommended: 5/29/25
League size recommendation: 500+ prospects rostered
Prospects Live rank: Unranked -> 321 -> 226
Fantrax roster rate: 1% -> 5% -> 5%
Stats since writeup (A+/AA): 295 PA, .264/.346/.488, 14 HR, 15 SB, 22% K%, 10.2% BB%
Recommendation grade: A
Justification: A trade from the Yankees to the Rockies did nothing to help Riggio’s stock; thankfully, he did plenty of that on his own. His power production did fall off following the trade, but he continued to show a solid approach with plenty of contact ability. There’s a fun blend of power and speed in this small package, and he could make his big league debut sometime in 2026, given the state of the Rockies roster.
Devin Fitz-Gerald - 20/3B,SS/TEX/A
Date recommended: 6/5/25
League size recommendation: 300+ prospects rostered
Prospects Live rank: Unranked -> 337 -> 136
Fantrax roster rate: 4% -> 6% -> 6%
Stats since writeup (CPX/A): 84 PA, .269/.417/.358, 1 HR, 5 SB, 14.3% K%, 19% BB%
Recommendation grade: A
Justification: If a shoulder injury in early July hadn’t ended Fitz-Gerald’s season, he might have risen even further. Unfortunately, that injury meant he didn’t get much of a chance for the power to show up in Single-A. He did however, manage to show off his patient approach, albeit bordering on passive, and he made plenty of contact. Look for him to build off a strong pro debut when he returns in 2026
Kenny Fenelon - 17/OF/MIL/DSL
Date recommended: 6/5/25
League size recommendation: 350+ prospects rostered
Prospects Live rank: 471 -> 423 -> Unranked
Fantrax roster rate: 3% -> 3% -> 2%
Stats since writeup (DSL): 210, PA, .198/.352/.327, 4 HR, 17 SB, 23.8% K%, 15.2% BB%
Recommendation grade: D
Justification: At the break, Taylor gave this recommendation an F and mentioned how he failed to catch lightning in a bottle after a quick two-game sample from Fenelon. While I don’t disagree that this was a miss by Taylor, I do think Fenelon provides enough lightning on the bases and thunder with the bat to remain interesting in the deepest of leagues. His 113 wRC+ through his final 21 games gives reason for optimism; there are just better prospects from the DSL to take a shot on.
Freili Encarnacion - 20/1B,3B/BOS/A+
Date recommended: 6/5/25
League size recommendation: 450+ prospects rostered
Prospects Live rank: Unranked -> 373 -> 448
Fantrax roster rate: 2% -> 4% -> 3%
Stats since writeup (A+): 258 PA, .202/.275/.343, 8 HR, 6 SB, 26.7% K%, 5.4% BB%
Recommendation grade: D
Justification: Taylor gave himself a C- when he reviewed his work at the break and cited the improved ranking and roster rate, as well as the fact that there was still plenty of time for Encarnacion to figure things out after a tough first stretch in High-A. Unfortunately, he didn’t figure things out, and both his ranking and roster rate slipped as a result. There’s at least enough power in the tank to keep him on the fantasy radar.
Jerar Encarnacion - 27/OF/SF/MLB
Date recommended: 6/5/25
League size recommendation: 450+ MLB players
Prospects Live rank: Unranked -> Graduated
Fantrax roster rate: 17% -> 4% -> 10%
Stats since writeup (CPX/AAA): 77 PA, .284/.377/.403, 2 HR, 1 SB, 29.9% K%, 10.4% BB%
Stats since writeup (MLB): 42 PA, .220/.238/.439, 2 HR, 1 SB, 26.2% K%, 2.4% BB%
Recommendation grade: F
Justification: Encarnacion’s opportunities have been few and far between, and he hasn’t done much with the chances he has gotten. That doesn’t look like it’s going to improve any time soon, either. You can safely move off of him if you still haven’t after Taylor told you to at the break.
