Dynasty Baseball Stock Watch: Franklin Arias, Joseph Dzierwa, Theo Gillen rising quickly

It’s still extremely early, and the sample sizes we’re analyzing and dissecting in the lower minors barely qualify as meaningful. However, that doesn’t mean everything should be dismissed as noise. A handful of early-season performances have stood out, not just for the on-field results, but for the broader developmental changes they may be signaling.

This week’s Rotoworld Dynasty Stock Watch examines 12 prospects on the rise with varying trajectories and timelines to the big leagues that fantasy managers should be prioritizing in trade discussions and on waiver wires.

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Franklin Arias, SS, Red Sox

There are hot starts, then there’s the heater Arias is on as the fourth-youngest position player at the Double-A level this season behind only Jesús Made, Leo De Vries and Ethan Salas. The 20-year-old shortstop has been a known commodity in dynasty formats for a couple of years, but he’s opened the 2026 campaign as arguably the hottest hitters in the entire minors, batting .588 (10-for-17) with two doubles, two walks and just two strikeouts through six games for Double-A Portland.

He boasts some of the best bat-to-ball skills in the minors, evidenced by a minuscule 10.1 percent strikeout rate across 110 games over three levels last year, which was the fifth-lowest mark among all minor leaguers with at least 500 plate appearances. There’s still some physical projection remaining, as Arias figures to add strength as he matures, making it easy to envision a leap into the upper echelon of fantasy prospects given his already elite contact ability. It’s possible this is merely the starting point, with Arias positioning himself to be one of the top prospects in the entire fantasy landscape by the end of the year.

Joseph Dzierwa, SP, Orioles

Dzierwa recorded nine strikeouts over six shutout innings with an eye-popping 17 swinging strikes in his professional debut earlier this month, which he followed up by allowing two runs over seven innings last week. The early returns include a sparkling 1.38 ERA and a 12/1 K/BB ratio across 13 innings for High-A Frederick. The towering six-foot-eight left-hander was Baltimore’s second-round selection in last year’s MLB Draft and appears to be on a trajectory towards becoming one of the more intriguing pitching prospects in the fantasy landscape.

The 21-year-old has continued to add fastball velocity, touching 96.2 mph on his sinker during last month’s Spring Breakout game. He pairs it with an above-average changeup and a developing slider that remains a work in progress. The sinker/changeup combination alone gives him a chance to succeed at the highest level, provided he can throw strikes consistently. His dynasty stock should continue to rise as he racks up strikeouts in the lower minors, making this an ideal window to acquire Dzierwa before he potentially becomes untouchable as one of the game’s top pitching prospects.

Theo Gillen, OF, Rays

It’s hard to find a more intriguing early-season dynasty storyline than Gillen’s unexpected power surge. The 20-year-old former first-round pick from the 2024 MLB Draft recorded consecutive two-homer games over the weekend and is hitting .333 (9-for-27) with four homers and three steals in eight games for High-A Bowling Green. It’s important to not overreact to extremely small sample sizes, but Gillen is clearly making much more consistent hard contact this season after managing just five round-trippers in 324 plate appearances at Low-A Charleston last year when he missed time with calf and finger injuries.

What’s even more impressive is that Bowling Green grades out as one of the more pitcher-friendly venues in the entire Midwest League, according to Baseball America’s park factors. Gillen’s early-season metamorphosis from more of a hit tool and speed profile to more of a well-rounded offensive threat is a development worth monitoring in the coming weeks because it would make him an upper-echelon dynasty prospect in short order.

Luis Peña, 2B/SS, Brewers

Peña blossomed into an upper-echelon prospect from a fantasy standpoint last year when he batted .270/.335/.422 with nine homers and 44 steals between Low-A Carolina and High-A Wisconsin at just 18 years old during a highly impressive stateside debut. He’ll continue to understandably be overshadowed by Jesús Made, who looks like a future franchise cornerstone hitting .359 (14-for-39) as the youngest everyday player in Double-A this season, but he possesses a plethora of fantasy-relevant skills including an above-average hit tool and massive stolen base upside.

He’s off to a fast start back at High-A Wisconsin, hitting .500 (10-for-20) with a pair of extra-base hits and five steals through six games. There’s a chance he becomes an elite fantasy contributor down the road if he continues to fill out physically and grows into some additional over-the-fence pop.

Gage Wood, SP, Phillies

The biggest question facing Wood coming out of last year’s MLB Draft, when he was selected 26th overall following a standout collegiate career at Arkansas that included the third no-hitter in College World Series history, was whether he would ultimately stick as a starter.

The 22-year-old right-hander is beginning to answer those concerns, posting a 1.23 ERA with a 15/2 K/BB ratio across 7 1/3 innings in his professional debut at Low-A Clearwater. While it’s not uncommon for polished collegiate arms to dominate at the lower levels, Wood appears on track to reach the upper minors quickly thanks to an upper-90s fastball and a strong curveball. He carries more risk than some of his lower-minors pitching peers, but the strikeout potential is undeniable, and the fantasy upside is significant if he can put everything together and stay healthy long-term.

