Austin Byler – Imaginary Brick Wall

Posted on November 21, 2016November 21, 2016 by Michael Halpern

Reviewing My 2016 Fantasy Baseball Dynasty League Prospect Sleepers Post

Now is as good a time as any to review my 2016 Fantasy Baseball Dynasty League Prospect Sleepers post from last off-season. Let’s get right to the meat of this thing (in order of where they ranked on the original post):

Intro) Trevor Story COL, SS – By the time I collected all of my favorite sleepers into one post, Story was no longer a sleeper. He was dominating Spring Training and exploding up fantasy baseball draft boards. But when I ranked him 30^th overall on my off-season top 100 in early February, he was barely getting any love at all in the prospect world, going completely unranked on Baseball America, MLB.com, and Baseball Prospectus’ Top 100’s. Story went on to dominate the majors until a thumb injury ended his season, and he currently stands as my best prospect sleeper pick.

1) Bobby Bradley CLE, 1B – Dropped from 18^th on my off-season list, to 28^th on my End of Season Top 35, but basically maintained in High-A this season what made me love him so much in 2015. Double-A will be the first real barometer on how this call is going to play out.

2) Derek Fisher HOU, OF – Double-A and Triple-A pitching wasn’t any more of a challenge to Fisher than A-Ball pitching was. He started showing up in the back of some mainstream mid-season prospect lists, and his value certainly took a jump this season. While the ultimate test will be how he handles MLB pitching, he was already cashed in as a trade chip in two of my dynasty leagues from owners who bought on the cheap last off-season.

3) Josh Hader MIL, LHP – From unranked on Baseball America’s off-season top 100, to top 25 on their mid-season list. I don’t mean to keep harping on mainstream lists, but so much of a prospects objective value in fantasy leagues is determined by where they rank on these lists. In one dynasty league, owners were trying to pry Hader (7 years of team control) from me all season as a centerpiece in deals for guys like Max Scherzer and Todd Frazier (expiring contracts).

4) Tom Murphy COL, C – Graduated from a dynasty league sleeper last off-season, to a redraft league sleeper this off-season. If you like to wait on catcher, which you should, Murphy is a prime late round target.

5) Alen Hanson PIT, 2B/UTIL – We come to my first miss. Not only did Hanson get no at-bats while Jung-ho Kang was out early in the year, like I thought he would, but he showed no improvement repeating Triple-A this season either. It also looks like he is headed for a utility role early in his career, which can be annoying in fantasy leagues where he will have to take up a roster spot. I still like Hanson and would hold if I owned him, but his value is undeniably lower than where it was last year.

6) Willie Calhoun LAD, 2B – Was named MVP of the Arizona Fall Stars Game. Just watch the videos in that link of his perfect day at the plate to see why I’ve been hyping him for about a year now.

7) Harrison Bader STL, OF – Bader impressed at the Fall Stars Game too, smacking a double to the wall in his first at-bat, and tacked on another well hit single his next time up. Like Calhoun, he showed up on the back of some mid-season top 100 lists, and I was able to use him in a trade (plus a lot more) that netted me 4 cheap years of Yu Darvish.

8) Jacob Faria TB, RHP – Performance slightly declined across the board at Triple-A this year. Homer and walk rates were up while strikeouts were down. I don’t think his value is significantly different from where it was last year, but considering he will be going at it in the AL East, I’m concerned I was a bit too high on him in the first place.

9) Jack Flaherty STL, RHP – Value remains basically identical to last off-season. Hasn’t added the extra velocity that many projected when he was a “projectable” high school starter, but there is plenty of time for that to still come. Like Bradley, what he does at Double-A next year will be telling.

10) Justus Sheffield NYY, LHP – Will be leaving the comfy confines of Progressive Field and the AL Central for Yankee Stadium and the AL East. Everything else is more or less the same as last off-season, but he is a bit higher profile now that he was involved in that blockbuster trade for Andrew Miller. Clint Frazier and Sheffield probably won’t have any added pressure on them to perform, none at all.

