Gunnar Henderson – Page 2 – Imaginary Brick Wall

Posted on January 23, 2023 by Michael Halpern

Patreon Post: Top 100 Prospects Rankings for 2023 Fantasy Baseball Dynasty Leagues

The 2023 Top 500 Prospects Rankings will drop in a week or two over on Patreon (released for free on IBW in mid to late March), but I love to put out the traditional Top 100 first. These rankings are for medium size, 5×5 BA dynasty leagues. Here are the Top 100 Prospects Rankings for 2023 Fantasy Baseball Dynasty Leagues:

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE & TONS OF EXCLUSIVE & EARLY ACCESS CONTENT ALL OFF-SEASON, INCLUDING:
-A TOP 323 SNEAK PEEK OF THE 2023 TOP 1,000 DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKINGS
-TOP 109 2023 FYPD RANKINGS w/ Strategy & Target Guide
-2023 DEEP POSITIONAL DYNASTY RANKS: Top 282 OF//Top 151 SS//Top 115 3B//Top 105 2B//Top 95 1B//TOP 68 C
-TOP 13 EARLY OFF-SEASON DYNASTY TARGETS
-TOP 8 OFF-SEASON DYNASTY SELLS
-DYNASTY TEAM REPORTS FOR EVERY TEAM (Top 10+ Prospects/Interesting MLB guys/Strategy Talk)

1) Gunnar Henderson BAL, SS/3B, 21.9 – Nothing makes me more comfortable about a prospect than one who gets called up to the majors and immediately puts up elite exit velocity numbers. Henderson smacked the crap outta the ball to the tune of a 92.4/98.1 MPH AVG/FB EV in 132 MLB PA. That would almost be enough for me to love love a player on it’s own, a la Oneil Cruz, but Henderson does just about everything else well too. His hit tool improved majorly this year, dropping his K% from 30.1% in 2021 in mostly the lower minors, to 23.1% in 2022 in the upper minors. The improvements transferred to the majors with a very reasonable 26.6% whiff% and 25.8% K%. He’s put up high walk rates his entire career and he’s also very fast with a 29.1 ft/sec sprint speed. He’s almost a flawless prospect. I say “almost,” because he’s struggled vs. lefties in his career, but he’s still very young, so improvement is almost certainly coming, and it’s also a testament to how badly he decimates righties. 2023 Projection: 82/25/85/.262/.347/.473/14 Prime Projection: 106/32/102/.278/.383/.518/16

2) Corbin Carroll ARI, OF, 22.7 – Gunnar vs. Carroll is like Witt vs. Julio all over again. Julio pulled into the clear lead this year, but you were happy with either and their values could swing back and forth their entire careers. Gunnar and Carroll are on that same path. Arizona pushed Carroll all the way up to Double-A to start the year and he responded with pure across the board domination (166 wRC+ with 20 steals in 58 games). Triple-A didn’t slow him down much at all (135 wRC+ with 11 steals in 33 games), and then last but certainly not least, he kept it going in the majors, slashing .260/.330/.500 with 4 steals, 2 homers, and a 27%/7% K%/BB% in 32 games. He’s the fastest man in baseball with a 30.7 ft/sec sprint speed. His 85.8 MPH EV and .293 xwOBA isn’t optimal, and it’s the reason I have Gunnar as the #1 prospect in baseball, but I wouldn’t harp on that too much considering the guy literally had only 42 professional games under his belt coming into this year. Carroll is setting up to be an elite fantasy player. 2023 Projection: 81/18/65/.256/.332/.430/24 Prime Projection: 103/23/82/.276/.362/.474/33

3) Jackson Chourio MIL, OF, 19.1 – Chourio is on that Acuna/Tatis superstar path, where they didn’t necessarily put up elite plate approach numbers on the come up, but they were so young for the level and the talent is so huge it doesn’t really matter. Chourio had a generational type season, making it all the way to Double-A as an 18 year old to close out the year. Milwaukee knew they had something special, skipping him right over stateside rookie ball, and they were proven right with him destroying Single-A with a 160 wRC+. He then went to High-A and actually improved his K% with it dropping 6.2 percentage points to 21.8%. He got eaten up in 6 games at Double-A with a 42.3% K%, but I wouldn’t even blink an eye at that. He’s an electric ballplayer with a lightning quick, powerful swing to go along with at least plus speed. Now is the time in a superstar’s career where dynasty mistakes are made. Don’t sell Chourio for anything less than an elite return. ETA: 2024 Prime Projection: 98/29/96/.276/.351/.502/16

4) Elly De La Cruz CIN, SS/3B, 21.3 – Elly De La Cruz might still be a high risk, high reward prospect, but in 2022 the risk got a whole lot less, and the reward got a whole lot more. He put up one of the those stupid good seasons in the minors, slashing .304/.359/.586 with 28 homers, 47 steals, and a 30.8%/7.8% K%/BB% in 120 games split between High-A and Double-A. He ripped up both levels, and most importantly, he didn’t let his K% skyrocket at Double-A. He’s currently playing in the pitcher’s haven Dominican Winter League, which is a grown man’s league (he’s about 8 years younger than average), and it’s great sign that he’s running a 26.7%/15.8% K%/BB% in 101 PA. It sure seems like he will be able to continue to improve the plate approach rather than it going in the opposite direction. The numbers he can potentially put up at Great American Ballpark are scary. 2023 Projection: 32/11/35/.232/.294/.433/12 Prime Projection: 87/30/98/.250/.331/.503/30

5) Anthony Volpe NYY, SS, 21.11 – Volpe got off to a rough start at Double-A with a .647 OPS and 24% K% in his first 37 games, but he came alive after that, slashing .286/.374/.536 with 13 homers, 26 steals, and a 14.4%/10.7% K%/BB% in 72 games. He does it all with a mature plate approach, plus game power, and plus stolen base ability. Despite the 17.7% K% at Double-A on the season, he still hit only .251 because of an extreme 56.9% flyball percentage. If the balls stay dead, it could be an issue because he isn’t a huge raw power guy at 5’11”, 180 pounds. He also struggled when he got the call to Triple-A with his K% spiking to 30.3%, and putting up a 91 wRC+ in 22 games. The profile isn’t flawless, but he has a super fantasy friendly skillset, and he was a 21 year old in the upper minors, so further refinement is surely coming. 2023 Projection: 38/10/35/.236/.316/.421/12 Prime Projection: 89/26/88/.267/.341/.473/21

6) Jordan Walker STL, 3B/OF, 20.11 – Nobody smashes the ball as hard as the 6’5”, 220 pound Walker. One thing we don’t have to worry about is him getting to the majors and putting up like an 84 MPH EV. He’s gonna hit it hard. He was a 20 year old at Double-A and ripped 19 homers with 31 doubles in 119 games, good for a 128 wRC+. He then wrecked the AFL with 5 homers, 6 doubles, and a .925 OPS in 21 games. He has some swing and miss in his game, but it’s far from the danger zone with a 21.6%/10.8% K%/BB%, and he has plus speed with 22 steals, although considering his size, you might not want to count on him majorly in that category. He started to transition to the OF, which gives him a path to playing time with Arenado locked in at 3B. 2023 Projection: 42/12/47/.251/.326/.461/7 Prime Projection: 92/33/105/.267/.346/.513/12

7) Jordan Lawlar ARI, SS, 20.8 – Lawlar left everyone from his 2021 FYPD class in the dust in 2022. He slashed .303/.401/.509 with 16 homers, 39 steals, and a 25.1%/12.4% K%/BB% in 100 games split between 3 levels (A, A+, AA). He only had a 65 wRC+ in 20 games at Double-A but he jacked 4 homers and his plate approach didn’t completely collapse or anything (28.9%/10.3%). It was impressive he made it all the way to Double-A at all. He then destroyed the AFL with a .997 OPS in 11 games. He has a smooth and simple righty swing that is geared for power and average to go along with plus speed. He’s an elite prospect. ETA: 2024 Prime Projection: 92/24/86/.270/.348/.470/26

8) James Wood WAS, OF, 20.6 – Wood was one of my top 2022 FYPD targets and I was able to scoop him in my 18 team First Year Player Draft that I broke down last off-season on Patreon. He surpassed even my expectations as he played like a man amongst boys at 6’7”, 240 pounds, slashing .313/.420/.536 with 12 homers, 20 steals, and a 21.6%/14.4% K%/BB% in 76 games at Single-A. He absolutely smashes the ball and he proved his hit tool isn’t a major red flag, to say the least, it might actually be an asset. Wood is a unicorn athlete in the mold of an Aaron Judge and Oneil Cruz. He’s in the “untouchable” category for me. I’m not trading him. ETA: 2024/25 Prime Projection: 88/28/93/.262/.355/.513/14

9) Miguel Vargas LAD, 3B, 23.4 – Vargas made his MLB debut in 2022 and while he only put up a .455 OPS in 50 PA, there is nothing I love more than seeing rookies hit the ball hard. He had a well above average 89.7/94.1 MPH AVG/FB EV. He’s also much faster than advertised with a 29.3 ft/sec sprint speed which in the top 6% of the league. He had no trouble lifting the ball with a 25.7 degree launch angle and has no swing and miss issues with an average 24.3% whiff%. His elite plate approach at Triple-A (14.6%/13.7% K%/BB%) shows better days are likely ahead there too. Speaking of Triple-A, he slashed .304/.304/.511 with 17 homers and 16 steals in 113 games. He’s currently the favorite to be LA’s starting 3B in 2023, and the numbers indicate this guy has star potential. 2023 Projection: 72/21/75/.258/.327/.445/11 Prime Projection: 93/27/87/.272/.345/.483/15

10) Zac Veen COL, OF, 21.4 – It’s a mistake to think more power isn’t coming for Veen. And maybe a lot more. He’s a skinny 6’4” with an explosive lefty swing that is a thing of beauty. He’s guaranteed to put up legit power numbers when he grows into his frame. It reminds me of what I predicted in February 2022 about my #9 prospect, Miguel Vargas, when people were fading him because of his low EV numbers in my Predicting the 2023 Top 50 Dynasty Baseball Prospects: “Vargas’ exit velocity numbers will increase, and the hardhit data will catch up to the surface power numbers, rather than the other way around. I’m hesitant to cap a young prospects power potential just because they don’t put up grown man exit velocities in the minors. It’s almost like people forgot power is often the last thing to come for prospects, especially ones who don’t sell out for it and have really strong contact numbers and plate approaches.” Vargas EV numbers looked damn good in his MLB debut this year. The power is coming for Veen too, and when it does, it will be combined with plus speed and a strong plate approach. That is star potential playing at Coors Field. He did struggle in his callup to Double-A (42 wRC+ with a 29.8% K% in 34 games) after handling his business at High-A (126 wRC+ with a 22.5%/12.% K%/BB% and 50 steals in 92 games), but a ton of super talented 20 year olds struggled considerably at Double-A this year, so I wouldn’t let it completely tank your opinion of him. There is still more work to be done, but I’m willing to stay patient for it, and it creates a buying opportunity this off-season that will likely disappear very quickly into 2023. ETA: 2024 Prime Projection: 93/28/91/.273/.345/.492/17

11) Jasson Dominguez NYY, OF, 20.2 – It felt like everyone was just waiting for Dominguez to fail, the ole build em up so we can tear em down, but Dominguez refused to blink. He’s now officially living up to the hype with a big 2022, slashing .273/.376/.461 with 16 homers, 37 steals, and a 24.2%/13.6% K%/BB% in 120 games mostly at Single-A and High-A. He actually performed better at High-A with a 146 wRC+ and 18.5% K%, and he even made it Double-A for 5 games and wasn’t overmatched with 1 homer, 1 steal, and a 5/3 K/BB (despite a .467 OPS). His tools are still big and back up the numbers with plus speed and plus power. If he keeps this up at Double-A as a 20 year old, he’ll be in the mix for #1 fantasy prospect in the game very quickly into 2023. ETA: 2024 Prime Projection: 88/28/93/.261/.345/.491/18

12) Druw Jones ARI, OF, 19.4 – Selected 2nd overall in the 2022 MLB Draft, Jones has that classic tall and projectable build that screams upside, and he has elite bloodlines with Andruw Jones being his father. He has near elite speed (6.31 60 yard dash) and truly elite bat speed (99.42 percentile-besting some marks put up by bat speed monster Harry Ford last year). His power has also exploded this year, with him launching some homers that blew up on Twitter (Will Hoefer). He hurt his shoulder during BP before he was able to debut and underwent surgery to repair it, but I dropped Lawlar from the #1 slot in my first year player draft rankings last year after his shoulder injury, and I’m not making the same mistake with Jones ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 93/30/104/.274/.355/.515/20

13) Jackson Holliday BAL, SS, 19.4 – Baseball is starting to feel like it is a hereditary monarchy, where all star games are passed down based on bloodlines like it’s the 1300’s. Jackson is the son of Matt, commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions and loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son. Husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the ne … my bad, lost myself there 🙂 … Like many plus bloodline kids, Jackson is an advanced hitter, and he combines that with plus athleticism and a plus power/speed combo. He truly wields the bat like it’s a samurai sword, gracefully killing the ball with a smooth and powerful lefty swing. He stepped right into pro ball and was far too advanced for rookie ball (220 wRC+ with a 6.1%/30.3% K%/BB% in 8 rookie ball games) before performing well in 12 games at Single-A (130 wRC+ with a 17.5%/26.3% K%/BB%). Druw Jones and Holliday are in a tier of their own on my First Year Player Draft Rankings. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 96/25/88/.278/.357/.491/14

14) Grayson Rodriguez BAL, RHP, 23.5 – Rodriguez is my #1 pitching prospect in baseball and is a good bet to break camp with the team. He really shouldn’t be considered a prospect anymore. He should have graduated. But he did what pitching prospects do and missed 3 months with a lat strain. He was a bit rusty when he returned in September with a 4.12 ERA and 29/14 K/BB in 19.2 IP. He had a 2.09 ERA with a 80/14 K/BB in 56 IP at Triple-A before going down with the injury. When completely healthy he has plus control of a devastating 4 pitch mix, all of which have the potential to be at least plus. It’s true ace upside. 2023 Projection: 10/3.73/1.22/161 in 150 IP Prime Projection: 15/3.15/1.05/240 in 200 IP

