Pete Alonso – Page 2 – Imaginary Brick Wall

Things change fast in the prospect world. Even during the off-season these lists can be fluid. Now that we’ve actually laid eyes on many of the 2019 versions of these prospects, and have the first indication of how their parent clubs view them fitting in on the future roster, I decided to update the first 100 of my 2019 Top 472 Dynasty Baseball Prospects Ranking. Here is the March 2019 Top 100 Dynasty Baseball Prospects Ranking: 1-25 (w/ new blurbs, updated rankings, and slightly updated projections):

CLICK HERE FOR 26-50
CLICK HERE FOR 51-75
CLICK HERE FOR 76-114 (PODCAST)

Click the below links for my previous off-season content:
2019 Top 1,000 Dynasty Baseball Rankings
2019 Top 472 Dynasty Baseball Prospect Rankings
11 Dynasty Baseball Rules to Live By
2020 Top 90 Dynasty Baseball First Year Player Draft Rankings (1st Edition)
The Dynasty Baseball Rundown (2/24/2019)

1) Vladimir Guerrero Jr. TOR, 3B, 20.0 – The Zion Williamson of baseball. Both are fat, dominant, and forced to play for peanuts. Let’s just hope Vlad doesn’t go the way of Zion and injure himself before making it to the big stage. ETA: Mid April 2019 Projection: 74/23/77/.294/.365/.502/5 Prime Projection: 103/40/118/.325/.420/.616/5

2) Eloy Jimenez CHW, OF, 22.4 – No news is good news. 2019 Projection: 61/25/69/.281/.338/.504/1 Prime Projection: 92/42/109/.306/.377/.563/1

3) Victor Robles WASH, OF, 21.10 – With Bryce Harper officially signing with Philly, any small chance he could have returned to Washington and stole Robles’ playing time is now gone. Robles is 3 for 11 with 1 homer, 2 steals and a 1.036 OPS thus far in spring. He’s ramping up to be a 5-category stud in short order. 2019 Projection: 84/16/71/.272/.327/.430/24 Prime Projection: 104/21/75/.296/.370/.477/32

4) Fernando Tatis Jr. SD, SS, 20.3 – Murdering spring pitching with 2 homers and a 1.295 OPS in 14 at-bats. Adding Machado to all of the young talent that is ready to break through on San Diego’s roster means there is at least a chance they are competitive enough to make it worth their while to call Tatis up earlier than originally planned. 2019 Projection: 33/10/39/.247/.318/.438/7 Prime Projection: 92/34/108/.273/.362/.526/16

5) Kyle Tucker HOU, OF, 21.4 – Will Houston let Tucker go through some growing pains if necessary considering all of their other options? I don’t know the answer, but my guess is that they are a smart enough organization to allow it … or they will trade him for starting pitching before he marinates too long in the minors. 2019 Projection: 42/12/47/.250/.320/.450/7 Prime Projection: 92/31/101/.278/.371/.518/10

6) Wander Franco TB, SS, 18.1 – Looking at my prime projection for Franco he could easily be ranked #1 on this list, but I’m just not in the business of trading my top prospects who are about to break into the bigs for the next big thing in rookie ball/A-Ball. It just seems like you will constantly be running in circles. ETA: 2021 Prime Projection: 110/30/110/.310/.395/.587/18

+1 (7) Nick Senzel CIN, 3B, 23.9 – Cincinnati seems serious about using Senzel in centerfield, and he now has a real chance of breaking camp with the big league club. I bumped him up over Lewis because of the new path to playing time. 2019 Projection: 66/14/64/.270/.330/.440/10 Prime Projection: 93/24/91/.288/.360/.484/13

8) Royce Lewis MIN, SS, 19.10 – Has been sidelined with a mild oblique strain. Injury expert, and Twins current manager Rocco Baldelli said, “That’s something we are going to work through and we’re not overly concerned as we sit here right now. It is something to take note of as we go forward.” You don’t want the guy who never got hurt managing the grind of a long season, you want the guy who was always hurt. Bold prediction: Minnesota is one of the least injured teams in baseball with Rocco in town. ETA: 2021 Prime Projection: 104/23/87/.293/.351/.475/25

