Posted on by Michael Halpern

MiLB.TV Prospect Scouting from the Couch: Opening Day

MiLB.TV is like the first two days of March Madness, except it’s on every day, and every game looks like your dad’s home videos from the 80’s. I was flipping around like crazy trying to catch as many high profile at-bats as I could, along with extended stretches from pitchers of interest. Whenever I have something of value to pass along, or something to add to the conversation, I will do a quick write-up the morning after. Here is the first MiLB.TV Prospect Scouting from the Couch: Opening Day:

Max Fried ATL, LHP –  The hype was in overdrive this off-season for Fried, with talk of three 70 grade pitches and ace upside. That might all be well and true, but he certainly didn’t show it in this start before leaving with back tightness in the 2nd inning. He was sitting around 89-92 MPH with his fastball all night, and had very little control or command over it. To be fair, the ump was squeezing him a bit. The curveball is MLB ready right now, breaking off one nasty curve after another that hitters had no shot on. He used his changeup often as well, which is more solid than spectacular right now. If he can stay healthy and have the fastball tick up a few MPH as the year goes on, the hype will surely continue to roll, but there is legitimate control/command and injury risk.

Harrison Bader STL, OF – There was no way I was missing Bader lead off the season for Triple-A Memphis, and he didn’t disappoint by crushing a homer on the 2nd pitch. I don’t know what the pitch was or where he hit it out, because the camera man decided a tight shot of mostly Bader’s ass was the right move to start the game. It reminded me of the brilliant work of Howie Halpern from my childhood, when he forgot he was supposed to be video taping his children, and focused just on his feet. Either way, it was obvious he crushed the pitch with his wrecking ball of a swing, and I found out it was a homer when he started jogging half way to first base.

Josh Hader MIL, LHP – Back to pitching on the dark side of the moon in Colorado Springs, Hader battled through 5 scoreless innings, giving up 1 hit, 5 walks, and striking out 6. His stuff is so unhittable it looked like the very best opposing hitters could do was foul off as many pitches as possible and hope for a walk eventually. He was mostly fastball/slider all night, and is going to need to work on a third pitch if he wants to reach his ace potential. He could probably be a dominant reliever in the Big Leagues right now.

Jacob Faria TB, RHP – Faria will throw that nasty change-up for strikes in any count, but try not to laugh when he flings up some dinky curveball. Even he shook his head after a few particularly lame ducks. Until he figures that out, it will be more of the same of what we saw last night, which was 9 K’s and 2 homers allowed in 4.1 IP.

Cody Bellinger LAD, 1B – There is not a more exciting at-bat in the minors than Bellinger. Every single swing is an epic hack. Combine that with athleticism and blinding bat speed, and it is a thing of beauty when he makes contact. He crushed two doubles last night. I’m still worried that better pitching with a specific game plan could give him trouble, but I’m really rooting against that. Baseball will just be more fun if Bellinger has success and kids start emulating him.

If at any point in the season you are interested in my thoughts on a player, please let me know in the comments section or on Twitter, and I will try to make it a point to catch a few of their games.

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

Posted on by Michael Halpern

2017 Rookie/Prospect Sleepers for Fantasy Baseball Re-Draft Leagues

These players might not be the hot shot names who everyone is reaching for in fantasy baseball drafts, but they are the guys you pick-up mid-season and hope they get hot for a month while your starter is out with a sprained something (ankle, wrist, elbow ligament, etc …). Here are the 2017 Rookie/Prospect Sleepers for Fantasy Baseball Re-Draft Leagues:

Hunter Dozier KC, CI/OF – There is a pretty decent chance that Dozier is already better than Jorge Soler. Dozier certainly outhit Soler in Spring Training, with a 1.300 OPS in 22 at-bats vs. Soler’s .540 OPS in 49 at-bats. But if you want to ignore Spring stats, which is probably smart, Soler also failed to win an everyday job with his first club in Chicago, and that was with Kyle Schwarber out for the year with a knee injury and Jason Heyward out for the year with Fuck You money. I’m saying this to highlight that even beyond the obvious path to playing time, like injuries (Lorenzo Cain is already out with a “tight side,” whatever that means) and trades (Cain, Eric Hosmer, and Moose are all on expiring contracts), there is path to playing time just on performance alone. And if Dozier does get that playing time, don’t be surprised if he goes on a Ryon Healy-like run, although you should expect solid power with an average that won’t kill you.

Jacob Faria TB, RHP – The poor man’s Jose De Leon, Faria might be leading the charge for underappreciated change-up masters. Traditional scouts seem to devalue the change-up while pumping up the curveball, but I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard about guys with nasty curveballs in the minors which suddenly disappear in the Majors (cough, Phil Hughes, cough). The sneaky pitchers who can change speeds and keep you guessing are always my favorites, and you don’t even have to compromise on size with Faria, as he stands a sturdy 6’4’’, 200 pounds. Strikeouts and homers will likely be his calling card early in his career, and that career could start after the first couple Rays starters go down.

Sam Travis BOS, 1B – Everybody is talking about the limited power upside with Travis, but he was already on his way to turning that around last season at Triple-A before tearing his ACL, hitting 6 homers in 47 games. This after hitting only 9 homers in 131 games in 2015. Along with the homer uptick, there was an uptick in strikeouts as well, so you can tell this was a conscious effort to hit the ball over the fence more, which he was relatively successful at in the early going. He has also maintained that power surge in Spring Training, jacking 3 homers in 44 at-bats. Travis is looking like that prototypical plus hit tool prospect who might be on the verge of taking off using an altered swing path and power hitting mentality. The only thing Red Sox fans need to worry about is that he boosts his value enough for Dombrowski to ship him off for a reliever rental.

Jesse Winker CIN, OF – Winker should be working on what Travis seems to be in the process of doing, which to be blunt, is hitting more homeruns. And Winker comes with an even more impressive plate approach and hit tool than Travis had. If any of Cincinnati’s shaky outfielders go down with an injury or fail to perform, Winker will be the next man up, and I expect for him to start hitting for more power in Cincinnati’s homer happy ballpark, and with MLB’s homer happy baseballs.

Tyler Jay MIN, Closer – I’m actually pumped about Jay’s permanent move to the bullpen for fantasy, because solid mid-rotation starters (which is what Jay’s upside was starting to look like) just don’t make much of an impact on winning fantasy leagues. But electric fastball/slider closer’s do. Have you seen what Minnesota’s so called back of the bullpen looks like? It looks exactly like Jay being the closer in T minus 3 months.

 Jesus Aguilar MIL, 1B – Milwaukee is not paying Eric Thames the type of money that says he can’t be benched. In fact, they are already trying him in the OF to increase his versatility. The last thing you want to hear about your fantasy player is that the team is trying to increase his versatility. They don’t bench guys anymore or demote guys to the minors, they “increase their versatility” now. Aguilar impressed the team enough that he made the opening day roster, and while he might not steal all of Thames at-bats right out of the gate, he is the leading candidate to be that waiver claim, Yangervis Solarte-like Spring Training breakout guy. Or maybe he gets cut by May. Either way, he will cost you nothing to acquire, while Thames is a favorite sleeper who many people are targeting.

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

Posted on by Michael Halpern

2017 Top 200 Dynasty/Fantasy Baseball Prospects Rankings: 1-200

Prospects season is finally here, and I am ramping it up to a top 200 this year. I took a breath after 100, and put out a traditional top 100 list, but then I continued on. There were just too many legitimately exciting prospects to stop at 100. Without further ado, here is the Complete 2017 Top 200 Dynasty/Fantasy Baseball Prospects Rankings:

*Prime Projection: R/HR/RBI/AVG/OBP/SLG/SB – These projections are meant to give you a general idea of what I think about a prospect’s future stat profile in a relatively good outcome scenario.

1) Yoan Moncada CHW, 2B/3B – The betting man’s #1 prospect in baseball. Power/speed combo is unmatched, but feel free to ignore the 30% K rate at Double-A. Prime Projection: 102/22/89/.275/.360/.479/32 ETA: Mid 2017

2) Andrew Benintendi BOS, OF – The safe choice. Triple-slashed .295/.359/.476 with 2 homers and 1 steal in his first 118 MLB PA. Prime Projection: 93/21/97/.300/.362/.477/11 ETA: 2017 Opening Day

3) Austin Meadows PIT, OF – Across the board production with both a high floor and a high ceiling. Prime Projection: 96/20/86/.293/.351/.470/14 ETA: Late 2017

4) Brendan Rodgers COL, SS/2B – Middle infielder with a plus hit tool and plus power playing in Coors Field. Worth the wait. Prime Projections: 89/27/103/.281/.338/.495/7 ETA: 2018/19

5) Dansby Swanson ATL, SS – Not the highest upside, but safe and MLB ready at a premium position. Prime Projection: 94/17/78/.282/.342/.451/17 ETA: 2017 Opening Day

6) Victor Robles WASH, OF – 5-category stud. Just might be the top prospect in baseball by this time next year. Prime Projection: 96/16/77/.289/.339/.449/30 ETA: 2018/19

7) Raimel Tapia COL, OF – Excellent prospect on his own merits, and Coors Field could turn him into a perennial batting champ. Prime Projection: 92/15/70/.308/.335/.442/18 ETA: Late 2017

8) Lewis Brinson  MIL, OF – Upside rivals any of the guys ranked above him, but plate approach is still raw. Prime Projection: 84/24/89/.262/.329/.473/17 ETA: Late 2017

9) Nick Senzel CIN, 3B – First college hitter selected in the 2016 draft, and completely destroyed full season pro ball. Safe 5-category production going to a great hitter’s ballpark. Prime Projection: 90/20/90/.282/.354/.469/14 ETA: 2018

10) Kyle Tucker HOU, OF – Austin Meadows 2.0. Prime Projection: 94/21/86/.286/.357/.482/16 ETA: 2018/19

11) Eloy Jimenez CHC, OF – Nobody had scouts buzzing like the 6’4’’, 205-pound Jimenez did this year. Highest upside of any power hitting prospect in the game. Prime Projection: 85/29/96/.278/.332/.496/8 ETA: 2019

12) Tyler Glasnow PIT, RHP – Stuff is unhittable, but the red flags are getting harder to ignore (control/command, third pitch, repeating delivery). Prime Projection: 3.27/1.20/216 in 200 IP ETA: Mid 2017

13) J.P. Crawford PHI, SS – Advanced plate approach against older competition is impressive even without the fantasy friendly numbers. High floor and the ceiling isn’t too bad either. Prime Projection: 96/14/62/.282/.371/.410/17 ETA: Late 2017

14) Lucas Giolito CHW, RHP – Rough MLB debut had people questioning his “elite” fastball. Trade to the AL didn’t do him any favors, either. Prime Projection: 3.36/1.18/214 in 209 IP ETA: Mid 2017

15) A.J. Reed HOU, 1B – I hope to see Spring Training reports that Reed “is in the best shape of his life,” because poor conditioning didn’t help his bat speed or lower body injuries last year. Prime Projection: 79/31/95/.266/.351/.496/1 ETA: Mid 2017

16) Brad Zimmer CLE, OF – Strikeouts got worse, but excellent plate approach and power/speed combo still shined. Prime Projection: 87/20/80/.255/.340/.453/24 ETA: Mid 2017

17) Derek Fisher HOU, OF – Very similar fantasy profile to Zimmer, except he can hit lefties too. Prime Projection: 81/23/85/.259/.342/.459/17 ETA: Late 2017

18) Josh Hader MIL, LHP – Ignore the Colorado Springs inflated Triple-A numbers, and focus on the nasty stuff and ridiculous Double-A numbers. Miller Park is no picnic, but it is much worse on righties. Prime Projection: 3.38/1.18/196 in 185 IP. ETA: Mid 2017

19) Tom Murphy COL, C – Raked for two years in a row in his September cups of coffee. This is the year he gets fully unleashed at Coors. Prime Projection: 70/27/85/.256/.312/.467/2 ETA 2017 Opening Day

20) Willie Calhoun LAD, 2B – Elite power and contact numbers, but lack of position leaves his MLB future murky. Wrote about Willie (and a bunch of other sleepers I hit on last off-season) in Reviewing My 2016 Fantasy Baseball Dynasty League Prospect Sleepers Post. Prime Projection: 79/28/91/.280/.324/.484/2 ETA: 2018

21) Tyler O’Neill SEA, OF – Developed a solid plate approach at Double-A to go along with his prodigious power. One of the hardest workers in the minors. Prime Projection: 80/27/90/.265/.323/.482/9 ETA: 2017/18

22) Zack Collins CHW, C – Top college bat who immediately put up a triple-slash of .258/.418/.467 with 6 homers and a 39/33 K/BB in 36 games at High-A. If he has any chance to stick at catcher, Chicago will be the team that lets him. Prime Projection: 78/26/87/.269/.364/.485/2 ETA: 2018

23) Aaron Judge NYY, OF – Ranked Judge #1 in my 2017 Top 10 New York Yankees Fantasy Prospect Rankings. Prime Projection: 80/28/90/.254/.336/.474/6 ETA: 2017 Opening Day

24) Clint Frazier NYY, OF – Nothing to say other than watch this badass 45 second video of Frazier working out. I’m just gonna assume his epic bat speed comes from throwing humongous balls against the wall. Prime Projection: 84/23/86/.280/.343/.479/10 ETA: Late 2017

25) Gleyber Torres NYY, SS – Dominant AFL performance has him rocketing up top 100’s. Doesn’t have a true elite fantasy skill, but should be a legitimate 5-category producer. Prime Projection: 85/21/84/.282/.346/.467/12 ETA: 2018/19

26) Cody Bellinger LAD, 1B/OF – Improved walk and strikeout rates while maintaining power at Double-A. Extreme uppercut swing still gives me some caution. Prime Projection: 77/27/93/.263/.354/.486/7 ETA: 2017/18

27) Franklin Barreto OAK, SS/2B – Looked like toast in the AFL, but had a very strong season as a 20-year-old at Double-A. May not be long for the shortstop position. Prime Projection: 89/17/80/.285/.337/.450/19 ETA: 2018

28) Hunter Renfroe SD, OF – Triple-slashed .371/.389/.800 with 4 homers in his 11 game MLB game debut. Destroyed the PCL too, but look for pitchers to exploit his 3.9% walk rate. Prime Projection: 74/26/91/.260/.304/.470/5 ETA: 2017 Opening Day

29) Dominic Smith NYM, 1B – Went from sneakily overrated last year to sneakily underrated this year. In final 63 games, he slashed .348/.419/.554 with 10 homers and a 29/29 K/BB at Double-A. Just look at that one more time. Prime Projection: 80/22/95/.294/.360/.488/2 ETA: Late 2017

30) Rafael Devers BOS, 3B – Hit tool and hard contact are elite for his age group, but still needs work on getting to his plus raw power in games without selling out for homers. Prime Projection: 83/23/98/.287/.332/.483/7 ETA: 2018/19

