Piquing Prospects - Volume 3 - May 15th
The best prospect report in baseball, May 15th Update - @piquingprospect
Welcome to Volume 3 of the Piquing Prospects biweekly prospect report! This is the third installment in the biweekly series where we recap noteworthy minor league performances of top prospects and identify breakout targets for players in leagues of all sizes. The goal of this series will be to give our subscribers an edge when it comes to adding prospects to their dynasty teams. This report is published once every two weeks and player reports are broken into four main categories:
Redraft Stashes - these are prospects that should be owned in ALL leagues, even in non-dynasty formats because of the impact they project to make when called up.
Top 100 Dynasty Prospects - prospects that are likely owned in all but the shallowest of dynasty leagues.
Deep League Dives - “Deep” is relative, but I will specify how many prospects should be owned in your league for these players to be added. Think of prospects in the 150 - 400 range.
Watch List Wonders - the deepest of targets that should be added to your watch list now (or added depending on league size). These players will be less than 5% owned on Fantrax at the time of publishing.
As this is a new series, I am going to do my best to be very responsive to reader feedback! Tell me what you’d like to see more or less of, ask about specific players, and feel free to reach out directly on my new Twitter account (@PiquingProspect)!
Player reports include comps to MLB talent, and a “dream” statline. Comps are more so based on statistical output vs player style, but I’ll mention differences when necessary. As the name suggests, a dream statline is what I project for a player if everything goes right - this would be a 99th-percentile outcome.
All that said, here comes this week’s peek at prospects who are piquing my interest, and perhaps some peak projections as well.
Redraft Stashes
Jac Caglianone (KC - 1B/OF) Ros: 61% (+0.0%) - .319/.390/.558 - Notable Stats: 121 Max Exit Velo, 9 HR, Chase% ⬇️
I’ll be the first to admit, coming into FYPD season, I was slightly skeptical of Jac Caglianone. There were rumors swirling about the SEC, pitch tipping, etc. and he didn’t exactly light the world on fire in his brief 2024 professional debut. In 29 games played at High-A Quad Cities, Cags slashed .241/.302/.388 with 2 HR. Jac has long been known for his prodigious power, but if he wasn't going to make enough contact to make that count, I wasn’t all in on him for fantasy baseball. We’ve seen how a limited contact SEC profile is playing out with his fellow 2024 SEC draftee, Charlie Condon.
Fast forward to 2025, and Jac is lighting the world on fire 🔥 At the time of writing, Caglianone is sporting a .319/.390/.558 triple slash with nine home runs in 35 games played. His uber-aggressive and high-chase approach is also being adjusted as Cags has increased his BB% from 5.6% to 11.0%. His lowered Swing% and Chase% have allowed Jac to tap into more of his raw power as he’s saving his swings for pitches he can do damage on.
As I mentioned before, the damage he can do was never in question. So far this season, Jac has reached a max exit velocity of 121 mph. This is truly top of the scale raw power! There are only six players to ever record an exit velocity of 121+ - Oneil Cruz, Ronald Acuña Jr., Giancarlo Stanton, Gary Sanchez, Aaron Judge, and now Jac Caglianone 💪
In college at Florida, Jac was a two-way player. Being a prodigious power hitter from the left side and an intimidating LHP on the mound earned him the nickname of Jactani (Jac + Ohtani). When he was drafted #6 overall by the Royals, Cags was even announced as a two-way player. While he hasn’t pitched in the pros (and I don’t expect him to at this point), I point this out to highlight his athleticism. Jac is not your typical slug-first hulking 1B. Players such as Nick Kurtz or Josh Naylor don’t provide their teams with much flexibility in terms of long-term defensive home - this is another area where Caglianone stands out. With Vinnie Pasquantino holding down the fort at 1B in KC, the Royals have had Caglianone working in RF, a position his plus arm strength from his pitching days can shine.
The outfield seems to be Caglianone’s clearest path to playing time in the major leagues and his progress and adjustments there will determine how soon we soon him at the big-league level. So far at Double-A, Cags has started 27 games at 1B and six in RF. He’s yet to make an error out there, but the Royals have been on the record saying they don’t want to rush his development, so seeing him out there more consistently and at the AAA level will be our first indication that he’s on the way up.
