Kyle Zimmer – Imaginary Brick Wall

Posted on March 27, 2019March 28, 2019 by Michael Halpern

10 Dynasty Baseball Slanted Bold Predictions

I hate bold prediction articles. I hate how embarrassingly wrong all of them are at the end of the season. I hate how they make you a worse fantasy player, because you get it in your head that these things are going to happen, and they aren’t going to happen. I hate how they aren’t really predictions, because if you were really predicting it, it would be reflected in your rankings. Here are my 10 Dynasty Baseball Slanted Bold Predictions:

Click the below links for my previous off-season content:
Halp’s Dynasty Baseball Podcast
2019 Top 1,000 Dynasty Baseball Rankings
2019 Top 472 Dynasty Baseball Prospect Rankings
Updated March Top 100 Prospects Ranking
11 Dynasty Baseball Rules to Live By
2020 Top 90 Dynasty Baseball First Year Player Draft Rankings (1st Edition)
The Dynasty Baseball Rundown (3/10/19)

1) Daz Cameron will have a Ramon Laureano-like August and September, helping many a fantasy team take home the title in those crucial final months. The power is definitely coming. Just watch him crush this grand slam on Sunday. With groundball rates consistently under 40% for the last two seasons, this power breakout was inevitable. Add to that plus speed, plus centerfield defense, and a clear path to playing time, and Cameron is one of my favorite underrated prospects in general.

2) Garrett Stubbs will be the strong side of a starting catcher platoon with Robinson Chirinos/Max Stassi by June, and finish the season as a top 15 catcher. Chirinos was one of the worst pitch framers in baseball last season according to StatCorner, costing his team 14.5 runs. I’m sure those numbers will look better with Houston, but point being he is not some defensive catching wizard Houston will feel compelled to keep in the linuep (conversely, Stassi was one of the best pitch framers, saving Houston 8.4 runs). Stubbs also brings a unique skillset compared to Chirinos/Stassi in hitting left handed, making good contact with a 15.6% K% (Chirinos struck out 32.9% of the time and Stassi 29.6%), and above average speed, going 35 for 38 on stolen base attempts in his 304 game MiLB career (Chirinos and Stassi can both be timed with a sundial as my high school coach used to often yell at me as I ran the bases). With Chirinos signed to only a one year deal, I foresee Stubbs being drafted as a top 10 catcher in redraft leagues in 2020.

3) Hunter Harvey will remain healthy all season, and armed with a new splitter, will re-establish himself as one of the best young starters in baseball. Harvey was sitting 95-97 with a high of 98 MPH this spring. Baltimore has babied him the last couple years (preventing him from throwing the splitter) with the intent on keeping him healthy, but that obviously hasn’t worked, so the training wheels are off now. I expect Harvey to debut this season and will boldly predict a sub 3.80 ERA with over a strikeout per inning in 70 IP, and would keep my eye on him in redraft leagues as the talent and upside are all still there.

4) AJ Puk will be drafted as a top 30 SP in 2020 redraft leagues after being a strikeout machine in the 2nd half of the season, while also picking up the win in game 7 of the WS with 6 shutout innings and 10 K’s. Puk had Tommy John surgery on April 10, 2018. Even with the most conservative of rehab schedules, he is going to be ready to go by the 2nd half, and his strikeout numbers will have fantasy owners drooling over the potential. Oakland also has a terrible starting rotation, and with them managing Puk’s innings early in the season, he will just be hitting his stride by the time the playoffs roll around. If Luzardo gets healthy, and Oakland trades for a starter or two, they have the dominant offense and bullpen to break that Billy Beane playoff curse.

5) Carter Kieboom will be the Nationals starting 2B by August and OPS over .800 in the final two months. Kieboom had an impressive spring, slashing .279/.353/.558 with 3 homers and a 10/6 K/BB in 43 at-bats. Two of those homers came off Justin Verlander. He’s got a good feel to hit with natural loft in his swing. Brian Dozier is on a 1 year deal, so Washington will not hesitate to make the switch if they are in the playoff race and Dozier is hurt or under performing. Washington might not be so patient waiting on Dozier’s patented 2nd half surge which never came last season.

