This is a companion piece to our 2025 Dynasty League Rankings. The opinions below are my own and do not reflect the TDG consensus.

Pete Crow-Armstrong, Chicago Cubs (AGE: 22, RANK: 43)

Here’s hoping Kyle Tucker can take Petey under his wing and unlock the skills that are present for a top 100 Dynasty player. The left-handed hitting center fielder had an up-and-down rookie season; the 27 steals were a nice bonus, but the .237 average was not. Of course, there is more to it than that. His BABIP was a low .292; this is a guy who never had a BABIP lower than .351 at any minor league stop. He was an aggressive hitter in the minors, but even still, his 5.1% walk rate in 2024 was nearly 5% lower than his minor league percentage. Crow-Armstrong’s strikeout rate was better than his minor league one, with a decent 23.9% K rate. Speed is all over MLB now, so are the steals PCA brings to the table worth it? He’s in the 99^th percentile in sprint speed and he’s a great defender, so he’ll get at-bats. Is a 20/50 season possible? All signs point to yes. As the 22-year-old continues to mature as a hitter, expect a jump to the top of the order, and all the glorious Runs and Steals that come with it.

Lawrence Butler, Vegas Athletics (AGE: 24, RANK: 20)

Larry Butler is the name of a basketball player, while Lawrence Butler very much fits a baseball slugger. Anyway, the hype around Butler is really coming on; he’s ready for his close-up and probable first All-Star appearance. Two more steals and Butler would have had his first 20/20 season, I think 30/30 is in range for 2025 and beyond, and minor improvements to his minor league strikeout and walk rates will see Butler leapfrog into the top 10. That’s all besides the awesome park factors of the A’s home in 2025. If his current manager will consider a deal, best to make an offer.

Jo Adell, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (AGE: 25, RANK: 87)

What am I, a glutton for punishment, or an eternal optimist? Don’t answer that. Adell is probably a free agent in some leagues (78% rostered in Fantrax as of this writing), and I am debating cutting him off one team, due to roster constraints and nowhere to stash him. He put up some counting numbers, 15 homers and 20 steals in 2025, but it seems like everyone was hitting 15 and stealing 20 last year. Adell did it with a putrid .207/.280/.402 slash line. So…where’s the good, why is he a target, you ask? Well, he did post his best strikeout rate (27.9%) and walk rate (7.8%), so maybe he’s learning? To that point, maybe Adell figured out something in the 2^nd half of last season. A .190 batting average was much improved to .239; if Adell could hit .250 that opens up a lot more opportunities. The Angels aren’t scheduled to be any good in 2025, so counting stats won’t be plentiful, and right now Roster Resource has Adell hitting 9^th. The Angels re-signed him, and if you roster Adell, and you’ve held him since he was a top prospect, you might as well hold on a bit longer.

(Phil Barrington)