As the baseball season moves along, it becomes even more difficult for dynasty managers to keep up with Minor League performances. The Complex League has been underway for some time now. The Dominican Summer League is now getting action, which is often where we see the biggest prospect breakouts. This article keeps track of all the performances from first-year professionals that dynasty managers need to know about. You can check out last month’s article here.

Following First Year Prospects for Dynasty

Complex League Standouts

Argenis Cayama – SP, San Francisco Giants

A move to the mound attracted Major League scouts and ultimately resulted in Argenis Cayama signing with the Giants back in 2024. Cayama put up strong numbers in the DSL last year, finishing with a 2.59 ERA in 10 starts. Now in the Complex League, Cayama is finding even more success. Cayama is striking out 33.3% of batters through his first eight starts of the year. He is showing the ability to work deep into games, pitching 3+ innings in each start and reaching five innings pitched in his start on May 30. He owns a 1.67 ERA and should move to full-season ball before the end of 2025.

Cayama just looks like a starting pitcher on the mound. His delivery motion is smooth, efficient, and easily repeatable. His fastball gets good arm-side run and sits in the mid-90s. His slider is his best offering at this point. A two-plane pitch that dives down and away to righties. Cayama commands the pitch well and is comfortable throwing it in any count. He also mixes in a changeup and sinker that help keep batters off of his two primary offerings. Cayama has the makeup of a breakout pitching prospect. His success in the Complex League should not go unnoticed by dynasty managers. Deep-league dynasty managers would be wise to get in on him before his success becomes more well-known.

Hayden Alvarez- OF, Los Angeles Angels

Big toolsy hitters tend to generate a lot of buzz in the dynasty community. For some reason, that is not the case for Hayden Alvarez. Alvarez is flying completely under the radar so far despite his strong start to the 2025 season. Looking back at his 2024 numbers, his speed instantly jumps off the page. Alvarez stole 32 bases in 50 DSL games last season. He also hit .250 with one home run. The overall slash line was relatively underwhelming, but at 6’3″, the projection in his profile has never been in question.

That projection is starting to look like reality in 2025. Now, at the Complex League, Alvarez seems to have made some significant changes. Alvarez’s contact rate is up over 14% this season compared to last. Although he posted strong walk rates in 2024, his patience at the plate has improved dramatically this season. This patience is hopefully leading to better pitches to hit and more chances for Alvarez to tap into the raw power his 6’3″ frame possesses. He has already hit two home runs this year, passing his season total from last year. He has the speed, power, and physical projection to turn into a highly sought-after dynasty prospect. If these hit tool improvements stick, his dynasty stock will skyrocket.

Dominican Summer League Standouts

Luis Cova – OF, Miami Marlins

Luis Cova signed with the Marlins in January of 2024 out of Venezuela. His first season in professional baseball was underwhelming. Cova hit just .239 with three home runs in 55 games at the DSL. There were some positives to Cova’s production last season. For starters, Cova stole 36 bases. In addition, he also walked more than he struck out. Still, high expectations for Cova left his power output seeming disappointed. Starting the season again in the DSL, Cova is looking much more comfortable to start 2025. In just 12 games, Cova has already matched his home run total from all of last season. In addition, he is still stealing plenty of bases. His contact skills look more suspect than last season, but he is still walking over 16% of the time. Cova is a twitchy and athletic prospect with significant power and speed upside. Dynasty managers should be encouraged by his early-season production. He is a player to watch as the season moves along and the sample size grows larger.

Elorky Rodriguez- 2B/OF, Texas Rangers

The Rangers’ top international free agent signing from this past January was Elorky Rodriguez out of the Dominican Republic. Although the DSL season is young, Rodriguez is quickly making a name for himself. At the time of his signing, Rodriguez’s hit tool was his strongest attribute. This has been on full display so far. He is walking twice as often as he is striking out, with a contact rate of 83.8%. The surprising and intriguing part has been the power output. Rodriguez hit three home runs in just six games. His quick hands pack a punch from the left side, and there appears to be more power than scouts originally believed. The DSL season is still so fresh. There is plenty of time for things to change, but Rodriguez is off to a good start, which dynasty managers should be taking note of.

