Updated Top 400 Dynasty Baseball Prospect Rankings & Mailbag

The Top 400 Prospect Rankings for dynasty baseball leagues are fully updated, as are the team top 20s and ETAs. I'll be updating the dynasty rankings in early June. The next update to the prospect rankings will be about a week after the draft in mid-July.

The degree of difficulty for an in-season top 400 update is always high, but this update was especially challenging, given the mass exodus from the top of the rankings and the sheer volume of additions. On a random in-season update, I might add 50-70 prospects, and on this one I added over 100. I always say this, but when you guys send in all your great questions for the mailbag, you usually pinpoint a few of the mistakes I made on the update, so this is a critical companion piece to the update. 

There were 56 questions for this mailbag, which might be the most ever, so thank you so much for all the great questions. Here's the video version:

As always, we'll start off with the tiers:

TIER ONE: 1-2 (Jesus Made - Leo De Vries)

TIER TWO: 3-6 (Seth Hernandez - Sebastian Walcott)

TIER THREE: 7-15 (Ralphy Velazquez - Trey Yesavage)

TIER FOUR: 16-41 (Mike Sirota - Steele Hall)

TIER FIVE: 42-70 (John Gil - Cooper Pratt)

TIER SIX: 71-105 (Josh Adamczewski - Kemp Alderman)

TIER SEVEN: 106-202 (Yhoiker Fajardo - Bryce Mayer)

TIER EIGHT: 203-301 (Tai Peete - Sam Petersen)

TIER NINE: 302-400 (Junior Perez - Eric Bitonti)

Travis Pastore: Feel like this update is one of the bigger shake ups in a while, with guys like Eric Hartman (ATL), Devin Fitz-Gerald (WSH), Taitn Gray (TB), etc... making huge jumps up. Is this a particularly strong new crop of guys or is it because of so many prospect graduations?

Two big factors:

1. When so many prospects graduate from the top of the rankings on one update, it creates chaos because I have to identify a "new" top of the list, and the players who didn't graduate have seen their values change amid all the graduations.
2. This is perhaps the biggest breakout/pop-up class I can recall for a first update of the season. The factors at play are that the 2025 prep hitter and college pitching classes are looking quite deep, and the overall pitching prospect landscape has completely reshaped as we've seen a half dozen notable injuries to top pitching prospects to go with the graduations and the fact that pitcher values change quickly year-to-year anyway.

ToDoubleD: Who do you consider the best power hitting prospect with ceiling?

If we're projecting for what a player's peak power output will be, I think Jesus Made (MIL) is the top power-hitting prospect in the minors, kind of by default, as he's got a .175 ISO at Double-A and just turned 19. Rainiel Rodriguez (STL), Sebastian Walcott (TEX), Edward Florentino (PIT), Alfredo Duno (CIN), Bryce Eldridge (SF), Esmerlyn Valdez (PIT), Joshua Baez (STL), Lazaro Montes (SEA), Tony Blanco (PIT) are all worth mentioning, but there are hit tool concerns with a few of those guys (Edlridge, Baez, Montes, Blanco) and others like Rodriguez, Walcott, Florentino and Duno haven't proven it in the upper levels.

5AR4TH: If you had to stash one of Jesus Made (MIL), Leo De Vries (ATH) and Ralphy Velazquez (CLE) in a keeper league this year, do any of them end up as a fourth-round value in a 12-team league next year, assuming all three are called up this year?

I wouldn't assume all three will be called up this year, although I am currently projecting Velazquez and De Vries to be called up in late August and Made could be called up then too, although I think it's more likely Made spends the whole season in the minors. I don't think any will be seen as worthy of a fourth-round pick in a 12-team league next year. I don't think Konnor Griffin was getting drafted that high even at the peak of his redraft appeal this year, and he was a tier above Made/De Vries as a prospect and two tiers above Velazquez.

