Farm Futures: Rookie Infielder Targets

These targets are for 2025 leagues, particularly draft and hold formats like the NFBC Draft Champions contest, which is 15 teams and 50 rounds (750 players drafted). I covered many of these infielders on last week's Prospect Podcast:

This is the final article in this three-part series, and you can check out my Rookie Outfielder Targets and Rookie Pitcher Targets if you missed those. 

I'll be covering rookie catchers, first basemen, second basemen, shortstops, third basemen and UT-only rookies. Each position is a different animal -- I have many rookie targets at catcher and second base, but very few targets at the other four positions when factoring in recent ADP. Knowing which positions have quality options in the middle and late rounds of a draft and hold (second base, outfield, catcher) and which positions dry up in a hurry (first base, shortstop) is important before the draft starts, as that can inform the decisions you make as early as the first round.

CATCHER

TARGETS

Dalton Rushing, LAD

DC Rounds: 16-23

The price keeps going up for Rushing -- he went after pick 400 six times in October drafts, and now he generally comes of the board around pick 300. I don't have any shares because I haven't been aggressive enough, and I haven't been aggressive enough because of how much I like Edgar Quero (CHW) and Agustin Ramirez (MIA), who are available 100-plus picks later. Rushing is undoubtedly the best rookie catcher for 2025, and I think he'll still pay off his current price with enough starts in left field on days Will Smith catches, but I don't think he's the best value on the board among rookie catchers.

Edgar Quero, CHW

DC Rounds: 26-33

Quero is my favorite value on the board at catcher. He made an adjustment at the plate early last season to unlock more power and already had a very good hit tool for a young catching prospect. The great thing about Quero is that he should get as much playing time as he can handle, which I think gives him the highest floor of all these catching prospects, including Rushing. I'm not sure how much power Quero will hit for as a rookie, but he'll play enough to at least get to double-figure homers, and he won't hurt your batting average, especially relative to the other catchers available in this range.

Agustin Ramirez, MIA

DC Rounds: 28-32

Nick Fortes isn't quite as bad as Korey Lee, when comparing the incumbents Quero and Ramirez need to jump over, but Fortes is pretty clearly a backup-caliber catcher at this point, and Ramirez was the headliner in the return from New York for Jazz Chisholm. William Contreras led all catchers with nine steals last year, and Ramirez stole 22 bases in the minors last year, so even though he isn't actually fast, he should play enough to finish top five at the position in steals as a rookie. His bat is his calling card, however, and he may even get some starts at DH when he's not catching.

LATE-ROUND OPTIONS

Unlike in the Rookie Pitcher and Rookie Outfielder articles, I'm going with "Late-Round Options" instead of "Endgame Options", as I don't like many of the rookie infielders who are truly available in the endgame, which I consider to be the final few rounds of a 50-round draft and hold. 

Drake Baldwin, ATL

Drew Romo, COL

Baldwin is coming off the board in the 31-38 round range in recent Draft Champions while Romo has a wider range, from round 32-43. Baldwin is the better prospect and better context-neutral hitter, for both average and power, but Romo is a nice DC piece because he's cheap and you can just plug him in for the Coors starts and sit him on the road. 

Sean Murphy is clearly atop the depth chart in Atlanta, but he's coming off his worst full season and has a lengthy injury history. Defensive specialist Chadwick Tromp is out of minor-league options, and if Atlanta doesn't want to designate him for assignment before Opening Day, Tromp would probably get the backup job and Baldwin would open the year at Triple-A. However, Baldwin is a much better hitter than Tromp and a decent defender in his own right. I like Baldwin as a C3 if I have two top-20 catchers ahead of him, because I think he'll be very useful if/when Murphy gets injured and he should be up in at least a backup capacity early in the season.

Jacob Stallings is back in Colorado, but he signed for backup money ($2M, one year guaranteed) and Steamer600 projects Romo to be the Rockies' clear best option at catcher (1.1 fWAR over 600 PA), ahead of Stallings (0.1 fWAR over 600 PA) or Hunter Goodman (0.4 fWAR over 600 PA). Romo won't have a high OBP, but he makes enough contact to hit around .250 with the aid of Coors, and he'll chip in a handful of steals. 