When he does get the call, I expect him to make an immediate impact to the Royals lineup and fantasy lineups as well! I’d stash now in redraft in leagues with more than five bench spots to ensure you end up with him on your roster!
The Data:
Looking into Cags’ Fangraphs data provides you with a look at the improvements he’s made in his approach. His BB%, BB/K ratio, and OBP all are trending in the right direction compared to last year, and you can see the effect it’s having on his surface stats. I don’t expect Jac to be a .300 hitter and his .366 BABIP will trend down, but he does hit the ball as hard as anyone and will play in a roomy Kauffman Stadium, so I can see him running high BABIPs throughout his career.
Jac’s RotoWire data highlights his above average Hard Hit% (up 10% from his 2024 debut), his (now) above average Contact% (CT%), and his well distributed hit location %. Similar to Kurtz, Jac is comfortable using all parts of the field to flex his power!
The Verdict: Hold - Now’s a tough time to try and acquire Jac. In May, he’s taken his game to the next level (.360/.418/.660) with five of his nine HR. If you already own him, I wouldn’t be against floating him in deals to try and capitalize on the hype. I’d only move him for a more well-rounded 5x5 asset though as he is the premier power hitting prospect at this point.
80th Percentile Comp: Post-Miami Giancarlo Stanton/usable Joey Gallo
95th Percentile Comp: Matt Olson that can pitch in 3-5 SB/season
Dream Statline: .270/.360/.580 with 40 HR & 200 R+RBI
Top 100 Dynasty Prospects
Braden Montgomery (CHW - OF) Ros: 37% (+0.1%) - .339/.423/.602 - Notable Stats: 1.221 OPS in 14 High-A GP
If you can’t tell yet, I clearly have a thing for sweet left-handed swings. I also apparently am quite enamored with the 2024 MLB Draft class. After being reported as a relatively weak class compared to 2023, it appears the 2024 class is turning into one of the more fantasy-friendly classes in recent history. Braden Montgomery is the most recent example of this. After falling to the 10-12 range in most FYPDs I participated in, Montgomery is now staking his claim to a top 30 prospect spot overall.
Similar to Caglianone, I did fade Montgomery slightly during draft season, especially after his trade to the White Sox. I saw the change in Sox (from Red to White) and figured his player development path would be much bumpier on the south side of Chicago. The Red Sox are widely known as one of the top (if not the top) player development systems overall. The Southsiders don’t have that same reputation in the industry. That along with the downgrade in eventual home park, lineup surrounding him, and therefore less R+RBIs, caused me to have zero shares of Montgomery. That said, he and a player I’ll cover later are making me wonder if the Chi Sox may be turning the tide and he’s giving me some major FOMO.
Like Cags, Braden spent his college days playing in the SEC. Montgomery was a member of the Texas A&M Aggies that made the CWS final in 2024, eventually losing out to Tennessee. Montgomery suffered a season-ending fractured ankle during the Super Regionals, so he didn't get a chance to play in the CWS nor did he make his professional debut in 2024. He was then drafted #12 overall by the Red Sox and moved as the headliner in the Garrett Crochet offseason trade. Braden was also a two-way player for parts of his college career, but he’s transitioned to full-time hitting at this point.
Braden made his professional debut for the Low-A Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (one of the best minor league team names for my money). In 18 games for Kannapolis, Braden slashed .304/.393/.493 with three homers and six stolen bases. The Low-A level was a clear downgrade in competition for Montgomery, so while he used it as somewhat of a rehab assignment to prove his health, he quickly ascended to the High-A level. Since being promoted to High-A Winston Salem (Dash - much less cool name) on 04/29, Montgomery is producing at an even higher level. In 14 games played at the High-A level, Montgomery is slashing .388/.466/.755 for a 1.221 OPS! He’s tacked on four home runs since his promotion, including one as I’m writing. He’s done all of this while reducing his K% from his early college days - a potential concern of scouts coming out of the draft.
