Posted on by Michael Halpern

2016 Top 100 Fantasy Baseball Prospect Risers

Over one month of the Minor League season is in the books, and it is time to take a look at some of the notable fantasy baseball prospect risers from my preseason Top 100 Fantasy Prospects post. This list does not include players that were unranked, but have now cracked the top 100. I’ll have a separate post for them next week. Players like Bobby Bradley (#18) and Josh Hader (#21) are both off to excellent starts, but they are not included in this write-up, either, because I was so high on them to begin with. Andrew Benintendi (#8), Trea Turner (#23), Dansby Swanson (#25), and Alex Bregman (#26) are also not included for similar reasons. Enough with the small talk, here are the early season top 100 fantasy baseball prospect risers:

Graduates: Corey Seager (#1) LAD, SS, Byron Buxton (#2) MIN, OF, Steven Matz (#10) NYM, LHP, Nomar Mazara (#19) TEX, OF (25 AB until official), Trevor Story (#30) COL, SS, John Lamb (#40) CIN, LHP, Jon Gray (#100) COL, RHP

Risers

Brendan Rodgers (#24) COL, SS – The 3rd overall pick in the 2015 draft, Rodgers played well in his professional debut at Rookie ball (.273/.340/.420), but didn’t exactly dominate. The raw talent was huge and the scouting reports glowing, so while I wanted to be a little cautious coming into the season, I didn’t want to be too cautious. I was too cautious. Rodgers is straight beasting Single-A right now, slashing .363/.429/.637, with 7 homers, and 2 steals in 28 games, and it easily launches him into the top 10, maybe even into the conversation for #1 overall.

Victor Robles (#35) WASH, OF – Triple-slashed .352/.445/.507, with 4 homers, and 24 steals in 61 games splitting time between Rookie ball and Low-A in 2015. The scouts loved him so much it almost seemed like they had to physically restrain themselves in their write-ups of him. I trusted the huge numbers and the universal praise, and ended up ranking him relatively high. I wasn’t high enough. The 18-year-old Robles is doing exactly the same thing in full season ball this year (.345/.434/.500) and the restraints are now completely off when writing about this kid. He is one of the premiere prospects in the game, and moves right into the top 10 with Rodgers.

David Dahl (#47) COL, OF – Injuries have been a recurring problem in Dahl’s young career, and it resulted in a subpar season in 2015. He has always been a tooled up player, and he will call Coors Field his home, so he still cracked my top 50 in the preseason. This season has been a completely different story, as he is healthy and those tools are translating to monstrous numbers at Double-A, where he is slashing .280/.375/.602, with 9 homers, and 11 steals. I even graced him with the nickname Double-D a few weeks ago, because of the enhanced power he is displaying this season. Dahl is a top 20 prospect right now.

Harrison Bader (#51) STL, OF – One would have thought I was already absurdly high on Bader, seeing that not a single other prospect list even had him ranked, but gosh darnit, I was actually too low. He cranked 2 more homers on Tuesday, and his slash line at Double-A sits at a silly .379/.425/.605, with 7 bombs, and 4 steals. Bader moves up to somewhere in the top 30.

Jameson Taillon (#86) PIT, RHP – Nobody had any idea of what to expect from Taillon after not pitching for two full seasons coming off Tommy John Surgery, but we know what to expect now, and that expectation is dominance. He is running circles around Triple-A hitters in the early going, putting up a line of 1.69/0.78/32 in 37.1 IP. I would still like to see how his arm holds up the deeper into the season we go, but there is no doubt that Taillon is flying up the rankings. He sits comfortably within the top 30.

Ian Happ (#50) CHC, 2B/OF – I was debating whether or not I wanted to include Happ on this list, as he is definitely a riser, but has cooled off considerably since I wrote about him in my Week 3 rundown. He is striking out a lot at High-A, and hasn’t displayed huge power or speed, either. Having said that, he is still slashing .287/.393/.470, with 4 homers, and 5 steals in 31 games, and has a decent chance of maintaining 2B eligibility in some capacity once he reaches the big leagues. Happ will certainly move into the top 40.

Ozhaino Albies (#75) ATL, SS – Albies is a riser based almost solely on the fact he is moving through Atlanta’s system far quicker than I could have anticipated. He was an 18-year-old in Single-A putting up nice numbers last year, and now he is all of a sudden knocking on the door of the big leagues, after dominating Double-A and being promoted to Triple-A. My original projection on him hasn’t changed, but his ETA has, and Albies sits somewhere in my top 40.

Matt Chapman (#94) OAK, 3B – The question in the off season was how many of those 23 homers in 80 games at High-A were for real, and how many were Cal League inflated? We now know that they were all very real. Every single one of them. Playing in a pitcher’s park at Double-A this season, Chapman has mashed 9 dingers in 32 games, and has a .903 OPS. He is becoming one of the very best power hitting prospects in the game, and jumps all the way into the top 50.

Tyler O’Neill (#78) SEA, OF – Like Bader, O’Neill was another player who I was extremely high on compared to other prospect lists, and like Bader, I was still too low. O’Neill has been cruising through Double-A this season, triple-slashing .322/.383/.557, with 6 homers, and 2 steals in 29 games. His K% is down a bit, and his BB% is up a bit. Most importantly, he is still hitting the crap out of the ball when he makes contact. He is a top 50 prospect.

