NL West Farm System Report

The divisional reports are a new series put out by the PitcherList dynasty team. These reports provide a list of the top ten prospects on each team in the division and highlight two players from each organization. Each division will be updated once per month by our divisional experts. This article focuses on the NL West.

Be sure to head over to the Pitcher List dynasty page to check out the farm system reports already published.

 

NL West

Colorado Rockies

 

Prospects I am most excited about:

• Hard not to be a little excited about Adael Amador, the top Rockies prospect on most lists, Amador had more career walks than strikeouts entering the 2024 year. He is 21 this season and the switch-hitting SS prospect has been rumored to potentially move to the other side of the diamond and maybe get some reps at 2B. 60-grade hit tool, a little bit sub-par on the power, but will be able to go for extra bases a fair amount. The name to know on the Colorado farm.
• Chase Dollander can touch 99 with the fastball and has a big curve to go with a tight slider. The slider is probably going to be his out-pitch though, decent changeup too. It’s the type of arsenal you like to see. He’s 22 with a repeatable delivery, his efforts at Tennessee led him to be the SEC pitcher of the year in 2022 and he was taken 9th overall in his draft class. He’s a plus fielder and has a good chance to develop into a workable starter for Colorado.

A few other names to know:

• Cole Carrigg is an awesome player to watch, double plus arms do not come along too often, and accompanied with his all-in style of play… he could become something fun. Carrigg has basically played everywhere in his career, he likely will end up as a middle infielder, though. He’s a switch hitter that is maybe a bit overaggressive, but he should figure that out over time. A fun one to watch and probably get a share of in a deep league for cheap.
• I made sure Robert Calaz made this list because I think his ceiling is super high. It’s easy to get caught up in Dominican Summer League hitting because it’s usually hitter-friendly, but the 18-year-old Calaz put up a near 1.000 OPS!! Oh yeah, did I mention he’s 18?! When he was 17 he was in the 90th %ILE of EVs… if he develops his hit tool, he could become an elite, star-level slugger at Coors… one can only hope.

 

Arizona Diamondbacks

 

Prospects I am most excited about

• You can’t really talk about the Snake’s farm system without Jordan Lawlar, he is one of 14 players with a 60-tool rating and is the top non-Padre prospect we will discuss. Returning from right thumb surgery at the moment, Lawlar will be challenging Geraldo Perdomo at some point and likely has a higher ceiling when it comes to hitting. MLB Pipeline ranked him the third-best prospect in the 2021 draft. His short stint with the big club last year shouldn’t deter you, Lawlar will put up numbers as he has at every level.
• Tommy Troy is another pretty clear standout in the Diamondbacks system, he finished his Stanford career with a .394/.478/.699 line and was taken 12th overall in July. Troy is listed as an SS prospect but he can handle himself at the six, with Amador in the pipeline, he may end up needing to move over if they both come up with the club. Though with how Ketel Marte looks… that might be tough, too.

A few other names to know:

• I am using that 10th spot on the chart to put some names that are lower on standard boards into the conversation. Ricardo Yan is one of those names to me, and it’s not like prospect ranking is some exact science anyway… Yan uses a mean sinker/slider combo to make hitters look silly if they guess the wrong pitch, he induces a high ground ball rate and projects to be a starter. He’s certainly a bit more of a long shot for a deeper league, as there are relief concerns if he continues to run into walk issues. He’s 6’4 and 180 lbs in his age 21 season, if the slider stays strong and translates to the next levels, he could be a high upside gamble.
• Ah a Multi-Mitt, a beautiful site for all teams, real and fantasy alike. Caleb Roberts was drafted as a catcher out of UNC by the D-Backs, but has the potential to play at first or even in the outfield. With a plus arm and solid power, his hitting is currently leading the discussion… as his fielding does still need some work. A good eye and solid walk rate will help push him as a potential utility guy for a team earlier in his career, and with a catcher designation, Roberts is someone to watch for in two-catcher formats.

 

San Fransisco Giants

 

Players I am most excited about:

• Bryce Eldridge is a potential two-way pro that it seems the Giants will ask to just focus on hitting, which is a shame, but still very exciting. He can sit around 93mph and touch 96. The issue is, his raw power and arm will play just as well in the field. His quick swing gives him major league pop for someone in A-ball. The 6’7, 19-year-old Eldridge is the definition of an exciting prospect.
• Putting Wade Meckler at 3rd deserves some follow up, he probably has the worst power tool of anyone I will rank or discuss today – but he reminds me of fellow Oregon State product, Steven Kwan, and we’ve seen the success a profile like that can have. Getting on base is as paramount as ever in today’s game, and Meckler can make consistent contact. His biggest issue is that he needs to get the ball out of the infield, if he can find some power, he could be atop a lineup in the majors within the next year or two.