11) Tyler O’Neill SEA, OF – I’ve been patting myself on the back for being so high on O’Neill last off-season, but it turns out I was still too low. He significantly improved both his hit tool and plate approach this year at Double-A, and has been equally impressive in the Arizona Fall League. After being unranked everywhere in the off-season, he was all over traditional mid-season lists.

12) Austin Byler ARI, 1B – My bad. At least he was ranked last on this list 😉

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

Posted on July 11, 2016July 14, 2016 by Michael Halpern

2016 Fantasy Baseball Minor League Prospect Rundown: Week 14

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 2016 Fantasy Baseball Minor League Prospect Rundown: Week 14:

Alex Bregman HOU, SS/3B – If you missed last night’s Futures All-Star Game, you might have missed one of the most exciting baseball games of the year. Bregman put on a show in the first half of the game, going 3 for 3 with a homer short of the cycle. He was mic’d up and giggling like a little school girl about hitting a homer in his next at-bat to anyone who would listen to him. He didn’t, making outs in his final 2 at-bats.

Yoan Moncada BOS, 2B – Moncada picked up where Bregman left off, crushing a 2^nd deck bomb to give the World team the lead in the 8^th inning, which secured him the MVP award. He also laced an opposite field single on a nice inside out swing vs. hard thrower Jeff Hoffman in his second at bat, and then swiped second easily. That power/speed combo is why I ranked him #1 in my mid-season top 100.

Alex Reyes STL, RHP – By far the most impressive pitcher of the night, striking out 4 batters in 1.2 IP. He was hitting 100 MPH easy and dropping good curveballs in for strikes. He also flashed some solid changeups that I originally mistook for two seam fastballs because they were almost hitting 90 MPH. There is still plenty of refinement to go, but his fantasy upside is unrivaled.

Eloy Jimenez CHC, OF – Had the entire Cubs organization holding their breath as he made a daredevil catch over the RF fence down the foul line, and then launched a homerun derby quality homer in the 9^th inning. Not bad for a 19-year-old who has played in Single-A all year.

Yu-Cheng Chang CLE, SS – Did Imaginary Brick Wall just get the Asian market bump that I hear so much about in baseball? After writing a sleeper post for Taiwanese SS Yu-Cheng Chang last week, my website hits from Taiwan spiked by 20%! That gives me over 100 hits all-time from Taiwan! Ni hao, all my new Taiwanese friends. Chang had a 4-hit game just hours after I wrote that article too.

Josh Bell PIT, 1B – It didn’t take long for Bell to show off the power he added this year, crushing a grand slam in his 2^nd Major League at-bat. Too bad it doesn’t look like Pittsburgh is going to make a point of getting his bat in the lineup.

Willie Calhoun LAD, 2B – Willie just keeps on hitting, smashing 3 more homers this week on his way to the Futures All-Star Game (where he went 0 for 2).

Harrison Bader STL, OF – Promoted to Triple-A and went 5 for 22 with 2 doubles and a homer in his first 5 games at the level. He was also caught stealing and put up a 6/0 K/BB.

Austin Byler ARI, 1B – The adopted step child, black sheep, the one we only speak about in whispers of my Finding the Next A.J. Reed article is starting to show a pulse, slashing .417/.481/.792 with 2 homers this week after getting a late start to his season due to suspension. He is 23 years old with a 52/14 K/BB in 36 games at Single-A, so I’m going to need to see a lot more and at a higher level to start really getting excited.

David Dahl COL, OF – Dahl made Bader’s Triple-A debut look like child’s play, slashing .500/.536/.846 with 2 homers and 0 K’s in 6 games. If you took Urias, Giolito, Glasnow, and Reed out of my mid-season top 100, Dahl would have been a top 5 fantasy prospect.

