Many scouts agree that Milwaukee Brewers SS Jesus Made has graduated into the top prospect spot in baseball. Made is delivering solid numbers at Double-A Biloxi and a promotion to the Triple-A level should be forthcoming. Fantasy managers in dynasty/keeper formats must know about Made, but alas, he turned 19 years old in early May. Neither he nor Athletics SS Leo De Vries (also 19) are likely to make MLB debuts until next season, at least.
Minnesota Twins SS Kaelen Culpepper, however, is 23 years old and hitting .256/.361/.473 for Triple-A St. Paul. You will not find Culpepper ranked at the top of prospect lists with Made, De Vries or Washington Nationals SS Eli Willits, but many fantasy managers are not thinking about the long-term future. They think about today! Culpepper slugged two home runs last week versus Louisville. He now has 13 on the season. He has 13 stolen bases, too. Culpepper appears ready for the major leagues.
With Royce Lewis struggling again and removing himself from the plans, and Brooks Lee moving to third base full time, journeyman Tristan Gray, 30, has handled shortstop. He hit .190/.261/.238 in May. Orlando Arcia, another journeyman, is the backup. Culpepper, a first-round pick in the 2024 draft out of Kansas State, is an upgrade, and there seems little point to keeping him in the minors. Twins fans want this promotion, and fantasy managers should root for it as well. Lee is the No. 17 shortstop on the Player Rater. Culpepper has upside for better numbers.
Stock rising
George Lombard Jr., SS, New York Yankees: Lombard, 20, was hitting an unlucky .196/.360/.299 at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, with nearly as many walks as strikeouts. Scouts say he is hitting baseballs hard. Lombard has a history of slower starts at new levels, so be patient. He doubled and homered versus Worcester on Sunday and drove in another run Tuesday. The Yankees are back to loving Anthony Volpe, but if Lombard hits (he is already a defensive wizard), he could be New York's shortstop this summer. Lombard hit .312/.400/.571 for Double-A Somerset before his promotion.
Mike Sirota, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers: Sirota, 23, was hitting .342/.500/.526 at Double-A Tulsa over 50 PA, this after posting a 1.080 OPS at High-A Great Lakes. This organization boasts an embarrassment of prospect riches, especially in the outfield with Josue De Paula, Eduardo Quintero and James Tibbs III, but Sirota is no teenager and if he can help the Dodgers win the World Series this season, he could debut. In addition, any of these outfield prospects may be used in a deadline trade and thus may see initial opportunity at their new destination.
Ethan Salas, C, San Diego Padres: Salas, who turned 20 on the first of June, has been on the fantasy radar for years, but now the numbers finally match up with the considerable hype. Salas has hit .309/.359/.500 at Double-A San Antonio. Injuries limited him to 10 games in 2025, but now he is healthy and thriving, assuaging fears for myriad dynasty investors. Also, Padres catchers are hitting a brutal .173/.275/.306. Yikes!
Karson Milbrandt, RHP, Miami Marlins: Milbrandt, 22, delivered a 1.34 ERA and 38% strikeout rate at Double-A Pensacola, earning himself a promotion to Triple-A Jacksonville. He will debut for the Jumbo Shrimp (how can one not love minor league baseball?) this week, and with the Marlins struggling to fill an injury-riddled rotation in the majors, we may see the 2022 third-round pick rather soon.
Gabriel Rincones Jr., OF, Philadelphia Phillies: Rincones, 25, has never been acknowledged as anything close to a top-100 prospect. He is a left-handed-hitting slugger who can't hit lefties at all, but the Phillies may become so desperate for anyone to hit that Rincones may push cooked veteran Adolis Garcia aside. Rincones hit .242/.366/.430 with 18 home runs and 22 steals at Triple-A Lehigh Valley last season. A knee injury pushed his 2026 debut until last week, but if he hits this month, he may become the NL's version of Seattle Mariners OF Dominic Canzone.
Stock falling
Ethan Holliday, SS, Colorado Rockies: Holliday, 19, is scheduled for season-ending surgery due to a stress fracture in his left foot. He hit .262/.395/.557 for 152 PA at Single-A Fresno, showing power and a more reasonable strikeout rate when compared to his debut at that level in 2025. Holliday may have a bright fantasy future ahead of him as a slugger (probably at a corner infield or outfield spot rather than shortstop), but missing most of this season delays his path a bit. While we are discussing injuries to top prospects, it may be a while -- if not until 2027 -- until Phillies SS Aidan Miller (back) debuts.
Jett Williams, SS, Brewers: Williams, 22, one of the prizes of the offseason Freddy Peralta trade with the New York Mets, is hitting .227/.348/.362 at Triple-A Nashville, with five home runs and 12 stolen bases. Those numbers aren't awful, but a .652 OPS against right-handed pitching (.988 against lefties) is a rough omen for the right-handed hitter, if it continues. The Brewers are loaded with infield prospects, and Williams may end up in a utility role.
Jamie Arnold, SP, Athletics: Arnold, 22 and the No. 11 pick in the 2025 draft out of Florida State, has made 10 starts at Double-A Midland, posting a 5.21 ERA and 1.84 WHIP. The Texas League is tough on pitchers, but expectations were far better for the slider-dominant left-hander. Perhaps all will be well, but the current Athletics are short on starting pitchers and Arnold doesn't seem like he will be an option anytime soon.