Cedric De Grandpre - 23/RHP/ATL/A+
Date recommended: 6/5/25
League size recommendation: 500+ prospects rostered
Prospects Live rank: Unranked -> 691 -> 763
Fantrax roster rate: 1% -> 1% -> 1%
Stats since writeup (A+): 48 IP, 4.12 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, 26.1% K%, 17.9% BB%
Recommendation grade: D
Justification: De Grandpre had a decent stretch between Taylor’s recommendation and when he revisited it at the break, but it was really rough to end the season following that. His BB% spiked, his ERA ballooned to 5.34, and his peripherals didn’t look much better. He has the looks of a reliever who just hasn’t been moved to the bullpen yet.
Jaxon Wiggins - 23/RHP/CHC/AAA
Date recommended: 6/12/25
League size recommendation: 100+ prospects rostered
Prospects Live rank: 462 -> 102 -> 71
Fantrax roster rate: 9% -> 16% -> 24%
Stats since writeup (AA/AAA): 23.1 IP, 1.93 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 32.6% K%, 13% BB%
Recommendation grade: A+
Justification: The Cubs' usage of Wiggins since Taylor’s recommendation has been strange to say the least, but it hasn’t slowed down the hype train in any way. He’s pitched just seven times, but he’s been dominant over that stretch, while seeing his roster rate nearly triple and his Prospects Live consensus ranking approach top-50 status. A huge shout-out from Taylor and a major boost to any fantasy team that grabbed him while they could.
Yohendrick Pinango - 23/OF/TOR/AAA
Date recommended: 6/12/25
League size recommendation: 250+ prospects rostered
Prospects Live rank: Unranked -> 265 -> 220
Fantrax roster rate: 4% -> 6% -> 6%
Stats since writeup (AAA): 292 PA, .244/.344/.364, 4 HR, 1 SB, 19.2% K%, 12.7% BB%
Recommendation grade: C+
Justification: Pinango’s performance, and thus his ascension, has stalled out a bit since Taylor recommended him. The power, in particular, is down, especially when we look at what he’s done since Taylor reviewed his work at the break. In that time, he has just one home run and a .102 ISO. He’s still been a league-average hitter in Triple-A, but the Jays' outfield is going to be a very difficult one to crack in the coming years without a standout tool.
Maykel Coret - 17/OF/TB/DSL
Date recommended: 6/12/25
League size recommendation: 200+ prospects rostered
Prospects Live rank: 419 -> 372 -> 425
Fantrax roster rate: 6% -> 7% -> 7%
Stats since writeup (DSL): 162 PA, .257/.370/.338, 1 HR, 14 SB, 24.1% K%, 11.1% BB%
Recommendation grade: D
Justification: The power/speed blend was supposed to get us excited for Coret, but he put the ball on the ground a bit too much (43% GB%) and struck out too often to really put the power to good use. There’s still enough raw ability here that it’s too early to give up, but there are much better shots to take at the back end of your deep leagues' rosters.
Edward Florentino - 18/1B,OF/PIT/A
Date recommended: 6/12/25
League size recommendation: 300+ prospects rostered
Prospects Live rank: 493 -> 396 -> 24
Fantrax roster rate: 4% -> 20% -> 27%
Stats since writeup (CPX/A): 265 PA, .276/.394/.530, 11 HR, 31 SB, 22.3% K%, 14.3% BB%
Recommendation grade: A+
Justification: I don’t think Taylor foresaw this kind of rise from Florentino in the months following his recommendation, but what an excellent call this turned out to be. Arguably, the best recommendation either one of us had all season long. He showed everything we wanted to see from top prospects coming stateside, but did it as a relatively unheralded player entering the year. Props to Taylor for this one, and I hope you all listened to him.
Zach Thornton - 23/LHP/NYM/AA
Date recommended: 6/12/25
League size recommendation: 350+ prospects rostered
Prospects Live rank: 462 -> 398 -> 347
Fantrax roster rate: 3% -> 3% -> 3%
Stats since writeup (AA): 8.2 IP, 3.12 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 17.9% K%, 5.1% BB%
Recommendation grade: C
Justification: Another under-the-radar Mets arm. Thornton, unfortunately, went down with an oblique injury just a couple of weeks after Taylor’s recommendation; otherwise, he would have been a big riser. Keep an eye out for this arm in 2026.