Brendan Rodgers COL, SS – 2 more dingers this week, and continues to impress with his power/contact skills, slashing .295/.362/.505 with 13 homers and a 55/24 K/BB in 68 games at Single-A. I gave Rodgers the slight edge over Bregman on my top 100 because of Coors and a better chance to stick at SS, but they are basically even in my book.

Tom Murphy COL, C – Smashed 4 homers this week, giving him 11 on the year in only 44 games. It also comes with a fun 55/5 K/BB. That huge power at Coors Field from a catcher is why I ranked him 69^th in my mid-season top 100, but the lack of contact skills and plate approach is why he dropped from my 32^nd ranking of him in the off-season. All in all, I’m still on board.

J.P. Crawford PHI, SS – Slashed .480/.515/.840 with 2 homers this week at Triple-A. He is definitely a better real life prospect, but I still think he is going to be an impact fantasy player too.

Tyler O’Neill SEA, OF – Ranked 45^th on Baseball America’s mid-season top 100! And oh yea, Hader (#22), Bader (#89), Fisher (#94), and Calhoun (#98) also cracked their top 100. I mean, I have a sneaking suspicion that I may have a few fans over at BA. They obviously know what they are doing over there, and I love that my favorite sleepers are starting to get some national hype!

Jacob Faria TB, RHP – Continues to pitch well at Triple-A, going 6 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 1 BB, 9 K. He hasn’t shown up on any other mid-season top 100’s so far, so it looks like he is still being slept on.

Yohander Mendez TEX, LHP – Got a spot start at Triple-A this week, and impressed by going 5 IP, 0 ER, 3 Hits, 3 BB, 7 K. This guy has the look of a big time lefty starter, and he is putting up the numbers to back it up too.

Kyle Lewis SEA, OF – The #1 ranked prospect from my MLB Draft Fantasy Baseball Prospect Rankings is starting to show why I liked him so much, slashing .435/.519/.913 with 3 homers and a 2/5 K/BB this week at Low-A. He has a 12/13 K/BB in 21 games on the season, and considering strikeouts were thought to be the main concern with Lewis, he is off to a very encouraging start.

Nick Senzel CIN, 3B – Playing exactly as advertised in his first 19 pro games, displaying an advanced plate approach (11/11 K/BB), speed (10 steals), and doubles power (6).

Christin Stewart DET, OF – 3 more homers in his last 5 games, and his monster power season in the pitcher friendly Florida State League earned him a spot in the Futures All-Stars Game.

Luke Weaver STL, RHP – 6 IP, 0 ER, 2 Hits, 0 BB, 7K in his start this week, which continued his excellent season. Scouts love to drool over dominant curveballs, but it seems like devastating changeups have been slightly undervalued recently, and Weaver has one.

Alen Hanson PIT, 2B – I was seriously starting to think a hot streak was never going to come, but Hanson found his groove this week, slashing .423/.484/.462 with 4 steals. His overall numbers are still unimpressive, but he is stealing bases and the raw talent is still there.

Cody Ponce MIL, RHP – 6 IP, 0 ER, 3 Hits, 0 BB, 12 K in his best start of the season as he he is ramping up after having early season forearm fatigue. Ponce stands a physically imposing 6’6’’, 240 pounds and throws a mid 90’s fastball with a solid slider and inconsistent curveball and changeup. The risk is high here as with many other pitching prospects, but his talent is equal to any of the pitchers showing up on the back half of mid-season prospect lists.

Max Schrock WASH, 2B – I stumbled upon Schrock in early June during the same search that I found Ronald Acuna with (who I wrote about in that week’s rundown) when I went searching for sleeper prospects that Carson Cistulli has made famous, underrated low-k/contact guys. I didn’t mention him because he was 21 years old in Single-A, didn’t have much power, and I just have more fun writing about underrated bat speed/power guys. But Schrock was promoted to High-A recently, and hit 3 homers in his first 13 games (2 in the last week), along with continuing to display his excellent contact skills (27/24 K/BB in 68 games on the year) and speed (19 steals). I would be more excited about him as a real life prospect, but even in fantasy, it is looking more and more like he has the potential to make a legitimate impact.

