Top 1,000 week continues on my Patreon with the Top 500 2022 Dynasty Baseball Prospects Rankings:

THE FULL 2022 TOP 1,000 DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKINGS WILL HIT MY PATREON THIS WEEK!!! (IT WILL BE RELEASED FOR FREE ON MY SITE SOMETIME IN MARCH) … CLICK HERE TO JOIN FOR THAT RANKING AND MUCH MORE

Tier 1

1) Bobby Witt Jr. KC, SS, 21.9 – Bobby Witt showed out so much in Spring Training that there were whispers he would make the opening day roster, and he probably should have because Double-A and Triple-A proved no match for him. He slashed .290/.361/.575 with 33 homers, 29 steals, and a 23.2%/9.0% K%/BB% in 123 games. It will be ridiculous if he doesn’t break camp with the team in 2022. 2022 Projection: 78/26/84/.260/.329/.472/18 Prime Projection: 94/33/101/.277/.351/.541/23

2) Julio Rodriguez SEA, OF, 21.3 – Rodriguez did it all in 2021. He brought his BB% up to 12.6% (6.8% in 2019), he stole 21 bases (in 26 attempts) in just 74 games, and he obliterated the upper levels of the minors, slashing .362/.461/.546 with 7 homers, 16 steals, and a 37/29 K/BB in 46 games at Double-A. He’s in a two man race with Bobby Witt for the #1 overall prospect in baseball.  2022 Projection:59/17/63/.277/.342/.472/6 Prime Projection: 98/35/110/.291/.378/.575/11

Tier 2

3) Spencer Torkelson DET, 3B/1B, 22.7 – Tork is a 6’1”, 220 pound bull with a swing geared towards launching bombs. And that is all he’s done in his baseball career, crushing 25 homers in 55 games as a freshman in the Pac 12, ripping 23 homers as a sophomore, and now smashing 30 bombs in his pro debut over 121 games split pretty evenly across 3 levels (A+, AA, AAA). He does all this with an advanced plate approach (13% BB% at Triple-A) and without any major strikeout worries (20.3% K% at Triple-A). 2022 Projection: 72/27/74/.252/.337/.485/3 Prime Projection: 96/35/105/.275/.372/.533/3

4) Riley Greene DET, OF, 21.6 – Greene is 6’3”, 200 pounds with a smooth lefty swing that is geared for power and average. He just steamrolled through the upper levels of the minors as a 20 year old, slashing .301/.387/.534 with 24 homers, 16 steals (in 17 attempts), and a 27.4%/11.3% K%/BB% split between Double-A and Triple-A. Stolen bases weren’t supposed to be a major part of his game, but he obviously is a very savvy base stealer as he is 21 for 22 on the bases in his pro career. The K% is high, but I’m betting on that coming down as he gains more experience. 2022 Projection: 49/14/45/.255/.330/.462/5 Prime Projection: 102/30/98/.281/.364/.518/10

5) Brennen Davis CHC, OF, 22.5 – Davis is 6’4”, 210 pounds with easy power and no problems keeping the ball off the ground. He smacked 19 homers in 99 games split across 3 levels (A+, AA, AAA). Like many guys this tall, he has some strikeout issues with a 28.7% K%, and while he will definitely chip in with steals, he went 6 for 10 in 76 Double-A games and he didn’t attempt a steal in 15 Triple-A games. The upside is very high, but there is still some risk here too. 2022 Projection:48/17/55/.242/.313/.441/7 Prime Projection: 88/33/99/.261/.338/.510/11

6) CJ Abrams SD, SS, 21.6 – A fractured tibia and sprained MCL ended Abrams season after just 42 games. He proved his plus hit tool and speed will transfer against advanced competition at Double-A, slashing .296/.363/.420 with 2 homers, 13 steals (in 15 attempts), and a 19.7%/8.2% K%/BB%. His power isn’t there yet, and there is a chance it will never be a major part of his game, but he still looks pretty skinny to me at 6’2”, 185 pounds and don’t think those man muscles have come in yet. The power will tick up in time. ETA: 2023 Prime Projection: 95/18/75/.288/.342/.437/27

7) Grayson Rodriguez BAL, RHP, 22.4 – Rodriguez is the total package with the potential for 4 plus pitches and above average control. He put up a 45.5%/5.7% K%/BB% in 23.1 IP at High-A and then followed that up with a 39%/7.1% K%/BB% in 79.2 IP at Double-A. He’s the #1 pitching prospect in the game. 2022 Projection: 4/3.88/1.21/77 in 69 IP Prime Projection: 15/3.32/1.08/228 in 195 IP

8) Shane Baz TBR, RHP, 22.10 – Baz’ control took two huge steps forward, going from well below average to near elite with a 1.7% BB% at Double-A, 6.2% at Triple-A, and 6.1% in the majors. He sacrificed nothing to do it, throwing an elite 97 MPH fastball that put up 30.4% whiff%. He combines that with two plus breaking balls in his slider (40.7% whiff%) and curve (50% whiff%), while his changeup lags behind. He’s in a two man race with Grayson Rodriguez for the top pitching prospect in baseball. 2022 Projection: 9/3.78/1.20/148 in 130 IP Prime Projection: 15/3.35/1.07/220 in 187 IP

9) Adley Rutschman BAL, C, 24.2 – Rutschman dominated the upper levels of the minors with an elite plate approach (90/79 K/BB in 123 games) and plus power (23 homers). He has an argument to be the #1 overall prospect in real baseball because of his at least plus catcher defense, but in fantasy, being a catcher only causes more problems with wear and tear and more days off. He should open the 2022 season as Baltimore’s starting catcher, but service time manipulation might also come into play. 2022 Projection: 69/22/63/.262/.341/.449/2 Prime Projection: 86/27/84/.276/.364/.493/3

Tier 3

10) Zac Veen COL, OF, 20.4 – Veen is 6’4”, 190 pounds with a violent lefty swing that is made to hit rockets. He’s pretty skinny now, so if he puts on weight, his power upside is scary. He backed up the hype in his pro debut, slashing .301/.399/.501 with 15 homers, 36 steals in 53 attempts, and a 26.3%/13.4% K%/BB% in 106 games at Single-A. You have to throw out the steal numbers because of the Single-A rule changes, and he also wasn’t very successful, but seeing he loves to run this much is a good sign. He has elite fantasy upside, especially in Coors. I’m buying high. ETA: 2024 Prime Projection: 99/32/103/.277/.358/.519/13

11) Oneil Cruz PIT, SS, 23.6 – It took only 2 MLB games for Cruz to put the entire league on notice. He went 3 for 9 with 1 homer and 4/0 K/BB, but it was the elite exit velocity readings that really popped. He had a silly 100.5 MPH average exit velocity, and he hit a 118.2 MPH line drive single that was the 7th hardest hit ball all season. At 6’7”, 210 pounds, Cruz’ raw power is in rarified air. He’s had high groundball rates his entire career, but he’s slowly been improving them, putting up a 47.3% GB% in 62 games at Double-A and a 31.3% GB% in 6 games at Triple-A. Speaking of his 6 game taste of Triple-A, he went nuclear with 5 homers and a 5/8 K/BB. Oh yea, he also has plus speed with 19 steals in 22 attempts. There will inevitably be some swing and miss to his game, and I don’t think he is completely out of the woods with his high groundball rates, but Cruz very well might have the highest pure upside of anybody in the minors. 2022 Projection:72/24/81/.257/.320/.468/17 Prime Projection: 92/30/101/.272/.335/.518/16

12) Anthony Volpe NYY, SS, 20.11 – The power breakout came well before schedule as Volpe cranked 27 homers in 109 games split between Single-A and High-A. The Yankees drafted Volpe 30th overall in 2019 based on his hit hit tool, speed, and defense, so the power explosion puts Volpe in elite prospect territory. If you play in a shallow to medium sized league where you can’t pick up prospects during the season, Volpe should very likely be the top pick in your off-season prospect draft. ETA: 2023 Prime Projection: 92/26/89/.278/.352/.481/15

13) Noelvi Marte SEA, SS, 20.5 – Marte has a powerful righty swing that is both under control and lightening quick. It reminds me a bit of Manny Machado. He showed a mature plate approach (22.2%/12.1% K%/BB%), plus power (17 homers in 99 games), and speed (23 for 30 on the bases) in his full season debut as a 19 year old. He has the upside to be a perennial first rounder in fantasy. ETA: 2023 Prime Projection: 91/33/103/.276/.362/.547/12

14) Corbin Carroll ARI, OF, 21.7 – Shoulder surgery ended Carroll’s season after just 7 games, but he managed to make such a great impression in those games, along with strong reports from the 2020 alt site, that he should still be considered a near elite prospect. He’s an explosive player with an at least plus contact/speed combo. His power has been underrated even from before he was drafted because he is only 5’10”, but he puts a sting into the baseball. Shoulder injuries are known to sap power, but he is young enough that you have to assume a full recovery. As high as his value is now, it might shoot through the roof not far into 2022. ETA: 2023 Prime Projection: 89/20/78/.283/.367/.463/28