31) Ozzie Albies ATL, SS/2B – Jose Altuve is the ceiling, and Jacoby Ellsbury as a middle infielder is … another ceiling comp. Prime Projection: 94/9/59/.292/.369/.438/27 ETA: 2017/18

32) Josh Bell PIT, 1B/OF – Dropped 23 pounds this off-season with the help of Yoga. Honestly not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing. Prime Projection: 79/19/88/.288/.345/.458/4 ETA: 2017 Opening Day

33) Alex Reyes STL, RHP – Tommy John surgery puts a major damper on the previously near unanimous #1 pitching prospect in baseball. Adds more risk to a profile that already had some risk baked in with his shaky control and command. Prime Projection: 3.36/1.22/200 in 183 IP ETA: 2018

34) Jose De Leon TB, RHP – Fly-ball pitcher with one of the best fastball/changeup combos in the minors. Gopheritis is the biggest risk. Prime Projection: 3.55/1.18/199 in 188 IP ETA: Mid 2017

35) Ian Happ CHC, 2B/OF – All he’s done is rake since his Freshman year of college (.934 OPS in the Big East). Who knows where or if he fits in with the Cubs, but he should be a solid 5-category contributor wherever he plays. Prime Projection: 85/19/76/.277/.358/.447/13 ETA: Late 2017

36) Bobby Bradley CLE, 1B – MVP of the Carolina League with a league leading 29 homers and 102 RBI’s. And no, he didn’t lead the league in strikeouts too … he was tied for second. Prime Projection: 83/32/99/.250/.361/.501/3 ETA: 2019

37) Jesse Winker CIN, OF – Easy left handed swing is currently geared for contact. Smart hitter with a great approach, so at 6’3’’, 215 pounds, I’m betting on him to make the proper adjustments to unlock more power. Prime Projection: 82/19/85/.290/.371/.480/4 ETA: Mid 2017

38) Kyle Lewis SEA, OF – Would have ranked at least 20 spots higher if not for the devastating knee injury. Tireless worker who has been continuously updating his progress on Twitter, so it is easy to give him the benefit of the doubt. Prime Projection: 83/24/87/.275/.346/.487/7 ETA: 2018

39) Amed Rosario NYM, SS – Took off after his promotion to Double-A with a .341 AVG, but it also came with a 21.5% K rate (12.4% at High-A) and .443 BABIP (.345 at High-A). Plus SS defense will push him higher on traditional lists. Prime Projection: 90/13/70/.288/.338/.435/18  ETA: 2018

40) Harrison Bader STL, OF – Bat speed and hard contact are as impressive as anyone’s in the minors. Still needs to work on his plate approach. Prime Projection: 84/21/80/.271/.320/.471/12 ETA: Late 2017

41) Manuel Margot SD, OF – Homerun power has yet to develop, but maintained plus contact and speed at every level. Prime Projection: 89/11/63/.286/.328/.436/26 ETA: 2017 Opening Day

42) Corey Ray MIL, OF – Top power/speed combo in the draft, but hit tool is a legitimate question mark. Tearing meniscus in instructional league wasn’t great either. Prime Projection: 86/16/71/.261/.328/.443/20 ETA: 2018

43) Ronald Acuna ATL, OF – Demolished Winter Ball in Australia, and also had a strong showing in full season A-Ball as an 18-year-old. Might be a consensus top 10 prospect next year. Prime Projection: 90/20/83/.290/.340/.474/15 ETA: 2019

44) Yadier Alvarez LAD, RHP – Pro debut exceeded the hype for the flame throwing, $16 million bonus baby. Put up a pitching line of 2.29/1.07/55/11 in 39.1 IP at Single-A. Prime Projection: 3.35/1.19/194 in I82 IP ETA: 2018

45) Michael Kopech CHW, RHP – Control improved in the AFL, and had a jaw dropping Fall Stars Game performance. Bullpen risk is still present, and also yet to eclipse 74.1 IP in a season. Prime Projection: 3.41/1.22/197 in 183 IP ETA: 2018

46) Willy Adames TB, SS – Improved his K rate, BB rate, and ISO as a 20-year-old at Double-A. Doesn’t have one standout fantasy skill, and may not stick at short. Prime Projection: 84/18/78/.281/.347/.447/11 ETA: 2018

47) Matt Chapman OAK, 3B – Three true outcome slugger. Plus 3B defense should keep his bat in the lineup. Prime Projection: 76/29/88/.248/.341/.463/4 ETA: Late 2017

48) Christin Stewart DET, OF – Led the Florida State League with 24 homers and tacked on another 6 in his 24-game promotion to Double-A. Hopefully his horrible OF defense doesn’t keep his bat out of the lineup. Prime Projection: 79/28/93/.262/.350/.478/3 ETA: 2018

49) Francisco Mejia CLE, C – Elite hit tool with a little pop at the catcher position. Prime Projection: 78/17/86/.291/.332/.450/2 ETA: 2019

50) Anderson Espinoza SD, RHP – Teenage pitchers who are a few years off aren’t my favorite fantasy investments, but Espinoza has superstar raw talent. Prime Projection: 3.34/1.13/200 in 193 IP ETA: 2020

51) Robert Gsellman NYM, RHP – MLB ready with a high floor in a pitcher’s park. Some sneaky deGrom-like upside too. Prime Projection: 3.42/1.21/180 in 194 IP ETA: 2017

52) Anthony Alford TOR, OF – Shook off an injury plagued first half and slashed .266/.389/.464 with 8 homers, 13 steals, and a 61/39 K/BB in final 57 games at High-A (and very similar numbers in the AFL too). That raw power is starting to translate to games. Prime Projection: 81/18/81/.270/.338/.459/17 ETA: 2018

53) Mickey Moniak PHI, OF – Loved to see the report he tacked on 20 pounds of muscle this off-season, because he already had the best hit tool in the draft. This might sound weird, but don’t sleep on the #1 overall pick in the real draft in fantasy drafts. Prime Projection: 91/15/68/.290/.357/.440/19 ETA: 2020

54) Ramon Laureano HOU, OF – Burst onto the scene this year with one of the more exciting power/speed combos in the minors. Made hard contact all season, first at High-A (.945 OPS), then at Double-A (.981 OPS), and finally in the AFL (.817 OPS). Prime Projection: 86/14/74/.273/.341/.444/20 ETA: 2018

55) Luke Weaver STL, RHP – Elite fastball/changeup combo, but is homer prone and needs to develop the curve. 45/12 K/BB in 36.1 MLB IP shows his upside. Prime Projection: 3.54/1.18/187 in 193 IP ETA: Mid 2017

56) Isan Diaz MIL, SS/2B – It seems like small second baseman are finally starting to get some mainstream list love. Diaz has a quick, powerful swing that led the Midwest League with 20 homers. Prime Projection: 82/20/79/.263/.337/.464/9 ETA: 2019

57) Kolby Allard ATL, LHP – Proved back injury is behind him by throwing 12 shutout innings during the minor league playoffs while reaching a career high of 99.2 IP. Can bury plus curve wherever he wants. Prime Projection: 3.35/1.11/185 in 185 IP ETA: 2019

58) Jorge Mateo NYY, SS/2B –  Named “Player Most Likely To Have His Dad Threaten To Turn This Car Right Around If He Doesn’t Stop Whining In The Backseat” in my 2016 MiLB Player Superlatives/Awards. Other than the suspension and down statistical season, still flashed his double plus speed and plus bat speed. Prime Projection: 87/10/60/.275/.320/.410/33 ETA: 2018/19

59) Brent Honeywell TB, RHP – I can only rank an AL East pitcher with good but not great strikeout upside so high, although it is hard not to like a guy who features the endangered screwball. Prime Projection: 3.49/1.14/179 in 190 IP ETA: 2018

60) Francis Martes HOU, RHP – Great stuff but control and command still raw. Looked winded in the AFL with a 4.91 ERA. Prime Projection: 3.45/1.20/183 in 187 IP ETA: 2017/18

61) Alex Verdugo LAD, OF – 12.7% K rate, 8.3% BB rate, and .134 ISO at Double-A while being the same age as the incoming 2017 college draft class. Plus bat speed is his most impressive physical skill. Prime Projection: 80/18/80/.286/.350/.463/6 ETA: 2018

62) Jorge Alfaro PHI, C – Plate approach hasn’t improved at all in 7 years of pro ball, but athleticism, raw power, and bat speed have been enough at every level. Has worked diligently on catcher defense, so like many catchers, refinement at the plate may come later. Prime Projection: 64/20/76/.252/.303/.447/5 ETA: 2017

63) Mitch Keller PIT, RHP – Groundball pitcher with advanced control and command. Effortlessly mowed down Single-A hitters using a hard, tailing fastball, plus curve, and developing change. Prime Projection: 3.45/1.15/173 in 182 IP ETA: 2019

64) Vlad Guerrero Jr. TOR, 3B – True 17-year-old who went straight to advanced, stateside Rookie Ball and slashed .295/.366/.500 with 5 homers and a 14/15 K/BB in his final 31 games of the season. Is a dead ringer for his dad at the plate, so you don’t have to search very hard for a good comp. Prime Projection: 80/30/100/.277/.338/.500/7ETA: 2021

65) David Paulino HOU, RHP – Major injury risk, but legitimate top of the rotation upside. One of the more uncomfortable at-bats in the minors coming in at a long 6’7”, 215 pounds. Prime Projection: 3.38/1.16/177 in 172 IP ETA: Mid 2017

66) Yohander Mendez TEX, LHP – Recently converted reliever with prototypical size (6’5’’, 200 pounds) and a plus fastball/changeup combo. Knocking on the door of the bigs. Prime Projection: 3.40/1.17/179 in 185 IP ETA: Late 2017

67) Kevin Maitan ATL, SS – Some guys are just worth the wait. Could be used as a valuable trade chip in only a few short years too. Prime Projection: 85/27/98/.273/.345/.507/6 ETA: 2021/22

68) Will Craig PIT, 3B – Triple-slashed .379/.520/.731 with 16 homers and a 35/47 K/BB in 55 games in the ACC, and then slashed .280/.419/.362 with 2 homers and a 37/41 K/BB in 63 at Low-A. One of the toughest outs in the minors, but has yet to show power with wood bats. Prime Projection: 79/21/88/.284/.360/.472/3  ETA: 2018/19

69) Triston McKenzie CLE, RHP – Calling him a string bean would an understatement. Has advanced feel for pitching with 3 plus pitches and projection to get the fastball into the mid 90’s. Prime Projection: 3.44/1.13/205 in 195 IP ETA: 2020

70) Juan Soto WASH, OF – Tore through Rookie Ball as a 17-year-old (.361/.410/.550), and then went 9 for 21 in his 6 game Low-A cameo. Smooth lefty swing projects for plus hit and at least above average power. Prime Projection: 80/21/90/.293/.340/.465/7 ETA: 2021

71) Thomas Szapucki NYM, LHP – Classic high upside lefty with a plus fastball, plus curve, and raw control/command. Prime Projection: 3.44/1.23/193 in 180 IP ETA: 2019

72) Jharel Cotton OAK, RHP – Would have ranked in my top 100 last off-season but the Dodgers pitching depth kept him on the outside looking in. That is no longer an issue in Oakland, where he will unleash his plus changeup and various fastballs in their spacious home ballpark. Prime Projection: 3.50/1.22/173 in 180 IP ETA: 2017

73) Erick Fedde WASH, RHP – After a rough start to the season, put up a pitching line of 1.76/1.13/88/20 in 87 IP. Looks like that is the full recovery from Tommy John surgery Washington expected when they took him 18th overall in 2014. Prime Projection: 3.53/1.19/175 in 186 IP ETA: 2017/18

74) Travis Demeritte ATL, 2B – Strikeouts are getting untenably high (33% at High-A) even for my taste, but athleticism, bat speed, power, and speed is too exciting to ignore. Prime Projection: 75/24/83/.243/.322/.449/10 ETA: 2018/19

75) A.J. Puk OAK, LHP – Still raw for a top 10 draft pick out of the SEC, but 6’7’’ lefties with mid 90’s heat and wipeout sliders are a rare breed. There is definitely bullpen risk, but Oakland will give him every opportunity to start. Prime Projection: 3.51/1.26/195 in 185 IP ETA: 2018/19

76) Ian Anderson ATL, RHP – May not have that obscene strikeout upside, but already has solid control with three pitches that flash plus. At a projectable 6’3’’, 170 pounds, there could be a higher ceiling than many are giving him credit for. Prime Projection: 3.39/1.16/184 in 190 IP ETA: 2020

77) Jason Groome BOS, LHP – The inherent risks and development time of high school pitchers, mixed with pitching in Fenway Park and AL East, leads me to be a bit cautious on Groome for fantasy. The 12-to-6 curveball is undoubtedly a beast though. Prime Projection: 3.45/1.20/195 in 190 IP ETA: 2020

78) Mauricio Dubon MIL, SS/2B – Elite contact numbers, plus speed, and emerging power. Seems to be underrated by everyone but Milwaukee. Prime Projection: 85/12/65/.281/.328/.417/18 ETA: 2018

79) Matt Thaiss LAA, 1B/C – If I was confident he could retain catcher eligibility, he would slot in right around Francisco Mejia’s spot as a safer, less upsidey version of him. As a first baseman, the profile just isn’t as exciting. Prime Projection: 78/18/84/.288/.347/.452/4 ETA: 2018

80) Cal Quantrill SD, RHP – Hasn’t pitched a full season since his freshman year of college, but stuff looked nasty upon his return from Tommy John surgery in pro ball, throwing mid-90’s with a double plus changeup and average curveball. Prime Projection: 3.50/1.22/180 in 180 IP ETA: 2018

81) Jahmai Jones LAA, OF – Built like an NFL cornerback at 6’0’’, 215 pounds, which is no coincidence because he comes from a football family. Plus speed with a quick and powerful line drive swing. Prime Projection: 89/15/71/.283/.341/.437/21 ETA: 2020

82) Desmond Lindsay NYM, OF – Has the swing and raw tools to become an impact 5-category contributor, but hamstring injuries have kept the hype in check. Slashed .297/.418/.450 with 4 homers, 3 steals, and a 26/20 K/BB in 32 games at Low-A as a 19-year-old. Now is the time to buy in. Prime Projection: 84/17/78/.278/.337/.449/17 ETA: 2019/20

83) Heath Quinn SF, OF – Destroyed the Southern Conference for 3 years and then did exactly the same in Low-A. Power hitter with underrated athleticism, but strikeouts and AT&T Park hold him back from ranking higher. Prime Projection: 79/23/85/.263/.339/.468/6 ETA: 2019

84) Bobby Dalbec BOS, 3B – Boston took advantage of Dalbec’s down junior season and stole him in the 4th round. After triple-slashing .386/.427/.647 with 7 homers and a 33/9 K/BB in 34 games at Low-A, nobody should be sleeping on him anymore. Prime Projection: 76/25/86/.250/.322/.454/6 ETA: 2019