Luis Urias SD, 2B/UTIL – I found the 19-year-old Urias during that same search, but was even less inclined to mention him because he gets caught stealing more than he is successful (26 for 58 in his MiLB career). He has just kept on hitting, though, and is now slashing .327/.401/.438 with 5 homers, 8 steals, and a 31/30 K/BB in 82 games. He hit a homer in Triple-A last night too. I think I’m gonna start mentioning these guys …

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

Posted on June 6, 2016June 8, 2016 by Michael Halpern

2016 Fantasy Baseball Minor League Prospect Rundown: Week 9

Byron Buxton MIN, OF – I said back in week 5, “If I were a betting man (I am), I would bet a lot of money that Buxton will not hit like a little leaguer when he gets called back up,” and I was right, as he is hitting .425 in the 6 games since being called back up. Now I just have to figure out how to collect on that imaginary bet I made.

Trea Turner WASH, SS – Washington is expected to send Turner back down to Triple-A after a short, successful stint in the majors, and said they wanted Turner’s defense to improve before calling him up permanently. You can expect that “defensive improvement” to come right around the time Washington can push Turner’s first year of arbitration back, which is around mid-July.

2016 MLB Draft Thursday, June 9, 2016 – I never thought I would say this, but I am actually looking forward to the MLB Draft more than the NBA Draft or last April’s NFL Draft. I think it’s fair to say that the MLB Draft is a sleeper when it comes to sports drafts, or maybe a breakout candidate. Either way, tons of fantasy relevant players are about to join the professional ranks, and as usual, some will rise to the occasion and others will fall. I took a stab at trying to find those sleepers before they even hit the minors in my Updated 2016 Top 30 MLB Draft Fantasy Baseball Prospect Rankings, where I ranked a bunch of players much higher than they are ranked on traditional lists (Craig, Collins, Grier, Quinn, Dawson etc …). Also of note, the Colorado Rockies pick at #4, and they are either going to ruin a pitcher’s career, or turn an above average hitter into a hall of famer. Fun stuff.

Christin Stewart DET, OF – The 34^th overall pick of the 2015 draft (see what I mean about finding draft sleepers), Stewart is leaving no doubt that he can absolutely destroy High-A, slashing .255/.395/.561 with 16 homers in 56 games. It will be fun to see what he can do once he gets to Double-A.

Andrew Benintendi BOS, OF – It hasn’t been much fun seeing what Benintendi can do at Double-A, as he is slashing .220/.266/.271 in 64 PA. He also has only one homer on the season. He is due for a hot streak, but Double-A sure does have a way of cutting down on those video game numbers.

Willson Contreras CHC, C – Drilled 3 homers again this week, giving him 9 on the season with a triple-slash of .335/.428/.585 in 47 games at Triple-A. He is already 24 years old and doing this in the PCL, so I wouldn’t be expecting the next coming of Pudge Rodriguez here. I gave him a prime projection of 64/16/81/.293/3 in my off-season top 100, already assuming the power would come around, and I would probably stick with something close to that.

Austin Meadows PIT, OF – Well, that really escalated quickly. Meadows hot steak continued, and is now slashing .296/.359/.536, with 2 homers, and 8 steals in 35 games at Double-A. He hit both homers this week, and if the power keeps coming, there will not be many prospects more exciting than Meadows.

Bobby Bradley CLE, 1B – 2 more homers (13) and 11 more strikeouts (72).

Lucas Giolito WASH, RHP – He’s back. Put up a pitching line of 12 IP, 2 ER, 10 Hits, 5 BB, 14 K in his two starts this week. The Giolito hype train should be reaching peak velocity right about now.

Blake Snell TB, LHP – Snell threw two shutouts this week, going a combined 11 IP, 0 ER, 8 Hits, 5 BB, 14 K. He is walking too many batters and throwing too many pitches, but the drool worthy K numbers are still doing just fine.

