2024 High-Octane Hitting Prospects Whose Stocks Could Soar

Chris Clegg breaks down 23 breakout prospects who you should get in on now in dynasty leagues before their stocks soar.

One of my favorite articles to write each offseason is my breakout prospect list. Getting in on prospects early in the dynasty before their stock takes off is huge, and this is what I hope to accomplish in this article, helping you add this list of high-octane prospects to your dynasty farm system.

No matter how deep of a league you are in, we have you covered with 23 names of prospects whose stock I believe will soar in 2024.

Top 100 Prospects Who Could Breakout Further

Roderick Arias, SS, NYY, 19, 6’0”/178

Arias was amid a breakout in 2023 before his season came to a halt due to hand surgery. After signing for $4 million in 2022, Arias struggled mightily in the Dominican Summer League, leaving questions about his performance and long-term upside. Those questions were answered at Arias came stateside and slashed .267/.423/.505 with six home runs across 27 games, showing much stronger contact skills.

The power also began to develop as the 18-year-old posted a 90th percentile exit velocity right at MLB average around 104 mph. The contact skills improved, and the chase rate went down, which are all positive signs of development for Arias.

He should begin the season in Single-A in 2024 with a chance to continue to move through the system quickly due to the power, hit tool, glove, arm, and even some speed. Yes, there is five-tool potential here with Arias.

Joendry Vargas, SS, LAD, 18, 6’4”/175

While De Paula certainly has a frame to dream on, Joendry Vargas may be even more athletic and has a better frame for a ballplayer, standing at 6’4”/175. The Dodgers inked Vargas to a $2.08 million deal in January of 2023, and he hit the ground running in the Dominican Summer League, posting one of the strongest performances there, hitting seven home runs and collecting 20 extra-base hits in 208 plate appearances while slashing .328/.423/.529. Vargas showed good athleticism and speed, stealing 19 bases.

Vargas shows strong plate skills and makes plenty of contact. He posted one of the lower chase rates in the DSL and walked 30 times while striking out just 31 times, an impressive K/BB rate. While he does take a walk, Vargas also puts a ton of balls in play, and it shows in the fact that he was able to collect 57 hits in just 48 games.

The power already showed up, with Vargas posting some high exit velocities and towering home runs as a 17-year-old. The current power, plus future projection give confidence that Vargas could be a consistent 22-25 bat with room for more in the profile.

A hitter of Vargas’s caliber will thrive in the DSL environment, but his performance was impressive, posting a 149 wRC+ on the season. The upside here is tremendous and one that I want to bet on moving forward. Whether Vargas will take the De Paula route and skip complex ball remains to be seen, but I would assume he begins next season in the Arizona Complex League and moves up rather quickly.

Felnin Celesten, SS, SEA, 18, 6’1”/175

The prized possession of the Mariner’s 2023 international signing class, Celesten, unfortunately, did not see any game action on the field due to a hamstring strain. The switch hitter might have more upside than anyone in the system, if all pans out for him.

Already having grown from his listed 6’1” height, Celesten has a ton of projection in his frame but already flashes big power with high exit velocities. The power looks currently better from the right side of the plate, but Celesten has shown the ability to get to it from the left side as well. The contact skills are better from the right, leaving it easier for him to get into game power there.

Celesten has an aggressive swing and approach, sometimes taking big hacks, leaving questions about how the approach will fare against more advanced pitching. If the hit tool and contact numbers can sit around league average, it will allow the rest of the skillset to flourish.

Having potential plus power with plus run times, there is a lot of dream on with Celesten from a fantasy standpoint. If he does fill out, the run times could tick down, but Celesten is likely to be a threat on the base paths for the early part of his career. A strong performance in 2024 will see his stock soar, so invest in Celesten now before its too late.

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