85) Max Fried ATL, LHP – Last 4 starts had everyone buzzing, striking out 44 batters in 25.1 IP. Considering his pedigree (7th overall pick in 2012) and that it was his first year back from Tommy John surgery, those 4 starts could mean more than the small sample would normally suggest. Prime Projection: 3.53/1.24/181 in 183 IP ETA: 2018

86) Bryan Reynolds SF, OF – Consider him kinda like a poor man’s Ian Happ, except he won’t have a chance at 2B eligibility and AT&T Park can put a serious damper on offensive upside. Prime Projection: 83/18/77/.265/.340/.442/13 ETA: 2019

87) Taylor Trammell CIN, OF – Another football prospect who spurned the pigskin for the horsehide. Yes, baseballs are actually made of horsehide or cowhide. And no, footballs are no longer made of pigskin. Where were we? Oh yea, Trammel is a great athlete with plus speed and viscous bat speed that leads me to believe more power is coming. Prime Projection: 88/14/74/.273/.340/.434/26 ETA: 2021

88) Blake Rutherford NYY, OF – Being old for his high school class and lack of a standout tool are why I’m not completely buying in, but there is no denying the sweet lefty swing that put up a .986 OPS in his pro debut at Rookie Ball. Prime Projection: 86/18/82/.280/.333/.453/13 ETA: 2020

89) Dylan Cease CHC, RHP – Easy mid-90’s heat that he can dial up over 100 with a curve that flashes plus. 2.22 ERA and a 66/25 K/BB in 44.2 IP at Low-A. Prime Projection: 3.48/1.24/190 in 180 IP ETA: 2020

90) Justus Sheffield NYY, LHP – My favorite part of Sheffield’s season was him going into Double-A Reading’s wind tunnel of a stadium for his final start and spinning 4 IP, 2 Hits, 0 ER, 3 BB, 9 K, shutting down their fearsome middle of the order (Alfaro, Cozens, Hoskins). Prime Projection: 3.54/1.23/182 in 188 IP ETA: 2018/19

91) Sean Newcomb ATL, LHP – Control/command hasn’t improved in 3 years of pro ball, but strikeouts and homer suppression are still an enticing combo. Prime Projection: 3.53/1.28/191 in 186 IP ETA: Late 2017

92) Stephen Gonsalves MIN, LHP – The rare pitching prospect who doesn’t try to light up the radar gun, but focuses on high spin rates instead with an extremely easy left-handed delivery. It’s been working for him so far, putting up a pitching line of 2.06/1.02/155/57 in 140 IP split between High-A and Double-A. Prime Projection: 3.59/1.25/187 in 195 IP ETA: 2018

93) Alex Kirilloff MIN, OF – Graduating from the Pennsylvania Cyber School, the home schooled Kirilloff was raised to be a major league hitter, taking batting practice in the afternoons at his dad’s indoor training facility while other kids were suffering through Calculus. It is no wonder he is mature beyond his years at the plate. In other words, he’s a Malcolm Gladwell, 10,000 hours prototype. Prime Projection: 81/22/87/.277/.330/.466/8 ETA: 2020/21

94) Chance Sisco BAL, C – Plus hit tool at the catcher position with not much else. More raw power than game power, so banking on at least average power down the line isn’t the worst bet. Prime Projection: 76/13/74/.282/.350/.420/5 ETA: 2018

95) Renato Nunez OAK, 3B/1B – Great to see him kill it in Winter League after putting up a decent, but still disappointing season in the PCL. This is a former $2.2 million international signing who has displayed power and a solid hit tool at every level. Prime Projection: 78/24/87/.266/.320/.466/2 ETA: 2017

96) Rowdy Tellez TOR, 1B – As my Razzball Prospect Podcast co-host Ralph Lifshitz once said to me, “You’re kinda a bat speed whore,” and while Tellez doesn’t have that explosive bat speed, he checks just about every other box. Prime Projection: 74/22/86/.274/.335/.470/2 ETA: 2018

97) Austin Riley ATL, 3B – Has shown some of the best raw power in his class, hitting 20 homers at Single-A as a 19-year-old, but it comes with average bat speed and mediocre K and BB rates (27.1% and 7.1%, respectively). Prime Projection: 77/25/87/.258/.331/.460/2  ETA: 2020

98) Chase Vallot KC, C – Now this is more my style. Raw power and bat speed leads to Vallot hitting absolute moon shots that have received such gripping Youtube titles such as, “Chase Vallot KILLS this Baseball” and “Chase Vallot just obliterated that baseball.” Ability to stick at catcher is a coin flip at best. Prime Projection: 73/27/84/.253/.339/.466/1 ETA: 2020

99) Leody Taveras TEX, OF – Let’s close out the top 100 with a couple lottery tickets. The production isn’t quite there yet, and they are a long way off, but the upside is elite. Prime Projection: 93/13/72/.287/.332/.435/23 ETA: 2021

100) Fernando Tatis Jr. SD, SS – Hopefully these two lottery tickets turn out better than the one sitting on my coffee table right now. Prime Projection: 83/20/84/.280/.330/.460/11 ETA: 2021

101) James Kaprielian NYY, RHP – Could be ranked higher based on pure scouting reports and video. Velocity ticked up in pro ball, but was shut down for the season with elbow inflammation after his first 3 starts. He did return for 27 IP in the AFL. Prime Projection: 3.57/1.24/171 in 175 IP ETA: 2018

102) Braxton Garrett MIA, LHP – One of the best curveballs in the 2016 draft class. Doesn’t have the huge fastball, but has advanced control and command. Prime Projection: 3.42/1.17/180 in 190 IP ETA: 2020

103) Adrian Morejon SD, LHP – Another pitcher who could be ranked higher based on scouting reports and video, but still too young and too many unknowns to have a clear idea of his future. Prime Projection: 3.43/1.19/185 in 185 IP ETA: 2021

104) Roman Quinn PHI, OF – Brett Gardner is the ceiling. 4th outfielder is the floor. Prime Projection: 81/9/57/.266/.338/.392/31 ETA: 2017

105) Mitch Haniger SEA, OF – Former 1st round pick in 2012 who was slowed down by injuries. Broke out in 2016 with 25 homers and a .999 OPS split between Double-A and Triple-A, and then 5 homers in 109 MLB at-bats. Trade to Seattle dampens the excitement a bit. Prime Projection: 68/22/80/.257/.319/.461/7 ETA: 2017

106) Dan Vogelbach SEA, 1B – Trade to Seattle opened up a path to playing time, but won’t help the power play up. Should be a solid hitting first baseman. Prime Projection: 76/21/84/.280/.355/.468/1 ETA: 2017

107) Max Schrock OAK, 2B – Struck out an absurdly low 7.3% of the time in his first full year of pro ball. It comes with some speed and pop, as well. He did the exact same thing in his 3 years in the SEC, so this didn’t exactly come out of nowhere. Prime Projection: 85/10/68/.283/.324/.423/15 ETA: 2018

108) Shedric Long CIN, 2B – Great find by Eric Longenhagen at Fangraphs. Played solid in part time duty working for Keith Law at ESPN, and then put it into another gear in his full time gig at Fangr … oh wait, we are supposed to be talking about Long here. Just read Longenhagen’s take on him. Prime Projection: 78/18/72/.265/.325/.441/18 ETA: 2019

109) Dustin Fowler NYY, OF – Ranked Fowler 7th in my 2017 Top 10 New York Yankees Fantasy Baseball Prospect Rankings. Prime Projection: 76/15/70/.273/.306/.420/18 ETA: 2018

110) Rhys Hoskins PHI, 1B – Triple-slashed .281/.377/.566 with 38 homers and a 125/71 K/BB in 135 games at Double-A. He was 23 years old and in one of the best hitting ballparks in the minors, so I’m not quite ready to jump in with both feet. Prime Projection: 72/23/86/.273/.341/.466/3 ETA: 2018

111) Brett Phillips MIL, OF – Strikeout rate jumped to 30% at Double-A without adding any power. Did more of the same in the AFL. Still showed a good plate approach, so don’t mind me hanging off the end of the bandwagon here. Prime Projection: 76/18/72/.255/.323/.414/11 ETA: 2018

112) Tyler Beede SF, RHP – Groundball pitcher with some control/command issues. 1.58 ERA with a 51/21 K/BB in final 45.2 IP. Any starter in AT&T Park will get the benefit of the doubt with me. Prime Projection: 3.69/1.26/167 in 184 IP ETA: Late 2017

113) Walker Buehler LAD, RHP – Flashed ace stuff in his brief return from Tommy John surgery, but only time will tell if he can keep that up for 180+ innings. Prime Projection: 3.51/1.22/175 in 175 IP ETA: 2018/19

114) Jack Flaherty STL, RHP – Just a very solid, unexciting season at High-A. Didn’t add the extra mile per hour or two on the fastball, but showed the same advanced pitchability and room for projection that he flashed last season. Prime Projection: 3.55/1.20/172 in 190 IP ETA: 2019

115) Yu-Cheng Chang CLE, SS – Wrote a Yu-Cheng Chang, 2016 Fantasy Baseball Sleeper/Breakout Post for him mid-season, and nothing has changed since then. Prime Projection: 84/16/78/.271/.330/.443/12 ETA: 2019

116) Luis Alexander Basabe CHW, OF – Overshadowed in the Chris Sale trade by Kopech’s 100+ MPH fastball and Moncada’s 30/30 upside, but Basabe is an exciting prospect in his own right. Good athlete with power and plus bat speed. Prime Projection: 83/18/77/.263/.330/.451/16 ETA: 2019

117) Reynaldo Lopez CHW, RHP – Strikeout totals started to match the stuff this season, striking out 10.4 per nine in 109.1 IP split between Double-A and Triple-A. Might ultimately end up in the pen, but Chicago will almost certainly give him every opportunity to start. Prime Projection: 3.70/1.27/169 in 176 IP ETA: 2017

118) Luis Ortiz MIL, RHP – Solid mid-rotation starter headed for a park that is death on righties. Also has injury concerns. Prime Projection: 3.68/1.23/172 in 185 IP ETA: 2018

119) Lucas Erceg MIL, 3B – One of those non 1st round pick, pro debut breakout guys. Smacked 7 homers with a .281 average in 42 games at Single-A. Prime Projection: 72/19/83/.277/.314/.448/7 ETA: 2019

120) Michael Gettys SD, OF – Contact and plate approach still raw, but looks like a star when he does get the bat on the ball. Volatility is very high on this projection. Prime Projection: 75/15/67/.254/.303/.408/21 ETA: 2019

121) Cody Reed CIN, LHP – Underwhelming at Triple-A with a 3.08/1.25/65/20 pithing line in 73 IP, and then atrocious in the majors with a 7.36 ERA and 12 homers against in 47.2 IP. Upside is more of a mid-rotation type, and you just saw the downside. Prime Projection: 3.77/1.27/167 in 183 IP ETA: 2017

122) Yusniel Diaz LAD, OF – Shoulder injury kept the season numbers in check, but closed out the year slashing .295/.336/.500 in his final 27 games at High-A as a 19-year-old. Prime Projection: 77/16/74/.279/.327/.438/14 ETA: 2019

123) Jorge Ona SD, OF – Swing looked oh so sweet in his 2014 Youtube clips, but not quite as good in Instructional League a few months ago. Still has a quick, powerful swing, and hopefully he was just working the rust off. San Diego paid him $7 million for a reason. Prime Projection: 74/24/90/.260/.330/.476/5 ETA: 2019

124) Matt Manning DET, RHP – Prototypical starter build with an athletic delivery and huge fastball. Everything else is in its infancy. Prime Projection: 3.72/1.28/200 in 187 IP ETA: 2020

125) Sean Reid-Foley TOR, RHP – I want to rank him higher, but the SkyDome (Rogers Centre) and the AL East scares me. Maybe I’m dinging him too much, because he has a workhorse build with an electric fastball/slider combo. Prime Projection: 3.80/1.28/190 in 184 IP ETA: 2019

126) Nick Williams PHI, OF – The improvements he made in 2015 with contact and plate approach completely vanished in 2016. Raw tools are still there, so not completely giving up. Prime Projection: 71/18/78/.248/.293/.408/9  ETA: 2017

127) Ryan McMahon COL, 1B/3B – Struggled on the road, slashing .242/.325/.399 with a 30% K rate and .157 ISO, but hitters do most of their damage at home anyway, where McMahon slashed .000/.000/.000 with 0 homers and a 0/0 K/BB in 0 games. Prime Projection: 73/21/81/.262/.320/.458/5 ETA: 2018

128) Delvin Perez STL, SS – Has a chance to be a special and extremely entertaining SS. While the bat is still raw, showed more refinement than expected in his pro debut. Prime Projection: 84/10/66/.269/.309/.381/24 ETA: 2020/21

129) Jake Bauers TB, 1B/OF – Power is the only thing lacking, which isn’t great for a 1B, but everything else is above average. Prime Projection: 75/19/78/.280/.337/.443/6 ETA: 2018

130) Ronald Guzman TEX, 1B – Former $3.5 million international signing who broke out at Double-A, hitting .288 with 15 homers in 102 games. Sweet lefty swing, but at a long 6’5’’, 205 pounds, there are some holes for pitchers to exploit. Prime Projection: 69/20/81/.275/.322/.447/2 ETA: 2018

131) Josh Naylor SD, 1B – Huge raw power but has focused on contact early in his career. Could take a similar developmental path to Dominic Smith. Prime Projection: 76/23/90/.276/.330/.472/4 ETA: 2020

132) Mike Soroka ATL, RHP – Probable mid-rotation starter who is still a few years off. Pretty safe as far as 19 year olds go. Prime Projection: 3.56/1.23/168 in 186 IP ETA: 2019/20

133) Dylan Cozens PHI, OF – Got into a scuffle with his Winter Ball teammate, Boog Powell, after getting made fun of for his inability to hit a breaking ball. He does have some serious raw power though, so if this whole baseball thing doesn’t work out, he should give MMA a try. Prime Projection: 70/23/76/.236/.311/.430/9 ETA: 2018

134) Eric Lauer SD, LHP – Possibly the safest starter from the 2016 draft class. Lack of a huge fastball or devastating off-speed pitch has kept the bandwagon from filling up, but at 6’3’’, 205 pounds, let’s see what a full off-season with professional trainers can do before capping his ceiling. Prime Projection: 3.73/1.25/175 in 190 IP ETA: 2018/19

135) Dakota Hudson STL, RHP – Fast moving college starter with electric stuff and a reliever-ish delivery. Has the build to start, but it might be tempting for St. Louis to use him out of the pen for at least a couple years. Prime Projection: 3.79/1.27/174 in 182 IP ETA: 2018/19

136) Luiz Gohara ATL, LHP – The fact that a deal with Cincinnati fell through due to what team doctors saw in Gohara’s shoulder isn’t a great sign, but if you want to take the leap of faith, there is frontline starter potential here. Prime Projection: 3.53/1.22/165 in 165 IP ETA: 2019

137) Lourdes Gourriel Jr. TOR, INF/OF – Started off hyped to death, then got shit on everywhere, and now seems to have settled in somewhere in between. Prime Projection: 77/17/67/.272/.329/.431/12 ETA: 2018

