As we roll out our latest update to the RotoProspects Top 700 Prospect fantasy baseball rankings, let’s dive into the key updates surrounding the top-ranked prospects this week.
The Headliners
Travis Bazzana soars up to No. 18 with his stellar debut for the Guardians
Dynasty managers who drafted Bazzana (pictured above) in 2024 can officially take a bow. After letting him meticulously build momentum through the minor league system while other 2024 draft picks rushed to the big leagues last season, the Guardians finally selected his contract on April 28. He has completely vindicated that patient approach.
Settling in as Cleveland’s leadoff hitter of the future, the premium Australian second baseman is hitting a stellar .302/.407/.458 with three home runs, 11 RBIs, and seven stolen bases through his first 27 major league games.
The underlying metrics show this success is entirely sustainable. Bazzana’s 89.5 mph average exit velocity and elite zone contact rate (89.5%) prove that his advanced wood-bat pedigree from Oregon State and the Cape Cod League has translated seamlessly to elite pitching. He’s running a high-floor, five-category fantasy profile in a potent Guardians lineup, and his graduation from the prospect ranks is only days away. He jumps up to No. 18 as a certified, top-tier MLB asset.
Pirates’ Seth Hernandez is ready to take over as the top pitching prospect
Hernandez is no longer just “surging”—he is knocking on the door of the Top 5 overall. After effortlessly striking out 50 batters in 28 innings at Single-A, the 19-year-old ace-in-the-making earned a well-deserved promotion to High-A Greensboro. His debut for the Grasshoppers? Five hitless, scoreless innings with seven strikeouts. He pairs an explosive mid-to-upper 90s fastball with a 3,000-rpm high-spin curveball and a 70-grade changeup that makes lower-minor hitters look utterly foolish. He climbs into our elite Top 10 today as the highest-ranked pitcher in the minor leagues.
The bounceback is on as Padres catcher Ethan Salas is back in the Top 50
After a 2025 season lost almost entirely to a frustrating stress reaction in his back, dynasty managers were understandably panicking about the young backstop. Those fears have officially been put to bed. Implementing a visible toe-tap to timing mechanisms in his swing, Salas is absolutely crushing Double-A pitching. He just launched his sixth home run of the season for San Antonio, pushing his slash line to a spectacular .298/.380/.463 with an .843 OPS and nine stolen bases. He is back into the top 50, flashing the hyper-elite, multi-category fantasy ceiling we fell in love with two years ago.
Karson Milbrandt is shredding Double-A hitters and is up to No. 45 for Marlins
If you haven’t been paying attention to Double-A Pensacola, it’s time to wake up. Milbrandt is putting together a truly jaw-dropping campaign. Through eight starts, the 22-year-old righty has pitched to a microscopic 1.06 ERA and a 0.90 WHIP, striking out 63 batters across 42.1 innings. Highlighted by a recent six-inning, nine-strikeout scoreless masterpiece, his explosive fastball-slider combination is generating whiffs at a nearly unmatched rate across the level. He vaults all the way up to No. 45 as one of the fastest-rising pitching prospects of the season.
More Notable Risers
- Alfredo Duno, C, Cincinnati Reds (Up to No. 26): Power like this from a teenager at High-A simply doesn’t grow on trees. Duno went on an absolute tear for Dayton, punctuated by homering in three consecutive games to pick up his fifth long ball of the month. The approach is maturing, and the raw 65-grade power is rapidly materializing into game context. He moves to No. 26 overall.
- Rainiel Rodriguez, C, St. Louis Cardinals (Up to No. 10): The 19-year-old Dominican slugger forced his way up to Double-A after hitting an amazing .311/.430/.519 at High-A. While he’s experiencing some predictable growing pains at the new level (hitting just .147 over his first nine games), the context is vital: he is one of only three 19-year-olds at Double-A, alongside top-two prospects Jesus Made and Leo De Vries. The elite pedigree and massive power projection keep him firmly inside our top 10.
- Gage Jump, LHP, Oakland Athletics (Up to No. 56): Jump’s massive upward momentum culminated in the ultimate reward this week—a call-up to the big leagues. The dynamic southpaw bypassed the traditional Triple-A stop altogether after logging a 4.50 ERA with 56 strikeouts in 38 frames down in the minors, fueled by an incredibly vertical fastball that plays way up in the zone.
