The season is finally underway, and few things bring more joy than seeing my timeline flooded with daily highlights. Some people crave glazed donuts or crush a full bag of chips. Me? I scroll minor league clips like it’s a sport. Now is the time to track the next big thing and stay ahead of the breakout curve. Just weeks in, we’ve already seen early call-ups like Zac Veen, Luke Keaschall, and Caleb Durbin, and others off to explosive starts. If you’re reading this instead of doom-scrolling social media, I salute your discipline. That said, skipping the scroll can put you behind on prospect buzz. Let me fix that. In this article, I highlight early prospect standouts who have caught my attention.
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Fantasy Baseball Prospect Standouts
Nick Kurtz 1B | Athletics | Level: AAA
Of course, we have to start with Nick Kurtz, who burst onto the scene during his 2024 draft season. There were whispers he could make the big-league roster after hitting .368 in just 12 minor league games last year. If he played for the Angels, maybe he would have. But the Athletics chose to start him in Triple-A instead. So far, Kurtz is making the case that he should’ve made the roster. In 16 games, Kurtz leads the minors with seven home runs and is crushing Triple-A pitching. He’s hitting .348 with a 23.4 percent strikeout rate and has walked just six times. The walks have not mattered; he just keeps hitting. Through 77 plate appearances, he has seven homers, six doubles, 22 RBIs, and 16 runs scored.
Even more impressive are his exit velocities. His average EV sits at 95.4 mph, which would rank seventh in MLB. His MaxEV of 110.5 is equally eye-popping. Brent Rooker has played three of the last five games in the outfield. That could open a spot for Kurtz at first base and Soderstrom to DH. He’s likely not available in your league, but if he is, put in a waiver claim now. This is not a matter of if, but when he gets called up.
Nick Kurtz is too damn good for Triple-A.
4th HR already. #Athleticspic.twitter.com/WyLZSi4nNq
— Eric Cross (@EricCrossMLB) April 6, 2025
Zyhir Hope OF | Los Angeles Dodgers | Level: A+
Zyhir Hope was one of the biggest risers in prospect rankings, and so far in 2025, he’s delivering. Before injuries cut short his 2024 season, he slashed .290/.419/.484 with nine homers and nine steals. He paired that with a 7.4 percent swinging strike rate and nearly 80 percent contact rate. For all intents and purposes, Hope looks like the player many expected Termarr Johnson to be. Through 52 plate appearances in 2025, he’s hitting .353 with four homers and four steals. He shows strong zone awareness with a 13.5 percent walk rate. The one concern is his 23 percent strikeout rate and a .424 BABIP. That kind of luck suggests his average may drop as the season goes on. Still, the tools are loud and hard to ignore. He’s pulling the ball less and hitting more to center—up to 22.6 percent, a 5.6 percent jump from last year. Given the time he missed, the Dodgers may let him stay in High-A for now. But if he keeps hitting like this, that ticket to Los Angeles could arrive sooner than expected. I mean, look at the adjustment on this breaking ball.
Left-on-left roundtripper for MLB's No. 71 prospect, Zyhir Hope!
The fast-rising @Dodgers talent ups his slash line to .429/.520/.762 to open the year for the High-A @greatlakesloons. pic.twitter.com/YV5L0xbxEJ
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) April 11, 2025
Logan Henderson SP | Milwaukee Brewers | Level: MLB
If you follow me on X.com, you know Logan Henderson is one of my favorite pitching prospects. Yes, that level is correct. Logan Henderson was called up last Wednesday. Initial reports say he’ll work in long relief. That likely isn’t the long-term plan. Henderson has been a starter his entire minor league career and has had solid success. In 187.2 minor league innings, he owns a 3.12 ERA with 257 strikeouts and only 57 walks.
This year has been no different. He leads the minors with 24 strikeouts across three starts. What is unusual is the 10 walks in 14 innings, considering he walked only 15 in 81 innings last season. He opened the year with a rough outing, giving up five earned runs and walking three. Since then, he has posted back-to-back five-inning starts with eight strikeouts in each. He didn’t allow a hit in the second of those outings. His fastball sits around 93 mph. It is not overpowering, but his changeup is downright nasty. That pitch helps his fastball play up and keeps hitters off balance.
He has posted a 30 percent CSW rate in past seasons and sits right at 30 percent in 2025. His contact rate allowed is also excellent at 70 percent. The Brewers currently have seven starters on the injured list. Their rotation is filled with replacement-level arms. Depending on how long he stays in the bullpen, Henderson could become a mid-season difference maker. He also holds SPARP eligibility in points leagues. This is more of a wait-and-see situation, but don’t lose track. If he moves into the rotation, grab him immediately.
Location, location, location.
This put an end to a stellar outing by Logan Henderson
5.0 IP
0 H
8 K
2 BB pic.twitter.com/HqDg67AERc— Nashville Sounds (@nashvillesounds) April 10, 2025
C.J. Kayfus 1B | Cleveland Guardians | Level: AA
In his second stint at Double-A, C.J. Kayfus is proving he might already be too advanced for the level. Last season, he logged nearly 300 plate appearances there and hit .263 with a 28.2 percent strikeout rate. In 10 games back at Akron, he’s slashing an absurd .474/.574/.763. He has also cut his strikeout rate to 21 percent. Of his 18 hits, only one is a homer, but he’s added three triples and two doubles. That’s solid production for a first baseman.
