By now, you've surely seen my top 100 prospects. That sort of rank list is a staple for anyone who fancies himself a prospect analyst.
But if your Dynasty league has existed for a few years, a lot of those players are rostered already, making that deluge of information not particularly helpful to you. What you need is a rank list that narrows the focus to only the newest prospects, the ones who you might be targeting in a first-year player draft.
Never heard of such a thing? Well, it's a common way of distributing incoming talent from the past calendar year. Rather than turn everyone loose on the latest draft class, chaotically distributing those players on a first-come, first-serve basis, a Dynasty league will often declare them off limits until early the next year, when they can be distributed in a more orderly fashion. And because the international signing period takes place at about the same time, those players are generally included in first-year player drafts as well.
So these rankings are what I consider to be the 30 best from those two categories. More than half of them were featured in my top 100 overall, so if you'd like to read more about them, you can refer back to that article.
Note that I omitted one member of the 2023 draft class, Nolan Schanuel, from these rankings because he's already appeared in the majors. He would rank 18th if I included him.
1. Wyatt Langford, OF, Rangers
Age: 22
The fourth pick in last year's draft forced his way to the top of the list by steamrolling four levels of the minors with a .360/.480/.677 slash line.
2. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, SP, Dodgers
Age: 25
One of the most decorated pitchers in Japanese baseball history is somehow only 25 as he makes his move to the majors, where his wipeout arsenal and picture-perfect command should yield immediate results.
3. Dylan Crews, OF, Nationals
Age: 22
The second pick in the 2023 draft is as complete of a hitter as Langford is, and while the numbers weren't as impressive, it's still to his credit that he spent most of his professional debut at Double-A.
4. Paul Skenes, SP, Pirates
Age: 21
It's easy to nitpick Skenes given that he was the top pick in a loaded draft class, but he's still about as projectable as pitching prospects come, pairing a wipeout slider with a fastball that pushes triple digits.
5. Walker Jenkins, OF, Twins
Age: 19
A "sweet left-handed swing" can often be red herring, particularly for someone so young, but the fifth pick in last year's draft has invited comparisons as fanciful as Josh Hamilton and Larry Walker.
6. Matt Shaw, SS, Cubs
Age: 22
Shaw made such a strong impression in his professional debut, continuing to deliver all the way up to Double-A, that he's now a top Dynasty asset even as the 13th overall pick. Bo Bichette is a comp to dream on.
7. Max Clark, OF, Tigers
Age: 19
Clark's premium defense and balanced swing translate better to the real game than Fantasy, but even if he doesn't develop the power we're hoping to see (and he may), he should be a pretty good base-stealer.
8. Tommy Troy, SS, Diamondbacks
Age: 22
Troy profiles similarly to Jordan Lawlar and, being a year older, may step in as his double play partner (most likely being the one to play second base) sooner than later.
9. Hurston Waldrep, SP, Braves
Age: 22
Considered a steal at Pick 24, Waldrep combines all the polish of a college pitcher with a full arsenal of swing-and-miss pitches, the highlight being a split-change.
10. Jung Hoo Lee, OF, Giants
Age: 25
With Lee having little power or speed to speak of, much is riding on his hit tool, which proved to be exceptional in the KBO, at least. He's still young and has the floor of a major-league regular.
11. Rhett Lowder, SP, Reds
Age: 22
Lowder has yet to debut in the minors, which keeps an air of mystery about him, but he's supposed to be a polished pitcher with plus command and advanced secondaries, inviting comparisons to Aaron Nola.
12. Colt Emerson, SS, Mariners
Age: 18
Just a month after turning 18, Emerson advanced to full-season ball (Low-A) and more than held his own there with a .302 batting average, showing the makings of a plus-plus hitter with power to speculate on.
13. Aidan Miller, SS, Phillies
Age: 19
Though he's likely destined for third base, Miller packs plenty enough wallop for the position and has an excellent understanding of the strike zone for a young power hitter.