Renato Nunez (#73) OAK, 3B – Nunez can just flat out hit. He has elite bat speed, plus raw power, and has put up good numbers at every level. He has continued that this season at Triple-A, slashing .284/.341/.526 with 6 homers in 31 games. He currently plays 3B, but will likely end up at 1B or DH. I probably should have been higher on Nunez in the preseason, and he easily cracks the top 50.

Cody Reed (#65) CIN, LHP – Another riser who I probably should have been higher on in the preseason. The 6’5’’, 225-pound Reed throws a big fastball and a nasty slider that has K upside written all over it. He is off to a great start at Triple-A (24.2 IP, 4 ER, 16 Hits, 5 BB, 25 K) and has a direct path to the majors. Welcome to the top 50, Cody Reed.

Brent Honeywell (#71) TB, RHP – The 21-year-old Honeywell’s dominance in a pitcher’s league at High-A isn’t all that surprising, but it is too much to ignore. He has put up a pitching line of 1.30/0.84/46 in 41.2 IP, and while I don’t think this has him flying up the rankings, the performance deserves to be recognized. He easily moves into the top 60, and possibly top 50.

Tyler Jay (#98) MIN, LHP – Jay was a total unknown coming into this season, with Minnesota converting him from a reliever into a starter. There have been a few bumps along the road, but his season line now stands at 3.03/1.19/30 in 32.2 IP at High-A, and he hasn’t given up an ER in his last two starts, striking out 13 batters in 13.1 IP. His BB/9 also sits at a respectable 2.8 on the season. I’ve seen enough to move him into the top 60.

*2016 Top 100 Fantasy Baseball Prospect Fallers coming tomorrow

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

Posted on by Michael Halpern

2016 Fantasy Baseball Minor League Prospect Rundown: Week 2

Every Monday, I will be running down some of the notable performances from around the Minor Leagues, or anything that might have caught my eye in general. Here is the week 2 2016 Fantasy Baseball Minor League Prospect Rundown:

Tyler Glasnow PIT, RHP – Control issues? What control issues? Glasnow struck out 9 batters and walked none over 5 IP in his 2nd start of the season. This obviously doesn’t mean he is Greg Maddux now, but it’s a start.

Julio Urias LAD, LHP – After dominating in his season debut at Triple-A (5 IP, 0 ER, 4 Hits, 0 BB, 9K), Urias had a rocky 2nd outing (5 IP, 4 ER, 5 Hits, 1 BB, 3K). He gave up 2 homers, but one was a PCL, windblown cheapie, and he finished strong by retiring 9 of the last 11 batters he faced. His fastball reached 96 MPH, and he relied on a hard slider that acted like a cutter at times as his breaking pitch. His changeup wasn’t working for him at all.

A.J. Reed HOU, 1B – Reed finally got on the board this week launching his first 2 homers at Triple-A. He has also struck out 11 times in 9 games, and is hitting .237. Tyler White has thrown a monkey wrench in Reed’s quick ascent to the majors, but spending a little extra time at Triple-A won’t hurt him anyway.

Brad Zimmer CLE, OF – Zimmer began to fill up the box score this week as well, hitting his first 2 homers and stealing his first 2 bases at Double-A. Like Reed, it has come with strikeouts (13 K’s in 9 GP) and a low average (.222).

Bobby Bradley CLE, 1B – More power and strikeouts. Bradley knocked his first 2 dingers at High-A, and has struck out 15 times in 9 games.

Josh Hader MIL, LHP – Hader carried his strong Spring Training performance into the regular season, as he has dominated Double-A hitters to begin the year (9 IP, 1 ER, 6 Hits, 3 BB, 12 K in 2 GS). He doesn’t have much left to prove at the Double-A level at this point.

Joey Gallo TEX, 3B – With the Rangers signing Adrian Beltre to a 2-year contract extension, the prospect crunch got even tighter in Texas. Gallo is destroying Triple-A in the early going, slashing .333/.432/.778 with 4 homers in 10 games, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he was the top trade chip at the deadline this season.

Trea Turner WASH, SS – Hitting .424, with 1 homer, and 4 steals in his first 9 games at Triple-A this year. Meanwhile, Danny Espinoza and his .161 AVG is doing one of the best prospect blocking jobs I have even seen, and I lived through the Stephen Drew fiasco in New York.

Alex Bregman HOU, SS – Double-A hasn’t slowed Bregman down at all, as he is completely tearing the level up to the tune of .400/.467/.800, with 5 homers, 1 steal, and only 3 K’s in 10 games. The only question left is where is he going to play in Houston’s stacked infield?

Dansby Swanson ATL, SS – Triple-slashing .341/.408/.477, with 6 doubles (no homers), and 3 steals in 11 games at High-A. No homers? High-A? Step your game up guy who was picked before Bregman.

Carson Fulmer CHW, RHP – Fulmer’s second start (5 IP, 4 ER, 6 Hits, 4 BB, 3 K) did not do much to quell the concerns after his horrible season debut. It is still very early, and he is likely just working out some early season kinks, but it is definitely something to watch.

