The next stop on our Breakout Prospects Series is the American League Central. These are the prospects we believe are ready to take the next step up in the prospect rankings and need to be targeted in 2024 dynasty baseball leagues.
AL Central Breakout Prospects
Ralphy Velaquez, CLE
(6 GP, .348/.393/.739, 2 HR, 7 R, 8 RBI, 1 SB)
Coming into the 2023 draft, Velaquez was considered one of the best prep hitters and he was selected by the Guardians in the first round. During his brief stint in the ACL, Velaquez showed off his hitting and power tools where he had an average exit velocity of 89 MPH and max EV of 109 MPH while he slugged 2 home runs and 3 doubles in just 23 at-bats. He is a below average runner and the extent to which his bat develops will determine if he stays behind the plate or moves to first base.
Joey Cantillo, CLE
(26 GP, 119.1 IP, 146 K, 11.7 K/9, 1.44 WHIP, 4.07 ERA)
Cantillo dominated Double-A in his 6 starts, throwing 24 innings, striking out 34 with a batting average against of just .175. After being promoted to Triple-A, his control was not as strong, with a WHIP of 1.52 to go with a 4.64 ERA. His fastball sits around 93 MPH and touches 98 MPH to go with a plus change-up. Cleveland does magic with their pitching staff and Cantillo looks to be a solid 4/5 starter if his control gets better. The Guardians added Cantillo to the 40-man roster in November.
Kevin McGonigle, DET
(21 GP, .315/.452/.411, 1 HR, 18 R, 6 RBI, 8 SB)
McGonigle has elite hitting skills and a track record of putting it on display. He won a gold medal with Team USA U18 in 2022. Selected by the Tigers 37th overall in the 2023 draft then continued to show off his batting eye, advancing two levels and reaching base all but two games. He should develop into a top of the lineup bat with the speed for double-digit stolen bases. Drafted as a shortstop but likely to move to second base long-term, as his arm strength is average to below average.
Ty Madden, DET
(26 GP, 118 IP, 146 K, 11.14 K/9, 1.28 WHIP, 3.43 ERA)
The Detroit Tigers have one of the best farm systems in the league. One of the reasons for that is because of Ty Madden. He helped lead Double-A Erie to the Eastern League title last season. Madden throws a heavy fastball that hits 97-98 and has a plus slider that gets into the upper 80s. Like most young pitchers, his control needs to improve as his walk rate rose to 3.8 BB/9 this past season. Detroit will have Madden start the 2024 season at Triple-A, he isn’t on the 40-man roster yet so he can work on his control before he gets promoted to the majors.
Noah Schultz, CHW
(10 GP, 27 IP, 38 K, 12.67 K/9, 0.85 WHIP, 1.33 ERA)
It is never fair to comp a prospect to a Hall of Famer but in this case, it is hard not to. Schultz is a 6-foot-9 lefty that has a three-quarter release point where his fast ball touches 98 MPH and has a nasty slider. The comparisons of Randy Johnson are all over. Schultz battled a few injuries last season causing him to just throw 27 innings but when he was on the field he was dominating. He struck out 38 batters and only gave up 17 hits. The talent is there, as he has two plus pitches and plus control. If he stays healthy, he could easily be considered the best pitching prospect by the time the season ends.
Bryan Ramos, CHW
(81 GP, .264/.358/.450, 15 HR, 49 R, 50 RBI, 4 SB)
Ramos has improved each season since being signed by the White Sox. His power keeps improving to go along with his bat-to-ball skills. Playing in Double-A Birmingham while just 21 years old, he had a strong walk rate of 11%. The White Sox player development personnel praise Ramos’s makeup and work ethic. With Chicago rebuilding, they will take their time with Ramos in Triple-A this season. He most likely will spend the whole season at Triple-A or get a late season call up where he would still be eligible at a chance to win rookie of the year in 2025.
Jacob Gonzalez, CHW
(34 GP, .211/.333/.260, 1 HR, 16 R, 13 RBI, 1 SB)
The Chicago White Sox owned the 15th pick in the 2023 draft, they never expected Jacob Gonzalez would be available when it was their time to draft. He fell to them; Chicago selected and signed him for $3.9 million. Gonzalez had an incredible college career at Ole Miss, he won the national freshman of the year award in 2021 and helped the Rebels win a National Championship in 2022. A three-year starter in the SEC, he has a solid bat with plus power and a strong batter’s eye of the strike zone, having 123 base-on-balls to 94 strikeouts in 186 college games. Look for him to be a fast riser in the White Sox farm system.
Emmanuel Rodriguez, MIN
(99 GP, .240/.400/.463, 16 HR, 87 R, 55 RBI, 20 SB)
One of the most exciting prospects in the game, Rodriguez has all the tools. He has plus power and great plate discipline to go along with above average speed. Injuries have been his biggest issues as he had a knee injury in 2022 and an abdominal strain in 2023. He had a slow start last season from his abdominal strain but once he was healthy, he showed off his skills. He smashed 16 home runs, stole 20 bases in 24 attempts and had a 20.2% walk rate. Most likely a year away from joining the big club but he was added to the 40-man roster in November.
Connor Prielipp, MIN
(2 GP, 6.2 IP, 7 K, 1.80 WHIP, 6.75 ERA)
Prielipp was dominant in his freshman year at Alabama during the shortened 2020 season. Many considered him to be a potential top pick for his draft year in 2022 but in May of 2021 Prielipp had Tommy John surgery and did not pitch again in college. He was still selected by the Twins in the second round in 2022 and last season was shut down mid-season because of UCL repair surgery. Hopefully he is finally healthy to start the 2024 season. He has two plus pitches in his fastball and slider with above average control. If you are in a dynasty league with double-digit minor-league spots you may want to add him.
Gavin Cross, KC
(96 GP, .203/.298/.378, 12 HR, 49 R, 58 RBI, 23 SB)
It is hard to say a player will have a breakout season when he was just a top 10 draft pick the season prior but that is the case here. Cross struggled heavily in 2023, striking out 115 times in just 98 games with just 43 walks. Even with his rough season, he still showed off his power and speed with 36 extra base hits of which 12 were by the home run and 23 stolen bases. For his prospect status to rise again he will need to adjust his swing to make more contact and slice his strikeout rate which was near 28% last season.
Are you on board with these breakout prospects? For more of the great fantasy baseball rankings and analysis you’ve come to expect from FantraxHQ, check out our full 2024 Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit! We’re here for you all the way up until Opening Day and then on into your championship run.