In Dynasty leagues, any advantage you can have is a plus. Everyone knows about the Paul Skenes and Jackson Jobe types that become Top 25 prospects and join the Major Leagues to become stars. But for every Skenes or Jobe, there is a Spencer Strider or Spencer Schwellenbach, unheralded prospects that emerge into Cy Young winners or future aces. Finding those diamonds in the rough can alter the course of your franchise and take you from a contender to a champion. Here are five underrated pitching prospects you should know.
Also, make sure to check out 5 Underrated Dynasty Hitting Prospects!
5 Underrated Dynasty Pitching Prospects
Drue Hackenberg, RHP, ATL
It’s only appropriate to start with a Braves pitching prospect after outlining two of their recent success stories. Hackenberg comes from a talented sibling quartet that includes former Jets’ QB Christian, White Sox prospect Adam, and MLS star Brandon. Drue, the youngest, is a 22-year-old right-hander who just completed his first professional season. Hackenberg pitched two seasons collegiately at Virginia Tech, earning All-ACC honors, and was a third-team All-American. The Braves grabbed him in the 2nd round of the 2023 Draft, and he made three starts to round out the year.
In 2024, Hackenberg made 25 starts across three levels, pitching to a 3.07 ERA and 1.25 WHIP with 144 strikeouts. His last four starts were at Triple-A, where he tossed 23 2/3 innings, allowing just four earned runs. On the season, Hackenberg had a 14% swinging strike rate and a CSW of around 30%. After posting a 5% walk rate at Virginia Tech, he was uncharacteristically wild in his pro debut and finished 2024 with an 11.3% walk rate.
As with all young pitchers, command is the name of the game. When he’s got it, Hackenberg can be completely dominant. On July 21st, Hackenberg set a MiLB season high with 16 strikeouts against Pensacola. In that game, the 6’2″, 220lb righty threw 90 pitches (67 for strikes) and induced 26 swings-and-misses. But he’s also prone to blowups, as evidenced by the five starts this season where he allowed four ERs or more (25 total ERs). He allowed 19 total ERs in his other 20 starts combined. Although his control eludes him, Hackenberg manages to limit the damage. He allowed just two home runs the entire season and held hitters to a .583 OPS.
Hackenberg has a five-pitch mix highlighted by three unique fastballs in similar velocity bands: a four-seamer, sinker, and cutter. The four-seam and sinker sit 92-94 and have reached 95mph this season. The sinker is the best of the three and has produced elite groundball rates north of 60% while also generating whiffs. He uses it on both sides of the plate and loves to paint corners at the bottom of the zone. Unfortunately, a sinker-heavy arsenal has a volatile BABIP and can lead to runs piling up. His four-seamer (15% usage) gets plenty of whiffs and called strikes up in the zone, while the cutter is used to induce soft contact and provide a slight velocity change from the other heaters. His best off-speed pitch is a low-80s slider with good depth, showing flashes of high swing-and-miss potential. His fifth pitch is a changeup that needs work but serves its purpose to keep hitters guessing.
Hackenberg is an arm I really like. There were some command issues this season, but he also had a velocity jump and is learning how to harness it. Hackenberg has the arsenal to pound the zone and attack hitters, and his strikeout upside is enticing. The Braves’ org has been outstanding with their pitching development, and Hackenberg appears to be on the fast track. He should start 2025 at Triple-A and is likely a Major League contributor by the end of the season.
Owen Wild, RHP, TBR
The Rays have a deep farm system, but the omission of right-hander Owen Wild from the Top-30 team prospects on MLB Pipeline is a CRIME. Wild was a 7th-round pick by the Rays in 2023 after a respectable career at Gonzaga. During his junior year in Spokane, Wild led the team with 95 innings pitched and 108 strikeouts, including a career-high 13 against SEC powerhouse Tennessee in a duel he lost to Chase Dollander.
2024 was Wild’s first professional season, and he made 22 starts across both A-ball levels. Wild finished 7-1 with a 2.82 ERA and 1.15 WHIP in 121 1/3 innings. During the season, he struck out 151 hitters with just 31 walks, producing a K-BB rate of 24.1%, second among qualified MiLB starters (Q Matthews). He threw 68.1% of his pitches for strikes while holding hitters to a sub-.700 OPS. The outstanding command is nothing new to Wild, who yielded just 60 walks in 172 IP despite unfavorable conditions in the WCC.
Owen Wild is a fiery competitor who is fearless on the mound. His 6’2″ frame is solid at 230 lbs, and his delivery is repeatable and deceptive. He uses an overhand delivery and above-average extension to get the most out of his three-pitch mix. His fastball velocity is inconsistent but typically sits in the low 90s, occasionally reaching 94-95. The best feature of his fastball is the outstanding ride, particularly up in the zone, causing it to generate a ton of whiffs. The slider is low 80s but has good depth and plays well off the fastball. The key to his future success will be the development of his changeup. It’s shown flashes of being a solid third offering but needs more consistency. Wild often works up in the zone and is predominantly a flyball pitcher. Hitters managed 11 home runs this season against him, but an 8.5% HR/FB rate is below the league average.
I’m eager to see what Owen Wild can do against better competition, specifically in Double-A. His competitiveness and ability to attack the zone while still missing bats is encouraging. Developing a third offering, possibly the changeup, is essential moving forward and will determine his long-term role. I have Wild just outside my Top-150 prospects, and he is a viable name in your Dynasty leagues.
