A reminder: This is ONLY players who have Rookie of the Year MLB eligibility, and ONLY a look at potential help for 2025.
That out of the way, here’s a look at the top prospects who can help your fantasy roster this season.
1. Roman Anthony, OF, Boston Red Sox
2025 stats: 35 G, .302/.423/.476, 5 HR, 3 SB, 28 BB, 33 SO at Triple-A Worcester.
If there’s a negative to how Anthony has been playing since the start of May, it’s the lack of extra-base hits. And by lack of extra-base hits, I mean an entire lack, as he hasn’t picked up a single one in that time frame. That’s not ideal, but he’s gone 12-for-37 (.324) and drawn seven walks during those games, and getting on at a .422 clip is nothing to sneeze at. On the contrary. The Red Sox have some, well, roster issues right now, but unless a certain former third baseman wants to become a current first baseman, it’s a little hard to see a roster spot for Anthony in the coming days. It should be by the end of the month, and he’s well worth rostering now so you don’t miss out.
2. Jordan Lawlar, INF, Arizona Diamondbacks
2025 stats: 37 G, .336/.413/.579, 6 HR, 13 SB, 18 BB, 39 SO at Triple-A Reno.
Lawlar was due for some struggles, and the fact that he’s hit just .267/.283/.333 since the end of April and still has these kind of stats tells you just how good the former first-round pick has been. Like Anthony, he hasn’t been able to go deep since the calendar turned, but he has added three doubles. The D-Backs may want Lawlar to get on another run before they decide to bring him up to the highest level and there’s no obvious roster spot, but it’s pretty obvious Lawlar is ready to face MLB pitching again. Fantasy managers should pounce on it as soon as the Diamondbacks make that call.
UPDATE: The Diamondbacks are reportedly calling up Lawlar on Monday.
3. Matt Shaw, 3B, Chicago Cubs
2025 stats: 18 G, .262/.392/.415, 1 HR, 3 SB, 13 BB, 9 SO at Triple-A Iowa; 18 G, .172/.294/.241, 1 HR, 0 SB, 10 BB, 18 SO at Chicago (NL).
Shaw failed in his time with the Cubs to open the year. Those who watched Shaw play know that, and those who didn’t can just look at those stats. But you know how this works. You know how hard baseball is. You know how many young players faltered to begin their career and still went on to become excellent players. Shaw started out slowly after being demoted to Triple-A, but the infielder has turned a corner and been a solid contributor since May began. Shaw isn’t guaranteed to help fantasy rosters in 2025, but there’s obviously enough talent for him to be a contributor in redraft leagues this summer. He wouldn’t be on this list if that wasn’t the case.
4. Bubba Chandler, RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates
2025 stats: 7 G, 28 IP, 2.25 ERA, .160 BAA, 11 BB, 41 SO at Triple-A Indianapolis.
Chandler was due for a bad start, and he had one Wednesday against Columbus. He went just 2 2/3 innings while allowing three runs on five hits, and while he did strike out five, he also issued four walks. Considering how dominant he was prior to that start -- he had a 1.42 ERA bump up to 2.25 due to the struggles -- it’s hard to be too concerned about it. Chandler’s stock was high coming into the year, but the stuff and command have seen it rise so much that many believe he’s now the best pitching prospect in baseball. Even pitching for a bad baseball team like the Pirates, there’s still a great chance he’s relevant in 2025.
5. Jacob Misiorowski, RHP, Milwaukee Brewers
2025 stats: 8 G, 42.1 IP, 1.49 ERA, .148 BAA, 18 BB, 54 SO at Triple-A Nashville.
Chandler struggled in his last outing. Misiorowski did the opposite. He was able to work 6 2/3 innings while allowing just two hits without giving up a run, and he struck out a season-high 11 batters against just one walk. It’s nice to see him bounce back from the four free passes he gave up in the outing before, but even that one saw him give up just one run. The Brewers have dealt with a plethora of injuries in their rotation, and while Aaron Civale and Brandon Woodruff have a chance to come back soon,, it’s hard to imagine that Misiorowski isn’t one of their best options. The risk with the command is real, but so is the reward with electric swing-and-miss stuff.
Around the minors:
Jac Caglianone lost the race to Nick Kurtz to be the first big bat from 2024 to make the majors, but to say he’s impressing in the minors is quite the understatement. Over his last 10 games, Caglianone is slashing .410/.477/.795 with five homers and drawn five walks for good measure. The Royals offense is playing better -- it would be hard to play much worse -- but it’s hard to argue that Caglianone doesn’t make them better right now. I seriously considered him for the final spot in this week’s list, and if you wanted to argue he should be rostered over those two pitchers -- or even Shaw -- I wouldn’t argue with you for too long.
Jonah Tong was a seventh-round pick back in 2022 who didn’t receive much fanfare before 2024, but he posted a 3.03 ERA while reaching Double-A last season, and things have gone well for the right-hander in 2025; particularly as of late. He threw 6 2/3 perfect innings for Double-A Binghamton on Saturday, and he did it while striking out 13 hitters. His low-to-mid 90 mph fastball plays up because there’s so much deception in his delivery, and he complements that heater with a plus curve and solid slider. Command is an issue at times, but Tong’s ability to miss bats gives him a chance to be a mid-rotation starter -- maybe more -- in the coming years.
When the Nationals drafted Elijah Green with the fifth pick in 2022, the hope was that his elite athleticism would translate into making him a potential star. That athleticism still shows up, but the translation hasn’t been good. That’s an understatement, unfortunately. Over his last 10 games Green has whiffed 20 times in 37 at-bats, and he’s hitting an unusable .157/.242/.259 with a whopping 58 strikeouts in 108 at-bats over 30 games. It’s worth pointing out that Green struck out 206 times in 2024, so this isn’t new. It’s just disappointing it hasn’t gotten better. There could be some sellers’ remorse for those who move on from Green in dynasty leagues, but there’s just too many issues here to bet on him becoming more than organizational depth at this point. I hope I’m wrong.
Hey. Remember Everson Pereira? You’d be forgiven if you don’t; there are a lot of baseball players to remember and Pereira only played 40 games last year because of internal brace surgery. He also missed a couple of weeks in 2025, but he’s made the most of his time on the field with eight homers and a .951 OPS over 24 games for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Strikeouts are always going to be an issue for Pereira, but he has plus power from his right-handed bat, and the 24-year-old also has above-average speed that gives him a chance to steal 15-to-20 bases -- possibly more -- in his best seasons. The Yankees don’t have room right now, Pereira may force his way into their plans, and if not, he could be a player to watch if he was to be moved at/near the deadline.