Jack Flaherty STL, RHP – Flaherty built off last week’s shutout, throwing another shutout this week, going 7 IP, 0 ER, 2 Hits, 2 BB, 7 K. Did you actually think a St. Louis prospect was going to disappoint all year? Unheard of.

Tyler Jay MIN, LHP – Jay has been impressive all year, and he turned it up another notch this week, going 8 IP, 0 ER, 2 Hits, 1 BB, 11 K in High-A. I think it’s time we see what the 22-year-old Jay can do at Double-A … whaddaya say? … how ’bout some hay? … I’m done with this, okay?

Jake Junis KC, RHP – Junis was a 29^th round pick in the 2011 draft who received a large signing bonus after being a two sport start coming out of high school, dominating in both baseball and basketball. He has slowly but surely refined his skills and improved over the course of his professional career, and is putting together a breakout season Double-A this year, with a pitching line of 2.59/0.96/66 in 62.2 IP. He has plus control and command (2.0 BB/9) and flashes three above average pitches (low 90’s fastball, curveball, changeup). At 6’2’’, 225 pounds, Junis is an excellent athlete with a repeatable delivery, and he is an intriguing deep league sleeper with a likely mid-rotation ceiling.

Hunter Renfroe SD, OF/Manuel Margot SD, OF – Renfroe has the power, jacking 12 homers this year with a .934 OPS, and Margot has the speed, stealing 16 bases with a .305 average. If San Diego could put these two guys together, they would have one of the best power/speed prospects in baseball. Unfortunately, we are at least a decade away from being able to combine humans at our ridiculous current rate of exponential technological growth. Or, if you believe renowned futurist Ray Kurzweil, we will all be cyborgs by then, anyway. 80 grades for everyone!

Victor Robles WASH, OF/Brendan Rodgers COL, SS – Two uber-prospects who have fallen down to earth a bit recently. Their prospect stock is still through the roof, but it is a reminder that they are a long way off.

Austin Byler ARI, 1B – The third guy from my Finding the Next A.J. Reed article is back in action after serving a 50 game suspension, and he is off to a slow start at Single-A, slashing .143/.250/.143 in 6 games. After hitting a bullseye with Harrison Bader and Willie Calhoun (both hit another homer this week), and seeing how I was least confident on Byler to begin with, I can’t help but feel he will be a miss. Hope I’m wrong (or right).

Jacob Nottingham MIL, C – Has come alive this week, slashing .412/.444/.1000 with 3 homers. His season line still sits at a mediocre .256/.313/.399 with 7 homers in 45 games at Double-A, but one extended hot streak would make the 21-year-old Nottingham’s numbers look a lot better. Plus, he’s Josh Hader’s catcher, which just makes me want to like him more for some reason.

Matt Olson OAK, 1B – Olson is starting to bring his numbers back up to respectability, as well, slashing .313/.560/.625 with 2 homers this week. The 6 total homers in 52 games in the PCL is still not that encouraging for a power hitting prospect who will play at the Oakland Coliseum.

Renato Nunez OAK, 3B – Hit 3 more homers this week, and is now slashing .264/.319/.510, with 11 homers in 52 games at Triple-A. He isn’t exactly having the breakout it looked like he was about to have earlier in the year, but the numbers are still more than solid.

Nick Williams PHI, OF – Jacked 3 homers this week, bringing his season slash up to .284/.322/.474, with 7 homers, and 4 steals in 49 games. I wasn’t his biggest fan this off-season, ranking him 59th, and giving him a prime projection of 85/18/78/.276/10. I think I will stick with that.

Josh Ockimey BOS, 1B – You seriously gotta love Ockimey. He killed it again this week, and is slashing .298/.437/.538 with 9 homers in 49 games at High-A. Even he knows his days of being underrated are coming to an end, as he tweeted, “Underrated temporally for the moment” last Friday. Ockimey’s prophetic tweets are just the best.