AVOIDS

My only strong avoids are three catchers going in the endgame: Harry Ford (SEA), Ethan Salas (SD) and Diego Cartaya (LAD). I don't think any of the three spend meaningful time in the majors and would expect all three to hurt your batting average if they were ever up and playing. I'd rather be done drafting catchers than use a roster spot on one of these three. If you must take a very late catching prospect to satisfy your desire for a fourth catcher, I'd recommend Dillon Dingler (DET) or Jeferson Quero (MIL).

FIRST BASE

TARGETS

Nick Kurtz, SAC

DC Rounds: 32-39

My one share of Kurtz was in the final round of the Too Early Meatball DC, and that's why I draft early. He's now going between picks 480 and 580 of DCs, and that train won't slow down after my podcast guest Dylan White of Baseball America gave a glowing recommendation of Kurtz last week. First base is a really weak position, both in how shallow it is at the top, and how little depth there is, so Kurtz is getting pushed up more than he would be if he were only eligible at second base or outfield. If you know you don't have the high-end first base production you wanted and need to take a big swing in the middle of the draft, Kurtz makes sense, as he is essentially big-league ready and could have a plus hit tool with plus power. However, he's also missed plenty of time with lower-body injuries and is carrying a lot of weight (6-foot-5, 240 pounds). Kurtz is more of a Dylan Crews-caliber post-draft prospect than a Wyatt Langford one (there isn't a Langford-caliber hitting prospect in the 2024 draft class).

LATE-ROUND OPTIONS

Zach Dezenzo, HOU

Jac Caglianone, KC

Caglianone has only been drafted in 13 of 27 DCs, and Dezenzo has gone after pick 600 in three of the last four drafts he's been taken in. 

Dezenzo may only play against lefties, but he's got some similarities to Jhonkensy Noel (huge bat speed, long swing path) and could eventually get that same diet of PAs (playing against all lefties and some righties). Houston obviously has work to do this offseason to fill out the roster, but I view Dezenzo's bat as more big-league ready than Shay Whitcomb's, and it wouldn't surprise me if Dezenzo had a better season than Jon Singleton.

I prefer Kurtz over Caglianone as a 2025 flyer, but I think Cags is the better draft value. Caglianone got off to a slower start than Kurtz in the Arizona Fall League, but he finished on fire, albeit against terrible pitching and in a very hitter-friendly environment. Caglianone is a true endgame option -- I wouldn't chase him up the draft board if he starts trending up like Kurtz.

SECOND BASE

TARGETS

Adael Amador, COL

DC Rounds: 27-35

Prior to Brendan Rodgers getting DFA'd, Amador was routinely falling past pick 600 in DCs, but now he's often going inside the top 500. Amador got off to a terrible start last year at Double-A and was predictably overmatched after getting rushed to the majors up as an injury replacement, but he was very impressive as a younger player at Double-A over the final few months, and Hartford is the Rockies' one minor-league park that doesn't significantly boost offensive production. It's not hard to see a path to a 10-homer/20-steal season for Amador, just don't take him so high that you're uncomfortable benching him on the road.

Nick Yorke, PIT

DC Rounds: 29-34

He's only eligible at second base, but Yorke could add outfield eligibility and maybe even third base eligibility in season. His production at Triple-A was elite all season, before and after getting traded from Boston for Quinn Priester. He lit up Statcast in his small MLB sample (50.0 Hard%, 15.4 Barrel%) and has been running consistently at each stop, proving once he was up in the majors that he was faster (90th percentile sprint speed) than scouts have reported. The only Pirates who are clearly better hitters than Yorke are Bryan Reynolds and Oneil Cruz, so while it's not exactly clear where he'll play, you don't have to squint to envision a path to 550 plate appearances.

Caleb Durbin, NYY

DC Rounds: 29-35

Durbin, who owns both the single-season and career record for Arizona Fall League stolen bases, could produce exactly like Andres Gimenez in 2025 if he gets the same playing time. He probably won't get that much playing time, but he could get 400-plus plate appearances either via injuries ahead of him or the Yankees striking out on adding a more proven option in free agency or trade. 

Will Wagner, TOR

DC Rounds: 30-35

Wagner is the best source of batting average available after the 30th round in DCs. I view his likely career path as Yandy Diaz at second base, although unlike Diaz, Wagner bats left-handed and could sit against lefties. There's a chance that Wagner can still find the right offseason tweak to get the ball in the air more often, and if he does that, he'll be a massive value, but he doesn't offer any speed and the counting stat floor is pretty low.