Montgomery is a switch hitter and thus far he’s been producing from both sides of the plate as half of his home runs had come from either side before the May 14th LHH bomb. This (along with the White Sox lack of other clear options) reduces any concern about a platoon situation once he reaches the big league level. He appears to be more aggressive from the right side of the plate as he’s worked zero walks as a RHH and is striking out at a 29.6% rate compared to a 15.7% BB% and 20.1% K% as a LHH. We could be looking at a rare everyday player profile with power and a non-zero in speed once his legs prove to be fully healthy.
The Data:
I included Montgomery’s college data in the Fangraphs screenshot in an effort to tell the story of the improvements in his approach and K%. His freshman year at Stanford, he was striking out far too often to be considered a top prospect for Major League Baseball. Since then, he’s improved his K% in a meaningful way, and if he can maintain low-20s at higher levels, he’ll be a star player. Also, LOL at his 221 WRC+ at High A. That’s the highest mark of any player with over 50 PA at any level of the minors age 24 or younger.
His RotoWire data backs up the eye test in that he’s hitting the ball hard, his CT% is up, and he’s spreading the ball around the field. We want to see pulled fly balls for HR, but the ability to spread the ball around the field gives me some more confidence in his hit tool (in a small sample).
The Verdict: Buy Now - It doesn’t seem like the hype has quite caught up on Braden compared to other early-season standouts. That said, the buying window is closing soon! See if you can grab him in trades now before he’s universally viewed as a Top 25 prospect!
80th Percentile Comp: The good version of Austin Meadows (2019, 2021)
95th Percentile Comp: Switch-Hitting Astros George Springer
Dream Statline: .280/.370/.500 with 30 HR, 175 R + RBI, and 5 SB
Caleb Bonemer (CHW - SS/3B) Ros: 11% (-0.1%) - .264/.401/.418 - Notable Stats: 105.4 90th percentile EV, 19.7% barrel rate
Another White Sox player? Another White Sox player! I’ve said it on Twitter, but the White Sox may have something brewing in the minors with Braden and Caleb! The Southsider’s system has been highlighted by their pitching prospects for the past few years, and their hitting development hasn’t had the shiniest track record. Caleb Bonemer is looking to be the exception to that rule.
Another 2024 draftee, Bonemer was selected in the 2nd Round (#43 overall) by the White Sox out of Okemos High School in Okemos, MI. After their trade with Boston, The Chi Sox may be looking at a special trio coming from the draft with Hagen Smith, Braden Montgomery, and Caleb Bonemer. The Sox signed Bonemer to an above-slot $3M bonus to pull him from his Virginia commitment. After being drafted, Bonemer didn’t debut in 2024, so we’re just getting our first look at him now.
Going into the draft, Bonemer was thought of as one of the better power/speed bets in the prep class. So far, Bonemer’s surface numbers are backing up that claim. In 2025, in 31 games for Low-A Kannapolis, Caleb has produced an OBP over .400 and has added 2 HR and 11 SB. That said, the surface numbers aren’t the main selling point with Bonemer. Bonemer’s underlying metrics and the buzz surrounding his athleticism are what have me most intrigued for his fantasy baseball outlook.
Baseball America is a great resource that comes highly recommended by Piquing Prospects, and they’ve been all over the Bonemer coverage. Bonemer was featured in their article “10 MLB Prospects With Standout Contact, Chase & Exit Velocity Data Early In 2025” published on May 9th ⬇️:
In a recent podcast, Pontes even compared Bonemer to Gunnar Henderson in terms of athleticism and potential power/speed profile. I remember when Gunnar Henderson was the target identified by a then Prospects Live writer, Ralph Lifschitz. At the time, I was so focused on statistical production that I picked up Gunnar then in my home dynasty league, but because of his somewhat underwhelming statistical profile eventually dealt him for Brett Baty before either’s MLB debut 🤦 you win some, you lose some, but an important lesson was learned there - underlying metrics can mean more to a player’s success than the stats we all can see on the surface. When Geoff reported the Gunnar comp this time around, I was able to snag Bonemer in that same home league (around 300 prospects owned) and I plan on holding this time around!
Throughout Bonemer’s development, I’ll be keeping a close eye on those same metrics identified above along with K% and BB%. Caleb’s athleticism, arm, and glove are a strong suit of his and he figures to stick on the left side of the infield. This security and positional value should eventually get him a shot at the big-league level. I’m viewing Bonemer as the SS of the future for the White Sox (sorry Colson Montgomery) and as a Top 100 prospect in fantasy baseball! Hopefully, we can see him join his former Cannon Baller teammate, Braden Montgomery, at High-A soon!