Jhonny Level, SS, Giants

Level has gotten off to a sizzling-hot start with multiple hits in five of six games and is batting an astronomical .519 (14-for-27) with two homers and three steals at Low-A San Jose this season. The 19-year-old switch-hitting shortstop was one of last year’s biggest risers as he rocketed through a couple levels in San Francisco’s system to finish at Low-A. He manages to hit for a ton of power considering his smaller frame and his hit tool is one of the strongest of any teenage prospect in the minors. He’s hit wherever the Giants have sent him over the last three seasons and his fantasy stock will reach stratospheric levels if he’s producing in the upper minors by the end of the year.

Anthony Eyanson, SP, Red Sox

Eyanson paired with Mariners top pitching prospect Kade Anderson to form a one-two punch for eventual national champion LSU last spring and has looked like a potential breakout arm through his first two starts at High-A Greenville in his professional debut, compiling a microscopic 1.23 ERA, 0.41 WHIP and 13/0 K/BB ratio across 7 1/3 innings. Those early performances are enough to put him firmly on dynasty radars, but the buzz began earlier this spring when he flashed increased velocity on the backfields.

The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier wrote for Baseball America earlier this month that Eyanson, a third-round pick in last year’s MLB Draft, touched triple digits for the first time in his career during Boston’s spring breakout game against the Orioles and is now routinely sitting in the upper-90s with his fastball. He fits the mold of a fast-moving pitching prospect and should be rostered in all dynasty formats.

Caleb Bonemer, SS, White Sox

Bonemer drew rave reviews during his professional debut last year when he hit .281/.400/.458 with 10 homers and 27 steals for Low-A Kannapolis before going deep twice in 11 games at High-A Winston-Salem to close out the year. The 20-year-old shortstop, who was Chicago’s second-round pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, has picked up right where he left off in the low minors, slashing .303/.385/.667 with two homers and seven RBI through nine contests at High-A this season. It’s early, but with all of the graduations at the top of dynasty prospect lists, Bonemer has a chance to be near the top when the dust settles in a couple weeks.

Kayson Cunningham, SS, Diamondbacks

Cunningham was widely regarded as the top pure hitter in last year’s MLB Draft when he was gobbled up by Arizona with the 18th overall selection, and he’s done nothing to dispel that notion, hitting .385 (10-for-26) with more walks (nine) than strikeouts (four) through eight games at Low-A Visalia this season. The 19-year-old’s advanced hit tool should make him an on-base machine and enable him to move quickly through the hitter-friendly environments in the Diamondbacks’ system.

He’s basically a complete zero in the power department at this early stage of his development, but it’s easy to forecast some growth there as he matures physically. He projects as a high-floor contact-oriented prospect with the upside to develop into a complete five-category fantasy contributor if he reaches his ceiling. His dynasty stock is going to skyrocket over the next few months if he keeps tearing the cover off the ball and reaches High-A by midseason.

Cam Caminiti, SP, Braves

Caminiti has been somewhat overlooked with Didier Fuentes and JR Ritchie making noise on the doorstep of the majors, but he has a chance to emerge as the most impactful arm in Atlanta’s system over the long term. The 19-year-old left-hander was selected 24th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft as one of the top prep arms in his class and has already shown an ability to consistently miss bats in the lower minors.

He’s still a long way from the big leagues, but his dynasty stock could soar over the next few months if he continues to deliver strong performances and reaches Double-A Mississippi before his 20th birthday in early August.

Marek Houston, SS, Twins

Houston, the 16th-overall selection in last year’s MLB Draft, has gotten off to a nice start in the lower minors after a 15-homer effort during his final collegiate season at Wake Forrest. The fact that he’s adding some additional pop isn’t a surprise given his six-foot-three frame, but two homers in eight games is a noticeable uptick considering the Midwest League isn’t exactly a hitter’s paradise.

The 21-year-old is a phenomenal defensive shortstop, so any additional gains in the power department without sacrificing his athleticism will make him extremely interesting from a fantasy standpoint over the next few years. He’s a name to watch in all dynasty formats.

Santiago Suarez, SP, Rays

Suarez has been a known quantity for dynasty managers in recent years, but a shoulder injury sidelined him for three months last season and likely pushed him off some radar screens. The 21-year-old right-hander has looked sharp through a pair of early-season starts at Double-A Montgomery, compiling a pristine 15/2 K/BB ratio across 11 innings.

The strong performances are even more notable considering he’s the fourth-youngest player in the entire Southern League this season. While he may not project as a prototypical front-of-the-rotation arm, Suarez features a deep arsenal built around a mid-90s fastball and solid secondary offerings. Perhaps most importantly, he’s shown the ability to command his entire repertoire and consistently fill the strike zone, which tends to be a key ingredient for sustained success at the highest level.

Bonus: Bryce Rainer, SS, Tigers

Rainer has been ice-cold, hitting .120 (3-for-25) through seven games this season at Low-A Lakeland, but he connected for a gargantuan 477-foot home run last Friday, showcasing the type of elite raw power that made him one of the fastest-rising prospects in the dynasty landscape before undergoing shoulder surgery last July. It’s going to take the 20-year-old power-hitting shortstop some time to knock off the rust, which is why this is the perfect time to target him in dynasty leagues. He could join Kevin McGonigle and Max Clark as core building blocks for Detroit at some point in the next few years.