Matthew King: What is your lightning-round, knee-jerk MLB ceiling comps on Jesus Made (MIL), Leo De Vries (ATH), Rainiel Rodriguez (STL) and Ralphy Velazquez (CLE)?

Emphasis on CEILING comp with these, but...

Made: Hanley Ramirez at third base

De Vries: Francisco Lindor at second base

Rainiel: Peak Marcell Ozuna (2020, 2023, 2024)

Velazquez: Freddie Freeman

Jason Volat: Seth Hernandez (PIT) and Kade Anderson (SEA) in the Top 5… Hernandez gives off Mason Miller as a starter vibes. I know you don't usually rank pitchers this high — are their rankings MORE reflective of their dominance or the talent of the "field?"

Definitely a combination of the two, as I kept trying to justify putting Hernandez and Anderson a little lower, but couldn't do it. Even knowing the elevated risk with pitching prospects, as someone who has Hernandez in a dynasty league, I'm not cashing him out for almost anything at this point just because the upside is so high. Anderson has been so good at Double-A that among all starting pitchers in affiliated baseball, he trails only Tarik Skubal, Garrett Crochet, Chris Sale and Paul Skenes in projected K-BB% via OOPSY's rest-of-season Depth Charts projections. You're just not trading these guys in dynasty right now unless someone makes you a godfather offer. That said, if there had been a healthy Aidan Miller (PHI) or Sebastian Walcott (TEX) pushing for a promotion to the majors, or if Henry Bolte (ATH) lifted the ball more or if Edward Florentino (PIT) had carried over his Single-A domination to High-A, or if Mike Sirota was the Dodgers' only outfield prospect, perhaps the pitchers would be a little lower, but that's not the world we live in.

Bob May: Can you go into a deep dive on Henry Bolte (ATH) and what type of MLB production you expect for him along with your thoughts on how it is going so far for him?

NE Nature Boy: Henry Bolte (ATH). I've heard concerns from other prospect gurus about Bolte's hit tool, specifically the low launch angle and flyball pull rate. By your rank you must not share those concerns. Thoughts?

Speaking of Bolte, I have the same concerns regarding the launch angle, but that's the only concern with Bolte at this point. It's tough to figure out how much to ding him for that, and how much he could potentially improve in that area, but if he didn't come with the groundball concerns, I'd have him ranked as a top three prospect due to the bat speed and foot speed and his improved strikeout metrics this year. If he never improves the groundball rate, this will be too high for him, but he's got elite physical tools and has shown the ability to make improvements as he climbs the ladder.

Scott Saracen: Now that Mike Sirota (LAD) was moved to Double-A, do you see him reaching the majors next year? How do you see the Dodgers OF playing out?

Tim: Mike Sirota is now highest-ranked Dodgers outfield prospect. Seems like a fluid situation. How confident are you that he's the best of the bunch?

I've consistently preferred this healthy version of Sirota to Zyhir Hope (LAD), and I feel confident about that, but I'm not extremely confident in Sirota over Josue De Paula (LAD), Eduardo Quintero (LAD) and Charles Davalan (LAD). Sirota is ranked right next to De Paula, and I'm giving Sirota the edge because his center field defense could buy him playing time over De Paula, but De Paula is extremely talented offensively. Quintero was ranked ahead of Sirota prior to this update, so while Sirota passed him, it wouldn't be surprising to see Quintero gain steam over the summer. Davalan has excelled ever since entering pro ball, and I don't see any weaknesses in his fantasy game. So yes, it's very fluid, and every Dodgers outfield prospect would be ranked a little higher if they were in another random organization with a clearer path to playing time. The one thing to note is that De Paula could end up being Freddie Freeman's long-term replacement at first base.

Coco: How worried about Aidan Miller's (PHI) health are you? In Philadelphia, our fanbase is acting like he's cooked, so I was expecting a down arrow. Do you have any additional information about his back that could calm Phillies fans down or are you just taking a wait and see approach to his recovery?