138) Jacob Faria TB, RHP – Couldn’t quite maintain his 2015 breakout, but the plus fastball/changeup combo still managed a 9.4 K/9 in the upper levels of the minors. Prime Projection: 3.82/1.24/176 in 178 IP ETA: 2017

139) Wladimir Galindo CHC, 3B – Wrote a Wladimir Galindo, 2017 Fantasy Baseball Prospect Sleeper post. Prime Projection: 73/24/86/.257/.331/.464/3 ETA: 2020

140) Garrett Stubbs HOU, C – Wrote a Garrett Stubbs, 2017 Fantasy Baseball Prospect Sleeper post. Prime Projection: 74/10/54/.273/.338/.388/11 ETA: 2018

141) Peter Alonso NYM, 1B – Dominated the SEC and then did more of the same in Low-A. I don’t see a spot for him in New York with Dominic Smith in town, so hopefully he gets traded rather than being used as a pinch-hitting bench bat. Prime Projection: 75/21/84/.271/.329/.452/2 ETA: 2019

142) Fernando Romero MIN, RHP – Flashes some of the nastiest stuff in the minors, but delivery carries some reliever risk, and has yet to eclipse 90.1 IP in a season due to Tommy John surgery in 2014. Prime Projection: 3.59/1.23/167 in 171 IP ETA: 2018

143) Justin Dunn NYM, RHP – Upside is high with a mid-90’s fastball and potentially 3 average+ off speed pitches, but there are a lot of unknowns considering he has barely pitched as a starter for any extended period of time. Prime Projection: 3.61/1.24/173 in 180 IP ETA: 2019

144) Greg Allen CLE, OF – Reminds me a lot of Rajai Davis in both how he looks at the plate, and how he profiles as a player. Speed and contact are his game. Prime Projection: 78/9/57/.271/.323/.387/26 ETA: 2018

145) Franklin Perez HOU, RHP – Impressive full season debut as an 18-year-old, putting up a pitching line of 2.84/1.23/75 in 66.2 IP. Has protypical starter size and build at a broad 6’3’’, 197 pounds, and a delivery that is reminiscent of Freddy Garcia. Prime Projection: 3.67/1.25/181 in 190 IP ETA: 2020

146) Sandy Alcantara STL, RHP – Can ramp the heat up to over 100 MPH, which he used to strike out 11.2 per nine in Single-A and High-A. Everything else is still raw. Prime Projection: 3.71/1.29/187 in 176 IP ETA: 2019

147) Richard Urena TOR, SS – These next two shortstops seem destined to become fringe 12-team starter types for the next decade. Urena will be the guy you take late in redrafts if you need some extra power … Prime Projection: 73/17/65/.268/.311/.420/9 ETA: 2019

148) Nick Gordon MIN, SS – … and you’ll scoop Gordon if you need average. Prime Projection: 78/7/51/.278/.318/.377/14 ETA: 2019

149) Chris Paddack SD, RHP – Here is your chance to “Washington Nationals” your Dynasty League prospect draft by taking a high upside pitcher who just underwent the Tommy John knife. Prime Projection: 3.60/1.18/184 in 175 ETA: 2020

150) Hunter Harvey BAL, RHP – Look up one inch. Although, he has probably been owned in your league for at least 2 years. Prime Projection: 3.48/1.22/153 in 150 IP ETA: 2018/19

151) Tyler Jay MIN, LHP – Stuff wasn’t as electric as hoped after his transition from the bullpen to a starter, but still had a very solid year at High-A with a 2.84 ERA and a 68/21 K/BB in 69.2 IP. Prime Projection: 3.69/1.27/166 in 173 IP ETA: 2018

152) Brock Stewart LAD, RHP – Came out of nowhere in 2016, making his MLB debut after rolling through all three levels of the minors. Rumor has it he is the guy Los Angeles was unwilling to include to close the Brian Dozier deal. Prime Projection: 3.78/1.25/167 in 179 IP ETA: 2017

153) Matt Strahm KC, LHP – Chances of starting this year plummeted when Kansas City signed Jason Hammel. Starters have a way of dropping like flies, though, and he can always transition from the pen in a year or two. Prime Projection: 3.67/1.26/167 in 174 IP ETA: 2017

154) Sam Travis BOS, 1B – Boston’s long term 1B/DH job is wide open, and if Travis can fully recover from a torn ACL, he has a chance to position himself to be the front runner for the position by 2018, if not late 2017. Prime Projection: 68/18/76/.277/.328/.453/3 ETA: 2017/18

155) Amir Garrett CIN, LHP – I’ve scouted Garrett in person multiple times. He has no range on the jumper and poor court vision. They say he has mid-rotation upside as a pitcher, though. We are looking at an elite BASEketball prospect here apparently. Prime Projection: 3.84/1.28/161 in 178 IP ETA: 2017

156) Andrew Toles LAD, OF – Seemed to finally put his off-the-field problems behind him and broke out in 2016, slashing .314/.365/.505 in 105 MLB at-bats. Has a chance to be an almost everyday player for Los Angeles right out of the gate. Prime Projection: 76/11/64/.273/.319/.418/17 ETA: 2017

157) Hunter Dozier KC, 1B/3B/OF – Short of a surprise playoff push, Kansas City almost has to sell off their valuable expiring contracts to replenish a depleted farm system. When that happens, we will find out if the former 8th overall pick is a late bloomer, or an older dude putting up inflated minor league numbers. Prime Projection: 66/19/74/.252/.318/.436/6 ETA: 2017

158) Jose Albertos CHC, RHP – Started one game in Rookie Ball where he spun 4 IP, 0 ER, 1 Hit, 1 BB, 7 K, touching 98 MPH with a plus breaking ball and change-up. Then was shadily shut down with “arm soreness,” aka, please don’t ask about him in a trade. Prime Projection: 3.63/1.22/175 in 175 IP  ETA: 2021

159) Patrick Weigel ATL, RHP – Overshadowed by the higher profile arms in Atlanta’s system, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Weigel ended up better than all of them. He is built like a rock, hides the ball well, and can pump the heat into the upper 90’s. Only reason I’m hesitant to rank him higher is that he was far more physically advanced than the A-Ball hitters he was facing, and wasn’t quite as impressive in his brief Double-A debut, although he was at a career high IP. Prime Projection: 3.80/1.27/158 in 172 IP ETA: 2018

160) Norge Ruiz OAK, RHP – Thrives by commanding his off-speed pitches and is a true artist on the mound. One of those guys who just owns the rubber (the 13-year-old in me tells me I should probably rephrase that). Prime Projection: 3.76/1.24/149 in 171 IP ETA: 2018

161) Robert Stephenson CIN, RHP – The results weren’t there but the stuff still was. Prime Projection: 3.92/1.31/167 in 173 IP ETA: 2017

162) Chris Iriart OAK, 1B – Wrote a Chris Iriart, 2017 Fantasy Baseball Prospect Sleeper post. Prime Projection: 68/23/79/.253/.317/.450/1 ETA: 2019

163) Randy Arozarena STL, INF/OF – The soon to be 22-year-old Arozarena signed with St. Louis for $1.25 million, and if you are going to trust one team’s scouting department, it is St. Louis’. He profiles as a prototypical leadoff man. Prime Projection: 79/9/57/.273/.334/.382/20 ETA: 2018/19

164) Grant Holmes OAK, RHP – Basically the same pitcher he was when he was drafted 22nd overall in 2014. As is, he can be a groundball back-end starter, but the raw stuff leaves room for more. Prime Projection: 3.86/1.30/159 in 171 IP ETA: 2019

165) Miguel Andujar NYY, 3B – Ranked Andujar 10th in my 2017 Top 10 New York Yankees Fantasy Baseball Prospect Rankings. Prime Projection: 68/19/74/.277/.330/.434/5 ETA: 2018

166) Ke’Bryan Hayes PIT, 3B – Hayes was the guy Weigel was facing in that video I linked to above. He has a mature approach at the plate and should develop into a solid overall hitter. Plus, how can I not root for the kid that came from this guy’s loins. Prime Projection: 73/18/77/.282/.334/.440/4  ETA: 2020

167) Casey Gillaspie TB, 1B – 1st round pick in 2014 who has hit well every year in pro ball. The power and hit tool aren’t super exciting for a first baseman, but I can see him sitting in someone’s second UTIL spot in a few years. Prime Projection: 69/20/77/.265/.338/.450/3 ETA: Late 2017

168) Trey Mancini BAL, 1B – MLB ready with a legitimate shot to be an average-ish hitting first baseman. Just doesn’t have a spot right now. Prime Projection: 63/20/77/.267/.320/.448/2 ETA: 2017

169) Phil Bickford MIL, RHP – The fastball velocity dropping into the low 90’s is more concerning than the 50-game suspension. Prime Projection: 3.75/1.27/153 in 161 IP ETA: 2018/19

170) Chance Adams NYY, RHP – My prospector in crime, Ralph Lifshitz, just loves his small righties, so I’ll let him wax poetic about Adams for you. And while you’re at it, you can read his take on the rest of the Yankees prospects, because Yanks prospects just never get the hype they deserve 😉 Prime Projection: 3.93/1.29/163 in 166 IP ETA: 2017/18

171) Frankie Montas OAK, RHP – 6’2’’, 255 pounds with an elite fastball/slider combo. Bullpen risk is considerable, although Oakland consistently gives pitchers like him a chance to start. Prime Projection: 3.76/1.32/159 in 162 IP ETA: 2017/18

172) Carson Fulmer CHW, RHP – High tempo, violent delivery which Chicago tried to calm down to disastrous results. Looked better after ditching the new delivery, but there is a reason Chicago tried to change it in the first place. Prime Projection: 3.99/1.34/163 in 164 IP ETA: 2017

173) Kevin Newman PIT, SS – Solid defensive SS with excellent contact numbers and not much else. Prime Projection: 81/9/58/.288/.342/.394/13 ETA: 2018

174) Trent Clark MIL, OF – I’m obviously not that high on Clark, but I’m willing to blame his poor 2016 on injuries. Still has enticing 5-category upside if it all comes together. Prime Projection: 80/15/70/.269/.338/.436/15 ETA: 2019

175) Brady Aiken CLE, LHP – Stuff didn’t look the same after returning from Tommy John surgery, but next season will be the true barometer of his future potential. Prime Projection: 3.75/1.25/165 in 165 IP ETA: 2019/20

176) Ryan O’Hearn KC, 1B – Sweet lefty swing with power and strikeouts. Prime Projection: 60/20/76/.254/.324/.432/2 ETA: 2018

177) Dillon Tate NYY, RHP – Yanks bought low on Tate in the Carlos Beltran trade, and while his stuff looked much better in the AFL, it was still a long way off from what he showed in 2015. Prime Projection: 3.94/1.28/162 in 175 IP ETA: 2018

178) Anfernee Grier ARI, OF – One of my favorite pre-draft sleepers, but pro debut exposed how raw he still is. Legitimate power/speed combo is worth taking a chance on. Prime Projection: 76/15/68/.257/.313/.426/17 ETA: 2019

179) Will Benson CLE, OF – A very raw blend of bat speed, power, and athleticism. Like many guys ranked in the back of this top 200, he is high risk, high reward. Prime Projection: 77/25/82/.244/.326/.462/11 ETA: 2021

180) Joey Wentz ATL, LHP – The epitome of a risky, high upside teenage pitcher. Stuff, velocity, and health have all been inconsistent, but at his best, flashes top of the rotation upside. Prime Projection: 3.66/1.23/179 in 177 IP ETA: 2020

181) Magneuris Sierra STL, OF – Plus contact and speed, but will need to improve his plate approach to hit at the top of a MLB lineup. Prime Projection: 78/10/54/.273/.320/.397/21 ETA: 2019

182) Forrest Whitley HOU, RHP – I was going to make a Forrest Gump joke here, but then I realized I haven’t seen a Forrest Gump joke in like a decade, so I’m not gonna be the one to open up that box of chocolates. Prime Projection: 3.77/1.29/173 in 190 IP ETA: 2020

183) Chris Shaw SF, 1B – Hopefully he gets traded away from AT&T Park, and considering Brandon Belt is locked up until 2021, it’s not a bad bet to make. Prime Projection: 65/22/79/.260/.321/.462/0 ETA: 2018

184) Vladimir Gutierrez CIN, RHP – Signed for $4.75 million with Cincinnati. Prototypical starter size at an athletic 6’3’’, 173 pounds, and has the fastball/curveball combo that scouts love to dream on. Prime Projection: 3.78/1.26/167 in 174 IP ETA: 2019

185) Domingo Acevedo NYY, RHP – Fastball can rival Kopech’s, but a delivery that will very likely lead to the bullpen. Prime Projection: 3.93/1.31/146 in 151 IP ETA: 2018/19

186) Jordan Sheffield LAD, RHP – Electric stuff with mid 90’s heat, but there is size, injury, and bullpen risk. Prime Projection: 3.83/1.32/158 in 168 IP ETA: 2018/19

187) Teoscar Hernandez HOU, OF – Solid power/speed combo with nowhere to play. Not the type of guy I would hold, but has fantasy friendly skills if he can force his way into the lineup. Prime Projection: 71/15/63/.255/.316/.431/12 ETA: 2017

188) Jeimer Candelario CHC, 3B – Smart hitter without quite enough power to get really excited about him. Nowhere to play in Chicago either. Prime Projection: 58/17/72/.276/.332/.438/1 ETA: 2017

189) Luis Almanzar SD, SS – Almanzar is so raw and toolsy, it even extends to his Twitter game. He has only 112 followers, but if his profile picture is any indication, that will only rise. Prime Projection: 80/20/80/.279/.334/.461/10 ETA: 2022

190) Lazaro Armenteros OAK, OF – Armenteros and Almanzar have so many tools, it would make Tim “The Toolman” Taylor jealous. Yea, I just dropped a 90’s Home Improvement reference on you. Prime Projection: 78/22/85/.270/.330/.468/15 ETA: 2022

191) Freudys Nova HOU, SS – Bat first SS with quick bat speed and natural loft in his swing. Has drawn comparisons to Hanley Ramirez. Prime Projection: 76/22/84/.265/.327/.465/13 ETA: 2022

192) Chris Okey CIN, C – Underrated first year player draft target. Has legitimate power and almost certain to stick at catcher. Prime Projection: 67/19/75/.258/.319/.447/4 ETA: 2019

193) Sixto Sanchez PHI, RHP – Short but thick righty who sits mid-90’s with raw secondaries. Just started pitching about 2 years and is only 18 years old, so there is plenty of room and time for further refinement. Prime Projection: 3.70/1.20/155 in 170 IP ETA: 2020

194) Jose Almonte TEX, OF – Wrote about Almonte in my 2017 Deep Dynasty Prospect Sleepers post. Prime Projection: 73/23/87/.240/.302/.454/7 ETA: 2020