15) Robert Hassell SDP, OF, 20.7 – Hassell dominated Single-A (139 wRC+) with a plus plate approach (17.2%/13.3% K%/BB%) and speed (31 steals), but he only hit 7 homers in 92 games with a 52.1% GB%. He then went to High-A for 18 games and proved he has the ability to make adjustments to get to his power, jacking 2 homers with a 32.7% GB%. The K% rose with the power to 28.7%, but it’s still a good sign he will eventually be able to put it all together. He’s 6’2’’, 195 pounds, so while he is expected to be a hit tool, speed guy, I wouldn’t rule out a power explosion. ETA: 2024 Prime Projection: 93/18/74/.277/.358/.446/23

16) Triston Casas BOS, 1B, 22.2 – Casas in 6’4”, 252 pounds with double plus raw power and a mature approach at the plate. He put up a 19.1%/15.4% in 86 games at mostly Double-A (9 games at Triple-A). He has a textbook lefty swing with very little movement, and he rarely sells out to get to his power. His homer totals don’t jump out at you with only 14 homers, but he doesn’t have any major groundball issues with a 42.8% GB% (34.6% GB% at Triple-A), so even if he doesn’t make adjustments to unlock more power, he will still hit plenty of homers while maintaining a high BA. He’s in the mold of a Freddie Freeman and Paul Goldschmidt if he hits his ceiling. 2022 Projection: 36/10/41/.253/.334/.469/2 Prime Projection: 96/32/102/.276/.365/.515/4

17) Hunter Greene CIN, RHP, 22.8 – Greene is a mountain of a man at 6’5”, 230 pounds and he puts that frame to good use by consistently pumping in upper 90’s fastballs that reach 100+ MPH often. Even his changeup is 90+ MPH and it has the potential to be a nasty pitch with good drop and tail action. The slider was much improved this year and has the potential to be a plus pitch. He used all of those weapons to put up a pitching line of 3.30/1.18/139/38 in 106.1 IP split between Double-A and Triple-A. He’s not a finished product, but Greene truly has the upside to be the best pitcher in baseball one day. 2022 Projection: 6/3.88/1.32/112 in 100 IPPrime Projection: 14/3.39/1.12/222 in 185 IP

18) Josh Lowe TBR, OF, 24.2 – Lowe blew up at Triple-A, slashing .291/.381/.535 with 22 homers, 26 steals (in 26 attempts), and a 26.2%/13% K%/BB% in 111 games. I’ve been high on him since his 2019 breakout because he is a premium athlete at 6’4”, 205 pounds with a plus power/speed combo and high walk rates. Even though his K% remained high, his hit tool took a step forward this year, which is the one thing that could hold him back. 2022 Projection: 23/7/21/.237/.310/.428/6 Prime Projection: 84/24/76/.256/.338/.467/16

19) Francisco Alvarez NYM, C, 20.4 – Alvarez is a bulldog at the plate at 5’10”, 233 pounds with massive raw power and a precocious plate approach. He put up a silly 227 wRC+ with a 10.4%/22.4% K%/BB% in 15 games at the age appropriate Single-A before he went to High-A and bashed 22 homers in 82 games. This is a do it all, middle of the order bat who has a good chance of sticking at catcher. Rutschman is going to have some competition for that top spot in a couple years. ETA: 2023 Prime Projection: 78/30/92/.272/.355/.495/4

20) Josh Jung TEX, 3B, 24.2 – A stress fracture in his foot delayed the start of Jung’s season, but he came back angry, demolishing the upper levels of the minors. He slashed .326/.398/.592 with 19 homers and a 22.2%/9.1% K%/BB% in 78 games split between Double-A and Triple-A. Both of his home ballparks juice up homers, but he was even more dominant on the road. He has at least plus power and he should be able to hit for a pretty good average too. Texas might play team control games with him, but he deserves to be their starting 3B out the gate. 2022 Projection:68/22/77/.258/.327/.455/2 Prime Projection: 86/29/90/.272/.344/.496/3

21) George Valera CLE, OF, 21.5 – Valera’s lefty swing is so sweet it could give a guy diabetes, and he used it to abuse High-A pitchers with 19 homers and a .910 OPS in 86 games. He also put up an excellent 22.1%/20.9% K%/BB% that led to a .405 OBP. He met his match at Double-A with a 30% K%, but he still walked at a good clip (11% BB%) and ended up with an above average 104 wRC+ in 23 games. He has average speed too and nabbed 11 bags on the year, so he should contribute in every category. He’s a near elite stud who I don’t think is being valued quite that way, although he surely gets a lot of love. ETA: 2023 Prime Projection: 92/28/91/.271/.362/.497/7

22) Nick Gonzales PIT, 2B/SS, 22.10 – Gonzalez went from an extremely hitter friendly environment in college to an extremely hitter friendly environment in the pros. Pitt’s High-A ballpark and the AFL are both extreme hitter’s havens. He unsurprisingly beat up on inferior competition in these parks with a .950 OPS in 80 games at High-A and a 1.032 OPS in 19 AFL games. His 27.4% K% at High-A is really the only thing to quibble with. Gonzales’ .950 OPS is actually the worst he’s ever done in any league going back to his freshman year (including the Cape Cod League), which is remarkable. All this guy has done is dominate. ETA: 2023 Prime Projection: 93/25/82/.273/.344/.479/11

23) Vidal Brujan TBR, 2B/OF, 24.2 – Brujan couldn’t maintain his early season power surge of 7 homers in his first 16 games (12 homers in 103 games at Triple-A), but his power definitely took a step forward this year. He combines that uptick in power with an elite plate approach (15.4%/11.1% K%/BB%) and plus speed (44 for 52 on the bases). He played all over the field (2B, SS, 3B, OF), and Tampa loves to move guys around, so Brujan is setting up to be the ultimate multi-position eligibility player who will see the field almost everyday at peak. 2022 Projection:48/7/39/.262/.326/.398/16 Prime Projection: 92/14/66/.283/.355/.423/30

24) Nolan Gorman STL, 3B/2B, 21.11 – Gorman’s hit tool took a huge step forward this year. He brought his K% down to 22% in the upper levels of the minors (29.7% in 2019), and he didn’t sacrifice much power with 25 homers in 119 games. The ingredients are there for him to become a complete middle of the order masher. 2022 Projection: 38/12/36/.248/.312/.445/2 Prime Projection: 83/28/90/.266/.339/.491/4

25) Jordan Walker STL, 3B, 19.10 – Walker has huge raw power at 6’5”, 220 pounds, and he got to a lot of it in his pro debut with 25 doubles, 4 triples, and 14 homers in 82 games split between Single-A and High-A. He’s also a good athlete for his size as he snagged 14 bags. While his plate approach regressed at High-A (27%/6.1% K%/BB%), it looked more advanced than expected at the age appropriate Single-A (17.2%/14.8% K%/BB%). He’s far from a finished product, but there is star upside. ETA: 2024 Prime Projection: 86/29/93/.262/.344/.502/8

26) George Kirby SEA, RHP, 24.2 – Kirby battled shoulder fatigue during the season which limited him to 67.2 IP, but he cruised in those innings with a pitching line of 2.53/1.08/80/15 split between High-A and Double-A. He dominates with a double plus upper 90’s fastball that he has elite control over. He throws 3 secondaries (slider, change, curve) that are all about average right now, and he’ll need one of them to tick up to plus in order to reach his top of the rotation ceiling. 2022 Projection:5/4.08/1.22/93 in 90 IP Prime Projection: 14/3.69/1.13/202 in 183 IP

27) Marco Luciano SFG, SS, 20.6 – It was an up and down season for Luciano for with more downs than ups. He started off by struggling hard in Spring Training with a .374 OPS in 29 AB which he carried over into the first few weeks of the season at Single-A. We then thought he put those struggles behind him when he started destroying the level, finishing with 18 homers, a .930 OPS and a 22.1%/12.3% K%/BB% in 70 games, but the struggles returned at High-A which has bled into the Fall League. He had a 37.2%/6.9% K%/BB% with a .577 OPS in 36 games at High-A and now has a 32.2% K% with a .730 OPS in 21 Fall games. His numbers at the age appropriate Single-A take precedence, which is why I still consider him an elite prospect, but he is obviously not close to a finished product right now. ETA: 2024 Prime Projection: 86/33/94/.269/.345/.526/7

28) Luis Matos SFG, OF, 20.2 – Matos has that perfect combination of floor and upside. His 12.4% K% in 109 games at Single-A is elite, and he combines that with plus speed (21 steals) and developing power (15 homers). At worst we are looking at a moderate power/speed combo with a good average, and at best there is a next level power breakout which will put him in the land of the elite. His plate approach does still need some refinement with a 5.7% BB%. ETA: 2024 Prime Projection: 93/21/77/.285/.333/.455/16