He missed having a down arrow because a bunch of guys in front and directly behind him graduated, but you can consider Miller to have a single down arrow from a value standpoint. Back injuries are obviously scary, but there still aren't many prospects that have flashed the fantasy upside Miller showed down the stretch last year, and prior to the back issues, Miller was also a high-floor prospect, so I think patience is the best course of action in dynasty at the moment. 

Dynasty Junkie: Is Franklin Arias (BOS) "Colt Emerson (SEA) lite"?

The main differences between the two are that I think Emerson steals roughly twice as many bases (maybe 15 steals to seven steals) over a full big-league season and that Emerson is up and contributing while we're waiting on Arias.

Hamiltron: What kind of upside are you now projecting for Franklin Arias (BOS)?

Something like a .290 AVG, 20-25 HR, 5-10 SB while hitting first or second.

Baseball Card Scout: Franklin Arias (BOS) is a better defender with a better hit tool than Leo De Vries (ATH). He also has a better SwStr%, K-rate, BB-rate, BA, OBP, ISO, wRC+ and SLG%. He also has more HR and XBHs. Why is Arias lower than De Vries by 20 spots with 5 other SS's between them?

The defensive aspect is irrelevant to an Arias/De Vries fantasy debate, as De Vries will still play everyday at an even scarcer fantasy position (second base). Arias has had a better statistical season than De Vries, as you lay out (although you listed about three times as many stats as you needed to to get your point across). De Vries was better in most of those stats than Arias last year at Double-A and he's a year younger than Arias. He's also been a top 15 prospect since July 2024, so I don't think it's logical or fair to evaluate Arias vs. De Vries based solely on their stats through 30-35 games this year. De Vries has also stolen four times as many bases as Arias this year.

Willie Mays Haze: Interested to see what the separation between Josuar Gonzalez (SF) and Luis Hernandez (SF) was. I've had the impression while Luis is more polished at this stage, Josuar has a higher athletic ceiling at SS...

You're right about Gonzalez being more athletic and he does have a much higher stolen-base ceiling than Hernandez, but I think Hernandez is the better hitter and the better power hitter, presently and long-term. The fact Hernandez made his pro debut in the Arizona Complex League and Gonzalez debuted in the Dominican Summer League is another mark in Hernandez's favor. 

Gabriel Garcia: Luis Hernandez (SF) looks like a stud, but does his home park give you concerns about his upside?

It does. On other iterations of the update I had Hernandez in the top 10, but his future park and ETA were enough to push him into the teens.

St. Louis Perfectos: Devin Fitz-Gerald (WSH). I've heard a few people put Kevin McGonigle comps with slightly less bat control but more power. Is his hype getting out of control? What do you see with him?

I thought the McGonigle lite comps before the season were a little unfair to both players, but those comps are looking prescient at the moment. I mentioned Fitz-Gerald's aggressive assignment early in April and I think that context makes his excellent start to the season all the more impressive. He's also running more than I expected, partly because he's been on base so often. I don't think Fitz-Gerald's current power level (.318 ISO, .618 SLG) will sustain at Double-A or the majors, but it's a testament to his hit tool that he's maxing out his raw power to this degree. 

John H: Reading a lot of Caleb Bonemer (CHW) potential top 10 discussions but he didn't move up here… K rate concerns?

I just found it tough to rank Bonemer next to guys like Theo Gillen (TB), Eric Hartman (ATL) and Devin Fitz-Gerald (WSH) who are also dominating High-A without the concerningly high strikeout rate that Bonemer has. Gillen, Hartman and Fitz-Gerald also have more stolen-base upside than Bonemer. I think Bonemer is in an in between phase as a prospect, where he's either going to cut the Ks and be less of a cartoonish air-pull hitter, or he's going to keep leaning into this approach and be more of a three-true-outcomes type of corner masher, but it's hard to envision him being more than a 3.5-category contributor in fantasy.

Beerbot: Maybe a few words on Esmerlyn Valdez's (PIT) big jump from 105 to 31. He's now ahead of some big names like Max Clark (DET), Walker Jenkins (MIN), Joshua Baez (STL) etc...