6) Nick Neidert will be drafted as a top 50 starter in redraft leagues next season after he puts up impressive K/BB numbers down the stretch in his MLB debut. I’ve been high on Nick Neidert for years now, because plus changeup guys can’t get love on mainstream lists. Scouts love breaking balls more than Roastmaster General Jeff Ross does. He also has plus control and command. He’s basically a poor man’s Chris Paddack (Paddack has the superior fastball).

7) Austin Meadows will go 20/20 with a .280+ average and be a top 50 overall player in 2019. Meadows has the 83rd fastest sprint speed in baseball, but his run times for 85 ft (which is about the distance needed to steal a base) is 47th fastest. I can spend all day playing around with those Statcast 90 ft splits. He’s displayed a good feel to hit throughout his minor league career with a smooth lefty swing that is geared for both average and power. He’s gonna be a stud.

8) Brad Zimmer will be Cleveland’s starting centerfielder by June and will finish the season with 10+ homers and 20+ steals. Zimmer has been progressing well from major shoulder surgery in July 2018, and with Cleveland’s outfield far from locked down, he should have the opportunity to re-establish himself as Cleveland’s starting CF when healthy. I’ll bring Kyle Zimmer into this one too. His fastball has been in the mid 90’s this spring and is impressing out of the bullpen in Royals camp. I foresee that the Zimmer family is due for some good luck in 2019.

9) Clint Frazier will overtake Brett Gardner for the starting LF job and will hit .265 with 20 homers during the final 4 months of the season. I guess my theme here is talented players being underrated because of recent injury history. If I wrote this last year, David Dahl would have definitely been included. So would Trevor Story, Matt Chapman, and Ozzie Albies judging by the one article I did manage to put out last off-season where I ranked the top inexperienced players and prospects for 2018.

10) I will shatter the bold prediction record and go exactly 7 for 10 on these probably too vague and maybe not bold enough predictions.

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

Posted on May 16, 2016May 16, 2016 by Michael Halpern

2016 Fantasy Baseball Minor League Prospect Rundown: Week 6

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 6:

Blake Snell TB, LHP – I predicted in last week’s rundown that Snell was going to be fine, and he was fine, going 10.1 IP, 4 ER, 13 Hits, 2 BB, 16 K in his two starts this week. Correctly predicting that one of the best pitching prospects in the game would be fine is the kind of hard hitting analysis that you can expect to get around here at Imaginary Brick Wall.

Chase Vallot KC, C – Bat speed, power, and strikeouts make for some of my favorite prospect sleepers (remember Trevor Story?), and the 19-year-old Vallot checks all of those boxes. The 40^th overall pick of the 2014 draft, Vallot crushed 13 homers in 80 games at Single-A last season, and he is off to a strong start this season, slashing .279/.391/.529, with 6 homers, and a 43/16 K/BB in 31 games. Here is a scouting video of him in high school displaying that super quick bat speed, and here is a video of him absolutely crushing a homer earlier this year. He is built like a brick shit house, and even if he doesn’t stick at catcher, I feel pretty confident in saying Vallot is going to continue to hit the ball very hard when he isn’t striking out. He is a great deep league sleeper.

Ronald Guzman TEX, 1B – The Rangers paid the 6’5’’, 205 pound Guzman $3.5 million back in 2011, and it is just now starting to pay off in a big way. Guzman is slashing .319/.382/.529, with 5 homers, and a 29/10 K/BB in 32 games at Double-A this season. He has a sweet lefty swing and has always had a reputation for being a pure hitter. He doesn’t have huge power right now, but I don’t think it is a stretch to assume it will come as he continues to age and get stronger. You don’t have to squint all that hard to see Nomar Mazara-lite here, and Guzman is another excellent deep league sleeper.

Tyler Glasnow PIT, RHP – Looks like Greg Maddux in one start, and then Rick Ankiel the next. His BB line in 7 starts this season reads 3,0,3,1,5,1, 5. Because I consistently score above 140 on those free online IQ tests, I know that the next number in the sequence will probably be a low one.