LATE-ROUND OPTIONS

Ryan Bliss, SEA

Brooks Baldwin, CHW

Payton Eeles, MIN

I haven't drafted any of these guys because I've already hit my second-base quota at this point, but they are great endgame values if you've managed to show extreme patience and haven't already drafted four second basemen.

AVOIDS

I took Ronny Mauricio (NYM) in a DC 50 at pick 559, 12 rounds after taking Kristian Campbell (BOS), so while I have a Mauricio share, he's actually an avoid for me anywhere near his 431 ADP. It's strictly due to the negative reports surround his recovery from ACL surgery -- if Mauricio looks healthy in spring training, I'd drop the avoid tag. 

He's not expensive, but I have no interest in Travis Bazzana (CLE) in DCs, largely due to the strength and depth of the second base position. 

SHORTSTOP

TARGETS

Carson Williams, TB

DC Rounds: 34-39

If I were to target a shortstop prospect, it'd be Williams due to his power/speed potential and affordable price. He is a premium athlete and elite defensive shortstop prospect, so it's conceivable that the Rays would put up with a poor batting average and on-base percentage from Williams sometime this summer. My long-term comp on Williams is Trevor Story without Coors Field. If you're considering taking one of the top shortstop prospects by ADP, I'd recommend just waiting a few rounds and grabbing Brayan Rocchio (470.4 ADP). 

LATE-ROUND OPTIONS

Marco Luciano, SF

Alex Freeland, LAD

Max Muncy, SAC

It's got to be really late for me to use a roster spot on these guys, but they're all fine options for your final shortstop-eligible player if you need one late. 

Luciano has been terrible in the majors, but he cut the strikeouts (35.9 K% in 2023, 26.8 K% in 2024) and had a .380 OBP last year at Triple-A. Despite all the failure and disappointment, he's just now entering his age-23 season and has a career 48.6 percent hard-hit rate in the majors, per Statcast.

Freeland and Muncy are both 50th-round picks who are unlikely to be up and playing early in the year, but they'll be at Triple-A waiting for a shot. Freeland is the better prospect and is a better bet for double-digit steals, but Muncy's big-league lineup figures to be more accessible. 

AVOIDS

While I don't think there are strong targets, I also don't think there are strong avoids, just given how shallow the position is. For this reason, I like the idea of grabbing two good shortstops in the first 200 picks or so of any draft, not just DCs. He's only been taken in one DC, but Leodalis De Vries (SD) won't be up this year.

THIRD BASE

TARGETS

Matt Shaw, CHC

DC Rounds: 21-24

I was hoping the prices on Coby Mayo and Shaw would be a bit more affordable, especially at this point in the offseason. Both Mayo and Shaw require a bit of a leap of faith from a playing time standpoint, but only Shaw can help in all five categories in a best-case scenario, so I like the idea of "reaching" for him more than Mayo. If you take Shaw, you're hoping the Cubs either trade Nico Hoerner this offseason or that Hoerner's flexor tendon surgery results in Shaw just taking the second base job in the spring. Realistically, I probably won't roster any third base prospects in DCs this year, but I could see myself taking Mayo or Shaw in a FAAB league where I can just cut them if spring training doesn't break their way.

LATE-ROUND OPTIONS

Bryan Ramos, CHW

Ramos isn't a strong target, but he sometimes falls past pick 650, and I don't mind that price if you need a final third baseman. He's not great at anything, but he's also not terrible at anything, and on this team, that could result in him getting 500 plate appearances.

AVOIDS

I have been asked a lot about Shay Whitcomb (HOU) over the past couple weeks, and while he's not a strong "avoid" for me at his cheap price, I haven't been drafting him because I don't think the Astros will actually play him much this season. He has power and speed, but he also projects to have a sub-.300 OBP (.284, per Steamer) and isn't a great defender. This probably doesn't need to be said, but Eric Wagaman isn't a viable DC option after the Angels non-tendered him.

UT-ONLY

LATE-ROUND OPTIONS

Andres Chaparro, WAS

Luke Keaschall, MIN

Chaparro's got a decent chance of gaining 1B eligibility (21 DH starts, 12 1B starts in 2024) and Keaschall would gain either 2B or OF eligibility if he came up -- he was only DHing last year because he was protecting his elbow, which he knew he'd be getting surgery on after the season. Keaschall is a borderline top-20 prospect who doesn't have that type of fame among the redraft community, so he's more affordable (truly an endgame option) than he should be. Chaparro is a borderline Quad-A type who is only interesting because of his team's weak depth chart and the fact he could add first base eligibility.