How are these 2024 DSL/CPX Standouts Performing?

Luis Pena- SS, Milwaukee Brewers

Luis Pena is one of the fastest rising prospects throughout the dynasty community. With the early-season promotion of many of the game’s top prospects, many are already citing Pena as the top prospect still in the Minor Leagues. An impressive feat for a player who does not turn 19 until November. Pena dominated the DSL last season but was overshadowed by teammate Jesus Made. Made’s rise to stardom caused Pena’s .393/.457/.583 slash line to go relatively unnoticed. In 44 games last season, Pena hit one home run and stole 39 bases. This speed and his excellent hit tool are leading the way as Pena’s hype reaches new heights. Despite being 2.5 years younger than the average competition in Low-A, Pena is batting .315 with an 81.9% contact rate. His 600 PA stolen base pace is 90 steals. There is significant upside in Pena’s profile.

For those following along with my work, you may notice that Pena ranks only 65th in the most recent version of the prospect list. This was a question that was brought up in the Pitcher List discord channel, asking why Pena ranks 65th while teammate Made ranks 14th. There are two main reasons and areas that dynasty managers should be seeking more development from Pena. The first is power. Pena has lightning-quick hand,s and his bat speed and pull side awareness should help lead to 15-20 homer pop. The issue is that Pena lacks much physical projection, and his swing prioritizes contact over power. That brings me to the second point. Pena’s approach at the plate is aggressive. He is swinging nearly 50% of the time, and while he has the contact skills to get away with this for now, it could come back to bite him against tougher competition. The ability to make contact on bad pitches can also lead to more weak contact, which is typically undesirable.

For those who invested in Pena early, he is doing everything you could ask for and more. The start to his 2025 season has been incredible, and dynasty managers should be very excited about what the future has in store. The 20/50 potential here is very real, and there is a chance he gets even better as he continues to develop. The only point is that he is not a finished product, and dynasty managers should be careful not to overvalue his current production.

Robert Calaz- OF, Colorado Rockies

The Robert Calaz hype train was generating significant steam prior to the 2025 season. Calaz signed with the Rockies back in January of 2023 out of the Dominican Republic. His first taste of professional baseball in 2023 seemed too easy. Calaz hit seven homers with six steals and a .325 batting average. The Complex League last season did not seem much tougher for him. There, Calaz slashed .349/.462/.651. He even got a taste of Low-A, where he hit .327 in 13 games last season. The results were sensational, but there was always a major red flag digging into his profile. At each stop in his first two seasons, Calaz posted a BABIP of at least .400. His contact rate also sat down at 65.6% last season with a swinging strike rate north of 17%. There was always concern that Calaz would start to see his good luck sour.

Well, that is exactly what has happened so far in 2025. The Rockies have kept Calaz in Low-A, where his BABIP has regressed down to .308. Not a bad mark by any means, especially considering his line drive rate is only 20%. With the BABIP falling, his below-average contact skills have caught up to him. He is striking out over 25% of the time, and his average sits at .247. Equally concerning has been the lack of stolen bases this season. After stealing 15 bases last year, Calaz has only stolen one this year. The power and speed combination is what made Calaz such an enticing prospect for dynasty managers. If stolen bases are not going to be part of his game, Calaz’s suspect hit tool becomes a lot more concerning.

2024 Draftees Exceeding Expectations

Gage Jump – SP, Athletics

Gage Jump has been a popular name in the baseball world since his prep school days. There is a good chance Jump would have been a high draft pick in 2021 if not for his commitment to UCLA, which many teams viewed as unbreakable. Tommy John Surgery derailed the beginning of his collegiate career, and his stuff did not return to pre-injury levels in 2024 at LSU. Jump still pitched well, going 6-2 with a 3.47 ERA, leading to the Athletics taking him 73rd overall in last year’s draft. Throwing from the left side, Jump’s delivery is certainly unique. A high leg kick with his arm dropping fully down with full extension creates a lower slot delivery that still appears to be over the top. This unique delivery adds to deception to an arsenal that is already showing major improvements.

