Here at the TDG Headquarters, we’ve been busy looking for “The Next Big Thing.”  Just like you, we want to know who’s going to be the prospect that will become the core of our fantasy team, or be the young player traded away in our bid to in it all. With that in mind, we’ve put together a team of prospect prognosticators and developed a set of tiered rankings for each position. And once they’re all posted, we’ll wrap up with our Top 200 Overall Prospects, putting it all together.

Be sure to listen to the Join the Ranks podcast for more discussion about these prospects as well.

Today, we kick it off with outfield prospect tiers 6 through 8, which include prospects #48 – 100.

Tier 6

The two players I want to highlight here are Yophery Rodriguez and Gabriel Rincones Jr. Rodriguez, the recipient of the Brewers largest signing bonus in the 2023 international class, spent all of 2024 as an 18-year-old for the Milwaukee Brewers Single-A affiliate, the Carolina Mudcats. It was an aggressive assignment for the 6’1” outfielder, as he was one of the youngest players at that level, but he more than held his own, hitting .242, with a .343 on-base percentage, 7 home runs to go along with 7 stolen bases, and leading the Mudcats with 23 doubles. Of note, Rodriguez showed clear improvement in 2024 from his time in the Dominican Summer League in 2023. He decreased his overall swing percentage from 53.4% to 44.1% while increasing his contact percentage from 60.5% to 75.8% and increasing his line drive percentage from 15.4% to 23%. Less swings, more contact, and more line drives? I’ll be keeping Rodriguez rostered wherever I can.

Rincones Jr’s 2022 season at Florida Atlantic University vaulted him into the 3rd round of the MLB Amateur draft where he was selected by the Phillies. Since then, Rincones has patiently advanced through the Philadelphia system, excelling at every stop. Rincones played 59 games at AA in 2024, where he hit .263 with a .357 OBP and .487 slugging percentage. His 11 home runs and 23 stolen bases highlight the power/speed upside Rincones can offer, however, it should be noted that he had an OPS of just .493 against lefties in 2024, compared to .850 versus righties, which limits his upside to that of a strong-side platoon bat. (David Gofman)

I’m sure we all need more good Dodger news, but Eduardo Quintero looks to be the next in a line of recent international successes for them. He torched the DSL to the tune of .359/.472/.618 in 2023, and then .330/.459/.449 stateside in the Rookie Complex in 2024. He earned a 30-game promotion to finish the season but finally struggled when he reached Low-A Rancho Cucamonga where he was 3 years younger than his competition. Despite his A-ball struggles, Quintero posted a 19% strikeout rate, a very low 16% chase rate, and an 80% contact rate in the strike zone. Couple that with good athleticism and he becomes a player to scoop up now if you have the minor league roster space to hold him for 3-5 years.

The Twins’ Luke Keaschall has the profile of a player I wish I drafted more often. I saw him as more of a second baseman than a shortstop coming out of the 2023 draft, but he has had a very solid offensive profile since his days at Arizona State. So why is he in the outfield rankings? The Twins have been experimenting with him in centerfield since drafting him. Keaschall moves well in the outfield as you might expect from a middle infielder. He reached Double-A Wichita in 2024, but his season was shortened as he underwent Tommy John surgery in August. If he can’t recover well enough to play the infield full-time, his bat will be fine in center field. He makes contact in the zone at a well above-average rate and has a great idea of the strike zone. His power right now is more of the gap-doubles variety rather than home runs. He runs well enough to play as an offensive center fielder but isn’t a blazer. Keaschall doesn’t present an exciting outfield fantasy profile, but it’s one that could produce multi-positional infield/outfield eligibility to go with a solid bat. (Brandon Ring)

Looking for a hitter with the power and speed of a lightning bolt? Then Henry Bolte is your man. He has the true power/speed combination rarely seen in prospects. In 2024, he hit .267/.368/.466, with 15 home runs and 46 stolen bases across High-A Lansing and Double-A Midland. So how can this budding star be ranked this low? It’s his 34.7% strikeout rate. The 2025 season will really be a make-it-or-break-it one for him. If he can’t get those strikeout and whiff rates down, he will not be successful as he moves to Triple-A and the major leagues. However, his value will soar quickly if he does.