29) Jasson Dominguez NYY, OF, 19.2 – Dominguez didn’t exactly blow the doors off in his pro debut, but he held serve with a 105 wRC+ in 49 games in full season ball. And putting up a .346 OBP is actually pretty damn impressive considering his age and the fact he had zero pro experience before this season. I’m still all in on the upside. ETA: 2024 Prime Projection:  94/28/93/.269/.362/.503/16

30) Orelvis Martinez TOR, SS, 20.4 – I’ve been high on Martinez for a few years now and it paid off big time in 2021 with a power explosion. He cracked 28 homers in 98 games split between Single-A and High-A. He performed better at the age appropriate Single-A (149 wRC+) than he did at High-A (99 wRC+), but he actually improved his K% after jumping levels from 26.1% to 22.4%, which is a great sign. Martinez has the upside to become a slugging middle the order bat. ETA: 2024 Prime Projection: 86/32/98/.263/.338/.508/5

31) Tyler Soderstrom OAK, C, 20.4 – A back injury ended Soderstrom’s season after just 57 games, but it was a damn good 57 games, slashing .306/.390/.568 with 12 homers, 2 steals, and a 24%/10.6% K%/BB% at Single-A. He’s a complete hitter with a simple and powerful lefthanded swing. There is no guarantee he sticks behind the plate, but that would probably be better off for fantasy. ETA: 2024 Prime Projection: 82/25/88/.276/.352/.487/4

32) Alek Thomas ARI, OF, 21.11 – Thomas was putting together a damn fine season at Double-A with a 134 wRC+, 10 homers and 8 steals in 72 games before going nuclear at Triple-A with a 168 wRC+, 8 homers, and 5 steals in 34 games. In spite of the great numbers and age relative to level success, I’m still a little concerned about his ultimate power/speed upside. His stolen base success rate has been very poor (40 for 65 in 276 career games), and he hits the ball on the ground a lot (55.5% GB% at Double-A and 50.4% at Triple-A). He’s shaping up to be a guy who will contribute in every category, but the upside seems a little capped to me right now. 2022 Projection: 39/7/33/.265/.318/.412/7 Prime Projection: 82/18/68/.285/.343/.441/16

33) Oswald Peraza NYY, SS, SS, 21.10 – Peraza started lifting the ball much more in 2022 and it led to a power breakout with 18 homers in 115 games. He did progressively get worse as he climbed the minor league ladder (.917 OPS in High-A/.815 in Double-A/.715 in Triple-A), and his stolen base percentage and BB% also plummeted when he got into the upper levels, but the ingredients are there for him to be an impact player in 5×5 AVG leagues in particular. 2022 Projection: 23/2/18/.258/.301/.409/4 Prime Projection: 86/20/81/.272/.331/.444/18

THE FULL 2022 TOP 1,000 DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKINGS WILL HIT MY PATREON THIS WEEK!!! (IT WILL BE RELEASED FOR FREE ON MY SITE SOMETIME IN MARCH) … CLICK HERE TO JOIN FOR THAT RANKING AND MUCH MORE

By Michael Halpern (@MichaelCHalpern)
Email: michaelhalpern@imaginarybrickwall.com
Twitter: Imaginary Brick Wall (@DynastyHalp)

It’s Top 1,000 week over on my Patreon, and we’re starting with the Top 100 2022 Dynasty Baseball First Year Player Draft Rankings:

THE FULL 2022 TOP 1,000 DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKINGS WILL HIT MY PATREON THIS WEEK!!! (IT WILL BE RELEASED FOR FREE ON MY SITE SOMETIME IN MARCH) … CLICK HERE TO JOIN FOR THAT RANKING AND MUCH MORE

Tier 1

1) Marcelo Mayer BOS, SS, 19.4 – Selected 4th overall, Mayer stays loose and easy in his stance before unleashing a vicious lefty swing that has monster offensive potential written all over it. He did show some swing and miss in his pro debut with a 25.2% K% in 26 games, but he has a mature plate approach (14% BB%) and a swing that is geared for both power and average. He put up a 121 wRC+. Lack of speed is the only issue for fantasy, and it is the reason he is far from a lock for the top pick in first year player drafts. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 89/25/88/.274/.346/.478/8

2) Kahlil Watson MIA, SS, 18.11 – Selected 16th overall, Watson’s upside is high as anyone’s in the draft with lightening quick bat speed and a plus power/speed combo from the left side. He only fell to 16th overall due to signing bonus demands (he ended up with the 10th highest bonus). While he didn’t show much power in his 9 game pro debut (60% GB% with 0 homers), he did steal 4 bags and had an excellent 16.7%/19% K%/BB% in an obviously very small sample. This is the type of upside you look for when drafting at the top of first year player drafts. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 88/23/83/.268/.342/.458/18

3) Jack Leiter TEX, RHP, 21.11 – Selected 2nd overall, Leiter can dominate with just his mid 90’s fastball, but he also has a deep repertoire of pitches, throwing a 4-seamer, 2-seamer, cutter, curve (best secondary), slider and change. He understands the art of pitching which is no surprise considering his dad is Al Leiter. He’s only 6 feet, and his control can waver, but it didn’t stop him from putting up a dominant pitching line of 2.13/0.85/179/45 in 110 IP in the SEC. This could be the rare year when it makes sense to take a pitcher first. ETA: 2023 Prime Projection: 15/3.48/1.17/218 in 185 IP

4) Brady House WAS, SS, 18.10 – Selected 11th overall, House is a big physical hitter at 6’4”, 215 pounds who has double plus raw power and takes monster hacks at the dish with quick bat speed. He ripped 4 homers in his 16 game pro debut. He also has a mature plate approach and is a good athlete. I know I’m sounding like a broken record, but there is a legitimate argument for him to go 1st overall. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 83/28/92/.268/.339/.492/7

5) Jordan Lawlar ARI, SS, 19.8 – Selected 6th overall, Lawlar has a relatively simple, quick swing that he uses to make tons of contact with the ability to lift the ball. He has plus speed and the power should develop naturally to above average at the least. A shoulder injury that required surgery ended his pro debut after just two games, which is just enough of a bump in the road for me to move him down a few spots on my draft board. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 87/21/79/.268/.335/.448/17

6) Henry Davis PIT, C, 22.7 – Selected 1st overall, Davis’ power breakout happened in the shortened 2020 season, and it carried over into 2021 with Davis slashing .370/.482/.663 with 15 homers, 10 steals, and a 24/31 K/BB in 50 games. He’s got a thick build and absolutely scorches the ball. He stepped right into pro ball and ripped 3 homers in 8 games at mostly High-A before an oblique injury ended his season. ETA: 2023 Prime Projection: 78/26/89/.268/.337/.481/6

7) Seiya Suzuki FRA, OF, 27.7 – Suzuki has dominated in Japan since 2016 with a righty swing that is both easy and explosive. He ripped a career high 38 homers in 2021, and he combines the power with an advanced plate approach (16.5%/16.4% K%/BB%) and some speed (9 steals in 13 attempts). I’m not expecting him to step into the majors and be a star, but he looks like a great bet to be a damn good overall hitter. If you are a win now team who needs an OF, Suzuki should be in heavy consideration at #1. 2022 Projection: 77/24/81/.264/.336/.463/7

Tier 2

8) Harry Ford SEA, C, 19.2 – Selected 12th overall, Ford generates plus power with one of the quickest bats in the draft, notching an 80.8 MPH max barrel speed which is in the 98.86 percentile of his high school class (stats from Perfect Game). He also had plus speed with a 6.5 second 60 yard dash. He used those skills to rake in his pro debut, slashing .291/.400/.582 with 3 homers, 3 steals, and a 21.5%/13.8% K%/BB% in 19 games. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 77/27/85/.262/.338/.486/10

9) Jackson Jobe DET, RHP, 19.8 – Selected 3rd overall, Jobe has a devastating slider that is an elite pitch with high spin rates. He pairs that with a mid 90’s fastball and a changeup that flashes plus. The delivery is athletic, and while he still needs some refinement, he is the highest upside high school arm in the class. He’s a two way prospect, but his future is on the mound. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 14/3.55/1.19/195 in 177 IP

10) Benny Montgomery COL, OF, 19.7 – Selected 8th overall, Montgomery is possibly the highest upside bat in the class, putting up a 103 MPH exit velocity and a 6.32 60 yard dash time. That puts him at the top of the class in power and speed. His hit tool was supposed to be raw, but it actually looked pretty good in his pro debut, slashing .340/.404/.383 with 0 homers, 5 steals and a 17.3%/9.6% K%/BB% in 14 games. He wasn’t able to get to any of his power with a 55.6% groundball percentage, but seeing the strong K% is almost more important at this stage of the game. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 79/24/83/.258/.332/.460/15

11) Jay Allen CIN, OF, 19.4 – Selected 30th overall, Allen is a 3 sport star and is one of the best athletes in the class. He’s 6’3”, 190 pounds and takes some vicious hacks at the dish, foreshadowing much more power is coming. Even without concentrating on baseball full time he has shown a good feel to hit with the potential for a plus power/speed combo. He impressed right out of the gate in his pro debut, slashing .328/.440/.557 with 3 homers, 14 steals (in 15 attempts) and a 16%/10.7% K%/BB% in 19 games. He’s a major target of mine in off-season prospect drafts. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 89/20/74/.273/.335/.446/20

