The 2023 season has seen many fantasy baseball prospects make their debuts, whether skipping Double-A or getting promoted the classic way from Triple-A. With the stretch run to the playoffs approaching, many recent call-ups this past month can be the reason one's team goes over the edge, while owners out of the race can get a jump start on future studs on the horizon.
Many prospects from our consensus top-100 fantasy baseball prospect rankings have been promoted, and there are also a handful of prospects that worked on some kinks in the minor leagues after rough starts to their MLB career and are getting another opportunity.
As a reminder, the three things we look for most when evaluating a prospect are opportunity, team situation, on-base ability (hitters), or K-to-BB ratio (pitchers). It's also important to remain patient, as many prospects will have ups and downs.
Today, not only will recently promoted prospects be discussed, but also future prospects that can help in dynasty formats for years to come. Let's dig into the next wave of players that owners should roster, and as always, be sure to follow RotoBaller for all the fantasy baseball news you need to stay up to date with prospects throughout the season.
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Top MLB Prospects: Best fantasy baseball rookies, sleepers to watch
By Danny Burdeen
Zack Gelof, 2B, Oakland Athletics
Although I prefer to fill owners in on players that I haven’t reported on in the past, what Gelof has done since his promotion on July 19 has been nothing short of incredible. As I mentioned last month, Gelof was going to have plenty of opportunities to showcase his pop and speed combo, but I doubt anyone predicted him to look like former A’s slugger Mark McGwire out of the gate. Over his first 33 games, Gelof has shown immense power with nine homers and 17 RBIs, and he's also chipped in with eight stolen bases to go along with a healthy .305 batting average. The 23-year-old infielder has been a league-winner thus far at a position that is hard to come by.
Owners should expect Gelof to eventually fall back down to earth, but his pop and speed are real and should be valued. With just a couple of weeks left until the fantasy playoffs, owners should continue to ride the hot hand of Gelof but also maintain a healthy expectation that he can’t keep this power streak up forever. The homers should eventually slow down, but Gelof’s speed remains an excellent benefit. The bottom line is that Gelof has proven to be a legit asset, and even with an eventual regression, owners should continue to ride it out at the keystone with the young star.
Masyn Winn, SS, St. Louis Cardinals
Many owners were disappointed with the Cardinals' failure to promote Winn after the club dealt Paul DeJong at the deadline. St. Louis is having a rare off season in terms of its standards, and the rumor was that they would wait to promote Winn until September to help with future club control. So, when the Cardinals decided to promote the 21-year-old on Aug. 18, it was a surprise to many. Winn was on a hot streak for Triple-A Memphis before his promotion, and the Cardinals decided to get a jump start on their 2024 roster with the youngster getting the remaining 45 games to prove his value to next year's club.
As a minor leaguer, Winn has been highly regarded as one of the top prospects, not only at shortstop but in all of baseball. Already a strong option on defense, Winn’s offense is what will be helping owners. At such a young age, Winn drastically improved his K rate in 2022 and '23 after struggling to be patient at the plate in his debut season of '21. Those improvements led to Winn hitting in the .280s the past two seasons with a combined 30 homers and 104 RBIs to go along with 60 stolen bases between High-A, Double-A, and this year in Triple-A.
With his improvement at the plate so young in his career and going through a Cardinals organization that is known for developing their own, Winn can be a big asset moving forward. Although I have been rostering Winn in redraft leagues, he has been off to a slow start and his best value in the fantasy world remains in dynasty leagues.
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Noelvi Marte, SS/3B, Cincinnati Reds
Speaking of 21-year-old shortstops, the Reds didn’t want to be outdone by their division rival Cardinals, promoting their top prospect this past week. Upon his promotion, Reds manager David Bell alluded to Marte receiving an everyday role at the hot corner. That’s news to fantasy owners' ears, and those that were wise and ran to the waiver wire to scoop up the young talent.
The main piece of the Luis Castillo trade last season, Marte put together a strong line of 11 homers to go along with 45 RBIs and 18 stolen bases with the majority of his games coming in Double-A and Triple-A except three games in the Arizona Fall League. With plenty of raw power and good plate discipline to go along with the ability to swipe bags, Marte has all the makings of a future star. The Reds have proven this season that they are willing to promote their young stars, and Marte has the potential to be the brightest of them all moving forward. In just a few games at the big-league level, Marte has stolen two bases, but his potential is too high for owners to not take a chance down the stretch. The future star has been a name in dynasty circles the past few seasons, and his value moving forward should be judged as one with the potential to be a premier player at a premium position.