Going deeper, Brailer Guerrero is someone who in 2024, started his breakout. Over 28 games at Rookie-Ball, he hit .330/.452/.466, adding 2 home runs and 13 stolen bases. He’s one that can break out in 2025 in a really big way. (Brian Labude)

 Yasser Mercedes is a name to not forget in this tier. He has been forgotten mostly since the hype machine went crazy following his stellar 2022 year in the DSL. His next season stateside in Rookie ball was a disaster, as he battled injuries and hit to the tune of a 57 wRC+. 2024 was a great rebound season for him, as he repeated the Rookie league. He hit .331/.421/.568, with a .989 OPS. His wRC+ jumped all the way to 163. Being down in this tier may be a step too low for him and if he remains healthy a huge jump up in rankings this coming season could be in store. (Daniel Labude)

Tier 7

Mike Sirota is not a name many of even the most devoted fans knew prior to January 6th, 2025, when the Reds sent their recently drafted outfield prospect to the Dodgers along with a competitive balance pick for second baseman Gavin Lux. The story of Sirota going to the Dodgers in this deal gets more interesting still as the Dodgers actually drafted Sirota out of high school in 2021, only to see him choose to attend Northeastern. I have to be honest here… when the Dodgers are interested in someone, I tend to be interested in them too. And when I find out that the Dodgers are still interested in a player three years later, well my ears prick up just a little bit more. The 6’3” outfielder has yet to make his pro debut, but he can be sure more than a few extra pairs of eyes will be on him in 2025.

Paulino Santana was largely considered to be the second-best hitting prospect in the 2024 international class behind Leodalis De Vries, and unlike his Dominican compatriot, The Rangers chose to keep Santana in the Dominican Summer League in 2024, rather than exposing him to full-season ball state-side. Santana didn’t hit for power in the DSL last year, but he stole 20 bases and had 52 walks to just 38 strikeouts. Much of the prospect hype has already sprinkled off of the 2024 international class, but Santana’s full-season debut in 2025 should still be closely monitored. (David Gofman)

I loved Matthew Lugo as an offensive shortstop coming out of the 2019 draft out of Puerto Rico. I also gave up completely on Lugo after the 2021 season while he struggled with the bat and glove in the low minors. In 2023 the Red Sox moved him to the outfield and his bat responded. Lugo’s first full season in the outfield resulted in his bat exploding in Double-A with a 1.069 OPS in Portland, followed by a short but solid Triple-A Worcester stint. He chased fewer pitches out of the zone as the year went on, but a Triple-A strikeout rate of 27% that is fueled by below-average contact rates in the zone is unfortunately still a part of his package. Lugo hits the ball hard when he makes contact, and he pulls it in the air at a 98th percentile rate. This tends to be a formula for future home runs. In dynasty leagues where proximity is valued and others may have given up on him as well, he could be worth a look. He is now on the Angels 40-man roster after being traded from the Red Sox this past August and now should have a lot of runway as the Angels do not have a lot of great outfield options.

One of my favorite picks after the first-rounders out of the 2024 amateur draft is Phillies 2nd-rounder Griffin Burkholder. He signed for late first-round money, which can be a good gauge of how MLB teams view a player when drafting. Burkholder is an athletic outfielder with a good feel to hit in games, a developing eye, and some room for growth. Scouts note his long swing at times but also noted that it was improved between their fall showcase looks and their looks this spring. He started in right field for one game in 2024 and tripled in two plate appearances. The draft is a gamble, but Burkholder ticks several boxes that I need checked in an amateur position player prospect.  He’s athletic, he’s played well in games, and he has shown improvement over time. Watch his early season strikeouts and walk rates at his first true professional assignment. If they’re in good shape he is a player I’m trying to scoop up ASAP. (Brandon Ring)

Don’t shy away from this J15 class of international signings – Kevin Alvarez is my number one player from this year. He’s going to be special with one of the best bats among his peers and big power potential. He could have a similar year to what Emil Morales just had in the Dominican Summer League. In a close second is Cris Rodriguez, he’s got the most power of the J15 signings but is lacking with the bat-to-ball skills. Improvements in that area could skyrocket his value. Maykel Coret is right up there near the top tier with Alvarez and Rodriguez. However, he may be the more complete player. He possesses some big speed that could move him past the others in time if he shows the dual power/speed threat that dynasty players dream of. (Brian Labude)

Victor Bericoto remains a polarizing prospect and a difficult one to rank. He had a down year overall in 2024, which resulted in his drop to this tier. The biggest issue for him was his disastrous first two months, where he barely hit .200 and put up a sub .300 OBP. June saw him go on a heater and hit above .330, before leveling out between the two extremes to close the year at Double-A Richmond. The biggest worry for him came from a huge drop in power, as he went from 27 home runs in 2023 to just 11 home runs last season. If he is to get back into the higher tiers of outfield prospects, he will need to come out hot in 2025. (Daniel Labude)

Tier 8

Two players worth keeping tabs on at the back end of our top 100 are Dylan Dreiling and Lisbel Diaz. Dreiling was selected 65th overall in the 2024 amateur draft after starring for the Tennessee Volunteers in the Men’s College World Series. The 5’11” outfielder’s surface stats were somewhat disappointing in his first 24 games at High-A Hub City to finish out 2024 as he hit just .198 with 1 home run in 106 plate appearances, but some of the underlying numbers suggest Dreiling got unlucky. For starters, he walked almost as much as he struck out (17.9% walk rate vs 18.9% strikeout rate) and had a low Batting Average on Balls in Play (BABIP) of .242 (league average is typically .300) while making contact on a stellar 89% of his swings. If Dreiling can maintain the same approach, he could be one to watch as he heads into his first full season as a pro.

