San Francisco Giants Dynasty Sleepers, Breakouts, and Busts

With dynasty season ramping up, I figured it was time to talk about some sleepers, breakouts, and busts for each team. You can find my rankings and reports to see how I value players for your dynasty leagues, but I also feel like it’s helpful to truly identify whether I believe a player can be a breakout or not. Here is where I call my shots on players I think require a call to action in dynasty, whether it be to buy or sell that player.

While you are here, be sure to check out the updated San Francisco Giants top prospect list, updated with new international prospects. Josuar De Jesus Gonzalez ranks quite highly. Check it out!

San Francisco Giants Dynasty Sleepers, Breakouts, and Busts

MLB Sleeper: Jung Hoo Lee, OF, 26, 6’1”/192

The adjustment period of coming to a new country, learning a new culture, language, and team is never easy. There is often a transition period for international players in their first seasons in the states. Lee struggled out of the gate but a collision with the outfield wall caused him to tear his labrum which put him out for the season starting May 12.

Lee showed flashes of some good things at the plate, even though the surface numbers were not great. He makes contact at elite rates, having an overall mark of 90 percent and in-zone north of 93 percent. While Lee did not hit the ball overly hard, his average exit velocity was better than the MLB average, and the number of balls he squared up will potentially allow him to get more power.

Coming back from a labrum tear is no easy task. But with a full offseason to recover, Lee should be more than ready for Opening Day next season. Putting up a 109.6 mph exit velocity already in spring training is a positive sign. Given the speed and contact ability, Lee might hit near .290 with 15 home runs and stolen bases a piece, and that is highly valuable.

MLB Breakout: Jerar Encarnacion, OF, 27, 6’4”/250

Encarnacion is one of the buzzer names this spring and for good reason. After smoking a 113 mph home run on Saturday and adding an additional batted ball at 107.4 mph, Encarnacion drove in five runs on Sunday on two hits, including a double.

With a scorching hot spring so far, Encarnacion has his average up to .444 with a 1.277 OPS. Surface stats don’t matter, but what does is an 85 percent contact rate in the early going. After running a 72 percent contact rate in Triple-A last year, the early returns have been good. Encarnacion ended the 2024 season in San Francisco where he hit five home runs in his final 119 plate appearances.

There has never been any denying the power in Encarnacion’s profile. The 109 mph 90th percentile exit velocity he posted last year is elite. A 98 mph average exit velocity on line drives and fly balls is pretty good as well.

If the contact skills even improve slightly, Encarnacion is suddenly a very viable power bat in the majors. Right now, he seems locked in an everyday DH role with the Giants.

MLB Bust: Justin Verlander, RHP, 42, 6’5”/235

Honestly, I am not very confident in any bust pick here for the Giants. Verlander takes the honors given that he is 42 years old and we just don’t know how much is left in the tank. Last season, Verlander missed time with a shoulder and neck injury and was limited to just 90 innings. Statistically, it was the worst season of his career as Verlander posted a 5.48 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP while striking out just 18.7 percent of hitters.

Some of the ERA indicators did suggest Verlander should have performed better, as his xERA was 3.78. On the flip side, he still has a 4.78 FIP and 5.13 xFIP. There are just a lot of risk here, even if you are looking to take on Verlander on a win now team.

How many innings does he throw and what results can you expect for Verlander in 2025? I am just not confident enough in his ability at this point to want to invest, even on the short term in redraft.

San Francisco Giants Prospect Sleeper: Trent Harris, RHP, 26, 6’2”/200, AA

Being a bit older and having five years of college experience, Harris was undrafted in the 2023 draft but signed for $10k with the Giants after the draft. He immediately dominated in his 21 pro innings in 2023, catching the eyes of some. This carried over to 2024 as Harris moved from Single-A to Double-A, tossing 79.2 innings with a 1.81 ERA with 105 strikeouts.

With a fastball in the mid-90s, Harris touches 97 mph with strong carry. He comes in with an over-the-top delivery, and the pitch explodes at the top of the zone. It also features some solid arm-side movement.

He spins his breaking balls exceptionally well, having the slider sit in the 82-85 mph range, and the curveball dialed back to 79-81 mph. The curveball is a hammer of an offering, varying in a 12-6 and an 11-5 shape, and Harris is comfortable dropping it at the top of the zone and burying it down. The slider has good depth and more of a two-plane break.

Harris does have a changeup, sitting in the low-80s, but it is not used often. It shows good fading action when he does throw it against lefties, but Harris is primarily a three-pitch arm.

Being a former two-way player, Harris is an impressive athlete and mover on the mound. He creates tricky angles for hitters due to his release point, and he hides the ball well. Pitching in mostly multi-inning roles, Harris averaged just over two innings per outing as he pitched a career-high in innings. He showed the ability to throw four innings, though, and could be pushed to a starter role in 2025.

A heavy strike thrower, Harris posted a strike rate near 67 percent and had a highly impressive 34.5 percent CSW. Even if Harris winds up in the bullpen, he could be a threat, but I would love to see what he could do in a starter role, throwing five innings a start.

San Francisco Giants Prospect Breakout: Jhonny Level, SS, 17, 5’10”/154, DSL

Level signed in January 2024 as one of the younger players in the class, not turning 17 until the tail end of March. He is a bit undersized, but as he is just 17, a lot can happen with his body over the next few years. Level received a bonus just shy of $1 million.

After a slow first month to the season, Level exploded over this final 34 games, hitting nine home runs and having 20 extra-base hits. Across those 155 plate appearances, Level slashed a strong .326/.432/.628 with nearly as many walks as strikeouts. This raised the season-long DSL line to .275/.393/.517.

The underlying data on Level was strong as well. The power showed up in a big way, and his 100 mph 90th percentile exit velocity was highly impressive for his age and frame. Level rarely missed on swings in the zone, posting contact rates in the plus or better range. He also showed good plate discipline, shown by his 14 percent walk rate and chase rate in the low 20 percent range.

The athleticism is there and Level is a true power and speed threat. He is someone to watch closely as he comes stateside.