Dynasty Fantasy baseball: Cam Cannarella among 13 no-name sleeper prospects to target in Dynasty leagues

I see the roster rates. I know that most Dynasty leagues barely skim the surface of the prospect pool. But I play in a few that go quite a bit deeper and suspect I'm not alone in that regard. Part of what I like about them is that no matter what state of contention you're in, there's always something to do, and one of the most beneficial things to do is scour the minor leagues for the prospects no one saw coming. It's what the Five on the Periphery section of the Prospects Report is all about. And no doubt, some of the players featured there have become big-name prospects in the months since. But for every Anthony Eyanson and Josiah Hartshorn, there are a handful of others who continue to fly under the radar. With the season winding down, now might be a good time to wrangle a few. As for whether or not they're truly no-name prospects, look, perspectives will vary. If you're as clued into the minor leagues as I am, chances are you'll have heard of all of these guys. But the point is that they don't place high on rank lists, and they're not so widely rostered even in leagues where prospects matter. They're the kind of players I've been scooping up in my own Dynasty leagues just in the past couple weeks. To keep myself honest, though, I reviewed some of the latest organizational rankings and decided that these eight were too highly regarded to feature here. If any happen to be available in your league, you'll want to give them a look: Owen Ayers, C, CubsCaden Bodine, C, RaysJoseph Dzierwa, LHP, OriolesMurf Gray, 3B, PiratesCaden Hunter, LHP, OriolesRamon Marquez, RHP, GiantsNolan Perry, RHP, Blue JaysFranklin Primera, C, Red Sox Now then, for the featured 13 ... Josiah Ragsdale, OF, Cardinals A+/AA: .302 BA (411 AB), 24 HR, 36 SB, .978 OPS, 85 BB, 126 K Josiah Ragsdale got some attention when the Brewers gave him up in the Dustin May deal, but he still isn't placing high on rank lists even though he's continued to excel with his new club, slashing .257/.379/.465 with five homers and five steals in 26 games. It isn't for a lack of athleticism, seeing as his speed generally earns 70 grades from evaluators, and with the way he works the count and has begun to actualize his power (21 of his home runs have come in his past 62 games), there isn't much left to criticize here. Cam Cannarella, OF, Marlins A+AA/AAA: .336 BA (336 AB), 15 HR, 21 SB, .969 OPS, 57 BB, 71 K Jakob Marsee may have worn out his welcome as the Marlins' center fielder, and his heir is actually rather apparent with the kind of year Cam Cannarella has had. He's as true as center fielders come, earning 60-70 grades for his defense, and you see how productive he's been at the plate. Questions about his power persist since he has more of a line-drive stroke and falls short of some of the highest-end exit velocities, but it's been functional enough for me to envision him as a Carson Benge lite. Blake Burke, 1B, Brewers AA/AAA: .268 BA (459 AB), 32 HR, 28 SB, .906 OPS, 55 BB, 136 K Andrew Fischer's historic home run season has diverted attention from the many other fine performances in the Brewers farm system, with Blake Burke being Exhibit A. Though his inclusion here is stretching the premise a bit since he was the 34th pick in the draft two years ago, a possible 30/30 campaign from any minor leaguer, much less a first baseman, merits more fanfare than this one has received. Yostin Pena, OF, Yankees Rookie/A-: .354 BA (240 AB), 14 HR, 37 SB, 1.039 OPS, 33 BB, 40 K I've gotten out of the habit of hyping up 18-year-olds in Rookie ball because you can sink years into a lost cause that way, but I'm not sure you'll have to wait long for Yostin Pena. He's already advanced to Low-A and continued to do his thing there, slashing .323/.389/.552 with six homers and 10 steals in 24 games. He's also already hit a ball as hard as 114.3 mph, which is unreal power for a player his age. Bryan Rincon, SS, Phillies AA: .264 BA (413 AB), 24 HR, 29 SB, .911 OPS, 91 BB, 109 K The slow response to Bryan Rincon's breakout likely has something to do with his career .206 batting average in almost 800 minor league at-bats prior to this year. Clearly, though, he's figured something out at Double-A in a way that isn't explained by the hitter-friendly environment in Reading, seeing as his road numbers are nearly as good. His defense and on-base prowess stand out the most, both of which should ensure he gets a serious look in the majors even