Valdez made much better swing decisions and significantly more contact than Baez while at Triple-A, and Valdez's 109 mph 90th percentile EV and 114 mph max EV were the best marks of the four outfielders. If I knew Jenkins would be healthy, he would clearly rank ahead of Valdez to me, and I'd take 2028 Clark over 2028 Valdez, but I'll take Valdez over Clark in 2026 without thinking twice. I took too long to properly reward Valdez's 2025 exploits, including in the Arizona Fall League, but his run at Triple-A was exactly what I wanted to see to buy into him as a middle-of-the-order run producer.

Coco: Is Braden Montgomery's (CHW) down arrow misleading because of all the new additions/big risers to the top 400?

Hamiltron: Braden Montgomery (CHW) moved down in your rankings while acclimating well to AAA. What do you see as his ceiling?

I'm dinging Montgomery a little for needing another 27 games at Double-A this year and for not excelling initially at Triple-A. He has an 80 wRC+ and 29.5 percent strikeout rate right now at Triple-A, and my expectations coming into the year were for him to be a future cleanup hitter, so I think it's fair to give him a slight downgrade for how his 2026 has gone to date.

Jordan Grieve: Do you think Jett Williams' (MIL) recent performance could have stopped the double down arrow if this was done a week or two later (Nice last 23 games)? Seems like there are openings on the Brewers... Other reasons for the downgrade?

Williams is making good swing decisions and consistent contact at Triple-A, but he's not hitting the ball very hard with any regularity (102.2 mph 90th percentile EV) and while there are openings, there is also stiff competition for those openings, with Luis Lara and Cooper Pratt also looking like viable options from the Triple-A position player crop. I was expecting a little more from Williams in the power department, especially given that he'd played 40 games at Triple-A prior to this season.

Artur Domingues: Would love to hear you talk about Ryan Sloan (SEA) and Thomas White (MIA). They've both dropped in your rankings since spring training, what have you seen from them so far this year? Has your outlook changed for them based on their start this year?

ChzBeef: Seems like a big drop for Thomas White (MIA). Is this due to potential injury? Given the proximity it just seems like a very loud ranking change.

My opinion of Sloan hasn't changed much since the start of the season. He hadn't been doing anything to improve his stock prior to mid-May (1.75 WHIP, nine walks in 17.2 IP) but he has been quite good over his last three starts and seems to be settling in at Double-A. Kade Anderson has clearly separated himself as the top option in the short term, and the longer Sloan is in the minors, the more likely it is that he injures himself before getting to the majors.

I think I erred on how much I lowered White — I feared his injury was elbow/forearm related, given his velocity dip at the end of his last outing, but it may be a less serious shoulder issue that won't result in surgery. Tanner McDougal (CHW) and Jaxon Wiggins (CHC) received loud rankings changes due to their injuries that portend Tommy John surgery, and I didn't know the full story on White at the time of the update. I wouldn't have lowered him as much if he'd been pitching up to expectations prior to the injury (1.97 WHIP, 11:6 K:BB in 10.2 innings over his three most recent outings). I'd consider White in the 50-70 range, given what we currently know. 

Danny J: Tate Southisene (ATL) has gone NORTH in your ranking fast to top 60. What are you seeing?

He was about as bad as you can be after signing last year (27:1 K:BB), which combined with his brother's (Ty Southisene) meager offensive impact thus far in pro ball (zero HR in 130 career games) led to me writing off the younger, more heralded Southisene too early. This year, he cut his swinging-strike rate in half while showing top-of-the-scale athleticism and more power than expected (.186 ISO, .472 SLG). There's still a chance the hit tool concerns pop back up against High-A or Double-A pitching, but Southisene has top 10 prospect upside.

Greg T: I just picked up Tate Southisene (ATL) and Alexander Frias (MIL). What are you seeing that led to them entering the rankings as top 100 guys?