The Data:
Looking at the RotoWire data, Caleb’s Hard Hit%, K%, BB%, and CT% all pass as plus marks. When analyzing Fangraphs Minor League Leaderboards, Bonemer compares nicely with previous Piquing Prospect, AJ Ewing, and 1st Team All-Hype prospect Luis Peña. The difference between Bonemer and those guys? He projects to stick on the left side of the infield.
The Verdict: Buy Now - When buying certain prospects, you need to pay a “Yankees Tax” or “Red Sox Tax”. The opposite is true with Bonemer as you can likely get a “White Sox Discount”. While their lineup could eventually limit his counting stat output, we’ll hope that they’re on the up & up and he and B Montgomery can be the start of something special on the south side of Chicago.
80th Percentile Comp: Jeremy Peña with more OBP and not quite Gold Glove defense
95th Percentile Comp: Bigger Zach Neto with more OBP
Dream Statline: .280/.360/.480 with 25 HR/30 SB potential
Jonah Tong (NYM - RHP) Ros: 26% (+0.6%) - 2.57 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 51 K in 28 IP - Notable Stats: 44.7 K%, Unique FF Traits
Jonah Tong is one of baseball’s most fun pitchers to watch in the minors right now. In his latest outing, Tong pitched 6.2 perfect innings in part of a 7-inning perfect game with 13 strikeouts. Jonah was pulled from this start (one out away from the perfect game) after 99 pitches thrown, so it does seem like the Mets are keeping a close eye on his workload. As a young player with a slighter frame and a somewhat violent delivery, this makes perfect sense, but it still would’ve been great to see him finish off the perfect effort on his own.
Strikeouts have always been a strength of Tong’s and he seems to be taking it to the next level recently. Over his last four starts, Tong is sporting a stat line of: 19 IP, 2 ER, 40 (!) K. This equates to a 0.95 ERA and a 54.1% K-rate. He’s doing this all at 2.9 years younger than average at Double-A as a 21 year old!
His results have been phenomenal, but the way he achieves those results is what makes Tong so unique. Tong uses an extremely over-the-top delivery/release point - it reminds me of a mix of Tim Lincecum and Josh Collmenter. These unique release characteristics not only create a deceptive look for the hitter, but they also help the four-seam fastball (FF) move in a very unique way. There is no public Statcast data available at AA, but last year in the Florida State League (where it is available), Tong regularly averaged over 20” of induced vertical break (IVB) on his four-seam. In 2024, Tong’s fastball averaged 92.8 mph (below average), but paired with 20” of IVB (a truly elite mark), it proved near un-hittable. Tong struck out 160 batters in 113 IP last year, a mark that ranked 4th in the minor leagues.
This year, Tong is sitting in the 94-96 range more often and has topped at 98.5 mph. If he can maintain his fastball shape while adding velocity, he’ll be in rarified air. At the MLB level, Alex Vesia is known for having the highest IVB fastball averaging around 20.5” - a pitch he threw 93.4 mph in 2024. If (and it’s a big if) Tong can average 20.0” or greater of IVB and 95+ mph in velocity, we’d be looking at one of the more effective FF in the game of baseball. The closest FF characteristics we’ve seen in recent MLB history is 2019 Astros Justin Verlander. That year, Verlander averaged 20.6” of IVB and 94.6 mph of velocity. With an arsenal led by that fastball, Verlander racked up 300 K, a 2.58 ERA, and a 1st-place finish in AL Cy Young voting. Tong pairs his four-seamer with a 12-6 curveball with ridiculous horizontal break (a potential 2nd plus offering), a cutter, and a changeup.
I’m not saying Tong will be a first-ballot hall-of-famer like Verlander, but I just use the example to help you understand how rare the shape of Tong’s fastball may turn out to be. Unlike Verlander that year, Tong still does struggle to throw strikes from time to time. His ability to command that fastball at the top of the zone and consistently fill up the zone with his secondaries will be key to determining whether he’s a high K%/WHIP reliever, an SP 4-5, or an SP 2 type at the major league level.