12) James Wood SDP, OF, 19.7 – Selected 62nd overall, Wood is a big and athletic lefty at 6’7”, 240 pounds with plus power and above average run times. He dominated rookie ball in his pro debut, slashing .372/.465/.535 with 3 homers, 10 steals and a 31.7%/12.9% K%/BB% in 26 games. Like any player this tall, he has some hit tool concerns, and his GB% was a bit high at 49%. This is basically the Oneil Cruz starter kit. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 73/24/81/.247/.326/.458/9

13) Colton Cowser BAL, OF, 22.0 – Drafted 5th overall, Cowser’s power exploded this season with 16 homers in 55 games in the Southland Conference. That was the final piece to the puzzle as he has shown a good feel to hit with an advanced plate approach from the second he stepped on campus. He then followed that up with a strong pro debut, putting up a 158 wRC+ with a 15.3%/17.7% K%/BB% in 25 games at Single-A. ETA: 2023 Prime Projection: 85/22/80/.278/.350/.458/8

14) Sal Frelick MIL, OF, 22.0 – Selected 15th overall, Frelick has a plus hit, plus speed profile. He’s undersized, and while he doesn’t project for big power numbers, the ball jumps off his bat. He has a strong history of production in the ACC, slashing .345/.435/.521 with 12 homers, 38 steals, and a 50/60 K/BB in 102 games, and he proved those skills will transfer in his pro debut. He has the type of profile that should move through the minors quickly. ETA: 2023 Prime Projection: 81/14/65/.276/.339/.412/17

15) Matt McLain CIN, SS, 22.8 – Selected 17th overall, McLain is a safe college bat with a good feel to hit, some pop, and plus speed, but doesn’t stand out in any one category. He slashed .333/.434/.579 with 9 homers, 9 steals, and a 34/34 K/BB in 47 games at UCLA, and then performed well in his pro debut at High-A, slashing .273/.387/.424 with 3 homers, 10 steals, and a 20.2%/14.3% K%/BB% in 29 games. ETA: 2023 Prime Projection: 86/18/71/.274/.343/.425/15

16) Trey Sweeney NYY, SS, 21.11 – Selected 20th overall, Sweeney was a bat first prospect who absolutely raked in college this year, slashing .382/.522/.712 with 14 homers and a 24/46 K/BB in 48 games. He immediately showed his power is legit with 7 homers in 32 games in his pro debut at mostly Single-A. Coming out of the Ohio Valley Conference, he has still yet to face top level competition, but the Yankees are clearly believers, and his pro debut did nothing to prove them wrong. ETA: 2024 Prime Projection: 76/23/82/.261/.337/.457/5

THE FULL 2022 TOP 1,000 DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKINGS WILL HIT MY PATREON THIS WEEK!!! (IT WILL BE RELEASED FOR FREE ON MY SITE SOMETIME IN MARCH) … CLICK HERE TO JOIN FOR THAT RANKING AND MUCH MORE

By Michael Halpern (@MichaelCHalpern)
Email: michaelhalpern@imaginarybrickwall.com
Twitter: Imaginary Brick Wall (@DynastyHalp)

Along with a Top 10 Dynasty Baseball Prospects Ranking, I wanted to highlight some interesting MLB guys and talk some team specific strategy for every team to give a more complete Dynasty Team Report. Like during the regular season, I’m still going to be posting a few articles a month for free on my website. This is one of those articles. Here is the Los Angeles Angels 2022 Dynasty Baseball Report (Top 10 Prospects/Interesting MLB guys/Strategy Talk):

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Hitters

Jo Adell LAA, OF, 23.0 – Do you want the good news, or the bad news first?  …. The good news is that Adell significantly improved his K%, bringing it all the way down to 22.9% from 41.7% in 2020. The bad news is that his exit velocity fell off a cliff with it, tanking to a well below average 86.2 MPH (90.6 MPH in 2020). The huge raw power is obviously still in there, and his 29.9 ft/s sprint speed is in the top 2% of the league, so showing that he has the ability to make reasonable contact on the MLB level is a major step forward. Now he just has to put it all together. 2022 Projection: 68/22/77/.236/.302/.444/11 Prime Projection: 78/27/91/.249/.316/.476/15

Brandon Marsh LAA, OF, 24.4 – Marsh showed both his upside and risk in his MLB debut. He smashed the ball with a 51.7% HardHit% and showed near elite speed with a 29.1 ft/sec sprint speed, but his 35% K% is dangerously high and his 7.9 degree launch angle is capping his power. Randy Arozarena showed this kind of profile can still do damage, but Marsh needs to bring his K% down to even get into Arozarena territory. 2022 Projection: 76/18/65/.256/.328/.413/14 Prime Projection: 85/23/81/.266/.340/.451/15

Starting Pitchers

Patrick Sandoval LAA, LHP, 25.6 – Sandoval was in the midst of a breakout season when a stress fracture in his back ended his year in mid August after 87 IP. He throws two plus swing and miss secondaries in his changeup (.221 xwOBA with a 51.4% whiff%) and slider (.240 xwOBA with a 38.3% whiff%), and he heavily reduced the usage of his worst pitch (4-seamer) by adding a sinker to the arsenal. He now has a legitimate 5 pitch mix that led to a 3.55 xERA, 85.4 EV against, 6.3 degree launch, and 33.9% whiff%. The back injury is a little concerning, but if you want to assume full health, he could explode in 2022. 2022 Projection: 8/3.78/1.27/144 in 135 IP

Noah Syndergaard LAA, RHP, 29.7 – Syndergaard was supposed to come back mid-season in 2021, but setbacks only allowed him to pitch 2 innings at the end of the season. His 4 seamer was down 3.8 MPH to 94.3 MPH and he wasn’t able to throw his slider at all. He signed a 1 year deal for $21 million with Los Angeles, so teams were not willing to trust him with a lucrative long term contract. He’s going to have to prove it in 2022. 2022 Projection: 10/3.92/1.27/161 in 165 IP

Bullpen

Raisel Iglesias LAA, Closer, 32.3 – Iglesias leveled up in 2020 and then leveled up again in 2021, putting up a career best 37.7% whiff% and 4.4% BB%. His fastball, slider and changeup all notched career highs in whiff% at 31.1%, 51% whiff%, and 48.8%, respectively. Hader and Hendriks are in a league of their own, but Iglesias is trying his darndest to join that top tier. 2022 Projection: 4/2.88/1.02/98/33 in 69 IP

Los Angeles Angels Top 10 Dynasty Baseball Prospects

1) Reid Detmers LAA, LHP, 22.9 – Detmers destroyed the upper levels of the minors with a 108/19 K/BB in 62 IP split between Double-A and Triple-A, but the major leagues ate him up with a 7.40 ERA and 19/11 K/BB in 20.2 IP. This was his first year of pro ball, so making it all the way to majors is impressive regardless of results. His fastball ticked up this year, but it still averaged only 92.8 MPH in the majors. He combines that with two plus breaking balls in his curveball and a new slider, while his developing changeup lags behind. Unless his fastball can truly sit in the mid 90’s, he strikes me as a mid rotation guy. 2022 Projection: 7/4.22/1.32/122 in 120 IP Prime Projection: 12/3.83/1.23/189 in 177 IP

2) Sam Bachman LAA, RHP, 22.6 – Selected 9th overall in the 2021 MLB Draft, Bachman has an aggressive, attacking delivery that he uses to fire upper 90’s heat with a nasty plus slider. He had some shoulder soreness early in the year, but was lights out when on the mound with a pitching line of 1.81/0.77/93/17 in 59.2 IP. There is some reliever risk, but the stuff is electric. ETA: 2023 Prime Projection: 12/3.78/1.21/179 in 163 IP

3) Arol Vera LAA, SS, 19.7 – Vera wasn’t able to get to any of his power in his pro debut with 0 homers and high groundball rates in 57 games split between rookie ball and Single-A, but he was able to show off a good feel to hit. He hit .317 with a 23.8% K% at rookie ball and then hit .280 with a 22.2% K% as an 18 year old at Single-A. He’s a switch hitter with a lightening quick swing that should produce plenty of power when he gets older, so establishing a strong hit tool was a great start to his career. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 74/22/79/.266/.326/.443/7

4) Brendon Davis LAA, 3B/OF, 24.8 – Davis’ power broke out in a big way this year, slashing .290/.361/.561 with 30 homers, 16 steals, and a 25.1%/8.6% K%/BB% in 124 games split between 3 levels (A+/AA/AAA). He’s 6’4”, 185 pounds with that weird Giancarlo Stanton swing where his front foot is way over to the 1B side. The swing change clearly worked, but there is hit tool risk and he doesn’t really have a defensive home. 2022 Projection: 11/3/14.225/.292/.418/2 Prime Projection: 58/20/69/.243/.315/.462/7

