Weekend Dynasty Baseball Pickups - 9/28/25 (Year End Review Part 2)

Hello and welcome to the Dynasty Baseball Pickups written series! This is it, the final Dynasty Pickups article of the 2025 season. Taylor had an excellent first half, and I think you’ll all agree with me that he had a great second half as well. One thing to keep in mind with this article is that the sample size was far smaller, and there was less time to observe how our PLive ranks changed, as well as how the public perception of the player was affected. That means that many of these grades will be skewed more towards the middle and will also be a little bit more subjective than the ones I gave in Part 1 of my review of Taylor’s season, especially as we progress later in the article.

On a personal note, this has been a very successful year of fantasy baseball for me. So far, I’ve racked up three championships, a second-place finish, and a third. I have two more third-place matchups wrapping up this weekend, as well as the PLive Dynasty League championship, in which I am facing off against Taylor. Fingers crossed that I can finish off a strong season with a few more podium finishes and one more championship, which would be that much sweeter, given the opportunity to do so against Taylor, as well as in a league alongside many fellow PLive staff members and subscribers. Hopefully, you all had very successful seasons as well, and hopefully Taylor and I played a small part in helping you bolster those championship rosters. Now let’s get into the final portion of our year-end review.

*Note: all stats current through Friday, September 19/25 and all minor league statcast data is sourced from TJ Stats unless otherwise stated

Recommendation Grades

Chase Harlan - 19/3B/LAD/A

Date recommended: 7/3/25

League size recommendation: 300+ prospects rostered

Prospects Live rank: 430 -> 240

Fantrax roster rate: 5% -> 11%

Stats since writeup (CPX/A): 169 PA, .245/.361/.357, 3 HR, 3 SB, 25.4% K%, 14.8% BB%

Recommendation grade: B-

Justification: Harlan went nuts from June 12th to July 3rd (when Taylor wrote him up), blasting six home runs, posting an ISO above .400, and cutting his K% to just 12% over that span. After that, he came back down to earth, though, with an ISO just over .100 and a K% more than twice what it had been over his hot stretch. What he did after the recommendation was more average than truly exciting, with a 103 wRC+, but he showed enough improvement throughout the season as a whole to catch the attention of folks around the dynasty community, seeing his roster rate more than double and jumping nearly 200 spots in our PLive prospect rankings. He should continue to rise in 2026 as long as he can maintain and improve his contact ability.

Esteban Mejia - 18/RHP/BAL/A

Date recommended: 7/3/25

League size recommendation: 350+ prospects rostered

Prospects Live rank: Unranked -> 125

Fantrax roster rate: 5% -> 21%

Stats since writeup (CPX/A): 19.2 IP, 3.66 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 28.9% K%, 14.4% BB%

Recommendation grade: A+

Justification: Although I might not agree with how high some rankings have pushed Mejia (inside the top 100 in some cases), there is no denying that he has been a major riser since Taylor’s recommendation. There is still extreme risk with a dynamic arm this young, but there’s immense upside as well. He’ll need to learn to harness his stuff better to stick as a starter, but there’s a clear path to a lockdown closer here with the stuff. The major caveat is health.

Wilber Dotel - 22/RHP/PIT/AA

Date recommended: 7/3/25

League size recommendation: 400+ prospects rostered

Prospects Live rank: Unranked -> 439

Fantrax roster rate: 1% -> 2%

Stats since writeup (AA): 56 IP, 4.34 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 20.2% K%, 8.3% BB%

Recommendation grade: C+

Justification: Despite the fact that there is a case to be made for three above-average or better pitches in Dotel’s arsenal, he had a tough time striking out hitters in the latter half of the season. What had been a 28% K% through July 3rd dipped nearly 8% following Taylor’s recommendation. At 125.2 total innings on the year, he topped last year's mark of 106.1, which had been his previous career high, so maybe there was some fatigue to blame through the later part of the year. He’s at least on the fantasy radar now, but still has work to do.

John Klein - 23/RHP/MIN/AAA

Date recommended: 7/3/25

League size recommendation: 500+ prospects rostered

Prospects Live rank: Unranked -> 468

Fantrax roster rate: 0% -> 1%

Stats since writeup (AA/AAA): 43.1 IP, 5.40 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 25.6% K%, 9.7% BB%

Recommendation grade: C-

Justification: Klein received a promotion to Triple-A a month after Taylor’s recommendation, and while he struggled to a 6.66 ERA and saw his BB% rise a couple of percentage points at the new level, his K% also rose a few percentage points, and his FIP was a much stronger 3.30. His dynasty value hasn’t changed much since the write-up, and with his performance looking better under the surface, I didn’t feel the need to drop this down to a D.

Aidan Longwell - 23/1B/COL/A+

Date recommended: 7/3/25

League size recommendation: 600+ prospects rostered

Prospects Live rank: Unranked -> Unranked

Fantrax roster rate: 0% -> 0% -> 0%

Stats since writeup (A+): 230 PA, .241/.325/.382, 4 HR, 3 SB, 19.1% K%, 10.4% BB%

Recommendation grade: C+

Justification: For being a deep league dart throw, this recommendation aged pretty well. The production overall did take a step back following Taylor’s write-up, but Longwell still displayed improved power relative to previous years. He is a Rockies prospect and hasn’t gained much momentum in the dynasty community, but he might now be a dart throw in leagues of 500+ prospects rostered, a slight improvement over Taylor’s recommendation.

