In dynasty leagues, information asymmetry leads to opportunity. Having the right information before the competition is how you gain an advantage. In this series, we highlight interesting high rising prospects, from the well-known to the lesser-known, based on our peak projections. Our approach is based entirely on statistical and trend analysis and we have developed an assortment of tools that can help you make dynasty baseball decisions.

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Player Highlights

How a player will receive a check for each category:

Age/Level – Young relative to his competition for the level he is playing at.
Approach – Low strikeout rate, high walk rate, and/or strong BB:K ratio.
Popping Data – Something in the data is unusually appealing.
Stock ▲ – This metric will evolve as I track past highlights. Is the player’s performance on the rise?
Track Record – Demonstrated history of success.

Hector Rodriguez (OF, CIN-A)

Acquired by the Reds in the trade that sent Tyler Naquin to the Mets, Hector Rodriguez is starting to look like an absolute steal for the Reds. The organization is finally showing some commitment to rebuilding their farm system for the first time in…like…forever. Rodriguez arrived last season as a 17 year old in the DSL, posting strong debut numbers. He’s taken things a step further this season, hitting his way into a promotion to Single-A at just 18 years old!

Rodriguez has a real knack for putting the barrel on the ball (as evidenced by his very low 9% K rate) and appears committed to that approach, rarely ending a plate appearance with a walk either (6%). While the low walk rate may concern some, such a low strikeout rate for an 18 year old makes this a playable approach if he can maintain it through higher levels. Overall, Rodriguez is slashing an aggregate .337/.374/.549 on the season, with 3 home runs and 16 stolen bases in 187 plate appearances.

The 5’8 Dominican projects to be a contact-oriented center fielder who will hit for solid power and chip in a good amount of steals. He ranks 14th on our 2022 Leaderboard. I’m excited for this one!

✅ Age/Level

✅ Approach

✅ Popping Data

✅ Stock ▲

✅ Track Record

Gabriel Gonzalez (OF, SEA-A)

Another 18 year old outfielder that has managed to hit his way all the way to Single-A after tuning up Rookie pitching with a .357/.421/.548 slash. You’ll see plenty of players on this trajectory in this highlights article, but I swear, this is normally a very aggressive assignment! While not quite as contact-oriented as Rodriguez, Gonzalez also showcases a fairly advanced approach for his age. While his numbers have come down to reality in Single-A, he is maintaining strong strikeout and walk rates while flashing occasional power. Overall on the season, Gonzalez is slashing .314/.410/.457 with 7 home runs in 244 plate appearances. He ranks 60th on our 2022-only Board and 60th on our Top Prospects List.

✅ Age/Level

✅ Stock ▲

✅ Track Record

Gleider Figuereo (SS, TEX-R)

After showing some promise as a 17 year old in the DSL last season, Figuereo, a 3rd base prospect with the Rangers from the Dominican, has demonstrated impressive development in 2022, particularly in the power department. At barely 18 years old (just 65 days over, as of this writing), Figuereo has torched the Rookie level with 9 home runs and a .616 slugging percentage in 146 plate appearances. Figuereo has also chipped in a solid number of stolen bases, with 7 on the season. Figuereo ranks 28th on our 2022 Leaderboard. If you’re hungry for some power, this is definitely someone to keep an eye on!

✅ Age/Level

✅ Popping Data

✅ Stock ▲

Moises Ballesteros (C, CHC-A)

Like so many others highlighted today, the Venezuelan Ballesteros made his debut at the DSL level with the Cubs at the age of 17. Ballesteros, primarily a catcher, showed promise by walking more than he struck out (31:24). He has brought that strong plate discipline with him stateside this season, flashing strong power and a solid approach at the Rookie level prior to receiving a promotion to Single-A. Ballesteros boasts a .882 OPS and ranks 56 on our 2022 Leaderboard.

✅ Age/Level

✅ Approach

Miguel Bleis (OF, BOS-R)

An 18 year old Dominican outfielder with the Red Sox, Bleis has the potential to rack up the counting stats. On the season Bleis has flashed the ability to hit for impressive power (slugging .543) while showing off speed that borders on prodigious – nearly 65 stolen bases per 600 plate appearances. The one thing that could hold Bleis back is questionable plate discipline. Currently, Bleis projects for 27 home runs and 32 stolen bases at peak, but with a sub-.300 OBP. To find success at the Major League level, that’s something he will need to improve on.

✅ Age/Level

✅ Popping Data

✅ Stock ▲

Samuel Zavala (OF, SDP-A)

Another extremely interesting case, as observed by my Scout the Statline colleague Jordan, Zavala is the only “Fangraphs age” 17 year old (technically, Zavala is 47 days over 18 as of this writing) to play at the Single-A level and maintain a wRC+ over 100.

Over the past 14 years, Padres OF Samuel Zavala is the only "fangraphs age" 17-year-old to eclipse 50 PA in Class A while maintaining a wRC+ over 100

— Jordan in Finland (Fantasy Baseball Oligarch) (@RosenJordanBlum) August 25, 2022

Contrived trivia? Perhaps. Interesting? Absolutely! I know I’m certainly interested in one of the youngest players to find success at Single-A in recent memory. While Zavala recently ran into a dry spell, he homered just yesterday (8/30) and is still hitting .259/.368/.491 overall on the season. He ranks 127th on the 2022 Leaderboard.

✅ Age/Level

Juan Brito (2B, COL-A)

We’re finally breaking the mold of discussing 18 year olds to talk about Juan Brito, the Rockies 20 year old second baseman, also at the Single-A level. Unlike the aforementioned prospects, Brito has been here all season, and has demonstrated the ability to hit for solid power, steal bases, and post solid all-around hitting numbers in the process (.298/.416/.501). Perhaps most impressive, Brito has walked more times on the year than he has struck out (71:66). While he’s not particularly young for Single-A, especially compared to the players listed earlier, Brito has the makings of another solid all-around performer in a Rockies farm system that is looking very well-stocked with talent in 2022. Brito fits right in.

✅ Approach

✅ Stock ▲

✅ Track Record

Jasson Dominguez (OF, NYY-A+)

In a major departure, let’s talk about someone very well-known for a change: Jasson Dominguez. Dominguez started his career with probably more hype than any other 16 year old kid that hadn’t even taken a professional swing than I can remember. That hype fizzled rather quickly after Dominguez failed to dominate in his first taste of professional baseball, posting a .744 OPS last season at Single-A (as I have mentioned, this is aggressive for an 18 year old!) Dominguez tumbled a couple dozen spots in many of the big rankings and suddenly the untouchable future superstar was becoming available.

Well here I am telling you that the time to pounce is now! Somewhat quietly, Dominguez has been putting together a very solid season at high-A, hitting .276/.381/.446, with 12 home runs and an impressive 34 stolen bases. Is he going to be the next Juan Soto or Fernando Tatis? It doesn’t look like it. However, the Martian is trending in the right direction at the right time, and now may be the best chance to negotiate for him at a discounted price before his market value begins rising again!

✅ Age/Level

✅ Approach

✅ Stock ▲

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Scouting the Statline: statlinescouting.com

Scouting the Statline Twitter: @StatlineScout

Ross Jensen: @rossjensen12

Jordan Rosenblum: @rosenjordanblum