5) Kyren Paris LAA, SS, 20.5 – A broken fibula limited Paris to 47 games in his full season debut. He showed off his plus speed (22 steals) and patience (14.6% BB%), and his power started to sprout just a bit with 4 homers. The biggest issue is strikeouts, as he put up a 31.1% K%, and his numbers tanked when he got to High-A with a 20/2 K/BB in 13 games. He’s still raw, but there is fantasy friendly upside here. ETA: 2024 Prime Projection: 74/15/69/.242/.321/.404/17

6) Ky Bush LAA, LHP, 22.5 – Selected 45th overall in the 2021 MLB Draft, Bush is a large man at 6’6”, 240 pounds with a mid 90’s fastball and potentially plus slider. He also throws a developing curve and change. His control took a step forward in 2021 with a 2.2 BB/9 in 78 IP in the West Coast Conference (4.8 BB/9 in 2019), and he showed his strikeout stuff will translate to pro ball with 20 K’s in 12 IP in his pro debut at High-A. There is legitimate upside here. ETA: 2023 Prime Projection: 11/3.92/1.29/180 in 168 IP

7) Denzer Guzman LAA, SS, 18.2 – Guzman didn’t particularly standout in his pro debut in the DSL with a 92 wRC+, but there were still some positive takeaways. He showed an advanced plate approach with an excellent 14.6%/12.2% K%/BB% and he put the ball in the air with a 49.1% FB%, so when he grows into his 6’2”, 165 pound frame, the power will come. ETA: 2026 Prime Projection: 74/21/78/.266/.337/.442/6

8) Jordyn Adams LAA, OF, 22.5 – Adams is an elite athlete at 6’2”, 180 pounds, but the production just isn’t coming. He put up a 66 wRC+ with 5 homers, 18 steals, and a 37.8%/9.1% K%/BB% in 71 games at High-A. I own him in an 18 teamer where I’m going to have a prospect crunch going into the off-season prospect draft, and I’m struggling as to whether I should cut him, or keep him and try to trade some picks this year for picks next year. The upside is high, but the risk is starting to win out. ETA: 2023 Prime Projection: 47/12/40/.234/.298/.403/12

9) Jeremiah Jackson LAA, SS, 22.0 – Jackson is consistent if nothing else with huge homer totals (10 homers in 51 games at mostly Single-A), plus speed (13 steals), and massive hit tool risk (33.2%). He’s a low probability prospect who likely won’t hit enough, but the upside is high if he can ever figure it out. ETA: 2024 Prime Projection: 51/17/57/.218/.295/.436/8

10) Alexander Ramirez LAA, OF, 19.7 – The risk is high with Ramirez because of extreme strikeout issues, putting up a 32.5% K% at rookie ball and a 42% K% at Single-A, but the upside is high too with plus power and some speed. He had a 136 wRC+ in 35 games at the age appropriate rookie ball and then cratered in full season ball with a negative 10 wRC+. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 62/18/67/.226/.305/.436/5

Strategy 

The Angels have the 8th best hitters park in baseball, but the area where it really stands out is that it juices up homers for lefthanded hitters, so even though Jared Walsh and Brandon Marsh don’t have the most homer friendly launch angles, I’m more confident in their ability to knock homers out regardless.

THE FULL 2022 TOP 1,000 DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKINGS WILL HIT MY PATREON THIS WEEK!!! (IT WILL BE RELEASED FOR FREE ON MY SITE SOMETIME IN MARCH) … CLICK HERE TO JOIN FOR THAT RANKING AND MUCH MORE

Previous Teams on Patreon
Arizona Diamondbacks–Baltimore Orioles-Boston Red Sox (free)–Chicago Cubs (free)–Chicago White Sox–Cincinnati Reds–Cleveland Indians–Colorado Rockies–Detroit Tigers–Houston Astros–Kansas City Royals–Los Angeles Dodgers (free)–Miami Marlins–Milwaukee Brewers–Minnesota Twins–New York Mets (free)–New York Yankees–Oakland Athletics–Philadelphia Phillies–Pittsburgh Pirates–San Diego Padres (free)–San Francisco Giants–Seattle Mariners–St. Louis Cardinals (free)–Tampa Bay Rays (free)–Texas Rangers–Toronto Blue Jays–Washington Nationals

By Michael Halpern (@MichaelCHalpern)
Email: michaelhalpern@imaginarybrickwall.com
Twitter: Imaginary Brick Wall (@DynastyHalp)

The full 2022 Top 1,000 Dynasty Baseball Rankings will drop on my Patreon next week. Here’s A Top 500 Sneak Peek to hold you over until then:

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE AND TONS OF CONTENT ALL OFF-SEASON, INCLUDING:
–2022 Top 100 Dynasty Baseball Prospects Rankings
–Positional Dynasty Baseball Rankings (Top 278 SP/Top 256 OF/Top 122 SS/Top 88 3B/Top 90 2B/Top 78 1B/Top 56 C)
–Top 50 First Year Player Draft Rankings (full Top 100 coming out with the Top 1,000 Rankings)
-Dynasty Team Reports for every team (Top 10 Prospects/Interesting MLB guys/Strategy Talk)

Tier 1

1) Shohei Ohtani LAA, RHP/DH, 27.9 –Tatis has a shoulder issue. Acuna tore up his knee. Soto and Vlad don’t steal a ton, and they sure as hell don’t pitch. Yea, Ohtani’s older than them, but we are talking about a 27 year old, not someone approaching the dreaded 3 – 0 (see Mike Trout). He’s changed the definition of “all category” and “across the board” production in fantasy baseball forever. 2022 Projection: 96/37/98/.261/.365/.541/22 – 8/3.48/1.15/150 in 125 IP

2) Juan Soto WASH, OF, 23.5 – The underlying stats were elite all season, but it took until the 2nd half for the surface stats to catch up, slashing a ridiculous .348/.525/.639 in 72 games post break. He was my top pick in all non 5×5 AVG leagues last year (I will be updating those “Universal Rankings” this off-season too), and with his OBP projected to outpace everyone by a large margin, I might actually pick him over Ohtani in those leagues this year too. 5.8 degree launch angle is really the only thing you can quibble with. 2022 Projection: 108/33/103/.318/.460/.575/10

3) Ronald Acuna Jr. ATL, OF, 24.3 – Torn ACL could keep him out for at least a month into 2022, and it will be interesting to see how much he is willing to run when he returns. In the long run, missing a month shouldn’t impact his dynasty value too much, but when we are talking about the elite of the elite, every little bit counts. He would easily slot in at #2 without the injury. 2022 Projection: 99/35/85/.282/.389/.583/19

4) Fernando Tatis Jr. SD, SS, 23.3 – Tatis is foregoing surgery on his left shoulder, which after seeing the year Bellinger just had, I don’t blame him. It does add a layer a risk to an otherwise almost spotless fantasy profile. I say “almost” spotless, because his whiff% jumped up 6.8 percentage points to a pretty dangerous 34.8%. 2022 Projection: 102/39/99/.277/.366/.581/21

5) Vladimir Guerrero Jr. TOR, 1B, 23.0 – Vlad raised his launch angle 4.8 degrees to 9.4 degrees and all hell broke loose as he demolished 48 homers. He maintained his near elite K% and also notched a career high 12.3% BB%. This was the breakout we were promised. 2022 Projection: 113/41/110/.298/.385/.590/3

Tier 2

6) Bo Bichette TOR, SS, 24.1 – Bichette isn’t really in the same conversation as the guys ranked ahead of him when it comes to real life hitting, but he is a fantasy machine. He hit .298 with 29 homers and 25 steals. If you want to look at it glass half full, as good as he’s been, there is still upside left in the tank if he can raise his 5.8% BB% and 7.3 degree launch angle. 2022 Projection: 105/31/92/.294/.356/.510/20

7) Trea Turner LAD, SS, 28.9 – Turner is the older and faster version of Bichette. He’s not putting up insane xwOBA’s, but he’s a fantasy owner’s best friend, coming up just 2 homers shy of a .300/30/30 season. 2022 Projection: 110/27/84/.309/.361/.512/30

8) Kyle Tucker HOU, OF, 25.2 – Speaking of elite xwOBA’s, Tucker put up a .394 xwOBA which is in the top 6% of the league. He notched career bests in K% (15.9%), whiff% (20.3%), BB% (9.3%), launch angle (17.6 degrees), and Max EV (111.1 MPH). He also chipped in 14 steals. He’s elite. 2022 Projection: 93/33/101/.285/.350/.535/16

9) Ozzie Albies ATL, 2B, 25.3 – Albies power took a step forward as he entered his mid 20’s, notching career highs in exit velocity (89.6 MPH) and launch angle (21.1 degrees), which led to his first 30 homer season. He also ran more on the bases, leading to his first 20 steal season, and considering how successful he’s been on the bases in his career (60 for 73), he should probably run even more. 2022 Projection: 100/29/93/.274/.333/.492/20