Alex Clemmey - 20/LHP/WSH/AA

Date recommended: 7/10/25

League size recommendation: 150+ prospects rostered

Prospects Live rank: 254 -> 183

Fantrax roster rate: 14% -> 15% -> 22%

Stats since writeup (A+/AA): 52 IP, 3.63 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 21.9% K%, 12.3% BB%

Recommendation grade: B-

Justification: Though walks continued to be an issue for Clemmey following Taylor’s write-up, there was a slight improvement in that regard. Taylor recommended him in part due to two consecutive outings allowing zero walks, and while he did that just one more time following the write-up, he did cut his BB% more than 3% (from 15.9%) in the second half, and it was even better following his promotion to Double-A, where he walked 9.9% of batters he faced over six starts. Unfortunately, his K% also dipped significantly at the new level, almost halving from 30% in High-A to 17.6% in Double-A. He was young for the new level, so I can’t knock him much for struggling there, but he will need to continue improving his command if his stock is going to rise further.

Tyler Locklear - 24/1B/ARI/MLB

Date recommended: 7/10/25

League size recommendation: Shallow leagues

Prospects Live rank: 213 -> Graduated

Fantrax roster rate: 21% -> 23% -> 28%

Stats since writeup (AAA): 59 PA, .449/.508/.898, 6 HR, 3 SB, 22% K%, 10.2% BB%

Stats since writeup (MLB): 116 PA, .175/.267/.262, 3 HR, 3 SB, 37.1% K%, 8.6% BB%

Recommendation grade: D

Justification: Locklear looked like a Quad-A player following the write-up, that is, until an elbow injury ended his season in the first week of September. His trade to Arizona meant he would have an opportunity to play every day, but he didn’t do much to take advantage of that. His value isn’t dead in the water, but pay attention to any moves the Diamondbacks make in the off-season. If they bring in a veteran 1B, it might spell bad news for Locklear.

Dakota Jordan - 22/OF/SF/A

Date recommended: 7/10/25

League size recommendation: 200+ prospects rostered

Prospects Live rank: 268 -> 200

Fantrax roster rate: 7% -> 8% -> 11%

Stats since writeup (A): 47 PA, .378/.404/.711, 5 HR, 0 SB, 23.4% K%, 4.3% BB%

Recommendation grade: C+

Justification: Every time he looked ready for a promotion, Jordan found himself on the injured list, which meant he spent the entire year in Single-A dominating pitchers much younger than him. He still has some of the loudest tools in the organization, so hopefully the contact improvements can hold true against older competition next year, but he’ll need to show it against more age-appropriate pitching before I buy all the way in.

Marconi German - 18/2B,SS/WSH/DSL

Date recommended: 7/10/25

League size recommendation: 400+ prospects rostered

Prospects Live rank: Unranked -> 204

Fantrax roster rate: 4% -> 7% -> 11%

Stats since writeup (DSL): 102 PA, .289/.461/.500, 3 HR, 16 SB, 24.5% K%, 19.6% BB%

Recommendation grade: A-

Justification: Every year, there are players who pop up in the DSL and take the baseball world by storm. While German didn’t quite catch that much attention, he did have one of the better all-around seasons at the level. The one concern I have is the elevated K% through his final 100 PAs, but this will be one of the names to watch when he comes stateside next year. An excellent call by Taylor to get in on him before the hype really took off.

Joey Loperfido - 26/OF/TOR/MLB

Date recommended: 7/10/25

League size recommendation: Deeper 12+ Team Leagues

Prospects Live rank: Graduated

Fantrax roster rate: 14% -> 19% -> 19%

Stats since writeup (AAA): 58 PA, .192/.276/.288, 1 HR, 1 SB, 19% K%, 8.6% BB%

Stats since writeup (MLB): 90 PA, .329/.382/.488, 3 HR, 1 SB, 27.8% K%, 4.4% BB%

Recommendation grade: C-

Justification: Loperfido has bounced between the bigs and Triple-A all year, and it hasn’t done anything to help his confidence or performance. While his overall numbers in the majors since Taylor’s write-up are solid, they are pretty front-loaded - since August 8th, he’s been used sparingly and has posted just a .167/.200/.375 slash line. Toronto’s OF is a tough one to crack and doesn’t look like it’ll be getting any easier next year.

Kendry Rojas - 22/LHP/MIN/AAA

Date recommended: 7/24/25

League size recommendation: 200+ prospects rostered

Prospects Live rank: 466 -> 157

Fantrax roster rate: 11% -> 18%

Stats since writeup (AA/AAA): 36.2 IP, 7.36 ERA, 2.18 WHIP, 21.5% K%, 13.1% BB%

Recommendation grade: B

Justification: Rojas made just one more start in Double-A following Taylor’s write-up and just one start in Triple-A before being moved to the Twins at the deadline. He really struggled in the highest level of the minors, most notably seeing his K-BB% drop from 37.3% in Double-A to a mere 5.3% in Triple-A. The rise in our ranks and the improvement in our roster rate warrant an A grade, but Rojas’ performance is dragging this down.