Sean Manaea OAK, LHP – The hype has started to roll for Manaea, and for good reason, as the 24-year-old has struck out 17 batters and walked only 2 in 12 IP at Triple-A. Health is still the biggest concern here, as the talent has never been an issue.

Dillon Tate TEX, RHP – Followed up his strong season debut by striking out 10 batters in 6 IP in his 2nd start at Single-A. I think it is time to see him against tougher competition.

Raul Mondesi Jr. KC, SS – It might be time to start getting excited. Mondesi built on his strong opening week at Double-A with an equally impressive week 2. His season line now stands at .314/.400/.686, with 3 jacks, 6 steals, and a 6/5 K/BB in 9 games. I would say the time is now to buy, but it might already be too late.

David Dahl COL, OF – The power explosion has arrived! Dahl has smashed 5 homers and is slugging .609, to go along with 3 steals, in 11 games at Double-A. That power/speed combo is sure going to look nice at Coors.

Forrest Wall COL, 2B – Wall is off to a hot start at High-A, triple-slashing .381/.447/.571, with 1 homer, and 3 steals in 9 games. I thought I was already very high on all of Colorado’s prospects, but man, maybe I should have been even higher on them.

Harrison Bader STL, OF – One of my favorite sleepers heading into 2016, Bader has responded to St. Louis pushing him to Double-A to open the season (unlike someone else I know, cough-Willie Calhoun-cough). He is triple-slashing .350/.366/.516, with 1 homer, and 1 steal in 9 games. He has also struck out 13 times and walked only once, so it is not all roses.

Grant Holmes LAD, RHP – After tiring down the stretch last season in August and September, it is nice to see Holmes off to a strong start this year at High-A (11 IP, 0 ER, 7 Hits, 4 BB, 12 K in 2 GS). His ETA is a few years down the road, but the strikeout potential is worth the wait.

Willson Contreras CHC, C – Contreras is proving his 2015 breakout is for real, as he hasn’t missed a beat at Triple-A this season. He is hitting .429, with 3 K’s, and 2 BB’s in 9 games. The only thing left for him to do is to add some more home run power.

Trey Mancini BAL, 1B – Another player who is making his 2015 breakout stand up. Mancini has already launched 5 homers in 10 games at Double-A, and has maintained a .324 AVG while doing so.

Jameson Taillon PIT, RHP – Taillon exceeded all expectations in his first start since 2013, putting up a line of 6 IP, 1 ER, 5 Hits, 0 BB, and 6 K at Triple-A. His fastball was hitting 94 MPH. At this rate, the 24-year-old Taillon might jump back ahead of Glasnow if a rotation spot opens up in Pittsburgh.

Brent Honeywell TB, RHP – Honeywell has been lights out to start the season at High-A, putting up a line of 0.50/0.72/19 in 18 IP. It is nice to see the K’s tick up after they took a dip when he was promoted to High-A in 2015.

Clint Frazier CLE, OF – In my 2016 Top 100 Fantasy Prospects post, I said Frazier is a breakout waiting to happen, and well, it might be happening. He is slashing .325/.386/.575, with 2 homers, and 1 steal in 9 games at Double-A. The sky is the limit for this kid.

Renato Nunez OAK, 3B – Nunez homered in back to back games, and has now put up an .890 OPS in his first 9 games at Triple-A. And oh yea, Nunez was the other guy I called a breakout waiting to happen in my top 100 prospects post.

Jorge Alfaro PHI, C – Triple-slashing .500/.526/.750 and hit 1 homer in 8 games at Double-A. The talent has always been there, it was just a matter of putting it together. He is putting it together.

Michael Fulmer DET, RHP – 11 IP, 1 ER, 9 Hits, 4 BB, and 14 K’s in 2 GS at Triple-A. The 2015 breakout was for real.

Matt Chapman OAK, 3B – Smashed 2 homers yesterday, and now has 3 homers and a .953 OPS in 10 games at Double-A. He hit 23 homers in only 80 games last season in the Cal League, so seeing the power show up in a less hitter friendly environment is good to see.

James Kaprielian NYY, RHP – The buzz is starting to build around last year’s 16th overall pick in the draft. Kappy (as Girardi is sure to call him, if he hasn’t already) followed up his terrific season debut (5 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 0 BB, 9 K) with a 1 hitter in 7 IP in his 2nd outing. His season line stands at 0.75/0.50/13 in 12 IP and he is drawing rave reviews from everyone that sees him. He is currently at High-A, but expect him to move fast through the Yankees system.

Travis Demeritte TEX, 2B – Wrote a Travis Demeritte, 2016 Fantasy Baseball Prospect Breakout post. He tacked on another homer since that post, as well.