15) Andrew Painter PHI, RHP, 19.5 – In a Mock First Year Player Draft last off-season for Baseball Prospectus, I drafted Andrew Painter 21st overall and wrote, “I generally lean toward hitting prospects in dynasty, but I’m not afraid to take a shot on a couple of pitchers. Painter is a big dude who checks a lot of boxes. My plan is to sell him when he hits his peak on prospect lists, and before he goes all Forrest Whitley on us at Triple-A” … but now that Painter has hit his peak on prospect lists, it’s so damn hard to sell. It’s so easy to fall in love with pitching prospects, but some do actually stay healthy and pan out, right? Painter seems like he is going to be one of those that do. He had a silly pitching line of 1.56/0.89/155/25 in 103.2 IP spread across 3 levels (A, A+, AA). He’s 6’7”, 215 pounds with plus control of an upper 90’s fastball, plus slider, potentially plus change, and an average curve. He just seems can’t miss … but if he does miss, my 2021/22 off-season self will just be shaking his head and laughing at me. 2023 Projection: 4/3.79/1.24/63 in 60 IP Prime Projection: 15/3.18/1.06/235 in 200 IP

16) Eury Perez MIA, RHP, 20.0 – Perez is a tall drink of water at 6’8”, 220 pounds (interestingly, or not so interestingly, “tall drink of water” was originally used as a derogatory term for a flavorless weakling, but mysteriously evolved into a compliment in the mid 1900’s), and he uses that frame to fire a mid to upper 90’s fastball with an easy, athletic delivery. He combines that with 3 potentially plus secondaries in his changeup, curve, and slider, to go along with plus control. It’s a flawless profile. The production is there too with a 34.1%/8.1% K%/BB% in 75 IP as a 19 year old at Double-A. A rough patch at the end of July (10.64 ERA in 11 IP) marred his end of season ERA at the level (4.08), and it resulted in him hitting the IL with a shoulder issue that kept him out until mid September. It’s a reminder of how risky all pitching prospects are, no matter how can’t miss they seem. 2023 Projection: 3/3.85/1.23/47 in 45 IP Prime Projection: 15/3.26/1.08/210 in 180 IP

17) Ricky Tiedemann TOR, LHP, 20.8 – Tiedemann checks almost every box for a potential young ace. He has prototypical size at 6’4”, 220 pounds, with a nearly side arm lefty delivery that he uses to fire a mid 90’s fastball and 2 devastating secondaries in his slider and change. Minor league hitters had no chance. He put up a pitching line of 2.17/0.86/117/29 in 78.2 IP split across 3 levels (A, A+, AA). Maybe the only quibble is that he doesn’t have pinpoint control, but it’s not an issue or anything. He’s the top lefty pitching prospect in the game, and considering Toronto’s relatively depleted organizational pitching depth, don’t be surprised if he gets a ton of MLB innings in 2023.. 2023 Projection: 3/3.88/1.29/54 in 50 IP Prime Projection: 14/3.31/1.11/220 in 190 IP

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

Posted on October 17, 2022October 17, 2022 by Michael Halpern

Baltimore Orioles 2023 Dynasty Baseball Team Report (Top 10 Prospects/Interesting MLB guys/Strategy Talk)

Along with a Top 10 Dynasty Baseball Prospects Ranking, I wanted to highlight some interesting MLB guys for every team and talk some strategy to give a more complete Dynasty Team Report. Like during the regular season, I’m still going to be posting a few articles a month for free on my website. This is one of those articles. Here is the Baltimore Orioles 2023 Dynasty Baseball Report (Top 10 Prospects/Interesting MLB guys/Strategy Talk):

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR TONS OF EXCLUSIVE CONTENT ALL OFF-SEASON, INCLUDING:
-TOP 13 EARLY OFF-SEASON DYNASTY TARGETS
-TOP 8 OFF-SEASON DYNASTY SELLS
-TOP 360 END OF SEASON 2022 DYNASTY PROSPECTS RANKINGS
-TOP 456 END OF SEASON 2022 DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKINGS
-Dynasty Team Reports, Positional Dynasty Rankings, strategy articles, target articles, and early access to the Top 100 FYPD Rankings, Top 500 Prospects Rankings, and Top 1,000 Dynasty Rankings hot off the presses as I put them together (released for free on IBW at some point in March)

Previous Team Reports on Patreon
Arizona Diamondbacks—Boston Red Sox—Minnesota Twins—Washington Nationals

*Ages are as of Opening Day 2023
**Prime Projections represent a relatively good outcome scenario that is meant to shine more light on the type of numbers I think a prospect projects for. It is not necessarily a most likely outcome.

Hitters

Jorge Mateo BAL, SS, 27.10 – Mateo is one my top sells this off-season. Those 13 homers and 35 steals are going to look mighty enticing to a speed needy team, but he still ranked only 114th overall on the Razzball Player Rater because of weak production everywhere else. He had a .221 BA with 63 runs and 50 RBI. His underlying numbers look even worse with a .272 xwOBA which is in the bottom 6% of the league, and his plate approach is terrible with a 27.6%/5.1% K%/BB%. I’m not even sure the new stolen base rules are going to help him because he doesn’t get on base enough to take advantage of it, and steals aren’t going to be as hard to find next year in general. If those were the only issues, I might not even be too scared off, but Baltimore’s stacked minor league system is breathing down his neck with Gunnar Henderson, Connor Norby, and Jordan Westburg ready to stake their rightful claim to the infield. Mateo was an excellent defensive SS last year, but I don’t think it will be enough for him to hold down the starting job. I think he’ll be a super utility player by the 2nd half of the season. 2023 Projection: 68/11/53/.230/.277/.385/28

Adley Rutschman BAL, C, 25.2 – Rutschman stepped into the majors and immediately turned Baltimore into winners. He didn’t get called up until late May and his 5.3 WAR was still the 2nd best catcher mark in the majors (JT Realmuto was 1st with a 6.5 WAR). His 133 wRC+ was the 4th best overall. It’s a hell of a MLB debut, and as much as I want to go crazy for Rutschman, I would pump the brakes slightly in a 5×5 BA league. He’s never really been a monster home run hitter with 13 homers in 113 games, and while his 87.9/93 MPH AVG/FB EV is solid, it’s not like he was smashing the ball. In an OBP league or in 6+ categories, by all means go crazy for his elite plate approach (18.3%/13.8% K%/BB%) and .362 OBP. Having said that, I still like him a lot in 5×5 BA as his 15.6 degree launch angle is conducive to both power and average, and his counting stats should be elite for a catcher. There are a lot of really talented catcher prospects in the pipeline behind Rutschman, but Rutschman is leading the pack as my #1 catcher for Dynasty Baseball no matter what the league categories are. 2023 Projection: 86/22/78/.266/.374/.465/5

Anthony Santander BAL, OF, 28.5 – Baltimore turned into one of the worst hitter’s ballparks in the league, but someone forget to tell Santander that. He quietly turned into one of the better hitters in baseball with plus contact rates (18.9% K%), a career best walk rate (8.5% BB%), strong EV’s (90.1 MPH), and a launch angle that is made for dingers (21.4 degrees). It all led to 33 homers with a .352 xwOBA. His .240 BA kept his overall line in check, and while he’s not a high BABIP guy, a .248 BABIP is below his career average of .264. He’s not going to be super undervalued, but there should still be some meat on the bone for where he’ll likely be going. 2023 Projection: 81/31/92/.254/.326/.477/1

Starting Pitchers

Tyler Wells BAL, RHP, 28.7 – Out of all of Baltimore’s fringy starting pitchers, Wells is my favorite. He’s 6’8”, 255 pounds with near elite control (6.6% BB%) and an above average whiff rate (25.1% whiff%). He throws a high spin 93.5 fastball to go along with 3 secondaries that all put up well above average xwOBA’s (slider-.283/change-.219/curve-.185). It all led to a 3.78 xERA (4.25 ERA) and a 1.14 WHIP in 103.2 IP. He has some injury risk as an oblique strain held him out for all of August, and then his season ended in September due to shoulder inflammation, but his price is likely to be dirt cheap this off-season. He’s going to be a target of mine everywhere. 2023 Projection: 10/3.95/1.18/138 in 150 IP

Bullpen

Felix Bautista BAL, Closer, 27.10 – Bautista’s control took a big step forward this year and it propelled him to the land of the elite. He dropped his BB/9 from 5.8 in the minors in 2021 to 3.2 in the majors in 2022. He throws a 99.2 MPH fastball to go along with a whiff inducing splitter (52.9% whiff%) and slider (42.5%). He put up a pitching line of 2.19/0.93/88/23 in 65.2 IP, and took over the full time closer job after Jorge Lopez got traded, notching 15 saves. Baltimore should provide him with plenty of saves opportunities next season. His lack of track record and name value should keep his price from completely exploding this off-season. 2023 Projection: 4/2.93/1.06/90/36 saves in 65 IP

Top 10 Baltimore Orioles Fantasy Baseball Prospects

1) Gunnar Henderson BAL, SS/3B, 21.9 – Nothing makes me more comfortable about a prospect than one who gets called up to the majors and immediately puts up elite exit velocity numbers. Henderson smacked the crap outta the ball to the tune of a 92.4/98.1 MPH AVG/FB EV in 132 MLB PA. That would almost be enough for me to love love a player on it’s own, a la Oneil Cruz, but Henderson does just about everything else well too. His hit tool improved majorly this year, dropping his K% from 30.1% in 2021 in mostly the lower minors, to 23.1% in 2022 in the upper minors. The improvements transferred to the majors with a very reasonable 26.6% whiff% and 25.8% K%. He’s put up high walk rates his entire career and he’s also very fast with a 29.1 ft/sec sprint speed. He’s almost a flawless prospect. 2023 Projection: 82/25/85/.262/.347/.473/14 Prime Projection: 106/32/102/.278/.383/.518/16

2) Jackson Holliday BAL, SS, 19.4 – Baseball is starting to feel like it is a hereditary monarchy, where all star games are passed down based on bloodlines like it’s the 1300’s. Jackson is the son of Matt, commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions and loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son. Husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the ne … my bad, lost myself there 🙂 … Like many plus bloodline kids, Jackson is an advanced hitter, and he combines that with plus athleticism and a plus power/speed combo. He truly wields the bat like it’s a samurai sword, gracefully killing the ball with a smooth and powerful lefty swing. He stepped right into pro ball and was far too advanced for rookie ball (220 wRC+ with a 6.1%/30.3% K%/BB% in 8 rookie ball games) before performing well in 12 games at Single-A (130 wRC+ with a 17.5%/26.3% K%/BB%). Druw Jones and Holliday are in a tier of their own on my First Year Player Draft Rankings. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 96/25/88/.278/.357/.491/14

3) Grayson Rodriguez BAL, RHP, 23.5 – Rodriguez really shouldn’t be on this list. He should have graduated. But he did what pitching prospects do and missed 3 months with a lat strain. He was a bit rusty when he returned in September with a 4.12 ERA and 29/14 K/BB in 19.2 IP. He had a 2.09 ERA with a 80/14 K/BB in 56 IP at Triple-A before going down with the injury. When completely healthy he has plus control of a devastating 4 pitch mix, all of which have the potential to be at least plus. It’s true ace upside. He’s my #1 pitching prospect in baseball and is a good bet to break camp with the team. 2023 Projection: 10/3.73/1.22/161 in 150 IP Prime Projection: 15/3.15/1.05/240 in 200 IP

4) Colton Cowser BAL, OF, 23.0 – Cowser’s hit tool got exposed this year, putting up a 28.4% K% at High-A, 25.4% K% at Double-A, and 30.6% K% at Triple-A. It’s a little concerning considering that was supposed to be his best skill, but it’s not like he’s chopped liver everywhere else. He walked a ton with a 15% BB%, and he displayed an above average power/speed combo with 19 homers and 18 steals in 138 games. Even with the high strikeout rates he still put up a .278 BA. He showed more risk than optimal in 2022, but it was still a positive year overall with a .874 OPS. His strong across the board profile remains intact. 2023 Projection: 20/4/18/.248/.319/.405/4 Prime Projection: 85/20/77/.264/.343/.442/15

5) Connor Norby BAL, 2B, 22.10 – Norby must have been bored at High-A because he lifted off when he got to the upper minors. He put a 99 wRC+ in 48 games at High-A, a 158 wRC+ in 64 games at Double-A, and a 190 wRC+ in 9 games at Triple-A. It resulted in 29 dingers, 16 steals, and a 20.8%/10.1% K%/BB% in 121 games. It’s a do it all profile and it shouldn’t be long before he gets his first shot at the bigs. 2023 Projection: 58/14/61/.258/.324/.427/7 Prime Projection: 82/22/78/.275/.339/.450/10

6) DL Hall BAL, LHP, 24.7 – Hall’s had major control issues his entire career and it really didn’t take a step forward this year with a 14.2% BB% and 1.45 WHIP in 76.2 IP at Triple-A. His stuff is utter filth, so he can be effectively wild with a whiff inducing 96.2 MPH fastball to go along with a potentially plus slider, change, and curve. The stuff translated against MLB hitters with a 29.7%/9.4% K%/BB% in 13.2 IP mostly coming out the pen, albeit with a 5.93 ERA (2.57 ERA). Baltimore’s rotation is so weak at the moment, there is no reason they wouldn’t give him every opportunity to start, and he has legitimate ace upside if the control takes a step or two forward. 2023 Projection: 7/3.95/1.37/130 in 120 IP Prime Projection: 12/3.65/1.32/195 in 172 IP

7) Coby Mayo BAL, 3B, 21.4 – Mayo is a 6’5”, 215 pound power hitting bull with an electric, lightning quick swing. He drilled 19 homers in 104 games split between High-A and Double-A. His hit tool took a step back when he got to Double-A with it spiking to 34.5% in 34 games (21.5% at High-A), but he was only 20 and I don’t think he has major hit tool issues. He likely won’t hit for a high average in the majors, but he has legitimate 40 homer upside at peak. ETA: 2023 Prime Projection: 80/32/91/.256/.338/.515/6

8) Jordan Westburg BAL, SS, 24.1 – Wesburg’s power exploded this year, jacking 27 homers in 138 games split between Double-A and Triple-A after hitting 15 homers in 112 games in 2021. He’s a former 1st round pick who’s an excellent athlete at 6’3”, 203 pounds and has a mature plate approach with a 23.6%/11.3% K%/BB%. He was actually better at Triple-A (129 wRC+ in 91 games) than he was at Double-A (122 wRC+ in 47 games). He’s a big part of the season why I’m concerned Mateo ends up in a super utility role. 2023 Projection: 47/12/51/.246/.312/.408/6 Prime Projection: 74/24/79/.261/.328/.443/11