Christian Oppor - 21/LHP/CHW/A+

Date recommended: 7/24/25

League size recommendation: 350+ prospects rostered

Prospects Live rank: 411 -> 235

Fantrax roster rate: 3% -> 6%

Stats since writeup (A+): 29 IP, 2.48 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 29.5% K%, 13.9% BB%

Recommendation grade: B+

Justification: Oppor’s control was up and down all season; unfortunately, it was more down than up following his appearance in Taylor’s article. Everything else looked quite good, but with the command remaining inconsistent, he has failed to shake the reliever risk tag. He does have the kind of stuff to dominate out of the bullpen, but I can’t give an A to an arm with this much reliever risk.

Yonathan Perlaza - 26/OF/SD/AAA

Date recommended: 7/24/25

League size recommendation: 500+ prospects rostered

Prospects Live rank: 579 -> 653

Fantrax roster rate: 1% -> 1%

Stats since writeup (AAA): 226 PA, .314/.398/.500, 7 HR, 3 SB, 14.2% K%, 12.4% BB%

Recommendation grade: C

Justification: Perlaza continued to dominate in Triple-A through the last couple months of the season, but with his roster rate remaining at just 1% he isn’t a name you need to grab unless he actually gets the call to the big leagues. He already spent 2024 in the KBO, and after another full season spent in the minors, you have to wonder if he will head back for 2026.

Jacob Bresnahan - 20/LHP/SF/A

Date recommended: 7/24/25

League size recommendation: 400+ prospects rostered

Prospects Live rank: Unranked -> 531

Fantrax roster rate: 2% -> 4%

Stats since writeup (A): 31 IP, 2.03 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 32.6% K%, 11.4% BB%

Recommendation grade: B-

Justification: Taylor mentioned that a promotion to High-A and subsequent strong performance could really boost Bresnahan’s value. Unfortunately, that promotion never materialized, but he continued to perform well in Single-A. The main knock was and still is the command, as the year-long 11.3% BB% and 64% strike% are only slight improvements over his 2024 numbers. There is strong strikeout ability in the young left-hander's arm, though, and a solid performance in High-A next year would still go a long way in continuing to boost his value.

Aiden May - 22/RHP/MIA/P

Date recommended: 7/24/25

League size recommendation: 450+ prospects rostered

Prospects Live rank: Unranked -> Unranked

Fantrax roster rate: 1% -> 2%

Stats since writeup (A): 17.2 IP, 3.57 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 24.7% K%, 15.6% BB%

Recommendation grade: D

Justification: Here were Taylor’s final thoughts on May when he recommended him:

“May is a sneaky add right now in deeper leagues. Most probably don't realize he's back from injury and he's essentially been forgotten about. Use that to your advantage in deeper leagues to get ahead of the potential hype. Just be ready to move on quickly if he doesn't pan out.”

With just a modest bump in roster rate and failing to crack our top prospects list, much of that is still true, and he could still be a sneaky add ahead of the 2026 season. His walk rate and injury history are major concerns, but with a more normal offseason under his belt, he could come back looking much stronger next year.

Ty Johnson - 23/RHP/TB/AA

Date recommended: 7/31/25

League size recommendation: 200+ prospects rostered

Prospects Live rank: 260 -> 206

Fantrax roster rate: 10% -> 16%

Stats since writeup (AA): 37.1 IP, 2.65 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, 35% K%, 5% BB%

Recommendation grade: A+

Justification: Johnson had been dominant through the first half with a 2.59 ERA and 1.00 WHIP at the time of Taylor’s recommendation. The one knock was a walk rate that teetered on the edge of the danger zone at 10.7%, but after the end of July, he cut that BB% in half, and his overall line improved even further. Even 206 overall feels a touch low at this point, and I was part of the problem as I didn’t realize just how good he had been this year and didn’t rank him appropriately. He will be a big riser in my personal ranks the next time we update.

Yophery Rodriguez - 19/OF/BOS/A+

Date recommended: 7/31/25

League size recommendation: 150+ prospects rostered

Prospects Live rank: 229 -> 270

Fantrax roster rate: 11% -> 14%

Stats since writeup (A+): 97 PA, .172/.247/.241, 0 HR, 0 SB, 18.6% K%, 9.3% BB%

Recommendation grade: D-

Justification: Rodriguez was a player I thought was going to rise from the moment he got traded to Boston, but it just hasn’t panned out that way. He had a hot stretch in the middle of the season that started to get me and Taylor excited again, but he cooled off to end the year. The only reason this isn’t an F is that his roster rate has actually gone up on Fantrax. That might mean there is still an opportunity to get something back for him. I would explore the trade market this off-season.

Aron Estrada - 20/2B/BAL/AA

Date recommended: 7/31/25

League size recommendation: 450+ prospects rostered

Prospects Live rank: 474 -> 244

Fantrax roster rate: 2% -> 8%

Stats since writeup (AA): 102 PA, .293/.353/.446, 3 HR, 4 SB, 15.7% K%, 8.8% BB%

Recommendation grade: A

Justification: While Estrada’s power ceiling will likely always be limited due to his lack of size, he did take notable strides in that regard in 2025 and very sneakily posted a .200 ISO with 5 HR over 27 games following his promotion to Double-A, where he was quite young for the level. His contact rates are excellent, and he stole 34 bases on 40 attempts, achieving an 85% success rate. This marks a significant improvement from his 75% success rate in 2024, when he stole 39 bases. There may not be as much ceiling here as some other A-grade players, but this was sneakily one of Taylor’s best recommendations of the second half.

