The Pittsburgh Pirates are calling up Paul Skenes for his MLB debut on Saturday May 11th. The fantasy baseball world is abuzz with this massive news. It’s been clear for a while that Skenes was ready to be pitching in Pittsburgh and his hot start solidified that. 

However, there are other prospects, some top prospects and others lesser-known, who are also off to a hot start in the 2024 Minor League season. With Minor League baseball being underway for a month now, it’s a good time to see who’s been hot at each level and each league to see if we can strike fantasy baseball gold with some of them. 

Any reference made to Prospect Rankings is based on my Top-400 MLB Prospect Rankings, which will be getting updated in the next couple of  weeks. Oh yeah and Paul Skenes is moving up those as well. 

For managers in redraft leagues, you’ll want to pay attention to those in the upper minors this week, while those in keeper and dynasty leagues can look past those to the ones in the lower minors on this list next week.

 

Fantasy Baseball Prospects 2024: MLB Prospect Risers & Noteworthy Players

Triple-A Prospects

Junior Caminero — 3B Tampa Bay Rays

This one doesn’t take a lot of explaining. He’s smoking the baseball at Triple-A Durham and the Rays need all of the help offensively they can get. It’s time for the Rays to call-up Caminero after slashing .315/.375/.630 with six homers, 16 RBI, 13 R, and a steal in 73 at-bats. They’re getting Brandon Lowe back soon-ish and just activated Jonny DeLuca so what’s one more great bat in Tampa?

Jace Jung — 2B/3B Detroit Tigers

Another Detroit top prospect in Colt Keith got all the early headlines early, but now it’s time to look Jung’s way. The infielder is hitting .280/.397/.525 in 33 games at Triple-A Toledo with 26 RBI, 20 R, six homers, and a steal. The Tigers offense is still up-and-coming but could use a boost from a first round pick only two years ago. Jung’s Hit tool is above-average and his Power is plus which is enough for him to be a fantasy asset whether he’s playing the keystone or the hot corner.

Pedro Leon — OF Houston Astros

The Astros are in a hole and part of it is due to lackluster offense. Lucky for them, they have a prospect in house that can start to solve the problems. Leon, now 25 years old and at Triple-A a second time, has finally hit his stride. In 30 games at Sugar Land he’s slashing .309/.393/.553 with six homers and 12 steals with 36 RBI and 25 R. There isn’t necessarily an imminent spot for Leon unless Trey Cabbage or Joey Loperfido don’t work out but he is an interesting guy to watch for given his plus-Power and double-plus-Speed traits.

 

Cade Povich — LHP Baltimore Orioles

You thought the Orioles were all about hitting huh? Well, Povich is here to prove that wrong. Over his first 37.1 innings, seven starts, at Triple-A Norfolk this year, the southpaw has posted a 50:16 K:BB ratio and a 1.69 ERA (2.94 FIP, 3.76 xFIP) for the Tides. The stuff for Povich is in the mold of a typical mid-rotation lefty with an above-average Changeup and 50-grade Fastball and Slider, while the Curveball is still developing. At his best he can command all four pitches well and keep hitters off-balance with spin, changing speeds, and different eye levels. However, when he doesn’t command them, it’s a long day on the mound with walks and hard contact. If he keeps this hot start up and is showing he’s finally found that consistency, the Orioles’ rotation will be a lot deeper come this time next month.

Sem Robberse — RHP St. Louis Cardinals

Nothing is going right for the Cardinals’ big club at the moment, but we could see help for the pitching staff coming soon. Robberse was a key piece in the return for Jordan Hicks last July at the trade deadline and his been making waves at Triple-A Memphis since. The righty is a bit of a backward pitcher in that he relies more on his off speed and breaking pitches than the fastball to get ahead of hitters and get them out. Over six starts and 35.2 innings he’s posted a 35:7 K:BB ratio and a 1.77 ERA (3.00 FIP, 3.74 FIP) so far in 2024. Possessing an above-average Slider and Changeup with a burgeoning average Cutter and below-average Fastball that sits in the low-90s, it’s all about control and pitch mix for the Netherlands native. Robberse profiles as a number-four or -five starter but hey, the entire Cardinals’ rotation is basically that already right?