10) Luis Robert CHW, OF, 24.8 – Robert played in only 68 games, but the sheer dominance of those games shows he belongs in the land of the elite. His power exploded with 13 homers and a 91.2/96.3 MPH AVG/FB EV, and his contact rates improved dramatically with a 28.2% whiff% and 20.6% K% (41.5% and 32.2% in 2020). He did slow down with a 28 ft/s sprint speed (29.1 in 2020), but some of that is likely due to the torn hip flexor that kept him out. He is also still a very aggressive hitter with a 4.7% BB%, so while it might cap his upside in OBP leagues, all of the ingredients are there for him to have a legitimate shot at finishing as the #1 overall player in 5×5 leagues. 2022 Projection: 91/28/93/.278/.332/.508/18

11) Wander Franco TBR, SS, 21.1 – I ranked Franco 14th overall on my 2021 Top 1,000 Dynasty Ranking, writing, “the floor is so high due to that innate hitting ability that he doesn’t have the normal risks associated with prospects.” Kelenic was my #2 overall prospect, but I ranked him 52nd on the dynasty list because he simply didn’t have that elite floor. And that is exactly how it played out in 2021 with Franco putting up a 12% K% en route to a solid MLB debut, slashing .288/.347/.463 with 7 homers and 2 steals in 70 games (he also knocked out 2 homers in 4 playoff games). The underlying skills are there for a homer/steal breakout as he notched a 28.5 ft/sec sprint speed, 88.2 MPH EV and 9.7 degree launch angle. The arrow is only pointing way up from here. 2022 Projection: 101/23/83/.302/.360/.484/11 Prime Projection: 116/31/111/.320/.392/.555/14

12) Jose Ramirez CLE, 3B, 29.6 – Ramirez has an elite plate approach (13.7%/11.3% K%/BB%) with power (90 MPH EV with a 18.3 degree launch), and speed (28.2 ft/s sprint speed). The sports crime of being almost 30 is the only thing keeping Ramirez outside of the top 10, but in a redraft league (or if you are in all in mode), he has a real argument to be in the 1st overall mix.  2022 Projection: 105/34/94/.277/.368/.531/24

13) Bryce Harper PHI, OF, 29.5 – Harper is also in the almost 30 club, but he just put up the best xwOBA in all of baseball with a .427 mark. He hasn’t really shown any signs of slowing down on the bases. There should be at least a few more years of elite production. 2022 Projection: 103/36/96/.281/.399/.578/14

Shadow13) Shohei Ohtani LAA, DH only/Weekly Leagues, 27.9 –Ohtani is so ridiculous that he is still an elite player even after taking away 9 wins and 156 K’s in 130.1 IP. This is where I would take him as a hitter only or in a weekly lineup league. 2022 Projection: 96/37/98/.261/.365/.541/22

14) Corbin Burnes MIL, RHP, 27.5 – Not only did Burnes not regress a single iota from his 2020 breakout, but he took it up another level with a league leading 30.4% K-BB%. The only other qualified pitchers even close to that mark were Scherzer and Cole. His BB% dropped 4.8 percentage points to 5.2%. He put up a 2.01 xERA which was bested only by deGrom’s 1.55 mark among starters, and deGrom is 33 years old coming off an elbow injury. Burnes is in a class of his own in dynasty. 2022 Projection: 15/2.71/0.98/267 in 195 IP

15) Rafael Devers BOS, 3B, 25.5 – Devers matured at the plate in 2021 with a career best 9.3% BB%, and he also brought his K% back down to 21.5% after jumping to 27% in 2020. He always hit the living crap out of the ball, and putting it all together led to a career best .389 xwOBA with 38 homers in 156 games. 2022 Projection: 95/37/106/.284/.358/.546/6

16) Mike Trout LAA, OF, 30.8 – The injury gods struck Trout down again as a significant tear in his calf limited him to just 22 games. He was elite as ever in those 22 games with a .421 xwOBA, although I think it is worth pointing out his whiff% bloated all the way up to 27.5% (19.5% in 2020) and his launch angle tanked to 12.9 degrees (23.1 in 2020). Considering the small sample, I don’t think it means that much, but it’s worth noting. Along with entering his nursing home years, a lower body injury can’t help the odds he will get back to stealing bases, but all indications are that he will be elite everywhere else assuming he can stay healthy. 2022 Projection: 103/40/101/.293/.405/.620/8

17) Mookie Betts LAD, OF, 29.5 – I originally ranked Betts 14th overall on my Top 100 Sneak Peek of the Top 1,000 Dynasty Baseball Rankings, but when I was on the clock at 18th overall in the Rotowire 20 team OBP Dynasty Mock Draft, I found myself concerned that his hip injury could be the catalyst for him to stop running as much in the 2nd act of his career. A bone spur in his right hip led to a down season in 122 games where his sprint speed tanked to 27.1 ft/s and he stole only 3 bases in 5 attempts in his final 58 games. I’m more confident in his bat being just fine, because even in a down year he was still damn good with 23 homers and a 131 wRC+ in 122 games. None of his underlying hitting numbers really dropped off from career norms at all. The fear that he will stop running as much even if he does regain his speed, like we see with Trout and Altuve, has him dropping a bit for me. 2022 Projection: 111/30/80/.288/.369/.519/13

18) Yordan Alvarez HOU, OF, 24.9 – The knees look A-OK as Yordan got back to raking after missing almost all of 2020. His 93.2 MPH EV was 8th best in the league and his .386 xwOBA is elite. He also had a 180 wRC+ in 16 playoff games. His sprint speed did drop to 26.2 ft/s (27 ft/s in 2019), so maybe the knees become an issue when he gets older, but it looks like clear sailing for the next several years. 2022 Projection: 94/35/108/.281/.363/.548/1

Tier 3

19) Manny Machado SD, 3B, 29.9 – Machado’s underlying power numbers exploded this year, shattering career highs in exit velocity (93.1 MPH), Max EV (119.6 MPH) and HardHit% (52.2%). The gains didn’t really show up in his surface stats with 28 homers and a .836 OPS, but at the very least it is reminder of how elite Machado can be. He’s been a bit inconsistent in his career, going back and forth between great years and solid years since 2017, so if the trend holds, he is in for one hell of a 2022. 2022 Projection: 94/34/103/.283/.354/.522/10

20) Bobby Witt Jr. KC, SS, 21.9 – Bobby Witt showed out so much in Spring Training that there were whispers he would make the opening day roster, and he probably should have because Double-A and Triple-A proved no match for him. He slashed .290/.361/.575 with 33 homers, 29 steals, and a 23.2%/9.0% K%/BB% in 123 games. It will be ridiculous if he doesn’t break camp with the team in 2022. 2022 Projection: 78/26/84/.260/.329/.472/18 Prime Projection: 94/33/101/.277/.351/.541/23

21) Julio Rodriguez SEA, OF, 21.3 – Rodriguez did it all in 2021. He brought his BB% up to 12.6% (6.8% in 2019), he stole 21 bases (in 26 attempts) in just 74 games, and he obliterated the upper levels of the minors, slashing .362/.461/.546 with 7 homers, 16 steals, and a 37/29 K/BB in 46 games at Double-A. He’s in a two man race with Bobby Witt for the #1 overall prospect in baseball.  2022 Projection:59/17/63/.277/.342/.472/6 Prime Projection: 98/35/110/.291/.378/.575/11

22) Cedric Mullins BAL, OF, 27.6 – Welcome to the 30/30 club, Cedric Mullins. He became only the 43rd player to go 30/30, and only the 9th lefty ever. Speaking of being a lefty, Mullins made the ultimate adjustment this season and dropped his righthanded swing. It worked liked gangbusters as he had by far his best season vs. righties (.452 OPS vs. righties in 2018/.243 in 2019/.502 in 202/.788 in 2021). Now the question is, can he do it again? He did outperform his underlying numbers a bit with a .372 wOBA vs. a .343 xwOBA. His 92.4 MPH FB/LD exit velocity also doesn’t leave much room for error. I think the more reasonable expectation for 2022 is a 20/20 type year rather than 30/30. 2022 Projection: 88/25/68/.277/.340/.460/25

23) Francisco Lindor NYM, SS, 28.4 – Baseball players are human beings. When you’ve spent your entire career, from the time you were 17 years old, with one organization, it is going to take time to adjust to a new city, new fans, new teammates, coaches, expectations etc … And that goes doubly when that new city is New York. And even if you don’t buy into all that mumbo jumbo, his underlying numbers in 2021 were almost exactly in line with career norms. He just got a bit unlucky this year. One thing slightly outside of his career norms was that he swung and missed at a career worst rate (23.2% whiff%), but he offset that with a career best 11.1% BB%. Lindor is an easy buy this off-season. 2022 Projection: 93/29/85/.267/.344/.482/17