Gabriel Davalillo - 17/C/LAA/DSL

Date recommended: 7/31/25

League size recommendation: 2 catcher leagues with 400+ prospects / 1 catcher leagues with 500+ prospects

Prospects Live rank: 642 -> 573

Fantrax roster rate: 2% -> 5%

Stats since writeup (DSL): 30 PA, .250/.400/.458, 1 HR, 0 SB, 26.7% K%, 20% BB%

Recommendation grade: C+

Justification: With less than a month left in the DSL season following Taylor’s write-up, and with Davalillo missing about two weeks at the start of August, there wasn’t much of a sample for him to raise his stock with. That would have been a difficult feat anyway as a DSL catcher, but he certainly had a strong first season of professional baseball. Strikeouts were a bigger issue over his last 30 PAs than his year-long 12.4% K% would indicate, but that is still something to keep an eye on when he (hopefully) moves stateside next year.

Sebastian Dos Santos - 17/2B,SS/STL/DSL

Date recommended: 7/31/25

League size recommendation: 500+ prospects rostered

Prospects Live rank: Unranked -> 671

Fantrax roster rate: 0% -> 1%

Stats since writeup (DSL): 55 PA, .324/.509/.541, 1 HR, 6 SB, 3.6% K%, 23.6% BB%

Recommendation grade: B

Justification: A 20% BB-K rate in the DSL (or anywhere for that matter) immediately has my attention, especially when you consider he had a 24.3% K rate at the time of Taylor’s recommendation. An ISO over .200 doesn’t hurt either, but this remains a B grade due to the fact that the dynasty community, including us here at Prospects Live, just hasn’t gotten excited about Dos Santos. But remember the name because just as Taylor said, he could be one to jump up rankings in the offseason.

Luis Cova - 18/OF/MIA/DSL

Date recommended: 8/7/25

League size recommendation: 350+ prospects rostered

Prospects Live rank: 595 -> 407

Fantrax roster rate: 4% -> 6%

Stats since writeup (DSL): 16 PA, .286/.375/.571, 1 HR, 1 SB, 12.5% K%, 12.5% BB%

Recommendation grade: B

Justification: Cova had a much better season in his second go of the DSL, and that’s something Taylor and I are both adjusting to not dinging players as much for. The only aspect of his game to take a step back in 2025 was his K%, but that actually came with a much-improved swinging-strike rate; he was just more passive this year, according to Fangraphs. Remember, though, swing and contact rates coming out of the DSL need to be taken with a grain of salt. Cova is still mostly a deep league flier for me, but he has definitely improved his stock. If he comes out swinging the bat well stateside in 2026, he could be a fast riser.

Nestor German - 23/RHP/BAL/AAA

Date recommended: 8/7/25

League size recommendation: 250+ prospects rostered

Prospects Live rank: 340 -> 274

Fantrax roster rate: 8% -> 10%

Stats since writeup (AA/AAA): 35.1 IP, 3.82 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 25.9% K%, 9.8% BB%

Recommendation grade: B+

Justification: German had a strong year, posting a 3.93 ERA over a career-high 123.2 IP. He hit a bit of a rough patch following his promotion to Double-A, but was able to right the ship and had a 2.93 ERA over his final five starts at the level before earning a promotion to Triple-A. He made just two starts at the highest level of the minors and didn’t fare particularly well (7.04 ERA over 7.2 IP), but given how he adjusted to Double-A, I’ll be giving him time to adjust when he returns to the level in 2026 before he could potentially make a big league impact. If you haven’t gotten in on him yet, keep an eye on his early results next year.

Jose Corniell - 22/RHP/TEX/AAA

Date recommended: 8/7/25

League size recommendation: 350+ prospects rostered

Prospects Live rank: 489 -> 304

Fantrax roster rate: 5% -> 12%

Stats since writeup (AA/AAA): 24.2 IP, 2.19 ERA, 0.81 WHIP, 28% K%, 6.5% BB%

Recommendation grade: B

Justification: While Corniell’s season was abbreviated (just 38 IP over 13 starts), he did well to recover a lot of the value lost while he was on the shelf recovering from UCL surgery. He ended the season with a sub-2.00 ERA, the best BB% of his career at 6.2%, and a solid 21.9% K%. He might still be out there on the wire in your league, so make sure you don’t forget about him when roster moves open back up.

Brandon Butterworth - 23/2B,SS/BAL/AA

Date recommended: 8/7/25

League size recommendation: 450+ prospects rostered

Prospects Live rank: 607 -> 527

Fantrax roster rate: 0% -> 0%

Stats since writeup (AA): 122 PA, .196/.311/.314, 1 HR, 7 SB, 14.8% K%, 11.5% BB%

Recommendation grade: C-

Justification: Butterworth got off to a hot start following his trade from San Diego and promotion to Double-A by Baltimore, but it ended abruptly, and he went into a tailslide to end the year. He still showed an interesting blend of hit and power that weren’t a part of his scouting report coming into the year, but his performance to end the season left a bad taste in my mouth. He’s at least on the fantasy radar now.

Louis Andujar - 17/3B/BOS/DSL

Date recommended: 8/7/25

League size recommendation: 450+ prospects rostered

Prospects Live rank: Unranked -> 464

Fantrax roster rate: 0% -> 2%

Stats since writeup (DSL): 37 PA, .267/.378/.367, 1 HR, 1 SB, 18.9% K%, 16.2% BB%

Recommendation grade: C+

Justification: In his initial write-up, Taylor mentioned how Andujar compared favorably to a player I’ve already given an A grade - Marconi German. Unlike German, Andujar’s performance tailed off a bit to end the year, especially in the power department, where he saw his ISO dip from over .300 pre-recommendation to just .100 after. It’s hard to knock a player too much for just a 37 PA sample, but he also didn’t gain nearly the same hype as German, and for that reason, his grade is much less favourable.