9) Bo Bichette TOR, SS, 21.1 – Baseball America says Bo Bichette has average speed. Keith Law says he has above average speed. Fangraphs puts a 45 grade on it. Prospects Live says he has plus speed. Maybe Bichette binged on the never ending pasta bowl at Olive Garden the day Baseball America and Fangraphs were in attendance. Or maybe he has inconsistent speed? Is that even possible? I really wish the Statcast data on minor leaguers became public. Can we get a petition going for that or something? ETA: Late 2019 Prime Projection: 92/25/89/.289/.358/.493/23

10) Jo Adell LAA, OF, 20.0 – If this were a pure fantasy upside list, Adell would rank 3rd behind Wander Franco (#1) and Fernando Tatis Jr. (#2). You can learn to strike out less with experience, but it’s much harder to get considerably faster as you get older. ETA: Late 2020 Prime Projection: 94/37/107/.265/.348/.540/14

11) Forrest Whitley HOU, RHP, 21.6 – I’m tempted to move Whitley higher but I just can’t part with my stud hitters for a pitching prospect, even one as good as Whitley. If you don’t have the aversion to pitching prospects that I have, he would easily be top 5 on this list. 2019 Projection: 7/3.75/1.23/102 in 85 IP Prime Projection: 18/3.25/1.07/240 in 210 IP

+5 (12) Alex Reyes STL, RHP, 24.7 – With Carlos Martinez likely moving back to the bullpen, it gives me more confidence Reyes will find himself in the starting rotation sooner rather than later. He’s scheduled to make his spring debut sometime this week, and I’m guessing he is about to remind all of us what all the hype was about. 2019 Projection: 7/3.71/1.28/136 in 110 IP Prime Projection: 15/3.32/1.23/221 in 185 IP

13) Brendan Rodgers COL, SS, 22.8 – With Arenado locked up long term, Garrett Hampson looking like he will have the first crack at the 2B job, and there still being some rawness to his plate approach, I can’t help but think it might not be the smoothest road ahead for Rodgers’ path to making a serious impact on your fantasy squad. ETA: Late 2019 Prime Projection: 83/28/95/.284/.339/.489/5

14) Keston Hiura MIL, 2B, 22.8 – Going 1 for 11 so far this spring doesn’t allow for the Twitter GIF hype machine to take effect in all its glory. The Mike Moustakas signing also puts a damper on his chance of forcing his way into the lineup. ETA: Late 2019 Prime Projection: 92/23/87/.287/.350/.476/13

15) Alex Kirilloff MIN, OF, 21.5 – I was curious what the origin of the name Kirilloff was. I didn’t find it, but I did end up in an internet black hole about surname numerology. Here is the Talent Analysis of Kirilloff by expression number 8: “You have the power and potential to achieve great things. It is both your challenge and your birthright to gain dominion over a small part of the earth. Whatever your enterprise, you strive to be the best and most successful in your field. You are highly competitive and will not rest until you are satisfied that you have bypassed the opposition. You enjoy challenges and rivalry.” Damn, pretty spot on. Maybe there is something to this surname numerology after all. Let me check the Talent Analysis of my surname, Halpern: “Yours is the most highly charged Expression number of all. You are like a lightning rod, attracting powerful ideas, intuitions, and even psychic information like unpredictable bolts. You are a powerful presence without any awareness on your part of having personal power. You are a channel for higher vibrations. But in order to be emotionally and psychologically at peace, you must learn to control that flow of energy. You possess a bridge between the unconscious and the conscious.” Fuuuuuck … my website name is pretty new agey and I am into going inward with meditation. Let’s move on before I start buying into this nonsense. ETA: Late 2020 Prime Projection: 93/28/96/.292/.348/.531/4