A few other names to know:

• Joe Whitman just won MAC Pitcher of the Year after transferring to Kent State and has a fastball that has movement and really nice control. Sitting 92-94 with the auxiliary action and repeatable delivery should play well at the next levels. The 6’5 lefty projects as a mid-rotation starter and doesn’t carry nearly the same relief risk as most prospects at this level.
• I also really enjoy Mason Black’s game, he’s currently at AAA and progressed from single-A in just two seasons. He’s a big body at 6’3, 230lb, and projects for more durability. He should be a back-end-level starter for the Giants within a season or two and he is the type of prospect you can feel more comfortable with having some stock in if you’re looking to collect arms at lower prices.

Los Angeles Dodgers

 

Players I am most excited about:

• Nick Frasso is an extension king who has a fastball that can touch 100mph. He’s a strong athlete at 6’5 with a repeatable delivery that can be deceptive. He’s arguably the best Dodgers pitching prospect and it wouldn’t be a shock to me to see Frasso get some leash since Stone has struggled a the major league level. Of course, the Dodgers are just waiting for their rotation to get healthy, so it could still be a bit before we see Frasso stay with the big club for real.
• Josue De Paula is a plus hitter with power, he just finished up training with Juan Soto and Elly De La Cruz over the summer and he is projected to be a 30HR type hitter that can play for average, too. The 18-year-old should continue to generate buzz and is the type of player you should probably be stashing if you don’t have contract limits in your dynasty league.

A few other names to know:

• A good name to know out of a talented Dodgers system is Thayron Liranzo. He’s one of the best young catching prospects in baseball at the moment. Last year he led the Single-A California League in SLG, OPS, wRC+, HR, and TB… at just 19. Yeah, this dude’s good. He hits for power from both sides of the plate and has a plus arm. If he continues to refine his skills, he will be a major league-level catcher.
• Joendry Vargas also piques my interest. Another teenager, Vargas is a bit of a bigger shortstop but has the power as a tradeoff. There is some suspicion that if he continues to fill out he may move to third base, but the hope would be that he could contribute upwards of 25-30 HR if that is the case.

 

San Diego Padres

 

Players I am most excited about:

• Ethan Salas is a highly coveted prospect for a reason, a 55-rated hit tool and 60-rated power tool at the catcher spot is going to turn some heads. As it should. Did I mention he is 17 years old? Salas is so talented that the expectation is he makes it to the Majors before he turns 20. He just needs to be treated carefully by the Padres, who have plenty of reason to rush him. The power is legit, and 25 HRs behind the plate might be a perennial accomplishment for this player by the time we get to his mid-20s.
• Dylan Lesko is an exciting one that I’m amped to own in my highest-stakes dynasty format. He was the first-ever player to win the Gatorade POTY as a junior in high school. He unfortunately underwent TJ surgery in his senior season but was still drafted and although his pro debut outings didn’t go great (5.45 ERA), the 52Ks in 33IP show the potential here for a fantasy ace. Lesko has a great fastball that he pairs with an even better changeup, I love guys that make hitters look foolish for swinging too early and Lesko will do that to you. He’s my favorite guess for a breakout pitcher within the next 2-3 seasons.

A few other names to know:

• Graham Pauley is now known mostly for the strikeout where the ball took his helmet off, yeah… that guy… he’s currently in the majors but still has prospect status. He can play almost everywhere and has a plus bat. That type of utility is part of why he is seeing playing time already, he hits for average and fills gaps on the roster. He’s probably worth looking at now in deeper formats if he’s sliding under the radar, but he profiles as a career big-leaguer. He leads the Padres full-season minor league players in average, home runs, and slugging. Could be a public perception buy low with a slower start and a lowlight.
• Jakob Marsee has some of the best plate discipline you’ll see, he had 98 walks in 128 games between A and AA ball… there are some concerns about his fielding but he’s got the hit tool, along with the on-base percentage, to be a solid contributor to an offense.

 

Feature Image Adapted by Aaron Polcare (@bearydoesgfx on X)