ChzBeef: I'm surprised to see Alexander Frias (MIL) sneak in ~100 spots higher than Robert Arias (CLE), Johan De Los Santos (PIT), other guys at complex or A who've also had "breakouts" this year. What's your rationale or what have you heard RE Frias?

The 117 mph and 115 mph exit velocities for Frias combined with his stellar surface stats and the Brewers' track record of finding international gems led to him getting the biggest vote of confidence, but I like De Los Santos and Arias plenty too. You don't typically get exit velocities that high from 18-year-olds with little to no whiff issues, and that's what we've got with Frias, although his groundball rate is in the high 40s, which is the one nitpick. 

Arias has been great, but he's also age-appropriate at Single-A, as he'll turn 20 at the end of the season. He has a strong combination of hit and run, but lacks Frias' power upside. De Los Santos is someone I wish I'd ranked 50-60 spots higher, as I love his projectable frame and hit tool combined with the fact he's been very young for his levels — he's almost two years younger than Arias.

Gerald L2: Kendry Chourio (KC) has a 1.82 ERA and 0.91 WHIP in 24 innings. Yet he has a red down arrow. Seems he should be double up arrows considering how great he has been this and last year...

Chourio is great, but he's still a pitching prospect at Single-A, and he's not exhibiting the same dominance as Seth Hernandez did at that level (25.9 SwStr% compared to Chourio's 10.0 SwStr%). He also missed two and a half weeks in April for an unknown reason. There are very few Single-A pitching prospects I've ranked in the top 75 over the years, as I care a lot about proximity with pitchers, as so much can go wrong on a pitcher's march to the big leagues. Chourio is still in rarefied air relative to past 18-year-old pitching prospects and Single-A pitching prospects, but he's not the level of Hernandez. I know it's not necessarily fair to compare anyone to Hernandez, but those two along with Ryan Sloan (SEA) entered the season as my top candidates to finish the year as the game's top pitching prospect, and Hernandez is exceeding expectations while Chourio is meeting expectations. I wouldn't be trying to "buy high" on Chourio in dynasty.

Hamiltron: Aiva Arquette (MIA) is 22, at High-A, and 50 at-bats into his pro career. Is his <5% BB% sounding alarms? Whats the general feeling about him?

Well, he played last year too, and Arquette has amassed an 11.4 percent walk rate in his pro career, although he may have had a walk rate below 5.0 percent this season at the time you sent in the question. Arquette just got promoted to Double-A, and sometimes hitters who are too good for a level will stop taking as many walks because they're getting enough pitches to hit and they're looking to force a promotion. I'm essentially not evaluating him for what he's done in 14 games this season, as this was kind of his spring training since he had core muscle surgery in February. I think he'll be an everyday player whose ceiling isn't that exciting but who is universally rostered and started in fantasy leagues. 

Babbo B: Nice bump for Austin Overn (TB), who's putting up numbers, but what to make of the ongoing strikeout issues? Above 30% now in AA, up from 25% at the same level last season...

Yeah, the Ks are going up with Overn (36.9 percent strikeout rate since May 5), and he's a volatile asset relative to the typical Double-A hitter with a 138 wRC+. There aren't many players in the minors who could steal 40 bases in the majors someday, and Overn is one of them. He's clearly sacrificing contact for power, as his contact rate is down 4.3 percent and his ISO is up from .161 last year at Double-A to .224 this year. I think you want to be rostering Overn for the upside where possible, just know that the floor is low and he'll drop on the next update if he doesn't stop the current strikeout skid he's on.

Mookie: Was not expecting to see Jonathan Santucci (NYM) in the top 100. Could you ballpark the percentage chance he winds up in the bullpen?

OA Rookie: What made Jonathan Santucci (NYM) rise and who are the highest upside arms from Santucci at 73 to 150?