24) Tim Anderson CHW, SS, 28.9 – Don’t worry about Anderson’s lack of plate approach, he’s been barely walking and putting up strong numbers since 2014. It does look like he may trade some speed for more power as he enters his late 20’s as he put up a career best 89.6 MPH EV and career worst 28 ft/sec sprint speed. 2022 Projection: 92/22/75/.293/.328/.470/17

25) Jacob deGrom NYM, RHP, 33.9 – You almost have to do a double take when looking at deGrom’s season numbers. 1.08 ERA? 0.55 WHIP? 45.1%/3.4% K%/BB%? Give me a second to pick my jaw up off the ground. Of course, in this flawed universe we live in, there always has to be a yang to the yin. He put up those numbers in only 92 IP because of a partial tear in the UCL of his elbow. He already started to throw side sessions at the end of September, so the hope is that he will be 100% for 2022, but it certainly adds a healthy dose of injury risk. 2022 Projection: 13/2.48/0.93/258 in 175 IP

26) Gerrit Cole NYY, RHP, 31.7 – Cole become the face of the spider tack scandal, and it was warranted as his numbers definitely took a hit, putting up a 2.68 ERA pre break and a 4.14 ERA post break. His spin rates did a recover a bit by the end of the season, but not to pre crackdown levels. There is good news for 2022 though, as it was recently announced that the Arizona Fall League has been experimenting with a pre tacked ball, which seems like a good sign MLB will implement them for the 2022 season. I’m betting on the spider tack guys getting their mojo back in 2022. 2022 Projection: 15/3.10/1.03/261 in 195 IP

27) Trevor Story FRA, SS, 29.4 – Story had a slow start to the season but he was back to raking by the end of it, slashing .269/.358/.552 with 12 homers, 3 steals, and a 52/22 K/BB in his final 55 games. Nothing in his underlying numbers are setting off alarm bells, but the big question is how much he should be downgraded leaving Coors. It seems that Coors juices up batting average first and foremost, so I wouldn’t expect a huge drop in homers and steals, but the hits and BA are coming down. His down 2021 might have inadvertently shown us who he will be over the next few seasons. 2022 Projection: 82/28/91/.250/.333/.483/18

28) Pete Alonso NYM, 1B, 27.4 – Alonso quietly took a huge step forward with his contact ability, notching career bests in K% (19.9% vs. 25.5% in 2020) and whiff% (24.9% vs. 30.4% in 2020). He also had a career best 91 MPH EV. And while it led to an excellent season (37 homers and a 133 wRC+ in 152 games), there is now potential for him to put up some truly historic seasons as he enters his peak years. I would buy high on Alonso. 2022 Projection: 94/45/112/.268/.357/.561/2

29) Matt Olson OAK, 1B, 28.0 – Olson made tremendous improvement to his K%, brining it all the way down to 16.8% (31.4% in 2020), and he basically maintained it for the entire season. Hard not to think that won’t regress at least a little in 2022, but power and patience is what you are really buying here anyway. Truly keeping up that hit tool improvement will be the cherry on top. 2022 Projection: 93/38/106/.262/.363/.541/2

30) Brandon Woodruff MIL, RHP, 29.2 – Burnes may have overshadowed the year Woodruff just had, because he was dominant with a pitching line of 2.56/0.97/211/43 in 179.1 IP. It was the most innings he’s thrown in his career, and he did seem a tire as the season went on as his sinker velocity slowly declined about 1 MPH from start to finish. He had a 2.06 ERA pre break and a 3.41 ERA post break. It does make me wonder, with all these pitchers having huge jumps in innings pitched after the shortened 2020 season, if there will be some type of hangover effect in 2022. 2022 Projection: 14/3.33/1.06/218 in 185 IP

31) Walker Buehler LAD, RHP, 27.8 – Buehler had a spectacular season with a pitching line of 2.47/0.97/212/52 in 207 IP, but there were some red flags. He lost 1.5 MPH on his fastball with a career worst 95.3 MPH mark and he also put up a career worst 26% K%. I’m not downgrading him much because of it, but it is something in the back of my mind. 2022 Projection: 15/3.39/1.02/202 in 190 IP

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By Michael Halpern (@MichaelCHalpern)
Email: michaelhalpern@imaginarybrickwall.com
Twitter: Imaginary Brick Wall (@DynastyHalp)

This list will go about 100 deep when the Top 1,000 Rankings get released in very early February, but with first year player drafts picking up in January, I wanted to get a Top 50 list out. Here is the Top 50 2022 Dynasty Baseball First Year Player Draft Rankings:

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-Dynasty Team Reports for every team (Top 10 Prospects/Interesting MLB guys/Strategy Talk)

Tier 1

1) Marcelo Mayer BOS, SS, 19.4 – Selected 4th overall, Mayer stays loose and easy in his stance before unleashing a vicious lefty swing that has monster offensive potential written all over it. He did show some swing and miss in his pro debut with a 25.2% K% in 26 games, but he has a mature plate approach (14% BB%) and a swing that is geared for both power and average. He put up a 121 wRC+. Lack of speed is the only issue for fantasy, and it is the reason he is far from a lock for the top pick in first year player drafts. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 89/25/88/.274/.346/.478/8

2) Kahlil Watson MIA, SS, 18.11 – Selected 16th overall, Watson’s upside is high as anyone’s in the draft with lightening quick bat speed and a plus power/speed combo from the left side. He only fell to 16th overall due to signing bonus demands (he ended up with the 10th highest bonus). While he didn’t show much power in his 9 game pro debut (60% GB% with 0 homers), he did steal 4 bags and had an excellent 16.7%/19% K%/BB% in an obviously very small sample. This is the type of upside you look for when drafting at the top of first year player drafts. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 88/23/83/.268/.342/.458/18

3) Jack Leiter TEX, RHP, 21.11 – Selected 2nd overall, Leiter can dominate with just his mid 90’s fastball, but he also has a deep repertoire of pitches, throwing a 4-seamer, 2-seamer, cutter, curve (best secondary), slider and change. He understands the art of pitching which is no surprise considering his dad is Al Leiter. He’s only 6 feet, and his control can waver, but it didn’t stop him from putting up a dominant pitching line of 2.13/0.85/179/45 in 110 IP in the SEC. This could be the rare year when it makes sense to take a pitcher first. ETA: 2023 Prime Projection: 15/3.48/1.17/218 in 185 IP

4) Brady House WAS, SS, 18.10 – Selected 11th overall, House is a big physical hitter at 6’4”, 215 pounds who has double plus raw power and takes monster hacks at the dish with quick bat speed. He ripped 4 homers in his 16 game pro debut. He also has a mature plate approach and is a good athlete. I know I’m sounding like a broken record, but there is a legitimate argument for him to go 1st overall. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 83/28/92/.268/.339/.492/7

5) Jordan Lawlar ARI, SS, 19.8 – Selected 6th overall, Lawlar has a relatively simple, quick swing that he uses to make tons of contact with the ability to lift the ball. He has plus speed and the power should develop naturally to above average at the least. A shoulder injury that required surgery ended his pro debut after just two games, which is just enough of a bump in the road for me to move him down a few spots on my draft board. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 87/21/79/.268/.335/.448/17

6) Henry Davis PIT, C, 22.7 – Selected 1st overall, Davis’ power breakout happened in the shortened 2020 season, and it carried over into 2021 with Davis slashing .370/.482/.663 with 15 homers, 10 steals, and a 24/31 K/BB in 50 games. He’s got a thick build and absolutely scorches the ball. He stepped right into pro ball and ripped 3 homers in 8 games at mostly High-A before an oblique injury ended his season. ETA: 2023 Prime Projection: 78/26/89/.268/.337/.481/6

7) Seiya Suzuki FRA, OF, 27.7 – Suzuki has dominated in Japan since 2016 with a righty swing that is both easy and explosive. He ripped a career high 38 homers in 2021, and he combines the power with an advanced plate approach (16.5%/16.4% K%/BB%) and some speed (9 steals in 13 attempts). I’m not expecting him to step into the majors and be a star, but he looks like a great bet to be a damn good overall hitter. If you are a win now team who needs an OF, Suzuki should be in heavy consideration at #1. 2022 Projection: 77/24/81/.264/.336/.463/7

Tier 2

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–Positional Dynasty Baseball Rankings (Top 256 OF/Top 122 SS/Top 88 3B/Top 90 2B/Top 78 1B/Top 56 C)
-Dynasty Team Reports for every team (Top 10 Prospects/Interesting MLB guys/Strategy Talk)

By Michael Halpern (@MichaelCHalpern)
Email: michaelhalpern@imaginarybrickwall.com
Twitter: Imaginary Brick Wall (@DynastyHalp)

The Positional Dynasty Baseball Rankings continue on my Patreon with the Top 256 Outfielders. Starting Pitchers are next and then we finish up with relief pitchers. Tons more content coming all off-season. Here is the Top 256 Outfielders: 2022 Positional Dynasty Baseball Rankings:

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–Positional Dynasty Baseball Rankings 
-End of Season 2021 Top 466 Dynasty Baseball Rankings
-End of Season 2021 Top 322 Dynasty Prospects Rankings