Braylon Doughty - 19/RHP/CLE/A

Date recommended: 8/14/25

League size recommendation: 100+ prospects rostered

Prospects Live rank: 215 -> 223

Fantrax roster rate: 14% -> 18%

Stats since writeup (A): 4 IP, 0.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 29.4% K%, 0% BB%

Recommendation grade: B

Justification: Doughty made just one more start following his appearance in Taylor’s article before his season ended due to shoulder inflammation, but it was still a successful first season for the young righty. His ERA, FIP, and xFIP were all more than half a run better than his 3.48 ERA; he posted a very strong 21% K-BB%, and he pounded the strike zone to a very nice 69% strike%. Despite slipping a few spots in our rankings, he could easily be considered a borderline top 100 prospect in the game and someone you should grab as soon as possible if he is somehow still available in your league.

Juan Sanchez - 17/3B,SS/TOR/DSL

Date recommended: 8/14/25

League size recommendation: 350+ prospects rostered

Prospects Live rank: Unranked -> 326

Fantrax roster rate: 4% -> 15%

Stats since writeup (DSL): 22 PA, .333/.364/.619, 1 HR, 0 SB, 13.6% K%, 4.5% BB%

Recommendation grade: A

Justification: It warms my heart to give Taylor such a strong grade on a Blue Jays prospect, but my fandom has nothing to do with this. With a 156 wRC+, Sanchez was one of the best hitters in the DSL this year and was relatively unheralded at the time of his recommendation. That changed very quickly, though, as the past month has seen Sanchez’s roster rate nearly quadruple, and he debuted on the Prospects Live top 600 well inside the top 350. My only concern is the 17.4% K% compared to his 10.3% BB%, but we’ll see how the approach looks when he comes stateside.

Luis De Leon - 22/LHP/BAL/AA

Date recommended: 8/14/25

League size recommendation: 400+ prospects rostered

Prospects Live rank: Unranked -> 487

Fantrax roster rate: 2% -> 4%

Stats since writeup (A+/AA): 25.2 IP, 2.10 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 38.3% K%, 13.1% BB%

Recommendation grade: B

Justification: If you ask Rhys White, he’d probably tell you that people are too low on De Leon. As someone who didn’t have him inside my top 450 in our last update, I will acknowledge that I am part of the problem. He posted a 3.30 ERA on the year with strong K rates across three levels. Walks can be a bit of an issue at times, and he did throw just 62% of his pitches for strikes this year, which is why some see a relief role in his future, but if he can learn to better harness his stuff, he could really rise. To me, he looks like a worthy add in leagues of 300+ prospects rostered at this point.

Silvano Hechavarria - 22/RHP/TOR/A+

Date recommended: 8/14/25

League size recommendation: 450+ prospects rostered

Prospects Live rank: Unranked -> 419

Fantrax roster rate: 1% -> 1%

Stats since writeup (A+): 22.1 IP, 3.22 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 20.7% K%, 8.7%

Recommendation grade: B-

Justification: Hechavarria took an interesting path to pro ball, and considering the young Cuban didn’t make his DSL debut until 2024 and worked his way through three levels of stateside ball in 2025, it’s difficult to knock him for the age-to-level context that most 22-year-olds in the lower levels would get hit by. He was at his best in Single-A, where he posted a 1.90 ERA with a 22.6% K-BB% over 47.1 innings. As a whole, he had a 2.28 ERA on the year, but remained under the radar, likely due to the age-to-level context. Because of that, he didn’t rise much in our ranks or in the dynasty community, but could be a big riser and a name to watch for in 2026.

Kyler Fedko - 26/OF/MIN/AAA

Date recommended: 8/14/25

League size recommendation: 500+ prospects rostered

Prospects Live rank: 573 -> 497

Fantrax roster rate: 0% -> 3%

Stats since writeup (AAA): 138 PA, .228/.312/.390, 5 HR, 7 SB, 21% K%, 10.9% BB%

Recommendation grade: C+

Justification: Since Taylor’s write-up, Fedko’s roster rate has climbed a few steps out of the basement, and he has neared 30/40 territory with 28 HR and 38 SB on the year. However, he’s been a below-average hitter over more than 100 plate appearances since August 14th, posting just an 83 wRC+. Maybe most damning of all is the fact that Minnesota, with all the gaps in their lineup following their sell-off at the deadline, never called him up to the bigs.

Blake Burke - 22/1B/MIL/AA

Date recommended: 8/21/25

League size recommendation: 200+ prospects rostered

Prospects Live rank: 337 -> 242

Fantrax roster rate: 11% -> 15%

Stats since writeup (AA): 91 PA, .272/.352/.543, 7 HR, 3 SB, 27.5% K%, 8.8% BB%

Recommendation grade: B+

Justification: Burke continued to slug following Taylor’s recommendation, but some of the notable improvements that led him to write up Burke slipped away over the last month of the season. His K% rose from 23.1% over his first 14 games in Double-A to 27.5% in his last 21, and his BB% also fell from 12.7% to 8.8%. The one thing that did stick was the improved groundball rate, which helps explain why his power metrics remained so much stronger than at previous levels. His 32.4% HR/FB rate at the level was clearly unsustainable, but don’t be surprised if he continues to post above-average rates next year.