9) Kyle Stowers BAL, OF, 25.3 – Stowers seems to be the forgotten prospect in Baltimore, but his power hitting upside is very real. He cracked 19 homers in 95 games at Triple-A and then got called up to the majors and put up a 91.1 MPH EV with a 107 wRC+ in 98 PA. He’s a lefty that might actually hit lefties better than righties, so there isn’t major platoon risk. He only had a 92.6 MPH FB/LD EV, and there are hit tool concerns with a 29.6% K%, but he will be an excellent later round shot to take in the majority of dynasty leagues. 2023 Projection: 69/24/76/.242/.317/.448/2 Prime Projection: 75/28/84/.253/.326/.470/3

10) Jud Fabian BAL, OF, 22.6 – Selected 40th overall in the 2022 MLB Draft, Fabian’s hype almost completely disappeared after he decided to return to college for his senior year, even though he is still the same age as many juniors. His strong pro debut has people talking again though with a 1.070 OPS and 21/19 K/BB in 22 games at mostly Single-A. He did improve his swing and miss issues this year in college, but a .239 BA with a 22.3 K% isn’t exactly great. It’s a 3 true outcome slugger profile, except he has speed and defensive ability to go with it. ETA: 2025 Prime Projection: 76/26/74/.232/.315/.435/8

Just Missed

11) Dylan Beavers BAL, OF, 21.8

12) Heston Kjerstad BAL, OF, 24.2

13) Samuel Basallo BAL, C/1B, 18.8

14) Drew Rom BAL, LHP, 23.4

15) Darell Hernaiz BAL, SS, 21.8

16) Seth Johnson BAL, RHP, 24.6

17) Cade Povich BAL, LHP, 23.0

18) Hudson Haskin BAL, OF, 24.3

19) Joey Ortiz BAL, SS/2B, 24.9

Dynasty Baseball Thought/Strategy of the Day (which may or may not be related to the team I’m covering that day)

Last off-season I took part in a 20 team Dynasty Mock Draft over at Rotowire and went with the bold strategy of taking Bobby Witt and Julio Rodriguez with the 18th and 23rd overall picks. All of my top targets were off the board, and I wanted to come up with angle to give me a long term leg up against very savvy, tough competition. It definitely raised some eyes and got some push back. Needless to say, the strategy paid off as I now have two long term pillars to build around for years. The other players I was considering in that area (Betts, Yordan, Machado) all had excellent years too, so I’m not claiming to be some genius, but it’s a reminder that the true elite of the elite prospects deserve to be right in that conversation, and I wouldn’t hesitate to do the same thing with Gunnar Henderson and Corbin Carroll this year. These guys have elite dynasty upside, and while it certainly adds more risk than going with a chalk pick, a little extra risk isn’t necessarily a bad thing when you’re trying to beat out 19 other owners.

Previous Team Reports on Patreon
Arizona Diamondbacks—Boston Red Sox—Minnesota Twins—Washington Nationals

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

Posted on September 12, 2022September 12, 2022 by Michael Halpern

Monday Morning Dynasty Baseball Rundown (9/12/22)

I’ll be running down everything that caught my eye in the Dynasty Baseball world on most Mondays throughout the season. Here is the Monday Morning Dynasty Baseball Rundown (9/12/22):

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR TONS OF EXCLUSIVE CONTENT ALL SEASON AND OFF-SEASON, INCLUDING:
-TOP 360 SEPTEMBER 2022 DYNASTY PROSPECTS RANKINGS
-TOP 455 AUGUST 2022 DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKINGS
-TOP 10 TRADE NEGOTIATION TACTICS (one of my favorite things I’ve ever written)
-MID-SEASON OBP TOP 447 DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKINGS
-MID-SEASON POINTS/6+CATS/OPS “UNIVERSAL” TOP 430 DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKINGS
-TOP 40 2023 FYPD RANKINGS
-TONS OF DYNASTY RUNDOWNS
-OFF-SEASON CONTENT: Team Prospect Lists, Positional Dynasty Rankings, and early access to the Top 1,000 Dynasty Baseball Rankings

Corbin Carroll ARI, OF, 22.1 – Don’t you do it. Don’t you dare do it. I know you’re getting that wandering eye. You love baseball, but damn, football is looking so sexy rolling up to the party all fresh faced with nothing but hope and potential. But just you wait. Soon half your roster will be out with a high ankle sprain, your favorite team’s O-Line will be a sieve, and you’ll be spending 75% of your FAAB on some 3rd string running back. Then you’ll be begging to come back. Your old ball and chain, baseball, is even willing to meet you halfway. They’re willing to bring new people into the bedroom! So many of the games top prospects have gotten the call, none more exciting than my #1 fantasy prospect, Corbin Carroll. He went 1 for 4 with a 101.3 MPH single that he hit into the ground at a negative 48 degree launch angle. That’s been the story of his MLB debut as he has a respectable 88.5/93.7 MPH AVG/FB EV, but he hasn’t been lifting the ball with a negative 1.3 degree launch. He’s the fastest man in baseball with a 30.6 ft/sec sprint speed, but he’s 0 for 1 on the bases in 11 games. He has some swing and miss in his game, and while a 29.5% K% is high, the 26% whiff% shows it likely won’t be a major issue. He’s done enough to hang onto the top spot, but he has someone right on his tail …

Gunnar Henderson BAL, SS, 21.2 – The #2 ranked prospect on the Updated Top 360 Dynasty Prospects Rankings that just hit my Patreon last week, Henderson went 0 for 1 with a 1/1 K/BB coming off the bench. The game here is to bench these guys enough for them to maintain their rookie status for 2023. Like Carroll, he’s been solid in his pro debut with nothing setting off alarm bells. He has a 89.9 MPH EV, 9.2 degree launch, and a 20%/8.9% K%/BB%. His speed also might have been undersold as a 28.8 ft/sec sprint speed is damn fast.

Josh Jung TEX, 3B, 24.6 – Jung had to earn this MLB debut, coming back from shoulder surgery, and he blew his load early with a homer in his very first at bat on Friday. It hasn’t been as good since, putting up the golden sombrero yesterday (0 for 4 with 4 K’s). A golden sombrero literally does sound like a quite disgusting sex act (no judgement if that’s your thing). I looked up the origin of golden sombrero, thinking it would be some super cool story (also worried that it might have been a little racist), but turns out there is no story. According to Wikipedia, baseball thought calling 3 goals in hockey a “hat trick” was cool, “and since four is bigger than three, the rationale was that a four-strikeout performance should be referred to by a bigger hat, such as a sombrero.” Pretty uninspiring. Jung has a 83.8 MPH EV with a 44% whiff% in his 3 game debut.

Triston Casas BOS, 1B, 22.8 – Cases went 0 for 3 with a K yesterday, and his MLB debut has been similar to Jung’s with 1 homer and not much else. The 35.7% whiff% in 7 games will be something to keep an eye on as the hope was for Casas to be an excellent all around hitter, not just a low average slugger.

Michael Harris ATL, OF, 21.5 – Atlanta didn’t wait until September to call up their young studs, and Harris rewarded them majorly for their boldness. He homered twice yesterday and the cement is now starting to dry on his status as an elite dynasty asset. He ranked 42nd overall on the August Top 455 Dynasty Rankings (Patreon), and he might be pushing Top 20 status when I update the rankings for September next week.

Julio Rodriguez SEA, OF, 21.8 – Speaking of the cement drying on an elite dynasty asset, Rodriguez’ dried so long ago it even has an imprint of my hand with “Halp was here, April 2022” etched into it for eternity. He went 3 for 4 with 2 bombs yesterday, and if you told me you wanted to take him 1st overall in a new dynasty league this off-season, it would be hard for me to argue against it. Ohtani might still be my top choice, but I think Julio could be a close 2nd.

Luis Patino TBR, RHP, 22.8 – Let’s keep the excitement going with Patino who is getting another crack at the rotation and … yikes. He gave up 9 earned in 1.1 IP and the stuff didn’t look all that good either with a decent 94.6 MPH fastball and relatively low spin rates on all of his pitches. He’s still young, but I’m starting to sour on him a bit.

Grayson Rodriguez BAL, RHP, 22.10 – Rodriguez returned from a lat strain and he definitely has some rust to shake off. He went 2.2 IP with 1 hit, 4 ER and a 7/3 K/BB at Double-A. You can never relax when you are banking on pitching prospects to carry the future of your dynasty team. Just look at the ghost of Forrest Whitley who has a 7.07 ERA in 28 IP at Triple-A this year. Or Daniel Espino disappearing into thin air so completely that it would make David Copperfield jealous.

Spencer Torkelson DET, 3B/1B, 22.11 – Torkelson returned to the majors and he’s trying to make us forget about the struggles that got him sent down in the first place. He went 1 for 3 with a 107 MPH double and now has a 1.030 OPS with a 5/3 K/BB and 97 MPH EV in 8 games since returning. He just might be able to rekindle those new love butterflies we all had earlier in the season if he keeps killing it down the stretch.

Michael Massey KCR, 2B, 24.4 – Massey is someone I am going to be grabbing a ton of this off-season. He went 1 for 3 with a homer and 1/1 K/BB yesterday. The underlying numbers look great to me with a 90.5 MPH EV, 16.8 degree launch angle, 15.5% barrel% and 22.7% K%. He’s not super fast, but he’s proving he has some real stolen base skills (3 for 3 on the bases). He might not be a league winner, but I think he is going to be sneaky good next year.

Jonathan Aranda TBR, 1B/2B/3B, 24.0 – 1 for 3 with a 1/1 K/BB. Aranda is trying to wade his way through Tampa’s deep roster to get playing time, and when he does, he’s proving that he’s just a damn good hitter no matter what the level. He has a 94.4 MPH EV with a 15.4%/11.5% K/BB% in 26 MPH PA. Playing time is going to be an issue and he might not have super high upside, but it’s pretty clear this guy is going to hit.

George Valera CLE, OF, 21.10 – Valera might not join the top prospect brigade in the majors this year, but it probably won’t be too far into 2023 until he does. He drilled his 7th homer in 28 games since getting called up to Triple-A. He has a little Gary Sheffield bat wiggle, and that line drive homer is reminiscent of some of the frozen ropes Sheffield would hit. Valera isn’t as good as Sheffield, but his power and OBP profile is completely transferring to Triple-A.

Joey Wiemer MIL, OF, 23.7 – Wiemer got called up to Triple-A and became a new man. He went 2 for 4 with a dinger and is now slashing .275/.360/.533 with 6 homers, 6 steals, and a 20.9%/12.2% K%/BB%. What strikeout problems?

Adael Amador COL, SS, 19.7 – Amador laughs at strikeout problems as he’s maintained an elite plate approach all season (12.1%/15.7% K%/BB%), and he showed off the power yesterday jacking out his 15th homer in 115 games at Single-A. The power/speed combo may not be huge, but plenty of superstars have bubbled up from these elite plate approach guys even if they aren’t visually jaw dropping athletes.

Kevin Parada NYM, C, 21.11 – Parada got on the board with his first professional homer in 13 games. He’s walking a ton with a .463 OBP and 24.4% BB% at Single-A, but the 29.3% K% is on the high side.

Justyn-Henry Malloy ATL, 3B/OF, 22.7 – Malloy is getting some late season helium as he continued to handle his business since getting called up to Double-A. He cracked his 6th homer in 48 games at the level and is now slashing .291/.416/.459 with 6 homers, 0 steals and a 24.8%/17.3% K%/BB%. He always had very high walk rates throughout his career and he’s shaping up to a great low key target in OBP leagues this off-season.

Oswaldo Cabrera NYY, OF, 23.7 – Cabrera hit his first MLB homer with a 408 foot shot on a 1 for 4 day. He has a 86.7 MPH EV with a 28.8% whiff% and 27.3 ft/sec sprint speed in 88 MLB PA. I think he’s a heavily used utility player long term and isn’t really a target of mine.

Bubba Thompson TEX, OF, 24.3 – The 7th fastest man in baseball racked up 2 more steals to give him 13 steals in 33 games. He has a 2.8% barrel%, so his .298 BA is the result of good luck, but a 87.8 MPH EV and 29% whiff% isn’t hopeless. It’s not a bad MLB debut, and his elite base stealing ability is worth taking on the extra risk.

Brandon Pfaadt ARI, RHP, 23.10 – Pfaadt bounced back from his first bad start at Triple-A with a gem yesterday, going 8 IP with 4 hits, 2 ER, and a 11/0 K/BB. He threw a 5 pitch mix led by his high spin, 94.3 MPH fastball. His K/BB numbers have been elite all year and they barely dropped off at all at Triple-A with a 30.4%/6.3% K%/BB% in 50 IP.

Tanner Bibee CLE, RHP, 23.6 – The hard charging Bibee isn’t slowing down, going 6 IP with 3 hits, 1 ER, and a 5/2 K/BB at Double-A. He rose up all the way to #60 overall on the Updated Top 360 Prospects Rankings and I think his name value will remain subdued enough this off-season to get him at a very reasonable price.

Mitch Keller PIT, RHP, 26.5 – 7 IP, 2 hits, 0 ER, 6/3 K/BB vs. STL. Keller is doing just enough to close out the season to screw us all over again in 2023. He has a 2.51 ERA with a 49/19 K/BB in his last 61 IP. I’m not taking the bait though as the strikeout numbers just haven’t been impressive enough. Don’t get sucked back in.

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

Posted on September 6, 2022September 9, 2022 by Michael Halpern

Patreon Post: Top 360 September 2022 Dynasty Baseball Prospects Rankings

Everyone who has a decent chance of maintaining prospect eligibility this off-season cracked the list. August through May Rankings are in parenthesis, in that order. Here is the Top 360 September 2022 Dynasty Baseball Prospects Rankings:

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR TONS OF EXCLUSIVE CONTENT ALL SEASON AND OFF-SEASON, INCLUDING:
-TOP 455 AUGUST 2022 DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKINGS
-TOP 10 TRADE NEGOTIATION TACTICS (one of my favorite things I’ve ever written)
-MID-SEASON OBP TOP 447 DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKINGS
-MID-SEASON POINTS/6+CATS/OPS “UNIVERSAL” TOP 430 DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKINGS
-TOP 40 2023 FYPD RANKINGS
-TONS OF DYNASTY RUNDOWNS
-OFF-SEASON CONTENT: Team Prospect Lists, Positional Dynasty Rankings, and early access to the Top 1,000 Dynasty Baseball Rankings

Tier 1

1) (1) (1) (2) (5) Corbin Carroll ARI, OF, 22.1 – Gunnar is winning the battle of the small sample MLB debuts. Gunnar wins in EV (89.3 MPH vs. 88.6 MPH), whiffs (22.9% vs. 30%) and launch (8.9 degrees vs. 0.5 degrees). The one area he doesn’t beat Corbin is speed, which is why I am hesitant to bump Gunnar over Carroll in a 5×5 BA league (30.4 ft/sec vs. 28.9 ft/sec). In leagues that devalue speed, Gunnar is the top dog.

