With dynasty baseball managers starting to turn the page towards next year, especially those in the rebuilding phases of their contention cycle, we took a peek last week at some of the prospects on the rise heading into the home stretch of the year. While we’re in the midst of compiling Fantrax’s Early 2025 Top 500 Dynasty Rankings, we decided to take a deeper look at some of the big leaguers that have either turned things around after frosty starts to the year or have started tearing the cover off the ball since last month’s Midsummer Classic, causing them to rocket up the dynasty rankings again.
Late-Season Dynasty Baseball Risers
Jackson Holliday, 2B, Orioles
It’s easy to forget, especially given the astronomical long-term expectations held by dynasty managers, that Holliday is still just 20 years old and still managing to hold his own at the highest level. That matters, especially when he’s one of the youngest hitters in the game. The 20-year-old potential franchise cornerstone is batting a respectable .270/.313/.556 with five homers and 14 RBI in 67 plate appearances over 17 games since returning to the majors back on July 31. He’s still striking out a quarter of the time, which is probably higher than we’d like to see, but the fact that he’s hitting for over-the-fence pop without striking out at an astronomical rate is extremely encouraging. It’s abundantly clear that his initial struggles at the highest level, and time spent further developing away from the spotlight were beneficial. The big question is whether there’s enough long-term upside to justify taking Holliday over the firmly-entrenched veteran stars at the keystone next spring, including Mookie Betts and Ketel Marte. We’re at the point where it’s a legitimate conversation, while that probably wasn’t the case a couple of weeks ago.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 1B, Blue Jays
Guerrero has been hotter than the surface of the sun since roughly last month’s Midsummer Classic, batting .415 (44-for-106) with 11 homers and 25 RBI in 28 contests during that span. The 25-year-old first baseman tumbled a bit down dynasty baseball rankings behind some of the more consistent over-the-fence pop options like Bryce Harper, Freddie Freeman, Matt Olson, and Pete Alonso after last year’s lackluster 26-homer output, but he’s clearly vaulted past those veterans, putting him at the helm of the cold corner and a into top-15 overall ranking from a dynasty standpoint heading towards 2025. There might be some regression in the batting average department, but we’re fairly confident locking in at least 30 home runs annually for at least the next half-decade, if not longer. It’s time to stop doubting Guerrero and just learn to enjoy the ebbs and flows.
Jackson Merrill, OF, Padres
We’re running out of superlatives to describe Merrill’s exploits as he’s batting .290 (123-for-424) with 61 runs scored, 17 homers, 66 RBI, and 13 stolen bases across 120 contests. He’s on the verge of a 20-homer, 20-steal rookie season, which is a feat only seven hitters in all of baseball have accomplished so far through late August. He’s doing all of this at 21 years old and while playing a new defensive position for the first time in his professional career. The former first-round pick was always a highly-regarded prospect from a dynasty baseball standpoint, but his five-category impact production at such a young age has vaulted him into the top 20 range of dynasty rankings lists heading into next year.
Corbin Carroll, OF, Diamondbacks
On the heels of an absolutely abysmal first half, which there isn’t a clear explanation for at the moment, Carroll’s post All-Star break resurgence has been a welcome development for dynasty managers as he’s batting .253/.339/.611 with eight home runs and three steals in 27 contests after hitting .212/.301/.334 with just five homers and 18 steals in 94 contests to open the year. Fantasy managers would like to see more in the running game, and some growth in the batting average department, but the positive news here is that Carroll is finally showing some signs of life at the dish. Given that he’ll only be 24 years old on Opening Day and already has a 25-homer, 50-steal season on his resume, we’re compelled to hand him a top-15 ranking heading into next year. We’re willing to give him a free pass on the dismal start to the year, especially if he was playing through some sort of lingering injury. It’s not out of the question, especially since he’s dealt with shoulder problems in the past. Assuming he’s fully healthy, Carroll remains one of the most electric young talents in the game.
Jackson Chourio, OF, Brewers
We save the best for last, right? Chourio entered the year near the top of dynasty rankings as a result of breaking into the big leagues at just 20 years old following a 20-homer, 40-steal season last year in the upper minors. So, this doesn’t exactly qualify as a breakout or unexpected meteoric rise. However, it’s notable that he’s turned on the metaphorical afterburners following some initial turbulence at the highest level earlier this year, batting an absurd .340 (36-for-106) with six homers and seven steals in just 26 games since last month’s All-Star break. Barring something unexpected, Chourio will finish the year as one of just a handful of hitters in the game to record a 20-homer, 20-steal campaign, accomplishing the feat at just 20 years old. It’s unclear what the next level of his development looks like, but if this season represents his realistic floor moving forward, then he’s a surefire first-round pick (top 15 overall ranking) in all dynasty formats until further notice.