We aren’t playing around anymore, it’s time for the big dogs to come out and play! The Dynasty Guru’s top tiers of consensus pitcher prospects are loaded with star power that like to flex their muscles. Behold the stars of tomorrow along with comments and thoughts from Brian and Daniel Labude.

Tier 1 #1 – 4

This top tier of pitching prospects is absolutely loaded with ace-level upside players. If I had to personally rank just those four players, I would have to go Trey Yesavage, Chase Burns, Nolan McLean, and then Bubba Chandler. If you are looking for the best strikeout potential, it is most certainly Burns. He made eight starts at the major league level in 2025 and struck out 10 or more in four of those games. He also gave up five or more runs twice and six or more hits three times. I think he has the most upside of the four, but also pitches in Great American Ballpark, so the outcome could have a path that is windy, bumpy, and diverges a few times before we get to the final destination with him. Yesavage just dominated in the playoffs and even had two 11 or more strikeout games, including one on the biggest stage for the sport against a super team in the World Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers. McLean to me is actually ahead of Chandler, because his sinker is really good and his sweeper is just crazy. Chandler has a big upper 90s fastball and a devastating changeup, but his slider and curveball have not been up to par so far. I do think there is a gap between Yesavage/Burns and Chandler/McLean. (Brian Labude)

Trey Yesavage may be a sneaky target even at number two in this top tier. He was masterful in the playoffs and dominated in the World Series. He has three plus pitches and is just getting his career started. In the minors, he has a 41.1% strikeout rate over 98 innings pitched. The command may hold him back from being number one, but he has the stuff to be one of the best pitchers in baseball. Chase Burns is number one on this list for a reason. He has the fastball and slider to rival the peak Strider days and is still a rookie. He had a 36.8% strikeout rate in the minors and didn’t miss a beat once in the big leagues, with a 35.6% strikeout rate. He has a big fastball and should be one of the top strikeout pitchers in baseball for years to come. Nolan McLean might be my top player to avoid from this number one tier. He had a strikeout rate of 30.3% in the major leagues, after being at 27.2% across Double-A and Triple-A in 2025. His swinging strike rate being only in the 55th percentile at 10.9% may actually show he is due for some solid regression in 2026. He was getting a lot of called strike threes versus the usual swing and miss ones. Maybe he repeats as such, but I think the odds aren’t as highly in his favor to do so. (Daniel Labude)

Tier 2 #5 – 14

I love Payton Tolle in this tier and think he could rival the other pitchers in tier one even. Check out my prospect spotlight on him coming out later today. Earlier this week, I wrote about Andrew Painter being an avoid and it really comes down to him missing over the heart of the plate far too much in 2025. He got hit hard and often, leading to him coughing up 20 home runs (2nd percentile), having a 1.547 WHIP, and a 5.65 ERA at Triple-A. I think the players around him are much safer than rolling the dice that he has a second-year bounceback following Tommy John surgery. Thomas White and Robby Snelling are really the top dogs in this tier and may have deserved a little more consideration for tier one. White only gave up two home runs on the season and had a 99th percentile strikeout rate of 38.6%. I wouldn’t be shocked if he has a better 2025 season than the tier one pitchers once the Miami Marlins finally make the call and let him debut. Snelling might just be a safer pick in this second tier, because unlike White, he has really good control of his pitches. Last year he had a 66.5% strike rate (91st percentile) and a 7.1% walk rate (83rd percentile). He paired the excellent strike throwing ability with great swing and miss stuff. His strikeout rate between Double-A and Triple-A was 30.4% and he only had a batting average against of .222. Watch out for these two once they debut, because they could take off and head towards SP1 upside and very quickly at that. (Brian Labude)

Thomas White is the big target for me in this tier. His 99th percentile strikeout rate and FIP at High-A, Double-A, and Triple-A, along with his 96th percentile swinging strike rate show a pitcher who is ready for the jump to the big leagues. He has multiple plus pitches and may be adding a fourth as well. If anyone could take the number one spot from Chase Burns, I believe it is him. The only thing holding him back is a 13.56% walk rate and only throwing strikes at a 61.37% rate. If he can remain in the strike zone more, he could easily be the next top pitching prospect given his swing and miss stuff. I might be avoiding Connelly Early in this tier. He has good stuff, but seems to be on the outside of the pitching depth in Boston. I don’t think his fastball is on the same level as most everyone in this tier as well. He may be a likely bullpen pitcher down the road, but if his fastball improves, he could move up to the number one tier at some point in 2026. (Daniel Labude)