2) (3) (2) (8) (12) Gunnar Henderson BAL, SS, 21.2 – The impressive MLB debut, even in a small sample, would make it hard for me to trade Gunnar for Chourio at this point, especially if I was a contending team. A 28.9 ft/sec sprint also gives hope the stolen base numbers could somewhat transfer

3) (2) (8) (99) (158) Jackson Chourio MIL, OF, 18.5 – 7 homers in his last 14 games at High-A. I still might bet on Chourio being the best fantasy player on this list when it is all said and done, but proximity has to be taken into account.

4) (6) (7) (54) (92) Elly De La Cruz CIN, SS/3B, 20.7 – K% has slightly improved since getting the call to Double-A (29.4% vs. 30.7%). The fact his K% didn’t take a jump in the upper levels of the minors is a huge hurdle to clear

5) (4) (4) (16) (6) Anthony Volpe NYY, SS, 21.4 – If Volpe was on the Braves he would have been up for at least a month now, but he isn’t on the Braves, and he’ll have to settle for barely making it to Triple-A (184 wRC+ in 4 games at the level).

6) (5) (3) (9) (13) Jordan Walker STL, 3B, 20.4 – Consistently great at Double-A. I don’t think he slumped a single time all season

Tier 2

7) (7) (9) (43) (42) James Wood SDP, OF, 20.0 – Hasn’t been able to keep up the otherworldly plate approach since the trade to Washington (26.2%/9.5% K%/BB% in 19 games). As much as I’ve loved Wood all season, at 6’7”, I would be hesitant to expect a great BA in the majors.

8) (9) (10) (20) (38) Jordan Lawlar ARI, SS, 20.3 – Lawlar is hitting a road bump at Double-A with a 33.3% K% and 16 wRC+ in 9 games

9) (8) (6) (18) (18) Zac Veen COL, OF, 20.8 – The upper minors is proving to be a problem with his GB% jumping to 56.7%, his stolen base success rate tanking (4 for 9), and his plate approach taking a small hit (26.3%/8.4% K%/BB%) in 22 games at Double-A. He’ll adjust, but would have preferred him to keep rolling

10) (11) (35) (59) (106) Jasson Dominguez NYY, OF, 19.7 – The hype is about to hit all over again this off-season with what he’s doing at High-A (133 wRC+ with a 19.2% K% in 34 games)

11) (10) (FYPD-1) Druw Jones ARI, OF, 18.8 – Hurt his shoulder during BP and could be out for the year. I dropped Lawlar from the #1 slot in my first year player draft rankings last year after his shoulder injury, and I’m not making the same mistake with Jones

12) (33) (FYPD-2) Jackson Holliday BAL, SS, 18.8 – Called up to Single-A and has a 77 wRC+, but the plate approach remains impressive with a 21.1%/18.5% K%/BB% in 8 games. He has that perfect combo of a safe floor and big upside

13) (14) (12) (5) (2) Grayson Rodriguez BAL, RHP, 22.10 – Returned from a lat strain with a 1.1 inning rehab appearance at High-A. Just seeing him get back on the mound is reassuring as we head into the off-season

14) (15) (11) (14) (21) Eury Perez MIA, RHP, 19.4 – Out with a “minor” shoulder injury but has recently resumed throwing

15) (35) (39) (49) (50) Andrew Painter PHI, RHP, 19.5 – 1.40 ERA with a 31.9%/1.4% K%/BB% in 19.1 IP at Double-A. He’s BB% has actually dropped at every new level. This guy has checked every single box this year

Tier 3

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

Posted on August 15, 2022August 16, 2022 by Michael Halpern

Monday Morning Dynasty Baseball Rundown (8/15/22)

I’ll be running down everything that caught my eye in the Dynasty Baseball world on most Mondays throughout the season. Here is the Monday Morning Dynasty Baseball Rundown (8/15/22):

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR TONS OF EXCLUSIVE CONTENT, INCLUDING:
-TOP 350 AUGUST 2022 DYNASTY PROSPECTS RANKINGS
-TOP 437 JULY 2022 DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKINGS
-TOP 10 TRADE NEGOTIATION TACTICS (one of my favorite things I’ve ever written)
-TOP 10 MID-SEASON TRADE TARGETS
-MID-SEASON OBP TOP 447 DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKINGS
-MID-SEASON POINTS/6+CATS/OPS “UNIVERSAL” TOP 430 DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKINGS
-TOP 40 2023 FYPD RANKINGS

Fernando Tatis Jr. SD, SS, 23.7 – Is Tatis an irredeemable fuck up who you should sell immediately in dynasty? Or is he an immature 23 year old kid making bad decisions with the expectations of the world on his shoulders? I like to think I’m a good judge of character, and to me this is a clear case of the latter, which is why I would buy everywhere I could. It’s like when my mom busted me for smoking weed in my room in high school at 1 a.m. in the morning while watching Late Night with Conan O’Brien. No ma, that’s not weed you smell, I’m just super gassy from that Claritin D you gave me! I swear it! Deny, deny, deny. And look at me now, I turned out fine, quitting a career in law to become a fantasy baseball writer. My parents couldn’t be prouder!

Jackson Chourio MIL, OF, 18.5/Gunnar Henderson BAL, SS, 21.0 – My #2 and #3 ranked prospects on my Top 350 August 2022 Dynasty Prospects Rankings both had huge days at the dish. Chourio went 4 for 4 with a homer that absolutely exploded off his bat. Henderson went 3 for 6 with a homer that he crushed so hard I think it landed in the forest behind the ballpark. I could make a strong argument for both of these guys to be the top prospect in the game and are players you really shouldn’t be using in win now deals. These are the type of core offensive pieces who make you a contender for several years. I’m all for win now mode and living in the present, but the word “untouchable” was made for prospects like this.

Vinnie Pasquantino KCR, 1B, 24.7 – 3 for 4 with a homer. Here’s what I wrote about Vinnie in my July Top 437 Dynasty Baseball Rankings, ranking him 109th overall, “.387 xwOBA vs. .293 wOBA. He’s a major buy.” In one of the easiest calls ever, Vinnie got hot since then with 4 homers in his last 6 games.

Michael Harris ATL, OF, 21.4 – 2 for 4 with a double and 111.2 MPH dinger. He’s now rocking a .293 BA with 12 homers and 13 steals in 69 games. Harris is undisputedly a Top 50-ish dynasty asset, the only question is how much higher to go on him. A 30% whiff%, 3.8% BB%, and 4.6 degree launch angle are legitimate concerns, and if he cools off down the stretch you can look at those numbers and say it was inevitable to happen. On the other hand, he’s only 21 years old and skipped right over Triple-A, so it would be insane to expect him to already be a finished product.

Vaughn Grissom ATL, SS, 21.7 – 2 for 3 with a 0/2 K/BB. Calling up a 21 year old straight from Double-A worked once already for Atlanta, and they rolled the dice again with Grissom and it just keeps coming up sevens. He has a 1.228 OPS in 5 games. He already rose all the way up to 33rd overall in my July rankings, and he checked in at #20 on the Updated August Top 350 Prospects Rankings.

Brandon Pfaadt ARI, RHP, 23.9 – 6 IP, 1 hit, 1 ER, 10/2 K/BB at Triple-A. The fastball averaged 93.7 MPH, he threw 6 pitches, and he put up a 49% whiff% led by his fastball, slider and change. Pfaadt is a guy who has just kept growing on me, and I think he is one of the more underrated prospects in the minors. He might not have ace upside, but I do think he has potential to end up in that sneaky 2/3 range and could probably be had for a pretty reasonable price at this point. He checked in at #82 on the Updated Prospects Rankings.

Dustin May LAD, RHP, 24.9 – 5 IP, 4 hits, 1 ER, 10/1 K/BB at Triple-A. The fastball averaged 97 MPH, he threw 5 pitches, and the curve put up a 3297 spin rate. May was breaking out to such an extreme level before going down with Tommy John surgery that I just couldn’t budge his ranking very much. I already had him up to #73 on the July Dynasty Rankings, and now with both the stuff and control back, he very well could be pushed into the top 50 on next week’s Updated Rankings.

Emerson Hancock SEA, RHP, 23.1 – 7 IP, 2 hits, 0 ER, 5/1 K/BB at Double-A. Hancock is a classic case of eye test vs. results. He gets an A+ on the eye test. If you love the art of pitching and watching a guy who commands the mound, you will love Hancock. On the other hand, a 22.6%/7.4% K%/BB% with a 5.28 xFIP (2.19 ERA) is less impressive. “Art of pitching” your way through Double-A is much different than doing it in the majors. He’s a top 100 prospect for me, but if he ends up a back end starter it will look pretty obvious in hindsight.

Zach Neto LAA, SS, 21.6 – Neto looked so impressive in his 7 game pro debut at High-A that he was sent up to Double-A already, and he lifted off for his first homer at the level on a 2 for 4 with 0 K day. He’s now 10 for 23 in 5 games there. The only slight quibble with Neto was that he didn’t play in the strongest conference in college (Big South), but with him ripping up the upper levels of the minors that is really irrelevant now. He already climbed to #6 on my First Year Player Draft Rankings, and the arrow continues to point up.

Brooks Lee MIN, SS, 21.5 – My previous 6th ranked prospect, Lee, isn’t having too shabby of a pro debut himself, showing off the plus hit tool on a 4 for 5 day at High-A. He’s hitting .364 in 8 games split between rookie ball and High-A and is one of the safer bats in this year’s class.

Alexander Canario CHC, OF, 22.4 – It’s impossible to watch Canario jack a homer and not get excited. Here he is smoking his 21st homer in 75 games at Double-A. Go ahead, I dare you to not get excited.

Yanquiel Fernandez COL, OF, 19.7 – 2 for 5 with a double and homer at Single-A. Fernandez is quietly having a very exciting season for a 19 year old at Single-A with 16 homers and a 21.6%/8.4% K%/BB% in 93 games. He’s been red hot in August with a 1.092 OPS in 12 games. He’s 6’2” with some projection left on his frame and he has a vicious lefty swing. He’s severely underrated.

Endy Rodriguez PIT, C, 22.3 – Endy has been a man possessed for a few months now, and he took the show to Double-A last week and is showing no let up, ripping his 2nd homer in 5 games to go along with a 1.093 OPS. He might be passing Henry Davis as Pitt’s presumed catcher of the future, although there are plenty of at bats to go around for both of them with their depleted roster. This is just the beginning for Endy. He should really change his name to Beginy.

Bobby Miller LAD, RHP, 23.4 – Nobody looks as good as Miller when he’s on, and he was on yesterday, going 7.1 IP with 4 hits, 0 ER, and a 9/2 K/BB at Double-A. The fastball gets into the upper 90’s and the secondaries are nasty. Here is a cut of all of his K’s from last night.

Blake Snell SD, LHP, 29.7 – 6 IP, 3 hits, 0 ER, 10/0 K/BB vs. WAS. I almost didn’t include Snell in the Rundown because Washington’s lineup is Triple-A quality, but he’s been ripping it up for awhile now with a 2.08 ERA and 67/17 K/BB in his last 43.1 IP. Here is how I closed the Snell blurb in my off-season Top 1,000 Ranking, “Robbie Ray is a good reminder to never give up on strikeout machines with control problems.”

Brady Singer KC, RHP, 26.0 – 6 IP, 1 hit, 0 ER, 7/3 K/BB vs. LAD. A start like this versus the Dodgers really cements Singer’s come up. He’s done it on the back of improved control with a career best 6% BB%. The 3.83 xERA is still worse than the 3.29 ERA, and the 25% whiff% is only slightly above average, so I don’t think he is a world beater, but he’s clearly taken a step forward.

Emmet Sheehan LAD, RHP, 22.1 – 6 IP, 4 hits, 0 ER, 6/0 K/BB at High-A. It seems like the Dodgers just grow these guys on trees. Sheehan pumps mid to upper 90’s heat with a starter’s 4 pitch mix (change could be his best secondary). He has a 2.80 ERA with a 36.1%/11.5% K%/BB% in 54.2 IP. Control has been an issue for him his entire career, so he may end up in a multi inning pen role especially considering the Dodgers never ending depth, but the upside is legit.

Carson Williams TBR, SS, 19.1 – Williams smacked one down the opposite field line for his 15th homer in 92 games at Single-A. Even better, he didn’t strikeout once. The 32.6% K% is worrisome, and he’s only hitting .210 in his last 59 games since getting off to a hot start, but his upside is worth taking on the extra risk.

Nick Yorke BOS, 2B, 20.4 – Yorke is finally heating up with his 3rd homer in his last 8 games at High-A. The season has been a struggle overall with a 23.5% K% and 78 wRC+ in 62 games. The hit tool just hasn’t been elite enough considering his modest power/speed combo to really keeping ranking Yorke extremely high. I still like him a lot, and he was banged up this year, but I’ve started to lower him in my rankings.

Oscar Colas CHW, OF, 23.9 – Colas continues to be out his mind at Double-A, going 3 for 5 with a dinger yesterday. He’s slashing .353/.439/.694 with 9 homers and a 23.5%/9.2% K%/BB% in 22 games at the level. He moved into my Top 50.

Jose Rodriguez CHW, SS, 21.1 – Rodriguez has gotten a bit forgotten about after a slow start, but he’s been heating up for awhile now. He went 2 for 5 with a double and homer yesterday at Double-A. In his last 39 games he’s slashing .317/.395/.549 with 7 homers, 20 steals, and a 25/20 K/BB. There’s probably still time to jump on the bandwagon as the hype hasn’t caught back up.

Edgar Quero LAA, C, 19.4 – Quero demolished his 14th homer in 90 games at Single-A, and while the video is poor quality, you can see the fielders barely move and the announcer claimed the ball landed on “E Street.” He’s put up over a 1.000 OPS in June, July, and August. He’s quickly becoming one of the most exciting teenage catcher prospects in the game.

Jake McCarthy ARI, OF, 25.1 – 1 for 3 with a walk and 2 steals. I’ve always liked McCarthy as one of my favorites in the fringy close to the majors bucket, and he’s showing why with 3 homers, 9 steals, and a .261 BA in 57 MLB games. He’s lightning fast with a 30 ft/sec spring speed (Top 1% of the league), he’s hitting the ball respectably hard with a 88.1 MPH EV, and he’s making contact with a 23.7% K%. I still have him in that “fringe MLB guy” bucket, but his fantasy friendly skillset makes him a no brainer stash if you have the room.