Trey Gibson - 23/RHP/BAL/AAA
Date recommended: 6/19/25
League size recommendation: 350+ prospects rostered
Prospects Live rank: 391 -> 105
Fantrax roster rate: 3% -> 5% -> 16%
Stats since writeup (AA/AAA): 70 IP, 4.37 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 28% K%, 8.5% BB%
Recommendation grade: A+
Justification: Gibson had a tremendous season as he worked his way through three levels of the minor leagues, seeing his rank and roster rate skyrocket following Taylor’s recommendation. He’s hit a bit of a speed bump since arriving in Triple-A, but there’s plenty of reason to think he’s gotten unlucky at the level (like his .404 BABIP against). Gibson has a real shot to contribute early on in 2026.
Ryan Gallagher - 22/RHP/MIN/AA
Date recommended: 6/19/25
League size recommendation: 350+ prospects rostered
Prospects Live rank: 435 -> 405
Fantrax roster rate: 2% -> 2% -> 2%
Stats since writeup (A+/AA): 74 IP, 4.86 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 22% K%, 5.3% BB%
Recommendation grade: C-
Justification: Gallagher struggled a bit after the recommendation, especially after getting traded to the Twins. A trade can sometimes rattle a player, so I’m not going to hold that against him, but he’s going to need to bounce back in 2026.
Dominic Canzone - 28/OF/SEA/MLB
Date recommended: 6/19/25
League size recommendation: 15 team+ five outfielder leagues
Prospects Live rank: Graduated
Fantrax roster rate: 5% -> 17% -> 11%
Stats since writeup (MLB): 244 PA, .299/.357/.480, 10 HR, 2 SB, 21.7% K%, 7.4% BB%
Recommendation grade: A
Justification: Canzone has been better since the recommendation than his modest bump in roster rate would imply. That modest bump is likely due in part to the fact that he isn’t receiving everyday reps, but he is at least on the strong side of a platoon (despite not having alarming platoon splits). This is a name to watch next year.
Brandon Walter - 29/LHP/HOU/MLB
Date recommended: 6/19/25
League size recommendation: 12+ Teams
Prospects Live rank: 528 -> Graduated
Fantrax roster rate: 39% -> 42% -> 30%
Stats since writeup (MLB): 36 IP, 4.25 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 23.1% K%, 2.1% BB%
Recommendation grade: C-
Justification: Walter was a pleasant surprise this year. Unfortunately, he went down due to injury just one start after Taylor checked in on him in July, and after undergoing elbow surgery earlier this month, he now appears likely to miss most, if not all, of next year as well. Hope you enjoyed the ride while you could, but you’ll have to wait a while for it to reopen.
Christopher Morel (DROP) - 26/OF/TB/MLB
Date recommended: 6/19/25
League size recommendation: 15 team or shallower leagues
Prospects Live rank: Graduated
Fantrax roster rate: 48% -> 46% -> 41%
Stats since writeup (MLB): 122 PA, .2216/.287/.405, 6 HR, 4 SB, 40.2% K%, 9% BB
Recommendation grade: A+
Justification: Morel doesn’t see consistent playing time anymore, and even when he is on the field, he’s more likely to hurt your fantasy team than help it. A 41% roster rate is still too high; more people need to see this recommendation from Taylor
David Sandlin - 24/RHP/BOS/AAA
Date recommended: 6/26/25
League size recommendation: 300+ prospects rostered
Prospects Live rank: 485 -> 471
Fantrax roster rate: 7% -> 7% -> 7%
Stats since writeup (AA/AAA): 44.2 IP, 5.04 ERA, 1.57 WHIP, 21.3% K%, 9.9% BB%
Recommendation grade: D
Justification: Whether it’s the stiffer competition, the move to the bullpen, or surpassing last year's IP total by nearly 50 innings, Sandlin has really struggled since his promotion to Triple-A. He was solid through his last five appearances at Double-A, but the promotion has brought with it a 7.25 ERA and just a 6.3% K-BB%. Hopefully, the move to the pen is just a way to manage his innings, or maybe they were hoping he could be a big league bullpen option down the stretch, but if he returns to a relief role next year, I will have lost all interest until he proves he can do it at the big league level.