The Data:
When looking into the Fangraphs data, Tong’s path to the next level becomes clear. He’s elite at missing bats and preventing hits as evidenced by his 44.7% K% and .162 BAA, but he’ll need to reduce his BB% as well. 12.3% is too high of a mark for an elite pitching prospect. I think most evaluators (including myself) would sacrifice some K% if it meant reducing the BB% and, in turn, his WHIP.
The TJStats data from above is from his time spent in the Florida State League in 2024. As I referenced, there is no public Statcast available for AA. For Tong, the numbers we’re looking at when attempting to project the efficacy of his FF at the MLB level are Velocity, iVB, VAA, and Whiff%. Three of those four marks were above average last year - velocity was the exception. If he can hold his improved velocity later into starts as his body matures, we could be looking at a special player.
The Verdict: Buy Now - Buying Tong won’t be easy at this point, especially after his latest outing. That said, I think we’re still early on the Tong train overall. If he gets promoted to AAA, and his Statcast data is shining with improved velocity, his price and perceived value will skyrocket.
80th Percentile Comp: Right-Handed Alex Vesia
95th Percentile Comp: Modern-day Tim Lincecum
Dream Statline: 175 IP, 3.10 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 225 K
Deep League Targets
Gage Jump (ATH - LHP) Ros: 14% (+1.3%) - 1.95 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, 51 K in 37 IP - Notable Stats: 33.1% K-BB% - Promoted to Double-A!
Note: this writeup was completed before Gage Jump’s AA debut on 05/14 ⬇️
Another slightly undersized pitcher, Gage Jump is a true breakout name for the 2025 season. After being drafted 73rd overall by the Athletics out of LSU, Jump wasn’t drafted in many FYPDs this season. Thus far, he’s showing dynasty owners that was an oversight. In 31 innings pitched this season, Gage has racked up 45 K, a 0.84 WHIP, and a 9.00 K/BB ratio - stats that really Jump off the page 😉
His season-long stats almost undersell how effective Jump has been. His first start of the year was a bit of a clunker (2.0 IP, 6 H, 4 ER). In his four starts since then, Jump has allowed the same amount of earned runs (four) over a span of 29 IP. If you were to remove his first start, his stat line would be as follows: 29 IP, 4 ER, 40 K with a 1.24 ERA and a 0.69 WHIP. Even more impressive, Gage has been producing these numbers in the hitter-friendly California League. The Athletics have been so impressed with Jump’s production that it was announced he was promoted to Double-A Midland on May 12th. Jump will join another peaking A’s prospect in Luis Morales to form a formidable 1-2 punch at the top of Midland’s rotation.
So how is Jump achieving these results? His arsenal is led by a plus four-seam fastball that sits in the 95-97 range with great ride. Similar to Tong, his fastball plays well up in the zone due to its relatively flat approach angle, above-average IVB from his release point, and deceptive delivery. Unlike Tong, Jump throws from a three-quarter arm slot. When I’m identifying breakout pitching prospects, I love to see an arsenal led by a plus FF. At the MLB level, pitchers need to be able to rely on their fastballs on days their secondaries aren’t at their best. The lack of a dominant fastball is what led to me ultimately fading Sean Linan and Liomar Martinez - pitching prospects of Piquing Prospects past.
Jump rounds out his pitch mix with three breaking ball variations and a changeup. From the film I’ve watched (and without public Statcast data available), it appears to me that Jump’s breaking balls have the tendency to blend together somewhat, so I’m excited to see if Double-A coaching can help him reach new heights in terms of pitch design and game-planning. If he can refine his changeup, an offering that fades down and away from RHH, he could reach new heights. His promotion to Double-A will be a big test as the Texas League is widely viewed as the second most hitter-friendly league in the minors behind only the famed Pacific Coast League (PCL). If Jump can prove his stuff plays at the AA level, I expect him to shoot up prospect rankings!
Note: As I’m putting the finishing touches on this week’s report, Gage Jump just put the finishing touches on his Double-A debut! 6 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 6 K! A successful first outing!
