The 2025 postseason is nearly in the books, with the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers delivering an all-time World Series to decide who will take home the Commissioner’s Trophy. Amid ongoing debates about the financial future of baseball and the sport’s long-term growth, this October has offered a compelling reminder of what makes the game so electric. If you’re trying to get a friend or family member into baseball, this postseason wouldn’t be a bad starting point. Just please don’t start with the Jonas Brothers pregame concerts, okay?
While dynasty managers have largely turned their attention to first-year player drafts, prospect tracking in the Arizona Fall League, and plotting offseason trades to prepare for 2026, that doesn’t mean they should be ignoring what’s happening at the highest level right now. A handful of players have significantly boosted their dynasty value this October through postseason heroics, each with a different long-term outlook as we head into 2026 and beyond.
Here are four such players dynasty managers should keep an eye on and why their performances this postseason might matter more than you think.
2025 regular season: 3 GS | 14.0 IP | 3.21 ERA | 2.35 FIP | 1.43 WHIP | 25.8% K% | 11.3% BB%
2025 postseason: 5 GS | 26.0 IP | 3.46 ERA | 3.02 FIP | 1.04 WHIP | 37.9% K% | 9.7% BB%
Selected 20th overall in the 2024 draft by the Toronto Blue Jays, Yesavage entered 2025 as a high-ceiling prospect with limited professional exposure. But that limited resume proved to be no issue as Yesavage rocketed through all four full-season minor-league levels in 2025. He made his MLB debut on Sept. 15, and if the season ended there for him, it would still be an unequivocal success. But the Blue Jays have trusted Yesavage down the postseason stretch, and while he had a blow-up outing against the Seattle Mariners in the ALCS, he has sandwiched his body of work with historic outings for a rookie starting pitcher. Yesavage fanned 11 New York Yankees batters in his postseason debut, pitching 5.1 hitless innings in the ALDS and setting a high bar to follow.
Yesavage has a 2.45 ERA across two World Series starts, including his Game 5 starter, where he set a World Series record for a rookie pitcher with 12 strikeouts in a one-sided affair against the struggling Dodgers bats. That will likely be the final time Yesavage takes the mound this season, doing all he could to bring a championship home to Toronto.
Yesavage’s rapid ascent and elite strikeout capability mark him as a future frontline starter. In dynasty formats, his rookie season numbers don’t matter as much as his trajectory and stuff. He’s now in the rotation, has postseason poise, and offers multi-year value in categories like strikeouts, wins, ERA, and WHIP. If your league values youth and upside, locking in Yesavage now gives you a long-term arm with an elite ceiling that few others possess.
2025 regular season: 135 G | .243 AVG | .301 OBP | .454 SLG | 21 HR | 74 RBI | 107 wRC+ | .322 wOBA | 24.1% K% | 7.2% BB%
2025 postseason: 15 G, .346/.414/.558, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 173 wRC+ , .418 wOBA, 17.2% K%, 10.3% BB%
Entering the 2025 season, Barger was regarded as a fringe batter for the Blue Jays, with some positional versatility but inconsistent batting performance in his debut campaign. He had shown power potential but lacked a breakout track record. His expected numbers were not strong, but the glove and injuries kept the 25-year-old in the big leagues in 2025. Securing those opportunities is hard enough, but making the most of them is an entirely different matter. Barger took big leaps forward at the plate in 2025, but he did so exponentially once the postseason began.
Barger’s 173 wRC+ this postseason is second in Toronto’s lineup, only trailing the scorched-earth version of first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. His pinch-hit grand slam against the Dodgers in Game 1 was the exclamation point on that opening victory for the Blue Jays and put his name in the Fall Classic’s records. Barger is a good reminder that while star power is crucial in October, the roster’s supporting cast can force their way into the spotlight when the opportunity arises.