Michael Forret - 21/RHP/BAL/AA

Date recommended: 8/21/25

League size recommendation: 200+ prospects rostered

Prospects Live rank: 305 -> 197

Fantrax roster rate: 11% -> 18%

Stats since writeup (AA): 8.1 IP, 3.24 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 22.9% K%, 11.4% BB%

Recommendation grade: B

Justification: Taylor recommended Forret for exactly the same league size as I did last season. I was admittedly much too high on him a year ago, but I think Taylor nailed this recommendation. Forret’s numbers improved across the board this year, but many around the dynasty community haven't caught up yet. At 18% rostered, he might not be available for free much of anywhere, but you might be able to buy low before the hype really takes off.

Jesus Travieso - 18/RHP/BOS/A

Date recommended: 8/21/25

League size recommendation: 450+ prospects rostered

Prospects Live rank: Unranked -> 667

Fantrax roster rate: 0% -> 0%

Stats since writeup (A): 10 IP, 2.70 ERA, 1.90 WHIP, 30.8% K%, 13.5% BB%

Recommendation grade: C+

Justification: Travieso dominated Complex level hitters to the tune of a 2.77 ERA, 31.9% K rate, and .191 batting average against, but walks were an issue as he gave out a free pass to 15.3% opposing batters at the level. He struggled a little bit more in Single-A with a 3.51 ERA and .284 batting average against, but he kept the K% high, limited walks to a much more reasonable .9.2% and faced an unsustainable batting opponents BABIP of .420, resulting in a FIP and xFIP that were actually lower than what he had in complex ball. He needs to rein in the command, but there are some tantalizing ingredients here, and Travieso remains an interesting deep league name for next year.

Josue Brito - 18/1B,OF/BOS/DSL

Date recommended: 8/21/25

League size recommendation: 450+ prospects rostered

Prospects Live rank: Unranked -> 492

Fantrax roster rate: 0% -> 2%

Stats since writeup: Did not play after the write up

Recommendation grade: C+

Justification: Another reason to stop dinging prospects for repeating the DSL, Brito dominated in his second go round to the tune of a .284/.497/.606 triple slash with 9 HR, 13 SB, and a 179 wRC+. As Taylor said, he deserves some love in deep leagues, and started to finally catch some attention at the end of the year. Look out for his stateside debut.

Callan Moss - 22/1B/PIT/A+

Date recommended: 8/21/25

League size recommendation: 450+ prospects rostered

Prospects Live rank: Unranked -> 462

Fantrax roster rate: 1% -> 2%

Stats since writeup (A+): 62 PA, .321/.419/.491, 2 HR, 2 SB, 22.6% K%, 12.9% BB%

Recommendation grade: B

Justification: Moss flew under the radar all season long, even after moving from Kansas City to Pittsburgh in the deal that sent Bailey Falter to KC, but he quietly put up a 140 wRC+ with 13 HR and 17 SB in High-A while making contact at a better than 75% clip overall. Part of the reason might be the fact that he is a 1B only prospect who has failed to consistently tap into his power, but something clicked when he was traded, and he raised his ISO from .148 in KC’s organization to .232 in Pittsburgh’s while mashing 6 HR in 30 games after hitting 7 across 92 games with the Royals. His ground ball and pull rates didn’t change much, so it will be interesting to see if he can continue to get to his power in Double-A next year, but at the very least, this is now a name to keep a close eye on in leagues with as few as 350+ prospects rostered.

David Hagaman - 22/RHP/ARI/A+

Date recommended: 8/31/25

League size recommendation: 250+ prospects rostered

Prospects Live rank: Unranked -> 302

Fantrax roster rate: 2% -> 5%

Stats since writeup (A+): 2.2 IP, 6.75 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 14.3% K%, 14.3% BB%

Recommendation grade: B-

Justification: Hagaman’s lone start following the write-up didn’t go very well, but he had a very successful season after returning from injury. A trade from Texas to Arizona did nothing to slow him down as he posted a 2.98 ERA (with a very similar FIP and xFIP) over 42.1 innings with a stellar 27.6% K-BB rate and a groundball rate over 40%. While his rank and roster rate did rise, the small sample means there wasn’t a ton of time for people to get excited - he’s still someone you can probably get in on at a relatively good price.

Abimelec Ortiz - 23/1B/TEX/AAA

Date recommended: 8/31/25

League size recommendation: 150+ prospects rostered

Prospects Live rank: 285 -> 219

Fantrax roster rate: 14% -> 18%

Stats since writeup (AAA): 82 PA, .284/.402/.552, 3 HR, 0 SB, 17.1% K%, 15.9% BB%

Recommendation grade: B+

Justification: Taylor and Ortiz are like an “on again, off again” relationship, but Taylor just can’t seem to quit Ortiz, and I can’t say I blame him. It’s been a strong finish to a nice bounce-back season where the power returned and the contact ticked up. I hope it works out for them this time around.