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

Posted on by Michael Halpern

2016 Top 100 Fantasy Baseball Prospect Rankings: 1-100

Prospect ranking season is finally here! Let’s get right down to business. These rankings are for Dynasty leagues, not for only 2016. Proximity to the majors is favored, but upside is still highly valued. With that in mind, here are the 2016 top 100 fantasy baseball prospects:

1) Corey Seager LAD, SS – Triple-slashed, .337/.425/.561, with 4 homers, and 2 steals in his first 113 MLB PA. Prime projection: 95/22/105/.300/8

2) Byron Buxton MIN, OF – Struggled in his first taste of the majors, but the tools and upside are still enormous. Prime projection: 105/15/80/.285/34

3) Yoan Moncada BOS, 2B – After a slow start to his stateside career, he absolutely tore up Single-A in the 2nd half. Sox paid $63 million to get this kid for a reason. Prime projection: 98/17/89/.280/30

4) Lucas Giolito WASH, RHP – Electric, top-of-the-rotation stuff. Struck out 131 batters in 117 IP in 2015. Prime projection: 2.91/1.03/226 in 210 IP

5) Tyler Glasnow PIT, RHP –  If you missed on Giolito, Glasnow is one hell of a consolation prize. Struck out 136 batters in 109.1 IP last season. Still needs some work repeating his delivery. Prime projection: 2.98/1.12/230 in 205 IP

6) A.J. Reed HOU, 1B – Wrote about him in my Finding the Next A.J. Reed article. Prime projection: 89/32/117/.282/3

7) Julio Urias LAD, LHP – Pitching prodigy in the truest sense of the word. As an 18-year-old, he climbed all the way to Triple-A last season. Easily might end up the best pitcher on this list. Prime projection: 3.10/1.09/211 in 200 IP

8) Andrew Benintendi BOS, OF – The best college bat in the 2015 draft. Didn’t miss a beat once reaching pro ball, triple-slashing, .313/.416/.556, hitting 11 homers, and stealing 10 bases in only 54 games. Prime projection: 90/23/100/.291/15

9) Lewis Brinson TEX, OF – Adam Jones 2.0. Put up a 1.004 OPS last season, and cut down on his strike outs. Legitimate 20/20 potential. Prime projection: 93/28/101/.274/17

10) Steven Matz NYM, LHP – Wrote about Matz in my Matz vs. Severino article. Prime projection: 3.33/1.16/188 in 195 IP

11) Alex Reyes STL, RHP – Fastball can reach 100 MPH. 13.6 K/9 last season. Poor command makes him riskier than the guys ranked above him, but still holds elite upside. Prime projection: 3.35/1.20/240 in 210 IP

12) Jose Berrios MIN, RHP – A bit undersized at 6’0’’, 185 pounds, but the numbers are undeniable. 2.87/1.05/175 in 166.1 IP split between Double-A and Triple-A. Plus command and control. Prime projection: 3.39/1.09/190 in 200 IP

13) Blake Snell TB, LHP– Put up a minuscule 1.41 ERA, striking out 163 batters in 134 IP last season. Rays have a strong history of developing starting pitchers. Prime projection: 3.36/1.15/209 in 198 IP

14) Jose De Leon LAD, RHP – Enjoyed a huge breakout in 2015, putting his name on the prospect map. Only Glasnow and Reyes have higher strikeout upside than De Leon on this list. Prime projection: 3.41/1.14/220 in 190 IP

15) J.P. Crawford PHI, SS – Would rank higher if this wasn’t a fantasy ranking, due to his plus defense and plate discipline. Projects for average power and above average speed. Prime projection: 100/12/62/.289/22

16) Brad Zimmer CLE, OF – 20/30 potential. Numbers dropped off after reaching Double-A last season, but was playing through a hairline fracture in his foot. Prime projection: 88/21/87/.270/25

17)  Joey Gallo TEX, 3B – Sooooooo many homers. Soooooooo many strike outs. Prime projection: 80/38/100/.242/5

18) Bobby Bradley CLE, 1B – Only Reed and Gallo have more power potential than Bradley on this list. Prime projection: 80/33/110/.253/4

19) Nomar Mazara TEX, OF – Rangers paid over $5 million to sign Mazara when he was 16 years old. All the talent in the world. Projects for above average contact and power. Prime projection: 89/24/104/.293/4

20) Derek Fisher HOU, OF – Wrote a Derek Fisher, 2016 Fantasy Prospect Sleeper post. Prime projection: 84/22/81/.270/17

21) Josh Hader MIL, LHP – Started to receive some hype after his fastball averaged 97 MPH in the Arizona Fall League. Big lefty. Reminiscent of Chris Sale. Prime projection: 3.31/1.18/193 in 190 IP

22) Tim Anderson CHW, SS – If I was breaking this up into tiers, this would be the beginning of the SS tier. But I’m not breaking this up into tiers, so this isn’t the beginning of the SS tier. Prime projection: 90/9/59/.277/31

23) Trea Turner WASH, SS – MLB ready, but will Stephen Drew and Danny Espinoza prospect block him? Plus speed and contact, with a little pop. Prime projection: 95/8/51/.282/28

24) Brendan Rodgers COL, SS – Oozing with potential. Can’t help but drool at the possibility of a power-hitting SS playing his home games at Coors. Still a long way off, though. Prime projection:  89/25/100/.280/7

25) Dansby Swanson ATL, SS – #1 overall pick in the 2015 draft. Slightly above average power and average speed. Better in real life than fantasy. Prime projection: 87/17/79/.286/14

26) Alex Bregman HOU, SS – #2 overall pick in the 2015 draft. Climbed all the way to High-A in his first year of pro ball, triple-slashing, .319/.364/.475. Prime projection: 92/15/74.293/15

27) Orlando Arcia MIL, SS – Another SS who would rank higher if this wasn’t a fantasy ranking. Broke out at the plate in 2015. Prime projection: 82/10/70/.274/25