The Data:
Among players with more than 10 IP in 2025, Jump’s 33.1% K-BB% trails only org-mates Wei-En Lin and Tzu-Chen Sha. Props to the Athletics for some positive trends in their development pipeline. He’s also sporting an elite 0.84 WHIP and .184 BAA. The only HR he’s allowed this year belongs to top-10 prospect Zyhir Hope - we’ll see if that same success can come along with him to Double-A.
The Verdict: Sell High - Jump has been receiving some major buzz on prospect Twitter lately. I’d use that hype to cash in on him before the Texas League potentially exposes him. His value will increase if he shows he can hang at the level, but I think it’s worth taking that risk and getting out of your shares now. Sell him as a Top 125 overall prospect to help bolster your MLB roster or for a similar level hitting prospect.
80th Percentile Comp: Robert Gasser with a more vertical FF
95th Percentile Comp: Jesus Luzardo
Dream Statline: 170 IP, 2.90 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 175 K
Rainiel Rodriguez (STL - C) Ros: 6% (+0.2%) - .375/.515/.917 - Notable Stats: 1.145 OPS in DSL in 2024, 1.432 OPS, 0.5 HR/GP in 2025
Rainiel Rodriguez first became a target and dynasty add for me during the 2024 DSL season. In 41 games played in the Dominican Summer League, Rainiel slashed .345/.462/.683 (1.145 OPS) with 10 HR, 12 doubles, and a 16.3% BB%/13.6% K%. All DSL stats need to be taken with a grain of salt, but his standout performance earned him a spot in the DSL All-Star Game and secured a position in my April 26th Top Deep League FCL Targets list ⬇️
So far in the 2025 season (in an admittedly small sample size), Rodriguez is making his inclusion on this list look pretty smart. In eight games played in the Florida Complex League, Rainiel is slashing .375/.515/.917 with 4 HRs! That’s a HR every other game for those keeping score at home. He’s also walking as much as he’s striking out 6/6 ratio (20% rate on both). Before May 14th’s game (Rain Rod hit a bomb), that production equated to a 231 WRC+ (the 2nd highest mark for a teenage player in the minor leagues behind Jose Anderson - MIL) and that number is only going up after today’s performance.
Unlike his hitting predecessors on this list, Rodriguez is not known as a plus athlete. In fact, the biggest questions in his profile relate to his all-offense approach and the potential lack of a defensive home. Rainiel is not a plus runner (30 grade on Baseball America) nor does receive plus reports on his fielding or arm strength (both 40s on BA). Rainiel’s MiLB page lists him as a 3B, but he’s solely played C and DH in his time in professional baseball. It’s early to assume that he’ll be unable to catch, and we’ve seen our fair share of bad-body C over the past couple of seasons (Kirk, and Ballesteros come to mind), but evaluators question if his bat will play enough to fit in a MLB role at 1B or DH.
Rodriguez caught 32.4% of base stealers in the DSL in 2024, but that mark is down to 11.8% so far in his 2025 FCL season. That number would rank in the bottom third of Catchers at the major league level, and the runners don’t get any slower as you move up the minor league ladder. You also don’t see many 5’10” 1B in the major leagues, so a lot of Rodriguez’s profile will ride on his bat. So far, this is no problem for Rodriguez as he’s done nothing but tear the cover off the ball in the minors, but we’ll see how he progresses through the minor leagues! If Rodriguez keeps up his hitting mastery, I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets a look at Low-A Palm Beach before the season is over.
If Rainiel can continue to develop and raise his grades for his defense and arm to average, his long-term viability at C (and therefore fantasy) will improve drastically. Defensively, he may benefit from the eventual implementation of ABS at the MLB level, but that won’t help his throwing arm. If not, we’ll need to see his incredible offensive production continue through the higher levels of the minors for him to get a shot at the big-league level.
The Data:
As you can tell from looking at Rodriguez’s 2024 numbers, offensive domination is not a new thing for him. If he can continue to produce at this level, we’ll be looking at a special bat-first/fantasy-friendly profile.
The Verdict: Buy Now - At 6% rostership on Fantrax, there’s a good chance Rainiel is still available in your league. He should be owned in all leagues that roster 250+ prospects in my opinion. Be ready to sell him if his value creeps up into the Top 125 range.