Luis Matos - 23/OF/SF/AAA

Date recommended: 8/31/25

League size recommendation: 12 team+ leagues with 5 OF started

Prospects Live rank: Graduated

Fantrax roster rate: 22% -> 21%

Stats since writeup (AAA): 19 PA, .563/.526/.688, 0 HR, 0 SB, 5.2% K%, 5.3% BB%

Stats since writeup (MLB): 29 PA, .200/.276/.200, 0 HR, 0 SB, 13.8% K%, 10.3% BB%

Recommendation grade: D

Justification: Taylor started this write-up by shouting out my offseason prediction of Matos being a dynasty buy, adding, “It took a little longer than Kyle probably would have liked, but the Matos breakout may be here.” Unfortunately, Matos really struggled in the big leagues following that, with a 41 wRC+ over eight games, and made it look like we were both wrong about him. There was some bad luck involved with just a .227 BABIP, but it was a disappointing stretch for anyone who picked him up before he got sent back down to Triple-A. He’s still too young to completely give up on, which is why this doesn’t fall to an F, but he hasn’t shown a lot to get excited about over parts of three seasons in the big leagues.

Charles McAdoo - 23/3B/TOR/AA

Date recommended: 8/31/25

League size recommendation: 200+ prospects rostered

Prospects Live rank: 375 -> 335

Fantrax roster rate: 4% -> 6%

Stats since writeup (AA): 53 PA, .229/.288/.313, 0 HR, 4 SB, 17% K%, 7.5% BB%

Recommendation grade: C+

Justification: It wasn’t a great end to the year for McAdoo, but the season as a whole was a relative success, especially considering his disastrous start. A slight improvement in PLive rank and Fantrax roster rate boost this to a C+

Sterlin Thompson - 24/OF/COL/AAA

Date recommended: 8/31/25

League size recommendation: 350+ prospects rostered

Prospects Live rank: 316 -> 272

Fantrax roster rate: 9% -> 12%

Stats since writeup (AAA): 67 PA, .322/.403/.576, 4 HR, 3 SB, 20.9% K%, 9% BB%

Recommendation grade: B+

Justification: Thompson has continued to do everything you want to see out of a prospect on the verge of the big leagues, but it’s looking like he’ll have to wait until 2026 for his opportunity to crack the Rockies lineup. There’s still a lot more “good” than “great” in the profile despite the strong numbers, and he’s a poor defender, so it’s going to be an uphill battle for him to earn and hold a major league roster spot, but if he keeps hitting like this, the Rockies won’t have any choice.

Kala’i Rosario - 23/OF/MIN/AA

Date recommended: 9/4/25

League size recommendation: 300+ prospects rostered

Prospects Live rank: Unranked -> 346

Fantrax roster rate: 3% -> 4%

Stats since writeup (AA): 48 PA, .214/.313/.310, 0 HR, 7 SB, 29.2% K%, 8.3% BB%

Recommendation grade: B-

Justification: The last 11 games of the year were tough for Rosario, posting just a 77 wRC+ over that span, but it’s a small sample, and he did still see his roster rate tick up a notch while he jumped back onto our list inside the top 350. He’s worked his way on and off our rankings over the last few years, so here’s hoping the changes he made in 2025 will keep him on the list for good.

Kelvis Salcedo - 19/RHP/DET/A

Date recommended: 9/4/25

League size recommendation: 450+ prospects rostered

Prospects Live rank: 609 -> 360

Fantrax roster rate: 1% -> 1%

Stats since writeup (A): 3 IP, 0.00 ERA, 0.33 WHIP, 60% K%, 0% BB%

Recommendation grade: B

Justification: One three inning start isn’t enough to gather much information from, no matter how good it was. It was however a very strong year for Salcedo who ended with a 1.83 ERA and 23.6% K-BB rate across two levels. The jump in our rankings pushes this up to a B despite the short timeframe following the recommendation.

Eliazar Dishmey - 20/RHP/MIA/A+

Date recommended: 9/4/25

League size recommendation: 450+ prospects rostered

Prospects Live rank: Unranked -> 540

Fantrax roster rate: 1% -> 1%

Stats since writeup (A+): 4.2 IP, 3.86 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 23.8% K%, 14.3% BB%

Recommendation grade: C

Justification: It was a good year for Dishmey overall; he posted a sub-3.00 ERA over 99.1 innings. Just a modest bump in the rankings and an okay last start of the year hold this to a C.

Liberts Aponte - 17/SS/CIN/DSL

Date recommended: 9/4/25

League size recommendation: 450+ prospects rostered

Prospects Live rank: Unrostered -> 689

Fantrax roster rate: 2% -> 2%

Stats since writeup: Did not play after the write up

Recommendation grade: C

Justification: Not much to discuss since Aponte didn’t play, didn’t see his roster% change, and didn’t see much movement in our rankings following the write-up. His year as a whole was more good than great as he posted a 111 wRC+ as a 17-year-old in the DSL, so it will be interesting to see if the Reds bring him stateside next year.

R.J. Gordon - 22/RHP/NYM/AA

Date recommended: 9/4/25

League size recommendation: 450+ prospects rostered

Prospects Live rank: Unranked -> 690

Fantrax roster rate: 0% -> 1%

Stats since writeup (AA): 10 IP, 7.20 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 25.6% K%, 4.7% BB%

Recommendation grade: C

Justification: A tough couple starts to end the season shouldn’t overshadow a solid year overall for Gordon. A slight improvement in roster rate and ranking keeps this a C despite the numbers in his last two starts.