While he’s known more for contact than power, he still hit 17 home runs in 2024. If he keeps lifting the ball, he could profile like Nolan Schanuel with slightly more power. A .630 BABIP is worth noting, as is the 17 percent swinging strike rate—both likely to regress. Still, he consistently finds the barrel and makes quality contact. The Guardians tend to slow-play their hitting prospects. There also isn’t an open MLB spot right now, with Carlos Santana and Kyle Manzardo holding down first base and DH. That shouldn’t scare you off. Kayfus offers a strong blend of athleticism, power, and contact, especially for the position.
Cleveland #Guardians 23yr old (1B/OF) prospect C.J. Kayfus collected three more hits today for Akron (3-6 R 3B) in the teams win over Altoona.
Kayfus over his first 8 games of the season.
16-31 8R 2(2B) 3(3B) 1HR 7RBI 6BB 1SB
AVG .516
OBP .605
SLG .871
OPS 1.476… pic.twitter.com/fNpBbyIH0H— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) April 14, 2025
Zebby Matthews SP | Minnesota Twins | Level: AAA
Zebby Matthews put himself on the map last season by issuing only seven walks in 97 innings across three levels. That earned him a taste of the majors, where he threw 37.2 innings but finished with a 6.69 ERA. This year, he came back throwing gas, averaging 97.2 mph on his fastball—a three mph jump from 2024. His slider and changeup have also ticked up 2–3 mph across the board. Once viewed as a control artist like George Kirby, he now boasts a Kirby-like arsenal. The results are showing. His strikeouts are up to 12 K/9, while his walks remain elite at 1.20 BB/9. In three starts, he owns a 1.80 ERA and a ridiculous 2/20 BB/K ratio. His swinging strike rate has jumped nearly three percent from what we saw in the majors. His called strike rate is up five percent, matching a five percent CSW increase over last year’s MiLB numbers. He’s also dropped his hard-hit rate by three percent. One of the biggest leaps is a zone contact rate drop from 88.7 percent to 78.8 percent. That is a massive swing. There were questions last year about whether Matthews had enough stuff to succeed at the highest level. That question seems answered now. He’s knocking on the big-league door.
Zebby Matthews dazzled in the @StPaulSaints win yesterday 🌟
5 IP / 4 H / 1 R / 1 BB / 7 K
His two FASTEST pitches of the night were also his two LAST pitches of the night (99.5 mph and 98.9 mph) 🤯⛽️#MNTwins pic.twitter.com/qOjvbn331O
— Twins Player Development (@TwinsPlayerDev) April 16, 2025
Tommy Troy 2B/SS | Arizona Diamondbacks | Level: AA
Tommy Troy has dealt with injuries, suffering a foot fracture in 2023 and a hamstring issue in 2024. He made up for lost time by playing 22 games in the Arizona Fall League, hitting .290 with three homers and four steals. Healthy again, he has carried that momentum into 2025. Troy has seemingly moved past his A+ struggles, slashing .347/.508/.490 to start the year. He’s posted a 20 percent walk rate and a 21.5 percent strikeout rate. That’s nearly a 10 percent improvement in walks and a small gain in strikeouts.
He has just one home run and one steal so far, but he’s capable of swiping 25-plus bags this year. Double-A may have looked aggressive based on last season’s struggles, but Troy is proving the D-Backs right. In 50 at-bats, he has cut his swinging strike rate from 12 percent to 8 percent. He’s listed at just 5’9″, but makes up for it with explosive movements and quick hands. That gives him above-average bat speed and helps him drive the ball. Offseason adjustments have him going the other way more often—currently 50 percent compared to 32.2 percent last year. He may never hit 25 homers, but the tools are there. Troy can still impact games with hits, speed, and aggressive baserunning. Keep tabs on him. The Diamondbacks tend to slow-play their infield prospects, as we have seen with Jordan Lawlar.
Best night of the young season last night for Tommy Troy. He launched his first Double-A Home Run, reached base 4 times and played excellent at 2B including stealing a hit from Noah Mendlinger in the 6th. pic.twitter.com/3w2cVrLWlc
— Austin Hartsfield (@HartsfieldPC) April 10, 2025
Robby Snelling SP | Miami Marlins | Level: AA
A mid-season trade sent Robby Snelling from San Diego to Miami, upgrading him to one of baseball’s best development systems. After a dominant 2023, where he earned Padres Minor League Player of the Year and Baseball America’s Minor League Pitcher of the Year. Then came a rough 2024 season. He posted a 5.15 ERA, a career-low 22 percent strikeout rate, and an 8 percent walk rate.
Whether it was pressure or a need to reset, he looks locked in again in 2025. Through 16.1 innings at Double-A Pensacola, he holds a 2.20 ERA with a 2/20 BB/K ratio in three starts. His fastball velocity is back, now sitting 94–95 mph after dipping to 91–93 last year. That boost has helped raise his swinging strike rate from 12.2 to 15.3 percent. His called strike rate jumped from 16.6 to 18.6 percent. His CSW climbed from 28.9 to 33.9 percent year over year. He’s also surrounded by success. Miami has developed arms like Sandy Alcántara, Eury Pérez, and Max Meyer. Snelling now joins that group, along with Thomas White and Noble Meyer. He’s in the right place to reach his ceiling.
#Marlins No. 8 prospect Robby Snelling yielded two hits and struck out five over five scoreless innings in Friday's victory.@USAFRecruiting #AimHigh pic.twitter.com/g38Z0qdfzA
— Pensacola Blue Wahoos (@BlueWahoosBBall) April 8, 2025