28) Carson Fulmer CHW, RHP– 3rd pitcher selected, but best fantasy pitcher in the 2015 draft. Elite strikeout potential. Prime projection: 3.43/1.19/200 in 190 IP

29) Max Kepler MIN, OF – The big German had a monster 2015, putting up a .947 OPS in Double-A, with 9 homers and 18 steals. Prime projection:  85/18/85/.293/16

30) Trevor Story COL, SS – 20/20 season last year, splitting his time between Double-A and Triple-A. Gets the Coors Field bump. Prime projection: 79/20/83/.258/14

31) Gary Sanchez NYY, C – Wrote about him in my New York Yankees Top 5 Fantasy Prospects article. Prime projection: 67/22/83/.280/4

32) Tom Murphy COL, C – If I told you there was this major league ready catcher, with tons of power, and will play half of his games at Coors Field, is that something you would be interested in? Prime projection: 65/25/85/.259/4

33) Alen Hanson PIT, 2B – Wrote a Alen Hanson, 2016 Fantasy Prospect Sleeper post. Prime projection: 84/13/70/.277/25

34) Aaron Judge NYY, OF – Wrote about him in my New York Yankees Top 5 Fantasy Prospects article. Prime projection: 75/26/90/.260/7

35) Victor Robles WASH, OF – The scouts are slobbering all over this kid. The numbers back up the praise, triple-slashing, .352/.445/.507, in the lower levels of the minors last season. Prime projection: 96/14/75/.304/30

36) Kolby Allard ATL, LHP – Injury concerns be damned! This kid is the real deal. Was the 1st prep arm selected in the 2015 draft. Stuff draws comparisons to Clayton Kershaw. ETA is 3-4 years down the line. Prime projection: 3.25/1.09/210 in 195 IP

37) Anderson Espinoza BOS, RHP – Another teenage arm who could be on the fast track to the majors. Drawing comparisons to Pedro Martinez. Prime projection: 3.35/1.11/198 in 190 IP

38) Jorge Mateo NYY, SS – Wrote about him in my New York Yankees Top 5 Fantasy Prospects article. Prime projection: 87/9/50/.275/42

39) Brett Phillips MIL, OF – Power/speed combo. Hard-nosed player whose tools play up. Prime projection: 86/17/76/.275/19

40) John Lamb CIN, LHP – Sleeper alert! Poor man’s Steven Matz. Put up a pitching line of 2.67/1.17/117 in 111.1 IP in Triple-A last season. Prime projection: 3.42/1.18/190 in 190 IP (Update: Out until mid-April after off-season back surgery)

41) Jesse Winker CIN, OF – Possibly the most advanced plate approach of any player in the minors. Power should continue to develop as he gets older. Prime projection: 94/20/100/.292/4

42) Raimel Tapia COL, OF – Elite contact skills. Above average speed. Average power. Gets the Coors Field bump. Prime projection: 92/13/70/.301/21

43) Willie Calhoun LAD, 2B – Wrote about him in my Finding the Next A.J. Reed article. Prime projection: 90/25/93/.294/3

44) Jose Peraza CIN, 2B – Elite contact and speed. Prime projection: 96/6/51/.285/37

45) Sean Manaea OAK, LHP – Struck out 236 batters in 196 career minor league IP. Comes with injury and bullpen risk. Prime projection: 3.49/1.21/195 in 185 IP.

46) Dillon Tate TEX, RHP – 1st pitcher selected in the 2015 draft. Last season was his first as a starter, so there are a lot of unknowns here. Prime projection: 3.50/1.19/189 in 200 IP.

47) David Dahl COL, OF – Tooled up, with 5-category upside. Had some injury issues the past few seasons. Prime projection: 89/17/73/.280/16

48) Grant Holmes LAD, RHP – The strikeout potential fantasy owners love, but still very raw. Prime projection: 3.44/1.27/199 in 188 IP

49) Ryan McMahon COL, 3B – Sweet swinging lefty, with power and strikeouts. Coors Field bump. Prime projection: 80/23/96/.272/6

50) Ian Happ CHC, 2B/OF – Advanced college bat. Power/speed combo. Played OF in college, but Cubs will try him at 2B. Prime projection: 85/19/76/.269/14

51) Harrison Bader STL, OF – Wrote about him in my Finding the Next A.J. Reed article. Prime projection: 85/20/81/.280/14

52) Willson Contreras CHC, C – Triple-slashed, .333/.413/.478, in a huge offensive breakout at Double-A last season. Hit only 8 homers, but power should come around. Prime projection: 64/16/81/.293/3

53) Austin Meadows PIT, OF – Power hasn’t developed as hoped quite yet, but everything else is there. If power comes, watch out. Prime projection: 94/15/83/.309/12

54) Sean Newcomb ATL, LHP – Tantalizing stuff, but major control issues. High risk, high reward. Prime projection: 3.40/1.28/195 in 180 IP

55) Robert Stephenson CIN, RHP – Look up one inch. Prime projection: 3.51/1.25/187 in 187 IP

56) Raul Mondesi Jr. KC, SS – Pure upside pick. The offense hasn’t come around yet, but he has been far younger than his competition at every level. Baseball bloodline. Prime projection: 79/15/71/.267/28