195) Josh Lowe TB, 3B – 13th overall pick in the 2016 draft. All raw power and strikeouts right now. Prime Projection: 79/23/82/.269/.345/.466/9 ETA: 2021

196) Nolan Jones CLE, 3B – 36.6% K rate in Rookie Ball is concerning considering he was known for his hit tool in high school, especially when it comes with 0 homers. I don’t want to ding an 18-year-old too much for a poor pro debut, though, and he did have a .388 OBP. Prime Projection: 76/21/81/.267/.348/.460/8 ETA: 2021

197) Aristides Aquino CIN, OF – Should be nicknamed, “Double-A, Awesome Aristedes,” for all my old-school Howard Stern fans out there. With all these 90’s references, maybe I’m starting to get nostalgic about nearing the end of this top 200. Prime Projection: 71/22/78/.249/.294/.448/14 ETA: 2018

198) Oscar De La Cruz CHC, RHP – Power pitcher with big time strikeout upside, but missed over half the season with forearm soreness, and still hasn’t pitched above Single-A as a soon to be 22-year-old. Prime Projection: 3.93/1.26/166 in 162 IP ETA: 2019

199) Cionel Perez HOU, LHP – Plus fastball and curve with an athletic delivery, but signing bonus was cut by more than half when the medicals didn’t come back great on his left arm. Prime Projection: 3.88/1.27/150 in 160 IP ETA: 2019

200) Victor Garcia STL, OF – Bat speed and raw power are mesmerizing in batting practice, but hit tool is a major question mark. With strikeouts exploding around MLB and pitchers throwing harder than ever, elite bat speed prospects like Garcia become more and more valuable. Prime Projection: 74/27/91/.250/.315/.484/2 ETA: 2022

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

Posted on by Michael Halpern

Reviewing My 2016 Fantasy Baseball Dynasty League Prospect Sleepers Post

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Posted on by Michael Halpern

2016 Fantasy Baseball Minor League Prospect Rundown: Week 20

Every Monday, I will be running down some of the notable performances from around the Minor Leagues, or anything that might have caught my eye in general. Here is the 2016 Fantasy Baseball Minor League Prospect Rundown: Week 20:

Tom Murphy COL, C – Strikeout problems? What strikeout problems? Murphy has a 16/9 K/BB in his last 31 games, and only 4 K’s in 14 August games. The power has been just fine too, swatting 10 bombs over that 31 game span. Not only is his stock in Dynasty Leagues on the rise, but he can make a serious impact on re-draft leagues in September.

Gary Sanchez NYY, C – Talk about a catcher making a serious impact on fantasy leagues, Sanchez crushed 4 more bombs this week. With Sanchez and Willson Contreras already making their mark in the majors, and Murphy not far behind, fantasy catcher production is going to get a major boost next season.

Yermin Mercedes BAL, C – If you are looking for a deep league catcher sleeper, Yermin Mercedes is one to keep your eye on. And I guarantee it will be the cheapest Mercedes you will ever buy. Mercedes was an Independent League find by Baltimore in 2014 after he absolutely destroyed the league as a 21-year-old, crushing 17 bombs and hitting .380 in 60 games. He had a solid debut season with Baltimore last year, but be has really broken out this season, slashing .337/.402/.571 with 19 homers and a 78/43 K/B in 109 games split between Single-A and High-A. He is old for the level at 23 years old, but a lot of that has to do with the unique circumstances of his career, and he has hit well at every league he has played in since 18 years old. The power is also definitely very real, as he is built like a little pit bull, and has plenty of bat speed. He might not stick at catcher, especially with Baltimore, but he is a deep sleeper bat to watch at any position. 

Lucas Giolito WASH, RHP – It’s about damn time Giolito had a statement game like this, going 7 IP, 1 ER, 7 Hits, 0 BB, 10 K. Even with all of the consternation surrounding him this year, he still has a pitching line of 3.22/1.36/109 in 106.1 IP.

Josh Hader MIL, LHP – Hader had a statement game of his own last night, going 6 IP, 0 ER, 2 Hits, 0 BB, 12 K. Surprisingly, this is his first double-digit K game of the season, but it just goes to show how consistent he has been all year maintaining an 11.6 K/9.

Jose De Leon LAD, RHP – Continues to impress in the PCL, spinning 7 IP, 2 ER, 6 Hits, 0 BB, 10 K. Dodger Stadium will be the perfect park for his fly ball tendencies.

A.J. Puk OAK, LHP – 5 IP, 0 ER, 2 Hits, 0 BB, 5 K. Control was the major question with Puk coming into the draft, and he has done everything he could in pro ball to answer those questions with a 32/6 K/BB in 25 IP at Low-A. Keep in mind that Low-A (or more accurately named short-season A ball) is a glorified Rookie Ball league, so I would take these numbers with a grain of salt.

Willie Calhoun LAD, 2B – Speaking of grains of salt, the too small to be good Calhoun just keeps ripping it up, knocking 2 more dingers this week to give him 27 on the year.

Brendan Rodgers COL, SS – The #3 ranked prospect in my mid-season top 100, Rodgers exploded for 4 homers this week, giving him 19 on the season in 103 games. I ranked him one spot ahead of Alex Bregman, who has started to turn it on himself this week, knocking his first 3 homers of his MLB career.

Dansby Swanson ATL, SS – On Ep. 3 of the Razzball Prospect Podcast, Ralph Lifshitz and I talk about our modest expectations for Swanson in fantasy (.250/.294/.313 in 17 MLB PA’s), and also talk about some of the other buzzy prospect names of the week. We finish the show with a Milwaukee Brewers’s top 10 fantasy prospects ranking in honor of our first ever guest, JB Gilpin.

Joey Gallo TEX, 3B/1B – 3 more dingers and 14 more strikeouts. His improved K rate has slowly deteriorated as the season has progressed, but I’m still betting on his unrivaled power.

Alen Hanson PIT, 2B/3B/OF – .309/.374/.495 with 3 homers and 7 steals in the last month. Pitt has him starting all over the field (2B/3B/OF), so it certainly looks like they are preparing him for a utility role, at least for September. I still like Hanson for fantasy, but he is more of a sleeper at this point who is going to have to earn playing time in the majors, as opposed to a guy who gets a starting job with some leash right out of the gate.

Josh Ockimey BOS, 1B – Has fallen into a deep slump, slashing .136/.313/.212 in his last 20 games. Not exactly the lasting mark you want to leave on your breakout season.

Mitch Keller PIT, RHP – Threw his third shutout in a row this week, going 18 IP, 0 ER, 10 Hits, 2 BB, 21 K over that span. He doesn’t have lockdown #1 starter stuff, but his control is impressive, walking a grand total of 16 batters in 119.1 IP.

Jacob Faria TB, RHP – Had his first 0 BB game in Triple-A, going 7 IP, 2 ER, 3 Hits, 0 BB, 8 K. He hasn’t had the best statistical season, but he has kept the K’s up all the year, and he might even earn a spot MLB start or two in September.

Grant Holmes LAD, RHP – First 4 starts with Oakland have been a disaster, going a combined 19 IP, 19 ER, 36 Hits, 4 BB, 11 K. I wouldn’t be too worried as he is establishing new highs in IP, but it does bring up the concern of if these stud pitching prospects can maintain their stuff for 180+ IP. You can’t really know for sure until they do it.

Wladimir Galindo CHC, 3B – The 6’3’’, 210-pound Galindo was a top prospect from the 2013 international signing period who was known for his raw power. And that raw power has continued to develop this year, knocking 8 homers in 54 games at Low-A as a 19-year-old. He is still raw, as evidenced by his 29.6% K rate, but his potential to become a fantasy beast is obvious.   

Tommy Edman STL, SS/2B – Like clockwork, St. Louis has another mid-round draft pick (6th rd pick this year) who has immediately excelled in pro ball. Edman is slashing .305/.416/.473 with 4 homers, 5 triples, 12 doubles, and 14 steals in 52 games at Low-A. He has elite contact skills, putting up a 22/37 K/BB, which backs up his 57/76 career K/BB in 168 games as a 3-year starter at Stanford. His upside isn’t sky high, and he may top out as a utility infielder, but I know better than to bet against St. Louis draft picks.

Ryne Birk HOU, 2B – It’s no wonder Birk got no respect coming into the draft this year (13th rd pick) being a small 2B and all, but he put up very solid numbers in the SEC, slashing .310/.378/.478 with 7 homers and 8 steals (he hit 10 homers his Sophomore year), and is now carrying that success over to pro ball (.293/.385/.455 with 4 homers and 5 steals). Like Edman, his best skill is his plus hit tool (16/21 K/BB in 43 games split between Low-A and Single-A) and as you know from his college stats, there is some pop in his bat too. Even though he was picked 7 rounds later, I might actually prefer Birk to Edman, although I like them both.

Harol Gonzalez NYM, RHP – Gonzalez leads the NYPL (short season A ball) in K’s, putting up the lights out pitching line of 1.72/0.93/77 in 68 IP. He is a small righty, and doesn’t have a big fastball (88-94 MPH), but he already has a great feel for pitching, using two different plus changeups, to go along with solid command, and a developing curve to lay waste to Low-A hitters. If he fills out a little more and tacks some extra velocity on his heater, the Mets could have themselves another fast rising pitching prospect.

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

Posted on by Michael Halpern

2016 Fantasy Baseball Minor League Prospect Rundown: Week 14

Every Monday, I will be running down some of the notable performances from around the Minor Leagues, or anything that might have caught my eye in general. Here is the 2016 Fantasy Baseball Minor League Prospect Rundown: Week 14:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Posted on by Michael Halpern

2016 Mid-Season Top 100 Fantasy Baseball Prospect Rankings: 1-100

Here we go again. It’s ranking season! Well, maybe a week or two before ranking season, but close enough. Over the past week, I have been slowly ranking the top 100 fantasy baseball prospects in all The Land. And I mean that literally, not the lame nickname that Cleveland now has to make them seem cooler. To be clear, I was not just ranking prospects in Cleveland. Today, I put it all together, and without further ado, here are the 2016 Mid-Season Top 100 Fantasy Baseball Prospect Rankings: 1-100 (previous ranking in parenthesis):

2016 Off-Season Top 100 Fantasy Baseball Prospect Rankings: 1-100

Graduates: Corey Seager (#1) LAD, SS, Byron Buxton (#2) MIN, OF, Steven Matz (#10) NYM, LHP, Nomar Mazara (#19) TEX, OF, Trevor Story (#30) COL, SS, John Lamb (#40) CIN, LHP, Aaron Blair (#81) ATL, RHP, Michael Fulmer (#82) DET, RHP, Archie Bradley (#83) ARI, RHP, Mallex Smith (#91) ATL, OF, Jon Gray (#100) COL, RHP

1) Yoan Moncada (#3) BOS, 2B – Picked up right where he left off in the 2nd half of 2015. No prospect has the 5-category upside that Moncada has. Prime projection: 98/15/82/.280/32

2) Julio Urias (#7) LAD, LHP – Completely destroyed the PCL as a 19-year-old, and is now more than holding his own in the majors. This will likely be his last appearance on top 100 prospect lists. Prime projection: 2.90/1.00/225 in 210 IP

3) Brendan Rodgers (#24) COL, SS – Hits for average and power, plays SS, and will call Coors Field his home. What more is there to say? Prime projection: 89/25/100/.285/7

4) Alex Bregman (#26) HOU, 3B/SS – Has a legitimate case to be the top fantasy prospect in baseball. Elite contact skills with emerging power. Might have to move off SS to accommodate Carlos Correa. Prime projection: 94/22/86/.297/10

5) Lucas Giolito (#4) WASH, RHP – It hasn’t been the smoothest ride in Double-A so far, but he was beginning to turn it around before a poor outing in his last start. The stuff is still electric, so I’m holding tight for now. Prime projection: 3.10/1.10/220 in 210 IP (Update: Looked good in his MLB debut after I released the top 10 last Friday)

6) Tyler Glasnow (#5) PIT, RHP – Control might have actually taken a half-step back this season, but it hasn’t hurt his pitching line all that much (1.61/1.14/100 in 84 IP). I’m still betting on his unhittable stuff. Prime projection: 2.98/1.17/223 in 200 IP

7) A.J. Reed (#6) HOU, 1B – Was nicked up with various injuries early in the year, but slashed .307/.366/.587 with 5 homers in the last month. One of the premiere power hitting prospects in the minors. Prime projection: 85/32/110/.274/2

8) Andrew Benintendi (#8) BOS, OF – After destroying High-A, Double-A has slowed him down a bit. The plate approach, power, and speed are all still there, so I don’t think he is going to stay down for long. Prime projection: 89/21/93/.288/15 (Update: He really didn’t stay down for long, going on a tear in his last 7 games)

9) David Dahl (#47) COL, OF – One of the top fantasy breakout prospects in 2016. Slashing .283/.375/.528 with 13 homers and 15 steals in 67 games at Double-A. Has all the raw talent in the world, and will be unleashed at Coors Field. Prime projection: 91/20/82/.276/18

10) Joey Gallo (#17) TEX, 3B/1B/OF – Has taken a step forward in Triple-A this year, lowering his strikeout rate to a more workable 26.8% while maintaining his massive power. The only thing left is for Texas to give him a shot. Or trade him. Prime projection: 80/38/100/.250/5

11) Victor Robles (#35) WASH, OF – Displaying the same elite contact and speed profile in his first full season of pro ball that he did in Rookie ball and Low-A. Perfect combination of raw tools and current production. Prime projection: 96/14/75/.304/28

12) Alex Reyes (#11) STL, RHP – 13.9 K/9 and 4.9 BB/9 really does say it all. Can dial it up to 100 MPH, and I’ll take the risk for his through the roof upside. Prime projection: 3.35/1.20/240 in 210 IP

13) Jose Berrios (#12) MIN, RHP – Not going to let his poor 4-start MLB debut scare me off. Future value remains the same. Prime projection: 3.39/1.11/190 in 200 IP

14) Blake Snell (#13) TB, LHP– Look up one inch. Prime projection: 3.36/1.17/209 in 198 IP

15) Jose De Leon (#14) LAD, RHP – Slowly ramping it up at Triple-A after returning from a sore arm. 14.2 K/9 in limited action shows the elite K potential is still there. Prime projection: 3.41/1.16/220 in 190 IP

16) J.P. Crawford (#15) PHI, SS – Having an elite plate approach is like the missionary position for prospects. Not the most exciting, but it gets the job done. Prime projection: 94/12/65/.289/18

17) Brad Zimmer (#16) CLE, OF – 28.8% K rate is higher than we would like, but the power/speed combo is still popping. Prime projection: 86/21/81/.260/24

18) Derek Fisher (#20) HOU, OF – Wrote a sleeper post for him in the off-season, and he is not making me regret it with his strong first half in Double-A. Prime projection: 84/22/84/.270/17

19) Josh Hader (#21) MIL, LHP – Ranked him #3 in my pre-season Dynasty League Prospect Sleepers post. Putting up a pitching line of 1.87/1.13/99 in 77 IP split between Double-A and Triple-A so far this year. Prime projection: 3.31/1.18/198 in 190 IP