16) Tyler O’Neill STL, OF, 23.9 – O’Neill’s spring numbers are almost too on the nose, going 2 for 12 with 2 homers, a .167 BA and 1.000 OPS. I looked up the Talent Analysis of O’Neill, and it just says, “Tyler smash.” 2019 Projection: 31/10/33/.238/.300/.470/4 Prime Projection: 88/35/100/.255/.339/.510/10

17) Brent Honeywell TB, RHP, 24.0 – Honeywell’s Twitter account is now locked. I guess it has something to do with him getting suspended 4 games in 2017 for tweeting his frustration over not being called up. If you tweet a suspendable offense from a locked account do you still get suspended? I feel like this falls under the eternal philosophical question of, “if a tree falls in the woods and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?” 2019 Projection: 5/4.30/1.34/75 in 80 IP Prime Projection: 15/3.33/1.13/205 in 190 IP

+4 (18) Pete Alonso NYM, 1B, 24.4 – Only a dumb franchise wouldn’t hold their top prospects down for a few weeks to accrue an extra year of service time, so although Todd Frazier and Jed Lowrie are out with injuries, I’m definitely guessing Alonso breaks camp with the MLB club. 2019 Projection: 64/27/78/.243/.320/.464/1 Prime Projection: 83/34/101/.258/.339/.508/1

+5 (19) Garrett Hampson COL, 2B, 24.6 – Looking better and better to win near everyday at-bats in Colorado and possibly gain multi position eligibility along the way. Hampson has seen time all over the field, and is off to a blazing start this spring, going 5 for 11 with 2 homers and 3 steals. 2019 Projection: 73/8/58/.278/.335/.412/28 Prime Projection: 94/14/65/.291/.366/.449/35

20) Jesus Luzardo OAK, LHP, 21.6 – Luzardo was electric in his 2nd spring outing, striking out 3 of the 7 batters he faced. It had his pitching coach buzzing, “He’s got unbelievable stuff. In my opinion, this guy is going to be an elite pitcher in the big leagues. The fastball is electric, the changeup is really, really good, and he’s got an exploding breaking ball.” Usually teams try to keep expectations in check, but Oakland is so desperate for starting pitching they can’t help but be excited. Luzardo’s got a real shot of spending all season with the big league club. 2019 Projection: 8/3.94/1.28/116 in 130 IP Prime Projection: 15/3.38/1.15/198 in 195 IP

+20 (21) Chris Paddack SD, RHP, 23.3 – From the moment I first started writing about prospects I was always higher on plus change-up guys than the big boys in the industry, and was actually hyping up Paddack after his very first starts in 2016. That’s why I regret getting cold feet over the still developing curveball in my January prospect ranking, and while being ranked #41 is still very good for a pitcher in my rankings, the mid 90’s fastball and elite change-up deserved more respect. 2019 Projection: 4/3.81/1.24/73 in 68 IP Prime Projection: 15/3.41/1.12/203 in 188 IP

22) Michael Kopech CHW, RHP, 22.11 – Started throwing in February as he continues to recover from Tommy John surgery. We always focus on the physical aspect of the game, but like Yogi Berra said, “Baseball is 90 percent mental and the other half is physical.” Here is a great article on how Kopech handles the mental side of the game, which alludes to meditation being at least one tool in his arsenal. ETA: 2020 Prime Projection: 17/3.45/1.21/240 in 200 IP

23) Taylor Trammell CIN, OF, 21.6 – Trammell’s elite athletisism and plus power-speed combo get talked about a ton, but to stick with this mental aspect of the game theme, his elite character and leadership qualities don’t get mentioned often enough. He won his high school’s top leadership award and earned a 3.4 GPA. Reds manager, David Bell, recently said, “We’ve really enjoyed having him in camp. The interaction and conversations. He’s really a pleasure to be around. He’s a hard worker, really talented. He seems comfortable out there. He’s played well. More than anything, it’s fun getting to know him.” ETA: Late 2020 Prime Projection: 92/18/73/.266/.344/.452/24