Roman Quinn PHI, OF – Quinn has been on fire this week, and is now slashing .289/.360/.422, with 3 homers, and 25 steals in 49 games at Double-A. He is one of the better pure speed prospects out there right now.

Anthony Alford TOR, OF – Alford has been absolutely horrendous since returning from a knee injury he suffered on opening day. He is triple-slashing .209/.273/.261, with 1 homer, 4 steals, and a 48/10 K/BB in 30 games at High-A. Last year, he OPS’d .825, with a 49/28 K/BB, and 15 steals in 57 games at the same level. I don’t think you need to be a doctor to think something isn’t right here.

Javier Guerro SD, SS – Unfortunately for Guerro, there is no injury to point to for his terrible offensive performance this season. He is slashing .194/.252/.316, with 5 homers, and 2 steals in 51 games at Single-A. I was very low on him this off-season, ranking him #97 on my top 100, and these numbers surely aren’t going to make me change my mind. He did homer last night, so maybe a hot streak is coming.

Yusniel Diaz LAD, OF – I was really hoping to be able to get excited about Diaz when I wrote about him in week 3, but he hasn’t done much of anything since then, and is now slashing .247/.320/.373, with 3 homers, and 4 steals in 41 games at High-A. That $31 million investment on him is starting to look a little pricey.

David Washington STL, 1B/OF – St. Louis is constantly pulling prospects out of their hat, and there is chance they did it again with David Washington. He is already 25 and he strikes out a lot, but he has destroyed Double-A and Triple-A this year, slashing .278/.374/.602 with 15 homers in 50 games. He is a big dude at 6’5’’, 260-pounds, and he has power to all fields. I would put him in the same category as Peter O’Brien. Neither have a position and both are old for prospects, but the power is enough that they can’t be ignored by the fantasy community. Keep an eye on him.

Nick Delmonico CHW, 1B/3B – The 23-year-old Delmonico is a little young to be considered a reclamation project, but that is what he is after Milwaukee straight cut him in 2015. Chicago swooped in, and they are now reaping the benefits. He crushed at Double-A, slashing .338/.397/.676 with 10 homers in 38 games, and is hitting well since being promoted to Triple-A, slashing .283/.353/.413 with 1 homer in 12 games. He is definitely a very deep league sleeper, but with his solid start in Triple-A, he is worthy of being on the fantasy radar.

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

Posted on April 7, 2016April 7, 2016 by Michael Halpern

2016 Fantasy Baseball Dynasty League Prospect Sleepers

Opening Day is here! No, MLB is not having another Opening Day (they’ve already had two). Today is the kick off to the 2016 MiLB season, and for Dynasty league owners, it can be just as exciting as MLB Opening Day(s). So please take a minute to stop rosterbating over your brilliant Trevor Story pick up – who I touted way back in February as a top 30 prospect (you’re welcome), but also told you to not get too excited for this year (oops … although my concerns still stand, clearly it is ok to be excited) – and start getting ready to find the next under hyped, underrated stud. Here are the 2016 fantasy baseball dynasty league prospect sleepers that you should keep your eye on, if you haven’t scooped them already:

1) Bobby Bradley CLE, 1B – Bradley fell to the 3^rd round of the 2014 draft, but that was solely due to his big signing bonus demands, and not his talent level. All he has done is rake once reaching pro ball, jacking 8 homers in 39 rookie ball games in 2014, and 27 homers in Single-A last season. The 19-year-old Bradley will start this season with the High-A Lynchburg Hillcats, and it won’t take long before the hype starts to catch up with the talent. I ranked Bradley 18^th in my 2016 Top 100 Fantasy Prospects post.

2) Derek Fisher HOU, OF – Wrote a Derek Fisher, 2016 Fantasy Prospect Sleeper article, and ranked him 20^th in my 2016 Top 100 Fantasy Prospects post.

