It’s still extremely early, but that doesn’t mean dynasty league managers can’t start to take notice of extremely encouraging starts from prospects on the rise. We’re not drawing any definitive conclusions based on extremely small sample sizes, but we’re highlighting five prospects making some serious noise in the lower rungs of the minor leagues that are poised to experience meteoric rises in next month’s Fantrax Top 500 Dynasty League Rankings update.
5 Dynasty Prospects on the Rise
Ralphy Velazquez, C, Guardians
If you’re looking for the next potential breakout prospect, Velazquez certainly fits the bill, especially if he winds up transitioning to first base down the road. The 18-year-old backstop was selected 23rd overall in the 2023 MLB Draft as the second prep catcher taken in the first round and has gotten off to a sublime start to the year as one of the youngest hitters in the Single-A Carolina League, batting .375 (18-for-48) with four homers, 15 RBI and one steal through 12 contests. It’s a bit of a small sample size, and the inherent injury risks associated with catching at the highest level somewhat limit his long-term fantasy ceiling, but his stock is certainly skyrocketing at the moment. It’s still extremely early in his professional career but he looks like a potential power-hitting catcher capable of getting to his raw power in games without completely selling out for it. There’s an extremely wide range of potential outcomes here, but Velazquez is making some serious noise and will rise exponentially in next month’s Fantrax Top 500 dynasty rankings update based on his long-term offensive upside.
Chase Dollander, P, Rockies
It’s entirely possible Coors Field is a completely unsolvable mystery, like the Bermuda Triangle or the Loch Ness Monster. However, it’s impossible to overlook Dollander’s exceptional start to his professional career. The highly-touted 22-year-old right-hander slipped to the ninth overall selection in the 2023 MLB Draft after his stuff took a step backward in his final collegiate season at the University of Tennessee, but he’s been phenomenal so far this year for High-A Spokane, compiling a strong 2.93 ERA, 0.78 WHIP and 27/5 K/BB ratio across 15 1/3 innings (three starts). He currently leads the Northwest League in strikeouts and figures to ascend to Double-A Hartford at some point this summer. He’ll continue to rise up dynasty league rankings this season, including next month’s Fantrax Top 500 dynasty rankings update, if he continues missing bats and the stuff draws positive reviews from scouts and evaluators.
Carson Williams, SS, Rays
Williams was amongst the most difficult prospects to evaluate from a fantasy perspective this past offseason after striking out over 30 percent of the time during a 23-homer, 20-steal campaign last year between High-A Bowling Green and Double-A Montgomery. The 20-year-old former first-round pick has displayed improved plate skills during a blistering-hot start to the year back at Double-A Montgomery with a sublime .392 (20-for-51) batting average with three homers, four steals and just 14 strikeouts through 12 games. If the improvements in the contact department stick, it mitigates some of the long-term concerns in his offensive profile, and significantly increases the probability that he becomes an impact five-category fantasy contributor. He’s checking all of the metaphorical boxes right now.
Cam Collier, 3B, Reds
It took all of 13 games this season at High-A Dayton for Collier to match last year’s home run total (six) in 111 contests for Low-A Daytona. The 19-year-old former first-round pick from the 2022 MLB Draft held his own last year as one of the younger players in the pitcher-friendly Florida State League and is now tearing the cover off the ball in the Midwest League, which tends to be a frigid wasteland for hitters at the outset of the year, with a league-leading six round-trippers to accompany a robust .328/.361/.672 triple-slash line so far. The max exit velocity numbers have always been there and he’s starting to incorporate more launch angle into his swings this season, leading to an uptick in over-the-fence pop. The central question for Collier moving forward is whether his plate skills, most notably cutting back on his propensity to chase outside the zone, progress to the point that he can make an impact at the highest level down the road. He’s certainly in the process of putting himself on the map as a potential four-category impact contributor for fantasy managers in dynasty league formats. He’s a name to watch over the next few months, especially if he continues hitting for power and making better swing decisions once he ascends to Double-A Chattanooga at just 19 years old.
Zyhir Hope, OF, Dodgers
This is for all of the deep-league dynasty managers out there. Hope is starting to generate some serious buzz with a solid start to the year as a 19-year-old outfielder at Single-A Rancho Cucamonga with a .306 (15-for-49) batting average with three homers and four steals through 13 games. The unheralded 11th-round selection from the 2023 MLB Draft possesses an intriguing blend of raw power and athleticism, which gives him sky-high potential as a future five-category impact fantasy contributor. He’s still a hyperspace jump or two away from the majors, but he’s going to rise quickly through the Dodgers’ system if he keeps hitting for power without running an astronomical strikeout rate. He’s the big name on this list that dynasty league managers need to prioritize rostering at this early stage of his career.