24) Carter Kieboom WASH, SS, 21.7 – 4 for 10 with 2 doubles and a 1/3 K/BB. Doesn’t have huge power or speed upside, but is a safe bet to be a strong all category contributor. ETA: 2020 Prime Projection: 92/25/86/.280/.366/.485/9

25) Yordan Alvarez HOU, OF, 21.9 – You don’t think billion dollar major league baseball organizations have any strategies when it comes to manipulating the media, do you? Nah, probably not. That’s why when they tell you there is nothing to see here with Houston’s blocked, star 1B prospect, you should probably believe them and drop Alvarez way, way down your rankings. It wouldn’t be because every team is going to ask for him in trade negotiations this upcoming season, is it? Nah, that couldn’t be it. Who needs big sluggers these days anyway? ETA: 2020 Prime Projection: 82/29/98/.268/.354/.505/2

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

Baseball is back! And with the super fun way the rules are set up in MLB, now is the only time to watch the best young players compete in MLB uniforms and in High Definition on your television screen. When the games start to count, you can watch them “work on their defense” in grainy footage on your laptop, although MiLB.tv is claiming more games will be available in high quality video this season. We shall see. Here is The Dynasty Baseball Rundown (2/24/19):

Yoan Moncada CHW, 3B/2B – Writing about Moncada brings back memories to the very first Rundown I wrote back on April 11, 2016. It was a simpler time back then, when doing a write-up like this was a novelty and there weren’t 1,000 other websites in the fantasy prospect game. Other than Baseball America’s prospect hot sheet, my fantasy prospect rundown was just about the only other game in town, and definitely the only fantasy slanted one. I like to think I helped inspire the boom in prospect and fantasy prospect coverage which transpired very shortly after that first rundown hit the wire, and while the landscape is more competitive, dynasty baseball fans deserved the content explosion. Watching the community build from the ground up has been awesome. As for Moncada, he went 2 for 3 with a run, RBI, and K. Adding him in the rundown was more about bringing this thing full circle than for his performance, but also to remind you that he is still a future stud despite his lukewarm MLB numbers thus far.

Pete Alonso NYM, 1B – Pete “don’t call me Peter” Alonso blasted a mammoth homer to center field off a 94 MPH Touki Toussaint fastball. If he keeps this up, he can make us all call him P-Diddy for all I care.

Willie Calhoun TEX, DH – The re-motivated Calhoun lost 24 pounds this off-season by not eating after 7:30 pm and not playing late night video games. I cut down on video games in my early 20’s too, which resulted in me playing more Baseball Mogul on my computer. I don’t know, it felt like a win at the time. Being that Calhoun was already a relatively small guy, I hope dropping that weight doesn’t negatively impact his power at all. He went 0 for 4 to kick things off in the DH spot, and was one of the few players around baseball to get a full game of at-bats.

Byron Buxton MIN, OF – 2 for 2 with a homer and 5 RBI. He was atrocious in the majors last year and wasn’t all that hot in the minors either, so any glimpse of dominance is a good sign in my book.

Yusniel Diaz BAL, OF – Smacked a 2 run homer to left field on a swing where he wasn’t even completely on balance. Diaz looked like an absolute beast at the plate too, and while I gave him a prime projection of 23 homers, I’m thinking even that might be too low.

Cedric Mullins BAL, OF – Set the table going 2 for 2 with 2 runs, a walk and a stolen base. Don’t be surprised if this is common practice for Mullins during the season. He’s still being underrated.

Enyel De Los Santos PHI, RHP – 2 IP with 4 K’s, 0 BB and 0 ER. He isn’t going to crack the opening day rotation, but he has some nasty stuff, and when injuries/ineffectiveness inevitably hits the Phillies starters, you should scoop Enyel before it’s too late. Adonis Medina pitched a clean inning in this game too, with 1 strikeout and a fastball that reached 96 MPH.