Gavin Cross KC, OF, 21.5 – Cross cracked his first homer in full season ball at Single-A. I have him ranked 13th on the FYPD rankings, and the reason I couldn’t go higher on him is because the hit tool wasn’t quite as good as the hitters ranked above him. That is playing out in the early going with a 27.8%/5.6% K%/BB% in 4 games at the level. Clearly way too small of a sample to draw any conclusions, but it means his value holds steady for me for now.

Dalton Rushing LAD, C/1B, 21.6 – If you’re looking for an early 2022 Draft pro debut breakout, Rushing could be your guy. He cracked his 2nd homer in 8 games at Single-A and it comes with a 7/8 K/BB and 1.372 OPS. He was drafted 40th overall to one of the best organizations in the game on the back of 23 homers in 64 games in the ACC. He’s quickly rising up my ranks.

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

Posted on August 9, 2022August 12, 2022 by Michael Halpern

Patreon Post: Top 350 August 2022 Dynasty Baseball Prospects Rankings

I was strict with my definition of a prospect in this one again. July through May Rankings are in parenthesis, in that order. Here is the Top 350 August 2022 Dynasty Baseball Prospects Rankings:

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR THE REST OF THESE RANKINGS AND TONS OF EXCLUSIVE CONTENT, INCLUDING:
-TOP 437 JULY 2022 DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKINGS
-TOP 10 TRADE NEGOTIATION TACTICS (one of my favorite things I’ve ever written)
-TOP 10 MID-SEASON TRADE TARGETS
-MID-SEASON OBP TOP 447 DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKINGS
-MID-SEASON POINTS/6+CATS/OPS “UNIVERSAL” TOP 430 DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKINGS
-TOP 40 2023 FYPD RANKINGS

Tier 1

1) (1) (2) (5) Corbin Carroll ARI, OF, 22.0 – Got promoted to Triple-A and actually improved his only slight weakness with a 16.9%/16.9% K%/BB% in 18 games (24.5%/14.8% K%/BB% at Double-A). His power won’t be as big as most of the elite prospects ranked after him, so in points league or OPS leagues, it’s reasonable to go another way at #1.

2) (8) (99) (158) Jackson Chourio MIL, OF, 18.5 – Here’s what I wrote about Chourio in my Friday Dynasty Rundown over on Patreon, “DO NOT TRADE THIS MAN!!! Every dynasty owner has trades they sorely regret. It’s just the nature of the beast. Mine was trading Juan Soto in 2017 for 2 expiring contracts that helped me win a championship by half a point. Soto went bonkos the next year and put up a ridiculous .923 OPS in the majors the very next year! It legitimately hurts me to this day. Fuck the championship. I have a sinking feeling in my gut even writing this blurb right now. Milwaukee has aggressively promoted Chourio all the way up to High-A this year (.905 OPS with a 6/5 K/BB in 9 games), making me think he’s going to get special treatment on his path to the majors like one of those celebrities who take 15 minute helicopter rides to skip over rush hour traffic. I’m updating my Prospects Rankings next week, and he’s my no doubt #2 prospect, and I’m real tempted to push him over Carroll at #1. I implore you one more time, HOLD ON FOR DEAR LIFE!”

3) (2) (8) (12) Gunnar Henderson BAL, SS, 21.1 – He’ll chip in with steals, but he isn’t going to steal as many bags as Carroll or Chourio, so I would hesitate to pick Gunnar over those guys in a 5×5 BA league. He’s arguably the top prospect in leagues that devalue steals.

4) (4) (16) (6) Anthony Volpe NYY, SS, 21.3 – A 55.4% flyball percentage is going to hurt his BA considering he doesn’t have monster raw power. That .247 BA at Double-A isn’t all bad luck.

5) (3) (9) (13) Jordan Walker STL, 3B, 20.3 – Only 2 for 4 on the bases in his last 36 games at Double-A. The bat isn’t a question at all though with 5 homers in his last 15 games

6) (7) (54) (92) Elly De La Cruz CIN, SS/3B, 20.6 – Called up to Double-A and the K% hasn’t gotten out of hand with a 31.5% K% (30.7% K% at High-A). At every new level we just have to hold our breath it doesn’t spike to like 40%

7) (9) (43) (42) James Wood WAS, OF, 19.11 – There is nothing like a blockbuster trade for a player to finally get the respect they deserve. I’ve been shouting that Wood is an elite prospect for months now, and he was also one of my top targets in 2021 first year player drafts.

8) (6) (18) (18) Zac Veen COL, OF, 20.7 – I would have liked to see more than 11 homers in 92 games at High-A, but I really don’t have many doubts about the long-term power, and the insane 50 steals helps soften the modest power output

9) (10) (20) (38) Jordan Lawlar ARI, SS, 20.1 – Starting to come alive at High-A, going 7 for 15 with 2 homers in his last 3 games

10) (FYPD-1) Druw Jones ARI, OF, 18.8 – Hurt his shoulder during BP and could be out for the year. I dropped Lawlar from the #1 slot in my first year player draft rankings last year after his shoulder injury, and I’m not making the same mistake with Jones

11) (35) (59) (106) Jasson Dominguez NYY, OF, 19.6 – Called up to High-A and has a 25.8%/12.1% K%/BB%, 2 homers, and 5 steals in 15 games. He smacks the shit out of the ball, has speed, and is keeping the K’s in check. It’s time to get really excited again

12) (16) (31) (23) Francisco Alvarez NYM, C, 20.9 – He found his groove at Triple-A with a .984 OPS in his last 12 games

13) (5) (17) (11) Robert Hassell WAS, OF, 21.0 – This small drop is just for that lingering concern that the power/speed totals might be more solid than standout

14) (12) (5) (2) Grayson Rodriguez BAL, RHP, 22.9 – Last update had Rodriguez throwing from 120 feet as he rehabs his right lat strain. Eury Perez’ recent rough patch is enough for me to bump Rodriguez back over him, as I would have definitely preferred Rodriguez had he not gotten injured

15) (11) (14) (21) Eury Perez MIA, RHP, 19.3 – Don’t shoot the messenger, but Perez just gave up 6 earned in 1.1 IP in his last outing, his last 3 outings have been rough (10.64 ERA in 11 IP), and he has a pretty mediocre 4.19 ERA on the season. He’s 19 years old at Double-A with nasty stuff, so he’s still really impressive overall, but maybe we shouldn’t crown him quite yet

16) (13) (13) (9) Daniel Espino CLE, RHP, 21.7 – This dude just disappeared off the face of the earth. If I ever commit a crime and need to lay low for awhile, I’m hitting up that Cleveland brain trust for pointers

Tier 2

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

Posted on July 13, 2022July 15, 2022 by Michael Halpern

Patreon Post: Top 314 Mid-Season 2022 Dynasty Baseball Prospects Rankings

I went back to being very strict with my definition of a prospect in this one. June and May Rankings are in parenthesis, in that order. Here is the Top 314 Mid-Season 2022 Dynasty Baseball Prospects Rankings:

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR THE REST OF THESE RANKINGS AND TONS OF EXCLUSIVE CONTENT, INCLUDING:
-TOP 10 TRADE NEGOTIATION TACTICS (one of my favorite things I’ve ever written)
-TOP 10 MID-SEASON TRADE TARGETS
-MID-SEASON OBP TOP 447 DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKINGS
-MID-SEASON POINTS/6+CATS/OPS “UNIVERSAL” TOP 430 DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKINGS
-JUNE 2022 TOP 445 DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKINGS
-TOP 16 2023 FYPD RANKINGS (UPDATED AND EXPANDED EARLY NEXT WEEK)

1) (2) (5) Corbin Carroll ARI, OF, 21.11 – Hit a dinger and made a highlight reel diving catch in his first game at Triple-A. He’s electric … boogie woogie woogie

2) (8) (12) Gunnar Henderson BAL, SS, 21.0 – I must have sent that “Gunnar Henderson is elite” memo by Pony Express because it took a few months for everyone else to catch up

3) (9) (13) Jordan Walker STL, 3B, 20.2 – Homer power is the only thing that isn’t thriving with 7 homers in 69 games, but that’s really the last thing we have to worry about with Walker because of his size and excellent EV numbers.

4) (16) (6) Anthony Volpe NYY, SS, 21.2 – The low BABIP has regressed in a good way, slashing .317/.405/.564 with 5 homers, 15 steals, and a 14/13 K/BB in his last 26 games. He has 35 steals in 74 games at Double-A

5) (17) (11) Robert Hassell SDP, OF, 20.11 – With Veen’s K% all the way down, I could go either way on Hassell vs. Veen

6) (18) (18) Zac Veen COL, OF, 20.6 – K% is all the way down to 21.1% and not only has his stolen bases not regressed from last year but he’s actually on a better pace with a much, much better success rate (35 for 37 in 75 games at High-A)

7) (54) (92) Elly De La Cruz CIN, SS/3B, 20.5 – The guy has 20 homers and 28 steals in 72 games at High-A. I mean, what the fuck? 30.5% K% is the only thing keeping him ranked even this low

8) (99) (158) Jackson Chourio MIL, OF, 18.3 – Chourio had already moved all the way up to this area in all of the Mid-Season Updated Dynasty Rankings. Both the stats and eye test is off the charts. 28.2% K% is the only quibble.

9) (43) (42) James Wood SDP, OF, 19.10 – Returned from a sore wrist and has been even better than before hitting the IL, slashing .333/.422/.563 with 3 homers, 7 steals, and a 17/12 K/BB in 21 games. I always call him Oneil Cruz 2.0, but he actually might end up better than Cruz because the hit tool is better

10) (20) (38) Jordan Lawlar ARI, SS, 20.0 – Called up to High-A and has struggled in 6 games with a .095 BA

11) (14) (21) Eury Perez MIA, RHP, 19.2 – I love these next 3 pitchers, but when push comes to shove, I just can’t take them over the potentially elite, all category hitters even if they are closer. Perez has a 1.88 ERA with a 31/5 K/BB in 24 IP since the last update. He’s healthy, so he gets the nod over Grayson and Espino

12) (5) (2) Grayson Rodriguez BAL, RHP, 22.6 – Right lat strain could end his season. He did begin light rehab activities after a “good” MRI, so there is some good news. If you want to downgrade him more because of the injury I have no issue with that

13) (13) (9) Daniel Espino CLE, RHP, 21.5 – Still out with that knee tendinitis they claimed wasn’t that serious

14) (1) (7) Royce Lewis MIN, SS, 23.0 – It feels like Kyle Lewis all over again with knee injury after knee injury, but like Lewis, Lewis’ talent is too good to give up on. Maybe it’s just a Lewis thing.

15) (23) (36) Ezequiel Tovar COL, SS, 20.11 – In the midst of his first slump, but even his slumps look good with a .311 BA in his last 18 games. It comes with only 1 homer and 1 steal though

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

Posted on May 31, 2022June 2, 2022 by Michael Halpern

Patreon Post: Top 350 June 2022 Dynasty Baseball Prospects Rankings

I reversed course on this one and was very lenient with my definition of a prospect, so the previous ranking in parenthesis might indicate a bigger drop than actually happened due to adding a bunch of players who weren’t eligible on my last stricter update. Here is the Top 350 June 2022 Dynasty Baseball Prospects Rankings:

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR THE REST OF THESE RANKINGS AND TONS OF EXCLUSIVE CONTENT ALL SEASON, INCLUDING:
-UPDATED MAY 2022 TOP 433 DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKINGS
-UPDATED JUNE 2022 TOP 350 DYNASTY PROSPECTS RANKINGS
-TONS OF DYNASTY RUNDOWNS

1) (7) Royce Lewis MIN, SS, 23.0 – I’m trying to make a case why Lewis shouldn’t be the #1 prospect in baseball and I just can’t do it. He already rose to #7 overall in last month’s update before he got the call to the majors, and then he went out and proved the skills will translate against MLB pitching with a 16.2% whiff% and 90.7 MPH EV in 41 PA. He has all the talent in the world as a former #1 overall pick and he destroyed Triple-A in every facet of the game. While the prospects ranked after him are every bit as talented, proving it in the majors is a big deal, as we’ve seen top prospects come up and quickly establish they just can’t handle MLB pitching … cough, Jarred Kelenic, clearing throat sound, cough, cough. I obviously don’t love the knee injury after he crashed into the wall, but right now it’s not looking like a major injury

2) (5) Corbin Carroll ARI, OF, 21.9 – Hasn’t slowed down in May at all with a 1.031 OPS at Double-A

3) (1) Riley Greene DET, OF, 21.8 – Began his rehab assignment from a broken foot and went 1 for 4 in his first game back at Triple-A

4) (4) Oneil Cruz PIT, SS, 23.8 – K% is all the way down to a respectable 25.1%, and in his last 20 games he’s slashing .281/.392/.549 with 6 homers, 3 steals, and a 19/12 K/BB at Triple-A. I’m still all in on Cruz

5) (2) Grayson Rodriguez BAL, RHP, 22.6 – 0.94 ERA with a 43/9 K/BB in his last 28.2 IP at Triple-A. I have no idea why he isn’t in the majors already Update: Left his last start with a lat injury. Fucking pitching prospects man

6) (6/UR) Shane Baz TBR, RHP, 22.11 – Due to being more strict on my last prospects update, Baz wasn’t included, but he was my 6th ranked prospect in the Top 433 May 2022 Dynasty Baseball Rankings from 2 weeks ago. He recently began a rehab assignment at Triple-A and should be back in the majors soon.

7) (3) Adley Rutschman BAL, C, 24.4 – Plate approach skills are transferring to the majors with a 17.1%/11.4% K%/BB% in 35 PA. He has 0 barrels, but an 89 MPH EV ain’t bad, so he’ll find the barrel of the bat eventually

8) (12) Gunnar Henderson BAL, SS, 20.11 – Not only has his plate approach not regressed, but he’s taken it to another level recently with a 13.6%/22.2% K%/BB% in his last 19 games at Double-A

9) (13) Jordan Walker STL, 3B, 20.0 – Power hasn’t fully shown up with 4 homers and a 50.5% GB% in 40 games at Double-A, but at 6’5”, 220 pounds, that is the last thing we have to worry about

10) (8/UR) CJ Abrams SD, SS, 21.8 – I still love Abrams, but I just trust the power of Henderson and Walker more, and they are doing it in the upper levels of the minors now too. Like Baz, Abrams wasn’t included in the last Prospects Rankings but he ranked 8th on the latest Dynasty Rankings.