57) Franklin Barreto OAK, SS – Centerpiece of the Josh Donaldson trade. 5-category potential. Oakland is stacked at SS, so a move to CF is possible. Prime projection: 86/14/77/.287/22

58) Clint Frazier CLE, OF – A breakout waiting to happen. #5 overall pick in the 2013 draft. Game power just started to blossom last season. Prime projection: 79/24/90/.271/8

59) Nick Williams PHI, OF – Has the tools to be higher on this list, but scouts still question his plate approach. Prime projection: 85/18/78/.276/10

60) Josh Bell PIT, 1B – Elite contact skills, but plus raw power has not shown up in games yet. Prime projection: 78/19/90/.299/7

61) Hunter Renfroe SD, OF – Power and strikeouts. Likely to break into the majors this year. Prime projection: 74/24/86/.266/6

62) Forrest Wall COL, 2B – By now, you know I love me some Coors Field hitters. 5-category potential at 2B. Prime projection: 87/14/73/.284/21

63) Rafael Devers BOS, 3B – Another pure upside pick. Triple-slashed, .288/.329/.443, as an 18-year-old in Single-A. Prime projection: 80/21/96/.287/5

64) Manuel Margot SD, OF – More valuable in real life, due to his plus CF defense. There is plenty of time for the bat to come around, though. Prime projection: 85/11/60/.278/29

65) Cody Reed CIN, LHP – Big, strong lefty. Struck out 144 batters in 145.2 IP last season, splitting time between High-A and Double-A. Prime projection: 3.44/1.19/192 in 200 IP

66) Francis Martes HOU, RHP – Came out of nowhere in 2015. Climbed all the way to Double-A as a 19-year-old. Reminiscent of Luis Severino’s rise a few years ago. Prime projection: 3.39/1.10/176 in 185 IP

67) Kyle Zimmer KC, RHP – You feeling lucky? Elite strikeout potential, but major injury concerns. Prime projection: 3.30/1.17/180 in 160 IP

68) Jacob Faria TB, RHP – Sleeper alert! Put up a pitching line of 2.51/1.09/96 in 75.1 IP, pitching in Double-A last season. Doesn’t have the big fastball, but his delivery creates a lot of deception. Gets a bump due to Tampa Bay’s success with developing pitchers like him. Prime projection: 3.50/1.15/185 in 190 IP

69) Jack Flaherty STL, RHP – We can “own” prospects in fantasy, but we still need to rely on actual baseball teams to develop them. And there isn’t a better team at player development than the St. Louis Cardinals. Flaherty struck out 97 batters in 95 IP last season, in his first full season of pro ball at Single-A. Fastball currently sits in the low 90’s, but still time to gain a few MPH as he ages. Prime projection: 3.35/1.18/175 in 200 IP

70) Justus Sheffield CLE, LHP – Cleveland has been on fire of late developing starting pitching. Time to jump on the bandwagon. He is also Gary Sheffield’s nephew. Prime projection: 3.48/1.22/200 in 188 IP

71) Brent Honeywell TB, RHP ­– More Tampa Bay love. Honeywell is advanced beyond his years. Comes with a nasty screwball that he learned from his father. Prime projection: 3.42/1.12/179 in 190 IP

72) Jacob Nottingham MIL, C – Bat-first catcher. Triple-slashed, .316/.372/.505, and hit 17 homers in 119 games last season, splitting his time between Single-A and High-A. Prime projection: 63/20/78/.276/1

73) Renato Nunez OAK, 3B – Another breakout waiting to happen. Not like he hasn’t been hitting already, though, launching 18 homers in only 93 Double-A games last season. This coming off a 29 homer season in High-A in 2014. Prime projection: 82/21/91/.284/1

74) Matt Olson OAK, 1B – After hitting 37 homers in High-A in 2014, hit only 17 in Double-A last season. But some of that had to do with going from an extreme hitter’s park, to an extreme pitcher’s park. Tons of walks and strikeouts. Prime projection: 79/26/90.257/3

75) Ozhaino Albies ATL, SS – Triple-slashed, .310/.368/.404, and stole 29 bags as an 18-year-old in Single-A. Projects as a prototypical leadoff hitter. Prime projection: 95/4/49/.295/33

76) Anthony Alford TOR, OF – 5-category upside with all the tools. Still very raw, but started to show flashes of his enormous potential last season. Prime projection: 81/16/79/.272/18

77) Dominic Smith NYM, 1B – 11th overall pick in the 2013 draft. Plus raw power has not shown up in games yet, but has exhibited elite contact skills. Power should develop down the line. Prime projection: 78/20/90/.293/2

78) Tyler O’Neill SEA, OF – (Update: I wrote a Tyler O’Neill, 2016 Fantasy Prospect Sleeper aritcle) – I might be getting drawn in by the inflated HR total (32 in 106 games) he put up in the notoriously hitterish Cal League. And Seattle’s recent history of developing position players is scary. But the bat speed and exit velocity are for real. I’m willing to take a chance on him here. Prime projection: 73/25/88/.249/9

79) Jorge Alfaro PHI, C ­– Power-hitting catcher with tons of raw talent. Just hasn’t put it together yet. Prime projection: 62/17/73/.245/5