20) Jameson Taillon (#86) PIT, RHP – Has looked no worse for wear after not pitching for two full years. Stuff is nasty and has already reached the bigs. Prime projection: 3.38/1.13/180 in 190 IP

21) Willson Contreras (#52) CHC, C – Added power to his already elite hit tool this season. Is now clearly the top fantasy catcher prospect in the game. Prime projection: 70/20/85/.293/3

22) Lewis Brinson (#9) TEX, OF – Shoulder injury cut short his disappointing first half. Hitting profile looked completely different this year, which makes me think he was trying to make an adjustment that wasn’t working. He drops in the rankings, but I would hold if I owned him. Prime projection: 90/25/90/.274/17

23) Bobby Bradley (#18) CLE, 1B – Might as well be named Joey Gallo Jr. Lots of HR’s, BB’s, and K’s. Prime projection: 80/33/105/.250/4

24) Austin Meadows (#53) PIT, OF – Power has ticked up this year, and if he can continue that power surge in Triple-A, will rank even higher in the off-season. Prime projection: 92/18/80/.295/13

25) Tim Anderson (#22) CHW, SS – Not the type of hitter to put up pretty K/BB numbers, but can hit for a solid average with top end speed and sneaky power. Prime projection: 90/12/61/.273/28

26) Dansby Swanson (#25) ATL, SS – Looks to have the inside track on Atlanta’s SS job over Albies. Will do a little bit of everything, but doesn’t have a standout tool. Prime projection: 87/17/77/.282/14

27) Trea Turner (#23) WASH, SS – MLB ready but has been prospect blocked by Danny Espinoza as I suspected he would be in my off-season top 100. Played CF last night in an attempt by Washington to find another path to the big leagues for him. Prime projection: 90/9/55/.282/26

28) Orlando Arcia (#27) MIL, SS – Hasn’t quite kept up his 2015 breakout in Triple-A this season, but is still flashing the same offensive skills. Would rank higher on a non-fantasy list due to his plus defense. Prime projection: 87/11/70/.279/25

29) Max Kepler (#29) MIN, OF – Quietly putting together a very strong season. .757 OPS with 3 homers and 2 steals in 33 MLB games. Prime projection: 85/17/85/.288/15

30) Josh Bell (#60) PIT, 1B – Like Contreras, added power to his already elite hit tool. I expected the power to show up, projecting him for 19 homers in the off-season, but it is still nice to see. Prime projection: 78/19/90/.293/5

31) Gary Sanchez (#31) NYY, C – Doesn’t have the eye-popping numbers, but is still displaying good contact and power skills in a pitcher’s park at Triple-A. Gets a bump for positional scarcity due to the wasteland that catcher has become. Prime projection: 67/22/83/.280/4

32) Raimel Tapia (#42) COL, OF – “Elite contact skills. Above average speed. Average power. Gets the Coors Field bump.” – – Same blurb as the off-season. Nothing changed except he is doing it in Double-A now. Prime projection: 92/13/70/.297/17

33) Willie Calhoun (#43) LAD, 2B – Discovered him in my Finding the Next A.J. Reed article that I wrote in January, and also wrote a Willie Calhoun, 2016 Fantasy Baseball Prospect Breakout post for him this season. Prime projection: 85/24/91/.287/2

34) Ian Happ (#50) CHC, 2B/OF – Going back and forth on Willie vs. Happ. Gave Willie the edge because he has been doing it in Double-A all year, but if you prefer the added speed that Happ brings, I can see swapping them. Happ also has a legitimate logjam ahead of him in Chicago. Prime projection: 85/19/76/.273/14

35) Aaron Judge (#34) NYY, OF – On an absolute tear in the last month, slashing .341/.464/.714 with 9 homers. It brings his OPS up to .845 in Triple-A. Prime projection: 75/26/90/.260/7

36) Jorge Mateo (#38) NYY, SS – Speed is the #1 calling card here. The bat hasn’t taken a step forward this year, but the underlying skills and talent remain the same. Prime projection: 87/11/60/.275/34

37) Jesse Winker (#41) CIN, OF – Maintaining his elite contact skills and plate approach in Triple-A, but the power hasn’t fully emerged with only 2 homers on the year. Prime projection: 88/19/92/.292/4

38) Clint Frazier (#58) CLE, OF – I called him “a breakout waiting to happen” in my off-season top 100, and he is breaking out, slashing .295/.381/.488 with 9 homers and 9 steals in 67 games as a 21-year-old in Double-A. Prime projection: 88/23/88/.284/8

39) Harrison Bader (#51) STL, OF – Discovered him in my Finding the Next A.J. Reed article that I wrote in January, and also wrote a Harrison Bader, 2016 Fantasy Baseball Prospect Breakout post for him this season. Prime projection: 85/20/81/.280/14

40) Tyler O’Neill (#78) SEA, OF – Wrote a sleeper post for him in the off-season, and he has drastically improved his K rate while maintaining his power in Double-A this season. The arrow is pointing up. Prime projection: 76/27/88/.265/8

41) Cody Reed (#65) CIN, LHP – Big lefty with a mid 90’s fastball and wipeout slider. That is a recipe for success. Prime projection: 3.40/1.18/192 in 200 IP

42) Ozhaino Albies (#75) ATL, SS/2B – The 19-year-old Albies zoomed through Atlanta’s system faster than anyone could have expected. Knocking on the door of the bigs, but it looks like it will be as a 2B. Prime projection: 91/8/54/.295/27

43) Eloy Jimenez (NR) CHC, OF – Ranked him 7th (but 1st on this list) on my 2016 Mid-Season Top 10 Fantasy Baseball Prospect Breakouts (not on my off-season top 100). Prime Projection: 83/25/93/.281/7

44) Kolby Allard (#36) ATL, LHP – Pitched only 16 innings after returning from off-season back surgery. Will know a lot more about him by the end of the year. Prime projection: 3.25/1.09/200 in 190 IP

45) Anderson Espinoza (#37) BOS, RHP – Solid but unspectacular as an 18-year-old in Single-A. Talent is immense but still a few years off. Prime projection: 3.38/1.11/194 in 190 IP

46) Raul Mondesi Jr. (#56) KC, SS – Not going to ding him for his 50 game PED suspension. Potential remains the same. Prime projection: 79/15/71/.267/28

47) Kyle Tucker (#89) HOU, OF – Power hasn’t emerged with only 2 homers in 61 games at Single-A, but is displaying a great plate approach (43/22 K/BB) and speed (25 steals). Prime projection: 86/16/84/.284/18

48) Brett Phillips (#39) MIL, OF – K rate has spiked to 31.8% in Double-A, but is still hitting for power with a few steals. Prime projection: 84/20/78/.260/11

49) Nick Williams (#59) PHI, OF – Hasn’t done much in Triple-A to move the needle in either direction. Prime projection: 85/18/78/.276/10

50) Hunter Renfroe (#61) SD, OF – Slashing .325/.345/.597 with 18 homers in 76 games in the PCL. He is using a more contact oriented approach this year, cutting his K rate to 18.0% and BB rate to 3.1%. Prime projection: 74/24/86/.266/5

51) Kyle Lewis (NR) SEA, OF – Ranked him 1st on my 2016 MLB Draft Fantasy Baseball Prospect Rankings. Prime projection: 82/25/87/.278/8

52) Corey Ray (NR) MIL, OF – Ranked him 2nd on my 2016 MLB Draft Fantasy Baseball Prospect Rankings. Prime projection: 90/14/64/.281/24

53) Rafael Devers (#63) BOS, 3B – .637 OPS as a 19-year-old in High-A. Regardless of the poor numbers, raw talent is still elite. Prime projection: 80/21/96/.287/5

54) Manuel Margot (#64) SD, OF – Contact/speed profile remains unchanged at Triple-A this year. Prime projection: 85/10/60/.278/27

55) Franklin Barreto (#57) OAK, SS/2B/OF – Numbers don’t stand out, but is still flashing power (7 homers) and speed (16 steals) as a 20-year-old in a pitcher’s park at Double-A. Prime projection: 86/14/77/.281/22

56) Renato Nunez (#73) OAK, 3B – Triple-slash looks weak (.243/.293/.433) but is still hitting for solid power (.193 ISO) and contact (17.9% K%). Prime projection: 76/21/85/.280/1

57) Matt Chapman (#94) OAK, 3B – 17 homers and a 102/36 K/BB in 74 games at Double-A. Expect more of the same in the majors. Prime projection: 76/26/86/.254/4

58) Chase Vallot (NR) KC, C – Wrote a Chase Vallot, 2016 Fantasy Baseball Prospect Breakout post for him. Prime Projection: 77/27/87/.258/2

59) Jose Peraza (#44) CIN, 2B/SS/OF – Collected 7 steals in 11 games since being recalled to the majors on June 15th. Prime projection: 84/6/51/.272/32

60) Sean Manaea (#45) OAK, LHP – Makes the prospect cut by under an inning. Struggled in his MLB debut, but still has enticing K upside. Prime projection: 3.49/1.21/195 in 185 IP.

61) Forrest Wall (#62) COL, 2B – Got off to a slow start, but has picked it up of late, slashing .329/.352/.476 with 2 homers and 5 steals in the last month. Prime projection: 87/14/73/.279/20

62) Francis Martes (#66) HOU, RHP – Got his season back on track after struggling in the early going. Fastball is still reaching upper 90’s and the curve is nasty. Prime projection: 3.39/1.10/176 in 185 IP

63) Gleybor Torres (#93) CHC, SS – Putting up modest numbers with an uptick in power from last year as a 19-year-old in High-A. He isn’t my favorite fantasy prospect, but his stock is on the rise. Prime projection: 81/15/70/.283/15

64) Travis Demeritte (NR) TEX, 2B – Wrote a Travis Demeritte, 2016 Fantasy Baseball Prospect Breakout post for him. Prime projection: 78/22/81/.247/9

65) Christin Stewart (NR) DET, OF – Ranked him 2nd on my 2016 Mid-Season Top 10 Fantasy Baseball Prospect Breakouts (not on my off-season top 100). Prime projection: 80/24/83/.255/4

66) Phil Bickford (NR) SFG, RHP – Ranked him 10th on my 2016 Mid-Season Top 10 Fantasy Baseball Prospect Breakouts (not on my off-season top 100). Prime Projection: 3.54/1.18/188 in 183 IP

67) Kevin Maitan (NR) IFA/ATL, SS/3B – I wasn’t planning on ranking Maitan this high when I started this list, but nobody can even touch his upside at this point in the rankings. His hype is so stratospheric with comparisons to Miggy and Chipper Jones, that at the very least, his trade value will be high right from the get go. Prime projection: 90/25/100/.285/6

68) Jacob Faria (#68) TB, RHP – Maintained his K spike from the 2nd half of last season, and looked great in his 1st start at Triple-A last week, going 6 IP, 0 ER, 2 Hits, 1 BB, 6 K. Would rank higher if he didn’t have to pitch in the AL East. Prime projection: 3.59/1.19/187 in 187 IP

69) Tom Murphy (#32) COL, C – Both his K rate (34.0%) and BB rate (2.7%) have seriously regressed as a 25-year-old in the PCL. He is still hitting for power (.255 ISO) and has the luxury of Coors Field at his back, so I’m not completely off the bandwagon. Prime projection: 62/25/77/.241/3

70) Jorge Alfaro (#79) PHI, C – Has absolutely no plate approach to speak of (49/4 K/BB) but has jacked 9 homers in 50 games at Double-A. With the current offensive state of the catcher position, guys like Murphy and Alfaro have value. Prime projection: 62/20/75/.245/5

71) Yadier Alvarez (NR) LAD, RHP – 8.1 IP, 0 ER, 2 Hits, 3 BB, 10 K in his first two starts at Rookie Ball this year. Still a bit of a mystery, but all reports have been glowing with praise since Spring Training. Upper 90’s heat with ace upside. Prime Projection: 3.30/1.18/203 in 190 IP

72) Yohander Mendez (NR) TEX, LHP – 6’5’’, 200-pound lefty with a big fastball and improving secondaries (curveball, slider, changeup). The raw talent and upside is obvious. Check out this video of him battling my boy Harrison Bader, and eventually striking him out (and then scroll down and watch the second video of Bader homering off a reliever later in the game). Prime projection: 3.40/1.17/185 in 185 IP

73) Grant Holmes (#48) LAD, RHP – Both his K/9 (8.8) and BB/9 (3.2) are down this year in the Cal League. Excellent raw stuff, but the development is going to take some time. Prime projection: 3.44/1.26/199 in 188 IP

74) Luis Ortiz (#96) TEX, RHP – Big, strong righty who is built like a workhorse starter, but has had arm troubles in the past. Pitching well as a 20-year-old in Double-A. Prime projection: 3.41/1.16/177 in 185 IP

75) Ryan McMahon (#49) COL, 3B – Struggling badly at Double-A, slashing .218/.313/.327 with 3 homers. Coors Field is really buoying his value right now. Prime projection: 78/20/88/.261/6

76) Jack Flaherty (#69) STL, RHP – Has been on fire in his last 4 starts after a slow start to the season. This is as much a vote of confidence in St. Louis’ organization as it is in Flaherty’s talent. Prime projection: 3.37/1.18/178 in 195 IP

77) Brent Honeywell (#71) TB, RHP – Season has been immaculate other than being sidelined for 6 weeks with a sore arm. Prime projection: 3.46/1.14/179 in 190 IP

78) Anthony Alford (#76) TOR, OF – Hasn’t been the same since injuring his knee, but has started to turn it around this week. He deserves the benefit of the doubt to see if he heats up the further away he gets from that knee injury. Prime projection: 81/16/79/.272/18

79) Dominic Smith (#77) NYM, 1B – Still waiting on that power breakout, but the contact skills and plate approach have been strong in Double-A. Prime projection: 78/19/90/.289/2

80) Cody Bellinger (#95) LAD, 1B/OF – Not hitting for as much power as he did last year in the Cal League, but is still putting up solid numbers as a 20-year-old in Double-A. Prime projection: 79/21/87/.271/6

81) Tyler Jay (#98) MIN, LHP – Minnesota’s gamble looks to be paying off. Transition to starter has been a smashing success so far. Prime projection: 3.51/1.19/180 in 180 IP

82) Will Craig (NR) PIT, 3B – Ranked him 3rd on my 2016 MLB Draft Fantasy Baseball Prospect Rankings. Prime projection: 77/22/92/.281/1

83) Zack Collins (NR) CHW, C – Ranked him 4th on my 2016 MLB Draft Fantasy Baseball Prospect Rankings. Prime projection: 79/21/88/.277/2

84) Nick Senzel (NR) CIN, 3B – Ranked him 5th on my 2016 MLB Draft Fantasy Baseball Prospect Rankings. Prime projection: 80/14/80/.283/13

85) Mickey Moniak (NR) PHI, OF – Ranked him 6th on my 2016 MLB Draft Fantasy Baseball Prospect Rankings. Prime projection: 89/12/63/.290/19