I definitely overshot Santucci a little bit on this update, which is often clear when I get multiple questions like this, but I love high-strikeout lefties and he's certainly that. I think he's gotten unlucky on balls in play this year, but the 12.1 BB% should have led to him being closer to around 100. He could end up in the bullpen, but I don't think that would happen permanently for several years, as they'll want to exhaust efforts to develop him as a starter. Maybe he just ends up being the Mets' version of Aaron Ashby, but I think he'll get as many chances to start as Ashby did. 

ToDoubleD: Any players you think are up this year that before the season started you didn't think had a chance? Also who do you think is up next in general, Luis Lara (MIL) seems to be on the cusp...

Probably nobody who I didn't think had a chance before the season, but Karson Milbrandt (MIA) is emerging as potentially one of the top FAAB adds this summer, and even as someone who was high on Milbrandt before the season, I didn't think he'd get a chance to possibly beat Thomas White (MIA) to the majors. Lara is a great name to bring up though, because while him debuting this year wouldn't have been shocking preseason, him being a potential high-profile FAAB target would have seemed highly unlikely. This is kind of the dead zone for prospect promotions, as the incentives suggest a team wait until late August at this point, but Kaelen Culpepper (MIN) should be up soon.

Matthew King: Wei-En Lin (ATH) has been lights out his entire time in the minors. Looks like he got a big jump in the rankings this time, but what is the biggest reason he has not ranked higher all this time?

He's not a hard thrower, as his fastball is sitting 92 mph this year at Double-A, and that's the main reason he hasn't rocketed up the rankings. Still, as a lefty with five pitches and good command, I think he'll at least be a mid-rotation starter and there's a chance for more if he can add another tick or two to the fastball.

OA Rookie: Can you discuss your increased optimism for Tony Blanco Jr. (PIT) given his contact gains this year? 80% z-contact is exciting...

Blanco is a controversial prospect, because of the extremes, but he has been getting better, like you said, with the zone contact rate up over 80 percent. Over his last 13 games, Blanco has a 25.5 percent strikeout rate and a 1.096 OPS. Double-A will be a bigger challenge for him, but as long as there's a chance for playable 80-grade power, he's going to stay in the top 150.

Gabriel Garcia: Bryce Rainer's (DET) K% has been absurd this year. Is it wild to comp him to Colson Montgomery? Big high school SS, a lot of power and a lot of Ks. Given Colson's success, can Rainer owners hope on that outcome?

Montgomery having success amid the Ks doesn't mean Rainer will someday have success while running a 30 percent strikeout rate in the majors, but the overarching theme of not giving up on shortstops with big pedigree and power holds up. Rainer's swing got all out of whack this past offseason, as Aram Leighton and I discussed a couple weeks ago on the Prospect Podcast, so he basically needs to rework his swing during the season to get out of this funk. Montgomery seems like a realistic ceiling for Rainer at this point.

The Shermanimal: Any guys in your top 150 (or wherever it is you have a tier break around there) that you think could move through the minors surprisingly fast?

I don't have a tier break around 150, but Nolan Perry (TOR), who I ranked too low within that big tier from 106-202 is a good answer to this question. He's back from Tommy John surgery and seemingly pitching better each time out, so it shouldn't be long before he gets another bump to Double-A.

OA Rookie: What are the factors holding big breakouts like Christian Zazueta (LAD), Joseph Dzierwa (BAL), and Nolan Perry (TOR) to the back of the top 200 rather than pushing the top 100?

Perry should have been higher — he's probably the most under-ranked guy a week removed from the update. Dzierwa added a little velocity to his fastball, but he still strikes me as more of a No. 3 or No. 4 starter type who eats innings. Zazueta has to show he can handle a starter's workload (71 IP in 2024 was career high) and I don't think the Dodgers will be very aggressive with him, but he's got a higher ceiling than Dzierwa, and like I said, they're all in a tier that goes up to 106.

Luke Anderson: Sean Keys (TOR) was on quite the heater in April but has cooled off a bit lately. Can you dive into his profile a bit?