14. Noble Meyer, SP, Marlins
Age: 19
A 3,000-rpm slider earned Jackson Jobe the benefit of the doubt coming out of high school, and now he's a top-flight pitching prospect. Meyer, the 10th overall pick last year, features the same.
15. Kyle Teel, C, Red Sox
Age: 22
Catchers generally don't make for the best Dynasty assets, but Teel has a remarkably safe hitting profile and a short climb to the majors. The power projection is iffy, though.
16. Shota Imanaga, SP, Cubs
Age: 30
Imanaga's age is working against him here, but he brings with it security and perhaps more longevity than you think, his success hinging more on command and pitch shape than pure power.
17. Brock Wilken, 3B, Brewers
Age: 21
Wilken profiles as your classic OPS hog in the mold of Max Muncy, combining big power with a premium batting eye. His 6-foot-4 frame may leave holes for upper-level pitchers to exploit.
18. Bryce Eldridge, OF, Giants
Age: 19
Drafted as a two-way player, Eldridge is fully committed to hitting now after delivering some of the most impressive exit velocities you'll see from a teenager. He controls the strike zone well for standing 6-feet-7.
19. Leodalis De Vries, SS, Padres
Age: 17
Widely considered the top prospect from this international signing class, De Vries actually doesn't have the loudest tools but invites Jose Ramirez comparisons with his advanced bat skills and instinctual play.
20. Jose Perdomo, SS, Braves
Age: 17
Another instinctual hitter from this year's international class, Perdomo's knack for barreling up both fastballs and offspeed pitches gives him a pretty high floor for a 17-year-old, with a chance of developing more power as he adds strength.
21. Enrique Bradfield, OF, Orioles
Age: 22
A true 80-grade runner and fielder according to some publications, Bradfield probably won't offer the power to be a true standout in Fantasy but would be plenty valuable as a 40-steal Steven Kwan.
22. Paulino Santana, OF, Rangers
Age: 17
Santana seems to be a late riser among this year's international prospects, showing up much higher on some rank lists than others. He may have the most upside of all of them, offering considerable power and speed with a pretty good approach.
23. Arjun Nimmala, SS, Blue Jays
Age: 18
A favorite among prognosticators for his power projection, Nimmala showed a surprisingly good approach in his nine games in the Florida Complex League, walking 14 times while striking out eight.
24. George Lombard, SS, Yankees
Age: 18
His father of the same name was once a top prospect who was also recruited to play running back at the University of Georgia. This George Lombard is similarly athletic but still needs to optimize his swing to max out his power projection.
25. Colin Houck, SS, Mets
Age: 19
Another prospect with football roots, having starred at quarterback in high school, Houck is already ahead of the curve with his discerning approach and is expected to hit for more power in due time.
26. Yuki Matsui, RP, Padres
Age: 28
Matsui's Fantasy worth is entirely contingent on how often the Padres turn to him for saves, but he was a dominant closer in Japan, pairing a rising fastball with a splitter that drops out of sight.
27. Brayden Taylor, 3B, Rays
Age: 21
Taylor was thought to be an advanced hitter when the Rays selected him 19th overall last year, and he did deliver good counting stats. But a strikeout rate over 30 percent is an ominous sign for a collegiate bat at the lower levels.
28. Brice Matthews, SS, Astros
Age: 22
Like Taylor, Matthews' strikeout rate for a 20-something in Low-A is cause for concern, but the raw tools are louder, making a potential power/speed outcome more likely.
29. Kevin McGonigle, SS, Tigers
Age: 19
Unlike the two prospects preceding him, McGonigle's ability to put bat to ball is the most impressive thing about him. He controls the barrel well enough to develop pull-side power, but playing in Detroit won't help.
30. Cole Carrigg, OF, Rockies
Age: 21
Interesting if for no other reason than because he played the three most premium positions -- catcher, shortstop and center field -- in his pro debut, Carrigg also also raised eyebrows with his offensive game, which is supposed to be pretty raw.