3) Josh Hader MIL, LHP – A funky delivery and bullpen concerns have kept the hype for Hader in check, but considering the position the Brewers are in right now, they have every incentive to continue to develop him as a starter. The lanky 6’3’’ Hader is a strikeout machine (10.3 K/9 in Double-A last season), who relies heavily on his big fastball. If he can show improvement with his slider and/or changeup this year, more people will turn into believers. I ranked Hader 21^st in my 2016 Top 100 Fantasy Prospects post.

4) Tom Murphy COL, C – Murphy hit 20 homers in 105 games last season splitting time between Double-A and Triple-A, and then he hit 3 dingers in just 39 MLB PA. His defense has also improved to the point that nobody doubts he can stick at catcher. Nick Hundley’s contract runs out after this season, so the door is wide open for Murphy to win the starting job next year. His high strikeout numbers are the reason he is not more highly touted, but a poor average in not a killer at the catcher position, especially with the power he should provide at Coors. I ranked Murphy 32^nd in my 2016 Top 100 Fantasy Prospects post.

5) Alen Hanson PIT, 2B – Wrote an Alen Hanson, 2016 Fantasy Prospect Sleeper article, and ranked him 33^rd in my 2016 Top 100 Fantasy Prospects post.

6) Willie Calhoun LAD, 2B/OF – Covered Calhoun in my Finding the Next A.J. Reed article, and ranked him 43^rd in my 2016 Top 100 Fantasy Prospects post.

7) Harrison Bader STL, OF – Covered Bader in my Finding the Next A.J. Reed article, and ranked him 51^st in my 2016 Top 100 Fantasy Prospects post.

8) Jacob Faria TB, RHP – Put up a pitching line of 2.51/1.09/96 in 75.1 IP in Double-A last season. Doesn’t have the big fastball, but his delivery creates a lot of deception. Also gets a bump due to Tampa Bay’s success with developing pitchers like him. If he can keep up those strikeout numbers this season, people won’t be sleeping on him anymore. I ranked Faria 68^th in my 2016 Top 100 Fantasy Prospects post.

9) 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 in his first full season of pro ball at Single-A. His fastball sat in the low 90’s last year, but if it ticks up a bit after adding strength this offseason, he could rocket up prospect lists. I ranked Flaherty 69^th in my 2016 Top 100 Fantasy Prospects post.

10) Justus Sheffield CLE, LHP – Cleveland has been on fire of late developing starting pitchers. Time to jump on the bandwagon. Sheffield struck out 138 batters in 127.2 IP in Single-A last season, and actually got better as the season went along, dominating in August and September. He is undersized for a starter at 5’10’’, which is probably why he has flown under the radar, but if he keeps putting up big strikeout numbers, he will force people to take notice. I ranked Sheffield 70^th in my 2016 Top 100 Fantasy Prospects post.

11) Tyler O’Neill SEA, OF – Wrote a Tyler O’Neill, 2016 Fantasy Prospect Sleeper article, and ranked him 78^th in my 2016 Top 100 Fantasy Prospects post.

12) Austin Byler ARI, 1B – Covered Byler in my Finding the Next A.J. Reed article, and ranked him 99^th in my 2016 Top 100 Fantasy Prospects post. (He is suspended for the first 50 games after testing positive for an amphetamine stimulant.)

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

Posted on February 2, 2016February 26, 2016 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 2^nd 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– 3^rd 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 – 1^st 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 – 11^th 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 – 7^th 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 – 15^th 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 – 25^th 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 – 6^th 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 February 2, 2016February 18, 2016 by Michael Halpern

2016 Top 100 Fantasy Baseball Prospect Rankings: 71-100

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
2016 Top 100 Fantasy Baseball Prospect Rankings: 16-40
2016 Top 100 Fantasy Baseball Prospect Rankings: 41-70

72) Jacob Nottingham OAK, 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

75) Ozhaino Albies ATL, SS – Triple-slashed, .310/.368/.404, and stole 29 bags, as an 18-year-old in 98 Single-A games last season. Projects as a prototypical leadoff hitter. Prime projection: 95/4/49/.295/33