Tier 1

1) Juan Soto WASH, OF, 23.5 – The underlying stats were elite all season, but it took until the 2nd half for the surface stats to catch up, slashing a ridiculous .348/.525/.639 in 72 games post break. He was my top pick in all non 5×5 AVG leagues last year (I will be updating those “Universal Rankings” this off-season too), and with his OBP projected to outpace everyone by a large margin, I might actually pick him over Ohtani, my #1 ranked player overall, in those leagues this year too. 5.8 degree launch angle is really the only thing you can quibble with. 2022 Projection: 108/33/103/.318/.460/.575/10

2) Ronald Acuna Jr. ATL, OF, 24.3 – Torn ACL could keep him out for at least a month into 2022 (there is recent video of him hitting without a brace in the cage, so maybe he can beat that estimate), and it will be interesting to see how much he is willing to run when he returns. In the long run, missing a month shouldn’t impact his dynasty value too much, but when we are talking about the elite of the elite, every little bit counts. He would easily slot in at #1 on this list without the injury. 2022 Projection: 99/35/85/.282/.389/.583/19

3) Fernando Tatis Jr. SD, SS/OF, 23.3 – Tatis is foregoing surgery on his left shoulder, which after seeing the year Bellinger just had, I don’t blame him. It does add a layer a risk to an otherwise almost spotless fantasy profile. I say “almost” spotless, because his whiff% jumped up 6.8 percentage points to a pretty dangerous 34.8%. 2022 Projection: 102/39/99/.277/.366/.581/21

Tier 2

4) Kyle Tucker HOU, OF, 25.2 – Speaking of elite xwOBA’s, Tucker put up a .394 xwOBA which is in the top 6% of the league. He notched career bests in K% (15.9%), whiff% (20.3%), BB% (9.3%), launch angle (17.6 degrees), and Max EV (111.1 MPH). He also chipped in 14 steals. He’s elite. 2022 Projection: 93/33/101/.285/.350/.535/16

5) Luis Robert CHW, OF, 24.8 – Robert played in only 68 games, but the sheer dominance of those games shows he belongs in the land of the elite. His power exploded with 13 homers and a 91.2/96.3 MPH AVG/FB EV, and his contact rates improved dramatically with a 28.2% whiff% and 20.6% K% (41.5% and 32.2% in 2020). He did slow down with a 28 ft/s sprint speed (29.1 in 2020), but some of that is likely due to the torn hip flexor that kept him out. He is also still a very aggressive hitter with a 4.7% BB%, so while it might cap his upside in OBP leagues, all of the ingredients are there for him to have a legitimate shot at finishing as the #1 overall player in 5×5 leagues. 2022 Projection: 91/28/93/.278/.332/.508/18

6) Bryce Harper PHI, OF, 29.5 – Harper just put up the best xwOBA in all of baseball with a .427 mark. He hasn’t really shown any signs of slowing down on the bases. There should be at least a few more years of elite production. 2022 Projection: 103/36/96/.281/.399/.578/14

7) Mike Trout LAA, OF, 30.8 – The injury gods struck Trout down again as a significant tear in his calf limited him to just 22 games. He was elite as ever in those 22 games with a .421 xwOBA, although I think it is worth pointing out his whiff% bloated all the way up to 27.5% (19.5% in 2020) and his launch angle tanked to 12.9 degrees (23.1 in 2020). Considering the small sample, I don’t think it means that much, but it’s worth noting. Along with entering his nursing home years, a lower body injury can’t help the odds he will get back to stealing bases, but all indications are that he will be elite everywhere else assuming he can stay healthy. 2022 Projection: 103/40/101/.293/.405/.620/8

8) Mookie Betts LAD, OF, 29.5 – I originally ranked Betts 14th overall on my Top 100 Sneak Peek of the Top 1,000 Dynasty Baseball Rankings, but I’ve grown more concerned that his hip injury could be the catalyst for him to stop running as much in the 2nd act of his career. A bone spur in his right hip led to a down season in 122 games where his sprint speed tanked to 27.1 ft/s and he stole only 3 bases in 5 attempts in his final 58 games. I’m more confident in his bat being just fine, because even in a down year he was still damn good with 23 homers and a 131 wRC+ in 122 games. None of his underlying hitting numbers really dropped off from career norms at all. The fear that he will stop running as much even if he does regain his speed, like we see with Trout and Altuve, has him dropping a bit for me. 2022 Projection: 111/30/80/.288/.369/.519/13

9) Yordan Alvarez HOU, OF, 24.9 – The knees look A-OK as Yordan got back to raking after missing almost all of 2020. His 93.2 MPH EV was 8th best in the league and his .386 xwOBA is elite. He also had a 180 wRC+ in 16 playoff games. His sprint speed did drop to 26.2 ft/s (27 ft/s in 2019), so maybe the knees become an issue when he gets older, but it looks like clear sailing for the next several years. 2022 Projection: 94/35/108/.281/.363/.548/1

Tier 3

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–Positional Dynasty Baseball Rankings 
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By Michael Halpern (@MichaelCHalpern)
Email: michaelhalpern@imaginarybrickwall.com
Twitter: Imaginary Brick Wall (@DynastyHalp)

Third Base might not be the deepest of positions this year, but there is plenty of value to be found. McMahon and Chapman jump out to me as guys who are being undervalued, and if you want to shop in the nursing home section, Donaldson and Turner are very interesting win now targets. The minor leagues is packed with third baseman who have beastly power, although some of those guys may end up at first. Here is the 2022 Positional Dynasty Baseball Rankings: Top 80+ Third Baseman (1-61):

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE AND TONS OF CONTENT ALL OFF-SEASON, INCLUDING:
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-End of Season 2021 Top 466 Dynasty Baseball Rankings
-End of Season 2021 Top 322 Dynasty Prospects Rankings

1) Jose Ramirez CLE, 3B, 29.6 – Ramirez has an elite plate approach (13.7%/11.3% K%/BB%) with power (90 MPH EV with a 18.3 degree launch), and speed (28.2 ft/s sprint speed). The sports crime of being almost 30 is the only thing keeping Ramirez outside of the top 10 overall, but in a redraft league (or if you are in all in mode), he has a real argument to be in the 1st overall mix.  2022 Projection: 105/34/94/.277/.368/.531/24

2) Rafael Devers BOS, 3B, 25.5 – Devers matured at the plate in 2021 with a career best 9.3% BB%, and he also brought his K% back down to 21.5% after jumping to 27% in 2020. He always hit the living crap out of the ball, and putting it all together led to a career best .389 xwOBA with 38 homers in 156 games. 2022 Projection: 95/37/106/.284/.358/.546/6

3) Manny Machado SD, 3B, 29.9 – Machado’s underlying power numbers exploded this year, shattering career highs in exit velocity (93.1 MPH), Max EV (119.6 MPH) and HardHit% (52.2%). The gains didn’t really show up in his surface stats with 28 homers and a .836 OPS, but at the very least it is reminder of how elite Machado can be. He’s been a bit inconsistent in his career, going back and forth between great years and solid years since 2017, so if the trend holds, he is in for one hell of a 2022. 2022 Projection: 94/34/103/.283/.354/.522/10

4) Austin Riley ATL, 3B, 25.0 – Seeds of a breakout were already starting to show in 2020 beneath his mediocre surface stats, and that breakout blossomed hardcore in 2021, slashing .303/.367/.531 with 33 homers and a 25.4%/7.9% K%/BB%. He keeps improving his hit tool with a career best 28.3% whiff% and he made major strides against offspeed pitches with a .369 xwOBA against them (.223 in 2020). He’s not a real .300 hitter, but there is real juice in his bat. 2022 Projection: 85/31/98/.275/.340/.511/0

5) Adalberto Mondesi KC, SS/3B, 26.8 – Two oblique injuries and a hamstring injury limited Mondesi to just 35 games, but he once again showed his tantalizing, league winning upside in those games with 6 homers and 15 steals. His power broke out with a 92.3 MPH exit velocity and 16.1 degree launch angle. Kansas City has announced they are planning on resting him often in 2022, aiming for 120-140 games, but that would have still put him on about a 22 homer and 55 steal pace over 130 games. He’s worth the risk. 2022 Projection: 76/20/74/.253/.296/.455/43

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE AND TONS OF CONTENT ALL OFF-SEASON, INCLUDING:
–A Top 200 Sneak Peek of my 2022 Top 1,000 Dynasty Baseball Rankings with more early releases coming all off-season
-Dynasty Team Reports for every team (Top 10 Prospects/Interesting MLB guys/Strategy Talk)
–Positional Dynasty Baseball Rankings (Top 56 Catchers/Top 77 1B/Top 82 2B are up now)
-End of Season 2021 Top 466 Dynasty Baseball Rankings
-End of Season 2021 Top 322 Dynasty Prospects Rankings

By Michael Halpern (@MichaelCHalpern)
Email: michaelhalpern@imaginarybrickwall.com
Twitter: Imaginary Brick Wall (@DynastyHalp)