Max Schrock STL, 2B – 3 for 4 with a homer, 2 runs, 4 RBI, and 0 K’s. Somewhere far, far away (Canada), in a windowless office deep in the bowels of the stadium with a single fluorescent light bulb overhead, Carson Cistulli is smiling. Or at least that’s how I imagine it anyway.

Sandy Alcantara MIA, RHP – Will need a strong spring to lock down a rotation spot, and Alcantara showed well in his first outing, going 2 IP of scoreless ball with 3 K’s, 1 BB, and 1 hit. He hit 98 MPH on the gun, and was generally in control of his plus stuff.

Adalberto Mondesi KC, SS/2B – Possibly the most divisive player in fantasy baseball this season, Mondesi opened the spring going 2 for 2 with 2 runs scored. He’s going to be one of the most fun players to follow all year … or one of the most depressing.

Kris Bryant CHC, 3B – 2 for 2 with a dinger. Bryant was feeling good about himself after the game too, basically telling all of his doubters to piss off and how the negative chatter only motivated him coming into this season. Not gonna lie, I’m a little concerned about trading him away in my hometown dynasty league for Joey Gallo, Bo Bichette, and Garrett Hampson. I needed the haul to kick start my rebuild, but I’m starting to sweat a bit.

Corey Ray MIL, OF – 2 for 3 with a homer and more importantly 0 strikeouts. Considering he is the former 5th overall pick in the draft and coming off a season where he hit 27 homers and stole 37 bases, the hype around Ray is mighty quiet.

Gleyber Torres NYY, 2B/SS – Smoothly lifted a homer to dead center field. With The Boss’ sons now pinching pennies, Gleyber may end up the Yanks long term SS if they don’t pay up for Didi next off-season.

Michael Chavis BOS, 3B – Scorched a frozen rope the opposite way for an impressive homer. Chavis has one of the quickest and most powerful bats in the minors.

Nick Madrigal CHW, 2B – 1 for 3 with a strikeout. Only mentioning him because I’m just shocked he struck out.

Taylor Ward LAA, 3B – 1 for 3 with a grand slam. I wouldn’t be surprised if Ward snuck his way into legitimate playing time season, and would keep an eye on him in deeper leagues.

Shed Long SEA, 2B – 1 for 3 with a bomb to dead center. He’s blocked right now, but if Seattle continues to sell off during the season, Long has a chance to put up some fantasy friendly stat lines.

Colton Welker COL, 3B – In his first career MLB (spring training) at-bat, Welker blasted a 2 run homer off a 79 MPH curveball. I’ve loved his swing for a long time now. Sam Hilliard knocked a homer in this game too

Jake Faria TB, RHP – After an awful 2018 it was nice to see Faria look crisp in the early going, throwing a perfect 1.2 innings with 3 strikeouts and his fastball reaching 93 MPH.

Chance Sisco BAL, C – Sisco is trying to nail down Baltimore’s starting catcher role, both for this season and the future. He made a strong opening argument yesterday, going 1 for 1 with a homer and a walk. He always had more raw power than he showed in the minors, so hopefully this is just the start of things to come.

Fernando Romero MIN, RHP – 1 IP with 2 K’s. Romero is in that hype-less prospect-ish void where he isn’t quite a major leaguer yet, but has also graduated from prospect status. Regardless of the role, Romero is ready and has the stuff to make an impact in fantasy leagues this year.

Ramon Urias STL, 2B – Luis Urias‘ older brother. Ramon raked in the Mexican League before slashing .300/.356/.516 with 13 homers and a 58/24 K/BB split between Double-A and Triple-A in 2018. He continued to impress yesterday going 2 for 4 with a dinger. St. Louis has about a dozen underrated infielders in the majors and minors, so who knows if he can find playing time.

Derek Fisher HOU, OF – 0-3 with 2 K’s. He is going to need to play better than this to force his way into an overstuffed Houston organization.

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