80) Jake Thompson PHI, RHP – We now enter the mid-rotation starter portion of the list. Don’t count on these guys to carry your fantasy staff, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be useful. Prime projection: 3.52/1.20/173 in 193 IP

81) Aaron Blair ATL, RHP – 6’5’’, 230-pound workhorse. Atlanta acquired him as part of the Shelby Miller trade. Prime projection: 3.48/1.19/169 in 200 IP

82) Michael Fulmer DET, RHP – Finally stayed healthy for an entire season. Put up a pitching line of 2.24/1.08/125 in 124.2 IP at Double-A in 2015. Still some bullpen risk. Prime projection: 3.57/1.23/180 in 185 IP

83) Archie Bradley ARI, RHP ­– 7th overall pick in the 2011 draft. Classic mid-rotation starter profile. Prime projection: 3.55/1.24/176 in 189 IP

84) Braden Shipley ARI, RHP – 15th overall pick in the 2013 draft. Classic mid-rotation starter profile. Do I hear an echo? Prime projection: 3.59/1.20/168 in 184 IP

85) Erick Fedde WASH, RHP – We now enter the injured, but tons of upside portion of the list. These guys have top-of-the-rotation potential, but still have to prove it coming off major injuries. Prime projection: 3.41/1.15/169 in 185 IP

86) Jameson Taillon PIT, RHP – Hasn’t pitched since 2013 after undergoing Tommy John surgery. We can only guess if his stuff will return completely to its pre-surgery level. Prime projection: 3.38/1.13/150 in 150 IP

87) Hunter Harvey BAL, RHP – Constant elbow problems have dogged Harvey over the past few seasons. But he has avoided Tommy John surgery, so far. If he puts together a healthy season in 2016, he could vault up this list. Prime projection: 3.45/1.18/160 in 150 IP

88) Dylan Bundy BAL, RHP – Tommy John surgery cost him all of 2013. In 2014, it was more arm trouble. Last season, it was shoulder problems. The potential is still elite, though. Prime projection: 3.50/1.16/150 in 150 IP

89) Kyle Tucker HOU, OF – Most advanced prep bat in the 2015 draft. Drafted #5 overall. Swing draws comparisons to Ted Williams, if outlandish player comparisons are your thing. Prime projection: 86/18/84/.284/14

90) Kevin Padlo TB, 3B – After struggling in Single-A to start 2015, put up a .906 OPS, with 9 homers, and 33 steals in only 70 games after being sent down to Low-A. Buy now before it is too late. Prime projection: 85/16/75/.280/22 (Update: Traded to Tampa Bay in the Corey Dickerson trade)

91) Mallex Smith ATL, OF – MLB ready steals. If you are looking for an immediate contributor in the stolen base category, Smith is your man. Don’t expect much else. Prime projection: 87/6/47/.283/39

92) Roman Quinn PHI, OF – Trouble staying healthy his entire career, but has elite speed and a plus hit tool when he does play. Prime projection: 86/8/57/.284/37

93) Gleybor Torres CHC, SS – Triple-slashed, .293/.353/.386, as an 18-year-old in Single-A last season. Solid tools across the board. Prime projection: 81/15/70/.283/15

94) Matt Chapman OAK, 3B – 25th overall pick in the 2014 draft. Launched 23 homers in only 80 games playing in the Cal League last season. Prime projection: 72/24/86/.263/3

95) Cody Bellinger LAD, 1B/OF – Launched 30 homers in 128 games playing in the Cal League last season. Looking at all of these bloated Cal League home run totals, it makes me think I can hit double-digit homers there (yea, in my dreams). His father is former New York Yankees utility man, Clay Bellinger. Prime projection: 75/21/92/.271/7

96) Luis Ortiz TEX, RHP – Drew comparisons to Jose Fernandez when he was drafted out of high school in 2014. Was dominating Single-A last season before being shut down with an elbow strain. Top-of-the-rotation potential, but need to see more. Prime projection: 3.56/1.17/163 in 175 IP

97) Javier Guerra SD, SS – Known more for his glove than his bat. Still managed to hit 15 homers in 116 Single-A games last season as a 19-year-old. Prime projection: 78/14/69/.280/9

98) Tyler Jay MIN, LHP – 6th overall pick in the 2015 draft. Dominant reliever in college, but has the repertoire and stuff to start. Elite strikeout potential, but just too many unknowns at this point. Prime projection: 3.60/1.25/180 in 180 IP

99) Austin Byler ARI, 1B – Wrote about him in my Finding the Next A.J. Reed article. Prime Projection: 69/25/87/.243/4

100) Jon Gray COL, RHP – If you are sick of hearing about the Coors Field bump, you are in luck, because Gray gets the Coors Field downgrade. Ace potential outside of Coors. Poor guy. Prime Projection: 3.76/1.24/191 in 200 IP

By Michael Halpern
Email: michaelhalpern@imaginarybrickwall.com

Posted on by Michael Halpern

2016 Top 100 Fantasy Baseball Prospect Rankings: 16-40

Prospect ranking season is finally here! We start in reverse, reverse order this year. Most people would start from 100, and count down to 1. But not here at Imaginary Brick Wall, where we turn traditional logic on its head … and then flip it back around again.

