Been a baseball fan and player my whole life, played dynasty for 10 years. Co-host on the Dynasty Baseball Pickups podcast since mid-season 2023 and joined Prospects Live at the start of 2024.
Hello, and welcome to the Dynasty Baseball Pickups series weekend edition! Full-season ball is now more than a week underway, which means we have some exciting names popping up all over the place, and that’s indicative in the fact that I have at least one player from every level except Double-A in today's article. We’ve got a trio of arms, a couple of which are making waves in the lower levels thanks to their command and strong starts to the year, while the other is a Triple-A arm who might be knocking on the door after many may have considered him junk. There’s also a hitter knocking on the door to the bigs, and another is making his fourth appearance in Prospects Live articles this week alone. But I won’t keep you waiting any longer; let’s get into this week's Dynasty Pickups.
*Note: all stats current through Friday, April 11/25
Stephen was a second-round pick for the Jays out of Mississippi State, where he improved in each of his three seasons, and it appears he has taken another big step forward since turning pro, particularly with his stuff. In two pro starts so far this year, his fastball is averaging 93.1 mph, not an eye-popping number, but what will catch your attention is the 20.1 inches of IVB he’s getting on the pitch, helping elevate its TJStuff+ number to 107. He also has a deep arsenal with a sinker, cutter, slider, curveball, and changeup (only his curve grades out below 100 according to TJStuff+). As the numbers indicate, he’s been dominant through two starts, but his most recent outing was particularly dominant as he went six innings, giving up just one run on one hit and one walk while striking out nine and racking up a 40% whiff rate on the day.
Final Thoughts
While the Jays haven’t had the best development track record in recent years, pro coaching should help him improve his stuff and hopefully add a tick or two of velocity. The other important note here is that Stephen is in Single-A, so he really should be dominating hitters with a fastball that averages over 20 inches of IVB, but the Jays have been known to send pitching prospects to Dunedin to start the year so they can avoid the early cold weather in Vancouver (first-round pick Trey Yesavage has also started his pro career in Dunedin). Don’t be surprised to see Stephen move quickly when the weather warms up, and he could end the year climbing as high as Triple-A.
Where to pick up: Leagues with 350+ prospects FAAB bid: Minimal (0-5%)
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As a multi-sport athlete who also played WR for the football team as a freshman at USC before focussing on baseball, Overn may have been one of the best pure athletes in the 2024 draft class. He also played basketball and competed in the 100-meter dash and long jump in high school. As his athletic track record might imply, speed is his carrying tool on the diamond, with Rhys White calling it a comfortable 60-grade, and some scouts have it even higher than that. His hit and power tools are the main question marks, but the early returns look solid after adjusting to turning pro. His defense is the only tool that might rival his speed, so he should get plenty of opportunity to continue climbing up the system. He doesn’t currently display a ton of over-the-fence power, but he does lift and pull the ball well, and with plenty of room to add good weight and strength, he could develop into average power. He’ll always be a threat to run, but the development of that power, in particular, is a major x-factor.
Final Thoughts
When Rhys White says a player “might be the next Kristian Campbell,” you listen (first called out on the Daily Sheet, all the more reason not to miss a single edition). There’s plenty of sound logic to back it up, too, when you consider the high-end athleticism, the fact that he went to a college with a poor track record for developing prospects, was drafted by a great player development organization, and made an adjustment to his swing in his first year of pro ball. Overn still has a long way to go. He’ll need to improve his contact skills and display more power, but he’s a fantastic athlete who could quickly rise the ranks.
Where to pick up: Leagues with 350+ players rostered
Been a baseball fan and player my whole life, played dynasty for 10 years. Co-host on the Dynasty Baseball Pickups podcast since mid-season 2023 and joined Prospects Live at the start of 2024.
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As Director of Pro Scouting, I lead a talented group of evaluators as we break down future stars. You can find me at random California League games throughout the season!