Parker Meadows, OF, Detroit Tigers
There aren’t many times that a 23-year-old is considered a late bloomer in terms of baseball, but Meadows has been just that. After being drafted in the second round of the 2018 draft out of high school, Meadows struggled mightily throughout his first three seasons with a combined 19 homers. However, everything changed once he reunited with his former high school coach before '22, and it has been all sunshine since then. The 6-5,lefty made some adjustments that led to a breakout campaign that saw him hit a combined .270 with 20 long balls, 58 RBIs, and 17 stolen bases between High-A (14 games) and Double-A (113 games). That success was no fluke, with Meadows getting the bump to Triple-A Toledo for 2023, and his numbers continued to flourish to the tune of a respectable .256 batting average, 19 homers, 65 RBIs, and 19 stolen bases.
The Tigers decided they wanted to give Meadows a chance the rest of the way and he was promoted for his big-league debut on Monday versus the Cubs. It’s been just two games, but Meadows has already picked up three hits, including a triple and a walk over his first eight at-bats. Meadows has never been as highly touted as the previous prospects mentioned, but owners in deeper formats should consider taking him for a spin in deeper formats down the stretch. The worst case is that he struggles and owners can cut bait before the playoffs. The best case is that Meadows translates his recent minor league success and is a hero for owners. Regardless, Meadows is worth consideration in all formats with his power and ability to steal bags, and that alone should get owners' attention.
Kyle Harrison, SP, San Francisco Giants
With the Giants looking to secure a playoff spot, the club decided to promote top prospect Harrison for his debut on Tuesday against the Phillies. The lefty had a welcome-to-the-big-leagues moment with a Bryce Harper two-run homer in his first inning as a major leaguer, but he settled down from there and finished with a respectable line of five hits, two runs, one walk, and five strikeouts over 3.1 innings. The Phillies aren’t an easy lineup to face, and Harrison held his own.
From a big-league standpoint, Harrison offers plenty to be excited about with three strong pitches in his repertoire and his ability to rack up punchouts. Although it was just his first start, the issue moving forward could be not only his role, but also whether he'll get enough innings to be helpful in redraft leagues in the final month of the season. In dynasty formats, Harrison should already be rostered, and he makes for an intriguing option in deeper redraft formats. In a true case of opportunity, Harrison is one to keep an eye on both now and in the future.
Dynasty League Targets
Jackson Holliday, SS, Baltimore Orioles
It seems like every time one sees anything about Holliday, he becomes more impressive. The 19-year-old recently joined Double-A Bowie, and even at such a young age, Holliday has looked out of this world. In just 26 games for Bowie, Holliday has crushed the seams off the ball for a sparkling .343 batting average with six doubles, three triples, three homers, and 14 RBIs. If that’s not enough, he is shining with a .964 OPS. Holliday has outplayed Single-A and High-A to earn his promotion last month and between the three levels has been outstanding with a .334 batting average accompanied with 10 homers, 65 RBIs, and 21 stolen bases. Holliday should already be rostered in 100 percent of dynasty leagues, but if he isn’t, pause your reading on this article and sprint to the waiver wire immediately.
Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF, Chicago Cubs
Speaking of recent promotions for young stars, the Cubs promoted their top prospect earlier this month. The 21-year-old outfielder was acquired for Javier Baez in 2021 and has proven to be a gem for the Cubs on the farm. PCA’s defense has always been top tier, and his offense has really come around this season. Between Double-A and Triple-A, PCA has hit .289 with six triples, 18 homers, 71 RBIs, and 32 stolen bases. His hitting has really developed and made him a potential five-tool asset moving forward. The Cubs have been hesitant to call up prospects in the past, but amid a playoff run, there is a slight chance that they look down on the farm at their prized prospect. Regardless, PCA is clearly on the trajectory to make an impact at the next level in 2024 and shouldn’t be available in dynasty leagues.
Termarr Johnson, 2B, Pittsburgh Pirates
After crushing the ball in July, the Pirates decided it was time for a new test for 19-year-old second baseman Termarr Johnson. Johnson recently got promoted to High-A Greensboro and has continued to show impressive power out of his 5-9 frame. The Pirates have shown plenty of willingness to promote youngsters this season with an eye toward the future and Johnson can continue to make his case to start in Double-A next season with a strong showing the rest of the way. Combined between Single-A and High-A, Johnson has hit .239 with 17 homers and 54 RBIs to go along with a .855 OPS. Johnson’s power has really come into his own after a rough beginning of season, and it should only improve as his body continues to mature. A favorite of mine, Johnson may be a few years away, but holding him in dynasty leagues can prove to pay off for years to come at a position that is hard to come by.