The power is legit — he's got one of the best air-pull approaches in the minors and his 86.9 percent zone-contact rate is very good for a player of his ilk. The main concern is Keys' bad body and lack of defensive utility. He at least hits left-handed, but he'll probably end up at first base/designated hitter, which puts a lot of pressure on him to carry this success over at Triple-A and in the majors. 

OA Rookie: How high can Yasser Mercedes (MIN) rise if he continues to rake at High A?

Well, he raked at Single-A (184 wRC+) and hasn't really raked at High-A yet (101 wRC+), but his power/speed upside is pretty obvious on video. He had a 113.7 mph max EV and 107.4 mph 90th percentile EV at Single-A and his chase rates and swinging-strike rates have been low for a player with his tools. Mercedes is a high-upside outfielder that I'd want to stash in dynasty if I could, but he probably won't climb in the post-draft update unless he really heats up at High-A.

PaulMax: Nate Snead (LAA) looks like he's finding the zone this year. Long run, do you think he makes it to MLB as a starter?

Snead has basically been perfect this year in his pro debut after signing for just under $600K after the Angels drafted him with the 105th overall pick last year. He has a 28.7 percent strikeout rate, 4.4 percent walk rate and 61.1 percent groundball rate in seven starts while logging six innings in each of his last three starts en route to a promotion to Double-A. He has greatly improved his strike-throwing and the caliber of his slider since entering pro ball, and I'm ranking him as a future starter.

Matt Angelo: Why the big drop for Hayden Alvarez (LAA)? K-rate ticked up a bit but still manageable. Showing a bit more pop, still just 19 in A ball. Just curious, you're still the high guy on him I think, but was disappointed to see such a massive drop...

That's fair, and I didn't set out to massively drop Alvarez, but if I was rostering him, I would have been hoping for more of a breakout than he's delivered thus far. He's obviously trying to get to more power at the expense of his hit tool, but a .138 ISO is a little disappointing for an age-appropriate player repeating a level. I still like the player, and I like that he's cut his groundballs a little (though his 47.1 percent groundball rate is still a bit high) while upping his pull rate. He probably should have stayed in that 106-202 tier.

CPar: Big jumps for Parks Harber and Jonah Cox in the Giants system. What are your thoughts? Is their progress sustainable? 

This is the first time Harber has been at close to an age-appropriate level in pro ball, other than the hitter-friendly Arizona Fall League, and he's mashing (.259 ISO) while logging easily the best swinging-strike (9.7 percent) and contact rates (76.6 percent) of his career. He's still too old for the level, but I don't think Harber will struggle when he gets bumped to the Pacific Coast League. He looks like a big-league piece early next year. 

It's probably telling that Cox debuted outside the top 200 despite having a 198 wRC+ with 26 steals in 41 games. He's as old as Harber (24) but lacks the same excellent track record as a hitter. Cox has a .486 BABIP, and I'm guessing this is mostly fool's gold, but he's making plenty of contact and plays a good center field, so there's a chance he's a No. 1 or No. 9 hitter who steals 30-plus bases during his mid-20s.

PaulMax: Yairo Padilla's (STL) been out all season — is there anything that changed to get him bumped up the rankings, other than maybe that he's nearing a return?

He went from 245 to 205, which is essentially nothing. I just didn't want people in deeper leagues to drop him before he came back, which should be soon.

Luke Anderson: Quinn Mathews (STL) has struggled to regain his 2024 form, are you still a believer in the skillset? 

Mathews still has really good stuff from a lefty at Triple-A, he's just walking way too many batters. He has a 16:13 K:BB in his last 16 innings. At this point, I'd bet against him making it as a starter, but he's still in the top 200 for another update in case he can get the control straightened out.

Cedric Walter: How come Felnin Celesten (SEA) is so low? Really good numbers at High-A so far...

Ross Redcay: What's keeping you from bumping Felnin Celesten (SEA) up more aggressively? I know Everett is a very hitter-friendly environment, but looking at the plate discipline numbers, whiff rate, pull rate, etc..., isn't this exactly what we would want to see in a breakout?

