MLB Prospects to Keep an Eye on in 2024: Austin Wells, Max Meyer, Bryan Ramos, David Festa and More

The average fantasy baseball owner can easily look up the MLB’s top prospects and identify some possible waiver wire additions for later in the season.

What I wanted to do today is dive into some prospects not on the MLB’s Top 100 list who could help out your fantasy team in 2024. These guys might be worth a draft pick in fantasy leagues with larger rosters (or draft and hold/best ball leagues) or simply guys to keep a close eye on as the season progresses. 

I identified four hitters and pitchers for this article, but there will be plenty more that step up over the course of the season, and the FantasySP team will help you locate those guys, so check back often during the season!

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Hitting Prospects

The first hitting prospect I want to discuss is Austin Wells, who is projected to serve as the starting catcher for the New York Yankees. 

Wells got in 19 MLB games with New York in 2023, finishing with a .229 average, .257 on-base percentage and 10 extra-base hits (four home runs) across 16 total hits. He struck out 14 times, walked three times, scored eight runs and drove in 13 runs.

He was a career .260 hitter in the minor, so I expect him to post a little better average than he did in his first MLB stint with the team. There’s some pop in his bat, and hitting at Yankee Stadium definitely boosts his fantasy stock a touch. He’s not currently on most people’s radar, not appearing among the 338 players on the FantasySP Average Draft Position list. That probably means he’s going to go undrafted in most leagues, with the few exceptions being owners that want to take a chance on Wells.

You should be viewing him as a third catching option, although I could see some wanting him to be their top backup - either way, make sure you have a good fantasy catcher in place if you want to take a gamble on Wells late in the draft. 

Bryan Ramos is the next hitter I want to discuss. He’s a third baseman in the Chicago White Sox organization and knocking on the door of a call up.

He’s a career .260 hitter in the minor leagues, but hit .271 across 291 at-bats at Double-A in 2023. Ramos has some pop in his bat, and his on-base percentage was nearly 100 points higher than his average a season ago.

Yoan Moncada currently serves as the team’s third baseman, but if Ramos is raking at Triple-A, they’ll find a way to get him into the lineup somehow.

He’ll likely need a little more minor league seasoning before getting a callup, but a strong showing at Triple-A could force the White Sox hand. I think there’s a chance he gets the call by June and I think he’ll certainly be up by the trade deadline (July 30), if he doesn’t deal with any injuries. Keep an eye on him throughout the season, as he could be one of the team’s first prospects called up this season.

Let’s talk about outfielder Victor Scott II, who is in the St. Louis Cardinals organization.

He was fantastic across two minor league levels in 2023, combining for a .303 average and .369 on-base percentage. Scott only hit nine homers across 132 games, but he stole 94 (yes, 94!) bases. It’s hard for teams to keep that kind of talent out of the big leagues.

Scott is blocked by a few outfielders right now, but depending on how he handles Triple-A pitching and the season is going for the Cardinals, a midsummer call up could be a possibility. Even if he just gets called up in September, he’s probably worth adding just for his stolen base ability.

Addison Barger is the last hitter I want to discuss. He’s a player in the Toronto Blue Jays organization that can play in the infield or outfield, which will help him possibly reach the big leagues a bit sooner.

He’s a career .261 hitter in the minor leagues, but struggled with a .246 mark last season (mostly at Triple-A). He showed flashes of power in the minors, but had just nine homers across 94 games last season. Barger can swipe a few bases, but his best tool is his power.

Being able to play a couple positions should help him get a call up at some point this season. If he can get his numbers back closer to 2022 (.308 average, 26 homers), he could force himself into the big league lineup.

He’d be worth adding when he gets the call. At the very least, you could stash him on your bench and hope he turns into a guy you can plug in at several spots when your starters have a day off or are injured.

Pitching Prospects

Let’s open the pitcher section by talking about Miami Marlins’ Max Meyer.

He pitched in the 2022 season with the Marlins, but only got in six innings. Meyer missed all of 2023 after having Tommy John surgery.

It only took Meyer two seasons to reach the big leagues after being a first-round pick of the team in 2020. He had a career 2.77 earned run average over 172 minor league innings. If he’s able to get back to his old self, there’s a chance he could be a top of the rotation guy for Miami. 

He’s probably going to need some minor league innings before making a return to the big leagues, but it’s unlikely that will take too long. Keep a very close eye on him in the first month or so of the season, as that’s when I see him getting the call.

Let’s talk about Minnesota Twins’ David Festa next. 

Festa has a career 3.30 ERA across three seasons of minor league ball. He averages a little more than a strikeout per inning and already has a few Triple-A innings under his belt.

That could mean Festa gets a call with just a month or two more of solid outings at AAA. Minnesota has several starting options at the start of the season, but Festa could force the team’s hand with a strong start to the season. Monitor him closely after a month or so of play.

Will Warren is another Yankee’s prospect that could make a difference in 2024.

He’s posted a 3.63 ERA across 258 innings in his first two years of minor league ball. Warren got 99 2/3 innings at Triple-A last season, posting a 3.61 ERA there, so he shouldn’t need much more time to be ready to get the call. 

The problem for Warren is all the arms ahead of him right now. That could make Warren a trade target if he improves in AAA at the start of the season. Definitely keep a close eye on Warren, and pick him up if he does get moved.

The last arm I want to talk about is Milwaukee Brewers’ Robert Gasser.

Gasser pitched the entire 2023 season at Triple-A, posting a 3.79 ERA across 135 1/3 innings. That indicates he’s ready for the big leagues now, but like Warren, he’s blocked by a bunch of other arms. 

There’s a chance that Gasser opens the season at AAA again but is the first pitching prospect that gets called up if a starter struggles or gets injured. Milwaukee tends to favor its younger talent, so don’t expect the team to trade Gasser away.

Keep an eye on Gasser right from the start of the regular season. Add him when he gets the call and see if he can turn into a solid fantasy starting pitcher right from the beginning of his MLB career.