Miami Marlins catcher/first base prospect Agustin Ramirez belted his first home run of the spring on Thursday, and it couldn't have come at a better time. With the Marlins trailing 1-0 in the ninth, Ramirez drilled a solo blast that would tie the game 1-1, which would go on to be the final score in the Grapefruit League contest. Ramirez ranks as the Marlins' No. 4 overall prospect, but although he is a catcher by trade, most believe he'll end up at first base, which might be how he gets to the majors sooner rather than later. Miami has veteran Nick Fortes penciled in as the starter with fellow prospect Liam Hicks expected to win the backup role come Opening Day. The 23-year-old hit 25 home runs last season between Double-A and Triple-A but flashed some sneaky base-stealing chops, swiping 22 bags during the campaign. The right-handed hitter also draws a lot of walks, helping him to a career .354 OBP in the minors. An offensive-minded catcher is appealing in fantasy, and he also carries eligibility at both C and 1B, adding to his rosterability once he gets to the big leagues, which should be sometime in 2025.

If Washington Nationals outfielder Jacob Young struggles early in 2025, MASN's Mark Zuckerman believes that he could be in danger of losing the job to outfield prospect Robert Hassell III. Hassell, a former eighth overall pick by the San Diego Padres in 2020, is considered the team's No. 12 prospect, per MLB Pipeline. The 23-year-old has turned heads so far in Grapefruit League play, hitting .360 (9-for-25) with a homer, three doubles, five RBI and two stolen bases in 10 games after he hit .241/.319/.328 with five homers, 28 RBI and 15 steals at High-A Wilmington, Double-A Harrisburg and Triple-A Rochester in 2024. While he's looked good this spring, it's a small sample size, and the Nats will likely want to see him hit better at Rochester to begin the 2025 season before they even consider him for his first MLB call-up. Hassell is merely a dynasty stash for the time being.

The San Francisco Giants have reassigned their top pitching prospect Carson Whisenhunt to minor-league camp. The former second-round draft pick made two appearances for the Giants this spring, throwing three innings of scoreless ball while yielding one hit, no walks, and striking out two. The 6-foot-3 hurler registered a 5.42 ERA in his first taste of Triple-A last year but struck out 135 batters in 104 2/3 innings, good for an 11.61 K/9. However, a high walk rate led to just a 17.2 percent K-BB%. The southpaw has an 80-grade changeup that Giants fans would surely like to see in the majors, but for now, they'll have to wait. Assuming the 24-year-old starts off well in 2025, it wouldn't be surprising to see him knocking on the door to the majors by midseason. With the strikeout potential, redraft managers should stay vigilant for any indications of a call-up.

The San Diego Padres reassigned two of their top prospects, catcher Ethan Salas and shortstop Leodalis De Vries, to minor-league camp. Both were invited to spring training, but neither was expected to make the team at 18 years of age. It was surely valuable experience for both players for whom the Padres have high hopes. Salas went just 1-for-8 in Cactus League play but was able to coax five walks compared to only two strikeouts, while De Vries went 2-for-16 with a 3:5 BB:K. In 2025, Salas will look to improve upon the .206/.288/.311 slash line he posted at High-A last season. De Vries showed a bit better during his time at Single-A, slashing .237/.361/.441 with 11 homers and 13 steals in 75 games. Neither is likely to debut this season, but both belong on the dynasty radar with an expectation of a late 2026 or 2027 arrival.

The Athletics and their dynamic young outfielder Lawrence Butler have agreed to a seven-year, $65.5 million contract extension. In 2024, the former sixth-round draft pick slashed .262/.317/.490 with 22 home runs and 18 stolen bases in just 125 games (451 PA). The 24-year-old is a power-speed threat, batting atop the A's lineup in front of home run hitters Brent Rooker and Shea Langeliers, so fantasy managers should expect solid production across the board from the youngster. ATC projections, which are conservative by nature, see the left-handed hitter with a .250-24-69-77-19 line in 2025, and he's got an NFBC ADP of 68, which is right around where RotoBaller has him ranked at 64 overall.