if the rest of his profile is suspect. Boston Smith, C, Mariners A-/A+/AA: .273 BA (370 AB), 31 HR, 1.000 OPS, 96 BB, 138 K Boston Smith has been part of two trades for higher-profile players in the past calendar year (first Curtis Mead, then Luis Castillo), but he's the one putting up the best numbers. I won't do with him what I once did with Ben Rice, yielding to greater prospect authorities who waved off his production due to age and defensive concerns. Smith may have to move off catcher, as Rice ultimately did, but he has an ultra-selective approach and a swing that's grooved for power. Luke Adams, 1B, Brewers Rookie/AAA: .267 BA (225 AB), 16 HR, .970 OPS, 42 BB, 42 K Luke Adams has hit the ball only 87.3 mph on average at Triple-A, which may be stifling enthusiasm for him. The peak exit velocities are much stronger, though, with the power playing up further due to his pull tendencies. The plate discipline is particularly impressive for a player with his kind of power ceiling, as evidenced not just by the 1-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio but also the chase and zone-contact rates, but he faces stiff competition in an organization replete with quality first base prospects. Axiel Plaz, C, Pirates A+: .305 BA (357 AB), 18 HR, .902 OPS, 39 BB, 71 K Short and stocky doesn't really play at any position other than catcher, which puts considerable pressure on Axiel Plaz's defensive development, but the 21-year-old seems to have landed the plane offensively, cutting his strikeout rate down to 17 percent while making some of the highest-quality contact in all the minors. We don't have exit velocity data for High-A Greensboro, but at Low-A Bradenton last year, he averaged 92.3 mph and peaked at 113.9. He was 19 for most of that season. Lonnie White, OF, Pirates A+/AA: .274 BA (398 AB), 25 HR, 21 SB, .904 OPS, 67 BB, 138 K Dynasty aficionados may recall Lonnie White drawing some interest a couple years back, but the 23-year-old is certainly a forgotten man now even as he's finally delivering on his 20/20 potential. Once recruited to play wide receiver at Penn State, he isn't lacking in athleticism but remains rough around the edges despite his strides this year, striking out at a 29 percent rate. Brandon Compton, OF, Marlins A+/AA/AAA: .279 BA (426 AB), 35 HR, 27 SB, 1.015 OPS, 99 BB, 178 K A second-round pick in 2025, Brandon Compton has put on a massive power display just a year after delivering the three hardest-hit balls in MLB Draft Combine history (which at that point was only five years old, but still). His issue is the familiar one of not enough contact, but his selectivity at the plate and aggressiveness on the base paths give him two traits to fall back on, even if he's a liability for batting average. Carter Graham, 1B, Reds A+/AA: .303 BA (436 AB), 28 HR, .989 OPS, 78 BB, 111 K Carter Graham seemed like a lost cause when he stalled out in A-ball in his age-22 and 23 seasons, but the third time was the charm this year. His 56 games after moving up to Double-A have been nearly as impressive, resulting in a .281/.394/.507 slash line. He pulls the ball well, which should help him max out his power at Great American Ball Park, especially, and he's also seen time at third base and left field this year, giving him multiple avenues to playing time. Avery Owusu-Asiedu, OF, Diamondbacks A+/AA: .241 BA (410 AB), 26 HR, 27 SB, .813 OPS, 52 BB, 123 K Avery Owusu-Asiedu's overall numbers are enticing enough, but would you believe he was batting .169 as recently as July 21? What's really earned him a spot on this list is his past 40 games, during which he's hit .359 (55 for 153) with 18 home runs and a 1.209 OPS, his strikeout rate dropping from 29 to 21 percent. This turnaround mostly coincides with his move up to Double-A Amarillo, which is a great place to hit, but he's been productive on the road as well. Deniel Ortiz, 3B, Cardinals Rookie/A-/AA: .261 BA (218 AB), 10 HR, 14 SB, .848 OPS, 43 BB, 51 K I'd venture to say that even the most dogged prospect hounds have heard scarcely a word about Deniel Ortiz this year, seeing as he missed two months with a wrist injury and didn't look right at the plate for another two months thereafter. But his .291/.383/.600 slash line over his past 31 games at Double-A looks an awful lot like his .300/.416/.462 slash line between two levels last year. One of those levels was the Florida State League, the only one outside of Triple-A that uses Statcast. In 77 games as a 20-year-old, Ortiz hit the ball 91.5 mph on average.