Patreon Post: 2022 Top 100 Dynasty Baseball Prospects Rankings

I’m dropping rankings galore on my patreon as I lead up to the release of the 2022 Top 1,000 Dynasty Baseball Rankings. Here is the 2022 Top 100 Dynasty Baseball Prospects Rankings:

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE AND TONS OF CONTENT ALL OFF-SEASON, INCLUDING:
–A Top 413 Sneak Peek of my 2022 Top 1,000 Dynasty Baseball Rankings with more early releases coming all off-season
–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) 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

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

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