80th Percentile Comp: Justin Turner without the positional versatility that gets ~400 PA/season
95th Percentile Comp: Justin Turner with C/1B eligibility and 500+ PA (C, 1B, DH)
Dream Statline: .300/.400/.500 with 25 HR, 150 R+RBI and zero speed
Watch List Wonders
I won’t pretend to know everything about these guys, but this is the section that I have the most fun digging for. That’s part of their appeal, they’re lesser known and likely available in all but the deepest of dynasty leagues!
Drew Beam (KC - RHP) Ros: 3% (+/-0.0%) - 2.55 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, 35 K in 35.1 IP - Notable Stats:
Drew Beam is a relatively unheralded pitching prospect, and when reviewing his data, it’s hard to see why he hasn’t caught on more. College pedigree? ✅ - Beam was a 2024 NCAA Champion with the Tennessee Volunteers (this is apparently the SEC Edition of Piquing Prospects). Workhorse frame? ✅ - Beam is 6’4”, 210 - a prototypical workhorse build (unlike Tong and Jump). Electric Stuff? ✅ - Beam’s stuff seems to have ticked up in his first professional season, and while there isn’t Statcast data available to confirm my hunches, he passes the eye test.
I think the reason Beam hasn’t fully caught on is that he is seen more as a high-floor option than a high-ceiling player. He’s been given plenty of SP 4-5 outcomes, and while that still may be the case, I think he needs some more love from a fantasy standpoint. Beam’s been labeled this safe profile because in the past he’s been more of a command over stuff type of pitcher. In 2025, he’s carried that elite command/control with him (5.7% BB%). This year, his K% is also up compared to his college days. He’s still at a somewhat pedestrian 24.8% K%, but that tops his rates during his three years in the SEC.
What really piques my interest is that it seems like Beam is reaching a new level as of late. In his last 6 games, Beam has the stat line of 32 IP, 5 ER (1.41 ERA), 5 BB, 32 K. Similar to Jump, Beam’s first start of the year was his worst and it’s watering down his overall stat line. The Royals pitching development has turned around their reputation in recent years, so I trust them more than I have to get the most out of their players.
When watching video of Beam, his stuff doesn’t seem so “high floor/low ceiling”. His fastball exhibits good ride up in the zone and has good tailing action away from LHH. His curveball shows as a plus pitch with big vertical break. He adds a changeup and a cutter to complete his four-pitch mix. I’ll be excited to see some Statcast data when it becomes available! I’d expect a promotion to Double-A in the near future - perhaps when Cags gets moved up to Triple-A, and his production against those hitters will give us more answers as to what we’re looking at with Beam.
The Data:
I included his college stats above as a comparison with what he’s doing so far in pro ball. You can see his K% is at an all-time high, and his FIP and BB% is at an all-time low. One could argue that the SEC is a higher level of competition than High-A, but I also think there has been some positive developments in his Stuff and profile that are helping him stand out.
Where to Add: Any dynasty league that rosters 500+ prospects. While he may not have the highest ceiling, every fantasy staff needs some reliable back-end arms to round out their rotation. Beam projects as a player who will limit blow-up starts and have a relatively low WHIP - he’ll play up even more in leagues that value K/BB. The fact he should get to call pitcher-friendly Kauffman Stadium his home only helps his projection.
Just Missed (Bonus Names):
Justin Gonzales - BOS (OF/1B) - 6% rostered on Fantrax
Ching-Hsien Ko - LAD (OF) - 2% rostered on Fantrax
Eli Lovich - CHC (OF) - 1% rostered on Fantrax
Pedro Catuy - ARI (OF) - 1% rostered on Fantrax
Jose Feliz - WSH (RHP) - 0% rostered on Fantrax
Reinold Navarro - PIT (LHP) - 0% rostered on Fantrax
Thanks, everyone for reading the third edition of Piquing Prospects! Be sure to follow our Twitter account (@PiquingProspects) for more day-to-day content! Also, if it’s within your means, please consider subscribing to our Substack! Subscribers like you allow us to put more time into our research and assist you in finding tomorrow’s stars, today! Plus, paid subscribers get access to our articles two days earlier than anyone else!