This season with the Athletics, Jump’s fastball is sitting in the mid-90s and reaching the upper 90s at times. He gets really good iVB on the pitch, which is impressive given his low release point. Both his slider and curveball have plus potential and can generate some silly swings from batters. The most important thing is that Jump’s command has been excellent this season. Not only is Jump striking out 31.9% of the batters he has faced so far, but he is also only walking 5.2% of batters. He owns a 1.94 ERA in 13 games split between High-A and Double-A. He has turned into one of the game’s top pitching prospects and should continue to move quickly through the Athletics’ system.

Marco Dinges – C, Milwaukee Brewers

Marco Dinges played just one season at Florida State before being selected in the fourth round last year by Milwaukee. Despite hitting .323 with 15 home runs in college, there was not much hype surrounding Dinges prior to the 2025 season. The lack of hype was not directed against Dinges, but rather reflected how much attention dynasty managers should have given to a fourth-round catcher.

Well, the answer was apparently a lot. Dinges’ professional career is off to a fantastic start. The team had him start the season in Low-A, where he slashed .353/.500/.576 in 26 games before quickly earning a promotion to High-A. High-A has not seemed much more challenging for Dinges thus far, as he is slashing .337/.385/.587 through his first 23 games. Watching the right-handed catcher swing, it is difficult not to fall in love. His approach at the plate is sound, with good pitch recognition and plus contact skills. His hands remain quiet, and he utilizes a small leg kick to help tap into more power. His swing is designed to drive the ball into the gaps with a ton of line drives. Although game power is not his strength, Dinges has the raw pop to drive the ball out to all fields with ease. Dinges is quickly making a name for himself in the dynasty community thanks to his fast start to 2025.

2024 Draftees Struggling Early

Carter Johnson – SS, Miami Marlins

Fourth-round picks rarely steal the headlines in dynasty leagues. However, as avid baseball fans know, the round a prospect is taken in does not always equate to the talent and potential that player has. From a tools perspective, Carter Johnson has everything that dynasty managers look for. A prep bat with a pretty left-handed swing, good speed, and power projection. Like most prep bats, Johnson was far from a finished product on draft day, but there was still a good deal of excitement about what he could become.

So far, professional baseball has not been kind to Johnson. Playing in Low-A, Johnson is batting just .191 on the season so far. Strikeouts have been the biggest issue thus far. In particular, breaking balls are giving Johnson fits at the plate. While his overall whiff rate remains high at 31%, it is far worse against sliders and curveballs. Against sliders, Johnson is whiffing 59% of the time, curveballs 36.4% of the time, and he is yet to make contact on a sweeper. While Johnson has the raw tools to turn into a significant dynasty asset, it is clear that his hit tool is going to need a lot of development. His game power has also been underwhelming, as his two home runs and exit velocity of 85.5 mph leave plenty to be desired. Plus, can dynasty managers really trust Miami to get the most out of Johnson? There is not much to love two months into the season.

Dante Nori- OF, Philadelphia Phillies

The Phillies surprised many when they selected Dante Nori in the first round of last year’s draft. Rarely do we see prep bats taken in the first round that feature a floor-over-ceiling projection, but that is exactly what Nori represented. Nori’s on the smaller side, standing at just 5’10” and lacks much room for physical projection. The report on him entering the draft was that he would be a strong defender with good speed and a strong hit tool. The lack of power left plenty to be desired and has kept Nori off of many dynasty radars despite his first-round pedigree.  On top of his lack of ceiling, Nori was also old for a prep bat. He is already 20 years old with less than 100 professional games under his belt.

The start to Nori’s professional career has been anything but impressive. In 60 games in Low-A, Nori is slashing .249/.338/.339. As mentioned, plus power was never expected, but Nori’s power output has been even worse than anticipated. He has hit just one home run so far with an average exit velocity below 87 mph. Usually, there is a grace period for prep bats, giving them time to adjust; that argument can be made for Carter Johnson, mentioned above. However, Nori is only one year younger than the average competition in Low-A. So far, the only tool he is showing off consistently is his speed. While a positive, his speed is not enough to carry him to fantasy relevance. For now, Nori remains low on dynasty lists and is not giving any reason to move him up.