A reminder on how this works: This is a list for the 2024 season only. It is not a list of the top overall prospects, but the players who have the best chance of making a difference in 2024.
Also, it’s only a list of prospects who are currently in the minors/have prospect eligibility. Players who are currently on MLB rosters or have exhausted their rookie status are not considered eligible.
Those caveats out of the way, here’s a look at the top prospects who have a chance to make a fantasy contribution in 2024.
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1. Junior Caminero, INF, Tampa Bay Rays
2024 stats: 48 G, .262/.332/.519, 13 HR, 1 SB, 19 BB, 43 SO at Triple-A Durham.
Well, this is easy now. The Tampa Bay Rays have gone into full sell mode -- whether you think they should or not -- and Isaac Paredes was moved Sunday afternoon to the Cubs. That should open a spot for Caminero, even if it isn’t the immediate move made by the Rays in the coming days. Caminero has elite offensive upside and has already shown he can hold his own against MLB pitching last year. Roster him now if you can.
2. Coby Mayo, INF, Baltimore Orioles
2024 stats: 78 G, .300/.376/.614, 23 HR, 3 SB, 34 BB, 84 SO at High-A Aberdeen and Triple-A Norfolk.
Mayo’s numbers have dropped over the last couple of weeks, but that’s more of a “you can’t do this forever, this game is too hard” than a “what’s wrong with Coby Mayo?” thing. Even more encouraging was Orioles general manager Mike Elias stating that he believes that Mayo will help the Orioles before the end of the 2024 season. The question now becomes when and what kind of role he’ll serve, but Mayo has the type of offensive upside that is worth stashing right now in redraft leagues.
3. Jasson Dominguez, OF, New York Yankees
2024 stats: 25 G, .344/.394/.573, 7 HR, 3 SB, 7 BB, 23 SO at Low-A Tampa, Double-A Somerset and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Well, well, well. Dominguez made his return back to the diamond from his oblique injury quicker than anticipated, and was able to take the field for the RailRiders, and he picked up hits in both games he played in. Dominguez has elite upside and like Caminero we’ve seen his skill set work at the highest level. The question is what kind of role he can carve out for New York as the Yankees battle the Orioles for the American League East title. It seems likely that Dominguez is up before the end of the year, and considering how late it is in the fantasy year, it absolutely makes sense to consider him for a roster spot right now.
4. Jackson Holliday, INF, Baltimore Orioles
2024 stats: 73 G, .271/.431/.477, 10 HR, 8 SB, 75 BB, 77 SO at Triple-A Norfolk; 10 G, .059/.111/.059, 0 HR, 0 SB, 2 BB, 18 SO at Baltimore.
Holliday had a rough week of results for the Tides, as he went hitless in five-of-seven games and he struck out 10 times over his 22 plate appearances. It’s certainly not a long-term concern, but those hoping that Holliday will go on a hot run and cause Baltimore to bring back the top prospect in baseball can’t like these results. Holliday belongs in this spot because he still has elite upside, but it’s just as likely -- if not more so -- that he’s just a 2025 play at this stage.
5. Moises Ballesteros, C, Chicago Cubs
2024 stats: 83 G, .292/.356/.492, 14 HR, 1 SB, 29 BB, 56 SO at Double-A Tennessee and Triple-A Iowa.
The Cubs made that trade for Paredes on Sunday, and while it doesn’t guarantee that they are necessarily “going for it” in 2024, it doesn’t seem like they’re sellers, either. While it may seem more likely for Ballesteros to receive a promotion if they were out of contention, keep in mind that Chicago has gotten nothing from their catchers in 2024. Ballesteros has the offensive upside to help both the Cubs and fantasy managers, and there’s at least a solid chance they’ll give him that shot before the campaign comes to a close.
6. Jordan Beck, OF, Colorado Rockies2024 stats: 27 G, .306/.408/.574, 5 HR, 5 SB, 19 BB, 26 SO at Triple-A Albuquerque; 23 G, .190/.198/.316, 2 HR, 2 SB, 1 BB, 30 SO at Colorado.