11) (8) George Kirby SEA, RHP, 24.4 – Exactly as advertised with plus control (2.4% BB%) of a plus 95.5 MPH fastball (30.4% whiff%), to go along with effective but not exceptional secondaries

12) (13/UR) MJ Melendez KCR, C, 23.6 – K% hasn’t ballooned in the majors with a respectable 27.1% whiff% which has allowed his no joke power to shine with a 91.7 MPH EV and 4 homers in 22 games

13) (9) Daniel Espino CLE, RHP, 21.5 – Currently out with some knee tendinitis that doesn’t seem serious, but he’s also been out since April 29th so maybe it was more serious than they were letting on. I wouldn’t downgrade him one iota because of the injury at this point

14) (21) Eury Perez MIA, RHP, 19.2 – 2.12 ERA with a 20/4 K/BB in 17 IP in May. The fastball has hit over 100 MPH this year. He’s gonna be an ace

15) (29/UR) MacKenzie Gore SDP, LHP, 23.3 – He’s outperforming the underlying numbers with a 1.71 ERA vs. a 3.32 xERA (also a 28.3% K% vs. a 25.1% whiff%), but that is just nitpicking as his electric 4 pitch mix is shining due to improved control (8.4% BB% in 42 IP)

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

Posted on May 4, 2022May 7, 2022 by Michael Halpern

Patreon Post: Top 316 May 2022 Dynasty Baseball Prospects Rankings

I’ve decided to be very strict about prospect eligibility. All prospects that have exceeded their rookie eligibility according to Baseball Reference and all currently in the majors are excluded. Here is the Top 316 May 2022 Dynasty Baseball Prospects Rankings:

CLICK HERE TO JOIN MY PATREON FOR THE REST OF THESE RANKINGS AND TONS OF EXCLUSIVE CONTENT ALL SEASON, INCLUDING:
-UPDATED APRIL 2022 TOP 414 DYNASTY BASEBALL RANKINGS
-TONS OF DYNASTY RUNDOWNS

1) Riley Greene DET, OF, 21.6 – Greene likely wouldn’t have been eligible to crack this list had he not gone down with a broken foot. But he did break his foot, and will have to settle for ascending to top dog status on prospect lists.

2) Grayson Rodriguez BAL, RHP, 22.4 – Last 2 outings haven’t been great but he got BABIP’d to death with 0 homers and good K/BB numbers. 37.9%/5.7% K%/BB% in 21.2 IP at Triple-A shows the dominance

3) Adley Rutschman BAL, C, 24.2 – Started his rehab assignment at High-A from a strained right triceps and is unsurprisingly far too advanced for the level with a 0/2 K/BB and 230 wRC+ in 4 games.

4) Oneil Cruz PIT, SS, 23.6 – 32.9% K% and 57 wRC+ in 19 games at Triple-A. I wouldn’t be surprised if some of the struggles were related to the disappointment of not cracking the opening day roster.

5) Corbin Carroll ARI, OF, 21.7 – Doing everything at Double-A with 4 homers, 7 steals, and a 23.6%/13.5% K%/BB%

6) Anthony Volpe NYY, SS, 20.11 – Early season struggles are in the rear view mirror. A .239 BABIP is really the only thing keeping his numbers down at Double-A

7) Royce Lewis MIN, SS, 22.10 – Came back from the knee surgery a new man, putting up a 19.4%/16.1% K%/BB% in 21 games at Triple-A. Power and speed look great too

8) George Kirby SEA, RHP, 24.2 – Performing like his usual dominant self, and the secondaries look improved. He could take Brash’s spot in the rotation shortly

9) Daniel Espino CLE, RHP, 21.3 – Currently out with some knee tendinitis that doesn’t seem serious. Insane 51.5%/5.9% K%/BB% in 18.1 IP at Double-A.

10) Triston Casas BOS, 1B, 22.2 – Is not long for the minors with Dalbec struggling hard

11) Robert Hassell SDP, OF, 20.7 – Destroying High-A with a 15.4%/9.9% K%/BB%, 5 homers and 9 steals. Something to note, the minor leagues still clearly have the super happy fun balls, so these guys with high groundball rates might struggle to hit for this kind of power in the majors assuming MLB doesn’t switch back to the juiced balls in the future. Carroll and Hassell both have over 50% groundball rates

12) Gunnar Henderson BAL, SS, 20.9 – Strikeout problems have disappeared completely at Double-A with a 19.1%/23.6% K%/BB% in 20 games

13) Jordan Walker STL, 3B, 19.10 – 22.9%/12% K%/BB% is huge to see in 18 games at Double-A considering his raw power and athleticism

14) Max Meyer MIA, RHP, 22.11 – One of the most impressive pitchers in the minors this year. 32.4%/5.9% K%/BB% with a 1.71 ERA in 26.1 IP at Triple-A. Still mostly fastball/slider, but the changeup is improving

15) Michael Harris ATL, OF, 21.1 – Game power is ticking up with 4 homers and a 44.1% GB% in 21 games at Double-A

16) Miguel Vargas LAD, 3B, 22.4 – Everything is translating to Triple-A

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

Posted on February 13, 2019February 18, 2019 by Michael Halpern

2020 Top 90 Dynasty Baseball First Year Player Draft Rankings (1st Edition)

2019 prospects are old news. If you’re anything like me, you’ve spent so much time watching, listening, and reading about these guys, you know them better than you know thyself. With the NCAA Baseball season kicking off this weekend, I figured now is as good a time as any to roll out the first edition of my 2020 Dynasty Baseball First Year Player Draft Rankings. Disclaimer: these rankings may change drastically as we get closer and closer to the June draft. Here are the 2020 Top 90 Dynasty Baseball First Year Player Draft Rankings (1st Edition):’

Click the links below for my previous off-season content:
2019 Top 1,000 Dynasty Baseball Rankings
2019 Top 472 Dynasty Baseball Prospect Rankings
11 Dynasty Baseball Rules to Live By

Player Name POSITION, TEAM, AGE (Years.Months on 2019 MLB Opening Day – Months are on a scale of 0-11 … I know it is not mathematically correct, but gimme a break, I was a History major)

Projections (Hitters): R/HR/RBI/AVG/OBP/SLG/Steals
(Pitchers): Wins/ERA/WHIP/K

1) Bobby Witt Jr. SS, High School, 18.10 – Won of the Home Run Derby at the High School All-Star game and won MVP at the Under Armour All-America Game. Witt has posted elite exit velocity for his age and has plus speed. This is the high upside prospect you are looking for in Dynasty leagues. Prime Projection: 89/28/96/.257/.339/.485/22 ETA: 2024 Where he would rank on my 2019 Top 472 Prospects Ranking: #35 – ranked around Gavin Lux, Kristian Robinson, Danny Jansen, and Josh James.

2) Jasson Dominguez OF, NYY, 16?? – Expected to sign for about $5 million with the Yankees. Dominguez is a chiseled 5’10”, 195 pounds with a plus power-speed combo and good feel to hit. There isn’t that much info out there on him, but the ball explodes off his bat from the three Youtube clips I watched, and the $5 million signing bonus speaks for itself. Prime Projection: 96/28/94/.281/.357/.511/19 ETA: 2025 2019 Top 472 Prospects Ranking: #36 – ranked around see above, plus Mike Soroka, Vidal Brujan, and Andres Gimenez

3) Corbin Carroll OF, HS, 18.7 – Undersized at 5’10”, 165 pounds but has a quick and powerful stroke that has produced excellent exit velocity readings. Advanced approach with plus hit and 70 grade speed are his bread and butter. Prime Projection: 96/23/92/.285/.358/.478/26 ETA: 2023 2019 Top 472 Prospects Ranking:#47 – ranked around Jeter Downs, Victor Victor Mesa, and Jarred Kelenic.

4) Andrew Vaughn 1B, California, 21.0 – Insane sophomore year in the Pac12 with a 18/44 K/BB, 23 homers, and a triple-slash of .402/.531/.819. Plus hit, plus bat speed, plus power and plus exit velocity. If you prefer a quick moving college bat, I would’t blame you if you took Vaughn 1st overall. Prime Projection: 82/30/94/.285/.361/.514/2 ETA: 2021 2019 Top 472 Prospects Ranking: #58 – ranked around Austin Riley, Nathaniel Lowe, and George Valera.

5) Adley Rutschman C, Oregon State, 21.2 – Switch hitting catcher with power from both sides, an advanced plate approach, and a sure bet to stick behind the plate. Plus catcher defense makes him more valuable in real life. Prime Projection: 78/25/87/.278/.366/.483/3 ETA: 2021 2019 Top 472 Prospects Ranking: #64 – ranked around Trevor Larnach, Seth Beer, and Michael Chavis.

6) CJ Abrams SS, HS, 18.6 – Prototypical top of the order hitter with elite contact ability and elite speed. At 6’2”, 180 pounds he has the frame to grow into more power, and has posted a top exit velocity of 93 MPH at a Perfect Game showcase, which isn’t bad.. Prime Projection: 96/18/71/.287/.349/.453/29 ETA: 2023 2019 Top 472 Prospects Ranking: #71 – ranked around Bubba Thompson, Nico Hoerner, and Mitch Keller.

7) Riley Greene OF, HS, 18.6 – Pure hitter with plus bat speed and plus exit velocity that should lead to more power as he matures. Greene has one of the smoothest lefty swings in the draft. Prime Projection: 91/25/92/.288/.373/.505/9 ETA: 2023 2019 Top 472 Prospects Ranking: #75 – ranked around Ke’Bryan Hayes, Estevan Florial, Yusniel Diaz, and Isaac Paredes.

8) Jerrion Ealy OF, HS, 18.7 – Elite two-sport athlete (he’s also a star running back) with double plus speed, vicious bat speed, and elite contact ability. These two sport stars always seem to be a little underrated (see Taylor Trammell and Bubba Thompson, two guys I was much higher on than any other list pre-draft). Ealy has the potential to be an absolute stud. This ranking doesn’t take any signability concerns into account. I would just be wildly guessing at the odds he chooses to go to college to play football. Same goes for my #10 ranked prospect, Maurice Hampton. Prime Projection: 91/21/86/.277/.345/.461/30 ETA: 2023 2019 Top 472 Prospects Ranking: #78 – ranked around Nolan Jones, Joey Bart, Travis Swaggerty, and Corey Ray.

9) Michael Busch 1B/OF, North Carolina, 21.5 – Plus hit, plus power combo with sneaky athleticism. Dominated the Cape Cod League, slashing .322/.450/.567 with 6 homers, 3 steals, and a 17/19 K/BB in 27 games. Prime Projection: 85/26/88/.274/.353/.479/8 ETA: 2021 2019 Top 472 Prospects Ranking: #90 – ranked around Alec Bohm, Tyler Nevin, and Jordyn Adams.

10) Maurice Hampton OF, HS, 17.8 – Elite two sport athlete (star cornerback) with plus speed and plus exit velocity, but inexperience shows up in his raw hit tool. Hampton is another underrated two sport star. Upside is elite. Prime Projection: 83/24/83/.258/.330/.468/23 ETA: 2024 2019 Top 472 Prospects Ranking: #91 – ranked around Jordan Adams, Julio Pablo Martinez, and Wander Javier.

11) Robert Puason SS, OAK, 16?? – Dominguez and Puason are the top tier of the 2019 J2 class. Puason is a long and lean 6’2” with elite athleticism and plus speed. Prime Projection: 93/23/87/.277/.351/.479/22 ETA: 2025 2019 Top 472 Prospects Ranking: #100 – ranked around Kevin Smith and Marco Luciano.

12) Carter Stewart RHP, Junior College, 19.5 – Selected 8th overall by Atlanta in the 2018 draft, but never signed due to concerns over a wrist injury. Stewart is a 6’6”, 200 pound man child with a nasty high spin rate curveball. He has an intimidating presence on the mound with a fastball that tops out at 97 MPH. Prime Projection: 15/3.54/1.23/198 in 180 IP ETA: 2022 2019 Top 472 Prospects Ranking: #101 – ranked around Luiz Gohara, Jon Duplantier, Luis Patino, and Ryan Mountcastle.

13) Graeme Stinson LHP, Duke, 21.8 – 6’5”, 245 pound lefty with a nasty fastball/slider combo that racks up strikeouts. Changeup is far behind and he has been a reliever for most of his college career, so bullpen risk is high. Prime Projection: 11/3.48/1.24/171 in 145 IP ETA: 2021 Top 472 Prospects Ranking: #111 – ranked around see above, plus Brent Rooker, Willians Astudillo, and Ryan McKenna.

14) Daniel Espino RHP, HS, 18.3 – Fastball sits in the mid 90’s and can touch 100 MPH, to go along with a plus curveball and potentially plus slider. Espino might have the most electric stuff in the draft. Prime Projection: 14/3.55/1.25/193 in 178 IP ETA: 2023 2019 Top 472 Prospects Ranking: #113 – ranked around see above, plus Anderson Espinoza, Isan Diaz, and Heliot Ramos.

15) Brennan Malone RHP, HS, 18.7 – Power pitcher at 6’5”, 210 pounds with a fastball that hits 97 MPH and an arm action that looks like it could launch military grade weapons. Secondaries are still raw, but curveball flashes plus, and has good arm speed and fade on developing changeup. Prime Projection: 15/3.69/1.24/201 in 185 IP ETA: 2023 2019 Top 472 Prospects Ranking: #121 – ranked around Leody Tavares, Brandon Marsh, and Justin Dunn.

16) Josh Jung 3B, Texas Tech, 21.2 – Big, physical hitter at 6’2”, 215 pounds who needs to start pulling the ball more to fully tap into his raw power. 32/39 K/BB in 65 games shows good feel to hit. Prime Projection: 78/26/91/.271/.339/.470/4 ETA: 2021 Top 472 Prospects Ranking: #127 – ranked around Adam Haseley, Grant Lavigne, and Oscar Mercado.

17) Will Holland SS, Auburn, 20.11 – Plus power/speed combo who performed very well in his sophomore year in the SEC, slashing .313/.406/.530 with 12 homers and 9 steals. Has a very pronounced wide and low batting stance, and a 49/28 K/BB in 66 games shows his plate approach needs improvement. Prime Projection: 84/20/79/.258/.334/.445/23 ETA: 2022 2019 Top 472 Prospects Ranking: #128 – ranked around Oscar Mercado, Sandy Alcantara, DJ Stewart, and Cole Tucker.

18) Michael Toglia 1B/OF, UCLA, 20.8 – Toglia is one of the youngest players in the college draft class. He has plus raw power with a patient approach at the plate that leads to high strikeout totals. At 6’4”, 205 pounds, the potential is there for him to turn into an absolute beast. Prime Projection: 82/27/91/.262/.354/.476/4 ETA: 2022 Top 472 Prospects Ranking: #133 – ranked around Luis Alexander Basabe, Austin Beck, and Zack Collins.