Sean Sullivan, LHP, COL
The thought of a Rockies’ pitching prospect is terrifying, and I completely understand that. But Chase Dollander is a stud, and my guy, Sean Sullivan, is vastly underrated in prospect circles and needs to be a name you know. Sullivan was a second-round pick out of Wake Forest after transferring from Northwestern. In his lone season at Wake, the southpaw had a 2.45 ERA and 0.92 WHIP with 111 strikeouts in 69 2/3 innings. Sullivan was a two-time National Player of the Week and First-Team All-ACC. In his first pro season, Sullivan climbed to Double-A, where he joined Dollander as the 1-2 punch in the Yard Goats rotation. In 21 starts, Sullivan had a 2.11 ERA with 125 strikeouts to 15 walks. He threw 70.8% of his pitches for strikes and had a K-BB rate of 29% at High-A.
Sullivan is a slim, 6’4″ left-hander with a delivery that mirrors Chris Sale. He releases the ball from a slot just below 3/4 and gets over seven feet of extension, which causes havoc for hitters. Sullivan has a standard left-hander arsenal consisting mainly of fastball and changeup with an OK slider. The heater has underwhelming velocity (90-93) but explodes on hitters, plays up with his odd delivery, and produces a ton of swing-and-miss. Sullivan uses the fastball early and often (65+% usage). He can attack both sides of the plate, and it has a nice arm-side run against RHH. The changeup is filthy, diving away from hitters on both sides. The velocity variance isn’t huge on the changeup, but his delivery and arm speed are consistent, and hitters are left guessing. It’s already a plus offering and could become double-plus. His third pitch is a slider that could use improvement and give right-handed hitters a different look.
Sullivan’s combination of outstanding command with two plus-or-better pitches gives him an exciting upside. Even with Coors Field looming, I see a path to success for Sullivan, as he doesn’t need a breaking pitch to be effective. My lone concern is the velocity, but the deception and varying looks he gives the hitter are devastating and create a distinct advantage without elite velocity.
Andrew Morris, RHP, MIN
Morris is one of my favorite prospects to stash across my leagues. Even though he’s 23-years-old, Morris feels so young. His path to the pro ranks was interesting as he dominated for three seasons at D2 Colorado Mesa before joining Texas Tech for his senior season. Morris was a monster in D2, going 18-2 with a 3.22 ERA and a 28.2% strikeout rate. He found similar success in Lubbock and wound up a fourth-round pick in 2022.
Morris has just 218 1/3 professional innings in his two MiLB seasons but has been a consistent performer and is on the cusp of his Major League debut. He ascended three levels in 2024, finishing the year at Triple-A St. Paul, where he made seven of his 24 starts. Morris had a 2.37 ERA and 1.08 WHIP in 2024, striking out 133 hitters against 32 walks. His walk rate is an impressive 5.7% for his career, and Morris is highly regarded for his ability to throw strikes.
Morris is slightly undersized, standing 6-foot tall and a wiry 195 lbs. His mechanics are smooth and repeatable, with an over-the-top delivery that deceives hitters. Morris has definite staying power as a starter with four pitches he can throw for strikes. His fastball sits in the mid-90s and can tick up as high as 97mph with excellent ride. His unique delivery and release point aids all of his pitches, particularly the fastball that he uses in all four quadrants. His best and most commonly used breaking ball is an upper-80s slider. It can be erratic when he overthrows, but it has solid depth and sharp bite with plenty of bat-missing potential. His changeup sits in the upper-80s as well, not providing a ton of relief from the fastball, but it has good fading action. His curveball is the wild card. The upper-70s velocity has enough differentiation from the slider and offers plenty of downward movement compared to the sweeping slider. While he can throw it for strikes and get whiffs, his usage is inconsistent and a distant fourth offering in his arsenal.
Although Morris has yet to reach his peak strikeout potential, his ability to throw strikes (68.3% career) and use all four of his to generate whiffs indicates positive regression is coming. The Twins are always pumping out guys that throw strikes in their rotation, and Morris fits the bill. With just 33 2/3 Triple-A innings, Morris is headed back to St. Paul to start 2025 but should debut by mid-season.
Parker Messick, LHP, CLE
Guardians’ lefty Parker Messick is the group’s elder, having just turned 24 in October. But for Messick, with age comes experience. Fresh off a dynamic three-year career at Florida State, the Guardians selected Messick with the 54th overall pick in 2022. During his time in Tallahassee, the 6’0 southpaw was the team’s Friday night starter (or ace) on a squad that included talented arms like Jackson Baumeister (TBR), Jackson Nezuh (MIL), and Bryce Hubbart (CIN). He compiled a 16-8 record with a 3.10 ERA and 1.05 WHIP, with 289 strikeouts to 43 walks. Messick earned many accolades, including a two-time All-American and All-ACC. His MiLB career has mirrored his collegiate success. Over 50 career starts, Messick has a 3.28 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, and a 28.2% strikeout rate while working from Low-A to Double-A, where he finished last season.
Messick’s profile is built around his command and one of the most dynamic changeups in the Minors. His changeup is 60-grade according to MLBPipeline but has flashed as a double-plus offering. Messick will throw it to all hitters in any count, generating a ton of whiffs (nearly 50% this season). Everything else plays off of the changeup. His four-seam fastball sits in the low 90s but can work up to 95mph. Most of its success centers around deception, using a low 3/4 arm slot and flat angle approach to the plate. The biggest concern about Messick is the need for an impactful breaking pitch, although his slider is improving. The fastball-change combination helped Messick to a swinging strike rate of over 15%, a CSW north of 30%, and a 22.2% K-BB rate this season. There is always hesitation when a pitcher features the changeup as their primary pitch, and with usage over 35%, that’s what Messick does.
Messick is a very talented arm in an organization with a reputation for developing quality starting pitching. His upside is not as high as others on this list, but he’s very underrated in his own organization because of high-profile arms like Daniel Espino and Matt “Tugboat” Wilkinson.