- Aiva Arquette, SS, Miami Marlins (Up to No. 54): Talk about making up for lost time. After starting his season late due to core muscle surgery and a nagging wrist, last year’s No. 7 overall draft pick completely vaporized High-A pitching. Arquette put up a rapid-fire .276/.333/.517 line with two homers and five steals in just 14 games, forcing an immediate promotion to Double-A Pensacola alongside Milbrandt.
Market Correction: Fallers of Note
- Thomas White, SP, Miami Marlins (Down to No. 35): White’s stuff remains absolutely dynamic, but a recent stretch of command issues and elevated walk rates has created a slight tier correction. He slips out of the top 15 for now, though his high-end strikeout upside prevents a massive fall.
- Noah Schultz, LHP, Chicago White Sox (Down to No. 31): Schultz’s electric major league debut in April feels like a lifetime ago. The 22-year-old giant has hit a wall over his last four starts, yielding 19 runs in 17.1 innings before hitting the 15-day IL on May 26 with right knee patellar tendinitis. It shouldn’t keep him out long, but the combination of the injury and the sudden analytical regression causes a drop out of our top tiers.
- Ethan Holliday, SS, Colorado Rockies (Down to No. 61): Holliday was riding an absolute heater in May, operating with a monstrous 1.083 OPS for Single-A Fresno. However, he hasn’t been in the lineup since May 20 due to a left foot injury. While the talent is top-five material, the lack of clarity on the medical evaluation forces a cautious drop down the board until we see him back on the field.
- Emmanuel Rodriguez, OF, Minnesota Twins (Down to No. 53): It remains a holding pattern of heartbreak for E-Rod managers following his thumb surgery to repair a torn UCL ligament. He continues to slide a few spots down into the 50s purely due to the lengthy, lost developmental time.
The Top 25 players in this week’s updated RotoProspects Top 700 Prospect Rankings
The Top 50 can be found HERE (no subscription required). For the complete list, CLICK HERE (subscription required).
| No. | Name | Pos | Team | B/T | Level | Age |
| 1 | Jesus Made | SS | MIL | S/R | AA | 19 |
| 2 | Leo De Vries | SS | ATH | S/R | AA | 19 |
| 3 | Trey Yesavage | SP | TOR | R/R | MLB | 22 |
| 4 | Colt Emerson | SS | SEA | L/R | MLB | 20 |
| 5 | Walker Jenkins | OF | MIN | L/R | AAA (IL) | 21 |
| 6 | Seth Hernandez | SP | PIT | R/R | High-A | 20 |
| 7 | Ryan Waldschmidt | OF | ARI | R/R | MLB | 23 |
| 8 | Josue De Paula | OF | LAD | L/L | AA | 21 |
| 9 | Edward Florentino | 1B/OF | PIT | L/R | High-A | 19 |
| 10 | Rainiel Rodriguez | C | STL | R/R | AA | 19 |
| 11 | Aidan Miller | 3B | PHI | R/R | AAA (IL) | 22 |
| 12 | Max Clark | OF | DET | L/L | AAA | 21 |
| 13 | Ryan Sloan | SP | SEA | R/R | AA | 20 |
| 14 | Kade Anderson | SP | SEA | L/L | AA | 22 |
| 15 | Sebastian Walcott | SS | TEX | R/R | AA | 20 |
| 16 | A.J. Ewing | 2B/OF | NYM | L/R | MLB | 21 |
| 17 | Luis Hernandez | SS | SF | R/R | R (ACL) | 17 |
| 18 | Travis Bazzana | 2B | CLE | L/R | MLB | 23 |
| 19 | Joshua Baez | OF | STL | R/R | AAA | 23 |
| 20 | Luis Pena | 2B/SS | MIL | R/R | High-A | 19 |
| 21 | Eric Hartman | OF | ATL | L/R | High-A | 20 |
| 22 | Eli Willits | SS | WAS | S/R | Single-A | 18 |
| 23 | Franklin Arias | SS | BOS | R/R | AA | 20 |
| 24 | Ralphy Velazquez | 1B | CLE | L/R | AAA | 21 |
| 25 | Mike Sirota | OF | LAD | R/R | AA | 23 |