19) Yolbert Sanchez SS, Cuba, 22.1 – Slick fielding shortstop with plus speed and everything else still pretty much a mystery. His numbers in Cuba were unimpressive, although he was mostly a teenager and he rarely struck out. Prime Projection: 78/15/75/.274/.331/.423/20 ETA: 2021 2019 Top 472 Prospects Ranking: #149 – ranked around Nick Neidert, Logan Gilbert, and Akil Baddoo.

20) Greg Jones SS, UNC-Wilmington, 21.1 – Tooled up athlete with double plus speed and developing power. 70/33 K/BB in 60 games shows he is still raw. Prime Projection: 80/15/73/.255/.337/.418/26 ETA: 2022 Top 472 Prospects Ranking: #152 – ranked around Akil Baddoo, Anderson Tejada, and Austin Hays.

21) Kameron Misner OF, Missouri, 21.3 – Plus power-speed combo but approach is more line drive oriented. Was leading Division 1 in walks in 2018 before breaking his foot on a foul ball. Prime Projection: 86/23/79/.262/.350/.465/17 ETA: 2022 2019 Top 472 Prospects Ranking: #158 – ranked around Dane Dunning, Tirso Orneles, and Tristen Lutz.

22) Rece Hinds 3B, HS, 18.7 – Hinds is 6’4”, 220 pounds with possibly the most power potential in the entire draft class. Struggles to pick up spin and has some legitimate swing and miss. Prime Projection: 81/35/96/.247/.338/.516/5 ETA: 2024 Top 472 Prospects Ranking: #165 – ranked around Parker Meadows, Jordan Groshans, and Triston Casas.

23) Tyler Dyson RHP, Florida, 21.3 – 6’3”, 225 pounds with a fastball that consistently hits the mid 90’s, a tight slider, and a developing changeup. Reminds me of Trevor Bauer a bit with the odd way the ball comes out of his hand. I’m very intrigued by Dyson. Prime Projection: 14/3.73/1.26/183 in 180 IP ETA: 2021 2019 Top 472 Prospects Ranking: #165 – ranked around Brady Singer, Ryan Weathers, and Freudis Nova.

24) Jackson Rutledge RHP, Junior College, 20.1 – 6’8”, 260 pounds with a fastball that can hit the upper 90’s and a potentially plus slider and curveball. Has a delivery that hides the ball very well. Rutledge has a chance to shoot up the rankings by draft time. Prime Projection: 14/3.81/1.28/191 in 185 IP ETA: 2022 2019 Top 472 Prospects Ranking: #166 – ranked around see above.

25) Logan Davidson SS, Clemson, 21.3 – Plus power-speed combo with a high strikeout rate. Raked in his two years at Clemson, but was horrific in the Cape Cod League, slashing .194/.292/.266 in 139 at-bats in 2018. Prime Projection: 79/23/84/.246/.332/.457/14 ETA: 2022 2019 Top 472 Prospects Ranking: #188 – ranked around Austin Dean, Blake Rutherford and Orelvis Martinez.

26) Nasim Nunez SS, HS, 18.7 – 5’9”, 160-pound speedster with plus athleticism and one of the best gloves in the draft. Limited power projection. Prime Projection: 89/11/59/.277/.343/.401/30 ETA: 2023 2019 Top 2019 472 Prospects Ranking: #208 – ranked around Noelvi Marte, Matt Thaiss, and Tony Santillan

27) Myles Austin SS, HS, 18.2 – Long and lean at 6’3”, 180 pounds. Austin has good athleticism and a plus power/speed combo, but is still raw at the dish. High risk, high reward prospect. Prime Projection: 79/23/81/.254/.322/.450/16 ETA: 2024 2019 Top 472 Prospects Ranking: #213 – ranked around Wenceel Perez, Calvin Mitchell, and Kyle Lewis.

28) Spencer Jones LHP/1B, HS, 17.10 – Two way player but ultimate future is likely as a pitcher. Intimidating mound presence at 6’7”, 205 pounds with a low 90’s fastball and good feel for a curveball. He has the upside to be the best pitcher in the class as he gains more experience. Offensively, he has a plus power/speed combo but is still raw. Prime Projection: 14/3.71/1.27/171 in 175 IP ETA: 2024 2019 2019 Top 472 Prospects Ranking: #215 – ranked around Dakota Hudson, Kolby Allard, and Kyle Muller.

29) Nick Lodolo LHP, TCU, 21.2 – Projectable 6’6”, 180 pounds with a downhill low 90’s fastball to go along with an inconsistent curveball and changeup. Stuff and upside are better than college numbers indicate at this point in his career. Prime Projection: 13/3.83/1.29/174 in 177 IP ETA: 2022 2019 Top 472 Prospects Ranking: #219 – ranked around Jay Groome, Evan White, and Lazaro Armenteros.

30) Matthew Lugo SS, HS, 17.11 – High upside prospect with the potential for above average tools across the board. Swing looks great in batting practice, but he is still a bit of a dart throw. Prime Projection: 80/20/76/.260/.335/.450/16 ETA: 2024 2019 Top 472 Prospects Ranking: #228 – ranked around Grayson Rodriguez, Luis Rengifo, and Ryan Vilade.

31) Bryson Stott SS, UNLV, 21.6 – A bunch of the college hitters ranked beyond this point are almost sure to shoot up this list based on who takes the next step in their junior year. I leaned young upside for this first edition, but as the safe college bats become even safer with another year of improvements, the good ones will rise. Stott has elite contact rates with a 18/32 K/BB and .365 BA in 59 games his sophomore season. He has above average speed, and while he presently has below average power, at 6’3”, 195 pounds, there is more power to be unlocked. Prime Projection: 88/18/71/.284/.348/.441/17 ETA: 2021 2019 Top 472 Prospects Ranking: #233 – ranked around Kyle Isbel, Jake McCarthy, and Tyler Freeman.

32) Braden Shewmake SS, Texas A&M, 21.8 – Solid offensive skills across the board with near elite contact rates (21/21 K/BB in 60 games his sophomore season). Good base runner with above average speed and at 6’4”, 180 pounds, there could be a tick more power in here. Prime Projection: 82/21/77/.275/.340/.460/15 ETA: 2022 2019 Top 472 Prospects Ranking: #237 – ranked around Tyler Freeman, Moises Gomez, and Daniel Johnson.

33) Shea Langeliers C, Baylor, 21.5 – Plus defensive catcher who is a much better prospect in real life than fantasy. Solid offensive skills across the board except for base running, but nothing is standout. Prime Projection: 66/22/74/.260/.338/.449/2 ETA: 2022 2019 Top 472 Prospects Ranking: #260 – ranked around Tyler Stephenson, Chavez Young, and Garrett Whitley.

34) Will Wilson SS, North Carolina St., 20.8 – Has done nothing but rake since entering the SEC, slashing .307/.376/.588 with 15 homers and a 41/27 K/BB in 59 games in 2018. Good feel to hit with at least above average power, but he is not a major threat on the bases. Prime Projection: 79/23/85/.267/.338/.464/6 ETA: 2022 2019 Top 472 Prospects Ranking: #261 – ranked around Aramis Ademan, Jose Siri, and Micker Adolfo.

35) Matt Wallner OF, Southern Miss., 21.4 – Prodigious raw power with the home run totals to prove it, smashing 19 his freshman year, 16 his sophomore year, and 4 in 23 Cape Cod games. Has some swing and miss and needs to refine his plate approach. Prime Projection: 73/27/87/.248/.325/.472/6 ETA: 2022 2019 Top 472 Prospects Ranking: #262 – ranked around see above.

36) Matthew Thompson RHP, HS, 18.8 – Plus athlete with a lightening quick arm and good feel for a curveball and slider. Prime Projection: 12/3.90/1.28/176 in 175 IP ETA: 2023 2019 Top 472 Prospects Ranking: #269 – ranked around Taylor Widener, Nicky Lopez, and TJ Friedl.

37) Blake Sabol C/OF, USC, 21.3 – Mediocre numbers at USC thus far, but broke out in the Cape Code League, slashing .340/.445/.573 with 7 homers, 14 steals, and a 21/21 K/BB in 37 games. The tools back up the power/speed numbers. Sabol could be a fast riser with a strong junior season, especially for fantasy. Prime Projection: 78/22/81/.255/.328/.448/12 ETA: 2022 2019 Top 472 Prospects Ranking: #273 – ranked around Luis Gonzalez, Jeissen Rosario, and Junior Santos.

38) Jack Leiter RHP, HS, 18.11 – Son of Al Leiter, and as expected, Jack is advanced beyond his years with a 4-pitch mix headlined by a high spin rate, plus curveball. Doesn’t have overpowering stuff, but he is as safe as a high school pitcher gets. Prime Projection: 12/3.88/1.26/161 in 168 IP ETA: 2023 2019 Top 472 Prospects Ranking: #274 – ranked around Junior Santos, David Peterson, and Patrick Weigel.

39) Jack Kochanowicz RHP, HS, 18.3 – Projectable 6’6”, 207 pounds, Kochanowicz throws strikes with a low 90’s fastball, curve that flashes plus, and developing changeup. Like Tyler Dyson, Kochanowicz is another pitcher where I just like the way the ball comes out of his hand. Prime Projection: 14/3.77/1.26/180 in 180 IP ETA: 2023 2019 Top 472 Prospects Ranking: #280 – ranked around Michael Grove, Mickey Moniak, and Seth Romero.

40) Nick Quintana 3B, Arizona, 21.6 – Slashed .313/.413/.592 with 14 homers and a 47/32 K/BB in 56 games in 2018. Power showed up in the Cape too, but strikeout issues reared their ugly head with a 44/16 K/BB in 35 games. Prime Projection: 77/24/86/.265/.338/.464/3 ETA: 2022 2019 Top 472 Prospects Ranking: #281 – ranked around Braxton Garrett, Lenny Torres, and Simeon Woods Richardson.

41) Austin Shenton 3B, Florida International, 21.2 – When I tweeted on Tuesday about this list dropping today, a Cape Cod league scout (my former podcast co-host Ralph Lifshitz) immediately texted me, “Austin Shenton > Logan Davidson. Don’t overlook him.” So of course I still ranked Shenton below Davidson. What can I say? I’m hard headed 😉 But I did move Shenton up higher than I had him. He destroyed the Cape, slashing .348/.450/.490, and while he doesn’t have huge power, his hit tool is definitely going to play. Prime Projection: 79/21/81/.278/.346/.456/5 ETA: 2022 2019 Top 472 Prospects Ranking: #285 – ranked around Trevor Rogers, Willi Castro, and Bryan Abreu.

42) Matthew Allan RHP, HS, 17.11 – Prototypical big bodied (6’3”, 210 pounds) teenage pitching prospect with a power fastball that can hit 97 MPH and good feel for a curveball. Command and changeup lag behind. Prime Projection: 12/3.78/1.31/168 in 173 IP ETA: 2024 2019 Top 472 Prospects Ranking: #298 – ranked around Josiah Gray, Thomas Szapucki, and Jojo Romero.

43) Bayron Lora OF, TEX, 16?? – Expected to sign for about $4 million with Texas. Lora is a physical beast at 6’4” with a quick bat and the potential for double plus power at peak. Prime Projection: 83/32/95/.263/.348/.518/4 ETA: 2026 2019 Top 472 Prospects Ranking: #305 – ranked around Blaze Alexander, Jeremy Eierman, and Kody Clemens.

44) Chris Newell HS, OF, 17.11 – Underwent Tommy John surgery in September 2017. Above average runner with a left handed swing geared for flyballs. At 6’3”, 190 pounds, Newell has a chance to grow into a 5 category stud. Prime Projection: 82/23/87/.269/.343/.472/14 ETA: 2024 2019 Top 472 Prospect Ranking: #307 – ranked around Tristan Pompey, Josh Stowers and Miguel Vargas.

45) Emmanuel Dean OF, HS, 18.9 – Dean is a ripped up 6’5”, 210 pounds with elite exit velocity readings and plus 60 yard dash times. If he was Cuban, baseball writers heads would be exploding. But he’s not, so he’s underrated. Prime Projection: 78/25/83/.245/.329/.468/16 ETA: 2024 2019 Top 472 Prospects Ranking: #310 – ranked around Myles Straw, Jose Garcia, and Jonathan Orneles.

46) Jason Hodges OF, HS, 17.9 – Hodges is a big and broad 6’3”, 210 pounds with at least plus raw power at maturity. Near elite exit velocity readings for his age, and is about an average runner as well. Prime Projection: 77/26/81/.249/.328/.477/9 ETA: 2024 2019 Top 472 Prospects Ranking: #313 – ranked around Osiris Johnson, Joe Perez, and Jameson Hannah.

47) Drew Mendoza 3B, Florida St., 21.6 – 6’4”, 200 pounds with plus raw power, patience, and strikeouts. Hasn’t performed well in the Cape and hasn’t tapped into all of his power, but has been strong in the ACC (.934 OPS in 2017 and .931 OPS in 2018). Prime Projection: 74/25/82/.247/.332/.470/4 ETA: 2022 2019 Top 472 Prospects Ranking: #318 – ranked around Joe Gray, Sandy Gaston, Diego Cartaya, and Jose De Leon.

48) JJ Bleday OF, Vandy, 21.4 – Power exploded in the wood bat Cape Cod League with 5 homers in 36 games. Has already displayed a good feel to hit throughout his college career, so if the power gains roll over, he could continue to rise as the draft approaches. Prime Projection: 75/23/82/.267/.339/.462/3 ETA: 2022 2019 Top 472 Prospects Ranking: #319 – ranked around see above.

49) Kyle Stowers OF, Stanford, 21.3 – Above average power with a swing designed to lift the baseball, but it also comes with a healthy number of strikeouts. Prime Projection: 73/23/81/.251/.327/.451/8 ETA: 2022 2019 Top 472 Prospects Ranking: #321 – ranked around Osiel Rodriguez, Tyrone Taylor, and Luis Toribio.

50) JJ Goss RHP, HS, 18.3 – Low 90’s fastball with a swing and miss slider and good feel for a changeup. He throws strikes and the fastball should tick up as he fills out. Prime Projection: 12/3.88/1.29/165 in 164 IP ETA: 2024 2019 Top 472 Prospects Ranking: #357 – ranked around Jacob Nix, Hunter Harvey, and James Kaprielian.

51) Glenallen Hill Jr. OF, HS, 18.6 – Glenallen Hill’s son. 5’9”, 169 pounds with plus speed and vicious bat speed. Hill profiles as a leadoff hitter with enough power for 10+ bombs. Prime Projection: 86/13/54/.268/.332/.409/25 ETA: 2023 2019 Top 472 Prospects Ranking: #361 – ranked around Ryan Rolison, Jason Martin, and Randy Arozarena.