Barger, a former top-five prospect in the Blue Jays system, wasn’t a dynasty afterthought, but his value was low after his 2024 season. Now, heading into the winter months, this may be his value’s peak. His expected numbers and process at the plate, including a 44.9% ICR and 30.5% IPA rate, both ranking in the league’s 87th percentile, show a player who learned his rookie lessons. While his swing-and-miss results are still present, the 20-25 home run power potential will make him an attractive dynasty player this offseason. Add in his age and a winning situation in Toronto, if your team lacks power or needs a versatile bat with breakout potential, Barger is a strong buy.
2025 regular season: 157 G | .263 AVG | .308 OBP | .433 SLG | 25 HR | 96 RBI | 101 wRC+ | .320 wOBA | 26.9% K% | 5.0% BB%
2025 postseason: 3 G | .385 AVG | .385 OBP | .615 SLG | 1 HR | 3 RBI | 175 wRC+ | .428 wOBA | 30.8% K% | 0% BB%
Entering the 2025 season, Story was still viewed as a valuable veteran shortstop for the Boston Red Sox, but his dynasty appeal had eroded: persistent durability issues and declining swing metrics had shifted him more toward a safe plug-in rather than a rising asset. Though his name carried weight, the expected output was modest, and his role increasingly looked like a one-to two-year bridge rather than a long-term cornerstone.
In 2025, Story responded by delivering a stronger-than-expected regular season and then bringing playoff intensity. He slashed .263/.308/.433 with 25 home runs, 96 RBI, and 31 stolen bases across 157 games. Advanced numbers also signaled improvement: his average exit velocity climbed to 91.3 mph, his hard-hit rate hovered at ~46.4%, and his barrel rate rose to 9.8%.
While his plate discipline metrics (e.g., chase and strike-out rates) still lag elite levels, the uptick in batted-ball quality suggests he recaptured some of the thunder from his early career. In the postseason, Story rode that momentum with a .385 average (5-for-13), including one home run and three RBI in limited bats. His veteran presence and timely hits reinforced his value in October. For dynasty managers, this matters: at age 32, Story is no five-year building block, but his 2025 season marks a meaningful rebound. He offers multi-category production, in power, steals, and RBI, making him a legitimate “veteran resurgence” play. If you’re contending in a 12- or 15-team league and need a reliable contributor or trade bait next spring, Story warrants attention.
2025 regular season: 14 GS | 73.0 IP | 2.96 ERA | 3.74 FIP | 1.22 WHIP | 27.6% K% | 10.2% BB%
2025 postseason: 2 GS | 14.1 IP | 1.26 ERA | 1.18 FIP | 0.91 WHIP | 25.0% K% | 0% BB%
Entering the 2025 season, Cam Schlittler was a relatively under-the-radar arm in the New York Yankees’ minor-league system. A seventh-round pick with quality raw stuff but limited big-league exposure, his dynasty value was purely speculative: high upside if he could stick, but no MLB history to lean on. He carried the “show-me” label more than “must-own.” In 2025, Schlittler made his major-league debut and quickly made good. He finished the regular season with a 4-3 record, 2.96 ERA, 73.0 innings, and 84 strikeouts with a 1.22 WHIP. His minor-league numbers also told the story: in 76.2 innings, he struck out 99 batters with a 2.82 ERA and 1.21 WHIP.
While the inning total wasn’t huge, he showed strong strikeout ability (strikeout rate: ~26.7 %) and solid control (walk rate: ~10.2% in MiLB) in the minor tune-up. In the postseason, he turned heads with 14.1 innings, a 1.26 ERA, 14 strikeouts, and zero walks, demonstrating both composure and domination on the big stage.
For dynasty managers, this shift matters a lot: at 24 years old, Schlittler isn’t just a promising arm; he’s one who already delivered results in the playoffs. That kind of immediate impact elevates his profile from “could” to “should.” If you’re building for the future, locking in Schlittler now positions your rotation for several years of above-average, potentially top-tier, starting-pitching output.
Looking at this now, I did not mean for the all-AL-East slant, but I still think these four players put their names back on the rise for dynasty managers this offseason.