Eric Cross' Top 50 Dynasty Prospect Rankings for Fantasy Baseball (July)

The July Top 500 prospect rankings update is always my favorite update during the season. Why? Well, I get to add all the recent MLB draft prospects to the mix which was around 70 overall in my top 500. This time of year truly fits the term "Christmas in July" for us prospect rankers.

These rankings are geared toward standard 5x5 leagues (AVG) and take many factors into consideration, including:

• Performance to date
• Scouting grades
• Future projection
• Video & data analysis

Or, as I like to call it... PPP. Which stands for profile, performance, projection,

While these rankings are more slanted towards long-term fantasy value, proximity and short-term value do play a part in where a prospect lands in my rankings. If you want to see the full Top-500, then head on over to my Patreon!

Top 50 Fantasy Baseball Dynasty Prospects

Prospect notes and analysis can be found after the rankings table below.

Rankings Note: Andrew Abbott was eligible when I posted my prospect rankings but has since graduated.

Prospect Eligibility: Less than 130 MLB AB or 50 IP (I'm ignoring service time)

Rankings Updated: July 2023

Fantasy Baseball Prospect Rankings Notes

1. Jackson Holliday (SS - BAL)

With Corbin Carroll, Gunnar Henderson, Jordan Walker, and Elly De La Cruz all graduating from prospect status this season, the debate for the new top dog has become an interesting one. And frankly, it's not as cut and dry as it has been in the past. For me, it's Jackson Holliday who is one of the best pure hitters in the minor leagues and showing that as a 19-year-old in Double-A. Holliday's 70-grade hit tool provides an insanely high floor, and he could wind up as an above-average power/speed source as well. This is the closest any prospect has been to a Wander Franco profile since Franco was a prospect.

2. James Wood (OF - WAS)

Given his struggles in Double-A, James Wood has seen his perceived value take a slight hit over the last month or two. In 42 games at the Double-A level, Wood has slashed an underwhelming .216/.315/.438 with a 31.5% strikeout rate. And while this was unexpected, I'm not going to ding him too much as of now. We've seen the massive upside that Wood possesses thanks to his mammoth raw power and above-average speed. But he's going to need to adjust as more advanced pitchers learn to attack his larger strike zone. If you can buy low in your dynasty league, I would.

3. Junior Caminero (3B/SS - TBR)

Along with Holliday above, Junior Caminero is on the shortlist for the best hitter in the minor leagues. I'm sure the Guardians organization is kicking themselves for letting go of Caminero and his plus hit too and plus or better power. Those tools have helped Caminero post a stellar .316/.374/.551 line this season with 16 home runs in 75 games. He might not provide more than 5-8 steals annually, but that doesn't matter much when Caminero's bat projects to flirt with .300/30 seasons annually.

4. Dylan Crews (OF - WAS)

In the time I've been ranking prospects for fantasy purposes, I have never ranked an FYPD prospect inside my top-5 right off the bat. A few have flirted with top-10 status out of the gate, but Dylan Crews easily shoots past them all and into my top-5. Crews is the best draft prospect we've seen in several years with a plus hit tool, plus power, advanced approach, and at least average speed as well. Not only does he have the upside of a middle-of-the-order, five-category fantasy star, but he should also reach the Majors fairly quickly. It might seem crazy to rank him this highly already, but if the profile fits, rank it.

5. Jackson Chourio (OF - MIL)

What Jackson Chourio was able to do last season as an 18-year-old reaching Double-A and dominating along the way was remarkable. And while his 2023 encore hasn't been quite as dominant, Chourio remains a no-doubt top-10 prospect for fantasy purposes. We also have to wonder if the Double-A Southern League using the tacky ball can be to blame for Chourio's solid but not great performance over the first half of the season. The answer to that question appears to be yes as Choruio has slashed .467/.520/.778 since the all-star break with coincides with the Southern League ditching the tacky ball.

6. Wyatt Langford (OF - TEX)

Hey look, another member of the 2023 MLB draft cracking my top-10 overall right off the bat. Wyatt Langford is basically 1B to Crews' 1A for me and I've even thought about slotting Langford ahead at times. You can say that Crews is the slightly better pure hitter, but you could also say that Langford has a higher power/speed upside and could even reach the Majors sooner given Texas being a contender now and Washington in full rebuild mode.

7. Jordan Lawlar (SS - ARI)

On May 22nd, after another hitless game, Jordan Lawlar's slash line dropped to .162/.296/.342 with a 31.7% strikeout rate in 142 plate appearances. Since then, however, Lawlar is slashing .313/.397/.553 with 15 doubles, eight home runs, 17 steals, and a 16.7% strikeout rate. As long as Lawlar can just hit above .260 and keep the strikeout rate in check, that along with his ability to hit more than 20 homers and add more than 25 steals annually could allow him to develop into a high-impact fantasy shortstop.

8. Evan Carter (OF - TEX)

From one Texas outfield prospect to another. Outside of a rough month of May when he was dealing with a wrist issue, Evan Carter has consistently excelled this season and currently sits with a .294/.411/.464 slash line in 71 games with 11 home runs and 12 steals. Carter already ranks inside my top 10 thanks to his approach, OBP abilities, speed, and power projection, and he could make a push for #1 overall if his game power ticks up moving forward.

9. Colton Cowser (OF - BAL)

Don't let Colton Cowser's struggles so far with Baltimore overshadow the offensive profile and minor league track record that made him a top-10 prospect in the first place. In fact, if you can use this small sample size of struggles to buy low in your dynasty league, I'd highly recommend doing so. Cowser has proven to be an OBP stud capable of hitting .270+ while flirting with 20/20 annually and maybe even higher than that in the home run department. Add in a great young lineup around him and Cowser could be an impactful five-category fantasy contributor for years to come.

10. Christian Encarnacion-Strand (1B - CIN)

Rounding out the top 10 is the latest exciting young prospect to debut for Cincinnati, Christian Encarnacion-Strand. A man whose power is even bigger than his last name, which couldn't even fit on the back of his jersey. In 67 games for Triple-A Louisville before his promotion to Cincinnati, Encarnacion-Strand cranked 21 doubles and 20 home runs with a .331/.405/.637 slash line.

Many will point to his aggressive approach and his higher chase rate, and that's absolutely a slight concern moving forward. But Encarnacion-Strand has made it work and has been able to make enough contact while drawing walks at a solid clip and keeping his strikeout rate in check.

New Top Pitching Prospect: Paul Skenes, PIT

With the graduations of Eury Perez, Grayson Rodriguez, and others, along with the injuries to Andrew Painter and to a lesser degree, Ricky Tiedemann, my new #1 pitching prospect is 2023 draftee and #1 overall pick, Paul Skenes. Thanks to a dominant showing this spring and an electric three-pitch mix led by a double-plus fastball/slider combination, Skenes established himself as the unquestioned top pitcher in the 2023 draft class. The long-term upside is a frontline ace and fantasy stud.

Prospects on the Rise in my Top 50: Coby Mayo (BAL), Colt Keith (DET), Adael Amador (COL), Everson Pereira (NYY), Roman Anthony (BOS), Gabriel Gonzalez (SEA), Hector Rodriguez (CIN), Jordan Beck (COL), Tyler Black (MIL).

If you enjoyed these rankings and want to see the full Top 500 along with additional rankings, analysis, and more, check out Eric's Toolshed Fantasy Patreon.

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