It should be noted that these rankings are for dynasty leagues, not for just 2016. Proximity to the majors is favored, but upside is still highly valued.

2016 Top 100 Fantasy Baseball Prospect Rankings: 1-15

16) Brad Zimmer CLE, OF – 20/30 potential. Numbers dropped off after reaching Double-A last season, but was playing through a hairline fracture in his foot. Prime projection: 88/21/87/.270/25

17)  Joey Gallo TEX, 3B – Sooooooo many homers. Soooooooo many strike outs. Prime projection: 80/38/100/.242/5

18) Bobby Bradley CLE, 1B – Only Reed and Gallo have more power potential than Bradley on this list. Prime projection: 80/33/110/.253/4

19) Nomar Mazara TEX, OF – Rangers paid over $5 million to sign Mazara when he was 16 years old. All the talent in the world. Projects for above average contact and power. Prime projection: 89/24/104/.293/4

20) Derek Fisher HOU, OF – Wrote a Derek Fisher, 2016 Fantasy Prospect Sleeper post. Prime projection: 84/22/81/.270/17

21) Josh Hader MIL, LHP – Started to receive some hype after his fastball averaged 97 MPH in the Arizona Fall League. Big lefty. Reminiscent of Chris Sale. Prime projection: 3.31/1.18/193 in 190 IP

22) Tim Anderson CHW, SS – If I was breaking this up into tiers, this would be the beginning of the SS tier. But I’m not breaking this up into tiers, so this isn’t the beginning of the SS tier. Prime projection: 90/9/59/.277/31

23) Trea Turner WASH, SS – MLB ready, but will Stephen Drew and Danny Espinoza prospect block him? Plus speed and contact, with a little pop. Prime projection: 95/8/51/.282/28

24) Brendan Rodgers COL, SS – Oozing with potential. Can’t help but drool at the possibility of a power hitting SS playing half his games at Coors. Still a long way off, though. Prime projection:  89/25/100/.280/7

25) Dansby Swanson ATL, SS – #1 overall pick in the 2015 draft. Slightly above average power and average speed. Better in real life than fantasy. Prime projection: 87/17/79/.286/14

26) Alex Bregman HOU, SS – #2 overall pick in the 2015 draft. Climbed all the way to High-A in his first year of pro ball, triple-slashing, .319/.364/.475. Prime projection: 92/15/74.293/15

27) Orlando Arcia MIL, SS – Another SS who would rank higher if this wasn’t a fantasy ranking. Broke out at the plate in 2015. Prime projection: 82/10/70/.274/25

28) Carson Fulmer CHW, RHP– 3rd pitcher selected, but best fantasy pitcher in the 2015 draft. Elite strikeout potential. Prime projection: 3.43/1.19/200 in 190 IP

29) Max Kepler MIN, OF – The big German had a monster 2015, putting up a .947 OPS in Double-A, with 9 homers and 18 steals. Prime projection:  85/18/85/.293/16

30) Trevor Story COL, SS – 20/20 season last year, splitting his time between Double-A and Triple-A. Gets the Coors Field bump. Prime projection: 79/20/83/.258/14

31) Gary Sanchez NYY, C – Wrote about him in my New York Yankees Top 5 Fantasy Prospects article. Prime projection: 67/22/83/.280/4

32) Tom Murphy COL, C – If I told you there was this major league ready catcher, with tons of power, and will play half of his games at Coors Field, is that something you would be interested in? Prime projection: 65/25/85/.259/4

33) Alen Hanson PIT, 2B – Wrote a Alen Hanson, 2016 Fantasy Prospect Sleeper post. Prime projection: 84/13/70/.277/25

34) Aaron Judge NYY, OF – Wrote about him in my New York Yankees Top 5 Fantasy Prospects article. Prime projection: 75/26/90/.260/7

35) Victor Robles WASH, OF – The scouts are slobbering all over this kid. The numbers back up the praise, triple-slashing, .352/.445/.507, in the lower levels of the minors last season. Prime projection: 96/14/75/.304/30

36) Kolby Allard ATL, LHP – Injury concerns be damned! This kid is the real deal. Was the 1st prep arm selected in the 2015 draft. Stuff draws comparisons to Clayton Kershaw. ETA is 3-4 years down the line. Prime projection: 3.25/1.09/210 in 195 IP

37) Anderson Espinoza BOS, RHP – Another teenage arm who could be on the fast track to the majors. Drawing comparisons to Pedro Martinez. Prime projection: 3.35/1.11/198 in 190 IP

38) Jorge Mateo NYY, SS – Wrote about him in my New York Yankees Top 5 Fantasy Prospects article. Prime projection: 87/9/50/.275/42

39) Brett Phillips MIL, OF – Power/speed combo. Hard-nosed player whose tools play up. Prime projection: 86/17/76/.275/19

40) John Lamb CIN, LHP – Sleeper alert! Poor man’s Steven Matz. Will start 2016 in the Reds rotation. Put up a pitching line of 2.67/1.17/117 in 111.1 IP in Triple-A last season. Prime projection: 3.42/1.18/190 in 190 IP
2016 Top 100 Fantasy Baseball Prospect Rankings: 41-70

By Michael Halpern
Email: michaelhalpern@imaginarybrickwall.com