Kemp Alderman - 23/OF/MIA/AAA

Date recommended: 9/11/25

League size recommendation: 250+ prospects rostered

Prospects Live rank: 368 -> 262

Fantrax roster rate: 5% -> 10%

Stats since writeup (AAA): 41 PA, .282/.317/.487, 1 HR, 1 SB, 26.8% K%, 4.9% BB%

Recommendation grade: B-

Justification: After destroying Triple-A through his first 10 games with six home runs and a 208 wRC+, Alderman cooled off to a more reasonable 114 wRC+ with just one home run in his last 11 games following the recommendation. His roster rate and ranking still took notable strides, but his contact has also regressed from what had been catching our attention, earning a B- grade. Alderman is a player I’m really interested to see get his chance in the big leagues, but I’m also okay watching from afar because I’m not sure he’s going to make enough contact for his mammoth power to truly matter. It’s the type of profile I’m okay being wrong on because even if he does initially hit enough, it might not last - for the sake of anyone who picked him up following Taylor’s recommendation, I hope I’m wrong.

Andrew Morris - 24/RHP/MIN/AAA

Date recommended: 9/11/25

League size recommendation: 250+ prospects rostered

Prospects Live rank: 387 -> 307

Fantrax roster rate: 10% -> 12%

Stats since writeup (AAA): 9.1 IP, 6.75 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 16.2% K%, 2.7% BB%

Recommendation grade: C

Justification: The last few starts from Morris pushed his season-long ERA over 4.00, but it was really just one bad start where he gave up six earned runs over 4.1 innings. His roster rate and ranking still improved a bit after the write-up, so I’d say this one held firm at a C.

Zach Ehrhard - 22/OF/LAD/AA

Date recommended: 9/11/25

League size recommendation: 350+ prospects rostered

Prospects Live rank: Unranked -> 436

Fantrax roster rate: 2% -> 2%

Stats since writeup (AA): 13 PA, .308/.308/.538, 1 HR, 1 SB, 15.5% K%, 0% BB%

Recommendation grade: C+

Justification: A bigger sample likely would have pushed the grade higher than a C+, but it might be a good thing that more people didn’t catch on. Ehrhard posted a 135 wRC+ between High-A and Double-A this year with 14 HR and 37 SB. He was especially good in 34 games after being traded to the Dodgers, posting a 143 wRC+ in that span. He’s one to keep a close eye on when the 2026 season begins.

Ethan Pecko - 23/RHP/HOU/AAA

Date recommended: 9/11/25

League size recommendation: 400+ prospects rostered

Prospects Live rank: Unranked -> 630

Fantrax roster rate: 2% -> 4%

Stats since writeup (AAA): 10 IP, 1.80 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 37.2 K%, 4.7% BB%

Recommendation grade: C+

Justification: Pecko arguably was at his best in Triple-A this year, posting better numbers almost entirely across the board than he did in Double-A. He finished the season on a high note, but still didn’t get much hype from the dynasty community. He’s knocking on the door to the big leagues and could be a quick riser in spring training and the early goings of the season next year if he continues to perform well.

Adrian Bohorquez - 20/RHP/MIN/A+

Date recommended: 9/11/25

League size recommendation: 400+ prospects rostered

Prospects Live rank: Unranked -> 633

Fantrax roster rate: 1% -> 2%

Stats since writeup: Did not play after the write up

Recommendation grade: C

Justification: Another player with little to discuss since he didn’t pitch again following the write-up and didn’t see his roster rate or ranking change much either. The season as a whole was a mixed bag for Bohorquez, who posted a 4.29 ERA with a 27.2% K rate and 9.9% BB rate between Single-A and High-A, but he was actually quite a bit better over 5 appearances following his promotion, with a 3.52 ERA (2.97 FIP), 28.6% K rate and 6.1% BB rate

Final Grade

Taylor traded in his slugging percentage for batting average in the second half and still did very well through his final 50 recommendations. A significant part of this, as I mentioned at the top, is that there was a lot less data to base these second-half recommendations on. Regardless of that, 50 write-ups without a single F grade is extremely impressive. If I were to compare Taylor’s second half to an MLB player, it would probably be Geraldo Perdomo - excellent contact rates but with a little more power potential than the other names at the top of the contact leaderboards.

Comparing Taylor’s second half to his first, you can see that there were a lot more Bs and Cs in the second half. There were fewer As, but there were also significantly fewer misses as Taylor steadily produced solid pick after solid pick in the second half.

On the year as a whole, Taylor did an excellent job, hitting a proverbial home run (A grades) on more than 1/4 of his write-ups while “whiffing” (Ds and Fs) on just 21%. A 79% success rate is extremely strong and something Taylor should be proud of.

It was another excellent year for Taylor, and as always, it was a pleasure working with him all season long. It’s also been a pleasure recommending players for you all throughout the year, and I hope we helped you strengthen your dynasty teams as much as we did our own.

With the conclusion of this article and our podcast this weekend, we mark the end of the 2025 season and start preparation for the 2026 season. That means Taylor and I will be taking a brief hiatus. Our podcast will return following the MLB playoffs as we transition into our offseason content, and the Dynasty Pickups written series will resume for another year in 2026. We can’t thank you all enough for joining us again this year, and we hope to see you all again when we return!

Consider subscribing to Prospects Live at the All-Star level to receive access to our lists and tools! $10/mo gets you access to:

Top 600+ Prospect Rankings