Jonathan Santucci - 22/LHP/NYM/AA
Date recommended: 6/26/25
League size recommendation: 250+ prospects rostered
Prospects Live rank: 295 -> 233
Fantrax roster rate: 8%-> 9% -> 12%
Stats since writeup (A+/AA): 61.2 IP, 2.48 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 32.4% K%, 8.9% BB%
Recommendation grade: A
Justification: As a rule of thumb, you should probably just pick up any Mets pitching prospect that Taylor recommends. Santucci’s promotion to Double-A didn’t slow him down at all; in fact, he got even better at the new level as he posted a 2.52 ERA (with a FIP and xFIP to match) and a 22.8% K-BB%. He’s another Mets arm that gets overshadowed because of the names at the top of the system, but look for him to continue rising in 2026.
Casey Schmitt - 26/2B,3B/SF/MLB
Date recommended: 6/26/25
League size recommendation: 12+ teams
Prospects Live rank: Graduated
Fantrax roster rate: 25% -> 17% -> 13%
Stats since writeup (MLB): 216 PA, .2215/.278/.374, 7 HR, 0 SB, 23.6% K%, 7.4% BB%
Recommendation grade: D
Justification: I didn’t include Schmitt’s brief two-game rehab stint in Triple-A because it didn’t seem relevant. It also wouldn’t have helped much, as he has posted just an 83 wRC+ in the bigs since Taylor’s recommendation. He’s safe to drop at this point.
Braden Nett - 23/RHP/ATH/AA
Date recommended: 6/26/25
League size recommendation: 200+ prospects rostered
Prospects Live rank: 609 -> 238
Fantrax roster rate: 4% -> 7% -> 8%
Stats since writeup (AA): 44.1 IP, 4.47 ERA, 1.65 WHIP, 21.5% K%, 11.5% BB%
Recommendation grade: B-
Justification: Nett struggled down the stretch, and his command was a big reason why. There was also some bad luck involved as an opponents' BABIP of .367 combined with the increased walk rate really spiked his WHIP and resulted in a downturn across the board. It was still a successful season overall, and after throwing 40 more innings than he did last year, it's easy to believe fatigue played a role in his struggles down the stretch. With a greatly improved ranking and a roster rate that doubled, this is still a win for Taylor.
Eduardo Rivera - 22/LHP/BOS/AA
Date recommended: 6/26/25
League size recommendation: 400+ prospects rostered
Prospects Live rank: 689 -> 526
Fantrax roster rate: 2% -> 2% -> 2%
Stats since writeup (AA): 42.1 IP, 3.40 ERA, 1.51 WHIP, 20.8% K%, 15.6% BB%
Recommendation grade: C-
Justification: Rivera’s ERA was solid, but his FIP was nearly a full run worse, likely due to the fact that his command really wavered in Double-A, and he struggled to keep runners off base. The roster rate remains unchanged, and his ranking actually improved since Taylor’s write-up, but the command gains he showed in High-A will need to return if he is going to gain momentum in 2026.
Final Grade
As a hitter, my motto was “swing hard in case you hit it,” and that looks like it was Taylor’s motto in these recommendations as well. Thankfully, he’s much better at this than I was at hitting a baseball, and he came away with a whopping 40% of his recommendations sitting in the A tier when I finished my review of his first half. He also had just 5 Fs, meaning he rarely missed the mark altogether. Now, let's take a look at how he graded himself at the All-Star break for comparison.
As we can see, his As, Cs, and Fs actually remained fairly consistent with his Bs and Ds, more or less flipping. I think what happened there is just that a number of players who had shown promising changes in the first half came back to earth a little bit and struggled more in the second half. The fact that he only had 5 complete whiffs (Fs) is still very impressive.
In total, Taylor racked up 33 As and Bs for a 51% success rate as far as players who gained value. That is down a little bit from the 37 hits, or 57% success rate, that he had at the break, and he did have a few more misses (20 Ds and Fs compared to 14 at the break), but I think a couple more home runs (As) is a fair trade-off for a slightly lower success rate overall. This confirmed what I already knew - Taylor had an excellent first half with a ton of big-time hits.
Thanks for reading, and make sure you check back next week when Taylor and I review each other’s second halves.
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