Danny J: Felnin Celesten has a .985 OPS and is looking celestial. Why can't this man crack your top 200?

Celesten was given an obvious (but also easy) assignment to High-A, where he saw time at the end of last season. He's riding a .386 BABIP and 14.8 percent walk rate to a strong slash line, but there's nothing special happening under the hood in regards to his exit velocities or hard-hit rate. He also has a .739 OPS away from Everett. To me, this is an obvious sell high, so I didn't want to rank him in a range where one of our subscribers would be the person buying high. If you want to value him higher than I've got him ranked, that's fine, but I do think Celesten remains one of the more overrated prospects out there.

Zak Gonzalez: Not many people are talking about Cam Cannarella (MIA). Can you share some insight on the bump of 100 spots in this update?

He's an excellent defender in center field who missed a little time already this season with a fractured wrist, but is back in action at High-A. He is walking more than he is striking out and hitting for a bit more power, so there's five-category potential if Cannarella can keep this going once he's at Double-A.

Mookie: The rank of Jacob Gonzalez (CHW) tells me you're not really buying it. I know Charlotte is super hitter-friendly but he was there last year and didn't mash. According to a stat I saw his 90th percentile exit velocity went from way below average to 105+ (81st percentile) and his max is like 93rd percentile. What don't you like?

Yeah, I like the improvements Gonzalez has made, but his crazy home/road splits (.739 road OPS) gave me significant pause. He's almost 24, and when a player like this repeats Triple-A with much better results, there's always some Quad-A potential. He's only had one other stop in his pro career where he was better than league average, and that was when he was 22 at High-A in 2024.

Richard Sands: Where would Kristian Campbell (BOS) rank if still eligible to be on Top 400?

Low enough that nobody currently rostering Campbell in dynasty leagues would like to see it. He's basically got the Vaughn Grissom problem — not enough offense for second base/left field and not enough defense to play anywhere else.

Cody Martin: Was Lonnie White (PIT) an oversight? Did he just miss? And if he did just miss, could he pull a Joshua Baez (STL) and make a huge leap from the May update to your next just like Baez did in his breakout last season if White continues mashing in Double-A? Raw tools have always been there...

I almost ranked White on this update, and I regret not doing so, since I got a couple questions about him. At 23, he was way too old to be at High-A, so that performance wasn't going to get him on the list, but he has been productive in a small Double-A sample, albeit with a 28.4 percent strikeout rate. White does have the same type of loud physical tools as Baez, so if you're in a deep league, you could do a lot worse with a position player flyer.

David Scott: What's your take on Jackson Steensma (SEA)? Seems like a riser, but missed your list. Are the underlying numbers not as impressive as the outcome?

He's interesting and he might have made the list if he never got hurt — he's been on the shelf since May 10 with an undisclosed injury. I left a lot of old pitchers with good Single-A numbers off the list because of how easy that level is, but I put Steensma's teammate Mason Peters (SEA) on the list because of the quality of his breaking balls and his handedness (Peters is a lefty, Steensma is a righty). 

BrothersJudd: Griffin Burkholder (PHI) seems to have turned a corner. Are there measurable changes to what he's doing?

He's been solid, for an almost 21-year-old who is technically in his third year at a level. He's making quality contact (32.9 percent line drive rate, 106.1 mph 90th percentile EV), but I do think the strikeouts would creep up over 30 percent if he were bumped to High-A.

James Rogers: Was Jackson Lovich (NYY) in consideration for a spot in the Top 400?

He was not — he's got fun numbers but he's 22 and has a 30 percent strikeout rate at Single-A. If he can find similar success at High-A, he could join the ranks later this summer.

Ted Morgan: Any thoughts on Blake Wolters (KC) this year?

He's back in the Royals' top 20, but walks are still an issue, and he's never been able to handle a starter's workload over a full season. Wolters' fastball/curveball combo could be lethal in relief though.