Beck is back on the field after missing almost exactly two months with a fractured hand. The outfielder went 2-for-7 in his two games against Round Rock, and he looks on the precipice of rejoining the Rockies in their (ever-so-obvious) rebuild. Beck didn’t get it done in his time with the Rockies prior to the injury, but the 23-year-old has the power/speed combination to help fantasy teams in 2024, and the fact he plays his home games in some of the friendliest confines doesn’t hurt, either.
7. Dylan Crews, OF, Washington Nationals
2024 stats: 80 G, .263/.336/.436, 9 HR, 20 SB, 30 BB, 73 SO at Double-A Harrisburg and Triple-A Rochester.
Since being promoted to Triple-A Rochester, Crews has held his own, but hasn’t lit up the leaderboards either with a slash of .246/.326/.421 with four homers and five stolen bases over 23 games. Two of those four roundtrippers have come in his last 10 games, however, and he’s shown a strong approach at the plate with nine free passes over that timeframe as well. Those walks not only help him get on base (Editor’s note: no kidding), but an advanced approach at the plate does tend to lead to a quicker promotion. There’s work to be done, but there aren’t many hitters who have the upside of Crews at any level.
8. Tyler Black, 1B, Milwaukee Brewers
2024 stats: 70 G, .275/.383/.454, 10 HR, 16 SB, 39 BB, 55 SO at Triple-A Norfolk; 12 G, .235/.316/.294, 0 HR, 3 SB, 4 BB, 18 SO at Milwaukee.
Black continues to see the power numbers drop, which is bad, and he’s seen his average drop 11 points over the last two weeks, which isn’t great either. He has still continued to show a solid approach at the plate with seven walks in his last 10 games, and he showed off his impressive wheels with three stolen bases against Charlotte on Thursday. Black is going to need an injury (or trade?) to be an everyday player in 2024, but his upside makes him worth a roster consideration if either of those events happen.
9. Kyle Manzardo, 1B, Cleveland Guardians
2024 stats: 56 G, .274/.396/.569, 14 HR, 0 SB, 39 BB, 40 SO at Triple-A Columbus; 30 G, .207/.241/.329, 0 HR, 0 SB, 3 BB, 23 SO at Cleveland.
Manzardo has seen most of his numbers drop -- although as you can see above they’re still very good, at least in Triple-A -- but he was able to homer against Memphis on Saturday. The one number that hasn’t dropped is his on-base percentage, as he’s now walked in eight straight games, and that includes three free passes in that same game where he went deep. Manzardo has significant offensive upside even if it wasn’t readily apparent when he was with Cleveland, and fantasy managers should give him a second chance if the Guardians do the same.
10. Jacob Wilson, SS, Oakland Athletics
2024 stats: 46 G, .438/.475/.686, 7 HR, 2 SB, 12 BB, 13 SO at short-season ACL, Double-A Midland and Triple-A Las Vegas; 1 G, 1.000/.1.000/1.000, 0 HR, 0 SB 0 BB, 0 SO at Oakland.
This is cheating. Kind of. Wilson is technically on the MLB roster, and that’s actually why he stays on this list. For those who missed it, Wilson was called up to make his MLB debut and picked up a hit in his first at-bat, but while scoring on a Lawrence Butler triple, he strained his hamstring. There’s still no timetable, but assuming this won’t cost him the whole season, the fact you can stash the infielder on your injured list might be better -- depending on your current roster construction, of course. Wilson can flat-out hit, and considering how “late” we are into the season, I’d be willing to take the risk.
Also considered: Owen Caissie, OF, Chicago Cubs; Hurston Waldrep, RHP, Atlanta; Jace Jung, INF, Detroit Tigers; Cade Horton, RHP, Chicago Cubs; Marco Luciano, SS, San Francisco Giants