Jameson Taillon PIT, RHP – Got those K’s going again this week, striking out 11 batters in 6 IP, and if you haven’t heard already, word on the internet street is that Taillon is first in line to get the call.

Derek Fisher HOU, OF – I told you to buy low on Fisher two weeks ago in my Top 3 Buy Low Dynasty Prospects article, and I hoped you listened, because Fisher crushed 5 homers since then, and it brings his season line to .248/.354/.504, with 8 homers, and 4 steals in 34 games at Double-A. I ranked him 20^th overall in my preseason top 100 , and considering there is still not much hype around him, you might be able to buy him at a reasonable price.

Tim Anderson CHW, SS – Anderson was another player who I touted in that Buy Low column, and he has been scorching hot since then as well. He hit .438/.471/.750 this week with homers in back-to-back-to-back games, and he is now hitting .276 on the season, with 3 homers, and 8 steals in 33 games at Triple-A. By the way, the third guy I wrote about in that buy low column was Lewis Brinson, and he is still struggling. You know what to do. Unless you believe in the law of averages and think I’m due to get one wrong, then maybe you don’t know what to do.

Alex Bregman HOU, SS/3B – Meet Houston’s new 3B of the future. Here is an excellent article by Brian McTaggart at MLB.com on how the transition is going so far, and what Houston’s thinking and strategy with Bregman has been from the beginning of the year.

Andrew Benintendi BOS, OF – Benintendi knocked out High-A pitching worse than Rougned Odor just knocked the hell out of Jose Bautista. Only difference is that Benintendi is getting a promotion and Odor is getting a suspension. He’ll be in Double-A starting today.

Josh Hader MIL, LHP – Threw another gem this week. Reports have been positive about his secondary offerings, and he has maintained the increased velocity that he found in the Arizona Fall League, consistently sitting in the mid 90’s. Hader is one of the best pitching prospects in the game.

Kyle Zimmer KC, RHP – Got back in action last week and is slowly building his pitch count up. In his two brief appearances, he has stuck out nine and walked four in 4.2 IP. If he can remain healthy, the Royals are sure to find a role for the 24-year-old Zimmer on the big league club this year, preferably as a starter, but he can be elite out of the bullpen, as well.

Willie Calhoun LAD, 2B – Willie is on fire this week, slashing .400/.455/.600, and he is finally showing flashes of that special hitting ability that he displayed in 2015. Maybe including him in my Top 100 Fantasy Prospect Fallers post that I wrote last week has lit a fire under his ass. And yes, me and Willie are on a first name basis now after how many times I have written about him since February.

Carson Fulmer CHW, RHP – Just when it looked like he was getting it together, Fulmer threw up an absolute dud this week (4 IP, 4 ER, 4 Hits, 8 BB, 3 K). I covered him in my Top 100 Fallers post, as well.

Josh Ockimey BOS, 1B – Ockimey made this prophetic tweet on February 4, and now the rest of the prospect watching world knows too, that this is the year of the Ockimey. He triple-slashed .333/.412/.733 this week, bringing his season line to .300/.442/.600, with 7 homers, and a 32/28 K/BB in 31 games at Single-A. He is turning himself into the type of power hitting prospect you have to love for fantasy.

Christin Stewart DET, OF – Stewart has kept raking since I wrote about him in week 4, smashing 4 more homers this week, and it brings his season total up to 13 homers with a .979 OPS in 37 games at High-A. The time is definitely now to start making moves on him, if you haven’t already.

Tom Murphy COL, C – Hit another bomb this week, and is now slashing .300/.323/.733 with 2 homers in 8 games at Triple-A. There is a reason I ranked him the 31^st overall prospect in my top 100.

Max Kepler MIN, OF – Was off to a bit of a slow start this year, but he turned it on this week, slashing .444/.565/.611. His excellent plate approach and K/BB have translated just fine to Triple-A.