86) Josh Ockimey (NR) BOS, 1B – Ranked him 5th on my 2016 Mid-Season Top 10 Fantasy Baseball Prospect Breakouts (not on my off-season top 100). Prime projection: 85/23/93/.268/4

87) Luke Weaver (NR) STL, RHP – Dominated in his first 5 starts of the season, going 31.1 IP, 4 ER, 30 Hits, 3 BB, 37 K. Velocity has ticked up and is still displaying his plus changeup. Prime Projection: 3.47/1.17/179 in 193 IP

88) Alen Hanson (#33) PIT, 2B – Wrote a sleeper post for him in the off-season, and unlike Fisher and O’Neill, he is making me regret it, slashing .246/.285/.365 with 5 homers and 18 steals in 62 games. The speed still looks good and he is popping a homer every now and then, but it’s now his second year in a row of struggling at Triple-A. Prime projection: 82/10/60/.267/20

89) Sean Newcomb (#54) ATL, LHP – From my off-season top 100: “Tantalizing stuff, but major control issues. High risk, high reward.” – – Same old, same old for Newcomb this year. 9.15 K/9 and 4.46 BB/9. Prime projection: 3.48/1.28/192 in 180 IP

90) Roman Quinn (#92) PHI, OF – Speed is what you are buying here. 25 steals in 50 games at Double-A. His injury history still scares me a bit. Prime projection: 81/8/57/.270/31

91) Ronald Guzman (NR) TEX, 1B – Ranked him 6th on my 2016 Mid-Season Top 10 Fantasy Baseball Prospect Breakouts (not on my off-season top 100). Prime projection: 82/19/88/.279/3

92) Dylan Cozens (NR) PHI, OF – Ranked him 4th on my 2016 Mid-Season Top 10 Fantasy Baseball Prospect Breakouts (not on my off-season top 100). Prime projection: 74/21/78/.241/9

93) Chris Shaw (NR) SFG, 1B – Ranked him 9th on my 2016 Mid-Season Top 10 Fantasy Baseball Prospect Breakouts (not on my off-season top 100). Prime projection: 78/23/87/.270/1

94) A.J. Puk (NR) OAK, LHP – Ranked him 7th on my 2016 MLB Draft Fantasy Baseball Prospect Rankings. Prime projection: 3.59/1.27/198 in 183 IP

95) Ian Anderson (NR) ATL, RHP – Ranked him 8th on my 2016 MLB Draft Fantasy Baseball Prospect Rankings. Prime projection: 3.39/1.16/184 in 190 IP

96) Alex Verdugo (NR) LAD, OF – Slashing .288/.349/.440 with 8 homers and a 38/21 K/BB in 67 games as a 20-year-old in Double-A. He deserves to crack the top 100. Prime Projection: 80/17/80/.286/6

97) Mitch Keller (NR) PIT, RHP – Ranked him 8th on my 2016 Mid-Season Top 10 Fantasy Baseball Prospect Breakouts (not on my off-season top 100). Prime projection: 3.45/1.14/182 in 188 IP

98) Hunter Harvey (#87) BAL, RHP – Has been out all season with a sports hernia injury before making a rehab start last week in the GCL, striking out 5 batters in 2 IP. Reports were positive on his stuff, and we are still in wait and see mode on Harvey. Prime projection: 3.48/1.18/160 in 150 IP

99) Francisco Mejia (NR) CLE, C – Monster breakout repeating Single-A this season, slashing .347/.384/.532 with 7 homers in 60 games. Promoted to High-A yesterday and proceeded to go 2 for 4. He is one of the better lottery ticket catchers out there to take a shot on. Prime Projection: 72/16/79.280/1

100) Chris Paddack (NR) SD, RHP – Insane 6-start run to begin his season in Single-A, going 28.1 IP, 3 ER, 9 Hits, 2 BB, 48 K. Best pitch is a plus, plus changeup. It’s a very small sample, but I’ll take the shot on his clear upside at this point. Prime Projection: 3.60/1.17/190 in 180 IP

**101) Justus Sheffield (#70) CLE, LHP – It got really tight at the end here, and I didn’t want to not mention these last 3 guys at all, so here is 101-103 of my top 100 😉 Sheffield’s K/9 is down (7.8) and BB/9 is up (3.6) in High-A this season. While he drops on this list, his overall potential remains basically unchanged. Prime projection: 3.53/1.22/180 in 180 IP

102) Carson Fulmer (#28) CHW, RHP– Nothing short of a disaster season. 5.88/1.57/75 with a 5.3 BB/9 in 75 IP at Double-A. Went 7 scoreless with 7 K in his last start, though, and I wouldn’t count him completely out yet. Prime projection: 3.55/1.28/175 in 180 IP

103) Dillon Tate (#46) TEX, RHP – Maybe I should call this the hanging on by a thread section. These guys have the ability to turn it around in the 2nd half, but they are being put on notice until then. Prime projection: 3.67/1.20/180 in 190 IP.

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

Posted on by Michael Halpern

2016 Mid-Season Top 100 Fantasy Baseball Prospect Rankings: 41-70

Here we go again. It’s ranking season! Well, maybe a week or two before ranking season, but close enough. Through Thursday, I will be ranking the top 100 fantasy baseball prospects in all The Land. And I mean that literally, not the lame nickname that Cleveland now has to make them seem cooler. To be clear, I will not just be ranking prospects in Cleveland. Enough monkey business, here are the 2016 Mid-Season Top 100 Fantasy Baseball Prospect Rankings: 41-70 (previous ranking in parenthesis):

2016 Off-Season Top 100 Fantasy Baseball Prospect Rankings: 1-100

Graduates: Corey Seager (#1) LAD, SS, Byron Buxton (#2) MIN, OF, Steven Matz (#10) NYM, LHP, Nomar Mazara (#19) TEX, OF, Trevor Story (#30) COL, SS, John Lamb (#40) CIN, LHP, Aaron Blair (#81) ATL, RHP, Michael Fulmer (#82) DET, RHP, Archie Bradley (#83) ARI, RHP, Mallex Smith (#91) ATL, OF, Jon Gray (#100) COL, RHP

1-10
11-40
71-100
Complete Top 100

41) Cody Reed (#65) CIN, LHP – Big lefty with a mid 90’s fastball and wipeout slider. That is a recipe for success. Prime projection: 3.40/1.18/192 in 200 IP

42) Ozhaino Albies (#75) ATL, SS/2B – The 19-year-old Albies zoomed through Atlanta’s system faster than anyone could have expected. Knocking on the door of the bigs, but it looks like it will be as a 2B. Prime projection: 91/8/54/.295/27

43) Eloy Jimenez (NR) CHC, OF – Ranked him 7th (but 1st on this list) on my 2016 Mid-Season Top 10 Fantasy Baseball Prospect Breakouts (not on my off-season top 100). Prime Projection: 83/25/93/.281/7

44) Kolby Allard (#36) ATL, LHP – Pitched only 16 innings after returning from off-season back surgery. Will know a lot more about him by the end of the year. Prime projection: 3.25/1.09/200 in 190 IP

45) Anderson Espinoza (#37) BOS, RHP – Solid but unspectacular as an 18-year-old in Single-A. Talent is immense but still a few years off. Prime projection: 3.38/1.11/194 in 190 IP

46) Raul Mondesi Jr. (#56) KC, SS – Not going to ding him for his 50 game PED suspension. Potential remains the same. Prime projection: 79/15/71/.267/28

47) Kyle Tucker (#89) HOU, OF – Power hasn’t emerged with only 2 homers in 61 games at Single-A, but is displaying a great plate approach (43/22 K/BB) and speed (25 steals). Prime projection: 86/16/84/.284/18

48) Brett Phillips (#39) MIL, OF – K rate has spiked to 31.8% in Double-A, but is still hitting for power with a few steals. Prime projection: 84/20/78/.260/11

49) Nick Williams (#59) PHI, OF – Hasn’t done much in Triple-A to move the needle in either direction. Prime projection: 85/18/78/.276/10

50) Hunter Renfroe (#61) SD, OF – Slashing .325/.345/.597 with 18 homers in 76 games in the PCL. He is using a more contact oriented approach this year, cutting his K rate to 18.0% and BB rate to 3.1%. Prime projection: 74/24/86/.266/5

51) Kyle Lewis (NR) SEA, OF – Ranked him 1st on my 2016 MLB Draft Fantasy Baseball Prospect Rankings. Prime projection: 82/25/87/.278/8

52) Corey Ray (NR) MIL, OF – Ranked him 2nd on my 2016 MLB Draft Fantasy Baseball Prospect Rankings. Prime projection: 90/14/64/.281/24

53) Rafael Devers (#63) BOS, 3B – .637 OPS as a 19-year-old in High-A. Regardless of the poor numbers, raw talent is still elite. Prime projection: 80/21/96/.287/5

54) Manuel Margot (#64) SD, OF – Contact/speed profile remains unchanged at Triple-A this year. Prime projection: 85/10/60/.278/27

55) Franklin Barreto (#57) OAK, SS/2B/OF – Numbers don’t stand out, but is still flashing power (7 homers) and speed (16 steals) as a 20-year-old in a pitcher’s park at Double-A. Prime projection: 86/14/77/.281/22

56) Renato Nunez (#73) OAK, 3B – Triple-slash looks weak (.243/.293/.433) but is still hitting for solid power (.193 ISO) and contact (17.9% K%). Prime projection: 76/21/85/.280/1

57) Matt Chapman (#94) OAK, 3B – 17 homers and a 102/36 K/BB in 74 games at Double-A. Expect more of the same in the majors. Prime projection: 76/26/86/.254/4

58) Chase Vallot (NR) KC, C – Wrote a Chase Vallot, 2016 Fantasy Baseball Prospect Breakout post for him. Prime Projection: 77/27/87/.258/2

59) Jose Peraza (#44) CIN, 2B/SS/OF – Collected 7 steals in 11 games since being recalled to the majors on June 15th. Prime projection: 84/6/51/.272/32

60) Sean Manaea (#45) OAK, LHP – Makes the prospect cut by under an inning. Struggled in his MLB debut, but still has enticing K upside. Prime projection: 3.49/1.21/195 in 185 IP.

61) Forrest Wall (#62) COL, 2B – Got off to a slow start, but has picked it up of late, slashing .329/.352/.476 with 2 homers and 5 steals in the last month. Prime projection: 87/14/73/.279/20

62) Francis Martes (#66) HOU, RHP – Got his season back on track after struggling in the early going. Fastball is still reaching upper 90’s and the curve is nasty. Prime projection: 3.39/1.10/176 in 185 IP

63) Gleybor Torres (#93) CHC, SS – Putting up modest numbers with an uptick in power from last year as a 19-year-old in High-A. He isn’t my favorite fantasy prospect, but his stock is on the rise. Prime projection: 81/15/70/.283/15

64) Travis Demeritte (NR) TEX, 2B – Ranked him 3rd on my 2016 Mid-Season Top 10 Fantasy Baseball Prospect Breakouts (not on my off-season top 100). Prime projection: 78/22/81/.247/9

65) Christin Stewart (NR) DET, OF – Ranked him 2nd on my 2016 Mid-Season Top 10 Fantasy Baseball Prospect Breakouts (not on my off-season top 100). Prime projection: 80/23/80/.255/3

66) Phil Bickford (NR) SFG, RHP – Ranked him 10th on my 2016 Mid-Season Top 10 Fantasy Baseball Prospect Breakouts (not on my off-season top 100). Prime Projection: 3.54/1.18/188 in 183 IP

67) Kevin Maitan (NR) IFA/ATL, SS/3B – I wasn’t planning on ranking Maitan this high when I started this list, but nobody can even touch his upside at this point in the rankings. His hype is so stratospheric with comparisons to Miggy and Chipper Jones, that at the very least, his trade value will be high right from the get go. Prime projection: 90/25/100/.285/6

68) Jacob Faria (#68) TB, RHP – Maintained his K spike from the 2nd half of last season, and looked great in his 1st start at Triple-A last week, going 6 IP, 0 ER, 2 Hits, 1 BB, 6 K. Would rank higher if he didn’t have to pitch in the AL East. Prime projection: 3.59/1.19/187 in 187 IP

69) Tom Murphy (#32) COL, C – Both his K rate (34.0%) and BB rate (2.7%) have seriously regressed as a 25-year-old in the PCL. He is still hitting for power (.255 ISO) and has the luxury of Coors Field at his back, so I’m not completely off the bandwagon. Prime projection: 62/25/77/.241/3

70) Jorge Alfaro (#79) PHI, C – Has absolutely no plate approach to speak of (49/4 K/BB) but has jacked 9 homers in 50 games at Double-A. With the current offensive state of the catcher position, guys like Murphy and Alfaro have value. Prime projection: 62/20/75/.245/5

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

Posted on by Michael Halpern

2016 Fantasy Baseball Minor League Prospect Rundown: Week 7

Every Monday, I will be running down some of the notable performances from around the Minor Leagues, or anything that might have caught my eye in general. Here is the 2016 Fantasy Baseball Minor League Prospect Rundown: Week 7:

Corey Seager LAD, SS – My #1 ranked prospect in my pre-season top 100, Seager has been scorching hot of late, launching 5 homers in his last 12 games. The recently turned 22-year-old Seager is now slashing .273/.328/.472 with 7 homers in 44 games in MLB this season, after dominating there in 27 games last season. I think it’s time for the Dodgers to call him up to the next level. Oh wait, MLB is the highest level, you say? Damn this kid is good.

Andrew Benintendi BOS, OF – It looks like Double-A might have actually slowed Benintendi down a little bit, as he has struck out 5 times in 4 games, after striking out only 9 times in 34 games at High-A. I think he will figure it out and be just fine, but it is a reminder that he was far too advanced for High-A to begin with.

Anfernee Grier Auburn University, OF – Meet the Andrew Benintendi of the 2016 MLB Draft. I ranked Grier 11th overall in my continuing 2016 MLB Draft Fantasy Baseball Prospect Rankings: 11-21, and he has smacked 2 more homers since then. He is now slashing .366/.457/.576, with 12 homers, and 19 steals in 56 games in the SEC. I was tempted to rank Grier higher at the time I wrote the article, and I’m no longer tempted, because he will be in my top 10, and maybe even top 5 when I finish the rankings and put it all together.

Corey Ray Louisville, OF – My #2 ranked prospect on my MLB Draft Fantasy Prospect Rankings: 1-5, Ray jacked another homer and swiped another bag this week, giving him 14 homers, 37 steals (0 CS), and a .326/.398/.581 triple-slash in 56 games in the ACC. I ranked Kyle Lewis #1, but there is a real case to be made for Ray. They are really 1A and 1B at this point depending on what type of production you are looking for. While we are talking about draft prospects, my #3 ranked Draft Prospect, Zack Collins, launched another homer this week too, giving him 11 on the season.