Double-A Prospects

Augustin Ramirez — C New York Yankees

The Yankees debuted Austin Wells earlier this year but at Double-A they are loaded at the backstop position as well. Ramirez is just half of the catching duo at Double-A Somerset with Ben Rice being the other one. However, thanks to Ramirez being three years younger, and leading the Eastern League in homers, we’ll talk about Ramirez. The 22-year-old catcher has plus-Power and an above-average Arm to cut down would-be base stealers. The Hit tool is average at best but is so far producing a .258/.405/.618 slash line over 24 games while producing 10 homers, 22 RBI, 22 R, and six SB. The steals won’t stay with his 30-grade Speed but Ramirez should be a real threat to behind the dish in the Bronx next June as a 1-2 duo with Austin Wells.

Brady House — 3B Washington Nationals

After being drafted at shortstop it was thought, correctly, that the Nationals would move House to the hot corner given his size and skill set. While the outfield prospects, for good reason, get a lot of hype in D.C., House has been doing his part to show his wears at Double-A Harrisburg. In 26 games he’s slashing .265/.363/.469 with five HR, 16 R, 11 RBI, and a steal. In his full time in the minors his total stat line is starting to give us an idea of what a season could look like as in 175 games he’s hit .297 with 24 HR, 11 SB, 106 R, and 101 RBI with 35 2B and four 3B. Third base has been a hole for the Nationals since Anthony Rendon, in his prime, left the club after following Ryan Zimmerman. House is the next in that line and perhaps the most talented of the group.

 

Edgar Quero — C Chicago White Sox

Traded to the White Sox from the Angels last year during the failed playoff push for Los Angeles. Quero is starting to hit his stride in the White Sox’ system. The switch-hitting catcher is hitting .247/.324/.483 with six homers, 22 RBI, 11 R, and a steal at Double-A Birmingham in just 26 games. The home run total already matches his total from all of last year in 100+ games. More of the damage is coming from the right-side of the plate but the switch-hitting is still a valuable trait for late-game reliever match-ups. Quero is also an interesting catching prospect in that he’s a hit-over-power type with a 55-grade Hit tool and 45-grade Power skill. What does that look like for fantasy baseball value? Think Keibert Ruiz or Gabriel Moreno when all is said and done.

Devyison De Los Santos — 3B Arizona Diamondbacks

This is a name we’ve heard about for a little while now as he’s taking a little bit of a winding road through the Diamondbacks’ system. De Los Santos is now in his third part of a season at Double-A Amarillo Sod Poodles, he’s off to a great start in 2024. Slashing .365/.416/.696 with 11 HR, 25 RBI, 22 R, and a steal with four other XBH. The power is double-plus from De Los Santos but the rest of the traits are average at best but closer to below-average. With those trait grades it’s pretty clear that he’s either a 1B-only option or a DH as he keeps moving up to Triple-A Reno and MLB. There are other corner infielders ahead of him in the system too in terms of fielding ability so it’s likely he’s a big bat when all is said and done and nothing more.

Hayden Birdsong — RHP San Francisco Giants

After finishing the Double-A season with a 5.48 ERA and .345 BABIP in 2023, he is starting again in Richmond in 2024. This start of the year is better for Birdsong so far. Over 20.1 innings he’s posted a 2.66 ERA (4.42 FIP, 3.74 xFIP) with a 29:11 K:BB ratio. The 2022 sixth round pick has three above-average pitches, including a plus Fastball, while the Changeup rounds out the arsenal as a pitch that’s still developing. He has the profile of a number three starter who needs to work on his control a bit and reduce the walk rate to hit his ceiling.

Jacob Misiorowski — RHP Milwaukee Brewers

The Brewers’ top pitching prospect is off to a roaring start at Double-A Biloxi. He pitched pretty well there to finish last year too. So now that he’s six starts into this year with a sub-3.00 ERA and sub-3.00 FIP, he may be seeing his path move to Triple-A Nashville fairly shortly. The 6’7” righty who is easily a frontline starter option with two double-plus pitches, velocity, spin, and a pitch mix that’s one of the best in the minors is likely to be up in Milwaukee after the All-Star Break. Milwaukee will need him, and likely Robert Gasser, to try and push them over the edge in the NL Central race down the stretch.