Kyle Tucker HOU, OF – I probably should have included Tucker in my Top 100 Fantasy Prospect Risers post last week, as he has looked solid all year at Single-A, and is now slashing .328/.403/.438 with a 28/16 K/BB in 34 games. The power hasn’t been great with only 1 homer, but he has stolen 16 bags, and the hit tool is more important for his development right now anyway. I ranked him 89^th in my preseason top 100, and the arrow is certainly pointing up.

Luis Ortiz TEX, RHP – Things are also looking up for Texas’ big right hander. The 30^th overall pick of the 2014 draft, Ortiz spun a 1-hit gem this week, and has a 2.60/1.05/28 in 27.2 IP pitching line at High-A this year. I would have ranked him higher in the preseason if he hadn’t suffered a forearm injury last year limiting him to only 50 IP, but if he stays healthy this year, he will be firing up prospect lists everywhere.

Gleyber Torres CHC, SS – Torres has been red hot these past few weeks, bringing his triple-slash up to .252/.340/.425, with 4 homers, and 5 steals in 33 games at High-A. The slow start is no more.

Franklin Barreto OAK, SS – The 20-year-old Barreto started on the slow start watch list, then I took him off after a hot week, and now he is back on again. He has gone ice cold of late, and is now slashing .235/.288/.331, with 3 homers, and 9 steals at Double-A. He is still very young for the level, and is playing in an extreme pitcher’s park, so things aren’t as bad as his hitting line suggests.

Forrest Wall COL, 2B – Since I wrote about Wall’s hot start in week 2, he has been anything but, and his season line at High-A has now dropped to .231/.321/.325, with 1 homer, and 7 steals. He was also placed on the 7-day DL on May 11. When it rains it pours.

Edwin Diaz SEA, RHP – Will be permanently moved to the bullpen, because whenever you can give up on your upper 90’s throwing, 9.4 K/9 stud 22-year-old starting pitching prospect, that is move you just have to make.

Dylan Cozens PHI, OF – Mashed 3 dingers this week, and the 6’,6’’, 235 pound Cozens is now slashing .287/.368/.581, with 10 homers, and 9 steals in 36 games at Double-A. He has a bit of a long swing, and struggles with hard stuff on the inner third of the plate, but he has still been long overdue to make the Rundown. Better late than never.

Mike Soroka ATL, RHP – Bounced back nicely this week (5.2 IP, 0 ER, 1 Hit, 2 BB, 5 K) after a rough outing the week before (4 IP, 4 ER, 7 Hits, 3 BB, 3 K). His season line now sits at 1.96/1.01/37 in 36.2 IP. If you want to read a more in depth scouting report on Soroka, Benjamin Chase over at Tomahawk Take had a great up to date report on him last week.

Drew Ward WASH, 3B –A 3rd round pick in the 2013 draft, Ward is finally putting his plus raw power to good use this year, slashing .305/.399/.547, with 7 homers, and a 37/17 K/BB in 34 games at High-A. Scouts have doubts that he can stick at 3B, but he is a bat first prospect who should be on your radar in deeper prospect leagues.

Tyler Viza PHI, RHP – We are going super deep now. The 21-year-old Viza always had good stuff, and it is starting to translate into good results this season, as he is dominating High-A in the early going (35.2 IP, 7 ER, 35 Hits, 6 BB, 36 K). He throws a strong 5-pitch mix with a fastball that sits between 91-94 MPH. Viza likely tops out as a mid-rotation starter, but he is an interesting pitcher prospect in super deep leagues. At the very least, remember the name.

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

Posted on February 2, 2016February 26, 2016 by Michael Halpern

2016 Top 100 Fantasy Baseball Prospect Rankings: 1-100

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Michael Halpern
Email: michaelhalpern@imaginarybrickwall.com

Posted on February 1, 2016February 18, 2016 by Michael Halpern

2016 Top 100 Fantasy Baseball Prospect Rankings: 41-70

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

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

2016 Top 100 Fantasy Baseball Prospect Rankings: 1-15
2016 Top 100 Fantasy Baseball Prospect Rankings: 16-40