52) Erick Pena OF, Royals, 16?? – 6’3” with a smooth and powerful left handed swing. Prime Projection: 83/27/91/.268/.347/.485/5 ETA: 2026 2019 Top 472 Prospects Ranking: #378 – ranked around Esteban Quiroz, Raynel Delgado, and Misael Urbina.

53) Yhoswar Garcia OF, PHI, 16?? – Prototypical leadoff hitter with double plus speed and good feel to hit. At a lean 6’0”, he should develop more power as he ages. Prime Projection: 92/13/59/.279/.340/.418/27 ETA: 2025 2019 Top 472 Prospects Ranking: #381 – ranked around Misael Urbina, Zack Short, and Max Schrock.

54) Zack Thompson LHP, Duke, 21.5 – 4-pitch mix headlined by a deceptive low 90’s fastball and breaking ball that flashes plus. Injury issues and control/command issues throughout his career. Prime Projection: 11/3.97/1.33/156 in 169 IP ETA: 2022 2019 Top 472 Prospects Ranking: #383 – ranked around Logan Webb and Mike King.

55) Tyler Callihan 3B, HS, 18.9 – Plus raw power with a quick left handed swing, advanced approach, and good feel to hit. Prime Projection: 76/25/86/.269/.348/.473/4 ETA: 2024 2019 Top 472 Prospects Ranking: #390 – ranked around Kevin Cron, DJ Peters, Dylan Cozens, and Roberto Ramos.

56) Brett Baty 3B, HS, 19.5 – Plus raw power with a quick, uppercut lefty swing. Advanced hitter with the ability to pick up spin and doesn’t sell out for power. Chance he has to move across the diamond to 1B. Prime Projection: 74/26/85/.263/.347/.471/2 ETA: 2023 2019 Top 472 Prospects Ranking: #391 – ranked around see above.

57) Alek Manoah RHP, West Virginia, 21.3 – After being used mostly out of the bullpen in his college career, Manoah broke out in the Cape Cod league as a starter, leading the league in strikeouts with 48 in 33.1 IP. He’s 6’6”, 260 pounds with mid 90’s heat, a slider that flashes plus, and a developing changeup. Prime Projection: 9/3.72/1.31/136 in 130 IP ETA: 2021 2019 Top 472 Prospects Ranking: #402 – ranked around Luis Ortiz, Dillon Tate, Dennis Santana, and Tim Cate

58) Erik Miller LHP, Stanford, 21.2 – At 6’5”, 230 pounds and the potential for 3 above average to plus pitches, Miller could shoot up draft boards with a great junior year, but he struggles with command and got lit up in the Cape Cod League (7.71 ERA in 23.1 IP). Prime Projection: 11/3.93/1.34/158 in 165 IP ETA: 2022 2019 Top 472 Prospects Ranking: #403 – ranked around see above.

59) George Kirby RHP, Elon, 21.2 – Potential for 4 average to above average pitches with mid 90’s heat and good control. Prime Projection: 11/3.98/1.31/151 in 160 IP ETA: 2022 2019 Top 472 Prospects Ranking: #404 – ranked around see above.

60) Ryan Zeferjahn RHP, Kansas, 21.1 – 6’4”, 215 pounds with a fastball that can reach the upper 90’s and a potentially plus slider. Control/command will have to take a step forward in 2019 to shoot up this list. Prime Projection: 10/4.02/1.33/153 in 155 IP ETA: 2022 2019 Top 472 Prospects Ranking: #405 – ranked around see above.

61) Dominic Fletcher OF, Arkansas, 21.8 – 5’10”, 185 pounds but packs a powerful punch with his strong and quick left-handed swing. He’s smacked 22 homers in his 128 game SEC career. Prime Projection: 73/23/82/.258/.333/.454/4 ETA: 2022 2019 Top 472 Prospects Ranking: #406 – ranked around Luis Campusano, Anthony Banda, and Buddy Reed.

62) Chase Strumpf 2B, UCLA, 21.1 – Breakout sophomore year, slashing .363/.475/.633 with 12 homers and a 53/45 K/BB in 58 games. Doesn’t have any loud tools, but is solid across the board. Prime Projection: 78/20/77/.260/.330/.442/7 ETA: 2022 2019 Top 472 Prospects Ranking: #410 – ranked around Jared Olivia, Miguel Hiraldo, and Ronny Brito.

63) Will Robertson OF, Creighton, 21.3 – Good feel for contact with plus raw power. Slashed .333/.412/.641 with 12 homers and a 31/17 K/BB in 50 games played at one of the toughest ballparks to hit homers in. Prime Projection: 73/24/80/.263/.335/.467/2 ETA: 2022 2019 Top 472 Prospects Rankings: #414 – ranked around Edwin Rios, Josh Ockimey, and Luken Baker.

64) Hunter Barco LHP, HS, 18.4 – Prototypical starter size at 6’4”, 208 pounds with an almost sidearm delivery. Barco flashes the potential for 3 plus pitches (fastball, slider, chanegup), but a lot of that is based on projection at his point. Prime Projection: 11/3.93/1.30/167 in 173 IP ETA: 2024 2019 Top 472 Prospects Ranking: #428 – ranked around Luis Medina, Gregory Santos, and Rogelio Armenteros.

65) Wil Dalton OF, Florida, 21.7 – Plus power-speed combo who destroyed junior college freshman year and then had a strong season in his SEC debut, slashing .262/.338/.542 with 19 homes, 8 steals, and a 74/24 K/BB. Struggles with breaking balls and is still raw at the plate. Prime Projection: 77/22/78/.246/.320/.442/14 ETA: 2022 2019 Top 472 Prospects Ranking: #441 – ranked around Adam Kloffenstein, Kyle Cody, and Jayce Easley.

66) Sammy Siani OF, HS, 18.4 – Brother of Mike Siani, a 4th round pick in 2018 and my 198th ranked prospect. Sammy isn’t as highly regarded as his brother, but he has plus speed and makes good contact with a smooth left handed swing. Prime Projection: 78/14/69/.269/.337/.410/20 ETA: 2024 2019 Top 472 Prospects Ranking: #443 – ranked around Jayce Easley, Joe McCarthy, and Nick Decker.

67) Cade Doughty 3B, HS, 18.0 – Good athlete who can play all over the field. Posted plus 60 yard dash times and plus exit velocity. Type of player who will chip in a little bit in every category. Prime Projection: 82/18/73/.268/.336/.432/15 ETA: 2024 2019 Top 472 Prospects Ranking: #445 – ranked around Nick Decker, Terrin Vavra, and Will Benson.

68) Gunnar Henderson SS, HS, 17.9 – Above average exit velocity and 60 yard dash times with a good feel to hit. One of the youngest players in the draft class. Prime Projection: 79/20/78/.267/.346/.445/9 ETA: 2024 2019 Top 472 Prospects Ranking: #449 – ranked around Jamie Westbrook, Heath Quinn, Dom Thompson-Williams.

69) Zach Watson OF, LSU, 21.9 – Good athlete with at least plus speed and developing power. Strong power-speed numbers in the SEC (7 homers and 14 steals in 57 games) but 45/16 K/BB shows approach still needs some work. Prime Projection: 77/18/76/.259/.316/.428/19 ETA: 2022 2019 Top 472 Prospects Ranking: #452 – ranked around Brock Deatherage, Osleivis Basabe, and Larry Ernesto.

70) Ismael Mena OF, SD, 16?? – Mena is a lean and projectable 6’2” with plus speed and a smooth lefty swing that generates effortless bat speed. He’s a future 20/20 threat. Prime Projection: 87/22/84/.265/.335/.465/19 ETA: 2026 2019 Top 472 Prospects Ranking: #454 – ranked around Larry Ernesto, Owen White and Jake Wong.

71) Alexander Ramirez OF, NYM, 16?? – A 6’3” plus power-speed combo. It goes without saying I don’t have much information on these J2 kids, but he looks like a potential stud on Youtube. Prime Projection: 83/25/89/.262/.337/.479/16 ETA: 2026 2029 Top 472 Prospects Ranking: #455 – ranked around Mario Feliciano, Will Banfield, and Francisco Morales.

72) Luis Rodriguez OF, LAD, 16?? – Advanced at the plate with solid tools across the board. Prime Projection: 88/23/86/.278/.353/.475/10 ETA: 2026 2019 Top 472 Prospects Ranking: #468 – ranked around JJ Matijevic, Juan Guerrero, and Tyler Phillips.

73) Ryne Nelson RHP, Oregon, 21.2 – Fastball that can hit the upper 90’s with a potentially plus hard slider that he fires from a projectable 6’4”, 182 pound frame. 2019 will be his first year as a starter, so while the upside is high, so is the risk. Prime Projection: 9/3.61/1.28/125 in 119 IP ETA: 2021 2019 Top 472 Prospects Ranking: #469 – ranked around Griffin Roberts, Daulton Jefferies, and Mike Ford

74) Mason Feole LHP, Connecticut, 21.? – Unorthodox, reliever like delivery. Feole has a low 90’s fastball and potentially plus curveball that racked up 120 strikeouts in 100.2 IP in 2018, but due to a lack of third pitch and aforementioned delivery, there is major pen risk. Prime Projection: 8/3.65/1.25/112 in 110 IP ETA: 2022 2019 Top 472 Prospects Ranking: #470 – ranked around see above.

75) Kendall Williams RHP, HS, 18.7 – Projectable 6’6”, 190 pounds with a low 90’s fastball that should tick up as he ages and good feel for a breaking ball. Prime Projection: 12/3.85/1.31/165 in 171 IP ETA: 2024 2019 Top 472 Prospects Ranking: #471 – ranked around see above

76) Logan Wyatt 1B, Louisville, 21.5 – Advanced approach at the plate with plus raw power that he hasn’t completely tapped into. Prime Projection: 78/22/81/.267/.359/.459/2 ETA: 2022 2019 Top 472 Prospects Ranking: #472 – ranked around see above

77) Kyren Paris SS, HS, 17.4 – One of the youngest players in the draft class. I always have an affinity for these guys because I was one of the youngest players in my “draft” class too. Paris is an above average runner who makes good contact and should develop more power as he ages. Prime Projection: 76/16/76/.273/.339/.427/13 ETA: 2024

78) Quin Cotton OF, Grand Canyon, 21.0 – Good athlete with a plus power-speed combo. How much of that raw power he taps into this season will dictate his draft day value. Prime Projection: 78/18/75/.257/.318/.421/13 ETA: 2022

79) Quinn Priester RHP, HS, 18.6 – Cold weather arm who has less experience than many of his peers. High spin rate curveball and developing high spin rate two seamer are his best weapons. Prime Projection: 11/3.95/1.32/154 in 162 IP ETA: 2024

80) Matt Canterino RHP, Rice, 21.4 – Solid 4-pitch mix. Herky jerky reliever like delivery, but can’t argue with the numbers he put up at Rice (3.06/0.93/116/22 in 94 IP) and the Cape (2.59/1.08/29/10 in 24.1 IP). Prime Projection: 9/3.78/1.27/126 in 132 IP ETA: 2021

81) Rick Devito RHP, Seton Hall, 20.7 – Dominated the Big East his sophomore season with a pitching line of 1.88/1.03/67/22 in 62 IP. Devito has the potential for 3 above average pitches (fastball, curveball, changeup), all of which he can throw for strikes, and he is young for the class. Prime Projection: 11/3.92/1.30/166 in 178 IP ETA: 2022

82) Judson Fabian OF, HS, 18.6 – Plus bat speed and plus speed with an advanced approach at the plate. Power should develop as he matures. Prime Projection: 82/18/73/.273/.347/.441/16 ETA: 2024

83) Bryant Packard OF, East Carolina, 21.6 – Slashed .406/.462/.671 with 14 homers and a 46/20 K/BB in the American Athletic Conference, and then backed up that performance in the Cape Cod League (.997 OPS in 18 games). At 6’3”, 210 pounds, Packard has the attributes to be a power hitting corner outfielder. Prime Projection: 73/22/80/.264/.345/.458/6 ETA: 2022

84) Jimmy Lewis RHP, HS, 18.5 – Projectable 6’6”, 200 pounds with good control and the potential for 3 above average pitches (fastball, curveball, changeup). Prime Projection: 13/3.89/1.25/178 in 181 IP ETA: 2024

85) Dilan Rosario SS, HS, 17.10 – Plus 60 yard dash times with a swing geared towards all field contact and plenty of power projection at 6’2”, 170 pounds. Prime Projection: 79/17/74/.270/.335/.430/18 ETA: 2024

86) Hylan Hall OF, HS, 18.2 – Toolsy athlete with plus speed and a quick bat. Raw at the plate and power is currently below average, but there are skills to dream on here. Prime Projection: 78/18/74/.257/.326/.438/18 ETA: 2024

87) Maximo Acosta SS, TEX, 16.5 – Prototypical leadoff hitter with plus speed, a good feel to hit, and developing power. Prime Projection: 88/16/69/.273/.338/.427/23 ETA: 2026

88) Anthony Volpe SS, HS, 17.11 – Plus defensive middle infielder with plus speed and makes hard line drive contact. Has a chance to be a solid all around contributor. Prime Projection: 78/15/71/.271/.335/.422/15 ETA: 2024

89) Christian Cairo SS, HS, 17.9 – Son of Miguel Cairo. Christian is a plus runner with a high contact oriented approach and below average power. Prime Projection: 81/13/62/.276/.341/.412/15 ETA: 2024

90) Spencer Brickhouse 1B, East Carolina, 21.0 – Big raw power befitting his last name, but the gains he made with his contact percentage his sophomore year in the AAC disappeared in the Cape Cod League. Prime Projection: 71/24/78/.252/.324/.451/2 ETA: 2022

91) Brooks Lee SS, HS, 18.1 – Good feel to hit and good defensive player but has below average power and speed. Better in real life than fantasy. Prime Projection: 81/17/69/.283/.345/.420/7 ETA: 2024

92) Arol Vera SS, LAA, 16?? – Another lean, 6’2” projectable J2 kid. Vera is a switch hitter with a smooth swing from both sides. Good feel to hit and has shown power in batting practice. Prime Projection: 81/21/78/.275/.348/.459/8 ETA: 2026

93) Adael Amador SS, COL, 16?? – Not a long, lean, and projectable J2 prospect, but Amador is an advanced hitter with a strong history of performance in international competition. Prime Projection: 82/18/66/.283/.351/.435/9 ETA: 2025

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By Michael Halpern (@MichaelCHalpern)
Email: michaelhalpern@imaginarybrickwall.com
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