Lisbel Diaz signed with the Giants in 2023, and the Cuban native spent 2024 split between the Arizona Complex League and Single-A San Jose. As one of the younger players at Single-A, Diaz held his own, hitting for a .279 batting average, while knocking 6 home runs and notching 8 steals over 55 games. Diaz should only be rostered at this point in the deepest dynasty leagues, but that could change quickly in 2025 if he can carry forward his success as he progresses within the Giants system. (David Gofman)

Jud Fabian is a player who has a profile that I love to watch. He is very athletic, he plays very good centerfield defense, and when he hits the ball, he hits it hard. He’s one of those electric “action players” as I like to think of them. Unfortunately, it’s going to be difficult for any of this to play due to contact and chase issues. His in-zone contact rates hover around 7-9 percentage points lower than league average. Compounding this issue is his tendency to chase pitches out of the zone. It’s extremely difficult to be a regular major leaguer when you swing and miss the good pitches and also swing too frequently at the bad ones. He also has a tendency to need to repeat leagues, though the Orioles continue to progress him through the minors despite his struggles. The Orioles need to protect him on the 40-man roster or risk exposing him to the Rule-V draft next offseason. Given his proximity and defensive ability at a premier position, he may get a cup of coffee in the Major Leagues this year. His tendency has been to hit well after repeating a level, and I believe he’ll start his season in Triple-A Norfolk. I would be wary of his price tag if he has a hot 20 or so games at the end of the MLB season unless his peripherals, specifically his chase and in-zone contact rates at Triple-A, support some big changes. I think his defense will make him a future Major Leaguer who gets a lot of chances to stick, but his bat is going to determine the quality of the opportunities he receives.

Every player has a different flaw. I don’t think that’s news to anyone. But when I look at Samuel Zavala’s flaw, it seems pretty unique. He does not like to swing the bat. He swings at 10-15% fewer pitches in the strike zone than average players in High-A. A player that decides on that approach I think I’d expect a sub-optimal contact rate, but it is almost exactly average. If he’s not swinging in the zone, obviously he’s not swinging out of the zone frequently either. The strangest thing to me is that he puts those pitches that are out of the zone in play at a 70% clip… So the bat-to-ball skills are there, he just chooses not to utilize them. In this context, I would suggest that his average zone-contact rate could be from getting into unnecessarily deep counts and letting hittable pitches go by. He is entering his age-20 season and there is plenty of time to develop. I think he’s a player to monitor and I will be watching for a more aggressive approach out of Zavala in 2025. Zavala has work to do but I think there could be 15-20 homers, 15 steals, and a solid batting average someday. He might start the season repeating High-A Winston-Salem in 2025, but he could be in for a quick promotion if he starts swinging a hot bat with more aggression. (Brandon Ring)

The Milwaukee Brewers really have a deep farm system and two of their prospects stand out to me in this tier. The first, Jose Anderson, flew under the radar and stayed hidden behind Jesus Made in notoriety, but he put up some really good stats in the Dominican Summer League. He slashed .283/.403/.512, while producing more power than initially thought, hitting eight home runs and adding 10 doubles. His contact rates are low (55.6%), but as he gets older, if they rise, his value will climb with them. The second, Dylan O’Rae, had a terrible season at Double-A Biloxi, hitting .171/.310/.211 and stealing 29 bases in 64 games. It was in stark contrast to what he did in 62 games at High-A Wisconsin, .266/.405/.323 and 33 stolen bases. The Brewers were aggressive with his promotion to Double-A, which hopefully can account for his dismal numbers. He still maintained really good walk rates (15.1%) and strikeout rates (23.8%), to go along with a very high contact rate (83.6%). He should bounce back in 2025. The stolen base threat is too good to ignore. (Brian Labude)

I haven’t given up on Elijah Green just yet. He continues to display huge potential for a top-tier power and speed combination. The issue continues to remain the hit tool, as he had a contact rate of 54% in 2024. Shockingly enough, that was actually a lower number than he had in 2023. The lack of skill in making contact has led to strikeout rates routinely above 40%. If he can find a way to decrease the strikeout rate down to the 20% range, we are talking about one of the top prospects in baseball. Hopefully, something clicks this season and we see a huge improvement with his hit tool. (Daniel Labude)