Harrison Bader STL, OF – Little ole’ 3rd round pick Harrison Bader didn’t even need High-A, as he continued his assault on Double-A pitching this week, hitting another bomb (8) and stealing another base (6). If you haven’t checked out this excellent interview he gave to David Laurila over at Fangraphs, you should definitely give it read. My favorite part of the interview is where he talked about his hitting approach, and finished up by saying, “my primary goal is to make consistent hard contact.” That’s the attribute that made me so high on him to begin with, and if you hit the ball hard, the homers will come.

Yoan Moncada BOS, 2B – Everyone can’t stop gushing over Moncada’s hitting ability, and for good reason, but he has been nothing short of elite with his legs this year too. He stole 5 more bases this week, and now has 30 steals in 40 games, being caught only 6 times. That brings his minor league career total to 79 steals on 88 attempts in 121 games. For some reason, I still can’t get that excited about him. Oh that’s right, it’s because I’m a Yankees fan, and can’t get over how we let him slip through our fingers. I think I am in the 2nd stage of grieving, which is anger. That means bargaining and depression are coming next. Fun stuff.

Victor Robles WASH, OF – Popped 2 more dingers this week, bringing his season total up to 5 homers in 39 games. The power is showing up faster than anybody expected, and he is doing it while maintaining a .340 AVG and 20/10 K/BB. His upside is so sky high that it has to ask Air Traffic Control for clearance.

A.J. Reed HOU, 1B – Reed got back in action last night, going 1 for 2 with a walk and a strikeout. With Tyler White struggling of late, Reed can reach the big leagues in a hurry if he can get hot. If he is still available to stash in your league, now is the time to grab him.

Blake Snell TB, LHP/Josh Hader MIL, LHP – Snell: 6 IP, 0 ER, 3 Hits, 2 BB, 9 K – Hader: 6 IP, 0 ER, 4 Hits, 1 ER, 8 K. Just two of the best lefty pitching prospects in the game doing their thing.

Julio Urias LAD, LHP – The 19-year-old Urias threw another shutout this week, and he hasn’t given up an ER in 6 of his 8 starts this year in the PCL. He now sits comfortably as the best pitching prospect in baseball. Unfortunately, he has risen in the Dodgers system faster than his yearly IP totals could keep up, and he is likely to be used out of the Major League bullpen in order to trick his arm into thinking pitching 3-4 times per week is less stressful than just starting once every five games. Baseball teams just love to exploit that imaginary loophole.

Alex Reyes STL, RHP – Reyes made his season debut last night after being suspended for 50 games to start the season, and he dominated, going 4 IP, 0 ER, 2 Hits, 3 BB, 8K. He might never be able to paint the black, but when you throw 99 MPH, you really don’t have to. Definitely get Reyes back on your redraft stash radar.

Dillon Tate TEX, RHP/Carson Fulmer CHW, RHP/Tyler Jay MIN, LHP – This three headed monster will forever be linked after they were all taken in the top 10 of the 2015 Draft. Tate (1.2 IP, 7 ER, 5 Hits, 3 BB, 1K) and Fulmer (2.1 IP, 6 ER, 8 Hits, 1 BB, 2 k) both threw up absolute stinkers in their last outing, while Jay (6 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BB, 6 K) kept rolling. Looks like Minnesota’s risk of taking a college reliever in Jay just might pay off.

Grant Holmes LAD, RHP – 5 IP, 2 ER, 8 Hits, 1 BB, 8 K in his start this week. He now holds a 9.6 K/9 and a 3.4 BB/9 in 42 IP at High-A. It’s nice to see his walk rate improve this year (4.7 BB/9 in 2015), but he’s been a bit more hittable, as well.

David Dahl COL, OF – 2 more homers and 2 more steals this week. Just another week at the office for one of the most exciting fantasy prospects in the game. The fact that he will get to play his home games at Coors Field almost makes my head want to explode.

J.P. Crawford PHI, SS – Promoted to Triple-A this week, where I’m sure he will continue to display his great, but thouroughly unexciting plate approach and moderate power/speed combo. I did still rank him 15th overall in the pre-season, and he can provide solid 5-category production at the SS position in the not too distant future.

Joey Gallo TEX, 3B – Gallo returned to action in Grande fashion this week after being out with a groin strain, mashing a homer in his 3rd game back. You can expect him to continue to be prospect blocked, and if I were a Gallo owner, I would be hoping he gets traded away at the deadline. Edit: He was just called up by Texas! I guess the Rangers are going to find playing time for him wherever they can.

Dansby Swanson ATL, SS – Has really turned it up a notch this week at Double-A, slashing .357/.400/.536 with 2 homers. It is nice to see him getting the power stroke going a little bit, and he now has 4 homers and 10 steals in 43 games this season. I honestly have no idea what Atlanta’s plans are with him and Ozzie Albies.

Alex Bregman HOU, SS/3B – Bregman mentioned in an interview recently that he gained 20 pounds of muscle this off season. Combine that with the 10 bombs (3 this week) that he has hit this season in Double-A, and I’m starting to think the power explosion is definitely for real. I projected him for 15 homers in the preseason, which was on the high side from everything I read, but 20+ looks to be the new expectation now. He does have only 3 steals on the year, so he might have traded some speed for power.

Jorge Mateo NYY, SS ¬ Mateo has now been successful in his last 7 steal attempts, after struggling there early in the season. He also tacked on another homer this week, and is slashing .313/.369/.528, with 5 homers, and 15 steals in 41 games at High-A. If he can keep this production up when he gets moved to Double-A, his prospect stock will soar even higher than it already is.

Mitch Keller PIT, RHP – Keller has been long overdue to make the Rundown, as he has been one of the fastest risers among the pitcher ranks this season. After struggling with a forearm injury last season, he has been on fire to start 2016, putting up a dominant pitching line of 1.40/0.69/52 in 45 IP. He has walked 3 guys all season. He throws a low 90’s fastball, plus curveball, and a developing changeup. Considering the success that Pittsburgh has had with pitching prospects in the recent past, Keller has a good chance of cracking many top 100’s if he can keep up his success this season.

Daniel Mengden OAK, RHP – Mengden is another fast rising pitcher who is long overdue for the Rundown. After dominating for 23 IP in a pitcher’s park at Double-A, he has done just as well at Triple-A in the PCL, going 27 IP, 2 ER, 16 Hits, 4 BB, 23 K in 4 starts. He fastball was seen topping out at 98 MPH earlier this year, and he throws a solid curveball and changeup as well. Mengden has a good chance of joining Oakland’s rotation later this season.

Jacob Faria TB, RHP – After struggling with his control all year, it was nice to see Faria absolutely dominate in his last outing at Double-A, going 7 IP, 1 ER, 1 Hit, 0 BB, 11 K. His K/9 has looked great this season at 10.1, but the 4.9 BB/9 is concerning. Considering he hasn’t had major control issues in the past, I think he will figure it out, and his last start was definitely a step in that direction.

Cody Bellinger LAD, 1B – After returning from a hip injury, Bellinger was ice cold to start the season, but he has absolutely caught fire of late, smashing another homer last night, giving him 3 this week and 4 on the season in 22 games at Double-A. He was a Cal League superstar last year, smashing 30 dingers, so displaying that power at Double-A is nice to see. I ranked him 95th in the preseason, and if he keeps powering up, he will rise fast in the rankings.

Hunter Dozier KC, 3B – The 24-year-old Dozier is officially back on the prospect map, as he has dominated since getting called up to Triple-A. He hit 3 more homers this week, bringing his season triple-slash up to .309/.382/.625, with 12 homers, and 4 steals split between Double-A and Triple-A. If you have been holding Dozier since he was a hyped 8th overall pick in the 2013 Draft, it looks like your patience is finally beginning to pay off.

Hunter Renfroe SD, OF – It must be hunting season, because Hunter Renfroe has been killing it this week as well, crushing 3 homers, bringing his slash line up to .327/.355/.588, with 8 homers, and 3 steals at Triple-A. He should get the call to the bigs at some point later this season.

Ryan McMahon COL, 3B – Smacked homers in back-to-back games this week, and McMahon is finally starting to break out of his early season slump. He also struck out only once, and there are finally some positives to point to for McMahon owners to get excited about.

Chris Shaw SFG, 1B – Shaw’s coming out party continues, smashing 3 more homers this week (one inside the park), bringing his season total up to 10 homers in 39 games at High-A.

Eloy Jimenez CHC, OF – The 19-year-old Jimenez is starting to unleash that massive plus power that made him a hyped international signing back in 2013. He crushed 4 homers this week, giving him 6 on the season, to go along with a .327/.363/.526 triple-slash in 39 games at High-A. The time to scoop him is definitely now.

Phillip Ervin CIN, OF – The 27th overall pick in the 2013 Draft, Ervin is slashing .228/.347/.439, with 5 homers, and 17 steals in 36 games at Double-A. I like a bunch of the other deep sleepers who I wrote about in previous Rundowns more than Ervin, but he has the kind of power/speed combo that is worth keeping an eye on in case he can even moderately improve his hit tool. He doesn’t have major strikeout issues, and he knows how to take a walk, so I don’t think hoping for improvement there is a bad bet.

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

Posted on by Michael Halpern

2016 Fantasy Baseball Minor League Prospect Rundown: Week 1

Every Monday, I will be running down some of the notable performances from around the Minor Leagues over the past week, or anything that might have caught my eye in general. Here is the 2016 week 1 fantasy baseball Minor League prospect rundown:

Yoan Moncada BOS, 2B – Triple-slashing, .308/.471/.462, with 4 BBs, 1 K and 4 steals in his first 18 PA at High-A. As a lifelong Yankees fan, I still get a sick feeling in my stomach whenever I see his name. He should be ours!

Tyler Glasnow PIT, RHP – Did Tyler Glasnow things in his season debut at Triple-A (5.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 3 BBs, 6 Ks). It’s only a matter of time before there is an opening for him in Pittsburgh’s rotation.

Andrew Benintendi BOS, OF – Picked up right where he left off last season, putting up a .938 OPS in his first 4 games at High-A. He could have easily started the year at Double-A like many of the other top college hitters from the 2015 class, so I would expect Benintendi to continue to put up impressive numbers until he gets his first real challenge at Double-A.

Jose Berrios MIN, RHP – Struck out 9 batters in 5 IP in his season debut at Triple-A. He walked 4 as well, but considering his past history of excellent control and command, I wouldn’t even blink an eye at that. His numbers should look ridiculous this year against overmatched minor league hitters. He is MLB ready.

J.P. Crawford PHI, SS – Off to a slow start at Double-A, slashing .235/.316/.235, with 4 Ks and 2 BBs in 4 games played. Obviously a 4 game sample is meaningless, but I’m including him in the rundown just as a reminder that his value in real life is higher than fantasy.

Joey Gallo TEX, 3B – Is now definitely being groomed to replace Adrian Beltre at 3B in 2017. He is off to strong start at Triple-A, putting up a 1.317 OPS in his first 4 games, which is nice to see after he struggled there last season (.739 OPS in 53 games).

Brendan Rodgers COL, SS – Rodgers is the forgotten Colorado SS of the future (hello Trevor Story), but while the present belongs to Story, the future may very well still belong to Rodgers. The uber-talented Rodgers has looked good in his first taste of full season pro ball, slashing .333/.375/.600 and hitting one homer in 16 PA.

Carson Fulmer CHW, RHP – Fulmer got absolutely destroyed in his season debut at Double-A, giving up 5 ERs in 2.2 IP, walking 4, and striking out none. He worked the entire game from the stretch, which is something pitchers usually do when they are trying to simplify their mechanics. It is only one start, but this is definitely something to keep your eye on.

Aaron Judge NYY, OF – After struggling with strikeouts at Triple-A last season, it would have been nice for Judge to get off to a better start this year, but it was not to be. He struck out 5 times and walked once in his first 3 games. It is too early to judge Judge (and you thought bad “Story” puns were all you had to worry about, hah!), but improving his strikeout rate will be something to watch for the rest of the season.

Victor Robles WASH, OF – He is dominating full season pro ball exactly like he dominated Rookie ball and Low-A. This kid is looking like a good bet to be the next big thing.

Anderson Espinoza BOS, RHP – 5.0 IP, 0 ERs, 2 Hits, 0 BBs, and 4 Ks in his first start at Single-A this season. The pitching version of Robles. These guys are the not too distant future.

Dillon Tate TEX, RHP – 4.2 IP, 0 ERs, 5 Hits, 1 BB, and 6 Ks in his season debut at Single-A. He is still a bit of an unknown with only one year as a starter under his belt, so the more information we get on him the better. Considering he is much more advanced than Single-A hitters, this might not tell us much either.

David Dahl COL, OF – 2 homers and a steal in his first 4 games at Double-A. If he can stay healthy, this might be the beginning of a monster season for Dahl.

Raul Mondesi Jr. KC, SS – This is an important year for Mondesi to establish his bat as a legitimate threat. This is the first year he will be repeating a Minor League level (Double-A), and while he is still much younger than his competition, he isn’t so young that his offensive struggles can be completely ignored anymore. He’s been good so far, triple-slashing .313/.353/.688, with 2 homers and a steal in his first 4 games. If he keeps this up, he will be a top 10 prospect by the end of the season.

Jacob Faria TB, RHP – 5.2 IP, 3 ERs, 3 Hits, 1 BB, and 8 Ks in his season debut at Double-A. If he can continue to maintain the strikeout numbers he put up at Double-A in the second half of last season, his prospect status will be on the rise.

Ozzie Albies ATL, SS – Atlanta pushed the 19-year-old Albies all the way to Double-A this season, and he has responded to the tune of a .389 BA in 19 PA. Atlanta is stacked at SS with both Albies and 2015 1st overall pick Dansby Swanson (who started the year at High-A), so it will be interesting to see how this all shakes out down the line.

Tyler Jay MIN, LHP – Minnesota took a shot on the college reliever Jay with the 6th pick of the 2015 draft, and he impressed in his first outing at High-A (5.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 3 BBs, 7 Ks). He will be a fast riser if he keeps turning in performances like this.

Travis Demeritte TEX, 2B – The 30th overall pick in the 2013 draft, the 21-year-old Demeritte has already ripped 4 homers in his first 4 games at High-A. That now gives him 38 homers in 214 career Minor League games, to go along with 22 steals. He has major strikeout issues, but Demeritte is certainly one to watch.

Edwin Diaz SEA, RHP – Seattle’s top pitching prospect dominated in his first appearance of the season at Double-A (6.0 IP, 0 ERs, 2 Hits, 0 BBs, 9 Ks). He has a 9.3 K/9 in his Minor League career, and will call the spacious confines of Safeco Field his home park. The time is probably now to grab him.

Lucas Sims ATL, RHP – The 21st overall pick in the 2012 draft, the 21-year-old Sims is looking to reestablish his prospect value after a couple of uneven years. He got off to a strong start this season by striking out 9 batters and giving up only 1 hit in 5 IP at Double-A. He has the kind of strikeout potential fantasy owners love, and a pitcher’s park waiting for him in Atlanta.

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